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Stewardship Initiative: Securing Future Success

ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ has advanced a series of initiatives called Preserving the St. Norbert Legacy: A Shared Promise of Stewardship 2024. These initiatives represent a proactive approach to ensuring the long-term sustainability and success of the college. Strategic measures are being implemented to maintain academic quality, build a solid foundation for innovation and growth, and address the college’s cost structure. This translates directly into more opportunities for current and future students to receive a transformative education based on our three core traditions — Catholic, Norbertine and liberal arts — that prepares them for success in an ever-changing world.

The plan is already delivering tangible results, including:

• Building the leadership team by hiring Valerie Martin Conley as vice president/chief academic officer and appointing the Rev. Matthew M. Dougherty, O.Praem., ’09 as special assistant to the president for mission integration.

• Hosting the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander on campus to announce a partnership allowing students in selected degree programs to study at both institutions starting this fall. Unprecedented in this region, this agreement effectively combines each institution’s historic strengths and resources for the benefit of learners and the community. This strategic alliance expands opportunities for students, minimizes duplication of program offerings and fosters effective stewardship of institutional resources.

• Launching an athletics optimization strategy that expands roster sizes and adds competitive club sports. Men’s club hockey and STUNT have been introduced as the initial competitive club sports teams beginning in the 2025-26 academic year. These new offerings will amplify ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼’s storied athletic tradition and contribute to the institutional stewardship plan.

• Partnering with CORE, a public benefit corporation, to add fractional talent in mission-critical areas such as enrollment management and information technology, as well as exploring an alternative credential initiative to meet the needs of community learners, diversify revenue sources and address workforce gaps in the region.

• Celebrating a successful Day to uKnight on March 21, resulting in more than 800 donors and nearly $525,000 in 24 hours and securing a multi-year, substantial financial commitment to support mission integration across the college.

• Adjusting the college’s operating budget by $12 million in nine months since identifying the scope of the college’s financial challenges in order to protect the mission of ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ in perpetuity.

Additionally, the faculty and board of trustees have approved nine new academic majors, nine new academic minors, eight new concentrations and one new certificate program to provide students with expertise in high-demand areas. Such diverse and innovative learning opportunities empower students to become catalysts for positive change in their communities and careers. New offerings include an engineering physics major, supply chain management major, robotics minor, digital marketing minor and data analytics minor.