This fall Abilene Christian University launched detailing bold goals and vision for the next five years, including a possible medical school, increased research investments, a $1 billion endowment, and continued growth in enrollment and diversity of students and faculty/staff.
鈥淎s 精东影业 emerges as a National University, we are in a strong position to deliver on a bold vision for the future,鈥� said Dr. Phil Schubert, 精东影业 president. 鈥淭his plan details an ambitious path ahead for how we can best prepare students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world. We want to offer students a life-changing experience in this formative time of life as they begin to discern their unique calling.鈥�
精东影业鈥檚 Board of Trustees set a broad vision and charged the senior administration to imagine what the future could hold for 精东影业 with a focus on its Christ-centered mission. The Senior Leadership Team began the process in 2021 with several months of input sessions with key stakeholders from across the university. Under Schubert鈥檚 leadership and guided by Blair Schroeder, chief planning officer, the team crafted a plan with specific goals, strategies and tactics for the next five years.聽
The plan revolves around six pillars:
- Elevate 精东影业鈥檚 academic brand to that of a world-class, faith-based university.
- Provide a vibrant student experience that strengthens 精东影业鈥檚 commitment to spiritual formation and leverages 精东影业鈥檚 national leadership in student success.聽
- Promote an internal culture that celebrates every individual as created uniquely in God鈥檚 image.
- Provide a nationally competitive, Christ-centered athletics program that extends the聽 university鈥檚 brand and propels 精东影业鈥檚 mission.
- Strengthen 精东影业鈥檚 financial foundation to aggressively pursue strategic opportunities.聽
- Develop 精东影业鈥檚 campuses through enhancements that will support our strategic objectives, facilitate growth and provide long-term stewardship of physical assets.
The first pillar鈥檚 objectives relate to academic strength and expansion in high-demand disciplines, including a feasibility study for a new health sciences center and the creation of three to five centers of academic excellence to serve as academic anchors (e.g. health sciences, allied health, physics and engineering, entrepreneurship and business). The plan also sets a goal to achieve Research 2 (R2) status in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. 精东影业 was named to R3 status this year.
In the area of student experience, the goals revolve around mentoring, student success, spiritual formation and shaping the overall student body. Plans include growing total enrollment to 8,800 and improving retention and graduation rates.聽
The third pillar focuses on continuing to foster a diverse community, including increasing the diversity of the faculty body to 25%, maintaining a student body diversity rate of 40%, and improving diverse students鈥� retention and graduation rates.
Plans for 精东影业鈥檚 athletics program center around being nationally competitive and increasing 精东影业鈥檚 brand:聽consistent top-three finishes in the Western Athletic Conference Commissioner鈥檚 Cup, multiple teams or individuals competing in NCAA postseason play, a cumulative student-athlete GPA of 3.2, and a Christian leadership development program for coaches.
As higher education faces declining undergraduate enrollments and increasing financial pressure, 精东影业鈥檚 strategic plan includes ways to leverage an already-strong financial position to create flexibility and invest in the future. To that end, the plan鈥檚 goals include increasing 精东影业鈥檚 nearly $700 million endowment to $1 billion, focusing more heavily on tuition revenue from graduate students and online students, and increasing the annual alumni giving percentage.
The final pillar of the plan outlines the importance of facilities conducive to living, learning and innovating. Specific tactics include completion of 精东影业鈥檚 Freshman Village and other construction projects underway, such as the Gayle and Max Dillard Science and Engineering Research Center; providing space for allied health programs; and exploring options for more branch campuses.
鈥淭his plan is designed as a compass by which we will track and measure progress over the next five years and beyond,鈥� Schroeder said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e envisioning how 精东影业 can best meet the needs of students, parents, faculty and staff, while also considering the higher education landscape and needs of tomorrow鈥檚 workforce.鈥�
— Wendy Kilmer
Nov. 1, 2022