General | August 23
DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University Vice-President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean T. Frazier on Wednesday released the department's 2023-26 Strategic Plan which provides a framework that will be used to guide the Huskies forward over the next three years in the rapidly changing world of intercollegiate athletics.
The 2023-26 Strategic Plan is the third three-year plan completed under Frazier and retains the original Athletics Vision Statement "to be a nationally recognized NCAA Division I program that wins championships and graduates student-athletes with integrity while engaging a diverse community." It is the result of a year-long process that involved gathering input from a diverse group of stakeholders, including coaches, departmental staff, student-athletes, donors and community members to produce a plan that is manageable and measurable.
Under the #MissionPossible banner, the 2023-26 NIU Athletics Strategic Plan provides a set of goals and objectives organized under five pillars: Student-Athlete Experience, The Huskie Brand, Community Connection, Human Capital and Financial Stability.
"This is an important document at an important time for NIU Athletics," Frazier said. "I'm proud of the work that went into putting it together, but the work has just begun as we take this plan and turn it into action. In this Strategic Plan we have defined the priorities that will guide our decision-making. It will take all of our constituents to come together, to see themselves in the plan and to turn the words on these pages into reality. With all of Huskie Nation coming together, this plan is 'Mission Possible'."
The 2023-26 Plan continues to prioritize the Student-Athlete Experience with objectives focused on mental and physical health, communication, leadership and diversity training, and providing cultural experiences. The renamed "Huskie Brand" pillar emphasizes marketing, advertising, branding and apparel sales, while the Community Connection pillar looks to further the Huskies' relationships on and off campus, within specific groups and more. Financial Stability also has been a hallmark of previous strategic plans and includes objectives for the Campus Recreation and Convocation Center units within Athletics. A new pillar in the 2023-26 document is Human Capital, with a stated goal to invest and improve the Huskie employee experience.
To ensure that the Strategic Plan "lives" as a working document, groups focused on each pillar will meet monthly work toward achieving the objectives.
"Special thanks to Senior Associate Athletic Directors Anton Goff and Courtney Vinson, who led the charge on this 2023-26 Strategic Plan, and to everyone who provided input as this document came together," Frazier said. "I believe the priorities and objectives are clear and provide a path to success for Huskie Athletics and hope all of our fans, alumni and constituents will take time to read and be a part of that success."
Click to read and/or download the 2023-26 NIU Athletics Strategic Plan.
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