Strategic Planning

What is the University’s mission? 

San Francisco State University educates and equips students to thrive in a global society. We deliver academic excellence by pursuing knowledge, inspiring creativity, supporting our diverse community and advancing social justice and positive change in the world. 

What is a strategic plan? 

The University Strategic Plan articulates in one place the mission, vision and values of SFSU and establishes a set of six priorities guiding day-to-day decision making and long-term design. Based on a collaborative endeavor from the start, the Strategic Plan strives to provide a solid anchor and tools for flexible adaption; to remind us who we are as we take charge of who we become. 

The strategic planning process 

Thousands of SFSU faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni and community members participated in the strategic planning process by taking part in workshops, focus groups and surveys or submit a question or comment  online. This participation and input informed the work of the Strategic Planning Committee in the creation of our Strategic Plan, which identified the mission, vision and values which will guide our implementation planning in the next year and our work over the next several years to address the six strategic priorities. 

Strategic planning approach 

Our goal throughout this process was to develop a strategic plan that reflects the perspectives from everyone who has an important stake in the university — including our students, faculty, staff, alumni and other key community members. To accomplish this, we created numerous opportunities for deep listening and inclusive engagement throughout the process. We also reviewed already-existing data, qualitative and quantitative, including, but not limited to, existing survey data, the Academic Master Plan, the Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, the Strategic Marketing Plan and the WASC self-study. You can still provide input through our Opportunities for Involvement section which will be shared with Coordinating Committees and work groups. 

Current strategic planning activities: 2024 – 2025 Second Year Impact Report 

Access the 2024 – 2025 Strategic Plan Second Year Impact Report update on Box. This ongoing assessment of our goals and activities uses metrics developed by cross-cabinet Coordinating Committees and campus stakeholders aligning for the deepest impact. 

Opportunities for involvement 

Your feedback throughout the strategic planning process is vital to our success. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions that you feel will be helpful to the strategic planning process, please let us know. 

Our goal for the strategic planning process has been to develop a plan that is inclusive of perspectives from all stakeholders in the University community.  

To date, thousands of SFSU faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni and community members have elected to participate in the strategic planning process by taking part in five workshops, 14 focus groups, three surveys, community stakeholder interviews and by submitting feedback through this website. Have a question or comment? Submit your input via Qualtrics.

Strategic Planning Timeline

Phase 1

Strategic Plan: Process and Finalization (Complete)  

Fall 2021 – Summer 2022 

Convene the Strategic Planning Committee 

Conduct online survey, focus groups and general feedback sessions with campus stakeholders 

Analyze results from 3000+ students, faculty, staff, alumni and administrator respondents 

Use results to develop, draft and refine the strategic plan  

Phase 2

Develop and Finalize Strategic Priority Metrics (Complete)  

Fall 2022 – Spring 2023 

Convene Coordinating Committees to discuss Strategic Priority Areas  

Coordinating Committees meet, share ideas, gather feedback and propose draft metrics 

Metrics presented to campus community for feedback  

Strategic Planning committee reviews feedback and finalize metrics  

Phase 3

Activity and Initiative Alignments: Year One (complete) 

Summer 2023 - Spring 2024 

Coordinating Committees gather and inspire activity to align with metrics 

Winter initial progress report to President's Cabinet 

Spring full progress report to Strategic Planning Committee  

First year impact report to campus community 

Phase 4

Year Two and Three: Realignment and Engagement  

Summer 2024 – Spring 2026 

Coordinating Committees realign metrics and goals 

Winter/Spring 2024 progress report to campus 

Fall 2025 recalibrate 

Spring 2026 Year Three full report to campus community