Ensure Student Success as Part of Strategic Plan Work Group. Apply by Jan. 23

Today’s topic is our next strategic plan.

Welcome to 2023! NOVA’s current plan, Pathway to the American Dream, runs through the end of this year, and I’m asking for your help and participation in developing our next strategic plan. Specifically, I’m seeking college community members to engage in a process to define the goals and metrics that will guide the college’s work for the next three years.

A strong strategic plan will reflect the diverse perspectives, roles and experiences that you bring to NOVA and will speak to the part all of us play in achieving our college’s strategic goals and driving student success. This is our plan, and we will create it together.

As I’ve shared before, our next strategic plan will be grounded in student success, with five priority focus areas: Access, Retention, Transfer, Completion and Employment. Each of the five will have its own work group to develop goals and metrics associated with these student outcomes. To ensure that each work group represents the full diversity of NOVA and can speak to the needs of the community we serve, I am asking you to apply to be a member of one of the strategic plan work groups. Applications are due January 23, and the first meetings will be in early February.

Work Group Members should plan to commit 2 to 4 hours a week on the project beginning in February and going through May. They will have specific roles and responsibilities:

• Meet 4-5 times between February and May (virtual or in-person meetings), with some additional communication and work in between meetings.
• Analyze data dashboards (provided by NOVA) to understand our current baseline data, identify possible issues impacting student success in each area and define potential early indicators and longer-term metrics for measuring progress.
• Gather and share input from other members of the internal and external community.
• Provide insights and reflections on NOVA’s strengths and areas of improvement.
• Engage in honest, informed and constructive discussions with work group members.
• Develop recommendations for specific and measurable short- and long-term realistic and ambitious strategic plan goals and metrics.

The work groups will be facilitated by HCM Strategists, and I will meet regularly with the groups as well.

I hope you will consider applying to be part of the process and add your voice and expertise to this important work!