Lambton College Strategic Planning Process

Lambton College Strategic Planning Process

A Request for Stakeholder Input

Lambton College has initiated a strategic planning process to review its priorities and establish future goals for the period from 2008 to 2012. The new strategic plan is being developed with extensive stakeholder involvement. This discussion paper has been prepared to inform you about the project and solicit your responses to the emerging strategic directions for the College.

The Process to Date

A Strategic Plan Steering Committee with representation from all employee groups was formed in the spring of 2007 to oversee the project. An external planning consultant was retained to facilitate the process. Work got underway in April 2007.
In May and June the consultant conducted six staff focus group sessions to collect input to the plan. The consultation sessions had an excellent turnout with 127 employees from all parts of the organization attending and offering numerous suggestions. A consultation session was also held with members of the Alumni and Foundation Boards on June 5, 2007.
The consultant gathered preliminary "environmental scan" information through a review of documents and reports and key informant interviews with 10 external representatives from local government, business, industry, labour and education.
A progress report was presented to the Board of Governors on June 28, 2007.

What Happens Next?

The next step of the consultation process begins with this discussion paper, which reflects the thinking of the participants in the planning process so far. This is "work in progress" that will evolve as we hear more from our various stakeholders. Please read it carefully and consider the questions posed.

You can complete this form on line below and it will go directly to the consultant. You will have a chance to edit your comments after you press “Submit”. If you would like a hard copy, or if you prefer to mail or fax your responses to the consultant, you can download the discussion paper and response form here (download Word Document - approx. 115kb ). Focus questions have been provided to guide discussion and feedback. Regardless of which reply method you choose, your responses must be received by Friday, September 28, 2007.

The Board will attend a planning session October to consider the information from the environmental scan and consultation process and construct a preliminary strategic plan. The plan will then be reviewed, revised and finalized by the Board at its meeting in November 2007.

Our new strategic plan will be used to guide the growth and development of Lambton College over the exciting and challenging years ahead.

(Issued September 10, 2007)

THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT

The following "SWOT" analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) for Lambton was assembled from the environmental scan and input from the focus groups.

Strengths:	Small, caring and flexible Committed and knowledgeable staff Customer and student focus Safe and affordable community Wide range of programs Recognized expertise in certain program areas Good community relations and growing awareness of the college Strong and relevant external partnerships Industry support Responsiveness to trends and issues College leadership is well regarded Graduate success in obtaining employment Quality campus facilities with room for expansion Proximity to the U.S. border Applied research Skill trades training facility International partnerships and campuses
Weaknesses:	Dependence on government funding Effect of small size on funding Limited resources spread across breadth of program offerings Historical perceptions of Sarnia Recruitment difficulties due to location Limited local employment opportunities Ongoing need for facilities and technology upgrades
Opportunities:	U.S. and overseas markets for education New and expanding industry in area Expanding university links On-line learning New programming in niche areas Applied research and development Leadership in environmental sustainability Increasing partnerships and community engagement Degree granting opportunities First Nations programming
Threats:	Declining college age demographic in Sarnia Lambton Changing government priorities Negative impacts of economic downturn or labour shortages Competition from private sector Competition from other colleges Challenges in addressing changing student expectations/demands Challenges in recruitment and retention of staff Funding constraints
Any strategic initiatives undertaken by Lambton College will need to build on strengths, rectify weaknesses, capitalize on opportunities and address threats.

Focus Question:

Should any other strengths, weaknesses, opportunities or threats be considered?

Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Opportunities:
Threats:

MISSION

A mission statement should be a clear description of the purpose, mandate and "business" of an organization. The current mission statement of Lambton College is as follows:

"Passionate about student and community success, we:

Offer high quality, accessible programs and services,
Provide innovative applied learning and research opportunities,
Foster a caring attitude and enterprising spirit,
Focus on tomorrow's employer and community needs."

