Kellogg Community College is thrilled to announce its new strategic plan, titled “Ahead of the Curve,” to guide institutional strategies and objectives over the next three years.
Dr. Adrien L. Bennings, president of KCC, led the development of “Ahead of the Curve,” which focuses the College’s operations and resources on three pillars of excellence that will be key to the plan’s attainment. Those pillars are:
- Student Success
- Operational Excellence
- Culture
“At its core, KCC’s strategic plan is about students,” Dr. Bennings said. “It’s about understanding the fullness of the student experience at KCC and designing systems and practices that will empower students in their educational journeys en route to a bachelor’s degree program or a fulfilling career.
“It’s about cultivating an environment at KCC in which all campus constituents feel they can trust the institution as a partner in building their future. It’s about embracing data and creating infrastructure that support student success.”
Despite the unprecedented challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic that dominated much time and attention in 2020, KCC completed the development of “Ahead of the Curve” over the past eight months. The plan incorporates student surveys, a student focus group, employee input sessions, conversations with community members and refinement by KCC leaders and trustees. The plan also includes data from a professional economic impact study, program demand gap analysis and other reports.
“KCC is poised at the beginning of this strategic plan to deliver precisely the higher education that people across our service area need in order to advance efficiently and meaningfully in their college career or work setting,” Dr. Bennings said.
A theme statement accompanies each pillar, representing KCC’s aspiration in every facet of the strategic plan.
Student Success: “Kellogg Community College understands that student success is influenced by the individual student experience: the systems, protocols, departments, faculty, and staff that students encounter in their educational journey. We inspire learning through collaborative efforts to support the academic, social and economic success of our students.”
- Strategy areas include student programming, Bruin Quality focus and a sense of belonging
Operational Excellence: “Through a culture of continuous improvement, Kellogg Community College promotes the responsible management and utilization of resources supported by sustainable infrastructure and fair and equitable policies and practices.”
- Strategy areas include infrastructure, data governance and financial viability
Culture: “Kellogg Community College cultivates an environment of trust as a foundation of our culture of enrichment, engagement, transparency and accountability. Through shared leadership and collaboration, we model the importance of productive working relationships and professional partnerships.”
- Strategy areas include communication, partnerships and talent development
The KCC Board of Trustees approved the strategic plan on Aug. 19 and Dr. Bennings formally launched it during an all-employee livestream presentation on Aug. 25.
With the plan launched, KCC will soon begin the work of identifying objectives that can be implemented, measured and achieved over the course of the three-year plan. KCC plans to routinely report its progress to the Board of Trustees and periodically publish an updated dashboard on the College’s website. The plan can be read in its entirety at Kellogg.edu/strategic-plan.
“As we launch our new plan for the benefit of our students and our community, we are passionate about staying ahead of the curve as an institution,” Dr. Bennings said. “As much as we’ve accomplished in our 64 years as an institute of higher learning, we know more challenges lie ahead. With our new plan in place, we believe we will continue to fulfill our mission, no matter what comes our way.”
For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.