Strategic Planning Process

Currently, the Division of Research operates under multiple strategic plans from the university and the
research enterprise, including the following:

  • Texas A&M University Strategic Plan for Research December 2017, focused on research
    funding and productivity; master’s degree level education; doctoral programs; faculty and
    student development; research facilities, library resources, and graduate student support and
    national visibility.
  • Vision 2020, prepared in 1999 by a year-long, campus-wide discussion involving more than
    250 stakeholders, on and off-campus, who identified benchmarks for achieving national and
    international prominence.
  • Decade of Excellence, The Vision 2020-2030, includes Four Pillars (The University as
    Community; Transformational Education; Discovery and Innovation; and Impact on the State, the
    Nation, and the World) as imperatives for laying the foundation for the next 150 years.

Texas A&M University Research Enterprise Strategic Plan 2023-2030

The Division of Research partnered with Mays Business School to develop a comprehensive, seven year (2023-2030) strategic plan for the university’s research enterprise. The strategic planning process utilized the SOAR method for strategic planning (Strengths | Opportunities | Aspirations | Results) and the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) method of organizational development and change management. These two approaches focus on identifying and building on an organization’s strengths rather than addressing its weaknesses.

The planning included a series of structured conversations across SOAR sprints and town hall meetings. In addition, the division acquired input to the process through an enterprise-wide survey. More than 1,300 stakeholders responded to the survey and/or participated in one or more of the strategic planning sessions. The timeline on page 6 includes a detailed timeline of the sprints, town hall sessions, planning sessions, surveys, and other events associated with the planning process. An advisory committee was formed and tasked with review and approval of the survey to be sent to research enterprise stakeholders.

Research Enterprise Strategic Planning Timeline

2022 – 2023

February 15 – 23, 2022Division of Research staff survey
March – April 2022DOR Training, SOAR Sprints for feedback, progress to date
May 10, 2022
2:00 – 4:00pm		State of the Division and Spring Social
Thomas G. Hildebrand Equine Complex
June 13, 2022
8:30 – Noon		Town Hall – Ecosystems: Infrastructure
Thomas G. Hildebrand Equine Complex
Division of Research staff only
June 20, 2022
8:30 – Noon		Town Hall – Cultivate: Interdisciplinary Research
McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship
1700 Research Parkway, 2 Research Park Building
Division of Research staff only
July 13, 2022
8:30 – Noon		Town Hall – Uproot: Administrative Challenges
McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship
1700 Research Parkway, 2 Research Park Building
Division of Research staff only
August 23, 2022DOR Train-the-Trainer, SOAR, Appreciative Inquiry
September 2022Form Strategic Planning Advisory Committee; Committee reviews and approves survey to be sent to Research Enterprise Stakeholders
September 15, 2022
8:00am – 11:00am		Town Hall Theme – Cultivate: Interdisciplinary Research*
McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship
1700 Research Parkway, 2 Research Park Building
September 15, 2022
Noon – 3:00pm		Town Hall Theme – Nurture: Innovation*
McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship
1700 Research Parkway, 2 Research Park Building
September 19 – 28, 2022Research Enterprise Stakeholder Survey conducted*
September 22, 2022
8:00am – 11:00am		Town Hall Theme – Uproot: Administrative Challenges*
McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship
1700 Research Parkway, 2 Research Park Building
September 22, 2022
Noon – 3:00pm		Town Hall Theme – Ecosystem: Infrastructure*
McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship
1700 Research Parkway, 2 Research Park Building
October 13, 2022
8:00am – 11:00am		Virtual Zoom Town Hall (locations external to College Station)
Themes included:  Cultivating Interdisciplinary Research, Nurturing Innovation, Uprooting Administrative Challenges, Ecosystem Infrastructure
October 27, 2022
1:00pm – 1:45pm		State of the Division – Fall Update
December 2022 – February 2023DOR reviews feedback and creates draft research enterprise strategic plan
March 2023Advisory Group and other constituents review draft plan
April 24, 2023VPR Update and Spring Social
Thomas G. Hildebrand Equine Complex

*Open to Stakeholders external to Division of Research staff/programs/centers/institutes