The Akilah Institute for Women Strategic Plan Framework 2015 2018 The Akilah Institute for Women is an accredited college for women in East Africa, with campuses in Kigali, Rwanda and Bujumbura, Burundi. Akilah offers a unique model of market relevant education designed to empower graduates for success in professional careers and leadership roles. Akilah s goal is to prepare promising young women to pursue productive and purposeful lives and in so doing, transform their families, communities and nations. Our vision is to build future generations of women leaders and professionals through the development of a network of campuses across East Africa, graduating 1,000 students by the year 2020. Key accomplishments: 140 alumni 100% internship placement rate 90% job placement rate 3 Diploma programs in Entrepreneurship, Information Systems and Hospitality Management 60+ private sector partners Accreditation from the Rwandan and Burundian governments Strong brand recognition in Rwanda and Burundi for women s education and job placement Plan Summary Over the next three years, Akilah will become known as an institute of excellence for young leaders recognized for results in job placement and leadership development. To achieve this, Akilah will focus on enhancing the quality and impact of its academic instruction and education employment support. At the same time, Akilah will develop the necessary infrastructure that will allow us to grow in size and scope while making measurable progress towards increasing scale and financial sustainability.
We will focus on five strategic goals: 1) Strengthen the Academic Experience 2) Strengthen the Campus Operations and Culture 3) Strengthen Akilah s Brand in the Community 4) Strengthen Career Opportunities 5) Strengthen Financial Sustainability Goals and Objectives Goal 1: Strengthen the Academic Experience Curriculum & Faculty Akilah will create engaging academic programs that are distinguished by their market relevance, rigor, and high quality of instruction. Akilah faculty will receive the necessary training and professional development to create a student centered academic environment. (A) Objective: Attain and maintain excellence in all academic programs Complete curriculum development, learning assessments and objectives for all three majors and conduct periodic reviews to assess their relevance and rigor Finalize decision on move to competency based education and, if approved, revise curricula and teaching methodology accordingly. Develop a comprehensive course outcome assessment based on the curriculum framework for each major Offer Bachelor s degree either through an accredited program at Akilah or through a partnership with another institution Further incorporate innovative pedagogy and technology into the academic model for increased student engagement and learning outcomes (B) Objective: Create an environment of high quality instruction to enhance student learning Create rigorous orientation and professional development programs for faculty to develop skills in innovative pedagogies, new technologies and classroom management, holding faculty accountable for meeting established curriculum standards
Develop a new performance management system with clear guidelines for goals and learning objectives Set up a fund to support instructors pursuit of masters and PhD programs Strengthen partnerships with global academic institutions to create more opportunities for faculty exchanges and visiting professors Create a management training program in order to invest in future campus program managers and directors (C) Objective: Design an academic governance system to ensure quality control across multiple campuses Establish a Chief Academic Officer position or the equivalent function to oversee the Institute s academic quality, strategy, curriculum, and professional development Create new leadership roles to support student and faculty operations including Dean of Faculty and Dean of Students (D) Objective: Create the tools and infrastructure to track and validate Akilah s impact Create a rigorous monitoring and evaluation system to track and evaluate incoming student data, academic progress, and graduate outcomes Develop internal management systems for utilizing data to inform decision making and highlighting areas for program improvement Strengthen the process for quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis and impact reporting Goal 2: Strengthen the Campus Operations and Culture Internal Systems & Student Affairs Akilah will develop a model of women s education that can be scaled across the region. By 2020, the Akilah total student body will increase to 950 full time students on three campuses with more than 1,000 alumnae. New opportunities will be created for cross campus learning and exchange. (A) Objective: Invest in the governance mechanisms and structures, internal systems and human capital to support rapid expansion
Invest in key management positions within a campus based structure that allows a reasonable degree of autonomy enabling efficient operational decision making Create an HR department for campuses and the US office and to develop new functions including employee relations, professional development, compensation and benefits, performance management, recruitment, enrolment and retention Offer management training for staff and faculty who demonstrate high potential for career advancement Upgrade and implement new policies and procedures for enhanced internal controls and operational effectiveness to ensure the credibility and integrity of the institution Analyze the current technology infrastructure and scope out the next level of information technology and financial systems needed to support growth (B) Objective: Diversify Akilah s product offerings to reach new audiences, contribute to financial sustainability and efforts to reach scale Develop or adapt the necessary materials to effectively deliver Akilah s academic model to a variety of new constituencies Launch an Executive Education program that offers short evening and weekend courses for corporate partners and working professionals Scale the number of students utilizing Akilah s curriculum by expanding into secondary schools and through an online education platform (C) Objective: Create a nurturing campus culture that supports each student in her personal and academic development Incorporate best practices in the development and management of student life programs and extracurricular activities while increasing the available options Strengthen campus culture by designing multiple ways to reinforce the community pledge and campus values Publicly recognize students and alumni who embody Akilah values Goal 3: Strengthen Akilah s Brand in the Community Admissions & Enrollment
