This strategic plan for 2005-2010 has been developed with an appreciation for the college's trajectory of the past twenty years. The direction set forth in this plan draws heavily from the data as well as the interpretation of key factors and decisions that have contributed to an improved institution. By virtually every measurement, Whitworth College has strengthened itself in almost every area during the last decade. Some of this improvement is due to factors that are outside the control of the institution such as favorable demographics, an improving U.S. economy, and even the larger religious culture of the United States, which has moved in a more evangelical direction. But clearly; much of this improvement has come as the consequence of hard work, effective leadership, and good planning.

In the mid- '80s, Whitworth College was struggling in many respects. The college's strength centered on its Christian mission and in pockets of excellence in the faculty and staff, yet the college was in a precarious position. Facilities were inadequate and deteriorating rapidly, salaries and benefits had not kept pace with Whitworth's competitors, and recruitment of students suffered from both a lack of financial resources and a lack of clarity concerning the identity of the college. The academic program, while featuring several bright lights, was uneven in quality. The college depended uneasily on the philanthropy of just a handful of key patrons.

Whitworth's trajectory, however, began to improve by the end of the 1980s in several ways that are only now becoming clear. Strategically utilizing debt financing, administrators, with the approval of the trustees, began to address systematically the inadequate facilities. Believing that increasing student enrollment was critical to the college's future and perhaps survival, the administration began to refurbish dormitories as well as to renovate and add to the library. In addition, largely under the leadership of former Dean of Academic Affairs Darrell Guder, the college renewed its commitment to the Presbyterian Church by embracing the Reformed tradition as a source of both intellectual and spiritual formation. While not abandoning the evangelical character that had infused the ethos of the institution since the days of Frank Warren, and, more recently, Bob Mounce, the college increasingly sought to identify itself with intellectual rigor as well as with Christian commitment. That decision to pursue academic excellence across the institution in the context of a theological identity that embraced open intellectual inquiry and research, as well as a renewed desire to have students participate in the public square and travel overseas, energized the college. Faculty and administrators spoke more confidently of a Whitworth education that translated into a fearless engagement of the social and political issues of the day, and this set the college on a course that it continues to pursue. While there are many examples from which to draw, the Central America Study Tour, then and now, represents well this commitment to engage the outside world.

Whitworth's 1990 centennial occurred at an important time. The college community, as Whitworth entered its second century, was buoyed by a renewed awareness of how faithful the college had been to George Whitworth's original vision of "an education of mind and heart," coupled with an appreciation for the perseverance of previous generations in the face of considerable difficulties such as relocation, a major fire, economic depression, and financial difficulty. At this opportune time in the college's history, trustees selected Bill Robinson as president.

From the beginning, Bill Robinson energized the community around the mission of the college. He articulated, as no previous president had done, the "grand paradox" of Whitworth's identity to both internal and external constituents. At times, he used imagery such as a "narrow ridge" to convey the sense that Whitworth was both open to intellectual inquiry and committed to the truth of the gospel. At other times, he has used the language of "truth and grace" to communicate an ethos that is both descriptive of and prescriptive for the community. He coupled his articulation of the "Whitworth idea" with an all-out effort to raise the profile of Whitworth College locally, regionally, and, in some circles, nationally. Internally, he directed his efforts during his first five years toward strengthening the basic infrastructure of the college. This specifically focused on raising faculty and staff salaries to more competitive levels, continuing to improve the facilities, and, most important, raising the number of applicants and the student retention rate. All of these areas showed marked improvement. Morale at all levels increased substantially. Faculty and staff turnover was reduced to negligible numbers, and Whitworth began to rise in the consciousness of many constituencies.

During the next five years, from 1999-2004, the Robinson administration focused its efforts on a vision that centered on elevating Whitworth's specific profile as an undergraduate institution that provided an excellent academic program and a strong commitment to the integration of Christian faith and learning. Under the direction of Vice President of Academic Affairs Tammy Reid, faculty revised the general-education curriculum; the School of Global Commerce and Management was established in 2001; faculty received greater support for scholarship; and undergraduate research increased. Major grants from the Murdock Foundation and the Lilly Endowment helped create distinctives in the areas of civic engagement and vocational discernment. The Weyerhaeuser Center for Christian Faith and Learning strengthened the profile of the college in regional and national circles in the areas of faculty development and service to the church. Vice-President for Student Life Kathy Storm emphasized student responsibility in residential life, supported an array of student leadership programs, and promoted a significant increase in service-learning opportunities. Under Bill Robinson, service to students became a consistent mantra throughout the institution. Total enrollment climbed steadily, from 1,839 in 1993 to 2,298 in 2003, while enrollment of full-time matriculated day students rose from 1,232 in 1993 to 1,739 in 2003. Freshman-sophomore retention and six-year graduation rates also exceeded all previous benchmarks. At the time of the centennial in 1990 the college retained only slightly more than 70% of its freshmen to the sophomore year. By 1993, that figure had improved to just under 80%, and by 2003, Whitworth retained 87.3% of its freshmen. The college climbed steadily in U.S. News and World Report rankings, reaching No. 5 on the "Best Colleges" list and No. 2 on the "Best Values" list among master's-level universities in the West in 2004.

In addition, the college continued to develop its undergraduate degree completion program, which, by 2004, was widely regarded as the most successful adult-degree program in Spokane. The School of Education's myriad graduate programs prepared many of the area's school principals, as well as significant numbers of guidance and social-service counselors. More than 500 teachers are working with children around the world as a result of the Master in Teaching Program. The programs also provided considerable financial support for the institution. The Master in International Management Program has brought more than 150 international students to Whitworth since its inception in 1992.

The physical appearance of the campus has been transformed during the last fifteen years. Under the leadership of Vice President for Business Affairs Tom Johnson, not only did the college's "curb appeal" improve markedly over that period, but many of the major facilities were either remodeled entirely, (Harriet Cheney Cowles Library, the Johnston Science Building, Dixon Hall, Alder Hall, and several dormitories), or newly constructed, such as the Hixson Union Building, Boppell Hall, the Scotford Fitness Center, the athletics fields, and the newly completed Weyerhaeuser Hall. Perhaps slightly less visible but very significant was the college's investment in technology, both in the operational area and in the classroom.

Much could be said about a number of areas that improved during the last decade; however, the athletics deserves particular note. In the mid-1990s, after decades of affiliation with the NAIA, the college aligned itself with the NCAA Division III. The Northwest Conference became an amalgam of like-minded private liberal-arts colleges rather than a league that included a relatively large number of regional state schools, against which Whitworth had previously competed. Largely under Athletic Director Scott McQuilkin, intercollegiate athletics programs grew from 11 sports in 1984 to 20 sports in 2004, much of that growth occurring in offerings for female students in response to Title IX. When Diana Marks Field (softball) opened for play in 2000, the college christened its first athletic-facility built solely for women and named in honor of a woman. And a new soccer complex physically transformed the southwest part of the campus into a beautiful set of playing fields.

However, due to a variety of challenges and obstacles, progress in other areas has been uneven at best. On the fund-raising side, the good news is that Whitworth completed the most successful capital campaign in its history in 2002, with $60.3 million donated to the college. The endowment nearly tripled, to $61.4 million over the past decade, although it has not grown to the level of many of our competitors. The need for additional science, art and residence-hall facilities, as well as an athletics complex; the endowment demand for additional financial aid; and the increased budget pressure for personnel expenses all testify to the critical importance of outside fund-raising. However, as the last decade has unfolded, it has become clear that Whitworth has historically relied far too heavily on relatively few major donors, due, in part, to high staff turnover and limited infrastructure for major-gift research and cultivation. Since Kristi Burns' arrival as vice president for institutional advancement, in 1997, staffing has stabilized and expanded and the college has raised more money than at any period in Whitworth's history. Nonetheless, Whitworth still struggles to reach its goal for annual unrestricted giving, has yet to receive a transforming gift of $10 million or more and, generally, has not created a satisfactory culture of giving among alumni, faculty/staff and friends of the college. Whitworth has only recently begun to evaluate the giving capacity of its donor base and is now in the process of benchmarking its fund-raising operations to those of peer institutions. The advancement staff and President Robinson have taken on these challenges with vigor, but they have yet to generate the type of institution-wide commitment that achieved such positive results in the admissions area during the 1990s.

One of the consequences of not having adequate outside financial support has been the necessity of allowing the student body to grow at a slightly greater rate than might be considered ideal. The institution's efforts to increase salaries, improve facilities and technology, and offer more student financial aid has been made possible largely due to revenue from increased enrollment. This increase has put considerable, though uneven, pressure on facilities and staffing across the college and has stretched the limits of its infrastructure in a number of areas. Management of growth over the next decade is a key objective of this plan. Indeed, we recognize the need to identify an ideal level of full-time undergraduate enrollment and to develop financial models that enable the college to maintain enrollment at those levels.

In addition, the diversity of the institution's faculty and staff, as well as the diversity of the student body, remain a concern. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have made the recruitment of international students more difficult, but the college recognizes that it can control some of these factors. Recruitment and retention of faculty of color have continued to prove difficult. Innovative programs such as the Act 6 initiative provide promise in terms of diversifying the student body, but Act 6 is expensive in terms of staff and financial-aid resources and is not adequate by itself to address this challenge.

