COE Strategic Plan: 2023-2033

STRATEGIC PLAN 2023 – 2033

Dear Friends,

It’s such an important time to be an engineer. With the speed of change in our field, education is critically important to train the next generation of students and generate new knowledge.

It has been with this in mind that our community of faculty, staff, students, University administrators and alumni have come together to develop our 2023-2033 Strategic Plan for the College of Engineering. I offer my sincere thanks to all who have participated in this process.

This plan will serve as our roadmap to help guide resources and focus for the next decade. Inspired by the objectives outlined in Villanova’s Strategic Plan, Rooted. Restless., the College identified areas of strength and opportunities for growth—avenues to further our commitment to igniting change for the greater good.

After a year’s worth of discussions across the entire Villanova Engineering community, three themes emerged as key areas of focus: Teaching & Learning; Research & Innovation; and Lifelong Learning & Professional Development. At the heart of these areas was one overarching theme: Culture & Climate. The pages that follow provide an overview of each theme’s objectives and a selection of goals to help make Villanova Engineering an even stronger college and community.

This Strategic Plan isn’t just ours, it’s yours—whether you’re a student or parent, faculty or staff member, alum, new friend or longtime supporter. The entire Villanova Engineering community will play a role in achieving our goals. Together, we’ll write the next chapter of the College of Engineering.

Our Strategic Plan will serve as a starting point to keep us focused on our objectives, but like the College itself, it is likely to grow and change over time. We’ll provide regular updates on our progress at engineering.villanova.edu.

St. Augustine encouraged us to “always add some more, always keep on walking, always forge ahead.” I look forward to working with you as we shape the future of the College. As always, thank you for your support of Villanova Engineering.

Very best,

Michele Marcolongo, PhD, PE Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering Professor of Mechanical Engineering

ROOTED. RESTLESS.

The College of Engineering’s Strategic Plan was guided by Rooted. Restless., Villanova University’s Strategic Plan for 2020-2030. This ambitious 10-year effort was designed to propel the University forward to a new level of success, by reaching higher in how we serve our students, our community and the world. Rooted in our Augustinian Catholic values and restless in our desire to ignite change, it is a uniquely Villanovan plan driven by our community’s shared vision for the future: to remain true to what makes our University special while becoming an even greater Villanova.

Under the Rooted. Restless. plan, Villanova as an institution will build upon its strengths; invest in critical areas of opportunity; and enhance the Villanova experience for our entire community, including undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and law students, as well as faculty, staff and alumni. Learn more about Villanova’s Strategic Plan at villanova.edu/RootedRestless.

College of Engineering Mission

With passion, curiosity, engagement and vision, Villanova Engineers become society’s future innovators and technical leaders, committed to serving the greater good and solving complex global challenges by following habits of the heart and mind.

By delivering a rigorous engineering education that teaches students to solve problems, think creatively and work collaboratively, a Villanova Engineering degree—bachelor’s to PhD—will prepare our engineers to be successful in any career.

Strategic Plan Vision

To connect the College of Engineering through our Villanova values to deepen our educational experience, to grow scholarship, and to support the culture of our community and lifelong learning.

Functional Areas

A Collaborative Process

The creation of this Strategic Plan was a collaborative effort that included voices from more than 140 individuals from across the College community, including faculty, staff, administrators, undergraduate and graduate students, and alumni. Discussions facilitated over the course of 12 months helped to inform the direction of the plan, with key themes emerging surrounding growth, inclusion, equitability and sustainability—notably, that every Villanova Engineer will be a Sustainable Engineer. Throughout the process, the College remained guided by Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic values of Veritas, Unitas and Caritas, as well as by the goals and ideals identified in the University’s Rooted. Restless. Strategic Plan.

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION GRADUATE EDUCATION COMMUNITY & DIVERSITY FACULTY & STAFF RESEARCH

Every Villanova Engineer will be a Sustainable Engineer

COE

CULTURE & CLIMATE

Strengthen and sustain a diverse and inclusive community learners, educators and sta grounded in Villanova's values, which serves as the foundation that all pillars strategic plan are built upon.

TEACHING & LEARNING

Support world-class engineering education that trains sustainability-driven engineers equipped to create opportunities and solve complex global challenges for the greater good

Support world-class engineering education that trains sustainability-driven engineers equipped to create opportunities and solve complex global challenges for the greater

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Become a leader among engineering schools at R2 institutions known for driving innovation and growth in engineering common good.

