NC State CALS Strategic Plan 2030

Growing Our Future

Message from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Every day the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences positively impacts the lives of all North Carolinians.

From the food that nourishes us and the fiber that clothes us to the ornamentals that brighten our lives and provide ecosystem services – we work on the plants, animals and microbes that sustain us. We live our land-grant mission, supporting individuals, families, communities and businesses in our constant quest to improve lives and provide opportunities for all across our state.

We research the basic fundamentals of biology, agriculture and ecosystems; of family and community dynamics; of physics, data and technology; and of educational and extension theory. We turn that basic knowledge into innovation that delivers new technologies, new crops and livestock, new processes, and new ways of addressing challenges on our farms and in our homes, communities and businesses. We bring knowledge to our students and external constituents, and we educate and train the people who make all of this happen.

We are a large college supporting one of the most populous states and one of the largest agricultural and life science economies in the country. We are in all 100 counties and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. We have projects and cooperators across North Carolina, the U.S. and globally.

We strive for a sustainable college and a sustainable future. To quote the NC State Sustainability 2030 strategic plan:

Successful sustainability pursues balanced, ethical solutions that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially just so that current and future generations may thrive.

The college strategic plan is intended to guide our work and impact through 2030, but we are also using it as the foundation for how we prepare for the next 50 years – putting in place adaptable programs that will allow us to address future needs. As we have seen with our previous strategic plan, we cannot predict the changes and issues that await us – but we can prepare, be nimble and be ready.

As the need for what we do increases, our college will continue rising to the challenge. But we must do so in a thoughtful, planned way to ensure that we are not only meeting new challenges but continuing to address existing ones.

To our students: We want to provide you with the technical knowledge and professional skills to succeed – not only while you are here at NC State, but for your entire career. Our faculty have long provided high-quality educational experiences. Today, your needs and expectations and those of your future employers are higher than ever. This plan will drive how we continue to innovate in our teaching, in the classroom and through high-impact practices. We want to ensure your success now and many years into the future.

To our faculty and staff: Thank you! You are the heart and soul of the college. You do the important work that impacts so many people. Our plan is focused on your well-being – ensuring you are supported and know you belong in our college. This plan will drive actions that help you do your work more efficiently and effectively, regardless of where you are located and in what unit you are working. We thank you for your energy, enthusiasm and ideas as we have created this plan together.

To our departments, centers, counties, stations, and college offices and programs: This plan will strengthen your organizations by supporting your people, driving more efficient processes, helping to guide investments in our facilities, and helping you adapt to change. Our college is strong if our units are strong.

To our external stakeholders: This plan shows our commitment to your success, to addressing your needs and to supporting our continued collaboration. We want you to thrive and prosper in a sustainable way. For our commodity stakeholders: You will not see a list of crops and groups in this plan simply because there are so many of you to name. Rest assured that we have had you top of mind in creating this plan. A strong, well-functioning college is needed to support our faculty and staff, allowing them to focus on their core research, academic and Extension duties and provide what you need. We have heard your concerns about training employees, supporting rural North Carolina, and communicating the importance of agriculture and life science industries to North Carolinians. You will see all of that in this plan and more. And we are planning new, more effective ways of engaging with you in the future.

To our partners within and outside the university: This plan shows our appreciation for your support and our commitment to deepening our interactions. We cannot make the daily impact we do without you. From NC State Undergraduate Admissions and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, to all 100 counties and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, it takes all of us to do this work. We have formal and informal cooperative programs with all of the colleges at NC State, mutually supporting one another and bringing your expertise to our work. We work together to build and sustain an entrepreneurial ecosystem, helping to move research concepts from the laboratory and accelerate them into a commercial setting. Our industry partners are spread across the state and the globe, working with us on collaborative research and driving world-class innovation and discovery. Our partners support us, encourage us and, at times, challenge us to do better.

In closing, we launched this strategic planning process with a directive from former Dean Richard Linton: To create the best place to learn and work and to create the best land grant in the country. With your help, and through this strategic plan, we will do just that.

OUR VISION

Create sustainable social and economic prosperity and well-being for the state, nation and world through agriculture and life science discovery, learning and engagement.

OUR MISSION

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State leads partnership-driven discovery, learning and engagement. We prepare students, create and apply unbiased knowledge through advances in science and technology and drive economic development to improve the quality of life in North Carolina, our nation and the world. Our people fulfill the land-grant mission by embracing an interdisciplinary approach to achieve new scientific breakthroughs that translate into commercializable discoveries and meet grand challenges involving food, farming, fiber, feed, families, health, energy, water and the environment.

OUR VALUES

Living the land-grant mission. This mission is core to our university identity and woven throughout CALS. We are focused on positively impacting our state and improving the lives of North Carolinians– through teaching in our classrooms, conducting world-class research in our labs and fields, and connecting academics and science with our North Carolina communities through Extension.

Collaboration. As members of the Wolfpack, we value the opinions and thoughts of others, recognizing outcomes are better when they are informed by diverse inputs and perspectives. Together with our partners, we are working to address our state, nation and world’s grandest challenges – generating impacts that are far greater than the sum of their parts.

Integrity. We take pride in our work, which builds trust and support among one another. We are reliable – we do what we say we will, with a focus on exceeding expectations. And above all, we are honest and ethical – we treat one another with respect, and we speak the truth.

People-focused. Everything we do at CALS considers the well-being of people – in how we help people grow and develop, experience a sense of belonging, achieve their goals, change their lives and impact their economies and communities. We celebrate and emphasize the diversity of our CALS community and those we serve, maintaining a steadfast focus on building equitable and inclusive environments.

Sustainability. Our focus on sustainability is firmly aligned with the United Nations Member States, whose 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development features 17 Sustainable Development Goals and with ensuring the long-term viability of our industries. Everything we do at CALS connects with and accelerates how we will achieve these goals – combining worldclass science with everyday actions that empower people, strengthen communities, support economies and contribute to a healthier, safer and more resilient planet.

Agriculture and Highlights of Life Sciences in North Carolina

CALS, as a college of both agriculture and life sciences, is uniquely positioned to advance our state and impact our world.

Agriculture and agribusiness are the No. 1 economic driver in the state.

North Carolina is home to 90 commodity and industry groups who are also valued partners of CALS.

Our geographic connection to the Research Triangle Park puts us in the center of one of the nation’s top areas for technology start-ups and commercializable discoveries.

North Carolina offers one of the most important concentrations of ag biotech activity in the country.

North Carolina is one of the most diverse states in terms of agricultural production, with soils and climatic conditions representative of much of the eastern U.S.

The state is home to many non-profit agricultural, rural and urban community, health and wellness, and life science focused organizations.

The state is home to thousands of small operations, as well as some of the largest in the country.

Introduction

The world is changing—slowly in some instances and, in others, far more rapidly.

