September 2025 - Progress with Purpose: Coe College Strategic Framework 2025-2028
Progress with Purpose: Coe College Strategic Framework 2025-2028
This is the second in a series of reflections for alumni and friends of Coe College. I welcome your comments and observations.
Dear friends,
I hope this message finds you well and as inspired as I am by the possibilities before Coe College. As we look to the future together, I want to share how our community has been engaged in a thoughtful process of planning and reflection. This effort has not only sharpened our sense of direction but also renewed our conviction in what makes a Coe education distinctive and transformative.
Strategic planning is a practice that strong organizations embrace because it provides clarity, alignment and focus. In times of rapid change and uncertainty — as we are experiencing across higher education today — it is all the more essential. A well-framed strategic plan serves as both anchor and compass: grounding us in our mission and values while guiding us toward a preferred future. It enables us to make wise choices today while preparing for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
With this in mind, our planning team dedicated significant time to articulating the enduring purpose of a Coe education and the values that define us. We cannot allow these values to only exist on paper but must work to ensure they collectively serve as the college’s North Star of our mission, tested and reaffirmed across generations. They remind us that a Coe experience is about more than earning a degree. It is about inquiry and discovery, excellence, respect and a commitment to the common good. Even as we adapt to a fast-changing environment, these values remain our constant guide.
The result of this process is Progress with Purpose, a three-year strategic framework that reflects the voices of faculty, staff, students, alumni, business leaders and trustees. It builds upon the momentum of A Bolder Coe and positions us to innovate while remaining faithful to who we are. What follows in the enclosed document is more than a roadmap; it is a commitment. The framework is aligned with our budgets, backed by metrics to hold ourselves accountable and focused on areas of greatest promise. Together, these steps will secure a vibrant and sustainable future for Coe while honoring the heritage of more than 170 years.
As you review the framework, I invite you to consider how your engagement and support can amplify its impact. A particularly meaningful opportunity is our upcoming comprehensive campaign, which will expand scholarship support and help shape the lives of future Kohawks. A gift to this effort is a gift that encourages the dreams and potential of generations to come.
Your partnership has always been central to Coe’s success, and as we take this next step together, I am confident that our best days lie ahead.
Alma mater, hail hail hail!
David Hayes '93
President