| Narrative: |
Southwestern
Community College has a mature planning and evaluation
process that is ongoing, integrated and institution-wide.
While this is a mature process, it is also a living,
dynamic process that has undergone periodic modifications/upgrades
to improve and enhance planning and evaluation at the
college. Planning and evaluation at Southwestern is
conducted at two levels – the institutional level
and the individual programmatic/departmental level.
It is important to note that planning at these two levels
is closely and inexorably linked. A formal planning
process has been in place at the College since 1989,
when the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation
(S.L. 1989; C.752; S.80) which mandated that each college
develop an annual planning process that results in an
institutional effectiveness plan and that the institutional
effectiveness plan be tailored to the specific mission
of the college (1).
Key Planning/Evaluation Bodies at Southwestern
Three bodies at Southwestern play key roles in guiding
the planning and evaluation process at the College.
Among these three, the President’s Council has
a primary responsibility in this area. The President’s
Council is comprised of twenty-four individuals who
represent all major areas of the College. Approximately
half of the members are permanent while the other half
are appointed to serve three-year terms. Some specific
functions of the President’s Council include:
· |
Evaluate
key environmental scanning areas and develop annual
planning assumptions based upon this assessment |
· |
Develop
a draft of annual College priorities |
· |
Assess
College success in achieving priorities from the
previous year |
· |
Devote
at least one President’s Council meeting to
a review of key assessment data for the College
and develop any needed initiatives based upon this
data |
· |
Serve
as a forum whereby members of the council can bring
issues from their area which are of college-wide
significance, or relate to planning and/or institutional
effectiveness |
For additional information on the President’s
Council role and membership refer to the description
included on the College website (2).
The
Institutional Effectiveness Committee also plays a key
role in the planning and evaluation process. This committee
is comprised of fifteen members who represent all major
areas of the College. This committee serves in a “hands-on”
capacity to provide technical input on the composition
and design of key internal assessment instruments at
the College, such as the Student Climate Survey and
the Employee Evaluation of College Services Survey.
This committee meets at least annually and may meet
more frequently on an as-needed basis. For additional
information on the Institutional Effectiveness Committee’s
role and membership refer to the description included
on the College website (3).
A
third body that plays a key role in the planning and
evaluation process is the Executive Council. This is
the primary decision-making body at the College and
is comprised of nine permanent members. These members
include the key members of the College leadership –
the president, all five vice presidents, the Director
of Human Resources and Facility Management, the Director
of Community and Resource Development, and the Institutional
Research and Planning Officer. For additional information
on the Executive Council, refer to the description of
this body on the College web site (4).
Overview
of Planning and Evaluation Process at Southwestern
Planning for the upcoming academic/fiscal year begins
at the College in January of each year. At this time,
the President’s Council reviews the College mission
statement and, if necessary, makes any changes to the
mission, vision or goals for the College. The President’s
Council also develops annual planning assumptions for
each of the following topic areas in January:
· |
Demographics |
· |
Economy |
· |
Education
and Training |
· |
Political |
· |
Societal
Trends |
· |
Technology |
· |
Facilities/Property
Acquisition |
· |
Strengths |
· |
Weaknesses |
· |
Opportunities |
· |
Threats |
These
planning assumptions serve as a primary environmental
scanning activity at the institutional level. These
assumptions serve as one of the bases for the institutional
priorities for the coming academic/fiscal year. These
priorities are also developed by the President’s
Council and are adopted by the March/April meeting.
Both the assumptions and the priorities must be approved
by the Executive Council (prior to the end of spring
semester).
The
priorities are communicated to all faculty and staff
via the Institutional Effectiveness Manual (5).
This Manual serves as a guide for faculty and staff
as they develop the Planning/Outcomes Document for all
instructional programs and administrative departments
at the college. The Planning/Outcomes Document is the
College’s primary planning tool at the instructional
program/administrative department level.
