2025-2029
Strategic plan
MISSION
To educate people to lead responsible lives by means of a curriculum grounded in liberal arts learning and complemented and extended by professional and practical experience. Through the total academic and co-curricular experience, Rockford University strives to prepare students for fulfilling lives, careers, and participation in a modern and changing global society.
VISION
The University emphasizes excellence in teaching, and has a strong commitment to scholarly activity, creative expression and community service. The educational program is characterized by a concern for the needs of all students, and reflects the basic human rights and responsibilities of a democratic society.
ANNUAL REVIEW AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Each year, Rockford University will conduct a comprehensive review of the strategic initiatives, measuring progress through key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with the institutional goals. This “Year in Review” will provide transparent insights into the university’s achievements, challenges, and areas for growth. Rockford University will also evaluate existing initiatives for effectiveness, considering necessary improvements and potential adjustments. By incorporating feedback from stakeholders and analyzing performance data, it will ensure that the strategies remain relevant and responsive to both internal and external changes, driving continuous improvement and institutional success.
This strategic plan outlines a five-year framework spanning fiscal years 2025 through 2029, aligning with the academic years 2024–2025 through 2028–2029. This timeline ensures a structured approach to achieving institutional goals, with initiatives and benchmarks set for each year within this period.
ROCKFORD UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2029
Revenue Growth
Rockford University will drive sustainable revenue growth by enhancing enrollment, increasing philanthropic contributions, and expanding alternative revenue streams. This will be achieved through strategic recruitment efforts, the development of innovative programs, the cultivation of strong donor and grant relationships, and the diversification of revenue sources. This approach will generate positive net revenue, enabling the University to eliminate annual budget deficits through strategic growth rather than cost reductions.
NEW ENROLLMENT
Strategic Goal
Expand student enrollment by strengthening recruitment efforts, diversifying academic offerings, and fostering new partnerships.
Initiative
Develop and Expand Academic and NonTraditional Programs
Strengthen Community College Partnerships and Transfer Opportunities
Expand Athletic and Esports Recruitment Through New Opportunities
Develop new undergraduate and graduate programs, grow RU Online with non-credit and non-traditional offerings, and launch in-demand academic programing to attract more students.
KPI Achieve a yearly 5% increase in new enrollment across undergraduate, graduate, and online programs over the next five years and a total full-time equivalent of 1,500 students.
Grow Educational Partnerships with Schools Districts and Local Programs
Increase Graduate Enrollment via Alumni and Undergraduate Recruitment
Reduce Melt & Implement an Annual Internal Process Review
Enhance 2+2 agreements, establish new partnerships, increase visibility through targeted marketing, and create articulation agreements with new MOUs to improve transfer recruitment.
Explore and introduce new club sports (e.g., Women’s Flag Football) to boost recruitment and strengthen collaboration between Admissions, Athletics, and Esports while additional exploring NAIA transition opportunities.
Expand teacher education pipelines (e.g., Urban Ed), financial aid programs (e.g., Rockford Promise, Pathways), and direct admission agreements to strengthen school district collaborations.
Offer alumni tuition discounts and actively recruit undergraduate seniors to increase graduate program enrollment.
Lower melt rates year-over-year. Description
Reduce student melt by improving coordination between Enrollment Management, Student Life and Academics, and enhancing internal processes.
Increased enrollment through new programs, RU Online expansion, and successful new program launches.
Growth in transfer enrollment, greater community college presence, and at least one new agreement per year.
Successful club or NCAA sport launches, expanded recruitment efforts, and increased Athletics and Esports enrollment.
Increased enrollment and cohort development from school partnerships, expanded financial aid support, and direct admission agreements.
Increased enrollment of alumni in graduate programs and more undergraduate seniors transitioning into graduate programs.
DONORS & GRANTS
Strategic Goal Cultivate a robust pipeline of donors and grant opportunities to ensure consistent philanthropic growth and external funding.
Initiative
Year-Over-Year Growth in Philanthropic Contributions
Ensure consistent growth in annual fund revenues and donor pipeline development.
KPI Increase annual individual, corporate, and foundation gifts by 2% year-over-year, with a 1% increase in grant funding submissions annually.
Increase Grant Applications and Revenue
Encourage more grant applications from faculty and administration, while boosting revenue and tracking.
ALTERNATE REVENUE
Strategic Goal Diversify and increase revenue from non-traditional sources by enhancing facility use and expanding external educational partnerships.
Initiative
Increased Revenue from Facility Rentals
Grow facility rental revenue by hosting more external events.
