PSFA Embarks on Strategic Planning Process
Janis McKay, Dean of the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, is launching a new collaborative strategic planning process that will include input, observations, and feedback from all PSFA constituents.
With a focus on enhancing efficiency, responsiveness, and aligning with job market demands, McKay's goal is to work with the entire college to deliver tangible benefits to students.
“It's to try to make our college more efficient, more responsive to student needs, and also very responsive to the community and to the job market,” McKay said of the plan. “It will be of direct benefit to the students. We're trying to improve things for them,’ she said,
In her first year as dean, McKay went on a “listening tour,” meeting with faculty in PSFA’s eight schools and three ROTC programs. She asked faculty and staff if they felt the college could benefit from a strategic plan.
“The resounding answer was ‘Yes, we do,’” McKay said.
The college narrowed down a list of potential consulting firms and eventually landed on Blue Beyond because of its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and experience within California and the CSU system.
“There is one thing that I know for a fact that has to be included in [our] strategic plan, and it is that we must address the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the college,” McKay said. “It can't be a stand-alone, separate goal that doesn't integrate with everything else, which is what so often happens.”
As part of the process, the Fall of 2024-25 will be spent collecting data and insight from all members of PSFA.
“There are a lot of things that I might think are priorities,” McKay said. “But what's really great about this process, is that it is done with all faculty, students, and staff participation in every step of the way as we create it.”
All PSFA students will be asked to participate. Information from last year’s climate survey with the college’s DEI council and the college’s town hall has already been shared with Blue Beyond. Coming up, there will be numerous ways for all members of the community to share their insight including large meetings, one-on-one discussions, and a survey.
“The more [participation] we have, the better the plan will be, the stronger it will be,” McKay said. “It will be more reflective of our college as a whole. It's important to me to share the message to participate, even if all they do is the survey.”
At the end of the day, the strategic plan is committed to learning how to improve student experience and executing on that commitment.
“I think many of our students have positive experiences, but what we really want is success for the students,” McKay emphasized. “We want to see them succeed.”
