North Island College is inviting the public to provide feedback on its draft Strategic Plan (Plan20-25).
“The energy put into this process so far is impressive and I want to thank the entire community for their contributions and insight,” said NIC president John Bowman.
“It was really humbling to receive so much positive feedback.”
In the past year, more than 200 employees responded to an online forum on the post-secondary institution’s organizational values, 1,500 students, employees and community members responded to NIC’s first community-wide survey on its mission, vision, values and strategic priorities, and met with community partners in Port Hardy, Port Alberni, Campbell River and the Comox Valley at four regional community forums.
In Port Alberni, 20 people from local governments including First Nations, School District 70 and other organizations discussed the Alberni Valley regional plan and also talked about what NIC’s priorities should be.
The draft plan sets out new and revised mission and vision statements that:
• Articulate a comprehensive set of values commitments;
• Identify four broad strategic priorities that focus on major elements of the college’s mission and vision;
• Integrate NIC’s values commitments; and
• Detail college-wide goals to provide direction for annual college and department-wide planning and operations.
Bowman said the overarching concerns in Port Alberni are access to programming and providing more programming regionally—“the importance of partnerships and offering programming locally that’s relevant to the local economy.”
He said the health care programs are particularly important to people in Port Alberni, as is NIC’s commitment to providing opportunities for high school students to continue their education in their hometown. The dual credit programs offered between Alberni District Secondary School and NIC are “very strong,” Bowman said, and something the college would like to see expanded.
“Our focus on Indigenous education and working with First Nations with outreach to West Coast communities is also a priority,” he added.
A final version of Plan20-25 is expected before the end of April 2020.
The public may provide feedback through NIC’s online survey, which will be open until March 13.
For more information on NIC’s strategic planning process and to take the survey, visit www.nic.bc.ca/about-us/the-nic-commitment/strategic-plan/ and click on the appropriate link.