Reigniting Our Strategic Directions
By Office of Strategic Initiatives ● Apr 13, 2022
Smart Brevity™ count: 4 mins… 1110 words
Welcome to the April issue of the Reigniting Our Strategic Directions email update. As working groups build on their winter quarter work, spring includes a strong start to the alignment of key talent and commitment to measurable future targets. See below for select updates on this month’s progress.
Morgan Frost, Director for Project Delivery and Change Management
April Updates
Open Education Task Force: Membership in OEN, Faculty Workshop and New Website
Supplier Diversity Program Connects Seattle University with Local BIPOC Businesses
LIFT SU: Building Out ODI, Executive Appointment, Campus Climate Policy and Supplier Diversity
In Brief: Provost Fellows Update
Meeting the Moment in a Time of Change: Jeanette Rodriguez, PhD
Inspired by Opportunities for Seattle University, Pursuit of Inclusive Excellence: David R. Lance
What’s Next: Strategic Conversations Series
Highlights: Goal 3 and March Update
Ask the Strategic Initiatives Team
Open Education Task Force: Membership in OEN, Faculty Workshop and New Website
The Open Education Task Force under Goal 1 is exploring open education and open educational resources (OER) at Seattle University. These resources for faculty and students are free of legal, financial and technical barriers. The task force has made notable progress in several areas, including facilitating Seattle University’s membership in the Open Education Network, a community of colleges and universities working together to promote the use of open educational materials in higher education. Faculty are invited to attend a workshop on April 25, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom. Attendees will learn about the benefits of these resources for their courses, what makes an OER and be invited to review an item from the Open Textbook Library. Registration is now open for the workshop. In addition, the Open Education Task Force has launched a new website for the community to learn more about OER at Seattle University.
Read more about the initiatives of Goal 1 and the Open Education Task Force
Supplier Diversity Program Connects Seattle University with Local BIPOC Businesses
As the President shared earlier this month, the Supplier Diversity Program continues aligning our business relationships with the priorities of LIFT SU. An initiative under Goal 4: Promote Inclusive Excellence, the program is designed to build relationships and increase procurement with diverse businesses. Supporting businesses through RAMP-up and allocating more Seattle University spending to local companies helps create a more equitable, resilient and integrated community.
Planning and other work is taking place across all Strategic Goals. Visit the website for updates in real-time.
LIFT SU: Building Out ODI, Executive Appointment, Campus Climate Policy and Supplier Diversity
The work of Goal 4 is advancing as new co-chairs and working group members are onboarded. Work to build capacity and infrastructure has kicked off and will be a multi-year, multi-faceted effort that includes fully resourcing and building out this office. School of Law Professor Brooke Coleman has been appointed Special Assistant to the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and will help co-lead the work of promoting inclusive excellence. In addition, recruitment of an Associate Vice President for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is in progress and remains a top priority. Delivery of a proposed Campus Climate Incident Reporting and Response Protocol is expected at the end of the 2021- 2022 academic year and is scheduled to begin a phased launch in fall 2022. In alignment with the initiatives of LIFT SU, the Supplier Diversity Program is expanding relationships with diverse businesses. The program connects Seattle University’s spending with our mission and values and aims to create a more equitable, resilient and integrated community.
In Brief
Provost Fellows Update
Provost Fellows will represent and embed faculty leadership and scholarly expertise throughout the planning and implementation of Reigniting Our Strategic Directions. There was a strong response to the call for applications from faculty in March. Applications are currently under review, and the Fellows will be announced by Provost Shane Martin this month. Updates will also be posted on the Reigniting Our Strategic Directions website.
Get to Know the People Behind the Work of Reigniting Our Strategic Directions
Co-Chair Profiles
Meeting the Moment in a Time of Change: Jeanette Rodriguez, PhD
Jeanette Rodriguez, PhD
Professor, Theology and Religious Studies Professor, Couples and Family Therapy
Chair, Laudato Si’ Seven-Year Journey Toward Integral Ecology
Jeanette Rodriguez, PhD is leading Seattle University’s participation in Pope Francis’ Seven-Year Journey Toward Integral Ecology through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. Dr. Rodriguez serves as chair of this critical initiative under our Foundational Goal: Remaining Anchored in Our Jesuit and Catholic Character. She comes to the work prepared for this time of change and says,
“We are in a Kairos moment; with a new Catholic lay president, a Provost trained and grounded in the Ignatian tradition, and the movement towards a more collaborative and refined restructuring of the various centers, programs, and institutes, all offer the possibility of a new creation and revitalization of the best of our Catholic and Jesuit
tradition.”
Read Dr. Rodriguez’s full profile
Inspired by Opportunities for Seattle University, Pursuit of Inclusive Excellence: David R. Lance
David R. Lance Associate Provost
Co-chair, Bias Prevention and Campus Care
David R. Lance, Associate Provost, co-chairs the Goal 4 Bias Prevention and Campus Care working group. He has worked at Seattle University since 2010 and previously served in the Office of University Counsel. His personal experience as an alumnus of two Jesuit universities brings perspective to his role as co-chair. He is moved by Seattle University’s mission and says,
“I’ve experienced the transformative power of holistic Jesuit education. I’m inspired by the opportunity for Seattle University to distinguish itself as a student-centered institution rooted in our Jesuit and Catholic character, committed to caring for the whole person and dedicated to the pursuit of inclusive excellence.”
What’s Next
Strategic Conversations Series
April 29, 2022
Hosted by Jeanette Rodriguez, PhD 12:45 – 1:45 p.m.
Harding 143
Please join us in person or via Zoom
For those who cannot attend the Strategic Conversations, recordings and materials will be posted on our community engagement page.
Save these May Strategic Conversation Dates
May 11 — Goal 4: Campus Climate Incident Reporting and Response Protocol
May 13 — Goal 4: Supplier Diversity Program
May 20 — Goal 1: Reimagine and Revise Curriculum
May 25 — Goal 2: Professional Development for Staff
Visit the Reigniting Our Strategic Directions website for event listings and updates.
Stop here to revisit update highlights and explore special content.
Update Highlights and More
Goal 3: Enhance the Student Experience Update Initiative updates
March 2022 Reigniting Our Strategic Directions Update
Ask the Strategic Initiatives Team
Do you want to know more about the strategic planning process, a goal or initiative? Ask a question and we will answer it in an upcoming email.
Submit questions to strategic-initiatives@seattleu.edu
For the latest information and updates, visit Reigniting Our Strategic Directions.
Feedback
Anonymously tell us what you thought of this newsletter. Your responses will help us create better content for you!
Was this edition useful?