The University's current Strategic Plan was adopted by the Board of Trustees in May 2018. The plan calls for the university to create a more diverse and inclusive community, to build upon and strengthen W&L's distinctive curricular structure, to continue to emphasize the institution's historic goal of cultivating engaged citizenship, and to develop several new facilities while enhancing existing ones in support of the university's mission.
Washington and Lee is a welcoming, friendly, and mutually supportive community. Our students, faculty, and staff prize the trusting, respectful, and civil environment on our campus. We are united by our mission, diverse in our thinking, perspectives, and interests, and devoted to each other and to W&L.
Washington and Lee has been a leader for 150 years in combining the liberal arts, pre-professional education, and public service. This combination advances our mission, which commits us to developing the intellect and character of our students with the aim of preparing them to succeed in the personal, professional, and civic arenas. It is also reflected in our curricular structure: the College; the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics; and the School of Law.
Washington and Lee is civic-minded and forward-looking. Guided by its motto — non incautus futuri — the institution has always asked, at each moment in its long history, how it can best contribute not only to the success of its own students, but also to the nation and the world in which they will live.
Washington and Lee has taken care to preserve the historic character of our campus, which serves as a daily reminder that our fundamental work — providing an education that prepares young people for personal achievement and public service — has been conducted here since the 18th century. We carry on this work today, in buildings that are national historic landmarks, and in modern facilities that serve the distinctive needs of teaching and learning in the 21st century. Our campus physically reflects the enduring value of liberal arts education and serves as a rich site for teaching students about American history and the natural world.
