Randolph-Macon president, Robert R. Lindgren, announced that the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a new Strategic Plan for the college at their Saturday, October 17 board meeting. This action followed a vote of support for the Plan by the RMC faculty during their meeting on Wednesday, October 14.

The Strategic Planning committee was co-chaired by Lindgren and Associate Professor Mike Fenster, chair of the Environmental Studies program. The committee was comprised of faculty, staff and students who worked for the past 17 months to develop the Plan. During this time, numerous forums enabled the committee to receive valuable insight from all members of the Randolph-Macon community.

“This Plan supports our mission of ‘developing the minds and character of our students’ and provides sound, strategic direction for Randolph-Macon through 2017 and beyond,” said Lindgren. “It also defines key priorities that will help lay the groundwork for our Capital Campaign. I applaud Professor Fenster for his outstanding leadership and contributions, as well as our faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and students for their participation and creative input throughout this entire process.”

Several overarching themes in the 2009-2017 Strategic Plan focus on strengthening the college by improving the liberal-arts education experience for students, staff and faculty; enhancing the attractiveness of the college internally and externally; and ensuring the college’s future prosperity.

The Plan focuses on four broad Strategic Goals:

• improve facilities
• expand and enhance the college’s total educational experience
• enhance student outcomes
• grow the college

Fenster said, “I look forward, with our entire community, to implementing the strategic goals in the Plan as doing so will make us even more attractive to prospective students, provide additional and innovative curricular and co-curricular opportunities for enrolled students, support faculty initiatives, and strengthen our core mission as a college.” Fenster added, “The committee thanks all members of our Randolph-Macon community for their feedback and months of thoughtful discussion.”

 

In February 2009, RMC Board of Trustees also approved a new Campus Master Plan, which incorporates the college’s long history of utilizing classic architecture and open pedestrian vistas in new and innovative designs. It also addresses the use of existing facilities and infrastructure as well as new additions that will improve the delivery of the college’s academic program and enhance the Randolph-Macon experience for students.

Early stages of the Campus Master Plan have been incorporated directly into the Strategic Plan, including the addition of two new residence halls, a new teaching laboratory building for the science programs, and the relocation and upgrading of several athletic venues.

Randolph-Macon has gained a national reputation for many of its academic programs to include national and international internships, January Term and study abroad courses, undergraduate research and its First-Year Experience. The college’s Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa recently received an award from the national Phi Beta Kappa Society for having the most outstanding chapter at a liberal arts college in the country.

The faculty at Randolph-Macon, universally regarded by students and alumni as a key “distinction” of the college, are known for their excellence in teaching and personal interaction with students to help them fulfill their potential. Many continue to receive widespread acclaim for their teaching and scholarly achievements.

Most recently, Professor Kelly Lambert, the Macon and Joan Brock Professor of Psychology, was named the 2008 Virginia Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Professor John Camp II was also named the Niarchos Professor of Classics after receiving a grant from the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation for his reputation and expertise in the field of archaeology, Classical Studies and excavations of the Agora in Athens, Greece. Professors Traci Stevens, (biology) and Brian Sutton, (mathematics) each received substantial grants for their groundbreaking research from the National Science Foundation. Sutton also earned one of the highest awards in the field of mathematics, the 14th Leslie Fox Prize in Numerical Analysis, for his research in applied mathematics. Sutton competed against five finalists from Britain, France, Belgium, China and the United States.

“This is an exciting time in the life of Randolph-Macon College,” said RMC Chair of the Board of Trustees, Alan Rashkind ’69. “With the continued support of the Randolph-Macon family, as we undertake the implementation of our new Strategic Plan and our new Campus Master Plan, we have every reason to look ahead to an even brighter future.”

RMC Strategic Planning Committee Members:

Robert R. Lindgren, RMC President (Co-chair) 
Michael S. Fenster, Associate Professor of Geology and Environmental Studies (Co-chair) 
John A. Ahladas, Treasurer 
Grant L. Azdell, Dean of Students 
Lauren C. Bell, Associate Dean of the College 
James M. Doering, Associate Professor of Music 
William T. Franz, Interim Provost 
Pearson Hill ’09, Student 
Kristen J. Klaaren, Professor of Psychology 
David L. Lesesne, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid 
Diane M. Lowder, Vice President for College Advancement 
Mary Y. Neal, Director of Financial Aid 
Catherine Noyes ’09, Student 
Catherine L. Staples, Professor of Accounting 
Deonna F. Woolard, Associate Professor of Physics

Committee Staff: 
John C. Conkright, Executive Assistant to the President 
Deborah A. White, Director of Institutional Research