Strategic Plan outlines future for Douglas College

Change is the only thing that stays the
same at Douglas College.

That's reflected in the Douglas College’s
draft Strategic Plan, called Transparent
Boundaries.

‘Transparent Boundaries looks at many of
the forces shaping the next years at
Douglas College: student access, curricu-
lum, employee development,
organizational restructuring, to lista few.

The ttle reflects the notion that Douglas
College needs to be clear about its roles
and responsibilities, but clarity should not
create boundaries that become barriers.

College priorities and actions form the ba-
sis of the Plan, but most important for

Task Force continued from page |

 

social and economic needs of communi-

ties served by the College.

Day pointed out that most College senior
administrators and many senior faculty
members would be reaching retirement
age by the end of the decade. With this in
mind, he said. succession planning is
needed to ensure change that is smooth
and well thought out. He pointed to him-
self as an obvious example, having
recently celebrated his 60th birthday
(Which also marks his 38th year in the

education system).

“The Board will probably make an an-
nouncement in early Spring regarding the

College faculty and staff is the call for Col-
lege divisions and departments to develop
Tactical Plans, says Mia Gordon, Dean of
Human Resources and College Develop-
ment.

"It strikes me that we’re in an environment
of change. The Strategic Plan will iden-
tify the need for organizational change in
terms of strategic directions, which in
turn will result in departments doing three-
year Tactical Plans."

Gordon says that with all the internal and
external factors affecting the College’s
path, it’s important that we tie everything
into a strategic direction, and that people
are very clear about those directions.

process of searching for my successor. I
have discussed two general options with
the Board. A new president could be hired
to engineer changes he or she feels are
necessary, or the new president could be
hired a little later to fit into the new or-
ganization. The Board has chosen the
latter approach. I see this as a vote of con-
tidence that the College is proceeding as it
should -- in a controlled, well-planned
process of change. This is a very healthy
thing."

Members of the Task Force will include

one member from each of these groups:
senior administration; mid-management;

"The Strategic Plan should help people re-

alize the difference between strategic ©
planning, tactical planning and operational
planning."

The Plan calls for divisions and depart-
ments to begin developing their Tactical
Plans in January, and to begin circulating
them in February. The first progress re-
port or Tactical Plan update would happen
in March 1995.

Copies of the draft Strategic Plan are avail-
able by contacting your dean or
department head. A

faculty; statf; students: and the Board’s
College Finance, Facilities and Personnel
Committee. Nominations will be sought
trom the Management Committee (for the
senior administrative representative),
trom the College Operations Group (for
the mid-management representative), and
from the Education Council (for the fac-
ulty, staff and student representatives).

Nominations are due in the President's
Office by December 3: appointments to
the Task Force will be announced by
December 10. &

 

 

   

 

 

At a glance...
Why the College has to be ready to change.

Constant growth in FTE

nearing retirement

The continued shift to a multi-campus College

Changing economic and social conditions

Senior administrators and senior faculty