2017-2018
STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Find all the Commitments of the Strategic Plan and detailed progress on our Goals, online at www.gonzaga.edu/strategicplanprogress
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
BUILDING UP A GREAT UNIVERSITY If Gonzaga University’s 130-year history has shown us anything, it has demonstrated that we are tenacious. With tenacity, Gonzaga leaders have weathered financial turmoil, unparalleled growth and unexpected change. Today, our greatest challenges require not only financial fortitude – expected of any university – but also an unwavering focus on helping our students adapt and prepare for the realities of our current culture. These are the reasons leadership has invested the time and talent to envision, establish, evaluate and continuously adapt our Strategic Plan. At the beginning of my tenure as president I set forth three institutional priorities to guide decision-making and resource allocation: - Gonzaga University an exemplar of American Jesuit higher education. - Academic and educational excellence across the institution. - A commitment to institutional viability and sustainability. In the current Strategic Plan, developed over the course of a number of years and ultimately approved by the Board of Trustees in 2015, these three institutional priorities have
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been further elaborated in the form of four “commitments” – an acknowledgment that we do our work in an active, relational context, possessed of mutual accountabilities. Each commitment, in turn, contains strategic objectives that serve as declarations of continuous institutional improvement. The thirty-five (35) specifically identified goals provide a means of defining institutional success in achieving the objectives. It is these goals that are the primary focus of this update. The personal achievements, institutional advancement and continual focus on mission highlighted in this report are worthy of celebrating. As an institution, we are forever cognizant of the fact that the ability to achieve many of the goals of the strategic plan require the allocation of limited resources, the identification of efficiencies in operations, enhanced fundraising and prudent investment activities. These challenges only embolden our desire to celebrate the achievements of our community, for it is the accomplishment of these goals that will allow us to continue our 130-year-old commitment to Mission.
COMMITMENT ONE
Foster Responsibility for Shared Mission Gonzaga, as part of its Catholic and Jesuit tradition, fully participates in the Jesuit mission by leading both at the center and at the frontiers, fostering engagement between and across faith traditions and cultural groups. [Commitment 1 Overview]
INTEGRATING FAITH AND LEARNING “My spiritual journey began freshman year during a break in my daily routine,” says Megan Carroll (‘18). “After a few weeks of hustling to class, the statue of St. Ignatius staring into a reflective pool in front of College Hall began to blend into my usual surroundings. Ignatius became a fixture that I often overlooked. “One day that fall, I was feeling particularly lost. My new surroundings suddenly felt even more foreign somehow. I grew up in a nondenominational Christian church, so I had never prayed to a Saint before. But Saint Ignatius suddenly towered above me, begging me to pause. I stared at his contemplative expression for a moment and then thought, ‘Have I reflected on my life lately like St. Ignatius? What would happen if I prayed like him?’ “This was the beginning of my journey with the Jesuits, and a contemplative and intentional prayer life. Now I know I have the capability to set the world on fire with God’s help and I have infinite worth because God loves me,” Carroll says.
SHARING GIFTS WITH THE WORLD Gonzaga lives out its Jesuit legacy by calling all members of the university community to integrate their faith and learning, and to share their gifts with the world. We commit ourselves to foster understanding and respect between and among students from some 27 religious traditions embraced by members of our community and to seek justice and peace in our community and world. [Commitment 1, Goal 1] Living our mission is not exclusive to students here. Father Pat Lee, S.J., vice president for Mission and Ministry, and Assistant Vice President Michelle Wheatley, are meeting in small groups with faculty and staff across campus to help them understand better how to include Gonzaga’s mission in their work. This is Jesuit-lay partnership at its best. [Goal 2] “We are encountering an excitement and hunger for a mission experience on a day-to-day basis,” Fr. Lee said. University Mission and Ministry is launching a series of opportunities for mission engagement for faculty and staff. Even academic schools are becoming more involved in direct mission work. Take the School of Education as one prime example. Dean Vincent Alfonso and his faculty have developed ongoing workshops for Catholic school educators in the Inland Northwest.
Whenever I walk by the statue of St. Ignatius gazing into that reflective pool, I cannot help but offer an appreciative glance and soft smile. He is my Patron Saint. – Megan Carroll (’18)
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IMPACTING PEOPLE, TRANSFORMING LIVES Gonzaga University’s Mission begins by providing opportunity for student transformation. As such we are called to provide all students with opportunities for reflection and faith development.  Mission and Ministry leaders are collaborating with colleagues across the institution to provide these opportunities. Take a look at outreach figures from 2016-17.
Michelle Wheatley and Fr. Pat Lee, S.J.
