REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

STRATEGIC PLAN 2004—2007

BACKGROUND STATEMENT
College of the Redwoods was founded in 1964 as a public, comprehensive community college serving Humboldt County. In 1975 coastal Mendocino County was annexed, and in 1978 Del Norte County joined to form the current Redwoods Community College District. The District serves over 5,900 square miles with three campuses, located in Crescent City, Eureka, and Fort Bragg, as well as two instructional sites, one in Hoopa and the newest one in Arcata.

In the 2001-2002 academic year, the College’s credit program served 12,763 individuals. For fall 2002, the student body was 57.7% female, 42.3% male. District-wide, the average age of our students was 31 years old. 96% of the students in fall 2002 were from California.

In addition, during the 2001-2002 academic year, over 4,500 individuals participated in non-credit courses and sponsored activities through College of the Redwoods.

MISSION
The Redwoods Community College District has a commitment both to our students and to our community. We are committed to maximizing the success of each student with the expectation that each student will meet her or his educational goal, achieve appropriate learning outcomes in his/her courses and programs, and develop an appreciation for life-long learning. In partnership with other local agencies, we are also committed to enriching the economic vitality of the community whom we serve.

The following are the three equally important, primary missions of the Redwoods Community College District:

1. Associate Degree and Certificate Programs. The District will offer rigorous, high-quality educational programs leading to the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science Degree, Certificates of Achievement, or Certificates of Completion.

2. Academic and Transfer Education. The District will offer a high-quality core curriculum that will satisfy the lower-division general education and/or major preparation requirements for transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

3. Professional and Technical Education. The District will provide high-quality professional and technical programs that will allow students to obtain skills necessary to enter or advance in the workforce or to be better prepared for further education. These programs will be continuously articulated with the private and public sectors and with other institutions of higher education.

In support of these primary missions, the District will provide the appropriate level of information, programs, and activities to assist students in:

1. Gaining initial access and orientation to the College;

2. Assessing their interests and educational goals and developing plans that will help them achieve these goals;

3. Using current technological resources, innovative instructional resources, personalized tutorial services, and broad-based research tools; and

4. Choosing coursework preparatory to college-level work, if necessary—specifically, pre-collegiate math and English courses and courses in English as a second language (ESL).

To the extent possible, under state guidelines or with local funding, the District will provide the following life-long learning opportunities, as well as opportunities for enhancing and promoting the general welfare of the community:

1. Non-Credit Adult Education. The District will provide state-funded, adult education classes in response to local interests and needs and in cooperation with other local providers.

2. Community Services. The District will provide self-supporting avocational, recreational, and professional development classes, as well as cultural and community programs.

3. Economic Development. The District will participate with local business and industry and other educational and government agencies to foster the economic vitality of the North Coast region.

PHILOSOPHY
The primary objective of the College is the success of each student. We consider education to be a process of intellectual and physical exploration that rests upon the mutual responsibility of the College and the student.

We recognize the dignity and intrinsic worth of the individual and acknowledge that individual needs, interests, and capacities vary.

In fulfilling these objectives and principles, we affirm our intention:

1. To provide the highest possible level of education and counseling to help students realize their personal goals;

2. To provide opportunities for development of moral values and ethical behavior;

3. To enhance self-esteem and a sense of individual responsibility; and

4. To instill an appreciation of the values and contributions of other cultures and increase global understanding among all students.

We will continuously seek and support a dedicated, highly qualified staff that is diverse in terms of cultural background, ethnicity, and intellectual perspective and that is committed to fostering a climate of academic freedom and collegiality. We will encourage and reward professional development for all staff and will all share in the responsibility for student outcomes.

College of the Redwoods affirms its responsibility to address the diverse civic needs of the many communities we serve and to provide leadership in the civic, cultural, and economic development of the North Coast region.

VALUES
A review of our mission and our philosophy, combined with a focus on the future, leads us to affirm these values as essential elements of this plan.

1. As a good steward of public trust and public resources, College of the Redwoods is committed to measuring results and to being publicly accountable.

2. College of the Redwoods is committed to responding to the needs of the community by addressing the educational needs of individuals because education can be a life changing experience. The College believes in sustaining multiple linkages among faculty, staff, students, administration, and the community. The College seeks to build awareness of education as a key to community growth and development.

