Discover 2025: Strategic Planning Process & Resources
Explore the process behind Arkansas State University’s Discover 2025 Strategic Plan, including project phases, committee details, key partners, and resources that supported its development.
Steering Committee
The following members have been appointed to the Arkansas State University’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee.
Chair
Implementation Coordinator
Dr. Melanie Wicinski
Associate Vice Chancellor for Accreditation and Assessment
mwicinski@AState.edu
Phone: (870) 972-2030
Office: Administration Building, 202J
Co-Facilitators for the Public Forums Phase
Dr. Russ Hannah, Ed.D., CPA, CGMA, CGFM
Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration
Chief Financial Officer
rhannah@AState.edu
Phone: 870-972-3303
Office: Administration Building, 222
Dr. Calvin White, Jr.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
CalWhite@AState.edu
Phone: 870-972-2030
Office: Administration Building, 202D
Kathy Hicks
Associate Vice Provost for Budget & Planning
kathyhicks@AState.edu
Phone: 972-2030
Office: Administration Building, 202L
Dr. Fen Yu
Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Research
fyu@AState.edu
Phone: (870) 972-3154
Office: Administration Building, 105A
Tiffany Keb
Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Policy & Procedure
tkeb@AState.edu
Phone: 972-2030
Office: Administration Building, 202F
Madeline Ragland
Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Student Services
mprestidge@AState.edu
Phone: 870-972-2030
Office: Administration Building, 202
Committee Roster
Sorted alphabetically by last name.
Chris Boothman
Vice Chancellor for Distance Education & Technology
Chief Information Officer
cboothman@AState.edu
Phone: (870) 680-4830
Office: Administration Building, Suite 233
Dr. Erika Krennerich Chudy
Vice Chancellor for Advancement
Director of Planned Giving
echudy@AState.edu
Phone: (870) 972-2941
Office: Cooper Alumni Center
Dr. Loretta Neal McGregor
Professor of Psychology
lmcgregor@AState.edu
Phone: (870) 972-3064
Office: Education, 309
Dr. William McLean
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Associate Professor of Political Science
wmclean@AState.edu
Phone: (870) 972-2104
Office: Administration Building
Chris Pezman
Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics
cpezman@AState.edu
Office: Centennial Bank Athletics Operations Center
Dr. Martha Spack
Dean of Students
mspack@AState.edu
Phone: 870-972-2048
Office: Reng Student Union, 2029
Jake Williams
SGA President
Dr. Calvin White, Jr.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
CalWhite@AState.edu
Phone: 870-972-2030
Office: Administration Building, 202D
The Strategic Plan Project
This page provides an overview of the process behind Arkansas State University’s Discover 2025 Strategic Plan, including the consulting partner, project phases, and resources that guided the initiative.
For more than 40 years, The Napa Group has partnered with education, business and non-profit organizations to strengthen their competitive advantage and financial sustainability as they respond to the changing expectations of their customers.
In consultation with Napa Group, a six-part model produced a strategic solutions with supporting resource plans and an implementation roadmap informed by enterprise thinking and integration. Below is a recap of the six stages conducted to achieve the #Discover2025 plan through engaging stakeholders both on and off campus.
Project Phases
Phase 1: Project Launch/Organizational Assessment
Time frame: February - March 2019.
- Project plan, leadership roles and communications plan
- Form Steering Committee
- Environmental scan and trends report - general market
- Environmental scan and trends report - Arkansas State specific
Recommended Read
To prepare for this process, our Steering Committee members read "Robot-Proof," which explains the future of higher education. The library has acquired copies and it is also available digitally from Project MUSE or EBSCO.
Phase 2: Compelling Vision
Time frame: March - May 2019.
- Project website launch
- Facilitated Steering Committee #1 (March 6)
- Opportunities, challenges and high-level themes
- Steering Committee Meeting - summary notes
- Steering Committee-led focus groups (May 9)
- Focus Group Responses - unedited
Phase 3: Realistic Strategies
Time frame: May - June 2019.
- Facilitated Steering Committee #2 (May 29)
- Draft strategic framework (goals and objectives)
- Stakeholder engagement plan confirmed
Phase 4: Stakeholder Engagement
Time frame: September - October 2019.
- Sep. 25 – 5:30-7:00 – Community Leadership (Student Union Auditorium)
- Oct. 21 – 1-2:30 – Stakeholder Engagement – Students (Student Union Auditorium)
- Oct. 21 – 3-4:30 – Stakeholder Engagement – Staff (Student Union Auditorium)
- Oct. 23 – 3:30-5 – Stakeholder Engagement – Faculty (Student Union Auditorium)
- Oct. 30 – 11-1 – Stakeholder Engagement – Alumni (Cooper Alumni Center)
- If you can’t attend your group meeting, an open town hall for anyone is set for Wed, Nov. 6th, 5:30-7
- Task Force formed and charged
Phase 5: Task Forces & Engagement
Time frame: November 2019 onward.
Taskforce Membership
- Task Force reports submitted
- Facilitated Steering Committee #3
- Draft plan, performance goals/outcomes
Phase 6: Final Strategic Plan & Implementation Framework
Final meetings, discussions, and formal adoption of the plan were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Final drafts were reviewed and adopted during the Fall 2020 semester.
In June 2023, new tasks were developed that aligned with post-pandemic initiatives.
Strategic Plan Document
Read the whole #Discover2025 Document