Introduction
Strategic planning involves an objective assessment of the envisioned goals, aims and objectives in a given organization. Strategic planning helps an organization to achieve its vision and mission and to also make resourceful decisions about its present work and future developments.
This paper seeks to establish the relevance of strategic planning in an academic institution especially in the management of affairs affecting students in an academic context. What are some of the strategic issues that affect students? Students in an academic set up are usually faced by challenges that need to be addressed by their schools’ administrations.
The administrations are therefore charged with the responsibilities of carefully planning for the needs of their students to avert unnecessary confrontations and unrests from the students. Some of the issues that need to be considered by the administrations include setting up of workable students’ councils that address the issues of students.
They have to represent the students in matters that touch on fees, disciplinary policies, academic and social issues. Managing strategic issues Students have to keenly understand the main purposes of their schools’ administrations. This helps in the full adherence of the laid down rules and regulations. The specific schools should also produce sufficient brochures and pamphlets so as to distribute them to students.
Students can then be made to understand why and how the schools’ administrations work. As much as the students would like to engage their respective school administrations through their representative bodies such as the students’ councils, most of them fail to understand the bases of their existences apart from primarily acting as watchdogs for students’ injustices.
The councils are constituted of the various elected students in the specified fields. Each one of them deals with different departments or ministries depending on the schools’ terms of policies. They vividly air the problems facing their fellow students and look for available solutions at hand. The students’ councils come in handy when the students feel discriminated or ignored in some of the universities’ decisions.
These include; restrictive conduct of students in their hostels and students’ centers. Students usually wonder if the criteria used in the deliverances of the daily lectures are justified. Most of the students would like to think that lectures should be given depending on the modules of the specific units.
Some units are usually overemphasized while their content is easily understandable while others are left to the students’ discretions since they contain bulky information. Universities should try to manage their activities and programs without any external interference.
Many students dislike the idea of being supervised by external tutors’ especially foreign people or scholars recommend to them by their schools. Legislations should be properly made and enacted internally. This creates confidence among students.
All students should be made to understand that their primary roles are to nurture their talents and abilities through the acquisition of meaningful education. They should not be misled into vices such as drug abuse and trafficking, drunkenness, mischief of any kind or unruly behaviors.
One of the crucial issues that should be agreed upon is the issue of fees. Many students across the country tend to question the credibility of paying specific amounts of fees to the respective institutions. Some would like to argue that the schools’ decisions are highly unjustified and that the rates should be slashed and reduced to fair levels.
The duties of the students’ bodies are to identify the rates that are not conducive and hence unfavorably raised by their institutions. The vision, goals and objectives of strategic planning A vision is usually the future plan of an organization or institution. The organizational goals are the expected end results towards which institutional resources and activities are directed.
An objective is something that you plan to achieve. Strategic planning is based on three principles: What do we do? For whom do we do it? And, how do we excel?
One of the fundamental goals of a student is to achieve exemplary academic results at the end of the course. Another goal is to hold high levels of self esteem and be an industrious individual. One would also wish to be an important member of the society by being accepted in the job market.
One of the objectives of these goals is to ensure that there is increased efficiency in both the students and tutors. Students will have to maximize the available resources and time so as to achieve their desired performances. This will definitely lead to the production of good work and desired end results.
Students will have to increase their effectiveness. This means that students will be able to produce the intended results. Laziness should be discouraged and condemned as all the students should have meaningful purposes of their education. Students should also thrive to become competent personnel and human resources for others.
Another important objective is to improve one’s communication and public relations. This helps in the general relations with the common public and work colleagues. The peaceful co-existence of people is very important for the development purposes and meaningful economic growth.
Importance of strategic planning Strategic planning helps students in academic institutions to understand their weaknesses. It also helps them to recognize their strengths, opportunities and the difficulties that they are likely to face.
An organization or institution that does not specify its vision or goals can be equated to an omnibus that does not have the seats. A student will also be able to evaluate his current situation so as to predict the future. This also helps a student to measure his or her gradual progress.
Conclusion
The goals and objectives of a student should be able to map his or her future and continuous assessment of the progress made.