College strategic plan approved by Northwest board

Posted 11/5/09

Draft plan now being reviewed by state task force

A draft strategic plan for Wyoming community colleges won approval from the Northwest College Board of Trustees during a special meeting on Friday.

The board voted unanimously to approve the …

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College strategic plan approved by Northwest board

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Draft plan now being reviewed by state task forceA draft strategic plan for Wyoming community colleges won approval from the Northwest College Board of Trustees during a special meeting on Friday. The board voted unanimously to approve the plan.“I think overall it's a strong plan,” NWC President Paul Prestwich said on Monday. The draft plan was developed over the summer by MPR Associates for the Wyoming Community College Commission to meet requirements of new laws governing community colleges. The draft now goes before the Community College Planning Task Force for approval at its meeting in Rock Springs today (Thursday) and Friday. The task force is meeting jointly with the Wyoming Community College Commission, the Joint Appropriation Interim Committee and the governor's office.The plan must be approved by a majority of the colleges' trustees, as well as the groups represented in the meeting and the Wyoming Legislature, before it can go into effect. Dave Reetz of Powell, who serves on the task force, said the plan will go up for a 30-day public comment period after the task force reviews it.Prestwich said the plan “recognizes the comprehensive nature of the colleges and the need to promote an educated citizenry. It put that at the forefront.”However, “there are some challenges to the plan,” he said.One is that reporting requirements outlined for program approval and capital construction approval processes are very detailed and might require more staff than Northwest College has to complete them, he said. “We have an institutional research office that has a staff of one,” he said. And, “even though the plan talks about community colleges as education centers, the program approval and capital construction approval processes seem slanted toward career and technical education,” Prestwich said. “We want to make sure that programs that are transfer oriented ... or student-services oriented or do not have a specific career focus ... are treated fairly.”Prestwich said another concern for the board was the fact that, while the plan gives lip service to funding, it doesn't deal with funding in any detail.“It is hard to predict what our funding is going to be,” he said. “(The plan) doesn't really address that issue as much as I think a lot of people had hoped it would.”Still, “I think it does take us where we are and moves us forward,” he said. “It's good to have a strategic plan. Any organization needs a strategic plan to provide guidance.”While some people have expressed concerns that the plan might be a step toward a stronger centralized community college system, such as exists in Colorado and other states, the draft does not call for a centralized system, Prestwich said. “It does have support for strong local control like we have,” he said. “Overall, I think there was a feeling that it was a collaborative process, and lots of individuals had an opportunity for input. Our board will now have its input.”Early retirementA proposal to suspend early-retirement benefits for college employees also prompted further discussion during the board's retreat, which took place at the Mickelsen Field Station northwest of Cody.“It's still being considered seriously for faculty and non-faculty,” Prestwich said. “We haven't suspended the policy, and people are applying. Ultimately, the board will decide whether to grant it.”Prestwich said he encouraged employees to apply, and as of mid-week last week, two non-faculty employees had applied for early retirement.The board will consider the issue, and the applications, at its December meeting. “By then, we'll know more about circumstances and our budget,” he said. When the issue first went before the board in September, trustees voiced concerns about treating faculty and non-faculty differently.But Prestwich said early-retirement benefits are funded differently for the two employee groups. “Generally speaking, when we do hire a new faculty member, it's possible we could save quite a bit of money. But I discovered last year, through the budget process, that with non-faculty, the savings are not as great. “I know that there's a desire to treat both non-faculty and faculty as equitable as possible, but the reality is, it is different, and something our board will have to consider.“All of these decisions are going to be hard to make. I think that's just the way things are going to be for possibly the next few years.”

Draft plan now being reviewed by state task force

A draft strategic plan for Wyoming community colleges won approval from the Northwest College Board of Trustees during a special meeting on Friday.

The board voted unanimously to approve the plan.

“I think overall it's a strong plan,” NWC President Paul Prestwich said on Monday.

The draft plan was developed over the summer by MPR Associates for the Wyoming Community College Commission to meet requirements of new laws governing community colleges.

The draft now goes before the Community College Planning Task Force for approval at its meeting in Rock Springs today (Thursday) and Friday. The task force is meeting jointly with the Wyoming Community College Commission, the Joint Appropriation Interim Committee and the governor's office.

The plan must be approved by a majority of the colleges' trustees, as well as the groups represented in the meeting and the Wyoming Legislature, before it can go into effect.

Dave Reetz of Powell, who serves on the task force, said the plan will go up for a 30-day public comment period after the task force reviews it.

Prestwich said the plan “recognizes the comprehensive nature of the colleges and the need to promote an educated citizenry. It put that at the forefront.”

However, “there are some challenges to the plan,” he said.

One is that reporting requirements outlined for program approval and capital construction approval processes are very detailed and might require more staff than Northwest College has to complete them, he said.

“We have an institutional research office that has a staff of one,” he said.

And, “even though the plan talks about community colleges as education centers, the program approval and capital construction approval processes seem slanted toward career and technical education,” Prestwich said. “We want to make sure that programs that are transfer oriented ... or student-services oriented or do not have a specific career focus ... are treated fairly.”

Prestwich said another concern for the board was the fact that, while the plan gives lip service to funding, it doesn't deal with funding in any detail.

“It is hard to predict what our funding is going to be,” he said. “(The plan) doesn't really address that issue as much as I think a lot of people had hoped it would.”

Still, “I think it does take us where we are and moves us forward,” he said. “It's good to have a strategic plan. Any organization needs a strategic plan to provide guidance.”

While some people have expressed concerns that the plan might be a step toward a stronger centralized community college system, such as exists in Colorado and other states, the draft does not call for a centralized system, Prestwich said.

“It does have support for strong local control like we have,” he said.

“Overall, I think there was a feeling that it was a collaborative process, and lots of individuals had an opportunity for input. Our board will now have its input.”

Early retirement

A proposal to suspend early-retirement benefits for college employees also prompted further discussion during the board's retreat, which took place at the Mickelsen Field Station northwest of Cody.

“It's still being considered seriously for faculty and non-faculty,” Prestwich said. “We haven't suspended the policy, and people are applying. Ultimately, the board will decide whether to grant it.”

Prestwich said he encouraged employees to apply, and as of mid-week last week, two non-faculty employees had applied for early retirement.

The board will consider the issue, and the applications, at its December meeting.

“By then, we'll know more about circumstances and our budget,” he said.

When the issue first went before the board in September, trustees voiced concerns about treating faculty and non-faculty differently.

But Prestwich said early-retirement benefits are funded differently for the two employee groups.

“Generally speaking, when we do hire a new faculty member, it's possible we could save quite a bit of money. But I discovered last year, through the budget process, that with non-faculty, the savings are not as great.

“I know that there's a desire to treat both non-faculty and faculty as equitable as possible, but the reality is, it is different, and something our board will have to consider.

“All of these decisions are going to be hard to make. I think that's just the way things are going to be for possibly the next few years.”

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