Strategic Planning: How it comes together and terminology

This article reviews Strategic Planning, how it comes together and terminology.

Summary

Review of Strategic Planning, how it comes together and terminology.

Before You Start

Strategic Planning is an effort to outline GCC’s long-term goals and priorities; as well as strategies involved to achieve them. It serves as a roadmap for the college’s future direction. GCC ‘s Strategic Plan covers a 5-year span. Input is required from a wide range of stakeholders such as faculty, staff, students, administrators, and the community.

Strategic Planning

How it comes together and terminology⁵

• Mission/Vision/Core Values = Why the institution exists, what it aspires to be in the future, and the guiding principles that shape its culture and decision making.
• Strategic Plan = The full roadmap outlining long-term goals and priorities; as well as strategies involved to achieve them. Input is required from a wide range of stakeholders such as faculty, staff, students, administrators, and the community.
• Strategic Priorities (SPs) = The main broad high-level themes or categories of focus to fulfill the mission/vision/core value goals and priorities outlined in the Strategic Plan.
• Goals & Initiatives = Specific actions under each priority
  • Core Objectives (COs) = Goals/objectives supporting the Strategic Priorities.
  • ⁹Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) = Quantifiable measurable indicators used to track progress toward achieving the institution’s SPs and COs.
  • ¹¹Master Plans = Ensure growth (typically long-term physical and infrastructure development) of the campus aligns with the institution’s mission and anticipated future needs and is aligned with the college’s Strategic Plan. Input is required from a wide range of stakeholders such as faculty, staff, students, administrators, and the community. GCC’s Master Plans include Academic, Facilities, and IT/Technology.
• Initiatives/Actions = Specific steps taken to meet each objective
  • Plans of Achievement (POAs) = Unit level goals tied to SPs and COs that are defined to be measurable using the SMART Goal framework.
  • Collaborative Goals = Objectives that require cross-departmental, cross-functional, or external partnerships to achieve broader institutional success.
• Metrics = How success is measured for each priority.
• Institutional Effectiveness = Systematic evaluation and continuous improvement efforts.
• Why it matters³:
  • Guides Decision-Making: Helps leaders allocate resources and make informed choices.
  • Aligns Stakeholders: Ensures faculty, staff, students, and the community are working toward common goals.
  • Improves Transparency: Communicates the college’s priorities and progress to the public.
  • Supports Accreditation: Many accrediting bodies require evidence of strategic planning.

Strategic Planning Term Definitions⁵

• Accreditation
• Collaborative Action Response Team (CART)
• Collaborative Goals
• Core Objectives (COs)
• Functional Area Review (FAR)
• Institutional Effectiveness
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Master Plans
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• Mission/Vision/Core Values
• Plan of Achievement (POA)
• Return on Investment (ROI)
• SMART Goal Framework
• Strategic Plan
• Strategic Priorities (SPs)

Accreditation

College accreditation is a process involving an independent accrediting body, recognized by the US Department of Education, who evaluate higher education institutions on meeting standards and academic rigor.

Why it matters²:

• Student Aid: Only accredited schools can offer federal financial aid.
• Credit Transfer: Credits from accredited institutions are more likely to be accepted by other schools.
• Employment: Employers often prefer or require degrees from accredited institutions.
• Quality Assurance: It helps ensure students receive a valuable and recognized education.

Collaborative Goals

⁷Collaborative goals in a higher education strategic plan are objectives that require cross-departmental, cross-functional, or external partnerships to achieve broader institutional success. These goals emphasize teamwork, shared responsibility, and alignment across various stakeholders such as faculty, administration, students, community partners, and industry.

