Our Approach to Strategy
We shape and execute strategy to fulfill our mission, pursue our vision, and serve our students and the state of Montana in the most effective way possible.
Effective strategy is an iterative process. Each year we review our mission and strategic vision, assess the progress we’ve made over the course of the year, and develop a playbook for the year ahead to move us toward our collective vision.
As part of this process, we:
- Celebrate successes and extract lessons to inform future decisions.
- Examine the external environment to identify emerging challenges and opportunities.
- Consider where to invest precious human and financial resources for highest impact.
Alignment
The projects named in our annual Playbook reflect just a portion of initiatives underway across UM to advance our shared objectives. Academic Affairs, Research and Creative Scholarship, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, People and Culture, and Marketing and Communications all have sector-level strategic plans that are responsive to shared UM objectives. Other areas of campus are working intentionally to align their work with those same objectives. As sectors and units across campus pursue strategy aligned with our shared mission, vision, and objectives, we are collectively contributing to a future of inclusive, sustainable prosperity.
Building momentum
In recent years, deliberate strategic thinking and execution have built real momentum. After a decade of declining enrollment, UM has seen enrollment growth, for five consecutive years. More than 10,000 learners also engage in non-credit education and training programs. We have evolved academic programming to meet societal needs, achieved R1 research status, and rebuilt a vibrant campus atmosphere in the wake of the pandemic. Our FY27 Playbook carries that momentum forward.
This year’s playbook contains seven long-term objectives that focus on enrollment and student success; student wellbeing, leadership, service, and civic engagement; serving a wider range of learners; research and economic development; external engagement; enhancing the employee experience; and improving core infrastructure.