1,150
228
students regularly engaged in 70 small Christian Life Communities
GU community liturgies, including masses, worship services, Taize, adoration, healing services, memorials, funerals and teaching masses
2,100
3,000
students served at 17 retreats
575
Welcome Mass attendees
Commencement Mass attendees
4 COMMITMENT ONE Foster Responsibility for Shared Mission
850
Mass of the Holy Spirit attendees
50
University Ministry programs for residence halls, faith and justice events, faith and culture meetings, clubs, teaching sessions, fellowship opportunities, online engagement and other gatherings
27
participants of Men’s Retreat, a partnership with GU Outdoors
5
student ministers live in residence halls and apartments, providing spiritual leadership and pastoral care
COMMITMENT TO CONTINUATION OF OUR JESUIT HERITAGE, IDENTITY
“It is with deep, heartfelt appreciation that I thank Trustee Emeritus Tim and Mary Barnard, Trustee Emerita Gerry Craves and all who have so generously contributed to this project.” – President Thayne McCulloh, at the dedication
U.S. Jesuits West Province of the Society of Jesus asks us to collaborate regionally, through partnerships and in networks, to serve the people of God. Hope is high that the November 2017 opening of the Della Strada Jesuit Community [Commitment 1, Goal 4] will draw other Jesuits to Spokane, reinforce GU’s Jesuit identity and expand on the collaboration that is essential in our continued success. “When we set about designing a new residence, our first concern was to try to name how we saw our mission in this region at the service of the priorities of the Society of Jesus,” said Father Jim Voiss, S.J. rector of Spokane’s Jesuit community. The residence was named for Madonna della Strada, which means “Our Lady of the Way” in Italian, after the first Jesuit residence in Rome. “Della Strada” has symbolic significance as well since “Strada” also means “street.” Jesuits are called to be out in the streets laboring for the good of the Kingdom in whatever ways will better serve the greater Glory of God.” At the dedication ceremony, President McCulloh remarked, “Through our collective will – our Gonzaga Will – we underscore our commitment to maintaining and sustaining the important work of the Jesuits in the Northwest. Let us continue forward, inspired by our rich Jesuit heritage and driven, tenaciously, to continue providing a world-class education for our students – developing the mind, body and spirit and empowering them to become leaders for the common good.”
The Della Strada Jesuit Community became a reality with the Sept. 28 dedication of the new home for the Spokane Jesuit community.
COMMITMENT ONE Foster Responsibility for Shared Mission 5
COMMITMENT TWO
Animate Academic Excellence Across the Institution
BIOMEDICAL INTERNSHIP CONNECTS STAKEHOLDERS; BENEFITS STUDENTS Aliyah Miller (’17) studied comparative incidence of familial intracranial aneurysms in Alaskan native patients during a unique hospital-based internship. The Seattle Summer Biomedical Internship (SSBI) was created by Dr. Terry Mayberg (’79), a neuroanesthesiologist, and her neurosurgeon husband Marc, both of whom practice at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. For the past three years, the Maybergs have funded 10-12 summer internships for Gonzaga students, in an increasing range of majors – biology, chemistry, nursing, human physiology, and more recently business, math and psychology. Sponsored by the Swedish Medical Center Foundation through the Mayberg Educational Fund in partnership with Gonzaga, the internship program provides students with a quality research experience, along with weekly lectures and ample shadowing opportunities. Students receive mentoring from physicians and other medical professionals. [Goal 2] Terry Mayberg values the education received by Gonzaga students. “The Maybergs are all about giving back to current students for the education Terry received here,” says Gonzaga Interim Academic Vice President Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak. “To make sure working a summer
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Academic excellence thrives when skilled and accomplished teacherscholars and aspiring students come together to explore human knowledge, traditions and value systems. The practice of critical and reflective inquiry, ongoing pursuit of pedagogical and scholarly excellence and extensive engagement with local and global contexts, prepare Gonzaga University students so that they may transform the contemporary world. [Commitment 2 Overview]
internship in Seattle wasn’t a hardship on the students – and to make it easier for our students to concentrate on their studies – the Maybergs provided funds for participants.” One of the major influences on Terry was her Gonzaga mentor and former chemistry professor Kay Nakamaye, who gave her a C in organic chemistry, which launched her drive to become a doctor. “She had a real struggle with organic,” Professor Emerita Nakamaye recalls. “We had a long heart-toheart talk. I think that turned her around. She realized that she had to work much harder, trying to ‘learn’ the material rather than ‘memorize’ it. When she was asked about that grade in her medical school interview, she was well prepared to answer it.” One of the things Gonzaga does particularly well, Nakamaye says, is educate students to be genuine individuals. “They always impress people in the medical field because they communicate so well with patients, and they come with a sense of serving others.” While SSBI benefits students and the medical facilities, the ultimate beneficiaries of the program are the patients, said Terry Mayberg.
