Williston will be a school that transcends the boundaries and limitations of traditional classroom walls. We believe a vibrant school culture, challenging curriculum, outstanding faculty, and thoughtful embrace of technology are at the heart of an inclusive boarding school community. To realize this vision, we have identified five main priorities, each with several goals:

• academicexcellence

• balancedboardingschoolculture

• outreachandengagement

• leadershipdevelopment

• firmfinancialfoundation

As the Williston Northampton School approaches its 175th anniversary, we are proud to re-affirm the institution’s vitality and purpose through a new strategic plan. The plan focuses on academic excellence and strengthening the campus community. We believe these values will help Williston Northampton grow and evolve in the 21st century.

We want to thank the school’s administration and faculty for their enormous efforts over the past year, as well as our fellow Board of Trustees members for shepherding this plan through its many stages. The Strategic Planning Steering Committee set the bar high, tested assumptions, and defined intentions. We give our deepest thanks to the many alumni, parents, faculty, administrators, and trustees who were on that committee.

Even as we share this plan with you, the hard work continues. A task force dedicated to each priority will ensure that Williston Northampton makes progress towards its goals, thoughtfully with innovation and purpose. We would expect nothing less from an institution with a motto of purpose, passion, and integrity.

We are excited to see how this plan will bear fruit in the coming years. Our true measure of success, of course, will come each May, as students cross the stage at Commencement and head out into the world to lead meaningful lives as Williston Northampton alumni.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth D’Amour P’00, ’03, ’04, ’07President, Board of Trustees

James M. Dubin ’64Trustee

FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN FROM OUR CO-CHAIRS

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENTGOAL 1: Increase market recognition of the Williston Northampton SchoolThe best way to promote Williston is to effectively communicate the school’s identity. Williston will review all materials and content about the school, its academic programs, and residential life to make sure the best and most distinctive qualities are the ones it promotes at the forefront.

GOAL 2: Continue to strengthen admissions for grades 7-12The cornerstone of a school is its student body. Admissions will identify prospective students who will benefit most from Williston and contribute in significant ways to their class and the community.

GOAL 3: Strengthen communication and engagement with parents and alumniWilliston’s engagement with its community doesn’t stop with the students and faculty on campus. The school wants to ensure quality, frequency, and consistency of alumni and parent com-munications to make sure Williston is meeting their needs. The school will collaborate with alumni and parents about programs and opportunities, and continue to enhance other special events on and off campus.

GOAL 4: Foster a “Culture of Philanthropy”Whether they’re alumni, parents, students, or staff, everyone at Williston plays a critical role in creating a culture of giving. The school will continue to develop student programming to support financial literacy, responsibility, and stewardship while educating students about philanthropy.

GOAL 1: Foster and sustain effective governance and leadershipA school depends on good leadership to take the institution in the right directions. Williston will set expectations for continual growth and leadership development throughout the institution and among the Board of Trustees. The school will also engage the tal-ent and expertise of trustees in all strategic areas of school.

GOAL 2: Align talent and resources with the highest strategic prioritiesAs the strategic plan will serve as a guide for the school, Williston will reorganize the administrative and academic leadership to focus on the school’s priorities and goals. The school will conduct and assessment of its current leadership and will match the talents and skills of its staff to the various strategic initiatives.

GOAL 3: Develop teachers as leadersWilliston believes that its teachers can make the most effective leaders. The school will provide training to expand teachers’ peda-gogical foundations as coaches and facilitators. Williston will also create more opportunities for teachers, so they can model, coach, and effectively exhibit leadership with students and other faculty.

GOAL 4: Strengthen and expand student leadership opportunitiesWilliston also believes in fostering students’ leadership skills within the arenas of academic, athletic, and residential life. The school will identify academic and co-curricular activities—such as athletics, arts, and clubs—that are sources of strength and leverage them in other areas.

GOAL 1: Actively model and plan for stabilized net tuition revenue over the next five yearsThe school will evaluate the admission process for both the Upper and Middle Schools to determine how enrollment and financial aid are working together.

GOAL 2: Examine compensation practices for strategic alignmentWilliston believes in fair pay and will make sure faculty fully un-derstand all of their responsibilities, both on- and off-campus, and how they align with compensation and benefits.

GOAL 3: Develop a comprehensive plan to provide an appropriate level of physical plant investmentWilliston is constantly evolving and improving—especially when it comes to campus spaces. The school will determine facilities that need improvement now, identify others that should be ad-dressed through larger future projects, and regularly measure deferred maintenance.

GOAL 4: Use innovative approaches to secure financial sustainabilityAs with all schools, Williston is constantly considering new sources of income and ways to mitigate financial pressures. The school will pursue sources of auxiliary revenue, new collaborations, and part-nerships. Williston will also build endowment to ease the reliance on operating revenue.

GOAL 1: Model and celebrate standards of academic excellence in our communityThe school believes that supporting faculty through professional development opportunities and fostering collaboration between students and faculty are among the best ways to set a high standard for student achievement. To this end, Williston will focus on using technology in academic settings, developing cultural literacy, and creating opportunities for students to work on complex projects.

GOAL 2: Fully develop the Williston Scholars Program as the centerpiece experience that is available to all students who want to participateWilliston will distinguish itself through the development of its signature academic program: Williston Scholars Program, an innovative and personalized learning model. Through a college-level framework, where students are encouraged to work independently and collaborate with faculty at the Five Colleges, they can pursue interests, build partnerships, and explore complex problems with depth, creativity, and rigor.

GOAL 3: Strengthen student outcomes and assessments in alignment with standardsWilliston first will measure excellence by creating digital assess-ments and metrics to help students, faculty, and the administration understand what works and how to make it better.

GOAL 4: Recruit, renew, and retain superior teaching facultyThe first steps in having the best faculty possible are to identify and to hire them. But even the best teachers need opportunities to learn—particularly from other teachers. So the school will focus on a strong mentoring program with regular feedback, as well as individual and departmental assessments and professional development opportunities.

GOAL 5: Enhance and promote the college counseling experience through integration with academic advisingThe college counseling process is an essential part of student development. As a result, the school will develop an integrated college advising program earlier in a student’s Williston experience by linking academic advising more closely with the college process to make the student and family experience even better.

Williston will advance its name and reputation through effective relationships, strategic communications, and engagement efforts. Williston will strengthen and grow its community and promote its profile among other schools locally, nationally and globally.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

FIRM FINANCIAL FOUNDATION

“ Our true measure of success, of course, will come each May, as students cross the stage at Commencement and head out into the world to lead meaningful lives as Williston Northampton alumni.”

BALANCED BOARDING SCHOOL CULTUREWilliston approaches the boarding school model in a progressive way, matching established traditions and practices with new ones. A vibrant, residential community enhances the experience for all students—day and boarding. Such a diverse campus creates meaningful relationships and gives students access to professionals, spaces, and programs. Adults in the community also help students develop the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and resilience.

GOAL 1: Strengthen community life to be relevant and inclusive of all studentsAt a boarding school, the learning opportunities extend well beyond the classroom. Williston will increase the evening academic experience for all students—particularly when it comes to involving day students in residential life. This means, for example, more “sit-down” meals together and evening programming.

GOAL 2: Create structures and mechanisms to support a more robust residential lifeNo residential life program could be successful without examining the spaces where people live. To that end, the school will conduct a comprehensive review of the facility master plan to both increase and improve residential space. Since people are an essential part of the residential program, Williston will increase the number of faculty living on campus while also engaging all faculty in the residential program, be it community life, athletic, art, health and wellness, or co-curricular activities.

GOAL 3: Cultivate and expand a service learning mindset for students within the academic and co-curricular programWilliston believes in shaping its students as future leaders and that leadership is an essential part of the mission and values of the school. To that end, the school will provide more opportunities for students to fully engage in leadership responsibilities both on and off campus.

GOAL 4: Achieve strategic alignment between the Middle School and Upper SchoolThe transition between the Williston Middle School and Upper School should be a seamless one. Williston will review the existing programs to make sure that alignment is happening—and to also look for better ways to improve the collaboration between the Middle and Upper School to make sure the school is following the best practices at all levels.

Williston will strengthen and deepen its leadership at all levels of the school. The school will cultivate effective leaders among students, faculty, and staff to promote excellence now and in the future.

Williston must continue to build a solid financial foundation and develop new resources to make sure the school’s model is sustainable. Williston plans to foster a financially prudent operating model that will serve the school for years to come through strong leadership, institutional alignment, and innovative practices.

OUR PRIORITIESAN EMERGING VISION

Williston recognizes that at its core it is a school whose purpose is to prepare young people for college, work, and meaningful lives. The school will continuously strengthen the academic experience to ensure student engagement, relevance of curriculum, best practices in teaching, and the thoughtful integration of technology in learning.

2014 STRATEGIC PLAN

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCEWilliston recognizes that academic excellence is an essential component of a valuable boarding school experience. We promote excellence and achievement in and out of the classroom by encouraging our community of learners to accept and engage in intellectual challenge. We set the highest standards for teaching, learning, creativity, and scholarship within and across disciplines.

INDIVIDUALITYWilliston values individual growth and expression as a way to create an authentic, diverse and dynamic community. We expect students and faculty to develop, share and pursue their unique passions and interests. Williston supports personal development and self-discovery by promoting meaningful participation in a wide array of academic, artistic, community service, and athletic programs.

RESPONSIBILITYWilliston believes responsibility begins with personal integrity and self-respect and extends to our relationships with others. We work to instill qualities such as fairness, honesty, empa-thy and generosity of spirit in our students and faculty in order to develop their leadership and to make meaningful contributions within and beyond our school boundaries.

INNOVATION AND PURPOSE

THE WILLISTON

NORTHAMPTON

SCHOOL INSPIRES STUDENTS TO LIVE WITH PURPOSE, PASSION, AND INTEGRITY.

OUR MISSION OUR VALUES

COMMUNITYWilliston cultivates strong relationships on many levels, student-to-student, student-to-teacher and teacher-to-teacher, leveraging the boarding school model to create a vibrant and genuine experience for students. We are proud of our unassuming com-munity that encourages engagement and service, embraces diversity of thought, and promotes strong stewardship of the rights and responsibilities of the school.

COLLABORATIONWilliston views collaboration as an essential skill that is both relevant and necessary for today’s world. By developing students’ ability to collaborate with each other, with teachers and with the greater community, Williston helps them gain a broader and more applicable context for learning. We actively seek out partnerships in our com-munity, including the outstanding colleges and universities surrounding our campus, to augment our school environment.