Ashland University continued their drive for improvement by recently creating a Planning Committee.  The goal of this committee involves investigating and evaluating various aspects of AU such as academic departments, administration and athletics.  The group will then present their findings and determine the areas that require changes.  The committee is also attempting to revise the University’s vision statement.

Three sub-committees called “Working Groups” comprise the overall Planning Committee. The Working Groups are the Vision Statement group, the Academic Prioritization group, and the Institutional Structure group. The Vision Statement group consists of David Foster (chair), Dan McDonald, and Scott Van Loo. The Academic Prioritization group contains Dawn Weber (chair), Dan Lehman, Faye Grund, Deana Romano and Bill Vaughan.  The Institutional Structure group includes Steve Storck (chair), Tom Whatman and Dan Fox.

Foster believes this committee is an opportunity for the University to self-reflect and begin to make a coherent move out of its current problems.

“A vision statement is a statement that is intended to help guide the institution for what it wants to become,” he said. “We’re trying to figure out not what Ashland is right now but what it will hope to become in the best case in, say, 15 or 20 years…we are trying to find one or two or three things that unite as many parts as possible.”

Aside from these individuals, AU is also seeking feedback from faculty and other university employees.  A web link accessed from the Faculty/Staff tab on the AU Portal provides opportunities for these individuals to voice their opinion and obtain clarification on any questions.  The university also encourages communication with the committee through email.  The Planning Committee will present their findings at the Board of Trustees Meeting on May 9.