Strategic Plan
Strategic Outlook: FY 2027-2036
Purpose
Student Success – We exist to help students achieve their goals.
Mission
Empowering students. Expanding minds. Changing lives.
Vision
St. Louis Community College will be a national leader and model institution for transformative education that strengthens the communities we serve through the success of our students.
Values
Students First
Everything we do supports student success.
Respect for All
We promote respectful treatment and discourse with students, each other and the community.
Integrity
We act with honesty, trustworthiness and ethical behavior.
Collaboration
Working collectively achieves more than working individually or in separate groups.
Data Informed
We make decisions in the best interests of students and the institution based on reliable data.
Priorities
Students
The core of our purpose; all we do serves those seeking to learn and improve.
Employees
Assemble and support a team of dynamic individuals committed to student success through STLCC.
Partners
Lead engagement with collaborators committed to student success through our community.
Goals
- Increase graduation and transfer rates by 100% through service, technology and continuous improvement focused on persistence.
- Increase placement of employment-seeking students to 90% and achieve a Net Promoter Score of 50-69, indicating excellent employer satisfaction.
- Increase employee retention through recognition, succession planning and employee satisfaction.
- Improve institutional and individual impact through collaboration, compliance, efficiency, planning and development.
- Establish, develop and expand partnerships necessary for creating and sustaining a community of student success.
- Drive community efforts to achieve student success across the St. Louis region and beyond.
Key Performance Indicators
Current performance compared with 2036 targets:
| Indicator | FY26 | FY36 Target |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | Full time: 27% Part time: 7% |
Full time: 54% Part time: 14% |
| Transfer Rate | Full time: 17% Part time: 22% |
Full time: 34% Part time: 44% |
| Placement | — | 90% |
| Employer Satisfaction | N/A | 50-69 NPS |
| Voluntary Employee Turnover Rate | — | 15% |
| Enrollment | 17,236 | 20,000 (1.5% growth rate) |
Strategic Plan: FY 2027-2029
The FY 2027-2029 strategic plan focuses on three themes that advance STLCC's long-term strategic outlook.
Pathways to Success
Pathways to Success advances STLCC's commitment to student success through a structured, guided-pathways model that strengthens learning, persistence and completion. It improves retention, completion, transfer and employment outcomes while closing equity gaps and advancing upward mobility across the St. Louis region.
Operational Excellence
Operational Excellence strengthens student success through a unified framework advancing continuous quality improvement, collaboration, compliance, accreditation and institutional effectiveness. It enhances the quality, efficiency, accessibility and durability of College operations, programs and services to ensure adaptability and business continuity.
Partner Engagement
Partner Engagement positions STLCC as a cornerstone of the St. Louis community through strategic partnerships that build networks and pathways responsive to student and community needs, connecting talent, opportunity and workforce development to advance individual success, economic mobility and regional growth.
Strategic Objectives
Pathways to Success
- Embed shared responsibility for student success across the College. Create user-friendly systems, transparent student-centered services and collective accountability.
- Formalize holistic advising as a foundational component of the student experience. Provide coordinated academic, career and personal guidance.
- Embed career-connected learning across programs. Connect learning experiences with students' fields of study and career goals.
- Implement year-round scheduling to improve completion and persistence.
- Enhance teaching and learning with integrated AI resources for a guided, student-first experience.
Operational Excellence
- Modernize enterprise systems and operations to improve efficiency, service delivery, data quality and the student experience.
- Strengthen financial resiliency through strategic financial stewardship and optimization.
- Expand employee engagement to attract, develop and retain a high-performing workforce.
- Improve organizational structure to maximize institutional performance.
- Establish customer service standards with clear expectations for responsiveness, communication and resolution.
- Advance institutional effectiveness through data, quality and risk management, including evidence-based decisions, continuous quality improvement, accreditation, compliance, enterprise risk and business continuity.
- Foster responsible innovation and digital transformation across teaching, learning, workforce readiness, AI proficiencies and operations.
Partner Engagement
- Expand STLCC workforce engagement, engaging industry, education and community partners as one College.
- Position the STLCC Foundation as a cultivator and steward of philanthropic resources aligned with institutional priorities.
- Enhance strategic enrollment, outreach and community engagement to drive enrollment growth and meet regional workforce and economic goals.
- Engage partners in AI and technology strategies for collaborative exploration and application.
Strategic Initiatives: FY 2027-2029
College-wide strategic initiatives identify the highest-priority efforts requiring institutional commitment and collaboration to advance the College's strategic goals. They provide focus and connection across divisions and departments, help prioritize resources and maximize the impact of strategic work at every level.
- College Promise program
- Employee engagement
- Enrollment assessment
- HLC reaccreditation – Meaningful Momentum Campaign