Strategic Plan - Three Rivers College

ENGAGE 2030 is Three Rivers College’s five-year strategic plan, focused on innovation, student success, and educational excellence. Woven throughout is our commitment to preparing our students for success in an ever-changing world.

To create this plan, 46 members of our faculty and staff from across the College came together to take an honest look at our challenges, strengths, and opportunities. This enabled us to outline a clear path for continued improvement.

The strategic themes below will be at the center of our planning, college-wide, over the next five years.

ENGAGE 2030 Strategic Themes

Operational Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future
Community Connection and Impact
Collaborations for Student Success
Create a Culture of Student Engagement
Enhance Data Informed Practices for Improved Outcomes

1. Operational Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future

Initiative

Respond to the educational needs of students and employees to ensure an organizational environment which promotes success through effective and efficient operations.

Strategies

Create a work culture to foster growth of potential, fully supported by professional development opportunities to increase knowledge and skills.
Design a seamless learning experience for students that considers all available platforms, modalities, and support to enhance student learning.
Develop an infrastructure (e.g., policies, guidelines, training, etc.) to support the ethical use of new technologies (e.g.; Artificial Intelligence) in support of the curriculum and in College operations.
Enhance the quality of online instruction and programming through improved organizational infrastructure.
Ensure quality instruction through evaluating processes (e.g., curriculum, program assessment, etc.) to add efficiency while strengthening the processes.
Evaluate LMS options for improved online functionality and course design.
Evaluate the use of electronics in the classroom: laptops, tablets, phones, etc.
Evaluate workload responsibilities to ensure positions are balanced for optimal productivity.
Explore and adopt technologies that enhance learning and operations.
Formalize evaluation processes for functional areas that address improved infrastructure, facilities, and equipment for better alignment and student success.
Improve communication across departments.
Improve onboarding, guidelines, and mentorships for new employees.
Increase the use of interdepartmental teams to collaborate on College initiatives and share results and use of results for improvement.
Expand use of myTRCC information portal.
Provide appropriate technology support for students.
Repurpose underutilized space for students, faculty, and staff.

2. Community Connection and Impact

Initiative

Reinforce the alignment of the College with the community through partnerships seeking to further embed the College in our service area’s culture and build a better community for all.

Strategies

Create more donor and scholarship opportunities.
Enhance marketing to capitalize on online content through website visibility, using accurate and current content as a strategy that expands reach to increase program enrollment.
Enhance relationships with local communities and entities, (e.g., libraries, schools, civic organizations, community groups, etc.).
Focus on campus beautification to enhance the “wow factor impact” and instill College pride.
Improve and expand alumni relations.
Increase the number of small-scale community educational events and use of College facilities for improved student enrollment.
Provide educational opportunities that address community needs through community organizations.
Systematically highlight alumni and current student success stories and testimonials.

3. Collaborations for Student Success

Initiative

Collaborate with faculty and staff as well as business and industry partners to build a workforce for the future by educating students in areas of need.

Strategies

Create programs in areas of high labor market demand.
Design a comprehensive enrollment management plan that considers future community growth and development.
Design an educational, fun, and inviting student life program that creates a sense of campus community which promotes balanced, healthy approaches and provides life skills experiences.
Develop an internal retention-focused marketing campaign.
Enhance career services to connect College programs, faculty, College advisors, and students to ensure career readiness, improved program completion, and job placement.
Enhance partnerships with high schools and Career Technology Centers to create dual credit educational systems designed to improve student learning, outcomes, and outputs.
Evaluate institutional practices, policies, and regulations, as well as procedures and processes, to eliminate unnecessary barriers for students.
Improve advising to systematically include all relevant parties with appropriate roles and responsibilities as part of a comprehensive advising and retention plan.
Increase collaboration among faculty, advisors, and student life staff to strategize application of student services focused on retaining “at-risk students” through seminars/activities (e.g., money management, job interview skills, etc.).
Increase student access to internships, apprenticeships, and work-based learning experiences.

4. Create a Culture of Student Engagement

Initiative

Ensure student retention through inclusive student engagement activities and events that provide the tools and skills necessary for students to succeed.

Strategies

Address high withdrawal rates of students with emphasis on ACAD 101 and Developmental Course retention and success.
Align curriculum in all modalities as appropriate.
Allocate funds to enhance quality instruction and student support.
Enhance the faculty mentor program to ensure adjuncts are fully informed and involved in the academic process and to ensure appropriate engagement and instructional methodologies.
Ensure the technological competency of students.
Evaluate course scheduling and location options for improved enrollment, retention, and student engagement.
Increase “Regular and Substantive Interaction” (RSI) between faculty and students and ensure RSI is integrated in the design of all new and existing distance courses.
Increase housing and Division II athletic opportunities for students.
Involve faculty and staff to create a campus culture focused on student engagement which includes a broad range of knowledge and skills.
Maximize timely academic services that engage students before they fail or withdraw.
Provide professional development opportunities in educational delivery methods, teaching methods, student engagement, and other pedagogical/andragogical methods in the learning environment.
Provide substantive and timely feedback to students to improve engagement.
Showcase TRC students to enhance and cultivate an appreciation of our students’ success.

5. Enhance Data Informed Practices for Improved Outcomes

Initiative

Implement targeted approaches to planning that focus on student retention and graduation strategies for potential growth and operational improvement.

Strategies

Align interdepartmental operations through shared data approaches.
Assess training efforts and use results to promote and increase the value of College provided training.
Expand the inclusion of faculty and staff in planning and implementation of student recruitment efforts.
Implement a tracking system for professional development.
Improve student learning by taking definitive action to alter the curriculum and/or instructional methods based on academic assessment results and shown through the annual planning and assessment process.
Increase advisor knowledge of curriculum, programming, and transfer requirements for improved outcomes.
Increase student enrollment and retention through alignment of services, (e.g., advising, career services, counseling, financial aid, tutoring, and instruction).
Increase student participation in tutoring services.
Provide faculty and staff appropriate data to enable effective collaboration for improved operations and student success.

Strategic Planning Resources

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