Strategic Plan Preamble
Holy Family University, a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, is grounded in the foundational ideal of teneor votis: “I am bound by my responsibilities,” an expression of the core, common sense of purpose shared by all members of our academic community. Reflecting the mission core values of family, respect, integrity, service and responsibility and learning and vision, the University seeks to advance a culture that “welcomes and cares for a diverse and interconnected family” as well as our home planet. Charting a path forward through the development of our next strategic plan therefore requires that all members of the University community commit themselves to upholding and expanding our “Culture of Family,” and work to define and imagine its possibilities.
As we enter the third decade of the twenty-first century, we do so in a world profoundly changed by a global pandemic and a heightened and critical awareness of the pervasiveness of racial injustice and inequity, both here and around the world. Virtually overnight, our campus faced the challenge of abandoning traditional approaches to higher education, transitioning to online learning, teleconferencing, e-business practices, and virtual celebrations of significant milestones. In addition, we were called to consider our responsibility in addressing injustices in our relationships with one another. The strength and resilience of the Holy Family community shone through during these turbulent months, as we adapted to our new circumstances while maintaining an unfailing commitment to academic excellence and student service. Reflection, analysis, and open communications within our community have been the ingredients to successfully meeting 2020’s challenges. Critically, these adaptive measures have also set the stage for the development of the University’s next strategic plan. As we look forward, we embrace a vision that both builds upon a strong institutional foundation and embraces new and innovative frontiers of growth and progress.
In today’s rapidly changing social world, Holy Family’s mission provides a blueprint for defining and achieving strategic initiatives that will build upon the University’s sound foundation and propel us forward into new areas of teaching, learning, student engagement, and service. Within this context, the new strategic plan defines a course of institutional growth and progress to be achieved over the next five years. In light of Holy Family’s ongoing success as an educator of professionals with a bedrock commitment to the liberal arts, the plan proposes consideration of new academic degree initiatives, as well as a strengthening of the core curriculum and development of key programs across all schools and academic disciplines. These efforts will be enhanced through expanded use of online and remote instructional technologies, enabling the University both to better serve current students and expand our community to include new populations of distance learners. The plan also calls us to clearly define the student experience desired for all student populations. Taken as a whole, these proposed initiatives reflect the University’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence, fiscal responsibility, and sustained enrollment growth.
Our commitment to sustaining and advancing our own community remains unwavering and, of equal importance, is the compelling necessity to engage with communities beyond our campuses. As a Catholic institution, we hold a deeply rooted commitment to the oneness of the human family. Our new strategic plan clearly states and centers our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity as a critical element of our institutional identity. As a part of this plan, we also identify opportunities for students and faculty to interact with cultures outside of their own experiences, and to use their talents and resources to build connections with, and act in service to, neighbors in our local community and beyond. In addition, our plan emphasizes an expanded effort to connect with those who once called Holy Family home, our alumni, and to build a stronger culture of philanthropy.
What follows is a strategic road map for achieving an ambitious vision by 2026. Developed through input from all members of the community, the plan presents a series of key strategic pillars and objectives that specify essential areas of growth and progress for the University. Meeting the goals defined within will strengthen Holy Family’s identity and broaden our role as an institution of mission-focused education and service.