Over the past months, we have been working through the process of developing a new strategic plan for Selkirk College that will determine our institutional priorities and guide operational plans and high-level decision-making. 

Developing such a foundational plan requires a lot of collaboration, research and consultation. As we anticipate the first draft of the plan in the coming months, it’s helpful to take a step back and see where we started, where we are today and where we’re headed.  

The Process

Thank you to Lisa Gates, an instructor in Health & Human Services, who created a beautiful process map that helps visualize our journey! 

Where We Started 

• 2023: Selkirk College Board of Governors requests a new strategic plan with a refreshed vision and mission to distinguish us in the post-secondary landscape. 

• 2023: Leadership develops an RFP and seeks a consultant to support the process. 

• 2023: A diverse Steering Committee of individuals from across the college forms to provide input on the planning process, consultations, approaches and survey questions. 

• 2023: We hire a nationally renowned consulting team, Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA), to lead the process. 

• January 2024: We create a web page to post progress, links to consultation schedules and ways to provide input. 

• March 2024: HESA develops an environmental scan (an analysis of the external factors that affect the college) to help us better understand the landscape we’ll be operating in.   

• March–April 2024: HESA and college leadership conduct multiple consultation sessions and focus groups (in-person and on Zoom) with board, employees, students, business leaders, alumni, foundation supporters, municipal and government stakeholders and Indigenous partners. 

• March–April: 2024: We share an online survey with all stakeholders and the general public. 

• May 2024: Consultants analyze all data and share a “What we heard” (WWH) document. 

• May 2024: We share the document with the internal college community for additional input/revisions and to make sure our perceptions of the feedback were accurate. 

• June 2024: Board of Governors review the WWH document and work on refining the vision and mission statement to guide the strategic plan 

Where We Are 

• June–October 2024: Consultants work with the vision and mission, external data, WWH document and other feedback to craft a draft strategic plan. 

What Comes Next 

• November 2024: Steering Committee will meet to review the draft plan and provide feedback. 

• December 2024: The Board of Governors will review the draft plan and feedback from the Steering Committee and suggest any refinements. 

• December 2024: HESA and leadership will work together on the draft plan to develop a framework that ensures other plans are integrated with, connected to and support the Strategic Plan. 

• December 2024: Board of Governors will review and approve the final strategic plan. 

• January 2025: We will launch and celebrate the new Strategic Plan and begin communicating how everyone can support it. 

• 2025: Leadership will develop an ongoing communications plan to ensure that everyone in the college can regularly see the progress being made on the plan. 

The changing post-secondary landscape requires innovation and resilience. A new strategic plan, developed through extensive consultation, will be our guide to continue offering quality, accessible post-secondary education.