Pathways to College and Beyond: Institutional Planning Dr. Kevin Pollock President St. Clair County Community College

Agenda Vision, Mission, Strategic Plan, SEM, Student Success Executive Role, Drivers Marketing, Recruitment, the Student Maze and Developmental Education Social Media, Connection to campus and Retention Setting Goals, Data Collection, Budget, Challenges Worksheet

How do you connect: Response to outside “drivers” (local, state, community) Internal “drivers” (staff, students, faculty) Accreditation Vision and Mission Assessment Student Success concept AND create a campus atmosphere of inclusiveness?

The Perfect Recipe… Utilizes main ingredients that compliment each other Allows room for seasonings to taste Has a desired end result

Chronic versus Crisis Situations? Are you dealing with: Chronic versus Crisis Situations?

Student Access to Student Success Move from… Student Access to Student Success

Let’s start with the “Basics”: National Issues P-20 Concept State Issues The “Basics” of Enrollment Management: create a plan, work with faculty, increase retention, connect students to the campus, etc. A lot of information available based on “four- year” models Tougher for “two-year” colleges

“Keeping America’s Promise: Challenges for Community Leaders” The “Open Door” and its ramifications; Needs of nontraditional students; Needs of the employed student; Accountability; The opportunities and attainment gap; Remediation and basic skills; Transfer and articulation; Noncredit and workforce development; Financial aid; Supportive learning environments.

Two-year institutional concerns: Recruit adult students Enroll dual enrollment students Define, and work with, at-risk students Open access and its ramifications Benchmark data Creating and marketing an institutional image

Nontraditional student definition: “One who is financially independent, attends part time, works full time, delays enrollment after high school, has dependents, is a single parent, or does not have a high school diploma”. Kay McClenney League for Innovation

Consider the following: Remedial education is a fixture in community colleges with 95% of community colleges offering remedial classes 42% of entering students are underprepared in at least one of the basic skills (reading, writing, math) Mathematics is the greatest hurdle No One to Waste McCabe (2000)

Startling statistics: “Four out of every ten college students are part- time” “Seventy-five percent of today’s students are juggling some combination of families, jobs, and school while commuting to class” “Only one quarter go full-time, attend residential colleges, and have most of their bills paid by their parents” “Part-time students rarely graduate; only a quarter ever make it to graduation day” “Students are taking too many credits and take too much time to graduate” “Remediation is broken, producing few students who ultimately graduate” Startling statistics: Time is the Enemy Complete College America

Part-time students rarely graduate — even when they have twice as much time. Copyright © 2011 Complete College America. All rights reserved.

Students are wasting time on excess credits Copyright © 2011 Complete College America. All rights reserved.

... and taking too much time to earn a degree. Copyright © 2011 Complete College America. All rights reserved.

Remediation: Too many students need it, and too few succeed when they get it. Copyright © 2011 Complete College America. All rights reserved.

Remedial students are much less likely to graduate. Copyright © 2011 Complete College America. All rights reserved.

Some Simple Questions: Are students customers? Why are you looking at SEM or Student Success? What are your realistic goals and expectations? Worksheet question #1

Originally created by state legislatures to: Prepare students for academic transfer; Provide vocational-technical education, continuing education, developmental education; Provide community service through cultural and recreational events.

“Junior Colleges” were the outgrowth of some basic democratic philosophical assumptions: Education is necessary for the maintenance of a democracy; Education is essential for the improvement of society; Education helps to equalize opportunities for all people. Rouche, J. (1993). Between a Rock and a Hard Place. American Association of Community Colleges.

Today’s community college: Evolution of the community college now includes such things as distance learning and open admissions policies that ensure no member of the community need miss the chance to attend. Community colleges are now involved in leadership strategies for community, economic, and workforce development.

