Strategic Planning Process

To help guide our work, the college has hired Dr. Nicole Alioto from Alla Breve Consulting. In March, Dr. Alioto and her team met with multiple stakeholders to elicit feedback through focus groups. These groups included:

• Lisa Hoff, Co-chair, Library Department Chair, Associate Professor, VP Faculty Senate
• Dr. Sean Vormwald, Co-chair, Director of Data Insights & Visualization
• Dr. Agatha Awuah, Vice President, Institutional Planning, Assessment, & Research
• Helaine Lubar, Professor of English
• Daniel Nemeth-Neumann, J.D., Assistant Dean, Student Affairs
• Amy Proulx, Assistant Controller
• Olin Stratton, Professor of Mathematics, President Faculty Senate (2023-24)
• Dr. Chris Thuot, Assistant Provost (2022-23)
• Shayne Turo, Student Representative
• Anthony Vadala, Instructor, Broadcast Media Communications (2022-23)
• Dr. Eunice Williams, Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer

How was the current OCC Strategic Plan created?

The process began in November of 2022 and is described on our Employee website - Strategic Planning Process | Onondaga Community College (sunyocc.edu)  In short, a task force of faculty, staff and students worked with a consultant to get input from faculty, staff, students, trustees, community leaders and members, and prospective students to create a draft plan. As noted on the Strategic Planning Process webpage, the taskforce shared the draft plan with the campus community and asked for input from various campus stakeholders through presentations at Expanded Executive Council, the Fall 2023 Faculty Plenary, and open campus forums. The Task Force reviewed and incorporated the feedback as appropriate. The plan was approved at the November 2023 Board of Trustee meeting.

Where can I find the Strategic Plan?

On our Employee website - Strategic Planning Process | Onondaga Community College (sunyocc.edu)

What are the goals of the Strategic Plan?

Academic Success

Goal 1: Help students achieve their educational and career goals through responsive academic experiences, innovative teaching strategies, and exemplary learning support services.

Student Experience

Goal 2: Foster a student-centered and equitable campus experience where all students feel welcomed, valued, connected, and empowered to succeed.

Communication

Goal 3: Ensure communication systems are consistent, transparent, and designed to promote student success.

The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the Strategic Plan don’t have specific measurable targets. Where can I find detailed information about our Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicators?

The Strategic Plan was approved with the understanding that work at the College would be done to develop measurable Key Performance Indicators. That work began with the Executive Council utilizing data to develop draft KPIs for each of the three Strategic Plan goals. The draft was shared with the College Leadership Council, the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, and the Board of Trustees in an iterative process via our Shared Governance structure. The final KPIs with final review via the College Leadership Council will serve as specific indicators of progress towards Strategic Plan goals.

What does each department need to do for the Strategic Plan?

Each department using the Strategic Plan Operational Plan template needs to, in consultation with the appropriate Vice President or their designee, identify one to three departmental goals along with action(s) that will be taken to achieve the goal(s). Your department can use your 4DX Wildly Important Goal (or “WIG”) as one of the department goals supporting the strategic plan. The department needs to track progress towards the goal(s) and report the progress and outcome(s).

What is the Strategic Plan Operational Plan?

The Strategic Plan Operational Plan is where each department outlines the work that it will do that is aligned with one or more of the Strategic Plan goals and KPIs.

Why is it important that each department have goals that are assessed regularly related to the Strategic Plan?

Not only is it a good practice, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) requires that its institutions meet rigorous and comprehensive accreditation standards. Standard VI of MSCHE’s Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation require that we have “planning processes...to continuously assess and improve its programs and services, and to respond effectively to opportunities and challenges.”

How often and to whom will each department need to report on progress towards departmental Strategic Plan goals?

Strategic Plan Operational Plans will be updated annually, and each department will need to report their progress and outcomes to their Vice President or their designee twice per year in January and June.

Who will be keeping track and reporting on the progress towards departmental goals?

Each Vice President will provide our Institutional Planning, Assessment and Research team with progress and outcomes for each department. IPAR will keep the data and report the information at least once per year.

If I have questions about what my department needs to do for the Strategic Plan, who should I ask?

Ask the Vice President or Dean in your area.

What is the 4 Disciplines of Execution?

The 4 Disciplines of Execution or 4DX as it is commonly known is a “simple, repeatable” process and tool  “for executing your most important priorities.”

