Office of the President

Dottie King, President of SMWC

Identity, Mission and Strategic Planning

You may have recently received communications from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College asking you to participate in the process of revising our Mission Statement. This is part of a larger effort which will move the College forward in a strong strategic direction. I would like to outline the full scope of this process and give you information about the future activities.

Who Are We?

This is an important question and the answer is one that most of us can recite. On our website and in relevant printed documents we will display our Statement of Identity. It is as follows:

Statement of Identity

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, the nation’s oldest Catholic liberal arts college for women, was founded in 1840 by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and the Sisters of Providence. Today, the distance and graduate programs serve both women and men, while the undergraduate campus program maintains its historic commitment to women. The College continues to be sponsored by the Sisters of Providence.

What Is Important To Us?

The articulation of a Values Statement provides the opportunity to define the core values of the institution and to focus on our distinguishing characteristics. The Mission Statement Task Force recently used the 14 focus groups to identify and communicate our shared values.

Values Statement

In our relationships and all that we do, we will demonstrate a commitment to the spirit of the Sisters of Providence and to these values:

• Excellence
• Integrity
• Community
• Knowledge
• Diversity
• Justice

Next Steps

The next steps in the process will be to approve one of the mission statements and then to move forward with the creation of Vision Statements. The Vision Statement for the undergraduate campus program will focus on the unique opportunities for and needs of women, for example.

Once the Vision Statements are crafted, the strategic plans to achieve the mission and vision will be added. At this level, there will be timelines, metrics and areas of accountability.

As you can see, there is much work ahead for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College! Thank you for your ongoing love of and support for the College and its future. Together, we are creating a future that gives honor to our legacy and that is full of promise.

Dottie L. King, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College