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The Raritan Valley Community College Board of Trustees has approved a new, four-year strategic plan, “2021-2025 Strategic Plan: Creating Opportunities,” focusing on four key areas: Programs, Learners, Experiences, and Operations.

The strategic plan was the result of several months of discussion, study, and analysis by the entire College community, including the Board of Trustees, as well as feedback from a number of constituencies such as local business leaders, community members, and others.

“With all of the changes our students, the College, and the community have experienced during the past few years, especially during the pandemic, it was important that RVCC focus its new strategic plan to address the four main challenges that confront the College: enrollment, funding, curricular, and operational. The new plan embraces our ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion, and emphasizes the importance of community partnerships and educational pathways to foster student success,” said RVCC President Michael J. McDonough.

In January 2021, a Strategic Planning Committee was formed composed of all constituencies of the RVCC community, including students. The group met regularly through virtual meetings, developing the plan in stages. At each stage in the process, virtual presentations were made to the Forum, the College’s governance body; to RVCC employees at town-hall meetings; at Student Government Association special meetings; and at Board of Trustees Strategic Planning Committee meetings. Feedback was then collected through electronic surveys and from people’s comments during the meetings. This process continued until a consensus was developed.
The final plan focuses on four key “pillars” that will direct the College’s resources for the next four years; each includes a goal and strategies to help achieve it:

Pillar 1 - Programs
Goal: To offer relevant, innovative, and inclusive educational programs that foster success for all students and serve the needs of the greater community.

Strategies:
• Transforming the curriculum and adopting inclusive pedagogies that close the opportunity gap.
• Ensuring currency and integrity in course content, pedagogy, and delivery.
• Aligning workforce training programs with in-demand occupations that lead to rewarding careers.
• Increasing transfer pathways to maximize student opportunity and academic success.
• Accelerating student success by advancing evidence-based best practices in ESL and developmental education.

Pillar 2 - Learners
Goal: To attract and welcome diverse learners who choose RVCC for educational pathways that enrich their lives.

Strategies:
• Promoting access to academic and workforce training programs through collaborative enrollment processes.
• Leveraging data and market segmentation strategies to develop communications and recruitment plans that increase enrollment.
• Strengthening community partnerships to promote access to higher education and workforce development.
• Enhancing the visibility and reputation of RVCC’s identity and academic excellence.

Pillar 3 - experiences
Goal: To create a culture of belonging, equity, and engagement for our students, employees, and community.

Strategies:
• Improving student access and success by removing barriers.
• Creating an inclusive and welcoming campus by incorporating diversity and representation into RVCC’s academic and social environments.
• Providing employees with opportunities for professional development and personal growth.
• Supporting the whole student’s physical, emotional, intellectual, and social health.
• Providing outreach that enhances community involvement and alumni engagement.

Pillar 4 - Operations
Goal: To secure a sustainable future through flexible and innovative
operational strategies.

Strategies:
• Diversifying funding streams through public/private partnerships, grants, and donations.
• Embracing collaboration and communication strategies that promote accountability and transparency.
• Being active stewards of the human, fiscal, technological, and physical resources of the College to promote sustainability.
• Developing a mission-centric budget model that anticipates operational risks, contributes to the College’s reserves, and prioritizes affordable tuition and fees.
• Making equity-focused, evidence-based decisions using data analytics and improved data governance.

RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 9, 2021

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #14