NIU leadership is committed to creating and sustaining budgets that are academically responsive and fiscally responsible; that reflect our dedication to being student-centric and equity-minded; that demonstrate an ongoing investment in our faculty and staff; and that align with our mission, vision and values.
NIU’s 2026 University Goals (DOCX) codify the university’s strategic priorities as annual and multiyear goals guided by our Strategic Action Planning Framework. In no particular order of importance, the themes associated with our planning framework are: 1) Empowerment and Shared Responsibility; 2) Student Recruitment, Student Success and Student Experience; 3) Academic Excellence and Curriculum Innovation; 4) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging; 5) Research, Scholarship, Artistry and Engagement; and 6) Resource Development and Fiscal Responsibility. The themes help not only to connect the goals to our university to mission, vision and values, but also to ensure that they reflect our priorities and highlight opportunities for synergy and coordinated effort.
The top priority for NIU is financial stability, and the university is committed to ending FY26 with no budget deficit and to proposing a balanced budget for FY27. Accordingly, goals and objectives relevant to resource development and fiscal sustainability are emphasized under each theme.