Access, Excellence, and Everything in Between

If you were able to attend last Wednesday’s campus conversation regarding strategic planning at both the CSU system and Cal State San Marcos levels, I think you’ll agree that it was meaningful, significant, and an indicator of a healthy future for our campus. What I found fascinating, is that the bookends of our strategic priorities, Educational Equity and Academic Excellence, also frame the discussion for strategic planning for the California State University: Access and Excellence. However, in that framework, the day’s discussion was filled with content regarding all of our strategic priorities, including Campus Climate, Student Life, and Community Partnerships.

Our campus recently received the Carnegie Foundation’s honor for being an externally engaged campus; if there is some sort of award for being an internally engaged campus, we should be at the front of that line. Not at the front of the line because everything here is perfect; not at the front of the line because we’ve crossed some virtual higher ed finish line and we’re done and can go home now. At the front of the line because we know it’s a process; at the front of the line because of how we interact with each other in that process; at the front of the line because we’re willing to do the work.

Why did the day work so well? I think a lot of credit goes to those designing a day that had the right players in the room – faculty, staff, administrators, community members, a trustee, and students (although admittedly more student participation would have been better). There were facilitators from various groups on campus to help the conversation move along the path of each respective topic (insert domain). Sponsored by the Provost and the Chair of the Academic Senate, there were opportunities to provide input, to receive input, and to think and rethink ideas in both large and small groups, and finally, to come together to return to the bigger picture of how the separate elements of the discussion form a whole.

Although the day was planned and executed very well, there are different reasons why the day was unique. We can put tables in a room – controllable. We can invite people to sit at the tables and hope for their attendance – somewhat controllable. What’s not controllable is what happens when they get together. As some famous person said (or apparently not-so-famous since I can’t remember who it is), the best measure of a parent is how their children talk about them when they’re not around. Having members of the campus community in attendance and listening to how we describe each other is rather remarkable and for me, a direct reflection of the environment that my (our) president has encouraged, if not demanded. Having a trustee in attendance and having our respect and admiration for each other prevail (in whatever the political environment might be) really describes who we are as a campus. Truth is, we do get along better than most and as well as any. That describes why we are leaders not only in the work we do, but in how we do it together…and that my friends is truly special.