New Strategic Plan has high aspirations

Since last summer, a committee has been planning and developing a new document that will serve as a guideline to taking the college to its centennial in 2011.

The president of Chadron State, Dr. Tom Krepel, calls the Strategic Plan, officially dubbed “2003-11 Institutional Vision,” the college’s “road map to the future.”

The committee is composed of 14 employees from all areas of the college. The committee has already done a great amount of work drawing the framework for the plan, but the chairman, Dr. George Watson, says the task will continue until CSC has its 100th birthday celebration.

“Even after we’re fairly satisfied with the entire Strategic Plan as it has been shaped and have sent it to the college president’s office on May 1, the committee will remain intact to make adjustments as needed and evaluate the results,” says Watson, a justice studies professor. “The committee members know they’ll be involved the entire time. That will help ensure that the content is actually being utilized or put into practice. In other words, we don’t want to come up with this nice document and then let it gather dust on the shelf.”

The contents of the document will be ambitious and far-reaching, as noted in the vision statement: “Chadron State College aspires to be a premiere institution of higher education in the western high plains states, innovatively pursuing excellence in teaching, scholarship and service.”

In other words, Chadron State wants to be the best it can be while addressing the needs of those who reside well beyond western Nebraska.

The preliminary document also includes a mission statement. It reads: “Chadron State College will enrich the quality of life in the region by providing educational opportunities, research, service and programs that contribute significantly to the vitality and diversity of the region.”

The initial document also contains six focus areas with several objectives under each of them.

While the framework has been devised, Watson points out that the Strategic Plan is still in the “idea phase” as specific plans of action are added.

“We’re trying to generate as many ideas as possible about how we can reach the goals that have been set. Each person who works at the college has been encouraged to tell us how he or she can contribute. It’s kind of like a basketball team. If everybody works hard and improves a little, the team will improve a lot.”

Watson believes the vision statement sets the course for the plan. “It should be our goal to make the college all it possibly can be. We want to strengthen every program so each of them is among the best in the region. But planning is needed to do that. We can’t just drift along and see what happens in the next eight years.”

Watson points out that the plan will “belong” to the whole college and everyone associated with it. “It’s going to be the entire college’s plan. It’s not just the administration’s plan or the faculty’s plan. We want everyone to be involved and feel committed to the plan. No one is required to participate, but the pressure is on to do so. If they don’t they will probably be left behind.”

Chadron State is already a quality institution, Watson notes. “The college has evolved tremendously from its beginnings,” he says. “It’s changed from a normal school to a teacher’s college to a comprehensive college. Many people have done a great job of getting Chadron State to where it is today. We definitely don’t want to criticize or downgrade anything that has been done in the past. We want to build on the progress that has occurred and continue to strengthen the college.”

During an all-college meeting earlier this year, Watson urged everyone in attendance to “think outside the box to help Chadron State College be a special place in 2011.”

“Be bold and imaginative,” he stated. “We have limitless boundaries as we look ahead. Most of the boundaries we feel are self-imposed. This is an exciting time for Chadron State. Your aspirations will give all of us vision.”