Strategic Plan

Proposed Strategic Plan Goals for 2010-11 (third year)
April 20, 2010

 

Theme #1
Invest in the future of the church by strengthening LSTC’s educational programs and faculty

LSTC will increase coordination between its five degree programs and the missional needs of the ELCA and the worldwide church. LSTC will invest in and support the professional development of present and future residential faculty to meet the programmatic needs of the seminary.

Goal 1:  Increase recruitment for and access to LSTC’s degree programs.

1. Pending ATS approval of our comprehensive distance education petition, we will begin to implement this plan during the 2010-11 academic year.
2. Developing May Mester coordinated courses.
3. Exploring evening and weekend course approach to obtaining degree at LSTC; late afternoon-evening sequencing of courses for commuters.
4. Offering courses that attract members of area churches.
5. Communicate that LSTC is a very a vibrant seminary where students can get financial aid and have a great educational experience.
6. Monitoring (together with the Academic Cabinet and Field Education Committee) curricular adjustments that may need to be made to help make theological education as affordable as possible and still meet standards for excellence.
7. Explore the feasibility of developing a TEEM program at LSTC.
8. Assess current practices in relation to recruitment, retention and placement of students of color.

 

Goal 2:  Work on strategic issues identified by Advanced Studies:  developing new funding streams, and working with other partners to secure the educational resource of the JKM Library.

1. Building on the work done in the area of resource-development for financial aid, the Advanced Studies Office will continue to partner with the Advancement Office to present the program to area churches.
2. The future of the JKM Library is a matter of crucial concern for the faculty and student body as a whole, whatever the degree program in which one may be primarily invested.  Understood by the faculty to be integral to its educational mission and academic reputation, the faculty clearly identified the library as a vital strategic concern for the seminary and this concern is lodged in Goal 2 at present, since the library has been a strong asset for LSTC’s doctoral programs.

 

Goal 3:  Recognizing that financial resources are limited and have impacted some of the hopes originally expressed, the faculty maintains its concern to nurture a strong faculty.  The Dean/VPAA and the Faculty Executive Committee will take leadership for making progress on one or more of the directions proposed below:

1. Getting assistance with grant-writing.
2. Establishing clearer mentoring/orientation processes for all faculty, particularly non-tenured faculty.
3. Offering opportunities for skill-building in teaching and learning.
4. Offering more occasions for faculty to get together socially and enjoy the pleasures of life together.

 

Oversight Responsibility:  Michael Shelley

Theme #2
Advance LSTC’s identity and mission in the church and world

Alumni, students, faculty, and staff embody the commitments and values of LSTC summarized by its six marks. LSTC will tell their stories with clarity and passion to make its identity and mission come alive for potential students, donors, and alumni around the world. Through these stories, staff and faculty will see how their daily work fulfills the seminary’s mission.

Goal 1:   Assist the seminary to “live into” its new mission, vision, and values statements.

1. Use the mission, vision, and values statements in communications, wherever appropriate in print and electronic media, keeping in mind that LSTC will also have a new tagline to use (see below).
2. Lead the LSTC community in developing a new tagline grounded in the adopted mission, vision, and values .
3. Post the statements in public places at LSTC.

Goal 2:   Develop a communications and marketing plan, grounded in the mission, vision and values statements to improve and measure the success of communications with each constituency for 2010-2013.

1. Work closely with admissions, advancement and other colleagues to identify their target audiences and the goals they have set for recruitment, institutional “friend raising,” fundraising, and attendance at events
2. Advertise LSTC events where appropriate to reach target audiences

Goal 3:   Solicit and compile stories of students, alumni, faculty, and staff, focusing on how they live out LSTC’s values and mission.

1. Include student, faculty, donor, and staff stories, as well as alumni stories, in monthly e-newsletter.
2. Continue to feature alumni, student, donor, and faculty stories in the LSTC Epistle.
3. Develop congregational materials featuring LSTC students and alumni stories.
4. Work with Advancement and administration on the 2012 50th anniversary celebration.

Goal 4:  Empower others to tell LSTC’s story and their own LSTC stories (consistency, branding, identity).

1. Meet with faculty at least twice a year to discuss communications and marketing/integrated marketing of LSTC
2. With Advancement, develop materials for board members, alumni, and faculty to help them invite support for the seminary
3. Meet with students over lunch once each semester to talk about communications and marketing in the church and at LSTC – a practical session for them and an opportunity to hear how they represent LSTC in the MIC and internship parishes they serve

Oversight Responsibility:  Jan Boden

Theme #3
Achieve sustainable funding to fulfill LSTC’s mission

LSTC will develop a sustainable and diversified revenue base to adequately fund its mission.  All expenditures will be prudently and strategically managed so that LSTC, in carrying out its mission, will achieve a secure and sustainable future.  LSTC will achieve balanced or surplus budgets and appropriate levels of endowment spending. LSTC will explore ways in which it might work towards achieving financial sustainability through collaboration with the Covenant Cluster, synods and ELCA Churchwide organization.

Advancement Office Goals:

Goal 1: Annual Fund:  7.5% growth.  In particular, add a robust approach to congregations, while maintaining strong growth with individuals and private family foundations. 

