Strategic Plan

Established in 1970, Rose State College (RSC) is a public institution of higher education, fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. RSC serves students with over 60 in-person and online degree/certificate plans—offering the Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Applied Science, and specialized certificates.  Although physically located in eastern Oklahoma County, RSC has a widespread impact across the metropolitan Oklahoma City area and the state of Oklahoma, with 70 percent of its students coming from outside of the College’s Technical Service District.  RSC prides itself as a community educational and cultural asset while remaining focused on its students.

President Webb reinstituted the Strategic Planning Committee in August 2021 to begin work on creating an updated Strategic Plan for 2022-2026.  Meetings and email surveys were regularly scheduled from September 2021 through April 2022 to invite input into the strategic plan work from all campus faculty, staff, and students, as well as community members through the RSC Foundation.  The 2022-2026 Strategic Plan was presented and approved at the RSC Board of Regents on April 21, 2022.  This plan went into effect on July 1, 2022.

The next phase of the current Strategic Plan’s implementation is having each campus area create their own mission and vision to and to create key performance indicators (KPIs) that will contribute to the success of the campus Strategic Plan.  Performance on these KPIs will be assessed at the end of each fiscal year, to allow for continuous evaluation and improvement efforts as needed throughout the span of this Strategic Plan.  Such efforts will ensure that Rose State College remains a consistent and innovative contributor to the improvement of the economic and social well-being of the community, state, and citizenry that we serve.

MISSION

As a public and open admission institution that grants academic degrees, certificates, and credentials, Rose State College provides higher education programs and services intended to foster lifelong learning for the various publics we serve. 

VISION

Supporting, serving and advancing the common good – sustaining and advancing a tradition of excellence.

VALUES

  • Learning: The College is a learner-centered institution that regards students as partners in the learning process and supports them in meeting their educational goals.

        Priorities/Goals:

    • Continually revise and evaluate campus offerings to support community and workforce needs.
    • Identify clear pathways for current and prospective students to be successful in accomplishing their goals.
    • Expand student co-curricular and extracurricular learning opportunities, as well as assessment of these efforts.
    • Continue to partner with Oklahoma and regional colleges and universities to create and improve pathways to baccalaureate degree completion.
    • Identify the best processes to further engage with students, to best support their success in courses, degree and certificate completion, and transfer.
  • Excellence: The College establishes high standards designed to promote and sustain learning in an innovative environment, thereby honoring the trust of its internal and external stakeholders.

          Priorities/Goals:

    • Identify and implement best practices to remain at the forefront of meeting students’ needs.
    • Increase investment in faculty and staff professional development and continuing education opportunities.
    • Promote faculty, staff, and student excellence and achievement through increased and consistent campus-wide and community marketing efforts.
    • Continue to identify and address needed improvements to campus spaces, resources, services, and technology, to ensure an innovative learning environment.
  • Integrity: The College maintains fair, honest, accurate, and consistent policies and procedures to assure credibility and accountability.

          Priorities/Goals:

    • Implement additional information sessions and opportunities year-round with campus financial leaders, to promote transparency in budget and finance processes.
    • Increase use of data to assess success of practices and policies and inform decision-making.
    • Create and implement campus-wide new student and staff orientations, to ensure knowledge of campus processes and expectations while providing a supportive environment conducive to growth.
  • Service: The College builds lasting relationships with the communities it serves – recognizing the unique opportunity it has to positively impact the lives of both students and the greater citizenry.

          Priorities/Goals:

    • Expand the college-wide advising system to help students recognize their goals early on.
    • Expand mentorship, service-learning, and volunteer opportunities to benefit students and community partners.
    • Contribute to lifelong learning in the community by increasing the number of faculty- and staff-led events available to the community.
    • Support and promote faculty and staff service engagement in the community.
  • Welcoming Community: Acknowledging the value of different backgrounds and perspectives, the College is a place of civility and collegiality, and celebrates the benefits of mutual learning and growth from all.

          Priorities/Goals

    • Continue to identify and implement effective forms of recruitment, outreach, and support for all potential and current students, including those from historically marginalized populations.
    • Increase faculty and staff awareness of and support for varied learning styles and populations.
    • Increase social awareness learning opportunities for faculty, staff, and students through consistent weekly and monthly events.
    • Improve campus spaces and learning environments by addressing ADA and safety needs.
    • Increase investment of resources for the Campus Resource Center services that are aimed at supporting historically marginalized populations.

