Building a stronger
Westminster A STRATEGIC PLAN: 2018-2027
By ELIZABETH FONTAINE HILDEBRAND ’92
More and more, colleges like Westminster are finding themselves in the middle of a highly competitive arena surrounded by other institutions with the same charge: continue to attract quality students and faculty, cultivate donors and friends, and increase name recognition. Westminster’s new strategic plan—adopted by the Board of Trustees on May 11—will guide operations over the next nine years and will enhance the complete Westminster experience. Infused throughout the plan’s key strategic priorities—which are succinct, comprehensive and reflective of the College’s mission statement—are the three distinct cornerstones of a Westminster education: collaboration, experiential learning and student success.
Priority 1: Recruit and Retain Students Improving recruitment and retention strategies—a challenge facing many higher education institutions today—is the first priority of the 2018-2027 Strategic Plan. Domestic applicant numbers are on the rise—this year, more than 3,100 applications for the fall semester were processed—but according to Dr. Thomas H. Stein, vice president for enrollment, it is necessary for Westminster to reach beyond its Pennsylvania borders to increase student enrollment.
Over the past three years, the Westminster admission team has been tightening its focus on the student pools in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. This year, with the addition of another staff member, they were able to amp up their recruiting efforts in those areas, redirect some attention back to New Jersey and the Philadelphia area, and add high school visits and college fair events in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia to their lists. “The extra staffing is a major step in the right direction for customer service and for making high school visits and participating in college fairs,” said Stein. The office will soon add a regional recruiter to focus solely on the Florida and Georgia regions, and they are currently looking to extend their reach into Illinois, central Ohio, and Connecticut.
W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 3
