Through planning meetings and collaborative discussions, Northwestern Engineering leadership — including Dean Christopher Schuh, the school’s nine department faculty chairs, and senior administrative leaders — conducted a comprehensive analysis of the school’s strengths and anticipated growth areas in research and education, collaboration with key partners, and leadership thrusts connected to the University’s own priorities. 

“I wanted us not only to think about how we can continuously improve the things we do well, but also to consider what we don’t do all the time—once-in-a-generation ideas and goals—that can carry us into the future together,” Schuh says.

The process was three-fold: 

This exercise tasked department leaders to think about their optimal faculty size over the next seven years — and how this growth could impact research and education within their departments and McCormick as a whole.

Over the course of several months, Dean Schuh worked with the departments to determine what they viewed as their strengths and best opportunities for growth. The team found similar areas of focus and leadership between disciplines and our priorities became clear. 

Prior to developing our strategic plan, Northwestern’s Office of the President conducted its own strategic planning for the University. To ensure success, we dovetailed our plan into the University’s existing plans for future growth in research and innovation. Highlighted areas below represent McCormick initiatives that overlap with the University’s.

• Advance the biosciences
• Lead in decarbonization, renewable energy and sustainability
• Foster interdisciplinary innovation among social sciences and global studies
• Harness the power of data analytics and artificial intelligence
• Enhance the creative and performing arts
• Deliver an outstanding educational experience for undergraduate and graduate students