HERSHEY, Pa. – Penn State’s Board of Trustees gave its concurrence to the University’s strategic plan today (Feb. 26) during its meeting in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The 20-page plan, which was approved by the board’s Committee on Governance and Long-Range Planning on Jan. 4, will guide Penn State’s institutional direction from 2016 to 2020.
“The strategic plan is our collective vision of how to chart Penn State’s continued success over the next few years,” said Nicholas Jones, executive vice president and provost. “The plan is not only a roadmap for the future of the University, but the embodiment of Penn State’s mission, vision and values that have helped make us a leading global institution.”
The strategic plan centers on five thematic priorities: transforming education; enhancing health; stewarding the planet’s resources; advancing the arts and humanities; and driving digital innovation.
Jones said the strategic areas of focus distill existing and emerging strengths and opportunities that were identified during the planning process, representing a breadth and depth of expertise and interest from across Penn State where the institution can make a profound and measurable impact
Led by a 32-member University Strategic Planning Council, the work to develop the plan took place over two-and-half years and involved 48 academic and administrative units from across Penn State.
Throughout the process to identify and articulate the University’s goals and priorities, input was sought from, and multiple drafts were shared with, Penn State leadership and the University community, including students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Jones discussed the plans vision and elements during a series of University-wide town hall meetings and in multiple forums in 2015. Online feedback was also sought from the Penn State community during the fall semester.
“It was critical for us to give all members of the University community the opportunity to review the plan and offer their thoughtful feedback to us at every step along the process,” Jones said. “The valuable input by Penn State students, staff, faculty and alumni has helped immeasurably to mold and refine this document that represents our collective future.”
The plan can be accessed online at http://strategicplan.psu.edu/.