1 A. Institutional Mission and Goals
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FORT BELKNAP COLLEGE Five-Year Strategic Plan: 2003-2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS I Institutional Background and Situational Statement …................................... 1 A. Institutional Mission and Goals ...................................................... 1 B. Academic Programs & Student Body Characteristics ….................. 3 C. Institutional History ......................................................................... 5 D. Situational Statement and Community Description ........................ 5 II Overview of Strategic Planning Activities: 1997-Present ........................... 9 III Strategic Plan .............................................................................................. 15 A. Overview ......................................................................................... 15 B. Vision and Key Elements ................................................................ 16 C. Key Element One: Accreditation .................................................... 17 1. Strengths, Weaknesses and Environmental Factors ........... 17 a. Fiscal Stability ........................................................ 19 b. Administrative Stability .......................................... 23 c. Strategic Planning ................................................... 26 2. Goals & Objectives ............................................................. 28 3. Strategies, Responsibilities, Resources and Timelines …... 28 D. Key Element Two: Recognition ..................................................... 29 1. Strengths, Weaknesses and Environmental Factors ........... 29 2. Goals & Objectives ............................................................ 31 3. Strategies, Responsibilities, Resources and Timelines ...... 32 E. Key Element Three: Cultural Grounding ....................................... 35 1. Strengths, Weaknesses and Environmental Factors ........... 35 2. Goals & Objectives ............................................................ 39 3. Strategies, Responsibilities, Resources and Timelines ….. 40 F. Key Element Four: Curricula and Degree Programs ...................... 42 1. Strengths, Weaknesses and Environmental Factors ........... 42 2. Goals & Objectives ............................................................ 45 3. Strategies, Responsibilities, Resources and Timelines ….. 46 G. Key Elements Five and Six: Technologies, Infrastructure and Facilities .................................................................................. 48 1. Strengths, Weaknesses and Environmental Factors ........... 48 2. Goals & Objectives ............................................................ 52 3. Strategies, Responsibilities, Resources and Timelines ...... 53 H. Key Elements Seven and Eight: Community Development And Education & Collaborative Relationships .............................. 54 1. Strengths, Weaknesses and Environmental Factors ........... 54 2. Goals & Objectives ............................................................ 59 3. Strategies, Responsibilities, Resources and Timelines ...... 60 IV Evaluation Plan .......................................................................................... 61 1 B. Formative Evaluation ..................................................................... 63 C. Annual Performance Evaluation ..................................................... 64 D. Annual Review and Update ............................................................ 66 Appendices Appendix A: Fort Belknap College Planning Chart, 2000 Appendix B: Fort Belknap College Planning Vision, 2000 Appendix C: Fort Belknap College Schedule of Funding, 2001 Appendix D: Strategic Planning Documents (Notes from planning sessions and staff retreats, and sub-committee reports) Appendix E: “Vision to Action” Model Appendix F: Fort Belknap College Debt Reduction History Graph Appendix G: Fort Belknap College Organizational Chart Appendix H: Fort Belknap College Institutional Planning and Assessment Model, 2002 2 FORT BELKNAP COLLEGE Five-Year Strategic Plan: 2003-2008 I Institutional Background & Situational Statement A. Institutional Mission and Goals Fort Belknap College (FBC) is a tribally controlled community college located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in northcentral Montana. The college was chartered in 1984 by the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council, which serves as the governing body of the Gros Ventre (White Clay) and Assiniboine (Nakoda) Tribes of the Fort Belknap Reservation. Fort Belknap College is accredited at the associates degree level by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and Universities (NWASCU), Commission on Colleges and Universities. The college is incorporated within the State of Montana and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax exempt 501(c)(3) educational institution. The following statements of FBC’s institutional mission, goals and philosophy provide the basis for the planning, development and implementation of all college programs and activities. Institutional Mission Statement The mission of Fort Belknap College is to provide quality post-secondary education for residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and surrounding communities. The college will help individuals improve their lives by offering them the opportunity to maintain the cultural integrity of the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes as well as succeed in American technological society. 