Exeter Faculty React to New Strategic Plan

From the gradual integration of tablets to the arrival of 24-hour Internet access, every aspect of student learning at Exeter has been affected by the swift technological and social advancements of the 21st century. In order to keep pace with these changes and to set Exeter apart from the quickly changing world, Principal Tom Hassan dedicated two faculty meetings in the past month to his strategic planning initiatives.On Feb. 3, the entire faculty and staff members convened to consider Hassan’s outline for the Academy’s future. On Feb. 17, faculty members responded to the outline during Monday’s Meetings block. “Strategic planning is a normal part of how most organizations, including schools like ours, operate,” Hassan said. “The last time Exeter undertook a comprehensive look at its future was in the 1990s. In education, we have to be aware of the changing landscape around us. Changes in, or new information on how young people learn, shifting demographics and the quality of other educational options are just a few of the things we need to keep our eye on.”Hassan emphasized the importance of getting feedback from the campus community through these meetings. “To maintain our leadership in education we need to ensure that we're distinguishing ourselves and not just keeping pace with others. Our trustees and principal’s staff have been studying that landscape and thinking about what this means for Exeter,” he said.Though this Monday was not the first time “strategic planning” was devoted to a faculty meeting period, during this week’s meeting, Hassan spent the time expanding upon and clarifying a few points about the previous proposal. Science instructor Bradford Robinson expanded on some of the considered points in more detail.“Principal Hassan didn’t present the idea to us, he had presented the whole strategic plan to the entire employee community a few weeks before,” Robinson explained. “What he was doing in the faculty meeting was just clarifying a few points. He was making sure that it was clear to the faculty that the strategic plan, as established by he and the principal staff, was just a broad framework from which the faculty would work to establish the specifics. But the way in which the goals expressed in the broad framework get achieved would be figured out and articulated by faculty.”Modern Languages instructor Fermin Perez-Andreu agreed with Hassan’s sentiments and emphasized the Academy’s need to adapt to an evolving educational environment. “Educational institutions, especially in these times when the world is changing so rapidly, have the need of changing as a reaction and reflection of what is happening in society,” he said. “And in the specific case of PEA, it seems like Mr. Hassan believes that our school can and should be at the forefront of those who not only are accepting and copying the changes, but at the forefront of those who are making the changes of an education of the 21st century.”Some in attendance also acknowledged that, in light of the the fairly recent transition of Principal—Hassan was appointed principal five years ago, in 2009—it is important to reflect upon the changes and determine what future goals must be set. “When you have a new head of school, it’s their job to to regulate how things are going and check how we can continue to be competitive within the global society,” science instructor Sydnee Goddard said.Although the issue of strategic planning has become the center of discussion in recent faculty meetings, many members acknowledged that it has been discussed in the past and that the Academy is not suddenly concerned about it but rather taking more decisive measures.Religion instructor Thomas Ramsey noted that peer schools regularly host meetings to plan for the future, and that strategic planning has been discussed at Exeter before. “The Academy went through a strategic planning process about 15 years ago, and there was probably a similar process some years prior to that,” he said. “So [the meetings were] not the first time ‘strategic planning’ has come before the faculty.”One of the key subjects of the talk was considering what principles or morals are most important at the Academy, and the importance of visualizing and prioritizing goals. “The major points of the strategic plan seemed to be a list of the values that the community holds highest. A school should have a strong sense of its goals and its values and where it places its priorities,” science instructor Townley Chisholm said.Recognizing that the issue is crucial for the entire Academy community, Hassan decided to open the conversation to all employees, ensuring that every employee is aware of the Academy’s strategies for the future. “[The meetings were] largely devoted to my bringing faculty and staff up-to-speed on why we need to plan and offer some initial thoughts as we are about to begin planning with them this spring,” Hassan said. “There will be future opportunities over the course of the next 12 months and longer for faculty and for staff to dig into the real issues and thinking about solutions that are right for Exeter and its future.”The majority of those in attendance appreciated efforts to involve the entire staff on Feb. 3.“We were all required to come because Mr. Hassan sees value in having all employees informed about and participating in strategic planning as appropriate,” Ramsey said. “I felt the meeting achieved its purpose of letting us know the next steps in the process.”Science instructor Kathleen Curwen appreciated the plan’s transparency. “Principal Hassan wanted all employees to be on equal footing and to have equal access to this information simultaneously. It is a way to build a sense of community and shared purpose for the future of the school,” she said.Yet not everyone saw the purpose in hosting these deliberations. Some faculty members expressed disappointment in the presentation in the meetings and the lack of active faculty involvement in the current planning procedures. “I find the process weird and unsettling,” a faculty member, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “The information presented is overly simple and yet the fact that the process has been going on so long and with so little faculty and staff input makes me feel that this is one more demonstration of how little input the workers have into their own destinies here. The expressed desire seems to be for transparency but the actual decision-making shows that is false.”Nevertheless, there still seems to be a general goal in sight as Principal Hassan and the Trustees prepare to take practical steps to implement the initiatives.“It is simply time to ask ourselves where we are and where we would like to be a decade or more from now,” Curwen said. “That is largely the responsibility of the principal and Board of Trustees, but requires support and often discussion on the part of faculty and staff to implement.”Goddard expanded upon Curwen’s views, explaining that regardless of the extent of the Academy’s procedural flaws, strategic planning is essential.“Strategic planning is always necessary in business, because you need to make sure you’re on top of things,” she said. “We are in a sense a business of educating students, so it’s important that we plan the Academy’s future accordingly and methodically.”