Futures Forum - Strategic Planning Initiative

Minutes of the April 13, 1999 Meeting

Futures Forum Members:

Steve Arvizu President Oxnard

Cynthia Barnett-Shelby Sociology Instructor Moorpark

Vic Belinski Executive Director, Info Technology District Service Center

Daniel Berney Dance Instructor Moorpark

Marion Boenheim Vice Chancellor, Human Resources District Service Center

Susan Bricker Registrar Ventura

Dennis Cabral Executive Vice President, Student Lrng. Oxnard

Larry Calderon President Ventura

Linda Chaparro Psychology Instructor Oxnard

Kathy Colborn Registrar Moorpark

Leanne Colvin Administrative Assistant Moorpark

Eva Conrad Executive Vice President, Student Lrng. Moorpark

Scott Corbett History Instructor Oxnard

Karen de la Pena Business Professor Ventura

Ron Dyste Executive Vice President, Student Lrng. Ventura

Farzeen Nasri Social Sciences Professor Ventura

Mike Gregoryk Deputy Chancellor District Service Center

Elton Hall Philosophy Instructor Moorpark

Beatriz Herrera Bilingual Programs, Counselor Ventura

Carolyn Inouye Director, Institutional Research District Service Center

Julian Ligioso Business Manager Ventura

Rita Martinez Dir. Economic Dev/Grants & Contracts Oxnard

Kitty Merril TV/Radio Production Specialist Oxnard

Quint Morris Instructor Oxnard

Cheryl Shearer Dean, Economic Development District Service Center

Diane Sukiennik Matriculation Coordinator Moorpark

Anthony Tricoli Associate Vice Chancellor, Student Lrng. District Service Center

Anna Maria Valle Coordinator, EOP&S Oxnard

Deborah Ventura Language Arts Professor Ventura

Jim Walker President Moorpark

Philip Westin Chancellor District Service Center

Welcome and Introductions:

Chancellor Westin welcomed the group and individuals introduced themselves. Mr. Burt Peachy, the Futures Forum consultant, was introduced to the group. Mr. Peachy led the group in a community-building activity focused on the need for risk-taking, dialogue and building a learning community among Futures Forum members.

Purpose of "Futures Forum"

Chancellor Westin discussed the need for the Community Colleges of Ventura County (CCVC) to begin an overdue dialogue on its future - what CCVC should be in the future and in what directions should we be going. He also discussed the need for us to begin working collaboratively. The three colleges are at different stages of development in their planning processes and come from three different perspectives. We need to align our strategic thinking and work together on our future directions. To that end, Futures Forum has been created.

Futures Forum is a collection of risk-takers, leaders, creative individuals and problem-solvers invited by the Chancellor and the Presidents to begin a discussion on the future of the District. Any recommendations that Futures Forum makes to the Chancellor will be taken through the governance process at both the colleges and the District.

Futures Forum is, at this formative stage of its development, a think-tank and an incubator where members are urged to dialogue on some major questions we need to address:

Who should be/will be our students in the next decade? What willbe their learning needs?

What trends are affecting the future course of higher education?

What is the best thinking about how higher education can address learner needs in the next decade?

To address the above, what systems do we need to connect as we plan to implement our answers?

As we begin to dialogue on these meta-questions, we must strive to maintain the history and traditions we are proud of. Moreover, we must believe that our collective wisdom will be more powerful and that we need to listen to each other.

Forum Operating Principles:

Mr. Peachy introduced the group to a set of operating principles under which Forum might operate. After much discussion, the group agreed to operate under these principles. If necessary, these principles will be re-visited as the need requires.

Divided into small countywide learning teams for research; large group sharing and discussion. Will use technology to facilitate dialogue and learning. Use facilitative and collaborative concepts for developing recommendations to the Chancellor for discussion through the District’s governance structure. Adopted a consensus model for reaching agreement; definition - when everyone on the team can live with and actively support the group’s recommendation. Futures Forum Communications

Mr. Peachy stressed the need for Futures Forum to immediately establish an open communications system that everyone in the District can both access and use to gather additional input. A group as small as Futures Forum must reach out to its community to share information and knowledge. To that end, the group discussed various ways that Forum can or will use to both to communicate with itself and with all district personnel:

Establish futures forum website

It was agreed that Scott Corbett from Oxnard College will put up a website within the week to handle agendas, minutes, threaded discussion, learning resources, contact lists, team lists, etc. Mr. Peachy will add hyperlinks to external sites for our research and learning.

Establish e-mail user group

It was agreed that Vic Belinski will establish a user group for all Futures Forum members for easy distribution of information

Futures forum newsletter or flyer

The group discussed the possibility of establishing a Forum newsletter or flyer. Decisions on this will be taken up at the next meeting.

Voice mail updates

The group will discuss this possibility at their next meeting.

