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AQIP Systems PortfolioNovember 2007

Table of Contents

AQIP Systems Portfolio

Midstate College November 2007

Table of ContentsAQIP Systems Portfolio

Organizational Overview ..............................................................................................1 Distinctive Features ...............................................................................................................................2 Midstate College Mission Statement .....................................................................................................2 Midstate College Code of Ethics ...........................................................................................................3 Educational Offerings ............................................................................................................................4 Baccalaureate Degrees ........................................................................................................................4 Associate of Applied Science Degrees .................................................................................................4 Diploma Programs ................................................................................................................................4 Student Base ..........................................................................................................................................4 Demographics .......................................................................................................................................4 Collaboration and Partnership Opportunities .....................................................................................5 Faculty and Staff ....................................................................................................................................5 Distinctive Facilities, Equipment, and Technologies .............................................................................6 Competing Institutions ..........................................................................................................................8 Key Opportunities and Vulnerabilities .................................................................................................8 Opportunities .........................................................................................................................................8 Vulnerabilities ........................................................................................................................................8

Category 1 - Helping Students Learn ..........................................................................9 Context for Analysis ............................................................................................................................10 1C1: Common and Specifi c Student Learning Outcomes .................................................................10 1C2: Aligning Learning Objectives with the Mission .......................................................................... 11 1C3: Programs, Delivery, and Technology ......................................................................................... 11 1C4: Preparing Students for a Diverse World ....................................................................................12 1C5: Creating a Climate of Respect and Opportunity ........................................................................13 Processes .............................................................................................................................................13 1P1: Determining Student Learning Outcomes .................................................................................13 1P2: Designing New Programs and Courses ....................................................................................15 1P3: Preparation of Students for Curricula, Programs, Courses, and Learning ................................15 1P4: Communicating Expectations for Student Preparation ..............................................................15 1P5: Helping Students Select Programs of Study .............................................................................16 1P6: Determining, Documenting, and Communicating Effective Teaching and Learning ..................16 1P7: Building an Effective and Effi cient Course Delivery System ......................................................17 1P8: Monitoring the Currency and Effectiveness of Curriculum ........................................................17 1P9: Determining the Student and Faculty Needs for Learning Support ...........................................18 1P10: Aligning Co-Curricular Development Goals with Curricular Learning Objectives ....................18 1P11: Processes for Student Assessment .........................................................................................18 1P12: Preparation of Graduates for Further Education or Employment ............................................19 1P13: Measures of Student Performance ..........................................................................................19 Results ..................................................................................................................................................19 1R1: Assessment of Objectives .........................................................................................................19 1R2: Evidence of Student Knowledge and Skills ...............................................................................19 1R3: Results for Processes Associated with Helping Students Learn ...............................................19

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1R4: Comparison of Results of Other Higher Education Institutions .................................................20 Improvement .........................................................................................................................................20 1I1: Improving Current Processes and Systems ................................................................................20 1I2: Setting Targets, Improvement Priorities, and Communication ....................................................20

Category 2 - Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives ......................................21 Context for Analysis ............................................................................................................................22 2C1: Explicit Distinctive Objectives ....................................................................................................22 2C2: Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Philosophy ........................................................................23 2C3: Distinctive Objectives Supporting and Complementing Helping Students Learn ......................23 Processes .............................................................................................................................................23 2P1: Setting Distinctive Objectives ....................................................................................................23 2P2: Communicating Distinctive Objectives ......................................................................................24 2P3: Faculty and Staff Needs Relative to Distinctive Objectives .......................................................24 2P4 and 2P5: Review, Assessment, and Feedback of Distinctive Objectives ...................................24 Results ..................................................................................................................................................24 2R1, 2R2, and 2R3: Results in Accomplishing Distinctive Objectives ...............................................24 Improvement .........................................................................................................................................24 2I1: System and Process Improvements ...........................................................................................24 2I2: Setting Priorities for Improvement ...............................................................................................24

Category 3 - Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs ................ 25 Context for Analysis ............................................................................................................................26 3C1: Stakeholders .............................................................................................................................26 3C2: Student and Stakeholder Expectations and Requirements .......................................................26 Processes .............................................................................................................................................26 3P1: Determining Student Needs ......................................................................................................26 3P2: Building and Maintaining Relationships with Students ..............................................................27 3P3: Determining Stakeholder Needs ................................................................................................27 3P4: Building and Maintaining Relationships with Stakeholders .......................................................28 3P5: Determining New Educational Offerings Based on New Student and Stakeholder Needs .......28 3P6: Collecting Complaint Information and Analyzing Feedback ......................................................28 3P7: Determining Student and Other Stakeholder Satisfaction .........................................................28 Results ..................................................................................................................................................29 3R1: Student Satisfaction and Performance ......................................................................................29 3R2: Results for Building Relationships with Students ......................................................................29 3R3: Results for Stakeholder Satisfaction .........................................................................................29 3R4: Results of Relationship Building ................................................................................................29 3R5: Results Compared with Other Institutions .................................................................................29 Improvement .........................................................................................................................................29 3I1: Improving Current Processes for Understanding Student Needs ...............................................29 3I2: Targets for Improvement .............................................................................................................29

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Category 4 - Valuing People .......................................................................................31 Context for Analysis ............................................................................................................................32 4C1: Distinctive Organization of Work Environment, Work Activities, and Job Classifi cations ..........32 4C2: Key Institutional and Geographic Factors and Part-time Employees ........................................32 4C3: Workforce Demographic Trends ................................................................................................32 4C4: Current and Planned Training Initiatives ...................................................................................32 Processes .............................................................................................................................................33 4P1: Hiring Process: Specifi c Credentials, Skills, and Values ..........................................................33 4P2: Employee Recruitment, Hiring, Retention, and Orientation .......................................................33 4P3: Work Processes Contribute to Organizational Learning and Ethical Practices .........................34 4P4: Training and Development .........................................................................................................34 4P5: Determining Training Needs ......................................................................................................34 4P6: Personnel Evaluation System ....................................................................................................35 4P7: Recognition, Reward, and Compensation Systems ..................................................................35 4P8: Motivation of Faculty, Staff, and Administration .........................................................................35 4P9: Employee Satisfaction, Health and Safety ................................................................................35 4P10: Measuring Effectiveness of Valuing People .............................................................................35 Results ..................................................................................................................................................36 4R1: Results in Valuing People ..........................................................................................................36 4R2: Results in Processes Associated with Valuing People ..............................................................36 4R3: Evidence Productivity and Effectiveness of Faculty, Staff, and Administration .........................36 4R4: Regarding 4R1 and 4R3, Results Compared with Outside Education Community ...................36 Improvement .........................................................................................................................................36 4I1: Improved Current Processes and Systems for Valuing People ..................................................36 4I2: Targets for Improvement, Priorities, and Communication with Students, Faculty, Staff, Administrators, and Appropriate Stakeholders ...........................................................................36

Category 5 - Leading and Communicating ..............................................................37 Context for Analysis ............................................................................................................................38 5C1: Leadership and Communication Systems .................................................................................38 5C2: Leadership System Practices and Alignment with Board and Senior Leaders ..........................39 5C3: Institutional Values and Expectations ........................................................................................40 Processes .............................................................................................................................................40 5P1: Leader’s Directions Align with Mission, Vision, and Values .......................................................40 5P2: Leader’s Guidance in Future Opportunities and Building Sustained Learning Environment .....40 5P3: Institutional Decision Making, Usage of Teams, Task Forces, Groups, and Committees ..........41 5P4: Leaders Usage of Information and Results in Decision Making ................................................41 5P5: Institutional Communication ......................................................................................................41 5P6: Leadership Communication of the Mission, Vision, Values, and High Performance .................42 5P7: Leadership Best Practices, Knowledge, and Skills Communicated and Shared Throughout the Organization ........................................................................................................................42 5P8: Leadership Succession .............................................................................................................42 5P9: Measures of Leading and Communicating ................................................................................43

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Results ..................................................................................................................................................43 5R1: Results for Leading and Communicating Processes and Systems ...........................................43 5R2: Comparison Results of Other Higher Education Institutions and Organizations .......................43 Improvement .........................................................................................................................................43 5I1: Current Processes and Systems for Leading and Communicating ............................................43 5I2: Targets for Improvement, Priorities, and Communication of Results and Improvements ...........43

Category 6 - Supporting Institutional Operations ....................................................45 Context for Analysis ............................................................................................................................46 6C1: Key Support Processes .............................................................................................................46 6C2: Reinforcing Processes for Support Services .............................................................................46 Processes .............................................................................................................................................46 6P1: Identifying Student Support Service Needs ...............................................................................46 6P2: Identifying Administrative Support Needs ..................................................................................48 6P3: Managing and Documenting Support Service Processes .........................................................48 6P4: Methods Used to Improve Services ...........................................................................................48 6P5: Collecting and Analyzing Measures ...........................................................................................48 Results ..................................................................................................................................................48 6R1: Student Support Services Processes Results ...........................................................................48 6R2: Administrative Support Services Results ...................................................................................48 6R3: Results Comparison ..................................................................................................................49 Improvement .........................................................................................................................................49 6I1: Improving Current Processes and Systems ................................................................................49 6I2: Setting Targets, Improvement Priorities, and Communication ....................................................49

Category 7 - Measuring Effectiveness ......................................................................51 Context for Analysis ............................................................................................................................52 7C1: Collection, Storage, and Accessibility of Data and Information .................................................52 7C2: Key Institutional Measures for Tracking Effectiveness ..............................................................54 Processes .............................................................................................................................................54 7P1: Selection, Management, and Usage of Data .............................................................................54 7P2: Determination of Needs for Data and Information .....................................................................56 7P3: Needs and Priorities of Comparative Information and Data ......................................................57 7P4: Analysis of Information and Data Communication of Analysis ...................................................57 7P5: Department and Unit Analysis Information and Data Alignment with Institutional Goals ...........57 7P6: Effectiveness of Information Systems and Related Processes .................................................57 7P7: Measures of Effectiveness of our System for Measuring Effectiveness ....................................58 Results ..................................................................................................................................................58 7R1: Evidence the System for Measuring Effectiveness Meets Institution’s Needs ..........................58 7R2: Comparative Results of Other Higher Education Institutions and Outside Organizations .........58 Improvement .........................................................................................................................................58 7I1: Improvement of Current Processes and Systems for Measuring Effectiveness .........................58 7I2: Setting Targets for Improvement and Communication of Results and Priorities .........................58

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Category 8 - Planning Continuous Improvement .....................................................59 Context for Analysis ............................................................................................................................60 8C1: Midstate College’s Vision of the Institution in 5-10 Years ..........................................................60 8C2: Midstate College’s Short- and Long-term Strategies Aligned with Mission and Vision ..............60 Processes .............................................................................................................................................66 8P1: Midstate College’s Strategic Planning Process .........................................................................66 8P2: Selection of Short- and Long-term Strategies ...........................................................................66 8P3: Developing Key Action Plans .....................................................................................................66 8P4: Coordination of Institutional Strategies at Varying Institutional Levels ......................................67 8P5: Selecting Measures and Setting Performance Projections .......................................................67 8P6: Resource Needs ........................................................................................................................67 8P7: Developing Faculty, Staff, and Administrator Capabilities .........................................................67 8P8: Measuring Effectiveness of the Planning System .....................................................................67 Results ..................................................................................................................................................67 8R1, 8R2, and 8R3: Performance of Institutional Strategies .............................................................67 8R4: System for Planning Continuous Improvement .........................................................................67 Improvement .........................................................................................................................................67 8I1 and 8I2: Planning Continuous Improvement ................................................................................67

Category 9 - Building Collaborative Relationships ..................................................69 Context for Analysis ............................................................................................................................70 9C1: Institution’s Key Collaborative Relationships .............................................................................70 9C2: Collaborative Relationships Reinforce Mission and Initiate Change .........................................70 Processes .............................................................................................................................................70 9P1: Building, Creating, and Prioritize Relationships .........................................................................70 9P2: Meeting Relationships Needs ....................................................................................................72 9P3: Building Internal Relationships ..................................................................................................73 9P4: Collection and Measurements of Collaborative Relationships ..................................................74 Results ..................................................................................................................................................74 9R1: Key Collaborative Relationship Results ....................................................................................74 9R2: Comparative Data from 9R1 ......................................................................................................74 Improvement .........................................................................................................................................74 9I1: Improving Current Collaborative Processes and Systems ..........................................................74 9I2: Student Learning and Development Related to Collaborative Relationships and Targets for Improvement and Communication .........................................................................................74

Index of Evidence ........................................................................................................75 Criterion One – Mission and Integrity ................................................................................................76 Criterion Two – Preparing for the Future ...........................................................................................77 Criterion Three – Student Learning and Effective Teaching ............................................................78 Criterion Four – Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge .......................................79 Criterion Five – Engagement and Service .........................................................................................80

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AQIP Systems PortfolioOrganizational Overview


- 2 - Organizational OverviewAQIP Systems Portfolio

Distinctive Features

Midstate College is a for-profi t, family-owned Col-lege with 641 students enrolled at a single, non-residential campus in Peoria, Illinois. Midstate has a strong history of providing qualifi ed graduates to employers in Central Illinois for 119 years. Midstate students often cite the individual attention and qual-ity of instruction as primary reasons for their satis-faction with the College. Over the last decade, the College has transformed from a business school into a baccalaureate degree-granting institution.

Midstate College applied to participate in AQIP in 2004 and completed the fi rst round of action proj-ects in 2007. Midstate College was granted candi-dacy status by the Higher Learning Commission in 1976 and was fi rst accredited in 1982. The com-plete timeline of the College’s key strategic events and developments follow:

Midstate College Mission StatementThe Mission of Midstate College was revised with faculty and staff input and submitted to the admin-istration and the Board of Directors for fi nal revision and approval in 2003. The alterations refl ect the changes in the academic levels of Midstate Col-lege in response to the addition of baccalaureate degrees and the advancing world of technology.

The mission of Midstate College is to provide educa-tional opportunities that emphasize skills and knowl-edge that will allow the student to adjust through a lifetime of social and technological change. We recognize that education is vital in developing skills needed for a productive society and essential in pro-moting the individual’s sense of worth, values, and high ethical standards. The College is committed to offering quality education that meets the needs of its students assisting them in clarifying and pursuing their professional and educational goals.

Figure 0.1 - Midstate College TimelineYear Description

1857 - 1888 The origin of Midstate College dates back to 1857 when a commercial school was started in Peo-ria, and in 1865 a similar school opened. In 1868, the schools were combined, and in 1888 the College was purchased by George Washington Brown and named Brown’s Business College.

1888 George Washington Brown established the College as one of the Brown’s chain of schools to ac-commodate Civil War veterans for business training.

1913 - 1960 GW Brown continued ownership and operation until 1913. At that time he owned 21 institutions in Illinois and St. Louis. The Peoria school was sold to Mr. Reed who continued operation until 1960 when it was purchased by AR Beard, Don Beard, and Arline H. Bunch.

1965 The College was purchased by the Bunch family. (Arline H. Bunch was involved in administration of the College for over 30 years.)

1969 Approval from Committee on Accountancy from University of Illinois - credits accepted for candi-dates to take the Illinois CPA examination.

1970 The name of the College was changed to Midstate College.

1971 Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) approved Midstate College to offer associate degrees.

1971 Medical-Dental Assisting program initiated

1974 Associate of Applied Science in Court Reporting initiated

Mar 1976 Granted Candidacy Status by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)

Dec. 1976 Granted Candidacy Status by Association of Independent Colleges and Schools (AICS) for Junior College of Business Accreditation

1976 National Shorthand Reporter’s Association (NCRA) approved Court Reporting program

1977 Granted IBHE approval to grant 10 Associate degrees

1977 Initiated Paralegal Services Certifi cate in evening school

1975 - 1980 Purchased 244 S.W. Jefferson St. location in Peoria, IL

1975 - 1980 Library expanded space and increased volumes from 2,000 to 7,000



Midstate College Code of EthicsThe College’s Code of Ethics was adopted on April 4, 2003 by the Board of Directors after constituents of the College had an opportunity to review, revise, and approve the values set forth in the Code.• We value responsible, accountable, ethical behav-

ior in an atmosphere of honest, open communica-tion with mutual respect and caring for each other.

• We value creative and enthusiastic pursuit of ideas.

• We value continuous improvement of our pro-grams, services, and processes through employ-ee empowerment and professional development in a team-based culture.

• We value commitment to student success and satisfaction by responding to customer needs.

• We value an educational environment that at-tracts, nurtures, and supports a diverse student and staff community.

1980 Accreditation granted by Association of Independent Colleges and Schools (AICS) as Junior Col-lege of Business

1982 Accreditation granted by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) at the associ-ate degree level

1983 IBHE approval to grant Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assistant

1987 Initial accreditation for Medical Assistant program from The Commission on Allied Health Educa-tion and Accredited programs (CAHEA, currently CAAHEP)

1989 Midstate changed status with AICS to associate member

1989 Travel programs moved to Airport Campus in Peoria, IL

1989 Started classes in Carthage, IL (extension campus) at the Carl Sandburg Campus

1991 Carthage Campus located at CIC (no longer Carl Sandburg)

1993 Started Aviation Operations program at Lacon Airport in Lacon, IL

1994 Moved Carthage Campus to 21 S. Washington St. (separate location)

1995 Closed programs at Airport Campus and at Lacon Airport

1997 Peoria Campus moved from 244 S.W. Jefferson location to 411 W. Northmoor Road

1998 Offered fi rst two online courses

1999 Started eLearning Newsgroup System

1999 IBHE and NCA granted approval to offer Bachelor of Business Administration

2000 Closed Carthage Campus

2002 IBHE and NCA granted approval to offer Bachelor of Science in Accounting and in Management Information Science

2002 Opened second building at Northmoor Campus, Arline H. Bunch Business Building

2003 NCA granted approval to offer all current programs online

2004 NCA approved accreditation process to change from PEAQ to AQIP

2004 IBHE granted approval to offer Bachelor of Science in Realtime Reporting

2004 Bachelor of Business Administration program offered in the eLearning format

2005 NCA granted approval to offer Bachelor of Science in Realtime Reporting

2005 IBHE and NCA granted approval to offer Bachelor of Science in Health Service Management

2005 Upgraded online learning management system to ANGEL

2006 Midstate College won the Employer of the Year through the Employers’ Association

2006 Purchased adjacent property and began construction on additional parking and site of future two-story building

2007 First AQIP Systems Portfolio submitted

2007 Construction began on pavillion, fountain, and courtyard area



Midstate College offers eight associate of applied science degrees, three diploma programs, and fi ve bachelor degrees primarily in the areas of business, healthcare, and law.

Educational Offerings

Baccalaureate Degrees• Bachelor of Business Administration Degree• Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting (with a

fi fth year option)• Bachelor of Science Degree in Management In-

formation Systems• Bachelor of Science in Realtime Reporting with

concentrations in judicial reporting, broadcast captioning, and CART

• Bachelor of Science in Health Services Manage-ment in 2005

The baccalaureate degrees at Midstate College complement and complete the Associate of Applied Science Degrees.

Associate of Applied Science Degrees• Administrative Professional• Business Administration• Business Computer Accounting• Computer and Information Science• Heath Information Technology (accredited by

CAHIIM)• Judicial Reporting/Legal Transcription (approved

by NCRA)• Medical Assistant (accredited by CAAHEP)• Paralegal Services (seeking approval of ABA)

Diploma Programs• Medical Coding Specialist• Medical Transcription• Offi ce Assistant

Student Base

Midstate College serves the non-traditional com-muter student and offers fl exible scheduling with opportunities to take online and/or on-campus courses. Advertising campaigns utilize a variety of mediums such as TV, radio, newspaper, direct mail, and billboards throughout the tri-county area.

The following demographics are based on the fall 2007 enrollment:

Figure 0.2 - Student Age Groups

0

50

100

150

200

Und

er 1

8

18 -

19

20 -2

1

22 -

24

25 -

29

30 -

34

35 -

39

40 -

49

50 -

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Ove

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0 222

71

161

130

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32

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Age

Num

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f Stu

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sPart-Time StudentsFull-Time Students

Demographics

Full-Time Students Men 48 Women 218

Part-Time Students Men 71 Women 304

First-Time Degree Seeking Students-Fall ‘07 Full-Time 12 Part-Time 22

Average Age 32

Undergraduate Students Bachelor 40% Associate 47% Diploma 12%

55% of Midstate students took at least one eLearning course

Based on the Student Opinion Survey conduct-ed in June of 2007:

42% of Midstate students work 40+ hours79% live between 0-30 miles of the college90% receive fi nancial assistance



Collaboration and Partnership Opportunities

Midstate College maintains relation-ships with many stakeholder groups. These key collaborative relationships are presented as subsystems and represented visually in Figure 0.4. Both internal and external subsys-tems are represented in this system. The subsystems can be classifi ed as High Schools, Colleges and Universi-ties, Employers, Student Resources, Employee Memberships, Non-Profi t Organizations, Corporate Responsi-bility, and External Agencies. These subsystems contain descriptors to show the key interactions. The fl ow of partnership information and commu-nication is demonstrated by the two-sided arrows. More detailed informa-tion can be found under Category 9.

Faculty and Staff

Midstate College employs approxi-mately 105 people. 40% are adjunct faculty, some of whom may only teach a single term. However, over 45% of adjunct faculty have been employed for at least 5 years.

Figure 0.3 - Total Enrollment

Year

Tota

l Enr

ollm

ent

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 20070

Fall Winter Spring Summer

Figure 0.4 - Midstate College Collaborative Relationships System

Midstate College

Internal Subsystem

External Subsystems

StudentResources

InstructionalResourceSuppliers

TransportationServicesBusiness

StudentDiscounts

NationalStudent

Organizations

ITVendors

Charity andService

OrganizationsState &Federal

RegionalAccreditation

ServiceLearning

EmployeeWellness Program

AccreditingBodies

Recycling

Free FAAdvice andInformation

Counselors Presentations

FAPrograms

FoodVendors

ExternalAgencies

EmployeeMemberships

Non-profitOrganizations

CorporateResponsibility

High Schools Colleges &Universities

Employers

Placement

Training

Recruitment Externships/Internship

AdvisoryBoards

2 + 2Agreements

Graduates& TransferStudents



Distinctive Facilities, Equipment, and TechnologiesMidstate College is located at 411 W. Northmoor Road, Peoria, Illinois. The College is located in the north end of town on a four acre campus with two buildings totaling 20,200 square feet of space.

The service areas of the College are located in the main building of the campus in close proximity to each other. The second building houses three classrooms, study areas, and business instructors’ offi ces.

