NOTE: This webpage includes the TEXT of the plan document, with most of the illustrations in the printed version omitted.  Download the printed version as PDF.

Message from the President

The 2009-2010 academic year will mark the start of my 36th year at NCTC as well as the 85th anniversary of the college. Over these eight and a half decades, the college has undergone many changes, including four name changes and growth that was unimaginable when I joined the college family. But two things have remained constant at NCTC. First is our commitment to serving students and to providing easy access to quality, affordable higher education and workforce training opportunities to those in our service area. Secondly, there’s our dedication to being a good citizen, to providing a wide range of community services that are far too numerous to document in this letter. We truly do have much to be proud of and much to celebrate.

Just as our growth was unimaginable a few years ago, emerging technologies and other factors promise an equally unimaginable and challenging but very exciting future. To be prepared for whatever that future may hold, we must not only be visionary but committed to wise planning. That’s why our Strategic Plan, that so many of you have worked so hard to create, is so vitally important. It outlines a vision for the future of North Central Texas College with identified directions and priorities for the next five years. The plan incorporates information and ideas contributed by many members of our staff, the board of regents, as well as information obtained through community forums. Considerable time was given to researching both internal and external environmental factors that will influence the college’s ability to achieve its mission.

As a part of the process to develop our plan, NCTC’s mission, vision, and value statements were reexamined to ensure that students and their success central to our efforts. Simply stated, NCTC is dedicated to student success and institutional excellence. With student success as the central theme, our plan emphasizes the necessity of utilizing data to expand and refine programs and to better track student progress and assess student learning.
The development process utilized a “construction” theme in which five major frameworks were identified to serve as blueprints to achieve the vision and mission of the college. For each of the frameworks, goals have been established to provide guidance for planning and budgeting initiatives in order to make this plan achievable. It is imperative that all employees become familiar with the plan and contribute to the achievement of the plan.
I thank the Strategic Planning Committee, faculty, staff, students, board members, and community members for their active participation in the strategic planning process. While it is important for the college to celebrate its 85 years of providing educational opportunities to the community, it is imperative that we are constantly focused on the future to meet the needs of students. This plan will guide our shared efforts to confidently meet the future needs of our service area.

Sincerely,
Eddie C. Hadlock

Overview and History of NCTC

Established in 1924, North Central Texas College (NCTC) is one of the fastest growing community colleges in Texas, with a 66.4% growth since 1998, to a current enrollment of over 8,108 students. The college has evolved into a comprehensive, full service educational institution of truly regional scope. NCTC is a public community college covering a three-county service area including Cooke, Montague, and Denton Counties.

North Central Texas College is celebrating its 85th anniversary in 2009. The history of this institution is indeed a long one—the longest of all 50 public community colleges in Texas. Why is NCTC’s history important? We believe to truly understand and appreciate where North Central Texas College is today and where it is going in the years to come, it is important to take a look back at where we have been. 

The story begins early in the Roaring Twenties. Gainesville Junior College, like many of the earliest junior colleges in Texas, was, in the beginning, an extension of the local public schools; it was the brainchild of a man now recognized as a true pioneer of public community college education in Texas—Randolph Lee Clark.

Dr. C. R. Johnson, founder of the Gainesville Kiwanis Club, joined Lee Clark in the quest to establish a junior college in Gainesville, bringing his fellow Kiwanians along with him. It was at a meeting of the Kiwanis Club that Lee Clark, invited by Dr. Johnson as a guest speaker, publicly planted the seed for a new junior college and cited all its many advantages. The college, he said, would function easily enough in the newly remodeled high school. It would simply require the addition of several teachers and improvements in lab equipment.

The junior college bandwagon, pushed along by the Kiwanis Club, took off in the spring of 1924. First, the president of the Gainesville School Board issued a public endorsement. Then, the Gainesville PTA and other civic clubs held a joint meeting to drum up support. Lee Clark and his supporters next made an appeal to the Gainesville City Council, asking its approval of the addition of a junior college to the school system. The city council officially created Gainesville Junior College at its regular meeting on May 20, 1924. By the fall of 1924, Lee Clark’s new vision for a local public two-year college had become a reality, and Gainesville Junior College enrolled its first class—32 students in all.

