Our strategic imperatives

Our colleges, units, departments and affiliates will also set goals and metrics more targeted to their respective environments but that connect with and help to advance our university vision, goals and future starting with the following strategic imperatives and goals. More detailed targets for each of these strategic imperatives are included later in this plan as our strategic plan measures of success.

These goals and metrics will guide the priorities and strategies contained in this plan, along with the actions we undertake to achieve them, the investments we prioritize as a university, the type of workforce we will need and how we most effectively and strategically use our resources. We will be intentional about re-envisioning the underlying structures that support our work and enable our future — recognizing that, to serve new types of learners and grow our impact to even greater heights, we must think and operate differently than we ever have before.

The next-generation land-grant university is measured by outcomes — not only by what it produces internally, but by the difference it makes in the lives of the people and communities it serves. As we move together toward that standard, we must steadfastly measure our success, recognize our accomplishments, and monitor and report our progress in ways that are visible beyond metrics, charts and graphics — outcomes that communities can experience and feel. This starts with an institutional commitment to holding ourselves accountable to this plan and building a sustainable framework that extends this mindset across K-State.

The strategic imperatives outlined in this plan serve as the foundation for this commitment and what we must do at the highest level to achieve our vision. The following includes specific goals and targets that will inform how we achieve these strategic imperatives. In some instances, we must first establish a baseline upon which we can then track our progress. In others, our focus is on positive, directional progress from year to year – targets that will likely become more precise as we establish and better understand underlying data and trends. We will review our progress toward these goals along with our broader strategic plan each year, considering unanticipated challenges or unexpected opportunities that have arisen throughout the year and adjusting accordingly.

These key metrics will be important measures, but not the only measures, of our success. Additional university metrics to track progress toward each strategic imperative, theme area and strategic priority will be identified and utilized for internal tracking, reporting, and ongoing decision making as we implement our plan. Colleges, departments, units, affiliates, task forces and others will also develop their own plans that support these university-level targets with corresponding activities, outcomes and metrics – recognizing that we all have an important role to play in moving K-State forward and achieving our vision together.

We will also work to ensure this plan and related measures of success support and reinforce the goals the Kansas Board of Regents has established to measure and guide the success of higher education across the state – recognizing the progress we make as an institution will have even greater impact on the prosperity of Kansas through our continued alignment and partnership.