Thank you for participating in the strategic planning process. The feedback you have provided — through online surveys, the project display boards at the Renne Library, and the many listening sessions and focus groups over the past months — has been essential in generating the drafts of our proposed strategic plan projects. These drafts sketch out possible futures for MSU with potential projects based on the feedback gathered so far and patterns already observed on campus.

Though we are nearing the end of the planning process, we remain committed to gathering additional insights and ideas to further develop and refine the projects that will ultimately define the strategic plan. The survey linked below includes specific questions that address a subset of the larger list of projects. Your responses will add clarity as we consider our next steps for each of these projects.

This survey will remain open until 5 p.m. Friday, September 25, and we’ll use your responses to help develop final project plans. Thank you for your help!

Take the Survey

Contents

Our Relentless Pursuit of Student Success

Seamless Student Journey

This project improves MSU’s comprehensive advising and student support system to guide students from enrollment through graduation. The goal is a more integrated system that makes MSU easier to navigate, strengthens student agency and connects students with the right guidance and resources as their needs change over time.

Actions may include:

  • Develop an integrated, holistic advising and student support model.
  • Create an “Advising Team for Life” with wraparound support from enrollment through graduation and career launch.
  • Connect academic, financial, career, well-being and other support services across the student journey.

Timeline: 1–3 years

Career Ready, Future Ready

A comprehensive, coordinated approach to career development helps every student leave MSU career- and future-ready. This project will make career development an early, visible, accessible part of every student’s MSU experience while strengthening connections to academic programs, employers and professional opportunities.

Actions may include:

  • Establish a visible and coordinated career development presence across campus while strengthening specialized college-based career support.
  • Provide easier access to internships, research, campus employment, study abroad and other experiential opportunities.
  • Strengthen connections with employers, industry partners and Montana’s workforce.

Timeline: 1–3 years

Growing Montana’s Rural and Indigenous Student Pathways

MSU will expand pathways to enrollment and long-term support for rural and Indigenous students from across Montana. Building on existing efforts, tribal college partnerships, dual enrollment and transfer pathways, the project will improve coordination across recruitment, academic programs, advising and student support. Pathways to and through MSU will become more accessible, and students will get help to persist, graduate and connect their education to the communities they call home.

Actions may include:

  • Strengthen transfer pathways and academic partnerships with Montana’s tribal colleges.
  • Create clearer pathways through dual enrollment, transfer and credit for prior learning.
  • Foster connections between students’ MSU experience and their home communities.

Timeline: 1–3 years

 

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Our Next Level of Excellence in Research, Teaching and Learning

Catalyzing Teaching Excellence at MSU

Faculty members at MSU prioritize excellence in teaching and learning. MSU can cultivate its culture of teaching quality by implementing structures that drive instructional improvement. MSU will support opportunities for faculty to develop new teaching skills in response to goal setting, student input and reflection.

Actions may include:

  • Launch and support a signature Annual Faculty Symposium on teaching and learning to gather faculty members to advise the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of the President on elevating teaching to an elite level.
  • Formalize a structure for conducting peer-supported faculty mid-semester evaluations, including instructor goal-setting, gathering and reflecting on student input, and carrying out a classroom action plan.
  • Incentivize instructional quality by funding course redesign and discipline specific professional development for faculty and by recognizing programs with a culture of distinction in learning-focused teaching.

Timeline: <1 year

Advanced Computing for Research, Teaching and Partnerships

Access to high-performance computing is vital for modern, data-intensive, groundbreaking research and teaching. This project is an investment in high-performance computing that extends MSU’s competitive standing in research capacity and funding, vastly expands opportunities for innovative teaching and learning, and provides opportunities for new and strengthened partnerships across the state of Montana.

Actions may include:

  • Construction of a High-Performance Computing Facility to consolidate and stabilize existing HPC cluster.
  • Acquisition of High-Performance Computing equipment to expand HPC Cluster.

Timeline: 1–3 years

Investing in Faculty at the Computational Frontier

MSU will deepen its research and teaching at the frontiers of high-performance computing and complex modeling, quantum computing and artificial intelligence by establishing a multidisciplinary team from across colleges that will tackle complex problems using cutting-edge computing resources.

