UK Office of Student Involvement
UK Center for Community Outreach
Strategic Plan
2015-2019
General Overview
Goal 1: Better Tell Our Story
How can we as a UK CCO better tell the campus and the community what we do and how to get involved?
Goal 2: Build Sustainable Partnerships
How can we as a UK CCO ensure that the partnerships with community partners are mutually beneficial? How can we ensure that new partnerships we develop will be mutually beneficial?
Goal 3: Connect Town and Gown
How can we as a UK CCO support UK’s efforts to engage with the Lexington community and the Kentucky community? What strengths does the UK CCO have in this area? What areas for improvement does the UK CCO have in this area?
Goal 4: Support Student Learning
How can we as a UK CCO ensure that our students are learning the most during their time with us? How can we ensure that all students interested in having a student leader position within the UK CCO are given equal treatment? How can we ensure that students at all levels of leadership are learning through this experience?
Goal 5: Collaborate Across Campus
How can we as a UK CCO partner with campus student organizations, departments, and faculty to support volunteer work? How can we support other student organizations in their service efforts? How can other student organizations support the UK CCO in our service efforts?
UK Office of Student Involvement
UK Center for Community Outreach
Strategic Plan
2015-2019
Full Version
Goal 1: Better Tell Our Story
Objective 1.1: Formalize and implement a collective, comprehensive UK Center for Community Outreach promotional plan.
● Strategy 1.1.1: Develop an annual promotion plan for the UK CCO at the organizational and programmatic level.
○ Metric 1.1.1.1: By May 2016, the Director of Public Relations should have a structured, date-specific process to address the UK CCO’s promotional needs on and off campus.
○ Metric 1.1.1.2: By May 1 of the upcoming academic year, the Director of Public Relations should have a promotional plan finalized for the UK CCO and submitted to the rest of the Executive Team (Starting in May 2016).
○ Metric 1.1.1.3: Beginning in the spring 2016 transition period, each program should submit a promotional plan alongside their budget and program proposal for the BOD to review. All three of the documents should be submitted together.
● Strategy 1.1.2: Create an interactive, semester-long promotional plan a semester ahead of time (for the summer by May 1, for the fall semester by August 1, for the spring semester by December 1).
○ Metric 1.1.2.1: Hold 4 days of tabling/hand billing/open houses around campus per semester about general interest in the UK CCO by fall 2016.
● Strategy 1.1.3: Establish a poster blitz plan for the organizational and programmatic levels.
○ Metric 1.1.3.1: Develop a robust postering plan for the University of Kentucky campus including specificity down to the floor of major buildings and spaces across the campus by March 2016.
Objective 1.2: Strengthen the brand recognition of the UK Center for Community Outreach on campus and in the community through revision of motto, logos, color schemes, etc.
● Strategy 1.2.1: Update all promotional materials (banner-ups, logos, VolunteerMatch, etc.) to a consistent color.
○ Metric 1.2.1.1: Have the logos, banner-ups, promotional items, website, and VolunteerMatch updated (in the selected yellow, blue and green) by December 2015.
■ Yellow: e7bd44, Blue: 005daa, Green: 5cb54e
● Strategy 1.2.2: Develop consistency between all programmatic promotional material with the UK CCO logo and colors.
○ Metric 1.2.2.1: Require all program-level promotional material to have the UK CCO logo and exact color scheme.
Objective 1.3: Enhance the existing organizational structure of the UK Center for Community Outreach to better support the organization’s promotions needs.
● Strategy 1.3.1: Identify promotional needs of the UK CCO and design the promotions branch positions needed.
○ Metric 1.3.1.1: Create a promotional team of 3 to 7 students for the UK CCO which satisfies the organization’s promotions needs by March 2017.
● Strategy 1.3.2: Identify the proper graphic design capabilities needed for the UK CCO at the organizational and programmatic levels.
○ Metric 1.3.2.1: If needed, hire a graphic designer (5 to 10 hours a week) for the UK CCO by May 2017.
Objective 1.4: Increase the visibility of VolunteerMatch on campus and in the community through formalizing and implementing a promotions plan.
● Strategy 1.4.1: Have board members utilize VolunteerMatch for tracking the statues of the programming events (direct service, educational, advocacy, etc.).
o Metric1.4.1.1: Have every event posted in the UK CCO master calendar on VolunteerMatch in advance to the event.
● Strategy 1.4.2: Update VolunteerMatch to coincide with the rebranding efforts of the UK CCO.
○ Metric 1.4.2.1: Have the VolunteerMatch staff update the color scheme of the website to the current UK CCO color scheme by December 2015.
○ Metric 1.4.2.2: Update the banner that is currently on the VolunteerMatch homepage by December 2015.
