Past Planning

Academic Plan

Envisioned UNC as an exemplary teaching and learning community.  

UNC’s last traditional campus-wide planning process wrapped up in 2007 with the completion of the Academic Plan, which envisioned UNC as an exemplary teaching and learning community.  

Download the 2007 Academic Plan

Strategic Framework

In 2010, in an effort to provide a common foundation for a number of operational plans, we created the Strategic Framework. It identified these action areas for fulfilling the vision of the Academic Plan: 

1. Serve students and build exemplary academic programs to fulfill UNC’s mission in sustainable ways; 
2. Enhance UNC’s research focus to engage our faculty and students and the public we serve; and  
3. Create a respectful and inclusive campus community that connects with the area around the University and the global community. 

Download the 2010 Strategic Framework

Planning Map

Flowchart connecting many planning efforts to support the Strategic Framework. 

Following the creation of the Strategic Framework, we convened several working groups to develop operational plans (e.g., community and civic engagement, equity and diversity, research, scholarship and creative works). The Planning Map was created in 2012 to show how various plans were related. 

Download 2012 Planning Map

Five-year Fiscal Sustainability Plan 

Five targets for achieving fiscal sustainability with limited state support. 

In 2014, facing declining enrollment and limited state funding, we developed the Five-Year Fiscal Sustainability Plan. Though it soon became our primary focus, it was not intended to supplant the numerous operational plans on the Planning Map. The plan set multiyear targets to address three areas: 

1. Recruiting a broader mix of students; 
2. Improving persistence to graduation; and  
3. Changing operational practices to be more effective and more efficient. Results are detailed in the next section.  

Download Five-Year Fiscal Sustainability Plan Results

Task Forces 

Action-oriented recommendations on academic portfolio, student success and student affairs 

In the fall of 2018, we convened three task forces to address the academic portfolio, student success and student affairs. Over 170 students, staff and faculty served on the task forces and numerous subcommittees. They made recommendations on specific strategies to improve student outcomes, reduce equity gaps, realign student affairs functions to better serve students, and strengthen, expand, or phase out programs and services. Some of these recommendations were incorporated into the Strategic Enrollment and Student Success plan. 

View Task Force Final Reports

Strategic Enrollment & Student Success

Strategic imperatives for student success and enrollment growth 

The Strategic Enrollment and Student Success (SESS) plan developed in the spring of 2019 and now being implemented is a critical foundation for the 2019-20 planning process. No matter how we envision our future, the SESS plan’s strategic imperatives—aligned admissions efforts, community college transfer partnerships, integrated student support, and targeted coaching—will remain essential. 

Download SESS Plan