Introduction
Santa Ana College (SAC) is in the process of developing its next four-year Educational Master Plan 2024-2028. A Santa Ana College Educational Master Plan (EMP) Task Force has been formed, and the Collaborative Brain Trust (CBT) has been engaged to facilitate and provide technical services support for the EMP's development. The CBT team is composed of several highly qualified professionals, with many years of experience in strategic and educational master planning, across dozens of colleges in California and across the nation.
A Santa Ana College Educational Master Plan (EMP) webpage has been established to provide College constituents with an overview and ongoing updates of the project. It supports transparency and communication as the plan is developed throughout Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. It also affords constituents another avenue for input in addition to the input and feedback that can be given to their representatives on the EMP Task Force.
The EMP will provide a roadmap for the College for the next four years and it will integrate the various planning efforts that currently exist in the College. It will also serve as a guide for facilities improvements, resource allocation, and other emerging plans of the College throughout its four-year span. The EMP website provides key information about the project, project updates, and draft documents as they are developed.
Project Overview
The EMP Project began in Fall 2023 with introductory meetings with President's Cabinet, College Council, and the Educational Master Plan (EMP) Task Force. An EMP Project Overview was also presented during the College-wide Fall Planning session.
The EMP Task Force includes managers, faculty, classified staff, and student representatives from across the college. Dr. Jeffrey Lamb serves as the chair of the EMP Task Force, which will steer the project and work with the CBT team, as the team facilitates the activities of the project.
This next era of college planning must be sensitive and inclusive of the changing needs of the region: its current and prospective students, employers, and communities. It must also support expanded educational opportunities for an increasingly diverse student population, including high school students, recent high school graduates, and adult learners. The College will need to provide curriculum that spans the learning continuum of students – from dual enrollment courses to transfer degrees, career-technical education degrees, and certificates. This will also require breadth in delivery modes – with a balance of on-ground and online courses and programs to meet the changing needs of students. Student support services will also play a critical role in ensuring student access, retention, equity, and success for the students who attend Santa Ana College.
Project Principles and the CBT Team
Five key principles will guide the EMP Task Force and CBT Team for the project:
- Collaboration and Flexibility
- Responsiveness
- Transparency
- Equity and Inclusion
- Accountability
As a team of professionals who have extensive experience with strategic and educational master planning, and who have worked with dozens of colleges across California and the nation, the CBT team will share best practices and provide coaching as needed to build the institutional capacity of Santa Ana College in this exciting project. The resulting EMP will stretch SAC into the future to provide equitable student access and success, serve the College's communities and employers, and enhance quality of life of the region.
Project Timeline and Phases
The EMP project will progress through three phases of development as follows:
- Phase I – Discovery (October to December)
- Phase II – Portfolio Development (January to February)
- Phase III – Goal Setting (February to March)
Project Activities
An overview of each project phase, and its key activities are described below.
Phase I – Discovery: Data Collection, Analysis, and Synthesis
In this phase, both internal and external quantitative and qualitative data and information will be collected, synthesized, and analyzed. Trends and themes will be identified, examining the College's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the future. The four data sources are represented in the diagram below.
Diagram 1: EMP Discovery Phase Data Sources Chart:
A wide array of strategies will be used for gathering data including document review, interviews, and “listening sessions."
Phase II – Portfolio Development & Planning Assumptions
In this second phase of the project, results of the Discovery Phase will be compiled into a College Data Portfolio, and Planning Assumptions for the College will be identified to guide development of the College's four-year plan. An analysis of programs and services will provide opportunities for optimizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the College, providing insight for future staffing, and organizational structure needs, and providing a bridge between the educational master plan and facilities plan.
Phase III – Goal-Setting and Recommendations
The third and final phase of the project will focus on developing the key goals and institution-wide objectives that will form the core of the Educational Master Plan (EMP). Ongoing College planning initiatives will be integrated into this framework, so that the College will have a unified and purposeful approach to support equity and success for all students in the next four-year cycle.
The CBT Team will also provide the College with any recommendations identified during the project, suggested next steps for the College in operationalizing the EMP, and strategies to ensure strong monitoring and accountability for its success.
Project Approach
Working in concert with the EMP Task Force, the CBT Team will exercise the five principles identified above. Communication, transparency, and the inclusion of all voices are paramount to the success of the project. Debriefing meetings, sharing of documents as they are developed, and posting materials on the EMP webpage will be ongoing throughout the project. The EMP Task Force has been formed with a broad representation of members from across the College. Input and feedback from the EMP Task Force representatives, and through the college and community member listening sessions, is strongly encouraged as the plan is under development.
Project Conclusion
The project is expected to be completed by late March, 2024. The resulting EMP will be provided to College Council and posted on the EMP webpage. Upon Board approval, the final Santa Ana College Educational Master Plan 2024-2028 is planned to commence Fall 2024.
Monthly Progress Reports/Taskforce Documents
Districtwide Integrated Planning Efforts
Click here to explore the District's planning efforts as well.
