Community College of Philadelphia Administrative Function and Support Service Audit Corporate Solutions. Executive Summary

Transcription

1 Community College of Philadelphia Administrative Function and Support Service Audit Corporate Solutions Executive Summary Introduction to Function/Service Description and History Corporate Solutions is the primary unit at Community College of Philadelphia that is responsible for outreach to the business community. Corporate Solutions works with organizations to help them increase organizational effectiveness and productivity and to solve problems associated with talent recruitment and management, human capital development and retention. In 1978, the College created a Center for Business and Industry as part of a Community Services unit. Later it was placed under the Educational Support Services Division, and then in 1991 refocused as the Center for Training and Economic Development and aligned once again with Community Services. Later that year it evolved into the Office of Economic Development (OED); new leadership was hired that reported directly to the President. The activities of the OED ended with the departure of the leadership. From 1991 to 1999 the Center for Business and Industry provided general interest training programs to individuals. The Center also provided contracted training to businesses and to a few departments of local government. In 1999 a Director for Continuing Education and Economic Development was hired to provide leadership for the newly organized Center for Business and Industry. As an outgrowth of the College s year 2000 Strategic Plan, the Center for Business and Industry was moved to a newly created Division of Business and Technology, in This new division was home to both credit and noncredit educational programs and services. From 2001 through 2005 noncredit training programs continued being offered to the public and customized training programs for businesses began to grow. In 2003 the unit moved into a new building which was also called the Center for Business and Industry. A comprehensive business plan was written for this unit in September In 2006, the work unit Center for Business and Industry was renamed Corporate Solutions and one of the Assistant Deans of the Division of Business and Technology took on the additional title of Executive Director of Corporate Solutions. The branding of this unit as Corporate Solutions achieved several goals. First, it distinguished the work unit from the facility in which it was housed. Second, it created a brand that was easily understood by the markets that it served. And, finally, the brand defined the work of the unit as providing corporate solutions to corporate problems. 1 P a g e

2 Overview of Current Strengths, Opportunities and Activities Strengths: We are Community College of Philadelphia! Dr. Curtis is viewed throughout the City, State, and region as a strong leader and advocate for workforce development. The College has strong relationships with workforce development leaders in the City. The Center for Business and Industry facility provides opportunities for growth in Corporate Solutions programming. Corporate College training contracts with employers have experienced growth and a high retention rate. The current workforce and economic development professionals have an exceptional work ethic, diverse backgrounds, and are developing as a team. The quality of Corporate Solutions promotional pieces is improving. We have client ambassadors and cheerleaders. Opportunities: Increase Corporate College contract education for employers. Increase collaboration among College staff members that are actively engaged in work with employers and/or workforce development. Increase WEDnetPA, Customized Job Training (CJT), and Industry Partnership corporate customized training. Increase noncredit distance training and learning options. Expand Testing Center services. Increase program involvement with the Collegiate Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development. Expand Corporate College and noncredit certificate offerings. Develop noncredit Institutes and/or Certificates, which are industry clustered and profession specific. Continue collaboration with Deans, Department Heads and faculty on workplace learning and training offerings through new certificates and degree offerings. Continue to grow Corporate Solutions name recognition through branding. Increase effective utilization of the website to create interactive opportunities. Increase our technical programming capabilities through selective partnerships. Increase the collection and use of testimonials and referrals. Increase basic data collection, tracking and reporting. Activities (Corporate Solutions Programs) Corporate Solutions activities are organized around the following primary functions and services: Corporate College: The Corporate College team, in cooperation with academic deans and departments, brings College credit courses, certificates and degree programs on-site to employer locations. Corporate College also manages credit programs for corporate clients that are held on campus or at other sites selected by the client. The success and growth of Corporate College is directly linked to the requirements of various curriculums, the College s ability to handle the capacity of requests, the 2 P a g e

