Leading the Way

St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan Mission St. Ambrose University—independent, diocesan and Catholic—enables its students to develop intellectually, spiritually, ethically, socially, artistically and physically to enrich their own lives and the lives of others.

Vision St. Ambrose University will be recognized as a leading Midwestern university rooted in its diocesan heritage and Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Ambrosians are committed to academic excellence, the liberal arts, social justice and service.

Core Values St. Ambrose University’s core values—Catholicity, integrity, liberal arts, life-long learning, and diversity serve as guiding principles in the implementation of the strategic plan.

2 St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan The University

St. Ambrose University was founded as St. Ambrose Seminary in 1882 by the Most Reverend John McMullen, first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport, Iowa. He named the school after Saint Ambrose, the fourth-century Bishop of Milan, Doctor of the Church, lawyer, Roman governor, and advisor to several Roman emperors. Saint Ambrose was a renowned orator, thinker and administrator, but he is most well-known as the person responsible for the conversion of St. Augustine to Christianity.

Located along the bluffs of the great Mississippi River, St. Ambrose University has come a long way since it began as a seminary and school of commerce for young men in 1882. According to the Seminary’s 1883 catalog, its purpose was “to impart to students a thorough mental culture so as to enable them to fulfill any chosen position in life.” To accomplish this, there were, from the beginning, curricula in the humanities and the arts and sciences, as well as professional studies such as pre-law, pre-medicine and business. From its inception, St. Ambrose welcomed students from all religious faiths, ethnic backgrounds, and economic circumstances—an openness unusual for Catholic schools at that time. This emphasis on programs of career preparation taught in the context of Catholic and liberal arts traditions has remained central to the institution to the present day. Throughout time, traditions like the close connections between faculty and students and personal attention to student goals, safety, commitment to service, and Catholic identity took root and live on today. The campus has grown remarkably in recent decades, and with it the services and support to ensure our students, faculty, and staff have the best environment in which to learn, live, and work. Our work and commitment to excellence in education is on-going.

Over more than a century, countless students destined to influence the world have walked across our campus. St. Ambrose students have arrived on campus every year seeking great opportunities and vast experiences. Anchored in Davenport, Iowa, St. Ambrose University thrives as a quiet, secluded campus in a diverse and vibrant urban setting. While there is great opportunity for students to engage in the many living and learning opportunities on campus, they are part of a diverse and economically growing Quad City region located in the heart of the Midwest and home to a variety of health science and manufacturing industries. While grounded in the work ethic and vision of the Midwest, St. Ambrose is a university with relationships across the world. Faculty work diligently to prepare our students with the knowledge, skills, and disposition necessary for a future that is global and well beyond the doorsteps of campus.

At St. Ambrose University, our mission, vision, and core values are the ideals guiding our decision-making. These require that we be committed to the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, which means learning from founding sources in the natural and social sciences, the arts, philosophy, and theology in order to engage in a conversation between faith and reason. Our intent is to help our students develop holistically (intellectually, spiritually, ethically, socially, artistically, and physically) as life-long learners so they may be enriched as they strive to enrich the lives of others. Our core values (Catholicity, integrity, the liberal arts, life-long learning, and diversity) guide our daily efforts as a Diocesan university. Our vision calls us to be a leading institution; an institution committed to academic excellence, grounded in the liberal arts, and dedicated to social justice and service. All of this is an expression of how we fulfill our mission.

St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan 3 The Plan

The purpose of the plan is to provide direction to the university and a lens to focus its resources over the next three to five years. The following plan integrates the mission, vision and core values of St. Ambrose University into three strategically focused themes. The plan brings forward St. Ambrose University’s strongly rooted traditions from its diocesan heritage to serve the region and to lead the region. It also brings forward its evolving understanding of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition through exploring the dialogue between faith and reason. The plan is intentionally nimble in its design as the world changes quickly. As an institution, St. Ambrose University must be able to respond to its challenges and continue to lead in new directions.

