The co-chairs of UMB's 2022-2026 Strategic Plan hosted a virtual town hall April 1 to discuss a draft set of updated core values that they and the steering committee have crafted for the University as part of the strategic planning process.
The co-chairs — Judy L. Postmus, PhD, ACSW, dean of the School of Social Work, and Roger J. Ward, EdD, JD, MSL, MPA, interim provost, executive vice president, and dean of the Graduate School — presented the draft set of core values, discussed the thinking behind them, and took audience questions.
(Watch the presentation here, and take a survey about the town hall here.)
Formulated for the University’s first Strategic Plan in 2011, UMB’s current core values — accountability, civility, collaboration, diversity, excellence, knowledge, and leadership — will be changing but their foundation remains.
“Even as we evolve our core values, we are not abandoning our current core values, we’re evolving them and making them more current and contemporary, given the times in which we are living,” Ward said in his opening remarks. “Our values anchor us in times of uncertainty, and certainly our core values have done that exactly and especially over the last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Postmus also alluded to the pandemic in her first remarks, saying, “A lot has happened in the last year, let alone the last 10 years, to really make us think a bit differently about how we work and how we think about what is guiding us in our thoughts and processes. So one thing we talked about as a steering committee was perhaps trying to limit the number of core values in a way to make it easier to understand and easier to remember.”
Postmus used PowerPoint slides to detail how the core values would evolve from seven values to four, as follows, with brief statements on what the value means as well as key synonyms/ideas to capture the fuller narrative of each value:
Respect and Integrity
- Evolved from: Civility and Accountability
- What it means: We value each other and hold ourselves accountable for acting ethically and transparently.
- Synonyms/ideas: Civility, Accountability, Transparency, Ethics
Well-Being and Sustainability
- Evolved from: Leadership
- What it means: We care about the welfare of our people, planet, communities, and University.
- Synonyms/ideas: Work and Academic Life Balance, Environmentally Friendly, Responsible Stewardship of Resources, Family Friendly, Mindfulness
Equity and Justice
- Evolved from: Diversity
- What it means: We embrace diversity and value inclusive and just communities.
- Synonyms/ideas: Diversity, Inclusion, Social Justice
Innovation and Discovery
- Evolved from: Excellence, Knowledge, and Collaboration
- What it means: We imagine new and improved ways to get things done.
- Synonyms/ideas: Creativity, Discovery, Agility, Novel Thinking, Teamwork, Partnership