Themes Sorted by Prompt: I Wonder...

Download the spreadsheet of participant responses for all prompts.

1. Implementation: Curiosity about how to get started, how individuals can contribute and some concern about ensuring a successful implementation  

Column B in the spreadsheet

Representative Comments

• I wonder how to start with this. What is step 1?
• How quickly might we see results.
• How to keep our work rare and relevant to WMU when our competitors are facing the same challenges.
• How?
• If this will be a game changer
• I wonder if we are ready for the disruption ahead.
• Who will lead the Gallup Strengths Initiative?
• I wonder if we really can be flexible.
• I wonder, too soft?
• What we can accomplish with a plan
• What role will values play? Will we develop a values statement?
• I wonder what I can do to help adoption?
• How this gets actualized. What changes have to happen?
• I wonder how you get this to stick and spread.

2. Change Management:  How will we manage this change and the campus culture development required to succeed?

Column H in the spreadsheet

Representative Comments

• I wonder if we can really create change.
• If we collectively have the strength to sustain  
• How long will it take to change culture?
• If faculty will embrace this excellent Think Big idea
• Will we avoid the pitfalls of toxic positivity while focusing on student mental health?
• I wonder how the “old guard” will be managed?
• How do we boost areas that are struggling with just rewarding areas that are doing well?
• How do we change the status-quo mindset?
• How does united and cohesive allow for difference and healthy dissent?

3. Clarifying the Research: Curiosity to learn and understand more about the research data

Column N in the spreadsheet

Representative Comments

• I wonder why faculty and staff are less optimistic about WMU being on the rise and a good value. 
• Why grad student opinions of WMU are so much lower than UG students  
• What’s the plan for school counselor perception?
• What are parents’ opinions of WMU for enrolled students?
• I wonder if our athletic image is tied to our overall image.
• Is there a connection between familiarity and opinion?
• How are we going to convince the public that we are different?
• How can we shake our mid-major label?
• What makes Western special? Still don’t know. I wonder what it is.

4. Organizational and Structure Implications:  Wondering about the implications of the strategy on current organizational structure and initiatives

Column J in the spreadsheet

Representative Comments

• How effort will be de-duplicated across colleges/departments
• Structural changes to fit the vision? Financial aid, admissions, etc.  
• If our new budget model will help or harm our goal of unifying and breaking silos  
• I wonder how this fits with RCM.
• If services are the new amenities  
• University College. Wonder what it is, exactly.
• How will career services integrate into this new state of being at WMU?
• How are we going to have the flexibility without extending graduation time?
• I wonder how the first-year experience will allow students to develop affinity for their individual college. 
• How will student success services involve various departments of student affairs?

5. Student Experience: Thoughts about how the student experience will be impacted or improved  

Column P in the spreadsheet

Representative Comments

• Will all first-year students enter the “universal” college or all new students to WMU?
• Wonder: don’t major changers still leave ’safety net’ and college services? Or is advising centralized?
• We would recognize there is very little difference between traditional, transfer, and nontraditional (contemporary) students.
• Is there a plan for graduate student success?
• I wonder if it is too simplistic to reduce student needs to one simple idea.
• How do we adapt when student ‘purpose’ goes dim?
• How transfer students fit into this?
• Are we still recognizing some students need to work 40+ and need to take 5+ years?
• I wonder how students of color and their distinct experiences will fit into this model.

6. Faculty/Staff Impact: How will the vision impact staff in terms of skills, accountability and job responsibilities?

Column S in the spreadsheet

Representative Comments

• I wonder how we re-skill existing employees to work with the new framework/model.
• I wonder how this will impact non-student facing jobs/employees.
• [I wonder] about faculty and staff wellness.
• How overworked staff can be more responsive?
• I wonder how this will impact staff jobs (restructuring)?
• I wonder how we will redesign performance metrics (hr) for employees.
• If staff will be involved to assist in programs
• If the faculty will become advocates for the big idea
• How can this be built into every staff and faculty’s job? Set the bar.
• Where this intersects with employee engagement?
• Where my department and its program fit?
• How does this impact people daily?

7. Academic Rigor: Questions about how the strategy might improve or impact academic rigor and quality

Column E in the spreadsheet

Representative Comments

• University College for technical degrees—pre reqs!
• I wonder where academic rigor is in a wellness focus .
• How can we adapt the major changing strategy to intense lock-step majors like nursing?
• How will the integration of general education be worth it?
• Research opportunities with professors
• I wonder if we aren’t perpetuating outdated ways of teaching and need to modernize.
• I wonder how we develop courses that involve real world experience. 
• I wonder if the “lack of linear” is too far?
• How will this be integrated with well-established majors?
• How this fits with our research mission. 
• How these ideas are implemented in the classroom?

8. Marketing and Communications: What are the steps that Marketing and Communications is taking to better promote WMU and how will these new ideas be promoted?

Column G in the spreadsheet

Representative Comments

• How we will get message out to alumni?
• I wonder how to get counselors in HS more aware of WMU.
• I wonder what marketing we can do to reach parents and counselors about our brand promise. 
• Wonder: how can we communicate more with parents?
• How this will be communicated in marketing materials
• How we will showcase this visually
• I wonder if we will standardize our visual colors, logo, etc.
• If the communication will improve these concepts across campus  
• Get the message across the uni?
• Wonder how branding will focus around need a liberal arts degree
• Who will we market to?

9. Prospective Students/Enrollment: Questions about if and how the strategy will impact recruitment, retention and overall enrollment

Column A in the spreadsheet

Representative Comments

• If staff had more flexibility, if we could help with recruiting and retention.
• How fast our enrollment will increase!
• I wonder if the value proposition will actually translate to having more promoters as parents and counselors. 
• Can we really change our enrollment numbers?
• Will this impact retention?
• I wonder what our goals should be as it relates to future enrollment.
• Who do we want to attract? We will attract what/who we are?
• I wonder how quickly prospective students will understand/get excited about this approach.
• How do we make prospective students (and parents) “believe” in this new brand?
• How students will view meta-majors if that will make them choose us over MSU/GVSU

10. How to Pay for It: Curiosity about how changes will be financed and how it may impact the cost of attendance  

Column L in the spreadsheet

Representative Comments

• I wonder who will pay for a better U with fewer students?
• How do you balance budget limitations and the services we need to offer to implement these goals?
• I wonder about the cost of attendance and where that fits with students not choosing/leaving WMU.
• I wonder should financial literacy also be included in university college?
• I wonder how we can do this with budget cuts.
• Capital Campaign Efforts
• I wonder: where’s the money coming from to implement “Think Big?”
• Wonder how much the initiatives cost?
• Will we devote new recourses or is this a “Budget Rebrand?”
• How are we going to accomplish all this in current fiscal situation?
• Is increased mental health services going to raise tuition costs?
• How does this work with the new budget model?