The strategic planning process known as “Re-Visioning Columbia College” has two phases. The first phase grew out of recommendations by two campus committees charged with analyzing all campus activities, academic and non-academic, to be certain we make the best, most cost-efficient decisions for our students and the college’s future. I announced the results of Phase I to the campus March 6. Anyone who has questions about how the following decisions were made and what they mean for the college’s future , can learn more at the link “Frequently Asked Questions.”

Phase I

Reduce the salaries of the president and senior staff

Reduce the number of executive assistants from 4 to 3

Freeze open positions in mathematics, communication, and Spanish

Strengthen the college’s relationship with the United Methodist Church:

Replace the chaplain position with Director of Church Relations and Chaplain

Reinstate the annual choir tour of churches

Restructure office of advancement

Reorganize the administrative structure of academic departments to five divisions

Reduce the number of academic administrative assistants from 13.5 to 10

Reduce staffing in financial services by 1 ¼ and facilities management by 3

Retain French as a general education elective, but discontinue the major

Remove German as a general education elective

Retain the Dance Education program and the Bachelor of Arts in dance, but discontinue the BFA in dance, dropping ballet in favor of modern dance

Discontinue the major in Christian education

Discontinue the minor in physical education

Retain the Bachelor of Arts in music (focusing on voice and keyboard), but discontinue the Bachelor of Music (music education and performance degrees)

Suspend admission to the master’s program in Human Behavior and Conflict Management and reorganize the program

Consolidate the activities of the Alliance for Women and the Leadership Institute

Reorganize student life staffing

Convert contracts of non-instructional librarians from faculty to staff

Reduce leased equipment (4 cars to 3 and 31 copiers to 28)

Charge the Center for Engaged Learning with housing program directorships that have taken professors out of the classroom for administrative duties. Affected programs are:

· Global Studies (some activities to be assumed by Student Life)

· Women’s Studies

· Leadership Studies

· General Education program

· Social Justice Learning Communities

Teaching releases for Honors and faculty development are reduced

For future students only, reduce stacked scholarships and revise aid package for international travel/study

Reorganize staffing for field experience in education programs

Phase II will be based on the work of three committees charged with envisioning and researching exciting ideas for new programs and policies to reinvigorate the college for the years to come. As a result of their work, we are now exploring academic partnerships with other colleges, new majors, community service opportunities, new course delivery systems for the evening program, student retention strategies, academic advisement enhancements, and many other exciting and transformative possibilities. In the next few months many new initiatives will emerge as a result of this work.