Strategic Priorities

In this landmark 40th year of Moraine Valley Community College, we have developed a 2007-2012 Strategic Plan that will set the framework for our annual planning, our goals and objectives, and ultimately, how we follow our Mission and pursue our Vision and Core Values. This Strategic Plan resulted from an in-depth process of external and internal analysis. It was developed with broad community and college input and will be reviewed annually. The foundation for this Plan was the college’s 2002-2007 Plan.

The new Strategic Plan includes five broad priorities and within these priority areas, more specific strategic goals. The Strategic Plan was written in the spirit of continuous improvement; some of these goals incorporate work that is already underway while others will require new investments of time and effort.

The major purpose of both strategic and annual planning at Moraine Valley is to prepare for future challenges and to promote positive change. In planning, we try to find a good match between external demands and opportunities, the internal values of the college, and the college’s resources (people and dollars.) The successful performance of an institution is directly related to effective planning and good decision making.

To foster continuous improvement, Moraine Valley will:

A. EMPHASIZE AND PROMOTE STUDENT SUCCESS

• Implement a procedure to improve access to educational programs and services by maximizing utilization of on- and off-campus facilities and effective scheduling of programs, services, and courses in response to student and community needs (Strategic Planning–Academic Quality Improvement Program project)
• Examine factors that affect the progress and success of students enrolling in online and Web-assisted courses and identify and implement components for successful delivery of online courses, certificates, and/or degrees (Strategic Planning–Academic Quality Improvement Program project)
• Implement a plan to identify, assess, place, and establish support mechanisms for students in developmental education (Strategic Planning–Academic Quality Improvement Program project)
• Focus on student success and retention within individual courses, across terms, and through graduation rates, including how well students are meeting objectives, the quality of the student experience, and how these factors measure up against established benchmarks
• Use the strategic process to identify and develop new curriculum
• Maintain and enhance high-quality, high-standard academic programs
• Support faculty and staff development in areas of creative learning strategies, technology, leadership, student learning styles, and global learning
• Maintain and enhance well-designed, coordinated, and pro-active student support services
• Assess and improve technology support systems that advance student access to learning
• Continue to provide a safe, comfortable, and welcoming learning environment

B. ENHANCE COMMUNITY AWARENESS, CONNECTIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

• Develop and nurture relationships with P-12 faculty and staff, students, and their parents
• Support seamless and successful high school to college transitions
• Develop and implement programs for adults and senior citizens and strategies to recruit and retain them
• Assess and implement the college’s comprehensive enrollment management and marketing plan
• Develop and foster a new brand identity for Moraine Valley to help support and communicate the college mission
• Develop, strengthen, and maintain community relationships and partnerships to maximize resources and identify opportunities to meet the needs of our educational partners, business partners, and community members
• Continue to provide support to help local governments attract and retain business
• Strengthen our role as an economic resource and a leader in our community, region, state, nation, and world
• Continue to serve as an educational resource and leader for P-12 programs
• Strengthen alumni relations
• Promote the college as a community resource and cultural center

C. EMBRACE DIVERSITY

• Integrate diversity and inclusion into appropriate college practices and processes (Strategic Planning–Academic Quality Improvement Program project)
• Implement new faculty and staff recruitment and retention strategies (Strategic Planning–Academic Quality Improvement Program project)
• Integrate diversity into the curriculum and classroom (Strategic Planning–Academic Quality Improvement Program project)
• Continue to integrate global and intercultural perspectives into programs and services
• Acknowledge the different needs of specific groups and individuals—traditional and nontraditional, native and international, younger and older, online and on-campus, minority and majority—and provide specific services to meet those needs
• Lessen barriers that exist, including those of access, financial means, and preparedness
• Foster programs and support services that make all students feel welcome, that provide positive and meaningful interactions with faculty and staff, and that are designed for students of a variety of backgrounds and experiences
• Cultivate a faculty and staff rich with cultural competencies—to respect the cultural, social, and academic needs of all learners — and to increase awareness of diversity and knowledge of inclusive practices

D. PLAN, ACHIEVE, AND MANAGE GROWTH

• Develop, communicate, and execute plans, processes, and procedures consistent with student and community needs and the college’s mission
• Maintain a process to allocate and/or reallocate resources based on the college’s Strategic Priorities
• Pursue alternative sources of revenue to support growth and keep tuition affordable
• Continue to look for opportunities to maximize resources and contain costs
• Hire and retain an appropriate mix of full-time and part-time faculty and staff
• Develop and implement a transition plan for the new campus facilities, including programs, staffing, and business plans
• Recommend and implement a new business system that will improve services to students and increase staff efficiency
• Continue to plan for sustainable growth and consider environmental issues in plans for new and remodeled facilities
• Investigate and evaluate the feasibility of adding to the number of off-campus sites to expand regional outreach efforts and improve accessibility

E. BUILD ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITY THROUGH CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Improve institutional effectiveness efforts by integrating the following major college processes at all levels of the organization—departmental and collegewide: assessment of student academic achievement, strategic and annual planning, budgeting, and performance evaluation (Strategic Planning–Academic Quality Improvement Program project)
• Use the college’s continuous improvement model to review institutional processes, systems, and structures to ensure efficient operations, strategic thinking, and improved curricula, programs, and services
• Update and expand the current technological infrastructure and increase automation in all technology and operating systems
• Review procedures and processes to eliminate redundancy as well as tasks that do not support the mission or strategic plan of the college
• Make data-driven decisions with input from stakeholders across the organization
• Improve current internal communication mechanisms to achieve greater collaboration and efficiency
• Emphasize comprehensive professional development, including training employees to keep pace with technological advancements
• Promote innovation and risk-taking to strengthen organizational capability