Shaping the Future of Salisbury University

Salisbury University is charting a bold vision for its next century. Through our new Strategic Plan, we are engaging the entire campus and community in defining priorities that will strengthen our academic excellence, enhance the student experience, and deepen our impact across the region and beyond.

Salisbury University’s Strategic Plan 2026-2031 has been drafted by the Strategic Planning Steering Committee using the feedback of university stakeholders and shared governance bodies, through the development of Working Groups, and building on the contributions of campus community members across academic schools and departmental units.

Through April 1, 2026, campuswide feedback is encouraged from all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members as the Steering Committee continues to refine and align the draft with the core values and vision of SU prior to its release on May 1, 2026.

View and Download the Strategic Plan Draft (PDF)

Submit Feedback to the Steering Committee

New Approach to Strategic Planning
This strategic plan reflects a purposeful shift in how SU approaches long-term planning. Rather than attempting to catalogue every possible initiative or aspiration, this plan establishes clear priorities and a focused framework for action and impact.

Previous plans sought to be comprehensive by listing everything we might do. This plan is comprehensive in a more meaningful way: it defines who we are choosing to be and concentrates our collective energy on what matters most for our students, our people, and the region we serve.

The plan creates a shared institutional direction while empowering divisions, departments, and shared governance groups to design solutions that best advance our goals within their unique contexts. In doing so, we believe it balances clarity and ensures innovation, responsiveness, and ownership across the University.

How This Plan Is Structured

The strategic plan is organized into three levels:
1. Pillars that define the University’s highest areas of strategic priority.
2. Goals that articulate what we aim to achieve within each pillar.
3. Strategies that establish clear, measurable directions for accomplishing those goals.
Each of the four pillars is supported by a defined set of goals, and each goal is advanced through targeted strategies. What this plan intentionally does not include is a prescribed list of initiatives – and undeveloped fourth level that turns strategy to action:
1. Initiatives are specific actions, programs, and projects that bring each strategy to life.
From Strategy to Action

Following the release of the completed strategic plan, on May 1, an implementation team will work collaboratively with divisions, schools, departments, and shared governance groups to develop initiatives. Together, they will develop division-level implementation plans that identify initiatives aligned with institutional strategies.

In this way, the strategic plan serves not as a static document, but as a living framework – one that guides decision-making, focuses investment, and aligns our daily work with our long-term vision for excellence and impact.

Important Resources

Timeline of Strategic Planning Process

Steering Committee Formed and Hosts Community Listening Sessions to Produce Framework: Spring 2025
- October 16, 2024: Strategic Planning Steering Committee is announced.
- January 13, 2025: Steering Committee is convened and attends first meeting to receive charge from President Lepre and develop a timeline of action.
- February 7 – June 25, 2025:
  - Community Listening Sessions held, including more than five dedicated, independent sessions for each faculty, staff, and students – engaging hundreds of campus voices, to gather input on the Strategic Plan.
  - Steering Committee meets routinely to develop a framework and next steps based on data gathered during the listening sessions.
Next Steps and Independent Working Groups Convened: Early Fall 2025
- June – September 2025: Steering Committee co-chairs and members categorize and assess the listening session feedback to produce drafted pillars and continue developing next steps.
- October 2025: Five independent Working Groups established of volunteer participants, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni, to offer new perspectives and shape the plan’s pillars.
- October 23, 2025: Extended Cabinet convenes to provide input and frame overarching goals for the Steering Committee to consider when reviewing the drafted plan and the Working Groups’ progress.
Feedback Implemented and Draft Produced: Late Fall 2025
- November 2025: Steering Committee reviews Working Groups’ progress and solicits additional campus and community feedback, including feedback loops with President Lepre and Cabinet.
- December 2025: Steering Committee presents full draft of Strategic Plan to President Lepre.
Refinement and Release: January – May 1, 2026
- January – March 2026: President Lepre, as well as shared governance bodies – the Student Government Association, Graduate Student Council, Faculty Senate, Adjunct Faculty Caucus, and Staff Senate – engage in offering feedback to the Steering Committee as a final draft is prepared for campuswide review.
- March 11, 2026: President Lepre presents the Strategic Plan draft to the campus community during the State of the University Address for review and feedback.
- March 11 - April 1, 2026: Feedback is encouraged from all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members.
- April 1 – April 15, 2026: Steering Committee will reconvene to refine the draft based on feedback submitted through April 1, 2026, to develop a finalized version, with updated drafts provided to shared governance bodies for feedback.
- May 1, 2026: After a final review, the Strategic Plan will be finalized and released. Implementation guidance and next phases will follow.

