scranton.edu/strategicplan
A Message from the President
It is with great pride that we present The University of Scranton’s Strategic Plan 2030: Forging Our Future Guided by our Catholic and Jesuit mission and tradition, the interconnected goals of this plan position us to respond to today’s challenges and prepare for those ahead.
The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities calls Jesuit institutions to be a “project of social transformation.” 1 At The University of Scranton, this call is expressed through our commitment to social justice and the common good; the formation of students grounded in Jesuit values; rigorous academic programs that prepare students to discern wisely, act justly, and lead with purpose; the teaching, research, and scholarly contributions of our faculty; and the many other ways we explore what it means to be a community of scholars. The action steps outlined in this Strategic Plan will guide this work with greater focus, impact, and effectiveness.
While strategic planning is a familiar practice in higher education, the development of this plan was far more than routine. It has been an intentional and collaborative act of stewardship—inviting us to confront current challenges, imagine new possibilities, and commit to practical actions that advance our shared aspirations.
The strategic plan will be implemented through an integrated, participatory approach that engages all members of the University community. In this way, we invite the unique contributions of diverse disciplines and organizational areas. Pursuing this plan is an act of collaborative colleagueship, recognizing that meaningful progress depends on working together in common purpose and in service of our shared mission.
I invite you to join us in this exciting new endeavor.
Yours Faithfully,
Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J. President
“Our work is grounded in a mission that calls us not only to maintain the University but also to nurture and strengthen it. Together, we will meet the challenges that lie ahead through innovation and a focus on students who are at the heart of our shared mission.”
Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J. President of The University of Scranton
Our Mission
The University of Scranton is a Catholic and Jesuit university animated by the spiritual vision of Saint Ignatius Loyola, a tradition of excellence and a commitment to the common good. The University is a community dedicated to the formation of students, and to the freedom of inquiry and personal development fundamental to the growth in wisdom and integrity of all who share its life.
Our Vision
We will lead confidently into the future — extending our reach, increasing our impact, and preparing graduates to lead and excel. We will ignite within our students and community a shared dedication to the ideals of Catholic and Jesuit education.
The plan’s title, Forging our Future, draws on rich and resonant touchstones. The term “forge” conveys strength, durability and craftsmanship. An intentional process of transformation shapes — through trial and fire — something strong, resilient and enduring It references the grit and determination of our institution and the restless desire for excellence of our Jesuit tradition. It also honors the history of our region and our home in the City of Scranton, shaped by the coal miners and iron furnaces that helped build our nation. In this spirit, we forge ahead.
Workers at the Casting Arch. Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company. Photograph. c. 1860-1870
About the Strategic Plan
Just as the Jesuits have for centuries, we forge ahead with readiness to embrace challenge, change, and form student leaders in the Jesuit tradition. This plan energizes the growth and renewal of our University, through concrete steps to support critical reflection, foster innovation, and ensure the University’s vitality.
Beginning in spring 2024 and stewarded by the University Planning Committee, the strategic planning process included input from across the University community. This collaborative effort culminated with the presentation of the new plan to the Board of Trustees in December 2025. Following the Board’s approval, our community is moving rapidly to realize the plan’s goals and objectives. Read more about our integrated planning process at scranton.edu/planning
Since our founding in 1888, the University has sustained a strong, vibrant commitment to our Catholic, Jesuit mission. This mission remains our guiding north star — a foundation of hope2 shaping how we proceed and serving as the lens through which strategic goals, objectives and decisions are formed and pursued. Our strategic planning process provided a valuable moment for our University community to resolutely reaffirm our Catholic, Jesuit mission, and reinforce within it our commitments to social justice and the formation of our students.
In the spirit of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, we respond to the challenging signs of our times by building on our strengths as we embrace innovative new ways of proceeding.
We will meet these challenges and realize our vision for the future with confidence inspired by our past successes, and the unwavering commitment of our University community. Through our plan, we will work collaboratively to sustain our mission, expand our reach, and increase our impact.
2 A Guide for Mission Reflection, “Prologue,” 1
“The real measure of our Jesuit universities lies in who our students become.”
Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J. former Jesuit Superior General
Through approaches guided by the Jesuit values of cura personalis and cura apostolica, we will collaboratively pursue these four aims to achieve our vision.
Four Forward-thinking Goals
The strategic plan is constructed around four specific goals: renewing our enrollment strategy; driving innovative educational and co-curricular programming; expanding collaborative efforts to support all students and their success; and realizing organizational improvements that support these aims and the enhance the sustainability and strength of our University. Across all four goals, the plan emphasizes opportunities for greater collaboration within and beyond the University. Taken together, these priorities provide a blueprint for our work through 2030.
