Strategic Plan | Montana State University

Choosing Promise - Adopted 2019 -- Amended 2023

In 2019, the university adopted its strategic plan, called “Choosing Promise,” articulates the university’s strategic direction and will serve as its roadmap through 2024.

In October 2023, University Council voted unanimously to extend the Strategic Plan for two years -- until 2026 -- to recognize the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the university's progress while also underlining the enduring features of the plan. The amended, updated plan proposed by Planning Council and approved by University Council reflects the living nature of Montana State University's Strategic Plan. It is not a static document; rather it is responsive to the changing circumstances in which the university finds itself.

Accordingly, there are three types of changes reflected in the amended plan of 2023. Changes will be noted with a letter to describe the nature of the recommendation:

These are minimally- or non-substantive changes that update the plan through 2026. They extend or remove timelines for many of the metrics and actions to reflect the ongoing attention MSU is devoting. A word or phrase was changed to better reflect how the university is implementing the metric or action.
Notation of those metrics or actions that the university has accomplished, which allows the university to focus more intently on those it has not yet accomplished. Metrics achieved will be monitored in the interest of continuous improvement.
A few metrics or actions were tied to time-bound understanding, technologies, or environmental factors that have changed in the intervening years. One of these no longer serves the Goal or larger Intentional Focus. The priority on this metric was lowered in favor of achieving the remaining metrics and actions.

The Mission, Vision, Values, Intentional Focus Areas, or Goals remains unchanged. Planning Council reviewed these in 2021 and 2022 and found them to be relevant, important, and descriptive of the university are and what we as its faculty, staff and students want to achieve.