Student Success and Financial Goals

As you review our Student Success Rates graph, notice that we are making progress towards achieving our stretch goal of 70 percent fall to fall retention. Our new goal for next year is 62 percent for fall to fall. We all have a part in achieving this goal - from the employees that help beautify our campus, to the employees that provide student support services, to the faculty that engage our students every day in the classroom. We have achieved so much since our planning sessions in 2007-2008. If you look at your input from those sessions, you can really see the progress we have made. However, there is much to be done and I know we can achieve even greater things together.

I am excited to have Dr. Julie Phelps, mathematics instructor and project director for Achieve the Dream at Valencia College, to speak to us at our annual employee recognition luncheon on December 20. Dr. Phelps has studied ways to increase student engagement, learning, retention, and graduation among developmental education students. The December 20 meeting will begin at 10 a.m. for all faculty and staff and a special faculty session will be held after lunch. More information about her visit will be sent via e-mail. Please save the date – December 20!

I previously mentioned a financial goal too. As we create greater efficiencies and effectiveness, we should improve our financials too. We have set a goal of $1.5 million in addition to net assets by June 30, 2012. We have developed a financial model that projects the College will need $76 million over the next five years in order to meet our future programming needs, IT infrastructure, deferred maintenance, and phase I and II of the Campus Master Plan. We must continue to reevaluate our business processes and work smarter in order to achieve greater efficiencies to meet our financial goals.

Job placement rates are becoming increasingly important for us to use as a measure of success. For the past three years, we have scored below the system average. This year, we will evaluate our current tracking mechanisms and will set a goal next year.

Again, I am grateful for all your hard work and ask you to Be Real, Be Bold, and Be Better! Remember, organizations do nothing, plans do nothing, technology does nothing, people do everything!