Drs. Terry (’79) and Marc Mayberg
iNET: GU JOINS EXCLUSIVE NETWORK
Gonzaga joined this exclusive Internship Network this year, a national online consortium of a dozen prestigious universities, expanding opportunities for GU students. Participating schools include Georgetown, Duke, Harvard and USC, and more than 400 internships are posted at any one time. [Goal 4]
“This internship provided me the opportunity to explore health care professions that I would never have considered. I am positive that without this unique experience – I would still be in the process of determining my future career path.” – Aliyah Miller ‘17
ACADEMIC AWARDS AND MILESTONES SHOWCASE GONZAGA’S EXCELLENCE HONORS PROGRAM GROWTH IN ACTION 160
Students in 2018-19, compared to 90 students in recent years.
To help the University regularly secure $5 million of annual external grant support, Gonzaga faculty members have stepped up their efforts [Goal 3]. Here are some recent academic awards, as well as noted faculty distinctions. •
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Freshmen, almost doubling the size of recent classes.
280 Freshmen applicants in 2016-17 (100 were accepted)
•
BECOMING AN HONORS STUDENT
Applications and interviews require: • Community service • Advanced placement courses • Fine arts understanding • Completion of a foreign language course
EXPANDING THE PROGRAM
In addition to broadening its core curriculum, the Honors Program is developing courses tailored for juniors and seniors, focused on humanities and science research to prepare students for graduate school and/or research careers.
•
Lisa Silvestri, assistant professor of communications, received a two-year, $100,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant for her humanities-based initiative “Telling War.” The project utilizes visual arts and writing to engage military veterans and civilians in meaningful dialogue. Assistant professor of psychology Sarah Arpin’s research concluded that partners who share good news, and believe their partners are receptive and supportive, sleep better. The research was part of a five-year Study for the Employment Retention of Veterans (SERVe) funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. Laurie Arnold, assistant professor of history and director of Gonzaga’s Native American Studies program, received a $138,662 National Endowment for the Humanities grant to host a Summer Institute for faculty development titled, “The Native American West: A Case Study of the Columbia Plateau.”
•
Gena Hoxha, Gonzaga DECA adviser, was elected chair of the Washington Marketing & Management Educators Association.
•
The American Psychological Association’s Division of School Psychology honored Gonzaga Education Dean Vincent Alfonso with the 2017 Jack Bardon Distinguished Service Award.
•
Ann Ciasullo, associate professor of English and chair of Gonzaga’s Women’s and Gender Studies Department, is the Robert K. and Ann J. Powers Professor of the Humanities for a two-year term.
•
Professor Vesta Coufal earned the Pacific Northwest Mathematical Association of America’s Teaching Award.
•
Professor Joanne Smieja is the Scholl Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and just completed work on a five-year, $600,000 National Science Foundation grant supporting women in STEM disciplines.
•
Over the past three years, Gonzaga faculty and staff have garnered $4.2 million in government and private grants and awards.
COMMITMENT TWO Animate Academic Excellence Across the Institution 7
FOUR FINE FELLOWS ADD DIVERSE PERSPECTIVE TO THE CLASSROOM
Gonzaga’s ability to recruit and retain to graduation a diverse student population depends in no small part on having faculty and staff who reflect the ethnic and gender composition of the student body. A more diverse faculty and staff contribute to Gonzaga’s being a context that supports students to improve intercultural communication skills and, thus, a more global University. Commitment 2, Goal 7 speaks to this institutional need and one of the strategies introduced to advance this goal is an innovative Post-Doc Fellows program in partnership with the University of Washington. New University of Washington Diversity Post-Doc Fellow Eunice Kim is teaching a discussion-based class on Homer. “By the third week, students were becoming less enthusiastic with the predictability of our classroom routine,” says Kim. So she decided to hold class in the amphitheater near Lake Arthur. “What a difference a setting makes,” she says. “The students are still talking about that class day, and discussing future class activities to make the class more creative.” Kim is one of four UW post-doc fellows from underrepresented backgrounds teaching at Gonzaga following completion of their doctoral degrees at UW. Tony Abeyta (biology) and Noralis RodriguezCoss (women and gender studies) started their two-year appointments last year, Kim (classic civilizations) and Shruti Patel (history) are new this year. This program is another collaboration between Gonzaga and Washington, spearheaded by former Gonzaga Academic Vice President Patricia Killen.
Fellows Shruti Patel, Tony Abeyta, Eunice Kim, Noralis Rodriguez-Coss
8 COMMITMENT TWO Animate Academic Excellence Across the Institution
Their impact has been appreciated by Gonzaga students.
