Near and Far: Wims Looks at AAMU's Future

Alabama A&M University will continue to fulfill several key areas of a comprehensive strategic plan set to conclude in 2025. The ten-year document, adopted after constituent and campus-wide input in 2015, was launched as an earnest declaration of the institution’s vision, made even more descriptive by a series of priorities and timelines. The overarching aim, however, is the production of citizens and leaders for a global society. Thus, part of the next five years will include the “closing out” of the following six key priorities:

1) Enhance AAMU’s Distinctiveness and Competitiveness

2) Strengthen Structures, Operations and Systems to Promote and Support Organizational Excellence and Stewardship

3) Upgrade University Infrastructure and Facilities

4) Secure the University’s Financial Future

5) Enhance the University’s Image and Recognition

6) Enhance University Engagement Through Expanded Outreach

While significant progress continues to be made, the aforementioned key areas will no doubt require continued attention beyond the timeframe of the strategic plan. Near term, more targeted focus has been and will continue to be devoted to enhanced infrastructure and the completion of new facilities.

Within 2022 alone, three new structures will be added to the physical plant in the form of a 6,000-seat Event Center; a Welcome Center with primarily one-stop access to student-oriented service units; and the William Hooper Councill Memorial Plaza.

Meanwhile, the next five years will witness upgrades to instructional and residential facilities, along with enhancements to information and instructional technology. The University will work to maintain and grow its enrollment while incrementally increasing student retention beyond 2025. On the academic front, the University will introduce to the region a range of sought-after master’s and doctoral programs, all while strengthening existing programs and constructing new science and STEM facilities.

Long-term plans include securing Research Level ll status, building additional residential living/learning centers and surpassing the 7,000-student enrollment threshold. Projected program growth areas include undergraduate and graduate studies in Psychology/Social Work and Mental Health, Criminal and Social Justice, African-American Studies, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, International Agriculture and Education Curriculum and Instruction.

Finally, enhanced focus will be placed on governmental and legislative relations, starting with the local state and federal delegation, and inclusive of local elected officials. Networking and efforts to encompass governmental and corporate partners and supporters are intentional and intensifying via AAMU’s legislative outreach and business-industry cluster initiatives.

What will the AAMU Campus Look Like in the Year 2030?

As a Research II university, AAMU will be a leading land-grant, academic and STEM research institution. Its presence as a behavioral and social sciences citadel will be rivaled by its impressive green and energy-efficient physical plant, replete with a cutting-edge technology and outstanding faculty and students!