Bemidji State University Unveils 2018-2023 Strategic Plan

Bemidji State University has come up with a new strategic plan designed to push the college forward over the next five years. Preparing for the 2018-2023 plan actually started last February. Officials held five community listening sessions throughout 2017 to figure out what exactly needed work.

“In addition to those community listening sessions, we held campus listening sessions and town hall meetings and gathered input and feedback from our campus community, faculty, staff and students,” says Dr. Faith Hensrud, President of BSU. “Throughout that process we identified some themes we would move forward with…we numbered them 1 through 5, but that didn’t mean that number 1 was more important than 2 or 3 or 4 or 5,” she adds.

The 5 priority areas in the strategic plan are as follows:

1. Build university capacity through distinguishing themes of place.
2. Increase engagement with American Indian communities to become a destination university.
3. Increase student engagement in campus life.
4. Strengthen BSU’s academic identity by infusing its Shared Fundamental Values into all academic programs.
5. Create a university culture in which diversity is embraced and all people are safe, welcome and validated.

The plan has been aligned with the Minnesota State Systems.

“We’ve identified the 1st year really as the 1st three semesters, and so we have specific activities that will be starting in “year 1,” as we call it,” says Dr. Hensrud.

The BSU strategic plan has been in the works since last year – that’s because the previous strategic plan was due to expire in 2017. All five points are equal, but one of the big goals of this plan is creating a more diverse campus.

Dr. Hensrud says, “We’re really looking to attract more diverse populations and faculty and staff here to the Bemidji area and, as you know, it’s very critical not only to have the support here on the campus community but also within the great Bemidji community.”

One administrator will be over each of the five priorities. Dr. Hensrud says the ultimate goal is to create a stronger campus.

“The reason that you engage in strategic planning is to make the institution stronger and to really set a course or a direction for the institution…you come in and you analyze what you might be able to do differently to improve the institution and to really focus on the success of our students,” says Dr. Hensrud.

The implementation of the plan began last Monday on January 1st.