UAFS rolls out six ‘pillars” in strategic plan

story info submitted by the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith

The chancellor at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith rolled out a five-year strategic plan in a special presentation Aug. 19, directing all of the activities and the resources of the institution toward the points outlined in it.

UAFS Chancellor Paul B. Beran started out his talk by saying the university “cannot be all things to all people.” The rollout ceremony was held at the Arkansas Best Corp. Performing Arts Center at the Fort Smith Convention Center.

“We need a specific identifiable niche and that niche is clearly identified in the mission and vision statements,” said Beran. “The history of this institution has been about supporting general education that teaches critical and creative thinking skills, creating real world opportunities for students, and supporting the business and industrial community with training and education.”

He said those activities have, in turn, spurred economic development for the area as well as quality of place programs and events. Beran stressed that the plan focuses on the mission of the institution and that the plan puts into writing an expansion of what UA Fort Smith has already put into practice.

The institution’s vision and mission statements take first place in the plan, with six distinct pillars outlined as a means to meet the mission. Following under the six pillars are more than 24 initiatives, along with more than 100 action steps.

The vision states, “UA Fort Smith will be a premier regional university connecting education with careers.” The mission statement says, “UA Fort Smith prepares students to succeed in an ever-changing global world while advancing economic development and quality of place.”

The plan calls for the mission to be accomplished by:
• Developing as a center for intellectual, artistic, social, and cultural advancement.
• Maximizing citizenship and real-world work application experiences.
• Solidifying and expanding UA Fort Smith’s position as a primary contributor to economic development.
• Leading in the innovative use of technology.
• Promoting global learning initiatives.
• Continuing to seek and steward resources.

“I want you to especially note that the first pillar has the most initiatives because it is the pillar that most reflects the core of what we do every day — reaching out to students to help them develop into engaged, thinking, informed, and culturally aware citizens who graduate with a career-focused major but who have the thinking skills to survive in an unpredictable world,” Beran said.

The other pillars cover areas such as providing real-world work experiences for students, contributing to economic development of the region, using technology strategically and innovatively, promoting global learning, and finding and developing resources for the university.

Portions of the plan call for raising the bar on teaching and learning by providing new avenues for faculty and staff to help students and for students to reach out for help. Other areas call for supporting programs for youth at UA Fort Smith and having quality student life programs that focus on immersing students in social and cultural environments that will support their classroom learning experiences.

Helping students mature and grow into informed, responsible citizens emerges as part of the plan, as does what Beran calls UA Fort Smith’s “warp speed” in embracing new technology to help the institution’s business functions, teaching opportunities, research ability and communication forums.

He also said the pillar that states the university will “continue to seek and steward resources” is “not just about raising money.”

“These final three initiatives … encompass building partnerships with a variety of organizations, staying connected to alumni and university supporters, showing appreciation in a variety of ways for those who have helped the university, creating priorities for support and looking to the future needs of UA Fort Smith.”

Beran urged those attending the presentation to read it, become familiar with it and think about it.

“It is a fluid plan that will be reviewed and amended on a regular basis, but the core of it will be what drives the institution for the next five years,” Beran said.

Link here to a copy of the strategic plan.