Preparation
of the Annual Planning/Outcomes Documents is a multi-step
process. The following outline lists the major steps
associated with these plans.
| · |
At
the beginning of the academic year planning units
review their departmental mission and vision to
ensure they accurately reflect both the role and
direction of the department. Departments also review
their mission and vision to ensure both are consistent
with the mission and vision of the College. Beginning
in 2005-06, all programs were required to perform
a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
analysis for their individual department. |
| · |
The
next step is a review of departmental outcomes from
the previous year, including the criteria for measuring
these outcomes and a plan of action for achieving
each outcome. |
| · |
The
third step is to list the results of the criteria
for each of the outcomes from the prior year. |
| · |
The
next step is to do an end-of-the-year analysis,
indicating the extent to which each outcome was
achieved, how the criteria results were used to
make improvements to the department, or if the criteria
were not achieved, what steps will be taken to achieve
these criteria. This step concludes the “closing
of the loop” on the outcomes from the prior
year. |
| · |
The
next step is to list outcomes for the upcoming fiscal
year. Departments must indicate which institutional
goal(s) each of the departmental
outcomes support. This helps ensure linkage between
the College goals and the activities at the departmental
level. Departments also review the list of institutional
priorities for the upcoming year. Departments are
required to have one or more outcomes designed to
support any institutional initiatives that directly
relate to that department. For example, the Human
Resources and Facility Development Department would
have outcomes to support any facility related priorities. |
| · |
Departments
may list the same outcomes as for the prior year,
or they may elect to use new or modified outcomes.
The main emphasis is to develop outcomes that are
meaningful for the department. The number of outcomes
is left to the discretion of each department. However,
the recommended number is four or five. As the College’s
Institutional Effectiveness Manual points out, four
or five outcomes which are meaningful for the activities
associated with an individual department are much
more preferable to a dozen outcomes which are not
accurate indicators. In short, the emphasis is upon
the quality of the outcomes as
opposed to the quantity of the
outcomes. |
| · |
Departments
then list the criteria for measuring each outcome.
Again, these can be the same criteria as were used
the previous year, or new criteria can be selected.
The primary consideration is to develop criteria
which can serve as accurate measures for each outcome.
|
| · |
The
next step in preparing the Outcomes/Planning Document
is to address the plan of action for achieving each
outcome. This would include any additional resources
which may be required to achieve an outcome. |
| · |
The
final step in the preparation of the Outcomes/Planning
Document is to list projected budget needs by category
for the upcoming year. Categories include equipment,
supplies, travel, program accreditation and other.
In addition, budget requests must be broken out
into ongoing operational budget needs and expansion
needs. |
| · |
The
major difference between curriculum programs and
the administrative/continuing education units in
the development of the Planning/Outcomes document
is one of timing. Administrative and continuing
education units operate on a twelve-month calendar
while curriculum programs operate on a nine-month
calendar. As a result, the administrative and continuing
education units “close the loop” on
the prior year and establish outcomes, criteria
and plans of action for the next year at the same
time – usually in July. Curriculum programs
establish their outcomes, criteria and plans of
action for the current academic year in late August
at the beginning of fall semester and “close
the loop” in May, at the end of spring semester.
To review plans for all planning units of the College,
refer to Section V of the 2005-06 SCC Institutional
Effectiveness & Strategic Plan (6). |
| · |
The
appropriate deans or vice-presidents must review
and approve documents for all programs/departments
in their areas. Once approved, the documents are
forwarded to the Institutional Research and Planning
officer, who includes the final documents from each
program area and department in the College’s
annual institutional effectiveness plan. |
One
additional step in this process is a mid-year review
of each Outcomes/Planning Document. This occurs at the
programmatic/departmental level and involves the appropriate
dean/vice-president and the faculty/staff of each academic
program or administrative department. This review enables
units to make mid-year assessments on progress in meeting
annual outcomes. It also provides units with the opportunity
to justify/document valid mid-year changes to outcomes,
criteria and/or plans of action.