In addition to being accredited by the Higher Learn-ing Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools/AQIP division, the College’s

Medical Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Edu-cation Programs (CAAHEP), upon recommenda-tion of the Curriculum Review Board of the Ameri-can Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (AAMAE). The AAS degree in Judicial Reporting is approved by the Council on Approved Student Education Requirements and Minimum Standards established by said board (NCRA). The AAS de-gree in Health Information Technology is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health In-formatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Midstate College is also approved for veterans’ training for some programs.

Figure 0.5 - Staff and Faculty Statistics

Category # Schedule Race Education Level

Faculty 64 22 Full-time42 Part-time

84% Caucasian5% African American5% Hispanic6% Other

2 PhD35 Masters21 Bachelors4 AAS1 DDS1 DO

Staff 41 31 Full-time10 Part-time

95% Caucasian2% African American2% Hispanic1% Other

Figure 0.6 - Midstate College Organizational Chart

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Midstate College has established a Health and Safety committee that meets regularly to review campus policies on security measures such as the camera recording system, personnel, tornado and fi re drills, and threats to the safety and secu-rity of the College’s students and personnel. The committee also reviews health issues and oper-ations of the College in the event of pandemic health threats and any other health issues.

The College follows the Department of Education (DOE) rules on the Fiscal Responsibility Ratio which must be 1.5 or higher in order to be considered as a fi nancially stable institution. The highest level is a 3.0 and Midstate College is operating at 2.1. See Category 6 for more details.

Midstate College provides a high level of technology, equipment, and support for its students and personnel.

Figure 0.7 - Technology Resources

DesktopComputers

NotebookComputers

24x7TechnicalSupport

WirelessConnectivity

LibraryServices

PhoneSystem

MicrosoftCampusAgreement

EmailServices

NetworkServices(Printing andfile storage)

Audio Visual Capabilities(All classrooms)

Campus-wideResources/Services

for Faculty, Staffand Students

Desktop computers• Faculty/staff offi ces and classrooms – 94% of full-time

employees require and are provided computers to perform their job functions

• Student areas (labs, library and study areas) maintain student to computer ratio of 6.75:1

• 3 year replacement cycle for all student computer equipment

Notebook computers• Assigned to 28% of faculty/staff in addition to offi ce PCs• Loaner pool of 10 notebooks available to faculty/staff as

needed

Software licensing – Campus Agreement provides soft-ware to students, staff, and faculty

24x7 Technical Support• Available to all faculty, staff, and students• Personal or business owned computers• Repairs, upgrades, and maintenance at no cost

Wireless connectivity – Campus-wide for business or personal computers

Network Services• Onsite management of all servers and systems, except

for ANGEL (eLearning management system)• Printing• Network drive access

• H:\(Home) drive access for personal data storage• P:\(Public) drive access for classroom data• K:\(Academic) faculty only access• S:\(Staff) personnel access for forms, communica-

tion, schedules, etc• 3 year replacement cycle for all equipment

Phone system – voicemail and conference call capabili-ties with call forwarding and unifi ed messaging

Library resources – Internet accessible content collections

Audio-video – Computer, projector, and video capabilities in all classrooms



Competing Institutions

The following local institutions are competitors for our students:• Robert Morris College• Illinois Central Community College• Bradley University• University of Illinois at Springfi eld

The following Online Institutions are competitors for our students:• University of Phoenix• Franklin University

The following institution is a competitor for a unique program:• American Institute of Business – B.S. in Realtime

Reporting

Key Opportunities and Vulnerabilities

Midstate College administration, staff, and faculty iden-tifi ed the following key opportunities and vulnerabilities at the June 2007 Strategic Planning In-service:

Opportunities• Academics

• Offer more academic programs – Project Man-agement degree, more bachelor programs, Mar-keting and Human Resource programs, MBA program, and Associate degree in liberal arts

• Operational• Offer non-credit training to businesses• Community involvement, increased chances

for alliances• More program accreditations• Increased advanced degrees of faculty• Establish more institutional partnerships (2+2)• Explore high school market

Vulnerabilities• External Threats

• Local and online institutional competitors• Economy

• Operational• Balancing planned growth with the need to

maintain “family environment”• Losing key staff (retirement, etc.)• Space limitations

Figure 0.8 - Specialized Resources

Microsoft Testing Center4 seat testing center for Microsoft Office Specialist certification testing

Allied HealthSimulated doctor’s office with reception, office area, phlebotomy lab, nurse’s station, and two exam rooms

Realtime Reporting Captioning Studio notebook computers, TVs, recorders, and other equip-ment to facilitate instruction of closed captioning

ANGELLearning Management System for eLearning courses

CampusVueInstitutional Data System for student record storage

Specialized Resources

Category One - Helping Students Learn



- 10 - Category OneAQIP Systems Portfolio

Context for Analysis (C)

1C1: Common and Specifi c Student Learning OutcomesThe common student learning objectives the Col-lege holds for all of our students (regardless of their status or particular program of study) and the pat-tern of knowledge and skills we expect our students to possess upon completion of their general and specialized studies are defi ned as follows:

Within the framework of the College’s philosophy and the general education philosophy, we view general education as the acquisition of those skills and abili-ties not necessarily related to specifi c vocational ca-pabilities but rather the skills and abilities appropriate to any career pattern at any stage of life. The abil-ity to communicate effectively, the ability to integrate knowledge, the ability to apply logical processes to problem-solving situations, the ability to understand the nature and applicability of technology, the ability to conceptualize and implement life goals, the ability to interact with a myriad of diverse personalities, the ability to appreciate different cultures and societies, and the ability to develop a personal value system consistent with ethical and moral conduct, are some of the “life skills” upon which the general education objectives are focused.

Because general education is an important part of the educational process, instructors are advised to elicit the following outcomes in all classes across the curriculum whenever possible.

Ethical Reasoning:• AAS or Diploma: Distinguish between right and

wrong by evaluating and making decisions about contemporary ethical issues.

• BBA/BS: Analyze, evaluate, and defend ethical de-cisions made in a business/professional setting.

Communication:• AAS or Diploma: Communicate effectively by de-

veloping thought into coherent written form using professional language.

• BBA/BS: Analyze situations and prepare appro-priate documentation, including reports, propos-als and correspondence, using professional lan-guage and format.

Speaking:• AAS or Diploma: Communicate ideas in coher-

ent manner using professional speaking skills.

• BBA/BS: Analyze situations such as presenta-tions and meetings and respond appropriately speaking coherently and professionally.

Critical Thinking:• AAS or Diploma: Analyze issues, problems,

texts, taking into account contrasting points of view. Adopt a position supported by evidence.

• BBA/BS: Analyze and evaluate issues, prob-lems, texts or points of view recognizing compet-ing assumptions and their rational consequences. Evaluate these assumptions in order to reach an independently generated conclusion.

Problem-solving:• AAS or Diploma: Given a problem, generate alterna-

tive solutions, and recommend a course of action.• BBA/BS: Integrate insight, knowledge, and data

to identify problems, generate solutions, and make recommendations based on an analysis of the alternatives.

Cooperation:• AAS or Diploma: Contribute productively in small

groups to achieve assigned goals by assuming accountability, modeling appropriate behaviors, recognizing trade-offs in group interactions, and practicing tolerance in multi-cultural settings.

• BBA/BS: Promote acceptance or implementation of a variety of roles in group efforts by accepting individual role responsibilities while fostering the inclusion of all group members, maintain focus and morale while negotiating trade-offs, and ar-ticulating aspects of the group’s performance.

Human Potential and Professional Development are courses that all pre-baccalaureate students are required to complete. The College has a long his-tory of preparing students for the world of work, and endorses the belief that positive self-esteem and atti-tudes, as well as professional polish, are important for employability. While these courses are required for pre-baccalaureate students, all students are encour-aged to enroll in these courses. An upper-level pro-fessional development course, BUS350 Professional Advancement, is available for those working profes-sionals whose goal is to advance in their careers.

Human Potential:• AAS, Diploma, BBA, BS: Utilize methods for self-

awareness, self-discipline, and self-motivation for the purpose of developing positive attitudes for individual success in one’s personal and professional life.



Professional Development:• AAS or Diploma: Demonstrates knowledge of ef-

fective professionalism and effective techniques in job research, resume development, and the employment application process.

Professional Advancement:• Develops career management skills with the en-

hancement of interviewing, professional image, business etiquette, job search documents and methodologies, assertive communication skills, and other career success strategies.

The common learning objectives have been re-viewed annually by the academic departments for program curriculum applicability, with the last com-prehensive review of the objectives in 2003 by the general education committee. The revised objec-tives are listed in Figure 1.3.

1C2: Aligning Learning Objectives with the MissionEach academic program at Midstate College shares common learning objectives that are aligned with the mission and institutional objectives.

Program committees, including the general educa-tion committee, ensure that the students’ learning expectations, practices, and development objec-tives align with the mission, vision, and philosophy.

A matrix outlining the College’s general education objectives, as well as matrices outlining specifi c program objectives, is documentation of the learn-ing objectives’ alignment with the mission and insti-tutional objectives. [See Figure 1.2 for Mission and Objectives Institutional Matrix]

The learning objectives or program goals for the specifi c programs are determined both internal-ly and externally. Departmental syllabi, course descriptions, and learning objectives for the in-dividual courses are reviewed annually by the department’s faculty prior to the publishing of the College Catalog. The faculty are advised to fol-low a specifi c format for all of the College’s course syllabi which include a section for learning objec-tives. The goal of the College is to have all syllabi for a specifi c course refl ect consistent measurable learning objectives that support the program goals set forth by the individual programs. The program

goals are approved by the advisory boards and the administration. The syllabi are reviewed for consistency by the Assistant Dean who then fi les the syllabi for each quarter in program fi les on the S drive.

1C3: Programs, Delivery, and TechnologyThere are fi ve key instructional areas for programs offered at Midstate College: Business Administra-tion/Accounting, Health Information/Allied Health, Legal Services, Computer Information Systems, and Administrative Support.

Midstate College’s focus is undergraduate learning, offering three diplomas, eight associate of applied science degrees, and fi ve bachelor degrees. [See Institutional Overview for complete listing.]

All of the degrees active prior to and including 2003 are approved to be offered online. This ap-proval includes all of the programs listed with the exception of the B.S. in Health Services Manage-ment, the A.A.S. in Health Information Technolo-gy, and the B.S. in Realtime Reporting. While this approval through 2003 exists, the only degrees that the College completely offers online are the A.A.S. in Business Administration and the Bach-elor of Business Administration. Several courses that are applicable to all of the programs are of-fered online for the student’s convenience. The non-traditional student at Midstate College appre-ciates the fl exibility of scheduling that allows them to take on-campus courses in conjunction with online courses.

Delivery methods accommodate a variety of stu-dent and program needs. Face-to-face instruction is available for daytime, evening, and weekend courses. Additional methods include fl exible learn-ing opportunities for independent/arranged study, internships, experiential learning, profi ciency ex-ams, and eLearning. [See Figures 0.7 and 0.8 for classroom space and technology resources and support.] Online education (eLearning) is growing rapidly since the Federal Government lifted the 50% rule for proprietary institutions in July 2006. Technology is addressed in every program at Midstate College. Every program at Midstate Col-lege includes a minimum of one computer-related course in its curriculum. Approximately 60 courses are offered online each term.



1C4: Preparing Students for a Diverse WorldMidstate College prepares students to live in a di-verse society and world in a variety of ways:1. Diversity is addressed in the Code of Ethics:

“We value an educational environment that at-tracts, nurtures, and supports a diverse student and staff community.”

2. Diversity is addressed in general education ob-jectives: “Practice tolerance in diverse and multi-cultural settings.”

In order to accommodate different learning styles, there are a variety of courses that address diversity. These include the following: Interpersonal Commu-nication, Racial and Ethnic Relations, International Studies, Social Psychology, and Sociology. All of the programs require or address understanding di-versity in some part of their curricula. Student ac-tivities offer other avenues of experiencing diversity and adhering to the Code of Ethics.

By requiring a range of disciplines in general educa-tion in the individual majors, the requirement for ad-dressing diversity is accomplished. Students have elective choices, in most of the majors, and/or have opportunities to enroll in internships that provide “real world” working experience to demonstrate the skills they have acquired.

The assessment of the common learning objec-tive to prepare students to live in a diverse soci-ety and world has been addressed in the graduate exit survey that has two questions which relate to preparing students to live in a diverse society. The fi rst asks about the helpfulness of college experi-ences in understanding people with different back-grounds, habits, values, appearances, and abilities. The second question elicits feedback on learning styles. The prospective graduates from fall 2005 through summer 2007 indicate that 79.5% felt that they had a better understanding of people of dif-ferent racial and ethnic backgrounds through their educational experience. Eighteen percent (18.1%) indicated that they had a “good” understanding or background in diversity prior to attending Midstate College and 2.3% were unsure.

The faculty and staff at Midstate College refl ect a di-verse group of individuals. The College is an equal opportunity employer that employs faculty and staff of diverse ethnicities, race, sex, and age groups as outlined in the Institutional Overview.

Students identify their learning styles in the College’s orientation course, Human Potential. All pre-bacca-laureate students must take this course; others can elect to take the course for general education credit.

The preference of student learning styles is ad-dressed in the Exit Interviews conducted between Fall 2005 and Summer 2007. The results of this as-sessment are reported to the instructors. Gradu-ates were not limited to one response. The follow-ing percentages were recorded:

Figure 1.1 - Preferred Student Learning Styles

Learning Style Preference Percentage

Hands-on 70%

Demonstration 16.3%

Lecture 22%

Visual Aid 22.9%

Face-to-Face 22.6%

Online 16%

Those students who have learning disabilities are accommodated to meet their individual needs by allowing extra time for assignments and exams, providing study guides, and/or isolated testing ar-eas as the need requires. The student requiring accommodations provides his/her schedule for the quarter to the Chief Academic Dean, and the need for accommodation is then channeled to the student’s instructors.

Providing instructional methods training to fac-ulty in the area of learning styles helps them un-derstand diverse learning needs. A future action project is planned to provide an Internet course for faculty orientation that will include instruction in learning styles, especially the learning styles of the adult. Teaching methods are a regular agenda item in quarterly faculty meetings, one of which re-cently introduced the learning styles of the adult learner.

Faculty are evaluated quarterly by the students. One of the questions asks the students to rate the faculty in the following area: “The instructor utilizes a variety of teaching/learning techniques”. There is still room for improvement in the compli-ance to utilize a variety of teaching techniques in some areas.



1C5: Creating a Climate of Respect and Op-portunityMidstate College maintains a climate of mutual respect that celebrates intellectual freedom, in-quiry, refl ection, respect for intellectual property, and respect for differing and diverse opinions. The fact that there is a low employee turnover rate at Midstate College is evidence that the people who work here enjoy the climate. The fact that the College was named Employer of the Year by the Employer’s Association in 2006 also refl ects the satisfaction of the employees. On the Student Opinion Surveys, and graduate exit interviews and surveys, year after year, the students document their satisfaction with the Col-lege. The students who withdraw rarely indicate dissatisfaction with the College. The reasons for withdrawal are often cited as personal, fi nancial, job changes, or moving.

It is a policy that all coursework created while em-ployed at Midstate College is owned by the College. Midstate College supports the acquisition, discov-ery, and responsible application of knowledge. The Midstate College syllabus template requires a sec-tion on classroom policies, including the College’s Academic Honesty Policy. The Academic Honesty Policy is addressed in the Student Handbook and the Personnel Policy and Procedure Handbook. Midstate College complies with the Family Educa-tion Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 which includes the statement that a student’s transcript cannot be released to a third party without the written consent of the student. The Midstate College faculty identi-fi ed the fact that instructors have the freedom to choose the methods of delivery in the classrooms to meet the learning objectives. The faculty believes that this allows the instructor to provide the best instruction of course content. The syllabi are evi-dence of the course content. Instructors have the responsibility of providing information to improve curricula, providing input to the strategic plan, and growing professionally through professional devel-opment opportunities.

Processes (P)

1P1: Determining Student Learning OutcomesMidstate College has determined learning objec-tives through a variety of measures, including an

association with the Illinois Articulation Initiative. The General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) became effective for entering students as of the summer of 1998. This agreement benefi ts the stu-dents who transfer credit from other institutions in Illinois. This initiative additionally allows for transfer of credit from Midstate College to any college or university that is also participating in IAI.

Specifi c Program Learning ObjectivesSpecifi c program learning objectives are deter-mined via the following process: The program director, with input from departmental faculty and accreditation association standards, proposes the specifi c learning objectives. Program directors re-search current business trends and make sure that the standards meet the program accreditation stan-dards as applicable. The objectives are reviewed by the program’s advisory board bringing industry standards into the review of the objectives. The program objectives are infl uenced by the results of employer surveys, internship evaluations, and graduate follow-up surveys.

Responses to the surveys are documented, and minutes from the departmental meetings and ad-visory boards are documented as evidence. Mid-state College’s faculty consider the above process a strong process.

General Education/Common Learning ObjectivesA cross-functional committee of full-time general education instructors and program directors was formed to determine the General Education Ob-jectives common to all of Midstate College’s stu-dents regardless of their status or particular pro-gram of study. The general education objectives are documented via a matrix linking the objectives to the institutional objectives and the mission of the College.

General Education Assessment MatrixGeneral Education Objectives as they relate to the Midstate College Institutional Objectives and Mis-sion are demonstrated in Figure 1.2, Mission and Objectives Institutional Matrix, and Figure 1.3, Gen-eral Education Assessment Matrix.

The matrix is located on the College’s Staff S drive (secure shared network drive). The Institutional Objectives were reviewed and revised in 2003.



Figure 1.2 - Mission and Objectives Institutional Matrix

The mission of Midstate College is (1) to provide educational opportunities that emphasize skills and knowledge that will allow the student to adjust through a lifetime of social and technological change. (2) We recognize that education is vital in developing skills needed for a productive society and (3) essential in promoting the individual’s sense of worth, values, and high ethical standards. (4) The College is committed to offering quality education that meets the needs of its students and assisting them in clarifying and pursuing their professional and educational goals.

INSTITUTIONAL OBJECTIVES:In fulfi lling the mission of Midstate College, the institution sets forth the following objec-tives which refl ect the overall goals of the College.

1 2 3 4

1. To provide a varied selection of academic curricula in business and specialized areas, enriched with instruction in general education. � � � �

2. To provide the students with a background of job skills which will enhance their employability. � � �3. To provide the students with basic skills which contribute to success in their careers and

in their private lives. � � �4. To lead the student in the self-discovery process of clarifying and raising the individual’s

goals and achievements commensurate with the student’s potential. � � � �5. To provide a framework and atmosphere of learning which will enhance the student’s capabil-

ity to demonstrate ethical and moral values in professional, personal, and business situations. � �6. To strive for and maintain excellence in business, specialized, and general education by

systematically reviewing classroom facilities, equipment, curricula, faculty, and staff. �7. To make available to our students activities and experiences which foster personal growth and

leadership qualities that will assist students in their social, vocational, and academic pursuits. � � �8. To provide placement assistance for graduates and students through individual counseling. �9. To maintain a process of communication with the community of employers to assure

relevant curricula to meet the developing needs of the economic community. � � �

Figure 1.3 - General Education Assessment Matrix

DEPARTMENT OBJECTIVES: INSTITUTIONAL OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of the program, the graduate will be able to: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1. Effectively communicate in writing by developing coherent essays, critical analyses, research papers, and documents using appropriate language, grammar, and documentation.

� � � � � � � �

2. Utilize effective oral communication skills to develop and deliver speeches and presentations that are organized and coherent. � � � � � � � �

3. Demonstrate ethical reasoning by distinguishing between right and wrong through evaluation and analysis of contem-porary ethical issues.

� � � � � � � �

4. Demonstrate critical thinking skills by analyzing issues, and problems, and texts, taking into account contrasting points of view and adopting a position supported by evidence.

� � � � � � �

5. When given a problem, demonstrate quantitative reasoning skills by generating solutions and recommending a course of action. � � � � � � �

6. Demonstrate interpersonal skills by contributing productively in small groups by assuming accountability, modeling appro-priate behaviors, recognizing strengths and weaknesses of other individuals and the importance of compromise.

� � � � � � � �

7. Practice tolerance in diverse and multi-cultural settings. � � � �8. Demonstrate professionalism with self-management skills

including goal setting and time management. � � � � � � � � �



Midstate College supports general education objec-tives across the curriculum. A future step in assur-ing that general education objectives are addressed across the curriculum will include a matrix matching program objectives to the general education matrix. The evidence can be found in the course objectives or in the rubrics for assessing assignments.

1P2: Designing New Programs and CoursesDesigning New CoursesThe process for designing new courses is based on the research of needs of employers in the fi eld and sug-gestions from program accrediting bodies. Research is the basis of the development of new courses. New outcomes are developed in a cooperative effort be-tween program directors and faculty content experts. The proposed course is approved by both the depart-ment’s faculty and the administration. The course is also reviewed by the program advisory board.

Designing New ProgramsThe process for designing new programs is based on community need and enrollment possibilities. This information comes from research, employer surveys, and advisory board input. When design-ing a new program, a market needs survey is con-ducted, as well as a survey to gauge the student population for interest. At Midstate College, the baccalaureate degrees have been developed to support advanced learning around the associate degrees the College offers. The curricula for the new programs require a minimum of one-year to complete and must be approved by an application to the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

New programs must have the internal approval of the administration and the Board of Directors prior to the application to IBHE. The curriculum is supported by research of public institutions in the state, and the curricula of the three public institutions reviewed are submitted with the application to the state.

Midstate College adheres to all IBHE guidelines when offering new degree programs. The Col-lege must submit a request for institutional change to The Higher Learning Commission (and be ap-proved) for each new baccalaureate degree that is approved by IBHE.

1P3: Preparation of Students for Curricula, Programs, Courses, and LearningUpon enrollment, students are required to complete the Midstate College Entrance Exam. The Entrance Exam assesses problem-solving abilities, spelling,

vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing skills, English usage, and quantitative thinking ability. By reviewing the student success indicators, the ad-mission score has been raised ten points over the last fi ve years. By the same process, some of the programs have established entrance score require-ments for admission to individual programs: Medi-cal Assisting, Health Information Technology, and Judicial Reporting. Other departments prefer to allow all interested students to be admitted to their programs once the requirements for admission to the College have been met. Students requiring re-mediation in English are placed in a Basic English course prior to Composition. A math placement exam, developed by the math committee, is also administered to determine placement in the appro-priate math courses.

