ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University is proud to announce the official release of its Student Affairs Strategic Plan (2025-30), marking a significant milestone in the university's commitment to student success, wellness, engagement and campus safety.
The plan introduces key performance indicators (KPIs), as well as a dashboard to track progress, promote accountability and transparently demonstrate advancement toward strategic goals with the campus community.
Planning began in 2020 during the implementation of the previous strategic plan and culminated in a collaborative, campuswide effort involving students, staff and faculty.
The university is already seeing measurable results from its strategic efforts. According to findings from the 2025 Administrator-Researcher Campus Climate Collaborative (ARC3) Survey, two KPIs related to campus safety have already been met:
- KPI 3: Campus Safety Perception – In 2022, 78% of female students agreed or strongly agreed they felt safe on campus. By 2025, that number increased to 87%, exceeding the 2030 goal of 85%.
- KPI 4: Reporting Sexual Misconduct – In 2022, 43% of students agreed or strongly agreed they knew where to report sexual misconduct. In 2025, that number rose to 67%, surpassing the 2030 goal of 60%.
These improvements are attributed to increased student training, expanded outreach from the Title IX Office, enhanced campus safety officer hours and the addition of new programming. The full 2025 ARC3 survey findings and recommendations will be released in December 2025.
"Campus safety and addressing sexual misconduct are top priorities," said Krista Bau, Title IX coordinator. "It's gratifying to see our efforts making a measurable impact as we remain committed to strengthening safety, awareness and support for every student."
In addition to campus climate improvements, Northern has achieved two more KPIs since the plan's launch:
- KPI 2: Graduation Rate – The plan set a goal for 38% of first-time, full-time, baccalaureate degree-seeking students to graduate within four years by 2030. The fall 2021 cohort achieved a 38.8% graduation rate, exceeding the target five years ahead of schedule.
- KPI 7: Auxiliary Coverage Ratio – Northern aimed to reach a coverage ratio of 1.6 by 2030 — a key financial metric reflecting an auxiliary unit's ability to meet debt obligations using operating income. In fiscal year 2025, Northern achieved a ratio of 1.99, signaling strong financial health and positioning auxiliary operations for long-term sustainability.
"Auxiliary operations like housing and dining receive no tuition or state funding, yet must operate efficiently while delivering high-quality services," said Sean Blackburn, dean of students. "Congratulations to Residence Life and Dining Services for their outstanding performance in fiscal year 2025."
Campus community members are invited to explore the full Student Affairs Strategic Plan (2025-30) at northern.edu/student-affairs-strategic-plan. Printed copies are available in the Student Center, Suite 222.
To request a tailored presentation for your unit or department, contact Jerilyn Mielke at jerilyn.mielke@northern.edu or call 605-626-3007.