Colorado University Athletics
2021-23 Strategic Plan
July 09, 2020 | General, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — When Colorado Athletic Director Rick George arrived in Boulder in 2013, one of the first major strategies he employed was the implementation of a three-year CU Athletics Strategic Plan that began in 2014.
The idea was to establish concrete goals and a blueprint for success designed to improve every area of the department — and make the plan public so accountability would be a centerpiece of the plan.
This year, George and his staff will begin the newest three-year plan, which will retain common threads from the first two: aspirational but achievable competitive goals for each sport; continued fiscal responsibility throughout the department; and, most importantly, a continued commitment to providing a world-class experience for Buffs student athletes.
But the latest plan — the third under George's direction — also features a dedicated concept that CU officials believe will enhance every aspect of the student-athlete experience: the WHOLE athlete (Wellness, Health, Optimal Life Experience).
Developed in large part by CU Arts and Sciences Associate Dean for Research Dr. Theresa Hernandez, a professor of behavioral neuroscience, the WHOLE athlete's goal is to improve every student-athlete program in order to make each athlete's experience at CU as beneficial as possible. That includes not only their time at Colorado, but also the next phase of their lives after graduation.
"Developing the program for our student-athletes is going to be an important part of our next three years," George said last week. "Dr. Theresa Hernandez really came up with the idea of the WHOLE athlete and she was really a key part of this."
The WHOLE athlete concept won't create a new program as much as it will work to integrate all the pieces of initiatives already in place to create a better overall, seamless experience. That includes guidance through the Herbst Academic Center, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence programs, the Scripps Leadership and Career Development Program, and health and wellness programs.
The Herbst Academic Center has been the driving force behind CU student-athletes producing the best cumulative grade point average in Buffs history. The Scripps program has played an integral role in helping CU student-athletes develop connections for their post-competition careers by providing life skills workshops, service learning experiences and transition programs; and the health and wellness programs — including specific Nutrition, Psychological Health and Performance departments — are critical to the overall development of student-athletes physical and mental well-being.
The Diversity and Inclusive Excellence programs are part of a long-standing CU legacy of promoting an environment that values respect, empowerment and equal opportunities for all. One rapidly growing and increasingly popular D&IE initiative over the last several years has been the annual Inclusive Sports Summit, which brings guest speakers and panels from across the nation to engage the entire CU and Boulder community for panel discussions, debates and lectures.
CU will also begin utilizing a software tool developed by Kitman Labs that will give each sport a dashboard for student-athletes through which CU coaches, medical officials, nutritionists and academic advisers can track each athlete's progress.
"I think it's going to allow us to build a program for our student-athletes that will be unique in college athletics," George said. "It will encompass all of the areas that intersect our student-athletes to make their experience better, which is part of our long-term vision — to create a world-class experience for our student-athletes. I'm excited about what it will do for our student-athletes moving forward as it continues to evolve."
Also, unique to this program is the research component that Dr. Hernández and others will be spearheading. This will allow CU Athletics to gain important research on specific areas to support our WHOLE athlete program.
George stressed that the WHOLE athlete concept is the next step in what has always been the CU Athletic Department's core goal: to make the student-athlete experience a world-class one in every regard.
"Student-athletes are always at the forefront of our decision making," he said. "This is just a natural progression that allows us to provide even more opportunities for them in the areas of health and wellness, career development and academics and leadership. It builds on what we've already accomplished."
One constant through each Strategic Plan has been the CU Athletic Department's vision: "To be nationally recognized as a premier athletics department, by providing a world-class and holistic Student-Athlete experience, operating in a fiscally responsible manner, while consistently competing for and winning championships."
But the plan this year also included a mission statement for 2021-23: "CU Athletics will win championships by recruiting and developing the WHOLE athlete and challenging them, coaches and staff to succeed within our culture of excellence."
Along with a commitment to the WHOLE athlete concept, the plan also includes two other defined strategic intents: Significantly improve the overall competitiveness of CU Athletics; and significantly improve the financial status of CU Athletics. Both are extensions of previous plans.
The first raised eyebrows when initially implemented in the first strategic plan because it clearly defined high goals for each CU sport. Some of those goals include winning at least one Pac-12 championship in football, men's and women's basketball, soccer and lacrosse between 2020-2022. Other sports have even higher targets, with men's and women's cross country aiming for NCAA championships.
"When we started this, everybody said, 'Oh my gosh, you're putting those out there publicly,'" George said. "But I think you have to put your goals out there for people to see and then communicate where you are in the process. Our coaches were engaged in developing what those metrics look like and that's important. Everybody has to have buy-in as to where we're headed."
The plan will also continue to stress financial stability, a priority George established upon his arrival. Thanks to George's guidance, CU Athletics has been on stable financial footing since soon after his arrival. While the challenges presented by the recent Covid-19 pandemic have no doubt presented new and unforeseen obstacles, George and his staff believe they are poised to guide the Buffs through those issues.
"We're learning every day," George said. "In the long run, we think we will emerge as a stronger, more efficient and more nimble department with what we have learned through these times."