Population growth and shifting population patterns in rural and urban areas, rising food insecurity and health disparities, the aftereffects of an unprecedented pandemic, new technologies, and climate change are just several factors influencing how communities, institutions and economies throughout the world are planning for today and tomorrow. North Carolina is at the epicenter of these dynamics, both as a state experiencing the impacts of this changing landscape and one poised to thrive in the coming years.

CALS is positioned to be a force for embracing this change. CALS is fundamental to NC State’s land-grant mission— educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders, conducting innovative research on-campus and across the state to boldly solve complex challenges, and leveraging one of the world’s leading Extension programs to connect that research to millions of North Carolinians in 100 counties and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. And our students are prepared for today’s positions and those of the future. Throughout our college’s history, we have generated remarkable community and economic impact while building capacity and capability among North Carolinians to anticipate change and thrive in response to it, with our students well prepared for today’s challenges and those of the future. We are making these impacts not just in North Carolina, but across the globe.

An uncertain future requires thoughtful, visionary planning within a framework that allows for—and counts on—changing conditions. In spring 2021, our leadership at CALS began a process to chart our course through 2030 with a clear mandate: to leverage this process toward becoming the best land-grant university in the country and the best place to learn and work for everyone. The results of more than a year of conversations, listening sessions, focus groups, surveys, research and discovery are contained within this plan, with priorities, goals and strategies designed to deliver on these initial charges. This plan is structured to be nimble and responsive to the inevitable change that occurs over nearly a decade—featuring clear definition where appropriate and simply building parameters where necessary, enabling innovation and discovery that can provide additional context and impact years into the future.

A Plan Driven and Defined by Engagement

The process to guide this plan’s development was intentionally designed with a bottom-up approach, giving all a voice. Our leadership recognized that planning for the future requires the vision and dedication of all parties involved. Over 11,000 people answered that call, providing input and data that have been crucial in helping elevate focus areas, topics and initiatives throughout this plan. From faculty, staff and students to growers, industry partners and Extension program participants, our engagement with CALS’ many internal and external constituencies was broad and deep.

A Plan Focused on People

People are at the heart of everything we do, and we seek to preserve this philosophy in the coming years. We are all part of the Wolfpack—as such, we will build and promote a culture within CALS that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, recognizes and appreciates success, and connects our actions to our core values. These are not simply words on a page; they are actions we will take and expectations we will set for all members of our CALS community. We also aim to make longterm, strategic investments in our people and the systems, processes and infrastructure that enable them to do their best work in learning, conducting research and serving all of our many stakeholders. We will make these same investments in the communities we serve, recognizing that we must focus on equitably supporting, integrating into, and learning and recruiting from the diverse areas of our state. The work that will take place through this plan will be crucial in elevating that impact, conducting research and translating results into real-world solutions that will benefit North Carolinians and the world for years to come.

A Plan For a Sustainable Future

The past several years have only further demonstrated how the world around us is changing and how these changes affect how the world learns, lives, works and grows. Population growth, health disparities, food inequities, evolving farming practices, and climate change are real challenges requiring distinct strategies and solutions. CALS is uniquely positioned to address these challenges by staying at the forefront of science and discovery, aligning research, teaching and Extension to benefit a more sustainable North Carolina, and then sharing lessons learned with billions throughout the world. Sustainability in education is crucial in meeting these needs, and our learners are eager to be a part of a sustainable future. Our research agenda is aggressive and touches all elements of sustainability, including biological systems, the environment, food stability, infrastructure, resilience and more. In implementing this agenda, we will continue collaborating with our many partners while expanding these partnerships to drive even greater interdisciplinary collaboration. In viewing everything we do through the lens of sustainability, we are helping to ensure a more sustainable state, nation and world.

A Plan That Connects CALS

Connectivity is the thread that binds all those in the CALS ecosystem and elevates our work and impact—from Mills River and Plymouth to Goldsboro and Raleigh. With researchers conducting new and novel research throughout the state and Extension agents working with communities in every county and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, there is limitless opportunity to leverage this footprint and propel our college’s work to unprecedented heights. To maximize this impact, our college must genuinely function as one interconnected ecosystem in which we constantly strive for greater integration of all members of our community, recognizing the importance of both on and off-campus work. It also means greater integration of and investment in our physical and digital infrastructure—from labs and greenhouses to research stations throughout the state. Externally, the connections we make and sustain help amplify our work, whether it is through stronger engagement with our alumni, enhancing industry partnerships or maximizing the value and impact of NC State Extension. The more connected we are in all we do at CALS, the more our state, world, and future generations will benefit.

Acknowledgements

This strategic plan sets the vision for CALS through 2030, identifying what we will accomplish by 2030, determining what will prepare us for the decades to come and laying out the roadmap for how we will get there.

This vision was developed in close collaboration with our people and partners, who are crucial to our future success. We extend our deep appreciation to the thousands of people across North Carolina and beyond who shared their voices and contributed to the development of this plan—from participating in surveys and listening sessions to focus groups and one-on-one interviews.

In addition to the broad input provided to inform this plan, the planning process was people driven. Over a year and a half, the CALS Strategic Planning Steering Committee held dozens of meetings to monitor progress, discuss future engagement plans and inform other elements of this process. This committee’s work was supported by a dedicated Planning Team comprising more than 30 faculty and staff representing all facets of CALS. This team met regularly over the same timeframe to advise and guide the planning process. Along with CALS leadership, the team then participated in a retreat in May 2022 to review research, data and input to establish the priorities and goals reflected in this plan. The entire CALS community is grateful for this team’s time, energy and dedication to the future of CALS and all those we serve.

CALS Strategic Planning Steering Committee

John Dole

Interim Dean (co-chair)

Rebecca Zuvich

Assistant Dean for Human Resources (co-chair)

Andrea Peros

Communications Specialist

CALS Strategic Planning Team

Jonathan Allen, Professor, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and Director, Graduate Programs for Food Science

Geoff Bock, Director of Operations, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

Zack Brown, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

Janine Brumfield, CALS Communications Specialist

Jeff Buckel, Professor, Department of Applied Ecology, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology

José Cisneros, Director, CALS International Programs and Professor of Practice, Department of Horticultural Science

Alyssa DeGreenia, Assistant Director, Agricultural Institute

Adam Fahrenholz, Associate Professor, Prestage Department of Poultry Science and Coordinator, Feed Milling Program

John Garner, Superintendent, Williamsdale Biofuels Field Lab and Horticultural Crops Research Station

Alex Graves, Director, CALS Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Amy Grunden, Assistant Director, N.C. Agricultural Research Service and William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Microbiology

Bill Hunt, Professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Extension Specialist

Carlos Iglesias, Professor, Department of Horticultural Science and Director, NC State Plant Breeding Consortium

Susan Kelly, Assistant Director, NC State Extension

Ridenour Executive Assistant to the Dean Meredith Towery

Communications Manager

Jim Kerns, Associate Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and Extension Specialist

Kevin Lee, Director, CALS IT

Nikki Kurdys, Assistant Director, NC State Extension

Tom Makris, Associate Professor, Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry

Claudia Mello, Executive Assistant, CALS

Paul Mozdziak, Professor, Prestage Department of Poultry Science and Director, Graduate Physiology Program

Sonia Murphy, Assistant Dean for Advancement

Charles Peacock, Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Professor and Director of Graduate Programs

Michelle Schroeder-Moreno, Director of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and W.K. Kellogg / Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation Endowed Distinguished Chair in Sustainable Community-Based Food Systems

Anna Stepanova, Associate Professor, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology

Rhonda Sutton, Director, CALS Leadership Programs and Extension Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences

Deborah Thompson, Director of CALS Research Partnerships

Wendy Warner, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences

Julie

Strategic Plan Structure

This strategic plan is organized into three broad focus areas: People, Programs and Innovation.

