Becoming Our UD
The University of Delaware is developing its next strategic plan. Building on the Delaware Declarations — nine commitments that emerged from University-wide conversations — the plan will establish clear priorities, measurable outcomes, and a shared direction for UD through 2032.
Roadmap
The University of Delaware is developing its next strategic plan. Building on the Delaware Declarations — nine commitments that emerged from University-wide conversations — the plan will establish clear priorities, measurable outcomes, and a shared direction for UD through 2032.
Delaware Declarations
The Delaware Declarations are the foundation of UD's strategic plan. They describe not just what we do, but how and why we do it.
At the University of Delaware we…
Inquire with impact by starting with the needs of the state, the nation, and the world, and then generating, translating and refining knowledge and solutions.
Create with connections by leveraging our unique assets, our nimbleness and our partnerships to strengthen our community.
Innovate with intention by infusing entrepreneurial thinking into our cross-disciplinary research, scholarship, teaching and learning.
Grow with purpose by sustaining the advances of the past while building excellence within new frontiers.
Welcome with promise by fulfilling our obligation to enable a transformative education for all students, taking them from where they are to where they need to be.
Educate with outcomes by opening doors for Blue Hens to thrive and succeed throughout their whole life's journey.
Work with trust by assuming good intent, encouraging diverse viewpoints, and respecting and valuing everyone's contributions.
Belong with joy by living out our conviction that our community is worthy of our attention and our intention.
Stand with pride by being confident to define ourselves and stand in an image of our own creation.
How the Plan Is Being Built
Each Declaration Working Group is working through four questions.
Who We Are
What does this Declaration mean for UD, and what should distinguish our contributions?
How We Work
What principles, relationships, and practices are necessary for success?
What We Do
What should UD prioritize, and what outcomes and strategies will move us forward?
When We Make Progress
What will success look like, and how will we measure it?
Who Is Involved
Alignment Committee
This committee reviews recommendations from all nine Declaration Working Groups and ensures that the final strategic plan reflects a coherent, University-wide direction. This group also incorporates insights from all conversations along our Roadmap (see above).
[Members forthcoming]
Declaration Working Groups
We are forming nine working groups, one for each of the Delaware Declarations. Each group will have faculty, staff, and students who will work together to develop priorities, strategies, and define what success looks like.
[Members forthcoming]
Attain Partners
UD’s strategic plan is being shaped by the people who know the University best: its students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and leaders. Attain Partners, a consulting firm with extensive higher education experience, is supporting that work by facilitating conversations, synthesizing community input, and helping translate the University’s ideas into an actionable plan.
Get Involved
Students, faculty, and staff will have opportunities throughout the process - through working groups, community conversations, surveys, and review sessions. Working groups are forming now and space is limited. Additional opportunities to share ideas and provide feedback will be available as the process unfolds.
Updates
We’re committed to keeping you informed along the way. This page will serve as a central hub for strategic planning updates. We’ll also share progress through campus announcements, the Prez Beat, and other University communications.
Please check back here regularly for:
- Engagement opportunities
- Working group milestones
- Planning updates
- Implementation and progress reports
Frequently Asked Questions
With new University leadership and extensive campus conversations over the past year, this is an important moment to define UD’s path forward. The strategic plan will build on the University community’s input, establish a shared direction through 2032, and align UD’s priorities, decisions, and resources with its mission.
The Delaware Declarations are nine commitments that describe how UD will pursue its mission, work together, and define progress. They provide the foundation for the strategic plan and will help shape its priorities, actions, and measures of success.
Forward and Forever (2016-2026) was designed as a living document that would evolve alongside the University. The new strategic plan builds on its progress and lessons while updating UD’s priorities and direction to reflect the opportunities and challenges ahead. Once the new plan is approved, Forward and Forever will be archived as part of UD’s strategic history, and the new plan will become the University’s primary framework through 2032.
The Listening phase included University-wide conversations, surveys, and engagement conducted over the past year. That input now informs the Building phase, with the strategic plan expected to be finalized in 2027. The Delivering phase will then continue through 2032.
The Declaration Working Groups build on input gathered through University-wide conversations, town halls, surveys, and reports. Members will help translate that input into proposed priorities, outcomes, strategies, and measures of progress. Additional opportunities for the broader UD community to share ideas and provide feedback will be available throughout the process.
Students, faculty, and staff can express interest in joining a Declaration Working Group using the form above. Working group seats are limited, but we will do our best to accommodate those who express interest. Throughout the working group process, the broader UD community will have additional opportunities to review emerging recommendations and provide feedback.
Nine working groups, one for each Delaware Declaration, bring together students, faculty, staff, deans, and University leaders from across UD. Each group will use existing University input to develop proposed priorities, outcomes, strategies, measures of progress, and implementation considerations for its Declaration.
The Declaration Working Groups develop recommendations, which the Alignment Committee reviews to ensure coherence across the plan. University leadership will shape the final recommendations, and the completed strategic plan will be presented to the Board of Trustees for approval at the end of the process.
The strategic plan will define clear outcomes, measures of progress, and accountability for implementation. UD will regularly assess results, adjust its approach as needed, and share progress with the University community through an up-to-date, public-facing dashboard that tracks progress toward key goals and outcomes.