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Embracing Our Legacy and Positioning for Our Future 2017-2022 Strategic Plan Final Report 1

Strategic Plan Final Report In July 2017, the Cushing Academy Board of Trustees approved the 2017-2022 Strategic Plan, Embracing Our Legacy and Positioning for Our Future, encompassing nine Strategic Initiatives. The planning process, which was designed to optimize input from students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and the Board, had begun almost a year earlier, in August 2016, with a comprehensive analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the Academy. Following the Plan’s adoption, work began on the implementation of each of the Initiatives. Early in 2020, an interim progress report on the Plan was underway. As events unfolded and we focused on meeting the challenges of the burgeoning threat that became a global pandemic, we set that reporting aside. Although the strategic plan could not have taken into account the enormous disruption of the last twenty-two months, it should be a source of pride for us all that the focus and ongoing work on the strategic objectives provided a pathway for a strengthened and energized institution and community, enabling us to weather the pandemic crisis with a never-wavering focus on our students. Throughout this challenging period, the Academy’s mission “to exist for students and to develop curious, creative, and confident learners and leaders’’ has never been more clear or crucial.

Framework + Context Following are highlights of the work on each initiative. Many of the action items not yet completed were temporarily put on hold in March 2020 or were refocused to meet the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, as we successfully pivoted to remote learning with the closure of campus for the remainder of that academic year. Our focus then shifted to the goal of bringing our students back to campus to safely resume in-person instruction for the new academic year. After careful planning, we welcomed students back to campus in August 2020 for in-person classes, while integrating students around the globe who continued with distance learning by joining classes and activities remotely. Our work specific to these pandemic-related efforts is not enumerated here. In August 2021, we safely and enthusiastically welcomed back our full boarding and day student population. With this welcome return to normalcy, we have once again turned our attention to Strategic Plan initiatives not yet completed, and while many items are marked “Completed” to signal the initial achievement of a particular goal, we continue to review all that we do, as we ask how we can best live out our mission. Following the plan’s completion in June 2022, the Board of Trustees anticipates that 2022-23 will provide the opportunity to reassess progress, identify new strategic goals, and chart the road ahead.

Report Key: In this report

marks a completed objective.

Individual sub-objectives are marked as complete by referencing the year in which they end; for example AY 19 refers to an implementation that ended in Academic Year 2018-19. ONGOING

refers to an ongoing implementation.

Nine Strategic Initiatives The nine strategic initiatives set forth in the Plan are divided into two major categories:

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Initiatives One through Four encompass all aspects of a Cushing education — in the classroom, through the arts and athletics, and in our residential life programs.

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1 Develop a Student-Centered Culture 2 Develop a Sense of Self-Esteem and Achievement Through the Visual Arts, the Performing Arts, and Athletics 3 Enable Students with Diverse Learning Styles to Each Excel Developmentally and Academically 4 Provide Facilities to Support the Academy’s Academic and Student Affairs Programs

INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

Initiatives Five through Nine focus on the structures and processes that create a strong and economically sustainable institution, providing a foundation both now and into the future.

(PAGES 20-31)

5 Invest in Human Resources 6 Establish Authentic Alumni and Parent Networks 7 Create an Economically Sustainable Business Model 8 Develop Best Practice Governance Models 9 Create a Data-Based Culture Through the Use of Technology Best Practices

STUDENT EXPERIENCE 1 Develop a Student-Centered Culture • Enable students to engage with faculty to achieve active learning in and outside of the classroom. • Develop a vibrant living-learning environment in student residences that fosters the positive interaction of adults with students. • Celebrate the Academy’s diverse student body. • Ensure that all course offerings, support structures, and administrative policies are designed to serve the needs of individual students to facilitate their academic, social and personal growth. • Establish community outreach opportunities that enable students to expand their horizons in Ashburnham and beyond. • Develop a Strategic Plan for Student Engagement.

2 Develop a Sense of Self-Esteem and Achievement Through the Visual Arts, the Performing Arts, and Athletics • Build and expand on the historic strengths of the Visual Arts Program. • Build and expand Performing Arts Programs. • Create STEAM programs that intentionally engage students in the arts, mathematics, technology, and science. • Commit to enhancing Athletic Programs for students with varying interests and abilities. • Ensure that an array of recreational sports are made available to students.

3 Enable Students with Diverse Learning Styles to Each Excel Developmentally and Academically • Enhance the school’s commitment to stay abreast of best practices in academic support programs. • Ensure English as a Second Language Programs reflect best practices. • Ensure that student course schedules are designed to provide a level of challenge commensurate with each student’s skills and capabilities. • Determine a course schedule that enables students to learn at their pace and receive support and advising. • Establish student retention programs and services. • Establish new and exciting opportunities for experiential learning on the weekends. • Undertake a Curriculum Review to ensure academic rigor.

marks a completed objective. 6

4 Provide Facilities to Support the Academy’s Academic and Student Affairs Programs • Ensure that facilities and technology are optimized for student, faculty, and staff safety. • Design facilities in such a manner as to enable students and faculty to interact actively inside and outside the classroom. • Instill in all those who work and reside on campus a sense of pride in the campus and a duty to maintain the facilities in an aesthetically pleasing and orderly manner. • Ensure that appropriate fiscal controls and operating expenses are put in place to sustain the physical plant over time. • Engage faculty, staff, parents, and students in future Master Planning and interior design efforts.

INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY 5 Invest in Human Resources • Implement a best practices Human Resources department. • Ensure the organizational structure and staffing levels support the Academy’s mission, vision, core values, and Strategic Plan. • Invest in professional development programs for faculty and staff. • Develop a consistently applied, mission-centric performance evaluation process for faculty and staff. • Establish faculty retention programs and services.

Establish Authentic Alumni and Parent Networks • Engage in the development of communications and social network strategies that foster transparency, trust, and commitment to Cushing’s mission. • Develop robust marketing and communications outreach. • Provide leadership development for Cushing Academy volunteers involved in fundraising, alumni, and parent programs. • Develop a Strategic Plan for Alumni Engagement. • Ensure the alumni database is accurate and continuously updated. • Develop a Strategic Plan for Parent Engagement.

Create an Economically Sustainable Business Model • Generate a 5-year financial plan that demonstrates positive cash flow no later than year 3. • Implement a zero-based budget process. • Establish summer programs that increase student enrollment and generate revenue net of expenses. • Generate an Enrollment Management Plan. • Develop fundraising strategies to diversify revenue streams.

Create a Data-Based Culture Through the Use of Technology Best Practices • Begin to develop a data-based culture of informed management decision-making. • Develop an institution-wide Strategic Technology Plan. • Upgrade the wired and wireless networks, IT security, and the level and quality of academic technology. • Develop an institution-wide technology refresh policy for administrative and classroom technology.

8 Develop Best Practice Governance Models • Undertake an assessment of how the Board of Trustees is organized, conducts its business, and serves as fiduciary. • Develop a Trustee Skills Profile and recruit potential Board members who understand and are committed to Cushing’s mission and Strategic Plan • Enable students to have an expanded voice. • Enable faculty and staff to have a voice through the implementation of a best practices Faculty Council and Staff Council. • Strengthen further the role of the Alumni Council to provide alumni the opportunity to have a greater voice. • Strengthen the role of Parents for Cushing to provide parents the opportunity to have a voice.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

INITIATIVE

Develop a Student-Centered Culture Provide students, faculty, and staff the ability to learn from each other and engage in the development and sustainability of a culture that first and foremost recognizes each student’s developmental needs.

Objectives Enable students to engage with faculty to achieve active learning in and outside of the classroom.

• Reimagined Community Weekends to focus on thematic topics, tailored by class year, with collaboration across departments. These weekends are a key opportunity to extend learning outside of the classroom and to address topics that do not fit into the academic curriculum. AY 18 , ONGOING • Explored partnerships with area colleges and universities for students to enroll in courses for credit. AY 20 , ONGOING • Developed an asynchronous learning model to meet pandemic challenges; positive features now factored into our current approach/learning model. AY 20 • Created Winterim experience to solve academic calendar needs related to the timing of oncampus learning during the pandemic; the resulting multidisciplinary exploration of learning outside the ‘traditional’ classroom will be retained in other elements of the curriculum/ calendar. AY 20

STUDENT EXPERIENCE 1

Develop a Student-Centered Culture

Develop a vibrant living-learning environment in student residences that fosters the positive interaction of adults with students.

• Implemented new focus on the learning/curriculum that occurs in the dorms after dinner. AY 18 , ONGOING • Increased by almost 50% the number of proctors, enabling greater ownership and a stronger presence in residences by student leaders. AY 19 , ONGOING • Developed an Advisory and Residential Life Guidebook for faculty, providing clear expectations and role descriptions. This is reviewed by all faculty each fall as part of the annual faculty orientation. AY 19 , ONGOING • Restructured the Student Affairs Office, allowing greater focus and deliberate inroads in enhancing the residential life curriculum, Community Weekend programming, and all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. AY 20 Celebrate the Academy’s diverse student body.

• Increased on- and off-campus opportunities for celebration of cultures represented in our community through the arts, food, and cultural events. AY 18 • Introduced all-gender bathrooms (in a majority of buildings), implemented a gender-neutral dress code, modified the Community Handbook to reflect gender-neutral pronouns, and created gender-neutral descriptions and criteria for all academic awards and prizes. AY 18 • Continued annual Diversity Forum Series, with multiple all-school offerings each year including outside guests and related activities. AY 18 , ONGOING • Diversified the options offered, with greater student input, in the Summer Read program. AY 19

• Expanded the range of courses and prioritized in recent hiring cycles ways to build upon, diversify, and expand the curriculum. AY 19 • Increased the focus on cultural competence of faculty members and alignment with the DEI plan within the scope of our core curriculum, including the intentional selection of texts. AY 19 , ONGOING • Continued support for on-campus clubs, affinity groups, and attendance for students and adults at conferences that celebrate diversity. ONGOING • Hired Carney Sandoe & Associates to serve as DEI consultant, with lead consultant Lawrence Alexander. AY 21 • Provided training for faculty in how to best serve our diverse student population. AY 21 • Created position and launched nationwide search for Director of Inclusion and Community Life. AY 21

• Review and update of the school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan. • Hired Director of Inclusion and Community Life. AY 22 • Conducted comprehensive review of Community Handbook. AY 22

AY 21 AY 22

Ensure that all course offerings, support structures, and administrative policies are designed to serve the needs of individual students to facilitate their academic, social and personal growth.

