NORTHRIDGE : Firms Bid on CSUN Long-Range Plan

Cal State Northridge will hire a consulting firm to produce a five- or ten-year “strategic plan” for the institution that sets campuswide academic and financial goals and provides for periodic reviews to determine whether those goals are being met.

University President Blenda J. Wilson said this week that the strategic plan will provide for the most significant review of the college’s programs since it was accredited.

Consultants had to submit applications for the project by Monday. Nine firms responded, said CSUN spokeswoman Kaine Thompson. A campus committee led by provost Louanne Kennedy will review the proposals. A finalist will be selected in February.

Thompson said the strategic plan will address all aspects of the college’s operations, including curriculum, campus facilities and fund raising.

“It’s so that all the horses are pulling the wagon in the same direction,” said Thompson, adding that each office on campus will be asked to produce its own strategic plan that will be integrated into the campuswide plan.

“We need to come together as a community and identify our priorities, particularly in times of shrinking budgets,” said Kennedy, adding that the goal is to establish a vision for the campus in the 21st Century.