Akilah will be the destination of choice for young women seeking career education who are highly motivated and have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership experience in their communities. Akilah will create a model of tuition that offers financing options and scholarship packages based on financial need. (A) Objective: Elevate admissions standards to better align acceptance with likelihood of student success Conduct necessary evaluation to clearly define the traits of the ideal candidate profile and criteria for acceptance Create an admissions rubric that accurately assesses each student s potential for success based on academic history, leadership experience, and personal motivation Increase the selectivity of the admissions process to increase retention rates and alumnae career success Develop and roll out an admissions marketing plan that covers application, deposit, enrollment and retention Incorporate the use of technology into our admissions department to improve the effectiveness of our targeted outreach and the tracking of students through the process Build a diverse student body of women from various income levels and geographic locations (B) Objective: Develop a new recruitment and branding strategy to position Akilah as an institute of excellence for young leaders Strengthen our relationships with new and future recruitment partners by holding regular information sessions throughout the country and hosting potential students on campus Develop marketing campaigns for each major to strategically reach target demographics in secondary schools and various industries Engage alumnae where possible in targeted recruitment and marketing efforts Incorporate past data and learnings to develop a strategic recruitment plan Leverage career development data, alumnae success stories, and key employer partnerships to create a compelling narrative
Increase the visibility of key Akilah leaders to position the organization as a thought leader in women s education and career development (C) Objective: Create a tuition model that contributes to the Institute s financial sustainability while offering needs based financing options and scholarship support Determine a students appropriate tuition level by developing a system that analyzes income level and ability to pay Develop a plan that provides financial aid and payment options for students Transition away from the current model of 90% scholarship to a pricing structure that is aligned with market rates Ensure the continued success of our student loan program to offer reliable and affordable financing options and need based institutional aid Goal 4: Strengthen Career Opportunities Career Development Akilah will prepare its students to launch and advance in meaningful professional careers. Akilah graduates will be in high demand by employers across multiple industries and will be empowered to start their own businesses. (A) Objective: Improve the quality of the Career Development office to effectively serve the needs of students, alumnae and employment partners Intensify our career placement services to ensure a minimum of 80 percent job placement within 6 months of graduation Provide holistic and thorough career development support to students from their first day on campus through graduation, including career assessments, interview prep, resume writing, and more (B) Objective: Enhance current partnerships with employers and identify new partnerships across multiple industries Create a strategy to host ongoing events and information sessions on campus to engage and educate employment partners Increase the rigor of our outreach to collect feedback and suggestions on Akilah curriculum and their experiences with interns Develop electronic tools to facilitate employer s recruitment of our graduates and students
Ensure the market relevancy of all academic programs through continued and open communication with partners, assessing market trends and creating opportunities for students to gain practical experience in the workforce (C) Objective: Create a strong alumni affairs program that builds community among the Akilah network and offers continued opportunities for campus engagement Build a robust Alumni Services program to provide ongoing engagement and learning opportunities such as quarterly networking events and seminars, updates on job openings, and continued professional development Develop electronic tools to track graduate activities and outcomes such as job promotions, family developments and more Provide limited support for graduate led initiatives on a pilot basis, through mechanisms such as the Akilah Enterprise Fund Goal 5: Strengthen Financial Sustainability Akilah will expand and diversify its revenue base by developing the systems and operations needed to achieve sustainability and scale and thereby reducing dependence on international donors. (A) Objective: Create a tuition model that covers 40% of campus costs through tuition revenue by the year 2025 Develop a sliding scale of tuition that awards scholarship support based on financial need rather than the current system of the same tuition fee for all students (B) Objective: Increase funds raised through individual donors, foundations, and corporations in the U.S. and globally Establish a permanent development team focused on individuals (major gifts, events), institutions (trusts & foundations), and corporate sponsorship, led by Director of Growth & Capital Develop and roll out a three year development plan for Akilah with annual fundraising targets and milestones Develop a marketing and communications plan and integrate that plan into Akilah s development efforts to enhance visibility and drive resources
Explore opportunities to develop shared value corporate partnerships in the U.S., East Africa and globally Build out an engagement model for Akilah Leadership Councils, Ambassadors and Board Strengthen the involvement of the US Board of Directors by holding regular in person meetings, forming a development sub committee and adding additional members Establish an endowment fund to provide ongoing support in the medium to long term (C) Objective: Increase earned revenue through income generating activities and social enterprise Identify opportunities for campus based social enterprises operated by Akilah students and/or alumnae Launch fee based Executive Education courses in the evenings and weekends for working professionals Offer custom corporate training programs with key partners such as Kate Spade and other companies operating in the region
Appendix A