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Strategic Plan

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Soaring to New Heights: Vision 2030

The new strategic plan is designed to guide NCCU's progress over the next five years, focusing on key areas that will enhance the university's impact and ensure its continued success.

Introduction

North Carolina Central University (NCCU) is embarking on a transformative journey with the development of its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan. Building upon a legacy of excellence in teaching, research, and service, NCCU is committed to charting a path toward becoming a premier institution that meets the evolving needs of its community and the broader society.

The new strategic plan is designed to guide NCCU's progress over the next five years, focusing on key areas that will enhance the university's impact and ensure its continued success.

Letter from the Chancellor

It is with great EAGLE PRIDE and boundless optimism that I introduce North Carolina Central University’s new strategic plan: Soaring to New Heights: Vision 2030.

This bold plan is more than a roadmap, it reflects our shared aspirations and unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and impact. Shaped by months of input from students, faculty, staff, alumni, industry leaders, and community partners, it embodies the collective vision and values of the NCCU family and the community we serve.

Rooted in our proud legacy and focused on our future, Vision 2030 positions NCCU to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Our mission remains unwavering: to prepare global leaders and practitioners who uplift and empower communities. Our vision is bold: to be a globally recognized catalyst for academic excellence, research innovation, and community impact.

Vision 2030 has five strategic pillars that guide our path to the future:

  1. Academic Excellence
  2. Student Experience
  3. Institutional Sustainability
  4. Operational Excellence
  5. Transformational Engagement

Each pillar is designed to strengthen our foundation and elevate our impact, ensuring that NCCU continues to serve as a beacon of opportunity and a model of success.

As we embark on this exciting new chapter, I invite each of you to see yourselves in this plan. Whether through your scholarship, service, leadership, or fundraising, you play a vital role in shaping the future of NCCU. Let us move forward with unity, determination, and a shared belief that our best days are still to come.

Thank you for your continued dedication to North Carolina Central University. Together, we are soaring to new heights.

In Truth and Service,
Dr. Karrie G. Dixon Chancellor

North Carolina Central University is Soaring to New Heights: Vision 2030!

In this video, Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon introduces NCCU’s bold new strategic plan—designed to elevate student success, empower our community, and lead the university into a dynamic new era. This is more than a plan—it’s a call to action for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters to help shape the future of NCCU. This is Where Purpose Takes Flight.

Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission

North Carolina Central University, with a strong tradition of teaching, research, and service, prepares students to become global leaders and practitioners who transform communities.

Vision

North Carolina Central University aspires to be a globally renowned catalyst for excellence and innovation in academics, research, and engagement.

Values

  • Excellence: We are committed to providing a high-quality education that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning. Our dedication to academic excellence ensures that our students are well-prepared to meet the challenges of a dynamic and interconnected world.
  • Impact: We believe in the power of service and community engagement to make an impact. By actively engaging with local, national, and global communities, we strive to make a positive impact and address workforce and societal needs through collaborative efforts and partnerships.
  • Opportunity: We are dedicated to providing opportunities related to education and resources for all students. By creating a welcoming and engaging learning environment, we ensure that every student has the support needed to succeed and thrive.
  • Innovation: We are dedicated to advancing knowledge through innovative research and creative endeavors. By fostering a culture of inquiry and discovery, we aim to contribute to the betterment of society and the development of solutions to complex problems.

Goals and Objectives

Goal #1

Academic Excellence:
Enhance teaching, research, and community engagement.

Position North Carolina Central University as a nationally recognized leader in academic innovation, excellence, and student success by expanding high-quality programs aligned with emerging industries, modernizing academic infrastructure and technology elevating faculty and student achievement, and advancing research and scholarship to achieve Carnegie Research 2 (R2) status.

