Muskegon Community College will be devoting the next five months to finalizing its new five-year strategic plan which will guide the institution from January 2022 through June 2026, when the College celebrates its 100th anniversary.
The new strategic planning theme, “Aspiring to be the Best,” will drive the planning process, which formally launches on Monday, July 19, when all six planning committees will convene. Over the ensuing weeks and months, MCC will engage students, community stakeholders, board and committee members, and employees to help develop a strategic plan that builds upon MCC’s student success accomplishments and positions the institution as one of the best community colleges in the nation.
“Our aim is to increase enrollment among under-represented groups and meet the criteria for the top student success awards from the leading student success organizations,” said MCC President Dale K. Nesbary, citing examples of such prestigious honors as the Achieving the Dream Leah Meyer Austin Award, the Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction, and the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
These student success awards are determined using data for equity, access, retention, completion, graduation rates, and post-graduate success.
The 2022-2026 strategic planning effort will be guided by the 16-member MCC Integrated Planning Steering Committee (see complete list below) and co-chairs for each of the following committees:
- Student Experience
- Student Success and Assessment
- Inclusion and Culture
- Technology and Facilities
- Community Outreach and Engagement
Between July and October, the committees will convene to determine proposed goals for their respective areas. Then in November and December, cross-functional project teams will meet to identify measurable objectives and action plans for each goal. The current MCC strategic plan, “Successful Students, Successful Communities,” concludes at the end of December and the new one will commence on January 1, 2022.
Any community members wishing to offer their input are invited to complete the survey found at www.surveymonkey.com/r/ReimagingMCC.
MCC is also seeking ideas from anyone in the community about what programs, courses, and other educational opportunities are needed. Specifically, the College would like feedback from current/recent high school students, current/recent MCC students, business leaders, industry leaders and MCC alumni, as well as community members. Survey responses are kept anonymous unless the respondents provide their names for follow-up information. The community needs assessments can be found at www.muskegoncc.edu/aspiring/#needs.
In all, there are 137 volunteers – including 52 community members and 13 students – representing 45 organizations who are involved in the MCC strategic planning effort.
The 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Steering Committee members are:
- Dale Nesbary, President (Chair)
- Tina Dee, Director of Strategic Initiatives (Assistant Chair)
- Kristine Anderson, Executive Director of Human Resources
- Eduardo Bedoya, Director of Institutional Research
- Sally Birkam, Dean of Student Success and Campus Life
- Ed Breitenbach, Dean of Assessment and Instruction
- Kelley Conrad, Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Patti D’Avignon, Director of Student Success (The Student Experience liaison Aug-Jan)
- George Maniates, Faculty Association President
- Marty McDermott, Dean of College Services and Athletic Director
- Chris Nowak, Educational Support Staff Association representative
- Duane Rainbolt, Custodial/Maintenance Unit Association representative
- John Selmon, Provost and Executive Vice President
- Kristin Tank, Dean of Marketing and Communications
- Jeff Williams, Interim Vice President of Finance
- Steven Wilson, Chief Information Officer (Ellucian)
The co-chairs of the other five planning committees are:
Student Experience Committee – Kristina Broughton, Digital Marketing Manager; Irene Church, Business Faculty; and Patti D’Avignon, Director of Student Success
Student Success and Assessment Committee – Dr. Edward Breitenbach, Dean of Instruction and Assessment; J.B. Meeuwenberg, College Success Center Chair; and Heidi Romero, Career and Transfer Services Manager
Inclusion and Culture Committee – Kristine Anderson, Executive Director of Human Resources; Ashley Battle, Manager of Admissions Partnerships; and Jamar Ragland, Early College Mentor
Technology and Facilities Committee – Sarah Pearson, Orientation Specialist; David Sturgeon, Director of Physical Plant; and Dr. Steven Wilson, Chief Information Officer
Community Outreach and Engagement Committee – Stephanie Briggs, Director of Admissions; Navidad Cortez, Counseling and Advising Department Office Manager; and Kristin Tank, Dean of Marketing and Communications
For more information, contact Tina Dee at (231) 777-0660 or at strategic.planning@muskegoncc.edu.