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Strategic Plan of St. Mary's College of Maryland
2005-2009

Overview
Mission Statement
Strategic Priorities

• Enhance and sustain academic excellence
• Provide a diverse student population an excellent education
• Increase and efficiently allocate resources
• Improve cohesiveness throughout the College

Overview

In the spring of 2003, President O’Brien charged the newly appointed provost to begin the work of designing the next College strategic plan. The membership of the former Executive Committee for Strategic Planning (ECSFP) was reconfigured in consultation with the administration, faculty, and students to include a broad cross-section of stakeholders. The Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) has met continuously since that time and guided an institutional discussion of mission and strategic priorities. A new mission statement has since been endorsed by the faculty and students, strategic priorities have been defined, and tactics to achieve these priorities have being developed.  There will continue to be modifications; such is the nature of an evolving institution and the necessity for continuing review and assessment. As one well-known strategic planner has commented, “While the plan itself is indeed important, what is more important is that we all begin to think strategically.” We believe we are making progress towards this goal.

During the 2004-2005 academic year, members of the SPC continued to refine the tactics described below by creating action plans for each that are reasonable, fundable, assessable, and time-bound. With this work complete, we have the first installment of a rolling five-year plan that can be prudently modified to meet the current and future needs of the institution.

As a result of this work, the Strategic Planning Committee adopted four strategic priorities, each of which had two to three critical tactics identified to provide direction to the members of the campus community. Identified priorities were to enhance and sustain academic excellence, increase and efficiently allocate resources, improve cohesiveness throughout the College, and provide a diverse student population an excellent education. As the Strategic Plan necessarily reflects the mission statement of the College, the mission follows on the next page. 

Each priority had two or more identified tactics that required visibility and attention from the entire campus community. Dozens more tactics identified were delegated to smaller groups.  Other tactics with discrete goals were taken under advisement and will be addressed at the appropriate time.