Sharing not only classroom space but also administrators—like H.O. McCain and W.E. Chalmers—Gainesville Junior College continued for a number of years to be operated as an extension of the local public schools. It also shared teachers with the high school. It was not until 1957 that a group of teachers was assigned full-time duty as members of the college faculty.

For many years, the high school and college continued to be housed together in the old Newsome-Daugherty mansion on Lindsay Street, shown here in a ground view. For the next two decades, the mansion accommodated both Gainesville High School and Gainesville Junior College very nicely. However, in the 1940s, college enrollment grew, and by 1946, the college found itself needing more room to accommodate the many veterans returning home from World War II, who were ready to use their G.I. Bill benefits to finance their college education. The school board acquired a frame structure located adjacent to the high school. For the next 12 years, it housed junior college offices, a modest student lounge, and the first college library collection. It was the first building Gainesville Junior College could truly call its own.

By the late 1950s, the college had grown to the point where sharing space with the high school was no longer practical, and local citizens approved a bond issue to build separate facilities. In short order, local voters were also asked to approve the creation of a junior college district, separate from the public schools, as well as a tax to support it. Mr. W. T. Bonner and his wife donated five acres of land on what was called Black’s Hill west of town to help kick off construction of the new building. Purchase of an additional 45 acres from Mr. Bonner by the new college district’s first board of trustees made way for creation of the large, modern physical plant that still serves as NCTC’s main campus today. Their foresight and vision, and that of administrators like John Parker, truly paved the way for the future.

Enrollment at the college has grown steadily over the years, and reaching the 1,000 mark truly was quite a milestone back in 1965. Enrollment growth at NCTC in recent years has been nothing short of extraordinary. Since the 1980s, the student population quadrupled to a current total of more than 8,000 students. As it was for the entire nation, the 1960s and 70s were a period of transition for the college as well. Now separate from the public schools and occupying its own growing campus, then Cooke County Junior College went about establishing its identity as a “real” college. In the 1980’s Cooke County Junior College became Cooke County College.

In the 1990s, the College administration recognized that if Cooke County College had any hope of becoming a truly comprehensive public community college of regional scope and significance, a name like Cooke County College limited its reach. So, then- president Dr. Ronnie Glasscock and the college’s visionary governing board set about leading a comprehensive public education campaign among district residents for a name change. During that time, college officials also spent a lot time in Austin in an extensive lobbying effort that resulted in statutory designation of community college service areas throughout the state—something which had previously been decided, very ineffectively, by a “gentlemen’s agreement” among the various college presidents. NCTC’s service area of Cooke, Denton, and Montague counties became a matter of state law thanks to the passage in the 73rd Legislature of Senate Bill 390. On June 1, 1994, the Board of Regents made it official, too, unanimously voting to change the college’s name from Cooke County College to North Central Texas College (NCTC).

NCTC began serving Denton County in 1970. As Denton County grew, NCTC tried to grow with it—leasing makeshift campuses in the cities of Denton and Lewisville. The Lewisville campus began in the 1980s, serving some 1,500 students enrolled for credit in both technical and academic transfer courses. The NCTC Denton campus was opened in the fall semester of 1992. Both offered daytime, evening, and weekend credit courses and a wide range of non-credit, continuing education courses. However, these leased facilities were inadequate and inhibited the number of courses and programs that could be offered.
In 2000, the Denton County extension sites were consolidated into a modern, centrally located facility. The campus is located in Corinth on 35 acres of land fronted by Interstate 35. Ben Pinnell, an area land owner and developer, formed a partnership with NCTC to make this prime location a reality. The Corinth Campus was constructed with enrollment growth in mind. The college began operation using the first two floors of the three-story building. The third floor of the facility was reserved for expansion. On January 15, 2000, when the doors of this new facility opened for the first day of classes, 2,688 students filled this new facility to more than 75% of the building's current capacity for occupancy.
In the fall of 2002, the third floor was completed to accommodate an additional 1,500 to 2,000 students. As of the spring semester 2009, NCTC’s enrollment on the Corinth campus reached a staggering 5,190 students, pushing the campus close to full capacity.
The NCTC-Bowie Campus also opened in January of 2000; yet, its presence had already had a great impact on the lives of the Montague County citizens. Based in an area that had been affected by industry downturns in agriculture and oil, the need for higher education and skilled training was certainly essential. Responding to the needs of the community, the citizens of Bowie voted a half-cent sales tax channeled through an economic development corporation. The 16,000 square feet, $2.196 million building opened in January 2000, marking a significant moment in the city’s development. The campus is situated on picturesque property at the intersection of Mill Street and State Highway 287. In May 2009, through another strategic partnership with the City of Bowie and oil and gas industry partners, an additional 6,500 sq. ft. expansion project was completed to house a new Oil & Gas Technology program and a new collegiate library.
The newest addition to the North Central Texas College is the Graham Center, located in the rolling hills of Young County. Through a partnership with the Graham Education and Workforce Center, NCTC offers classes in this facility, including a vocational nursing program, academic transfer courses, and continuing education classes. In addition, NCTC maintains two satellite campuses—Little Elm High School, Little Elm, Texas and Northwest High School, Justin, Texas.
With every passing day at North Central Texas College and at each of our campuses, growth continues to occur. And with it, there is more history in the making.

