Strategic Plan

Student Affairs Leads: Strategic Planning Process

Student Affairs has begun the planning process to create a new strategic plan that will guide the future direction of Student Affairs at Illinois. The Student Affairs Leads strategic plan will align with university efforts, incorporate the ideas of the Student Affairs community, and create a strategy to guide our division through the next five years.

University Goals

  • Fostering scholarship, discovery, and innovation;
  • Providing transformative learning experiences;
  • Making a significant and visible societal impact; and
  • Stewarding current resources and generate additional resources for strategic initiatives.

Student Affairs Mission, Vision, Values

Vision

A community of excellence inspiring holistic growth and development for every student.

Mission

Student Affairs is a community that fosters belonging, imagines possibilities, enhances learning, and makes a societal impact.

Student Affairs Values

  • Student-Centered
  • Justice
  • Learning
  • Wellness
  • Integrity

Student Affairs Leads: Goal and Approach

  • Create a 5-year plan (FY2027 – FY2032) that will guide the direction of Student Affairs at Illinois.
  • Identify 3-5 Student Affairs strategic priorities.
  • Include measurable performance indicators and realistic, actionable goals.
  • Partner with Illinois Human Resources Employee Learning and Organizational Effectiveness to guide the process.

The existing Student Affairs vision, mission, and values will remain.

Guiding Principles

  • Center staff and student voices.
  • Align with university strategic priorities.
  • Use Appreciative Inquiry approaches to gather input.
  • Streamline and simplify the strategic planning process.

Timeline

Fall 2025

  • Benchmark Illinois with Peer Institutions and Review Other Strategic Plans.
  • Form a planning committee.

Spring/Summer 2026

  • Reviewing existing data sources.
  • Seek input from Student Affairs staff through input gathering sessions. Members of the strategic plan committee will be visiting existing team meetings to gather input.
  • Solicit student input via campus focus group and existing feedback.
  • Compile and analyze data.

Fall 2026

  • Compile input.
  • Identify 3-5 strategic themes.
  • Gather feedback on proposed themes.
  • Identify metrics and scenario planning.
  • Align with university strategic plan.

Spring 2027

  • Launch Student Affairs strategic plan.
  • Revise annual reporting and strategic plan tracking.

Note: Timeline may be altered based on the Illinois Leads university initiatives.

Student Affairs Strategic Planning Committee

  • Beth Hoag, Ph.D., Assessment and Planning
  • Becky Hinrichs, Illinois Human Resources
  • Jackie Billhymer, Illinois Human Resources
  • Scott Boyle, Illinois Human Resources
  • Andrew Hohn, Fraternity & Sorority Affairs
  • Christina Uhall, Illini Union
  • Crystol Smith, University Housing
  • Dave Arnold, University Housing
  • Jennifer Neef, The Career Center
  • Kimberly Alexander-Brown, Jeffries Center
  • Marnita Harris, Connie Frank CARE Center
  • Shengxi Sun, Counseling Center

Input Gathering Sessions

To solicit community input for Student Affairs strategic priorities, the committee utilizing a Starfish retrospective method.  This method asks a series of 5 questions and is visually represented in the form of a starfish.  During the Summer of 2026, 11 of these sessions took place across the division.

Starfish Retrospective

If you have questions about the input sessions, contact Beth Hoag, Director for Assessment and Planning or Becky Hinrichs, Illinois Human Resources.