The COVID-19 pandemic has given us a fresh perspective on our college. We have an opportunity to re-imagine what Mohawk can be for our students, for our employees and for our community. 

Mohawk College is nearing the end of its current 5-year strategic plan. Launched in 2016, the plan has served the college well. We have achieved most of what we planned to do. And, in many ways, the plan helped us manage some of the challenges we face in 2020.

We are now preparing our next strategic plan, and we need your input. 

We are calling this next phase: From Recovery to Innovation. From now until next spring, we will be gathering input from employees, students, alumni and community partners to develop a plan that will take us through the recovery. The new plan will be kept to three years, instead of five. 

As we begin this process we must consider the lessons learned over the past several months. What are we doing that has worked well, and where can we do better. We need to harness some of the great ideas that have emerged from our current situation and look at how we can use those ideas to do things differently moving forward. 

There are some things that will not change. We will stay true to our values of being student-focused, committed to excellence, engaged with our community, inclusive and welcoming to all, and accountable. Our values will continue to guide our actions and decisions, define our culture and our relationships with students, employees and the community. And our mission will remain to educate and prepare highly skilled graduates for success and contribution to community, Canada and the world.

One day this pandemic will come to an end, and when it does, we need to be ready. Instead of starting to plan on that day, we must be prepared to act.

We must be ready to move forward with perspective and with purpose. And, just as we have done so many times before, we will move forward, together.

Ron J. McKerlie
President & CEO, Mohawk College