UH Hilo Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning at UH Hilo - Frequently Asked Questions

This section answers the following questions to help you better understand UH Hilo's strategic planning and implementation processes:

  1. What is a listening tour?
  2. What sort of things will be discussed at the listening tour meetings?
  3. What is strategic planning?
  4. Why did UH Hilo need a new strategic plan?
  5. What are UH Hilo's current strategic goals?
  6. Who can I contact if I have any comments, suggestions or further questions?

What is a listening tour?

A listening tour is a process of gathering information and ideas. The tour itself consists of a series of meetings with various stakeholder groups from across and beyond campus. The results of an open, inclusive strategic listening tour are better and more diverse ideas, engaged employees, and empowered performance. Ultimately, these listening tour discussions will help create a foundation for an inclusive and living strategic planning document for our campus. Check the listening tour session schedule.

What sort of things will be discussed at the listening tour meetings?

The sessions will be organized around a series of questions rooted in Appreciative Inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry is based on the fact that organizations are networks of people. When people begin to talk with one another, they co-construct the structures, strategies, and processes needed to move forward. The fact of co-creation through conversation requires a collaborative process. It works best when you involve all stakeholders, and all members of the organization. This is a rich process because it intentionally engages people with varied perspectives, making the conversation robust, sparking fresh ideas, and stimulating creativity. Appreciative Inquiry invites participants to create the future they want by building on the best of the past. In the process, problems are solved, challenges are met, and weaknesses are overcome by strengths.

The facilitator will make every effort to cover eight core questions in each listening tour session. If participants are unable to attend or would like to contribute additional comments beyond those shared at a session, they may do so after their group’s listening tour session through an online form. The online survey questions mirror the questions asked at the in-person sessions. These common questions allow us to include the views of more people, reaching further across campus and beyond.

What is strategic planning?

Strategic planning is the process that assists us in defining why we exist (our purpose), what we aspire to be (our vision), how we conduct business (our values), what we do (our mission), and ultimately how we might achieve desired results at UH Hilo. We will seek common ground to develop a strategic plan that is evidence-based, targeted, specific and concise, and takes into account the context and constraints within which we operate. We will ensure that the resulting plan is measurable and as such effectively implemented, monitored, and reviewed so that we are able to determine if we have been successful and identify where changes or updates need to be made.

Why did UH Hilo need a new strategic plan?

The last strategic plan was developed in 2011. Since then there have been changes in higher education, in the University of Hawaiʻi System administration; and changes on our campus. University of Hawaii at Hilo will soon welcome a new Chancellor, and it is time to move forward. We have a great opportunity to take stock of where we are now; reassess our strengths and development areas; determine the context within which we now operate and how that could change over the next 5-10 years; and then determine, taking all of those into account, where we want to be in the future and how we think we might best get there.  

What are UH Hilo's current strategic goals?

UH Hilo’s current Strategic Goals:

  • Provide learning experiences and support to prepare students to thrive, compete, innovate and lead in their professional and personal lives
  • Inspire excellence in teaching, research and collaboration
  • Foster a vibrant and sustainable environment within which to study, work and live
  • Cultivate, sustain and reflect a diverse, multicultural university that is rooted in the indigenous history of Hawaiʻi
  • Strengthen UH Hilo’s impact on the community, Island and state of Hawaiʻi through responsive higher education, community partnerships, and knowledge and technology transfer
  • Facilitate organizational excellence through continuous innovation, responsible resource development, and effective communication

Who can I contact if I have any comments, suggestions, or further questions?

Your thoughts, suggestions and comments on the planning process are encouraged and welcomed at any time.