BLUEprint 2031:

Executive Summary

The University of Michigan-Flint is a comprehensive urban university of diverse learners and scholars, committed to advancing local and global communities. In the University of Michigan tradition, we value excellence in teaching, learning, and scholarship; student centeredness; and engaged citizenship. Through personal attention and dedicated faculty and staff, UM-Flint students become leaders and best in their fields, professions, and communities.

Through this mission, UM-Flint makes a distinctive and vital contribution to the University of Michigan’s broader mission “to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.” We bring that mission to life by expanding access to a transformative Michigan education, creating and applying knowledge, preparing graduates to lead in their professions and communities, and building partnerships that address local needs while contributing to global progress.

Our commitment to the public good is reflected in the lives we change, the communities we strengthen, the knowledge we create, and the opportunities we provide. At UM-Flint, excellence and service to the public good are inseparable.

BLUEprint 2031: Accelerating Growth, Achieving Preeminence sets the University of Michigan-Flint’s strategic direction for 2026–2031. Rooted in UM-Flint’s mission as a comprehensive urban university, the plan reflects five core values: academic excellence, student success, integrity, community partnership, and quality. It advances a vision for UM-Flint to become a preeminent destination for innovation, engaged learning, and community impact—where every student receives personalized support and opportunities to shape their future and enrich their communities.

The plan responds to a rapidly changing higher education landscape. UM-Flint’s enrollment grew from 5,985 students in Fall 2022 to 7,119 in Fall 2025, accompanied by gains in retention, graduation, student satisfaction, and research. At the same time, demographic shifts, lower international enrollment, financial pressures, changing student preferences, and evolving workforce needs require continued adaptation. Demand for flexible education, expanded student support, career-connected learning, and efficient operations presents both urgency and opportunity.

In response to these challenges and opportunities, UM-Flint will pursue five interconnected strategic priorities:

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

UM-Flint will create a seamless, student-centered journey from recruitment through graduation and into the workforce. The university will expand access, strengthen academic and career pathways, foster belonging and well-being, and embed experiential learning across academic programs. By 2031, UM-Flint aims to enroll 9,000 students, increase first-year retention to 80%, improve the institutional graduation rate by 8% relative to 2024–25, and ensure that at least 75% of students complete two or more experiential-learning opportunities before graduation. A unified student-success system will provide individualized, proactive academic and career support.

2. Diversify and increase revenue to invest in people, technology, research, and physical resources.

The university will strengthen its fiscal sustainability through philanthropy, public funding, sponsored projects, and corporate partnerships. New resources will support employees, scholarships, student services, experiential learning, technology, facilities, and academic innovation. By 2031, the university aims to increase annual combined revenue from sponsored projects and philanthropy to $12 million and annual research expenditures to $5 million, supporting progress toward Carnegie R2 status and beyond. An institution-wide AI-literacy initiative will prepare students and employees to use artificial intelligence effectively, ethically, securely, and responsibly, with 80% demonstrating proficiency by 2031.

3. Advance operational efficiency and effectiveness.

UM-Flint will improve the efficiency, quality, and responsiveness of university operations through streamlined processes, thoughtful use of technology, and employee development.   These improvements will reduce unnecessary administrative burden, strengthen collaboration, and create greater capacity for student support and other high-impact work while maintaining quality and professional judgment. A student-centered course-scheduling model will be implemented by 2028 to improve access to required courses, reduce time to degree, and support degree completion. Clearly defined measures will track service quality, workforce capacity, student outcomes, and institutional effectiveness.

4. Launch intercollegiate athletics.

UM-Flint will establish a values-driven, financially sustainable athletics program to strengthen recruitment, student engagement and persistence, school spirit, alumni connections, and regional visibility. The university will pursue membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. By Fall 2031, UM-Flint plans to launch at least six teams with at least 100 student-athletes and engage another 150 students through athletics-connected employment, internships, coursework, research, leadership development, and community service.

5. Partner with communities for shared growth and impact.

As a cornerstone institution in Flint and Genesee County, UM-Flint will broaden and deepen reciprocal partnerships with government, employers, schools, nonprofit organizations, and other community partners. These relationships will expand community-engaged learning and research, advance workforce and economic development, improve public safety, support health and well-being, enhance the quality of K-12 education in Flint and the surrounding areas, and strengthen the university’s regional impact. UM-Flint will co-create a community-impact framework by 2027 and establish a sustainable employer and community-partner network by June 2029 to inform curriculum, expand experiential learning, and enhance student career development.

Together, these priorities provide a practical and ambitious blueprint for UM-Flint’s next five years, one that places students at the center, strengthens institutional sustainability, invests in people and innovation, and advances the university’s impact in Flint, throughout Michigan, and beyond.

 ¹ The strategic planning process and strategic plan writing incorporated responsible and human-centric use of artificial intelligence (AI).