Campus planning groups

It was agreed that everyone on Futures Forum must work closely with any campus group or individuals responsible for future planning. In addition, it was stressed by members of the Forum that everyone on the group has the responsibility of taking information back to the campuses to gather additional reaction and input

Futures Forum Strategic Initiative - Phase One

Chancellor Westin, the campus Presidents and Mr. Peachy will direct the group to work on the following tasks during the first phase of the process (April - August, 1999):

Forum members will research trends that will affect the future of higher education over the first decade of the 21st century. Forum members will research 21st Century models of collaborative planning in multi-unit organizations both within and outside of higher education. Through dialogue and discussion across the campus units, Forum members will develop a shared knowledge of the above information. The CCVC will develop a cadre of process facilitators to assist in the implementation of collaborative initiatives among the campuses. Forum members, with the assistance of the process facilitators, will develop a draft of a countywide collaborative planning model for reaction and input from the campus units; campus input will commence August 1999. Futures Forum will recommend the chartering of an initial group of Countywide FastTrack pilot collaborative projects to learn from and demonstrate the power of a collaborative effort and to initiate operational improvements. Timelines and Specific Activities:

Forum members were introduced to the following information and will begin discussion of the specifics during their next meeting.

Chancellor Westin announced that faculty not on summer assignment will be compensated for their participation. Others were urged to discuss their time commitments with their Presidents and to work through any issues that pose problems to their participation.

Timeline

Strategic Planning

Process Facilitator Planning

Operational Planning

August 1999

Overall Goal:

Communication of the Countywide community college strategic initiative FastTrack Collaborative Pilot Design Teams identified and formed.Chancellor Announces the Strategic Planning Initiative. Process Facilitators assigned to:

FastTrack Design Teams;

Countywide Futures Forum-Phase Two and Campus planning teams.

Collaborative Design Teams Formed in the areas of: Educational Programs; Student Services Programs; Administrative Services; District services.

June-July, 1999

Overall Goal:

Creating shared knowledge on planning models and community college future trends; developing a draft of the Countywide community college planning model for review and input by the campuses.

Research on cutting-edge thinking on future community colleges. Research on multi-college or multi-unit planning models.

July 5-7: College of the Community- Michael Dolence, Claremont, CA.

Draft Strategic Planning Process Model.

Plan logistical strategy for taking the model County-wide to the campuses for input, reaction and improvement.

District-wide Process Facilitators identified.

Research and Training on Process Facilitation.

Research and Training on Systems Thinking.

One Process Facilitator from each location trained on Baldrige-In-Education Examiner Processes, June 29, 30 and July 1st, Fairfax, VA. Associate Vice Chancellor-Student Learning, campus VP's of Student Learning and other campus personnel as appropriate work as a team to develop recommendations for FastTrack Pilot Collaborative projects to the "Futures Forum" Team.

April - June, 1999

Overall Goal: Research towards developing a Countywide Community College Planning Design; Foundational work on developing process facilitator capability; identifying FastTrack Collaborative Pilot Project possibilities.

Timeline

Strategic Planning

Process Facilitator Planning

Operational Planning

April - June, 1999

Overall Goal: Research towards developing a Countywide Community College Planning Design; Foundational work on developing process facilitator capability; identifying FastTrack Collaborative Pilot Project possibilities.

June-July, 1999

Overall Goal:

Creating shared knowledge on planning models and community college future trends; developing a draft of the Countywide community college planning model for review and input by the campuses.

Overall Goal:

Communication of the Countywide community college strategic initiative

What Went Well:

Members enjoyed the introductions and icebreaker activity; it helped to get us connected. Members liked the open dialogue and the sense of equality Members liked the idea of the think-tank/incubator What Needs to Be Improved:

We need to learn more about each other's campuses We made a good first step tonight, but we are unsure, hesitant, a bit mistrustful-- "it's like a first date" was expressed. Get agendas to members in advance of the meeting Next Meeting

Tuesday, May 11th from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Oxnard Room - Cowan Center, Camarillo

Minutes of the Meeting Respectfully Submitted by Burt Peachy 4/19/99

July 5-8, 1999

Click here to view the program for this event. The Institute has been designed to provide an opportunity for community college leadership and planning teams to explore the emerging concept of the College of the Community. It has been designed as requested by clients and is limited to 120 participants. The Institute is ideal for the community college that has demonstrated its commitment to meeting the challenges of the 21st century. The Institute is conducted in a relaxed retreat environment where participants can engage in structured dialogue and learn an integrated tool set to enable them to build strategic opportunities for the future. Here is what 1998 participants said: "The most valuable experience of my professional career" "Incredible team-building experience" "The best investment we have made" "I finally understand strategy" "I wish we had our entire institution here" "I am going to share this material with my entire staff."