Assumption College: 2020 Strategic Plan

Assumption 2020: Light the way.

Building on Foundations for Excellence

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS | ROME, ITALY

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME STATEMENT Dear Friend of Assumption College, During the 2013-2014 academic year, nearly 300 members of the Assumption College community came together at various times and places to participate in a dynamic and inclusive strategic planning process. That so many stepped forward to provide valuable insight and collective wisdom toward charting a course for the future is a powerful testimony to the College’s enduring vitality and purpose. I could not be prouder of the community or more optimistic about Assumption’s future. Our hard work culminated in the Board of Trustees’ approval of the new strategic plan, “Assumption 2020: Light the Way, Building on Foundations of Excellence” on May 10, 2014.

The hallmark of this plan is that it is the result of a broad, inclusive conversation across all of the College’s constituencies – one that is characterized by creativity, energy and a genuine desire to build upon Assumption’s existing foundations of excellence. The new plan is truly reflective of the community’s thinking as a whole, which will allow us to differentiate ourselves as an institution, continue to raise Assumption’s academic profile, and effectively respond to the new environment in which higher education exists. The planning process, and resulting final strategic plan, is evidence of the amazing things the Assumption community can accomplish when we all work together toward positive outcomes for students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Another important feature of the plan is that its creation was informed by a community-wide realization that there are unique challenges and opportunities facing New England colleges.

Therefore, since the beginning of the process to develop a new strategic plan, the following have served as guiding principles:

• I dentify the fundamental challenges and opportunities for Assumption College and the higher education community through extensive research and analysis.

• Emphasize external trends and forces, as they are likely to affect the College.

• Ensure faculty, administration and staff are intimately involved in the process.

We must recognize that the strategic plan is a dynamic, living document; it serves as a map for the next six years, while remaining flexible and allowing for course adjustments as the College anticipates shifting features in the landscape.

With this plan, Assumption College will move forward together, united and focused upon the goals specified in the plan – goals developed through hours upon hours of consultation across the campus community among faculty, staff and students so that we may “Light the Way and Build Upon Foundations for Excellence.”

I look forward to the College’s continued contributions as we draw upon the excellence of our faculty and the entire community in a holistic and integrated approach to elevating all dimensions of the Assumption student experience.

Sincerely,

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Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D. President

Vision Statement Assumption College will become a leading Catholic college in the Northeast. To accomplish this goal, the College will become a more competitive and selective institution. The College will be known for its strong commitment to its mission; its solid academic reputation that rests on a classical liberal arts curriculum rooted in the Catholic intellectual and Assumptionist tradition; its strong business and professional programs; and faculty who are recognized teachers, scholars and mentors. Drawing on the enduring vision of its founders, the Augustinians of the Assumption, the College will emphasize excellence in all dimensions of the student experience through a holistic and integrated approach to the complete formation of students.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Nearly six years ago, Assumption College embarked upon a journey to develop “Foundations for Excellence,” the College’s first strategic plan.

This plan has guided the allocation of resources and provided direction for academics, enrollment, technology and mission since 2008. Nearly all of the objectives established in the plan have been achieved. During the 2013-2014 academic year, the focus was placed on completing the remaining goals. Together, over these past six years, we established – and cemented – those “Foundations for Excellence.”

As the Assumption community celebrates our accomplishment in reaching virtually all of the milestones as set in the previous plan, we now look forward to the College’s future, recognizing new challenges, new opportunities and a new plan: “Light the Way: Building on Foundations for Excellence,” to guide the faculty, staff and students of Assumption College toward 2020 and beyond.

THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN IS DRIVEN

BY FOUR SPECIFIC PRIORITIES, OR ‘PILLARS’: 1. Assumption College will expand, renew and strengthen academic offerings to ensure an intellectually engaging, academically rigorous, and personally and professionally enriching experience for our students consistent with the mission 2. Assumption College will enhance the quality of the student experience through curricular and co-curricular initiatives that lead to personal as well as professional success consistent with the mission.

