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Strategies
President's Annual Workplan :
Northeast High Ed.District
President's Workplan:
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
 A
thoughtfully produced presentation was shared with over
forty groups of people across the region who almost unanimously
acknowledged that, indeed, we needed to relate to each
other in new ways. More importantly, they agreed that
we could trust the strong Iron Range tradition of interdependence
and hard work to make things happen. This was the beginning
of a realignment of resources, people and ideas. Along
the way, True North leaders made it clear that this was
"a low threshold, inclusive and collaborative"
strategy for the greater good of the region. True North
was not interested in replacing, removing or taking over
for any of the people or organizations who came to the
table.
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President's
Annual Workplan
Northeast Higher Education District
FY2003 (July 1, 2002 – June 30, 2003)
Guiding Principles
Regional collaboration (Chancellor:
Action Step 4)
Long-term Institutional Stability
(Chancellor: Action Step 4)
Community Success (Chancellor: Action
Step 3)
Strategic Directions and Goals
Action Step One: NHED
will increase access and improve learning opportunities
for students by providing classroom instruction, interactive
educational opportunities, new programs, and training
for business and industry that maximizes geographical
access and improves quality. (Chancellor's Strategic
Plan: Goals 1.1, 2.4, 2.5, 4.2)
Objectives
§ Develop an Academic Program
Sharing Plan for the member colleges of the district.
(NHED: Goal 1, outcome a)
§ Further define “Centers
of Distinction” for each of the member colleges
by honoring the evolution of each unique institutional
mission. (NHED: Goal 1, outcome b)
Action Step Two: NHED
will improve alignment with Region employers, governmental
entities, and educational institutions by providing
critical linkages which promote northeastern Minnesota's
regional community and advocate for enhanced regional
vitality, both educationally and economically. (Chancellor's
Strategic Plan: Goals 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4)
Objectives
§ Re-establish and re-invent
the Arrowhead University Center under NHED governance
with integration of services through member colleges
and alliances with Fond du Lac Tribal and Community
College and Lake Superior College. (NHED: Goal 2,
outcome c)
§ Improve the overall economic
vitality and quality of life in northeast Minnesota
by developing a Rural Telework Center Proposal for
the U. S. Dept. of Labor that gets funded. (NHED:
Goal 3, outcome b)
Action Step Three: NHED
will focus college leadership on strong community ties
and effective instructional management by providing
strong, effective leadership at the college level. (Chancellor's
Strategic Plan: Goals 3.1, 4.1, 5.1)
Objective
§ Mentor new provosts at RRCC
and VCC and reorganize the Mesabi Range administrative
structure to reduce costs. (NHED: Goal 4, outcome
b)
Action Step Four: NHED will
improve district planning by ensuring financial stability
for each member college. (Chancellor's Strategic Plan:
Goals 4.3, 4.6, 5.5)
Objective
§ Seek improved financial stabilization
for RRCC. (NHED: Goal 4, outcome c)
§ Institutionalize oversight
and support at the district level for both finance
and facilities. (NHED: Goal 4, outcome e)
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President's
Workplan for the
Northeast Higher Education District
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Introduction
Geography, history, economics and politics combine
to create an environment in Northeastern Minnesota where
strong community ties are complemented with a sense
of regional identity. These complementary emphases
– strong local communities and a strong regional
imperative – are facts of life in the Northeast,
and must be considered by organizations which contribute
to the social, political and economic growth and vitality
of the area. With a strong sense of these traditions
and with a long-standing commitment to bring educational
opportunities to students, MnSCU has prepared a preliminary
plan for strengthening the role its colleges play in
individual students' lives, in individual communities,
and throughout the Northeast Region. This Plan for the
Northeast Higher Education District (NHED) will result
in better service to students, expanded partnerships
with business and industry, stronger community connections,
and improved institutional stability. The prospect
of bringing this plan to reality in the coming months
and years will strengthen higher education across the
region in exciting and dynamic ways.
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Northeast Higher Education District
Members
- Hibbing Community College, a technical and community
college
- Itasca Community College, Grand Rapids
- Mesabi Range Community and Technical College, Virginia
and Eveleth
- Rainy River Community College, International Falls
- Vermilion Community College, Ely
Purpose of the Northeast Higher
Education District
The NHED will create an environment that:
- Increases access and improved learning opportunities
for students;
- Focuses presidential leadership, at both the regional
and community (institutional) levels;
- Increases coordination and joint planning among
institutions;
- Improves alignment with regional businesses, industries,
organizations, and education providers; and
- Ensures full, independent North Central Association
(NCA) accreditation for each of the member colleges
.
NHED Principles
The NHED Plan is built on these principles:
- Student and community needs drive planning and institutional
structures;
- A unique blend of regional collaboration and local
decision-making results in collective resource use,
coordination and planning for Northeastern Minnesota;
- Long-term institutional stability is a prerequisite
for effective institutional planning, decision-making,
and educational program implementation; and
- Benchmarking, assessment, and on-going refinement
of programs and services are vital to institutional
effectiveness and success.
