Written by Eddie Hughes | Fresno State News
Fresno State’s new strategic plan outlines the comprehensive goals and strategies that will steer the university in “growing the Valley of opportunity” over the next five years.
“We will strengthen the academic preparation of our students and ensure their future success; enhance faculty research and staff development; and deepen our impact in our region and beyond through partnerships with industry and community organizations,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, who shared the finalized strategic plan with faculty and staff at an assembly on Aug. 17 after months of collecting input.
The strategic plan, driven by numerous committees of faculty, staff, students and community members, is the product of feedback gathered from thousands of individuals both on and off campus. The planning committee was chaired by Dr. Sergio La Porta, an Armenian studies professor at Fresno State.
The plan identifies four core values — exploration, excellence, inclusion and community — each of which are detailed within the 30-page document.
It also includes five overarching goals for the university:
- Enhance personal and professional fulfillment.
- Bridge campus and community.
- Be an innovative driver of regional progress with a global impact.
- Modernize facilities, infrastructure and technology.
- Embody full inclusivity and belongingness.
Each of these goals comes with detailed strategies and measurables that will be tracked over the next five years.
The plan also includes the university’s refreshed mission statement: “Fresno State empowers students for success through a transformative education rooted in active service with diverse communities.”
Pride points
The university begins its 113th academic year on Aug. 21 with a projected enrollment of 23,507 students and more than 242,000 living alumni.
Fresno State is a public, doctoral-granting university classified by the Carnegie Foundation as an R2 (high research activity). Students, faculty and staff have contributed over 1 million hours of service to the community for 14 consecutive years.
Fresno State ranked No. 36 in Washington Monthly’s 2022 National University Rankings of colleges and universities that best serve the country in social mobility, research and public service. This marked the seventh straight year Fresno State was the highest-ranked California State University campus.
Fresno State is one of 23 campuses in the CSU system — the largest public higher education system in the nation — and is nationally recognized for competing at the highest level of Division I athletics.
In 2022, Fresno State was one of just five universities nationally to appear in both the college football AP top 25 poll and the Washington Monthly top 40 universities ranking.
Fresno State is a driver for social mobility in Central California — about 65% of students are the first in their families to attend college, while many others continue a proud family legacy as second- or third-generation Bulldogs. About 80% of graduates stay and work in the San Joaquin Valley.
Jiménez-Sandoval emphasized the concept of social mobility at the university’s faculty and staff assembly. “We are consistently ranked for social mobility,” he said, “which means we change the trajectory of students’ lives through education, and every generation that follows is positively impacted by the power of a Fresno State degree.”
