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September 28, 2009
Strong vision guides Emory on path to eminence

World-class faculty, the best and brightest students, high-quality staff — these are the key markers on Emory’s path to eminence, supported by investments that will advance Emory’s aspirations for the next five years and beyond.

Three years into implementation of “Where Courageous Inquiry Leads,” the University’s strategic plan, Emory’s faculty and administrative leaders have used the first in-depth evaluation of progress to clarify goals and sharpen focus.

Based on recommendations coming out of the update process, strategic plan leaders developed three global priorities and supporting principles:

• Quality: The recruitment and retention of world class, distinctive, diverse, and high-quality faculty remains the most critical priority for Emory. Developing strategies to recruit and retain top-choice students and staff, engaging in activities to develop leadership and strengthen both graduate and undergraduate academic programs, and providing high-quality health care also are primary objectives to realize this priority.

• Distinction: Emory will focus on the essentials and on the areas of excellence that will place the University in a position of strength in the future, including investing in distinguished interdisciplinary centers and institutes, reinforcing Emory’s strong community culture, and maintaining and seeking out new affiliations.

• Financial Strength and Resource Stewardship: With a reduced resource base, it is essential that Emory right-sizes activities, utilizes and develops resources more efficiently and effectively, aligns funding flows, and increases transparency.

“Emory will apply these priorities as deeply as possible throughout the organization, and institutional decisions will be based on these three criteria,” says Provost Earl Lewis who, along with Fred Sanfilippo and Mike Mandl, is a member of the Strategic Plan Executive Committee.

In this update of the strategic plan, the five strategic themes and accompanying University-wide initiatives essentially remain the same, with minor revisions to better reflect Emory’s identity and aspirations.

To support the plan’s overall goals more effectively, four framing principles — strategic collaborations, internationalization, societal impact and creativity: art and innovation — will be incorporated by all themes, initiatives, schools and units in implementing their individual strategic plans.

For more information, visit www.emory.edu/strategicplan.