Strategic Plan 2012-2017

Goal 1: Oglala Lakota College will produce graduates who demonstrate excellence in their chosen areas of study and fields of endeavor.

Objective A: OLC students will enter college with the skills and knowledge to pursue college level studies.

• Strategy A1: Work with K-12 school administration, counselors, and students to align standards to prepare exiting students for OLC's academic placement requirements.
• Strategy A2: Assess students in the areas of reading, writing and math upon application to the college for placement into appropriate foundation or college-level courses.
• Strategy A3: Have students demonstrate adequate proficiency before matriculating to college-level courses.
• Strategy A4: Evaluate the feasibility of OLC?s placement instrument.

Objective B: Integrate adult basic education and foundational skills instruction.

• Strategy B1: Assess the effectiveness of the alignment of adult basic education, foundation courses, and tutoring activities into one department.
• Strategy B2: Develop a process to strengthen and document regular contact with high school counselors to identify candidates for freshman entry level, GED, and ABE.

Objective C: OLC students will demonstrate college level skills and knowledge before beginning advanced bachelor's level study.

• Strategy C1: Assess OLC students for general education achievement after core curriculum has been completed.
• Strategy C2: Assess the effectiveness of core completion.

Objective D: OLC students will perform academically on par with regional and national student populations in their chosen degree area.

• Strategy D1: Establish expected learning outcomes and the means to assess these outcomes for all OLC graduates (academic programs).
• Strategy D2: Set goals for comparison to relevant regional and national student populations.

Goal IA: Foster wolakolkiciyapi by promoting the acquisition and use of the Lakota language within the College and the communities it serves.

Objective A: Develop Lakota language immersion for Head Start.

• Strategy A1: Focus on language immersion for Head Start Centers.
• Strategy A2: Integrate, model and deliver Lakota Language by 2015 in Head Start Centers.

Objective B: Increase enrollment and grade levels of Lakota First School. Objective C: Pursue development of instructional materials with Rosetta Stone, endangered language program.

• Strategy C1: Make application to endangered language program.

Objective D: Promote language use among OLC faculty and staff.

• Strategy D1: Assess the faculty evaluation process for Lakota language proficiency as applied to all faculty and staff.
• Strategy D2: Develop orientation training opportunities for all to learn, implement and teach/model the Lakota language and culture.
• Strategy D3: Research and develop mentorship program to linking Lakota speakers with non speakers as part of the faculty and staff orientation process.
• Strategy D4: Develop appropriate language proficiency levels for faculty and staff.

Goal III: OLC will provide learning experiences that foster student preparedness, academic success, and involvement in the life of the college.

Objective A: To design and implement programs and actions that ensure effective advising and placement into courses and programs appropriate to ability and readiness.

• Strategy A1: Evaluate, standardize, and monitor the Jenzabar faculty and staff development program.
• Strategy A2: Review and refine the current advising program.
• Strategy A3: Improve administrative software applications to ensure effective registration practices.

Objective B: To broaden the array of graduate programs that meet the needs of current and future students and respond to the needs of the marketplace.

• Strategy B1: Complete a market study for the graduate program to determine current and future labor needs in the region.
• Strategy B2: Complete needs assessment to determine student interest in alternative graduate programs.
• Strategy B3: Assess the availability of graduate faculty to teach in targeted graduate programs.
• Strategy B4: Determine base funding needs, capital budget needs, and revenue sources for targeted graduate programs.
• Strategy B5: Seek approval from the HLC to increase the graduate course credit offerings from 30 to 60 non program credits.

Objective C: To broaden the opportunity for students to be involved in college life.

• Strategy C1: Form academic learning communities to assist and support entering students.
• Strategy C2: Provide the support that enables students to make normal progress toward a Bachelor's degree and participate in college activities.
• Strategy C3: Determine the feasibility of providing childcare for students during classes
• Strategy C4: Evaluate academic support services to identify ways to align existing services to better meet the needs of students.
• Strategy C5: Expand intercollegiate speech and drama activities.
• Strategy C6: Plan and present cultural and intellectual events of interest to the local community, faculty, students, and staff.

Goal IV: Enhance the academic quality of the College by emphasizing teaching and applied research.

Objective A: Expand faculty professional development efforts through opportunities for staff education.

• Strategy A1: Provide opportunities for faculty to enhance pedagogical methods and better integrate technology in the teaching/learning process.
• Strategy A2: Acquire and fund faculty development grants to support faculty research.
• Strategy A3: Develop a research review process, focusing on reviewing and approving faculty proposals to support research and findings.
• Strategy A4: Assess the progress and effectiveness of the faculty evaluation process.
• Strategy A5: Provide professional development training opportunities for faculty regarding Institutional Review Board(s) and Institutional Animal Control Use Committee (s) research requirements and protocols.

