Priorities in Practice

SDSU’s strategic plan serves as a shared roadmap for advancing the university’s priorities and long-term impact. Across the university, faculty and staff also lead programs, research, partnerships and other work that supports these priorities. This guidance helps the campus community to describe strategic plan activities and related activities accurately while also recognizing 

SDSU organizes strategic plan communications into two categories:

  • Strategic Plan Priorities and Activities  
  • Priority in Practice Activities

Strategic Plan Priorities and Activities

These are priorities, goals, activities and institutional commitments formally adopted as part of SDSU’s strategic plan involving a deliberative, shared governance process involving hundreds of students, faculty, staff and alumni. Official strategic plan activities are:

  • Approved through institutional governance or formal strategic plan committee processes
  • Identified in strategic plan implementation documents
  • Associated with established deliverables, success measures, metrics or timelines
  • Included within one or more of the five strategic plan priority areas or embedded activities
  • Supported through institutional reporting and accountability structures
  • Included in annual strategic plan progress reporting

Recommended language

  • “An official strategic plan initiative…”
  • “The university’s strategic plan prioritizes…”
  • “As part of the university’s strategic plan implementation…”
  • “This work advances the strategic plan priority of…”
  • “The strategic plan establishes the following institutional goals…”

Priority in Practice Activities

Priority in Practice activities are programs, projects, research, partnerships, campaigns, events or operational efforts that support the goals of SDSU’s strategic plan but have not been formally designated as strategic plan implementation activities.

These efforts may:

  • Be independently developed or led by a college, division, department or unit
  • Advance university priorities and SDSU’s mission
  • Demonstrate innovation, service, impact or institutional alignment
  • Support one or more strategic plan priority areas
  • Operate outside formal strategic plan governance, tracking or reporting structures

Submit a Priority in Practice Activity

Faculty and staff are invited to submit programs, projects and other activities for consideration as Priority in Practice activities aligned with Phase II of SDSU’s strategic plan.

Examples may include:

  • Department-led programs
  • Faculty research and partnerships
  • Student support efforts
  • Community engagement activities
  • Unit-led events, campaigns or operational improvements

Recommended language

  • “This effort aligns with the university’s strategic plan.”
  • “The program supports institutional priorities related to…”
  • “This work reflects the university’s commitment to…”
  • “The initiative advances goals consistent with the strategic plan.”
  • “This Priority in Practice activity supports…”

Language to Avoid

Unless an activity has been formally designated as part of strategic plan implementation, do not describe it as:

  • “A strategic plan initiative”
  • “An official strategic plan activity”
  • “Part of the strategic plan implementation”

Know the Difference

Strategic Plan Activities

  • Formally adopted through the strategic planning process
  • Governed through institutional implementation structures
  • Connected to formal metrics, reporting or accountability
  • May be described as part of strategic plan implementation

Priority in Practice Activities

  • Connected to the plan’s goals but not formally designated
  • Often led independently by a college, division, department or unit
  • Contributes to institutional priorities outside formal reporting structures
  • Should be described as aligned with or supportive of the strategic plan

Explore SDSU’s strategic plan, priority areas and institutional progress at sdsu.edu/strategic-plan.