Strategic Plan 2024-2029

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Our Aspirational Vision: FSU in 2029

In charting a future course for Framingham State, we will be guided by the same bedrock beliefs and commitments that traditionally have guided and inspired our university: 

  • Public higher education has a critical role to play in creating more educational equity in our country.
  • Public universities are place-based and oriented toward serving multiple, diverse communities— including first-generation students, immigrants, traditionally marginalized or disenfranchised populations, and anyone for whom a college degree has felt like an unattainable dream.
  • Higher education should be above all else a pathway to knowledge and engaged citizenship.
  • Intellectual curiosity and the tools of creative thought cannot be divorced from skill development, and liberal arts thinking and job training should not be juxtaposed or perceived as an either-or proposition.

  • “Success” ultimately is so much more than achievement of a degree or landing a job after graduation.

     

Our Mission and Core Values

Framingham State follows its mission and core values, the framework on which our institution is guided. 

People marching in support of DACA students

Our Goals and Objectives

The following five goals will be the foundation of the strategic plan: 

  1. Our purpose: leverage our public good mission for impact.
  2. Our program: innovate for student success.
  3. Our people: nurture a diverse and thriving community.
  4. Our place: create spaces that inspire
  5. Our performance: fortify the foundation for excellence.

Each goal is described in detail below. 

Purpose: Leverage Our Public Good Mission for Impact

We will leverage our academic, research, human-resource, and community-engagement capabilities, and our institutional values, to drive positive social change and set Framingham State apart as a voice for the region and a leader in social impact.

Be a dynamic force for positive change

Actively leveraging resources, expertise, and relationships to address societal challenges, and by translating FSU’s well-established commitment to racial, educational, and climate justice into action.

Prepare and inspire students to be civically engaged

Equity-minded citizens who embrace public service and work toward a better future for humanity.

More fully and deeply integrate FSU in the civic, cultural, economic, educational, and intellectual life

of Framingham and the MetroWest region in mutually beneficial ways.

Program: Innovate for Student Success

To fulfill our promise to students and meet our academic mission effectively and distinctively, we will nurture and support an exceptionally high quality of teaching, inspired by our roots as the first teaching college and fueled by the scholarship and research of our faculty today. We will reaffirm our commitment to shape wellrounded, intellectually curious, lifelong learners through a general education program built on a liberal arts foundation and also reflective of current context and the wider world our graduates will enter.

Adapt and adopt programs, practices and pedagogies

to enhance teaching and learning in ways that meet the evolving needs of traditional-age and adult students, employers and society and that advance statewide goals for racial equity and student achievement.

Cultivate a culture of career readiness

embedding career preparation within academic disciplines and throughout a rigorous general education and liberal arts curriculum, and equipping students with knowledge, skills and habits of mind that prepare them for success in their professions and lives.

Elevate student success as a university-wide priority

comprehensively supporting students and empowering them to persist throughout their academic journey, increasing retention and graduation rates, and ultimately enhancing the social mobility and life trajectory of our graduates.

People: Nurture a Diverse and Thriving Community

Resolutely committed to making high-quality higher education more accessible and equitable, and to empowering students and communities to challenge the status quo, we aspire to be not only a distinguished institution of higher learning, but also a catalytic force propelling transformative change.

Maintain a welcoming and inclusive campus climate

that attracts, retains, and supports faculty, staff, students, and alumni of various cultures, perspectives, and experiences and that ensures all members of the university community feel valued, able to engage, and empowered to thrive.

Align the pursuit of excellence with a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice

 in every facet of the university.

Promote a culture of continuous learning and well-being

 for all members of the university community, and foster growth through enhanced support structures and expanded, equitable access to professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.

Place: Create Spaces that Inspire

Integrate universal design principles across campus infrastructure, programs, and services; Identify priorities and secure funding for campus infrastructure and high-priority capital projects based on utilization and condition assessments, stakeholder input, and identify space on campus, including underutilized space outside, that could be reimagined and repurposed as gathering spaces that foster greater connection and a stronger sense of belonging by both residential and commuter student. 

Read more about our campus master plan.

Strategically invest in facilities and infrastructure

to create a safe, clean, attractive, and accessible teaching and learning ecosystem that aligns with evolving educational and residential life trends and will inspire a strong sense of community on campus.

Adopt environmentally conscious practices

that lead to long-term preservation of the physical infrastructure and landscape and that promote environmental stewardship among all members of the campus community.

Integrate current and emerging technologies

 within facilities, curricula, and university operations, and continually explore and exploit the transformative potential of emergent information systems and digital technologies.

Performance: Fortify the Foundation for Excellence

Promote a campus-wide commitment to ongoing evaluation, nstitutionalize equity-minded, evidence-based assessment practices, create a decision-making culture that is inclusive and data-drive. Encourage and facilitate cooperation, knowledge sharing, and collaboration across divisions, departments, disciplines, and roles at the University to create an environment where diverse perspectives and collective efforts lead to impactful solutions and continuous improvement.

Bolster institutional effectiveness

by adopting a continuous-improvement mindset, embracing a culture of assessment, and regularly evaluating vital signs of institutional health and impact.

Enhance communication, collaboration, and camaraderie

 across campus to promote a stronger sense of common purpose, institutional pride, and mutual accountability.

Protect the university’s ability to deliver a high-quality education

sustaining and diversifying revenue streams, optimizing resource allocation, and investing in strategic priorities for the future.

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Read the Full Report

Want to learn more about the Framingham State Universities' strategic plan? You can read the full report.