ABSTRACT
The collection of all objectives, from all departments and divisions, adds a unique vantage point for appreciating an institution’s coordination, integrity and dedication. Strategic planning is a mechanism that begins from “the college mission and provides a blueprint for unified and methodological movement of an organization toward a congruent goal. The primary benefit of an organizationally aligned plan rests in its ability to increase the likelihood of seizing opportunities and anticipating threats” (Garza Mitchell & Maldanado, 2015, p. 113). It’s wonderful to witness how strategic plan targets develop in alignment with the college’s mission and priorities, and then consequently observe how their imple - mentation and results impact student success. Based on our varied experiences both within Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, we believe that an effective strategic planning process is inherently collaborative, goal-oriented and affords a systemic approach toward institutional effectiveness. Institutional success can only materialize from true institutional collaboration. The key question is really how do faculty, staff and senior administrators align goals that engage members with varied contextual agendas-creating synergy between various institutional programs, initiatives and policies to ensure a high level of coherence and impact?
