“Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”- James Madison

This JMUPlans website provides direct access to all of the information you need to understand the planning process and plans that guide our university. If you have any questions about this site or the planning process, please contact Cindy Chiarello at grovecg@jmu.edu.

Strategic Planning at JMU

Who We Are

James Madison University is a community of higher learning that reaches beyond the pursuit of instruction, developing well-rounded citizens who make a real difference in the world. We are continually building a culture marked by strong relationships, engagement, teaching excellence, ethical reasoning, discovery and a commitment to the liberal arts and sciences. Students often describe their experience as one where we “hold the door open” for each other. We see this as both literal – reflecting a warm and welcoming community – and figurative, where we open opportunities for our students by fostering the cultivation of ideas in and beyond the classroom. We offer the benefits and resources of large scale and mass while providing close relationships between students and faculty – the benefits of big with a small feel. We will be the national model of the engaged university because we believe engagement is a critical pathway to student enlightenment. As a reflection of our namesake, our most important intended outcome is to help create high-character citizen-leaders who contribute to improving the human condition.

Components of the Strategic Plan Structure

• Mission, Vision and Values provide the backbone of the university's strategic plan.
• Strategic Priorities give focus to guide the university's plan over the next few years.
• Core Qualities and University Goals are both statements of current truth as well as aspirational hopes.
• Objectives created and tracked in academic units and university departments make up the heartbeat of our strategic plan. These annual initiatives and targets in support of Core Qualities and University Goals are how we measure the progress and success of our strategic plan.