Community College Values Access Community Responsiveness Clear focus on student learning Resourcefulness Entrepreneurial spirit Creativeness Innovativeness Dr. George Boggs President of American Association of Community Colleges

Recent Threats to Community Colleges: Inadequate financial support Increasing student costs (tuition hikes) Financial Aid policies (Loans versus Grants) Challenges to image (Second class?) Problems with transferability Dr. George Boggs President of American Association of Community Colleges

New Challenges for Community Colleges: Access (Turning away students by not being able to offer enough sections) Student Success (Beyond Access) Accountability Dr. George Boggs President of American Association of Community Colleges

What is the community college role? Responsibility for academic transfer preparation Vocational-technical education Developmental education and community service Remediation in basic academic and workplace skills English as a second language Training in technology Continuing education and enrichment programs Others specific to you?

Do you have: A vision A mission A strategic plan A focus that can be agreed upon? Do your people know the vision, mission, strategic plan and can they relate to them? Were they all part of the process?

Connect the “Dots” Who are we? (Principles and Values) Where are we going? (Vision) What will we do? (Mission and Purpose) What do we expect to achieve? (Outcomes) What are our indicators of success? (Goals) How will we proceed? (Planning)

Organizational Vision, Values & Mission Values are a set of understandings in an organization about how to work together, how to treat other people, and what is most important. Before mission, vision, and strategy, a company must come to agreement on what it stands for. Scott, Jaffee & Tobe Organizational Vision, Values & Mission

What are your values? Worksheet #2

No vision… Without a clear picture of a desired future state, no plan can claim to be moving an institution in any desired direction

FALL SEMESTER CAMPUS UPDATE SC4 Mission St. Clair County Community College provides lifelong educational and enrichment opportunities.   SC4 Vision St. Clair County Community College strives to be a leader in our community's renaissance by establishing dynamic partnerships and focused programs that are the top choice for students. St. Clair County Community College September 9, 2011

“Students Finish What They Start” Mission Statement “Students Finish What They Start” Tallahassee Community College

What is your vision? Worksheet #3

Why Strategic Planning? Strategic Planning and a Vision will provide faculty and staff with a common set of values and assumptions about change. When presented with a diverse group, take advantage of it. "If you don't know where you are going, you are certain to end up somewhere else." - Yogi Berra

FALL SEMESTER CAMPUS UPDATE SC4 Strategic Plan Goals Goal I: Maximize the success of our students. Goal II: Cultivate a campus culture that is nurturing and supportive of all students, faculty and staff.   Goal III: Provide high-quality certificates, degrees, programs and training to meet present and future needs of students and the community. Goal IV: Develop and align quality partnerships and strategically manage college resources to maximize benefits for our students and community. St. Clair County Community College September 9, 2011

FALL SEMESTER CAMPUS UPDATE Strategic Plan format is being modified to monitor progress Link initiatives to goals/objectives Establish indicators, identify targets and assess progress towards goals Goal Objective Initiative Indicators Targets Assessment I. Maximize student success Improve graduation rate Advising outreach to promote grad Overall Graduation Rate (IPEDS) Current = 21% Goal = 25% Critical = 15% Measure grad rate annually II. Cultivate supportive campus culture Hire, orient and retain the best employees Gather feedback from faculty/staff Faculty/staff Survey results Current = 69% Goal = 75% Critical = 60% Measure annually with employee surveys St. Clair County Community College September 9, 2011

When was the last time you updated your strategic plan? Worksheet #4

It isn’t always easy…

What is your definition of student success? Worksheet #5

Student Success “Students attaining their educational goals in the most efficient manner”

For SEM to be successful: Make Student Success Part of the Culture

A Question: If community college students are not taking accountability for their success who should step up and take that accountability?

