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PRESS RELEASE

POWERED BY PURPOSE 2024 kickstarts a 10-year vision for lifelong learning, scholarly excellence and institutional efficiency

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – November 4, 2021 – ´óÏó´«Ã½ (´óÏó´«Ã½) today launched a new strategic plan focused on academics, industry, and communities. The 10-year master strategic plan, known as the Powered By series, features three components spanning that time frame. The first phase of the series — POWERED BY PURPOSE 2024 — showcases an educational experience that is rooted in excellence. The plan was unveiled earlier today during Chancellor Mim L. Runey’s LP.D. annual address.

“Today, we launch the next decade of growth and opportunity at ´óÏó´«Ã½ for our students and the industries that we serve,” said Chancellor Mim L. Runey, LP.D. “Our strategic, 10-year vision, starting with PURPOSE 2024, builds upon past strategic plans and sets clear goals for the future to ensure that we attract and retain well-regarded faculty and staff, recruit high-performing and ambitious students, and promote a culture across the university that takes pride in fostering student success, scholarly excellence, and institutional efficiency. As we emerge from the global pandemic, this is the perfect time for us to look forward and set new goals to position ´óÏó´«Ã½ for a stronger and more vibrant future in the rapidly changing higher education landscape.”

 Through PURPOSE 2024, ´óÏó´«Ã½ strives to:

• Elevate academic excellence and ´óÏó´«Ã½’s standing as a comprehensive university.
• Embrace and celebrate a teacher-scholar approach to engage learning and to further advance the university’s reputation as an academic center of excellence.
• Accelerate student success through the strengthening and expansion of student support systems directly linked to the academic, social and wellness needs of today’s students.
• Further strengthen ties to industries with partnerships, internships and professional studies programming.
• Maintain a strong and stable operational and strategic foundation that is fiscally responsible and values the diversity and contributions of every member of the community.
• Be accountable for achieving goals through a strong system of accountability that recognizes and celebrates performance excellence and outstanding results.

In the first marquee initiative of PURPOSE 2024, the university announced a deliberate repositioning of the College of Online Education as the ´óÏó´«Ã½ . As demand for online learning soars, this shift enables increased access to high-quality, affordable higher education, while also expanding into new service areas. Through the College of Professional Studies, the university will offer 100% online undergraduate and graduate degrees, develop a professional training division, and streamline admission and advising support for on-ground graduate students in Providence. Newly enrolled and current continuing education students can currently access on-ground evening courses through the spring, with the full transition to online delivery taking place in Fall 2022. 

“´óÏó´«Ã½ prides itself on being a pioneer in online education, “said Cindy Parker, Ed.D., Vice President, College of Professional Studies. “Over the years, we have seen firsthand the impact purpose-driven education and training has on the lives and livelihoods of working adults. By furthering our commitment to flexible online learning, CPS will help countless students reach their goals and achieve success, which will positively reverberate through communities both near and far.” 

PURPOSE 2024 follows and builds upon the FOCUS 2022 strategic plan which helped ´óÏó´«Ã½ evolve from a world leader in culinary and hospitality education to a dynamic institution offering academic opportunities in a wide breadth of industry-relevant disciplines. ´óÏó´«Ã½ made progress on the goals outlined in FOCUS 2022; notably, the university:

Developed an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to allow students to explore and navigate careers.

• Realized significant growth in graduate level program offerings and online education enrollments.
• Recruited its most diverse faculty class in the university’s history.
• Launched a landmark college, the College of Food Innovation & Technology (CFIT) to take food education to the next level.

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Board of Trustees voted to approve this strategic plan during its Annual Meeting. Continuous feedback from faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni throughout the pandemic helped inform the university’s direction and planning for PURPOSE 2024. To learn more about the work guiding the university over the next three years, please visit: www.jwu.edu/purpose2024.