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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. 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?

9. 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

10. 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…

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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!