Introduction

Introduction

In the fall of 2021, the work on the 2022-2026 strategic plan began. With input from the Chancellor, a steering committee was selected of faculty and staff from across the university. For 8 months, the committee worked on the strategic plan. The committee developed a set of questions to identify areas of strength, weaknesses, challenges, and obstacles within the university. The committee met with stakeholders from across campus and the community and used these questions to guide discussions with the focus groups.

As a result of these discussions, six cross-cutting themes that the university needs to focus on over the next five years. Goals for each theme were identified and strategies to achieve those goals were developed as a way to measure our progress.  

We have achieved measurable successes in the past 58 years. Our students are eager to learn, eager to be successful and our campus has been instrumental in opening the doors to occupations ranging from nursing to neurology from agriculture to veterinary medicine from accounting to entrepreneurship. We, and the Missouri State University system, have been critical to the economic life of the region. But, there is more to do and there are new challenges that will need to be addressed as we continue to meet our vision and mission.

The Missouri State University-West Plains Long-Range Plan, 2022-2026, provides a realistic outlook at what the college needs to accomplish over the next five years to continue to provide life changing opportunities to its students and to build on its successful history as a provider of higher education in the Ozarks.