On May 27, the Clark University Board of Trustees approved a bold multi-year strategic plan for adapting to higher education’s changing competitive landscape and building institutional strength for the long term. Clark has long been a resilient institution and one that challenges convention. We still are. This moment in higher education demands that we position the University to thrive in challenging circumstances by first accepting that we need to do some things differently. This new course for Clark keeps our students and their experience at the center of our attention.
The changing landscape and our response
Colleges and universities are experiencing an unprecedented combination of pressures to which Clark is not immune. Lower enrollment trends, especially in the Northeast; increasing costs; and diminished public perceptions about higher education mean we have to find new ways to approach and fulfill our mission. We therefore need to continue to invest in signature academic programs, focus even more intently on outcomes for our students, and operate the University more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Our plan is rooted in Clark Inspired, our evolving strategic framework, as well as initiatives and proposals that we have been discussing with faculty and staff since last summer.
Refocusing, reorganizing, and reenergizing for the future
We plan to do three things over the next few years:
Refocus our academic programs around three key areas of strength that are most relevant to meeting the needs of today’s students and preparing them for a changing world.
- Climate, Environment and Society
- Media Arts, Computing and Design
- Health and Human Behavior
We will do this while also sustaining our historic and strong liberal arts foundation, including in STEM, the social sciences, and humanities, as well as in business and the arts.
We will prioritize well-enrolled academic programs and reimagine traditional, siloed structures around departments, majors, minors, and courses. Our new approach to undergraduate education — The Clark Experience — along with some new options for our students, such as the Honors Experience and a new three-year accelerated undergraduate degree (the same requirements fulfilled over a shorter period of time, inclusive of summer studies and experiential opportunities), are key elements of the plan.
Reorganize the University to support these areas of focus while leaning even more fully into interdisciplinarity in our academic programs. This entails streamlining and right-sizing operations to better support the curricular areas of focus and the student experience, and positioning us to direct our resources in the most productive way possible. This includes reducing overall costs, as well as the size of the administration, staff, and faculty, while also continuing to fully support our student body.
Reenergize our community by supporting its members through these challenges, building our reputation, boosting student recruitment, and inspiring pride and engagement through a long-term sustainable model that is well supported by an expanded resource base, achieved in part through a comprehensive fundraising campaign. We have a lot going for us — a strong endowment, excellent faculty, and amazing students — and this plan builds on those strengths, too.
By acting decisively now, challenging the convention of staying the course, we can be most confident in our ability to reposition Clark for a strong future. Greater clarity of Clark’s distinctiveness, increased pride in our impact and reputation, and the assurance of an enduring legacy of providing transformational experiences for our students are all part of this plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is Clark working toward?
Our plan for Clark is geared toward one overarching goal – positioning the University for long-term success and sustainability through excellent academic offerings (leaning into current strengths, making it more relevant and outcomes oriented, creating new and exciting interdisciplinary programming) and a streamlined (more efficient) operating model.
Why is Clark taking these steps now?
Right now, higher education is experiencing an unprecedented combination of pressures and Clark is not immune. Demographic changes – most significantly a dramatic decline in the number of college age students – are making it more and more competitive to recruit students, costs continue to increase, the public is demanding more return on the investment in a college degree and this is having a direct impact on what prospective students and families are willing to pay. We are facing these challenges head-on, with a bold, smart, and strategic plan not only to adapt, but continue to thrive.
What are the three areas of academic focus?
We have homed in on select areas of interdisciplinary academic strengths at Clark that are highly relevant to addressing our greatest societal challenges and creating a wide range of career paths for our students:
- Climate, Environment, and Society
- Media Arts, Computing and Design
- Health and Human Behavior
All three build on broad-based interdisciplinary teaching and learning. For example, one can study biology through our courses in STEM, through Climate, Environment, and Society, and also within Health and Human Behavior.
What does this mean for the liberal arts at Clark?
