WSU’s Prosperity Agenda
As an urban public research institution, Wayne State University plays a unique and influential role in Detroit, preparing our students for life-changing careers, advancing the health and well-being of our local communities, and contributing significantly to Michigan’s economic growth.
This responsibility is one to which we must continually rededicate ourselves. After reading, listening and engaging with members of our Wayne State community and our collaborative partners throughout the city and state, I have identified a cornerstone for our collective aspirations: an agenda to drive prosperity for our community. This is not simply a set of goals or ideas that live on paper; rather, it is a living promise and a commitment to action for all who Wayne State touches. It is a focused purpose for our collaborative work to further a prosperous future for our students, our graduates and our community.
Our Prosperity Agenda is an organizing framework that bridges directly to our community and supports our progress toward achieving our strategic plan goals. It will guide us as we fulfill our shared promise to better the lives of our students, support our faculty in pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation further, and strengthen the bonds that interconnect Wayne State and our community. If the strategic plan is our compass, the Prosperity Agenda is the purpose that propels our work every day.
WSU’s Prosperity Agenda is anchored by three pillars
- Accelerate Mobility for Our Students: We recognize the power of education to positively alter students' life trajectories, fostering generational change and societal advancement. We serve a diverse student body and provide access and success to underserved communities, supported by our top-tier faculty’s engaging teaching methods and “learning by doing” experiences that cultivate the competencies that prepare our graduates for successful careers.
- Empower Health for Our Urban Neighborhoods: Wayne State plays a vital role in the health of Detroiters, serving in all major Detroit health systems and providing care in local neighborhoods. By unleashing our faculty, students and university leaders to engage even further with our community, we can expand cutting-edge care and address health disparities to build healthier, more resilient neighborhoods in Detroit and beyond.
- Fuel Innovation for Our Competitiveness: By fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, we strive to propel Michigan's competitiveness in 21st century commerce. Through the support of TechTown and by cultivating a campus that is “open for business,” we will create more solutions to the challenges endemic to urban areas and ensure a robust economy that benefits all.
WSU’s Prosperity Agenda is not just my vision; it is our shared commitment as a university community to our city, region and state — and beyond. It is a call to action for each of us — to our students, our faculty, our staff and our alumni — to work shoulder to shoulder with unprecedented commitment and enthusiasm to create a Wayne State University that stands proudly as an engine of opportunity that drives prosperity for our community.
Investiture speech of Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy
Learn about the three pillars