“I could see students’ faces light up when they heard we have four diverse post-doc fellows here this year,” says Jessica Maucione, who codirects the program with Ann Ostendorf. “One heard about Eunice, and was so excited to have a faculty of color, but also someone who could bridge the gap between contemporary questions and ancient texts.” And the fellows appreciate what they see in Gonzaga students. “The students here at Gonzaga aren’t just trying to ‘get it,’” Kim says. “They want their education to matter; they’re making it matter in thoughtful and creative ways.” The experience is impacting the new teachers, as well. Rodriguez-Coss is blossoming as a teacher and sees her classroom as a safe place to raise social consciousness. Abeyta took two students this fall to a national biology conference to present their research. “Every time I visit Eunice and Shruti they have students in their offices,” says Ostendorf.
“Even more significant is that Zags are interwoven throughout their communities in education, business, health care and through volunteer services.” – Ray Angle, assistant vice president, Career and Professional Development
STUDENT SUCCESS BY THE NUMBERS
75%
Four-year graduation rate [Goal 6] 88% above the national average
87%
Six-year graduation rate 47% above the national average
94%
Fall 2017 Freshman-to-sophomore retention rate
997
out of 1000 possible points, GU student-athletes rank first among West Coast Conference schools in NCAA Academic Progress, second nationally to Dartmouth (998). [Commitment 3, Goal 9]
OF LAST THREE FRESHMAN CLASSES
3.78 3.76 3.72
high school GPA; 1257* composite SAT; 28 composite ACT-Class of 2021 high school GPA; 1204 composite SAT; 27 composite ACT-Class of 2020 high school GPA; 1200 composite SAT; 27 composite ACT-Class of 2019
Already meeting the goal to maintain composite 1200 SAT score and 3.7 GPA for first-year students [Goal 13] *The SAT was redesigned beginning with the entering class in fall 2017. The new SAT composite score 1257 is roughly equivalent to a 1200 on the former SAT. Caleb Dawson, an Act 6 scholar and GSBA president, received his diploma in May of 2017.
ACADEMIC PROWESS COMMITMENT TWO Animate Academic Excellence Across the Institution 9
COMMITMENT THREE
Provide an Integrative Jesuit Educational Experience for Our Students A Gonzaga education must join the development of characteristics emblematic of mature persons with a rich academic experience to form the “whole person.” Gonzaga strives to create an environment in which students learn to integrate the totality of the educational experience into a sound and moral basis for transformative action beyond the campus setting, caring for others while engaging with people of the world. [Commitment 3 Overview]
Nursing students Maddie LeBrun ’17 and Jessica Wilmes ’18 assist with lunch in Kalundyola, Zambia, after health education classes. Nearly 53 percent of undergraduate students study abroad before they graduate. [Commitment 2, Goal 8]
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We believe every person has infinite worth, and together, we can create a more just and equitable world.
SERVING OTHERS FOR THE COMMON GOOD... SO JESUIT CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Empowering Students to Take Action Living lives of leadership and service for the common good are at the core of our Jesuit mission. The Center for Community Engagement (formerly Center for Community Action and Service Learning) provides students 17 distinct service programs and 100 nonprofit agency partnerships with which to address needs and enhance academic and personal formation. [Goal 11] Areas of outreach include: •
Service Immersion locally, nationally and around the globe, with programs such as Mission: Possible, Justice in January and Reality Camp
•
Youth Programs, including mentoring to elementary, middle and high school students, pairing elementary students with disabilities with college students with like disabilities for arts-based mentoring, and after-school programs
•
One-time service projects with organizations like Washington Trails Association, The Lands Council and 2nd Harvest Food Bank
•
Community Engaged Learning builds civic and citizenship skills by joining classroom theory with experience in the community, coordinated through more than 40 GU faculty members
•
Zag Volunteer Corps pairs students with area non-profits to serve, reflect and learn about social justice and support organizations working on housing, poverty alleviation and food justice
•
Gonzaga University Specialized Recreation (GUSR) pairs students with adults with disabilities for weekly sports, art activities and advocacy
SERVICE LEARNING, A GLOBAL ENTERPRISE Zags are men and women for others in their cities, regions and country – and well beyond these defined borders. Opportunities through the Center for Global Engagement and Study Abroad regularly broaden students’ horizons in keeping with our mission as a Jesuit university. Students from various disciplines gain a better understanding of the world through study abroad opportunities in countries like Italy, Zambia, the United Kingdom, China, New Zealand and Mexico, to name a few. More than half of the undergraduate population takes part in this transformative experience before graduation. [Commitment 2, Goal 8] Gonzaga’s Study Abroad program began in Florence in 1963 with a small cadre of students who ventured overseas on a boat. Its basic core mirrored Ignatius’ belief in, and commitment to, the transformative value of global engagement. Our commitment to this aspect of our students’ experience is manifest in the creation of the Center for Global Engagement in 2010. The CGE vision is of Gonzaga students, alumni, faculty and staff engaged with students and scholars from around the world in intellectually stimulating educational experiences, that build intercultural skills, and foster dialogue, mutual understanding and peace. While Gonzaga-in-Florence celebrated its 50th year in 2013, today our students study abroad in 61 places around the world. And that number is rising.
