Strategic Plan
our Strategic Planning process is underway
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) is excited to undertake an in-depth strategic planning process over this academic year. With new leadership, our college has a unique opportunity to chart a distinctive and energizing path for its future. Our plan will align with the University of Delaware’s strategic plan, Forward and Forever, but will be tailored to the distinct needs of our college community. That community — our faculty, staff, students, leadership, and external partners — will be integral in driving this planning process.
As the planning process progresses, our steering committee will routinely share updates to provide college faculty and staff with information about the status of our planning process. Return to this page regularly to stay up to date on the process and aware of engagement opportunities.
Timeline
This planning process will span the 2024-2025 academic year, with the majority of stakeholder engagement occurring in late Fall 2024 and early Spring 2025.
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Strategic Plan | College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 
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Strategic Plan | College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 
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Strategic Plan | College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 
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Strategic Plan | College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 
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Strategic Plan | College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 
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Strategic Plan | College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 
Updates
Emergent Method, the external consulting that has been engaged to guide us through this process has begun meeting with the steering committee to review research and prepare stakeholder engagement opportunities.
We thank you for your support in this process and your interest in the success of this plan and the future of the college.
February 2025 update
We greatly appreciate the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and stakeholders who took the time to participate in our strategic planning surveys. Thanks to your engagement, we received nearly 800 points of input — all of which will help shape the college’s strategic plan and guide our future!
- 214 responses from CANR faculty and staff
- 190 responses from CANR students
- 177 responses from CANR alumni
- 215 responses from our external partners and supporters
We would also like to extend our thanks to all those who participated in our listening sessions and focus groups, which took place throughout early February. Through these sessions, we were able to hear from members of our internal and external college community members across the state.
As a next step, the strategic planning steering committee and college leadership will work together to identify key areas of priority that will shape the college’s focus in the coming years.
This process will be informed not only by the valuable feedback gathered through our listening sessions but also by surveys, interviews, and desk research. We anticipate sharing a draft strategic plan with the college community in April, providing an opportunity for review and additional feedback before finalizing the plan.
Steering Committee
The steering committee is comprised of students, faculty, staff, and leadership from across CANR. This committee will serve as a key resource in the planning process, reviewing research, informing stakeholder engagement, and ultimately overseeing the development of our strategic plan.
- Martin Heintzelman, Department Chair and Professor, Applied Economics and Statistics
- Jenn Volk, Associate Director of Cooperative Extension and Environmental Quality Extension Specialist
- Karen Moline, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Planning
- Colin Pie, Undergraduate Student
- Jack Diedrich, Graduate Student
- Kali Kniel, Professor, Animal and Food Sciences
- Brian Ladman, Senior Scientist, Animal and Food Sciences
- Kyle McCarthy, Professor, Entomology and Wildlife Ecology and Undergraduate Program Coordinator
- Vincenzo Ellis, Assistant Professor, Entomology and Wildlife Ecology
- Alyssa Koehler, Assistant Professor, Plant and Soil Sciences and Extension Specialist
- Hong Li, Associate Professor, Animal and Food Sciences
- Harsh Bais, Professor, Plant and Soil Sciences
- Dayna Otalor, undergraduate student
Get Involved
We aim to create a strong strategic plan that sets our college up for success, but we cannot do this without the involvement of our college community. We encourage you to share any insights you have that will be beneficial to the strategic planning process.