Last spring, members of the Wofford community began a journey to prepare the college for its successful future. Since that time, hundreds of individuals, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, friends and members of the Board of Trustees, have given input in the strategic planning process in four specific areas: the college’s 21st century learning agenda, leadership development, strengthening the campus and community, and expanding Wofford’s scope.
The plan promises to be aspirational, visionary, bold and characteristically Wofford. Recommendations will be made that expand and deepen the college’s academic program, connect professional development for students to the liberal arts core, enrich community and inclusiveness, increase internal communication and transparency, make more of Wofford’s physical campus and expand the college’s reach.
The journey began with a series of listening sessions with more than 160 members of the student body, faculty and staff. These sessions were designed to help the college learn more about the qualities and practices that make Wofford great, define features to make the college more powerful and discover new investments to help the college achieve its highest aspirations. Similar listening sessions were conducted with members of the Board of Trustees, Alumni Executive Council and Parents’ Advisory Council.
Following the listening sessions, an independent higher education consultant analyzed the feedback and worked with Wofford President Nayef Samhat and the board to create the focus for each of the four working groups. Over the course of many months, the working groups pursued their charges, including forming subgroups to explore questions, holding meetings to discuss topics in depth, consulting with colleagues and experts across campus, gathering information from peer institutions and developing promising ideas.
A dynamic open forum was held on campus in March, giving everyone at the college another opportunity to hear updates from each working group and share in idea formation. The working groups submitted their final recommendations in mid-April, followed by another on-campus open forum to give the Wofford community an opportunity for review, discussion and inclusion.
Over the summer, the overall plan will be drafted, reviewed with the Board of Trustees, and vetted on campus in the fall. The final plan will be submitted to the board for approval in October.
Strategic Plan Working Groups
Group 1: 21st Century Learning Agenda
The Charge: Explore and recommend the scope of the liberal arts mission that positions Wofford as a leading 21st century liberal arts college.
Group 2: Developing Leaders for the 21st Century
The Charge: Recommend the shape of a residential life program that positions Wofford as a leading 21st century liberal arts college.
Group 3: Strengthening Campus and Community
The Charge: Recommend ways to strengthen the campus and community including collaboration/interaction across campus, internal communication, transparency and governance, pluralism of all kinds including diversity and inclusiveness, and globalism and its capacity to enrich the campus culture.
Group 4: Expanding Wofford’s Scope
The Charge: Recommend ways to expand the college’s scope, incorporating the global dimension with study abroad, local and regional collaboration and partnerships, branding and marketing, and recruitment, admissions, financial aid and enrollment.
By Annie Mitchell