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AQ

IP SYSTEMS PO

RTFOLIO

[2015]W

ILLISTON

STATE COLLEG

E

Executive Cabinet Members

Raymond Nadolny, President

Dan Artamenko, Athletic Director

Kaylyn Bondy, Registrar/Director for Effectiveness

Heather Fink, Executive Director for Student Services

Laurie Furuseth, Chief Financial Officer

Angie March, Director for Information Technology

Wanda Meyer, Provost/Vice President for Instruction

Keith Olson, Director, Small Business Development Center

Terry Olson, Executive Director WSC Foundation

Vincent Pachuilo, Director for Facilities

Deanette Piesik, CEO, TrainND

Michelle Remus, Director for Human Resources

Megan Theis, Executive Assistant to the President

Jennifer Wolf, Director for Creative Services

Williston State College

1410 University Avenue

Williston, ND 58801

www.willistonstate.edu

701-774-4200

http://www.willistonstate.edu/

Williston State College June 2015

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Table of Contents

INSTITUTIONAL OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................................. 3

Mission...................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Vision ........................................................................................................................................................................ 3

Values ....................................................................................................................................................................... 3

People ....................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Academic Offerings .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Campus and Additional Locations ............................................................................................................................ 3

Distance Delivery Programs ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Key Campus Programs and Resources ..................................................................................................................... 4

Key Improvement and Quality Initiatives ................................................................................................................. 4

CATEGORY ONE: HELPING STUDENTS LEARN .......................................................................................... 5

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 5

Common Learning Outcomes ................................................................................................................................... 5

Program Learning Outcomes .................................................................................................................................. 12

Academic Program Design ..................................................................................................................................... 17

Academic Program Quality..................................................................................................................................... 25

Academic Student Support ..................................................................................................................................... 31

Academic Integrity ................................................................................................................................................. 40

CATEGORY TWO: MEETING STUDENT & OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDER NEEDS ............................. 44

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 44

Current and Prospective Student Need ................................................................................................................... 44

Retention, Persistence, and Completion ................................................................................................................. 50

Key Stakeholder Needs ........................................................................................................................................... 55

Complaint Processes ............................................................................................................................................... 58

Building Collaborations and Partnerships .............................................................................................................. 60

CATEGORY THREE: VALUING EMPLOYEES .............................................................................................. 63

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 63

Hiring ...................................................................................................................................................................... 63

Evaluation and Recognition .................................................................................................................................... 69

Development ........................................................................................................................................................... 72

CATEGORY FOUR: PLANNING AND LEADING ............................................................................................ 76

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 76

Mission and Vision ................................................................................................................................................. 76

Strategic Planning ................................................................................................................................................... 81

Leadership ............................................................................................................................................................... 87

Integrity ................................................................................................................................................................... 95

CATEGORY FIVE: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT & RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP ......................... 100

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 100

Knowledge Management ...................................................................................................................................... 100

Resource Management ......................................................................................................................................... 105

Operational Effectiveness ..................................................................................................................................... 115

CATEGORY SIX: QUALITY OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................... 120

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 120

Quality Improvement Initiatives ........................................................................................................................... 120

Culture of Quality ................................................................................................................................................. 123


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WILLISTON STATE COLLEGE OVERVIEW

MISSION

Williston State College, "Where the People Make the Difference", is to provide accessible, affordable, life

changing, and life-long educational pathways to residents of North Dakota, the Upper Plains, and beyond.

VISION

We are committed to student excellence. We embrace quality student experiences, open communication, and

actionable data that enrich personal relationships among our college, faculty, and students. We believe that people

make the difference; that the college is the heart of the communities we serve; that our facilities are a needed,

neutral, and central community space; and that our faculty and staff serve multiple and diverse needs in a global

environment. We strive for a strong student presence on-campus, expanded offerings, fiscal sustainability, modern

facilities, current technologies, and continuous improvement as a result of both our master and strategic plans.

VALUES

Truthfulness Inspiration Relationships Achievement

Empowerment Personal and Professional Growth Vision Success

PEOPLE

Williston State College is a community of: students, faculty, staff and community members. Spring 2015 saw

record-enrollment of 1,009 students (585.37 FTE). 38% of the 2015 Spring students were full-time; 62% were part-

time. Approximately 21 percent enrolled in transfer degree programs, 32 percent in career and technical programs

and the remaining 47 percent were non-degree seeking. During the 2013-2014 fiscal year, TrainND, the workforce

training division, enrolled 16,205 duplicated and 11,696 unduplicated students and contracted with 381 businesses.

