Strategic Planning

Overview

Throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, our college navigated a strategic planning process to produce a plan that reflects the evolving landscape in which we operate as well as address the needs of our community. In 2024, the process focused heavily on an organizational assessment of the college, creating an opportunity to reimagine our structure. Our focus transitioned toward the strategic plan as we entered the new year.

Our college is home to several disciplines and degree programs that are subject to the changing expectations of higher education and educator preparation programs. With this landscape in mind, we have entered an ideal time to innovate and reflect on how we want to carry ourselves over the next five years.

During this process, our community showed up and devoted their time and energy to the success of this plan. We would not have reached this point if not for our dedicated community, who participated in surveys, listening sessions, focus groups, and interviews.

We invite you to read the plan and learn more about the culmination of this work.

MTSU College of Education Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan Priorities

1. Deliver an Exemplary Student Experience
2. Expand Career-Focused Learning
3. Advance Research Excellence and Impact
4. Elevate Impact Through Strategic Partnerships
5. Foster a Strong, Collaborative, and Connected College Culture

Implementation

With this plan in place, we are acting on our promise to serve our college and greater communities. The mission and vision are the foundation for a lasting impact, and the priorities and strategies detail how we will get there. A detailed implementation plan was created as part of the strategic plan that provides timeframes for each priority. As we enter this next phase and begin moving forward, we will actively track our progress and hold ourselves accountable to the plan.

Message from the Dean

To our college community members,

I am excited to share this strategic plan — the culmination of a year of dreaming, collaborating, and envisioning the future of our college. Shaped by your voices and the dedication of our entire college community, this plan serves as the roadmap for our future. Your input was invaluable, and your insights have allowed us to envision a future for the College of Education that builds on our dedication to excellence in every sector and among the individuals we serve.

Now more than ever, we are at a pivotal moment for higher education, especially for colleges of education. Despite the uncertainty we face, we are positioned for success thanks to our dedicated faculty and staff, students eager to advance and learn, loyal alumni and donors, and external partners committed to supporting the college. Throughout our history, the College of Education at Middle Tennessee State University has been a trusted source of excellence in Tennessee, preparing students to thrive and succeed in an ever-changing world. Through this strategic plan, we will continue to build on this legacy.

Education serves as the foundation that supports and empowers virtually every other discipline, making us true Difference Makers in our work. We are proud to be a college that approaches education holistically — preparing educators through traditional education programs while also developing leaders in K–12 education and higher education, counselors, and experts in foundational areas such as curriculum design, administration, and school improvement.

Recognizing that education extends beyond traditional classroom structures, we are equally proud of our role in preparing librarians, who provide vital, unhindered access to information, preserving and opening gateways to knowledge for individuals and communities. We are also committed to preparing researchers who generate new knowledge, inform practice, and contribute to innovation across educational settings.

Across each of these disciplines, we are united by our unwavering commitment to growth, learning, and supporting the pathways through which individuals build foundational critical thinking and analytical skills to specialize in their chosen fields. As the world of education continues to evolve, so too does our approach.

Over the past five years, both the field of education and the ways in which education is delivered have changed significantly. Among the most essential lessons from this period is the critical need for innovative, immersive teaching practices, the seamless integration of technology into learning environments, and a renewed commitment to expanding access to knowledge through creative educational approaches — guiding principles that apply to each of the disciplines housed within our College.

For years, our College has stood at the forefront of educational excellence, committed to teaching and preparing students to thrive in a changing world. This strategic plan outlines the areas we will prioritize to continue advancing our mission, honor our roots, and adapt to emerging trends in an evolving landscape.

Now is the time to look to the future, recognizing that while change is inevitable, we are charting our own course — one that will fulfill our pursuit of excellence across our state and beyond. Building on our historic commitment to education, we are embracing a broader, more comprehensive definition of what education means and working together to prepare the next generation of Difference Makers.

Thank you all once again for your dedication and continued engagement throughout this process. Your willingness to share insights and feedback has been instrumental in getting us to this point. I am excited for the future and optimistic about all we will accomplish together.

Sincerely,

Neporcha Cone, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Education
Middle Tennessee State University

Process and Timeline

This planning process took place throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, with the majority of stakeholder engagement occurring between October 2024 through February 2025. Through interviews, surveys, listening sessions, focus groups, and an all-day retreat with the strategic planning steering committee, community input was prioritized to ensure the plan would position the college for success and reflect the many voices it represents. From this process, we identified opportunities for continued growth and how we can better serve our college community. The strategic planning steering committee, comprised of faculty, staff, and leadership representatives from across the College of Education, navigated the plan’s progression by reviewing research, informing stakeholder engagement, and ultimately overseeing the development of our strategic plan.

• Robyn Ridgley, Associate Dean, Committee Chair
• Tiffany Dellard, Executive Director, Office of Educator Preparation & Licensure
• Tiffany Fantine, Director of Advising COE
• Andrea Jenkins, Associate Professor Womack Department of Educational Leadership
• Kristen Keene, Strategic Communications & Marketing Manager, Office of the Dean
• Jane Lim, Professor Elementary & Special Education
• Eric Oslund, Professor; Chair, Elementary & Special Education
• Everett Singleton, Associate Professor Womack Department of Educational Leadership
• Michelle Stevens, Director in the College of Education, Professor Womack Department of Educational Leadership

The carefully constructed timeline below culminated in an effective approach to information gathering that helped shape a plan grounded in our current needs and future ambitions.

• October 2024: Project kickoff
• October – November 2024: Stakeholder engagement
• January 2025: Organizational assessment recommendations
• January – February 2025: Strategic planning engagement; survey all students and the college alumni and donor network
• March 2025: Strategic planning retreat
• March – April 2025: Strategic plan development
• May 2025: Finalization of strategic plan