Strategic Planning
Message from the President
Rio Salado College’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan provides a bold vision to navigate the rapid social and technological shifts reshaping higher education and the workforce. Building upon nearly five decades of being the “College Without Walls,” this plan establishes a comprehensive framework to redefine the educational experience by anticipating the needs of both our diverse students and the future workforce.
Part 2
Maintaining unwavering alignment with our Maricopa Community Colleges' shared vision, this plan positions Rio Salado to be a future-ready leader in technology and a preeminent driver of workforce development in Maricopa County. Through our core practices of mindfulness, empathy, happiness, and resilience, we are dedicated to closing equity gaps and stabilizing the support systems that allow our students to thrive. As we work through 2030, this strategic blueprint serves as our guide to empower learners everywhere and ensure the college continues to deliver profound economic and social value to the communities we serve.
Centering on institutional durability and student-ready solutions, the plan is anchored by four high-level strategies:
- Strategy 1: Provide transformative learning opportunities in and beyond the classroom to empower every learner to succeed.
- Strategy 2: Advance a workforce education system that integrates academics, career attainment, and industry needs.
- Strategy 3: Deliver a future-ready educational environment powered by digital innovation to increase student success.
- Strategy 4: Invest in students, employees, and operations to strengthen institutional culture and meet community needs.
Sincerely,
RSC's Strategies 2026–2030
Provide transformative learning opportunities in and beyond the classroom to empower every learner to succeed.
Goal 1.1 — Strengthen student support delivery to provide a seamless, student-centered experience.
Impact areas
- Persistence
- Retention
- Student goal attainment
Goal 1.2 — Establish a coordinated student success framework, aligning data-informed intervention strategies and motivational engagement practices.
Impact areas
- Course success
- Persistence
- Retention
- Enrollment conversion
Goal 1.3 — Increase early college student credit attainment through expanded partnerships and programs with K-12 providers.
Impact areas
- K–12 access
- Enrollment
- Student goal attainment
Advance a workforce education system that integrates academics, career attainment, and industry needs.
Goal 2.1 — Curate the college's academic portfolio to deliver program options that lead to high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand careers.
Impact areas
- Career connection data
- Educational offerings
Goal 2.2 — Integrate career services, workforce orientation, skills articulation, and work-based learning opportunities into academic programming.
Impact areas
- Career connection data
- Student engagement
Leverage technology and data to modernize college operations, elevate the digital learning experience, and build institutional capacity for the future.
Goal 3.1 — Develop and implement RioLearn modernization, delivering the next-generation digital learning environment and experiences.
Impact areas
- RioLearn
- Student engagement
Goal 3.2 — Finalize and execute the College's AI roadmap to elevate AI literacy for students and employees.
Impact areas
- College culture
- Operational capacity & productivity
- Digital and AI literacy
Goal 3.3 — Enhance employee development and operational efficiency through data-informed decisions, standardized processes, shared knowledge resources, and automation.
Impact areas
- College culture
- Capacity & productivity
Invest in students, employees, and operations to strengthen institutional culture and meet community needs.
Goal 4.1 — Continue to foster culture and community through student and employee engagement.
Impact areas
- College and community culture
- Shared Governance Implementation
Goal 4.2 — Champion community impact through civic participation and partnerships that support community needs.
Impact areas
- College culture
- Community needs
- Basic needs resources and utilization