The Strategic Plan Project

This page provides an overview of the process behind Arkansas State University’s Discover 2025 Strategic Plan, including the consulting partner, project phases, and resources that guided the initiative.

For more than 40 years, The Napa Group has partnered with education, business and non-profit organizations to strengthen their competitive advantage and financial sustainability as they respond to the changing expectations of their customers.

In consultation with Napa Group, a six-part model produced a strategic solutions with supporting resource plans and an implementation roadmap informed by enterprise thinking and integration. Below is a recap of the six stages conducted to achieve the #Discover2025 plan through engaging stakeholders both on and off campus.

The Napa Group's Website >>

Project Phases

Phase 1: Project Launch/Organizational Assessment

Time frame: February - March 2019.

• Project plan, leadership roles and communications plan
• Form Steering Committee
• Environmental scan and trends report - general market
• Environmental scan and trends report - Arkansas State specific

Recommended Read

To prepare for this process, our Steering Committee members read "Robot-Proof," which explains the future of higher education. The library has acquired copies and it is also available digitally from Project MUSE or EBSCO.

Phase 2: Compelling Vision

Time frame: March - May 2019.

• Project website launch
• Facilitated Steering Committee #1 (March 6)
  • Opportunities, challenges and high-level themes
  • Steering Committee Meeting - summary notes
• Steering Committee-led focus groups (May 9)
• Focus Group Responses - unedited

Phase 3: Realistic Strategies

Time frame: May - June 2019.

• Facilitated Steering Committee #2 (May 29)
  • Draft strategic framework (goals and objectives)
  • Stakeholder engagement plan confirmed

Phase 4: Stakeholder Engagement

Time frame: September - October 2019.

• Sep. 25 – 5:30-7:00 – Community Leadership (Student Union Auditorium)
• Oct. 21 – 1-2:30 – Stakeholder Engagement – Students (Student Union Auditorium)
• Oct. 21 – 3-4:30 – Stakeholder Engagement – Staff (Student Union Auditorium)
• Oct. 23 – 3:30-5 – Stakeholder Engagement – Faculty (Student Union Auditorium)
• Oct. 30 – 11-1 – Stakeholder Engagement – Alumni (Cooper Alumni Center)
• If you can’t attend your group meeting, an open town hall for anyone is set for Wed, Nov. 6th, 5:30-7
• Task Force formed and charged

Phase 5: Task Forces & Engagement

Time frame: November 2019 onward.

Taskforce Membership

• Task Force reports submitted
• Facilitated Steering Committee #3
  • Draft plan, performance goals/outcomes

Phase 6: Final Strategic Plan & Implementation Framework

Final meetings, discussions, and formal adoption of the plan were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Final drafts were reviewed and adopted during the Fall 2020 semester.

In June 2023, new tasks were developed that aligned with post-pandemic initiatives.