3. College of the Redwoods is committed to creating and sustaining a welcoming environment that celebrates the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff. The college environment will support behaviors and attitudes that maximize inclusion, personal responsibility, interpersonal respect, and multicultural understanding.

4. The College will always strive for excellence, in managing its internal processes for maximum effectiveness and in producing measurable, valued outcomes. We recognize that excellence rests, in large part, in seeking and using broad-based involvement from internal and external constituencies.

5. College of the Redwoods is committed to doing our part towards the improvement of society and the human condition. With this general goal in mind, we are committed to increasing persons’ awareness of education’s potential to help make a lasting difference in a person’s life. To this end, we recognize that everyone we serve has individual needs and aspirations. Thus, we are committed to helping our students meet their immediate educational goals, such as completing their lower-division education; earning an Associates degree; ensuring their ability to transfer to a four-year college or university; or obtaining gainful employment. Ultimately, all of our efforts on behalf of helping our students achieve their intermediate and long-term goals underscore our larger commitment to helping develop an informed, educated, caring citizenry—that is, a citizenry who, in part because of their experiences at College of the Redwoods, could help improve society and elevate the human condition.

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
No institution can fulfill an ambitious and complex mission well without attention to strategic planning. Given the complexities of a multi-campus district, CR must utilize a strategic planning process that unites District efforts in a common direction. The process uses a three-year horizon in order to ensure an on-going connection to a changing community and the ability to reflect changes in technology, workplace demands, and available resources.

1. Goal. The goal of the strategic planning process is to develop and review a set of broad-based strategic drivers that will allow the District to work effectively, moving in the same direction, to provide effective service to the full breadth of the District.

2. Process. The Integrated Planning Committee identifies strategic planning dimensions. The committee then establishes strategic drivers for each of the planning dimensions. These drivers form the core of District strategy, and will guide the annual operational planning process for the District.

The College maintains and values strong ties to the diverse communities it serves. As such, the College looks to the community for part of its planning process, seeking feedback and dialogue to inform its development as an institution. The College also values the participation of all constituents in the institution. Toward that end, the Integrated Planning Committee (IPC) contained representatives from throughout the institution. Members of the committee included:

Jeff Bobbitt, Ron Cox, Casey Crabill, Paul DeMark, Helen Edwards, Karen Fraser-Gentile, Phil Freneau, Becky Gallup, Ray Geary, Mj Goble, Greg Grantham, Melissa Green, Joe Hash, Bill Hoopes, Leslie Lawson, Ken Magnuson, Carol Mathews, Kerry Mayer, John McBrearty, Richard Prystowsky, Judy Sears, Jared Serfling, Kathie Simas, Scott Thomason, and Frank Trocki.

In addition, all IPC meetings were open to the full College community. The work of the IPC was placed in Public Folders on the College’s Outlook system to enable all who were interested to review all materials.

College of the Redwoods began its strategic planning process for January 2004—December 2007 with a series of listening sessions, starting on October 14, 2002 and running through November 19, 2002. A total of 15 sessions were held, involving over 430 individuals overall. Sessions were held for faculty/staff, students, and community members. In order to reach the broader community, individuals were invited by letter, and information about the listening sessions was broadcast by local media. These sessions provided important external and internal data for the planning process. College faculty and staff served as facilitators and notetakers throughout the listening sessions, resulting in significant direct interaction between the College community and the community at-large.

The work of the Integrated Planning Committee began on November 20, 2002. The group began with a comprehensive review of the mission statement. A revision of the statement was completed and forwarded through the governance structure. The IPC also reviewed student demographic and performance data for a five-year period, as well as regional data, both demographic and economic.

The IPC considered the full extent of the data gathered from the listening session process and developed an analysis of the data based on themes. This analysis, coupled with the review of the data cited above, led to the development of five areas of focus, which became the strategic drivers for this plan. Those areas are:

• Access;
• Curriculum;
• Economic Vitality;
• Inclusiveness and Diversity; and
• Outreach and Marketing.

Each strategic driver was fully defined. Each area formed the basis for several goals as well as a list of activities designed to meet the goals identified. Those components form the plan.

