HartHouseAnnualReport-2017-18

2017–2018:
A YEAR OF
ACCELERATION
Year Two of Our
Five-Year Strategic
Plan, “Delight in
Discovery”
Opposite page (clockwise from top): John Monahan,
Warden and Laura Siracusa, student co-organizer
of the Global Commons; Terese Pierre, Hart House
Senior Member posing for our branding campaign;
Student Leaders Mentorship Reception
2016–2017, or year one of “Delight in
Discovery,” the Hart House five-year
strategic plan, started off in a good way.
2017–2018, or year two of the plan, was
focused on its acceleration. An example of
this acceleration can be found in the Hart
House Global Commons, one of the core
actions of our strategic plan. What began
successfully but quietly in 2016–2017 as
our attempt to create a multidisciplinary,
cross-cultural program that promotes
global awareness and accountability
for students from U of T and a series of
international partner universities, had
blossomed by 2017–2018 into a truly
unique, four-continents forum for intense
dialogue about some of the world’s most
pressing issues for students, academics
and community partners from across the
globe, all coordinated by students and
staff from Hart House. (Read more about
the Global Commons on pg. 11.)
Other initiatives for the year included:
• expanded programming to
reflect diversity, exploration and
engagement;
• a community and academic
partnership plan to increase
community and student
engagement;
• a focus on improving the profitability
of revenue generating businesses;
• potential lead donors for
infrastructure renewal;
• enhanced assessment practices;
• the creation of a safe and welcoming
environment that is accessible to all;
and
• a new branding and marketing
strategy to showcase Hart House’s
excellence.
All of these efforts were made in pursuit of
our three strategic objectives: operational
excellence, experiential excellence and
reputational excellence.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
TRAINING—OPERATIONAL
EXCELLENCE
Mandatory customer service training was
provided House-wide to the leadership and
all permanent and part-time staff in 2017–
2018. To strengthen our commitment to
providing a safe, inclusive and welcoming
environment, an action plan was put into
place to ensure that all Hart House staff
deliver client-focused, superlative customer
service experiences for all members and
users of Hart House, all the time. Staff
were asked to develop personal plans to
put into action the learnings gleaned from
the training. The plans identified goals and
associated actions and timelines in order
to hold each staff member accountable for
embedding the fundamentals of customer
service consistently in all that they do.
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