The next community dialogue will be hosted by Student Government Association (SGA) and will be held Tuesday, March 13, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Student Union Endeavour Room.
“At the Raider Community Dialogue, we will seek to discover the true mission, vision and values of our community -- those very values which you have experienced by being a student at Wright State University,” according to SGA President David Baugham.
The forum will be led by members of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, of which Baugham is a part.
“A community dialogue and the strategic planning process as a whole is using what’s called an appreciative inquiry model. The model basically is defined as instead of saying where are our problems, it says what is the ideal. What are our values and what is the ideal environment and the ideal Wright State University. Once we’ve defined that, we build up to that and create a plan to get there,” Baugham said.
This method asks people what their peak experiences have been at Wright State ain order to find the underlying patterns, values and qualities, and uses those student opinions to form the ideal. This is only one of a few methods that will be used to get input from students, faculty, staff, alumni and other community members.
“You can’t build a community without asking the community what it means to them. This is the dialogue for that discussion. There’s something unique about having students participate in this process because that’s what we’re all here for: the students,” Baugham said.
While the forum will be run in the same way as previous forums, the difference is that in this one, SGA took the initiative to get as many students in attendance as possible so that they can participate in the process.
The new plan will work as a way to make WSU’s future as ideal as possible by creating a “vision and focus that directly aligns resources with the community's values, strengths, and the strategy built around them. The plan will put Wright State in a position to thrive in higher education's changing environment, help the university achieve financial sustainability, and foster a campus atmosphere that provides graduates with opportunities to excel in fields that define the future,” according to the event webpage.
It is strongly recommended to register in order for there to be enough resources available at the forum. You can register by clicking here. Students are highly encouraged to attend.
“I am very hopeful and very optimistic and excited about the future of WSU. I have seen very unique perspectives as the student body president and I’ve kind of had an inside look as to where we’re going as a university and I can say that I believe that the people here have our best interest at heart. In times of difficulty and scarcity, we have to find new ways to do things and we have to be innovative,” Baugham shared of his view for WSU’s future.
