CPC First Goal Team Meeting
November 10, 2009
Joint Goal Team Meeting Table Comments on Goal One Essay
Key Themes
 Focus on subcategories of students transitioning to college, define
student groups and needs
 Valencia should be a first choice.
 Think of access more broadly – to resources, programs, not just
being able to enter.
 Allocation of resources – must decide how these decisions impact
access.
 Collaboration is required to accomplish all of this. Not just with
students but with all internal and external stakeholders.
 Help all members of the community to develop common
understandings.
 Develop and train staff in their roles in support of Goal 1.
 Why can’t we apply the pathways concept to ourselves, and not
only to students?
 Investing in employees as well students – wellness could expand
for students and employees, and communicate broadly to involve
as many as possible.
 “Transition assured” – make sure expectations are clear to K-12
partners and to students as to what enables you to be collegeready.
 Help make sure our students are ready for the institutions into
which they transfer.
 Visioning and planning – high school students need to have a
vision and plan for post-high school, and once here, post-Valencia.
 Utilizing community relationships – who loves us already? Build
those relationships!
 Economic impact is not spoken about enough – brand ourselves in
terms of our economic impact.
 Momentum is an important component of a pathway – and the
community can be a starting point and ending point for the
pathway.
 What drives us? Community needs or student needs?
 Are we proactive or reactive with the community?
 How do we know we are effective?
 How do we connect to and get partners involved with us?
 Need more personal development programs for employees – on
finances for example – to show we care about their lives?
 We are not starting from scratch here! Many great programs are
in place, and we can expand and improve, build on the foundation
we have.
 Parent involvement – how do we get them to buy into our brand
and understand what we offer to their young people?
Ways to encourage dialogue around the college about the goal essays
 Email from Dr. Shugart – it’s actually something interesting to
read and catches attention – people may not be used to open
culture.
 Consider adding survey or feedback component at the end of the
essay – engage two way communication
 Bulletin?
 Blog? Use technology – something online or in Atlas where
employees can post their ideas and thoughts to spark discussion
 Forums?
 Some deep in the organization don’t know that the forum for
discussion exists and that they are welcome and encouraged to
participate (supervisors, councils can encourage all to participate)
 Establish multiple avenues for people to engage
 Make it clear that no punitive action will occur for participation
 Engage adjunct faculty – make it accessible during short campus
visits, establish a meaningful route for their participation, develop
an active outreach program to connect and solicit feedback
(consult deans, faculty council, and adjuncts themselves)
 Use organizations that are already in place – department
meetings, councils, etc. Set aside time to discuss each essay in
meetings that are already scheduled.
 Serve Food  YUM! (ice cream was suggested)
 Get students involved through surveys to Atlas email accounts –
their input is important – be careful with messages sent from
Valencia to all students – may be viewed as spam. If students
don’t open it, it’s not communication.
 Communicate our good results from strategic planning processes
of years past will encourage conversation.
 Consult and engage retirees and alums – they are key
stakeholders
 Establish relevance to stakeholders
 May need to be more prescriptive and direct in encouraging
engagement from staff (supervisors may need to cause the
conversation to happen)
 Generate excitement for the plan!
 Include part time staff – many of our full time staff started as part
time and many are deeply invested in the institution (though they
may not be full time)
 Consider bi-lingual presentations/conversations
 Invite stakeholders outside of the college to participate in our
conversations
 Take it on the road…the Strategic Plan Road Show…the musical!
 Shine spotlight on feedback on plan – make it for a short time but
intense (when it’s drawn out or sporadic, it loses impact)
 Make sure we have one central location for collecting feedback
 Establish or choose a methodology for communicating ideas and
results (balanced scorecard suggested)
 Don’t force participation, encourage it and appreciate those who
don’t want to weigh in
 Ambassadors on campus to shed light and bring clarity to
documents – bridge gaps, deepen and broaden conversation
 Tap into community partners
 Goal teams will help keep conversation going
 Consider how to translate the high-context language of the plan
into low-context communication that others can “bite onto” and
begin to understand
 Round robin idea (ask Amy)
Questions or Issues