 | "Honoring Tradition, Exploring New Frontiers" In the fall of 2007, University School unveiled its strategic plan. The product of 12 months of careful idea sharing, outreach, and discussion, the plan charts an exciting, confident course for the next chapter in the history of this great school.
Honoring Tradition, Exploring New Frontiers captures the essence of the plan as US is committed to preserving the traditions that have consistently been the school’s strengths – its core values, rigorous academics and spirited athletics -- while moving forward with six bold, carefully-conceived initiatives.
Seeking new ways to partner with parents, engaging students in real-world opportunities, enhancing the professional lives of faculty, creating compelling learning spaces, and tapping into the abundance of alumni talent are some of the frontiers we are pursuing on this journey.
The initiatives listed on the right will increase University School’s distinction in educating boys. With the support of loyal alumni, parents and staff, we have created a plan for the future. Now, through careful planning combined with inspired leadership, we are moving US forward, transforming the lives of boys and young men as they continue the legacy of this remarkable institution.
To learn more, please click here to download our Report on Strategic Direction.
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| | | Deliver on "moments of truth," highly personal events that shape a boy's experience Steadily improve the consistency and quality of the overall school experience for boys and their parents with special attention to delivering on "moments of truth," highly personal events that shape a boy's experience.
These events are critical because they define the nurturing and character-building relationship between the boy and the school. The first time a family enters the school and is welcomed, the time a boy encounters an academic or personal challenge that is helped in a manner that builds self esteem, and the process of helping a boy to find the right college fit are all examples of "moments of truth."
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| Continue to build and nurture an outstanding, dynamic faculty Above all else, University School's success depends on quality teachers who are deeply committed to their students. Parents, too, strongly agree that developing an exceptional and diverse faculty is critical to our success. To achieve this, we must be able to provide nationally competitive salaries, recruit promising teachers, support professional development, and offer consistent teaching evaluations.
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| Enhance University School's stature as a leader in boys' education With the breadth and depth of institutional experience that US has acquired educating boys for over 100 years, the school is poised to achieve even greater distinction as a leader in boys'education. In areas such as curriculum design and classroom methodology, US has established time-tested practices that are especially effective for boys. With no other all-boys' independent schools in Greater Cleveland, and recent national trends supporting gender-specific education, this distinction is a clear advantage. We will pull these strengths together into a high impact, well-communicated approach to demonstrate how we are a leader in boys' education.
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| Invest in facilities University School generally enjoys outstanding facilities, but a number of important questions arose as we evaluated the quality of our learning spaces. There are opportunities to support the enhancement of learning using new technologies and learning spaces on the Shaker and Hunting Valley campuses. The need to upgrade the arts, technology, and science facilities at Hunting Valley has emerged as a high priority. When the architecture of the classroom inhibits imaginative, innovative, and interactive teaching, and when the latest technology is noticeably absent from most classrooms, there is a clear urgency to address this issue. A facilities task force is currently undertaking a comprehensive assessment of these issues, and we have hired an architectural firm with expertise in educational design to facilitate the process.
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| Provide expanded external opportunities for students In order to adequately prepare students for the increasingly complex world that awaits them, we must provide age-appropriate ways for boys to stretch themselves and step outside their comfort zones. Being able to offer significant, but complementary learning experiences beyond the walls of the Shaker and Hunting Valley campuses is a key strategic initiative in the school's plan. Volunteering in Cleveland, doing research at the Cleveland Clinic, or taking part in exchanges with schools in China and Africa are all examples of the way students can be engaged.
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| Accelerate the engagement of alumni US alumni are critical to the school's success. They have consistently provided a source of admissions to the school and have contributed significantly to the Annual Fund and other financial campaigns through the years. They also serve as valuable ambassadors of the school and comprise an extensive, largely untapped network of mentors to students. We have already begun to engage local, national, and international alumni in ways that will enable the school to fulfill its mission.
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Provide the human and financial resources needed for implementationWe need to build the necessary management and staff capabilities, strengthen our marketing and admissions capability, engage trustees from around the country and the world, and provide the operating and capital monies required to fund the initiatives. In order to achieve our goals, we will:
1. Develop a well-researched and targeted marketing plan.
2. Strengthen the operating processes of the Board of Trustees.
3. Establish philanthropic initiatives to enable the fulfillment of the plan. Click here to learn more about these initiatives.
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