Strategic Planning Committee Membership & Overview

BACKGROUND

North Central Texas College understands the importance of strategic planning and developed a broad-based, participatory process for defining the strategic priorities of the institution. The purpose of strategic planning process was not to develop a lengthy, detailed document that attempts to specify the myriad of tasks to be completed during the next five years. Rather, the process was designed to foster broad-based involvement of the college’s constituents by developing a widely supported consensus that:

Identifies the current and likely challenges and opportunities in NCTC’s service area;
Affirms the central values of the college;
Articulates those values in revised mission and values statements;
Identifies highest priority strategic actions that will fulfill the mission and frameworks;
Identifies an ongoing process of review and revision of the College’s priorities; and
Specifies the process through which progress in implementing the Strategic Plan will be assessed.

The diagram below shows the steps in the college’s strategic planning process. Environmental scanning and developing strategic thinking about this data and trends lead to the development of the college’s strategic frameworks and priorities.

COMMITTEE

Over the past twelve months, the college’s Strategic Planning Committee has led the process to seek input from a wide range of internal constituencies of the college, as well as external stakeholders and partners. The Strategic Planning Committee, with representations from across the college, developed task forces to conduct these environmental scans.

The System-Wide Task Force gathered input to assist in the development of the college’s mission, vision, and values statements. The task force conducted an on-line and paper survey to faculty, staff and students. Over 500 surveys were completed and the feedback from these surveys was used to develop a draft of the college’s mission, vision, and value statements. These draft statements were then distributed via an online survey to faculty/staff and students. The feedback from this survey was then used by the Strategic Planning Committee to refine these statements.

The Internal Scans Task Force began its evaluation by reviewing various college reports to identify strengths and weaknesses. In addition, results from various college surveys, such as the student opinion surveys, organizational effectiveness surveys, etc., were analyzed to provide additional information. Ten focus group sessions were conducted to gather additional data from over 200 participants. Participants included faculty, staff, administrators, and students (traditional, evening, online, and dual credit).

The External Scans Task Force conducted a literature review on local, state, and national educational trends and practices that could impact the future direction of the college. In addition, a demographic analysis was conducted for the college’s service areas and of our students to help identify NCTC’s future student population. Ten community forum sessions were held to solicit input from community and business leaders to identify the college’s strengths and weaknesses. Taskforce members also conducted an industry survey to identify future technical training needs.

Utilizing the information gathered by the various task forces, the Strategic Planning Committee analyzed the data to identify the following six major frameworks for the college: College Awareness and
Access, Student Readiness, Learning and Success, Partnerships for Economic and Workforce Development, Systems Effectiveness, and Resource Development.

On May 1, 2009, a college-wide Strategic Planning Kickoff meeting was held to solicit additional input for the development of the strategic plan. Using iClicker technology, over 175 participants were able to vote and express their opinions on the drafted mission, vision, and value statements. After all participants cast their votes, the results were displayed on the screen. If the statement received a 75% or higher approval, it was approved. If it received a lower score, participants made suggestions for changes and then voted on the revised version. A presentation was also given on the internal and external scans reports on the opportunities and challenges facing the college. Faculty and staff were divided into twelve breakout groups to discuss each of the major frameworks and provide suggestions on the goals and initiatives to be addressed. This process allowed for broad-based participation in the development of the college’s strategic plan. On May 18, 2009, the college’s Board of Regents participated in a brainstorming session on initiatives that they would recommend to address the six major frameworks as well as reviewed and approved the college’s mission, vision, and value statements.

