Strategic Plan 2026-2029 – Office of the President

Introduction

As Maryland’s designated public honors college, St. Mary’s College of Maryland holds a distinctive place in higher education as the National Public Honors College. Ranked No. 5 among public liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report, behind only the four U.S. military academies, it is the highest-ranked civilian public liberal arts college in the country. As the first stand-alone public honors college in the United States, it has long defined a model that combines the rigor and intimacy of a liberal arts education with the access and mission of a public institution. Located on the site of Maryland’s first capital, the beautiful historic campus on the banks of St. Mary’s River inspires our work, our play and our commitment to the environment.

This strategic plan, “Excellence Reimagined: Honors at the Helm”, reflects a pivotal moment for the College. As President Rhonda Phillips noted during her Inaugural Address, “the strength of this institution is rooted in our people and in their shared commitment to our mission.” With new leadership and a rapidly evolving higher education landscape – shaped by demographic shifts, technological advancement, and broader social and political forces – St. Mary’s College must position itself with clarity, intention, and purpose. As we reimagine excellence, we will respond to these evolving conditions while continuing to deliver a student-centered experience that prepares graduates to think critically, adapt to complexity, and contribute meaningfully in a changing world. These dynamics present both challenges and opportunities and underscore the need for a strategic approach that is focused, flexible, and forward-looking.

“Excellence Reimagined” builds on the strong foundation established through “The Rising Tide” and is grounded in insights gained from the 2025 Middle States Reaffirmation process, President Phillips’ 100-Day Listening Tour, and broader campus feedback. Together, these inputs define a clear and actionable path for continued growth in ways that strengthen the student experience and the College’s overall impact.

This plan sustains and strengthens what the College does best while simultaneously advancing a more intentional approach to growth, visibility, and cohesion across the institution. It reflects a shared commitment to academic excellence, student success, and a distinct identity, grounded in the College’s mission and aligned with its vision. The priorities outlined in this plan are designed to guide our work in the coming years, ensuring that St. Mary’s continues to serve as the college of choice for talented and intellectually ambitious students, faculty, and staff.

Mission

St. Mary’s College of Maryland is Maryland’s honors college, a selective, public liberal arts college-a vibrant community of scholars and learners. We foster a rigorous and innovative curriculum; experiential learning; scholarship and creativity; close mentoring relationships; and a community dedicated to honesty, civility, and integrity. We are committed to diversity, access, and affordability. Our students, faculty and staff serve local, national, and global communities and cultivate and promote social responsibility.

Vision

St. Mary’s College of Maryland will increasingly serve as the liberal arts college of choice for intellectually ambitious students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds, attracted by a rigorous, innovative, and distinctive curriculum that integrates theory and practice; a talented, professionally engaged, and student centered faculty and staff; and a strong infrastructure. Students will be part of a collaborative learning community that embraces intellectual curiosity and innovation, the power of diversity, and the College’s unique environment. Our graduates will thrive as responsible and thoughtful global citizens and leaders.

Note: The bolded words and phrases above represent six broad aspects of the Vision that are specifically integrated into “Excellence Reimagined”, through the Priority Areas and first-year strategic initiatives. The graphic below is repeated in each Priority Area to clarify how each area is designed to assist in advancing toward the Vision.

The Destination: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

These are the ways in which we will measure success at the end of the three-year period. They are broad but operationalized targets that represent progress toward the Vision, each supported by multiple goals and initiatives contained within the Priority Areas.

Undergraduate student enrollment reaches 1,800 by Fall 2029
First-to-second year student retention rate reaches 88% by Fall 2029
Year-to-year student retention gaps between majority and underrepresented minority groups are reduced by at least half by Fall 2029
Student satisfaction ratings show improvement from 2026 to 2029
Faculty and staff satisfaction ratings show improvement from 2026/2027 to 2029
Faculty and staff recruitment and retention rates show improvement from 2026 to 2029
Faculty and staff compensation gaps with market are narrowed

Design

To steer us toward our goal, strategic initiatives are organized into five Priority Areas. Each of the Priority Areas outlines operationalized strategies to make progress toward the Vision, and is described in more detail below.

Goals

1.1 Expand marketing and exposure
1.2 Elevate reputation
1.3 Embrace our identity and brand
1.4 Improve internal and external communications

Rationale: SMCM’s identity and reputation are essential to our ability to attract and retain excellent students, staff, and faculty in an increasingly competitive higher education environment. While SMCM has long been known as a “hidden gem,” this positioning limits broader awareness and does not fully reflect the strength of our academic experience or our distinction as The National Public Honors College and the 5th ranked public liberal arts college in the U.S. At the same time, there is inconsistent understanding (among prospective students and parents, in particular) of what it means to be The National Public Honors College. Regarding communications, faculty and staff have expressed a desire for improved communication practices, both internally and externally, through multiple feedback channels.

Advancing Toward Vision: Taking a more intentional and coordinated approach to communications, marketing, and brand alignment will explicitly support SMCM’s journey toward becoming the college of choice; maintaining a professional engaged faculty and staff (via communication improvement); and facilitating student global citizenry and leadership (via national honor society membership).

Goals

2.1 Modernize and expand student housing
2.2 Enhance student facing spaces
2.3 Update and modernize campus data systems
2.4 Ensure a cycle of continuous improvement of campus facilities

Rationale: Modern, state-of-the-art infrastructure that keeps pace with enrollment growth is necessary to maintain SMCM’s excellent academic experience, and to provide an adequate, safe, and fulfilling work environment. This area addresses several concerns raised by students and employees alike about facilities and technology needs. In particular, upgrades to residence halls, recreational and wellness spaces, and academic buildings have been noted as areas of critical need by both current and prospective students. Faculty, staff, and students are all eager to modernize and streamline our data systems to better support strategic planning and daily operations.

Advancing Toward Vision: Improvements in infrastructure and technology are essential to multiple aspects of the SMCM Vision. In addition to the obvious link to infrastructure, these initiatives will elevate our brand, increase the attractiveness of SMCM as the college of choice, and contribute to the development of an innovative learning community.

Goals

3.1 Implement a modern, fully integrated recruitment strategy to drive sustainable enrollment growth
3.2 Invigorate first-to-second-year student retention initiatives
3.3 Foster a transformational educational experience
3.4 Align resources to support increased enrollment
3.5 Enhance efforts in athletics, recreation (club sports and spirit groups), music, and other affinity based cohorts in support of student success, engagement and enrollment strength

Rationale: The institution-wide goal of enrollment growth is both a moral and financial imperative for the institution's long term health and fulfillment of its mission, but that growth must be intentional and sustainable. While faculty and staff recognize the need for growth, there are also legitimate concerns about increased workload; similarly, students are strongly invested in the quality and availability of curricular and co-curricular experiences. Finally, continued efforts are needed to align SMCM’s student demographic profile more closely with that of the state of Maryland.

Advancing Toward Vision: Strengthening recruitment and retention strategies, enhancing our academic and co-curricular programs and experiences, aligning institutional resources, and continuing our ongoing commitment to assessment and continuous improvement will facilitate progress toward all elements of the Vision.

Goals

4.1 Build a better workplace to attract and retain faculty and staff
4.2 Promote academic and professional excellence to embody the honors college experience
4.3 Build on and expand the strong St. Mary's community internally and externally
4.4 Pursue greater equity and an improved sense of belonging for all campus members
4.5 Cultivate a campus environment that promotes and sustains wellness and well-being

Rationale: Building and maintaining a cohesive and equitable campus community is the overarching objective of this area, responding to internal feedback identifying challenges in students’ perceptions of belonging, faculty/staff retention, onboarding, compensation, communication, and overall workplace satisfaction. Additionally, goals in this area seek to promote academic and professional excellence in accordance with SMCM’s mission, and pursue greater equity and a stronger sense of belonging for all members of the community, as recommended by internal climate studies and reports.

Advancing Toward Vision: Elevating the workplace experience, increasing leadership opportunities for students and staff, leveraging the strength of the SMCM community, and strengthening equity and wellness initiatives will catalyze substantial movement toward the Vision across all components.

Goals

5.1 Increase and sustain private giving
5.2 Expand infrastructure to support increased grants, contracts, and/or awards
5.3 Enhance athletic fundraising support
5.4 Design and implement fundraising campaigns
5.5 Increase earned revenue

Rationale: Diversification and growth of revenue to support College operations is necessary to flexibly plan, manage resources effectively, and sustain our mission for years to come. Philanthropic support expands access to highly desired hands-on research and campus initiatives for faculty, staff, and students, while also elevating the Athletics program through enhanced resources for recruitment, retention, and the overall student-athlete experience. At the same time, these goals enable both targeted, near-term projects and larger capital and programmatic investments that move the College forward.

Advancing Toward Mission: The revenue and finance strategy for 2026-27 is designed to strengthen the College’s financial sustainability while deepening engagement with alumni and supporters. These efforts will support becoming the college of choice, the recruitment and retention of a talented faculty and staff, and a strong campus infrastructure.

Anne Marie Brady (chair), AVP of institutional research and planning
Danny Biller '27, neuroscience and psychology major
Tristan Cai, associate professor of art
Rich Edgar, development officer
Crystal Gibson, director of athletics and recreation
Matt Fehrs, professor of political science
Caroline King, director of career development and community engagement
Randy Larsen, associate dean of faculty
Rob Maddox, director of admission
Lorena Torres Martinez, assistant professor of biology
David Turner, public safety officer
Derek Young, dean of students

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Excellence Reimagined: Honors at the Helm

Introduction

Mission

Vision

The Destination: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Design

Priority Areas

1. Identity and Communications

Goals

2. Infrastructure and Technology

Goals

3. Enrollment Growth and Student Experience

Goals

4. Community and Culture

Goals

5. Resources and Institutional Capacity

Goals

Strategic Planning Team Members, Spring 2026

Contact

Office of the President