Strategic Plan

PHASE 1: Analysis (Where is SOGS right now?)

September 2022 – January 2023

In this phase, we: 

• Conducted in-committee analyses of SOGS past and present (i.e., strengths, weaknesses, organizational structure, economic and social trends, etc.)
• Conducted an Environment Scan, observing how SOGS compares to other graduate student associations in Canada.
• Surveyed the SOGS membership (approx. 900 responses) to hear from our members about their experiences using (or not using) SOGS’ programs and services, as well as learn about the issues that matter most to them. 
• Facilitated a Town Hall to engage with members about their experiences, as well as share results from the Strategic Plan Survey. 
• Created the SOGS Strategic Plan webpage and Feedback Form. 

PHASE 2: Future Planning (Where does SOGS wish to go?)

January 2023 – April 2023

In this phase, we: 

• Reviewed the data from the Environmental Scan and Strategic Plan Survey to clarify the programs, services, and issues that are most important to SOGS members. 
• Developed a new Mission, Vision, and Value Statements that is reflective of member feedback and can guide SOGS into the future. 

MEMBERSHIP SURVEY RESULTS:

To better understand our members, SOGS sent out a survey in December 2022 to all 6,986 graduate students at Western University. This survey asked a series of questions regarding member satisfaction pertaining to SOGS’ services, funding, benefits, volunteerism, and governance. In addition, the survey asked members what their priorities are for the future of SOGS and their institutional awareness of our services and supports. The survey was conducted via Qualtrix.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN:

To better understand SOGS and its current operations, we gathered data on 24 graduate student associations in Canada, focusing primarily on sister organizations that are most similar to SOGS in terms of scale, membership, services, and operating budget. For example, we looked at student associations that had a membership of 2,000+ graduate students, were English-speaking, and were located at public universities.

Note: All financials and data are based on the the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

PHASE 3: Strategy (How does SOGS get there?)

March 2023 – July 2023

In this phase, we: 

• Developed five Areas of Strategic Focus (Pillars) to base our Strategic Goals around. These pillars were established from the feedback given to us through the Strategic Plan Survey and Town Hall. 
• Facilitated two phases of leadership consultations with our SOGS Leaders to help develop Strategic Goals and Potential Action Items that SOGS can include in the Strategic Plan to work to accomplish in the next few years:
  • Phase 1: SOGS Executive, Non-Executive, Committee Chairs (March 9 – 31, 2023)
  • Phase 2: SOGS Executive, Non-Executive, Committee Chairs, Councillors (May 29 – June 16, 2023)
• Consulted with Commissions as part of our last rounds of consultation.
• Created Strategic Goals and Potential Action Items to base the Strategic Plan around. These goals are the objectives SOGS aims to accomplish over the next five years. 

PHASE 4: Compilation (Putting it all together)

July 2023 – October 2023

In this phase, we:

• Finalized the draft Strategic Plan document.
• Had the Strategic Plan document (mission, vision, values, goals) approved by SOGS Council (October 19, 2023).  
• Made final revisions to the Strategic Plan document to begin publishing on SOGS media channels and share with campus partners. 

The Society of Graduate Students strives to be Accessible to all members. The Society endeavors to eliminate systemic barriers that prevent members from engaging with or accessing programs and services. The Society will work diligently to assess, advocate for, and support an inclusive and barrier-free campus. 

The Society of Graduate Students shall be Accountable to its members. We believe that all students have the right to know and have a say in how their student fees are used and be confident in the financial management of the organization. We will continue to be transparent with all decisions that impact the student experience of our members.

The Society of Graduate Students shall be member-driven in everything we do. We are committed to ensuring our policies, procedures, and strategies are Actionable, so that we may strive to consistently elevate the programs and services available to our members. 

The Society of Graduate Students shall be Adaptable to change. The organization will respond to emerging trends within the post-secondary environment in order to advocate for a high-quality student experience. We will prioritize responsibly structured outreach within our membership to understand the evolving needs of the campus community.

The Society of Graduate Students strives to remain Affordable for all members. We are committed to maintaining high-value services, while recognizing the financial realities of graduate student life on- and off-campus. We will continue to leverage our stakeholder relationships to ensure the financial needs of graduate students are prioritized.

The Society of Graduate Students shall be Approachable to all members. We will strive to promote and foster a culture of support and inclusivity, and create a safe, sustainable, and empowering environment within the Western community.