The Southeast College has adopted a new strategic plan that's set to last for the next five years.

Educational institutions around the nation were asked to come up with a plan that would highlight priorities for those until 2028.

Southeast College President and CEO Dr. Vicky Roy says that they had many consultations leading up to the decision.

"We did a full consultation started in December 2022. We went up in April, we gathered, we collected all the data from our different communities in the Southeast region of Saskatchewan with stakeholders, externals, internal staff, faculty, and students."

They also chatted with community members to see what they needed.

Sustainability is an important aspect of the plan, with that being met both in the programs and outside of them.

"We want to be a part of the movement of sustainable development and also the province of Saskatchewan, it's all about sustainability in agriculture or in all the other types of industry in the province, so we're committed to becoming a sustainable organization by focusing on three pillars of sustainable development, social, economic, and environmental."

The College will also look to expand its role in the southeast towards the community.

"For the economic and financial sustainability, we need to be able to better serve our regions. We need to enhance the role of technology in our operations and also the way that we deliver our classroom to a different demographic. We need to find a way to find additional grants and dollar finance things. I mean Saskatchewan, it's a beautiful province, but the bottom line is we have 1.1 or 1.2 million, very different than our neighbor in Alberta, British Columbia, or Ontario."

That'll also help with their finances, as community support goes a long way.

"It's a big province with a little bit less contributors to the economic system. So we need to be creative and innovative about what we are doing with the money and the investment from the taxpayer and environmental sustainability. we are committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the college."

Roy says that in her time since joining the Southeast College, she's felt welcome in the southeast community.

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