Muskegon Community College unveiled its 2017-2022 Strategic Plan at a special luncheon on July 21 in Collegiate Hall on campus.
“Our Successful Students, Successful Communities five-year plan reflects the input from our partners in business and industry, education, nonprofits, government, as well as the greater community,” noted MCC President Dale K. Nesbary. “More than 180 representatives from our campus and 52 organizations joined to help identify a vision to meet student and community needs. Our progress will be shared with the campus and community throughout the five-year implementation process.”
The Strategic Plan has five priority areas: (1) Student Support, (2) Academic Programs (3) Facilities and Infrastructure (4) Community Engagement, and (5) Culture. Each goal has measurable objectives and key performance indicators. (see the full list below)
“The Implementation Team will monitor progress on a monthly basis and provide updates to the campus each quarter,” said Tina Dee, Director of Strategic Initiatives at MCC. “In addition, there will be an annual report to the community.” For more information, visit www.muskegoncc.edu/strategicplanning.
At the luncheon, current MCC students Robbie Berg and Derek Jakielek lauded the merits of the new plan, while MCC Instructor Christopher VanOosterhout, representing the MCC Faculty Association, praised its emphasis on student success.
“It’s not a document to be stored away and then dusted off in five years so we can make excuses why we didn’t accomplish what was in here,” he said. “It’s our GPS. It’s a road map for the future success of the college, our community and our region as a whole.”
MCC Orientation Specialist Ashley Battle, in representing the MCC staff, added, “We take student success to heart. We see our students day to day and get to know them personally. They share their stories with us and sometimes we get to know their families and children. We hear about their goals and about their hardships. We want them to overcome those obstacles so they can be successful. We believe the Strategic Plan will help our students become successful in their educational journey, which in turn will lead them to be successful in obtaining the bigger goals they have set for themselves.”
“On behalf of the West Michigan K-12 community, I would like to congratulate Muskegon Community College for its recent successes, including a collegiate presence in downtown Muskegon and, of course, for the Muskegon Promise,” said Robert Szymoniak, superintendent of the Fruitport Community Schools who served on the MCC Strategic Planning Committee. “This positive trajectory that MCC is on will be enhanced through the guidance provided by the Strategic Plan.”
“The demand to improve college completion rates is at the center of the call for change in higher education today,” said MCC Vice President for Academic Affairs Kelley Conrad. “Several years ago Muskegon Community College, like many institutions, adopted and developed a Student Success and Completion Agenda and began a body of work with a “laser-like” focus on getting students to complete college. The new strategic plan will guide and support our Success and Completion Agenda work over the next five years.
“At MCC we want significantly more students to achieve their primary goal of transferring to a four-year university with junior standing in their major and no credit loss, or entering the workforce with credentials or degrees that ensure a living wage and a viable career path.
“We know that individuals realize the greatest benefits of higher education when they earn a credential, not just attend college. Completion matters to individual students and their families as well as our society. Educated citizens contribute in a positive way to the cultural, political, and economic viability of our communities. MCC’s commitment to equity and closing achievement gaps, especially for low income, minority and under-prepared students, ensures that the completion focus is on all students.”
MCC 2017-2022 Strategic Plan’s Goals and Objectives
- The Student Support objectives are:
- Continue improving outstanding service initiatives to further enhance the student experience from awareness, application, and enrollment, through graduation and lifelong engagement
- Increase awareness of and improve systems related to financial aid, scholarships, and other funding sources
- Improve collaborations and outreach with K-12 partners and prospective students to provide clear pathways to higher education opportunities
- Continue to improve student learning as evidenced by pass rates, persistence and retention, GPA, and goal attainment, and
- Strengthen collaborations with higher education partners to increase the percentage of students who transfer to and succeed at four-year institutions
Key Performance Indicators for this priority include: student goal attainment, graduation rates, and student satisfaction survey results
- The Academic Programs objectives are:
- Provide viable courses and programs that address the changing needs of a diverse community
- Meet current needs by offering new courses and programs in the areas of health care, science, and technology, as identified by the 2016-2017 Needs Assessment Survey
- Develop and implement a system of ongoing regional market analysis that informs what programs, delivery methods, and locations are needed to meet community/business needs in Muskegon, Ottawa, and Newaygo Counties
- Evaluate our effectiveness for student learning through multiple processes, consistent with the Higher Learning Commission and other accrediting bodies, and designed to promote continuous improvement
- Develop a new Academic Master Plan
Key Performance Indicators for this priority include: pass rates on occupational exams, HLC Accreditation Reports, and results of an Employer and Graduate Satisfaction.
- The Facilities and Infrastructure objectives are:
- Complete the 2010 Facility Master Plan, including construction of health and wellness center, arts facility, and downtown center
- Improve room numbering system and establish wayfinding consistency at all locations
- Improve access of our facilities, technology, and media to expand equal opportunities for persons with various abilities
- Demonstrate environmental stewardship by implementing a comprehensive institutional sustainability plan
- Provide high quality technology wherever and however programs and services are offered to students, employees, and community members
- Commission a new Facility Master Plan by 2020 to assess future facility needs in Muskegon, Ottawa, and Newaygo Counties
Key Performance Indicators for this priority include: student satisfaction survey results, energy consumption, and recycling rates.
- The Community Engagement objectives are:
- Ensure communications with prospective students, community partners, donors, and alumni clearly differentiate MCC
- Continue to improve marketing and communication efforts to increase enrollment while increasing awareness of mission, programs, and services
- Cultivate strategic partnerships with business, industry, and other key organizations to meet needs and support student success
- Promote philanthropic support of students, scholarships, programs, and endowments
- Increase pride and involvement among alumni and retirees
Key Performance Indicators for this priority include: dollars raised by FMCC, alumni event participation, and community perceptions survey results.
- The Culture objectives are:
- Develop and implement programs for students and employees to further promote inclusion and equity, creating a welcoming environment for all
- Promote a culture of accountability by establishing key performance indicators for all departments and expand the institutional dashboard to report our progress to the community
- Continue to monitor and enhance safety and security at all MCC locations and online environments
- Establish student and employee wellness programs
Key Performance Indicators for this priority include: Pell Grant eligibility, wellness participation, and Achieving the Dream Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool.