building relationships - lyndon state...

BuildingRelationships

ATransformative

Plan

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Building relationships is the cornerstone of our work at Lyndon State College. The future of Lyndon is rooted in the imple-mentation of a strategic initiative that is built entirely on relationships. Relationships with students, with faculty, with staff, with alumni, with the local community, with family and friends, with all who have been touched by Lyndon—this is our clarion call!

Over eighteen months, the Strategic Plan Steering Committee and its working groups worked tirelessly to discuss and plan the future of Lyndon State College. Comprised of members of Lyndon’s faculty, staff, stu-dents, alumni, and community members, the committee set four goals for the Col-lege’s future. The goals include academic excellence and experiential focus, financial strength, efficient and well-designed systems, services, and facilities, and a com-munity dedicated to social justice.

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A Message from President Joe Bertolino

a multi-year timeline and plan to achieve these priorities was developed in spring 2015 and subsequently approved by the President’s Leadership Team. Beginning in fall 2015 and ending in spring 2020, the implementation of the plan will be transformative, both to Lyn-don State College and the northeast Kingdom.

I am pleased to share with you the commit-tee’s Strategic Plan vision statement and summary of goals. details of the plan can be found at LyndonState.edu/strategic-plan.

Finally, I wish to thank the committee and its working groups for their hard work and commit-ment to the College and its future. Many thanks also to the members of our community, internal and external, who helped shape this document.

Lyndon is a college on the move and is poised to do great things in the future!

Joe Bertolino, President Lyndon State College

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Lyndon’s students are recognized as innova-tors, hard chargers in their fields of study, and passionate lifelong learners. They develop this attitude and ability through interactions with a diverse group of faculty and staff who promote strong cross-instructional programming, intellectual connectivity, and real-world applications that Lyndon students are more than enthusiastic to tap into.

Students are drawn to Lyndon not only for the exceptional faculty and staff, but also the rich variety of settings for learning. Juxtaposed with the mountains, rivers, cliffs, and trails of our northern home, our state-of-the-art classrooms and facilities provide broad experiential and professional learning opportunities. as an anchor in the larger community, Lyndon exemplifies core values of individual achievement, social justice, and intellectual curiosity that our students and visitors from around the world feel right from the start. We invite people to discover another kind of classroom and find their best selves.

A Vision Statement

There is a quiet place in the northern reaches of Vermont where big things are happening.as Lyndon State College embraces the changes coming to higher education, we would like to remind you of what isn’t changing—our response to first-in-family students, our commitment to experiential education and the edge it gives our gradu-ates in the real world, and our responsibility to the community and the natural world of our northeast Kingdom home. These stan-dards are a tremendous foundation for the building of Lyndon’s future.

Setting the Stage: Lyndon’s Story

Our strategy is simple—build on the success that has come before us.

Fully draw eagerness to learn from our students.

Be a place of recognized academic achievement for our faculty and staff.

Be that place where gaining a small-school, liberal arts education is powerful and life changing.

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students to achieve academic excellence, a pathway to degrees, and a representa-tion of Lyndon’s community values, which include social justice. This overhaul may include broadening course selections, rethinking timing and course delivery methods, and examining prerequisites and distribution of required credits.

Examine and streamline curriculum. examine degree programs with multiple concentrations that may be chronically

Address inconsistencies in student advising. Professional development, con- sistent communication between advisors and students, and improved access to data and program information will lead to a more efficient advising system resulting in increased student retention, graduation rates, and satisfaction.

Examine general education requirements. a complete overhaul of the system may be necessary to better serve faculty and

Overarching Themes


Establish a uniform system for communication on campus. Standardize communication protocols, make public information easily accessible, and share relevant information with individuals and departments who would benefit.

Form strong partnerships. Shared goals among internal groups, departments, and outside entities provide opportunities to pool resources and create new avenues for beneficial collaborations.

These overarching themes will guide Lyndon’s work as it delves into the goals, Objectives, and actions recommended by Strategic Plan working groups.

underenrolled. analyze student population needs and existing resources. ask how curriculum is delivered, including time and day, number of weeks held, and instruction delivery method.

Improve access to and use of institutional data. departments, both academic and administrative, are hungry for data. There is a need for reliable access and support for interpreting departmental and student data and for improved analysis of the unmet needs in Lyndon’s local community. develop a method to share and communicate data and interpretations across departments for the benefit of all and the school as a whole.

Continue and increase professional development opportunities. Capitalize on strengths and address areas of weak-ness. With the right support, Lyndon can expand capacity for innovation and ensure an excellent experience for all. Professional development related to shifting demo-graphics in ethnicity, race, gender, and age is especially essential to both attract and retain faculty, staff, and students who may have not have otherwise chosen Lyndon.


Academic excellence and experiential focus

provide students with a relevant and valuable education.

A financially thriving Lyndon.

