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.
2025 Strategic Plan
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 quarterly updates on progress we've made towards key success metrics defined for each strategic priority of the 2025 Strategic Plan.
Expanding our Impact
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.
Our 10-year Aspiration
The University of St. Thomas will advance to the level of excellence, impact and reputation that distinguishes the top 10 national Catholic universities.
Our Mission
Inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of St. Thomas educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely and work skillfully to advance the common good.
Our Convictions
- Pursuit of Truth
- Academic Excellence
- Faith and Reason
- Dignity
- Diversity
- Personal Attention
- Gratitude
Guiding Themes
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.
Ever Press Forward through Innovation
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.
Build Belonging and Promote Equity
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.
Ensure Access, Achievement, and Outcomes for All
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
Lean In to Our Catholic Mission
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.
Widen the Circle of Impact
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.
Strengthen Culture As We Embrace Change
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
Strategic Priorities
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.
Updates on Our Progress
We share quarterly updates on the progress we make on the key success metrics defined for each strategic priority.
Factors That Shaped the 2025 Strategic Plan
Community Input
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.
Success of the 2020 Strategic Plan
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.
Introducing the 2025 Strategic Plan
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.
2025 Strategic Plan News
The Art of Collaboration: Why So Many Physics Students Are Double Majors
Light is a beautiful thing, and for St. Thomas senior Lexi Serreyn, she’s making it her future. A physics and electrical engineering double major, Serreyn is poised to graduate this spring, ready to turn her love and knowledge of light into something much more. “With my research in the Physics Department I got access to… The post The Art of Collaboration: Why So Many Physics Students Are Double Majors appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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2021 Law Graduates Set Record for Employment
St. Thomas Law’s Class of 2021 set a school milestone for the record high number of graduates employed in “gold-standard” positions within 10 months of commencement. The law school recently reported that 92.3% of last year's graduating class is working in full-time, long-term jobs that either require a law license or for which having a… The post 2021 Law Graduates Set Record for Employment appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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University of St. Thomas Names Dr. Laura Dunham Opus College of Business Dean
Building on its commitment to prepare socially responsible leaders for the business world, the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota is turning to one of the nation’s foremost ethics experts – and one of its own – to lead its renowned business school. The university has chosen Dr. Laura Dunham to be the next dean… The post University of St. Thomas Names Dr. Laura Dunham Opus College of Business Dean appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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Provost's Office: Announcing the New Dean of Opus
Executive Vice President and Provost Eddy Rojas shared the following in an email to the University of St. Thomas community on May 17, 2022. It’s my privilege to announce that Dr. Laura Dunham has accepted our offer to become dean of the Opus College of Business. A talented teacher, active researcher, sought-after consultant and mission-driven… The post Provost's Office: Announcing the New Dean of Opus appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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St. Thomas Breaks Ground on the Schoenecker Center
Bolstering its reputation as an industry leader in STEAM education, St. Thomas broke ground May 12 on the Schoenecker Center, a $110 million state-of-the-art complex that aims to break down barriers in collaborative learning. University leaders, the Board of Trustees and the campus community gathered on south campus at the future site of the world-class… The post St. Thomas Breaks Ground on the Schoenecker Center appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.