AQIP Systems Portfolio

Transcription

1 AQIP Systems Portfolio JUNE 2014 Category One: Helping Students Learn 1

2 Institutional Overview Inver Hills Community College (IHCC) is one of 31 institutions within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system. The MnSCU system is the fifth-largest state system in the nation, and serves more than 430,000 students on 54 campuses in 47 communities. In fiscal year 2013, the College served 4,049 full year equivalent (FYE) credit seeking students of which 441 were developmental students and 3,608 were lower division students. Full-time FYE credit seeking students were 1,869 with an average credit load of 13.6 and part-time FYE students were 2,180 with an average credit load of 6.2. This averages 72% part-time students and 28% full-time students. The College serves 29% students of color in a wide array of academic programs. These programs include opportunities to complete certificates, Associate in Science (A.S.), Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S), Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.), and Associate in Arts (A.A.) degrees. The array includes 22 certificates, 18 A.S. degrees, four A.A.S. degrees, and one A.F.A. degree with opportunity to complete eight A.A. emphases. Fifty-nine (59) academic disciplines are offered. Eleven programs can be taken entirely online with 18% of all credits offered online. Additionally, IHCC s student composition includes 36% students age and 64% age 26 and older. IHCC served 4,307 unduplicated students and 6,778 duplicated students in customized training during FY13. All of these responsibilities are carried out by 116 faculty, 134 staff, and 12 administrators. Inver Hills has sought approval to offer programming off-site at the South of the River Education Center and Freedom House, Station 51. The South of the River Education Center (SREC) is co-located with the Burnsville Workforce Center. Additionally, it provides baccalaureate completion programming from Metropolitan State University, a four-year university within MnSCU. The Center opened fall 2013 with select courses in liberal arts and business in response to needs of area businesses. The site will provide accelerated programming and prior learning assessment options for nontraditional adult learners. It will be staffed by a full-time coordinator whose responsibility is to reach out to area businesses, strengthen relationships with Workforce Center personnel, recruit and advise students, and provide service to faculty who teach at the location. The partnership is known by the U.S. Department of Labor as Secretary Perez visited the site and conducted a roundtable discussion there. The Freedom House, Station 51 location will offer the Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic certificate. As a result of the President meeting many internal and external stakeholders, and the changing higher education landscape, during the academic year the College embarked on redefining the mission, vision, and values of the College. The MnSCU Board of Trustees (BOT) approved the changes summer Inver Hills Community College Mission Dedicated to the power and promise of education, we inspire students, build careers and strengthen communities. Inver Hills Community College Vision We will be an innovator in education, creating a vigorous intellectual environment for emerging leaders, scholars, and professionals. Providing an affordable gateway into the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, we will enrich individual lives and support our diverse communities, locally and globally. Inver Hills Values Student success and excellence in education. Integrity, reflection, and innovation Caring responsibly for our environmental, human, and financial resources Our diverse community Relationships with our partners and stakeholder Institutional Overview 2

3 Since IHCC is part of MnSCU the College uses MnSCU s Strategic Framework to provide overall strategic direction. The President reports to the MnSCU Chancellor and is accountable for 21 performance metrics, the Strategic Framework Performance Metrics (SFPM). The Strategic Framework includes three main points: 1) Ensure access to an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans. 2) Be the partner of choice to meet Minnesota s workforce and community needs. 3) Deliver to students, employers, communities and taxpayers the highest value/most affordable higher education. As a result of the MnSCU Strategic Framework, MnSCU developed Charting the Future which was adopted by the BOT in January, It includes six recommendations: 1) Dramatically increase the success of all learners, especially those in diverse populations traditionally underserved by higher education. 2) Develop a collaborative and coordinated academic planning process that advances affordability, transferability, and access to our programs and services across the state. 3) Certify student competencies and capabilities, expand pathways to accelerate degree completion through credit for prior learning, and foster the award of competency-based credit and degrees. 4) Expand the innovative use of technology to deliver high quality online courses, strengthen classroom instruction and student services, and provide more individualized learning and advising. 5) Work together under new models to be the preferred provider of comprehensive workplace solutions through programs and services that build employee skills and solve real-world problems for communities and businesses across the state. 6) Redesign our financial and administrative models to reward collaboration, drive efficiencies, and strengthen our ability to provide access to an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans. Specific to number six above, MnSCU has embarked on a multi-year initiative for sharing services among the colleges and universities. IHCC is involved in this initiative and shares services in Human Resources (HR), finance, financial aid and facilities. In the spirit of quality improvement and resulting from a strategic issue in the 2010 Systems Portfolio feedback, IHCC has developed and continues to develop and update master plans to align with the MnSCU Strategic Framework, the SFPM, and Charting the Future. This will give the College increased focus and improved strategic direction. Additionally, this will allow for improved alignment between measures, results, and targets. Also due to feedback from the last appraisal, IHCC has developed action projects to move the College to more performance- based measurable outcomes and increased focus on student retention and success. For example, IHCC has embarked on an Action Project: Data-informed Decision-making to identify existing sources of data and determine needs for data by end-users across campus. Key leaders and faculty attended HLC s Assessment Academy summer 2013 and as a result developed an Action Project: Curriculum Mapping and Outcomes Alignment. The College developed two AQIP Action Projects that have since been retired related to retention and success. One was focused on first year experience initiatives such as first year courses and orientation while the other focused on the development of an early alert system. IHCC has measured itself against other MnSCU 2-year colleges and is in the upper 60 th percent, comparable to MnSCU comparison groups. As a result of feedback, the College has worked to develop more benchmarks, comparison results, and improvements. Improvements are based on analyzing and understanding processes and data. Furthermore, this information informs strategic development. It is important to understand the change in upper level leadership since the last portfolio and the work both underway and completed to manage change. For example, a Campus Climate Survey was completed and the results acted upon via regular Campus Conversations with the President and other leaders. Additionally, the College has developed an Action Project: Improving Leadership through High Impact Communications. The College is committed to maintaining excellence through well-integrated improvement systems and recognition as a best practice institution. There is dedication to improved student retention and success as well as communication processes as the recent action projects imply. Institutional Overview 3

4 Introduction As a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), Inver Hills Community College (IHCC) works to integrate its policies and procedures and its strategic directions for Helping Students Learn with the MnSCU Board of Trustees (BOT) Policies and Procedures and the MnSCU Strategic Framework. Regionally, the College is a member of the Metro Alliance, a collaboration of the one baccalaureate and ten two-year MnSCU institutions in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul metropolitan area. These two relationships provide the College with support and many opportunities to cooperate and collaborate in providing quality learning. The College also strives to maintain its individuality by staying focused on its Mission, Vision, and Values. It does this through its programs like Adult Success through Accelerated Program (ASAP), Associate s Degree to Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum offered with Metropolitan State University, Paramedic Associate Degree in Science, and Cisco Networking Security; through its instructional innovation in Learning Communities (LCOMs), Quality Matters (QM) Online Courses, Research Across Disciplines (RAD) and Annual Research Conference (ARC), and experiential learning; and through learning support such as Student Success Days, extensive tutoring services, and customized library instruction for classes doing research projects. The College s key efforts at improvement remain in assessment of student learning. While the foundational Student Academic Achievement Program (SAAP) adopted in 1996 is integrated with most faculty and departments participating, how data is generated and the quality of data that is collected is systematic. This is an area where the College created a new AQIP Action Project (Curriculum Mapping and Outcomes Alignment) and, looking for external support and ideas, has joined the HLC Assessment Academy. The College also is working to improve student engagement and satisfaction with some of its support services and its articulation and assessment of learning outcomes in the Student Services division. 1P1. Determining common objectives for learning and development: As a member of the MnSCU system, IHCC follows the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) which is the 40-semester-credit, lower-division general education curriculum. The MnTC was developed by a statewide group of faculty from all levels of Minnesota public higher education. The curriculum is built on 10 learning Goals. Six of the goals are content focused: Communication; Critical Thinking; Natural Science; Mathematical/Logical Reasoning; History, Social Sciences, and Behavioral Science; and Humanities, Fine Arts, and Literature; and four are centered on themes: Human Diversity; Global Perspective; Ethical and Civic Responsibility; and People and the Environment. For each goal there are learning competencies that students should achieve. In 1993, all of the Minnesota public higher education institutions signed an agreement to accept the MnTC as their general education core. Since the MnTC is built on competencies rather than specific courses, the courses and distribution of credits in the MnTC are specific to individual institutions. Consistency is maintained by the institutions guaranteeing that students who have taken their MnTC have met the competencies. When a student at a MnSCU institution transfers to another MnSCU institution, the courses within the MnTC transfer and fulfill the goal areas as specified by the sending institution (Board Policy 3.37 and Procedure ). In addition to the Goals and competencies of the MnTC, MnSCU has established Board Policy and Procedure guidelines mandating how many goal areas and the minimum number of credits in general education that must be fulfilled for the various degrees offered at the Associate Level (Policy 3.36 and Procedure ). IHCC ensures that the purposes, content, and learning outcomes of the MnTC general education requirements are clearly articulated through the Academic Affairs and Standards Council (AASC). The AASC reviews courses and asks faculty to justify the inclusion of a course within a goal area. The course outline for the proposed course identifies the competencies that are met by students who are successful in the course. The Category One: Helping Students Learn 4

5 outline also identifies measures that are used to assess the MnTC competencies and other course learning outcomes (Core Component [CC] 3B1, 2). IHCC uses the MnSCU degree composition guidelines to determine which general education courses are required for each degree offered. The AASC monitors all program/degree proposals for compliance with the guidelines. Also, the AASC has established minimum requirements for degrees. All IHCC degrees require students to take the first college-level English course, Writing and Research Skills, to ensure that they achieve competency in collecting, analyzing, and communicating information and in mastering modes of inquiry or creative work. The AA degree and many career programs require the second course in the English sequence and/or a writing course addressing special writing skills needed in the career field. Besides addressing the competencies in the MnTC Communication goal, the English course fulfills the competencies in the MnTC Critical Thinking goal (CC 3B3). Goals 7 and 8 of the MnTC are centered on diversity, both at the individual level and globally. All students earning an Associate of Arts degree are required to take courses that teach living-in-a-diverse world competencies (CC3C4). In addition to the MnTC, IHCC focuses its general education on three campus-wide learning outcomes (CWLOs). These outcomes are central in career courses as well as in skills and general education courses. The outcomes were chosen and developed during the school year when IHCC conducted campuswide conversations on the learning outcomes that participants thought all students should achieve upon earning a degree at IHCC. There was input from staff, faculty, and students. Faculty and staff held their conversations during professional days, and students provided input through the student life club system. The CWLOs chosen through a campus-wide voting process are known as the three Cs : Civic Responsibility, Communication, and Critical Thinking. The Assessment Committee created a definition for each outcome (see IP18) (CC 3B1, 2 here and below). The CWLOs are imbedded in the College s curriculum when courses go through approval by the AASC. The focus on CWLOs was heightened by the Assessment Committee which created rubrics and then built the CWLOs into the assessment process (see 1P18). IHCC has a long history of giving faculty and students opportunities to contribute to scholarship, creative work, and the discovery of knowledge. A few notable examples since the 2010 IHCC Systems Portfolio include: The ARC has been in existence since 2003 as a community event. In 2013, the RAD committee assumed management of the conference. RAD focused the conference on student research presentations on any subject which resulted in heavy student participation as presenters. Best Practice Institutes/workshops open to the higher education community, including a Learning Community Institute, 2012; Quality Matters Workshop, 2012; Adult Learner Institute, 2013 and 2014, were organized and led by IHCC staff and faculty. National experts and colleagues from other MnSCU institutions presented, and students participated as members of panels and as support staff. Fine Arts Festival participated in ARC with creative presentations (See Category 2) (CC 3B5). 1P2. Determining Specific Program Learning Objectives: Proposals for new programs can be made by anyone on campus. Ideas for proposals often come from faculty in a discipline who are seeing new trends or career possibilities, from the Continuing Education/Customized Training (CE/CT) division, from advisory committee members who are in the workforce, or from external partners. The group proposing the program is required to develop a program description that includes program objectives. This proposal is moved forward by the appropriate dean to gain administrative support and commitment of resources. Once the program has support, a team made up of community partners, faculty members, and deans identify professional competencies and develop associated courses and learning outcomes that are integrated with the program objectives. In the case of degree programs, the curriculum is then rounded out with the development of a general education core, IHCC degree and graduation requirements, and transferable skills needed in the workplace. Assessment measures appropriate to the program objectives and any certifications or licensure required in the career are identified. The program then goes through the approval process that is described in 1P3 and involves the AASC, the Metro Alliance CAOs, and MnSCU. Category One: Helping Students Learn 5

6 Once programs are approved and implemented, there are pathways for improving or changing program objectives and course learning outcomes. One of these is the formal program review process which programs conduct every five years. Program objectives and course learning outcomes are often revised during the review and such revisions go to AASC for approval. (Details for the program review process are covered in 1P13). Programs also meet regularly with their advisory board to discuss changes to program learning objectives and course learning outcomes that employers see as necessary. When programs are updated in the middle of the program review cycle, the update is reviewed and approved by the AASC (CC 4A1). The FY2013 statewide work plan for the MnSCU Strategic Framework initiated two projects related to program learning outcomes: 1) establish measures of learning outcomes for all academic programs and 2) develop and implement academic plans that align with workforce needs and enrollment demands. IHCC held a professional day in February 2013 to ensure that all its programs, both CTE and transfer, have articulated program learning outcomes that align with transfer and workforce demands and to identify the direct and indirect measures that would be used to assess those outcomes. Faculty and administrators also discussed how the outcomes align with campus-wide learning outcomes as well as workforce and transfer demands. At the end of the process 100% of IHCC programs had clearly defined outcomes (CC 4B1 here and below). To re-enforce the work done on outcomes, the College is now participating in the HLC Assessment Academy. In addition, IHCC is participating in the implementation of industry-standard Technical Skills Assessment (TSA) under the Minnesota Perkins plan umbrella. Several career programs are already using the TSAs. For IHCC s next year s Perkins plan, the College is collaborating with high school partners in aligning the College s TSAs with the classes taken in the high schools (CC 4B4). To help with this initiative, IHCC hired a research analyst who does item analysis, analyzes comparison data, and identifies areas where curriculum change and shifts in pedagogy might help students better attain skills. (See 1P18 for more details on assessment in 1P18.) 1P3. Designing New Programs and Courses: As a part of the MnSCU planning for Charting the Future, the Chancellor charged work groups throughout Minnesota to talk to employers about what they need in the future from MnSCU graduates. These requirements are articulated in the Workforce of the Future plan (see Category 5). Specific to new program development is the plan s Recommendation 5: Work together under new models to be the preferred provider of comprehensive workplace solutions through programs and services that build employee skills and solve real-world problems for communities and businesses across the state. Following its mission to inspire students, build careers and strengthen communities, IHCC is responsive to employer needs and employment trends as well as the needs and desires of students. Faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, students, advisory board members, the president s council, and/or community members with special expertise are invited to share ideas on new programming. When an idea surfaces, a MnSCU specific needs assessment process is conducted which considers employment opportunities, wages, proposed budget and needed institutional resources, and student interest among other factors. To avoid unnecessary program duplication, research is also conducted to see what other state and regional institutions offer a similar program. Upon confirmation that IHCC has the fiscal and personnel resources to support the new programming, a team made up of faculty, community partners, and deans identify professional competencies and develop associated course descriptions and learning outcomes. The program proposal package is brought to the AASC for discussion and approval. The AASC process is a two-step process. After initial discussion, the minutes of the Council are sent out for full campus review. This allows all faculty members and staff to raise concerns or offer support. The proposal than comes back to the AASC for final approval. Guided by MnSCU s Charting the Future strategic initiative s recommendation to Develop a collaborative and coordinated academic planning process, the program is then taken by the Provost to the monthly meeting of the Chief Academic Officers (CAOs) from the Metro Alliance for review. Discussion is held about how the suggested program meets the MnSCU Strategic Framework goals of eliminating unnecessary duplication of effort, ensuring accessibility to programming for students, and fulfilling the Partner of Choice for workforce and community needs effort. This conversation with institutions in a College s region is part of the MnSCU Category One: Helping Students Learn 6

7 program approval process and acceptance from the Metro CAOs is used to build the case for the appropriateness and need for the program (CC 3B1, 2). After campus and Metro Alliance approval, the College submits information about the program to MnSCU for approval. The submission to MnSCU includes the degree or certificate plan; minutes from the Metro Alliance CAO meeting at which the program was approved; campus resource data for launching the program; and, in the case of A.S. degrees, an articulation agreement with a MnSCU four-year institution. Other key information required includes a labor market analysis which contains a labor market inventory spreadsheet. Within the spreadsheet, job openings to indicate the program is warranted are identified, career advancement opportunities are analyzed, as well as transferable skills, employment projections, wage statistics, current employment, Occupations in Demand (OID) rankings, training requirements and regional benchmarks. Besides Labor Market information, student interest, unnecessary duplication, and other factors are taken into account when considering new programs (CC 3A1, 2). The College enters this program information into the MnSCU Program Navigator and a Notice of Intent (NOI) is sent to statewide Presidents and CAOs for a 10-day review and comment period. During this period, the College responds to any questions and/or comments. Letters of support for the new program may also be submitted by other institutions. After the review period, the application is reviewed by the MnSCU System Office. If approval is granted by the System Office, the program may be implemented. IHCC also offers Emphases within the A.A. degree which focuses a set of elective courses on preparing students to transfer to a major. These emphases must have an articulation agreement with a 4-year MnSCU institution. IHCC currently offers emphases in Anthropology, Chemistry, English, Gender and Women Studies, History, Mathematics, Political Science, and Psychology. IHCC offers the emphasis degree to ensure that students take prerequisite lower division courses for their intended major thus reducing the possibility they will have to take additional lower division credits. The internal processes that lead to a new course begin at the instructor and department levels. The building of new courses and modifications to existing courses take into account what has been learned through research, including business and industry input either through advisory committees, meetings with industry partners, or MnSCU-wide listening sessions with business partners (see Category 5P); industry standards and certifications such as in IT; program accreditation requirements; the IHCC and MnSCU strategic frameworks; best practices in curriculum design; assessment practices learned by participation in the HLC Assessment Academy; and comparison with similar courses offered at other higher education institutions. Looking at the new or redesigned course from these perspectives helps faculty ensure the quality of the course and that it is aligned with higher education standards and workforce demands. After this research, the faculty members create the course outline which summarizes the following: basic course information, course outcomes and outcome measurements, how the course supports the IHCC common learning outcomes, what degree plan(s) the course is associated with, and whether the course is part of the MnTC. At this point the course proposal is reviewed by the faculty of the proposing department and by faculty of any affected department (for example a department that uses the course as a prerequisite or as a degree or certificate requirement). Upon endorsement by affected departments and the discipline dean, the proposal is submitted to the AASC. The proposing department is invited to give a short presentation to the AASC, which then takes the proposal under consideration. At this point, the submitting department is asked to make changes to the official course outline. At the return session, the AASC makes the final approval decision. Upon approval by the AASC, the course is entered in the data system where it is made available for scheduling and aligned with statewide transfer. The course can be offered the following academic year or, in special situations, the next term. 1P4. Design Responsive Academic Programming that Balances Learning Goals and the Realities of the Employment Market: IHCC is aware its student population is becoming increasingly diverse and that it serves a state with growing diversity and changing workforce needs. Since 2009 the racial diversity at IHCC Category One: Helping Students Learn 7

8 increased from 19% to 28% of the student body (see 5P1). With its vision to enrich individual lives and support our diverse communities, the College has developed strategies for adapting and being responsive to these changes while maintaining the quality of learning. The College has developed programming that targets special audiences, created different modalities for delivering instruction, and adopted new ways that students can bring credit into the institution. IHCC has been responsive to the national and Minnesota Legislature s call to provide college-credit-bearing opportunities to high school students. Working with high school partners, IHCC has created concurrent enrollment (dual credit) programs designed to provide high school students the opportunity to earn college credit by means of a high quality experience in the high school equal to that of the college classroom. These include Inver Prep, InCollege, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) programs. Inver Prep helps students in the academic middle (students in the 30 th to 75 th percent of class rank) prepare for college while still in high school. Students in 10 th and 11 th grades move through courses that meet high school mathematics and English graduation standards and college developmental course learning outcomes. The courses were designed through a collaborative effort by high school teachers and college faculty and are taught by high school teachers who are mentored by IHCC faculty. Successful completion of the curriculum (C or better) allows students to move forward into the InCollege program (CC 1C, 4A2, 4A4 here and below). InCollege is the IHCC dual credit program. Eligibility is limited to high school juniors in the top third of their class or seniors in the top half of their class with a qualifying Accuplacer exam score (see 1P5) or successful completion of the Inver Prep curriculum. Courses are taught in the high school by high school instructors who meet credential requirements of the College and who are mentored by IHCC faculty. These courses, using the official College course outline and text books approved by the College faculty, earn college credits that are part of the MnTC and can transfer to any college or university in the MnSCU system (CC 3A1-3 here and below; 3C2). Through Perkins programming, high school students as early as 9 th grade can participate in CTE curricula to earn high school credit and college credit at IHCC. Currently there are six area high schools participating in the College s Perkins consortium group. Courses are taught in the high schools by high school faculty and the curriculum is aligned with that of the corresponding IHCC course. Upon successful completion of collegealigned high school courses, students are awarded a certificate for Advanced Standing Credit which converts to college credit upon enrollment at IHCC. To ensure the quality of programming, IHCC invests in professional development for faculty in workforce development and Perkins programming. Faculty and Staff attend (and in some cases present at) the Workforce Development Institute (WDI) of AACC, National Career Clusters Institute, Association of Career and Technical Education, CTE Works (MnSCU) Annual Conference, and the Wisconsin Association of Leadership Education and Work Workshop (CC 3C4). Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) also exists for high school students who are released from their high school and attend classes at IHCC while still a junior or senior in high school. Credits earned apply both to high school graduation requirements and a college transcript. The programs offered by IHCC to transition students from high school to college are shown in Table 1P4-1. Table 1P4-1: High School to College Transition Programming Program Targeted grades H. S. College credit Transferability Location credit CTE (Perkins) 9 th Grade Yes Yes, if student attends IHCC No High School Inver Prep 10 th and 11 th grades Yes No No High School InCollege 11 th and 12 th grades Yes Yes Yes High School PSEO 11 th and 12 th grades Yes Yes Yes IHCC Source: Institutional data Category One: Helping Students Learn 8

9 IHCC is also aware of the unique needs and learning styles of post-traditional students who are often already in the workforce. To respond to this population, IHCC developed the award-winning Adult Success through Accelerated Programs (ASAP). The College was the first community college recognized by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) as an Adult Learner Focused Institution (ALFI) and has won awards from MnSCU for its curriculum. The program has a special degree-planning course, provides credit-earning options for knowledge based on life and work experience (see later in this section), offers accelerated 8-week classes (see later in this section), offers an individualized professional degree program, and provides seamless transfer to baccalaureate programs. Special opportunities have been designed for two subsets of post-traditional learners. During the recent economic downturn, IHCC offered free workshops to help dislocated workers, accelerated programs for fast retraining, and career exploration resources for students in the Career Services and Employment Center. The College has developed a working relationship with the Dakota and Scott Counties Workforce Centers discussed later in this section and with Goodwill/Easter Seals training. Business Department faculty worked with Goodwill trainers to align their Customer Service training materials with the learning outcomes for the introductory course in the Customer Service Certificate. Using the Perkins CTE model, students who successfully complete the training are awarded a certificate that translates to college credit for the introductory course if they enroll at IHCC. As a result of the work IHCC did with Goodwill/Easter Seals, the College was recognized as the Goodwill/Easter Seals Community Partner for IHCC also addresses the unique educational opportunities available to Veterans. Minnesota Statute requires the recognition of American Council on Education (ACE) credits for military training on the veteran s transcript. Following Statute, IHCC accepted these credits as elective credit. In 2011, IHCC was selected to be a pilot institution for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Grant Maps to Credentials awarded to CAEL. IHCC worked with faculty to connect ACE-recommended credits to equivalent IHCC courses. Once faculty decide ACE credits are equivalent to an IHCC course, a crosswalk is completed and communicated with veterans via IHCC and MnSCU websites as well as through advising. The crosswalk is also entered into the degree audit record system (DARS). The FIPSE Maps to Credentials partnership was recognized by MnSCU with an Innovative Partnering and Collaboration Award in 2012 at a statewide recognition event. In the effort to meet the needs of diverse populations and of the workforce, IHCC continues to develop studentfriendly modalities for course delivery. To provide flexible opportunities for students, the college offers courses during traditional day times, as well as late afternoons, evenings, and Saturdays. Courses are also offered at off-campus sites near students home and work sites and at four correctional facilities. In addition, IHCC has received HLC approval for locations at Freedom House, Station 51, and at the South of the River Education Center, bringing educational opportunities in business studies and EMS to the unemployed and displaced workers, and to the citizens of the south metro Dakota and Scott Counties. In 2003, IHCC received HLC approval to offer all of its degrees online. The entire MnTC and many career program courses are offered online or in blended/hybrid format. Each term, approximately 25 percent of credits offered are online or in blended/hybrid format, giving students the opportunity to complete the A.A. and Business degrees in the online environment. IHCC maintains the integrity of its online programming through adherence to the official course outline and identified learning outcomes, professional development of instructors in Quality Matters principles, student evaluation of online courses, and dean attendance at online courses. Online/hybrid success data are compiled and tracked in comparison to face-to-face in the same subject areas during program review (see Table 1R3-4) (CC 4C2). Sensitive to the effectiveness of timely degree completion, IHCC offers courses in an accelerated format. These courses are offered in the evening or on Saturday across an 8-week window on-campus and at offcampus sites or online. The accelerated format allows students to complete two courses in one semester, taking one accelerated course the first half of the semester and another class the second half of the semester. The pace is rapid and requires students to meet deadlines. The quality and integrity of these courses is Category One: Helping Students Learn 9

10 ensured by adhering to Carnegie unit guidelines. Reduced seat-time is supplemented with online and out-ofclass activities while homework is equivalent to that in the regular-paced course.. The learning outcomes of the official course outline are delivered and assessed. IHCC also offers courses in a Learning Community (LCOM) format. Some of the LCOMs are specially designed to meet the needs of developmental and English Language Learners (ELL) and to introduce students to specific career pathways. The LCOM for students who receive the lowest placement in reading and writing on the Accuplacer assessment combine the developmental reading/writing course and college-credit first-year experience course which is taught by a faculty counselor. Students in this LCOM often take an additional noncognitive assessment. These LCOMs often add a college-level MnTC course. The possibility of earning college credit is seen as a strategy to keep students engaged. Career pathway LCOMs target college-ready students who are exploring careers. These LCOMs feature introductory courses that meet career program prerequisites. Expanding student opportunities to learn through Experiential Learning is one of the distinctive objectives of the College. A description of the creation of the Center for Experiential Learning and the breadth of communitybased learning experiences for students is found throughout Category 2. Students can also earn college credit through a rigorous program of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Most adult students have years of knowledge gained through work and life experiences that can be translated into college credit through a formal process coordinated by the PLA faculty coordinator. The PLA program adheres strictly to CAEL standards in assessing and awarding college credit for demonstrated knowledge and skills. All PLA at IHCC is course-based and requires students to demonstrate the individual course outcomes found in the course outline approved through AASC. Adult learners work closely with faculty to determine their higher education goals, evaluate past learning, and analyze how this can be applied to courses that faculty approved for PLA offering. The students, in collaboration with disciplined-credentialed faculty, review the course objectives and determine the ones they have met based on past learning. For those that they have not met, they are required to do additional research and assignments. The students prepare for evaluation by reviewing theoretical frameworks and bridging their practical knowledge/skill to theory. The PLA methodology for demonstration is faculty-evaluator driven. Options include written documentation, demonstration, portfolio review, one-on-one or group discussions/evaluations, and oral reports. Courses completed by PLA are transcribed with a 7000 course number designator to indicate the credit was earned through PLA and are graded Pass or No Credit. In addition, the PLA evaluator completes an Evaluator Assessment Form (EAF) that designates how well the student proved competence in each of the outcomes. In some instances the faculty member will issue a letter grade to the student for company reimbursement purposes. The letter grade is not transcribed. Each completed EAF becomes part of the student s official record at IHCC. IHCC has established policies and procedures for the acceptance and transcription of credits earned through external assessments and courses completed outside of the institution. Course equivalencies are determined by an IHCC faculty review of external recommendations for the following: College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Advanced Placement (AP) International Baccalaureate (IB) Examinations covered in the ACE Guide to Educational Credit by Examination PLA/Competencies such as CAEL s Learning Counts Advanced Standing Credit (Tech Prep/Perkins) Credit by Examination (nationally recognized) Credit for I.T. Certification Exams IHCC has a transfer credit policy: Transfer credit will be evaluated based on sufficient academic quality when compared with curricula and standards used to meet degree requirements at IHCC. Transfer credit evaluations are completed by the Enrollment Center. New students who want an official evaluation of their transcripts must enroll under the Regular Admission process (see application and admission procedures).... Official 10 Category One: Helping Students Learn

