Language to Public

Cascadia Community College is proud to call itself a learning organization and a learning college. To the employees and students of Cascadia, these terms set the college apart and provide an identity for the institution.

Cascadia opened its doors to its first students in fall 2000. In the years leading up to Cascadia's grand opening, these labels and terms were helpful in recruiting administrators and faculty who were eager to be part of an innovative environment. As Cascadia was introduced to the public and gained exposure to people not familiar with education or business terms, it became apparent that Cascadia's language did not translate well. The general public does not know how a learning college differs from a regular college, nor do they necessarily know the philosophy behind a learning organization.

As a result, the college had to take measures to adapt its language, without diffusing its meaning and importance. At Cascadia, to be a learning college means that all students and all employees are learners, constantly striving to improve themselves. They are seekers of innovation, and focused on learning.

Being a learning college also means "learner centered." The student is the focus. In the classroom, each instructor strives to include everyone to help make each student successful. Pedagogies are varied, including group work, student presentations, rather than just relying on faculty lectures. The four learning outcomes of Learn Actively, Communicate with Clarity, Interact in Diverse and Complex Environments, and Think Critically are incorporated into the pedagogies.

Learner centered also means that students have a responsibility to be an active learner. They must be engaged in the classroom to take advantage of the various learning opportunities. The college quickly realized that if incoming students have an understanding about how Cascadia is unique before they arrive, they are more apt to succeed. A first step in making that happen was to translate and revise Cascadia's vision.

Cascadia's original vision was, "Cascadia Community College will be the learning college for the 21st century." It became clear that the public didn't understand the importance of this vision, often saying, "Of course it's a learning college, that's what you do you at college."

At the first all-college strategic planning retreat in December 2000, a new vision was created. The new vision is now, "Cascadia Community College will be a community of learners pioneering innovative pathways to successful learning." This vision successfully adapts the language to have a very similar meaning as the former vision, but is understood by the general public.

Taking it a step further, the college has adopted a tagline, "Learning for the Future." This tagline is similar to the former vision, "Learning College for the 21st Century," but resonates with more people. People don't necessarily have to understand what a learning college is, but they can understand that Cascadia is innovative and on the cutting edge, and students graduating from Cascadia will be prepared for the future.

View these and other exciting initiatives by clicking on the options to the left.