Change is difficult. But it is also necessary. Like the great British statesman Winston Churchill once said, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”

Headmaster Michael Wirtz made the strategic plan public to the entire Hackley community on 15 October 2018. The new strategic plan seeks to alter Hackley’s current conception of excellence by emphasizing the importance of limitless learning in its students and faculty.

In the future, Headmaster Wirtz wants excellence at Hackley to be an appreciation for “the learning that comes by doing, [as well as an appreciation for] the learning that comes through experience …”

This new direction for Hackley rests on four pillars: a redefinition of the Liberal Arts, establishing Hackley as a center of learning, preparing for the future, and fostering and sustaining institutional wellness.

A redefined notion of the liberal arts entails, among other things, interdisciplinary learning, civic engagement of students, and the evolution of assessment practices. With regard to interdisciplinary learning, the plan calls for the potential creation of a January Term, or “J-Term,” a brief period of the year in which students would take engaging classes on a pass-fail basis.

Many strategic goals ranging from the creation of a universal service-learning program at Hackley to more frequent use of the Hackley forest and a new center for creative expression fall under the purview of establishing Hackley as a hub of learning.

“I’m really excited to see where Hackley is going, especially [the fact] that they’re paying more attention to the Arts. I think that that’s really great,” senior Ingrid Lauerwald said.

Preparing for the future includes the affirmation of Hackley as an institution of teaching excellence. The plan seeks to make Hackley a place where faculty can teach while also providing faculty members the opportunities to pursue their own intellectual ambitions. The plan also aims to foster increased cooperation among teachers through the implementation of a teaching mentorship program.

Building wellness at Hackley entails a potential redesign of both the academic calendar and the school day itself. Growing and sustaining wellness at Hackley is not merely about students. Wellness includes faculty and staff, too.

Wirtz and his leadership team are seeking to implement certain parts of the plan at different times during the years ahead. But change, especially change on an institutional level, is hard to carry out. Students also had a mix of reactions to the idea of change.

“It’s great that Hackley is looking to prepare for the future. It just doesn’t seem like much is going to get done,” said junior Mitch Einhorn.

The strategic plan marks a new chapter of Hackley’s history. While Ian Symmonds & Associates, the consulting firm that assisted the Steering Committee in the crafting of the plan, observed an overall satisfaction with Hackley on behalf of various constituents, the plan seeks to broaden the school’s educational opportunities for students and teachers. 

“I think that [Hackley] can always get better,” sophomore Evan Lasseter said.