Actions may include:

  • Establish up to 10 new faculty lines across colleges to substantially grow MSU’s multidisciplinary computing expertise.
  • Award fellowships to current faculty members to support the excellent faculty who have built their careers at Montana State and can mentor a new cohort of colleagues.
  • Hire a cohort of post-docs with expertise in computational approaches who will teach undergraduate students, connecting undergraduate learning with state-of-the-art researchers.

Timeline: 1–3 years

Graduate Education Initiative

A vibrant graduate education ecosystem attracts outstanding students, advances research excellence and prepares leaders for academia, industry, government and communities. This initiative will strengthen MSU’s doctoral and professional doctoral programs, expand innovative master’s and 4+1 pathways aligned with student and workforce demand, and create a comprehensive support network that enhances graduate student success, professional development and sense of belonging across the university.

Actions may include:

  • Design a three-point initiative that appropriately incentivizes and synchronizes the launch or build out of selected doctoral programs, professional master’s programs and 4+1 programs.
  • Create a plan and identify resources to bolster graduate student stipends.

Timeline: 1–3 years

Research Project Management Support

MSU will build a team of Research Project Management Support (RPMS) professionals who are dedicated specifically to assisting principal investigators from proposal development through execution and outcomes. The team will support administrative tasks like hiring, procurement, budget management and timelines, allowing researchers to spend more time on advancing their scholarship.

Actions may include:

  • Appoint a director of Research Project Management Support to design support services and consult with principal investigators.
  • Build a team of project managers to scale with demand for services.

Timeline: <1 year

Reinvigorating the Core Curriculum

The MSU Core helps students develop an enhanced understanding of themselves, become effective communicators, thinkers and problem solvers, and understand their responsibilities as members of a larger community. This project will charge and equip MSU faculty to assess and potentially refresh the MSU Core curriculum, ensuring its work for students continues in light of emerging workforce needs and technologies, and that the Core reflects MSU’s commitment to education in the public interest.

Actions may include:

  • Survey students about how the current Core curriculum develops their understanding of multiple disciplinary perspectives.
  • Convene a faculty workgroup to identify a set of Great Questions that MSU graduates should be prepared to tackle.
  • Faculty design and recommend a refreshed Core curriculum by updating Core categories or structure, keeping the strong respect the existing Core has for disciplinary ways of knowing.

Timeline: 1–3 years

Wisdom and Artificial Intelligence

Students need preparation to use artificial intelligence and other emergent technological tools in the workplace. Faculty members across disciplines will address AI literacy in the workplace, wise decision-making and the uses and limitations of technological tools.

Actions may include:

  • Provide continuing education to develop faculty expertise in artificial intelligence relative to industry expectations.
  • Award teaching innovation grants enabling faculty to focus time and attention on coursework development.
  • Incorporate introductory level coursework into both core and major focused courses that develop AI literacy, technological skills and an industry perspective on being a wise user of novel technology.

Timeline: 1–3 years

 

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Our Land-Grant DNA: State and Community Engagement

Blue and Gold Industry Roundtable

This project will develop a formal partnership between MSU and a select number of industry partners who are deeply committed to the future of Montana. Roundtable partners will offer guidance and support to MSU as we conduct industry-relevant research, prepare students for rewarding careers in Montana and beyond, and align our curriculum with the needs of Montana’s current and emerging economy.

Actions may include:

  • Host quarterly Roundtable events and discussions to develop curricular partnerships, internship opportunities and career pathways.
  • Connect MSU students to work-based learning and employment opportunities with input and guidance from Roundtable members.
  • Advance industry sponsored research by deepening engagement with MSU researchers and core facilities.

Timeline: <1 year

Strengthening Community Vitality

Strong communities are essential to a strong Montana. Informed by local and statewide needs, MSU Extension Community Vitality programming requests continue to grow and outpace the capacity of the three program area specialists. This project connects urban, rural and Indigenous communities with the expertise, resources and partnerships needed to address locally identified needs, build capacity, strengthen resilience and create new opportunities for the future.

Actions may include:

  • Invest in three additional Extension Community Vitality Specialists located across Montana to broaden capacity and expertise. These specialists will collaborate with local communities and Extension Agents as they address opportunities, priorities, and challenges in areas such as housing, workforce development, economic opportunity, and emerging technologies.
  • Partner with communities to strengthen capacity through facilitation, technical assistance and research-based resources that improve community vitality, support informed decision-making and assist in securing new investments.

