| Program Goals and Objectives |
- Empowerment and Shared Responsibility: NIU’s strategic action planning framework calls on the university to support the development of leaders; communicate transparently and effectively; create a culture of shared responsibility; and inspire actions that drive fiscal and environmental sustainability. Shared leadership offers an encompassing framework to foster co-ownership of goals and adoption of processes that emphasize adaptability, interdependence, and collaboration. Since 2023, NIU has been intentional about employing shared leadership to create shared vision; build consensus; generate feedback; and navigate differences of opinion and difficult conversations. For the past few years, the university goals articulated under Theme 1 have focused on advancing a Huskie culture that centers and serves students and supports opportunities for university employees to become more empowered, adaptable, and resilient. To this end, NIU has developed and implemented employee training and tools that encourage and support student-centric service delivery and resource prioritization. The 2026 goals build upon this work.
- Last year, the university enhanced opportunities to engage shared leadership and shared governance groups and principles in conversations and decision-making around resources, space, and budget. The fiscal year 2027 budget process continues this progress through a continuously updated budget and planning website, multiple opportunities for feedback during budget development, and a shared governance feedback session scheduled prior to budget finalization (also see Goal 6a). In 2025, the university community agreed that it was important for employee performance evaluations to consider how NIU staff provide student-centric service. Starting in July 2026 with the introduction of ePerformance in PeopleSoft, the following question will be added as a universal competency that all staff employees will be required to answer — with supervisors providing corresponding feedback: “Describe how your role contributed to student success during the evaluation period.” This prompt is designed to allow for open-ended responses from employees and supervisors, and Human Resource Services will communicate expectations with campus stakeholders in advance of the launch.
- Shared leadership has been identified as key to helping academic institutions respond to the rapid social, political, economic, and technology shifts that produce complexity and instability because more networked leadership fosters co-ownership of goals and success strategies. In this context, members of our university community have proposed work that NIU can undertake in 2026 to support employees, manage change, and address external challenges. Four such initiatives are incorporated into these University Goals: (1) NIU staff employees are seeking stronger mentoring to support institutional knowledge transfer, skills development, and professional growth, particularly as they are navigating transitions to or within the university. There is additional interest in having support from mentors and role models for employees seeking to use their educational benefits or determine professional advancement pathways, and in having more staff professional development on topics of emerging interest such as AI, intergenerational communication, belonging practices, and new student culture. The leadership of Operating Staff Council and Supportive Professional Staff Council are willing to collaborate with Human Resource Services to build programs responsive to employee and institutional needs. The university is committed to piloting and scaling programs starting in Fall 2026. (2) The university seeks to enhance the lives of students, employees, and the surrounding community by integrating well-being into NIU’s culture, structures, environment, and policies to strengthen support for learning, work, and engagement. To achieve this ambitious goal, NIU will develop a multiyear plan consistent with the principles of Okanagan Charter and national health-promoting campus practice; review and revise campus policies and practices to ensure well-being is a core consideration in decision-making; and strengthen existing programs and initiatives focused on health, safety, inclusion, and support by making them more proactive, collaborative, and engaging. Key indicators of community well-being will be established and used to track progress and inform action. The Presidential Commission on Well-being, and Student Affairs, will share responsibility for aligning university-wide efforts, starting in 2026 with plan development, program inventory, and initial phase of policy review (synergistic with Goals 2c and 5c). (3) University parking and transportation need to evolve with changes in student characteristics, workplace culture, and technology availability. Competing priorities must be acknowledged and considered to provide positive experiences for students, staff, faculty, and visitors; to optimize operational efficiency; and to address infrastructure and environmental sustainability goals. In addition, university transportation policies and practices must recognize that not every student, faculty, or staff member has the privilege of owning a personal vehicle. In this context, a shared leadership group will be convened in Spring 2026 to analyze challenges and opportunities, research effective practices, and recommend parking and transportation solutions to university leadership and shared governance. This is the first step in support of a multiyear goal to create a coherent university-wide mobility plan that improves parking, transportation, and campus navigation for students, faculty, and staff. The overarching plan will aim to increase parking options, optimize bus routes, enhance walkability and bike access, reduce environmental impact, and address infrastructure needs using an approach and timeline consistent with our fiscal context (synergistic with Goal 5c). (4) NIU can strengthen its culture of sustainability by building allies and leadership capacity across campus. To this end, NIU’s director of Campus Sustainability will lead efforts to design and launch a Sustainability Leadership Program aimed at faculty, staff, and students who want to learn about sustainability, strengthen leadership capabilities, and implement initiatives in their areas of influence (synergistic with Goal 5c). NIU will continue to assess engagement and effectiveness of shared leadership efforts by tracking improvement over time in these categories of the annual Great Colleges survey: Job satisfaction and support; Professional development; Faculty and staff well-being; Collaboration; and Mission and pride.
