The new Strategic Plan 2030 builds on a legacy rooted in commitment to the common good.
How We Achieve Our Vision
Every ambitious plan needs a compass. And the true north of the University’s Strategic Plan 2030 will be guided by the values of Charity, Collaboration, Commitment, and Curiosity, steering the Mount further towards excellence and the common good. These aren’t just lofty words tucked away into a mission statement or framed on a wall. They will be the daily practices that shape how the Mount learns, works, and grows.
Charity has always been at the heart of the Mount, embedded in the legacy of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, who founded the institution. The Strategic Plan will continue to position the Mount as an example of what happens when kindness extends to one another, especially one that places the well-being of others above self. This will be reflected in the countless ways the campus lives its mission of service and the idea that “when one person thrives, we all do.”
Collaboration fuels progress. The University recognizes that a bold strategy can’t be realized in isolation. Partnering across disciplines, departments, and even beyond Campus is essential. By valuing diverse opinions and perspectives, the University wants to ensure that academia remains inclusive and far stronger than any single voice could achieve alone. From faculty and staff co-creating programs to students working side-by-side with mentors, Collaboration values multiple perspectives and transforms them into collective strength.
Commitment shows up in an unwavering dedication to continuous improvement, as well as the Mount’s willingness to push for excellence and to honor its goals. Commitment will be—and always has been what keeps the Mount Community strong. It demonstrates the steady pursuit of improvement, the resilience to overcome challenges, and the shared dedication to carrying out the mission.
Finally, Curiosity ensures the vision never stands still. It urges students and faculty to question, to experiment, and to reframe challenges as possibilities. It shapes a holistic way of thinking that extends far beyond campus, as graduates carry that same spirit of discovery, creativity, and understanding into the world. These four values, tied together with the Strategic Plan’s five bold goals, are already cultivating a Community that’s truly distinctive. One that rises To New Heights and carries the torch into the next century.
Contemporary, Integrative, and Distinctive Academic Programs
When students step into classrooms at the Mount, they are not always met with lectures. Sometimes, they find themselves solving real problems for a local nonprofit, shadowing a professional in the field, or designing a project with peers across disciplines. This blend of classroom rigor and real-world application is no longer the exception. It’s the standard.
In today’s fast-changing world, a college education must prepare graduates to adapt, innovate, and thrive.This challenge is being met head-on with the goal of raising the University’s profile through contemporary, integrative, and distinctive academic programs.
“It means ensuring every academic program is designed not only to deliver rigorous disciplinary knowledge but also to integrate high-impact practices, career milestones, and experiential learning,” says Dean of Education, Laura Saylor, Ph.D. “These elements make programs distinctive by preparing students for professional readiness, while differentiating the Mount from peer institutions through innovative offerings, including holistic advising, partnerships with employers, and potentially micro-credentials.”
This plan builds on those values by strengthening support for first-generation, transfer, and non-traditional students, while also embedding practices that ensure graduates thrive in today’s global economy.
“In doing so, the Mount honors its tradition of care and service while positioning itself as a forward-looking institution ready to adapt to demographic and industry changes,” Saylor says.
Annual program reviews, employer-informed curriculum updates, and new micro-credentials will keep the Mount’s offerings fresh and responsive. Additionally, the Plan aims to position the School of Business and Communication (SOBC) to be a leading regional choice for students and professionals. “Increased social media presence and connections with alumni and employers will raise the profile of the SOBC,” says Dean of the School of Business & Communication, Charlene Kalenkoski. “Career-relevant curriculum and increased networking, co-op, mentoring, and other career-prep opportunities will enhance business and communication students’ pathways to success in the workforce after graduation.” Looking ahead, the vision is ambitious and inspiring.
“Our academic programs are at the core of our institutional mission,” says Provost Steven Almquist, Ph.D. “We will continue to provide contemporary programs in the areas that have long defined the Mount’s important place in our region—healthcare, education, and the arts.”
Unsurpassed Student Experience
The best college experiences aren’t defined by a single moment. They’re a collection of memories mosaiced together over time. They’re built with classmates who become friends, professors who become mentors, and experiences on campus that grow their community bond.
Delivering an “unsurpassed student experience” is critical to the Strategic Plan 2030—one that provides a robust student life, fostering relationships and connections; broadens student employment opportunities; and is guided by the Mount’s Catholic identity and heritage.
