Back See this section in context: Criterion 1 Core Component 1C

1C.3: Mission-Linked Strategic Decisions

The effectiveness of Sauk’s planning system to keep college actions aligned with the Mission are evidenced in the following changes that have occurred over the past few years:

• Wind energy: Initiated based on external scan data on the local and national job outlook for sustainable energy technicians, the Wind Energy program constituted a way to “develop and expand programs” (FY07 Strategic Initiative 1.2). Plans to develop this program were a part of the Technology area’s FY08 Operational Plan.
• One-stop service enrollment: An Admissions’ FY08 Program Review finding indicated a change in the process and flow for students during enrollment would help the college to meet FY07 Goal 3, to be “responsive to the learning needs of our students.” That finding was incorporated when architects developed the institutional master plan to occur in phase 5A of the plan.
• Testing center: As early as FY07, Operational Plans identified a need to improve testing services. In the FY09 Program Reviews by both the Learning Assistance Center (LAC) and Developmental Education, a testing center was listed as a top-priority opportunity to contribute to the FY07 Strategic Initiative 3, “Expand learning opportunities and support services.” By combining various campus testing functions into a single location, Sauk opened the Testing Center in June, 2010, which answers the concerns identified in the various planning documents (3D.4).

Additional evidence that the strategic and tactical operations of the college flow from the Strategic Directions is found in the existence of ideas that surfaced, but were dismissed because of a lack of congruence with the Mission. For example, the Sauk Valley College Foundation approached the President’s Cabinet at its November 4, 2008, meeting about paying the fees for local immigrants to take the U.S. citizenship test. When measured against the Mission, there was no directive to provide such a service, and the college declined to take this specific action. However, Sauk later collaborated with Trabajando Juntos, a local group that works to empower the local Hispanic community, to offer two Citizenship Clinics, which addressed the educational needs of those desiring citizenship in a way that does carry out the Mission.