These focus areas are supported by ten strategic priorities that outline what we seek to influence within each theme, goals that define success for CALS in a measurable way and the more tactical key initiatives that will help us achieve each goal and reinforce our ability to achieve our future vision. Each strategic priority features corresponding success metrics to measure our progress as this plan is implemented.

The same themes will be reflected in the CALS departmental and unit strategic plans, enabling all our stakeholders to clearly understand what our college is working toward and how they fit into that future. Additionally, all the strategic priorities and supporting elements align with the seven bold goals of Wolfpack 2030, NC State’s university-wide strategic plan. This strategic plan includes many of these same ideals and principles, thereby reinforcing the impact of these associated goals and initiatives within both CALS and the broader NC State ecosystem.

FOCUS AREA 1: People

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1.1:

Recruit, Retain and Invest in the Talented Faculty, Staff and Students of CALS

Without CALS’ talented, committed faculty, staff and students, nothing in this strategic plan is possible. In the years before this plan, CALS employees—and all those who work in higher education—experienced significant challenges navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting the quality of life, mental health and well-being of those tasked with continuing to deliver high-quality education or conduct cutting-edge research amid these unprecedented times. While most employees reported high job satisfaction at the beginning of the pandemic, the challenges of operating, researching and teaching in changing remote and hybrid environments underscore the need for further efforts to retain existing faculty and staff. Competitive compensation, adequate and effective administrative support, reduced administrative and compliance burdens, excellent infrastructure and, in the case of faculty, available research funding will all positively impact our ability to recruit the highest caliber of talent to all levels of the college moving forward. Combined with the everchanging nature of higher education and a rigid, complex compensation structure, these dynamics are and will continue to be very real threats to how organizations like CALS recruit faculty and staff and, most importantly, retain and recognize the talented individuals already part of CALS—at all facilities, campuses, offices and locations.

CALS needs faculty, staff and student leaders for all components of the college. We must grow leaders internally from the diverse faculty and staff we already have, continue to hire successful leaders and provide robust leadership training opportunities. Historically, we have been phenomenally successful in assembling interdisciplinary teams to address big issues in life sciences and agriculture. Our ready, willing and able faculty and staff have stepped up to lead these programs. We must build on this success and empower these driven individuals by creating robust leadership programs that equip our people to take on these transformational programs and leadership roles in our departments, units and the college.

These challenges also extend to how we support our graduate and postdoctoral students, who serve in some of CALS’ most crucial roles across teaching, research and Extension and represent the future of higher education—both at NC State and throughout the world. We view these students as both a priority and cornerstone of how the college achieves its vision and goals, helping them to feel supported in all they do, with an array of opportunities to gain experiences that make them more effective teachers, researchers and communicators in the future.

We must be innovative, creative and intentional in how we invest in our people at CALS. This includes exploring and pursuing all available avenues to reward and recognize high performance, provide professional development and institutional support, acknowledge how our people live our shared values, establish clear career pathways to advance within our CALS organization and build an inclusive and team-based culture that positions CALS as an employer of choice among North Carolina employers and higher education institutions across the nation.

GOAL 1.1.1: EQUITABLY IMPROVE COMPENSATION, DEVELOPMENT, REWARDS, RECOGNITION, AND WELL-BEING FOR FACULTY, STAFF, POST-DOCTORAL SCHOLARS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Create comprehensive professional development, growth, leadership, retention and mentoring programs for faculty and staff at all CALS locations

Key Initiative 2: Enhance and promote well-being initiatives for faculty, staff and students

Key Initiative 3: Develop and implement strategies to maximize equitable and competitive pay, especially in regard to salary compression

Key Initiative 4: Increase graduate and postdoctoral student financial support and mentoring

Key Initiative 5: Enhance and promote college-wide and institutional rewards and recognition programs to elevate the work and accomplishments of high performers

SUCCESS METRICS

• Average total compensation for all CALS faculty, staff and postdoctoral students (relative to market benchmarks)

• Salary distributions among employees

• Employee engagement survey results

• Faculty and staff retention rate

• Total graduate students

• Individual graduate student stipends

• Total graduate student stipend funding

• Graduate degree completion within standard degree timeframe

• Teaching evaluations of teaching students

• Professional development, leadership, retention, mentoring and wellness program participation rate

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 1: Empower students for a lifetime of success and impact

• Goal 4: Champion a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and well-being in all we do

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1.2:

Continually Grow and Reinforce a Culture of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Well-Being Throughout CALS

North Carolina as a state is becoming increasingly diverse—geographically, demographically and socioeconomically. Higher education is also seeing unprecedented levels of interest among nontraditional students, from an influx of midcareer residents seeking education for new opportunities to those from historically marginalized areas who, in many cases, are first-generation college students and international students attracted to the prestige of American universities. A National Center for Education Statistics analysis of the characteristics of postsecondary students notes that, in fall 2020, ten percent of full-time college students were 40 years or older with 29 percent of part-time college students 40 years or older. In tandem, NC State’s student enrollment has increased steadily over the last five years, and the university is actively working to enhance student diversity and increase support of transfer students by expanding pathways to NC State, with the goal of a more diverse student population, but also one with varying experiences and needs. As one of the state’s largest colleges, we recognize the importance of equitably prioritizing the experiences of all the people and communities we serve so that all who interact with our college feel welcome and experience a place or environment where they clearly belong. This involves having people who look or sound like them—whether they are a prospective student or faculty or staff member stepping into one of our facilities or interacting with one of our CALS people through one of our many Extension outreach programs.

Additionally, with mental health challenges more prevalent than ever, and anxiety and depression on the rise, the bonds that connect the people of CALS have been stretched unlike any period in our history. The mental health of students, faculty and staff in higher education has been heavily impacted in recent years, with the National Library of Medicine identifying increased stress and anxiety in a 2020 study that has elevated the pressing need for interventions and preventative strategies. As we look to 2030 and beyond, it is crucial that the well-being of the faculty, staff and students who comprise this community remains at the forefront of the culture we continue to invest in and build.

We must meet these trends with real priorities, initiatives and action that demonstrate our commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and well-being is more than just words on a page. Instead, it is a mindset and baseline expectation that governs and is woven into all we do. To live this out, we will take great care to fully understand and prioritize the employee and student experience at all levels, address needs or expectations for support that enhance an individual’s sense of belonging and well-being in our organization and implement tangible policies, programs and structures to maximize that experience.

