Educational Master Plan
Spring 2025: Developing a New Educational Master Plan
Cuesta College is working with consultants from Collaborative Brain Trust (CBT) to develop a new Educational Master Plan. Meetings have been scheduled January through April to gather input from on-campus and community voices. Updates and information will be provided on this page. A taskforce of staff, faculty, administrators and students will meet monthly with CBT to develop the plan.
As we move into the next step of our Educational Master Plan (EMP), we will be holding a Campus Forum on Thursday, March 20. The purpose of this forum is to update the campus community on the plan’s process and progress to date; provide an overview of trends, planning assumptions, and highlights of listening session themes, and to gather any additional feedback as we move into phase three of the project. All faculty and staff are invited to attend. We will also be live-streaming and recording the forum for those who are unable to attend in person.
- Date: Thursday, March 20
- Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
- Location: Room 5401
General Information
Your voice matters and your input is essential in setting the course of our next long term plan. I encourage you to participate in the Educational Mater Planning process and help shape the future of Cuesta College.
Jill Stearns, Ph.D., Superintendent/President
Cuesta College began the Educational Master Plan in Fall of 2024. Collaborative Brain Trust (CBT) was hired to facilitate the process and provide technical support for the development of the new EMP. President Dr. Jill Stearns designated Dr. Elizabeth Coria, VP of Student Success & Support Programs, as the liaison with CBT for this planning cycle. Megan Fay-Mitchell is serving as the logistics coordinator for the planning process.
Project Timeline and Phases:
- Phase 1 - Discovery: November 2024 - March 2025
- Phase 2 - Portfolio Development & Planning Assumptions: March 2025 - April 2025
- Phase 3 - Goal-Setting & Recommendations: April 2025 - Fall 2025
Project Conclusion:
To be determined based on recommendations moving through the participatory governance process.
Educational Master Plan Task Force – Purpose Statement
* * * Draft * * *
The Cuesta College Educational Master Plan Task Force (EMPTF) was formed as an outcome of the Cuesta College Planning Retreat held on November 7, 2024. The retreat comprised College constituent leaders, examined contemporary best practices in higher education planning, and provided the framework for the Educational Master Plan (EMP) and its development, including the formation of a representative EMP Task Force. A national higher education consulting firm was engaged by the College to provide technical services to assist the College and its Task Force in plan development. The EMPTF’s purpose, structure, membership, duties and responsibilities, guiding principles, and approach were shaped by that session; this EMPTF Purpose Statement is a result of that work.
EMPTF Purpose
The EMPTF serves as a representative body and work group, advisory to the College President, for the purpose of developing Cuesta College’s four-year Educational Master Plan. The EMPTF will work in a consensus-building manner. Its duties and responsibilities, guiding principles, membership, method of communicating with constituents, and meeting schedule are provided in the sections that follow.
Duties and Responsibilities
The EMPTF serves as a working Task Force, accountable to the Superintendent/President and all of Cuesta College’s stakeholders. Duties and responsibilities of the Task Force include the following:
- Ensure alignment with accreditation standards and the College’s mission, vision, and values.
- Keep students, student success, and service to the Cuesta College region at the center of discussion during plan development.
- Adopt a future-focused, dynamic, data-informed integrated planning approach.
- Maintain professionalism, uphold high ethical standards, and minimize personal biases as a representative for all stakeholders and constituents.
- Prepare for and attend EMPTF meetings (all meetings are in-person except for extenuating circumstances); complete follow-up work as required.
- Actively participate in meeting activities and engage with colleague EMPTF members to think strategically about Cuesta College’s future and its service to students and the region.
- Encourage employee and student participation in the plan development process and assist stakeholders in understanding the work of the Task Force.
- Review and communicate with constituents current information about the project's work. Refer colleagues to resources on the EMPTF website and share progress with constituents via regular meetings (e.g., committees, senates, etc.) and other available channels. Seek input and feedback throughout the development process.
- Strive for organizational effectiveness and efficiency during plan development.
