Strategic Plan 2024 – 2028

As we embark on our Strategic Plan for 2024 – 2028, we are excited to shape the future with a commitment to excellence, inclusivity, and resilience. This plan, developed with broad input from our community and partners, is designed to address the evolving needs of our region, while upholding our commitment to closing access, equity, and achievement gaps. It incorporates three key themes reflected in the seven goals and accompanying objectives: Regional Economic Growth, Equity & Access, and Institutional Resilience.

Executive Summary

In the summer of 2023, Olympic College embarked on a strategic planning process to guide the next few years at the College. Between September 2023 and February 2024, a series of workshops, meetings, interviews, and surveys were conducted to gather feedback from students, employees, and community members. Over 600 people participated in one or more of these engagement opportunities. In addition, this strategic planning process overlapped with the Community Local Needs Assessment and the results of that outreach were used to inform this plan.

Olympic College provides instruction at the Bremerton, Poulsbo, and Shelton campuses, as well as online, and through partnerships with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Washington State Department of Corrections, and others. Olympic College serves a critical role as the only academic institution providing educational opportunities on the Kitsap Peninsula. Serving 5,932 students (in fall 2023)¹, we provide accessible education to individuals living and working in Kitsap and Mason Counties. With its diverse offerings, students can find a path that works for them.

Olympic College is home to one of the largest military-connected student bodies in the state. One of the fastest growing populations at the college is Running Start, with more than 1,000 high school juniors and seniors taking classes. Our close proximity to Seattle and high-transfer rate to prestigious universities, makes Olympic College an ideal destination for International Students as well. With numerous funding opportunities, many of our students graduate with little to no college debt.

As a community, we strive to be a welcoming college that embodies learning, equity, accessibility, belonging, and community. We aspire to uplift the region through access to education that supports the life goals of our students and leads to living wage employment. The plan that follows outlines our strategic priorities for 2024 to 2028. All of the goals identified help to support three overarching themes: Regional Economic Growth, Equity and Access, and Institutional Resilience.

Strategic Plan Themes

Regional Economic Growth

Located on the Kitsap Peninsula, Olympic College provides educational opportunities to residents of Kitsap County, Mason County, and beyond. Mason and Kitsap Counties have a combined population of 341,929 people and 100,653 recorded jobs.³ As the population grows the need for essential services is anticipated to increase.

Olympic College plays a critical role in connecting employers with well–trained employees. Since vocational certificates and completion of credits from community colleges are associated with higher earnings than high school diplomas, meeting the employment need will also improve earning potential for students.⁴

To meet the specific employment needs of the region, Olympic College is committed to the expansion of allied health care programs, establishment of an Innovation and Technology Learning Center, and the proposed launch of a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. All of the new allied health programs will be centralized at the Poulsbo campus, creating a health care hub in north Kitsap County.⁵ The recent 2023 Community Local Needs Assessment (CLNA) conducted by Olympic College revealed that local business communities are supportive of an expansion of the health care programs and are seeking students from Olympic College to meet workforce needs.⁶

These employment needs are also seen as opportunities to connect students to living wage jobs. From both the CLNA and the outreach conducted for this plan, we heard from students about the high cost of housing and food, further amplifying the need to prepare students for opportunities to compete for jobs that support a financially sustainable future.

Equity & Access

As open-access institutions, community colleges are designed to serve a broad range of students. For students from vulnerable populations and/or historically marginalized communities, community colleges provide an opportunity to access high quality education at a more financially accessible cost. At Olympic College, faculty and staff work hard to help students access resources and support to help students overcome any obstacles that they face as they pursue a credential.

Olympic College is committed to ensuring equitable access and outcomes for all of the programs and services we provide. We are working to prevent and remove barriers for groups of students with histories of exclusion, discrimination, and marginalization and to achieve equal educational outcomes for historically marginalized groups relative to their peers. Olympic College is focused on maximizing student potential across all social identities, including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender identity, ability, age, national origin, citizenship, and religion. This includes maintaining a culture of belonging that advances racial, social, and economic justice in service to our diverse communities.⁷

In addition, our diversity and social justice graduation requirement prepares our students to lead responsibly with critical skills for examining topics such as race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, and sustainability. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging weave throughout this plan illustrating the holistic approach that Olympic College is embarking on in the upcoming years.

