Dickinson College Strategic Plan

Dickinson College was born out of Revolution. Chartered just days after the formal ending of the American Revolution, Dickinson was to offer a distinctively American "useful" liberal arts education intended to create citizen-leaders to build and lead a new nation. As we enter another revolutionary era in the 21st century, our vision for Dickinson has never been more clear and focused: we must boldly commit to the creation of a particularly American liberal arts education which incorporates a global vision permeating the entire student experience -- in and out of the classroom; creates a community of inquiry that encourages students to value and challenge inherited wisdom and belief; relishes constructive debate of diverse ideas; participates in the creation of new knowledge and new understandings; crosses borders -- intellectual, geographical, social, spiritual and cultural; and practices connectivity.

In 2000, the College unveiled a strategic plan which recommitted to our historic mission (to prepare young people, by means of a useful education in liberal arts and sciences, for engaged lives of citizenship and leadership in the service of society); articulated our vision (to be recognized as a permanent top-tier national residential liberal arts college that educates aspiring students to be citizen-leaders in an increasingly complex global society); and was designed to address mission critical functions. Organized around ten main issues, the Plan became the blueprint for College goal-setting and strategies at all levels of the organization.

Guided by the Strategic Plan, Dickinson has had a remarkable five years. Extraordinary improvement in our admissions position, our financial health and endowment, contributions from alumni, recognition of our global education program, national and international recognition for the accomplishments of our faculty, students and alumni -- all signal a vibrant institution on the move. The community has internalized the original Strategic Plan which has brought consistency and focus to our activities and a more comprehensive approach to planning.

Through Phase I (FY2000-2005) of Dickinson's Strategic Plan, the College evolved, moving from the revolutionary period of fast-paced, breakthrough activity that characterized the past six years, to a new period of sustained organization and targeted innovation that will consolidate and permanently embed the remarkable achievements of Phase I into the fabric and future of Dickinson College. Phase II aims to establish Dickinson permanently as a leading liberal arts college in America.

In parallel with the implementation of the Plan, Dickinson began to outline a comprehensive capital campaign designed to move the College toward its ambitious goals for the future. To realize our dreams, we must make a transformational leap in resources, reputation and reality in three key areas -- student scholarships, faculty resources, and science facilities. These three areas are integrally related and together contribute to realizing Dickinson's distinctive undergraduate education.

In 2004, the All-College Committee on Planning & Budget recommitted to the philosophy and vision articulated in the 2000 Plan document, positioning the College to capitalize on the momentum that had been established. The renewed plan embraces three principle elements: a useful liberal arts education within the context of a residential setting, a willingness to cross borders -- geographic, cultural, linguistic, disciplinary, pedagogical -- and an enterprising spirit with courage to exercise leadership and embrace innovation. These useful traits, imparted by a liberal arts education, will equip our students to be successful in the globally connected and complex world of the twenty-first century.

As we move from Phase I to Phase II of our Strategic Plan, we are a much more financially healthy institution than we were six years ago, and we are seeing those indicators that tell us that we are gaining sustained prestige. We have not, however, closed the gap between Dickinson and many of our peer or aspirant schools and, thus, are not yet secure in our achievements. This will take sustained effort throughout the administration and beyond. We will -- and should -- be forever engaged in this process of securing appropriate funding for our College so it can excel as it was intended in the 18th century. We were not placed here by a signer of the Declaration of Independence merely to be "good." We were to be "First in America."

To advance our goal to be a permanently useful and enterprising college of increasing national prominence and to reassert Dickinson's historic mandate as a leader among liberal arts colleges, we must continue to develop six distinctive Defining Characteristics and permanently establish six Enabling Conditions:

Community of Inquiry: To sustain and enhance the College's core mission as an academic community whose heart is the vital collaboration of students, faculty and staff in learning, we will strengthen our commitment to the teacher-scholar model, support pedagogy to develop active learners, provide forums for debate about critical contemporary issues and enhance the connections among and between disciplines.

Global Perspective: To create a global campus infused with internationalism both in and out of the classroom, we will develop broad and deep relationships with overseas partner institutions and build connections between domestic diversity education and international education in ways that help students see the interconnections among peoples throughout the world, advancing Dickinson College as a recognized leader in global education.

Useful Education: To articulate crucial dimensions of a liberal arts education, we will enhance aspects of our academic, residential and cultural programs with the power to develop cohesive and creative patterns of thought and understanding; to challenge complacent world views; to research and solve complex problems; and to enhance students' abilities to analyze, synthesize, write, speak and broadly understand human behavior and the natural world. We will help students understand the application of their acquired knowledge and skills to the world in which they live.

Citizen-Leaders: To prepare students to be active, engaged citizens of the world and to educate them for positions of leadership in their communities, the nation, and around the globe, we will encourage students to demonstrate community commitment while exercising the qualities of independence in thought and deed that are the foundation of the American concept of democratic citizenship. Such independence depends both upon the exercise of the freedom of choice and upon a willingness to accept responsibility and accountability.

Diversity: To demonstrate our commitment to openness, pluralism, inclusiveness and democracy, we acknowledge that no college can achieve its academic and social goals without reflecting the richness of diverse peoples and voices in America and the world. To reach our goals in this area we will continue to enhance the diversity of our own community and broaden the range of other communities with which we must regularly interact in Carlisle, the nation, and the world.

Accountability: To ensure the quality of our academic program and the integrity of our enterprise, we embrace accountability as individuals and as an institution. We commit to high standards of accomplishment, clearly articulated and carefully measured. We will always remember that Dickinson's future is our responsibility.

People: To fulfill Dickinson's aspiration to be a community of talented, engaged individuals who welcome debate in place of conformity, we must assemble administrators, faculty, students and staff dedicated to the College's aspirations and capable of conceiving and implementing programs that achieve them. People are the College's most valuable asset.

Financial Strength: To maintain financial strength we must manage our assets to get the greatest possible return; and our endowment must match our ambitions for the future of the College. This includes redefining business processes to streamline operations, anticipating and managing risk, supporting strategic decision making, and implementing best business practices as determined appropriate for Dickinson financially and competitively.

Lifelong Affiliation: To build affinity among all our constituencies, we must develop programs and enhance a communications system that tells the Dickinson story, fostering a seamless fabric of connection and a sense of ownership among all Dickinsonians. In doing so we must refine and focus Dickinson's distinctive market position and communicate this consistently on a national and international scale.

Technology and Information Management: To support all members of the Dickinson community in their efforts to accomplish the College's mission, we will create a culture that encourages and promotes the innovative and creative use of technology and will develop an institution-wide infrastructure that meets the specific needs of both individuals and departments.

Visibility: To fully realize and capitalize upon Dickinson's historic mandate and future potential as a leader in liberal arts education, we will make institutional prestige and name recognition an implicit part of all campus planning efforts.

Institutional Information and Practices: To accommodate successful and focused planning, we will develop the habit of setting clear goals and measuring progress toward them with practices that are efficient, effective and transparent. Just as our defining characteristics endeavor to capture the richness of a Dickinson education, so must our measures convey a complete and accurate description of what we have accomplished and what still needs to be done.

To view the full plan, click here.