Strategic Plan Raw Data

• Lack of messaging (what does the college offer)
• What don’t we know about KCC
• Signage on campus visitors can get easily lost or frustrated trying to find a room.
• Host more community events or open meeting rooms up to community for events. Brings community to the College
• Budget uncertainty
• Being a part of the University system
• Lack of Funding
• Lack of support for Education
• Being tied to the university during a budget crises
• The University is just not funded correctly by the Governor
• Directors need to have out reach ( not speaking for Keys as she is new) But directors in the past were lacking in outreach.
• Limited variety of class offerings; classes are limited in size; seems especially for a learner not pursuing a degree 
• She doesn’t know what KOC is like, because she hasn’t been here; having tutoring availability – she can use UAA tutors as well, so if KOC tutors aren’t available has access to tutors; she is working during the times that the tutors are available. 
• Can't really think of anything
• Betty:  Can’t please everyone all of the time.  Weakness is the communication of the nay Sayers …. They tend to dampen the support for the college. Communicating is a part but…. some of the issue is the people themselves, if the college doesn’t meet all their needs than the college is not of any value.
• Need to look for more partnerships…. Communication is a part of what is needed… The College needs to provide a vision for increased community engagement…. She feels detached from the college (even though she manages the larger museum in the community) … Sarah doesn’t see allot of opportunity for input.  Sarah would like to feel more engaged with what the college is doing, this is the communication piece …… Note, the College may be better able to use the space at the college for the community.  College should explore more community use of their space.
• Not thinking of something right off.  Most of the issues are because of the larger University system…. Funding is a big issue right now, perhaps THE issue. 
• Can never do enough to raise enrollment … Need to work on the relationship with High School has not been as strong as it should be…. Go back to dual credit… many folks think of this as a middle college, but it’s different concept.  Then the college needs to look at the community, classes need to be based on the economic situation in Kodiak …. fill the needs that businesses have.
• A group of museum folks communicated an interest a couple of years ago that the colleges develop more of a museum’s studies program… provide some classes to help develop that skill set…. Some of my turnover is that we don’t have talent in Alaska and outside folks don’t stick.  I’m uncertain if anything has happened at the University level to address this need…. Still, lots of interest around the state for some classes in museum studies.  How do we, as museum directors, engage in that conservation with the University or Kodiak College?  Kodiak College needs to reconnect with the University regarding museums studies classes or track.
• Know from scholarship foundation that a number of students want to go into health careers.  Nursing program is competitive…. May be beyond the control of the college but perception is that spots in the nursing program are not that available for local students…… seems to be difficult for local students to get in. (Dampening of local support for program.)
• Need for other education opportunities outside of CNA/RN training that cater to healthcare field.  
• RN/CNA students don’t get enough clinical experience when there is low census at PKIMC.
• High School students don’t have as much opportunity for clinical education elsewhere.
• Need more collaborations with community organizations. 
• Challenge to compete against other universities because they are offering distance learning 
• Financial cuts – downsizing – cuts to programs 
• Challenge to provide the basic education – face to face
• No undergrad opportunity for seafood science – only masters level at UAF
• Not a large student body so limit to number and type of courses that can be offered. 
• Need a large enrollment to garner funding and create demand for courses
• Doesn’t offer Spanish classes / other specialized language classes
• Not a lot of experience with the college
• State budget in decline. 
• Takes resources to serve community well. Kodiak does not get a lot of money from local sources.
• Being small affects ability to offer all classes.
• Declining finances does not produce stability. 
• Communication can always be improved. 
• People asked to do more with less, affecting communication. 
• Finding out from community what college is not addressing. 
• Employment opportunities for people able to share their expertise.
• Need people to teach courses, such as refrigeration, roofing, electrical, plumbing, etc.  
• At the moment, our physical inaccessibility. Locked doors are a substantial barrier to those new to the college experience. It is difficult for students when courses aren't full enough to fly. I wish we could know if scheduled times for classes to meet are getting in the way of students enrolling.think there has been too much change and not enough accountability.
• The cost of attendance is wild.
