Central Michigan University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Central Michigan University's 2023-2028 Strategic Plan has four major priorities, with "Ensure Institutional Sustainability — Embrace sustainable campus operations that ensure wise stewardship of our resources" being the fourth.

One applicable objective of this priority is that the institution should strategically invest in and rebalance its portfolio of educational offerings to meet current and future learner, employer, and societal needs while remaining accessible and affordable. Sustainability is an issue CMU is committed to teaching its student through curriculum and research opportunities.

Central Michigan University's 2023-2028 Strategic Plan has two major priorities that relate to engagement with sustainability.

Priority one, 'Inspire Student and Scholarly Success,' calls for preparing bold leaders and learners who can innovate and adapt in a rapidly changing world. It provides the following objectives to do so: "(1) Engage students to lead in a rapidly changing world. (2) Expand interdisciplinary opportunities to meet critical societal challenges in our local, state, and global communities. (3) Create a seamless journey over a CMU learner’s lifetime. (4) Commit to supporting our faculty and strategically investing in research and creative endeavors that address society’s grand challenges and enrich the learning opportunities for all. (5) Intentionally internationalize the student experience and the CMU campus."

The plan provides the following goals and their measures to achieve these objectives:

Goal: "95% of undergraduate students are employed, involved in military or volunteer service, or in graduate school within six months of graduation as reported in the First Destination Survey."

Goal: "Within 5 years, every undergraduate student will have an immersive experience in a university-approved program by the time they graduate. Immersive experiences include, but are not limited to, leadership development programming, internships, research opportunities, study abroad, alternative breaks, and other relevant experiences with clear learning objectives." Measure: "Year one target includes the creation of a comprehensive university-approved list of programs, identification of a tracking mechanism, and a communication plan by August 2024."

Goal: "Create a program to streamline the learner experience and achieve a continued increase in the number of learners who return to CMU over their lifetime." Measure: "Year one target includes the development of the methodology for tracking by August 2024."

Priority two, 'Engage Communities,' calls for cultivating and enriching reciprocal partnerships with university stakeholders to ensure a lasting impact in the communities the institution serves. It is accompanied by the following objectives: "(1)Champion the interests of rural and under-resourced populations through collaborations. (2) Embrace and enhance the historic connection between the university and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe through active listening, cooperative partnering, and reciprocal learning to build on longstanding local connections and establish networks for broader collaboration with tribes across the Great Lakes region. (3) Engage alumni, donors, community and business leaders, among others, to provide mutually beneficial real-world and hands-on experiences for students through curricular and co-curricular partnerships. (4) Leverage and develop strengths of CMU with the needs and interests of our communities to build and sustain dynamic relationships."

The plan provides the following goals and their measures to achieve these objectives:

Goal: "Develop strategies to identify and enhance relationships to meet community needs, beginning with healthcare and wellbeing in the mid-Michigan area, Great Lakes Bay Region, western and northern Michigan." Measure: "Develop the plan, a comprehensive tracking process, and annual goals, by August 2024."

Goal: "Increase the number of students engaging in curricular and co-curricular real-world experiences with external stakeholders to achieve a long-term goal of 80% of undergraduate students." Measure: "Identify a comprehensive list of the experiences, partners of engagement, transcript-based tracking mechanism, and communication plan to students and faculty by December 2024 for a Fall 2025 rollout."

The fourth priority of the plan, 'Ensure Institutional Sustainability,' calls for embracing "sustainable campus operations that ensure wise stewardship of our resources." It is accompanied by the following objectives: "Invest in and expand our operational focus on the efficient use of energy, reduction of waste and consumption, sustainable development, sustainability, and environmental responsibility. Strategically invest in and rebalance our portfolio of educational offerings to meet current and future learner, employer and societal needs while remaining accessible and affordable.

Central Michigan University has two overarching plans that address the institution's efforts as it pertains to diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainable investment/finance, and wellbeing. The plans are CMU's 2023-2028 Strategic Plan and the 2023-2028 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan.

Priority three of Central Michigan University's 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, Enhance Organization Culture, calls for raising "the institution's national profile as a vibrant and nurturing university community where all members feel valued, empowered to thrive, and experience a strong sense of belonging." It provides the following objectives to achieve this overall priority: "(1) Develop a comprehensive value proposition for faculty and staff that is based on our Core Values and Leadership Standards. (2) Establish the university as a national model of an inclusive campus that ensures unwavering exploration of all ideas, ideologies, and perspectives by promoting opportunities for creative and courageous conversations.(3) Promote a campus-wide learning opportunity to acquire transferable skills that facilitate dialogue and discourse around polarizing topics without demoralization. (4) To fulfill our core values, integrate the goals and recommendations of the university’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging Strategic Plan into each academic and operational unit at the university. (5) Amplify external awareness of CMU’s scholarship and creative activities, creating a vibrant hub for the marketplace of ideas. (6) Engage with local leaders to further a welcoming community on and off campus for all students, staff and faculty."

The plan provides the following goals and their measures to achieve these objectives:

Goal: "Foster a culture in which all faculty and staff feel valued, empowered, and can realize the positive impact of their work on the university’s mission." Measure 1: "Increase year-over-year staff retention rates as established annually." Measure 2: "In conjunction with the Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging, support and implement strategies to attract, recruit, and hire diverse faculty and staff, and to sustain diversity across units."

