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inspire

Okanagan College Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan Inspire Roadmap Inspire Plan Visual

Inspire: Our plan and way forward

We all know the world around us is changing rapidly, and while there are many challenges and complexities, there are also infinite opportunities – to transform, grow and innovate.

Following the global pandemic, and in the midst of shifting social and economic realities, Okanagan College plays a vital role in equipping learners with education and training that is relevant to local and global needs. To have the greatest impact, OC is on a journey of transformation.

Launched in 2022, our Inspire strategic plan charts a course of action for the next ten years, designed to:

  • Build on sixty-plus years of academic and instructional excellence, continuing to offer learning opportunities for thousands of students region-wide, enabling them to gain the knowledge, skills and connections to contribute through careers, work and citizenship;
  • Strengthen relationships between learners, educators, employers, and our communities, with a shared goal to improve quality of life locally and globally, through greater access to post-secondary education;
  • Transform how we work, with focused intention on supporting our people to achieve our goals. This includes our responsibility to make real progress on the journey of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and our responsibility to incorporating sustainability, diversity, equity, inclusion and resilience into our workplace and all that we do;
  • Deliver on our commitments to the public, including making it easier for people of all ages and backgrounds to access Okanagan College programming, regardless of where they live.
    We are champions of a culture of lifelong learning, and work in collaboration with community partners to integrate and focus our expertise in those areas that are most relevant to our region.

On this page

Download the plan

Download a PDF version of the strategic plan.

Strategic Plan (PDF) Inspire Roadmap (PDF) Inspire Plan Visual (PDF)

Neil Fassina, President, Okanagan College

Our Mission

We transform lives and communities.

Our Vision

We inspire and empower individuals and communities to strengthen and sustain the social, economic, environmental, and cultural resiliency of the region for current and future generations through the creation and sharing of knowledge.

Our Values

Students first

Creating meaningful life-long educational opportunities of the highest quality for alumni, current, and future students is at the heart of everything we do.

Community

We are one College. We enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to work with, learn from, and support everyone we encounter collaboratively and collegially.

Respect

We welcome, embrace, and celebrate that which make us unique in creating an environment in which every individual is valued, affirming our commitment to human dignity for all.

Courage

We are courageous in our actions in areas that contribute to positive change in our communities and beyond. We have the courage to be vulnerable. We are truthful, sincere, and act ethically with honesty and fairness.

Relationships

We steward meaningful relationships built on a foundation of reciprocity. We are compassionate, empathic, and care for the holistic well-being of students, employees, community members, and the land.

Distinction

We choose activities in which we can achieve excellence and positively impact society.

Inspire Plan Visual

Inspire Strategic Plan visual

Aspirational

Responsibilities

Changes we are making within Okanagan College to become the best version of ourselves, and a strong college community.

  • Reconciliation
  • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice (EDISJ)
  • Sustainability
  • Employee Resilience
  • Effectiveness and Efficiency

Commitments

Goals we have set to have a positive impact for current and future students, alumni and communities.

  • Inclusive and Equitable Access
  • Individualized Life-long Learning Partnerships
  • Integration and Focus

Foundational

Academic Mission

Our core business: Inspiring, educating, training and supporting students through teaching and learning.

  • Students first
  • Quality Programming
  • Relevant and Responsive Learning

Relationships

How we work with partners to deliver high quality programming, education and work-integrated learning.

  • Career-Ready Graduates
  • Research & Innovation
  • Community Partnerships & Engagement

Progress on Inspire: 2022-2023

The Inspire plan was developed following several months of consultation and conversation across the OC community in 2021. Launched in January the following year, the first two years of the strategic plan have been focused on key foundational areas, including:

The OC of the future

Okanagan College has a vital role to play in our region as we look ahead over the next decade. Provincial labour market analysis continues to highlight increasing demand for professionals who have career- focused, integrated education and training.

At Okanagan College, we are taking an 'ecosystem' approach to how we develop and implement new programming. We are reaching out to employers and industry innovators and bringing them together with our portfolios (Arts & Foundational Programs, Health & Social Development, School of Business, Science & Technology and Trades & Apprenticeship Programs) and we are starting this work in two initial areas.

Food, Beverage and Hospitality/Tourism

We are developing programming that supports the Okanagan region in its continued growth as an international epicentre for food production and sustainable growth, culinary and pastry arts, viticulture and wine-making, brewing, distilling and beverage production, tourism marketing and destination management, and hospitality services.

Healthy, Resilient Communities

We are focusing on new programmiing that takes a proactive approach to supporting the health of individuals, families and communities, as well as continuing the delivery of courses across more traditional health system disciplines. This includes "upstream" health-related areas, such as recreation, entrepreneurship, sustainable technology and construction. We're also commited to building our more flexible learning pathways into allied health and social services professions.

Engage with Inspire

Downloads

Join a virtual session

Thanks to all those who attended the Inspire unveiling AMA (ask me anything) sessions in Feb. Stay tuned for future Inspire connect sessions. 

Connect with us

If you can’t attend the sessions, but have a question or comment on Inspire, you are encouraged to write to President Fassina directly: president@okanagan.bc.ca. 

Inspire your virtual meeting with backgrounds

See yourself in the plan by downloading a virtual background to use on Teams and Zoom.

Click on the images to download the background.