"A kind of prophetic feeling possessed us all
that this was to be a great institution..."
Jonas O. Notestein 1874

The College of Wooster has always aspired to excellence. Since the College's founding, bold decisions and careful planning have determined the vision for Wooster to which we subscribe: a residential liberal arts college of the highest caliber and national standing, with a special emphasis on independent learning. On the threshold of a new century, Wooster is well positioned to embark on a new phase of development and growth towards this vision.

Wooster's Distinctiveness. Wooster's firm commitment to being a national residential college of the liberal arts and sciences continues to distinguish the College. Among the 3600 institutions of higher education in the United States, only 5% are considered national liberal arts colleges, and only 2% award--as Wooster does--more than ninety percent of the total number of degrees in the traditional fields of the liberal arts.

Even among the nation's finest liberal arts colleges, Wooster is set apart by several other characteristics, particularly in the academic program. Most significant is Independent Study. Wooster believes that responsibility for one's own learning is essential for intellectual independence, and no other college can claim a fifty year history of success with such an effective program of one-to-one mentored learning. Essential to this success is the faculty leave program, unique in its combination of generosity and integral relationship to the curriculum and excellent teaching. Only by having a faculty of true teacher-scholars can the full potential of Independent Study be realized.

Wooster is also distinguished by its spacious and attractive campus, by its Presbyterian heritage and religious dimension, including the tradition of service exemplified by the Volunteer Network, and by special features of the Scottish tradition.

Wooster will realize its promise as a great institution only if we continue the practice of careful planning, of setting wisely our objectives for the College, and of planning realistically to meet them. In making plans for Wooster's future, it is important to re-state the principles which have guided the College for 132 years and the set of fundamental assumptions on which our vision for Wooster is based.

Guiding Principles. From its founding, Wooster has been guided by a set of principles that have informed the College's decisions about its academic and co-curricular programs and its physical resources:

Fundamental Assumptions. Our confidence in Wooster's future as a residential liberal arts college also rests upon a set of fundamental assumptions about higher education and about the characteristics of successful institutions:

Tradition and Innovation. Liberal arts colleges are America's oldest educational tradition and are invaluable in the development of a free society. Independent colleges have served as sources of innovation and as developers of standards in higher education, and they will continue to produce a significant proportion of the nation's leaders.

Twin Values. An education in the liberal arts and sciences has intrinsic worth, offering those who pursue it the opportunity to increase their intellectual and moral capacities and to become responsible human beings. At the same time, it is eminently useful, especially in preparing for a life of professional achievement and for the different jobs one may hold in a career.

Quality. Institutions of quality and with the reputation for quality will always be positioned most advantageously. Colleges with a distinguished faculty, talented students, and distinctive academic programs and facilities, as well as with reputations for the achievements of their students, faculty, and alumni, are more likely to continue to prosper on their own terms than institutions that lack such characteristics.

Fiscal Responsibility. Independent colleges, as institutions directly dependent upon fees paid by students and upon gifts from alumni, friends, and corporate and charitable sponsors, must remain fiscally sound. Colleges which demonstrate the wisest use of their resources and which have balanced budgets and a strong endowment base are most likely to retain the confidence of all their constituencies and to attract continuing financial support from many diverse sources.

These principles, commitments, and assumptions provide the basis for the College's mission and purpose and for the objectives adopted in this plan.

Two Decades of Progress. Wooster has been strengthened over the past two decades with advances made possible by two successful campaigns--The Campaign for Wooster in the 1980's and The Campaign for the 1990's--and by the efforts of all of the College's constituencies:

It is imperative that we continue the commitments represented by these advances while focusing on plans for the next century. Wooster's combination of guiding principles, fundamental assumptions, and recent progress places the College in a strong position among the top rank of liberal arts colleges.

Back to Strategic Plan Main