Strategic Plan Steering Committee

20 Steering Committee
Members Led by two co-chairs and comprised of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community stakeholders.
12+ Months of
Development The Steering Committee convened throughout the last year to gather input and produce a working draft.
30+ Listening
Sessions Campus stakeholders shared their perspectives to shape the Strategic Plan draft and align pillars with SU’s values.

Steering Committee Co-Chairs
Zebadiah Hall, VP, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging & Interim VP, Student Affairs – Co-chair
Christy Weer, Dean, Perdue School of Business – Co-chair
Steering Committee Members
- Lynn Adkins, ’97, Associate Vice President of Administration & Finance
- Joe Benyish, Staff Senate Chair & Director of Orientation & Family Programs
- Stephen Habay, Chair of the Department of Chemistry & Professor of Chemistry
- Deneen Long-White, Associate Professor of Public Health
- Andrew Martino, Professor of English
- Monica Polizzi, Director of Athletics
- Heather Porter, ’18, Associate Professor of Literacy Studies
- Michelle Pryor, ’13, M’20, Director of Annual Giving & Engagement
- Corinne Pubill, Professor of Modern Languages
- Kara Raab, ’00, Associate Vice President for Planning and Assessment (ex officio)
- Tim Robinson, ’93, M’06 Adjunct Faculty Caucus President
- Monty Sayler, ’84, Vice President & Group Manager, M&T Bank
- Michelle Stokes, Senior Advisor to the President
- Jahnaiya Sutherland, Undergraduate Student
- Jakob Todd, ’23, Graduate Student
- Joerg Tuske, Professor of Philosophy & former Faculty Senate President FY24-25
- Erin Weber, RIS Librarian
- David Yoon, Associate Professor of Management
Community Listening Sessions (2/7/25 – 6/25/25)
Faculty (5 sessions)

Staff (5 sessions)

Students (6 sessions)

Deans Council

Student Success Council

Athletics and Recreation

Administrative Coordinating Council

Student Government Association
Graduate Student Council

President’s Advisory Team

Seidel Listening Session

SACC Education Network Committee

Perdue School Career Advisory Board

CHHS Advisory Board

SU Foundation

Community at Large (2 sessions)

Strategic Plan Working Groups

5 Independent Working
Groups The Working Groups were formed to offer additional feedback and new perspectives across campus.
110 Participating
Volunteers Students, faculty, staff, and alumni volunteered to serve on the Working Groups to refine each pillar.
28+ Shared Governance Representatives Representatives from all shared governance bodies served on various Working Groups.

At least one Steering Committee member served on each Working Group to ensure continuity and to provide new perspectives once the Steering Committee was reconvened.

