At Quinnipiac University, we are guided by a clear framework that defines who we are, where we're going, and how we'll get there. Our strategic visioning encompasses our enduring mission, our core values, our ambitious vision for the future, and the strategic plan that will bring it all to life.
Beginning in the Fall of 2025, and under the leadership of President Marie Hardin, the university initiated a Strategic Visioning process. The entire process, with the goal of a new three-year plan tied to our mission and vision is slated to be completed in the summer of 2026. A summary of our values work is presented below, along with the phases of the process that are still underway.
Our mission at Quinnipiac is drawn from the previous strategic plan: Building the University of the Future. Download the university's Strategic Plan (PDF)
Long-term and enduring, our mission defines our fundamental purpose — why we exist and whom we serve. It remains stable over time, anchoring our work even as we pursue new aspirations.
Our mission propels us from our storied past toward an ambitious, inclusive, and innovative future.
Values are the enduring principles that define who we are and guide everything we do. They are timeless commitments that remain constant even as our strategies evolve. Our values unite our community and inspire our work, inform our choices, and define the Quinnipiac spirit.
We are a lifelong partner for every learner.
Everyone should feel welcome and valued.
We will forge a path of impact together.
In developing our core values, we engaged in an extensive, community-wide process that began at Convocation in August 2025. We invited input from every member of the Quinnipiac community — faculty, staff, students, alumni, and trustees — through live, in-person listening sessions and online submissions.
These values reflect what we heard from our community and capture the Quinnipiac spirit in language that is both aspirational and actionable. They provide the foundation for all our decisions and guide us in our daily work.
A vision describes our aspirations and direction — where we're headed and the future we're building together. It provides strategic direction and evolves as we grow. Our vision is an opportunity to leverage our assets, talent, and ambition in ways that add value beyond our mission. It seeks to help us coalesce around our collective areas of strength and gives us a competitive advantage in a crowded higher education marketplace where missions are similar.
Our strategic plan guides us toward our vision. While our mission tells us why we exist, and our vision describes where we're headed, our strategic plan tells us how we will get there. It translates aspiration into action.
The strategic plan is a living document that must be reassessed and revised as we progress. Our vision becomes sharper and more informed as we work on our plan, and we invite our community to be part of this journey.
We are in the process of developing our strategic plan with broad community input. This plan will guide our decisions about programs, investments, partnerships, and priorities for the next 3-5 years. We will also be attentive to the operational goals to help us strengthen our mission — our fundamental purpose.
Values → Enduring principles that guide everything we do
Mission → Our fundamental purpose — long term and stable
Vision → Our aspiration — where we're headed (3-5 years)
Strategic Plan → How we achieve our vision
Together, these elements create a comprehensive framework that honors our past, defines our present, and charts our future. They ensure that every decision, every investment, and every action moves us closer to becoming the university our community envisions.
Strategic planning is a community endeavor. We welcome your input, ideas, and engagement as we build our future together. Contact Bethany Zemba, Vice President for Strategy & Community Relations and Chief of Staff, to learn more about how you can contribute.
Quinnipiac’s vision is ambitious, exciting and crucial to serve our purpose as a learning institution for the 21st century. We cannot remain stationary, or continue all that we do, while staying abreast of the accelerating technical, business, societal and environmental changes of the 21st century. Quinnipiac will excel as a learning institution for the future through its agility, hunger for continuous learning, and a commitment to the values that have propelled our university throughout our history and well into the future.
At Quinnipiac, we believe excellence is inclusive and built upon equity, so all groups feel welcome to fully participate in and contribute to our mission.
As the model for a sustainable University of the Future, Quinnipiac pursues sustainability in three areas: learning, living and leading.
