McDaniel College Strategic Plan

McDaniel College Strategic Plan Reaching New Heights 2022-2027

For more than 150 years, McDaniel College has been positioned at the top of the Hill in Westminster, Maryland. There are no limits to how high we can elevate our community or how expansive our future can be as an innovative liberal arts college focused on student achievement and professional success.

With implementation of this new five-year plan, we will change lives by inspiring students to achieve educational excellence and realize their potential within a supportive, inclusive, and diverse community.

McDaniel College's Mission and First Principles serve as the foundation upon which our Strategic Plan was developed. The final strategic plan was also guided by the strategic plan vision, mission and values developed by the strategic planning steering committee and Board of Trustees.

Strategic Plan Values

With a focus on our values we will be top of mind as the liberal arts institution of choice for ambitious students.

Inclusivity:  We are a welcoming place where individuals can thrive in an atmosphere of belonging and appreciation.

Authenticity: We genuinely care for our students, alumni, colleagues, and community.

Individual focus: We support the ongoing personal and professional growth of individuals in a creative and collaborative environment.

Lifelong learning:  We encourage, support, and engage each other in the continual pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

Equity: We commit to the fair and just treatment of all people through our policies, practices, and opportunities.

Generosity: We promote volunteerism, community engagement, stewardship, and philanthropy.

Strategic Plan Mission

McDaniel College changes lives by inspiring students to achieve educational excellence and realize their potential within a supportive, inclusive, and diverse community.
Strategic Plan Vision: McDaniel will be recognized as an innovative liberal arts college focused on student achievement and professional success.

strategic plan video header — “Reaching New Heights: McDaniel College Strategic Plan 2022-2027" further positions McDaniel as an innovative liberal arts college focused on student achievement and professional success.

“One of the things that I enjoy most is the opportunity to go out on the road and meet our alumni and meet our donors. It helps me really get a sense of why this place matters to them. A kind of magic happens when you ask people about their experiences here on the Hill. They share with you that coach who made a difference in their life or the faculty member who gave them a piece of advice that they’ve never forgotten. Hearing those experiences from our alumni from 5, 10, 20, or even 50 years out reminds me that no matter how much this place changes, it’s still the same at its core.”

President, Julia Jasken

Strategic Plan Initiatives

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 1

Student Success

IMPROVE STUDENT ATTRACTION, ACHIEVEMENT, AND OUTCOMES

We will provide a rich, engaging experience for students at all levels to increase student satisfaction, academic quality, and the value proposition of the institution.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 2

Employee Satisfaction

BECOME AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

We will attract and maintain top-quality talent that supports the college’s mission and value.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 3

Community Relations

BUILD COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

We will expand alliances within the city of Westminster and the region to enhance the student and employee experience.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 4

Business Operations

ENHANCE REVENUE GENERATION, BUSINESS OPERATION, AND GOVERNANCE

We will identify programs and operations to increase revenue, maximize resources, modernize practices, and improve integration.

About the Strategic Planning Process

Throughout the year-long strategic planning process, the President's Office engaged a steering committee comprising more than 30 members of the administration, faculty, staff, and undergraduate and graduate student bodies. Through surveys, small group discussions, and larger open forums, our constituents provided valuable feedback to help the committee prioritize the strategic initiatives the college would pursue over the next five years.

Over the spring 2022 semester, the steering committee divided into workgroups addressing undergraduate academics, graduate academics, the residential experience, student success, resource management, constituent engagement, employee quality and satisfaction, community partnerships, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ). Throughout the summer of 2022, staff across campus engaged in the important task of establishing year-one key performance indicators for the strategic plan.

Integration of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

The differing perspectives of our diverse community of students, employees, alumni, and friends are what make McDaniel great; and they are what made this plan representative of and an advocate for all members of our community.

“We did not want DEIJ to be a separate element. We wanted the lens of DEIJ applied to every initiative that we have in the plan. We’ve learned that the work is never done, and you have to keep moving forward. Having this integrated into every part of the plan ensures we will remain focused on it.” - Julia Jasken, McDaniel College President

A key part of the discussions in the development of the strategic plan was about the role of DEIJ. Rather than setting just one specific initiative or goal addressing DEIJ, the plan was evaluated through the lens of DEIJ at each phase, with DEIJ integrated throughout. Each of the four initiatives have DEIJ-related goals and objectives.

Looking Forward

The McDaniel College 2022-2027 strategic plan focuses on our future. It belongs to each member of the McDaniel College community who helped us create and refine it. It is up to each of us to meet the milestones laid out in the plan to help McDaniel reach new heights.