11 transcripts will be evaluated to determine which credits are applicable to the degree listed on the application form. Courses approved for transfer must be comparable in nature, content, and level and match at least 75 percent of the content and goals of the course for which the student is seeking equivalent credit. Additional guidelines in the policy address D grades, number of credits that will be accepted, MnTC credits, credits from other institutions, such as non-regionally accredited schools, technical college credits, and International credits. Enrollment Center decisions are based on information in DARS as well as precedent established at IHCC. Students may appeal these decisions to the dean who consults with discipline faculty. Further, students may appeal this decision to the Academic Affairs division at MnSCU (CC 4A2, 3). 1P5. Determining the Preparation Required: Faculty members lead the processes for determining preparation needed by students. Their work is guided by the College s mission, policy, accreditation requirements, articulation to baccalaureate programs, certification, workforce demands, and research on student retention and success. IHCC s mission to provide access to higher education as an open door institution lays the foundation for how the College determines the preparation required of all students for general programming. IHCC considers all applicants for admission regardless of age, race, gender, color, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin. This open-door admission policy means that any person who has graduated from high school or who has earned a GED is eligible for admission. However, admission to the college does not automatically qualify a student for all courses, most notably for certain programs and in the foundational learning skills of reading, writing, and mathematics. The MnSCU system requires students to take the ACT or the Accuplacer inventory to determine if they have the skills that qualify them for college-level work in these key areas. A statewide-committee of faculty, student affairs staff, and students, using guidelines provided by ACT and Accuplacer, established MnSCU-wide cutscores for placement into college-level course work in these areas as well as procedures for administering the assessments articulated in MnSCU Policy 3.3 and Procedure Following the MnSCU policy, at IHCC, annually about 85 percent of students place into developmental mathematics and 45 percent place into developmental reading/writing and developmental ESL reading/writing. To maintain an effective developmental program, IHCC faculty review student success data and research best practices. In addition, in 2012, IHCC and two peer institutions contracted for research on the success of students who have started college in developmental courses. The locally commissioned research and high impact practices identified by the Foundations of Excellence suggest that an accelerated pathway through developmental education and student class schedules that include college-level credits lead to greater student retention. As a result, IHCC faculty have designed one of the shortest pathways in MnSCU from low placement to college-readiness in Reading/Writing (2 semesters, 11 credits), have developed accelerated pathways in Mathematics, and have worked with advising to create schedules with appropriate college-level courses for students in developmental and developmental ESL courses. Faculty members from Mathematics, English, and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) have met with area high school teachers and local Adult Basic Education (ABE) teachers to help articulate their curriculum to college learning requirements (see 1P4). If a student s assessment results show that his/her reading and writing levels are too low to be successful in the College s lowest level developmental courses, he/she is referred to local ABE providers. Area ABE programs teach college-preparatory courses on the campus and students can complete ABE coursework and be well-prepared to enter IHCC courses. A side benefit of ABE is that this education is free. IHCC has separate admission requirements for international students and Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO). Admissions of International students are done in the Outreach and Admissions Office. International students must have an F-1 international student visa and provide financial documentation, official transcripts (in English), and TOEFL scores or transcripts showing college level English from a U.S. College. Admission to Category One: Helping Students Learn 11

12 the PSEO program is managed with its own set of admission steps and eligibility requirements determined by State Statute and MnSCU Policy 3.5 and Procedure (see 1P4). Some programs, for example Emergency Medical Services, Registered Nursing, Network Technology and Security, Adult Success through Accelerated Programming, Paralegal, and Teacher Education, have specific admissions processes and requirements determined by the program director in consultation with faculty and the advisory committee and a review of accreditation requirements. Faculty from disciplines and programs determine prerequisite requirements for individual courses in consultation with faculty from other disciplines, advisory committees, and research on student success in the courses. These courses are often courses in a sequence, such as in Mathematics and English where the prerequisite is the previous course in the sequence or placement from Accuplacer or ACT. In other cases, the prerequisite might be a course from another department that provides baseline skills that are needed to accomplish the learning outcomes of the course; for example, the first college-level composition course is a prerequisite for the paralegal writing course. In addition, some courses require criminal background checks. Course prerequisites are approved by AASC. 1P6. Communicating Required Preparation and Learning and Development Objectives: IHCC uses a number of methods to communicate information regarding programs, requirements, faculty and staff, costs to students, institutional control, and accreditation relationships: Information on programs and their requirements - the IHCC and departmental websites; the College catalog; and department program fact sheets, which are the core recruiting documents. Faculty degrees and certifications, provided by Human Resources - IHCC website and the College Catalog. Faculty are also required to include contact information and office hours on their syllabi. Staff positions and contact information - IHCC website. Costs to the student, developed by Admissions and Financial Aid - on the College website and conveyed through gainful employment disclosures, the website net price calculator, and cost of tuition and fees which are also included in the online schedule used for registration. Textbook costs for specific courses, provided by the bookstore. IHCC leadership and the relationship to the MnSCU system - IHCC and MnSCU websites. Institutional accreditation as well as programmatic accreditation information - IHCC website; programmatic accreditation can also be found on the each program s page on the website. MnSCU policies related to transfer, PSEO, course placement, and student rights are available on the MnSCU website. For most of these policies, IHCC has established IHCC-specific policies and procedures which are in the Catalog and/or on the website (CC 2B here and below). While IHCC has a full array of hard copy or web-published information, the key communication for many of the issues around student degree plans, degree requirements, and semester course schedules is contact with a faculty member, advisor or counselor. The first engagement with an advisor for most students is at Orientation. IHCC has been going through a long process of trying to improve its Orientation process and students ongoing contact with advisors and counselors (CC 3D3). This process started with a 2010 AQIP Action Project. From fall 2010 to fall 2012, students were oriented through a large group model (approximately 60 students per large group which were then broken down to 3 groups of approx. 20), called Smart Start. During the large group, students would meet with faculty counselors and receive information on the following: Course selection, reading the schedule, and registering for classes; Credit load and time commitment to school work; Star ID/D2L/e-services; Payment deadlines; Registration deadlines (add/drop/withdraw); Ordering textbooks; Student ID card uses; and Access card-importance of activation and accessing financial aid, etc. IHCC advising consistently compared in the middle range of its peers on the CCSSE (see 1R5). Reacting to these data, in spring 2013, the Orientation moved to students meeting with advisors one-on-one. Students could do so any time after they had completed the Accuplacer assessment. Students were served on a firstcome, first-serve basis during advising hours. In the one-on-one meeting the advisor and student discussed Category One: Helping Students Learn 12

13 the student s academic background and future goals. This was facilitated by having students complete a Pre- Advising Questionnaire. Advisors also touched on each of the subjects covered in the earlier group orientation. Although campus-created surveys indicate improved satisfaction, Advising/Counseling continues to work to improve the model. While the no appointment structure and one-on-one engagement appealed to students, the model is resource intense and often resulted in long wait times. The goal is to strike a balance between the two previously used models by moving to a small student group orientation/registration model. Faculty members use their syllabi to convey course requirements and classroom expectations to students, most posting the syllabus and course information on the course D2L site for easy reference by students. Fulltime faculty members maintain five office hours each week when students can talk with them about course and program requirements. The accuracy of the all published information is ensured through a requirement that it be reviewed and approved by the appropriate academic dean/department chair or student affairs department. In addition, primary sources, such as documented employment salary data from graduates and secondary sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics are used and compared to ensure that the employment information is valid. 1P7. Helping Students Select Programs of Study: After completing their Accuplacer exams, new students are required to participate in an on-site or online orientation with advisors/counselors (see 1P5). Advisors also interpret students responses to background questions and Accuplacer test results to determine which students would benefit from additional support, such as participating in a learning community, first-year experience course, tutoring, or other support services. Students who express an interest in a specific degree/certificate program receive the program Fact Sheet that outlines any special admission requirements or prerequisites and lists required courses. Dedicated to its mission to help students build careers, IHCC encourages students to use Advising and Career Development services throughout their career at IHCC. IHCC also offers a course in Life Career Planning for students looking for skills assessment and guidance in career exploration (CC 3D2). Student Success Day occurs during the fifth week of each semester. On this day, regularly scheduled classes do not meet and are replaced with a wide variety of workshops that focus on college expectations and strategies to be a successful college student, along with transfer information, career exploration, and networking opportunities (see 3P). An online version of the Day is a popular option (CC 3D1 here and below). Faculty, staff, and administrators communicate academic course/program expectations and campus policies and processes. Instructors provide each student with a syllabus that outlines learning outcomes, course requirements, classroom procedures and expectations, grading system, and other pertinent course information. Internships, clinical rotations, and community-based learning activities use detailed expectation and reflection/evaluation forms (see Category 2). Program directors often meet individually with prospective students to orient them to the program and discuss career opportunities. Directors, counselors, and faculty collaborate in planning presentations focusing on specific careers and majors. Several academic departments offer an introductory course or set of courses, such as the pre-health sciences learning community, which present possible career paths within a discipline. 1P8. Dealing with Students who are Underprepared: IHCC s involvement with underprepared students begins before they enroll on the campus. As discussed in response to 1P4, the College works with area high schools to help students in the high school academic middle achieve College readiness in Reading and Composition during their junior year. The College, by providing space on campus for classes, has had a long-standing relationship with its area s Adult Based Education (ABE) programming. The relationship continues when ABE students enter the College s Category One: Helping Students Learn 13

14 developmental curriculum and when displaced workers/unemployed individuals begin Fast-Track certificates which lead to entry-level employment. The ABE teacher works with developmental and certificate program instructors to provide students ongoing support in effective reading and writing skills. For students preparing to take the Accuplacer test for placement in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, the College s website provides links to free Accuplacer practice tests. The site also includes links to for-fee preparation courses for the Accuplacer. ASAP offers workshops for students who place into the highest developmental composition course. These workshops offer a refresher of basic writing skills. Students who demonstrate higher level writing skills by the end of the workshop are recommended for admission into the beginning college-level composition course. For students who do not demonstrate college-level reading, writing, or mathematic skills on the Accuplacer, the College offers a menu of developmental courses (1P4). IHCC offers a variety of Learning Communities (LCOMs) that target the underprepared population (also discussed in 1P4). The College also has an array of college-level courses designed to help students develop study and non-cognitive skills; the goals of these courses are obvious from their titles: College Study Skills, College Success Strategies, First Year Experience: On Course to College and Career Success, Life Career Planning, and Educational Planning and Assessment (a course for Post-Traditional Learners which can lead to Prior Learning Assessment possibilities). 1P9. Detecting and Addressing Differences in Students Learning Styles: IHCC processes for detecting and addressing differences in students learning styles include the following: On Course, the first-year experience course for traditional students, and Educational Planning and Assessment, focused on the adult learner, have units on learning styles in which students assess their preferred style. The courses provide many college-situations or stories to initiate discussions concerning learning styles, teaching styles, and what would you do? scenarios. Many online courses offer peer mentors, who provide help and hints on navigation through the online environment, such as how to use the drop box, posting a chat, and accessing grades. Some of the developmental Reading courses are using non-cognitive assessments. With the help of faculty counselors, who teach a connected college success course, reading instructors give students strategies for dealing with risk factors revealed through the assessments. During academic development days, sessions are conducted on learning styles and teaching methodologies to address the various needs of students. Faculty members are encouraged to share best practices in department meetings and brown bags and to try new strategies and report the results through the SAAP report (see 1P18). IHCC has had a service learning program since the early 2000s when the College was awarded a VISTA grant. The College also has an active volunteer club (VIBE) (see 1P16). With these activities as a foundation, the College has established as a Distinctive Objective the Center for Experiential Learning (see Category 2). Students also receive learning support through Student Success Days workshops, student clubs, and oneon-one conferences with instructors. The Center of Accessibility and Inclusion helps students with documented learning and physical disabilities receive the accommodations that will enable them to maximize their potential. The Center also provides training for instructors on meeting the needs of students with disabilities (see Category 3) (CC 1C2). 1P10. Addressing the Special Needs of Student Subgroups: Honoring its vision to enrich individual lives and support our diverse communities, IHCC connects students to support services. IHCC has an Affirmative Action Plan (see 4R2) and a recently redesigned Center for Accessibility and Inclusion. Students who attend IHCC may require a special accommodation as a result of a learning disability and/or physical handicap, or they may need other adaptation in their physical or academic learning environment. These students are directed to contact the Center for Accessibility and Inclusion. The request for accommodation is then directed to the appropriate area(s) for implementation or, if contractual arrangements have to be made with outside resources, the Center for Accessibility and Inclusion will proceed to do so. The 14 Category One: Helping Students Learn

15 faculty may have to modify the delivery method, the laboratory experience, and assessment methods to accommodate the needs of the student (CC 1C2 here and below). Recently, the College has experienced a growth in the number of students who are impacted by dire economic circumstances. In response to the basic needs of students who are homeless or members of families who suffer from hunger, the College sponsors a mobile food pantry. Students self-identify for access to the pantry through Counseling Services. The campus also has a community garden which has plots where volunteer and service-learning students grow produce that is donated to community food shelves and plots for community member use (see 9P5). IHCC honors the service provided by Veterans and military members and supports them in their academic pursuits with priority registration and with weekly informal counselor sessions in the Veterans Resource Area (see Category 3, 1P4) IHCC is an urban, commuter campus, and various services are provided in order to accommodate commuters: Ample parking with security officers who patrol the parking lot and offer escort assistance. Regular bus service. Expanded hours of operation: Admissions, Financial Aid, Enrollment Services, Student Services, etc. Online resources for commuter and online learners: computer Help Desk, online library services, online payment options, electronic forms, etc. Contracted food service on-site at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Vending machines. ATM machines. IHCC also serves post-traditional students (see 1P4) and its service area s senior population. Minnesota residents aged 62 and older may register for courses for a fee of $20 per credit hour plus special fees on a space-available basis. Registration at this reduced rate begins the second day of classes each semester. 1P11. Defining, Documenting, and Communicating Expectations for Teaching and Learning: IHCC s communication of its expectations for effective teaching and learning begins with the College s Mission Statement: Dedicated to the power and promise of education, we inspire students, build careers and strengthen communities. The mission is reinforced by the IHCC Vision in which the college community articulates its aspirations: We will be an innovator in education, creating a vigorous intellectual environment for emerging leaders, scholars, and professionals.... The Mission and Vision are built on institutional Values: Student success and excellence in education and Integrity, reflection, and innovation ; and grounded in the CWLOs: Communication, Critical Thinking, and Civic Engagement. IHCC believes that at the heart of a vigorous intellectual environment is freedom of expression. The labor agreement between MnSCU and the faculty articulates this right : The Employer shall maintain and encourage full freedom.... Each faculty member shall have the right to teach in an atmosphere of free intellectual inquiry.... Academic freedom is viewed as so fundamental and extensive that the agreement goes on There is an obligation to respect the dignity of others, to acknowledge their right to express differing opinions to foster and defend intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and instruction (Article 23, section 3) (CC 2E here and below). In the classroom, students are introduced to freedom of expression through the campus-wide learning outcomes, the MnTC learning competencies (see 1P1), and active learning strategies. In addition, the College fosters a respect for diverse perspectives through a variety of events and activities, including Constitution Day events, the Life Raft Debate, the ARC, diversity events sponsored by the Center for Inclusion, and leadership training and opportunities offered through Student Life (see 1P16). The College promotes academic freedom and responsible teaching and learning in its Academic Integrity Policy: In each class students will be notified about that class' process regarding academic dishonesty. That notification is most often stated in the class syllabus and may contain definitions of academic dishonesty, Category One: Helping Students Learn 15

16 required documentation style, a reference to the college's Academic Integrity Policy and the Student Code of Conduct, and a statement of consequences in the class for any infraction. This policy covers plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, enabling academic dishonesty, deception or misrepresentation, and multiple submissions (CC 3B5, 3D5). To ensure the integrity and appropriate use of research, IHCC has an Institutional Review Board (IRB) chaired by a faculty member who reports to the CAO. There is also a Human Subjects Research policy that states, All research conducted by, sponsored by, or involving as a subject any member of IHCC (i.e., faculty, student, staff, or administrator) that involves humans must be reviewed and approved by the IRB prior to the initiation of subject recruitment. Research activities that are conducted by students within the confines of a course, and for the sole purpose of achieving the academic goals of that course, are typically exempt from IRB review. However, it is strongly advised that the professor check with the IRB prior to initiating the research project in a course. Proposals for human-subjects research must be submitted via IRB-approved forms prior to the initiation of subject recruitment or data collection. Proposals may be approved for a specific duration of time not to exceed one year; ongoing research may be re-approved by the IRB. Denials by the IRB are final (see 1P1 and 1P15). At IHCC, effective teaching is documented and communicated in several ways. Faculty review is a tiered process composed of classroom visits, formal supervisor evaluation (see 4P), the development of a professional growth plan, and formal course evaluation by students. Each instructor at IHCC has at least one course (across all modes of delivery) evaluated by students each semester. In the summer of 2012 IHCC fully adopted the IDEA Student Ratings of Instruction system, which provides individualized reports to fit the instructor's selected learning objectives and offers recommendations for improvement based on national benchmarking. For new faculty, communication of teaching and learning expectations first takes place at the New Faculty Orientation which was designed by a collaborative team of faculty and administrators. In addition, new faculty receive a binder with a variety of materials that introduce them to IHCC processes and are connected to the faculty best practices D2L site. Faculty who teach three or more credits meet with the Instructional Design team to obtain current course design and syllabi information, learn about faculty professional development options at IHCC, and to be introduced to the course management system and other-campus supported technology. Lastly, all new faculty are strongly encouraged to participate in the Faculty Mentor Program (FMP). The semester long FMP provides a structured system of relationship-based supports designed to engage faculty in critical self-reflection related to their instructional themes and patterns. Lastly, the College provides seven Academic Development Days which focus on developing teaching strategies and best practices in helping students learn. IHCC also uses the Student Academic Achievement Program (SAAP) (see 1P18) for communicating learning expectations to faculty. Learning expectations are communicated to students through official course outlines which are available online at the time of registration. Individual instructors communicate course learning outcomes through course syllabi which, by policy, must be provided to students the first day of class. Departments communicate program objectives using program curriculum materials which are available in the IHCC Catalog and in career-focused brochures. The general education (MnTC) learning competencies are available in official course outlines, course syllabi, the Catalog, and advising materials (see 1P1). The campus-wide learning outcomes appear on official course outlines and syllabi (see 1P1). 1P12. Building an Effective and Efficient Course Delivery System: IHCC looks at its course delivery system from three perspectives: logistics of the schedule, course design, and course management. In each of these areas, the College strives for effectiveness, consistency, and efficiency. Academic schedules are constructed to respond to and meet student need, faculty talents, and institutional efficiency. The college utilizes data to analyze enrollment trends, fill rates by course, section, day and time as well as trend data to assess whether the college is offering the appropriate number of sections for students to move through the Category One: Helping Students Learn 16

17 transfer curriculum and programs appropriately. Faculty and administration work collaboratively to create the course schedule (CC 3A1, 3 here and below). In 2011 IHCC completed an AQIP Action Project entitled, Quality Scheduling, which was designed to create a two-year schedule that offers predictability, consistency, and flexibility; effective use of institutional data; and a revised course scheduling process in an effort to reduce the overall number of course cancellations while increasing the overall fill rate. This Action Project produced efficiencies (including consistently improved course fill rates, fewer class cancellations, and better use of space) that are achieved as a result of a new scheduling grid, the implementation of a two-year schedule, and the adoption of consistent start dates for summer sessions. IHCC already had fall and spring start dates that aligned with MnSCU Policy and Procedure In addition, the college committed to offering approximately 25% of its sections online each semester. In 2012, as part of its MnSCU Strategic Framework, MnSCU identified Space Utilization and Instructional Cost per FYE as two of its MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metrics (see 8P5). This decision made the College even more sensitive to its Quality Scheduling efforts. Students received many benefits from the new scheduling processes, including Ability to plan a two-year schedule. Flexibility of evening, weekend, online/hybrid, accelerated, on-campus, and off-campus courses that were planned over the two-year period so that students could complete, at a minimum, the MnTC at all times, at all sites, and through all modalities. Flexibility resulting from day classes not overlapping over multiple time periods on the same day. Reduction in the times students have to redo their schedules because a course is cancelled. The College s commitment to effectively designed courses was reinforced when it received permission to deliver all of its programs online, and MnSCU sponsored the D2L course management system. At first, only faculty teaching online used D2L. Quickly D2L was made available to all faculty for all courses. Over 95% of faculty use D2L at least for the grade-book and to post the syllabus and assignments. Many faculty have also moved to using the discussion-board, assessment features, the news post, and , etc. As part of the commitment to effective courses, the College hired an instructional design team dedicated to helping faculty maximize the use of technology in instruction and to use best practices in teaching, assignments, and evaluation. IHCC encourages online faculty to follow the Quality Matters criteria for a welldesigned course resulting in consistency in online courses for easy navigation by students. To stay in contact with all faculty, the design team communicates resources and information related to research-based instruction via their training, individual appointments, newsletters, faculty resource site, and rolling outreach cart. In addition, the Team provides customized department-level training. In summer 2013, the team offered How Learning Works; Seven Research-Based Principles of Effective Teaching for Emergency Medical Services. In fall 2013, faculty and instructional designers created an Open Educational Resource (OER) pilot for the Humanities Division that included faculty training, consultation, and support to identify face-to-face courses for an OER make-over. The courses in the pilot use 100 percent free content to support the instructional process. 1P13. Ensuring Programs and Courses are Effective: The College Mission, Vision, and Values are constant reminders that the College has a responsibility to provide excellence in learning that helps students build careers while caring responsibly for resources. IHCC uses a number of strategies to ensure the currency, quality, and efficiency of its programs: program review, accreditation, and both internal and external measures of the success of its graduates. All departments and programs conduct a formal program review every five years. This review includes an indepth review of AASC-approved course learning outcomes and program objectives; coursework; alignment with college mission, goals, and master academic plan; budgets; student success; licensure rates where applicable; employment; and student satisfaction and engagement. As part of the program review, programs and departments consult with Advisory Committees, other College departments (especially those departments Category One: Helping Students Learn 17

18 which provide service courses for programs or departments for which a reviewing department provides service courses), and other institutions with which the department/program articulates its courses/awards (CC 4A1 here and below). Data provided to the program under review by the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) includes three years of persistence data for their program/area broken out by semester and by delivery method (online, FTF or blended/hybrid); and financial data with comparisons to peers for three years provided by MnSCU in the Instructional Cost Study. Faculty are directed to reports online which show the enrollment and graduation for their program/area by semester. They can also access comparison data for other colleges. Institutional survey results are posted to the OIR SharePoint site if faculty wish to view student satisfaction results at the institutional level (CCSSE, SSI, ALI, etc). The program review report is presented by the program/department to the AASC. The Executive and the Management Teams are invited to these presentations since they often include budget and hiring recommendations that will need administrative approval. Most IHCC programs for which programmatic accreditation is available have achieved or are in the process of achieving programmatic accreditation (CC 4A5) (see Table 1P13-1). Table 1P13-1: Status of Accredited Programs Accredited Program Accrediting Body Current Status of Program Accounting/Business Accreditation Council for Business Approved status. Last visit 2010, next visit Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Emergency Medical Commission on Accreditation of Allied Approved. Last site visit fall Next site visit Services Health Education Programs 2017 Nursing Accreditation Commission for Education Accredited March 2013 ACEN- Next accreditation in Nursing (ACEN) visit is Spring 2021 Paralegal Approval by American Bar Association Approval status extended until Feb Last site visit 7/8-9/2013 Fine Arts National Association of Schools of Art and Had a pre-accreditation visit in March 2013 Design (NASAD) Source: Office on Institutional Research IHCC has a number of processes and measures related to graduates that it uses to verify the quality and relevance of its program (CC 4A6). These include Student Completion Rates, a MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metric (see 3R2, 8R4)(CC 4C2) Licensure pass rates, a MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metric (see 1R4, 8R4) Related Employment of Graduates, a MnSCU Framework Performance Metric (see 8R4) Number of Internships (see 9R2) Successful Internship Completion (see Table 1R4-2) Capstone courses/portfolios: the Information Technology Careers programs use portfolios to assess students transferrable skills and for resume building Transfer rates (see 3R1) Successful Transfer: Percent Credits Accepted in Transfer at Receiving Institutions, a system-wide MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metric (see 1R4) 1P14. Changing or Discontinuing Programs: Program changes are driven by changing industry standards and/or discipline research. The changes often start in discussions in advisory committees or departments or in conversations with workforce partners. The changes are developed by faculty members in consultation with experts and are taken to AASC for approval. If the changes involve a change in credits, title, online-only delivery, or delivery at a new location, they must be sent to MnSCU for approval and correction of the College s program inventory. Students currently enrolled in the program are advised of the changes and of the graduation policy. Recently, IHCC made substantive changes to its Nursing program, the Emergency Medical Category One: Helping Students Learn 18

19 Services Paramedic degree, and the Cisco training program. The Nursing curriculum was converted to a fouryear pathway with IHCC providing the lower division credits for the RN and Metropolitan State University providing the upper division credits for a BSN. The decision to discontinue a program requires substantial research by the institution. A driving criterion is relevance. Faculty members and administration also look at enrollment, competition from other higher education institutions or within the industry itself which might be providing its own training, program costs, and institutional space and equipment resources. If the institution decides to seek approval to close a program, it is faced with several steps. On campus, administration takes the decision to Faculty Shared Governance for conversation. The administration must develop a lay-off/reassignment plan for involved faculty and, working with faculty members, must develop a teach-out plan for students. The closure request then goes to the Metro Alliance for discussion and to AASC for approval. The College must then submit a request for closure approval to MnSCU which requires labor-market and enrollment data. MnSCU then conducts a thorough vetting of the closure. On a few occasions, closures have been suspended or phased over a longer period of time. If several institutions offer the same program, they may be asked to collaborate on a closure plan that may involve reducing the number of institutions offering the program and a consolidation of resources. 1P15. Addressing Learning Support Needs of Students and Faculty: Recognizing in its Vision the responsibility to create a vigorous intellectual environment, the College offers a full array of learning support services. The College invests heavily in facilities that provide space for learning outside the classroom. The College is in the process of fully redesigning and renovating the Library Building which when complete will house the library (completed last summer), the newly structured Center for Experiential Learning, and new faculty office spaces with support staff. The College has also redesigned the College Center creating a welcoming Counseling/Advising space and moving the Assessment Center from the Library to the College Center, locating Assessment closer to Admissions and Advising for students convenience and opening up additional space in the Library for tutoring and experiential learning. The College also invests heavily in personnel who provide support services for student learning through both the Academic Affairs Division and Student Services. Specialized personnel are noted below for each of the services. These services are available to all students free of charge. Faculty may require students to visit these centers to receive additional assistance to perform better in their particular course or students may seek the help on their own. Academic Affairs provides extensive learning support for students (see 1R5) (CC 3D1,4 here and below) (see Table 1P15-1 and Table 1P15-2). Table 1P15-1: Learning Support-Tutoring Tutoring Services Personnel Purpose Math Center Paraprofessional and peer tutors Tutoring at all levels of math Writing Center Paraprofessional and peer tutors Improve writing capabilities and techniques with paraprofessional and peer tutors Peer Tutoring College Reading & Learning Assoc. certified student tutors Improve understanding of course content across disciplines SMARThinking Contracted personnel Online tutoring services in a number of disciplines available to all students Structured Learning Paraprofessional tutors Tutoring and support in high-risk courses Assistance Online Class Peer Mentors Students selected by instructor Technical assistance and logistical guidance Biology Resource Room Paraprofessionals, student tutors Active learning with models Art studio open lab Paraprofessionals Additional studio time outside of class Mac open Lab Paraprofessionals Image enhancement for digital photography Category One: Helping Students Learn 19

