Preamble and Acknowledgments

Since 1874 the University of Wisconsin-River Falls has provided educational opportunities for students, sustained by a faculty and staff dedicated to teaching, mentoring, and engagement.
For the state, region, and beyond, UW-River Falls has always demonstrated its commitment to access and quality in higher education.

Like our fellow University of Wisconsin System institutions, UW-River Falls is challenged by what is expected to be a continuing trend of declining state support, increased reliance on student tuition and fees, and increased competition within the higher education marketplace. The combination of these factors will drive the University to assure that we provide distinctive opportunities and exceptional value to our students. The University will work to assure that it can thrive in this evolving external environment.

As a result the University must and will be more focused, intentional, and entrepreneurial. In these ways, we will reward performance and intentionally support and strategically grow our student populations-in concert with the University of Wisconsin's System's Growth Agenda-and seek ways to assure the University's fiscal stability. Additionally, the University will remain a valued member of the University of Wisconsin System and as a result will continue to integrate with the system initiatives and policies that guide some of the University's work, including our collective commitment to Inclusive Excellence and campus commitment to sustainability. However, as a member of the University of Wisconsin System, the University must be bolder in defining our distinctive opportunities and niches and focused on sustaining a vibrant community of scholars and learners.

The environmental context for our work as public university calls for a strategic plan, consonant with our Mission, Vision, and Values, that is not "all things to all people." Our core values will be embedded in our decision-making and actions, and we will focus on a select set of priorities to be collectively pursued with commitment and vigor. These goals will produce measurable outcomes and garner state and national recognition for UW-River Falls as a public university that has kept true to its commitment to student learning, while pursuing and achieving a bold and distinctive path that sets it apart.