Strategic Plan
Dear Colleagues,
With the start of our 80th academic year just weeks away, I wanted to take this opportunity to share the finalized version of our new Strategic Plan, a detailed roadmap that will set our priorities, guide our decision-making, and inform our collective work over the next three years.
Many of you are already familiar with the contents of this plan, as I have previously introduced it during several in-person forums over the past few months. Simply put, Beyond 80: Strategic Plan 2026-2029 represents our firm commitment to meeting the most significant challenges facing higher education today, from enrollment and financial pressures affecting colleges and universities nationwide to the growing skepticism about the value of a college education.
The plan is organized around six priorities, setting out a detailed institution-wide agenda to:
- Showcase the excellence of Utica University’s academic program
- Intentionally shape and incrementally increase enrollments
- Strengthen the University’s overall financial resilience
- Enrich key aspects of the student experience
- Strengthen the University’s planning processes and procedures
- Improve the campus climate for faculty and staff
In many ways, Beyond 80 pays homage to our founding spirit as an institution, calling upon us to, once again, do what we have always done well – pursue our mission in a way that best serves our students and our community in the current moment. As a career-centered, future-focused University, we have some distinct advantages, and this plan will help put us on a path to sustainable growth, greater institutional effectiveness, and a stronger market profile as we look ahead to our centennial.
You can view the full draft of Beyond 80: Strategic Plan 2026-2029 here. Regular updates on the University’s progress toward achieving the goals outlined in the plan will be shared in this space and through other channels.
Reaching this point has been no small undertaking. My great thanks to the Strategic Planning Committee for their tireless efforts in pulling this plan together. I couldn’t be more proud of the work they’ve done and the agenda they’ve set before us. Let’s get started!
Sincerely,
Stephanie R. Nesbitt
President