• Enhanced teachers’ pages on MyCushing to include syllabi, objectives, expectations and additional student support, as an easily accessible comprehensive resource. AY 18 • Implemented open grade books and weekly updates, benefiting students, faculty and parents. AY 18

• Instituted new College Counseling protocols related to enhanced student experience and improved communications, including a full complement of communication for each grade level and a college counseling experience spanning all four years. AY 18 , AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 , ONGOING • Created a comprehensive profile detailing the type of student likely to succeed at the Academy, with the input of all constituencies and assistance from an outside firm. AY 19 • Reviewing ways to more intentionally tie the Portrait of a Graduate and the Mission Statement into the day-to-day implementation of curriculum. AY 20 , ONGOING • Audited the importance and purpose of current reporting measures, accountability points and proper communication methods to ensure that school systems are effective in supporting students. AY 20 , ONGOING • Created a Director of Teaching and Learning position to promote faculty use of best pedagogical practices and delivery of desired learning outcomes. AY 20 • Enhanced the Counseling program with an additional focus on proactive mental health maintenance, mindfulness, and relaxation, including: proactive support of the mental/emotional health of students with individual counseling and psychiatry services; student mindfulness education programs to support stress reduction and emotion regulation; the coordination and facilitation of community-wide health education in collaboration with faculty/students, such as the Minding Your Mind assembly presentation regarding mental illness; nutrition week; sleep week; stress management week; and development of a student-led local mental health awareness club, a chapter of the national Our Minds Matter. AY 20 , ONGOING • Counseling Director and Student Affairs Directors became part of the Mass General Hospital Center for Cross-Cultural Students Emotional Wellness Consortium, whose mission is to “understand and promote the mental health of students from diverse cultural backgrounds.” AY 21 , ONGOING • Formed an ad hoc faculty committee under the leadership of the Counseling Director to begin an assessment and evaluation of the social, emotional, and health learning (SEHL) on campus. This committee will identify Cushing’s current practices in the community and in the classroom to further develop a cohesive plan that enhances and integrates SEHL. AY 21 • Transitioned the existing Health Center to a Health Services Center, with renovated and enlarged space, reconfigured staffing levels, and expanded protocols to best serve student health and wellness. AY 21 • Instituted Community Care Report to provide an opportunity for students, staff and faculty to share concerns about community members who may be experiencing difficulties. AY 21

STUDENT EXPERIENCE 1

Develop a Student-Centered Culture

Establish community outreach opportunities that enable students to expand their horizons in Ashburnham and beyond.

• Increased travel opportunities for students during breaks and summer, both abroad and in the US. AY 18 • Continued long-standing service opportunities for students and faculty, including more than 3,500 hours of service performed each year in conjunction with the Tony Fisher Day of Service to Others. Each year, students also support Dana Farber Cancer Center through the “Pink the Rink” fundraiser and through volunteer support of the Boston Marathon. A new partnership with environmental organizations was also created by students. AY 18 , ONGOING • Created partnership with Special Olympics to serve Ashburnham families, utilizing student volunteers. AY 19 • Instituted community donations from students of food, clothing, bedding and books during their end-of-year packing and other key points in the year. AY 19 , ONGOING Develop a Strategic Plan for Student Engagement.

• Created and refined policies, procedures, and avenues for greater day student involvement in campus life. AY 18 , ONGOING • Refocused weekly advisor agendas and suggestions for dorm faculty with new opportunities for meaningful faculty and student connections. AY 19 , ONGOING • Incorporated an emphasis on healthy living habits in the dorm setting. AY 19 , ONGOING

INITIATIVE

Develop a Sense of Self-Esteem and Achievement Through the Visual Arts, the Performing Arts, and Athletics Demonstrate and celebrate individual growth in self-confidence and self-esteem by embracing even greater challenges.

Objectives Build and expand on the historic strengths of the Visual Arts Program.

