morehouse college strategic plan morehouse college strategic plan education must enable one to sift...

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MOREHOUSE COLLEGE STRATEGIC PLAN Toward Character & Capital Preeminence.

2MorehouseCollegeStrategicPlan

Toward Character & Capital Preeminence |3

Over the heads of her students,

Morehouse holds a crown

that she challenges them

to grow tall enough to wear.

HOWARD THURMAN ’23

educator, minister, theologian, philosopher, author, mystic


Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence,

to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.

…

But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society.

…

We must remember that intelligence is not enough.

Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.

The complete education gives one not only power of concentration,

but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ‘48

civil rights leader, non-violent change agent, humanitarian


MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT It is with great pride and resolve that I introduce the strategic plan for Morehouse

College that will take us into the year 2018 and beyond. This plan, quite simply, is about

achieving the world of our dreams through two primary drivers - character preeminence

and capital preeminence. At my inauguration as the 11th President of Morehouse

College, I shared that capital preeminence means having a first-rate campus and

character preeminence means producing first-rate men. When we are recognizably and

completely preeminent in both, we will have the world of our dreams.

Black boys and black men are under assault in this country and this world. Education policies, police and justice

practices, and limitations on access and opportunities in the innovation economy are 21st century examples of

remaining artifacts of the Jim Crow era. Old and new constructs reinforce unequal negative impacts on black boys

and black men everywhere from the United States to Brazil and beyond to Africa and Europe. Morehouse must

remain a counterforce to these challenges by providing a pathway for our men to ascend through and beyond these

challenges to a transformed place for them individually and for us collectively. We must develop in our students

the acuity to see and understand these challenges; nurture and reinforce the necessary integrity to overcome these

challenges; affirm the agency of our young men; provide opportunities to demonstrate strength in brotherhood and

build each man’s capacity to take action and have a meaningful, consequential impact in the world. This is the heart

of the mission of Morehouse College.

There is an urgency to find new, efficient and sustainable ways of continuing this mission while keeping the cost of

a Morehouse education within our students’ reach. Now, more than ever, we have to compete and prevail in an

academic marketplace where students and their parents seek and deserve economic and demonstrable value in

our instructional programs and in the overall quality of our living-learning environment. New and emerging

technologies, innovative pedagogies, and the availability of new educational delivery systems have come to the fore,

while students today must be prepared for a world vastly different than that of the 20th century. We live in a digital,

knowledge, creative and innovation economy, and to ensure success in this 21st century, our students have to be

stronger than ever before at the intersection between critical and imaginative thinking.

It is in this context that we carefully examined best practices and evaluated the current efficacy of our offerings and

operations. And with that viewpoint, we have taken a deep, hard look at Morehouse that has led to a path forward

replete with disruptive, yet meaningful improvements aimed at ensuring we can continue to do what no other

institution can – produce Morehouse Men.

This strategic plan responds to the challenges before us by placing our distinctive mission, high expectations and

enduring values at the core of our value proposition. To sustain and strengthen our prominence in producing

generations of leaders, the path to preeminence requires a renewed focus on teaching, mentorship and leadership

by the faculty, as well as ensuring we have the right blend of first-class technology and talented staff. It also

requires that we grow and better manage the College’s resources. With this new strategic plan, we identify the

guideposts along this path.

We invite those who appreciate the value proposition of Morehouse to joins us on this path to preeminence. It will

be filled with challenges and victories, but at the finish line, we will be closer to the world of our dreams.

John Silvanus Wilson, Jr. ‘79

President


THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS:

Toward Character & Capital Preeminence This plan provides Morehouse College a compelling direction for the next three years. Like all other institutions of

higher learning, Morehouse College must assess its own history and development and determine where it sits in

the greater society now and in the years ahead. Much of Morehouse College’s success in the last 149 years has

evolved because of its ability to assess its strengths and weaknesses and match those against the trends of the

greater society.

In 1967, Edward A. Jones wrote A Candle in the Dark, a comprehensive history of Morehouse College over its first

hundred years. Drawing on and including remarks outlining the vision of Benjamin Mays, president of Morehouse

from 1940 to 1967, A Candle in the Dark concludes with cautions, aspirations, and directives for the College over

the next hundred years. Together, Jones’s and Mays’s ideas serve as a prophetic endorsement of the theme of our

current strategic focus. Jones shares:

Morehouse had begun as an elementary school ministering to the needs of freedman athirst for knowledge and eager to function as free men in democratic society. Its first building was an unpretentious Black church; its first students, a handful of adults not granted the opportunity to learn to read. As its students’ educational levels advanced, so did the school’s curriculum. But whether as an elementary school, or as a college, Morehouse addressed itself through its educational program to one overall objective: the making of men. Its unique achievement is that it took in Black boys and prepared them for graduate school, professional school, and for life—and all this in a segregated society.

Jones continues by pointing out the importance of education in his time and the need for all institutions to plan

carefully if they are to prepare students in ways that are relevant. His charge could not be more germane today.

Information is ubiquitous, technology permits a greater diversity of engagement, and the range of possibilities and

options for many students is expansive. Concurrently, we have seen widening disparities in K-12 schools’ capacity

to provide a quality education, and college costs continue to rise. The result has been a growing inequality in access

to today’s knowledge and innovation economy.

These factors demand that we think differently about how we educate the next generation of citizens. It is in our

institutional DNA to take on these inherent inequities. To this point, Mays shares that “this is easier said than done.”

He continues:

The future of Morehouse is not written in the stars. Whereas during its first century Morehouse was considered first rate as a segregated institution, it must in its second century be first rate for all….

