Soaring Beyond 2030
Georgia Southern University’s strategic plan, which will span from 2025 to 2030, charts a visionary course for the future, rooted in the guiding principle of our vision: People. Purpose. Action: Growing Ourselves to Grow Others. This comprehensive plan updates and aligns the university’s mission, values, goals, and actions to ensure a transformative impact for students, faculty, staff, and the communities we serve.
The plan was developed through the dedicated efforts of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, a group encompassing broad perspectives from across the university. Their collaborative work ensures that the plan reflects the needs, priorities, and aspirations of our entire community. This forward-thinking roadmap drives innovation, leadership, and measurable results, reinforcing Georgia Southern’s commitment to fostering growth, advancing academic and research excellence, and building meaningful connections that enhance the university’s impact locally, regionally, and globally.
Strategic Planning Steering Committee:
The Strategic Planning Steering Committee plays a pivotal role in shaping the direction of Georgia Southern’s future. Charged by the president, the committee is responsible for:
- Facilitating a collaborative planning process that engages stakeholders from across the university and beyond.
- Aligning the strategic plan with our mission, vision, and values to ensure a cohesive and forward-thinking approach.
- Incorporating insights from current initiatives, such as enrollment planning, academic program prioritization, and organizational effectiveness.
- Identifying goals, strategies, and measurable outcomes to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
- Ensuring the plan reflects our commitment to student success, research excellence, community impact, and institutional resilience.
2024-2025 Strategic Planning Steering Committee Members
- Dominique A. Quarles, Ph.D. – Associate Vice President for Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership Development, and Inclusive Excellence, Committee Chair
- John Banter, Ed.D. – Director of Organizational Effectiveness, Strategic Planning Administrator
- Delena Gatch, Ph.D. – Associate Vice President of Institutional Assessment & Accreditation, Academic Affairs
- Julie Gerbsch – Executive Director of Development, University Advancement
- Rami Haddad, Ph.D. – Interim Dean, College of Engineering and Computing
- Justin Janney – Associate Vice President, Business and Finance
- John Kraft, Ph.D. – Interim Dean, College of Graduate Studies
- Stephen Rossi, Ph.D. – Associate Dean, Waters College of Health Professions
- Meca Williams-Johnson, Ph.D. – Associate Dean, College of Education
- Brandy Clouse – Deputy Athletics Director, Athletics
- Allen Amason, Ph.D. – Dean, College of Business Administration
- Lisa Carmichael, Ph.D. – Executive Chief Librarian, University Libraries
- Steven Engel, Ph.D. – Dean, Honors College
- Ryan Schroeder, Ph.D. – Dean, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
- Stuart Tedders, Ph.D. – Dean, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health
- Jessica Williamson, Ed.D. – Assistant Vice President for Student Success and Academic Support Services, Enrollment Management and Student Success
- Aileen Dowell, Ph.D. – Associate Vice President/Dean of Students, Student Affairs
- Michael Huggins, Ph.D. – Dean, College of Science and Mathematics
- Jodi Kennedy – Director of Leadership & Community Engagement, Staff Council Chair
- David Owen, Ph.D. – Dean, College of Arts and Humanities
- Joshua Parker – Student Government Association Representative
- Finbarr Curtis, Ph.D. – Professor, Faculty Senate Chair
- Amy Lingo, Ed.D. – Dean, College of Education
- Kendria Lee – Associate Vice President, External Affairs
2024-2025 Strategic Planning Steering Committee Technical Assistance Team
- Ashlea Anderson – Chief Information Officer, Information Technology
- Vickie Cobb – Associate Vice President, Human Resources
- Chris Olson, Ph.D. – Director, Institutional Research
- Brad Sturz, Ph.D. – Assistant Vice President, Institutional Assessment and Accreditation
- Jennifer Wise – Director, University Communications
Timeline
June – July
- Studer held Kick-off meeting with President and Dr. Quarles
- Identified/invited Steering Committee Team members
August – September
- LDI/PAC initial strategic planning workshop
- Hold initial Steering Committee Team meeting
- Steering Committee readiness/training, inventory, assessment, logistics, scheduling of internal sessions
- Presentation of process & timeline to the University community
October – December
- Steering Team/Studer facilitate internal stakeholder sessions
- Studer facilitates external stakeholder sessions
- LDI/PAC workshop – refine focus areas
- Develop a first draft of plan & Exec. Team for review
- Steering Team develop Feedback Survey for review
January – February
- Administer Feedback Survey
- Steering Team assesses survey feedback
- Steering Team completes the second draft of plan
- Exec. Team reviews, finalizes plan
March – April
- Build/update scorecards
- Present Strategic Plan (internal/external)
- Prepare for execution
July
- Launch execution of the plan!