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Strategic Plan

Daring to Dream

The university-wide strategic planning process, “Dare to Dream,” began in 2020 with the goal of guiding UH to its centennial and beyond. With the help of faculty, staff and students, we will define our priorities yielding a road map for turning our dreams into reality. Together, we will have a profound and lasting impact on our university and our city.

Strategic Planning Process

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1 Form Committees and Establish Timeline

Oct - Dec 2019
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2 Hold Listening Sessions, Collect Surveys

Jan - Feb 2020
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3 Perform SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) Analysis

Mar - Apr 2020
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4 Analyze Data

Mar - Apr 2020
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5 Establish Key Priorities and Initiatives

May - Aug 2020
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6 Refine Initiatives Around Key Priorities

Aug - Sep 2020
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7 Conduct Focus Groups Around Emerging Priorities; Begin Implementation Design

Oct 2020
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8 Finalize Strategic Plan and Implementation Process

Nov - Dec 2020
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9 Launch Event

Roll Out of Strategic Plan

Jan 2021

Schedule for College SOAR Analysis Sessions and UH Community Listening Sessions

Campus-Wide Listening Sessions

Date (60 Minutes)   Location
Complete     Space City Room, Student Center South
Complete     Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion, MD Anderson Library
Complete     Room 110, Building 4, Technology Bridge

College SOAR Sessions

Date (90 minutes) Sessions Location
Complete   University Libraries Rockwell Pavilion
Complete   The Honors College Commons, Honors College
Complete   Cullen College of Engineering L2D2
Complete   Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design Room 120, Mashburn Gallery
Complete   Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management Conrad Hilton Ballroom
Complete   College of Medicine Room 186, Health 1 (TSO Auditorium)
Complete   College of Technology (Sugar Land) Room 249, SAB1, UHSL
Complete   College of Nursing 363 Brazos Hall, UHSL
Complete   Hobby School of Public Affairs Room 315 McElhinney Hall
Complete   College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics SEC 102
Complete   C. T. Bauer College of Business 160 Melcher Hall
Complete   College of Technology KIVA Room, Farish Hall
Complete   UH Law Center 144 BLB
Complete   Graduate College of Social Work SW 101
Complete   College of Education 101 Farish Hall
Complete   College of Optometry TSO Auditorium
Complete   College of Pharmacy Room 3050, Health 2
Complete   College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences SEC102
Complete   Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts Dudley Hall

Listening Sessions

Date (60 minutes) Sessions Location
Complete   Provost’s Cabinet 210 E. Cullen
Complete   Deans’ Council 220 E. Cullen
Complete   Graduate and Professional Studies Committee (GPSC) 306 MD Anderson
Complete   Staff Council 306 MD Anderson
Complete   College Business Administrators 220 E. Cullen
Complete   Undergraduate Associate Deans 220 E. Cullen
Complete   Graduate Associate Deans 306 MD Anderson Library
Complete   General Counsel 311Q E. Cullen
Complete   UH at Sugar Land & UH at Katy Faculty and Staff Room 103B, Brazos Hall
Complete   Undergraduate Committee (UC) 220-U, MD Anderson Library
Complete   Department Chairs #1 220 E. Cullen
Complete   SGA Room 204 (Senate Chamber), Student Center North
Complete   Athletics AD Conference Room, Suite 2002, Alumni Building
Complete   Administration and Finance 226 E. Cullen
Complete   Department Chairs #2 Rockwell Pavilion
Complete   President’s Cabinet 220 E. Cullen
Complete   Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) Space City Room, Student Center South
Complete   Student Affairs and Enrollment Services Room 204 (Senate Chamber), Student Center North
Complete   Faculty Senate Executive Committee 306 MD Anderson

UH Strategic Planning Management Committee

Frequently Asked Questions

As the University of Houston approaches its centennial, the development of a new strategic plan offers an opportunity for UH to dream about the future. Past strategic plans have resulted in many of our University’s major achievements to date. The strategic plan currently in development will include thematic areas, goals, strategies, tactics and metrics. It will yield a road map for turning these dreams into reality. It will guide our ambitions, improvement efforts and institutional investments to the centennial and beyond.
The process begins at the grassroots level. Broad participation in the strategic planning process is critical to the University's success.

UH faculty, staff and students will be invited to listening sessions to gather ideas and input about the big things that UH can do over the next five to 10 years. During these listening sessions, the UH community is encouraged to suggest goals and strategies that will focus UH’s energies and resources on the most pressing issues that we are distinctively positioned to address. A consultant will facilitate the collection of these ideas and assisting with environmental analyses, out of which themes will emerge. We will solicit input from our external stakeholders to ensure our plan addresses our impact on all aspects of the city of Houston.

Input and ideas from all faculty, staff, alumni and students are welcome — and essential — as we chart the path forward for UH. Think BIG. What BIG things would you like UH to achieve in the next 10-25 years? What multidimensional approaches can the institution take to achieve these significant goals?
Analysis of data collected during listening sessions and SOAR assessments will inform the development of a list of emerging themes, priorities, and directions, which will be presented to the Strategic Planning Management Committee.

The Strategic Planning Management Committee will appoint “flash groups” (comprised of faculty and staff subject matter experts) tasked with researching and developing these emerging themes more deeply. The flash groups are expected to look at specialized topics and related questions.

Once these emerging priorities are more clearly refined by the “flash groups” and Strategic Planning Management Committee, they will be tested with the UH community and stakeholders for additional feedback. The strategic plan is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.

SOAR is a strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results analysis used in strategic planning. It helps to focus an organization on its current strengths and vision of the future to develop strategic goals. SOAR also focuses on the aspirations and the potential of an organization.
Each of the 17 academic colleges will participate in SOAR assessments with their faculty and staff. Listening sessions will also be held with established campus groups such as the Faculty Senate, Student Government Association, and Staff Council. Additional listening sessions will be scheduled and open to the entire campus community. Stakeholders will also have the opportunity to provide feedback via a brief online survey.
The UH Strategic Planning Management Committee is comprised of faculty, staff and students from across campus and is responsible for seeking input from the UH community to inform the development of the strategic plan. The group will ensure that the process is driven from the bottom up and they are tasked with garnering widespread participation from the UH community.
Spring 2020: Listening sessions; collect stakeholder input via forums, surveys and interviews. Conduct SWOT/SOAR analysis.

Spring-Summer 2020: Analyze data to establish key priorities and initiatives. Review priorities with UH stakeholders through additional series of listening sessions. Begin draft of strategic plan. Share draft with UH community for feedback.

Fall 2020: Finalize strategic plan and related communications.

The UH System Board of Regents is expected to review the strategic plan by the end of 2020.