Emma Barnes is a senior administrator at St. Stevens Community College (SSCC), and she has recently been asked to assess the sustainability of SSCC’s strategic mission and to develop a long-term plan for SSCC to overcome any pending challenges and capitalize on any potential opportunities. Established in 1965, SSCC is a midsized community college serving the local population that partner with students to maximize their college experience. SSCC’s competitive advantage is to be a high-quality educational option for diverse students at an affordable price and to serve a valuable role in the community. It provides small classes, cutting-edge classrooms, and great resources to enable students to get the most out of their educational experience. Based on all assessments, SSCC has been successful. In just over 40 years, it has grown to more than 12,000 students and enjoys financial profits with enough funds to reinvest in maintaining the administrative infrastructure of the college, enhancing the technology in the classrooms, and bolstering the quality of the athletic facilities. Despite the college’s success, Emma is worried that it may be experiencing the calm before the storm. There are several reasons for her concerns. First, many of the faculty is approaching retirement age, and hiring faculty replacements is difficult because newly minted Ph.D.s have many options for employment. Moreover, new hires are demanding salaries that are above what SSCC is typically able to afford. The quality of the faculty is a key attraction for students, and Emma worries that SSCC may not be able to maintain the level of education without planning now for the future. In addition, there has been a growing increase in the number of students who have decided to pursue distance education rather than attend community college, with the goal to attend a four-year university after the completion of an associate’s degree online. Finally, the composition of the student population continues to become increasingly diverse in terms of gender, race, national origin, and age. While everyone at SSCC agrees that it is a great asset, Emma wonders what implications the increased diversity of the student body might have for how SSCC moves forward. While everything seems to be fine, Emma is determined to develop a plan to ensure that SSCC is able to take advantage of its opportunities and minimize its constraints. The problem is that she doesn’t have a clear answer for how do so.
1. What is your assessment of the organizational and environmental challenges facing SSCC?
2. Which of these HR challenges would you view as most important and least important for Emma to consider as she develops a plan for the future?
3. Given your assessments of these challenges, what recommendations would you make to move forward in a way that ensures that SSCC is able to sustain its strategy of high-quality education at affordable prices?