Strategic Plan

The strategic plan is the product of thousands of ideas from hundreds of individuals who care deeply about Nebraska Wesleyan University and our future. This plan reflects the diverse voices, priorities and imaginations of our Nebraska Wesleyan University community and all of its constituencies.

Four themes to guide our future success

Academic Innovation

SUPPORT EXCELLENT TEACHING AND LEARNING

At Nebraska Wesleyan, our core mission is educating students. Profound, transformative learning and growth occur in the classrooms and labs, in our co-curricular opportunities and residential education. With a nationally recognized Archway Curriculum, the strategic plan will infuse the curriculum and the entire educational experience with opportunities for students and faculty to engage in creative problem solving. NWU will nurture a culture of excitement around the questions we ask and the answers we seek. To do so, we will provide support, resources and recognition for NWU’s transformative education delivered by faculty and academic support staff.

Initiatives:

• Faculty Teaching and Learning
  • Support innovative pedagogies—community engagement, project-based learning, internships, etc.
  • Implement tech and digital skills for next generation
     
• Internationalizing NWU
  • Increase access for all students to study abroad
  • Recruit and support more international students to study at NWU
     
• Student Success Center
  • Create a “one stop shop” for tutoring, writing support, study skills, testing center, etc., via an expanded Cooper Center

Initiatives and Leader(s)

Faculty Teaching & Learning Initiative – Patrick Hayden-Roy, Rita Lester

Internationalizing Campus – Sarah Barr, Viktor Khanzhyn

Affiliations and Articulation Agreements: Transfer Students – Denice Archer, Jeanette Millius

Affiliations and Articulation Agreements: Grad/Professional Schools – Tamra Llewellyn

Affiliations and Articulation Agreements: Corp/Community Partners – Tami Thompson, Jeff Hardy

Innovative Pedagogies – Patrick Hayden-Roy, Karla Jensen

Student Success – Jodi Ryter, Melissa Hayes, Candice Howell

Student Disability Services – Jodi Ryter, Brandi Sestak

Engaged Belonging

CREATE AN INCLUSIVE NWU WHERE ALL BELONG AND CAN THRIVE

Nebraska Wesleyan will endeavor to make its profound educational experience available to more students through intentional efforts to attract more students and support every student who chooses to accept our invitation. Nebraska Wesleyan will improve on its already outstanding advising and academic support so that every student can be successful in reaching their full potential and vocational dreams. We will provide resources, programming and spaces that create a nurturing community to better foster personal connections while we value and respect each individual—no matter how they identify—to create a community of belonging, where each individual feels more than just welcome, but where every individual can thrive. We will increase support for Prairie Wolves Athletics to provide the best experience possible for this significant component of the NWU experience for many of our students.

Initiatives:

• Enrollment Growth
  • Set enrollment target of 1,750 traditional undergraduates
  • Gradually increase adult and graduate programs and Wesleyan Honors Academy enrollments
     
• Student Success
  • Utilize the Student Success Center (expanded Cooper Center) fully
  • Enhance advising to holistically support each student
     
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Increase resources for diversity and inclusion efforts
  • Create student spaces to facilitate community and support affinity groups
  • Enhance student disability and counseling services
     
• Athletics
  • Support varsity athletics with resources and staffing

Initiatives and Leader(s)

Increased Resources for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion – Wendy Hunt, Antwan Wilson

Engaged Belonging/Climate Survey – Wendy Hunt, DEIA Committee

Student Spaces/Support Affinity Groups – Jim Ruzicka, Candice Howell

Enhanced Advising – Jodi Ryter, Janelle Andreini

Support Varsity Athletics with Resources, Staffing – Ira Zeff, Jonathan Redding

Enrollment Growth – Gordie Coffin

 

Transformational Relationships

BE A CATALYST TO LIFT UP OUR COMMUNITIES

Nebraska Wesleyan will deepen its commitment to create authentic relationships and mutual partnerships within our various communities. Not only will this serve to improve the lives and livelihoods of our neighbors in University Place, throughout Lincoln, and beyond, but it will provide educational opportunities for students. We will create initiatives that align with our mission and values and also adhere to our ethos of social justice. Partnerships also take the form of articulation agreements with other colleges and universities, internships, continuing education or certificate programs for employees of partnering organizations and businesses, and much more. Additionally, this will serve as an educational model for students as they learn from the creative processes of building transformational relationships and the fruits that develop from them.

Initiatives:

• Purposeful Partnerships
  • Purposeful partnerships with other schools, businesses, government, community organizations
  • Community-based wellness center in collaboration with local healthcare provider
  • Sports fields
  • Graduate and professional school articulation agreements
     
• Northeast Lincoln Incubator
  • Northeast Lincoln incubator on 48th Street for start-ups and entrepreneurs
     
• University Place Arts District
  • Fine and performing arts district on 48th Street, extending to main campus

Initiatives and Leader(s)

Community-based Wellness Center – Beth Burbach, Kim Corner

Northeast Lincoln Incubator – James Perry, Meghan Winchell

Community Engagement – Shari Sorenson, Kevin Bower

University Place Arts District – Lisa Lockman, Julie Wilshusen

Elevated Facilities and Resources

DEVELOP SPACES AND RESOURCES THAT REFLECT OUR EXCELLENCE

Nebraska Wesleyan will invest in its physical assets so our buildings and grounds match our academic and co-curricular excellence. We will replace Olin Hall with a state-of-the-art, multi-use building that will not only serve as the new home of some of our key academic departments, but also include a flexible use conference center, mission-central offices and student spaces. We will complete the renovation of McDonald Theatre, invest in facilities for softball and baseball programs, and initiate a study on how best to address future needs in our residential education facilities.

In addition to these major projects, we want to create a plan to invest in overall campus aesthetics by infusing funds into the entire campus physical plant and green spaces. A university of the quality and stature of Nebraska Wesleyan should be reflected in a corresponding endowment. We will intentionally focus fundraising efforts on the greatest needs facing Nebraska Wesleyan’s future. Thus, endowment funds will be prioritized for student scholarships, faculty and staff compensation, varsity athletics, and initiatives supporting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Initiatives:

• Facilities of Excellence
  • Olin Hall 
  • McDonald Theatre
  • Softball and baseball fields
  • Residence halls (renovation or replacement)
  • Some updates throughout facilities
     
• Overall Campus Aesthetics
  • Renewed focus on an even more beautiful campus: buildings, grounds and green spaces
     
• Endowment Resources to Thrive
  • Grow endowment to $100 million (currently $80M)
  • Faculty and staff competitive pay and benefits
  • Student scholarships – academic, need-based, study abroad, etc.
  • Athletics travel and coaching funds
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives

Initiatives and Leader(s)

Olin Hall – Shana Perry, Nathaniel Cunningham

McDonald Theatre Renovation – Mary Hawk, Jay Chipman

Softball & Baseball Fields – Susy Miller, John Rypel

Residence Halls – Brandi Sestak

Overall Campus Aesthetics – David Gracie, Peggy Hain

Grow Endowment – Mary Hawk, Kristie Pfabe

Strategic Plan Update Sessions

Strategic plan updates will be shared regularly with the campus community. Session recordings from January 2022 and a recent local news report on the University Place Arts District can be seen below:

Community Arts Project

Enrollment Growth

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