GOAL 1.2.1: EXPAND CALS’ COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Implement new or expanded DEI priorities, training programs and leadership development initiatives, including integration of these policies into hiring and evaluation processes

Key Initiative 2: Implement diversity, equity and inclusion learning modules for all incoming CALS undergraduate and graduate students as part of CALS’ orientation and onboarding process

Key Initiative 3: Enhance business processes, structure, programming, funding and support for the CALS Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Key Initiative 4: Establish internship program with a focus on recruiting high-caliber students from historically marginalized backgrounds

SUCCESS METRICS

• Diversity rate of CALS faculty, staff and students (demographic and socioeconomic)

• Faculty and staff retention rate (demographic, socioeconomic and geographic)

• Number of international students and visiting faculty (annually)

• Employee engagement survey results, specifically questions involving diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and well-being

• CALS culture survey results

• Internship participation rate

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 1: Empower students for a lifetime of success and impact

• Goal 4: Champion a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and well-being in all we do

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1.3:

Build a More Efficient, Connected CALS

As one of the largest colleges at NC State and in the University of North Carolina system, CALS has the benefit of significant geographic reach but also the challenge of maintaining connectivity and alignment across its more than 120 distinct operating locations—from NC State’s Main Campus in Raleigh to off-campus centers and institutes, research stations and field labs, greenhouses, and county Extension offices throughout the state. While not the only solutions, efficient and advanced communications and technology represent key components to how we can address these connectivity challenges. This dynamic is particularly relevant as the university continues to shift toward and prioritize interdisciplinary collaboration, where real-time coordination and integration of resources are most crucial in generating the scale of impact successful interdisciplinary initiatives can create.

CALS is also like many large, complex organizations in that there are traditional work silos that inhibit collaboration and lead to inefficient or burdensome processes that can limit our ability to be nimble in the face of changing needs, educate our students, deliver groundbreaking research and efficiently serve our many stakeholders. These same silos carry significant risks and challenges in how we communicate with these same stakeholders—internally within CALS and NC State, externally with stakeholders ranging from North Carolina’s many crucial commodity groups to industry research partners, and externally on a broader scale in communicating the importance of agriculture and life sciences to the general public. We must recognize that our external stakeholders include both our traditional stakeholders from rural agricultural areas and those from urban areas who may have different issues and needs.

Furthermore, we cannot achieve greater connectivity without proper technology solutions. Many rural areas across the state in which CALS operates lack even basic technology services, including the internet. We must not only focus on implementing state-of-the-art technology, but ensuring all of CALS is equipped with the infrastructure and support that provides basic technology needs.

We will work in the coming years to better integrate as a college, accelerate how we partner and work with others across NC State, the UNC system and beyond, improve any processes that hold us back from achieving our vision and build more nimble operating models that enable us to keep pace with the rapidly changing dynamics of both higher education and the industries, communities and families we serve. The end result will be a more streamlined, effective, efficient and impactful experience we deliver to all those we serve and maximum impact in all we do to achieve our mission.

GOAL 1.3.1: ENHANCE THE REACH, SCALE AND IMPACT OF CALS COMMUNICATIONS

Key Initiative 1: Develop a strategic communications plan for internal stakeholders, external partners and stakeholders and the general public

Key Initiative 2: Define a new shared-resource organizational structure for leveraging communication resources across CALS

Key Initiative 3: Collaborate with IT to identify and/or build communication platforms that facilitate the most efficient and effective communications

CREATE A MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE CALS OPERATING MODEL

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Conduct an efficiency study of all administrative programs, processes and IT systems, and monitor over time via dedicated function within CALS

Key Initiative 2: Implement a shared-resource model for business operations and expand administrative support resources, including through the implementation of user-friendly business operations processes and IT systems

Key Initiative 3: Form a regional taskforce of higher education institutions to facilitate knowledge and resource sharing, collaboration and cooperative programs

Key Initiative 4: Develop a plan that focuses on implementing state-of-the-art technology across all operating locations, equipping areas lacking basic technology with essential technology and providing enhanced support and training resources that extend beyond Main Campus

SUCCESS METRICS

• Total reach, impressions, and engagement rates associated with CALS communications

• End user satisfaction survey results

• Key system, process and workflow efficiency rates (e.g., contract and grant proposal submission times)

• Research, teaching and Extension throughput as a result of efficiency measures

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 5: Improve university effectiveness through transformative technologies, cutting-edge processes and actionable data

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1.4:

Create a Career-Ready Workforce

The industries we serve at CALS have long been some of North Carolina’s most dominant and productive, helping our state carry an outsized impact around the world in how we address some of our most pressing global challenges, including and especially those within our state. This is true across all facets of our college, whether it involves educating students on new methods and innovations, conducting leading research or working directly with residents, families, businesses and communities.

Increasingly, however, as the lines between higher education and the world around us continue to blur, our students are experiencing similarly shifting demands for skills and new types of work environments they are now entering. In addition to being educators, we are workforce developers operating on the front line of connecting eager students with professions where they can be successful, and to employers who will benefit from well-equipped employees.

This means that in addition to instilling essential baseline technical skills, we must also invest in the professional skills of students—from communication to leadership—that elevate an individual well beyond their technical competency and position them for lifelong success in their careers, professions and communities. We train leaders who will make an impact and develop in them the many skills that will contribute to their future success through myriad high-impact practices, such as internships, organizational leadership, and many more, both in and outside of the classroom.

In a 2021 survey, CALS students overwhelmingly identified the need for additional career service offerings and a desire for more opportunities to interact and form connections with industry and alumni. We must also serve as a strategic bridge to these careers, proactively working with employers to understand real-time demands for skills and competencies, bringing these employers to the table through expanded career services programming and facilitating interactions between students and prospective employers through strategies like mentorship and internship programs that foster working relationships that transcend a student’s time at CALS.

FOCUS AREA 1: PEOPLE

We will accomplish this priority by fully leveraging the breadth and scale of our CALS community, recognizing the significant presence we have around the world through alumni, research partnerships, county partners and general CALS supporters. Through this community, we will work intentionally to position CALS as a leader in educating, equipping and placing our graduates in meaningful careers and lives that help advance the impact we seek to have on our state and world. This sentiment does not end only with recent graduates; our focus is to build a workforce that is not only careerready but career-minded, with CALS alumni setting the bar for rising to positions of prominence, influence and impact.

