Marist 100: What's Next for the College?

President Kevin C, Weinman and those involved with the making of the strategic plan finally welcome its implementation after two years in development. Photo by Laratee VanNieuwenuyze 24’.

With Marist College’s first centennial a few years away, perhaps there is no better way to start the celebrations early than by rolling out a new strategic plan named after the milestone. 

As Marist nears its 100th birthday in 2029, President Kevin C. Weinman nods to the future, hoping that the second 100 years can take Marist to the next level. Weinman is confident that Marist 100 is only the beginning.

The new strategic plan has been a work in progress since Weinman began his presidency. His first year was spent listening to students and their stances on important issues and hosting meetings with the Student Government Association, faculty and alumni.

Weinman was well prepared to move into his second year, where the strategic plan seen today began and finished development with the aid of working groups and committees.

Co-led by Chief of Staff and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Emily Saland and Interim Dean for Academic Engagement James Snyder, the strategic plan steering committee was tasked with gauging the values and concerns most integral to the Marist community — namely, by gathering various focus groups and holding listening sessions. 

“It was really trying to get a variety of ideas and voices on the table so that we could then spend a few months to whittle them down and find the common themes,” said Weinman. “And that’s how we settled on the three pillars.”

The three pillars are referred to in the strategic plan as cultivating “academic vibrancy,” highlighting “student centrality” and creating “expansive community.” But what exactly is the plan, and what are the specific objectives these pillars aim to accomplish?

“It starts by trying to figure out who we are and what landscape we are operating in,” said Weinman, citing that numerous higher education institutions in and around the Northeast face challenges when it comes to student admissions and enrollment.

“A lot of students, as well as prospective students, have stepped away because of the pandemic,” he began. “And they have not all come back to the Northeast.”

Not only that, but general enrollment in colleges and universities is also dropping, according to a report published this past spring by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. 

Access to higher education is also becoming harder to achieve as college tuition rises nationwide, making it difficult for those with less financial resources to seek out such opportunities.

With all three pillars working in tandem, each will tackle specified areas as part of the greater enrollment and admission issues.

This means creating more opportunities for Marist students who may not have the financial means to participate in certain programs or stay enrolled at the College, as well as providing financial aid to prospective students who need it.

As a whole, the strategic plan is geared towards, in Weinman’s words, “changing the world through education,” which can only be achieved if higher education is made affordable and accessible to all.

“If we execute all of these things, we’re going to position ourselves for an amazing second century,” he said, “and I would love nothing more than to be a part of that.”

The entirety of the Marist 100 strategic plan can be found online on the strategic plan.