I am pleased to share that the Board of Trustees formally approved our 2026–2030 Strategic Plan in late October. This plan reflects thoughtful collaboration among faculty, staff, students, trustees, and the monastic community, and outlines the priorities that will guide Saint Martin’s in the years ahead.
Grounded in our Catholic Benedictine heritage, the plan focuses on three key areas:
◆ Deepening our Catholic and Benedictine identity by creating more opportunities to engage with our mission, renewing the Core Curriculum and making our values more visible in campus life and communications.
◆ Enhancing the student and employee experience through modernized learning spaces, improved support services, updated technology, and mission-centered onboarding and professional development.
◆ Ensuring long-term sustainability by strengthening mission-aligned enrollment pathways, expanding donor and community partnerships, and increasing the use of campus as a regional gathering place.
These goals honor our tradition while helping us move forward with clarity and purpose.
Thank you for all you do to support our students and strengthen our community.
In gratitude,
President Bill Brownsberger, S.T.D.
GOAL 1
S trengthen Catholic identity expressed through Benedictine Values
Strategy 1.1
Improve sense of belonging and community through efforts that highlight Catholic identity expressed through Benedictine values.
Sub-strategy 1.1.1: Create open times in scheduling and the University calendar for students, employees and members of the monastic community to gather.
Sub-strategy 1.1.2: Initiate a speaker series for students and employees to deepen understanding of Catholic identity and Benedictine values.
Strategy 1.2
Initiate curricular changes to beter reflect Catholic identity expressed through Benedictine values.
Sub-strategy 1.2.1: Revise University-wide outcomes to reflect mission.
Sub-strategy 1.2.2: Revise and align course offerings, CORE learning outcomes (PLOs), and course-level outcomes (SLOs) to reflect Universitywide learning outcomes, while grounding the CORE in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
Strategy 1.3
Promote Catholic and Benedictine identity through strategic communications.
Sub-strategy 1.3.1: Undertake a comprehensive brand refresh centered on Catholic and Benedictine Identity.
Sub-strategy 1.3.2: Develop a values-driven content strategy.
Sub-strategy 1.3.3: Align and standardize event experiences.
GOAL 2
Enhance the student and employee experience to support community development and personal formation
Strategy 2.1
Improve student-facing infrastructure.
Sub-strategy 2.1.1: Upgrade the appearance of high-traffic student-oriented facilities.
Sub-strategy 2.1.2: Upgrade athletic and recreation facilities.
Sub-strategy 2.1.3: Modernize classroom furniture with versatile replacements.
Strategy 2.2
Create or renew centralized student spaces for academic and wellness needs.
Sub-strategy 2.2.1: Consider the feasibility of student-center space, either new or repurposed, that consolidates into an accessible one-stop format:
• Retention-focused Student Affairs departments including Campus Ministry, the Dignity Center, Campus Life, and the Center for Career and Calling;
• A visible and accessible Visitor Center for the University and the Abbey;
• A student chapel; and
• Student Services—Admissions and Enrollment, Registrar, Financial Aid, and Student Financial Services.
Sub-strategy 2.2.2: Study the practicability of co-locating the Health Center and the Counseling and Wellness Center to improve service integration and student confidentiality.
Strategy 2.3
Improve IT infrastructure to enhance the student experience and employee efficiency.
Sub-strategy 2.3.1: Transition to an improved learning management system (LMS).
Sub-strategy 2.3.2: Where advantageous, replace current standalone operational systems with an integrated, enterprise-wide solution.
Strategy 2.4
Improve student success through student-centered services and instructional delivery.
Sub-strategy 2.4.1: Removing barriers to graduation through the Saints Care referral system. Retain a dedicated case manager to lead retention efforts.
Sub-strategy 2.4.2: Task the Center for Student Success with streamlining processes for admitted students and families.
Sub-strategy 2.4.3: Institute regular and effective peer-teaching evaluations.
Sub-strategy 2.4.4: Bolster instructional-design and learning-delivery support.
Sub-strategy 2.4.5: Improve initial and continuing advising to retain students.
Strategy 2.5
Improve faculty and staff compensation, benefits and communication to improve employee retention.
Sub-strategy 2.5.1: Develop and implement compensation plans and practices (as total-rewards packages) that reflect equity, fairness, transparency and fiscal responsibility.
Sub-strategy 2.5.2: Build a career-path framework that defines and organizes employee roles within the University based on job functions, scope of responsibilities, and required skills and competencies. Provide a roadmap and training opportunities to foster hiring from within and career progression.
Sub-strategy 2.5.3: Design and implement new employee onboarding and orientation programs that are inclusive, engaging, fully descriptive of what it means to work at Saint Martin’s as a Catholic, Benedictine Institution.
Ensure financial sustainability for the stewardship of resources
Strategy 3.1
Increase enrollment and graduation rates through outreach, program expansion and improved retention.
Sub-strategy 3.1.1: Continue to expand direct-admissions agreements with Catholic high schools in Washington, Hawaii, Oregon and Guam.
Sub-strategy 3.1.2: Expand transfer agreements with community colleges in Washington and Hawaii. Washington sites should include staffed office hours for an admission counselor on site.
Sub-strategy 3.1.3: Utilize technology to facilitate transcript evaluation for prospective transfer students.
Sub-strategy 3.1.4: Continue to align program offerings with student and employer demand and institutional mission.
Sub-strategy 2.1.5: Adjust graduate-program pricing to optimize revenues.
Strategy 3.2
Pursue alternative sources of revenue through grants, fund/friend raising. Intensify friend-raising efforts to expand the base of supporters and future donors.
Strategy 3.2
Grow mission-aligned grant and sponsorship revenue. Augment rental income by positioning Saint Martin’s as the entertainment and cultural venue of choice in the South Sound.
