ST R AT EG I C PL A N 2018 -20 2 3
A Bold Vision for Browning
MISSION STATEMENT AND VALUES The Browning School fosters growth of courageous and compassionate men of intellect and integrity who aspire to contribute meaningfully to our world. The Browning gentleman develops amid a community that upholds these values‌ HONEST Y
We speak the truth, act with integrity and take responsibility for our actions. DIGNIT Y
We honor and celebrate the dignity of all people and support the power of a diverse, inclusive and welcoming community. CURIOSIT Y
We encourage and celebrate open-minded inquiry about our world and the perspectives of those around us. PURPOSE
We believe that education encourages exploration and discovery in pursuit of meaning and enduring fulfillment.
REVISING BROWNING’S MISSION STATEMENT RECEIVED EARLY ATTENTION in the strategic planning process and involved long-tenured faculty who helped create Browning’s previous statement. As evidenced in the new text on the facing page, the Mission emphasizes that each of our boys is a “Browning Gentleman” who upholds four key values of the school community. We are proud to present this new guidepost for our boys and for the broader Browning family.
A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING
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L E A D E RS H IP INT R O D UC T ION
B
rowning is pleased to celebrate its 130th year as a local, national and global leader in the education of boys in grades K-12. Our community shares a collective pride in the School’s history,
beginning with a nod to founder John A. Browning who, thanks to John
D. Rockefeller – our original benefactor – created an environment for boys to learn and grow into gentlemen. Remaining true to Mr. Browning’s
legacy requires thoughtful innovation, cultivation of resources and the
drive to remain at the forefront of educating boys in a rapidly changing 21st century world. Our expertise in this area also requires an ongoing commitment to providing leadership in the broader world of boys
schools; indeed, the pivotal moment at hand seems the perfect time to outline a bold plan for Browning’s future.
What follows in these pages are the goals and strategies representing
more than a year of work by a dedicated group of trustees, teachers,
administrators, parents, students and valued advisors. This concerted
effort transpired on the heels of an undertaking by Head of School John Botti and his team to secure re-accreditation with the New York State
Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) during the 2016-17 school year. In conjunction with consultant Kathy Hanson and her team from Marts & Lundy, our work addressed core priorities contained in the
School’s Mission Statement (refined for the first time in nearly 25 years) and expanded to examine how our boys learn, how we communicate
all that is unique about our learning environment, and how we ensure
that Browning has access to the resources necessary to sustaining these endeavors well into the 22nd century.
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STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023
We invite our fellow community members to help make Browning
an even stronger and more vibrant experience for our current boys
and those who follow them. Such a collective effort will ensure that the
School enjoys the required resources to maintain its position as a leader in the education of boys.
Thank you to the many members of the extended Browning family
(parents, alumni and friends) who completed surveys, volunteered on
task forces and worked so diligently on these goals and strategies. It’s your
dedication and commitment to Browning that help to make our school such a special place. Sincerely, Valda M. Witt
Alka K. Singh
President, Board of Trustees
Vice President, Board of Trustees;
Chair, Strategic Plan Steering Committee
A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING
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STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023
Culture of Learning
G OA L
Attract, support and retain an exceptionally qualified and diverse
faculty who are committed to their students’ intellectual and personal development, their own professional growth and the mission of The Browning School.
S T R AT EG I ES
1
Augment personnel to bring faculty and staff workloads
in line with independent school standards.
2
Develop hiring practices to
attract a diverse faculty that
reflects the world in which we live and the community we serve.
3
Advance a rich professional development program that
supports The Browning School
mission, draws upon best practices and researching in teaching and
learning, and supports a culture of professional inquiry and
4
Encourage thought
leadership on best practices
in educating boys by creating
an institute for action research, expert partnership and
curriculum development.
innovation.
A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING
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Financial Strength
G OA L
Ensure Browning’s long-term success and mission through investment in
personnel, programs and facilities, continued prudent financial management, dynamic student recruitment and dedicated philanthropic initiatives.
S T R AT EG I ES
1
Utilize a multi-year financial
model that appropriately aligns
operating expenses, tuition and
endowment earnings to meet the strategic needs of the Browning community.
2
Consider institutional facility
needs through re-imagination
and utilization of existing plant and expansion to new facilities
to meet strategic programming opportunities.
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STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023
3
Evaluate the efficiency and
effectiveness of the financial
assistance program in expanding affordability for families from
across the socioeconomic spectrum.
4
Implement enrollment
management best practices
to maximize the number of
mission-appropriate students and families in each grade.
5
Maintain a strong
advancement program and
promote a deeper culture of
philanthropy to support annual and long-term capital giving for operations, the endowment and potential plant improvements.
A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING
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STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023
Expansion of Awareness
G OA L
Solidify Browning’s identity as an intellectually rigorous K-12 school for
boys in New York City by promoting its strengths and unique opportunities, fostering school pride within the community and re-establishing Browning’s reputation as a local and national leader in the education of boys.