Strategic Enrollment Management Defined SEM is a comprehensive process designed to achieve and maintain the optimum recruitment, retention, and attainment of students where “optimum” is defined within the academic process. Strategic Enrollment Management Defined Dolence

Strategic Enrollment Management defined SEM is a comprehensive process that consists of research, planning, strategies, evaluation, human resource management, integration of services and information, knowledge management, and culture change. Strategic Enrollment Management defined Black, 2001 SEM Anthology

SEM Plan Components: Define student success Relate it to vision and strategic plan Environmental scan Data Identify vital issues Response to issues (rate them) What will it take to make a difference? Set goals: enrollment, marketing, program mix, policies, procedures Create a sample Include measurement: KPI Communicate with campus

We are talking about change and our roles

Challenges to Institutional Change Building a Culture of Student Success Resistance to change Power issues/governance issues/multi-unit systems issues Project mentality Institutional silos Lack of stakeholder involvement

Challenges to Institutional Change Creating a Culture of Evidence Lack of institutional research capacity Aversion to data Unreliable data Lots of data but nobody actually using it

Challenges to Institutional Change Effective Planning and Resource Allocation Absence of strategic planning (…that anyone uses) Overload, “initiative fatigue.” competing or unclear priorities Failure of focus Reluctance to reallocate

Challenges to Institutional Change Policy Conditions Lack of governing board awareness/support Inappropriate governing board involvement Legislative mandates Conflicting state policies

FALL SEMESTER CAMPUS UPDATE Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator. And change has its enemies. ~Robert Kennedy St. Clair County Community College September 9, 2011

Getting People on Board Why are you changing? Financial situation Reorganization Expansion New opportunities Better service to students?

What are the advantages for change? For students For the college For the staff How can you cut through the red tape?

“Better is Possible…” “…It does not take genius. It takes diligence. It takes moral clarity. It takes ingenuity. And above all, it takes a willingness to try.” Atul Gawande, Better: A Surgeon’s Note on Performance

What are the roadblocks? Finances Transformation questions: process changes, type of building, what do we value, etc. People and staff Always did it this way We can’t work together It’s not my job Simple difficulty of handling change STRESS!

What are your roadblocks? Question #6

Roles What roles are changing? What affect does this have on staff? What will you do about it?

What are your advantages for change? Worksheet #7

What is the focus? Agree on the focus Student focus User focus Stakeholder focus What is your focus and does your staff agree with it?

Dealing with Change Find out what the needs are Use an assessment model such as SWOT Bring in an outside resource (neutrality) Agree on the vision, mission, values Design an action plan

Finally Determine how communication is flowing Determine if there is collaboration Is continuous quality improvement a part of the change? Determine who are the champions of change? Eliminate the stress!

Things you need to address: Rules Regulations Internal set up Anxiety Unions? Uncertainty What else?

A Simple Motto: “Do the right thing for the right reason and when in doubt, lean toward the student”

Change is good… You go first!

The Executive role in Strategic Enrollment Management Leadership The Executive role in Strategic Enrollment Management

FALL SEMESTER CAMPUS UPDATE One-fifth of the people are against everything all of the time. ~Robert Kennedy St. Clair County Community College September 9, 2011

The Executive Role: Understand SEM What is the potential for your campus? Define the reasons for pursuing SEM What are the issues? Is the rationale cogent and clear? What are we facing: high school decline, student satisfaction, large retention issues, financial?

Define the executive role Major or minor player? Determine others initial role What type of structure: committee, coordinator, division Remember issues: reporting lines, accountability, campus culture Who are the decision makers: implementers, student services, instruction, administrative services, students

Are you responding to the drivers? Students Faculty Board of Trustees Upper administration Student Services Local needs State issues and needs Federal requirements National initiatives Accreditation

The Executive Role Vision and strategic plan Statement of importance Professional development Collegiality and inclusion Define student success Define major goals Define major data collection needs and requirements Tie initiatives to state and federal requirements, grants, national initiatives Determine budget implication Determine how to communicate with the campus

Statement of Importance Can you state why SEM (Student Success) is important on your campus? Have you done so? Worksheet #8

What is the faculty role? Recruiting? Advising? Mentoring? Attending programs? Learning outcomes and assessment of classes and programs? Developmental Education? Working with K-12? A student friendly class schedule? What else?

