About the Process

During the Spring 2024 semester, the university held a series of community-wide, future-focused conversations that represented the first step in developing the strategic framework. These conversations aimed to help us understand the future for which GW is planning. Hundreds of faculty, students, staff, administrators, and alumni participated, discussing the future of the workforce, the future of higher education, and the future of knowledge. A web form was also provided for community members to submit their feedback on these topics.

After those conversations, a summary report was shared with the community. This report highlighted the key ideas and common themes expressed among the constituencies. These ideas were then distilled into four themes to guide the next phase of work. The four themes were:

An Innovation Committee, mainly comprised of faculty, was then charged with reviewing baseline institutional research, identifying opportunities for strategic growth, and gathering input from the GW community through various methods, including opportunities to submit “idea briefs,” hosting community town halls, and conducting informal dialogues about strategic opportunities in line with these themes. Throughout this process, more than 400 faculty, staff, students, and alumni participated, and over 170 idea briefs were submitted.

From the diverse feedback we received, two key imperatives emerged that guide how we think about the thematic core: first, prioritizing opportunities to enhance GW's distinctiveness and impact, and second, establishing a foundation for GW to become a preeminent institution in higher education. Its work was completed in January 2025 when the committee submitted its report to the Strategic Framework Steering Committee.

During the spring 2025 semester, the Steering Committee thoroughly reviewed the Innovation Committee's list of recommendations, along with our community's extensive feedback. It synthesized this input with the four themes mentioned above into three overarching institutional priorities and associated goals. This approach aimed to preserve and enhance the essence of the original themes within a new draft framework that addressed the key imperatives identified by our community and was designed to guide institution-wide decision-making at all levels.