Strategic Planning Helps Technical Colleges Transform Ideas into Action
Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) administrators now have a “top 12” list of ideas relevant to the future success of their 26-member system through an extensive strategic planning initiative facilitated by the Vinson Institute.
“The TCSG board of directors and Commissioner Ron Jackson first developed several broad questions that were used in a systemwide survey to solicit ideas,” explained Dennis Epps, Institute associate director and coordinator of the initiative. “Our role was to facilitate discussions at the individual college, president’s council, and board of directors’ levels and provide summary information that will be helpful to administrators as they move forward in their planning efforts.”
During August, five teams of Institute faculty facilitated planning sessions for groups of 20-30 administrators, faculty, and students at each technical institution, said Epps. “We led each group through a process designed to help them generate and then agree on approximately 10 ideas for two different funding scenarios.”
On September 14, Institute faculty facilitated a session in Macon for all the TCSG member institution presidents during which they examined the input and developed a set of ideas that would have application across the system. A final session in October for the TCSG board resulted in a Top 12 list of items for which specific goals, objectives, and performance measures can be set.
“The Institute team provided professionally facilitated meetings and efficiently moved this project along in ways we never imagined. We are very pleased with the outcome of this project and excited about implementing the ideas as we move forward,” said Commissioner Jackson.
