President Marc Tessier-Lavigne told members of the Academic Council on Thursday that the discussions he has had with faculty, staff and students during his first eight months in office helped convince him immediately to begin a long-range planning process for the university’s future.

Some people on campus, he acknowledged, counseled him to wait a year or longer. Get settled and get to know the place, they advised. Don’t be too ambitious in your first year.

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Tessier-Lavigne introduced faculty members who are among the leaders of the steering groups that will review the ideas and proposals and make recommendations for initiatives the university should pursue. Attending the Academic Council meeting and joining the president on stage were:

Ramesh Johari, associate professor of management science and engineering, who co-chairs Our Community

Kathryn “Kam” Moler, professor of physics and of applied physics and senior associate dean for the natural sciences, who co-chairs Research

Stacey Bent, professor of chemical engineering and senior associate dean for faculty and academic affairs, who co-chairs Education

Juliet Brodie, associate dean of clinical education, professor (teaching) of law and director of the Mills Legal Clinic, who co-chairs Engagement Beyond Our University

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Brodie said her group is concerned with ideas that address the university’s role beyond its campus boundaries.

“Our group really represents the commitment to the larger mission,” Brodie said. “We are not doing any of these things for their own sake. The university has a central role in the world, and we want to make sure as we think about the future and Stanford in the 21st century not to focus exclusively on our community. We want to focus on why we are here. For want of a better phrase, we are here to make the world a better place.”