Albion

Albion College is at a defining moment in its 173-year history. Albion graduates will enter a highly competitive global economy and must be prepared to navigate through turbulent times. Despite decades of success, Albion College cannot continue with the status quo. We are faced with significant challenges at every level, from the local to the international. Given these challenges, we recognize the need for a transformative approach to an Albion education.

"Albion 2015" is a living, breathing plan that is both attentive and responsive to environmental changes. As we flesh out the plan in the coming months, Albion College is embracing openly the challenge of preparing students for the future. Our graduates must be able to address complex and multifaceted social, political, environmental, and economic problems, and must be prepared to become "skilled architects of societal change."

The key features of our plan include:

• A future-oriented perspective. We are anticipating what the world might look like in 2015 and intend to prepare our students for this world through changes in the curriculum, activities, and experiences.
  
  
• Multiple strategic partnerships. We are actively seeking partners in the private and public sectors to broaden the experiences of our students; to expand our intellectual, financial, and leadership capital; and to enhance our national visibility and reputation.
  
  
• The transformation of critical thought to action. As a liberal arts institution, we will continue to hone our students’ analytic, communication, and problem-solving skills, but, even more importantly, we are providing our students with increased opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained, and to demonstrate—before they graduate—that a liberal arts education has the power to change society for the better.

As we go forward, we will build upon our strengths as a liberal arts college. We will identify, preserve, and enhance those key pillars of our past and present, such as outstanding scholar-teachers, caring and able staff, dynamic faculty-student interactions, opportunities for undergraduate research and creative endeavors, and an all-encompassing educational experience. These pillars have served, and will continue to serve, our students well in the future.

We currently have 11 research teams that are now shaping new initiatives rooted in the strategic plan's major themes. We welcome your involvement in making our plan a reality and will keep you regularly informed about our progress.

I encourage you to read through the Strategic Plan in its final form and consider how it might guide future activities within your area of responsibility. If you have any questions or concerns about the plan, please feel free to contact me.

Donna Randall
President