James J. Bolton

Odessa College's strategic direction focuses on preparing students and the community for the future, with an overarching vision to become the top-rated community college in the nation for student success. Key strategic initiatives include enhancing student engagement through incentive programs like 'Drive to Success,' fostering employee engagement and giving, promoting community health and involvement via '30 for 30,' and fulfilling 'Five Commitments' and a 'Sixth Commitment' to students of Ector County aimed at improving college-going and completion rates, and ensuring affordability through scholarships and Open Educational Resources. The college also emphasizes strategic partnerships with business, industry, and educational institutions, and sets future goals, such as increasing fall enrollment to 10,000 students.

This strategic plan outlines Odessa College's vision to become the number one community college in the nation, achieving national recognition for student access and success. Key objectives include increasing student enrollment and educational attainment, researching effective approaches to student success and compliance, improving institutional success rates through innovative pathways, and delivering high-quality student services to manage enrollment and graduation targets. Additionally, the plan aims to provide reliable, cost-effective, and innovative technology solutions, and ensure affordable educational opportunities through fiscally responsible oversight of college resources.

Odessa College's strategic framework outlines an integrated approach to evaluating student learning, designed to ensure students not only reach but surpass their academic and personal potential. This framework utilizes Odessa College Course Mastery Assessment (OCCMA), Core/General Education student learning outcomes (OCSLOs), and Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs) as its key components. The approach emphasizes continuous improvement through a blend of comprehensive assessments, structured reflections on learning, and ongoing enhancements to pedagogical strategies to directly influence curriculum development and student success.

The meeting discussed the Odessa College Promise Scholarship, a last-dollar scholarship opportunity for eligible high school graduates. The goals are to increase college-going and completion rates, reduce achievement gaps, increase persistence, and decrease time to degree and excess credit hours. The scholarship's eligibility, maintenance, and budget were discussed, including establishing and publishing the Promise Scholarship budget annually using available funds from the prior year. Mitigation strategies for the cost of the Promise Scholarship expenses were explored, including cost savings and an employee student success scholarship campaign. Additional considerations included updating the budget preparation to allocate a percentage of the unrestricted net position to OC Promise, as well as factors like students with CLEP credit and application deadlines. The board will review and consider the full financial package for approval at the February board meeting.

The Odessa College Board of Trustees work session included discussion on the Odessa College Promise Program. The program aims to increase college-going and college completing rates, reduce achievement gaps for underrepresented students, increase persistence, decrease time to degree, and decrease excess credit hours. The discussion also included expenses, mitigating costs, contact hour funding, and net expenses for the first two years. Protections in place for the program include a July 15th deadline and a FAFSA mandate for graduating seniors. The goal is to raise $6 million per year through 2032 to make the PROMISE self-sustaining through various sources such as local individuals, businesses, Odessa College employees and alumni, and local, state, and national foundation grants.