The
Institutional Effectiveness & Strategic Plan documents
and provides overall guidance to the annual planning
and evaluation activities at the college. The college
views institutional effectiveness and strategic planning
as integrally linked processes. This plan addresses
both these areas by assessing progress during the prior
year in meeting the College mission and by listing priorities
and direction at the College and departmental level
in the upcoming year. The plan is updated annually.
Also included as integral components of the Institutional
Effectiveness & Strategic Plan are the College Diversity
Plan and the College Technology Plan. The plan includes
the following major components:
· |
College
mission, vision and goals (including any changes) |
· |
Annual
institutional planning assumptions |
· |
College
priorities for the upcoming year |
· |
Documentation
of any changes to the planning processes at the
College |
· |
Assessment
of progress during prior year in meeting College
goals/priorities and overview of internal assessment
results |
· |
Planning/Outcomes
Documents for all Programs/Departments |
· |
Review
of North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS)
goals and objectives |
· |
College
Diversity Plan |
· |
College
Technology Plan |
· |
College
progress in meeting NCCCS performance measures |
· |
A
calendar of institutional effectiveness activities
at the College |
The
College’s Institutional Effectiveness & Strategic
Plan is reviewed each year by the NCCCS Program Auditor
to ensure the College produces this plan and that it
meets all requirements established by the System Office
(7). The College’s
2005-06 plan is available on the Institutional Research
& Planning web page (8).
Sources of Data for Planning and Assessment
A wide variety of data is collected on a regular basis
at the College. This data serves as a primary source
of measurable data for assessment and planning purposes
(both at the institutional level and the instructional
program/administrative department level). Examples of
data collected on a regular basis (at least annually
and in some instances every semester) include, but are
not limited to:
· |
Annual
Student Climate Survey |
· |
Annual
New Student Survey |
· |
Annual
Graduate Survey |
· |
Distance
Learning Student Survey (administered fall &
spring semesters) |
· |
Student
Opinion Survey (administered fall & spring semesters) |
· |
Annual
Survey of Employers of Graduates |
· |
Annual
Employee Evaluation of College Services |
· |
Annual
Library User Survey (Faculty) |
· |
Annual
Library User Survey (Students) |
Instructional
programs also receive input from their respective advisory
committees at their annual advisory committee meetings.
This input is also incorporated into the planning and
institutional effectiveness process for these programs.
Finally, the College has participated in national surveys
in order to benchmark SCC against national norms. These
surveys include the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction
Inventory Survey and the Noel-Levitz Institutional Priorities
Survey (these surveys were administered in fall semester
2001 and fall semester 2003). The College also participated
in the Community College Survey of Student Engagement
(CCSSE) in spring semester 2005. The results for most
of these surveys are listed on the SCC Institutional
Research & Planning web page under the SCC Stats
and Reports section (9).
Performance
Measures and Standards
The NCCCS adopted twelve performance measures and standards
in 1999 to assess accountability at the institutional
level for its 58 member colleges. Some of these measures
have direct links to individual programs/departments
and can be used for outcomes at the unit level. However,
the primary intent of these measures is to gauge achievement
and effectiveness at the institutional
level. The following is a list of the twelve performance
measures. Detailed information on these measures can
be found on the NCCCS web site (10).
The success of SCC in meeting these measures can be
accessed on the reports listed on the College’s
Institutional Research & Planning web page (11).
