Board of Trustees Approve RichmondCC’s 10-year Strategic Plan

The Richmond Community College Board of Trustees approved the College’s 10-year strategic plan at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

The strategic directives laid out in “Vision 2026” will move RichmondCC to a more self-supportive, one-stop empowering resource center for the Richmond and Scotland County region.

“We are entering a new chapter for the College as we prepare to build on the successes we have achieved over the past 10 years,” said Dr. Dale McInnis, president of RichmondCC.

Some of those successes include:
• Adding seven new degree programs, four new diploma programs and 13 new certificate programs.
• Adding a distance learning director and increasing the number of courses and programs available online.
• Applying for and being awarded 35 grant projects totaling $6,430,131 to support new programs, creating new space and adding new personnel and equipment.
• Establishing the Working Student scholarship program to assist students who do not qualify for Pell funding.
• Developing the RichmondCC Guarantee that rewards academic achievement and encourages more high school students to take advantage of free college classes.
• Growing enrollment by 23 percent in the past six years and ranking 29th of the 58 North Carolina community colleges in total enrollment.
• Expanding the main campus to accommodate the continued growth in enrollment and programs and to add a new cafeteria and student dining area.
• Establishing the School of Business and Information Technology in downtown Rockingham.

“The status quo is our enemy,” McInnis said. “We are constantly striving to be better than we were the year, month and day before. This strategic plan is our mission laid out for constant improvement and continued growth so we can better serve our students and our community.”

The Board of Trustees were also given a favorable enrollment report for spring semester. Current enrollment is up 2.4 percent from spring semester last year. RichmondCC is among only 20 communities colleges with increases in spring enrollment.