Strategic Plan

The college set forth to establish Values and a Values Statement in 2018. That year, the Marketing Director conducted focus groups with Faculty, Staff, and Leadership to help determine the college’s Values. A draft of Values, Values Statements, and Board Talking points was compiled on May 7, 2018. Draft Values, draft Values Statements, and talking points were presented to RCAS Board of Trustees on May 8, 2018. The Strategic Planning Committee, including two RCAS Board Members, reviewed a draft Values Statement on Jan. 24, 2019.

The Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC) strategic planning process began with two, 1.5-hour vision planning sessions in the college Event Center, centered around the theme, “The World Café – It Takes a World of Ideas to Achieve Excellence and We Value Your Voice” on Nov. 20, 2019. (The sessions were presented the same; offered at two different times to maximize the number of participants.) About 70 individuals registered for the sessions, which were attended by faculty, staff, administration, students, community members, employers/Program Advisory Board members, Board members, industry representatives, and other constituents.

Those who could not attend an in-person visioning session were emailed a link where they could answer the visioning session questions. An additional 43 individuals participated in the visioning process utilizing this method.

All participants provided feedback as to the qualities, values, and actions that make them proud of WDTC; why the qualities, values and actions are important; what life will be like in Western S.D. in 2029 and what role they see the college playing in the region; how WDTC will be benefiting the region and local communities, who they see the college’s students being in 2029, who they see as hiring WDTC graduates in 2029, and what they foresee a social media story being about regarding the college in 2029.

The visioning sessions allowed the college’s wide array of constituents to have a voice in Western Dakota Technical College’s future.

An employee committee, led by WDTC President Ann Bolman, Ed.D., conducted a synthesis of the Visioning Session responses to look for themes. The themes for each question were organized into a Visioning Themes Condensed Analysis, a Visioning Themes Initial Analysis, and a Visioning Overall Themes Analysis. The Overall Themes analysis was primarily utilized for the committee to begin drafting the initial vision statement, with the other documents useful for review when working on the next strategic plan. The committee drafted the first Vision Statement, and it was emailed to all employees by President Bolman for feedback on Jan. 6, 2020.   

A Western Dakota Technical College Strategic Planning Committee was formed in January 2020 and the group was comprised of classified, professional, faculty, Leadership employees. The group first met on Jan. 30, 2020, and approved the Committee’s Purpose, Charge and Membership document as well as a Strategic Planning Flowchart.

The WDTC Cabinet reviewed and approved the final proposed vision statement on Feb. 12, 2020.

The Rapid City Area Schools Board approved the updated WDTC vision statement on May 9, 2020..

In March 2020, President Bolman formed a Mission Statement Committee comprised of members of classified, professional, and faculty to work on the college’s new mission statement.

The committee met on March 3, 2020, and developed questions for a survey to gain employee, student, WDTC Board and Foundation, Advisory Board, high school superintendents and principals /CTE instructors/counselors, Rapid City leaders, area business leader feedback regarding how they understand and perceive the college’s mission. The survey was sent March 23, 2020, and there were more than 130 participants.

On April 15, 2020, the Mission Statement Committee reviewed the survey data and drafted the first version of the college’s updated mission statement which went through a couple revisions. On April 22, 2020, Dr. Bolman sent the draft mission statement to faculty, staff, and students for review on comment. On May 20, 2020, the committee met again and finetuned the mission statement based on the feedback received.

The WDTC Cabinet revised the mission statement and approved it for forwarding to the WDTC Bard of Trustees approval, on June 10, 2020.

The new WDTC Mission Statement was approved by the Western Dakota Technical College Board of Trustees on Sept. 8, 2020.

Note: The 2016-2021 Strategic Plan Final Annual Outcomes Report was shared with all employees via email, by Dr. Bolman, on Sept. 23, 2021.

The Strategic Planning Taskforce first met on Oct. 9, 2020, with the goal of leading the development of the next five-year strategic plan. (The latest version of the plan ending June 30, 2021.) The taskforce was led by Dr. Bolman and included members of Leadership, faculty, classified, professional staff and a Student Government Association member. Taskforce members were split into three groups to a) develop strategies and collect data, b) evaluate the existing plan, c) synthesize ideas and develop draft of the next strategic plan.

The taskforce met on Nov. 9, 2020, with one group reporting an evaluation of the current strategic plan and recommendations regarding the new plan. A second subgroup shared a survey to be sent to gather information from employees, students, and constituents. The survey questions were based on the college’s new vision statement and focused on five areas: community partnership, innovative education, technical excellence, career development, and economic growth. The third subgroup was charged with working on the new strategic plan in December 2020.    

On Nov. 18, 2020, Dr. Bolman sent employees and students the survey to collect input to develop the new five-year strategic plan to meet a broad range of goals. The survey was sent to the Skilled Workforce Advisory Council and Foundation Board members on Nov. 23, 2020.

Over 75 people submitted ideas for the new strategic plan.  Ideas were pulled together into a summary document, which was used by a taskforce subcommittee to begin drafting the new plan.  On Jan. 12, 2021, Dr. Bolman and the subcommittee shared a draft of the new strategic plan with taskforce members and requested feedback.

The WDTC Board of Trustees conducted a Board Development Session regarding the draft 2021-2026 strategic plan on Jan. 13, 2021, and provided feedback and ideas used to shape the final version.

The third Strategic Planning Taskforce, dubbed the “Special Subcommittee” met and reviewed the preliminary strategic plan 2021-2026 draft on Feb. 9, 2021. KPIs were also reviewed. The WDTC Cabinet reviewed the draft plan during its Feb. 23, 2021, meeting and offered edits.

On March 16, 2021, the Strategic Planning Taskforce subcommittee met and Dr. Bolman reviewed minor edits made after the review by the Cabinet and Board. Dr. Bolman brought forth ideas for implementation. A comparison and discussion of current and proposed KPI’s took place.

Dr. Bolman shared the latest version of the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan with the WDTC Cabinet on March 23, 2021. She also reviewed an “Ideas for How to Implement” document. During the Cabinet meeting a comparison of old KPIs with new ones took place. The Cabinet then approved the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan during the meeting.  

The new Strategic Plan, “2021-2026 WDTC Leads” was approved by the Board of Trustees on April 14, 2021.

The Strategic Planning “Special” Committee met on May 18, 2021, and reviewed a new strategic plan Benchmark Graphic with auxiliary plans along with the new strategic plan and targets. Supervisors met with staff to finalize and approve SPOL goals.

During Institutional Effectiveness Day, on Oct. 12, 2021, all employees began working on goals to support the new strategic plan, KPIs, and President’s Projects.

The week of Dec. 6-10, the college’s Finance Office began training all program directors and department directors how to tie their proposed 2022-2023 budgets into the Strategic Plan and enter them in SPOL. A deadline of Feb. 4, 2022 was set to have all budget requests entered and approved by their first level approver.