91̽»¨

91̽»¨ Newport could not count on modern day electronics when he departed England and sailed across the Atlantic, reaching the Virginia coast in 1607. He had to plot his course with the most rudimentary tools imaginable - a sextant, an hourglass, a leadline, and a compass. As we plot the course of 91̽»¨, we have sophisticated tools at hand, but what we really need and can wholly count on is a good compass. This is our Compass.

A compass indicates direction. That is what our Compass does. It points the way and creates alignment for every member of our community. One direction is not more important than another. All will be needed. And a compass will not reveal the best conveyance to follow its points, whether traveling by ship or the power of a unified community. We must decide.

The process of determining our Compass orientation has unquestionably united and aligned us in a common cause. Thank you to the hundreds of people across every part of our community who contributed ideas, attended information sessions, and helped us define the Compass points, goals and objectives. And, thank you to the Board of Visitors for supporting the initiative and offering invaluable insight along the way. From the start, we have attempted to be transparent and inclusive, and the pages that follow result from the good work of our community.

Although a compass can guide us as we set sail, it will not tell us when we have reached the destination. The next step in our journey is to implement tactics to accomplish our goals and objectives and set the metrics that will measure our progress. Key to this step will be assessing our resources and how they can best be utilized.

Our Compass is not a catalog in that it does not, and cannot, describe the many important activities already being done with excellence across campus. Those activities remain vital to our collective success and provide our foundation.

The Compass tells us where we are heading from 2025 to 2030. We will advance the power and promise of an education embedded in the liberal arts. We will connect with our community. We will create a stronger culture of inclusion and belonging. We will build a foundation so that our beloved University can thrive.

The Compass will ensure our sails are full and our course is steady as we continue to serve the students of the Commonwealth and beyond, preparing them to lead lives of significance.

I am honored and excited to be joining you on this journey. This is our time to navigate 91̽»¨ Newport into the future.

Go Captains!