Shaping Our Future: NEC’s New Strategic Plan, Mission, and Vision

Dear NEC Community,

We are pleased to share an update on our strategic planning process and introduce our newly adopted Mission and Vision. These foundational statements will guide our path forward as we reimagine NEC’s position for long-term sustainability, academic excellence, and expanded opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff.

Our New Mission and Vision

Reflecting our shared values and aspirations, these statements serve as the anchor for our strategic work.
1. Mission: We foster student success through excellence in transformative education, critical thinking, civic engagement, and career development. We help our graduates build their foundation for a meaningful life.
2. Vision: NEC will be a leader in the Northeast, integrating a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum with focused career development.

Emerging from an extensive community-wide development effort and endorsed by our Board of Trustees, the new Mission and Vision mark the next step in the College’s 80-year evolution. They emphasize a critical priority: ensuring our students are uniquely prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly changing labor market while cultivating critical thinking, civic engagement, and purposeful lives.

Strategic Priorities

To realize this vision, we have identified four broad priorities that will drive our work over the next five years:
1. Position NEC to Thrive
2. Invest in NEC’s Mission and Vision
3. Build Excitement and Expand Awareness
4. Foster Organizational Excellence and NEC Pride

Each priority includes measurable actions developed collaboratively with our community, our Trustees, and select external stakeholders. They’ve been designed to grow our reputation, deepen our partnerships, and ensure our liberal arts programs are seamlessly integrated with career development.

Momentum in Action

While the formal plan is in its early stages, we have already made significant progress:
1. Academic Growth: Our new Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) has received domestic accreditation. Our new Graduate programs in AI have already enrolled more than 100 students.
2. Clinical Partnerships: Our innovative three-year Nursing program has doubled its hospital partnerships, drawing more than 500 applicants for Fall 2026.
3. Community Impact: Our Mental Health and Education programs are expanding their reach through new clinical partnerships and specialized licensure offerings for school administrators.
4. Campus & Philanthropy: The new Athletics Center and multi-year record-breaking fundraising is providing the “springboard” for our goals.

A Nimble Future

We recognize that the world changes quickly. For example, our response to the changing regulatory landscape in Washington reflects nimble thinking and practical approaches to the challenges and opportunities we face. The work our community has done in program review, the deployment of a DBA program, and the ongoing, thoughtful conversations around the pedagogical implications of Artificial Intelligence demonstrate a community committed to a bright future for the institution and its graduates. We will remain nimble and data driven as we implement these goals, continuously assessing impact and adjusting to ensure long-term relevance and success.

This is NEC’s moment. Our direction is clear, and our commitment is strong. Every member of the NEC community has a role to play in our strategic plan. You can find more information at nec.edu/strategicplan. We are grateful to our faculty, staff, students, and alumni for joining us on this journey.

On Wednesday, Julie Zahn and Sky Croswell will be stopping by offices to say hello and deliver copies of the Strategic Plan brochure. If you are unavailable at the time, they will leave a copy for you.

You are also welcome to stop by their offices in the Administration Building to pick up a copy at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Wayne F. Lesperance, Jr.
President
New England College