This message was sent in email to all Lane employees on June 11, 2020:
Hello All Lane Employees,
Just as we did last year, we want to provide you with a year-end summary of our work to date toward the Guided Pathways strategic priority.
Similar to last year, our design teams were actively making progress during Fall and Winter terms, and we hosted multiple college-wide events. Unlike last year, we experienced some unexpected interruptions for Spring term and are in the middle of significant changes to how we work! As we navigate these changes, our immediate focus has shifted to being ready to hit the virtual ground running again in the fall.
Prior to the shift to remote work in March, our seven design teams had identified priorities and work plans for the coming academic terms. These priorities included smoothing the student experience between non-credit and credit areas of the college; improving equity in our placement system; providing clear, accurate, customizable default programs of study; further integration of career communities into student and college life; and building on existing work in multiple college areas to expand our First Year Experience. Teams also focused on creating metrics and benchmarks for success as we undertake this institutional change and on how we could improve our communication of these priorities throughout the college.
Regardless of the disruption to Spring term, it was an active and productive year for Guided Pathways, which included multiple campus-wide events, visits and interviews with our A2I2 and Oregon Student Success Center coaches, and the formation of two new teams.
Our work for next year will focus on four major categories: implementing equitable placement processes; bringing FYE to scale; eliminating the barriers students experience when moving from non-credit to credit programs so that all students experience themselves as valued Lane students; and the creation of default program maps, with faculty involvement, that students can customize to reach their individual goals.
The swift move to remote work during Spring Term has resulted in a shift in how we work, but it did not change, and in some cases has increased, the urgency with which the college must prioritize work that makes students’ experiences smoother, better coordinated, more meaningful, and ultimately well aligned with their personal and educational goals.
Available in our TIPSS page, please find TIPSS #36 on Fulfilling Lane’s Mission in the Midst of Pandemic. On our GP Library page, you can find the Design Principles that guide our work, developed this winter in coordination with our A2I2 coaches, and our Metrics.
As always, if you are interested in being involved in the continuing teamwork around any of these issues, we hope you’ll contact one of the co-chairs (Jennifer Frei, Jenn Kepka, or Mike Sims) to find out more.
