With a land acknowledgement to the Tongva Nation by students Vanessa Esparza and Susanna Negrete—from the Pascua Yaqui Nation—to start the event, the CSUDH Strategic Planning Steering Committee launched the university’s new 2022 Strategic Plan on March 3.
The Strategic Plan positions CSUDH as a socially just, equitable, and inclusive model urban university, and will serve as a blueprint for the university over the next eight years. The title, “Going Far Together,” reflects how collectivism supports a learning environment in which everyone can thrive—an overarching theme woven throughout the document.
That sense of collective effort established the foundation of the strategic planning process itself, said Dean of Students Matt Smith, who along with Dean of Undergraduate Studies Kim Costino co-chaired the Strategic Planning Steering Committee.
“We were adamant about wanting this to be a collaborative process, and taking the time we needed to incorporate the voices of students, staff, faculty, our community members, alumni, local businesses, and educational institutions. We were really proud to include them,” said Smith in thanking the many campus partners, consultants, and volunteers whose input shaped the plan.
The March 3 kickoff event was nearly two years in the making. Despite some pandemic-induced delays, the process moved ahead in earnest last spring through a series of virtual focus group meetings with the campus community and external stakeholders. Attendees shared their views on what defines CSUDH, the university’s strengths and potential opportunities, and what CSUDH will need to achieve its promise.
“What came through very loudly and clearly from the beginning is the campus’s commitment to its history rooted in social justice and equity,” said Costino, as she and Smith presented the strategic plan’s key themes, which are grounded in diversity, community, excellence, and sustainability.
The five strategic themes are:
- Thriving Students
- Thriving Educators
- Equitable Access
- Culture of Care
- Pillar of the Community
Each strategic theme includes a commitment statement, one or more goals, and a list of key activities to help achieve the themes’ goals.
“Collectively, the [key themes], along with the strategic commitments they support, are designed to reveal how we will intentionally work together to fulfill our vision of becoming a model urban metropolitan university,” Costino and Smith note in their co-chairs statement in the plan.
President Thomas Parham praised the 2022 Strategic Plan for how it “articulates and reveals who we are at the core of our being.”
“You should see yourself reflected in the these pillars,” he added. “This plan is unique to Dominguez Hills and represents the heart of what our campus aspires to be. The work is just beginning.”
To read more about the strategic plan, visit csudh.edu/strategic-plan.
