1. Creating Priority Issues
Darren Blagburn
Institutional Effectiveness
or x1846

2. ISU’s Strategic Planning Process
1. Gather Facts
2. SWOT Analysis
3. Review Inputs
4. Define Vision
5. Define Mission
6. Define Core Themes
7. Develop Strategies
9. Complete
Assessments
10. Review & Adjust
8. Develop Measures
This slide simply shows the process the Strategic Planning Working Group followed.
By gathering facts we identified who the Customers, stakeholders, and competitors are.
Defined Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats then used the latter to identify problem statements (review inputs)
Created Vision, Mission and Value Statements
Developed Priority issues, action plans, and matrices to support those issues
Annually evaluate and adjust the action plans if they are not accomplishing the objectives.

3. Outcomes- Priority Issues
Class on Process for developing Priority Issues- 15 mins
Discuss the looped and grouped categories-15 mins
Define the Priority Issues-60 mins
Vote on the Priority Issues-30 mins

4. Priority Issues-What Are They?
Creating priority issues is the development of categories focused on weaknesses, opportunities, or threats that have a high, long- term affect on the Institution
Weaknesses
Strengths
Threats
Opportunities

5. Categories
Looped an grouped the like items then created neutral headers-
People
Academics
Faculty and Staff Services
Access and Opportunity
Environment
Relationships/Perceptions

6. How are Priority Issues Composed
Definition For Priority Issues
Should say:
What is wrong, threatening, opportune
Why it matters
Should not:
Describe a cause or solution
Assign blame to a person

7. How are Priority Issues Composed
Define the issue (examples)
Priority Issue 1- Marketing/Branding: ISU’s brand is not readily recognized throughout the state and region to potential students and partners, and where it is, it does not generate excitement and a positive emotion in the local communities even with continual University marketing.
Priority Issue 2- Faculty and Staff (Managing Centers for Learning): ISU’s Centers for Learning do not receive the necessary autonomy that would allow them the ability to grow and establish themselves within their communities as a local educational alternative.

8. Topics for Creating Priority Issues
Academics- Group 1
1. Dual Credit
2. Curriculum-based outreach
Marketing/Recruiting- Group 2
3. Recruiting
4. Branding
Resources- Group 3
5. Centers for Learning funding
6. Classroom technology and infrastructure
Leadership/ Communication-Group 4
7. Lack of communication, transparency and inclusion
ISU Relationships- Group 4
8. High schools

9. Topics for Creating Priority Issues
Access/Opportunity- Group 5
9. Professional development programs
10. Student Retention
Environment (Physical)- Group 6
11. Managing aging facilities
External Perceptions/ Relationships- Group 6
12. Identify Crisis
External Perceptions/ Relationships- Group 7
13. Community outreach
14. Community perception
ISU Relationships-Group 8
15. Alum
16. Community partnerships

10. Prioritizing Priority Issues1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Vote
Each individual gets three votes as their top three priorities. The top five become the Priority Objectives for the University
ISU’s Top 5 Priority Issues

11. Priority Issues
Questions?