Strategic Plan 2008-2013

Strategic Plan Progress Reports

The 2008-2013 North Idaho College Strategic Plan includes 141 Action Items. The progress of those Action Items is shown in the chart below. Additional information can be found by clicking on the bar in the chart.

As of : July 15, 2009

Completed

**Progress Report: Action Items in progress**
Theme	Goal	Action Step	Outcome	Comments
THEME I: PROGRAMS	Goal 1: Improve and expand educational opportunities, programs, and courses for the student population and community.	4. Consider/initiate plans to offer a course sequence leading to an Associates Degree offered by NIC at the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Educational Institute, followed by a Bachelors Degree offered by the UI at the same center.	Initial discussions on course offerings, and initial planning for a new facility to house the Educational Institute to be built by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe	Although several classes are being offered at the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Institute, and options leading to bachelor degrees are being developed, the new facility for the institute is currently on hold and Tribal leadership is investigating funding for such a facility.
THEME I: PROGRAMS	Goal 1: Improve and expand educational opportunities, programs, and courses for the student population and community.	1. Increase the number of ABE/GED students who enroll in PTE programs.	Market/promote the PTE programs at the ABE/GED Center on a monthly basis	The Success Strategies classes were delivered through the ABE program. At this point, it is unknown how many of the ABE students have moved on to NIC.
THEME I: PROGRAMS	Goal 1: Improve and expand educational opportunities, programs, and courses for the student population and community.	2. Increase the number of ABE/GED students who enroll in Workforce Training courses	Market/promote Workforce Training opportunities at the ABE/GED Center on a monthly basis	Additional data is needed to determine how many ABE students have moved on to the Workforce Training Center.
THEME I: PROGRAMS	Goal 1: Improve and expand educational opportunities, programs, and courses for the student population and community.	3. Offer College Transition classes at the outreach centers and at the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Educational Institute.	Plan and promote the college transition class at each site, and offer the class for Spring 2009	An on-line College Transitions course will be offered in Fall 2009.
THEME I: PROGRAMS	Goal 2: Expand and improve alternative delivery of education.	1. Continue discussions with the Silver Valley Economic Development group regarding offering Trade & Industry programs in the Silver Valley.	Develop a schedule for offering programs in Kellogg and Wallace	CNA was offered in the Silver Valley Outreach Center. Due to the current economic situation, there has been little or no demand for trade and industry related programs.
THEME I: PROGRAMS	Goal 4: Create program schedules that maximize the use of available facilities, and take advantage of new and alternative facilities as appropriate.	2. Continue to find programs that can work equally well on a flip schedule or night and weekend schedule.	Offer more classes at alternative times to better utilize facilities
THEME I: PROGRAMS	Goal 4: Create program schedules that maximize the use of available facilities, and take advantage of new and alternative facilities as appropriate.	1. Explore creation of a larger Coeur d'Alene Tribal Educational Institute in Plummer as a site for offering NIC and UI classes.	Work with Tribe members and UI staff to plan and design a new facility to house the Educational Institute and to be built and financed by the Tribe	A tentative site has been selected and a feasibility and cost study are being conducted.