NHED Vision
The NHED will enhance student access and learning options
throughout the region and will focus on each member
college's connection to the community.
What Does the Vision Mean?
Students enrolling in NHED colleges will discover full-service
institutions that are independent, yet strengthened
through their interdependence, sharing of resources
and programs, connection to communities, and participation
in the economic development of the entire Northeast
region. Strong local leadership will remain fully
empowered to represent and to manage the college, and
the district president and college leaders will collectively
invest resources to strengthen instruction; create or
align programs; and achieve true ‘centers of excellence'
across northeastern Minnesota. In this way students
will be offered a well-rounded educational experience,
and will be continuously assured of access to excellence,
through on-going assessment and investment of resources
in ways that better meet the needs of northeastern Minnesota.
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NHED Mission and Goals
The NHED will provide quality higher education to the
communities throughout northeastern Minnesota by developing
a regional structure that will preserve college autonomy
but will also align programs and services to better
prepare residents for learning, employment, citizenship,
and life.
What Does the Mission Mean?
By creating a balance between local autonomy and regional
unity, the NHED colleges will be positioned as resources
for the region's communities, employers, and students.
Acknowledging that the future will be marked by continued
growth in competition, NHED colleges will find ways
to expand potential student markets to include the incumbent
workforce, and will develop institutional niches as
a result. The focus of NHED programs will be on
lifelong learning, preparing students for employment,
citizenship (locally and globally), and for enjoying
life in all its dimensions. In this way NHED colleges
will be truly anchored to their communities and capable
of cooperating with other colleges to cost-effectively
provide quality education for smaller numbers of students.
To do this, NHED colleges will share institutional services,
increase instructional investment, and reward creativity
and innovation.
The NHED will accomplish this through the following
goals and outcomes:
Goal #1: Increase
access and improve learning opportunities for students.
Provide classroom instruction, interactive
educational opportunities, new programs, and training
for business and industry that maximizes geographical
access and improves quality.
Outcomes
a.
Increased learning options for students that
address program location, new program development,
program sharing, program length and structure, and
students' credentialing options (degrees, certificates).
Strategy: Develop
a regional master academic plan which includes emphasis
on liberal arts and employment components.
b.
Evolution of unique institutional missions
for each of the five colleges, creating ‘centers
of excellence' by focusing on community and regional
demand and faculty expertise.
Strategy: Develop
local master academic plans.
c.
Easy sharing of programs among colleges, through
faculty cooperation and flexibility in program design.
Strategy: Reward
college initiatives which share programs and faculty.
d.
Increased customized training tailored to
the region's employers, provided through the Northeast
Training Unit (NETU).
Strategy: Continue
to define the relationship between the colleges and
NETU.
Goal #2: Improve alignment with the Region's
employers, governmental entities, and education institutions.
Provide critical linkages
with business, industry, education, and non-profit groups
which promote northeastern Minnesota's regional community
and advocate for enhanced regional vitality, both educationally
and economically.
Outcomes
a.
Coordinated worker preparation across the
region.
Strategy: NETU serves
as the conduit in working with the region's partners.
b.
Coordinated teacher preparation initiatives
to ensure a continuous pipeline of teachers for community
classrooms.
Strategy: Partner
with Bemidji State University and K-12 districts to
create and implement modes for teacher
preparation.
c.
Coordinated higher education offerings for
all of northeastern Minnesota.
Strategy: Establish
alliances with Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
and Lake Superior College which define the relationship
between the institutions and identify areas of mutual
interest and benefit.
Redefine the Arrowhead University Center alliances
to clarify the relationships among participating institutions,
with emphasis on BSU.
d.
Improve the overall economic vitality and
quality of life in northeastern Minnesota.
Strategy: Strengthen
partnerships with local governments, counties, regional
agencies, and the region's legislators.
Goal #3: Focus college leadership on strong
community ties and effective institutional management.
Provide strong, effective
leadership at the college level by defining key leadership
objectives.
a.
A district president with three key responsibilities:
strategic planning; region-wide advocacy efforts;
and hiring, supervision, and mentoring of the local
college leaders.
Strategy: After
completion of the search process, a district president
and a district office (with a permanent staff limited
to three) will be established at an off-site location.
b.
College leaders at Itasca (Grand Rapids),
Mesabi Range (Virginia and Eveleth), and Vermilion
(Ely) with two key responsibilities: on-going
outreach to the community, and overall management
of institutional affairs.
Strategies: After completion
of national searches or a full consultative process,
college leaders will be appointed at Itasca, Mesabi
Range, and Vermilionl
College leaders will assume their
roles as chief academic and operating officers at
each location.
c.
Opportunities for regional cooperation and
a structure for measuring accountability.
Strategy: The district
president and college leaders will meet regularly
to undertake planning efforts, explore regional cooperation,
and examine accountability measures for the region
as a whole.
