Our Strategic Plan is in place: Let’s get to work

Today the Portland State University Board of Trustees officially voted to approve our Future in Focus Strategic Plan and an initial set of metrics we will use to measure the success of our implementation.

This plan is the culmination of many hours, weeks and months of work on the part of many and I am grateful for the campuswide engagement that has brought us to this point. I find our plan to be both an aspiration to enhance PSU’s impact in new ways while remaining securely grounded in our core values.

As Oregon’s only urban research university, Portland State University plays a vitally important role in our state’s higher education ecosystem. We serve the most diverse student population and funnel our brain power and our resources toward solving some of the most entrenched and complicated issues facing our city. We also improve the lives of many thousands of Oregonians and their families — our alumni are Oregon’s entrepreneurs, civic leaders, teachers, employees, parents and neighbors.

That’s what we’re already doing. In the coming years we will  become intensely focused on how we serve our students and our community in the highest and best way. We will double down on our most effective student success strategies, nurture the conditions for widespread well being on our campus and expand on our contributions to our city, our region and our state that promote thriving for all.

Thanks to our strategic plan, we have our work cut out for us. Bringing our future into focus will require hard work and dedication on the part of the entire PSU community. Our efforts to live up to our guiding commitments — ensuring equitable access to a quality education, supporting all learners, building a community ethos of care and well-being, co-creating our region’s future and modeling responsible stewardship — will be a group project.

The Future in Focus Strategic Plan website will become a place to watch as implementation efforts unfold. 

Thank you again for believing in PSU and helping us develop this plan. I believe it will serve us well as we work together to position this university to thrive into the future.