Here are some examples of collaborative goals commonly found in higher education strategic plans:

1. Enhance Student Success and Retention
   • Collaborate across academic departments, advising, and student services to implement early alert systems and holistic support programs.
2. Foster Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation
   • Encourage joint research initiatives between departments (e.g., engineering and health sciences) and external partners (e.g., hospitals, tech companies).
3. Expand Community Engagement and Service Learning
   • Partner with local organizations to create service-learning opportunities that benefit both students and the community.
4. Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
   • Work with faculty, HR, student groups, and external consultants to develop inclusive hiring practices, curriculum reform, and campus climate initiatives.
5. Develop Global Partnerships
   • Collaborate with international institutions to create exchange programs, joint degrees, and global research projects.
6. Integrate Technology in Teaching and Learning
   • Coordinate efforts between IT, faculty development centers, and academic departments to implement digital tools and training.
7. Strengthen Career Readiness and Workforce Development
   • Partner with employers, alumni, and career services to align curricula with job market needs and expand internship opportunities.

Collaborative Action Response Team (CART)

When deemed appropriate, cross-functional Collaborative Action Response Teams (CARTs) are organized through the Administrative Assessment Committee and designed to respond quickly to key College issues.

Core Objectives (COs)

⁸Measurable outcomes that an organization aims to achieve within each strategic priority. They break down the broader vision and priorities into actionable and trackable targets. They are measurable goals calling for action which aids in the goal planning process. At GCC, each strategic priority includes several core objectives.

Functional Area Review (FAR)

¹²A Functional Area Review (FAR) in the context of a higher education strategic plan is a structured evaluation of a specific administrative or academic unit within a college or university. Its purpose is to assess how well that unit aligns with and supports the institution’s strategic goals.

Why it matters:

• Alignment: Ensure each unit/department is contributing effectively to the strategic plan.
• Performance: Evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and outcomes of the unit’s operations.
• Improvement: Identify opportunities for innovation, cost savings, or enhanced service delivery.
• Accountability: Provide data and analysis to support decision-making and resource allocation.

Key Components of a Functional Area Review:

• Mission and Goals
  • How does the unit’s mission align with the institution’s strategic priorities?
• Programs and Services
  • What services or programs does the unit offer, and how do they support student success or institutional goals?
• Organizational Structure and Staffing
  • Is the unit appropriately staffed and organized to meet its objectives?
• Budget and Resources
  • How are resources allocated and used? Are there opportunities for reallocation or investment?
• Outcomes and Metrics
  • What data is available to measure success (e.g., student satisfaction, retention rates, service usage)?
• SWOT Analysis
  • Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats related to the unit’s operations.
• Recommendations
  • Actionable steps for improvement or realignment with strategic goals.

Institutional Effectiveness

The mission of GCC's Institutional Effectiveness Committee is to provide leadership, assistance, and oversight of the college’s assessment and continuous improvement efforts for the purposes of improving the quality of the College’s academic programs, student programs, student services, campus operations, and processes.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

⁹Quantifiable measurable indicators used to track progress toward achieving the institution’s strategic goals, core objectives, and thereby strategic priorities. They help answer the question: “How will we know if we’re succeeding?” KPIs are measurable indicators used to track achievement of COs and thereby SPs.

Master Plans

¹¹Master planning is done to support the college's Strategic Plan ensuring growth, typically long-term physical and infrastructure development, of the campus aligns with the institution’s mission and anticipated future needs. These long-term plans are each specific to an area of focus that encompass physical, infrastructure, and academic development and are aligned with the institution’s vision, mission, strategic priorities, and anticipated future needs (e.g., Academic, Facilities, and IT). Input is required from a wide range of stakeholders such as faculty, staff, students, administrators, and the community. GCC’s Master Plans include Academic, Facilities, and IT/Technology.

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

A higher education institutional accrediting body, recognized by the US Department of Education. An excerpt from their website:

• “The Commission’s accreditation process ensures institutional accountability, self-appraisal, improvement, and innovation through peer review and the rigorous application of standards within the context of institutional mission.¹”

Plan of Achievement (POA)

Measurable objectives written each year by Unit Leaders that reflect the way their office will support one or more of the college’s Strategic Priorities (SP) and Core Objectives (COs). POAs are an effort by units to achieve KPIs. They are defined to be measurable using the SMART Goal framework. POAs are time bound and their’ progress is reported on three times a year.