· |
Progress
of Basic Skills Students |
· |
Pass
Rates on Licensure and Certification Exams |
· |
Goal
Completion of Completers |
· |
Employment
Status of Graduates |
· |
Performance
of College Transfer Students |
· |
Pass
Rates in Developmental Courses |
· |
Success
Rate of Developmental Students in College-Level
Courses |
· |
Student
Satisfaction of Program Completers/Non-completers |
· |
Curriculum
Student Retention & Graduation |
· |
Employer
Satisfaction With Graduates |
· |
Business/Industry
Satisfaction With Services Provided |
· |
Program
Enrollment |
Evaluation
of College Progress in Meeting Annual Institutional
Priorities
As noted earlier, the College develops annual priorities
and assesses the extent to which these priorities are
met. This assessment is included as a key segment of
the annual Institutional Effectiveness & Strategic
Plan. Since the priorities are associated with one or
more College goals, this is a primary method for assessing
College success in meeting its goals and ultimately
its mission. The following is a summary of the institutional
priorities for 2004-05 and the assessment of the progress
made in meeting these priorities.
| 1. |
Continue
to Implement the NCCCS Information System of the
Future at SCC
The process of converting from a Unix System to
this new centralized information system is well
underway at the College. All 58 North Carolina community
colleges are being phased into this system over
a multi-year period. During 2004-05 both the Financial
and Human Resources components of the system were
activated at the college. Preparations are also
underway for the final stage of this system –
the Student Records component. The conversion of
this component will likely take a couple of years. |
| 2. |
Implement
a First Annual Resource Development Agenda
The intent of this initiative is to prepare an integrated
resource development plan to help guide the primary
activities and focus of the SCC Foundation and the
Community & Resource Development Office. Ideally,
the plan will proactively align College needs with
resource development vehicles (i.e. grants, major
gifts, special events, direct mail) to achieve the
greatest measure of success. While it was anticipated
that this priority would be realized during the
2004-05 year, a series of events combined to prevent
this from occurring. For example, there were personnel
changes in the Foundation Director position midway
in the 2004-05 year. The new Foundation Director
needed time to become familiar with the Foundation
and its activities. Also, unanticipated events arose
during 2004-05 that required considerable staff
time for the Director of Community & Resource
Development. These events are components of the
Regional Fiber Deployment project addressed in Priority
3 below.
Finally, 2004-05 represented the concluding year
for both the GEAR UP and the Title III grants. This,
coupled with the other events already outlined,
made 2004-05 a less than ideal period for developing
a comprehensive resource development agenda. Therefore,
it appeared to be more realistic and appropriate
to delay the implementation of this agenda until
the beginning of the 2005-06 year. This project
will be carried over and completed during that time
period. |
| 3. |
Provide
Leadership for Regional Fiber Deployment
SCC worked closely with Drake Enterprises and the
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to continue the
deployment of a high-performance fiber-optic network
that will traverse the six counties west of the
Balsam Mountains, several counties in upstate Georgia,
and a portion of Eastern Tennessee. The network
consists of a minimum of 144 fiber strands. Some
strands are retained by Drake and the Eastern Band,
some will be given to SCC, and some have been used
to create a new company, BalsamWest FiberNET. The
mission of BalsamWest is to ensure that the region
has the tools to participate fully in a global economy
by providing open and affordable access to state-of-the-art
telecommunications infrastructure. SCC has been
selected to serve on the BalsamWest board of directors
as the Community Interest Partner. |
| 4. |
Access
New Fiber Optic Network
Progress continued on this on-going initiative
during the 2004-05 year, as BalsamWest FiberNET
installed approximately 300 miles of the fiber
network in the region. Well over half of this
network was installed during the 2004-05 year.
The network covers all three counties in the College
service area, the far western counties of North
Carolina and portions of eastern Tennessee and
north Georgia.
Other
accomplishments related to this project during
the past year include the connection of the College’s
Public Safety Training Center to the network.