● Strategy 1.4.3: Enhance the internal understanding of VolunteerMatch at the Advisor, Executive Team,
Board of Directors, Coordinator, and other pertinent student leader levels.
○ Metric 1.4.3.1: Formalize a transition process with materials for UK CCO student leadership by spring 2016, which includes a VolunteerMatch training.
○ Metric 1.4.3.2: Hold two VolunteerMatch trainings (one for how the UK CCO uses it, one on how to use the software itself) before December of each academic year. Ideally, these would occur during the spring transition time.
○ Metric 1.4.3.3 : Develop structured organizational promotion plan for VolunteerMatch, OrgSync, and the UK CCO website by December 2016.
Objective 1.5: Improve existing and/or create new platforms for students and community partners to exchange information regarding community needs and engagement opportunities.
● Strategy 1.5.1: Complete the redesign of the UK CCO home website.
○ Metric 1.5.1.1: Finish the website overhaul by December 2015. Improvement of the website will be a continuous process which should not be dated.
○ Metric 1.5.1.2: Develop the “Get Involved” tab on the website, inclusive of “Students”, “Faculty and Staff”, and “Community Partners” pages. This will be a continuous process and should not be dated.
● Strategy 1.5.2: Create promotions campaign to explain the referral process.
○ Metric 1.5.2.1: Development of an easily accessible referral process that links students to both UK CCO opportunities and community partners in the Lexington area by May 2016.
○ Metric 1.5.2.2: This process should not have a specific end date and should be under continuous development.
● Strategy 1.5.3: Coordinate monthly Snapshots that highlight work of the UK CCO and community partners. Include related service projects using collaborations with UK CCO Program Directors, when applicable.
○ Metric 1.5.3.1: Develop community member newsletter by December 2015.
○ Metric 1.5.3.2: By August 2016, develop a system to highlight a community partner in each Snapshot.
● Strategy 1.5.4: Research and purchase a brochure stand to be placed outside the UK CCO office to promote community partners and organizations using their brochures/flyers/etc.
○ Metric 1.5.4.1: Brochure stand chosen and placed outside UK CCO office (in new Student Center). Purchase stand by May 2018 for new Student Center.
Objective 1.6: Increase implementation and organization of UK Center for Community Outreach event evaluations and executive summaries.
● Strategy 1.5.2: Utilize executive summaries for all major events and year-round programs more effectively.
○ Metric 1.5.2.1: Executive summaries should be compiled and outlined in the UK CCO end of the year report by May 2016.
○ Metric 1.5.2.2: Every major event that was planned by the program throughout the academic year should have the executive summaries in the transition binder for the upcoming Director.
○ Metric 1.5.2.3: Following every semester, each Director will create an End of Semester Program Report. These Reports will be placed in the transition binder for the upcoming Director.
Goal 2: Build Sustainable Partnerships
Objective 2.1: Evaluate programs and services to ensure that programs meet community-identified needs.
● Strategy 2.1.1: Reevaluate current programming model for UK CCO.
o Metric 2.1.1.1: Meet with the Executive Team (every semester) mid-semester to assess the existing programming model and determine ways to improve upon the model.
o Metric 2.1.1.2: By March 2016, develop process to asses current programs, inclusive of voting to keep or remove programs.
o Metric 2.1.1.3: By March 2016, develop process to bring new programs into the UK CCO, inclusive of a voting process.
● Strategy 2.1.2: Reevaluate existing issue-based programs to identify existing gaps, existing overlap, and potential structural changes.
o Metric 2.1.2.1: By August 2016, develop all-student survey to asses students’ interests in volunteer work. Offer prizes for students who complete survey via a random drawing process.
o Metric 2.1.2.2: Distribute survey on a semesterly basis. Use this to look into developing new programs and ideas for events that fit the needs of the community and student population.
Objective 2.2: Establish and maintain community partnerships that can be supported across programs and sustained over time.
● Strategy 2.2.1: Develop no more than 3-5 signature partnerships within each UK CCO issue-based program, and focus programmatic efforts on these identified partners.
o Metric 2.2.1.1: Each BOD member should propose to work with a community partner a minimum of three times a semester.
● Strategy 2.2.2: Focus on sustaining partnerships across UK CCO programs.
o Metric 2.2.2.1: Have a total of 5 collaborations between the UK CCO internal programs.
Objective 2.3: Provide ongoing training and development opportunities for UK CCO student leaders regarding best practices for establishing and maintaining community partnerships.
● Strategy 2.3.1: Conduct a needs-assessment training for Directors during the beginning of transition process.
