Selkirk College Invites Community Input on Strategic Plan
By Bob Hall
The shared vision and purpose of Selkirk College is now open to guidance from community stakeholders as the local post-secondary embarks on a strategic plan renewal.
Students, staff, alumni, retirees and community members are being encouraged to contribute thoughts and ideas that will help strengthen the future of the college that has been providing inspiring educational opportunities for more than 50 years. With the current five-year strategic plan set to expire at the end of 2018, the college has begun gathering input for the plan that will set the course to 2023.
“The strategic plan lays out and identifies the strategic directions and actions that we need to take over the next five years to continue to be the exceptional and vital community college that we are,” says Selkirk College President Angus Graeme. “So we really want to hear from as many people as possible about the path forward and what we should focus on.”
The college has contracted Rossland-based Thoughtexchange to help create an online engagement process that will ensure as many voices are incorporated into the final document as possible. Between April 23 and May 11, people are encouraged to share their ideas using an interactive online forum.
“Gathering input of this breadth can be daunting and we want to use the best tools available for this vitally important process,” says Graeme. “Thoughtexchange is a local company that will not only deliver the data we need to move forward, but provides an experience for the user that is fun and interactive.”
To participate in the process, anyone with an interest in the future of post-secondary in the West Kootenay and Boundary can simply head to selkirk.ca to get started. The website will provide the pathway to where thoughts can be shared. It’s easy to use and can take as little as five minutes to contribute to the interactive discussion.
The information gathering is not a survey, but more of an exchange of ideas. A full range of stakeholders can build on the thoughts and ideas of others in real time and from any device connected to the internet. The identity of those who participate is kept confidential so that people are able to share openly.
“It’s important that people take part in this stage of the process,” says Graeme. “Our current strategic plan has been instrumental in the identification and development of programs and services over the last five years. It has helped us make informed decisions on allocation of effort and resources. It also provides the context and content of the day-to-day work of the institution.”
As the process continues beyond the information gathering stage, Selkirk College will be able to identify and describe the evolving needs of learners, the complex environment in which colleges operate, the emerging needs of its communities, and the changing world to which graduates will take their education and training.
“There is so much knowledge in our communities and we want to gather it all up in order to better serve students,” says Graeme. “This college belongs to all of us, now is the perfect time to get involved and help shape the future of post secondary.”
Find out more information at selkirk.ca/strategicplan-2019.
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