Strategic Planning Community Update

At the highest level, our questioning, listening and reflecting to date has validated our shared commitment to the promise of a Gonzaga education – who we aspire to be and the impact we aspire to have on each member of our community. 

Gonzaga is proud to participate in the rich apostolic history and tradition of education in the Roman Catholic Church. Our process has similarly revealed the deep commitment – particularly among parents and faculty and staff who come to the school with prior exposure to Jesuit educational experiences – to Gonzaga’s Ignatian identity, an identity rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. At its core, Jesuit education stresses the development of the whole person: moral, spiritual, intellectual, physical, social, and emotional, and is valued as a means to transform individuals and societies. Indeed, Gonzaga’s “Grad at Grad” goals to form graduates who are open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to doing justice, are rooted in our Ignatian heritage and inspire all that we do as a school community. These goals are shared by all the Jesuit secondary schools throughout the country and are rooted in Ignatian heritage and Jesuit priorities such as the Universal Apostolic Preferences. 

On this front, our process has revealed opportunities for reflection on how Gonzaga lives out its commitment to its Jesuit identity across all of our academic and co-curricular programming. For almost 40% of current faculty and staff, for example, Jesuit education was entirely new to them when they started at Gonzaga. Similarly, many parents and students are drawn to the perception of the “qualities of a Gonzaga man” (as expressed in surveys) without directly and explicitly understanding the Jesuit intentionality underscoring our people, curriculum and programming. 

Our opportunity is to ensure all members of the community are oriented in and familiar with Ignatian spirituality and educational pedagogy, that our decisions around programming and operations are guided by the core values of Jesuit education, and that we invest in the academic and programmatic experiences we know have the greatest impact on the formation of our students, including academics, spiritual formation and retreats, and meaningful service opportunities. At the same time, survey responses reinforced our commitment to our Catholic identity, reminding us of how essential rigorous religious education, sacramental life, our sacred spaces, invitations to religious vocations, daily prayer, and social justice are to forming young people who leave Gonzaga with a lasting desire to engage with and participate in their church, be it Catholic or of another faith tradition.

When considering their son’s Gonzaga experience, the factors past parents list as being most important include academics, character development, spiritual formation and college preparedness – each of which they appreciate is directly tied to the strength of our faculty, counselors, campus ministers, coaches and staff, and their ability to influence and inspire their sons. The individuals we attract to work at Gonzaga and how we support them in their personal, spiritual and professional development are critical to shaping the academic culture at Gonzaga and the classroom and community experiences that form our students. 

Our process reinforced the remarkable energy and commitment required by our faculty and staff to embrace the spirit of cura personalis. In discussion groups, faculty and staff were quick to call out examples of colleagues modeling Ignatian values in their approach to working with students and each other. However, surveys also revealed that for close to 40% of faculty and staff respondents, Jesuit education and Ignatian spirituality was entirely new to them when they started at Gonzaga. 

Our opportunity is to ensure that we continue to orient each new faculty and staff member to Jesuit and Ignatian principles and ideals, supporting them as they seek to model and instill “Grad at Grad” qualities to the students they teach, coach and mentor each and every day. Further, we seek to cultivate a sense of belonging within each member of our faculty and staff, whether they be new or veteran members of our community.

In this plan, our opportunity also is to reflect on and invest in the processes that allow Gonzaga to continue to attract, retain and develop a diverse faculty and staff. This includes a study of our recruitment and compensation approaches, how we support faculty in balancing the call to know each Gonzaga student, as well as investments in ongoing professional and personal development that contribute to impact and satisfaction. We seek to foster the community-wide embrace of Gonzaga’s motivation to teach, coach, guide and engage our students in ways that reveal to students their gifts and talents, and ignite in them a desire to use those talents in support, and to the benefit, of others.

