Strategic Planning
Planning is now underway for Roanoke College's next strategic plan.
Led by a planning team of 22 faculty, staff, students, and trustees appointed by President Frank Shushok, Jr., this collaborative process will build upon the work of the College’s previous strategic plan, "The Roanoke Difference: Live on Purpose," which was completed last year.
The Planning Team will play a pivotal role in the strategic-planning process, from seeking and reviewing community feedback, identifying and analyzing other relevant data, and proposing key strategic initiatives and metrics. The committee will be supported by our consultants from Credo, who will collect and distribute community feedback and other materials; provide a framework, structure, and process; and offer administrative support.
The team will begin its work by reviewing the ideas collected during last fall’s Community Day gathering for faculty and staff. Over the course of the semester, members will develop for the president a ranked list of specific, actionable and measurable strategic initiatives for the College in each of three key areas, informed by the institution’s mission, vision, and five strategic goals:
- Thriving as a focused and exemplary institution
- Championing student success, well-being and potential
- Creating transformational learning experiences
As a starting point for the team's work, President Shushok offered three key questions that reflect Roanoke's legacy of service:
- What do our community and the world need from Roanoke College and our graduates?
- What problems can we help solve?
- Whom can we serve?
Timeline
April 2024 - A strategic planning update at the Board meeting
April 2024 - Draft update and feedback session with Cabinet and the Leadership Team
June 2024 - A draft feedback session at an executive committee retreat
July-September 2024 - A draft online community feedback opportunity
October 2024 - Final version of the strategic plan for approval at the Board meeting
Guiding Assumptions
The Planning Team will undertake its work based on five key assumptions, identified by the Administration and Board of Trustees. These include:
- Adaptability and Innovation: Accelerating technological, economic, demographic, and societal changes in the external environment require that the College not only adapt but also foster innovation in the curricular, co-curricular, and administrative areas. Building an infrastructure that encourages faculty, staff, and students to ask questions, experiment, and devise innovative solutions is crucial for meeting the changing needs of diverse learners and communities, both locally and globally. In tandem, we must vigorously assess what we need to stop doing to make way for innovation and the time, energy, and resources it requires.
- Diverse Learners and Learning Options: The changing demographics and decline in traditional college-aged students require us to broaden our learner base. This involves offering varied learning pathways and modalities, including graduate and online programs, certificate programs, etc., that complement the traditional four-year residential experience.
- Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with industries, nonprofits, governments, and educational institutions is vital for innovation and shaping Roanoke College's future. Leveraging shared expertise, resources, and visions will enhance the college's value and impact.
- Fiscal Responsibility and Strategic Investments: With rising costs, increasing student-loan debt, and heightened competition affecting enrollment and net tuition, the College must manage expenses, incentivize entrepreneurial ideas and approaches, take care of our people, and make strategic investments towards innovation and the learning experience.
- Shared Governance and Leadership: A strong, agile, and inclusive system of shared governance and leadership will be essential for the execution of the strategic plan and institutional change. The Shared Governance Task Force, appointed by the President, must work closely with the Strategic Planning Team as they design a new, inclusive system for shared governance at the College.
President's Charge to the Team
Addressing the challenges outlined in the guiding assumptions will require a transformative and strategic approach. In this effort, it is imperative to recognize that the solutions to these issues demand deep, systemic changes. This means not simply making minor adjustments, adding here and there, or mimicking our competitors, but engaging in a profound re-examination of our implicit values, ways of working, and educational paradigms.
The essence of our response should be rooted in questions, experimentation, and a willingness to venture into uncharted territory. This innovative mindset, coupled with our historical strengths and values, will enable us to forge a unique path that not only addresses the immediate challenges but also sets a sustainable and forward-looking course for the future.
To accomplish this work, the planning team must focus its efforts on strategy—rather than operations, as described by Peter Eckel in his May 2023 article for Inside Higher Ed:
“Strategy focuses on how institutions connect their missions with the realities of the external environment. It’s about how they secure resources and compete, how they deliver on their mission given the environment in which they operate. Operations, in contrast, are the means to deliver strategy. They are the capabilities and institutional know-how needed to get things done.”
The core of our strategy must involve substantive changes and tangible innovations that genuinely reflect, and seek to shape, the evolving landscape of higher education. This involves not just a marketing shift, but a fundamental rethinking of our approaches to education, community engagement, and innovation.
With this in mind, the Planning Team is asked to engage with the community and review feedback and other data to develop a ranked list of strategic initiatives for the College in each of the three key areas. Initiatives must be specific, clearly stated, actionable, measurable, and aligned with key-performance indicators.
A draft list of strategic initiatives is requested for the President’s review by May 1, 2024.
