Board of Trustees Approves Strategic Plan for 2005-10: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century
 President Kent Chabotar |
Click here to view a copy of the strategic plan brochure. To request a printed copy of the brochure, call 336-316-2178 or e-mail advancement@guilford.edu.
The Board of Trustees approved a comprehensive, five-year strategic plan for Guilford in its regularly scheduled meeting Oct. 9, including commitments to "practical liberal arts education" and lifelong learning opportunities for approximately 3,300 students age 16 and older by the fall of 2009. The plan, subtitled "Creative Leadership for the 21st Century," also recommits the college to its Quaker identity, diversity and community.
Plan objectives include balancing the operating budget in fiscal years 2005-06 through 2009-10, including costs of the plan; launching a capital campaign, subject to a feasibility study planned in 2005; and growing the endowment, which was $51 million at the end of June. The proposed campaign would contribute to endowment growth. Guilford's last campaign, Our Time in History, raised $56.4 million from 1998-2002.
The college also proposes to upgrade its facilities, infrastructure and physical plant through $27 million in construction and renovation projects. Included in the proposed new projects are the completion of an overall renovation of Founders Hall ($5 million), residence halls renovation ($5 million) and construction of an athletic pavilion ($3.5 million). Computer network and utility upgrades also are projected.
The planning process produced a restatement of the college's mission: "To provide a transformative, practical, and excellent liberal arts education that produces critical thinkers in an inclusive, diverse environment, guided by Quaker testimonies of community, equality, integrity, peace, and simplicity and emphasizing the creative problem solving skills, experience, enthusiasm, and international perspectives necessary to promote positive change in the world."
Trustee approval concluded a highly participatory strategic planning process that began in October 2002, three months after the arrival of President Kent Chabotar. Trustees, faculty, staff, students and other constituents of the college contributed to the plan, which was crafted by President Chabotar and the Strategic and Long Range Planning Committee. On Sept. 22, the plan was endorsed by the corporate faculty, which will implement academic components of the plan.
"This has been a data-driven endeavor, one that intentionally links the plan to the college's core values of community, diversity, equality, excellence, integrity, justice, and stewardship," Chabotar said. "The college community reconfirmed these core values during the planning process. The resulting plan is a dynamic one that the college will review annually and change as needed to meet shifting circumstances and emerging opportunities."
Practical Liberal Arts Education
In addressing practical liberal arts education in the plan, Guilford recommits itself to excellence in undergraduate education and to teaching as its core business. The college will concentrate on preparing students to engage in principled problem solving as a means to contribute not only to the practical education of students but as a way to contribute creative solutions to existing and emerging problems in the community, state, nation and world.
"Our goal has been no less than to redefine the role of a liberal arts institution in the 21st Century," said Chabotar. "What drives the plan is the desire to remain relevant in the emerging knowledge economy. We strongly believe that each of our continuing goals speaks to the needs of new economic realities and the value of a practical liberal arts education."
By 2006, Guilford will create a Center for Principled Problem Solving that would involve students in courses and teams using their talents and life experiences with faculty guidance to address authentic, real world problems. "Principled" means that decisions will be driven by the college's core values and Quaker testimonies. The center will pilot one or more projects that relate directly to the accomplishment of the college's strategic plan.
Through "The Guilford Challenge," the college will approach education holistically and provide a range of extra-curricular and co-curricular experiences and internships for students that will be documented through electronic portfolios and that will be recorded, along with skills students have acquired, perhaps on their official college transcripts. This initiative will apply to students entering in 2008.
Expanding the Academic Community
In the plan, Guilford expresses the intention to expand its academic community over the next five years, increasing enrollment and leveraging partnerships with other colleges and universities. The plan addresses the possibility of developing alliances with other institutions beyond existing consortium arrangements to cross-register students. The objective is to strengthen the college's undergraduate programs and become a supplier of students to graduate programs through these alliances.
Capitalizing on its growing adult programs and The Early College at Guilford, a high school for high achievers, the college will strengthen its commitment to a "lifetime of learning." Chabotar said, "The 21st century knowledge economy requires that those who do not have college degrees earn them; and those with baccalaureate degrees must continue on the path of continuous learning. Guilford embraces both objectives and welcomes individuals of all ages who have the desire and need for intellectual growth and development.
Guilford has doubled its headcount from 1,255 in the fall of 2000 to 2,511 this fall. The plan projects that the rate of growth will slow to about 32 percent from this year through the fall of 2009. In 2009, it is estimated that the headcount will be 3,300, with 1,500 traditional age students, 1,700 adult students (1,400 full time equivalent) and 100 Early College students. Additional growth will come not only from new students but from improved retention, according to the plan, and faculty and staff growth will rise in proportion to enrollment to maintain the quality of academic programs and administrative services.
The plan proposes to make Guilford not only larger, but better. Revenue generated from a larger enrollment will be used to achieve the college's high academic and financial goals and objectives of improved admission selectivity and yield, addition of 45-50 full time faculty with 200-250 courses and sections to deepen the existing curriculum and a 16:1 student-faculty ratio. In addition, there would be increases in staffing for academic support programs and student services, all in an attempt to produce higher student satisfaction.
"Growth also makes us more diverse, expands our geographic representation, and improves our competitive position relative to larger universities while still preserving a small college size and ambience," said Chabotar. "Growth does not mean either residential or commuter but rather both/and. Most importantly, growth gives more students the opportunity for a Guilford education and to make a difference in the world."
Quaker Identity and Diversity
Guilford was founded by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1837. Quaker traditions and beliefs demonstrate that the community prospers when all perspectives are valued and spirituality emphasized. The traditions of inclusion, participation, and consensus are particularly relevant to address emerging global issues and in managing 21st Century organizations. In the plan, college recommits itself to Quaker testimonies as a way of preparing faculty, staff, and students to be change agents in the 21st Century.
By 2006, the college plans to adopt policies and procedures that affirm the role of Quaker testimonies in organizational life and decision-making. In addition, the college plans to promote diversity in many forms — racial, religious, ethnic, geographic, sexual identity, social and ideas — and strive to become an anti-racist institution.
"The 21st Century knowledge economy demands new ways of working together. Global markets and international problems require the ability to respect, hear, and integrate the input of many perspectives. In a knowledge economy, no one person or group can have all the knowledge necessary for good and just decision making," Chabotar said.
Community Building
In addition to strategic goals, Guilford aims to improve in areas considered more tactical and operational but still crucial to the health of the institution, such as building community. The plan states that "community is not related to size —examples abound of large and small colleges with excellent and poor senses of community — as much as to creating opportunities and spaces for fun and fellowship."
Operational Support, Revenues and Expenses
Guilford expects to pay for the plan through increased operating revenues that total $16.22 million between the 2004-05 and 2009-10 fiscal years. The major sources are the increased enrollment and higher endowment earnings generated by the expected capital campaign. Operating expenses of the plan in that timeframe total $14.68 million with faculty salary improvement being the major priority.
A balanced budget is projected each year from the 2005-06 to 2009-10 fiscal years. Additionally, the strategic plan identifies funding for $27 million of capital projects.
Oct. 9, 2004