Strategic Plan

St. Jerome's campus with Fr. Funcken statue
Strategic Plan (2022 - 2027)

To become Canada's premier Catholic undergraduate university, committed to outstanding student experiences of education and Integral Human Development.

Cover of 2022-2027 St. Jerome's University Strategic Plan booklet

To read the PDF file of the Strategic Plan.

Strategic Priorities

The following are the four strategic priorities for St. Jerome's University.

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Catholic Mission and Identity

Strengthen our understanding and appreciation of our Catholic mission and identity

Catholic Mission and Identity goals and objectives

Goals

  1. Build support for and alignment with our Catholic Mission and identity.
  2. Demonstrate that a commitment to social justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and reconciliation is an integral expression of our faith tradition.

Objectives

  1. Provide opportunities for faculty, staff and students to understand the importance of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and modern Catholic thought to realizing St. Jerome’s mission, vision and values.
  2. Engage in dialogue with the University of Waterloo about the unique role and value of St. Jerome’s as a Catholic university partner.
  3. Develop compelling ways of articulating that the dignity of all human beings is central to our mission and faith tradition.
  4. Work with Indigenous communities to advance our commitment to reconciliation.
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Academic Excellence

Guided by our commitment to academic freedom, foster an outstanding culture of research and learning that inspires commitment to the common good

Academic Excellence goals and objectives

Goals

  1. Champion the value and importance of mission-driven education in the humanities and social sciences.
  2. Enrich students’ learning experience through distinctive and complementary courses and programs.
  3. Invest in and enhance our compelling faculty research in the humanities and social sciences.
  4. Elevate our reputation for excellence in teaching and learning.

Objectives

  1. Communicate St. Jerome’s role at the University of Waterloo as a centre for exceptional humanities and social science research and education.
  2. In partnership with the University of Waterloo, become an exemplary model of best practice in federated and affiliated university college relations.
  3. Develop an innovative and attractive Academic Plan for the University that accentuates our course and program offerings, their content and delivery.
  4. Expand mission and community-orientated experiential service-learning programming.
  5. Develop an Academic Plan that leverages and builds upon existing scholarship, research and creative activities to establish St. Jerome’s as a centre of excellence.
  6. Raise the profile of faculty research through a communication plan that works to highlight its quality and significance, and, where possible, its relationship to our mission of service in support of the common good.
  7. Recognize, communicate and celebrate the University’s commitment to teaching excellence and innovation.
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Wellness and Community-Building

Build an equitable, diverse, inclusive and just community

Wellness and Community Building Goals and Objectives

Goals

  1. Address structural injustices and seek to achieve equity at the University.
  2. Foster a strong sense of community for all.

Objectives

  1. Implement St. Jerome’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, including its recommendations for curriculum and programming, hiring, board and student recruitment, campus culture and facilities.
  2. Foster shared purpose at the University among students, staff, faculty, contract academic staff, alumni, board and the community by addressing structural barriers to full and equitable inclusion.
  3. Engender a culture that values the importance of inclusivity, encounter, dialogue, accompaniment and hospitality.
  4. Support and promote the wellness and mental health of students, staff, faculty and contract academic staff at the University.
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Sustainable Future

Pursue a sustainable future

Sustainable Future goals and objectives

Goals

  1. Develop strategic relationships that will advance St. Jerome’s mission.
  2. Achieve growth in enrolment, retention and engagement in our student and alumni population.
  3. Strengthen and demonstrate a mission-driven commitment to caring for the environment.
  4. Maintain our commitment to mission by ensuring the ongoing financial health of the University.

Objectives

  1. Pursue opportunities for new and strengthened partnership and collaboration with the University of Waterloo, the Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo (AFIW), Catholic education partners and community stakeholders.
  2. Nurture relationships between St. Jerome’s departments to advance the University’s mission and identity.
  3. Grow the number of students who benefit from our distinctive university experience, which is rooted in a commitment to holistic personal formation and development.
  4. Increase engagement with upper-year students, recent graduates, and all alumni.
  5. Increase awareness and practice of sustainable initiatives, including energy conservation, the use of renewable sources of energy and reduction, responsible investing and reuse and recycling with our campus planning and facilities management.
  6. Increase loyalty and generosity to the University by building a culture of philanthropy that will be attractive to donors and other supporters who understand and align with our vision of inclusive Catholic higher education.
  7. Develop and implement a strategy to diversify our revenue sources and manage our resources responsibly.