The liberal arts are critical to fulfilling our institutional mission and preparing our students to succeed and lead meaningful lives. While some majors may change, the liberal arts will continue to be an essential part of our academic core. Students will be expected to study in these areas and will gain the critical thinking skills, broad global perspective, and creative opportunities the liberal arts enable.
What should students expect as you implement this plan?
We will be providing an even more distinctive approach to learning and preparing for future success. This will benefit both current and prospective students. Currently enrolled students will be able to complete their chosen majors without disruption and also take advantage of new interdisciplinary programming, experiential learning opportunities, and enhanced academic support.
One of Clark’s unique qualities is the intimate, highly personal nature of the academic experience. Will this change that?
The opportunity our students have to work closely with their professors – in and outside the classroom – is a hallmark distinction at Clark and that will not change. In rightsizing and more properly orienting our faculty around both a smaller student body overall and a streamlined academic programming, we will enhance the overall academic experience at Clark. Our student/faculty ratio still will be highly competitive – in the 10:1 range. We also are eliminating some programming that has not drawn sufficient student interest – courses that enroll five or fewer students, for example – and redirecting resources to areas of greatest interest and appeal among current and prospective students.
What kinds of new opportunities does Clark’s new academic structure offer students?
The plan calls for the introduction of new options for students, such as:
- A three-year accelerated undergraduate degree (the same requirements fulfilled over a shorter period of time, inclusive of summer studies and experiential opportunities
- The introduction of The Clark Experience, which brings together an exceptional classroom education with a thoughtfully integrated system of career preparation, skill-building, hands-on learning, wellness resources, and community connections.
- We’ll also be retaining and building upon popular offerings, like the 4+1 Accelerated Master’s Degree and The Honors Experience.
Through the areas of focus, Clark is aligning its programs to reflect students’ desire for more interdisciplinary, real-world learning, connecting academics to issues like climate change, AI, mental health, ethics, and social equity.
Tell us about the arts at Clark.
At Clark University, we regard the arts as essential to who we are as both an institution of learning and as a human community. The arts are a key part of Clark’s plan going forward — both as areas of study as well as co-and extra-curricular offerings. Students can explore coursework in areas like Creative Production and Practice (everything from photography to studio-based art practice to acting and game design); Digital Media (film and television studies, digital and narrative production); Design, Technology, and Human-Computer Interaction (UIX/UI design, robotics, graphic design, and more); Performance, Theater Arts, and Storytelling (acting, directing, stagecraft, and music performance); and Media Studies and Cultural Analysis (art history and visual culture, media’s social impact).
How are your arts offerings evolving?
We offer a full range of courses and experiences in the arts, both traditional and digital, and countless opportunities to create, perform, and design. Our Becker School of Design & Technology has opened new interactive pathways to reimagine and employ how we approach certain offerings to give our students even more opportunities in the classroom and studio, opportunities that allow them to express themselves creatively an to be prepare for successful careers.
Clark University School of Business
What is the future for the School of Business?
Provost Magee shared an update with students on June 18. In short, the School of Business will join the School of Professional Studies as part of a new division that allows the University to operate both schools in better coordination with one another, reducing expenses and enhancing our support for students. The School of Business and the School of Professional Studies will retain their identities within the new division. And the new division will sit within the core of the University’s faculty of arts and sciences.
What about current School of Business programming?
Nothing in this plan calls for dismantling the School or ending programs for students currently enrolled, or diminishes the University’s commitment to high-quality business education.
What is the benefit of the reorganization?
This reorganization allows us to strengthen undergraduate business and continue graduate programs that are focused on business for social good.
Will the reorganization disrupt School of Business accreditation?
We appreciate the long history of accreditation that our School of Business has earned; accreditation signifies our institution’s commitment to academic quality, learner success, thought leadership, and societal impact. Our plans anticipate rigorously pursuing reaccreditation during the normal process (with renewal in academic year 2027/28). Ultimately, as is true of any reaccreditation, designation is determined by the accrediting organization.
