Victor Valley Community College District
Victor Valley College
Educational Master Plan 1998-2005+
1. Purpose Of The Plan
Victor Valley Community College District represents an extraordinary resource to the citizens and economy of its High Desert service area. Victor Valley College is the region’s only local public higher education institution. From providing a full range of core academics to transfer programs to vocational preparation to addressing the cultural, recreational, athletic, social and economic needs of the region, the District and the college must fulfill a variety of roles and responsibilities. As these requirements are being addressed, the college is continually challenged by changes in technology, instructional innovation, a diverse and changing population and student body, an ever-widening and competitive economic marketplace, and fundamental advances in the collective body of knowledge and academic scholarship.
To meet these responsibilities within such a dynamic operating environment requires vision and planning. Victor Valley College’s vision and roadmap into the 21st century enfold in the following pages. This document represents the ideas, views, and perspectives of many faculty, staff, administrators, researchers, analysts, students, residents and others. It is based on an exhaustive schedule of meetings, reviews of thousands of data elements, the refinement of hundreds of potential courses of action, and is rooted soundly in the input and results of the studies and plans before it. Like a mosaic, this educational master plan was conceived through the contributions of many individuals. Combined, these contributions have resulted in a plan that paints a picture of continued creativity, service, excellence, and enterprise.
This document is intended to serve two primary purposes. First, it articulates a strategic direction for the District, a direction that builds upon a strong historical foundation to reach out and respond in enterprising and effective ways to the challenges and needs of the communities we serve. Secondly, it presents a multi-year educational plan intended to guide the District through its evolution into a mature and comprehensive resource for the citizens, communities, and economies of the High Desert.
Community colleges in California shoulder unique and important responsibilities. The District joins with other California community colleges in providing quality higher education to students, lifelong learning opportunities to residents, workforce development and training options for today’s and tomorrow’s workforce, economic development assistance to local businesses, and a myriad of other services and benefits. The District responds to these responsibilities by providing a wide range of services, curricula, and programming.
At the core of effective programs is planning. Planning is integral to institutional growth. It is an indispensable component of efficient and effective services and their delivery. Planning is vital to the academic enterprise in that it assists faculty, staff, and administrators to better configure the courses, classes, and educational programming that comprise the very essence of the academic mission of the District.
This educational master plan is intended to showcase the planning undertaken in preparation for the balance of this decade and into the new millennium. It is a narrative that reflects on our historical achievements while responding to the factors and trends that will shape our landscape for the coming years. It reflects the goals and ingenuity of faculty, staff, administrators, and the rest of those who comprise the District team. It is, by design, a dynamic document that will serve best if continually reviewed and periodically updated.