Toolkits – UW Strategic Framework

Higher education is experiencing rapid and unprecedented change, and public universities are being asked to demonstrate their value more clearly than ever. National and global shifts — from evolving workforce needs and rising questions about the cost and relevance of higher education, to increased politicization and major policy changes — are reshaping the landscape in which the UW operates.

This will be the University’s first comprehensive, University-wide strategic plan in about 15 years. At this moment of volatility and opportunity, the UW community must evolve together. The UW is uniquely positioned to lead, drawing on our excellence in teaching, research, service and clinical care; our record of innovation; and a steadfast commitment to serving the public good. A strategic plan will help us focus our efforts; articulate shared aspirations; strengthen how we serve our students, state, nation and world; and steward the resources entrusted to us. It will serve as a compass, guiding where we want to go next and how we’ll get there together.

The strategic plan will strengthen the University’s ability to serve our students, state, nation and world by advancing our mission as a major public research institution committed to excellence in teaching, discovery, patient care and public service. It will set bold goals and the strategies needed to achieve them, positioning the UW for success in a rapidly changing environment.

The plan will guide institutional decision-making — shaping priorities; informing how we invest time and resources; and helping align the work of our three campuses, UW Medicine and statewide programs. It will also help units update or refine their own local plans in support of a shared direction. The plan will amplify our impact and ensure we’re prepared to tackle emerging challenges and capitalize on new opportunities, and that we’re all working from a shared understanding of our priorities and strategies.

The plan will not prescribe operational details for every unit, resolve every challenge the University faces, or offer exhaustive direction on programs, policies or budgets. It will not replace local strategic planning or dictate how each school, college or unit must implement its work. Instead, it will offer a clear, shared framework that sets direction and priorities while allowing units the flexibility to tailor approaches to their contexts. The goal is alignment, not uniformity.

Engagement began during the 2024–25 academic year. Under Provost Serio’s leadership, we analyzed 26 unit-level strategic plans to identify common themes and areas of tri-campus alignment. In September 2025, all UW employees were invited to respond to five open-ended questions, generating more than 1,000 responses. In October 2026, President Jones and Provost Serio charged a 62-member committee of UW leaders, faculty, staff and students to think boldly about where the UW can and must lead.

The committee consulted resources such as Together We Thrive and the UW Diversity Blueprint, reviewed statewide polling data and held listening sessions at the Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma campuses (including one focused on the health sciences). Targeted engagement also took place with additional internal and external stakeholders, and a draft of the plan’s strategic framework was shared with the University community for feedback in spring 2026. Together, this input shaped the core vision, pillars and objectives that make up the plan’s strategic framework.

The plan is being developed in two phases. The first phase concluded with the presentation of the strategic framework to the Board of Regents on May 14, 2026. The second phase has begun and will continue through the summer and into early autumn quarter 2026.

Over the summer and into early fall 2026, University leadership will identify initial priorities, set goals and determine their metrics, establish governance structures and clarify roles for campuses, schools, colleges, UW Medicine and administrative units. Units will then align their local strategies with the plan’s vision, pillars and objectives while retaining flexibility to tailor approaches to their needs.

This plan is meant to steer the University through the next five years (through 2030), with the ability to review and refresh it if circumstances call for that. Because the environment continues to evolve rapidly, implementation will emphasize ongoing learning and adaptation. Progress will be monitored through shared metrics, regular reporting and opportunities for continued community engagement.