In addition to goals and activities, the IPC felt that it was important to develop a set of values that underlie the plan. The work of the committee touched often on the reasons why an activity or goal was important, and most commonly, those reasons related to a set of values important to the institution. In that spirit, the plan contains a set of values as a foundation.

IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
The Strategic Plan is a District-level document. In order for the work of the institution to move forward in these areas, the College’s Senior Staff is responsible for engaging departments in consideration of the identified Strategic Drivers. This process, implementation of the strategic plan, creates an annual operational plan with activities, measurement, assignment of responsibility, and resources required. This process takes place annually.

COLLEGE OF THE REDWOODS 2004-2007

I. STRATEGIC DRIVER: ACCESS
Ensuring access is a matter not only of removing roadblocks and/or providing services that facilitate participation but also of adding new programs. These roadblocks fall into four main categories. These categories include the need for flexible scheduling, transportation, childcare/ family support, and cultural support.

Increasing access achieves a number of benefits including an increase in enrollment and diversity as well as a focus for marketing, outreach and curriculum. Increasing access also helps to ensure that the College meets the region’s need for education and enhances the preparation of the region’s workforce.

A. GOAL
College of the Redwoods will increase access by removing roadblocks in the areas of scheduling, culture, transportation, childcare, family support, and finances in order to open the campuses/sites to a wider range of people and activities.

B. ACTIVITIES
The following activities are intended to accomplish this goal.

1. To meet the needs for flexible scheduling:

a. Increase class offerings in community locations where demand indicates offerings would be well attended. Specifically, promote the Arcata Instructional Site so that it realizes its potential to serve the northern Humboldt County communities, and finalize short-term and long-term planning for course and program offerings in southern Humboldt County.

b. Develop night and weekend course offerings, with sufficient scope for students to accomplish their educational goals, so that these offerings become a more significant portion of the total course offerings than they have been. Explore the expansion of long-term course scheduling and guaranteed course offerings to facilitate students’ academic planning, paying specific attention to meeting students’ needs for pre-collegiate, developmental courses and for a timely completion of degree requirements.

c. Extend, where practical, our student services, library, and lab hours for times when classes are offered.

d. Continue to develop and deliver additional courses in a distance-learning format.

e. Train students in the use of on-line courses.

2. To provide needed cultural support:

a. Develop courses for businesses/professionals in conversational Spanish for the workplace.

b. Expand ESL course offerings and locations.

3. To remove barriers related to transportation:

a. Develop a stronger relationship with public mass transit agencies for assisting in coordinating scheduling for classes at all locations.

b. Facilitate the development of a District-wide carpooling system.

4. To combat barriers related to childcare and family support:

a. Apply to state funding agencies to expand childcare opportunities at existing sites.

b. Explore the possibility of developing childcare opportunities on sites where it is not currently available and is needed.

5. To remove barriers related to finances:

a. Explore ways to assist students financially who are ineligible for BOG/financial aid but cannot afford to pay increased enrollment fees.

b. Explore ways to assist students not eligible for or receiving subsidized childcare with meeting the cost of childcare.

c. Explore ways of assisting with or lowering the cost of transportation to/from instructional sites.

II. STRATEGIC DRIVER: CURRICULUM
In this context, curriculum refers to the subject matter that is taught in academic and transfer programs, professional and technical programs, and community and fee-based educational venues. Programming in these areas reflects employment and academic needs and interests of the communities we serve. With respect to the College’s curricula, the CR faculty has the responsibility to create, review, and, when necessary, revise curricula so that courses, classes and full programs of study continue to meet the needs and serve the interests of the regional community.

A. GOALS
The College will:

1. Continue to support general education curricula.

2. Continue to support degree and transfer program curricula.

3. Continue to support degree and certificate programs in technical and professional areas.

4. Continue to support a growing continuing education program including the potential development of specific programs to meet the educational needs of senior citizens.

B. ACTIVITIES
The following activities are intended to accomplish these goals:

1. Work with industry, business, and educational leaders to create new community education classes.

2. Work with industry and business leaders to identify and determine ways to support new technology-based degree and certificate programs.

3. Explore the possibility of expanding current health occupation programs (dental hygiene, dental assisting, pharmacy tech., medical tech., radiation tech., OT/PT tech., dietician/nutrition specialist, home care/geriatric care, and other high-demand fields).

