University of Colorado Athletics
Buffs Evaluate Strategic Plan One Year In
BOULDER GÇö It was just over a year ago that CU Athletics implemented its comprehensive strategic plan.
When the plan was unveiled to the universityGÇÖs Board of Regents, it raised more than a few eyebrows. The plan not only identified the departmentGÇÖs core values, vision and mission, it also established measurable targets for every department GÇö from the football team to marketing to sports video to academic development. The targets ranged from bowl appearances and Pac-12 championships to increased revenue and donations to increasing website metrics.
Now, a year later, Athletic Director Rick George and his staff are evaluating four quartersGÇÖ worth of data. George reviewed much of the data earlier this month in a department-wide meeting that also included Mick McTigue, lead project consultant for CUGÇÖs Office for Performance Improvement, and Assistant Athletic Director Emily Canova.
GÇ£My first impression is that our staff is really well educated in what theyGÇÖre doing and have done a great job of looking at their targets and establishing a plan to achieve their targets,GÇ¥ George said. GÇ£I think our success rate in reaching our targets for year one will be good.GÇ¥
After the first year, the Buffs were on pace to hit roughly 72 percent of their targets, a number George said is a good start.
GÇ£If we achieved 100 percent of them, our goals wouldnGÇÖt have been aspirational enough,GÇ¥ George said. GÇ£So I think thatGÇÖs a good benchmark for us and gives us a good place to improve from in 2015-16.GÇ¥
George stressed that the goals set by each department and team create high expectations throughout the entire athletic department.
When the plan was first introduced to the regents GÇö and thus became a public document GÇö more than a few folks noticed that it included some high goals for the CUGÇÖs teams. Some of those goals were to compete in at least one Pac-12 Championship football game by 2016; win at least one Pac-12 postseason womenGÇÖs basketball championship by 2017; and win at least one menGÇÖs regular season Pac-12 title by 2017.
None of the coaches in those sports have asked to have their targets changed.
GÇ£Our objective is that we want to create goals that are aspirational but obtainable,GÇ¥ George said. GÇ£WeGÇÖre not going to achieve them all. WeGÇÖre going to work hard toward them. There may be factors and reasons why we donGÇÖt hit those goals, but at the end of the day, we want to aspire to be great in all that we do, and setting high goals is an important part of that.GÇ¥
Goals in other departments, including fundraising, marketing and academics, were equally aspirational, including significant increases in 2015-16 for total donations and continued improvement in all student-athletesGÇÖ grade-point averages.
The strategic plan was developed in close cooperation with the Office for Performance Improvement, an entity developed under the guidance of CU Chancellor Phil DiStefano. Departments across the university are implementing similar plans with the OPI.
GÇ£When we announced that our Office of Performance Improvement would be leading the campus in a strategic planning effort, our Department of Intercollegiate Athletics was the first to get in line,GÇ¥ DiStefano said. GÇ£The results of working with OPI have been to focus our entire Athletics organization to support record fundraising, upgrade facilities and enhance the experience of our student-athletes, fans and alumni. The organizational teamwork that has been built is just as impressive as our new facilities, and has positioned Athletics to compete at the highest levels in the Pac-12 Conference.GÇ¥
Maybe one of the more intriguing aspects of the entire plan is that it was made public from the beginning GÇö and continues to be public.
GÇ£Honestly, IGÇÖm a little shocked that Rick did that,GÇ¥ said McTigue, who has been working closely with Canova. GÇ£But I think itGÇÖs awesome. If you look at the core values, Rick is trying to live by them. HeGÇÖs putting a premium on transparency. WeGÇÖve invited other departments (from across the campus) to look at the QPRs (quarterly progress reports), because it gives people an entirely new understanding about how athletics works and what they are doing.GÇ¥
McTigue stressed that the strategic plans, not only in athletics but across the university, are designed to identify goals and then measure results through quantifiable data.
GÇ£We created this plan to help us focus on results and how they fit into what our vision is,GÇ¥ McTigue said. GÇ£It has nothing to do with how we achieve our results, but if weGÇÖre achieving what we want to achieve, weGÇÖll be able to show it in metrics.GÇ¥
Along with establishing measurable targets for every department within CU Athletics, George and Canova said the plan also has served as an invaluable educational tool.
GÇ£I think itGÇÖs great for all of our staff to know how everythingGÇÖs connected and how the success that weGÇÖre having in one area may help us in another,GÇ¥ George said. GÇ£I think itGÇÖs a very educational piece for our entire staff. You may have a group thatGÇÖs focused on marketing, but they donGÇÖt know what theyGÇÖre doing in sports medicine, and how the two may be connected.
GÇ£In that respect, itGÇÖs helpful because it educates our staff, and the more our staff is educated in all the different things weGÇÖre doing, youGÇÖve got 170 well-informed people out there talking about CU Athletics and the progress weGÇÖre making.GÇ¥
George also stressed that the strategic plan will now serve as a continual benchmarking process.
GÇ£This is something weGÇÖll continue to do,GÇ¥ George said. GÇ£This is a process that will be a consistent effort on our part to establish benchmarks and continue to seek ways to improve our performance.GÇ¥
And, the plan will continue to be public.
GÇ£CU Athletics Strategic Planning process has brought a new level of accountability and transparency to our department,GÇ¥ Canova said. GÇ£Staff and coaches have a broader level of understanding of each departmentGÇÖs goals and objectives, thus creating a cohesive team and appreciation in reaching and obtaining these targets.GÇ¥