Elevate, Carlson School Strategic Plan for 2025-27
Since July 2024, the Carlson School of Management has been developing Elevate, our strategic plan to provide a compelling, authentic, unique, and aspirational vision to usher the school into its next 100 years. Engaging the school’s stakeholders in an inclusive, comprehensive, six-phase process, Elevate identifies concrete priorities for the next three years to implement and advance that vision.
The Foundation of Elevate
Values
Characterized by Courage
We lead boldly and with an unwavering commitment to ethical behavior. We are forthright in support of one another, and we accept feedback with humility and gratitude. We bravely embrace challenges. We are Gophers with grit.
Committed to Curiosity
We passionately pursue knowledge, exploration, and growth, which fuels an innovative mindset. We listen deeply and seek understanding before we conclude or judge. We are inspired by the new and unexpected as we solve complex problems. We are Driven to Discover.
Connected through Community
We foster a sense of belonging and recognize that we can achieve more working together than going it alone. We are part of a broader ecosystem and are dedicated to making a positive impact on the university, the Twin Cities, and our network of alumni, partners, and supporters worldwide. We are one Carlson School.
Areas of Excellence
Transformative Student Learning
Community Connections
People-Powered Growth
Specific initiatives within each area are currently being developed.
Process for Identifying Carlson’s Strategic Priorities
At the start of the 2024-25 academic year, the Carlson School of Management launched its strategic planning process, called “Elevate,” by forming a Steering Committee, comprising faculty, staff, and a member of Board of Advisors, to oversee the process. The School also engaged the higher education consulting firm Kennedy & Company to support this initiative. Key to the effort was the goal of combining new insights with institutional knowledge to develop a shared vision and actionable plan for the future of the Carlson School. The Kennedy & Company process consisted of six phases aimed at assessing the School’s current state, identifying opportunities and alternatives, establishing priority areas and objectives, and developing metrics to measure impact and progress.
Following a Strategy Assessment, measuring Carlson’s strengths, areas for improvement, and factors in the external environment (such as regional demographic and labor market trends and national trends in management education), a community-wide survey launched. This survey, along with discovery interviews with over 150 faculty, staff, students, alumni, and leadership, allowed for the collection of qualitative and quantitative data on Carlson’s mission, current capabilities, and future aspirations. Relevant survey findings include:
- 55% of respondents prioritized enhancing Carlson’s national brand recognition, emphasizing the need for a stronger presence beyond the Twin Cities.
- 32% of donors indicated they would increase their contributions if Carlson improved its national rankings and global reputation.
- Alumni and students ranked “earning a degree from a nationally known institution” as the third most important aspect of a Carlson education.
- 40% of faculty and staff felt underappreciated by leadership, and 50% of all faculty and staff cited improving retention as a priority.
- Only 31% of respondents believed Carlson is effective in decision-making, reinforcing the need for more transparency and strategic alignment across stakeholder groups.
- 87% of current students reported feeling satisfied with the skills they are learning at Carlson, but 30% of students also identified the course and classroom experience as a weakness, indicating a need for curriculum enhancement.
- Faculty and staff prioritized incentive structures for teaching, with 60% of teaching staff ranking rewards for teaching excellence among their top needs.
- 69% of respondents highlighted the need for stronger integration of real-world experiences and internships, supporting the plan’s goal of expanding experiential learning opportunities.
- 38% of respondents ranked lack of community diversity as Carlson’s top weakness, with staff particularly concerned about faculty and staff retention in this area.
- 58% of staff prioritized improving community diversity and belonging, emphasizing its role in making Carlson a more inclusive institution.
- Nearly 80% of all respondents reported experiencing a sense of belonging at Carlson, though non-traditional and out-of-state students expressed feeling less connected and requested more engagement opportunities.
- The connection to the Twin Cities business community was the #1 ranked strength across all respondent groups except tenure-track faculty, reinforcing the importance of maintaining and expanding corporate engagement.
- 23% of stakeholders cited industry collaboration as their “big idea” for Carlson’s future, with a focus on deepening connections with businesses inside and outside Minnesota.
- Over 50% of donors and community partners emphasized increasing industry leadership and engagement as a key priority for Carlson’s future.
- 41% of alumni stated they would engage more with Carlson if given meaningful ways beyond financial contributions, indicating a need for stronger alumni connections.
- 68% of community/corporate partners identified Generative AI and other technology trends as a critical future area for business education.
- 16% of stakeholders want Carlson to become a leader in AI, healthcare, and sustainability, aligning with the plan’s vision for thought leadership in these emerging fields.
- Over 35% of university leaders and corporate partners see entrepreneurship opportunities as a weakness, reinforcing the need for greater investment in this area.
Insights from the Strategy Assessment phase helped inform the creation of four areas for further investigation – categorized above – in the Facilitated Visioning phase. To explore these areas, 108 individuals representing several constituencies were selected to serve as innovative, forward-thinking members of the Elevate Strategic Planning initiative.
As the strategic plan was coming into focus, the leadership realized that the current mission and vision no longer reflected the full purpose and mission for the Carlson School. As a result, a team of faculty and staff worked over the winter to draft a new purpose statement and to revise the mission the vision, purpose, and values. The leadership codified those new statements in January. Throughout the Defining Strategic Direction phase in January and February, the group evaluated and refined the priority areas and goals previously identified to fit under the stated mission, vision, and purpose statements. The group also identified overarching outcomes—Elevate Our Impact and Strengthen Belonging—underscoring the institution’s commitment to addressing stakeholder needs identified through engagement during the Strategy Assessment. Ultimately, the Steering Committee and leadership team decided on a “strategy house” with three strategic priorities for improving the Carlson School:
To carry out the next phase of the planning process, project leadership organized working groups for each strategic priority during February of 2025. Working group members were charged with detailing the comprehensive and achievable actions, strategies, and quantifiable metrics needed to set the priorities in motion.
Using these, the groups developed a long list of potential programs and initiatives that would move Carlson forward in each area, which were then reviewed and consolidated by the Steering Committee and leadership team. Dean Prenkert hosted an Elevate Strategic Plan town hall to debut the plan with faculty and staff in March 2025.