- Student Recruitment, Student Success, and Student Experience: NIU’s strategic enrollment management goals and strategies are presented formally in the university’s Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan. The initial version (SEM 1.0) was implemented in 2019, then updated in 2022 (SEM 2.0) to ensure that its approaches were responsive to pandemic impacts. A third iteration (SEM 3.0) will be introduced to campus in late 2025. SEM 3.0 maintains the three overarching goals found in its predecessors: (a) strengthen and promote our distinctive identity; (b) achieve student enrollment that reflects our mission and region; and (c) support access, opportunity, and success for all students. The updated plan identifies the opportunities we must act on to achieve enrollment reflective of our public mission and values, position NIU for fiscal sustainability, and address regional and state economic and workforce needs. It also introduces new approaches and objectives appropriate to current realities and emerging trends. The 2026 University Goals are consistent with SEM 3.0 and its recognition that enrollment success is driven by personalized recruitment and marketing, access, affordability, academic quality, and student-centered support.
- In the context of SEM 3.0 and multiyear recruitment goals, NIU will continue to: (1) Implement targeted, data-informed recruitment strategies for distinct student segments, including high school students, transfers, graduate students, adult learners, online students, international students, and currently enrolled NIU undergraduate and graduate students. Messaging and content will be tailored to reflect the backgrounds, aspirations, and needs of each priority recruitment segment. (2) Develop marketing materials that showcase NIU’s value proposition and many strengths, including academic excellence, affordability, vibrant campus life, transformative experiences, and positive career outcomes. (3) Strengthen partnerships with school districts by forging deeper connections to high school counselors and creating innovative enrollment opportunities specifically related to college- and career-pathways programs. (4) Build community college partnerships per the community college strategy developed in 2024. (5) Review and revise strategies for awarding financial aid and scholarships to ensure our approaches are effective at attracting students, supporting their success, and positioning the university for long-term fiscal sustainability. (6) Achieve Fall 2026 total enrollment exceeding 16,000, consistent with the overall goal of maintaining enrollment between 15,000 and 17,000 and acknowledging the importance of keeping enrollment at or above 15,000 to sustain classification as a large university in widely used college search resources (such as College Scorecard, College Board Big Future, and CollegeData).
- Student success is a top priority, and NIU is focused on ensuring that all Huskie students have the tools and resources they need to succeed through and beyond degree completion. This commitment is reflected in SEM 3.0 as well as in the six components of our student success framework: academics; inclusive excellence; care and support; engagement and belonging; financial literacy; and career development. Our coordinated, collaborative, and data-informed approach to student success is making a difference. In 2026, NIU will continue to: (1) Improve student success, persistence, and graduation metrics. o Increase retention rates for first-time, full-time students. o Increase four- and six- year graduation rates. o Increase degree completion rates for transfer students. o Reduce post-secondary attainment gaps for students who are first-generation, Pell-eligible, and/or from marginalized communities. (2) Reduce organizational barriers to student success. Expand institutional practices that support students to achieve their academic goals, improve low success rates, and diminish equity gaps in introductory and prerequisite courses. o Enhance coordination and embedded delivery of services in the Huskie Academic Success Center and the Disability Resource Center to increase student participation; encourage help-seeking behaviors that are strongly correlated with academic and non-academic success; and improve academic outcomes. o Continue to implement and scale effective student success initiatives, including the Academic Recovery Pilot, First Gen Forward Leaders Program, Mentor Collective, and Huskie 3-2-1. o Continue to adopt the Seal of Excelencia framework to align core components of data, practice, and leadership to serve, support, and accelerate the success of Latinx students and all students. o Take part in Illinois SUCCESS (Supporting Universities and Colleges Creating Equitable Student Success), a statewide collective learning and support program designed to help Illinois institutions of higher education improve student retention, persistence/advancement, and completion. As part of SUCCESS, NIU will participate in a learning community focused on improving student outcomes in low success rate classes. This will extend and advance the work performed under our 2018-23 Higher Learning Commission Quality Initiative, “Success in Gateway Courses for All Students.” o Seek resources to support new student success initiatives including the Summer Bridge Program and Huskie First. These programs are described in NIU’s FY27 Appropriations Request (Board of Trustees, Finance, Audit, Compliance, Facilities, and Operations Committee, Agenda Item 8a, Nov. 13, 2025). (3) Continue to strengthen and evolve career-focused student engagement opportunities by incorporating effective practices and responding positively to feedback. o Further expand opportunities available through Career Services. o Embed career education across campus by integrating career development activities and badging into academic courses, advising sessions, and co-curricular programs. o Identify and highlight internships and engaged learning experiences that foster responsible citizenship and career success. (4) Achieve Fall 2026 total enrollment exceeding 16,000, consistent with the overall goal of maintaining enrollment between 15,000 and 17,000 and acknowledging the importance of keeping enrollment at or above 15,000 to sustain classification as a large university in widely used college search resources (such as College Scorecard, College Board Big Future, and CollegeData).
