Compass 2030

CLA’s strategic plan is actionable and adaptable, grounded in the liberal arts’ ability to make meaning in complexity and to lead through change.

From the Dean

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Our Priorities

At the heart of this process are four strategic priorities that will guide our work in the years to come: Student Success, Innovation & Research, Impact & Public Engagement, and Healthy Workplace. Embedded within each is an unwavering commitment to our core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion and a deep conviction that the liberal arts are not only relevant, but essential to addressing the complex challenges of our time.

students holding pennants, pom poms, and graduation caps

Student Success

The liberal arts could not be more important right now. That is true for our students’ future careers, and it is also true for the kind of world we are all living in and shaping together.

Sampling of 2026-27 Action Items

Develop a shared CLA brand identity
Develop and advance recommendations for language requirement modifications
Pilot enhancements to foundational programs like CLA’s First Year Experience
Establish infrastructure to track and ensure equitable access to high-impact practices

Student Success Highlights

Pre-intern student operating a video camera at Film North

Finding Their Voice Through Film

Four CLA students arrived at FilmNorth with limited filmmaking experience. One week later, they premiered a film of their own.

Finding Their Voice Through Film

Hands-On Learning for CLA Students

Featured are stories of original research, applying classroom lessons to internships, learning through role-playing games, and studying abroad.

Hands-On Learning for CLA Students

Students sitting on campus looking at their computers

Preparing the Next Generation of Healthcare Providers

The liberal arts are increasingly a pathway for careers in healthcare, and CLA provides the foundational skills for that journey.

Preparing the Next Generation of Healthcare Providers

Innovation & Research

CLA should be the first place people think of when they seek solutions to the dilemmas facing our society. Our scholars tackle many of the greatest challenges facing society in Minnesota and around the world.

Sampling of 2026-27 Action Items

Bring awareness to CLA researchers and artists through more targeted outgoing communications
Develop courses or experiences that provide basic research training for undergraduates
Create a transparent and systematic resource allocation model for the college

Innovation & Research Highlights

Reframing the Narrative

Llana Barber discusses reframing Black narratives in US immigration history and shattering the too-narrow lens through which these stories have been told.

Reframing the Narrative

Silhouette of a head with "AI" and gear graphics overlays a digital globe. Speech bubbles and circuit patterns suggest advanced technology.

AI is not Going Anywhere

For Amanda Dalola, AI isn’t about replacing real interactions, it's about building bridges and providing a more nuanced sociolinguistic landscape.

AI is not Going Anywhere

The clinic room of the Judith A. Jellison On-Campus Music Therapy Clinic and Classroom (OCMTC).

Inside UMN’s Music Therapy Program

Take a look inside the School of Music's innovative music therapy program.

Inside UMN’s Music Therapy Program

Impact & Public Engagement

Community is at the heart of everything we do. Being part of the liberal arts means learning from and contributing to those around us. Our work is not confined to classrooms or offices; it extends into communities and lives across the state.

Sampling of 2026-27 Action Items

Identify CLA policies, procedures, and guidelines that impact engagement
Create regular opportunities for community-engaged faculty and staff to build community
Explore the creation of a centralized engagement fund

Engagement & Impact Highlights

The Movement Behind “Envisioning Our Liberation”

What does liberation look like when young people get to define it themselves? That's the question at the heart of The Hub's most recent residency.

The Movement Behind “Envisioning Our Liberation”

Students gather at Brewing Justice Coffee Hours.

Bridging Knowledge, Building Community, Brewing Justice

Students cultivate a space for community and conversation around human rights at Brewing Justice Coffee Hours.

Bridging Knowledge, Building Community, Brewing Justice

Middle school students sorting and identifying seeds

Inspiring Young STEM Students at Wolf Ridge

UMN undergraduates mentor middle schoolers, building "science capital" and boosting diversity in STEM through community partnership.

Inspiring Young STEM Students at Wolf Ridge

Healthy Workplace

CLA fosters a thriving and supportive community where staff and faculty of all backgrounds find purpose and sustainability in their work.

Sampling of 2026-27 Action Items

Establish a workload sustainability team
Create comprehensive onboarding framework and standardized onboarding process
Build an engaged Internal Communication Leads team
Implement technical refinements to the Neighborhood, the college’s intranet

Support Compass

Your gift can help CLA move the priorities of Compass 2030 from vision to action and create new possibilities for our students, our people and the communities we serve.

Make a Gift