Vision Statement
Building Our Academic Community Together Through Action and Responsibility (.pdf download)
Vision Statement 2010-2015
Approved by the Board of Trustees • March 8, 2010
Statement from the Board of Trustees
As we embark on our third century of service, the Mount St. Mary’s University Board of Trustees enthusiastically adopts this Vision Statement and applauds the campus community for articulating and presenting an aggressive agenda to ensure our continuing distinction. The Board understands its implementation is vital to the future of the University and, therefore, a sense of urgency to realize this vision is required by all members of our campus community.
Eugene M. Waldron, Jr., Board Chair
By 2015, Mount St. Mary’s University will achieve national distinction as a dynamic Catholic university known for academic rigor, educational opportunity, and spiritual enrichment. Located on historic and hallowed ground, committed to the pursuit and witness of truth, and rooted in a rich understanding of the human person, the Mount will be the Catholic university of choice for those seeking intellectual and personal formation.
The integral parts of Mount St. Mary’s University, individually and collectively, live out the promise of our four pillars of distinction: Faith, Discovery, Leadership, and Community:
• The Undergraduate Programs, by fostering responsible and virtuous citizens and leaders grounded in the liberal arts and the Catholic intellectual tradition.
• The Graduate Programs, through quality, integrity, and responsiveness to contemporary society.
• The Seminary, with excellence in priestly formation in its human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions.
• The National Shrine, Grotto of Lourdes, in welcoming, comforting, and inspiring pilgrims from around the world.
In support of this Vision, the University will continue to organize its goals and objectives around five major themes established by our Board of Trustees: Catholic Identity, Academic Excellence, Comprehensive Student Life Programs, Strong Financial Base, and Marketing.
Catholic Identity
Mount St. Mary’s will continue to live out its mission through a strong, robust and contemporary Catholic identity committed in spirit and letter to Ex Corde Ecclesiae – one that is integrated throughout the University, and that engages the world intellectually while preparing students for their vocations.
Faculty, staff and administrators will have opportunities for on-going formation in our Catholic mission. In support of this, each college and school will seek to foster the integration of the intellectual and practical Catholic mission within the disciplines. Special faculty programs rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition will foster our liberal arts community and interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship.
Our Seminary will continue to enjoy a national reputation as a seminary of choice for those preparing to enter Holy Orders. Men from 30 dioceses will continue to be formed to serve as pastors. The Seminary will continue to be known for its commitment to ongoing development of priests.
The Grotto’s Pilgrim Center will serve the needs of 100,000 visitors annually, providing retreats and educational seminars in Marian studies.
As sign and signal of our obligation to care for creation, the University will have three buildings using geothermal energy, a solar farm will be constructed on University property in partnership with Constellation Energy, and the Mount will work with Frederick County to establish a county park on University-owned land.
Academic Excellence
Mount St. Mary’s will continue to live out its mission through a commitment to excellence in teaching and in faculty scholarship and student experiential learning.
The Mount’s four Schools will enjoy a strong reputation for innovation and commitment to student success in undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Each of the Schools/College will integrate and complement the educational experience of all undergraduates though the Core Curriculum, a cross disciplinary and cooperative effort of each. In addition to being rooted in the core curriculum, each School/College will provide academic vision for the University through a focus on programs specific to the undergraduate majors and graduate academic programs within their disciplines.
The Mount’s signature academic program will remain the Shared Intellectual Experience (Core Curriculum). While maintaining an integrated and sequential approach to liberal learning, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, the Core will be re-invigorated to address the needs of students and the challenges of today’s world.
The Mount will initiate an Institute for Leadership, which will be co-directed by a member of the faculty and a professional in student life. The Institute will incorporate both curricular and co-curricular programming to form ethical leaders committed to the Catholic vision of the human person and social justice. All undergraduates will complete an appropriate experience in the Institute as a requirement for graduation.
The Center for Professional and Continuing Studies will be the premier educational resource for working adults, professionals, and employers in the five-county region surrounding the Mount. The Center will specialize in degree completion for adult learners, undergraduate degree programs for students transferring from Frederick Community College, graduate programs in Business, Education, and educational programs serving the needs of Fort Detrick.
Our investment in student experiential learning and mentoring, faculty scholarship, and the George Henry Miles Honors Program will be enhanced, providing students and faculty with more opportunities for scholarship, performance, research, and creativity.
