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PRESS RELEASE

Providence, R.I. – March 22, 2018 – Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales University has officially launched FOCUS 2022, its new, five-year “bold and ambitious” strategic plan that builds on the university’s five previous strategic plans since the late 1980s that have guided Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s academic and physical expansion in four states.

“At the conclusion of FOCUS 2022, Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales University will be known for its preeminence in the study of food, interdisciplinary course offerings, experiential learning, exceptional faculty and a global and diverse student body,” said Â鶹¹ÙÍø Providence Campus President and Chief Operating Officer Mim L. Runey, LP.D. “This bold and ambitious plan articulates the university’s vision for its future, building on recent advancements and the institution’s mission of providing students an exceptional education that inspires professional success and lifelong personal and intellectual growth.”

Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales University has evolved from a world leader in culinary and hospitality education to a university that has built upon that excellence to provide students with opportunities in a wide breadth of industry-relevant disciplines. With FOCUS 2022, Â鶹¹ÙÍø is committed to the introduction of innovative, interdisciplinary programs of study leading to high-growth professions and careers.

The five-year plan calls for significant advancements in the academic arena, including the creation of a new college focused on an interdisciplinary approach to food where Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales will leverage its global reputation in culinary education and establish itself as a leader in the study of food and its relationship to the world we live in. The plan embraces the development of an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to allow students to explore and navigate careers in a variety of industries and professions, and envisions significant growth in graduate level program offerings and online education enrollments. It also forecasts an exceptional and diverse faculty highly engaged in the most effective teaching and learning methods. The launch of a Faculty Institute to promote excellence in teaching and learning, scholarship and a collaborative exchange of ideas will boost this initiative.

“The FOCUS 2022 plan states that the university will offer students an excellent education characterized by academic rigor and practical experiences. They will do so in an educational community that values intellectual curiosity, professionalism and diversity in its many forms, leading to personal growth,” said President Runey, noting that all future graduates of Â鶹¹ÙÍø will have an experiential learning opportunity. “Â鶹¹ÙÍø will strengthen its century-old commitment to bridge classroom experiences with the opportunities that abound in and outside of Â鶹¹ÙÍø.” 

To learn more, please visit the FOCUS 2022 website.

Â鶹¹ÙÍø Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales University
Founded in 1914, Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with more than 14,000 graduate, undergraduate and online students at its four campuses in Providence, Rhode Island; North Miami, Florida; Denver, Colorado; and Charlotte, North Carolina. An innovative educational leader, the university offers degree programs in arts and sciences, business, culinary arts, design and engineering, education, health and wellness, hospitality, nutrition and physician assistant studies. Its unique model integrates arts and sciences and industry-focused education with work experience and leadership opportunities, inspiring students to achieve professional success and lifelong personal and intellectual growth. The university’s impact is global, with alumni from 124 countries pursuing careers worldwide. For more information, visit jwu.edu.

Media Contact:  Lisa Pelosi, Vice President of Communications and Media Relations, 401-598-1848, lpelosi@jwu.edu