North Lake College, created as a part of the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) in 1977, is a public community college with an open-door admission policy which anticipates and responds to the educational, training, and employment needs of the community. The college prepares people for successful living and responsible citizenship through quality educational programs.

We invite dynamic partnerships with all our constituencies: students, community, business and industry, public schools, and government; we celebrate a supportive environment in all aspects of the college experience. We are committed to providing equal access and quality learning experiences to a diverse student population in an environment characterized by excellence in service and responsible use of resources.

To accomplish our mission, North Lake College has established the following strategic priorities and goals.

Strategic Priority One: Our Students
Goal I - Student Success

Our goal is to build a culture of student success through engaging students in active learning with an enriched curriculum and co-curriculum. We will strive to be known as experts in learning and an exemplary model to our peers.

Access and Retention

• To conduct outreach activities that support "closing the gaps" in educational attainment and address the diversity of the communities we serve.

Teaching and Learning

• To become leaders in instructional innovation and programs that support student success.
• To enhance pedagogy by incorporating active learning techniques into instruction.
• To align curriculum with state-mandated objectives and competencies and federal SCANS requirements and to measure student learning outcomes against those standards.

Learning Environment

• To create a safe, comfortable, responsible environment for learning at all campus locations.

Co-curriculum

• To provide a co-curriculum that enhances the learning experience for our students.

Services

• To create a system for seamless integration of education/instruction and services at all locations resulting in "one college - four campuses."

Graduation and Transfer

• To create exemplary programs and career pathways for students in technical and transfer programs.

Literacy and GED

• To provide literacy, GED and college preparation programs as a gateway to higher education.

Distance Education

• To offer quality distance education courses that meet state and SACS requirements.

Strategic Priority Two: Our Community
Goal II - Economic and Workforce Development

We will be flexible and agile in anticipating and responding to employer and community needs.

Workforce Development

• To develop and implement vibrant and responsive credit and non-credit workforce development programs.

Strategic Alliances

• To develop and maintain effective partnerships and strategic alliances that support the college's mission and objectives.

Contract Training

• To create excellent training programs for businesses, corporations and community-based organizations.

Goal III - Building a Sustainable Community

The college will utilize practices and collaborate with community partners to build a sustainable community.

Students

• To prepare students for participation in sustainable practices through the integration of sustainable community concepts in the curriculum.
• To infuse the concepts of building a sustainable community into the co-curriculum.
• As an organization of higher learning, be a model of sustainable practices for our students.

Community

• To engage the community in dialog about building a sustainable community.
• To actively collaborate with community partners in developing sustainable initiatives and projects as appropriate.
• To model the principles of sustainability for our community.
• To encourage and support implementation of sustainable practices that benefit the college and the community.

Employees

• To introduce our employees to the concepts of building a sustainable community.
• To prepare employees for participation in sustainable practices by providing relevant professional development opportunities.

Goal IV - Community Development and Involvement

We will be the "Partner of Choice" and convener of the community.

Partnerships

• To develop and maintain effective partnerships and strategic alliances that benefit all stakeholders.
• Image
• To develop and maintain a clear and positive image recognized by all constituents.

Strategic Priority Three: Our Employees
Goal V - Employee Success

We will be known as an "employer of choice" and recognized as the "best place to work" for all employees. We are committed to creating a unified, inclusive organization with a culture of pride, excellence, and commitment to a common identity proudly recognized by students and employees.

Recruitment, Hiring, Retention

• To recruit, hire and retain quality full-time and part-time employees that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

Work/Life

• To encourage employee success through a structured Work/Life program that helps people balance the responsibilities of work and home.

Organizational Learning

• To develop an organizational learning system that enhances the effectiveness of individuals and the organization.

Goal VI - Business and Fiscal Affairs

We recognize our responsibility to be good stewards of the public's funds. Our goal is to optimize the use of all college resources including fiscal, human, space and technical.

Accountability and Reporting

• To ensure that the public is regularly informed of our fiscal health and stability.

Financial Planning

• To refine and implement a comprehensive fiscal plan to support our strategic directions.

External Funding

• To secure external funding to support the college's objectives and long-range plans.

Private Sector Support

• To encourage and support the DCCCD Foundation.

Goal VII - Planning and Accountability

We are committed to continuous improvement and strive to integrate planning and accountability into all of our work.

Strategic Planning

• To employ an integrated system for strategic, operational, and master planning that provides the basis for fact-based decision making and accountability
• To develop key performance measures that provide data to measure our progress toward our goals.