Update on Strategic Planning

In recent months, the Strategic Planning Working Group (Academic) has reported on the strategic planning process for 2023-28 currently being undertaken by the College. Input from all segments of the College is both valued and essential to ensuring that the plan being developed reflects the beliefs, values and aspirations of our community. Several concrete steps were taken over the past semester to solicit feedback and ideas.

To start, a handful of public consultations led by Academic Dean Rob Cassidy took place on the subjects of student success and equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. Sector Dean Leanne Bennett met with all three sector councils to provide an overview of the strategic planning process and to encourage departmental input on what constitutes student success. Katherine McWhaw Coordinator of the Quality Assurance & Planning Office led similar consultations with IST and Academic Advising; other college services that wish to provide feedback may still do so. In addition, students were surveyed to understand more clearly how they themselves define student success. In all instances, feedback has been rich and thoughtful, and themes are beginning to emerge.

In the coming weeks, the Strategic Planning Working Group (Academic) is poised to receive presentations from the Indigenous Initiatives Task Force and from a second task force focused on equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility topics. A survey of employees regarding strategic orientations is planned for September.

The winter semester may be drawing to a close, but the Strategic Planning Working Group (Academic) continues to meet, to review and discuss quantitative and qualitative data, to ensure that internal and external factors are being given adequate consideration, and to chart a path forward. We encourage the continuation of campus-wide conversations relating to the challenges facing our students and our community, and to the creation of educational contexts and practices that will help our students succeed. Individuals and groups can continue to provide direct input to the working group by emailing studentsuccess@dawsoncollege.qc.ca.

Early in the fall semester, the working group will provide further information about the next steps in the development of the new strategic plan.