ECC Moving Forward With Strategic Plan

“The strategic plan is a road map that will guide the college through the process of achieving its long-term goals,” Bauer said.

A committee of faculty and staff members has been formed to develop the plan. The committee has had two meetings thus far to work on the college’s vision and mission statements.

Bauer reported at the board of trustees meeting earlier this month that the college also had a community survey completed in January that would help the committee establish the plan’s long-term goals.

The Warren Poll, a surveying company in St. Louis, was hired to telephone more than 500 residents in the area with 49 questions, including demographics and familiarity with ECC.

The community poll also included rating tuition cost and the importance of college programs, such as training for local hire, financial and scholarship availability, modern facilities, cultural events and how well the college prepares its students in their career areas.

Bauer said he hopes to have a compilation of the survey results to present at the board of trustees meeting in March.

“The survey will be used to help us identify goals, needs, and expectations held by the public,” he said. “It is important we are responsive to those issues and work to be what the public expects of its college.”

Bauer said the survey should be something done on a regular basis and suggested placing it on a cycle of every two years.

“It’s important to know where we’re doing well and where we’re doing not so well,” he said.