Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) has been awarded a $100,000 planning grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of phase one of its Charting the Future for Indiana’s Colleges and Universities initiative.
“This generous support will have a profound impact on the many ways we serve our students,” said Dottie L. King, Ph. D., president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. “I am excited for the opportunities the grant will provide that will align with our new strategic plan.”
This grant will accelerate SMWC’s efforts within its Aspire Even Higher Strategic Plan which was publicly launched in October. The plan has three distinctive and interconnected priorities focusing on advancing SMWC in the areas of academics, campus environment and the College’s outreach locally, regionally and nationally. The concepts of spirituality, enrollment and innovation are woven across the three priorities.
Through the Charting the Future initiative, Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $108.2 million to help Indiana’s 38 higher education institutions address key challenges and take advantage of opportunities to enhance institutional sustainability. It encourages dialogue and institutions’ strategic planning and implementation.
Charting the Future has three phases: a planning phase, an implementation phase and an invitational phase for large-scale proposals. In the first phase, Lilly Endowment made planning grants available totaling nearly $6.2 million to all of Indiana’s eligible two- and four-year colleges and universities. The size of the award was based on the institution’s enrollment size.
The planning grant was designed to encourage institutional reflection and research in preparation for implementation grant proposals for funding under phase two of the initiative. Colleges and universities will have the opportunity to apply for implementation grants of $1 million, $2.5 million, or $5 million in the second phase. Funds may be used at the discretion of the institution’s president for various purposes including consultants, conferences, seminars, travel and staff time.
SMWC’s strategic planning efforts have been supported by The Endowment in the past. A $1 million grant received in 2013 through the Initiative to Promote Opportunities through Educational Collaborations: Round III, A Call to Action, enabled SMWC to start its nursing program. The funds from this initiative made it possible for SMWC to launch what would become the number one most requested major at the College.
“The addition of nursing as an academic program, developed in part to help address a nationwide shortage for registered nurses, was one of the catalysts for the enrollment growth SMWC has been experiencing in recent years,” said Janet Clark, Ph.D., vice president for academic and student affairs. “Lilly Endowment’s support has made a significant impact at SMWC and in addressing a crucial need in the healthcare field, specifically in Indiana. We are grateful.”
SMWC began admitting its first class of students into the online RN to BSN program in 2014, followed by a launch of the campus-based Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 2015. The nursing department now also houses the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program and the post-master’s family nurse practitioner (FNP) certification, another grant-funded initiative by the Hollie and Anna Oakley Foundation.
To learn more about Charting the Future for Indiana’s Colleges and Universities initiative, read Lilly Endowment’s news release.