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CREATINGPATHWAYSTOEXCELLENCE:THEPLANFORSKIDMORECOLLEGE2015‐2025

OURCHALLENGE–ANDOUROPPORTUNITY–ISTOCREATEANDEMBRACEAVISIONOFSKIDMORECOLLEGE2025THATISATONCEDISTINCTIVE,COMPETITIVE,GROUNDEDINSKIDMORE’SPARTICULAREXPRESSIONOFTHEVALUESOFLIBERALEDUCATION,ANDACHIEVABLE.Becauseofthebreadth,depth,andinterconnectednessofouracademicandco‐curricularprograms, thewayswe teach in them,andhowweencourageourstudents to findtheirownpathsthroughourcurriculum,theCollegeiswellpositionedtoseizethisopportunity.

We begin by reaffirming our commitment to the fundamental principles of liberaleducationasrealizedinaresidentialliberalartscollege,1whileacknowledgingtheneedtorefineandrefreshSkidmore’sdistinctiveexpressionofthosevaluesinwaysthatbestmeettheneedsofourstudentsinthe21stCentury. The time‐honoredoutcomesofahighqualityliberaleducationincludeintellectualfreedomandcourage,acriticalandanalyticaldisposition,the humility required to know that even one’s most deeply held beliefs might meritreexamination,theabilitytoidentifyandchallengeentrenchedassumptions,towriteandthinkcogently,topresentone’sviewseffectivelyandpersuasivelyorallyandinotherways,toaccessdifferent modes of knowing, to develop new insights through both empirical research andconceptualexploration,andexpandingone’sculturalhorizonsandself‐knowledge.Atthesametime, just as Scribner Library has changed from a repository of books into a dramaticallydifferentworkspace that integratesprint resourceswith thenewdigitaluniverseof researchandlearning,sotooarewecommittedtodevelopandimplementnewandcreativepedagogiesandcurriculathatwillsupportourtransitiontoatechnology‐richcollege.Doingsowillenableour students to take best advantage of the opportunities for learning available to thembothhere and in their post‐Skidmore lives. It also acknowledges the fact that our studentsincreasinglycometoushavingexperiencednewformsoftechnologicallyenhancedlearningintheirprimaryandsecondaryschools–learningexperiencesthatwemustbepreparedtocreditandbuildupon.

Because the commitment to developing the above‐noted skills and habits of mind

representsthemostdirectexpressionofourcoreeducationalmission,weplaceitatthecenterofourplanning.Liberaleducationhaslongbeenregardedasthebestpreparationforalifeofprofessional success, civic engagement, and personal fulfillment. This realization holds trueevenmore today, especially given the rapidly changing and increasingly uncertainworldourgraduates will encounter – a world that, at the same time, abounds in unparalleledopportunities. Notsurprisingly,employers frequently identify thosesamevaluesas themostdesiredcharacteristicsofpersonstheymostwanttohire. Inshort, theeducationaloutcomesweseekareexpressedmostvividlyinthelivesofourgraduates.Theirprofessional,civic,andpersonalcontributionstothisworldrepresentaprimarymeasureoftheCollege’svalue.2

Weacknowledgethatrecommittingtoaneducationalprocessgroundedinthedistinctive

model of theAmerican liberal arts college stands in opposition tomany prevailing trends inbothhighereducationandinoursocietywritlarge.3Nevertheless,wepersistinbelievingthat

1SeeEngagedLiberalLearning:ThePlanforSkidmoreCollege2005‐2015,§B.“Skidmore’sDistinctiveIdentity–

theValuesofEngagedLiberalLearning,”pp.5‐11.2Amore specific and developed expression of these desired educational outcomes occurs in the “Goals for

StudentLearningandDevelopment”thatwereendorsedbythefaculty,whichisincludedbelowasAppendixI.3Examples of such trends include an increased emphasis on technical or vocationally‐oriented degree

programsandshort‐term“returnoninvestment,”decreasedrelianceonfull‐timetenuredandtenure‐trackfacultyinfavorofpart‐timeadjunctinstructors,thecreationofeconomicefficienciesthroughlargerclasses,distancelearningandotherformsoftechnologically‐mediatedinstruction,etc.

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students learn most dynamically and effectively within the setting of a residential collegecommunityfocusedonthedevelopmentalrequirementsofthetraditionalcollege‐agestudent–inanaestheticallyinspiringcampusenvironment;throughdirectface‐to‐faceinteractionswithteachers, mentors, and peers; within a rich web of academic and social support; withopportunitiesfordeepengagementwithideas;andafocusondevelopingskillsthatarecrucialto their future in ways that simply cannot be replicated in more impersonal educationalcontextsorovertheInternet.

OurachievementsundertheguidanceofthepreviousStrategicPlangiveusconfidencein

ourabilitytoattainnewlevelsofexcellence inteachingand learningandinmeetingthenewdemands of the environment in which we operate. This current Plan points the way toachieving these outcomes by setting out creative pathways to accomplish the four strategicgoalsthatareidentifiedbelow(p.7).ItcallsupontheentireSkidmorecommunitytobenimble,experimental, and imaginative in aligning our actions to ensure that our identification ofpriorities, allocation of resources, and direction of institutional energy support these broadobjectives.

Central tooureducationalenterprise is theworkofour facultyof teacher‐scholarswho

establishrelationshipswithourstudentsbuiltupontheirpersonalconcernforeverystudent’ssuccess.Ourfacultymembersalsodirectlycontributethroughtheirownresearchandcreativework,whichsustainstheircriticalrelationshiptothelargerscholarlycommunity,contributestothestoreofknowledge,andinturnenricheswhattheybringtoourstudentsintheclassroom,the lab,and thestudio. Indeed,our facultymembersare theheartbeatof the institution; theexcellenceofouracademicenterprisedependsdirectlyontheirskills,capacities,andfreedom.Today,professorsarecalledupontointeractwithourstudents,withtheircolleagues,withtheSkidmorecommunity,withtheirdisciplines,andwiththelargeracademyinevermorecomplexandimportantways–asteachers,scholars,leaders,rolemodels,andmentors.Wearemindfulthat traditional ways of teaching, producing scholarly and artistic work, and learning atSkidmoremaynolongersufficeintheTwenty‐FirstCentury.Asaresult,wemustbeproactiveand forward thinking in our approaches to the work of the faculty – supporting them inadoptingthemostpromisingnewpedagogicalpracticesandprovidingthenecessaryacademicleadershipintoday’sincreasinglymulticulturalandcomplexclassroom.

Theeducationalphilosophycentraltotheresidentialliberalartscollegeplacestheworkof teaching and learningwithin a largerdevelopmental framework that alsovalueswhatourstudentslearnthroughtheco‐curriculum–ontheathleticfield,inholdingleadershippositionsinclubsandorganizations,writingforstudentpublications,andthelike.Manydedicatedstaffmembersandadministratorsalsodirectlyassistourstudentsthroughcoaching,mentoring,andinteracting with them in other ways, supporting this nexus of curricular and co‐curricularlearning. Our alumni, parents, and students take justifiable pride in their affiliation withSkidmoreandsupportitsmultidimensionaleducationalmission.

AlthoughtheCollegehasbeenunder‐resourcedthroughoutourhistory–relativetoourachievements and, certainly, to our aspirations – Skidmore has made imaginative and boldinstitutionaldecisionsdespitetheiruncertaintyandrisk:forexample,movingfromouroriginalcampustoourpresentone,admittingmen,developingtheconceptofateachingmuseum,andenvisioningaCenter for IntegratedSciencesthatrepresentsthemostambitioussinglecapitalprojecttheCollegehaseverconceived.SuchchoiceshavemadetheCollegestrongernowthanit has ever been. Through effective portfolio management and the CreativeThought–BoldPromiseCampaign,ourendowmenthasmorethandoubledoverthepasttenyears(from$155million tonearly$322millionas of September30,2015); annual fundraisinghasdoubled aswell(from$10millionto$20‐25million).UnderthepreviousStrategicPlan,weincreasedthe

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size of the faculty and added programs in Neuroscience, Arts Administration, InternationalAffairs,IntergroupRelations,Chinese,Japanese,andmostrecentlyFilmandMediaStudies.Wegrew our applicant pool by more than 50% and dramatically improved both the academicpreparationanddiversityofourstudentbody,whichhaschangedourcommunityinprofoundways. The increasing numbers of applicants who seek admission to the College provideconcrete testimony to their perception of the educational value we offer. During this sameperiod, we completed over $200 million of facilities projects, including the NorthwoodsApartments,theZankelMusicCenter,andSussmanVillages,alongwithsubstantialrenovationstoScribnerLibrary,FileneHall,Murray‐AikinsDiningHall,StarbuckCenter,andWachenheimField. In sum, we have made significant progress in building the institutional capacitynecessarytoachievethenewlevelsofeducationalexcellenceweseek.

But becauseour collective imaginationwill alwaysoutpace available resources,wewill

continue to face difficult strategic choices. Economically, higher education as a whole hasmoved beyond a period of relative abundance in the 1980s and 1990s –when endowmentsgrewrapidly,demandfromprospectivestudentswashigh,andschoolscouldgainprestigeandattractmorestudentsbyraisingtheirpricesfasterthancompetitors–toatimeofsignificantlyconstrainedresources. Indeed,thisisaturbulenttimeforallcollegesanduniversities,oneinwhichthevaluesof liberaleducationreferencedaboveno longerautomaticallycommandthepublicesteemtheydidinthepast.Inmanyquarters,respectforlearningasanintrinsicvalueandtheroleofcolleges innurturingthevirtuesofcitizenshipandcivicengagementhasbeensupplantedby concernsabout economicaccess to a college education and the immediate jobprospectsofgraduates.TheseissuesarecertainlyimportantandwillcommandourcontinuingattentionamongtherangeofvaluesthatprovidereasonsforstudentstoattendtheCollege.Wehaveasignificantadvantageinourhistoricalcommitmenttoeducatingboth“mindandhand.”Onemanifestationofthiscommitmentisourdistinctivelybroadcurriculumthatincludessuchpre‐professionalprogramssuchasManagementandBusiness,SocialWork,ArtsAdministration,andEducation. The inclusionof suchprograms inour curriculumhelps to setusapart frommanycompetitor institutions. However,asnotedabove,weremaindeeplycommitted to theprinciples of liberal learning that Skidmore has long championed – values that are infusedwithinallthatwedo.

The residential liberal arts college does represent a labor‐intensive and per force aresource‐intensiveformofundergraduateeducation.Solongaswearecommittedtoattainingever‐higher standards of excellence in the context of this educational model, we will faceundiminishedpressuresfornewinvestments. Theincreasingchallengesfacingmanyfamiliesinpayingtheir“fair”shareoftherisingcostofacollegeeducationwillsignificantlyconstrainourcapacitytoraiseourcomprehensivefeeatratesthatwehaveseeninthepastandwilldriveanincreasingdependenceonfinancialaidtosupportanever‐greaterpercentageofourstudentbody.Moreover,thechangingdemographicsofournationentailthatfuturestudentpopulationswillbemarkedlydifferentfromthoseofthepast,andwewillfaceincreasingcompetitionfromotherschoolsseekingtoenrollessentiallythesamestudentsweseektorecruit.

