2024-2026 Strategic Plan

Goal Teams are currently working on the development of the 2024-2026 Strategic Plan.  Goal statements, metrics, and strategies are being developed for Teaching and LearningStudent SuccessWorkforce and Community Partnerships, and Operational Health.  Goal Co-Champions include the following:

  • Goal 1 Teaching and Learning: Dr. Kona Jones and Dr. Chris Merli
  • Goal 2 Student Success: Andrew Hynds and Dr. Isaac Zúñiga
  • Goal 3 Workforce and Community Partnerships:  Julie Melton and Rev. Courtney Carson
  • Goal 4 Operational Health: Joe Feinstein and Kristie Dawson

Regular updates are presented to College Council, all-College meetings, and the Board of Trustees. The Logistics Team — Professor Jill Feinstein, Jody Hall, Erin Spanberger, and Teena Zindel-McWilliams — is guiding progress on the Strategic Plan.

The 2024-2026 Strategic Plan will be presented to the Board of Trustees at its January 16, 2024, meeting for action. It will be posted after approval.

View the 2024-2026 Strategic Plan here: 2024-2026 Strategic Plan

2020-2023 Strategic Plan

The 2020‐2023 Strategic Plan provides strategic direction for Richland Community College. The Plan is divided into four goals: To provide relevant, high‐quality learning opportunities; To foster student success and completion; To enhance and cultivate partnerships in business, education, government, and communities to meet current needs of students and emerging trends of the region; To create a sound financial system that maintains long‐term operational funding, promotes operational sustainability, and utilizes an effective organizational structure. Goal Teams were charged with identifying key strategies to address the goals, determining key stakeholders to manage the strategies, addressing required resources for budgeting and personnel planning, and developing measurable results to show success. Due to a slowdown of work during COVID, the Plan’s timeframe was extended into 2023.

The Plan was built using information gathered from a number of sources, including documents from the Higher Learning Commission, CTE Advisory Committees, the Environmental Scan, and focus groups conducted through 2019. The Planning Teams connected the Strategies and Results to the College Mission and Vision, the Governor’s recent report A Plan to Revitalize the Illinois Economy and Build the Workforce of the Future (10/2019), the Higher Learning Commission Criteria for Accreditation, the Illinois Plan for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V), and other Illinois Community College Board planning initiatives. This collaborative effort reflects the principles of the Partners in Leadership Accountability template of See It, Own It, Solve It, Do It, relying on evaluation, evidence‐based decision making, and commitment to the success of the College.

Goal Co-Champions completed the Strategic Plan Final Report, which was submitted to and accepted by the Board of Trustees at its December 19, 2023, meeting.

View the 2020-2023 Final Strategic Plan here: 2020-2023 Final Strategic Plan