Strategic Plan
The U is well positioned to fill a niche - a university engaged in significant research while retaining a strong commitment to the liberal arts. The Strategic Plan for The University of South Dakota will guide the University in establishing itself as the best small, publicly funded University in the nation providing students with an extraordinary education.
Building An Extraordinary University: The University of South Dakota Strategic Plan 2007-2012
Goal 1 - Academic Excellence:
- Gain recognition among the best liberal arts institutions in the country for undergraduate teaching and learning resulting in graduates who are well-prepared to make a positive contribution to our world.
- Strengthen graduate and professional programming to a breadth and rigor characteristic of Carnegie Research Universities with High Research Activity.
- Significantly increase student learning, retention, and graduation by creating a culturally and intellectually diverse environment that supports and engages all students through the integration of rich academic and social experiences.
- Develop deliberate, ambitious, and responsive approaches to distance education, recognizing the increasingly multi-campus nature of the University and growth in Sioux Falls, and ensure that these approaches are consistent with the quality of a University of South Dakota education.
Goal 2 - Research and Creative Activity:
- Conduct competitive research and creative activity comparable to that at the smaller Carnegie Research Universities with High Research Activity.
- Create a process and infrastructure to foster research aligned with South Dakota's 2010 Initiative for economic development.
Goal 3 - Enrollment Management:
- Create and implement a university-wide integrated enrollment management process to recruit and retain students consistent with our flagship status, reflecting both increased selectivity and broader diversity.
Goal 4 - Institutional Positioning:
- Ensure the University is portrayed appropriately and consistently to all key constituencies.
Goal 5 - Funding and Resource Development:
- Ensure that adequate resources are in place to fund operations over the next five years.
- Provide an attractive, welcoming campus with facilities, libraries, equipment, and other infrastructure that support institutional goals.
- Provide the highest quality technology-based services to support teaching, learning, research, creative activity, and the delivery of administrative services to the University community.
Goal 6 - Organizational Effectiveness and Change:
- Define and develop a high-performance culture that values strong leadership, sound planning, and excellent execution, leading to the achievement of goals and distinction for The University of South Dakota.
Strategic Plan (Printable Copy)
