William & Mary

Strategic Actions for W&M Schools & Units

Single column table with unit actions for Vision 2026.
Arts & Sciences Establish an Arts & Sciences Graduate Center to support doctoral, masters, post-baccalaureate and certificate students and coordinate faculty mentoring. [1a] Create an A&S Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences hub to encourage impactful humanistic curriculum (in collaboration with the Center for Liberal Arts) and to support faculty scholarship and student research (in collaboration with the Charles Center). [1a, 2c] Highlight the important role of Arts & Sciences in advancing the liberal arts mission of W&M through transformational scholarship and research and life-changing undergraduate and graduate education. [1a, 3c]
Athletics Implement the Gender Equity Plan to provide appropriate participation opportunities and ensure equitable treatment of all student-athletes. [2c] Generate additional funds through the All In campaign to provide a margin of excellence, clearly communicating annual giving goals for each sport required to maintain at least a minimum acceptable level of support to sustain programs. [2c] Secure the necessary funding and complete the new Sports Performance Center and Kaplan Arena renovation to improve the experience and competitiveness of all programs. [2c] Launch EXCEL, a comprehensive student-athlete development program spanning academic support, physical conditioning and sports performance, sports medicine and holistic wellness, leadership development, career preparation and community engagement to provide a world class student-athlete experience. [1c, 2a, 2c]
Diversity & Inclusion Create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement to advance the university’s core values throughout the community. [3a] Cultivate cultural competency and civil discourse throughout the university community, with associated programming and services to bolster critical skill sets for individuals and advance the university’s values. [1a, 3a] Complete 3-year faculty hiring pilot to recruit and retain excellent faculty with expertise in inclusive teaching. [3a] Utilize community data and annual surveys to improve health and wellness, and ensure equitable learning environments and workplaces. [3a, 3c] Ensure affordability by growing financial aid and scholarships. [3a] Achieve the Commonwealth of Virginia’s goal of 42% use of Small, Women, and Minority-Owned (SWaM) businesses in procuring goods and services. [3a] Partner with academic programs, the Office of Career Development & Professional Engagement and University Advancement to offer every undergraduate student a funded employment-based experience that does not extend time to degree. [2c]
Global Research Institute (GRI) Enhance GRI’s research infrastructure, which includes active partnerships with numerous prominent external organizations, to drive entrepreneurial approaches to global challenges. [1a, 3a, 3c] Advance one or more research labs from “start up” to maturity in which external funding is more sustainable and research outputs more robust. [1a] Launch a series of international convenings to leverage applied research for policy decisions. [1b, 1c] Expand partnerships with media, industry, policymakers and practitioners in order to amplify the reach and impact of faculty research insights. [1b, 3c] Systematically build funded internships and other hands-on opportunities into global curricula, in a way that does not extend time to degree. [2c]
Institute for Integrative Conservation (IIC) Build the capacity of the next generation of innovative and compassionate conservation leaders. [1a, 2c, 3a, 3b] Catalyze long-term partnerships with external organizations to advance integrative solutions to global conservation challenges via internship placements, research partnerships, etc. [1a, 2c, 3b] Launch a summer conservation leadership program, bringing young conservation professionals from around the world to William & Mary for programing to build leadership and conservation skills, to serve the global community and enhance IIC’s international network. [1b, 3a] Develop an integrative conservation curriculum to attract and retain diverse students and faculty. [1c, 2a, 3a]
Law School Bolster our commitment to developing citizen lawyers and an inclusive Law School community through new and expanded offerings in experiential learning, professional development and integrated programming to advance core and cultural competencies. [1a, 1c, 2c, 3a] Broaden the impact of our research and scholarship by developing individual strategic plans for each of our faculty-led centers and programs, increasing support for the research and professional development of our faculty, and creating additional ways to highlight faculty research for policymakers, the media and alumni. [1a] Develop an online LL.M. degree to further the Law School's and university’s international reach and reputation while increasing financial resources. [1b] Create new strategies for admitting highly qualified entering classes that contribute to the diversity of the Law School community, including by assessing the success of our Lemon Legal Scholars Program in attracting graduates of HBCUs; enhancing marketing and recruitment targeting underrepresented communities; leveraging alumni in recruiting efforts; and providing financial support for LSAT preparation courses for promising students. [2b, 3a] Launch a certificate program in compliance to expand W&M’s reach to new learning communities and to promote lifelong success of participants. [2b] Explore additional certificate programs in areas such as cybersecurity to leverage market opportunities and Law School strengths. [2b] Adopt strategic improvements to our appointments process to ensure that we are maximizing opportunities to diversify and strengthen the faculty, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of tenure-stream faculty. [3c] W&M Law Strategic Plan \| 2021 - 2026