Williston State College proudly employees 121 full-time benefited positions (14 Executive Cabinet members, 91

staff and 31 faculty). In addition, WSC employees 138 temporary/part-time employees as adjunct faculty, contract

trainers for TrainND Northwest, student workers, etc. Collaboratively, all 259 employees at work together to create

a well-rounded, diversified learning environment. The College believes the motto "Where the People Make the

Difference" isn't just a saying, but a reality.

ACADEMIC OFFERINGS

The College offers five degrees types. A Certificate of Completion is awarded for completing an undergraduate

course of study requiring 15 credit hours or less. A Certificate is the culmination of at least 16 career-technical

credits that aims to impart career skills and includes five general education credits. An Associate in Applied

Science Degree is awarded upon completion of 62 credit hours, including 15 general education credits, in a career-

technical area. Associate Degrees in Arts and Science are awarded upon completion of 62 credits of courses

consisting of diverse, introductory level material in preparation for transfer to baccalaureate programs.

CAMPUS AND ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS

Williston State College, a public two-year college, is the only higher education opportunity for many citizens of

northwest North Dakota and northeast Montana. The main campus is located on 80 acres in Williston, North

Dakota. The Petroleum Safety & Technology Center is located in the Williston East Industrial Park, and two

nursing sites in North Dakota; Minot and Newtown.

DISTANCE DELIVERY PROGRAMS

The College currently offers both transfer and career and technical programs in a flexible formats, including online,


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interactive video and early entry courses. Approximately 53 percent of all Spring 2015 students were enrolled in at

least one online course. The College also partners with four-year institutions to allow students to complete

bachelor degrees from other campuses through the use of interactive video equipment.

KEY CAMPUS PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES

The Williston State College Foundation is a vital partner in the College’s operations. The foundation provides

support through student scholarships and grant funding. The Williston State College Foundation ranks in the top

one hundred of the nation’s two-year college foundations by assets. Current net assets are approaching 30 million

dollars.

Established in 1983, the Teton Booster Club promotes and fundraises for Teton Athletics. The Teton Booster Club

provides athletic scholarship dollars for all six sports, recruiting assistance, operating budgets, team meals,

equipment and facility improvements, and team travel.

A strategic College partner, the Williston Parks & Recreation District opened the new Williston Area Recreation

Center, located on the College campus, to provide state-of-the-art wellness and recreation opportunities for the

region, College students and employees.

TrainND Northwest, a division at Williston State College, is responsible for workforce training, continuing

education and conference services. TrainND is the provider of non-credit workforce training in the state of North

Dakota. TrainND provides workforce training for ten counties located in the northwest region of the state. The

main Workforce Training Campus is located in the East Industrial Park, approximately five miles from

campus. This site has two building complexes as well as a nine-acre training field. A second satellite office is

located in Minot. In fiscal year 2014, TrainND served 381 businesses with 11,696 unduplicated participants in

1,301 training sessions. Continuing Education supplements workforce training through community education non-

credit classes. Conference Services facilitates community meeting, workshops and conferences. TrainND in its

entirety has seen increases in their offerings reflective of the growth in the region.

KEY IMPROVEMENT AND QUALITY INITIATVES

The College began its quality improvement journey in 2008. The timing could not have been more perfect. The

quality improvement processes identified through AQIP have provided a strong foundation of principles to build a

culture of quality. As a result of the economy, the college has been in a reactionary mode, however the reliance on

quality initiatives has provided the College to be both strategic and integrative in forwarding higher education

under incredible circumstances. The institution has undergone significant change in regard to its commitment to a

shared culture of evidence, developing improved planning systems, resource allocation, assessment and evaluation.

Williston isn't a boom town any more, but an emerging economy. It is unknown if oil has hit the bottom of this

down cycle, the rig count is now under 100, but industry leaders identify a significant amount of wealth still trapped

in the ground. The College will continue to manage an intense economy bringing both benefits and challenges to its

students.

Thanks to the Williams County Scholarship that awards graduating high school seniors a two-year, tuition-free

scholarship to WSC, enrollment is expected to increase dramatically. WSC has already had a 117 % application

increase for the fall 2015 semester.

http://www.wscfoundation.com/

http://wsctetons.com/sports/2011/9/30/booster_club.aspx?&tab=5

http://www.willistonparks.com/index.html

http://www.willistonparks.com/ARC.html

http://www.willistonparks.com/ARC.html


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AQIP Category One: Helping Students Learn

Helping Students Learn focuses on the design, deployment, and effectiveness of teaching-learning processes

(and on the processes required to support them) that underlie the institution’s credit and non-credit

programs and courses.

