Initiatives

Two Years to Two Decades (2y2d)

Start: 6/2009

• Two Years to Two Decades (2y2d) Initiative

The Two Years to Two Decades (2y2d) Initiative articulates long-term strategic priorities for the UW that guide our near-term decisions.  Our  “two-year challenge” is to make sure that we stay true to our vision, mission and values in an era of declining state funding.  Our “two-decade challenge” is to ensure that the decisions we make now reflect our shared sense of where we are going and set us up well to thrive in the 21st Century.  2d stakeholders have articulated where they want the UW to be in 20 years and the 2y-focused Sustainable Academic Business Plan works to make that vision a practical, sustainable reality.  The following initiatives are 2y priorities for 2011-2012:

Organization Effectiveness Initiative

• Teaching & Learning in the 21st Century (ongoing): Meeting the needs of diverse, dispersed student populations
• Enhance Student Services (new): Improving the student experience from recruitment to success at the UW and beyond
• Campus of the 21^st Century (new): Coordinating plans to improve physical and virtual campus environments
• Fostering Collaboration (ongoing): Fostering collaborative  research, teaching, and learning
• Organizational Effectiveness Initiative (ongoing): Improving work processes, increasing effectiveness, and measuring success
• Program Evaluation Initiative (launched): Asks units to assess program quality and impact based on collectively determined criteria and metrics.  The results help identify opportunities for prioritization and inform decision-making. 

Activity Based Budgeting Project

Start: 10/2009

• Activity Based Budgeting Project

The UW is currently assessing the potential value and feasibility of implementing a new activity based budgeting (ABB) system. ABB is a method of budgeting in which the activities that incur costs in every functional area are accounted for, analyzed, and then linked to the mission and strategic goals of the institution. The full costs of programs and services are then more transparent and available to help with planning, budgeting and decision making.

NEXTCITY: Sustainable Urbanization

Start: 9/2009

• NEXTCITY: Sustainable Urbanization

Under the leadership of Provost Phyllis Wise, NEXT CITY: Sustainable Urbanization is serving as a university-wide theme between 2009 and 2011 to focus attention on the University of Washington's urban teaching, research, and outreach activities.  Cities and their people are the emphasis of major university lecture series, seminars, cultural and education events, and public round tables on the challenges and opportunities of urbanization.

Events

• See list of past and upcoming events
• Spring 2010 Provost Lecture is available as podcast: "City in Five Acts: Interpreting Urban Experience"

UW Vision & Values

Start: 1/2007

• Vision & Values

The University of Washington's vision and strategic priorities reflect the core values and culture that make us great. Discovery is at the heart of our university.