October, 1998
Dear Friends & Colleagues:
The path toward institutional accountability- now mandated by lawmakers but always due our students and other constituents- has been well-marked by SECC's administration and faculty. Since its inception in 1960, the College has developed and maintained a wide array of measurements by which we could better gauge our students' chances for success and take corrective action as necessary to better serve the community.
Over the last several years, SECC's administration, staff, and faculty have reexamined the institution's stated mission and launched a new era in strategic planning for higher education in southeast Kentucky. When the Kentucky General Assembly included strategic planning and accountability mandates in its 1997 legislation for higher education reform, SECC was well-positioned, having already put in-place the necessary action and assessment teams and a systemic process that actually exceeds the state's new mandates.
I am pleased to present SECC's Annual Report for 1997-98 and Annual Plan for 1998-99. A new Vision Statement, as well as new Goals, Strategic Indicators, and Action Strategies, published in 1997 (enclosed), provided clear direction and oversight to all divisions and units during the last academic year. We believe the Vision and the Strategic Plan can continue to guide the College into the new millenium and to meet challenges that may arise. The new Office of Planning and Research, with guidance from the Institutional Advancement and Effectiveness Team, has been charged with facilitating both the Strategic Planning process and the assessment of our overall effectiveness. A comprehensive self-study will be launched during 1998-99 in preparation for our scheduled re-accreditation in 2000.
Sincerely,
W. Bruce Ayers
700 College Road
Cumberland, KY 40823
(606) 589-2145
FAX (606) 589-5758
