Chasing Innovation: NJIT In Newark Releases New Strategic Plan

NEWARK, NJ — What does it take to create a “nexus of innovation?” Administrators at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark think they have the answer to that question: a new, six-year strategic plan.

NJIT released details about its plan earlier this month. It can be seen online here.

According to school administrators, the blueprint identifies six priorities and spells out the university’s mission to “be a leader in research, innovation and entrepreneurship.” It also reaffirms its core values, including “collaboration, social responsibility, diversity and sustainability.”

The 2030 strategic plan – which was developed across 16 months by a steering committee and subcommittees of educators, administrators, students, deans, staff and board members – was endorsed by the board of trustees.

According to NJIT, some highlights of the plan include:

FACULTY SUCCESS - In its Faculty Success priority, NJIT pledges to attract and retain world-class faculty, leverage diversity, increase recognition for translating and commercializing research and more tightly weave lecturers and adjunct professors into its community.

RESEARCH – Also, through internal and external collaboration and investments in infrastructure, NJIT plans to leverage its status as a highest-level R1 research institution and catalyze commercialization. This priority, Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, draws from NJIT’s entrepreneurial culture, which drives innovations through scores of specialized centers, institutes and laboratories.

COMMUNITY – Another priority, Engaged Community, calls for fostering a dynamic ecosystem locally, regionally and globally that nurtures learning, research, creativity and technological advancements to serve the students of the future. In this context, NJIT aspires to be an innovation nexus that leverages its academic colleges and its expertise in translational research, artificial intelligence, continuing education, entrepreneurship and experiential learning.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION – The Digital Transformation priority builds on the university’s acceleration of such efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it ignited a previously developed Converged Learning Model that blurs the line between online and in-person learning. Under the new plan, NJIT looks to become a boundless and smart campus that integrates the latest in tech, including AI, across all of its operations.

“What sets NJIT apart is the university’s drive to innovate,” Board of Trustees Chair Robert Cohen said. “This has been our core strength for decades. And, our strategic plan has us continuing to build upon this in amazing ways well into the future.”

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