Goals


Systems, services, and facilities are

efficient and designed with the end-user in mind.

Lyndon is a vital and innovative

community dedicated to social justice.


1Academic excellence and experiential focus provide students with a relevant and valuable education.

GOAL

Objectives

• Clear, efficient, and achievable degree program pathways for all students.

• Spectrum of professional development opportunities for faculty (full- and part-time) and staff including: mentorship, peer support, leadership, and education and training, especially in pedagogies and practices aligned with Lyndon’s mission and vision.

• Opportunities for faculty and student contributions to academic fields and undergraduate research. Recognize achievements such as publications and presentations in outside forums.

• Enrich campus-based and online academic services and resources. 2GOAL


Objectives

• Increase enrollment and retention.

• Enhance fundraising capacity and increase total monies raised.

• Develop and maintain a bal-anced college budget aligned with goals and strategies.

• Identify, implement, and market selected entrepre-neurial activities to generate non‐tuition revenue, e.g., fee-for‐service professional development training, sum-mer uses of the campus, etc.


3GOAL

Systems, services, and facilities are efficient and designed with the end-user in mind.Objectives

• Strengthen organizational struc-tures and business practices across the College to achieve greater efficiency, coordination, and ease for users.

• Maintain appropriate invest-ments in information technology and better use information technology throughout the College.

• Reflect Lyndon’s Facilities Master Plan in all capital projects.


4GOAL Lyndon is a vital and innovative community dedicated to social justice.

Objective

• Identify and implement opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to increase their cultural literacy and commitment to social justice principles.



Reflecting our mission and reaching toward a successful future, this Strategic Plan will serve as the day-to-day, week-to-week, and year-to-year road map to guide decisions and priorities for Lyndon in the coming years. A detailed list of action items for each goal as well as a matrix of action items across time and with assigned leadership accompanies this document online. This timeline is a living document and will change as the College moves forward in implementing the plan. View these accompanying documents at LyndonState.edu/strategic-plan.

Lyndon’s dedication to this strategic path will benefit the College as a whole, strengthen the quality of teaching and support of students, and more deeply con-nect Lyndon with the community at large.

These strategic priorities and objectives and resulting action items will bring significant, positive change to Lyndon State College.

Putting it in Action


Strategic Planning Working groups2014–2015

Academic excellence and experiential focus provide students with a relevant and valuable education.

Ian Balcom, assistant Professor, natural SciencesLindsay Carpenter, Community Outreach CoordinatorSean Doll, assistant Professor, Mountain Recreation ManagementTara Fortner, assistant Professor, educationEden Haywood-Bird,* assistant Professor, educationBen Mirkin, assistant Professor, Mountain Recreation ManagementDenise Moses, Staff assistant, academic Support, advising Resources, Career Services, enrollment Management/Institutional ResearchDylan Poutre, student


Nolan Atkins, Interim academic dean, Professor, atmospheric SciencesSheilah Evans,* associate dean of administrationJonathan Ross, assistant director of Student LifeJay Shafer, associate Professor, atmospheric Sciences

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT | LyNDON STATE COLLEgEP.O. Box 919, Lyndonville, VT 05851-09191 | 802 [email protected] | LyndonState.edu

*Lead facilitator

Strategic Planning Steering Committee2014–2015

Jamie Struck, Chairadventure Program Coordinator

Sean Doll, assistant Professor, Mountain Recreation ManagementEden Haywood-Bird, assistant Professor, educationDavid Johnston, associate Professor, english, Philosophy & Film StudiesAlison Lathrop, Professor, natural Sciences/geologyBen Mirken, assistant Professor, Mountain Recreation ManagementPat Shine, Professor, Psychology & Human Services Donna Smith, assistant Professor, electronic Journalism arts

Brice Bird, Social Justice CoordinatorJay Bona, Circulation CoordinatorHeather Bouchey, associate dean for enrollment Management & I.R.Mike Dente, Chief Technology OfficerSheilah Evans, associate dean of administrationKate Gold, director of advising ResourcesRyan Longe, assistant director of admissionsVinnie Maloney, director of admissions

Milan Krainchich, studentChristopher McCray, student

Systems, services, and facilities are efficient and designed with the end-user in mind.

Thom Anderson, associate dean for academic Programs & FacultyMeredith Atchison, assistant director of Student LifeMike Dente, Chief Technology OfficerKate Gold,* director of advising ResourcesJonathan Kaplan, Part-time faculty, natural SciencesGaret Nelson, Library directorErin Rossetti, director of Student Life

Lyndon is a vital and innovative community dedicated to social justice.

Deb Bailin, director of Student academic developmentCliff Berrien, Part-time faculty, Music & Performing artsDanielle Berrien, director of Career ServicesBrice Bird,* Social Justice CoordinatorGianna Fregosi, Part-time faculty, Music & Performing artsJinai Gordon, assistant director of Student LifeKristen Wright, student

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