Background on Strategic Planning

In May 2007, recognizing the need to integrate the disparate planning processes at College of the Redwoods, Title III staff began researching institutional effectiveness and planning models.  In August, several members of the Accreditation Steering Committee (ASC) volunteered to work with Title III staff.  This integrated planning workgroup researched integrated planning models, developed drafts, and reported back to the larger steering committee.  After studying the college’s existing documents to determine which elements could be incorporated into the new planning framework, the ASC realized that the college faced several additional obstacles.  The strategic plan expired in 2007, and the goals enumerated in the college maser plan were not clear or measurable 

In late August, the workgroup invited Scott Epstein, Quality Planning Executive Advisor from Datatel’s Center for Institutional Effectiveness, to the college.  The advisor met with the integrated planning workgroup to discuss the provisional model, and the workgroup subsequently shared this initial model with constituent groups on campus.  While progress had been made in understanding what the conceptual framework of an institutional planning model might look like and how the component parts would work together, the workgroup recognized that the college did not have the time, personnel, or expertise to develop a complete plan on its own with the limited time available.  Thus, in September the college contracted with Scott Epstein to work with us.  The Accreditation Steering Committee identified 18 individuals to work with Epstein in developing a first draft of a new strategic plan for the college.  This ad-hoc team, referred to as the Coordinated Planning Team, was chaired by CR’s President.  The goal of the team was to develop a strategic plan that integrates all functional and unit-level across the district, but also to pilot a collaborative process of data-informed continuous planning. 

The Coordinated Planning Team’s first action was to establish a timeline for the development of the three-year strategic plan and a provisional (one-semester) pilot plan.  The team also outlined an annual cycle for ongoing planning.  In late September, working with the consultant, the team reviewed an external scan analysis of current conditions to be used as a framework for planning.  In early October, the team reviewed the college mission statement and wrote draft goal statements with corresponding objectives for the strategic plan.  The goals were broad statements of what is to be accomplished over the next three to five years, while the objectives are measurable statements about the end results that services or programs are expected to accomplish in a given period of time.  In October, the team shared four draft goals and their associated objectives with the college community.  In November, five draft goals and associated objectives for a 2008-2011 strategic plan were developed by the Coordinated Planning Team to be shared with the college community.  Upon completion of the draft strategic plan, the Ad Hoc Coordinated Planning Team determined, by consensus:

• To continue efforts to pilot the coordinated planning process through spring 2008

• A standing Coordinated Planning Council (CPC) will be formalized in Spring 2008

• The CPC will meet monthly and will be responsible for annual strategic planning process (activities include deriving college-wide goals from the college mission, setting annual objectives from analyses of environmental scans, and managing action planning)

• The CPC will be a cross-functional team chaired by the President

• The CPC will be comprised of members who represent all areas of the College

• Membership on the CPC will include some permanent and some rotating positions.

 

Information about the approach to strategic planning presented to CR by Scott Epstein is available in the “Strategic Planning Philosophy” link.  Other strategic planning links include the 2008-2011 Strategic Plan, the Integrated Planning Model being piloted by CR in Spring 2008, the provisional Integrated Planning Timeline, and general information about the Action Planning process. 

Follow the links on the home page to learn more about the Coordinated Planning Council, Action Planning at CR, or specific Action Plans that have been submitted.