By Kirk Laughlin
After fulfilling the 11 objectives set forth in its 1997 plan, the Challenge for Excellence, the University of Louisville is formulating a strategic plan for 2020 to set its policies and goals for the next decade and beyond.
Drafted by a steering committee that met with officials ranging from Student Government Association President Brian Hoffman to state legislators to Louisville mayor Jerry Abramson, it comes with much community involvement and anticipation following the success of the previous long-term plan at U of L.
“The Strategic Plan was drafted in order to fulfill our state mandate to become a preeminent metropolitan research institute and update our goals and path for the next decade,” said Dr. Bill Pierce, chair of the plan’s steering committee.
“One of our priorities is to tie the university into the community, so we sought out multiple community perspectives,” Pierce said. “So many other universities in urban areas could easily be picked up and moved to another city and no one would notice. We want to make U of L a part of the Louisville community and the Kentucky community.”
Pierce, a pharmacology professor at the school of medicine, went on to say, “Translational research is vital in achieving community connectivity. We need students to take what they experience in the classroom to the real world, in all departments at U of L.”
“There is a push in this plan to make U of L a premiere citizen university,” Hoffman said. Hoffman, who was on the steering committee, went on to say, “All previous university initiatives had a deep focus on research, which didn’t matter to students. This plan keeps the students in mind, as well as the city and the commonwealth.”
“There is a great sense of optimism that we will provide students with an education and experience that is top quality,” Hoffman said. “If all the parts of the plan are implemented, I’m tempted to drop out and re-enroll 10 years down the road.”
Specific goals include developing “niche” research and scholarship to rapidly develop national recognition and to double research funding to drive the research enterprise and provide strategic funding for Ph.D. education.
Further, the university has asked all of the colleges to create their own strategic plans to align themselves with the university’s goals. This includes creating translational learning experiences in non-traditional research fields, such as Arts and Sciences,
Huy Le, a senior biology major, said, “The university will benefit greatly from translational research and applied education.” Le, who works on research programs at the Health Sciences Center, said “It has enhanced my education greatly to have real-world experiences.”
“I am very pleased with the status of U of L,” Katlin Rust, a freshman political science major, said. “I am looking forward to the continuing growth and development of the university.”
Pierce said, “Ultimately, we want to provide the students, this city and the commonwealth with the greatest opportunities that a university can offer.”
