Trustees adopt ‘areas of focus’ for 2014-15

The Shoreline Community College Board of Trustees has approved three areas of focus that will help guide the work of the college for 2014-15.

“I’m encouraged by the process that brought us to this point and the outcomes of that process,” Board Chair Tom Lux said prior to the unanimous vote at Oct. 29, 2014 meeting. “During this time of transition on the board and in college leadership, this helps to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

Work on the areas of focus began during a retreat this past August. At the two-day retreat, the trustees and President Cheryl Roberts, along with consultant Tom Mesaros of the Alford Group, reviewed the current college work and opened a discussion on board goals for this academic year. The trustees and President Roberts came back to the discussion at the Sept. 17 meeting and then the board approved the areas-of-focus document on Oct. 29.

During that time, Roberts worked extensively with the college Executive Leadership Team and others on campus to hone the areas of focus and the strategies and tactics outlined in the document.

“As we move forward, this work will help us be more effective and efficient in our efforts to meet the needs of our students,” Roberts said. “Each area of focus includes components that will define and direct our work.”

Roberts noted that the areas of focus don’t replace the previously adopted core themes, but rather reinforce and address one or more of the themes.

The areas of focus are:

1. Increase Enrollment, Retention and Completion
2. Leverage Community Engagement
3. Develop Human Resources and Physical/Technical Infrastructure

“The first area supports our core themes of Student Success, Educational Attainment and Program Excellence,” Roberts said. Under the heading of “Increase Enrollment, Retention and Completion” are 10 tactics developed with the involvement of college leadership and staff. “We’ll use those tactics to make progress in that area of focus.”

The second area of focus, “Leverage Community Engagement,” supports the core themes Community Engagement and College Stewardship, Roberts said. A goal is improve the “ownership” of the college by the many communities served by Shoreline.

“In addition to learning how we may better serve their needs, we’ll be looking to involve those communities in raising funds that will help the college meet those needs,” Roberts said.

The third area of focus, “Develop Human Resources and Physical/Technical Infrastructure,” is has two subareas: first, Hiring and Talent Development and second, Strategic Planning. Together, they support the core themes of Program Excellence and Access and Diversity.

“These really go hand-in-hand,” Roberts said. “Our greatest resource is our people, but then we must have a clear path for our great people to follow.”

Roberts said that path will be set in “an inclusive planning process will begin by January 2015 and engage the campus community as well as the communities we serve …”

As currently outlined, that strategic planning process will touch on seven topics, including:

1. Academic programs and student services
2. Governance
3. Human resources
4. Communication and marketing
5. Facilities, equipment and technology
6. Finances (Both operating and capital needs to include revenue an expenses)

“We will reach out to and engage with the campus communities and the communities we serve,” Roberts said. “Having a strategic plan that looks out five years becomes the foundation for our work. Such a plan doesn’t mean we can’t change course, but becomes a point of reference when we do need to adjust.”