Expand and Strengthen External Partnerships for Educational and Professional Programming
Collaborate with external organizations, businesses, and content providers to offer educational and professional development programs.
Consistent year-over-year growth in annual fund revenue and donor pipeline.
Increased grant applications and revenue year-over-year, with clear tracking procedures.
KPI Increase revenue from facility rentals by 5% each fiscal year and secure at least 6 new external partnerships for educational programming by 2029.
Year-over-year revenue growth from increased external event hosting.
Meeting CPEL targets, increased professional development partnerships, and expanded programming with external experts.
Physical Plant
Rockford University will modernize and sustain its campus facilities to create a safe, accessible, and innovative learning environment. Through strategic upgrades to academic buildings, residence halls, athletic facilities, and infrastructure, Rockford University will prioritize proactive maintenance, advanced technologies, and operational efficiency to enhance accessibility, support student success, and ensure long-term growth. This comprehensive approach strengthens the campus environment and supports the university’s mission and sustainability.
DEFERRED MAINTENANCE
Strategic Goal: Proactively address deferred maintenance by implementing a comprehensive maintenance and repair plan that ensures timely upgrades to critical systems, enhances operational efficiency, and extends the life of campus facilities.
Initiative
Preventative Maintenance and Routine Repairs
Comprehensive Residence Hall Upgrades
Description
Implement a proactive maintenance program for facilities, IT, and operations, ensuring timely repairs and replacements through designated budgets and work order systems.
Upgrade residence halls with improved ADA accessibility, new facades, windows, doors, roofs, restrooms, and HVAC systems.
KPI: Maintain a yearly CAPEX budget equal to 4.5% of total university expenses, allowing it to grow with enrollment and support evolving institutional needs.
Departments
Facilities
Team
Information
Facilities
Authorized Vendors
Comprehensive Admin & Academic Building Upgrades
Upgrade administrative and academic buildings with enhanced ADA accessibility, new HVAC systems, roofs, facades, and modernized spaces.
Comprehensive Campus Infrastructure and Safety Upgrades
Upgrade campus exterior lighting, parking facilities, sidewalks, steps, landscaping and security cameras for better safety and sustainability.
Facilities
Facilities Authorized Vendors
Authorized Vendors
Public Safety
(IT)
Success Measurement
Preventative maintenance schedules followed and efficient completion of routine repairs.
Residence halls modernized with better accessibility, infrastructure, and living spaces.
Administrative and academic buildings updated for improved accessibility and modernized spaces.
Improved campus safety, accessibility, sustainability, and infrastructure.
IT INFRASTRUCTURE
Strategic Goal: Modernize and expand the campus IT infrastructure to ensure reliable, secure, and scalable technology solutions that support academic and administrative activities.
Initiative
Campus-Wide Wireless Network Upgrades
ERP Replacement / Migration
Cybersecurity and Technology Upgrades
Upgrade wireless networks across academic buildings and residence halls to enhance connectivity, coverage, and performance.
Migrate student information system, financial management, and financial aid to Colleague for improved efficiency, data management, and user experience.
KPI: Migrate student information systems to Ellucian Colleague and meet all monthly implementation deadlines per the Ellucian Milestone Timeline by fiscal year 2027, and continue scheduled campus upgrades through 2029.
Enhance campus cybersecurity infrastructure and upgrade technology for academic programs (e.g., cybersecurity and game design in Starr 108C and 130)
Campus Network and Infrastructure Upgrades
CAPITAL
Upgrade core network switch, expand fiber network, enhance datacenter power redundancy, and implement cloud-managed storage.
Strategic Goal: Drive the completion of key capital projects aimed at enhancing campus facilities, improving accessibility, and providing a state-of-the-art environment for students, faculty, and staff.
Initiative
Annual Capital Expense
Project Request Process
Athletic Facility and Sound System Upgrades
Improved wireless connectivity, performance, and stability across campus.
Successful migration to Colleague systems, streamlining operations and improving functionality.
Strengthened campus cybersecurity protection and improved technology for academic programs.
Improved network infrastructure, connectivity, and data storage/ power reliability and infrastructure.
KPI: Complete at least 80% of designated CAPEX projects annually, recognizing external factors while ensuring progress in CAPEX spending and deferred maintenance.
Process capital expense requests each spring to prioritize projects based on their impact on retention and enrollment.
Upgrade sound systems for athletic events and enhance fields with new turf, stands, scoreboards, and press boxes for football, softball, baseball, and soccer.
Annual project prioritization, approval, and completions.