Figure 1.4 - Program Entrance Exam Requirements

Program Entrance Score Requirements

College Admission Composite score 45

Medical Assisting Wonderlic 20 and/or sum of 10 on reading comprehension and quantitative thinking

Health Services Management

Wonderlic 24 or associate de-gree in health-related fi eld

Medical Coding Specialist/Health Information Technology

Sum of 12 on reading com-prehension and quantitative thinking

Judicial Reporting Sum of 50 on spelling, English, vocabulary, reading compre-hension, and writing sample

1P4: Communicating Expectations for Student PreparationProgram goals or objectives are published in the College Catalog. The admissions policy outlines admission requirements. General academic ex-pectations are communicated by the admission representatives, marketing publications, and the new student orientation. Expectations are routinely communicated with students as part of the advise-ment process.

The 2007-2008 Catalog describes academic poli-cies and student expectations, including: class at-tendance, academic load, transfer credit, academic program goals, curricula, credit earned by exami-nation and experiential credit, grading, academic probation, suspension, academic recognition, and graduation.



In the admissions process, the applicants receive aca-demic program learning objectives. In the orientation process, new students meet with their department di-rectors to discuss program requirements. Handbooks for eLearning, Health Information Technology, and the Medical Assisting departments are provided.

Student Affairs also helps communicate expecta-tions. Students receive the Midstate College Stu-dent Handbook at orientation. Students also listen to presentations by the President of the College, Chief Operating Offi cer/VP, Chief Academic Dean, Director of Student Affairs/Placement, and the Computing Services Manager.

1P5: Helping Students Select Programs of StudyThe College administration views this area as a strength. In one-on-one interviews the admission representative helps the student decide what pro-gram would be best for him/her. During admission interviews, they discuss the student’s interests, work schedules, and family life. The admissions represen-tative takes this time to inform the prospective student about Midstate’s academic programs. The admissions department collects research through the Department of Employments Services, Illinois Employers Associa-tion, the Occupational Outlook Handbook on salaries and job outlooks. The admissions representative is then able to direct the student to an appropriate pro-gram with scheduling that will work for them. At that time an entrance exam is also scheduled. The scores refl ect the student’s strengths and weakness and are indicative of whether a student will be successful in his or her chosen major.

Students enrolling in eLearning fi rst complete a questionnaire, “Is eLearning for me?” An IT compe-tency exam is then administered to determine the level of training that is necessary to orient the stu-dent to the eLearning mode of delivery.

After admission to Midstate College, the student is advised by their Department Director. The Col-lege addresses the gaps between the necessary and actual preparation of student following the En-trance Exam by placing the students in the neces-sary foundation courses.

1P6: Determining, Documenting, and Commu-nicating Effective Teaching and LearningEffective LearningMidstate College measures the overall effective learn-ing of problem-solving skills, English, and math via the comparison of Entrance and Exit Exam scores. The

measurement of learning outcomes for individual stu-dents is conducted at the course level via pre-testing and post-testing in each course and reviewed by the Chief Academic Dean. Instructors complete assess-ment worksheets for every course each quarter. The information is recorded in a database for analysis by the administration. The benefi t of the assessment pro-cess is that the instructor has immediate feedback to improve instruction as she/he records the information. The instructor also completes a course evaluation at the end of the term that allows refl ection upon the methods of instruction, effectiveness of assignments, and effectiveness of resources. A new academic as-sessment cycle is being implemented this fall. Current-ly the Chief Academic Dean interviews all graduates prior to graduation to ascertain strengths and oppor-tunities for improvement of programs, instruction, and preferable instructional styles. Almost all graduates of Midstate College prefer hands-on learning with the re-mainder enjoying a variety of lecture, demonstration, visual aid, etc. This process is in place and is on track for continuous quality improvement.

Effective TeachingThe Personnel Policy and Procedure Handbook documents Midstate’s philosophy of teaching on pages 20-31. “The Most Important Attribute a Teacher Can Have” and “Principles and Motivation” are sections in the Handbook that provide faculty with insight to Midstate College’s teaching philoso-phy. Other information relevant to effective teach-ing can be found in the Handbook. All faculty are issued the Handbook in the hiring process. The College recognizes that the non-traditional student appreciates relevant subject matter. This need is also communicated to the instructors as they pre-pare their instructional materials.

Midstate College determines and documents effective teaching with quarterly course evaluations completed by students. The course evaluations document the students’ perceptions of effective instruction. The last comprehensive, documented performance evalua-tion of program directors by the Chief Academic Dean was in 2002. Changes in the performance evaluation process in January 2008 will improve the regularity of faculty evaluations. At that time the program direc-tors evaluated the faculty in their departments. Sub-sequent to that process, the administration has con-structed a one-page evaluation form for classroom visits to be conducted this year. This approach allows open-ended observations of instructors’ classroom performance and proves to be a good addition to the faculty evaluation process. The quarterly course



evaluations completed by the students alert the ad-ministration to any areas that need to be investigated further. All evaluations of instructors are shared, and the instructor has the opportunity to provide feedback for documentation in the fi les.

Instructors are selected on the basis of their aca-demic credentials plus professional experience in the area of instruction.

During the selection for hiring interview, the adminis-tration explains the philosophy of instruction at Mid-state College which includes caring, respectful, sup-portive, and individual attentiveness to student needs. On page 5 of the Personnel Handbook, the College’s Code of Ethics and the College’s Commitment to Stu-dents is published. The Course Evaluations that the instructors complete at the end of each term allows for refl ection of their teaching methods and effective teaching. These Course Evaluations by instructors are submitted to the Chief Academic Dean for review at the end of each term. Copies of the evaluations are provided to Department Directors.

1P7: Building an Effective and Effi cient Course Delivery SystemBalancing Student and Institutional NeedsOne of the favorable characteristics of Midstate Col-lege is small class sizes with opportunities for indi-vidual attention. While the College prefers a 12:1 ratio for classes, there are times that the needs of the students enrolled require smaller class sizes. First and foremost, Midstate College strives to meet the timely progression needs of its students. In or-der to maintain the balance between student and institutional needs, the department directors man-age the enrollments of their students through ad-vising so that extremely low enrollments in courses can be avoided. The current average class size is 8.49 as of Fall 2006. The current student to faculty ratio is 10:1.

Building an Effective and Effi cient Course De-livery SystemThe process for building a course delivery system is based on students’ needs. Ideal course sequences have been developed and distributed to students in each department. New applicants are advised dur-ing departmental orientation. Department Directors discuss the proper sequence in advising sessions. In some instances, the students are surveyed to deter-mine future course offerings, especially to determine the shifts (eLearning, day, evening, and weekend) the students prefer so that the courses to meet their individual needs can be scheduled properly.

The Chief Academic Dean prepares a schedule of general core courses and publishes this core on the S drive (secure shared network drive) quarterly. The Department Directors and eLearning Support Specialist assess the needs of their students and submit the department’s course needs to the Chief Academic Dean prior to the third week of the quar-ter. The Chief Academic Dean then coordinates the master schedule to assure space needs are met. The academic departments, including the Admis-sions Department, review the schedule to be sure that students’ needs will be met. The master sched-ule is published to begin registration during the 7th week of the quarter. During registration, Depart-ment Directors assess the students’ needs for the subsequent quarter, and the cycle continues.

1P8: Monitoring the Currency and Effective-ness of CurriculumChanging or Discontinuing Programs and CoursesThe process for changing or discontinuing a course within a curriculum involves the Department Di-rector, departmental faculty, program advisory boards, and the administration. The faculty can propose changes which the Department Director will review with the advisory board and the admin-istration. With the approval of the administration, revisions are submitted to the catalog coordinator, along with a revised syllabus. The revised syllabus is provided to all instructors assigned to teach the course.

The process to discontinue a program is an admin-istrative process. Enrollments, market needs, out-comes assessment, and revenue appreciated are studied over two to three years. The new Academic Program Review Process will provide an effective mechanism for reviewing key program success in-dicators on a three-year cycle.

Maintaining the Currency and Effectiveness of the CurriculumThe process for maintaining the currency and ef-fectiveness of the curriculum involves the analysis of employer and graduate follow-up surveys, along with reports from the Community Outreach Coordi-nator. The program advisory boards provide annual input regarding the currency of the curriculum. The effectiveness of the curriculum is also ascertained via employer and graduate follow-up surveys, along with placement statistics and evaluations from ex-ternship sites. The curricula of the various programs are reviewed each year prior to the publishing the College’s catalog.



The College’s quest for quality by participating in de-partmental accreditations, as well as its involvement with the Academic Quality Improvement Program of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Cen-tral Association of Colleges and Schools, provides opportunities to assure attention to this issue. The College is also a Microsoft IT Academy. The College participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative to as-sure consistency in standards of general education courses in Illinois’ colleges and universities.

Also, in the case of the medical programs, the di-rectors and faculty members must constantly pur-sue continuing education to ensure that they are teaching the most up-to-date information. Profes-sional organizations provide additional information about current hot topics.

1P9: Determining the Student and Faculty Needs for Learning SupportThe student and faculty needs relative to learning support for individual courses are determined pri-marily by individual faculty. The library is the hub for learning support. Students requiring tutoring have several means of acquiring support. The li-brary staff is prepared to serve as liaisons between students and tutors. The library staff communicates with instructors to ascertain pertinent information for the process.

Faculty provide requests to the librarian for re-sources to support their courses. There are com-puters with software pertinent to the various cours-es for students to utilize outside of class, including course specifi c software, such as Lexis-Nexis for the legal students. Practice tests are available for reviewing for the Microsoft Offi ce Specialist (MOS) exams.

1P10: Aligning Co-Curricular Development Goals with Curricular Learning ObjectivesStudent activities or co-curricular activities help to develop learning, behavior, values, and support the common learning objectives at Midstate College. For instance, the following three general education objectives are supported by student activities, such as Student Senate, Midstate Medics, Alpha Iota Sorority, Phi Beta Lambda, the Student Volunteer/Achievement program, and more.• Demonstrate interpersonal skills by contribut-

ing productively in small groups by assuming accountability, modeling appropriate behaviors, recognizing strengths and weaknesses of other individuals and the importance of compromise.

• Practice tolerance in diverse and multi-cultural settings.

• Demonstrate professionalism with self-manage-ment skills including goal setting and time man-agement.

These particular general education objectives sup-port the institutional objectives and the mission of the College as documented on the general educa-tion matrix (Figure 1.3). The students’ participation in college-sponsored activities supports these insti-tutional objectives:• To make available to our students, activities, and

experiences which foster personal growth and leadership qualities that will assist students in their social, vocational, and academic pursuits.

• To provide a framework and atmosphere of learn-ing which will enhance the student’s capability to demonstrate ethical and moral values in profes-sional, personal, and business situations.

1P11: Processes for Student AssessmentThe process for student assessment, initially, starts with the mission and objectives of the College and program goals.

Course assessment is the front line of student assess-ment. Midstate College initiated the process of assess-ment by requiring pre-tests and post-tests based on the learning objectives of the course to determine in-dividual students’ learning outcomes for each course. The faculty are responsible for the assessment of student achievement. The challenges have been to have across-the-board compliance with documenting this assessment and then to analyze the results for improvement of instruction when necessary.

The outcomes of the objectives for each individual student are documented on a form with a class av-erage documented for measuring effectiveness of instruction and student learning. This process is being improved to include technology to allow for end-of-term electronic reporting.

The course objectives support the program goals. Graduates of the individual programs should have performance outcomes ranging from average to excellent.

The individual programs have a variety of means to assess the achievement of their students; however, the results of these assessment measurements are reported in a consistent manner to the administra-tion via the end-of-quarter assessment.



The results of the mandatory Entrance and Exit Ex-ams assess the value-added in problem-solving, English, vocabulary, writing, reading comprehen-sion, and quantitative thinking.

1P12: Preparation of Graduates for Further Education or EmploymentMidstate College measures the employability of our students as one of the accurate assessments of whether the College is attaining the goals out-lined in the Mission Statement. A recent survey of students who graduated in the fi scal year of Sep-tember 2005 through August 2006 indicated that fi fty-four percent (54%) of the graduates found positions in education-related jobs. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of the graduates indicated that they were continuing their education. Three percent (3%) of graduates surveyed reported that they were employed in non-training related positions or unemployed. Thirteen percent (13%) of the grad-uates have declined placement services or are not currently seeking employment. Using the Illinois Review Standard formula for placement statistics, Midstate College’s overall placement rate for 2005 - 2006 is 94%.

We are not formally documenting our graduates’ preparation for future education. The baccalaure-ate graduates that have reported back to us are having no problems getting into master’s programs at other institutions. The Administration plans to track the academic progress of the graduates for future education.

1P13: Measures of Student PerformanceThe measures of performance that are collected and analyzed regularly, include grades, atten-dance, satisfactory academic and timely progress, the results of the entrance and exit exams, the re-sults of the exit interviews and surveys, placement statistics, employer surveys, graduate follow-up surveys, internship and externship evaluations, course pre-test and post-test scores, and program assessments.

Results (R)

1R1: Assessment of Objectives

Figure 1.5 - Assessment of Objectives

Objectives Results

Course • Pre-test and Post-test based on learning objectives to determine outcomes

• Course Evaluations

Program • Academic assessment of out-comes of student learning, portfo-lios and/or comprehensive exams

• Certifi cation exam pass rates• Placement rates• Externship/Internship evaluations• Exit interviews & surveys

Institutional • Student satisfaction• Retention/completion rates• Placement rates

1R2: Evidence of Student Knowledge and SkillsThe Chief Academic Dean collects worksheets from the faculty at the end of each term that document learning outcomes for the students in individual courses. This information is entered into a data-base that can be analyzed for evidence of student knowledge and skills. Data can be compared by in-structor, by course, by term to determine improve-ment in meeting targeted outcomes. This process is targeted for expansion in our next action projects.

1R3: Results for Processes Associated with Helping Students LearnThe faculty, staff, and administration completed the Examiner upon application to AQIP. In subsequent in-service meetings, we pulled questions pertinent to the AQIP Categories and the processes associated with them. The results for Helping Students Learn follow:

The Student Opinion Survey gathers information about the student’s satisfaction with all areas of the College, including a comparison of 2004 results through 2007.

Figure 1.6 - Results for Processes Associated with Helping Students Learn

The AQIP Criteria - Midstate College 2004 2006 2007

5 = Very effective process1 = Very ineffective process Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Mean S.D.

Helping Students Learn 3.82 1.00 3.91 1.38 3.98 0.73



Figure 1.7 - Student Opinion Survey Results

Category 2004 2007

Admissions 4.19 4.33

Financial Assistance/Accounting 4.19 4.34

Scheduling and Registration 4.12 4.15

Academics 4.06 4.33

Library Services 4.36 4.50

Bookstore Services 4.38 4.43

Placement Services 4.13 4.22

Student Services/Activities 4.26 4.33

Facilities 4.12 4.34

Security 4.15 4.37

Technical Services 4.23 4.43

Because the College believes in fostering a caring atmosphere toward its students, the following ques-tions apply from the Student Opinion Survey:

1R4: Comparison of Results of Other Higher Education InstitutionsNot available at this time.

Improvement (I)

1I1: Improving Current Processes and SystemsImprovement of our current processes and systems for helping students learn and develop is done in-formally based on the feedback we have from the students and our experience. As we move forward in quality improvement, it is understood that more fo-cus will need to be on documenting our processes.The College has conducted a Student Opinion Sur-

vey annually for many years. There have been sev-eral instances of improvements being made on the basis of the results of this survey, including sched-uling, new furniture, a new campus, adjustments in rooms to increase sound barriers, temperature controls, expansion of library resources, security, and additional study areas to name a few. The ad-ministration acts aggressively on issues involving the needs and welfare of students.

1I2: Setting Targets, Improvement Priorities, and CommunicationCurrently, targets are set in the strategic plan-ning process. The targets include institutional and academic assessment, the development of new programs and program accreditations, facility im-provements, community outreach, and communi-cation. These targets and priorities are published in the strategic plan which is approved by the Board of Directors and communicated via the plan with the faculty and staff.

Figure 1.8 - Student Opinion Survey

General Survey Questions 2004 2007

How do you rate the concern the faculty and staff demonstrate to you as an individual? 4.23 4.31

How do you rate the attitude of the College’s non-teaching staff toward you? 4.20 4.36

How do you rate the attitude of the faculty toward you? 4.13 4.31

How do you rate the encouragement that you receive from faculty and staff to achieve your full potential? 4.34 4.39

How do you rate the effectiveness of student leadership in College policies? 4.15 4.30

How do you rate your understanding of the academic probation and suspension policies? 4.06 4.17

Overall Student Satisfaction Rating on a 5.0 scale – 5 most satisfi ed 4.18 4.33

Category Two - Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives



- 22 - Category TwoAQIP Systems Portfolio


2C1: Explicit Distinctive ObjectivesMidstate College’s explicit distinctive objectives are: (1) the caring family atmosphere; (2) corporate re-sponsibility and enhanced community employment training; and (3) International eLearning Research Publication.

Caring Family AtmosphereThree generations of the Bunch family have owned and operated the College since 1965 and have cre-ated an aesthetically pleasing family atmosphere and plans to continue this tradition well into the future.

Midstate College re-enforces this atmosphere by maintaining an open door policy and making avail-able to our students, activities and experiences which foster personal growth and leadership quali-ties that will assist students in their social, voca-tional, and academic pursuits.

The single location, student-oriented campus in con-junction with the open door policy encourages life-long commitment to not only students but graduates of the College. This is evidenced by the high com-mitment level of alumni Board of Directors members and their dedication to the Alumni Association.

Midstate College created the position of Director of Student Affairs in 1990. The focus of this posi-tion is to provide enhanced activities and services to the students and alumni. The College supports the position by allocating signifi cant resources for a wide variety of family-oriented events such as the Halloween parties, luaus, school carnivals, drive-in movie nights, and other activities that include the children of our non-traditional students. These events are free to our students and their families.

The employees of Midstate College relate to the students in a caring, family-like manner that pro-vides support in reaching their goals of completion. We know our students by name, and we go the ex-tra mile in encouraging them through one-on-one counseling, tutoring, and support services.

In an effort to maintain engagement with the com-munity and with former graduates, Midstate College re-established the Midstate Alumni Association in the fall term 2003. The Midstate Alumni Association Board of Directors meets on a monthly basis. The Board is engaged in planning and development to expand the membership and activities of the As-

sociation. The membership in this association has increased by 53% since the fall term 2004. There is no membership fee in order for our graduates to join the Alumni Association. The College addition-ally provides resources to the Alumni Association for the events they sponsor such as picnics, minor league baseball games, professional hockey nights, and more. The alumni events are open to students, graduates, employees of the College, and families. The Student Affairs department assists the Alumni Association in facilitating these events.

Corporate Responsibility and Enhanced Com-munity Employment TrainingThe second distinctive objective became prominent when it was chosen as an action project. In 2004 the College implemented the Fostering Relationships with Area Businesses and Organizations (FRABO) Action Project that established a commitment of the College to maintain relationships with organizations that provide services to our community. The Col-lege conducts fundraising, volunteer support, dona-tion drives, and more for community organizations such as: Dress-for-Success, Center for Prevention of Abuse, Easter Seals, and American Red Cross.

Through this commitment the College has addition-ally created partnership agreements with organiza-tions such as City of Peoria’s Workforce Network. This collaborative relationship is benefi cial to both parties. The College provides training free-of-ser-vice to the community at Workforce’s training cen-ter and participates in semi-annual career fairs and monthly mini fairs. Workforce Network provides the marketing and venue for these events to Midstate College in return.

Another partnership agreement has been estab-lished as of October 8, 2007, between Midstate College and City of Peoria’s Workforce Network. Midstate College will provide training to the non-profi t agency partners of the City of Peoria’s Work-force Development Department through the Com-munity Empowering Youth Grant. Midstate College will provide training to the staff of partner agencies including, but are not limited to: Community Build-ers, Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Op-portunity (PCCEO), Children’s Home, and Peoria Tri-County Urban League.

Working with Workforce Network on the Community Empowering Youth grant, Midstate College will de-velop and deliver fi ve training courses to non-profi t agencies in the following content areas: Marketing



Plans, Program Development, Reporting and Eval-uation, Volunteer/Mentoring Programs, and Grant Writing. Each course will consist of three day-long, on-campus training session on consecutive Fri-days, with online course work and interaction dur-ing each of the three weeks. The training project will be developed and delivered from November 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008.

International eLearning Research PublicationMidstate College’s third distinctive objective is In-ternational eLearning Research. This objective is important because it encourages collaboration with other like institutions and provides visibility and critique from peers at an international level. The white papers that have been written address cur-riculum, technology, and best practices of Midstate eLearning. Since 2001 the College has presented papers in Russia, Brazil, and Hawaii. Members of the presentation team not only provide knowledge to the online eLearning community but gain knowl-edge in return from peer institutions.

2C2: Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Phi-losophyTop administration, along with the Administrative Planning Committee, ensure the distinctive objec-tives align with our mission, vision, and philosophy. The objectives align as follows:

The caring family atmosphere aligns with the institu-tional objective to make available to our students ac-tivities and experiences which foster personal growth and leadership qualities that will assist students in their social, vocational, and academic pursuits.

Corporate responsibility and enhanced community employment training aligns with the institutional ob-jective of maintaining a process of communication with the community of employers to assure relevant curricula that meet the developing needs of the eco-nomic community. In addition this objective aligns with the diversity in our Code of Ethics which leads the student in the self-discovery process of clarify-ing and raising the individuals’ goals and achieve-ments commensurate with the student’s potential.

The distinctive objective International eLearning Research aligns with the mission of Midstate Col-lege in providing educational opportunities that emphasize skills and knowledge that will allow the student to adjust through a lifetime of social and technological change.

2C3: Distinctive Objectives Supporting and Complementing Helping Students LearnThe caring family atmosphere is conducive to learning and supports student participation in the classroom. Small class size allows for more one-on-one atten-tion, and the caring family atmosphere fosters close relationships between the learner and the facilitator.

Corporate responsibility provides opportunities for volunteerism and community service that creates a diverse educational environment that attracts, nurtures, and supports a diverse student and staff community. These opportunities lead the student in the self-discovery process of clarifying and raising the individual’s goals and achievements commen-surate with the student’s potential.

Enhanced community employment training provides an avenue for the College to share with the commu-nity our placement/career service skills which are a vital part of the College. In our partnership with Work-force Network the College provides career training seminars to the public on a monthly basis with the assistance of the Placement Department and Profes-sional Development faculty. Professional Develop-ment is one of Midstate’s signature courses that are required to be taken by all our students. The course enhances the student’s skills in interviewing, resume writing, and professionalism. The Placement Depart-ment participates in the mock interviews required in the course and provides feedback to the students and faculty. Placement/Career Services and Professional Development faculty not only collaborate on efforts in the community but on-campus as well. Lifetime placement services have been a part of the College’s vision, philosophy, and objectives for many years.