Morehouse’s future will depend in large measure on the imagination and creativity of its President, faculty, and Board of Trustees. New ideas must be developed by which new programs and new and better ways of executing those programs will make support relatively easy to obtain. Faculties must be secured that are not afraid to experiment and to depart from the ‘beaten path of yesteryears.’ … Morehouse’s ability to secure funds in its second century will rely on the quality of its educational programs, the effectiveness of its teaching, and the caliber of its student body. …

The same methods and ways of doing things will not suffice. Colleges which are averse to change will not command support.

But these things cannot be done without greater support. With the right programs, Morehouse must increase its endowment… for plant expansion, scholarships, and special projects. … In the first century, we could say, ‘No college could have done so much with so little and so few.’ In the second, we must say, ‘No college could have done any more with what it had than Morehouse.’


Nearly 50 years after President Mays’ leadership, our call to achieve character and capital preeminence identifies

these same commitments—character preeminence is “the making of men,” with attention not just to the

intellectual, but to the emotional, social, and ethical development of world-class leaders. Capital preeminence

means moving beyond “[doing] so much with so little” to having the physical, technological, human, and financial

infrastructure to provide the best conditions and environment for that full development.

Jones and Mays make clear the necessity of Morehouse in their time and throughout the College’s history. We

insist and affirm that Morehouse is needed now and into the future as much as in its first 150 years. There is simply

no other institution as poised for success in “the making of men” of both intelligence and character than

Morehouse College. This strategic plan is bold in its insistence that character preeminence is of even greater value

today than ever before—so much so that it is worthy of the centrality it is given in this plan. Morehouse has

developed men of great character and accomplishment, and this plan recognizes that the world needs more such men.

But the plan also recognizes that this “cannot be done without greater support” and improved stewardship of

resources. Higher education is besieged with disruptive change and, as Mays instructs, it is imperative that we

think imaginatively, experiment, and develop new programs and new ways of doing things. This strategic plan

supports that principle, but just as critically, embraces our powerfully unique mission.

This plan outlines the task to steer a path towards institutional renewal during a time when the higher education

community at large continues to face unprecedented challenges and legitimate questions about its long-term

future. Just as several companies crumbled in the wake of the Great Recession, experts project that a similar

thinning of institutions will occur in higher education over the next decade. Only those institutions able to increase

operational effectiveness and efficiency, and fully prepare its students to boldly face the demands and rigors of the

21st century will survive and be successful. Morehouse will be one of these institutions by realizing character and

capital preeminence.

8 Morehouse College Strategic Plan

OUR TRULY DISTINCTIVE MISSION: Rich History & Enduring Values

The mission of Morehouse College is to develop men with disciplined minds who will lead lives of leadership and service. A private historically black liberal arts college for

men, Morehouse realizes this mission by emphasizing the intellectual and character development of its students. In addition, the College assumes special responsibility

for teaching the history and culture of black people.

Founded in 1867 and located in Atlanta, Georgia, Morehouse is an academic community dedicated to teaching, scholarship, and service, and the continuing search for truth as a liberating force. As such, the College offers instructional programs in three divisions – business and economics, humanities and social sciences, and science and mathematics–– as well as extracurricular activities that:

• develop skills in oral and written communications, analytical and critical thinking, and interpersonalrelationships;

• foster an understanding and appreciation of world cultures, artistic and creative expression, and the nature ofthe physical universe;

• promote understanding and appreciation of the specific knowledge and skills needed for the pursuit ofprofessional careers and/or graduate study, and;

• cultivate the personal attributes of self-confidence, tolerance, morality, ethical behavior, spirituality, humility, aglobal perspective, and a commitment to social justice.

The College seeks students who are willing to carry the torch of excellence and who are willing to pay the price of gaining strength and confidence by confronting adversity, mastering their fears, and achieving success by earning it. In pursuit of its mission, Morehouse challenges itself to be among the very finest liberal arts institutions in the world.


ACUITY + INTEGRITY + AGENCY Academic excellence, developing a keenness of thought, being well-read, well-spoken, creative thinkers—these

are all elements of acuity. Espousing acuity means welcoming challenge, critical self-reflection, and continuous

learning, and aspiring not just to intellectual excellence, but to an abounding personal excellence. It means striving

for the best, seeking truth, and engaging in evidence-based analysis. Acuity is not just amassing knowledge, but

building understanding.

Truth, awareness, and morality are pillars contributing to our definition of integrity. Integrity is about cultivating the

courage to do what is right and standing firm with the same high principles in all situations, even when no one is

looking. Integrity is a pursuit of wholeness—discovering one’s true, full self and working to be that person, as

complex as that identity may be, privately and publicly, personally and professionally, in thought and in action. We

must produce men who seek to be “steadfast, honest, true” and this principle must live in the way we conduct our

work.

Developing acuity and practicing integrity are a part of growth, and growth is an act of will, an expression of agency.

Those who demonstrate agency take charge of their circumstances, assert themselves through rigorous academic

pursuits to refine and test their capabilities, challenge their (and others’) assumptions, and actively seek new roles

and responsibilities for themselves. Those who exhibit agency push themselves to their limits, fully believing they

have within them the ability to learn, grow, and successfully adapt to the changing and unknowable future.

Morehouse has graduated countless scholars who have performed at the highest levels in their respective

disciplines with unmatched integrity. And while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may be the most recognized of these

alumni, he was also a powerful example of acuity and agency distinctive of students who have been inspired by

mentors at Morehouse. The College has graduated entrepreneurs, disruptors, educators, and advocates who

exemplify agency and like King, they have gone on to utilize their independent spirit and to make their marks on a

universal society.

We will continue to prepare men who demonstrate acuity, practice integrity and exhibit agency.


