The University of Michigan Biological Station Strategic Planning Committee is gathering input from students, faculty, staff, researchers, alumni and community members to chart a course for the institution’s next several years.

“Your voice is important to envisioning our future as we develop priorities and clear goals to guide our trajectory,” said Dr. Aimée Classen, director of the U-M Biological Station and a professor in the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. “UMBS staff and the Advisory Board will work together to define strategies to drive the next five years of decision-making, meet benchmarks and continue our positive momentum.”

Stakeholders are encouraged to take an anonymous survey to help identify and prioritize goals, focus areas and opportunities for growth. The survey also is available on the UMBS Strategic Planning website.

Survey participants are asked:

• Their affiliation with the Biological Station;
• How they describe the purpose of UMBS and what the institution should aspire to be;
• Biological Station’s greatest strengths;
• Barriers that limit UMBS from reaching its full potential;
• What the institution can do to enhance its regional visibility, reputation and impact;
• What UMBS can do to enhance its national and global reputation;
• UMBS is hosting a party in 2035, what are we celebrating?;
• There is a press release from UMBS in 2025 — what is the headline?;
• I woke up in 2035, went for a walk around UMBS and this is what I saw; and
• How UMBS can continue to foster an inclusive campus community.

In addition to the survey, the Strategic Planning Committee will engage members of the UMBS community through a series of town halls scheduled in the coming months in Ann Arbor and Pellston and virtually.

Separate one-hour sessions have been set up for different stakeholder groups to focus on their areas of interest.

Strategic Planning Discussion Sessions

Undergraduate Students:
Monday, March 18, at 4 p.m.
Ann Arbor Campus, Biological Sciences Building Room 1010

Tuesday, March 19, at 4 p.m.
Virtual via Zoom
Meeting ID: 983 2925 3895
Passcode: 811674

Graduate Students:
Monday, March 25, at noon
Ann Arbor Campus, Biological Sciences Building Room 3150

Researchers:
Monday, March 11, at 9 a.m.
Ann Arbor Campus, Biological Sciences Building Room 3150

Thursday, March 14, at 12 p.m.
Virtual via Zoom
Meeting ID: 997 5183 7206
Passcode: 506993

Staff:
Monday, June 3, at 9 a.m.
Pellston Campus, Lakeside Lab Seminar Room

Alumni:
Wednesday, March 27, at 12 p.m.
Virtual via Zoom
Meeting ID: 972 8216 9534
Passcode: 094794

Community Partners and Neighbors:
Friday, July 12, at 9 a.m.
Pellston Campus, Alumni Room (2nd floor of Gates Lecture Hall)

All Voices:
Monday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Pellston Campus, Alumni Room (2nd floor of Gates Lecture Hall)

Monday, June 17, at 6:30 p.m.
Virtual Via Zoom
Meeting ID: 945 4694 7020
Passcode: 841661

Monday, July 8, at 6:30 p.m.
Pellston Campus, Alumni Room (2nd floor of Gates Lecture Hall)

Friday, July 12, at 6:30 p.m.
Pellston Campus, Alumni Room (2nd floor of Gates Lecture Hall)

Individuals who want to provide their opinions but cannot attend the sessions are encouraged to submit their ideas via email at umbs@umich.edu.

The strategic planning process launched in 2024 with the goal to have a new, five-year strategic plan in place by Jan. 1, 2025.

The Strategic Planning Committee includes Classen, Associate Director Karie Slavik, Operations Specialist Jumanah Saadeh and Marketing Communications Specialist Chrissy Billau. The committee will work with members of the UMBS Advisory Board: Dr. Karen Alofs, assistant professor of ecosystem science and management in the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS); Dr. Alison Harrington, collection manager in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department’s Division of Fungi, Lichens and Bryophytes; Dr. Claire Pettersen, assistant professor of climate and space science and engineering (CLaSP); and Dr. Marjorie Weber, assistant professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department.

Updates on the strategic planning process will be shared online at the UMBS Strategic Planning website.

The University of Michigan Biological Station has been home to scientific discovery since its founding in 1909. Our core mission is to advance environmental field research, engage students in scientific discovery and provide information needed to understand and sustain ecosystems from local to global scales. In this cross-disciplinary, interactive community, students, faculty and researchers from around the globe come together to learn about and from the natural world and seek solutions to the critical environmental challenges of our time.