Each goal will be accomplished through concrete, intersecting objectives explored via multi-level planning and initiatives across our University’s departments, colleges, and organizational areas. Through this model, we invite and celebrate the unique contributions of all members of our community, and draw together these outcomes to build a collaborative impact that is greater than its individual parts.
Forging Our Future
Cura Personalis : Care of each individual & our campus community
Establish and meet mission-oriented enrollment targets to expand our reach and support institutional sustainability. Future-oriented Enrollment Strategy
Student Success & Retention
Mission , Vision & Values
Empower students through academic support, career-connected learning, and student-centered initiatives that promote persistence, increase retention, and foster belonging and success grounded in the Ignatian ideal of cura personalis.
Next Generation Learning & Innovation
Drive future-facing academic and co-curricular programming through bold experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration and student-focused design, embodying the innovative spirit of Jesuit pedagogy.
Organizational Effectiveness
Modernize, streamline and improve systems and infrastructure to promote efficient and effective processes, data, and resourcing necessary to support our strategic goals and the committed care of our institution (cura apostolica).
Cura Apostolica : Care of our institution & its resources
Future-oriented Enrollment Strategy
Establish and meet mission-oriented enrollment targets to expand our reach and support institutional sustainability. To achieve this goal, we will:
• Increase undergraduate net tuition revenue through strategic enrollment efforts.
• Welcome more transfer students.
• Increase graduate enrollment.
• Sustain mission-focused enrollment and funding support.
“Today’s higher education landscape calls us to evolve. We must be both forward-thinking and mission-centered in our approach, responding to changing market realities while strengthening the financial sustainability that ensures Scranton’s Jesuit education endures for generations to come.”
Shannon Zottola Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing
Next Generation Learning & Innovation
Drive future-facing academic and co-curricular programming through bold experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration and student-focused design, embodying the innovative spirit of Jesuit pedagogy. To achieve this goal, we will:
• Launch new programs that meet market demand and increase student engagement.
• Design and implement distinctive pedagogy, research and other high impact programming.
• Create and implement a process for program health assessment and sustainability.
• Utilize program health roadmaps and other assessments to revise existing programs to ensure mission fit and market relevance.
“The rapidly changing world presents a paradox for higher education institutions. How people learn, where they get their information and what knowledge and abilities are needed is evolving at a dizzying pace. Built on the foundation of our Mission and Ignatian pedagogy, we identified pathways for the University to be more competitive, our programs to be more distinctive, and our graduates to have the tools and skills they need to be successful — in the workplace and as people with and for others.”
Dr. Tracy Stewart
Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Chair, University Planning Committee
“Scranton students are at the heart of our University. Advancing student successs — academically, personally, and spiritually – is fundamental to our Catholic, Jesuit mission. We are called to prepare students to be compassionate, competent leaders in a world in need of their gifts.”
Lauren Rivera Vice President for Student Life Dean of Students
Student Success & Retention
Empower students through academic support, career-connected learning and student-centered initiatives that promote persistence, increase retention and foster belonging and success grounded in the Ignatian ideal of cura personalis To achieve this goal, we will:
• Increase undergraduate student retention and graduation rates through data-informed strategies and proactive academic and student support services.
• Strengthen undergraduate student success initiatives to support academic achievement and career readiness, and accompany students in holistic formation and personal growth.
• Ensure adaptive and responsive strategies to meet the needs of today’s graduate students.
• Upgrade campus infrastructure to support an optimal living and learning environment.
Organizational Effectiveness
Modernize, streamline and improve systems and infrastructure to promote efficient and effective processes, data and resourcing necessary to support our strategic goals and the committed care of our institution (cura apostolica). To achieve this goal, we will:
• Build modern, integrated frameworks for technology, data and information management.
• Support strategic goals by embracing modernized, efficient and adaptive processes.
• Design and implement more efficient, better integrated academic policies, curricular review processes and information and decision workflows.
• Ensure our built and physical environments support strategic aims through improved and sustainable facilities, space and infrastructure planning.
• Support institutional financial sustainability and decision making via improved financial and budget management processes.
“As we developed the new strategic plan, input from across all constituent groups continually emphasized the need to review and improve a number of business processes and modernize our operations. The goal: to use resources more efficiently, effectively and collaboratively. This will enable us to fulfill our strategic priorities, better support our students and sustain our University for years to come.”
Kate Yerkes
Assistant Provost, Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
“No set of goals and objectives includes everything. This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water the seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.”
STRATEGIC PLAN 2030
FUTURE OUR FORGING
Except from The Romero Prayer