• The constant downward pressure on the U of A budget leading to a feeling of uncertainty in continuation of programs.
• Predicting trends, assessing the needs for certain courses, and filling those courses
• Marketing courses prior to upcoming semesters
• Lack of support from University of Alaska Anchorage. Often times, we are treated as competitors and not collaborators. This leaves us with less opportunity and an unfair playing field.
• Variety of course offerings
• Having to fit our unique institution into the greater box of UAA.
• breadth of courses, schedules and costs
• tuition increases and budget cuts affecting students and personnel
• connection to UA, accreditation issues, lack of support for students locally
• Not enough programs to offer professional growth at the local level; Remote options for a broader degree program is now a very doable thing with todays technology. Kodiak College could easily explore adding more programs. USCG is adding 3 ships in summer of 2022 that will increase the demand and population of Kodiak. Should prepare and offer more degrees for this subgroup who would take advantage of this opportunity while station here for 3 to 4 years.
• The Anchorage Overlords who do not understand how our campus works.

• Marketing of the College
• Mini surveys of local business like this Focus group
• Classes on personal finance/Accounting
• Classes on Entrepreneurship
• Written and Oral communications classes (Admin)
• Classes like Podcasting on a budget
• More Engagement with Community
• Celebrate what the college has done to survive over the last year. 
• Let’s get back to the classroom
• Great opportunity to open the campus up to the community to celebrate 
• Survey sent out to the community to see what they would like to see for classes.
• CNA classes opened up to more students if that is possible. 
• Program in Anchorage about lifelong learning. For Seniors I think it’s called Ole
• Opened up to students not in Kodiak is going to be a positive; could take people on zoom classes could be taken on field trips too
• Take the zoom out to look for owls at 3am, but it wouldn’t be the same; but science classes in person at KOC is so valuable and good
• Teaching of Alaska Native culture and language is a KOC thing that isn’t really found elsewhere – we should make the most of this 
• Marine technology/maritime industries are well placed in Kodiak – the experts in these areas are in Kodiak and prime for teaching the courses; experts in fish and wildlife right here in the community to teach – such a strong relationship = a strength we need to build on
• More outreach to villages; she learned about Quickbooks classes on Facebook – Friends of Kodiak; maybe have a central person to conduct outreach; she doesn’t regularly check the college website, so the pro-active outreach is how she learned of the class
• Dan asked what would make the college more accessible to the villages: not able to think of anything now….she will think and get back to us
• Already putting together fall semester.  Already coming from staff.  If not an academic credit, the College may be able to pull something in… but already too late if part of a degree program.  Because of finances, can’t go out and get adjuncts.  The college is less than it was because of our loss of the adjuncts.  Emphasized this point.
• Internship opportunity.  Opportunity within a class to work with someone in the field.  Complete a project.  
• Out of the box a bit:  Student housing would help the college significantly.  Housing on Near Island, once associated with fish tech center might be used.  Could the College add a new dimension to the student experience….to be a full-time student and live here in College housing.  Housing based on income would help.  
• Years ago, student housing was looked at and offered…. But don’t know what happened to that.  Ak housing offered to house students but not run a dorm.  Had to have mature adults. S (Apartments in Near Island on the Borough side.  Managed by Borough).  The College would be advantaged to develop a list of local housing opportunities for students and help students to find housing.  Strong suggestion.
• Would like the College to look at more lectures for the community at the college or more outreach programs to join with the community. Use the College’s expertise.
• Likes that idea.  
• CNA program could provide more frequent trainings with fewer students.
• Incentivize CNA graduates to in home and assisted living by collaboration with agencies and mentorships. 
• Collaboration between Providence and Kodiak College to enhance nursing program – working together
• Aging population – lack of community resources to care for those with dementia.  Help for caregivers (non clinical).  Develop partnerships and training. 
• Behavioral health – caring for those patients / human services
• Kodiak is a novel location – great attractor, fishing, natural beauty
• Seafood science program 
• Survey of community should be done to evaluate areas of interest, opportunity for prizes for submissions- free credit courses.   
