The Ursuline School 2020-25 Strategic Plan - Advancing Excellence

THE URSULINE SCHOOL

Advancing Excellence Guided by Mission & Tradition 2020-25 Strategic Plan

December 21, 2020 Dear Valued Members of the Ursuline Community, For the past 123 years, The Ursuline School has been led by extraordinary women with vision and fortitude. From our early days of educating girls in grades K-12 to our current standing as one of the preeminent Catholic all-girls schools in the New York metropolitan area, we have been firmly guided by our mission to educate, inspire and empower our students.

President Eileen Davidson H’12 P’90 GP’19

Great schools don’t just happen. They are created and nurtured by outstanding leaders who think and plan strategically while building on the values that are fundamental to the School’s vision. It is the Board of Trustees, however, that is ultimately responsible for approving the strategic direction of The Ursuline School to ensure its mission is sustained.

Aptly named Advancing Excellence | Guided by Mission and Tradition, the 2020-25 Strategic Plan acknowledges Ursuline’s commitment to advancing excellence in all areas. And as with all we do, the creation of the Plan was guided by the mission and tradition of the School.

Chair Board of Trustees Sheila Sohr P’12

As we near the 125th anniversary of The Ursuline School, we celebrate our mission to shape young women into tomorrow’s leaders, problem-solvers and active global citizens. We are confident the foundation that they receive here will ensure their commitment to lifelong learning, respect for all people and service to others. We very much look forward to seeing the fruits the Plan will produce over the next five years for our students, our faculty and staff, our families and our alumnae.

Thank you to all who care so deeply about the School we all love.

Eileen Davidson President

Sheila Sohr, Chair Board of Trustees

The 2020-25 Strategic Plan Overarching Objective The Ursuline School will solidify and accelerate its position as a regional leader in all-girls Catholic independent, college preparatory education and will be the preferred choice for all girls who seek academic excellence; a multitude of exciting student leadership and extracurricular opportunities; and a dynamic and diverse school community strengthened by caring and dedicated faculty.

In the spirit of St. Angela, our school community will be proudly connected for a lifetime by core values and powerful relationships, and collectively committed to sustaining Ursuline’s mission.

Strategic Planning at Ursuline During the 2019-20 school year, the Board of Trustees set a goal of studying best practices in strategic planning and developing a policy for strategic planning that would be relevant, impactful and sustainable. In February 2020, the Board approved a framework to ensure the creation, oversight and execution of its strategic plans and created the six-person Strategic Plan Oversight Committee (the “SPOC”) whose primary role is to propose, monitor, resource and ensure commitment to Strategic Plans and their implementation.

In May 2020, the SPOC invited nine individuals to its working group to create the Strategic Plan Task Force (“SPTF”). The SPTF met regularly as a full group and in small groups to study educational trends, the community survey results and Ursuline student data and ultimately prioritize the goals and objectives that became the foundation of the 2020-25 Strategic Plan.

Survey Topics

Survey Respondents

Academics

High School Students . . . . . . . . 169

Parents of Alumnae. . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

College Guidance

Middle School Students . . . . . . . . 57

Faculty and Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Distance Learning

Current Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Trustees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Expectations & School Community

Alumnae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608

Faith & Service Infrastructure & Communications Philanthropy & Engagement School Climate School Leadership Student Core Competencies Why Ursuline

The Strategic Plan Task Force broke into four groups

Student Experience & Mission, Faith & Service Operations & Finance

Teaching and Learning Admissions & Alumnae and Parent Engagement

The 2020-25 Strategic Plan Task Force The Strategic Plan Oversight Committee: President Eileen Davidson H’12 P’90 GP’19 and Board Chair Sheila Sohr P’12, Co-Chairs Trustees Kathleen Long ’79 P’21 and Adrienne Groccia Santer ’11, Board representatives Principal Rosemary Beirne P’12 and Maria Barton ’83 P’23’25, Director of Global Education, Administration representatives

Additional members added to create The Strategic Plan Task Force: Alvin Bowles P’21’26, VP Facebook, Global Marketing Executive Louise Flynn ’82 P’16’19’19, Member of the Education Committee & Former Educator Colette Geary, P’11’16, VP Enrollment Management at Manhattan College, Educational Leader Jacci Jeffries ’07, Member of Advancement Committee, Engagement Manager, Digital Strategy Group at Adobe Antoinette Jennings ’99, Member Governance Committee, Workforce Programs Leader, Operations Management Monique Keane ’84 P’22’24, Co-President of the Auxiliary Board of St. Vincent’s Hospital Francesca LaGumina ’78 P’09’11’13’16, Ursuline Department Chair, World Languages Kim Saxton ’00, Ursuline Athletic Director Eileen Ring, Ursuline Scholarship Development & Stewardship Coordinator

Provide an Outstanding Holistic Education

GOAL

Strive for excellence in academics by delivering a high-quality education provided by outstanding faculty, whereby students’ core competencies are fostered in and outside the classroom so that each graduate is prepared to make an impact in today’s dynamic, globally-connected world. Students are developed into informed critical thinkers allowing them to attain their full intellectual potential in preparation for their roles as leaders. An atmosphere of deep faculty-student relationships and support underpins student growth and success. A curriculum that is unbiased, multicultural and relevant is essential. A wide-range of high-quality and accessible programs, athletics and leadership opportunities allows each student to develop and pursue her individual passions and achieve her unique goals.

