Columbia College spotlight stories: Roadmap to success

Every year, the Administrative Council — the college's senior leadership — creates and approves a key goals update of the college’s overall transformational plan.

These goals are like a roadmap, showing where the college has been, where it is now and where it is going.

So how is Columbia College doing for the 2011-2012 academic year?

Here’s a rundown:

Goals	Update
Increase Day student enrollment.	The college approved five new sports for the 2012-13 academic year. These new sports could bring 40-70 new students to the college in the first year alone.
“Good fit” will be the focus of all venues with regard to recruitment and retention.	Military Spouse Tuition Grant availability expanded to all in-seat venues.
New markets will be created and existing markets expanded.	New office opened at Naval Base San Diego, expanding services in one of the world’s largest military concentrations.
A stand-alone Division of Graduate Studies will be created.	A stand-alone Division of Graduate Education was created and will soon have its own building.
Necessary property will be acquired.	Building purchased in Rolla, Mo., due to generosity of donor Jim D. Morris. Planning for remodeling is underway.
Space planning, acquisition and construction will be coordinated with and account for actual and planned staff and faculty growth.	Federal Hall renovated and occupied by Online Campus and Nursing Department in August 2011.
The website will be improved.	Rebranding of the website incorporating the new logo completed in September.
Online content will be enhanced.	A media production lab is now available in Federal Hall for enriching media content creation.
A cross-venue brand that represents the institution’s mission and values will be developed and nurtured.	The re-discovered Columbia College brand was launched in September and will be fully implemented over the next two fiscal years.
Student services will be integrated across all venues.	The IntelliResponse system was purchased and implemented in July. Now students across all venues have 24/7 access to more than 400 commonly asked questions. Graduate admissions has been centralized in one office, standardizing applications and evaluations and reducing the time for an admission decision. The Declaration of Candidacy and Application for Commencement forms are now 100 percent online, making the process more user-friendly.

Here’s a sample of what’s coming:

Goals	Update
Undergraduate and graduate degrees will be selectively added and strategically retained or eliminated.	Five new programs/tracks are under development: Master’s in Management and Leadership Accounting Track/MBA Human Resource Management Track/MBA Bachelor’s of Science in Healthcare Management Associate in Arts in Pre-Engineering Two others will be developed in 2012: Master’s in Education Master’s in Human Services
Increase Day student enrollment.	A Network Recruitment Plan was implemented in June 2011, using alumni from around the country, primarily those near Nationwide Campuses, to recruit students to the Day program. A new admissions counselor was hired to oversee this plan. Campus360 Virtual Tour software approved, will be implemented soon. An associate degree in pre-engineering approved for 2012; this represents a new market for the college and should attract more male students.
New markets will be created and existing markets expanded.	Relocating Christian County (Ozark, Mo.) campus to the Springfield area.
A state of the art science facility will be built and furnished.	The Tradition Meets Tomorrow campaign groundbreaking is scheduled for April 2012.
The website will be improved.	A Web-based virtual commencement ceremony is in the final stages of development; graduates will soon be able to participate in commencement from anywhere.