Chancellor’s 2024 District-Wide Conference Day Message to the WCCCD Familys for the first time

I am pleased to welcome you on behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Team to the 22nd Annual District-Wide Conference Day. This is the one day each year when all the members of the WCCCD family come together to celebrate our shared mission, values, and goals. On this special day, we can connect deeply with one another as we work together on matters that are the most meaningful to us and the most impactful for our students. I thank the campus presidents and their leadership teams for hosting these campus sessions and the faculty and staff involved for making each campus a special place for our students and community.

I value Conference Day because it is an opportunity for me to thank each of you for your support
in making WCCCD one of the most outstanding community colleges in the nation.

And yet, our work is not done. It is time, for example, to refocus and evaluate our vision statement to meet the evolving needs of the college community. As many of you know, our vision statement is one of our foundational statements about why WCCCD exists. The other foundational statements are our mission, values, and functions statements. The vision statement is a condensed, memorable declaration of WCCCD’s preferred future.

We will invite you and other stakeholders to give feedback to ensure our vision aligns
with the future of higher education. You can review the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Goals below
as made available by our Vice Chancellor of Institutional Effectiveness, Dr. Johnesa Hodge:

2022-2026 New Day New Way Strategic Plan Goals

• Goal 1: WCCCD will increase student success by expanding student-centered support services, initiatives, and partnerships.
• Goal 2: WCCCD will develop curricular and co-curricular services that respond to dynamic student educational and regional economic development needs.
• Goal 3: WCCCD will promote operational excellence within its systems, services, and programs by expanding continuous quality improvement processes. 
• Goal 4: WCCCD will increase its capacity to meet changing student, business, and regional educational needs by advancing sustainable human, financial, physical, and technological resources.
• Goal 5: WCCCD will advance institutional community engagement and workforce development initiatives that position the District as a premier resource for community and workforce development.

In the coming weeks, we will send you an additional link to the Strategic Plan Survey to provide your thoughts for consideration in developing future-shaping initiatives. As you know, I have encouraged all WCCCD faculty and staff to become future thinkers and speed up the pace of innovation and entrepreneurship at all levels of the college. We must actively consider the impact of future-shaping trends and forces in our environment as decisions are made and actions are taken. The future of WCCCD is happening right now in the face of rapid societal change such as the growing impact of artificial intelligence.

These trends and forces will impact all aspects of our work at WCCCD. At the June 2024 “futures thinkers” session of my executive team, for example, the need for a District-Wide artificial
intelligence strategy was highlighted. We will identify how we are already engaged in AI-related efforts, research best practices at other community colleges, and work together to develop a district-wide AI strategy. In this and other ways, we will continue our “Pathways to the Future” transformational journey in the years ahead.

In closing, I am sure that we here today seek to honor WCCCD’s heritage while participating in its future. The college finds its true pulse in the authentic blending of its heritage, present, and future. I thank you for the privilege of serving as your Chancellor, and I look forward to our continued work together. I wish you a rewarding and successful Conference Day.

_{About Wayne County Community College District WCCCD, one of the largest urban-suburban community colleges in Michigan, is a multi-campus district with six campus locations and educational centers, including the Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center, the Heinz C. Prechter Educational and Performing Arts Center, the Michigan Institute for Public Safety Education (MIPSE), the Curtis L. Ivery Health and Wellness Education Center and the Outdoor Careers Training Center. The District serves students across 32 cities, townships, and more than 500 square miles. WCCCD is committed to developing innovative programs, transforming the workforce, hosting community-based training sessions, and improving student facilities and services.}