20 Table 1P15-2: Learning Support-Venues Instructional Settings Personnel Purpose Art Studios Instructors, paraprofessionals Fully-equipped learning venues for creating Performance Venues Instructors, paraprofessionals Learning, practice and performance spaces Science Labs Instructors, paraprofessionals Fully-equipped spaces for experiments & learning Clinical practice labs Instructors, paraprofessionals Fully-equipped medical environment for instruction, practice, & assessment in handling medical scenarios Art Gallery, display Gallery Director Opportunities for students to display work and to cases view work of guest artists Community Garden Instructors, paraprofessionals learn benefits & science of gardening, communitybased learning, volunteerism Library Faculty Librarians- provide customized bibliographic instruction to classes working on research projects; create guide sheets for researching in a variety of disciplines; online Ask a Librarian Director of Experiential Learning, 40-student computer classroom, large quiet study room, 12 small group study areas, casual reading space, a large collection of databases, disciplinespecific books, journals, trade books, CDs, films, reference desk during (see 1R5) Center for Experiential Learning Service Learning Professional Community-based Learning, Volunteering, Internships (see Category 2) Computer Labs Paraprofessionals, student workers Access to software, hardware, databases Technical Support Professionals, student workers Ensures software and technology availability Student Services provides supports that can help students succeed academically (see Table 1P15-3) Table 1P15-3: Learning Support-Student Affairs Centers Personnel Support Advising/Counseling Counselors, trained advisors Provide course, degree guidance; personal counseling Career Services/Employment Counselors, trained advisors Career information, guidance; employment assistance Assessment Trained paraprofessionals Placement, GED, make-up testing; testing with accommodations; PLA (VUE, CLEP), proctored testing Accessibility and Inclusion Trained professional See Category 3 Veterans Affairs Trained professional Coordinates services/benefits, advocacy Students also receive learning support through Student Success Days (see 1P7), student clubs (see 1P16), and one-on-one conferences with instructors or counselors. Students are introduced to the learning support services available at Orientation and in On Course and Academic Planning and Assessment courses which underscore the value of students seeking help early in their academic journey. Instructors also suggest or require that students visit a specific support service for extra help. Some instructors send Early Alert reports that suggest steps to improve a student s grade, which often include using the services listed above (CC 3D2). The college regularly surveys students regarding their desire for and satisfaction levels with various support services and their needs in these areas. Some formal surveys include the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), Adult Learner Inventory (ALI), and Priorities Survey for Online Learners (PSOL) and the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) (See Category 7). The College provides ongoing teaching and learning support for faculty (CC 3D4) (see Table 1P15-4): Table 1P15-4: Support Services for Faculty-Teaching and Learning Resource Support Instructional Areas Fully equipped smart classrooms, laboratories and studios for instruction, performance venues for theater and music Faculty Secretaries Clerical and technical assistance for classroom, events, and research Bookstore, Copy Center Professional materials in a timely manner CTL Website Resources for faculty on numerous teaching/learning topics Category One: Helping Students Learn 20

21 Faculty development programs Sabbatical Library New faculty orientation Online mentoring Quality Matters Course Review Technology Support Technology Infrastructure Category One: Helping Students Learn Seven College-sponsored Academic Development days, Faculty Retreat, special training days during the breaks Opportunity for full-time faculty to expand their knowledge, expertise, skills in their discipline or teaching practice Training in the use of search engines, assistance in accessing information, customized class training Mentoring campus culture, policies, and processes Mentoring from an experienced online instructor Benchmark specific feedback on course organization and alignment Hardware maintenance, problem troubleshooting, training in new software Course management system, Hobson s constituent resource management with early alert & student activity tracking, TurnItIn, electronic assessment/grading, discipline-specific software, PC or laptop (for full-time instructors) There are numerous channels for faculty members to request learning support and assistance: requests to IT and other departments on campus, Faculty Shared Governance, faculty union meetings, discussion with deans, program review, Employee Climate Survey, Academic Development Days, and meetings with the instructional design team (3D2). 1P16. Aligning co-curricular development goals with curricular learning objectives: Student Life priorities are aligned with AQIP action projects, AQIP categories, the MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metrics and the IHCC master plan. Motivated by the College Mission to inspire students, build careers, and strengthen communities and the Vision of creating a vigorous intellectual environment for emerging leaders, scholars, and professionals, Student Life built an action plan that aligns co-curricular goals with curricular learning objectives and removes Student Life s previous responsibilities in Student Conduct management and the First Year Experience. These changes encouraged the Department to focus on projects which advocate for innovative and relevant programming. At the heart of Student Life s new focus is the Leadership Academy. The Academy is dedicated to creating more prepared student leaders on campus and in the community. Academy workshops cover a variety of topics, including the public speaking, ethical leadership, appreciating diversity, and building a resume and developing transferable skills. Besides the Academy, Student Life offers opportunities to practice key leadership skills, including governance on the Student Senate, budgeting through the Student Life Budget Committee which manages the Student Life budget, and service to community as a member of Phi Theta Kappa. These efforts are further supported by the Minnesota State College Students Association (MSCSA) which holds a state-wide leadership conference to which IHCC sends delegates (CC 3E1, 2 here and below). Student Life also sponsors clubs and activities that inspire students, build careers and strengthen communities, create a vigorous intellectual environment and enrich individual lives and support our diverse communities (see Table 1P16-1). Table 1P16-1: Co-Curricular Activities aligned with Curricular Learning Objectives Sponsored Group Co-Curricular Activity Curricular Learning Objective Discipline-related Clubs (ex. Math League, DECA) Opportunity to compete in discipline-specific events. Program learning outcomes; CWLO: Communication Discipline-related Clubs (ex Sociology) Sponsor college-forum on controversial topics CWLOs: Critical Thinking, Communication Volunteer Groups (ex. VIBE, Community Sponsor community activities like CWLO: Civic Engagement Garden) Children s Halloween Party, foodshelf donation Intramural sports Sport-specific leagues Degree requirement: healthy life style Multi-cultural Groups (ex. Black Student, Somali, Ethiopian, International Student) Sponsor cultural events MnTC Goals 7 and 8 diversity competencies Diverse Groups (ex. Christian Fellowship, Events that support diverse MnTC Goals 7 and 8 diversity 21

22 Sponsored Group Co-Curricular Activity Curricular Learning Objective Gay-Straight Alliance, VALOR-Veterans) students competencies Performance Groups (ex. Theater, Glee Club, African Drumming) Opportunity to perform for credit or as a no-fee activity MnTC Goal 6 creative performance competency Community Activities (ex. Poverty Simulation, Disaster Relief Trip) Work with NGOs to rebuild understand diverse communities CWLO: Civic Engagement The intention is that by engaging students while providing support and service beyond their coursework, they will be empowered to seek information and problem-solve on their own, whether it be financial issues, finding a job, engaging politically in their community, creating an academic plan, or choosing a transfer institution. Early work has begun to identify learning opportunities for students and create learning outcomes for all units in Student Affairs. Student Life, Admissions, and Advising have begun the work of identifying learning outcomes of each type of encounter with students that align with CWLOs. 1P17. Determining that Completers Meet Learning and Development Expectations: Degrees are developed with learning outcomes. For career and technical programs, the courses selected for the degree reflect knowledge and skills necessary for success in that particular field. These outcomes are determined through discussions with an advisory board comprised of employers, state or national standards, and/or transfer institution requirements. General education learning expectations are defined by the MnTC competencies and align with program requirements. During the Program Review, faculty develop a curriculum map that outlines in which courses each program outcome is taught and assessed. Faculty members use a variety of methods to assess the program learning objectives that have been mapped to their courses. One example is the plan, including the assignments for assessing the achievement of a program objective in a specific course, developed by the Education program (see Table1P17-1). Table 1P17-1: Course Plan for Assessing Program Learning Objectives Objectives Assignment Used for Assessment Contrast elements of teacher-centered and student-centered T-chart educational philosophies Analyze aspects of personal K-12 educational experiences, as they Reflective Essay, multiple drafts with peer relate to plans to become a teacher feedback Explain evidence of K-12 student learning in field placements at K- Reflective D2L discussion posts 5, 6-8, and 9-12 schools Experiment with instructional approaches with individual and/or K-12 classroom placement and mentorship small groups of K-12 students in field placements with teacher) Defend beliefs about the purpose of education in U. S. Webpage in students' E-folio Appraise basic skills in reading, writing, mathematics with Computer-based practice test through completion of a Practice Test for the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Pearson Exam (MLTE) Evaluate empathetic questioning skills and nonverbal body Review peer videotaped segments on I-pads language Formulate plans to successfully transfer and complete teacher Completion of a 2-yr and 4-yr plan in licensure in Minnesota partnership with academic advisors Synthesize multiple research-based articles/related resources, Write a research-based reflective essay with regarding the Minnesota American Indians appropriate citations Describe elements of gender-bias in children's television View TV show/respond to questions before programming writing a short response paper Rate and reflect upon biases related to a range of topics: gender, Complete a Project Implicit quiz through race, political party, disability, religion, etc. Harvard and explain reaction to results Source: Education Department Faculty At the program level, career programs use the following to verify achievement of program outcomes: Category One: Helping Students Learn 22

23 Licensure pass rates, a MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metric (see 1R4). Related Employment of Graduates, a MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metric (see 1R4). Number of Internships (see 9R2). Successful Internship Completion (see Table 1R4-2) and evaluations by site supervisors. Capstone courses/portfolios: the Information Technology Careers programs use portfolios to assess students transferrable skills and for resume building. Transfer rate (3R1). Successful Transfer: Percent Credits Accepted in Transfer at Receiving Institutions, a system-wide MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metric (see 1R4). For the AA Degree, 40 of the 60 credits are requirements of the MnTC and 2 credits are in health and physical education. With planning, the remaining 18 credits should align with the student s transfer plan or career goals. For all degrees, the College expects students to have achieved the MnTC competencies in their degree program and the CWLOs. Metrics used to determine that students receiving any award have met expectations include Assessment of campus-wide learning outcomes (see 1P18). Assessment of MnTC competencies (see 1P18). Student Completion Rates, a MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metric (see 8R2). Transfer rates (3R1). Successful Transfer: Percent Credits Accepted in Transfer at Receiving Institutions, a system-wide MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metric (see 1R4). Community-based Learning, including feedback for and by each student (see Category 2). 1P18. Assessing Student Learning: The IHCC SAAP was developed in 1995 by a group of faculty members working with administration. The program was built on the newly adopted Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (see 1P1). Implemented in 1996, SAAP focused mainly on assessment of the MnTC goals and course outcomes. The process asked instructors to identify a course, a MnTC outcome, a current measurement, and the results in fall term. In the next term, the faculty members were to modify teaching or assessment and again report the results. The goal was to improve the quality of teaching and learning. There are individual and departmental SAAPs. Participation was monitored by deans, and the process and results were reviewed by the Assessment Committee. The basic process of assess make instructional and/or measurement changes reassess remains although the program has evolved. In the College began a yearlong conversation about which key learning outcomes the community valued in order to identify CWLOs. Faculty and staff, led by members of the Assessment Committee had sessions during professional days; students joined the conversation through PTK and the Student Life club system. In a final vote, the campus selected the 3-Cs: Communication, Critical Thinking, and Civic Engagement. During summer 2006, the Assessment Committee revised SAAP, defined the 3Cs, and began discussions on ways to assess the college-wide outcomes. At the August Academic Development days, the committee presented the 3 Cs (CC 4B1, 4 here and below). During , after much discussion, it was decided to use rubrics for assessment. The Critical Thinking Rubric was developed based on the MnTC Goal 2: Critical Thinking competencies, and a survey was created for Civic Engagement. During , faculty members piloted the use of the Critical Thinking Rubric and the Assessment Committee gave the Civic Engagement survey. At academic development days, faculty members discussed how well the rubric worked for them, how their personal results compared to the overall college results, how the results should influence teaching of critical thinking, and how IHCC could norm the rubric across disciplines. Throughout the year, the Assessment Committee worked to develop the communication rubric and researched other civic engagement surveys nationwide since the homegrown survey proved ineffective. In summer 2009, 16 faculty members met to work with the communication rubric and discussed sample papers and norming within the levels of the rubric. During , the communication Category One: Helping Students Learn 23

24 rubric was introduced and faculty members piloted its use. During , the civic engagement survey was abandoned and a rubric was created and piloted the following year (see Table 1R2-2). As a result of conversations about ways to improve data validity, the Pre-Post Assessment format for Individual SAAPs was introduced (see Table 1R2-3-6) Discussion intensified on backward course design, the difference between grading and assessment, using rubrics, concept mapping, what outcomes employers want and where transferable skills fit in disciplines, and using assessment to improve learning. Much of this conversation was driven by the growing emphasis on quality data for decision-making and the MnSCU Strategic Framework s goal to be the partner of choice for businesses and communities across Minnesota. While the College worked on assessing College-wide Learning Outcomes, Departmental SAAP changed very little. Departments select a program outcome or MnTC goal and access student success. Many departments do have rich discussion about the outcomes, student success and possible changes in methodology or assessment that could improve student learning. In 2011 departments were given a longer time span (up to 2.5 years) to make teaching changes and assess outcomes. IHCC is just beginning to collect this information (see 1R2) (CC 4B3). In spring 2013, the College applied for the HLC Assessment Academy and was accepted. In summer 2013, IHCC sent a cross-functional team to the Academy for Assessment of Student Learning where they developed the College s Goals for the Academy: restructure IHCC s assessment framework and redesign metrics, develop learning outcomes for Student Services departments, move to a more inquiry-based culture, and become more learner-centered. As a result of the Academy, the College initiated an AQIP Action Project titled Curriculum Mapping and Outcomes Alignment with a pilot by a few faculty members in fall 2013 (CC 4B2). Following the planning for the Academy, the College accepted the opportunity to participate in a multi-state initiative to pilot the adoption of the Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) rubrics. MnSCU is sponsoring IHCC s participation as part of the System s efforts to define the Framework s Learning Outcomes metric. IHCC is piloting use of the Foundations of Lifelong Learning rubric during Training in using the rubric was conducted in fall and in spring student artifacts were collected. In May, participating faculty rated three samples using the rubric and compared ratings. The resulting discussions helped to clarify leveling within the rubric so faculty could use this information for rating their students work. The results will be analyzed during summer The College s goals for the VALUE initiative include training in consistent and meaningful use of rubrics across assignments and disciplines, developing methods of benchmarking and comparing learning outcomes with other participating institutions, and training and discussion to differentiate upper and lower division outcomes acquisition. While the Assessment Team will lead these initiatives, there will be significant involvement from the OIR and the Institutional Effectiveness Council (IEC). OIR will assist with development of metrics and by providing data to make informed decisions. The IEC will provide campus-wide support and serve to monitor progress. The expected outcomes are as follows: Academic and student affairs programs will all have clearly defined learning outcomes, metrics with which to assess the outcomes, and plans for using the data to improve student learning. Faculty and staff will have developed the skills and knowledge to create, implement, and maintain assessment plans for their programs. Students will know the learning outcomes they are expected to achieve and will see how they are connected to the world of academics, the world of work, and everyday life. Through alignment of program outcomes with workforce expectations and baccalaureate major prerequisites, students will be prepared for the next steps. The institution will have a clear view of how Perkins-driven technical skills assessment, accredited program-mandated learning outcomes and assessment, and the MnSCU measures of program outcomes can be integrated to create meaningful data for analytics and ultimately improvement. Faculty and staff will be empowered in the selection and measurement of learning outcomes and in the analysis and use of the resulting data. 24 Category One: Helping Students Learn

25 By integrating the assessment of program learning outcomes into both academic and student affairs programming, a culture of assessment will be embedded across all areas of the institution. RESULTS 1R1. Measures of students learning and development. IHCC makes use of a variety of nationally benchmarked surveys as well as a surveys developed by the College (See 7P1 for a survey schedule.) The College also monitors and acts on a variety of campus data as well as all of the data points in the MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metrics; the ones specifically related to Category 1, include Licensure Exam Pass Rates, Student Persistence and Completion, Completion Rate, Student Diversity Students of Color, Student Success Student of Color Ratio to White Students, Completion Rate Students of Color Ratio to White Students, Campus Diversity Climate, Certificates and Degrees Awarded, Related Employment of Graduates, Successful Transfer Percent Credits Accepted in Transfer at Receiving Institutions, and System Market Share of Awards Conferred. (See 8R3 and 8R4 for these data along with targets and comparisons.) 1R2. Performance Results for Common Student Learning Objectives: With the development of rubrics for the Communication and Critical Thinking CWLOs, the College began collecting data on how well students met expectations for each of the competencies associated with each of the outcomes (see Table 1R2-1 and Table 1R2-2). Table 1R2-1: Communication Common Learning Outcome Results (Percentage of Students Who Placed) FYE n Exceeds in Most Areas Exceeds in Some Areas Meets Minimal Expectations Below Expectations Invention/ presentation Effective in groups Synthesize diverse points of view Appropriate for the audience Logical/coherent arguments Use individual voice Appropriate syntax and usage Source: Education Faculty Table 1R2-2: Critical Thinking Composite Results (Percentage of Students Who Placed) FYE Exceeds in Most Areas Exceeds in Some Areas Meets Minimal Expectations Below Expectations Source: OIR With the adoption of a Pre/Post Test process, the College began collecting before and after data. The data, where possible, has been disaggregated by the points students were at in their academic journey to completion: Developmental, First Year Student, and Capstone. Below is a sample of the data for assessment of Communication Competency A: Invention, organization, drafting, revision, editing, and presentation (see Figures 1R2-3 6). Category One: Helping Students Learn 25

26 Figures 1R2-3-6: Results for Communication Assessment of Competency A What IHCC learned: Create a 1:1 match in pre/post tests to understand how much each individual student improved Provide formal training on rubrics to ensure consistency of data for improved interpretation Limit competency options measured in any given SAAP to one or two to concentrate data Focus on a single competency across the campus in a semester to increase the number Source: OIR Assessment Report Source: OIR Assessment Report Departmental Student Academic Achievement Plans take a variety of approaches to assessing achievement of program objectives. The Health and Physical Education faculty used a survey to examine whether students choose healthy lifestyle behaviors after taking the course. Eight of the seventeen behaviors surveyed showed large positive changes. The Library began doing a pre- and post-test for their bibliographic instruction sessions. There were increases in student knowledge, but not as great as were expected. A Librarian will spend Sabbatical working on improving outcomes. 1R3. Performance Results for Specific Learning Objectives: IHCC collects results for the satisfaction and engagement of students with the institution and for programming in general, for certain targeted populations for whom IHCC provides special services or modes of delivery, and for special programming. Student Satisfaction with overall IHCC experience: Using the SSI, IHCC measure students overall satisfaction with their experience at the College. This is an area of concern for the College that IHCC strives to improve (see Figure 1R3-1). Category One: Helping Students Learn 26

27 Figure 1R3-1: Overall Satisfaction So far, how has your college experience met your expectations? Source: SSI data; on a scale of 1-7 where 7 is high and 1 is low Rate your overall satisfaction All in all, if you had it to do over, with your experience here thus would you enroll here again? far 2010 IHCC 2010 National 2012 IHCC 2012 National Course Evaluation: IHCC began collecting data using IDEA in summer The overall mean for two questions are looked at each semester as one measure of student satisfaction (see Table 1R3-2). Table 1R3-2: Perceived Quality of Instruction All Courses All courses summer 2012 fall 2012 summer 2013 fall 2013 Overall, I rate this instructor as an excellent teacher Overall, I rate this course as excellent Source: IDEA; on a scale of 1-5 where 1=not at all and 5=very much Student Engagement and Satisfaction: IHCC has administered the CCSSE every other year since The College looks at data relevant to understanding student s attitudes toward their own learning and the learning processes. The College compares these data with its peers in MnSCU and with national peers (see Figure 1R3-3). Figure 1R3-3: Overview of Student Engagement and Satisfaction with Learning Active and Collaborative Learning Student Effort Acadmic Challenge Student-Faculty Interaction Support for Learners 2009 IHCC 2009 MnSCU 2011 IHCC 2011 MnSCU 2013 IHCC 2013 MnSCU Source: CCSSE data (Benchmark scales where 50 is the standardized mean with a standard deviation of 25) Targeted Populations: Course completion data helps IHCC understand which groups are benefitting from programming and which ones need additional or different support (see Table 1R3-4). Category One: Helping Students Learn 27

28 Table 1R3-4: Course Success Rates Course Success Rates (A, B, C, P grades) FY11 FY12 FY13 SU FA SP SU FA SP SU FA SP All students 81.6% 72.0% 73.0% 79.5% 71.6% 73.4% 80.2% 75.0% 75.6% Online 76.7% 69.2% 68.3% 75.4% 67.6% 69.2% 77.2% 69.5% 70.1% Blended/hybrid 81.8% 68.9% 73.1% 76.4% 72.4% 74.9% 80.2% 75.7% 72.6% Adult Learners 79.7% 84.7% 78.1% 81.6% 77.6% 78.6% 83.0% 79.4% 79.0% ASAP 84.6% 89.0% 85.8% 85.4% 88.3% 85.9% 85.8% 88.3% 87.1% Veterans 69.0% 81.0 % 72.0% 70.2% 77.6% 75.3% 71.0% 77.7% 73.2% Underrepresented IHCC uses the System Performance Metrics for Diverse Populations (see 8R4) Online Learners: As part of the efforts to assure the quality of online delivery, IHCC analyzes data comparing online course delivery with face-to-face courses as well as the completion data in Table 1R3-4. For spring 2013 semester, the IDEA data was disaggregated by delivery method (see Table 1R3-5): Table 1R3-5: Quality of Instruction Online compared with F2F Spring 2013 Online Face 2 Face Excellent Instructor Excellent Course Source: IDEA What data tells us about online success: A recent study was undertaken to look at online learning trends. Three summer, fall and spring terms were analyzed. The online student success rate for all terms combined, a total of 39,754 enrollments, was 71.2%. Trend data continues to show that summer terms have higher success rates than the fall or spring semesters. This has been historically true in on-ground as well as online courses in summer terms. Although only accelerated online courses are offered during the summer, they consistently show higher success rates (ranging from 72.1% to 78.2%) than full-term courses (ranging from 67% to 69.8%) for all other semesters. Each term, non-traditional students (age 25+) have shown a higher success rate than traditional students. The average success rate for non-traditional students by fiscal year has been inconsistent (76.5%, 74.8%, and 76.7% sequentially); however, the traditional student success rate has slowly increased across each fiscal year (66.2%, 68.1%, and 69% sequentially). IHCC s overall online course success rate of 71.2% compares favorably with a recent review of the Department of Education site and several Community College reports, showing that trending nationwide is 60-72%, putting IHCC at the high end. Online Course Design/Delivery Data Indicates: The Instructional Design Team sees an average of 160 faculty in individual consultations every academic year. The faculty resource website had 3,893 visits during its first year of use. In addition, IHCC has trained over 50 faculty on the Quality Matters rubric, has eight trained peer reviewers, and has two faculty with master reviewer status. IHCC has 19 courses that meet the Quality Matters standards and 5 currently in the review process. Post-Traditional Learners: Because the College has a large Post-Traditional Learner Program which is built on innovative and alternative methods of course delivery (PLA and accelerated courses), it collects and analyzes a variety of data on its adult learners and makes use of the Noel-Levitz Adult Learner Inventory (ALI) as a source of comparative data. Table 1R3-1 also gives data on the success of adult learners in general and of ASAP learners in particular. These data have encouraged IHCC to extend the processes in ASAP to all adult learners (see Table 1R3-6 and Table 1R3-7). Category One: Helping Students Learn 28

29 Table 1R3-6: Individualized Professional Studies (IPS) FY 2013 FY 2012 FY 2011 FY 2010 # of IPS degrees awarded % of all degrees 6% 7% 5% 4% Source: Operational data Table 1R3-7: PLA Data FY Unduplicated HC Credits completed Credits earned Credits attempted % % % % Source: Operational data The ALI shows that the accelerated completion program for adult learners, ASAP, has reached national benchmarks for student satisfaction. Results are gathered for both the general adult population and for ASAP students (see Figure 1R3-8 and Figure 1R3-9). Figure 1R3-8: Program Satisfaction How would rate your overall satisfaction with this program? General ASAP National Source: ALI; on a 7-point scale where 1= definitely no and 7= definitely yes Figure 1R3-9: Recommend Programming Would you recommend this program to other adult learners? General ASAP National Source: ALI; on a 7-point scale where 1= definitely no and 7= definitely yes 1R4, 1R6. Evidence that Completers Have Acquired Skills Required by Stakeholders One of the MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metrics is licensure rates. Overall, the MnSCU Colleges have a baseline of 87% with a target of 91.5% by Calendar Year For IHCC the licensure rates included in these data are the Peace Officer Licensure Exam and the NCLEX-RN. IHCC has already achieved the 91.5% target, so the College goal is to maintain that rate through calendar year In addition to the two licensures tracked by MnSCU, IHCC also tracks Paralegal Internship Successful Completion and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) licensing exam (see Table 1R4-1). Category One: Helping Students Learn 29

30 Table 1R4-1: Peace Officer Licensure Exam Pass Rates Year Institution Passing Candidates Rate 2012 Inver Hills Community College Inver Hills Community College Inver Hills Community College Inver Hills Community College Source: Peace Officer Standards and Training Board and System Office Research There is no licensure exam for Paralegal so the department tracks the success rates of interns (see Table 1R4-2). Table 1R4-2: Paralegal Internship Completion Successful completion of Internship 94% 91% 91% 89% Source: Director of Paralegal program The NCLEX-RN is used to assess the learning of nursing students. IHCC students perform very well on this exam, with first-time success rates rising each year (83.04% in 2009, 94.64% in 2012). IHCC compares IHCC success rates on the first attempt with the rates for Metro area Associate Degree programs (see Table 1R4-3 and Table 1R4-4). Table 1R4-3: NCLEX-RN Results for MN Associate Degree Programs College/University Name 2009% 2010% 2011% 2012 % North Hennepin Community College Inver Hills Community College* Normandale Community College Anoka-Ramsey Community College Century Community College Minneapolis Community & Technical College Inver Hills-Century Colleges * Source: MN.gov website: *Until Summer 2011, IHCC and Century College had a combined Nursing Program. Table 1R4-4: National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic Year of Certification exam % passed # of students % % % 23 Source: Dean of Allied Health IHCC also uses two MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metrics as measures of its students success 1. Transfer rate defined as the percent of credits accepted in transfer for undergraduate students at receiving institutions. The College s current baseline is 95.7%, far above the ceiling set by MnSCU at 90%. MnSCU two-year institution overall have a baseline of 69.6% with an overall target of 75% by Related Employment of Graduates shows IHCC s baseline to be 89.2% (FY 2011) with that being the College s target through FY 2016, so IHCC needs only maintain its performance. 1R5, 1R6. Performance results for learning support processes: IHCC uses both SSI and CCSSE data to trend its learning support performance and to compare it with peer institutions. Results from SSI for overall support services indicate IHCC s results are comparable to national results (see Tables 1R5-1 and 1R5-2). Category One: Helping Students Learn 30

31 Table 1R5-1: Overall Satisfaction with Support Services Statement IHCC 2012 Nat l 2012 IHCC 2010 Nat l 2010 Academic support services adequately meet the needs of students Source: SSI; on a scale of 1 7 where 1=not satisfied at all and 7 is very satisfied Table 1R5-2: Satisfaction with College s Help to Achieve Goals Statement The college does whatever it can to help me achieve my educational goals IMP 6.20 SAT 5.20 IMP 6.17 SAT 5.21 IMP 6.36 SAT 5.45 Source: SSI; on a scale of 1 7 where 1=not satisfied at all/not important at all and 7 is very satisfied/very important Library: In a comparative context, performance results for the IHCC Library (taken from NCES Academic Libraries Survey for FY 2010) indicate that usage statistics exceed those of similar sized and some larger institutions in MnSCU. The decline in gate count might be explained by the Library being relocated to a large classroom during renovation. The FY14 gate count is already surpassing previous years (see Table 1R5-3). Table 1R5-3: Library Use Service and Its Use Numbers for FY13 Database Searches: 672,084 Circulation Statistics: 24,943 Classes taught by Librarians: 175 Gate Count: 117,199 Information/Reference Services to Individuals: 23,109 Source: NCES Academic Library Survey and IHCC Library data Increase/decrease from FY10 Up 24% from FY10 Up.7% from FY10 Up 31% from FY10 Down 18% from FY10 Up 80% from FY10 Results about the library from the SSI indicate IHCC compares favorably to the national cohort (see Table 1R5-4): Table 1R5-4: Student Satisfaction with Library Services Statement IHCC 2012 Nat l 2012 IHCC 2010 Nat l 2010 Library Staff are helpful and approachable Library resources and services are adequate Source: SSI; on a scale of 1 7 where 1=not satisfied at all and 7 is very satisfied Computer Labs: Hourly usage rates for the computer labs from August December 2013 show that they did not max out their capacity at any point during the term, indicating that they are meeting student needs for providing open computer usage to students (see Table 1R5-5). Table 1R5-5: Computer Lab Satisfaction IHCC Med Cohort IHCC Med Cohort IHCC MnSCU Cohort college college N.A Not at all Somewhat Very Source: CCSSE; percent of responses to each degree of use statement Category One: Helping Students Learn 31

32 Advising/Counseling IHCC students report high satisfaction with advising (see Table 1R5-6), course scheduling (see Table 1R5-7) and the writing center, math center and peer tutoring (see Table 1R5-8). Table 1R5-6: Student Satisfaction with Advising/Counseling Services Statement IHCC 2012 National 2012 IHCC 2010 National 2010 My academic advisor is approachable Counseling staff care about students as individuals My academic advisor helps me set goals to work toward My academic advisor is concerned about my success as an individual My academic advisor is knowledgeable about my program requirements My academic advisor is knowledgeable about the transfer requirements of other schools Source: SSI; on a scale of 1 7 where 1=not satisfied at all and 7 is very satisfied Table 1R5-7: Student Satisfaction with Course Scheduling Statement Classes are scheduled at times that are convenient for me IMP 6.54 SAT 5.44 IMP 6.47 SAT 5.47 IMP 6.60 SAT 5.62 I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts IMP 6.40 SAT 5.48 Source: SSI; on a scale of 1 7 where 1=not satisfied at all/not important at all and 7 is very satisfied/very satisfied IMP 6.38 SAT 5.50 IMP 6.67 SAT 5.77 Table 1R5-8: Student Satisfaction with Writing Center, Math Center, and Peer Tutoring Skill labs (writing, math, etc.) Peer/ other tutoring IHCC Med Cohort IHCC Med Cohort IHCC MnSCU Cohort college college N.A Not at all Somewhat Very N.A Not at all Somewhat Very Source: CCSSE, percent of responses to each degree of use statement 1R6. Comparing Results with other Higher Education Institutions: IHCC uses comparative wherever possible. It compares its results with national peers, with MnSCU peers, and with its own year-to-year changes. Much of its data is reported to committees and to the College community with the comparative results. For this reason, the comparative data the College typically uses is imbedded in the results reported in 1R3, 1R4, and 1R5. Category One: Helping Students Learn 32

