Commission Review Magazine

Wartburg College’s Commitment to Living Out Its Mission
Following the successful completion of Commission Wartburg in 2007, the Wartburg College Board of Regents gave extensive consideration to the most appropriate process to advance the College’s distinctive mission. At Homecoming in October 2007, the Board announced Commission on Mission, a strategic planning initiative designed to engage Wartburg alumni, faculty, staff, and students in an examination of the College’s mission and its effectiveness in living out that mission.

Participants in Commission on Mission have explored the four key concepts embodied in Wartburg’s mission – leadership, service, faith, and learning. It features broad participation by constituents and shared leadership by the Board, the Cabinet, faculty, and staff with the purpose of developing recommendations that will provide the foundation for a new institutional strategic plan.

During the first phase in academic year 2007-08, more than 250 alumni and friends participated in 15 Summit meetings held across the country. Guided by specific framing questions developed by the Board, Summit participants examined the four mission concepts, reflecting on their Wartburg experience and how they live out those ideals in their personal and professional lives.

In the same year four Commission task forces convened – Leadership, Service, Faith, and Learning – to review the Summit reports, plan symposia, and develop recommendations for the Board. Each task force was co-chaired by a member of the Board and a member of the faculty. Membership on each task force included faculty, staff, alumni, and a student, and a member of the Cabinet served as a facilitator.

In 2008-09, each task force hosted several symposia and special events to educate and engage students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other constituent groups in the celebration and examination of the mission.

The Board received the task force recommendations at Homecoming 2009 and will enter a strategic planning process that includes the development of goals, review and prioritization of task force recommendations, and identification of other institutional priorities. The Board will charge President Colson with engaging the campus in the development of strategies for achieving the Board’s vision and goals. As currently scheduled, the president will provide to the Board the final strategic plan for approval at its meeting in October 2010.

Commission on Mission was made possible in part through the generosity of the Franklin I. and Irene List Saemann Foundation and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.