Introduction

Williston State College is one of eleven institutions operated by the North Dakota University System (NDUS),

headed by a Chancellor who reports to the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (SBHE), which is an arm

of the North Dakota Executive Branch.

The College’s two instructional divisions, the Instructional Division and the TrainND Northwest Division, directly

align course, program, and institutional learning outcomes to educational offerings, degree levels, and mission. The

mission of Williston State College, “Where the people make the difference,’ is to provide accessible, affordable,

life changing and lifelong educational pathways to the residents of North Dakota, the Upper Plains, and beyond.”

The Instructional Division offers both Career & Technical Education (CTE) and transfer programs delivered by the

departments of Arts & Human Sciences, Math & Sciences, Business Technology, Health & Wellness, and Trades

Technology. The division’s Office of Extended Learning (OEL) serves regional high school students with early

enrollment opportunities. The OEL serves students online, via both interactive video and hybrid media as well as at

off-site locations. The Student Success Center works with individual students to maximize their educational

experience through various academic support services.

Several grant opportunities have enhanced, various college programs. For example, the US Department of Labor’s

Trade Assistance Adjustment Community College and Career Training Program (TAACCCT), the Training for

Regional Energy in North Dakota (TREND) consortium of which WSC is a founding member, and the Title III

grant are directed by the Instructional Division.

The TrainND Northwest Division offers workforce training and community education programs to students.

Common Learning Outcomes

1P1 Common Learning Outcomes focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of graduates from

all programs. Describe the processes for determining, communicating, and ensuring the stated common

learning outcomes and who is involved in those processes. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of

key processes for:

• Aligning common outcomes to the mission, educational offerings, and degree levels of the institution (3.B.1,

3.E.2)

Mission Alignment

Launched in 2005, Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) promotes Essential Learning Outcomes

(ELOs), high-impact educational practices, authentic student learning assessments, and inclusive excellence. All

eleven state, two private, five tribal, and one for-profit institution committed to the LEAP initiative. Each

participating institution developed ELOs and concentrates on the initiative’s authentic assessment.

An AQIP 1 subcommittee synthesized four selected ELOs to form WSC’s Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs):

1) Students will demonstrate effective communication skills; 2) Students will use reasoning skills to analyze and

solve problems; 3) Students will demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures and value systems; 4) Students will

apply health-related knowledge to promote physical and mental well-being. AQIP 1 and Faculty Council approved

the four ILOs. Every associate-level graduate is to be able to demonstrate, use, and apply these four ILOs which

fully align with the mission. (3.B.1, 3.E.2)


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TrainND Northwest Division’s workforce and community education offerings directly fit the College’s mission.

Working directly and influenced by regional business and community partners, TrainND Northwest creates courses

and programs to meet standards of affordability, accessibility, impact and audience. (3.B.1, 3.E.2)

Educational Offering Alignment

Aligning Instructional Division common outcomes to educational offerings is done two ways. Departments require

faculty to use the official Course Outcome Guide (COG) in planning a course. The Instructional Division creates

curriculum maps aligning the four ILOs on the y-axis and the courses offered by the division on the x-axis. The two

axes show which ILOs are met by a specific course. Although the four ILOs need not be acquired only in formal

coursework, strong range and depth of ILOs encountered within a certain degree program should correlate within

institutional assessment, assuring that all graduates achieve the four ILOs.

TrainND staff and advisory board determine existing needs for training or community activity and aligns courses

and activities to such demands. Staff and logistical resources are taken into consideration. The creation of need-

based courses and programs results in high participation and client satisfaction. Division offerings meet state,

national, international, and industry standards. (3.B.1)

Degree Alignment

The four ILOs can be achieved by curricular and/or co-curricular means within a program. Program Outcome

Guides (POGs) also align with ILOs. Nature and degree of alignment between POGs and ILOs is determined by the

procedure being piloted as part of the WSC’s Higher Learning Commission Assessment Academy project.

TrainND certification of completion programs meet WSC, NDUS, State, National, or professional standard

requirements in terms of credits and program coursework. TrainND Northwest currently offers certificates of

completion in eight areas. Ala carte courses are not intended to be applied to certificates of completion, but rather

for meeting certification standards. They may later be evaluated for use toward a program in the future using the

Credit for Prior Learning process. (3.B.1)

• Determining common outcomes (3.B.2, 4.B.4)

NDUS procedure 403.7.3 Common Course Numbering Guidelines defines the standardization of course numbers,

titles, and descriptions used within the NDUS. The Common Course Numbering (CCN) matrix identifies system-

approved courses brought forward by discipline group representative recommendation. CCN discipline groups

meet to update statewide common course content and outcomes. Outcomes are standardized across the NDUS.