33 IMPROVEMENTS 1I1. Recent Improvements: Academy for the Assessment of Student Learning: Joining the Academy for the Assessment of Student Learning demonstrates IHCC s commitment to improving the process of student learning assessment on campus. The first and most critical step in the process was the work undertaken in fall IHCC allocated a significant amount of time to engage faculty and staff during the Academic Development Days. Specifically, the College engaged in a SWOT analysis of the assessment of student learning. The Assessment Team also created a structured series of questions to provide opportunities for faculty and staff to have a voice in the process. The framework for the assessment of student learning (which was created by the Assessment Team) was informed by the input and feedback from faculty and staff during Academic Development Days. During the spring 2014 semester, the Assessment Team: Created a SharePoint site to communicate and share assessment information Benchmarked good practices/examples (using HLC portal) and resources used at other colleges Identified characteristics that epitomize IHCC as a learning-centered institution Learning Outcomes in Student Services: Acknowledging that learning opportunities exist for students beyond the classroom, student services have begun to identify learning outcomes resulting from their interactions with students. Student Life (see 1P16) and Counseling and Advising Areas were the first to begin this work. Library Remodel: IHCC Library has undergone an extensive ($3million +) renovation. The new space offers more collaborative study spaces and a larger classroom for library instruction. This will better accommodate the curricular needs of both students and faculty (see Table 1P15-2). Addition of the Instructional Design Team and Quality Matters in Online: Championed by the Online Learning Committee, made up of Faculty, the Team supports faculty in the implementation of Quality Matter principles; in the design, redesign, and integration of technology into their courses; and in supporting the design and management of professional development activities (see1p12). Action Project Curriculum Mapping: This new action project will create clearer alignment of outcomes through all levels: course, program/department/minnesota Transfer Curriculum, and College-wide. The mapping will show the alignment and sequencing of outcomes and courses. Outcome measures include: 1) Training materials for the faculty, 2) Publication of department/program outcomes and curriculum maps, 3) Revised advising materials to increase the number of students with Educational Plans on file, and 4) Evidence the outcomes alignment and curriculum maps have been used to inform other processes like scheduling, program review, assessment, advising, budget development, and others. Changes in course scheduling: See 1P12. 1I2. Culture, Infrastructure, and Targets for Improved Performance Results: In Helping Students Learn, the College has a long standing infrastructure for improvement. The College adopted the MnTC, which is built on student competencies, in 1993, implemented its first plan for assessing student learning outcomes in 1996 and has been an AQIP institution since The College also has a strong committee structure which gives members of the Administration, Staff, and Faculty frequent opportunities to participate in decisions about improvement in teaching and learning. The faculty s strong commitment to the AASC, to the Assessment Committee, and to the HLC Assessment Academy help with the ongoing evolution of the Academic Assessment Program. Faculty members have also proven themselves willing to be early adopters of new strategies for helping students learn, including community-based learning, online programs and technologysupported teaching, learning communities with integrated assignments, prior learning assessment, and accelerated courses. This history has helped develop and reinforce a culture of improvement and assessment. Category One: Helping Students Learn 33

34 Improvement processes align targets with the College Mission and the MnSCU Strategic Framework. Targets and Stretch Targets for the MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metrics are established by MnSCU in consultation with the College. The College has established targets for its AQIP Action Projects, HLC Assessment Academy, and action plans. IHCC also sets targets in relationship to its CCSSE and SSI results by identifying areas where it is below the National results and developing improvement strategies and significant-improvement targets. Four notable areas are (see Table 1I2-1): Table 1I2-1: Improvement Strategies with CCSSE/SSI targets Advising/Counseling Redesign of New Student Orientation and enhanced Early Alert Processes Tutoring Redesign of the tutoring center and integration of tutoring services into course assignments and faculty Early Alert recommendations Experiential Learning Renovation of the second story of the Library into a Center for Experiential Learning and restructuring programming (see Category 2) General Adult Learners Expanding ASAP services and practices to the general adult population; including Veterans compared to ASAP in these efforts Category One: Helping Students Learn 34

35 INTRODUCTION Distinctive objectives begin as campus initiatives and may be institutionalized through a variety of ways including the MnSCU Strategic Framework, master plans, and departmental action plans if they are seen to be valuable in relation to overall campus planning. The current distinctive objectives also align with the appropriate departmental action plans. As such, IHCC has identified the following distinctive objectives: The Center for Experiential Learning; Fine Arts Programming; and Regional Workforce Development. While Fine Arts Programming and Regional Workforce Development are well-established on the campus, the Center for Experiential Learning is a new undertaking in The Center for Experiential Learning is a venture that aligns IHCC with a nearby technical college in the areas of community-based learning, internships, career services, and volunteer opportunities. The collaboration between the two institutions provides far more opportunities to students for participation, as the two schools combined have a large variety of businesses, both non- and for-profit, that students can access. There is also alignment between Fine Arts programming for students and community-based learning opportunities offcampus. Fine Arts Programming for both the campus and the larger community focuses on providing multiple performance venues for the arts, including music, painting, sculpture, pottery, and theatre. By taking students out into the community and by bringing the community to the campus, students are exposed to what it means to be an exhibiting artist and/or a performer. The community benefits from art being displayed in the community, having musical performances occur in the community, and an early (free) exposure to theatre and other fine arts for K-12 students. Regional Workforce Development, while well-established and integrated, has undergone change and growth during , with new partnerships formed to benefit everyone involved, as well as a new location and increased employment and educational opportunities for students. Each of these distinctive objectives was developed through design and operational processes grounded in the College s values of collaboration and team-driven decision-making. A number of criteria are used to assess appropriateness and value, including: integration with the institution and the system mission, vision, and values; complementing student learning outcomes; growing the College as a regional center for academic scholarship and environmental stewardship; ensuring collaboration with educational, business, and community organizations; and providing support for local and regional communities. PROCESSES 2P1. Design and operate key non-instructional processes: IHCC has identified the following distinctive objectives which also serve as the key non-instructional processes: 1) Center for Experiential Learning, 2) Fine Arts Programming, and 3) Regional Workforce Development. These basic processes are customized to meet the unique demands of each objective and with the recognition that funding sources, stakeholders, and final outcomes often demand special planning and implementation strategies. Basic guidelines for designing key distinctive objectives include: Engaging the campus community in the process. Ensuring that the objective aligns with the mission, vision, values, and strategic directions of the College and the MnSCU system. Response to research-identified needs. Working within the constraints of resources, both personnel and financial. Consulting colleagues with expertise in the area of the objective. Category Two: Other Distinctive Objectives 35

36 The objectives become operational using a variety of methods. These methods reflect the individualized needs and structures of each objective and of the initiatives that support that objective. Some objectives are initiated by faculty and/or recognition of student needs beyond the classroom, for example, Fine Arts Programming and Community-based learning. In some cases, the objective is realized through a partnership between two areas of the campus or with an external stakeholder, for example, Community-based learning and Regional workforce development. In strengthening partnerships with workforce, objectives are realized through the use of needs and financial analyses, the use of 1:1 meetings between business and college Leaders, and the participation of Community Workforce Development staff with local business organizations and in grant-writing. 2P2. Determine major non-instructional objectives for external stakeholders: Distinctive objectives must meet established campus expectations: 1) Define and meet measurable outcomes. 2) Encourage faculty and staff involvement. 3) Collect and disseminate data to campus community. 4) Ensure feedback loop incorporates stakeholders. 5) Use data to meet needs of students and college constituents. 6) Define and meet measurable outcomes. 7) Raise community recognition of the College. 7) Establish processes that are responsive to the learning and needs of individuals and organizations. The College determines distinctive objectives by identifying and building on its strengths, viewing its mission and goals with out-of-the-box thinking, and developing collaborations that enhance and often provide additional resources for the objective. IHCC uses a broad consultative process to set objectives, often facilitated by the Institutional Effectiveness Council (IEC). In the case of the Center for Experiential Learning, external partners reached out to IHCC s Career Services department and Community-based learning department regarding volunteering and internship possibilities for which there were no formally established channels of communication. Students were also contacting these same departments for internship and volunteer opportunities. An internal task group was formed to discuss the opportunity to create more clearly defined channels of connection for external partners and the opportunity to track and measure engagement by moving to a centralized department encompassing community-based learning, volunteerism, career services, and internships. The Fine Arts Festival, which is the showcase event for Fine Arts Programming, came from the vision of academic leadership. After gaining support from the fine arts faculty, leadership sought and obtained a grant to fund the initiative. A faculty workgroup determines the objectives during a formal planning process before the festival and a debriefing session following the festival. Regular committee meetings with the workgroup are held throughout the year. Feedback is also shared via evaluations completed by attendees, and this also determines objectives for the event. In other areas of Fine Arts programming, the objectives are established by the faculty member(s) responsible for that area. Informal feedback is sought out and used to make changes from semester to semester, or year to year. A focus on regional workforce development was determined based on the mission statement, build careers and strengthen communities as well as one of the points in the MnSCU Strategic Framework, Be the partner of choice to meet Minnesota s workforce and community needs. Due to the college mission and MnSCU Strategic Framework, leadership analyzed external relationships and changed the focus of leaders attention to relationship development. This has resulted in a new location to offer credit and non-credit classes. The location is part of a workforce center and includes partnership with a technical college and 4-year university. 2P3. Communicate expectations: For the Center for Experiential Learning, expectations for the Communitybased learning experience are set in the Community-based learning agreement. This agreement addresses (1) the type of service work students will be involved in and why it is important to the organization; (2) student learning outcomes; and (3) signatures of agreement by the student, community partner, and faculty member so that all stakeholders understand and agree to the goals and objectives of the Community-based learning experience for each student participating. In Fine Arts Programming, the expectations are set by the faculty in the Fine Arts departments providing the programming, and communicated by them to the students who are 36 Category Two: Other Distinctive Objectives

37 participating. In Regional Workforce Development, these expectations are customized to the individual objective and are communicated through planning processes and program review. Community-based learning and the new location with the Workforce Center, now known as South of the River Education Center provide examples of this. The data for the Community-based learning department is made available through an annual report that shows the growth and measures the outcomes through numbers of student participants, hours of service to the community, and feedback from stakeholders. Expectations for South of the River Education Center are communicated through IEC as well as Deans and Directors meetings and Recruitment and Marketing meetings. The Center opened in fall 2013 and is not a component of existing master plans. However, going forward, targets and goals will be established through the Master Academic Plan and Strategic Enrollment master plan. It will also be a component of financial planning. Those initiatives that have outside funding sources must also meet the expectations of the funding sources. For example, Community-based learning received a grant from the US Institute for Peacebuilding and had to meet the needs of this grant as well as the stipulations of the College. These expectations are communicated during staff, faculty and administrative meetings. People who coordinate, manage, and support these objectives are informed of the objective expectations and held accountable for them during the performance review process. 2P4. Assess and review objectives: A number of criteria are used for assessment. The College asks if the objectives: 1) Align with the institutional and the MnSCU Strategic Framework goals; 2) complement student learning outcomes; 3) grow the College as a regional center for academic scholarship and environmental stewardship; 4) ensure collaboration with educational, business, and community organizations; and 5) provide support for local and regional communities. The reviews of objectives to assess value involve a broad spectrum of stakeholders starting with the team that is responsible for the objective, Academic Affairs and Standards Council (AASC), the Institutional Research Advisory Board, and an array of external stakeholders. Instruments used in the assessment of appropriateness and value include satisfaction surveys, focus groups, identified outcome measures such as participation and student success, continued funding, effectiveness of dissemination, and recognition of value by stakeholders. The appropriateness and value of these objectives are assessed through interactions with a variety of internal and external stakeholders who hold the College accountable. In all distinct objectives, a point-person designated as the head of the objective provides an opportunity for stakeholder feedback. In the Center for Experiential Learning, the community-based learning experience of students is assessed and reviewed through quantitative and qualitative data collected through an aligned set of post-learning surveys which are administered to community partners, faculty, and students who have participated in Communitybased learning; through yearly advisory board meetings at which feedback is collected and programmatic changes are assessed and considered; and through more informal needs assessments with faculty, students, and community partners. In Fine Arts programming, faculty members meet with deans to establish departmental and individual priorities as they relate to the distinctive objective. Faculty, community members, and students participate in the events and complete evaluations or reflections at the end of each semester to determine satisfaction with the distinctive objective and provide suggestions for the next year. Community members provide informal feedback to faculty and students at events held off-campus. In regards to the South of the River Education Center and in addition to assessments noted above, key upper management leaders meet with Workforce Center personnel for further assessment of the needs of workforce center clients and area businesses. This assessment helps determine program offerings, delivery modalities, and service needs of those utilizing the facility. In some instances, the assessment has led to Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) grant development as well as other grant development such as the Department of Labor Youth Career Connect grant. Additionally, the College has a distinct relationship with Goodwill/Easter Seals - Minnesota to further help develop the workforce. This relationship is fostered through collaborative Category Two: Other Distinctive Objectives 37

38 meetings that included key leaders, staff, and faculty, and has led to two Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) grants. 2P5. Determine faculty and staff needs: Faculty often serve on Advisory boards and serve on planning committees for events related to the objectives. Leadership for the initiatives regularly review the operation of these objectives and solicit feedback from faculty and staff regarding the level of support and communication from college administration, if the project has adequate management and clerical support, if financial resources are adequate for the initiative, if there is sufficient marketing and communication with stakeholders, and if feedback is being collected from stakeholders, faculty, and staff. In the Center for Experiential Learning, faculty and staff needs are addressed through planning and development meetings with continuous feedback from faculty regarding Community-based Learning experiences throughout the semester in the form of s and phone conversations. These meetings help define Community-based Learning course participation, community partner needs, logistics and action steps, and student presentations and services. In addition, the Center for Experiential Learning assists instructors in providing curriculum mapping that links the community-based learning experience to course objectives. Fine Arts Programming is conducted formally through monthly meetings of the workgroup responsible for the Fine Arts Festival, and informally through conversations with stakeholders attending various events. Faculty and staff needs are determined relative to the South of the River Education Center through open communication between leaders and faculty assigned to teach at the Center. In an effort to better serve faculty and stakeholders, the College hired a Coordinator of the site who will be located in the Center full-time. This will allow for improved service to faculty, students, workforce center clients and staff, and area businesses. Staff needs have also been determined through meetings that have involved upper management from IHCC and the partnering higher education institution leaders. The College will ensure faculty and staff at the site are enveloped in survey processes as analysis of data is completed and decisions made. 2P6. Readjusting these objectives: In supporting objectives, the College works with each initiative to develop appropriate work and plans. Faculty and staff who identify a need for accomplishing a distinct objective have various avenues through which they can find support. Faculty begin by appealing to deans for support of a particular initiative. This part of the process is particularly important for funding and allocation of resources. In addition, faculty can reach out to key people who have been put into leadership positions (such as the Community-based learning Director) to respond to faculty feedback and promote the growth of the programs. Examples of this are shown below: Center for Experiential Learning Based on community partner and faculty feedback from the FY2013 Advisory board meeting as well as informal conversations with those same stakeholders, the Community-based Learning department implemented the following: 1) Semi-Annual Civic Engagement Fair and Community-based learning Sign-Up Event that better aligns with course schedules and community-based learning assignments. 2) Semi-Annual Faculty & Community Partner Networking Event that enables community partners and faculty to learn about each other s needs and assess fit for their organization and course community-based learning needs. Embedding Community-based learning throughout the Curriculum The Director of Community-based learning continually works with faculty to design Community-based learning opportunities that meet a particular instructor s interest as well as their course outcomes. Community-based learning is integrated into a wide variety of courses that includes: painting, biology, English, history, nursing, and psychology. The department does this in the following ways: Contacts individual faculty when an opportunity that may be a good academic fit might exist and solicits feedback. Pursues interests of faculty either from their specific or general suggestions of possible partners or partnerships. Category Two: Other Distinctive Objectives 38

39 Incorporates changes into program based on feedback from all stakeholders, including faculty, in order to determine how to best meet the needs of students, community partners, and faculty. Feedback from the Advisory board (faculty and community partners) leads directly to a Networking Luncheon held each semester. New partnerships are also based on faculty feedback, where faculty are made aware of possible new partners. When they bring suggestions to the Director, the Director reaches out to begin a conversation. Fine Arts Programming Changes have been made to the Fine Arts Festival to work more closely with the high schools in the area to coordinate arrival times to better serve visiting students, including online registration. The most significant indication that faculty feedback was taken into consideration within Fine Arts Programming comes from the creation of a permanent gallery space on campus and the hiring of a parttime coordinator for exhibits and events. A new initiative, the IHCC Fine Arts Festival, was proposed and funded in The concept statement for the initiative is, The IHCC Fine Arts Festival is an event dedicated to promoting the arts with classes and other activities in pottery, painting, music, acting, writing, and more. Students, faculty, staff, and community members can experience the arts in ways that will promote awareness of what IHCC offers as well as the talents of our students, faculty and staff. A committee including key stakeholders has been developed to increase awareness of the arts to current IHCC students, increase visits to the campus by community members, and to serve as a recruiting tool. Accomplices Literary Magazine began publication in 2013, with the objective of giving students the opportunity to publish a cultural item and artifact of shared concerns and art aesthetics of their peers and their time at IHCC. It is produced by the Literary Arts Club. Regional Workforce Development Adjustments are made as a result of cost benefit analysis in which course fill rates and financial viability are reviewed. For example, after analyzing the effectiveness of being at the Partners in Higher Education Center the College made the decision to leave the site for a new site, the South of the River Education Center. This decision was made for number of reasons: cost effectiveness, ease of access to public transportation, need for higher education in the area, and the ability to create a new partnership with workforce development now also located at the site. The Center s planning is a component of master plans as well as the Distance Education and Adult Learner Strategic Plan. It is through these processes that faculty and staff needs are listened to and objectives readjusted or new ones defined. The College will include Center participants and employees in future surveys and use the results to help inform objectives and targets. RESULTS 2R1/2R2. Measures and performance results: The following measures are collected and analyzed to assess the effectiveness of the College s initiatives: Satisfaction surveys, focus groups, identified outcome measures such as participation and student success, continued funding, effectiveness of dissemination, and recognition of value by external stakeholders. The duration and growth that indicate the sustainability of aforementioned initiatives. The ways in which level of involvement and satisfaction in the College s initiatives are measured include: Student, faculty, staff and community participation at on-campus events, seminars, workshops and institutes. Number of faculty, staff, and students participating in programs such as Community-based learning on campus and South of the River Education Center and the number of events held. Surveys such as Advisory and Stakeholder surveys, satisfaction surveys, and the CCSSE. Some of these results include: Category Two: Other Distinctive Objectives 39

40 Center for Experiential Learning At this time, the only performance results that we currently have for the Center for Experiential Learning since it is so new, come from the community-based learning department. When partners in Community-based learning were surveyed, IHCC found: 1) Faculty Surveys: 89-97% agreement to strong agreement on Community-based learning impact on student professional development, learning and course material application, community benefit and positive faculty experience, and community engagement. 2) Community Partner Surveys: 86-96% agreement/strong agreement that students were prepared for service and service benefitted their organizations and students as learners. 3) Event Surveys: 96%-100% agreement/strong agreement that the events were a good use of their time and would contribute to increased volunteers and quality experiences with IHCC. Table 2R2-1 shows the community-based learning results by semester. Table 2R2-1: Students Involved in Community-Based Learning Semester Students Hours Courses Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Source: Director of Community-based Learning In FY2011, 454 students participated in a Community-based learning experience. In FY2012, 624 students participated in Community-based learning, 409 of which participated in spring In fall 2012, the number of Community-based learning students grew to 1,055, and the Community-based learning department projects that the total number of students in unique Community-based learning experiences will reach 2,000 in FY2013. Faculty participation in Community-based learning has increased from 19 in fall 2011 to 43 in fall 2013, an increase of 126%. Since February 2012, the Community-based learning department has participated and presented in some capacity at every academic development day and had individual meetings with over 80 faculty members to talk about Community-based learning possibilities. When surveying faculty after participating in Community-based learning in spring 2012, 100% of respondents believed that incorporating Community-based learning improved students ability to understand and/or apply course material and helped students understand how the material was relevant beyond the classroom. In addition, 100% of faculty respondents indicated that they would be likely to incorporate Community-based learning into their classrooms again. CCSSE asks if a participant has participated in a community-based project as part of a regular course (see Table 2R2-2). Table 2R2-3 shows how participation in this project impacts responses on national surveys. Table 2R2-2: Participation in Community-Based Project Have participated in a community-based learning experience 23.3% 15.5% 14.4% Source: CCSSE data Table 2R2-3: Student Engagement Data Participated Did Not Participated Did Not Participated Did Not Participate Participate Participate How likely are you to transfer 38.3% 28.9% 28.0% 38.9% 52.6% 58.9% to a four-year university? (very likely) How much did your institution emphasize 56.0% 36.4% 61.1% 32.6% 50.4% 36.2% Category Two: Other Distinctive Objectives 40

41 developing a personal code of values and ethics (quite a bit/very much) How much did your institution emphasize contributing to the welfare of your community (quite a bit/very much) How much has your experience at this College contributed to your knowledge, skills and personal development in the area of Working effectively with others (very much/quite a bit) Source: CCSSE data Participated Did Not Participated Did Not Participated Did Not Participate Participate Participate 49.2% 23.8% 49.6% 18.7% 46.4% 18.1% 69.9% 59.8% 74.0% 53.9% 73.3% 62.9% Fine Arts Programming Fine Arts Festival: The College s Art, English, Music and Theatre departments hosted more than 40 different sessions held over three days and featured a variety of fine arts programming. The last two Fine Arts Festivals have drawn over 1,000 visitors from campus, area high schools, and the community. Table 2R2-4 shows the survey results and Table 2R2-5 shows participation in these events. Table 2R2-4: Fine Arts Festival Sessions Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I found the festival a valuable experience 1% 1% 6% 50% 42% (N=104) Presenters and facilitators were very effective 0% 0% 3% 48% 49% (N=101) I want to participate again next year (N=101) 0% 1% 15% 33% 53% Source: IHCC Fine Arts Festival 2013 survey results; totals may not equal 100% due to rounding Table 2R2-5: Fine Arts Participation Fine Arts Event Name Participants Outcomes City Hall Art Exhibition IHCC Art students/faculty, viewed by Repeated 2x since public St. Paul Art Crawl IHCC Art student; large upper Midwest show attended by thousands Students were able to exhibit in a public forum and interact with area artists Friends of the Inver Glen Library Art Competition IHCC Art Students; viewed by local visitors to library IHCC student won a $300 purchase award Empty bowl/bowls for Hope Bowls are created and donated; sold for food and funds drive About $1000/year raised for local resource centers IHCC Art Gallery Has 7-8 exhibitions/year, open to College and to public; Faculty exhibitions, visiting artist exhibition, student shows, fundraisers visitors/year Singing and Spaghetti IHCC Choir participates with local restaurant Fundraiser for scholarships Children s Theatre Two productions per year; free to local elementary schools Performances are sold out every semester, children are exposed to theatre and to the College Category Two: Other Distinctive Objectives 41

42 Source: Fine Arts faculty and staff South of the River Education Center: The Center opened in fall Table 2R2-6 shows data on course offerings, faculty involvement, and enrollment. Table 2R2-6: South of the River Education Center Participation Semester Credit Classes offered # of faculty Student Headcount Fall Spring Source: Center Director 2R3. Comparison of results: Over the last four semesters, the number of faculty and student participants has more than tripled and the budget for Community-based learning increased from approximately $2,000 for nonpersonnel expenses to approximately $5,000 for non-personnel expenses. This has helped to increase the capacity of the Community-based learning department to sponsor events that encourage collaboration between students, faculty, and community partners. The IHCC Community-based learning program compares favorably in Table 2R3-1 with a peer institution. Table 2R3-1: Community-Based Learning Program Comparison (Peer Institution) Institution FTE students Students participating in CBL Hours CBL Avg. hours of CBL IHCC , per student Peer # , per student Source: Director of CBL; data from FY 2013 Center for Experiential Learning Community-based learning results from CCSSE are compared with other metro Community Colleges in Tables 2R3-2 2R3-3, and 2R3-4. Table 2R3-2: Community-Based Learning Program Comparison (Community Colleges) 4i. How often have you participated in a community-based Very Often Sometimes Never project as part of a regular course? often IHCC Peer Peer Peer Peer Source: CCSSE Table 2R3-3: Community-Based Learning Program Comparison (Community Colleges) 8. Which of the following have you done, are you doing, or do you plan to do while attending this college? Internship, field experience, co-op, or clinical assignment I have done I plan to do IHCC Peer Peer Peer Peer Source: CCSSE I have not done nor plan to do Table 2R3-4: Community-Based Learning Program Comparison (National Cohort) 9. Internships or practical experiences are provided in my degree/certificate program IHCC: IMPORTANCE IHCC: SATISFACTION Category Two: Other Distinctive Objectives 42

43 National Cohort: IMPORTANCE National Cohort: SATISFACTION Source: SSI 2R4. How results strengthen institution: Through these Distinct Objectives, the College has sought to underscore the MnSCU Strategic Framework and the IHCC Mission by enhancing student learning; fostering faculty scholarship; seeking new opportunities with potential educational, non-profit, and corporate partners; and improving the visibility of the College within its community. IHCC uses a variety of means to demonstrate whether or not the initiatives that support each objective achieve their outcomes and are appropriate and valuable to the College. Documentation of best practices resulting from each objective are disseminated among new partners and are used to build new partnerships and showcase the distinct initiatives at the College. For example, the first-ever College and Career Day with Rosemount High School, through the Community-based learning department, received feedback from (1) a survey of all participating students and (2) a series of meetings with various stakeholders on and off campus. This feedback was then used to modify processes for a partnership the following semester with St. Louis Park High School, and also ensure Rosemount High School s partnership the following academic year. Satisfaction from partners is an example of success, and includes data from IHCC s Community-based learning partners. In a survey of Community-based learning Partners, 54% said their perception of IHCC and/or its students had changed in a positive way. Ninety percent planned to continue their partnership with IHCC. Documentation of recognition by external stakeholders, for example through awards or news articles, invitations from external partners to participate in new initiatives, and further funding can help the outreach of the College and connect to new potential community funding and/or participation. For example, the Community-based learning department s partnership with The Salvation Army (TSA) led to a news article published on TSA s website and disseminated to other news sources. Center for Experiential Learning The Center has strengthened the overall institution through relationships developed with area public elementary, middle, and high schools. Additionally, the Center has enhanced relationships with area resource centers via the IHCC/Metropolitan State University community garden. This relationship also led to a Mobile Pantry at the College which precipitated IHCC Spanish students in the development and implementation of a seminar to teach basic language skills to Mobile Pantry volunteers. This has led to a more welcoming environment for Spanish speaking food pantry participants. Regional Workforce Development The South of the River Education Center has strengthened IHCC s relationship with workforce leaders and employees as well as businesses because the Center is co-located with the Burnsville Workforce Center. College leaders regularly meet with and listen to the workforce center leaders including the Workforce Investment Board members and offer programming based on feedback. For example, workforce center vocational rehabilitation counselors voiced a need for a medication dispensing class at the site so the clients would no longer need to commute miles to obtain the training. IHCC responded by offering the course at the site, however, the class did not run due to low enrollment. Additionally, the site has created more awareness for the College as there is no other public community college in the area. The relationship has also led to increased opportunities for business partnerships in grants. For example, as a result of the relationship with local workforce leaders, two Fortune 500 companies committed to providing mentors, job shadows, internship sites, and the like in a recent Department of Labor Youth Career Connect grant. IMPROVEMENTS 2I1. Improvements: As demonstrated above, the College is collecting and tracking data indicating performance achievement and assistance in setting targets. This will allow the College to systematically Category Two: Other Distinctive Objectives 43