S T R AT EG I ES
1
Define a value proposition that distinguishes
The Browning School as an
exemplary K-12 school for boys.
2
Form partnerships with
educational and cultural
institutions in the New York City
3
Develop and implement a comprehensive strategic
communication plan that
allows the external community to appreciate the distinctive character, experiences and
achievements of Browning’s boys.
4
Strengthen the connection between the School and
its internal constituencies
through clear articulation of
institutional mission and regular opportunities for partnership in the development of boys.
area to enhance boys’ learning and extend awareness
of Browning’s mission.
A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING
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Learning Program
G OA L
Provide both a rigorous exploration of the liberal arts and a robust co-
curriculum to give Browning boys the foundational knowledge, necessary academic skills, and intellectual and ethical dispositions to lead lives marked by deep relationships, a love of learning and a sense of purpose.
S T R AT EG I ES
1
Define an institutional
philosophy of learning which
identifies the qualities a Browning
education should develop to produce gentlemen who can contribute meaningfully to the world.
2
Place student inquiry at the
center of curricular, pedagogical
and assessment approaches to
promote deeper learning, curiosity and student agency.
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STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023
3
Create curricula, programs and relationships that
encourage Browning boys to find meaning and identity in lives of ethical and social purpose.
4
Establish new and expand existing service learning
programs to engage boys in service
activity that continues through their Browning tenure and supports the academic and ethical curriculum.
5
Encourage innovation in
the academic curriculum to
promote independent study, social entrepreneurship, and signature learning experiences.
6
Develop external institutional partnerships to broaden
Browning’s academic, social and
ethical horizons, as well as explore internal opportunities to advance the study of boys’ learning and development.
A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING
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STRATEGIC PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE Alka K. Singh, Chair
Janetta Lien, Director of Enrollment
Wendy W. Brooks, Trustee
Sanford M. Pelz ’71, Director of College Guidance
John M. Botti, Head of School Laurie A. Gruhn, Assistant Head of School/ Head of Lower School
Philip A. Hofmann, Trustee
Michael E. Ingrisani, Dean of Faculty A. Forrest King, Parent
H. Kenneth Metz, Parent Raul Pineda, Trustee
James E. Reynolds, Former Head of Upper School Ellen Stafford-Sigg, Trustee
Deborah C. van Eck, Trustee
Valda M. Witt, President, Board of Trustees
STRATEGIC PLAN TASK FORCES Values
Learning Program
Culture of Learning
Expansion of Awareness
TRUSTEES
TRUSTEES & PARENTS
TRUSTEES
TRUSTEES & PARENTS
Michael P. Beys ’89 Raul Pineda Ellen Stafford-Sigg Deborah C. van Eck, Co-chair
Wendy W. Brooks, Co-chair Chanda Chapin Maria I. Dell’Oro David H. Eun Joyce C. Giuffra Elizabeth Granville-Smith Stephanie H. Hessler Julie S. Kerwin Jeffrey M. Landes ’83 David J. Liptak Elaine F. Stein Albert Tylis
Mark G. Cunha Nazmi Oztanir Andrew M. Snyder, Co-chair
Chanda Chapin Maria I. Dell’Oro Stuart J. Ellman Kathleen Glaymon Stephanie H. Hessler A. Forrest King, Co-chair H. Kenneth Metz, Co-chair Elizabeth G. Miller Andrew E. Vogel Richard L.N. Weaver ’75
FACULT Y & STAFF
TRUSTEES & PARENTS
Aaron R. Grill Susan H. Kehoe Julia Kingsdale Sanford M. Pelz ’71 James E. Reynolds, Co-chair Andrew H. West ’92
Elizabeth Granville-Smith Philip A. Hofmann, Co-chair H. Kenneth Metz Raul Pineda, Co-chair Albert Tylis Paul Yablon Robert D. Ziff
FACULT Y & STAFF
Michael E. Ingrisani, Co-chair Jaqueline G. Pellenberg Sanford M. Pelz ’71
Mission TRUSTEES & PARENTS
Michael P. Beys ’89 David E. Glaymon Andrew B. Sandberg ’01 Ellen Stafford-Sigg, Chair Reagan Wellins FACULT Y & STAFF
Mary E. Bosworth Michael E. Ingrisani Maureen A. Linehan Betty L. Noel Jaqueline G. Pellenberg
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STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023
FACULT Y & STAFF
Rachel A. Gerber Laurie A. Gruhn, Co-chair Michael O. Klein Gerald J. Protheroe Megan B. Ryan Lucy A. Warner
FACULT Y & STAFF
Financial Strength
FACULT Y & STAFF
John J. Campbell Janetta Lien James E. Simon
Christine B. Bramble Melanie S. McMahon James E. Simon Kelly A. West
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