With a healthier financial foundation and an upward enrollment trend, Greenville College sets its sights on new opportunities for program development and expansion with the establishment of the Office of Strategic Innovation. Led by Dr. Dave Holden, newly named associate vice president for Strategic Innovation, the office conducts program research and testing, develops mock programs, and works with consultants to ascertain future direction and goals. “We are always looking for unmet educational needs and figuring out the best way to meet these needs,” states Holden. 

As a first step, the office commits to listen, both to internal and external variables. These variables include current events and culture as well as the passions held in common by Greenville College students and faculty. After deciphering this information, new ideas are nurtured in an atmosphere resembling an incubator. During this stage, ideas are refined, challenged and tested.

While Strategic Innovation may develop a great number of ideas, there is a rigorous process in place in order for an idea to become an educational program at Greenville College. If an idea is workable, it becomes a concept. After further examination the concept may move to the proposal stage. After the research and proposal are complete, the proposal has to be approved internally (Greenville College) and externally (State and Government regulations) before the college proceeds to the implementation stage.

Several non-traditional and graduate programs at Greenville College have proved successful in meeting the needs of such students. UTEP, the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program partnership with Lewis & Clark and Kaskaskia community colleges, went from zero to over 90 students enrolled by the end of its first year in place. Hundreds of GC undergraduate Education alumni and regional educators are taking advantage of MAE (Master of Arts in Education) and MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) graduate offerings. The big brother of non-traditional GC programming, GOAL (Greenville College Opportunities in Adult Learning), continues to provide an accelerated degree-completion program for adult learners in numerous regional sites across south-central Illinois. Key factors in the success of these programs, extensive research and meticulous development, have ensured that the needs of non-traditional and graduate students are met in an effective manner.

Greenville College also has an agreement with Lincoln Christian College that allows LCC Education majors to complete the final two years of their major Academic Highlights through Greenville College on Lincoln's campus, since the LCC Education program is not state-approved. This partnership allows LCC Education majors to finish their degree without having to leave Lincoln and transfer to Greenville. This program is currently in the external approval stage. Once it has been approved, it will begin operation.

Another program currently in the proposal stage, an Inverse Degree program with Kaskaskia College, awaits faculty approval. The Inverse Degree will be offered to Kaskaskia students who have already completed an Associate in Applied Science (a vocational degree) but need to take General Education courses in order to complete a bachelor's degree. The General Education courses will be offered at Kaskaskia through Greenville College, and, upon completion, the student will receive a bachelor's degree from Greenville. Degree programs under consideration include General Studies, Management (with a Marketing minor) and Marketing (with a Management minor).

In addition, the Office of Strategic Innovation has recognized the passion for global impact shared by Greenville students, faculty and staff. With new interest and energy in serving underdeveloped countries, the college dreams of substantive academic programming ... possibly a joint focus on missions and economic development. Ongoing efforts in Rwanda with Dwight Jackson, former GC professor, and Food for the Hungry make Africa a prime location for this initiative.

This long-term commitment to innovation and productivity will allow Greenville College to realize new dreams ... for the institution and for the students we serve. Dr. Holden, with GC faculty and staff, will continue to seek opportunities for growth and development as new realities prove feasible and profitable for the institution.

"Some of our fastest growing majors – music business and digital media did not exist 5-10 years ago. How will these programs and our other older majors evolve? What are the new programs of 2010 and beyond?" states Holden. "The answer, in many cases to these questions, is to just listen; listen to our faculty, alums, brothers and sisters in missions work, community college partners and many others. These experts will often give us the needed keys to create degree programs matching faculty passion in their discipline with the needs of the students and world. My job is to help in this search for ideas and ways to make programs come alive. President Mannoia has made it a priority to make innovation a more intentional part of our planning. It is a challenging but really fun responsibility. Any ideas?"

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