In November 2024, the college embarked on a process to draft a new strategic plan. This process involved months of qualitative and quantitative data collection and synthesis. It culminated in the development of five strategic goals, 16 objectives, action plans for achieving the goals and timelines. The plan will start in Fall 2025 and cover the next 5 years.
Strategic Plan Goals
In May 2024, the Board of Trustees adopted the 5 strategic plan goals. The goals and objectives are listed below. Updates will continue to be provided as progress is made on each goal.
Goal: Enhance student access and support services to strengthen student success.
| Section | Description | Project Lead |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Simplify the admission process and reduce barriers making it easier to enroll. | Dean of Enrollment (Tami Haft) |
| 1.2 | Execute effective retention strategies ensuring students are engaged and supported in achieving their educational goals. | Dean of Students (Alex Harris); and Cardinal Learning Commons Director (Holly Edwards) |
| 1.3 | Develop and implement targeted strategies that attract various student populations by promoting the benefits of attending and completing programs. | Dean of Enrollment (Tami Haft) |
Goal: Provide streamlined, flexible pathways to success that empower students to reach their educational goals.
| Section | Description | Project Lead |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Design and implement pathways for Transfer and Career Technical Education (CTE) students that increase opportunities, ensuring alignment with business and industry needs, higher education partners, and academic standards. | Instructional Deans (Sherry Simkins-Lead) |
| 2.2 | Enhance instructional support, including tutoring, advising, and other academic resources tailored to individual learning needs. | Director of Advising (Brenna Dockter) |
| 2.3 | Ensure clarity and transparency by communicating information about educational pathways, expectations, outcomes, and career opportunities to students, empowering them to make informed decisions about their academic journey. | Chief Comms/Gov’t Relations Officer (Tom Greene) |
| 2.4 | Develop and strengthen dual credit partnerships by fostering seamless transitions to post-secondary education, ensuring continuity and alignment in educational pathways. | Director of Dual Credit (Andy Ruppel) |
Goal: Expand and strengthen relationships with business, industry, educational, and community partners.
| Section | Description | Project Lead |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Strengthen community awareness and engagement at all campus sites through regular, strategic communication and collaboration with stakeholders aligning goals and maximizing mutual benefits. | Chief Comms/Gov’t Relations Officer (Tom Greene) |
| 3.2 | Strengthen partnerships with the Coeur d’ Alene Tribe and other regional tribes by actively engaging in collaborative initiatives that respect and support tribal communities’ educational and economic goals. | President (Nick Swayne) |
| 3.3 | Enhance work-based learning opportunities by deepening collaborations with businesses and industries to provide practicums, internships, apprenticeships, and hands-on training for students. | Instructional Deans (Erlene Pickett-Lead) |
Goal: Create a unified educational system among the College and its centers.
| Section | Description | Project Lead |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Provide seamless integration of academic programs, resources, and services among the college campus and its centers to ensure a consistent, cohesive, and streamlined educational experience for all students. | Instructional Deans (Vicki Isakson-Lead) |
| 4.2 | Strengthen information-sharing networks between the main campus and its centers, and marketing to the NIC service region, to develop clear and consistent messaging. | Instructional Deans; and Chief Comms/Gov’t Relations Officer (Tom Greene) |
Goal: Achieve organizational efficiency and effectiveness by fostering a dynamic college environment that invests in employees, facilities, and technologies to support student success.
| Section | Description | Project Lead |
|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | Review and update NIC’s compensation to ensure competitiveness, and alignment with industry standards while incentivizing and encouraging employee development. | CHRO (Meagan Snyder); Assistant Director of HR (Melanie McLean) |
| 5.2 | Ensure effective and efficient resource allocation to support strategic plan objectives. | VP Finance and Business (Sarah Garcia) |
| 5.3 | Align common campus measures to the strategic plan objectives and action plans and improve data-reporting capabilities for the college. | Accreditation Liaison Officer (Steve Kurtz); and Institutional Effectiveness Data Analyst (Chris Brueher) |
| 5.4 | Identify opportunities to modernize campus technology solutions that promote automation, process improvement and integration. | CIO (Ken Wardinsky) |