About Strategic Planning

Task Force on the Future

In July 2010, Marlboro trustees adopted the following recommendations from the Task Force on the Future, a group of 17 Marlboro constituents that spent six months exploring the future challenges that face the college. The task force included: Ellen McCulloch-Lovell president; trustees Bart Goodwin, Karen Davis, Tom Durkin and Stephan Morse; faculty members William Edelglass, Felicity Ratte, Kate Ratcliff and Todd Smith; students Andrew Tanabe and Ellie Roark; staff members Lisa Christensen, Tobias Gelston and Bryant Morgan; and Alumni Council Vice-President Holly Manley '82 and Mark Anderson '97 (who also serves as an alumnus trustee).

Task Force on the Future recommendations:

1. Marlboro College must expand its enrollment in both undergraduate and graduate programs, according to a strategy, with planned targets.
2. The college must develop a marketing plan that differentiates Marlboro from other colleges and graduate schools based on strengths and values.
3. The college and its graduate school should strengthen their collaboration to benefit both, planning and implementing specific measures related to courses and administration.
4. We should utilize higher education consortia and partnerships to expand and diversify our offerings and achieve savings.
5. The college should create more community-based and experiential learning opportunities for students and faculty, including student internships.
6. Marlboro should use technology to expand teaching and to improve links to students when they are not on campus.
7. Capital planning and improvements -- including energy conservation, alternative energy sources and carrying out our environmental mission -- must be made to enhance recruitment, retention and stewardship.
8. The college should develop auxiliary programs, based on its strengths, to enhance its reputation, attract more students, and increase revenues.
9. The college should continue to increase career services for undergraduate, graduate students and alumni, building an internship program and employer relationships.
10. We must more clearly define self-governance at Marlboro College. We must teach democracy and encourage community members to take responsibility for their academic experiences, health and community life.
11. Marlboro College faculty should lead in curricular planning to provide a vision of the curriculum of 2020 and what faculty positions and expertise will be needed.