Your top plans...
If you were asked to select the five top plans to put in place today, which would they be? What does your committee have to say?
The top five plans that I would select to put in place today are:
1)Marketing Plan
2)Profile of ideal prospects
3)Budget Plan
4)Income and Expense Monitoring Plan
5)5 year improvment plan
My committe would have a lot to offer of us on all these plans. First I'd inform them of what we are presently doing on each of these plans. Then I would get their opinion of our current plan and their suggestions for improvements and what they think our direction should be on a long term basis.
Sheree Pace, JD
Director of Education
You might find that if you worked on a five year plan all the other plans will fall into place. Just a thought. Susan
My 5 steps would be:
1. complete a 5 year institutional effectiveness plan and use it not just keep it on the shelf collecting dust.
2. Establish who my ideal student is.
3. Prepare a marketing plan to target my ideal student.
4. Develop a budget that will support my marketing plan.
5. Continue to work on faculty development as a way to ensure quality education and student success / satisfaction.
Hi Patty
Very well thought out. I like the idea of an institutional plan to use not to collect dust. Sounds like you will need a specific plan to review it. Maybe 2 - 3 times a year? As to establishing who your ideal student is, how will you do that? Some people look at demographics. I like to look at core commonalities among prospects, students, and people successful in the field. What are the qualities an ideal person in the career has? Can a checklist be made for admissions staff to use to identify the ideal students? A marketing plan and budget are a great idea. Once you know who your ideal students are then you can target them. If they are a diverse group, then a wide blast approach may be needed. As to faculty development - you are right. They are the main and sometimes only contact the student has with the school. Lots of good ideas.
Best wishes, Susan
Developing our 5 year plan is top on the list for both administration and our advisory group.
Developing a plan on how to track of our marketing plan would be next the advisory group is not as involved
developing a plan for moving the business (yes part of the 5 year plan, but much more. the advisory group is in sinc
Developing a plan for expanding staff complete with job descriptions a time line etc, again part of the 5 year and approved by the advisory board.
5th plan is a plan to monitor the plan! proably the most important thing we can do to make sure that we are on track, revising what is needed and adding what comes next.
HI Debra
Yes, the most important part of a plan is to measure, change, and monitor it. A plan is a dynamic document that needs input from your entire constituency. Surveys and other measurement tools are needed to see how you are doing.
You're right on track.
Best wishes
Susan
Five top plans to put in place today would include goals with regard to the management of the institution; oversight of the branch campuses; ongoing development of managers; the implementation of new programs in compliance with accrediting standards; and maintaining continuous compliance with accrediting standards.
Five top plans to put in place today would include goals with regard to the management of the institution; oversight of the branch campuses; ongoing development of managers; the implementation of new programs in compliance with accrediting standards; and maintaining continuous compliance with accrediting standards.
Five top plans to put in place today would include goals with regard to the management of the institution; oversight of the branch campuses; ongoing development of managers; the implementation of new programs in compliance with accrediting standards; and maintaining continuous compliance with accrediting standards.
HI Lisa
Sounds like you have a lot to do. How will you break down each major project to see results? What kind of target plans can you put in place, deadlines, and who will assist in reaching these goals?
Best wishes
Susan
These are great ideas.
1. Our school currently has a one year institutional effectiveness plan (IEP) that is reviewed annually. It might be a good idea to extend it out to 5 years.
2. The idea of establishing the ideal student is the major idea I've gotten from this lesson. I don't think we do that at our school.
3. We have a marketing plan, but I'm not sure it targets the ideal student.
4. Of course we would need a budget to support the "targeted" marketing plan.
5. We already have faculty development plans and requirements, so these fall into place with what we are already doing.
Hi James,
You're right. A school needs a 3 to 5 year plan that can be constantly assessed and updated. 1 year planning is short sighted. Knowing your ideal student helps you target him or her. And you'll spend less on target marketing than blasting to everyone. And you'll discover how to frame your marketing to reach other targets.
Best wishes
Susan
The top five plans I would enforce would be
1. gather a committee to discuse 5 year institutional plan.
2. work on a effective budget plan
3. market the areas with experts in that field
4. work on students that would benefit in that field.
5. work on advertising that would attract clents in certain fields
Hi Jackie
Planning and goals are key to success. 5 year plans are essential. And great to involve as many people as possible to start. A budget is what will make the 5 year plan happen. As to advertising, we believe target marketing and website/internet marketing are the most effective and least expensive techniques.
Lots to think about.
Best wishes
Susan
Dr. Schulz:
I am confused. I thought the point was to develop one comprehensive and integrated 5-year plan which necesarily included all the componet parts and evaluation methods and metrics to measure results. Yet, you ask for five separate plans. Your topic question seems at odds with the message of the course.
Great point, Patrick. That forum topic needs to be reframed. We have noted that schools do a good job of five year planning and develop many great ideas. They get excited and want to implement them all. Often it isn't possible to marshall the resources to do everything at the same time. So some prioritizing is helpful.There are no rules and rights with five year planning. Thinking ahead and planning the steps to get there is what is key.
Best wishes
Susan
I agree with Patty in using the Institutional Effectiveness Plan. At our school we analize and discuss the plan twice a year. Accrediting bodies require and set primary indicators, but we should not limit the IEP to those indicators and we must include the rest of the components that you have listed.
Hi Luis
Great points. Accredited schools can easily follow their accreditation guidelines. Great that your school revisits your IEP twice a year. And that when discussing school development you go beyond the IEP list.
Best wishes
Susan
The top five plans for our school would be:
1- Budget plan
2- Re-evaluation of current programs, and possibility to open new ones
3- Increase of student enrollment
4- Marketing
5- Networking between schools and business related to the field
Of course, there are more subjects to take under consideration, but I would concentrate on these five points for a five year plan.