Guiding Principles
The ten most important guiding principles for Cuesta College’s Educational Master Plan Task Force (EMPTF) that emerged from the November 2024 Retreat, delineated below, align with the College’s mission, vision, values, and participatory governance handbook.
- Student-Centered Decision-Making – Prioritize student success, equity, and holistic support services in every discussion during plan development.
- Inclusive and Collaborative Engagement – Actively involve all stakeholders (faculty, staff, students, administration, and community partners) to ensure diverse perspectives are represented and valued.
- Data-Informed and Reality-Based Planning – Use disaggregated data, enrollment trends, success metrics, and equity gaps to create an EMP that reflects real needs as well as aspirations.
- Transparent and Consistent Communication – Ensure clear, bidirectional communication across campus, keeping all stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the process.
- Forward-Thinking and Adaptable – Anticipate future changes in education, including AI, evolving technology, industry shifts, and new instructional methods, to create a flexible, long- term vision.
- Clearly Defined Goals, Outcomes, and Accountability – Establish measurable objectives that can lead to specific action items, responsibilities, deadlines, and assessment processes to track progress.
- Respect, Open-Mindedness, and Equity Lens – Foster an environment where all voices are heard, differing perspectives are valued, and discussions remain respectful, ensuring decisions are made through an equity-focused lens.
- Collaboration Across Departments, Divisions, and Community – Create a cross-functional, integrative approach that aligns the EMP with other institutional plans and encourages shared learning and vision refinement.
- Engagement with Broad Feedback Loops – Actively seek input from trustees, external stakeholders across the Cuesta College region, students, and internal constituents, including faculty, classified staff, and management, ensuring continuous iteration based on real feedback.
- Commitment to Action and Implementation – Ensure planning leads to actual execution, ensuring implementation of the EMP results in tangible changes that enhance student outcomes and institutional effectiveness.
Methods of Communicating Work of the EMPTF to the College
College website, committee meetings, meetings with constituent groups (e.g., senates), campus forums.
Meeting Schedule
- January 28, 8:00am - 10:00am
- February 20, 8:30am - 11:00am
- March 20, 9:00am - 11:00am
- April 29 & 30, 8:00am - 12:00pm (Goal-Setting Sessions)
The EMPTF comprises College representatives from each constituency group (students, faculty, classified staff, management, and executives) from all areas of the College (Instruction, Student Services, and Administrative Services). An executive liaison and a logistics person provide leadership and support to the Task Force and coordinate work with the consultant. The membership roster is provided below.
Executive Liaison and Logistics Person
- Executive Liaison: Dr. Elizabeth Coria, Vice President of Student Success and Support Programs
- Logistics Person: Megan Fay-Mitchell, Administrative Assistant to Dr. Elizabeth Coria
EMPTF Membership Roster
- Dr. Elizabeth Coria, Assistant-Superintendent/Vice President, Student Success and Support Programs
- Dr. Todd Hampton, Assistant-Superintendent/Vice President Administrative Services
- Christopher Mutshnick, Director, Student Engagement
- Gladis Villalpando, Supervisor, Student Success & Learning Resource Center, NCC
- Lexie Bell, Director, Institutional Grants
- Cinda Bitz, Assistant Director, Human Resources
- Aaron Borgeson, Director, Outreach & Enrollment Services
- Geovany Castillo Cisneros, Coordinator, Outreach & International Student Program
- Madison Wethington, Specialist, Financial Aid
- Jennifer Noriega, Student Success Support Technician
- Rebecca Carter, Program Coordinator, Community Engagement
- Fatma Shihadeh, Department Assistant, Math
- Dr. Greg Baxley, Chemistry Faculty
- Heather Tucker, EMT Faculty
- Jennifer Shellhorn, Geology Faculty
- Dina Hallmark, Counselor
- Kate Haisch, Nutrition/Culinary Arts Faculty
- Tiffany Pineda, Student
- Emily Jauregui, Student
- Isaac Pummill, Student
- Yanelly Cardenas, Student
Monthly Updates
Documents
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January
February
March
November
January
February
