This plan represents more than a set of goals – it presents a forward-facing vision of who we have always been and our ongoing shared commitment to the future of public higher education in Northern Minnesota. It reflects who we are, what we value, and how we will continue to serve our students and communities with purpose and distinction. Each of these are tied to our core why – the students and communities we serve.
Through this work, BSU and NTC affirm a common truth: our strength lies in partnership. When we align our efforts, understand one another, and act boldly, we expand opportunity for every learner and strengthen the vitality of our region.
The adoption of 2026 Forward marks not the end of a process, but the beginning of a new chapter – one defined by collaboration, innovation, and unwavering belief in the transformative power of education. Together, we will write that next chapter – rooted in the North and rising toward possibility.
Social Mobility – Access and Affordability
- Application, Admission, and Matriculation Data. The number of applications received is an important measure for the top of the enrollment funnel. Dividing the number of admitted students by the number of applications is a measure of selectivity in the middle of the enrollment funnel. Dividing actual matriculants by the number of admitted students is a measure of yield at the end of the enrollment funnel. When there are differences by demographic groups, it is an equity gap. Our goal is to balance the overall size of the enrollment funnel with high efficiency while eliminating equity gaps.
- Average Institutional Net Price. Calculated as the average total cost minus average financial aid (federal, state, and institutional), this is an important metric to ensure we maintain affordability.
Social Mobility – Student Success
- Disaggregated Post-Completion Related Employment Data. This metric, which is provided annually by Minnesota State, is the percentage of graduates who were available for related employment in the year after graduation who reported they were employed during the year after graduation in a job that was related to their program or major. Our goal is to attain high related employment rates while eliminating equity gaps.
- Economic Return Metrics. The Postsecondary Value Commission’s Equitable Value Explorer compares the median income of graduates 10 years after completion to the average income of high school graduates in the state plus the net cost of the degree amortized over 10 years.
Financial Vitality – Net Revenue Generation
- Minnesota Financial Health Indicators
- Enrollment – Triggered by an FYE enrollment decline of 8% or more over two years.
- Fund Balance as a Percentage of Revenue – Triggered if less than 20% of general fund revenue.
- Fund Balance Use to Balance the Annual Operating Budget – Triggered if the current year budget reduces the fund balance by 5% or more.
- Adjusted Compositive Financial Index (CFI) – Triggered if less than 1.0 or less than 1.5 based on a two-year average.
- Change in Unrestricted Net Position in the Revenue Fund – Triggered if (a) negative and more than 10% of the beginning net position or (b) there are two consecutive years of negative change in net position.
- Maximum Annual Debt Service Coverage in the Revenue Fund – Triggered if the debt coverage ratio is less than 1.25.
- Instructional Cost Per FYE. The two largest drivers of the Minnesota State allocation formula, which determines the proportion of state appropriations sent to BSU and NTC, are enrollment (addressed in the FHIs above) and the instructional cost study. The instructional cost per FYE ratio provided annually by Minnesota State is calculated as the ratio of the actual to expected value of the fully-allocated instructional expenditures per full-year equivalent enrollment (FYE).
- Annual Fundraising. Total annual fundraising is a particularly important metric for BSU and NTC because of the degree to which both institutions rely on external sources to fund strategic priorities. BSU and NTC follow Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) standards for reporting.
Financial Vitality – Facility Enhancement
- Repair and Replacement Expenditures. This metric comes from the Physical Plant Risk Factors section of the FHIs. It is triggered if there are expenditures of (a) less than $1.00 per academic square foot on a three-year moving average or (b) less than $2.50 per Revenue fund square footage on a three-year moving average.
- Minnesota State B3 Benchmarks. This is a Minnesota State system dashboard that pulls utility data from campuses.
- Energy – Measures energy used (kBtus) per square foot.
- Water – Measures water used (KGal) per square foot.
- Carbon – Measures carbon (MTCO2e) per square foot.
Financial Vitality – Technology Infrastructure
- Instructional Technology Accessibility and Performance Survey. BSU and NTC have not yet developed or implemented this survey, but it was recommended as an important KPI to assess facilities.
- Proportion of In-Person, Online, and Multimodal Course Offerings. Particularly when considered over time, these data reflect utilization of instructional technology infrastructure for the purpose of increasing educational access.