The Strategic Planning Initiative is a massive undertaking currently being planned and implemented by De Anza staff, faculty and administration. Initiative planners foresee that if methods of recruiting and reform do not change, De Anza College will not be able to maintain its previous standard as a sought after school and will not be adequately prepared for the future.

“A strategic review of our priorities and goals is provoked not only by the immediate changes in the external environment, but by the belief that our current enrollment and funding dilemmas are not momentary lapses of an otherwise happy story” reads a passage from “The Case for Planning” a proposal for The Strategic Planning Initiative found on De Anza’s web page.

The initiative is fueled by a $2.4 million grant from the FHDA School District. The grant is to be disbursed over three years.

The initiative is divided into four segments outreach, individualized attention to student retention and success, cultural competence and community collaborations.

According to Kathleen Moberg, dean of Admissions and Records, the Outreach Team has primarily targeted East and South San Jose for recruiting.

Previous years’ demographics have indicated that the De Anza Student population did not accurately represent Philipino, Latino and African American communities. By recruiting ethnic groups not well represented at De Anza, the Outreach Team is attempting to ensure a diverse student body for the future.

De Anza has put resources into finding students and promoting student programs that help students stay, said Moberg.

The Individualized Attention to Student Retention and Success Team is charged with the job of creating an environment where certain student populations that historically underperformed, could succeed and even thrive academically.

The team is most concerned with individualizing the task of retention by creating methods that can be used by faculty to identify students that are facing difficulties early. Financial aid, tutoring and academic counseling are some of the means that could help students. Furthermore, by identifying students having difficulties early, possibilities of student retention are increased.

As a member of the Cultural Competence Team, Marion Winters said that her primary goal is training.

“We’re actually training the faculty, staff and students to be more culturally understanding, to develop abilities and knowledge around cultural differences, and help utilize that knowledge in a way that is going to be able to retain students. That will help students to be more successful, and will give us the ability work together in a global society.”

Addressing communication about cultural diversity, the Cultural Competence Team is promoting a more culturally aware staff and student body.

Moberg said that enrollment is not down this year for the first time in four years. She attributed the success in enrollment to civic engagement. De Anza President Brian Murphy feels very strongly about community involvement.

By keeping a presence in local high schools and hosting tours of the campus, De Anza is increasing future enrollment. Community Collaborations promises to be an integral piece of the initiative in the future, as its fruits are already evident.