THEME I: PROGRAMS	Goal 4: Create program schedules that maximize the use of available facilities, and take advantage of new and alternative facilities as appropriate.	2. Contract with interested businesses to offer training/courses at their site.	Offer off-site training	See previous item
THEME II: STUDENT SUPPORT	Goal 1: Improve student access.	3. Implement ideas developed by team.	Assigned project managers with appropriate due dates for implementation	To occur Spring 2009
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 1: Improve organizational and inter-departmental communications.	1. Conduct an employee opinion survey as a follow up to the 2008 survey to evaluate progress in key areas.	Improved input from employees regarding NIC, and greater awareness of issues affecting NIC; Assessment of progress to improve previously identified issues and opportunities	The President has placed a greater focus on implementing efforts to address issues raised in the 2008 employee opinion survey in order to enhance positive nature of NIC climate.OBJECTIVE: Enhance connections with faculty and staff informally and formally.ACTIONS:1) Monthly “Coffee with Priscilla.”2) Monthly open forum.3) Scheduled “walk around” tours of departments.4) Meet monthly with constituent group leaders.5) Present Sterling Silver Awards (employee of the month).6) Monthly column focused on faculty and staff contributions to community.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 1: Improve organizational and inter-departmental communications.	3. Increase awareness of employee access to "open door" policy to managers and leaders throughout the organization.	Improved input from employees regarding NIC, and greater access to managers and leaders	This is both in progress and completed. The concept of an open door policy regarding managers and supervisors requires much more than hanging out a sign that says (open door). It becomes more of a statement and an attitude among managers and supervisors. This concept has been integrated into the extensive training provided to managers and supervisors throughout the year. Because efforts have been made to integrate an open door policy among managers, it is completed. However, this is an ongoing effort that will require considerable time to change cultural elements.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 2: Further develop opportunities for professional development.	1. Develop faculty development program to promote further professional and academic development of faculty.	Enhanced opportunities for ongoing faculty development to enhance quality in classroom	Primary emphases were placed on management and staff development opportunities over the past year. However, in conjunction with the professional development day that is slated for fall semester 2009, it is anticipated that additional faculty development opportunities will present themselves through the course of this offering. The school is in progress given the coordination and organization efforts underway at this point to develop the professional development day.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 2: Further develop opportunities for professional development.	1. Develop curriculum for new program to provide employees with the opportunity to prepare for future leadership roles. Offer program at least once during FY09.	Improved competencies of supervisors, greater consistency and compliance in policy administration and execution, improved employee relations, greater management effectiveness, and reduced risk	A formal leadership Institute program has not been established as of yet. It is slated to be created in the next fiscal year to be offered to individuals who are looking for additional developmental opportunities that will help them to prepare for leadership roles.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 2: Further develop opportunities for professional development.	1. Develop format of executive development strategies with President and incorporate into executive performance expectations for coming year.	Improved competencies of executives, and greater ability to adapt and innovate	A formalized executive development plan has not been established as of yet. This will most likely stretch into the next fiscal year as plans are developed with the president to establish an executive development and leadership program for members of presidents cabinet. The intent of this executive development plan is to provide greater development to college leaders that will trickle down in a manner that will positively impact performance and effectiveness of the college.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 3: Attract and retain high quality employees.	1. Identify ongoing turnover rates among employee groups and identify potential causes of turnover through surveys, exit interviews, and other analyses.	Improved Retention	The project of identifying ongoing turnover rates and related information is slated to be completed by the end of the spring semester 2009. While it has been observed that turnover is slowing due to the economic conditions, it is still important to understand the reasons for turnover and how to identify best strategies to keep our best talent.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 3: Attract and retain high quality employees.	2. Create succession plan for key positions within organization to identify impact of loss, probability of loss, and bench strength for key positions.	Planned control of succession management	The development of a succession plan is tied into the turnover analysis. This project will stretch into the coming fiscal year, but will be started prior to the end of FY09.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 3: Attract and retain high quality employees.	3. Increase mentoring and developmental opportunities for internal candidates to prepare for promotional opportunities created by turnover.	Greater bench strength established for all key positions in current incumbents and potential successors	This action item is still in progress. Mentoring and development opportunities for internal candidates for promotional opportunities will be part of the leadership development strategies as previously addressed. Additional programmatic development of mentoring and professional development will be carried through into the next fiscal year.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 3: Attract and retain high quality employees.	1. Implement an internal branding campaign to focus on positive elements of working for NIC.	Improved Recruitment & Retention	The human resources department has begun to create an internal branding campaign by utilizing some of the same methodologies as the external branding efforts. HR has incorporated a higher level of professionalism in the announcements, advertisements, and informational pieces that establish corporate and concepts in the minds of employees. This is to help establish and maintain a consistent and positive image of the college.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 3: Attract and retain high quality employees.	2. Develop strategic recruitment and hiring strategy that incorporates advertising, marketing and other recruitment efforts to attract high quality and diverse candidates.	Improved Recruitment	This is an ongoing process that involves the development of hiring a recruitment strategies that cover multiple departments and several functional areas of the college. This is an ongoing gradual process that involves analysis of advertising, marketing and other efforts to attract and retain quality and diverse candidates. The job market such as ours and in a time where we have very little hiring taking place, it becomes challenging to establish a strategic approach wherein we are not able to measure success. It is anticipated that this action and will carry through into the next fiscal year where we can more strategically address the hiring process.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 3: Attract and retain high quality employees.	1. Review and revise hiring practices to ensure compliance and ease of hiring best candidates.	Increased legal compliance and quality of hire, reduced turnover	This is both completed and in progress. Several steps have been made in order to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance of our hiring processes to ensure not only legal compliance, but also to improve the quality of individuals hired. Several steps have been made including analysis of hiring process, evaluation of candidate selection, training of selection committees, and the training of managers and supervisors as was other hiring authorities through a group class offered in the fall semester of 2008. Ongoing activities are developed within HR to identify even more comprehensive approaches to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the hiring process.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 3: Attract and retain high quality employees.	1. Develop new online and multimedia tools to provide better information, orientation, and training to potential and new employees to enhance on-boarding experience.	Improved integration of new employees; reduced turnover of new hires	During the current fiscal year, extensive efforts have been made to identify strategies to improve the orientation and on boarding process for new hires. Materials have been developed, website pages have been evolving, and other strategies have been established in order to provide a robust and comprehensive orientation process for new hires as they come on board with the college. Because of the extensive nature of the changes, it is not clear that this will be completed prior to summer 2009. However, it is anticipated that a full, comprehensive process will be available prior to the new hires for fall 2009.