The faculty perspective and concerns Standards must remain high Open enrollment and its impact Moving to a learning centered environment Need for gathering data Working with K-12 Impact on faculty (class scheduling, course offerings, remediation) Need to be involved in the process

Points to Consider: Faculty To receive faculty buy- in they need to be part of the process A great opportunity for faculty to see the “big picture” An opportunity to work with others outside of their department and share their expertise Decisions must be data driven

Doing Education Differently Intensive student engagement High expectations and raised aspirations Focus on the front door More structure, fewer options, clearer pathways

Fundamental Questions What is educational quality? What is institutional effectiveness? What are the indicators of achievement? What are the evaluation criteria? What assessment methods will be used?

Every course, every program, every college is perfectly designed to get the results it is currently getting.

What matter most Focused, sustained efforts, targeted to significant number of students, can produce real improvements in student engagement, learning, persistence, and academic attainment.

What goals are you setting and why? Enrollment headcount Student quality Student diversity Retention rates Graduation rates Student satisfaction Staff satisfaction and professional growth Institutional image

Setting Goals Worksheet #9 Example: Increase graduation rates and close gaps. (Achieving the Dream)

What data will you need? What are you measuring? What are you comparing yourself to (state, federal)? What will you do internally with the data? What is required by state, feds? Worksheet #10

Building a Culture of Evidence “Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule.” Charles Dickens (1812-1870) - Great Expectations

We can’t get better at what we’re not willing to look at. Think of this: We can’t get better at what we’re not willing to look at.

Core Indicators of Community College Effectiveness (Roueche, J. E Core Indicators of Community College Effectiveness (Roueche, J.E., In Pursuit of Excellence, 2001) Student goal attainment Persistence Degree completion rates Placement rate in the workforce Licensure certification/pass rates Client assessment of programs and services Demonstration of critical literacy skills Demonstration of citizenship skills Number and rate of who transfer Performance after transfer Success in subsequent, related course work Participation rate in service area Responsiveness to community needs

FALL SEMESTER CAMPUS UPDATE Accountability – Coming Attractions: Voluntary Framework of Accountability College Readiness Measures Report of % of students referred to developmental education (DE) who: -attempt first math or English/reading DE course; -complete highest level math/English/reading DE course; -complete first college-level course in math/English/reading -complete all DE courses Progress Measures Report of % of students who: -successfully complete in term one; -reach credit threshold by end of year two -are retained from fall of term one to next academic term; -who reach year two outcomes; -who successfully complete at end of year two St. Clair County Community College September 9, 2011

FALL SEMESTER CAMPUS UPDATE Accountability – Coming Attractions: Voluntary Framework of Accountability Outcomes and Success Measures Report on students who: -earn and associate’s degree – without transfer and with transfer; -who earn a certificate – without transfer and with transfer; -who transfer to a 4-year with no degree or certificate; -who laterally transfer. St. Clair County Community College September 9, 2011

FALL SEMESTER CAMPUS UPDATE Accountability – Coming Attractions National Community College Benchmark Project 12 Colleges in Michigan currently reporting on 130 metrics including the following Student and Student Outcomes -Fall to Spring and Fall to Fall persistence rates -Educational goal attainment -Institution-wide grade information -Developmental course retention and success rates Institutional Effectiveness -Average credit section size -Student/faculty ratio -Instructional faculty load -Cost per credit hour and FTE student Community and Workforce Development -Market penetration rates -Business and industry productivity St. Clair County Community College September 9, 2011

FALL SEMESTER CAMPUS UPDATE Accountability – Coming Attractions Education Department’s Committee on Measures of Student Success Report issued contains recommendations for community colleges to collect and disclose more information on: Graduation rates (national rate is 32%) Student learning Academic quality Remedial students Employment St. Clair County Community College September 9, 2011

From Time is the Enemy Complete College America Outcome measures Degrees awarded annually (number and change over time) Graduation rates Transfer rates Progress measures Remediation (entry and success) Success in first-year math and English Credit accumulation Retention rates Course completion Time and credits to degree

