Strategic Plan

Renaissance Rising: Shaping Tomorrow Together  is Columbia College Chicago’s institutional strategic planning process that will guide our direction from 2026 through 2029. The process is designed to strengthen the College’s foundation while advancing its mission of developing creative, entrepreneurial, and socially conscious graduates who shape culture through the arts, media, and business.

The planning process is anchored in four institutional priorities: Stabilizing enrollment, Elevating the Columbia brand, Strengthening philanthropy, and Improving operational efficiency.

Through this process, Columbia will clarify its strategic goals, sharpen its competitive identity, and design an implementation roadmap that supports institutional excellence.

Purpose of the Process

The purpose of   Renaissance Rising  is to develop a unified institutional strategy that aligns our academic programs, financial models, and operational systems with the needs of our students and the realities of the creative economy. Through this process, Columbia will clarify its strategic goals, sharpen its competitive identity, and design an implementation roadmap that supports institutional excellence.

Phases of the Process

The process unfolds in four distinct but interconnected phases:

Phase One: Launch and Mobilization (October 2025)

Formation of the Strategic Planning Task Force and four workstreams focused on the College’s institutional priorities.

Phase Two: Discovery and Analysis (November to December 2025)

Completion of environmental scans and stakeholder engagement using PESTLE, SWOT, and other analytical models.

Phase Three: Design and Strategy Development (December 2025 to January 2026)

Development of strategies, measurable goals, and performance indicators aligned with the College’s mission and vision.

Phase Four: Integration and Drafting (January to April 2026)

Synthesis of recommendations from all workstreams into a unified plan for review by the Board of Trustees and public launch in spring 2026.

Co-Chairs

Professor Beth Ryan, Professor of Instruction, School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Adriel A. Hilton, Vice President of Institutional Strategy and Chief of Staff

Administrative Support

Charles Kimball, Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives and Director of Board Relations

Task Force Membership

Jenna Davis, Student Government Association President
Kevin Cooper, Associate Director of Semester in LA Program and Professor in the School of Film and Television
Karla Rae Fuller, Faculty Senate President and Professor in the School of Film and Television
Allison Geller, Staff Union President
Mark Kelly, Art and Civic Community Member – ex officio
Emmanuel Lalande, Senior Vice President of Enrollment Strategy and Student Success
Mary Mazurek '11 MFA, National Alumni Board President
Suzanne McBride, Interim Senior Vice President and Provost
Jimmy Noriega, Professor and Allen and Lynn Turner Director of School of Theater and Dance
Colbey E. Reid, Professor and Director of the School of Fashion
Diana Vallera, CFAC President and Adjunct Professor of Instruction in School of Visual Arts
Sharon Wilson-Taylor, Vice President of Student Affairs

Supporting this work, four workstreams will align Columbia’s institutional priorities with culture and talent serving as a cross-cutting theme. Each group will synthesize input and develop strategies addressing the following workstreams:

