Introducing OAR’s New Strategic Framework

We are pleased to share with you the Office of Admissions and Recruitment’s new Strategic Framework. Created as a part of OAR’s Organizational Assessment, we developed this through conducting internal and external research and soliciting input from members of OAR leadership. Internal research for the framework included voices from across our office — leadership, managers, counselors, technology, operations, and administrative staff, as well remote readers and other temporary staff — who shared ideas in recent meetings and via OfficeVibe, a team member engagement platform. External research included reviewing strategic planning frameworks and additional references from other campus units, peer institutions, and the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC). OAR’s Strategic Framework includes an organizational purpose, mission, vision, and values for the office. It is a living document and will evolve over time. In the near-term, our team is using it in three ways — first to apply it as scaffolding for our 2020-21 Organizational Assessment. The Organizational Assessment is reviewing all major aspects of our organization, including our processes, structures, team wellness, internal communication, partner engagement, and team member and team lead core skills and professional growth plans. The Strategic Framework will allow us to measure where we are strong, where our opportunities for growth or improvement are, as well as what areas are our highest priorities. Second, teams throughout our office are using this framework to guide their work in the coming weeks/months through a self-reflection exercise and hosting team discussions in February. We will use the strategic framework as a foundation for long-term strategic planning this summer. Finally, we are excited to engage with you, our campus partners, on our strategic framework moving forward — both as we operationalize it, as well as identify ways to better support your unit’s vision and goals. OAR leads for the Strategic Framework and Organizational Assessment are Street, Jane Duffstein, and Nancy Hoffman. If you have questions or feedback, please reach out to any of them directly via email or in Teams.