FALL SEMESTER CAMPUS UPDATE Dashboard samples: St. Clair County Community College September 9, 2011

Recruiting and the Student Maze Enrollment, Technology, Customer Service,

The Enrollment Funnel: Inquiries Suspects Prospects Applicants Admits Enrollers Maintainers Graduates

Marketing and Student Recruitment Need for community impact studies and need for data Service district issues and limitations Possible inability to follow traditional “four-year” models of recruitment Need to focus on high school students, adult students, workforce development, and senior citizens needs

Outreach: School visits College fairs Website Information pieces Mailings Outreach to middle school Campus events Calling campaigns Electronic communication (text, email) Billboards Relationships with business and industry Community events Arts Fundraising Targeted populations Worksheet #11

Tours Campus visit Does the campus look good? Can anybody assist a student? Is it well planned out? Consider everything a student has to experience before he/she gets to campus. Online tours Do you have a virtual tour? Easy to find? Does it consist of maps and photos? Is it a slideshow format? Can students do live interaction? Webcams? Zoom in and out; 360 degree views?

Technology: More students take online classes than ever before Digital divide between students at community colleges Use technology to streamline institutional functions such as application process, registration, orientation, advisement, and assessment Use web sites to deliver what students need, not what faculty and staff desire

Technology part II Frequently asked questions Podcasts Online video Blogs CD-Roms and DVDs Are students required to turn off cell phones and computers when they enter the classroom? How do your faculty members utilize technology?

Customer Service is more than just words “Some folks make you feel at home, while others make you wish you were there”

10 Steps to Customer Service Have a winning attitude Make a commitment to the customer Use proper grammar and enunciate Work on oral communication skills Increase your phone ability Develop stronger listening skills Use different problem-solving techniques Have the confidence to deal with difficult customers Manage job stress Exceed customer expectations

Remember: It is not easy to change somebody’s personality; but it isn’t impossible Astonishing customer service is more than just personality; it means that superior processes have to been in place as well. If this doesn’t happen all we have is enthusiastic incompetence.

No-class versus world-class Worksheet question #12 No-class versus world-class

What Influences Student’s Decisions: Relationships Being treated as an individual Multiple effective channels of communication Response time Costs Location What else?

The Student Maze: Recruitment Application Admission Orientation (mandatory?) Testing and course placement Scheduling Registration Bill payment Book purchases Advising Financial aid Mentoring Online issues

The Schedule Examine course availability Correct course placement Do courses “line up”? Ask yourself honestly, “Is the schedule done in the best interest of the students or the faculty”? Identify high risk courses Create and enforce a campus attendance policy Worksheet #13

One college: Considers late registration the week before classes start Students can’t register for classes that have already started Late start classes are available for “late” students

Student Issues: Advising – the volume of students, bad advice Do you track success through data and interviews? Do you have a student success class? One or three hours long? Required or not? Time management issues Related to study time Related to family time

Retention Student connection, strategies, Developmental Education, At-Risk students and At-Risk classes

Retention Student satisfaction Create campus-wide emphasis on retention Continuous intervention Address performance and attendance patterns Increase faculty participation rate Plan to improve student performance Data, data, data

Facebook and Social Media Facebook and social media are now part of a generation’s lifestyle Do you utilize these to connect students to the campus? In the classroom? Student announcements? Registration and enrollment? Text books?

Numerous known retention efforts (check those that you currently do): Testing and class placement Advising Mentoring Tutoring Supplemental Instruction What else do you do? These efforts usually deal with traditional on campus students and their needs. What about the online students?