It is anticipated that the Cherokee and Swain
centers will be connected in fall, 2005. Additional
public schools will be also be connected by fall,
2005 (Cherokee High School, Franklin High School
and Swain County Public Schools). Another on-going
focus of this robust fiber-optic network will
be the continued upgrading of the interactive
television system and a renewed emphasis on the
Smoky Mountain Knowledge Network, a coalition
of public schools, libraries and higher education
working to bring 21st Century resources and applications
to the teaching and learning process in western
North Carolina. |
| 5. |
Implement
Comprehensive College Marketing Plan
The College established the implementation of
a comprehensive College marketing plan as an institutional
priority for 2004-05. It was anticipated that
this plan would address such areas as: public
relations, advertising, market research, internal
communication, and the College 40th Anniversary
activities. This project was partially accomplished.
A 2004-05 Marketing Plan was developed, which
primarily focused on activities associated with
the College’s 40th Anniversary Celebration.
Other topics, such as market research and public
relations were not fully addressed in this plan.
Personnel
changes at the College were the primary reason
that all aspects of the plan were not completed.
The Public Information Office at the College was
responsible for many aspects of this project.
However, the Public Information officer resigned
soon into the 2004-05 year. When the position
was filled later in the 2004-05 year, it was in
a job-sharing capacity by two individuals. This
arrangement was a new one both for the College
and for the two individuals involved. Consequently,
this arrangement was a learning experience for
all parties involved. It should be noted that
while the arrangement did necessitate a learning
phase, the arrangement has proven to be mutually
satisfying to all parties as well. However, one
consequence of this learning phase was the necessity
to postpone the completion of all aspects of the
marketing plan. These final elements will be incorporated
into the 2005-06 edition of the Marketing Plan
that will be completed in the coming year. |
| 6. |
Engage
in Preparation for Reaffirmation Process by SACS
The college has established the organizational framework
for guiding its participation in the reaffirmation
process by the Southern Association of Colleges
& Schools (SACS). The College has established
the Leadership Team, the Compliance Team and the
Quality Enhancement Project (QEP) Team. All three
of these teams have been actively meeting during
the past year. The Compliance Team has developed
a plan of action for addressing College compliance
with the various Principles and Standards developed
by SACS. The College community evaluated options
for the Quality Enhancement Plan and made a selection
of the topic for the plan. The QEP Team has been
actively engaged in developing this plan.
|
| 7. |
Open
New Cashiers Center
With the acquisition of property in Cashiers by
the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, the college
has completed preparations to relocate its Cashiers
operation to this new facility. The property includes
a 4,054 sq. ft. house that will be the new SCC Cashiers
Center. This facility is almost double the size
of the former Cashiers Center. The property adjoins
the Cashiers Public Library and the Cashiers Post
Office and is in a prime location to conveniently
serve the residents of the Cashiers area. During
2004-05 the College completed a number of improvements
to this facility prior to its July 1, 2005 opening.
These improvements included installing new electrical
circuits, installing a new ceiling, a new paint
job and new carpeting, the installation of a new
sidewalk and ramp (to make the facility ADA compliant),
and a variety of structural improvements.
|
| 8. |
Development
of Macon Campus
Delays such as construction bids coming in over
the budget, sewer access issues and other hurdles
negated the possibility of construction of the new
Macon Campus during 2004-05. At this point, it appears
the Macon Campus will be ready for classes by Spring
Semester, 2007.
|
| 9. |
Implement
Retention Strategies
In an effort to make a quantum leap in student retention,
the College engaged in a number of high-energy activities
including: implementing a recruiting plan, implementing
Early Alert, Orientation, Recruit Back and persistence
activities, implementing student career planning
and job search initiatives, and implementing a student-centered
service approach to providing enrollment services
and support to prospective/current students.
|
| 10. |
Jackson
Campus Development
Planning continued on the facility needs for the
Jackson Campus and the overall future development
for this campus. Discussions on potential land
acquisition continued during the 2004-05 year,
but at this point none of the acquisitions have
been realized. One or more of these acquisitions
must be realized before the College proceeds with
major capital projects on this campus.
