President McPherson initiated a new strategic planning process in 1999. In 2001, the Strategic Directions Committee released "Strategic Directions for Macalester." The committee's recommendations were based on "Core Values" discussions from the 1999-2000 school year. The document identified 10 strategic directions for advancing the college's tradition of excellence while ensuring the college's future. In the beginning of the 2002 school year, McPherson appointed faculty and staff members to six strategic direction implementation task forces. The general purpose of these task forces is to take Strategic Directions and make them a reality. The six task forces are: Admissions and Financial Aid, Institutional Identity, Academic Program Quality and Structure, Student Learning Experience and Resource Use: Budgeting, Staffing and Organization, and Facilities. This is the fifth report of six.

The Task Force on Institutional Identity met regularly last year to look in to the issue of Macalester's message as perceived by various constituencies: what the message is, on what historical framework it is based, and how it is communicated. Through examination of publication materials and survey results, the Task Force report demonstrates—among other things—the need to devote resources so that the school's reputation can match up to its current reality.

The committee was chaired by English Department Chair Stuart McDougal and was charged with determining the effectiveness and consistency of the message contained in the "various communications" in which the college engages. Thus, several of those appointed to the task force are involved with public relations: Director of College Relations Doug Stone, Dean of Admissions Lorne Robinson, Vice President for College Advancement Richard Ammons and Assistant Dean of Admissions Nancy Mackenzie. Classics Department Chair Andy Overman was also a member of the Task Force.

Nancy Mackenzie and Andy Overman worked on Part One of the report, which is entitled "Seeking the Macalester Saga" and suggests that our history is "deeply rooted in the charismatic leadership of a few visionary presidents."

Macalester's history is outlined from founder Reverend Edward Duffield Neil, who is described as having had a "passion for learning" to college dropout and leading benefactor DeWitt Wallace. It also explains the contributions of many of the namesakes of our campus including Charles Turck, president from 1939 to 1958, who is remembered for his strengthening of the school's commitment to internationalism.

The second section, titled "Who We Are," notes Macalester's emphasis on internationalism, commitment to a policy of need-blind admissions, small class sizes and academic excellence.

Part Three is headed "Location, Location, Location" and describes the value of Macalester's urban setting both academically and as part of student life. The availability of community service opportunities as well as for-credit internships that the Twin Cities offer is highlighted as one of the school's unique strengths. "We really are unique in our location," said Stone, who oversaw that portion of the report as well as the Urban Location Survey that was distributed to faculty, staff and students and is attached as an appendix.

Part Four, "The Aims of a Macalester Education," stresses the importance of a liberal arts education, asserting that the one offered here is "second to none." Our commitment to service and internationalism is reiterated, and need-blind admissions as well as the guarantee of meeting admitted students' financial need is recognized as essential to the school's mission.

Not addressed in the report, however, is the financial burden that need-blind admissions places on the school's budget. With 73 percent of the student body receiving some form of aid, as Robinson points out, "It's an expensive policy to maintain." While noting the attachment to the policy that many members of the community hold, ("It's a reason a lot of us chose to work here," he said) he is also mindful of the sacrifices it entails. "What people don't realize is that every dollar we spend on financial aid is a dollar that we can't spend somewhere else," Mackenzie said.

President Mike McPherson is clear in his loyalty to the policy, but does not challenge the likelihood that it will soon be eliminated. "I hope our resources and, I would underscore, the enthusiastic financial support of our alumni and friends, will let us keep that policy," he said. "Realistically, though, neither I nor any other president will be able to keep us need-blind and meeting all need unless we get tremendous support to help with the costs."

Another financial pressure is marketplace admissions research, which, as the report points out in its first recommendation, has not been done in over a decade—meaning that the admissions materials the school is sending out have not been revamped since the early 90s. Robinson is clear that the time for such research is now. "It starts to get obvious, hairstyles change," he said. "Ten years is way too long. Macalester's place in the market has changed a lot ... people view it differently." He estimates the cost for this project at $150,000.

According to Ammons, who is the senior staff member responsible for monitoring the report at this stage, Robinson, Provost Dan Hornbach, Treasurer David Wheaton and McPherson are in the process of looking into the issue.

President McPherson is convinced that "it will happen." He points out the success of the current materials (according to Robinson, applications have been and will continue to increase annually), but said that they at least need to be refreshed. He also explains the 10-year gap with the fact that Robinson's arrival coincided with the most recent marketplace research (done in terms of alumni), which he says dictated the decision to wait to do admissions.

In what both Ammons and McPherson view as its most important observation, the Report notes the College's lack of national visibility and recommends a marketing campaign to increase the school's notoriety. "Part of our job is to get across just how strong a place this is," Ammons said. "We have a building reputation, but there are always ways to do better."

Robinson notes what he calls the school's "late start" on to the college scene. "Macalester is a relative newcomer," he said, "There's always a lag behind reality." Both Stone and McPherson point to the disadvantage of the school's geographic location. "Being in the Midwest, our competitors are better known nationally," Stone said.

McPherson sees the need to increase name recognition as central both to the report and to the general advancement of the school. "It does matter," he said. "In everything we try to accomplish, if you're better known, things become easier." He spoke of the use of free media (publicity for things such as the International Roundtable), paid media (the New York Times ads) and spots on Minnesota Public Radio), and what he terms "face-to-face" interactions as being the main channels through which that end is achieved.

The next recommendation is to increase the college's emphasis on our urban location, both in the message we communicate and for the student experience. As the Report acknowledges, admissions materials feature the Twin Cities but not nearly as prominently as they perhaps could. While the Student Prospectus sent to high school seniors is rife with glossy portraits of students, faculty and the school's campus, not until page 37 is Macalester's location even mentioned.

As Mackenzie said, "Everybody says they're academically excellent," but few liberal arts schools can boast the kinds of cultural opportunities that Macalester's location allows. And as Robinson noted, as a student being inundated with admissions materials that all begin to look alike, emphasizing the differences is key.

Mackenzie, who is in charge of admissions publications, agrees that more emphasis needs to be placed on the Twin Cities. "I'd like to have some help with crafting that message," she said.

McPherson concurs with the significance of the college's location, but insists that in order to further utilize it as a selling point, we must first deepen the school's commitment to civic engagement—a process that he says is well underway, citing a grant from Project Pericles that will help faculty incorporate service learning in to the curriculum. "It's always been important," he said, "but we haven't put an umbrella on it, given it a shape. We need to make it more focused."

Stone also spoke about the report's impact on academics. "We can only make recommendations," he said. "We're trying to get people think about it."

According to McPherson, a Dean of Civic Engagement is a possibility that has been discussed, but will most likely not happen before his departure. He also mentioned the current discussion on how to incorporate the city's cultural offerings into the Fine Arts program.

Finally, the Task Force Report recommends the expansion of support systems to improve graduation and retention rates, and the replacing of our current statement of purpose and belief with a rewritten "Aims of a Macalester Education." Ammons was not yet sure how these recommendations will be dealt with. McPherson said that, with all the decisions being confronted right now, it is "not the right time" to ask for the community to consider the current statement.

Among the issues being contemplated right now is McPherson's departure at the end of the academic year. In addition to finding a replacement, there is also the question of what will happen to the Strategic Directions campaign that he has initiated, this task force included.

Ammons pointed out that it has been a "campus-wide effort. It's not Mike's plan, it's the college's," he said.

McPherson himself does not think it will be a problem. "The whole effort was very participatory," he said. "There's been widespread engagement in all these projects. It hasn't been a one-man show."