Over the past twelve months, St. Ambrose University has engaged in the work of drafting its next strategic plan. This work included reflection upon past and present events and traditions, as well as careful consideration of future trends. Such reflection and consideration required the engagement of faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, friends, and community leaders in acknowledging institutional strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats, traditions and heritage, as well as the appreciation for changing times and stakeholder expectations for higher education.

4 St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan The Framework

The Strategic Plan is organized around three strategic themes that evolved from both direct campus input and the University’s strong vision for the future.

Leading the Community The vision of St. Ambrose University is to become recognized as a leading Midwestern university rooted in its diocesan heritage and Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Ambrosians are committed to academic excellence, the liberal arts, social justice and service. As St. Ambrose University embraces its strategic position and influence on both the Quad Cities community and greater Midwestern region, it is essential to lead and to serve our community towards a brighter future.

Leading Learning St. Ambrose University has a rich heritage in service for social justice, creating a strong foundation for teaching and learning. As such, St. Ambrose University must lead in areas of teaching and learning that exemplify justice and excellence while also strategically addressing the educational needs of our region.

Leading Presence There are more than 130 years of St. Ambrose University history acknowledging its “great and lasting beginning.”1 Strategically planning for the future includes not only sustaining the mission and values of St. Ambrose University, but also its physical presence as a part of the community in a way that can ensure quality teaching and learning, as well as opportunities for growth.

1 Rev. George W. McDaniel, A Great and Lasting Beginning: The First 125 Years of St. Ambrose University, (Davenport: St. Ambrose University, 2006)

St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan 5 The Initiatives and Benchmarks

Strategic Initiative #1 St. Ambrose University will improve the accessibility of an Ambrose education.

What does it mean to improve accessibility of an Ambrose education? First, this strategic initiative focuses on accessibility defined as opening the doors of St. Ambrose University to a more diverse student and employee population representative of our region and ultimately our world. As a University, we believe in the inherent God-given dignity and worth of every person. Therefore, we must not only strive to develop an understanding of human cultures, achievements, and capabilities, but we must also strategically welcome people from a variety of countries and cultures to study, learn, and work at St. Ambrose2. Second, this strategic initiative focuses on accessibility as strategic support and programing for learners of all ages, educational aspirations, and complex lives. To meet the needs of our diverse student body, we must use a variety of delivery systems and collaborate with other organizations to offer further opportunities around the world.

Attracting students of diverse backgrounds and ages to access an Ambrose education, however, is not enough if St. Ambrose University is to live up to its vision of becoming a leading Midwestern institution. An education from St. Ambrose University must lead to a more enriching life guided by the skills and knowledge of an education firmly grounded in the liberal arts. Its value must speak clearly and loudly. As such, St. Ambrose University must strategically work to close the gap between those students who begin an education at St. Ambrose University and those who complete an education at St. Ambrose University.

To measure its success of Strategic Initiative #1, St. Ambrose University will strive to meet the following institutional benchmarks:

BENCHMARK A Increase racial and ethnic diversity of student and employee populations.

BENCHMARK B Increase graduation rate and degree obtainment.

BENCHMARK C Increase affordability through enhanced revenue and cost controls.

In order to address Strategic Initiative #1 St. Ambrose University is seeking strategies to recruit and retain a more diverse student and employee population, as well as support timely student persistence at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Strategies may also include work to revise financial support for students, diversify delivery models, broaden the prospective-student audience, enhance co-curricular experiences that support students’ educational goals and career pursuits, and strategic use of alumni networking for both enrollment and persistence efforts.

2 St. Ambrose University Diversity Statement, www.sau.edu/Diversity/About_Diversity_at_St_Ambrose.html.

6 St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan Strategic Initiative #2 St. Ambrose University will ensure high-quality mission and market driven programs that deliver effective educational experiences.

