Beginning fall 2020, the College engaged in the development of its 2021–2026 strategic plan. The goal of this process is to identify Â鶹ӰÊÓ’s priorities, initiatives, and metrics to ensure equitable student success, the upward economic mobility of our graduates, and the prosperity of our region.  As part of this process the Aspen Institute, Achieving the DreamTM, and the Belk Center will collaborate to conduct an external assessment, which will provide the framework and inform the focus for the strategic plan. For current information on the strategic planning process, please visit the .
Aspen Institute, Achieving the Dream, and the Belk Center to conduct assessment of Â鶹ӰÊÓ 
Â鶹ӰÊÓ requested that the nation’s premier higher education student success organizations – the Aspen Institute’s Center for Community College Excellence and Achieving the Dream (ATD) support this effort. The Belk Center at NC State will join this collaboration to develop a joint approach to:
- assess our institutional efforts to close equity gaps and significantly increase student success outcomes and
- provide recommendations to inform the College’s strategic planning process.
| Timeframe | Principal / Target Audience | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| September 2020 | Administration | Identification of external strategic planning resources – Aspen Institute, Achieving the Dream (AtD), Belk Center at North Carolina State University |
| September – December 2020 | Internal Data Sources (REAP)/ Internal Stakeholders |
|
| October – November 2020 | Specific Internal/External Stakeholders | Data collection – executive and mid-level management, faculty, advisors, students, Board of Trustees, and community partners (educational and youth-serving/economic development). |
| December – January 2021 | Aspen/AtD/Belk Center (Collaborative) | Data analysis |
| February 2021 | Collaborative / College Administration | Preliminary assessment findings and recommendations. |
| March 2021 | Collaborative and College Community | Present assessment findings/recommendations. College-wide virtual townhall (recorded for future reference). |
| April – May 2021 | Collaborative and Strategic Planning Team | Draft objectives, goals, and strategies using logic models to ensure that appropriate assessments are embedded within the plan. |
| May 2021 | Strategic Planning Team |
|
| June 2021 | Board of Trustees | Approve revised mission, vision, and core values. Approve the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan. |
| July – August 2021 | College/Administration | Strategic plan implementation. |