Dear Fellow Revs,
We are proud to join colleagues across the university to announce the launch of GW’s new strategic framework, Raising Higher: OneGW’s Path to Preeminence, a bold roadmap for our third century. Reflecting the voices and ideas of our community and responding to the opportunities before us, this framework will guide our decisions, shape our priorities, and inspire our collective progress as we work together to raise higher, elevating GW from a well-respected institution—purpose-focused and mission-driven—to one of true preeminence on the national and global stage.
For more than two centuries, GW has transformed the world through exceptional education, groundbreaking research, and outstanding patient care and service. Global in outlook and revolutionary in spirit, this university has always attracted remarkable students, faculty, and staff to the heart of the nation’s capital. A catalyst, convener, and connector, GW provides unparalleled access to government, industry, and culture, creating unique opportunities throughout the District for our students, faculty, and staff to generate impact and tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges.
At the heart of this journey lies a simple but powerful truth: The world’s greatest universities are both distinctive and distinguished. Distinctiveness comes from clarity of purpose. We know what sets us apart, and we harness those strengths to forge a unique path to excellence. GW’s distinctiveness lies in our setting and our spirit: A university rooted in the dynamism of the District of Columbia, defined by curiosity-inspired innovation, and animated by the belief that knowledge must be put to work for the good of humanity.
But distinctiveness alone is not enough. To be truly preeminent, a university must also be distinguished, recognized for the quality of its achievements in educating students, generating new knowledge, and serving society. GW is poised to build on its foundation of excellence to achieve distinction of the highest order as we equip every student for success, push forward the frontiers of knowledge and discovery, and expand our impact far beyond campus walls.
As with any set of goals and aspirations, the framework’s true power lies in how we activate it—together. This framework is a call to action, inviting every one of us to unite as OneGW. We are stronger when we work together. We are smarter when we think together. And we are unstoppable when we advance together. By aligning our efforts, working across disciplines, and investing in a culture of excellence, we will shape a university that is both distinctive in character and distinguished in accomplishment.
Our goals are clear: to strengthen student success and grow GW’s research enterprise. We will measure our progress in the ideas we generate, the discoveries we advance, and the ways in which our students thrive at GW and beyond. There is already great work underway, including three new working groups, to bring this framework to life.
As we embark on this journey, each of us has a role to play in transforming our community’s aspirations into achievement. We look forward to continuing to work side by side with all of you in the interest of building a stronger GW and a better world.
Together, we will raise higher.
Sincerely,
Ellen M. Granberg
President
John Lach
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering