• Commencement Information

    毕业周快乐! If you still need your rain tickets or honor cords, they will be available for you at check-in on Friday (Hickory campus).

    Student check-in is Friday at 4:30 p.m. 在舒福德体育馆. Guests are asked to be in their seats by 5:30 p.m.

    Any changes to the commencement schedule will be posted here. 

    Commencement Information

Go Beyond What’s Expected

战略计划


Pivoting to a New Level of Excellence

Launched in 2019, the Lenoir-Rhyne University strategic plan is built on four themes:

  • 特殊的经验
    Provide a transformational experience for our students by cultivating a culture of 参与ment and student success. We must create and reimagine campus spaces and programming through a campus-wide focus to attract, 参与, 保留, and graduate our students.
  • 学术
    Enhance our commitment to academic excellence and enrich our academic profile to increase the value of a Lenoir-Rhyne degree resulting in an increase in net tuition revenue. This requires enhancing existing programs and investing in new programs that align with our mission. We will use technology in innovative ways to teach our students more effectively and expand our programming to meet the needs for students and employers.
  • 独特的身份
    Create a compelling and research-informed value proposition that distinguishes Lenoir-Rhyne University and excites our university stakeholders. Lenoir-Rhyne is positioned well to become a focused, recognized leader in higher education in North Carolina and in our region.
  • 改变未来
    Create new revenue streams and strong financial modeling to ensure sustainability that will facilitate enhancing our investment in students, 员工和项目. Our focus will diversify enrollment pipelines and cultivate new strategic partnerships that will ensure a dynamic and vibrant future.

The student experience is at the center of our new strategic plan, Pivoting to a New Level of Excellence. The four pillars of that plan will provide focus and drive what we do over the next few years.

Dr. 弗雷德K. 总裁?威特
  • Strategic 规划过程

    In May 2018, Lenoir-Rhyne President Dr. Fred Whitt invited the LR faculty and staff to 参与 in a campus community discussion that began the thought process for the University’s next strategic plan. Themes emerged around improving and enhancing multiple areas on campus, including academic excellence, 学生参与, 保留, 品牌标识, technology and financial strength.

    In an effort to provide a transparent process and leverage maximum participation from all three campuses, the University partnered with Credo Higher Education, a nationally known consulting firm whose focus is working with small private universities. 2018年9月, members of the LR leadership team met for a two-day workshop with Credo to begin the strategic planning process.

    The workshop consisted of reviewing research and analyzing pillars common to thriving private universities. 除了, the leadership team discussed and identified key themes and goals that would be important to move LR to a higher level of excellence over the next five years.

    Four strategic themes emerged from the workshop, and these were presented to the LR community in Hickory, 阿什维尔和哥伦比亚. 教师, 教职员及学生, as well as members of the board of trustees 参与d in additional workshops to continue to develop these themes and identify goals of the plan. A broader group of representatives from the campus community was appointed to both the strategic planning team and to theme teams to further refine and prioritize the goals and initiatives within each of four strategic themes.

  • 结果和指标
    • Grow graduate and undergraduate enrollment
    • Significantly improve 保留 and graduation rates
    • Increase net revenue to invest in infrastructure
    • Implement high impact practices
    • Significantly expand alumni giving †
    • Enhance market awareness by telling our story
    • Develop robust employment outcomes
  • 战略计划ning Establishment Team
    • President Fred Whitt, chair
    • Jeff Delbert, assistant professor of communication
    • Leah Beth Hubbard, assistant vice president for mission, 参与ment and innovation
    • Cat Niekro, vice president for institutional advancement
    • Jessica O’Brien, assistant librarian and coordinator of instructional technology
    • Kim Pate, vice president for athletics
    • Josh Ring, associate professor of chemistry
    • Tom Turner, assistant professor of business
    • Julie Voss, associate professor of English