Strategic Plan (2025-2030)

Looking Back & Forging a Path Forward

UConn SPP continues to build on its strong foundations, expanding its programs and engagement across the state and nation.

Current Mission: The University of Connecticut’s School of Public Policy (SPP) is dedicated to solving pressing societal problems through cutting-edge scholarship, high quality instruction, and relevant service to the profession and society. We are committed to preparing diverse leaders employed in a wide range of professions and prepared with the important skills and competencies to be highly successful in their chosen careers.

Current Values: We value diverse experiences and perspectives based on the principles of fairness, equity and inclusion with respect for community, integrity, civility, courage, and kindness. We aspire for our research, teaching, and service to be relevant, responsive, inclusive, impactful, evidence-based, and of the highest quality.

As we move forward with our next strategic plan, we reflect on recent achievements and key points of pride that tell the story of SPP's growth and impact.

  • Becoming a School of Public Policy: Our transformation into a School in 2022 reflects our growing scope, ambition, and leadership in policy education and research, both at UConn and beyond.
  • Adding the Institute for Municipal and Regional Planning (IMRP): The well-regarded and impactful IMRP joined the SPP in 2022. This addition underscores our commitment to policy research and planning in Connecticut’s municipalities, supporting our broader mission to serve the public and nonprofit sectors.
  • Expanding the MPA Executive Track & PSELC Programs: We extended our cohort-based MPA Fellows, MPA FastTrack, and Minor in Public Policy programs, as well as Public Sector Executive Leadership Consortium (PSELC) workshops to Stamford, CT in Fall 2024, expanding opportunities for regional professionals.
  • Increasing Research Funding – Our faculty and staff are raising record amounts of grants and contracts, increasing funding by over 2000% from 2019-2024.
  • Bolstering Rankings - Our overall rankings in the 2024 S. News and World Report increased to 39th among Public Affairs programs in the U.S. We were ranked 9th for our Public Finance and Budgeting focus.

Learn more about the School's recent updates and growth since the last Strategic Planning effort in this infographic: UConn SPP - Where We Were and Where We Go Next Infographic

Overview of the UConn SPP Strategic Planning Process

This section provides a general overview of the School's approach to engaging with relevant stakeholder groups, gathering feedback, developing and refining vision and goal statements, finalizing a Strategic Plan, and developing metrics to assess the School's progress.

Creating 4-5 Year Strategic Plan

Create a 4-5-year vision- and asset-based, actionable strategic plan that:

    1. Establishes vision/goal areas with actionable strategies/benchmarks
    2. Revisits our mission[1] and values[2]
    3. Consolidates and refines existing efforts (emphasize sustainability),
    4. Learns from past successes (and failures); consider strengths (and weaknesses) and opportunities (and threats)
    5. Aligns with broader university and college strategic goals.
    6. Enhances the reputation and community awareness of SPP's role and offerings.

Standards for Strategic Plan Development

Have a process that is transparent, inclusive, and accessible:

    1. Provide clarity to stakeholders on the strategic planning process and expected outcomes (create mechanism for regular communication about the planning process).
    2. Engage diverse stakeholders: faculty, staff, students (including non-enrollees), alumni, employers (state leaders, nonprofits, and municipal agencies), community partners, donors, university and external (new and long-term) partners.
    3. Ensure participants feel valued and heard through democratic and open discussions and using diverse methods for gathering input (such as through surveys, focus groups, etc.).
    4. Establish clear timelines and multiple methods to ensure broad participation.
    5. Foster a democratic and transparent environment with clear criteria for decision-making.
    6. Employ a neutral, external facilitator to help with the process.
    7. Maintain accountability through regular self-assessment and metrics.

Data Collection Process

Stage 1 – Data Collection for “State of the School”

In January 2025 we gather existing secondary data (see a list of data to be collected in Appendix B) to provide a view of the state of the School. We’ve already begun collecting some of that data in the shared folder here.

These data are summarized into an easy to read “state of the School” report to be shared with stakeholders for Stage 2 and beyond (see below).

We can try to contextualize this data within the context of addressing how we did in relation to the previous 2021 DPP strategic plan and diversity plan and in the context of the UConn, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), and regional campuses strategic plans. We might also collect data from aspirant institutions as time allows (or integrate later).

Stage 2 – First Round of Inductive Data Collection from Internal Stakeholders

In February 2025, we gather data through a survey, focus groups, and interviews with internal stakeholders.[1] We share the “state of the School” report with participants as part of the data collection process.

