2003 Environmental Scan: Current External Issues report

During spring 2002, The Environmental Scan Library was made available electronically in order to provide greater institutional access to this important information. The Office of Institutional Research (IR) developed and maintains the library and encourages faculty/staff to contribute articles as well.

As a next step in the scanning process, the IR Office prepared a summary of the articles in the library. With the help of the Data Quality Task Force, the IR Office reviewed the substance of these articles and began the process of identifying external issues for consideration in the College's next Strategic Plan.

Additional feedback mechanisms have been provided to institutional constituencies throughout the Fall 2003 semester. The Professional Development Day (October 13, 2003) program, Strategic Thinkers: What Do They Know That We Should Know?, featured three presentations during the morning session that focused on external scanning issues.

Mr. Richard Bendis, President and CEO of Innovation Philadelphia, presented findings from Connecting the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Economy - A Road Map for Regional Growth. Dr. Craig Swenson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at University of Phoenix, spoke about Where is Higher Education Headed? Trends, Challenges, and Implications. Ms. Christine James-Brown, President and CEO of United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, spoke about the challenges confronting non-profit organizations, such as United Way and CCP, in today's complex and competitive environment.

Following the presentations, faculty and staff were invited to identify external issues heard during the morning sessions that seem to be critical for the College to consider as it develops its next Strategic Plan. This line of inquiry was carried over into the afternoon during which three roundtables were convened. The issues that emerged in the morning survey, and Roundtable A, Roundtable B, and Roundtable C were used to help develop the 2003 Environmental Scan: Current External Issues report.

After reviewing institutional resources, the Data Quality Task Force helped to narrow the focus of the internal scan. An Institution-Wide Scanning Forum was held on November 11 to provide an overview of the planning process to-date and to solicit feedback concerning issues that should be addressed in the next Strategic Plan.