Vision 2020 Results

STRATEGIC PLANNING AT KASKASKIA COLLEGE

Kaskaskia College launched “Vision 2020”, a unique strategic planning venture, in 2005.  This Community Engagement Project proved to be a robust mechanism for building and cementing relations with the district communities; the results were so insightful that they guided the planning process and served as the foundation for the College’s Fifteen-Year Strategic Plan.  Experience has proven that when the public is fully engaged in the planning process, creative ideas emerge, volunteerism increases and community constituents are extremely supportive of college initiatives.

In November 2005, when the Board of Trustees was presented with the results of the comprehensive planning initiative “Vision 2020”, the desires and authentic needs of district residents were realized and the future path for Kaskaskia College became very clear. Consensus items from the “Vision 2020” results were brought to the College planning team to be considered for inclusion in the new Fifteen-Year Strategic Plan. The faculty, staff, students, administration and trustees provided comments and recommendations as well throughout the planning process. A draft plan was finalized and presented to the Board in December 2005 for their review.  A final Fifteen-Year Strategic Plan for 2006 – 2020 was approved by the KC Board of Trustees at their January 2006 meeting.  

The Fifteen-Year Strategic Plan for Kaskaskia College is closely aligned with the “Illinois Commitment: Partnerships, Opportunities, and Excellence”, a document that provides a roadmap to guide the higher education community in Illinois in addressing statewide and district specific priorities. Both the "Illinois Commitment" and Kaskaskia College's Strategic Plan are "living", dynamic documents that foster proactive and collaborative efforts from all interested stakeholders to address the challenges facing the state and, specifically, Kaskaskia College's district throughout the coming years.  Kaskaskia College’s new Strategic Plan boldly states the College’s Core Values, Mission and Ten Commitments which will provide direction for creating and executing institutional objectives and establishing budget priorities over the next fifteen years.  

KASKASKIA COLLEGE CORE VALUES

Subscribing to a set of values is essential for the College to create an effective code of conduct or standards of behavior expected of individuals serving within or in partnership with the KC. As an institution of higher education, Kaskaskia College is committed to the core values of:

KASKASKIA COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT
KASKASKIA COLLEGE’S MISSION

KASKASKIA COLLEGE’S TEN COMMITMENTS

The ten “commitments” developed for the foundation of Kaskaskia College’s Fifteen-Year Strategic Plan for 2006 – 2020 are:

1. Kaskaskia College will support regional economic development.
• Increase training opportunities offered through Business and Industry (B & I), seek grant funding for B & I initiatives and work to ensure the availability of an educated, skilled workforce.
• Monitor trends in employment rates and other measures of economic stability and support the economic development efforts of the South Central Illinois Growth Alliance (SCIGA).
2. Kaskaskia College will partner with P-20 (preschool through doctoral) educational institutions to enhance teaching and learning.
• Provide students the programs and courses that will effectively transfer to four-year institutions; offer programs up to the Associate Degree and seek to expand upper division and graduate program educational opportunities through partnerships with other colleges and universities; provide dual credit opportunities to area high school students; provide expanded partnerships with area schools to encourage faculty professional development and student learning opportunities and coordinate with area schools for career counseling, recruiting, shared activities and other joint functions.
3. Kaskaskia College is committed to identifying available resources and accommodations so no individual will be denied an opportunity for a college education because of financial need.
• Maintain equitable financial policies and practices and research funding alternatives to assist students, identify current and new revenue sources to generate additional revenue and work with the KC Foundation to enhance scholarship endowment funds in order to provide an environment supportive of students in providing all possible financial assistance.
4. Kaskaskia College is committed to increasing the number and diversity of students completing training and education programs.
• Assist students in transitioning to post-secondary education courses; enhance recruitment, increase retention and improve degree completion rates.
• Monitor the demographics of College District #501, work to address changes in demographic trends and enhance student life activities and functions.  
5. Kaskaskia will hold students to high expectations for learning and will be accountable   for the continuous quality improvement of academic programs through external and internal assessment of student learning, support services and administrative functions throughout the College.
• Identify, acquire, maintain and review the needed technology to sustain instructional quality and effective student support services; and provide a systematic approach for assessing the effectiveness of alternative teaching modes of delivery.
• Document that institutional pass rates on licensure examinations for occupational programs meet or exceed national average pass rates, and that students transferring to a four-year college or university earn a GPA at the same or higher level as the college’s or university’s native students.
• Implement AQIP, a continuous process improvement initiative to effectively assess student learning and evaluate the effectiveness of all functions throughout the College;  implement changes to improve student learning and success, and pursue the Lincoln Foundation Silver Award criteria.
6. Kaskaskia College is committed to improving productivity, cost effectiveness, and  accountability while adhering to the institution’s core values.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing plan to promote services available through the College; develop a college-wide system for effectively distributing accurate information for data-based planning and decision-making.
• Examine all processes and academic programs in the areas of cost effectiveness, safety, legality and ethics in order to develop and implement strategies for improvement; implement a long range financial plan to ensure resources are available to maintain a quality learning environment at all College facilities; and explore technological advances to improve productivity, cost effectiveness, and accountability.
• Encourage a strong focus on leadership and ethical decision making in teaching, administration, governance and service activities.
7. Kaskaskia College is committed to providing programs and services that are accessible at times and places convenient to the learners.
• Strengthen the Education Centers by moving toward establishing a permanent presence in the various communities; and continue with the development of a branch campus at Vandalia.  
• Provide a quality learning environment for students by providing new buildings and improvements to current facilities as needed, and continue to develop on-line programs, interactive-video offerings, and telecommunications courses to make more programs accessible.  
8. Kaskaskia College is committed to providing programs and services that are comprehensive, flexible and responsive to businesses, individuals and various organizations.
• Develop new programs and options for addressing the versatile needs of the district; and continue to expand GED/ESL and adult education programs to include Continuing Education, non-credit, and the Seniors’ College.
9. Kaskaskia College is committed to maintaining effective communications with internal and external audiences.
• Prepare and execute a plan on process in which the public will be kept informed on the happenings and issues of the College; and publicize for the public’s awareness student successes, faculty and staff accomplishments, student group successes, and College achievements.
• Strengthen program advisory groups’ role at the College, and continue in the future with the Community Engagement process for keeping citizens connected to the college.
10. Kaskaskia College is committed to providing an environment based on process leadership, participatory and consensus decision making, and shared governance where faculty and staff are involved in the planning and policy formulation of the College.  
• Maintain quality faculty and staff who subscribe to the community college philosophy, provide for professional growth and development for the faculty and staff and will commit funds for this purpose.
• Support the “Learning College” concept and prepare faculty with the knowledge and skills to support the learning college; prepare all personnel for learning and adopting this important philosophy.
• Teach and provide those within the organization with an understanding and appreciation for the leadership philosophy as prescribed herein; this will be accomplished through the KC Leadership Institute and professional development opportunities.   

VISION 2020:  A FIFTEEN-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

The ten commitments underlying Kaskaskia College’s Fifteen-Year Strategic Plan have been recognized as key to the future success of Community College District #501, with each playing an essential role.  The framework of this plan establishes a comprehensive public agenda that will effectively integrate both objectives and performance indicators for each commitment to enhance communication and accountability in order to achieve exceptional progress and document noteworthy results in meeting the needs and expectations identified by the constituents of the Kaskaskia College District.