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 3: Attract and retain high quality employees.	2. Establish a passport tool for new employees to ensure effective orientation through the first six months of employment.	Improved integration of new employees; reduced turnover of new hires	The creation of a passport tool for new employees as part of the new orientation and on boarding strategy. The should be ready and implemented prior to the new hires in the fall 2009
THEME III: COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS AND CLIMATE	Goal 3: Attract and retain high quality employees.	1. Review compensation practices to identify improvements in staff compensation programs.	Internal/External equity components in plan; ensure appropriateness of pay structure	The HR generalist (Karen Hubbard) begin the process of evaluating the compensation practices for staff programs to determine a more effective approach. This has included the implementation of an external salary survey and market comparison. The first part of the process involving a market study will be completed by the end of the spring 2009 semester. The second part of the program will involve an internal analysis through job analyses and job description revisions. This will be followed by a comprehensive job evaluation process to establish internal equity among staff positions. The resulting outcome will be the creation of both internal and external evaluation tools, and a proposal for adjustments/improvements to the current compensation structure and plans. While several of the changes that would be required from such an implementation may have budgetary impact based on reclassification, the actual implementation of those changes would be pending budgetary capability to adopt the changes.
THEME IV: FINANCE AND FUNDING	Goal 1: Pursue expanded funding opportunities through NIC Foundation for student success, faculty-staff support, facility development, and program development.	1. Actively support special initiatives for priority needs.	Provide financing and/or secure external fiscal resources	The NIC Foundation is nearing successful completion of the property purchase.
THEME IV: FINANCE AND FUNDING	Goal 1: Pursue expanded funding opportunities through NIC Foundation for student success, faculty-staff support, facility development, and program development.	2. Pursue expanded funding for priority needs.	Successful fundraising and strengthened relationships	The Development Department continues to work closely with College leadership to identify priority needs to guide external private fundraising and grant requests. Expanded communications with departments and divisions will take place in 2009-10 to further identify unmet priority needs and to develop strategies to successfully assist in securing external resources as appropriate.
THEME IV: FINANCE AND FUNDING	Goal 2: Pursue opportunities for alternative funding sources.	1. Actively seek federal appropriation requests.	Enhanced fiscal resources for programs and services and elevated awareness about North Idaho College with Idaho's federal delegation	Budget requests have been prepared and submitted to federal legislative staff. In addition, meetings have been held with congressional staff to encourage funding and communications between NIC and legislators. Appropriate budget requests have been made to the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Works for FY 10. These requests have been discussed with the campus constituents and the Board of Trustees. Meetings have been had with federal legislative staff to discuss the requests.
