By Maggie Vancampen and Matthew Keck —

After six months planning, President Neeli Bendapudi has released the first draft of the 2019-2022 Strategic Plan.

Bendapudi emailed the University of Louisville community with the news.

“I am grateful many of you provided thoughtful ideas and feedback through the website and our open forums,” she said in the email.

The draft plan is open for revisions. All comments and suggestions should use the comment form by July 24.

The plan focuses on Bendapudi’s vision of making U of L a great place to learn, work and invest. It also enumerates Cardinal Principles.

The Cardinal Principles are care, accountability, respect, diversity, integrity, noble purpose, agility and leadership.

It is split into two three-year plans. The first year, 2019-2020, is about “Defining Our Aspirations and Building Capabilities.”

The second year, 2020-2021, is “Building Capabilities and Piloting Change Strategies.”

The final year, 2021-2022, is “Assessing Change and Scaling What Works.”

The second three-year plan will determine what has been achieved and highlight and refine those programs going forward.

Key themes are preparing students for the future, attracting successful people to the U of L community and creating an environment where all contribution is valued.

Making U of L a great place to learn, work and invest is a focal point of the new plan. Transformative, purpose-driven and engaged learning are all key factors for making it a great place to learn.

In order to make it a great place to work, personal growth and professional development take center. The plan also asks that the faculty and staff live the institutional values.

U of L’s impact on the economic, social and cultural well-being of Louisville will make it a great place to invest.

Bendapudi wants to see the university take on Grand Challenges, whether through student and faculty research or the funds that help drive the research.

After the Board of Trustees approves, U of L will implement the plan, create a Grand Challenges Committee and appoint a Cardinal Principles Committee.

The Grand Challenges Committee is charged with finding areas that impact the economic and societal well-being of local and global communities.

The Cardinal Principles Committee will ensure the university is following Bendapudi’s Cardinal Principles.

The university stated that they will spend the fall testing and reviewing many of the strategies mentioned in the draft. They want to keep U of L an institution of progressive change, substance and engagement.

An Implementation Committee will be appointed soon to move it forward in the fall and over the next three years.

“Thank you for your engagement and your support during the development of this plan,” Bendapudi said in the email. “Together, we will move forward to make U of L an even better place to learn, to work and in which to invest.”

File Photo / The Louisville Cardinal