State College of Florida launches ambitious, solid five-year plan

State College of Florida launched an ambitious vision for the next five years last week that aims to serve population surges coming to the northern reaches of both Manatee and Sarasota counties and east of Interstate 75 as well as expand enrollment from the school's current service area.

The 2015-2020 strategic plan, titled "Boldly Engaging," calls for investments of tens of millions of dollars in new computer technology, facilities and possibly new campuses.

Since one of the strategic priorities zeroes in on increasing the number of workforce programs to address employer demands as well as boosting student job placement, this should appeal to Gov. Rick Scott and his razor-sharp focus on job creation, hopefully creating an SCF ally in Tallahassee when education budgets are being formulated. The region's legislative delegation should be on board with this wide-ranging strategic plan.

In her opening statement to the plan, SCF President Carol Probstfeld advanced the goal to "build a better, more impactful SCF." That is reflected in one of the many goals -- to create new workforce programs beyond the 29 such degrees the school already offers. Probstfeld wants the faculty to be on the leading edge in the development of these new programs. As more and more baby boomers retire, a skilled and younger workforce is essential to the region's economy.

The college also has designs on increasing the number of internships for students, thus learning on the job and connecting them to potential employers.

Along that same line, SCF plans to create a "concierge-style experience" to help students with job placement and other tasks, including class registration.

One priority could be a challenge to achieve since SCF's board of trustees went into micromanagement mode and eliminated the faculty tenure system for new full-time instructors hired as of next July. SCF is poised to become the only school in Florida's state college system without tenure, an important factor for teacher recruitment. Thus, the strategic goal to increase the recruitment, training and retention of the "highest quality faculty" faces a formidable barrier -- unless trustees rescind September's short-sighted policy change, as should be the case.

In developing this strategic plan, the college engaged the community and the school's students, faculty and staff, a wise approach to create broad support.

With 10,200 students, the college will emphasize student recruitment and retention while projecting 2 percent annual enrollment growth. An expansion of online curriculum should help that effort, providing students with additional opportunities to learn at a time and place of their own convenience.

Though 4,600 students currently take online courses, most still want to learn in classrooms and partake of campus life. Parrish could be a site for future classroom space -- in a storefront or a campus.

Every institution of higher learning needs a strategic plan, and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee unveiled its five-year goals in June.

As the big region's workforce training center, SCF is positioning the school for greater advances and a higher profile as a learning institution and community resource. Promoting faculty as experts in their field via the media and other public outlets should accomplish the latter goal.

"Boldly Engaging" is a very appropriate title for this smart plan.

This story was originally published October 20, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "State College of Florida launches ambitious, solid five-year plan ."