The 2010-2013 Academic Affairs Master Plan described the process of academic planning as “continuous” and one that enables Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) to more effectively fulfill its mission. The central objective of that planning effort was “to promulgate a comprehensive vision to guide academic development for the future.” The vision that guided the planning process was grounded in the fundamental mission of the College and the goals, directions and priorities for the future of Community College of Philadelphia. The College’s vision and ideals that flowed from the mission statement provided the basis for the Academic Master Plan.
Significant accomplishment of the objectives delineated in the 2010-2013 Academic Master Plan paved the way for developing a plan for the next three years. Highlights of these accomplishments include:
- Increasing the number of students who have experienced high impact practices.
- Significant growth in on line learning.
- Introduction of My Degree Path.
- Implementation of Level One workshops for developmental students.
- Implementation of a new, enterprise-wide learning management system (Canvas).
As Academic Affairs considered the planning process for the next cycle, there was a widely held belief that it would be extremely beneficial to engage an even greater number of individuals, representing a greater range of constituencies earlier in the process. Guidelines for Creation of the Academic Master Plan 2014-2018(see Appendix) were created which set out a strategy for this to occur.
In order to implement this strategy, Academic Affairs used a “bubble up” approach to identify new directions and priorities. Shortly after the Guidelines were issued and discussions began, it became clear that it would be advantageous to align the time line of the Academic Affairs master plan more closely to that of the College’s Strategic Plan. Therefore the decision was made to change the time frame of the Academic Affairs Plan to 2014-2017. Meetings were held throughout the planning process to encourage ideas to “bubble up” to guide planning efforts. The first series of meetings were held at the departmental and staff levels to enable broad based understanding and support. Guiding questions and resource material to include Institutional Research Reports, the Academic Affairs Mission and Vision Statements were made available. Faculty and department heads were asked to consider future directions in their disciplines, best practices and any other data available in their areas when thinking about how to shape the new plan. Students were also included in a focus group. Subsequent meetings were held at the Divisional level to draw together the ideas that had emerged within their areas. The Deans and the Vice President for Academic Affairs then met to look for connections across areas, focusing on major themes and recurring issues. Sixteen topics were common throughout. These were refined and further consolidated into six major themes. The draft plan was presented to the College community during Professional Development Week and feedback was incorporated into the document.
This strategy resulted in greater participation across all constituencies. Through the process of actively engaging faculty and staff in Academic Affairs, informative, reflective and thoughtful insights emerged to help guide the 2014-2017 Academic Master Plan.
The resulting Plan is also consistent with the direction set forth in the College’s Strategic Plan 2013-2017. Providing academic vision for the upcoming three years, it is consistent with and complements the College’s other major planning efforts: Enrollment Management, Marketing, Diversity, Facilities, and Technology.
The planning document outlines the goals, objectives and strategies that emerged from this process.
The six major themes defined as critical areas for the future are:
- Learning Environment
- Curricular Pathways
- Transitions/Academic Bridges
- Technology
- Institutional Culture
- External Relationships
These themes also align with the context of the changing landscape in higher education and have a clear focus on student success. Each theme begins with the internal and /or external context that helped shape the plan.
