Jacksonville State University 2017-2021 Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan Development and Approval

The development of the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan is based on the inaugural theme of Dr. John M. Beehler, Jacksonville State University’s 12th President, and specifically the "TIES" acronym that he discussed during his inaugural address. The TIES acronym consists of the words "Transformative," "Innovative" and "Engaged for Success."

View the TIES portion of Dr. Beehler’s Inaugural Address

The Strategic plan was developed by a committee of 29 members that included faculty, staff, administration and students. The committee developed the key components; Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Core Values and Key Initiatives; which were evaluated through the JSU community twice; first through a survey and then through a series of Focus Groups.

The Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees approved the Strategic Plan during their quarterly meeting on January 23, 2017.

Strategic Initiative Chairs

Each of the Key Initiatives became the basis of subcommittees chaired by members of the full Committee. These sub committees developed Objectives and Action Items to support the achievement of each Initiative.

Each Strategic Initiative was assigned a specific Chair or Chairs, who are responsible for reporting on the progress of their Initiative.

The Strategic Initiative Chairs are as follows:

Increase Enrollment
Dr. Tim King, Vice President for Student Affairs

Expand Regional Stewardship
Dr. Don Killingsworth, Chief External Affairs Officer

Enhance University Resources
Mr. Jim Brigham, Vice President for Finance & Administration/CFO
Dr. Charles Lewis, Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director, JSU Foundation Inc.

Expand Innovative Educational Experiences
Dr. Christie Shelton, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Tim King, Vice President for Student Affairs

Enhance Branding and Marketing
Dr. Charles Lewis, Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director, JSU Foundation Inc.

Enhance Human Capital
 Chief Human Resources Officer

Enhance University Infrastructure
Mr. Jim Brigham, Vice President for Finance & Administration/CFO


Key Components

Mission Statement

Jacksonville State University, as a learning-centered community, provides distinctive educational, cultural and social experiences to prepare students to be competent, ethical professionals and engaged, responsible, global citizens.

Vision Statement

Jacksonville State University will be recognized nationally for excellence in providing a transformational learning environment that supports student success and engagement, regional stewardship and innovation.

Core Values

Jacksonville State University is committed to:

  • Student-Centered Culture
  • Excellence
  • Transformation
  • Innovation
  • Engagement
  • Stewardship
  • Integrity
  • Inclusivity

Key Strategic Initiatives

  1. Increase Enrollment
    Increase enrollment by improving upon the overall recruitment and retention strategies of undergraduate and graduate students.
  2. Expand Regional Stewardship
    Serve our region of Northeast Alabama by promoting direct, two-way interaction with communities and key external constituencies through the development, exchange, and application of knowledge, information, and expertise for mutual benefit.
  3. Enhance University Resources
    Maximize and make effective use of resources in order to improve and secure the financial future of Jacksonville State University by increasing revenues, increasing productivity, redefining the fee structure and fee allocation, and diversifying the revenue stream.
  4. Expand Innovative Educational Experiences
    Develop strategies to enhance the awareness of the importance of providing innovative educational experiences to students and identify innovations in curriculum, learning spaces, academic support systems and student experiences that enhance learning and career preparation.
  5. Enhance Branding and Marketing
    Enhance the branding and marketing of JSU through increased brand awareness and targeted and engaging marketing strategies to our primary and secondary markets. This will be accomplished through the development of a comprehensive integrated marketing plan that will be delivered through various media and kept current by continuous assessment of our technology and marketing software platforms.
  6. Enhance Human Capital
    Provide new opportunities, and further enhance existing opportunities for promoting and maintaining all aspects of the health, knowledge, skills, abilities, talents, experiences, judgment, and motivation which are possessed by JSU employees. Enhancing of the aforementioned elements, both individually and collectively help increase the value, morale, productivity of employees and that of JSU’s resources, and further increase the sense of belonging. Enhancing JSU’s human capital enables employees to enjoy a high standard of health, when access to varied and satisfying opportunities for work, personal creativity, and recreation are provided.
  7. Enhance University Infrastructure
    Improve and maintain the physical facilities, information technology and networks required to support the university’s mission.