• Created more points of entry for students to enroll and participate in classes and in afternoon activities, building on our long-standing requirement that all students take at least one term of Visual or Performing Arts per year. ONGOING • Installed a student-created bronze sculpture as a permanent outdoor feature at the new Lee and Sanborn House dormitories. The dormitories feature 48 additional works of art by students and alumni. AY 18 • Student recognition at the highest levels included a Gold Medal Portfolio Award in the national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards (one of only 16 winners selected from over 340,000 works submitted), a Silver Medal, and a National Medal. AY 19 , AY 20 • Received a $100,000 matching challenge grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation for the creation of the Leaders and Learners Summit Series, to expand the successful model of the Girls in Sport Leadership Summit to other areas in pursuit of our mission. One summit each year will be dedicated to Visual and Performing Arts. AY 20 • Following the outstanding 47-year career and retirement in July 2020 of long-standing Visual Arts Chair Bob Johnson, the department continues to flourish under its new chair Deb Gardner, a 15-year veteran faculty member. AY 21

STUDENT EXPERIENCE 2

Develop a Sense of Self-Esteem and Achievement Through the Visual Arts, the Performing Arts, and Athletics

Build and expand Performing Arts Programs.

• Expanded offerings in classes and in extracurricular activities in response to student interest. AY 19

• Received a $100,000 matching challenge grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation for the creation of the Leaders and Learners Summit Series, to expand the successful model of the Girls in Sport Leadership Summit to other areas in pursuit of our mission. One summit each year will be dedicated to Visual and Performing Arts. AY 20 • Purchased a new piano to support the music program and instituted a program to replace pianos annually. AY 20 , ONGOING • Building on our longstanding requirement that all students take at least one term of Performing or Visual Arts per year, performing arts opportunities currently include classes in drama, chorus, dance, music theory, history of jazz, chamber music and jazz ensemble. Afternoon activity opportunities include participation in plays during fall, winter and spring; three seasons of afternoon dance; private lessons for voice, a wide range of musical instruments, and dance. ONGOING

Create STEAM programs that intentionally engage students in the arts, mathematics, technology, and science.

• Formed a cross-disciplinary STEAM Committee of faculty members from related departments, who created a vision statement. AY 18 • Robotics team advanced to the VEX Robotics Southern New England Regional Championship for the first time in the program’s history. AY 18 • Awarded a U.S. Patent for a medicinal compound identified in earlier faculty-student research. AY 19

• STEAM Committee faculty members participated in the STEAM mentorship program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. AY 20 • Five-year STEAM plan is under development. AY 20 , ONGOING • Received a $100,000 matching challenge grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation for the creation of the Leaders and Learners Summit Series, to expand the successful model of the Girls in Sport Leadership Summit to other areas in pursuit of our mission. One summit each year will be dedicated to a STEAM Summit. AY 20 • STEAM offerings added to the Summer Session. AY 20 , ONGOING • Focused select Community Weekends on STEAM. AY 20 , ONGOING • Inaugurated Alumni/ae STEAM Career Pathway Exploration Webinar, providing insights for students into a variety of STEAM-related careers. AY 21 • Created department-level STEAM opportunities. AY 21 , ONGOING

Commit to enhancing Athletic Programs for students with varying interests and abilities.

• A faculty member created the Girls in Sport Leadership Summit which is hosted by Cushing, targeting female student athletes, grades 9 - PG, from boarding schools around New England. A meaningful, interactive day of high-level programming is offered to challenge participants to reflect on their leadership style and ability. AY 18 , ONGOING • Varsity Boys’ Hockey and Varsity B Boys’ Hockey captured championships, and members of the Ski Team and Track and Field Team earned individual honors and personal bests in team championships.AY 18 • Instituted Health and Wellness Requirement of 20 required hours per year. AY 19 • Surveyed all students regarding interests in potential additional sports (AY 19 ). Based on results, Badminton (AY 20 ), Esports (AY 21 ), and Ropes Course, Figure Skating, and Taekwondo (AY 22 ) were added. • Received the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Safe Sports School award which champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that have met the recommended standards to improve safety in sports. AY 19 • Among eight teams earning a place in tournaments, two (Varsity B Boys’ Hockey and Varsity Boys’ Hockey) won championship titles. AY 19 • Increased Health and Wellness Requirement to include either an athletics component or 40 hours per year of health and wellness activities. The athletics requirement can be filled by a team sport (any level), instructional or intramural sports, recreational skiing or snowboarding, musical theater (dancing role is required), or dance. AY 20 • Demonstrably improved athletics program results in AY20 over the prior year. During the shortened 2019-2020 school year, six of the nine varsity sports participated in postseason play including Varsity Girls’ Volleyball, which reached the NEPSAC Semi-Final round. Varsity Girls’ Soccer narrowly missed earning a playoff spot for the first time in over a decade. Varsity Girls’ Ice Hockey won the Dorothy Howard Small School Championship for the first time since 1998, and Varsity Boys’ Basketball solidified its place on the national stage, ranking in the top 10 nationally and earning - for the second time in school history - an invitation to the National Prep Championship. AY 20 • Received a $100,000 grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation to enhance the Girls in Sport Leadership Summit and to expand it to other areas of focus (visual and performing arts, STEAM) through a $100,000 matching challenge grant for the creation of a Learners and Leaders Summit Series. AY 20 Ensure that an array of recreational sports are made available to students.