“Having an ‘unsurpassed student experience’ means that all employees at the Mount are striving to not only improve the student experiences within their jobs, but to make them the best,” says Tyler Hopperton, head football coach. “The best student experience can be achieved by putting our students’ needs first, while also making their experiences unique to the Mount. We strive not just to be better, but to be the best.”
That pursuit of “best” isn’t a new concept, but one that’s deeply familiar to the Mount’s mission.
“The Mount has always believed in a holistic student experience; not just mind, not just body, not just spirit, but all three,” Hopperton says.
The recently restructured Student Affairs department, into The Center for Mission & Belonging, builds on that legacy, ensuring that every student—beginning with events like the new First-Year Experience and Welcome Weekend through the Senior-Year 100 Days to Graduation Toast and Pinnacle Series—is connected to the University’s Catholic identity and its enduring mission to guide discovery of purpose.
Even with strong support systems already in place, the Mount is pushing further. The strategic plan will organize and build new systems to centralize programming and resources, ensuring students can easily access everything that’s available to them.
Beyond campus, the Mount is building its alumni and professional networks to widen the circle of connections. The Mount’s location within the Greater Cincinnati region lends a tremendous opportunity to involve diverse groups of external partners who can support students at the same scale that much larger universities typically provide.
“Involved alumni reassure current students that what they’re currently a part of and working towards will stick with them in the future as well,” Hopperton says. “Alumni who come back to support or simply be on campus help paint a picture for current students of what can be and will be.”
The vision for 2030 is that every student leaves with a lasting sense of connection.
Hopperton says he hopes that future graduates can look back and say with confidence that they had the times of their lives, and built skills, experience, and confidence, while surrounded by faculty and staff who relentlessly put them in the right places, at the right times, to be successful.
Culture of Care & Belonging
Ask anyone who spends time at the Mount what makes the University stand out, and chances are they’ll say it’s the people and connections. A sense of care and belonging is hard to define but easy to feel. Especially with the University’s emphasis on fostering a community that embodies a culture of care and belonging.
For the Mount, this means more than a warm welcome. It means creating an environment where employees thrive, students feel supported, and the entire community flourishes together.
“We’re really committed to this,” says Jaimi Cabrera, Director of the Wellness Center. “Culture of Care and Belonging is so very important for our employees to thrive, but then more importantly, for our students to be successful and to also thrive.”
The plan outlines two priorities: cultivating an environment that recruits and retains talented faculty and staff, and positioning the Mount as a top place to work. In practice, that involves promoting meaningful collaboration, enhancing workflow processes, streamlining campus-wide communication, and offering opportunities for professional growth.
One example is the new We Rise Together Leadership Series, designed to build individual strengths and elevate career journeys. Alongside it, the University is launching a strengths-based culture initiative with the VIA Institute on Character (Values in Action Inventory), helping faculty, staff, and students identify and build on their unique talents.
“It’s for all individuals, of all faiths and beliefs,” Cabrera says. “Once you get here, we want to support you.”
The Mount is adopting a holistic approach that encompasses the eight dimensions of wellness: emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational, and social health. With a commitment to caring for the whole person, the Mount will help students with immediate needs like emergency funds and food supplies, and also with long-term resources that will continue to support them. The University has even expanded its on-campus health and wellness services through a partnership with TriHealth.
A redesigned Human Resource Talent Management Model is also central to the strategy. A newly created Talent Management Manager role will focus on learning, career development, and succession planning. At the same time, partnerships with organizations like Gartner and EAB will strengthen leadership training and skill-building opportunities across campus.
Early signs of progress are already visible. This year’s Welcome Week activities engaged employees across departments in new ways, including an energizing new move-in day experience for incoming students. The Mount envisions a community where employees are deeply connected to their purpose, students flourish in an inclusive environment, and everyone feels empowered to contribute to a better world.
“If individuals feel that sense of belonging and have that connection to their ‘why’, then they’re going to show up, be engaged, and help our students succeed here on campus and beyond, as we truly are better together," Cabrera says.
Leading Student Success & Support
What does it take to be a true leader in higher education? For the Mount, the answer is clear: meet students where they are, surround them with support, and prepare them not only for graduation day, but for every day that follows.
The Mount is setting the bar high. It aims to be a leader in student success and support, not only regionally, but nationally as well.
