1. Creating an Institution-
wide Co-curricular
Development Plan
Rob Flot, Carolyn Golz, & Timothy State
Lake Forest College

2. Before We Begin…
Learning outcomes for this session:
Understand the value of an institution-wide co-curricular
development plan (CCDP).
Learn about one process of creating a CCDP.
 Develop ideas for implementing a similar initiative on your own campus.
Exposure to a CCDP informed by a philosophy that
emphasizes learning that occurs outside of the classroom.
Think about ways in which to collaborate with key
campus partners to support co-curricular student learning
and success.

3. Session Outline
 Who are we – Lake Forest College
 Why is a cohesive institution-wide CCDP important?
 What are we hoping to accomplish with our CCDP?
 The process that we followed
 Learning outcomes we have developed
 Next steps
 Discussion
 Question and answer

4. Lake Forest College
 Traditional private four-year
liberal arts college
 Founded in 1857
 ~1,500 undergraduates
 Primarily residential: ~1,150 on
campus
 37% of international students
and domestic students of color
 30 miles north of downtown
Chicago
 13,500 Alumni
 ~5,000 within an hour of campus

5. Importance of CCDP
 Rationale
 It is commonly agreed that a fair portion of a college student’s education
takes place outside of the classroom, whether it is by participating in
clubs and sports, volunteering for a charity, leading a student
organization, seeing a professor during office hours, or attending a
College-sponsored lecture or concert.
 Philosophy
 The CCDP will help all co-curricular departments focus their efforts and
resources more collaboratively, constructively, and intentionally, without
the need for additional resources.

6. What we hope to accomplish
 The CCDP is an initiative designed to provide a co-
curricular learning process that is:
 Congruent
 Intentional
 Systematic
 In addition, the CCDP will be a benefit if we can
demonstrate to prospective students and parents a “value-
added” component to the overall student experience at the
College by providing a co-curricular experience that is:
 Rich
 Relevant
 Unique

7. Our Process
 Community building/ engagement initiative
 Initially a Student Affairs strategic programming initiative: researching
other Student Affairs mission statements and higher ed co-curricular core
values
 Resulted in creation of a mission and vision for Student Affairs and 7 core
values
 The values and objectives that emerged led us to consider how other co-
curricular departments might fit into a campus-wide learning model
 Campus-wide collaboration led to an evolution from Student Affairs CCDP
to the Forester Five
 The initiative then went from one singular large group, to include three
subcommittees
 Template Development and Assessment
 Publicity and Marketing
 Implementation

8. Revisiting our path
As the initiative evolved and
grew larger, we needed to
reconsider our initial plan.
Imagine…
We’re taking a trip.
Where do we want to go?
How do we want to get there?
Can’t we all just get along?

9. Our Process
From 7 core values …
 Holistic Development
 Learning
 Engagement
 Diversity
 Citizenship
 Responsibility
 Integrity
…to the “Forester Five: Creating a
Legacy”
 Think with Purpose
 Engage in Community
 Lead the Way
 Champion Diversity
 Strive to Achieve

10. Working with Key Constituents
 Admissions
 Athletics
 Career Advancement Center
 Center for Chicago Programs
 Communications and Marketing
 Dean of Faculty
 Dean of Students
 Development and Alumni Relations
 Health & Wellness Center
 Intercultural Relations
 Residence Life
 Student Life/Student Center

11. Learning Outcomes
CHAMPION DIVERSITY
 Description
 The College’s mission statement encourages our students to embrace cultural diversity and learn to
become effective members of the global community. Students will become adept at approaching
differences openly, honestly, and respectfully; enriching their educational experience by learning from
and about each other. We value diversity in our ethnic and cultural backgrounds, in equal measure to
the breadth and depth of the variety of experiences our students, staff, and faculty bring to campus.
 Goal
 Lake Forest College students will, as a part of their co-curricular experiences, develop understanding,
respect, appreciation for the diverse cultures and experiences of the community members around them.
Students will be prepared to live, work, and serve, respectfully and responsibly, in the immediate,
societal, and global community.
 Learning Outcomes
During their co-curricular experience at the College, Lake Forest College students will:
 Define and understand the multiple, intersecting, and evolving aspects of their own social and cultural
identities;
 Explore, understand, and respect the different beliefs, behaviors, values, and worldviews of individuals
in their community;
 Engage in intercultural dialogue to understand communication, interpersonal, and contextual dynamics
between and among cultural groups;
 Practice respectful ways of interacting with individuals across cultural differences; and
 Display social responsibility and ethical service to others in their community.

12. Next Steps…
 Presenting to committees, governance groups, faculty &
administrative staff meetings
 Discuss in relation to current strategic planning process
 Brochure for sharing across campus
 Involve students
 Implement Fall 2013: pre-launch, launch, & post-launch
 Assessment

13. Discussion
 Do any of your campuses have something similar?
 What might a co-curricular development plan look like on your
campus?
 What key stakeholders would you want to include in the process?
 Red flags or concerns?

14. Questions?
Rob Flot
Dean of Students
flot@lakeforest.edu
Carolyn Golz
Senior Associate Dean of Students
golz@lakeforest.edu
Timothy State
Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations
state@lakeforest.edu