Objectives for Goal #1

  1. Create new degree pathways aligned with emerging market and societal needs, including AI, cybersecurity, and public health.
  2. Invest in research centers, competitive grant funding, and doctoral programs while strengthening faculty development and research administration to achieve Carnegie Research 2 (R2) classification.
  3. Foster a culture of academic excellence by recruiting, supporting, and retaining exceptional faculty who advance the university’s mission through innovative teaching, impactful research, and meaningful community engagement.
  4. Expand community engagement models, including service learning and project-based coursework.
  5. Develop an infrastructure to achieve the objectives set forth in the UNC System Performance Metrics including Four-Year Graduation Rate, Undergraduate Degree Efficiency, First-Year Debt, Transfer Debt, Average Earned Credits Per Year, Education Expenses Per Degree and Military Affiliated Enrollment.
  6. Establish an academic technology infrastructure that promotes faculty excellence and enhances student success.
  7. Strengthen and expand articulation and workforce development partnerships with community colleges.
  8. Position NCCU School of Law as a leader in legal education, scholarship, and public service by enhancing academic programs, faculty excellence, and student outcomes.

Goal #2

Student Experience:
Promote student success, satisfaction, and well-being.

Cultivate a transformational student experience that prioritizes holistic development, belonging, wellness, and workforce readiness, ensuring that all students graduate prepared to thrive in a global economy and civic society.

Objectives for Goal #2

  1. Prioritize the enhancement of housing, athletics, recreational, instructional and research facilities.
  2. Expand academic advising, financial aid support, mental health, and wellness services.
  3. Develop robust career preparation pathways that align academic and student programming with evolving workforce needs.
  4. Increase student participation in global experiences, preparing students to lead in an interconnected world.
  5. Enhance student development by cultivating essential life skills and promoting a culture of social responsibility to prepare graduates for personal and professional success beyond the university.
  6. Design flexible learning spaces, including adaptive classrooms and hybrid learning environments, to support online education and evolving student needs.
  7. Enhance accessibility and programmatic opportunities for students with unique needs.
  8. Strengthen the academic success, personal development and well-being of student-athletes.

Goal #3

Institutional Sustainability:
Ensure financial strength and resource optimization.

Advance strategic, sustainable institutional growth and financial strength by expanding enrollment, modernizing infrastructure, optimizing resources, and enhancing philanthropic partnerships and community engagement.

Objectives for Goal #3

  1. Strengthen financial stewardship, accountability and transparency.
  2. Grow targeted enrollment areas (adult learners, military-affiliated and graduate students) by expanding online access and support, aligning recruitment and academic programs with market demand.
  3. Increase student retention, persistence and graduation through data-informed academic support and targeted engagement strategies.
  4. Unify university advancement under a single model integrating philanthropy, research and corporate partnerships for optimal impact and return.
  5. Strengthen alumni connections and engagement fostering lifelong loyalty to NCCU.
  6. Establish shared fundraising goals and messaging with Athletics that leverages athletic achievements for philanthropic opportunities.
  7. Expand merit- and need-based scholarships to enhance student recruitment, retention and graduation.

Goal #4

Operational Excellence:
Improve efficiency and effectiveness in operations.

Achieve operational excellence by optimizing people, processes, technology and facilities to create a high-performing, accountable, and service-oriented institution.

Objectives for #4

  1. Enhance performance and support internal growth opportunities for faculty and staff through investments in professional development.
  2. Develop a performance-based accountability framework across divisions.
  3. Create a succession planning process to maintain optimal production across campus.
  4. Use data-driven decision-making to assess technology, facility and operations, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities.
  5. Strengthen risk management practices.
  6. Invest in competitive compensation structures to retain and attract talent.
  7. Attract, develop, and retain a high-performing faculty and staff by fostering a culture of excellence, teamwork, and continuous growth, in alignment with the university’s mission and strategic goals.
  8. Enhance campus safety through proactive prevention, emergency response, and collaborative community engagement to ensure a safe campus environment.

Goal #5

Transformational Engagement:
Expand NCCU's role as a catalyst of innovation and development.

Strengthen NCCU’s impact as a driver of economic development by aligning academic, research, and community engagement efforts with Durham, the Research Triangle, North Carolina, the nation, and the world.

Objectives for #5

  1. Enhance branding and marketing showcasing NCCU’s legacy and impact.
  2. Strengthen the athletic program to achieve sustained Division I competitiveness and national recognition in performance, excellence, and engagement.
  3. Deepen strategic partnerships with Research Triangle corporations and organizations to develop industry-driven innovation.
  4. Strengthen relationships with local community and grassroots organizations to address common interests, including small business support and expansion of entrepreneurship efforts.
  5. Enhance external engagement by fostering sustained partnerships with industry, government, and community organizations to co-create solutions, expand applied research, and accelerate economic and social development.