While not yet assessed, the following are the
2005-06 Institutional Priorities for Southwestern
and will be assessed at the end of the 2005-06
year.
| 1. |
Development
of the Macon Campus |
| 2. |
Achieve
FTE Enrollment Growth of Five Percent |
| 3. |
Proceed
With Reaffirmation Process With Southern Association
of Colleges & Schools |
| 4. |
Continue
Migration to the Information System of the
Future |
| 5. |
Finalize
Plan for Utilization of Bond Dollars on Jackson
Campus |
| 6. |
Implement
Various 21st Century Technology Applications
into the classroom |
|
Evaluation
of Research & Planning Function at the College
Southwestern has internal procedures in place to ensure
the assessment of all instructional programs and administrative/support
functions at the College. This applies to the Institutional
Research & Planning Office, which coordinates research
and planning activities at the College. The annual Employee
Evaluation of College Services Survey includes five
key questions concerning this area. Survey results indicate
a high level of satisfaction by faculty and staff on
the services provided by this office in the area of
research and planning. For specific results, refer to
questions 142 – 146 in the results for the 2005
survey listed on the Institutional Research and Planning
web page (12).
In addition, the North Carolina Community College Researchers
and Planners Organization (CCPRO) has developed a peer
review process to evaluate the planning and research
function at the 58 member institutions within the North
Carolina System. For an overview of this process, refer
to the description included on the CCPRO website (13).
It should be emphasized that this review process is
strictly voluntary – no colleges
are required to participate. However, a number of colleges
have recognized the value of this peer review initiative
and have participated in this process. Southwestern
agreed to be one of the first colleges in the state
to undergo the peer review. In February 2001, Southwestern
hosted the review team. The team concluded that Southwestern
had effective research and planning processes in place.
The signed document signifying that Southwestern successfully
participated in the peer review process is available
for review (14).
| Other
Examples of Planning/Evaluation and Subsequent Improvements |
| · |
Address
student satisfaction with the services of the
College bookstore.
This is an issue that has been monitored at the
institutional level for a number of years. It
should be noted that while located on the Jackson
Campus, the college does not own or operate the
bookstore. The College has a contract with College
Bookstores of America (CBA), to operate the bookstore.
However, the College works closely with CBA to
ensure the bookstore meets the needs of its students.
The primary tool for assessing satisfaction in
this area is the annual Student Climate Survey.
This survey is administered to a cross-section
of students in spring semester of each year. The
percentage of students who agreed they were satisfied
with service at the bookstore is included in the
following table.
| Percentage
of Respondents Expressing Satisfaction
on the Student Climate Survey Question
Regarding Service in the Bookstore
|
| Bookstore
Service Question |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| I
am satisfied with the service in the bookstore. |
49.1% |
65.0% |
70.8%
|
79.7% |
As demonstrated by the preceding table, the
percentage of students indicating satisfaction
on this issue has increased steadily since 2002.
A number of initiatives regarding the bookstore
were implemented beginning in 2003. Besides
the student satisfaction survey results, another
impetus for these initiatives included the findings
of the retention project begun in fall semester,
2001. The Noel-Levitz Group partnered with the
College on this project. Noel- Levitz Student
Inventory Surveys were administered to a cross-section
of students in fall semester, 2001. The results
of the survey identified several areas needing
attention, including the bookstore. As a result,
initiatives were developed and phased into the
bookstore operation beginning in 2002 and continuing
through 2004. The initiatives included:
| • |
Development
of a web page for the bookstore on the
College website (this page includes prices
on all textbooks). |
| • |
Implementation
of a new computing system which greatly
aided the efficiency of the check-out
process. |
| • |
Bar
coding of all bookstore merchandise which
also aided the efficiency of the check-out
process. |
| • |
Adding
personnel during the busiest periods at
the beginning of each semester. |
| • |
Increased
emphasis on customer service. |
| • |
Extension
of the time allowed for book returns. |
| • |
Remodeling
of bookstore to make a more inviting,
customer-friendly atmosphere |
Results
from the Annual Student Climate Survey would
indicate that these initiatives have positively
impacted student satisfaction with the service
at the bookstore. The College will continue
to monitor student satisfaction on this issue
to determine if further actions are needed.
|
· |
Increase
student satisfaction with the technology, equipment,
supplies available in laboratory settings to enhance
the teaching and learning process. The
impetus for this issue was also based upon results
from the 2001 Noel-Levitz Student Inventory Survey.
