Moving Our College Forward

As we move forward, we are focused on remaining true to the core of our plan while recognizing there may be situations or unforeseen events that cause us to adapt in the face of a shifting landscape. The three years that preceded the development of this plan are a prime example of the importance of this philosophy, where a global pandemic upended lives, economies, and education institutions. Higher education is also rapidly evolving, with decreased college enrollment nationwide and a demographic cliff beginning to set in that further exacerbates the challenges universities are navigating to maintain enrollment, productivity, and overall relevance. Even though we embrace agility and recognize its importance in the context of planning, we are also focused on achieving our imperatives and implementing the strategies that will make these successes possible.

That is why it is so crucial that we regularly monitor our progress toward these goals, working with all of our internal and external stakeholders to develop additional plans and position the systems, structures, and resources to make them a reality. Our departments are key partners in our college’s success. As this plan is completed, each of our departments will develop their own strategic plans that align with the priorities and strategies of our college plan, ensuring that we are all working together to advance our mission and consistently serve and support the entirety of our science community.

We also recognize that the College of Science does not operate in a vacuum. Other colleges, non-academic units, external partners, universities, and LSU as a whole are key collaborators in how we will achieve our vision. We are prepared to work in close coordination and collaboration with these and other partners to accelerate our work through this plan, aggressively pursue and seize new opportunities that align with our priorities, and identify how we can best utilize limited resources to drive transformative change for our state, nation, and world.

The College of Science is poised for a bright future. With our outstanding faculty and staff, strong student body, tremendous partners, and a clear plan for the future, we are prepared to achieve our vision and be an international leader in scientific research and instruction. The future holds immense potential, and our college is eager to seize the opportunities that lie ahead. By remaining committed to our strategic plan and embracing a culture underscored by trust, communication, innovation, service, and intentional investments that advance our priorities, we will continue to build upon our foundation of excellence and achieve even greater heights in elevating LSU to the highest level of excellence among major research universities in the U.S. and the world.