Yet even in this increasingly complex and competitive setting, a select group of highly

valued residential liberal arts colleges will still be able to attract the students, faculty, staff,administrators,and financial resources theyrequire tochart theirowncourse inoffering thehighestqualityundergraduateeducation.Mostimportantly,theywillbeabletodosoontheirown terms, without compromising their basic educational values or mission. In order toachieveouraspirations, it isessentialthatwedoeverything inourpowertoensurethatSkidmore College is counted among this group of schools, as an acknowledged anddistinctiveleaderinundergraduateliberaleducation.. Wemustdothisnotonlytoassure

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our institutional autonomy but also to position our graduates to succeed in meeting theirpersonallifegoalsthroughouttheirpost‐Skidmorelives.OurDistinctiveInstitutionalImperative:CreativityWhatissometimesforgotteninthehistoryandrhetoricofliberaleducationistheimportanceofcreativity.Forsometime,Skidmorehasexplicitlyrecognizedthattheattributesourstudentsrequire to successfully navigate our increasingly complex world necessarily include creativeimagination.ThisrealizationishardlyuniquetoSkidmore.Butbecauseofourheritageasaninstitution rich in the visual and performing arts, and because of our proficiency inworking at the intersections of disciplinary boundaries where creativity frequentlyflourishes,theCollegeisuniquelypositionedtodistinguishitselfbyembracingcreativityinits broadest sense: as the capacity both to imagine and to do that extends across alldisciplinesandfieldsofhumanendeavor. Wewillmakethisrealizationtheprimarylensthroughwhichwebringtheprioritiesdiscussedbelowintofocus.

We define creativity as the capacity to deploy one’s imagination in posing questions,investigating ideas, identifyingproblems, and inventing solutions. This conception is at onceinspirationalandutilitarian,combiningbothpragmatismandhope.Itentailsboththeflexibilityofmindneeded toenvisionnewpossibilitiesand the capacity tomapapath to realize them.Theseabilitiesencompass the fullspectrumofhumanundertaking. Foreverynotablehumanachievement involves some act of imagination that transcends what has been done before.Thus the concepts of excellence – most especially, academic excellence – and creativity areintimately and inextricably interwoven: every significant academic achievement requires itsowncreativemoment. If our studentsare to attain the levelof excellence thatwecelebrate,they must do more than simply repeat what their professors have told them, or what haspreviously been realized or done. Rather, they must develop the independence of mindrequiredtomaketheirowndistinctivecontributionsthroughtheworktheyundertake.

Achieving excellence, of course, requires more than just creativity. It takes discipline,

persistence, and rigorous thought; it also requires collaboration – either synchronouscollaboration with one’s contemporaries or the asynchronous collaboration with one’spredecessorswhoseworklaidthefoundationfortoday’sachievement.Indeed,oneofthemainobjectives of liberal education is to empower students todrawuponboth thewisdomof thepast and the insights of their contemporaries, accessing networks of expertise that definelearnedandartisticcommunities.Butdiscipline,persistence,collaboration,andanalyticalrigorarenotinthemselvessufficient.Achievingatrulyexcellentresultrequiresthesparkofcreativeimagination. Our assertion thatCreativeThoughtMatters expresses this realization, and it isembeddedinourinstitutionalDNA.TheFrancesYoungTangTeachingMuseumandArtGallery,forexample,hasprovidednumerousexamplesthroughitsinterdisciplinaryexhibits.Creativityis equallymanifested throughout the design of the Center for Integrated Sciences and,mostespecially,inthecurricularpartnershipsandsynergiesamongprogramsthatdrivethatdesign.Emerging academic programs such as the John B.Moore Documentary Studies Collaborativehaveencouragedstudentsandfacultytoexplorenewmodesofinquiryandexpressionacrossawiderangeofdisciplines.Suchexamplescaneasilybemultiplied.

Ouremphasisoncreativityalsotiesdirectlytoourlongheritageofcombiningtheoryand

practiceineducating“bothmindandhand.” For“CreativeThoughtMatters”declaresnotonlythat creative thought is important but also that ideas, if they are to “count,” must be madematerial: they must take shape in a concrete project – a senior thesis, a lab experiment,volunteer work with the larger community, a business plan that proposes to launch a newenterprise,asummerprojectdesignedtobringpotablewaterormoreenvironmentallyfriendlywaysofcookingtoaremotevillageinadevelopingnation,apainting,performance,shortstory,

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or novel. Helping our students learn how to realize their ideas and connect themwith theworldengagesthemactivelyaslearnersandreinforcestheimportanceoftheworktheydo.

This moment represents a unique opportunity for Skidmore to assert its distinctive

commitmenttopreparingstudentsfortoday’sworld:empoweringthemtodevelopnewcareerpaths, imagine new fields of study and endeavor, and thereby to model creativity andimagination as core elements of a liberal education. It is also a unique moment for ourprofessorstomodelthetypeofinnovativethinkingandteachingthathighereducationneedssobadly.Cultivatingandcelebratingcreativityis,inshort,notjustaphrase;itisourinstitutionalimperative. Enabling our graduates to navigate the world creatively is Skidmore’s specialresponsibility and one that, in its execution, sets us apart from other liberal arts colleges.Fulfillingthiseducationalcommitmentwillpositionourgraduatestoovercometheincreasingpersonalandprofessionalcomplexitiesofarapidlychangingworld.Itwillenablethemtomakeconnectionsacrossanever‐broadeningspectrumofknowledge. Anditwillempowerthemtotransformthemselves,theircommunities,andtheworld.

CreativityandInclusiveExcellenceTosucceed inrealizingthiscommitmenttocreativityrequirestheCollegetobeaspecialkind of supportive community – one in which the broadest possible range of ideas isexploredandcritically interrogated,comprisingpersonswhobringthebroadestpossiblerange ofpersonal experiences to their interactions. In short,a commitment to creativethought also requires a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion – to inclusiveexcellence. UndertheaegisofthepreviousStrategicPlan,wesetouttoincreaseinterculturalandglobalunderstandingwithin theCollege. Inorder todo so,we firstneeded tobecomeamorediversecommunity,andwedramaticallyincreasedourpercentageofdomesticstudentsofcolorandinternationalstudents.Weunderstood,aswell,thatweneededtostrengthenourfacultyandstaffbyhiringmorepersonsofcolorandpersonswithinternationalbackgrounds.Inrecentyears,wehavedevelopedmoreeffectivehiringpracticesforattainingthesegoalsinfaculty searches, and we have become more successful in attracting more broadlyrepresentativeenteringfacultycohorts.

Aswecontinuetheworkofdiversifyingourvariouscampuspopulations,wealsoknowthat this ismerelyastart. Inclusiveexcellenceencompasses theexpectationnotonly thatourcommunity become more diverse over time but also that we fully embrace our individualdifferences (e.g., personality, learning style, life experiences), as well as group and socialdifferences(relating,e.g.,toraceorethnicity,class,gender,sexualorientation,countryoforigin,and ability, as well as cultural, political, religious, or other affiliations). To embrace suchdifferences means that we welcome individuals equitably and see such differences not as“problems”tobesolvedbutratherasresourcestoenrichthecriticalconversationsattheheartof liberal education. Achieving inclusive excellence requires us to continue to meet ourpersistence and retention objectives, for example, that all student populations graduate atsimilarratesandthatalltenure‐trackfacultypopulationshavecomparablesuccessinattainingtenureandpromotion.Intheend,however,weseektobeacommunityinwhichallmembersofourincreasinglydiversepopulationsfeeltrulywelcome–notjust“admitted”but“invited”toparticipate fully in all facets of College life. All of our students, especially, should feel thatSkidmoreistheirschoolandhavethekindofpositiveexperiencesthatenablethemtoviewtheCollegeasanintegralpartoftheirlifelongpersonalidentities.

We still havework to do to achieve these objectives. Skidmore is amicrocosm of the

largersociety,wheresadlyattitudesof intoleranceanddisrespectstillpersistandmaketheirwayon toourcampus. So,as is the case forall collegesanduniversities,westillneed todomore to make the Skidmore campus a place that truly has no tolerance for bias incidents

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relatingtorace,sexualorientation,gender,andotheridentitymarkers,aswellasforsexualandgender‐based misconduct. It also must be a community that has no tolerance for sexual orgender‐basedmisconduct. But as a close residential community inwhich every student andeverymemberof the facultyandstaff ishereby invitation–and inwhicheachofusremainsonlysolongaswecontinuetoearntheprivilegeofmembershipintheCollegecommunity–wehaveauniqueopportunitytomakeprogressmorequicklythanmaybepossible inthe largersocietybeyondourboundaries.Wecontinuetoembracethevaluesofrespectandcommitmentto discourse that, if fully realized, would indeedmake Skidmore a community other schoolsseek to emulate. To do so, we must deploy the best resources of our collective creativeimaginationtodemonstratethatwecanbebetterthanweareatpresentandcertainlybetterthanwhatwestilltoofrequentlyseeininournationortheworld.

CommitmentOurpreviousStrategicPlanidentifiedthecentralobjectiveoffosteringactiveengagementandthepursuitofexcellenceintheirworkforallourstudentsandeverymemberofthefacultyandstaff. This new Plan extends that commitment and envisions a College that is even moresuccessful in fosteringan inclusive learningenvironmentthatchallengesandsupportsallourstudents todevelop their creative capacities in the contextof realizing thepromiseof liberaleducation.

Our vision here is three‐fold: First, we intend that our graduates carry with them theunderstandingoftherolethatcreativityneedstoplaythroughouttheirlivesandthecapacitytodeploytheircreativeimaginationinwaysthatadvantageboththemandtheworld.Second,wewillchallengeourfacultyandstaffto incorporatecreativitymoredeeplyandpervasively intoboth the primary educational work of the College and themany functions that support thateducationalmission. Third,weaffirmour intention tobuild a strongercreativeandinclusivecommunityofexcellence–tobeatrulydistinctiveresidentialcollegethatenablesourstudentsto realize the promise of liberal education. Within this community, we will challenge oneanother to reach higher levels of achievement in teaching, learning, and all the other worknecessary to the College. We will seek new ways to become the inclusive, respectful, andhealthy community we must be to support these aspirations fully. Operationally, we willpursuenewwaystoattaintheseobjectivessustainably–bothnowandintothefuture.

The result will be a College that over the next ten years builds on its already evidentstrengthstosupportstudentsastheycreateindividualpathwaysthroughtheirundergraduatecareers, taking advantage of the opportunitieswe offer inways that aremostmeaningful tothem.Infindingtheirpassiontostudyaparticularsubjectorconstellationofsubjects,theywilldevelophabitsofdeepengagementandrigorousandcreativethoughtthatwillcarryforwardthroughtheirprofessionalandpersonallives.Throughthisprocess,wewillchallengethemnotonlytoachieveexcellenceintheiracademicandco‐curricularlives,wealsowillchallengethemtoidentifywaystoaddressthedauntingissuesthattodayvexournationand,indeed,theworld.In addition, we will support the faculty, who are the most important guides on thistransformativejourneyalongwiththemanymembersofthestaff–especiallyinStudentAffairs–whoshareinthisimportantwork.Wewillencourageourprofessorstotakepedagogicalrisksthat empower students to reach even higher levels of awareness and learning. Andwewillcommitadditionalresourcestosupportourteacher‐scholars,astheyarethemodels–andoftentheinspiration–fortheverycreativitythatdistinguishesSkidmore.

Insum,weexpectSkidmoregraduatestobeabletotravelanywhereintheworld,developanunderstandingof the localculture, interacteffectivelywithpeopleacrosslinesofdifference,identifykeyissues,anddrawupontheirliberaleducationtodevelopcreativesolutionstoaddressthem. We

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further expect that when potential employers or admissions deans ofgraduate and professional schools see ‘Skidmore College’ on a resume,theywillthink,“Thisissomeonewhowillelevateourorganization.”

