At Brenau University, our students turn their passions into careers. Whether you want to provide mental or physical healthcare in your community, build and grow your own business, or express your artistic talents, Brenau has a path for you. With four academic colleges offering 38 bachelor’s degrees, 38 master’s degrees and 10 doctoral degrees, you have plenty of opportunities to pursue a meaningful career, wherever your interests take you.

For over 140 years, expanding access to education has been our reason for being. Starting in 1878, Brenau educated women when few other institutions were doing so. Today, we carry this commitment into everything we do, and we are proud to serve first generation students, military members, veterans and families, and traditional and nontraditional students. If you remember one thing about Brenau, remember that, regardless of who you are and where you come from, you belong here.

Mission

Brenau University challenges students to live extraordinary lives of personal and professional fulfillment. As students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees or non-degree programs at Brenau campuses and online, each prepares for a lifetime of intellectual accomplishment and appreciation of artistic expression through a curriculum enriched by the liberal arts, scientific inquiry and global awareness.

Vision

Brenau University will become a nationally recognized leader by empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds and equipping them for success through transformative experiences. With an enduring commitment to serve each student, Brenau will continue to pursue excellence while meeting the changing needs of our community and the world.

Brenau’s Strategic Plan: Approaching 2030

If given a crystal ball in early 2020, could any of us have predicted what the next two years would bring? Yet, Brenau University recently peered into the future of this institution to determine where we want to be in five years and devised a roadmap to take us there. Below is that roadmap, developed through a collaborative and open process that included hundreds of faculty, staff, students, alumni, students and trustees.

We reaffirmed our mission statement and refreshed our vision for the future of the university as we approach 2030. 

Our goals and strategies will help us get there, building upon our legacy of success established in 1878. This vision supports our mission, ensuring that we will continue to prepare students to lead and influence a changing world.

GOAL 1

Cultivate an Unwavering Commitment to Student Success

  • Create, expand and promote proven methods of student success
  • Prioritize holistic wellness as an important aspect of student success
  • Ensure vibrant student life for all student segments across 12 months

GOAL 2

Manage Growth to Ensure a Thriving Future

  • Expand academic programs at all levels that are mission-consistent, viable, and market-driven
  • Commit to growth in The Women’s College, online programs, and the traditional undergraduate college
  • Improve access and affordability
  • Develop new revenue streams
  • Maintain a stable financial base that sustains and supports institutional initiatives

GOAL 3

Foster a Culture of Inclusion and Belonging Throughout the University Community

  • Provide meaningful intercultural experiences for all members of the Brenau community
  • Commit to understanding and meeting the needs of a diverse student population in a changing world
  • Develop and enhance our commitment to serving students across the globe
  • Nurture an ethos of belonging for all in the Brenau community

GOAL 4

Communicate our Excellence

  • Develop a cohesive, authentic, and compelling university identity to inform all internal and external constituencies
  • Focus and create synergy among various avenues and methods of university communication to both internal and external audiences.
  • Create methods to identify and celebrate excellence throughout the university
  • Nurture opportunities leading to external recognition at the regional and strategic national level

GOAL 5

Promote positive experiences across the university with inspirational living and learning environments

  • Re-conceptualize living and learning spaces to attract and retain students
  • Become a national leader in innovative and engaging teaching and learning

GOAL 6

Elevate external engagement and visibility

  • Be recognized as Gainesville’s premier university by expanding and promoting the depth and breadth of Brenau’s value
  • Become the go-to knowledge resource in Gainesville and beyond by promoting the intellectual capital and expertise of the Brenau University Community.
  • Expand the case for philanthropic support for Brenau
  • Promote Brenau among influential individuals