Connecting Student to the Campus Peer to Peer Student to Faculty Student to Institution Mentoring Advising

Counseling and Support: Implement student success, not enrollment management to create a more seamless environment Create innovative programs for increasing support for at-risk students such as increasing pre-enrollment activities and orientation, eliminate late registration, conduct basic skills assessment, improve financial aid, expand mentoring programs DEFINE AT-RISK

Student engagement and Connection: “Drive-in” students Determine role of the student services office in connecting students to the campus Define the role of faculty in connecting with students Fix “disjointed” services

Retention Strategies Financial Aid Transition Course Learning Communities Early Intervention Peer Mentoring Supplemental Instruction Academic Support

Students: May have difficulty in assessing the value of an education; May regard public education as a form of entitlement rather than a good or service; May not have as much of a choice in public education compared to most goods and services; May lack access to third-party ratings of public education services; May not realize that the burden of success lies with them; May not recognize that classmates can affect their individual level of benefit.

We have probably overrated student’s abilities in the following areas: Learning the norms of campus culture Finding a niche Putting down roots Transferring successful behaviors from other settings Developing focus Resisting peer pressures Compartmentalizing family and work pressures Exhibiting classroom habits of successful students Building relationships with teachers Asking for help Levitz, R. S., Noel, L., & Richter, B. J. (1999). Strategic moves for retention success. New Directions for Higher Education (108), 31- 49.

Think of this: After 15 credit hours or more students must have a degree plan Alamo Community College

How are your campus services? Library Parking Tutoring Center Achievement Center Cafeteria Student Services Admissions Financial Aid How do students rate these services? How do you know? Survey? Worksheet #14

Developmental Education Pre-Reqs Gaps Specialized plans Type of course delivery Three or four hour classes Labs Block scheduling and learning communities Work with K-12? Worksheet #15

Your Institution: Your definition of an at-risk student: Your major retention initiatives for at-risk students: How do you measure success? Worksheet #16

How do you determine an at-risk class? The emphasis in supplemental instruction is on historically-difficult courses (those classes with a 30 percent rate of grades of D. F. and Withdrawals) rather than high-risk students.

“D, F, & W” Rate for Developmental Classes (Rate of Failure) 2002 Previous three years Previous five years Intro to College Writing 39.7% 30.0% 33.4% Intro to College Reading 40.4% 33.5% 36.2% Pre-Algebra 38.1% 35.4% 29.2%

The next step involved the faculty… Shared the data with the math faculty The math faculty determined that a three hour class that met twice a week was inadequate Changed course to a four hour class that met four times a week Hired a developmental math instructor (who became a member of the Student Success Team)

Support mechanisms needed to be in place… Tutors were made available for the classes Supplemental Instruction was added as a support mechanism Began an intrusive mentoring program through the Student Success Team Students had to meet with mentors Students were physically taken to where help was provided Student’s goals were determined and the students were emotionally supported

Measurement: Compare D,F, W rates with previous data Create a student survey based on a five point scale (-2 strongly disagree, -1 disagree, 0 no opinion, 1 agree, 2 strongly agree) Discussion among the mentors

D,F,W rate for 1st year:

First Student Survey English Math Combined Connected -0.1 0.4 0.1 Adjusted -0.2 0.2 0.0 Find -0.3 Comfort Accessible 0.6 0.5 Helpful Knowing 0.9 0.7 Recommend Continue 0.3 Peer

Student Survey Comments: Scattered success Scattered methods of communication; phone, in-person, email Utilized support mechanisms, particularly STaRS Overall evaluation was varied Suggestions included the fact that more contact was needed

Second semester: Same classes Intro to College Writing (20 students) and Pre-Algebra (11 students) Mentors met with students in the first class and set appointments Students were taken to the STARs program during class (tutoring, etc)

Second Student Survey: English Math Combined Connected 0.3 0.6 0.4 Adjusted 0.8 0.5 Find Comfort Accessible 1.1 Helpful 0.9 Knowing 1.3 1.0 Recommend Continue Peer -0.5 0.1

D,F,W Rate Since Mentoring: Before Mentoring 2004-2005 Intro to College Writing 39.7% 22.7% Intro to Reading 40.4% 25.7% Pre-Algebra 38.1% 19.8%

