Garrett College moving forward CHAMBER Business Before hours - Tuesday, March 21, 2017 Rich midcap, garrett college president

Presidential transition Arrived in January after 23 years at Chesapeake College Served 14 years as vice president – mostly in student affairs Conducting extended “Listening Tour” – internal and external Primary goal: Ensure Strategic Plan matches needs of county businesses and residents

College strengths Relationship with Garrett County Public Schools Historical support of Garrett County Commissioners College’s acknowledged role as a community resource Talented and committed college faculty and staff Strong credit, workforce training and noncredit programming STEM Building that will provide state-of-the-art facility

College challenges Demographic issues, including declining high school population Enrollment challenges mirroring state and national trends Funding facilities maintenance Retaining experienced workforce

Initiative I: Appropriate programs and services Align educational offerings with labor market needs Identify and address obstacles to student success Provide complete college experience - curricular, co- curricular, extra-curricular

Aligning educational offerings Partner with GCPS on Dual Enrollment, new academic offerings, seamless articulation and potential early college Work with major employers on specific offerings that address their workforce needs Utilize organizations like Chamber of Commerce to identify broader employer needs Employ program advisory boards to help keep academic programs current

Identify and address obstacles to student success Increase number of college- and career-ready students through partnerships with GCPS, ABE, and programs focused on career development Develop initiatives to increase early engagement of students with faculty, staff and other students

Provide students with complete college experience Strengthen opportunities for service learning, civic engagement and volunteer activities Investigate feasibility of expanding intercollegiate athletic program along with co- and extra-curricular activities Develop plan for a student center in the next Master Plan

Initiative II: Integration of programs and services Organize college to deliver integrated credit and non-credit instructional programs and support services Revise as necessary policies and procedures to eliminate barriers to integrated programming

Initiative III: Ensure necessary resources to meet college’s mission Implement strategies for increasing revenue, decreasing costs Increase credit and non-credit enrollment Ensure ability to attract/retain qualified workforce Plan for continuity of operations, including cross-training and leadership development

Initial steps … Developed computer science degree that resulted from discussions between college and GCPS staff Prepared to launch electro-mechanical technology certificate Created cross-divisional enrollment management committee to identify and implement promising enrollment and retention strategies Reorganized student services to integrate recruitment, marketing and the college website in one area

…and moving forward Ensure engagement of business community, schools Focus resources on both student access and success Remain responsive to residents’ needs (credit, workforce training, non-credit, community activities)