Ohio Northern University’s intentions for reshaping and transforming the campus experience for years to come have been outlined in a 5-year Stronger Together Strategic Plan, approved by the Board of Trustees on Feb. 10, 2023. The plan will serve as ONU’s “north star” moving forward. Its initiatives are student focused but will benefit everyone.
The plan is now posted on ONU’s website. It was refined through multiple task force meetings, brainstorming sessions, and conversations with the entire campus community.
“ONU leadership listened and carefully considered myriad opinions about how to elevate this institution that many care about deeply,” says Melissa J. Buamann, Ph.D., president. “And as a result, we identified pathways to make this renowned educational resource even better so that its students can become the very best versions of themselves.”
With four “pillars,” or focal points – people, teaching and learning, place, and sustainability – the plan reflects ONU’s strengths and foundational programs. Some primary goals include:
· Strengthening a campus community that meets health and wellness needs of students, faculty, and staff, built upon the traditional strength of our health sciences programs and centered on a reimagined King-Horn Sports Center;
· Supporting outstanding faculty and staff – including those from underrepresented populations – recruited, retained, and supported through thoughtful investments in compensation, benefits, professional development, technology, and infrastructure;
· Increasing the number of scholarships awarded and the number of work-study opportunities;
· Expanding first-year career services to develop student career paths and plans that lead to internships, jobs, graduate school placement, and highly selective volunteer opportunities;
· Developing online/hybrid experiences that provide comparable quality to classroom experiences, particularly for science labs; and
· Providing collaborative learning spaces for commuter students.
“While this announcement period is the end of the planning phase, it is the beginning of an adventurous and transformational era for ONU,” Baumann says. “This is the year Ohio Northern begins to turn its ambitious vision into tangible actions.”