Seattle Central College Operational Plan
Operational Plan 2026-2027
Seattle Central’s Operational Plan is the college’s detailed action plan for achieving the goals laid out in the Seattle Colleges Strategic Plan. Activities in the Operational Plan are assessed and reviewed annually. Activities may be completed, changed, or continued in subsequent Operational Plans.
Each strategy in the Operational Plan is directly aligned with the Seattle Colleges Strategic Plan. Additionally, tactics may be aligned with the Seattle Colleges Strategic Enrollment Management Plan and Rapid Response Playbook, the 2026-28 Guided Pathways Action Plan or Northwest Commission on College and Universities Accreditation Standards.
2026-27 Operational Focus: Strategic Enrollment Stabilization and Growth
The 2026-27 Operational Plan focuses on stabilizing enrollment in the short term while building sustainable enrollment growth through strategic investments in academic programs, student success, and enrollment pipeline development.
These tactics are intentionally designed to support the goal of 4 percent year-over-year growth in Full-time equivalent enrollments (FTES).
| Enrollment Targets, 2026-2027 | |
|---|---|
| Annualized Total FTES | 5,185 |
| Target by Student Fund Source | |
| Annualized State-Funded FTES | 3,560 |
| Annualized International Contract FTES | 527 |
| Annualized Running Start FTES | 485 |
| Target by Course Type | |
| Annualized College Transfer FTES | 3,166 |
| Annualized Professional Technical, including BAS and Pre-Apprenticeship FTES | 1,203 |
| Annualized Basic & Transitional Studies FTES | 551 |
In addition to the Operational Plan activities, Seattle Central College will engage in two pivotal institutional milestones in 2026-27:
- The search for our next permanent President
- The Year 7 Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness Report and Site Visit by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities to reaffirm our accreditation status
Invest in a strategic academic program portfolio that strengthens institutional identity, supports student success and community needs, and ensures long-term program sustainability.
Strategic Plan Alignment - Goal 1: Culturally and Socially Responsive Teaching and Learning
| Tactic |
|---|
| 1.1 Develop a comprehensive Academic Program Plan that aligns program offerings with institutional priorities, labor market demand, and community needs. |
| 1.2 Create holistic operational program profiles of academic programs to foster long-term planning, including detailed functional analysis of revenue and expenses by program. |
| 1.3 Conduct Program Reviews to identify needs for program design to support retention and completion of students in all programs. |
Strengthen course planning processes to improve enrollment stability, operational efficiency, and enrollment-driven revenue generation.
| Tactic |
|---|
| 2.1 Implement weekly Enrollment Management Strategy Team meetings to optimize section offerings based on enrollment demand, program requirements, and cost-benefit analysis. |
| 2.2 Adopt consistent waitlist practices for College Transfer course including waitlist caps, close dates, and processes. |
| 2.3 Adopt scheduling framework and tools for College Transfer for scheduling and planning sections including guidance on modalities, course sequences, and section add calculator. |
Advance student achievement and retention through Guided Pathways to increase student success, retention, and returning student enrollment.
| Tactic |
|---|
| 3.1 Scale Introductory English and Math Success and First-Year Credit Accumulation |
| 3.2 Improve Persistence Through Education Planning, Pathway Mapping, and Proactive Advising |
| 3.3 Strengthen and Sustain an Integrated First-year Experience that Builds Belonging, Persistence, and Equity |
| 3.4 Increase Completion, Transfer, and Career Outcomes Through End-of-Pathway Supports |
Strengthen enrollment pipelines to increase new student enrollment through equitable access, partnerships, and outreach
Strategic Plan Alignment - Goal 2: Holistic and Inclusive Student Experience
| Tactic |
|---|
| 4.1 Reinvigorate Running Start enrollment & relationships with identified partner high schools |
| 4.2 Explore feasibility of identified US Department of Education grants that support student enrollment and success. Identified grants: Childcare Assistance Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS), Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC), Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disability (TPSID), TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) |
| 4.3 Implement a multi-channel re-enrollment campaign to re-engage stopped-out students. |