Best of CASE District V Award
 

Institution: Xavier University

Title of entry: More Xavier Brand Refresh

About this entry: In 2021, Xavier University stood at a crossroads.

The University’s longest-tenured president, Michael Graham, S.J., retired after spending the past 20 years in his role. Xavier’s Board of Trustees named Dr. Colleen Hanycz as his successor, making President Hanycz the first female, non-Jesuit president in Xavier’s 190+ year history.
President Hanycz inherited a university emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic amidst a rapidly changing higher education landscape. With rising costs, stagnate enrollment and a comparatively small endowment, it became apparent that Xavier needed a new direction – a new vision to connect and uplift its entire campus community.

Shortly after arriving, President Hanycz led Xavier through a 14-month strategic plan development process. The process resulted in the creation of a new seven-year strategic plan: Xavier 200: The Greater. The Better. The More. The strategic plan included plans for a bold, new Xavier – one poised to propel the university into its 200th anniversary.

Headed into 2023, Xavier faced the daunting task of distilling something as complex and conceptual as a strategic plan into elements and ideas that can be widely shared and understood by students, faculty, parents and alumni.

Xavier partnered with branding agency 160over90 to refresh its current brand and ensure the ideals and values contained within the strategic plan were effectively communicated to all stakeholders. The partnership resulted in a transformative branding campaign that successfully launched the strategic plan to the broader Xavier community.