HSU Strategic Plan

Advance academic excellence that leverages the unique strengths of Humboldt including sense of place, people, and planet. This includes: relationships with indigenous communities to address the legacy of colonialism and to co-develop knowledge; integration of the study of the dependence of economies and societies on the resilience and sustainability of ecological systems; place-based teaching and learning that features the social, cultural, and natural environments of the North Coast; experiential and real-world problem-based learning; engagement with larger communities through the arts; and full integration of the concepts of justice and equity. 

Imagine and create a comprehensive polytechnic university where diverse students thrive through hands-on and interdisciplinary- and equity-informed teaching and learning to which students contribute the knowledge and skill born of their lived experience and rooted in their cultures.

This includes: deploying online and other alternative approaches to teaching and learning for greater access and scheduling flexibility for working students; strategic summer offerings and the use of intersession; strengthened partnerships with community colleges toward smooth pathways for transfer students; flexibility in credentialing; decolonizing knowledge systems and integrating traditional ecological knowledge; continuing our movement toward a Hispanic-Thriving Institution; common creative and intellectual experiences and projects involving undergraduate and graduate students; student leadership development opportunities; applied learning directly connected to pre-professional or career preparation; recognition of and response to the impact of dominant systems of power and privilege on our students pre-college and college experiences.

Support the success, advancement, and retention of all faculty and staff.

This includes: providing faculty and staff opportunities to serve as members of meaningful work teams and co-creators of programs and activities that promote diverse perspectives; fully supporting free inquiry honoring diversity across all dimensions; incentivizing interdisciplinary collaboration; modeling and promoting human dignity in all interactions and organizational culture.

Increase academic alignment with the workforce and other needs of the community, industry, California, and the world.

This includes: preparing students to take on the commitments of communication, critical inquiry, social responsibility, equity, and ethical civic engagement necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century; emphasizing diverse and inclusive team approaches to learning and leadership development in students; real-world application of theory; and experiential learning.

Increase student and faculty critical understanding of and engagement with global communities and cultures.

This includes: education in languages, cultures, and histories; transnational analysis of the roots and impact of global inequities; and supporting international exchange, partnerships, service-learning, and study.