Strategic Plan

2020-2030 Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan PDF

President's Message

Dear Friends:

I am pleased to share with you the 2020-2030 Strategic Plan for Lake Superior College that will guide us on our path to the next level of excellence. I am grateful to the faculty, staff, community members, and students who shaped this plan, participated as task force members, and provided valued feedback during the process. The 2020-2030 Strategic Plan informs and guides all other plans from facilities to academic programming; from student services to hiring practices. The 2020-2030 Plan is purposeful, relevant, and has measurable outcomes.

As the “community’s community college,” Lake Superior College is proud to continue our mission to prepare the region’s workforce and provide access to higher education that truly transforms lives.

At Lake Superior College, we have always strived to close educational gaps and inequities to ensure success for all students. However, the challenges of a global pandemic, heightened visibility of systemic and structural racism, and the growing needs of a rapidly changing world added renewed urgency and determination for us to do much more.

Thus, our Plan is focused on one main north star goal: student success. This goal will guide us in our work to refine policies, practices, and daily operations to make Lake Superior College the destination for student success. To accomplish this goal, we have carefully aligned the Plan with the goals of the Minnesota State Equity 2030 strategic vision that “…aims to close the educational equity gaps across race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location by the end of the decade at every Minnesota State college and university.”

We are deeply committed to this work. Together, we will make a difference in the lives of our students, their families, and the communities we serve. Together, we will take on the challenges and create a safe, sustainable, inclusive, innovative, and equitable learning and working space for all.

Thank you for your support!

Patricia L. Rogers, Ph.D.
President
Lake Superior College

Dr. Patricia L. Rogers
Dr. Patricia L. Rogers

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Strategic Directions

Strategic Direction #1

Create and live a culture of equity and inclusion.

Intention – Weave equity and inclusion into learning and working environments

  1. Improve student success and retention by supporting students through both academic and student services.
  2. Attract, hire, and retain more diverse campus leaders, including students and employees.
  3. Improve accessibility by adopting equitable policies, procedures, and processes.

Strategic Direction #2

Implement responsive strategies to facilitate student success.

Intention – Maintain our commitment to effective and accessible teaching and learning

  1. Provide intentional start-to-completion guidance for all students, including underprepared students, in an environment supportive of goal completion.
  2. Intentionally nurture mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations.
  3. Foster a college-wide culture of service to student learning, academic excellence, and success.

Strategic Direction #3

Foster and encourage continuous innovation.

Intention – Embed campus-wide acceptance of innovation and transformational growth

  1. Intentionally assess our programs and departments to identify and implement improvements.
  2. Continually improve all functions of the college so that we are resilient and responsive to external and internal needs.

Strategic Direction #4

Provide robust regional workforce support.

Intention – Foster and catalyze educational paths to meet individual, community, and regional needs.

  1. Develop and implement programs to meet the education, training, and skill development requirements of business and industry while meeting student career and financial needs.
  2. Increase engagement and alignment with regional business community partners to ensure we are responsive to their needs.
  3. Ensure equitable access to high-quality, forward-thinking career opportunities.

Strategic Direction #5

Enhance and celebrate an enthusiastic campus climate.

Intention – Support and ensure unbiased, inclusive, data-informed communication

  1. Create and sustain a supportive environment where all employees are consistently engaged in focused professional learning, growth, and development.
  2. Foster a sense of college community through engagement, dialogue, transparency, and leadership development.

Strategic Plan Alignment with Equity 2030

Enhanced Access Academic Success student Engagement Evidence-Based Decisions Financial Resources Workforce And Talent Diversity
1. Create and live a culture of equity and inclusion.
1.1 Improve student success and retention by supporting students through both academic and student services.        
1.2 Attract, hire, and retain more diverse campus leaders, including students and employees.        
1.3 Improve accessibility by adopting equitable policies, procedures, and processes.        
2. Implement responsive strategies to facilitate student success.
2.1 Provide intentional start-to-completion guidance for all students, including underprepared students, in an environment supportive of goal completion.        
2.2 Intentionally nurture mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations.      
2.3 Foster a college-wide culture of service to student learning, academic excellence, and success.        
3. Foster and Encourage continuous innovation.
3.1 Intentionally assess our programs and departments to identify and implement improvements.      
3.2 Continually improve all functions of the college so that we are resilient and responsive to external and internal needs.        
4. Provide robust regional workforce support.
4.1 Develop and implement programs to meet the education, training, and skill development requirements of business and industry while meeting student career and financial needs.      
4.2 Increase engagement and alignment with regional business partners to ensure we are responsive to their needs.          
4.3 Ensure equitable access to high-quality, forward thinking career opportunities.      
5. Enhance and celebrate an enthusiastic campus climate.
5.1 Create and sustain a supportive environment where all employees are consistently engaged in focused professional learning, growth, and development.        
5.2 Foster a sense of college community through engagement, dialogue, transparency, and leadership development.    

Planning Alignment

Strategic Plan Alignment with Equity 2030 Diagram

Strategic Planning Committee

These were the committee members at the time when the committee was formed:

  • Jamal Adam, Interim Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Linda Basara, Community Member, LSC Foundation Board Member, Director of Education at St. Luke’s
  • Kirsten Bowman, Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs
  • Timothy Brandon, Faculty, Auto Body
  • Erick Cortes, LSC international student, student employee and member of LSC men’s soccer
  • Hanna Erpestad, Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Daniel Fanning, Vice President of Advancement and External Relations
  • Al Finlayson, Vice President of Administration
  • Steve Fudally, Chief Information Officer
  • Wade Gordon, Dean of Students
  • Jada Guthrie, LSC Student, Student Senate President
  • Kelli Hallsten Erickson, Faculty, English
  • Doreen Hernesman, Director of TRIO SSS
  • Sarah Lyons, Executive Diversity Officer
  • Glenn Merrick, Faculty, Biology
  • Brittany Raveill, LSC Store, Marketing and Online Sales
  • Dr. Patricia Rogers, President of Lake Superior College
  • Anna Sackette-Urness, Dean of Allied Health and Nursing
  • Ian Vincent, APEX, Community Member, Senior Business Developer at APEX