President Shares University and Strategic Plan Updates

“We don’t get to do this often enough, because we’re all busy with our day-jobs,” Gormley said. “But, it’s valuable to carve out time to gather together like this, periodically, to check in and share information of common interest.”

Gormley discussed many highlights that have stemmed from the Strategic Plan before revealing VISION 150: Continuing the Momentum, a revised, updated Strategic Plan with new and bigger goals. 

Among Duquesne’s accomplishments he discussed, Gormley spoke highly of how well the University pushed forward strategic priorities even during the COVID Pandemic.

“We didn’t stop or slow down, even at the height of the global pandemic that knocked many institutions off course,” he said. “I’m proud that, through it all, every strategic move we made was driven by the best interests of our students. Our students are the reason all of us are here. They’ve been at the heart of our mission since our founding in 1878; and they will always be our defining purpose.”

Some of the other impactful triumphs the president mentioned include:

• Creating the Office of Community Engagement 
• Hiring the inaugural chief diversity officer which led to the development—in partnership with the Office of Human Resources—of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certificate program
• Building the new Center for Excellence in Diversity and Student Inclusion in the Duquesne Union
• Forging the Bridges Common Learning curriculum
• Establishing a suite of new engineering programs in the renamed School of Science and Engineering
• Securing the transformational $50 million commitment to name the Thomas R. Kline School of Law
• Launching the historic College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“Our Strategic Plan has yielded incredible gains, and there are many more—too many to mention,” Gormley said. “This has only happened thanks to your commitment to achieving new heights of excellences. We never could have achieved these great things without each of you.”

Gormley also mentioned policy enhancements and updates designed to benefit employees for their hard work, like augmented sick leave and leave-of-absence policies and additional special authorized holidays. He also announced the upcoming rollout of a new President’s Professional Development Fund Program to provide new professional growth opportunities.

“You’ve demonstrated commitment to this University, and to the needs and aspirations of our wonderful students,” said Gormley. “And I wanted to take this opportunity to say I’m grateful for it.”

The president then talked in detail about VISION 150: Continuing the Momentum, the newly revised Strategic Plan and its ties to the University’s sesquicentennial. He and the leadership team and Duquesne’s Board of Directors—with input from numerous constituents—have taken time to recalibrate and imagine ways to add to the strategic plan and build upon impressive achievements. 

“This will set a course through our upcoming 150th anniversary of the University, which we’ll be celebrating in 2028,” Gormley said.

The updated plan, available to review online, contains revisions and updates connected to the priorities that have existed since the plan’s inception. Faculty and staff are encouraged to read it, both to recall the commitments made over time and to consider what is ahead. 

Gormley wrapped up his remarks by emphasizing the importance of maintaining a culture of civility on campus while continuing to focus on providing a horizon-expanding education to Duquesne students. This was particularly important, he said, as college campuses confront a fall season punctuated by contentious elections and continued strife in the Middle East that impact the future higher education landscape. 

“I want to stress, today, how vital it is for all members of our campus community to commit themselves to civil discourse and respectful behavior…and modelling that respectful behavior for our students,” Gormley said. “With our students as the polestar of every decision we make, we’ll move forward, recognizing the challenges ahead, but with a steady sense of optimism.”