Vision 2015: Excellence at Anna Maria College is AMC’s current Strategic Plan. It expands upon Vision 2012, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2007. Vision 2015 was adopted by the Board of Trustees on October 30, 2010 after a thorough review and a development process that engaged the entire college community. Summary of Strategic Plan 2015 Vision 2015 retains the College’s five primary goals set forth in the prior version. New strategies and critical outcomes were developed reflecting both the successes of the past few years and the challenges of the future. The following is a summary of some of the key elements of Vision 2015: Excellence at Anna MariaCollege.
Goal One: To strengthen and promote the College’s commitment to its mission and values
Increase the awareness and understanding of the history, tradition and values of the Sisters of St. Anne.
Develop a deeper and richer understanding of the College’s mission and history and the Catholic intellectual tradition.
Create and sustain a college community that encourages and models diversity in faculty, staff and students and is welcoming to all.
Develop the College’s campus ministry services and programs to meet the needs of the community, especially the students.
Develop curricular and co-curricular programs and services that reflect and model the College’s tradition and values and its commitment to service, justice and a sustainable environment.
Goal Two: To develop the College’s reputation and standing as a leading Catholic center of higher learning
Develop and implement a comprehensive enrollment management plan.
Increase the enrollment of traditional (residential and commuter), non-traditional, and graduate students.
Increase the level of academic quality and preparedness of the student population consistent with best practices.
Increase the cultural and geographic diversity of the student population consistent with best practices.
Develop and implement increased and diverse living and learning opportunities for a residence experience for students consistent with best practices.
Develop and implement programs and services to better integrate commuter students, non-traditional students, and graduate students into the life of the College consistent with best practices.
Develop and implement new non-traditional programs including non-credit, certificate, summer, distance learning, online and graduate programs.
Develop and implement a more comprehensive orientation program for new students consistent with best practices.
Goal Four: To enhance public awareness, understanding and visibility of the College
Develop and sponsor programs and activities designed to attract new students and resources, engage the participation of the external community, and generate greater public awareness of the College.
Increase the visibility and engagement of the President, the trustees, the staff, the students and the College leadership in the external community.
Increase the visibility of the College's signature programs and Centers both regionally and nationally.
Lead and participate in programs and activities that involve partnerships with organizations, corporations and service providers in the external community.
Act as enlightened and able environmental stewards of the Paxton campus.
Participate in and contribute to activities which benefit the local, regional and global environments.
Communicate and interpret Anna Maria College’s commitment to environmental sustainability in public relations, outreach and advertising.
Develop and implement systems and procedures to insure clear and consistent communication of the values, strengths and achievements of the College both internally and externally.
Goal Five: To secure the necessary resources to support the goals of the College
Continue to implement the Campus Master Plan, deferred maintenance plan, staffing plan and technology plan to meet the needs of the College.
Incorporate environmental values into the planning activities of the College.
Develop and implement a comprehensive fund raising program.
Develop and implement an alumni relations program integrated with all aspects of the College.
Increase initiatives and programs to develop stronger community and governmental relations.
Develop and implement a program of continuous improvement of all of the College’s administrative and financial programs and services.
Strategic Plan Progress Growing in Strength Through Outstanding Accomplishments
The Strategic Plan, Vision 2015: Excellence at Anna Maria College expanded upon the strategic vision established in 2007 and continues to serve as a guide for all of the tremendous growth and development that is occurring at Anna Maria College. In keeping with the mission and goals of the Plan, many outstanding accomplishments have begun to transform AMC and help shape its future.
To date, the Anna Maria team has moved the College’s agenda forward by:
Creating the Office of Mission Effectiveness and appointing Sister Rollande Quintal, SSA, as the Dean of Mission Effectiveness.
Reinvigorating the Office of Campus Ministry and adding more student retreats, Bible and prayer studies, religious-focused events, and service programs, as well as a full-time Chaplain and a Deacon assigned permanently to the College.
Celebrating the fundamental link with the Sisters of Saint Anne through a memorial to Blessed Marie Anne Blondin near Socquet House.
