Foundation Paper Sections

1) Background: How did you get to where you are in the workplace? What type of work have you done and what type of work are you doing now?When summarizing your life's experiences, focus on the educational factors and the work related experiences that describe you best.

2) Vision: What do you aspire to be in five years?Vision relates to aspirations and what you want to be. It defines one's broadest and most important goals. Vision requires a commitment giving one's full attention to the ideal.

3) Mission Statement: While vision statements capture purpose and ideals, the mission statement establishes the broad guidelines of approaching one's goals and purpose. Mission statements spell out in a general way, the direction one sees oneself moving over a period of time. As an example, read your organization's mission statement, etc.

4) Career Objectives: It is a well-known fact that graduate students who are able to articulate specific career objectives are more successful graduates. In this section of the Foundation Paper students are expected to list specific career objectives. These objectives must RUMBA. That means that they must be Realistic, Understandable, Measurable, Behavioral, and Achievable.

5) SWOT: The term SWOT is an acronym for: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Students will list their strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities, and threats to achieving career objectives. Suggest you make a table.

6) Strategy: In business, strategy refers to a managerial game plan. Students will begin to develop their individual game plan for achieving career objectives and overall "success" in the Franklin Pierce graduate leadership program.

7) Basic Contingency Plan: The development of a process to deal with and/or engage in a changing environment. The basic strategy should be flexible in order to deal with the fast-paced, technological global market place. Throughout the program students will explore their portfolio using a SWOT analysis method: How is the present strategy working? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the plan? What, if anything, needs to be modified?