Improved sound quality at athletic events, upgraded fields, and completion of fundraising goals.
Talent Development
Rockford University will develop and sustain a high-performing workforce by attracting top talent, fostering employee engagement and retention, and ensuring competitive and equitable compensation aligned with institutional goals. A strong talent development strategy enhances institutional stability, strengthens employee engagement, and supports the university’s long-term growth and academic excellence.
ATTRACT
Strategic Goal: Attract and hire highly qualified, mission-aligned talent to support Rockford University’s academic excellence, student success, and long-term institutional goals.
Initiative
Evaluate Talent Attraction Strategies Assess and improve methods for attracting top talent to Rockford University.
KPI: Achieve a 90% hire rate of candidates who meet both position qualifications and demonstrate alignment with Rockford University’s mission and values.
Train Hiring Committees Train hiring committees to ensure the use of structured interview rubric. Increased talent pool of qualified candidates.
Improved talent attraction outcomes.
DEVELOP & RETAIN
Strategic Goal: Foster a supportive, engaging, and inclusive work environment by assessing and providing professional development opportunities that promote employee satisfaction, growth, and long-term retention.
Initiative
Annual Performance Reviews include section on development needs and goals
Annual Professional Development Opportunities
Develop a tool to document professional development needs and goals.
Provide timely and relevant professional development opportunities for employees.
KPI: By fiscal year 2029, ensure 100% of employees receive an annual professional development assessment, at least 80% participate in one or more development opportunities each year, and increase employee retention rates.
Align HR Talent Strategy to RU Strategy
Establish Goal Alignment & Performance Evaluation Process
Career Development Pathways and Internal Mobility Opportunities
Employee Engagement Opportunities
COMPENSATE
Ensure HR talent strategies align with Rockford University’s long-term goals.
Develop and implement a structured performance evaluation process for staff.
Analyze and implement clear strategies to retain topperforming employees.
Ensure that employees have ongoing opportunities to engage within the University.
Strategic Goal: Ensure competitive and equitable compensation to support employee satisfaction, retention, and internal career growth.
Initiative
Enhance Compensation through Market Assessments & Promotions
Increase Annual Salary Adjustments
Conduct market assessments and prioritize internal promotions.
Increase annual compensation adjustments based on budget availability.
100% of employees received a professional development assessment in their annual review.
Monitor that 160 employees (80%) have participated in at least 1 professional development opportunity.
HR talent strategy effectively supports RU objectives.
Successful implementation of performance evaluation and goalsetting processes.
Higher employee retention rates.
employee engagement.
KPI: Achieve and maintain compensation competitiveness and equity across all roles, ensuring 95% of employees feel their compensation is fair and aligned with industry standards.
Compensation aligns with market standards and promotes internal growth.
Sustained salary increases within budgetary constraints.
Student Success
Rockford University will foster student success by enhancing academic support, improving retention and graduation rates, and advancing career development. This will be achieved through strategic initiatives such as increasing engagement with academic services, reducing student melt, expanding career services, and improving classroom environments. By investing in highimpact practices, targeted support services, and career preparation, Rockford University will ensure that students are well-equipped for academic and professional success.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Strategic Goal Rockford University will enhance academic support and engagement by improving student access to success services, increasing participation in high-impact practices, and upgrading classroom environments and technology to foster a more effective learning experience.
Initiative
Increase Usage of Academic Success Services
Increase Student Participation in High-Impact Practices
Improve Student Course Evaluation and Response Rates
Develop and Pilot Classroom Teaching Assessment Form
Classroom and Technology Enhancements
Enhance student engagement with academic success services provided by the HUB.
Encourage student participation in high-impact educational experiences before graduation.
KPI Establish baseline benchmarks and, by 2029, increase undergraduate engagement with academic success services by 10% and ensure that 75% of undergraduate students have participated in at least one high-impact educational practice before graduation.
Increase student response rates for course evaluations to gather quality feedback.
Create and test a standardized classroom teaching assessment form.
Year-over-year increase in usage statistics.
Year-over-year increase in students completing high-impact practices.
Minimum 1% average increase in response rates per semester.
Form will be developed and piloted by June 30, 2029.
Upgrade classroom furniture, lab equipment, and IT technology to enhance learning environments. Fully
and labs with updated furniture and modernized technology.
RETENTION & GRADUATION RATES
Strategic Goal: Rockford University will improve student retention and graduation rates through enhanced success services, increased academic engagement, and coordinated interventions to reduce student melt and ensure student success.
