Inclusive Excellence
Decades of research have shown that inclusive classrooms, workplaces and research environments advance excellence in higher education. The diversity of experiences, perspectives, talents, backgrounds and expertise contributes to the vitality of our community and the success of our three-part mission of teaching, learning and research. To prepare ourselves and our graduates for a globally competitive workplace and networked world, we must effectively improve key registers outlined in this plan.
The Board affirmed William & 玛丽’s Inclusive Excellence plan in 2021 and integrated it with Vision 2026. In 2023, important metrics for student success and employee flourishing were established in the university KPIs. This plan highlights William & 玛丽’s institutional commitment to pluralism: the philosophy that our differences are institutional strengths. The concept harks back to the framing of the US Constitution, where human differences are cast as sources of vitality rather than weakness.
Vision 2026 Pillars
Data
This plan tracks William & 玛丽’s progress in improving institutional performance per the university’s KPIs. See: Organizational Culture & Accountability
Water
William & 玛丽 excels in “science for solutions” that positively impact the livelihood of vulnerable coastal communities around the Commonwealth and the world. See the following references to advancements in research and partnerships. See: Education & Scholarship
Democracy
As we prepare for our country’s 250th anniversary, W&M will ensure that our nation’s origin stories are expansive and honest and unite us in a commitment to knowledge as a public good. By studying, teaching, and illuminating the rights and obligations of 21st-century citizenship, the Alma Mater of the Nation is uniquely positioned to ensure that democratic ideals thrive for generations to come. See: Campus Climate, Education & Scholarship, and Innovation, Community & Reconciliation
Careers
As a public university, William & 玛丽 is committed to our graduates’ long-term success: their ability to pursue paths of purpose and stick the landing at each subsequent step of their professional lives. National data shows stark gaps between demographic groups in their ability to land jobs after college. Those gaps shrink when students gain applied learning experiences – internships, particularly during their path to a degree. Therefore, as we expand the population going to college, William & 玛丽 must also expand access to career opportunities. References below to William & 玛丽’s internship initiatives, early research programs, the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), and other initiatives that track our commitment to ensuring a coached, credited and compensated applied learning experience for all students. See: Access & Success
