Strategic Plan

Northern Essex Community College is committed to effectively assisting our
students to be successful in setting and achieving their goals. The following
five strategic themes will direct our college to reach the strategic goal
of student success.

Caring College

• Northern Essex Community College will continue to be, and improve
  upon being, a caring college. 
  1. We will support programs and services that prepare students
     from pre-enrollment through graduation for successful transition to employment
     or further education.
  2. We will continuously improve communications with our students.
  3. We will place greater focus on experiential and affective student
     learning, such as cooperative learning and community service learning.
  4. The primary focus will be on responsiveness to student needs,
     such as access (e-learning) and affordability.

Accountable College

• Northern Essex Community College will be accountable.
  1. We will provide quality programs, services, support technologies
     and learning environments.
  2. The college will provide the technology students need to prepare
     them for their future, and the infrastructure to support it.
  3. We will assess quality with systems such as Institutional Effectiveness
     and Academic Program Review.
  4. We will implement effective Human Resource policies and practices
     that contribute to student success, such as a sufficient core of full-time
     faculty and an inclusive climate. We will have an outstanding professional
     development program for faculty and staff.

Student Learning Outcomes

• NECC will ensure that graduating students can demonstrate a set of student
  learning outcomes. 
  1. Building on the work begun by the Outcomes Assessment Committee,
     the college will identify additional learning outcomes which
     identify important, cross-curricular or co-curricular competencies that
     graduating students should possess.
  2. We will implement a process through which we will assess students’
     success in demonstrating these competencies.
  3. The college will inform internal and external constituents of
     these learning outcomes.

Student Goal Achievement

• NECC will empower students to discover, articulate, and achieve their
  goals. 
  1. We will encourage students to identify and exploit their talents
     and assets.
  2. We will encourage students to see themselves as responsible
     for their actions and choices.
  3. We will help students develop strategies for coping with life
     challenges that may interfere with academic achievement.

Student Contribution to the Larger World

• NECC will foster student participation in and contribution to the larger
  world. 
  1. An NECC education will enable students to become effective participants
     in collaborative activities and to value diversity, inclusion and interdependence.
  2. An NECC education will enable students to become well-rounded
     individuals through exposure to a variety of disciplines and experiences.

FOOT NOTE: The Steering Committee expresses its appreciation to three Task
Forces for their contributions to this Strategic Plan: Professional Development,
Technology and Institutional Effectiveness.