The view from the hilltop may be of downtown Austin, but by 2015, St. Edward’s University hopes the perspective will be from around the world.

St. Edward’s new five-year strategic plan is aiming to give students a global outlook.

“Any learning environment in the 21st century must include global preparedness,” St. Edward’s President George Martin said.

The strategic plan for 2015, revealed by Martin to the campus on Sept. 14, focused on making St. Edward’s a more international community while increasing partnerships abroad.

The fundraising for the new plan is currently in the silent stage, according to Martin.

Director of communications Mischelle Diaz said that the university does not have an estimate of the total cost to implement the new five-year plan.

“Because this is a strategic plan, and not a master plan with an emphasis on buildings and other construction, it is difficult to place a dollar figure on the estimated cost as new programs and initiatives are implemented,” Diaz said.

Global community

The university has planned to bring international students and faculty to the University both digitally and physically.

Classrooms will be equipped with technology that will connect St. Edward’s students with students from other countries as well as international experts.

“There are many possibilities for new technology, but the university’s (Instructional Technology) staff will work closely with faculty members to identify learning technology needs for the classrooms of our future,” Diaz said.

Students would be taking in real time the same classes from the same instructors as students in France and possibly Latin America, according to Martin.

“So as the problem is presented to a class in a particular course, the students are going to be sitting there discussing those problems, trying to solve those problems, trying to understand those issues as they are talking to people in other parts of the world,” Martin said.

The strategic plan also called for an increase in the numbers of international faculty, staff and students on the Austin campus.

“Our students in Austin will be able to converse and socialize with people from all around the world everyday,” Martin said.

The number of traditional undergraduate international students attending St. Edward’s has increased from 82 in 2005 to 110 in 2009.

Diaz said the university hopes to double the incoming international freshman class during the next five years.

This semester, the university is employing 12 full-time international professors, six adjunct international professors and 14 international staff members.

New partnerships

The University is planning to create additional partnerships with other universities.

Currently, St. Edward’s has partnerships with Queen Margaret University in Scotland, the Université Catholique de l’Ouest in France, Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico, and Universidad Argentina de la Empresa in Argentina.

These partnerships allow St. Edward’s students to study abroad while international students study in Austin.

Senior Shannon McDermott, who attended the president’s meeting, said that she was glad that Martin mentioned the university’s partnership with Queen Margaret, where she studied abroad this past summer, because most of the university’s marketing has been for the partnership in Angers, France.

“It is a really good program,” McDermott said. “In Scotland, you get class time and hands-on experience.”

By 2015, St. Edward’s will have formed similar partnerships with universities in other parts of the world, including Japan and the Middle East, Martin said.