• Partnerships with community organizations including UAA /UAF partnership
• Return of Maritime tech course 
• Outdoor rec classes – partner with other organizations such as Audubon, for hiking, ski instruction, etc. 
• Weekend courses, such as yoga
• Cooperative Extension void could be filled with local experts and partnering with Food Co-op, Marion Owen, etc.  
• Natural Resources education – using partnership with USFWS / ADFG / NOAH, NMF - Utilization of experts.
• Use of Cooperative Extension agent in Soldotna to teach / provide education
• President Pitney stated bringing request to BOR to reinstate bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. 
• Keeping students on island. 
• Dual credit. 
• Marketing perspective to get people re-thinking access to careers. 
• Coast Guard personnel at crossroads of career. 
• Increase workforce training, non-credit and short-term classes to draw people back to campus. 
• Middle College – with new leadership can hopefully enhance connection with educators and administrators.
• Host different educational opportunities on campus – not necessarily sponsored by KoC, but of community interest, such as stress management.
• I'm hoping KoC can help more high school students earn college credits.
• Medical Assistant; welding; mechanical/construction; business; IT degrees/certifications;
• Hopefully bringing nursing students back in to healthcare settings..
• course offerings, community partnerships, continued participation in the varied level of classes
• more "island specific" training
• Greater emphasis on celebrating and including Alaska Native culture and other diverse communities in the greater educational story.
• Possibly additional course offerings as online options as professors have had more experience with having to deliver content online.
• The ability to heavily market the Coast Guard base and the spouses of active duty military.
• The ability to retain high school students for their first two years and we are less expensive than the main campus and they can live at home if there are financial issues.
• I think we're close to the floor of the budget reductions the governor and Board of Regents agreed to so I think focusing on a core mission with that level of funding being considered the floor.
• I know the healthcare institutions in Kodiak have a chronic need for CNAs and RNs. If there was a way to partner with Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center we might see mutual benefit. In the past (more than 10 years ago) we seemed to have more active-duty Coast Guard personnel taking classes here on campus. At one point, a KoC faculty member/adjunct was teaching a section of WRTG 111 on the Coast Guard base. I don't know if Coast Guard personnel are relying on online courses or if the base's culture has shifted so fewer are pursuing educational goals., but if there is a demand, perhaps there are ways to achieve greater visibility on the base.
• Being open to the public and offering more events on campus.

• Build better Partnerships with High School and businesses in the community
• NMFF’s, NOAA, FishTech center etc..
• Show the strengths of having the college here in Kodiak
• She needs to take a trip to Kodiak; possibly a class for off-island via zoom that would require you to come to Kodiak at some point
• Support that KOC has for artistic endeavors, culture/AK Native culture classes; not your traditional students taking these classes – makes the community a stronger place; does a great service 
• Providing more classes online; making an effort to reach out to rural villages – notify people of the classes that are available; could increase accessibility for remote learning
• Any new program has to go through the whole University…. Takes an act of congress to get anything done.  Trying something is difficult.  Takes one to two years to get word out for a new program…. this can create a Catch 22 type problem.  (Implied: Even if university approves a new class it may not give time to build local support and participation --- need about 2 years.)
• Internship concept.  Museums experience a lot of turnover, don’t have qualified people in Alaska.  Opportunity for one year residency or post grad internship through the College would be helpful.  The College needs to establish a direct line between graduate programs/under graduate programs and placement in the workforce.  This would be a good way to create an opportunity to develop more skilled employees in the State and Community.  The museum community needs a closer partnership with the college.  This would be especially important to smaller museums.
• Move Kodiak College student housing from one year to 5 years.  See this as a priority.
• One of the things locally on the list for our museums is a conversation about building a shared facility.  Idea of having our community resources together is the idea.  Create a community hub of learning and accessibility.  Could the college be a part of this? Kodiak’s museums have outgrown our spaces…. Opportunity to work together to provide accessibility of resources for the community.  Preservation too.  (All institutions are in Tsunami zone.) Could the College participate in some way?