The distinctive objective International eLearning Research Publications enable the College to evalu-ate our eLearning systems in an open forum which ultimately provides a stronger eLearning system.

Processes (P)

2P1: Setting Distinctive ObjectivesTop level administration utilizes feedback from the entire campus in their quest to determine the College’s distinctive objectives. All school in-ser-vices, held biannually provide opportunities for all personnel to communicate input. This provides ad-ministration with a feel of what is important to the institution as a whole and what will provide the most benefi t to the College and community.



2P2: Communicating Distinctive ObjectivesThe communication process at Midstate College con-sists of varied and diverse methods. One of the main areas for communication of expectations is through the Administrative Planning Committee meetings and the strategic plan. The College Catalog, the Student Handbook, the Personnel Policies and Procedures Handbook, e-mail, and newsletters are the major av-enues for communication of the distinctive objectives and the activities associated with them.

2P3: Faculty and Staff Needs Relative to Dis-tinctive ObjectivesRelative to the distinctive objectives faculty and staff needs are determined through departmental and programmatic requests and proposals to the administration for activities and funding.

2P4 and 2P5: Review, Assessment, and Feed-back of Distinctive ObjectivesThe students annually complete the Student Opin-ion Survey which gauges student satisfaction with Student Affairs and activities. The survey results are reviewed by administration and are distributed to all full-time faculty, staff, and administration. This tool provides feedback that enables the College to respond and make changes in a short period of time. The Student Opinion Survey is conducted annually.

Recognition received at the international confer-ences provides feedback on international eLearning research endeavors. The College has received sev-eral awards for their white papers and has been pub-lished in online learning journals. The international and peer feedback help to assess the strength of the College’s eLearning system and provide an avenue for growth in the online educational environment. Conferences are attended on an annual basis

Results (R)

2R1, 2R2, and 2R3: Results in Accomplishing Distinctive ObjectivesThere are no published results regarding accom-plishing distinctive objectives at this time.

Improvement (I)

2I1: System and Process ImprovementsImprovement is measured by student satisfaction as represented in the annual Student Opinion Survey, Graduate Surveys, and Exit Interviews. These results

are reviewed by the faculty, staff, and administrators of Midstate College. Follow-up to areas of low perfor-mance are investigated immediately and improved as soon as expediently possible. The fact that Midstate College relies heavily on student satisfaction with the quality of education is the driving force in facing prob-lems and striving to solve them quickly.

2I2: Setting Priorities for ImprovementThere are no published results for this area.

Category Three - Understanding Students’and Other Stakeholders’ Needs



- 26 - Category ThreeAQIP Systems Portfolio


3C1: Stakeholders:Students are subcategorized in the following cat-egories:• Shift: Day, Night, and Online• Program: Bachelor, Associate, or Diploma• Status: Future Start, Quarter off, Re-enter, and

Graduate• Enrollment Status: Full-time, Half-time, ¾ time,

and Less than Half-time• Mode of Learning: On-campus, eLearning, or both

Stakeholders are subcategorized in the following categories:• Area Businesses/Employers• Accrediting Agencies

• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health

Education Programs (CAAHEP)• Commission on Accreditation of Health Infor-

matics and Information Management Educa-tion (CAAHIM)

• National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)• Government Agencies

• Illinois Student Assistance Commission• Illinois Board of Higher Education• Department of Education

• Board of Directors• Advisory Boards• Alumni Association• Student Families• Area Colleges• Area High Schools

3C2: Student and Stakeholder Expectations and Requirements

Figure 3.1 - Student Expectations and Requirements

Short-Term Long-Term

Learning Graduation

Financial Assistance Employability

Flexible Scheduling Placement

Access to Technology Academic Success

Safe Campus

Campus Activities

Figure 3.2 - Continuous Expectations

Stakeholder Expectations

Area Businesses Competency of graduates

Accrediting Agencies Require competencies and standards

Government Agencies Compliance with regulations

Board of Directors Accountability, timely and ac-curate information

Advisory Boards

To utilize the knowledge the college gains from them to prepare students to enter today’s workforce

Area Colleges Articulation agreements

Area High Schools Provide accessible education to their graduates

Student Families Affordability, fl exible schedul-ing, and employment

Processes (P)

3P1: Determining Student NeedsThe needs of Midstate students are measured quan-titatively through a variety of reports including:• Enrollment and Lead Reports generated by the

admissions and marketing department to identify surges or declines in interest of specifi c programs or courses offered at Midstate. These reports are utilized in addressing marketing and course scheduling needs.

• Employer Surveys are used to evaluate Midstate College graduates’ professional performance to ensure the learning objectives of specifi c pro-grams have been met and/or whether the objec-tives need to be modifi ed to better suit the com-munity/graduates.

• Student Opinion Survey is distributed once an academic year to the entire student body to eval-uate satisfaction in all areas of the College includ-ing admissions, fi nancial aid, facilities, technical support, and academics.

• Course Evaluations are given to students in the tenth week of each term. This survey is used as an instrument for the students to evaluate their current course content and quality of instruction.

• Exit Questionnaires are given to students who are withdrawing from the College to identify any challenges or problems that may have caused or infl uenced the student to leave.



• An eLearning Survey is distributed to online stu-dents to collect information regarding student’s current Internet connection, software, and overall satisfaction with eLearning courses. This survey aids in determining technology standards that will best meet the student’s needs.

Qualitative analysis of student needs is conducted through:• Exit Interviews conducted by the Chief Academic

Dean to evaluate graduate opinions on their expe-rience at Midstate College. The College has re-cently switched to graduate surveys but still offers interviews to the graduates who are interested.

• Open-door Policy describes the President, VP/Chief Operating Offi cer, Chief Academic Dean, faculty and staff availability to meet with students one-on-one to address questions and concerns.

• Student focus groups are conducted twice a year by the President to collect student feedback. The meetings are held as another avenue to enhance communication with students.

• Due to the small size of the college, informal com-munication and daily interaction are also big com-ponents in collecting feedback from students.

At this time, there is not a defi nitive course of ac-tion for reacting to many of the fi ndings in the data. However, when there is an emerging trend or con-cern then the administration decides the course of action in a timely manner. The small, family nature of the College provides the administration with the opportunity to respond in this manner.

3P2: Building and Maintaining Relationships with StudentsBuilding and maintaining relationships with students is one of Midstate College’s greatest strengths. Re-lationships are built and maintained throughout the duration of the student’s program. The three phas-es students go through are prospective students, current students, and graduates.

Prospective StudentsRelationship building begins with prospective stu-dents who are given the opportunity to meet with an admissions representative where they are intro-duced to the culture of the College and have their questions answered prior to submitting an applica-tion. After the admissions application is submitted the new student is scheduled to meet with fi nancial assistance. During that interview the new student’s fi nancial aid package, tuition, and fee costs are cov-ered. On the fi rst day of the term each new student attends an orientation session where they will meet with staff, faculty, and administration.

Current StudentsOnce the student has matriculated there are sev-eral efforts made by the College to maintain the relationship with the students. Midstate maintains small class sizes. The fall 2006 average class size is 8.49 students which allows the students to es-tablish deeper relationships with faculty to support academic success. The registration process is unique, each student meets with their Department Director to schedule classes, and prior to begin-ning classes signs an enrollment agreement with the Financial Assistance offi ce. This ensures that students are receiving guidance in choosing appro-priate coursework and is knowledgeable of current charges and fi nancial aid awards. The Technical Support department provides assistance to stu-dents by working on the student’s personal PC’s at no charge. Placement assistance is also available to current students.

The Student Affairs department hosts several events designed to make students feel welcome and part of the College such as the school picnic, holiday parties, and alumni events. The student’s families are also welcome at all of the events. Many of the academic departments have established clubs with the intent of fostering relationships between stu-dents, promoting professionalism, and networking opportunities.

GraduatesGraduates are interviewed by the Chief Academic Dean in an exit interview to give the graduates an opportunity to give feedback on their experience. All graduates are offered free membership to the Midstate College Alumni Association. This asso-ciation currently has approximately 400 members and holds several events throughout the year. The Placement department offers lifetime placement assistance and keeps electronic copies of graduate resumes to assist the graduates at any time.

3P3: Determining Stakeholder NeedsMidstate College is able to identify the changing needs of stakeholders through advisory boards. Each academic program has its own advisory board that meets once a quarter to review curriculum, dis-cuss marketing ideas, and to stay abreast on the current market trends in the fi eld. The Allied Health department also surveys each employer who has a Medical Assistant extern to ensure that the student has learned the appropriate skills/competencies to be successful in the workforce. Working with area employers to develop and maintain quality academic



programs has been such an integral part of the plan-ning process that Midstate has created Community Outreach activities. These activities focus on de-velopment of relationships, externship partnerships, and opportunities for continuing education.

3P4: Building and Maintaining Relationships with StakeholdersMany employees attend workshops, conferences and seminars hosted by associations such as Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (ILASFAA), North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), etc. The College also encourages profes-sional development through tuition reimbursement and CEU’s.

Midstate also visits the area high schools regularly where admissions representatives discuss current trends with the counselors. Admissions representa-tives attend several college nights in the Central Illinois area. Annually the admissions department also hosts a high school counselor’s luncheon on campus.

3P5: Determining New Educational Offerings Based on New Student and Stakeholder NeedsThe College attempts to keep abreast of employ-ment and economic trends in the tri-county area. The College’s size is an advantage in this area because we are able to react quickly with minimal bureaucracy to keep up-to-date with student and other stakeholder needs.

3P6: Collecting Complaint Information and Analyzing FeedbackMidstate College uses several surveys/evaluations to collect student and employer feedback informa-tion. The chart below refl ects summative feedback.

The size of Midstate College also allows for a plethora of formative feedback. The College promotes an open-door policy which lets students know that they can ad-dress any complaints, comments, or questions directly to the faculty, and administration. Complaints are ad-dressed through emails and informal communication.

The Student Grievance Policy, along with the Grade Appeal Policy, is published in the College Catalog and Student Handbook: “Students expressing a grievance about the application of college policy, academic or non-academic, shall attempt to seek informal resolution of the matter with the faculty or staff member involved, or if necessary, with the help of the immediate supervisor or the faculty/staff member. If such informal procedures do not affect a resolution of the matter in an equitable manner, the student may submit a written, signed complaint to the President of the College.”

“Students may appeal a grade by completing an Ap-plication for Grade Appeal form, available from the front offi ce. All appeals must be in writing and re-ceived within a six-week period following the end of the term. A committee of faculty will then review the appeal. The decision of the committee is fi nal.”

3P7: Determining Student and Other Stake-holder Satisfaction• Student Opinion Survey are distributed once per

year and measures student satisfaction in admis-sions, fi nancial aid, academics, scheduling, etc.

• Student focus groups are conducted by the Presi-dent twice a year in which opinions and ideas are relayed face-to-face.

• The Help-A-Friend program is an incentive program for current students to refer new students. The number of referrals refl ects student satisfaction.

Figure 3.3 - Surveys/Evaluations

Surveys/Evaluations Function Timing

Course Evaluations Gives each student the opportunity to evaluate course/instructor

Distributed at the end of each course

Student Opinion Survey Survey has questions about every facet of the college including academics, scheduling, facilities, security, admissions, etc.

Distributed during the summer quarter each year

Exit Questionnaire Completed by student when they withdraw from school. Questionnaire that helps to evaluate student’s reason for leaving.

Anytime student withdrawals from school

Extern Site Evaluations Given to extern sites to identify and improve student learning objectives

Given at the end of students externs

Suggestion Box Located in the front offi ce lobby for students to sub-mit comments or suggestions

Continuous



• Exit Interviews are conducted in the student’s last term prior to graduation. These interviews are conducted by the Chief Academic Dean to mea-sure student satisfaction with his/her academic program and the College.

• Graduation/Retention rates are also indicative of student satisfaction.

• Audits are performed by a local accounting agency annually and reported to the Department of Edu-cation. The Illinois Student Assistance Commis-sion also performs audits every three years which are reported to the Department of Education.

• Systems Portfolio and action projects are com-pleted and reported to AQIP to maintain accredi-tation.

Results (R)

3R1: Student Satisfaction and PerformanceThe overall student satisfaction is monitored through the Student Opinion Survey annually:

Figure 3.4 - Overall Student Satisfaction Rating

0

1

2

3

4

5

2004

4.18

2005

4.61

2006

4.30

2007

4.33

Year

Rat

ing

The graduate exit surveys from winter of 2006 through the fall of 2007 indicate that 77 of 121 sur-veyed graduates strongly agreed that their educa-tion prepared them for their careers. In the same surveys, 82 out of 121 graduates had a very posi-tive attitude toward their academic programs.

3R2: Results for Building Relationships with StudentsThere is no data available at this time.

3R3: Results for Stakeholder SatisfactionThere is no data available at this time.

3R4: Results of Relationship BuildingThe results of the Student Opinion Survey are list-ed above. Midstate students tend to be very loyal which can be seen in the number of students who stay with Midstate to fi nish higher degrees, become employees, or refer other students. However, there is no quantifi able data at this time.

3R5: Results Compared with Other InstitutionsNot applicable at this time.

Improvement (I)

3I1: Improving Current Processes for Under-standing Student NeedsWhile there are several mediums to collect infor-mation on student needs the College needs to strengthen its effort to understand the needs of its other stakeholders.

3I2: Targets for ImprovementThe College is strong at gathering feedback from students but could improve by developing a sys-tematic approach to react to feedback and commu-nicate results to students. The College is imple-menting an information committee to ensure the data collected is used accordingly and disseminated correctly. The College will also attempt to improve relationships with other stakeholders by developing more articulation agreements with area colleges, working closer with area employees to place and recruit students.

Category Four - Valuing People



- 32 - Category FourAQIP Systems Portfolio


4C1: Distinctive Organization of Work Environ-ment, Work Activities, and Job Classifi cationsThe College’s organizational chart demonstrates the reporting structure, fl ow, and levels of the orga-nization. Each job description incorporates student learning and/or student service as a part of each individual’s job tasks with the premise that students come fi rst.

Student learning is fostered in an atmosphere that focuses on the individual and leads the student in the self-discovery process of clarifying and rais-ing the individual’s goals and achievements com-mensurate with the student’s potential. Midstate College’s mission and objectives strives and main-tains excellence in educational learning by system-atically reviewing classroom facilities, equipment, curriculum, faculty, and staff. The College provides student activities and experiences which foster per-sonal growth and leadership qualities that will assist students in their social, vocational, and academic pursuits. The College’s shared mission, objectives, philosophy, and ethics are embraced throughout the institution in order to provide a quality educational experience that will last our students and graduates a lifetime. We accept our responsibility with pride.

4C2: Key Institutional and Geographic Factors and Part-time EmployeesThe College is located in the metropolitan Peoria metropolitan area, which provides an extensive pool of well-qualifi ed professionals and practitioners who are utilized on a part-time basis to teach cours-es and serve in an advisory capacity in their areas of expertise. In addition to teaching, the College’s part-time personnel are utilized largely as support staff to provide services to the College’s evening and weekend programs and to provide administra-tive support to the academic department directors.

Figure 4.1 - Ratio of Part-Time to Full-Time Faculty

69% Part-Time

31% Full-Time

Figure 4.2 - Ratio of Part-Time to Full-Time Administra-tion and Staff

23% Part-Time

77% Full-Time

4C3: Workforce Demographic TrendsThe key demographic characteristics of the College are age and non-traditional workforce trends. The median age in Peoria, IL is 34.4 and the average age of the College’s students is 31.8. Only twenty-seven percent of the College’s enrollment is com-prised of students that are attending college for the fi rst-time. Seventy-three percent of the College’s enrollment is comprised of students that have pre-viously attended college, are adult learner’s seek-ing promotion and advancement, or are seeking to change career paths. Students commute anywhere from fi ve minutes to one hour to attend classes, and 54% take at least one course online.

The College allows for fl exibility in instruction and work hours in order to accommodate the needs of the non-traditional student that has many respon-sibilities including family, work, commuting, and many other external factors. The one-on-one at-tention and open-door policy at the College aid in the students’ successful completion.

The Peoria area employment needs are addressed through assistance from the Illinois Board of Higher Education, departmental advisory boards, and our increased partnership affi liations with Workforce Network, area employers, and the Employers’ As-sociation that all provide feedback on workforce trends. These entities assist in identifying and pro-jecting the employment needs for Peoria and the surrounding area.

4C4: Current and Planned Training Initiatives• New Personnel Orientation: The College is ad-

dressing the enhancement of the faculty orienta-tion program in the next cycle of AQIP projects starting the fall of 2007.

• eLearning Faculty Orientation: Each new eLearning faculty completes a competency test



and a survey entitled: “Am I Prepared to be an eLearning Instructor at Midstate College”. This is completed as part of the hiring process. Once hired there are 12 hours of training and a mentor will work with the new faculty through the fi rst 6 weeks of the term. The new faculty are provided one-on-one technical support.

• Professional Development: The College encour-ages personnel to continue their education in ef-forts to enhance their knowledge and career posi-tions. Midstate offers tuition reimbursement to its full-time employees in order to facilitate profes-sional development.

• Seminars, Workshops, and Conferences: The College encourages the attendance of seminars, workshops, and conferences in order to enhance knowledge, job performance, and keeping up-to-date on new regulations and procedures within the educational industry. The College pays for attendance in said events.

• CEU Training: The College encourages the con-tinuation of CEU credits in order for employees to retain their credentials and pays for attendance in said events.

• In-house Solution-Focused Training: The Col-lege provides training on-campus in order to keep faculty and staff up-to-date on the latest technolo-gies. These training sessions include Microsoft Offi ce 2007 and that of any technological up-grades that are needed to keep the personnel current with new technology.

• Professional Memberships: The College encour-ages personnel to join professional associations that will enhance their positions.

Processes (P)

4P1: Hiring Process: Specifi c Credentials, Skills, and ValuesThe hiring qualifi cations for Midstate College are determined either by accreditation requirements, specifi c job position requirements, or specifi c needs of the department. All faculty positions require at least one degree or certifi cation level above the level at which they are teaching. Job descriptions are maintained and reviewed regularly in order to determine the credential and skill level required for each position within the organization.

Upon position availability each opening is an-nounced within the organization, on the College website, and externally in order to obtain a pool of

qualifi ed applicants. Whenever possible the Col-lege prefers to promote from within the organization. The interview process includes the President, Vice President/COO, Chief Academic Dean (for faculty), and Department Director conducting a face-to-face interview with the applicants in order to evaluate their skills, philosophy, and values in addressing whether the applicant will be an appropriate fi t for the College. References and transcripts are veri-fi ed in order to determine experience, credentials, work ethic, and character.

4P2: Employee Recruitment, Hiring, Retention, and OrientationThe recruiting process begins once a position open-ing has been approved by the President or Vice President/COO. Announcements are placed in-ternally in order to provide promotion opportunities from within the organization. Position announce-ments are also provided through the College’s website and external arenas such as pjstar.com, peoriahelpwanted.com, Peoria Journal Star, career fairs, and word of mouth. The hiring process in-cludes an interview, reference check, and transcript verifi cation. Midstate strives to hire qualifi ed appli-cants with the same values and caring attitude that the College exudes towards its students. Midstate College is an equal opportunity employer.

The College retains its employees by providing a caring, positive, family atmosphere. The open-door policy of the College not only applies to its students but to the employees. In addition to special events such as the annual Christmas party, the College allows the employees to hold potlucks, cookouts, and the like for a variety of reasons such as birth-days, baby/wedding showers, and other special occasions. This provides a level of socialization among the employees and facilitates the family at-mosphere and high morale of the employees. The College also provides a benefi ts package of medi-cal insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, 401k, tuition reimbursement, personal/sick days, 11 to 13 paid holidays per year, vacation days (in-creasing at 10 and 20 years of service), year-end bonuses, pay increases for higher degrees ob-tained, continuing education training, and encour-agement in attendance of seminars, workshops, conferences, additional training, and fl exibility in hours and scheduling. For the 401k contributions, the College will match up to 4% of the employee’s income. This rate is one of the highest matching rates in the area.



Average years of service:• administration averages 17 years of service with

all serving more than 5 years• full-time staff averages 5 years of service• part-time staff averages 6 years of service• student workers average 1 year of service• full-time faculty average 7 years of service with all

serving more than 2 years• adjunct faculty average 4 years of service

Once an employee is hired, the department director is responsible for orienting the employee to the Col-lege. The Personnel Policy and Procedure Handbook is utilized to facilitate this process. The handbook in-cludes all employment forms, computer and facilities access forms, and a checklist that the department director is to follow in orienting the new employees. The checklist includes issuing a College Catalog, calendar, Student Handbook, and grade book; tour-ing facilities, reviewing benefi ts, and reviewing de-partment and college policies and procedures.

Since the orientation process is performed by sev-eral different individuals, the process is not always completed in the manner outlined in personnel hand-book and, therefore, creates an opportunity for an improved process that is currently scheduled as an AQIP action project beginning in the fall of 2007.

The College does not have a process that plans for changes in personnel. As the need arises the Col-lege follows the above recruiting process. As the College grows and the administration determines that there are needs for expansion and the need to add departments or personnel, a search is then performed. Whenever feasible, Midstate College prefers to promote from within the organization.

4P3: Work Processes Contribute to Organiza-tional Learning and Ethical Practices• In-services are held annually in which all employ-

ees are involved in strategic planning, visioning, goal setting, accreditation processes, and more. This process allows for campus-wide communica-tion, cooperation, and empowerment in the deci-sions and processes that the College undertakes.

• The Administrative Planning Committee meets quarterly and includes a cross-functional team from all areas of the College. Communication and input throughout the departments is a valu-able tool in working together.

• Communication throughout the campus is provided through an employee newsletter, email, informal communication, and all departments communicate through the Administrative Planning Committee.

• The atmosphere of the College is such that it al-lows personnel across the campus to interact as a team. Whenever assistance is needed, every-one is ready and willing to pitch in and assist their fellow co-workers. Being able to work indepen-dently but with full team support is a strong asset to the College and the employees.

• Special project teams are utilized to gain input from personnel and focus on a specifi c task at hand.

• Team leadership is encouraged within the depart-ments at their departmental meetings.

• Management is empowered to make decisions in their departments and bring decisions to ad-ministration.

• Midstate leadership provides the equipment and facilities needed to perform their duties.

• The College encourages “shared leadership”, employee input, and shared decision making.

• The College has an open-door policy throughout the organization.

• The College’s Code of Ethics outlines the institu-tion’s values of integrity, innovation, continuous improvement, customer focus, and diversity. A full description of the College’s Code of Ethics can be found in the Organizational Overview.

