THE STATETAKE OF THE ON YOUR UNIVERSITY WORLD President Beetroot George water E. spinach Martin okra reflects water on how chestnut the university’s ricebean pea past catsear willcourgette guide us turnip greens in thetigernut future. Our mission will sustain us. “As our mission is more deeply understood and embedded into our daily endeavors, we are able to reach higher levels of achievement and widen our impact on society.”
This past fall the St. Edward’s University Board 2022 to of Trustees approved Strategic Plan 2022, guide the decisions over the next which willuniversity’s guide the university’s decisions five years. Thefive plan is a result of aisyearlong over the next years. The plan a result of effort by a strategic that a yearlong effort by aplanning strategiccommittee planning comincluded representatives of the faculty, adminmittee that included faculty, administrators, istrators, students, alumni, and the Board. It is students, alumni and a member of the board. a plan that that lookslooks to the while remainIt is a plan tofuture, the future, while ing committed to the fundamental values remaining committed to the fundamental that define the character and purpose of St. of values that define the character and purpose Edward’s University. St. Edward’s University. Strategic Plan 2022 builds on the two previous strategic plans created during my term Strategic as president of the university. The powerPlan of 2010three identified structures the plans the — their energy,and theresources confidence that had to be order for St.with Edward’s they instill, thebuilt wayin they resonate every to reposition within itself, ifthe it was to successfully constituency larger university continue its — mission the 21stcommitment Century. community comesinto from their Throughout the decade of the plan’s existence, to the fundamental values of our Holy the university Cross mission.focused on enrollment growth and the financial stability that accompanied Strategic Plan 2010 identified the structures it, a resources financial stability then in enabled and that hadwhich to be built order afor dramatic upgrade of both academic St. Edward’s to reposition itself, if itand wasresito dential facilities; additional funding student successfully continue its mission intoofthe 21st aid and scholarships; anddecade the expansion of the century. Throughout the of the plan’s faculty, academic programs, and our support existence, the university focused on enrollof faculty andand student research.stability Every decision ment growth the financial that related to our it. strategic goals and was guided accompanied Financial stability enabled a by our dedication dramatic upgrade to of mission. both academic and resiIts successor, Plan 2015, of signifidential facilities,Strategic increased funding student cantly the vision of our mission, aid andenlarged scholarships, the addition of new facwhileand returning us to the legacy ofand our larger ulty new academic programs, international origins, France,research. the birthplace budgets for faculty andtostudent of Strategic Holy Cross. More important, it broadened Plan 2015 significantly enlarged our vision horizon, becamewhile global in an effort the of which our mission, returning us prepare our for their future inThe to the legacy ofstudents our international origins. a globally integrated world. As a result, our plan expanded our horizon, which became students areeffort able to in programs in for global in an tostudy prepare our students seventeen different countries for essentially their future in a globally integrated world. As the sameour coststudents as studying inin Austin. The in 17 a result, study programs experiences provided these programs have different countries forinessentially the same beenas foundational our students winning 122 cost studying in to Austin. The foundational national andprovided international academic awards experiences in these programs have since 2008, includingwin 51 Fulbright awards, helped our students 127 national and a Truman Scholarship two Erasmus international academicand awards since 2008, Mundus Scholarships. US Newsa & World including 51 Fulbright awards, Truman Report now recognizes St. Edward’s as a leader Scholarship and two Erasmus Mundus in international education. U.S. News & World Report scholarships. Strategic PlanSt. 2022 is builtas ona these now recognizes Edward’s leadertwo in earlier plans and broadens our mission international education. even more inPlan an effort to further enrichthe the Strategic 2022 further enriches educational experience experienceswe weprovide providestudents. students. It emphasizes greater integration of student curricular and co-curricular programs into a seamless, complementary and enlarging
pathway to a student’s career personal It will integrate curricular andand co-curricular future. It expands a student’s experiential programs into complementary and expanding educational by integrating pathways to opportunities a student’s career and personal university life with the business and civic life future. It augments global experiential educaof Austin, thereby providing more internship tional opportunities with local internships by opportunities for students and reminding integrating university life with the business students domestic learningitopportunities and civic that life of Austin. Finally, better can be as helpful as global opportupositions the university tolearning move forward nities. Finally, it better positions the through the obstacles presented by anuniverenvironsity tothat move forward through the obstacles ment grows increasingly unfriendly to presented an environment that grows religiouslyby affiliated, independent, liberal arts increasingly unfriendly to religiously affili-to institutions of higher education. Essential ated, independent, liberal arts institutions the plan’s success is its commitment to innoof higher education. to the is its vation, creativity andCentral planning thatplan anticipates commitment innovation, creativity change ratherto than merely reacting to and it. planning anticipates change Centralthat to all three plans, their rather orches-than merely reacting to it. tration of our quotidian rhythms and their I will discuss Strategic Plan 2022 inour more designs for our long-term future, are Holy detail in future magazine letters. In this letter, Cross values, the roots of the university. Just as Ithe want to emphasize the factor that roots of a tree give it common life and nourishment, has made each of the strategic plans approour mission inspired our creation and our priate forAs their time anddeeper powerful for purpose. roots reach andguides broader, both university’s day-to-day and long-term a treethe grows taller, and its canopy wider. As decision-making. our mission is more deeply understood and The power ofour these plans - their energy, embedded into daily endeavors, we arethe confidence they instill, theof way they resonate able to reach higher levels achievement and with constituency within larger widenevery our impact on society by the serving more university communitycomes renewed students with an extended andfrom morearelevant commitment to the fundamental values our range of programs, while both retaining of and Holy Cross mission as guiding principles strengthening the core of our liberal arts for eduuniversity initiatives and policies. There are cation. Strong and healthy roots also enable several reasons for this. These values are the a tree to withstand unfavorable, even toxic, roots of our existence and define our purpose. environmental developments. The strength Just asmission the rootsisof a tree give it life and nourof our our greatest safeguard ishment, our mission inspired our creation. against developments in our society that are As roots reach deeper and broader, a tree grows increasingly hostile to institutions providing taller, and its canopy wider. So too, as our misspiritually inspired, values-based education. sion deeply understood and imbedded Weisatmore St. Edward’s are particularly blessed. into our daily we ableby to reach We have been endeavors, bequeathedare a mission higher levels of achievement and widen our Blessed Basil Moreau, CSC, a mission that impact on society, as we serve more students is both Catholic and catholic, universal in with an extended and more range its purpose and eternal in itsrelevant vision. It is a of programs, while both retaining and strengthmission that commits us to the cause of social ening core ofeducation, our liberaltoarts justicethe through theeducation. continuous Strong and healthy roots enable tree to withimprovement of our society and aworld, and stand unfavorable, evencondition. toxic, environmental to bettering the human It is always developments. Therelevant. strength Our of our mission timely; it is always task is to is our greatest safeguard against developments articulate it to current and future generations, in our society which are increasingly hostile to design plans that address changing conditions spiritually inspired, value-based and zealously implement them. education and the institutions that provide it. We at St. Edward’s are particularly blessed. We have been bequeathed a mission by Blessed Basil Moreau, CSC, a mission that is both Catholic and catholic, universal in
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