Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Invited guests, teachers, students, alumni and administrative staff attended the first of many Ivy Tech State College "Strategic Vision: 2003 - 2013" meetings on the Warsaw campus Friday.
A couple of months ago, community members were asked to complete a strategic planning survey. The results were tabulated and presented to the Region 2 audience.
The group was specifically asked to prioritize goals and develop a direction for the Warsaw campus based on the survey results.
A similar process is taking place throughout the region in South Bend and Elkhart.
The top two or three answers to survey topics were:
• Mission - focus on career and vocational skills and workforce development for area business, provide affordable, quality higher education, keep a college education available locally.
• Becoming a community college - Set high standards and quality instruction and offer full college programs and degrees.
• Goals 2004 to 2008 - Offer a wide-range of programs and two-year degrees in Warsaw, expand the facilities, campus and tools.
• Successes to build upon - Job-related training programs in for medical careers, general education, remedial education and distance learning and the dedicated, student-focused faculty and staff.
• Community and economic development - partner with businesses to create base programs and course selection on local market demands.
• Challenges, obstacles - current facility's space limits growth and lack of funding.
Jeanette J. Shallop, Ph.D, a consultant with Change Strategies, asked the group to prioritize goals for the local campus.
After much discussion they arrived at four priorities as goals of the college:
1) Match the needs of the community, local business and the state.
2). Convey to the community a feeling of ownership.
3). Build a stand-alone facility.
4). Determine the outcomes of a student's education.
Strategic Vision members are expected to meet again in the next couple of weeks to define how the goals will be met.