• We need teachers and nurses.  There is something else out there that is needed, the College needs to find the next community “felt need”.  Should have people in the community that could do research at the College.  These folks but don’t have the opportunity now.  
• True for us…. Lost our curator.  Focused now non data management.  Need a part time curator.  Not taught in Alaska……
• Wide range of health occupation training:, such as EVS, dietary, medical records, billing / coding, etc.  
• Better collaboration with community entities
• Other offerings:  home inspection, home improvement, self-improvement
• Mindfulness / stress management
• General finances, basic life skills
• Due to increase in interest in local foods, Food Coop, Village Farms, Food Trucks – would like to see the college offer program in food science and even culinary arts program, AS / AA program.   Would encourage multiple occupations in the area such as grocers, chefs, growers, dietetics.  Could be life-long learning, as well as credit courses.  
• Students would be able to seek employment with the skills that they have gained – i.e. chefs
• More of a tie with Food Science Center (UAF) and Kodiak College.  Tighter connection. 
• Maritime Tech programs 
• Research Centers – Kodiak could be a place where people will come to do research. 
• Associates degree in Fisheries / environmental science
• Break barriers between UAA / UAF for fisheries – teach locally 
• Alignment of credit between UAA / UAF
• Should import courses that are delivered by distance – broaden student offerings in Kodiak
• Associates in environmental sciences and similar could be stepping stone to advanced degrees.
• Survey of what is being offered currently and come up with where the employment gaps are – USFWS, NOAH, Troopers, ADF&G, etc. 
• Targeted professional development training
• Visiting professors that provides condensed courses at the college
• Apply for Title III grant. 
• More stability in programs offered. 
• Build workforce development by tapping into local talent and cater to young people who have grown up here want to live here
• Stronger relationship with the community.
• Stability at state level trickles down to local. 
• Increase non-credit opportunities.
• Provide educational opportunities around food production.
• Stabilizing our enrollment through clear and open planning of our courses and flexibility of our faculty 
• Growth in the areas listed for the next academic year.o offer what needs to be offered when it needs to be offered based on data.
• incorporating more artists and local trades men & women into teaching roles for community classes.
• Continuing to evolve to meet community needs. For instance, programs in natural resource and lands management (ie, surveying; wildlife biology; forestry; conservation, etc.) could be valuable programs and lead to jobs with the Kodiak Refuge; ADF&G; State Parks and the Native corporations who have lands and natural resource management responsibility.
• Revitalize staff, instructors, and administrators with this type of communication which give employees a "stake" in the college by having all opinions heard.
• I know that funding has been difficult with the cuts and am not sure if a larger variety of courses for students is possible.
• Growth in community partnerships, particularly with AK Native institutions (tribes, corporations, villages) to provide additional sources of funding, but also enlisting them to provide input in developing training and educational pathways.
• Ongoing education for adults
• building stronger relationships, promoting programs and degree, certificate, and diploma programs
• Improved perception of high education standard
• Offering more University level degree programs Associate and Bachelor's degree's
• Close relationship to KHS.

 

• Salaries for qualified instructors
• traditional campus and it was a really small school, but there was still kind of like elements of traditional college life, and I think that's really hard to recreate in Kodiak.
• just a college life experience
• Show the strengths of having the college here in Kodiak
• It is going to be a struggle to keep the college on the island
• Kodiak can stand tall in the face of this challenge. 
• Promote more open houses so people are not afraid of the college
• Business after hours (Chamber of Commerce)
• The college needs a marketing plan
• Not sure who could be the best advocates
• But the People coming out of the CAN program or High School Students that have gone thru.
• Those groups need to get in front of the people that need to hear the benefits of KC
• Online classes are easy and great success
• Not being in Kodiak, it is a challenge for a student to understand what all of Kodiak has to offer.
• To remain viable, KOC needs to attract traditional students; there are a lot of non-traditional school; the challenge is to retain strong, traditional students in the community; get HS graduates to stay in the community for a year, semester or some period of time.
