The Strategic Planning Team has developed the 2020‐2022 Strategic Plan to provide strategic direction for Richland Community College over the next three years. 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.

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 over the past year. The Planning Teams also 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 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. In addition, the Teams have, where appropriate, tied the strategies to the Higher Learning Commission Criteria for Accreditation and the Governor’s plan.

Strategic Plan for 2020-2022

Richland Environmental Scan

One component of Richland Community College’s Strategic Plan process is to create an Environmental Scan as a snapshot of the District. The Environmental Scan continues the examination of the College and the Richland District conducted in five previous Scans (1996, 2003, 2007, 2010, and 2013) to understand the national, state, and local environment in which Richland exists and to provide a foundation for planning.

The 2019 Environmental Scan is divided into several sections:

    1. The External Scan includes a comparison of national, state, and Richland Community College District 537 information.
    2. The Internal Scan offers historical information and information on current operational conditions at Richland Community College.
    3. The Teaching and Learning Section includes information on academic conditions and on student support services.
    4. The External Scanning Section includes research articles to inform educational, technical, and employment trends to consider in planning
    5. The Trends and Opportunities Section summarizes key trends and challenges revealed in the Scan.

2019 Environmental Scan