Strategic Priorities

UM-Flint’s five strategic priorities translate our mission, vision, and values into a focused agenda for institutional action. As a comprehensive urban university in the University of Michigan tradition of “Leaders & Best”, UM-Flint is committed to academic excellence, student success, integrity, access and opportunity, engaged citizenship, and fostering an inclusive and supportive community. These priorities reflect our responsibility to provide rigorous and relevant academic programs, personalized support for diverse learners, meaningful opportunities for innovation and engaged learning, and strong partnerships that advance local and global communities. Together, they guide the university’s efforts to grow enrollment, strengthen student outcomes, invest in people and resources, improve operations, expand campus life, and deepen community impact—positioning UM-Flint as a destination where students shape their futures, become leaders in their fields and professions, and enrich the communities they serve.

1. Grow enrollment, enhance student success, and enrich the student experience

Optimizing the student experience will require a coordinated, institution-wide approach across the five major divisions of UM-Flint: Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, Business & Finance, and University Advancement. Academic Affairs will advance rigorous, relevant academic programs and expand high-impact learning experiences that support timely degree completion and career readiness. Student Affairs will strengthen belonging, well-being, and engagement to help students persist and thrive. Enrollment Management will utilize data-informed outreach to enhance recruitment, guide financial aid strategy, offer student-centered onboarding, and provide coordinated student success support serving as a launchpad to post graduation success. Business & Finance will align institutional resources, facilities, technology, and operations to create an accessible, efficient, and student-centered environment. University Advancement will elevate the institution’s value, deepen alumni and donor engagement, secure philanthropic support for scholarships, experiential learning, mentoring, and career pathways and seek additional government support. Together, these divisions will focus on the following objectives to create a seamless student journey that attracts students, supports their success through graduation, and prepares them to shape their future and enrich their communities.

Objective 1.1. Increase enrollment, expand educational access, promote student success, and grow degree completion as contributions to the state of Michigan’s “Sixty by 30” goal of having 60% of working-age Michiganders earn a postsecondary skill certificate or college degree by the year 2030.
Objective 1.2. Leverage experiential learning opportunities to help students develop the adaptability and resilience necessary to successfully navigate rapidly-evolving employment opportunities and challenges and to make meaningful contributions to their communities.
Objective 1.3. Create a seamless, student-centered educational journey with curricular and co-curricular opportunities that help every student to exercise their curiosity and realize their full potential as engaged members and leaders of their communities.

2. Diversify and increase revenue to invest in human, technological, research, and physical resources

UM-Flint will become more entrepreneurial in diversifying and increasing revenue streams from public and private sources through fundraising and development activities, will pursue state and federal earmark opportunities aligned with institutional needs and priorities, will grow external research funding to support advancement toward Carnegie R2 status and beyond, and will build mutually beneficial corporate and community partnerships. The university will strengthen its research enterprise by investing in faculty, student, and staff capacity; interdisciplinary scholarship; sponsored programs infrastructure; and partnerships that translate discovery into impact for the region and beyond. UM-Flint will also develop innovative courses, programs, and experiential learning opportunities that prepare students to shape their futures, contribute to a knowledge-driven economy, and enrich their communities.

Objective 2.1: Diversify and increase revenue streams to better balance affordability with excellence, ensuring that students continue to receive a high-quality education while the university remains financially strong, adaptable, and responsive to the needs of our local and global communities.
Objective 2.2: Invest in personalized student support, experiential learning, research, and sustainable, mutually beneficial campus-community initiatives that generate knowledge, foster innovation, prepare students to shape their futures, contribute to a knowledge-driven economy, and enrich their communities.
Objective 2.3: Advance UM-Flint’s pursuit of preeminence by strengthening high-quality, continually improving academic programs; recruiting, retaining, and empowering excellent faculty and staff; and investing in the professional development, resources, and workplace conditions that fuel innovation, excellence, student success, and community impact.

3. Advance operational efficiency and effectiveness

UM-Flint will advance operational efficiency and effectiveness by becoming more nimble, flexible, and responsive. The university will strategically use technology, engage in process innovation, and utilize intentional change management to improve workflows, optimize coordination, enhance workforce productivity, and strengthen decision-making. Leaders, employees, and teams will build the capacity to adopt and sustain change through clear communication, training, engagement, and ongoing support—while keeping people in control, encouraging sound judgment, and strengthening the human skills of relationship management, resilience, agility, and adaptability. Efficiency gains will enhance, rather than diminish, effectiveness, quality, employee experience, and mission impact.

Objective 3.1. Foster a culture of continuous improvement that elevates institutional processes, strengthens the quality and effectiveness of university operations, and advances our shared pursuit of preeminence.
Objective 3.2. Improve institutional effectiveness to enhance service delivery and increase capacity for high-impact work.
Objective 3.3. Strengthen organizational capacity to equip employees to adapt, collaborate, and sustain change in support of institutional excellence.

4. Launch intercollegiate athletics

Intercollegiate athletics has long been a valuable element of the traditional university experience. At UM-Flint, a thoughtfully designed athletics program will strengthen the connection between students, alumni, faculty, staff, the broader Flint community, and beyond. It will serve as a visible symbol of school spirit, create opportunities for students to develop leadership and teamwork, add valuable co-curricular opportunities that complement a variety of academic programs, and attract students seeking a vibrant campus environment. In doing so, it will enhance enrollment growth and student persistence – two key drivers of institutional sustainability.

Objective 4.1: Cultivate a broad base of campus, community, alumni, corporate, and philanthropic support for intercollegiate athletics to strengthen student success, enrich campus life, build school spirit, increase regional visibility, and deepen the university’s civic and economic partnership with Flint and Genesee County.
Objective 4.2: Seek membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) to establish a values-driven intercollegiate athletics program that advances student success, inclusive opportunity, competitive excellence, campus pride, and community connection.
Objective 4.3: Leverage intercollegiate athletics as an integrated curricular and co-curricular platform that expands student access and opportunity, experiential learning, leadership development, student employment opportunities, career preparation, and community engagement for students across UM-Flint.

5. Partner with our communities for shared growth and impact

UM-Flint’s partnerships will drive shared growth and meaningful impact by connecting students, faculty, and staff with government representatives and regional organizations to expand community-engaged learning, service-learning courses, volunteerism, and build sustained collaborations. These efforts will strengthen civic responsibility, address evolving community priorities, and position the university for future recognition through the Carnegie Community Engagement elective classification. The university will also contribute to regional economic vitality through enhanced workforce development, educational partnerships—including K–12 collaborations—and initiatives that advance health and social well-being. Together, these outcomes will strengthen UM-Flint’s institutional reputation, as reflected in increased media visibility, strong community partner satisfaction, improved rankings and recognitions, and positive stakeholder perceptions, reinforcing the university’s role as a trusted cornerstone institution committed to mutual progress and lasting community impact.

Objective 5.1. Strengthen government relations and reciprocal community partnerships to build trust, advance shared priorities, and create lasting mutual benefit.
Objective 5.2. Expand community-engaged learning, research, and service to enrich student learning, advance faculty and staff scholarship and innovation, deepen community engagement, and strengthen community impact.
Objective 5.3. Advance UM-Flint’s role as an engaged cornerstone institution to strengthen communities, expand educational and economic opportunity, and enhance the university’s impact and reputation.