- Promote holistic student well-being by fostering a culture of care, safety, and connection that empowers Huskies to thrive. (1) Continue to support, develop, and assess programs responsive to the evolving health and safety needs of the student community, including the Galway partnership on active consent. (2) Develop and implement a coordinated plan to combat student food insecurity. The effort will be led by NIU’s Chief Strategy Officer and will require collaboration across Campus Dining, the Huskie Food Pantry, Edible Campus, Huskie Harvest, and the NIU Foundation (synergistic with Goal 5c). (3) Increase faculty and staff awareness of resources available to support student well-being in and out of the classroom. (4) Encourage students’ social connections and life skill development through shared interests, drawing on documented successes at other colleges and universities to enhance efforts at NIU. We will explore opportunities to increase student engagement through innovative programming as well as implementation of apps that help to connect students and build community. (5) Identify and maximize opportunities that come with changing athletic conference affiliations to enhance the experiences and success of student athletes; create new avenues for student engagement and community building; and bolster NIU pride in ways that are sustainable. (6) Advance a multiyear (2026-2028), student-centered housing strategy that expands capacity, modernizes learning-living environments, and preserves affordability. Student Affairs will lead a collaborative effort focused on: o Pursuing a phased on-campus housing renewal plan, including evaluation of public-private partnership delivery that protects affordability and institutional capital. o Establishing an “NIU-Affiliated Housing Network” with community apartment partners through MOUs aligning innovative student experience and student support opportunities and expectations. o Prioritizing belonging, well-being, and academic success by strengthening living-learning models that support first-generation, Pell-eligible, international, graduate, Greek, and student-athlete populations.
- Academic Excellence and Curriculum Innovation: The promise of progress and prosperity beyond degree completion is what inspires students to pursue higher education. Worried about their futures and influenced by growing public skepticism regarding the value of higher education, undergraduate and graduate students are increasingly concerned about how their degree programs will prepare them for meaningful careers and provide them with the opportunity for economic security. They seek academic programs and experiences that will help them develop the knowledge and skills to thrive in professional settings that are changing rapidly. They also expect higher education to prepare them to be responsible citizens, capable of solving complex problems that impact their families and communities. Recent brand perception studies affirm that students and families prioritize career outcomes as a critical factor in choosing a university. This presents NIU with a powerful opportunity to distinguish ourselves by intentionally aligning our programs and services with these expectations. NIU is committed to supporting and enhancing the academic, career, and civic aspirations of undergraduate and graduate students, including their interest in strong skill development, and their desire to discover and develop innovative solutions to complex societal problems. In this context, we are continuously pursuing improvements to our programs, policies, and practices while simultaneously working to overcome structural barriers that inhibit transdisciplinary scholarship, impede curricular innovation and experimentation, and discourage direct linkage of academic pursuits to career preparedness. By intentionally addressing these priorities, NIU is positioned not only to meet the needs of today’s students, but also to help redefine the value of higher education. Through these efforts, we empower all Huskies to achieve their full potential and make lasting impacts on their communities and beyond.
- Update, revise, and implement processes and timelines associated with oversight of academic degree programs to enhance planning and decision-making. Provide annual updates to the Board of Trustees on key indicators of program health; starting in 2026, this will be shared early in the fall semester. Shared governance groups will continue to play a key role in process revision and template design (also applies to Goal 3c for graduate programs). (1) Continue to support curriculum and co-curricular enhancements that strengthen connections between curriculum, skill development, civic, and career preparedness through the following actions: o Continue to implement the Enriching the Design of General Education initiative to conduct evaluation of the general education program; promote excellence in teaching; and support faculty members who design and offer general education courses, helping them to balance and integrate the three fundamental purposes of our general education program — skills, knowledge, and exploration — including the thoughtful integration of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, into foundational courses. o Continue to enhance the quality of pedagogy, assessment methods, and engaged learning opportunities in all classes to support student academic success. Be intentional about curriculum and learning outcomes that support skills important for civic engagement and career success in rapidly changing economic and technological landscapes. o Pursue opportunities for increasing undergraduate student participation in career development experiences related to NACE (National Association of College and Employers) Career Competencies in general education courses; programs such as Huskie Career Launchpad; and career-focused courses to support and enhance student academic success and post-graduation outcomes (synergistic with Goal 2b). (2) Increase the availability of resources and support to help faculty and students facilitate and participate in difficult conversations, and help NIU strengthen our culture of respectful dialogue and collaborative discussion. o Enhance professional development programs and resources available to support faculty as they embed civil discourse and civic development into their teaching, encourage students to engage across differences, introduce multiple perspectives into their classrooms and courses, and help students navigate today’s complex information environment. NIU’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning will play a key role in achieving this outcome. In 2026, the center will consider opportunities to make use of materials and resources available from NIU partner organizations (for example, Dialogue and Deliberation Resources available from Campus Compact or the Faculty Institute sponsored by the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness); learn from successful programs at other universities (for example, Dialogue Across Differences Working Group at Montclair State University); and leverage internal resources such as NIU’s Faculty Academy on Cultural Competency and Equity, faculty learning communities, and the toolkit for addressing politically charged topics in the classroom. o Enhance programming, opportunities, and support to help students prepare for civic life, engage across differences, participate in and facilitate difficult conversations, and navigate today’s complex information environment. Achieving this outcome will require coordinated and collaborative efforts across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Academic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) to make use of materials and resources available from NIU partner organizations (for example, Virtual Student Module from College Presidents for Civic Preparedness); learn from successful programs at other universities (for example, Collaborative Discussion Certificate Programs at Emory University), and leverage internal resources such as the Rebuilding Democracy Lecture Series, Real Talk Conference, GIVE (Growing Inclusive Vulnerability and Empathy), and Conversations With Purpose).
