M E M O

 

To:                  Department Heads/Chairs        

From:              President Mary Grant

Re:                  Strategic Mapping

Date:               June 17, 2004

 

Thank you so much for offering your time and expertise during our Strategic Planning Retreat last week. The energy, the ideas and the strong spirit of community that was present are certain to carry us far as we begin this process.  Your contributions to this institutional mapping process are critical to the long-term success and vitality of MCLA.

 

As Elliot mentioned, over the next several weeks and months, we will be working on prototypes and action plans to help bring us to our destinations; development of some very interesting prototypes actually began during the retreat. These represent your ideas for testing and trying a new activity to help us reach at least one of our five identified Institutional Strategic Destinations:

 

  1. Increase Enrollment
  2. Improve Retention
  3. Enhance Student Life
  4. Set & Achieve Learning Outcomes and Program Review
  5. Achieve Financial Strength

 

Prototypes should be submitted to your Division Head as soon as possible to allow for continued conversation among your departments and divisions.

 

Following the completion of prototypes, we are asking each administrative and academic department head to develop an action plan or plans to help us achieve 3-4 of the above mentioned destinations (please see attached sheet). The strategic direction of your plan(s) should also correspond with one of the six institutional directions outlined during the retreat. These include:

 

  1. Capitalize on the Berkshires
  2. Improve the Program Mix
  3. Promote MCLA
  4. Expand/Enrich Student Life Opportunities
  5. Develop Formal Collaborations that Expand the Reach and the Resources
  6. Improve/Increase Use of Technology

The approach that we are using is new to many of us and we are going to need some help as we work through ideas, prototypes, and plans.  To assist with this, I have asked Elliot to return to campus for a technical assistance day on July 1st and July 21st.  If you would like some help or just a quick refresher, please contact Lori Gazzillo at ext. 5205 or lgazzill@mcla.edu to schedule an individual session with Elliot on one of those days.  In addition, please feel free to call upon Steve, Monica, Jim, Charlotte, Denise or Marianne throughout the process as you begin to develop department action plans.

 

We are asking for action plans to be submitted on the following dates:

 

¨      July 30, 2004 for administrative department heads

¨      October 15, 2004 for academic department chairs (Elliot will return for a faculty technical assistance day in September.)

 

Please feel free to contact me or your division head with any input or questions as they relate to strategic mapping.  Thanks again for your participation in this very important process. It will mean so much as we move the College forward, grow our enrollment and establish long-term economic sustainability. Thank you for offering your ideas and skills and for all that you do each day for MCLA. I wish you all the best for an enjoyable and relaxing summer.