Performance Excellence at Northwest Technical College NTC’s Approach to Continuous Quality Improvement

EXCELLENCE .. Academic Excellence Institutional Excellence Co-Curricular Excellence Individual Excellence Service Excellence

Academic Excellence How do we know? Learner achievement Placement Graduation Program accreditations Program review Enrollment

Institutional Excellence How do we know? Accountability Indicators (MnSCU) College Scorecard Efficiency Measures Quality Indicators Accreditation AQIP Systems Appraisal

Co-Curricular Excellence How do we know? Satisfaction rates Participation rates Perkins accountability measures Enrollment Learner retention

Individual Excellence How do we know? Certifications and licensure Educational credentials Performance Reviews Professional Development participation Achievement of growth goals

Service Excellence How do we know? Learner and constituent satisfaction Retention Reputation How are we doing? feedback

Performance Excellence System What is NTC’s Performance Excellence System and how does it work? We have mission/purposes, values, priorities, goals, objectives, action strategies, processes, measures…. how do they all fit together? Why are we using a Systems approach?

Who gives us what we need PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE THROUGH A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT Processes Series of activities performed to achieve results Who does it How we do it Suppliers People or organizations that provide inputs Who gives us what we need InputsWhat we need Inputs People, material, information, supplies, etc., required to perform job Stakeholders People impacted by results or that receive outputs. Who we do it for Outputs Product or service produced from process. Output What we produce Learning Processes Learning Design/ Curriculum Development Instructional Delivery Learning Assessment Registration Scheduling Planning Feedback Grading High Schools Colleges Community Recruiters Various Vendors Taxpayers MnSCU Board Chancellor Legislature Employers Learners Etc. Learners Employers Community Businesses State Other Employees Other Colleges, schools Funding agencies Alumni Etc. Learners Faculty and staff Administration Facilities Supplies Technology Educational Materials Equipment Finances Policies, Goals Etc. More knowledgeable learner Curriculum—courses, programs Learning activity Evidence of learning Grade/transcript Degrees, diplomas Contract Policies, Goals Etc. Student Support Processes Counseling Financial Aid Academic Support Registration HR Processes Staff Development Recruitment Affirmative Action Performance Improvement Certification Admin. Process Union Processes Strat Planning Decision-Making Data Collection Budgeting Payroll Planning Meet/Confer Results

What? Northwest Technical College’s Performance Excellence System Northwest Technical College’s Performance Excellence System is aligned with the Higher Learning Commission’s Academic Quality Improvement Project Categories of Excellence: Through conscious adherence to these PRINCIPLES… FOCUS A mission and vision that focuses on learners’ and other constituencies’ needs. INVOLVEMENT Broad-based faculty, staff, and administrative involvement. LEADERSHIP Leaders and leadership systems that support a quality culture. LEARNING A learning-centered environment. PEOPLE Respect for people and willingness to invest in them (faculty, staff, and administrators). COLLABORATION Collaboration and a shared institutional focus. AGILITY Agility, flexibility, and responsiveness to changing needs and conditions. FORESIGHT Planning for innovation and improvement. INFORMATION Fact-based information-gathering and thinking to support analysis and decision-making. INTEGRITY Integrity and responsible institutional citizenship. We will strive to achieve excellence in all of these categories of our performance… WHAT we do and WHY we do it (context), HOW we do it (process), HOW WELL we do it (results) and then MAKING IMPROVEMENTS based on the results. HELPING STUDENTS LEARN Identifies the shared purpose of all higher education organizations, and is accordingly the pivot of any institutional quality analysis. ACCOMPLISHING OTHER DISTINCTIVE OBJECTIVES Addresses the processes that contribute to the achievement of an institution's major objectives that complement student learning and fulfill other portions of the institution's mission. UNDERSTANDING LEARNERS’ AND OTHER CONSTITUENCIES’ NEEDS Examines how a quality-driven institution, knowing it will ultimately be judged by all of those external or internal individuals and groups that have a major stake in the institution's success, works actively to understand their needs. VALUING PEOPLE Allows the higher education institution to demonstrate its commitment to the development of the talents of all of its faculty, staff, and administrators since the efforts of all are required for institutional success. LEADING AND COMMUNICATING Addresses how an institution's leadership and communication structures, networks, and processes guide the institution in setting directions, making decisions, seeking future opportunities, and building and sustaining a learning environment. The leadership system includes not only those who have day-to-day supervisory or decision-making responsibility to manage the institution, but also the oversight entities (boards). SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONAL OPERATIONS Addresses the variety of institutional support processes that, while they do not directly impact student learning, help to provide an environment in which learning can thrive. MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS Examines the information system the institution employs to collect and use data to responsibly manage itself and to drive performance improvement. PLANNING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Examines how an institution aligns what it wants or hopes to do with what it actually does. BUILDING COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS Examines an institution's relationships -current and potential - to analyze how they contribute to the institution's accomplishing its mission. EXCELLENCE …through purposeful attention to…

