Trustees Approve Comprehensive Strategic Plan At its regularly scheduled October meeting, the William Jewell College Board of Trustees approved a strategic plan aimed at charting the course of the college for the next 10 years. "We have invested two years and involved over 200 stakeholders in the development of this plan," said Dr. David Sallee. "It is designed to take the college to a new level among national liberal arts colleges." William Jewell plans to move toward membership in the nation's most prestigious national academic organization, Phi Beta Kappa; double its present endowment of $86 million; shift its athletic programs to National Collegiate Athletic Association membership from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics; and raise its admission standards to the level of the best liberal arts colleges in the country. "Being selected for membership in Phi Beta Kappa is a long and rigorous process, but one that yields great benefits," according to Sallee. "That process could take the full length of this ten-year plan. However, institutions are often known by the company they keep, and Phi Beta Kappa is the best 'company' in the country." Sallee also noted the benefits of NCAA membership: "The value of being a member of NCAA is similar; there is great power in the NCAA brand, so we would like to benefit from the power of that brand. Like the move to Phi Beta Kappa, this move will take several years, but will be worth the wait," Sallee said. "The success of this plan will hinge on two things - our willingness to focus on the outcomes that it provides for and our ability to raise the funds to support it. We are working now on a plan for a comprehensive campaign to double the endowment, improve our facilities, and provide the necessary annual support that a top-level national liberal arts college requires." "Jewell has long provided an excellent educational experience. This plan, however, will take the experience our graduates have to an entirely new level. Education is all about having the best faculty and the best students. Implementing this plan will insure that we have both at William Jewell College." Dr. Anne Dema, vice president for institutional effectiveness and chief of staff, has been working closely with faculty committees and other key constituents to guide Jewell through the step-by-step planning process. "We have affirmed our current situation and provided a vision of the future that includes identifying key capabilities that we need to accomplish to move toward becoming a highly selective liberal arts college," Dr. Dema said. These include teaching at the highest level; recruiting the best students in the five-state region; communicating the college's distinctive attributes and values; and raising funds to support annual operations, capital needs and endowment growth. "Residential liberal arts colleges like William Jewell, with the kind of community of learning and living they create, offer one of the most transforming environments in which to pursue a higher education," Sallee said. "The kind of liberal arts experience we are building offers the most effective preparation in an ever-changing world for a lifetime of meaningful and productive work, commitment to civic and community leadership, and spiritual growth and happiness."