2021-2022 Strategic Plan Highlights
2022-2023 Strategic Plan Highlights
Led by the current President of the University, Dr. John W. Stewart, the strategic planning process for the development of the strategic plan was completed in early 2021 and approved by the University’s Board of Trustees during their February 2021 meeting. Prior to the initiation of this process, a new Strategic Plan Policy was adopted, revisioning the University Planning Committee as the Strategic Planning Committee. This committee worked in the long-standing tradition of the institution to develop a Strategic Plan that will be comprehensive with consideration for university-wide needs and informed by the mission, research based utilizing institutional effectiveness data and integrated into institutional plans, and systemic with opportunities for all constituents to participate and provide feedback. Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic and during a time of deep awareness of historic and systemic racism, the strategic plan includes two areas of immediate focus: COVID-19 and Diversity and Social Justice. The remainder of the plan is organized around four strategic themes.
- Focus 1 – COVID-19 Strategy for the Pandemic
- Position the University of Montevallo to endure and thrive during the pandemic by ensuring the safety of all constituents and maintaining as much continuity of instruction as possible to maintain students’ degree progress.
- Focus 2 – Diversity & Social Justice: Strategy for UM to Address Historic and Systemic Racism
- In a similar scope of the US and the world, the University of Montevallo is encouraging a renewed and enhanced examination of our institutional history and operating practices that may implicitly or explicitly perpetuate injustice or oppression. While Montevallo has long been a community that is committed to diversity as a point of pride, we acknowledge that there is significant progress yet to be made in confronting our institutional history particularly in relation to African Americans. Further, we acknowledge the real work yet to be done so that Montevallo may come to reflect the racial diversity of our region in terms of students, staff, faculty, and administration.
- Theme 1 – Identity and Mission
- Build a shared understanding among the university community of UM’s definition of Liberal Arts education for the for the 21st century.
- Theme 2 – Focus on Growth
- Develop and implement initiatives to increase university student recruitment, retention, persistence and graduation rates.
- Develop a strategic budget model that will safeguard and enhance the financial health of the university
- Theme 3 – Innovations for Teaching and Learning
- Offering new and enhanced high quality academic programs at times, locations, and modalities that best serve learners.
- Supporting and developing faculty in facilitating learning.
- Theme 4 – Support for Learning
- Conduct an athletics program that develops student-athletes, through success in both academics and competition, to achieve excellence in life.
- Master plan and maintain campus infrastructure and facilities appropriate for a selective, nationally competitive college.
- Opportunities for staff development.