3 availability of appropriate faculty, the availability of appropriate laboratories and equipment, and the budget. Faculty members who are hired and assigned to Corporate College course sections by the appropriate department head provide all instruction in the Corporate College. Noncredit Customized Training and Workforce Development: The Noncredit Customized Training and Workforce Development team partners with employers in order to create customized training solutions across a wide range of industry sectors. Eligible employers can have the cost of their training subsidized by funding that the College receives from the Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania (WEDnetPA). This team delivers results-driven, skills-based custom training solutions to meet employer s distinctive needs at times and at locations convenient to them. This unit sometimes experiences conflicts with internal processes and timelines related to College internal systems. Additionally, the unit has experienced a need to use consultative trainers and to partner with specialized training organizations. The use of these services resulted in a contract dispute. Professional Development and Continuing Education: The Professional Development and Continuing Education team helps individuals keep pace with rapidly changing work environments. Noncredit training programs in this area are designed: to help individuals with their own professional development and career advancement, to enable individuals to meet mandatory continuing education requirements, and to help prepare individuals for certification and licensure preparation and testing. The Professional Development and Continuing Education area has under-performed because of a lack of new course development and staff turnover. Because it is important to deliver educational programs and services that are wanted in the marketplace, a new director and assistant director were hired to reinvigorate this area. New certificates, courses and training programs are currently being researched and developed. Testing and Training Center: The Testing and Training Center team administers professional and national on-line certification examinations to employees from a wide range of career fields in a comfortable, proctored testing environment. WEDnetPA and ed2go online training programs are also administered in this area. Current challenges in the Testing and Training Center include: increasing the number of candidates choosing our Center as their testing location; increasing the number of students registering for ed2go courses; and increasing the growth of WEDnetPA associated noncredit corporate contract training programs. Meeting Space and Support: Corporate Solutions team members coordinate and support the utilization of meeting space by employers and other organizations in the Center for Business and Industry facility. This service is provided in cooperation with the Office of Marketing and Government Relations. Mission and Objectives The mission of Community College of Philadelphia s Corporate Solutions unit is to be the preferred source for results-oriented education and training resources for the City of Philadelphia and regional employers. Corporate Solutions provides quality, effective credit and noncredit education and training programs to business, industry, government, education, professional organizations, community organizations and individuals. We are committed to offering 3 P a g e

4 customer-focused programs and services, which help to develop a world-class workforce in Philadelphia and enhance the economic vitality of the City, its residents and employers. The key objectives of Corporate Solutions are: increase net revenue to the College to support the College s financial success. increase the number of new and retained clients to assure program growth. increase the number of new programs and services developed to meet market demand. respond to requests from College units and external organizations as a collaborative partner that advances the College s workforce development mission. identify resources and institutional commitment required to continue quality improvement and increase customers. Performance Indicators, Measures, and Effectiveness Standards Performance indicators for Corporate Solutions are established each year and approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. For Fiscal Year 2008 and 2009 metrics were established for five strategic objectives: 1. Corporate Solutions will increase net revenue to the College to support the College s financial success. (Generate $1,422,103 net revenue) 2. Corporate Solutions will increase the number of new and retained clients to assure program growth. (Retain 80% Of Corporate College Clients and 50% of Contract Training Clients) 3. Corporate Solutions will increase the number of new programs and services developed to meet market demand. (Develop Supervisory Certificate and, Small Business Program) 4. Corporate Solutions will respond to requests from College units and external organizations as a collaborative partner that advances the College s workforce development mission. (Strengthen relationships with Division of Marketing and Government Relations, Information Technology Services, Chambers of Commerce, Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board (PWIB), Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation (PWDC) 5. Identify resources and institutional commitment required to continue quality improvement and increase customers. (Online Registration) Each of the strategic objectives has specific targets by product and service area that support the overall objectives and are reevaluated annually. Description of Data Sources and Collection Methodologies: The data sources for the assessment of the objectives are drawn from: Financial Reports from the Office of the Vice President of Finance and Planning (Fiscal Years through 08-09) Enrollment and Training Program Data External Evaluator Report based on meetings and conference calls with internal and external constituents over a two day period. WEDnet PA Reports Corporate Solutions Internal Databases and Reports 4 P a g e

5 o Internal Call Log Data Base o Internal CPE Student Evaluation Data Base o Internal Client Call Log and Contract Tracking Databases o Contactwise Client Management Database o Internal Corporate Solutions management reports Survey responses compiled from seven separate surveys distributed to internal and external customers. Collection Methodology The collection methodology consisted of a review of three years of data from FY through FY A number of the internal Corporate Solutions data sources had partial data because data collection has been a developing process over the three year period. The breadth of product delivery and service operations required the development of seven surveys that were distributed electronically through the web based survey service company SurveyMonkey.Com. The highest response rates were: Corporate College and Contract Training Clients 40.5% College Administrators 22% WEDnet PA Clients 19.1% The lowest response rates were: Student Surveys - Corporate College Students 3.7%; CPE students 7.2% Classified Staff 6.5% Faculty 9.1% Summary of Results and Findings 1. Corporate Solutions generated $1,337,358 net revenue (94% of target) 2. Corporate College retained 81% of its clients. Contract Training retained 40% of its clients. Corporate College and Contract Training Client Retention to Total Clients Clients Retained % retained Corporate College (goal=80%) % Contract Training (goal=50%) % 5 P a g e

