Smith’s New Strategic Plan

February 17, 2017

Dear Staff and Faculty:

Each of you will soon be receiving the published version of the Smith College strategic plan.

Lives of Distinction and Purpose: A Plan for Smith is the culmination of two years of work on the part of so many members of the Smith community—students, staff, faculty, trustees and alumnae. As you know, we began the planning process with a call for proposals in February 2015. From the nearly 200 proposals submitted, we identified common themes, convened working groups, drafted a preliminary set of strategic directions, and reviewed and refined these based on feedback from the community. The faculty, staff and students who served on the Committee on Mission and Priorities from 2014–17 were key partners at every stage of the planning process.

I am grateful for the insight and leadership that Smith staff and faculty brought to this process. The plan will align our decision making under five strategic themes—face-to face education; inclusion diversity and equity; experiential and applied opportunities; emerging fields, methods and pedagogies; and complex, urgent problems. It will provide us with a framework to consider and act upon new opportunities as they emerge. I am confident the result of our work—and of this plan—will be a stronger Smith.

Kathleen McCartney
President