The Strategic Plan

Mercy Transforms

Strategic Plan 2026-2030

As Misericordia University concludes the highly successful Mercy Thrives plan one year early, we enter Mercy Transforms from a position of achievement and renewed purpose. This new plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in June 2026, launches at a decisive moment for small, private institutions in the Northeast, which face significant demographic pressures, including a projected 15 percent decline in traditional college age students between 2025 and 2029. These realities underscore the importance of proactive, mission driven planning. Completing Mercy Thrives ahead of schedule affirms that mission aligned strategy and disciplined execution have guided our work as a community and reinforced the enduring value of a Misericordia University education. Now, we stand ready to adapt, evolve, and grow as we embark on our next 100 years of service and leadership.

ABOVE ALL, WE REAFFIRM THAT STUDENTS REMAIN AT THE CENTER OF OUR WORK— CHALLENGED TO REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL AND SUPPORTED IN WAYS THAT ALLOW THEM TO THRIVE.

Our strength is rooted in the vision of our founders, the Sisters of Mercy, who believed deeply in the transformative power of education grounded in compassion, personal attention, and service to others. Their legacy continues to guide Misericordia University and reaffirms our commitment to a caring, rigorous educational experience shaped by the Catholic liberal arts tradition. Through this shared community vision, we are empowered to pursue innovative, student centered, and evolutionary work. Mercy Transforms provides the framework to imagine a prosperous future and the strategic actions needed to achieve it.

The map of the plan, below and in the downloadable PDF, provides the themes and pillars that structure the plan.

Themes of the Strategic Plan

Pillar 1 – Transform Students Through Mission Centered Support

We should set our sights on becoming nationally recognized for our ability to provide an academic and campus experience that maximizes opportunities for students to achieve.

Maximize opportunities for student success
Strengthen early assessment
Innovate advising systems
Expand support for student athletes, high achievers, and leaders
Enhance early alerts and midterm feedback
Build an alumni affinity beginning at enrollment

Pillar 2 – Transform and Grow Partnerships

We can achieve greater alignment with the needs of our community, our nation, and the world by sharing resources, planning together, and synchronizing pathways for our students that benefit all involved.

Expand corporate, nonprofit, and governmental collaborations
Build academic pathways into new markets
Engage communities through service initiatives
Strengthen alumni connection and influence

Pillar 3 – Transform Our Academic Offerings

Academic innovation is central to charting Misericordia’s next century. This has been key to our success in recent years. As institutions nationwide adjust programs in response to demographic shifts, changing student expectations, and emerging workforce needs, many are expanding short term credentials, flexible pathways, and new fields of study, while enhancing traditional offerings.

Relocating and elevating the College of Business
Creating new degrees and credentials in all of our Colleges aligned with high demand sectors
Expand graduate and postbaccalaureate offerings
Preparing students for an AI-driven future
Thoughtfully integrate artificial intelligence into teaching and operations

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