Smith sets the foundation of its future

After more than 18 months of work, debate, discussion and consultation conducted with faculty, staff, students and alumni, Smith has launched a new strategic plan.

The new strategy outlines six priorities that will guide the business school over the next five years. They are:

• Preparing current and future graduates to solve big challenges;
• Ensuring an inclusive student experience;
• Being a positive force in our communities;
• Supporting a vibrant and productive research culture;
• Changing the world with our knowledge;
• Inspiring and supporting our people.

“These priorities are well aligned with the evolving world in which business schools operate and the demands and expectations of the marketplace and our students,” explains Dean Wanda Costen, adding that they serve to set a broad direction for the school’s activities. “Our annual operational planning process will define what we do in any given year to best advance towards these goals. We will report our progress each year.”

Though much work has been done to get to this point, the launch of the Smith Strategic Plan marks another beginning: its implementation. In the coming months, the school’s leadership team will be focused on aligning the school’s activities, resources and culture to the fulfilment of these commitments.

“It takes time to transition from words in a document to a living strategy that is embedded in our thinking and our work,” Costen notes.

Read the complete strategic plan at smithqueens.com/strategicplan.