The Strategic Planning Committee utilized the feedback received from these sessions to develop the goals and initiatives for each of the six major frameworks. The 2010-2015 Strategic Plan will be presented to all faculty and staff at the Fall In-Service in August and will be submitted for final approval from the Board of Regents on August 24, 2009.

External Opportunities and Challenges

When considering challenges for the college, feedback was gathered from several different areas via community forums and presentations. The presentations included questions regarding what NCTC was doing well and what NCTC should be doing. Additionally, participants were given a survey to gather more information on which directions NCTC should focus. The results of this survey and forum findings are included in the report that follows.

Opportunities & Challenges Related To:
Population Growth  ||  Diversity  ||  Economy/Workforce  ||  Education  ||  Growth

Opportunities and Challenges Related to Population Growth
North Central Texas College serves students by operating three campuses in three different counties: Cooke, Montague, and Denton. When comparing the populace of these three counties, several differences can be identified (Table 1). According to data recorded from 2007, the population ranged from approximately 19,000 in Montague County to approximately 584,000 in Denton County. Cooke County is on the lower end of this range with an approximate population of 39,000. In predicting future growth based upon recent growth trends in population, Denton County experienced a 35% increase in population from 2000 to 2007. Should this rate of growth continue for the ensuing seven years, it would be reasonable to predict that the population of Denton County may reach approximately 800,000 by the year 2014. When comparing this population growth to Cooke and Montague Counties, which recorded population growth of approximately 7% and 3.6%, respectively, we might identify a greater need for services in Denton County, based solely upon population, and the growth therein.

If these documented rates of growth in population were to continue for the years 2007 through 2014, the combined population of the NCTC service area could potentially exceed 850,000 people, or an increase of nearly 208,000 residents.

Table 1

When identifying race (Table 2), those with the greatest presence within the three-county service area are: 1) White, 2) Hispanic, 3) Black and 4) Asian. Cooke and Denton Counties are similar in the percent of Hispanic ethnicity at 12 percent and 15 percent, respectively, while Montague County demonstrates 6 percent of the population is of Hispanic ethnicity. Thus, the Non-Hispanic population for Cooke, Denton, and Montague Counties is 88, 85, and 94 percent, respectively. The county demonstrating the least amount of ethnic diversity is Montague County while Denton County demonstrates the greatest amount of diversity.

Table 2

Opportunities and Challenges Related to Diversity

When compared to the reported 36.8% Hispanic population within the State of Texas, as reported on the 2007 Texas Fact Sheet, the NCTC service area, at 11%, demonstrates a lower percentage of Hispanic population than the state average. Further comparison to 2007-08 enrollment data from the Texas Education Agency indicates that 47.7% of students (2,204,340) enrolled in secondary education in Texas were of Hispanic ethnicity. The 52.8% of Non-Hispanic, when divided by race were comprised of approximately 1,626,638 White, 666,009 Black, and 159,221 Asian/Pacific Islander.

The importance of considering ethnicity in strategic planning is primarily reflective of the role it plays in the decision-making process, in specifically the decision to join a specific group, school or community, as reported by Lipsett (1962) and Talbert and Larke (1995). Another consideration may be to investigate the need for a campus/discipline-wide minority mentoring group such as Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS). This is a national society with chapters operating at many different post-secondary institutions nationwide. In studying the impact of the MANRRS chapter at Texas A&M University during the years of 1993-94, Talbert, Larke, and Jones (1999) found: 1) The chapter was comprised primarily of African American and Hispanic students and 2) The graduation rate for MANRRS members was 70%, when compared to a university-wide average graduation rate of 56%, for the same groups of students.

A barrier to post-secondary education enrollment among Hispanic students as reported by Bechtold and Hoover (1997) is that this group of prospective students experience difficulties in: 1) understanding how to apply for scholarships and financial aid and 2) imagining themselves becoming integrated into the collegial environment. As the percentage of Hispanic students enrolled in secondary education continues to increase, considerations on how to best encourage and service this group of students as they graduate from high school, and hopefully transition into post-secondary education, should be of particular interest in regard to academic planning for institutions of higher education.

