Phase 2 of this communication plan is about informing the campus as a whole and equipping the Guiding Retention Coalition so that their work can accelerate. As a result, my efforts will be directed to completing the Big Opportunity statement and building campus wide support through the coalition. Communication methods depicted in Figure 3.2 and described below include interactive Town Hall style events and community engagement surveys.
Fine-tuning the Big Opportunity statement (final version). I will facilitate the creation
ofthe Big Opportunity statement (Figure 3.3) through my involvement with the Guiding
Retention Coalition ensuring that it is reflective of all four subsystems and is clearly understood by everyone in the organization. To do this, I will collect broader feedback at Town Hall events and through a community engagement survey taking care that broader staff input is considered by the coalition. Once final, it will be important for me to share the milestone directly with the Executive and Leadership Teams for their comment before making it public.
Town halls. With the recent leadership changes (see Chapter 1), quarterly Town Hall
forums have been adopted as a forum to share information on strategic initiatives with the wider campus community. I will request a 15-minute timeslot from the Executive Team where I will introduce the Guiding Retention Coalition and co-share an interactive presentation on retention and the Big Opportunity. While other approaches such as email or video could be used,
interactive in-person presentations co-hosted by me and coalition members will be used to apprise relevant audiences of current retention and completion challenges. By taking a systems approach inclusive of multiple perspectives, the campus community will be able to see the coalition’s work rather than one person’s (e.g., mine as Registrar or enrolment manager).
Furthermore, the broad-natured make-up of the coalition will demonstrate how each subsystem’s interests are well-represented (Figure 3.1).
Our interactive presentation will include a slide show summarizing the current situation, share a version of the Big Opportunity statement, and provide a method to receive questions using text message-to-presenter software. The ability to submit questions in real time via text message will ensure that participants can be heard without fear of embarrassment or having to speak in public. Overall, the Town Hall event will enable me to be transparent about the current organizational state, share a consistent message, demonstrate openness, increase excitement around the concept of a Digital Eco-system, and recruit advocates. Because a lot of information will be shared in a short time, the session will also be recorded (video) and posted on the
college’s intranet. As we will be answering questions, we will capture them along with answers
and create a “Frequently Asked Questions” webpage that will also be made available on an intranet page. A benefit of the Guiding Retention Coalition is that each member works within a different area of the college, so each member can also informally gather feedback from
colleagues whether on the Town Hall event itself or the Big Opportunity statement. In this way, the coalition can gain a pulse on the campus and integrate broader feedback within the change plan.
Community engagement survey. Shortly after the Town Hall, I will send a community
presentation and Big Opportunity statement. The survey, developed by the coalition, will help us assess the effectiveness of our communication approach, to what extent the statement was understood, and how engaged staff are on the topic of student retention. The survey will not require participants to provide identifying information and data will be stored in a secure, cloud- based service available only to coalition members. As part of the survey, participants will be informed that a separate sign-up will be made available for those who wish to take part in upcoming facilitated group discussions or other related work.
Figure 3.4. Community Engagement Survey Example
Community Engagement Survey Example
1) The Town Hall was an effective way for the Guiding Retention Coalition to inform the campus community of the student retention challenges at SBCC.
Strongly Disagree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree 2) I understood the “Big Opportunity” statement and what it was trying to convey.
Strongly Disagree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree
3) As a result of the presentation, I have greater understanding of the retention challenges at SBCC Strongly Disagree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree
4) Even though it is not fully developed yet, I am excited about the concept of a Digital Eco-system designed around the needs of a mobile-first learner.
Strongly Disagree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree
5) Would you like to take part in a facilitated group discussion to further refine the Big Opportunity statement? (A separate sign-up will be available on the Intranet and sent via email)
Yes____ No ____
6) I would like to be involved in future work related to student retention and completion. (A separate sign-up will be available on the Intranet and sent via email)
Yes____ No ____
7) What do you believe to be the greatest challenge to student retention and completion? 8) Additional Comments:
The Guiding Retention Coalition and I will review the collected information and summarize it. By sharing the results with the Executive and College Leadership Teams, I will enable SBCC’s leadership to know how effective the event was and how engaged the campus
community is regarding these topics. Sharing a summary with staff via email and the staff intranet will further affirm that their feedback is important to the process and valued by the coalition.