Timeline: 1-3 years

4-H Beyond Ready

Montana’s future depends on young people who are prepared for college, careers, leadership, and community life. However, the number of Montana students pursuing any post-secondary education has been seriously declining, and many youth lack the skills and knowledge needed to enter directly into the workforce. This project expands the 4-H Beyond Ready initiative by providing opportunities for youth, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities, to enhance life skills, explore pathways, and connect with educational and career opportunities across Montana.

Actions may include:

  • Expand 4-H College and Career school-based and experiential Beyond Ready programs that help youth build leadership, workforce, and life skills.
  • Strengthen the Montana 4-H Beyond Ready initiative and invest in regional specialists to work in partnership with schools, employers, and higher education institutions to create pathways to college, careers, and community leadership.

Timeline: 3+ years

Careers to Serve Communities

Montana communities thrive when they have hometown heroes, such as teachers, nurses, doctors, law enforcement, trades professionals and Main Street business owners. MSU will prepare students to serve communities with passion and effectiveness.

Actions may include:

  • Provide MSU students an applied, hands-on, learning experience.
  • Expand internship opportunities within Montana communities.

Timeline: 1-3 years

 

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Our Quality of Worklife

Developing Our MSU Team

Our people are the foundation of MSU’s success. Through training and development, employees build skills, grow professionally and contribute more effectively. MSU’s investment in people will strengthen both our culture and mission.

Actions may include:

  • Create learning and skill development pathways for all employee types and career stages.
  • Expand leadership development, career laddering and mentoring opportunities.

Timeline: 1-3 years

Premier Employee Onboarding

MSU is committed to investing in its people and their success. Creating a welcoming onboarding experience that builds connection and purpose while introducing new employees to MSU’s collaborative culture will inspire them to engage, contribute and advance MSU’s mission.

Actions may include:

  • Include campus stakeholders for a broader and more meaningful experience.
  • Create an engaging online experience for new off-campus employees in Montana.
  • Ensure new employees have the tools they need to succeed.
  • Measure progress and satisfaction with new employees at 3, 6 and 12 months.

Timeline: 1-3 years

Continuous Improvement and Institutional Excellence

This Initiative is a holistic process improvement project to modernize, simplify and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the institution’s operations. The project will identify, map, propose redesigns and modernize university workflows across campus.

Actions may include:

  • Establish an Office of Continuous Improvement with resources to help build and solve complex issues.
  • Identify and improve digital experiences, especially the integration of different software systems and platforms, through a process that emphasizes continuous improvement and user’s lens.

Timeline: <1 year

Telling Our Story

Effective communication is key to any large organization, whether that’s within its own walls or in how it tells its story to the outside world. This project will take steps to better inform public and internal audiences about the university’s activities and achievements, fostering stronger connections to, and alignment with, MSU.

Actions may include:

  • Invest in training and staff capacity to improve internal communications efforts on campus to keep staff better informed of MSU’s highlights and mission.
  • Create training to help MSU staff and faculty better convey MSU’s mission and success when working with the public.
  • Explore new or underused storytelling media at MSU, such as podcasts, as well as highlighting stories about athletics, alumni and the MSU Alumni Foundation on communities in Montana.
  • Establish a Research on the Road event to spread news about MSU’s work across Montana.

Timeline: 1-3 years

Planning Tomorrow’s Campus, Addressing Mobility Today

Growth, aging facilities and changing needs are all reasons for MSU to refresh its campus master plan — this is the process that will guide the future of our physical footprint and campus design for the next generation of Bobcats. As we plan for tomorrow, we will also take steps to address key mobility challenges on our campus today.

Actions may include:

  • Hosting open forums to gather first-round input on land use, open space, housing, transportation, sustainability, wayfinding and more.
  • Creating an interactive website for campus community members to voice their ideas on campus growth during the next decade.
  • Improve mobility and access at MSU through campus parking and transportation enhancements, Streamline bus services, bike accessibility and campus wayfinding resources.

Timeline: 1-3 years

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Last Updated: September 21, 2026