- Continue to build capacity for transdisciplinary scholarship and curricular innovation through the following actions: (1) Continue to reduce administrative barriers to transdisciplinary team teaching, curricular experimentation, and development of transdisciplinary courses and programs. § Develop framework and capacity in the Graduate School to support inter-college transdisciplinary graduate programs. § Review and update policies to support transdisciplinary programs. § Continue work focused on creating streamlined pathways to develop curriculum for transdisciplinary courses and programs (for example, scale “curricular innovation sandbox” to provide space for developing and testing courses efficiently; update general course numbering method for interdisciplinary courses; and offer competitive funding to support transdisciplinary endeavors). (2) Complete full implementation of the Interfolio™ platform to ensure promotion and tenure processes and annual reviews of faculty are inclusive of diverse and evolving faculty work. (3) Prioritize and pursue pathways for cluster hiring compatible within our resource constrained environment by focusing on development of transdisciplinary teaching and research initiatives related to quantum in collaboration with Fermi Forward and health technology in association with donor-supported, endowed faculty positions supported by the Baustert Bahwell Health Technology Center. These areas were identified for cluster hires because NIU has established expertise — faculty from multiple colleges are actively engaged in planning — and there are prospects for donor and grant support. Collaboration across Academic Affairs, and between that division and Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS), will be required to identify resources and propose the means for achieving the shared vision through a combination of new investment and resource reallocation (synergistic with Goal 5a).
- Graduate Education: (1) Enhance and formalize graduate student recruitment efforts. o Continue to develop and deploy graduate student recruitment strategies and campaigns that use program-specific content, career outcomes data, testimonials, and program distinctives to support recruitment efforts. Develop and implement re-enrollment campaigns and strategies to support student persistence and graduation. o Continue to develop and implement Graduate Enrollment Management (GEM) plans using best practice templates. o Continue to recruit current NIU undergraduates into graduate programs, including those with accelerated degree pathways. Pursue a guaranteed admission program for NIU undergraduates into graduate programs. (2) Update, revise, and implement processes and timelines associated with oversight of academic degree programs to enhance planning and decision-making about the
programs. Provide annual updates to the Board of Trustees on key indicators of program health; starting in 2026, this will be shared early in the fall semester. Shared governance groups will continue to play a key role in process revision and template design (also applies to Goal 3a for UG programs). (3) Support graduate student success by using available resources to maintain strong academic programs that prepare students for success at and beyond NIU. o Continue to review current programs and services to assess their effectiveness in meeting our students’ academic support, writing, research, professional development, mentoring, and career needs. Use actionable data to identify and act on opportunities for improvement. o Continue efforts to create competitive graduate student recruitment offers and compensation packages that reflect reasonable institutional responsibility and that align with program and discipline expectations and benchmarks. Compare NIU stipends, tuition, and fees waivers with those of peers (by discipline), and use actionable data to establish compensation expectations that can be built into budgets over a realistic timeline. o Continue efforts to use data/metrics to guide program investment and resource reallocation, including identifying priority online professional programs for digital marketing campaigns. o Identify and leverage opportunities to lower degree costs by reducing curricular complexity, including course-sharing to meet common requirements. International Education: (1) Review and use global market data, partnership agreements, and international relationships and collaborations established by faculty, staff, and coaches to identify and increase applications from selected international markets. Strategies will be based on strong partnerships, robust engagement opportunities, and effective messaging. (2) Develop and refine strategies to ensure future enrollment among new visa-seekers; build email campaigns to support movement of visa-seekers through enrollment funnel; and increase engagement and support for students forced to defer admission. (3) Increase recruitment of international students who are already in the United States. o Encourage international undergraduate students to consider graduate school as a next step while at NIU. o Leverage partnerships with community colleges, other transfer institutions that enroll international students, and English Language Services (ELS). (4) Conduct a comprehensive review of NIU’s structures, policies, and strategies for supporting international students, faculty, and staff. This review will evaluate recruitment, retention, success, and community-building practices; identify gaps in holistic support services such as academic and career guidance, mental health resources, food and housing security, and expert assistance; and recommend actionable improvements to strengthen policies and organizational structures to meet evolving needs.
