To better define, measure and implement a departmental vision of comprehensive excellence, Western Michigan Athletics and Director of Athletics Dan Bartholomae have unveiled Broncos REIGN: the WMU Department of Athletics Strategic Plan. The Plan has established a new Mission, Vision and Values Statement and outlines six strategic goals to guide departmental output moving forward. Under each goal, specific and measurable objectives and strategies clearly outline the key measurables and initiatives that serve to accomplish these goals.
REIGN is the acronym for WMU's mission and stands for:
Reign as champions.
Empower those we serve.
Inspire community.
Grow leaders.
Navigate and adapt.
"Broncos Reign provides a clear and concise vision of what our athletic department will aim to be as we navigate an evolving landscape," Bartholomae explained. "It serves as a transparent outline of our core mission, vision, and values, and precisely charts the course towards the accomplishment of our most important goals. I am both proud of and thankful for the staff, faculty, students, and other community partners that contributed their time and energy towards the content within the plan and with whom we will continue to share our successes and challenges moving forward. We all appreciate your belief in this bold vision. BRONCOS REIGN!"
Broncos Reign also outlines and identifies the vision and those it will serve.
THE VISION
We will distinguish ourselves through COMPREHENSIVE EXCELLENCE enhancing the BRONCO LEGACY.
THOSE IT WILL SERVE
Bronco Student-Athletes: We will lead the country in the holistic development of our athletes
Bronco Fans, Alums, and Supporters: We will serve as collaborative and transparent partners with high-quality connections and energizing events.
Bronco Staff and Coaches: We will create a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports personal and professional growth.
Broncos Reign expands upon this new mission and values statement to assign departmental priorities which developed into SIX STRATEGIC GOALS:
1) The Bronco Experience - Student-Athlete Holistic Development: We will be recognized as a national leader in the holistic development of our student-athletes.
2) The Winner's Circle - Competitive Success/Championship Culture: We will annually compete at the top of our conferences, win championships and strive for national recognition in our sports programs.
3) Raising the Stakes - Aggressive Revenue Generation: We will develop and maximize sustainable resources to provide stable financial streams that lead our conferences.
4) Broncos United - Diversity Equity & Inclusion: We will be the front runner that drives our campus and conference standards for a welcoming, diverse and inclusive environment.
5) The Stables – Facilities: We will invest in facilities that enhance the student-athlete experience, provide events that are unique and memorable for our fans, and compare favorably to our peers.
6) The Power of the Herd - Community Engagement: We will harness the power of our brand through strategic partnerships with our campus, community, the state of Michigan, and Broncos worldwide.
Under each goal, a series of specific and measurable objectives provide further definition towards the accomplishment of these goals.
PLAN DEVELOPMENT
The development of Broncos Reign was a three-phase process. The first phase was analysis, assessment, and planning. This involved confronting WMU's current reality, defining our priorities, and setting new aspirational goals, starting with the administration of a SWOT analysis which was sent to the entire athletic department, campus partners, and community leaders. Additionally, the athletic department teamed up with College Sports Associates (CSA) to help develop benchmarks and gap analysis studies to compare Western Michigan to its peers in the MAC/NCHC and other aspirational Group of Five institutions. The final step in the first phase included an in-person visioning retreat, led by CSA, that included athletic department senior staff, coaches, student-athletes, and faculty. The purpose of the retreat was to craft and define the mission, vision, values and priorities that would inform the strategic plan.
"The WMU Athletics Strategic Plan is truly a collaborative effort that presents the work of student-athletes, coaches, staff, administrators, campus and community members," said WMU Faculty Academic Representative Dr. Luchara Wallace. "This plan sets the direction for the Department of Athletics for the next five years and keeps our student-athletes at the forefront. I look forward to its implementation and the continued review of this great work."
The second phase was committee work and priorities. This was led by a steering committee that helped finalize the department's mission, vision, and core value statements. The committee was also tasked with developing the strategic goals that would form the plan, organized by strategic goals, objectives, strategies, and action steps. Once they were formed, sub-committees were created featuring over 100 staff, coaches, student-athletes, community members, and campus partners. These subcommittees met regularly over a four-month period to fine-tune their objective statements and strategies to be measurable and pertinent to the goal.
"It's a special honor to be a part of the strategic plan steering committee and so serve as a co-chair for one of the strategic goals," said head volleyball coach Collen Munson. "As a head coach, I recognize the unique opportunity and powerful impact that this process will have in both the immediate future, as well as for future Broncos over the next several years!"
"Having the opportunity to be a part of the discussions and development of the new strategic plan was truly exciting to know just how much the administration cares about and values the voices and opinions of us as Student-Athletes" said women's basketball student-athlete Lauren Ross. "Being able to represent my peers throughout this process, provided me with the opportunity to share and voice the needs and necessary changes which would be most beneficial to us such as providing student-athletes with additional resource to mental health training and awareness programming, an overall enhancement of academic supports, as well as providing us with more opportunities to be actively engaged within our Bronco and Kalamazoo community."
The third phase began in December 2022 with the unveiling of the strategic plan to the committee members, staff, coaches and internal/external partners for feedback, which ultimately led to a finalized plan in January of 2023. While the public-facing document outlines all of the goals, objectives, and strategies, the steering committee and sub-committee chairs will continue working on specific action steps for implementation and evaluation. The plan will be revisited throughout the five-year cycle and will continue to be modified and updated.
To view the full strategic plan head to www.wmubroncos.com/BroncosReign.
