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The basics:

• Stockton unveils new Strategic Plan focused on five core priorities
• President Joe Bertolino emphasizes community, excellence & care
• Plan strengthens Stockton’s role as a South Jersey anchor institution
• Focus areas include student success, inclusion & workforce development

During his third annual State of the University Address, Stockton University President Joe Bertolino laid a new strategic vision for the South Jersey institution.

“This is not just a plan, it’s a moral imperative,” said Bertolino, stressing a focus on strengthening community and advancing excellence.

The Strategic Plan centers on five key priorities:

• Cultivate a Community of Care
• Inspire Minds
• Empower Student Success
• Anchor in Purpose
• Sustain Tomorrow

Bertolino described the plan as a responsibility for the Stockton community that is grounded in its values, as well as aligned with its mission and focused on what matters most.

“It sets a clear direction for Stockton’s next chapter,” said Bertolino.

The Stockton president laid out a number of other key areas of the Strategic Plan, including:

• A community of care built on connection, shared purpose and inclusive engagement
• Will improve campus climate by implementing recommendations of the Campus Morale Working Group
• Stockton will focus on teaching, learning and scholarship with the teacher-scholar model
• It will emphasize keeping programs relevant, rigorous and student-centered
• The school will empower students‘ success by strengthening career readiness along with prioritizing the physical and mental well-being of students
• That Stockton takes its role as an Anchor Institution seriously – not just in Atlantic City but in Atlantic County and South Jersey
• Future investments in workforce and economic development and sharing research and resources locally and globally to address challenges that matter
• Stockton will continue to be innovative and develop new enrollment and retention plans to remain strong in a competitive higher education market and sustain the future of the university

Moving with intention

In his address, Bertolino noted the myriad challenges facing higher education institutions, from that aforementioned competitive market to a complex and uncertain world gripped by global conflict and injustice as well as a polarized political climate.

“Higher education, our work, is being questioned in ways we haven’t encountered before,” said Bertolino. “The value of higher education itself is under scrutiny. We face legislative pressure, funding threats, and a deep skepticism of the very principles that define our mission.”

Bertolino said that the university has laid important groundwork in his first two years at the helm, such as reshaping academic leadership, securing new research grants and deepening Stockton’s investment in student wellness.

As Stockton heads into this next chapter and tackles those challenges, Bertolino emphasized that the university will be resilient – standing for academic freedom, civil discourse, inclusivity, and student support.

“At Stockton, we do not adapt our values to fit the moment,” said Bertolino. “We stand by them, always.

“So, as we name the challenges around us, we also recognize the responsibility we carry – to move with intention and to lead with purpose.”