Futures Thinking
A critical component of MiraCosta’s focus on IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility) is ensuring we are creating the just, equitable, and sustainable future we want to build at the college and that we can impact the future by the decisions we make today. We invest in futures learning and planning because we live in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world which requires institutions of higher education to engage in intentional planning given the timeline to make institution-wide changes. MiraCosta College is committed to empowering our campus community to be prepared for possible transformative changes in higher education and in our surrounding community and be responsive to building a MiraCosta College of the future.
History
In 2020, MiraCosta College, like other institutions of higher education, wrestled with the immediate challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and the accompanying economic and racial injustice. The college recognized the importance of creating a futures-focused framework and culture to ensure the campus was prepared for shifts and changes in the face of VUCA times. The college leadership, inclusive of deans, vice presidents, and the president, engaged in a series of trainings on “futurist thinking” methods. This kicked off a year dedicated to embedding futures thinking into the college planning and engaged a broad group of stakeholders including administrators, trustees, students, faculty and staff members. Since then, MiraCosta has launched a course dedicated to providing employees with a foundation in futures thinking “Developing a Futures Mindset” and has continued the work of embedding futures into course planning. Administrators, Board of Trustee members, departments under the Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility and the Office of Institutional Advancement engaged in trainings and dialogue throughout the summer and fall of 2023 to look at 4 scenarios or alternative futures and measure the campus’ readiness and planning for them.
Developing a Futures Mindset
Course for MiraCosta College employees
What will the future of MiraCosta College look like? This 4-week self-paced virtual course provides a foundation for how futures thinking can help us understand who will be in our community and classrooms. Learn how distant signals from other fields and sectors can impact higher education and how we might prepare for the equity impacts of those signals.
Join the more than 100 MiraCosta employees who have completed futures training and sign-up for the next cohort to become a part of the community of the growing future at MiraCosta! Sign-up for the Spring semester 2024 cohort starting April 1st.
Signal Spotters!
Designed for employees who have completed futures-thinking training or taken the canvas course, Signal Spotters! is a community of practice that meets monthly to discuss current signals and using the two-curves framework discuss implications of specific signals and a potential shift from today’s way of doing things to understanding and being prepared for disruptive change. Sign-up to participate in the Signal Spotters community.
Fundamentals of Futures Thinking
Course for individuals or organizations external to MiraCosta College
Is your organization struggling to keep up with an ever-changing world? Are you tired of reacting rather than being proactive? Supercharge your strategic approach by creating a futures-thinking community within your institution. This 4-week course introduces the fundamentals for thinking like a futurist and provides participants with ideas on how to infuse futures thinking throughout the areas and processes of your organization to help keep you future-focused.
The course will progress with new topics and discussions or exercises introduced each week. Progression through the materials is self-paced.
Questions? Contact idea@miracosta.edu for additional information about MiraCosta’s futures work or ways to get involved.
