Greta Degen Pursley

The 2016-2021 Strategic Plan for the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture outlines key goals and objectives across various areas. Academic development focuses on curriculum enhancement, faculty development, and improved student assessment methods. Outreach to students aims to increase enrollment through enhanced marketing and recruitment strategies. Financial practices emphasize maximizing existing revenue streams and exploring new opportunities, including grant applications and alumni engagement. Alumni engagement seeks to strengthen relationships with graduates to foster referrals and support their professional development. The plan also prioritizes upholding the Five Element tradition through faculty support, student mentorship, and hosting symposiums. Finally, the Academy will explore the feasibility of offering doctoral-level education, conducting market research, and developing a comprehensive plan for implementation.

This document provides an overview of strategic planning in higher education, exploring its history, common practices, and critiques. It emphasizes the importance of intentionality and the human capacity for goal-setting in the planning process. The authors discuss the evolution of strategic planning from a focus on physical planning to a more comprehensive approach encompassing various aspects of institutional management, including academic programs, student services, resource acquisition, and market positioning. The document highlights three key themes: the integration of rational-deductive approaches with cultural-environmental-political perspectives; a shift towards learning, creativity, and flexibility in planning; and a strong emphasis on implementation and achieving tangible results. While acknowledging critiques of strategic planning, the authors ultimately advocate for its potential as a powerful tool for institutional advancement when implemented effectively.

The strategic planning guide focuses on defining strategic planning, its components, and its importance for organizations. It emphasizes the need for clarity on mission and vision, preparing for future changes, prioritizing decisions, and aligning board and staff efforts. The guide also addresses common concerns about strategic planning, such as bad past experiences and lack of time, and provides advice on how to overcome these challenges. Additionally, it outlines key roles in the strategic planning process, including the board, chief executive, staff members, external stakeholders, and consultants, and details the contents of a strategic framework.

The strategic planning session aims to create a new strategic plan for the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture, focusing on identifying areas for improvement and developing "big picture" proposals for projects, changes, and upgrades to systems, operations, and approaches. The plan will build upon the college's strengths and incorporate elements of five-element theory. The process will involve a consensus-building approach among participants, prioritizing ideas through objective mechanisms such as online polling. The plan will likely address various aspects of the college's operations, including but not limited to, policy improvements, program enhancements, and resource optimization. The goal is to create a comprehensive plan that guides the college's development and growth in the long term.