Accomplishments + Planning Process

The College of Architecture, Arts, and Design is a new college at Virgina Tech, but we are a college built upon a tradition of excellence and distinguished by significant, shared values interwoven among our disciplines. We are also a college in need of a common vision and roadmap for the future. Through the successful launch of the strategic planning process, we are now poised to navigate toward what will be the defining period of productivity and distinction for the college.

This journey began in 2022, when the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design was established by reorganizing 12 creativity-focused, studio-based, and human-centered academic programs into four schools under a single administrative umbrella: School of Architecture, School of Design, School of Performing Arts, and School of Visual Arts.

As soon as my deanship started in 2023, I began the process to develop a strategic plan for a college with more than 2,000 students, faculty, and staff. AAD is graced with a wealth of talented and passionate individuals, but our ongoing excellence also depends on how these individuals come together as a community to make concerted strides in the same direction and toward mutual goals.

I am grateful for Ariana Wyatt, associate dean for outreach and engagement, who took on this challenge and brought the college together to develop the AAD Strategic Plan. In partnership with Lauren Pollard, director of the Office of Strategic Affairs, they launched a very inclusive process and garnered the participation of a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students in numerous meetings and workshops.

Throughout this process, I have appreciated the support and willingness of our community to get to work and make progress. I have also been very impressed by the group’s collective energy, enthusiasm, and wisdom. It was a humbling experience for me to hear firsthand the conversations, discussions, and debates in the strategic planning workshops. Ariana’s outstanding leadership and persistence has been the key to the successful development of the plan.

After almost a year of collective effort, we are launching the strategic plan. I am excited that the four pillars that form the framework — Growth, Wonder, Inclusion, and Connection — uniquely reflect the fundamental aspirations of our college. The faculty, staff, AAD leadership team, and provost have all voiced support for the plan.

Strategic planning is an ongoing process, so work will continue on the plan and its implementation. Action items and metrics will be developed. Resources will be allocated to ensure its successful implementation. Annual progress reviews will take place.

I am optimistic and excited that the AAD Strategic Plan will be the catalyst that takes our college to a new level of excellence in education, research, scholarship, outreach, and engagement. Together, we will build a college that is a powerhouse of architecture, arts, and design education that cultivates the students, faculty, and staff who will make a world a better place.

Lu Liu
Dean of the college