Strategic Plan 2021-2024

Strategic Priority:  Student Success

We will meet our students where they are and provide the academic support and resources they need to achieve their educational goals.

Overall goal:  Increase the number of students earning postsecondary credentials.

Strategy:  Help students overcome barriers to success.

• Identify barriers to success.
• Implement a comprehensive wraparound services plan to reduce those barriers.  
• Engage the community in improving student success.

 

Strategy:  Increase student engagement.

• Implement a first-year experience program.
• Create additional engaging on-campus experiences (ex. fine and performing arts, intramural/ club sports, intercampus transportation for activities).
• Create co-curricular student development and academic activities.

 

Strategy:  Implement a comprehensive retention plan.

• Develop a proactive communication plan for enrolled students.
• Fully employ Dropout Detective.
• Implement a guided pathways structure (e.g. career exploration within a pathway during first semester).

 

Strategic Priority:  Enrollment

We will provide equitable access to life-changing educational opportunities for all learners.

Overall goal: Increase enrollment in education and training programs that anticipate and respond to community needs.

Strategy:  Expand online programming and support services.

• Enhance academic support and student services for online students.
• Expand niche programs outside of our region (military, other states, etc.) and possibly nationally with selected programs.
• Conduct comprehensive assessment of delivery of online programming.

 

Strategy:  Expand CTE programming and support services.

• Enhance academic support and student services for CTE and career academy students.
• Build and begin operations at CTE facilities approved in the March 2020 bond referendum.
• Expand career academies, with both existing and new programs.
• Integrate credit and CE programming to address workforce needs.
• Enhance and integrate guided pathways from CE to CTE programming.

 

Strategy:  Build a strong pipeline from the community and K-12s to EICC.

• Develop recruiting messages and materials focused on value/return on investment.
• Fully integrate guided pathways, beginning in high school.
• Develop more work-based learning opportunities, with career exploration on the front end.
• Create stronger connection between EICC FT faculty and high school concurrent instructors and students.
• Develop and implement a plan to convert more students from Adult Education programs to short-term credential and credit programs.

 

Strategy:  Remove barriers to enrollment.

• Identify factors preventing individuals from enrolling and develop measures to remove or help students overcome them.  
• Develop a stronger Credit for Prior Learning process to attract more non-traditional students.
• Review course scheduling and delivery to ensure students can get the courses they want and need.
• Improve course placement processes and revise as necessary to ensure proper placement.

 

Strategic Priority:  Equity

We will foster an inclusive culture that respects diversity and in which equity is a fundamental consideration for policy and decision making.

Overall goal: Achieve equity in student access leading to student success.

Strategy:  Consider all institutional operations from an equity perspective.

• Provide employee training and professional development around equity and inclusion.
• Develop and implement a process to review policies, procedures and decision making from an equity perspective.
• Implement recruiting, hiring and promotion practices that ensure opportunities for diverse staff.

 

Strategy:  Close achievement gaps among different demographic groups.

• Disaggregate and analyze data to identify gaps and develop actions to address them.

 

Strategy:  Increase outreach to underrepresented communities.

• Implement enrollment plans with benchmarks for specific underrepresented groups.
• Involve all employees, and students as appropriate, in intentional, targeted community outreach and engagement.

 

Strategic Priority:  Innovation

We will foster a culture of innovation and high performance in college operations in an environment that supports risk taking.

Overall goal:  Maximize effectiveness through future-focused initiatives and efficient use of resources.

Strategy:  Develop collaborative partnerships to accomplish our mission. 

• Seek out educational, business and industry, civic and governmental partnerships to enhance our ability to serve students and the community.

 

Strategy:  Use technology to improve processes, communications and services.

• Review key processes for opportunities to automate or streamline via technology.
• Expand online resources and student-facing processes.

 

Strategy:  Create additional revenue streams

• Secure grants that support mission-driven initiatives.
• Identify and develop new target markets, including CTE, adults with some college, non-profit organizations, etc.

 

Strategy:  Develop programs and services that anticipate future career opportunities. 

• Implement a comprehensive, strategic approach to new program development, including more fully engaging Continuing Education as a research and development function.
• Engage more EICC employees and community partners in discussions about data and trends to identify program growth areas.

 

Adopted by EICC Board of Trustees November 15, 2021