As Hamline University looks ahead to 2030, a new Strategic Planning Steering Committee works to shape the university’s future with the new university president, Dr. Mayme K. Hostetter, with students helping lead the conversation.
The committee brings together representatives from across campus, including faculty, staff, trustees and undergraduate students — all tasked with developing a four-year strategic plan. The goal: define where Hamline is headed and how it will get there.
Junior Cal Athmann, one of the student representatives, said the group is focused on ensuring student voices are reflected in that vision.
“We’re making this big plan for four years, on how students want Hamline to look by 2030. My job is to represent the goals that students want to have,” Athmann said.
The plan outlines four major priority areas: institutional growth, belonging and bridging, personal growth and success, and strengthening the university’s foundation. Within those areas, the committee is developing initiatives ranging from increasing enrollment and financial aid access to expanding career pathways and improving support systems.
While the framework is in place, many details are still being developed with active feedback from across campus before finalizing specific actions.
“We don’t really know yet exactly what those goals are, but that’s what we’re working towards,” Athmann said.
For senior Justin Ayala, another student representative, that uncertainty is part of the process. He described the experience as both challenging and meaningful, especially as students collaborate with university leaders.
“We’re a little bit lost, because we’re in rooms with the board of trustees, the president, and all these different people. But it is all coming together. You have to start somewhere.” Ayala said.
Despite being in the early stages, both representatives emphasized a shared focus: improving the overall student experience.
Ayala said one of the biggest priorities is increasing student involvement and fostering a stronger sense of belonging on campus.
“We want people to feel like they belong here,” Ayala said. “There are many different students, and we want to make sure everyone feels included.”
That emphasis is reflected in the plan’s goals, which include increasing retention rates, improving four-year graduation rates and ensuring students feel supported academically and socially. One of the proposed benchmarks aims for a minimum of 90% of students to return year-to-year—a sign of both satisfaction and stability.
The plan also highlights broader institutional goals, such as increasing enrollment, growing revenue and strengthening alumni engagement. At the same time, it prioritizes community-building efforts, including creating spaces for dialogue across differences and improving communication between students, faculty, and staff.
A key part of the process is gathering input from the wider Hamline community. The committee has already begun collecting feedback through presentations and surveys, and students are encouraged to share their perspectives through campus organizations, faculty connections or direct outreach.
“If anyone has anything they want implemented over the next four years, we want to hear it,” Ayala said.
That feedback will play a major role in shaping the final version of the plan, which is expected to be completed by the end of the spring semester, before going to the Board of Trustees for approval. For now, the work continues, with an emphasis on collaboration, adaptability and student voices.
“I think we’re all here for the right reason,” Athmann said. “We all really care about Hamline, and we want to get it to where we want it to be.”
