Re-engineering your approach to the beginning college experience should include an acknowledgement of what is working well and only needs to be maintained, what initiatives need to be improved, and what initiatives should be added or eliminated. An Action Plan for the First Year

Four areas of focus Prior to enrollment The academic/curricular experience The co-curricular/out-of-class experience Faculty/Staff Development policies programs practices pedagogies assessment

Areas of Excellence What campus policies, practices, programs, pedagogies, faculty development and assessments have achieved a high level of excellence and require no change?

As you create a plan for change, consider the following Priority: Priority can be determined according to perceived importance, number of students affected, alignment with state/regional directives, cost, timeline, and linked to the Colleges strategic plan. Impact (How many students will this change affect?) Alignment with state/federal policy directives. (Does this change respond to a high-priority issue according to the state or federal government?) Alignment with criteria and recommendations of regional/specialized accreditors? Timeline (What will be a reasonable timeline for bringing about this change: this summer, this academic year, within three years, etc.?) Cost (Will the change require no resources, reallocation of existing resources, new resources?) Is the change linked to the Colleges strategic plan?

Considerations Essential expertise (Do current College faculty and staff have the expertise to bring about the change?) Space (Will the change require additional space or modifications in existing space?) Allocation of responsibility (Who or what unit would be responsible for overseeing the change?)

Considerations Required approvals (e.g., administrators, faculty, board of trustees, Michigan Community College System) (Who must sign off on the change?) Potential downsides (Are there potential problems that might be created because of this change? How could those problems be addressed?) Assessment (What will be the goals of the change? What methods will be used to evaluate the outcomes?)

Final Consideration Continued oversight responsibility for the First-Year Plan (Who or what unit/body would be responsible for maintaining the implementation and assessment of the First- Year Plan?)