We Rise to New Heights
It’s a new day at Mount St. Joseph University. Rooted in the legacy of the Sisters of Charity, To New Heights: Strategic Plan 2030 charts a bold future for Mount St. Joseph University. We aim to become the Midwest’s premier destination campus by offering personal mentorship, transformative learning, and top-tier career preparation that empowers every student to lead a life of purpose.
How We Achieve Our Vision
Strategic Plan 2030: Five Bold Goals
- Develop and launch a comprehensive, year-round student engagement strategy that serves commuter and residential students through social, cultural, recreational, leadership, and community-building experiences offered throughout the day, evening, and weekends.
- Integrate wellness, spiritual formation, service, and life-skill development throughout the student experience to prepare graduates to lead joyful, purposeful, and meaningful lives.
- Create a comprehensive peer mentor network that connects every student with peer support and connections throughout their Mount experience.
- Strengthen student persistence and degree completion by implementing a data-informed student success strategy that continuously evaluates and enhances support programs and interventions.
- Strengthen student success by enhancing MountConnect with integrated technology, predictive analytics, and coordinated case management that enables proactive intervention and continuous assessment of student outcomes.
- Establish fundraising as a shared institutional responsibility by ensuring every member of the Mount community understands and embraces their role in telling the Mount's story, building meaningful relationships, identifying philanthropic opportunities, and supporting fundraising success.
- Position the Mount as a destination campus through visible, high-impact enhancements to campus aesthetics, signage, landscaping, and student-centered spaces while developing recommendations for future facilities and infrastructure investments.
- Develop and launch a comprehensive alumni engagement model that reconnects alumni to the University and expands alumni engagement in Greater Cincinnati and strategic regional markets.
- Select and implement a modern Student Information System (SIS) that enhances the student experience, improves operational efficiency, and supports data-informed decision-making.
- Launch the quiet phase of a transformational comprehensive campaign that secures philanthropic investment in people, programs, and places to advance academic excellence, expand opportunity for students, and position the Mount for continued success and long-term sustainability.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive employee engagement strategy that strengthens recruitment, onboarding, professional development, recognition, wellness, communication, and opportunities for meaningful employee engagement across the University.
- Establish a coordinated campus communication model that strengthens cross-campus collaboration, streamlines student services, and provides timely, consistent, and student-centered communication.
- Position the Mount as a national leader in career readiness by integrating high-impact professional development practices into every academic program and launch a comprehensive Career Readiness Model that aligns students, faculty, staff, and employer partners to prepare graduates for lifelong career success.
- Ensure that academic tracks and programs respond to changing demographics, emerging technologies, and the rapidly-evolving global economy.
- Position the School of Business and Communication to be a leading regional choice for students and professionals.
Year One Results of To New Heights
Year One demonstrates that To New Heights is more than a vision—it is producing measurable results. By investing strategically in student success, transformative campus spaces, and expanded external funding, the Mount is building the momentum to become a national leader in student outcomes and a destination university known for excellence, innovation, and impact.
All presented chart data is accurate as of July 1, 2026.
New Esports Arena
Welcome Center
Japenese Garden
MSJ Fire Pit
Seton Commons
The Den Game Room
Creating Spaces that Inspire Student Success
As part of the To New Heights Strategic Plan, the Mount is making intentional investments in campus spaces that strengthen the student experience, foster community, and support student success. These enhancements are transforming the campus into a destination for undergraduate and graduate students, while creating welcoming, engaging environments for commuters, residential students, prospective families, alumni, and visitors.
Together, these investments reflect the Mount's commitment to creating a vibrant, student-centered campus that enhances recruitment, deepens engagement, and advances our vision of becoming the Midwest's destination campus for an exceptional educational experience.
Strategic Investments Completed or Opening in 2025–26:
- New Esports Arena expanding opportunities for competition, collaboration, and student engagement.
- New Welcome Center creating an exceptional first impression for prospective students and their families.
- Revitalized Japanese Garden and New Quad Fire Pit enhancing the Quad as a signature gathering place for reflection, wellness, and community.
- New Seton Commons and The Den Game Room (opening August 2026) creates a vibrant campus hub where commuter, graduate, and residential students can study, collaborate, dine, recharge, and build community throughout the day.
Demonstrating the Value of a MSJ Education
Four years after graduation, Mount undergraduate alumni have median annual earnings of $61,602—a figure that continues to rise year over year. This upward trend reflects the growing value of a Mount education and the success of our graduates across a wide range of careers. Through one-of-a-kind academic experiences, innovative programs, and a curriculum that evolves with emerging technologies, the Mount is preparing students for meaningful careers and long-term success. We are also expanding our analysis to track earnings by academic program, providing students and families with an even clearer picture of career outcomes and return on investment.
Becoming a National Leader in Student Success
These investments are already producing measurable results in just one year. These metrics are key indicators of our progress as we work to become a national leader in student success.
In the first year of the To New Heights Strategic Plan, the Mount:
- Expanded academic advising and wellness services
- Launched the Success+, an innovative personalized student support program that replaced Project EXCEL, and
- Introduced a new First-Year Experience to ensure every student has the resources to thrive from enrollment through graduation
Expanding External Investment in the Mount
The Mount is strategically growing the resources that fuel innovation, student success, and institutional excellence. During 2025–26, the University invested in a comprehensive grant development strategy by implementing a new grant process, launching a grant management platform, and expanding dedicated personnel to pursue external funding opportunities.
These investments have dramatically increased the University's ability to secure competitive grants, resulting in record growth in external funding. Every grant awarded represents an investment in the Mount's students, faculty, academic programs, and Mission—bringing new resources to campus while advancing the goals of the To New Heights Strategic Plan.
With Gratitude
We appreciate the time, talent, and insight that so many shared during the strategic planning process. Thank you to more than 1000 members of the Mount Community—students, alumni, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees—for your engagement, and to the Strategic Planning Team.