6 3. A Supervisory Management Certificate and Small Business Management Certificate program were developed. 4. Corporate Solutions team members are active participants at Chamber of Commerce events and have developed collaborative relationships with both the PWIB and PWDC. 5. Noncredit online registration has been implemented. Summary of Results and Analysis of Findings for Surveys Client Surveys The client surveys were set up to gauge the levels of satisfaction with the services provided, effectiveness of communication and overall responsiveness of Corporate Solutions team members. The results of the client surveys were the most positive of all the responses of constituents surveyed. The average of responses for all items related to satisfaction with services provided was above 4.0 with no responses for dissatisfied or very dissatisfied in either the Corporate College and Contract Training or WEDnet PA surveys. These findings were reinforced by the external evaluator s summary of interviews with clients. She wrote, There was overwhelming praise and accolades for the Corporate Solutions staff, offerings, customer service, and delivery. Many of the clients felt that they were involved in a very collaborative process when dealing with the Corporate Solutions staff. They applauded how the staff was very sensitive to the employer and the employees. The process of relationship building and providing a quality product to organizational clients is an attribute of the staff and faculty involved in program development and delivery. Student Surveys The student surveys were set up to examine the quality of instruction provided and the level of customer service provided by the staff. The primary difficulty in establishing any clear findings from the student surveys was the low response rate. The response rate was possibly influenced by the decision to only conduct the survey electronically and the lack of a sufficient number of appropriate addresses. Only those students for whom we had non-ccp addresses were chosen understanding that most non credit and Corporate College students do not use their CCP accounts. The collection and access to either home or work addresses is an area addressed in the recommendations. There were very few, if any, survey responses that indicated dissatisfaction with either the quality of the training or credit class or the level of service provided by staff. Internal CCP Surveys The survey results for the internal surveys present a unique juxtaposition to the results of the student and client surveys. The overall ratings and responses for the customer service performance of Corporate Solutions were lower than the client and student surveys. Examination of the three sets of results indicates that there is a need for better communication with the College community about what Corporate Solutions is and what it does.. Administrator and Classified/Confidential Staff Results and Analysis There were no average ratings above a 4.0 for responses to any of the items. The averages were lower than the client and student surveys and the spread of responses was greater. Recommendations and Timelines 6 P a g e

7 Ms. Nancy Rockey, Vice President, College and Community Development, Harrisburg Area Community College, served as the external evaluator. Overview of Methodology: On June 23 and 24, 2009, an external audit was conducted of Corporate Solutions. Methods of data collections included: 1. Interviews with Corporate Solutions personnel 2. In-person and phone interviews of corporate clients 3. Interview with Vice President of Academic Affairs 4. Review of the organizational chart for Corporate Solutions and Division of Business and Technology 5. Review of the following documents: a Strategic Plan for the Community College of Philadelphia b. Monthly Report for Corporate Solutions Strategic Objectives and Outcomes for Fiscal Year (Results through April 30, 2009) c. Division of Business and Technology and Corporate Solutions Strategic Objectives & Outcomes FY d. Center for Business & Industry Business Plan, September 30, 2004 e. Corporate Solutions Spring & Summer 2009 offerings f. Corporate Education and Training, Fall 2008 g. New Noncredit courses, workshops, and certificates to be offered for h. Pathways magazine i. Miscellaneous marketing pieces Summary and Observations of in Person and Phone Interviews with Corporate Clients There was overwhelming praise and accolades for the Corporate Solutions staff, offerings, customer service, and delivery. Corporate customers are satisfied with the product that is offered and the way in which they are serviced by the Corporate Solutions staff. Many of the clients felt that they were involved in a very collaborative process when dealing with the Corporate Solutions staff. They applauded how the staff was very sensitive to the employer and the employees. There was strong satisfaction with the faculty who taught the courses and programs. The clients were extremely pleased with the caliber of staff. Clients reported that Corporate Solutions could use more resources from within the College to support activities. The most frequently identified need was an increase in marketing and exposure of Corporate Solutions to the community. Examples of marketing needed included: television; radio; billboards; external marketing on the outside of the facility Summary and Observations of in House Interviews 7 P a g e

