Our Path Forward

Our Path Forward

Our Path Forward

2021-2025 Strategic Plan

2021-2025 Strategic Plan

2021-2025 Strategic Plan

Explore Harold Washington College’s transformative five-year strategic plan for 2021-2025. Download the full plan below for more information.

From the President

Daniel López, Jr., Ph.D.

President, Harold Washington College

As we celebrate the one year anniversary of Harold Washington College’s “A Path Forward” 2021-2025 Strategic Plan implementation, I can’t help but to reflect on how we got here… Read More

President Daniel López
Harold Washington College

“With this plan, I am confident that we will improve critical student outcomes, including retention and completion. I also believe this plan will transform student, faculty, and staff experiences at our College.”

Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission

Harold Washington College is a student-centered institution that empowers all members of its community through accessible and affordable academic advancement, career development, and personal enrichment.

Vision

To be a leading institution of choice for students and to provide them with the skills required to be agents of change for themselves and the communities they choose to serve.

Values

  • Embrace human diversity
  • Care about the whole student
  • Offer responsive and relevant education
  • Pursue academic excellence
  • Assess to improve learning
  • Build community
  • Foster global citizenship for social justice

Through these core values, we strive to embody and honor the vision of Harold Washington, former Mayor of Chicago.

To read more about Harold Washington’s background, download the full Strategic Plan.

City Colleges aren’t always recognized for the opportunities that they can provide – especially to those with nontraditional backgrounds. I thought it would be a stepping stone, but it’s opened so many doors for me and I feel incredibly supported as I know other nontraditional students do.

City Colleges aren’t always recognized for the opportunities that they can provide – especially to those with nontraditional backgrounds. I thought it would be a stepping stone, but it’s opened so many doors for me and I feel incredibly supported as I know other nontraditional students do.

City Colleges aren’t always recognized for the opportunities that they can provide – especially to those with nontraditional backgrounds. I thought it would be a stepping stone, but it’s opened so many doors for me and I feel incredibly supported as I know other nontraditional students do.

Rudy Cordero
Harold Washington College Alumnus | Harold Washington College transferred to Yale University

Summary of Strategies

Six strategic levers form the framework for all of City Colleges’ plans. They serve as guiding principles and beliefs that are fundamental to the holistic success of our plans. The six strategic levers and their goals are:

Exceptional Student Experience
Equity
Economic Responsiveness
Excellence
Collaboration
Institutional Health

Our Goal: Create an Exceptional Student Experience

We promise that every experience with City Colleges, from pre-admissions to completion, will be exceptional. Every student will be able to maximize their learning inside and outside the classroom, navigate our institution with ease, make significant progress towards their goals, and feel welcome and supported by all City Colleges employees.

Foster a culture of care

Enhance and diversify student outreach efforts

Expand academic supports, tools, and resources

Expand and enhance student engagement opportunities

Our Goal: Significantly Narrow Achievement Gaps

We will become a “student-ready” and equitable institution that is designed for all students to thrive—especially those from historically and present-day marginalized communities. We will equip students with the support and resources they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Reduce academic equity gaps.

Ensure that curricula, teaching, and learning practices address implicit biases and represent equitable standards.

Foster a strong culture of equity.

Our Goal: Respond to the Economic Needs of the City

We will be forward-looking and agile in developing pathways and forging partnerships that unlock transformational career opportunities for CCC students and fuel the Chicago workforce with talent that is prepared to meet the needs of the economy.

Strengthen and expand strategic partnerships.

Bolster talent pipeline and career opportunities.

We will build a culture of excellence that inspires everyone to become the ‘best in class’ for our students and community. We hold ourselves accountable to delivering academics, experiences, and services of the highest quality. Our faculty and staff will continue to receive professional development across the district to continuously improve their practices.

Revitalize Center of Excellence program offerings.

Strengthen and enrich our teaching and learning practices.

Build capacity, and support, and retain faculty and staff.

Establish a culture of continuous improvement.

Goal: Create a Collaborative and Connected Ecosystem

We will create a more collaborative and connected ecosystem to foster coordination and communication that supports student success. At each college and across the district, we will implement people, data, and technology solutions to create holistic best practices with an inclusive approach to problem solving.

Build strategies to strengthen communications.

Create opportunities to connect with internal stakeholders.

Expand college transparency and access to critical information.

Goal: Develop, Monitor, and Improve Institutional Health Measures

We will develop, monitor, and improve critical institutional health metrics that ensure financial sustainability and the well-being of our institution.

Enhance college operations.

Integrate transparent and sustainable financial structures.

To read more about the strategies and tactics that Harold Washington College will use to achieve its objectives, download the full Strategic Plan.

Key Performance Indicators

Access Access
Momentum Momentum
Completion Completion
Mobility Mobility
Student Experience Student Experience

Access

Unduplicated Total Enrollment
Unduplicated Credit Enrollment
Unduplicated Adult Education Enrollment
Unduplicated Continuing Education Enrollment
Credit Hour Production

Momentum

Adult Education Level Gains
First Year Fall-to-Spring Retention
Fall-to-Spring Credit Retention
College-Level Math and English Pass Rates in the First Year

Completion

IPEDS Graduation Rate
City Colleges Four-Year Outcome Measure

Mobility

Transfer with Degree
Economic Mobility*

*City Colleges will begin using this measure in the early stages of implementing this framework. As a result, there is no baseline or targets for these indicators as of the publication of this framework.  

Student Experience

City Colleges will begin using both Economic Mobility and Net Promoter Score* in the early stages of implementing this framework. As a result, there is no baseline or targets for these indicators as of the publication of this framework.

*City Colleges will begin using this measure in the early stages of implementing this framework. As a result, there is no baseline or targets for these indicators as of the publication of this framework.