3 Institutional Goals The goals of Fort Belknap College are: • to provide vocational education, internships, academic, cultural, and community programs, transferable courses, and degrees; • to enhance Gros Ventre and Assiniboine cultural development; • to assist tribal institutions and departments in staff preparation, planning, research, and evaluation services; • to use valid research methods to measure the needs, talents and aspirations of the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine people and design educational programs to meet them; • to maintain an open admissions policy; and • to provide leadership and training for those who pursue and promote the economic and community development of the Fort Belknap Reservation. Institutional Philosophy Adherence to the educational philosophy of the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Tribes leads the Board, administration, staff and students to: value the abiding relevance of Gros Ventre and Assiniboine culture; recognize equality among all people and diversity within the Fort Belknap College campus and communities; exercise active and ongoing leadership; retain qualified staff sensitive to student and community needs; pursue lifelong inter-generational learning; promote family involvement in education; maintain the will to meet every person’s and each community’s needs; and recognize the importance of spirituality in everything the college does. 4 Reviewed on a regular basis, these statements of the college’s mission, goals and philosophy were last revised and approved by the College Board of Directors in 1998. B. Academic Programs & Students Body Characteristics In accordance with its mission, philosophy and goals, Fort Belknap College offers associate degrees in the following areas of study: Allied Health, Business, Business- Entrepreneurship, Business-Health Administration, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Human Services, Human Services-Criminal Justice, Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts-Native American Studies, Microcomputer Operations, and Natural Resources. Along with completing their selected program’s core requirements, students must also complete a series of general education requirements in the areas of natural science, social science, fine arts/humanities, public speaking, native language, mathematics, writing, and computers. Students must earn a minimum of 90 quarter credits in order to graduate. Data characterizing the composition of the Fort Belknap College student body according to gender and race over the past ten years are presented in Table 1 below. Approximately 95% of all FBC students are of American Indian descent. Non-traditional students make up a significant portion of the FBC student body, as indicated by an average age of 30 years old (as compared to the national average of 23). In addition, most students are low income (defined as membership in a family whose income is less than 50% of the poverty level), with 95% of the current student body qualifying for some form of federal financial aid. In fact, according to the college’s Financial Aid Officer, nearly 70% of all students have greater than $2,000 of unmet financial need. Eighty percent of students enrolled at FBC are first generation college students. 5 Table 1 Fort Belknap College Student Characteristics 10 year Span (Fall 1992-Spring 2002) # Quarter Year Male Female Total ISC FTE 1 Fall 1992 51 181 232 201.9 175.0 Winter 1993 55 122 177 174.4 148.2 Spring 1993 37 151 188 141.2 129.3 2 Fall 1993 48 122 170 187.4 157.5 Winter 1994 66 116 182 189.5 162.7 Spring 1994 63 125 192 175.5 160.2 3 Fall 1994 60 130 190 178.9 145.9 Winter 1995 81 191 272 185.2 158.9 Spring 1995 82 163 245 164.6 148.5 4 Fall 1995 74 125 199 174.2 153.3 Winter 1996 74 115 189 155.0 145.8 Spring 1996 84 102 172 142.9 130.6 5 Fall 1996 66 107 173 152.6 139.6 Winter 1997 106 191 297 143.3 134.1 Spring 1997 152 159 311 159.9 152.1 6 6 Fall 1997 64 136 200 137.8 133.2 Winter 1998 89 159 248 151.4 145.0 Spring 1998 75 150 225 126.8 125.8 7 Fall 1998 68 115 183 145.1 137.1 Winter 1999 56 124 180 134.0 128.9 Spring 1999 84 209 293 153.2 146.5 8 Fall 1999 74 194 268 149.2 138.9 Winter 2000 79