Academic Excellence and Innovation|Charged with refining Pillar 1 of the Strategic Plan
Facilitators: Jessica Clark (Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs) & Chrys Egan (Associate Dean, Fulton School of Liberal Arts, Professor of Communication)
- Kristen Walton (Director of Nationally Competitive Fellowships Office, Professor of History)
- Michelle Fletcher (Assistant Professor of Political Science)
- Rhyannon Bemis (Associate Professor of Psychology)
- Brian Polkinghorn (Distinguished Professor of CADR, Executive Director of Bosserman Center for Conflict Resolution)
- Ruth Malone (Faculty for Education Leadership)
- Emily Story (Associate Professor of History)
- Kevin Glover (Director of Richard A. Henson Medical Simulation Center)
- Janice Orcutt (Instructional Designer, ID&D)
- Clifton Griffin (Dean of Graduate Studies & Research)
- Maddie Hill (Admissions Counselor)
- Sarah Timko-Jodlbauer (Director of Academic Advising Center)
- Annielice Libertin (Undergraduate student, Student Government Association Speaker of the Senate)
- Dana Trietsch (Undergraduate student)
- Nicole Washington (Undergraduate student)
- Anna Hammel (Undergraduate student)
- Tim Robinson (Adjunct Faculty II for History, Adjunct Faculty Caucus President, Steering Committee member)
- Deneen Long-White (OIFSP Project Director, Center for Healthy Communities, Associate Professor of Public Health, former Faculty Senate President FY23-24, Steering Committee member)
Student Experience and Success|Charged with refining Pillar 2 of the Strategic Plan
Facilitators: Melissa Granger (Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Success) & Dane Foust (former Vice President of Student Affairs)
- Joan Ruelle (Dean of Libraries & Instructional Resources)
- Madysen Eutsler (Adjunct Faculty for History)
- William Burke (Professor of the Practice for Information Systems and Operations Management)
- Maida Finch (Professor of Leadership & Literacy Studies)
- Tim Dunn (Professor and Chair of Sociology)
- Konstantine Kyriacopoulos (Assistant Professor of Early and Elementary Education)
- Heather Holmes (Director of Center for Student Achievement)
- Jeff Dean (University Writing Center Coordinator)
- Allen Koehler (Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management)
- Leigh Ann Taylor (Office Supervisor III, Admissions)
- Beth Skoglund (Director of Admissions)
- Abbey Murphy (Admissions Counselor)
- Gabriella Grigsby (Campus Programming and Operations Manager, CSIL)
- Ronald Webb (Financial Aid Counselor, Financial Aid & Scholarships)
- Kelly Cowger (Director of Academic and Student Events, Staff Senate CUSS Representative)
- Val Randall-Lee (Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students)
- Kim Fabbri-Greener (Director of Career Services)
- Margaret Sebastian (Director of TRIO Student Support Services, Assistant Director of Nationally Competitive Fellowships)
- Candace Henry (Director of Office of Access & Accommodations, Staff Senate Vice President)
- Lisa Gray (Director of University Bookstore, Staff Senate CUSS Representative)
- Katie Delezenski (RIS Librarian, Library)
- Katie Prinkey (Curator of Exhibits and Engagement, Nabb Research Center)
- Zyon Gary (Undergraduate student)
- McKenzie Mullins (Undergraduate student)
- CJ Atherton (Undergraduate student)
- Hailey Ader (Undergraduate student)
- Logan Krebs (Graduate student, Graduate Assistant for Orientation, Transition & Family Programs)
- Nia Major (Undergraduate student)
- Avery Watts (Graduate student, Resident Director, Housing & Residence Life)
- Farren Christ (Graduate student, Chief of Staff for Graduate Student Council, Resident Director, Housing & Residence Life)
- Darien Legates (Graduate student, Teaching Assistant for English)
- Jakob Todd (Graduate student, University Communications Assistant, President’s Office, Steering Committee member)
Community, Culture, and Connection|Charged with refining Pillar 3 of the Strategic Plan
Facilitators: Eli Modlin (Chief of Staff and Vice President of Public Affairs & Strategic Initiatives) & Sherri Reese (former Associate Vice President of Human Resources)
- Walker Skeeter (Adjunct Faculty for Geography and Geosciences)
- Emily Zerrenner (Research/Instructional Services Librarian, Faculty Senator)
- Yuki Okubo (Associate Professor, Faculty Senator)
- Bibiana Koh (Associate Professor of Social Work)
