Cooper Union

Strategic Plan

The links herein form the strategic plan for the Albert Nerken School of Engineering. It was informed by an assessment of the external environment including topics such as population growth; changing demographics; the global economy; emerging social, political, and cultural influences; the grand challenges facing society; and trends in higher education. It examines the role and influence of technological innovation in society today. It aligns with The Cooper Union’s institutional goals and strategic priorities but with an engineering focus. Faculty and student input and feedback were key to the high quality of the final product and the unanimous adoption by the faculty. This plan reflects the foundational principles and goals that will guide our organization through the year 2025.

From the Dean: Sustaining a Legacy of Innovation

Mission & Vision

Core Values

Strategic Goals

View the full strategic plan as a PDF

Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.
“My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”
From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.
Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.