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Strategic Plan
In February 1935, a few weeks before Principia College moved from St. Louis, Missouri, to Elsah, Illinois, founder Mary Kimball Morgan shared this insight: “There is a plan for the progress of Principia—God’s plan. It is ours to see and understand, so that we may be in harmony with it. . . . May we now see the further unfolding of God’s plan” (Education at The Principia, p. 108).
Over 85 years later, the Strategic Plan 2025’s values, goals, rationales, and initiatives (approved by the Board of Trustees in February and June 2020) springs from that same desire to “see the further unfolding of God’s plan.”
Looking ahead five years, Strategic Plan 2025: A Thriving Principia builds on the accomplishments of the preceding plan, approved in 2014. The complete Strategic Plan 2025 proposal is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Trustees in February 2021.
The 2025 Strategic Plan builds on Principia’s mission, Policies, and strengths. It attempts to identify best-practice activities that should emphasize, strengthen, and protect against educational obsolescence and financial erosion. The planning efforts examined the School and College in relation to global and national economic, societal, and educational changes. In addition to improving current programs and positioning The Principia to compete more effectively in its market space, the 2025 Strategic Plan considers opportunities to broaden the institution’s markets and programs.
Who We Are
Principia is the only school in the world educating Christian Scientists from preschool through college. Our vision articulates our near-term destination and keeps the community on course as we strive daily to realize Principia founder Mary Kimball Morgan’s ideal of the Christ-idea in education.

Strategic Plan
TITLE: “Strategic Plan 2025: A Thriving Principia”
PLAN VALUES
- Thinking and acting on the basis of Love and compassion
- Excellence through continuous improvement
- Integrity and self-government
- Courage and resilience
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Respect and collaboration
- Innovation
STRATEGIC GOALS
Four Shared Goals
- LIVE THE MISSION: Nurture the spirit of the Principia community rooted in faith, hope, and love.
- GROW ENROLLMENTS: Ensure a thriving, richly diverse, and enduring community through strategic enrollment growth. *to be re-reviewed June 5, 2020
- BOOST ENGAGEMENT: Enhance student engagement to better prepare students for the future.
- PRACTICE SUSTAINABILITY: Strengthen and continually improve Principia's organizational sustainability through innovative and active stewardship of its human, ecological, and financial resources.
Two School Specific Goals
- INCREASE PARTNERSHIPS: Expand partnerships with other schools and organizations to provide Principia students with broader and more diverse learning environments.
- ILLUMINATE PATHWAYS: Advance academic excellence through continual curriculum improvements to increase students’ achievement levels in the core academic skills and college readiness pathways.
One College Specific Goal
- ADVANCE & IMPROVE THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE: Advance academic excellence by enhancing opportunities for Principia College to be a dynamic community of thought leaders, independent thinkers, and lifelong learners.
Learn more about our goals and initiatives.

How You Can Help
We welcome your feedback and your prayerful support for Principia’s strategic plan! As Principia founder Mary Kimball Morgan noted in 1940, “We must do everything from the standpoint of demonstration, in which infinite wisdom is the impelling force” (Education at The Principia, p. 126).
All alumni and friends are invited to participate in Principia’s progress.