The Report of Findings and Recommendations
provided to the College by Noel-Levitz stated
“technology, equipment, supplies, and other
consumables used in laboratory settings are inadequate
for the teaching and learning process. While students
report limited acceptance of the laboratory settings,
they also express a desire for technology that
is industry standard and as current as possible.”
As a result of this finding, the college budgeted
almost $350,000 in 2002 for upgrades to laboratory
facilities and supplies for general laboratories,
curriculum programs, the library, and academic
support areas. The source of these funds was the
College’s Title III grant. These enhancements
resulted in a dramatic upgrade in technology and
technology-related supplies/equipment in College
laboratories. |
· |
Increase
employer satisfaction with the critical thinking
skills of graduates of the Radiography Program.
One of the outcomes for the Radiography
Program is the satisfaction level of employers
with the critical thinking and problem-solving
skills of graduates from this program. The program
has established as the criteria for this outcome
that 80 percent of employers surveyed will indicate
satisfaction with these skills.
According to the results of a survey of employers
of the 2003 Radiography graduates, only 57 percent
were satisfied with these skills (see the results
in the following table). The Radiography program
initiated a number of actions to address this
issue, with the ultimate intent of increasing
employer satisfaction with this skill of program
graduates. These actions included the implementation
of more critical thinking skills into various
courses of the Radiography program. At this point,
new critical thinking requirements have been added
to the Radiographic Imaging courses and to the
RAD Clinical Education 261 course. These new requirements
include the integration of more critical thinking
exercises. In the RAD 261 course, students must
use critical thinking skills to identify and correct
mistakes under various scenarios. Finally, the
Radiography program is continuing to seek opportunities
to implement more critical thinking requirements
into additional courses.
| Employer
Satisfaction – Critical Thinking and
Skills
of Radiography Graduates |
| Graduate
Year |
2002
|
2003 |
2004 |
| %
Indicating Satisfied or Highly Satisfied |
80% |
57% |
100% |
It would appear that these actions have had a positive
impact on student skills in this regard and in the
level of employer satisfaction. As the preceding
table indicates, 100 percent of employers who responded
to the survey for 2004 graduates indicated that
they were satisfied with the critical thinking skills
of these graduates. Again, the program will continue
to monitor employer satisfaction on this issue.
|
| · |
Increase
faculty satisfaction with the selection/variety
of periodicals available in the library.
The library administers a survey to all College
faculty in spring semester of each year. One of
the questions on the survey concerns faculty satisfaction
with the library’s periodicals collection.
The mean scores for the question associated with
this topic are included in the following table.
The score is based upon a four-point scale, with
1 representing the lowest possible score and 4 representing
the highest possible score.
| Mean
Score of Respondents to the Library’s
Faculty Survey Question Regarding Satisfaction
with the Periodical Collection |
| Library
Periodicals Question |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| The
Library’s periodicals collection contains
adequate, up-to-date resources for my curriculum
classes. |
2.89 |
3.18
|
3.31 |
As the table demonstrates, satisfaction in this
area has increased dramatically since 2003. As a
response to the low score in 2003, the library sent
a questionnaire to all faculty members later that
year. The questionnaire asked which periodicals
should be added to the library’s collection
and which ones could be deleted. The library made
every attempt to address the suggestions (to the
extent the budget would allow). As a result of these
changes, the level of satisfaction with the periodicals
collection has increased steadily since 2003. |
|
Compliance
Partial
Compliance