• Surveyed all students to gauge interest in potential new sports offerings. AY 19 • Added Badminton in response to student interest. Other recreational sports offerings are under consideration. AY 20 • Added Esports in response to student interest. AY 21 • Added Ropes Course, Figure Skating and Taekwondo as afternoon activities. AY 22

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

INITIATIVE

Enable Students with Diverse Learning Styles to Each Excel Developmentally and Academically Each student deserves the opportunity to grow intellectually at their pace while experiencing life’s challenges and to attend a college or university commensurate with their abilities and aspirations.

Objectives Enhance the school’s commitment to stay abreast of best practices in academic support programs.

• Added academic support coaching options. AY 17 • Reconfigured the Academic Office to create a new Director of Teaching and Learning, to better integrate the Academic Support Program. AY 20 • Enhanced ongoing professional development for members of the department. ONGOING Ensure English as a Second Language Programs reflect best practices.

• Instituted Vericant program to screen and verify international video interviews to best assess applicants. AY 17 • Set benchmark measurements for initial placement into Cushing’s ESL program based on TOEFL scores. Instituted an enhanced screening process utilizing an external partner and modeled on the TOEFL, to further assist with placement. AY 20

Ensure that student course schedules are designed to provide a level of challenge commensurate with each student’s skills and capabilities.

• Reaffirmed the Academy’s longstanding commitment to this through a review of curriculum and of communication processes. ONGOING • Reviewed the Extra Help system/schedule. AY 18 • Created a new daily academic schedule after intensive review and faculty input. AY 18 , ONGOING Determine a course schedule that enables students to learn at their pace and receive support and advising.

Establish student retention programs and services.

• Established Retention Committee with members of the academic, student affairs, counseling, athletics, and admissions teams for weekly meeting and discussion of all issues related to student enrollment and retention. AY 17 • Established expectation that faculty and staff will let the Retention Committee know of any potential retention issues. AY 18 • Enhanced the ability to identify at-risk students in the admission process. AY 19 • Instituted a new process for requesting feedback from families choosing not to re-enroll. AY 19 • In response to the challenges of the pandemic, a new Student Experience Committee evolved from the former Retention Committee, expanding its focus while retaining emphasis on retention issues. The committee continues to meet weekly. AY 20 Establish new and exciting opportunities for experiential learning on the weekends.

• Refined Community Weekends to focus on thematic topics and to include grade-specific experiences, drawing upon collaboration between College Counseling, DEI, Counseling, and Student Activities. These weekends extend learning outside of the classroom, with an opportunity to address topics that do not fit into the general academic curriculum. AY 18 , ONGOING Undertake a Curriculum Review to ensure academic rigor.

• Began an assessment of curricular needs, incorporating the larger goals highlighted by Cushing’s Mission Statement and Portrait of a Graduate. AY 22 , ONGOING

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

INITIATIVE

Provide Facilities to Support the Academy’s Academic and Student Affairs Programs Provide a physical environment to optimize student growth and community interaction.

Objectives Ensure that facilities and technology are optimized for student, faculty, and staff safety.

• Continued comprehensive campus renewal program with the construction of Lee and Sanborn Houses (AY 18 ), expansion and renovation of the Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons and Ashburnham House (AY 19 ), renovation of Price Hall (AY 20 ), construction of Carlisle and Hancock Halls (AY 21 ), and commencement of work on the renovation of Sawyer-Hopkins and a new Wellness Center. (AY 22 ). • Instituted three-year program to update AV in all classrooms. AY 20 , AY 21 , AY 22 • Expanded the use of swipe cards and security cameras in new buildings and those that have undergone major renovations. This process will continue as other buildings are renovated and constructed. AY 18 , ONGOING • Established bi-monthly meeting of key members of the Crisis Committee: Chief Financial Officer, Director of Student Affairs, Director of Master Planning and Engineering, and Director of Campus Safety, in addition to the thrice-yearly meetings of the full Crisis Committee, which also includes representatives from health services, information technology and admissions. AY 19 • Created and filled the position of Director of Master Planning and Engineering, to lead planning and implementation of investment in physical space, including completion of a facility assessment and a facility master plan to guide the Academy in addressing deferred maintenance and physical needs for assembly, performance, athletics, and classroom spaces. AY 20 • Purchased and implemented Envoy, a visitor management system, to create an effective and safe sign-in/out procedure for off-campus guests. AY 20

• Purchased and implemented RAVE application, to increase the response time and accuracy of first responders in case of emergency and to alert faculty and staff to any potential emergency. AY 20

• Restored Ropes Course for certification and use in new afternoon activity. AY 22 Design facilities in such a manner as to enable students and faculty to interact actively inside and outside the classroom.