GOAL 1.4.1: EXPAND CALS CAREER SERVICES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Expand and coordinate co-curricular high-impact practices to help equip students at all levels with the skills that best support their career goals and needs and help them make a positive impact in their careers, professions and communities

Key Initiative 2: Develop employer roundtables and structures for identifying real-time employer needs and recommendations for aligning CALS curricula or programming accordingly

Key Initiative 3: Expand curricula or continuing education programming for nontraditional students

GOAL 1.4.2: FORM MEANINGFUL, LONGLASTING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CALS STUDENTS AND THE BROADER CALS COMMUNITY

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Implement alumni engagement program to connect incoming and current students with CALS alumni

Key Initiative 2: Expand and coordinate mentorship and internship programs to place CALS students with industry or community partners

SUCCESS METRICS

• Placement of CALS recent graduates into full-time employment

• Average compensation of CALS graduates

• Long-term placement of CALS graduates in leadership roles

• Employer survey satisfaction rates

• CALS alumni satisfaction rates

• Student high-impact practice participation rate

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 1: Empower students for a lifetime of success and impact

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving

• Goal 7: Elevate the national and global reputation and visibility of NC State

FOCUS AREA 2: Programs

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2.1:

Transform Education and Instructional Delivery Systems to Serve All Student Needs

As student populations are changing, CALS—like many colleges and institutions—is seeing significant demand for new types of coursework, degree programs and ways of learning that are only expected to continue evolving. The rapid influx of new technologies and demand for virtual or hybrid learning options, in particular, has prompted our college to completely rethink the delivery systems, models, structures and mediums we use to best connect with and teach our students, which ultimately affects how we recruit and retain future students, both traditional and nontraditional. Our student profile is changing and will continue to evolve in the coming decades. Traditionally, many of our students have come from rural parts of our state. Our rural students, families and communities will continue to be an integral part of our college and future. We also recognize that the growth of our state’s urban communities will generate new students and partners. We must intentionally address, cultivate and support their needs with the same focus and rigor that has helped make rural parts of our state so integral to our college.

As an institution, we are also aggressively moving toward greater interdisciplinarity in all we do. In fact, some of NC State’s most successful interdisciplinary initiatives have involved multiple colleges, such as through faculty clusters and academies. This trend will not only lead to more remarkable outcomes in the research we conduct but in spurring stronger, more intentional collaboration across all facets of NC State and CALS, internally and externally. Internally, we see tremendous possibility in changing the way we teach and the way our students learn—from expanding the accessibility of our lecture-based courses and increasing co-teaching opportunities to building a community of practice around new modalities for teaching and implementing best practices for hybrid teaching and technology-based learning. Leveraging the philosophies and functional examples from successful programs of how to build new and innovative interdisciplinary bridges between departments, colleges and institutions, we understand outcomes are strongest when research topics are viewed and analyzed through multiple lenses. Externally, there are limitless partnership opportunities that can catalyze

FOCUS AREA 2: PROGRAMS

our students’ success in the classroom and their careers, like implementing joint degree or pathway programs that facilitate rapid upskilling for students looking to move quickly into the workforce.

We also see tremendous potential for strengthening existing partnerships like the one with North Carolina A&T State University that underscore our statewide impact through N.C. Cooperative Extension, as well as other Historically Black Colleges and Universities and minority-serving institutions, providing co-teaching, co-learning, internship and coursework opportunities that align with both of our respective missions and at the same time spur greater diversity among our student population. The same is true for partnerships with other collaborators, including our research-based industry partnerships and county partners, who offer unique, experiential learning opportunities for our students that we must be diligent about leveraging and facilitating.

Above all, we must be nimble in how to advance this priority and achieve corresponding goals. As conditions change, new technologies like artificial intelligence develop, or the needs of our students evolve, we must be poised to react in a way that not only aligns with these changing conditions but positions us and all we serve to thrive in response to them.

GOAL 2.1.1: EXPAND CALS COURSEWORK AND DEGREE PROGRAMS TO FOCUS ON ACCESSIBILITY AND INTERDISCIPLINARITY

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Modify learning systems, coursework and degree programs based on hybrid, virtual and face-to-face teaching best practices

Key Initiative 2: Expand co-teaching and co-design opportunities across CALS departments

Key Initiative 3: Launch community of practice within CALS focused on new modalities for teaching

Key Initiative 4: Create undergraduate and graduate issues courses and extracurricular offerings aligned with the needs of their chosen field

Key Initiative 5: Create college-wide interdisciplinary majors

Key Initiative 6: Create a new technology teaching laboratory to explore and implement artificial intelligence-based individual learning

GOAL 2.1.2: GROW PARTNERSHIPS TO EXPAND PATHWAYS INTO CALS

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Form partnerships with North Carolina community colleges to facilitate inroads to CALS degree programs and support rapid upskilling and career development for students

Key Initiative 2: Expand partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions to facilitate joint learning opportunities and build a pipeline of diverse graduate applicants

SUCCESS METRICS

• Annual CALS enrollment

• Annual CALS enrollment of nontraditional and underrepresented students

• Annual enrollment in Agricultural Institute

• New or alternative degree programs and courses

• Participation in new degree programs and courses

• Participation in online courses or alternative degree programs

• Student retention rate

• Formal partnerships with other higher education institutions, prioritizing other North Carolina institutions

• Goal 1: Empower students for a lifetime of success and impact

• Goal 2: Ensure preeminence in research, scholarship, innovation and collaboration

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2.2: Transform Our International Profile

NC State is strongly committed to elevating the university’s national and global reputation and visibility. We enthusiastically share in this commitment. As the world has become increasingly interconnected, we have seen similar advancement in the importance of agriculture and life sciences and how the work of institutions like CALS can and must help build a more sustainable future for all.

This focus on helping address our world’s most pressing issues supports and interconnects with how we fulfill our landgrant mission to North Carolina residents. In fact, a leading international profile can and should have a multiplier effect on how we positively impact North Carolina as we import new thoughts and leading perspectives that can help solve challenges intrinsic to our state; create, incubate, and export solutions that return real value to our statewide economy; and foster more significant interest in and demand for CALS on a global level. We can achieve this level of prominence through not only growing our international affiliates, joint research activities and exchange programs, but leveraging unique resources and assets like the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative that provides an environment for global collaboration and serves as a magnet drawing in new ideas and perspectives.

To do so, we must completely rethink and restructure how we invest in and cultivate our international footprint. Today, a lack of dedicated resources combined with cumbersome business practices challenge our ability to facilitate international experiences for faculty and students, thereby limiting the impact of this programming. We must also lean further into becoming a more diverse college that is welcoming to all, so that scholars of all types from all backgrounds and geographies view CALS as a place where they belong.

