Goal #3

Strengthen and develop innovative initiatives that enhance the
holistic student experience and cultivate a campus culture responsive to student voice.

Rationale

Both the Strategic Planning data collection process and the recent NECHE evaluation report highlight several areas of institutional strength with regard to comprehensively supporting the belonging and well-being of all constituents, especially students. Assets identified include a safe campus environment, engaged and dedicated faculty & staff committed to addressing student needs and a newly minted first -year student success program. The data also indicated that the quality of student life on campus is a significant factor in recruiting and retaining students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds and ALANA students. Further, some stakeholders expressed concerns over specific student support areas, including adequate and accessible mental health care and an increased need for structured academic support programs, particularly in the post-Covid era.

By proactively leveraging current strengths and focusing on building a more positive residential experience for students, the College can simultaneously address enrollment and retention concerns and advance the 鈥楽tudents鈥� goals outlined in the NECHE Projections plan 2024-2029.

Success Metrics

  • Increased student participation in co-curricular activities and community events by 5% a year through 2030.
  • Increased students鈥� reported satisfaction by 5% a year through 2030 with dining services, campus facilities, residential services, academics, and social/extracurricular offerings, as measured by campus surveys and other assessment techniques.
  • Increased budgetary support for initiatives that support student belonging and engagement through reallocating student fees and other funding sources.
  • Increase and improve student programming, social, and gathering spaces on campus.
  • Improved infrastructure for co-curricular offerings to increase visibility and perceived value of students鈥� co-curricular experiences.
  • Increase the number of residential students by 2% a year through 2030.

911黑料网 Campus

Strategies

Strategy 1

Continue to implement an institutional events calendar and student activities application that is easily accessible by all community members.

  • Launch and pilot the centralized campus calendar (25Live).
  • Continue the roll out of student activities application Engage911黑料网.
  • Form a cross-divisional college committee to implement and maintain an 911黑料网 calendar that includes affinity celebrations and recognition days and months, and culturally diverse recognition of days, holidays, months, etc.
  • Develop internal communication and event programming around the celebration calendar. Include departments across campus to centralize and ensure equitable representation and participation.
  • Promote and communicate the use of piloted campus calendar and event technologies to campus constituencies.
  • Continue to build out unused functionality of 25Live, building a budget for professional development, add-ons, additional licenses, and expansion to interface with other existing technology on campus.
  • Begin a conversation on the transition of Engage 911黑料网 software to 25Live to improve efficiency, maximize financial resources, and aid in presenting one clear, accessible campus calendar.
  • Assess the saturation and effectiveness of the calendar technology to enhance student engagement.
  • Ensure adequate staffing to successfully manage calendar technology moving forward.
  • Implement communication and event programming around the celebration calendar.
  • Fully transition to 25Live, end contract with Engage911黑料网 to support full accessibility for all community members.
  • Assess community awareness of events occurring on campus and refine communication strategy accordingly.
  • Assess celebration calendar to ensure functionality and engagement.
  • Build relationships with community partners to enhance programmatic goals of community, belonging, and inclusiveness with regards to signature campus events and celebrations.
  • Continue to support and utilize professional development with the 25Live system, with full campus adoption and user support for all community members.
  • Assess campus programming offerings and review job descriptions in high program areas to gauge staff capacity and resources. Use data to confirm or shift job responsibilities and staffing structures that support long term programmatic sustainability.

Strategy 2

Develop student leadership opportunities and institutional activities that enhance 911黑料网鈥檚 ability to listen to, advocate for, and represent student experiences more effectively.

  • In partnership with the Student Government Association (SGA), adopt an institution wide inclusive definition of and community of practice for student leadership at 911黑料网.
  • Identify additional student leaders, expand, and incentivize student leadership opportunities with an eye towards equity.
  • Create mechanisms for students to voice, views, and feedback that are monitored and responded to regularly other than surveys.
  • Work with existing student feedback to research student transportation options in the area.
  • Using existing student feedback, continue to research dining options that are responsive to student needs and interests.
  • Identify other areas of the student experience that would benefit from student input.
  • Create and promote a multi-year calendar of feedback opportunities that students can opt out of via EAB Navigate and other survey tools.
  • Begin the process of reinvigorating Community and Civic Learning Program, including evaluation of staff/APR support.
  • Create and promote an approval process for surveys for staff and faculty to aid in reducing survey fatigue, coordinate resources to respond to state and federal requirements and maximize student voice.
  • Develop tangible and measurable strategies for student advocacy in areas of need, and other areas identified by students.
  • Enhance leadership program offerings for students.
  • Initiate new mechanisms for student voice and determine if they effectively engage students.
  • Develop transportation options identified as functional and feasible for the College.
  • Implement dining options identified.
  • Collaborate with the Trailblazer Center to revitalize the Community and Civic Learning program, with leadership from staff and/or faculty in alignment with the Academic Program Review (APR).
  • Assess student satisfaction around student advocacy and student representation.
  • Review mechanisms for student voice and determine if they effectively engage students.
  • Create and implement professional development for students in structured leadership roles and those not connected to a formal structure, to enhance their ability to self-advocate and represent their needs and build soft skills.
  • Assess transportation options and add or shift options as needed.
  • Assess student satisfaction with updated dining options.
  • Utilize student employment positions to leverage the student voice in areas such as the Essential Needs Center and other areas.
  • Assess student leadership opportunities for effectiveness and participation and provide mechanisms for revisions or additional support as needed.
  • Assess student satisfaction around student advocacy and student representation.
  • Review mechanisms for student voice and determine if they effectively engage students.
  • Review student participation in College Governance to ensure full participation and engagement.

Strategy 3

Develop and map structured milestones that every student will experience during their time at 911黑料网. Outline these milestones for students and the campus community to ensure shared understanding and support.

  • Define key milestones 911黑料网 students should achieve during their time at the College and develop a clear pathway that guides students through these experiences.
  • Identify, expand, and align internal and external resources to offer greater access to students for identified milestone opportunities.
  • Identify opportunities for APR support of existing and new cross-divisional leadership opportunities.
  • Create strong connections across divisions in critical areas of interest that students have identified, such as outdoor recreation, travel experiences, and servicelearning experiences.
  • Develop a marketing campaign around 911黑料网鈥檚 important milestones to share with the campus community and beyond.
  • Recruit and onboard students to participate in milestone experiences.
  • Establish celebrations, ceremonies and symbols that commemorate participation in structured milestones.
  • Create learning outcomes for student leadership in alignment with institutional learning outcomes.
  • Assess milestones and determine how realistic, attainable, and successful they have been.
  • Engage with potential donors and grant funders to identify financial support for milestone programs.
  • Pilot student leadership learning outcomes with targeted groups of students and assess progress of student leadership learning outcomes.
  • Form community connections and public partnerships for continued sustainability of existing programs, and creation of new community centered/responsive programs.
  • Assess initial student cohorts and measure progress towards achievement of student learning outcomes.
  • Assess public partnerships and community connections to determine effectiveness.

Strategy 4

Continue to evaluate student programming and campus facilities with a focus on increased engagement and belonging institution wide.

  • Partner with DCAMM to advance the process for developing a campus master plan.
  • Continue to enrich social programming offerings to better appeal to students, including more late-night and weekend offerings and more engagement opportunities as well as programming to better support commuters and first-generation students.
  • Engage with the MSCBA and external entities to plan an overhaul of residential facilities, strengthening 911黑料网鈥檚 commitment as a residential college.
  • Review student programming models at peer institutions to maximize engagement and retention.Assess staffing model structures and review organizational structures that support student programming capacity and alignment.
  • Adopt the Okanagan Charter and charge a committee to begin the work.
  • Solicit, consider, and incorporate student input into the design & development of new student spaces on campus to address equity & student needs.
  • Apply for DCAMM funding opportunities to support campus upgrades. (Move to Year 1)
  • Create an updated master facilities plan that is both fiscally responsible and forward looking and centers student learning, growth, and development and engages students as partners in its drafting.
  • Develop a list of actionable solutions to fund increased programming (increased student activity fees, work-study funds, etc.).
  • Increase communication with students regarding programming and engagement opportunities to increase awareness and participation.
  • Begin work with the Okanagan Charter.
  • Confirm a steering committee to move residential projects forward, identify a partner for renderings, get student and community feedback, present options to the community.
  • Convene the President鈥檚 Athletic Advisory Committee (PAAC) to review 911黑料网鈥檚 athletic program to evaluate capacity and program mission. This may include a feasibility study of sports sponsorship, conference participation, athletics facilities assessment with MSCBA, and alumni engagement.
  • Evaluate College spaces for ADA compliance and develop a budget plan for achieving compliance.
  • Assess the growth of student programming offerings for specific populations and the campus as a whole and refine as needed.
  • Assess communication with students regarding programming and engagement opportunities to increase awareness and participation.
  • Develop new social and gathering spaces across campus for students that foster belonging, engagement, and wellbeing.
  • Continue to build the master facilities plan and begin to execute portions as feasible and identify potential DCAMM funding opportunities.
  • Implement additional student programming offerings for specific populations and the campus based on assessment findings.
  • Enhance emotional and mental well-being resources for students, with a focus on supporting traditionally excluded populations using a trauma informed lens.
  • Investigate additional funding sources for student organizations and student programming.
  • Begin construction on residential areas.
  • Implement the work of the PAAC.j
  • Continue to execute the master facilities plan and assess student programming enhancements to determine if they support engagement, belonging, and wellbeing.
  • Work toward making all College spaces ADA compliant.
  • Continue to increase additional funding for student organizations and student programming.
  • Engage in full review of the Aramark contract.
  • Continued work with the PAAC.
  • Open new residential areas.
  • Confirm athletics program mission and goals to maximize recruitment and retention of an 911黑料网 student athlete profile.
  • Assess Okanagan Charter work.
  • Begin implementation of approved DCAMM projects.
  • Assess student programming options to ensure satisfaction with offerings.
  • Assess institutional progress towards achieving ADA compliance.