California College of the Arts
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Strategic Plan 2004-9

For nearly one hundred years, California College of the Arts (CCA) has been dedicated to educating students to shape culture through the practice and understanding of the arts. Guiding this mission has been the fundamental belief that connecting the arts to social and political life deepens the power of creative work while making a positive contribution to the communities in which that work takes place. This principle was key to the Arts and Crafts movement of the early twentieth century, and it remains a significant part of the college's commitment to education through the arts.

In the last fifteen years, CCA has made a concerted effort to carry out its mission in a more robust and visible way, while ensuring the sustainability of the institution. With this strategic plan, CCA proposes a series of initiatives aimed at establishing the institution as a leader in education through the arts. In this capacity, CCA will offer its students the very best education an art college can offer, provide its alumni the greatest opportunities for creative work and public service, and give its communities the benefits of sharing the public sphere with a vibrant and dynamic cultural institution.

When CCA developed a comprehensive strategic plan in 1994, the college enrolled 900 students, was investigating the possibility of a permanent home in San Francisco, and had recently emerged from a period of economic instability and academic inconsistency. The 1994 plan set the stage for the acquisition of a major campus in the South of Market section of San Francisco, the completion of a successful capital campaign, and the development of new programs and recruiting strategies to boost enrollment. In 1997 this plan was revised to reflect the successes in facilities enhancement and fundraising, and to implement a more successful strategy of enrollment growth with a target of 1,500 full-time students (or the equivalent).

In 2003, having achieved the objectives set forth in the 1994 plan, the college began a new planning process. Throughout the year planning meetings were held with a variety of the college's constituencies: trustees, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. In February 2004, the board of trustees adopted the finished plan.