Opportunities and Challenges Related to Economy/Workforce

The unique opportunity that Cooke County residents enjoy is that, as Cooke County is the “home” of NCTC, residents enjoy a lower tuition cost and extremely competitive tuition and fees. There has also been an increased student demand for training due to corporate downsizing, and certification program enrollment has increased. As a direct result of this, NCTC has improved career opportunities for individuals seeking higher education and opportunities for re-skilling in order to become more competitive in the current job market.

Challenges in Cooke County include the increased unemployment rate and layoffs due to the economic situation in the country as well as limited resources to offer recertification courses to those who have been affected and need to reenter the workforce. Continuing to impact this is the fact that there are limited career fields with job openings and a limited tax base in the area.

As in Cooke County, Denton County has seen an increased student demand for training due to corporate downsizing as well as the demand for improved career opportunities for individuals seeking to become more competitive in today’s job market. Through funding from the Texas Workforce Commission’s Skills Development Fund, NCTC has been able to provide additional corporate training to upgrade skill levels. Challenges in Denton County include the higher tuition rates for out of county students and limited space due to an ever increasing enrollment. This enrollment increase results in limited space to offer technical recertification courses to re-skill individuals needing to reenter the workforce. In addition to the increasing enrollment, the challenge of finding qualified staff to teach specialized courses is presenting a unique challenge as well as maintaining a proactive stance in maintaining a cutting edge stance in identifying emerging careers.

Montague County enjoys great support from the citizens of Bowie, and this campus is a source of pride for the community. One great opportunity in the county is the Barnett Shale oil and gas industry and the Options to respond to Skill Development and Employee Training grant proposal to assist with worker training.

Challenges in Montague include the number of layoffs in the county as well as the number of layoffs in the community. The higher tuition rate, relative to Cooke County, is a concern here as well. The community’s lack of pro-active stance in the identification stance in the identification of emerging careers and lack of job placement linkage to employers provides concerns.

Opportunities and Challenges Related to Education

Cooke County partnerships are strong and provide great opportunities for local schools to offer dual credit programs for high school students to earn college credits prior to graduation. The college staff works diligently to offer a wide scope of financial aid assistance for Cooke County residents and provides smaller class sizes compared to four year institutions in the area.

Challenges in Cooke County include the aging facilities and the outdated nursing facilities. Funding for new and up-to-date facilities to ensure technical training programs are providing students an opportunity to reenter the workforce in fields such as alternate energy and health science. Additionally, there is a lower educational attainment, on average, in Cooke County. The population of Cooke County is 36,363 people. Of the total population, 14.1% live below the poverty level while 84% of the population does not have a college degree and 21% do not have a high school diploma.

In Denton County, students attend NCTC at a much lower cost than if they were to attend the nearby four year institutions. Financial assistance is made readily available for those who qualify and smaller class sizes are nearly almost guaranteed. Counselors and services are available to assist students who are struggling and need additional support. Tutoring and one-on-one programs are provided for students in need.

Challenges for students on the Denton County campus are the lack of NCTC programs and services throughout Denton County and the limited facilities and funding to outreach to other areas throughout. The availability of qualified staff is an additional challenge as the population of the student body continues to grow.

Montague County partners with area school districts and provides smaller class sizes and individualized attention. The new oil and gas technology program provides great opportunities for students and the community alike. The health and science program is cutting edge and concentrates on the newest technology.

Challenges in Montague include limited qualified faculty and limited course offerings. Despite a relatively new facility, there are limited facilities for technical education. In addition, of the 19,117 citizens in Montague County, 27% do not have a high school diploma, 88.7% do not have a bachelor’s degree, and 14% of the citizens live below the poverty level.

Opportunities and Challenges Related to Growth

While population growth in the area is a challenge overall, the growth of the student population continues to be a fundamental challenge for the college itself. Identified as an opportunity in Cooke County was easy access to the campus, a 7% population growth, and that 50% of high school graduates seeking higher education plan to attend NCTC. Denton County represents a 35% population growth putting stress on the Corinth Campus and reducing access to the building by limiting parking and instructional space especially in the technical areas. The sheer number of students has overwhelmed the physical structure making scheduling classes a feat of creativity in order to maximize space. Montague County, at this time, does not have the same space issues with only a 3% population growth trend but the building’s location near the high school makes it an ideal location for additional growth in the future.

