Samantha Aurelio

The strategic framework for Lesley University proposes a new university model centered on active partnerships between educators and employers, career-long support for students and alumni, and community development. This model aims to create ecosystems of systemic change to diversify professional fields, address shortages, challenge inequity, and promote human connections. Key priorities for the next three years include working in partnership, providing career-long support, extending programs, enhancing visibility, and fostering engagement across campus, with the goal of positioning Lesley as a leading professionally focused university responsive to 21st-century challenges.

The strategic plan focuses on enhancing the student experience and enriching graduate capability within the Business Management Program. Key goals include increasing student retention from 81% to 90% by 2020, improving the 6-year graduation rate for business students, and enhancing graduate earnings. The plan also addresses the impact of COVID on student enrollment and outlines actions to attract and retain students through a comprehensive program.

The strategic plan focuses on enhancing the BSBM program by ensuring students demonstrate knowledge in functional areas, measured by the ETS Major Field Exam for Business. It aims to improve student scores to a benchmark of 75% correct, addressing the need for more depth in foundational courses. The plan includes tactics from previous strategies, adapted to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on moving a greater percentage of students to higher scores.

Lesley University's strategic framework focuses on creating a new university model based on active partnerships between educators and employers, supporting students and alumni throughout their careers, and fostering community development. The framework prioritizes strengthening the university's position in the "human arts" professions (education, mental health, arts, etc.), addressing workforce shortages and promoting diversity and inclusion. Key initiatives include establishing an Office of Partnerships to enhance collaborations with employers, creating a holistic support model for career-long learning and well-being, extending program offerings to meet evolving professional needs, and implementing a visibility campaign to elevate the importance of human arts professions. The framework aims to improve student access to career opportunities, enhance faculty and staff resources, attract diverse and qualified candidates for employers, and provide long-term support for alumni and the communities served.