Plan Goals
The strategic plan is built around four broad goals with the intent of making the Montgomery College’s vision a reality. Each goal can be seen as a step along a cycle of continuous improvement. The order of the goals is not intended to imply any prioritization. They are ordered here to reflect student’s relationship with the College, which begins before they are a student. The cycle is similar for Montgomery College students, employees, community and workforce partners.
Goals will be actualized by Supporting Strategies that lead to Intended Outcomes, which are tracked by Indicators.
A central term—and indeed the focus—of the plan is the word, students. In this plan, “students” means all students. This plan seeks to achieve the same level of institutional attention for credit and noncredit students.
Goal 1: Enhance connections between Montgomery College and our community
Supporting Strategies
- Scale up outreach efforts in the community to raise awareness of the academic, cultural, and civic opportunities available at the College.
- Leverage and expand partnerships with community-based organizations addressing mental health, food and housing insecurity for students and employees.
- Expand collaborations with county students who are in elementary and middle school.
- Strengthen our collaboration with MCPS, the University System of Maryland (USM), and other regional educational institutions enhancing students’ academic journeys.
- Develop East County expansion plan to meet the community’s educational needs.
- Improve alignment and communication of workforce advisory committees in all programs.
- Engage with key county and regional civic, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations.
Intended Outcomes
- Meaningful engagement with MCPS students and their families by 7th grade
- Continuous enrollment growth, across demographic characteristics, to be the community’s college
- Integration of civic engagement in the College’s practices
- Greater sense of unity between the College and the community
- Greater awareness of mental health and basic need supports for MC students and employees
Indicators
- Unduplicated fiscal year headcount
- Unduplicated students taking courses at the East County Education Center
- Students enrolled in dual enrollment
- Percentage of 6th grade MCPS students that have attended an MC outreach event
- Percentage of students with an academic plan for the current year
- Voting rate of MC students
- Percentage of MC students facing any basic needs insecurity
Goal 2: Cultivate a sense of belonging for everyone at the College
Supporting Strategies
- Develop and promote activities for students and employees that foster a sense of belonging for everyone.
- Assure alignment of College policies and practices with antiracist principles.
- Leverage innovative teaching and delivery models to ensure equitable access and success for all students and employees.
- Develop milestones for all students at key points along their pathway, with alerts to notify students who met the milestone and supports for those who did not.
- Expand focused, equitable student supports for unique populations.
- Foster a culture of professional growth among all College employees.
- Implement ways to validate students’ experiences by streamlining the transfer-in processes, the awarding of credit for prior learning, and pathways between credit and noncredit programs.
- Make data-informed decisions based on engagement and satisfaction survey results to develop timely action plans, implement change, and evaluate progress.
- Expand the opportunities for just-in-time and workforce-essential learning such as micro-credentials and badging of students and employees.
Intended Outcomes
- Students who feel a sense of belonging at the college, regardless of demographic characteristics
- Employees who feel a sense of belonging at the college, regardless of demographic characteristics or position
- Academic and career advising experience at key milestones for all students
Indicators
- Graduation rate
- Transfer rate to baccalaureate institutions
- Employee engagement and student satisfaction surveys
- Percentage of students participating in extracurricular or cocurricular activity
- Annual retention rates for students and employees
Goal 3: Enhance educational and organizational effectiveness
Supporting Strategies
- Streamline the student registration process for all students.
- Adhere to a strategically designed and inclusive enrollment management plan.
- Implement a common technology to advise and counsel students along their entire academic pathway.
- Expand and innovate high impact teaching practices.
- Expand the use of data to effectively monitor student enrollment and the progression through their academic journey, including post-completion success.
- Implement a work culture that meets the changing needs of students, employees, and the College.
- Revise employee performance evaluation procedures to support institutional goals and more frequent conversations with supervisors.
- Align staffing with student and institutional needs to help the College to be a destination employer.
- Explore options for students desiring to earn a baccalaureate degree at Montgomery College.
Intended Outcomes
- Academic excellence in all programs
- An effective learning environment for all students
- Efficient registration process for all students
- Data-informed program development, recruitment, scheduling and student support services
- Increased, equitable student retention and completion rates
- Consistent student support services available to all students, regardless of location or program
- Competitive compensation packages for all employees
- Large pools of qualified candidates for job postings
Indicators
- Annual average number of qualified applications per position advertised
- Annual retention rates for students and employees
- Percentage of positions filled by current college employees
- Annual general education proficiency rates
- Number of sections cancelled during ongoing registration
- Annual number of employee non-retirement separations from the College
Goal 4: Increase economic impact for our students and community
Supporting Strategies
- Identify employment needs and relevant skills that prepare students for the future and incorporate those skills into appropriate pathways.
- Embed career advising and readiness competencies into academic programs and co-curricular learning.
- Partner with industry representatives, where appropriate, to inform students, faculty, and staff of best practices and current trends.
- Expand equitable access to internships, experiential learning, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities for all students.
Intended Outcomes
- Affordable postsecondary education offerings
- Post-completion success through greater preparation and employability
- Career development integrated into the student experience
- Increased connections between workforce and academic programs
- All degrees, certificates, and micro-credentials are designed for economic, social, and community impact
- Increased economic mobility through decreased gaps in earning potential among all students
Indicators
- Graduation rate
- Licensure pass rate
- Annual number of students participating in internships, experiential learning, or apprenticeships
- Annual number of students having completed both credit and noncredit courses at MC
- Percentage of credentials that map to family sustaining wages within five years of completion