Raymond A. Mason School of Business Deepen the preparation of our graduates for lives of principled achievement through intentional faculty engagement, school programming and communications to expand and deepen connections within the global business community. [1b] Establish funded Centers for Excellence for all undergraduate majors in the Raymond A. Mason School of Business to build upon the demonstrated success of the Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance in preparing students for success beyond traditional coursework, increasing awareness of professional opportunities and nurturing alumni and corporate connections. [2a, 2b, 2c, 3a] Expand the scale and scope of online degree programs and other offerings in order to extend the opportunity of the Mason School’s student-focused, high-engagement education, advance a culture of entrepreneurial innovation within our academic community and increase financial resources. [2a, 2b, 2c] Sustain and continually improve our capacity to launch career-ready graduates connected to world-class opportunities through exceptional career development programs and partnerships. Through our Center for Military Transition, we will help veterans and active military students transition to our graduate programs and into successful civilian careers, and we will help employers understand the value of military experience as they hire our graduates. [2c]
Research & Graduate Education Increase externally sponsored research funding by expanding intellectual and infrastructure capacity across the university. [1a, 3a] Catalyze research collaborations internally and externally to foster an intellectual community dedicated to solving pressing global challenges through basic and applied research. [1a, 3a] Evolve W&M’s research enterprise capabilities to support researcher and staff productivity on campus and remotely, including but not limited to proposal development and grant writing assistance and expanded seed grants, to build more accessible, flexible and efficient operations. [3c] Modernize research administration and compliance operations to increase potential for successful awards and reduce inefficiencies. [1a, 3c] Coordinate with Jefferson Lab, NASA and other external partners to advance regional effectiveness in STEM. [1a, 3c] Grow graduate and professional programming and evolve curricular contents to respond to rapidly changing society and workplace needs and student interests, and increase intellectual and representational diversity. [1a, 3a]
Reves Center for International Studies Expand international partnerships to raise the university’s global name recognition, increase learning, internship and research opportunities, and provide access to global experiential learning to all students. [1b, 2c, 3a] Model civil discourse through the Reves lecture series to explore democratic values within international contexts and perspectives. [1c, 3a] Evolve the Global Inquiry Groups to strengthen research that is international, interdisciplinary and of consequence. [1a, 1b]
School of Education Meet the demand for high-quality educators through increased enrollments, including in critical areas of need and through expanded degree offerings, to serve the commonwealth and profession. [2a, 2b, 2c, 3a] Collaborate with community partners to design and deliver research-based, innovative solutions to meet their needs. [1a, 1c, 3a] Expand partnerships with institutions of higher education around the world to provide immersive opportunities for our faculty and students to study innovative solutions to common issues. [1b, 1c, 2b, 3a, 3b] Increase recruitment and retention of diverse students and scholars; develop programming about racism and other social issues to advance diversity and inclusion. [1a, 1c, 2b, 3a] Improve support for undergraduate, doctoral and faculty-led research to enhance publication of scholarly work, pursue high-impact grant and contract opportunities and disseminate findings research. [1a, 3c]
School of Marine Science/VIMS Advance solutions to global challenges impacting coastal environments and the communities that rely on them through innovative research, education and advisory services. VIMS and the School of Marine Science will lead university efforts around coastal resilience, conservation and sustainability. [1a] Leverage connections with W&M’s schools, centers and institutes, other universities and agencies, and the private sector to enhance academic programs and develop new training opportunities and degrees for undergraduates and graduate students. [2a, 2b, 2c]
Strategic Cultural Partnerships Deepen community partnerships in early American history — with Colonial Williamsburg (CW) and others — to elevate the dialogue around democracy and citizenship. [1a] Advance descendant-generated research via Highland, the Bray School Lab, the Lemon Project, Colonial Williamsburg and local partners so that this nation’s origin story becomes every American’s shared story. [1c, 3a] Partner with local museums, historic sites and cultural institutes to provide internships, apprenticeships and career opportunities for W&M students. [2c] Complete the Muscarelle Museum of Art’s renovation to create new learning spaces and galleries to expand visitorship and learning. [3c] Evolve sponsorship and funding models for Omohundro Institute and Highland to achieve greater efficiency and financial stability. [3c]
Strategy & Innovation Integrate marketing and communications capabilities to enhance outreach to prospective students, to increase familiarity with William & Mary in the commonwealth and beyond, and to build W&M’s brand globally. [2b, 3c] Provide new undergraduate scholarship guarantees to deliver on W&M’s commitment to offer the lowest net price for low-income families in Virginia. [2b, 3a] Grow W&M's partnership with the Posse Foundation to welcome a broader array of students to the university. [2b, 3a] Optimize pathways to spring semester enrollment for new undergraduates and transfer students to expand the entry points into the university. [2b, 3a] Expand support for online and continuing education initiatives to encourage innovations in the university’s academic programming and delivery. [2b] Increase student diversity as part of a smart growth strategy to advance the university’s values. [3a] Modernize internal communications to enhance coordination, clarity and collaboration across the university. [3c] Apply entrepreneurial thinking to improve campus systems, to save time, effort and money. [3c] Deepen commitments to renewable energy sources to accelerate progress toward net carbon neutrality. [3b]
