CEIS Strategic Planning Process 2024-2025

Dear CEIS Community and Partners,

I am thrilled to share with you an exciting milestone in the journey of the College of Education and Integrative Studies (CEIS) — the creation of our very first strategic plan. This is a significant step forward, one that reflects our commitment to shaping a clear, cohesive vision for the future of our college.

Since the Fall semester of 2024, we have been actively engaging with faculty, staff, and students to gather insights, feedback, and aspirations that will guide this process. It has been an inspiring journey thus far, and I’m proud to report on the meaningful progress we’ve made. Click the hyperlinks throughout this message to explore the findings so far.

Our journey began with the CEIS Fall Conference in August 2024, where we laid the foundation for our strategic planning discussions. Following the conference, we hosted a series of staff conversations through November to assess how well our current initiatives align with our long-term vision and mission, and to identify areas where we can amplify our impact.

In December 2024, we held our first Strategic Planning Listening Session, where participants came together in small groups to discuss critical questions regarding the future of CEIS. These conversations centered around elevating key aspects of our college, identifying priorities and challenges, and envisioning the outcomes we hope to achieve through strategic planning. Some of the pivotal topics we explored included:

• Growth: What do we grow? To what levels? To achieve what outcomes?
• Collaboration: Who will we collaborate with, or what will we connect to, to achieve our desired outcomes?
• Distinction: What do we want CEIS to stand for, or be known for?
• Mission and Vision Alignment: How do our purpose, identity, and goals align with our mission and vision? In what ways are our mission and vision relevant for the current moment?

The insights gathered have been invaluable and will serve as a foundation as we begin to shape our strategic goals and initiatives.

As we move forward with this process, we are excited to announce the formation of the Strategic Planning Committee. We received many inspiring expressions of interest and, though we couldn't select everyone, we chose individuals who represent the diversity and strength of our CEIS community. The committee members are Dr. Teresa Lloro, Bernice Appiah, Dr. Betty Alford, Lisa Wong, Dr. Johnny Ramierz, and Jordan McAuley-Ayoub. Dr. Teresa Lloro, Co-Chair of the Liberal Studies Department, and Special Education Graduate Student Bernice Appiah will co-chair the committee.

From now until the Fall Semester, the committee will continue to gather feedback from students, alumni, staff, faculty, and community partners to further develop our focus areas and priorities. Your involvement and engagement will be crucial, and we encourage you to participate. Please be on the lookout for engagement opportunities via email from ceis@cpp.edu.

Thank you for your unwavering support and relentless dedication to CEIS. Together, we will forge ahead, boldly and resolutely shaping a bright, impactful future for our college.

In community,

Jenelle S. Pitt-Parker, Ph.D., Dean, College of Education and Integrative Studies