University Strategic Planning Group (USPG)

Strategic Plan 2015-2020, Promise and Prominence

Our Envisioned Future

John Carroll University’s promise is to develop the intellect, character, leadership, and service potential of every one of our students so that they will become the thought leaders, change agents, community builders, and ethical thinkers needed in the 21st century. To keep this promise, we must enhance the prominence of our University.

Our prominence will be achieved by aligning mission-driven initiatives with market-driven demands. John Carroll will increase its competitiveness to expand our geographic reach, enrollment, fiscal resources, partnerships, and philanthropic gifts.

We commit to the primacy of academic program quality and to curricular innovation and relevance. We will not compete on prestige or price alone. Instead, we will focus on value— providing the most exciting, challenging, holistic education available—and on values— sustaining the timeless ideals upon which this University is built.

John Carroll’s compact with its students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends is grounded in its Jesuit Catholic vision, mission, and core values. Embracing these, we will work in the next five years to achieve three goals. Each goal, as it is realized, will broaden opportunities for our students and increase their capacity to become engaged world citizens within a distinctly Ignatian framework.

• Academic Excellence for Student Learning and Success animates the Ignatian traditions of intellectual rigor, local and global citizenship, and support for student learning and well-being.
• Faith That Does Justice charges the University to address social challenges facing our local and global communities through the Ignatian model of reflection and action.
• Engaged Campus Community challenges us to sustain a dynamic and collaborative workplace by embracing the Ignatian ideal of Magis, the greater good.

Our goals accomplished, we keep our promise to our students. And John Carroll students will realize their promise in the world.

Goals and Objectives

True to our heritage, reflective of our history and values, and high in aspiration, this strategic plan is also pragmatic and realistic, directed toward securing John Carroll’s future and meant to raise our reputation. It will make us stronger, not only because additional resources enrich student learning, but also because John Carroll University and its graduates are part of the Cleveland community and the national and global communities, and we are needed.

Goal 1

Academic Excellence For Student Learning And Success

John Carroll University will achieve greater regional and national recognition as a leader in liberal education and be known for developing superior critical competencies through a challenging integrative core curriculum, innovative curricular programs, and cross-campus support for student learning. Informed by Ignatian traditions of welleducated solidarity, holistic care for the person, and openness to the challenges of the world, Goal One will be achieved through these objectives:

1. Integrative Curriculum: Implement the integrative core curriculum as a foundation for personal and professional success.
2. Distinctive Programs: Develop and enhance distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs that attract external recognition, increase enrollment, and produce graduates who will benefit our region and beyond.
3. Investment in Faculty: Invest in teacher-scholars to strengthen programs that enhance John Carroll University’s academic reputation.
4. Experiential Education: Increase opportunities to engage in experiential learning programs through campus-based initiatives and local and global partnerships that prepare students for 21st century careers.
5. Student Thriving: Increase student engagement to improve student persistence, on- time degree completion, personal growth, and professional preparation and advancement.

Goal 2

Faith That Does Justice

Rooted in the gospels and inspired by Catholic social teaching and the Jesuit tradition of being women and men for and with others, John Carroll University will be recognized for its work in faith development, interreligious dialogue, a commitment to solidarity with those who are poor and the marginalized, a curricular emphasis on social justice and global citizenship, and an operative principle of inclusive excellence. We will meet the following objectives:

1. Jesuit Catholic Values: Deepen the University’s commitment to peace, justice, and sustainability
2. Ignatian Pedagogy: Integrate an Ignatian Pedagogy of experience, reflection and action more fully into the student learning experience and across the broader campus community.
3. Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue: Enable all members of the University community to explore, deepen, and share their faith or worldview in dialogue with people of all cultural and faith backgrounds.
4. Inclusive Excellence: Improve the diversity of the faculty, staff, and student body and promote a culture of inclusive excellence.

