The University has reached the midpoint of the 2030 “Great and Good” Plan timeline. Announced in 2019 as part of University President Jim Ryan’s overarching 2030 vision to position the University as the nation’s leading public institution, the 2030 Plan has led to numerous changes across Grounds. This plan was approved by the Board of Visitors in 2019 and aims to strengthen the University’s foundation, cultivate a vibrant community in higher education, enable discoveries that enrich lives and serve the local community.
Key developments emerging from this plan include the construction of the School of Data Science, the opening of the Gaston and Ramazani Houses for upperclassmen and renovations of the Edgar Shannon Library. Additionally, the plan has introduced initiatives to enhance financial aid, expand student advising and advance research, all of which is aimed at enriching the University experience for students and staff alike.
With goals such as housing all second-years on Grounds, becoming the number one public university in the nation and establishing the University as a leader in 21st-century research and education, the 2030 Plan is robust and ambitious. Here is a progress report on a few of the key tenets of the plan.
Housing
The 2030 Plan aspires to house all first- and second-years on Grounds, an area in which the University has taken deliberate steps to achieving. Right now, only first-year students are required to live on Grounds with a majority of upperclassmen choosing to live off-Grounds. This reality creates more demand in the Charlottesville housing market and potentially contributes to the affordable housing crisis.
In working to realize the 2030 Plan, the University has built and is building more upperclassmen housing. After its opening in Fall 2024, the Gaston and Ramazani Houses have already reached full occupancy, housing 338 upperclassmen. The construction of those residence halls increases the total capacity of on-Grounds upperclass housing to 2,797 — up from 2,409 in the past.
According to University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover, the University also plans to build more residence halls along the Emmet-Ivy Corridor — a University-owned plot of land under development — containing around 800 beds.
Jolina Dong, second-year College student and resident of Gaston and Ramazani Houses, says she has had positive experience living there and thinks it is advantageous for the University to house second-years on Grounds in the future.
“I actually don't think [housing second-years would] be a bad idea,” Dong said. “Second year is still a tough year to get associated with school. It's really nice to have community, and I know this whole off-Grounds versus on-Grounds dilemma stresses so many first years out.”
Sagar Murthy, third-year Commerce student who lives at Bice House, also believes that having first and second-years on Grounds can prove to be beneficial from the financial perspective to a lot of students.
“I think more housing in general is good to stop the prices from continuing to go higher, Charlotesville rent is insane for the college town it is,” Murthy said. “I think it will make U.Va. financially more attainable for lots of people.”
Data Science School
The School of Data Science was also established as part of the 2030 Plan, specifically the part which seeks to establish the University as a leader in research. In 2019, the school initially enrolled graduate students before welcoming its first undergraduate cohort in fall 2024. The newly opened SDS building, located on the Emmet-Ivy Corridor, opened in April 2024 and is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation with an open floor plan and two-story central hub.
The University is the first in the country to have a school for data science, a specialty focused on using technology and science to gain insight from data. Students majoring in data science have the opportunity to concentrate in astronomy, analytical accounting, neuroscience and more. The first undergraduate class in SDS is 75 students — a majority of whom are women.
Second-year Data Science student Yuthi Madireddy said she appreciates the versatility of the major, which allows graduates to work across various industries and explore what they like to study.
“I think offering those [concentrations] … encourages more people to kind of branch out and try these new things and see for themselves what they like, what they don't, and take what they can from it,” Madireddy said.
Academic Support and Improvement
To provide better academic support, the 2030 Plan aims to address issues with academic advising and financial aid in addition to creating opportunities for students to be more well-rounded.
In terms of financial aid, the University expanded its financial aid program in 2018 and again in late 2023 to better support Virginia families. Under the updated program, titled SuccessUVA, in-state students from families earning $50,000 or less annually now receive grants and scholarships covering tuition, fees, housing and dining, an increase from the previous $30,000 threshold.
Families with incomes up to $100,000 will have tuition and fees fully covered, up from the prior $80,000 limit, while those earning up to $150,000 will receive at least $2,000 in need-based grants, an increase from the earlier $125,000 annual income threshold. This initiative aims to enhance accessibility and affordability for students from lower- and middle-income backgrounds.
According to Glover, the University has improved undergraduate advising as part of the 2030 Plan by implementing structural and staffing changes across several schools, including the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering and Applied Science. Previous concerns about academic advising were that it was not sufficiently specific, as students typically had advisors from outside their major during their first and second years. Additionally, the University launched a new online advising platform this year, called Stellic, which allows students to explore different academic paths and access advisor support more easily.
Aligning with the University’s commitment to public service outlined in the 2030 Plan, the Public Service Pathways program was launched in 2022. According to Glover, the program aims to prepare students to become future leaders of the 21st century. It offers students the opportunity to develop skills needed for a career in public service and identify the pathway that aligns with their interests.
As part of the 2030 Plan’s aim to expand its research goals and address pressing societal issues, the University started the Grand Challenges Research Investments, which focuses on areas of democracy, environmental resilience, precision medicine, neuroscience and digital technology.
These investments in academic areas are part of a broader strategy to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and enhance the University's impact on global issues.
Student Wellness
The 2030 Plan also aspires to promote student wellbeing. As part of the goal to enrich the student experience, the University opened the Student Health and Wellness building in 2021, funded mostly by a $40 million anonymous gift. Students can visit Student Health and Wellness for a wide range of services, including general health concerns, reproductive health services, preventive care and screenings, among others. Students also receive 12 free telehealth visits with a mental health provider through TimelyCare, which partnered with Counseling and Psychological Services in 2021 to launch the program.
Additionally, the Contemplative Science building is slated to have its grand opening this semester, with workshops in yoga and meditation, among other topics.
Community Engagement
In striving to more positively impact the Charlottesville community, the 2030 Plan works to engage and support the local community through initiatives like the President's Council on U.Va.-Community Partnerships. This council leads the Good Neighbor Program initiative by suggesting ways for the University to strengthen its relationship with the Charlottesville and Albemarle County communities. These recommendations focus on education, employment, affordable housing, the local economy and public safety.
Through this initiative, the Pipelines & Pathways program connects local residents with jobs and career advancement opportunities at the University. Since its launch in spring 2023, the program has provided entry-level jobs to over 200 people and engaged more than 1,000 people in the job-seeking process, according to Glover. She said that these initiatives show the University’s commitment to building a positive, symbiotic relationship with its surrounding community.
The Future of the 2030 Plan
The University has made significant progress in achieving its strategic goals as outlined in the 2030 Plan, especially as these goals relate to various construction projects such as upperclassmen housing and the School of Data Science.
Nevertheless, certain aspirations, such as becoming the number one public university in the country, remain unrealized — the University dropped two spots to number five in 2024 U.S. News & World Report public university rankings.
For the next five years, these same aspirations will continue to drive the direction of the University. More information on the progress of the 2030 Plan can be found on its official website.
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