See a list of stakeholders and methods of data collection attached—there’s both a matrix as well as a visual representation.

  1. A survey is shared with all internal stakeholders. The survey asks some broad, vision-based questions of everyone and then possibly some specific questions for specific groups (using skip logic). We would want to keep the survey brief, focused on the big picture. See draft questions in Appendix A.
  2. Focus groups or small group discussions are conducted with faculty and staff, students, and alumni council. These can largely be integrated into other already planned meetings (as part of all-School meeting, during regular class, or Alumni Council meeting). The focus group questions would be like the survey questions but enable a chance to probe further and allow group dynamics to generate new ideas.
  3. Interviews are conducted with a few stakeholders such as Deans and Assoc/Asst Deans, adjunct faculty. The interview questions would be like the survey questions but enable a chance to probe further and help build “buy-in” from key-decision makers.

Notes or recordings transcribed through AI from these sources are analyzed using qualitative data analysis software to identify key themes—ideally around up to five “vision” areas.

[1] Internal stakeholders include: SPP/IMRP faculty, staff, students, Alumni Council, CLAS Dean & Associate/Assistant Deans and Hartford Dean.

Stage 3 – First Planning Forum Establishing Vision/Goal Areas

In March 2025, we hold a facilitated half-day Planning Forum inviting internal stakeholders to attend. Tentatively the weeks of Mar 10 or 24 on Wed or Fri.

Before the meeting, participants are asked to review the data collected from Stage 1 and 2. During the Forum, participants work in large and small groups to discuss, add to, and refine vision/goal areas. See an example of what that could look like here.

From this first Forum, we consolidate work from the discussion to create a vision/goal areas document to share with internal and external stakeholders.

Stage 4 – Second Round of Inductive Data Collection from Internal and External Stakeholders

In April 2025, we share the above draft vision/goal areas with internal and external[1] stakeholders, asking them to provide feedback on these, asking questions such as: What is most essential? What opportunities arise for each area? Is there anything important that is missing? As with Stage 1, feedback is collected through a survey, focus groups/small group discussions, and interviews. (See spreadsheet attached.)

Taking this feedback into consideration, we revise the vision/goal areas and consider revisions to the values and mission of the School. These are integrated into a second Planning Forum.

[1] External stakeholders include: UConn administrators (not Deans in CLAS or Hartford), alumni (not on Council), public officials and state agency leaders, student employers, partners, and donors.

Stage 5 – Second Planning Forum Setting Goals & Strategies

In April 2025, we share the above draft vision/goal areas with internal and external[1] stakeholders, asking them to provide feedback on these, asking questions such as: What is most essential? What opportunities arise for each area? Is there anything important that is missing? As with Stage 1, feedback is collected through a survey, focus groups/small group discussions, and interviews. (See spreadsheet attached.)

Taking this feedback into consideration, we revise the vision/goal areas and consider revisions to the values and mission of the School. These are integrated into a second Planning Forum.

[1] External stakeholders include: UConn administrators (not Deans in CLAS or Hartford), alumni (not on Council), public officials and state agency leaders, student employers, partners, and donors.

Stage 6 – Prioritizing Goals/Strategies and Refining Benchmarks

In May or June, we send a survey asking stakeholders to share feedback on the vision/goal areas, strategies and benchmarks, including possibly asking for some prioritization of these.

In this final stage, we bring everything together to finalize the plan, map out a timeline and benchmarks. We have a vote to adopt the plan at the start of the Fall 2025 semester.

Content Area

Content Drill Down 1

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Content Drill Down 2

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Survey - Stage 2 - Inductive Data Collection, Internal Stakeholders

Stakeholders linked to SPP who have yet to submit their feedback for this initial data collection phase can complete the following Qualtrics survey: UConn SPP Initial Strategic Planning Feedback Survey   *Note: Data collection for this initial survey will conclude as of MARCH 14, 2025.

