NEXT STEPS

Timeline

We will track and measure our progress in four phases:

• Year 1: Establish Foundational Goals
• Year 3: Assess Progress and Celebrate 75 Year Anniversary
• Year 5: Acknowledge Progress and Adjust for the Future
• Year 10 (2030): Reflect and Look Toward the Next Decade

Next Steps

Planning and Management

• Continue to engage working groups in the planning process for the entire academic year with a goal of reflecting on progress in March, making revisions in April, and preparing a Year 1 report for the Board of Visitors and College Board to be delivered in their May/June meetings.

Curriculum Reform and Expansion

• Complete the restructuring of the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum, advance the proposal through, the faculty governance process, and prepare for its launch.
• Implement the DEI strategic plan, and begin to integrate its basic principles into all aspects of the institution.
• Establish an experiential learning and high-impact hub by appointing a faculty director and creating a program structure.
• Complete an academic program portfolio analysis, complete the regional need and student alignment process, and make recommendations on enhanced resourcing, restructuring, and expansion of programs by spring 2022.
• Complete the master’s degree escalation approval process, establish a graduate studies division and prepare for the launch of graduate programs such as education and nursing in 2022-23.
• Complete a review of academic calendar options, and make recommended changes in the 2023-24 academic year.

Recruitment and Retention

• Complete the development and implementation of a data-informed student recruitment plan that includes students from SWVA and the ARC region, as well as UVA-deferred students. Prepare a similar analysis regarding a recruitment plan for working adults, degree completers, and graduate students.
• Develop a comprehensive plan for academic bridges that will be launched in summer 2022.
• Develop a guided pathways approach, and adopt the technology and software necessary to manage it.

Faculty and Staff Development

• Establish the Center for Educational Excellence by appointing co- directors, designating space, and creating a strategic plan to guide its work with faculty and staff.
• Establish the Center for Educational Excellence by appointing co- directors, designating space, and creating a strategic plan to guide its work with faculty and staff.
• Develop a proposal for differentiating teaching workloads according to faculty involvement in research, student mentoring, and advising, as well as special projects.

Vibrant Communities

• Establish two community advisory boards—one focused on vibrant communities and the second on local and regional economic development and workforce needs. Complete plans to address the childcare needs of faculty, staff, and students.