Soaring to New Heights: SLSU's Future-Perfect Strategic Plan 'LUPAD' Takes Flight!
On October 15, 2024, the Board of Regents unanimously approved the Southern Leyte State University’s (SLSU) Strategic Development Plan for 2025–2029, creatively branded as LUPAD: Ascending of the Mighty Kingfishers, under BOR Resolution No. 167, series of 2024. LUPAD, flapping for Learning, Unity, Progress, Achievement, and Dynamism, is the catch of SLSU’s future-perfect University initiative. It will take effect on January 1, 2025.
This transformative plan took shape during a Strategic Planning Workshop held from July 30 to August 2, 2024, which employed a strategic foresight approach. The existing Strategic Plan Continuum of SLSU was approved on December 31, 2021. Hence, the workshop was necessary so that SLSU can ride the air currents brought about by the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, Eastern Visayas Regional Development Plan (EVRDP) 2023-2028, Revised Organization and Staffing Standards (OSS) for SUCs - Phase I, and the dynamic educational landscape. Recalibrating and aligning SLSU’s plan with these blueprints for development planning is crucial to ensure that it is relevant and responsive to glocal development priorities.
LUPAD was crafted through the synergy of key officials, faculty members, and administrative personnel from across all campuses, including the alumni and students through their respective regents, under the guidance of facilitators from UPLB’s Center for Strategic Planning and Policy Studies (CSPPS). LUPAD symbolizes SLSU’s aspirations and future trajectory, capturing the essence of the University’s growth and ambition. It stands as a powerful statement of SLSU’s commitment to its people, students, stakeholders, and the glocal communities.
Like the intricate burrows of a Mighty Kingfisher, LUPAD was inclusively, collaboratively, and meticulously built, incorporating insights from an exploratory survey and mapping the drivers of change via the Modified PESTLE-V framework. These factors were categorized using the Impact-Uncertainty Matrix to assess potential future scenarios.
In the futuring stage, Future Triangles 2.0, a foresight tool, was used to map out the future by exploring the three dimensions shaping it: the pull of the future, the push of the present, and the weight of history. The dynamic interplay of these dimensions created a riptide, offering varied narratives of what the future might look like for SLSU, lifting to the air the preferred, integrated, business-as-usual, and disowned scenarios through Scenario Building.
In the visioning stage, the SLSU community engaged in deep dive discussions and collectively committed to a shared image of the future, leading to the oviposition of LUPAD: Ascending of the Mighty Kingfishers. The claws of LUPAD are firmly anchored in this preferred future, with a long-term vision extending to 2040, in sync with AmBisyon Natin 2040.
LUPAD: The Future We Want.
LUPAD is the future that SLSU builds. This future resonates with a distinct shared ambition, articulated as follows:
Southern Leyte State University is globally and locally recognized as a leading university of the future. It is also known as a thought leader in technological transformation and development, honing the minds of its students, its faculty, and staff to be competitive, resilient, and catalysts of change.
It is the center for lifelong learning and has been the leading provider of microcredential courses in the Visayas region. The university’s delivery mechanisms for instruction are flexible and resilient, and it also provides world class facilities.
Over the years, the university is able to align its academic programs and curricular offerings responsive to the changing needs of the industry and stakeholders making our programs globally competitive and locally relevant. Students prefer Southern Leyte State University for its quality educational experience and support services.
Southern Leyte State University’s research and innovation have transformative impacts contributing to glocal development. The university’s research, innovation, extension, and public service are tailored-fit to the needs of the stakeholders, letting the university maximize the impacts of its initiatives.
Southern Leyte State University has also increased its international presence, cultivating a wide range of partnerships and collaborations. The university also maintains vibrant relationships, fostering continuous and fruitful engagements with various stakeholders.
Over the years, Southern Leyte State University has developed diversified, improved, and sustainable funding mechanisms achieving financial self-sufficiency. The university has a strengthened internal control to ensure efficient fiscal utilization compliant with rules and regulations. These mechanisms have particularly been instrumental in the overall development of the university.
