2017 – 2022

Strategic Plan

Through Learning, Minds Change.We believe by changing minds,

we can change the world.

ICC Mission STATEMENT

Strategic Plan OverviewFollowing the inauguration of Illinois Central College’s fifth President, Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey, ICC began developing a new Strategic Plan. A session entitled “Designing Tomorrow, Today,” conducted in October 2016, marked the beginning of a six-month dialogue between ICC’s internal and external stakeholders. From October 2016 through January 2017, five strategic planning sessions were conducted. The planning process culminated in March 2017 with a Community Strategic Planning Conference, engaging both internal and external stakeholders. The sessions included a learning and development component on student success topics and, through community dialogue, the opportunity to envision ICC’s new future. This process generated the collaborative development of four Strategic Directions and five Strategic Goal Statements by internal and external stakeholders.

Strategic DirectionsStrategic Directions are broad directions that meet community needs, provide guidance for how ICC engages with and serves students, and support strategic approaches.

• Innovation Model agility, creativity, and progressive thinking while leveraging resources to increase student success and prepare learners to meet ever-changing community and workforce needs.

• Engagement Create a positive sense of community with internal and external stakeholders that connects with students at every level of their educational experience.

• Collaboration Seek enhanced partnerships (internal and external) by communicating effectively and by designing and implementing clearly articulated outcomes.

• Alignment Develop and refine integrated education and workforce systems based on collective understanding of student and community needs.

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Strategic Plan OverviewStrategic GoalsBased on the four Strategic Directions, ICC identified five Strategic Goals, focused on: college and career readiness, completion, curriculum alignment, and student engagement, all initiated and sustained through employee engagement and support. The Strategic Plan Goals were identified to advance the College’s Institutional Effectiveness Measures, as well as leading indicators of student success.

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Strategic Plan Overview

Strategic GoalsBased on the four strategic directions, ICC identified five strategic goals, focused on: college and career readiness, completion, curriculum alignment, and student engagement, all initiated and sustained through employee engagement and support. The Strategic Plan Goals were identified to advance the College’s Institutional Effectiveness Measures, as well as leading indicators of student success.

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Employee Engagement and Support

Strategic Goals

Collegeand

CareerReadiness

CurriculumAlignment

StudentEngagementCompletion

STRATEGIC GOALS SUPPORTED AT ALL LEVELS OF THE COLLEGE PLANNING PROCESS

ICC’s five Strategic Goals are supported not only by Strategic Plan projects but also by Operational Plan projects at the institutional and division levels. In this way, the Strategic Goals are supported at all three levels of the college planning process:

• Strategic Planning – Long-range goals focused on improving student success;

• Institutional Operational Planning – Annual objectives that require collaboration across divisions for implementation, including institutional success objectives as well as the annual piece of the Strategic Planning objectives; and

• Division and Functional Planning – Plans that guide the operational improvements of each division as well as functional institutional planning (e.g., Facilities Master Plan, Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, Technology Plan, College Budget Plan).

Intended OutcomesThe overarching purpose of ICC’s Strategic Plan is to increase student success outcomes. The Strategic Plan Goals are designed to advance ICC’s Institutional Effectiveness Measures, as well as leading indicators of student success.

Institutional Effectiveness MeasuresSTUDENT ADVANCEMENT• Graduation Rate within 150% of Normal Time (First Time, Full Time Students)• Transfer Rate within 150% of Normal Time (First Time, Full Time Students)• Still Enrolled Rate within 150% of Normal Time (First Time, Full Time Students)• Advancement Rate within 150% of Normal Time (First Time, Full Time Students)

DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION COURSE SUCCESS• Course Retention Rates in Developmental Math • Course Retention Rates in Developmental English• Enrollee Success Rates in Developmental Math• Enrollee Success Rates in Developmental English• Course Success Rates in Developmental Math• Course Success Rates in Developmental English

GATEWAY COURSE SUCCESS• Course Retention Rate of Developmental Math Students in First College-Level Math Course• Course Retention Rate of Developmental English Students in First College-Level English Course• Enrollee Success Rates of Developmental Math Students in First College-Level Math Course• Enrollee Success Rates of Developmental English Students in First College-Level English Course• Completer Success Rates of Developmental Math Students in First College-Level Math Course• Completer Success Rates of Developmental English Students in First College-Level English Course

STUDENT COMPLETION• Total Completers• Total Credentials Awarded• Total Completions per 100 FTE

STUDENT PERSISTENCE• Fall to Spring Persistence• Fall to Fall Persistence

HIGH SCHOOL PENETRATION• Percentage of District 514 High School Graduates Who Earned any Early College Credit at ICC• District 514 Post-High School Penetration Rate

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Strategic Planning Innovation Teams

To support the Strategic Plan, ICC formed seven cross-functional Strategic Planning Innovation Teams, which will provide significant institutional leadership through the life of the Strategic Plan. Each team is co-led by a faculty member and an administrator.