Inviting the Sisters of Saint Anne to regularly share their vision, tradition and history through orientation programs with employees and students.
Celebrating and affirming the College’s Catholic identity through programs, events and public statements.
Implementing more diversity-related programs and initiatives that support Catholic teachings of social justice and respect for all human life.
Initiating more venues for students, as well as faculty, staff and administrators, to volunteer and become involved in projects that promote the common good.
Developing a Master Plan that will ultimately result in a more vibrant campus with a pedestrian-friendly common area, as well as new and renovated facilities.
Installing an all-purpose athletic field and adding three new competitive sports to the roster.
Completing a state-of-the-art fitness center.
Adding and updating new technologies including interactive touch screens or SMART Boards, C-Pod stations, wireless connections and more tools.
Opening two new residence halls and breaking ground for a new 200-bed residence hall that opened in fall 2011.
Opened an instructional site in Worcester in fall 2008.
Connecting students better with other consortium schools through improved transportation and inter-collegiate programs.
Establishing an Honors Program that is flourishing.
Creating more opportunities for study abroad with honor students embarking on a college-sponsored semester abroad beginning in Vienna in Fall 2010.
Receiving funding from the Balfour Foundation to support a summer Bridge Program to better prepare academically at-risk students for college.
Assessing the Core Curriculum and identifying more ways to strengthen the liberal arts and our Catholic identity that form the foundation of an AMC education.
Establishing the Center for Teaching Excellence and providing professional and continuing education programs to faculty.
Expanding the Molly Bish Center to include more involvement with students and faculty and the greater community.
Identifying a Service Learning Coordinator to assist faculty in bringing this significant educational tool to the classroom.
Implementing new rank and tenure guidelines to insure the highest quality faculty dedicated to teaching, scholarship and service.
Expanding Resources and Supporting Sustainability through
Increasing the annual fund by 45% and the percentage of donors by 5%.
Receiving the largest foundation gifts in the past decade or more.
Developing and implementing a comprehensive fund raising plan.
Conducting an assessment of facilities and equipment and implementing a deferred maintenance plan.
Conducting an assessment of technology and implementing significant advances in both hardware and software.
Developing a Campus Climate Plan to oversee the implementation of sustainable development and create a process for the College to achieve carbon neutrality.
Using solar power to light the score boards on the all-purpose athletic field.
Working with Siemens’ Energy Performance Solutions to reduce energy and operating costs through the implementation of infrastructure and management improvements throughout the campus.
Master Plan In October, 2008, the Board of Trustees formally adopted the College’s new Master Plan. The Master Plan was developed to project the future development of the campus to meet the needs of our intended expansion and to reflect our goals and values as a College.
The Master Plan was designed with several key principles in mind: Reclaim the heart of the campus: This establishes a pedestrian priority zone in the center of the campus and emphasizes the pastoral and aesthetic beauty of the campus;
Energize student life on campus: The focus of every aspect of the plan is our students and the needs of our students in and out of the classroom, as residents and commuters;
Maximize the transformational qualities of new investments: This means that the plan preserves existing buildings, only adds new buildings as necessary, and invests in renovations and expansions to meet the needs of the College;
Address issues of sustainability: AMC is a member of ACUPCC (American College and University Presidents Climate Committee) and, as such, is committed to sustainability and environmental issues.
The first phase of implementing the plan has several priorities. First, the College needs to address infrastructure issues to support the planned growth. Second, the College will need to expand its residence hall capacity to accommodate the ever-increasing student population. Third, the College will work to implement the proposed roadway and parking plan to create a safe and more amenable campus for our students. Finally, addressing sustainability issues in existing and new buildings will remain central to our plans.
Summary of Master Plan Accomplishments While accomplishing all of the goals of the Master Plan will take a number of years, to date, AMC has:
Made additions and enhancements to its infrastructure with a sewer line extension and the addition of a 3700 foot water main in cooperation with the Town of Paxton.
Constructed two new residence halls, including a 200-bed, suite-style hall.
Installed a new parking lot.
Installed a new all-purpose athletic field and stadium.
