Strategic Planning Conference 2015
As part of an effort to develop a new institutional four-year strategic plan, Harper College held a residential Strategic Planning Conference on March 4-6, 2015.
The current economic times reflect a changing global environment – one characterized by increased competition on an international stage. The social and economic health of our regional community and the global competitiveness of our local businesses will increasingly depend on our ability to prepare a world class workforce. The ability of our district residents to earn a family supporting wage will depend on access to and completion of a higher education credential.
We are bringing together educators, community and business leaders, and other strategic thinkers to help us define broad directions for the College and ensure that we are critically aligned with our community partners. The ultimate goal of the conference is to drive the strategic directions and goal themes for our new plan. We at Harper are committed to doing our part. This convening allows for important dialogue with businesses, students, educators, and elected officials. Only by engaging in dialogue can we hope to maintain and build upon the standard of living that our community has come to expect
Below are resource materials that provide context for an understanding of the issues facing Harper College and its students. These resources highlight best practices in higher education and community colleges as well as document the results from four Dialogue Sessions held by the College in the fall of 2014 to launch the discourse of and reflection on these issues. The Dialogue Sessions included presentations from industry experts, as well as expert panelists of Harper faculty and staff who responded to the presentations. Employee feedback was a critical component of these sessions and included discussion, input groups and survey opportunities. All of the resources provided have been summarized for your convenience with links provided to the original documents for those who prefer a detailed picture of the issues.
First, we provide Harper College institutional information. Next, resources were identified to provide context for the conference discussions. These resource materials are presented to align with the order of the conference agenda and the presentations they inform.
Conference Presentations
Welcome and Opening
Dr. Ken Ender, President, Harper College
Dr. James Applegate, Executive Director, Illinois Board of Higher Education
Higher Education in an Era of Change
Dr. Jim Griesemer, Professor and Dean Emeritus
Director, Strategic Issues Program, University of Denver
- Watch Videoconference of Dr. Griesemer (38:33
- Download PowerPoint Presentation
- Watch Panel Discussion (51:41)
- Karen Hunter Anderson, Executive Director, Illinois Community College Board
- Dr. Doug Baker, President, Northern Illinois University
- Dr. Brian Harris, Superintendent, High School District 220
- Dr. David Sam, President, Elgin Community College
Aligning Workforce and Community Needs
Ms. Karin M. Norington-Reaves, CEO, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership
- Watch Video (48:16)
- Download PowerPoint Presentation
- Watch Panel Discussion (43:36)
- Dr. Daniel Cates, Superintendent, High School District 211
- Mr. Rodney Craig, Village President, Village of Hanover Park
- Ms. Marianne Stanke, Client Relations Executive, Deloitte
- Mr. Ed Youdell, President and CEO, Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International
What Excellent Community Colleges Do
Mr. Josh Wyner, Vice President and Executive Director of the College Excellence Program, The Aspen Institute
- Watch Video (57:05)
- Download PowerPoint Presentation
- Watch Panel Discussion (37:02)
- Dr. David Sam, President, Elgin Community College
- Dr. David Schuler, Superintendent, High School District 214
- Ms. Susan Burleson, Vice President, Davidson County Community College
Completion by Design
Ms. Susan Burleson, Vice President, Student Success and Communications, and Mr. Michael Westmoreland, Faculty, Davidson County Community College
The resource outline:
Institutional Information
- Mission Statement
- 2010-2015 Strategic Plan Outcomes: Accomplishments and Challenges
- Institutional Profile
Higher Education in an Era of Change Resources
- Unsettling Times: Higher Education in an Era of Change-Strategic Questions for College and University Leaders from the University of Denver
- Through the Learning Lens by George Boggs
- Harper Strategic Enrollment Management Task Force Report January 2015
Aligning Workforce and Community Needs Resources
- Harper’s Changing District Dialogue Session
- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Dialogue Session
- Approaches to the Adult Market Dialogue Session
What Excellent Community Colleges Do Resources
- A Matter of Degrees: Practices to Pathways Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) .PDF
- Defining Excellence: Lessons from the 2013 Aspen Prize Finalists .PDF from The Aspen Institute
- It’s a Matter of Time: Low-Income Students and Community Colleges .PDF - by Mullin/American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
Completion by Design Resources
- Designing for Completion: The Practice and the Progress of the Completion by Design Initiative .PDF by Completion by Design
- Student Engagement Dialogue Session .PDF
- The Shapeless River: Does a Lack of Structure Inhibit Students’ Progress at Community Colleges? .PDF by Scott-Clayton
College Resources
For more information about the Strategic Planning Conference, contact:
Dr. Maria Coons
Chief of Staff, Vice President of Workforce, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
847.925.6143
mcoons@harpercollege.edu
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