Listening Tour

Rose State College Listening Tour 2025 campus-wide results. Prepared for faculty, staff, and students.

During his first months at Rose State College, President Travis Hurst completed a comprehensive Listening Tour involving 48 campus sessions, an anonymous follow-up survey, and handwritten leadership notes. The purpose: understand what is working well, identify barriers affecting students and employees, and create a foundation for action.

Across all feedback sources, the message was unified and clear: Rose State is filled with dedicated employees and strong departmental teams, but outdated communication structures, aging facilities, insufficient staffing, and unclear processes make it difficult to operate efficiently and sustainably. The campus is ready for modernization, stronger communication, improved compensation structures, and investment in people and infrastructure.

This campus-wide report summarizes the shared themes, outlines key commitments, identifies priority actions, and reinforces the college’s direction for the coming years.

Communication Needs:

  • Strong internal communication within departments, but inconsistent communication between departments.
  • Need for a single, reliable source for campus-wide updates.
  • Desire for clear organizational charts and role definitions.

Staffing, Pay, and Retention:

  • Many areas are understaffed, resulting in burnout and turnover.
  • Pay concerns were universal, especially among classified staff.
  • New staff often lack structured onboarding; departing staff lack formal offboarding.

Process Modernization: 

  • Many critical workflows remain paper-based.
  • Processes vary widely across departments, creating confusion.
  • Strong support exists for digital transformation and ERP modernization.

Facilities & Infrastructure: 

  • Widespread issues with HVAC, water leaks, aging buildings, and failing equipment.
  • Housing (The Village) appliances, flooring, HVAC, and security systems need upgrades.
  • Desire for improved signage, safety lighting, and clearer wayfinding.

Student Experience:

  • Students often receive conflicting information from departments.
  • A need for streamlined admissions, testing, and advising processes.
  • Calls for better support for concurrent students transitioning to college.

Workplace Culture: 

  • Desire to restore a strong sense of community and campus identity.
  • Concerns about consistency in hiring and promotion practices.
  • Need for more recognition, appreciation, and development opportunities.

Professional Development:

  • Supervisor and leadership training.
  • Technology and system training.
  • Customer service skills.
  • Cross-training and clarity of advancement pathways.
  • Incentives for pursuing professional development.
Priority Matrix
PriorityFocus AreaExamples
High (0-6 months)Communication, safety, basic clarityRegular updates, org charts, critical repairs
Medium (6-18 months)Digital modernization, PD programsDigitized forms, testing consolidation, tech training 
Long-Term (18+ months)Compensation structures, ERP, and major capital workCompensation structures, ERP, and major capital work
Timeline Roadmap
PhaseTimeframeWhat Happens
Phase 1lmmediate-6 MonthsCommunication improvements, facility triage, and onboarding fixes
Phase 26-18 MonthsDigital transformation, PD programs, facility planning
Phase 318+ MonthsCompensation redesign, ERP go-live, capital projects
Professional Development Overview
CategoryFocus
Leadership & SupervisionSupervisor expectations, evaluations, and accountability
TechnologyTeams, ERP, LMS, workflow systems
Customer ServiceCommunication, empathy, student-first service
Academic SupportAccessibility, AI guidance
Cross-TrainingReducing single points of failure
Advancement PathwaysPD incentives and recognition

Phase 1: Immediate Actions (0-6 Months)

  • Regular President’s updates and communication channels.
  • Updated organizational charts and contact information.
  • Launch standardized onboarding and offboarding processes.
  • Begin addressing highest-risk facilities issues across campus. 
  • Initiate compensation structure review. 

Phase 2: Medium-Term (6-18 Months)

  • Launch digital transition for HR, financial aid, and student services.
  • Develop consistent PD programs and leadership training.
  • Consolidate academic testing into a unified location. 
  • Advance space planning for future capital needs. 

Phase 3: Long-Term (18+ Months)

  • Implement new pay and compensation pathways.
  • Complete ERP modernization.
  • Launch major capital facility upgrades. 
  • Strengthen campus identity through annual traditions and recognition programs.