While Strategic Initiative #1 notes the importance of the accessibility and ultimately the value of an Ambrose education, Strategic Initiative #2 focuses on all departments and programs reflecting on and demonstrating how value and high quality education aligns with our mission and vision. St. Ambrose University will look towards indicators of student satisfaction and external awards of excellence for this initiative. More importantly, this strategic initiative lays forward the challenge to all departments to both develop and meet 21st century standards of excellence influenced by our mission. In our fast-paced and ever- changing world, it is essential that St. Ambrose University is clear in its message of quality. We build on our strong Catholic identity that embodies our faith tradition through teaching, learning, scholarship, and service, through openness to those of other faith traditions, and through the pursuit of social justice and peace. We are also committed to the richness of the liberal arts tradition through quality instruction that fosters the development of a broad awareness of humanity in all its dimensions. As such, St. Ambrose University uses its foundation in both Catholicity and the Liberal Arts to design and deliver effective educational experiences at all levels both in and outside of the classroom. In addition, it is essential for St. Ambrose University to align such high-quality, mission-rich programs with areas of regional market demand. It is also essential that we raise the volume on our message of excellence and extend the reach of our message around the world.

St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan 7 To measure its success of Strategic Initiative #2, St. Ambrose University will strive to meet the following institutional benchmarks:

BENCHMARK A Identify and increase high-demand programs.

BENCHMARK B Increase student engagement in deep impact activities such as service for social justice, study abroad, and internships.

BENCHMARK C Increase employment and graduate school admission rates of undergraduate students.

BENCHMARK D Increase job advancement and job satisfaction rates of graduate and adult students.

In order to address Strategic Initiative #2, St. Ambrose University is seeking strategies to identify standards for excellence and evidence for meeting such standards. Strategies should also focus on ways to increase student career attainment goals such as internship opportunities and service learning, or post-secondary education goals such as graduate school admissions, or further career advancement, satisfaction, or job security among adult and graduate students who are working professionals.

Strategic Initiative #3 St. Ambrose University will develop facilities and campus infrastructure to facilitate teaching, learning, growth, and success.

St Ambrose University has a history of being a cornerstone institution of Davenport and the greater Quad City community. St. Ambrose University plans to continue and sustain this valuable tradition in the bi-state region. St. Ambrose University is committed to teaching and learning where excellence and academic freedom are cherished. Such integrity cannot be achieved without a firm commitment to the level of quality of the very places, whether it is in physical space or virtual space, where teaching and learning occur. As such, St. Ambrose University will strive to provide the necessary teaching and learning facilities, as well as the infrastructure to encourage student growth and foster student success. Slightly different from Strategic Initiatives #1 and #2, Strategic Initiative #3 expands upon an operational as well as a strategic view of campus facilities and infrastructure. For example, prior to achieving any of the stated benchmarks, St. Ambrose University will need to conduct a comprehensive technology review and develop a comprehensive technology plan. This will include both new technologies and software used daily by faculty, staff and students, as well as behind the scenes infrastructure necessary to support such tools. Likewise, while technological demands in today’s global world are great, living and learning environments geared towards current pedagogy with the flexibility towards the future are also necessary. Classrooms, community space, and residence halls today are not defined by four walls and rows of desks or bunks, but rather complementary to the teaching, learning, and living appropriate to the fields we study and our life goals.

8 St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan To measure its success of Strategic Initiative #3, St. Ambrose University will strive to meet the following institutional benchmarks:

BENCHMARK A Increase faculty and student usage of appropriate technologies to transform teaching and enhance student learning.

BENCHMARK B Increase efficient classroom capacity use and occupancy rates.

BENCHMARK C Advance progress towards fulfilling campus Master Plan.

In order to address this Strategic Initiative, St. Ambrose University is seeking strategies to develop and implement a new technology review and plan, strategies to balance course offerings and classroom use including migration to non-seated course sections, and strategies to maximize learning “space” as a tool for teaching and learning for a variety of disciplines and fields.