Goal #4: Improve district planning
Provide careful attention to administrative planning.
a.
A district governance structure.
Strategies: Maintain and
support current presidential leadership at Hibbing
and Rainy River.
Consultation with faculty, students,
and staff to define and continuously improve the district
governance structure.
b.
Improved shared services through the Northeast
Service Unit (NESU).
Strategy: Conduct
on-going assessment of effectiveness and efficiencies
gained through the NESU structure.
c.
Ensure financial stability for each NHED member
institution.
Strategy: Define
ways in which the emerging district configuration
will increase efficiency and sharing of programs and
services. (Initially, savings garnered from
sharing a single president will be used to increase
instructional investment).
d.
Facilities planning linked to academic planning,
at the institutional and regional levels.
Strategy: Facilities planning is concurrent
with and integrated into academic master planning
at the college and district levels.
e.
Preserve local institution's budget and authority.
Strategy: Allocations will flow to
colleges first, and then the colleges purchase the
service it needs.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
BOARD
ACTION
NORTHEAST HIGHER
EDUCATION DISTRICT DISCUSSION
BACKGROUND
Chancellor Anderson presented a first reading on this
proposal at the June 1999 Board of Trustees meeting.
Responses to questions posed by trustees were incorporated
into a powerpoint presentation by the Chancellor and
Dr. Joe Sertich, president of Itasca Community College
and special advisor to the Laurentian Community and
Technical College District. This presentation
was made at the July Board meeting and also at the Board's
public hearing at Hibbing Community and Technical College
on July 27.
At the public hearing the faculty asked for a detailed
plan for the District which summarized the components
identified in the Chancellor's presentation. A
plan document was prepared and distributed to faculty,
staff, students, and community representatives across
northeastern Minnesota on August 24. Anne Weyandt,
deputy to the chancellor and chief of staff, presented
the plan document and reviewed the proposal with college
faculty at their duty day in Hibbing on August 23.
The Chancellor invited readers of the plan document
to submit comments through September 9. A summary
of the comments received will be presented at the September
Board meeting.
To date however, we have not received any comments
indicating that this Plan should not be approved.
Public comments have generally been favorable, with
advice provided regarding staff selection; faculty involvement
in college governance, the phasing in of participation
by Hibbing and Rainy River; and most consistently, comments
from Ely, Eveleth and Virginia on the need for bringing
this process to conclusion and establishing stable,
permanent leadership for the three campuses of the Laurentian
District.
Several Trustees have asked how the President's Workplan
for the Northeast District relates to the other regional
planning efforts, and expressed interest in exploring
principles to guide direction of future policy discussions
around regional planning and organization initiatives.
At this point in time the Chancellor considers the following
principles in considering the effectiveness or viability
of existing or proposed regional arrangements:
- Ensuring appropriate measures of institutional autonomy;
- Assuring student and community access to quality
educational programs;
- Ensuring meaningful institutional cooperation;
- Ensuring institutional stability; and
- Promoting effective relationships with the community,
including advocacy and service to business and industry,
and connections to regional and statewide economic
development initiatives.
The Chancellor proposes that a full discussion of these
principles take place in the context of the Board retreats
and the strategic planning process. In the meantime,
the principles articulated above are in use as a guidepost
in the planning for the Northeast District as well as
in the on-going regional work underway in the metro
area, the northwest, and in southwestern Minnesota.
After the September meeting, a search process will
be initiated to identify the Northeast District President.
An expedited process will be implemented under the leadership
of Dr. Cheryl Frank, president of Inver Hills Community
College. A recommendation to the Board will be
made in November or December.
RECOMMENDED MOTION
The Chancellor recommends the creation of the Northeast
Higher Education District, effective October 1, 1999.
Itasca Community College (Grand Rapids), Mesabi-Range
Community and Technical College (Virginia and Eveleth);
and Vermilion Community College (Ely), will join the
district on the effective date. Rainy River Community
College will become a part of the district structure
in academic year 2001-2002. Hibbing Community College,
a community and technical college, will join the district
at such time as there is a change in presidential leadership
at the institution. As identified in the President's
Workplan for the Northeast Higher Education District,
a progress report to the Board will be provided in July
2000. This report will include a comprehensive
analysis of the existing and emerging strengths of the
District arrangement, as well as identification of existent
or emergent weaknesses and opportunities.
Date Presented to the Board of Trustees: September
21, 1999
Date of Approval: September 21, 1999
Proposed Date of Implementation: October 1,
1999
Timeframe
November, 1999 District President
appointed
December, 1999 College leaders
appointed at Itasca,
Mesabi Range (Virginia and Eveleth), and Vermilion
July, 2000
Preliminary report to the Board on NHED progress/weaknesses/opportunities
in the following areas:
§ Increased
access and improved learning opportunities for students.
§ Focused
college leadership on strong community ties and effective
institutional management
§ Improved
alignment with the region's employers, governmental
entities, and education institutions.
§ Improved
district planning.
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