MLS Strategic Plan

STRATEGIC PLAN 2023-2025

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

(1 Peter 2:9)

Dear MLS Family,

To have a clear purpose is both defining and empowering.

To be chosen to carry out that purpose is both humbling and equipping.

Michigan Lutheran Seminary has both a clear purpose and a clear call to carry out that purpose. We have been given the task of encouraging and equipping high school students for the public ministry of the gospel. Through the church, the Lord has called us to do that important work trusting that he will bless the good works that he has prepared in advance for us to do. That is a powerful combination.

The theme of our strategic plan - Chosen People, Special Purpose - is taken from St. Peter’s first letter, chapter 2. It is there that the inspired apostle clearly defines all Christians’ status before God as chosen people and clearly gives us the purpose of that status, to declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.

This strategic plan - Chosen People, Special Purpose - aims to more precisely define how we want to accomplish that purpose for the next three years. It is presented to you with the confidence that we have been chosen by God to carry out a special purpose at this time in our school’s history. With five key goals we seek the Lord’s blessing to strengthen the ministry of Michigan Lutheran Seminary, so that we might be a blessing to the ministry of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

The Lord does not need our plans; the world is his and everything in it. The need is entirely ours; ours to be directed by his Word, ours to be strengthened by his gospel for the task that lies before us, and ours to be blessed in these plans as he sees fit to bless them. Therefore, our confidence does not lie in the plans we have developed, but in the Lord who has chosen us to be his very own and has given us a special purpose to carry out his plan of saving souls.

In that light and with that confidence, we present this plan to our Lord and ask him to bless it for the sake of his name and for the blessing of his chosen people.

Loving and serving Him,

Mark Luetzow, Michigan Lutheran Seminary President

Mission & Vision

Mission Vision

The special purpose of Michigan Lutheran Seminary is to prepare high school students for the public ministry of the gospel, encouraging them to enroll in the WELS College of Ministry, Martin Luther College.

Michigan Lutheran Seminary cultivates a culture of ministry encouragement to educate and equip students with the gospel, empowering them to live as God’s chosen people and to declare his praises.

BACKGROUND

Michigan Lutheran Seminary (MLS) regularly maintains accreditation through the WELS School Accreditation (WELSSA) process. The most recent cycle was completed in 2019 with accreditation granted through the 2024-25 school year. Two key recommendations identified by the visiting WELSSA team during this process suggested that MLS develop a short-term, one to three-year strategic plan and a master site plan. Early in the 2021-22 school year, the MLS Governing Board engaged Credo, an education consulting firm focused on strategy and student success, to address these recommendations and identify a course of action.

The Credo report was submitted to the MLS Governing Board in November 2021. The report proposed a two-phase process for development of a strategic plan, followed by a three-phase process for development of a master site plan for completion by the end of the 2021-22 school year. While the Credo proposal was favorably received, the MLS board and administration continued to investigate other options. In the end, MLS extended a call that was accepted by retiring professor Steven Thiesfeldt of Martin Luther College to fill a vacant vice president position and lead the strategic planning process during the 2022-23 school year.

The work of developing a short-term strategic plan for MLS began with a faculty brainstorming session at its October 2022 faculty meeting. The goal of the exercise was to identify a list of strategic issues under the categories for the ten WELSSA standards:

1. Mission, Vision, and Objectives

2. School and its Relationships (student families, community, MLS Foundation, Governing Board/BME/WELS)

3. Climate (general relationships and atmosphere among parents, faculty/staff, and students)

4. Governance and Administration (day to day operation of the school)

5. Professional Personnel (called and non-called workers, professional growth, workload)

6. Curriculum (all courses, activities, programs, and experiences offered students)

7. Instructional Process (curricular implementation, materials and resources)

8. Student Services (extracurricular activities, guidance, health and safety, food service)

9. Physical Facilities (size, utility, general maintenance, cleaning, safety and crisis management)

10. Planning and Information Management (strategic planning, opportunity for input, data management, finance, accreditation)

Once the faculty identified a list of strategic issues, the list was used to develop a comprehensive constituent survey that was shared with students, parents, faculty, staff, board members, and alumni during the month of December 2022. Over 300 individual responses were received as a result of the survey, providing valuable input that could be used by the administration for the development of the strategic plan. Various other reports and studies pertinent to the task at hand were identified and enlisted as resources.

The MLS Coordinating Council, composed of the leaders for each administrative service area of the campus and a faculty representative, served as the steering committee for the development of the plan. An off campus leadership retreat was held on June 27-29, 2023. A highly collaborative process led to completion of the document that follows, and a plan to elicit feedback from faculty, staff, and secure Governing Board approval was devised. The 2023 WELS Convention, hosted by Michigan Lutheran Seminary, served as the public debut of the document. Soli Deo gloria!

Our Goals

Chosen by God for the special purpose of declaring his praises, we strive to...

1. Maximize the efficient use of human resources through a careful and thoughtful review of our administrative structure.

2. Develop a master site plan that maximizes use of current space, allows for future enhancements, and provides the facilities necessary for effectively educating a high school student in the 21st century.

3. Improve internal and external communication by coordinating existing resources and utilizing available technology tools.

4. Refine campus goals for excellence in academic and extracurricular offerings.

5. Enhance current admissions efforts for matriculation of incoming students, retention of current students, and encouragement to continue preparation for the public ministry of the gospel beyond MLS.

Goal 1: Mission Support

Maximize the efficient use of human resources through a careful and thoughtful review of our administrative structure.

Initiatives to support goal one:

1. Review the roles, responsibilities, and reporting structure for the areas of human resources, campus environment, and technology.

2. Review the role of administrative support and workflow across the campus.

3. Consider expansion of the MLS mission advancement effort, and enhance that effort through coordination with the MLS Foundation.

4. Update the organizational chart, including a review of positional titles (manager, supervisor, director, etc.) and committee roles.

Goal 2: Facilities Enhancement

Develop a master site plan that maximizes use of current space, allows for future enhancements, and provides the facilities necessary for effectively educating a high school student in the 21st century.

Initiatives to support goal two:

1. Partnering with WELS, engage a consultant to develop the master site plan.

2. Complete the campus mapping project initiated during the spring of 2023.

3. Develop a prioritized list of proposed projects and determine their feasibility.

4. Allocate funds available for projects identified through the site planning process.

5. Partner with the WELS Ministry of Christian Giving and the MLS Foundation to raise funds for planned projects.

6. Partner with WELS to identify potential funding partners.

Goal 3: Communication Coordination

Improve internal and external communication by coordinating existing resources and utilizing available technology tools.

Initiatives to support goal three:

1. Consider allocation of appropriate personnel and appointment of a director of communication.

2. Update the internal and external communication plan and train MLS stakeholders.

3. Streamline internal communication among faculty and staff and consider a regular newsletter to support and enhance the effort.

Goal 4: Student Growth

Refine campus goals for excellence in academic and extracurricular offerings.

Initiatives to support goal four:

1. Systematically review all curricular offerings.

2. Systematically review all extracurricular offerings.

3. Establish broad and cohesive standards for student assessment, incorporating appropriate standardized metrics.

Goal 5: Ministry Encouragement

Enhance current admissions efforts for matriculation of incoming students, retention of current students, and encouragement to continue preparation for the public ministry of the gospel beyond MLS. Initiatives to support goal five: