Preferred Shared Vision

February 14, 2013
Vision Conference Participants
61 Participants

In the final activity of the Vision Conference, the participants divided into ten groups — this time combining various stakeholder types in each group — to created "Preferred Shared Visions for the Future of Albertus Magnus College." The participants were asked to imagine that they are all back in the Behan Community Room five years hence to celebrate the successes and achievements of the College over the prior five years, and answer the following questions as if they had already occurred:  
  1. What are the signature academic programs we offer (including programs developed in the last five years)? What role does technology play with respect to our academic programs?
  2. What does the student experience (Traditional and Adult) look like? Feel like? What has changed?
  3. Regarding our physical plant, what improvements have we made? What technology investments have we made?
  4. What is the sense of community like on our campus? What relationships do we have with the larger community and other organizations?
  5. When people hear the name, Albertus Magnus, what do they say?  How did we tell our story and make people familiar with our “brand.” What changed in order for us to be so well known?
  6. Regarding our financial health, what is our situation now?  What did we do to insure our financial stability? What concrete measures did we take to make Albertus Magnus College more affordable?
Each group was then asked to work with another group to combine results and select the top responses to each question. 

Group 1
  1. What are the signature academic programs we offer (including programs developed in the last five years)? What role does technology play with respect to our academic programs? 
  • Study Abroad 
  • Degrees in the helping professions (i.e. social work, counseling, STEM) 
  • Blended rhythm with all courses 
  • Increased resources

  1. What does the student experience (Traditional and Adult) look like/feel like?  What has changed?


  • Streamline procedures

  • Strengthen student connection to Albertus (school pride)

  • Fostering academically, socially and globally engaged students


  1. Regarding our physical plant, what improvements have we made?  What technology investments have we made?


  • Updating/renovations of buildings

  • Universal ID cards

  • Tablets


  1. What is the sense of community like on our campus?  What relationships do we have with the larger community and other organizations?


  • Better communication internally/externally

  • Recognition of service and accomplishments

  • All campus convocation


  1. When people hear the name, Albertus Magnus, what do they say?  How did we tell our story and make people familiar with our “brand?”  What changed in order for us to be so well known?


  • Holistic education

  • Staying cutting edge while maintaining identity

  • Making tough decisions


  1. Regarding our financial health, what is our situation now?  What did we do to insure our financial stability?  What concrete measures did we take to make Albertus Magnus College more affordable?


  • Grants

  • Upgrades/investment in physical plant (green construction)

  • Growing endowment

  • Corporate/Tech/Org Partnership


Group 2

  1. What are the signature academic programs we offer (including programs developed in the last five years)? What role does technology play with respect to our academic programs?


  • High Tech/High Touch

  • Liberal Arts Core & Relevant to the workplace


  1. What does the student experience (Traditional and Adult) look like/feel like?  What has changed?


  1. Regarding our physical plant, what improvements have we made?  What technology investments have we made?


  • Renovate and/or improve existing facilities

  • Metrics in everything


  1. What is the sense of community like on our campus?  What relationships do we have with the larger community and other organizations?


  • Strengthen internal community supported by technology


  1. When people hear the name, Albertus Magnus, what do they say?  How did we tell our story and make people familiar with our “brand?”  What changed in order for us to be so well known?


  • More connected to our external community- jobs, experiential learning, volunteerism, sponsorship


  1. Regarding our financial health, what is our situation now?  What did we do to insure our financial stability?  What concrete measures did we take to make Albertus Magnus College more affordable?


  • Increasing/new sources of revenue (philanthropy, grants, corporate foundations)



Group 3

  1. What are the signature academic programs we offer (including programs developed in the last five years)? What role does technology play with respect to our academic programs?

  • Follow the mission statement while offering programs that facilitate a service orientation


  1. What does the student experience (Traditional and Adult) look like/feel like?  What has changed?


  • Reinvention of campus facilities reinvention of campus as destination place for internal and external audience.  Year round.

  • Transform campus center into student center

  • Dormitories

  • Aquinas Classrooms

  • ACT II theatre

  • Dining options

  • Sports facilities



Group 4

  1. What are the signature academic programs we offer (including programs developed in the last five years)? What role does technology play with respect to our academic programs?

  • Underscore Liberal Arts focus with travel abroad options, tech-blended (maintain face-to-face); summer courses (shorten total time to graduation, increase options); utilized labor statistics local and national, to anticipate the needs for academic programs.


  1. What does the student experience (Traditional and Adult) look like/feel like?  What has changed?


  • Services available for both traditional and adult (when not cost-prohibitive)


  1. Regarding our physical plant, what improvements have we made?  What technology investments have we made?


  • Build multi-use spaces for students' collaborative learning, expanding on college-as-place and extending the learning commons beyond the walls of Rosary Hall


  1. What is the sense of community like on our campus?  What relationships do we have with the larger community and other organizations?


  • Online newspaper (constructed by entire community). Centralized community office


  1. When people hear the name, Albertus Magnus, what do they say?  How did we tell our story and make people familiar with our “brand?”  What changed in order for us to be so well known?


  • Identify multiple needs of certain segments of population (using data). Leverage social media networks to target our story to targeted market segments


  1. Regarding our financial health, what is our situation now?  What did we do to insure our financial stability?  What concrete measures did we take to make Albertus Magnus College more affordable?


  • Grant writing, corporate / community partnerships


Group 5
  1. What are the signature academic programs we offer (including programs developed in the last five years)? What role does technology play with respect to our academic programs?
  • Ranges of Programs
    • Liberal arts core
    • Mental health / counseling 
    • Business management / leadership
    • Teaching, including early childhood
    • Five-Year BA/MA Programs
  • Technology

      • Tablet-driven and mobile

      • One-click shopping


  1. What does the student experience (Traditional and Adult) look like/feel like?  What has changed?


  • "Pride" and Belonging

  • Experiential, career, community

  • Internships

  • Community engagement / volunteering

  • Faculty-student collaboration


  1. Regarding our physical plant, what improvements have we made?  What technology investments have we made?


  • "State of the art" academic buildings, including HVAC

  • Vibrant student center and renovated theater

  • Central green space including student gathering places and landscaped plantings


  1. What is the sense of community like on our campus?  What relationships do we have with the larger community and other organizations?


  • Active in community (outreach, partnerships: with schools, agencies, businesses)

  • More visitors (lecturers, performers, business partners, schools) = open mental gates

  • New child care facility (used by students and staff -- also internships)


  1. When people hear the name, Albertus Magnus, what do they say?  How did we tell our story and make people familiar with our “brand?”  What changed in order for us to be so well known?


  • A small liberal arts college where you get cared about, have meaningful relationships with faculty ad find a career identity

  • They have some innovative programs

  • Better known due to outreach / partnerships

  • One clear marketing plan


  1. Regarding our financial health, what is our situation now?  What did we do to insure our financial stability?  What concrete measures did we take to make Albertus Magnus College more affordable?


  • Still tuition-driven

  • More students and partnerships (grants) make the picture brighter

  • Endowment has grown enough to help incubate new programs