Dr. Judith Dwyer discusses the strategic plan that will usher this Catholic Midwestern university into the 21st century.

When Dr. Judith Dwyer took over the presidency of Chicago-based
St. Xavier University on October 1, 2003, she saw a financially stable institution with an aggressive enrollment strategy and a lot of potential.

Dr. Judith Dwyer

From that planning process evolved a set of eight strategic directions that serve as the framework for all planning efforts. What is now referred to as the Power of Eight was approved by the board of trustees in May of 2004.

“All eight strategic directions stem from our mission, which clearly states that St. Xavier is a Catholic university inspired by the Sisters of Mercy and therefore educates men and women to search for truth, think critically, communicate effectively, and serve wisely and compassionately in support of human dignity and the common good,” Dwyer said.

The first strategic direction encourages the university to create structures, programs, and practices that direct resources and actions toward the university’s core values, mission, and heritage. From that emerged the newly established Office of Mission and Heritage.

The second strategic direction promotes high quality academic programs within a culture of continuous improvement. SXU has revised the general education curriculum required of all undergraduates and expanded its honors program. Its nursing program was recently designated a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing, and SXU offers the country’s only classroom-based MBA in Financial Fraud Examination and Management, recently chosen by the US Air Force and the Chicago Police Department to train their officers.

The third strategic direction commits the university to attracting talented, engaged students. SXU is increasing its resident student enrollment by at least 1,000 as it transitions from a commuter population to residential population at the undergraduate level.

Developing a master campus plan is the fourth strategic direction, and it led to the recent construction of the Arthur Rubloff residence hall, the first university building in Illinois to receive the US Green Building Council’s LEED Gold designation. “Visitors from all over the state want to see our cutting-edge residence hall. It has set the standard by which we will construct all future buildings,” said Dwyer. SXU is currently in the process of raising funds for a new library and a new science facility. Upgraded facilities for music and art aren’t far behind.

Keeping with the “for the community, by the community” mindset while developing its campus, SXU formed a neighborhood alliance to engage the residents of Chicago and Orland Park. SXU now distributes a community newsletter eliciting feedback to help inform university decisions. Recently, the university purchased several houses near campus, and the alliance suggested they be put to administrative and academic use rather than student housing. “We want to be a good neighbor and protect our immediate surroundings. In this case, the alliance’s input changed our direction entirely,” said Dwyer.

The fifth strategic direction involves enhancing the university’s support base. SXU has plans to strengthen communications and relations with alumni, parents, and federal and state parties to increase future fundraising.

The sixth strategic direction complements the fifth by increasing SXU’s visibility across the nation through vigorous marketing and public relations. To start, SXU unearthed the university relations department, whose function had been buried beneath other departments throughout the years. “Making university relations a distinct department with its own vice president was critical,” said Dwyer.

SXU’s university relations department launched a lecture series featuring internationally renown figures, such as former Secretaries of State Madeline Albright and Colin Powell. SXU enlisted the help of Albany, NY-based Creative Communication Associates to create a brand that captures the university’s goal of “Success with Purpose.”
“Over the next few months, we will be seeing that unfold as our key marketing message,” said Dwyer.

The university is also pushing its presence in downtown Chicago. It recently began holding classes at the Chicago Bar Association. “We are partnering with the corporate community to demonstrate to our students and the community at large that internship, networking, and career opportunities are in ready supply,” she said.

Strategic direction seven proposes a rolling five-year financial plan that supports fiscal responsibility to improve the overall financial health of the institution, while strategic direction eight insists on a master human resources plan that promotes the recruitment and professional development of a talented and diverse workforce. SXU recruits faculty from across the nation by placing advertisements in the Chronicle of Higher Education and by attending discipline-centric seminars and professional meetings. “We leverage our networks and professional organizations to meet new talent as they emerge from doctoral programs,” said Dwyer. “That has yielded outstanding faculty who are very committed to teaching, scholarship, and service.”

SXU recruits staff on a regional basis, leveraging major Chicago-area newspapers and offering a competitive benefits package once on board. In addition, staff members see no shortage of professional development opportunities, such as the ability to attend national and regional conferences in their fields, free training courses, and retreats.

To Dwyer, the act of moving forward requires taking a look at the past. Once a small college for women established in 1846, SXU has evolved into a dynamic, multi-dimensional university serving 5,700 undergraduate and graduate students. The current campus, which was built 52 years ago, is a testament to the changes SXU has undergone and the changes that are to come. “The Sisters of Mercy who founded the university 161 years ago would be proud to see the direction it is heading today,” she concluded.