GOAL 2.2.1: EXPAND IMPACT OF CALS INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS OFFICE

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Enhance business processes, structure, programming, funding, and support for International Programs office

Key Initiative 2: Develop a funding model to better recruit, retain and support international graduate students

FOCUS AREA 2: PROGRAMS

GOAL 2.2.2: GROW FORMAL INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Establish a dedicated function within the CALS International Programs office for pursuing and facilitating international partnerships

Key Initiative 2: Leverage partnerships to facilitate international student internship and graduate work opportunities in the U.S. through CALS and expand international internship and work study opportunities for CALS students and graduates

Key Initiative 3: Develop credit-granting programs that provide undergraduate students with international experiences

GOAL 2.2.3: POSITION CALS AS A HUB FOR INTERNATIONAL DISCOVERY AND COLLABORATION

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Develop interdisciplinary teams, form partnerships with institutions and establish the necessary infrastructure to pursue and maintain more large-scale grants

Key Initiative 2: Establish a graduate student summer exchange program

Key Initiative 3: Establish a visiting scholar affiliation program

SUCCESS METRICS

• International students enrolled at CALS

• Memoranda of understanding with international partners

• Visiting professors from international institutions

• Joint research agreements with international institutions

• Study abroad program participation

• Summer exchange program participation

• Transferrable credit or degree programs between international institutions and CALS majors

• International ranking

• Contracts and grants with international collaborators

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 1: Empower students for a lifetime of success and impact

• Goal 7: Elevate the national and global reputation and visibility of NC State

FOCUS AREA 3: Innovation

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3.1:

Advance a Comprehensive Agenda Focused on Sustainability

As the world and environment around us continue to change, human nutrition needs and food disparities impact our overall health and well-being, and global population increases strain both food supply and supply chains, there is increasing demand for solutions today that help build a more sustainable future tomorrow. The crucial role we serve in how we collectively adapt to the changing dynamics of North Carolina cannot be understated. CALS is ideally positioned to serve as not only an incubator for the research that informs such sustainable solutions, but a leader and exporter that has an impact well beyond NC State and North Carolina.

To fill this role, we will develop and adopt a clear but necessarily broad agenda focused on sustainability. Sustainability can mean very different things to many different people and stakeholders. We align our view of sustainability with that of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which features 17 Sustainable Development Goals, while ensuring the long-term viability of our industries at the same time. For CALS and this strategic plan, it is intended to apply to all the work we do in our college and the places and people we support – we will help build more sustainable families, careers, industries, communities, and environments in North Carolina for future generations and export the important research and discovery that begins in our state but can inform a more sustainable nation and world for years to come.

This agenda, which will be constructed in close collaboration with our many partners and collaborators, will serve as the basis through which we align all our efforts through the lens of sustainability. Sustainability is both a mindset and term and carries varying definitions, implications and applications. We are proud of our heritage at CALS—our ability to be a college of both agricultural and life sciences. At CALS, we have strived to balance discovery and basic research intermingled with applied research and Extension. This priority establishes our goal of addressing sustainability in its broadest sense—an

imperative given the future needs of North Carolina, the U.S. and the world. While a core theme of our future work, we also recognize this focus on sustainability should not be at the expense of other research activities. There are significant elements of CALS that do not work directly on sustainability, nor should they, but they provide fundamental discoveries that can lead to sustainable solutions.

Today, we have the assets and momentum to become a world leader in sustainability, powered by recent successes of interdisciplinary research teams and groundbreaking research being conducted by numerous CALS faculty. We must leverage this momentum accordingly and intentionally to advance this priority with a mindset and spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration that extends well beyond the walls of our college. This is not an agenda that will be developed and never revisited. Rather, it must be an ever-evolving roadmap regularly reviewed and scrutinized to ensure our research is constantly positioned on the cutting edge of where sustainable solutions are needed not just today, but decades from now.

Now, more than ever, students are leading social change efforts to improve quality of life for others. Our faculty and staff have a crucial responsibility to support students in sustainability education, ensuring they have access to both classroom learning and opportunities to create real-world solutions involving sustainability. We must also work to ensure our students have ample opportunities for hands-on learning with the interdisciplinary teams conducting related research and participating in Extension. Today’s learners are at the forefront of both driving and creating change; after studying in CALS, they will leave with the skills needed to build a sustainable tomorrow.

GOAL 3.1.1: POSITION CALS AS A GLOBAL LEADER IN SUSTAINABILITY FOR AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES

KEY INITIATIVES

Key Initiative 1: Establish and maintain a framework and areas of focus for sustainability research agenda including robust basic and applied work

Key Initiative 2: Create interdisciplinary research centers, institutes, centers of excellence or clusters involving sustainability in agriculture and life sciences

Key Initiative 3: Establish new minor focused on sustainability and related coursework

Key Initiative 4: Develop undergraduate and graduate certificate programs in sustainable agriculture, especially in partnership with NC A&T State University and community colleges

Key Initiative 5: Develop regional hub for sustainability in collaboration with regional higher education institutions

SUCCESS METRICS

• Faculty awards and publications involving sustainability

• Secured sponsored funds for projects involving sustainability

• Creation of an interdisciplinary center or institute focused on sustainability

• Sustainability-focused partnerships with regional higher education institutions

• Interdisciplinary projects involving sustainability

• New programs launched involving sustainability

• Hiring faculty with sustainability-focused portfolios

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 3: Expand and advance our engagement with and service to North Carolina and beyond, defining the standard for a 21st-century land-grant university

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving

• Goal 7: Elevate the national and global reputation and visibility of NC State

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3.2:

Build Our Infrastructure

CALS has an enormous footprint on campus and across the state – not surprising considering the breadth of our college. From fields and labs to hundreds of offices, classrooms and meeting spaces, we depend on our buildings and spaces to be able to provide high-quality research, courses and Extension programs and services. For our programs to have the impact we desire, we must aggressively invest in the infrastructure that underpins all activities at CALS.

We have been highly competitive in scaling our research funding, growing from $51.2 million in competitive research funding in 2013 to $98 million in 2021. Additionally, CALS continues to receive strong and reliable support from key partners like commodity groups, while one-time investments from these groups and key partners like the Golden LEAF Foundation and the state of North Carolina have helped spur the formation of the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative and facility located on NC State’s Centennial Campus. Industry-sponsored research has also increased significantly, growing from $5 million in 2013 to $8.6 million in 2021.

Despite these successes, there are numerous areas of the CALS enterprise requiring significant attention and investment. This is largely due to the expansive presence we maintain throughout the state, including our 18 agricultural research stations we operate in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, which each maintain diverse areas of focus in conducting translational research directly applicable to the geographies in which they are located. We must take steps today to fully understand the needs of these and other labs or facilities, including any barriers that may prevent them from facilitating the type of groundbreaking research for which CALS is known. This includes a particular focus on digitally enabling and integrating each of these research farms with NC State’s Main and Centennial campuses and improving access to these state-of-the-art facilities and resources. Through this integration, we can more intentionally exchange complex datasets and leverage the leading data management capabilities, analysts and infrastructure that now exists, which will help inform greater accessibility of data throughout the state, resulting in more effective research and expanded translational impact in the state we serve.

We can also take the successes and blueprint of the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative to catalyze the launch of our Food Animal Initiative, guided by a vision for establishing North Carolina as the world leader in food animal biosciences.

In making these and other strategic investments, we will work to have the best agriculture and life sciences facilities in the nation, which will not only help to elevate our research, academic and Extension programs but serve as a key driver of how we recruit and retain our talented faculty, staff and students. Along these lines, this focus on our research infrastructure extends well beyond bricks and mortar and digital connectivity. We must make similar investments in the human capital that makes this research possible, including in providing greater support in how we take the tremendous research work occurring in CALS and convert it into tangible solutions with real-world impacts and extendable outputs— whether through more intentional integration with NC State Extension or commercializing research through a deeper culture of entrepreneurship in which we empower, train and push our faculty to build and scale their portfolios.

