GTU Establishes Select Committee for Long-Range Planning

BERKELEY, CA – October 3, 2023 – The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is pleased to announce the formation of a Select Committee for Long-Range Planning. In keeping with best practices for strategic planning established by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), the Select Committee has been assembled by GTU’s Board of Trustees to assess the landscape of higher education and vision future directions for the GTU beyond the institution’s current 5-Year Strategic Plan, which extends from July 2021-June 2026. 

Slated to engage with the majority of its work over the 2024 calendar year, the Select Committee reflects the diversity of constituencies, backgrounds, expertise, and perspectives represented across the GTU community.  Co-chaired by Heidi Hadsell, a trustee and former president of Hartford International University, GTU Professor Arthur Holder, and GTU Dean Jennifer W. Davidson, the 13-person Committee includes participation from GTU faculty, students, administrative staff, and trustees (complete list of membership below). 

The Select Committee is set to hold its initial planning meeting in late October. Specific areas of focus will be determined by the committee as its work unfolds, including but not limited to a close examination of the ongoing shifts occurring within the landscape of higher and theological learning, the evolving role of religion and spirituality in a global context, and an exploration of the unique contributions that GTU is positioned to offer in this environment to ensure institutional vibrancy for generations to come. 
 
Further updates on the Select Committee’s progress will be shared as its work gets underway in Spring 2024. In 2025/26, findings and recommendations will be shared across the broader GTU community for feedback and be reflective of learnings gleaned through implementation of the institution’s 5-Year Vision as it reaches its culmination at the onset of Fiscal Year 2027 in July 2026.