This procedure assures common outcomes as found in common course descriptions.

Dr. Susan Murphy’s 2012 and 2013 workshops equipped the Instructional Division with concepts and tools to

develop, maintain, and revise course and program outcomes. Using The Outcome Primer (3rd

ed., 2008), AQIP 1

adopted the Course Outcome Guide (COG) and Program Outcome Guide (POG) tools for curriculum development,

operations, and assessment. COGs include course name, number, title, credits, official description, applicability to

ILOs, applicability to program learning outcomes, course learning outcomes, assessment methods used by all

instructors of the course, learning process skills, and concepts and issues addressed in the course. COGs and POGs

visually demonstrate alignment and assessment by showing how course content and assessment tasks align with

course outcomes, how course outcomes align with program outcomes, and how program outcomes align with

institutional outcomes. (4.B.4)

The Instructional Division received training in application approaches, assessment tools, and modification

techniques. Instructional departments require faculty to follow COGs for existing courses and to develop COGs for

new courses. Instructional Departments develop and maintain common course outcomes in the form of COGs and

POGs. Curriculum Committee must approve new COGs and POGs. Once approved departments maintain and

modify COGs. POGs are sent to NDUS with program proposals. (3.B.2)

http://ndus.edu/makers/procedures/ndus/default.asp?PID=272&SID=56

http://ndus.edu/employees/articulation-transfer/courses-with-common-transferrable-content/


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The need-based nature of North Dakota’s TrainND program tailors outcomes to client needs, but standardizes

general outcomes of coursework, which is offered statewide. TrainND certification instructors also participated in

outcome training, but their customized coursework precludes formalized outcome devices, hence, the division does

not use COGs, but instead uses learning objectives stated in class descriptions. (4.B.4)

• Articulating the purposes, content, and level of achievement of the outcomes (3.B.2, 4.B.1)

Articulating Outcomes Purposes

ILOs are communicated in the catalog. Enrollment Services and faculty advisors explain ILOs and frame the

concept for students in classes, orientation sessions and in college strategies courses. Course syllabi reinforce

institutional, program and course outcomes. COGs and POGs are also available online. (3.B.2, 4.B.1)

TrainND learning objectives are clearly stated in class descriptions found in the TrainND Catalog, marketing

materials for classes, and class syllabi. Instructors review learning objectives in the first session of each class.

Articulating Outcomes Content

A dedicated section in course syllabi names and defines common course outcomes, applicable program outcomes,

and the ILOs to be achieved in the course. COG’s and POG’s are also on the website. (3.B.2, 4.B.1)

The first session of each course, TrainND instructors present learning objectives in course syllabi. (3.B.2, 4.B.1)

Articulating Level of Outcomes Achievement

The catalog states the goal of every graduate demonstrating achievement of the ILOs. Instruction Division faculty

cover the ILOs during student advisement. Each Instructional Division course syllabus, reflecting the section in that

course’s COG, specifies assessment tools used to determine the degree to which course, program, and institutional

outcomes are achieved. TrainND course syllabi state the passing standard of the class. (3.B.2, 4.B.1)

• Incorporating into the curriculum opportunities for all students to achieve the outcomes (3.B.3, 3.B.5)

Sections of course syllabi pertaining to each COG presents process skills and covered issues and concepts to remind

students and instructors of how intended outcomes are to be achieved. Disability Support Services assures that

students with documented needs receive accommodation to achieve course outcomes. POGs present all relevant

courses and assessment task opportunities for students to meet common program outcomes. Curriculum maps

ensure the opportunities provided are consistent with institutional outcomes. (3.B.3, 3.B.5)

• Ensuring the outcomes remain relevant and aligned with student, workplace, and societal needs (3.B.4)

Faculty, AQIP 1, TrainND staff, and TrainND and Career & Technical Education (CTE) advisory board members

regularly meet and pursue professional development opportunities to assure outcomes remain aligned with student

and stakeholder needs, to determine needed changes, and to review forecast trends which may influence current

offerings.

Instructional Division participation in NDUS Common Course Numbering (CCN) discipline and general meetings,

ND General Education Council (NDGEC) sessions, CTE workshops, and conferences in specific disciplines help

maintain Instructional Division knowledge concerning outcome relevancy.

