The long range planning committee's final reports were introduced at the General Faculty (GF) meeting Tuesday.
The committees, made up of faculty, students, staff and alumni, spent the year thinking about and discussing different aspects of the College to determine long-range values and strategic plans in various areas.
"A process of this kind ... can enable us to create a shared framework for planning," Dye said. "Having a common language regarding our mission and purpose is critical ... to forg[ing] new collaborations ... and creating new synergies."
Dye's final report on the process, which synthesized the research conducted and the recommendations made by each of the 14 committees, will be distributed campus-wide next week.
Highlights of Dye's report included 10 distinct definitions of the components entailed in an Oberlin education, but Dye told GF members that "The theme of community is a continuous and powerful one in all of these reports. Oberlin feels a deep need to strengthen its sense of community through every aspect of living and learning here."
"In all probablility, you will agree with most of the ideas presented in the planning teams' reports," Dye told the GF before she presented the prioroties.
The statements provided overarching directions for the College with respect to teaching, learning and living conditions. The priorities defined how the college hopes an Oberlin education will influence the lives of its students by teaching students how to learn and live in a diverse environment.
According to Dye, the statements are "a synthesis of what has come out in terms of broad directions of Oberlin's future and affirmatnion as to what Oberlin is."
Each priority began, "An Oberlin education..." and ended with a general statment of importance deemed worthy by the planning groups.
In her closing remarks Dye said, "What has been most impressive is the way in which so many Oberlin voices have come together in such a powerful way. They're not saying identical things, but they're expressing very similar sentiments as to what Oberlin is and what it should be in the future."
The GF will meet again on April 29 to talk more about the report and a vote will be taken at the May 20 meeting for final adoption.
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