8 Some observations from the interview were: the Corporate Solutions staff is very close as a unit and work well with one other. They are passionate about what they do and want to excel for the business community. They clearly understand their role as the external arm of the College and are very entrepreneurial in how they approach their mission. There is a frustration within Corporate Solutions with the lack of integration with the rest of the College. There was a consistent theme of frustration with the lack of collaboration and with other areas of the College. There is a definite feeling of isolation from the rest of the College in many aspects such as: 1. Marketing: there is no marketing line within the Corporate Solutions budget, and there is little collaboration on marketing which would allow the College units to share resources. 2. Administrative Computing System: Banner does not fit the needs of Corporate Solutions and hinders some aspects of serving students and the Division in effective ways. 3. Responsiveness of other Units: Corporate Solutions has to rely on the credit side to develop curricula but at times the process is long. 4. Processes: Several processes such as registration, on-line registration, etc., need to be more customized for the needs of Corporate Solutions. 5. Lack of direct representation for Corporate Solutions with decision-making groups such as the President s Cabinet. Summary and Observations from the Material Review Corporate Solutions strategic plan and strategic objectives suggest they clearly understand their mission and have clear goals/objectives. They are limited in their capabilities due to the structure of the unit as it is positioned within the College. The true potential of Corporate Solutions can not be realized without changes to the way it is integrated and positioned within the College. The review of the printed material showed a consistent look and message to the external community. More integration of Corporate Solutions into the overall marketing of the College would be beneficial. The external community should see Corporate Solutions as the external outreach arm of the College and an extension of the services the College has to offer. Corporate Solutions can still be seen as a separate unit of the College that has a specific purpose and mission to serve the private and public sectors while still being integrated into the overall College. Evaluator s Observations and Recommendations There are many opportunities for Corporate Solutions to become an integral part of the College and used as the true external arm of the College linking the private and public sector of Philadelphia with the College. 8 P a g e

9 As the driver of workforce development, Corporate Solutions brings great value to the private and public communities who are striving to keep their workforces lean and highly productive at the same time. Besides the formal education that Community College of Philadelphia and other community colleges excel at, the training and solutions that Corporate Solutions can provide are invaluable and desperately needed by the public and private sector. In these economic times, the private and public sectors are looking for smart ways to be more productive with less and value creative ways to provide their employees to stay motivated and productive while working harder. Corporate Solutions has the answers; and by the outpouring of praise from clients, Corporate Solutions is extremely successful at providing the needed answers to the private and public sector. Listed below are recommendations for the College and Corporate Solutions to consider: 1. Corporate Solutions should be closely aligned with the academic side of the College. There is a strong buy in and understanding from the top leadership in the academic area, and that needs to be driven from the top to academic deans and faculty as much as possible. Curriculum needs to be jointly developed where possible so clear pathways can be developed for the students. The academic side should be marketing Corporate Solutions and Corporate Solutions should be marketing the academic side. 2. A marketing budget should be established for Corporate Solutions. While the overall look and message must be complimentary with all of the College s marketing, there is a different need at times for Corporate Solutions on how they market to the public and private sector. They need the resources to create their own marketing plan and have the resources to implement. Lack of marketing or the ability to quickly respond to an opportunity is only lost business and impact for Corporate Solutions and ultimately the College. 3. The service area for Corporate Solutions is already set, and as many stated internally and externally, it is very political. Corporate Solutions must be given as much freedom to service the existing population through creative ideas and the entrepreneurial spirit. While this is not an issue within the Division of Business & Technology, it is within the rest of the institution. It is difficult to be seen as competition to the external community and fight for your position in workforce to achieve your goals; but it is even harder to have to struggle internally to achieve your goals. 4. One way to achieve the above is to have the Executive Director of Corporate Solutions sit on the President s Cabinet. The Executive Director would bring such value to discussions for overall direction to impact the communities the College serves. This would allow for integration and joint vision to be determined at the highest level and assure the best success for the College and Corporate Solutions. This would send a strong and clear message to the internal and external community as to the importance of Corporate Solutions within the College structure. 9 P a g e

10 5. A small task force or group should be brought together to determine the best computing platform for Corporate Solutions to run their operation efficiently. It is widely known that Banner was never meant or capable to effectively address the needs for an institution s continuing education/noncredit/workforce unit. While newer versions of Banner have some modules that better address the needs of Corporate Solutions, it is not the powerful tool a sales force needs to monitor and track information in the format that is needed. Also, the Donor module of Banner has some aspects that are useful to a workforce operation, but it is not a clean way or truly effective way to run and manage Corporate Solutions. 6. The Advancement Office and Corporate Solutions MUST be integrated in some fashion to benefit from the strength and outreach of both areas. First and foremost, data must be shared about donors and clients and meetings held to talk about both. Each area can support the other and enhance the outreach and value the College brings to the community. As depicted in the attached model, clients become donors and donors become clients; and only through these areas working together can this be achieved and bring success to both areas and the College. 7. There must be a collaborative means to share information from the top to the bottom of the organization on what organizations and external committees the College has a presence. There must be a unified effort on how the entire College is being represented within the community and this information should be shared with Corporate Solutions and vice versa. Since Corporate Solutions is the external arm of the College, they are out in the community and the public and private sector and can be one of the eyes and ears of the institution bringing valuable contact information back to the institution and sharing valuable information to the same. In order for this to happen, Corporate Solutions must be in the loop and an integrated part of the College. 10 P a g e