BROTHERHOOD Every quality we hope to nurture in our students requires developing independence, but we know that there is at

least as much to be gained in developing the right interdependence. One of the most unique and profoundly

powerful forces at Morehouse is the sense of brotherhood. Brotherhood is more than just the easy flow of laughs

and applauding of achievement. It is a commitment to standing together with fellow students. It is the spirited

exchange of ideas where you listen and you are heard. It is a willingness to challenge friends when their actions

contradict our expressed values. And it is supporting each other through struggles ranging from academic lows to

waning faith.

Brotherhood means working in collaboration, learning as much from each other as from the classroom. It is

abundantly present among the men of Morehouse, but is intended to extend beyond fellow students. As an

institutional ideal, brotherhood extends to all the faculty and staff in the way we work and learn together, challenge

and support each other. The goal is to achieve our most important objective—the making of men. And beyond the

‘House, brotherhood represents a value to be sought in all the personal, local and global communities our students

will find themselves within.

We celebrate our alumni who continue to take the value of brotherhood with them when they depart and extend it

into their own communities. We will continue to shape men who commit to brotherhood.

CONSEQUENTIAL It is perhaps the case that no principle is so persistently held at Morehouse as that of being “attendant to the social

justice needs” of the brothers and sisters of one’s generation. That means having the awareness to see and

understand those needs, and possessing the spirit, respect, and ethic that compel one to take action. It means

finding allies, developing relationships, having the capacity to lead and the humility to follow when needed for the

sake of getting done the work that is needed. And ultimately, it means using the full power of acuity, integrity,

agency, and brotherhood to have a positive impact. In short, we expect and push our students to not only do well for

themselves, but to do good in the world—to lead consequential lives. Moreover, we will continue pushing to ensure

that Morehouse remains consequential as an institution.

This requires identifying challenges, recognizing one’s responsibility and power to make a difference, having the

capacity to confront adversity with intelligence and compassion, and taking the steps necessary to promote

change. Indeed, the names of the men who have been major players on the world stage are legion and there are

thousands of Morehouse Men who may not be well known but who have, nevertheless, made important

contributions. We will continue our rich tradition of producing men who strive to lead consequential lives.


Morehouse is the number one baccalaureate origin institution for black male doctorate recipients in science and

engineering, life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, education, and the humanities over the decade ending

2012, according to the National Science Foundation. We are the top producer of underrepresented minority physics

baccalaureates among non-Ph.D. granting institutions over the three years ending in 2013, as measured by the

American Physical Society. The College is the only non-majority college or university to produce four Rhodes

Scholars.

There are many institutions that can lay claim to having graduated CEOs and athletes, artists and politicians,

teachers, leaders, scholars and doctors, but only a small few to graduate a Nobel laureate in peace, an Olympic

gold medalist, Grammy winner and Academy Award nominee, a surgeon general, cabinet secretaries and U.S.

Congressmen. We are one such institution. Our mission is clear and our successes abundant.

In this strategic plan, we trumpet the tremendous value proposition inherent in a student embrace that focuses on

building acuity, integrity and agency; promotes brotherhood; and challenges students to be consequential in the

world. While this value is evidenced by the accomplishments of our alumni, it begins with a faculty and staff who

have high expectations for these students, works to help students hear “the sound of the genuine,” These words

are also from Howard Thurman and help students, in the words of Howard Thurman, realize that “the most

important thing in life for any man at any time is the development of his own best self, the incentive to actualize his

own potential.”

Continuing this work into the 21st century will require us to ensure that these ideals live in how we do every part of

our work. It means creating a culture of acuity, integrity, and agency at the institutional level. Morehouse must be a

place of learning not just among students, but among faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees. It must be a place

of ethical behaviors and practices. And it must be a place where we each take responsibility and are held

accountable. It means extending brotherhood to the entire Morehouse community to promote collaborative

thinking and support. And it means striving to ensure that Morehouse strengthens its ability to have an impact in

the world, maintains a voice in the important conversations that shape our world and the lives of black men, in

particular, and ultimately becomes consequential.


We can do this work because we think differently—

fundamentally differently—about black men and black boys,

their potential, their strengths, and the possibilities.

Our approach is to help our young men hear the sound of the genuine—

not to see them as deficient or broken in need of being fixed,

but full of potential and gifts and genius, waiting to be discovered, engaged and amplified.

DAVID WALL RICE ‘95

assistant provost for student success, associate professor of psychology


FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES

In service to our unwavering mission and to ensure our ideals are reflected in the men we graduate and in

Morehouse, as an institution, we have identified five principles essential to our capacity to be successful. These

principles are applicable to and should live in everything we do. We must:

PRINCIPLE 1: ACCENTUATE OUR DISTINCTIVENESS We are like no other institution in the world. It is not just that we are all-male, or historically black, or that we

assume the special responsibility for teaching the history and culture of black people. It is not only that we demand

disciplined minds, leadership, and service along with liberal learning and the development of character. It is the

combination of these strengths that multiplies our capacity to have an impact in the world and makes us

extraordinarily unique. We must champion our singular position in all that we do.

This distinctiveness has always been there. It is captured in the words and ideas of Thurman and Mays, and

reflected in the accomplishments of our alumni, those who not only excel in their respective fields as scientists,

corporate executives, lawyers, academics, and artists, but who do so much more for each other, their local

communities, and the world.

It is critical that we ensure this distinctiveness is as deeply rooted in our curriculum, our student development

activities, and in the way we engage the work of the College.

PRINCIPLE 2: EMBRACE AN INNOVATION IMPERATIVE Within today’s rapidly shifting higher education landscape, we must break from existing paradigms. We must

experiment, take risks, and find the courage to face possible failure, armed with mechanisms to assess, learn, and

try again. This means encouraging creativity and play in students, faculty and staff, ensuring opportunities to be

trained on new tools, allowing ideas to flow from anyone at any level, and being willing to offer new courses in new

ways. It may mean that we continue to do some things in traditional ways, but it means doing so intentionally with

full understanding of other possibilities when we do.

