Current Plan

NC State students will acquire specific knowledge, skills and experiences — as well as the necessary values and dispositions — to not only excel professionally, but also to be leaders in advancing a productive and civil society. As a forward-thinking institution dedicated to excellence in teaching, we will be a leader in teaching and the digital transformation of higher education, delivering value to our students and ensuring the resiliency of our institution. Our faculty and staff will empower students to be entrepreneurial, independent and inclusive thinkers, strong in their disciplines and experienced in interdisciplinary collaboration, prepared to contribute impactfully in a diverse, global society. As they progress through their careers, NC State will provide relevant lifelong learning opportunities to assist in their personal and professional development to ensure they are not only NC State alumni, but also NC State students for a lifetime.

NC State’s community of researchers and scholars — infused with our unique combination of innovation and collaboration, and steeped in a tradition of deep thought and practical application — is a key strategic advantage. We are strongly committed to our disciplines and equally dedicated to working across traditional disciplinary boundaries. We will devote attention and resources to developing and leveraging our spheres of excellence to enable maximum impact as we expand and enhance our excellence to address societal need for the public good. We will focus on the critical institutional support required to advance operational excellence in our internal assessments, processes, infrastructure and procedures to most effectively support NC State researchers and scholars in advancing the university’s mission. With continued commitment to research, scholarship, innovation and collaboration, NC State will respond to — and provide solutions for — the world’s greatest problems, ensuring its continued place as a preeminent research institution.

Founded as a land-grant university with a mission of teaching, research and service, NC State has impacted countless individuals and communities since its inception in 1887. NC State’s service mission has expanded beyond our traditional roots in agriculture and industrial extension to touch a variety of disciplines, from education to business to global health. We are committed to advancing our engagement with and service to the people of North Carolina by delivering broader, tangible impacts that improve people’s lives every day. We will continue to collaborate with community partners to address the social, economic and environmental challenges facing our state, nation and world.

NC State’s strength comes from all of its amazing people and their diversity of thought and experience. We believe that institutionalized inequality, including racism, is unacceptable in our nation and state, and on campus. We commit to creating sustainable systemic change across the university that improves our campus culture and empowers NC State to be a truly inclusive, welcoming and supportive environment for all. Therefore, as an institution, we must ensure an equitable, accessible and welcoming environment so all members of the Wolfpack community — especially those in underserved populations — feel respected, valued and a sense of belonging in every corner of campus. We will work to ensure diverse perspectives are embraced at all levels, in all processes and through all decisions. We will work to promote the health and well-being of our campus community. We seek to invest our minds and hearts at the individual level, and our capacity and resources at the institutional level, to bring about and sustain needed change in a way that champions equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and well-being at NC State.

NC State strives to exceed best practices through customer service, employee engagement and resource management using collaborative processes that leverage data and technology. We will pursue emerging technologies that connect and empower our campus community. We will be agile and flexible in adapting to change and the evolving needs of our students, faculty and staff. NC State commits to utilizing actionable intelligence to engage in more strategically focused planning and decision-making activities that benefit our students, staff, faculty, partners and the broader community. We will attain greater efficiency and effectiveness to ensure the resiliency of our institution.

At NC State, we recognize that many of society’s toughest problems can only be solved through powerful multidisciplinary partnerships and an entrepreneurial approach. Our partnerships are numerous and varied, including partners in the academic, industry, government, community and nonprofit sectors. These partnerships are seen right here on campus, as well as across the state and around the world. We will remove barriers and achieve success through an ongoing commitment to innovative partnerships that bring together the brightest minds in industry, government, community and the academy to creatively tackle the great global challenges. Through innovative partnerships, academics, and co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities, we will continue to fuel and elevate NC State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

NC State has the opportunity to greatly amplify awareness of our strong brand and elevate our reputation to help achieve strategic goals and advance the university to unprecedented levels of success. To that end, we will establish and continuously promote an inclusive campuswide culture of teamwork, intentionality and awareness regarding strategies and tactics for enhancing our brand and reputation. We commit to leading and supporting universitywide systems and efforts that elevate regional, national and international awareness and impact of NC State’s differentiators, competitive advantages and broad excellence. We will empower the campus community and key partners to be impactful brand champions. We will position NC State as a national and international leader in key areas of strength and opportunity that will continually advance the brand and reputation of the university and help achieve the goals of the strategic plan.