3. Assumption College will enroll, retain and graduate a diverse student body in a manner consistent with the mission.

4. Assumption College will expand and maintain facilities and systems in support of mission to form the whole person.

Members of the Assumption College community have an important role in the implementation of this plan through involvement in the Innovation Teams, the primary means by which this plan will move from the realm of ideas to achieved realities.

Many excellent ideas were shared during the meetings held throughout the College community.

The strategic plan is, by its nature, a “living” document that may evolve between the time of its approval and throughout the implementation process as we respond to both internal and external factors over the course of the next six years.

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Pillar I Expand, renew and strengthen academic offerings to ensure an intellectually engaging, academically rigorous, and personally and professionally enriching experience for our students consistent with the mission.

This pillar addresses the quality of our academic enterprise and articulates our commitment to academic excellence. The four strategic goals and 15 strategic initiatives propose to transform the character of our current academic program into one that is more assertive, coherent and open to new programs, pedagogies and partnerships. It also emphasizes the need to integrate more fully the undergraduate, graduate and continuing education divisions of the College into a continuum of related offerings that make an Assumption education more accessible, affordable and sustainable.

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PILLAR I

STRATEGIC GOAL 1

STRATEGIC GOAL 2

Develop an integrated and well-branded program of institutional academic focus.

Complete and implement revisions to the core curriculum.

Establish distinctive, rigorous and desirable accelerated degree programs.

The development of a distinctive core curriculum that provides students with an integrated, mission-centered foundation is the source from which the rest of an Assumption education will flow. With this core in place, the College can continue to expand around the core with academic programs (such as Tagaste, SOPHIA, Learning Communities) that provide an integrated experience for students throughout their four years at Assumption by linking academic studies with co-curricular offerings.

Our faculty is the rock upon which we build our educational experience, therefore Assumption will consider a wide range of concepts of faculty diversity to ensure that our students have as broad and deep a field of mentors as possible. Our Center for Teaching Excellence has already made leaps and bounds as a champion of teaching and learning innovations as well as on-line and emerging modalities of instruction and teaching – and will raise them to the next level.

As regional demographics continue to challenge institutions of higher learning in New England and families demand more from said institutions Assumption will develop new ways to increase the value of an undergraduate education.

Through initiatives such as expanding Six-in-Five BA/MA and BA/MBA degree programs, creating additional pathways to earn BA/MA and BA/MBA dual degrees in four years, building pathways to earning a BA in three years and developing a Continuing and Career Education Accelerated BA Program for adult learners, the College can promise, and provide, more to its students.

Other alternatives are being launched as well. The adoption of a 12-month academic calendar, which Assumption piloted in May 2014 through the introduction of a summer undergraduate semester, enables both Assumption and non-Assumption students to catch up if they fall behind during the regular academic year, or to accelerate their degree program.

The need to build upon existing college-to-career paths is incumbent upon us in our campaign to ensure students lead lives of meaning. By integrating professional preparation through internships across all disciplines and providing opportunities for faculty/student research that both yield important discoveries and create a new generation of investigators we form students prepared to go out into the world and light the way for others.

Foundations of Western Civilization Program

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STRATEGIC GOAL 3 Develop new programs. Extend, synthesize and evaluate existing academic programs.

Adapting to changes in the academic and professional needs of students is fundamental to the success of the College – and its charges. Development and evaluation of existing programs such as the already successful Business Studies curriculum, as well as the creation of new graduate and undergraduate programs will further distinguish our academic offerings from our competitors and – through responsible investment and integration with the College’s classic liberal arts program – support our mission of forming graduates of knowledge and integrity.

The College’s new campus in Rome, Italy, clearly differentiates Assumption from our competitors and offers students an extraordinary chance to discover the world. Growing the program through the integration of a Florence component will further make our Rome semester distinctive and unique among study abroad programs – and help bring to life for our students a land where the very foundations of Western Civilization were built.