PRINCIPLE 3: RISE TO FINANCIAL STRENGTH We must develop the unrestricted resources required to seize opportunities, try new ideas, and support the needs

of the institution in perpetuity. Endowed funds liberate us to focus on our primary objective. But we will need to do

even more if we are to avoid simply passing expenses on to our students. We must develop strategic partnerships

with industry; leverage the time, effort, and expertise of alumni and friends; and accept gifts of space, intellectual

and social capital, or experiential opportunities.


PRINCIPLE 4: ATTRACT THE BEST TALENT POSSIBLE We must strive to be known for the talent in our community. We should seek in the students we admit, and in the

faculty and staff we hire, the ability to learn and adapt, to think imaginatively, and to execute effectively. We need to

demand not only a command of knowledge in relevant areas, but also a commitment to working hard and

consistently advancing one’s skill and craft. With the landscape changing as rapidly as it is, we will be successful

only if our community is committed to growing in excellence over time.

Morehouse already attracts great talent as many are both drawn and deeply dedicated to supporting this very

special institutional mission. But the College will need to recommit to helping faculty and staff develop new skills

as technologies, operational design, and pedagogies evolve. We must use this principle to inform our recruiting

practices and our mechanisms for development. And we must recognize, empower and applaud all members of our

community—faculty, staff, and students—who exhibit leadership and enact change in support of our shared

objectives.

We should strive to truly know each other in this community and to help each other realize our full potential. And

we must be intentional in the constructive assessment of our work, in the management of those people and tasks

for which we are responsible, and in the service we provide to others. Our success will be measured as Morehouse

evolves into an all the more sought-after destination by esteemed academicians, adept staff, and the world’s most

talented students—a unique place of tremendous personal and professional growth.

PRINCIPLE 5: DEVELOP OPERATIONAL & SERVICE EXCELLENCE Becoming simultaneously more efficient, respectful, effective, and responsive is essential. We must, as an

institutional practice, continually assess our engagement to ensure we are performing at the highest level, and we

must change behaviors, systems, and policies when we are not. And we must invest in the development of both the

people and infrastructure necessary to deliver on the promise of excellence.


TOWARD CHARACTER PREEMINENCE

Achieving character preeminence equates to fully realizing our primary objective: the making of men—men who

exhibit in their understanding, actions, and benevolence our values, tradition, and expectations. Pursuant to this,

we have five goals:

GOAL 1: STRENGTHEN THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM Ø Reestablish, redefine, and consolidate centers of excellence in key areas:

v Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) Center

v Morehouse Research Institute (MRI)

v Ideas, philosophies, people and issues that influenced King

Ø Ensure curriculum is delivering on transformative student outcomes, most notably supporting our students

becoming exactly who they most aspire to be: doctors, artists, lawyers, businessmen, academicians,

innovators and entrepreneurs, teachers, and more

Ø Implement a new general education program

Ø Recruit, retain, reward and support outstanding faculty

INITIATIVES

v STEAM Center: A center that brings together science, technology, engineering, the arts, and

mathematics and amplifies the capacity for Morehouse to significantly impact the diversity of those

prepared to enter today’s innovation economy, with particular attention on increasing the number

and quality of black men and other underrepresented groups in the technology innovation space

v MRI: A research institute that bridges the divide from questioning to acting on the issues,

conditions, and challenges, as well as the possibilities, models of success, and achievements that

impact, hurt and propel the lives of black boys and men. Specifically seeking to understand,

through academic research and robust dialogue, black men in relation to:

§ Violence, police, law, and community

§ Education and teacher preparation

§ Health and health disparities

§ Sports and entertainment, including strong partnering with Journalism and Sports,

Kinesiology and Sports Science, and CTEMS programs

§ Others as relevant

v KING: A center dedicated not just to King, but to the full breadth of his ideas, influencers, impact,

philosophies, development, and relationships.

§ Major sources of conflict: race and ethnicity; economic and social class; religion and faith;

gender and sexuality


§ Strategies: violent vs. nonviolent; hierarchical vs. social/networked; law and policy vs.

economic pressure vs. moral/faith arguments, etc.

§ Development, evolution and relevance

§ Others as relevant

v Ensure curriculum is delivering on transformative student outcomes, particularly in: § Health sciences, including everything from doctors to health innovators to public health

professionals

§ Law, through the King Initiative and the Department of Political Science

§ Ph.D.s/researchers

§ Business and entrepreneurism, through the STEAM Initiative, as well as the Division of

Business and Economics

§ Teachers

v General Education: Create a smaller, distributive model more closely aligned with clear learning

objectives that are connected to our mission and to the preparation of students for 21stcentury

needs, including:

§ Proficiency in technology/digital media/data

§ Having a global prospective in the curriculum

§ Understanding black history, life and culture

§ Writing and communication

§ Developing the ability to see problems in the world and find solutions

§ Providing opportunities to develop creative thinking and effective leadership skills

v Recruit, retain, reward and support outstanding faculty with:

§ Endowed positions and faculty fellowships

§ Enhanced infrastructure for scholarship and research, particularly with students

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

§ Programs organized and fundraising begun by Summer 2016 for each with partial

foundational start by Fall 2016

§ 20% to 30% of the resources raised by Summer 2017

§ Increased presence in the national conversations on black men, technology, social justice,

etc.

§ Students active in producing outcomes or research in each area

§ Enhanced reputation (going from current US News and World Report ranking of 133 to

125).