4. Explore the viability of resurrecting previously existing health occupation programs (for example, LVN at CR, Mendocino Coast).

5. Complete the development of, and identify methods for, sustaining the A.S. degree in tourism and hospitality.

6. Develop a teaching kitchen for the hospitality/tourism program.

7. Continue to provide community education seminars on customer service, job skills, and other hospitality-related issues, taught by business owners who are active participants in these fields.

8. Explore the feasibility of a water/waste management certificate, interfaced with HSU’s engineering program.

9. Increase the number of distance education course offerings for the CRDN, K-T, and CRMC campuses.

10. Explore the feasibility of providing District-wide credit-based classes for law enforcement officers.

11. Continue to support and strengthen academic courses—particularly General Education courses—for degree and transfer programs.

12. Continue to provide ESL, basic skills, and pre-basic skills classes.

13. Explore the marketability of an A.S. degree in Fine Arts.

14. Continue appropriate support for art course offerings at both the transfer and the community education levels.

15. Identify and develop agricultural programs that will meet the needs of the CR community.

16. Increase the number of community education classes in computer and internet use.

17. Explore the feasibility of providing continuing education courses for K-12 teachers for their professional development.

18. Continue to develop the Sustainable Agriculture Farm as an educational support facility for the College’s academic programs.

19. Continue to pursue the establishment of partnerships with agencies in the Fort Bragg—Mendocino area to determine the feasibility of potential program and facility development in the area of fine and performing arts.

III. STRATEGIC DRIVER: ECONOMIC VITALITY
Economic Vitality is a part of the mission of College of the Redwoods. It includes the potential to shape and change lives by adding essential opportunities and incentives to individuals and businesses in all segments of our economy. Economic vitality provides a proven method of attracting new business and industry to our region. Working in this arena, the College has the potential to increase our tax base by advancing a better trained workforce. In addition, by enhancing the economic vitality of the area, the College can help to decrease expenditures for crime, welfare, unemployment, and health care through a better educated, informed, and employed community.

A. GOAL
The College will participate actively in fostering regional economic vitality through partnerships with other educational facilities and providers, businesses and industries, and other governmental and non-profit agencies.

B. ACTIVITIES
The following groups of activities are intended to accomplish this goal:

1. In order to foster economic vitality through participation and partnerships with the other educational facilities and providers, College of the Redwoods has identified the following activities:

a. Ascertain the educational and career goals of students in grades 6-12 through more active efforts with articulation, job fairs, and faculty visits.

b. Encourage advanced placement programs and dual enrollment for high school students seeking enhanced and advanced educational opportunities.

c. Strengthen our partnership with HSU and other educational and training providers to ensure smoother articulation and to avoid duplication of services and programs.

d. Provide customized job training and occupational upgrading training required for licensing, certification, and commitments to life-long learning for business, industry, and community interests.

e. Seek partnerships with alternative educational forums such as Eureka Adult School to meet the basic skills needs and life-long learning interests of the community.

f. Promote even greater participation in community listening sessions, ensuring our commitment to addressing community educational needs.

2. The following activities are designed to support participation in and partnering with business and industry for economic vitality:

a. Continue to participate in regional economic development activities including the Prosperity! Network and the Economic Development Forum to assist in the economic growth of the region.

b. Focus on developing new programs and strengthening current programs/courses that assist employees/employers in developing the associated skills specifically suited for their career/business.

c. Work collaboratively with other educational and training providers to avoid duplication of services and to enhance opportunities for regional businesses to become more successful.

d. Collaborate with other agencies to provide effective training to entrepreneurs in areas such as E-commerce, micro-enterprise start up, marketing, and sales.

e. Provide a job ready workforce for the regional business.

3. In order to achieve the goal of active participation and partnering for economic vitality with other governmental and non-profit agencies, CR will complete the following activities:

a. Support state and regional initiatives to further local efforts toward economic vitality and controlled growth of the region.

b. Participate in federal and state grant funding such as economic development support, industry-driven programs, and workforce development efforts to improve CR programs and course offerings.

c. Provide a venue for community and governmental interface to resolve issues related to economic growth and development.

d. Design and implement programs/courses necessary to provide a skilled workforce for governmental agencies.