4P4: Training and DevelopmentMidstate College encourages all of its administra-tion, staff, and faculty to obtain higher academic degrees and offers tuition reimbursement to assist personnel in obtaining these goals. Employees are encouraged to attend seminars, conferences, and workshops that will enhance their career paths and to obtain certifi cations and CEU credits in order to keep their skills current. The College also provides in-house training to keep the staff and faculty up-to-date on the latest technologies to enhance job per-formance. Currently 36% of the administration/staff and 18% of the faculty are continuing their education for higher academic degrees. A streamlined process has been developed to assist the employee and the College in scheduling, planning, and processing payment procedures for an employee to attend off-campus seminars, conferences, and workshops.

4P5: Determining Training NeedsTraining needs are determined through the stra-tegic planning process and accreditation require-ments. The College’s evaluation process gives the opportunity to discuss the goals of the employee and the College and assess the need for any ad-ditional training in order to meet those goals. Solu-tion-Focused Training, surveys, in-service training, and course evaluations are utilized to assist in de-



termining training needs. This process provides a continued focus on quality improvement and indus-try standards such as Microsoft updates and other technological advances.

4P6: Personnel Evaluation SystemMidstate College has a formal employee evaluation system for the administration and staff but it is not performed on a regular basis. The small nature of the College allows for immediate feedback on the employees’ performance from their supervisors and the administration, but the College realizes formal employee evaluation needs to be performed on a regular basis. In the past, performing all employee evaluations at once proved cumbersome for the ad-ministration. The administration has a new evalua-tion cycle that distributes employee evaluations by department out over a 12 month period. The new employee evaluation plan will be implemented in January of 2008.

Student evaluations of the faculty are performed at the end of each term for each course. Once tallied, the Chief Academic Dean, Vice President/COO, and President review the evaluations. The informa-tion is then passed along to the Department Direc-tors and faculty.

A classroom evaluation system has been devised in which the Dean, Vice President/COO, and Presi-dent visit classrooms and evaluate the instruction on an individual level and are able to give imme-diate feedback. Faculty complete an instructor’s course evaluation in order to provide assessment on the courses they have taught.

4P7: Recognition, Reward, and Compensation SystemsMidstate College received the Employer of the Year Award for Small Businesses in 2006. The College is a small, family community in which recognition is given and received on a personal level with immedi-ate notifi cation of these accomplishments. Internal email and the Employee Newsletter provide avenues for communicating within the organization regarding employee recognition. Raises and bonuses are giv-en annually based on position and performance.

The College is currently reviewing a proposal for ranking faculty but does not currently have this type of process in place.

For a for-profi t institution, the fl exible schedules; car-ing, family atmosphere; independent and team-based

work structure; and open-door policy, all provide a pleasant place to work where the employee culture out weighs fi nancial gain for many employees.

4P8: Motivation of Faculty, Staff, and Adminis-trationMidstate College’s open-door policy provides op-portunity for discussion, problem solving, and maintaining open lines of communication. Job re-quirements are established in meeting standards and objectives of fulfi lling the goals of each posi-tion. Student evaluations aid in the improvement of teaching methods and practices. The administra-tion reviews evaluations and provides feedback for improvement. Midstate is a small college with an open-door policy that enables the group to commu-nicate on a daily basis.

4P9: Employee Satisfaction, Health and SafetyAnnual AQIP and Employee Communication sur-veys are distributed in order to gauge the satisfac-tion of employees in particular areas of the college such as communication and general understanding of College practices. An overall Employee Satis-faction Survey is being developed.

Midstate has a Health and Safety committee that meets quarterly to review the security and health practices on-campus. The committee is in the pro-cess of developing a crisis recovery plan in the event of a disaster situation. In 2006, security systems were upgraded and are continually being improved upon including the surveillance system, lighting, and more visible security. First aid is available to em-ployees and a disinfecting and cleaning process is in place to lower the spread of viruses. Hand sani-tizers are available in every classroom. Age limita-tions and safety precautions are enforced in the Al-lied Health area due to the presence of hazardous materials. Proper safeguards are in place within the IT structure; for disposal of sensitive data (paper and electronic); locking of personnel data fi les of employ-ees and students, and locking of offi ces.

4P10: Measuring Effectiveness of Valuing PeopleAn AQIP survey is conducted annually. Midstate adapted this survey from the Examiner Survey to pro-vide a more focused survey to gauge our institutional needs and improvements. The survey gauges the College’s overall rating on each of the categories.

Instructor course evaluations are distributed to stu-dents quarterly to determine the student’s satisfac-tion with the instruction and course.



Results (R)

4R1: Results in Valuing PeopleThe following table is a comprehensive compilation of results for the past four years of the annual AQIP survey:

4R2: Results in Processes Associated with Valuing PeopleNot applicable at this time.

4R3: Evidence Productivity and Effectiveness of Faculty, Staff, and AdministrationNot applicable at this time.

4R4: Regarding 4R1 and 4R3, Results Com-pared with Outside Education CommunityNot applicable at this time.

Improvement (I)

4I1: Improved Current Processes and Systems for Valuing PeopleNot applicable at this time.

4I2: Targets for Improvement, Priorities, and Communication with Students, Faculty, Staff, Administrators, and Appropriate StakeholdersNot applicable at this time.

Figure 4.3 - Annual AQIP Survey Comprehensive Results

The AQIP Criteria - Midstate College 2004 2006 2007 Change (07-06)

5 = Very effective process1 = Very ineffective process Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Mean S.D. Mean S.D.

Helping Students Learn 3.82 1.00 3.91 1.38 3.98 0.73 0.07 -0.65

Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives 3.69 1.05 3.89 0.79 3.85 0.83 -0.04 0.04

Understanding Students’ and Other Stake-holders’ Needs 3.92 1.06 3.95 0.78 4.13 0.75 0.19 -0.03

Valuing People 3.49 1.20 3.71 0.85 4.00 0.92 0.29 0.07

Leading and Communicating 3.57 1.17 3.85 0.94 4.03 0.85 0.18 -0.09

Supporting Institutional Operations 3.75 0.97 3.86 0.78 4.19 0.75 0.32 -0.04

Measuring Effectiveness 3.68 1.14 3.37 0.93 3.70 0.84 0.33 -0.09

Planning Continuous Improvement 3.74 1.05 3.89 0.84 4.17 0.66 0.28 -0.18

Building Collaborative Relationships 3.64 1.11 3.83 0.85 3.88 0.81 0.05 -0.04

Category Five - Leading andCommunicating



- 38 - Category FiveAQIP Systems Portfolio


5C1: Leadership and Communication SystemsThe Midstate College leadership and communica-tion’s systems consist of varied and diverse units which guide and direct the fl ow of information and the activities of the institution. The College recog-nizes the need for cooperation and dialog with ex-ternal entities as well as our internal ones.

The following information identifi es the major enti-ties which impact our organization in these impor-tant areas:

External Systems• The Illinois Board of Higher Education: The

IBHE approves all degree granting programs of Midstate College. The staff at the IBHE reviews each program and recommends changes and im-provements to the institution to ensure that it has been developed in accordance with the State of Illinois’ requirements. The President and the VP/Chief Operating Offi cer of Midstate College serve on the Advisory Board for Proprietary Schools to the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Through their involvement with the advisory board, two-way communication between the College and the Board are accomplished. Noteworthy changes by the IBHE are communicated to the administra-tors at the College.

• Through the College’s participation in the Aca-demic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) of the Higher Learning Commission, Midstate Col-lege has strengthened its communication pro-cess and enhanced the organization’s effective-ness as it improves the quality of education that is delivered to its students. AQIP also serves as an oversight agency which monitors the effective-ness of the institution.

• Membership in the Peoria Chamber of Com-merce, The Employers Association, and The Better Business Association also strengthen the institution’s visibility and knowledge in regard to community activities.

• Membership in programmatic accreditation bod-ies such as the National Court Reporting Asso-ciation (NCRA), the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), Commission on Accreditation of Health Infor-matics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM); by their oversight activities, strengthen communication and lend quality to programs of-fered in these areas.

• The Midstate College Board of Directors provides leadership and policy decisions to guide Midstate College as the institution moves through change and growth. The College Board meetings are struc-tured in a unique way which incorporates key ad-ministrators reporting to the Board on the progress of the institution. Then, all non-board members are excused for the Board’s closed session at each meeting. This integration provides communication opportunities to College administrators while they also deliver needed information to the Board.

Internal Systems• Leadership systems within the organization stem

from the President and the VP/Chief Operating Offi cer of Midstate College. Educational philoso-phies and management decisions are developed through an ongoing framework of meetings and conversations with other members of the Col-lege’s administration, faculty, and staff (See Fig-ure 0.6 for the organizational chart).

• Teams and departments are organized and work together toward organizational objectives. The following departments and committees assure communication throughout the organization.• The Chief Academic Dean coordinates the ac-

ademic activities of the institution. The Dean meets with Department Directors, full-time fac-ulty, and adjunct faculty each term to guide and direct their activities. The Dean meets with them individually, as needed, throughout each term.

• The Controller of Midstate College communi-cates fi nancial records to the Director of Finance, the VP/Chief Operating Offi cer, the President, and the Midstate College Board of Directors. The budget is prepared on an annual basis and guides the institution throughout each year.

• The Director of Finance works with the Financial Assistance Department in distributing grants, loans, and other fi nancing which are used to pay each student’s tuition throughout their program. The Director of Finance also serves as the Direc-tor of Human Resources and coordinates em-ployee benefi ts, providing information to each employee about the benefi ts available to them.

• The Director of Student Affairs coordinates student activities and organizations and gives Midstate College a vehicle for students to have a voice in College activities and in return, learn about the activities of their institution. The Di-rector of Student Affairs publishes a quarterly newsletter, “The Midstate Voice,” which is avail-able to all students. The organization’s email system communicates the activities of students and major changes within the institution.



• The Computing Services Manager coordinates all technological resources of the institution. Each student has email access and all student-accessible computers at Midstate are upgraded every three years. The College supports inter-nal information as well as a student portal to disseminate information throughout the stake-holders of the institution.

• Through AQIP, an action project committee has developed a communications process to strengthen communication throughout the or-ganization. The process consists of the follow-ing nine steps:• An annual AQIP in-service will be held each

January to provide updates and gather com-parative data and feedback on each of the AQIP projects.

• The President and/or the VP/Chief Operating Offi cer will attend quarterly faculty meetings and present information about the activities and plans of the institution.

• The employee newsletter is distributed by email to all employees during the sixth week of each term, including the summer term, to provide continuing information on the activi-ties and plans of the institution.

• The Placement Department sends an email to all employees when a graduate is hired with information about the job and the name of the graduate. This information serves as important feedback to faculty and staff about the results of their efforts to educate students for employability. Quarterly placement re-ports are distributed to administration, key staff members, and department directors.

• Meeting minutes of all committees and de-partments are distributed to all employees of the organization to promote effective com-munication.

• The President and the VP/Chief Operating Offi cer have an open-door policy for all stu-dents and employees. Questions or discus-sions about the organization are always wel-comed. An appointment is not required.

• The Action Project team, Leading and Improv-ing the Communications Process throughout the Organization, will meet a minimum of once per term. The cross functional team evaluates current results and seeks ways to continue the process of assuring effective communication throughout the organization. The President of the College is the Commit-tee Chairman for this committee.

• A student focus group meets with the admin-istration during the months of July and Janu-ary each year. The purpose of the meeting is to enhance communication with our students and incorporate their ideas for improvement into our planning process.

• Each year a communications survey is dis-tributed to all employees of the organization, and the results are used to measure the im-provements in the communications process. The administration will analyze the results of the survey to use as a basis for improved re-sults in the future.

5C2: Leadership System Practices and Align-ment with Board and Senior LeadersMidstate College utilizes an interactive leadership style throughout the organization. Downward, lat-eral, and upward communication processes serve to continually align the activities of the institution with the intentions of the board, senior leaders, and the requirements of oversight entities.

The following methods are utilized to facilitate align-ment within the organization through leadership practices and views:• Yearly employee communications surveys identify

weaknesses and strengths in our leadership sys-tem and serve as a basis for corrections. In review of these surveys, the administration has made im-portant improvements within the institution.

• Annual student opinion surveys are used to assess the students’ satisfaction with their educational ex-perience and identify areas of concern for leader-ship to address. One example identifi ed by the sur-vey resulted in the sound proofi ng of a wall between two classrooms. Once identifi ed by administration the problem was solved by building an additional sound reduction wall between the classrooms.

• Open forum discussions in administrative, staff, and faculty meetings.

• Documentation through the College Catalog, the Personnel Policy and Procedure Handbook, and the Student Handbook provide the policies and practices of Midstate College in printed form. The institution’s email provides updates and important notices to employees and students as needed.

• Important processes are communicated and acted upon through the results of the Employee Com-munications Survey. The results are discussed during the Administrative Planning Meetings and appropriate actions are planned or taken at the meetings. The decisions are fed back to the insti-tutional stakeholders. Senior administrators report directly to the Board of Directors at the Midstate



College Board of Directors meetings. Discussions are held between the administrators and the Board on the policies and practices of the college.

• All graduates are required to go through an exit survey. The results are shared at the top levels of the organization.

• The open-door policy policies of the President, VP/Chief Operations Offi cer, and the Chief Academic Dean provide two-way communication to facilitate knowledge of the institution’s policies and practices.

• The administration, department directors, and as-signed faculty and staff attend annual and peri-odic meetings held by oversight organizations to assure Midstate College’s compliance with their requirements and recommendations.

• Participation of leadership in accreditation meetings and reports including appropriate staff and faculty.

• Continued assessment of fi nancial aid programs available to students through the annual Finan-cial Aid Audit.

• Participation on the Proprietary School Advisory Board to the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

5C3: Institutional Values and ExpectationsCode of EthicsThe College’s Code of Ethics outlines the institu-tion’s values of integrity, innovation, continuous improvement, customer focus, and diversity. A full description of the College’s Code of Ethics can be found in the Organizational Overview.

The Midstate College Commitment to Students in the Personnel and Student Handbooks and College Catalog states:• We are committed to our student’s success. We

encourage them to communicate their educational needs.

• We fulfi ll every promise. We strive to meet every educational requirement of our students.

• We have the courage to evaluate and correct.• We choose quality over speed when there is a choice.• We don’t cover up bad news.• We want everyone involved to appropriately ex-

press real feelings and stay engaged.• We want to evaluate and understand the impact

of our actions on our students in a consistent and timely manner.

• We offer fairness to our students and expect fair-ness from our students.

• Our students are our most important consideration.• We strive to exceed their expectations.• We facilitate workable solutions with our students.

The College organizations participate in community projects including Easter Seals, Dress-for-Success, Food Bank, and many other charitable concerns.

Processes (P)

5P1: Leader’s Directions Align with Mission, Vision, and ValuesLeaders set directions of the organization in alignment with a continuous emphasis on quality education for our students. Liberal education and training policies encourage all employees to strengthen their personal knowledge and growth within the organizational mis-sion, vision, and values. This is an ongoing process throughout the College. Positive guidance, direction, and setting positive examples for employees are qual-ities of leadership that steer employees toward high performance within the organization.

Leadership takes into account results from student entrance exams, Student Senate recommendations, faculty meetings, student exit interviews, quarterly student evaluations, student focus groups, and de-partmental meetings when considering how best to meet the needs and expectations of students and key stakeholder groups.

5P2: Leader’s Guidance in Future Opportunities and Building Sustained Learning EnvironmentLeadership guides our institution in seeking future opportunities and building a quality learning envi-ronment. An interrelated system which is based upon the continuous improvement of the College and which strengthens the educational process of the organization is in place. The following items are a description of the processes which are utilized at Midstate College to assure continuing success:• Administrative Planning Committee meetings are

held quarterly with key members of the adminis-tration, staff, and faculty to discuss and review strategic plans of the organization. Open dia-logue is encouraged; however, fi nal decisions are determined by the administration of the College.

• A framework of faculty and staff meetings pro-vides leadership within the departmental teams of the institution.

• Semi-annual all-school in-service meetings are held each year to revitalize institutional initiatives and promote discussion of new ideas which are consid-ered for the College’s strategic plans in the future.

• All major initiatives are reviewed and ratifi ed by the Midstate College Board of Directors. The Board meets three to four times each year and the top administration of the College participate with the Board Members at the meetings during the fi rst half of each meeting. In this way, major initiatives can be evaluated by the Board Mem-bers through reports and discussion involving the individuals most knowledgeable about their spe-cifi c areas of the institution.



• The President, or the VP/Chief Operating Offi cer, provide continuing information to faculty, staff, and administration by providing periodic updates on the institution at faculty and administrative meetings and through articles written in the em-ployee newsletter.

• Top administration of the College adheres to an open-door policy for all employees and students attending the institution. This policy stimulates two-way communication throughout the organi-zation which promotes the discussion and imple-mentation of ideas and provides continuous im-provement to the organization.

• Liberal tuition reimbursement policies and other supported educational opportunities provide an ongoing employee learning environment. As the employees strengthen their education, the orga-nization becomes more effective in its operations and the quality of the education and services which it delivers to its students.

5P3: Institutional Decision Making, Usage of Teams, Task Forces, Groups, and CommitteesDecisions are made throughout the organization in a variety of ways. The results of these decisions are directed toward providing continuity and devel-opment in meeting our overall organizational objec-tives. The following methods are utilized to arrive at decisions within the organization:• A careful review of all data relevant to the deci-

sion is made by the decision-making individual.• Formal and informal discussions with parties in-

volved are carried out to ascertain their perspec-tive regarding the decision.

• Informal and formal discussions are held as needed to arrive at the best possible decision.

• The Midstate College Board of Directors reviews all major decisions affecting the future of the Col-lege. The Board also sets institutional policy and directs the affairs of the College as it seeks to advance in the fi eld of education.

• Quarterly student course evaluations are reviewed by the President, VP/Chief Operating Offi cer, and the Chief Academic Dean, as well as the Department Di-rector, to identify any needed improvements.

• Student focus groups meet semi-annually with the institution’s administration to provide their percep-tions and suggestions which are considered when planning for improvements of the institution.

• Periodic student feedback to the Chief Academic Dean in her role as senior academic counselor provides information which is useful in making improvements to the College.

• Each academic department holds departmental meetings to consider the effectiveness and future improvements within their department.

• Student organizations on-campus provide student input into decisions made by the administration.

5P4: Leaders Usage of Information and Re-sults in Decision MakingLeadership utilizes employee surveys, student in-terviews, pre-testing and post-testing in classes, quarterly student surveys, fi nancial statements, and enrollment results to target processes for improve-ment and also to perform immediate changes when necessary within the organization. The small size of the institution allows for many informal discus-sions among administrators, faculty, and staff that result in timely day-to-day decisions to aid in the vitality of the organization.

5P5: Institutional CommunicationFigure 5.1 illustrates the upward and downward communication channels. Vital communication channels are bolded.

Downward Communication• Top administrators participate in all major meet-

ings of the institution regarding the status and fu-ture initiatives of the organization.

• The Employee Newsletter is published quarterly with communication from the President and/or the VP/Chief Operating Offi cer, as well as other top members of the College administration. This newsletter provides up-to-date communication to employees on the affairs of the organization.

• Administrative meetings, faculty meetings, and de-partmental meetings all provide downward as well as upward communication in the organization.

Upward Communication• The annual student opinion survey• Quarterly student evaluation reports• Open dialogue in all meeting.• Open-door policies of President, VP/Chief Operating

Offi cer, and Chief Academic Dean of the College• Student focus groups meet with administration

semi-annually.• Student exit interviews provide feedback on the

quality of the educational experience that stu-dents receive at Midstate.

• The semi-annual all school in-services give employ-ees opportunities to participate and also provide in-put to administration for decisions and planning.

• The Student Senate and other student organiza-tions provide upward communication to adminis-tration through their advisors.

• Minutes of all meetings are posted on the “S” drive of (shared network drive) and are available to all employees of the organization.



Additional Communication• Administrators have high accessibility to each

other as their offi ces are located within close proximity to each other. Communication occurs as needed throughout each day.

• Our small-school atmosphere provides daily op-portunity for communication with Department Di-rectors and faculty as needed.

• Institutional email provides two-way communication throughout the organization on a 24-hour basis.

5P6: Leadership Communication of the Mis-sion, Vision, Values, and High PerformanceLeadership communicates a shared vision of their goals to achieve an overall quality in the institution in a number of ways. Documentation in the College Catalog, Personnel Policy and Procedure Hand-book and on the Midstate College website provides written expectations and our vision to achieve high-er quality as an educational institution each year.

Administrative meetings, faculty and staff meetings, and in-service days provide forums for discussions

throughout the institution on methods to achieve improved results in all areas.

5P7: Leadership Best Practices, Knowl-edge, and Skills Communicated and Shared Throughout the OrganizationLeadership growth in the organization is promoted by liberal continuing education policies, in-house train-ing programs, and promotion from within the organi-zation when possible. Participation by employees in the accreditation activities of the College contribute to leadership development within the organization.

Key administrators meet with the College’s Board of Directors and engage with them in dialogue in communicating leadership issues and the direc-tions which the institution is taking.

5P8: Leadership SuccessionMidstate College is a family-owned College. The ownership and management of the College will be continued through the direction of the next genera-tion. The succession plan has been in effect for

Figure 5.1 - Upward and Downward Communication Channels Model

Communication Elements Students Administra-tors

Department Directors Faculty Staff

Student Focus Groups

Annual Student Opinion Survey

Quarterly Student Course Evaluation

Open Door Policy

Exit Interviews

All School In-service

Student Senate

Midstate Voice

Employee Newsletter

ANGEL Notices

Mass Email Groups

Administrative Planning Committee

Departmental Meetings

Committee Meetings

Faculty Meetings

= Upward Communication Channel

= Downward Communication Channel

= Vital Upward Communication Channel

= Vital Downward Communication Channel



many years, and the College operation is organized with the appropriate succession plan in place.

The VP/Chief Operating Offi cer of the College has eleven years experience within the organization and fully embraces the mission, vision, and values of the organization which have been developed over the years. Additional family members are in-volved with the management of the College and the Board of Directors.

5P9: Measures of Leading and CommunicatingYearly employee communication surveys, quarter-ly student course evaluations, the annual student opinion survey, student focus groups, and graduate exit surveys all are collected and analyzed by the leadership of the institution.

Results (R)

5R1: Results for Leading and Communicating Processes and Systems• The second Employee Communications Evalua-

tion was completed by sixty-seven employees in April, 2006. Sixty of these employees were satis-fi ed or very satisfi ed with the current communi-cations process at Midstate College. This result represented a 33% increase over the previous year’s survey.

