McMaster is looking for feedback from faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members to help develop the next strategic plan a declaration, a roadmap and an operating manual that will take us through to 2031.
Dear members of the McMaster community,
Throughout its long and rich history, McMaster has embraced a spirit of innovation and change, which has brought us to a place where we can be proud.
We are in the upper tier of Canadian universities and in the top 1 per cent of universities worldwide. We attract high-performing students from around the world and engage more than 250,000 alumni at home and abroad. Our researchers are advancing knowledge in ways that make a tangible, positive difference.
This did not happen by accident. It happened by planning.
That's why I'm pleased to announce that we are launching the process to build McMaster's next strategic plan, which will define and enhance specific areas where we can lead while continuing to support the broader university. I'd like everyone to start thinking about the big picture and asking themselves how they'd like to see McMaster five years from now. I invite you to share your ideas here.
As we look ahead to the next five years at McMaster, I want us to take the momentum we have inherited and move the university forward in a bold, ambitious, deliberate, and very positive way that builds on our traditions of creativity, ingenuity and service to humanity.
As a public university, we should convert as much of our research as possible into uses that benefit society, both in terms of improving everyday life and building the Canadian economy, starting right here in Hamilton.
Setting the Course
Starting in January, McMaster will be gathering input from its wide community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and other partners to get a full picture of where we want to go and how we can make the most of our resources to get there.
The result will be a new strategic plan called Setting the Course. This plan will serve as a declaration, a roadmap and an operating manual that will take us through to 2031.
This community-informed document will guide every aspect of McMaster's activities, from teaching and research to operations and budgets. The goals in the new plan will inform the work of our faculty members, students and staff.
You can learn more about the process, upcoming opportunities for engagement, and progress updates at the new website dedicated to the development of the strategic plan.
We will measure our performance against those goals in a transparent way, and in five years' time I'm confident we'll all be looking back with pride on what we have achieved.
Together, we plan our future
As we embark on this process, we're setting up two groups to develop the plan, using feedback from the McMaster community and our partners.
The strategic oversight committee, which I will chair, will have broad responsibility for the plan. It will feature representation from across the university, including from all six Faculties.
The strategic planning team will do the day-to-day work of creating the plan based on guidance from the oversight committee.
Save the Date
Please also save the date for a launch event on January 14 at 1 p.m., where we will officially begin this important community-wide conversation. More information on this event will be shared soon.
We have a lot to do between now and June, when the plan will be ready for approval by the Board of Governors.
Until then, I encourage all faculty, staff, students and other community members to share their insights and perspectives. Your input will play a significant role in shaping the future direction of our university.
Let's imagine what McMaster can become and make it happen, together.
Sincerely,
Susan Tighe
President and Vice-Chancellor
