EUREKA -- College of the Redwoods has developed a plan for the next four years.

The Board of Trustees approved the strategic plan in June, and the final document was released this week.

It outlines CR's goals for 2004 through 2007. A committee of students, staff, administrators and faculty developed the plan based on input from community comment sessions last fall. Students, faculty, staff and community members participated in 15 sessions throughout the Redwoods Community College District, which includes Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties. More than 430 people participated.

After a mission statement and background information, the 14-page document lists goals in five areas: access, curriculum, economic vitality, inclusiveness and diversity, and outreach and marketing.

Goals to increase access include offering classes in more locations as well as through distance learning, and holding more classes on nights and weekends. Working with mass transit agencies and developing a district-wide carpooling system is another goal.

Curriculum goals include expanding programs in technology and in health occupations, strengthening the arts program and agriculture program, and exploring the feasibility of a water and waste management certificate.

Economic vitality goals include: encouraging advanced placement and dual enrollment for high school students; providing customized training for business and industry needs; strengthening partnerships with other institutions like Humboldt State University and the Eureka Adult School; collaborating with other agencies to provide effective training for entrepreneurs; and continuing to participate in regional economic development activities.

Diversity should be "far more than annual events or a campus diversity statement" but instead woven into the college, the plan states. Goals to achieve this include increased training for faculty, staff and administrators on diversity-related issues. The college hopes to provide outreach to low-income residents and those who don't speak English, and may look at helping members of various groups (such as single parents and senior citizens) among the CR population find one another.

Outreach and marketing goals include reaching out to the Latino community, American Indians, senior citizens and K-12 schools, including "populations of young people who may not think that college is even a possibility for them," the plan states. Other goals include using the website to keep the community informed; creating Spanish-language advertising; and continuing free distribution of the class schedules, particularly making sure the schedules are in all area high schools.

Some of the goals are described as actions to take soon, while the plan calls for simply "exploring" others. CR President Casey Crabill said the college may have to review these priorities as the budget allows. Community colleges' funding has been slashed in the last few years of state budget deficits.

But Crabill said having written goals documented in the strategic plan may help CR find funding to achieve them, since clearly stated priorities may make it easier to seek grants, for example.

"We really think our job is to make the budget support what we think we should do, and not be totally driven by the budget," she said.