Northeastern Illinois University is excited to launch its Strategic Planning process. The University is committed to an inclusive process that engages our community to create a plan aligned with NEIU's Mission, Vision, and Values.

Background and Purpose

The University's last Strategic Plan was created in 2008 and refreshed in 2014. Our goal is to develop a new plan to guide us forward, enabling NEIU to strengthen its impact as a Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving institution committed to providing a high-quality and accessible education.

NEIU’s Strategic Planning will be informed by three major frameworks:

  1. Best Practices for HSIs and MSIs
  2. Core Components of Excelencia Framework
  3. Data-Informed Methods and Analysis

Key Features of NEIU's New Strategic Plan

  1. Commitment – Uniting our community around institutional priorities that support our mission.
  2. Goals – Defining actionable goals to guide NEIU's direction and decisions.
  3. Planning – Identifying resources and investments that foster growth and impact.
  4. Assessment – Establishing metrics to measure progress and ensure accountability.
  5. Adaptability – Creating a framework that anticipates future trends and challenges.

Framework

The framework for NEIU’s Strategic Planning process is one shared by the Society for College and University Planners (SCUP). SCUP is an association for higher education professionals that fosters an inclusive community of practice in integrated planning to advance colleges and universities.

According to SCUP, five coordinating actions occur in strategic planning.  

  • Assess the Landscape
  • Planning Roadmap 
  • Create Plan
  • Implement Plan
  • Evaluate Outcomes

The NEIU planning process considers the five coordinating actions of strategic planning and outlines the work needed to build the new strategic plan. This plan focuses on the process to create the strategic plan, with implementation and evaluation work occurring after the plan is created. Aligned with the above framework, a phase model will be used to organize the planning process.

Strategic Planning Core Team

The Strategic Planning Core Team leads the strategic planning development process. The team is comprised of members representing various internal constituent groups. The stakeholder mapping matrix was utilized when identifying members of the core team. The purpose of the team is to facilitate the strategic plan development process, including engagement of stakeholders, coordination of input/feedback opportunities, review of data, and collaboration on communication plan/activities.

Leadership and Engagement

The process will be led by the Strategic Planning Leadership Team, which includes:

  • R. Shayne Cofer, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs;
  • Chris Childers, Executive Director of marketing and communications
  • Claudia Mercado, Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management.

We seek to form a Core Planning Team that includes a cross section of NEIU faculty, staff and student volunteers to facilitate the University’s strategic planning process. This team will drive the strategic planning process by engaging University stakeholders; developing strategic priorities and goals; analyzing data and drafting the plan.