Lasting strength comes from remaining relevant and anticipating the needs, challenges, and opportunities of the future. We must build on our strong foundation, ensuring that our students have the skills and experiences to serve them well long after graduation and that our alumnae look back with pride.

 

Affordability is a looming challenge only mitigated by developing resources beyond tuition. Those resources make it possible to invest in the people and programs that make us a premier school without relying solely on increases in tuition. They will make it possible for our next generation of parents to have access to the best education for their girls.

 

Appropriate space for curricular and co-curricular programs is expected by our students, parents, faculty, and staff. Our campus has buildings that have seen generations of students thrive. As we look to educate the next generations of students, we must ensure historic buildings are preserved, outdated spaces are upgraded, and a thorough master plan is created to maintain our beautiful campus. We are committed to using and maintaining our current campus and facilities without a major building expansion during this planning horizon.

Value of a Girls' School 

Develop messaging and share stories that help our families and prospective families understand the benefits our girls receive throughout their lives from a St. Catherine’s education.

Selected Strategies 

• Clearly articulate the unique value of a St. Catherine’s education and our expertise in girls’ education.
• Engage experts to develop brand strategy and tools to share value propositions and combat outdated or inaccurate perceptions.
• Showcase our alumnae and their varied paths in creating lives of purpose.
• Review our mission statement to ensure that it represents our commitment to students, parents, faculty, and staff.
• Expand admissions outreach into new markets and underrepresented areas.

Endowment

Enhance St. Catherine’s financial strength, affordability, and programming by growing our endowment to ensure long-term stability, autonomy, and opportunities for generations of girls to come.

Selected Strategies 

• Develop a plan to increase endowment funds so that we can achieve our strategic goals.
• Share with our community the impact that endowment has on students, faculty, staff, programs, and operations.
• Benchmark our financial position against peer institutions.
• Evaluate opportunities to increase affordability and decrease pressure of tuition increases, including revenue generation, right-sizing programs, and efficient use of resources.

Campus & Facilities

Develop a long-range campus plan to enhance and preserve learning and gathering areas, recognizing that space can be transformational to programming.

Selected Strategies 

• Conduct a facility condition assessment that results in a forward-looking capital spending model to help anticipate future maintenance and renovation needs.
• Enhance campus areas for curricular, co-curricular, and community gathering.
• Explore long-term opportunities for outdoor classrooms and experiential learning for the Goochland campus.