Dean's Corner: Introducing Compass 2030

CLA’s future is bright because we know where we are going. 

Compass 2030 is our strategic plan for the years ahead, grounded in a simple belief: we are at our best when we move forward together. By 2030, we envision a college that feels more connected across departments, disciplines and generations, with a shared sense of who we are and what we can accomplish together. We want every person in CLA to see themselves in our future, to know that they matter and to feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves.

At the heart of Compass 2030 are our people and our relationships. Our students, faculty, and staff are not the means to accomplishing our goals; they are the reason we have those goals in the first place. We want to create a college where people work in relationship to each other and feel a genuine sense of belonging. That includes the thousands of CLA alumni who carry what they learned here into communities around the world. You are an important part of our CLA community and of the story we are writing together.

The liberal arts are not on the sidelines of change. Through teaching, research, scholarship and community engagement, our students, faculty, staff and alumni are helping Minnesota and the world understand complex challenges and imagine what is possible.

GerShun Avilez

Compass 2030 is also about recognizing CLA’s role in shaping what comes next. The liberal arts are not on the sidelines of change. Through teaching, research, scholarship and community engagement, our students, faculty, staff and alumni are helping Minnesota and the world understand complex challenges and imagine what is possible. We want every person in CLA to see themselves as a changemaker, and we want Minnesota to look to CLA when it faces its biggest questions.

I also know that many of you are hearing about the University’s budget challenges and the significant cuts we are being asked to make. These are difficult realities, and the scale of the reductions means we cannot assume that everything will continue on the same timeline or exactly as we have envisioned it. As we make decisions about where and how to reduce our budget, Compass 2030 will remain an important guide. Our strategic goals help us think carefully about what we need to protect, where we may need to adjust our pace, and how we can continue building toward the future we have outlined together.

We have an enormous impact on Minnesota and beyond, and with that impact comes responsibility. Our strategic plan gives us a shared direction for using our strengths to do the most good for the most people.

We are excited about what comes next, and we are grateful to have you as part of the CLA community as we chart that course together.