The Browning School Strategic Plan 2018-2023

ST R AT EG I C PL A N 2018 -20 2 3

A Bold Vision for Browning

MISSION STATEMENT AND VALUES The Browning School fosters growth of courageous and compassionate men of intellect and integrity who aspire to contribute meaningfully to our world.

The Browning gentleman develops amid a community that upholds these values‌ HONEST Y

We speak the truth, act with integrity and take responsibility for our actions.

DIGNIT Y

We honor and celebrate the dignity of all people and support the power of a diverse, inclusive and welcoming community.

CURIOSIT Y

We encourage and celebrate open-minded inquiry about our world and the perspectives of those around us.

PURPOSE

We believe that education encourages exploration and discovery in pursuit of meaning and enduring fulfillment.

REVISING BROWNING’S MISSION STATEMENT RECEIVED EARLY ATTENTION in the strategic planning process and involved long-tenured faculty who helped create Browning’s previous statement. As evidenced in the new text on the facing page, the Mission emphasizes that each of our boys is a “Browning Gentleman” who upholds four key values of the school community. We are proud to present this new guidepost for our boys and for the broader Browning family.

A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING

1

L E A D E RS H IP INT R O D UC T ION

B

rowning is pleased to celebrate its 130th year as a local, national and global leader in the education of boys in grades K-12. Our community shares a collective pride in the School’s history,

beginning with a nod to founder John A. Browning who, thanks to John

D. Rockefeller – our original benefactor – created an environment for boys to learn and grow into gentlemen. Remaining true to Mr. Browning’s

legacy requires thoughtful innovation, cultivation of resources and the

drive to remain at the forefront of educating boys in a rapidly changing 21st century world. Our expertise in this area also requires an ongoing commitment to providing leadership in the broader world of boys

schools; indeed, the pivotal moment at hand seems the perfect time to outline a bold plan for Browning’s future.

What follows in these pages are the goals and strategies representing

more than a year of work by a dedicated group of trustees, teachers,

administrators, parents, students and valued advisors. This concerted

effort transpired on the heels of an undertaking by Head of School John Botti and his team to secure re-accreditation with the New York State

Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) during the 2016-17 school year. In conjunction with consultant Kathy Hanson and her team from Marts & Lundy, our work addressed core priorities contained in the

School’s Mission Statement (refined for the first time in nearly 25 years) and expanded to examine how our boys learn, how we communicate

all that is unique about our learning environment, and how we ensure

that Browning has access to the resources necessary to sustaining these endeavors well into the 22nd century.

2

STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023

We invite our fellow community members to help make Browning

an even stronger and more vibrant experience for our current boys

and those who follow them. Such a collective effort will ensure that the

School enjoys the required resources to maintain its position as a leader in the education of boys.

Thank you to the many members of the extended Browning family

(parents, alumni and friends) who completed surveys, volunteered on

task forces and worked so diligently on these goals and strategies. It’s your

dedication and commitment to Browning that help to make our school such a special place.

Sincerely, Valda M. Witt

Alka K. Singh

President, Board of Trustees

Vice President, Board of Trustees;

Chair, Strategic Plan Steering Committee

A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING

3

4

STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023

Culture of Learning

G OA L

Attract, support and retain an exceptionally qualified and diverse

faculty who are committed to their students’ intellectual and personal development, their own professional growth and the mission of The Browning School.

S T R AT EG I ES

1

Augment personnel to bring faculty and staff workloads

in line with independent school standards.

2

Develop hiring practices to

attract a diverse faculty that

reflects the world in which we live and the community we serve.

3

Advance a rich professional development program that

supports The Browning School

mission, draws upon best practices and researching in teaching and

learning, and supports a culture of professional inquiry and

4

Encourage thought

leadership on best practices

in educating boys by creating

an institute for action research, expert partnership and

curriculum development.

innovation.

A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING

5

Financial Strength

G OA L

Ensure Browning’s long-term success and mission through investment in

personnel, programs and facilities, continued prudent financial management, dynamic student recruitment and dedicated philanthropic initiatives.

S T R AT EG I ES

1

Utilize a multi-year financial

model that appropriately aligns

operating expenses, tuition and

endowment earnings to meet the strategic needs of the Browning community.

2

Consider institutional facility

needs through re-imagination

and utilization of existing plant and expansion to new facilities

to meet strategic programming opportunities.

6

STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023

3

Evaluate the efficiency and

effectiveness of the financial

assistance program in expanding affordability for families from

across the socioeconomic spectrum.

4

Implement enrollment

management best practices

to maximize the number of

mission-appropriate students and families in each grade.

5

Maintain a strong

advancement program and

promote a deeper culture of

philanthropy to support annual and long-term capital giving for operations, the endowment and potential plant improvements.

A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING

7

8

STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023

Expansion of Awareness

G OA L

Solidify Browning’s identity as an intellectually rigorous K-12 school for

boys in New York City by promoting its strengths and unique opportunities, fostering school pride within the community and re-establishing Browning’s reputation as a local and national leader in the education of boys.