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: NIU is dedicated to cultivating a campus community that reflects societal diversity, advances equity and inclusiveness, and fosters an environment where all individuals feel affirmed, regardless of identity, viewpoint, or lived experience. This commitment supports the academic success of students and the career progression of faculty and staff.
Being welcoming of a wide range of worldviews, backgrounds, and experiences creates an intellectually engaging environment that encourages open inquiry and respectful dialogue. Programs and events addressing professional, cultural, and social interests further strengthen belonging, well-being, and positive academic and career outcomes. NIU’s progress in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) has been recognized nationally. In 2025, the university received the HEED (Higher Education Excellence and Distinction) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the fifth consecutive year. For the second time, NIU earned the additional designation of Champion, an honor reserved for institutions that demonstrate unwavering commitment to inclusive excellence across academic programs, campus communities, and leadership. This recognition underscores NIU’s dedication to helping its diverse student population achieve educational goals, build supportive communities, and graduate with the skills and experiences needed to thrive in their careers and lead their communities. NIU is committed to addressing the challenges faced by all our students, including those who are first-generation and/or from low-income backgrounds or marginalized communities. Efforts to this end are coordinated and integrated across the university. Accordingly, the objectives under this goal overlap substantially with those under Goal 2.
- As noted above, NIU is focused on ensuring that all Huskie students have the tools and resources they need to succeed through and beyond degree completion. This priority is captured in university action plans and frameworks, including NIU’s comprehensive student success framework; SEM 3.0’s overarching goal to support access, opportunity, and success for all students; and University Goal 2b. Our approach is data-informed and relies on collaborative leadership from Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and ADEI, as well as participation across the university. In 2026, as part of the overarching effort to reduce organizational barriers to student success, and to expand institutional practices that help students achieve their academic goals, NIU will: (1) Continue efforts to reduce post-secondary attainment gaps for students who are first-generation, Pell-eligible, and/or from marginalized communities, informed by disaggregated data. (2) Advance work in progress to improve low success rates and diminish equity gaps in introductory and prerequisite courses by participating in Illinois SUCCESS, a statewide collective learning and support program designed to help Illinois institutions of higher education improve student retention, persistence/advancement, and completion. (3) Enhance coordination and embedded delivery of services in the Huskie Academic Success Center and the Disability Resource Center to increase student participation; encourage help-seeking behaviors that are strongly correlated with academic and non-academic success; and improve academic outcomes. (4) Continue to implement and scale effective student success initiatives including the Academic Recovery Pilot, First Gen Forward Leaders Program, Mentor Collective, and Huskie 3-2-1. (5) Continue to adopt the Seal of Excelencia framework to align core components of data, practice, and leadership to serve, support, and accelerate the success of Latinx students and all students. (6) Seek resources to support new student success initiatives including the Summer Bridge Program and Huskie First to further strengthen advising, student support, and academic programs. These programs are described in NIU’s FY27 Appropriations Request (Board of Trustees, Finance, Audit, Compliance, Facilities, and Operations Committee Agenda Item 8a, Nov. 13, 2025). (7) Continue to expand inclusive teaching, faculty professional development, and consistent advising and coaching practices across colleges and resource centers. (8) Continue to promote involvement in student organizations, cultural programs, experiential learning, career development activities, and leadership development initiatives, including the Braven partnership. (9) Continue to endorse and offer programs that encourage dialogue across differences, increase empathy and understanding, and facilitate change in our community. NIU’s third Real Talk Conference will be held Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 and feature presenters who share their truths and experiences to enhance intergenerational and cross-cultural understanding and perpetuate social justice through empathy and compassion.
- Regularly assess campus climate to evaluate the responsiveness of programs to evolving needs of campus community and to use results to drive action. (1) Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey: Conduct annual anonymous campus sexual misconduct climate survey (SHARE SURVEY) to assess students’ experiences, outcomes, and perceptions of sexual violence and collegiate culture; and to comply with the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act (110 ILCS 155/35). (2) Viewfinder Climate Survey: The Viewfinder Campus Climate Survey will launch in mid-January. Responses will provide university leadership with actionable insights from members of our community. A summary of results will be shared with the campus along with benchmarking and data dashboards.