Finally, we recognize that in order for CALS to have the global impact we seek, we must strengthen the way we communicate the work taking place across our college. By investing and realigning our college’s communications infrastructure, we envision a more streamlined and interactive approach to engaging partners in our work and telling the CALS story statewide and globally, helping to create a circular effect in driving awareness, interest and resources into our enterprises.

GOAL 3.2.1: POSITION CALS FACILITIES AS WORLD LEADERS FOR RESEARCH, TEACHING AND ENGAGEMENT

Key Initiative 1: Create a comprehensive process for assessing existing CALS facilities and developing a corresponding long-term facility improvement and new facility development plan

Key Initiative 2: Identify funding sources and partners and invest in key facilities throughout the state that can be positioned as destination farms and other locations for research, academics and Extension

Key Initiative 3: Digitally connect and integrate CALS research stations and field labs

Key Initiative 4: Advance Food Animal Initiative using N.C. PSI as a model and framework

GOAL 3.2.2: ESTABLISH CALS AS A REGIONAL HUB FOR FACULTY ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Key Initiative 1: Launch a faculty entrepreneurship acceleration program within CALS

Key Initiative 2: Design an entrepreneurship boot camp for graduate students, post docs and early career faculty

Key Initiative 3: Develop financial or other incentives that encourage post-award spinoff ventures for faculty and graduate students

SUCCESS METRICS:

• Grants and contracts awarded

• Corporate and philanthropic support

• Investments in both on and off-campus facilities and assets

• Patent awards

• New startups formed by CALS alumni

• New startups formed because of CALS research, teaching and Extension activities

• Funds raised by startups formed or incubated through CALS research activities

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 5: Improve university effectiveness through transformative technologies, cutting-edge processes and actionable data

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3.3: Transform Our Extension Delivery Model

For decades, NC State Extension has defined the connection between the leading research taking place at NC State University and the residents of North Carolina, underscoring the foundation of how NC State delivers its land-grant mission. NC State Extension works in partnership with the state’s Cooperative Extension program and NC A&T State University at the county level under the name NC Cooperative Extension. In 2013, NC Cooperative Extension underwent a significant reorganization of programs and resources in response to state economic influences and budget cuts. However, in the years since, Extension has seen stable budgets and strong support from its funders and partners, particularly at the county level. North Carolina’s strong commitment for Cooperative Extension is in many ways the envy of other states, as many have experienced cutbacks and declining participation in their extension programs.

This stable environment is not without risks and challenges. Housed within CALS as the university’s hub for agricultural, youth, family and community programming, Extension’s presence in all North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians provides significant reach within the state’s communities but also strains limited resources and Extension agents working to meet the needs of the residents they each support. The needs of our state’s communities are rapidly evolving, whether due to population migration, urbanization and changing demographics or influences like climate change impacting local growing conditions, food insecurities and changing communication, technology and data management needs.

Extension must similarly evolve to meet these changing conditions and sustain the strong support that it carries throughout the state. Input from Extension stakeholders through listening sessions, focus groups and internal and external surveys point to a clear desire for Extension to reinvent itself through measures like more targeted, countyspecific programming and better establishing the link between the objective, world-class research taking place throughout NC State and the counties we serve. This starts with recognizing and developing solutions in response to the trends that are quickly becoming reality for our state’s residents, like prioritizing training and resources for agents to support growers grappling with the impacts of climate change and the need for sustainable agriculture solutions. These trends also include population growth in our state’s urban centers that bring new stakeholders and potential advocates and partners. We must be vigilant in recognizing that the needs of our urban communities differ from those of our rural communities and customizing programs that serve both.

Future trends require us to create different future strategies for Extension’s traditional pillars. For programs like Family and Consumer Sciences, FFA, and 4-H, it means enhancing programs that serve the families of North Carolina to prioritize soft skills development among youth and equipping agents to recognize and connect those in mental health crisis to the resources they need in response to challenges severely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Extension faculty and specialists also work closely with the food industry, food producers and consumers to support a nutritious and healthy food supply. We must continue empowering and supporting this work via educational programs in food safety and other measures.

One of Extension’s key differentiators is how the programs and services we offer through it are grounded in objective science and backed by research. We must reinforce that connection at every opportunity by fostering real-time, two-way engagement between our specialists conducting this research and Extension agents in the counties. This connection must also be circular, with real-time county and stakeholder needs helping to drive research and the development of solutions that apply to them. We will also take great care to ensure all our agents and specialists are both trained in and empowered with knowledge surrounding community development, which will help them serve as more equipped advisors to the communities they serve and help residents better understand the science behind the work we do.

Technology is serving an increasingly important role in Extension. We must not only embrace technology and encourage its use by our staff and stakeholders where appropriate, but work with our stakeholders to guide them in how they similarly embrace technology in a way so that they are not left behind. In particular, when carefully implemented, artificial intelligence and machine learning shows promise for providing rapid, high-quality information that can positively impact the stakeholders and communities we serve.

The trends and opportunities we see through Extension are not limited to our state or country. We have an opportunity to expand our positive international impact through Extension and use the experiences, knowledge and contacts gained to create a corresponding impact on our state. By adopting this holistic global perspective throughout CALS, including Extension, we can truly maximize how we advance global learning and discovery in all facets of our college.

As we transform and fine-tune our Extension delivery model, it will be crucial that all residents of the state have awareness and understanding of the myriad resources available to them through Cooperative Extension. In doing so, we can not only expand the economic and community benefits we provide, but cement our standing as an invaluable program that provides untold value to the residents of North Carolina.

In addition to the below goals, key initiatives and metrics, NC State Extension’s strategic plan features several strategic priorities, detailed goals, initiatives and metrics that align with the CALS strategic plan. These include priorities related to expanding Extension’s awareness and utilization throughout the state; providing high-caliber, impactful programming that meets the needs of local communities; positioning NC State Extension as a premier employer in North Carolina; and enhancing the impact and benefit of Extension communications. For more information on the Extension strategic plan, visit ces.ncsu.edu.

