Strategic Plan | Measuring Our Progress
A strategic plan matters most when it leads to measurable change. As Scottsdale Community College (SCC) advances its ASPIRE 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, early results are beginning to show meaningful progress toward the outcomes that matter most for our students, our community, and the long-term strength of the College.
ASPIRE established measurable targets across four areas: Student Success & Learning, Innovative & Responsive Academic Offerings, Caring Campus & Student Belonging, and Operational Excellence & Financial Sustainability. Rather than waiting until 2030 to determine whether we reached our goals, SCC is tracking progress along the way and using the results to understand what is working and where additional attention is needed.
And there are encouraging signs of progress.
SCC served 12,054 students during the past academic year, nearly 1,000 more students than the strategic plan baseline of 11,106 and an important step toward SCC’s goal of serving 13,550 students annually by 2030. Enrollment is one of several measures SCC is tracking as part of its commitment to expanding access to high-quality academic opportunities.
Student success is also moving closer to SCC’s long-term target. The College’s course success rate is currently 75.5%, up from the strategic plan baseline of 74.2% and moving toward the 2030 goal of 77%. SCC is supporting continued improvement through early alerts, academic support, advising, and other strategies designed to help students successfully complete their courses and maintain momentum toward their goals.
More students are also reaching the finish line. SCC is projecting 839 students will earn an award this year, continuing progress toward the College’s 2030 goal of 1,000 annual award recipients. The most recently completed measure was 790 award recipients, making continued growth in this area an important indicator of SCC’s progress from increasing access to helping students complete meaningful credentials.
Progress can also be seen in students’ experience at SCC. The College’s campus climate measure has reached 77%, moving toward the 2030 target of 81%. Dual enrollment currently stands at 17%, with a goal of reaching 25% of Scottsdale Unified School District students by 2030.
ASPIRE was designed to be more than a set of aspirations. Each goal is connected to measurable outcomes that allow the SCC community to see whether our collective work is making a difference. Regularly reviewing those measures gives us an opportunity to celebrate progress, learn from our results, and adjust our strategies when needed.
There is still work ahead between now and 2030, but the early results show SCC moving from planning to action and from action to measurable progress.
That is what ASPIRE is ultimately about: setting a direction together, doing the work, measuring the difference, and continuing to improve for our students.