Download or read book An Exploration of Strategic Planning Perspectives and Processes Within Community Colleges Identified as Being Distinctive in Their Strategic Planning Practices written by Lisa Jeanne Augustyniak and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Community college leaders face unprecedented change, and some have begun reexamining their institutional strategic planning processes. Yet, studies in higher education strategic planning spend little time examining how community colleges formulate their strategic plans. This mixed-method qualitative study used an expert sampling method to identify three AQIP-accredited community colleges in one Midwestern state that were viewed as leaders in strategic planning. Using their AQIP Systems Portfolios and interviews with their senior leadership, this study examined these colleges’ strategic planning perspectives (i.e., the “point of view” that an organization has chosen to use as a basis for formulating their strategic plan) and processes (i.e., the series of actions, changes, or functions to achieve a desired result). This study also examined the extent to which these institutional leaders perceived that their strategic planning process added “value” to their institution. To examine strategic planning perspectives and processes at these institutions two different theoretical frameworks (i.e., Goodman and Willekens (2001) and Mintzberg et al.'s (1998) 10 strategic perspectives) were used. Goodman and Willekens’ research was updated to reflect the AQIP accreditation pathway, and a crosswalk was created to determine which, if any, of Mintzberg et al.'s 10 strategic perspectives were present at these community colleges. Key findings revealed both familiar and distinctive elements of strategic planning processes across the institutions under investigation. Instead of the three phases of strategic planning suggested in the literature, these institutions exhibited five phases, adding phases to advance their institutions from strategic planning to strategic thinking. All participating institutions relied on Mintzberg et al.'s (1998) configuration perspective rather than the positioning perspective indicated as more common in the literature. The institutional leaders interviewed all saw value in planning strategically, and noted it allowed their organizations to align priorities, perceptions, perspectives, processes, and personnel. Overall, this study revealed no specific recipe for strategic planning within these community colleges, but that successful strategic planning is contextual. It is a function of practices and models customized to fit a college’s unique setting (i.e., organization, leaders, and members).

Download or read book Building Communities Through Strategic Planning written by Kay McClenney and published by American Association of Community Colleges(AACC). This book was released on 1991 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using the conceptual framework outlined in "Building Communities: A Vision for a New Century," a 1988 report of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, this guidebook explores eight phases in the development and implementation of a strategic plan. Chapter I provides an overview of the planning process and the essential elements and conditions of strategic planning. Chapter II discusses organizational and logistical issues in the "planning to plan" phase, focusing on the planning council, staff support for planning, the role of the governing board, and the use of outside consultants. In chapter III, methods for reviewing and clarifying the college's mission are explored. Chapter IV looks at the process of articulating the values shared by the college and its community, and chapter V presents different approaches to environmental and institutional scanning. Chapters VI and VII explain the processes of identifying strategic issues and formulating the strategic plan. After a discussion in chapter VIII concerning the presentation, approval, endorsement, and dissemination of the strategic plan, chapter IX considers the implementation and follow-up phases and ways of linking strategy to operations and resources. Each of the chapters dealing with particular phases of the strategic planning process concludes with a list of suggested activities and resources. The final chapter presents a guide for discussion and evaluation of the goal of building communities. Appendixes include a self-assessment instrument and Owensboro Community College's (KY) strategic plan, which was developed using the eight-phase process presented in the guidebook. (WP)

Download or read book Strategic Planning and Resource Allocation as a Road Trip written by Douglas A. Smith and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rural community colleges are unique in many ways including the students served, local community needs, geographic location, and funding. Simply having a strategic plan is not enough to meet the increasing calls for public accountability. Funding is the primary key to taking the strategic plan off the shelf and placing it on center stage. This can be accomplished through integrated planning efforts to incorporate strategic planning considerations in the budgeting process and decisions. This case study provides a better understanding of how this is being done at one medium sized rural community college. The research questions for this study focused on understanding the process for preparing the strategic plan and budget. They also examined how strategic goals and resource demands are established and prioritized. The research questions additionally identified systems, documents, and processes to integrate strategic planning and resource allocation and specifically examined the impact of leadership. A qualitative case study design was used to describe, understand, and interpret these complex real world processes. Interviews were conducted with 13 institutional leaders directly involved with strategic planning and resource allocation to provide a rich description from a variety of perspectives. Documents were also collected and used in the data analysis. Hill Valley Community College (HVCC) serves approximately 4,600 credit students and 1,000 non-credit students annually on two main campuses. The service area of the college encompasses over 11,000 square miles and a total population of approximately 90,000. The HVCC service area is larger than 9 states including Maryland and Vermont. HVCC is the only higher education provider in the service area in this rural part of a Mountain West state. The findings of this research at HVCC identified four primary themes and included (a) respect for the organizational environment, (b) addressing changes with flexibility and responsiveness, (c) commitment to leading and communicating the vision, and (d) establishing trust in budgeting. These four themes collectively described how this one rural community college integrated strategic planning and resource allocation processes. Over the course of this research an interpretation of four conditions essential for successful strategic planning and resource allocation integration emerged and were synthesized by a senior administrator. These conditions were (a) a strong unified leadership, (b) a focused and clear strategic plan, (c) effective followers, and (d) the availability of funding to support the plan. These conditions were each necessary and together they were described as sufficient for successfully integrated strategic planning and resource allocation. Some conditions may be more important than others at times, but in the end they are all collectively responsible for progress towards the future vision of the college. Like any road trip, many elements are necessary for progress and success in integrating strategic planning and resource allocation. A well-planned successful road trip requires someone to take the lead, forethought, a reliable vehicle, money for gas and adventures, and friends willing to go along for the ride. Likewise, strategic planning has essential conditions that are necessary for success. Individually these conditions are not sufficient but collectively they are sufficient for successfully integrated planning.