• Midstate College received the Employer of the Year Award for the calendar year of 2005 in July, 2006. The award was for a for-profi t corporation with fewer than one hundred employees and was awarded by the Employers’ Association of Illinois. The award is an indicator of employee satisfac-tion with the communications process as well as various employee benefi ts.

• Full-time employee retention has averaged 95%. This low turnover percentage refl ects the effec-tiveness of our communications process as it is evidenced by high employee satisfaction at Mid-state College.

• The 2007 annual Student Opinion Survey, stu-dents rated their satisfaction level with the College with an average score of 4.33 out of a possible 5.

5R2: Comparison Results of Other Higher Education Institutions and OrganizationsOur primary resource is the complimentary com-ments on periodic student surveys that we re-ceive from transfer students who have attended other institutions, graduate exit interviews, and

student focus groups. According to our transfer students, we compare very favorably with other institutions in terms of the service and education which we provide.

Improvements (I)

5I1: Current Processes and Systems for Lead-ing and CommunicatingPlease refer to 5C1 and the nine step process for leading and communicating within the organization which we have provided.

5I2: Targets for Improvement, Priorities, and Communication of Results and ImprovementsTargets for improvement with regard to our current results for leading and communicating:• AQIP Action Project: Leading and Communicating• Results of the Annual Leadership and Communi-

cations Survey• Results of the all-school in-service• Feedback from participants in administrative, fac-

ulty, and staff meetings

Specifi c improvement priorities targeted and how will they are addressed:• Broader and more consistent distribution of all

meeting minutes throughout the organization, with copies of meeting minutes being emailed to members within two weeks of the meeting.

• Improved student retention: a plan is in place to guide instructors and department directors in their student retention efforts. Quarterly faculty student retention discussion meetings have been initiated to increase the retention rate.

• Improved inter-departmental communication: quar-terly inter-departmental meetings are scheduled to improve communication between departments.

• The web portal will improve communication throughout the organization.

Communication of results and improvement priori-ties to students, faculty, staff, administrators, and appropriate stakeholders:• Employee newsletter• Student newsletter• All school email system• Quarterly status reports to the Midstate College

Board of Directors by the President of Midstate• Administrative meetings• Departmental meetings• Faculty meetings

Category Six - Supporting InstitutionalOperations



- 46 - Category SixAQIP Systems Portfolio


Supporting Institutional Operations addresses the systems and processes that support the institu-tion by helping to provide an environment in which learning can thrive.

6C1: Key Support Processes

Figure 6.1 - Student Support Services

Academic Advising

Admissions

Bookstore

Student Affairs

Campus Security

Career Services/Placement

Technical Support

Financial Assistance

Library

Student Records/Registrar

Tutoring

StudentSupportServices

All of the student and administrative support servic-es listed are provided by the institution with the ex-ception of custodial services, which is outsourced.

Because Midstate College is not a residential cam-pus, the College does not offer the following ser-vices: food services, health services, and residen-tial services. These services are not determined to be practical at this point in time. However, if and when it is determined that one or more of these ser-vice processes needs to be added, it could be out-sourced rather than provided by the institution.

Figure 6.2 - Administrative Support Services

Accounting/StudentAccounts

AdministrativeSupport

Community Outreach

Computing Services

Custodial Services*

FacilitiesManagement

Finance

Marketing

AdministrativeSupportServices

6C2: Reinforcing Processes for Support ServicesThe key student and administrative support servic-es reinforce processes and systems in Categories One and Two through communication and collabo-ration with partnering offi ces. None of the student or administrative support services listed is an isolated process. The services provided impact individuals, departments, and groups; from students, to aca-demics, to the overall fi nancial stability of the insti-tution. The degree of involvement by these support services processes varies, but careful communica-tion and deliberate collaboration with the other ar-eas on campus increases institutional effectiveness and effi ciency. This, in turn, will help the institution, as a whole, meet common goals, objectives, and realistic outcomes.

Processes (P)

6P1: Identifying Student Support Service NeedsMidstate College identifi es the support service needs of the students through the current practice of creating feedback loops.

The student and administrative support service pro-cesses, receive, and provide feedback. They re-ceive feedback not only from hardcopy documents



like surveys, evaluations, and questionnaires, but also through interaction between students and per-sonnel. As the information generated from these sources is reviewed, it is relayed back to the appro-priate personnel, departments, and groups that are most impacted. The process of receiving, interpret-ing and relaying feedback is a circular process. As each support-services area interprets the feedback, changes are made to the processes. As changes are made, needs change and the assessment mea-sures will change, as well.

Some of the current practices used for feedback are outlined below:

When evaluated, it was the consensus that current practices are adequate, but improvements can be made to ensure that feedback does get back to all partners, groups and stakeholders. The key is to communicate to the campus community what im-provements are needed and bring on board every-one who can assist.

The current processes will be challenged by the in-crease in eLearning enrollments. Students who no longer having a physical presence on campus will limit observations. For eLearning students, The Open-door Policy and suggestion box have been re-placed by direct email contact with school personnel.

Figure 6.3 - Student Feedback Mechanisms

Tool Purpose

Student Opinion Survey (SOS) This survey is distributed annually to receive student opinions on organizational operations and services. This survey evaluates all services, identifi es needs and targets area for improvement.

Open Door Policy This policy allows students to have direct access to the organizational hierar-chy. It encourages communication throughout the institution.

Observation The interaction between students and faculty/staff provides day-to-day identifi -cation of needs and wants, as well as problems and concerns.

Suggestion Box This is an anonymous venue for students to give input.

Student Records Forms These forms are completed at the time a student drops or changes classes or withdraws from school. They encourage students to document reasons for dropping or changing classes or leaving school altogether.

Figure 6.4 - Stakeholder Needs Identifi cation Mechanisms

Mechanisms Description

Instructor Evaluations This evaluation is distributed quarterly both online and in the classrooms to receive feedback from students to assess the value of the class, materials used in the classroom, and instruction.

Communications Survey This survey is distributed annually to all employees to assess the effectiveness of the communication in the organization.

In-Services Held bi-annually, these organization-wide meetings provide an avenue for em-ployee input and participation in organizational initiatives.

Departmental Meetings Quarterly meetings are used to update staff and identify problems area within the department.

Verbal Communication Faculty and staff meet with supervisors, one-on-one, to identify needs, areas for improvement, professional development opportunities, concerns, etc.

Employee Evaluations Besides providing feedback to administration, these reviews assist in keeping the employee informed about their performance and help to protect the College as an employer.

Faculty Meetings These quarterly meetings held with both full-time and part-time instructors and department directors help to facilitate feedback and keep faculty engaged with the organization.

Orientation for Staff/Faculty During this process, new employees learn about the policies and procedures for a smooth transition into the organization.



The institution has noted a dramatic increase in the amount of students using email to communicate with faculty, staff, and administration.

6P2: Identifying Administrative Support NeedsThe administrative support needs of faculty, staff, and administrators are identifi ed using the same feedback loop described in 6P1. In addition to the practices outlined above, the following are also used to identify needs:

For other key stakeholders in the organization, the needs of these groups are identifi ed using the fol-lowing practices:

6P3: Managing and Documenting Support Service ProcessesThe key student and administrative support service processes are managed on a day-to-day basis by the director of each service area. Staff report directly to each director, and the director, in turn, reports to administration. Examples of the reporting venues are: verbal communication, departmental meetings, in-services, and administrative planning meetings.

To document the processes and encourage knowl-edge sharing, innovation and empowerment, key departments are completing policies and proce-dures manuals. These manuals contain job de-scriptions and departmental organizational charts. They also contain a description, in detail, of the day-to-day processes within the department, the parties responsible for these processes, and a li-brary of forms and materials used.

When feedback from students and other key stake-holder groups dictate the necessity for changing a process, the director consults with staff and other related departments, and collectively they hold dis-

cussions as to what changes need to be made. The director will then report these proposed changes to administration for fi nal approval.

6P4: Methods Used to Improve ServicesThe way that key student and administrative sup-port areas use information and results to improve their services on a day-to-day basis have been ad-dressed in the proceeding paragraphs in 6P3.

6P5: Collecting and Analyzing MeasuresMany of the measures of student and administrative sup-port service processes that are collected and analyzed on a regular basis have been outlined in 6P1 and 6P2.

Results (R)

6R1: Student Support Services Processes ResultsThe results for the student support processes are that the institution has structured methods of identifying areas where improvements are most needed and, with administrative approval, can begin implementing measures immediately to make the improvements.

The success of many of the current processes is demonstrated in the consistently high scores these areas receive on the Student Opinion Surveys. Oth-er measurements of success would be the increase in enrollments, bookstore profi ts, student use of the library, placement rates, use of the technical support team, and requests for tutors. The competency level of the student records and fi nancial assistance areas are addressed in the following paragraphs.

6R2: Administrative Support Services ResultsThe results for the administrative support service processes include a review of the information gen-erated by all sources that aid in making informed

Figure 6.5 - Key Stakeholder Needs Identifi cation Mechanisms

Mechanisms Description

Alumni Board Meetings Meetings are comprised of the elected Alumni Board Members and representa-tives from the College, and held bi-monthly. The College representatives keep the board informed about campus issues and assist the Board in whatever manner may be necessary.

Board of Directors Held 3-4 times annually, meetings are held to update the Directors about the ac-ademic and fi nancial operations of the College. Representatives from academ-ics, fi nance, fi nancial assistance, and technology attend the meetings and give reports to the Directors. In turn, the College receives direction from the Board.

Advisory Boards Program specifi c groups meet bi-annually with directors, faculty, and adminis-tration to keep them informed about current practices, changing skill require-ments, and employment trends in each occupational fi eld.



decisions. Through communication and collabora-tion with partnering offi ces, these decisions increase overall institutional effectiveness and effi ciency.

Under the Department of Education’s fi nancial respon-sibility regulations for proprietary schools, the fi nancial stability ratios for the College continuously improve and demonstrate the health and viability of the institution.

Other indicators of the fi nancial capability and strength of the institution are in the results of the fi nancial audits conducted annually by an indepen-dent auditor and the Compliance Attestation Exami-nation of the Title IV Student Financial Assistance Programs conducted in late fall of each year. In ad-dition to the audits performed by the independent auditor, the College also periodically undergoes program reviews from both the state and federal agencies. These audits, examinations, and reviews demonstrate that the College has sound administra-tive practices that consistently meet the compliance requirements outlined in the regulations published by the Department of Education.

Administrative support services consistently receive high scores on student surveys and there is an in-creased recognition in the community of the Midstate brand due to successful marketing initiatives.

6R3: Results ComparisonDue to the small size and the administrative struc-ture of the College, changes in processes and im-provements can be implemented with a minimum of bureaucracy. This is a unique characteristic when compared to most post-secondary educational in-stitutions and especially for businesses and organi-zations of like size.

Improvement (I)

6I1: Improving Current Processes and SystemsNot applicable at this time.

6I2: Setting Targets, Improvement Priorities, and CommunicationNot applicable at this time.

Category Seven - MeasuringEffectiveness



- 52 - Category SevenAQIP Systems Portfolio


7C1: Collection, Storage, and Accessibility of Data and InformationMidstate College utilizes several avenues of cen-tralized and decentralized storage systems. Fig-ure 7.1 demonstrates the centralized collection, storage, and accessibility of data and informa-tion. Midstate utilizes the institutional data sys-tem CampusVue which is contracted through the Campus Management Corporation. The College is in the third phase of completion to add the Cam-pusVue Portal system that will enhance availability of the data in this system to students, faculty, and employers. The Portal System will aid in integrat-ing eLearning and on-campus learning and the availability of student services. In addition to the CampusVue system, the College utilizes a system of shared network drives that allows employees

access to a variety of data. Employee access to the electronic data systems are regulated through secure passwords and departmental security lev-els which are based on job descriptions and duties of each employee.

Decentralized Data within a Centralized LocationThe College’s departments each collect and store data relevant to their departments. Due to the small nature of the College’s facilities each de-partment is able to maintain the data within their departments while providing access to additional departments that may need the data. Data is lo-cated in secured fi les within secured offi ces. The offi ce locations are in close proximity to each other which provides a centralized system within decen-tralized locations. Figure 7.2 demonstrates this data structure.

Figure 7.1 - Centralized Data Systems

Data System Information Available Access Accessibility Method

CampusVue • Admissions• Financial Aid• Student Accounts• Academic Records• Career Services• Student Services

• Access is provided to each department that is accountable for the col-lection of the data and is viewable to all personnel

Accessibility is available to personnel while on-cam-pus and to select person-nel off-campus

CampusVue Student Portal • Financial Aid• Student Accounts• Academic Records• Career Services

• Access is provided to each student in order to access their personal information

Accessibility will be avail-able via the Internet

CampusVue Faculty Portal • Academic Records• Course Schedule• Lessons/Grade Book

• Access is provided to all faculty in order to view student information re-cords and manage course lessons, grades, etc.


CampusVue Employer Portal • Career Services • Access is provided to employers in order to post job openings and view graduate resumes


Shared Network Drives • Staff Drive • Access to all personnel Accessibility is available to personnel while on-campus• Academic Drive • Access to all faculty

• Public Drive • Access to all personnel and students

• Home Drive • Individual storage drives for all personnel and students

• Placement Drive • Access to all Placement personnel

• eLearning Drive • Access to all eLearning faculty and students

• Computing Services Drive and Software Drive

• Access to domain ad-ministrators and techni-cal support



Decentralized Data SystemsMidstate College utilizes decentralized data stor-age through an off-site storage facility, ANGEL on-line learning system, and the National Center for

Educational Statistics (NCES) and the Integrated Post-secondary Educational Data System (IPEDS) reporting system. Figure 7.3 demonstrates this data structure.

Figure 7.2 - Decentralized Data Systems within Centralized Location

Department Information Available Access Accessibility Method

Student Records(Registrar)

• Admissions• Academic Records

• Access available to Student Records and ad-ditional personnel upon request

Secured Filing System

Financial Assistance and Student Accounts

• Financial Aid• Student Accounts

• Access is available to Financial Assistance and Student Accounts Personnel

Secured Filing Systems

• Veteran’s Services • Access available to Director of Finance and Director of Financial As-sistance

Human Resources • Confi dential Personnel Data

• Access available to HR, President, VP/COO, and Controller

Secured Filing Systems

• Semi-confi dential Per-sonnel Data

• Access available to HR and limited key adminis-trators

Accounting and Finance • College fi nancial state-ments

• Access available to HR, Controller, President, and VP/COO

Secured Filing and Binder System

• Accounts payable and receivables

• Financial Statements available to anyone upon request

Placement/Career Services • Placement Reports• Student/Graduate Em-

ployment Data

• Access available to Placement personnel and additional personnel and employers upon request


Student Affairs • NCES/IPEDS data• Consumer Report• Campus Security Right-

to-Know

• Access available to Stu-dent Affairs personnel and any employee, stu-dent, graduate, prospec-tive student, prospective employee upon request

Secured Binder System

Institutional Resources • IBHE, NCA (AQIP & PEAQ), Program Accred-itation (NCRA, CAAHEP, CAHIIM), Placement Reports, Institutional Research, etc.

• Access available to key administrators and staff and additional personnel upon request

Cabinet Binder System

Academic Departments • Programs accredited by external agencies main-tain student and program data required by said agencies. (CAAHEP, CAHIIM, and NCRA)

• Access is available to Department Directors of the Allied Health, Health Information Technology, and Realtime Reporting departments. Key admin-istrative personnel request data when needed




7C2: Key Institutional Measures for Tracking EffectivenessIn Midstate’s fi rst round of action projects, the Col-lege chose to focus on reviewing and enhancing assessment through the project titled “Comprehen-sive Evaluation and Improvement of Assessment Processes”. During this process the College devel-oped a comprehensive plan, do, and review cycle of all signifi cant institutional assessment measure-ments and processes and identifi ed those mea-surements and processes that needed to be refi ned or created. Initially academic assessment was a part of this plan and some progress was made in regards to academic assessment with the begin-ning structure of a departmental assessment pilot program; however, as the College discovered, ad-dressing both elements of the institution were cum-bersome. As a result academic assessment has become an action project in the next progress cycle (Learning Outcomes Assessment Action Project).

As a function of the Comprehensive Evaluation and Improvement of Assessment Processes (CE-IAP) Action Project, the cross-functional committee developed a comprehensive database to review all key assessment tools utilized by the institution. The Institutional Assessment Database tracks the source of the tool, how the tool is utilized, and the outcomes for each assessment tool. At the end of each assessment cycle, all directors engage in the assessment process by completing the annual assessment review document showing the fi nal analysis of outcomes, the effectiveness of each as-sessment tool, and any goals for improvement for the next planning cycle. The fi ndings of the assess-

ments are fed into the Information Committee for review and the Administrative Planning Committee for input into the Strategic Plan. An Institutional As-sessment Calendar was additionally created in or-der to plan for and maintain facilitation timelines for each assessment tool. As a mechanism to maintain the momentum and improvements of the CEIAP Action Project committee, a new cross-functional Information Committee that meets bi-weekly was formed in order to validate, analyze, and improve data systems throughout the organization.

Key Institutional MeasurementsMidstate College tracks the effectiveness of the College through internal and external sources. The fi gures demonstrate key institutional mea-sures (Figure 7.4) and key academic measures (Figure 7.5).

Processes (P)

7P1: Selection, Management, and Usage of DataData and information is selected, managed, and utilized by evaluating the needs of the institution through the mission and institutional objectives of the College. The desire to achieve and maintain quality in all facets of the College drives the need to evaluate student and employee satisfaction, place-ment statistics, the quality of instruction, and other assessments on a regular basis. External sources such as NCES, DOE (Title IV), NCA/AQIP, and pro-gram accreditations drive the College to evaluate and meet standards set forth by such agencies.

Figure 7.3 - Decentralized Data Systems

Data System Information Available Access Accessibility Method

ANGEL • eLearning course man-agement

• Access available to eLearning students and faculty

Accessibility is available via the Internet

NCES/IPEDS • NCES stores IPEDS institutional statistics utilized to compare and analyze institutions and the post-secondary edu-cational system

• Access is available to everyone


Illinois Commitment • IC utilized to compare and analyze Illinois institutions

• Access is available to everyone


Off-site Storage • Aged records and data of the College

• Access available to personnel upon request

Accessibility available through offi ce personnel or facilities management retrieving data



Figure 7.4 - Key Institutional Measures

Internal Source Assessment Tools MeasurementAdmissions and Marketing • Cost per lead • Cost effectiveness of media per lead

• Leads by program • Evaluates program marketing effec-tiveness

• Leads by lead source • Evaluates marketing effectiveness

• Lead to appointment conversion • Evaluates admissions functions

• Appointment to enrollment conversion• New start enrollment per representative• Non-matriculation report

• Evaluate admissions performance

Placement/Career Services • Placement Reports • Graduate employment success and appropriateness of curricula

• Employer lead report • Evaluates job opening leads by aca-demic program

Human Resources • Employee evaluations • Evaluation of employee performance

• Communication survey • Evaluates communication level throughout the organization

• AQIP category assessment • Evaluates the College’s perceived per-formance in each of the AQIP categories

• Employee satisfaction survey (survey development in process)

• Evaluates employees satisfaction with each area of the College

Student Satisfaction • Student opinion survey • Evaluates overall student satisfaction with College, departments, and services

• Exit questionnaire • Evaluates student satisfaction and reasons for withdrawal

• Graduate exit survey and interview • Evaluates student satisfaction at the time of graduation

• Orientation demographic survey • Evaluates incoming student charac-teristics

External Source Assessment Tools MeasurementStudent Right-to-Know (Title IV) • Campus Security • Evaluates safety of campus

• Consumer Report • Provides statistics on enrollment, demographics of student body, class size, faculty to student ratios, etc.

NCES and IBHE • Integrated Post-secondary Educational Data System (IPEDS)

• Evaluates institutional enrollment, demographics, transfer, completion, graduation, and retention data and compares that to other institutions

U. S. Department of Education (Title IV)

• FISAP • DOE evaluates awards spent

• FA Audit • Accuracy of awards, eligibility, and compliance

• Default rate/student loans • Percentage of student loan defaults and repayment progress

• Student status confi rmation report • Evaluates student status

ISAC • ISAC Audit • Evaluation of residency, compliance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, and State eligibility

Federal Audit • FA & Finance Records • 90/10 rule, accuracy of awards, SAP

Financial Statement Audit • All Financial Records • Determines fi nancial stability of College

Alliance Library Systems • ALS Database • Evaluation of library collection

• Circulation log • Evaluation of library usage



Through the work established by the CEIAP Action Project Committee, departmental assessment tools and processes are reviewed annually to ensure that the information needs of the institution are met and key assessments follow a complete cycle of plan-do-review.

7P2: Determination of Needs for Data and InformationThe CEIAP committee determined the need for an ongoing Information Committee. The Information

Committee’s goals are to evaluate the data col-lection, validation, and storage on a regular basis. The committee is a cross-functional team that will include all personnel responsible for the institution’s data. Additional personnel will be invited to partici-pate in meetings and discussions of the Information Committee as applicable.

The Information Technology committee meets week-ly and is comprised of personnel from computing services, network management, web development,

Figure 7.5 - Key Academic Measures

Internal Source Assessment Tools Measurement

Faculty • Pre-test and post-test • Determines if course objectives are being met through learning

Department Director • Program rubrics and outcomes measurement (Learning Outcomes Assessment Action Project)

• Measures standardized learning out-comes

Department Director • Academic program assessment cycle • Evaluates key performance indicators of academic programs

Faculty • Course evaluation by instructor • Determines student performance as instructors evaluate their own courses

Chief Academic Dean • Course assessment worksheet • Evaluation of individual achievement in course and all students in the course combined

• Validation of entrance scores in relation to scores

Chief Academic Dean • Entrance Exam • Assesses academic foundation to begin courses

• Exit Exam • Evaluates student performance and if objectives are being met through learning

Student • Student evaluation of courses and instructors

• Evaluates student satisfaction of courses and instructors

Matrix System • Institutional objectives related to mission• Program goals related to institutional

objectives• General Education goals related to

program goals• Course goals related to program goals

• Evaluates alignment of mission, institutional objectives, program and course goals across the curriculum

External Source Assessment Tools Measurement

CAAHEP • Allied Health program annual report and focus visit evaluations

• Evaluation for continued accreditation

CAHIIM • Health Information program annual report and focus visit evaluations

• Evaluation for continued accreditation

NCRA • Judicial Reporting program annual report and focus visit evaluations

• Evaluation for continued approval

eLearning Assessment Tools Measurement

Student • eLearning experience survey • Evaluates student’s eLearning experience

eLearning • IT Competency Testing • Evaluates student’s technological skills upon entering eLearning



technical support, eLearning, and administration. The primary function of the IT committee is to con-tinually manage the technological needs, processes, and resources for the entire institution.

