Headwinds & Opportunities
Societal trends and the state of higher education continue to shift due to forces beyond COVID-19. As we prepare to navigate an ever-changing landscape, we need to keep key opportunities and challenges top of mind.
St. Thomas 2025 is an ambitious yet focused five-year effort designed to propel the university toward a new level of impact. It is a guide to help us reach higher in serving our students, our community and the world.
The next five years present an unparalleled opportunity to promote our strengths and leverage key opportunities.
Not only will this five-year plan help us strengthen what we do best; it will encourage us to leverage new opportunities, gain stature and continue to thrive in an increasingly challenging and competitive landscape for higher education.
You can view updates on progress we've made towards key success metrics defined for each strategic priority of the 2025 Strategic Plan.
St. Thomas is at a distinct point in our history – and we are poised to expand our reach across the country and to build a national reputation. Its position as the largest private university in Minnesota, nimble yet comprehensive, gives St. Thomas a unique advantage. With keen focus on strategic opportunities, we will not just survive the headwinds, but thrive and grow.
As our community came together through the strategic planning process to develop goals for the next five years, the following themes emerged. These will guide our work, helping us remain true to what makes St. Thomas unique while empowering us to focus on key ongoing and emerging priorities that will help us thrive.
We will innovate, grow and excel in ways that align with our educational mission and vision to provide relevant and continuous learning for Tommie leaders of today and tomorrow.
We will become a university characterized by radical hospitality and a shared sense of belonging where all are welcomed as we work to achieve social justice and dismantle inequities of all forms.
We will broaden access to a St. Thomas education, ensure all students have equal opportunities to take advantage of the full St. Thomas experience and the academic excellence we provide, and connect all students to career opportunities that leverage our powerful Tommie Network.
More about the theme Ensure Access, Achievement, and Outcomes for All
We will bring the visions of our founder and namesake, our unique charism, and Catholic social teaching fully to life as we encounter the grand challenges of the day, develop principled leaders and contribute to a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable world.
We will make our mark and widen our impact locally, regionally, nationally and globally by becoming a partner of choice and extending an invitation to students, faculty, and staff from near and far to become part of our vision and our work.
As we respond to uncertainty and change in the societal and higher education landscapes, we will strengthen our university culture by expressing the values of respect, honesty and transparency, by engaging in open dialogue, and by committing to continued personal and professional growth.
More about the theme Strengthen Culture As We Embrace Change
Through these strategic priorities, St. Thomas will build upon its strengths, invest where we have unprecedented opportunity and make bold progress. We will expand our impact with new and emerging priorities and continue to accentuate our differentiating strengths through priorities that are ongoing.
We share updates on the progress we make on the key success metrics defined for each strategic priority.
Societal trends and the state of higher education continue to shift due to forces beyond COVID-19. As we prepare to navigate an ever-changing landscape, we need to keep key opportunities and challenges top of mind.
The faculty and staff of St. Thomas shared their thoughts, contributed ideas, and engaged in community conversations around the successes and obstacles of initial draft themes. In addition, feedback was gathered from students and other members of the broader community.
St. Thomas 2020 guided the work of the university since 2015 and led to many important accomplishments; many initiatives that began in the 2020 plan will continue into St. Thomas 2025.
Building on the vision of our founder to "never stop improving," the 2025 strategic plan is a five-year guide to help St. Thomas make a bolder impact. Listen to this high-level overview with President Sullivan's call to the community to create and embrace a thriving future for the university.
As the St. Thomas community came together on May 8 to dedicate the Schoenecker Center, the university’s new home for STEAM education, faculty, staff and students made it clear: Bold, interdisciplinary learning is already alive and thriving within its walls. University leaders, the Board of Trustees and the building’s many benefactors attended the Schoenecker Center’s… The post Schoenecker Center Ushers in New Era of STEAM Education appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
Biology major Shaylee Beckfield ’25 believes bacteria can get a bad reputation. This spring she’s helping correct any misconceptions – one colorful petri dish at a time. As part of a series of Agar Art workshops inside the brand-new Schoenecker Center at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, Beckfield has passed out dozens and… The post Art History and Microbiology Collaborate in New Project appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
Jote Taddese, vice president of software engineering at Optum, has been named the chair of the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering’s Software Engineering and Data Science Department’s Strategic Advisory Board. The school thanks Mike Thyken, the outgoing Department of Software Engineering and Data Science Strategic Advisory Board chair, for his 17 years of… The post School of Engineering’s Software Engineering and Data Science Department Welcomes Jote Taddese as Strategic Advisory Board Chair appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
After years working in hotel management, Nuela Cannady ’24 MSN was looking for a career change that would make an impact. The native New Yorker found her path forward through a master’s degree from the Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. Cannady is one of 37 Masters… The post First Class of Tommie Nurses Ready to Advance Equity, Whole-Person Care appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
Father Chris Collins, vice president for mission at the University of St. Thomas, recently spoke with OSV News about how the university embraces diversity and supports its Muslim students during Ramadan, promoting interreligious dialogue and understanding as part of its Catholic mission. Lisan Hasnain also shared his experience from a student perspective. From the story:… The post In the News: Father Chris Collins on Interfaith Support Services for Muslim Students appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.