Strategic Evolution
For 182 years, we have empowered students to create lives of purpose and professional success in our changing world.
Strategic evolution is part of Mary Baldwin’s DNA. We have always evolved to meet students’ needs and ensure their success.
Like many other colleges and universities, we are adapting to changing circumstances in higher education and increased student demand for a different kind of academic experience — one that preserves the best components of a liberal arts education and provides them with workforce readiness skills.
As part of our evolution, we are building a proactive plan to secure the future of MBU, one that prepares our students for success and ensures the financial sustainability of our institution.
“I believe the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of this institution will create an innovative iteration of MBU for the decades ahead that supports students to succeed in their time.”
— Dr. Jeff Stein, president
Our Process
Faculty, staff, administrators, the Board of Trustees, and two creative teams are building this plan. Our work to enhance the student experience will continue to unfold over the academic year and involves complicated steps that will affect not only our students, but also faculty, staff, university planning, and operations.
Our Priorities
To advance this work, the Board of Trustees has charged two creative teams — made up of leadership, faculty, and staff — with building proactive plans to help us:
- Meet our undergraduate residential students’ needs
- Evolve the best components of a first-class liberal arts education
- Provide experiences that build durable skills
- Increase workforce readiness
The creative teams are guided by their commitment to maintain an open, collaborative approach and consider all potential solutions when building the path forward for the institution, including the downsizing and modernizing of our general studies curriculum and the creation of engaged learning opportunities.
Their work is informed by analysis from an independent consultant, results from a student engagement survey, and preliminary market research that grants us direct access to the ideas and aspirations of the students we hope to serve.
The Creative Teams
This team has been charged with reimagining the baccalaureate degree and building a new academic curriculum.
Chair: Paul Menzer
Board of Trustees: Tim Powers, Susan Palmer
Staff: Matt Munsey, Phoebe West, Carol Creager, Sheila Tolley, Sarah Cochran, Andrea Cornett-Scott
Associate Deans: Kerry Cooke, Amy Diduch, Paul Deeble, Cat McPherson, Sue Stevens, Pam Bailey
Faculty: Matthew Holman, Kwame Asante Akuamoah-Boateng, Sarah Kennedy, Rebecca Haberman, Kerry Mills, Carla Van Devander
This team has been charged with envisioning the co-curricular elements required to support the combination of on-campus and off-campus experiential learning.
Chair: Will Webb
Board of Trustees: Wendy Foster, Peter Gwaltney
Staff: Andrea Cornett-Scott, Ernest Jeffries, Terry Djuric, Sarah Cochran, Thy Nguyen
Our Progress
- April 2023: The Board of Trustees endorses a new “strategic direction to reimagine residential undergraduate education” at Mary Baldwin.
- May 2023: The Board of Trustees charges two Creative Teams to fulfill this mandate and guide the next steps in this process.
- June 2023: The Creative Teams begin their work.
- July 2023: Both Creative Teams submit reports on their work and initial recommendations to the Board of Trustees for review.
- Aug. 31, 2023: Board of Trustees reviews updates from both creative teams.
External Communications + Documents
| Date | Topic | Message |
| March 20 | Addressing faculty terminations | • Memo to faculty from Board Chair Gabby McCree ’83 |
| March 21 | Addressing faculty terminations | • Memo to staff from Board Chair Gabby McCree ’83 |
| March 21 | Addressing faculty terminations and announcing student listening sessions | • Memo to students from VP for Student Engagement Ernest Jeffries |
| March 22 | Addressing faculty terminations | • Memo to parents and families from President Pamela Fox |
| April 17 | Recap of the April Board meeting | • Memo to faculty and staff from President Pamela Fox |
| April 26 | Trustees vote to endorse the strategic direction recommended by consultant EY-Parthenon and approve guidelines for implementation | • April 26 Board resolution |
| April 28 | Recap of the April 26 Board call and vote on guidelines related to the April 13 EY-Parthenon recommendation | • Memo to faculty and staff from Board Chair Gabby McCree ’83 |
| May 23 | Draft of the EY-Parthenon summary report is complete | |
| May 26 | Two new creative teams instituted to fulfill strategies called for by the April 26 Board resolution | • May 26 Board Charge Memo |
| June 2 | Update on the Board charge and launch of the creative teams | • Memo to alumni from Board Chair Gabby McCree ’83 • Memo to faculty and staff from Board Chair Gabby McCree ’83 |
| July 1 | First day in office greetings | • Memo to alumni from President Jeff Stein • Memo to faculty and staff from President Jeff Stein • Memo to parents and families from President Jeff Stein • Memo to students from President Jeff Stein |
| Aug. 3 | Recap of the July Board meeting, including reports from Board-charged creative teams and analysis of NSSE data by Dr. Amy Diduch | • Memo from President Jeff Stein to faculty and staff • Board report from Academic Portfolio team • Board report from Engaged Student Experience team • Summary of NSSE survey results |
| Aug. 15 | Description of options available to Trustees related to academic changes, including the possibility of program closures and a possible faculty handbook amendment concerning severance of tenured faculty | • Memo to alumni from President Jeff Stein • Memo to faculty and staff from President Jeff Stein • Memo to parents and families from President Jeff Stein • Memo to returning students from President Jeff Stein |
| Aug. 22 | Opening of School address | • Watch the Opening of School |
| Aug. 30 | Follow-up to Opening of School address, including invitations to town halls and community lunches as well as NSSE data info session and workshop on teaching and learning in the AI age | • Memo to faculty and staff from President Jeff Stein |
| Aug. 31 | Faculty and Staff town hall | • In person and via Zoom |
| Aug. 31 | Board of Trustees Zoom call | • Update on creative teams |
| Sept. 5 | Update to new students and new parents/families about MBU’s strategic evolution | • Memo to new students from President Jeff Stein • Memo to new parents and families from President Jeff Stein |
| Sept. 7 | Update on creative teams, recap of Aug. 31 Board call, and look-ahead to next steps | • Memo to alumni from President Jeff Stein • Memo to faculty and staff from President Jeff Stein • Memo to parents and families from President Jeff Stein • Memo to students from President Jeff Stein |
| Sept. 14 | Faculty and Staff town hall | • In person and via Zoom |
| Oct. 4 | Student town hall | • In person |
| Oct. 25 | Update on the creative teams’ work, the Oct. 19-20 Board of Trustees meeting, and next steps | • Memo to alumni from President Jeff Stein • Memo to faculty and staff from President Jeff Stein • Memo to parents and families from President Jeff Stein • Memo to students from President Jeff Stein • Academic Portfolio Creative Team Report • Engaged and Experiential Learning & Residential College Initiative Report |
| Oct. 30 | Faculty/staff town hall | • In person and via Zoom |
| Nov. 2 | Student town hall | • In person and via Zoom |
| Jan. 9 | Faculty/staff spring update | • Via Zoom |