New England College Trustees Approve Strategic Plan 2011-2016
President Perkins announces approved Strategic Plan
At their May 13 meeting, the New England College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the College’s Strategic Plan for 2011-2016. The plan, eleven months in the making, included the participation of faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, and parents and friends of the College in a variety of innovative and engaging ways. The Board expressed their confidence in the plan and in the NEC community’s ability to carry out the specific initiatives.
Starting last summer, five study groups were formed with a cross section of the NEC community. The study groups were charged with exploring the 
topics of outreach, enrollment, community, learning and scholarship, and campus. Each study group approached their topic through a series of six lenses that included entrepreneurship, brand, location, sustainability, competitiveness, and diversity. The entire NEC community was also encouraged to add their voices to the strategic planning conversation in blogs organized around each of the topics.
The culmination of the summer’s work on the strategic planning process was a “Super Weekend” of forums, study group meetings, and a celebratory barbecue at Cogswell House. In her remarks, President Perkins thanked community members for their hard work in the study groups and expressed her appreciation for the progress that had been made towards a Strategic Plan.
After reviewing their topics in detail, each study group compiled a list of aspirations based on community responses. The aspirations were shared with the President’s Strategic Planning Group and the NEC community for clarification and feedback and the President’s Strategic Planning Group began the process organizing and refining the list. Over the fall, the list of aspirations was fine-tuned and shared with the Board of Trustees and the NEC community.
The list of aspirations was further organized into three strategic areas: Innovative Pedagogy; Sustainable Growth; and Image and Reputation. The President’s Strategic Planning Committee reviewed the three areas to ensure that objectives were clear and consistent and represented the College’s highest ideals.
Throughout the spring, the Strategic Plan started to take shape and a number of drafts were developed and shared with the community for feedback. The final version of the plan, dated May 13, contains not only the mission and vision of New England College, but the three strategic directions, their descriptions, and their operational goals.
At the May 17 All Employee Meeting, President Michele Perkins announced the approval by the Board of Trustees and congratulated the NEC community on the completion of the plan. She described the process as inclusive and transparent. “This strategic plan represents our highest aspirations as an institution,” noted President Perkins. “ It is a cross pollination of ideas and initiatives for all areas of the College. The plan represents a new vision and strategic direction for New England College.”
Click to view the 2011-2016 Strategic Plan for New England College.
