Northwood Strategy Planning Process

Building on the work of our Academic Quality Improvement Process (AQIP) Action Project which helped reshape our Mission and BHAG (big, hairy audacious goal) (hope those Bookmarks are being put to good use!), I am excited to announce the system-wide rollout of the new Northwood Strategy Planning Process (NSPP).

Phase One of this inclusive process requires each operating unit to discuss and come to a consensus on their competitive strategy. The focal point of this process is to identify student needs which Northwood will satisfy better than competitors in a given marketplace through the alignment of key activities, internal outcomes, and metrics.  This process, validated in theory and practice, has been successfully implemented and refined at the Richard DeVos Graduate School of Management (RDGSM) over the past 10 years.

Dr. Lisa Fairbairn and Dr. Bill Busby will be facilitating these sessions in Michigan, Florida, Texas, RDGSM, University College, Advancement, and International Programs.  In December, operating unit leadership will be assembling small teams charged with initial efforts in the construction of their strategy document. In January and February, refinement of the strategies will occur when all employees will have the opportunity to provide input into the strategic direction of each unit.

In March, Phase Two of the NSPP involves the Officer Team aligning and leveraging operating unit strategies with Northwood’s Institutional Strategy and Scorecard.  Focus will be placed on investing in and leveraging key resources and capabilities system-wide to more effectively achieve our “One Northwood” vision.  This will include plan elements related to facilities (capital improvements and deferred maintenance), Human Resources and Information Technology.  All outcomes will be presented to the Board of Trustees in early May.

Once approved by the Board of Trustees, NSPP will become the basis for our actions and decisions.  NSPP will guide capital investments, new program development, budgets, resource alignment, and elimination of redundant or non-aligned activities.  It will help ensure our operating decisions support the strategy we choose to pursue.  Because this process will determine the Northwood of the future, we encourage all employees to actively participate!   Together we can continue to move Northwood toward our BHAG!

Let me also take this opportunity to close the loop on a topic discussed in one of my August messages - one in which most of us were involved over the recent past and certainly will involve all of us as we move forward. The Northwood Systems Portfolio was submitted to AQIP at the beginning of November.  It is available to all employees at: http://www.northwood.edu/nuqip/systemsportfolio/.

As we continue addressing our themes of engagement and continuous improvement, I encourage you to review the Portfolio and ensure this becomes a part of our fabric and simply what we do and how we do it.  We are asking various committees and teams to help prioritize improvement opportunities and we are committed to using the principles of AQIP as we embark on developing and executing our strategies.  This document should inform our planning process and will be used to shape our directions and actions.

I have been asked many times in the first year of my presidency about our strategy and operating principles.  Through the NSPP and the content within the Systems Portfolio, we all are defining and acting on our future.  Thank you for your engaged efforts as we continuously improve Northwood University!

Keith A. Pretty, J.D.
President and CEO
Northwood University
4000 Whiting Drive
Midland, MI 48640
989.837.4203 (phone)
989.832.9590 (fax)