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President’s Letter on Stonehill Mission

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

I am writing to inform you that the Board of Trustees at its February meeting approved a revised Mission Statement for the College, which reads as follows: 

Revised Mission Statement
Stonehill College, a Catholic institution of higher learning founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, is a community of scholarship and faith, anchored by a belief in the inherent dignity of each person.

Through its curriculum of liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional programs, Stonehill College provides an education of the highest caliber that fosters critical thinking, free inquiry, and the interchange of ideas.

Stonehill College educates the whole person so that each Stonehill graduate thinks, acts, and leads with courage toward creating a more just and compassionate world.

Our newly clarified Mission Statement is the result of focused, intensive work by a team of colleagues who received input from many quarters. Their efforts will place the College in an even better position to implement our Attaining the Summit strategic plan and to achieve the ambitious goals that are outlined in it. Let me give you the background information and some key next steps regarding this exciting change.

Background
As we began to implement our strategic plan, Attaining the Summit, we recognized many positive aspects of our previous Mission Statement. In general, it was a good articulation of the vision and aspirations that have guided Stonehill since its founding in 1948. 

We also came to recognize, however, that it had its challenges. At six paragraphs, it was simply too lengthy as a statement and perhaps, due to its length, the previous Mission Statement was not being widely or actively used. Faculty and staff would talk in general terms about Stonehill’s Mission Statement, but they were not able to articulate what that Mission actually was.

We wanted to refine the Stonehill Mission Statement so that it is more concise, memorable, and, therefore, more usable. We wanted to do so in a way that was also consistent with our history. And, we wanted an aspirational Mission Statement -- one that inspires and guides us as we execute our strategic plan.

In order to provide continuity, we have now repositioned our prior Mission Statement as our Philosophy Statement. Our Mission Statement is now a statement of the essence of that philosophy.


Process 
The process of refining Stonehill’s Mission Statement was collaborative and inclusive. Last fall, I named a broad-based Committee to draft a revision. 

Vice President of Mission John Denning, C.S.C. served as Chair of the Committee, which included: Dean Joseph Favazza and Professor Thomas Gariepy, C.S.C. ’70 from Academic Affairs, Allison Gill from Student Affairs, Paul Eaton from Advancement, Ronald Scarbrough from Finance, and Edward Sevilla from Marketing. Rebecca Sonn ’05 from Marketing served as recording secretary. 

To generate a starting point, the Committee researched the mission statements of other Catholic colleges and universities including those sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross. They created a draft, and sought input from across the College. 

Then the Strategic Planning Committee, Division Heads, and the Board of Incorporators all reviewed the draft. The Board of Trustees also had an opportunity to comment, and the Mission Committee of the Trustees in particular discussed the revised Mission Statement in depth. At their February meeting, the Trustees unanimously approved the revised Mission Statement. 

Next steps – How you can use the Mission Statement
A good Mission Statement serves a guide to how we conduct our daily work. High performance, mission-driven organizations often place their Mission Statement in the hands of key constituencies. We want that to occur here at Stonehill.

To that end, we will distribute the Mission Statement in flyer format as well as post it on the Web. We are also open to other ideas that you might have on how you can use the Mission Statement in your work, and ask that you direct those suggestions to your Division Head.

In conclusion, I thank the Drafting Committee and all those throughout the College who provided input on this important document. Our Mission Statement has never been clearer and I look forward to continuing to work with you as together we strive toward Attaining the Summit.

Yours in Holy Cross,



Rev. Mark T. Cregan, C.S.C. ’78
President