Northwest Technical College’s Commitment to Performance Excellence Northwest Technical College’s PURPOSE is to educate individuals for employment and for life—to prepare our learners to be skilled, resourceful, and imaginative leaders who will effectively address the challenges of life in a technological society, a pluralistic nation, and a multicultural world. How will we do this? Through conscious adherence to these AQIP PRINCIPLES… FOCUS A mission and vision that focuses on learners’ and other constituencies’ needs. INVOLVEMENT Broad-based faculty, staff, and administrative involvement. LEADERSHIP Leaders and leadership systems that support a quality culture. LEARNING A learning-centered environment. PEOPLE Respect for people and willingness to invest in them (faculty, staff, and administrators). COLLABORATION Collaboration and a shared institutional focus. AGILITY Agility, flexibility, and responsiveness to changing needs and conditions. FORESIGHT Planning for innovation and improvement. INFORMATION Fact-based information-gathering and thinking to support analysis and decision-making. INTEGRITY Integrity and responsible institutional citizenship. …we will take actions to accomplish these STRATEGIC PRIORITIES… Action Strategies, Process Improvements, and Performance Targets …through the implementation of planned, deployed, and assessed… EXCELLENCE …by pursuing these STRATEGIC GOALS… Be recognized as a LEARNING CENTERED college that ANTICIPATES and RESPONDS to constituency needs; Is OUTCOMES and ASSESSMENT driven; Is TECHNOLOGICALLY centered; Provides LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES for all; and Is a PARTNERING and LEVERAGING institution That is CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING. LEARNER FOCUS We will increase retention by serving the academic and co-curricular needs of all individuals through leadership, pluralism and reasoned discourse… LEARNING ENVIRONMENT by creating and sustaining a campus milieu that encourages excellence, builds community, promotes involvement, supports personal and professional growth, values diversity and engenders pride. ALIGNMENT We will effectively align programs and services with Bemidji State University and other partners to leverage effectiveness, efficiency and opportunities for all, and… FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY we will identify fiscal opportunity that enhances our ability to provide quality technological education to our region, state and nation. STRENGTH THROUGH GROWTH We will achieve growth by strengthening existing and developing new programs, and … QUALITY REPUTATION the college will be recognized as the region’s premiere technological learning center because of its innovative programming, its growth through partnerships and by continuously improving.

We plan and implement Action Strategies by… NTC’s Integrated Academic and Strategic Planning Process What is our purpose? Identify/Update Mission Who do we serve? Identify Constituents What do they need? Assess constituents’ needs What do we do to meet their needs? Identify Key Outcomes, Processes, Products, and Services We plan and implement Action Strategies by… How do we know how well we meet their needs? Identify Key Outcome Measures and Performance Indicators FEEDBACK LOOP Determine needs Conduct assessment/collect data Analyze data/assessment results Determine program impact Regularly review and update master plans How can we improve how well we meet their needs? Establish goals/objectives based on assessment results How will we achieve our goals/objectives? Plan action strategies Implement action strategies

NTC’s Quality Teams Purpose: to assist the college leadership in developing and deploying action strategies to meet college goals. Each team is also assigned to champion at least one AQIP category. Academic Team Recruitment and Retention Team Continuous Quality Improvement Team Operations Team Executive Team

