Strategic Plan

VISION 2030

RISE UP, GOD'S STILL ROLLING STONES

With God’s help, GU will empower more students to live lives of character and service through a transforming, Christ-centered education fueled by innovation, immersion, and interconnection.

To accomplish our mission and achieve our strategic goals by 2030, GU will pursue the following:  

• Financial stability: Our financial growth will result in a healthy, sustainable operating budget. 
• Identity alignment: Our identity as an institution will accurately align with the historical and aspirational values of the Free Methodist Way: Life-Giving Holiness, Love-Driven Justice, Christ-compelled multiplication, Cross-Cultural Collaboration, and God-given Revelation.  
• Innovative: Innovative education - a hallmark of GU since its founding - will mark the GU experience in new and expanded ways.  
• Immersive: More immersive opportunities across our programs will shape our student experience and educational journey.  
• Interconnected: Interconnectivity to one another, our communities, and opportunities near and far shape our future.  

Through innovative means, we will grow GU’s enrollment to 1400 by 2026 and then expand our reach to other locations to increase enrollment to 2,000+ by 2030.  

• Reach new students with enhanced academic and athletic offerings. 
• Students are seen, known, assured of their significance, and guided toward their vocational calling. 
• Acquire institutions and programs that align with GU’s mission and values.
• Disciple students in all ways possible to foster spiritual and personal growth. 
• Strengthen students’ capacity to seize opportunities and overcome obstacles to live lives of character and service. 
• Build and expand our enterprise facilities to support this strategy as funding permits.

We will prepare students well for meaningful careers and lives of service by expanding career preparation and making experiential learning – learning with “doing” – the centerpiece of our educational model.

Faculty, staff, and coaches will be attuned to students’ needs and come alongside them to facilitate experiential learning. 

• Strengthen academic excellence and evaluate alternative education products and programs.  
• Enhance our operations with the use of Artificial intelligence (AI) and add
• future-focused programs in technology.  
• Increase career preparation with programs that award micro-credentials. 
• Increase opportunities for internships, work experiences, and cooperative education.  
• Consider graduate programs in healthcare. 
• Build and expand our enterprise facilities to support this strategy as funding permits.

We will connect with external organizations and stakeholders to leverage their experience, insights, and networks with partnerships that create opportunities for our students. GU will broaden its connections with alums, partners, and other institutions to achieve more significant impact, resulting in mutual growth, resource sharing, and joint ventures. 

• Collaborating with the Free Methodist Church, the Association of Free Methodist Educational Institutions, other institutions, community resources, and our alumni network will serve our students well. 
• Develop and expand our academic program advisory boards. 
• Empower alums to serve as ambassadors for GU. 
• Secure grants to improve operations and develop economies that serve our students. 
• Build and expand our enterprise facilities to support this strategy as funding permits.

Join us on the journey toward 2030. Let’s stand together to watch our God roll away the stones - in awe of what He can do.