Goal 3

Engaged Campus Community

John Carroll will nurture a dynamic, collaborative and future-oriented institutional culture predicated on student, faculty, staff and alumni engagement to achieve operational excellence and competitiveness. Building on the Ignatian ideal of Magis, the greater good, we will achieve the following objectives:

1. Individual Well-Being: Advance the well-being of all full-time and part-time faculty and staff through enhanced work-life policies, communitybuilding, and professional development.
2. Integrated Planning: Create, support, and sustain an integrated planning and budgeting process that aligns institutional resources with strategic priorities.
3. Continuous Improvement: Advance a culture of mission-centered and data-informed decision making for institutional improvement.
4. Enhanced Technology: Improve strategic use of technology to ensure excellence in all academic and administrative processes.
5. Improved Collaboration: Establish dynamic organizational and governance structures, collaborative leadership, enhanced communication, and decision-making across all stakeholders of the University.
6. Strategic Alliances: Pursue strategic alliances with local and global partners to enhance the University’s reputation in the region and the world.

Past Versions

Strategic Plan 2015-2020, Promise and Prominence ————————————

Draft of Strategic Plan, November 2015 Survey – open until November 17, 2015 ————————————-

Draft of Strategic Plan, September 2015.

Draft of Strategic Plan, June 2015.

Survey – open until September 16, 2015

USPG Membership

last updated August 23, 2023

Group Leadership

Representative Members

Appointed Positions

• Downloadable Version of the Plan (Goals and Objectives)
• Summary of 2015-2016 Activity
• Intended Tactics for 2016-2017
• Accomplishments of 2016-2017
• All Tactics for 2017-2018
• Tactical Initiatives for 2017-2018
• Fall 2017 Monitoring Report
• Spring 2018 Monitoring Report
• All Tactics for 2018-2019
• Community Meeting Spring 2018 (included Tactical Initiatives for 2018-2019)
• Fall 2018 Monitoring Report
• Spring 2019 Monitoring Report and Graphic Summary
• All Tactics for 2019-2020
• Fall 2019 Monitoring Report
• Spring 2020 Monitoring Report and Graphic Summary
• Final Evaluation

Fall 2022 Meeting: 

October 13, 8:30 am - 10:00 am in LSC Conference Room (LC 37): Agenda

Spring 2023 Meetings: 

January 19, 8:30 am - 10:00 am in LSC Conference Room (LC 37): Agenda

April 20, 8:00 am - 10:00 am in LSC Conference Room (LC 37): Agenda

Fall 2021 – Spring 2022 Meetings (9:00 a.m. in the LSC Conference Room unless otherwise noted)

Minutes are available in the JCU Faculty and Staff Shared Drive.

Meeting Materials

Fall 2020 – Spring 2021 Meetings (9:00 a.m. via Zoom unless otherwise noted)

Minutes are available in the JCU Faculty and Staff Shared Drive.

Meeting Materials

Fall 2019 – Spring 2020 Meetings 

Minutes are available in the JCU Faculty and Staff Shared Drive.

Fall 2018 – Spring 2019 Meetings (8:30 a.m. in the LSC Conference Room unless otherwise noted)

Minutes are available in the JCU Faculty and Staff Shared Drive.

Fall 2017 – Spring 2018 Meetings (8:30 a.m. in the LSC Conference Room)

Minutes are available in the JCU Faculty and Staff Shared Drive.

Spring 2017 

Meetings

February 9                        Goal Groups February 23                      LSC Conference Room March 23                           LSC Conference Room April 6                               Steering Committee April 20                             LSC Conference Room

Additional meetings to be determined

Fall 2016 

Date Location

September 1 LSC Conference Room

September 8 CANCELED

September 15 LSC Conference Room

September 22 Dolan A202/203 

September 29 LSC Conference Room

October 6 Goal Groups

October 13 Goal Groups

October 20 Goal Groups

October 27 Goal Groups 

November 3 CANCELED

November 10 CANCELED

November 17 LSC Conference Room

December 1 Goal Groups

December 8 CANCELED

December 15 CANCELED

Spring 2016 Meetings (8:00 a.m. in the LSC Conference Room)

January 21 – Jardine Room

January 28 – Jardine Room

February 11 – Goal Group Discussions

February 18 – Goal Group Discussions

March 10

March 17 – Goal Group Discussions

March 31 – Steering Committee

April 7 – Steering Committee

April 14 – Jardine Room

April 21 – Goal Group Discussions

April 28 – Steering Committee

May 5

The USPG will lead the design and development of the strategic plan for the institution and is responsible for promoting and instilling a planning ethos across the University. The USPG will work collaboratively with the University Budget Advisory Committee and create information alignment and communication linkages with other University committees in an effort to assimilate and present strategic concerns and initiatives to the president and the campus community as a whole.