The purpose of the University of North Carolina Tomorrow (UNCT) Initiative is to determine how the University of North Carolina can respond more directly and proactively to the 21st century challenges facing our state both now and in the future (see UNC Tomorrow Commission Final Report for detailed information). During spring semester, the UNC campuses worked to meet a May 1, 2008 deadline set by UNC President Erskine Bowles for the first in a series of responses to the priorities outlined in the report from the UNCT Commission (see UNC Tomorrow Summary for a list of the priorities).
At UNCG, Provost Dave Perrin, working with the Deans Council and faculty, oversaw the development of proposals for a few bold academic initiatives, ones that clearly meet the priorities outlined in the UNCT report and fit within UNCG’s areas of strength (see UNCG Tomorrow: Proposed Major Initiatives). Between March 13 and March 25, the Planning Preparation Committee (PPC) collected feedback on these proposals from faculty, staff, students, alumni and alumnae, and members of the broader community. They submitted their report (Strengthening UNCG Tomorrow: Proposed Major Initiatives) to Vice Chancellor Jim Clotfelter and Provost Dave Perrin on April 8, 2008. The Vice Chancellor and Provost drew extensively on this report as they drafted the UNCG response to UNC Tomorrow for review by Chancellor Patricia Sullivan. She approved and submitted the final version of UNCG’s Phase I response to UNC Tomorrow “UNCG Tomorrow” to UNC General Administration on April 29, 2008.
The next UNCG Strategic Plan, the development of which has been delayed until a new chancellor is in place, will include other existing and new initiatives that meet the needs of the state as outlined in the UNCT report. The PPC will continue its work this summer, developing a document that creates a bridge between the UNC Tomorrow report and the next UNCG Plan.