Goal: "Establish campus-wide (students, faculty and staff) learning opportunities to acquire transferable skills that facilitate dialogue and discourse around polarizing topics without demoralization." Measure 1: "Develop a plan to introduce approved dialogic learning activities to campus by May 2024." Measure 2: "Expand dialogic learning activities to co-curricular offerings for students, and professional development options for staff and faculty by May 2025."

Goal: "Create a community relations committee of civic leaders and appropriate university stakeholders to address mutually beneficial opportunities and activities to jointly enhance the university and local communities. Goals and areas of enhancement should include: a vibrant local economy, creating a welcoming community environment for a diverse university population, and creating a welcoming campus environment for community members." Measure: "Identify committee members, create a clear committee charge, and formulate an initial plan for signature events and coordinated initiatives to improve relations, as gauged by direct feedback through the committee, by August 2024."

Priority four, Ensure Institutional Sustainability, calls for sustainable investment/finance. It provides the following objectives to achieve this overall priority: "(1) Foster a culture of continuous improvement and informed risk-taking through reinvestment of funding into either new programs that create impact or into ideas that create efficiencies. (2) Implement strategies for new and diversified revenue streams with a focus on enhancing advancement and fundraising activities and identifying mutually beneficial partnerships with other organizations to further the goals of CMU."

The plan provides the following goals and their measures to achieve these objectives:

Goal: "Foster a university-wide culture of continuous improvement with a focus on creating a system to review policies and processes that result in inefficiency or stymie innovation, and appoint a cross-divisional team to carry it out." Measure: "Number of policies reviewed, changed or deleted and new processes created by August 2025."

Goal: "Foster a university-wide culture of continuous improvement with a focus on university stakeholders expanding the portfolio of new non-traditional educational offerings." Measure: "Initiate tracking and transcription systems to count learners pursuing credentials and the number of offerings successfully launched by April 2025."

Goal: "Foster a university-wide culture of continuous improvement with a focus on pursuing additional opportunities for partnerships with other organizations to further the goals of CMU." Measure: "Develop the plan to generate and evaluate opportunities by August 2024."

Goal: "Foster a university-wide culture of continuous improvement with a focus on creating and implementing a comprehensive technology plan to identify and prioritize academic and operational needs." Measure: "Develop the plan, with annual goals, by August 2024."

Goal: "Review, clarify, and revise division roles, responsibilities and organizational structure with a focus on removing barriers, improving efficiency and accountability, and enhancing customer service." Measure: "Number of internal processes mapped/reviewed and identified for enhancements by August 2024."

CMU's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan for 2023 to 2028 provides numerous measurable objectives to strengthen the institution's DEI efforts. It provides the following objectives: "(1) Remove or reduce barriers for BIPOC students to engage in growth and development on campus. (2) Identify and address financial barriers that prohibit BIPOC students from graduating within 4 years. (3) Encourage use of inclusive practices and teaching strategies that support BIPOC student access, persistence, and graduation. (4) Enhance recruitment and onboarding processes to nurture a sense of community and belonging. (5) Sustain diversity amongst faculty and staff across units. (6) Increase faculty and staff understanding of contexts related to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging. (7) Create and sustain an organizational environment that acknowledges and celebrates diversity and employs inclusive practices throughout its daily operations. (8) Institute consistent climate review and assessment practices. (9) Engage the City of Mount Pleasant, Isabella County, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribal citizens, Detroit, Southfield, Troy, Lansing Community College, Macomb Community College, Northwestern Michigan College, and community organizations to surface and discuss DEIJB needs."

The DEI Strategic plan contains specific tasks and timeframes to execute these objectives. Click to following link to see the plan in its entirety: https://issuu.com/cmuchippewas/docs/20707_pres_deijb_strategic_plan_24

"Central Michigan University is defined by the success of our students and alumni, and by our collective impact with the communities we serve. To achieve our mission, we adhere to the core values of integrity, respect, compassion, inclusiveness, equity, social responsibility, excellence and innovation."

CMU aims to uphold social responsibility by "fostering citizenship to promote the public good, environmental sustainability, global understanding and informed political engagement."

While sustainability can be defined in many ways, the broadly accepted definition as outlined in Our Common Future, a report of the United Nations World Commission on the Environment published in 1987, is the one used by Central Michigan University. CMU recognizes sustainability as "meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." Additionally, it views sustainable systems as "those which foster stewardship and wise management of natural resources and energy that allow the needs of the current day to be met while ensuring that vital resources and energy supplies will be available to meet the needs of future generations."

Central Michigan University's formal sustainability commitments lie within its 2023-2028 Strategic Plan. The plan's fourth priority "Ensure Institutional Sustainability — Embrace sustainable campus operations that ensure wise stewardship of our resources" encompasses the institutions to adopting and maintaining sustainable practices in areas including academics, engagement, operations, and administration.

Central Sustainability (CS) is Central Michigan University's platform for institutional sustainability. Currently, a CS employee is working on developing a comprehensive sustainability plan for the university in line with the strategic plan and AASHE STARS' guidelines. This plan is predicted to include concrete goals and metrics for advancing the university's sustainability efforts. The student anticipates to have this plan completed within the 2024 to 2025 academic year.