NEIU Community Strategic Planning: Empowering our Mission, Vision and Values
2024-25 Development Process Summary Document

This document describes the development process for the next NEIU strategic plan. The following includes an outline of the approach as well as a timeline of activities and stakeholder involvement.

The framework referenced in designing this 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.

Phase 1 – Groundwork (August – October 2024)

The groundwork phase includes preparation for planning and initial actions in the plan development process. This work will be completed by the Executive Team.

Assess Institutional Context

  • Examine past planning processes.
  • Review outcomes of past plan.
  • Analyze institutional structure and culture to develop the planning process.

Identify Stakeholders

  • Internal or external people, groups or organizations that will be impacted by the plan.
  • Map stakeholders and determine the role they will have in the planning process.

Identify the Core Planning Team

  • Include representatives of key stakeholder groups.

Design Planning Process

  • Design a process that works for the institutional context.

Create Communication Plan

  • The plan should identify how information will be shared and how feedback will be collected from the stakeholders.
  • Includes a timeline, audiences, messages, delivery methods, and frequency.

Launch Planning Process

  • President’s State of the University

Phase 2 – Coordination (November 2024 – January 2025)

The coordination phase occurs after the Core Planning Team is in place. The activities in phase two are led by the Core Planning Team after onboarding.

Onboard the Core Planning Team

  • Call for self-nominations
  • Prepare a charge and communicate expectations.
  • Ensure Core Planning Team members are equipped to lead the planning process.

Engagement Opportunity/SWOT Input Survey

  • Core Planning Team will administer SWOT input survey to collect input from stakeholders on the internal strengths and weaknesses of NEIU, along with the external opportunities and threats/challenges. SWOT is a critical component of strategic planning.

Phase 3 – Engagement (January – March 2025)

The Core Planning Team will design and facilitate a variety of activities to engage stakeholders in the identification of strategic issues facing the university, with four major engagement opportunities:
SWOT Input Survey (administration begins during coordination phase)

  • Core Planning Team will draft a SWOT Analysis based on the input, data and research.
  • Draft SWOT analysis will be shared for feedback and finalized.

Data Summits

  • Core Planning Team will host two data summits for stakeholders to review and discuss various data elements.
  • Identification of core data set, benchmarking and glossary of data/sources.
  • Facilitation by Core Planning Team members with a high-level of data literacy.
  • Format: In-person and virtual.

Stakeholder Roundtables

  • Core Planning Team will host in-person discussions (topic or stakeholder focused) to gather input framed around prompts (in-person and posted with the ability to respond online).
  • Multiple methods for input.

Stakeholder Survey

  • Final source of input for stakeholders prior to development of the draft strategic plan.
  • Opportunity to respond to themes generated through engagement sessions.
  • Open for two weeks, with 3-4 specific open-ended questions about the future of NEIU.

Phase 4 – Analysis / Synthesis (March – April 2025)

Analysis and synthesis will be conducted by the Core Planning Team with the support of NEIU’s Office of Institutional Research.

  • The Core Planning Team will review data from all input opportunities held during the engagement phase including surveys, roundtable and data summits.
  • Summaries of the sessions will be created, and the survey data will be analyzed and themed.
  • Output of the Data Summits will be consolidated and themed.

Synthesis will include the review of the themes from the engagement activities. Through this review the Core Planning Team will begin to develop the strategic plan priorities and goals. At the end of this phase, an initial draft of strategic goals will be completed.

Phase 5 – Feedback (April – May 2025)

Feedback on the draft strategic plan goals will be gathered by the Core Team. Feedback will be used to adjust goal statements and aid in identification of key performance indicators. Final document drafted.

Phase 6 – Adoption (June 2025)

Final strategic plan document with goal statements and key performance indicators/targets approved by the President.