Mission & Strategic Plan

 

 

MISSION

Governors State University is committed to offering an exceptional and accessible education that prepares students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to succeed in a global society.

VISION

GSU will create an intellectually stimulating public square, serve as an economic catalyst for the region, and lead as a model of academic excellence, innovation, diversity and responsible citizenship.

CORE VALUES

Invest in Student Success through a commitment to mentoring and a deliberate university focus on student achievement of academic, professional and personal goals.

Provide Opportunity and Access to a first-class public education to residents of our surrounding communities and all those traditionally underserved by higher education.

Serve as an Economic Catalyst for the citizens of the State of Illinois and our larger Midwest region, so that our communities grow and flourish.

Prepare Stewards of our Future to thrive in the global economy, to contribute to ongoing innovative research and to serve as stewards of the environment.

Demonstrate Inclusiveness and Diversity to encourage acceptance of wide-ranging perspectives among students, staff, faculty and members of the broader community.

Promote Quality of Life, which encompasses civic, personal, professional and cultural growth

Download Strategy 2025

GOALS

Academic Excellence

 

Provide quality, current and relevant, academic programs.

Strategic Objectives

  • Ensure that all academic programs are up to date, relevant, and in demand, while aligned with professional or discipline standards.

  • Utilize continuous improvement processes for increasing the quality of academic programs.

  • Provide a campus environment and infrastructure that supports learning/teaching and scholarly/creative activities.
 

Student Success

 

Provide equitable pathways to graduation which lead to academic, personal, and career success.

Strategic Objectives

  • Deliver academic support services that advance timely degree completion goals.

  • Provide a broad array of extra-academic support services for all GSU students.

  • Provide meaningful opportunities for practical career application/experiential learning.
 

High Quality Faculty and Staff

 

Create a learning environment where highly qualified and diversified faculty and staff are hired and retained.

Strategic Objectives

  • Hire, develop, and retain diverse and exceptional faculty.

  • Hire, develop, and retain diverse and exceptional staff.

  • Utilize contingent faculty in an effective and strategic manner to address program and student needs.
 

Enrollment Optimization

 

Implement a strategic enrollment plan consistent with university mission.

Strategic Objectives

  • Optimize enrollment within the framework of the University’s Strategic Enrollment Management Plan.

  • Increase enrollment of and support for our Hispanic student population.

  • Determine and develop course/program delivery modes that support enrollment optimization.
 

Invest in Excellence

 

Enhance and diversify revenue streams, serve as a destination for social, cultural, and continuing education, and be an economic catalyst for the region.

Strategic Objectives

  • Increase and diversify revenue streams and external stakeholder investments to grow resources, reach, and reputation.

  • Provide opportunities to engage with GSU as a premier community resource/destination.

  • Contribute to workforce development and regional economy.
 

Social, Ethical, and Environmental Responsibility

 

Institutional actions and decisions demonstrate a commitment to social, ethical, and environmental responsibility.

Strategic Objectives

  • Demonstrate a commitment to ethics, equity, inclusiveness, diversity, and accountability for all students, faculty, and staff.

  • Integrate sustainability, environmental health, ecological stewardship, and environmental justice into campus operations, academic programs, university development, and student life.

  • Realize the university’s public responsibility to stimulate educational, cultural, environmental, and economic development in Chicagoland and beyond, with particular emphasis on community members historically underserved by higher education.
 

Strong Cyber Presence

 

Support the people, tools, and environment that are needed to succeed in today’s digital world.

Strategic Objectives

  • Infuse information technology excellence across the university by selecting and implementing information and communications platforms and training and support systems that are driven by university priorities and user needs.

  • Invest in innovative instructional technologies to deliver and support excellent and accessible academic programs and student services, and build institutional digital expertise through end-user training, development, and recognition.

  • Increase GSU’s Digital Visibility to promote GSU programs, faculty, and resources through our web presence, social media, news media, and digital marketing.
 

Continuous Improvement

 

Institutional processes for continuous improvement are guided by evidence-based decision-making to achieve the mission of the university.

Strategic Objectives

  • Each unit will undergo a strategic planning process resulting in key performance indicators that provide qualitative and quantitative data which demonstrate the unit’s contribution toward meeting the goals of the university strategic plan.

  • Engage members of the campus community in an examination of campus/unit wide findings and data analysis.

  • Inform the campus community about progress toward meeting Strategic Plan goals.
 

GSU STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

The development of Strategy 2025 was a campus wide endeavor. Details on participants and the process used are included in the Strategic Planning Process for Strategy 2025. Questions on the process and implementation steps can be directed to effectiveness@govst.edu.