North Central Texas College is currently poised for many changes and challenges. As we enter the second decade of the twentieth century, we are committed to being a leader in the community colleges in the area. The locations that NCTC currently has and will continue to expand will only solidify NCTC’s place as a leader in community college education.

Internal Scans Report – Opportunities & Challenges

About NCTC

North Central Texas College was founded in 1924. Currently NCTC has three campuses including the Gainesville campus, located in Cooke County, the Corinth campus located in Denton County, and the Bowie campus located in Montague County. Located in Young County is NCTC’s newest partner, Graham Education Center where NCTC conducts classes.

In addition to the Gainesville, Corinth, and Bowie campuses, NCTC maintains two satellite campuses at Little Elm High School, in Little Elm, Texas and at Northwest High School, in Justin, Texas. North Central Texas College Fall 2008 enrollment reached 8,073 — the first time in the college’s history to serve over 8,000 credit students in one semester.

NCTC’s eCampus serves students residing both within and outside the college’s service area by providing courses via the internet. In the Fall 2008, 1,821 students enrolled in a combination of internet and on campus course and 474 students enrolled in only internet courses.

Student Enrollment by Campus (Fall 2008)
Gainesville 2,253
Corinth 5,190
Bowie 393
Graham Education & Workforce Center 28
Little Elm 41
Northwest 52
TOTAL 8,073
Gender Breakdown
Male 41.6%
Female 58.4%
Ethnicity Breakdown
White 76.3%
Hispanic 11.3%
Black 7.6%
Asian 2.2%
American Indian 0.8%
International 1.1%
Unreported 0.6%

Literature and Reports Reviewed

Methodology and Process

The members of the Internal Scans Task Force met initially to review the literature and reports. They began sharing information and, based on members’ diverse experiences at NCTC, expressed what they felt our institution’s strengths/competitive advantages and weaknesses might be. After generating a preliminary list, they then sought to gather additional information.

After the first initial meetings, the Internal Scans Task Force scanned survey results of faculty, staff, and students on institutional effectiveness, opinions, challenges, and hopes for the future of North Central Texas College. The following surveys were reviewed:

Based upon the information reviewed, it was determined by the Internal Scans Task Force and Strategic Planning Committee that there was insufficient data from NCTC administration and students. Therefore, the recommendation was that additional information should be collected; hence, the following focus groups were then conducted in 2009:

Each focus group was asked to identity strengths, challenges, and opportunities for North Central Texas College. Students were also specifically asked, "What do you like about NCTC?” and “What do you dislike about NCTC?" in order to solicit more detailed, personal opinions. Based on feedback accumulated through these focus groups, the Internal Scan Committee submits the following findings:

Faculty and administrative focus groups resonated some of the students’ opinions regarding the positive, welcoming atmosphere. Members of the faculty and administration commented on the family feel at the college and the belief that NCTC truly cares about its employees. Some of their comments include:

Challenges & Opportunities

Based upon the literature review, survey, reports, and focus groups information, the task force found the following challenges and opportunities:

The Internal Scans Task Force recommends the following:

The Internal Scans Task Force recommends the following:

1. Explore options for purchasing affordable ergonomic chairs for classrooms.
   
2. Create a campus-specific facility plan for building improvements and/or space expansion.
   
3. Create a Student Activity Center and/or a student lounge area on the Corinth and Bowie campuses.
   
4. Add more wheelchair accessible entrances to all campuses and increase the reliability and accessibility of elevators on each campus.
   
5. Transition classrooms to a Universal Design Concept, which essentially makes all furniture ADA compliant.
   
6. Increase bookstore and library space in Corinth.
   
7. Adjust classroom arrangements to make them as conducive to teaching as possible (e.g., monitors for teachers to be able to see what is projected, network cables long enough to allow movement of podium, screens the right size, etc.)

The Internal Scans Task Force recommends the following:

1. The college should establish a true financial plan that reflects the necessary cost for improvements to campuses and for expansion, personnel, and technology.
2. The college should develop a plan to investigate other sources of revenue such as vying for a branch maintenance tax from Denton County.
3. The college should investigate other possible methods of generating funding from the community to assist with expenditures of capital for facilities, personnel, and technology necessary to ensure student success and teaching within a quality learning environment.

