In Summer 2020,University leadership began the task of reviewing the current strategic plan, set to expire at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year. As we reviewed our goals and efforts over the past several years, it became clear that our successes were in various stages of realization and more focused in some areas than others. Our review further resulted in a desire to retain much of the plan – primarily our overarching strategic priorities – but to reshape with an eye toward the next phase of Northern’s growth and impact.
Strategic plans should not be viewed as static documents, completed and tucked away on shelves for review only when the next identified strategic planning process begins. Instead, they can be institutional guides that assist with grounding our work in our mission, vision and values, and in aligning our efforts to ensure that key priorities drive the efforts of our entire community. To achieve that end, strategic plans must provide opportunity for ongoing review and revision.
The result of this effort is the All N 2031: MSUN Strategic Plan, which you will see here. Ultimately, it is a reworking of previous overarching goals:
Goal 1: Strategic Growth
Establish a vibrant, thriving, and growing student population to enhance institutional stability
1.1 | Grow enrollment
Develop a Strategic Enrollment Plan (SEP) to create collaborative, coordinated, and
enhanced recruitment, retention, and access efforts across campus
1.2 | Enhance infrastructure
Improve and expand organizational, physical and financial infrastructure
1.3 | Enhance marketing effectiveness
Expand the reach and influence of the Northern brand, communicating the lifelong developmental,
professional, and economic value found in a Northern education
Goal 2: Quality and Efficiency
Provide practical, high-quality educational experiences that provide students an efficient path to achieving their educational, career, and life goals
2.1 | Provide excellent academic programs
Build, maintain, and assess high quality programs that meet student demand and address
industry and regional and state needs
2.2 | Provide quality educational spaces and technology
Enhance academic and auxiliary facilities, campus grounds, and information and technology
infrastructure to ensure a physical campus that meets student, family, and community
educational needs and that inspires and facilitates further growth
2.3 | Cultivate teaching, learning, and support excellence
Provide timely and quality professional development for faculty and staff, ensure
hiring practices identify high quality staff and faculty in an efficient manner, and
that faculty and staff are evaluated on a consistent basis to ensure quality on those
areas
2.4 | Ensure students complete in a timely manner
Ensure students can achieve on-time completion of a degree by providing access to
the courses they need
Goal 3: Engagement
Cultivate an engaged, connected, and supportive learning environment for all
3.1 | Strengthen connections
Create and foster strong connections to each other, the Northern community, and the
institution
3.2 | Cultivate integrated learning and development
Develop innovative and collaborative co-curricular learning opportunities that align
with curricular goals and efforts
3.3 | Empower healthy, ethical and responsible behavior
Improve services and programs that promote health, safety & wellness
Goal 4: Collaboration
Expand industry, alumni and community engagement
4.1 | Enhance external partnerships
Partner with external entities to enhance and expand learning experiences
4.2 | Expand alumni and community engagement
Partner with MSU-Northern Alumni Foundation to identify strategies for expanded engagement opportunities
4.3 | Enhance collaboration
Foster a culture of collaboration across campus