• Enrollment and Academic Portfolio Workstream Members
  • Charles Borg — Adjunct Professor of Instruction, School of Film and Television
  • Jill Goldberg — Communications Manager
  • Ames Hawkins, PhD — Professor and Interim Director, School of Communication and Culture
  • Rachel Horton — Director of Student Persistence
  • Monika Jaiswal-Oliver — Academic Manager, Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Brian Marth — Associate Vice President for Student Success (Co-Chair)
  • Tim McCain — Adjunct Professor of Instruction, School of Theatre and Dance
  • Dardi McGinley-Gallivan — Professor of Instruction, School of Theatre and Dance
  • Ross Sawyers — Associate Professor, School of Visual Arts
  • Jeff Sanderson — Columbia Central Counselor
  • Skye Rust — Senior Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment
  • Lauren Targ — Assistant Director, College Advising Office
  • Wenhwa Tsao — Professor and Interim Co-Director, School of Film and Television (Co-Chair)
• Brand, Reputation and Philanthropy Workstream Members
  • Zeline Bates — Adjunct Professor of Instruction, School of Communication & Culture
  • Gabriela Diaz de Sabatés — Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
  • Marcus Hamlin — Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving
  • Abby Hernandez — Student, AMA President
  • Sandra Kumorowski — Associate Professor of Instruction, School of Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Deana Lewis ’05 — Senior Director of Marketing, The Mather Group LLC
  • Allen Lucas — Coordinator of Student Organizations
  • Duncan MacKenzie — Associate Professor and Interim Director of the School of Visual Arts
  • Peg Murphy — Associate Professor, School of Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Anna Ogier-Bloomer — Associate Dean for Career Development and Industry Relations Partners
  • Jim Rohn — Associate Professor, School of Design
  • Rajah Varnado — Assistant Director of New Student Programs
  • Lauren Viera — Adjunct Professor of Instruction, School of Communication and Culture
  • Jourdan Arnaud Thompson — Senior Director of Campus Communications (Co-Chair)
  • Kubi Uner — Chair of the Graduate Council; Associate Professor and Graduate Director, School of Audio and Music (Co-Chair)
  • Michelle West — Assistant Director, Semester in LA
• Financial and Operational Efficiency Workstream Members
  • Chris Adamescu—Chief Information Security Officer
  • Nate Bakkum — Senior Associate Provost
  • Laura Bauknecht — Director of Academic Operations
  • Jerry Brindisi — Professor and Interim Director of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship (Co-Chair)
  • Natasha Egan — Executive Director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography (Co-Chair)
  • Marvery Griffin — Assistant Provost of Finance
  • Matthew Jaehrling — Associate Vice President, Controller and Treasurer
  • Ginny Johnson — Assistant Vice President for Student Financial Services
  • Ann P. Kalayil — Associate Vice President of Facilities Planning and Management
  • Kathie Koch — Associate Vice President and CIO
  • Jasmyn Leapheart — Assistant Director of Admissions and New Student Scholarships
  • John Losacco — Assistant Professor of Instruction, School of Design
  • Bernie Mack — Adjunct Professor of Instruction, School of Audio and Music
  • Devon Polderman — Academic Manager, School of Communication and Culture
  • Jesse Seay — Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Academic Programming
  • Susan Van Veen — Adjunct Professor of Instruction, School of Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Rebecca Urzua — Student, School of Audio and Music
• People and Culture Workstream Members
  • Matthew Eiler-Rillie — Coordinator of Education and Community Development
  • Taylor Hokanson — Associate Professor, School of Visual Arts
  • Lambrini Lukidis — Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications and External Relations
  • Nick McCormick — Adjunct Professor of Instruction, School of Communication and Culture
  • Jesus Monroy — Admissions Officer – Transfer Specialist
  • Charee D. Mosby-Holloway — Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion (Co-Chair)
  • Patricia Olalde — Associate Vice President, Human Resources (Co-Chair)
  • Marcos Palacios ’06 — Honorary Degree Recipient 2025
  • Pegeen Quinn — Associate Provost for Academic Personnel
  • Ron Sodini — Associate Vice President for Safety and Security
  • Laura Sturm — Adjunct Professor of Instruction, School of Theatre and Dance
  • Krista Wortendyke — Assistant Professor of Instruction, School of Design

Engagement opportunities will extend beyond the task force and workstreams. A series of listening sessions will invite input from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners. Community conversations across Chicago will unite residents, business leaders, and cultural partners in meaningful collaboration. An online forum and feedback portal will offer continuous dialogue and allow stakeholders to submit questions in advance. Structured sessions using the 4R Recovery Framework will ensure that input reflects facts, risks, opportunities, and creative solutions. These dialogues will remind us that Renaissance Rising is not simply a plan, but a movement shaped by collective imagination and shared purpose.

Download the Process and Timeline PDF

October 9, 2025: Official launch at State of the College

October–December 2025: Transformation Taskforce and workstreams are appointed; listening sessions and online forum begin; 4R sessions launched

December 2025–January 2026: Workstreams draft strategies; Transformation Taskforce integrates work

February 1, 2026: Draft strategic plan delivered to President Bolton

February 2026: Campus-wide review and feedback; Transformation Taskforce revises plan; draft submitted to Board Executive Committee

May 2026: Final plan presented to the full Board of Trustees for approval