Inpursuingthisvisionwithinthechallengingexternalenvironmentdescribedaboveandwithconstrainedresources,theCollegemustbevigilant.Wesimplycannotaffordtheluxuryofinefficiency.Asweacttorealizeourambitionsandachievetheinstitutionalgoalsthatarenowin sight, we must align our investments of time, energy, and financial resources with ourstrategicprioritiestoanextentwehaveneverbeforeachieved.Todosowillrequireustobecreative,disciplined,andcollaborativeineveryaspectoftheCollege’soperations.Wemustfindwaystoredirectresources,whenfeasible,tosupportourhighestpriorities.Wemustestablishnew internal and external partnerships to leverage existing resources. Andwemust deepenourconnectionswithouralumni,parents,andfriendsinseekingthefinancialsupportthatwillbe necessary to sustain our positive trajectory. This project will engage every person whoworks at the College, as well as everyone in our extended community who cares aboutSkidmore’sfuture.Wemustcomplementtheseeffortswithenhancedcapacitiestocreatemoreeffective ways to tell our institutional story, strengthen connections with members of theextendedSkidmore community, and reverse troubling trendsof lowerparticipation in givingamong someof our alumnipopulations. Finally,we are committed to charting a sustainablepathtorealizingourvision–sustainableeconomically,inhumantermsforthosewholearnandteachhere,andintermsoftheenvironment.

Recognizingthechallengesweface,thenewconfidencewefeel,thepossibilitiesinfrontofus,andtheimperativesrelatingtocreativityandinclusiveexcellencethatbothhumbleandinspireus,weaffirmthefollowingfourgoals:

I. Integrative Learning and Education – To Develop Students’CapacitiestoCreate,Imagine,andChangetheWorld,andtoenhancetheworkofthefacultyasteacher‐scholars: Wewillinvestinpedagogicalandscholarly programsand educational strategies thatdevelop the capacities ofstudentsandfacultymemberstoachieve,model,anddemonstrateexcellenceasscholarly,creative,andintegrativelearners.

II. Access – To AssureAccess forAllOur Students to an Extraordinary

EducationalExperience:Studentswillhavefullaccesstoopportunitiesacrossall three phases of their Skidmore careers – at admission, as undergraduatelearners, and in transitioning to their post‐college lives. This commitmentprovides the context inwhichwe can challenge all our students to achieveexcellence.

III. Well‐Being–ToStrengthentheInclusiveness,Health,andWell‐Being

ofOurCommunity:WewillcreatenewopportunitiesfordevelopingtheskillsthatwillmakeSkidmoreamorehealthful,inclusive,andcreativecommunity.

IV. Sustainability – To Continue to Build a Sustainable Institutional

Foundation forExcellence:Deployingtheconceptofsustainability,broadlyunderstood, as an organizing principle,wewill invest our time, energy, andfundingininitiativestoensuretheCollege’slong‐termviabilityandsuccess.

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GOALI: INTEGRATIVE LEARNING AND EDUCATION – TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’CAPACITIESTOCREATE,IMAGINE,ANDCHANGETHEWORLD,ANDTOENHANCETHEWORKOFTHE

FACULTYASTEACHER‐SCHOLARS: WEWILLINVESTINPEDAGOGICALANDSCHOLARLYPROGRAMSAND

EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES THAT DEVELOP THE CAPACITIES OF STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBERS TO

ACHIEVE,MODEL,ANDDEMONSTRATEEXCELLENCEASSCHOLARLY,CREATIVE,ANDINTEGRATIVELEARNERS.This Plan reaffirms the College’s belief in the intellectually rigorous and transformativepotentialofaSkidmoreeducation,aswellasinthepersonalandsocialvaluesitembodies. Aliberalartseducationcertainlyrepresentsapersonalgood forourgraduates,preparingthemnot only tomake a living but also to create a lifeworth living – a life that trulymatters forthemselvesandothers.ButaSkidmoreeducationalsorepresentsabroadersocialgoodthatisseldom remarked upon in contemporary discussions of higher education. We highlight thisvalueinourexpresseddeterminationtoprepareourgraduatestoliveasinformed,responsible,and globally and interculturally aware citizens who are capable not only of bringing theirpersonalplanstofruitionbutwhoalsostrivetomaketheworldabetterplaceforall.

Integrativelearningandeducationreside,firstofall,intheworkofthefacultyasengagedand committed teachers,mentors, and scholars. Skidmorehas always endorsed the teacher‐scholarmodelas thequintessentialexpressionof the liberalarts facultyand thesinequanonuponwhichoureducationalaspirationsrest.Teachingholdsprideofplace,asthefacultystriveto inspire their students to transform their aptitudes and interests into engagement andachievement. Butourprofessors’ scholarshipandcreativeworkmatter, too. For liberalartscollegeseverywhere,themodelofscholarshipisdistinctive–suitedespeciallytoaneducationalcontextwhoseultimategoal is to inculcateapassionfor learningthat isrigorous, integrative,and socially useful. In short, faculty research and creative endeavor, in which studentsfrequently are involved as well, enrich our teaching and are essential to instruction of thehighestquality.

Torealizeourcreativeimperative,itisnecessaryforustobemoreintentionalaboutincorporatingthese fundamentalvalues intoalloureducationalendeavors. The ongoingrevisionofourgeneraleducationprogrampresentsanimportantopportunitytodoso,andwemustseizethatopportunitytoinviteourfaculty,staff,students,andotherstoexplorehowwemight push the boundaries of creativity in our students’ work. Following the lead of theCommitteeonEducationalPolicyandPlanning(CEPP),wewillbeginbyinfusingtheconceptof“integrativelearning”throughoutthecurriculum,whichtheAssociationofAmericanCollegesand Universities (AAC&U) recognizes as one of themost important goals and challenges forhigher education.4 It is foundational to liberal learning that aneducatedpersonunderstandsnotonlythecomplex,nuanced,andmultidimensionalnatureoftheissuesandproblemsmostworthinterrogatingbutalsothevariouswaystheyinterconnect.Suchunderstandingrequireslearning across disciplinary boundaries, across time as students progress through theireducation,acrosstheboundariesthattraditionallyseparatethecurriculumandco‐curriculum,andacrosstheborderbetweenthecampusandtheworldbeyond.Indeed,weunderstandthisconcept to encompassour students’ abilities tomake connections from themoment they areacceptedintoSkidmoreonintotheirlivesaftercollege.Anintegratedlearningapproachpushesstudentstoidentifyandconnecttheoreticalconceptsfromdiversedisciplinesandexperiencesand,whereappropriate,applythemtounscripted,real‐worldchallenges.Itincludesacapacityfor hindsight and forethought: the metacognition involved in reflecting on the past andprojectingintothefuture.Insum,weexpectstudentstointegratelearningfrommanydifferent

4See“InterrogatingIntegrativeLearning,”PeerReview,vol.16,no.4(Fall2014‐Winter2015).

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disciplines, moments, and sites – drawing upon everything the College offers to create themeaningfulandongoingprocessthatistheirSkidmoreeducation.

Many parts of our curriculum, of course, already encompass integrative learning. Ourdecades‐long interdisciplinary emphasis – epitomized in the Liberal Studies curriculum andcarryingthroughtothecurrentFirst‐YearExperience–isaformofintegrativelearning.Manyofourstudentscompletedoublemajors,self‐directedmajors,andcombinationsofmajorsandminors. Course‐level interdisciplinarity, too, is a microcosm of the broader commitment tointegrativelearning,asareourmanysuccessfulinterdisciplinarymajorsandminors.Planningcarried out by faculty members from the physical and life sciences in anticipation of theprojected Center for Integrated Sciences produced many ways of strengthening instructionwithin and across disciplines and programs. Skidmore also has a proud history of bridgingtheoreticalandappliedlearning.Integrativelearningthroughpraxisarisesinstudents’pursuitofinternationalstudy;independentstudy,seniortheses,andcollaborativeresearchwiththeirprofessors; themaking and performance of art; and the diverse opportunities for leadershipand civic engagement made possible through Campus Life, Athletics, and Residential Life,amongothers.

Our students come to us increasingly experienced in using technology, both in their

personal lives – where they are accustomed to being constantly connected electronically totheirpeersandtheworldatlarge–and,forsome,throughtheirhighschoolexperience,wheretechnology is now a pervasive presence in teaching and learning. The combination of priorexperienceandtheincrediblepaceoftechnologicaldevelopmentconstantlyoffersnewwaysforustoconnectstudentstoopportunitiesbeyondourphysicalboundariesandenhancepedagogyintheclassroominwaysunimaginableevenafewyearsago–yetanotherformofintegrativelearning.Technologyisincreasinglyimportantintheresearchandcreativeworkofourfacultymembers,aswell.Sodetermininghowbesttosupport–andafford–investmentsinthisareathatenhance theachievementsofbothstudentsandprofessorswill takeongreater strategicimportanceinourshort‐andlong‐termplanning.

Ourobjectiveisbothtodeepenthisemphasisonintegrativelearningthrougharange

ofcurricularandco‐curricularinitiativesandtomakestudentsintentionalpartnersinthisenterprise. Realizing the full promise of integrative learning requires that students be self‐aware and intentional about making meaningful connections across traditional and non‐traditionalboundaries.Theymustactivelyreflectonwhatitisthattiesdisparatesubjectsandideas to each other; indeed, they must fully and dynamically participate in the intellectualenterprise by employing self‐reflection, contemplative thought, and focused action. Ourstudentsmust be information‐literate –must understand theway information is structured,howitcanbeaccessed,andhowitshouldbeusedindecision‐making–bothintheirmajorsandmorebroadly, inorder to integrateknowledgewithinandacrossdisciplines. TheCollege, inturn,mustprovidethecontext,space,support,andtimeforsuchactivities,takingcarethatallstudentsfeelthattheyareinvitedtoparticipateinthiswork. Ourassignment,therefore,istochallengeallourstudentstobemoreself‐reflectiveabouttheireducationandmorepurposefulinmaking the deep andmeaningful connections that are a necessary part of the liberal artsexperience.Onlythenwilltheyfulfilltheirpromiseasstudentsoftheliberalartsandascitizensoftheworld.

Becausewewant Skidmore students to be inclined to turn their creativity on the

problemsoftheworld,fosteringcivic literacyandengagementalsowillcontinuetobeofspecialimportance.Weseethenecessaryattributesofcitizenshipaspreciselythequalitiesofmindandcharacterfoundatthecoreofliberaleducationitself:criticalthinking;acapacitytoaccess the kinds of empirical and conceptual knowledge created by the different disciplines;

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awareness of the multiple social, cultural, and political perspectives we find in the world;cultivationofone’screativityandnarrativeimaginationsoonecanempathizewiththoseinasituation one has never directly experienced; the capacity to talk respectfully in contextsmarkedbydifference, and the like.5 Todo this,weneed to increaseourowncapacity, as aneducationalcommunity,toengageinsuchdiscussionsbothcriticallyandrespectfully.Aleadingliberalartscollegeinterrogatesdifficultquestionsandexplores“dangerous”ideas.Ourcampusneedstobeaplacewherediscussionofdifficult issuesiscommonplace.Theobjectiveofsuchconversations is not somehow to make everyone agree with everyone else. Rather, it is tocreateaframeworkofmutualrespect,care,anddialog,basedontherecognitionthateachofushasvalueasahumanbeingandthat,ultimately,weshareacommonfate.Onthatbasiswethenseekagreementwherewecanfindit,acceptdisagreementwhenwemust,andcontinuetolookforcommongroundonwhichtoact.

ThetimehascomefortheCollegetoconsideramoreintentionalframeworkinwhichto

situate this crucial project of developing informed, responsible citizens – one that moreconsistentlyemphasizestherelationshipbetweenthestatedgoalsofliberaleducationandtherequirementsofdemocraticcitizenship.Overthenextfiveyears,wewilldevelopnewwaystoengage students and other members of our community in public forums for debating anddisseminatingideasrelatingtocontemporarylocalandglobalmatters.Indoingso,wewillalsocreateopportunitiesformembersofourcommunitytoexplorethemeaningofsocialjustice,toask how issues of social justice affect our professional, academic, and personal lives, and tointerrogate whether this concept should play a more prominent role in our collectiveunderstandingof themissionof theCollege. Wewillseekwaysto linksuchconversationstocoursecontent.Inshort,wewillmodelthegoodpolity.Goingforward,wewillalsoexpandoureffortstoinvitetocampusoutsidescholars,filmmakers,diplomats,policyanalysts,andactivistswho represent a broad range of political and social viewpoints, encouraging students andotherstoengagethemincriticalbutrespectfuldiscourse.