Objective B: Foster faculty-student research opportunities that respond to the needs of the community.

• Strategy B1: Encourage field-based research projects involving students and faculty.
• Strategy B2: Train faculty in the methodology of applied research by developing an online orientation course.

Objective C: Support and maintain only those programs that meet the College's standards of excellence and for which internal, external and emerging markets exist.

• Strategy C1: Evaluate and strengthen the program review process.
• Strategy C2: Develop new academic programs involving faculty and student based community research with profit and nonprofit, government, tribal, and local entities.

Goal V: Enhance institutional resources to achieve financial strength consistent with the mission of OLC.

Objective A: Increase capacity to attract government funding and foundation support.

• Strategy A1: Have college grant writing consultant present at a workshop on how to find funding that is available to support the Mission and Purpose of OLC and to present the framework for writing grant application.
• Strategy A2: Develop a more attractive and useful web page to attract foundation and donors to look to OLC as a great organization to give financial support.

Objective B: Increase endowment for faculty salaries and student scholarships.

• Strategy B1: Raise the total endowment by 2018 by $16,000,000 through Phase 5: Rebuilding the Lakota Nation through Education.

Goal VI: OLC will develop facilities and service delivery system to meet the academic and support needs of students and faculty.

Objective A: Continue developing faculty/staff housing.

• Strategy A1: Monitor the faculty/staff housing and build an on-slab handicap accessible four-plex if demand for additional housing warrants it. Consider a two bedroom duplex as a fifth building if need continues.

Objective B: Update facilities plan.

• Strategy B1: Include in the facilities plan new facilities currently under construction and planned over the next five years with planned funding.
• Strategy B2: Add additional classroom and a kitchen for the Lakota First School.
• Strategy B3: Study the need for classroom/lab area for construction class.
• Strategy B4: Include in the facilities plan a timeline for keeping the facilities in good working order such as when parking lots need resurfacing and roofs replacing with planned funding.
• Strategy B5: Add to the facilities plan maintenance items that are to be included in the yearly budgets.

Objective C: Update technology plan.

• Strategy C1: Include in the technology plan new technologies to be reviewed and potentially added the current technology at OLC.
• Strategy C2: Include in the technology plan routine update that are to be included in the yearly budgets.

Objective D: Expand student access to transportation.

• Strategy D1: Conduct needs assessment and feasibility study to determine the percent of OLC students ability/inability to find transportation to classes.
• Strategy D2: Work with OST public transportation and course scheduling to determine if an evening route one or two days a week would improve transportation for students.

Goal VII: Create and foster awareness of opportunities available at Oglala Lakota College.

Objective A: Develop a Public Relations Plan

• Strategy A1: Enhance OLC's recognition and reputation in and around the region.
• Strategy A2: Develop a "tag line" that distinguishes OLC from other education institutions.
• Strategy A3: Using the tag line, develop a marketing plan to disseminate the new look of OLC through appropriate media outlets.
• Strategy A4: Identify funds to support printing, marketing and advertising expenses.

Objective B: Develop a Recruitment Plan

• Strategy B1: Identify student prospects from area schools.
• Strategy B2: Identify best practices in student recruitment.
• Strategy B3: Develop a student prospects plan.

Objective C: Foster and develop K-12 partnerships in and around the reservation.

• Strategy C1: Plan systematic and regular visits to high schools.
• Strategy C2: Plan and develop ongoing K-12 partnerships in and around the reservation.

Goal VIII: OLC Administration, students and faculty will be active in the community to foster positive development and empowerment.

Objective A: Maintain a well-managed Head Start program on the Pine Ridge Reservation (ongoing).

• Strategy A1: Maintain collaboration between Head Start and the OLC Early Childhood degree program to develop professional staff (ongoing).
• Strategy A2: Recruit and support parent involvement in Head Start activities (ongoing).

Objective B: Develop a well-defined policy and strategy for offering continuing credits.

• Strategy B1: Review and revise policy 78-200 on Continuing Education Units.
• Strategy B2: Develop procedures that complement the revised Continuing Education Units Policy.

Objective C: Conduct a community needs assessment.

• Strategy C1: Conduct a needs analysis of appropriate curriculum for existing potential employment opportunities.
• Strategy C2: Identify professional development needs in OLC's service area.

Document and PDF versions of the Strategic Plan