About the National Catholic Student Coalition Mission Statement The National Catholic Student Coalition (NCSC), as the representative voice of Catholic collegians, provides students with the necessary resources, network, and partners in order to aid in the formation of faith-filled Catholics. In turn, we strive to empower students to take ownership of their Faith and enable them to grow as current and future leaders of the Church. Guided by this mission, we provide students with the ability to utilize the ideals of the USCCB’s pastoral letter, Empowered by the Spirit, in order to live the Gospel in their collegiate lives. Vision Statement NCSC strives to aid students to form their identity as Catholics and strengthen its role as the voice of Catholic collegians to the bishops, Church, and world at large. In order to open avenues for active leadership and participation of students in the Church, NCSC will enhance its partnership with its network of organizations. NCSC will improve its role in students’ transition through campus ministry. NCSC’s Values The NCSC commits to - participate actively in Roman Catholic Church;
- represent U.S. Catholic students in national and international forums;
- encourage formation and support of regional, territorial, and state coalitions;
- provide opportunities for spiritual growth;
- affiliate with organizations with common goals;
- nurture leadership;
- offer opportunities for community service;
- provide positive Catholic role models;
- support vocational discernment; and
- facilitate career and faith integration.About the Strategic Plan
NCSC’s Strengths - Dedicated leaders: NCSC has energetic, spiritual, honest and dedicated leaders
- There is great synergistic energy created at the Annual Leadership Conference
- Conference: The annual conference is an opportunity for outreach and evangelization for Catholic campus ministry.
- Leadership development: NCSC develops leaders through practical experience working on committees, regional teams, and the Executive Board.
- Networking: Students have the opportunity to connect with other Catholic students from around the nation and the world in many different venues, such as the Alliance and the USCCB.
NCSC’s Opportunities - Partnership: We have the chance for greater recognition, acceptance, and resource development through working with organizations that have similar missions.
- College students are in a time of great formation, and constitute a largely inactive and often overlooked part of the Church.
- Alumni & Development: This team has the opportunity to greatly increase the resources for Catholic college students, including financial development and mentoring.
- Technology: As technology evolves, NCSC has the opportunity to provide greater resources and tools to students and campus ministry programs in more effective and convenient formats, such as the on-line Resource Bank and the on-line Forum.
- Executive Director/National Office: This position represents a great opportunity for growth in the entire organization by providing leadership development, administrative services, greater continuity, and a central hub for the Coalition.
- Outreach at and immediately after conference: in the high energy following the annual conference, NCSC has the opportunity to draw greater involvement from members and promote the ideals of our mission.
NCSC’s Strategic Challenges - Other campus ministry movements: Lines of communication do not currently exist between NCSC and other campus ministry movements.
- Focus: There are many projects NCSC attempts which we are unable to effectively complete because of our limited resources. There is a need to reprioritize our primary goals.
- Turnover of leadership & overworked students: Because of our structure and the nature of student life, the Board is not only forced to manage and lead, it also must deal with annual turn over.
- Finances & Development: NCSC’s lack of financial resources severely inhibits our ability to minister to the students we seek to serve.
- Secular society: Individualism, moral relativism, materialism, and consumerism present challenges to the organization and to our students. NCSC is, at least in part, responsible for helping Catholic college students live in the world without being of it.
- Low membership/conference attendance: While we do provide other programming, Conference is nonetheless our main event and the means by which we come together, learn about our faith, and educate about how to live as a Catholic college student. Low attendance and membership indicates that NCSC is not reaching its constituency.
- Public awareness: It seems this area may be the root cause for low conference attendance, etc., and if so we need to increase awareness of NCSC and its function.
Strategic Initiatives Voice Seek to broaden, strengthen, and fundamentally enhance NCSC as the voice for Catholic college students to bishops, the Church, and the world. Goals: - Improve communication with coalition through The Collegian
- Utilize Catholic media for advertisement, outreach, and information dissemination activities
- Maintain and update webpage
- Increase participation at Annual Leadership Conference
- Create brochures and other printed material to promote NCSC
- Implement a student representative board to provide voice of student membership from across the US
- Communicate and coordinate projects with partner & affiliate Catholic campus ministry organizations
- Identify key organizations with which to form a new or stronger working relationship
Development & Organizational Advancement Seek to create a coalition financially self sufficient, capable of accomplishing its many goals. Goals: - Hire an Executive Director by Summer 2007
- Improve leadership resources available to Board
- Cultivate relationships with donors and prospects
- Establish endowment fund
- Relocate National Office to Washington, D.C.
- Increase interaction with Church organizations and leaders
- Interact with key Catholic movements in the DC area
- Increase alumni membership by cultivating relationships with and providing resources to alumni
Leadership Seek to improve leadership structure through servant leadership, delegation, and a restructured approach to selection. Goals: - Provide means for continuity of information, plans, history, and past decisions for Board members during transitioning periods
- Create and maintain a document containing resources for Boards to use throughout each year to maintain continuous growth: development, leadership, NCSC history, and other information
- Research the effectiveness of current leadership structure and selection process
- Identify processes of leadership selection used by other Catholic organizations
- Determine the need for restructuring the National Team positions; committees, regional teams, etc.
Membership Seek to significantly improve the format, size, and benefits of membership in NCSC. Goals: - Clarify member benefits
- Increase membership
- Cultivate relationships with campus ministries and collegians, through personal contact
- Establish at least one program in one region per year
- Institute a “Student Congress” with representatives from each regional, state, and diocesan level across the US to serve as a voice to the National Team
Spirituality Seek to instill in NCSC a guiding spirit that motivates and influences every action. Goals: - Develop an ongoing relationship with vocations directors through National Team’s Vocation Liaison
- Form an improved spiritual direction for National Team, committees, and regional teams
- Define “conscience” in modern language for Catholic collegians
- Use Catholic doctrine and resources to educate on Church teachings
- Instill faithful citizenship practices in NCSC members
- Educate students on social justice issues
- Revitalize on-line Resource Bank
- Distill information and resources into student perspective
- Plan annual service projects
- Co-sponsor events with other Catholic organizations
- Produce preparatory materials for those participating in service projects
|
