Strategic Plan Progress Report
Villanova’s Strategic Plan is an ambitious effort to guide the University forward over the next decade. Rooted in our Augustinian Catholic values, and restless in our desire to ignite change, the plan builds on our strengths and invests in critical areas to enhance the Villanova experience for our entire community, including undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and law students, as well as faculty, staff and alumni.
Rooted. Restless. outlines an exciting future that is uniquely Villanovan. It was developed with input from more than 5,000 Villanovans who were actively engaged in a community-based and iterative process, resulting in a powerful consensus of present and future priorities.
WHAT'S NEXT
Highlights of Villanova’s Current Priorities for Investment
Updated October 2024
- Update and fully integrate the newly acquired Cabrini campus to ensure a first-rate Villanova experience through an engaging mix of academic, residential living, recreational and athletic programming.
- Begin construction for Vic Maggitti Hall, the new home of Falvey Library, which will amplify Villanova’s research capacity, invigorate teaching and learning, and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration.
- Continue adding new full-time faculty positions across the schools and colleges to help enhance research and scholarship.
- Further strengthen Villanova’s research enterprise through infrastructure investments in our research computing capabilities.
- Continue advancing toward the goal of meeting full demonstrated financial need of undergraduate students.
- Launch a new comprehensive fundraising campaign to help realize the goals of our Strategic Plan.
- Continue to expand University and college professional development resources and lifelong learning opportunities.
- Advance teaching and learning through dedicated innovation funding and enhanced staffing and capabilities in VITAL (Villanova Institute for Teaching and Learning).
WHAT WE'VE ACHIEVED
Highlights of Villanova’s Progress to Date
Updated October 2024
- Completed construction on Drosdick Hall's $125 million expansion, creating interdisciplinary research facilities and state-of-the-art instruction spaces for the College of Engineering.
- Made significant investment in Villanova’s full-time faculty and staff—informed by comprehensive compensation studies— to better ensure competitiveness for recruitment, retention, justice and morale.
- Added 15 new, full-time faculty positions—out of a planned 60—across five schools and colleges to enhance research and scholarship.
- Created a University-wide Center for Graduate Research and Education to enhance the graduate student experience and provide greater centralized support for the needs of these students.
- Established the Center for the Common Good, a consolidated University-wide service office.
- Received funding and ongoing resources for a new Research Acceleration Fund to fast-track the University’s most promising research projects.
- Established a centralized Office of Online Programs to support Villanova's fully online and hybrid graduate programs.
- Introduced dedicated career programming for alumni at different stages of their professional lives.
- Increased staffing for education, training and student retention in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Center for Access, Success and Achievement (CASA).
- Adopted and continued to make significant progress toward the university-wide Sustainability Plan, guided by the principles of Catholic social teachings.
- Bolstered Villanova’s Office of University Advancement in preparation for a new comprehensive capital campaign in support of our Strategic Plan.