S T R AT EG I ES

1

Define a value proposition that distinguishes

The Browning School as an

exemplary K-12 school for boys.

2

Form partnerships with

educational and cultural

institutions in the New York City

3

Develop and implement a comprehensive strategic

communication plan that

allows the external community to appreciate the distinctive character, experiences and

achievements of Browning’s boys.

4

Strengthen the connection between the School and

its internal constituencies

through clear articulation of

institutional mission and regular opportunities for partnership in the development of boys.

area to enhance boys’ learning and extend awareness

of Browning’s mission.

A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING

9

Learning Program

G OA L

Provide both a rigorous exploration of the liberal arts and a robust co-

curriculum to give Browning boys the foundational knowledge, necessary academic skills, and intellectual and ethical dispositions to lead lives marked by deep relationships, a love of learning and a sense of purpose.

S T R AT EG I ES

1

Define an institutional

philosophy of learning which

identifies the qualities a Browning

education should develop to produce gentlemen who can contribute meaningfully to the world.

2

Place student inquiry at the

center of curricular, pedagogical

and assessment approaches to

promote deeper learning, curiosity and student agency.

10

STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023

3

Create curricula, programs and relationships that

encourage Browning boys to find meaning and identity in lives of ethical and social purpose.

4

Establish new and expand existing service learning

programs to engage boys in service

activity that continues through their Browning tenure and supports the academic and ethical curriculum.

5

Encourage innovation in

the academic curriculum to

promote independent study, social entrepreneurship, and signature learning experiences.

6

Develop external institutional partnerships to broaden

Browning’s academic, social and

ethical horizons, as well as explore internal opportunities to advance the study of boys’ learning and development.

A BOLD VISION FOR BROWNING

11

STRATEGIC PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE Alka K. Singh, Chair

Janetta Lien, Director of Enrollment

Wendy W. Brooks, Trustee

Sanford M. Pelz ’71, Director of College Guidance

John M. Botti, Head of School Laurie A. Gruhn, Assistant Head of School/ Head of Lower School

Philip A. Hofmann, Trustee

Michael E. Ingrisani, Dean of Faculty A. Forrest King, Parent

H. Kenneth Metz, Parent Raul Pineda, Trustee

James E. Reynolds, Former Head of Upper School Ellen Stafford-Sigg, Trustee

Deborah C. van Eck, Trustee

Valda M. Witt, President, Board of Trustees

STRATEGIC PLAN TASK FORCES Values

Learning Program

Culture of Learning

Expansion of Awareness

TRUSTEES

TRUSTEES & PARENTS

TRUSTEES

TRUSTEES & PARENTS

Michael P. Beys ’89 Raul Pineda Ellen Stafford-Sigg Deborah C. van Eck, Co-chair

Wendy W. Brooks, Co-chair Chanda Chapin Maria I. Dell’Oro David H. Eun Joyce C. Giuffra Elizabeth Granville-Smith Stephanie H. Hessler Julie S. Kerwin Jeffrey M. Landes ’83 David J. Liptak Elaine F. Stein Albert Tylis

Mark G. Cunha Nazmi Oztanir Andrew M. Snyder, Co-chair

Chanda Chapin Maria I. Dell’Oro Stuart J. Ellman Kathleen Glaymon Stephanie H. Hessler A. Forrest King, Co-chair H. Kenneth Metz, Co-chair Elizabeth G. Miller Andrew E. Vogel Richard L.N. Weaver ’75

FACULT Y & STAFF

TRUSTEES & PARENTS

Aaron R. Grill Susan H. Kehoe Julia Kingsdale Sanford M. Pelz ’71 James E. Reynolds, Co-chair Andrew H. West ’92

Elizabeth Granville-Smith Philip A. Hofmann, Co-chair H. Kenneth Metz Raul Pineda, Co-chair Albert Tylis Paul Yablon Robert D. Ziff

FACULT Y & STAFF

Michael E. Ingrisani, Co-chair Jaqueline G. Pellenberg Sanford M. Pelz ’71

Mission TRUSTEES & PARENTS

Michael P. Beys ’89 David E. Glaymon Andrew B. Sandberg ’01 Ellen Stafford-Sigg, Chair Reagan Wellins FACULT Y & STAFF

Mary E. Bosworth Michael E. Ingrisani Maureen A. Linehan Betty L. Noel Jaqueline G. Pellenberg

12

STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023

FACULT Y & STAFF

Rachel A. Gerber Laurie A. Gruhn, Co-chair Michael O. Klein Gerald J. Protheroe Megan B. Ryan Lucy A. Warner

FACULT Y & STAFF

Financial Strength

FACULT Y & STAFF

John J. Campbell Janetta Lien James E. Simon

Christine B. Bramble Melanie S. McMahon James E. Simon Kelly A. West

Design by Misty Wilt Graphic Design LLC

AUGUSTA, ME PERMIT NO. 121

04330 PERMIT NO. 121

NON-PROFIT U. S. POSTAGE PAID AUGUSTA, ME PERMIT NO. 121

NON-PROFIT U. S. POSTAGE PAID 04330 PERMIT NO. 121

www.browning.edu