Today, all institutions of higher education are confronted with a rapid change in demographics, expansion of an information-age global economy, unparalleled economic and social challenges, and revolutionary technological advances. Institutions must compete in this complex environment and be positioned to address these realities in order to graduate students who can measure up to the demands of a fast-paced, changing society. A comprehensive strategic-planning process with input and support from all constituents is essential to this task.
Wiley College was founded in 1873 near Marshall, Texas, by the Freedman’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church for the purpose of allowing “Negro youth” the opportunity to pursue higher learning in the arts, sciences, and other professions. Wiley was the first black college west of the Mississippi River. The year 2013 will mark 140 years of offering educational opportunities to the citizens of Texas, the nation, and the world.
Wiley College garnered rare international attention on December 25, 2007, with the release of the movie “The Great Debaters,” directed by Denzel Washington and produced by HARPO Productions and the Weinstein Company. This major motion picture captured the fame of Dr. Melvin B. Tolson, who taught at Wiley College from 1924–47 and led the college’s debate team in the 1930s. “The Great Debaters” tells the story of the team’s 1935 victory over that year’s national champions. The movie increased the college’s visibility on a national scale. Gifts to the college after the movie enabled the revival of the debate team, which is now ranked sixth in the nation among small colleges.
Wiley College has experienced a boom in enrollment, with its student population growing from just under 600 in 2000, to a record high of 1,401 this fall. This increase in enrollment, among other factors, propelled the college into a period of transformation—a transformation of facilities, programs, activities, and services. Accordingly, last year the board of trustees approved a new strategic plan, “Pride in Performance: Transforming Wiley College—The Strategic Plan for 2011–2020.” In the past, the planning cycle was five years. However, the dynamic environment and unique challenges faced by institutions of higher education, especially small private institutions, dictated a longer planning cycle.
The board and the administration agreed that the strategic plan, as adopted, would not be cast in stone. Rather, we decided that it would be viewed as a “living document” that would evolve over time. The strategic plan will be continually reviewed and revised as necessary.
The strategic plan will help to align the college with the environment in which it must compete and will help to create favorable conditions for its continued vitality. It is designed to expand knowledge of the broader context within which the college shapes its future. The strategic plan recognizes that many of the most important decisions of the college are made in divisions and departments rather than centrally. Therefore, it is intended as a framework that encourages divisions, departments, and administrative units to work collaboratively through a shared vision of the future.
The strategic plan reaffirms the college’s commitment to developing and maintaining distinctive quality in all programs, activities, and services while still focusing on “pride in performance” to transform the institution. This process requires a strong emphasis on quality assurance, strategic development of human and financial resources, an attitude of receptivity to change, and the acquisition of new fiscal resources.
Deliverables from the plan are emerging. The college has opened a state-of-the-art 500-bed student living and learning center to accommodate its surge in enrollment. In May, the college’s work to upgrade its network to deliver expedient online access to its larger population of students was featured in EdTech magazine. The institution is the first historically black college to be featured in the magazine.
The plan adopted by the Wiley College Board of Trustees indicates that the board and the leadership of the institution are progressive and open-minded enough to set the agenda for the future, are willing to make tough decisions, and are determined enough to ensure that the prescribed program for growth and improvement is carried out.
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