Igniting excellence and enhancing communities through life-changing experiences.

Valdosta State University’s Strategic Plan 2027 focuses the institution’s people, resources, and talents on our highest priorities. By working together to promote a culture of excellence that has come to define this university, we will foster student success in and out of the classroom, cultivate an inclusive environment, impact South Georgia, and sustain our institution for generations to come.

 

Goal 1 – Foster Student Success

VSU will help students succeed in life by continuing to prioritize retention and degree completion and expanding experiential opportunities and career focus.

VSU will stabilize and then increase student retention, progression, and graduation rates.

VSU will strengthen the student academic experience.

VSU will enhance student mental health and well-being support services.

VSU will maximize the return on investment of its recruiting and marketing efforts.

VSU will enhance student engagement.

Goal 2 – Cultivate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

VSU will be an inclusive community where differences are respected and embraced, understanding is sought, and all have equitable access to opportunities.

VSU will ensure that staffing better supports the institution’s ongoing DEI work and the success of all learners who enroll at the university.

VSU will identify a clear set of DEI priorities.

Goal 3 - Impact Regional Progress

VSU will solidify our role as South Georgia’s flagship institution and improve the communities we serve by expanding career readiness, applied research, entrepreneurship, and regional engagement.

VSU will make the Center for South Georgia Regional Impact the preferred partner in South Georgia for economic and community development, research, analysis, planning, and training.

VSU will be known for having a best-in-class comprehensive model of experiential preparation embedded throughout a student’s experience that maximizes the career readiness of our graduates.

VSU will prepare local communities to better address the region’s workforce shortage.

VSU will positively enhance the university’s brand and increase tourism in the region by fully leveraging the designation of Peach State Summer Theatre as Georgia’s Official Music Theatre.

Goal 4 – Sustain Institutional Strength

VSU will manage its resources efficiently and responsibly, making informed decisions and investments that ensure long-term organizational strength.

VSU will increase our focus on and investment in the health, wellbeing, and careers of faculty and staff.

VSU will make the Online College for Career Advancement a free-standing virtual campus focused on adult learners seeking an alternative educational experience (separate from the traditional VSU experience that will continue to focus on traditional learners in traditional degree programs).

VSU will mitigate existing fee-funded project debt.

VSU will initiate a major gifts campaign to support student scholarships, institutional areas most impacted by declines in student fee revenue, and Center for South Georgia Regional Impact operations.

VSU will reach and attract more new students in traditional degree programs.

VSU will increase graduate enrollment by 15%.