Board Approves Strategic Plan

An ambitious strategic plan for Michigan Tech was approved Friday, April 28, by the Board of Trustees.

The plan’s vision statement calls for Michigan Tech to elevate its reputation as a leading technological university: “Michigan Tech will grow as a premier research university of international stature, delivering education, new knowledge, and innovation for the needs of our technological world.”

President Glenn Mroz endorsed the document. “This is the product of insightful thinking by many people about Tech’s value to Michigan and the nation. Economic growth and responsible use of resources are dependent on our ability to produce effective, marketable innovations. And, we need graduates capable of being technologically-oriented leaders with business acumen,” he said.

Under the plan, Tech will take steps to enhance its research and scholarship. The lynchpin will be the university’s ability to attract and retain faculty, staff and students of the highest caliber. Increasingly, it is the reputation of an institution’s faculty that drives rankings of colleges and universities, such as those published by U.S. News and World Report.

“We want our accomplishments and reputation to permanently place us among the top 50 public universities in the United States,” Mroz said. “Much of that has to do with faculty. Already Tech has many outstanding faculty, but we must work aggressively to attract more.”

The plan is also consistent with the university’s commitment to service.

“Tech’s history is one of responding to the needs of our society. We originally produced mining engineers to build and sustain the state’s copper industry. Later, Tech evolved into a full-scale technological university in response to national demand for scientific advancement and quality engineering. Now, we are expanding our vision because our global quality of life is driven increasingly by the marriage of innovation and business savvy.”

Mike Henricksen, chair of the Board of Trustees, conveyed the board’s support. “We are delighted to approve this plan,” he said. “It points us in a direction that matches our hopes and dreams for Tech. This is already a fine university, but we believe the best is ahead of us.”

Next, Tech’s academic and administrative units will prepare plans that support the strategic plan goals, with measurable objectives for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1.

To view the plan, visit https://www.mtu.edu/stratplan .

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.