Strategic Directions

Excellence by Design’s strategic directions are designed to enhance student achievement, institutional excellence, community engagement, and responsible stewardship. Each direction includes goals, objectives, and actions.

Cultivate a Culture of Success and Belonging

Illinois State University actively cultivates and promotes a culture of success and belonging for all members of our campus community. By promoting a culture of well-being; championing student success; nurturing equity, diversity, access, and belonging; and bolstering faculty and staff, our Redbirds have an environment to flourish and thrive.

Goal A
Foster Coordinated Internal Engagement

Objective 1: Prioritize initiatives designed to shorten time to degree completion

Objective 2: Expand student support resources for both personal and academic success to increase retention

Objective 3: Elevate career development and readiness

Objective 4: Encourage student engagement through cocurricular involvement
Goal B
Nurture Equity, Diversity, Access, and Belonging

Objective 1: Evaluate and expand incentives that cultivate equity, diversity, access, and belonging

Objective 2: Enhance campus internationalization efforts and global engagement experiences

Objective 3: Implement outcome-driven, best practice strategies that bridge gaps impacting underserved students, faculty, and staff

Objective 4: Expand support services and programming to meet the unique needs of varied student communities
Goal C
Promote a Community of Well-Being

Objective 1: Highlight, promote, and expand student services

Objective 2: Broaden support to meet Redbird mental health needs

Objective 3: Create infrastructure that supports and promotes programs and initiatives that enhance the well-being of students, faculty, and staff
Goal D
Bolster Faculty and Staff Success

Objective 1: Enhance learning and development programming to promote employee growth and skill-building

Objective 2: Attract and retain talented faculty and staff through various compensation strategies

Objective 3: Expand on a maximally adaptive and flexible workforce

Foster a Culture of Responsible Stewardship

Illinois State University is dedicated to maintaining a quality environment for past, present, and future Redbirds to enjoy in perpetuity, while simultaneously encouraging the pursuit of learning. By improving efficiencies on campus, advancing our strategic enrollment management methods, investing in campus infrastructure, and expanding our commitment to a culture of sustainability, Illinois State responsibly stewards our resources, talent, and learners for generations to come.

Goal A
Improve Efficiencies Across Campus

Objective 1: Optimize resource allocation and utilization in support of university goals

Objective 2: Continually update technology to meet the needs of campus

Objective 3: Improve business processes to create efficiencies and increase effectiveness
Goal B
Advance Strategic Enrollment Management Methods

Objective 1: Increase enrollment to strategically expand access to an Illinois State education

Objective 2: Evaluate and align resources to support access, enrollment, and persistence to graduation for all students

Objective 3: Expand innovative recruitment and retention strategies at every level
Goal C
Invest in Campus Infrastructure and Operational Resiliency

Objective 1: Develop a dynamic master plan that guides future growth and development

Objective 2: Address capital renewal issues with a priority on life/safety

Objective 3: Invest in campus safety efforts

Objective 4: Implement continuity of operations
Goal D
Expand Our Commitment to a Culture of Sustainability

Objective 1: Support sustainability through academic programs and scholarly activities

Objective 2: Optimize campus operations to maximize sustainability

Objective 3: Educate and empower faculty, staff, and students to be stewards of sustainability

Elevate Our Institutional Excellence

Illinois State University seeks to elevate our institutional excellence by increasing the impact of our scholarly and creative activities, consistently meeting the needs and aspirations of today’s learners, and focusing on enhancing the University’s brand awareness, sharing our contributions, services, and successes with the world.

Goal A
Increase the Impact of Our Scholarly and Creative

Objective 1: Provide comprehensive support for increased scholarship and creative productivity

Objective 2: Increase and reward faculty-, staff-, and student generated scholarship

Objective 3: Pursue important and wide-reaching outlets to showcase research and creative productivity within each discipline or areas of expertise
Goal B
Meet the Needs and Aspirations of Today’s Learners

Objective 1: Create new programs and expand capacity in existing programs to meet the pedagogic, career aspirations, and workforce needs of students and employers

Objective 2: Develop flexible, innovative teaching and learning experiences to support traditional and nontraditional students and working professionals

Objective 3: Strategically increase and expand our graduate programs and offerings

Objective 4: Pursue flexible modality options and opportunities to support student learning
Goal C
Enhance Institutional Recognition

Objective 1: Elevate Illinois State’s branding and communication strategies

Objective 2: Create compelling narratives about Illinois State’s accomplishments and ensure wide dissemination among state, national, and global audiences

Objective 3: Invest in first impressions of campus that inspire and delight students and visitors

Expand Mutually Beneficial Partnerships

Illinois State University recognizes that success is the result of collaboration, be it in the classroom, across the community, or around the globe. Striving to be a bastion of cooperation through coordinated internal engagement, enhancing the culture of philanthropy, and targeted external engagement, all participants can benefit from accomplishments together.

Goal A
Foster Coordinated Internal Engagement

Objective 1: Leverage relationships and expertise to support collaboration across the University

Objective 2: Encourage interdisciplinary learning and scholarship

Objective 3: Improve campus communication and transparency
Goal B
Enhance a Culture of Philanthropy

Objective 1: Strengthen engagement with university alumni and friends in giving back to the University

Objective 2: Create greater opportunities for private support of student recruitment, success, and persistence

Objective 3: Increase faculty and staff involvement in university philanthropy

Objective 4: Develop, plan, and initiate the next university campaign
Goal C
Target External Engagement

Objective 1: Enhance collaboration with legislators to advance the mission of the University

Objective 2: Engage with partners to increase awareness and enhance research projects

Objective 3: Engage with partners to increase awareness and enhance research projects

Objective 4: Maintain and expand civic and local community connections and communications

Objective 5: Foster relationships with community colleges and international institutions

Access the Strategic Plan

Download Excellence by Design

Strategic Directions

Cultivate a Culture of Success and Belonging

Goal A Foster Coordinated Internal Engagement

Goal B Nurture Equity, Diversity, Access, and Belonging

Goal C Promote a Community of Well-Being

Goal D Bolster Faculty and Staff Success

Foster a Culture of Responsible Stewardship

Goal A Improve Efficiencies Across Campus

Goal B Advance Strategic Enrollment Management Methods

Goal C Invest in Campus Infrastructure and Operational Resiliency

Goal D Expand Our Commitment to a Culture of Sustainability

Elevate Our Institutional Excellence

Goal A Increase the Impact of Our Scholarly and Creative

Goal B Meet the Needs and Aspirations of Today’s Learners

Goal C Enhance Institutional Recognition

Expand Mutually Beneficial Partnerships

Goal A Foster Coordinated Internal Engagement

Goal B Enhance a Culture of Philanthropy

Goal C Target External Engagement

Access the Strategic Plan

Goal A
Foster Coordinated Internal Engagement

Goal B
Nurture Equity, Diversity, Access, and Belonging

Goal C
Promote a Community of Well-Being

Goal D
Bolster Faculty and Staff Success

Goal A
Improve Efficiencies Across Campus

Goal B
Advance Strategic Enrollment Management Methods

Goal C
Invest in Campus Infrastructure and Operational Resiliency

Goal D
Expand Our Commitment to a Culture of Sustainability

Goal A
Increase the Impact of Our Scholarly and Creative

Goal B
Meet the Needs and Aspirations of Today’s Learners

Goal C
Enhance Institutional Recognition

Goal A
Foster Coordinated Internal Engagement

Goal B
Enhance a Culture of Philanthropy

Goal C
Target External Engagement