194 Strategic Leadership
to build more resources for the long term, but also to other actions to enhance
the total alumni relations effort. It may require new initiatives to build alumni
involvement in career networks, student recruitment, social events, and continu-
ing education and travel programs. Strategically, higher rates of alumni giving not
only provide more resources but may respond to expectations of potential major
donors such as foundations and enhance the institution’s profile with the media
and in various rankings.
Testing Proposed Strategic Goals and Actions at Monnet
If we return to Monnet, we notice some other important aspects of actions and
goals that relate to the central question of resources and priorities. As we have
seen, as Monnet develops its goals on the enrollment of international students,
it sets a target of 15 percent, comprised of two-thirds degree candidates and one-
third single-semester or year-long exchange students. Since Monnet does not offer
graduate programs in science, technology, or business, which generally attract the
largest proportion of international students, its goal—essentially to double the
international enrollment in five years—is a demanding one. The dean of admis-
sions, the dean of global studies, and the provost are responsible for achieving
the goal.
During the development of the actions that will be required to reach the
goal, it becomes clear that the project will be expensive. The resource projec-
tions include $1.4 million for financial aid increases over four years. A new
position and additional travel expenses in admissions plus two new staff
members and program expenses in global studies will add $250,000 to the
budget. As the costs of these actions steps are defined, they are assessed within
the strategic plan’s financial model and ideas are explored for their funding.
It is projected that the current operating budget can only absorb $750,000
of the costs over five years. The ability to support another $500,000 through
annual and endowment gifts is a stretch possibility, but a worthy target, since
the project will be attractive to many donors. It will be made a focus of the
proposed capital campaign. The remaining needs cannot be met, so a number
of the actions relating to staffing, financial aid strategies, and the geographic
mix of international students are redesigned to fit the projected resources of
$1.25 million that will be available incrementally over five years. The goal
remains in place.
Clearly, the differentiation of goals from actions is an important and useful
exercise in the total planning process, and a task that merits more careful thought
than it often receives. As suggested, it provides a way for the plausibility of goals
to be tested, especially concerning the resources that they will require. The
effectiveness of strategic planning as a discipline depends in good measure on the
precision, the coherence, and the integration of the various methods, insights,
and concepts that it uses.