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Westfield State University is committed to shaping its future through a collaborative and forward-thinking strategic planning process. Guided by shared values and a vision for long-term success, the University initiated a comprehensive journey to develop its 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. This effort engaged campus stakeholders, leadership, and external experts, ensuring that diverse perspectives shaped the institution's goals for the next five years.
The process was designed to be inclusive, transparent, and mission-driven, resulting in clear institutional priorities focused on academic excellence, student success, research innovation, and community engagement. Below is a timeline highlighting key milestones in the development of the Strategic Plan.
| August 2023 | Board of Trustees Visioning Session |
| Fall 2023 – January 2024 | Stakeholder interviews, visioning sessions, campus survey |
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February 5-7 |
Strategic Planning Committee retreat with SME Consultants |
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February-May |
The formation of a diverse Committee, held a three-day strategy session, gathered feedback through meetings and town halls, and presented a document outlining priority areas, goals, and actions to the President's Office and Cabinet for the next phase. |
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June-August |
A Cabinet retreat on June 25 set institutional goals for the next five years, with Dr. Richard Freeland’s guidance, and a presentation to the Board of Trustees on August 9 led to feedback adding a fourth goal on research and innovation. |
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September-December |
In Fall 2024, Phase 4 celebrated community engagement by presenting strategic goals for campus feedback, with each VP assigned a goal for refinement, and the Chief of Staff tasked with introductory comments and convening a draft writing team. |
| January 2025 | A Cabinet retreat will be held to finalize goals, objectives, and address any gaps. A writing team will draft the Five-Year Plan, including goals, metrics, and responsibilities. |
| February | A draft will be submitted to the All University Committee and the Board of Trustees for review. |
| March | Campus town halls will include faculty, students, librarians, staff, and members of the local community. |
| April | Finalization of the plan and submission to the Board of Higher Education. |
In Phase 1, SME Strategy Management conducted twelve stakeholder visioning sessions and nine stakeholder surveys between August and December 2023. Special presentations were made to non-tenured faculty and academic department chairs. SME Strategy Management and Dr. Freeman compiled and analyzed the data collected and presented findings to inform the next phase: Forming the Strategic Plan Committee.
Phase 2 of the process, from February to May 2024, involved the naming of the Committee. To ensure the widest inclusion, faculty, staff, and students from all levels of the University were invited to participate. Attention was paid to include representation from all unions and all academic colleges. The Committee, chaired by Drs. Klein and Hearn conducted a three-day strategy session facilitated by SME to identify priorities, risks, opportunities, and challenges. Their effort produced three priority areas and potential goals and actions.
The Committee met weekly and developed feedback sessions (caffeinated conversations and two town hall meetings) and produced a document which was presented to the President's Office and Cabinet for the next phase: Creation of strategic plan goals, objectives, actions, and responsibilities.
In Phase 3, a Cabinet retreat was held on June 25, using information from SME and the Strategic Plan Committee to agree upon and advance a set of institutional goals for the next five years. The Cabinet had additional meetings to discuss and finalize these goals. We are also fortunate to have the guidance and counsel of former Massachusetts Commissioner of Education and President of Northeastern University, Dr. Richard Freeland. His insights and perspective from DHE and NECHE accreditation have been invaluable in keeping a realistic focus on critical institutional requirements.
A presentation was made to the Board of Trustees at their retreat on August 9. Feedback from the board members at the retreat suggested further refinement and the addition of a fourth goal related to research, innovation, and creativity.
In Fall 2024, we entered Phase 4, a stage dedicated to celebrating the engagement and accomplishments of the community. This phase also acknowledges the community’s involvement by presenting the strategic goals to the campus for reflection and feedback. The President has assigned each vice president to review one proposed goal and its accompanying objectives, with the aim of further enhancing, shaping, and finalizing them for campus and board consideration.
The following outlines the goals, their respective responsible individuals, and assigned focus areas:
Goal One – Provost
Assigned Focus: Foster and Celebrate a Campus Culture of Belonging and Pride
Goal Two – VP of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs (VPEM & Student Affairs)
Assigned Focus: Optimize Value for All
Goal Three – VP of Administration and Finance (VP- Administration)
Assigned Focus: Cultivate Financial Stewardship
Goal Four – VP of Institutional Advancement (VPIA)
Assigned Focus: Enhance a Dynamic Community of Engaged Scholars Who Use Scholarship for Applied Research, Creative Activity, and Innovation
Additionally, the Chief of Staff was assigned the task of delivering introductory comments and convening a draft writing team to facilitate this process.
A Cabinet retreat will focus on sharing the goals and objectives, as well as discussing any missing or outlying areas. A writing team will then prepare a draft document that outlines the goals, objectives, timeframe, metrics, and responsible individuals. The Board of Trustees holds the statutory responsibility for the development of the institutional Five-Year Plan, including its annual updates, and the submission of these to the Board of Higher Education. Both parties recognize the importance of involving all segments of the University community in the preparation of the Five-Year Plan and its updates. To ensure full participation, the President of the University will submit a draft of the Five-Year Plan and its update to the All-University Committee for review and recommendations before it is adopted by the Board of Trustees.
