Announcing Our New Strategic Planning Effort

Dear students, faculty and staff, 

In 1974, our institution had an enrollment of just over 1,500 students taught by a faculty of 120. We were called Incarnate Word College then and were undergoing an exciting season of change that would result in an expanded library, new facilities and academic opportunities. In 1996, recognizing both our progress and our potential, we became the University of the Incarnate Word. We have advanced in many exciting ways in a relatively short period of time, especially for higher education. Now, just seven years shy of 2031, our 150th anniversary, we embark on a new season of discovery and transformation. It is with great enthusiasm that I announce the next steps in UIW’s new strategic planning effort. 

At the heart of all that we do is our call to continue serving and living the Mission now and well into the future. With that as our guiding purpose, we begin the process of crafting a strategic plan that can further distinguish our university as a leading provider of transformational, Catholic education that readies students to be the Word in the world. At the same time, it should address the very real challenges facing higher education today and make the most of the incredible opportunities that lie in working synergistically across our global system of schools and colleges. 

To offer an insight into my vision for the future of UIW, I have penned a presidential position paper titled “Embodying the Mission in a New Era: Inviting Collaboration, Serving Students Better and Working Together to Ignite the Potential of our Global System.” 

In the coming weeks, we will move forward with a comprehensive series of listening sessions led by Chief of Staff John Bury that will engage community members system wide. I invite you to join us on this journey, read the paper and offer your feedback via the Strategic Plan 2031 web page. Together, we can ensure that UIW remains a destination of choice for students and their families. 

Thank you for all that you bring to the university today and for your commitment to ensuring that our Mission continues to thrive so it may serve generations of students yet to come. 

Praised be the Incarnate Word!

Sincerely,
 
Thomas M. Evans, PhD
President