Mission, Vision, Values, Strategic Areas and Strategic Plan
Mission
Pierce College creates quality educational opportunities for a diverse community of learners to thrive in an evolving world.
Vision
Possibilities realized: Innovative and engaged learners enriching our local and global communities.
Values
- Learning
- Integrity
- Respect
- Accountability
- Sustainability
Pierce College welcomes students at all stages of their educational journey, providing pathways for economic and social mobility and overall well-being in a rapidly changing demographic, economic, and technological environment.
Our 2023 Institutional Effectiveness Report demonstrates that we are underserving students from populations that have historically been left behind in higher education. For these reasons our plan focuses on Black and Brown students and students experiencing intersecting marginalizations, including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual identity, family status, disability status, active duty and veterans, first-generation status, and age.
Informed by our data and inspired by our vision, Pierce College centers racial equity and commits to building an antiracist institution as essential to advancing our mission. We are dedicated to dismantling structural policies and practices that create inequities. Only by doing so can we build a college community where all can belong, advance, and thrive. As such, equity, inclusion, and belonging are the foundation of the four strategic areas of this plan.
Strategic Areas and Objectives
Belonging
Pierce College provides high-quality educational programs and student services that foster a sense of belonging.
We will:
- create clear pathways for students from outreach to admission to enrollment to graduation;
- ensure learning pathways and career opportunities align with business and industry needs and advance student economic and social mobility;
- cultivate inclusion and belonging in the college community.
Advancing Student Success
Pierce College designs learning experiences to enrich students' lives and achieve their educational goals. We focus on inclusive practices that increase equitable outcomes for Black and Brown students and other student groups who are systemically minoritized in educational settings.
We will:
- support students in achieving degree outcomes (Core Abilities, Fundamental Areas of Knowledge, and Program Outcomes) on their career pathways;
- equip students to be successful in completion of their desired credential, transfer for further education, or employment.
Thriving Communities
Pierce College builds and strengthens relationships with P-12 school districts, local business and industry, Tribal governments, nonprofit and community organizations, and four-year colleges and universities to advance educational opportunities that align with economic mobility and social justice. We emphasize partnerships with organizations and community leaders that best support growth for low-income and Black and Brown students and communities.
We will:
- work with partners to create opportunities for student economic mobility;
- build and strengthen community relationships that foster racial and economic justice.
Institutional Sustainability
Pierce College invests in its employees, facilities, technology, communications, finances, and policies and practices to ensure institutional sustainability and responsiveness, supporting equitable and inclusive decision-making to advance the college's mission.
We will:
- use transparent and fiscally sustainable systems and processes to meet the needs of the institution;
- foster employee and department development that creates an inclusive environment where employees feel they belong, can advance, and thrive.