Our Mission, values and priorities.
University Mission
Northwestern is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.
University Values
- Commitment to faculty, and to excellence in research, scholarship, creative work and teaching
- Commitment to student experience
- Commitment to balancing Northwestern’s present and future needs
- Commitment to diversity and inclusion
University Priorities
Move the University forward during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Work to bring all students, faculty, and staff back to campus as quickly as possible with the highest priority on the health and safety of all in the University community
- Leverage current opportunities for restructuring to better position Northwestern for post Covid-19 pandemic eminence
- Work with deans, senior leaders and faculty now to develop and refine current and post pandemic strategic priorities
Enhance our intellectual eminence and impact
- Broaden academic excellence across the University
- Identify and strengthen key intellectual areas
- Continue to support interdisciplinary priorities as we build upon areas of existing strength
- Enhance faculty experience so that we can continue to be an intellectual destination for scholars
- Enhance Northwestern's global academic presence and reputation
Build our research eminence
- Grow research funding support across all of our schools
- Grow research in key intellectual and interdisciplinary areas
- Invest in research infrastructure
- Enhance innovation and entrepreneurship through building and sustaining a vibrant ecosystem
Support the student experience
- Ensure all students--undergraduate and graduate--can thrive during their time at Northwestern, with particular emphasis on supporting first generation, low income and underrepresented students
Strengthen the enabling support for our ambitions
- Improve the organization and alignment of people, processes, policies, and systems to support the core work of our faculty, students and staff
- Recruit, develop, and retain the next generation of leaders
- Foster leadership talent, enhance staff engagement and become an employer of choice
- Continue to enhance relationships in Evanston, Chicago, state, region and the world
- Continue our successful campaign to help provide the necessary resources for our ambitions
Our Northwestern Direction is what makes us different.
Northwestern is a comprehensive research university that is deeply interdisciplinary across multiple schools. Our rigorous, yet empathetic, academic environment is impactful, producing top-tier research, new knowledge, creative expression and practical application.
A Northwestern Direction is an innovative, collaborative, multidimensional journey that is rare in higher education.