§ Improved post-graduation outcomes from current rate of 85% (employment + grad rate) to

91%

§ Greater success in national awards and scholarships

§ Improved graduation rates:

• Average 4-year graduation rate improve from 34% to 38% with a stretch goal of

45% or higher


• Average 6-year graduation rates from 53% to 56% with a stretch goal of 60% or

higher

§ Students who are better prepared for the global, interdisciplinary economy

§ Establishment of three to five new endowed positions with support for position, benefits

and student support funding

§ Secured funds that support three to five sabbaticals each year

§ Supported summer research opportunities supports students and at least five faculty each

summer

§ Increasing competitiveness for faculty positions by as measured by obtaining 12-24

applications for each faculty position

§ Providing salaries for faculty in the 50th percentile of market rates with additional incentive

compensation systems for the most highly productive faculty

§ New assessment mechanisms and procedures that allow us to identify ineffective faculty

within a few years and acknowledge effective faculty. This should result in greater

satisfaction with faculty performance

§ Faculty load maintained at 3/3 or 3/4 for most faculty, with a load 3/2 in some cases, and

over particular periods 2/2

GOAL 2: SUPPORT PEDAGOGICAL EXPLORATION AND INNOVATION Ø Explore and pilot online, hybrid and other modes of teaching

Ø Expand active-learning, experiential-learning opportunities

Ø Strengthen faculty development

INITIATIVES

v Pilot online and hybrid courses: Explore online and hybrid delivery on both a small scale—individual

courses that would be part of our existing program—and a large scale, potentially offering a whole

new way for students to engage and earn a degree from Morehouse, that is consistent with

expectations of the on-campus Morehouse experience

v Pilot intensive short courses during breaks: Assess one-week to four-week intensive courses

(demanding students to commit 12 hours per day)

v Incorporate active learning opportunities into General Education: Integrate research and other

discovery-based courses into the general education core

v Support experiential-learning opportunities during the summer: Provide faculty research grants that

engage students; restructure student summer programs to allow for more learning through

projects; partner with industry, alumni, and colleagues at other institutions to offer a range of

experiences to complement the academic/curricular learning


v Develop mechanism for faculty to cultivate new ideas for courses: Provide regular opportunities for

faculty to go from ideation to pilot and assessment, ultimately leading to full implementation of

good ideas

v Strengthen faculty development center: Provide the time, space and support for faculty to engage in

the scholarship of teaching and learning, collaborate on research projects, and share their work

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

§ Launch at least twelve (12) new online/hybrid courses piloted by 2018 with several

becoming institutionalized

§ Pilot two (2) short courses by January 2017; Pilot six (6) short courses by January 2018

§ Establish solid corporate, alumni or other partnerships to support intensive courses being

offered through our career services programs by 2018

§ Support up to ten (10) faculty working with three to five students each over the summer

with experiential learning activities by Summer 2018

§ Increase the number and level of engagement at research cafés where faculty share

outcomes of summer or sabbatical research, as well as increasing SOTL workshops and

other faculty learning engagements

§ Increase the number and improve the veracity of assessment reports of piloted courses as

part of the curriculum review process leading to standardization of ideation to pilot to

implementation by 2018

GOAL 3: STRENGTHEN ADVISING AND MENTORING » Improve information about courses and the full academic experience

» Deploy technology that supports improved, more robust advising by faculty and divisional advisors

» Deploy a “One-Stop” approach to enrollment

» Improve Career Services and other post-Morehouse planning services

» Strengthen support for prestigious scholarships, fellowships and awards

INITIATIVES

v Design and deploy improved course catalog: Create a 21st century mechanism for students to

understand courses, degree requirements, pathways to careers, experiential learning

opportunities, scholarships, and more, so that students can exercise better agency over

completing their Morehouse education

v Deploy Civitas: Implement predictive analytics tool that allows us to monitor and support student

success


v Deploy Starfish: Implement this tool that allows us to act on the information above to provide timely

interventions for students

v Deploy One-Stop/Compass: Create a new (to Morehouse) approach ensuring that students can solve

financial aid, registration and other issues on their own most of the time, and have an easy, single

way to navigate all these issues

v Become a model of excellence in career and professional development

v Deploy a student career portal: Implement technology designed to help students navigate much of

the career exploration and options on their own and prepare information for better discussions

once a career adviser is engaged

v Create a Prestigious Fellowships and Awards office: Support students and recent alumni through the

process of identifying and applying for awards; and identify students who would make good

candidates for prestigious awards

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

v Improved course catalog launched by 2018

v Technology deployed that allows us to manage and deliver course catalog; and catalog available to

all constituents that is up to date with latest information on courses, degree and major

requirements, etc.

v Civitas fully launched and implemented for all students by 2018

v Starfish fully launched and implemented by 2018

v One-Stop/Compass fully deployed and increase in student satisfaction with services in

enrollment—financial aid, registrar’s office, etc.

v Create a career and professional development center and deploy career portal by 2017

v Greater satisfaction with career placement, most notably for those students who are not business

or economics majors

v Maintain percentage of placement in grad school and employed at 85%, even as percentage of

graduates increases

v Create a Prestigious Fellowships and Awards office by 2018


GOAL 4: ENHANCE THE LIVING-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT » Implement a residential college model:

› Add faculty and peer engagement space to residence halls

› Develop and engage students in curriculum complementary to academic program

» Create vibrant on-campus social, intellectual programming

» Strengthen athletics program

INITIATIVES

v Deploy residential college model: Restructure dean and intervention model, leverage faculty in holistic

teaching and learning, reorganize residences to accommodate meaningful groups, including STEM

residences and career-based themed living

v Continue Crown Forum After Dark and create similar events: Engage students in intellectual and

social events with speakers; productions that they produce and are involved in; and other work that

marries the curricular with the co- and extra-curricular in meaningful ways.

v Strengthen Athletic Program to have a positive influence on admissions:

§ Improve facilities (in part to attract top talent in basketball, football, and baseball, and

track most notably)

§ Partner with alumni and friends of the College to offer interaction with world-class

athletes and those in athletics

§ Connect athletics with academic program, most notably in Kinesiology and Sports Science,