• Student-faculty interaction continues to be a key consideration in all construction and renovation projects. ONGOING • Head of School, CFO, and Director of Master Planning and Engineering have been involved in recent projects from conception to completion. AY 18 , AY 19 , AY 20 , ONGOING • Students and faculty in new dorms completed surveys and provided feedback about quality of life, for any needed adjustments to those dorms and for future planning. AY 20 Instill in all those who work and reside on campus a sense of pride in the campus and a duty to maintain the facilities in an aesthetically pleasing and orderly manner.

• Ongoing campus renewal through construction and renovation has further enhanced this longstanding community ethos. ONGOING Ensure that appropriate fiscal controls and operating expenses are put in place to sustain the physical plant over time.

• Developed a 5-year financial plan calling for a minimum of $1M of capital investment each year. The plan is reviewed each year. AY 19 , ONGOING • Updated and implemented financial controls where necessary to include policies and procedures related to general and capital purchases. AY 19 • The 5-year plan has been recast to encompass AY23-27, with continued annual reviews to take place. AY 22 Engage faculty, staff, parents, and students in future Master Planning and interior design efforts.

• The Director of Master Planning and Engineering engages regularly with key stakeholders on construction and renovation projects. AY 20 , ONGOING • Close collaboration with the construction team ensures student and faculty needs are met in the finished projects. ONGOING

INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

INITIATIVE

Invest in Human Resources Provide faculty, staff, students, and volunteers the opportunity to grow personally and professionally in service of the Academy.

Objectives Implement a best practices Human Resources department.

• Created and filled Position of Human Resources Manager. AY 17 • Created or updated Faculty, Employee, and Residential/Advisory Handbooks and instituted yearly review of each. AY 18 • Reviewed and revised procedures for new hires, separations, and disciplinary actions. AY 18 • Published and distributed an organizational chart to all employees annually, displaying lines of communication and areas of responsibility for all administrative offices and identifying key individuals that provide oversight, vision, and ownership of the various areas of campus. AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 , ONGOING • Codified job descriptions. AY 19 • Implemented an exit interview process. AY 19 , ONGOING Ensure the organizational structure and staffing levels support the Academy’s mission, vision, core values, and Strategic Plan.

• Head of School conducted one-on-one meetings with all employees in the first six months of his tenure, to learn their perspectives and insights into Cushing and their own positions. AY 19 • Staffing levels are included in the five-year financial plan and reviewed each year based on current and anticipated needs. AY 19 , ONGOING

INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY 5

Invest in Human Resources

Invest in professional development programs for faculty and staff.

• Engaged FolioCollaborative to provide software and a platform to manage the evaluation, accountability and professional growth of faculty, with a two-way communication channel in which expectations are articulated, discussed, and documented as benchmarks framing individual and institutional goals. AY 20 • Targeted and tracked more efficiently the utilization of professional development funds through the Folio platform. AY 20 , ONGOING • Engaged Littleford & Associates to examine faculty evaluation, compensation and benefits. Faculty are included on each working committee as key stakeholders. AY 20 , ONGOING • Implemented a new faculty meeting format that includes a case study and a deep dive into a faculty development topic at each meeting. AY 20 • Instituted an annual review of new faculty orientation, beginning and end of year faculty meetings, and professional development days to ensure collection of feedback and data for improvement. AY 20 • Continued review of key processes at professional development days, faculty meetings, and meetings of department heads and dorm heads, ensuring a clear understanding of the use of reporting and communications systems. AY 20 , ONGOING • Incorporation of standing faculty meetings within new daily schedule. AY 21 , AY 22 • Faculty-wide remote learning certification from a Duke University program in the midst of the pandemic. AY 21 • Ongoing attendance by faculty and administrators at conferences such as TABS, NAIS, and NBOA. ONGOING Develop a consistently applied, mission-centric performance evaluation process for faculty and staff.

• Began a consultant-led analysis of faculty compensation, evaluation, and benefits, involving inclusive committees composed of Board members, administrators, and faculty. On hold during the pandemic, the project will resume when possible. AY 20 , ONGOING • Enhanced the process for classroom observation and evaluation of teaching performance/ responsibilities annually by department chairs and the Dean of Faculty. AY 20 • Launched a goals-based annual review process for all staff. AY 22

Establish faculty retention programs and services.

• Feedback from departing faculty through the newly-established exit interview process is incorporated in programs and planning. AY 19 , ONGOING • Began formalization and expansion of the existing faculty mentorship program, lengthening it from one to two years. The first year will focus on integration into the Cushing community and preparing new faculty members for the demands of their jobs, and the second year will focus on the more nuanced aspects of professional excellence at Cushing. AY 20 , ONGOING • Attention is paid to faculty residential needs in planning for new and renovated spaces and in managing existing housing options. ONGOING • Weekly office hours for faculty established by Head of School and Dean of Faculty during the pandemic. AY 21 • Head of School conducted one-on-one meetings with all faculty at the end of the academic year. AY 21

INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

INITIATIVE

Establish Authentic Alumni and Parent Networks Instill a sense of belonging and commitment to the Academy over the course of an individual’s lifetime.

Objectives Engage in the development of communications and social network strategies that foster transparency, trust, and commitment to Cushing’s mission.

