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Onward: Advancing the Mission — Liberty University’s Strategic Plan

Since 1971, Liberty University’s mission has remained unchanged: Training Champions for Christ. Over 285,000 alumni are influencing the world in their respective fields, making an impact for Christ in their workplaces and communities.

This fall, Liberty has embarked on an intentional, comprehensive, university-wide planning effort to ensure that all areas of the institution are well-equipped to take Liberty into the future while holding fast to its original vision and mission.

Under the direction of President Dondi Costin, and in cooperation with all members of Liberty’s administration, faculty, and staff, the university is in the early phases of a multifaceted research, analysis, and goal-setting exercise that will culminate in the 2024-29 Strategic Plan, scheduled to be published by the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

Dr. Scott Hicks, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, is working with a core team to oversee the project. He said the university values input from all employees in this “genuinely, community effort.” Ultimately, many different groups will play a role.

“This planning process encompasses every constituency that ought to have a voice in Liberty University’s future — current students and family members, alumni, faculty, staff at every level, the Board of Trustees, and our generous supporters, plus the host of outside government agencies, civil entities, accrediting bodies, and higher education experts whose voice will help Liberty reach our full potential.”

As the data is being aggregated and analyzed and themes emerge, Liberty will march forward with a shared vision and plan to navigate the cultural and higher education landscapes that continue to evolve. The plan will not only assess the school’s current status as a leading Christian institution of higher education but also identify growth opportunities with an unremitting dependency on God’s divine guidance for the future of the university that He has built.

“An effective strategic plan for any institution should include the fundamentals of organizational and operational best practices,” Costin said. “Liberty’s plan should do all that, of course, but it should be conducted in the unique context in which God has placed us.”

“Everything that the university does from the moment the Strategic Plan is published will be driven by this plan,” he continued. “We want to make sure we’re all on the same page as we march from where we are to where God wants us. The strategy portion is developing the path to get from here to there, leveraging the resources God has given us — for the good of others and the glory of God.”

The process comprises five phases: 1) Environmental Scan; 2) SWOT Analysis – identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats; 3) Goals and Objectives; 4) Publication; 5) Action Plan. The full plan is expected to be completed by early spring and presented to Liberty’s Board of Trustees for review and final approval.

In the past few weeks, all departments across the university have been involved in the first action step — the environmental scan — by conducting a thorough analysis of the internal and external factors that impact their operations, programs, and services. All employees have been encouraged to actively influence the process through research and by offering valuable input on how they can play a unique role in the success of the university. With the scan recently completed, the university has now begun the SWOT Analysis. All members of the LU community will again have the opportunity to participate by taking a survey on what defines a Champion for Christ. The SWOT Analysis is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

Costin stressed the vital importance of the final phase, the Action Plan.

“Many organizations stop the process after the Strategic Plan is published, but the true measure of a plan’s success is not the pretty graphics or who quotes it down the road — it is the execution. We will determine how to execute that plan, our marching orders, so we can successfully fulfill more and more of Dr. Falwell’s original vision. The mission doesn’t change. We always have and always will Train Champions for Christ, but our methods in this next season will be best suited for what lies ahead.”

As Liberty’s new president, Costin emphasized that the current planning cannot be carried out without acknowledging the steadfast work of those who have led the university before him.

“We’re doing all of this on the shoulders of the giants who came before us — our founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, who realized the vision; co-founder Dr. Elmer Towns; past presidents Dr. Pierre Guillermin, Dr. John Borek, and Jerry Falwell, Jr.; and in the very significant interim period served by President Emeritus Jerry Prevo. I’m grateful for all of their work as we build upon the past and march into the future.”

He said he is confident in Liberty’s current leadership team, who have been charged to be both the “minders of the mission” and “keepers of the culture.” They have been handed the baton, he said, “and we will run however many laps around the track we’ve been called to run. We hope when we hand the baton off to the next leadership team that we will have done our part to advance the university to the next level. Just as the previous leadership has set the conditions for future victories, with God’s help we hope to set up our successors for success.”

 

 

 

 

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