First Choice Service

Strategic Goals:

  • Increase student engagement with student support services from score of 48.6 to 52 by 2027.
  • Increase the transition of learners with a high school credential to a Western credit program within the first year from 16.4% to 19%. ​
  • Increase average credit load per term for part-time students from 6 to 8 by 2027. 
First choice service.

Strategies: 

  • Increase K-12 on-ramps to increase the percentage of high school students who transition to Western within the first year.
  • Configure and schedule programs to reduce time-to-completion to accommodate the part-time learner. ​
  • Implement strategic enrollment management (SEM) model.

Workforce and Community Engagement

Strategic Goals: 

  • Infuse work-based learning and community-based learning in 100% of associate degree and technical diploma programs (initial milestone achieved).
  • Implement a comprehensive and responsive workforce sector development strategy by 2027.
  • Implement a comprehensive partnership framework by 2027. 
Workforce and community engagement badge.

Strategies: 

  • Optimize program designs to incorporate intentional work-based learning and community-based learning experiences.
  • Optimize Regional Learning Centers (ongoing).
  • Strengthen existing and develop new short-term, credit and non-credit, micro-credential and digital badge pathways. Implement partnership management software

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Strategic Goals: 

  • Eliminate course completion, retention, and graduation equity gaps between Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American students and white students by 2027.
  • Increase enrollment of program-declared students of color from 12.8% in 2018 to 15% in 2025 (milestone achieved). 
Diversity, equity, and inclusion badge.

Strategies: 

  • Implement Guided Pathways college-wide to incorporate 7-week shortened sessions.
  • Infuse evidence-based, equitable practices in all programs and general education disciplines (ongoing).
  • Infuse poverty-informed practices throughout the college (ongoing).
  • Create environments that foster a greater sense of belonging for students and co-workers.

Co-worker Engagement

Strategic Goals: 

  • Increase engaged co-workers from 35% in 2017 to 60% by 2027 (initial milestone achieved).
  • Increase digital readiness and improve operational efficiency in priority workflows (as measured by AI survey). 
Co-worker engagement badge.

Strategies: 

  • Implement co-worker engagement action plans college-wide using the Gallup Q12 feedback.
  • Provide an opportunity for all co-workers to establish professional goals, review progress, and receive feedback and support from their supervisors in a structured format (ongoing).
  • Implement a leadership development framework.
  • Pilot AI agents in priority workflows.
  • Implement artificial intelligence training by 2027.

Additional Information