Strategic Plan
Introduction
Randolph-Macon Woman’s College has been engaged in a process of strategic planning since 2003, when the Board of Trustees appointed a Strategic Planning Steering Committee (SPSC) to evaluate a wide range of options and determine the College’s best course for the future.
Throughout the strategic planning process, the College has affirmed its commitment to providing an excellent academic program while maintaining its sense of community. The College has evaluated its strengths, analyzed its financial position, researched its markets, solicited input from students, faculty, alumnae, and friends, and studied the experiences of other all-women's colleges. This summer, those inquiries have been completed, and the findings will be the basis of a plan approved by the Board of Trustees on September 9, 2006.
May 5, 2007 - Implementation Plan for the College's Strategic Direction.
March 16, 2007 - Letter to the members of Preserve Educational Choice (PEC) from the Faculty
Letter to the R-MWC Community from former presidents William F. Quillian, Jr., Robert A. Spivey, and Linda K. Lorimer (Feb. 9, 2007)
New Name Announcement and Information - R-MWC will become Randolph College effective July 1, 2007 - Learn more... (Dec. 9, 2006)
Official Response to What Every Trustee Should Know and 20 Reasons Why You Should Change Your Vote (Nov. 16, 2006)
Letter to Parents and Families from President Worden, Dean Coulter and Dean Swager (Sept. 14, 2006)
Board of Trustees Approves Strategic Plan (Sept. 9, 2006)
Strategic Plan: The Future of the College (Sept. 9, 2006)
Implementation of the Strategic Plan (Sept. 9, 2006)
Transcript of Announcement (Sept. 9, 2006)
Archive of Announcement Webcast (Sept. 9, 2006)
Trustees to Meet with Alumnae Sept 8-9 (Sept. 5, 2006)
Letter from Jolley Bruce Christman ’69, President, The R-MWC Board of Trustees (Sept. 1, 2006)
Summary of Spring 2006 Market Research (Aug. 30, 2006)
Dean of the College William Coulter addresses R-MWC academics and coeducation in welcome to Class of 2010 (Aug. 22, 2006)
Editorial by President Ginger Worden in the Lynchburg News & Advance (Aug. 21, 2006)
Letter to Alumnae From President Ginger Worden (updated Aug. 14, 2006)
Summary of Draft Strategic Plan and Process (updated Aug. 11, 2006)
Strategic Plan Frequently Asked Questions (updated Aug. 10, 2006)
Strategic Planning Timeline (updated Aug. 8, 2006)
2003
The Board of Trustees creates a Strategic Planning Steering Committee
(SPSC) and charges that committee to "develop strategic initiatives that
will ensure the future of R-MWC as an academically excellent woman's college
and a financially sustainable enterprise and present those initiatives to the
Board of Trustees for discussion and action." The Board also makes clear,
however, that the SPSC is to explore seriously any options that would sustain
an institution of high quality and financial viability.
2004
The SPSC organizes three task forces to focus on the
three primary resources of revenue for R-MWC: endowment, gifts,
and net fee revenue.
August 2004
The Board of Trustees hires
the Art & Science Group (A&S)
to analyze the College’s external market.
September 2004 – May 2005
A&S conducts market research. Included are surveys
of alumnae, prospective students, admitted applicants, and current
and withdrawn students. A&S reports preliminary findings to
a campus client committee.
November 2005
- A&S presents research results to the Board of Trustees: http://www.randolphcollege.edu/strategicplan/as_results.asp
- Trustees commission a second A&S study. This study explores platforms and coeducation.
January 2006
- The Board of Trustees meets to discuss major findings and implications of market research.
- Trustee members of the SPSC and the Dean of Students conduct six focus groups regarding student life involving over 150 students.
February 2006
The Board of Trustees holds a Strategic Planning
Forum for College constituencies including students,
alumnae, faculty, and staff.
February-April 2006
Members of the Board of Trustees and staff hold
open forums for alumnae in the location of 14 of the largest
alumnae chapters (Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Richmond,
Lynchburg, Norfolk, Greensboro, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston,
Philadelphia, Research Triangle, NC, central Connecticut,
and Atlanta).
February 2006
SPSC appoints a Task Force on Campus Life to research
trends in — and make recommendations on — housing,
technology, athletics, and social life. The Task Force, chaired
by the Dean of Students, includes students, faculty, staff,
and trustees.
March 29, 2006
Members of the SPSC hold an open meeting for students
and other members of the campus community.
April/May 2006
Results of internal studies of five women’s
colleges that have become coed institutions and five that
have remained single-sex are submitted to trustees and the
SPSC.
June 2, 2006
At Reunion, members of the Board of Trustees and
SPSC update alumnae on the strategic planning process.
June 6, 2006
A&S presents the results of its spring research
findings to the SPSC. Trustees
are also invited to attend. Trustees unable to attend participate
via Webcam.
June 7, 2006
A&S presents the results of its spring research
findings to the full staff and faculty. Trustees and trustees
emeriti are also invited. Trustees unable to attend participate
via Webcam.
June 11-12, 2006
The SPSC meets in Washington, D.C., to consider
the results of R-MWC’s internal study of five women's
colleges that have become coed and five women’s colleges
that have chosen to remain single-sex. A&S’ spring
research findings are presented again at this meeting.
June 21 and 29, 2006
Trustees and trustees emeriti meet in Atlanta,
Georgia, (June 21) and Washington, D.C. (June 29) with A&S
on the spring research findings.
June 30, 2006
The Board of Trustees holds a special meeting for
a progress update on strategic planning presented by members
of the SPSC.
July 14, 2006
The SPSC, faculty, and staff meet with A&S consultants
to hear recommendations based on research. A&S recommends
that the College would best enhance its ability to attract
a robust student population with a global honors program
emphasizing experiential education within a coed environment.
While A&S found an optimistic outcome if all of these
elements were integrated, it also found that the strengthened
platform without going coed would be unlikely to enable the
College to remain academically and financially strong in
the long-term.
July 15-July 31, 2006
The SPSC drafts an outline of a plan for the College’s
future. The draft is based on A&S
research and a study conducted by R-MWC faculty and senior
administration of five women’s colleges that have become
coeducational institutions and five that have remained single-sex.
July 21, 2006
The Board of Trustees holds a special meeting to
discuss reports from a task force on the possibility of a
merger, and a task force is charged with drafting a plan
based on research findings.
July 31, 2006
The Board of Trustees holds a meeting for open discussion.
August 1, 2006
The Board of Trustees reviews a draft of the Strategic
Plan and votes to forward the plan to faculty and senior
administration for consideration and comment. The plan recommends
that the College adopt a global honors program with an emphasis
in experiential learning within a coed environment.
August 4, 2006
The Strategic Plan draft is presented to the Alumnae
Association Board by members of the Board of Trustees.
Early August, 2006
The Strategic Plan draft is reviewed by faculty and
senior staff.
Mid-August, 2006
- Faculty and senior administration submit written responses to the SPSC about the Strategic Plan draft.
- The Board of Trustees holds a special meeting for consideration of the Strategic Plan draft and the responses of faculty and senior administration.
- The SPSC meets to consider recommendations and finalize the plan.
September 8-9, 2006
The Board of Trustees will consider and vote on
the adoption of the Strategic Plan.
Strategic Plan
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