BEYOND BOUNDARIES: PHASE I
Now, more than ever, the impacts of globalization require us to consider how best to prepare our students for the interconnected world in which they will live and work — a world that will demand a global perspective. Through research and analysis conducted by the Office of the Senior Fellow for Resource Development, we identified four thematic areas central to our future: student preparedness, the campus of the future, discovering new funding models, and the global land-grant mission.
Thematic Areas
01
Committee membership was comprised of thought leaders from the university community. Participants represented different academic disciplines and functional areas of university life, providing a diverse population important to inclusive and creative thought processes.
Participants
02
The impacts of globalization require us to consider how best to prepare Virginia Tech students for the interconnected world in which they will live and work. To foster global and engaged citizens, we must innovate the ways in which we teach and learn, including capitalizing on opportunities that technology will bring to students in and out of the classroom.
We engaged in discussion about the future of higher education and considered input from across the Virginia Tech community. Beyond Boundaries: A 2047 Vision offers a framework for the future at a point in the visioning process. Outcomes revolve around three central discovery-themed concepts: VT-Shaped Discovery, Communities of Discovery, and Nexus of Discovery.
communities of Discovery
Communities of Discovery advance organizational networks and engage the university in ideas that matter.
VT-Shaped
Discovery
nexus
of Discovery
VT-shaped people prioritize purpose-driven engagement with a combination of disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary capacities.
Nexus of Discovery
extends beyond current disciplinary boundaries to form a living laboratory that will project Virginia Tech to the world and bring the world to Virginia Tech.
Concepts
04
05
The Beyond Boundaries’ reports represent the work of thought leaders from across the university, and is just the beginning of an ongoing dialogue and new understanding of the university’s future in a changing landscape.
Beyond Boundaries: A 2047 Vision offers a framework for the future as we look ahead to the 175th anniversary of Virginia Tech. In response to President Sands' challenge to the university community, more than 90 committee members met during the 2015-16 academic year to imagine what we could and should be.
Reports
GLOBAL LAND-GRANT
Today’s land-grant university must address economic, societal, and technological needs of this generation. Our graduates must have the capacity to solve complex problems of a regional, national, and global scale that have yet to be envisioned. Now and in the future, we will use research and service to address global issues such as health, sustainability, resilience and security, and advance knowledge through technical assistance. Global recognition is a testimonial to comprehensive excellence.
PREPARING STUDENTS
Through informal video vignettes, students shared personal stories about their Virginia Tech experiences. We asked, "Where do you want Virginia Tech to take you? What is standing in your way?" We learned about organizational and cultural barriers that impede some students' full potential.
Former University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman launched the Beyond Boundaries project with a public lecture in Blacksburg in September, 2015. Coleman addresses the need for universities to become more innovative and entrepreneurial.
President Sands, Provost Rikakis, and the Beyond Boundaries leadership hosted town hall meetings to update the Virginia Tech community on the Beyond Boundaries project.
Communitywide participation is essential to the Beyond Boundaries project. During the 2015-16 academic year, participants gave feedback through the Beyond Boundaries idea bank and in-person meetings with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and external stakeholders. In addition, students shared their Virginia Tech experiences and hopes for the future through video vignettes.
Engagement
03
NEW FUNDING MODELS
Shifting funding and cost models dictate innovative ideas towards enhancing and diversifying our resource base. To preserve accessibility and affordability, we must evaluate new and diverse revenue sources. Virginia Tech’s continued strength as an institution will depend on how well we navigate this changing landscape.
CAMPUS OF THE FUTURE
The campus of the future may look very different in terms of student, faculty, and staff needs and the college experience. The questions of who will be learning, how will they learn, and where will they learn will determine future Virginia Tech facilities and infrastructure needs.
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