Download or read book Strategic Leadership written by Richard L. Morrill and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2010-04-16 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Strategic Leadership addresses deep and continuing issues relating to strategy, governance, management, and leadership in higher education during a period of rapid change. Each of these themes is at the heart of current debates about the capacity of universities to respond to new expectations, market realities, reduced state funding, globalization, technology, and a long list of other challenges. Dealing with these issues can immobilize colleges and universities, or it can cause them to become so market-driven that they will sacrifice their own legacy of academic values. This book places strategic planning in a new conceptual framework that is oriented to interactive leadership rooted in human agency and values. It will assist academic professionals, stakeholders such as trustees, and students of higher education to better understand and use strategic planning as an effective process and as a method of collaborative leadership.

Download or read book Staff Perceptions of a Participatory Strategic Planning Process at One Community College written by Eve L. McDermott and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of participants involved in one community college's strategic planning process in which faculty, administrators, and staff at all levels of the organization were encouraged to participate. Data were collected through direct observation, focus group interviews, analysis of institutional documents, and a pen and paper questionnaire. Data were analyzed through a constant comparative method. Reduction of the data produced themes exploring the reaction of participants to the new strategic planning process. This qualitative study generated four hypotheses that relate to these research questions: 1. Staff participation in an organization's strategic planning process results in a deeper staff understanding of the organization's mission, a higher staff commitment to the organization's goals, and a demonstration of greater staff energy and vitality. 2. Community college departments will interpret and implement institutional strategic planning processes in ways that are unique and congruent with their academic discipline; a single process cannot be successfully dictated. 3. When managers serve as facilitators or use others to facilitate strategic planning processes, staff will self-organize, a process will emerge, and leadership will take a variety of forms. 4. Community college staff who encounter change in strategic planning processes can be categorized as Guarded Optimists, Curmudgeons, Crusaders, or Along for the Ride, based on levels of frustration and optimism. Recommendations for Practice: 1. Obtain acceptance of terminology from all units before beginning the participatory strategic planning process. Use acceptable terms in form/templates and in facilitation. 2. Do not dictate a single process for strategic planning across all disciplines. Design forms and processes that are adaptable to differences in styles of critical thinking. 3. Use facilitators to assist units in the participatory strategic planning effort. Train the facilitators to work in ways that empower participants. 4. Reduce participant frustration and increase optimism by providing sufficient time, creating sustainable feedback loops, both of which demonstrate that the unit manager has thought through the process. 5. Increase participation in strategic planning processes to gain deeper understanding of the organization's mission, higher commitments to organizational goals, and a demonstration of greater energy and vitality.

Download or read book Creating Shared Vision and Facilitating Transformation in Community Colleges written by and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why are some community colleges, regardless of location or size, able to successfully engage their communities (both internal and external) to create highly functional strategic plans that guide their institutions to a shared vision and transformational change? This research sought to identify the positive qualitative elements exercised during the strategic planning process. Contextual elements, such as how leaders craft the strategic planning process, how and to what degree they seek feedback from the college's stakeholders, as well as the social and psychological processes and talents of the people involved in the planning have not been examined in depth in the literature. By examining these aspects, the researcher hopes to create a list of best practices that colleges can implement to enhance their internal processes. The researcher used qualitative methods via focus group interviews and using Grounded Theory analysis. She visited three community colleges recommended as having exemplary planning processes that resulted in a shared vision. The colleges were geographically and demographically diverse to document commonalities of different types of community colleges. The researcher conducted four homogeneous focus groups at each college (leadership, students, faculty, and staff). The query related to the strategic planning process that welcomed true stakeholder input and sought transformational change that would create shared vision. The focus of the questions centered on the role leadership had in the process, cultural characteristics of the college that influenced the planning processes, and finally, the role that each individual played in the process. At the conclusion of the study, the researcher found that a combination of factors work in concert to enable the community colleges in the study to foster a shared vision. Attributes such as loyalty, servant leadership, communication, trust and accountability are but a few of the necessary attributes found among the colleges in the research.

