Strategic Framework

Introduction from the President

By Rev. Joesph E. Lingan, S.J. '75

As we proceed further into Gonzaga’s third century of service, I am pleased to share an important development with you: a renewed mission statement and expression of our core commitments as well as strategic priorities that will guide our school over the next decade. These updates reflect both our vision for the future as well as the collective work of our entire community.

This process began after the conclusion of Gonzaga’s Bicentennial celebrations and the successful completion of the Forever Gonzaga Bicentennial Campaign. As the school emerged from the challenges of the pandemic and looked ahead, we realized that this was the moment to look toward the future with honest hope. We desired to create a forward-thinking plan that would honor Gonzaga’s legacy, sustain our excellence, and ensure we are ready for what comes next.

We began our effort to identify and define our strategic priorities by first reviewing, reflecting on, and renewing Gonzaga’s mission. This led to a prayerful and careful discernment on our mission statement and core commitments. We did this to ensure that our future truly reflects who we are as Gonzaga. Throughout this process, we engaged many voices from within our community — faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, and friends of Gonzaga. We gathered insights through surveys, discussions, and reflections, working together to assess our strengths, identify our challenges, and envision a path forward. 

I am grateful for the enthusiastic and thoughtful participation of so many members of our Gonzaga community and for the generosity of spirit such participation reflects. Because of you, this process has been collaborative and heartening – and as we move forward, it will be ongoing, and continue to be shaped by discernment, dialogue, and a shared commitment to our Catholic and Jesuit identity and mission. 

I am pleased and proud to share the results of this process with you: a revitalized mission statement, a clear articulation of our school’s core commitments, and five strategic priorities that will guide Gonzaga as we enter the next chapter of our rich and abundant history.

At the heart of every institution lies its mission — the moral compass that clearly expresses its values and shapes its aspirations, priorities, and actions. As we engaged in our Strategic Planning effort, it became clear that it was time to consider a new articulation of our mission. To be clear, this is not a new mission for Gonzaga, but rather a more precise expression of the mission we have been committed to and living out for more than two centuries. 

“I believe that this mission reflects that we are clearly Jesuit but also uniquely Gonzaga,” says Father Lingan. “It reflects how Gonzaga differentiates itself among high schools, inspires the shared work of faculty and staff, and responds to the aspirations of parents who seek to educate their sons well.”