Strategic Plan

Highland Community College’s One Highland: One Mission, Endless Impact (2025–2030) Strategic Plan is organized around six Strategic Imperatives that define our collective priorities and actions for the next five years. Each imperative represents a core promise to our students, employees, and communities and is grounded in Highland’s mission to provide accessible, high-quality education that changes lives and strengthens rural Kansas.

Download Complete Strategic Plan

These imperatives are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. Together, they provide a roadmap for student success, workforce and transfer excellence, operational agility, and long-term sustainability.

Each imperative includes:

• Goals by 2030 that define success and how progress will be measured.
• A Bold Idea (wildly important goal) that expresses the transformative vision behind the work.
• Leading success metrics to monitor progress over time.
• Key priorities outlining actions, objectives, and measurable results.
• A five-year structure with intervention, architecture, and reflection phases.

This structure ensures every part of the plan links purpose with performance, translating aspiration into measurable outcomes. The imperatives are guided by six enduring principles:

Champion Student Success and Belonging

We design policies and initiatives that advance access, retention, completion, and belonging.

Invest in People and Culture

We strengthen leadership, engagement, and employee well-being.

Embrace Innovation and Adaptability

We pursue creative solutions to meet evolving student and workforce needs.

Practice Stewardship and Sustainability

We manage resources responsibly to ensure long-term vitality.

Lead with Data-Informed Decisions

We use analytics and evidence-based insights to guide planning.

Expand Rural Access

We grow educational opportunities across our nine-county service area.

Together, these imperatives and principles anchor the work of One Highland and ensure every strategy, investment, and innovation reflects our mission.

We will ensure every Highland student has the support needed to persist, complete, and thrive. By strengthening advising, expanding co-curricular engagement, and creating clear academic and career pathways, we will improve retention and graduation rates across all student populations.

By 2030, Highland will strengthen persistence and retention:

• First-year retention will rise to 65%.
• Graduation rates will reach 45%.
• 95% of first-year students will complete a degree plan.

Bold Idea: Every Student Thrives

Highland will create a proactive and holistic student-success model that ensures every learner receives personalized guidance, timely intervention, and meaningful engagement opportunities. Advising, academic support, and wellness services will be seamlessly integrated to empower persistence and completion.

---

We will expand access to higher education across rural Kansas and remove barriers to affordability. Highland will grow enrollment, expand dual-credit and early-college programs, and modernize admissions so that students can easily begin — and affordably continue — their educational journey.

By 2030, Highland will improve outreach and meaningful communication with recruits:

• Grow enrollment to 3,000 learners.
• Expand early opportunities by increasing dual-credit and early-college enrollment by 10%.
• Engage more Kansans by boosting postsecondary participation in Northeast Kansas by 25%.
• Advance recruitment through a CRM-based Strategic Enrollment process.

Bold Idea: Education Without Barriers

Highland will ensure that geography, cost, or circumstance never limit opportunity. The College will simplify processes, expand rural outreach, and create equitable pathways that make higher education attainable for every learner.

---

We will prepare students for meaningful careers and seamless transfer to four-year institutions. By aligning programs with industry demand, expanding short-term credentials, and strengthening articulation agreements, Highland will ensure every learner has a clear path from education to employment or advanced study.

By 2030, Highland will curate programming that meets the needs of today’s communities and tomorrow’s innovation:

• Establish 10 employer partnerships and six internship pipelines.
• Formalize five articulation agreements with four-year institutions.
• Launch three short-term training or certificate programs aligned with workforce needs.
• Integrate AI and emerging technologies to strengthen teaching and learning.
• Report annual program review progress and success on our website.

Bold Idea: Learning That Leads to Opportunity

Highland will serve as a bridge between education and opportunity, creating pathways that connect learning with real-world impact. Through expanded partnerships, stackable credentials, and intentional use of instructional technology, the College will position learners for success in today’s evolving economy.

---

We will modernize operations, technology, and processes to strengthen Highland’s capacity for collaboration, responsiveness, and data-informed decision-making. By improving systems, training, and workflows, the College will enhance efficiency, service quality, and institutional resilience across all campuses and departments.

By 2030, Highland will embed technology into day-to-day processes:

• Achieve 95% adoption of new enterprise systems, including SIS and CRM platforms.
• Train 100% of faculty and staff in digital workflows and process improvements.
• Implement real-time dashboards for enrollment, retention, and budget performance.
• Reduce operational processing times by 25%.
• Establish a collegewide data-governance framework.

Bold Idea: Transform How Highland Works

Highland will operate as a unified, adaptive institution where systems, data, and people work seamlessly together. Through technology transformation and cross-departmental collaboration, the College will enhance institutional effectiveness and the student experience.

---

We will unite every campus, department, and role under a shared purpose and culture of belonging. By investing in people, communication, and professional growth, Highland will foster an environment where employees and students feel valued, connected, and supported.

By 2030, Highland will cultivate a sense of belonging, trust, and sustainability:

• Increase engagement by 15% and reduce turnover by 25%.
• Earn Great Place to Work® certification.
• Standardize onboarding and professional development collegewide.
• Complete five Facilities Plan projects.
• Improve CCSSE results in four of five lowest categories.
• Improve student belonging by 10%.

Bold Idea: One Highland, One Community

Highland will cultivate a culture of connection and shared purpose across every campus and division. Through inclusive engagement and transparent communication, the College will strengthen morale and unity.

---

We will secure Highland’s future through strong financial management, philanthropy, and responsible planning. By diversifying revenue streams and investing in people and infrastructure, the College will strengthen its long-term stability.

By 2030, Highland will deepen stewardship connections:

• Grow the Foundation endowment to $10 million.
• Secure $5 million in major gifts for the Student Union campaign.
• Establish 25 new endowed scholarships or funds.
• Maintain annual reserves equal to 3% of operating revenue.
• Host alumni and donor events in Kansas City, Topeka, and St. Joseph.
• Build new partnerships supporting scholarships and student success.

Bold Idea: Building a Foundation for the Future

Highland will strengthen its fiscal and operational foundation through disciplined planning and strategic fundraising. By aligning stewardship with student and community priorities, the College will ensure continued impact for generations.