Ursuline Academy’s Next Strategic Plan
Visioning Day Update
Thank you to over 100 members of the Ursuline community who took part in Ursuline Academy’s Visioning Day on March 5, 2022. We were so happy to have representation from our students, current and alum parents, alumnae, faculty and staff, Ursuline Sisters, and Board of Trustees, present with us as we gathered together in a shared vision of success for our school.
Strategic Planning
Every four to five years, our Board of Trustees works together to establish a strategic plan with long-term goals for the future. This fall, we will embark on a 10-month strategic planning process that will engage all facets of our school community and offer opportunities for participation. We have partnered with Christina Drouin, founder and CEO of the Center for Strategic Planning to facilitate our efforts. Over the past two decades, Christina has facilitated hundreds of strategic planning initiatives with a special focus on PK-12 independent schools and mission-driven humanitarian and/or religious organizations.
Our Strategic Plan Committee, composed of parents, board members, alumnae, faculty, and staff, will tackle a range of tasks during the strategic plan process:
Erin Allsman ’95, Trustee & Alumna
Katie Orga Godfrey ’00, Alumna
Sue Johnson, Assistant to the President & US Parent
Kevin Keegan, US Parent
Brittany Keller, Director of Marketing & Communications
Brendan Kennealey, Chair Strategic Planning Committee & LS Parent
Sister Marion Lynch, OSU, Trustee
Maureen Ripsom McAleenan ’99, US Dean of Academics, US Faculty, MS/LS Parent & Alumna
Dr. Trisha Medeiros, President & US Parent
Corinne Cowen Pomeroy ’02, LS Faculty, LS Parent & Alumna
Maritza Poza-Grise, Chair Board of Trustees, Alumna Parent
Dinah Schlecht, MS Parent & Alumna Parent
Erin Prada, Global Education Program Coordinator & US Faculty
Samantha Varano, LS Principal & LS Parent
Joe Viera, Trustee & Alumna Parent
July 30, 2020
Dear Ursuline Community,
I hope this finds you healthy, safe, and faring well in these most unusual of times. As I write, I sit for the first time in quite a while, in my office nestled in the Fusco Student Life Center which was formerly the Ursuline Convent established in 1924. Upon my arrival, with mask on, I walked up the stairs thinking of the Ursuline Sisters who climbed the stunningly beautiful stairwell before me.
Admittedly, I was overcome with a swirl of emotion after having been away from a place that I hold so dearly in my heart. In an interview with Harvard Business Review, Author David Kessler said, “There is something powerful about naming this as grief. When you name it you feel it, and it moves through you. Emotions need motion.” What we are going through as a society and community is unprecedented. I am struck with the realization that amid the chaos, the mission of Ursuline Academy has transcended these walls just as it always had and as the Sisters intended. We are bound with faith, hope, and determination which allowed us to finish the 2019-20 school year in a way that we all can be proud of.
Today we celebrate our accomplishments and the advancements made toward Ursuline’s Vision 2022 strategic plan goals. As we embark on a new school year in unchartered territory, we do so with renewed resilience, dedication, and a greater purpose. In the days ahead, we commit to self-reflection and re-examining our priorities. We respect lessons learned, new capabilities gained, and our resilience to adapt and lead.
As we emerge from a global pandemic, we continue to be grateful for the commitment, sacrifice, and care every Ursuline community member has demonstrated. May God bless and keep you safe.
Insieme,
Dr. Trisha Medeiros
President
Vision 2022
Honoring Our Past, Envisioning Our Future
As we embark on Ursuline’s 125th anniversary of excellence in education, we celebrate our past, present, and future. In the spirit of St. Angela, our Ursuline Sisters boldly founded the Academy in 1893 with a vision to change the world through the education of our future leaders and influencers. We proudly hold true to our legacy and values while also expanding our curriculum to support academics and skills that students need to be successful today.
In the fall of 2017, Ursuline’s Board of Trustees and administration began developing a strategic plan, keeping mission at the focal point of our work as well as ensuring that students were at the center of every conversation. The intent was to reflect on our illustrious past and lay the groundwork for our innovative future.
In keeping with our tradition of embracing transformational education, we present a new vision as we courageously claim our future. Please take some time to review what lies ahead for Ursuline by reviewing the Strategic Plan, Vision 2022.
Together, we look forward with enthusiasm to the future of Ursuline Academy!
Read Ursuline Academy’s Strategic Plan 2018-22.
Dr. Trisha Medeiros
President
