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  • Strategic Plan

    The Worcester State University envisioned in 2020 by the Strategic Plan Committee will be more widely recognized as an educational innovator. Our faculty and staff will be unified behind a model of transformative change in students. Our academic program, which creatively integrates classroom learning with experiential learning that takes place beyond the classroom, will be responsive to the identified priorities of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the evolving needs of a complex global community. As a public university grounded in the liberal arts tradition, Worcester State will be preparing well-rounded, culturally sensitive, and socially conscious critical thinkers and problem solvers who are well prepared for chosen professions or advanced study. 

    Download the complete Strategic Plan.

  • Mission
    Worcester State University champions academic excellence in a diverse, student-centered environment that fosters scholarship, creativity, and global awareness. A Worcester State education equips students with knowledge and skills necessary for lives of professional accomplishment, engaged citizenship, and intellectual growth.
    Core Values

    As a public institution, Worcester State University embraces the belief that widespread access to high-quality educational opportunities is the cornerstone of a democratic society. Members of the Worcester State community share the following core values:

    • Academic Excellence: We are committed to providing opportunities to excel in a close-knit learning environment characterized by distinguished faculty, excellent teaching, and creative linkages between classroom learning and real-world experiences. 
    • Engaged Citizenship: We are committed to promoting community service, social justice, the democratic process, environmental sustainability, and global awareness to prepare students to be active and informed citizens.
    • Open Exchange of Ideas: We are committed to inviting and considering the most expansive range of perspectives in teaching and learning, in scholarly and creative work, and in the governance of a complex, diverse institution.
    • Diversity and Inclusiveness: We are committed to being an inclusive community in which our diversity enhances learning for all and in which people from all cultures and backgrounds have the opportunity to participate fully and succeed.
    • Civility and Integrity: We are committed to respecting the dignity of all members of our community and to demonstrating this commitment in our interactions, decisions, and structures.
    Strategic Imperatives: Scholarship, Partnership, and Leadership
    • We will channel scholarly creativity in new, exciting, and potentially important directions.
    • We will be a dynamic, valued partner with and resource to Worcester, the region, and the world.  
    • We will be a model of best practices in promoting retention across the student body and in empowering students to attain both academic and career goals. 
    • All members of the WSU community will feel included and valued, and they will hold themselves and each other accountable for upholding shared values and achieving common objectives.
    • Our plans and priorities will support the public agenda for higher education in Massachusetts as reflected in the Vision Project’s goals and 7 key outcomes.
    Overarching Goals and Strategies: Our Roadmap
    1. Enhance our undergraduate academic programs and expand graduate programs in a community of learning that promotes academic excellence and innovation.  
    2. Leverage our distinctive strengths, both to enhance our reputation and to prepare our students to lead, serve, and make a difference in the world.
    3. Attract and enroll a diverse pool of highly motivated students and attach institution-wide priority to promoting their retention and success. 
    4. Cultivate a vibrant campus life and a collaborative work and learning environment in which all members of the WSU community feel welcomed, included, respected, empowered, and valued. 
    5. Promote financial strength and organizational sustainability while continuing to secure and invest the resources required to maintain our reputation for excellence and value.