Search | Menu Madison College Writes Its Next Chapter, Vision 2030
This past fall, in the spirit of transformational change and building upon the foundational work of our faculty and staff, Madison College embarked on its most recent strategic planning process, Vision 2030.
“We are uniquely positioned to meet this moment,” said Madison College President Jack E. Daniels in a message to employees earlier this fall. “Together, we will write the next chapter of the Madison College story and ensure that our institution continues to live up to its mission.”
As Madison College prepares for Daniels' retirement later this year, engaging in this process is timely and builds on the momentum of recently completed initiatives and research.
“For the past decade, but particularly the past two years, our faculty and staff have amassed compelling research and insights to inform our next chapter, all of which underscores how well-positioned we are to engage in this process,” says Dr. Mark Thomas, the college’s chief of staff and executive vice president of policy and strategy. “We are harnessing the leadership of Dr. Daniels and at the same time, we’re carrying forward our commitment to our mission and values for the future.”
Guiding Themes
What matters to us? What do we stand for? And, for our students, employees, and community, what does Madison College look and feel like if we are living our mission and values?
To answer these questions, the college, with input and approval from our District Board of Trustees, has identified four strategic themes, each crafted with great intentionality and purpose, and all of them central to the next chapter of Madison College’s story.
More on these themes:
Access
Ensuring an equitable and seamless student experience and enhancing the college’s reputation as a desirable education access point.
Read the full Access theme summary.
More from Executive Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Tim Casper:
“Access is the very first step in people pursuing their educational journey, and it (access) cannot be something available only to a few. When we think about the diverse communities we serve, we must consider our communications to future students, the frequency, the pace, and the modality, and how we can provide our education and training to students. It means being prepared to welcome every individual to begin a journey with us so that they obtain the skills and knowledge to succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the communities that they reside in.” – Dr. Tim Casper
Journey
Embracing every student and employee’s unique journey and working toward an ideal experience that unlocks and nurtures potential for all.
Read the full Journey theme summary.
More from Vice President of the Division of College Culture and Climate Dr. Damira Grady:
“No two journeys are the same, and it is essential that we set the preconditions for every student, employee, and community member to feel and know they belong here. It’s letting them know we see them, and they matter; it’s creating the conditions for people to tell us what they need in their Madison College journey. We need to fully understand why people come through our doors and be prepared to deliver a culture of care that supports everyone’s unique journey. Central to this is building community and shared responsibility for each other’s progress and success.” - Dr. Damira Grady
Learning
Fostering holistic student learning through a culture of care, diverse experiences, and streamlined programs and services aligned with student goals.
Read the full Learning theme summary.
More from Interim Provost Dr. Beth Giles-Klinkner:
“Learning is all-encompassing for both students and employees. It takes many forms and many shapes. For students, this can be in the classroom or gaining hands-on training in internships, apprenticeships, or clinicals; it is being immersed in experiences such as campus events, capstone projects, athletics, and interactions with peers. As employees, we engage in learning every day. We learn from those around us, growing to continue doing our best for our students and the college. We attend impactful professional development and have conversations both formally and informally that promote new learning and advance our work lives. How we learn, and what we require to be fully engaged in the learning process looks different for each of us; understanding how to support each other in this holistic learning journey is critical.” - Dr. Beth Giles-Klinkner
Success
Providing equitable support and opportunities, meeting each individual where they are, to ensure a successful and fulfilling learning journey.
Read the full Success theme summary.
More from Executive Vice President of Policy and Strategy and Chief of Staff Dr. Mark Thomas:
“Every student and employee has a unique and often very personal idea of what success looks like, and we recognize it is often more complex than traditional measures. Are we supporting students the way they need us to? Do we understand why and how everyone’s goals will look different, and are we prepared to support them in that journey? Success at Madison College is about meeting every student and employee where they are, supporting them in that place, and helping them get to their next step, whatever that means for them.” - Dr. Mark Thomas
Every Voice Matters
The active and engaged participation of our students, employees, and community is vital, and gaining these insights is well underway.
The process has included outreach and listening sessions with community members, organizations, and industry and workforce partners. All our regional campuses and their business and community partners, each serving different student populations, have provided input, and the college is actively engaging all employees and students through videos, forums, surveys, and focus groups.
Last fall, as each theme was introduced, employees shared work-related ideas and challenges, as well as personal stories. Utilizing Artificial Intelligence tools and traditional research methods, our Institutional Research and Data Management team led the distillation of key insights from over 1,000 submissions.
Most recently, over 800 employees participated in a virtual town hall to discuss Vision 2030 and give voice to priorities, and over 400 employees engaged in idea-generating focus groups to further identify steps forward. And, this spring, two comprehensive college-wide survey tools, one for students and one for employees, will glean more insights. College leadership will work with an advisory panel made up students and employees, as well as working with a Board of Trustees task force, to draft the body of the Vision 2030 plan.
The initial strategic vision and framework will be presented to the district board later this spring, with plans to refine and present a final product in summer 2024.
