- 3 - MESS A G E F R O M T H E B O A R D C H A I R O n be hal f of t he B oar d of G ov er nor s , I am pl e as ed t o i nt r oduc e t he 2 01 2 - 20 13 A n nual R e por t f or N or t her n C ol l ege. 201 2 - 201 3 s aw t h e c om pl et i on o f t h e f i nal y ear o f t he 2 010 - 2 013 S t r a t egi c O per at i ng P l an an d t he c ol l ege w as v er y s uc c es s f ul i n ac hi ev i ng i ni t i at i v es as ev i denc ed i n t hi s an nual r epor t . G ui ded by f i v e ov er ar c hi n g p il l ar s , t he c ol l ege m ade gr eat ac hi ev em ent s i n eac h s t r at e gi c ar e a a nd c o nt i nue d t o pr ov i d e gr e at er ac c es s t o e duc at i on a nd i n c r eas e d l ear ni n g opp or t uni t i es t hr o ugh n ew pr o gr am s and i nn ov at i v e del i v er y m et hods . O ne par t i c ul ar i ni t i at i v e of gr eat i m por t a nc e t o our c ol l ege, o ur s t ude nt s a nd our c om m uni t y par t n er s w as r eal i z ed w i t h t he gr an d o pe ni ng o f a per m an ent t i pi at t he P or c upi n e C am pus an d t he pr ov i s i on o f p or t abl e t i pi s at our ot h er c am pus es . T he B oar d r ec ogni z es an d s upp or t s t he c ol l e ge’ s c o m m i t m ent t o i nc r eas i n g c r os s c ul t ur al aw ar en es s and pr ov i di n g o ppor t uni t i e s f or ex c han ge — t hi s r em a i ns a f oc us i n t h e n e w s t r at egi c pl an. W i t h a dedi c a t i on t o l ear n er s and t he c om m uni t i es i t s e r v es , t he c ol l e ge ac hi ev e d obj ec t i v es t hat el ev at ed qual i t y l ear ni ng a nd s t u den t s uc c es s . A n i nc r e as e i n appl i e d r es ear c h pr oj ec t s h as c ont r i bu t ed i n a v er y t angi bl e w ay t o r el ev a nt , han ds - on l ear ni n g – t hi s not onl y be nef i t s l e ar ner s but al s o s upp or t s l oc al bus i nes s es a nd adv a nc es i nnov at i on. N or t h er n al s o c on t i nue d t o ex pan d i n t he ar ea of i nt er nat i ona l pr ogr am s an d s i gne d a uni que c ol l a bor at i on a gr eem e nt w i t h t he f i v e ot h er nor t h e r n c ol l eges — a fi r s t i n th e pr ov i nc e! A not her s i g ni f i c a nt p ar t ner s hi p w as r eac hed w i t h Q uee n’ s U ni v er s i t y a s t he c ol l e ge c ont i nues t o s eek p ar t ner s hi ps a nd pr ov i de o ppor t uni t i es f or gr a du a t es t o be gr an t ed adv anc ed s t an di ng i nt o a d egr e e pr ogr am . In S e p t em ber , t he B o ar d o f G ov er nor s w as pl e as ed t o appr ov e a new s t r at egi c pl an t ha t w i l l gui de t h e c ol l ege’ s i ni t i a t i v es b et w e e n A pr i l 2 013 an d M ar c h 20 16 a nd l ook s f or w ar d t o t h e s am e l ev el of ex c i t i n g in it ia t iv e s a nd ac c om pl i s hm ent s . A ll o f t h is y e a r ’s s u c c es s e s and adv a nc em e nt s w oul d not be pos s i bl e w i t hou t t he c ol l e ge i nv es t i ng i n or gani z a t i on al dev el opm e nt and r e new al as w el l as i n i t s hum a n r es o ur c es ; t h e s e pi l l ar s hav e bec om e i ngr ai ne d i nt o t he c ol l eg e’ s or gani z a t i on al c ul t ur e. A c c or di ngl y , t he B oar d r ec og ni z es an d t h ank s al l c ol l e g e em pl oy ees f or t hei r d edi c at i on, har d w or k an d c on t r i but i on t o a not her v er y s uc c es s f ul y ear ! R ober t M c B e an, C hai r N or t her n C ol l e ge B oar d of G ov er nor s