To achieve the stated objectives for our students – to make good on the promise to

achievehigher levelsof excellence throughout theCollege–wewillneed tobe intentional insupportingtheworkofourfacultyinnewways:empoweringthemtobeevenbetterteachers,scholars, artists, and leaders. We will encourage and reward alternative teaching methods,pedagogical risk‐taking, and innovation; and we will increase our tolerance for failedpedagogicalexperiments.Wewillseeknewwaystosupportthescholarlyandartisticlivesofour faculty. And we will reconceive the notion of service to better reflect what it truly is:institutional leadership. Insum,theprincipleofcreativitythatguidesoureffortsonbehalfofourstudentsshouldalsohelpusfindnewwaystosustaintheworkofourfaculty.

Marshaling theresources todeliveron thesepromiseswillnotbea trivialundertaking.Althoughmany of the objectives envisioned here simply require us to bemore deliberate inincorporatingnew insights intoworkwealreadyaredoing. Theextraordinaryeducationweenvision for our studentsmust also include additional formsof integration, especially acrossthedimensionsof timeandspace. Someof theseareexpensive. Considerconnectivityasanexample:Greatertechnologicalconnectivityandcompetence,bothinandoutoftheclassroom,offerthepowertoimprovetheintellectualandsocialexperiencesofourstudentsandprovidethem with additional skills in this technological age. But there are costs associated withenhancedtechnologyandconnectivity. Therefore,findinginnovativewaysforallmembersofthecommunity–faculty,staff,alumni,parents,andespeciallystudents–toconnectisanotherimperative.Wemustincreaseourscopeofvisionandcapacityinthisentirearea.

5See, for example, Martha Craven Nussbaum, CultivatingHumanity:AClassicalDefenseofReform inLiberalEducation(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1997) andNotForProfit:WhyDemocracyNeedstheHumanities(Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,2010).

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Ourvariouspartnerships–startingwiththeNewYorkSix–holdthekeytoyetanotherintegrated and connected experience, and we will explore possible partnerships with otherinstitutionsaswell.Studentsshouldbeexposedtothemyriadpossibilitiesthesepartnershipsafford. Longbefore 2025, itmust be commonplace for students tohave access to experts atotherNY6schoolsandthroughouttheworld. Wealsoneedtoleveragethesepartnershipstoachieve cost‐savings and, where possible, cost‐reductions. Strategic partnerships, and thecreativepossibilitiestheypresent,mustbecomeanessentialcomponentofourshiftingmindset.

Butaboveall,Skidmorewillretainasharpfocusonourstudents–onhelpingthemreachthehighestlevelsofachievementpossibleintheworktheydowithus,andencouragingthemtocarry a commitment to the pursuit of excellence with them when they graduate. We willchallenge them to think more deeply and self‐consciously about how the ideas, hypotheses,theories,anddatatheyencounterinonecoursecananimateandinformthetopicstheyexploreinothercourses.Wewillencouragethemtoapplythelessonsaroundleadershipandcollectiveactionthattheylearnontheathleticfieldsorinstudentorganizationstotheirresidencehallsand, lateron, tograduatestudiesandtheirworkplaces. Wewillworkwiththemto integrateknowledgeandexperience,tohelpthemmaketheconnectionsbetweenwhattheylearnattheCollegeandwhattheywanttoaccomplishacrossalifeofproductivework–servingthemandtheircommunitieswellintothefuture.Intheend,ourstudentsareresponsiblefordoingtheirownwork,makingtheirownconnectionsacrossthedifferentdisciplinestheyhavestudiedandtheco‐curricularexperiencesthathaveenrichedtheircollegecareers,andthenapplyingwhatthey have learned. But the College will be more intentional in supporting them in thistransformative project of seeking a liberal education thatwill enable them tomake creativethoughtmatteracrossthefullarcoftheirlives.PRIORITYINITIATIVESinsupportofGOALI:IntegrativeLearning

CompletefundraisingandconstructtheCenterforIntegratedSciences.

Provide the physical context to bring together all nine departments andprograms in the physical and life sciences to support new approaches tointegrativelearningnotjustinthesciencesbutacrossothercurricularareasaswell.

DevelopavirtualprototypeoftheIdeaLab,inanticipationofitsinclusionintheCenterforIntegratedSciences.

Bolster Scribner Library’s capacity to support integrative learning associatedwiththeCenterforIntegratedSciences.Developinfrastructureandexpertisetoimprovedataservices(includingdatahosting,datamanagement,datacuration,anddataliteracy)oncampus.

Create new structures to support student integrative learning,makingthatconceptaregularpartofSkidmore’sinternalnarrative.

Complete the General Education Curriculum revision, including new ways tosupportscientificliteracy(forallstudents,notjustsciencemajors,asisrequiredof all responsible citizens in today’s world), intercultural competency,quantitativereasoning,informationliteracy,andvisualliteracy.

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Evaluate feasibility of establishing a Center for Quantitative Reasoning and aCenterforEntrepreneurship.

EnsuretheongoingalignmentofLibrarycollectionsandserviceswithcurriculargoalsoffosteringcreativityandintegratedlearning.

Partner with other New York Six (NY6) colleges to expand opportunities forSkidmore students to study (in some cases via technology) with NY6 facultymembersfromthoseschoolsortoaccessprogramssponsoredbyotherschools(e.g.,study‐awayprograms).Explorewaystopartnerwithotherinstitutionsaswell.

Developbetter,moreconsistent,andmoreeffectiveassessmentmechanismsfordetermining where and to what extent integrative learning is taking place atSkidmore.

Secure dedicated resources to support the Frances Young Tang TeachingMuseumandArtGalleryoperatingbudget.

ExplorepossibilityofexpandingtheTangMuseum,especiallyasourpermanentcollectionincreases.

Develop new ways to support faculty members across all threedimensions of their work: teaching, research/creative activity, andservice.

Evaluate the feasibility (bothcurricularand financial)of increasing the sizeofthetenure‐trackfacultybyfifteenoverthenexttenyears.

Expand faculty development resources and initiatives through the FacultyDevelopment Committee, the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning,andtheDeanoftheFaculty’sOffice.

Explore the desirability and evaluate the feasibility (both curricular andfinancial)ofimplementinganalternating2‐2,3‐2(18‐15credits)teachingloadaimed at increasing teaching effectiveness and supporting even strongerconnectionsbetweenstudentsandfaculty.

Interrogate thecriteria for facultypromotion. Considerhowtoreevaluate thetraditionalemphasison,andbalancebetween,teaching,research/creativework,andservice.

Support new faculty development opportunities pertaining to theimplementation of new curricular initiatives linked to the general educationcurriculum.

EvaluatethefeasibilityofestablishingaCenterforHumanisticInquiry.

Partner with other NY6 colleges to form faculty collaborations and leverageresourcestoenhanceteachingandlearning.

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Providedigital/IT resources for thedevelopmentofnewapproaches tointegrativelearningandenhancingconnectivity.

Continuetheprocessofrenovatingandrefreshingclassroomstobettersupportpedagogyandtechnology.

EnhanceresourcesoftheCenterforLeadership,Teaching,andLearningtoassistfacultymembersinunderstanding,evaluatingand,whereappropriate,adoptingnewtechnologiesandbestpracticesintheirteachingandresearch.

Buildstrongerandmorecoherentcurricularandco‐curricularprogramsto enhance civic engagement, social responsibility, and the connectionbetweenliberaleducationandresponsiblecitizenship.

Identify specific ways to further enhance connections between thecurricularandco‐curricularlivesofourstudents.

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GOALII: ACCESS–TOASSUREACCESSFORALLOURSTUDENTSTOANEXTRAORDINARYEDUCATIONALEXPERIENCE:STUDENTSWILLHAVEFULLACCESSTOOPPORTUNITIESACROSSALLTHREEPHASESOFTHEIRSKIDMORECAREERS–ATADMISSION,ASUNDERGRADUATELEARNERS,ANDINTRANSITIONINGTOTHEIRPOST‐COLLEGELIVES.THISCOMMITMENTPROVIDESTHECONTEXTWITHININWHICHWECANCHALLENGEALLOURSTUDENTSTOACHIEVEEXCELLENCE.AccesstoAdmissionConsiderthefollowinginformation:AteenagerfromafamilyinthelowestincomequartileintheUnitedStateshasa9%chanceofgraduatingfromcollege,whileateenagerfromafamilyinthe highest income quartile has a 90% chance. The consequences of that disparity play outacrossalifetime. Acomparisonofaverageincomeamongfamiliesofcollegestudentsnation‐wide demonstrates the power of higher education – the average family income of first‐generation students is $37.5K, compared to $99.6K for students whose parents attendedcollege.6 For the nation, this disparity represents an unacceptable waste of intellectual andcreativepotential,andforindividuals,itcontributestoentrenchedpovertyandlackofupwardsocioeconomicmobility.

Skidmorehaslongembracedaccesstohighereducationasaninstitutionalresponsibility,andourrecent investments in financialaidhaveyieldedtremendousadvances. Over the lasttenyears,wehaveincreasedannualbudgetaryprovisionforfinancialaidbymorethan150%,from$16M tomore than$42M. This strategic investment in our studentshas enabledus tokeeptheaveragenetcosttofamiliesreceivinginstitutionalaidrelativelyconstant,evenasourcomprehensive fee has increased.7 It also has enabled us to attract an academically moreprepared and significantly more diverse student body.8These achievements are beingthreatened, however, by larger shifts in the economy. One of the most significant is thediscrepancy between increases in college fees and median family income, which has beenstagnant forsometime.9Since thatgap is likely tocontinuetowiden,ourability tomeet theneedoflower‐incomeandworking‐classfamilieswillbetestedallthemore.

Aswelooktoward2025,wereaffirmourcommitmenttoaccessanddiversity,evenastheCollegefacesanincreasinglychallengingadmissionslandscape.Inadditiontogreaterdemandforfinancialaid,wewillfacegreatercompetitionforstudentswhodonotrequireaid,especiallyfrom those institutions with tuition‐driven business models.10 In the effort to enroll thesestudents,manyschools–privateand,morerecently,public–havecometorelymoreandmoreonso‐called“merit”or“non‐need‐based”aid:scholarshipsaimedprimarilyataffectingchoicethatareprovidedtofamiliesinhigherincomebrackets,oftenattheexpenseofneed‐basedaidtofamilies in lowerones. Inthepast,Skidmorehassharply limitedtheuseofsuchpractices,

6ChronicleofHigherEducation(22May2015).7In the period from FY 2008 through FY 2014, as Skidmore’s comprehensive fee increased from

approximately$46,000 to$60,000, theaveragenet cost to first‐year students receiving institutional aid remainedrelativelyflat.

8Comparedtotheirunaidedpeers,aidedstudentsareoverrepresentedamongthehigherAQRbands.Among5098studentsenteringF05‐F12,36.0%ofaidedstudentswereinthetopAQRbandscomparedto15.8%ofunaidedstudents. (Academic Quality Rating, AQR, is a subjective assessment of the academic preparation of SkidmoreapplicantsmadebyAdmissionsstaffbasedonthestrengthofthestudent’shighschool,schedule,gradeoutcomes,etc.)

9From1982to2013,comprehensivefeesatprivatenon‐profit four‐year institutions increased167%,whilecomprehensive feesatpublic four‐year institutions rose257%. Across this sameperiod, however,median familyincomesremainedessentiallyflat.

10Skidmore’sbusinessmodelcurrentlyrequiresapproximately55%ofstudentstopaythefullcomprehensivefee. Altering this situationwill require increased endowment support for additional need‐based financial aid – apriorityofthecurrentcomprehensiveCampaign.

