WVSU’s Strategic Plan, Future State 

Dear Yellow Jacket Family,
 
We are pleased to present to you the newly approved WVSU Strategic Plan, Future State. President Ericke Cage, recognizing the importance of an organization having common goals and objectives, initiated work on a strategic plan early in his presidency. This plan is the culmination of an almost year-long transparent process that involved input from hundreds of stakeholders. 
 
​The final draft of this University wide plan was presented to the WVSU Board of Governors on Thursday, April 20, where it was adopted as the roadmap to support West Virginia State’s path toward greater excellence, innovation, and progress over the next five years. To read the strategic plan, please download the PDF below.

 
Your input is still needed, though, since this was just the first, critical step in the integrated planning process WVSU is following. This process will require all areas of the University to develop operating plans to support implementation of Future State. Please use the following link to share your comments by May 21. In particular, we are interested in your overall impression of Future State, as well as the key areas that you believe the operating plans should focus on as we continue the important work of implementing the pillars and objectives. 
 
Thank you to everyone who participated in this highly collaborative process. You have been a part of helping develop the framework for the University to move forward over the next five-year period. We look forward to sharing with you our successes in the coming months and years.
 
Go State! 
 
Respectfully,
 
Your Strategic Plan Steering Committee

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WVSU’s path forward must be informed by a comprehensive strategic plan that embraces the realities of the post-pandemic world. This work began over the summer of 2022 with a Strategic Planning Task Force created to develop a recommendation for President Ericke S. Cage.

• Broad stakeholder involvement
• Utilize focus groups, listening sessions, surveys, suggestion boxes
• Commitment to Transparency
• Review/update Mission, Vision, and Core Values
• Identify pillars that will frame Strategic Plan that arise from Mission, Vision, and Core Values
• Conduct environmental scan/SWOT Analysis
• Develop Goals, Strategies, and Tactics for each pillar
• Integrate Budget and Finance in whole process
• Finalize University-wide Strategic Plan

• Campus community and all our stakeholders will have to think differently
• Each person will need to identify their part of the work of moving the University mission forward.
• Strategic planning process will require courageous conversations from everyone.
• Strategic planning will require everyone to get a plan that will make a meaningful difference.
• Strategic Plan will be the foundation for moving the University forward.
• Data from today, and future strategic planning efforts, will be compiled, shared with the University community, and archived.

West Virginia State University is a diverse, 1890 land-grant institution that advances knowledge through access and opportunity, innovative teaching and learning, interdisciplinary research, and impactful service. Our learners are equipped to meet the economic and social needs of the state, region, and nation, and contribute solutions to complex global challenges
 

A student centered, customer service driven, doctoral land-grant university that is grounded in its heritage as an HBCU and focused on its future as an inclusive institution of higher learning with nationally recognized faculty, academic programs, and research that supports the emerging needs of students, industry, and the state of West Virginia.
 

Student-centered          
We put students first in everything we do.

Inclusion
We create a climate where all can bring their whole and authentic selves.

Gold Standard
We strive for excellence in all we do and say.

Integrity
We commit to ethical behavior and full transparency with ourselves and our stakeholders.

Accountability
We take responsibility for our actions individually and collectively.

Creativity
We draw inspiration from collaborating with others and create space for curiosity and imagination.

Resilience
We are agile, adapt to change, and rise above adversity. We have grit.
 

Timeline

August 11—Launch with campus community
 
September 7—Consultant visit and stakeholder engagement
 
August-October—Data gathering from internal & external constituents. Includes focus groups, surveys, SWOT analysis
 
November—Goals established. Work on strategies and action plans continues
 
February 15—First draft completed. Feedback from President Cage, Board of Governors (BOG), and stakeholder groups
 
April 20—Final plan to BOG
 
April 20-May 31—Continue work on unit-level plans
 
June 15—Final, comprehensive plan to BOG

After analyzing the feedback from surveys and listening sessions, which included more than 600 people, our Strategic Plan Steering Committee has developed five pillars, or focus areas, for Future State. In order to develop the short-term and long-term strategies and tactics to enable our long-term sustainability and success, subcommittees have been formed, each led by a team of experienced and qualified faculty, staff, and administrators. 
 
The Five Pillars and Team Co-Chairs are:
 
1. Recruitment, Retention and Student Experience – WVSU seeks to grow its enrollment through the recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds and provides a rich, inclusive campus life and culture of care to support their engagement and success.
Co-Chairs: Nate Burton and Dr. Elisha Lewis
 
2. Academic Excellence, Research and Innovation – WSVU offers robust academic programs that reflect student interests, life skills, and workforce needs. Academic programs achieve excellence in teaching, scholarship and research leveraging nationally recognized faculty. 
Co-Chairs: Dr. Naveed Zaman, Dr. Leighann Davidson 
 
3. Financial Sustainability – WVSU stewards university resources to ensure financial stability and seeks funding from diverse revenue streams to strengthen economic prosperity for the campus and greater community. 
Co-Chairs: Justin McAllister, Dr. Ami Smith  
 
4. Operational Excellence – WVSU manages university operations, infrastructure, and business with transparency, integrity, and professionalism to support its mission. 
Co-Chairs: Clinton Arnold, Roy Simmons
 
5. Community Engagement and Partnerships – WVSU communicates effectively to enhance the university’s reputation and engages community partners to advance the mission of the university and strengthen the economic development and quality of life in the communities it serves. 
Co-Chairs: Trey Jones, Jack Bailey