St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan 9 Summary

St. Ambrose University has been a vital community partner for more than 130 years— providing educational opportunities for individuals and enhancing the quality of life for all. Our mission and vision not only require, but also demand that we continue to strive to both lead and serve. For the future of our students, our faculty, our staff, our alumni, and friends St. Ambrose University is committed to Leading the Community, Leading Learning, and maintaining a Leading Presence. St. Ambrose University embraces its strategic position and influence on both the Quad Cities community and greater Midwestern region. St. Ambrose University has a rich heritage in service for social justice that creates a strong foundation for teaching and learning. As such, it must lead in areas of teaching and learning that exemplify justice and excellence while also strategically addressing the educational needs of our region. Strategically planning for the future includes not only sustaining the mission and values of St. Ambrose University, but also maintaining its physical presence as a part of the community in a way that can ensure quality teaching and learning, as well as opportunity for growth in new programs. Through our commitment to the past and desires for the future, St. Ambrose University will lead the way to a future of opportunity and tradition.

10 St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan St. Ambrose University Jim Field, President, Agriculture and St. Ambrose University Board of Trustees Turf Division-Americas, Australia and Strategic Planning Committee Global Harvesting and Turf Platforms, Board Chair Joan Lescinski, csj, phd, Committee Chair Deere & Company Most Rev. Martin Amos, ’07 h, Bishop, Tracy Schuster-Matlock, phd, Director Diocese of Davenport Most Rev. Robert Gruss ’90, Bishop, Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota Rev. Chuck Adam ’82, DMin, Chaplain Board Vice Chair Michael Bauer, Retired President and CEO, Nidal Harb, md, Cardiologist and Chief Ray Shovlain ’79, ’82 MBA, Athletic Quad City Bank & Trust Medical Director, Genesis Heart and Director Vascular Institute Board Vice Chair Tim Phillips, phd, Associate Vice President Rev. Msgr. John Hyland ’64, Vicar General, Bernard Hardiek, Retired President, of Student Affairs Worldwide Agricultural Equipment, Diocese of Davenport Julie Haack ’03, Director, Financial Aid Deere & Company Board Vice Chair Jessica Greenwald, phd, Faculty, College of Jef Heckinger ’70, Attorney at Law, Jill McLaughlin, Community Leader Business JF Heckinger, LLC Board Secretary and Treasurer Brad Thiessen ’99, phd, Faculty, College of Thomas Higgins ’67, Founding CEO and Joan Lescinski, csj, phd, President and Arts and Sciences CEO, St. Ambrose University Director, Prosetta Bioscience Kevin Farrell ’84, pt, phd, Faculty, College Barbara Johnson, Community Leader John Anderson ’87, President and CEO, of Health and Human Services Quad City Bank & Trust Mark Kilmer, President and CEO, Carol DeVolder, phd, Faculty, College of Republic Companies Susan Balthasar, Community Leader Arts and Sciences Rita Bawden ’97, Community Leader Angela Lawrence ’94 mba, Sales AVP, Regina Matheson, phd, Dean, Graduate Nationwide Insurance Thomas Berthel ’74, CEO, Berthel and Adult Education Fisher & Co. Beth Lemek ’86, Community Leader Paul Koch, phd, Provost & Vice President Brian Lemek ’86, Owner/Managing Susan Bird, md, Radiologist, Advanced Mike Poster ’88, Vice President of Finance Radiology, SC Member, Lemek, LLC Lori Maher, Administrative Support Joseph O’Rourke ’72, Secretary-Treasurer, Daniel Broderick ’82, md, Specialist Neuroradiologist, Mayo Clinic O’Rourke Sales

Edmund Carroll, Senior Partner, Lane & Stephen A. Roell ’71, Retired Chairman Waterman, LLP and CEO, Johnson Controls 08.15rev

Leonard Cervantes ’70, Principal, Paul Sachs ’76, Managing Director, Cervantes & Associates Protiviti

Phil Doherty ’78, Retired Senior Vice Paul Trenshaw Jr. ’60, Retired, Marion President, General Manager and CFO, Laboratories Chicago Tribune Media Group Elizabeth Ware ’86, Vice President and Treasurer, Sears Manufacturing

St. Ambrose University Strategic Plan 11 518 W. Locust Street, Davenport, IA 52803 www.sau.edu