44 incorporate data-informed decision-making into the evaluation of performance results for each of the distinctive objectives. The aforementioned plans identify needs and ways that they can be met. These plans have led to the following additions or adjustments to processes: 1) Building strategic directions and objectives into the budgeting process so that initiative needs are part of the budget prioritization process. 2) Having the IEC to work with new initiatives to determine their sustainability by analyzing costs, identifying possible sources for funding and resources, and suggesting improvements or alternate methods that will increase efficiencies. In addition, using stable internal sources of funding, institutional resources have been reallocated to strengthen these initiatives and have contributed to their sustainability. The College has begun funding the following with dedicated budgets: 1) Fine Arts Festival, 2) South of the River Education Center that includes a shared staff person to coordinate the site and provide admissions and advising support. Additionally, this person will reach out to local businesses and workforce staff to further cultivate and strengthen relationships. This position will strengthen the partnership between IHCC, Dakota County Technical College, and the 4-year site partner, Metropolitan State University. The College has also continued dedicated budget allocations for the Communitybased learning department, which receives a budget as well as one paid staff person. The Distinctive Objectives are evolving to become increasingly interdisciplinary. For example, in 2012, a new Director of Community-based learning was hired and the Community-based learning program at IHCC changed significantly in scope and application. The new paradigm of Community-based learning now also incorporates presentations, products and projects through indirect service, and research and advocacy. This allows instructors from reading to anatomy and physiology, to business to enhance their classroom pedagogy by allowing students to meet a real community need through practical application of classroom skills. In spring 2014, a Director was hired to lead the newly formed Center for Experiential Learning, which aligns IHCC with Dakota County Technical College to promote community-based learning and expand opportunities for internships and volunteerism. Additionally, faculty from across disciplines teach at the South of the River Education Center. Courses are offered in liberal education and business with the intent to provide a site for business certificate and degree completion. The term service learning is being phased out of use to be replaced by community-based learning. This change came about initially as a suggestion to align the language used in the CCSSE to describe this type of learning with the campus language. Informal research conducted by staff working with students indicated that community-based learning had a far more positive connotation for students than did service learning. There have been three main areas of improvement in this category: 1) The College is collecting and tracking data indicating performance achievement and assisting in setting targets (e.g., number of students involved, number of community participants involved, quantitative data regarding impact), 2) Institutional resources have been reallocated to strengthen these initiatives and have contributed to their sustainability, and 3) Distinctive Objectives have come to include faculty, staff, and students from across the disciplines, as well as community members. 2I2. Culture and infrastructure: The College, while long embracing collaboration, is becoming increasingly collaborative in nature, evidenced by our most recent partnerships, those of the Center for Experiential Learning (in alignment with Dakota County Technical College) and the South of the River Education Center (in alignment with Metro State University, Dakota County Technical College, and the Dakota County Workforce Center). Fine Arts programming reaches out to the larger community of Inver Grove Heights to both take art out into the community, and to bring community to the campus for exhibits and performances. The culture of the College is one of willingness to identify areas to more fully serve students and prepare them for the workforce as well as engaging them with community partners as volunteers and in community-based learning projects. Targets have been created for the Center for Experiential Learning related to growth of the Center, including the number of business partnerships, number of participating students and faculty, and increasing satisfaction survey results. Category Two: Other Distinctive Objectives 44

45 INTRODUCTION IHCC has identified its key stakeholders as: Students, advisory board members, Foundation members, alumni, employers, community leaders, K-12 administrators, and post-secondary partners. Surveys provide information about multiple student groups across the campus. IHCC employs various surveys to provide triangulation of results in addition to benchmarking and comparison data about students (see 7P1). In addition, advisory boards provide invaluable information to the College on workforce needs for graduates of the College as well as K-12 partnerships to prepare students for college. Other post-secondary partners advise on preparing students for transfer to four-year institutions to complete baccalaureate degrees. There is active participation by the Foundation and alumni groups to assist in fundraising to improve access to the College s most needy students to provide them with financial assistance. Leadership on campus participates in the local community, serving as members for other advisory boards to communicate the needs and concerns of the College to the broader community. Leadership also participates on strategic planning groups for the entire region, collaborating on workforce and other issues. These collaborations have resulted in the new South of the River Education Center. IHCC is systematic in understanding students and other stakeholders needs. Survey results have been used to drive AQIP action projects since the last portfolio, including one to improve the feedback loop to students from faculty about student progress (Early Alert as a Means of Student Retention at IHCC), and scheduling changes to improve access to classes while utilizing space effectively Quality Scheduling. Campus leaders are involved in both conducting and overseeing the processes described herein. Results are shared and used to drive continuous improvement at the College. PROCESSES 3P1. Identify changing needs and take action: Student needs are identified in multiple ways, and are frequently unique to the particular student group, or segment of that group. Current Students Overall, surveys are administered to students on a regular cycle (see 7P1) to measure engagement as well as satisfaction. These results are segmented by student groups, (including gender, race/ethnicity, and age) to provide more detail about particular student groups. Analyzing trend data from these surveys shows the changing priorities of students. Data from nationally-normed surveys (SSI, CCSSE, and the ALI) are frequently used to identify emerging needs. For example, Financial Aid personnel reports primarily using this survey data to identify changing needs, as do Enrollment Services, Counseling staff, and Advising staff. Each semester, IHCC administers the Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) survey to students for the purpose of evaluating their courses. Faculty in each respective academic department use IDEA survey results to inform their practice in the classroom, and the facility data overall is analyzed by the office of Institutional Research (OIR) to identify student needs. While faculty receive individualized reports from each of their sections, the aggregated data is kept in an Institutional Research (IR) database that can be queried to show results by students who are receiving courses using a particular delivery method (face to face, hybrid, or online). The use of Program Review, currently conducted on a five-year cycle, looks at the availability and demand for programs as part of their review to assess current and future programming needs for students. Programs may be deactivated or closed if enrollment and projected demand indicate the need. The process for initiating new programs to meet emerging needs is discussed in Category 1. Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs 45

46 Counseling/Advising Counseling uses survey results from department/student specific surveys. For example, student veterans who participate in a small group orientation with counselors complete a brief survey following the orientation. Counseling and Advising Services also gather information from a satisfaction survey regarding their services. Within the department, staff regularly communicates with each other on universal issues that present themselves and if a concern seems to be widespread among many students, a solution is sought by addressing the concern on a larger policy or procedural level. Enrollment Services In addition to surveys mentioned above, routinely reported data from enrollment services such as same-day enrollment, completed applications, and textbook adoptions are referred to the Executive and Management teams, as well as to Deans and Directors, to review and respond. The Director of Enrollment and Outreach communicates information to faculty and staff to inform decision-making about outreach to currently enrolled students as well as those who are at various places in the registration process to encourage them to complete their enrollment for the next semester. Underrepresented students Identification of the increased needs of underrepresented students (including the completion gap identified as a MnSCU Strategic Framework performance metric) led to recent changes in the services provided to this population of students. In fall 2012, IHCC opened the Accessibility and Inclusion Center. The Center s purpose is to provide a safe space for underrepresented students to socialize, study, and have dialogues around difficult issues. The Center provides services such as peer mentoring and diversity workshops. IHCC analyzes and selects courses of action for current students based on the survey data. Further information and examples are discussed in Category 1. 3P2. Build and maintain relationships with students: Faculty, staff, and administrators work together to build strong relationships with prospective students, current students, and alumni (see Table 3P2-1, 3P2-2). Prospective Students IHCC builds and maintains relationships with prospective students in the following ways: High school road publications provide an overview of the cost and value of higher education while introducing the benefits of attending IHCC. Student Affairs utilizes Hobsons Constituent Relationship Management software to communicate timely admissions and new student registration information to prospective students. High school visitations create relationships with college admission advisors and introduce high school students to academic programs and opportunities. The annual Open House provides a venue to showcase programs and services. Additionally, the Open House brings representatives from 4-year colleges and universities to campus to showcase their programs, services, and help one understand transferability. Outreach activities are conducted by admissions advisors and feature programs for underrepresented students such as TRIO Student Support Services, nontraditional learners, and other unique offerings like learning communities, honors programming, and degree acceleration opportunities provided via 8-week classes and prior learning assessment. Counselors meet with veterans to help fulfill their registration and benefits requests. This is done through individual appointments, small group orientations, and informally in the Veterans lounge. Financial Aid staff provide proactive messaging for financing education through FAFSA as well as financial education. They also provide resources and one-on-one services as necessary. Prospective Nontraditional Students (Age 25+) Nontraditional Adult Information Sessions are offered to introduce nontraditional learners to college programs, course offerings, support services, and planning assistance. Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs 46

47 Targeted communications promote Adult Student Accelerated Programs (ASAP) such as prior learning assessments (PLA s), accelerated courses and the A.S. in Individual Professional Studies. Publications targeted to area businesses and industries promote credit and noncredit college programs and services. Table 3P2-1: Services to Current Students Current Students All new students Kick off orientation sessions each semester Veterans Meet with counselors/advisors to connect with services; identify options for accelerated completion r/t military service Transferring students Helps students identify the transfer school best for them at an annual Transfer Day Post-Traditional students Counseling/Advising helps connect them with services First-generation, low-income, TRiO and other services are available disabled students Student Senate Fosters relationships between students and administration Student Life Leadership workshops for all students Student Life Provides training and information on new and changing processes, budgeting, and other topics as needed. LCOMs Counselors connect with students in the classroom Students with disabilities Counselors recommend accommodations and help them connect with resources Table 3P2-2: Services to Alumni Alumni Give Gratitude postcard Fuel for the Finish Dream Builders fundraiser Alumni were sent a postcard and asked to return it with the name of faculty/staff who made a difference to them Alumni board members visit classrooms to encourage at-risk students to continue until graduation Alumni are invited to the event and a special pre-reception 3P3. Analyze changing needs and take action: See Table 3P4-1. 3P4. Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders: How IHCC works with external stakeholders to analyze needs and maintain relationships is shown below in Table 3P4-1. Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs 47

48 Table 3P4-1: Analyzing Needs/Building and Maintaining relationships Who Analyze needs/take action Build/maintain relationships Advisory Boards/Councils Foundation Alumni Community Leaders K 12 Employers Post-Secondary Partners Survey created and administered to Advisory boards each semester; President s Advisory Council meets 2X/year to look at long-term planning for the region Looks at the needs of the College and plans accordingly; launched Leading in the Right Direction, a capital campaign for IHCC as a result. The Advisory Board for alumni works with the Director of the Foundation to respond to College-wide goals and identify ways they can be supportive of those goals President participates in local planning meetings for Chamber of Commerce; business and community leaders in notfor-profit businesses invited to event each year at IHCC to encourage participation in Community-based learning. K-12 leaders sit on advisory boards across the college to share their needs and become partners in grants with the College. Employers participate on advisory boards; provide feedback where IHCC students are performing clinicals. Analyses have led to multiple articulation agreements with four-year colleges/universities for both baccalaureate completion and transfer. Another analysis involving employers and post-secondary partners led to a move away from two-year nursing degrees and towards a four-year degree. Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs Internal their feedback guides the work for their advisory area. External many IHCC administrators and faculty participate in external advisory boards to share the College s needs. The Foundation Executive Director shares student and college needs with the board which includes students sharing their stories, encourages board attendance at college events, and listens to board members to discern how they would like to be involved with the campus community. Described in 3P2. Representatives from IHCC attend community events and are members of area chambers and civic organizations; Alumni and Foundation board members share their IHCC connection on various social media. The College is part of Independent School District (ISD) 196 s Business/ Education Advisory Team, which is a think tank for analyzing the needs of educational stakeholders. Key stakeholders have been invited to speak in classrooms and/or attend college events Through community-based learning, students have been involved in area elementary and middle schools, agencies, and businesses resulting in deeper relationships. For example, students serve as Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) tutors. Counselors and advisors lead and participate in events designed to build and maintain relationships with the College and identify emerging needs. Needs and solutions are shared via advisory board meetings; IHCC is active on the Dakota- Scott Workforce Investment Board; Business and Industry partners are invited to partner on local and Federal grants; these discussions lead to better understanding of employer needs; the College uses social and other media to communicate with stakeholders the College s response to workforce needs. Transfer admissions representatives participate in counseling and advising department meetings, which allows them to ask questions and get feedback on improving relationships with our partners. IHCC has a transfer fair each year with participation from about 30 institutions. 48

49 3P5. Determine new groups should be targeted: In order to determine if IHCC should target new student and stakeholder groups, enrollment and budgetary data are reviewed by the Executive Team members and Deans/Directors in related areas. When potential opportunities are identified based on the review of data, executive team members engage the appropriate groups in preliminary discussions about how to address these opportunities. If a determination is made to move forward in addressing the opportunity, an action plan is developed for implementation with key timelines, responsible parties, and goals. 3P6. Collect and analyze complaint information: Student Appeals/Complaints At the System level, there are procedures for filing complaints, namely Procedure 3.8.1, Student Complaints and Grievances, and Procedure 1B.1.1, Report/Complaint of Discrimination/Harassment Resolution. At the Institutional level, a student may submit either an appeal or a complaint. Appeals are related to a students academic or enrollment status at the College, and complaints are an informal claim regarding alleged improper, unfair, arbitrary or discriminatory treatment. Any student or group of students may file a complaint concerning any campus issue and discuss it with the appropriate employees. A complaint may constitute a grievance if the issue is not mutually resolved, and the complaint falls within the description of a grievance. The College website has detailed information along with the forms to be submitted for each appeal/complaint. The student complaint form contains the procedure to be followed to submit a complaint, and the actions taken at each step. IHCC also has a number of other mechanisms for collecting student complaint information: The withdrawal survey has been administered during fall and spring semesters since fall When a student withdraws from a class following the 5-day drop period at the beginning of the semester, an is triggered through Hobson s CRM requesting that the student complete a survey. The qualitative responses that contain complaints are forwarded to the appropriate person for action. Aggregated response data from the IDEA course evaluation as well as summaries of the qualitative data are compiled and distributed to Deans/Directors. The qualitative data also identifies general trends that are brought back to faculty during Academic Development Days for further discussion. Students who receive Counseling and Advising services during designated time periods (a month or more) are selected at random to receive a survey asking about their satisfaction with those services. There are open-ended questions that allow respondents to provide feedback about their visit in addition to their quantitative responses. Results are distributed to leadership as well as the staff in Counseling and Advising. RESULTS 3R1. Determine satisfaction of students and stakeholders: Current students: IHCC collects a variety of data to assess the satisfaction of current students, including national survey data and local surveys. A list of the surveys regularly conducted to identify data needed for decision-making, the schedule of administration, and their utility to IHCC can be found in 7P1. The surveys that are relevant to this category are the SSI, CCSSE, ALI, withdrawal survey, IDEA course evaluation data, and the counseling/advising satisfaction survey. The number of faculty consultations conducted as a result of IDEA data is routinely tracked by the course designer, and are steady at about five per semester as a result of the IDEA data. An additional ten consultations per semester include the IDEA course data as a part of an ongoing discussion related to course design, course reform, or Quality Matters. Early Alert was part of an AQIP Action Project, Early Alert as a Means of Student Retention at IHCC and was implemented to address student concerns voiced on the SSI about not receiving timely feedback from faculty. The change in the scheduling grid, also an AQIP Action Project, Quality Scheduling, came about due to student concerns on the SSI, in particular the statements Classes are scheduled at times that are convenient for me, and I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts. Results comparing IHCC to the National cohort on these statements across time are shown below in Table 3R1-1. Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs 49

50 Table 3R1-1: Student Satisfaction Inventory Comparisons Statement on SSI 2012 IHCC/Nat l 2010 IHCC/Nat l 2006 IHCC/Nat l Faculty provide timely feedback about student progress in a course 5.24/ / /5.24 Classes are scheduled at times that are convenient for me 5.44/ / /5.35 I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts 5.48/ / /5.31 Students with Disabilities: There was an 18% increase in students seen by Disability Services from fall to fall and a 13% increase from spring to spring as a result of changes made to the service (see Table 3R1-2). Table 3R1-2: Students Seen by Disability Services fall 2012 spring 2013 fall 2013 spring Source: Director of Disability Services Underrepresented students: The number of students attending the Power in Diversity conference has grown from four in 2013 to 24 in 2014, and the number of visits to the new Accessibility and Inclusion Center has increased by 34% in the last two years, going from 740 visits in fall 2012 to 993 visits in fall There are currently 73 students enrolled in the Diverse Perspectives workshops. Students have a full calendar year to complete five sessions and receive a certificate. The first graduates of the workshops will be in May Job Placement Rates: Related Employment of graduates, one of the MnSCU SPFM, is gathered by use of a survey asking graduates if they are employed in related employment to their field of study (see Table 3R1-3). Table 3R1-3: Job Placement Rates FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY % 83.5% 74.6% 68.1% 70.0% 89.2% Source: MnSCU Strategic Framework Metrics Transfer Rates: In addition to preparing students for work, the College prepares students to transfer to State Universities and the University of Minnesota by completing the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC). A high transfer rate is therefore desirable and used as a measure of success in getting students prepared to continue their education. IHCC s most recent Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System (IPEDS) transfer rates are shown in Table 3R1-4. Table 3R1-4: Transfer Rates Entering Fall Cohort year fall 2005 fall 2006 fall 2007 fall 2008 fall 2009 Transfer-out rate 35% 35% 30% 40% 33% Source: IPEDS One of the MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metrics is the percent of credits accepted in transfer at receiving institutions. This is an indication that students are being correctly advised into courses that will successfully transfer, and that other institutions see the curriculum as being rigorous enough to meet their requirements (see Table 3R1-5). Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs 50

51 Table 3R1-5: Rate of Course Transfer FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 FY % 85.6% 83.5% 84.3% 93.7% 95.7% Source: MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metrics 3R2. Performance results for student satisfaction: Shown below in Table 3R2-1 are results from three administrations of the SSI (2012, 2010, and 2006) summarizing the top five items viewed as strengths (high scores for both importance and satisfaction). Table 3R2-1: SSI Strengths Strengths are items that have high scores for both importance and satisfaction The quality of instruction I receive in most of my classes is excellent. Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their fields. The quality of instruction I receive in most of my classes is excellent. I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts. I am able to experience intellectual growth here. I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts. Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their fields. There is a good variety of courses provided on this campus. Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their fields I am able to experience intellectual growth here. The campus is safe and secure for all students. Program requirements are clear and reasonable. There is a good variety of courses provided on this campus. Faculty are usually available after class and during office hours. The quality of instruction in the vocational/technical programs is excellent. Source: SSI; Note: the SSI was not administered in 2008 Adult Learner Inventory: Challenges Challenges are items with high importance and low satisfaction or a large performance gap (IMP-SAT). These are specifically identified as items above the mid-point in importance and in the lower quartile (25%) of satisfaction scores or items above the mid-point in importance and in the top quartile (25%) of performance gap scores (see Table 3R2-2). (Note: Campus items may not have been asked every year, e.g., #54). Results are shown for the past three administrations of the ALI. Table 3R2-2: ALI Challenges IHCC-General - ALI 2012 IHCC-General - ALI 2009 IHCC-General - ALI 2006 ITEM 2012 Challenge Gen 2012 Challenge Gen 2009 Challenge Gen My program allows me to pace my Challenge Challenge Challenge studies to fit my life and work schedules. 2. Sufficient course offerings within my Challenge Challenge Challenge program are available each term. 14. I receive guidance on which classes will Challenge Challenge Challenge transfer to programs here and elsewhere. 15. Advisors are knowledgeable about Challenge Challenge requirements for courses and programs of interest to me. 17. My instructors provide timely feedback Challenge Challenge Challenge about my academic progress. Source: ALI Withdrawal Survey Table 3R2-3 below shows the results from the withdrawal survey by semester. Tables 3R2-4 3R2-8 show trend data on national survey results. Table 3R2-3: Withdrawal Survey Results Reason for withdrawal fall 2011 spring 2012 fall 2012 spring 2013 fall 2013 Did not connect with the instructor 13.4% 15.8% 8.8% 13.2% 15.0% Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs 51

52 Did not have time due to work 13.8% 14.8% 15.2% 14.5% 14.0% Course was too difficult 12.6% 15.8% 8.8% 16.3% 12.6% Delivery method of course (e.g., online) 9.1% 5.7% 11.6% Personal or family issues 15.5% 13.7% 14.5% 10.1% Source: Withdrawal Survey Table 3R2-4: CCSSE Overall Satisfaction Would you recommend this college to a friend or family member? Yes 96.4% 94.7% 95.8% No 4.4% 5.3% 4.2% Source: CCSSE Table 3R2-5: Evaluation of Educational Experience How would you evaluate your entire educational experience at this college? Excellent 33.5% 30.7% 33.3% Good 57.0% 54.4% 55.5% Fair 09.1% 13.4% 10.4% Poor 00.5% 1.5% 00.8% Source: CCSSE Table 3R2-68: ALI Overall Satisfaction General Adult Learners How would you rate your overall satisfaction with this program? Would you recommend this program to other adult learners? Source: ALI; on a seven-point scale, where for the first question, 1= not satisfied at all and 7= very satisfied, and for the second question, 1= definitely not and 7= definitely yes. Table 3R2-7: Persistence and Completion Rates by Cohort Year IHCC Fall-to-Fall Persistence and Completion Rates % 72.6% 67.4% 73.9% 67.3% 64.2% 66.3% 69.9% Source: IHCC MnSCU Strategic Framework Metrics, using fall entering cohorts Table 3R2-8: Completion Rates by Cohort Year IHCC Completion Rate % 52.7% 48.6% 54% 48.6% 46% Source: IHCC MnSCU Strategic Framework Metrics, fall entering cohorts, percent completing in three years (150%) The SSI and the CCSSE both measure student satisfaction on a number of measures. The SSI has the following statement, Channels for expressing student complaints are readily available. Figure 3R2-11 and Tables 3R show trend data on the SSI, ALI and CCSSE. Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs 52

53 Figure 3R2-11: Student Satisfaction with Channels for Expressing Complaints IMP SAT Source: SSI; IMP is importance and SAT is satisfaction on a 7-point scale where 1= low and 7=high. Table 3R2-12: SSI Results Statement The personnel involved in registration are helpful IMP 6.15 SAT 5.41 IMP 6.10 SAT 5.42 IMP 6.09 SAT 5.62 Adequate financial aid is available for most students IMP 6.26 SAT 5.37 IMP 6.23 SAT 5.26 IMP 6.22 SAT 5.22 Financial aid awards are announced to students in time to be helpful in college planning IMP 6.05 SAT 5.14 IMP 5.98 SAT 4.92 IMP 6.28 SAT 5.08 Financial aid counselors are helpful IMP 5.96 SAT 5.16 IMP 5.92 SAT 5.18 IMP 6.16 SAT 5.31 Source: SSI; IMP is importance and SAT is satisfaction on a 7-point scale where 1= low and 7=high. Table 3R2-13: CCSSE Results Satisfaction with services Academic advising/planning Financial Aid Advising Transfer credit assistance Services to students with Disabilities Source: SSI Table 3R2-14: ALI Results Statement Sufficient course offerings within my program are available each term I receive timely direction on how to transfer to four-year colleges and universities I receive guidance on which classes will transfer to programs here and elsewhere Advisors are knowledgeable about requirements for courses and programs of interest to me Source: ALI where IMP= importance and SAT= satisfaction on a scale of 1 (low) to 7 (high) IMP 6.40 SAT 5.18 IMP 5.69 SAT 4.90 IMP 6.18 SAT 5.19 IMP 6.30 SAT 5.42 IMP 6.53 SAT 5.32 IMP 5.49 SAT 4.98 IMP 6.24 SAT 5.31 IMP 6.25 SAT 5.65 IMP 6.49 SAT 4.94 IMP 5.76 SAT 5.03 IMP 6.23 SAT 5.31 IMP 6.34 SAT 5.49 Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs 53

54 3R3. Performance results for building relationships with your students: Results for building relationships with students are indicated in overall satisfaction measures, student persistence rates, graduation and transfer rates, and job placement rates, as well as the data gathered by the various areas across campus conducting the events (see Table 3R3-1 and Table 3R3-2). Table 3R3-1: Results for Building Relationships with Prospective Students Group FY2013 FY2012 FY2011 FY2010 Students in PSEO N/A Students in InCollege 106 N/A N/A N/A Students in InverPrep 157 N/A N/A N/A Students in Perkins (HIGH SCHOOL) Students served by TRiO summer bridge N/A Number of High School student Visits N/A N/A Attendance at Open Houses N/A 151 N/A N/A Sources: Various Table 3R3-2: Results for Building Relationships with Current Students Group FY2013 FY2012 FY2011 FY2010 Attendance at Kick Off (students) Attendance at Transfer Day (students) Approximate: per year Number of schools participating in Transfer Day 30 per year Number of Veterans (unduplicated) Number of ASAP students (unduplicated) Students served by TRiO N/A Source: Outreach Director 3R4. Performance results for stakeholder satisfaction: Partners in Community-Based Learning were initially surveyed each semester and results compiled. Since the respondents are largely remaining the same, it was determined to only administer the survey during the spring of each academic year. Therefore, there are not results for fall 2013, and spring 2014 results will not be compiled in time for the submission of this portfolio. The results in Table 3R4-1 and Table 3R4-2 are compiled from the survey given to the business partners who provided the community-based learning experiences to students. Table 3R4-1: Service Learning Impact Has your perception of Inver Hills Community College and/or IHCC students changed because of this semester's Service-Learning experience? spring 2012 (n=19) fall 2012 (n=21) Yes, in a positive way Yes, in a negative way No, has not changed Source: Service Learning Survey spring 2013 (n= 24) Table 3R4-2: IHCC Partnerships I plan to continue my organization s spring 2012 (n = 19) fall 2012 (n = 21) spring 2013 (n = 24) partnership with IHCC. Yes No Not sure Source: Community-based Learning Survey In FY 2013, there were three complaints filed/investigated with the HR Director under 1B.1 procedure for discrimination. There were zero complaints filed in FY 2012 and R5. Performance results for building relationships with key stakeholders: The SSI survey includes the following: This institution has a good reputation within the community (see Figure 3R5-1). 54 Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs

55 Figure 3R5-1: Ratings of Importance and Satisfaction IMP SAT Source: SSI Results from the Advisory Board Survey administered in fall 2013 are found in Category 9R2. 3R6. Comparison of results: When IHCC began administering the CCSSE in 2009, the items where IHCC had significantly different scores than the MnSCU and National cohorts were flagged and tracked in subsequent administrations (see Table 3R6-1). Table 3R6-2 compares IHCC to the national cohort over time. Table 3R6-1: CCSSE 2009 Statistically Significant Items Compared to 2011 and 2013 Results CCSSE Benchmark Area Student-Faculty Interaction Source: CCSSE Item Worked with instructors on activities other than coursework 2009 Trend Results (Statistically Significant) IHCC students less engaged than MnSCU 2011 Trend Results (No items are statistically significant) IHCC students less engaged than both MnSCU and national cohort 2013 Trend Results (No items are statistically significant) IHCC students less engaged than both MnSCU and national cohort Table 3R6-2: SSI Results Compared to the National Cohort Statement IHCC 2012 Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs National 2012 IHCC 2010 The personnel involved in registration are helpful Personnel in the Veterans Services program are helpful Admissions staff are knowledgeable Financial Aid counselors are helpful The campus staff are caring and helpful Admissions counselors respond to prospective students unique needs and requests The business office is open during hours which are convenient for most students Channels for expressing student complaints are readily available Source: SSI National

56 IMPROVEMENTS 3I1. Recent improvements: Table 3I1 shows improvements in areas of services to students. Table 3I1-1. Recent Improvements Area Improvement Advising and Counseling Financial Aid Services to Underrepresented Students IT Services Adult/Distance Learners Advising and Counseling continue to work on their model of how to balance scheduled appointments vs. open, on-demand scheduling. The current model of student orientation is also under revision. The Orientation model was completely changed in the AY, and while the model before was not seen as being optimally effective, neither is the current model. Financial aid has moved to streamline processes such as book voucher eligibility (system generated/communications), electronic award letters, batch processing (awarding/tracking/sap) and financial education (Access Ready, FAIM, and Fiscally Fit). The Disability office has changed in the past year, and has changed its operating model. Increased numbers of students served shows that the new model is working and students are receiving assistance on a case-by-case basis. A certificate program began in 2013 to accommodate the need to formalize the experience students are getting by participating in the Diverse Perspectives workshops. Students attend the Power in Diversity Conference held each year in January, allowing them to present research to both faculty and staff. The disability side of this department has also undergone some change in the past year, in hopes of increasing the number of students served. Disability Services now works from a socio-cultural lens vs. a medical model. This model allows staff to work closely with the population to identify their needs. The transition from institutional- provided student accounts to personal accounts provided increased responses on follow-up to admissions applications. This has resulted in an increase in student open rates. Advising moved from a model where there was only one dedicated PLA (Prior Learning Assessment) advisor to educating all advisors on PLA requirements. A strategic plan is in development for Adult and Distance Learners based on the data from the ALI. System-wide, there is an initiative called Graduate Minnesota, targeted to students who have earned some college credit to return to school to finish an associate or bachelor s degree. Strategies include those already in place at IHCC such as PLA credits for work and/or military experience, night/weekend and online courses. 3I2. Culture and infrastructure: IHCC has a highly collaborative environment, evidenced by our success in working with multiple stakeholder groups both within and outside our campus community. The College continues to look for ways to increase opportunities for current students by increasing articulation agreements with other post-secondary institutions as well as helping prepare future students who are still in K12 education to be college-ready when they arrive at IHCC, evidenced by the new Inver Prep and InCollege programs. IHCC has a robust cadre of Advisory Boards committed to making IHCC better in every way, and an active Foundation which creates opportunities to enrich the experience of education for all IHCC students. The College encourages participation in process improvement through campus conversations, academic development days, and other planning meetings regularly held on and off-campus, depending on the stakeholder group. The College seeks feedback from students by surveys and an active Student Senate, and uses that feedback to guide improvement via Action Projects and strategic initiatives. The College seeks feedback through Advisory Boards to guide program development and improvement. Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs 56