Individual and department needs are determined by input from personnel, student input, advisory board members, as well as changing industry standards. Governing regulations and accreditation guidelines aid in determining the information needs of depart-ments in order to report data accurately about our programs and services. Figures 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 illustrate the data systems and accessibility.

7P3: Needs and Priorities of Comparative Information and DataExternal data and information mandated by state agencies, federal agencies, and accreditation agencies are fi rst priority. Data systems such as IPEDS, provide comparative data with other institu-tions. Midstate uses departmental advisory boards, adjunct faculty, and external agencies as guides for current industry standards. Midstate advisory boards and adjunct faculty are comprised of work-ing professionals that assist the College in gauging current trends and changes in industry standards.

7P4: Analysis of Information and Data Com-munication of AnalysisData and information through IPEDS and Illinois Commitment are used to make comparisons to other similar colleges nationally and in the state of Illinois. As a proprietary institution, Midstate is not required to complete the Illinois Commitment report however the College elects to participate in the process. The IPEDS Peer Analysis System from NCES and the Performance Report from the Illinois Commitment provides the College with this comparison.

The newly-instituted institutional assessment pro-cess provides a mechanism for reviewing all depart-mental assessments. The Institutional Assessment Database is utilized to ensure that all assessments have been completed, outcomes have been routed through the correct channels, and the plan-do-re-view cycle is intact.

Annually the assessment tools themselves are an-alyzed using the Annual Institutional Assessment Review Document to ensure that the tools are ef-fective and provide the necessary data. The Infor-mation Committee guides this new annual review process to determine the strengths and weakness-es for continued improvement of the process.

7P5: Department and Unit Analysis Information and Data Alignment with Institutional GoalsThe College utilizes a matrix system to relate the mission, institutional objectives, and program goals. Within this structure the College is able to deter-mine the key areas requiring analysis. A General Education Assessment Matrix system is included in Figures 1.2 and 1.3. This is one example of the matrix system and how general education relates to the institutional objectives. Additional matrices include: the institutional objectives in relation to the mission; vision and goals in relation to the mission; program objectives in relation to the institutional objectives; and course objectives in relation to the program objectives. Each department utilizes this structure when reviewing academic programs and course objectives. This tool is valuable in aligning the structure of the curricula with the core purposes of the College across the board. Key academic measurements can be found in Figure 7.5.

7P6: Effectiveness of Information Systems and Related ProcessesThe Information Technology committee meets weekly to analyze current processes, plan current projects, and set future goals. Midstate College re-places student-accessible computer equipment and server hardware on a three-year cycle. The older computers are then utilized to replace employee computers or utilized for instructional purposes.

Instructional software is chosen based on its avail-ability from vendors, the suitability of its system re-quirements to our hardware, and the prevalence of its use in the business world. The IT committee is currently drafting a new process for selecting, test-ing, training, and implementing new software ap-plications and other technological resources. The IT committee is currently in the process of planning a campus-wide upgrade and training to move from Microsoft Offi ce 2003 to Offi ce 2007.

Midstate interacts with outside vendors to provide two of its core educational support systems: Cam-pusVue, which serves as the institutional data sys-tem, and ANGEL, which facilitates the eLearning experience. Both systems receive constant func-tionality upgrades from the respective vendors. In addition, CampusVue executes regular updates to remain current with government regulations.

Backups of server-based electronic data are made on a weekly basis; these are supplemented by in-cremental backups that are made four times during



the work week. On the fi rst Sunday of each month, a complete system backup is made and stored off-site to ensure data recovery in case of disaster. Paper storage of recent records is maintained on-site, while older records are stored off-site. Access to electronic information is regulated using Active Directory groups. Each employee’s password-protected account is added to those groups which provide access to only that information which the employee needs to perform his/her job function. In this way, access to information is provided to the smallest possible number of individuals.

SSL encryption is used to protect sensitive informa-tion transmitted over the Internet. Such information includes usernames, passwords, email, and course materials.

7P7: Measures of Effectiveness of our System for Measuring EffectivenessThrough the institutional assessment planning pro-cess (created by CEIAP Action Project committee) the measures of effectiveness of our system for measuring effectiveness will be evaluated through the Information committee on an annual basis. With the completion of CEIAP Action Project, this as-sessment cycle will start again in fall 2007.

Results (R)

7R1: Evidence the System for Measuring Ef-fectiveness Meets Institution’s NeedsThere are no published results for this area.

7R2: Comparative Results of Other Higher Edu-cation Institutions and Outside OrganizationsThere are no published results for this area.

Improvement (I)

7I1: Improvement of Current Processes and Systems for Measuring EffectivenessWith the completion of the Comprehensive Evalu-ation and Improvement of Assessment Processes Action Project, the College will utilize the Infor-mation committee as the catalyst for continually reviewing the current processes and systems for measuring effectiveness. Improvement of the cur-rent processes and systems will be a continually evolving step in the assessment cycle.

7I2: Setting Targets for Improvement and Communication of Results and PrioritiesThe College is just beginning the implementation stage of the Information committee and will utilize the requirements for category seven as a guideline for improving the processes of measuring effective-ness across the institution.

Category Eight - Planning ContinuousImprovement



- 60 - Category EightAQIP Systems Portfolio


8C1: Midstate College’s Vision of the Institu-tion in 5-10 YearsThe fi ve year vision of Midstate College is that of an institution recognized for its commitment to quality education and outstanding personal attention to students. Midstate College will con-tinue to be recognized as an institution that has been dedicated to providing an exceptionally car-ing atmosphere to students, faculty, and staff for over 119 years. Midstate College will maintain a commitment to continuous quality improvement in academic programs, student services, and in-stitutional effectiveness. Midstate values its rela-tionships with its accrediting and approval agen-cies. The College will strive to meet or exceed the standards set forth by those regional and curricu-lar accrediting agencies, and seek new program accreditations as necessary.

Midstate College has invested substantial time and resources into the development of a com-prehensive online learning system over the past eight years. The College will maintain high stan-dards in the ongoing development of eLearning and student services that fully support the attain-ment of students learning potential in a manner commensurate with need. Midstate recognizes the need to explore options and continue invest-ing in the development of highly accessible stu-dent services that meet the evolving needs of non-traditional students.

Midstate College will seek and develop partner-ships with area businesses, community agencies, and other educational institutions of higher learn-ing. Midstate College will work with businesses to provide increased internship opportunities to stu-dents, educational programs that meet the needs of area employers, and relationships with profession-als to continue alignment of academic programs and student learning outcomes with the needs of the workforce.

In ten years, Midstate College will serve approxi-mately 1,000 students. The majority of the student body will continue to be adult learners, although the College will attract some younger students coming straight out of high school. More stu-dents will be involved in taking at least some of their courses online due to their need for fl exible scheduling and increased online offerings. The

number of students taking all courses online will increase. The College will continue to develop and offer more online programs. Technological course enhancements will be developed for all courses, not just online courses. The College will continue to view online programs as an integral part of the whole college, not a separate campus or entity. Day and night campus-based classes will provide a solid foundation for all academic programs, with a strong continued institutional commitment to provide a unique, caring atmosphere online and on campus. Online programs will seek to serve a concentrated geographic area around the central campus, with only highly-specialized programs marketed on a national level.

The Midstate College campus will have at least one additional building offering increased student space, classroom space, faculty space, a larger li-brary, and a new science lab. The campus will also feature a new courtyard and fountain to enhance the attractiveness of the campus, and to provide improved outdoor space for students and staff to enjoy. The College may also have a limited number of extension sites in key geographic areas to offer increased services and site-based classes in sup-port of online programs and partnerships with other academic institutions.

Midstate College will be best known for its caring atmosphere, quality academic programs, and well-prepared graduates. It is essential that the College maintain the commitment to offering personal at-tention and a caring atmosphere, regardless of the size of the College or the delivery format of educational programs. The College will strengthen the quality of academic programs, and continue to link student outcomes to the changing needs of the business world.

In fi ve to ten years, Midstate College will offer more online degree programs, more bachelor degree pro-grams, and at least one master’s degree program.

8C2: Midstate College’s Short- and Long-term Strategies Aligned with Mission and VisionThe Midstate College Strategic Plan is a living docu-ment that was developed through the Midstate Col-lege Strategic Planning Process (See Figure 8.1). Progress on annual goals is reviewed quarterly by the Administrative Planning Committee. The stra-tegic goals are linked with the Vision and Mission of the College (See Figure 8.2)



Figure 8.1 - Midstate College Five Year Strategic Plan 2007 – 2012

2007 – 2008 Progress Level

Opportunity: Academic Affairs and Learning Resources

Facilitate new in-class faculty evaluation process by administration (Progress Level 1)

Develop ABA application for the Paralegal A.A.S. Degree (Progress Level 2)

Facilitate retention initiative through department directors (Progress Level 1)

Facilitate online course evaluations for entire campus (Progress Level 1)

Implement new academic program assessment cycle (Year 1) (Progress Level 1)

Begin standardization of learning outcomes assessment mechanism for all academic programs and general education (Outcomes Assessment Action Project) (Progress Level 1)

Add foreign language elective courses (Progress Level 1)

Develop formal faculty orientation and methods training (Faculty Orientation Action Project) (Progress Level 1)

Improve process of providing tutors and tracking results (Progress Level 0)

Provide teaching methods training annually for full- and part-time faculty (Progress Level O)

Promote and measure writing across the curriculum (Progress Level O)

Develop 2+2 agreements with area colleges (Enhancing Collaborative Relationships with Other Institutions Action Project) (Progress Level 1)

Opportunity: Community Service, Partnerships, and Workforce Development

Develop and offer specialized training to partners of Workforce Network (Progress Level 2)

Increase partnerships with area hospitals, health care providers and businesses (Progress Level 2)

Increase internship sites, service learning opportunities, professional memberships and guest speakers for all programs (Progress Level O)

Collaboration and partnerships will be reviewed quarterly as a standing agenda in the Administrative Planning Committee. (Follow-up for FRABO Action Project) (Progress Level 1)

Opportunity: eLearning

Develop Realtime Reporting degree program online (Progress Level 1)

Develop hybrid courses to better serve the needs of non-traditional students (Progress Level 0)

Update eLearning system (Progress Level 4)

Update eLearning student and faculty guides (Progress Level 3)

Develop eLearning orientation utilizing Captivate (Progress Level 1)

Opportunity: Facilities and Grounds

Construct a student plaza with fountain and pavilion (Progress Level 2)

Opportunity: Information Technology

Microsoft Offi ce 2007 training and implementation (Progress Level 1)

Revamp online admissions application (Progress Level 1)

Update www.midstate.edu website (Progress Level 0)

Update online course evaluation system (Progress Level 4)

Update online library resources (Progress Level 3)



Update campus wireless network (Progress Level 1)

Upgrade Exchange mail server (Progress Level 1)

Implement rack-mounted server system (Progress Level 3)

Continual Campus Portal development (Progress Level 2)

Opportunity: Operations Management

All-school Comprehensive Strategic Planning In-service (Progress Level 4)

Evaluate the nine-step communication process annually through facilitation of the Com-munications Survey (Follow-up for Leading and Communicating Action Project) (Progress Level 1)

Information Committee will follow annual institutional assessment review process. (Follow-up for CEIAP Action Project) (Progress Level 1)

Survey and analyze student scheduling shift needs.(Follow-up for Master Scheduling Action Project) (Progress Level 0)

Implement new employee evaluation cycle (Progress Level 1)

2008 – 2009


Obtain ABA approval for the Paralegal AAS program

Develop a bachelor degree program in Law and Social Justice Studies

Continue academic program assessment cycle (Year 2)

Standardize student learning outcome assessment mechanisms in measurement in all academic programs (Outcomes Assessment Action Project)

Improve process for assigning and assessing student mentors

Develop Realtime Reporting BS degree program online

Explore and pursue Bachelor of Business Administration program accreditation

Provide teaching-methods training annually for full- and part-time faculty

Promote and measure writing across the curriculum

Develop well-defi ned processes to evaluate and develop new academic programs


Develop 2+2 agreements with area colleges (Articulation Action Project)

Increase internship sites, service learning opportunities, professional memberships and guest speakers for all programs


Update eLearning documentation

Orient all students to ANGEL and the Student Portal for access to supplemental course material, course interaction, and online student services

Opportunity: Enrollment Management

Fall enrollment target of 682 students

396 students (or 58%) enrolled in eLearning and hybrid courses




Update online.midstate.edu website

Implement Student Services Portal

Create Student Services Portal documentation

Implement Faculty Services Portal

Create Faculty Services Portal documentation

Implement Employer Portal

Create Midstate College Web Development Standard

2009 – 2010


Offer Realtime Reporting BS degree program online

Seek approval to offer BS in Law and Social Justice Studies

Begin developing Master of Business Administration Degree program

Provide teaching methods training annually for full- and part-time faculty

Obtain Bachelor of Business Administration program accreditation


Develop Associate of Arts and Sciences Degree program

Continue academic program assessment cycle (Year 3)


Develop 2+2 agreements with area colleges (Enhancing Collaborative Relationships Action Project)Increase internship sites, service learning opportunities, professional memberships and guest speakers for all programs

Explore daycare partnership possibilities to support students with families




Opportunity: Facilities and Grounds

Build a new building on campus to provide more space for students, faculty and staff

Add new science lab


Update eLearning system



Create Technical Support ticket tracking system

Create online college bookstore

Develop online enrollment agreement process

Implement self-hosted eLearning system



Implement alumni web site

Upgrade domain controllers

Opportunity: Operations Management

All-school Comprehensive Strategic Planning In-service

2010 – 2011


Continue academic program assessment cycle (Repeat Year One)

Complete MBA program development and seek approvals




Increase internship sites, service learning opportunities, professional memberships, and guest speakers for all programs






2011 – 2012


Continue academic program assessment cycle (Repeat Year Two)



Offer MBA program


Increase internship sites, service learning opportunities, professional memberships and guest speakers for all programs





Update eLearning system




Annual Strategic Plan Progress Level Key:

0 = Plans in process, no defi nitive action yet taken.

1 = Start-up/initial action undertaken; concept work completed; early organization efforts underway; 25% to goal.

2 = Process underway and on track; steady progress being made; funding may be secured; 50% to goal, but no results yet.

3 = Deeply deployed; substantial elements of a project may be nearly or fully completed; 75% to goal and begin-ning to have results.

4 = Fully developed; 100% success on results.

O = Ongoing planning, program, or funding process. Annual report on results.

I = Implement to be undertaken in another year.

Figure 8.2 - Mission and Vision Matrix

Strategic Goals Linked to Mission and Vision Aca

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espo

nsib

ility

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rnin

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Enro

llmen

t Goa

ls

Faci

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Info

rmat

ion

Tech

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Ope

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anag

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t

Elements of the Mission 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Education opportunity for skills and knowledge for lifetime social and tech-nological change. � � � �

Skills needed for a productive society. � � � �Promote the individual’s worth, values, and high ethical standards � � �Quality education meeting student needs and assisting them in pursuing goals � � � � � �Elements of the Vision 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Quality education � � �Caring culture �Accreditation �eLearning � � � �Student services � �Partnerships � �Enrollment growth � � � �Online Services � � � �Strong Campus Base � � �Campus Growth �Courtyard �Expanded Programs � � � �



Processes (P)

8P1: Midstate College’s Strategic Planning Process

Figure 8.3 - Stategic Planning Cycle

Cross-Functional Strategic Planning

Team

Plans and Leads Strategic Planning In-service

All-School In-Service

All Staff and Facultybrainstorming, visioning,SWOT, and goal-setting

Administrative Planning Committee

Refines Strategic Planwith the input fromFaculty and Staff

Executive Committee(President andVice President)

Finalizes Goals andPriorities

Board of Directors

Approves Strategic Plan

Collect Surveysweek afterIn-Service

Full-time FacultyVision, Goals, and

Brainstorming

Part-time FacultyVision, Goals, and

Brainstorming

Strategic InitiativeBudget Input

The Midstate College strategic planning cycle be-gins with a cross-functional strategic planning team. Every three years, the College has an in-ser-vice focused on creation of a new fi ve-year stra-tegic plan. The Strategic Planning Team manages the all-school strategic planning in-service and fol-low-up activities, through the strategic plan’s fi nal development stages.

All staff and faculty, from all levels of the organi-zation, are invited to attend and participate in the Strategic Planning In-Service. During the in-ser-vice, participants begin by reviewing the mission of the College. The format of this part of the in-service is collaborative, open dialogue involving everyone in attendance. Those in attendance then participate in brainstorming and dialogue to craft the vision of the College. Individually the participants complete worksheets to determine the College’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The par-ticipants then break into working groups to brain-storm and generate strategic goals. Later in the in-service, participants rotate from room to room and adds comments on the goals of the other groups. All of this input is discussed by participants at length, and each group records suggestions and goals. The Strategic Planning Committee members work to process the goals and compile goal suggestions. The suggestions are given to faculty groups and the Administrative Planning Committee.

8P2: Selection of Short- and Long-term StrategiesThe Administrative Planning Committee and faculty groups review the planning outcomes and prioritize the strategic goals. The Executive Committee, com-prised of top-level administrators, is responsible for the fi nal refi nement and prioritization of goals as well as the determination of short- and mid-range strategies to support these goals. The Executive Committee fi nalizes the strategic initiatives, and takes the plan through budgeting and approvals. The Controller reviews the fi nal strategic plan dur-ing the annual budgeting process to ensure that all initiatives will have adequate fi nancial resources. The Board of Directors votes to approve the strate-gic plan every three years.

The Administrative Planning Committee meets quarterly and reviews progress on strategic initia-tives. Annually, the strategic plan for the coming year is revised by the Administrative Planning Com-mittee and the Executive Committee. At the end of the third year, the Strategic Planning Committee initiates the next planning cycle.

8P3: Developing Key Action PlansThe President and the Vice President/Chief Operat-ing Offi cer work directly with department directors to guide the development and execution of key activi-ties to support institutional strategies. Results on ini-tiatives are communicated through the Administrative Planning Committee, faculty, staff and departmental meetings. The employee and student newsletter,



mass email announcements, and bulletin boards (on-campus and online) provide avenues to communicate progress on strategic initiatives to key stakeholders.

8P4: Coordination of Institutional Strategies at Varying Institutional LevelsThe Administrative Planning Committee is a cross-functional committee that meets quarterly to assess progress on the strategic plan and current College initiatives. All departments have representatives on the Administrative Planning Committee. The depart-ments are responsible for executing strategies and reporting back to administration. Due to the small size of the institution, the administration is involved closely with the staff and faculty in the day-to-day execution of plans and problem solving.

8P5: Selecting Measures and Setting Perfor-mance ProjectionsMidstate College is working to develop more sys-tematic measures and performance projections.

8P6: Resource NeedsThe strategic plan is reviewed by the Controller dur-ing the annual budgeting process. The Board of Di-rectors approves the budget and the strategic plan at the same time. Because the institution is very small, the administration works very closely with the staff at all levels of strategic initiative implementa-tion. Strategic plan implementation is closely moni-tored, and resource needs are well-defi ned along every step of strategic action. The centralized hub of administration and staff does not allow for large gaps between the strategic plan and resource al-location. The College administration prides itself on its fl exibility as a small organization, and frequently takes immediate action when strategic initiatives and resources are determined to be out of synch. Administration makes themselves readily available and impromptu meetings between faculty, staff, and administrators occur as necessary.

The College has identifi ed an opportunity for im-provement in the area of resource allocation. As the organization continues to grow, more systematic staff and faculty input mechanisms to the budget need to be created.

8P7: Developing Faculty, Staff, and Adminis-trator CapabilitiesMidstate College strongly supports the continued development of all employees. The administra-tion works with employees one-on-one to assess changing needs and strategies for growth.

8P8: Measuring Effectiveness of the Planning SystemMidstate College does not regularly measure the effectiveness of the planning system at this time.

Results (R)

8R1, 8R2, and 8R3: Performance of Institu-tional StrategiesMidstate College has a strong history of accomplish-ing its institutional strategies and action plans. Results are not currently measured, but progress on institu-tional strategies is tracked quarterly by the Adminis-trative Planning Committee. Developing performance projections and comparing our performance with other institutions is an opportunity for improvement.

8R4: System for Planning Continuous Im-provementA participant evaluation of the All-School Strategic Planning In-Service in June 2006 showed that em-ployees felt the strategic planning in-service pro-vided them an opportunity to help plan the future of the institution (4.5) and believed that the in-service helped them gain a better understanding of the vi-sion of the College (4.75 on 5.0 scale). Participants showed a great deal of enthusiasm in going through the process together and helping to defi ne the fu-ture of the College.

Midstate’s Annual AQIP Survey of all employees showed a marked improvement in employees’ per-ception of the effi cacy of Midstate College’s strategic planning process from 2004 to 2007. The employee rating of how well strategies and plans are commu-nicated throughout the organization improved from 2004 (3.45) to 2007 (4.17), refl ecting a perception of growth toward more effective processes in this area of the College. The two highest-rated catego-ries of effective processes for the 2007 AQIP Sur-vey were supporting institutional operations (4.19) and communicating strategies and plans (4.17).

Improvement (I)

8I1 and 8I2: Planning Continuous ImprovementMidstate College is developing into an institution that supports continuous improvement. As the College pro-gresses in AQIP, we will continue to develop processes and systems that promote measurement of our con-tinuous improvement results, as well as improved tools to communicate performance to stakeholders.

Category Nine - Building CollaborativeRelationships



- 70 - Category NineAQIP Systems Portfolio


9C1: Institution’s Key Collaborative RelationshipsMidstate College maintains relationships with stakeholders including alumni, governing agencies, the board of directors, employers, externship site participants, community institutions, students, advi-sory boards, and employees.

In Figure 9.1 is a sampling of key collaborative re-lationships. Additional relationships are presented later in this category.

9C2: Collaborative Relationships Reinforce Mission and Initiate ChangeWhile the College’s mission focuses on student learning, we recognize the value and need to de-velop collaborative relationships and maintain two objectives to support this need. The fi rst is to pro-vide our students activities and experiences which foster personal growth and leadership qualities that will assist them in their social, vocational, and academic pursuits. The second objective is to maintain a process of communication with local employers to help maintain relevant curricula that meets the developing needs of the economic com-munity. Midstate College feels both of these objec-tives are met by efforts to continually expand and improve collaborative relationships and articula-tion agreements with area businesses, colleges, and universities.