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regardingthemasinconsistentwithourfundamentalvalues.11Aswemoveforward,toensurethatwecancontinuetoattractandenrollthemostcreativeandpromisingstudentsregardlessoftheirfinancialmeans,wewillmonitorouradmissionsexperienceandremaincommittedtooffering need‐based aid as a core principle, even as we develop new, creative admissionsstrategies.

Wealsounderstandthevalueofattractivefacilitiesintheadmissionsprocess. Thuswe

have benefited from the addition of the Northwoods and Sussman Village apartments, therenovateddininghall, theTangMuseum, the ZankelMusic Center, and improvements to ourathletic fields. Going forward, we expect to realize additional gains from the Center forIntegrated Sciences, the further development of our athletic facilities in accordancewith theAthleticFacilitiesPlan,andanewAdmissionsandFinancialAidbuilding.

AccesstoEducationalOpportunitiesAdmittingstudentsisonlythefirststep:ifourgoalistoengageallSkidmorestudentsinliberallearning,theymusthaveequalopportunitytoparticipateinthefullrangeofcurricularandco‐curricularexperiencestheCollegeoffers.Unfortunately,thisidealisnotyetfullyrealized.Theegalitarianism intrinsic to a student’s pursuit of academic interests (enrollment in particularcourses,choiceofmajororminor)doesnotalwaystranslatetosomeelectiveexperiencesthatcanhaveaprofound influenceon learning. Asoneexample, first‐generationcollegestudentsfromlowerincomebracketsarenearlyabsentfromsomeresearchexperiencesinthephysicaland lifesciences.12Asasecondexample,credit‐bearing internshipsduringtheacademicyearand summer have historically been the domain ofwhite, affluent students at Skidmore,withdomestic students of color and lower‐income students underrepresented.13 Third, somestudentsfinditdifficulttoaffordthecostoftextbooksrequiredintheirclasses.

Such realities stand at odds with our institutional values and can represent systemicbarriers to achieving inclusive excellence. The fact that such obstacles can be successfullysurmounted is illustrated by Skidmore’s evolving approach to international study. Prior to2006, students were required to take leaves of absence to study at non‐affiliated programsabroad. In this situation, students paid program providers directly, without the benefit offinancial aid – not surprisingly, few students were able to access these programs, andinternationalstudywaslargelyrestrictedtothosefromprivilegedbackgrounds.StartinginFall2006,Skidmoreadoptedanewpolicythatallowsstudentstocarrytheirfinancialaidtowhathasbecomeour“approvedprograms”list.Asadirectconsequenceofthisinstitutionalaction,thetotalnumberofstudentsstudyingabroadinapprovedprogramshasincreaseddramatically(by 147%), as has the number of lowest‐income students, aided students, and domesticstudentsofcolor.14

11The College does provide a small amount of non‐need‐based aid in the form of Filene and Porter

Scholarships;thesescholarshipsarenotdirectedatfull‐paystudentsandaccountforonlyabout1%ofthefinancialaidbudgetforstudentsenteringinFall2015.

12In Spring 2015, 18 of 100 students enrolled in exploratory research opportunities were first‐generationcollegestudents,butonly2ofthose18wereamongthoseinthelowestincomegroupatSkidmore(asdeterminedbyFederal Pell Grant eligibility). Similarly, 11 of 78 students recruited into summer Faculty‐Student CollaborativeResearch in 2014were first‐generation students, but only 2 of thosewere Pell‐eligible. Roughly half of all first‐generationstudentsatSkidmore(andinthephysicalandlifesciences)arePell‐eligible.

13EngagedLiberalLearningPractices:ParticipationRatesandConsequences.CommitteeforEducationalPolicyandPlanning(CEPP),2012.

14Comparethe2004‐05andthe2013‐14academicyearsintermsofaccesstostudy‐abroadopportunities:3vs.23Pell‐eligiblestudents;16vs.71aidedstudents;7vs.44domesticstudentsofcolor.

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Similarly,buildingcoursesaroundopeneducationalresources(OER)andprimarysourceshoused at the Tang Museum and Scribner Library could significantly ease some financialburdens on students. As teaching‐oriented institutions, the Tang and Scribner Library arebuilding their rich collectionsaroundnotonlywhat is currentlybeing taughton campusbutalsowhatcouldbetaughtinthefuture.Assuch,theyareplacesripewithpotentialinspirationforstudents frommanybackgrounds. Cultivatingnewholdingsthatallowabroaderrangeofstudents to see themselves in theTang’sand theLibrary’s collections couldbeanewway tohelpkeepat‐riskstudentsengaged. Althoughfinancialconstraintsmayexplainsomeorevenmostbarrierstoparticipation,thesituationislikelytobemorecomplexformanystudents.Forexample,somestudentsmaylackknowledgeabouthowtonavigatethenetworkingrequiredtosecure certain opportunities. Initiatives that address both financial constraints and makeinformationmoreuniformlyavailablearethuscritical.15

Just as Skidmore is committed to providing access to the College and its many

opportunities for theoretical and applied learning, we are also committed to supportingstudents in theirdetermination to achieve. Weexpect Skidmore students, as theymatureaslearners during their time at the College, to take progressivelymore responsibility for theireducation,demonstratingagencywhentheyencounterchallengesinandoutsidetheclassroom.Werecognize,however,agrowingdisconnectbetweenthepreparationsomestudentsreceiveintheirsecondaryeducationandtheacademiccompetenciesandpersonalresilienceweexpectofenteringstudents. Roughly20%ofourfirst‐yearstudentsrespondingtotheCIRP16survey(overallresponserate:50%)reporthavingsoughtremedialsupportinhighschoolforreadingandwriting, and 25% sought such support formath. In addition, 92% of students enteringSkidmorereportfeelingoverwhelmedbyallthattheyhavetodo.Similarpatternsareseenatlike colleges nation‐wide.17 Identifying the proper balance between providing studentswithneeded support and giving them the space to experience the discomfort intrinsic to deeplearning is a significant challenge. To do so will require highly creative and innovativeapproaches to fostering resilience, persistence, and self‐efficacy. It also requires that allstudentslearntheprocessesofresearch–particularlyintheirsophomoreandjunioryears–sothey understand what is involved in developing and pursuing a research agenda and canappreciatethetimeandattentionrequiredforsuccessfulscholarlywork.

AccesstothePost‐CollegeWorldThe liberal arts curriculumhas longbeen seen as the best possible preparation for life aftercollege.Todaymorethaneverbefore,weneedtohelpourstudentsunderstandandarticulateconnectionsbetweentheknowledge,skills,andcapacitiestheirliberalartseducationprovidesthemandtheprofessional,political,andsocialcontextsinwhichtheywilllivetheirlives.OurchallengeistoempowerbothourstudentsandSkidmoreitselftomakecreativethoughtmatterbeyond our physical borders and to assist our graduates inmaking their first steps into theworld beyond Skidmore. We will accomplish these objectives through three interrelatedapproaches.

15Asonemoreexample,considertheSEE‐BeyondProgram,whichinvitesstudentstoidentifyanintegrative

summer experience that will deepen the their understanding of the major or minor. Tips developed by facultythroughthePathwaysProjectareeasilyaccessibleandhelpguidestudentstorigorousexperiences,andtheawarditself ($4,000) is sufficient to meet aided students’ summer financial obligations. In 2014, applications weresubmitted by students in nearly every department and program; moreover, international students, domesticstudentsofcolor,andlow‐incomestudentswereactuallyoverrepresentedamongawardees.

16Thisnationalsurveyoffirst‐yearstudentsisadministeredannuallybytheCooperativeInstitutionalResearchProgram(CIRP)oftheHigherEducationResearchInstitute(HERI)oftheGraduateSchoolofEducationandInformationResourcesatUCLA.

17CIRPFreshmanSurvey,2014.

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First,wewillcollectivelyassumeresponsibilityforassistingourstudentstobecomemoreadeptatdescribingtoexternalaudiencestheskillsandknowledgetheyhavemastered inthecourseoftheirliberaleducation.Theworldneedsfirst–ratethinkersnowmorethanever,andthose thinkersdisproportionally come from liberal arts colleges likeSkidmore. Butwemusthelp our students become more adept in conveying to others the value of this unique andtransformativeeducationalexperience.Onceagain,openaccessprovidesonekeytothiseffort,intwosenses.Ontheonehand,studentsneedaccesstolibraryresourcesaftertheygraduate,but they currently lose those privileges once they are no longer enrolled, mainly due torestrictivelicensingagreementswithpublishers.Themorethatinstitutionsofhighereducationcommittoopenaccesspublishingmodels,themoreeasilyouralumni–bothnewlymintedandpastgenerations–cancontinuetheirlifelonglearning.Ontheotherhand,sharingthefruitsoftheirownintellectualworkwillhelpSkidmorestudentsconveythevalueoftheireducationalexperiencewithatrulyglobalreach.

Second,weneed tosee thatengagedliberallearningpracticesthat relatedirectly toour

students’ post‐Skidmore lives – such as writing‐intensive courses, exploratory researchopportunities, credit‐bearing internships, summer collaborative research, etc. – are bettersupported.Tothatend,wewillincreaseoureffortsaround,andprovideadditionalresourcesfor,undergraduateresearch, internships,SEE‐Beyondopportunities, careerdevelopment,andcompetitive scholarships and fellowships. Third,weneed todo abetter jobof engagingouralumni,parentsandfriendsinthisenterprise:communicatingwiththem,hearingtheirstories,providingthemadditionalvaluefromtheirongoingrelationshipwiththeCollege,andseekingtheir support for current students and for our ongoing institutional efforts. In the end, ourcreativityimperativeinsiststhatweempowerourstudentstomakemeaningfulcontributionsbeyondourphysicalborders,andthatmeanswemustpayevenmoreattentiontoourstudents’preparationforgraduatestudy,professionalstudy,and/orentryintoprofessionalcareers.PRIORITYINITIATIVESinsupportofGOALII:Access

Strengthenfinancialaidandoutreachprogramsthatenablethebroadestrange of students from across the country and around the world toattendSkidmore.

Increaseendowmentsupportforfinancialaidbudgetby$2MthroughsuccessfulcompletionofCreatingourFutureCampaign[requiresincreasingendowmentby$40M].

Explore alternative admissions pathway that foregrounds creativity andevaluate other admissions practices (e.g., use of standardized tests) thatmayservetolimitapplicantpools.

Develop Creativity Scholarship Program of need‐based aid targeting highlycreativestudents interested inall areasof thecurriculum[requires increasingendowmentby$10Mtosupport$125Kofnewawardstoeachclass].

Develop ways to recruit in new secondary schools in targeted areas (e.g.,Southern cities with substantial populations of professionals originally fromotherpartsofthecountry).

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Explorewaystoexpandparticipationbyallenteringstudentsinpre‐orientationprograms. [Additional funding required in annual budget: approximately$220K.]

Strengthenprogramsthatenhanceaccesstoacademicopportunitiesforallstudents.

Expand the Summer Educational Experiences – Beyond the Campus (SEE‐Beyond), SSFIAP (Skidmore Summer Funded Internship Program), andCollaborativeResearchprogramstoensure thatall studentsengage inat leastonesuchexperiencepriortograduation.Establishfundraisinggoalstosupporttheseinitiatives[requiresincreasingendowmentby$50M].

Increase our commitment to open educational resources (OER) in order toensure that Skidmore studentshaveaccess to sourceswithoutneeding topayoutofpocket.

DevelopnewcreativewaystopositionSkidmoregraduatestotaketheirinitial steps into their post‐College lives and enhance ongoing careersupportforallgraduates.