ourselves, we discover God’s work in everything, everywhere. To continue delivering a premier Jesuit education, Gonzaga supports global exchange: helping more of our students and faculty study and serve abroad, engaging with students and faculty from around the world, and inviting international scholars and students to Spokane to share their wisdom with our community. [Commitment 2, Goal 9 and Commitment 3, Goal 2] We believe that learning should be a collaborative, barrier-breaking, border-crossing adventure. By forming partnerships with schools across the globe, our students can share a virtual classroom with peers in Africa, or travel to China to work with researchers on shared projects. Gonzaga students work with children in Portland, Ore., during spring break’s Mission: Possible, supporting the homeless, and at a dozen places around the country, helping restore environments, empower women, and renovate decrepit homes for low-income folks.
The only way to positively affect the world is to break down barriers between people and cultures. When we broaden our perspectives and practice looking outside
COMMITMENT THREE Provide an Integrative Jesuit Educational Experience for Our Students 11
BUILDING UP A GREAT UNIVERSITY To maintain Gonzaga’s stature as a premier Jesuit institution and one of the best comprehensive regional universities in the West, we must provide facilities and equipment commensurate with such a distinction. Here are some of the ways we are making that happen.
VOLKAR CENTER FOR ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT Opening in January 2018, this 51,240-square-foot facility connecting to Martin Centre on the north and McCarthey Athletic Center on the east, helps studentathletes succeed in competition, in the classroom and in the community. The building houses student-athlete support services, weight room, nutrition center, basketball practice court, Gonzaga Athletics Hall of Fame, and multiple meeting areas. Combined with spaces in Martin and McCarthey, the building provides Gonzaga student-athletes with some of the finest facilities and support services in the nation. The Volkar Center was made possible, in part, by a lead gift from Pat and Sandy Volkar. [Commitment 3, Goal 9]
HOME TO THE HUMANITIES Gonzaga University
The Volkar Center for Athletic Achievement 09/29/2016
Renovation is under way to transform the former Jesuit House into a new home to support the Humanities faculty, the Centers for Public Humanities, Digital Humanities, and the Honors Program. The creation of this facility enhances the visibility of programs that are at the core of Gonzaga’s mission. This reimagined facility will open in fall 2018. [Commitment 2, Goal 10]
12 COMMITMENT THREE Provide an Integrative Jesuit Educational Experience for Our Students
Spokane Falls city founders asked Joseph Cataldo, S.J., to “build up a great university” in their burgeoning city, back in the 1880s. Fr. Cataldo accepted their challenge, and the Jesuits never looked back.
MYRTLE WOLDSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Ground was broken last spring on this 57,550-square-foot, two-story building, expected to be completed by winter 2018. This building, designed to host performance in theater, music and dance, “lays the foundation for a new era of teaching and learning in the creative disciplines and the humanities at Gonzaga through the College of Arts and Sciences,” President McCulloh said. The facility features a 750-seat performance theatre, 150-seat recital/ rehearsal hall for music and dance, a two-story lobby with box office, and dedicated space for instruction and projects involving a variety of arts disciplines. The Woldson Center was made possible by Miss Woldson, who also established an endowed scholarship for academically qualified, but financially challenged students. [Commitment 2, Goal 12]
INTEGRATED SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FACILITY Interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields continues to rise, as do our enrollments in those disciplines. Gonzaga’s planned state-ofthe-art Integrated Science and Engineering (ISE) facility promises to further distinguish Gonzaga as an institution that promotes collaboration across disciplines, between faculty and students, and with industry partners both locally and globally, harnessing the power of adjacency to foster new ideas. The facility will provide updated programming and curriculum that will specifically utilize the unique elements of the space. Together, we can prepare the next generation of innovators, attract top-notch faculty and conduct industry-leading research. The next stage in this project is to finalize development of the financing plan. [Commitment 2, Goal 11]
PROPOS ED ISE FACILITY
COMMITMENT THREE Provide an Integrative Jesuit Educational Experience for Our Students 13
“At Gonzaga, we believe you are called to live, learn and explore, not comfortably at the center of the culture, but at the frontiers - the cutting edge, the margins, the places that require courage.” – President Thayne McCulloh
GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT PROFOUNDLY EDUCATIONAL
SUCCESS ABOUNDS 92%
“The value of my study-abroad experience is priceless,” says senior Erin Cairns, Sacramento. “It stretched my mind to put myself in the position of others. You learn the values of their country and culture, learn how to adapt to that, and be able to carry on an intelligent and thoughtful conversation with others.” Cairns’ semester-long experience studying at Gonzagain-Florence gave her a new appreciation for her own ability to handle unfamiliar situations and learn how she might react to life in a different surrounding. [Commitment 2, Goal 8] “Most importantly, it taught me to be very mindful of the world around me and my place within it,” Cairns says. She took an art history class from legendary Professor Mercedes Carrara, where she learned about historic works of art in class, then took to the streets of Florence and saw the actual pieces, firsthand. She participated in English for Pasta, an immersion program into Italian culture whereby GIF students go once a week to an Italian family’s home, spend an hour with the children, then share a home-cooked meal. “We teach them about English, and we learn Italian from our host family,” Cairns says. GIF also offers art shows, tours of Italy, cooking classes – all lessons about someone else’s culture.