“When we think about being a national leader in student success, we envision the Mount as setting the standard for student success,” says Vice Provost Christa Currie, Ph.D. “We want to develop programs and support systems that could serve as a model for other programs. We want our students to feel as though the Mount advocated for them on every step of their journeys.”
This will be envisioned in two ways. The first is by implementing a Student Success Plan during the 2026-27 school year, that includes academic, professional, and personal development dimensions for all students; one that is developed during summer orientation and carry into the student’s first semester. The plan will be highly personalized.
“As students progress through their times at the Mount, the plan will be continuously updated to reflect their growth and priorities,” Currie says.
To ensure success, each student will develop a support team that can include faculty, coaches, and other MSJ employees. Advisors will meet with each student at least once a semester to continue developing this plan, based on the student’s goals and priorities. Through MountConnect, the University’s new engagement platform launched this Fall, students and mentors will work together to support every dimension of their time in college.
“The plan itself is designed to be holistic,” Currie says. “This is not just a set of courses that a student needs to take to graduate. It also includes areas such as engagement on campus and getting ready for life beyond graduation.”
The second aspect of this goal is to create a comprehensive undergraduate onboarding and welcoming experience. The new First-Year Experience was implemented in Summer 2025 with a reimagined Orientation and Welcome Week Experience, including Lionpalooza (a fun evening with live music, food, games, and giveaways), followed by FYE 101—a first-year experience course dedicated to helping students familiarize themselves with higher education, financial awareness, and MSJ resources. In this course, students are encouraged to ask key questions about how they learn best, who their mentors are, and where they need support. With a population of students who have experienced learning loss from the COVID-19 Pandemic, the University understands it’s imperative to meet individuals where they are.
Ultimately, the goal is for students to look back and say their times at the Mount were transformational.
“I hope they would reflect on their times at the Mount and say that they made the right choices for their educations,” Currie says. “That it was time well spent and that it has made lasting impressions on their lives.”
Operational Strength & Investment
Strong institutions don’t happen by accident. They’re built on careful planning, smart investments, and a culture of accountability. The Strategic Plan will double down on operational strength, ensuring that every decision, from technology upgrades to financial stewardship, supports its mission of student success.
This will be accomplished through the following aspects:
1) bolstering the Mount’s financial resources through increased grant-funding and the development of corporate partnerships;
2) identifying and implementing a new Student Information System and centralized Student Experience Dashboard, to enhance efficiency in all areas of operations; and
3) implementing a fundraising strategy that prioritizes a new Health Sciences Building and Phase-In Plan to update all existing classrooms, offices, and public spaces by 2030.
“We see operational strength in two complementary ways,” says Acting Vice President for Institutional Advancement Tim Bucher. “It means being sound, from business processes and technology perspectives, investing in the right systems and infrastructure to streamline operations, and elevating student and alumni experiences. By embracing technology and refining processes today, we’re preparing our faculty, staff, and students to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
“Equally important is investing in our physical infrastructure, our buildings, grounds, and student spaces, to support evolving teaching and learning models. These upgrades create environments that invite our community to grow with us as we look ahead to 2030 and beyond,” says Bucher.
By aligning today’s learning environments with future trends, the Plan ensures all students can thrive now and adapt as their careers evolve.
“What excites me most about this goal is the chance to position the Mount for its next great chapter,” Bucher says. “Our value proposition is already strong, but to stay ahead of the curve, we must invest in the infrastructure that will propel us forward, creating spaces and systems that prepare our students to lead with workforce readiness, curiosity, and compassion.”
Behind every transformative student experience is a University that runs with purpose and precision. At the Mount, its commitment to operational strength ensures that the systems, structures, and resources powering the Mount are as innovative and forward-looking as its classrooms. This year, the Mount renovated the Office of Admission and Seton lobby, refreshed classrooms and athletic facilities, opened the MSJ Esports Arena—the most powerful in the region—and held the To New Heights Scholarship Benefit.
“Our goal is to build a campus that is agile, adaptable, and welcoming, honoring our history and the legacy of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, while incorporating the tools and spaces needed for the future of teaching and learning,” Bucher says. “We don’t build for the sake of building; we invest strategically to ensure the Mount endures for generations to come. This campus belongs to all of us, students, faculty, staff, and alumni—and together we are shaping a place greater than ourselves.”
With a united purpose and a vision rooted in shared values, the University reaffirms its commitment to Climb Higher, with the Heart of a Lion, and to Light the Way, inspiring generations to rise To New Heights in the century to come.