MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER

On the heels of Strong Integration, and the appointment of one president for both institutions, CSB and SJU are at a critical moment in our history and strategic planning process, embracing the challenges and opportunities of a changing industry as well as the mandate from our Common Boards to live out, more fully, an integrated approach. The strategic plan we are developing will be nimble in its very nature – coalescing the newly identified priorities born out of Strong Integration, building on the efficiencies and prioritization work already underway, and measurable in both short- and long-term achievements and aspirations.

We have learned, in the wake of a pandemic, racial reckoning and tense political climates, that time is of the essence, and societal conditions can change instantly. Therefore, the work to secure our future will embark on an untraditional timeframe – we are working in months, not years.

President Bruess frequently refers to these four cornerstones as our “mission traditions,” because in doing so, we capture both intellectual and social traditions, both of which are within the moniker of Catholic.

By Kara Kolomitz Ed.D.

We are striving to respond to the needs of the times, as we are called to do within the Benedictine, Catholic intellectual, social justice and liberal arts traditions.

The recent cumulation of Strong Integration, the academic program prioritization process, and our new president present the need for three strategic priorities, aligned between two campuses, that have been culled and established throughout multiple studies of preparation, board participation and community engagement.

Our three strategic priorities are:

• student experience

• financial strength and operational excellence

• mission-centered practice

Diversity, equity, inclusion and justice will permeate our plan to reflect our Benedictine commitment to these values. Simultaneously, we also know that thriving, strong institutions are able to address functioning excellence while declaring their vision and aspirations. In our strategic plan, we intend to do just that.

This process will reflect a parallel approach that will engage our communities in both a current and future strategic state. Throughout the spring, we are facilitating various on- and off-campus meetings to recognize and hear the current understanding of students, staff, faculty and alums. Additionally, we will focus on the collective vision and direction for both institutions. The learnings from the various groups will help inform and shape this nimble strategic plan.

Your input to that learning process is valuable. So this spring we have conducted a nationwide series of alum and friend events, sharing information and gathering input.

The time to aspire, believe, innovate and respond is now, and I am looking forward to moving forward, together.

Kara Kolomitz Ed.D. is the inaugural chief operating officer of both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. Among her many responsibilities, she is leading the institutions’ strategic planning process with Provost Richard Ice, Ph.D.