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About the College

Strategic Plan

Dear CADA community,

In January 2023, UIC’s College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts began formulating a strategic plan — one that keeps mission at the forefront — to guide the college over the next decade. This webpage was launched to share steering committee and planning information and solicit feedback from the college community.

My intention for this process is to encourage an expansive, college-wide conversation that considers where our disciplines are headed and ensures that we are training our students for what lies ahead. We know that our students represent the future of our fields, and we are incredibly proud of who they are and the radical, transformative diversity they bring to the disciplines we care about so much.

We recognize that the fields we trained and practice in are not necessarily the fields and practice of the future, and we must move from a place of courage and vision to orient the college forward, while bringing the parts of the past that we know we, and our students, cannot do without. We need to be intelligent about resources, and lead from a place of mission. As this process unfolds, we will update you and periodically ask for feedback that will be invaluable to our working process. This webpage encourages further feedback.

I look forward to continuing these conversations and to a final plan that our schools can use to drive more specific subsequent planning.

Rebecca Rugg
Dean

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

STRATEGIC PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE

Dean Rugg has convened a steering committee to establish a set of priorities and recommend initiatives to be incorporated into the strategic plan, and has hired CiTTA, a social impact consultancy that works with arts and higher education, to guide this work.

Steering committee members represent the breadth of schools, departments, and affiliates within the college. Committee members serve diverse roles in their professions and bring their input and varied experiences to the group. In service of the strategic plan, they represent the college as a whole. Committee members include:

Sharon Oiga, Professor and Chair of Graphic Design, School of Design, Co-Chair
Brent Talbot, Professor and Head of Music, School of Theater and Music, Co-Chair

Evelyn Gaynor, Director of Recruiting and Admissions
Ömür Harmanşah, Director, School of Art and Art History and Associate Professor
Ross Jordan, Interim Director, Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
Thomas Kelley, Associate Professor, School of Architecture
Jonathan Kinkley, Director of Advancement
Roni Lee, undergraduate student, IDEAS
Pedro Neves, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Design
Collette Pollard, Associate Professor, School of Theatre and Music
Florencia Rodriguez, Director, School of Architecture and Associate Professor
Rebecca Rugg, Dean
Lorelei Stewart, Director, Gallery 400
Dina Taylor, Associate Dean of Administration
Tim Wood, graduate student, School of Architecture

PLANNING PROCESS

PHASE 1: Preliminary issues analysis
Identification of key themes and issues the strategic plan must address
December 2022–mid-February 2023
1. Steering committee formation
2. Internal stakeholder interviews and focus groups
3. Review of data, reports, analyses
4. Steering committee kick-off meeting and discussion
PHASE 2: Strategic plan framework
Consensus on a small set of overarching goals; potential early thoughts on vision, mission, values
February–mid-April 2023
1. Additional internal and external stakeholder interviews and focus groups
2. Preparation of strategic plan framework
3. Steering committee discussion
4. Subcommittee formation
PHASE 3: Iterative drafts of strategic plan
Consensus on a penultimate draft
Mid-April–mid-August 2023
1. Development of specific strategies and initiatives for the plan
2. Steering committee discussions
3. Writing and revision (first draft and penultimate draft)
PHASE 4: Completed strategic plan
Approval of the final strategic plan by the steering committee to share with the college community
Mid-August–mid-October 2023
1. Discussions of draft plan with college community
2. Consultation with others at UIC and selected external stakeholders
3. Final revisions to strategic plan
PHASE 5: Implementation plan
Development of an implementation plan and associated financial, operational, and accountability plans
Mid-October 2023–early 2024
1. Implementation committee formation
2. Prioritization and identification of initiatives
3. Development of estimated timeframes and required resources
4. Establishment of performance metrics and monitoring and evaluation process
Mission Dean’s Message History Board of Advisors