- 5 - T he F oc us on L ear n er s pi l l ar of t he S t r at egi c O p er at i ng P l a n ens ur ed t hat our und er t ak i ngs r es ul t e d i n qual i t y l e ar ni ng an d s t u den t s uc c es s , e nh anc e d o ut r ea c h ac t i v i t i es a nd i n nov at i on t hr oug h p ar t ner s hi ps . A s t ude nt s uc c es s pl an has b een i ni t i a t ed t o i m pac t l ear ner ac hi ev em ent and r et ent i on w hi l e a c ol l eg e - wi de pr oc es s t o s u pp or t a nd en hanc e di s t anc e l ear ni ng h as b een i m pl em ent ed – b ot h w i t h t h e i n t en t i on of i m pr ov i ng l ear ner o ut c om es . W e ar e c om m i t t e d t o our m i s s i on of s uc c es s f or al l t hr oug h l ear ni n g a nd par t ner s hi ps . A f oc us on h um an r es o ur c es , our f i f t h pi l l ar , w as our c om m i t m ent t o ac hi ev e ex c el l enc e t hr o ug h our m os t v al ued as s et — ou r peo pl e — b y enh anc i n g em pl oy e e dev el opm e nt , n ur t ur i ng p os i t i v e r el at i ons hi ps , an d s t r engt heni ng r ec r ui t m e nt a nd r et e nt i o n pr ac t i c es . W e’ v e dev el ope d a pr of es s i o nal dev el o pm ent pol i c y t h at pr om ot es c on t i nu ous l ear ni ng w i t h an em ph as i s on s k i l l s dev el opm ent a nd c us t o m er s er v i c e s o t hat our s ta ff a lwa y s pr ov i d e s t h e hi ghes t qu al i t y ex p er i enc e t o our l ear n er s . T hi s l as t y ear al s o m ar k ed a y ear of t r ans f or m at i on as t he c ol l eg e’ s n ew S t r at e gi c P l an w as c ul t i v at e d an d r ef i ned. T h e pl an , w hi c h w as s hape d by ex t ens i v e i nput f r om ov er 1000 i nt er n al an d ex t er nal s t ak eh ol der s , i s a t an gi bl e r e f l ec t i o n o f t h e i ns i g ht s of our s t ud ent s , s t af f an d c om m uni t y m em b er s . T hr ou gh t hi s di al o gue , we hav e dev el op ed f our s t r at egi c di r ec t i ons t hat s up por t an d r ei t er a t e o ur c o m m i t m ent t o c on t i nu ous i m pr ov em ent , par t ner s hi ps and s uc c es s f or t h e n or t h er n c om m uni t i es w e s er v e. E ac h bui l ds on t h e r a ng e of s t r engt hs and as s et s t h at our c am pus es of f er , an d l ev e r ages s har e d i nf r as t r u c t ur e and a dm i ni s t r at i on t hat h el p us s p end our do l l ar s w i s el y . E ac h t r ans c en ds t he b oun dar i es of t r adi t i onal c ol l eg e f unc t i ons , pr ov i di ng di r ec t i on t o al l em pl oy ees an d l ear ner s r eg ar d l es s of t hei r l oc a t i on or r ol e i n t h e or g ani z at i o n . O ur c or e dedi c at i on t o pr ov i di ng ac c es s a nd m obi l i t y f o r l ear ner s has pr ov e n t o b e our s t r engt h. E ac h an d ev er y i ni t i at i v e br ou ght f or t h and c om pl e t ed ov er t he pas t y ear w as c ar r i ed out w i t h our s t udent s a nd c om m uni t i es i n m i nd . I w oul d l i k e t o ac k now l e dg e and c om m end t he c ol l ec t i v e ef f or t s of al l s t af f m em ber s i n t he ac c om pl i s hm e nt of a v er y am bi t i o us s et of i ni t i at i v es c o nt ai n ed i n t h e 2 01 2 - 201 3 B us i nes s P l an. F r ed G i bb ons , P r es i den t & C E O