Goal TeamsFive teams are directly aligned to the Strategic Plan Goals. These teams are charged with leading strategies to improve student success outcomes and further develop ICC’s student-focused culture and capacity to accommodate those strategies:• College and Career Readiness Team;• Completion Team;• Curriculum Alignment Team;• Employee Engagement and Support Team; and• Student Engagement Team.

Support TeamsThe other two teams are Support Teams, charged with leading strategies designed to support the five Goal Teams. The Support Teams are the:• Accountability and Data Team; and• Champion Team.

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College and Career ReadinessStrategic GoalImprove college readiness, career readiness, and student transitions across the educational ecosystem. This goal will address issues such as early high school interventions in English and math, creating pathways from high school to ICC to transfer institutions or workforce, and improving success rates of students who begin in developmental courses.

Innovation Team ChargeTo investigate, design, implement at scale, and evaluate:Data-informed initiatives or process changes that improve students’ readiness for college-level courses and employability upon credential completion.

Current Projects• Multiple measures of academic placement for math and English• Electronic importing and automation of transcript evaluation

Project Success Measures• Course success rates in Gateway Math and English and general education courses that currently require a

Reading placement score• Percentage of district high schools using Skyward that electronically export transcripts to ICC

CompletionStrategic GoalIncrease completion rates for all students, particularly underperforming student groups. This goal will address creating systems that improve the outcomes of all students, while targeting groups with high completion rate gaps (African-American, Pell-eligible, and part-time students). It will also consider the unique needs of adult learners, including programming redesign that aligns with career and academic goal attainment for returning students.

Innovation Team ChargeTo investigate, design, implement at scale, and evaluate: Data-informed initiatives or process changes that increase the rate of credential completion for all students, as well as for ICC’s poorest performing student demographics.

Current Project• Advising system redesign, including redesigned processes and technology integration

Project Success Measures• Retention and completion rates (overall as well as for part-time, minority, and

developmentally placed students)• Percentage of students meeting credit momentum performance indicators

• Qualitative feedback from students and staff about advising services

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Curriculum AlignmentStrategic GoalAlign curricula with workforce, transfer institutions, and community needs to ensure ICC meets regional demands. This goal will address curriculum alignment with partners, which may include businesses, community groups, economic development agencies, state and federal agencies, and funding/granting agencies. Additionally, it will address building and sustaining partnerships to guide pathways, scheduling, and work-based experiences while seeking resource-sharing around explicit outcomes.

Innovation Team ChargeTo investigate, design, implement at scale, and evaluate:Data-informed initiatives or process changes that improve the alignment of ICC curricula with the needs of students and the community, including but not limited to scheduling and academic templates/pathways.

Current Projects• Organization of academic programs by career cluster in the catalog and website, highlighting stackable

credentials.• Transfer requirements and “reverse-transfer” opportunities for students, using a full license of Transferology

software.• Inclusion of course sequences for part-time enrollment on the website

Project Success Measures• Student and staff/faculty Transferology usage rates• Percentage of programs with part-time course sequences• Qualitative feedback from students and staff

Employee Engagement and SupportStrategic GoalBuild capacity for change to support employee engagement in the strategic agenda. This goal will address employee support through strategic plan-related professional development, active involvement, and transparent communications, while enhancing employee opportunities for job-sharing and training, as needs for skill sets evolve to better support students.

Innovation Team ChargeTo investigate, design, implement at scale, and evaluate:Data-informed initiatives to facilitate employee engagement and professional development to promote the employee attitudes, knowledge, skills, and habits to support the strategic initiatives and a student success mindset.

Current Projects• Communications and events for employees to learn about Strategic Plan innovation projects, participate in

discussion, and offer input • Targeted professional development for stakeholders to support the “people side” of change and to learn new

processes or technologies for implementing Strategic Plan innovations

Project Success Measures• Participation rates for Cougar Kudos program (across employee groups and departments)• Participation rates for information and training sessions• Participant feedback surveys from information and training sessions

Student EngagementStrategic GoalEnhance the student-focused culture to increase student engagement. This goal will address the redesign of student experiences for ease of engagement, which may include enrollment and onboarding.

