Dickinson College Strategic Plan

Well-executed strategic plans are vital to the success of an institution. While they do not tell us precisely what to do on a daily basis, they bind us symbolically to a single purpose and provide common language for leadership. The Strategic Plan that Dickinson established six years ago also gave us renewed pride in our historic legacy and provided the very necessary conceptual framework for tactical decision-making.

"Strategic Plan I" has, in my judgment, provided a foundation for the momentum that Dickinson is currently experiencing. Under the auspices of the Plan, the College and its people embraced changes that have brought about remarkable accomplishments throughout the institution. Recent successes in admissions numbers and selectivity; the renewed financial health of the institution; recent growth in the endowment; a steady increase in philanthropic commitments from our alumni; creative curricular innovations; the growing recognition of our global education program; national and international recognition of the accomplishments of our faculty, our students and our graduates - all position Dickinson well for the years ahead.

We have, in fact, met many of the goals set forth in the original Plan and are now in a position to establish new ones. We established a fantastic foundation during Phase I and we have already, through the planning process for Phase II, put into place the framework from which we can continue to move forward. This is when we will realize the fruits of our past labor and move into an era of sustained organization and targeted innovation that will make Dickinson an even more exciting and vibrant place. Like any healthy institution, we must not become complacent in our successes, but must continue to define new aspirations and new objectives to fulfill our vision.

To that end, I asked the All-College Planning and Budget Committee (P&B) to take the lead in the development of Strategic Plan II, a document that will guide the College from FY2006 - 2010. After a full semester of work reviewing and evaluating the original plan, P&B completed a draft revision of Plan II in which they endorsed the overall mission and vision set forth in the original plan. Many of the strategic objectives and goals, however, were revised and/or rewritten to reflect current conditions and to set ambitious targets for the next five years. An additional Defining Characteristic -- Accountability and Sustainability -- and a complementary Enabling Condition -- Institutional Information and Practices -- were added to the Plan.

A draft version of Strategic Plan II was shared widely with the campus community this year. A series of luncheon discussions, open forums to which the entire community was invited, and targeted meetings with key groups of employees, students, parents and alumni provided useful feedback that has been incorporated into the final version I share with you here for your consideration and comment. Observations are welcome and can be posted to a special e-mail address: plan@dickinson.edu.

We all should take pride in the strides we have made in the past six years, and we all must continue to work in partnership toward the shared goals and objectives set forth in the Plan to realize Dickinson's full potential as one of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges. I look forward to your ideas and your support as we work to fulfill Benjamin Rush's ambition for our College to be "First in America."

Bill Durden
President