Katie Schultz
News Editor

The administration has put together a committee of students, faculty and community members to reconstruct the strategic plan for Mesa State College.
The strategic plan is the mission, visions and goals of the college. The current plan was created in 2004. The overall goal of the Strategic Planning Committee is to reconstruct the mission of the college and make sure the institution is heading in the right direction.
“We want to make sure the school is thriving,” said Derek Wagner, director of special projects and strategic initiatives. “We are trying to make sure we have vision for the future and plan accordingly.”
To start the process, MSC sent out a survey to 6,571 students, 730 faculty and staff, 1,569 alumni and 1,355 businesses to get input from the various stakeholders. Approximately 415 students, 135 faculty, 110 staff, 270 alumni and 400 businesses responded.
The survey addressed some of the big concerns that everyone has on their minds. Some issues that survey takers found important included: making sure the college services and represents the region, having the college offer graduate programs, maintaining affordability and the quality of education at MSC, and directing the college to pursue university status.
Wagner wanted to make it clear that the survey is just a tool and not scientific. “It is a snapshot in time,” he said. “It allows people to give feedback and help prioritize.”
The next step in the development of the strategic plan will meetings held by the Strategic Planning Committee throughout the summer. They will take in account results from the survey, look over the missions and goals from 2004 and then begin the reconstruction of the new plan.
Nick Lopez, Associated Student Government vice president elect, will be on the committee to represent the students.
“It’s a great opportunity to provide (student) insight,” Lopez said. “It’s a chance to stand up and allow our voices to be heard.”
The goals set out in 2004 were to raise the level of educational attainment in the 14-county region by supporting students with diverse levels of academic preparation, to support activities that enhance student success and to focus on quality faculty who are great teachers with a passion for teaching. They also hoped to improve the quality and utilization of campus facilities, to review and prioritize academic programs, to more fully develop and implement the community college role of MSC and to manage the college’s resources efficiently.
According to administration, many of these goals still apply, but adjustments will be made.
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kschultz@mesastate.edu