- Cristina Cammarano (Associate Professor of Philosophy)
- Sandy Pope (Associate Professor of Secondary and Physical Education, Faculty Senator)
- Jenna Habermeyer (Academic Program Specialist, Philosophy)
- Isabella Chow (Executive Administrative Assistant I, Student Affairs)
- Amy Luppens (Director of Development, Advancement)
- Shawn Kidd (Landscape Technician, Physical Plant)
- Nancy Holton (Academic Program Specialist, Writing Center)
- Ray Fantini (Engineer, Media, Information Technology)
- Allison Hunter-Jacobs (Field Practice Coordinator, Social Work)
- Michael Jensen (Executive Director of Dave and Patsy Rommel Center for Entrepreneurship)
- John Hickman (Director of BEACON)
- Lesley Staffeldt (Director of Conference Services)
- Candace Henry (Director of Office of Access & Accommodations, Staff Senate Vice President)
- Dave Gutoskey (Director of Housing & Residence Life, Staff Senate CUSS Representative)
- Helena Brummitt (Assistant Dean of Students, Student Affairs)
- Humberto Aristizabal (Associate Vice President of Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator)
- Paul DeCock (Associate Director of Housing & Residence Life)
- Cyndi Funkhouser (Executive Administrative Assistant I, Fulton School of Liberal Arts, Staff Senator)
- Jessica Frady (Undergraduate student)
- Aydan Land (Undergraduate student)
- Haley Moss (Undergraduate student)
- Tempest Miller (Undergraduate student)
- Emily Ritzes (Graduate student, Resident Director, Housing & Residence Life)
- Amidat Olaleye (Graduate student, Graduate Assistant, CSIL)
- Corrine Pubill (Professor of Modern Languages, Steering Committee member)
Institutional Sustainability and Stewardship|Charged with refining Pillar 4 of the Strategic Plan
Facilitators: Jason Curtin (Vice President of Advancement and Executive Director of Salisbury University Foundation) & Aurora Edenhart-Pepe (Vice President of Administration and Finance)
- Teresa Niblett (Assistant Professor of Nursing)
- Melissa Bugdal (Associate Professor of English, Director of University Writing Center)
- Dave Keifer (Associate Professor of Chemistry, Faculty Senate President FY25-26)
- Pat McDermott (Professor and former Chair of Management)
- Shawn Kidd (Landscape Technician, Physical Plant)
- Jillian Townsend (Director of Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities Planning and Capital Projects)
- Adam Ehrisman (Building Automation Systems Specialist, Physical Plant)
- Justin Wisor (Deputy Chief Facilities Officer, Physical Plant)
- Julie Golightly (Horticulturist, Physical Plant)
- Camila Esquivel-Goelkel (Undergraduate student)
- Ashlee Guzman (Graduate student, Resident Director, Housing & Residence Life)
- Connor Pass (Graduate student, Resident Director, Housing & Residence Life)
- Stephen Habay (Professor and Chair of Chemistry, Steering Committee member)
- Heather Porter (Associate Professor of Literacy Studies, Steering Committee member)
Data and Implementation|Charged with ensuring the measurability and feasible evaluation of the Strategic Plan
Facilitators: Mike Scott (Dean of Henson School of Science and Technology) & Kara Raab (Associate Vice President for Planning & Assessment, Steering Committee member)
- Nicole Hall (Associate Professor of Nursing)
- Melissa Bugdal (Associate Professor of English, Director of University Writing Center)
- Christina Camillo (Assistant Professor and Program Director of Medical Laboratory Science)
- Sally Perret (Associate Director of Nationally Competitive Fellowships, Associate Professor of Modern Languages)
- Yuqi Peng (Assistant Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management)
- Kiya Amajioyi (Standardized/Simulated Patient, Nursing)
- Lindsey Ward (Employer Services Manager, Career Services, Staff Senator)
- Lynn Lynch (CAD Specialist, Architectural and Engineering Services/Capital Projects)
- Shannon James (Assistant Registrar, Veterans & Special Populations, Staff Senate Secretary)
- Melissa Thomas (Manager of ID&D, Adjunct Faculty for Communication)
- Logan Becker (Budget Analyst, General Accounting)
- Ken Kundell (Associate Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer)
- Yvonne Hanley (MBA Director, Perdue School of Business)
- Sydney Jett (Undergraduate student)
- Jenna Peace (Undergraduate student)
- Abby Murrell (Undergraduate student)
- Lynn Adkins (Associate Vice President of Administration & Finance, Steering Committee member)