14 COMMITMENT THREE Provide an Integrative Jesuit Educational Experience for Our Students
of Gonzaga’s 2016 grads (undergraduates) are employed, volunteering, continuing their education or serving in the military, according to First Destination Survey results released last spring. [Goal 5]
451
Students engaged in internships in 201617, a number that is significantly rising. Top employers include Nike, Boeing and Providence Health & Services. [Goal 4]
ALUMS SHARE JESUIT VIRTUES AROUND THE GLOBE Among Gonzaga’s 2016 alumni, many are engaged in mission outreach following graduation [Goal 6] • Jesuit Volunteer Corps 22 • AmeriCorps 10 • Teach for America 5 • Peace Corps 5* • Others 5 *Through 2016, the number of Gonzaga alumni serving in the Peace Corps ranked GU No. 1 for small universities in the U.S. Gonzaga remains among the top 5 universities providing Peace Corps volunteers in 2017.
Pope Francis calls for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. So Gonzaga is asking; what kind of planet will we pass onto our children? How can we live in balance with creation so as to enhance all of life and our common home?
CARING FOR OUR COMMON HOME CONCERTED EFFORTS BRING REDUCTION IN CARBON FOOTPRINT Since 2009, estimates indicate Gonzaga has reduced its carbon footprint by 16 percent, on its way to our goal of 20-percent reduction by 2020. This has been achieved through more efficient building projects, a campus-wide LED lighting retrofit, more energy efficiency measures, new building intelligence technology, and behavior awareness campaigns across campus.
NET EMISSIONS SINCE 2009 [Commitment 3, Goal 10]
2009........... 28,698 2011........... 28,044 2013........... 25,894 2015........... 24,093
Gonzaga sits on the shore of the Spokane River, providing peace and serenity in an often frenzied world.
COMMITMENT THREE Provide an Integrative Jesuit Educational Experience for Our Students 15
COMMITMENT FOUR
Optimize Institutional Stewardship and Sustainability The University’s faculty and staff are the repository of institutional knowledge and skill, and stewards of our Jesuit educational environment. In a climate of rapid social, demographic and technological change, faculty and staff must be supported in efforts to adapt to and master the changing environment. These necessities are made possible by meeting revenue and fundraising goals, efficiently deploying resources against institutional needs, and effectively managing our assets, generating sufficient wherewithal to feed our basic needs and fund the path to premier status. [Commitment 4 Overview}
DISTINGUISHED AS A PREMIER JESUIT UNIVERSITY
culture, and between infrastructure and individual and organizational performance. Gonzaga successfully meets the many challenges to maintain this dynamic learning and living environment.
Gonzaga continues to be a leader in Jesuit higher education. Faculty, staff and administration continue to steward our Jesuit educational enterprise, and our financial wellbeing. There is a strong connection between individual capacity and organizational
A further overarching objective of this Strategic Plan reflects a sentiment shared broadly by the Board of Trustees, the leadership of the institution, and our broader university community: that Gonzaga must
OBJECTIVE 1. PROVIDE THE SOURCES OF FUNDING REQUIRED FOR FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ACHIEVEMENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
$250 MILLION • Gonzaga Will: The Campaign for our Future, has surpassed its goal with a record 34,000 donors, almost 24,000 of those new to Gonzaga [Goal 4, 7]
constantly evaluate opportunities to position itself for distinction and competitive advantage. This aspiration of strategic differentiation is embedded in our institutional discernment and will continue to inform strategic activity and policy development. Within Commitment Four, the Strategic Plan identifies four strategic objectives that serve as declarations of continuous improvement.
