Quinnipiac University

Strategic Visioning: Mission, Vision, Values & Strategy

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.

Strategic Visioning Process

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. 

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Our Mission

Our Core Values

Our Vision

Our Strategic Plan: The Roadmap to Our Vision

The Framework in Action

Get Involved

Help Shape the Future of Quinnipiac

Our Mission

Building the University of the Future

Our mission at Quinnipiac is drawn from the previous strategic plan: Building the University of the Future. Download the university's Strategic Plan (PDF) 

Our mission is to prepare graduates as enlightened global citizens equipped for the challenges and opportunities of current and future careers.

Our mission is long-term and enduring. It 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. 

Our Core Values

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.

An aerial view of the Mount Carmel Campus quad and library on a fall day with Sleeping Giant

Our Values: Our Power

Our Core Values Statement

1

We are fiercely committed to ensuring every Bobcat thrives.

We are a lifelong partner for every learner.

2

We passionately care about our community.

Everyone should feel welcome and valued.

3

We boldly shape our university's future.

We will forge a path of impact together.

An Inclusive Process

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.

Our Vision

Where We’re Going

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.

Developing Our Vision

Our vision will emerge through careful analysis of our institutional strengths, market opportunities, and community aspirations. We will ask ourselves: What is our unique place in the marketplace, and how can we amplify that? 

Our Strategic Plan: The Roadmap to Our Vision

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.

The Framework in Action

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.

Get Involved

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.

Help Shape the Future of Quinnipiac

Related Resources

Explore More Plans and Initiatives

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.