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Strategic Plan

In an effort to promote continuous improvement and strategic thinking and action, Western Dakota Technical College launched a collaborative strategic planning process in the fall of 2015. This process continued as the 2016-2021 Strategic Plan was completed and a new 2021-2026 Plan was developed.

Strategic Planning Process

2021-2026 Strategic Plan Development

To promote continuous improvement and strategic thinking and action, while fulfilling its 2016-2021 Strategic Plan, Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC) collaboratively began planning and taking the first developmental steps toward its 2021-2026 Strategic Plan in 2018-2019. That year the college created a timeline of steps to develop its new Strategic Plan. It also conceived and implemented a Values Statement.

In 2019-2020, WDTC focused on the development of its Vision Statement, Mission Statement, and Institutional Outcomes. The year 2020-2021 was one of the drafting and approval of the new Strategic Plan. In 2021-2022, the new Strategic Plan was implemented with its addition to the WDTC Strategic Planning On-Line (SPOL) process, tying all departmental goals and the budget to the new Strategic Plan.

The headings below provide additional detail on each WDTC Strategic Plan development steps.

Values

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.

Vision Statement

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..

Mission Statement

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.

New Strategic Plan Preparation & Finalization

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.

2021-2026 Strategic Plan Implementation

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.


2021-2026 Strategic Plan

The Western Dakota Technical College Strategic Plan can be viewed at
2021-2026 Western Dakota Technical College Strategic Plan.

2021 - 2026 Strategic Plan Reports

Reports



Archive

2016-2021 Western Dakota Technical College Strategic Plan

2016-2021 Strategic Plan Reports


2020-2021 2019-2020 2018-2019 2017-2018 2016-2017


Mission

Western Dakota Technical College prepares students to be highly-skilled professionals through accessible, career-focused programs to improve their lives, while adapting to community workforce needs and positively impacting our economy.

Vision

As an integral community partner, Western Dakota Technical College leads the region by providing innovative education and advocating technical excellence to drive career development and economic growth.

Values

EXCELLENCE

  • Aspiring to achieve quality.
  • Seeking opportunities to grow professional skills and encouraging others to do the same.
  • Moving beyond compliance.
  • Valuing employer insight and including them in our planning processes.
  • Believing in the ability of our students to learn, meet the high standards we set for them, and fill employer needs.
ASSESSMENT
  • Analyzing programs, services, policies, and procedures, and making adjustments as needed to best serve our students, employees, and community.
TRANSPARENCY
  • Being honest.
  • Separating personal and institutional interests.
  • Utilizing shared governance to improve communication and dissemination of information.
ACCOUNTABILITY
  • Understanding the power and effect our words have on students, colleagues, and members of the community when speaking about Western Dakota Tech and striving to use them in the best interest of the College.
  • Knowing and upholding Western Dakota Technical College policies, and procedures, and objectives.
  • Behaving legally and ethically in all endeavors and encouraging others to do the same.
  • Providing the facilities, equipment, and services students and employees need to be successful.
  • Offering education with high potential for positive student, employer, and community outcomes.
DIGNITY
  • Respecting ourselves and others.
  • Providing fair and just treatment to all.
  • Understanding and celebrating the dignity in all forms of work, both internally and externally.
COMPASSION
  • Believing we are a solution to poverty, workforce shortages, unemployment, and other challenges in our community.
  • Empathizing with students, colleagues, and other individuals in their experiences and realities.
INCLUSION
  • Utilizing shared governance to ensure participation in decision-making and provide channels for various groups to voice opinions.
  • Respecting and embracing varying cultures, views, and opinions.

The visioning sessions allowed the college’s constituent groups to have a voice in Western Dakota Technical College's future.

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