● Strategy 2.3.2: Conduct a site visit etiquette training for Directors.
o Metric 2.3.2.1: Advisor and Director of External Relations facilitate site visit etiquette and needs assessment training in the first month of transition process.
● Strategy 2.3.3: Develop and facilitate a UK CCO training about establishing and maintaining partnerships and writing Memorandums of Understanding and Work Plans.
o Metric 2.3.3.1: Hold one training on partnership management in the beginning of the year.
o Metric 2.3.3.2: Each program should complete 1 collaboration (either internally or with another OSI organization) and store a Work Plan to document the collaboration.
Objective 2.4: Enhance transition and training process for incoming UK CCO Program Directors, so that signature partnerships can be more easily maintained.
● Strategy 2.4.1: Outgoing Director introduces incoming Director to contact person for their Long-Term Volunteer organization.
● Strategy 2.4.2: Increase the length of the transition period in order to give more time for an in-depth transition between the current and future Director of each program.
o Metric 2.4.2.1: Revamp the interview and selection schedule of the upcoming BOD. Have the upcoming BOD selected by the March 1st before the upcoming school year.
● Strategy 2.4.3: Further define and develop guidelines for the Transition Report.
o Metric 2.4.3.1: By December 2015, develop guidelines for Semester Report for BOD members.
o Metric 2.4.3.1: By February 2016, develop guidelines for Transition Report for BOD members.
Objective 2.5: Provide effective communication with and support of community partners which host UK students.
● Strategy 2.5.1: Create regular opportunities to connect with community partners.
o Metric 2.5.1.1: By May 2016, develop overall plan for how the UK CCO will conduct site visits. Include frequency, who attends, sample questions, etc.
o Metric 2.5.1.2: By August 2016, hold community partner workshops (3 per semester) at the Plantory
● Strategy 2.5.2: Increase awareness of UK CCO programs and offerings at a regional and state level.
o Metric 2.5.2.1: By December 2015, have regular UK CCO Advisor involvement on CKAVA (Central Kentucky Association of Volunteer Administrators).
o Metric 2.5.2.2: By December 2016, develop ability for student leaders to become involved with CKAVA.
Objective 2.6: Establish a presence in the community as a means of increasing visibility and accessibility for community partners.
● Strategy 2.6.1: Increasing community partners contact list, using Plantory as means of connection with potential new community partners.
o Metric 2.6.1.1: By May 2016, develop process to bring new community partners into contact with the UK CCO.
o Metric 2.6.1.2: By December 2016, develop training process for community partners (new and old) on how to utilize VolunteerMatch to best recruit students for volunteer opportunities.
Goal 3: Connect Town and Gown
Objective 3.1: Formalize and implement a process for UK CCO student leaders to engage in community needs assessment that informs their programming efforts.
● Strategy 3.1.1: Develop a new Community Needs Assessment approach to better understand the needs of our community partners.
o Metric 3.1.1.1: Develop a Community Needs Assessment document, due before the budget and program proposals.
o Metric 3.1.1.2: Establish a process for the Community Needs Assessment to be completed before the beginning of each BOD member’s “official” term.
● Strategy 3.1.2: Better assess the needs of community partners by receiving consistent feedback from the Directors and community partners.
o Metric 3.1.2.1: Develop a formalized Community Needs Assessment process for Program Directors to complete in the spring semester before officially beginning Director position.
o Metric 3.1.2.2: Create Community Needs Assessment tools to gauge the effectiveness of the UK CCO efforts and programming events.
● Strategy 3.1.3: Expectation that UK CCO Directors will be researching potential community partners that could house potential partnerships for their program.
o Metric 3.1.3.1: By May 2016, create standard assessment evaluation of potential organizations.
o Metric 3.1.3.2: Incorporate assessment evaluation of potential community partners into program proposals.
o Metric 3.1.3.3: By August 2016, develop funneling system through Partnerships or External Relations to handle community partners who do not fit into our programming model.
o Metric 3.1.3.3: By December 2016, develop system to track these connections made.
Objective 3.2: Strengthen the UK CCO’s capacity to serve as a resource to Lexington-area non-profit organizations and other community-supporting agencies.
· Strategy 3.2.1: Design a Non-Profit Referral Service for students, faculty, and staff members at UK
o Metric 3.2.1.1: Conduct a training for UK CCO Directors and Executive Team to facilitate volunteer referrals by May 2016. Implement this into the yearly training schedule, preferably during the transition time period.
● Strategy 3.2.2: Through the non-profit referral service, the UK CCO should keep record of basic information about students, faculty, and staff to address their volunteer needs or interest.
o Metric 3.3.2.1: Create database to evaluate the utilization of the referral process by students, faculty, and staff.