Imagine you are in the year 2020. Look around you. What do you see? How do you envision the University of New Mexico in eight years?

That exercise is going on campus-wide right now as part of UNM 2020, a strategic approach to planning for the future of this University. It is your opportunity to have a voice and play a part in developing that vision.

The project, initiated by President Robert Frank, is open to all communities on campus: administrators, faculty, staff and students, even alumni and parents.

Organizers have held a number of live sessions, while on-line sessions are continuing. Participants are asked to write comments or vote on previously identified attributes. The idea is to bring collective wisdom, creativity and experience in to play in deciding how we will develop.

Your title, your rank, your tenure don't matter. That is all anonymous. "It's the quality of your ideas, your contribution to the process and whether other people agree with you that will ultimately result in a plan of action," said Frank.

The survey is categorized into 10 perspectives designed to illicit thoughtful responses.

They are:

• Discovery and Innovation
• Teaching and Learning
• Strategic Partnerships
• Faculty and Staff
• Financial Performance
• Institutional Culture
• Market Position and Brand
• Students: The Lobo Experience
• Health Sciences
• Leadership and Governance

To participate on-line, visit: UNM 2020. The website will walk you through registration and how to take part. You'll be able to browse popular ideas, vote on them, comment on them or add new ones.

"Unlike any other "strategic planning" process we have been involved in before, UNM 2020 is transparent and invites participation from everyone," said Mary Clark, Staff Council President. "It is very important that staff participate in UNM 2020 because staff knows UNM's strengths and weaknesses and staff knows how great UNM can be if staff, faculty, and the administration were aligned and focused on specific goals."

When the survey is complete and the data organized, the findings will be used to create a strategic plan. Basically, the process will be to mentally work backward from the year 2020 to create a roadmap to get to where the University community has identified UNM should be by then.

"Once we have created the 2020 vision, it becomes a beacon on the mesa to guide us into the future," said Frank. "If we share a desired outcome and have invested in the design, we have a far better opportunity to make it a reality."

Media Contact: Dianne Anderson (505) 277-1807; email: danderson@unm.edu