OBJECTIVE 2. STRENGTHEN STUDENT PROFILE
OBJECTIVE 3. ENHANCE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
NEW PERSPECTIVE, INNOVATIVE TOOLS
• Fall 2017 freshman class is highest academically in GU history. But even more significantly, our students serve all over the world to support the common good and care for others, sharing the Jesuit ethos.
• The work must continue in order to grow our endowment in support of student scholarships.
16 COMMITMENT FOUR Optimize Institutional Stewardship and Sustainability
• Gonzaga continues to hire outstanding faculty to broaden our students’ educational experiences. In turn, faculty members work to increase the number and size of grants to support their work on behalf of the university. Students increase their knowledge and skills through faculty scholarship, internships, research and other forms of experiential learning, developing as exemplary leaders for the future.
OBJECTIVE 4. STRENGTHEN BRAND IMAGE
SHARING OUR DISTINCTIVENESS The Gonzaga brand has never been stronger than it is today. A comprehensive approach to authentic, yet aspirational visuals and messages grounded in a research-based brand strategy is impacting enrollment and retention, as well as engagement and investment by alumni and friends.
REGIONAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF MEDICINE; BENEFITING OUR STUDENTS, OUR COMMUNITY The University of Washington School of Medicine-Gonzaga University Regional Health Partnership is expanding and enhancing top-ranked medical education in Spokane to improve the health and vitality of our region. Gonzaga is the first private institution to join the UW School of Medicine WWAMI program as a full partner. Working together, we are advancing a new model of institutional collaboration to benefit our students and the communities we serve. This partnership between universities is creating opportunities for other Gonzaga academic enterprises. For example, Organizational Leadership is developing a leadership pathway to prepare physicians for their future roles; a medical-legal interest group is emerging between medical and law students; and collaborative research projects between medical and GU undergraduate students are taking shape. Five Gonzaga faculty members are teaching basic science courses alongside UW colleagues in the Foundations Phase (the first 18 months) of medical school. Also, this year, one Gonzaga faculty member will participate in the admissions process for the medical school which will give our faculty a better understanding of the process to share with our undergraduate community. As part of this extraordinary public-private partnership with the No. 1 medical school in the country for primary care, plans are being developed to build a health sciences building on Gonzaga’s campus to house the UW School of Medicine, expand opportunities for Gonzaga’s School of Nursing and Human Physiology, and create space for research and anatomy labs.
Today 120 students are enrolled in the University of Washington School of Medicine’s program on Gonzaga’s campus.
COMMITMENT FOUR Optimize Institutional Stewardship and Sustainability 17
GROWING GONZAGA’S PRESENCE IN SEATTLE AND BEYOND
Among three downtown Seattle parking lots Miss Woldson gifted to Gonzaga, sits this one proximate to Seattle’s marquis Ferris wheel along the waterfront. Revenue from these parking facilities, along with a sizable contribution from Miss Woldson, are funding construction of the new Woldson Performing Arts Center and creating an endowed scholarship for Gonzaga students.
As Gonzaga envisions opportunities to develop three pieces of property in downtown Seattle donated by business owner, investor and philanthropist Miss Myrtle Woldson, there is the potential to establish an institutional base in one of the West Coast’s primary metropolitan areas. This would help create new relationships with companies and government entities that have an interest in higher education programs, as well as internship and employment options for students and graduates. This opportunity extends support to alumni in Western Washington and provides Gonzaga a base for engagement with prospective students and their parents. CONNECTING WITH ALUMNI NATIONWIDE
Gonzaga’s reach over the past year goes far beyond the boundaries of Washington state. New alumni chapter programs have sprouted up in Omaha, Nebraska; Bend, Oregon; and San Joaquin Valley, California, bringing the total chapter program to 44 cities, with other requests pending. Career Treks exposing current students to business enterprises and opportunities around the country have expanded, now including Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, New York, Denver and Spokane, with a Los Angeles trek debuting next spring.
18 COMMITMENT FOUR Optimize Institutional Stewardship and Sustainability
Artist’s rendition of waterfront development plan in downtown Seattle.
CAMPAIGN MAKES FINAL PUSH FOR ENDOWMENT, SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FACILITY In 2015, the university launched the public phase of the largest campaign in its history – Gonzaga Will: The Campaign for Our Future. Thanks to the generosity of our Gonzaga community, many great advances have taken place: 1) The John J. Hemmingson Center opened, providing a student center that rivals any other space on a college campus, bringing together many services and programs, and providing a catalyst for growing enrollment and admission efforts. 2) Added 266 new scholarships, with commitments totaling $58.8 million 3) Raised $27.6 million toward academic innovation, including new faculty positions and programs
4) Broke ground for three new facilities; the Della Strada Jesuit Community, the Volkar Center for Athletic Achievement and the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center. Â
Thanks to more than 36,000 donors who contributed to the Campaign, these students and those yet to arrive will become people the world needs most.
