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A Strategic Blueprint for an Indispensable Association

NACUBO's Updated Strategic Blueprint

As the nation’s premier association for higher education business leaders, NACUBO is dedicated to supporting business officers and their essential—and expanding—role in the sector. To this end, we are proud to share an updated Strategic Blueprint, in which we have refreshed our plan to support business officers and higher education and in doing so, solidify our role as an indispensable 21st-century membership association.

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Updated Strategic Priorities

NACUBO’s updated Strategic Priorities anticipate a dynamic world in which higher education business officers are critical in all future-oriented conversations on their campuses and in their systems.

Strategic Priority 1: Transformations

Engage higher education institutions in undertaking necessary transformations to strategically position themselves in the dynamic higher education environment.

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Explore Business Models

Develop strategies for sustainable business models by institutional type and with analytics

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Shared Services

Explore a shared services offering to support member institutions.

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Link Institutions with Business Partners

Strategically connect institutions of higher education with business partners.

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Student Success and Completion

Design models for institutions to strategically finance equitable student success and completion. Learn more about NACUBO's grant work here.

Strategic Priority 2: Strategic Leadership

Strengthen the strategic leadership capabilities of business officers and their teams.

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Digital Badging

Establish digital badging for professional development programs.

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Online Career Development

Create online career development opportunities.

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Online Self-Study Courses

Develop and refresh online self-study courses for both senior and junior level staff.

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New to Higher Education

Develop programming for those new to higher education in all levels and areas of the business office

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Establish a Search Service

Establish a Search service to fill positions on the chief business officer’s team.

Strategic Priority 3: Advocacy and Engagement

NACUBO is intentionally investing to ensure the association is recognized as a national thought leader that drives policymaking affecting higher education.

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Expand relationships with policymakers

Cultivate relationships and expand business officer engagement with policymakers.

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Identify transformational policy priorities

Identify and advocate for transformational policy priorities.

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Amplify NACUBO research

Amplify NACUBO research and other data tools and actionable resources.

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Communicating student outcomes and financial investments

Create new communication tools that demonstrate the relationship between financial investments and student outcomes.

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Deliver timely, tactical, and practical programming

Deliver timely and exceptional educational programs providing guidance and updates, connecting members with tactical and practical information. Explore NACUBO's upcoming events here.


Guiding Principles

Vision

Higher education is valued as an outstanding investment.

Mission

To advance the economic vitality, business practices, and support of higher education institutions in pursuit of their missions.

Value Proposition

NACUBO convenes those influencing and advancing higher education, is a catalyst of unmatched knowledge, and is a leading advocate for colleges and universities.

Core Competencies

Collaboration

Collaboration with our many partners in higher education, especially those who support the business of higher education, to aid members in improving their business practices, finding solutions to their problems, and advancing their careers.

Advocacy

Advocacy at the federal and state levels, by using our national perspective to develop the necessary member resources that enable productive policy engagement.

Knowledge Creation & Sharing

Knowledge creation and sharing through unique research, relevant reports and briefs, and both face-to-face and online programs.

Acknowledgements

NACUBO’s updated Strategic Blueprint was informed by hundreds of individuals including staff members, board members, and NACUBO volunteers who contributed their time and insight to designing this bold path. During this process, areas of consensus and innovation emerged and were then tested with community members. The end result is an enterprising and exciting plan that adds value to NACUBO membership and advances the value of higher education.

This updated Strategic Blueprint was approved by NACUBO’s board of directors on July 15, 2022.