SWIC Strategic Plan | 2025-2030
A Message from the President
Dear SWIC College Community,
I am proud to introduce the new 2025-2030 Strategic Plan to our campus community. We have faced significant barriers in the last four years; in spite of this, SWIC faculty and staff have worked tirelessly as individuals and as a collective to overcome these challenges and continue bringing teaching excellence and first-rate service to our students.
Recent unprecedented global events led to the abrupt but necessary expansion of learning modalities offered here at the institution. The adaptability, diligence, and overall symbiotic response of the students, faculty, staff, and community has been truly commendable and prompted positive change—not only in the ways we teach and serve students but the ways we as staff support one another in our joint endeavors. These trying times have not been in vain but rather strengthened our resolve to promote high-quality, affordable education for the shared success of students, the college, and the community. This commitment is evident in the strategic plan.
The immediate need to adapt to dynamic cultural, economic, and health conditions highlighted the necessity for innovative, adaptable planning and served as a catalyst for the re-evaluation of SWIC’s Mission and Values and the addition of a Vision statement which reflects these principles. The Board of Trustees championed the discussion and modifications of these statements, and we believe regular self-reflection is healthy and critical in assessing whether the college is serving our region in the most effective ways. Central to this self-reflection is our responsibility to foster equity and intentionally inclusive practices. Dedicated resources are one part of the solution but also require concerted efforts to facilitate truly holistic inclusion.
As a community college, we play a vital role in the success and sustainability of our region and its economy; therefore, it is crucial that we, too, exemplify sustainable practices. At our core, we have a responsibility to our students and our community to use the tools at our disposal to make data-informed, collaborative decisions that facilitate growth—whether that be for the individual through lifelong learning and pathways to living wage employment or for the region and local industry through a strong, qualified workforce. To that end, the institution is committed to continuous improvement enabled by the new, revised strategic plan and will embrace data-driven innovation in order to effectively empower students and meet the dynamic needs of its district residents.
I look forward to these opportunities for the continued progress of SWIC, its students, and its community as a result of the perseverance and dedication of the campus community to the Mission, Vision & Values and 2025-2030 Strategic Plan.
Nick Mance
President, Southwestern Illinois College
Mission, Vision, & Values
Mission
Southwestern Illinois College upholds the dignity and worth of students, employees and community, which empowers learning and enhances the quality of life.
Vision
To be students’ “first choice” by providing innovative and flexible programs designed to enrich our community and foster economic growth in our region.
Values
- Excellence
- Integrity
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Student Success
- Value of Education
- Workforce Development
2025-2030 Strategic Plan Overview
Priority 1 – Student Success
Provide the highest quality of education centered on student success and enabled by unparalleled teaching excellence, flexible learning environments, and abundant support resources institutionally and through strategic regional partnerships.
1.1 Educational Opportunities
1.2 Academic Support
1.3 Barrier Reduction
Priority 2 – Sustainability
Embed management practices that intrinsically value college assets — namely, the workforce, available resources, and data access—and promote accountability for the betterment of workplace culture, organizational health, and the overall sustainability of SWIC.
2.1 Employee Retention
2.2 Resource Stewardship
2.3 Innovation
Priority 3 – Collaboration
Cultivate a healthy campus community united by a common vision and strengthened by multifaceted perspectives for the holistic benefit of all students, employees, partners, and district residents through authentic transparency, meaningful engagement, shared governance, and single-minded commitment to cooperation at all levels, both internally and externally.
3.1 Communication
3.2 Community Engagement
3.3 Holistic Decision-Making
Priority 4 – Intentional Inclusion
Actively deliver policies, programs, and opportunities that deliberately seek input, participation, and representation from underrepresented, underserved, and marginalized communities to create a culture of belonging for all members of the campus community and foster an equitable educational environment.
4.1 Affordability
4.2 Accessibility
4.3 Diversity