Acquire, Steward and Align Resources with Priorities

Excellence has become expensive and very resource intensive. We will be good stewards of the financial and physical resources of the College and be strategic and entrepreneurial in the pursuit of opportunities that enhance our excellence. In addition, we will responsibly evaluate where we should invest our resources, our effort, and our passion. As such, we will:

• Identify where we invest by weighing resource requirements, the strength of ideas and expected impact
• Be disciplined in balancing selective investments for success, while remaining agile—with an emphasis on providing vital, unrestricted support that allows the College to strategically invest in critical initiatives
• Make decisions informed by a rigorous and knowledge-driven approach based on data analytics and transparent financial modeling
• Identify and acknowledge what our choices imply about what we will not pursue

The adoption of the new transparent campus budget model will foster financial ownership of success. To adapt, we will:

• Challenge old ways of thinking and modernize our operational structures
• Develop better tools, models and budgetary policies to make efficient use of resources
• Prioritize research, infrastructure expansion and optimization and the retention of our top talent
• Incorporate the acquisition and stewardship of resources via advancement and fundraising as a critical element of our future success

Staying true to our values, defining our priorities and judiciously stewarding our resources, including philanthropic support, even as we invest in bold initiatives that will transform our world is going to be imperative to Grainger Engineering’s continued vitality and recognized excellence. Under the new campus budget model, it will be vital for the College to be able to rapidly gather information, assess situations, and nimbly adjust to optimize outcomes.  As a result of our efforts, we expect well-prioritized investments in research, and the efficient utilization of space and other resources. We believe that this approach, combined with more strategic advancement engagement focused on building affinity and inclination, will result in increased resources to support our efforts.