Courtesy of Norfolk State Athletic Communications
NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State University Director of Athletics Melody Webb unveiled the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics five-year strategic plan Wednesday, an ambitious five-point roadmap that will chart the course for the Spartans until 2025.
At its core, the plan aims to help provide a holistic experience for NSU's student-athletes with the goal of helping them succeed not only during their collegiate careers, but after graduation. The formation of the plan was spearheaded by Webb, who was appointed athletics director on July 1, and a committee of University stakeholders. The committee included athletics administration and coaches as well as representatives from the following NSU departments: Finance and Administration, Student Affairs, Alumni Relations and University Events.
"As a former HBCU student-athlete, I believe the plan we have set forth at Norfolk State will encourage our young women and men to compete at a high level and also be hyper-focused on earning their college degree," Webb, who graduated from Savannah State, said.
The five strategic themes in the plan are as follows:
- Academic Excellence and Personal Development
- Athletics Excellence
- Financial Stability
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Brand Management
The plan enumerates three strategies to track success in each area. In strategic theme 1, the focus is on improving academic success and personal development, with an emphasis on mental health, career readiness, diversity and inclusion. Under athletics excellence, the strategies center around providing NSU coaches and athletes will the tools to win conference championships and improve their profile on a national level.
The financial stability theme includes goals and objectives to manage a responsible budget while increasing department revenue through fundraising, development, ticket and corporate sales. The stakeholder engagement portion of the plan focuses on enhancing the fan experience and improving the department's profile in the campus, Hampton Roads and business communities.
Lastly, the plan aims to strengthen the Spartan brand by telling the NSU story, creating relationships with stakeholders and strengthening the department's visual identity.
The entire plan can be found at
this link.