Strategic Plan Update
Dear FSC Colleagues:
In my first (almost) two years here at Farmingdale State College, we’ve had great
dialog and discussions during town halls, departmental meetings, and priorities workshops.
Although it may feel early, I plan to begin the process of preparing for our next
strategic plan. Our current “Eight for 28,” is scheduled to conclude in two years,
and, for reasons I spell out below, this is an ideal moment to reflect on our progress
and look ahead.
I want to begin by extending my sincere thanks to our CPRA team and to all of you
for your ongoing contributions to our current strategic plan. Your work has been essential
in advancing our home institution.
On Thursday, September 10, at 11 a.m., we will convene a town hall to share an update
on our current plan and begin shaping the next phase of our institutional strategy.
In advance of that discussion, I’d like to share a proposal that represents a meaningful
shift in how we approach strategic planning.
Traditional five-year plans can lose momentum over time, and lengthy lists of goals
can dilute focus. Too often, institutions emphasize broad aspirations that, while
important, are already fundamental to higher education and built into our basic College
fabric. Instead, I propose that we:
- Develop a strategic plan centered on no more than five major, high-impact goals that clearly reflect our institutional ambitions and aspirations.
- Assign small, focused teams to lead the development and execution of each goal.
- Establish timelines of three years for each goal to ensure urgency and accountability.
Additionally, I propose that we accelerate our current plan and conduct an assessment
at the end of the upcoming academic year of where that plan brought us. In parallel,
during this final year of our current plan, we would create our new, focused and dynamic
strategic plan for a September 2027 launch.
This timeline also aligns well with our upcoming Middle States Accreditation process,
enabling us to present both concrete outcomes from our current plan and a clear, forward-looking
vision.
There are critical areas that we may want to consider, such as: a diminishing pool
of Long Island high school students and the need to recruit beyond the Island; growing
graduate programs and extended education; growing scholarship and grants' optimizing infrastructure to address our evolving needs.
These are not definitive goals but broad thoughts for consideration. Your input here
is essential. To that end, throughout the 2026–27 academic year, we will host additional town
halls and focus groups to gather input, share progress, and ensure broad engagement.
In the meantime, I welcome your thoughts, ideas, and feedback. Please email us at
strategicplan@farmingdale.edu, or contact my office to arrange a meeting so we can discuss. Note that email messages
sent to this address will come to my office and CPRA leadership.
Your perspective is critical as we create and shape the future of Farmingdale State
College together.
Robert S. Prezant, PhD
President
Professor of Biology
