Strategic Plan: 2025 – 2028

Thomas Edison State University enters the 2025–2028 planning cycle with a renewed focus on strategic, mission-aligned growth, continuing the direction set forth in the 2022–2025 Strategic Plan. Building on our legacy of serving self-directed adult learners, this updated framework sharpens our focus on expanding access, strengthening career relevance and enhancing operational agility. Grounded in our mission and guided by our vision — Building Careers. Advancing Professions. Empowering Lives. — this plan responds to the evolving needs of learners and labor markets while maintaining momentum around student success, career readiness, innovation and institutional impact. By emphasizing data-informed decisionmaking, cross-divisional collaboration and targeted investment in technology and alternative learning pathways, TESU will continue to lead as a high-quality disruptor in public higher education.

Mission

Thomas Edison State University provides distinctive undergraduate and graduate education for self-directed adults through flexible, high-quality collegiate learning and assessment opportunities.

Vision

Building Careers. Advancing Professions. Empowering Lives.

Strategic Boulders

  1. Student Success: Focus on Student-Goal Obtainment
  2. Career Success: Focus on Post-Completion Success
  3. Innovation: Focus on Technology-Enhanced Learning and Alternative Pathways to Completion
  4. The TESU Impact: Focus on a Bold Brand Story, Thought Leadership and Market Differentials

Institutional Operational Strategy

TESU is at a pivotal juncture, where bold action is required to define its future. As a public institution, TESU is committed to successfully merging access, innovation and quality to serve the workforce needs across New Jersey and beyond. Meanwhile, the landscape of adult higher education has undergone massive changes in the past 10 years1 and TESU needs to stay at the forefront of serving this market. As an online university and a state-wide asset, TESU will further embrace its disruptor mentality, prioritizing technological and data-driven transformation to build the next-generation digital campus adult students require and deserve.

  • Refine strategy for diversified and mission-centric growth — TESU was founded to “enable individuals to receive academic recognition for skills and knowledge acquired in a variety of ways2,” and we need to ensure that we are serving all populations that can benefit from what TESU offers.
  • Improve data-informed culture — Build on TESU’s integrated data intelligence ecosystem to drive strategic, student-centered decision-making.
  • Own the role of high-quality disruptor — TESU’s distinct identity is built on serving adult learners with prior credits but no credentials. As a high-quality disruptor, we will outpace our competitors in degree-completion outcomes.
  • Advance institutional agility — By leveraging its flexible instructional model, TESU will push the boundaries of innovation within accreditation and regulatory frameworks.
  • Identify and implement cross-divisional strategies — As a resource-limited institution we need to maximize institutional efforts. Cross-divisional empowered teams will drive operational improvements, eliminate inefficiencies and foster a culture of collaboration and innovation.

1: The Impact of the New Adult Learner - Trends in Higher Education in 2023 - UPCEA
2: Resolution Authorizing the Establishment of Edison College, July 1972