Processes (P)

9P1: Building, Creating, and Prioritize Rela-tionshipsMidstate College utilizes community outreach ef-forts, marketing, educational partnerships, and in-formation sharing support as a basis to build part-nership. The College’s involvement with area job fairs, high schools, health awareness events, news-paper publications, 2+2 agreements, and commu-nity educational events are examples of community outreach efforts

Educational Institutions and Other Organiza-tions From Which Students Are ReceivedMidstate College’s collaborative relationships with area educational institutions revolve primarily around 2+2 Agreements created to address strategic initia-tives. The Chief Academic Dean and top administra-tors make initial contact with the target institution to determine if the potential partnership would be mutu-ally benefi cial. Once the relationship goals are set, other Midstate College employees are recruited to assist in the partnership initiatives. A cross-functional committee gathers information, creates materials, and assists with managing the entire partnership process until a full articulation agreement has been agreed upon by both institutions.

A new action project called Enhancing Collabora-tive Relationships with Other Institutions has been implemented to address and strengthen the pro-

Figure 9.1 - Key Collaborative Relationships

Relationship Title Examples Description of Relationship

Accreditation and Approvals • The Higher Learning Commission• Commission on Accreditation of Allied

Health Education Programs• Council on Approved Student Educa-

tion of the National Court Reporters Association

• Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education

Institutional and Program Accreditation

State • Illinois Board of Higher Education Program approval and operating authority; Provides approval for CEU instruction for faculty

High Schools • Central Illinois High Schools (exam-ples: Peoria Alternative High School and Woodruff High School)

Meet with counselors, provide Financial Aid advice, and presentations; partici-pate in Rotary Scholarship for Peoria Alternative High School.

Employee Memberships • Project Management Institute• Illinois State Bar Association• The eLearning Guild

Administrators and faculty are active and hold memberships in many civic, busi-ness, and professional organizations.



cess for building collaborative relationships with outside educational institutions. This action project is scheduled to begin November 2007.

Midstate College is an active member of Illinois Ar-ticulation Initiative (IAI). Through this partnership we are able to facilitate easier transferability of incoming and outgoing student course credits. (See Figure 9.2 for examples of institutions with 2+2 Agreements.)

Educational Institutions and EmployersVarious departments and personnel facilitate relation-ship building with area businesses and educational in-stitutions including: community outreach, placement, student records, marketing, and department directors.

The Student Records department handles all student and graduate transcript requests from other educa-tional institutions. A new process is being created to track student acceptance rates for outgoing graduates and transfer students. We have identifi ed the need for additional processes to be developed to encourage exchange of information between Midstate College and institutions who act as recipients of Midstate Col-lege graduates. This need will be addressed as part of the new 2007 Enhancing Collaborative Relationships with Other Institutions Action Project.

Midstate College placement has extensive processes to manage the fl ow of graduates. When an employer contacts the placement department with a job opening, information is collected in a job order. The information in the job order is cross-referenced with the fi les of

graduates looking for employment. A match of skills, abilities, and education is made and the employer is sent matching resumes. In the past three months 116 employer generated job orders were received.

The placement department has several ways to aid employers with graduate and student recruitment. Midstate College co-sponsors job fairs and invites employers onto campus to recruit.

Externships/Internships are another way Midstate College supports the workforce demands. Midstate College maintains approximately 32 general and program specifi c externship sites. Many programs require students to complete a real-world work experience externship or internship. All programs have credit options built into them. (See Figure 9.3 for examples.)

Organizations that Provide Services to StudentsMidstate College utilizes surveys, open-door policy, suggestion box, and student focus-groups to determine and prioritize what organizational partnerships are needed to meet student service needs. Relationships are built as directed by the strategic plan, departmental goals, and commu-nity outreach endeavors.

Midstate College maintains a broad spectrum of relation-ships with local and national vendors and organizations to enhance the overall student services to which our stu-dents have access. (See Figure 9.4 for examples.)

Figure 9.2 - Educational Partnerships


Universities and Colleges • University of Illinois, Springfi eld• Spoon River College, Canton

2+2 Agreements

Figure 9.3 - Institutions and Employers


Universities and Colleges • Robert Morris• University of Phoenix• American InterContinental University

Transfer students and graduates

Employers • Caterpillar Inc• OSF • Methodist Medical Center• Heartcare Midwest

Tuition-paid employer; externship sites; Employees serve on Program Advisory Boards

• OSF• Proctor • Caterpillar Inc

Top employers of students and graduates



Education Associations, External Agencies, Consortia Partners, and the General CommunityMidstate College department directors assist in es-tablishing and maintaining external partnerships. The relationships for IT Resources, Employee Wellness, Community Outreach, and Corporate Responsibility are outlined in Figure 9.5.

9P2: Meeting Relationships NeedsMidstate College is a small college which allows its personnel to maintain personal one-on-one com-munication with the majority of its community part-ners. When a partnership is forged, email, regular telephone conversation, and close face-to-face in-teraction is utilized to maintain this new partnership.

Figure 9.4 - Partnerships Providing Student Resources


Educational Textbook Vendors • Missouri Book Store Book Buy Back

• Cengage Learning• Pearson Group• McGraw Hill • John Wiley

Textbook and online course resources

IT Resources • Microsoft IT Academy Online Training Resource

• CDW: Microsoft Campus Agreement Software (example Microsoft Offi ce 2003) costs deferred through tuition fees.

Student Resources • Dress-for-Success Provides professional clothing for disad-vantaged students

• Alexander Steakhouse Student Discounts (example: 40% dis-count on student meals)

• Citylink Discount bus passes, shelter, etc.

Food Vendors • HOI Vending On-campus food and drink vending

National and Local Student Organizations

• American Association of Medical As-sistants

For Medical Assistant students

• American Health Information Manage-ment Association

For Health Information students

• Phi Beta Lambda (Nu Alpha Epsilon Chapter)

National organization focused on devel-oping business leaders

• Alpha Iota Sorority International business sorority focused on high scholastic achievement and development of leadership.

Financial Assistance • Federal Family Education Loan Program Title IV Loan Programs

• Illinois Student Assistance Commission Capstone Loan (state aid participation pilot program)

• State of Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP)

Illinois Incentive for Access Program (IIA)

• Federal Campus Based Aid Programs Federal Supplemental Educational Op-portunity Grant Federal Work Study Program

Military • GI Bill of Rights Location Approval

• Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)

Consortium Member Institutions

• Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES)

DANTES External Degree Catalog (BBA online program is listed as an approved distance learning program)



Implementation of consistent college-wide annual surveys is an opportunity for improvement.

9P3: Building Internal RelationshipsMidstate College continues to be a small college with a family-like atmosphere. The College holds many social events to help bring about continued employee camaraderie. There are many formal events and communication mechanisms which help to build a cohesive employee community. In-

stitutional-wide strategic planning, all-school in-ser-vices, and administrative planning meetings pro-vide forums for professional employee interaction. Nonprofi t projects assist with team building by cre-ating cross-functional teams working on fundrais-ing, clothing drives, etc.

Campus-wide communication is maintained through the use of email, email groups, departmental and school-wide newsletters, and messenger technology.

Figure 9.5 - Miscellaneous Partnerships


Technology Resources • ANGEL Learning Learning Management System (ANGEL)

• Campus Management CampusVue Student, Faculty, and Em-ployer Portal (2008)

• Certiport Authorized Microsoft Offi ce Specialist Certifi cation Testing Center

Employee Wellness • Landmark Recreation Center Corporate discount for employees

• Bard Optical Eye Care• Proctor Preferred Plan

Discount rates for employees

Community Outreach • Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce• East Peoria Chamber of Commerce

Utilize memberships for networking

• City of Peoria: Workforce Network Formal Partnership agreement for job fair sharing, workshop training, etc.

Corporate Responsibility • Dress for Success An annual clothing drive sponsored by Midstate College helps support this nonprofi t agency

• Books for Africa An annual book drive sponsored by Mid-state College helps support this nonprofi t agency

• Easter Seals An annual fund raise sponsor

• American Red Cross Blood Act as an semi-annual drive host

• Center for the Prevention of Abuse Volunteering support, Partner in Peace luncheon, and conduct and promote fundraising efforts

• Peoria Disposal Company Participate in recycling program

Figure 9.6 - Staff and Faculty Partnership Engagement


VP/Chief Operating Offi cer Illinois Board of Higher Education, Proprietary School Advisory Committee

Active committee member

Director of Finance Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (ILASFAA)

Acting President

Controller The Higher Learning Commission: Financial Indicator Advisory Committee

Advisory Committee member

Program Director of Allied Health

Red Cross Disaster Board member



9P4: Collection and Measurements of Collab-orative RelationshipsMidstate College completes an annual survey of all administration, staff, and faculty to determine their professional, business or civic organization mem-berships. These data are recorded and the results are published in the catalog. The statistics for new and overall memberships are recorded and provid-ed to administration as needed. From 2006 to 2007 new professional memberships increased by 49%.

Midstate College administration encourages staff and faculty to participate in regional, national, and international conferences, partnership activities, and maintain relevant memberships. See Figure 9.6 for examples of the extent of partnership en-gagement by staff and faculty.

The placement department tracks and maintains records of graduate employment details. The sta-tistical information is published in the consumer re-port. A congratulatory correspondence is sent to all graduates who obtain new employment positions. Graduate employment information is regularly dis-tributed to all staff and faculty.

Employers complete an evaluation form whenever a student fi nishes his or her externship experience. This assessment tool is utilized to measure em-ployer satisfaction and student performance and professionalism. Employer Surveys are conducted for the majority of College activities such as career fairs and on-campus recruitment.

A method for measuring all collaborative relation-ships is still in its infancy. Data collection in this area continues to be an opportunity for improvement.

Results (R)

9R1: Key Collaborative Relationship ResultsThere are no published results for this area.

9R2: Comparative Data from 9R1There are no published results for this area.

Improvement (I)

9I1: Improving Current Collaborative Process-es and SystemsThere are no published results for this area.

9I2: Student Learning and Development Relat-ed to Collaborative Relationships and Targets for Improvement and CommunicationThere are no published results for this area.

Index of Evidence



- 76 - Index of EvidenceAQIP Systems Portfolio

Criterion One – Mission and Integrity

The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfi llment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.

Core Component 1a. The organization’s mission documents are clear and articulate publicly the organization’s commitments.• Overview: The mission statement was revised and approved by the Board of Directors in 2003.• 1C2: Program goals are approved by the advisory boards, the faculty, and the administration and are

aligned to the mission via the matrices that connect the development of the complete person to the overall learning goals.

• 8C2: The strategic plan is linked to the mission and the vision of the College. • 5P6: Leadership communicates a shared vision in a number of ways: the mission, institutional objec-

tives, and code of ethics are on the website, published in the College Catalog, Personnel, and Student Handbooks. Processes to ensure the fulfi llment of the mission are discussed via administrative planning meetings, faculty and staff meetings, Board of Directors meetings, and through in-services.

Core Component 1b. In its mission documents, the organization recognizes the diversity of its learners, other constituencies, and the greater society it serves.• Overview: diversity is addressed in code of ethics: “We value an educational environment that attracts,

nurtures, and supports a diverse student and staff community.” The mission states, “The College is com-mitted to offering quality education that meets the needs of its students.”

• 1C2: The Colleges matrix system demonstrates the alignment of the general education objectives as they relate to the institutional objectives and the institutional objectives as they relate to the mission.

• 1C4: Preparing students to live in a diverse world is addressed in the general education learning objec-tives as well as the code of ethics. The faculty and staff, as well as the students, refl ect a diverse group of individuals.

• 1P1: The general education learning objective, “Practice tolerance in diverse and multi-cultural settings “ is linked to the institutional objectives and to the mission (See Figure 1.3 General Education Assessment Matrix).

• 8C2: Strategic goals are linked to the mission and vision (See Figure 8.2).

Core Component 1c. Understanding of and support for the mission pervade the organization.• Overview: The mission, goals, vision, and code of ethics are the products of the involvement of the key

stakeholders of the College.• 4C1: The College’s shared mission, objectives, philosophy, and ethics are embraced throughout the

institution in order to provide a quality educational experience that will last our students and graduates a lifetime.

• 5P2: Leadership guides our institution in seeking future opportunities and building a quality learning en-vironment.

• 5P6: Leadership communicates a shared vision of the institution’s mission and goals to achieve overall quality.

• 8P1: The strategic plan is the result of the involvement of the faculty, staff, students, administration, and the Board of Directors (See Figure 8.1).

Core Component 1d. The organization’s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support collaborative processes that enable the organization to fulfi ll its mission.• 1C2: Board of Directors, faculty, and staff last reviewed and approved the mission statement in 2003.• Overview: Organizational Chart (See Figure 0.6)• 1C5: The 2007 annual Student Opinion Survey indicates the students satisfaction level with the College

at an average score of 4.33 out of a possible 5 (See Figure 1.6).• 6C2: The key student and administrative support services reinforce processes and systems in categories

one and two through communication and collaboration. The small nature of the College, allows depart-ments easy access to each other. This provides the fl exibility of interacting with each other to provide services to our students in an effi cient and effective manner.



• 8P2: The administrative planning committee supports collaborative processes to fulfi ll the mission by monitoring the strategic plan (See Figure 8.3).

Core Component 1e. The organization upholds and protects its integrity.• 3P6: All complaints and grievances are documented, reviewed and resolved as soon as possible. The

processes for grievances and grade appeals are published in the College Catalog, Student Handbook, and Personnel Policy and Procedures Handbook.

• 7C1: Personal information of students and employees are protected and kept in locked, secured fi le cabinets.• 5C1 and 5C2: The College has appointed individuals within the institution to assure compliance with reg-

ulatory bodies associated with the functions of their areas: academics, fi nancial aid, human resources, regional and national accrediting bodies, and fi scal honesty is validated through an independent annual audit of fi nancial statements.

• 6R2: Under the Department of Education’s fi nancial responsibility regulations for proprietary schools, the fi nancial stability ratios for the College continually improve and demonstrate the health and viability of the institution. State and federal audits, examinations, and reviews demonstrate that the College has sound administrative practices that consistently meet the compliance requirements outlined in the regulations published by the U.S. Department of Education.

Criterion Two – Preparing for the Future

The organization’s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfi ll the mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.

Core Component 2a. The organization realistically prepares for a future shaped by multiple soci-etal and economic trends.• 8C1: The vision is based on input of societal and economic trends.• 8C2: The College has a strategic plan that prepares for the future.• 9: See Figure 9.3 Institutions and Employers.

Core Component 2b. The organization’s resource base supports its educational programs and its plans for maintaining and strengthening their quality in the future.• 7C1: and 7P1: The Comprehensive Evaluation and Improvement of Assessment Processes Action Proj-

ect established a formalized process for tracking institutional assessment and is implementing the Infor-mation committee that will annually review the process and implement changes. (See Figure 7.1).

• Overview: ANGEL and technological resources fully support the educational programs and plans are in place for maintaining and strengthening their quality in the future (See Figure 0.8).

• Overview: The majority of full-time faculty has master degrees with the others having degrees one level above the degree-level in which they are teaching. There is a pool of qualifi ed adjunct faculty who bring professional experience and fl exibility to provide for course enrollments (See Figure 0.5).

• 7P3: The educational programs involve faculty, administrators, advisory boards, and program accredita-tions in the process of assessing and maintaining the quality of its educational programs.

• 3P3: Determines stakeholders needs and working with area employers.• 6P1.2: Midstate College identifi es the support and administrative service needs of the students by utiliz-

ing the student opinion survey, open door policy, observation, suggestion box, and student records forms. (See Figure 6.3).

Core Component 2c. The organization’s ongoing evaluation and assessment processes provide reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness that clearly informs strategies for continuous improvement.• The College has assessment processes in place for student learning, student and stakeholder satisfac-

tion, personnel evaluation, student and administrative support, institutional effectiveness, planning effec-tiveness, and collaborative relationships.

• 1P6: Processes for student learning



• 1P11: Processes for student assessment• 1P13: Identifi ed measures of student performance• 1R1: Assessment of objectives • 3P7: The College has assessment processes in place to determine student and other stakeholder satisfaction• 4P9: Employee satisfaction, health and safety• 8R4: Midstate College evaluates its planning processes • 9P4: Collection and measurement of collaborative relationships• 6P1 and 6P2: Student feedback mechanisms, stakeholder needs identifi cation mechanisms, and stake-

holder needs identifi cation mechanisms (See Figure 6.3 and 6.4)• 4P6: Personnel evaluation system

Core Component 2d. All levels of planning align with the organization’s mission, thereby enhanc-ing its capacity to fulfi ll that mission.• 1C2: There are several methods for assessing departmental effectiveness that align with institutional

goals and the mission.• 8: Vision and mission matrix: mission documents are aligned with the planning that occurs in the College

(See Figure 8.2).• 7P5: The matrix is valuable in aligning the structure of the curricula with the core purposes of the College

across the board.

Criterion Three – Student Learning and Effective Teaching

The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfi lling its educational mission.

Core Component 3a. The organization’s goals for student learning outcomes are clearly stated for each educational program and make effective assessment possible.• 1C1,1C2, and1C3: Learning outcomes are clearly stated for common and specifi c student outcomes. • 1P6: Faculty has a defi ned role in determining expected student learning outcomes for the programs

within their departments as well as the general education core curriculum. The faculty is responsible for the measurements of learning outcomes. Results are used for continuous improvement.

• 1P11: Assessment of student achievement is faculty driven.• 1P1: Curriculum development includes the establishment of learning objectives and outcomes.

Core Component 3b. The organization values and supports effective teaching.• 1P6: A specifi c process for the evaluation of faculty teaching.• 1C2: Syllabi review by department directors, Assistant Dean, and Chief Academic Dean• 1C4: Faculty orientation/teaching methods action project• 4P4: Faculty is encouraged to attend seminars, conferences, and workshops that enhance their skills. • 4P5: Technology training is provided for faculty and staff.• 4P7: Recognition and reward system: The College is a family atmosphere in which recognition is given

and received on a personal level with immediate notifi cation of these accomplishments. • 5P2: Liberal tuition reimbursement policies and other supported educational opportunities provide an

ongoing employee learning environment.

Core Component 3c. The organization creates effective learning environments.• 1C5: The students document on the Student Opinion Survey their satisfaction with the College• 1P5 and 3P2: Department Directors and faculty are involved in student advising. The students meet with

their department director once a term.• 1P9: Tutoring support is facilitated through the library. Faculty is able to request needed resources and

learning support. • 1R3: The College provides technology that enhances the effectiveness of learning environments for stu-

dents. Software is available free to students through the Colleges licensing agreement with Microsoft. All campus computers are connected to the Internet, and the entire campus is accessible to wireless Internet connection. Technical support is available 24x7 to all personnel and students.



• 4C1: Student learning is fostered in an atmosphere that focuses on the individual.• 4P7: Flexible schedules, caring family atmosphere, independent and team-based work structure, open-

door policy all provide a pleasant place to work.• 4P9: Surveys are completed in order to gauge the satisfaction of employees and students.

Core Component 3d. The organization’s learning resources support student learning and effective teaching.• 1P9: The faculty is responsible for determining the learning resources necessary to support student learn-

ing and effective teaching.• 7P6: The College supports student, staff, and faculty in using technology effectively. All full-time faculty

have a computer in their offi ce; some have a laptop provided to facilitate eLearning (See Figure 0.7). • 1R3: The College’s instructional support services, library, bookstore, are adequately supporting student

learning and effective teaching.• 3P6 and 3P7: The College surveys students and other stakeholders and evaluates results to assure that

learning resources support student learning and effective teaching.• 3R1: Measures and results of student satisfaction• 9C2: The College develops collaborative relationships to provide the students with activities and experi-

ences which foster personal growth and leadership qualities that will assist them in their social, voca-tional, and academic pursuits.

Criterion Four – Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge

The organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission.

Core Component 4a. The organization demonstrates, through the actions of its board, administra-tors, students, faculty, and staff, that it values a life of learning.• 1C1: The College supports the acquisition of skills and abilities not necessarily related to specifi c voca-

tional capabilities but rather the skills and abilities appropriate to any career pattern at any stage of life.• 4C4: A variety of professional development and learning opportunities are available for faculty, staff, and

administrators.• 9P4: The College celebrates the achievement of students and faculty in acquiring and applying knowledge.

Core Component 4b. The organization demonstrates that acquisition of a breadth of knowledge and skills and the exercise of intellectual inquiry are integral to its educational programs. • 1C1 and1P1: Learning objectives and the College’s general education program provide students oppor-

tunities to develop a desire and capacity for lifelong learning and encourage the development of creative thinking and intellectual curiosity.

Core Component 4c. The organization assesses the usefulness of its curricula to students who will live and work in a global, diverse, and technological society.• 1C4 and 1P13: The College’s General Education Learning Objectives are intended to prepare students

for diversity and a changing world through their emphasis on students gaining social and personal values, global awareness and ethical and moral reasoning. Students gain real world experience through practi-cums, internships, and clinical courses.

Core Component 4d. The organization provides support to ensure that faculty, students, and staff acquire, discover, and apply knowledge responsibly.• 1C5: Syllabi have sections on classroom policies, including the policy on plagiarism. Plagiarism policy is

addressed in the College Catalog, Personnel Policy and Procedure Handbook, and Student Handbook. The privacy act is included in the catalog.

• 1C5: The College has a policy relating to respect for copyright materials.



Criterion Five – Engagement and Service

As called for by its mission, the organization identifi es its constituencies and serves them in ways both value.

Core Component 5a. The organization learns from the constituencies it serves and analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and expectations.• 1P1: Program goals and objectives are established with the advice of advisory boards that are made up

of professionals from the community.• 9C3: Co-curricular activities provide opportunities to interact with the community• 9P4: Collection and measurements of collaborative relationships• 6P1: Information regarding the identifi cation and evaluation of student support needs• 4P3: Work processes contribute to organizational learning and ethical practices.

Core Component 5b. The organization has the capacity and the commitment to engage with its identifi ed constituencies and communities.• 5C2: The College has a structured communication process that responds to constituents’ needs.• 9P1: Collaborative relationships have been initiated with other institutions of higher learning and the community• 6P1 and 6P2: Identifying student and administrative support needs• 4C3: Workforce demographic trends

Core Component 5c. The organization demonstrates its responsiveness to those constituencies that depend on it for service.• 9P1: Collaborations with the community• 6P1: Identifying student and administrative support needs• 3P1: The needs of Midstate students are measured quantitatively and qualitatively.

Core Component 5d. Internal and external constituencies value the services the organization provides.• 4P7: The College was recognized as Employer of the Year in 2006 by the Employers’ Association• 3R1: Student Opinion Survey shows that the services provided are valued.• 2R1, 3, and 9: The College is partnered with the City of Peoria’s Workforce Network and Workforce

Development.

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