Assist students in establishing goals for their first year out of college, whileencouraging them to work with the Career Development Center beyondgraduationtomakecontinuingandeffectiveprogressalongtheiruniquecareerpaths. Establish metrics to track outcomes. Use that information to furtherenhance programs to assist students in making the transition from theirundergraduatecareerstotheirlaterlives.

Setandachievetargetsforpercentageofstudentsineachgraduatingclasswhohavemadeuseof theCareerDevelopmentCenter; identify and trackoutcometargetsassociatedwiththisactivity.

Archive high‐quality student research in Skidmore’s institutional repository,CreativeMatter,sothatitwillbepreservedandmadeavailabletoscholarsfromaroundtheworldfarintothefuture,andsothatitcanbeusedbyourgraduatestodemonstratepastaccomplishments.

Strengthenaffinitynetworks(e.g.,SkidBiz,VisualArts)andestablishnewonestofurtherengagealumniandparentscreativelyinpositioningourgraduatestoachievetheirprofessionalgoals.

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GOALIII: WELL‐BEING–TOSTRENGTHENTHEINCLUSIVENESS,HEALTH,ANDWELL‐BEINGOFOURCOMMUNITY:WEWILLCREATENEWOPPORTUNITIESFORDEVELOPINGTHESKILLS

THATWILLMAKESKIDMOREAMOREHELTFUL,INCLUSIVE,ANDCREATIVECOMMUNITY.ACreative,Inclusive,andSafeCommunityThe climate of the Skidmore community establishes the overall context for our students’educational experience–a context that can reinforceor impede their efforts toachieve theireducationalobjectives.Itdoessoaswellforthemembersofthefacultyandstaffwhoworkatthe College. Indeed, issues about how our community is experienced by all of its membersrelatedirectlytoourmostbasicvalues.Thereforewecollectivelystrivetocreateacommunitythat lives by higher standards than are seen in the world at large. By insisting upon thosestandardsandexpectingmembersofthecommunitytocomportthemselvesaccordingly,weareprovidinganimageofthepossible–animagewehopeallofuscanlooktoaswedoourparttoinfluenceanimperfectworldforthebetter.

Over thecourseof thepreviousStrategicPlan,wemade importantgains indiversifyingour student body and our faculty.18 Addingmoremembers of historically underrepresentedgroups to the campuspopulationshas enhancedour institution in important andmeaningfulways. Weneed topersist in theseeffortsand, in fact, toplacerenewedenergybehind them,especially in the areas of staff and administration. We believe that recent changes in hiringpractices will make a difference not only within our faculty but in other areas as well. Butcontinuingtoadd increasequantitativemeasuresofdiversity isnotenough. Asnotedabove,inclusive excellence requires us to foster a community that supports the highest quality ofexperienceacrossourentirestudentbody,faculty,andstaff.

Extensive surveys of our campus populations have shown thatmembers of historicallyunderrepresentedgroups–especiallypersonsofcolor–canexperience thecampusasa lessinclusive environment than our ideals call for. The factors that produce this situation havemade it more difficult for some of these community members to achieve academic andprofessionalsuccess. Moreover,theobstaclestoinclusionalsohaveimpededtheirinclinationand ability to contribute their ideas, suggestions, and creativity to the broader campus – anotable misuse of important talent leading to missed opportunities. The time has come tocreate a comprehensive institutional blueprint around issues of diversity and inclusion – aCampusPlanforDiversityandInclusion–analogoustotheCampusSustainabilityPlan.WehavecreatedandfilledanewCabinet‐levelpositionofChiefDiversityOfficer,whoreportsdirectlytothePresident.Wehavechargedthatindividualtoleadthiseffort,incorporatingthesubstantialwork already done over the past few years by the Committee on Intercultural and GlobalUnderstanding (CIGU) and others. Indeed, we have a shared responsibility to cultivate acampusclimateinwhichallcommunitymemberscanthrive.

Wewillengagethecampuscommunity,overthecomingmonthsandyears,innewefforts

tounderstandthechallengestoinclusionthatexist–bothattheCollegeandinthelargerworld–andtoincreaseoursuccessinaddressingandovercomingthosechallenges.Skidmorestandsatacriticaljuncturewherewemustfocusmoreonfosteringaninclusiveandrespectfulclimateinwhicheverymemberofourcommunityfeelsvaluedandallexperienceasenseofbelonging,because we all know that our contributions to the community are both welcomed and

18Betweentheyearsof2006and2015,thepercentageofstudentsofcolorinthegeneralstudentpopulationincreasedfrom15%to22%.TheincreaseislargelyduetogreaternumbersofLatinoandAsian‐Americanstudents.WehavenotseenasimilarincreaseinthenumberofAfrican‐AmericanandNativeAmericanstudents. Duringthesameperiod,thepopulationoffirst‐generationstudentsgrewfrom6%to12%,andtheoverallinternationalstudentpopulationhasreached10%,representinga400%increasesince2006.Theclassthatenteredinfall2015included13%internationalstudents,plusanadditional6%ofstudentsholdingdualpassports.

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appreciated. Asaneducationalcommunity inwhichdialog ishighlyvalued,Skidmoreshouldachieve this outcome by creating new opportunities for frank, honest, open, and respectfulconversationamongvariousconstituenciesinsettingsbothsmallandlarge.

Wealsoacknowledgethateliminatingsexualandgender‐basedmisconducthasbecome

an increasing topic of concern on Skidmore’s campus, as is the case throughout highereducation across our country. In recent years, we have intensified longstanding efforts toexamineandperiodicallyupdatetheCollege’spoliciesandproceduresaroundtheseissues.Wehave reviewed and revised our policies and processes; in collaboration with the Board ofTrustees,wehavehadourpoliciesandproceduresreviewedbyexternallegalexperts;wehaverevisedourpoliciestoensurecompliancewithachanginglegalenvironment(includingrecentchangestoNewYorkStatelaw);wehaveheldnumerouscampusforumsonthistopic–seekingbothtoinformourcommunityandtoreceiveinput;andwehavecollaboratedactivelywiththeotherNewYorkSix schools to sharebestpracticesanddevelop thenecessarycapabilitiesonourcampus. Butwestillarenotwherewewanttobeinachievingacommunitythat is freefrom such behavior. Over the course of thisPlan,wewill continue our efforts to adopt andimplement the best practices available nationally, and to ensure thatwe have the necessaryinstitutionalstructuresinplacetopreventunwantedbehaviorwherepossibleandtodealwithiteffectively,shoulditoccur. Wehavedirectedsignificantattentiontoeducationaleffortsforour student body, and we will continue to seek new and more creative ways to help allmembersofourcampuscommunitycollaborateinaddressingthisissue.WellnessandWell‐BeingOur larger goal is to cultivatewell‐being among all ourpopulations. This concept is amulti‐faceted construct that includes traditional ideas regarding human flourishing that areembedded in the values of liberal education itself. Examples include the appreciation of theaestheticdimensionofhumanexistence,theexperienceofaccomplishingmeaningfulwork,anattentiontosocialresponsibility,asenseofbelongingtoacommunity,andanoverallsenseofpersonalfulfillmentandsatisfactionwithone’slife.Suchvaluesareintegraltotherealizationoftheuniquepotentialofeachmemberofourcommunity.Theyalsoarecriticaltothehealthofaneducationalinstitution.Andalthoughitisimpossibletoguaranteethateverymemberofourcommunity will realize these values, it is possible to create structures and promoterelationshipswithinourcommunitythatsupportsuchideals.

Accordingly,we now choose to elevate the value ofwell‐being – both individually andinstitutionally–andapproachitmoresystematicallyandintentionallythaninthepast.Wewilldraw upon our commitment to create transformative educational experiences we willconsciously cultivate the qualities that are central for well‐being: resilience in the face ofadversity,motivationtopersistinspiteoffailure,trustinone’sagency,developmentofpurposeandmeaning, a sense of belonging, andmotivation to contribute to the common good. ThiseffortwillincludeadevelopmentofacomprehensiveCampusWellnessPlan(again,analogoustothe Campus Sustainability Plan) and identification of resources that will be required toimplementit.

Webelievethatcreatingaresilientandresponsivecampus–oneinwhichallindividualsknowbothhowtoask forhelpandhowtohelponeanother– isdirectly linkedtocreatingacontext inwhichall individualsfeelvaluedandincluded:acampuswhereallmembersofourcommunityhavetheopportunitytolearn,create,challengeoneanother,andcontributetotheeducational mission of the college. Inclusion and well‐being belong together, because theyrequire and reinforce each other. We viewwell‐being both as a community value and as acommunityresponsibility,meaningthatallmembersofourcommunityhavearole toplay inhelpingourstudentsandothercommunitymembersdeveloplife‐longhealthyhabitsofmind,

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body,andspirit.Thesehabitsofwell‐beingaredirectlylinkedwiththecapacityofourstudentsto tolerateuncertainty,anxiety,distress,andconfusion in the interestsof intellectualgrowth,creativity,andemotionalmaturation.Thusattentiontowell‐beingandinclusionisnotan“add‐ons”toourstrategicvision,butratheritrelatestotheveryfoundationsoftheintellectualandpersonalgrowthweseektofosteratSkidmore.

Thisconversationalsoincludesconsiderationsofathleticsandphysicalfitness.Inrecent

yearswehave enhancedboth our athletic facilities and fitnessprograms. Butweknow thatmoreneedstobedoneintheseareas.WehavedevelopedanAthleticsFacilitiesPlan,andoverthecourseofthenexttenyears,wewillcontinuetoseekthefundingnecessarytoimplementitsinitialstages.

Wewill createmultipleopportunitiesoncampus forour students to learnandpractice

suchhealthyhabitsandresponsiblebehaviors.Wewillestablishstrategiclinksbetweentheiracademicandco‐curricularwell‐being,resiliency,andbalance–challengingthemtogrowandtransform across multiple individual, academic, and interpersonal dimensions in their fouryears on campus. Wewill acknowledge theways inwhichour student’s lives arenegativelyaffectedbyalcoholandsubstanceabuse,mentalhealthissues,andbysexualandgender‐basedmisconduct. Wearecommitted to takingan inclusive,public‐health‐basedapproach to theseissuestounderstandexistingstructuresandtendencieswithinourvariouspopulationsandusethat understanding to foster positive change. The College’s smoking policy (implemented in2014)representsoneattempttocreateamorehealthfulcampusenvironment,butenforcementof this policyhas been inconsistent at best. Weneed to renewour efforts to implement thecurrentpolicy,andweneedtodecidewhethertotakethenextsteptowardbeingasmoke‐freecampus.

These objectives represent just onemoremanifestation of our commitment to being acommunityofrespect:onethataffirmsthebasicvalueofallitsmembers,thatcallsuponthemto respect both themselves and one another, and that provides a context in which allcommunitymembers are supported inmaking their unique contributions. Our overarchingobjective isalwaysthatallourstudentsconsistentlyhavefullaccesstotheopportunitiesandchallengesofaliberalartseducation.

PRIORITYINITIATIVESinsupportofGOALIII:Well‐being

Develop additional institutional capacity and programming to makeSkidmore a truly creative and inclusive community, such that otherschoolslooktoSkidmoreasamodel.

DevelopaninstitutionalDiversityandInclusionPlantoguideCollege‐wideworktowardachievinginclusiveexcellence.

Increase professional development opportunities for members of the Collegestaff.

Increase community‐wide opportunities for all members of the Collegecommunitytoengageinmeaningfuldialogandexploredifferentframeworksofanalysiswiththegoalofachievingmutualunderstanding.

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Continue to support Pilot Staff Advisory Group; review the structure andeffectivenessoftheGroupinSpring2017.

Createnewopportunities to fosterpractices thatenhancewellnessandwell‐beingofallcommunitymembers.

Monitor and, as needed, make changes to ensure that the College benefitspackageforemployeesmakeshealthandwellnessamoreprominentobjective;incorporatewellnessassistanceandincentivesintohealthinsurance.