FY21-23 Targets and FY20 Outcomes

City Colleges sets a range of outcomes for its goals in future years, consisting of a “target” that establishes the baseline for accountability and a “reach” that reflects its full ambition. The table below summarizes these goals for FY21-FY23. Targets for FY24 and FY25 will be finalized in FY23. All figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.

These targets were identified prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of publication, the long-term effects of COVID-19 on community college enrollment and student success are uncertain. In the short-term, it has had a significant negative effect, with all but three community colleges in Illinois seeing enrollment declines. City Colleges will continue to strive to achieve these targets, knowing that COVID-19 will have an impact throughout the life of this plan.

Access

0
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of Unduplicated Total Enrollment.

FY 20

Results: 11,262

FY 21

Actual: 9,770 (82% To Target)
Target: 11,923
Reach: 13,058

FY 22

Actual: 8,536 (71% To Target)
Target: 12,043
Reach: 13,319

FY 23

Target: 12,284
Reach: 13,585
0
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of Unduplicated Credit Enrollment.

FY 20

Results: 10,982

FY 21

Actual: 9,519 (82% To Target)
Target: 11,700
Reach: 12,873

FY 22

Actual: 8,254 (70% To Target)
Target: 11,817
Reach: 13,130

FY 23

Target: 12,053
Reach: 13,393
0
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of Unduplicated Adult Ed Enrollment.

FY 20

Results: 18,256

FY 21

Actual: 3,481 (78% To Target)
Target: 19,527
Reach: 19,999

FY 22

Target: 20,037
Reach: 20,384

FY 23

Target: 20,431
Reach: 21,051
0
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of Unduplicated Continuing Ed Enrollment.

FY 20

Results: 386

FY 21

Actual: 310 (90% To Target)
Target: 343
Reach: 377

FY 22

Actual: 325 (79% To Target)
Target: 412
Reach: 490

FY 23

Target: 515
Reach: 637
0
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of Credit Hour Production.

FY 20

Results: 215164

FY 21

Actual: 190,784 (87% To Target)
Target: 218,481
Reach: 232,018

FY 22

Actual:130,919 (75% To Target)
Target: 173,824
Reach: 186,403

FY 23

Target: 179,039
Reach: 193,859

Momentum

0%
FY 23 Target

FY20 Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of Adult Education Level Gains.  Adult Ed Level Gains were not calculated for FY2020 or FY2021 due to COVID-19 disrupting testing procedures.

FY 20

Results: –

FY 21

Target: 39%
Reach: 47%

FY 22

Target: 43%
Reach: 48%

FY 23

Target: 43%
Reach: 49%
0%
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of First Year Fall-to-Spring Retention.

FY 20

Results: 74%

FY 21

Actual: 70% (97% To Target)
Target: 74%
Reach: 77%

FY 22

Actual: 77% (103% To Target)
Target: 75%
Reach: 77%

FY 23

Target: 76%
Reach: 78%
0%
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of Fall-to-Spring Credit Retention.

FY 20

Results: 71%

FY 21

Actual: 72% (97% To Target)
Target: 72%
Reach: 74%

FY 22

Actual: 71% (99% To Target)
Target: 72%
Reach: 74%

FY 23

Target: 73%
Reach: 75%
0%
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of Taking and Passing College-Level English.

FY20 Results for this measure were updated in April 2021 to correct a technical error.

FY 20

Results: 52%

FY 21

Actual: 54% (108% To Target)
Target: 50%
Reach: 54%

FY 22

Actual: 51% (96% To Target)
Target: 56%
Reach: 51%

FY 23

Target: 52%
Reach: 58%
0%
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of Taking and Passing College-Level Math.

FY20 Results for this measure were updated in April 2021 to correct a technical error.

FY 20

Results: 24%

FY 21

Actual: 38% (121% To Target)
Target: 31%
Reach: 33%

FY 22

Actual: 35% (106% To Target)
Target: 33%
Reach: 35%

FY 23

Target: 35%
Reach: 37%

Completion

0%
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of IPEDS Graduation Rate.

FY 20

Results: 22%

FY 21

Actual: 23% (116% To Target)
Target: 20%
Reach: 25%

FY 22

Actual: 23% (110% To Target)
Target: 21%
Reach: 27%

FY 23

Target: 22%
Reach: 29%

* Preliminary, pending IPEDS submission

0%
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets
See the glossary for the definition of City Colleges Four-Year Outcome Measure.
These targets were updated in April 2021 to correct a technical error that occurred in the target-setting process.
FY2020 was a baseline year for the new CCC 4YR Outcome Measures KPI; targets were set for FY2021 onward.
FY 20

Results: 32%

FY 21

Actual: 32% (94% To Target)
Target: 34%
Reach: 36%

FY 22

Actual: 33% (94% To Target)
Target: 35%
Reach: 38%

FY 23

Target: 36%
Reach: 40%

Mobility

0%
FY 23 Target

Results & Targets

See the glossary for the definition of Transfer with Degree.

FY 20

Results: 56%

FY 21

Actual: 59% (104% To Target)
Target: 56%
Reach: 60%

FY 22

Actual: 52% (91% To Target)
Target: 57%
Reach: 62%

FY 23

Target: 58%
Reach: 64%

See the glossary for the definition of Economic Mobility.

City Colleges will begin using this measure in the early stages of this framework. As a result, there is no baseline or targets for this indicator as of its publication.

Student Experience

See the glossary for the definition of Net Promoter Score.

City Colleges will begin using this measure in the early stages of this framework. As a result, there is no baseline or targets for this indicator as of its publication.

City Colleges of Chicago

Discover the Strategic Plans for the seven institutions that make up City Colleges of Chicago