May 20, 2024 

Media Contacts: Jennifer Korfiatis, interim public information officer, 509-682-6650, jkorfiatis@wvc.edu 

Wenatchee Valley College is thrilled to announce the launch of several community engagement activities, beginning today with a regional survey, that are designed to learn more from residents about how WVC can better serve communities, organizations, and individuals in the region.  

WVC is utilizing an inclusive and broad approach in engaging with residents and in gathering diverse perspectives. The input from community members is considered a vital step in WVC’s strategic planning process, which will conclude later this year. 

The initiative marks a departure from the college's previous internally focused planning approaches. WVC’s last strategic plan was completed pre-pandemic in 2018. Much has changed since then, and the college is looking to center itself and be more impactful in communities throughout North Central Washington. 

"Our goal is to create a strategic plan that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of the communities we serve," stated WVC President Dr. Faimous Harrison. "This project underscores our commitment to collaboration, partnership, and collective action." 

The community engagement work kicks off today, May 20, with the launch of an online bilingual community survey —https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/wvccommunity in English and surveymonkey.com/r/WenVCSpan in Spanish. Later this month and into June, WVC will interview several stakeholders, hold listening sessions in Wenatchee and Omak, and conduct a separate survey for leaders in the region’s private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Each listening session will be facilitated and will have interpreters available. 

Consultants Summer Hess of Sage Step Consulting and Steve Maher have been retained by WVC to conduct and oversee the engagement work, to analyze input received from residents, and to write a report on the key findings, which will inform the college's strategic planning efforts moving forward. The timeline spans five months, with the project slated for completion on September 17, 2024, at the college’s President’s Day Event. 

 Key findings from this community engagement work will be made available to residents and the overall community in fall 2024. 

Wenatchee Valley College expresses gratitude to all participants and stakeholders involved in the community engagement work Project and looks forward to the insights that will emerge from this collaborative endeavor. 

For more information about the project and to stay updated on its progress, please visit Wenatchee Valley College's website and the college’s social media platforms.

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Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Visit our website, wvc.edu. 

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses: 

To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, Mish ee twie 1321A, (509) 682-6716, title9@wvc.edu. 

To request disability accommodations: Student Access Manager,  Wenatchi Hall 2131, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu