Strategic Priority #3
EMPOWER ALL STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS AT SAINT MARY'S AND BEYOND
Saint Mary’s will improve student persistence, retention, and graduation rates by providing enhanced academic support, advising, and mentoring and ensuring clear pathways for graduation. We will create and implement a signature “Saint Mary’s experience” for students that facilitates students’ emotional, social, and identity development and creates opportunities for students to experience intellectual and personal growth. We will expand opportunities for students to access experiential and practical learning components in their academic programs and deepen external partnerships throughout the Bay Area to reinforce these educational opportunities. We will ensure that graduates are career ready by embedding career preparation and planning in the curriculum and engaging the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) core competencies. Accordingly, we will design and implement curricula that prepare students to “demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures (and) engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism” (National Association of Colleges & Employers).
Initiatives
We will be updating this page with our accomplishments as we execute the Strategic plan.
Highlights
Below, learn more about the progress being made or completed on many of our Strategic Priorities. We'll continue to provide updates, so feel free to check back for updates later to track our progress as we continue to execute our Transformation 2028 strategic plan.
3.1 Further integrate career readiness programs into undergraduate curriculum
Began implementation of the first phase of the Career Center's Action Plan by piloting two new co-curricular Career Launch courses in Fall 2023, following the successful completion of the AAC&U Curriculum-to-Careers Institute. Began scaling the experience for undergraduate students first-year through senior, based upon this pilot.
3.5 Implement intersectional and coordinated student support systems
Created a Veterans Resource Center, opened a new Commuter Student Lounge, and hired SMC's first Title IX Coordinator. Increased cross-unit programming and training, including the Student Life staff retreat and the Academic Success monthly workshops. Launched new initiatives focused on holistic student support and belonging, including the Graduate Student Resource Fair and various BIPOC student and family welcome events.
3.9 Develop usable and archivable digital undergraduate catalogs
Made all portions of the SMC undergraduate catalog online and fully searchable, as well as three previous year's catalogs. Revised the catalog in Summer 2023 to include all of the changes prompted by the move to Carnegie Units and the revisions to the Core Curriculum. Began work to build out the graduate portions of the catalog, and began planning to make the undergraduate calendar more transfer-friendly.
Updated: November 1, 2023