CURRENT DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE of OLYMPIC COLLEGE STUDENTS⁸

Profile	Count/Percent
Annual Headcount	8,309
Fall 2023 Headcount	5,806
Female	52.1%
Male	39.1%
Non-Binary	1.1%
Students of Color	34%
Disability	5.3%
Full Time	57.6%
Part Time	42.4%
Under 20	37.3%
20-29	33.6%
30-39	16.8%
40 and up	12.3%

INSTITUTIONAL RESILIENCE

“Community colleges have become the focal point and driver of higher education policy in the United States due to workforce development training programs for local employers. They have been invaluable in improving the global economy and for Americans to advance their careers and grow their skills to obtain jobs without hurdles.”⁹

Community colleges play an essential role in workforce development and in advancing equity in education. Despite this essential role, community colleges are faced with significant challenges - inadequate funding, increased costs, and rapidly changing workforce needs. These challenges need to be faced directly through thoughtful planning and implementation. Building institutional resilience will help sustain Olympic College into the future.

Our recent experiences with the Covid-19 pandemic amplified the need for us to build organizational mechanisms that help us be nimble and sustainable. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Olympic College employees responded quickly to ensure the safety of students, converted in-person classes to online learning in order to maintain continuity for students, and used innovative approaches to adapt to changing conditions. The exceptional circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated our commitment to serving students in our communities. Some of the approaches implemented during that time expanded accessibility for some students, while other students struggled to engage in the absence of in-person connection.

We also saw many of our most vulnerable students face unprecedented challenges that prevented their ability to continue their studies. We recognize that our ability to serve our students and communities requires that we operate in a sustainable way.

We are emphasizing institutional resilience through the integration of strategic planning in budgeting, communications, and hiring. We are also focusing on prioritizing facilities maintenance and stepping into environmental leadership through energy audits.

The strategic goals and objectives outlined in this plan are synergistic. Each goal moves us closer to institutional resilience. A predictable review of progress on these goals will ensure that they are achieved.

STRATEGIC GOALS

Goal 1: Olympic College sustains its critical role in uplifting the region through workforce development that is responsive to local needs

Goal 2: Olympic College works to be a safe and welcoming environment that cultivates a sense of belonging for students and employees.

Goal 3: Olympic College will be a student-ready and student-centered college that is committed to closing institutional performance gaps and helping students achieve their educational and life goals.

Goal 4: Olympic College is a rigorous academic setting that inspires life-long learning.

Goal 5: Olympic College strengthens and expands partnerships with local and regional institutions and organizations to grow organizational capacity and increase collective impact.

Goal 6: Olympic College cultivates a culture of trust that centers around communication, dialogue, and responsible stewardship.

Goal 7: Ensure our human resources practices are proactive, inclusive, strategic, and aligned with institutional goals.

References

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. (2024). Olympic College Field Guide 2024
Olympic College. (2024). Land Acknowledgment
Washington State Employment Security Department. (2021). Kitsap and Mason County Labor Market Profiles
Belfield, C. R., & Bailey, T, (2011). The Benefits of Attending Community
College: A Review of the Evidence. Community College Review, 39(1), 46-68
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. (2024). Olympic College Field Guide 2024
Olympic College. (2023). Community Local Needs Assessment - Student Survey Results, Advisory Committee Survey Results
Olympic College. (2024). Diversity, Equity & Inclusion website.
Olympic College, (2024). Facts & Figures
Hackworth, S. (2021). Community colleges’ role in workforce development and education: Past, present, and future of workforce education programs. In Community colleges and workforce preparation in the 21st century: Emerging research and opportunities (pp. 132-154). IGI Global.
Gretzinger, E. and Hicks, M. (2024). Why Campus Life Fell Apart. The Chronicle of Higher Education. January 26, 2024

Download the print pdf Strategic Plan.