Strategic Roadmap - Campus meeting Nov 5

 

Campus community, Academic Planning and Fall 2026 Academic Programs Throughout this past year, I have been grateful for the inspiring conversations we have had as a community. We have discussed our mission, vision, and values in the context of a changing federal and state landscape. We have considered how to improve processes and become better stewards of existing resources while seeking to support all members of our community. We are now positioned to chart our path so that we can create a powerful learning community that is distinctly UMD. Strategic Roadmap President Cunningham recently shared the University of Minnesota's collective Strategic Roadmap during NEXT: Forward to Our Future. It was an inspiring event celebrating the University of Minnesota. I had the privilege of co-chairing the development of the Strategic Roadmap alongside Dean Andrew Alleyne of the Twin Cities campus’ College of Science and Engineering. When this process began, I was still in my first year as Chancellor, and it proved to be an invaluable opportunity to deepen my understanding of the University’s strengths and its powerful partnerships across the state. Many of you contributed your insights through town halls, surveys, and feedback sessions. Thank you for your thoughtful engagement—your voices helped shape this bold and ambitious plan to build on decades of excellence and propel the University forward. It’s exciting to see our campus reflected throughout the roadmap. Educational programs like SAIL and the Hub for Integrated Learning and Leadership, interdisciplinary research initiatives supported by the Large Lakes Observatory and the Bureau or Business and Economic Research, and important community partnerships such as those we have with Tribal Sovereignty Institute, which provides Tribal-State Relations Training for the entire state of Minnesota, or the Robert F Pierce Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, which offers free services to the community, illustrate how we are already leading in many areas and have opportunities to grow and innovate even further. As we move ahead, our campus will make thoughtful decisions about how we prioritize and steward the resources entrusted to us. These decisions will be guided by our mission, values, and shared commitment to our developing campus strategic roadmap. In the upcoming months, Provost Ropers will lead the campus through a strategic planning process that will highlight the University of Minnesota Duluth’s excellence and identify our opportunities to advance the University of Minnesota’s strategic priorities. Our research mission remains a key strategic priority. Beginning December 1, 2025, Shashank Priya, vice president for research and innovation, will take on a new role at the University of Minnesota. Part of that role includes serving as an advisor to me, supporting research growth, and helping advance the University of Minnesota Duluth’s research enterprise. This is an exciting time for us to expand our potential. I invite you to join a Campus Conversation at 1:15 pm on Wednesday, November 5, in the Kirby Ballroom. This gathering will serve as the first of several engagements to guide the development of our campus strategic roadmap as we build on our future. As I mentioned at the campus celebration in early September, now is the time to draw upon our 130-year history of excellence to create something even more remarkable: a place filled with curiosity that nurtures people and ideas, where engagement leads to more just and healthy communities, and where education creates opportunities for individual and collective transformation. I look forward to collaborating with you in this critical work to elevate the extraordinary at UMD and throughout the entire University of Minnesota.

Charles Nies Chancellor

Academic Planning and Fall 2026 Academic Programs (Sent 10/21)

 Dear UMD Faculty and Staff:

To those of you who were able to make the campus town hall today, thank you for your time and participation. As a follow-up, we write to share information about our collaborative efforts to maintain a robust portfolio of academic programs in the context of significant changes in resource availability. As President Cunningham has described in previous communication, higher education in this country is experiencing challenges. For UMD, those conditions exacerbate existing structural budget deficits. We are committed to working with you to steward available resources to achieve the greatest impact. In that spirit, our academic program decisions are being guided by the following principles:

Align with our mission, vision, values, and core identity
The UMD community will soon develop a new strategic plan to revisit and affirm our mission, vision, and values. In that process, we commit to prioritizing teaching, research, and service in four emerging areas of signature strength: cultural and global engagement, environmental sustainability, community and economic vitality, and health and well-being. We are committed to interdisciplinary and experiential education experiences that prepare students to make a difference in the world.

Meet the needs of our students and the larger community
In determining how UMD can offer programs that meet community needs, we are considering student demand and employment projections. We are also considering whether students have access to similar programs at universities in the region or if we might partner with other institutions to maintain programs at UMD. These decisions are part of the normal process of programmatic change, though they are accelerated to meet this moment.

Rely on the wisdom of our campus community
In addition to conversations in shared governance, collegiate and department units, campus-wide forums, and the budget call process, an Academic Revisioning Committee provided us with procedural recommendations to guide academic program decisions. Their recommendations (including building a dashboard to more easily understand data, involving an academic review committee to analyze relevant data, and having a full program portfolio evaluation on a regular cycle) are being operationalized to guide future decisions. Current decisions are also aligned with ARC’s recommendations to consider institutional alignment, student demand, and curricular efficiency. We know that not everyone will agree with specific decisions; however, we have tried to reflect the guidance of our community. 

With these three principles in mind, we are implementing the following strategies:

Suspend admission or decrease the scope of undergraduate programs

• Suspend admissions to four bachelor’s degrees, twelve undergraduate minors, and one undergraduate certificate program. With these changes, UMD’s undergraduate program offerings in fall 2026 will include 88 majors (down from 92), 66 minors (down from 78), and 7 certificates (down from 8). 
• All students currently enrolled in the impacted programs will be able to complete the programs at UMD within a reasonable timeframe. 
• Ninety-nine percent of current students are enrolled in a major that remains active.

Reduce academic personnel in programs with declining and/or consistently low enrollments

• Partner with area universities and other University of Minnesota campuses to retain programs while reducing personnel needs.
• Align faculty resources with current enrollments and trends.
• Support voluntary faculty departure to minimize the impact on our faculty and staff.

Reorganize and create interdisciplinary opportunities and efficiencies within colleges

• Reorganize academic and administrative units in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences to streamline administrative processes and promote interdisciplinarity.
• Reenvision graduate programs in the Swenson College of Science and Engineering to create and strengthen interdisciplinary programs.
• Identify curricular efficiencies to streamline and strengthen curricular paths for students.

In addition to changes to academic programs, reallocations have been implemented for administrative offices, finance, facilities, human resources, police services, information technology, and athletics. We are also diversifying our revenue streams, for example, by seeking research and foundation funding and nurturing philanthropic partnerships. We are developing partnerships within and outside the University of Minnesota to strengthen our impact in and well beyond our region. 

Thank you for your investment in the UMD community. We are committed to building a vibrant future together in which inclusive excellence in research, teaching, and service transforms lives. 

With appreciation,

Rebecca Ropers, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Matt Massman, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations