Roanoke College unveils bold new strategic plan: “Imagine Roanoke”

Roanoke College announced the launch of its new strategic plan Thursday following a unanimous vote of approval by its board of trustees.  

The six-year plan, “Imagine Roanoke: A Strategic Plan for Roanoke College and the 21st Century Learner,” offers a comprehensive roadmap that will guide the college to new heights in student success both inside and outside the classroom. 

“Imagine Roanoke emerges from the hopes and dreams of those who love Roanoke College,” President Frank Shushok Jr. said. “Bold and courageous, it focuses on the next chapter in our long story, embracing constant transformation to be ready to serve the learners of each new day.” 

The multi-faceted plan is the result of 10 months of work by a diverse cross-section of campus. It sets out an ambitious vision that challenges the college to be creative, agile and relentless in its pursuit of innovation. 

“Imagine Roanoke is our commitment to the future,” said Board Chair Malon Courts ’92. “In a world that needs original and passionate thinkers, we’re positioning ourselves to continue leading with purpose and inspiring new generations of students. I’m grateful to everyone on campus who came together to reflect on what it means to be a truly student-ready, student-first institution in the 21st century.” 

Through the plan, Roanoke College is setting its sights on six key imperatives formed to support the core principles of its mission and vision statement. Each imperative is accompanied by clear, action-orientated recommendations for progress: 

• Imperative 1: To become the Roanoke Valley’s most sought-after educational partner by industry, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Goals include creating a new regional partnership, Roanoke College-Roanoke Valley (RC-RV), to guide the development of flexible learning programs—online, hybrid, evening and more—that help meet community needs.
• Imperative 2: To develop an on-campus residential experience that is an exemplar of a 21st century learning laboratory—beautiful, integrated, practical, and inspiring. Goals include forming four transdisciplinary schools within the college; refurbishing residence halls; establishing a success center within Fintel Library; and engaging every student in a customized educational plan that includes at least one sustained mentorship and two internships or experiential activities (study away, research, service-learning).
• Imperative 3: To make the exploration of purpose, the pursuit of character, and the graduation of leaders a distinction of a Roanoke College education. Goals include closely embedding these principles into the design of co-curriculum programs and exploring the creation of new academic offerings in interdisciplinary leadership.
• Imperative 4: To be a learner-centric college that orients all aspects of the institution to prioritize the learning and development of learners. Goals include cultivating a learning environment that supports all students through proactive and personalized support, inclusive and adaptive teaching techniques, and simplified administrative processes. 
• Imperative 5: To cultivate a campus environment that fosters professional growth and supports and empowers every member of the Roanoke College community. Goals include developing a campus leadership academy; creating a grant fund that helps employees pursue innovative projects; and investing in wellness resources.
• Imperative 6: To create and maintain a culture of philanthropy and responsible financial stewardship. Goals include strengthening the endowment with a particular focus on supporting scholarships, endowed professorships and flexible funds.

The strategic plan will be Roanoke College’s guiding compass between now and 2031 as it builds on its legacy of providing an exceptional education that readies students to meet the world’s most pressing demands. 

The plan is the result of extensive collaboration and deep reflection on what it means to lead as educators in an era of rapidly changing needs. The process kicked off in October 2023 with a campus-wide Community Day where faculty, staff and students generated over 1,300 comments and suggestions for Roanoke College’s future.

Shushok then appointed a 22-member strategic planning team to analyze that input and craft a list of specific, actionable and measurable strategic initiatives rooted in the goals of the college’s mission and vision. The team included faculty, staff, students and trustees from across campus. 

Moving forward, Shushok will assemble an Imagine Roanoke Leadership Council to regularly monitor the plan’s progress, recommend recalibrations as needed and ensure its success. The council will supply biannual progress reports and updates to the board of trustees, and it will lead formal campus reviews of the plan in years three and six (2028 and 2031). 

The overarching goal is to create a dynamic document that evolves to keep pace with 21st century needs while uniting Roanoke College’s campus in a shared mission to never cease learning, transforming or imagining new possibilities.  

More information about Imagine Roanoke is available at: roanoke.edu/imagineroanoke