Meredith College Launches New Strategic Planning Process

Meredith College has launched an ambitious, multi-phase strategic planning process, titled Imagine. Innovate. Ascend., which will guide the College’s direction and priorities for 2025 through 2030.

This comprehensive initiative will unfold in three phases: Discovery, Development, and Implementation, and will culminate in a final plan to be approved by President Aimee Sapp and the Board of Trustees in 2026. The new strategic plan will officially take effect in August 2026.

The process builds on Meredith’s long-standing commitment to academic excellence, institutional strength, and community impact. Rooted in the College’s mission and values, the plan will focus on its six key pillars: Educational Excellence, Financial Strength, Optimal Enrollment, Facilities and Technology, Marketing and Visibility, and Quality of Life.

The planning process is being facilitated by Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Daphne Davis, who oversees coordination across divisions and leads the Strategic Planning Steering Committee. The committee includes faculty and staff members representing a broad range of campus perspectives, working collaboratively to ensure engagement, transparency, and measurable outcomes.

“Our strategic planning process is both aspirational and inclusive,” said President Aimee Sapp. “It provides an opportunity to reflect on our institutional strengths while envisioning the innovative steps that will move Meredith forward.”

This fall, Meredith College launched the planning effort through a series of major campus and community events, beginning with a Faculty and Staff Kick-Off Brunch on September 17,  followed by a Student Town Hall on September 24, and culminating with a Community and Civic Forum on October 1. Collectively, these events engaged more than 350 internal and external stakeholders, including trustees, alumnae, city officials, business leaders, and community representatives in conversations about a shared vision for Meredith’s future.

“The engagement and enthusiasm from our campus and community reaffirm that Meredith’s future is not built in isolation but in partnership with those we serve,” said Davis. “Imagine. Innovate. Ascend. captures both the spirit and the strategy of where Meredith is headed. Together, we are charting one destination that unites our mission, our people, and our purpose.”

The Discovery Phase will continue through early 2026, followed by the Development and Implementation phases leading up to final approval and launch in August 2026.

Employees can access the Strategic Planning site on MyMeredith.

For additional information, contact strategic_planning@meredith.edu.