- Research, Scholarship, Artistry, and Engagement: NIU’s commitment to academic excellence is bolstered by its impactful and inclusive research, scholarship, artistry, and engagement. We are proud of our identity as a Carnegie doctoral-granting, high-research activity (R2) university; our designation as a Carnegie Community Engagement institution; and our recognition by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University. These acknowledgements reflect the university’s investment in knowledge creation, student experiential learning, and effective community partnership. These activities underpin our active engagement in, and contributions to, the regional workforce and economic ecosystem. To respond effectively to the changing landscape of support at the federal level and flagging public trust in higher education, the knowledge creation and integration led by NIU must have discernible public impact over short- and long-term time frames. NIU is well-positioned for this outcome with an engaged and interdisciplinary faculty supported by multiple divisions working actively to ameliorate barriers to connections, collaboration, and dissemination. In fact, NIU faculty and staff already apply their talents in ways that ensure their work has meaningful, sustainable impact on students, the community, and their disciplines. They want to see their contributions acknowledged and championed more broadly.
The 2026 University Goals further our commitment to a more supportive environment for all scholarly work at NIU, including work that is community-engaged, entrepreneurial, equity-oriented, and transdisciplinary. In addition, they demonstrate our dedication to the concept and practice of sustainability and public impact. Key to achieving our goals is ensuring that the funding model supporting research, artistry, and engagement at NIU is responsive to the complexity of the current environment from inflationary pressures to a shifting external funding landscape. To that end, NIU has launched a Strategic Development Team (SDT) to support campus efforts to diversify funding sources for NIU’s research and creative activities and to develop new avenues for deepening and broadening external partnerships. The SDT has become an umbrella for specific initiatives described below, including the Huskie Frontier Team and the University Task Force on External Relationships.
- As the pace of societal change continues to accelerate, institutions must be collaborative and adaptive to remain effective. NIU strives to meet this mandate by providing creative faculty and staff with resources and infrastructure that supports their efforts to meet tomorrow’s challenges as they pursue today’s opportunities and prepare our students and communities to be thought leaders and problem-solvers. NIU empowers teams made up of faculty, staff, and students with diverse and relevant experiences to think and act creatively. NIU scholars are already leading efforts to respond to environmental change, advance technology, prepare for shifting demographics, and interpret the world around us. They have had great success working with stakeholders across sectors to advance the discovery and application of new knowledge. Still, their impact could be amplified if provided with additional opportunities for capacity-building and more robust infrastructure to support the proposal and execution of complex, externally funded projects. This is particularly important to position NIU for continued success in rapidly advancing research areas identified as national and state priorities such as quantum. The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence across all sectors has shown that the institutions prepared to meet new demands as they arise will remain relevant and help write the next chapter. In this context, the following actions will be pursued in 2026: (1) Be more intentional about communicating effectively to external audiences about research excellence at NIU, including our national recognitions, faculty productivity, public impact, and areas of strength and focus. This is a multiyear goal requiring coordination across multiple areas of the university, including Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications (EMMC), and Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS). During 2026: With guidance from the SDT, RIPS will partner across the institution to develop marketing materials highlighting areas of strength that are of interest to external constituencies. This will include redeveloping the RIPS landing page by broadening its focus to include the public impact of the research conducted on campus. o Working with the Research and Innovation Advisory Council, RIPS will solicit interest, select a project, and support submission of an application to the APLU Public Research Impact Award competition. (2) Expand NIU programming and initiatives designed to help faculty who seek to procure sponsored research funding or develop external partnerships and inter-institutional collaborations. o Continue efforts to refocus the Office of Research Development to be high-touch partners for faculty, with an emphasis on increasing strategic support of grant development by supporting collaborator identification and long-term planning for research/creative activity. o Expand NIU programming designed to directly aid faculty grantsmanship to include presentations on the individual and institutional benefits of optimizing and documenting faculty time allocation to research. (3) Increase the breadth, depth, and effectiveness of NIU internal and external partnerships. o Develop and strengthen partnerships with external networks to increase collaboration opportunities for NIU’s creative, research-active, and externally engaged faculty. Specifically, work to connect faculty with external collaborators who participate in national (for example, FermiForward) and state/regional (for example, Illinois Innovation Network, Chicago Quantum Exchange) networks and initiatives. o Leverage the University Task Force on External Relationships to identify, develop, coordinate, and steward priority external relationships. (4) Move forward in fiscal year 2027 with a thematic cluster hire focused on quantum science, leveraging NIU’s long-standing connections to Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab, and our participation in the FermiForward strategic operations coalition and the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (one of five Department of Energy quantum hubs). As noted under related Goal 3b, collaboration among the provost, the vice president of RIPS, and the deans will be required to develop and execute an actionable hiring plan for this cluster, as well as the endowed health technology positions supported by the Baustert-Bahwell gift.