Initiative
BIT & SIT Revitalization for Student Support
Academic Support & Retention Programming
Develop Onboarding/ Orientation for RU Online & Graduate Programs
4-Year Tuition Lock for Financial Security
Reactivate and enhance the BIT and SIT teams to provide early intervention for at-risk students, improving retention and graduation outcomes.
KPI: Increase 5% in the first-year retention rate and 2% in the graduation rate by fiscal year 2029.
Strengthen academic success for student-athletes and first-generation college students through tutoring, mentoring, and structured study sessions to improve retention and graduation rates.
Create an onboarding program for RU Online and Graduate students.
Implement a 4-Year Tuition Lock to provide financial stability for incoming students.
Increased student retention and graduation rates through proactive intervention and support services.
Increased retention and graduation rates among studentathletes and first-generation college students with improved academic performance metrics.
Successful launch of the new onboarding program.
Tuition lock ensuring financial security and retention for students.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT & FUTURE SUCCESS
Strategic Goal: Rockford University will enhance career development services to prepare students for successful internships and job placements by improving engagement, providing targeted career workshops, and fostering student-employer connections.
Initiative
Establish Career Placement Cell and Expand Internship Opportunities
Create a career placement cell to strengthen employer relationships and expand internship opportunities.
KPI: Establish benchmark and increase studentemployer interactions by 10% year-over-year focusing on internships and job placement, with measurable improvements in employer partnerships and student satisfaction by fiscal year 2029.
Success Measurement
Established career placement cell, expanded internship opportunities, and process for benchmarking and tracking student-employer connections.
Boost Engagement on Career Services Platform
Implement Student Feedback Mechanism for Career Development
Internship Preparation and Support
Enhance student interaction with career services through targeted marketing.
Gather insights from students about career development needs and experiences.
Offer workshops on resumes, cover letters, and interview skills, and define and track metrics internship program success metrics.
Career Engagement and Networking
Increase student participation in career workshops, events, and seminars, and facilitate studentemployer connections.
Increased platform engagement through targeted marketing.
Collected feedback will be tracked and used to improve services year over year.
Improved student internship preparation, stronger applications, and tracked metrics for placement and feedback.
Year-over-year increase in attendance at events, studentemployer connections, and increased professionalism awareness.
Community Involvement
Rockford University will strengthen community involvement by expanding partnerships, increasing engagement with alumni, employees, and local organizations, and fostering a culture of volunteerism and service. This will be achieved through strategic collaborations, enhanced support networks, and active participation in community service initiatives.
PARTNERSHIPS
Strategic Goal: Rockford University will strengthen partnerships with alumni, trustees, employers, and the community to expand support networks and enhance career opportunities for students.
Strengthened and Diversified Support Networks
Establish Employer Feedback Mechanisms for Student Skill Development
Enhance Donor Stewardship and Integrate Donor-Funded Projects
Increase alumni, trustee, and community partner engagement in philanthropy.
Use employer feedback to refine student skill development efforts.
KPI: Increase the participation rate of engagement activities hosted by Rockford University by 10%.
Improve donor retention and engagement through identifying and integrating donor-funded projects into the approved capital improvements list.
Year-over-year increase in participation from alumni, trustees, and community partners.
Employer feedback will drive improvements in student skill development.
Increased donor retention rate year over year and successful implementation of additional donor-funded projects.
ENGAGEMENT
Strategic Goal: Rockford University will increase engagement among faculty, staff, and alumni through community service, outreach programs, and active participation in giving.
Initiative
Increase Employee Engagement with the Local Community
Increased Alumni and Employee Participation in Giving
Apply for and Retain Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
Provide opportunities for faculty and staff to participate in community service, outreach programs, and partnerships with local organizations to strengthen ties between the campus and the surrounding community.
Increase alumni giving rate and achieve 100% employee giving participation.
KPI: Achieve a 100% employee giving rate and increase alumni giving to 10% by fiscal year 2029.
Increased participation in community service and partnerships, with positive feedback.
Alumni giving increases to 6%, and employee giving reaches 100%.
Obtain and retain Carnegie classification as a community-engaged university.
VOLUNTEERISM & SERVICE
Strategic Goal: Rockford University will promote volunteerism by providing opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage in community service and strengthen campus-community ties.
Increase Volunteerism Across the Campus Community
Promote volunteer opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to foster a culture of service.
Rockford University will be classified as a Carnegie community-engaged institution by June 30, 2028
KPI: Increase campus-wide volunteer participation by 15%, with measurable growth in volunteer hours and engagement.
Increased participation in volunteer activities, with measurable growth in volunteer hours and engagement across campus.
