APRIL 2, 2004
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM
The following is a current draft of the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY of the
Strategic long Range Plan from the SLRP committee, which is being
released for community review.
The SLRP committee urges you to give feedback about the Strategic Plan. Please contact
Community Senate President Floyd McKissick with any comments.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Since October of 2002, Guilford College has been engaged in a comprehen
sive, highly participatory strategic planning process designed to formulate an
institutional plan for 2005-2010. 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. These core
values were defined anew by the college community during the planning
process. The resulting plan is a dynamic one that will be reviewed annually
and changed as needed to meet the college's changing circumstances.
The planning process produced a restatement of the Mission of Guilford
College. It is as follows: "To provide an excellent, transformative liberal arts
education where the institution and its members model values, behaviors,
and attitudes that develop critical thinkers and social change agents based
on the Quaker principles of integrity, peace, equality, and simplicity in a
strong, inclusive learning community."
To begin with, Guilford College recommits itself to excellence in undergradu
ate education and to teaching being our core business. Our continuing goal
is to excel at education that transforms our students and our world. With
this in mind, Guilford will focus on principled problem-solving across the cur
riculum as a means to contribute not only to the practical education of stu
dents but also to the solution of problems in our community and world. Other
academic initiatives include the following:
By 2006, Guilford will create an Interdisciplinary Center for Principled
Problem Solving and by the following year we will integrate this theme into
the general educational matrix. By 2007, Guilford will identify four "academic
focus programs" housed in the Interdisciplinary Center. These focus areas
will be emerging spheres of knowledge that reflect cross-disciplinary curricu
lar and co-curricular approaches to examining and solving complex problems
facing society. While focusing on selected academic areas to provide excel
lence and depth to the curriculum, Guilford will also preserve its liberal arts
and business breadth.
In addition, "The Guilford Challenge" will be instituted, integrating
curricular and co-curricular experiences to help prepare students to analyze
information, lead and organize others and make responsible, principled deci
sions.
As another continuing goal, Guilford intends to expand its academic
community by leveraging partnerships with other colleges and universities,
and will only develop graduate programs in collaboration with others.
Guilford embraces a "Lifetime of Learning" that extends education
from age 16 with The Early College program through ageslß-22 in the tradi
tional programs and 23 and beyond through CCE and other programs.
Guilford intends to grow its enrollment with an objective of 3,300 stu-
dents by the year 2010. Expansion will come not only from new students but
also from improved retention. The projected student body will include 1,500
from the traditional pool of students, 100 students form Early College and
1,700 students from the non-traditional pool.
As another continuing goal, Guilford College recommits itself to Quaker val
ues and practices. By 2005, the college will adopt policies and procedures
that affirm the role of Quaker principles in organizational life and decision
making. In addition, the college will promote diversity of all forms-racial, reli
gious, ethnic, geographical, sexual identity, social, and ideas-and strive to
become an anti-racist institution.
In addition, Guilford aims to improve in areas considered more tactical and
operational but still crucial to the institution, such as building community and
enhancing our reputation. We also need to be able to pay for the plan, and to
increase our financial resources. Toward those ends, our plan includes the
following:
Guilford will achieve a balanced operating budget by FY 2006, includ
ing the costs of the strategic plan.
Guilford will begin a new capital campaign to raise $75 million in
2008-2014.
Guilford will grow its endowment value to SIOO million by 2010.
Steps will be taken to attract the number and type of faculty and staff
necessary to support the academic mission. Action steps call for evaluating
each member of the current faculty and staff and targeting individuals for an
initial phase of salary remediation. Another action step calls for creating new
endowed professorships for each of the academic focus areas.
Guilford will upgrade its facilities, infrastructure and physical plant. An
objective is set to complete five of nine projected major facilities upgrade proj
ects within budget and on time by the summer of 2010. Cost of the nine proj
ects will be approximately S4O million.
Other planned steps are designed to improve faculty, staff and stu
dent satisfaction within the campus community.
Steps will be taken to strengthen our external identity and academic
reputation. We will be more active in preparing our students for the worlds of
work and post-graduation education. We also will strengthen alumni ties.
The timing of The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010 is very signif
icant. This planning process began four months after the July 2002 arrival of
Kent John Chabotar as the college's new president. The plan provides the
opportunity for Guilford to strengthen itself by addressing both internal chal
lenges and important strategic issues facing the college and higher education
in the years just ahead.
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GREENSBORO, NC