Participants at several of the staff focus groups reviewed the current mission and concluded it was a reasonably accurate description of the college purpose. However, they did suggest a number of revisions and clarifications. The revised mission statement, reflecting this input appears below:

Lambton College's mission is to promote student and community success by:

Providing a quality teaching and learning environment through innovative accessible programs and services,
Conducting internationally recognized applied research in our areas of expertise,
Engaging and developing the whole student,
Meeting employer needs,
Supporting community development initiatives, and,
Providing leadership in environmental sustainability.

Focus Question:

Have any important parts of Lambton's mission been overlooked in this statement?

Feel free to suggest revisions to the content and wording of the mission statement. How can it be shortened?

VISION

A vision statement describes the "preferred future state" of an organization and its stakeholders. The current vision statement of Lambton College appears below:

"Quality, career focused education and world class specializations, providing the bridge to a global society."

Participants at some of the focus groups engaged in a visioning exercise for the organization and identified the following elements of a future for Lambton College:

Vision Elements - Lambton College in 2012

An international leadership profile in educational excellence and environmental sustainability
Enrolment growth, improved resources and expanded facilities
Innovative new programming using progressive technologies
Outstanding student and graduate success
An employer of choice

It was clear from the visioning exercises and subsequent focus group discussions that the current vision statement did not reflect the aspirations of the College and more of a "stretch" vision statement would be required.

Focus Question:

Have any vision elements been overlooked?

Feel free to suggest wording for a new College vision statement that is inspirational and provides us with a challenge that we can work towards.

VALUES

Values are those beliefs that guide an organization as it discharges its mission in pursuit of its vision. The current stated values of Lambton College appear below:

"We are committed to open, effective communication."
"We foster respect for individual perspectives and diversity."
"We are committed to treating our employees fairly and equitably."
"We are committed to fostering an environment that empowers our people to be innovative."

Focus group participants reviewed the values and offered a number of suggestions which are captured in the following revised value statements:

We are committed to open, effective communication.
We foster respect for individual perspectives and diversity.
We are committed to treating our all members of the College community fairly and equitably.
We are committed to fostering an environment that empowers our people to be innovative.
We are committed to being a good community citizen.

Focus Question:

Feel free to suggest revisions to the above value statements

Are there other key values that should be adopted by Lambton?

PRIORITIES AND DIRECTIONS

The current strategic plan for Lambton College lists six college-wide priorities related to academic excellence, service excellence, technological excellence, enterprising culture, community success and accountability. Participants at the focus groups discussed the progress the College had made in each priority area and generated ideas for new initiatives.

1.0 Academic Excellence

"In a learning-centred environment we foster success for students of all levels through quality programs, "hands-on" learning, excellent teaching, selected research and opportunities for graduates." (Current strategic plan)

Focus group participants felt that progress had been made this area through program development and quality assurance processes, professional development, new labs, partnerships and new innovative programs. Areas still seen as requiring attention were more focus on arts programs, increased use of technology, improved preparation of high school students and changes to the ratio of full-time/part-time staff.

Suggested initiatives related to academic excellence included:

Continuous teacher training
Increased academic standards and more rigorous evaluation
Increased funding for labs and supplies
Development of curriculum integrated literacy programs
Expanded research activities
Increased degree granting opportunities
Expanded relationship with universities
Programming customized for special groups such as mature students
Accreditation and quality initiatives

Focus Questions:

Feel free to comment on any of these initiatives.

What other goals related to academic excellence should be considered?

Comment on breadth and variety of our current program offerings. Should we be altering our "program mix"?

2.0 Service Excellence

"We provide excellent and accessible services as a hallmark of Lambton College". (Current strategic plan)

The focus groups discussed progress made under the service excellence category and identified improvements in training, customer relations and information systems. Participants felt there was still work to be done in dealing with the growing pains of CIS, increasing staffing and hours of operation and using facilities to their full potential.

Suggested initiatives related to service excellence included:

Improved signage and maps
Improvement of facilities
More on-site and on-line learning resources
Technology upgrades
An expanded Resource Centre
Publication of service standards by schools and departments along with results

Focus Questions:

Feel free to comment on any of these initiatives.

What other goals related to service excellence should be considered?

3.0 Technological Excellence

"We enhance our programs and services through the innovative use of technologies." (Current strategic plan)

Participants felt progress had been made in terms of classroom improvements, simulation software, industry involvement, development of a wireless environment throughout the College, and on-line courses. Areas requiring further attention were the desire for more computers and facilities, more IT support and increased use of available technology by faculty.

Suggested initiatives related to technological excellence included:

More equipment, labs and improved facilities
Increased tech support
Continued support for staff upgrading
Ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of technologies.

Focus Questions:

Feel free to comment on any of these initiatives.

What other goals related to technological excellence should be considered?

4.0 Enterprising Culture

"Embracing change, we value our employees and their innovation." (Current strategic plan)

Focus group participants pointed to the Skills Centre, President's Award of Excellence, 40 year celebrations, employee participation on interview panels and inclusion in the strategic planning process as evidence of progress in this area. Areas still needing to be addressed were resistance and barriers to change, professional development activities and challenges in getting staff involvement.

Suggested initiatives related to enterprising culture included the following:

More front-line decision making
Support for "outside the box" teaching and learning
Diversity awareness training
Establishment and use of "internal experts" to tap staff expertise
Open staff/faculty pathways
Recognition of part-time staff
Succession planning
Enhanced staff development opportunities

Focus Questions:

Feel free to comment on any of these initiatives.

What other goals related to enterprising culture should be considered?

5.0 Community Success

"We contribute to the socio-economic vitality of Lambton County and Ontario." (Current strategic plan)

Again, focus groups were able to identify progress related to this priority. Examples included a much higher community profile, staff involvement in community activities, new partnerships, industry support, and respect for the leadership of the College. Areas for further attention included more efforts to keep graduates in the community, increasing public knowledge of the college and increased student involvement in the community.

Suggested initiatives related to community success included:

Increased partnering
Broadening to a national and global focus
Supporting the professional development needs of industry and the community
Curriculum to support sustainable development

Focus Questions:

Feel free to comment on any of these initiatives.

What other goals related to community success should be considered?

6.0 Accountability

"We are accountable to our students, our communities and Ontario." (Current strategic plan)

Focus group participants referred to performance appraisal systems, budget management, responsiveness to the Board of Governors and the Ontario Government, and programs reflecting community needs as evidence of progress. Areas requiring further work included allowing more time for planning and execution, communication between stakeholder groups and seeking improvements in funding.

Suggested initiatives related to accountability included:

Inclusion of environmental sustainability as a major accountability
Improved efficiencies and elimination of waste
Promotion of accountability to self and to the College

Focus Questions:

Feel free to comment on any of these initiatives.

What other goals related to accountability should be considered?

7.0 Student Success

A new priority area related to student success emerged from the feedback received. Suggested initiatives included:

Increased student retention
Customized services for specific groups
Increased KPI's related to students
Enhanced collaborations among academics, students services and other areas of the college regarding the development of the whole student

Focus Questions:

Feel free to comment on any of these initiatives.

What other goals related to student success should be considered?

Other Directions and Priorities

Focus Questions:

Are there other broad directions that should be addressed in the new strategic plan?

What should be the single most important priority of the College in the next year?

IMPLEMENTATION IMPLICATIONS

At the conclusion of all focus groups sessions participants were asked to provide anonymous comments (written on cards) giving suggestions and advice for Lambton's strategic planning process. More than 130 individual suggestions were received. A representative sampling of comments appears below:

Use the input received
Maintain the positive momentum
Ensure staff involvement at a later stages of the planning
Be prepared to drop some existing initiatives in order to embrace new ones
Think outside the box
Deal with resistance and barriers to change
Have short and long-term goals
Marketing should continue to play an important role
Keep positive
Ensure goals are supported with resources and staffing
Stick to a few clear directions with concrete action plans
Make goals specific and measurable
Keep collective agreements in mind
Allow time for initiatives to be fully developed before changing them
Ensure student input
Don't lose focus on the student
Involve faculty and support staff equitably
Stay focused

Feel free to make any other comments or suggestions related to Lambton's strategic planning process.

Individual/Group completing form: (Optional)

Please specify:

Staff member
Board member
External stakeholder
Other (specify):

Your input is greatly appreciated.