Building on the solid foundation that has distinguished a Geneseo education for almost 150 years, a new strategic plan has been launched that supports the College’s mission to advance knowledge and inspire students to be socially responsible and globally aware citizens who are prepared for an enriched life and success in their careers.
Officially unveiled at last week’s opening convocation, the ambitious plan, entitled “Geneseo 2021: Seeing Beyond the Horizon” provides a blueprint that strengthens and enhances the College’s position as an outstanding public liberal arts college with select professional and graduate programs.
"We are at a pivotal moment in our history in which we, the current stewards of the College, have the ability to define what it means to be an exemplar of a public liberal arts college for the 21st century,” said President Denise Battles. ““Geneseo 2021: Seeing Beyond the Horizon” identifies our pathway forward, builds on our history and accomplishments, and acknowledges our present circumstances as we define our future.”
The process of creating the new strategic plan began shortly after Battles’ inauguration in October 2015 with the appointment of the College’s Strategic Planning Group (SPG). Through a series of stakeholder meetings and the use of online tools, faculty, students, staff and friends of Geneseo were asked for input in developing a draft plan.
Approved for implementation over the summer by Geneseo’s cabinet and endorsed by President Battles, the plan features a refreshed mission statement, articulates the College’s values and presents a new vision. It identifies four thematic focus areas: learning; access and success; advancing the public good; and resilience and sustainability; and outlines objectives and selected action items.
Under the guidance of the SPG, next steps will include the development of an implementation plan and the prioritization of action items, which will include recommendations for responsible leads, achievement measures, timelines and resources needed, the last of these in consultation with the College’s Budget Planning Committee (BPC).
With the goal of identifying resources that may be used in support of strategic plan implementation, the BPC will also review, analyze and make recommendations on opportunities for the College to generate new revenue streams, contain expenses, and/or reallocate funds. The Geneseo campus community will be encouraged to engage in this process by generating and submitting proposals that will advance the College’s mission and strategic priorities while also addressing its financial sustainability goals. A request for proposals will be issued in coming weeks.
Once the strategic plan’s responsible leads have been charged, they will report on their activities and outcomes. The leads will also ensure the strategic plan’s wiki site, the web-based platform that will support the plan’s implementation, is updated regularly. The SPG’s review of those reports will inform and help assure progress. The group will also assess the currency of the plan and recommend changes.
“Geneseo has earned its status as one of this country’s premier public liberal arts colleges,” said Battles. “And while the current state of our College is comparatively strong, in many ways we have arrived at an important crossroads. The decisions we make, the priorities we set and the actions we undertake during these next five years will have a profound effect on charting our collective future. And I firmly believe that Geneseo 2021: Seeing Beyond the Horizon is the map that will help get us there.”
To learn more about Geneseo 2021: Seeing Beyond the Horizon.