WPI Strategic Plan

Executive Summary

WPI was founded in 1865 on the principle of integrating theory and practice, an idea that has contributed to the institution's success and to that of its graduates. This philosophy is embodied in a revolutionary approach to technological education that the faculty developed three decades ago. The underlying curriculum, along with a pioneering global projects program, has helped WPI achieve recognition as a national university. This national university status is also a result of the addition and continual growth of our graduate research programs, which have moved the University into the Doctoral Universities II classification as defined by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

WPI's growing reputation has opened a timely window of opportunity. By building on our strengths and our heritage of innovation, we can achieve even greater levels of quality and prestige. Toward that end, WPI, in 1996, launched a comprehensive strategic planning process that involved the dedicated work of many members of the WPI family. The products of that effort are this strategic plan and, more important, the strategic thinking behind it.

Our overarching goal is to prepare technological humanists in the engineering, science, and management of technology fields for success in life and in their lifework. Reaching this goal depends upon the definition and attainment of specific educational outcomes in each of our programs, including three principal outcomes: a thorough knowledge of fundamentals with the necessary disciplinary depth; the leadership and communication skills needed to contribute to and benefit from society; and an ability for sustainable lifelong learning. We will realize these outcomes by building on our legacy of individualized programs of study employing project-based education in a global, societal context. Where appropriate, this pedagogy also will be applied in our graduate programs.

The achievement of this overarching goal is linked to the realization of our vision of WPI in 2010 as a world leader among technological universities. In this vision, a WPI education, with the collaboration it fosters between all students and faculty, will serve as the model for a new "liberal education" well into the new millennium. This vision requires the entire WPI community to commit itself to the highest standards in academics and scholarship. Just as important, we must recognize and embrace the need for doing things differently as most credible evidence suggests that the rate of change in our external and internal environments will only accelerate in the years ahead. Recognizing the strategic importance of this requirement, we have incorporated critical transformational changes into the performance measures.

Our strategic initiatives and increased attention to marketing efforts are intended to achieve long-overdue recognition for WPI's position as a national university. Foremost among our initiatives are the following:

To achieve our goals and objectives, will seek to raise $150 million by June 30, 2003, through a major capital campaign. The Campaign for WPI is directed at obtaining support for people, programs, partnerships, and the physical plant. These new resources will be the foundation for achieving our vision as a world leader in technological higher education.

WPI's commitment going forward is to monitor the numerous outcome objectives associated with the goals of the strategic plan according to a clear and well-defined set of metrics and timelines. We will review progress toward the plan annually and, as necessary, modify the action items in light of real-world changes. We also acknowledge that the University does not have the resources to undertake all of the actions set forth in the plan at once. We will review our progress against the plan on an annual basis to adjust priorities and to develop means to obtain needed resources or reallocate existing resources.

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Last modified: October 22, 2007 15:30:55