A committee of UNC Wilmington faculty, student and staff are pushing to finish an update on the university’s strategic plan by the end of this academic year.

The university and the UNC system are required to put forth a new plan every five years to get North Carolina’s education goals down in writing. It’s an important time for the state to consider where it is now, and where it wants to be. The system’s old plan “UNC Tomorrow” is just over five years old, and as required by statute, an update is mandatory. Now that the UNC system has drafted their own action plan, UNCW will be changing it’s current strategic plan to fit the new imperatives.

Mark Lanier, assistant to the chancellor, explained UNCW’s new plan would emphasize the development of UNCW’s relationships with community colleges and degree-seeking military personnel. Another goal is to enhance student-staff relationships.

According to Lanier, maintaining a positive relationship with community colleges is imperative.  There are a number of people in North Carolina who have some college credit but not a degree.

“If you can bring them back in to the education system, it’s a very efficient way to have them complete a four-year degree,” said Lanier.

Similarly, UNCW will continue working with the military. There is a significant population of servicemembers who have some credits and a desire to finish their degree, making them a target market for UNCW.

UNCW already supports students who serve with a specific admissions process for active-duty servicemembers and veterans. The university also operates several extension campuses throughout nearby Onslow County.

UNCW’s new plan will also emphasize applied learning through student-faculty relationships with outreach, travel abroad and research.

UNCW does have room for improvement and students hope the new plan will address their concerns. UNCW cheerleader, Connor Langston, expressed her frustration with the UNCW athletic facilities, especially for the spirit teams-cheer and dance.

“We have to practice in the aerobics and racket ball room. We’ve had to cut our practices in half because we don’t have the available facilities,” Langston said.

UNCW decided to modify its own plan in direct response to the UNC system strategic plan update.

“Our Time Our Future,” the draft recently approved by the Board of Governors, will set the direction for the UNC system for the next five years. Chancellor Miller worked with the committee to get the plan approved.

“One of the main points is reallocation of resources as we continue to become more efficient,” Lanier said.

Moving forward, more state money will go to health care, not education. North Carolina’s universities will have to find ways to do what they need with fewer resources.

UNC campuses have become increasingly more efficient if measured in terms of cost per degree. The cost per degree has been reduced by 12 percent over the past five years. UNCW reduced the cost of its degree by 13.2 percent, rising above the system average.

UNCW also has a strong retention and graduation rate; it is second only to Chapel Hill on the four-year graduation rate at 51 percent, an all-time high.

“This statistic is a comment on the quality of our students as well as a comment on the quality of the experience here,” Lanier said.

North Carolina is one of the fastest growing states in the U.S. and attracts people who already have a four-year degree.

“If we can recruit good people to come to North Carolina, then that only helps the state,” Lanier said.

Faculty and students busy with their day-to-day activities are relying on administration to plan for the future.

“I trust the leadership of the institution to lead us in a positive direction,” said Donna Crowe, the director of UNCW’s Center for Leadership Education and Service.