Success in Subsequent Courses: 87% of successful students in Intro to College Writing earn a “C” or better in English Comp I 78% of successful students in Intro to College Reading earn a “C” or better in American National Government (required class) 76.5% of successful students in Pre-Algebra earn a “C” or better in Intro to Algebra 89.4% of successful students in Pre-Algebra earn a “C” or better in Business Math

Question: Who are your partners? K-12 Four-Year Institutions Community Businesses

Challenges, Suggestions, Alignment, Connect the Dots Final Pieces Challenges, Suggestions, Alignment, Connect the Dots

Ask yourself right now: Where are you and where do you want to go? Do you know who you are? Do you remember the “basics”?

Challenges to face: SEM is too large and complex Lack of consensus Process in fits and starts Determination of the best structure Determination of SEM components Budget Fight against cultural change

Five Challenges: Create and market and institutional image to reach all types of students Connect students with each other, the college, faculty and staff, and course content Use technology to assess student skills, provide distance learning, and streamline student services Provide effective counseling and support, especially with “at-risk” students Identify and measure critical enrollment goals

Remember… You will have false starts; don’t give up Bringing people together doesn’t always mean you have to agree with them Put students and their needs first

Enrollment goals: Determine enrollment and performance objectives Be proactive, not reactive Work with other community colleges Create a method to determine goal objectives and attainment throughout the entire tenure at the institution

Make Effective Practice Mandatory Stop late registration Math refresher before assessment Assessment Placement Orientation Student success course for those not college ready Advising (leading to a plan) Learning lab participation

Encouraging/Promising Practices Learning communities (Developmental Math linked with Student Success course) Basic skills imbedded in career programs Supplemental instruction Active and collaborative learning (cooperative learning) Fast-Track math/modular math Summer bridge programs (boot camps) Case management (incorporated in learning communities) Course redesign/curricular alignment

Taking it one step further: Time is the Enemy Use block schedules with fixed predictable classroom meeting times Allow students to proceed toward degrees or certificates at a faster pace Simplify the registration process by enrolling students in one single, coherent program Reduce the amount of time students must be in the class by using technology and demonstrated competency Form peer support and learning networks Embed remediation into the regular college curriculum Provide better info on every program’s tuition, graduation rates, and job placement outcomes

As well as: Require formal, on-time completion plans Enact caps of 60 hours for an associate degree Create a common general education core program to ensure consistency Require full transferability of common core courses Adopt alternate pathways such as Advanced Placement, online learning, and accelerated competency-based courses

As you wander during the process (and you will): Always focus on why we are here…the students! What do you really need? How do you know for sure? Are you really serving the community? Can you prove it?

Putting Students First: Create a culture of responsibility, high standards and clear expectations; Provide a deep and broad array of student support services; When in doubt, lean in the direction of the student; Recognize that students are much more than customers, but recognize that they are also customers.

Purposeful Alignment Successful practice requires alignment of: Values; Intentions; Actions; Assessment; Analysis; Evaluation; Evidence; and Adjustment to achieve outcomes, improve quality, and enhance effectiveness.

Considerations Do missions reflect institutional values? Are values modeled by daily practice? Are outcomes identified or implied? Are they congruent with values & mission? What are the indicators of achievement? How do actions relate to intentions? Are achievements inferred by completion or affirmed by assessments? Who assesses? Who evaluates? Why?

Connect the “Dots” Who are we? (Principles and Values) Where are we going? (Vision) What will we do? (Mission and Purpose) What do we expect to achieve? (Outcomes) What are our indicators of success? (Goals) How will we proceed? (Planning)

The Importance of Execution

Final worksheets: #17 Committed Leadership #18 Use of Evidence #19 Broad Engagement #20 Systematic Improvement What types of policies, strategies, and indicators do you have for each of these areas? What needs to be adjusted?

Questions?

Dr. Kevin Pollock President St. Clair County Community College 810-989-5545 kapollock@sc4.edu