In surveys and in-person discussions, all members of our community emphasized the strategic importance of Gonzaga’s continued focus on fostering a culture of academic achievement and skill mastery for all students. All stakeholders recognize our faculty and staff as central to this academic foundation, distinguished not only by their expertise and dedication to personal growth but also by the depth of their relationships with one another and with our students. 

 

Student survey data revealed high academic satisfaction across key areas: faculty relationships, strength of faculty, scope and quality of curriculum, style of teaching and learning, technology integration, and overall academic experience, with scores ranging from 88% to 96% in all categories. These themes ran across parent responses as well, with the top three parent factors in choosing Gonzaga for their sons being: 1.) College preparedness; 2.) Our ability to instill curiosity and a love of learning, and; 3.) Strength of faculty. 

Gonzaga alumni likewise expressed continued and lasting appreciation for committed, challenging and supportive teachers, and for the relationships they formed with those educators. They valued Gonzaga’s commitment to the liberal arts, and having been taught how to think, write and speak critically and compellingly. At the same time, many community members reflected on society’s challenges to academic success in high schools today, including demanding school and club sports schedules, expectations and pressures around college acceptances, and the ubiquity of technology and social media.

All of this points to the ways in which our Jesuit foundation deeply influences academics at Gonzaga, fostering a learning environment where students are not just academically inclined but are also motivated by an intrinsic desire to learn and grow. In continuing to advance academically, our surveys and small group discussions raised several opportunities for growth, while continuing to stay true to our core focus on the liberal arts and a commitment to cura personalis – so that each student has space and support to recognize and develop their individual talents, interests and potential. 

Those opportunities depend first and foremost on our ability to attract, retain, and develop a diverse faculty and staff. Ongoing professional development and academic credentialing of our faculty, as well as expanded opportunities for continued spiritual formation and growth in the Ignatian tradition, are essential to ensure alignment with Jesuit principles and pedagogy – including efforts to promote and train faculty on inclusive teaching practices that ensure inclusivity across the curriculum.

Faculty and staff, as well as families, also expressed opportunities for new and needed strategies for how and what students learn in our current cultural and educational context, raising important considerations around educator training and professional development in areas such as: standards-based learning and assessment; identifying how best to support different learning profiles within the Gonzaga student body; emphasizing skills over content; project-based learning that enhances critical thinking and problem solving; and embracing and appropriately utilizing artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in the classroom.

We are fortunate at Gonzaga to attract faculty who value collaboration and seek opportunities for cross-disciplinary approaches to teaching and learning as well as opportunities to further develop and evaluate our scope and sequence for individual courses to ensure consistency and effectiveness. That open and collaborative approach is essential for other opportunities expressed through the process thus far – including continued emphasis on STEAM focused coursework and offerings; exploring possibilities for dual-credit partnerships with local universities; and, expansion of our existing Global Education work in partnership with the Jesuit Schools Network.

Our process revealed the full extent to which Gonzaga co-curricular student activities, including athletics, clubs, and student life programs, are an enormous source of pride for the extended Gonzaga community. These areas generate a deep sense of camaraderie among students, and connection, pride, and loyalty among alumni and others.

Feedback and research also revealed, however, that success in these activities at Gonzaga is measured by far more than wins and losses, or the ability of our students to continue to pursue these interests beyond their time at Gonzaga.

What our community valued most, rather, included the relationships that are developed through these activities — between coaches and players, mentors and mentees, club members and moderators, and students and supporters. They value the ability to find new opportunities at Gonzaga, through inclusive and accessible programs, and by virtue of the multitude of teams, student clubs, and different areas of engagement that exist on Eye Street. Our community places a high value on finding balance in these pursuits, so that they complement and support the whole Gonzaga experience, including academics, service, spiritual development, retreats, student physical and mental health, and overall well-being.

Gonzaga’s small campus footprint and relatively limited facilities were also oft-cited issues with regard to co-curricular activities — not surprisingly, considering our campus and location. While our community is understanding and impressed with our ability to do so much with limited facilities, there is a desire for additional partnerships and strategies that could increase access to facilities that meet the needs of our programs, particularly in the area of athletics.

