April 3, 2007

STRATEGIC PLAN
2007 - 2012
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Click here to download the PDF version.

What is our core purpose?

To know God in Christ and, through preparing spiritual leaders, to help others know God in Christ.

Who are we?

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is a graduate theological school that prepares skilled, bold and articulate leaders who share the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

A seminary related to the United Methodist Church, with an ecumenical and international reach, we prepare leaders who are equipped to live and proclaim the Gospel and to teach in diverse congregations and educational settings. Our teaching and learning settings will be places of hospitality where we pursue respect and reconciliation in all encounters.

Where are we going? / Who are we becoming?

We will provide a growing cadre of highly regarded spiritual leaders serving the church and world.  While we will focus substantially on the upper Midwest, we will seek to act in ways that affirm the "world as our parish."

Why do we do this?

Faith Matters!

• Truth Matters!
• Justice Matters!

The Wesleyan/Methodist tradition asserts the significance of experience in the task of theology.  As a community that is inclusive, we expect each of our students to experience and better understand the spectrum of cultural, theological and economic realities in our global society.

To remain true to our core identity and to expand the reach and richness of the seminary, the following four broad planning goals will guide our development over the next five to ten years:

Planning Goals

I. Increase the number of highly regarded spiritual leaders available to serve the church and world.

II. Provide exceptional teaching and academic research support.

III. Create hospitable and effective teaching/learning/working environments.

IV. Better communicate the reach and richness of the seminary.

What will the seminary offer to advance these directions?

For the seminary to move in these directions, there must be a concerted effort from all areas of our institution. Working in concert, Garrett-Evangelical administration, faculty, staff, United Methodist denominational resources, and the Board of Trustees can make things happen.

I.          Increase the number of highly regarded spiritual leaders available to serve the church and the world.

A.  Increase Support for and Number of Quality Student Leaders

1. Increase overall FTE (full-time equivalency) to at least 350 and provide more student scholarship aid.

a.   Increase the Masters degree FTE from 214 to 290, with at least 90 leadership scholarships (up from 57) by 2010.
b.   Increase Ph.D. enrollment from 59 to 65, with at least 15 fellowships (up from 7) by 2010.
c.   Provide clear expectations of community involvement and academic performance to maintain leadership scholar status.
d.   Maximize international student fellowships, within the limits of the law.

2. Strengthen recruitment efforts with alumni, conference leaders, and congregations to attract student leaders with high potential for seminary studies and leadership beyond seminary through the initiatives of the Vocation in Ministry office

a.   Establish full-tuition scholarship and stipend programs with congregations and regional annual conferences.
b.   Explore summer internships with congregations and annual conferences.


B.  Provide an Enhanced Schedule and Program

1. Accentuate the central role of the M.Div. program (e.g., theological reflection, preaching, administration and teaching).

2. Explore consolidated schedule of classes (weekday and weekend options, courses in the Chicago Loop) with proposal to the Board in October 2007.

3. Request faculty review and proposal for both the M.A. and the M.T.S degree programs by Spring 2008.

4. Revitalize D. Min. and highlight concentrations in M. Div. program.

5. Clarify Methodist focus and resources:

a.   Support Deacons and Elders preparing for ordination process.
b.   Offer programming for Methodist students attending non-Methodist seminaries.
c.   Coordinate more course offerings with all Methodist traditions.
d.   Strengthen Course of Study.

6. Provide more support for students of ecumenical partner denominations as needed.

7. Identify and highlight curricular and non-curricular activities that contribute to the preparation of spiritual leaders (e.g., devotional Bible study, chapel and covenant groups).

8. Provide field education and cross-cultural experiences in varied national and international locations, so as to practice our teaching commitment that faith matters, truth matters and justice matters.

C.  Improve Ph.D. Program Support

1.  Plan for fellowships for a majority of entering Ph. D. students by 2012.

2.  Define clear pathways for Ph. D. students to be involved in research, teaching, and other academic engagements.

D.  Broaden extra- and post-seminary opportunities

1. Establish M. Div. Plus to enhance leadership capabilities along with teaching, preaching, theological reflection and administrative skills for all graduates by 2010.  Incorporate the talents and connections of our alumni as central participants (mentors, peer group leaders, etc.) in this program.

2. Extend off-site and distance education learning options beginning in 2007.

3. Include laity in continuing education events and distance learning initiatives.

4. Improve website content and interactive capabilities (e.g., web and pod broadcasts of lecture series and other seminary events).

II.        Provide exceptional teaching and academic research support.

A.  Strengthen Faculty Resources

1. Review the teaching and staff assets necessary for proposed schedule and program.  (Plan for future deployment per FTE, explore non-tenure/practitioner faculty, strengthen adjunct faculty and establish clear program of research and teaching assistantships for Ph.D. students.)

2. Support faculty commitments to the life of the church and research on matters of faith and congregational life.

3. Hire a Methodist Studies faculty member and endow a chair by 2012.

4. Review faculty and staff pay, offering competitive-plus salary and support by 2010. (Support faculty and staff commitments to self and family in matters of keeping Sabbath, healthcare, housing and care for dependents.)

5. Provide consultation services for the Centers to determine their future role, to further faculty involvement, and to enhance their prophetic witness.

B.  Strengthen Library and Research Capacities

1. Select new Director of the United Library who will review the plan for collection development, staffing, technological improvements and cooperation with the Northwestern system.

2. Begin review of future space uses and functions of the library.

3. Establish a clear link between seminary centers and library holdings.

4. Expand the endowment resources available for the library.

C.  Upgrade Teaching Technologies

1. Develop a plan for ongoing technological improvements.

2. Upgrade classroom technology systems beginning in the fall of 2008.

3. Explore Distributive Education models with plans to adjust staffing for these new programming emphases.

III.       Create hospitable and effective teaching/learning/working environments.

A.  Prepare and Begin Implementation of Facilities Master Plan

1.  Renovate or raze Loder Hall to create a conference center, classrooms, faculty and teaching fellows offices, overnight accommodations and locations for Centers.

2.  Determine housing needed for student enrollment goals.  (Explore conversion of Pfeiffer and other vacated spaces into living quarters.)

3.  Evaluate functions, design and décor improvements, energy efficiency, technology improvements, deferred maintenance costs and alternative uses for all our facilities.

4. Prepare at least two larger classrooms by fall 2008 for present and anticipated needs.

B.  Do inventory of ways to improve our hospitality.

(e.g., evaluate and improve orientation, improve community building activities, offer courses in conversational Spanish for staff, faculty and students.)

IV.       Better communicate the reach and richness of the seminary.

A. Implement the Marketing Communications Action Plan

1.      Establish a clearer "brand" identity.

2.      Improve website and provide adequate staff support for web-based efforts.

3.      Increase magazine advertising to clearly targeted audiences.

B.  Support Outreach Initiatives of Vocation in Ministry Department

1.  Integrate continuing education efforts (e.g., annual lectures ministers'
conference and programs of Stead Center, Styberg Institute and other Centers).

2.  Provide lay education via pastor-liaison program, on-line and/or web-casting
methods.

C.  Reviewand Enhance Partnerships with Other Institutions/Programs of Higher Learning

Northwestern (Kellogg, Medill), Association of Chicago Theological Schools (ACTS), Seabury-Western, Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE), Loyola, Ecumenical Theological Seminary, Centenary, etc.

What are the next steps?

Assign tasks to departments and/or individuals.
Choose evaluation tools.
Determine target dates for evaluations.