Timeline, Milestones, and Outcomes
We intentionally designed the 2026 Forward Strategic Plan without an end date, envisioning agile, dynamic, and continuous adaptation and responsiveness. Projects will unfold in phases beginning in 2026. Work groups for the various projects will establish timelines and milestones while our campuses continuously assess, monitor, and respond to plan outcomes as measured by key performance indicators for Social Mobility and Financial Vitality.
As needs evolve, we will remain flexible in how the plan is implemented while staying true to its vision. We expect to make changes, pivot when appropriate, and add new projects when possible. As with the projects included in the initial plan, potential new projects will be vetted using our two strategic outcomes and four strategic threads as a rubric and disseminated through shared governance processes for input, refinement, and potential adoption.
Whereas there is no end date for 2026 Forward, we will provide regular strategic project updates through established monthly shared governance consultations and annual dashboard reporting regarding KPIs. We will conduct a comprehensive review of the 2026 Forward plan in five years during 2029-2030 academic year.
Leadership and Responsibility
Essential to achieving meaningful outcomes are the day-to-day actions and behaviors of students, faculty, student affairs educators, professional staff, and alumni and community partners. Thus, we will form ad hoc work groups for most projects. The work of these work groups will be coordinated and supported by the President’s Executive Cabinet. Cabinet members will facilitate the development of work plans, strategies to secure broad input, and resources needed as well as accountability for project deployment. Updates will be shared regularly with both campuses to maintain transparency and alignment.
For at least the first year of the implementation of 2026 Forward, the BSU-NTC executive cabinet will revise their meeting schedule to ensure regular engagement, communication, and reporting for the strategic plan. Meetings will be organized around the three strategic priorities and their aligned projects as follows:
- Advancing Applied and Experiential Education. The BSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the NTC Executive Vice President and Senior Academic Officer will serve as co-leads overseeing projects aligned to this strategic priority. The co-leads will initially work closely with campus-based deans, chairs, and faculty committees; longer-term goals will require greater cross-campus collaboration.
- Centering Our People. The Vice President for Enrollment Management and the Campus Human Resource Officer, both of whom have BSU and NTC responsibilities, will serve as co-leads overseeing projects and affiliated ad hoc work groups aligned with this strategic priority.
- Promoting Our Value. The Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director for the BSU Alumni and Foundation and the Interim Executive Director for Marketing and Communication will serve as co-leads for projects and affiliated ad hoc work groups aligned with this strategic priority.
Securing Resources for the 2026 Forward Plan
Because BSU and NTC lack surplus human and financial resources, we will rely heavily on philanthropic investments, collaboration with partners, and the redeployment of existing physical space to generate the funding, human capital, and economies of scale necessary to bring 2026 Forward to life.
Feedback and Continuous Improvement
This plan is designed to be dynamic – responsive to emerging opportunities and challenges, and also responsive to the needs, ideas, and work of all our people. Regular campus-wide updates, open forums, and data dashboards will include options for ongoing input and feedback, both formally through shared governance and through anonymous feedback portals. Success will be measured not only by what we achieve, but by how we learn, adapt, and grow together.