• Offering classes to the villages, the internet is an issue; that could make it challenging for people with slower internet.  And internet has gone down frequently (recently lost internet and cell coverage for 10 days b/c the microwave receiver dish was blown off course (like a satellite dish); even with heavy snow causes internet to slow down; 
• Finances.  What we offer has to be contained within the economy of the community.  Even those students that want to come can’t afford it… many qualify for scholarship and loans but not everyone.  How to make it more affordable for all is a challenge?  The College is on a shoestring.  Most of the money goes into salaries.  Faculty needs to branch out into other areas …. College needs to have the adjuncts back…. they often love to teach one or two classes.  
• Expense of going to college.
• Need community scholarships and aid
• Better communicate about the return on your investment for College education.
• Adjunct professor piece – broader base of teachers.
• Kodiak College is part of bigger machine.  Idea of economy.  What influence can the community have on the college.  Don’t know much about this.  In terms of having (the bigger machine) hear our needs.  How do we assess it as an economic driver for the community….so we see its importance?  Feel like the community needs a deeper connection to the college.  Need to see how it’s important to the community.
• Take the answer under weaknesses and put it here as well.  Sense that what we’ll see as a result of the pandemic is delayed decision making…… this will be a challenge for the college and further depress enrollment.  Know that student admissions are down significantly nationwide…. what does that look like at Kodiak College?  Covid will have years of impact at the college.  Difficult to adapt to.
• Another thought:  The change to virtual learning has many positives, opened a world of choice to students.  Choice can work well and not so well.  For Kodiak College, virtual learning may contribute to a sense of less value attached to “in-person” classes here in Kodiak.  Raises questions about value of students taking classes at the College vs virtual classes through Anchorage or Fairbanks.  Not that we’ve been forced into virtual learning… likely to question value of in-person learning.
• The virtual learning will also undermine taking Kodiak College classes because of the economics…. Cheaper to take classes from another entity on line.  (What will make Kodiak College classes preferable to take?)
• The on-line piece raises other questions.  Will faculty want to go back to face to face classes or a hybrid type of teaching.  The College faces challenges getting out in the community and being seen.  The College use to teach on the Coast Guard base.  We need to be more flexible where we teach classes.  On a different level, the College use to have allot of interaction at the canneries, more of the developmental classes and English as a second language.  This is another opportunity for the College.  Get the cannery management involved. By using some other facilities, the College may get more students to come…. must communicate better about opportunities “off campus”.   But…… this is another expense.  Use different location for classes and get the word out.
• Remote classes offered at many universities mean that students don’t have to attend local college
• Funding 
• Sustaining enough instructors to teach CNA/RN programs.   Have had difficulty primarily with the CNA program.  
• Financial / money
• Economy – struggling economy – education lower priority
• Decline in fishing – leads to local economy challenges
• Hard for academic institution to be nimble and quickly adaptable to changing environment. 
• Course offerings may be duplicative elsewhere in the state – political boundaries could impede
• Student housing – lack of affordable housing for students and difficult to serve rural village students
• Money. 
• Having a full-time director hopefully will lead to better community relations. 
• Covid – college students having kids at home, jobs challenges – need to find way to reach out to students who left because of Covid and get them back to classes. 
• Pandemic forced colleges to re-define themselves. 
• Territorial feelings. 
• Passport system allows students to take classes from many places if enrolled in a university, which may mean loss of enrollment at Kodiak College.  
• Create classes to get people to use their hands.
• Filling degree program seats; will require good marketing techniques. Use of online programs for remote schooling. Don't always defer to the known but look at the more latest technology for delivery of this type of forum.
• State funding, UA issues, supporting students so they return
• tuition increases and budget cuts, internet speed island-wide
• Lack of state funding, small local base
• Statewide funding cuts.
• There were obstacles for students to be able to enroll this year. If students had an account (uaonline) already, they still needed to try to get a hold of the counselor at the college to unlock or such before they could enroll in a class. For students new to KoC, it was difficult to get a paper copy registration when offices were closed because of COVID.
• University of Alaska, Anchorage as a competitor vs. collaborator.