STRATEGIC GOAL 4 Establish/enhance online courses and programs.

As higher education evolves, Assumption will evolve with it.

The formation of an action plan for the establishment of Assumption Online begins a process by which the College will create an online presence across all divisions of academic programs.

Assumption College Rome Program

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Pillar II Enhance the quality of the student experience through curricular and co-curricular initiatives that lead to personal as well as professional success consistent with the mission.

This pillar addresses the quality of our efforts and commitment to educate the whole student.

The three strategic goals and eight strategic initiatives seek to fully develop the character of our student affairs enterprise as steadfastly student-centric and tightly integrated with each dimension of the community, especially Academic Affairs. It also emphasizes the need to attend to emerging student populations and faith formation when developing and implementing signature co-curricular programs that make the Assumption student experience exhilarating, transformative and enduring.

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PILLAR II

STRATEGIC GOAL 1 Improve collaboration between divisions to enhance the student experience.

Assumption’s mission, rooted in the teachings of the Augustinians of the Assumption, is the creation of fully developed professionals, citizens and individuals. Therefore, the College seeks to provide students with four years that will improve the mind, body and soul and opens them to new frontiers.

Further integration of academic and student life is important in the refinement of an Assumption experience that prepares students both personally and academically for their next steps in life. Establishing signature programs woven into each year of the student experience will develop a through-line that guides them from their first year to graduation.

STRATEGIC GOAL 2 Enhance student programming and experiences.

Diversity provides us with new, unexpected and beneficial ways of looking at the world and, as such, perfectly complements the goals of the Catholic intellectual tradition, one of Assumption’s guiding principles. To increase the diversity of experience and thought, the College actively works to serve and support first-generation students, ALANA students, and other student populations. Similarly, it encourages the faith formation of students from all faith traditions.

STRATEGIC GOAL 3 Enhance the quality of intercollegiate athletics.

Athletics has been an important part of Assumption for years, providing students with vital lessons in collaboration, leadership, determination and ethics. Assumption’s commitment to providing a comprehensive, competitive athletics program for the future includes transitioning select part-time coaches to full-time and developing plans to maximize utilization of outdoor facilities. These adjustments will help make sure student-athletes thrive – both on the field and in the classroom.

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Pillar III Enroll, retain and graduate a diverse student body in a manner consistent with the mission.

Assumption College provides exemplary academic programs and an engaging student life. Our next challenge (and opportunity) is to make more high school students aware of the overall academic and financial value of Assumption, beyond our traditional target markets. Achieving success in priorities one and two will positively impact the goals in priority three, enrollment management.

This pillar addresses the quality of our student recruitment and retention enterprise. The three strategic goals and 10 strategic initiatives aim to fully develop the nature of our enrollment management efforts as assiduously data-driven and aggressively expansive, while continuing to maintain deep engagement with our traditional markets, and committed to affordability and accessibility. It places special emphasis on engaging international students as well as communities with a robust Catholic presence both near and far. Finally, the plan fully embraces strategies that utilize digital and web-based approaches that leverage marketing of our enhanced academic and co-curricular programs toward achieving and maintaining desired enrollment levels.

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PILLAR III

STRATEGIC GOAL 1 Enhance marketing efforts for undergraduate Enrollment Management As part of the College’s strategy to continue to enhance awareness of Assumption, Enrollment Management will share the value and outcomes of the College’s academic programs and co-curricular activities through a wide-ranging, multiple channel strategy that highlights student and faculty achievements. The “Light the way.” brand will serve as the key theme of this initiative.

In order to better tell our Assumption stories, the College will expand and develop its digital presence. In addition to media outreach, direct mail and other mediums, the College will also implement a new web and social media strategy to share what makes Assumption special.

STRATEGIC GOAL 2 Expand and enhance recruitment tools to increase new student enrollment.