IV. STRATEGIC DRIVER: INCLUSIVENESS AND DIVERSITY
Campus inclusiveness and diversity is a College value reflected in all aspects of our services, programs, activities, and curricula. Involving far more than annual events or a campus diversity statement, campus inclusiveness and diversity centers on raising the awareness and sensitivity of the campus community in the hope that CR reflect and respect the wide-ranging diversity of our county and state populations. A commitment to campus inclusiveness and diversity also involves a commitment to honoring a diversity of good-faith opinions and views. Rather than being a peripheral component of campus life, campus inclusiveness and diversity needs to be woven into the fabric of everyday life at CR.

A. GOAL
The College will review and change procedures, processes, marketing, and curricula in order to create and sustain a welcoming environment at CR for all members of our student, staff, faculty, and administrative communities.

B. ACTIVITIES
The following activities are intended to accomplish this goal:

1. Provide ongoing training for faculty, administrators, students, and staff on cultural sensitivity issues and on issues related to diversity.

2. Provide educational, professional and technical training that equips CR students with the tools that they will need wherever they ultimately choose to live and work.

3. Promote College of the Redwoods in newspapers and other media that serve non-mainstream populations.

4. Provide outreach programs for economically disadvantaged persons, non-English speaking populations, and other non-mainstream persons and groups.

5. With the goal of diversifying the CR community, actively recruit faculty, staff, administrators, and students from diverse locations and populations.

6. Create a welcoming environment through the aesthetics of the College (for example, by displaying culturally diverse artwork).

7. Prepare brochures, other printed materials, and on-campus signage that appeal to, address, or are sensitive to diverse populations.

8. Provide regularly scheduled multicultural and diversity activities on campus.

9. When appropriate, collaborate with HSU on matters and activities related to inclusiveness and diversity.

10. Provide networking for and explore programming related to various groups (for example, single-parent student groups and senior citizens).

11. Review and, when necessary, revise our programs and curricula to ensure that they reflect our openness to, appreciation of, and respect for diversity and inclusiveness.

12. In all College-related endeavors, ensure that diverse opinions and views made in good faith are welcome and that persons holding and expressing such views and opinions are enfranchised.

V. STRATEGIC DRIVER: OUTREACH AND MARKETING

OUTREACH
Outreach is the process of taking information, and sometimes programs, to a variety of locations within our service area in order to make community members and potential students aware of what the College has to offer. It involves not only sharing information with our communities but also making people feel that they will be welcome at the College when they arrive. Outreach is also a means of listening to community members and providing the College with on-going feedback about needs that are not being addressed or programs that are particularly effective.

A. GOALS

1. To plan and present a wide variety of outreach activities so that the College will reach its enrollment, programmatic, and community relations goals.

2. To develop targeted outreach activities that will encourage non-English speaking community members to enroll at the College.

3. To develop outreach activities that will encourage senior citizens to participate in College activities and programs.

B. ACTIVITIES
The following groups of activities are intended to accomplish these goals:

1. Form a District-wide Outreach Workgroup to develop a detailed outreach plan, calendar, and goals for the 2003-2004 academic year. Form this group with the understanding that “outreach is everybody’s business” and that its role is to generate the plan and coordinate activities that involve faculty, staff, and students from throughout the institution to do the work that needs to be done.

2. Improve and increase outreach activities to the high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools in our District.

3. Develop activities that focus on populations of young people who may not think that college is even a possibility for them.

4. Develop outreach activities for the Latino/Hispanic/Mexican-American communities; this must include the development of Spanish language informational materials and publicity.

5. Conduct outreach activities focused on making the initial CR enrollment process understandable and easy for prospective enrollees; consider pairing outreach activities with assessment and early registration activities for prospective students.

6. Increase/improve outreach to Native Americans.

7. Increase/improve outreach to more seniors.

8. Increase outreach that results in developing internship opportunities with local businesses.

9. Increase outreach to students at high risk for dropping out.

10. Focus appropriate outreach activities on 2 + 2 and Tech Prep opportunities for high school students.

11. Collaborate with HSU in out-of-area outreach activities.

12. Work with marketing committee to develop outreach videos, posters, and publicity for different populations.

13. Connect interest/aptitude testing and career counseling to outreach activities.

14. Encourage faculty participation in outreach activities.

15. Conduct workshops and other programs on transfer opportunities beyond UC and CSU systems.

16. Think creatively; take outreach activities to places where we are most likely to find the people we most want to reach (e.g., churches, specific community events).