Journalism and Sports, STEAM and MRI efforts

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

v The new residential college model completely deployed and engaged by 2018

v Significant increase in attendance at Crown Forum events and decrease in students not fulfilling

Crown Forum requirements prior to graduation

v Combined results of more students wanting to live on campus, yielding higher on-campus

occupancy, which leads to better academic performance

v Increase in quality of athletic talent coming to Morehouse

v Increased wins and successes in athletic competitions

v Improved attendance at athletic events

v Increased opportunities for students intersecting sports and academics


GOAL 5: ATTRACT, RECRUIT & ADMIT A DIVERSE NEW GENERATION OF STUDENTS

» Clarify our value proposition

» Expand and diversify pool of domestic students

» Recruit and matriculate a larger pool of international students

» More effectively leverage summer and pre-college programs

» Improve credit transfer policies for transfer students

» Design new ways for students to engage Morehouse

INITIATIVES

v Clarify our value proposition: Engage in branding and marketing work, particularly in print materials

for students and families and online. Engage outside groups, such as, parent and alumni

associations

v Expand and diversify pool of domestic students. Expand recruitment into additional domestic markets

by increasing staff and reaching new high schools and spaces of students.

v Recruit and matriculate a larger pool of international students. Increase diversity by expanding

recruitment into additional international markets such as African nations, the Caribbean, China,

Brazil, and France.

v More effectively leverage summer and pre-college programs/improve credits transfer policies for

transfer students.

§ Improve yield through events, which can include "Transfer Days" and additional "Admitted

Students" days.

§ Maximize the admission and recruitment by implementing a model that plans, monitors,

appraises, and reviews job performance of those involved in recruitment

§ Strategically award institutional scholarship to yield the best "fit" students and to close

need gap.

v Design new ways for students to engage Morehouse. Deploy technology, such as:

§ Target-X, a customer relationship management tool, to manage admission funnel;

understand and leverage trends; monitor critical measurements such as production,

productivity and quality; and support improved customer service;

§ Social media tools to reach out to students where they are and to operate more efficiently,

using email marketing software and other social media tools.


MEASURES OF SUCCESS

v Number of Applicants/Admits:

§ Increase number of applications from under 3000 to over 3500

§ Number of students admitted decreases from over 1900 to under 1900, preferably 1800

§ Admissions rate moves from above 75% to nearly 50%, preferably below 50% to improve

selectivity

§ Number of first-time freshmen from just over 600 to 625, and eventually up to 650

§ Number of transfers growing from 75 to 125, and eventually up to 150

§ Number of Students attending "Admitted Students" weekend from 400 to 475, eventually

going to 500

v Diversity of Applicants/Admits:

§ Percentage of African Americans moves from nearly 95% to 90%

§ Percentage of Hispanics moves from 10% to 15%

§ Percentage of International students moves from 2% to 10%

v Quality of Applicants/Admits:

§ Admitted GPA maintained at 3.36 with a stretch goal to move to 3.5 GPA

§ Increase enrolled GPA from 3.1 to 3.2 with a stretch goal of 3.3 and higher

§ Enrolled ACT maintained at 22/23, which is five points over the black male average

(*SAT scoring changed as of January 2016, so we are unable to use this measure until new

data points are clearly established).

v Transfer Policy:

§ Complete update to transfer policy that allows large percentage of transfer credits to convert

to Morehouse credit, including application of technology solution that automates this

conversion


TOWARD CAPITAL PREEMINENCE

Morehouse College must create a financial base to adequately support the fulfillment of its mission. Morehouse

College must free itself of a small endowment, limited financial aid, deferred maintenance, and uncompetitive

salaries. The world needs us to be free. Our mission demands that we be free. Capital preeminence is a freedom

agenda. In order to fully educate first-rate men of intelligence and character, we must establish a significantly

larger endowment, a modern campus, and new, more extensive partnerships. And we must be accurate,

transparent, and efficient in the work that we do. Pursuant to this, we have five goals:

GOAL 6: ATTRACT, RECRUIT, AND RETAIN A 21ST CENTURY WORKFORCE Ø Work toward a more competitive compensation model

Ø Clarify and improve the full life cycle of faculty and staff

Ø Engage in innovative ways of bringing talent to Morehouse

INITIATIVES

v Competitive Compensation Model: Implement a competitive compensation program for staff that

rewards performance and keeps pace with market based salary data

v Clarify full-life cycle:

§ Promotions: Clear pathways to promotion, greater rank, higher salary

§ Onboarding to retirement: Clear support throughout the entire life cycle of employment

with opportunities for learning, being mentored, mentoring, and transitioning

v Innovative ways to bring talent:

§ Partnering with industry

§ Partnering with alumni and friends of the College—perhaps most notably in short-term

intensive courses

§ “Fellows”—academics, leaders, thinkers—on loan from other institutions or partnering in

interesting ways for short-term work

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

v Improve staff salaries to close to the 50th percentile of market salaries with clear measures for

performance-driven compensation.

v Improved employee engagement, as measured by an annual employee engagement survey

v Increase competitiveness for positions by pursuing strategies that increase applications for jobs.

v Increased percentage of faculty who come from partner organizations

v Increase number of special engagements with alumni or friends of the College


GOAL 7: IMPROVE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Ø Expand skill-building and training opportunities

Ø Improve data governance

Ø Improve assessment and feedback mechanisms

Ø Engage in strategic prioritization and project management

Ø Support collaboration across departments

INITIATIVES

v Expand training: particularly in areas of technology and process; provide the space, time and

opportunity for faculty and staff to be continual learners

v Deploy a data dictionary and deploy tools that support compliance

v Improve assessment: This is one of the largest tasks. We must become a culture of assessing,

looking at and using the assessment to make improvements, and documenting the full cycle

v Strategic prioritization: We must put the right people on the right tasks at the right times to achieve

the highest priority results most effectively

v Collaboration: Create a cooperative working environment that supports process improvement

(typically with the student outcome at the center) as opposed to functional optimization

v All of the above: Champion the values of accountability, effectiveness, transparency, and efficiency

as an organization

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

v Complete and implement data dictionary by Fall 2016, and complete business process redesigns of

data centers and input processes resulting in more accurate, consistent data that will drive real-

time, informed decision making.

v Build a culture of institutional assessment that prepares us for our accreditation review by

SACSCOC by 2018

v Cultural shift from siloed operations to collaborative work, focusing on execution, outcomes and

objectives to create more efficient operations.


