1. Seattle Colleges home page
  2. The Unified Student Experience Initiative
  3. Planning

Planning

Phase one focuses on establishing the operational and financial foundation necessary to deliver a consistent, student-centered experience across Seattle Colleges and position the institution for long-term success. Operational alignment and fiscal sustainability are not the destination. They are the means through which Seattle Colleges will create a unified student experience and improve student success outcomes.
 

Operational Alignment

The initiative will assess, design, and implement improvements that strengthen Seattle Colleges' ability to operate as a coordinated enterprise.

Objectives

  • Clarify governance and decision-making structures
  • Establish enterprise accountability systems
  • Improve cross-college collaboration
  • Develop student-facing consistency standards
  • Identify shared-service opportunities
  • Improve operational effectiveness
  • Establish enterprise performance management processes

Fiscal Sustainability

The initiative will support Seattle Colleges' efforts to create a sustainable financial foundation that supports current and future student success.

Objectives

  • Eliminate the remaining structural deficit
  • Achieve a balanced FY28 budget
  • Align resources with institutional priorities
  • Support enrollment recovery efforts
  • Identify opportunities for operational efficiency
  • Create long-term financial sustainability

These two areas emphasis align with Seattle Colleges 2024-2034 Strategic Plan, Goal 4: Effective and Sustainable Organizational Structure and Practices 

Scope Of Work

Governance

  • Governance structure design
  • Decision rights framework
  • Executive decision processes
  • Accountability systems
  • Chancellor decision package process

Operational Alignment

  • Organizational assessments
  • Operating model evaluations
  • Shared-services assessments
  • Student experience mapping
  • Process improvement initiatives
  • Student service consistency standards

Fiscal Sustainability

  • Resource allocation review
  • Fiscal stabilization planning
  • Cost optimization analysis
  • Revenue enhancement opportunities
  • Financial performance monitoring

Enterprise Performance Management

  • Executive dashboards
  • Enterprise scorecards
  • Benefits realization framework
  • Risk management framework

Work out of the scope

The initiative will not directly:

  • Alter collective bargaining agreements
  • Replace existing college operational authority
  • Eliminate programs without separate governance review
  • Implement major organizational restructuring without
  • Modify the strategic plan 
  • Change board policies without board approval
  • Account for projected shortfalls in state funding