5) Engagement with donors around the world resulted in more than 36,000 contributors. To date, donors have given $286 million, exceeding the original $250 million goal. Through the final stage of the campaign, additional focus will be on growing funds for our endowment to ensure any qualified student can receive a Gonzaga education. Fundraising also continues for a new Integrated Science and Engineering facility to provide critical labs, research space and collaborative learning opportunities. The campaign has demonstrated the vision of leaders who are fiercely committed to making sure Gonzaga will flourish; that Gonzaga will continue to find solutions for the challenges of our world; that Gonzaga will continue to unfold the potential in our students.
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FINAL FOUR IMPACT CONTINUES TO UNFOLD WHAT GONZAGA EXPERIENCED LAST APRIL IS LIKE NOTHING IN ITS 130-YEAR HISTORY Plain and simple, the positive attention afforded Gonzaga through its participation in the NCAA tournament and championship game made Gonzaga an international and highly recognizable name, even to those who still can’t properly pronounce it. [Commitment 3, Goal 9] Through unprecedented local, national and international coverage, our student-athletes shined, clearly committed to their academic, as well as athletic pursuits. They were grounded, kind and humble – outstanding representatives of their University and the broader ZagNation. The Final Four provided unparalleled brand impact. Metrics gathered show the incredible opportunity Gonzaga seized to not only celebrate athletic excellence, but
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also share key messages about our mission, academics and our one-of-a-kind community. [Commitment 4, Goal 2] • Web site views during the tournament run numbered 2 million on gonzaga.edu, and 2.5 million on the Athletic website, GoZags.com. • The total advertising value of online and broadcast media attention during the tournament was estimated at $406.5 million by a third-party agency. This doesn’t include print publications, including front-page coverage in the New York Times. • Once the championship pairing was known, Google searches for Gonzaga were 66 percent higher than for North Carolina. Inquiries by prospective students through Gonzaga’s website rose 25 percent. This awareness will have a lasting impact on inquiries by prospective students, donations from new benefactors, job opportunities afforded GU students by new businesses interested in the Zag culture, and new alumni chapter requests, among other indicators.
“The greater success would be to parlay what’s happening here for this great institution in the same way that certain institutions have capitalized on such opportunities in the past. They created great opportunity through athletics, then leveraged it to become a prominent university and create a competitive advantage. I’d like to emerge from this experience having taken advantage of every opportunity to increase the financial and reputational health of Gonzaga University.” – President Thayne McCulloh
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“Education cannot be neutral. It is either positive or negative; either it enriches or it impoverishes; either it enables a person to grow or it lessens, even corrupts him. The mission of schools is to develop a sense of truth, of what is good and beautiful.” – Pope Francis
Gonzaga’s Pilgrimage draws together students, parents, faculty, staff and alumni on a 10.5-mile spiritual and reflective trek to Cataldo Mission in north Idaho at the start of every academic year.
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GONZAGA’S STORY... TO BE CONTINUED Father Tony Lehmann, S.J., (1928-2002) was one of the most beloved Gonzaga figures of all time. For him, life was all about building and nurturing relationships. He never said goodbye, but ended every conversation with “To be continued . . .” His legacy lives on.
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BECAUSE OF YOU, GONZAGA WILL TOGETHER. WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED – AND WILL CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE – GREAT THINGS. ALL OF US, TOGETHER. This extraordinary community of Gonzaga folks – ZAGS – is a mosaic of friends and fans, benefactors, alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and administrators. We all share a vision to make Gonzaga a premier liberal arts-based university recognized nationally for its exemplary Jesuit education that empowers its graduates to lead, shape and serve in their chosen fields and communities. You’ve seen our students and graduates extend their hands around the world to serve the common good. You’ve witnessed the sportsmanship, grace and humility exhibited by our student athletes and all of Zag Nation during the Final Four run. You have read about the work that our students and faculty do in our classrooms and enterprises across the country to make for a better world. This is made possible by all of us. Together. Thank you for your tremendous investment of time, talent and resources in Gonzaga University, and for your heartfelt care of our students and this extraordinary educational enterprise. Gonzaga will shape the world for a better future. Together. We are Zags. All part of the same team. Because of you, Gonzaga Will.
WWW.GONZAGA.EDU/STRATEGIC PLAN Office of the President | 502 E. Boone Ave, Spokane, WA 99258-0087