Strategic Planning in Action
Shirley Lefever • College of Applied Studies
Shirley Lefever, dean of WSU's College of Applied Studies, says her team has several
layers and strategies to ensure continued progress on the college strategic plan.
The leadership team meets twice monthly with strategic planning goals listed on the
agenda each time. For items that require a more broad based leadership approach, such
as Goal 7, they have formed a college-wide task force to develop action items.
Strategic planning goals have also been made a focal point at the department level through smaller task forces and committees and by keeping the strategic plan on college meeting agendas.
Lefever said her staff has been overwhelmingly receptive to the goals, to the extent that it was difficult to single out individual champions.
“We have a number of faculty and department heads who have been instrumental in advancing our work primarily because of their enthusiasm and genuine desire to make our college and university a more responsive place for our students.” she said. “The biggest challenge is finding time and financial resources to implement strategies. These are constant challenges that have to be addressed with each action identified.”