The religious climate in the United States has presented both opportunities and challenges for the college. On one hand, Whitworth has benefited from a general trend toward evangelical and non-denominational religious affiliation. Christian colleges across the nation have increased enrollments at greater rates than many public and secular private institutions. Most "Christian" colleges are more conservative, in a number of ways, than Whitworth, so the challenge is to differentiate the college from its competitors while remaining attractive to the growing evangelical population. The Presbyterian Church continues to lose members across the country, although the Pacific Northwest, ironically, is one of the few areas with several presbyteries that are growing in membership. However, Whitworth's commitment to an intellectual ethos that is more engaged than insular, a student-life philosophy that favors discernment over rules, and a hiring policy that seeks Christ-centered breadth more than doctrinal uniformity is somewhat at odds with the evangelical culture in the region and across the nation. The national cultural conflict between liberal and conservative values leaves Whitworth's desire to be both open to alternative ways of knowing the world and at the same time committed to historic Christianity open to criticism from both the liberal and conservative flanks.

And yet, it is our belief that this trajectory of emphasizing academic excellence and open intellectual inquiry in a Christ-centered community continues to hold great promise for the future. We believe that there are substantial numbers of students, faculty, staff, and donors who are looking for an institution that fits Whitworth's profile. We believe that if Whitworth compares well with its top cross-applicant schools in terms of facilities, salaries, and financial aid, and if the institution can prove that its graduates are successful in translating their degrees into placements in their chosen professions or graduate and professional schools, Whitworth's Christian identity will set it apart. We believe that faculty from around the country will be attracted to an institution that is focused on teaching but supportive of scholarship, both in secular and Christian academies. We believe that significant numbers of faculty and students will be drawn to an institution where they will be encouraged to articulate their faith tradition's understanding of the role of God in their lives, as well as the ways in which they comprehend the natural world, human nature, politics, ethics, vocation, and other areas that bring them meaning. We believe that the Whitworth idea of an education of mind and heart needs to be translated more assertively in the public square, in the secular academy, and in international settings.

This vision is within our grasp. It will require continued work and a measure of sacrifice. However, the distance we need to cover to become the institution described in this plan is not as great as the distance between the college's position in 1985 and its current stature.

Analysis of the internal and external environments

Academic Profile
A major point of analysis and discussion centered on how Whitworth is succeeding at raising its academic profile, since that has been a central focus of the current strategic plan. During the past five years, faculty travel to conferences and scholarship have received increased support. Beginning in 2003, the college sponsored an annual undergraduate research conference; the School of Global Commerce and Management was created; and several faculty hires were made for the purpose of increasing Whitworth's academic profile.

However, although the academic profile of incoming freshmen has improved significantly over the last decade, we continue to be challenged in the face of stiff competition as we seek to enroll more top-tier students. For the academic year 2004-2005 the average composite SAT of entering freshmen rose to 1165, and the average entering GPA increased to 3.65. However, 121 prospective freshmen with an average SAT of 1229 and an average GPA of 3.78 who applied for early action admission and submitted an enrollment deposit ended up canceling their confirmation at Whitworth and enrolled at other colleges and universities. Results from the 2004 Admitted Student Questionnaire indicate that our high-achieving applicants rate Whitworth higher than other institutions in areas such as "Personal Attention" and "Attractiveness of our Campus," but they rate us lower than other institutions in areas such as "Academic Reputation," "Quality of Academic Facilities," and "Environment of Academic Excellence."

Summary of strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats

Many discussions occurred throughout the year that focused on an assessment of the college's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The following is an attempt to summarize the ones that were most commonly agreed upon:

Strengths

• Mission focus
• Presidential leadership
• Financial stability
• Relational ethos of the faculty and staff with students
• Growing academic strength in several areas
• Increased national reputation in faith/learning integration
• Campus appearance
• Location in north Spokane
• Technology
• Increasing reputation in Spokane
• Stable administrative leadership
• Student-life philosophy
• Collaboration between Student Life and Academic Affairs

Weaknesses

• Fine-arts facilities
• Science facilities
• Administrative space
• Athletics facilities
• Dormitory space and quality
• Lack of parking
• Lack of transforming gifts
• Isolation from major population centers and benefactors

Opportunities

• Possibility of moderate growth
• Possibility of national recognition for academic quality/Christian mission
• Possibility of growth in Continuing Studies
• Possibility of moderate growth in graduate programs
• Possibility of new energy from name change to university
• Possibility of overseas campus site
• Possibility of increasing ethnic/racial diversity

Threats

• Uncertain identity (undergraduate/graduate)
• Possible name changes by regional community colleges to colleges
• Intense competition from other Christian colleges/universities
• Instability within the Presbyterian Church (USA)
• Competition from for-profit corporate universities (Microsoft; Webster)