Summary

This task force conducted an internal scan of data to determine which internal factors could shape North Central Texas College’s ability to adapt to future challenges. Data gathered from various sources was reviewed by the Internal Scans Task Force in order to determine the major internal driving forces, comparative advantages, strengths, and shortcomings. The information provided in this report will help the Strategic Planning Committee decide what direction North Central Texas College wants to go and where our institution strives to be in five years.

Planning Assumptions

As the Strategic Planning Committee began the development of the college’s strategic plan, the following points were believed to be true and were considered throughout this process:

Mission, Vision & Values Statements

Mission:

• North Central Texas College (NCTC) is dedicated to student success and institutional excellence. NCTC encourages student achievement by providing affordable, quality learning environments, and comprehensive support services.
  

Vision:

• North Central Texas College will be a recognized leader in higher education and a catalyst for economic, cultural, and community development.

Values:

• North Central Texas College is accountable to its students, colleagues, and the community and holds the following values to be fundamental:
  • Affordable, Quality Education
    • NCTC is passionate about providing access to higher education. Its highly qualified faculty and staff and student-centered programs and services reflect NCTC’s commitment to excellence.
      
  • Stimulating Learning Environments
    • NCTC fosters diverse, challenging, and engaging learning environments to empower its students to impact a global society as creative problem solvers, critical thinkers, and dynamic leaders.
  • Integrity
    • NCTC faculty, staff, and students act in an ethical, honest, and responsible manner.
  • Innovation
    • NCTC embraces creative ideas and challenging initiatives.
  • Cohesive Relationships
    • NCTC cultivates productive partnerships through teamwork, personalized attention, and open communication.
  • Encouragement
    • NCTC supports students, faculty, and staff by welcoming diversity and promoting mutual respect.

 

Major Frameworks

Through an exhaustive, highly inclusive strategic planning process utilizing various internal and external scans methodologies, the Strategic Planning Committee identified five major frameworks that are the blueprints to achieve the vision and mission for North Central Texas College.

2010-2015 Strategic Goals and Initiatives

North Central Texas College institutional frameworks are broad, measurable priorities which enable the college to fulfill its mission and vision, reflect its values, and take into consideration the opportunities and challenges which confront it.  NCTC fulfills its mission through the college’s instructional programs, lifelong learning, and student services.The five major frameworks and identified goals provide guidance for all planning and budgeting processes of the institution.

Goals have been carefully established for each of the major frameworks to assist the college in achieving its vision of becoming a recognized leader in higher education and a catalyst for economic, cultural, and community development. Under each goal, example initiatives have been included that will help guide the development of our annual objectives.   As part of the college’s strategic planning and institutional effectiveness process, each department will set objectives on an annual basis to assist the college in reaching these goals.  In addition, Framework Champions have been identified for each of the major frameworks to ensure system-wide progress.

Major Frameworks, Goals & Initiatives 

Institutional Effectiveness/Strategic Planning Action Plan & Assessment
To complete Column 2 on the IE/SP form (Link to the Strategic Plan), please review the following major frameworks from the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan and include the goal number that corresponds with your objective.

Example - Instructional Departments: 

Column 1 Objective: Improve student knowledge of the formal elements, their definitions, and applications.

In column 2 list Goal 2.1. As a link to the strategic plan framework # 2 Student Readiness, Learning, and Success, Goal 2.1 - Facilitate the achievement of teaching excellence and in-depth learning through innovative faculty and student programs and activities.

Example – Administrative and Support Departments: 

Column 1 Objective:  To employ a new maintenance staff member.In Column 2 list Goal 5.3. As a link to the strategic plan framework # 5 Resource Development,  Goal 5.3 – Create a comprehensive master staffing plan that aligns with and supports the educational needs of the service area.

Major Frameworks, Goals and Initiatives

Framework 1  ||  Framework 2  ||  Framework 3  ||  Framework 4 ||  Framework 5

Framework #1:  College Awareness and Access 

College awareness and access framework will establish initiatives to promote community college course accessibility, affordability, and academic preparation for college. Increase course offerings via dual credit, online, hybrid, and in the traditional delivery model in order to promote accessibility and to meet the academic needs of the individual learner.  Develop college funding revenue strategies to ensure that tuition remains affordable.