Planning Team Members
Coordinating Committee
- Pam Cabalka (Board) | Trustee and Former Chair of Institutional Advancement Committee
- Matt Rearick (Faculty) | Associate Professor and Chairperson of Health and Human Performance
- Elizabeth McClenney (Staff) | Director of the Library
- Brian Reed (Senior Administration) | Vice President for Student Success
Membership
- Nelson Barre (Faculty) | Associate Professor of Fine Arts
- Ken Belton (Board) | Trustee and Chair of Community, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
- Kim Blair (President’s Cabinet) | Vice President for Advancement
- John Farmer (Staff) | Associate Director of Athletics
- Halle Fernstrum (Student) | Senior - Data Science major and student athlete (tennis)
- Terri Fox (Staff) | Chief Information Officer
- James France (Staff) | Graphic Designer
- Heather Johnson (Staff) | Director of Academic Grants and Foundation Relations
- Richard Keithley (Faculty) | Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chair of Faculty Personnel Committee
- Zoe Lampros (Student) | Sophomore - Political Science major and Vice President of the Student Government Association
- Jennifer McCloud (Faculty) | Associate Professor of Education
- David Mowen (President’s Cabinet) | Vice President for Business Affairs
- David Taylor (Dean’s Leadership) | Assistant Vice President for Academic Operations
- Nicole Terrill (Board)| Trustee (ex officio) and Co-chair of Parent’s Leadership Council
- Ivonne Wallace Fuentes (Faculty) | Professor of History and Faculty Moderator
Ex Officio
- Malon Courts | Chair of the Board of Trustees
- Frank Shushok, Jr. | President
- Kathy Wolfe | Vice President for Academic Affairs
Updates
We understand the importance of keeping our community and stakeholders informed and engaged throughout this strategic planning process. We encourage you to stay connected with us through our website for regular updates and insights into the planning committee's work. Your support and involvement are integral to the success of our collective vision for Roanoke College.
March 1, 2024
Meeting objectives and outcomes
CREDO, with its expertise and insights, played a crucial role in this meeting laying down the foundational aspects of the process, and ensuring that every committee member was aligned with the objectives and methodologies. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing and synthesizing the valuable feedback and innovative ideas generated during Roanoke College Community Day, which was held in fall 2023. This interactive session enabled us to dive deep into the collective wisdom of our community, extracting key themes and priorities that will inform the strategic direction of our college.
Progress by subcommittees
Our three subcommittees have maintained the momentum diligently working through the amassed feedback and suggestions. Their commitment to comprehensively analyzing and integrating the community's input is commendable and vital for the development of a strategic plan that is both inclusive and forward-looking.
Upcoming check-in with CREDO
As part of our continuous collaboration and commitment to transparency, we have scheduled a check-in meeting with CREDO on March 20, 2024. This session will be an opportunity to see the progress made by the subcommittees, address any challenges and further refine our strategic objectives in light of the insights we currently have.
April 1, 2024
I am pleased to report on the progress made by the Strategic Planning Committee since our last update from the February 29 working session. Our recent activities, particularly those on April 3, reflect a series of systematic efforts to shape our strategic future. As a reminder, the work of the committee remains inspired by and grounded in the more than 1,300 ideas and suggestions from the campus-wide community day hosted by CREDO last fall, where we invited all members of the Roanoke Community to participate.
Activity 5: Identifying Initiatives
Our teams have rigorously reviewed proposed initiatives, ensuring each aligns with critical KPIs (e.g., enrollment, retention, and endowment growth). This thorough process incorporated the community's valuable insights, guaranteeing that the initiatives resonate with the collective aspirations shared during our community day.
Activity 6: Leveling Up Initiatives
This activity allowed team members to hone and refine ideas into clear initiatives that not only respond to the needs of the college and its people but also respond to the challenges facing higher education nationally. The true task here was making sure that we remained bold and distinctive.
Activity 7: Defining the Initiatives
Defining our top initiatives involved setting realistic goals and developing a transparent roadmap for their achievement. This step transformed broad concepts into focused strategies that are attentive to the feedback provided by the college community and again, responsive to changes and challenges ahead.
Prioritizing Initiatives
The initiative prioritization process, conducted with deep consideration for impact and feasibility, resulted in a ranking that embodies our community's vision and is poised for successful realization. As you might imagine, this involved making some really difficult choices among many good ideas.
What we have now is a set of 10-12 strategic initiatives that move Roanoke College towards a place of both “being and becoming.” That is, honoring and supporting all that is currently great about our institution while at the same time flexing towards a future filled with change and uncertainty.
Upcoming Feedback Opportunities
To further our commitment to transparency and collaborative planning, we have structured opportunities for different constituencies to review, comment on, and pose questions about the current initiatives:
- April 9: College leadership feedback session.
- April 17: Board of Trustees feedback session.
- July-September: An online platform will be available for all community members to provide feedback.
- September/October: In-person community feedback sessions will be organized (details to be determined).
Each of these sessions is a vital part of our process, ensuring that we continue to reflect the diverse perspectives and insights of our community. The feedback collected will be invaluable as we refine our strategies and move towards implementation.
As our work continues, your active participation remains essential. We look forward to your contributions during the upcoming sessions and thank you for your ongoing engagement in this vital strategic journey.