President's Letter

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It is with great pleasure that I invite you to examine the Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) Strategic Plan for 2011 – 2014. It not only represents months of hard work by the members of the Planning Council, it also reflects the best analytical thinking of many members of the NDNU community. And yes, it reflects our hopes and dreams as well, hence the title "Access and Excellence."

In some quarters, it has become fashionable to question the value of strategic planning in academe. Critics argue that it is based on a corporate governance model that is not appropriate for academia and, in any event, too often institutions create plans then place them on a shelf and never refer to them again. As for the former, we couldn't disagree more. Experience has taught us that planning is essential for any institution that wants to thrive in today's challenging environment. As for the latter, that may be true at some places, but it decidedly is not the case at NDNU. In recent years planning has become a serious business here, one that goes on continuously. Back in 2007 we created our first strategic plan of the 21st century. Since then, each plan that followed was informed by, and built upon, the foundations laid by its predecessor.

Today the Planning Council is a permanent body representing faculty, staff, administration and students, charged with monitoring the plan and reporting on its progress to the president and ultimately, the Board of Trustees, and making updates as necessary. In 2010 the Planning Council created the university's current academic plan, and in 2011 it developed the current strategic plan.

The new plan has four strategic initiatives built around academic excellence, student enrichment, a collaborative community and fiscal sustainability. The Dorothy Stang Center for Social Justice and Community Engagement is given a much more central role in the university's academic and co-curricular life. But most importantly, the initiatives and objectives laid out in the strategic plan give substance to NDNU's twin commitment to access and excellence. It strengthens programs aimed at fostering success among first generation students and that will help NDNU continue to be designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). NDNU currently is the only private, four-year, nonprofit HSI university in Northern California, so designated by the federal government. At the same time it creates a pathway to a more challenging academic environment for all students.

The mission, vision and core values of the university served as a guide in the development of the new strategic plan. In fact, the university's seven original core values were expanded to incorporate "Goodness," a concept central to the Hallmarks of a Notre Dame de Namur Learning Community and to the motivating spirit of NDNU's founding order.

For all of us in higher education, the last few years have been challenging, but for NDNU they have been among some of the most successful and satisfying in our history. Enrollment has grown to record levels, new programs have been introduced and more are being developed. No one is surprised at any of this. We planned it that way.

Sincerely,
Judith Maxwell Greig, Ph.D.
President

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