Vanderbilt Athletics announced its strategic plan in a 17-page file on Wednesday morning.
The plan, that was designed over the course of former Athletic Director Malcolm Turner’s tenure and completed in the first few weeks on the job of his replacement, Interim Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee, outlines the course of action for Vanderbilt Athletics for the foreseeable future. In addition to the plan, Athletics announced intentions for a “significant upgrade” to the Commodores’ football locker room, with construction expected to be completed in advance of the 2020 season.
“As a long-time Commodore, I know from experience that Vanderbilt is a special place for student-athletes,” Lee said in a press release. “I have made Vanderbilt my home for more than 20 years, and I can’t imagine a more exciting time for our athletics program. Today, we are taking the first of many essential steps toward a brighter future.”
Lee and the athletics office detailed five areas of focus, with each area encompassing several initiatives to drive execution:
- Academic and Personal Development: Use our athletics platform as a model for the commitment to academic and personal development espoused by Vanderbilt University.
- Athletic Excellence: Optimize the ability of our student-athletes to win and consistently compete for championships across our entire sports portfolio.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Actively work with our partners across the university, alumni and the Nashville community through regular communication, outreach and engagement.
- Fan Experience: Raise the prominence of the Vanderbilt Athletics brand and deepen our community impact by delivering an engaging fan experience.
- Financial Performance: Increase self-generated funding by creating revenue streams and improving existing ones.
“Guided by the Vanderbilt Way, the Commodores bring us together, providing a shared touchstone for students, faculty and staff, our alumni and our supporters in the community,” Interim Chancellor Susan Wente said in the release. “The Strategic Plan for Athletics will drive and guide the future of our athletics program, serving as a blueprint for further success and collaboration.”
Under Turner’s leadership, Deloitte assisted in creating the strategic plan and Perkins and Will conducted the audit of all Vanderbilt facilities.
The complete strategic plan can be found here.
This story will continue to be updated as the Hustler receives more information.