Goal 2: Engage our top donors relative to the institutional priorities under development for the next comprehensive campaign, i.e. capital funding for short term and long term building improvements, especially as it relates to the library, classrooms, IT and other "main building" needs and secondarily as it relates to student housing.   

Goal 3: Maintain and grow gifts for endowed scholarships and endowed chairs. 

Goal 4: Extend targeted planned gifts work beyond our boards, faculty/staff, and top 5% of our donors to top 20% of our donors. 

Goal 5: Launch the first full year of increased emphasis on unrestricted endowment in relation to the 1Million dollar matching grant that runs through 2015-2016.

Finance Office Goals:

Goal 1:  Continue monitoring and pursuing critical prior years’ goals:

1. Continual improvement of budgeting, reporting, and cost control processes.
2. Successful implementation of the 2010-11 budget to achieve a significant operational surplus and a lower spending rate.

Goal 2:  Work with seminary management and governing boards to develop and implement a strategy to restructure our long term debt:

1. Perform comprehensive analysis of our current long term debt by September 2010.
2. Evaluate available methods to restructure our long term debt and prepare a proposal in consultation with seminary management and the Special Finance Task Force.
3. Present the debt restructuring proposal at the November 2010 board meetings.

Goal 3:  Create and implement better budgeting processes for capital expenditures and use of restricted funds and incorporate into the 2011-12 budgeting process by December 2010.

Goal 4: Successfully implement the short term goals in our new banking relationship with JPMorgan Chase (positive pay and check 21) by July 2010.

Goal 5: Working together, the Finance and Advancement Offices will study the merits of delivering increased financial aid to students as they advance toward degree completion.

Oversight Responsibilities:  Mark Van Scharrel and Rich Hensey

Theme #4
Deepen and expand LSTC’s public leadership

LSTC will respond in more strategic ways to the needs of synods, congregations, and individuals by offering greater access to lifelong theological education.  It will also increase its public theological and ethical contributions for the common good.

Goals

Goal 1: Continue to produce an attractive vehicle for promoting lifelong learning events.

Goal 2: Enlist help in identifying and examining models of lifelong learning initiatives (administrative, pedagogical, business models) from seminaries that are offering effective and revenue-enhancing programs(e.g., Luther, CTU, Duke, Louisville, Earlham).

Goal 3: Continue to converse with leaders of area congregations, synods, and lifelong learning centers to ascertain possibilities for creative partnership.

1. Create a Lifelong Learning Advisory Committee that would include, staff, faculty, alumni and area clergy.

Goal 4: Consider during the 2010-11 academic year adding “ecological” or “green” as a seventh LSTC “mark” to more strategically promote this element of LSTC’s public profile.

Goal 5:  Work with the Covenant Cluster Network and SELECT in developing and promoting video and web products that feature LSTC faculty members.

Goal 6: Continue to survey alums in order to help the faculty know what kinds of ongoing educational opportunities alums hope for from LSTC as their alma mater.

Goal 7: Create more access to lifelong learning opportunities.

1. Host several off-campus opportunities.
2. Host an online continuing education seminar in January or February.

Oversight Responsibility:  Michael Shelley and Laura Wilhelm

Theme #5
Enhance the quality of institutional service

Staff, faculty and administration commit to providing high quality service through accountability, efficiency, transparency, smooth processes, collaboration, and effective internal communication in order to further LSTC’s institutional mission and vision.

Goal 1: Using the combined annual tasks listing of departments we will find the connections between tasks and departments, assess efficiency, and identify problems. Develop more tools for measuring success of individual process improvement initiatives.

Goal 2: Continue to update job descriptions and titles in each department as part of annual employee review.

Goal 3: Continue training of employees in institutional procedures, emergency response, and computer skills.

Goal 4:Update and distribute the Staff Handbook annually.

Goal 5:Identify, remap and streamline existing processes as identified for enhanced quality of service.

Oversight Responsibility:  Bob Berridge

Theme #6
Strengthen LSTC’s communal life

In our life together, LSTC seeks to express the gracious hospitality God offers through Jesus Christ.
LSTC will develop opportunities for community interaction based on the marks of the seminary and energized by service to each other in a diverse church and world. LSTC will nurture its communal life in ways that encourage the mutual sharing of gifts and needs, skills and challenges, questions and insights among students, staff, and faculty.

Goal 1:  Make the Christian Life Community a required Growth in Faith course for 1st year MAM students;

Goal 2:  Further develop the “Family email tree” and the Family Emphasis in Community Life

Goal 3: Develop community forums with the Cornelsen Director of Spiritual Formation and Pastor to the Community to allow Students, Faculty and Staff to explore areas of strengths and weaknesses in our life together.

Goal 4: Engaging the community is discussions about students with disabilities and concerns about accessibility and learning to make LSTC more welcoming;

Goal 5: Provide a 1-day Anti-racism workshop each semester and encourage at least 30% of Faculty, Staff and Students to attend.

Goal 6: Review LSTC’s events planning process and annual calendar. Consider methods used for communicating information about events at LSTC.

Oversight Responsibilities:  James Echols and Terry Baeder