“Make no little plans; they have no magic….”
The words of Daniel Burnham, architect and city planner, may have been spoken in another context. But they apply with equal force to us today. They are at the heart of Winthrop University’s new strategic plan.
Just as Burnham was the architect of Union Station in Washington, D.C., and the Flatiron Building in New York City, we have been called to be the architects of Winthrop’s future. Just as he was one of the earliest urban planners, mapping out a vision for Chicago that reshaped the city, we have the responsibility to define the vision for an institution that already possesses a proud history, but faces a world of ever-evolving challenge and complexity.
We have embraced that task. We have been architects, crafting our strategy element by element. We have been planners, always conscious of where our university is today, while never forgetting where it must be in the years ahead. And as architects and planners, we have acted with courage.
We had the courage to hear – indeed, invite – the contending voices of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the Rock Hill community who, whatever their differing perspectives, share a commitment to ensure Winthrop’s future. In more than 100 interviews, 15 focus groups, 25 presentations, 500+ emails, and 15 surveys and questionnaires that generated more than 800 responses, we listened, engaged in even the most difficult conversations, and made tough choices.
We had the courage to take honest stock of Winthrop’s strengths, crafting plans that focused on results, even if difficult to achieve. We assessed Winthrop’s weaknesses with a clear eye, embracing plans to meet them head on.
We had the courage not just to plan, but to hold ourselves accountable, setting clear measures of performance that will allow us – and others – to assess in objective terms what we achieve. We had the courage to insist that our progress not just be measurable, but rapid, because we know there must be real, significant progress in the next 36 months if we are to succeed in the years beyond.
Most importantly, Winthrop’s new strategic plan is the product of the courage to face the world as it is, to welcome the challenges that world presents, and to make the most of them. We invite you, as someone for whom Winthrop University holds a special place in your past, your present, or your future – or perhaps all three – to become our partners, United in Excellence!
President