GOAL 3.3.1: EVOLVE EXTENSION PROGRAMMING TO ALIGN WITH FUTURE TRENDS AND COMMUNITY NEEDS

Key Initiative 1: Create a comprehensive process for assessing existing current agent onboarding, training and mentoring programs and regularly adapting those programs to changing needs

Key Initiative 2: Expand Extension programs for middle school and high school students and expand partnerships with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and local education agencies throughout the state

Key Initiative 3: Expand partnership with NC A&T State University involving Extension programming to continue responding to the full continuum of farmer stakeholders, large and small

Key Initiative 4: Establish statewide teams and advisory resources focused on future trends like climate change, health and food disparities, social determinants of health, community connectivity and youth development

Key Initiative 5: Implement Extension-focused international programs and projects that connect campus-based Extension faculty with global partnership opportunities and engage county faculty and agents in related global learning

GOAL 3.3.2: AMPLIFY THE SCALE, IMPACT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF EXTENSION COMMUNICATIONS

Key Initiative 1: Develop a statewide marketing plan to maximize awareness of and participation in Extension programs

Key Initiative 2: Redesign web, digital and knowledge-sharing platforms to streamline access to Extension information and resources

Key Initiative 3: Develop a targeted marketing and communication strategy to engage North Carolina high school students in the work of Extension, while highlighting career opportunities in agriculture and life sciences

Key Initiative 4: Adapt all Extension materials, communications and resources to best serve the multicultural populations and varied demographics of North Carolina

Key Initiative 5: Develop formula for quantifying Extension impact among communities and populations served

SUCCESS METRICS

• Number of marketing resources used

• Marketing reach and engagement rates

• Balanced participation of program participants proportionate to the county or statewide population

• Balanced participation of program participants proportionate to the county farm operator population

• Internal platform analytics

• Internal communication satisfaction survey

• Communication open and engagement rates

• External stakeholder satisfaction survey results

• Website access and use analytics

• Annual Extension funding

• Number of new or adapted programs based on evolving trends and needs

• Number of new international projects and programs involving Extension faculty and agents

• Number of existing programs that have been reshaped or enhanced to be culturally appropriate and accessible

• Increase in middle school aged youth program participation

• Increase in high school aged youth program participation

• Standardized needs assessment instruments

• Standardized evaluation measures

• Extension impact factor

• Number of new programs implemented

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 3: Expand and advance our engagement with and service to North Carolina and beyond, defining the standard for a 21st-century land-grant university

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving

• Goal 7: Elevate NC State’s national and global reputation and visibility

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3.4:

Continually Prepare for the Future

We created this plan at a unique point in time with input from thousands of people. As conditions change, so must our plan—and it must do so without losing sight of our overall strategic priorities. We will achieve this flexibility through the ideas, wisdom and continual input of our faculty, staff, students and external stakeholders. Each CALS department and unit should develop distinct strategic plans, or revisit existing plans, that align with this plan and feature tactical implementation plans that define how our various units will support our shared strategic priorities, goals and initiatives. These departmental plans and the plan contained herein will be regularly monitored, reviewed and reported on to our broader CALS community—both to provide transparency in how we are implementing this plan that thousands of our constituencies have helped to make a reality and to build enthusiasm among our community for these and future initiatives. It will also be important to review this plan for relevance and applicability as conditions change. While we expect our strategic priorities and goals to remain constant over time, we also recognize that the rapidly evolving landscape in which we operate may necessitate strategy shifts as a function of implementation. These implementation plans should be structured as living plans to ensure we retain the flexibility we need to be nimble in the face of change, while also taking steps to appropriately communicate any such shifts to our CALS community.

We recognize that many of the initiatives contained in this plan are interdisciplinary in nature or must involve numerous internal and external stakeholders to accomplish. To support many of these initiatives, we will establish cross-college, cross-functional working groups. These groups may comprise faculty, staff and partners from multiple colleges or departments, non-departmental units and key functions of research, academics and Extension. In some instances, they may also involve external stakeholders advising the process and lending their valuable time and subject matter expertise. These groups will be responsible for producing implementation plans for these broader topics or initiatives, such as sustainability, climate change, international agriculture, diversity and even more specific topics. One existing model to lean upon is the collaborative Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science in Agriculture, which addressed a need to provide research-based information that informs regulatory decisions, impacts the communities we serve and trains individuals with the skills and information to make informed regulatory decisions. These groups will lead the development of position papers, new courses, new concentrations or other academic programs, new Extension programs, recommendations for new positions, new research programs, grant submissions and wraparound communication needs.

GOAL 3.4.1: PLAN FOR CHANGE

Key Initiative 1: Develop strategic and/or tactical implementation plans in each CALS department and unit or adjust existing plans

Key Initiative 2: Implement a cross-functional working group process to continually propose, evaluate and implement new college strategic priorities as needed

Key Initiative 3: Create a process for identifying and sunsetting programs to free resources for new initiatives

Key Initiative 4: Redefine research, teaching and Extension promotion and tenure criteria to reward, recognize and elevate nontraditional impacts and contributions and value all three functions equally

SUCCESS METRICS

• Department and unit strategic or tactical plans created or updated

• Successful new strategic priorities implemented

• Programs developed, eliminated or phased out

WOLFPACK 2030 ALIGNMENT

• Goal 5: Drive institutional effectiveness through transformative technologies, cutting-edge processes and actionable data

• Goal 6: Lead in developing innovative partnerships, entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving

Moving from Planning to Action

While our talented and committed faculty, staff, students and other internal stakeholders will be responsible for implementing much of this plan and integrating it into our operations, programs and services, we recognize that our external partners’ ideas and support also will be crucial to the implementation of this plan. The incredible diversity of agriculture and life sciences in North Carolina makes it virtually impossible to represent all of our partners’ research, teaching and Extension needs in one document. We will look to our departments and centers to incorporate the ideas and visions of our partners, as appropriate, into their strategic plans by asking fundamental questions like where our industries and associations see themselves in 2030, and how can we assist them in getting there? Each of the ten strategic priorities outlined in this plan supports our external work; in some instances very directly, such as through developing a career-ready workforce, and in others more indirectly, such as by building our infrastructure where we need high-quality facilities and training to do the work necessary to support our industries and communities. This strategic plan represents the continuation of conversations with our external partners—representing dialogue and collaborations that will be ongoing throughout the life of this plan and beyond.

This comprehensive strategic plan creates new enterprises and expands others. There are many initiatives we can accomplish in the near term and are working to implement with existing resources, while other initiatives can be initiated and accomplished with existing personnel and supported by redirecting existing funds or resources. There are also many others that are highly complex and will take years to design, resource and implement. These are instances in which the involvement and support of our vast network of stakeholders will become crucial components of our joint success.

Our biggest challenge rests with funding new initiatives and increasing support of existing programs that cannot be accomplished with existing funding and personnel. Fully implementing this plan will require additional financial resources from various sources, including state budgets, federal allocations, grants and gifts. Consequently, as we implement this strategic plan, we will need to prioritize and resource many of these new activities in coordination with a plan to reduce or potentially eliminate lower-priority activities. For example, departments may facilitate this process by proposing faculty positions that support new initiatives when faculty retire or leave the college through natural attrition. We acknowledge that such conversations will require input from internal and external stakeholders, representing the spirit of transparency and collaboration for which CALS is known and is evident throughout this plan.

Crucially, this plan represents a foundation for this dynamic collaboration and will guide all the tremendous work our college will do in close coordination with our many partners. We stand ready to move this plan forward, prioritize our people, impact our state and world and grow our future—together.

While this strategic plan provides the framework and foundation for how we will live out our mission and achieve our vision through 2030, it must also be put to use by action and implementation.

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