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Douglass Residential College
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2025-2030 Strategic Plan

The new strategic plan is available to view! Learn more about the priorities and goals that will shape the future of feminist education and women’s leadership at Rutgers.

Douglass Residential College is where Rutgers students come to ground their education in feminist perspective and develop in a dynamic community as leaders who will change the world.

Who We Are

Our Priorities

Hover or tap to learn about the critical priorities of the 2025-2030 strategic plan. Go in depth on each priority below.

Lily Barber

1. Living and Learning Together

Douglass is a trailblazer, at Rutgers and nationally, in the delivery of living and learning experiences focused on women students that enhance their college education in practical, holistic, and outcome-oriented ways.

“The Douglass Gender and Arts LLC showed me which doors are open to non-art majors at Rutgers and gave me the tools to create.” - Lily Barber DRC'28, Gender and Arts LLC

Faith Berry

2. Women and Leadership

Douglass offers students opportunities to develop as leaders towards the goal of a more just and ethical world, with a particular emphasis on women’s experience.

"In Douglass' Knowledge and Power course, I really found my voice." - Faith Berry DRC'25 

Shilpa Gidugu

3. Community Engagement

Douglass is a multidimensional community–internal to Douglass, with Rutgers University, with the local New Brunswick community, and with the global feminist community–that offers mentorship, engagement, and hands-on opportunities for service connected to academic
accomplishments.

"Global Programs at Douglass has grown my character as well as my capacity for authentic, meaningful leadership." - Shilpa Gidugu DRC'24, Global at Douglass Service Learning Student

Student at externship in front of welcome sign

4. Four Year Pathway

Douglass follows a four-year pathway model that integrates hands-on experiences early, builds on prior experiences, and connects to better post-graduation outcomes for students headed both to careers and to graduate school.

“My externship...was a rewarding experience. I gained valuable knowledge in care management and service planning, while learning the administrative dynamics of an organization that makes a positive impact on youth and families.” - Kiara Adasi-Jantuah DRC'26, Externship Program

Douglass Year book

5. Douglass Brand and Reputation

Douglass is unique and offers unparalleled opportunities for student participation and external support towards greater gender parity, more robust community engagement, and building the next generation of feminist leaders.

1. Living and Learning Together

Douglass is a trailblazer, at Rutgers and nationally, in the delivery of living and learning experiences focused on women students that enhance their college education in practical, holistic, and outcome-oriented ways.

 

Key Objectives

  • Integrate a living and learning experience into the first year for all Douglass students regardless of major or interest
  • Rethink living and learning to be about more than where students sleep and to encompass a wider variety of student experiences, including hands-on and experiential learning
  • Expand faculty partnerships around interdisciplinary feminist work in LLCs, faculty fellows, course offerings, and program design
  • Build and renovate Douglass campus infrastructure to support LLC program delivery, in residential, academic, and student affairs spaces

2. Women and Leadership

Douglass offers students opportunities to develop as leaders towards the goal of a more just and ethical world, with a particular emphasis on women’s experience.

Key Objectives

  • Identify and uphold ethical feminist leadership principles across Douglass programs and
    initiatives
  • Integrate leadership development theory more deliberately across Douglass programming, and include leadership development goals in relevant program design
  • Expand Douglass’ role in research production and dissemination both as experiences for undergraduates and on the topic(s) of undergraduates, women's education, and leadership

3. Community Engagement

Douglass is a multidimensional community–internal to Douglass, with Rutgers University, with the local New Brunswick community, and with the global feminist community–that offers mentorship, engagement, and hands-on opportunities for service connected to academic accomplishments.

Key Objectives

  • Integrate community-based, service-learning, interdisciplinary experiences more deliberately across Douglass programming, and include community engagement goals in relevant
    program design
  • Expand faculty partnerships around feminist work in social justice, community organizing, climate and sustainability, and nonprofit management
  • Build infrastructure on the Douglass campus that promotes engagement with the local and regional community, and drives students to engage with each other and other members of the Rutgers community

4. Four Year Pathway

Douglass follows a four-year pathway model that integrates hands-on experiences early, builds on prior experiences, and connects to better post-graduation outcomes for students headed both to careers and to graduate school.

Key Objectives

  • Build follow-on programming opportunities for students in their second year to transition from the first year living and learning experiences
  • Ensure first- and second-year students have access to high-impact, hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that scaffold to greater involvement
  • Build pathways for key majors and high-demand areas of student interest that can be integrated with the university pathways, and ensure that prospective students can envision themselves on one of those pathways
  • Work with schools and units to create efficiencies in program delivery, ensuring that Douglass remains value-added without additional requirements that might dissuade enrollment

5. The Douglass Brand and Reputation

Douglass is unique and offers unparalleled opportunities for student participation and external support towards greater gender parity, more robust community engagement, and building the next generation of feminist leaders.

Key Objectives

  • Renew the Douglass Brand through an inclusive and thoughtful process, including positioning statement, brand essence, value propositions, and creative platform
  • Focus communications efforts on key functions, including recruiting more students to programs and converting more alumni to donors, and identify technology and other support systems to automate communication functions
  • Build the reputation of Douglass nationally and internationally through curated communications focused on the mission, vision, and values of Douglass
  • Ensure the Douglass campus reflects the mission, vision, and values of Douglass

Strategic Planning Process

The strategic plan was developed with input from Douglass stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni. An internal steering committee met regularly during the 2023-2024 academic year, engaging groups as varied as the Douglass Governing Council, Red Pines, Dean’s Cabinet, Douglass Staff, Douglass Advisory Board Strategic Planning Committee, LLC partners, faculty fellows, externship site mentors, and others in information-gathering sessions. 

Over several months, the stakeholders refined the mission, vision, and values for Douglass and identified critical priorities that offer direction for the next five to seven years of Douglass’ future. These critical priorities are aligned with the mission, vision, and values, and further advance the Academic Master Plan under the leadership of the Rutgers-New Brunswick Chancellor. The Dean’s Cabinet, Douglass staff, and Advisory Board will implement the strategic plan. Special thanks to the Rutgers Office of Organizational Leadership for their support of these efforts.