Hahs outlines goals and achievements in State of University Address

Northeastern Illinois University has made much progress on meeting goals that were set a year ago according to President Sharon Hahs in her State of the University Address on Sept. 24.Hahs explained in her address how NEIU has progressed in meeting the six strategic goals of the Strategic Plan Initiative, created in September 2008 to meet NEIU's mission and achieve NEIU's vision.  The six Strategic Goals are Student Success, Academic Excellence and Innovation, Urban Leadership, Exemplary Faculty and Staff, Enhanced University Operations and Fiscal Strength.

For Strategic Goal 1, Student Success, NEIU has made improvements in recruitment and enrollment.  According to the unofficial data that Hahs presented on graphs, enrollment and total credit hours taken have gone up since last year.  Students are taking more credit hours per semester in order to graduate sooner.

The new College of Business and Management (COBM) building is one of the achievements of Strategic Goal 2, Academic Excellence and Innovation.  Along with the opening of the new building, the program is making strides to becoming accredited with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.  Plans for accreditation in music, art and design programs are also underway.

NEIU has been working towards Strategic Goal 3, Urban Leadership, by establishing programs to prepare college graduates to serve in diverse communities.  NEIU's new marketing campaign is also one way NEIU is establishing a larger urban identity.

Last year's two day conference for faculty and staff, "Great Service Matters," was a result of Strategic Goal 4, Exemplary Faculty and Staff.  The school is also providing netbooks to instructors for use in new technologically enhanced classrooms.The new technology in classrooms is a result of Strategic Goal 5, Enhanced University Operations.  NEIU has also made progress in the development of a mass electronic notification system.  Hahs mentioned the plans for the new College of Education building and said that the funds for the building have been appropriated by the state, but no capital funds have been released.

Grants awarded to NEIU are part of Strategic Goal 6, Fiscal Strength.  The university has recieved two new grants in the past few weeks, one Title V Grant for $3.5 million and one $2.6 million grant for the COBM.  NEIU has also raised just over $1 million in fundraising.

Hahs concluded the address by saying that NEIU has a solid road map to the future.

"Together we will work hard to achieve our plans," said Hahs.