Signature partnerships enrich a culture of excellence

I have often said there has never been a great university without a great community. From its founding, Methodist University has been fortunate to benefit from so many community members who have taken special owner-ship of this institution and its success. This has varied from individuals who have volunteered or contributed financially to ensure the well being of the institution, to organizations that have forged relationships with MU for the betterment of both institutions.

A Culture of Excellence

Perpetuating a “culture of excellence” is one of the fundamental principles of the University’s cur-rent strategic plan. Such a culture is characterized by signature people, programs and facilities. It is also enhanced by signature partnerships that have never been more critical.

The MU Journey

This past spring, we launched what we refer to as the “MU Journey,” which provides students with four different pathways that will allow them to complement their academic experience with ex-periential learning. These pathways include lead-ership, community engagement, global education and undergraduate research and creativity. The first two of these pathways will require the creation of partnerships as students become in-volved in special projects. We have also placed a special emphasis on internship opportunities for all MU students, so this initiative, too, will require more community partners.

The Monarch Network

A third initiative calls for the creation of the Monarch Network, which mobilizes MU affinity groups and other volunteers to serve as partners to areas of greatest need. This extends our community initiative well beyond the Cape Fear region and embraces Methodist University alumni, parents and friends in our quest to provide the very highest quality experiences for our students, and ultimately, brings these partnerships to life.

The Year of Partnerships

Our goal with all partnerships is to align them with our strategic priorities. Since we have spent the past year identifying our priorities, we begin this new academic year with a commitment to expand our reach, extend our partnerships and explore many more opportunities that will make a Methodist University education a unique experience for every student.

The year 2012-13 will be “The Year of Partnerships,” in which we will identify and celebrate these relationships and put them to action. These partnerships will come from every sector, including health care, business, education, the arts, not-for-profits, military and religious organizations, among others. Furthermore, we will bring “experts in residence” from each of these sectors to campus to help us maximize the benefits from these partnerships.

A “culture of excellence” at Methodist means taking programs and initiatives to the next level. Our community partners will ensure that we meet this expectation and deliver the very highest educational experience to our students.