SAH is pleased to announce the 2017 Strategic Plan to guide efforts over the next three to five years.
The 2017 Plan builds on SAH’s 2010 strategic plan, which was completed just as SAH was developing and launching three new online educational resources, JSAH Online, SAHARA, and SAH Archipedia. Many of the goals outlined in the 2010 Plan have been accomplished. They include creating a higher profile for SAH both in the US and abroad, successfully launching and growing SAH’s three online academic resources, continuing to innovate in the digital humanities, partnering with new allied organizations for our mutual benefit, and providing leadership and professional opportunities both for our members and others in architecture, architectural history, and related fields.
In order to update the 2010 Plan, at the November 2014 Board meeting, then President Ken Breisch appointed a Strategic Planning Task Force, which is chaired by C. Drew Armstrong with committee members Abby Smith Rumsey, R. Scott Gill, and Luis Castaneda. The Task Force developed a thirty-six question survey which was distributed electronically to all SAH members in Spring 2015. Approximately 10% of the SAH membership responded, which is a good sampling. The Board discussed the results at its November 2015 meeting and decided to hold listening sessions with members at the 2016 SAH Annual International Conference in Pasadena. Thirty-seven conference attendees participated in four one-hour discussions designed to get direct feedback from members about SAH’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Drew Armstrong took extensive notes and summarized the opinions so the SAH Executive Committee could begin to draft a strategic plan at its summer 2016 meeting. The draft plan was discussed at the November 5, 2016, SAH Board meeting and the final Strategic Plan was ratified in early 2017 and was presented to the membership at the June SAH Annual International Conference in Glasgow.
The Plan, with four broad goals, is based on SAH’s core values, which reflect a commitment to inclusivity, ethical standards, fairness, diversity in all its aspects, and respect for all.
SAH 2017 STRATEGIC PLAN
GOAL 1 TAKE A GLOBAL/LOCAL APPROACH TO CREATE AND DISSEMINATE EXPERT KNOWLEDGE
SAH will broaden programming, publications and advocacy with both a local (American) and global (rest of the world) focus. SAH will bring expert knowledge and innovation to collaborations focusing on the study, interpretation, business and preservation of the built environment worldwide.
GOAL 2 CONTINUE TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP IN THE DIGITAL HUMANITIES
SAH will continue to take a leadership role in the digital humanities by developing outlets for the presentation of new research and the preservation of architectural records.
GOAL 3 BUILD ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTH
SAH will nurture an organizational culture that values both tradition and innovation. Recognizing the value of SAH’s existing resources, the Board and staff will make financial sustainability of these resources a priority.
GOAL 4 NURTURE NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP
SAH will take active steps to nurture next-generation leadership and embrace diversity in all its forms in all its programs.
