The “Big Bets” work continues!  If anything, it has accelerated in this national/global time of a shifting and changing higher ed landscape.  In some ways, we just got a jump start on our COVID-19 planning? 

Our latest meeting convened on Monday, April 20.  We had 26 people in attendance and were able to cover the following topics:

• Welcome from Jen
• Update on non-retained student data from Amadou Ba & Coral Garey, Institutional Research
• Review of a model presented by a faculty subcommittee made up of Kevin Francis, Steven Hendricks, and Karen Gaul
• Small group discussion on model
• General discussion

Normally I would post pictures here, but I’m no longer in the habit of taking pictures in the virtual space!  In lieu of pictures, I’ll give you more text to work with (sorry…). 

The same crew (Kevin, Steven, Karen, with support from the rest of the Planning Team) will present at today’s Faculty Meeting (Wed, 4/22), and the Coordinating Group will convene again on Monday, April 27th. 

Other behind-the-scenes happenings: model presentation to and feedback from senior leadership, the Student and Academic Life Leadership Team, the Campus Leadership Group (during week five).  We are also brainstorming other ways of engaging our community in meaningful (remote) discussion.

Stay tuned!

The Coordinating Group met on Monday, April 6th for our inaugural virtual meeting!  We had 20 participants and our goal was to recommend one or two models for SALLT and senior leadership during week three. Models will brought back to the Coordinating Group with comments from SALLT & senior leadership, and then given to Feasibility Group.

Please note for all content below, this was pulled from notes taken in real time and reflects conversation, but not necessarily any final decisions made.

General Discussion about models

• Take pandemic into account. The world just changed and will continue to change. Now everyone has the capacity for online learning. Massive economic depression, and people will be seeking different college degrees.  

• How can we do online education better? Evergreen-style, integrated learning, that makes it better and attracts students. Otherwise we will be doing what everyone else is doing.  
• Framing:  broad themes important. Equity, resilience, sustainability… walking the talk, content rich curriculum – areas of concern for students who come to us from where they are at now. Excite students, how do we engage contemporary student issues now 
• Role of Coordinating Group? Are we setting ourselves up for failure if we bring a finished model to the faculty? Shape of CATs and Paths are also up for review – is this group the right one to review the strengths of the paths?  
• How do we roll out the certification process—can’t be generic. 
• How can the values be upfront? What do we do well (TRIO) and how can we expand into that?  

• How do we bring in new students – isn’t that the focus of the New Academic Directions modeling?  
• Structures don’t excite people very much, content excites people. Right now, there is a mismatch between focus on structural models and the content areas that would draw students 
• New directions? Reinvent ourselves to a certain extent, but how do we work with the strengths of the current faculty? How much hiring needs to be done for new content areas?  

Workforce Development Pilot

A discussion about a potential regional workforce development pilot in response to the regional economic impact of COVID-19:

• The planning team and feasibility group need to come together to review the data, models, ideas from the Blue Sky conversations… to narrow ideas, to focus on what is possible, determine areas of investments, develop funding plans. Proposal for next steps:  smaller group take all that this group has done and determine structure, fill with content our data is telling us our students will come here AND keep core values at the center of what we do. Will have to come back with rationale. Opportunity now in times of mass unemployment – how do we serve our community right now? Focus on the near future – serving career switchers and place committed people, serving adult learners.  

The Coordinating Group will meet again on Monday, April 20, 2020.

Thank you, all, for your continued engagement, great thinking, valuable input, and commitment to the Evergreen community!