To enhance our success in recruiting and retaining high quality faculty and students from diverse backgrounds, the Mount will:
• Enhance its on-line learning program providing courses and seminars at the undergraduate and graduate levels on Catholic faith and pedagogy for those serving in Catholic schools throughout the nation.
• Implement a strengthened program to recruit and retain students from area community colleges.
• Develop new programs in the health sciences to address the growing demands in the biomedical sciences arena.
• Develop and market a nursing program within our School of Natural Science & Mathematics.
• Strengthen our efforts to foster retention of freshmen and sophomores.
• Increase the racial/ethnic diversity of faculty, staff, and administration in a manner consistent with our increased focus on student diversity.
• Incorporate a junior-year study abroad experience.
The Mount will remain committed to excellence in acquisition and development of the support services and infrastructure demanded by a rigorous academic program through:
• The positioning of the Phillips Library as a library of the future and the development of Maryland’s most comprehensive collection in Theology.
• The completion of the Rhoads Archives and its full-time staffing.
• The development of improved faculty/staff housing on campus to reinforce our commitment to living and learning communities.
• The Mount will offer a January Term to provide learning opportunities different from those in the regular semesters.
Comprehensive Student Life Programs
Mount St. Mary’s will continue to live out its mission through a commitment to total student formation and the integration of the curricular and co-curricular experiences to prepare women and men to be leaders and responsible citizens.
Campus Ministry will remain at the heart of the Mount. Our Campus Ministry will focus on helping students discover their vocations, grow in virtue and spiritual maturity, and use their gifts in service to God and others. Our Campus Ministry will be nationally known for such programs as peer-to-peer ministry, faith formation, retreats, and outreach to student-athletes.
Recognizing that a healthy mind and a healthy body are inextricably bound together in the formation of the whole person, the Mount will:
• Ensure student comfort and safety by equipping all residences with state-of-the-art fire suppression and climate control systems.
• Position our outdoor adventure program for recognition as one of the best in the nation.
• Establish a trail system for walking/jogging/biking on the east campus.
• Improve student counseling services to provide more comprehensive mental health services to our students.
• Establish a new student fitness/wellness center.
Because of the importance of intercollegiate athletics to campus life and the broader campus role played by the student-athlete, the Mount will ensure that:
• Athletic scholarships, staff, and operational support will reach the median of the Northeast Conference.
• New locker rooms will be built for men’s and women’s basketball programs.
Strong Financial Base
Mount St. Mary’s will continue to live out its mission through prudent management and good stewardship of all its resources.
The Mount will remain a primarily residential university serving our undergraduate student population, while recognizing the special needs of non-residential students and the special opportunities of on-line, distance education.
While continuing to focus on positive growth, our net student revenue, tuition, and fees will remain near the median of our peer institutions.
The Mount will be known for our financial aid support of talented, deserving students from modest backgrounds.
The University will complete our compensation initiative, making salaries for faculty and staff competitive in the mid-Atlantic region.
Annual operations will remain sound and keep strategic financial targets in focus.
The Mount’s unrestricted cash will increase to $6M.
The annual cash surplus from operations will be $1M.
The total debt burden will not exceed $60M.
Fundraising activity will be strengthened to support the growth and stability of the University.
The Generations Campaign will be successfully brought to conclusion and will exceed the publicly-stated goal of $60M.
The Mount’s endowment will grow in total value to $54M, with new gifts of $10M.
Alumni participation in annual giving will increase to 30%. (Strengthen the outreach to all alumni emphasizing the importance of alumni stewardship and the resulting impact on the campus.)
Development officers/grant writers will be employed for each college and school as well as for athletics.
Marketing
Mount St. Mary’s will continue to live out its mission by communicating a clear, consistent message of identity and purpose to appropriate external and internal audiences.
While we will remain focused on students in the Mid-Atlantic region, we will expand our reach to New England, the South, and nationally in selected markets.
The Mount will market the “true costs” of attending the University.
The Mount will specially market itself to Hispanic students.
A special Veterans Program will be developed to market the Mount to those in the military and those returning from service.
Alumni will be more fully engaged with the University and consider it a destination for continued education, spiritual renewal, personal development, and community service, as they strengthen their lifelong bond with the Mount.
An integrated marketing campaign will be implemented that communicates our academic excellence, the nature of our Catholic identity, the distinctiveness of the Mount experience, and the preparation of our graduates for success in the real world.
Benchmarks
