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
In the News: Mike Maker on the Career of Boston Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Mike Maker, associate head coach of the University of St. Thomas men’s basketball team, recently spoke with The Boston Globe about his experiences coaching the Celtics head coach, Joe Mazzulla, who recently led his team to a near-historic comeback in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals series. From the story: “That was my first recruit, and… The post In the News: Mike Maker on the Career of Boston Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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In the News: Dougherty Family College Works to Close Educational Attainment Gap
Inside Higher Education spoke with Dougherty Family College Dean Buffy Smith about how the two-year college is the University of St. Thomas’ solution to closing the achievement gap. She also discussed how its scholars are placed in paid internships, supported by a professional development curriculum within the first-year experience course. “If the educational attainment gap… The post In the News: Dougherty Family College Works to Close Educational Attainment Gap appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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Sights and Sounds: 2023 Dougherty Family College Commencement
When 2023 Dougherty Family College commencement speaker Ayoko Agbobly took the stage to address attendees, she had an air of confidence. Koko, as she is known to her friends, had come a long way from “the quiet kid in the front of the class who had so much to say but was too shy to… The post Sights and Sounds: 2023 Dougherty Family College Commencement appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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In the News: Dougherty Family College’s Investment in Student Success Pays Off
Buffy Smith, dean of Dougherty Family College (DFC) at the University of St. Thomas, recently spoke with Diverse: Issues in Higher Education about DFC’s unique educational model, the importance of removing barriers and providing culturally-sustaining curriculum for scholars from underrepresented communities. From the story: DFC’s approach is in line with recent research showing that student success requires a… The post In the News: Dougherty Family College’s Investment in Student Success Pays Off appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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In the News: Buffy Smith on 300 DFC Scholars Graduating Debt-Free
Buffy Smith, dean of Dougherty Family College (DFC) at the University of St. Thomas, recently spoke with WCCO about this year’s graduating class during a block party hosted by DFC. From the story: DFC offers a two-year associate degree program, enrolling predominantly minority and first-generation college students. By the time the students graduate, the goal… The post In the News: Buffy Smith on 300 DFC Scholars Graduating Debt-Free appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.