GOAL 8: Develop World-Class Infrastructure

Physical Space: Complete master plan for campus

» Technology: Optimize technology solutions to objectives

» Operations: Implement continual improvement process practices

» Data & Information: Enhance capacity and practices to collect and use data

» Communications: Increasing the use of digital media, find new ways to tell our unique stories

INITIATIVES

v Physical Space: Complete master plan, including:

§ Plans for the athletic spaces

§ Plan and begin executing on sequences of moves that allow for construction of new

building(s) to begin

§ Focus on environmentally friendly, sustainable options that promote energy efficiency, are

flexible and capable of being repurposed

§ Spaces that are responsive to student development and academic objectives, allowing for

innovations in pedagogy related based on the construction and energy efficiency objective

§ Making the space a magnetic destination for students, faculty, staff and guests

§ Integrate and connect the new campus to the surrounding communities.

v Technology:

§ Improve WiFi infrastructure (fiber optics, copper, switches, and all the other hidden

infrastructure)

§ Deploy new phone system allowing for e-faxing, digital voicemail

§ Move major systems to the cloud

§ Install physical and cyber security systems

§ Upgrade classroom and other shared technology

§ Increase staffing to improve help desk and service

v Operations: Be in a continuous state of process improvement, always identifying priorities relative

to the objectives established in this plan by using appropriate data to take action in an effort to

improve process and inform next priorities, and then repeat the cycle

v Communications: Fundamentally, we must do a better job of telling our story to all of our various

constituents—internally, but mostly externally


MEASURES OF SUCCESS

v Completed master plan and phasing that meet values above by 2017

v Successful completion of technology initiatives by 2018

v Implementation of continuous improvement processes in all divisions of the College.

v Demonstrated shift in the culture whereby data-driven decision-making, collaboration, execution

of outcomes, and continuous assessment and adjustment are pervasive throughout College

administration and operations.

v More publications issued both online and in print; Morehouse in the news (positively) more often;

and positive statistics and accomplishments more widely known

GOAL 9: EXPAND AND BETTER STEWARD RESOURCES » Improve stewardship of all assets, most specifically across the key areas of:

› Procurement

› Benefits

› Gifts and grants

› Physical space

› Financial resources

» Better engage planning

» Strengthen, manage, and leverage strategic relationships

» Improve safety

» Expand fund-raising capacity

» Improve operating and financial efficiencies

INITIATIVES

v Stewardship: Deploy best practice, full-cycle asset management practices from intake to allocation

to spending to reporting with the objective of achieving fiscal integrity

v Planning: Engage a more inclusive and transparent budgeting process that allows us to leverage

our resources in a manner that is aligned and consistent with strategic priorities while lengthening

the planning cycle

v Strengthen relationships: Develop best-practice donor reports rich with detailed information

regarding the impact of their contributions to the College (in turn encouraging further investment

in Morehouse); focus on elevating “customer service” across all departments and units; establish

clear standards of accountability and service in all constituent engagements, from parents to

alumni to friends

v Safety: Establish a secure perimeter around the College, allowing our students to feel and be

protected as they move through the campus


v Expand fund-raising capacity: Increase the size of the Advancement Office significantly, adding more

robust research capabilities and technology capabilities; focus on the ability to raise unrestricted

aid, capital resources, and endowed professorships

v Efficiencies: Deploy best practices in procurement with appropriate technologies to ensure we have

the best financial vehicles in a way that ensures appropriate oversight, auditing, internal controls

and data security, thereby minimizing compliance and audit findings

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

v Improved relationships with donors leading to increase in fundraising efforts

v A balanced budget by 2018

v Improved experience by constituents as measured by an established system of assessment

v Improved crime statistics demonstrating a decrease in violent and/or property crimes on campus

v Increase in annual fundraising dollars.

v Decrease in audit findings/compliance findings

GOAL 10: EXPLORE MORE COST-EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL MODELS » Pilot alternative Morehouse experiences, including online courses and engagements for audiences other

than our traditional students

» Examine ways to reduce the student cost of earning a Morehouse degree

INITIATIVES

Many institutions are implementing strategies to combat the high cost of tuition. Various cost-cutting propositions

include developing online programs, accelerated degree programs or other policies that aim to minimize cost, only

to learn hard lessons about the unsustainability, unexpected start-up costs, or other challenges associated with

their efforts. A smaller number of institutions have been rewarded for taking bold new steps.

Given the current state of affordability and the lessons shared by other institutions, we know that it is imperative to

not only experiment, but also proceed carefully. Therefore, rather than commit to pursuing a new educational and

financial model in the next three years, our goal is to gather enough evidence to position us well for such a pursuit.

