EIU'S Strategic plan: PLAN 2028
Welcome to Strategic Planning at EIU! We want to make EIU’s next cycle of Strategic Planning as inclusive and meaningful as possible for all University stakeholders — students, faculty, staff, and community partners alike.
Plan 2028 TrackingOn June 23, 2023 the Board of Trustees endorsed EIU’s new strategic plan, Plan 2028, at its most recent meeting. As you will see, Plan 2028 aligns with the IBHE’s “A Thriving Illinois” framework and advances EIU’s mission, the region, and state by focusing on four interconnected themes:
Achieve: Achieve Success for All Learners
ACHIEVE priorities align and invest in policies, practices, and resources that ensure every learner at EIU thrives. The ACHIEVE activities comprise a broad collection of strategic investments and student success supports. For Eastern Illinois University, ACHIEVE focuses on retention, learning outcomes, creating and maintaining active learning environments, adequate financial assistance, degree completion, career preparedness, and student wellness. ACHIEVE priorities leverage EIU’s commitment to student success using a holistic array of academic and other organizational supports.
Engage: Engage the Community, Region, State, & World
ENGAGE priorities are intended to build bridges between and amongst its internal and external stakeholders to expand and enhance the everyday worlds of EIU’s students, faculty, staff, alumni, and communities at all scales. ENGAGE seeks to build collaborative opportunities for inclusive economic development, regional prosperity, and personal growth. ENGAGE deepens EIU’s connection and commitment to the region, State, and world.
Create: Create a 21st Century Campus & Culture
CREATE priorities evidence a sustained commitment to all employees and students by cultivating belonging and creating a culture of care for all. CREATE accelerates efforts to innovate, invigorate, and reaffirm EIU’s unique institutional identity. Echoing the IBHE’s strategic plan, Plan 2028 advances EIU’s shared values of diversity, equity, and inclusion for all students, employees, and community members. CREATE activities focus on investing in employee and learner wellness, knowledge creation, creativity, and belonging.
Resource: Encourage Innovation, Diversify Revenue, & Grow Enrollments
RESROURCE priorities focus on overall institutional sustainability, staffing, and enhanced business practices. The theme of RESOURCE will ensure that EIU’s budgeting process, operations, and enrollment management efforts focus on sustained financial stability and invests in the strategic priorities of Plan 2028. This priority also ensures compliance with federal and State regulations, as well as financial benchmarks established by Eastern's regional accreditation body, the Higher Learning Commission.
Implementation
EIU is driven by its mission and vision, placing deliberate emphasis on fostering student success, bolstering the economy of the State of Illinois, and serving regional, state, and national stakeholders. Plan 2028, aligned with the Illinois Board of Higher Education's strategic plan, "A Thriving Illinois," is an extension and complement to it. The IBHE plan specifically focuses on harnessing the potential of higher education to promote equity, sustainability, and inclusive economic growth.
Plan 2028 at EIU revolves around four interconnected themes: Achieve, Engage, Create, and Resource. This comprehensive approach encompasses 14 strategic initiatives identified by the campus community, supported by 35 target activities that will be evaluated annually using designated performance metrics or key performance indicators. Each theme of Plan 2028 will be overseen by dedicated "Champions" and responsible lead offices or divisions.
To ensure continuous progress, Theme Champions and members of the implementation teams for each theme will convene at least once a year. During these meetings, they will assess overall performance, review and revise goals, and present a summary of the strategic plan's progress in a public town hall. The valuable feedback obtained from these annual updates will provide Plan 2028 with the necessary flexibility to be revised and updated as required to remain effective and relevant.
The Taskforce
A native of both the DC area and east-central Pennsylvania, Dr. Mitchell brings a dual background of artistic and scientific training to the table. He has served as Associate Dean (Arts and Humanities) of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences since 2014. He has been a member of EIU's theatre faculty since 2001, achieving the rank of Professor in 2013. For the department, he primarily teaches the theatre history/literature sequence of courses. He has published and presented both internationally and nationally in his primary area of research expertise, the plays of August Strindberg. He is also a director and dramaturg, participating in many University Theatre productions over the years. He is a proud affiliate faculty member of the Women's Studies, Film Studies, and Asian Studies programs, and remains active teaching and writing in those areas as well. B.S., Physics, Georgetown University, 1994 THA 3751G: Origins of Theatre Plays of August Strindberg
Dr. Christopher J. Mitchell
Associate Dean, CLAS and Professor, Theatre
Office: 2218 - Doudna Fine Arts Center
Phone: 217-581-2922
Fax: 217-581-7085
Email: cjmitchell@eiu.edu
Website: http://ux1.eiu.edu/~cjmitchell/
INTRODUCTION
Education & Training
M.A., Theatre, The Catholic University of America, 1996
Ph.D., Theatre, University of Georgia, 1999
Graduate Certificate, Women's Studies, University of Georgia, 1999Frequently Taught Courses
THA 3752G: Theatre from the 17th Century to the Present DayResearch & Creative Interests
Scandinavian Theatre, Film, and Culture
Gender Studies, Feminist Performance, Feminist Theory, Feminist Pedagogy
19th and 20th Century European/American Theatre History (as well as connections to broader historical trends in these eras)
Dramaturgy
Intersections of Science, Technology, and the Arts; Interactive Performance
If you have questions about EIU’s Strategic Planning process, or wish to learn more, please email Josh Reinhart, Public Information Coordinator, at jdreinhart@eiu.edu.