Northampton Community College’s Monroe Campus has provided quality higher education opportunities for residents of the Monroe County region for more than 30 years. In the years following the opening of the new campus in 2014, the campus saw great success. Recent events have presented unique challenges and opportunities and a strategic plan has been developed to guide the campus growth moving forward.
NCC’s Monroe Campus plans to continue efforts to leverage its strengths and increase its reach to the residents of the Pocono area and beyond. That includes steps like building the Monroe Campus status as an environmental center and increasing engagement between with area employers, organizations, and agencies in Monroe County.
It also includes strengthening pathways between non-credit and credit programming and expanding short-term credentials offered and linking them with a pathway to earn college credit. Other areas of focus include:
- Integrating diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
- Improving student participation in services that meet their Student Basic Needs.
- Increasing awareness of services through promotion.
- Improving accessibility through implementation of a one-stop shop Culture of Caring model that provides wrap around services for students.
The strategic plan will help lay the groundwork for the campus’ continued growth and success based on five focus areas:
- Credit and Non-Credit Programming
- Community and Employer Partnerships
- Student Enrollment and Retention
- Campus Culture and Structure
- Facilities and Physical Plant
The Monroe Strategic Plan will be implemented over a three-year period, with some of the work being done concurrently with the planning process. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are key values to the Monroe Campus and the strategic plan’s steering committee opted to embed DEI goals throughout the plan. This ensures that their coverage is broad enough to be addressed in each focus area within the plan.