Framework #2:  Student Readiness, Learning, and Success

Enabling students to achieve their full potential requires an institution to clearly define paths towards a variety of educational goals. With increasing system-wide student enrollment, it follows there is a greater need for specialized student services, faculty, and retention strategies to support student success.

Framework #3:  Economic, Workforce, and Program Development

To compete in a fast-changing global society and meet the workforce demands in North Texas, it will be important for NCTC personnel to analyze employment trends, design programs to meet identified needs, and collaborate with public and private entities to ensure a long-range economic impact.

Framework #4:  Systems Effectiveness

The systems effectiveness framework focuses on increasing the overall effectiveness of the college.  It will accomplish this by improving technology infrastructure, providing better access to technology, encouraging the use of technology, providing access to needed information, and utilizing assessments and accountability systems to ensure continuous improvement throughout the institution.

Framework #5:  Resource Development

Resources are essential to the effectiveness of the college’s operation.  NCTC must address the challenges created by increasing enrollment and expanded needs for programs and services.  Rising costs and declining revenue streams will continue to challenge NCTC to identify alternative funding mechanisms. This framework seeks to establish an inclusive process to ensure that the college’s strategic plan guides the allocation of the college’s resources.  Long range facilities needs, funding plans, and cost effectiveness strategies should also be included in this framework.

Strategic Planning & Institutional Effectiveness Process

North Central Texas College’s mission, vision, and values provided the starting points for the NCTC Strategic Plan 2010-2015. The entire planning process, including implementation and assessment, helps NCTC to manage efficiently, maintain fiscal control, improve services and processes, improve teaching and learning, and allocate resources effectively. To make our planning process effective, it includes a monitoring mechanism (outcomes assessment) to determine whether or not the purposes are achieved and objectives are met. Assessments also provide NCTC with feedback on why the purpose and objectives were or were not met and helps the institution consider how resources are being used, where resources are insufficient or underutilized, and where the quality and quantity of resources are appropriate. NCTC uses the results of planning and assessment to maintain, support, and improve its programs and services.

The implementation of the Strategic Plan occurs at the departmental level through the college’s Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning assessment process. Each employee of North Central Texas College has a role in implementing the Strategic Plan. Each academic year, each department will develop a minimum of two or three objectives, which must be accomplished in order to achieve the Strategic Plan’s Frameworks and Goals. Departmental objectives will be supported by implementation steps, specific assessment criteria, and evaluation methods to ensure objectives accomplishments.

Instructional departments who teach credit courses will continue to follow the Student Learning Outcome Assessment as part of their Institutional Effectiveness/Strategic Planning (IE/SP) to document student learning outcome activities at the course, program, and institutional level. The departments will include at least two Student Learning Outcome Assessments each academic year. Additionally, each instructional department will establish one or two objectives each academic year in support of the college’s frameworks linked to the NCTC Strategic Plan. As departmental objectives are linked to the Strategic Frameworks and Goals and are implemented and completed, the Strategic Plan becomes implemented, institution-wide assessment occurs, improvements are implemented, and feedback from the assessment links to future planning.

The Institutional Research Office and the Institutional Effectiveness Committee will assist departments in documenting their plans, goals, and objectives and will monitor the assessment and use of results. The Framework Champions and the Strategic Planning Committee will monitor the progress toward implementing the Strategic Plan, institution-wide, annually, over the five-year period. The following table provides a sample assessment timeline and the Institutional Effectiveness Committee contacts.

Institutional Effectiveness & Strategic Planning Assessment Timeline 

CONTACTS: Members of the Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning Committee are available to assist departments with completing the IE/SP form. If you need assistance with completing this form, please contact one of the committee members listed HERE:

Department supervisors are accountable for overseeing the development and completion of their objectives annually, and for the use of results in future planning. Vice Presidents and Deans are accountable for ensuring the completion of the goals and objectives in their areas, for monitoring progress in fulfilling the Strategic Plan, and applying results/findings to future planning and resource allocation decisions.

Strategic Planning & Institutional Effectiveness Model

Institutional effectiveness and Strategic Planning (IE/SP) is often described as an on-going, college-wide process of planning and outcomes assessment, documenting that the college is achieving its mission and goals, and continually improving its programs and services. It is a systematic collection, review, and use of information undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development and improving service and administrative outcomes. The following model represents NCTC process: