Annie Davis Weber
OXFORD, Miss. – Annie Davis Weber has been named one of two members of The Society for College and University Planning‘s 2015 fellowship class in recognition of her work at the University of Mississippi.
Weber, manager of strategic planning in the Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness and Planning, begins her one-year term as fellow in July. She said she’s honored by the recognition and also excited about getting started on her plans for the fellowship.
“My project will focus on creating case studies of our peer institutions that address the question of how institutions organize themselves for effective strategic planning in a shared governance environment,” Weber said. “I’m very interested in learning what people, particularly faculty members, think are the most important factors for successful strategic planning at a university.”
The fellows receive a one-year membership in the society, registrations to two annual conferences a year apart, two $500 travel stipends and a registration to SCUP Planning Institute 1.
Weber will conduct an analysis of best practices that universities use, within the context of shared governance, to create, implement and assess strategic plans. She will create case studies that focus on what key participants, particularly faculty members, perceive to be important for strategic planning.
Maurice Eftink, UM associate provost, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and interim director of institutional research, works closely with Weber. He said she is an incredibly important part of the university staff.
“Annie challenges me to think more deeply about institutional planning and evaluation issues,” Eftink said. “At the same time, when I challenge her to produce tables or reports, she comes up with something better and more thorough than I had imagined. This is the mark of a valuable co-worker.”
Weber joined the Office of Strategic Planning in 2011 and has supported the efforts of the Strategic Planning Council to create and implement the university’s UM 2020 Strategic Plan and has facilitated the unit-level planning process across campus. She also serves on the Strategic Planning Council, the Chancellor’s Standing Committee on Accessibility, the University Assessment Committee and the Scholarship Proposal Review Committee.
The SCUP Fellows Program focuses on the use of best planning practices to improve outcomes at college and universities. The society launched the fellowship program in July 2014 with support from private donations. This year, 36 applications were received for the fellowship positions. Janni Aragon, director of the Technology Integrated Learning unit at the University of Victoria, was selected with Davis for 2015 fellowships.
SCUP provides resources on best planning practices for senior higher education administrators and other professionals who support higher education. SCUP fellows are expected to complete a planning-related project during their fellowship year with the results shared with society members.
“Planning well is important to a successful outcome,” said Michael D. Moss, SCUP president. “The SCUP Fellowship Program is an opportunity for emerging leaders in higher education to explore best planning practices and to contribute to the research and knowledge in this area.”