James Madison University, under the leadership of Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne, released Thursday a five-year strategic plan for the Department of Athletics that focuses on the program’s continued success and future goals.
“Engaged in Excellence: A Strategic Plan for JMU Athletics” was developed after extensive research, review and collaboration between a variety of internal and external JMU constituencies. A significant component of the planning process was its integration with the entire University and the Madison Plan.
“Everything that our entire department does here at JMU is for our student-athletes,” Bourne said. “Our new vision statement speaks specifically to our focus on the total experience that we strive to provide for student-athletes.”
The new vision statement is strong in its ambition:
To be the NCAA model for the student-athlete experience, distinguished by our academic achievement, integrity, personal development and nationally-competitive programs.
“The aspiration of our program is clear,” Bourne continued. “Our focus on becoming a model that other programs aspire to match will be a challenge for us. Our ability to achieve this vision will ultimately indicate that our student-athletes are having a phenomenal experience in all areas, especially in their academic pursuit and in competition.”
The plan highlights operational, financial and fundraising goals for the next five years for all areas of the Athletics Department. Seven strategic themes serve as the cornerstone of the plan providing priorities and goals for JMU to succeed on the field, in the classroom and in the community:
- Student-Athlete Well-Being and Athletic Performance Development
- Academic Achievement and Student-Athlete Development
- Sustainable Athletic-Generated Revenue
- Contemporary Athletic Competition and Training Facilities
- Competitive Sports Supporting a National Profile
- Accessibility and Inclusivity
- Fiscal Accountability and Transparency
Each of the new themes includes specific goals and actions steps. Additionally, the plan provides accountability measures that will be used in evaluation and track progress on all aspects of the program.
Among the primary goals and accountability measures are the construction of a new Convocation Center, implementation of a comprehensive personal development plan for student-athletes and an accountability reporting process for all constituents.
“Transparency is an important area of focus for our entire program as we share our plan and report on our efforts into the future,” Bourne said. “I’m personally committed to not only providing details on what we intend to accomplish, but to also holding ourselves accountable through an annual summary of our results.
“This truly is an exciting time for our student-athletes,” Bourne concluded. “I am excited and committed to leading our outstanding coaches and staff in this important phase of the program’s future.”
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