1. Kansas State University
  2. »Division of Communications and Marketing
  3. »K-State Today
  4. »K-State 2025 Refresh: The Path Forward

K-State Today

February 6, 2020

K-State 2025 Refresh: The Path Forward

Submitted by Richard Myers and Chuck Taber

Dear faculty, staff and students, 

A key goal of the K-State 2025 Refresh initiative launched in September was to re-engage the K-State community in university strategic planning as we prepare to adjust our 2025 visionary plan. Today we want to share with you where we are with the Refresh effort and what's next. 

After we shared a proposed new visionary goal and visionary statement, more than 180 K-Staters responded to an online survey with feedback and suggestions about vision, values and university metrics. Hundreds of faculty and staff also participated in one of the 2025 fall college/major unit visits. The format and purpose of the visits were a bit different this year with a theme of "Adjusting our Roadmap to 2025." In addition to hearing from our deans and vice presidents about their K-State 2025 progress over the past year, we held interactive planning sessions. We hoped to hear robust discussions about our values as a land-grant institution and key priorities for the remaining years of our 2025 strategic plan.  

We found these meetings to be valuable and reaffirming — the energy in the room, the thoughtfulness of the faculty and staff in considering values, and the commitment to adapting the plan in response to evolving student needs and a changed university and higher education environment. We were both inspired by the innovative and creative thinking we heard from many of you during these visits. 

The survey feedback as well as the notes from the college/major unit visits are compiled in a report now available on the 2025 website. The report includes ideas, suggestions, and comments regarding values, vision, university metrics, and top priorities and strategic initiatives for the new plan. A new survey is also available until March 30 to collect additional ideas on strategic initiatives and priorities. We invite you to read the report and share any additional suggestions. All the data will then be considered when drafting the updated plan.  

Earlier this week we provided an update on the formation and work of the strategic initiative planning groups focused on innovation in education; global food, health and biosecurity; and the cyber land-grant university. We will also be forming a group focused on aviation later this year as one of our strategic areas of focus. There will be opportunities for feedback and dialogue about the work of these groups later this spring. We look forward to continued conversation about these initiatives as well as strategic enrollment management, budget modernization and other strategic initiatives that may be identified in the coming months. 

As we engage across the K-State community in thinking about where we need to go by 2025 and beyond, it has become clear that we need to extend our K-State 2025 Refresh milestones and timeline. We want to be able to consider the data from the new survey, the work of the planning groups, and the results of the climate survey announced this week.

Additionally, the university has engaged a brand consultant, BVK, to provide recommendations for a brand vision for the university. As part of their work, they engaged with K-Staters, both individually and in focus groups, about our values as a land-grant institution. We will receive their recommendations in the coming weeks and their insights can further inform our K-State 2025 work.

It is important that there is sufficient time to craft the adjusted plan, allow opportunity for comment, and recognize and celebrate the progress of the first 10 years of 2025 as we transition to a refreshed and re-energized plan. To that end, we have adjusted the K-State 2025 Refresh phases and timeline through next fall. You can find the details on the 2025 website.

The K-State 2025 plan's roadmap is as much about the journey as the destination. We want to thank the many members of the K-State community who are working together to shape K-State now and into the future. 

Sincerely,

Richard B. Myers
President

Chuck Taber
Provost and Executive Vice President