Muskegon Community College will celebrate the launch of its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan: Aspiring to Be the Best with an online event for students and community members which will be held on Zoom from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 21.
There will be a 2022-2026 Strategic Launch Celebration for MCC employees during the weekly campus-wide employee meeting on Friday, April 22, at 8:45 a.m.
In addition to providing an overview of the new plan, the College will seek community feedback on which initiatives are most pressing for meeting student and community needs. Participant input will be used to prioritize projects throughout the entire implementation process.
The new 54-month plan, which was reviewed closely during the past few months by the MCC Board of Trustees and subsequently endorsed at its March 16 meeting, will guide MCC from now until its 100-year anniversary in 2026. The plan represents the culmination of a year of input from a total of 2,354 community members, students, employees, and other stakeholders by way of planning committee meetings, student focus groups, town hall meetings, forums, and surveys.
In all, 150 students, community stakeholders, board members, and employees participated on six planning committees to identity the goals that would best meet student needs. The efforts were directed by the MCC Integrated Planning Steering Committee chaired by MCC President Dale K. Nesbary.
The new plan will be a dynamic one.
“We will continue to solicit feedback and suggestions throughout the entire four-and-a-half years of the plan,” explained Nesbary, pointing to ongoing feedback surveys and annual summits as avenues for participants to offer their input. “Muskegon Community College’s Integrated Strategic Plan is built to last, to borrow a phrase from author Jim Collins. It is designed to be effective over the arc of time and flexible enough to be modified at a moment’s notice”
The 2022-2026 Strategic Plan builds upon the College’s student success accomplishments and aims to position Muskegon Community College among the best community colleges in the nation. The plan is focused on three student success priorities – access, equity, and excellence – and 10 goals:
Priority #1: Access
MCC will expand outreach efforts and be a visible and recognized leader.
Goals:
1. Increase awareness of MCC
2. Meet annual enrollment goals while expanding opportunities for under-represented populations
3. Increase community engagement
Priority #2: Equity
MCC will provide all students with the equal opportunity to succeed regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, color, ethnicity, national origin, or any other characteristics.
Goals:
4. Create an inclusive culture of understanding and respect towards diversity
5. Increase student and employee diversity
6. Enhance each student’s experience
Priority #3: Excellence
MCC will prepare students for post-graduate success.
Goals:
7. Improve outcomes for all students
8. Improve institutional effectiveness
9. Provide exceptional environments for effective teaching and learning
10. Increase transfer and career success of graduates
“The Steering Committee, goal teams, and departments collaborated on a robust set of relevant measurable objectives that will truly support the student- and community-driven goals,” said Tina Dee, the director of strategic initiatives at MCC. “The College will continue providing transparent reporting of our progress on all measurable objectives each quarter on the public website. The first quarterly report will be published in mid-late July.”
“Our goal is to continue increasing our enrollment using best practices based on criteria established by leading student success organizations such as Achieving the Dream, the Aspen Institute, the Center for Community College Student Engagement, and the Michigan Center for Student Success,” explained Dr. John Selmon, the provost/executive vice president at MCC. “By doing so, we will focus on improving our student success outcomes.”
For more information about the Strategic Plan launch, contact Tina Dee at (231) 777-0660 or at tina.dee@muskegoncc.edu.