• Completed brand perception analysis, working with a consultant, to assist in clear articulation of the mission. AY 19 , AY 20 • To provide full transparency and access regarding decisions and policies during the pandemic, frequent and regular webinars and Zoom meetings were held for parents with the Head of School and leadership team to discuss new developments, plans and concerns. AY 20 , AY 21 • Redesigned the website and key communications pieces such as the weekly Parent Scoop newsletter and the periodic Penguin Nation News for alumni, to provide clear and consistent communication. AY 21 , AY 22 Develop robust marketing and communications outreach.

• Restructured Marketing and Communications Office to enhance focus and communications channels to current and prospective families and to alumni. AY 20 , ONGOING • Conducted strategy work with Interactive Schools, Hubspot and Niche with additional strategic, targeted marketing efforts, all geared toward enhancing communications strategies and datadriven analytics to expand our footprint in the market. • Initiated enhanced partnership between the Advancement Office and the Marketing and Communications Offices aimed at increasing alumni and parent engagement. AY 21 , ONGOING

Provide leadership development for Cushing Academy volunteers involved in fundraising, alumni, and parent programs.

• The Head of School headed this effort since the beginning of his tenure while acting as Interim Director of Development, pending the search for a full time director within the parameters of the five-year financial plan. AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 • This will be a focus for the full-time Director of Advancement, who began 7/1/21. AY 22 , ONGOING Develop a Strategic Plan for Alumni Engagement.

• Initial efforts have focused on events and on the annual fund. AY 18 , AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 • Survey sent to all alumni to gather feedback. AY 20 , ONGOING • Creation of a full plan will be a priority for the Director of Advancement, who began 7/1/21. AY 22 , ONGOING Ensure the alumni database is accurate and continuously updated.

• This is an ongoing effort in partnership with alumni. ONGOING Develop a Strategic Plan for Parent Engagement.

• Initial efforts have focused on events and on the annual fund. AY 18 , AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 • Parents served on the schedule committee during the redesign, providing critical feedback. AY 18 • Parent surveys provide ongoing feedback on key communications issues and on events. ONGOING

• Creation of a full plan will be a priority for the new Director of Advancement, who began 7/1/21. AY 22 , ONGOING

INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

INITIATIVE

Create an Economically Sustainable Business Model Provide a stable platform for the long-term sustainability of the Academy.

Objectives Generate a 5-year financial plan that demonstrates positive cash flow no later than year 3.

• Created a sense of shared financial responsibility with the faculty and staff, through transparent and regular communication. AY 18 , ONGOING • Developed a five-year financial plan to guide the Academy’s decision-making process and to ensure sufficient resources to fund its operations and its investment in infrastructure. Aligned with the Strategic Plan and strategic priorities, and adjusted annually, this five-year plan also aligns funding with budgetary goals for each of the five years. AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 • The Academy created a positive cash flow beginning in the first year of the plan (AY 19 ) and met or surpassed goals for the first three years of this plan. AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 • Updated investment and spending policy statement to protect and grow the general endowment. AY 19 • While the onset of the pandemic impacted these plans, the initial modeling, planning, financial controls, Advancement initiatives, and enrollments that surpassed goals set Cushing on a solid foundation to weather the challenges of the pandemic. AY 20 , AY 21 • The 5-year plan has been recast to encompass AY23-27, with continued annual reviews to take place. AY 22

Implement a zero-based budget process.

• Implemented a zero-based budget process. AY 18 , AY 19 • Created policies regarding approval of invoices, resulting in tighter controls and checks/ balances. AY 18 , AY 19 Establish summer programs that increase student enrollment and generate revenue net of expenses.

• Redesigned Summer Session catalog and initiated expanded promotion. AY 19 • Created new Summer Session programs and modules to meet student needs and interests and attract new markets. AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 Generate an Enrollment Management Plan.

• Work with an outside consultant has led to an updated data-driven, best-practice approach to the recruitment, application, and enrollment management processes. AY 18 , ONGOING • Codified a need-based financial aid policy, to better ensure that the Academy’s overall mission is achieved and that the necessary resources will be available to accepted students with demonstrated need. AY 19 , AY 20 • Resulting enrollment management plan/five-year financial plan serve as drivers for yearly budget and are updated annually reflecting actual results and five-year projections. ONGOING Develop fundraising strategies to diversify revenue streams

• Multi-year commitment underway to building a sustainable, best practices advancement program. AY 19 , ONGOING • Completed new prospect screening. AY 19 , AY 22 , ONGOING • Created a planned giving packet to grow awareness of opportunities for donors. This new focus has already brought to fruition a $1 million gift to the endowment (completed) in support of financial aid and a $1 million bequest intention. AY 19 , AY 22 , ONGOING • A focus on the Annual Giving campaign resulted in a record-breaking Annual Fund. AY 19 , AY 20 , ONGOING • Focus on annual giving also has played a role in identifying donors for future endowment or capital needs. AY 19 , ONGOING • Applied for and received matching grant from E.E. Ford Foundation to support and expand the Girls in Sport Leadership Summit program. AY 20 • Director of Advancement hired to begin 7/1/21. AY 21 • For the fourth consecutive year, FY21 Annual Fund results achieved 100+% of the budgeted goal. AY 21

INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

INITIATIVE

Develop Best Practice Governance Models Enable all Academy stakeholders to have a voice and contribute meaningfully to the Academy while being held accountable for their actions.