57 While some targets are pre-determined for the College by MnSCU, others are driven by the College s own mission to inspire students, build careers and strengthen communities, as well as by the MnSCU Strategic Framework to ensure access, be the partner of choice, and deliver the highest value/most affordable option to our stakeholders. The processes we select for improvement are those that pose a barrier to our achievement of the mission, the MnSCU Strategic Framework, and Charting the Future. Category Three: Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs 57

58 INTRODUCTION IHCC has many well-aligned processes for Valuing People. Recruitment and hiring processes align with the College s goals and strategies. The Executive Team jointly makes staffing allocation decisions from a collegewide perspective in the annual budget process. Human Resources partners with supervisors to develop position descriptions, obtain job classifications from the MnSCU System Office, and develop recruitment and selection methods that meet business needs. The selection process is well documented and understood on campus; training is provided to new process participants. The new faculty orientation program aligns with IHCC s goals and strategies. Training provided to faculty at academic development days is integrated with the College s goals and strategies. Participant evaluation of both activities is used for continuous improvement. New staff orientation is systematic. Processes and content are defined and repeated. Development of a more interactive program spanning the work of more college operations is planned. Staff training is systematic. The College compares well to other MnSCU colleges in a biennial survey of staff development opportunities; however, improved needs assessments with more supervisor input is planned to better align training with priorities. The College significantly increased its commitment in spring 2013 to assist staff financially to complete job-related academic degrees. The personnel evaluation systems for both faculty and staff are systematic. The development of a new faculty appraisal tool, implemented in FY 2012, has resulted in alignment of both the faculty and staff evaluation tools with college goals and strategies. Processes for ensuring the ethical practices of employees, and employee recognition and rewards programs are aligned with institutional goals and strategies. New employees receive code of conduct training; all employees receive regular reminders on ethics provisions; and the faculty union proactively educates members. In FY 2013, a formalized employee awards program with defined awards categories aligned with college values replaced an ad hoc awards program. The College is systematic in its processes to identify key issues related to employee motivation, select courses of action, and evaluate employee satisfaction and wellbeing. Action projects are developed with college-wide employee input based on climate survey results. PROCESSES 4P1. Identify credentials, skills, values: the College s instructional objectives appear in 1P1, and noninstructional objectives in 2P2. The MnSCU Joint Committee on Credential Fields recommends credential fields including minimum qualifications, aligned with programs and disciplines across the MnSCU system for approval by the Chancellor. The committee is comprised of union faculty and administrators. To formulate proposed minimum qualifications, MnSCU System Office staff conduct an analysis of system-wide disciplines/programs and national standards and other pertinent background information, and solicit input from MnSCU colleges. The process also includes consultation with faculty, administrators, and industry representatives, culminating in a recommendation to the Joint Committee. The IHCC hiring administrator/supervisor works with Human Resources to identify the challenges and opportunities to be faced by a new hire and institutional values key to the position identified from college documents and initiatives. The knowledge, skills and abilities needed to meet the challenges and opportunities and reflect the desired values, are portrayed as minimum and preferred qualifications in the job posting and recruitment materials to attract candidates. Category Four: Valuing People 58

59 4P2. Hiring processes: Human Resources develops job specific questions for academic professional jobs based on minimum and preferred qualifications (which reflect values), as part of the online application. The deft crafting of such questions and automated screening has enabled Search Advisory Committees (SACs) to quickly focus on a top group of candidates. For example, applicants for faculty positions who will teach online are asked to list what online courses they have developed curriculum for and taught. Applicants to positions with budget authority are asked about the largest budget they have developed and managed. In a cover letter, applicants are asked to address preferred qualifications in which desired institutional values are reflected, and to submit a resume as well. SACs work with Human Resources to develop probing interview questions. Most interview questions are behavior-based, which Human Resources literature identifies as best practice for predicting future job performance. Reference checks are done on almost all candidates, including adjuncts. Human Resources conducts an informal credential review of faculty application materials submitted and formally credentials faculty or documents exceptions allowed under MnSCU policy after hire. The faculty union contract requires that at least 60 percent of credit assignments (which include teaching, and non-classroom functions of faculty) at a single MnSCU two-year college, and cumulatively 70 percent of credit assignments at two year colleges system-wide, be performed by unlimited full-time (i.e., tenure track) faculty. IHCC has sufficient numbers and continuity of faculty members to carry out both classroom and non-classroom faculty roles. In FY 2013, unlimited full-time faculty performed 71 percent of academic year faculty work assigned as credits; 58 percent of unlimited full-time faculty had been employed at IHCC in unlimited status for at least five years. Many of these faculty had significant prior adjunct teaching experience at IHCC or another MnSCU institution. Administration consults with faculty in the discipline on the qualifications of proposed high school teachers for Concurrent Enrollment and the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) to ensure that participating high school teachers are qualified before agreements are executed with high schools. Instructors of traditional and online courses are accessible for student inquiry through in person and/or online office hours. Office hours must be posted, and provided at a weekly rate of one office hour per three credits taught. Core component 3C is addressed in 4P2 and 4P10. 4P3. Recruit, hire, and retain employees: Recruitment for nearly all permanent status professional (including faculty), administrator and supervisory positions is done through online diversity and specialized professional recruitment sources such as Diverse Issues in Higher Education, the National Association of Emergency Medical Services Educators, and Minnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing, to recruit the best candidates and a diverse workforce. SACs with diverse employee participation screen applications, conduct interviews, and often require job demonstrations (such as a teaching demonstration or presentation). Retention of employees is a continuing challenge for the College. Workforce trend data shows that younger workers change employers and careers more often than baby boomers. One way that IHCC assists in employee retention is through salary increases and benefit levels based on length of service. For example, for faculty and staff, salary step progression and benefits under defined benefit retirement plans are based on years of service. Staff vacation accrual rates increase with longevity, and staff are eligible for tuition waiver benefits after three years of MnSCU service. In January 2013 the College significantly increased the dollars it makes available to staff to complete academic degrees and programs. Through these staff development funds and tuition waiver at MnSCU two-year colleges, staff obtain financial support for education to prepare for other jobs and careers at the College and in the MnSCU system. Tenure-equivalent status also helps with retention of faculty (see Table 4R2-2). The College provides many opportunities for employees to participate on committees, resulting in a sense of engagement which impacts retention (see Table R2-3). The College also makes use of interim and work-out- Category Four: Valuing People 59

60 of-class assignments of employees to higher job classifications which afford the opportunity to gain experience for promotion. Departments such as the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) and Human Resources are documenting work processes and developing job tools and training to pass on institutional knowledge to new hires. 4P4. Orient employees to history, mission and values: Supervisors provide orientation to new staff (nonfaculty) by reviewing with the new employee the College, MnSCU, and State of Minnesota organizational structure; IHCC strategic plan, mission, vision, and values statements; college decision-making and governance; and campus communication mechanisms. Supervisors document this review on an Employee Orientation - Supervisor Checklist. Orienting employees to the College s history, mission, and values is a continuing challenge. The challenge has magnified with turnover in the last three years of all the executive positions (president, three vice presidents), and appointment of a new MnSCU chancellor. A new culture is emerging, which includes the following: two-day orientation for faculty, faculty web page, and a campus-wide convocation. New faculty participates in a two-day orientation (see 1P11 for additional information). One of the two concerns most frequently cited in the Exit Survey (by one-third of respondents) was access to mentors or expert advice and guidance. In Academic Year , the College undertook an AQIP Action Project on New Employee Orientation and Mentoring. Employees hired in the last year were asked on a survey to respond to a list of information needed in their first year, indicate when they needed it, and evaluate the timeliness of its delivery. The Action Project Team reviewed the results and identified information items to be provided through: 1) new employee orientation or 2) a mentoring program. The Team recommended and designed a cohort mentoring program where new employees and mentors met six times to learn about the college mission and culture. Attendance was poor during the first year At the end of the first year via a survey, new employees were asked to evaluate the program and indicate why they did not attend. Eighty-six percent of the respondents cited time constraints as the reason for their non-participation (scheduling conflicts, too busy, etc.). In , the College instituted a weekly common hour when no classes are scheduled, to enable employees to participate in campus activities. The mentoring program was migrated to a monthly common hour. Attendance did not improve and the program was discontinued. Results of the survey of new employees will be reviewed and updated information gathered to inform continuing improvements of new employee orientation. 4P5. Personnel changes: MnSCU provides a financial incentive for a nine month early retirement notification by administrators, which has successfully afforded the College the opportunity to undertake a full search and selection process. Five of the eight administrators who resigned or retired from the College in the fiscal years gave such notice. Separating administrators used this notice period to complete projects, document work processes, brief direct reports so that institutional knowledge is not lost, and transfer tasks and provide training to other work units of the College. When the notice period is provided, a brief overlap period is typically provided during which the outgoing administrator remains employed to orient the incoming administrator. The President identifies and invites the College vice presidents to identify administrators, faculty and professional staff with leadership growth potential. The President solicits feedback on those identified from the College Executive Team and Human Resources Director, then selects those to nominate for MnSCU s biennial Luoma Leadership Academy. Since its inception, an average of 30% of graduates has moved into higher leadership positions. The President also nominates administrators for MnSCU s year-long Executive Leader Development Program to prepare candidates for vice president and president positions. Category Four: Valuing People 60

61 The College has effectively provided employees with the opportunity to develop skills for future promotion through interim appointments. Interim appointment opportunities to administrator positions are typically broadcast to the College and made on a competitive basis. MnSCU has a system-wide succession planning program for the vice presidential and presidential level. It has developed a succession planning tool for dean and other key positions, which is being piloted. It includes seven components: 1. Identify Purpose, Goals and Objectives. This includes identifying lynchpin positions having considerable or anticipated transition that are critical for the advancement of college priorities. 2. Define competencies for the lynchpin positions. 3. Assess Employee Performance and Potential. 4. Identify Candidates. 5. Accelerate development through a plan of work assignments, coaching/mentoring, and or education. 6. Build Support System ( i.e., ingrain succession planning in the institution and provide resources to support it). 7. Evaluate the program. IHCC will begin using the tool within two years after it is finalized following the pilot by the MnSCU System Office. In an effort to increase efficiency, MnSCU institutions are entering into shared services agreements, where services are provided by one MnSCU institution to another institution, or staff is shared. By identifying in advance the strengths of its staff and the strengths of other institutions, IHCC administrators have entered into successful shared service arrangements for continued service delivery when staff has separated. IHCC receives services such as faculty assignment payroll entry, payroll processing, and bank reconciliation from other institutions. IHCC and Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) currently share a CFO and Dean of Continuing Education and Customized Training. Marketing Department staff at both locations provides services to both colleges under the leadership of a DCTC administrator. IHCC administrators actively participate on MnSCU-wide shared services initiatives. 4P6. Design work processes and activities: Broad employee participation on committees which design work processes and quality improvements, is the primary means used by the College to enhance organizational productivity, employee satisfaction, and buy-in. The College has 25 standing committees; currently 36 percent of employees participate on them. Employees also have the opportunity to serve on short-term ad hoc committees formed to develop specific process improvement and to influence work process design in departmental staff meetings. The work processes at IHCC include accreditation, curriculum review, and assessment, which are designed and managed by the following committees: The IEC (see 8P1) The Assessment committee (see 1P18) The Academic Standards and Affairs Council (see category 1) The Academic Standards and Affairs Council, comprised of two-thirds faculty selected by the faculty, and onethird administrators, review all proposals regarding academic affairs and standards. These include course outlines, award requirements, academic standards, course and program components, and the inventory of course and program offerings. Ad hoc committees are established to work on specific projects. For example, a Bookstore Task Force with representation of faculty, students, administrators and staff was formed in fall 2013 to improve the student book procurement process. Category Four: Valuing People 61

62 4P7. Ensure ethical practices: The State of Minnesota, MnSCU, and IHCC have numerous policies for ensuring ethical behavior, including, but not limited to: discrimination and harassment; relationships with students; sexual violence; conflicts of interest; and gifts/compensation from outside sources. MnSCU and State policies are summarized in a Code of Conduct which employees are required to read and sign off on during their first month of employment. New employees are also required to complete an online Code of Conduct, data privacy, and sexual harassment training their first month of employment. The CFO meets with each new employee who is identified as having responsibility to initiate financial obligations to review policy and procedures in the area of code of conduct, contracting, procurement, employee expense reimbursements, Minnesota state laws, Minnesota Management and Budget protocols, and travel rules. College administrators communicate new policies, and annual policy reminders through official s to all employees on ethics, including the Board policies on Fraudulent and Dishonest Acts, discrimination and harassment, and sexual violence. The President, CFO, and Business Services Director annually sign a code of conduct certification relating to the performance of their financial duties, and obligation to report suspected code of conduct and ethics violations. The College is reviewed annually by an external audit firm for financial integrity, which also seeks to determine whether sufficient controls exist to detect fraud, theft, and other dishonest acts. See 1P11 for additional information on academic integrity and the Institutional Review Board. 4P8. Determine and align training needs: A committee of administrators, faculty, and staff plan seven faculty Academic Development Days each year (see Category 1). Many departmental budgets provide funds for employees to attend conferences and join professional organizations directly related to their jobs. The MnSCU System Office also provides training, aligned with system-wide objectives and identified needs. In FY 2013, the System Office added a training program on Leading a Project Team; 19 IHCC employees attended this program. The System Office offers several leadership seminars, some based on various assessment tools (DISC, Strength Finders). In FY 2014 the System Office launched a new series of seminars on Leading and Facilitating Organizational Change. The MnSCU System Office spearheads statewide annual conferences and retreats for Academic Affairs Administrators, Student Affairs staff and administrators, Continuing Education and Customized Training administrators and staff, CFOs, and Human Resources staff. The MnSCU System Office annually partners with two collective bargaining units to offer a statewide conference for frontline staff. The College has historically funded any frontline staff who wish to attend. Aligning campus-wide staff training with organizational plans is an area in which the College can improve. Staff development training has been based largely on staff training interests, rather than training needed to deliver on organizational plans. A staff development committee annually brainstorms training ideas, surveys staff on training interests, and recommends a program to the Management Team based on survey results. The Management Team is asked to identify training needs. 4P9. Train and develop faculty: New unlimited full-time faculty are required to complete four courses within three years of hire: Course construction Student outcomes Teaching/instructional methods assessment/evaluation, and Philosophy of community and technical college education Category Four: Valuing People 62

63 The first three courses are waived for faculty members who have a Master s in Education or three full-time years of secondary or postsecondary teaching experience in the field for which they were hired. Faculty in unlimited, full-time appointments in concert with their deans, develops an individual Professional Development Plan every three years to maintain currency in their credential field and in teaching and learning skills. Probationary faculty discusses their progress on the development plan with their dean annually; unlimited faculty do so every three years. In accordance with the union contract, $250 per full-time equivalent faculty position at the College during the preceding academic year is allocated for faculty development. Departments and representatives of college-wide activities can also request funds. These requests generally align with departmental and college-wide goals, particularly those relating to Category 1, Helping Students Learn. Job Performance Goals and an Action Plan are developed for staff as part of the annual performance review, which is an opportunity to reinforce the training they attended. Fulfillment of the goals and plan is discussed and documented in the next annual performance appraisal. New administrators, managers, and supervisors are required to complete four days of classroom supervisory training and online modules on specific topics. In this program, they are trained to provide feedback on job performance and application of training at the time it is demonstrated to their direct reports. New administrators attend a MnSCU administrator orientation session, and are offered three executive one-to-one coaching sessions. Supervisor training is reinforced by the Human Resources Director during one-on-one problemsolving sessions and through coaching by each administrator/manager/supervisor s supervisor. Employee success in applying training, including training presented at Academic Development Days and Staff Development events described in 4P8, is evaluated, discussed, and documented in performance reviews. Faculty who teach 12 credits or more in a semester are eligible for 12 tuition waiver credits per semester at any MnSCU college or university. After three years of employment, staff in unlimited (i.e., permanent) appointments are eligible for 20 tuition waiver credits per year that may be used at any MnSCU two-year college. Administrators with at least a 75 percent appointment are eligible for 24 tuition waiver credits at any MnSCU college or university. The financial support for staff completion of degree and certificate programs was significantly increased from an initial annual budget of $4,500 (FY 2013) to $15,000 (FY 2014). The annual maximum per employee benefit was increased from $500, to up to 16 credits at half the local four-year MnSCU institution s tuition rate. (Metropolitan State University is the MnSCU four-year university in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.) Award criteria now require that the program be tied to the employee s current job or future potential employment at IHCC. 4P10. Design and use personnel evaluation system: In FY 2011, the President, Vice Presidents of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, Deans, academic directors, and Human Resources Director developed a new faculty performance evaluation tool. The group examined the definition of faculty work in the union contract and discussed the role of faculty in meeting college s and MnSCU s strategic initiatives. The draft tool underwent vigorous review and discussion in Faculty Shared Governance and was finalized and implemented in FY The evaluation components of the performance evaluation tool are aligned with the college s instructional and non-instructional objectives for faculty: Student centered active and collaborative Availability to students; learning; Assessment and continuous improvement; Use of technology and varied teaching methodologies; Service to the college and community. Category Four: Valuing People 63

64 Probationary and temporary full-time faculty are evaluated annually; faculty who have attained unlimited status are evaluated every three years. The dean/director also conducts a classroom observation and provides written feedback to the faculty member during the performance review year. Staff are evaluated on the basis of the following competencies, which align with the college s instructional and non-instructional programs and services: Customer Relations; Motivation and Initiative; Continuous Quality Improvement; Creating and Managing Change; Integrity and Ethics; Mutual Respect and Diversity; Technical Job Knowledge/Skills; Teamwork. Work Habits; Currently administrators are evaluated with the same tool, and an additional item relating to meeting strategic goals for which they are responsible. Staff receives an annual performance review; probationary staff receives an additional review near the end of the probationary period. 4P11. Design employee recognition, reward, compensation, and benefit systems: All compensation, and benefits with monetary value such as individual training, must be collectively bargained by the MnSCU Board of Trustees for faculty and for staff by the State of Minnesota. The MnSCU Board of Trustees also sets the compensation and benefits package for administrators. In FY 2013, the college Executive Team developed guidelines for staff achievement awards authorized by collective bargaining agreements, and administrator exceptional performance financial awards. Awards are made for project participation based on the following criteria: Contributions to the MnSCU Strategic Framework or college mission and goals; Leading collaboration across departments, divisions, or campuses; Increased efficiencies or cost savings to a department, division, or MnSCU institution; Pioneering or risk-taking that led to positive change efforts. MnSCU also recognizes excellence in teaching through a state-wide Faculty of the Year Award. IHCC was honored to have one of its faculty win this prestigious award in The faculty awards align with instructional objectives of Helping Students Learn (see Category 1). Evaluation criteria include: content expertise and professional growth; teaching strategies and materials; assessment of student learning and performance; and service to students, the profession, the institution, and the system. 4P12. Determine motivation: There are multiple mechanisms for determining key issues related to the motivation of the faculty, staff, and administrators, including an employee climate survey, meetings with the unions, staff meetings, open door availability, and faculty department/division coordinators. The College conducts an employee climate survey every three years, most recently in spring The results were reviewed at a campus-wide meeting. Problem areas were prioritized and responsible parties identified for taking action in breakout groups at the meeting. The results were forwarded to the IEC to refine priorities and develop AQIP action projects. The college s Executive Team, Management Team and Policy Committee will continue to review the results and develop ad hoc projects to address problems and make improvements. Administration meets regularly with representatives of its unions: monthly through Faculty Shared Governance; at least twice yearly with AFSCME; and at least annually with its professional employees. The unions identify issues related to motivation. Administration and the union jointly explore possible resolutions. Data, when helpful and available, is examined. For example, when AFSCME asserted concerns that vacancies in that bargaining unit were filled at a lower rate, data on positions that were vacated, re-filled, restructured or left vacant, and data on new positions was discussed. 4P13. Employee satisfaction, health, safety, and well-being: The College has several mechanisms to provide for employee satisfaction, health, safety and well-being. For example, in spring and fall 2013, the Category Four: Valuing People 64

65 College provided a weekly noontime fitness class on site for employees. Staff is reimbursed half the annual membership fee in the college recreation center. Retention strategies identified in 4P3 also enhance employee satisfaction (see 6P3). A Safety Committee of 12 employees comprised of union representatives, staff in jobs with hazard exposure, and administrators, review workplace campus injuries and determine whether they were: 1) accidents; 2) a retraining issue; 3) equipment issue; or 4) workplace hazard, and makes mitigation and training recommendations. The Director of Safety and Security conducts an annual mock OSHA inspection of the entire campus, identifies problems based on federal regulations, and makes corrections. In October 2013 staff active shooter training that included interactive scenarios was provided to staff. The Director of Safety and Security also reviews positions at time of hire and annually to identify those with hazardous exposure, and subsequently provides training. An electronic onboarding process implemented in December 2012 has resulted in more timely identification of new employees in need of safety training. In the past, occasionally the Safety Department was unaware of new faculty hires. In fall 2012, the College doubled its in-house security with the hire of an additional security officer. The College provides ergonomic assessments of office space upon supervisor or employee request. The College relies mainly on its three-year climate survey and labor-management committees for the evaluation. RESULTS 4R1./4R2. Measures and results of valuing people: The College collects and analyzes the following data on an annual basis: Workforce diversity Online exit survey of permanent status Percentage of adjuncts who meet credential employees who resign or retire field minimum qualifications Tuition waiver usage Percentage of credits taught by unlimited Performance evaluation completion data (i.e., tenure track) faculty Percentage of unlimited status faculty who Employee turnover data receive a performance evaluation every Employee participation on committees three years Interim employee appointments to higher level positions Staff development training and academic development day evaluations Evaluation results from training programs The College conducts a Climate Survey of employees every three years. The College has slightly increased the representation of people of color and people of disabilities on its workforce (see Table 4R2-1). Disparities continue to exist for people of color among faculty and for people with disabilities for all job groups. (People with disabilities rarely self-identify during the hiring process and typically self-disclose only when they need a reasonable accommodation.) Table 4R2-1: Workforce Diversity Job Group Total Women Minorities Disabled FY * FY * FY * FY * Officials and Administrators % 66.7% 6.7% 8.3% 0.00% 0% Professionals/Non-Faculty % 49.1% 9.4% 14% 3.8% 7% Professionals/Faculty % 56.9% 7.4% 8.6% 6.5% 6.9% Technicians & Paraprofessionals % 52.3% 8% 9.5% 8% 4.7% Protective Services % -- 0% -- 0% Office/Clerical % 95% 20% 20% 5% 5% Skilled Craft 3 3 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Category Four: Valuing People 65

66 Service Maintenance % 16.7% 33.3% 25% 5.6% 0% Total % 58.4% 11.5% 12.2% 5.3% 5.7% Source: Affirmative Action Plan; payroll; *=fall data only All unlimited (tenure track) faculty and 81.2 percent of adjuncts met MnSCU credential field minimum qualifications. Exceptions were made primarily for specialized expertise or emergency hiring. IHCC has increased its hiring of unlimited (tenure track) faculty in the last two years. This has resulted in an increase in the percentage of for-credit assignments (teaching and other assignments paid as credits) performed by unlimited status faculty. Table 4R2-3 (see below) shows the percentage of credits assigned to UFT. Doctorate or Master s level degrees are held by all but three (3%) of UFT. See Table 4R2-2. Table 4R2-2: Degrees Possessed by Unlimited Faculty Degree Number of Faculty Percent Doctorate 25 21% Master s 88 76% BAC 3 3% Total 116 Source: Payroll Table 4R2-3: Percentage of Credits to Unlimited Full-Time Faculty Date % UFT 3/15/ /15/ /15/ Source: MnSCU MSCF Hiring Practices Reports Separation data for the last three fiscal years shows that less than two percent of faculty who attained unlimited (i.e., tenured) status resigned for reasons other than retirement. In fall 2014, 36 percent of employees were participating on standing college committees and 17.3 percent of all employees were serving on two or more committees (see Table 4R2-4). Table 4R2-4: Employee Participation on Standing Committees Total Participants Faculty Staff Managers/Supervisors Administrators (61%) 31 (22%) 10 (7%) 15 (10%) Source: Official Committee List; Payroll; total employees=392 In August 2010 the College implemented an online exit survey of permanent status employees who voluntarily leave the institution. Nearly 80 percent of respondents reported they had opportunities to participate on college committees or in college activities. The turnover among employees due to resignations and retirements has increased annually, from 5.24 percent in FY 2013 to 11.8 percent in FY The College will examine exit survey data on why the separating employee came to work at IHCC and why they were leaving to determine if there are areas that can be addressed (see Table 4R2-5). Table 4R2-5: Exit Survey- Job Satisfaction Measures (August January 24, 2014) Question Strongly Agreed/ Agreed Total My job was interesting & challenging; it gave me a sense of accomplishment. 32 (84.2%) 38 Category Four: Valuing People 66

67 I had the opportunity to use my skills and abilities to do my job. 30 (76.9%) 39 I had an opportunity to participate on college/ in college activities. 31 (79.5%) 39 I was treated with respect by my co-workers. 34 (87.2%) 39 Employees in my department worked collaboratively with me. 34 (87.2%) 39 Employees in other departments worked collaboratively with me. 28 (71.8%) 39 Source: Exit Survey Opportunity for advancement at another employer (41 percent), and retirement (25.6 percent) were the top two reasons given by separating employees in the exit survey. Reasons for leaving that were given by at least 25 percent of respondents appear in Table 4R2-6. Table 4R2-6: Exit Survey- Reasons for Leaving- 39 Respondents (August January 24, 2014) Opportunity for advancement at another employer 30 (51.3%) Higher Salary 17 (43.6%) Personal Reasons 14 (35.9%) Want more promotional opportunities 11 (28.2%) Workload 11 (28.2%) Retirement 10 (25.6%) Relationship with supervisor 10 (25.6%) Source: Exit Survey Tuition waiver usage at MnSCU institutions by employees for their own education appears in Table 4R2-7. Table 4R2-7: Tuition Waiver Usage Employee Group Fiscal Year # of Employees # of Undergraduate Credits # of Graduate Credits * Staff * * Faculty (13 doctoral) (24 doctoral) Supervisors * Source: Tuition Waiver reports; *Staff and supervisors (other than administrators are not eligible to use tuition waiver for graduate credits under their collective bargaining agreements. At least half of interim appointments made in the last three fiscal years were for people who were current employees (see Table 4R2-8). These serve as an important retention and succession planning tool. Table 4R2-8: Interim Appointments Fiscal Year Total To Current Employees New Hires Source: Payroll Since Staff Development Funds were increased effective spring semester 2013 for completion of degrees and academic programs ineligible for MnSCU tuition waiver, the number of staff who have received assistance has increased (see Table 4R2-9). Category Four: Valuing People 67

68 Table 4R2-9: Staff Usage of Staff Development Funds for Academic Program Completion Funding Support FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY 2014 # of Staff- Undergraduate Programs $s to Undergraduate Programs $500 $581 $2,768 $5, # Staff- Graduate Programs $s to Graduate Programs $2,000 $3,160 $8,246 $14, Source: Staff Development Tracking Spreadsheets Human Resources has begun reporting on completion of annual employee performance evaluations with this portfolio (see Table 4R2-10). Table 4R2-10: FY2013 Performance Review Completion Employee Group # % Faculty 31 55% Staff % Total % Source: Human Resources Performance Review Completion Tracking Spreadsheet; Includes faculty and staff in permanent positions, and temporary staff who receive insurance benefits. Staff includes administrators, managers, supervisors and non-supervisory staff. Sixty-three percent of participants in the staff Active Shooter training session responded to an evaluation of the training (see Table 4R2-11). Table 4R2-11: Evaluations- Active Shooter Training for Staff Please rate the usefulness of the information provided: Rating # of Responses % Very Useful 54 87% Somewhat Useful 8 13% Most Useful 0 0% Source: Active Shooter Training Evaluation (Qualtrics) The College conducts a Campus Climate survey on an ongoing basis. In 2013, a new instrument was used and comparisons were made with a MnSCU Community College who created the survey (see Table 4R2-12). Table 4R2-12: Key 2013 Campus Climate Survey Results Statement Mean (IHCC) Mean (MnSCU Peer Comparison) The College provides a safe working environment I have opportunities to serve on planning and process teams at IHCC 3.90 n/a New faculty/staff are provided with the adequate orientation and training to become effective team members I have opportunities to provide input into the College s goals, direction, policies, and procedures that affect me I have sufficient authority to do my job 4.12 n/a Source: Campus Climate Survey; Results on a 5-point scale where 1= strongly disagree and 5= strongly agree 4R3. Evidence of productivity and effectiveness: The College assesses productivity in part through Activity Based Costing, which uses volumes of transactions as a ratio to cost. Academic Technology and Computing Services, and Facilities use work order systems, which provide productivity data (see Category 7 for IT work order data). IHCC has one of the top three associate degree nursing programs in the State of Minnesota. Our Category Four: Valuing People 68

