Norwich University Strategic Plan
2025-2028
Dear Norwich Community,
Welcome to the Norwich University Strategic Plan 2025-2028.
Strategies like this are important to inform the entire community of the context within which our university is operating and how we intend to meet our mission. Whether you are a current or prospective student or parent, an alumnus, a donor, or a member of faculty and staff, you will find this Plan an unvarnished look at the environment we face and practical goals to ensure mission success.
This Plan is developed at a unique time in Norwich’s 206-year history. Multiple factors are challenging the status quo across the academic community.
- Costs to maintain a competitive four-year campus-based program have risen significantly and many small colleges, especially in New England have closed.
- Demographics point to declining college age populations and challenges to enrollment goals.
- Prospective students and their parents are seeking value from their investment in higher education and colleges are being challenged to offer relevant programs.
- Federal government cost cutting measures and restructuring are creating a new regulatory environment and uncertainty in federal grants and other federal funding streams.
Given this context, the goals set forth in this Plan will guide efforts across the University for the next three years. Strategic plans are normally visionary and present long-range aspirations. However, this Plan deliberately has a more practical, shorter-term focus. Its goals are grounded in efforts currently underway and in many cases already resourced.
Importantly, the Plan leverages the inherent strengths of Norwich’s well-established mission, enduring guiding values, demonstrated innovative curriculum, deeply committed faculty and staff, and a engaged student body and alumni / donor network as the foundation upon which we will weather this dynamic period and emerge ready to launch into a long-term vision for Norwich’s future. These strengths enable us to forge leaders of character through experiential learning, reinforced by our guiding values of honor, integrity, and service.
Our strategic vision centers on building an engaged student body of 2,400 students — 1,400 Corps of Cadets and 1,000 civilian students — all united by their commitment to leadership development and service to nation. This targeted growth acknowledges our unique position as a Senior Military College while embracing civilian students who seek our distinctive leadership development experience.
This isn’t just a proforma document to sit on a website. It is the codification of actions that we are undertaking to make our university stronger. Further, its relatively short horizon gives us space to think deeply about and develop an aspirational vision that aligns with the changing nature of higher education in America. While working to accomplish this Plan’s goals, we will immediately and simultaneously start work on the next strategic plan. We will conduct a structured, broad based strategic planning effort with the intent of have a ten-to-fifteen-year plan approved before this Plan expires.
The Norwich University Strategic Plan 2025-2028 articulates six strategic goals.
- Fiscal Stability and Management Modernization. Centered around the ongoing upgrade to a comprehensive Enterprise Resource Program (ERP), we will preserve Norwich’s financial health and ensure we are good stewards of the University’s resources, to include our people.
- Academic Program Relevancy and Excellence. By focusing on maintaining an agile and relevant curriculum, we will deliver distinctive academic programs that prepare graduates to be career ready and useful citizens in a complex world and demonstrate the value of a Norwich education.
- Student Experience. We will stay true to who we are and continue to deliver a transformative student experience that develops citizen-leaders ready for the responsibilities inherent in living in a free republic.
- Enrollment Management. Centered around our emerging “Start Ready” Enrollment Management Plan, we will achieve enrollment targets through focused recruitment of mission-aligned students.
- Development and Alumni Engagement. We greatly value our alumni and those donors who invest in the promise of Norwich as a vital American institution. We will build a robust culture of engagement and philanthropy to support the Plan and achieve our mission.
- Online Programs. We will extend Norwich’s legacy of online academic excellence through strategic growth in digital education.
The Norwich University Strategic Plan 2025-2028 was approved by the Board of Trustees on 26 April 2025.
John J. Broadmeadow
LtGen, USMC(Ret)
25th President, Norwich University
Al Gobeille
Chair, Board of Trustees
Norwich University