Flourishing Academic Network (FAN) Strategic Plan 2025

Our Mission

The Flourishing Academic Network (FAN) advances pathways for flourishing in higher education by convening students, connecting academic and student affairs, and fostering collaboration across North American institutions.

We believe higher education can catalyze flourishing for all students and our broader communities through rigorous academic inquiry paired with practical, systemic change. Drawing on multiple disciplines and perspectives, we pursue innovation and transformation through research, teaching, advocacy, and leadership.

Strategic Framework

Guided by an Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework, this plan outlines four pillars that will advance our work throughout the academic year.

Pillar 1: Pedagogy – Flourishing Curricula and Teaching

Focus: What and how we teach.

Key Initiatives:

• Scale innovative curricula centered on flourishing and well-being
• Connect faculty teaching the Art and Science of Human Flourishing course
• Develop a shared repository of related curricula and resources
• Support a Pedagogy Working Group

Goal: Ensure every student can engage with academic study that nurtures purpose, connection, and resilience.

Pillar 2: Systems – Building Structures and Community

Focus: Transforming institutions so flourishing is lived and sustained. 

Key Initiatives:

• Build partnerships aligning campus mental health and well-being initiatives with flourishing principles
• Develop collaborative guidelines with JED Campus
• Connect with local, national, and international organizations who share a commitment to student wellbeing
• Amplify student voices through storytelling and cross-institutional convenings

Goal: Weave flourishing into the institutional fabric, strengthening higher education’s capacity to care for and empower its people to lead the future.

Pillar 3: Research – Collaborative Scholarship

Focus: Advancing empirical investigation and evidence-based practices.

Key Initiatives:

• Host a bi-monthly academic flourishing research series
• Build an online repository of scholarly work that advances the field of flourishing
• Develop a digital platform to amplify research across disciplines
• Connect possible collaborators to explore and engage in shared research activities 
• Translate research findings into practical applications for teaching, policy, and campus culture

Goal: Elevate the collective knowledge base driving flourishing in higher education.

Pillar 4: Sustainability – Ensuring Long-Term Viability

Focus: Building enduring structures of support.

Key Initiatives:

• Develop a funding plan for key administrative positions
• Create a succession plan to secure FAN’s continuity
• Explore partnerships and administrative homes aligned with our mission

Goal: Ensure FAN remains vibrant, inclusive, and enduring.