Student Affairs Cultivate cultural competency and civil discourse throughout the university community, with associated programming and services to bolster critical skill sets for individuals and advance the university’s values. [1a, 3a] Convene and participate in regular gatherings with Greater Williamsburg community members to strengthen relationships, create and strengthen partnerships and facilitate the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources. [1a, 3c] Modernize W&M Housing and Dining to meet the needs of a vibrant, 21st century residential university. [2a, 3c] Partner with academic programs to integrate seamlessly living and learning communities. [2a, 3c] Utilize community data and annual surveys to improve health and wellness, and ensure equitable learning environments and workplaces. [3a, 3c] Grow partnerships with the military, government, universities and other institutions to promote resilience for our graduates and communities. [3a]
Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation Provide relevant, meaningful and actionable programming to the W&M community, including teaching and learning talks, workshops, seminars and on-demand online learning opportunities, to advance teaching excellence. [2a, 2b] Test, incubate and scale innovative tools, strategies and approaches to enhance student learning, in partnership with faculty and staff. [2a, 2b] Expand capacity for online and hybrid course design and development to increase the modalities through which William & Mary reaches learners. [2a, 2b]
University Libraries Create a digital research lab within the main library to support the research lifecycle, interdisciplinary collaboration, and activate areas of emerging interest for our community — such as digital scholarship, digital humanities, open science, data and geospatial science and visualization, etc. [1a, 2a, 3c] Build a nationally recognized teaching and learning complex around the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation to encourage experimentation, and advance William & Mary’s excellence, to meet evolving needs and an expanding academic footprint. [1a, 2a, 3c] Foster an open publishing and access culture as well as provide increasingly open and affordable course content at the university and beyond. [1a] Grow collections to meet the changing needs of curriculum and support research and scholarship. [1a]
University Operations Cultivate cultural competency and civil discourse throughout the university community, with associated programming and services to bolster critical skill sets for faculty and staff advancing the university’s values. [1a, 3a] Expand research technology resources to update the high-performance computing services in support of advanced scientific research. [1a] Develop the Office of Human Resource’s recruiting function to provide effective outreach in identifying and hiring the best and most diverse faculty and staff possible. [3a] Create career enrichment programs broadly that enable employees to perform at higher levels and grow in their professional careers (e.g. externships, job exchanges, cross-functional training programs and career pathways). [3c] Implement a new employee classification structure to better serve employees and create clearer pathways for professional growth and advancement. [1a] Modernize the university's technology infrastructure to allow for students, faculty and staff to maximize human potential and efficiency of operations. [3c] Adopt technology and automation to increase efficiency, enhance decision-making and improve agility. [3c] Leverage technology and training to advance campus safety and security, promote awareness and enhance preparedness. [3c] Integrate W&M’s Climate Action Roadmap into modes of work and management of facilities within the university and through regional collaborations to advance sustainability, increase the use of clean energy and inform energy savings and conservation strategies. [3b] Lead campus planning updates, incorporating sustainability principles and objectives, through the development of master plans and the implementation of a university event and space management system to meet the ongoing physical plant needs of a vibrant university. [3b, 3c]
Washington Center Work with the chief career officer, school deans and the Whole of Government Center to identify potential new strategic employers and develop a unified university engagement plan for each one. [1a, 2a] In consultation with the Microlearning team, school deans, and the Washington Center Advisory Board, identify the key topics and features of future W&M continuing studies opportunities. [2a, 2b, 3c] Working in collaboration with the Office of Career Development & Professional Engagement, transition to the new W&M One Network platform as a place for alumni, students and employers to engage with one another, and with EPC to create university-wide internship standards and credit practices based on experiential learning theory. [2c]
Whole of Government Center of Excellence (WGC) Lead joint efforts with local, national and global stakeholders to advance applied research that tackles emerging security threats. [1a, 1b] Collaborate with academia and the policy community to expand internships and hands-on learning experiences for students. [1a, 2c] Expand work with NATO and other U.S. partner nations to increase global awareness of the university and WGC’s capacity to help solve security challenges. [1b]