- NIU is one of only about 350 higher education institutions in the country that has achieved the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. We first achieved this distinction in 2010 and subsequently achieved redesignation in 2020. Last year, after completing a rigorous self-study, NIU applied for continued designation of NIU as a Carnegie Engaged Institution. We anticipate a successful outcome as the result of the work done over the past several years to advance community engagement as a central and essential element of the university’s mission. The official announcement is expected early in 2026, and will provide an opportunity to celebrate the successful conclusion of the action plan that has guided our work for the past three years, “Centering Engagement, Driving Impact (2023-2026),” and introduce a new action plan with updated goals. As noted above, given that the value of higher education is under question, it is critical for NIU to demonstrate our public benefit. Our community engagement activities build trust and restore confidence across our region and beyond because we facilitate collaboration in which all partners contribute and all partners benefit. At this moment, it is important for us and our partners to tell stories about our positive impacts and the value that NIU adds when we join forces with K-12 schools to enhance teaching and learning; unite the expertise and resources of the university and community to address local needs; and bring arts and cultural programming to local audiences. In this context, we will: (1) Be more intentional about communicating effectively to external audiences about engagement at NIU and the university’s contributions to DeKalb, the northern Illinois region, and other communities that we serve. This is a multiyear goal requiring coordination across multiple divisions and departments of the university, including Academic Affairs; EMMC; Outreach, Engagement, and Regional Development (OERD); RIPS; and the Alumni Association, as well as cooperation with external partners such as the DeKalb Area and Illinois Economic Development Corporations, APLU, and Campus Compact. During 2026: o The SDT and Engagement Roundtable will work together to develop and deliver an action plan to university leadership. o OERD will identify and apply for at least two national innovation and engagement awards for NIU. o OERD will publish an annual Impact Report and continue to develop institutional tracking and evaluation mechanisms for community engagement to inform goal-setting and progress evaluation, and demonstrate the collective impact of NIU and its partners to our community and key external audiences. (2) Continue to promote and expand institutionalization of community engagement at NIU by: o Introducing a new three-year engagement action plan (2026-2029) that builds on the accomplishments of “Centering Engagement, Driving Impact Action Plan (2023-2026).” o Doubling the number of approved community-engaged courses at NIU and expanding the number of faculty teaching community-engaged courses. o Creating and delivering innovative and meaningful campuswide professional development opportunities around engagement topics. o Expanding NIU programming designed to help faculty and staff attract support for their outreach and engagement activities, and increasing funding for faculty and student support for community-engaged teaching, learning, research, and artistry.
- At NIU, sustainability is a collaborative effort focused on creating a healthy, sustainable future for campus and the communities and ecosystems that support us. We have committed to integrating sustainability throughout the university, and our campuswide initiatives are the result of partnerships between academic programs, departments, and the Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability (NICCS). In fact, all seven colleges, campus operations, and student services, as well as many student organizations, participate in the initiatives designed to conserve energy and increase the use of renewable energy; reduce food waste and increase opportunities to promote sustainable food systems; and restore degraded natural areas and native habitat. Detailed information on NIU’s long-term sustainability objectives can be found in our 2024 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. As a result of the university’s commitments to both environmental and fiscal sustainability, NIU will continue to prioritize initiatives with the potential to lead to new revenue or reduce operating expenses over time. In that context, the 2026 University Goals strengthen our culture of sustainability by continuing or adding value to work in progress: (1) NIU will continue to leverage multidimensional partnerships that support our sustainability goals, including the collaborations with Trane Technologies to implement a comprehensive energy-savings and carbon-emissions reduction program; Common Energy to support community solar; Atlas Zero Waste to improve waste reduction strategy; and Morton Arboretum to establish strong urban forestry efforts. (2) The NIU Foundation will continue to promote campus sustainability as a marquee project in Forward: The Campaign for NIU to increase support for the faculty, staff, and students working together to build stronger communities by addressing critical societal challenges related to food systems innovation, water resources security and quality, environmental adaptation, and energy. (3) NIU’s director of Campus Sustainability will design and launch a Sustainability Leadership Program aimed at faculty, staff, and students who want to learn about sustainability, strengthen leadership capabilities, and implement initiatives in their areas of influence (synergistic with Goal 1b). (4) NIU’s Chief Strategy Officer will lead efforts to develop and implement a coordinated plan to combat student food insecurity in conjunction with Campus Dining, the Huskie Food Pantry, Edible Campus, Huskie Harvest, and the NIU Foundation (synergistic with Goal 2c).