• Ig ncreasi
• Fighting for your share of the scarce budget resources.
• Kodiak's shrinking population. The loss of faculty means the loss of local in-person teaching and support (such as CIOS).ing for your share of the scarce budget resources.
• As usual money, but I am hopeful that we will not see another major cut for at least a year or two, but who know. I also see a challenge being that we are so thin and that we won't be able to serve our students in the same personalized way.

• you offer a valuable, valuable service so many valuable services, and so I think that investing time and effort in strategic planning and kind of getting more involved in responding to the Community
• Worried about faculty engagement in the community. 
• Don’t see a lot of educators trying to engage the community only hear from Students
• Good that you are doing this focus group. 
• Good to have the College in the community
• Likes to have the option to take the remote learning class in Kodiak while not on the island.
• Outreach is essential – building relationships with the villages; it would be a win-win for the college and the village; maybe someone who comes out to the village to inform community of the opportunities that are available.  Excel and a Quickbooks class was provided in the village.  The college has also provided in-village courses on small engine repair and marine engine repair; and a 4 wheeler repair class was being arranged last year, but was cancelled due to Covid
• If there is a questionnaire that could be sent out to more village stakeholders, she feels like that would be valuable information for the college – could send out to the “KANA/Koniag Roundtable stakeholders list” and to the “Rural Leadership Forum” list. 
• Classes he has taken at KOC has been in art and sciences – always good instructors and great classes – would really hate to see it go away or see KOC sucked into the big UAA system
• Really appreciate opportunity to join the conversation…. Let community folks know their opinion matters.  
• Agree.  Mentioned that faculty and staff they should have a good idea of what needs to be strategic plan.
• Appreciates Jaclyn.
• On the record, I’m married to faculty member.
• More of a formal structure that illustrates the university chain of command so folks in the community know where to go to, even beyond the college, to influence changes in the institution that could then allow Kodiak College to provide opportunities.  
• Always have the advisory board too.  Jaclyn now has more time and is available. 
• Need a “hit list” for who makes decisions outside of Kodiak.  Who in Anchorage or Fairbanks makes decisions for Kodiak College?
• Circled back to Issues between College and High School:  One issue is advising students; another is who will pay for credits and then aligning schedules…… we’re close to having structure in place for both high school and college.  Would like to keep going in that direction.
• Let us know how we can help.  We want to help the college.  Give us the opportunity.
• Kodiak is fortunate to have Jaclyn here as the director.

• Suggestion of a Journal Club – evidence-based practices that are reviewed and shared as a group to enhance learning and keeping up with new practices.

• Great to have the college
• Anything that we (PKIMC) can do to add to collaboration, we will
• Is the infrastructure of the college needing repairs – 50 years old.  Repair and replace costs.  
• Kodiak College is not always out in the public – not sure what’s going on, what are they promoting.  Need to look at how to highlight the college.    Advertise more.
• Kodiak College could be more involved in community events
• Public access to library is appreciated and encouraged
• Kodiak College has good meeting space 
• I am a fan of using When2Meet or similar product as an inclusive tool to consider people's schedules. :)
• KoC has been a valuable piece of the Kodiak community for decades. I know people who took courses there for a year or two and went on to UAA, UAF or outside to finish their degrees. It has always been community focused and a great partner for many endeavors in Kodiak.
• I was unable to answer the above due to formatting issues on my end:
• Challenges: University of Alaska, Anchorage needs to invest and work with each community campus.
• Retention of employees due to the unstable nature of our future as a community campus.
• Enrollment and sustainability: This is our biggest challenge. Without satisfactory enrollment numbers we will not be sustainable. We need to focus on a multi-tier marketing strategy.
• A possible idea to encourage students on campus - have a few different opportunities for campus tours for students (and parents) during the year to see what is available for high school students.
• Kodiak College is appreciated by and in the community, offering services, classes, and collaborations
• The community needs degrees program opportunities beyond what is currently available; Medical; technical and business degrees/certifications.
• I have worked and taken classes at KoC since 1987. We are lucky to have such a great staff