Strategic Plan
Every interaction matters. Every role contributes. When we rise together, there is no limit to what we can achieve.
A Message from President Leah A. Barrett
At Northeast Community College, our mission is grounded in access, opportunity, and student success. This strategic plan reflects who we are and where we are going guided by our values, informed by evidence, and shaped by the voices of our students, employees, and community.
At its heart, this plan is about ensuring that every student can access education, stay on track, ensure learning, and complete their goals. Grounded in the guided pathways framework, this plan emphasizes clarity, support, and intentional design to help students successfully navigate their educational journey from entry through completion. Rise Together outlines our path forward through three strategic priorities:
- Student Success and Support
- Workforce Alignment and Career Readiness
- Organizational Adaptability and Innovation
We are committed to creating welcoming, inclusive environments where students feel a strong sense of belonging and receive the support they need from entry through completion and beyond. Our focus remains on preparing students not only to complete their education, but to succeed in their chosen paths. Finally, this plan recognizes that student success depends on a strong, adaptable institution. By investing in our people, Northeast will remain responsive, resilient, and student‑centered in a changing environment.
This strategic plan is a living guide for our work. Through shared responsibility and clear measures of progress, we will hold ourselves accountable for expanding access, improving completion, and advancing opportunity for every learner we serve.
I invite you to explore this plan and join us in building a stronger future for our students, our communities, and our region.
Our Statutory Purpose
(Nebraska Revised Statute 85-962)
Student-centered, open-access institutions with the following instructional and service priorities…particularly targeting those who have been underserved in other educational settings:
- applied technology and occupational education
- transfer education
- foundational education (English Language Learning, high school equivalency (GED), developmental education)
- public service, continuing education, and personal development training
- community and economic development, workforce training
- work-based learning and applied research
Our Mission
Our mission was adopted in 2015. It was reaffirmed in 2021 and 2026.
Northeast Community College is dedicated to the success of students and the region it serves.
Our Vision
Empower every person in our region to achieve their academic and career goals.
Our Values
We use innovative and data-informed approaches to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction while responding to the evolving landscape of education.
We leverage the skills and knowledge of our students, co-workers, trusted partners, and service area to advance our mission.
We cultivate an environment where every student, employee, and community member feels welcomed, valued, and connected. We uphold the dignity, perspectives, and contributions of all individuals, and foster a culture of trust, respect, and mutual understanding.
We ensure the efficient and ethical management of our funds, workforce, facilities, land, technology, and time.
We provide accessible pathways and comprehensive support services that meet students where they are and empower them to achieve their goals.
The Plan
Our Strategic Priorities
We ensure students have the access and support to move confidently towards what’s next.
We listen, adapt, and deliver what our communities need.
We continuously strengthen how we teach, serve, and work together.
Measures of Success
Our strategic plan is how Northeast Community College turns goals into action. We monitor progress through ongoing assessment, annual updates, and key metrics that show what’s working and where we can improve. This approach keeps us focused, transparent, and moving forward—while celebrating milestones along the way.
Strategic measures and targets are currently being finalized and will be published soon. Once available, these metrics will provide a clear view of progress toward each strategic priority and will be updated annually.
Our Journey (The Process)
In early 2025, a cross-functional taskforce was established to guide the development of the next strategic plan at Northeast Community College. This work included reflection on the successes of the past decade while thoughtfully considering where the institution has been, where it stands today, and where it aims to be in 2030 and beyond. The Rise Together planning process officially launched in January 2025 with the Board of Governors annual review of the E-00 Global Ends policy, which outlines the college purpose. This policy, along with the Nebraska legislative purpose for community colleges and Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education Comprehensive Statewide Plan for Postsecondary Education, provide guidance at the highest levels for the institutions’ mission, vision, and priorities.
Over the following twelve months, an extensive engagement effort took place, conducting stakeholder engagement sessions with more than 900 faculty, staff, students, adjunct faculty, Board members, legislative officials, education leaders, industry partners, and community members across the service area. These sessions were intentionally designed to ensure broad representation across roles, localities, and perspectives and provide opportunities for all voices to be heard.
At the same time, an in-depth review of internal data was conducted to identify key themes. This analysis clarified areas of strength as well as opportunities for improvement. In parallel, environmental scanning and a review of plans across the nation informed the approach and ensured alignment with emerging trends and best practices.
Themes and insights from stakeholder engagement, data analysis, and environmental scanning were synthesized and reviewed to identify recurring priorities and areas of alignment. These findings were shared with college leadership and refined through iterative discussion to ensure clarity, relevance, and alignment with institutional values and long‑term direction.
After months of listening, analysis, and reflection, three strategic priorities emerged forming the foundation of Rise Together. These priorities reviewed and affirmed through employee and Board engagement. These priorities now serve as the framework for goal‑setting, implementation, and ongoing assessment.
Planning Archive