Topromotestrategicalignmentofwell‐beinginitiativesacrosscollegedivisions,conveneagroupof campus leaders to formawell‐beingcollaborative toplan,seekfundingfor,andimplementacomprehensiveplantopromotecampus‐widewell‐being (e.g. exploreways to increase effectivenessof the campusSmokingPolicy and determinewhether tomake Skidmore a smoke‐free environment).Enhanceopportunitiesformembersofthecampuscommunity–mostespeciallystudentsbutalsomembersofthefacultyandstaff–topursueactivitiesrelatingtophysicalfitnessandoverallhealth.

Holistically address sexual and gender‐based misconduct throughimplementationofaninclusivepublichealthapproachthatinvolvesallcampusconstituencies.

Develop new ways to leverage the relationship between campus athleticfacilities,thehealthofstudentsandemployees,andthesuccessofourstudent‐athletes who participate in intercollegiate athletics. Continue fundraising toimplement initial stages of the Athletics Facilities Plan: Boathouse for CrewProgram,andexpanded locker rooms,weightliftingarea, cardio‐fitness center,andtennisfacility.[Additionalfundraisingrequired:approximately$15M.]

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GOALIV: SUSTAINABILITY – TO CONTINUE TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE INSTITUTIONALFOUNDATIONFOREXCELLENCE: DEPLOYINGTHECONCEPTOFSUSTAINABILITYBROADLYUNDERSTOODASANORGANIZINGPRINCIPLE,WEWILLINVESTOURTIME,ENERGY,ANDFUNDINGININITIATIVESTOENSURETHECOLLEGE’SLONG‐TERMVIABILITYANDSUCCESS.The success of all of the initiatives outlined above, along with our capacity to competeeffectively forstudentsandresources inan increasinglycompetitive “market,”willdepend inlarge part upon our capacity to increase and steward our resources wisely, creatively, andeffectively.Inparticular,therearefourcategoriesofresourcesthatwemustconsider:financial,human,natural,andmarketing.Thefirstisperhapsthemostobvious:wemustfindwaysbothtogrowourendowmentandcorerevenuestreamswhileusingthoseresourcesaseffectivelyaspossible. ‘Human resources’ refers both to our faculty and staff as well as the broadercommunityofalumni,students,andfriendswhocontributesignificantamountsoftime,energy,andfinancialsupporttotheCollege.‘Naturalresources’referstotheeffectofourdecisionsandactions on our campus, where we must ensure that our facilities are run as effectively,sustainably, and efficiently as possible. But it also refers more broadly to the largerenvironment; herewemust consider issues of sustainability understood in thewidest sense.Andprincipalamongour‘marketingresources’isourpublicinstitutionalidentity–our“brand”– that plays such a critical role in attracting students faculty members, and staff. But thenarratives bywhichwe communicate our institutional identity also play a role in creating ashared sense of purpose and identity across the Skidmore campus community andwith ouralumni,parents,andotherfriendsoftheCollege.ManagingourFinancialResourcesIn the comingyearswecanexpect financialpressures to increase inareas suchasemployeehealthcare,technology,libraryresources,maintenanceonourphysicalplant,energy,and,mostsignificantly, financial aid, and compensation. At the same time, our capacity to generatesignificantrevenuegrowthfromatleastoneofourmajortraditionalsources,tuitionandfees,will be quite limited aswe seek to keep Skidmore affordable. Thismeans placing a greateremphasisonstewardingandgrowingourendowment,increasingourfundraisingcapacity,andidentifyingnewrevenuestreams.

As the preceding pages of this Plandemonstrate, there are few constraints on ourambitions. We have taken onemajor step towards addressing this issuewith the launch ofCreating Our Future: The Campaign for Skidmore. Beyond providing for several key capitalprojects, the campaign will also add $60‐80 million to the College’s endowment whileenhancing a reliable source of annual operating dollars through the Skidmore Fund. Longerterm,wealsoneedtoreversethecontinuingerosionofourparticipationrateofdonorsamongouralumni. While itexemplifiesa largernational trendamongcollegesanduniversities,anddespite the fact that the dollar value of our annual contributions has steadily increased, ourdecliningalumniparticipationisneverthelessconcerningandmustbeaddressed.Forthisandother reasons,wemust develop new and creativeways to increase alumni engagement – tohelpthemfeelastrongersenseofmembershipintheSkidmorecommunityandresponsibilityforcontinuingtosupport theCollege, justaspreviousgenerationsofalumnimade itpossiblefor Skidmore to offer theopportunities it did to themwhen theywere students. Evenmorebroadly,wemustenhanceour capacity toprojectour institutionalmessageexternally tokeytargetedaudiences.

Wealsoneedtocontinuetomanageourendowmentina“prudentlyaggressive”fashion.A key element of our success over the past twenty years, and a critical part of our ability tosurvive through challenges as the recent recession, has been a stable and steadily growingendowment.Itprovidesanessentialunderpinningtoourlong‐termplanning,andourgoalisto

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exceedthe$500millionmarkoverthenextdecadethroughmarketincreasesandgiving.Lastly,wemustidentifyadditional,reliablestreamsofincometobuttressourfinancialposition.Areaswe will interrogate include an expansion of our summer conference program and furtherdevelopment of the Skidmore ClassicHorse Show,which generates support for the College’sfinancialaidprogram.

Beyondincreasingourresources,wealsomustenhanceoursenseofsharedpurposeinimproving our operational efficiency. This means aligning all of our activities as closely aspossiblewithour strategicpriorities. It places greater emphasisoneffective communicationacross operational areas (an issue identified in our recent staff surveys) to avoid waste,duplicationof effort, andunnecessarydelays in accomplishingbasic functions. And itmeansadoptinga“limited‐growth”approachthatassumesallormostnewinitiativeswillbe fundedeitherbynewlyidentifiedfunds,throughpartnershipsacrossareasorothercollaborations,orbycostreductionsorreallocationofresources.Wemustcontinuetoidentifyopportunitiestoshare or lower costs through collaborations (such as thosewe currently havewith theNewYorkSix schools)aswellas technology (suchasoffering instruction in less frequently taughtlanguages via the web). Leveraging existing resources in these ways will be crucial but notsufficient in themselves. In addition, we will need to be both innovative and disciplined inseekingannuallytoidentify3‐5%ofourresourcesthroughreallocation,cost‐containment,cost‐reduction,andnewsourcesofrevenue.Ourfinancialsustainabilitydependsuponoursuccessindoingso,anditisfarbettertobuildsuchpracticesintoourongoingoperationsthantowaitforacrisistoforcethemuponus.

Animportantexampleoftheneedtorealignspendingandengageincross‐institutionalcollaborationsistheLibrary.Thecostofscholarlyresourceshasskyrocketedinrecentdecades,resulting in double‐digit profit margins for the biggest scholarly publishers. JournalsubscriptionsarebundledandlicensedlikecableTVpackages,withannualsubscriptionsthatburn through acquisition budgets, leaving comparatively scant funds for book purchases.Increasingly,studentsandfacultymembersatcollegessuchasSkidmorehavedifficultyfindingthe resources they need for teaching, learning, and research. Asmore institutions of highereducation commit to supporting open access publishing models, libraries like our own willeventuallybeabletocanceltheseexpensivesubscriptionsandinsteadinvestthosefundsintohighquality,peer‐reviewed,openaccesspublishinginitiativesthatwillmakescholarshipfreelyavailable to the Skidmore community and beyond in perpetuity. Skidmore College cannotaccomplishthisalone;thesuccessofopenaccessdependsuponbroadparticipationthroughoutthe“citizenry”ofhighereducation.ManagingourHumanResources–StrategicAlignmentInmanyways,Skidmore’sgreatestassetisitspeople–thefacultyandstaffwhodotheworkofthe College aswell as themany thousands of alumni, parents and friendswho support thatwork through their gifts of time, energy, and resources. It is essential, therefore, that wenurturebothgroupstomaximizetheireffectivenessandsatisfaction.Recentstaffsurveys,forexample,haveshownaneedtomakeimprovementsinhowstaffaremanagedandtrainedandhowwe communicatewithin and across our community. Staffmembers alsohave asked formoreopportunitiestoengagedirectlyintheplanningandoperationsoftheCollege.Withthoseconcerns inmind,wewill implement changes inhowwe trainand evaluatemanagers,whileidentifyingwaystoprovidebetterstaffdevelopmentopportunities. Wealsohave launchedapilotStaffAdvisoryGroupandstrengthenedourinternalcommunications.Wewillcontinuetooperatewithinour“TotalCompensationFrameworkPlan,”whichisdesignedtoensurethatwecan continue to offer competitive compensation to all faculty and staff. With regard to ouralumni,parents,andfriends,wewillfocusonthreeareas: growingourfundraisingvolunteer

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base,expandingourprogrammingforalumniintheirfirstfiveyears,andbroadeningeffortstosupportthecareerneedsofalumnithroughouttheirlives.

Butinabroadersense,wemustchangehowweoperatetoenhancebothplanningandcommunicationandseeknewlevelsofbothtransparencyand“strategicalignment”inhowwedoourworkacross theCollege–meaning thatallofuswithin theSkidmoreworkforcemusttake responsibility for understanding both our strategic objectives and how our actions anddecisionsinfluenceourabilitytoachievethem.Weneedtofindnewwaystoencouragepeoplenotjusttoseektofollowrulesinanarrowsensebuttousetheirjudgmenttoachieveexcellenceintheworktheyareresponsibleforcompleting.ManagingourNaturalResourcesAsoutlinedintherecentlyendorsedCampusSustainabilityPlanforSkidmore,“weendeavortoenact environmentally responsible practices, grounded in economic and social equity, andthroughouractionstohaveapositiveimpactonourcommunityandplanet.”TheSustainabilityPlan sets challenging goals in the areas of energy, food, waste, lands and grounds, andengagement,andwetalknotonlyaboutenvironmentalsustainability,orourimpacttonaturalresources,butweembracethemorecomprehensivedefinitionofsustainabilitythatspeakstotheinterconnectedspheresoftheenvironment,theeconomy,andsociety.

Weenvision a Skidmore that truly embraces theprinciples of sustainability in all of itsinstitutional decision‐making, and this means that every purchase, project, and, whenappropriate, policy should be viewed, in part, through the lens of sustainability. Positioningsustainabilitymoreprominentlyinourdecision‐makingwillcontinuetotransformourphysicalcampus intoone that immersesallofourstudents, staff,and facultymembers ina livingandlearningenvironmentcharacterizedbypracticesthatembodyinstitutionalvalues. Inordertofullyrealizethisvision,wemustbeevenmoreintentionalaboutmakingvisibletheworkwearedoingaroundsustainability inouroperationsatSkidmore. This includesnotonly enhancingthecommunicationsabouttheoutcomesofourworkbutalsomakingmoretransparentvariousdecision‐making processes themselves. Visibly modeling how to make such institutionalchoices will demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and complex considerations necessary formaking enlightened decisions and help promote more sustainability‐oriented behavior inpeople’s lives, most especially our students’ lives. In other words, we have a significantopportunity to leverage our efforts to create a deep living and learning environment aroundsustainabilityoncampus;thechangeswe–students,staff,faculty,administrators,andalumni–helpmakeonourcampuswillbecarriedforwardtothevariouscommunitiesinwhichwelive.

The next several years will mark an historic moment in the College’s history, as wecomplete amore than fifty‐yearmigration from theCollege’s downtown location towhatwecontinuetorefertoas“thenewcampus”attheendofNorthBroadway.ThisphasewillbeginwiththeconstructionoftheCenterforIntegratedSciencesandanewAdmissionsandFinancialAidbuilding(near‐term)andendwithimplementingtheinitialstagesofourAthleticsFacilitiesMasterPlan,which(pendingtheidentificationofsufficientresources)weanticipatecompletingsometimeinthelate2020s. Wehavesomeadditionalcapacityfordebt. But,ashasbeenourpattern, we will continue to rely largely upon new resources (primarily contributions) toconstructorsignificantlyrenovateanymajorfacility.Atthesametime,wewillworkcarefullyboth to maximize the usage of our existing facilities and to attend to their upkeep on areasonableschedule.OurguideinthisworkwillbetheCampusMasterPlan,whichweadoptedin2007andwhichwewillcontinuetoupdateasneeded.