Mission/Vision/Core Values

^{3, 5}Statements defining why the institution exists, what it aspires to be in the future, and the guiding principles that shape its culture and decision making. The vision describes an organization's aspirations, what it desires to be nd /or achieve in the future. The mission defines an organization's purpose, outlines what it does and who it serves (this operationalizes the vision).

Return on Investment (ROI)

¹⁰Return on Investment, in the context of a college strategic plan, refers to the value or benefit the institution gains from the resources it invests in strategic initiatives. It’s a way to evaluate whether the outcomes of a particular strategy justify the time, money, and effort spent.

SMART Goal Framework

⁶SMART goals are a framework for setting clear, achievable objectives. The acronym SMART stands for:

1. S – Specific: The goal should be clear and specific, answering the questions What do I want to accomplish? Why is this goal important? Who is involved? Where is it located?
2. M – Measurable: You should be able to track your progress and measure the outcome. Ask How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?
3. A – Achievable: The goal should be realistic and attainable, considering your resources and constraints. Ask How can I accomplish this goal? Is it realistic based on current circumstances?
4. R – Relevant: The goal should matter to you and align with other relevant objectives. Ask Does this seem worthwhile? Is this the right time? Does this match my other efforts/needs?
5. T – Time-bound: Every goal needs a target date or deadline to focus efforts and create urgency. Ask When? What can I do today? What can I do six weeks from now?

Strategic Plan

A formal document outlining GCC’s long-term goals and priorities, as well as strategies involved to achieve them. This is a roadmap for the college’s future direction. GCC ‘s Strategic Plan covers a 5-year span. Input is required from a wide range of stakeholders such as faculty, staff, students, administrators, and the community.

Why it matters³:

• Guides Decision-Making: Helps leaders allocate resources and make informed choices.
• Aligns Stakeholders: Ensures faculty, staff, students, and the community are working toward common goals.
• Improves Transparency: Communicates the college’s priorities and progress to the public.
• Supports Accreditation: Many accrediting bodies require evidence of strategic planning.

Strategic Priorities (SPs)

Key focus areas GCC has identified as most important to achieving its mission, vision, and core values, for the span of its Strategic Plan. They are high-level, mission-driven themes that guide institutional planning, resource allocation, and performance assessment. The priorities are developed through inclusive, data-informed processes that include faculty, staff, students and community stakeholders.

Why it matters:

• ⁴They act as pillars or themes that guide decision-making, resource allocation, and the development of specific goals and initiatives.

References

• ¹ MSCHE (2025, 05 22). About Us - Middle States Commission on Higher Education.https://www.msche.org/
• ²Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [what is a college accreditation] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch
• ³Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [what is a college strategic plan] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch
• ⁴Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [what are strategic priorities as related to a strategic plan] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch
• ⁵Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [what are strategic priorities as related to a strategic plan] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch
• ⁶Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [SMART Goals] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch
• ⁷Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [what are collaborative goals related to a higher education strategic plan] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch
• ⁸Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [what are core objectives as related to a strategic plan] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch
• ⁹Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [what are kpis as related to college strategic plan] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch
• ¹⁰Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [what is ROI as it relates to a college strategic plan] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch
• ¹¹Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [master plans as they relate to higher education strategic plans] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch
• ¹²Microsoft. (2025). Copilot search summary on [what is a functional area review as it related to higher education strategic plan] | [Large Language model]. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://s.copilot.microsoft.com/copilotsearch

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Additional Resources

• For more information on GCC's Strategic Planning and Reporting efforts, from myGCC, navigate to the Institutional Effectiveness top-level tab and from there click on the Planning sub-tab.