Looking to the Future with Villanova's Strategic Plan

Building the endowment
Offering increased levels of financial aid
boosts Villanova’s chances of enrolling the
best and brightest students and helps the
University remain competitive with the
best colleges and universities in the country.
To offer more aid and reach the academic
quality aspired to in the Strategic
Plan, Villanova must build the necessary
financial resources and facilities. Indeed,
the greatest difference between Villanova
and the nation’s other prestigious Catholic
universities can be found in the value of
its endowment, which lags behind its peers
and aspirational peers.
Financial aid is not the only need. The
Strategic Plan includes a 30-year Campus
Master Plan to update facilities, beautify
and improve the landscape and enhance
the educational experiences of Villanova
students. Designed to preserve Villanova’s
rich heritage while meeting current and
future space needs, the master plan maximizes
the campus’ potential to be an integrated,
sustainable, pedestrian-centered
environment in which to live, work and
play. It calls for the upgrading and “greening”
of residence halls and academic buildings;
the creation of tree-lined walkways
that foster a sense of place; and the development
of a “hamlet of Villanova” on the
south side of Lancaster Avenue.
“The growth of our University endowment
will be a key strategic priority, with
the success of all other strategic imperatives
depending on it,” says Michael J.
O’Neill, Villanova’s vice president for
University Advancement.
Together with the Board of Trustees
and Father Donohue, University
Advancement is working to maximize private,
philanthropic support while also significantly
increasing and engaging the
broadest spectrum of alumni, parents and
friends in the life of the University.
“Every member of the Villanova community
can be a well-informed ambassador
and an impact investor in Villanova’s
future,” O’Neill says.
Sharing the story
Communicating Villanova’s distinctive
identity and value proposition more effectively
to prospective students and their
parents, prospective faculty, alumni, peers
and employees is key to the Strategic Plan,
says Ann Diebold, vice president for University
Communication and a member of
the president’s Strategic Planning Steering
Committee. “It requires creating a shared
understanding of exactly who we are and a
shared lexicon for the benefits we offer.”
That means continuing to create, clarify
and improve the University’s messaging
to better communicate the Villanova
story, increasing awareness of Villanova
among high-caliber high school students
from diverse geographies and backgrounds
and building on the University’s strong
reputation among employers and graduate
programs nationally. All of this must
be achieved while maintaining emphasis
on the University’s Catholic and Augustinian
tradition.
Moving forward
In essence, the Strategic Plan builds upon
Villanova’s critical strengths and remediates
any gaps—while helping the University
navigate the challenges of a complex
global higher education landscape.
“We are not content to simply maintain
our current position, and we are
confident we can achieve our goals and
make our vision a reality,” Father
Donohue says. “We realize it will require
great effort, including the full commitment
of Villanova’s faculty, administration,
students, parents and alumni.”
Executing the plan successfully will
mean that Villanova will continue to live
and espouse its mission—while continuing
to have talented students, faculty, staff
and alumni actively engaged in a dynamic
community of learners dedicated to intellectual
exploration and service.
“We begin from a position of strength,
but Villanova is capable of achieving
even more,” says Father Donohue.
“We’re ready to greet a new decade and
era of excellence in the great history of
Villanova University.”
Villanova Lags in Alumni Annual Giving
Among Villanova alumni, there’s no
shortage of pride in being part of
the “Nova Nation”—yet the University’s
endowment remains at the back
of the pack compared to its peer and
aspirational peer institutions. Only
with strong alumni support can the
Strategic Plan succeed—and give
Villanova students, faculty and programs
the resources to reach their full
potential. The success of the Strategic
Plan will also impact Villanova’s
growing reputation and stature in the
coming years. To make a gift today,
visit www.villanova.edu/makeagift
or call 1-800-486-5244.
50 Alumni Annual Giving
50%
Participation Rates
40
30
20
10
0
University of
Notre Dame
36%
Bucknell
University
27%
Georgetown
University
24%
Boston
College
18%
Villanova
University
Summer 2010 5