Report of the Committee on Strategic Planning
for the Year ending June 30, 2003

The Committee on Strategic Planning held two important meetings during the year ending 30 June 2003 both of which contributed to the Society's plans for its future.

On 4-6 October 2002 the Committee met in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina to draft a strategic plan to be recommended to the Society's Board of Directors. Dr. Frank Gilmore, President of Sigma Xi, gratuitously agreed to chair the meeting of the Committee in the absence of the Committee chair. In addition, Dr. Patrick Sculley, Sigma Xi's Executive Director, agreed to be the Facilitator for the meeting and led the Committee through an exhaustive two and one-half day meeting that thoroughly examined the Society, its strengths and weaknesses, and built upon these characteristics to prepare a draft strategic plan for the Society.

In preparation for this meeting, Dr. Patrick Sculley and the administrative staff of Sigma Xi prepared extensive background information for the Committee's review during the initial part of the meeting. The first part of the meeting began with an extensive "Organizational Assessment" that included an historical overview, an external analysis of other scientific and engineering organizations, a financial overview of Sigma Xi, and an internal analysis of the Society that included a recently completed member survey. Following this assessment of Sigma Xi and its relationships to other organizations, the Committee undertook an extensive SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis of Sigma Xi, which resulted in a very frank and honest current assessment of Sigma Xi.

Following the first day of analysis of Sigma Xi and its position and role in the scientific and engineering community, the second day of the meeting was devoted to strategy formulation. This formulation was based on the Committee's initial discussions on futures research that examined and ranked the driving forces that affect the Society both from without and from within. This exercise enabled the Committee to develop a core ideology for Sigma Xi that includes the long-standing and enduring values that address who we are and to address the issues of what is the purpose of Sigma Xi and why do we exist. The day concluded with the Committee drafting a mission statement for Sigma Xi, followed by the drafting of vision and cultural statements for the Society.

The meeting concluded with a half-day session in which the Committee drafted and ranked nine goals for the Society to achieve in the next five years; i.e., by 30 June 2008. Most of these goals included sample objectives to enable the Society to reach the stated goals. The Committee's draft strategic plan was reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting on 13 November 2002. The strategic plan was then made available for comments to delegates to the November 2002 meeting and to Sigma Xi members and chapters on the Society's Web site.

On 10-11 June 2003, the Committee on Strategic Planning was convened again in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and undertook two major agenda items. The first of these was a review of the Society's current goals and objectives in the strategic plan that included a review of progress to date and the status of various initiatives within the plan by Dr. Sculley. The Committee then reviewed editorial recommendations that had been received concerning the cultural, vision, and mission statements of the plan and in regard to the stated goals of the strategic plan. After discussing the recommendations that were received, several editorial changes to the strategic plan were adopted by the Committee for recommendation to the Board of Directors at its November 2003 meeting in Los Angeles.

The second major agenda item for the Committee was to undertake an assignment to the Committee from the Society's Board of Directors at its 7 November 2001 meeting to "modify the Sigma Xi committee structure to either establish new committees or to align existing committees to match major activities and function" of the Society. This assignment was deferred to this meeting of the Committee in order that the Committee could undertake a review of the Society's committee structure in light of the recently adopted strategic plan. During this extensive review, the Committee discussed the types and sizes of committees, the roles of committees, the roles of staff liaisons to committees, and the coordination of committees within the Society. From these deliberations, the Committee drafted a number of substantive recommendations regarding the Society's committees that would support accomplishment of the strategic plan and would align the Society's committees with the five key program areas that are inherent in the plan. The Society's Board of Directors at its 12 November 2003 meeting in Los Angeles will undertake these recommendations.

It indeed has been a pleasure to work with the Committee this year on these important issues within Sigma Xi. For the year ending 30 June 2002, Mr. Alan McGowan completes his term as a member of the Committee with enormous thanks from the Chair, the Committee, and from Sigma Xi. For the year beginning 1 July 2003, Dr. Gilmore, President of Sigma Xi, appointed Dr. C. Susan Weiler to a three-year term on the Committee, and Mrs. Hilary Davidson was elected by the Board to serve a three-year term on the Committee.

Membership of the Committee for the year ending 30 June 2003 was:

Robert Frosch, Chair
Peter D. Blair
Raymond Fornes
Marye Anne Fox
W. Franklin Gilmore
Emir Macari
Richard L. Meyer
Alan H. McGowan
Willie Pearson
John W. Prados
Peter H. Raven
Ann H. Williams

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