Michigan State University President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., today introduced a refreshed, reframed and reimagined strategic plan, MSU 2030: Excellence for Global Impact, and reaffirmed leadership’s commitment to a shared vision for the university through the end of the decade.

“The process to refresh, reframe, reimagine and reaffirm MSU 2030 is an important waypoint for us,” said Guskiewicz. “It offers opportunities to reflect on our successes and challenges, to consider how both Michigan State University and the world have changed and adjust to ensure a successful trajectory.”

Originally unveiled in 2021, the newly revised MSU 2030 plan maintains as foundational elements six strategic priorities — Student Success, Staff and Faculty Success, Discovery and Innovation for Impact, Sustainable Health, Stewardship for a Sustainable Future, and Access, Opportunity and Excellence — with corresponding objectives and supporting actions. Updated metrics will be developed over the next few months. The language associated with the priorities has been updated, including the introduction of Access, Opportunity and Excellence, to better connect the language of the plan with MSU’s broader land-grant mission and core commitments to advance education, research and outreach for all.

The refreshed plan also introduces the following cross-cutting themes to inject new energy into ongoing efforts and unite key areas:

Grow Talent for Michigan and Beyond
Drive Health Transformation
Enroll for the Future
Build Community Together
Achieve Next-Generation Operations and Organization

MSU 2030: Excellence for Global Impact, embraces Michigan State’s legacy as a proudly public, accessible and inclusive institution offering a high-quality education for the next generation of students and graduates who will join forces to solve the world’s problems. The newly refreshed strategic plan acknowledges that partnership, teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration are necessary to confront the challenges of our time and innovate for the future.

MSU is the state’s foremost talent activator, educating more Michigan students than any other university, with more than 60% of MSU graduates staying in the state to propel innovation, drive business growth, improve communities and change lives. MSU 2030: Excellence for Global Impact envisions that by 2030, Michigan State University will be the nation’s leading contemporary land-grant university, expanding opportunity for all, activating talent and creating extraordinary impact for Michigan and the world.

“This reimagined strategic plan continues to recognize our people as the university’s greatest asset and the beating heart of the institution,” said Guskiewicz. “By supporting their success, we position the university to advance the very best education, research and workplace culture for Spartans, together with value and service to the public in keeping with our great land-grant tradition.”

The effort to refresh, reframe, reimagine and reaffirm MSU 2030 started in 2024 as one of Guskiewicz’s early initiatives. The effort focused on better aligning the work of the university’s units with the plan’s framework, recognizing progress since 2021, adapting to changes in the environment and strategic recalibration for the future. Revisiting MSU 2030 provided an opportunity to reaffirm Spartan values and sharpen the university’s vision for the next five years.

The university has seen significant achievements over the past few years, from the expansion of access to an MSU degree through the Spartan Tuition Advantage program to growth of research expenditures supporting discovery and innovation across multiple disciplines. Looking ahead, MSU 2030: Excellence for Global Impact maintains certain key measurable outcomes found in the original plan, such as:

Raising the six-year average graduation rate for undergraduate students by 5% to 86% by 2030.
Reaching $1 billion in total research expenditures by 2030.
Tripling National Institutes of Health/Centers for Disease Control funding.

The plan was conceived as a stable framework with room for adaptability, and the MSU 2030 originating steering committee called for a refresh several years into the life of the plan. That process, led by Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Bill Beekman and supported by all MSU 2030 executive sponsors and the Strategic Plan Implementation Steering Committee, concluded in July 2025.

“MSU 2030 reflects the values and traditions that long ago established Michigan State University as an accessible and welcoming institution,” said Beekman. “The steering committee constructed a plan with a stable framework that encourages adaptability, and updates to the plan are an integral part of that dynamic strategy. I am proud of the contributions of the members of the steering committee to continue to ensure MSU is on the right path to close out the decade.”

The MSU 2030 strategic plan was originally developed over 18 months through a collaborative process engaging the full Spartan community. Endorsed by the Board of Trustees in September 2021, it built on the university’s strengths and aligned with its values to establish a framework to accelerate MSU’s collective pursuit of advancing knowledge and transforming lives.

“The Board of Trustees is pleased to once again voice our support for a comprehensive plan to chart a course for the future of MSU,” said Chair Kelly Tebay. “We appreciate the leadership of President Guskiewicz, the executive sponsors and the Strategic Plan Implementation Steering Committee to refresh, reframe, reimagine and reaffirm a strategic plan capable of making MSU the nation’s leading contemporary land-grant university.”

Broad implementation of the plan will continue to be led by Beekman and the steering committee, with annual reports made to the MSU Board of Trustees.

Read the refreshed MSU 2030: Excellence for Global Impact here.

Topics

Collections

Big Ideas

Spartan Perspectives

Featured

Last Updated: July 15, 2025

Water at MSU