All of CU's student-athlete initiatives are aided by support from donors. For more information on how to donate through the CU Buff Club, go to CUBuffClub.com or go to https://buffs.me/3eMxsFp
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
The idea was to establish concrete goals and a blueprint for success designed to improve every area of the department — and make the plan public so accountability would be a centerpiece of the plan.
This year, George and his staff will begin the newest three-year plan, which will retain common threads from the first two: aspirational but achievable competitive goals for each sport; continued fiscal responsibility throughout the department; and, most importantly, a continued commitment to providing a world-class experience for Buffs student athletes.
But the latest plan — the third under George's direction — also features a dedicated concept that CU officials believe will enhance every aspect of the student-athlete experience: the WHOLE athlete (Wellness, Health, Optimal Life Experience).
Developed in large part by CU Arts and Sciences Associate Dean for Research Dr. Theresa Hernandez, a professor of behavioral neuroscience, the WHOLE athlete's goal is to improve every student-athlete program in order to make each athlete's experience at CU as beneficial as possible. That includes not only their time at Colorado, but also the next phase of their lives after graduation.
"Developing the program for our student-athletes is going to be an important part of our next three years," George said last week. "Dr. Theresa Hernandez really came up with the idea of the WHOLE athlete and she was really a key part of this."
The WHOLE athlete concept won't create a new program as much as it will work to integrate all the pieces of initiatives already in place to create a better overall, seamless experience. That includes guidance through the Herbst Academic Center, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence programs, the Scripps Leadership and Career Development Program, and health and wellness programs.
The Herbst Academic Center has been the driving force behind CU student-athletes producing the best cumulative grade point average in Buffs history. The Scripps program has played an integral role in helping CU student-athletes develop connections for their post-competition careers by providing life skills workshops, service learning experiences and transition programs; and the health and wellness programs — including specific Nutrition, Psychological Health and Performance departments — are critical to the overall development of student-athletes physical and mental well-being.
The Diversity and Inclusive Excellence programs are part of a long-standing CU legacy of promoting an environment that values respect, empowerment and equal opportunities for all. One rapidly growing and increasingly popular D&IE initiative over the last several years has been the annual Inclusive Sports Summit, which brings guest speakers and panels from across the nation to engage the entire CU and Boulder community for panel discussions, debates and lectures.
CU will also begin utilizing a software tool developed by Kitman Labs that will give each sport a dashboard for student-athletes through which CU coaches, medical officials, nutritionists and academic advisers can track each athlete's progress.
"I think it's going to allow us to build a program for our student-athletes that will be unique in college athletics," George said. "It will encompass all of the areas that intersect our student-athletes to make their experience better, which is part of our long-term vision — to create a world-class experience for our student-athletes. I'm excited about what it will do for our student-athletes moving forward as it continues to evolve."
Also, unique to this program is the research component that Dr. Hernández and others will be spearheading. This will allow CU Athletics to gain important research on specific areas to support our WHOLE athlete program.
George stressed that the WHOLE athlete concept is the next step in what has always been the CU Athletic Department's core goal: to make the student-athlete experience a world-class one in every regard.
"Student-athletes are always at the forefront of our decision making," he said. "This is just a natural progression that allows us to provide even more opportunities for them in the areas of health and wellness, career development and academics and leadership. It builds on what we've already accomplished."
One constant through each Strategic Plan has been the CU Athletic Department's vision: "To be nationally recognized as a premier athletics department, by providing a world-class and holistic Student-Athlete experience, operating in a fiscally responsible manner, while consistently competing for and winning championships."
But the plan this year also included a mission statement for 2021-23: "CU Athletics will win championships by recruiting and developing the WHOLE athlete and challenging them, coaches and staff to succeed within our culture of excellence."
Along with a commitment to the WHOLE athlete concept, the plan also includes two other defined strategic intents: Significantly improve the overall competitiveness of CU Athletics; and significantly improve the financial status of CU Athletics. Both are extensions of previous plans.
The first raised eyebrows when initially implemented in the first strategic plan because it clearly defined high goals for each CU sport. Some of those goals include winning at least one Pac-12 championship in football, men's and women's basketball, soccer and lacrosse between 2020-2022. Other sports have even higher targets, with men's and women's cross country aiming for NCAA championships.
"When we started this, everybody said, 'Oh my gosh, you're putting those out there publicly,'" George said. "But I think you have to put your goals out there for people to see and then communicate where you are in the process. Our coaches were engaged in developing what those metrics look like and that's important. Everybody has to have buy-in as to where we're headed."
The plan will also continue to stress financial stability, a priority George established upon his arrival. Thanks to George's guidance, CU Athletics has been on stable financial footing since soon after his arrival. While the challenges presented by the recent Covid-19 pandemic have no doubt presented new and unforeseen obstacles, George and his staff believe they are poised to guide the Buffs through those issues.
"We're learning every day," George said. "In the long run, we think we will emerge as a stronger, more efficient and more nimble department with what we have learned through these times."
All of CU's student-athlete initiatives are aided by support from donors. For more information on how to donate through the CU Buff Club, go to CUBuffClub.com or go to https://buffs.me/3eMxsFp
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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