From Enduring Core Values to a Vision for 2020: UNCW Soaring to Greatness
At the beginning of Chancellor DePaolo’s tenure, she led the university through an inclusive
process of self-examination, beginning with identification of the widely-held core values of the
institution, a strategic vision statement, and an identity statement. Bolstered by extensive
benchmarking (comparisons to peer and aspirant institutions on numerous quality indicators), the
process resulted in a strategic plan with seven goals and numerous objectives, which in turn began the
process of transforming ideas into action. Priority progress measures were established in key areas,
with numerical targets and timelines. As progress measures were achieved through intentional actions
and linkages to allocations of resources, more ambitious goals were set. After only six years, it became
clear that new and bold initiatives were needed to again challenge the university to reach higher and
achieve even more.
During those six years, with new leadership from UNC President Bowles, the multi-campus
university followed a similar approach. The planning process for the system was reinvented through
UNC Tomorrow, an initiative designed to ensure that our universities are positioned to serve state
needs. Furthermore, extensive accountability measures were established with emphasis on retention
and graduation and campus mission statements were revisited. The revised mission statement for
UNCW again suggested the need to reinvigorate the campus planning process.
At the same time, the need to review priorities was being prompted by: budget reductions due
to the state’s economy; the development of learning goals, as a part of learning assessment; and the
need to begin work on the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), as required by the SACS accreditation
process. Thus, the leadership of the university, the planning council, and the campus more broadly
embarked on the development of Soaring to Greatness 2020, a set of bold initiatives and finite
objectives within the seven goals of the Soaring to Greatness strategic plan.
Some members of the campus community have raised legitimate questions about how the
elements of the strategic plan are related to UNC Tomorrow, to learning goals, to the QEP, and now to
Soaring to Greatness 2020. The succinct answer is that all of these statements, plans, goals, processes,
and initiatives have common elements and common origins in the mission statement. Those
commonalities and consistencies include strong commitments to the powerful learning experience that
prepares global citizens, through teaching and research, mentoring and service, diversity and inclusion,
at the state’s coastal university.
For example, Goal 1 of the strategic plan (Powerful Learning Experience) links directly to UNC
Tomorrow’s 4.1 and to all nine Learning Goals. Commitment to diversity is expressed in Goal III of the
strategic plan, in 4.2 of UNC Tomorrow, and in Learning Goal 7. Similar linkages exist throughout these
important statements. Collectively, they provide a clear conception and vivid vision of UNCW’s future.