Portland State University
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
APPROACH
Responding to a PSU professor’s suggestion, the University centered equity in the plan and the process. Looking at each imperative while keeping in mind historical inequities around race, sex, and income, among others, the University used the planning process itself as a step toward narrowing achievement and opportunity gaps. An extensive stakeholder outreach—interviews, town hall meetings, and online forums—got the community talking and ensured all voices were invited. The team visited classrooms, produced videos, handed out cookies, and even held an event for students with ice cream as a prize for input on the strategic plan. This balanced input from official committees, more than 4,000 members of the community, and an advisory group that was chosen to represent the diverse perspectives at PSU—resulted in “Let Knowledge Serve the City,” a forward-facing manifesto that mapped a path for the next five years. It represented an entirely new point of view, the planning process itself both building bridges between members of the community at PSU and creating ownership and momentum for change. Community members felt included in the planning process, and the experience helped restore trust in the administration.
Our relationship with PSU has continued as we have collaborated on strategic plans for various colleges within Oregon’s University system.
OVERVIEW
Like many institutions nationwide, Portland State University (PSU) had felt rising tensions and impassioned debate on campus about resources and culture. Rather than trying to silo those passions, PSU courageously folded them into their work to create a more robust campus and community. They contracted with Coraggio to facilitate an updated Strategic Plan. Conscious that people and processes are integral to any operation, we started mapping a course for the future. This 30,000-student campus community needed an intelligent, strategic planning process that was as transparent and inclusive as it was equitable. We worked with PSU to gather input from a wide range of stakeholders. We took what we learned and created a clear, actionable path to their ideal vision of the university and its place in the community, a plan they called Let Knowledge Serve the City.
OUTCOMES
Coraggio successfully used an equity lens to chart an innovative, people-focused strategic planning process for Portland State University.
The project brought together the perspectives of more than 4,000 community members.
The strategic plan inspired university leadership and improved relationships between the administration, students, and faculty.
