| Rosemont College's Board of Trustees Approves Strategic Plan May 30, 2008 On May 30, the Board of Trustees of Rosemont College approved a Strategic Plan which will emphasize and expand the College's enrollment, programs, and reputation by embracing co-education, partnerships, and online education. The approved Plan proposes that the College will open its doors at the undergraduate level to all interested and qualified women and men in the fall of 2009, unifying the College's three schools and expanding the College's mission of being a 'community of learners'. In addition to changes on the undergraduate level, the approved Plan proposes major changes in the Schools of Graduate and Professional Studies, specifically expanding online degrees. The unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees, of which 38 percent are alumni and 25 percent are members of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ), the College's sponsoring religious congregation, comes after more than 15-months of study, research, discussion, and deliberation involving all constituents of the College's community, including trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends. In the spring of 2007, the Board of Trustees engaged a consultant to lead a strategic planning initiative with one straightforward goal: the development of a shared vision and strategic agenda for the institution's future. The process presented the College community with an opportunity to respond to higher education environmental challenges and to explore all possible avenues to enhance Rosemont's academic, spiritual, and financial well-being. The College evaluated its strengths, analyzed its financial position, researched its markets, solicited input from all campus constituents, and studied the experiences of other women's colleges which have also examined the viability of single-sex education in the United States. Research concluded in February, 2008 and the findings are the basis of the plan which was presented for consideration at a meeting of the Board of Trustees this past weekend. Goals of the Strategic Plan:
"At the beginning of this process, and in many cases throughout the process, the majority of those involved did not want Rosemont to become co-ed at the undergraduate level, myself included, though we have been co-ed at the graduate level and in our professional studies programs for more than 20 years," said Ron Remick, Ph.D., Chair, Board of Trustees. "We all have been great proponents of the Undergraduate Women's College and we know, understand, and value the merits of an all-women's education; however, through our analysis, research, and evaluation we learned that Rosemont cannot continue to be viable as a Catholic single-sex college at the undergraduate level. What we did learn was that Rosemont can be viable and thrive by continuing to deliver its unique brand of education, focused on the individual student, and that its community of trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends will continue to celebrate the dignity and richness of each person." Rosemont College was founded in 1921 by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ). From the institution's early days through the present, the SHCJ foundress Cornelia Connelly has been a driving force behind Rosemont's charge to educate students "to meet the wants of the age," which has been an integral part of the growth of the College. Over the years the College has evolved to "meet the wants of the age" by developing as one college with three schools: the Undergraduate Women's College (UWC) and the Schools of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS). While the UWC has remained single-sex, the SGPS programs have enrolled both men and women since their inception in the mid-1980s. Ann Myhr, president of Rosemont's Alumni Association Board of Directors, said that most of the alumni are in favor of the plan. "As we fully expected, we have had some alums who are disappointed that Rosemont will no longer be all-women's at the undergraduate level," she said. "However, once they take the time to review the entire Plan and to grasp the reality of today's educational environment, most say, 'OK, it is a good plan and will move the College forward.'" "Rosemont is, and continues to be, the world's only Catholic college offering Cornelia Connelly's 'solid education' with holistic development, individual attention to talents, and with excellence and joy," said President Sharon Latchaw Hirsh, Ph.D. "The Strategic Plan gives Rosemont the opportunity to expand the College in enrollment, programs, and reputation by embracing co-education, partnerships, and online education. Rosemont is ready to 'meet the wants of the age'." "Today," Hirsh said, "we band together and move our beloved College into a healthy, bright, and mission driven future. Together, we shall expand the College 'to meet the wants of the age'." Founded in 1921 by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Rosemont College is an independent liberal arts institution in the Catholic tradition located on the Main Line, 11 miles west of Philadelphia, on the border of Montgomery and Delaware Counties. The nationally-acclaimed, traditional Undergraduate College confers B.A., B.S. and B.F.A. degrees in twenty-one majors. Rosemont College also includes the Schools of Graduate and Professional Studies, which are open to both women and men. For more information, visit www.rosemont.edu. |
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