-1706x1703.jpg)
Message from the President
2025 will be an exciting year for UCD as we embark on the process of implementing our new strategy to 2030 ‘Breaking Boundaries’.
The Strategy was formed through the ideas of the UCD community, It is focused on advancing our ambition and reflecting our values through these fast-changing times. It reflects a dynamic and engaged university that is global, inclusive and sustainable, making a positive difference through mutually reinforced research, education and engagement actions. It will support us to enhance or university community and our campus and build pride in what we can achieve together.
We will deliver on our strategy through six cross-cutting strategic initiatives, this year focusing our efforts and investment in priority programmes under each.
I look forward to hearing how you hope to bring the ambitions in Breaking Boundaries to fruition in your plans.
Orla
Prof Orla Feely, President
Since publishing Breaking Boundaries, our strategy to 2030, we’ve been working on setting out, at a high level, the implementation plans that will allow us to deliver on our ambitions. The planning process for 2025/26 aims to develop more detailed plans for 25/26 and to sequence plans for future years.
This years planning process has some changes. We hope that these changes will lead to a more integrated view across our organisation of what is planned, how and by who. During the consultation that led to the strategy, many of you asked for a more meaningful and integrated planning process in the university, supported by a dialogue-based approach. We hope that this years planning process moves us towards that.
The process will not be perfect, but we intend to learn from this years approach and continue to improve the planning approach in the years ahead.
In the spirit of learning and of a dialogue-based approach, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly, or with Tony Carey (tony.carey@ucd.ie) if you would like to discuss the planning approach, have ideas on how it can be improved, or encounter issues along the way.
Triona
Triona McCormack, VP for Strategy and External Engagementy
Planning process 2025/26
The planning process will comprise the following three key elements:
-
Colleges/Schools/Units strategic plans: Each college/school/unit will develop a 5-year strategic plan in line with the UCD institutional strategy ‘Breaking Boundaries’ and informed by institutional priorities. These plans will be updated on a year-to-year basis, with detailed plans for the next year and a more high-level view for the subsequent 4 years. It is also fully recognised that the implementation of both the institutional and college/school/unit strategic plans will require strategically focussed expenditure. Achieving some of these priorities will require a new initiative or project. Where this is the case, a project outline template is available to set out a brief case for investment to be considered in the planning process.
-
Financial Planning: The key objective is to set a budget and 5-year financial plan for all schools, colleges and units which is both consistent with UCD’s strategic goals and is also financially prudent. In addition to this, it is critical that the budgets/financial plans dovetail with our enrolment plans and is consistent with strategic plans.
-
Enrolment Plans: The key objective is to develop enrolment plans consistent with school strategic plans, financial plans and KPI targets for future years. It is essential that financial and enrolment planning (including non-EU) figures are as consistent as possible.
Changes to this year’s process:
-
Plans will be submitted and discussed at a college/ VP area level only. There is no need to submit unit or school level plans.
-
Budgets and enrolment plans will be developed at each unit level as before.
-
Our strategy will be delivered through six cross-cutting university level initiatives and we’ve identified the priority projects for this year under each. The planning process this year asks each college and VP area to identify those projects that are most relevant to them and their plans aligned to these.
As mentioned above, we have tried to build in a period for strategic dialogue into this year’s process. UMT will discuss draft college and VP plans on April 29th, following their submission on the 25th. The period between this and UMT recommendation of the budget and plans on the 27th May will allow for iteration and integration of plans.
College plans
| Inputs | Outputs | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
Vice-President area plans
| Inputs | Outputs |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|