Alignment with Other Strategic Plans

UConn // UConn CLAS // Past UConn SPP Plans

Our strategic goals, established in April 2021, align with UConn and UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) more recently set strategic goals related to the intersecting areas of:

  1. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  2. Teaching
  3. Research
  4. Community Impact
UConn

Envisioning 2034

2024-2034

 UConn CLAS

Strategic Plan

2020-2025

 UConn SPP 2020-2021 /

DEI Plan 2023-2028
Student Success Journey Enhance through experiential learning, mentorship, and innovative pedagogy the College’s opportunities for undergraduate education. Emphasize life transformative education.
Excellence in Research, Innovation, and Engagement Promote interdisciplinary research by building on a foundation of core disciplines and engaging novel intersections to address major challenges to knowledge, well-being, and our world. Increase our impact in specific emphasis areas. Particularly:

·       Public finance and budgeting including financial management, debt management, budgeting, pension analysis, and public investment analysis

·       Management and leadership including public management, nonprofit management, leadership, and diversity and inclusion

·       Policy making and analysis including social policy, education policy, and urban policy

·       Data analysis including survey research and program evaluation
Powering a Thriving Connecticut Support existing and new initiatives that impact the welfare of Connecticut and highlight the advantages that we provide. Develop the State of Connecticut’s public and nonprofit workforce.
A Stronger, More Inclusive University (Diversity) Build and continually support an academic environment and workplace where diverse faculty, staff, and students feel valued and thrive. Enhance diversity and inclusion:

·        Attract and retain students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds, especially from historically excluded or otherwise underrepresented backgrounds.

·        Nurture a welcoming, respectful, supportive, and collegial climate for all faculty, staff, and students, with special attention to the climate for SPP members from historically excluded or otherwise underrepresented backgrounds

·        Promote and foster diversity across the SPP curriculum and through program-level activities to equip students with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to engage productively with a diverse workforce and citizenry, in accordance with the NASPAA (2021) Universal Competency number five.

·        Encourage research and/or public engagement among the collective faculty that addresses diversity, equity, and/or historically underserved or marginalized populations.

New Content Section

Meet the SPP Strategic Planning Committee

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For more information or questions, please contact UConn School of Public Policy Staff at publicpolicy@uconn.edu.

Thomas Phillips

Building Effective Management and Leadership Skills: What is Required for the Next Generation of Public and Nonprofit Executives

With Thomas L. Phillips of TL Phillips Consulting Services

Friday, May 14, 2021
10:30 AM – 1:30 PM (with 30 minute break)
Live virtual session

Please Note:
This workshop will require participants to purchase and complete the CliftonStrengths assessment survey prior to the workshop.  The survey fee will be an additional $19.99 (purchased separately). See more information in the following "About the Program" section.

About the Program

Overview

Connecticut is demographically one of the oldest states in the country.  Many public and nonprofit organizations are facing “brain drain” challenges related to the loss of senior executives, including their knowledge and expertise, as more “baby boomers” continue to retire.  In some cases, these organizations do not have well developed succession plans and are not properly enhancing existing and developing new required management and leadership skills/competencies of their mid-level executives, which would allow them to more effectively transition into senior executive level positions.  In addition, the current pandemic has caused much disruption and uncertainty, requiring many organization’s management teams to both pivot and adapt to their new normal.  It is therefore critical for both sectors to develop these individuals and their skills more proactively and aggressively, to ensure their organizations stay competitive, effectively serve their customers, and achieve long term sustainability.

Description

This half-day workshop includes six essential Learning Modules (LM) that cover a variety of important and timely management and leadership related topics. Each participant will be required to take the Top 5 CliftonStrengths assessment survey in advance of the workshop with the results collectively shared and discussed. This tool allows you to identify and play to your top 5 strengths at work and in your personal life. There is a cost of $19.99 to purchase and take the survey. The assessment tool should be purchased online by participants and completed no later than a week before the workshop, so you have time to review the results. The assessment can be purchased using the following link: https://store.gallup.com/p/en-us/10265/cliftonstrengths-for-students-top-5.

The workshop is also designed to be interactive through group exercises and collective dialogue, as much can also be learned from the participants.

The following are the list of Learning Modules that will be presented:

  1. Top 5 CliftonStrengths Assessment Survey Results
  2. Developing Critical Leadership Skills
  3. Organization/Individual Core Values
  4. Importance of Innovation
  5. Convener Skills
  6. Facilitation Skills

Outcome

Participants will enhance their existing and learn new management and leadership skills through both the LM sessions/ exercises and collective dialogue, which will help prepare them to more effectively assume higher senior executive roles and responsibilities in support of their organization’s mission and brand.

Who Should Attend?

Senior/mid-level managers being identified/cultivated by your organization or those individuals aspiring to higher level executive leadership career positions. Also helpful for current senior executives interested in honing their existing management and leadership skill sets.