Leadership & Supervision

  • Supervisor expectations and accountability training.
  • Managing difficult conversations. 
  • Training for coordinators and supervisors on evaluations.*
  • Leadership pathways and role clarity.*

Technology & Systems

  • ERP training for all users.*
  • Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Canvas training.*
  • Editing PDFs and using digital workflows.*
  • Training on shared processes and dashboards.

Customer Service & Student Support

  • Empathy and trauma-informed practice.
  • Student-first communication.
  • Cross-department customer service training. 

Academic & Instructional PD

  • Accessibility and VPAT-compliant materials training.*
  • AI-related academic integrity strategies.*
  • Universal design for learning.

Cross-Training

  • Role backup training across departments.*
  • Cross-training to reduce single points of failure.*

Incentive-Based PD

  • PD recognition programs.
  • PD tied to advancement or compensation.*
  • Incentives for training completed outside contract hours.*

(*Indicates items marked as high-priority in handwritten notes.)

 

  • Compensation & Pay Equity
  • Communication & Organizational Clarity
  • Facilities & Infrastructure
  • Workforce Structure & Hiring
  • Recognition, Culture & Advancement
  • Strategic Transparency & Financial Clarity
  • Student Experience & Academic Integrity
  • Non-livable wages and salary compression
  • Leadership raises vs. frontline wage stagnation
  • Faculty and adjunct compensation concerns
  • Desire for merit-based individual raises
  • Inconsistent cross-department communication
  • Undear reporting lines and responsibilities
  • Departments operating in silos
  • Lack of urgency in institutional processes
  • Building maintenance and roofing concerns
  • Equipment upgrades required
  • Need for maintenance master plan
  • Athletic facility revenue opportunity ($12K-$15K per winter month)
  • Lengthy hiring timelines
  • Understaffing following departmental mergers
  • Overreliance on temporary staff
  • Outdated job descriptions and role clarity issues
  • Declining campus cohesion 
  • Need for visible career ladders
  • Professional development pathways
  • Perceived inequities in advancement opportunities
  • Clear college-wide strategic priorities
  • Shared measurable scorecard
  • Plan-language tlnanclal briefings
  • Program-level ROI visibility
  • AI use in coursework
  • Enrollment process confusion
  • Degree audit concerns
  • Demonstrating graduate employment outcomes
  1. Enrollment & Student Process Improvements
    • Implement course waitlists for high-demand classes
    • Standardize transition process from concurrent to traditional students
    • Improve automated Admissions email responses with timelines and clarity
    • Launch parking decal awareness campaign
    • Consolidate academic testing services into one centralized facility
  2. Compensation, Bonuses & Longevity Pay
    • Longevity raises for 10, 15, 20+ years of service
    • Concern about potential loss of holiday bonus in FY26
    • Itemize regular vs. overload pay on pay stubs
    • Desire for more full-time faculty and staff roles
  3. DOC & Prison Education Program (PEP)
    • Reconsider decision not to continue PEP
    • Reinstate Lantern learning platform for DOC students
    • Develop written strategic plan for DOC programming
    • Address equity concerns regarding student fees for inaccessible services
  4. Workforce Structure, Hiring & Leadership Accountability
    • Concerns about excessive executive/director positions
    • Ensure hiring policies are followed consistently 
    • Address high turnover in Library and Testing Center
    • Clarity of leadership expectations and upward mobility pathways
  5. Workplace Flexibility & Professional Development
    • Adopt limited work-from-home flexibility options 
    • Create flex-hours wellness policy
    • Compensate or incentivize off-contract professional development
    • Continue on-the-job training and infrastructure upgrades
  6. Campus Safety & Communication
    • Improve notification processes for banned students
    • Increase cross-departmental communication and support
  7. Overall Themes
    • Operational clarity improves student experience
    • Compensation and longevity pay matter deeply
    • Strategic transparency in program decisions is critical
    • Leadership accountability and hiring consistency are essential
    • Flexible, modern workplace policies increase retention
Communication Preference
Town hall meetings26
Email/Newsletters65
Video messages24
Social media13
Department meetings38
Campus-wide memos47

Urgent Rose Alert:

Due to ongoing weather conditions, Rose State College is closed for the evening as of 6:45 PM, March 10th.