A to-do list for FPU
I love lists.
Yep, I'm one of those.
There's no better way to wrench the illusion of order from chaos than to create a lovely linear schedule of what to do when. And there's no thrill of accomplishment like striking something off that same tally sheet.
Whether jotted illegibly (to most) on a scrap of paper or typed carefully into a computer form, lists plan my work and chart my progress. It's the best way to organize—in fact, it's the only way. Whatever obligation, assignment, duty or commitment I don't capture in writing fades from my mind like the morning mist over Pismo.
A couple of years ago the Advancement Office instituted weekly progress reports to be filled out by each staff member and submitted to our vice president. Some of us managed to contain our enthusiasm for the idea. Not I. What a great way to show off for my boss…errr, record my progress.
Fresno Pacific University has made a list. Not a record of the past, but a map for the future. Not for today, or this week, but for the next five years. Our strategic plan is a lot more than a quick reckoning of the seemingly unrelated tasks that can fill a workday. The plan is a way to ensure singleness of purpose among the multitude of departments and functions that a university campus comprises. The plan is a way to embrace the future with a renewed mission, vision and values.
The plan is a way to carry forward who we are in a way that better benefits who we serve.