Innovation Team ChargeTo investigate, design, implement at scale, and evaluate:Data-informed initiatives or process changes that improve the level of engagement among students, from initial inquiry through completion.

Current Project• First Semester Experience with integrated academic plan to completion

Project Success Measures• ICC 099 course success rates• Retention rates for FSE students• Developmental course success rates for FSE students• Qualitative feedback from FSE students

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Accountability and DataSupport Team’s ChargeTo provide support and oversight for the Innovation Teams to ensure the appropriate use of data in the development, tracking, and evaluation outcomes. The coordination, training, and communication related to ICC’s Institutional Effectiveness Measures (IEMs) and other ICC student success data will also be the purview of this team.

Expected Contribution to Student and Community Impact• Ensure the Innovation Teams’ strategies are based on appropriate data• Partner with the Innovation Teams and the Institutional Research Department

to capture baseline data and outcomes for leading indicators and IEMs• Recommend data to the Innovation Teams, to support their projects through

the investigation, design, implementation at scale, and evaluation• Infuse student success data into the ICC culture in accessible and

understandable ways

Champion

Support Team’s ChargeTo lead and coordinate ICC’s strategic planning initiatives, as well as guide and evaluate progress toward Institutional Effectiveness Measures, with a special focus on student success outcomes.

Expected Contribution to Student and Community Impact• Conduct checkpoint reviews• Review budget• Plan related College events and coordinate communication, as appropriate,

with the Employee Engagement and Support Team• Receive evaluations and the Innovation Teams’ project reports• Recommend initiatives for implementation

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Institutional DecisionChampion Team Reviews:• Implement results• Scalability• Cost and budget• Integration across the

College• Organizational structure

and “ownership.”

Know what IT is• Review of literature• Benchmark community

colleges• Review of best practices• Investigate resource needs• Utilize ICC data

Complete as Designed• Conduct/implement plan• Complete evaluation plan• Present recommendation to

college community• Submit recommendation to

Champion Team

Know HOW to do IT• Complete action plan• Define implement processes• Develop budget• Develop evaluation plan• Approval from stakeholders• Approval from

Accountability/Data Team

PHASE IInvestigate

PHASE IIDesign

PHASE IVDeliver

Champion Team

PHASE IIIImplement

CHAMPION CHECKPOINT

CHAM

PIO

N

CHEC

KPO

INT CHAM

PION

CHECKPO

INT

Review request to move project from Investigate to Design

Review request to move project from Design to Implement

Presentation, review, implement results, and project recommendations

IDID Innovation Cycle for Student-Oriented Initiatives

IDID ModelThe IDID Model is based on the best practices of data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement. The Strategic Planning Innovation Teams will investigate, design, implement, and deliver at scale the projects they have identified to advance the Strategic Plan Goals. Evaluation is threaded throughout piloting, implementation, and delivery at scale. Evaluation will be used to identify which features of the project were effective and which features could be improved to achieve increased student success outcomes, in the spirit of continuous improvement.

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the

• There are over 160 programs available with flexible scheduling to fit your needs.

• The curriculum is aligned with industry requirements.

• An ICC credential gives you the career readiness to provide for you and your family.

• You will be an important part of strengthening our community.

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2• For ¼ the cost of a four year school, and even less when compared to private schools, you receive the education you need to achieve your dreams.

• The affordable cost of ICC allows you to start your career without the burden of student loans.

• Use the money you save to reduce costs for further education, buy a car, or put a down payment on a house.

• With lower costs, payment plans, and over 600 ICC scholarships available, you can achieve your goals with little to no debt.

will acquire a high quality education.

will ensure your future financial security because of our exceptional value.

• Our students who transfer to four-year schools typically perform as well as – or even better than – their peers who come directly from high school.

• Our instructors are professional educators. They focus on you and not just research. They can translate the academic theory into real-world experiences.

• You’ll be prepared for your next move. Whether you are going into the workforce or pursuing a higher degree – you’ll be ready.

At ICC YOU

At ICC YOU

3 At ICC YOU

will attain a credential providing a pathway to a living wage.

ICCWhy

ICC MISSION STATEMENT

Through learning,minds change.

We believe bychanging minds,we can changethe world.

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(01/29/2020/.30C)