Every

Villanova

LIFELONG LEARNING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Create an ethos of learning that prepares all students, sta for their careers and continue to serve as a lifelong for professional and educational growth.

Become a leader among engineering schools at R2 known for driving innovation and growth in engineering common good. Create an ethos of learning that prepares all students, sta for their careers and continue to serve as a lifelong for professional and educational growth.

OVERARCHING GOALS

Engineer will be a Sustainable Engineer.

Investigate the founding of a Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Form educational and research partnerships with global universities.

Create a COE career and professional development center.

Explore a multidisciplinary organization on sustainable environmental research and scholarship.

Empower a culture of inclusive and equitable collaboration.

Strategic Themes

Culture & Climate

Strengthen and sustain a diverse and inclusive community of learners, educators and staff grounded in Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic values, which serves as the foundation that all pillars of the Strategic Plan are built upon.

When we come together as a community, Villanova’s values truly shine. By placing Culture & Climate at the heart of our Strategic Plan, we acknowledge the importance of care and inclusion in all that the College of Engineering does. Through new initiatives focused on well-being, diversity and outreach, we’ll deepen our commitment to Veritas, Unitas, Caritas—and to one another.

Objectives

• Empower and support diverse student, faculty and staff populations.

• Support and increase community outreach.

• Establish leadership and communicate excellence around the research and education innovation achievements of the College.

Select Goals

of 9 total for Culture & Climate

• Increase awareness of and access to mental health and physical wellness resources in combination with University programming.

• Identify and launch 1-2 new summer programs to serve as pipeline programs to the College; conduct fundraising to build sustained financial aid funding supporting underrepresented students in new programs.

• Form an Engineering Education Committee to establish targeted priorities for growing a College focus on engineering education research.

Teaching & Learning

Support world-class engineering education that trains sustainability-driven engineers equipped to create opportunities and solve complex global challenges for the greater good.

The College of Engineering has long prided itself on its rigorous education, which prepares students to make meaningful change in the world. The Strategic Plan builds upon our successful teacher-scholar model with plans to increase opportunities for fellowships and research, expand our graduate student population, support faculty and explore new areas of study.

Objectives

• Develop structures to support growth and sustainability of teacher-scholar model.

• Enhance student learning opportunities in emerging areas of study.

• Increase graduate enrollment.

Select Goals

of 18 total for Teaching & Learning

• Increase number of fellowships awarded to College of Engineering faculty and the number of faculty fellows hosted by the College.

• Explore addition of a Biomedical Engineering Department with undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees.

• Double part-time graduate enrollment in five years.

Research & Innovation

Become a leader among engineering schools at R2 institutions known for driving innovation and growth in engineering for the common good.

Our faculty members in the College of Engineering are among the brightest minds in the field, pursuing groundbreaking research and innovations that better the world we live in. As we continue to grow as a research institution, we’ll pursue opportunities to lead by example, by forming new partnerships within higher education and industry, and supporting the entrepreneurial efforts of faculty and students.

Objectives

• Create new research partnerships and opportunities.

• Develop a University institute and engineering education center, and support research.

• Increase College participation in innovation and translation of research ideas toward commercialization.

Select Goals

of 8 total for Research & Innovation

• Identify a global university partnership for further pursuit to create a model of research and intellectual exchange, such as graduate student exchange programs and joint degree programs.

• Develop an educational plan for faculty and graduate students in innovation and entrepreneurship.

• Establish an organization to support University efforts in a sustainability-aligned field, an engineering education center, and a center in sports and performance engineering.

Objectives

• Create a named center for engineering careers and promote professional development.

• Expand offerings for faculty and staff lifelong learning and professional development.

Lifelong Learning & Professional Development

Create an ethos of learning that prepares all students, faculty, staff and alumni for their careers, and continue to serve as a lifelong resource for professional and educational growth.

St. Augustine called education “the food of youth, the delight of old age … and the provocation to grace in the soul.” Our education doesn’t end when we leave college—in many ways, it has just begun. To better support learners at every phase of life, the College of Engineering will expand its efforts in career development and continuing education, with new opportunities for graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff, in addition to undergraduates.

Select Goals

of 9 total for Lifelong Learning & Professional Development

• Allocate staff members to support career placement and professional development for College of Engineering alumni.

• Expand professional development support and curricula to graduate students, including DEI education, community building, international student support and doctoral student recruiting.

• Establish faculty/staff mentoring program to improve belonging and ease onboarding.

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