Southwestern Magazine | Spring 2022

Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Political Science Alisa Gaunder, also a member of the task force, notes that some of the goals in the first category have already been achieved. In November, for example, Southwestern received a grant for $40,000 from the Council of Independent Colleges to explore its institutional history. “The Tactical Plan is exciting in that it’s more specific,” says Gaunder. “I think it provides an opportunity for us to move in one direction and hopefully secure a variety of resources to support our goals.” Students like Cox are excited about the increase to student wages. Currently, many student jobs pay the national minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and student hours are capped at 17 per week. Many students are also enthusiastic about the goals to expand food options on campus, update technology infrastruc- ture, and provide more outdoor amenities. The second category, staffing priorities, focuses on new staff positions Southwestern is committed to funding. This category emphasizes DIBE, which will involve hiring a Title IX coordi- nator and other diversity-focused positions. It includes efforts to increase support for student activities and wellness, including reinstating an assistant director for outdoor recreation and plan- ning at least 10 outdoor trips per year as well as high-impact fall and spring break trips. Staffing priorities will also support the faculty in getting grants by reinstating a faculty grants and sponsored programs coordinator. “Students really care a lot here about diversity and inclusion— not only making the student body more inclusive, but also faculty and staff,” says Cox. Programmatic and policy objectives, the third category, are goals that do not require funding to initiate. These include pursuing a rise in national rankings, achieving Hispanic-Serving Institution designation, increasing the percentage of students who study abroad, institutionalizing the current model of Paideia, improving alumni involvement, raising faculty compensation, maintaining a strong student-to-faculty ratio, and encouraging faculty retention through cluster hires, a recruitment process that hires multiple faculty members into one or more depart- ments based on their shared expertise. This hiring method can be especially effective at increasing diversity among faculty. “The idea there is to attract people to promote this diverse community of scholars that can then attract a set of people who are more diverse as well,” says Gaunder. Secord observes that while the Tactical Plan sets the University up for a more successful tomorrow, many of its benefits are being felt today. In October, Southwestern opened a new outdoor basketball court by Moody-Shearn Hall (see pages 4–5), which has been in almost constant use ever since. That same month, the new James E. and Mary B. Clifford Outdoor Decks (see page 50) at the library opened. The University has already had to order more furniture because the chairs were always occupied. “Students will see the impact and benefit of the Tactical Plan in their time,” says Secord. “It’s not blue sky, dreamy stuff that they’ll hear about when they come back to their 10-year reunion. It’s real, actual, concrete stuff that people will see.” For more information or to view the complete 2021–2026 Tactical Plan, visit southwestern.edu/about-southwestern/ tactical-plan. Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Political Science Alisa Gaunder, who was a member of the Tactical Planning Task Force, takes a walk on campus with Tashawn Treadwell '22. 26 SOUTHWESTERN