69 students NCLEX RN pass rate in June 2013 was 95.45% (see 1R4). The IHCC student pass rates for Emergency Medical Services are significantly above the industry average (see 1R4). 4R4. Comparison of results: MnSCU conducts a biennial survey on staff development provided at all institutions. In the most recent (FY 2012) survey, institution level data was reported for each survey question, as well as system-wide aggregated data (see Table 4R4-1). Table 4R4-1: MnSCU 2012 Staff Development Survey IHCC System Wide Attended Campus or MnSCU Training 93% 75% Attended Training offered by other than IHCC, MnSCU or State of Minnesota 53% 53% Most Desired training Job Specific Training 46% 51% Computer Skills 36% 36% Preferred way to receive training Source: MnSCU 2012 Employee Development Survey 4I1. Recent improvements: See Table 4I1-1 for recent improvements. In-person group workshops 62% 65% Online 18% 15% One-on-one 10% 7% Supervisory Support [Rated on a 1-5 scale, % of responses as 4 (Agree) or 5 (Strongly Agree)] My supervisor encourages staff development opportunities 78% 73.3% When I communicate a need for a new skill training, my supervisor helps me to 60% 55.5% find it. I have a current job description with a clear performance expectations 71% 67.5% IMPROVEMENTS Table 4I1-1: Recent Improvements In August 2010 the College implemented an online exit survey of permanent status employees who voluntarily leave the institution; 39 (53.4%) of 73 employees responded A new faculty web page is being designed to provide contact information for the different department and service opportunities on campus, along with some information regarding the campus culture, events, and policies. The Human Resources components of both new faculty and staff orientation programs were updated, and an electronic onboarding process for new faculty was developed and implemented. A work group will be formed in spring 2014 to develop a more interactive, staged new staff orientation program with shared ownership by Human Resources, the Business Office, Information Technology, supervisors and Administration. Supervisors will also be surveyed to identify new employee orientation needs. Areas for integration of new faculty orientation with this effort will be identified and implemented for fall The MnSCU System Office is developing a system-wide employee onboarding process In Fiscal Year 2014 the College launched an Action Project on Improving Leadership through High Impact Internal Communications. One component is to establish and document roles of committees, task forces, projects, and their participants. The amount budgeted for employee development at the College has more than doubled in the last four years, from $398,578 in FY 2010 to $820,845. In spring 2014, staff will be surveyed to determine their training needs as well as their interests. Supervisors will be surveyed to identify staff training needs in addition to their own training needs. Faculty submits nominations and select the Outstanding Faculty of the Year, who serves as a grand marshal at graduation. Students select a second Outstanding Faculty of the Year, who is also recognized at graduation. All Category Four: Valuing People 69

70 employees and students were invited to submit nominations for the other awards. Faculty department/division coordinators brought forth faculty concerns about how decisions on course cancellations are made. As a result, department/division coordinators will participate with academic administrators in the cancellation decision-making. In FY 2013, Administration formalized an employee (non-financial) award program. Employees were invited to recommend award categories. Administration reviewed employee suggestions and then established the following award categories to support instructional and non-instructional objectives and performance evaluation competencies (see Table 4I1-4): Table 4I1-4: Non-Financial Award Categories Award Categories Staff Performance Evaluation Competencies 1. Effort in the Promotion & Respect for Diversity Mutual Respect & Diversity 2. Ongoing Service in the Promotion & respect for Mutual Respect & Diversity diversity 3. Service to Students Customer Relations 4. Partnership Motivation & Initiative; Creating & Managing Change 5. Innovation Creating & Managing Change 6. Efficiency & Cost Savings Continuous Quality Improvement 7. Leadership Creating & Managing Change 8. Unsung Hero Work Habits 9. Collaboration Teamwork 4I2. Culture and infrastructure: Results of the climate survey, conducted every three years, inform our selection of processes to improve and setting of valuing people performance targets. As noted previously, the College has initiated an Action Project, Improving Leadership Through High-impact Communications based on feedback in the climate survey. During the campus-wide review of the climate survey results, employees cited timely, effective communication as essential to feeling valued. Pre- and post-surveys will be used to evaluate whether changes in communications from the Action Project resulted in improvement. Additional work will be done on new staff orientation during Summer 2014 based on climate survey results indicating that new employee orientation and training could be strengthened. (See Table 4R2-11). Staff members are invited to complete an evaluation after each staff development event. The MnSCU Talent Management Division conducts a biennial staff development survey, and provides institution-level and systemwide results. The Human Resources Director and Staff Development Committee use the results of these tools to improve both program offerings and delivery method each year. Category Four: Valuing People 70

71 INTRODUCTION Since the last portfolio, the MnSCU System appointed a new Chancellor to lead the 31 public state colleges and universities, and IHCC has seen significant changes in top leadership positions including all four members of the Executive Team, comprised of the President, the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer (CAO), the Vice President of Student Affairs, and the Vice President of Administrative Services/Chief Financial Officer (CFO). These changes were predicated by a planned, staggered retirement to facilitate succession. These leadership changes have impacted organizational structure, committee leadership, processes, internal messaging, and communications. In 2011, the Chancellor began to formulate his vision for the MnSCU System, unveiling the MnSCU Strategic Framework in April, This framework has three main points outlined in the institutional overview, with the goal being to increase access and opportunity for all Minnesotans. A set of twenty-one Strategic Framework Performance Metrics (SFPM) followed in All colleges and universities must report and use these metrics for planning purposes. As a result of transitions in leadership and strategic direction at both the System and the institutional levels, the College implemented new change management techniques to foster open communication, transparency and meeting the changing needs of multiple stakeholder groups. The College has added communication channels to help facilitate understanding of environmental changes including the President s Campus Conversations, focus groups with local business and industry leaders, and the development of a new Action Project: Improving Leadership through High Impact Communications. IHCC has been systematic in working towards an integrated college structure that advances our unique culture of inquiry and collaboration while supporting the MnSCU Strategic Framework and Charting the Future. PROCESSES 5P1. Review of mission and values: The President met with many stakeholder groups his first year ( ) to learn about the culture and daily processes at the institution. New mission, vision, and value statements for the College were crafted with input from the Institutional Effectiveness Council (IEC), which includes administrators, faculty, and staff. After review by the Academic Standards and Affairs Council, the draft was shared with students, staff, faculty, and external stakeholders to provide additional input. After further revisions, the statements were presented to and approved by the Board of Trustees in summer An institutional goal is to review the mission and values as needed, which is typically every five years, beginning in IEC and taking any suggested revisions to the larger college community. The mission, vision, and values are included in the institutional overview. Inver Hills academic programs, student support services, and enrollment profile are consistent with the stated mission in that the College offers a variety of liberal education programs for transfer to 4-year institutions, career programs for entry into the workforce or transfer, and customized training programs for noncredit to respond quickly to the changing needs of employers. Student support services are equipped to inspire students and provide assistance through the TRiO program, veteran services, disability services, counselors, and academic advisors. To help students be financially literate as well as successful, the College provides career exploration classes, academic planning classes, and other services. The budgeting process aligns with and supports the mission in that faculty, staff, and administrators are involved in the process. All groups are aware of the mission and budget priorities established based on the strategic initiatives of the institution. The Vice President of Administrative Services/CFO conducts multiple Category Five: Leading and Communicating 71

72 campus meetings each spring to review the budget and current financial status of the campus. The budgeting process is further discussed in Category 6. 5P2. Leaders set direction: The MnSCU System is governed by a Board of Trustees (BOT), appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate. There are 15 trustees, including three members who are students who have attended an institution for at least one year and are currently enrolled at least half-time in a MnSCU institution. There is also representation by congressional district, state universities, technical colleges, and community colleges. One member must also represent labor. The BOT has responsibility for system planning, academic programs, fiscal management, personnel, admission requirements, tuition and fees, and rules and regulations. They operate under Minnesota Statute Chapter 136F. The MnSCU System Chancellor is the CEO of MnSCU. He is responsible for providing academic leadership to the system's 31 colleges and universities, ensuring effective and efficient management and operation of the system, carrying out board policies, recommending operating and capital budgets to the board, and planning for the current and long-term educational needs of Minnesota. Each of the System's 31 colleges and universities in the MnSCU System is led by a president. The presidents report to the chancellor and are responsible for leading the College or university faculty, administrators, staff, and students in developing and implementing the college or university mission. The president is the primary spokesperson for the College or university and periodically consults with students, faculty, administrators, staff, and members of the community. Duties and responsibilities of the president include providing innovative educational leadership, allocating campus resources, employing personnel, following system policies and procedures, and implementing the system's strategic plan. As part of a statewide system, MnSCU, Inver Hills must align its mission, vision, goals, processes, and metrics with that of the System. The College s current mission fully aligns with the MnSCU Strategic Framework. The mission, vision, and values of the College are shared with key external stakeholder groups, such as the President s Advisory Board, the Foundation Board, Program Advisory Boards, and other community groups by the president and other ambassadors of the College. Faculty and deans meet with industry representatives in program advisory meetings. These groups provide feedback by expressing the needs of their members regarding the Inver Hills mission and goals. In November 2012, the Chancellor convened three strategic workgroups Education of the Future, Workforce of the Future, and System of the Future posing a series of questions for each group to consider ensuring colleges and universities are positioned to deliver on commitments to students as outlined in the MnSCU Strategic Framework. These workgroups were comprised of students, faculty, staff, presidents, and trustees, 46 in all, who each brought their varied perspectives and expertise to the discussions to inform that as each group produced the original draft recommendations of Charting the Future. The workgroups have identified six recommendations, outlined in the institutional overview, to increase access and affordability, advance student success, and wisely steward our resources. On campus, the IEC, in consultation with various stakeholder groups developed four major strategic plans to guide the College: the master academic plan, the master facilities plan, instructional technology plan, and the strategic enrollment management plan. The current ( ) master academic plan guides development and priorities within all academic areas. The new master academic plan update will be a three-year plan, and it will be completed and in place by fall 2014 under the guidance of the Vice President of Academic Affairs/CAO. The planning process includes key internal constituent groups and involves several steps to reach the final plan. The 25-year master facilities plan update has been submitted to the board and is awaiting approval. This plan was updated by an interdisciplinary team led by the Vice President of Administrative Services/CFO. The strategic enrollment management plan is currently under revision. Much of the high school demographic information needed to develop this plan was determined by an outside consulting agency, the Clarus Corporation, which the College contracted to help strategize new markets and opportunities. Category Five: Leading and Communicating 72

73 Inver Hills planning processes continue to take the changing nature of technology into account. At the institutional support level, the College is creating a new IT strategic plan that will address the ever-changing landscape of IT services expected by students and staff including recommendations for: 1) Investments in campus technology infrastructure to support formal BYOD initiatives and informal uses of BYOD devices, 2) Providing workshops for faculty and staff to be aware of emerging technologies used in higher education, 3) Improving technical support services for both on-campus and online students, 4) Establishing a program to coordinate technology initiative pilot projects, 5) Investments needed to provide synchronous conferencing services to support delivery of instruction and learning support services, and 5) Decision points for migrating campus-hosted services to cloud-hosted services. At the program level, technology drives the course offerings in the newly created Information Technology Career (ITC) area, as well as the course offerings in Computer Science. Online/hybrid course offerings continue to grow, and the creation of a strategic plan for distance and adult learning is underway. Planning for demographic shifts occurs in a number of ways. The master academic plan addresses the needs to provide programming and services to the post-traditional adult learner. Additionally, the scheduling process includes development of an accelerated course schedule for post-traditional learners on campus including Saturday offerings and courses off-site. For example, as a result of limited service in the south metropolitan area Inver Hills opened the South of the River Education Center to specifically provide accelerated programming and prior learning assessment guidance and support. The College is developing a distance education and adult learner strategic plan that will align with the master academic plan. The College has added student organizations such as the Ethiopian Student Association, Muslim Student Association, and Somali Student Club as a result of changing demographics. The business program was redesigned to encompass international business, and faculty hired to provide instruction have practical backgrounds in international business. The budget process (see Category 6) supports the various initiatives that emerge from master and strategic plans. As part of the request process, all budget requests are connected to both campus and System priorities and values. Each division goes through a process of zero-based budgeting to identify operating need. The Executive Team reviews requests to determine the budget and considers the information supplied by cost centers and how the items align with academic, student services, and facilities priorities. The governing board or Board of Trustees oversees the Chancellor and all 31 Presidents within the MnSCU system. The board approves the mission, vision and value statements of the colleges and universities as well as policies and procedures. The board is appointed by the Governor yet is autonomous of undue political influence and donors. They are delegated oversight to work with the Chancellor to carry out the best higher education system for Minnesota citizens which is one of the strategic initiatives of the System. Presidents and their delegated authorities are granted authority and independence to carry out the initiatives approved by the Board of Trustees. Faculty are expected to oversee academic affairs as negotiated in the union contract. Locally, faculty are involved in many committees, task forces, and councils. The College upholds System policy, procedure, and union contracts. 5P3. Needs and expectations current and potential students and key stakeholder groups: The president and other ambassadors of the College, including the Foundation members, focus on the mission, vision, and values of IHCC when meeting with key external stakeholder groups, such as the President s Advisory Board, the Foundation Board, Program Advisory Boards, and other community groups. Faculty and deans meet with industry representatives in program advisory meetings. These groups provide feedback by expressing the needs of their members regarding the Inver Hills mission and goals. Additionally, the Director of Enrollment and Outreach convenes a yearly meeting with area high school counselors and Inver Hills advisors and counselors so the College better understands the needs of potential students. Needs of nontraditional adult learners are understood through the adult learner advisory board, Noel-Levitz s Adult Learner Inventory (ALI), and research and market analysis done by the System Office as a result of Inver Hills involvement in the Lumina grant funded Graduate Minnesota initiative. Category Five: Leading and Communicating 73

74 The president and other staff regularly meet with key student groups, including Student Senate, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and the Veterans Group. The students express their needs and concerns and give feedback about possible future initiatives which are enveloped in key planning documents. For example, the student veterans need for a new lounge was brought to the Student Senate, as was examining ways to improve the online bookstore ordering process. Faculty and administrators meet monthly via the Faculty Shared Governance to discuss key initiatives and processes within the College. Additionally, Academic Affairs and Standards Council meet bi-weekly to discuss academic programming, assessment, and standards. This committee includes faculty, academic leaders, and an enrollment services representative. 5P4. Seek future opportunities and focus on learning: Leaders guide the institution by developing strategic plans and action plans that align with the MnSCU Strategic Framework. This planning is done through convening appropriate campus personnel to provide input. The processes conducted include SWOT analyses which provide guidance in developing new programs, seeking grants, partnerships, and potential new off-site locations, for example. Employees of the College in both the credit and non-credit areas as well as enrollment services have been working to build relationships with high schools and 4-year colleges and universities to better align curriculum and programs to improve seamless transfer opportunities for students. The College now offers baccalaureate completion programs on campus from St. Mary s University, Metropolitan State University, College of St. Scholastica, and Concordia University St. Paul. Additionally, employees from across the institution are strengthening relationships with employers by engaging them more in advisory boards and grant opportunities. For example, employers were an integral part of the Department of Labor Youth Career Connect grant and specifically identified how they could be involved in the initiative. Various leaders have written grants to enhance learning opportunities for credit and non-credit students. The most recent credit course related grant was awarded from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to investigate the lack of student diversity in IT career fields at MnSCU metro-area colleges and then use this information to recruit new students into STEM fields. Spring 2014 the College was awarded Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) grants to provide non-credit programming to new businesses. 5P5. Making decisions: Standing committees, short-term task forces, and ad hoc groups operate across the College as a whole and are also formed within functional areas. These groups engage in cross-functional planning, allocation of resources, delegation of responsibilities, provision of support both administrative and staff and strategic analysis and goal setting. Some of the standing committees are administrators only, but most teams have representatives from administration, staff, and faculty. Some of the key standing committees are: Executive Team, Management Team, Operations Team, IEC, Academic Affairs and Standards Council, Faculty Shared Governance, Academic Development Committee, and Assessment Committee. The level of autonomy to carry out decisions vs. making recommendations to another group varies by team, the scope of the decision, and by who is affected by the decision, and their bargaining unit. Executive Team and Management Team have the autonomy to make decisions for the campus. For example, all planning and budget requests are connected directly to departmental, institutional, and System goals and priorities. Many decisions can be implemented immediately within the appropriate area provided the resources are available. Decisions that require new staffing or other resources are acted upon by the Management and Executive Teams. In the process of committee selection, the union president is asked to find committee members willing to serve. Administration/staff cannot recruit or specify faculty to participate on committees. Approximately 85% of the committees have governance representation. Faculty union leadership forwards names to administrative leaders for various committees, however, administrators have discretion to determine who would be the best fit on a committee if there are more faculty names submitted than needed. For example, faculty search committees are comprised of two faculty from within the department, one from outside, a staff person, and the Category Five: Leading and Communicating 74

75 academic dean responsible for the discipline. Typically, faculty submit more names than needed so the Vice President of Academic Affairs/CAO and academic dean can determine the faculty who serve. Time during the seven Academic Development Days (ADD) is often used to discuss issues or communicate decisions to the campus community. The faculty and staff unions play an important role in bringing ideas and feedback to the administration and are often instrumental in process improvement on campus. For example, assessment procedures and results are presented during ADD, which help lead to further discussions about student learning. The contract language indicates parties agree that the Faculty Shared Governance is established to make recommendations to the College on the following topic areas: Personnel, Student affairs, Facilities, Fiscal Matters and General Matters. For example, when there are recommended policy changes that have an impact on how faculty manage the classroom or their own behavior the policy is brought to the Faculty Shared Governance for review. Leaders listen to suggested language changes, take the suggestions back to the Policy Committee for discussion, and they bring back changes to Faculty Shared Governance for review again. Once agreement is reached between the parties the recommended changes are open to all campus personnel for review over a two week time period. The Policy Committee then reviews any suggestions from the campus at large and presents the final draft to management team members for approval. Policies and procedures have been developed in alliance with the System office policies and procedures. Institutional policies include student policies, academic policies, and campus policies related to administration matters. System policies and procedures have been developed to ensure academic, legal, and fiduciary responsibilities are met. These policies can be found on the MnSCU website at Policies are communicated to the College community via the website. Community members have an opportunity to provide input into new and changed policies. Students also have opportunity to provide input when a policy directly affects them such as the revised Smoking and Tobacco policy. 5P6. Using data in decision-making: IHCC has committed to becoming a data-informed institution, and created an AQIP Action Project: Data-informed Decision-making to help achieve that goal. Inver Hills uses the Continuous Improvement Model and consciously considers metrics such as IPEDS data, the MnSCU Strategic Framework Performance Metrics (see 8P5), and comparisons to other higher education institutions in the initial stages of new initiatives or changes to existing processes. The College bases decisions on data from a variety of sources, including research reports, System reports, nationally normed surveys, and Campus Climate Surveys to inform change or improvement processes (see 7P1). These results are analyzed by the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) as well as members of various leadership teams and advisory boards. Recommendations are included in the analysis for integration into the planning process. Decisions are made to, depending on the committee/team involved, develop strategies and plans based on the analysis and team discussions and either move forward with implementation, or take them forward to Executive or Management Team for non-course related decisions, or to Academic Affairs and Standards Council for course-related decisions. Additionally, the IR Director has implemented several improvements in data request and dissemination across campus. Any employee may submit an electronic data request, which asks a series of questions to guide the request such that the correct information is requested, including how the request aligns with strategic and/or departmental goals. The request is then prioritized by the IR Director or sent back to the requestor asking for more information to clarify the request. When requests are fulfilled, the results are returned to the requestor. The OIR posts reports on the internal Share Point site. Historical data can be found in the online Fact Book. Real-time data can be accessed by the public on the MnSCU website where Management Reports are published (see Category 7). 5P7. Communication: As mentioned previously in 5P5, many committees are made up of members from administration, faculty, and staff and often from various departments across the campus. This representation Category Five: Leading and Communicating 75

76 allows views from a wide scope of stakeholders to be expressed and information from various areas to be related to the issues. Meeting minutes and supporting documents from standing committees are posted on Share Point for everyone to access. The Vice President of Academic Affairs/CAO meets weekly with the deans and directors to disseminate information, discuss issues, and strategically plan academic programming and financing. The deans communicate to faculty through monthly division or department meetings. This communication goes full circle with the deans bringing faculty feedback back to the Vice President. Information from the Management and Operations Team members is shared with their staff to facilitate communication in other areas of the College (see Table 5P7-1). Table 5P7-1: Communication mechanisms Communicated Communicated with by whom? whom? President and/or Executive Team VP of Academic Affairs VP of Student Services VP of Administrative Services/Chief Financial Officer Deans/Directors Faculty via Deans/Directors Management/ Operations Team Faculty Union Faculty Shared Governance Campus Deans/Directors Counselors, advisors, enrollment services, financial aid, outreach and recruitment, assessment, student life, and TRIO personnel Business office, facilities, and safety personnel. Faculty VP for Academic Affairs Campus-wide Department Directors, Academic Deans/Directors, Executive Team Union members Members of Faculty Shared Governance, Executive Team Communicated when? At Campus Conversations every two months, Academic Development Days (7 per academic year), Staff Development Days, Management Team, and Operations Team meetings Weekly Weekly (assuming) Weekly (assuming) Monthly Following monthly division/department meetings Quarterly Monthly meetings Monthly meetings What is discussed? Information about key initiatives, progress on the initiatives, input from campus Information dissemination related to key initiatives and goal attainment related to the President s Grid, discussion of issues/concerns, strategic planning Information dissemination related to key initiatives and goal attainment related to the President s Grid, discussion of issues/concerns, strategic planning Information dissemination related to key initiatives and goal attainment related to the President s Grid, discussion of issues/concerns, strategic planning Key initiatives, issues/concerns, strategic planning Feedback re: Information, issues, strategic planning Campus operational updates, goals, and concerns Issues and process improvement suggestions for the College Issues and process improvement suggestions for the College The faculty union meets monthly as does the Faculty Shared Governance to discuss issues and process improvement throughout the College. Sessions are held during the seven Academic Development days to Category Five: Leading and Communicating 76

77 make announcements, communicate decisions and strategies, and invite discussion related to this and other issues. The College uses an official to make announcements as necessary. Executive Team members hold bi-monthly College Conversations for all campus employees to communicate key initiatives and obtain feedback as well as inform the community about the work of departments. For example, during fall 2013 business and IT office personnel introduced themselves and shared the work of their respective departments. Also, the President communicated the goal to use SharePoint as the main communication tool during a Conversation in spring The increased use of SharePoint is a strategy within the AQIP Action Project Improving Communication through High Impact Internal Communication. 5P8. Shared mission, vision and values: The marketing team disseminated the mission statement and the MnSCU Strategic Framework to all faculty and staff, along with key business leaders in the community. The web site and marketing material were updated to reflect the new Mission, Vision and Values statements. Posters and publications for students also reflect the changes to the Mission, Vision and Values. Administration uses the Strategic Framework Performance Metrics and other measures, including enrollment and fill rates to help inform discussions on process improvement during meetings. The Strategic Framework Metrics provide comparison data for the MnSCU System, along with trend data and targets, so areas in need of improvement are clearly seen and acted upon. As supervisors and administrators meet with departments and units for annual and long-range planning, they ensure that all action plans align with the College mission, the MnSCU Strategic Framework, and master plans across campus. All plans include success measures and short-term outcomes as well as designation of responsible parties. The communication cycle is complete when the College submits its annual report to the System Office. Feedback comes back to campus via the president. New goals are set or long-range goals adjusted based on feedback from the System Chancellor and College President. The president prepares a semi-annual and annual report on the progress made at IHCC in the continual goal of improving student learning. Additionally, college leaders report on their progress quarterly. The President s annual report is available on the College website as well as sent to key external stakeholders 5P9. Leadership abilities: The College offers a wide range of professional development opportunities, which are identified through the annual performance review process for administrators, staff, and probationary faculty, and the three-year cycle for unlimited full-time faculty. For example, every two years Inver Hills sends at least two people, one faculty and one mid-level manager, to the Luoma Leadership Academy designed to provide leadership skills to those who aspire to advance into greater leadership responsibilities within the System. Most of the deans, several faculty members, and some key staff have participated in the Academy. Additionally, the College s strategic initiatives and action plans have created leadership opportunities for faculty and staff through delegation of leadership responsibilities from supervisors. Administrators and staff are included in these initiatives to provide guidance and support. In this way leadership is developed and respected, and faculty and staff have adequate personnel and financial resources to lead a successful initiative. Faculty are also given release time to coordinate several initiatives on campus, including Assessment, Faculty-Student Conference, Student Success Day, prior learning assessment, the community garden, learning communities, and Program Review. The faculty contract provides professional development funds that members use for conferences, courses, materials, and other opportunities. Administration also supports faculty and staff travel to conferences/meetings on behalf of the College. Faculty may take courses tuition-free at other MnSCU institutions. Administrators may attend conferences for professional development. Additionally, staff are provided development funds and also have opportunity to take college courses within the System. See 7P1 for information on surveys that are administered. Category Five: Leading and Communicating 77

78 IHCC expects community members to share new learning as a result of conference attendance, sabbaticals, research, and other scholarly work. Best practices identified as a result of professional development opportunities are also shared with the campus. For example, at ADD May 2014 there were several breakout sessions in which faculty shared research and projects from sabbatical. When a team attends an event like the HLC Annual Meeting, there is a follow-up debriefing upon return to share information from the conference and plan next steps for integration of any new processes. 5P10. Preserves mission, vision, values, and commit to high performance: As mentioned in the overview of this category, IHCC has undergone change in leadership over the past three years. The retirements of the four previous Executive Team members were planned and staggered so only one person left per year. This planning helped ease the transition to the new leadership team. The remaining leadership was able to mentor the new leaders and explain the culture, processes, and policies at IHCC. There continue to be opportunities for faculty and staff to serve in interim leadership positions to gain the skills and experience to move into different roles on campus or elsewhere in the System. These were previously described in 5P9 (Luoma, etc.). During Program Review faculty discuss future retirements within the department and upcoming needs for new hires. Between Program Reviews, some programs proactively address succession planning. For example, in the Paralegal program succession planning is handled by team training and meetings of long-time faculty with current full-time and adjunct faculty in matters of specific curriculum review, assessment methods as required by the American Bar Association and College-Wide Initiatives, advisory committee service, and hands-on faculty development sessions and meetings in practical teaching methods involving the paralegal program coursework. Most divisions/departments on campus cross-train employees into multiple roles. This allows for movement by employees within departments and better serves stakeholders with more knowledgeable staff. Some job openings are filled through shifting of employees across areas, which allows staff to take on additional or different responsibilities. For example, enrollment services cross trains employees and shifts job responsibilities to meet unmet student expectations as a result of careful analysis and respect of the union contract. RESULTS 5R1. Performance measures: The following performance measures are collected and analyzed: The MnSCU Strategic Framework metrics, applications and enrollment for the upcoming semester, relevant survey data (see 7P1). 5R2. Results: Strategic Performance Framework metrics can be found in Category 8. The results in Table 5R2-1 are from the Climate Survey, administered to faculty and staff in spring Table 5R2-1: Climate Survey Results Section N Mean SD Diversity Service to Internal Customers and Stakeholders Service to External Customers and Stakeholders Organizational Culture and Structure Information and Communication Links Policies and Procedures Goals and Management of Change Evaluation and Feedback Source: 2013 Campus Climate Survey; on a scale of 1-5 where 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree Category Five: Leading and Communicating 78

