Living Our Learning; Claiming Our Calling; Transforming Tomorrow WARTBURG COLLEGE Strategic Plan 2010-2020 A Message from President Colson PLAN 2010-2020 As the Commission on Mission concluded its work, preparing the C way for our Strategic Planning Committee, it was making more and more clear to us that the mission we all hold so dear—the mission of preparing young people to express their faith and learning by leading and serving—not only honors a precious heritage, but also requires a hearty embrace of the future. WARTBURG COLLEGE STRATEGI WARTBURG Choosing the theme “Affirming the Mission, Ensuring its climate that embraces our students in the fullness of their Impact,” the Commission set out to illuminate compelling diversity and to mentor their growth as whole persons. 1 new ways that Wartburg could fulfill its mission. Dividing Our final three goals address the practical measures their work along the lines of the four pillars—leadership, without which we cannot secure our ambitious educational service, faith, and learning—the Commissioners involved goals: strengthening finances and infrastructure; investing many people, beginning with the Summit Meeting in the work of our people; and telling Wartburg’s story far participants and extending to every constituency of the and wide. college, in setting the agenda for the Strategic Planning Committee whose work appears in this document. I mean for us to achieve these goals; I mean for us to become the very best college, certainly in this region but What we learned about ourselves in this process was perhaps beyond it as well, at deep, integrative, mentored both profound and inspiring. In addition to a rich legacy, learning that grounds meaningful lives and opens countless Wartburg enjoys the gift of strong values that set the course career opportunities. As I look forward to implementing of our work, and our work is to lean forward, to act boldly, and pursuing this plan, I envision a future not too far and to seize the opportunities that present themselves. distant in which everyone within earshot knows that our Pastor Wilhelm Löhe himself modeled this approach for us: school is the finest in the East or West. remain firmly grounded in timeless values yet act flexibly and imaginatively to address the changing needs of the In the first instance, of course, it falls to us on the campus people we serve. That’s the role of the strategic plan we to implement this plan. The immediate responsibility lies unveil today—to compel and to shape the transformative with the faculty and staff to take the actions that serve decisions that will secure our future and, more importantly, these six goals. But, as has always been the case in the life our students’ futures. of Wartburg College, we will have to draw on the strength of others to achieve success. Fully to realize these goals, we Ensuring the enduring impact of the mission requires us will need the help of everyone who loves Wartburg; our to do exactly what our predecessors have done time and students, both those on campus now and those who follow time again: to anticipate our students’ needs, to respond tomorrow, need for each of us to hear and to claim the call to those needs effectively and innovatively with the proper to serve—in other words, to live out what we learned in combination of challenge and nurture, and thus to build the shadow of Old Main, to continue to devote our time firm characters with the desire and capacity to excel at and our energy, our talents and our treasure to this college, living their learning. playing our own parts in leading it confidently into the Upon the enthusiastic recommendation of the Strategic future we’ll create together. Planning Committee, the Board of Regents has endorsed As I say these things, I know that I “sing to the choir.” and adopted this plan as its own. Wartburg’s astounding ascent during the past three-quarters The first three goals identify the ambitions we share for of a century is due to the continuing support of our many the education of our students. We proclaim our intention friends and alumni who have always responded to the to offer students the richest educational experiences we college’s call. With gratitude for all that you’ve done in the can provide, experiences that deepen their learning and past, I invite you to share in transforming our future into a integrate what happens in class with what happens in the tomorrow of our own bold design. world. We renew, as well, our commitment to the process of discernment, lending our support to students’ efforts to hear their vocational calls. We promise also to foster a The Wartburg College Strategic Planning Process PLAN 2010-2020 C Commission on Mission: Phase I (2007-08) Affirming the Mission, Ensuring its Impact During the first phase of the Commission, more than 250 alumni and friends participated in 15 Summit Following the successful completion of Commission WARTBURG COLLEGE STRATEGI WARTBURG meetings held across the country. Guided by specific Wartburg in 2007, the Wartburg College Board of framing questions developed by the Board of Regents, Regents gave extensive consideration to the most Summit participants discussed the four mission 2 appropriate process to advance the College’s distinctive concepts, reflecting on their Wartburg experience and mission. At Homecoming in October 2007, the Board how they live out those ideals in their personal and announced Commission on Mission, a strategic professional lives. planning initiative designed to engage Wartburg alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and students in an examination of In the same year, four Commission task forces the College’s mission and its effectiveness in living out were convened—Leadership, Service, Faith, and that mission. Learning—to review the Summit reports, plan symposia, and develop recommendations for the Board. Over the course of three years, more than 1,500 people Each task force was comprised of 15 members and on campus and around the country explored the central co-chaired by a member of the Board and a member concepts in Wartburg’s mission—leadership, service, of the faculty. Membership on each task force included faith, and learning. Participants shared their hopes and faculty, staff, alumni, and a student; a member of the dreams about Wartburg’s future through a variety of President’s Cabinet served as a facilitator. National oral and written feedback opportunities. The resulting Chair Mike McCoy presided over a Steering Committee recommendations provided the foundation for a new consisting of task force co-chairs, President’s Cabinet, institutional strategic plan unveiled at Homecoming the chair of Faculty Council, and the Commission 2010. directors to discuss the planning process and the Commission on Mission was made possible in part integration of leadership, service, faith, and learning. through the generosity of the Franklin I. and Irene Faculty, staff, and retirees also participated in a series List Saemann Foundation and Thrivent Financial for of focus groups bringing the number of constituents Lutherans. offering input to the task forces to nearly 600. PLAN 2010-2020 Phase II (2008-09) C During the Year of Mission, each task force hosted several symposia and special events to educate and engage students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other constituent groups in the celebration and examination of the mission. The symposia took the place of the traditional Convocation schedule. Each task force also spent the year developing reports and recommendations for the Board of Regents. Phase III (2009-10) WARTBURG COLLEGE STRATEGI WARTBURG The Board of Regents received the task force recommendations at Homecoming 2009 and initiated 3 a strategic planning process to begin development of values, vision, and goals. To ensure continuity with the first two phases of the Commission process, the Board appointed members of the Commission on Mission Steering Committee to continue work as the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) of the Board. That fall, internal and external constituent groups reviewed the task force reports and provided general feedback using an online survey tool. Faculty, staff, and students learned more about the planning process at several open forums held in October and November. The SPC identified common themes across task force reports that provided the basis for the first draft of values, vision, and goals. The committee solicited input via e-mail from on- and off-campus groups and continued to refine the document. During Winter Term, the SPC hosted a campus-wide workshop that featured shared discussion of the values, vision, and goals. Faculty and staff continued discussion of the task force reports by operational areas. After the Board approved the values, vision, and goals “in principle” at its February 2010 meeting, the SPC developed draft objectives for each goal, again engaging the campus in review of the documents. President Darrel Colson gave progress reports to faculty, staff, and students in March and June. In May 2010, the Board again reviewed the plan with the addition of objectives. During the summer, the SPC developed tactics informed by recommendations in the task force reports. The President also worked with members of the Cabinet and other campus leaders to develop metrics to measure success. PLAN 2010-2020 C WARTBURG COLLEGE Strategic Plan 2010-2020 “Living Our Learning; Claiming Our Calling; Transforming Tomorrow” WARTBURG COLLEGE STRATEGI WARTBURG Values 4 Pursuing Excellence Building on our Legacy in a college