Please note, some photos taken before COVID-19, thus social distancing and mask wearing protocols were not in effect.

Provide an Outstanding Holistic Education OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

Attract, recruit, develop and retain a high caliber, diverse faculty dedicated to the Ursuline mission.

Advance a distinctive academic college prep curriculum infused by the Ursuline charism that encourages excellent academic results at every level of learning.

Strengthen the College Guidance process to position each student to find their best collegiate match.

Elevate students to their highest potential in all aspects of an Ursuline education, and prepare students for life beyond Ursuline.

Propel outstanding out-of-classroom opportunities to expand learning, explore and build new talents, develop core competencies and widen students’ world views.

perhaps a polar plunge pic

Nurture Our Mission, Faith & Serviam

GOAL

Guided by our Catholic faith and the spirit of St. Angela, The Ursuline School inspires and empowers its students and its community to think and act with integrity and compassion in our local and interconnected, global world.

The focus and priority of the student’s individual faith journey provides the basis for developing young women who embrace their faith; respect the religious beliefs and traditions of others; and make values-based, ethical decisions. At Ursuline, we work together to live out our mission, inspiring students to use their knowledge and voices to promote social justice by serving and advocating for others.

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

Ensure that the Mission is clearly articulated and continues to guide The Ursuline School community in all of its actions and priorities.

Develop each student’s personal relationship with God, while enabling them to appreciate and grow in their understanding of the Catholic faith.

Cultivate Ursuline’s long-standing commitment to social justice and Serviam initiatives with a unified, cohesive approach.

Build and Enrich the School Community

GOAL

We are committed to fostering a caring school community that accepts, includes and respects all and to furthering the diversity of our students, faculty and trustees. The pursuit of unity and shared purpose provides our students an environment where each will be known, nurtured, celebrated and appreciated as an individual. The engagement of our parent, alumnae and alumnae parent communities for a lifetime of proud association with The Ursuline School, with each other and with current students will ensure their sense of community and develop them as critical benefactors who support Ursuline’s legacy.

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

Propel initiatives to increase and promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

Value and develop the individual student, while striving to connect all students and build community in every aspect of the Ursuline student’s life.

Strengthen relationships with and among alumnae and alumnae parents.

Engage parents, grandparents and guardians to strengthen the community, promote inclusivity and build long-term connections with Ursuline.

Class of 2016 Scholarship recipient with members of the Class of 2016

Schifini Family Scholarship recipient with Sr. Pat Schifini and scholarship donors

Guarantee Sustained Enrollment and Financial Strength

GOAL

Ensure every Ursuline family considers their investment in an Ursuline education to be worthy and valuable.

Elevate Ursuline’s status to be the preferred choice for prospective families in our regional market. Seek opportunities to expand access to an Ursuline education. Remain steadfast in our stewardship and development of our human, physical and financial resources.

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

Attract prospective students and families to The Ursuline School by defining Ursuline’s unique brand value proposition and ensuring every student and parent considers the Ursuline education to be a worthy investment.

Deepen the culture of philanthropy throughout the Ursuline community.

Seek opportunities to expand access to an Ursuline education.

Ensure stewardship of human, physical and financial resources.

Maximize Organizational Effectiveness

GOAL

Dedicate ourselves to operational best practices, leadership development and effective data-driven decision making.

Prioritize a systemic approach to collecting and analyzing data, gathering feedback and setting benchmarks.

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate Ursuline’s organizational structure to ensure leadership development to maximize organizational efficiency and

Ensure Ursuline operates with a framework of best practices with well-designed and documented policies and protocols subject to shifting

Evaluate and fund necessary strategic hires.

Develop performance indicators and feedback mechanisms for all constituent groups, to ensure datadriven decision-

Prioritize transparency and effective, consistent communication to all Ursuline community members.

coordination, distributed decision-making and equitable workload.

regulatory, legal and internal landscapes.

making and early identification of risks and opportunities.

The Ursuline School ALUMNAE NEWS

Spring 2020

The Gamification of Education HOW GAME MECHAN ICS POWER ER UP LEARNING

Trustees for the 2020 -21 Academic Year

Sheila Sohr P’12 (CHAIR) Eileen Davidson H’12 P’90 GP’19 (PRESIDENT) Sr. Maureen Welch, OSU (PROVINCIAL)

Steve Abbattista P’17 ’17 Tiffani Blake Sr. Martha Counihan, OSU Janine Daughtry P’20 Lynn Boccardi DeLisio ’85 Steven Giuliano P’20 Liz Healy ’94 Michael Hoffman P’14 ’20 Teresa Jankovic P’10 Rev. Msgr. Dennis P. Keane David Kulsar P’26 Kathleen Martin Long ’79 P’21 Colleen Melnyk P’18 John Mulligan P’18 JoAnn Murphy GP’07 ’22 (1942-2020) Rick Nasti P’11 Francine Rosado-Cruz ’90 Adrienne Groccia Santer ’11 Rev. John Serio