The strategic planning process, launched in the fall of 1995, represents the first time in many years the St. Olaf community has deliberately examined its sense of identity and purpose, and committed itself to a long-term course of action. The resul ting strategic plan seeks to carry out St. Olaf s mission by strengthening the institution s comparative advantage in a competitive world of higher education. Its purpose is, therefore, to identify critical activities designed to focus institutional think ing and guide allocation of resources for the planning period within the context of external threats and opportunities. Each initiative will become an agenda item for administrative and academic departments and campus committees to discuss, design, and im plement as specific action steps.
Strategic planning is a dynamic process.
The Board of Regents, with community involvement, will annually review and renew the goals and evaluate progress towards their realization. The plan will change as the college and the world around it change. Associated with each aspiration in our vision are specific goals that we shall attempt to realize during the next several years. Each goal has associated with it several specific measurable objectives. In the course of this study, prop ose ways in which the mission statement of the college needs to be updated for the first part of the 21st century.