Strategic planning for schools of social work

Both public and private schools of social work typically respond reactively and defensively when workload demands increase in relation to available resources. Strategic planning is one key tool schools of social work can use to increase the sense of vitality of their faculty and deans and the feelings of empowerment and control that accompany this vitality. This is especially important when faculty, staff or students fall into a defensive, reactive crisis mode of operations. In this article, the authors describe a strategic planning process that facilitated a proactive stance and futuristic vision at one school of social work. Attention is given to what strategic planning is, conditions that make strategic planning crucial, and interlinking steps in a strategic planning process. The question addressed is not, Do the faculty and dean in schools of social work plan? Rather, the question is, Do they plan as best as they can from one emergency to the next, or conscientiously undertake strategic planning efforts and achieve the energizing futuristic vision that goes with them?.