- Resource Development and Fiscal Responsibility: In the face of our uncertain operating environment and substantial fiscal constraints, NIU remains committed to budgets that are academically responsive and fiscally responsible; that reflect our dedication to being student-centric; that demonstrate an ongoing investment in our faculty and staff; and that align with our mission, vision, and values. While we continue to advocate to the State of Illinois for adequate, equitable, and sustainable state support of NIU, we cannot depend on our state appropriation increasing or even remaining flat. In this context, the university community is working diligently to achieve a balanced fiscal year 2026 budget because a balanced budget is key to restoring financial stability and rebuilding cash reserves. The university will continue to update the Board of Trustees over the course of fiscal year 2026 through quarterly budget updates and regular, meaningful dialogue about our progress toward achieving these fiscal imperatives. NIU has also improved the strategic budget process for fiscal year 2027 to allow divisions more time to align resources with institutional priorities and position NIU for long-term sustainability.
- At NIU, sustainability is a collaborative effort focused on creating a healthy, sustainable future for campus and the communities and ecosystems that support us. We have committed to integrating sustainability throughout the university, and our campuswide initiatives are the result of partnerships between academic programs, departments, and NICCS. In fact, all seven colleges, campus operations, and student services, as well as many student organizations, participate in the initiatives designed to conserve energy and increase the use of renewable energy; reduce food waste and increase opportunities to promote sustainable food systems; and restore degraded natural areas and native habitat. Detailed information on NIU’s long-term sustainability objectives can be found in our 2024 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. As a result of the university’s commitments to both environmental and fiscal sustainability, NIU will continue to prioritize initiatives with the potential to lead to new revenue or reduce operating expenses over time. In that context, the 2026 University Goals strengthen our culture of sustainability by continuing or adding value to work in progress: (1) NIU will continue to leverage multidimensional partnerships that support our sustainability goals, including the collaborations with Trane Technologies to implement a comprehensive energy-savings and carbon-emissions reduction program; Common Energy to support community solar; Atlas Zero Waste to improve waste reduction strategy; and Morton Arboretum to establish strong urban forestry efforts. (2) The NIU Foundation will continue to promote campus sustainability as a marquee project in Forward: The Campaign for NIU to increase support for the faculty, staff, and students working together to build stronger communities by addressing critical societal challenges related to food systems innovation, water resources security and quality, environmental adaptation, and energy. (3) NIU’s director of Campus Sustainability will design and launch a Sustainability Leadership Program aimed at faculty, staff, and students who want to learn about sustainability, strengthen leadership capabilities, and implement initiatives in their areas of influence (synergistic with Goal 1b). (4) NIU’s Chief Strategy Officer will lead efforts to develop and implement a coordinated plan to combat student food insecurity in conjunction with Campus Dining, the Huskie Food Pantry, Edible Campus, Huskie Harvest, and the NIU Foundation (synergistic with Goal 2c).
- With respect to facilities, NIU will continue to: (1) Advocate for state funding and action to advance the capital project and capital renewal priorities established by the university’s capital planning group and articulated in the FY27 IBHE Capital Budget Request approved by the Board of Trustees. Accordingly, the university will work with the Capital Development Board to maintain current project timelines for the active projects, NICCS (occupancy in 2028) and BBHTC (occupancy early in 2029). (2) Generate revenue and/or reduce expenses by streamlining and maximizing facilities usage, continuing to shrink the university’s physical footprint and implement the NIU-Trane Energy Savings Agreement. (3) Seek philanthropic funding to support capital improvement and new construction projects aligned with the university’s strategic priorities and the commitments of Forward: The Campaign for NIU. Examples include updates to classrooms, laboratories, and collaboration spaces; acquisition of state-of-the art technology to support teaching, learning, research, and artistry; and construction of the Center for Greek Life (synergistic with Goal 6c). With respect to technology, NIU will: (1) Operationalize a campus-wide device refresh program providing current computing equipment in a fair, equitable, and sustainable way (multiyear goal). (2) Develop and implement a new sustainable classroom technology refresh program to enhance all classroom infrastructure in support of teaching and learning at NIU (multiyear goal). (3) Continue to implement an IT shared services model across NIU to improve and enhance processes, career opportunities, and service reliability across NIU (synergistic with Goal 6a). (4) Play a leadership role in statewide conversations about collaborating across Illinois public universities to implement process improvement, modernize university ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, and become more efficient and effective at meeting the needs of students, faculty, staff, and institutions.
- NIU and the NIU Foundation will: (1) Continue to advance FORWARD, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in our history. Our multiyear goal is to raise $300 million by 2030 to propel student success, faculty excellence, and community impact. Details about campaign priorities and progress are available on the campaign’s homepage. (2) Identify and implement new programs and technologies that foster alumni and donor social connections through shared interests, drawing on documented successes at other colleges and universities to enhance efforts at NIU. In this context, we will create enhanced opportunities to engage donors and alumni during athletic conference realignment and consider implementing new platforms and apps that help to connect Huskies.
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Public Accountability Report