Leaders of the university are transformative, visionary, and value-laden. They acculturate inclusive, participatory, and data-driven decision making. Strategic yet adaptive governance has been at the core of their leadership, steering the university towards growth and success.
The organizational structure of the university is dynamic, suitable and responsive to the needs of its campuses. Each campus is strengthened and empowered and its programs are recognized as Centers of Excellence.
Southern Leyte State University is a center for human resource excellence. They have instituted a professional development plan that has resulted in a competent, motivated, and satisfied workforce. The university follows a holistic approach to ensure the health and well-being of all its constituents by implementing various pro-worker policies. Support services for faculty and staff are readily available.
Southern Leyte State University is able to maximize its potential to grow in accord with national policies.
Southern Leyte State University is a transformative force and a leader in technological innovation and commercialization. It is at the forefront of being a smart and green university putting up a sophisticated resiliency mechanism, shielding its campuses from hazards. By adopting a holistic approach and embracing progressive attitudes, Southern Leyte State University continues to uphold its core values, and its commitment to excellence and innovation.
Strategic Pillars and Goals: The Mighty Kingfisher’s Launchpad and Landing Point
LUPAD is nestled with seven (7) strategic pillars, serving as the Mighty Kingfisher’s takeoff point. Each pillar is complemented by its corresponding strategic goal. Inside the beak of each strategic goal are the strategic objectives, Programs, Projects, and Activities (PPAs), performance indicators, performance targets, budgetary requirements, assumptions, responsible offices, and timing of measurement that will help SLSU chart its path toward its preferred future. The strategic pillars and goals are as follows:
Pillar 1
Metaverse in Education
Strategic Goal 1
Enhance life-long learning and adaptability in various academic services
Pillar 2
Meta Leadership
Strategic Goal 2
Adapt a broad, transparent, and collaborative mindset in management and governance
Pillar 3
Sound Financial Management
Strategic Goal 3
Strengthen the funding mechanisms for financial self-sufficiency, and efficient and effective fiscal management
Pillar 4
Green Technology
Strategic Goal 4
Promote smart and green technology in the workplace environment
Pillar 5
People-centered University
Strategic Goal 5
Enhance professional development and people-centered policies and programs
Pillar 6
Acculturation of research, innovation, and extension
Strategic Goal 6
Enhance the transformative impacts of Southern Leyte State University's research, innovation, extension, and public service and develop and implement a quality process program that strengthens its mandate in alignment with global and local standards
Pillar 7
Internationalization
Strategic Goal 7
Intensify internationalization (IZN) initiatives
In addition to fulfilling the vision and mission of Southern Leyte State University, LUPAD aims to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the aspirations outlined in AmBisyon Natin 2040, the national priorities and 8-point socio-economic agenda of the current administration, and the regional priorities enshrined in the PDP and EVRDP 2023-2028. Throughout LUPAD’s implementation, the core values of Southern Leyte State University—excellence, service, leadership, good governance, innovation, social responsibility, integrity, professionalism, and spirituality—serve as its foundation.
Unique Feather: SGs with SDGs
One of the unique features of LUPAD is the embedding of UN SDGs with SLSU’s strategic goals, integrating sustainable development throughout its plans. This alignment enhances the traceability and linkage of SLSU’s plan toward achieving the global goals set by the UN SDGs. Additionally, this initiative supports the "glocalization" of SDGs to ensure responsiveness to the needs of the glocal communities that SLSU serves, reflecting SLSU’s commitment to creating a positive impact for both people and the planet.
Sky’s the limit
With the claws of its strategic pillars and goals firmly in place, Southern Leyte State University is ready to soar to unparalleled heights. Guided by the vision of LUPAD, the University is committed to creating a future where growth, innovation, and glocal impact know no bounds. As SLSU embraces sustainable development, fosters innovation, and strengthens its educational and operational capabilities, the possibilities are limitless. By aligning its strategic goals with the UN SDGs and local development plans, SLSU ensures that its journey forward is both far-reaching and impactful. Mighty Kingfishers, together, we prove that the sky’s the limit.
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