The 4 Disciplines of Execution are:

1. Focus on the wildly important.
2. Act on the lead measures.
3. Keep a compelling scorecard.
4. Create a cadence of accountability.

How did 4DX start being discussed at OCC?

In the Fall 2023 semester, the Expanded Executive Council (EEC) read The 4 Disciplines of Execution. It was the second book that the EEC read in 2023. While reading the book, one member of EEC attended a conference where higher education institutions, including community colleges, presented their success using 4DX. By January 2024, the President decided 4DX would be beneficial to bring to OCC to help us achieve our collective desire to assist more students in persisting and graduating.

Why are we using 4DX at OCC?

As the President shared at the January Plenary and in other settings, he felt the sadness, frustration, and anguish that several OCC employees expressed with having retention and graduation rates decline over the years. Our Strategic Planning process revealed that all of us, no matter what our role is on campus, want to see each of our students succeed. It was clear that we needed not another initiative but rather a process and tool to increase student success on campus. In short, we needed a way to focus our individual department efforts on our most important priorities: persistence, retention, and graduation. 4DX will help do just that - focus on what we feel and know is important to us: our students.

Is there a summary of the 4 Disciplines of Execution book?

Yes, it is available at: https://pages.franklincovey.com/rs/524-AUO-315/images/MRK1948901_FY204DX_FC-ExclBookSum_DigCamVer_%5Bv1.0.2%5D.pdf

What is a Wildly Important Goal, or WIG?

It is the most important objective that can’t be achieved without special attention. To define a WIG, you must identify the starting line, finish line, and deadline: often referred to as from X to Y by When.

What is our current WIG?

Increase 3-year graduation rate (1st time, full-time, degree seeking) 1% annually from 27.1% (2021 cohort) to 28.1% (2022 cohort) by 10/1/2025.

Under our WIG Umbrella we have three Sub-WIGS. What are they?

• Increase the fall to spring persistence rate 2% annually from 79.5% to 81.5% by February 14, 2025.
• Decrease (NA, X, W, D drops) by 2% annually from 15.9% to 13.9% by August 31, 2025.
• Increase Underrepresented Minority (URM) fall to fall retention rates by 1% annually from 43.2% to 44.2% by August 31, 2025.

Will my department have help implementing 4DX?

Yes! Ten outstanding colleagues have been named coaches, and each department has a coach assigned to it. To find out who your coach is, ask your supervisor or Julie Hart, OCC’s Lead Coach.

What is a Lag Measure and a Lead Measure?

• Lag Measures track the success of your WIG. They are called “lag” because by the time you see them, they’ve already happened.
• Lead Measures track the critical activities that lead to the lag measure. Example: for weight loss - diet and exercise are lead measures which influence it.

Why is it important to keep a compelling scoreboard?

People play differently when score is being kept. Keeping score creates engagement.

What is a “cadence of accountability?”

Regular and frequent team meetings focused on the WIG during which team members hold each other accountable, commit to ideas, and win.

How do we know if what we are doing is helping us achieve our WIG?

Each department will be regularly tracking, with help if needed, their progress toward their WIG. If the department sees that what they are doing is more successful than expected, the department will update their goal. If the department sees that what they are doing is less successful than expected, the department should revisit their goal, making the necessary adjustments to their lead measures.

Example: for weight loss - with a goal to lose 10 pounds over 3 months a person may choose to exercise for 30 minutes, four days per week. If after 3 weeks, the person has lost 7 pounds, they would adjust their goals to lose more than 10 pounds over 3 months. On the other hand, if after 3 weeks, the person has lost 0 pounds, they would adjust what they are doing by perhaps exercising more and/or changing their diet.

What happens when we reach the goal of a current WIG or Sub-Wig?

The WIG or Sub-Wig would be updated, and the process would begin to achieve the new WIG or Sub-Wig.

What happens if someone refuses to participate in 4DX?

Each department develops their Department WIG based on work that is in the purview of the department. In other words, each person in the department is not being asked to do something outside of their job responsibilities. Thus, if someone refuses to participate in 4DX it should be handled in a manner consistent with the person not doing their job.

If I have questions about 4DX, who should I ask?

• For questions regarding your Department’s WIG and Lead Measures, you should ask your department supervisor.
• For questions related to the overall 4DX process, you should ask Julie Hart, OCC’s Lead 4DX Coach.
• For questions about the 4DX portal, you should ask Dennis Thoryk, OCC’s 4DX Technical Lead.