The Stetson University Board of Trustees approved the DeLand Campus Plan and the university’s new Strategic Map at its meeting May 12-13 at the College of Law campus in Gulfport.

The board also approved the appointment of new board members and discussed the Athletics Enhancement Initiative. The trustees also honored outgoing board members Nestor de Armas, Ernie Murphy and Gary Libby and outgoing vice presidents Deborah Thompson and George Herbst. Thompson, vice president for Enrollment Management, has accepted a position at Presbyterian College in South Carolina. Herbst, vice president for Business and Chief Financial Officer, is retiring.

The DeLand Campus Plan was developed by the higher education planning firm of Dober Lidsky Mathey of Belmont, Mass., in coordination with Stetson administrators, faculty, staff and students. It will be used to guide construction decisions at the DeLand campus over the next 15 years. Projects that will be given highest priority are those designed to attract and retain students, improve the academic and student life experience, and create a vibrant campus.

The three-year Strategic Map includes six major goals for the university:

• Identify and define the uniqueness of the Stetson experience;
• Target and recruit the best students for Stetson;
• Focus resources on academic excellence;
• Build lifelong relationships with alumni;
• Invest in the university’s assets; and
• Make Stetson a great place to work.