{"id":46976,"date":"2026-09-11T11:40:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T15:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/president\/?page_id=46976"},"modified":"2026-09-11T11:40:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T15:40:23","slug":"priority-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/president\/strategic-action-plan\/priority-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Priority 1: Revolutionizing the Liberal Arts"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
Strategic Action Plan<\/div>

Priority 1<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

Revolutionizing the Liberal Arts<\/strong><\/h2>

The liberal arts must evolve to meet this moment and beyond. Our graduates need more than knowledge—they need adaptive capacities to thrive in a world transformed by technology, shaped by rapidly shifting economic forces, and challenged by civic fragmentation. This priority focuses on further developing essential literacies, expanding hands-on learning, and positioning the humanities and arts as vital to human flourishing in the digital age. <\/p>

Faculty Support<\/h3>

None of this work is possible without a strong and dedicated faculty and the support necessary for meeting the challenges of the classroom and the profession. We will grow visible and predictable support by making it a fundraising priority; invest scarce personnel resources to grow our faculty in accordance with student demand; and conduct a comprehensive workload study so that all operate from an understanding informed by precedent and projection.<\/p>

Expand Experiential Learning<\/h3>

Deep, hands-on learning transforms education from abstract to applied. Building on our strong foundation, UMW will become a national leader in experiential education, especially in two areas: internships and undergraduate research. While already recognized as a “top school for internships”, we will develop a comprehensive internship ecosystem with robust career pathways ensuring multiple work-based learning experiences for every student, connecting liberal arts education to professional opportunity. We will also leverage the significant philanthropic investment in STEM fields to establish an unparalleled undergraduate research program.<\/p>

Reimagined Humanities and Social Sciences<\/h3>

The humanities and social sciences will become a hub for interdisciplinary teaching, public engagement, and career preparation where deep exploration of human experience equips students to thrive in our technological age. At the same time, the humanities will inform new and emerging programs in health, science, business, and technology.<\/p>

Promote the Arts and Culture<\/h3>

Recent state investments position UMW to become a premier destination for arts and culture in Virginia. We will leverage new theaters, studios, and performance spaces—along with our stewardship of significant cultural assets—to become a university which elevates creativity as essential to problem-solving and innovation; demonstrates that artistic expression and cultural understanding are vital to human flourishing in an AI-infused world; and integrates our historic museum properties as living laboratories for teaching and learning.<\/p>

Innovating Educational Models<\/h3>

120 credits to a bachelor’s degree on a residential campus will long endure as a core element of our identity. But we can also acknowledge that such a model does not meet the needs of all learners for whom UMW has something to offer. And, regardless of program, we must be able to demonstrate that our graduates achieve what we say they will. We should consider new models that move beyond seat-time and entertain meaningful assessment of what students know and can do, focusing on mastery and growth. New competencies will require new metrics for evaluating and demonstrating that graduates have attained the facility to live and thrive.<\/p>

Core Competencies for Tomorrow’s Graduate<\/h3>

We will integrate three essential literacies throughout the student experience: AI literacy, entrepreneurial mindset, and constructive dialogue. We will ensure that every graduate understands, evaluates, and is able to use intelligence ethically and responsibly. It is not just about prompt engineering. It is about recognizing that the knowledge, skills and habits of mind are even more important in realizing the promise and confronting the peril of artificial intelligence. It’s not about preparing graduates to develop a business. It’s about honing a mindset that drives students to be risk-takers, innovators, and makers, and, ultimately, to be citizens capable of harnessing the lessons of a liberal arts education to make an impact on the world. Consequently, we want our graduates to be adaptable, creative, resourceful, and able to shape their own destiny. And, crucially, our students will develop the capacity for civil discourse, ethical reasoning, and bridge-building across difference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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