THEME IV: FINANCE AND FUNDING	Goal 2: Pursue opportunities for alternative funding sources.	1. The college will join JobsPlus and the Manufacturer's Consortium as well as becoming more active in the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce.	Membership in JobsPlus and Manufacturer's Consortium	Action Plan. NIC is a now a major donor to Jobs Plus with a permanent position on the board for the president. An at large board position is also filled by NIC. The college is a member of all regional chambers of commerce and the economic development organizations in all five north Idaho counties as well as a member of the Inland NW Partners. NIC staff are active in chamber activities, including sitting on executive committees of a few, and with the Panhandle Area Council. In addition, Vice President Lee and WFTC staff regularly meet with employers to discuss training needs and partnership opportunities. NIC is working to establish a smooth understandable process for determining whether workforce development and training programs should be credit or non-credit and to improve our reporting to employers on what North Idaho College is doing to meet their training needs. Developed and won State Board of Education approval of a new Associate of Applied Sciences degree with multiple tracks designed to meet the specific needs of Coeur d’Alene Tribe employers. This customized degree can be adapted easily to meet the needs of other area employers as well. NIC is deeply engaged in the Kootenai Technical Education Campus group, the coalition of school districts, the college and manufacturing employers working to make the professional technical campus in Rathdrum a reality. Working with the north Idaho law enforcement agencies, NIC earned approval from the State Peace Officer Standards Training (POST) Board to establish a POST Academy on campus. The Academy began in April, 2009 and the first class graduated in July 2009. NIC continues to partner with Kootenai Medical Center and the rural hospitals in north Idaho to provide needed educational programs as well as services to the hospitals. Our nursing faculty provide additional services to the hospitals and receive additional compensation which helps to make our nursing salaries more competitive with the market.
THEME IV: FINANCE AND FUNDING	Goal 2: Pursue opportunities for alternative funding sources.	1. Increase targeted requests for grant sources such as: Title III, Part A-Strengthening Institutions; TRIO (SSS, EOC, Talent Search); NSF Programs (ATE, CCLI, STEP, S-STEM, etc.); other federal and private grants.	Enhanced fiscal resources for programs and services	NIC has hired a consultant to assist with the application and proposal for Title III when it is funded again. The Grants Coordinator is working with staff to apply for TRIO funding as it becomes available and is working with staff to develop NSF proposals. The first NSF grant application in 2009 will be S-STEM, others are under review. Other federal and private grants are in planning. The Grants Office is tracking ARRA (Stimulus) funds, changes in job training programs such as the Community Based Job Training Grant, and the proposed American Graduation Initiative, all which may provide future grant opportunities for NIC.
THEME IV: FINANCE AND FUNDING	Goal 2: Pursue opportunities for alternative funding sources.	2. Increase campus involvement in grants development.	Greater number of NIC administrators, faculty, and staff taking a leadership role in the grant-seeking process	The Development Department is developing a communications strategy to enhance understanding and participation in the external grant seeking process and future opportunities. This strategy includes presentations and meetings with Management Team, Instruction, and Student Service Divisions, academic and administrative departments, and individuals regarding their funding priorities and potential grant sources.
THEME IV: FINANCE AND FUNDING	Goal 3: Align budget with strategic plan.	1. The President's Cabinet will review the Strategic Plan each year at the start, middle, and end of the budgeting process. Discuss the completion of objectives and changes to the plan as necessary.	Review of plan is made	This goal needs to be re-started again for the FY 10 Budget process.
THEME IV: FINANCE AND FUNDING	Goal 3: Align budget with strategic plan.	1. In the preparation of the budget for each upcoming year, have each respective Vice President document how the budget is conforming to the Strategic Plan in their particular area.	Document of conformation is prepared	This plan needs to be re-started again for FY 10
THEME V: COLLEGE IMAGE AND RELATIONS	Goal 1: Enhance community perception of NIC among targeted groups.	4. Develop NIC Speakers Bureau and survey campus community for willingness to serve and topical subjects. Bureau would be posted on NIC website with individual contact information.	Speakers Bureau established	Speakers Bureau data system is in development. Speakers Bureau participants to be solicited in Fall 2009.
THEME V: COLLEGE IMAGE AND RELATIONS	Goal 2: Promote awareness and recruitment through a strong marketing campaign.	5. Coordinate with partner institutions on a once-a-semester public information event promoting cooperative programs.	Events scheduled and held	Marketing presentation materials were needed and are now complete, on schedule for 2009-2010.
THEME VI: DIVERSITY & HUMAN RIGHTS	Goal 1: Promote diversity and human rights, including respect for all elements of the college.	1. Incorporate diversity awareness, inclusion and education in formal training provided to employees.	Increased awareness and inclusion among employees and managers, and increased legal compliance regarding areas of diversity and protected classes	The most immediate efforts in incorporating diversity awareness, inclusion and education informal training provided to employees is through the sexual-harassment and diversity awareness training that will be provided at the end of March 2009. This training will be in the form of a DVD for employees to watch as well as a booklet for them to read.