And while we heard both compliments and suggestions regarding individual teams, student clubs, and activities, a common refrain in our feedback was a need for organizational unity and connectivity among these functions at the school. This speaks to a need for enhanced and ongoing collaboration, approaches, and partnership not only between different parts of student life but also among the athletic department, clubs, and other areas of the school, including counseling, academics, campus ministry, business functions, marketing, and communications.

Our opportunities within these areas align with other themes emerging in our strategic planning process. We are directed to think strategically about community partnerships that help secure long-term access to necessary venues. Within our operations, there are many opportunities to increase consistency and efficiency in our approach to branding and visual identity, fees, fundraising, budgeting, and activity booster efforts, as well as our internal and external communications strategies.

Ensuring full alignment between co-curricular activities and our Catholic, Jesuit identity requires continued reflection — so that teams, clubs, and student life are conduits through which students continue to experience spiritual development, service, and experiences informed by Ignatian values and approaches.

Over 90% of students list co-curricular activities as one of the top three areas in which they feel most engaged at Gonzaga. We are therefore called to place continued emphasis and promotion on the accessibility of these activities and programming — so that all Gonzaga students who wish to participate have the possibility to do so across our many opportunities, and all students are exposed to the life benefits of engagement and wellness.

Finally, in the field of athletics, there is emerging interest and urgency around the use of data collection and data-driven decision-making, as well as consideration of new thinking in areas of student wellness. Leadership in this area aligns with Gonzaga’s commitment to cura personalis, informing efforts to enhance student balance, well-roundedness, and physical and mental health and well-being.

While few families cite Gonzaga’s location as a driver of their high school selection decision, our urban location is overwhelmingly viewed as having a positive impact on students’ experience by the time they graduate. And while Gonzaga’s campus is historic, unique, and beloved – it is also aged, landlocked, and requires ongoing creative use planning, coordination and upkeep to meet the demands of our faculty, staff and students. 

Our feedback revealed deep appreciation for unique aspects of our campus – St. Aloysius Church, the Sheehy Theater, the Jesuit Community, and our co-location with the Father McKenna Center were all highlighted as important parts of our campus dynamic. Recent creative upgrades to physical spaces were similarly met with appreciation by members of the community – such as the Sheridan Performance Center, the Innovation Commons, new science labs, and areas of Forte Hall.

And yet, there was acknowledgement of physical spaces on campus that remain underutilized, in need of investment, or that are inadequate or lacking in terms of current demands. There was recognition of the opportunities and challenges that come with community partnerships that expand our physical footprint beyond Eye Street for service, co-curriculars, and learning. And there is the reality of the very real costs that come with maintaining and improving our campus plant and infrastructure, including technology.

Our opportunities with regard to our campus and location, therefore, includes both limitations and possibilities. We are, to a large degree, currently limited in our ability to expand our footprint beyond what currently exists, as well as by the financial realities of real estate in the surrounding neighborhood. With that comes the opportunity to continue to creatively rethink and invest in certain areas of campus – including Dooley Hall to better serve the needs of Campus Ministry and Admissions; daily worship and sacramental space via the Chapel; student library, research and classroom needs; and additional student-commons type spaces that co-locate various student support people and programs. Important too are Forte Hall, with a special focus on enhanced spaces dedicated for visual and digital arts; and the Carmody Center, with a focus on athletic department personnel, team meeting, fan gathering and storage spaces. 

Off campus, especially given the changing dynamics of our surrounding neighborhood, our opportunity is to think differently about how we fully capitalize on the advantages that come with our location – in partnerships with other organizations that create meaningful service opportunities, provide access to needed facilities, and create additional advanced coursework or experiential learning opportunities.

And finally, and perhaps most practically but no less important, is adequately funding and anticipating the needs of our campus home, in terms of technology, physical plant, and infrastructure – including continuous efforts to improve efficiencies and reduce our environmental footprint.