This content was published: January 23, 2020. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC’s Strategic Planning efforts gain steam with launch of key survey
Photos and story by Kate Chester
The start of a new year and decade also marks the chance to offer feedback about the shaping of Portland Community College’s future over the next five, 10 and 20 years.
Ian Symmonds leads a listening session at Sylvania Campus.
The college has opened an online survey as part of its strategic planning process, and invited key internal and external stakeholders to participate: all staff, current and former students, and external community partners. These groups were sent an email with a link to the survey.
“To stay vibrant and relevant for our students and the greater Portland community we serve, PCC must be able to adapt to changing needs,” said Sylvia Kelley, PCC’s executive vice president.
“Our strategic planning process, and the plan we develop from that, will enable us to forge a new trajectory for the college. The survey is one of several efforts underway to gather information so that PCC remains a higher education leader for Oregon, one that transforms lives and creates opportunity,” said Kelley.
Ian Symmonds & Associates, an external consulting firm with strategic planning expertise, is partnering with PCC on its strategic planning effort and hosting the survey, which is a follow-up to nearly 50 listening sessions they facilitated throughout the college during the fall term. The survey is a complementary tool to measure PCC’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as highlight opportunities and barriers to achieving goals tied to the college’s mission.
Staff, faculty and students had the opportunity to attend nearly 50 strategic planning listening sessions throughout the district during fall term 2019.
The survey is live from Thursday, Jan. 23 through Thursday, Feb. 6, with survey responses being sent directly to Ian Symmonds & Associates. This ensures that individual information or responses will remain anonymous and confidential.
PCC embarked on the strategic planning process this fall, to create a tangible path forward that delivers on the college’s commitment to opportunity and equitable student success. The resulting strategic plan, slated for delivery in summer 2020, will have a five-year scope yet offer a 10- to 20-year vision.
“The work we’re engaged in right now is crucial for PCC’s long-term viability,” Kelley said. “We’re at a very important and exciting juncture in the college’s history.”
For additional details about PCC’s strategic planning efforts, visit: /strategic-plan/