UND's New Vision for Connection, Momentum, Community
A walk across the UND Quad feels a little different when advisors, faculty, and students keep referring to “LEADS.” That’s the shorthand for UND’s current strategic roadmap — Learning, Equity, Affinity, Discovery, and Service — which is guiding teaching, research, and community partnerships in Grand Forks, according to the university’s published UND LEADS Strategic Plan.
UND says the plan is built to strengthen how people learn, how they belong, how research moves forward, and how campus connects with the region. The university frames its goals around “connection, momentum, and community,” positioning the plan as a practical guide for day-to-day decisions in classrooms, labs, advising offices, and partnerships across the Red River Valley, per the same UND overview.
Key Components of the UND LEADS Plan
The plan’s five priorities — Learning, Equity, Affinity, Discovery, and Service — anchor UND’s efforts, according to the university’s plan summary. Learning emphasizes high-impact teaching and advising. Equity focuses on access and outcomes. Affinity strengthens belonging and pride. Discovery accelerates research and creative activity. Service links UND’s work to communities across North Dakota.
UND says Learning will mean more tailored academic support — think clearer degree maps, early feedback, and mentoring built around each student’s goals — while Affinity covers the experiences that help you feel at home here, from first-year programs to alumni connections, per the plan. Discovery highlights collaborative research that ties into UND strengths like aviation, energy, health, and the arts, and Service commits the campus to partnerships that solve real problems locally and statewide, the university notes in the same materials.
On Equity, UND’s plan commits to improve access, sense of belonging, and student success for historically underserved groups, including steps to close achievement gaps and scale proven supports, according to the Equity pillar description. The university links these goals to changes in advising, teaching, and campus life so students experience them in everyday ways.
Practical Changes for Students and Staff
If you’re a student, “Learning” will show up as clearer pathways through your major and earlier, more personalized advising, according to UND’s student success focus in the plan. Faculty and staff are being asked to align syllabi, mentoring, and assessment with hands-on learning, so internships, research experiences, and community projects are not extras but built-in steps toward graduation.
UND also points to more ways for students to showcase their work — from portfolios to public forums — to make it easier for employers to see what you can do, per the plan’s emphasis on high-impact practices and career readiness (UND LEADS). If you’re mapping next steps, this is meant to support momentum: fewer detours, more practice with real tools, and clearer links to jobs or grad school.
Employers can expect closer collaboration on internships, co-ops, and projects as UND scales experiential learning, according to the Service and Learning pillars. If you’re hiring, you can start by posting roles through UND Career Services’ Handshake portal (UND Career Services for Employers) and note interest in course-embedded projects.
UND Leading by Example in Inclusivity
UND’s Equity priority commits the university to improve outcomes for students historically left out or left behind — with attention to access, belonging, and measurable progress on retention and graduation — according to the Equity pillar. The plan pairs this with Service commitments that connect learning to North Dakota communities, so outreach and support move together.
Existing resources like UND Student Diversity & Inclusion and long-running programs such as INMED at the School of Medicine & Health Sciences are among the campus assets that can support these goals, though the plan frames Equity as a university‑wide responsibility (UND Student Diversity & Inclusion, INMED). For students, that could mean more targeted mentoring, peer networks, and bridges into research or internships aligned with your background and interests, as described in the plan’s approach to scaling supports (UND LEADS).
UND says accountability matters, too: the Equity pillar calls for tracking progress and adjusting quickly when gaps appear, so changes are visible in classrooms, advising, and campus culture, per the same plan materials.
How the Plan Aligns with Broader Trends
UND’s emphasis on holistic advising, experiential learning, and equity mirrors what national groups say is working to boost student success, according to the American Council on Education’s recent guidance on integrated student support (ACE). The plan’s mix of internship-ready skills and research practice also aligns with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ push for career-connected learning in public universities (APLU).
At the same time, UND keeps the focus local. The university ties Discovery to signature strengths here — aviation, autonomous systems, energy, health, the arts — and links Service to North Dakota communities, which is consistent with national best practices but grounded in the Grand Forks region, according to UND’s Discovery and Service pillars.
What This Means for the Community
For Grand Forks residents and employers, the plan means more chances to work with UND students and faculty on real projects — from data analysis and design to health, education, and energy — according to the Service pillar. If you run a business downtown or along Gateway Drive, that could look like hosting an intern, co-designing a class project, or attending a student showcase.
If you’re a neighborhood leader or nonprofit, start with UND’s Center for Community Engagement to explore partnerships that match your needs with student coursework or faculty expertise (Center for Community Engagement). Employers can also connect through the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Chamber to promote internships and early‑career roles to local students (The Chamber GF/EGF).
On campus, you’ll likely see more public events — research posters, performances, and talks — across familiar spots like the Chester Fritz Library, the Alerus Center, and the North Dakota Museum of Art as programs build in public‑facing work, according to UND’s Learning and Discovery pillars. Check the university’s event listings for dates before you go.
Join the Conversation
If you want to track progress or get involved, UND maintains a public site for the plan with updates, background, and contacts for implementation teams, according to the university’s UND LEADS homepage. That’s the best starting point to see where your interests fit.
To see the plan in action, keep an eye on the UND Events Calendar for student showcases and forums (times vary; check ahead), and subscribe to the university’s news update, UND Today, for regular highlights from classrooms, labs, and community projects (UND Events, UND Today). If you’re ready to host students, visit UND Career Services’ employer page to post opportunities or ask about course-linked projects (Employers at UND Career Services).
What to Watch
UND says implementation is ongoing and will continue to shape advising, research partnerships, and community projects across the academic year, with updates posted on the plan website (UND LEADS). Watch for calls for partners from departments that want real-world projects and for public showcases where you can meet students, see their work, and start a conversation about what’s next for Grand Forks.
