FAQ

Strategic Planning Terms and Definitions
Version 1 - 11-20-2014

This document provides the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) with a list of common language about planning. The goal of this document is to provide a common understanding and use of strategic planning terms as the committee works to create YC’s next three-year plan.

Boards Ends

Board Ends are the Yavapai College District Governing Board’s goals for the College.

Yavapai College exists so communities within Yavapai County are equipped with the vision and skills to create a sustainable economic environment. The College will fulfill this role at a justifiable cost. The following Ends are listed in priority order.

  • Education Ends
    • Job Seekers
    • Student Transfer
    • Lifelong Learning
  • Economic Ends
    • Community Leadership (economic base jobs)
  • Community Ends
    • Access to a vibrant social and cultural life

Mission

Articulates the institution’s purpose and the major activities in which it is engaged. The Mission of Yavapai College is to provide quality higher learning and cultural resources for the diverse populations of Yavapai County.

Values

The core beliefs and guiding principles that govern daily behavior, communication, decision making, and leadership within the college.

  • Learning
  • Scholarship
  • Stewardship
  • Diversity

Strategic Vision

A description of a desired future state. The best visions are vivid, compelling, and well-understood and build on the institution’s strengths and values.

Long-Term Planning

LTP begins with the current state and lays out a path to meet anticipated future needs. The Campus Master Plan is an example of long-term planning.

Strategic Planning

SP begins with the desired-end or vision and works backward to the current state. The Strategic Plan is a narrative map that communicates where the college wants to go and identifies how it intends to get there.

Strategic Goals

Large-scale efforts that, when accomplished, move the college closer to its vision.

Strategic initiatives are the collection of projects, programs, and tasks outside the day-to-day operations that are designed to help the college achieve its goals.

Tactical Planning

Tactical Plans are the specific actions a group or department take in implementing strategic initiatives. Tactical Plans are developed by those who deal with getting the work done. TPs are typically narrowly defined and short in duration lasting no more than one year.