NORTHWEST TECHNICAL COLLEGE PLANNING STRUCTURE Dean of Academic and Co-Curricular Affairs Counselor/Co-Curricular Services Coordinator Director of Institutional Effectiveness Business Manager Provost Academic Team CHARGE: Academic Planning Program Review process Planning for faculty development Assessment of learning Review Academic Program Improvement reports Issues related to instruction New program development Faculty relicensure Enrollment goals #1 HELPING STUDENTS LEARN #4 VALUING PEOPLE CHAMPIONS Recruitment and Retention Team CHARGE: Recruitment/Retention Planning Enroll. Manage proc Recruiting processes Retention processes College marketing ops Scholarship manage Alumni activities Learner appeals proc Placement processes #2 ACCOMP DISTINCTIVE OBJ. #3 UNDERSTANDING LEARNER/STAKEHLDNEEDS CHAMPIONS Continuous Improvement Team CHARGE: Continuous Improvement system AQIP Steering Institut. effectiveness Measures/ processes Surveys, etc. Project Action Teams Perkins plan Systems Portfolio #7 MEASURE EFFECTIVENESS #8 PLANNING CONTIN. IMPROVE- MENT CHAMPIONS Operational Team CHARGE: Operational planning Technology plan Facilities plan Health and safety #6 SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONAL OPERATIONS CHAMPIONS Executive Team CHARGE: Strategic Planning Integrate college plans College policies College measures (scorecard) Budget and Resources planning Growth & Innovations External relations: advisory and legislative #5 LEADING & COMMUNICATING #9 BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS CHAMPIONS CHARGE: Review and recommend policy to Provost College Policy Managers Team Academic Affairs and Standards Council CHARGE: Give direction regarding curriculum matters: Course outlines, award requirements, academic standards, course/program components, course/program inventory, academic appeals process Shared Governance Council CHARGE: Make recommendations re: personnel, student affairs, facilities, fiscal and general matters Explanation of planning flow: Each Planning Team is responsible for developing plans within its areas of responsibility, as indicated in its charge. The Executive Team is responsible for strategic planning and the integration of all team plans. The Academic Team’s plan is the foundational plan for the college and all other plans are designed to support the academic plan. All plans are guided by the college’s Strategic Priorities and Goals. The Master Academic Planning process will guide the plan development for all plans. The gray boxes denote contractual faculty councils. Any Team or individual can recommend policy following the college Policy Management System process (see dotted lines). The Policy Series Managers Team reviews and recommends policy to the Provost/President.

7 Step Improvement Method Organize Team Develop Future Plans 7 1 Define Problem We make improvements by using… Standardize Improvements 6 2 Assess Current Situation Act Plan This review is an overview of the first four steps which is what is expected for this review. Study Analyze Causes 3 Do Study Results 5 Develop and Try Solutions 4

Improvement Projects for AQIP Completed Charting our Course: Implementing a Comprehensive Planning Process Staying The Course: Implementing A Standardized System For Managing Policies And Processes Monitoring and Adjusting The Course: Developing A Comprehensive Measurement System To Improve Student Learning Retaining our Learners through an Intrusive Advising System Building Collaborative Relationships Completed In Progress In Progress In Progress

Other Improvement Projects Program Review Process Faculty Evaluation Process Work Group Improvement Projects Orientation/Pre-registration Process College Readiness Assessment Process Prospect - Applicant Communications Process Survey Administration Process

Planning for quality systematically and consistently; NTC Commits to Systematic Performance Excellence and Continuous Quality Improvement by… Communicating an institutional philosophy where quality is not only expected, but required; Creating new and improved programs and services that reflect national and other standards by improving existing processes; Planning for quality systematically and consistently; Collecting data to measure effectiveness; Working together; Collaborating with others to create best practices; Benchmarking results against constituent needs and best practices; and Using Quality Improvement Processes: Seven-step Improvement Method: Quality tools

What Can You Do? Participate as a member of a Quality Team. Review own/department processes for potential improvements. What hasn’t been working well that you’d like to improve? Propose/participate in a process improvement project for your area. Set personal growth/ performance goals.

Assist with data collection. Track key measures (how many, how quickly, etc). Administer assessments (tests, surveys, etc). Participate in surveys when asked. Use data/information/results to make decisions and improvements in your own area of influence. Set performance targets for yourself/your work group/your area of influence. Provide feedback on college performance measures.

NTC…The Best is Yet to Be! It’s a NEW YEAR and we all have a NEW OPPORTUNITY to RECOMMIT to our 40th Anniversary theme… NTC…The Best is Yet to Be!