Plan Summary

FAITHFUL TO OUR ROOTS.
BOLD FOR TOMORROW.

It is an exciting moment as we launch Berry’s strategic plan and carry the work of our founder forward, strengthening and refining what makes us distinctively Berry College.

We are well-positioned to equip the next generation of graduates. While many of the tensions of education today are not new, sustaining the college’s momentum will require an intentional approach to leveraging the distinct educational model Berry offers. As we chart a course for the future, we are committed to building on our enduring mission and collective strengths to raise the college’s national profile, establishing long-term relevance and impact.

DISTINCTIVELY BERRY

In the span of three decades, Martha Berry built an educational movement from a single classroom. However, the pace and scale of her progress were not fueled by comparison but by strong conviction. She knew what she was offering young people was different and worthy of notice.

Today, students and their futures are still the heart of Berry. What is most distinctive about this education model, however, is that it cannot simply be measured by academic achievement. Rather, students at Berry are encouraged to chart and reflect upon their holistic formation and flourishing.

FIVE STRENGTHS. FIVE PRIORITIES.

Together, the college leadership has identified five core differentiators of a Berry education that represent many of its strengths and are clear expressions of the mission. These foundational strengths are a steadfast commitment to access, a relational capacity for integrated student development, signature learning experiences for a purposeful life, our community of inquiry and the world’s largest campus.

To advance these five distinctive qualities, we will champion five strategic priority areas designed to guide sustained excellence, provide structure for decision-making and drive meaningful growth and development for the future.

1. Access, Affordability and Visibility

We will reinforce Berry’s commitment to providing an education that opens doors for talented students, regardless of financial circumstances by expanding scholarships and reducing financial barriers for families with demonstrated need. Access also requires awareness. To build a broader, more resonant understanding of the Berry story, we will invest in a comprehensive marketing strategy to strengthen its brand in key regional and national markets. We will also continue to elevate Berry’s profile in Division III athletics, an enduring source of school spirit, community and recruitment. Together, these efforts, inspired by Martha Berry’s campaigns to make the institution more broadly known, will allow the college to remain accessible, visible, competitive and true to its founding purpose.

2. CHARACTER, LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY IMPACT

Emphasizing Martha Berry’s relational, student‑centered approach to education, we will further advance a campus mentoring model where character development, leadership, care for one another and community engagement are central to every student’s experience. Faculty will lead this work in the curriculum, and faculty and staff will advance it together through shared commitments. Because these qualities grow through purpose and practice, mentors will also be prepared to guide students as they explore their calling and direction.

Rooted in the college’s Christian heritage and its enduring values, we will seek to unify existing strengths — mentoring models, spiritual formation opportunities and community engagement — into an integrated developmental framework that supports whole‑student flourishing in a residential context. As part of this initiative, the college will equip faculty, staff, coaches and peer leaders as intentional mentors. By strengthening opportunities for mentoring, spiritual growth and community engagement, Berry will cultivate a campus culture where character and leadership development are woven into every academic and co‑curricular experience.

3. HANDS-ON LEARNING AND GRADUATE PREPAREDNESS

Building on Berry’s tradition of experiential education, we will continue to foster hands-on learning as an anchor of the Berry education by furthering the infrastructure and impact of Signature Learning Experiences that shape students’ academic, professional and personal pathways.

By expanding access to high-impact experiences such as research, advanced LifeWorks roles, internships, global learning and community engagement, we will enhance the opportunity for every student to apply knowledge in meaningful contexts. Through an intentional integration of LifeWorks, a student-centered record of signature learning and expanded support for purposeful experiences, Berry will empower graduates to move confidently into the world with clarity, competence and a strong sense of calling.

4. FACULTY AND STUDENT RESEARCH

We will build on the commitment to undergraduate research already present in many departments across campus, emphasizing our approach as a hallmark of Berry’s hands-on learning and a model of Signature Learning Experiences. We will create more opportunities for those who pursue research and creative discovery across well-established and new areas of student-faculty scholarly collaboration on campus.

Each of the following goals elevates the experience of faculty-mentored research as exemplary.

5. STEWARDSHIP OF LAND AND PLACE

Home to 27,000 acres of forests, fields, trails and historic spaces, Berry offers a learning environment unmatched in scale and possibility. We want to be a model for responsible, integrated land usage and management, stewarding campus resources with thoughtful intention. By enhancing campus facilities, elevating the visitor experience of our public and private partners, and integrating land use across academic, recreational, operational and community purposes, we will model holistic land stewardship that balances conservation, education, research and recreation. Through new academic partnerships, expanded LifeWorks opportunities, the residential experience and a coordinated land management strategy, students will not only learn on Berry’s land but also learn from it, developing the knowledge and responsibility needed to care for place as well as community.

As we pursue these priorities, we set a bold course for Berry's future, knowing it will require a steadfast commitment from each of us.

These initiatives will enrich the intellectual rigor, character formation and hands‑on learning that have defined the character of Berry College from its inception, while expanding the opportunities available to each student.

In a time when higher education is changing, this strategic plan strengthens the distinct qualities of Berry, helping students further integrate an education of the head, heart and hands. As we work together to pursue this work with unity and purpose, we reaffirm our mission and carry Martha Berry’s vision into a new era, combining academic exploration with meaningful work responsibilities in a residential setting.