A Students First University

Fellow Bears, partners, and friends:

Universities are by their very nature places where people and communities are empowered to realize their fullest potential. This fundamental mission is essential to everything that we do at the University of Northern Colorado — and have done since our founding as a normal school in 1889.

Today’s UNC student has great expectations for what they will learn and accomplish in their lifetime. They are simultaneously globally connected and grounded in the betterment of their communities; they are driven to make a positive impact through education, advocacy for social justice, scientific discovery and interpretation of the human condition through creative works, and in service and leadership to their neighbors. Many are first-generation college students who inspire us as they leverage their talents, creativity, and perseverance in pursuit of their personal goals. UNC is a place that fosters limitless promise because we embrace difference, bring together people with a diversity of ideas and experiences, adapt to the evolving needs of our students, and engage emerging changes in higher education with purpose. No university in Colorado is better suited to understand the ambitions of our students and provide the learning environment necessary to make them a reality.

As we carry out this vital mission, our students, faculty, and staff deserve a university that listens, sees, and hears them; they deserve a university that learns and grows alongside them. It is in this spirit that we developed our vision and this first two-year phase of our Rowing, Not Drifting 2030 strategic plan to give direction and focus to our efforts in the coming years. As we envision the future, we come together with a common purpose to put our students first, not only in the ways we serve them directly, but in the ways we foster excellence among our faculty and staff, take action toward equity and inclusion, innovate and inspire, and forge and strengthen partnerships in our community and state.

I am proud to present this first phase of the University of Northern Colorado’s Rowing, Not Drifting 2030 strategic plan. The development of a strategic plan is simultaneously an exercise in honoring the points of pride that make an institution a great place to learn, work, and grow and a step toward realizing a shared vision. This plan was developed through months of collaboration, thoughtful discussion, and valuable input from students, faculty, staff, the Board of Trustees, alumni, and our extended community. I am grateful for everyone who shared their ideas, hopes, and ambitions for our university — and so importantly, for the continued success of our students, faculty, and staff — throughout this process.

As we transition from planning to implementation, the work has only just begun. Each member of our university community and every unit has a contribution to make on the journey toward realizing our vision. I invite you to reflect upon the key actions and tactics in this plan and to identify steps you can take to support the realization of our vision and the 2030 outcomes we have articulated.

I look forward to the opportunity to implement this plan with you and celebrating our successes along the way.

Rowing, Not Drifting,

Andy Feinstein
UNC President

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