Objectives Undertake an assessment of how the Board of Trustees is organized, conducts its business, and serves as fiduciary.

• Enhanced trustee training and professional development, including use of case studies. AY 18 , ONGOING • Board self-assessment has been piloted. AY 18 , ONGOING • Regularly-scheduled, frequent and in depth communication between the Head of School and Board Chair ensure continued best-practice and transparent operations. AY 19 , ONGOING • Collaborative and effective working relationship between the Head and the Board, including Dr. Bertin’s election as a Trustee with full voting rights, ex officio. AY 19 , ONGOING • Reviewed and revised committee charters. AY 20 Develop a Trustee Skills Profile and recruit potential Board members who understand and are committed to Cushing’s mission and Strategic Plan.

• Developed skills profile for use in recruitment: Added one trustee in 2019, one in 2020, and four trustees in 2021. AY 18 , ONGOING

Enable students to have an expanded voice.

• Revised and enhanced multiple channels for students to exercise their voice to shape and enhance their experience and the community. Current initiatives include the open door policy of the Head of School, the ability to start and suggest clubs, and weekly meetings with the CoStudent Body Presidents to plan Assemblies and collaborate with students to understand the school’s culture. AY 18 , AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 , ONGOING Enable faculty and staff to have a voice through the implementation of a best practices Faculty Council and Staff Council.

• Created a Head’s Advisory Committee including a cross-section of employees to advise Dr. Bertin through AY20. AY 18 , AY 19 , AY 20 • Faculty and Staff each participated in a one-on-one meeting with the Head of School in his first six months at Cushing. AY 19 • Dr. Bertin maintains an open-door policy for faculty and staff. AY 19 , ONGOING • Weekly Academic Department Heads Meetings and biweekly Dorm Head Meetings serve as essential, two-way conduits for information and are the central mechanism for input into the shaping of policy. As standard practice, notes from Academic Department Heads Meetings are now published and accessible to the entire faculty. In recent years, feedback from the faculty has helped shape topics discussed at the end-of-year full-faculty meetings (a three-day event known as CSI, or Cushing Summer Institute), which has, in turn, informed the planning of the full faculty meetings to open the following academic year. AY 18 , AY 19 , AY 20 ,AY 21 , ONGOING • Multiple best-practice communication channels are now in place for faculty and staff. AY 21 , ONGOING

Strengthen further the role of the Alumni Council to provide alumni the opportunity to have a greater voice.

• A focus has been on building the Alumni Relations program, as a foundation from which to enhance the role of the Alumni Council in the next two years. AY 18 , AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 , ONGOING • The new director of advancement will lead this effort. AY 22 , ONGOING Strengthen the role of Parents for Cushing to provide parents the opportunity to have a voice.

• A focus has been on building the Parent Relations program, as a foundation from which to enhance Parents for Cushing in the next two years. AY 18 , AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 , ONGOING • The new director of advancement will lead this effort. AY 22 , ONGOING

INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

INITIATIVE

Create a Data-Based Culture Through the Use of Technology Best Practices Bring the Academy’s education and administrative computing needs in sync with the management information needs and learning modalities of 21st Century independent schools.

Objectives Begin to develop a data-based culture of informed management decision-making.

• Continued review and adjustment of the 5-year financial plan provides the basis for all decision making. AY 19 , ONGOING • Work with consultants in the areas of enrollment; financial sustainability; and faculty compensation, evaluation and benefits has established key benchmarks to guide school decisions in these critical areas. AY 19 , AY 20 • Implemented a new relational database across all departments. AY 21 Develop an institution-wide Strategic Technology Plan.

• Established a Technology Steering Committee to report frequently to the senior leadership team and to make recommendations to leadership for the coordination of all aspects of the school’s technology use and maintenance. AY 19

Upgrade the wired and wireless networks, IT security, and the level and quality of academic technology.

• Committed $250,000 (25% of the total capital budget) to address classroom technology needs. AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 • Invested significant resources in upgraded and new technologies, including databases, telephone systems. AY 19 , AY 20 , AY 21 • Regular network infrastructure upgrades. ONGOING Develop an institution-wide technology refresh policy for administrative and classroom technology.

• Assessment of needs occurs in each budgeting cycle. AY 18 , ONGOING

Cushing Academy Mission Statement

Cushing Academy exists for students and develops curious, creative, and confident learners and leaders.

CUSHING ACADEMY 39 School Street Ashburnham, MA 01430 978.827.7000 WWW.CUSHING.ORG