In particular, we will:

› Pilot intensive short-courses during breaks: (see Goal 2)

§ We will consider similar academic programs and course-offerings during the summer and

other College breaks with a common hope for these and other courses is that we selectively

open them to non-Morehouse students

§ We will explore high school (including dual-degree students), students attending other

colleges, and adult students hoping to funnel some of these students into the academic year

program, even if only for a semester


§ In addition, we could offer certificates, exchanges, or other programs; coordinated with

student-success initiatives (courses that help bridge gaps in preparation, for example); or

simply fun, interesting opportunities for intellectual engagement

› Pilot online and hybrid courses: (see Goal 2)

› Strengthen our current pipeline programs: We already offer several middle school and high school

programs, but we can be much more deliberate about how those programs feed the student pool

for future Morehouse students and how we generate revenue from those programs

› More effectively use auxiliary services: As we improve physical space (and even now), we can

increase our use of all of our assets as ways to bring in new revenue, being careful not to interfere

with the curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular work with students

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

› Compilation of evidence of strategically aligned with the Morehouse mission that can be submitted

for consideration to the leadership and the board

› Participation in various think-tanks/forums on higher education business models

› Being prepared to explore a new business model fully in 2019


PROFILES OF PREEMINENCE: Morehouse Men, Faculty & Staff

SPIKE LEE ’79 FILMMAKER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER

Spike Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company,

40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983. Lee was born Shelton

Jackson Lee on March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia. At a very young age, he moved from pre-

civil rights Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York. Lee came from an artistic, education-grounded background; his father

was a jazz musician, and his mother, a schoolteacher. After graduating from Morehouse College, Lee attended the

Tisch School of Arts graduate film program at New York University.

DR. DELORES STEPHENS PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH

A native Virginian, E. Delores B. Stephens holds degrees from Spelman College (B.A. in English) from which she graduated as valedictorian; Atlanta University from which she holds the M.A. in English and American Literature (thesis published in the microfilm collection of the University of Kentucky); and from Emory University (Ph.D. in English). In addition, she earned a certificate for completion of a summer of academic work in Nineteenth Century British Literature from the University of London and a Testamur (one year) from the University of Exeter (Great Britain) for study of British literature – Shakespeare and Twentieth-Century Writers. Before joining the faculty at Morehouse College in 1964, she was on the faculty at the Atlanta School of Business and at Norfolk State University.

CALVIN BUTTS ’72 PASTOR, ACADEMICIAN In 1972, Calvin Butts received his B.A. degree from Morehouse College; while a student, he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and was active in civil rights. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Butts and several other Morehouse students took to the streets in anger. After graduation, Butts returned to New York where he earned his master of divinity

degree in church history in 1975 from Union Theological Seminary and later his doctorate of ministry in church and public policy from Drew University. While still in graduate school, Butts was hired to work at Abyssinian Baptist Church where he began as an office assistant and worked his way up to assistant pastor, eventually being named head pastor in 1989. Since 1999, he has served as the president of the State University of New York at Westbury.


PAUL JUDGE ’98 INVENTOR, ENTREPRENEUR, INVESTOR Paul Q. Judge is an award-winning technologist, entrepreneur, and speaker. Judge was a technical expert for the Federal Trade Commission in the 2005 Report to Congress on the Effectiveness of the CAN-SPAM Act. In 2003, he founded the Anti-Spam Research Group in

the Internet Research Task Force.

Judge attended Morehouse College in Atlanta earning a B.S. in computer science with a minor in mathematics in three years. He then matriculated at Georgia Tech, completing M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science in 2002. Judge then did post doctorate work at Georgia Tech in 2003. Judge joined the founding team of CipherTrust in 2000 and served as Chief Technology Officer until the company was acquired in 2006. Judge served as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Secure Computing Corp. until 2007. Judge founded Purewire in 2007, acquired by Barracuda Networks in 2009. He is cofounder and Executive Chairman of Pindrop Security, provider of phone anti-fraud and authentication solutions, founded in 2011. Most recently he is co-founder of Luma, a wireless networking company.

EDWIN MOSES ’78 ATHLETE, HUMANITARIAN

Edwin Corley Moses accepted an academic scholarship to Morehouse College where he majored in physics and industrial engineering, while competing for the Maroon Tiger track team. Moses won gold medals in the 400 m hurdles at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 107 consecutive finals (122 consecutive races) and set the world record in his event four times. In addition to his running, Moses was also an innovative reformer in the areas of Olympic eligibility and drug testing. In 2000, he was elected the first Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, an international service organization of world-class athletes. In 1994 Moses received an MBA from Pepperdine University and was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

DAVID MORROW ’80 GLEE CLUB DIRECTOR, PROFESSOR OF MUSIC David Morrow is a native of Rochester, New York. He earned the Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College in 1980. While at Morehouse, he became a member of Phi Beta Kappa, was awarded the Kemper Harreld Award for Excellence in Music, received departmental honors, and graduated Valedictorian of his class. He received the Master of

Music degree from the University of Michigan in 1981 and was elected to Pi Kappa Lambda. He received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music in 1995. Dr. Morrow has been a member of the Music faculty at Morehouse College since 1981. He served as Assistant Director of the Morehouse College Glee Club until 1987, when he succeeded Dr. Wendell P. Whalum as Director of the Glee Club.


VERY SIMPLY, CHARACTER

PREEMINENCE MEANS PRODUCING

FIRST-RATE MEN, WHILE CAPITAL

PREEMINENCE MEANS HAVING A FIRST-

RATE CAMPUS. AND WE WILL HAVE THE

WORLD OF OUR DREAMS WHEN WE ARE

RECOGNIZABLY AND COMPLETELY

PREEMINENT IN BOTH.

Toward Character & Capital Preeminence.

The most important thing in life for any man at any time is the development of his own best self,

the incentive to actualize his own potential.

The sound of the genuine is flowing through you. Don’t be deceived and thrown off by all the

noises …. You may be famous; you may be whatever the other ideals are which are a part of this

generation …. Cultivate the discipline of listening to the sound of the genuine in yourself.


morehouse.edu

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Atlanta, Georgia 30314

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