79 Table 5R2-2: Campus Climate Survey: Organizational Culture Organizational Culture Comparison Mean IHCC Mean My supervisor is well qualified and motivated Employees are treated fairly and equitably I feel the Administrative Team (Exec Team/Mgmt Team) respects my role at the College The MnSCU System Office (Office of the Chancellor) provides effective support for IHCC to achieve its mission Inappropriate behavior is dealt with consistently and promptly, and necessary disciplinary action is taken regardless of a faculty/staff's position The Administrative Team (Exec Team and Management Team) provides effective direction for Faculty/Staff Source: Campus Climate Survey; on a scale of 1-5 where 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree In the Fiscal Year 2012 Annual Report, the President states that, the key to their (students ) success is the depth and value of the College s relationship with our communities. This is supported by the results from the SSI which asks respondents their satisfaction with the statement This institution has a good reputation within the community. On a scale of 1-7 where 1= not satisfied at all and 7= very satisfied, in 2012 the mean was 5.63, compared with 5.64 in See Category 9 for Advisory Board Survey data (see Table 5R2-2 above). 5R3. Comparison of results: The survey instrument used for the Campus Climate Survey was created by another MnSCU Community College (Peer 6) who allowed us to use their instrument and compare our results. The question breakout for the section Information and Communication links is below in Table 5R3-1 and the question breakout for some of the organizational culture section is shown in Table 5R3-2. Table 5R3-1: Campus Climate Survey Comparison Information and Communication Links MnSCU peer comparison IHCC Mean The College projects a good image in the communities it serves Overall, I am satisfied with the information and communication links at the College The College catalog, web site, and other promotional materials provide a fair representation of the College. In my decision making capacity, I receive timely and accurate information needed to manage my work. Communication methods are sufficient to keep me adequately informed about important matters. Communications across the College allow me to perform my job effectively People can communicate honestly and openly at the College Source: Campus Climate Survey; on a scale of 1-5 where 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree Table 5R3-2: Campus Climate Survey: Organizational Culture Organizational Culture Comparison IHCC Mean Mean I understand my role and responsibilities I am proud of the education provided to students at IHCC There is a feeling of cooperation within my department I have sufficient authority to do my job I enjoy coming to work most days Overall, I understand IHCC's existing organizational culture and structure There is opportunity for advancement I understand the College's organizational structure and think it serves IHCC well Source: Campus Climate Survey; on a scale of 1-5 where 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree Category Five: Leading and Communicating 79

80 Results from the CCSSE find that students rate their relationship with Administrative Personnel & Offices (on a 7-point scale where 1= Unhelpful, inconsiderate, rigid and 7= Helpful, considerate, flexible) to be better at Inver Hills (5.15) than our MnSCU cohort (5.16) or the national cohort (4.99). 5I1. Improvements: See Table 5I1-1 for recent improvements. IMPROVEMENTS Table 5I1-1: Improvements The new IR request process, a new organizational structure of OIR and the posting of reports on Share Point has helped disseminate data and information to everyone on campus. The President developed a new communication plan in summer 2013, which included monthly s about new initiatives, changes, and updates on campus. He also hosted three Campus Conversations in fall and three in spring. These focused on various operational areas of the College, like budget, facilities, technology, and academics, or on newly emerging concerns. The meetings included question/answer time so faculty, administrators, and staff were able to participate fully in the sessions. The campus conversations occurred during the recently instituted common hour in which no classes are scheduled. The College has demonstrated its commitment to improving communication by the creation of the Action Project Improving Leadership through High-Impact Communications. This came about following the 2013 Campus Climate Survey. In the fall of 2013, there was a campus-wide event to present the results, but more importantly, to engage the campus in a discussion about the next steps. Communication emerged as an issue regardless of the area being discussed. The College now takes a team of leaders from academic affairs, student services, and faculty to the Higher Learning Commission s conference annually to promote professional growth and development as well as move the College forward in new ways while maintaining compliance with Commission policies and procedures. Opportunities for administrators and faculty to co-present at conferences has led to professional growth and stronger collaboration between the two groups. The College instituted a common hour to be used to communicate broadly key initiatives, goal attainment, and engage various groups in strategic planning. For example, the STEM Division developed a strategic plan during this common hour. This common hour is also used to engage community members in meaningful and specific topic dialogue with leaders such as Campus Conversations. 5I2. Culture and infrastructure: IHCC has a collaborative culture of decision-making. Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in committees and the planning processes of the campus. The committees mentioned in 5P5 use data and ideas to strategize initiatives, identify measures, and set performance targets (see 7P1 for survey information). The College aligns its initiatives with the MnSCU Strategic Framework, the SFPM, the recommendations for Charting the Future and the College s Mission. Category Five: Leading and Communicating 80

81 INTRODUCTION The sixth recommendation of Charting the Future is to Redesign our financial and administrative models to reward collaboration, drive efficiencies, and strengthen our ability to provide access to an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans. Areas of the College essential to achieving that are the Administrative Services and Finance divisions. Operational support for the College is primarily captured in the Administrative Services division. Services provided include: Campus safety and security, facilities (building, maintenance, parking), auxiliary services (food service, bookstore, vending), central services (consumable inventory, reprographics, shipping/receiving). The finance division leads the College through the annual budgeting process and manages the College s audit, all financial processing including student bursar services, grant management, and student payroll. Processes are, on the whole, integrated. There is significant consultation with and input from students on their satisfaction and recommendations for improvement with the College s auxiliary services. This integrated process has created a voice for Student Senate and other student organizations to participate in College planning. Through the surveying of staff, a need for improved communication was identified, which led to a current Action Project, Improving Leadership through High-impact Communication. PROCESSES 6P1. Identify support service needs: IHCC has a number of formal and informal mechanisms for identifying the support needs of both students and other stakeholder groups. IHCC identifies the support service needs of our students and other key stakeholder groups by fostering a collaborative and collegial communication approach to operations. Formalized processes exist for student input and communication of their needs, which may lead to changes in processes that improve the College s services to students. These processes include student surveys (see 7P1), focus groups, college campus committee structure, advisory boards, alumni survey, and student government. IHCC s student services functions are designed to both serve student needs as well as capture unmet needs of the student population. The committee structure described in 6P1 is a critical process for understanding faculty, staff, and administrator needs in support areas, the committee structure is the most central process for identifying administrative support needs of faculty, staff and administrators. Student service areas capture specific support needs of individual students (see Table 6P1-1) and are more fully described in Category 3. Table 6P1-1: Processes for Identifying Students who require additional support Student Service Area Support area identified Student Orientation Processes for identifying students who require additional, specific support Student Life Through organizing student groups, needs (such as facility needs) are identified Counseling Logs Instrumental for documenting needs and gaps relative to support services Testing Reveals specific student needs such as developmental education, ESL, advising, etc. Multi-Cultural College is able to connect with students on specific issues Services Disability Services College is able to identify specific learning needs that better enable the student learning experience Health Services Veteran Services Source: CFO Opportunity to assess student health and mental issues as well as how they are impacting student success Necessary intervention for matching needs with available services The Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), Adult Learner Inventory (ALI), Withdrawal Survey, food service survey, facility survey, refund management survey, 81 Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations

82 baccalaureate offerings, and Graduate Follow-up Survey are all directed at understanding student support needs and evaluating the degree to which IHCC is effective at serving student needs. Many of these survey instruments are tools that provide an opportunity for both comparative analyses as well as trend data in which the College can incorporate into overall college planning processes (see 7P1). There are occasions in which the College engages in soliciting specific feedback from students and other stakeholder groups relative to college support functions. For example, IHCC held focus groups with students and employees to identify a new food service vendor. IHCC also engaged a broad range of students and employees to work on the Master Technology Plan. The planning group is responsible for establishing an ongoing governance structure for campus technology. Focus groups are forward looking to enable the College to be prepared to provide and support the kinds of technologies needed by students, faculty, support staff and administration. The campus committee structure (see 6P1-2) is the primary means of engaging college employees and students on identifying unmet or emerging needs. College committees are designed to ensure the College builds support services that meet both current and future needs. An example of a college committee that is essential to the operations of the College is the Facilities Committee. The purpose of the Facilities Committee is to broadly oversee the Campus physical assets: its land, buildings, equipment, and technology infrastructure. More specifically, to maintain the adequacy and condition of capital assets, to develop and periodically review policies, to advocate for new structures and rehabilitate the campus buildings, grounds and infrastructure to ascertain that adequate levels of funding exist for plant maintenance and operations, and technology infrastructure. The committee members come from all areas of the campus: Administration, faculty, staff and students. Table 6P1-2: IHCC Committees Contractual IHCC IHCC Advisory Advisory Academic Standards Academic Online Adult Learner Community Garden Foundation Council AFSCME Joint labor Assessment Behavior Intervention LCOM Alumni management Team Campus-wide Staff Budget Concurrent Enrollment Honors Foundation Development Faculty Development Diversity Facilities Concurrent Enrollment Emergency Medical Services Safety & Security Food Service Institutional Review Board Human Services Information Technology Careers Faculty Shared Governance Institutional Effectiveness Research across Disciplines Engineering IPS/Adult Programming Student Conduct Panel Student Activities Budget Paralegal Community-based Learning Student Success Day Yellow Ribbon Panel Nursing Education Foundation Business Construction Criminal Justice High School Counselor Source: Administrative Support IHCC has invested significantly in data infrastructure, data collection and retrieval, and dissemination processes to ensure the College is able to react effectively to service needs. The College uses data to identify support needs such as its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) (tracking and identifying needs directly), usage and utilization data of services (such as computer labs, counseling and advising services), and to identify changing or new emerging needs from students. Changing and emerging needs are primarily identified by survey data and direct committee participation from students, faculty, and staff. An example is the College s recent decision to reduce the number of computers available for student use. The facilities committee, Student Senate, the facility pre-design team and other stakeholders identified a shift in the number 82 Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations

83 of students bringing devices to campus in lieu of using computers in the lab. This changed the College s priorities to reduce the number of desktop units and instead focus on expanding wireless network for students to access. There is a new Action Project underway, Data-informed Decision-making which will align the data needs of users across campus with existing data, and identify where data needs are currently unmet. The College is deeply committed to consultation processes with students. The Vice Presidents and College President are highly engaged in the Student Senate. They are regular attendees and consult with students on the College s operating budget, facility issues, scholarship funding, library operations, campus cards, student s bookstore experience, refund management, financial literacy, information technology needs, tuition and fee rates, and student life budgets and fund balance. This is a powerful avenue to solicit and seek feedback from the student body regarding unmet needs as well as in areas where the College is exceeding student expectations. Community needs are monitored in a number or ways: 1) the gap between federal grants received and the cost of tuition and fees and books for Pell-eligible students is reviewed 2) the use of the Dream Builders fund for emergency financial is reviewed, and 3) In January March, 2013, Community leaders, donors, foundation board members and IHCC faculty, staff and administrators were invited to take part in a feasibility study that requested feedback regarding needs of the College and affirmed the need for increasing the number of scholarships available to students. The Foundation used the data to embark on a 3 year, 1.5 2M fundraising effort to provide scholarships, emergency financial assistance, and tuition assistance through Tuition Match MN, in addition to program support. Blackbaud software is used to track prospective donors and when a fundraising activity has been assigned. It also tracks cultivation activity. The data gathered was essential in deciding to do a multi-year campaign, which will improve community access to the College. 6P2. Identify administrative support needs the key processes that ensure administrative support needs of faculty, staff and administrators are: surveys, meetings, formal consultation processes with college unions, committees, and data gathering and analysis. Administrative support needs of our faculty, staff and administrators is highly impacted by the College s faculty shared governance process with college employees by way of monthly meetings with college administration to identify employee needs and concerns. This process is an effective and informative means of reaching agreement on a variety of issues and keeps all participants better informed and better able to respond to support service needs. The College recently engaged in a Campus Climate Survey which assessed employee satisfaction in all areas and units of the College. This survey identified a number of areas in which the college employee needs were not being adequately met. For example, both improved communication and sharing of decision-making processes were identified as needs and have provided a direction for improvement in meeting the needs of faculty, staff and administrators. The college community is surveyed each year to assess community satisfaction with budget processes, use of fiscal resources, timeliness and relevance of information provided, and satisfaction with facilities, public safety, and auxiliary enterprise. This survey occurs through the CFO s office. While informal, the internal process of faculty and staff retreats, division and department meetings, and all campus forums provide essential opportunities to share gaps in meeting needs as well as identifying new and emerging needs for future planning. The role of management team discussions, campus forums, and department meetings are instrumental to overall planning processes at the College as well as the identification of support service needs. 6P3. Design, maintain, and communicate key support processes: The College has extensive processes that contribute to the design, maintenance, and communication of IHCC s safety and security, including an Annual Security Report, Safety and Security Committee, training programs, emergency communications, and a behavioral intervention team (BIT). IHCC has a Department of Public Safety comprised of: Occupational Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations 83

84 Safety, Health, Loss Control, Security, Environmental Protection, and Fire Prevention. The department works closely in cooperation with County Emergency Management and Local Police and Fire, supported by both State and MnSCU resources. The Department of Public Safety communicates with the campus community on issues of safety and security, public health and inclement weather emergencies. The College publishes an Annual Security Report in accordance with federal law in August of every year. The report contains information about campus crime statistics and college policies in the area of campus security. The report is published on the College website and is available in hard copy to any person requesting a copy. A current report is also catalogued in the IHCC Library for the campus community to access at any time. The Annual Security Report contains statistics in compliance of the Clery Act and the Campus Crime Statistics Act. However the department also publishes other Security calls for service on an internal shared drive. These statistics include: Theft, damage to property, motor vehicle accidents and vehicle unlocks. The College has an active Safety and Security Committee. The committee reviews all campus injury reports as well as the campus first reports of employee injury to make a determination of: 1) cause of injury and; 2) actions needed as a result. Examples of actions taken are; employee retraining, installing guarding, change in practices, etc. The Committee also evaluates the Campus Security incident reports, and committee members have the opportunity to ask questions and make recommendations to the College. The committee charge is to be a proactive body making recommendations to the Executive Team on policies and procedure development, systems for monitoring safety and health practices and evaluation of college safety and health programs. The Public Safety Department provides essential training for the campus on topics ranging from active shooter to Personal Protective Equipment. The College Safety Training Matrix assesses employee training needs according to job classification and function. The Director of Public Safety organizes training for all campus employee in the areas described in the matrix. The College has implemented a comprehensive All Hazards Plan that includes communication, warnings and notifications. This college warning and notification system incorporates three methods; active, passive, and individual messaging. 1) Active Messaging: the College maintains a campus-wide public address system that covers all campus buildings and outdoor gathering places. 2) Passive Messaging: in an emergency the College updates its main webpage with information such as campus closures and cancellations. The campus main telephone line also has pre-recorded messages that play. Several information monitors are located throughout campus and have the ability to display messages in an emergency. 3) Individual Messaging: the College subscribes to an emergency text and notification system. This system is an "opt in" only system. Students and employees can sign up for the service on the college s website or by contacting the security department. IHCC has a behavioral intervention team consisting of a multi-disciplinary group whose purpose is meeting regularly to support the campus student population. The team tracks student behaviors over time, detecting patterns, trends, and disturbances in individual or group behavior. The team receives reports of disruptive, problematic or concerning behavior or misconduct, conducts an investigation, performs a threat assessment, and determines the best mechanisms for support, intervention, warning/notification and response. The team then deploys its resources and resources of the community and coordinates follow-up. In order to ensure the College maintains these key support processes, the Information Technology department, in collaboration with the Facilities and Safety and Security Directors, has worked closely on technical system design to provide needed technical infrastructure and services to enhance surveillance cameras, door access system, fire/alarm/public address system, and HVAC monitoring and controls. 6P4. Manage processes on a day-to-day basis: Ensuring effective and efficient management of support service processes are meeting student, faculty, staff, and administrator needs includes data management, system wide collaboration, meeting time with front line staff, and policy and procedure development. Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations 84

85 The management of IHCC s key student, administrative and institutional support services relies on access to information and results that are both summative as well as disaggregated to improve services on a day-to-day basis. IHCC has a wide array of reporting mechanisms to provide specific data to functional areas. Each support area focuses on institutional comparisons, benchmark data, and other reporting tools such as program review, survey data, activity-based costing analysis, and other department specific reporting. Each service area within the College is a member of the Metro Alliance, participating in metro-wide meetings that are function-specific, dedicated to sharing best practices related to administrative and institutional support service processes. This shared information is instrumental in managing day-to-day operations. IHCC has also built software applications to assist in the management of day-to-day activities. One example is the Student Affairs student database, which tracks student inquiries and action steps within multiple areas of the College and provides information to be used in the future as well as for improving current student services. Other examples include help desk applications for both facilities and IT. These applications provide critical information for day-to-day operations as well by providing accurate records of requests, work performed, and actions taken. The system also provides information for identifying areas needing systemic investments or changes (information such as: time to resolution, volume of requests, root cause analysis, priority requests, and categorizing types of requests). Automated monitoring technologies are used to monitor the availability of critical information technology systems. The technology sends text messages and alerts to information technology managers and lead technicians if a threshold that indicates a problem is crossed. Equally important are other reporting capabilities such as daily enrollment reporting, which allows student services staff to review historical data and make informed recommendations to the Executive Team regarding appropriate staffing levels to meet student demand. The College s key student and administrative support service processes are managed on a day-to-day basis by division managers and area supervisors to ensure that they are meeting the needs of students and employees. Regular meetings between managers and staff provide critical communications to share operational information in order to optimize delivery of services to students, staff, faculty and administrators. The Vice President of Administrative Services/CFO is a shared position with another MnSCU College Dakota County Technical College. This shared service is a strategy to better leverage executive management systemwide. The Marketing Department and the Director of Continuing Education/Customized Training are also shared services with Dakota County Technical College, the only other two-year college in Dakota County. The College distributes and discusses results from external reviews, such as financial audits, safety and security audits, and data security assessments. The Executive and Management teams communicate results of these reviews to employees as appropriate, by or in person. This process of continual oversight and monitoring provides a means of ensuring that college processes continue to perform optimally and based on set expectations. External reviews provide additional feedback about the performance and improvement of college processes designed to serve student, faculty, staff, and administrator needs. The College relies on policy and procedure development to ensure consistent day-to-day operations. The consistent application of policy and procedures provides assurance of consistent services to students, staff, faculty, and administrators. Development of College policy supplements MnSCU Board of Trustees policies and procedures. The Policy Committee is comprised of the Director of Human Resources, Vice President of Administrative Services/Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Student Services and a representative from Academic Affairs. Additions or changes to policies are proposed to the Policy Committee, originate from the policy committee, are released to the community for comment and feedback, and are then posted to the college s website. This process of ensuring appropriate policy and procedure development significantly supports front line employees and provides exceptional and consistent service to students. Besides using data management practices for assisting in day-to-day operations, area supervisors participate in a number of forums which increase their knowledge and understanding of the larger college community. Meetings such as Division staff meetings and all-college meetings provide necessary information for improving Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations 85

86 management of service areas and ensuring that college processes are addressing the needs of the groups they are intended to serve. The Finance division manages the College s audit, all financial processing including student bursar services, grant management, and student payroll. The College is exceptionally strong financially. Auxiliary services are well planned for student satisfaction with a great deal of consultation and input. 6P5. Encourage knowledge sharing, innovation, and empowerment: Key in this process is the availability of needed just-in-time data. The College s OIR has a process by which each division manager or area supervisor can request data used to measure, monitor, and evaluate key data elements to improve core service delivery. This information empowers division managers and area supervisors by informing them of barriers, gaps, strengths, and opportunities for innovation. For example, while results are reported yearly, the department of public safety proactively analyzes campus crime statistics on a quarterly basis or if specific crime trends emerge. The department of public safety subscribes to a report writing incident system that assists in recognizing trends, printing reports and analyzing crime across time. This enables them to, for example, identify periods of time when theft from vehicles increases and has added additional patrols during those periods. This ensures that employees and students have requisite support when needed. In addition, data is available on a daily, weekly, or other business cycle basis through a number of databases. Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations RESULTS 6R1. Measures: A number of measures are used by college administrators and are compiled, reviewed and analyzed by subject and content matter experts. The frequency and timing of this analysis is dependent on the particular data element. Institutional Research assists the College in its measures by providing data and research analysis. More information on these functions is available in Category 7 and 8. Measures include (see Table 6R1-1): Table 6R1-1: Measures of Supporting Institutional Operations Enrollment Prospects, conversation rate, cost of recruitment, on-line registration, system-wide comparison of Data on-line enrollment, on-line course enrollment, payments, and sales, enrollment trends, technical vs. liberal arts enrollment, continuing education enrollment by term, same time last year comparisons, full time vs. part time enrollment, and regional comparison enrollment trends. Student Data Financial Data Auxiliary Data Employee Data Facilities Operations Data Source: CFO Trend analyses of race, ethnicity, regional comparison of race and ethnicity, other student characteristics, demographic data such as gender, fulltime, part-time status, age, financial aid/fye, cost of financial aid processing, scholarship data including trends, affordability index, cost of attendance, student loan debt burden, accounts receivable, collection effort success, retention, graduation, and transfer. Trend and comparative results of end of month fund balances, overtime, spending by expense category, expense comparison by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) category, regional comparison of expenses by IPEDS category, grant and gift revenue, activity based costing, indirect costs, composite financial index, composite financial index ratios, and profit and loss results by area. Accounts receivable turn ratio, inventory turn ratio, sales comparison, unit data trends, reserve ratio, textbook sales by department, sales/fte ratio, salary as a percent of sales, average gross margin, return on investment, net income, and net margin. Employee satisfaction, employee development investment, salary comparison, Full-time Equivalent (FTE) growth, and employee diversity. Facility condition index, space utilization, public safety incident frequently, and facility work orders. Volume data for computer usage, usage data for printers and copying. 6R2. Performance results: Using comparison data from a peer college on the Campus Climate Survey to the question, the College consistently provides outstanding service to students and puts their priorities first, IHCC employee s mean score was higher (3.65 compared to 3.49). 86

87 The College relies on a number of data elements to ensure the financial structure of the College is aligned to institutional priorities. One tool used is IPEDS financial data by functional area. Costs have continued to increase in the area of institutional support (see Fig 6R2-1). As a response to this increase, IHCC has implemented several shared service initiatives with DCTC including marketing, financial services, CE/CT, as well as our new Center for Experiential Learning. The College continues to improve in services; safety and security and computer lab availability (see Fig 6R2-2). Figure 6R2-1 Figure 6R2-2 6R3. Performance results for administrative support service processes: Figure 6R3-1 The College s financial health has remained strong over the past four years. IHCC s Composite Financial Index is above the National Association of Colleges and University Business Officers (NACUBO) benchmark, higher than the MnSCU system average, and significantly outpaces the HLC s threshold (see Figure 6R3-1). The College finance division is responsible for the collection of accounts receivable in order to manage the financial resources for the College. Each year the student receivables are turned more quickly, evidenced by the reduction in days outstanding (see Figure 6R3-2). Figure 6R3-2 Public safety and security provides a safe and secure environment for students and employees. In our most recent Campus Climate Survey, IHCC s employees found the College to be more prepared to respond to emergencies and possible disasters than the college Peer (IHCC mean 3.55 compared to Peer 3.33). Additionally, when surveying students using the SSI between 2010 and 2012 there was an improvement in student response regarding the degree to which they felt as if security staff responded quickly in emergencies (from 5.72 in 2010 to 5.76 in 2012) Data from the 2013 Annual Security Report is shown below in Table 6R3-1: Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations 87

88 Table 6R3-1: Security Statistics Offense IHCC Main Campus On Campus Adjacent Property Murder/non-negligent Manslaughter Negligent manslaughter Sex Offenses, forcible Sex Offenses, non-forcible Robbery Aggravated Assaults Burglary Motor Vehicle Theft Arson Arrests: Drug Violations Disciplinary Referrals: Drug Violations Arrests: Liquor Law Violations Disciplinary Referrals: Liquor Law Violations Arrests: Weapons Laws Disciplinary Referrals: Weapons Laws Source: 2013 Annual Security Report IHCC s meetings, forums, and other forms of communication improve the College s ability to meet operational needs. According to the Campus Climate Survey, IHCC s employees find that the College s communication systems allow employees to perform their job more effectively than the comparison institution, (IHCC 3.37 compared to Peer 3.04). 6R4. Key student, administrative, and institutional support areas use information and results to improve: Each department or unit analyzes the data they collect about their services and identifies patterns that indicate a particular service isn t meeting organizational needs or expectations. Volume measures are commonly used to look for trends in the consumption of services. For example, IHCC tracks the number of s sent to students, the number opened by students, and the number that receive responses. These results significantly help the College manage day-to-day operations as well as mid- and long-term planning efforts. Supervisors have delegated authority to make improvements that affect only their services. Changes that span multiple service areas or require cross-functional analysis and coordination are brought to Management Team meetings for discussion and approval. The department of public safety analyzes campus crime statistics on a quarterly basis or if specific crime trends emerge. The department subscribes to a report writing incident system that assists in recognizing trends, printing reports and analyzing crime over periods of times. The department has identified periods of time when theft from vehicles increases and has added additional patrols during those periods. The College recently embarked upon a multi-campus request for proposal to solicit bids for securing a new food service vendor. The process included focus groups at all five campus locations as well as a survey taken by all the focus group participants.. The process of collecting this data resulted in the selection of a food service provider who best met the needs identified by campus employees and students. The process included the evaluation of food quality, the freshness of the ingredients used, and an overall rating for each vendor. This process greatly decreased costs to students and increased revenues to the college campus. 6R5. Comparison of results: A number of key measures include targets based on System-wide measures of performance. See Table 6R5-1 for the comparative measures and results that inform IHCC s mid- and longrange planning. Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations 88

89 Student FYE Non Instructional FYE Inver Hills Community College June 2014 Table 6R5-1: Comparative Measures that inform planning IHCC 2011/ IHCC 2012/ Cost per Cost per FYE FYE IHCC 2013/ Cost per FYE Metro 2012/ Cost per FYE Metro 2013/ Cost per FYE Cost Per Admitted Student Cost per Square Foot Total Computing Support/FYE Total Expenses/FYE Academic Support/FYE Institutional Support/FYE Student Services/FYE Source: CFO Figure 6R5-2 depicts the non-instructional FTE to student ratios. Additionally, IHCC uses results of instructional costs to better align our curriculum, schedule, and assignment of faculty to optimize our institutional performance (see Figure 6R5-3). Figure 6R5-2: Non-instructional FTE to student ratios 4, Figure 6R5-3: Instructional Costs 4, , ,800 3,600 3,400 3, IHCC Non Instructional FTE IHCC Student FYE IMPROVEMENTS 6I1. Improvements: During the last fall term, as IHCC changed operations in the bookstore to accommodate a planned construction project, the operations had a significant failure. The goal was to move all book purchases to online in order to remodel the bookstore. This had a significant negative impact on the student experience. Based on the withdrawal survey, IHCC identified a number of students who had indicated that their decision to withdraw was their inability to receive textbooks in a timely manner. The College responded immediately with a taskforce to address and identify areas that needed corrective action in order to improve the student experience. Short-term goals included increased communication, customer service improvements, and an evaluation of the bookstore point of sale system. Long-term goals include reviewing the college s text messaging policy, a plan for sustainable improvements in customer service, setting goals for faculty for on-time adoptions, and identifying a strategy to ensure adoptions for late assigned courses. As a result of exploration of shared services among MnSCU institutions, and as a result specifically of the shared services between DCTC and IHCC, opportunities have been identified for efficiencies in managed print services. The College is looking at leveraging print services between the two institutions by utilizing technology to request print jobs from multiple sites. Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations 89

90 Improvements in the information technology area are detailed in table 6I1-1: Table 6I1-1: IT Improvements Improvement The Computer and Information Technology Advisory Committee (CITAC) used a campus survey, industry standards, and comparisons with other higher education institutions to create a plan to improve campus technology services, support and use. The goals and actions of the plan were assembled into a SharePoint list to track progress toward each goal. A review of help desk ticket resolution rates, process flow review, and consultations with technical staff led to changing to a two-tiered model to attempt to increase first-touch resolution rates. Faculty expressed an interest in using technology in classroom activities. Interviews with faculty guide decisions for which type of devices should be available (laptops, ipad, Surface) so a broad array of needs can be accommodated. Integration to consolidated multiple, system-specific, usernames and passwords into a single login credential for nearly all campus technology systems has improved operational efficiency, reliability, convenience and security by using the data in employee and student enterprise data systems to create accounts and manage access to services. A recent AQIP Action Project Improving Student Use of Technology resulted in a major change in how students were offered and provided support related to campus technologies. In June 2012 the IT department moved into a renovated facility providing a more attractive and productive environment for the technicians and clients. The IT department has made steady investments in the college s IT infrastructure and tools to support the growing interest in self-made video teaching materials by offering a collection of tools to meet a range of interests from simple annotated screen capture to complete lecture capture Source: IT Director; YOY=year over year Improvements to the Foundation board include: increased communication with donors, a process to track cultivation activity, more board involvement in fundraising, and goals for attendance at Dream Builders and increasing the balance in the Foundation s unrestricted fund. Figure 6I1-1: External support $1,200,000 $1,000,000 $800,000 $600,000 $400,000 $200,000 $0 YOY External Support There is a campaign underway to increase external giving to the College. Figure 6I1-1 depicts the results and demonstrates the continuous improvement of IHCC s efforts to increase external giving. This is also a SFPM (Table 8R2-1). IHCC External Support YOY=year over year 6I2. Culture and infrastructure: The College fosters a culture centered on students, collaboration, and the open flow of communication at all levels. Processes to improve and to set targets for improvement emerge from multiple sources, including IHCC strategic and master planning. Depending on the strategy for improvement, the College seeks out opportunities for collaboration with multiple stakeholders to work together to improve the college experience for students. Input flows formally and informally between students, staff, and faculty. Faculty and staff who work on the front line with students are important to fostering open communication and a responsive institution. Customer service staff members are the front-line operational link to students and to the issues that they bring to light. Needs are identified by students themselves, by faculty members, or by staff members who are working at the front line, customer service level. Targets are based not only on the SFPM but on improving selected survey results. Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations 90