MARKETING
Marketing is the primary vehicle for publicizing what the College is, what it has to offer, what the College contributes to the community at large, and how members of the community can participate in the life of the College.

A. GOALS

1. To create and maintain a truthful, positive and consistent public image.

2. To communicate effectively about existing and emerging course offerings and degree and certificate programs as well as inform the public and potential students of cultural events that may be of interest to them.

3. To inform the public about ways in which the College, its students, and its employees are “good citizens” and contribute time, energy and expertise to the diverse communities the College serves.

4. To deliver information about courses, programs, and College activities in a timely and attractive way through a variety of media.

B. ACTIVITIES

1. These activities are designed to create and maintain a truthful, positive, and consistent public image.

a. Use the CR website to aggressively market the College’s academic, student services, and community education programs, as well as spotlighting the institution’s faculty, news events, and accomplishments. A consistent looking and easy-to-navigate website will greatly assist in this goal. Also, as part of College’s marketing to the Latino/Hispanic community, explore an alternate Spanish language website.

b. Maintain an active and complete District-wide CR website calendar of activities. Keep the daily calendar current.

c. Make use of attractive and informative posters for each campus and educational site to be distributed throughout the communities. Show a map, locate each place where classes are offered, and give contact phone numbers.

d. Continue producing high-quality TV and radio ads, which highlight programs, services, faculty, and student success stories. Continue to use public radio in each community for underwriting spots for image/info ads.

e. Begin the process of developing Spanish-language radio, TV, and newspaper advertising.

f. Explore writing weekly or monthly columns for area newspapers, particularly weeklies. These columns could be written by a CR staff and/or faculty writing on a rotating basis.

g. Produce a series of image and information slides to run before movie previews in local movie theaters.

h. Include in the class schedules feature-type marketing pieces; include student success stories, meet-the-faculty thumbnail profiles, and photos.

i. Staff and publicize a phone information line for each campus.

j. Selectively use media co-promotions with commercial radio and TV stations to enhance the College’s image.

2. These activities are intended to communicate effectively about existing and emerging course offerings and degree and certificate programs as well as inform the public and potential students of cultural events that may be of interest to them.

a. Create a template for degree and certificate information pieces that quickly and simply communicate the course requirements of each program and potential career opportunities associated with it. These pieces can be displayed in Plexiglas cases in the main enrollment services area of each campus/site as well as strategic locations on campus in the community. In addition, materials using this same information and look could be developed into a mailing brochure without an envelope.

b. Develop informative and attractive TV, radio, and newspaper ads announcing registration times, campus events, featured programs, and the like.

c. Continue and expand use of press releases and public services announcements to announce CR programs and offerings as well as cultural events.

d. Build the District’s e-mail database to inform people about College events, programs, and offerings.

e. Selectively use media co-promotions with commercial radio and TV stations to inform the community about CR cultural events.

f. Develop more links to CR on area websites.

3. These activities are designed to inform the public about ways in which the College, its students, and its employees are “good citizens” and contribute time, energy, and expertise to the diverse communities the College serves.

a. Make use of the CR website and Campus Cruiser for promoting activities.

b. Use specific event opportunities to place CR staff/faculty and students on TV and radio programs or news spots. Offer fact sheets, press releases, and feature stories to journalists, informing them about the activities of CR staff, faculty, and students.

c. Write regular newspaper columns highlighting stories and ideas about how CR is connected to the community.

d. Explore co-hosting a show on KHSU discussing the ways CR and HSU are working or can be working together in the future.

4. These activities will help to deliver information about courses, programs, and College activities in a timely and attractive way through a variety of media.

a. Continue to expand free distribution of the class schedules. Place schedules in attractive boxes at all the high schools.

b. Use regular radio, TV, and newspaper ads.

c. Use and expand the e-mail database.

d. Use Campus Cruiser to announce new course offerings/programs, registration times, student services, cultural events, etc.

e. To announce programs, registration times, early enrollment, CR’s website URL, etc., create high-quality but relatively low-cost posters for distribution in the communities we serve.

f. Expand the list of targeted local industry publications to which information can be faxed, e-mailed, or posted.