Download or read book An Analysis of Strategic Planning Practices at Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology written by David Harold Sheridan and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Comparison of Maryland Community College Academic Division Heads Planning Perspectives with the Basic Concepts and Processes of Strategic Planning written by Toby H. Milton and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Resources in Education written by and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Strategic Planning and Results Management at Five New Jersey Community Colleges written by Joseph T. Isaac and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Strategic Planning in the Business Enterprise of Christian Colleges and Universities written by Wayne Lewis Fletcher and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many tuition-driven private colleges and universities struggled for economic survival in the first decade of this millennium. The current study views higher education from a two-good framework that posits that every college and university provides teaching and service for the societal good while generating revenue from traditional business-like practices (B. Weisbrod, Ballou, & Asch, 2010). This study sought to understand the strategic and tactical planning philosophies and practices within financially successful Christian colleges and universities as well as the practices that allowed these institutions to remain faithful to their mission. Through a case study approach, I identified and researched three colleges that demonstrated financial success for the academic years 2006-07 through 2009-10, comparing the cross-case analysis against the literature regarding best business practices. From these findings I concluded with recommendations that mission-driven institutions of higher education seeking to remain financially successful and true to their mission should first ensure that they have distinctive missions through which the institution views all institutional practices. Second, ingrain a flexible strategic planning mentality within the institution that is clearly and inextricably linked to the mission. Third, operate the basic institutional functions of the college like a business, ensuring that earned tuition fully supports campus operations. Fourth, make institutional advancement an institutional priority. Finally, diversify the institutional portfolio, consistent with the mission, in order to hedge against market changes in demand from specific demographics or professions.

Download or read book A Case Study written by Marcie Semerad Tucker and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Strategic Planning and the Future of Community Colleges written by Gundar Myran and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Dispositions Toward Strategic Planning written by Neil E. Veydt and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Strategic Planning in Community College Information Technology written by Todd Prusha and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Technology infusion at the community college involves decision making for a multitude of audiences and factors. Advances in technology, students with disparate needs, faculty with varying degrees of technological skills, network security threats, infrastructure costs and competition are contributing to a new reality for community college presidents and CIOs. Careful planning is needed on the part of community college leaders to focus technology resources and training opportunities. The plan must address the needs of the entire community college. In this study community colleges with proven interest and leadership in using technology for innovative college curriculum and services were identified and studied. The institutional decision makers behind the technology plans were interviewed to uncover the factors they consider in planning and implementing their successful programs. Feedback from the personal interviews was used to formulate common themes in the area of technology planning. The common themes were incorporated into a Delphi survey instrument that was administered to each of the community college leader participating in the study. Successful college selection was determined by college membership in the League for Innovation in the Community College (The League) organization. Additionally, executive board members from The League were asked to identify community colleges with innovative uses of technology. Another criterion for college selection was participation and subscription to the Educause organization. Finally, IT leaders were selected by inclusion of their college's name on the 2005 Top Ten Tech Savvy (Digital) Community Colleges list. The list is prepared by the Center for Digital Education and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The information gathered from this study will be used to assist community colleges in strategic planning for information technology. The data will guide colleges in the planning process prior to investing in software, hardware, infrastructure and training. The findings also will examine methods of technology assessment and funding at the community college. This study will inform institutional leaders about who to involve in the technology planning process, possible planning strategies and technology spending benchmarks, as well as other critical points of consideration.

Download or read book Strategic Marketing in the Global Forest Industries written by Heikki Juslin and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 616 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Perceptions Held by Selected Mmbers of the Wayne Community College Planning Council about Their Prticipation in the Strategic Planning Pocess at Wayne Community College written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study is to determine the perceptions held by Planning Council members about their experiences in participating in Wayne Community Colleges strategic planning process. Generally, Council members viewed their experiences as positive and indicated that they valued the opportunity to serve on the College's Planning Council. They attributed their positive experiences to several factors, including having an opportunity to provide inputs in the process, becoming more knowledgeable about a wide array of the College's programs and communicating the plans of their respective program areas to fellow Council members. Council members reported changes in their understanding of the strategic planning process as they acquired additional experiences in implementing the process. While Council members seemed aware of, and committed to, the College's strategic planning process, the information that they shared indicate that their greatest involvement was at the program level implementing the several subprocesses of the strategic planning process. These subprocesses are: environmental scanning; including data collection analysis and interpretation; needs assessment; formulation of goals and objectives;development of strategies for implementing the objectives; and the development of plans for assessing or measuring outcomes. For the most part, Council members viewed strategic planning at the institutional level to be the responsibility of the College's administrators. Council members connected planning at their program levels to institutional level planning. Moreover, they viewed these strategic plans developed for their respective programs as the College's principal means for implementing its overall strategic plan. Council members reported that lack of time and the lack of preparation to engage in strategic planning were impediments to their perceived effectiveness in implementing the College's strategic planning process. They felt that the college needed to aid th.