Jason Askin

The 2023 strategic goals are organized according to the six themes presented in the Strategic Action Planning Framework and establish the university's priorities. The goals respond to external challenges, including unpredictable state and federal funding, declining numbers of traditional-age students, greater accountability pressures, new technologies, and increasing competition. The plan focuses on building capacity for shared leadership, increasing enrollment, enhancing student success, promoting equity, and strengthening research infrastructure.

The strategic action plan emphasizes empowerment and shared responsibility, focusing on leadership development, transparent communication, and sustainability. It prioritizes student recruitment, success, and experience through a student-centric approach and global engagement. The plan also aims to foster academic excellence and curriculum innovation by supporting transdisciplinary programs and external partnerships. Additionally, it promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion, while encouraging research, artistry, and engagement to prepare for future changes. The plan also focuses on resource development and fiscal responsibility through experimentation, financial sustainability, and data-informed decision-making.

The Equity Plan 2020-2025 for Northern Illinois University (NIU) aims to eliminate disparities in degree completion rates between African American and White students, Latino and White students, and low-income and higher-income students. The plan includes strategies such as eliminating non-college-level math courses, providing supplemental instruction in gateway courses, developing contextualized math pathways, investing in inclusive teaching models, removing bias in financial aid processes, leveraging financial aid for affordability, building capacity in mentoring programs, and implementing NIU Navigate for supportive interventions. The plan also focuses on increasing retention and graduation rates for underrepresented students and creating a more equitable campus environment.

The 2024 University Goals at Northern Illinois University (NIU) establish strategic priorities guided by the Strategic Action Planning Framework. The plan focuses on empowerment and shared responsibility, student recruitment, success, and experience, academic excellence and curriculum innovation, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. It also emphasizes research, scholarship, artistry, engagement, resource development, and fiscal responsibility. The goals aim to foster a student-centric, equitable environment, enhance faculty and staff engagement, increase enrollment, promote transdisciplinary scholarship, strengthen graduate programs, and drive equitable outcomes through shared equity leadership.

The 2023 University Goals for Northern Illinois University (NIU) are structured around six themes from the Strategic Action Planning Framework. These goals address external challenges such as funding uncertainties, declining student numbers, and increasing competition. The plan focuses on empowerment and shared responsibility, student recruitment and success, academic excellence and curriculum innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion, research and engagement, and resource development and fiscal responsibility. Key outcomes include building capacity for shared leadership, increasing enrollment, enhancing student experience, promoting transdisciplinary scholarship, strengthening graduate programs, advancing equity, and achieving financial sustainability.