Question of the Week: Community Connections

Posted on by
7

The second major foundation of the strategic planning “arch” is “Community & Regional Needs”. Given the importance of our “community” in planning for the future, please consider sharing your thoughts on this week’s Question of the Week:

In the near future, what are some ways Bellevue College should engage and integrate with local cities, schools, non-profits, businesses and the region as a whole? [Use the speech bubble to the right or the reply link below to respond]

Please feel free to think of this question in terms of the college as a whole, as well as in relationship to your own discipline, expertise, or experience.

For inspiration, see the resources provided by Northern Essex Community College in Massachusetts – one example of an organized community engagement effort that spans the campus.

Community Partnerships: A “How-To” Report

Posted on by
Reply

In the spring, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges released a report detailing resources for developing partnerships between community colleges and their communities titled Prosperous Places: Putting Your College and Community of the Map. The report is designed to be:

“a toolkit to help colleges build “prosperous places” by creating high-impact partnerships, gathering data, and creating programs that meet critical workforce needs. Creating a highly skilled workforce advances both the signature industries that make Washington competitive in the global marketplace, and the local employers who create the very fabric of our communities.”

There are some good questions to think about here (see pages 7-8) and several resources that are designed to help colleges think about their community connections. 

Check it out, and feel free to comment.

Foundations: Mission, Vision and Core Themes

Posted on by
Reply

One of the foundations of the strategic planning “arch” are the college’s Mission, Vision, Core Values and Core Themes. As you consider our strategic planning efforts take a look and remind yourself of the foundation on which the college currently operates:

As always, we welcome your comments.

Question of the Week: Communication

Posted on by
12

Many participants in the strategic planning listening sessions this Fall have talked about a lack of communication at the college, but also expressed concern about the volume of email we all receive.

What is the best way for the college to effectively communicate important information without it getting lost in a barrage of emails? [Use the speech bubble to the right or the reply link below to respond]

Please feel free to think of this question in terms of the college as a whole, as well as in relationship to your own discipline, expertise, or experience.

“Strategic Planning in Motion” at North Florida CC

Posted on by
Reply

After establishing the goals and objectives of a strategic plan, North Florida Community College put an implementation process in place with work groups. They call it “Strategic Planning in Motion” and it ensures that the plan has an active life after adoption. Read more about it on their website and send us your comments on how it might apply to BC.

Question of the Week: Social Justice in Education

Posted on by
12

In light of our recent College Issues Day:

Imagine a future where Bellevue College fully embraces social justice as a central core value.  What are some of the specific ways social justice would be a part of our daily and ongoing activities at the college? [Use the speech bubble to the right or the reply link below to respond]

Please feel free to think of this question in terms of the college as a whole, as well as in relationship to your own discipline, expertise, or experience.

Strategic Planning for Diversity

Posted on by
Reply

Earlier this month, the College of Education at Northern Illinois University published a Diversity Strategic Plan outlining its goals to improve shared understanding of diversity, close the gap on student success, recruit diverse faculty/staff, and embed diversity issues in the curriculum. In their introduction they note a theme that is also true for BC:

“Despite our commitment to these ideals as an institution, we continue to see a gap between our stated goals and values and the lived experiences of our student body. Most notably, we continue to see a dearth of students from historically marginalized groups enrolling in and graduating from our college. Therefore, it is imperative that the COE reexamine and create an institutional context, a curriculum that actively encourages respect for diversity, fosters students’ ability to understand the fundamentals of diversity (such as identity, cultural competence, and social justice), and nurtures education professionals for whom these values are indelible characteristics.”

Check it out – view a pdf of the full report here.

Question of the Week: New Programs

Posted on by
17

What programs (courses, majors, certificates, etc.) do you think Bellevue College should consider adding over the next five years? [Use the speech bubble to the right or the reply link below to respond]

Please feel free to think of this question in terms of the college as a whole, as well as in relationship to your own discipline, expertise, or experience.

To see what we currently offer, visit the Bellevue College Programs of Study web site.

Strategic Planning at Muskegon Community College

Posted on by
Reply

President Dave Rule worked on the first of these two Strategic Plans when he was the President of Muskegon Community College in Michigan.

Some highlights of the first plan include goals around enhancing outreach, restructuring student services, and promoting professional development. The priorities of the second plan are much broader, focusing on academic foresight, community service, physical space, resource development and human resource management.

Let us know what you think.

Question of the week: Anticipating change

Posted on by
5

What changes do you anticipate in the Bellevue College service area over the next 1-10 years that will impact the college, and how might BC need to respond to those changes? [Use the speech bubble to the right or the reply link below to respond]

 Service Area

The BC service area covers the school districts for Bellevue, Mercer Island, Issaquah, Skykomish and Snoqualmie Valley. The outlined area in the NE corner of the map is the Bellevue College district. The color represent population density.