Assumption will work to expand its recruiting beyond students from traditional markets such as Massachusetts and other areas of New England to potential targets beyond the confines of this region – including international students.

We will adjust our enrollment strategy to continue to attract high academic achievers, and build upon the successes it has achieved through Assumption Assurance, a program that addresses the issue of college affordability through an exceptional, classic liberal arts education with professional programs.

STRATEGIC GOAL 3 Enhance retention A key element of the College’s enrollment strategy will be renewing and updating the retention plan to ensure our student’s needs are being met and that they will successfully complete their four years at Assumption. The College will strive to achieve an 83-85% first-year to sophomore year retention rate by summer 2017.

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Pillar IV Expand and maintain facilities and systems in support of mission to form the whole person.

This pillar addresses the quality of our facilities and systems. The three strategic goals and six strategic initiatives set out an ambitious array of activities that promises to significantly enhance the physical presence of our campus as modern and inspirational. The centerpiece of this priority is the design and construction of a signature academic facility that manifests the integration of the liberal arts and pre-professional studies by housing the Business Studies Department and at least one of the humanities departments, thus symbolizing the holistic approach to education embodied in the Catholic liberal arts tradition. Related to this centerpiece is a set of additional capital projects that will further contribute to the intellectual, moral, physical, creative and spiritual formation of our students.

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PILLAR IV

STRATEGIC GOAL 1 Select, design and build those facilities that have the highest impact and that are within funding means.

In addition to providing exemplary academic programs and extra- and inter-curricular experiences, Assumption will provide proper, modern facilities in which students can learn and grow. A new academic facility will be the signature academic building on campus. Student-athletes will benefit from enhanced outdoor athletic facilities through the addition of a new track/turf surface. A new residence hall, replacing obsolete dorms, will offer students a place to live, build friendships, and study.

STRATEGIC GOAL 2 Improve the quality and use of existing facilities.

The evaluation and modernization of existing classroom and library facilities provide an opportunity to ensure students have the most up-to-date equipment and learning spaces available, while remaining connected to our shared past, experiences and traditions.

STRATEGIC GOAL 3 Establish data-driven decision making across functions.

Information is the lifeblood of an institution. Every Assumption constituency gathers and generates important data that helps the College understand who and what it is, and where it is going. By implementing a system that allows for collecting, storing and sharing data across the entire College community, Assumption will be able to use that data as a basis for decision making.

Similarly, improving online capabilities for current and prospective students through Customer Relationship Management (CRM) will have a direct impact on the College’s recruitment and retention efforts. Through actively listening to IT “customers,” Assumption can make sure that students’ needs are being met and anticipate future requests, difficulties and opportunities.

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Implementation Innovation 2020, a key element of the College’s new strategic plan, Assumption 2020, is a six-year project designed to engage the Assumption community in imagining – and, in many cases – implementing new activities and/ or new ways of doing existing activities that meaningfully contribute to the College’s ability to gain and maintain competitive advantage.

The College is committed to innovation and will make funding available through a specified application process.

ABOUT ASSUMPTION COLLEGE Founded in 1904 by the Augustinians of the Assumption in Worcester, Mass., Assumption College offers 42 majors and 48 minors in the liberal arts, sciences, business, and professional studies, through an educational experience grounded in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition coupled with professional programs. The curriculum enables students to gain a depth and breadth of knowledge that leads to professional success and personal fulfillment. Students become engaged participants in Assumption’s classic liberal arts education – exploring new ideas and making connections across disciplines. To prepare for the workforce, students learn cutting-edge theory and best practices, and develop excellent communication and criticalanalysis skills. Assumption graduates are also known for their thoughtful citizenship and compassionate service to their community. For more information, please visit www.assumption.edu.

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500 SALISBURY ST. | WORCESTER, MA 01609-1296 VIA SAN PIO V, 55 | ROME, ITALY 00165 WWW.ASSUMPTION.EDU