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ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúTHRIVE, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University’s strategic planning process, reached a milestone recently as the university continues to reimagine itself to serve the dynamic needs and interests of students now and in the future. The strategic planning process crossed the one-year mark on Nov. 1 in its efforts to identify opportunities to strengthen the university to better support its teaching, research, and service missions. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúTHRIVE has inspired bold new ideas across all facets of university life – including reinvigorating the campus experience – and work continues at a good pace, with much progress made.

During the initial two phases of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúTHRIVE, the university received input and insight from the community, identified ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s core strengths, and formed foundational strength and opportunity area committees through nominations from across the university. These committees have worked to build upon and enhance ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s core strengths to propel the university forward in a way that is authentic to the institution. Ideas and initiatives formed in the first two phases will positively shape ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s future as the strategic planning process prepares to enter Phase III.

Phase I

For the initial phase of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúTHRIVE, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú engaged Bain & Company’s higher education practice to conduct an environmental scan and initial assessment of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s current strengths and performance across strategic, enrollment, and operational areas. Through this work, which ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú and the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Foundation funded through unrestricted gift funds, Bain & Company helped ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú identify national challenges, best practices, and examples of innovation across the higher education landscape. In addition, they gathered and synthesized ideas from across the university and facilitated discussions with the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúTHRIVE working teams to help the university identify potential future opportunities focused on serving the evolving needs of students in a rapidly changing environment. More than 400 ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúans were involved in the Phase I effort through which the university defined the guiding ambition of the strategic planning initiative. Also completed was a comprehensive review of the efficiency of the university, which is projected to result in $13-$20 million annually in savings or new income over the coming years.

Phase II

The second phase of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúTHRIVE began in April 2024 with the formation of 19 service committees: nine foundational strength committees and 10 opportunity area committees. Members of the community were invited to participate in March, and committees were finalized by mid-April. The committees include representatives throughout the university and each committee had a University Senate appointee.

The foundational strength committees developed white papers on how each strength is demonstrated at the university, how it differentiates us, and how we can reinforce that position moving forward. Foundational strength committee work wrapped by June 1 and was available for the opportunity area committees for consideration as they began their work.

The opportunity area committees were launched in waves:

• Four opportunity area committees launched in late April and their work is largely complete. During a university-wide symposium Oct. 14 and 15, they previewed their proposed initiatives to the community. The committees included: 
  • Building lifelong skills (focuses on how ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s courses and curriculum support the development of lifelong skills and professional leadership)
  • Expanding experiential learning (focuses on how ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s current strengths in experiential learning can be cataloged and expanded to continue to provide our students with real-world experiences that will enhance their learning, as well as professional and leadership development)
  • Developing a partnership ecosystem and related urban bridges (focuses on how we can identify and grow university-wide partnerships and develop opportunities to scale for ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú students to explore, study, and work in urban areas)
  • Marketing and communicating our differentiated value proposition (focuses on new ways to push our marketing efforts to rise above the noise of our competition)
• Two opportunity area committees launched in early August. Their work will be largely complete shortly after Thanksgiving:
  • Strategically leveraging the regional campuses (focuses on identifying the opportunity sets to grow and strengthen our regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown)
  • Strengthening the student experience and supporting growing segments (focuses on what students of the future will want and need from a residential campus experience and how we can grow and support graduate and non-traditional student populations)
• The four remaining opportunity area committees launched in early September:
  • Increasing academic program flexibility and interdisciplinary pathways (focuses on how to bring more student choice to majors and program completion)
  • Growing programs in high-demand fields (focuses on how ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú can lean into developing new programs and majors for changing economy and work culture)
  • Developing ecosystems of excellence in research and scholarship (focuses on how ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú can grow research and scholarship and provide more opportunities for students to participate in research)
  • Resetting the cost of attendance (focuses on strategies for the overall cost of attendance, including room and board)

It is expected that Phase II will wrap in early 2025, with Phase III (implementation) to begin soon after. More than 40 listening sessions and presentations have been held across ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú since February, and more than 1,000 ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú students, faculty, and staff have participated in THRIVE committees, discussions, or focus groups. 

“We are extremely pleased with the progress made during the first two phases of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúTHRIVE,” ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú President Gregory Crawford said. “As we continue to build momentum with this ambitious undertaking, I am deeply grateful for the insights, energy, and support of the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú community in moving this initiative forward.”

Questions should be directed to Brent Shock by email at shockb@ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúOH.edu or by calling 9-8710.