In 2009, we set out to chart a course that would build on generations of success and position the University to thrive in the modern higher education landscape.
We worked together, seeking input from hundreds of alumni, students, faculty, staff, and trustees, to craft a bold new plan for the University. Guided by five principles, we built on our strengths as a liberal arts university to craft an educational experience that takes advantage of the University’s unique configuration and offers students the best preparation to live lives of purpose, thoughtful inquiry, and responsible leadership. We renewed our commitment to being a place of opportunity for people of all backgrounds. We rededicated ourselves to meaningful engagement in our local and global communities.
We aspired to create a learning environment unlike any other.
We identified goals, tactics, and measures of success, as any good plan should. But we also intentionally left room for possibilities we couldn’t yet dream of and placed our attention on giving faculty, students, and staff a framework for testing the limits of their imaginations.
Five years later, it’s time to reflect and consider where we started, the ways in which The Richmond Promise has helped move the University forward, and how the institution is poised for the future.