THEME VI: DIVERSITY & HUMAN RIGHTS	Goal 1: Promote diversity and human rights, including respect for all elements of the college.	2. Develop hiring practices and strategies that attract applicants who reflect global diversity.	Increased awareness and inclusion among employees and managers, and increased access to diverse candidates for improved hiring effectiveness	While promoting diversity is a priority for the college, steps have not been formalized in order to create a greater attraction of applicants reflect global diversity. It appears that through the implementation of the applicant tracking system which provides the opportunity to apply online, the numbers of applicants from nontraditional backgrounds have increased.
THEME VI: DIVERSITY & HUMAN RIGHTS	Goal 1: Promote diversity and human rights, including respect for all elements of the college.	3. Update the college Affirmative Action Plan / Program to ensure legal compliance.	Up-to-date Affirmative Action Plan compliant with OFCCP standards and state/federal regulations	The consideration as to whether the college falls under an official Affirmative action Program is yet to be determined. If it is found that the college is required to follow through on its affirmative action plan, updates will be made by the end of the current fiscal year. However, it is found not to be required, a formal affirmative action plan will not be updated. Instead, efforts will be made to enhance the position of equal opportunity employment within the college.
THEME VI: DIVERSITY & HUMAN RIGHTS	Goal 1: Promote diversity and human rights, including respect for all elements of the college.	2. Identify themes that classes / curriculum should incorporate.	Collection of appropriate and available diversity and human rights competencies	The Vice President for Instruction has met with the Diversity and Human Rights Committee and efforts to identify and promote international education opportunities continue.
THEME VI: DIVERSITY & HUMAN RIGHTS	Goal 1: Promote diversity and human rights, including respect for all elements of the college.	1. Implement Diversity Training for student leaders.	Successful implementation of program	This action item saw movement, but will need to continue into 09-10 as training is developed and implemented.
THEME VI: DIVERSITY & HUMAN RIGHTS	Goal 1: Promote diversity and human rights, including respect for all elements of the college.	1. Assign PC members to be involved with the committee on a particular area of the plan.	Assigned list
THEME VI: DIVERSITY & HUMAN RIGHTS	Goal 1: Promote diversity and human rights, including respect for all elements of the college.	1. Explore opportunities for faculty.	Catalog of opportunities for faculty exchange	The VPI, Deans and Division Chairs continue to look for and promote opportunities for faculty and students to experience international educational opportunities, including Fulbright scholarships.
THEME VII: PHYSICAL RESOURCES	Goal 1: Assure opportunities for college expansion.	1. Make budget plans to collect tax dollars as necessary for the purchase of property as determined by the Board of Trustees.	Property is purchased as planned	Make the payments on the property purchase as planned and budgeted.
THEME VII: PHYSICAL RESOURCES	Goal 2: Advance the campus infrastructure with regards to technology and safety.	2. Develop a plan for equipment replacement.	Develop plan addressing equipment replacement in classrooms with faculty input and institutional funding.	The Information Technology Policy and Planning Council has been reformed and is working under an updated charge. Faculty and staff have been participating. Models for computer lab equipment replacement are under review. The classroom technology assessment model operated by the ITS team has guided FY09 investments of $ 89,250 to bring nine (9) classrooms to the presentation or IVC standard. This will continue with federal stimulus funding in FY2010.Replacement equipment funding schedules will be available for the FY2011 budget process and will include the standardized equipment purchases.
THEME VII: PHYSICAL RESOURCES	Goal 2: Advance the campus infrastructure with regards to technology and safety.	3. Acquire & develop college-wide portal system.	Acquire, implement and develop a portal system	Hardware has been purchased and was installed in August and March. Software has been licensed and has been installed. Consulting services from Datatel have been proceeding from November and will complete in July 2009.Technical support personnel have been trained. A Portal Leadership Team has been meeting to guide portal services. After a complete build, content and process changes will be made. Launch dates for employees and students will take place in Fall 2009.This will continue as IT Project FY10-01.
THEME VII: PHYSICAL RESOURCES	Goal 2: Advance the campus infrastructure with regards to technology and safety.	5. Extend wireless network access.	Wireless network access will be extended to more students and instructors in a secure manner.	An appeal to State of Idaho, Department of Public works asking to restart this project was successful. Bid documents were complete and approval DPW will bid this project in July of 2009. Installation will be coordinated early in FY2010 with the successful bidder. This project will continue as IT Project FY10-10.