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Anessentialelementofourapproachmustbeintegratingsustainabilityintoeveryaspectofourfacilitiesmanagementandconstruction.Overthepastdecade,wehavemadeimpressivestrides in reducingour environmental impactandenhancingcommunityengagement aroundsustainability. Ourgeothermal,solar,small‐hydro,andenergy‐efficiencyprojectshavehelpedusreduceourgreenhousegasemissionsbywellover50%since2000andhavepositionedusasa national leader on innovative energy strategies. Our Bikemore bike‐share program,communitygarden,composting,dininghall,waste,and landstewardshipprojectshaveraisedawarenessandempoweredthecommunitytocontributetotheseefforts.

Sustainability‐related efforts already permeate the curriculum aswell, and, aswe have

already experienced, there is a rich feedback loop inherent in our sustainabilitywork. Oftenideas that are developed in our sustainability‐related courses feed changes to our campusoperations, and modifications to our campus often serve as case studies and researchopportunitiesforourcourses,hencefosteringcurricularandpedagogicalinnovation.Itshouldcomeasnosurprise then that the linesbetweenstudentexperiencesrelated tosustainabilityaretrulyblurred.Forexample,avolunteereffortoncampusmayleadtoaseniorthesisidea;aservice‐learning project in a course can meld into an internship with a local communityorganization;atourofoneofouralternativeenergyprojectsoncampusmaylauncharesearchprojectduringastudyabroadprogram;andservingasastudentSustainabilityRepresentativeinaresidentialhallmightsparkasummercollaborativeresearchidea.Sustainability,therefore,exemplifies integrative learning by connecting student experiences across time, acrossdisciplinaryboundaries, acrossboundaries that traditionally separate the curriculumand theco‐curriculum,andacrosstheborderbetweenthecampusandtheworldbeyond.

Attending to sustainability also directly supports our institutional goals aroundcommunity,well‐being, integrative excellence, and inclusion.Making collective and informeddecisions about sustainability compels us to become more scientifically literate, to betterunderstandthecomplexsocialnetworksandmarketsinherentinamoreglobalizedsociety,toenhance our multicultural understandings, to engage more deeply in interdisciplinarycommunicationandcollaboration,andtothinkaboutwhatamoreequitable,just,andhealthyworldshould look like. Workingtowardssuchaworldrequiresthatwe listentoavarietyofperspectives and learn tomore fully engage in informed, thoughtful, and respective dialoguebothwithintheSkidmorecommunityandwiththelargercommunityoutsideourborders.Theskills andknowledgewedevelop throughourworkonsustainability, therefore,will serveuswellaswecontinuetostrivetobecomeamoreopenandinclusivecommunity.Strengthening the Extended Skidmore Community and Enhancing our PublicIdentityTheworldhas takennoteofSkidmore’sachievements,andtheCollegehasneverbeenbetterpositioned to take advantage of its standing within the universe of American colleges anduniversities.Thephrase“CreativeThoughtMatters”andthemarketingcampaignwedevelopedaroundittodefineourinstitutional identityhavebeencentral factors inoursuccessoverthepast fifteen years. They have helped us attract larger, better prepared, and more diversestudentpopulations. Theyalsohaveallowedus togainstatureandwiderrecognitionwithinthehighereducationcommunity.Theyhavegivenourcoreconstituentsalanguagethatisbothaffirming and aspirational to describe themselves and their community. In short, CreativeThoughtMatters hasbothgreatpowerand institutional value. It alsomustbenurturedand,mostimportantly,mustreflectthetruecharacteroftheCollege.

In recent years, a number of other colleges and universities have recognized that“creativity”resonatesstronglywithinthehighereducationmarketplace,andwenowseeothercollegesanduniversitieschampioningthecauseofcreativity.Thisplacesatriskourabilityto

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use this idea to distinguish us from other institutions. We must, therefore, continue tostrengthen our position as the institution where creative thought truly matters, first andforemost through the strategic investments in our community and educational programsoutlinedaboveand throughamore focused, comprehensive, andpersistentapproach tohowwepresentourselvestotheworld.

We have already taken the first step in this process by creating a new, Cabinet‐level

divisionofCommunicationsandMarketing,headedbyaVice‐President,whowillreportdirectlytothePresident. ThisOfficehasbeenchargedwithdevelopingandimplementingacompleteand exhaustive plan for articulating the College’s story to prospective students, the broaderworld of higher education, our campus community, and our extended community of alumni,parentsandfriends.Itwillalsodevelopaseriesofmetricstomeasureoursuccessandinformfuture planning and investments. Lastly, recognizing the power of the campus visit onprospective students, we will construct a new Admissions and Financial Aid building morecentrallylocatedoncampusthatmorepowerfullyreflectsthestrengthsanduniquequalitiesofaSkidmoreeducation.

PRIORITYINITIATIVESinsupportofGOALIV:Sustainability

Continue to develop, effectively manage, and steward the financialresourcesnecessarytomaintainongoingCollegeoperationsandachievetheobjectivesincorporatedinthisPlan.

Through effective portfolio management and fundraising, increase Collegeendowmenttoatleast$500Mby2020.

Develop and implement a long‐term cost‐containment program tied toprojections of key budget parameters (e.g., net F.T.E. of student body,comprehensive fee, net tuition revenue, compensation, financial aid discountrate,etc.).Seektoidentify3‐5%ofourresourcesannuallythroughreallocation,cost‐containment,cost‐reduction,andnewsourcesofrevenue.

CompletefundraisingandconstructtheCenterforIntegratedSciences[$100M;additionalfundingrequired:$60M].

CompletefundingandconstructthenewAdmissionsandFinancialAidbuildingonthemaincampus[$5‐7M].

Complete funding and construct the new Boathouse for Crew program.[Additionalfundraisingrequired:$250K.]

CompletefundingandimplementPhaseIofAthleticFacilitiesPlan. [Additionalfundraisingrequired:approximately$15M.]

Completethecurrentcomprehensive$220‐$240millionfundraisingcampaign,CreatingOurFuture–TheCampaignforSkidmore,by2019.

Explorethedesirabilityandevaluatethefeasibilityofdecreasingtherelianceonshort‐termandpart‐timenon‐tenure‐trackfacultyby10% (not included in this

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initiative are Artists in Residence, Writers in Residence, Teaching Professors,andotherlong‐termnon‐tenure‐linepositions).

Exploremakinganexplicitcommitmenttoopenaccessinvariousvenues.

ManagingourHumanResources–StrategicAlignment

Enhance training resources for managers at all levels within the College,emphasizingadministrativecompetence,creativeproblemsolving,andwaystoenhancestrategicalignmentofeffortsacrosstheCollege.

Enhance communication across campus and, especially, between theadministration and other segments of our community but also across groups(work to minimize experience of disconnection across different areas anddivisions).

ManagingourPhysicalandNaturalResources–CampusSustainability

Implement the Campus Sustainability Plan. Assess progress in meetingbenchmarks identified in theSustainabilityPlan and reevaluate on anongoingbasis.

Reviewand,ifnecessary,reviseCampusPlan.

Strengthening the Extended Skidmore Community and Enhancing ourPublicIdentity

Build a forceful and effectivemarketing operation that focusesondigital content and

outreachtomajoraudiencesvianewmedia. Strengthenmarketingeffortsaroundtheidentitystatementthat“CreativeThoughtMatters.”Enhancesearchengineoptimization(SEO)andsearchenginemarketing(SEM)inallaspectsofCollegecommunications.

Updateand fortifydigital communicationsand thewebpresence for alumni. Explore

feasibilityofinstitutinganinternalwebportalinordertofocusthemainwebsiteonkeypublics such as prospective students, prospective faculty and staff members, alumni,parents,andthemedia.

Increaseandstrengthendigitalcontent,socialmediainteractionswithmembersofthe

media,andfocusonincreasingnationalnewscoverageoftheCollege. Enhancecapacitytopromotetheaccomplishmentsoffacultyandstudentswhosework

exemplifies creative and integrative teaching, learning, research, and creative activity.Establishanon‐lineFacultyExpertsdatabasetofeaturethosefacultymemberswillingtobeinterviewedbymediaregardingtheirresearchandexpertise.

DesignandimplementanewAdmissionsmarketingprogramandrelatedwebpresence

with an emphasis on academic strengths and creativity. Continuously refreshAdmissionsmaterials,webpages,anddigitalcommunicationstoreach“digitalnatives”moreeffectively.

DevelopnewwaystoadvancefundraisingandCampaigneffortsusingdigitalresources.

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INCONCLUSIONAcrossthedurationofthisStrategicPlan,theSkidmorecommunitywillstrivetocultivatecreativity in service of integrative learning, inclusive excellence, access,well‐being, andsustainability. InpointingthewayfortheCollegetoachieveGoalsidentifiedabove,thisPlanrepresents the convergence of our aspirations and the imperative to push the boundaries ofcreativityand imagination. TheseGoalssetouta ten‐yearvision for theCollege. Duringthistime, additional action steps will be identified as part of our ongoing institutional strategicthinking–especiallyintheprocessofdevelopingannual“ActionAgendas”(apracticethatwasintegraltothesuccessofthepreviousPlan),aswellasinaformalreviewatthefive‐yearmid‐point. But at theheart of thiswork standsour ongoing commitment to the valuesof liberaleducation that animate our Mission, to the specific values of creative thoughtand inclusiveexcellence,andabovealltothesuccessofourstudents.

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APPENDIXI

Skidmore College Goals for Student Learning and Development

The goals that follow reflect the unique characteristics and synergies of our B.A. and B.S.

programs, as well as certain emphases that are deeply engrained in Skidmore’s history and culture: on creativity, on civic responsibility, and on interdisciplinary thinking. As in the past, we aim to graduate students who can think deeply and creatively, communicate well and act effectively. We continue to ask our students to link theoretical and practical learning, and now also to develop intercultural understanding and an appreciation of their roles as global citizens. These goals have much in common with those of all liberal arts colleges who share a common mission, though we take pride in having long approached them in our own distinctive way.

Our goals emerge in particular from our collective sense of a Skidmore education as a

transformative experience. We want our students to acquire both knowledge and capacities that enable them to initiate and embrace change and apply their learning lifelong in new contexts. We believe that this learning takes place throughout our students’ experience, both inside the classroom and out, on campus and off. Our goals articulate, then, in language that is as clear and lean as possible, our understanding of students’ learning and development at Skidmore. They lay the groundwork for our continued inquiry into the evidence of that learning. I. Knowledge

Acquire knowledge of human cultures and the physical world through study in the arts, humanities, languages, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences

Understand social and cultural diversity in national and global contexts Demonstrate advanced learning and synthesis in both general and specialized studies

II. Intellectual Skills

Think critically, creatively and independently Gather, analyze, integrate, and apply varied forms of information; understand and use

evidence Communicate effectively Interact effectively and collaboratively with individuals and across social identities Engage in and take responsibility for learning

III. Personal and Social Values Examine one’s own values and their use as ethical criteria in thought and action Interrogate one’s own values in relation to those of others, across social and cultural

differences Develop practical competencies for managing a personal, professional, and community life Apply learning to find solutions for social, civic, and scientific problems

IV. Transformation Integrate and apply knowledge and creative thought from multiple disciplines in new contexts Embrace intellectual integrity, humility, and courage Foster habits of mind and body that enable a person to live deliberately and well Develop an enduring passion for learning