Our students, faculty, staff and community are the driving force for our success.
Because of them, the future of Terra State is bright. We have revised our mission,
vision and values to be the focus of our new strategic plan, which sets the direction
of the College. See how our new initiatives take part in shaping our future and strengthening
Terra State for years to come!
Our Core Values start with TERRA and were created with a student-first mentality.
Strategic Plan, 2021-2024
With input from internal stakeholders, students and more than 100 community members
throughout the spring of 2019, the Champions of Change identified specific strategic
plan initiatives.
The Champions met quarterly to develop goals and action steps relative to each of
the initiatives. Each initiative was assigned an individual champion, who brought
their team together to brainstorm action steps aimed at realizing the initiative during
the life of the strategic plan.
Metrics were formulated to measure progress gained by the action steps, and resources
needed in terms of time and dollars for each action plan were then submitted. As a
result of this effort, the College will be able to plan for the most effective use
of staff/faculty time and institutional budget.
Strategic Plan Initiatives
1. Foster Robust Learning
Student learning is the core of Terra State Community College; It is the single most
important reason for the College’s existence. As such, it involves every aspect of
the College: administrative structure and functioning; the number, quality and types
of degree and certificate programs; the strength of full-time faculty; the physical
facilities in which learning takes place; and the structure, as well as the strength
of the general education curriculum. The champions of change, through the strategic
planning process, recognize and underscore the centrality of learning by placing it
first among the plan’s initiatives. Each of the following seven goals within the initiative
strengthens one aspect of the College. Together they strengthen the entire College,
thus strengthening student learning.
Goals
Advance with data driven decisions
Initiate ongoing program review
Research new academic programming
Focus on quality improvement
Improve full‐time to part‐time faculty ratio
Reassess academic facilities master plan
Enhance general education curriculum core
2. Invigorate Student Engagement and Success
Ample research establishes that students who are more engaged are more successful
learners. This initiative thus follows logically from the College’s commitment to
foster robust learning, as established in initiative one. Research also demonstrates
that student engagement peaks when the total student population reaches a level that
is both stable and sufficient to sustain a number of co‐ and extra‐curricular student
programs. Therefore, initiative two focuses on building enrollment and sustaining
it through enhanced advising and retention services, as well as building upon the
College’s efforts to provide co‐ and extra‐curricular programs.
Goals
Increase enrollment and full-time equivalency (FTE)
Improve student retention
Promote campus‐wide student engagement and involvement
3. Optimize Community Collaboration
Just as the second initiative supports robust student learning, so too does the third.
By focusing on community collaboration, this initiative recognizes and promotes the
unique relationship between Terra State Community College, the business service area
and citizens. In order for the College to provide the academic programs in which much
of student learning occurs, as well as the co‐ and extra‐curricular programs necessary
to attract and retain students, the College must know and address the service area’s
educational needs. Because many of these community needs entail expenses simply not
met by tuition, fees and the state’s share of instruction costs, the community and
the College must partner to meet them. This is the unique relationship enjoyed between
a community college and its community partners: the College and the community work
together to address the mutual interests of the students and the community. It is
a rewarding and important relationship.
Goals
Secure private philanthropic investments from alumni and friends of the College
Increase community educational engagement
Increase impact of and participation within business and industry training
Increase community collaboration via grants and community funding initiatives
4. Be the Region’s Employer of Choice
The College, through the Champions of Change, brings the strategic plan full circle
by recognizing that students learn best not only in quality oriented curriculum with
highly effective faculty, in engaging co‐curricular and extracurricular programming
and in mutually beneficial collaborations with service area businesses and citizens,
but also in an environment where all employees are valued and can function to the
best of their abilities on behalf of the students and the community. This final initiative
builds on a strong employee relations foundation and strives to create an environment
in which all employees want to work, in which they want to stay and grow and in which
there is opportunity to advance.
Goals
Ensure positive change in the culture at Terra State
Implement inclusive recruiting
Encourage employee engagement
Implement career path training
Support professional development
Develop new employee mentoring
Implement succession training
Have questions or input?
Further input is always welcomed and can be submitted to the Office of Institutional
Advancement by emailing Foundation@Terra.edu or calling 419.559.2261.
Interested in learning more about our Mission, Vision, and Core Values?