TrainND’s need-based offerings reflect workforce and community education relevance. TrainND’s Community

Education and Instruction Division co-curricular opportunities combine to meet regional societal needs. Personal

enrichment, cultural experience, social interaction, and personal expression are all provided in WSC’s community

offerings. (3.B.4)

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Future-Students/Class-and-Program-Info/WSC-Catalogs.html

http://willistonstate.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=templates.CustomTemplatePreview&ContentID=122&


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• Designing, aligning, and delivering co-curricular activities to support learning (3.E.1, 4.B.2)

Established ILOs can be met through co-curricular activities. Assessment of ILOs takes a student’s entire collegiate

experience into consideration. Many campus departments work to design, align, and deliver co-curricular activities.

Co-curricular events and activities are communicated via the WSC website, TV kiosks, WSC email, student

listservs, event-specific signage, monthly activity lists, and seasonal TrainND Community Education catalogs

(3.E.1). For example:

ILO I: Student Communication Skills. Improvisation groups, musicians, comedians, open mic nights, mentalists,

illusionists, hypnotists, ND Humanities presenters, and visiting writers, all provide students co-curricular

opportunities to use and to develop their communication skills. (4.B.2)

ILO II: Student Reasoning/Problem-solving Skills. Student Government, Phi Theta Kappa (Honors Society), Math

or Writing Labs, peer tutoring, all provide students co-curricular opportunities to use and to develop their

reasoning/problem-solving skills. (4.B.2)

ILO III: Experiencing Diversity. Diversity Club, dorm life, the Taste of Cultures event, international tours, and

exchange programs with WSC’s sister college in Japan, all provide students co-curricular opportunities to

experience diversity. (4.B.2)

ILO IV: Develop and Maintain Recreation & Wellness. Dances, free bowling, Massage Club services, and the Area

Recreation Center located on the WSC Main Campus, all provide students co-curricular opportunities to develop

and maintain recreation and wellness. (4.B.2)

College students can also enroll though TrainND to meet employment needs for training opportunities. TrainND

opportunities may support program outcomes. For example, TrainND’s Commercial Driver’s License supports

Petroleum Production Technology degree outcomes.

The Student Success Center (SSC) provides tutoring assistance. Within the SSC, Disability Support Services,

documents student academic accommodation and sets up individual educational plans to best meet their needs. The

Adult Learning Center (ALC) provides students opportunities to complete high school graduation requirements.

The ALC provides opportunities to update skills for work or degree programs. The ALC provides English

Language Learner support services to college students and community participants.

• Selecting tools/methods/instruments used to assess attainment of common learning outcomes (4.B.2)

Faculty select assessment tools to assess course level outcomes. Given department approval, COGs are reviewed by

the Curriculum Committee. Once approved, changes to existing COGs are made at the department level.

Instructional Division program coordinators, with advice and consent of advisory and accrediting committees,

approve program level assessment tasks. AQIP 1 develops institutional level assessment tasks to be approved by

Faculty Council. (4.B.2)

All TrainND Northwest workforce training classes require testing specific to learning objectives. Each test has a

required passing percentage. Some classes, by the nature of their training, require a skills test in addition to the

written test. (4.B.2)

• Assessing common learning outcomes (4.B.1, 4.B.2, 4.B.4)

An assessment committee reviews student electronic portfolios to measure achievement of the four ILOs. The ILOs

are demonstrated within the e-portfolio though successful documentation of original work. College related

coursework and college related co-curricular work can be presented for review in the e-portfolio. Assessment of

ILOs informs the continuous quality improving of student learning. (4.B.1, 4.B.2, 4.B.4)


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TrainND assesses learning objectives at the individual, course, employer, professional, regional and state level. All

four TrainND regional quadrants collect and combine this information to further detect areas of improvement.

Quadrants then implement equivalent improvements for further assessment.

1R1 What are the results for determining if students possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are

expected at each degree level?

• Outcomes/measures tracked and tools utilized

The Institutional Scorecard provides data related to student persistence and completion. Student persistence and

completion is directly correlated with the successful achievement of ILOs.

The foundational assessment of whether students meet institutional learning outcomes takes place when faculty use

class assessment tools to develop data which is analyzed in terms of the established ILOs. In its initial

implementation phase, the College’s Assessment Academy project provides metrics about the four ILOs. The

project requires students to develop an e-portfolio of digitized achievements for every class or chosen co-curricular

experience. A trained team regularly examines e-portfolios to detect evidence of ILO achievement.

Beginning in 2012, TrainND adopted new software, which tracks registrations for both workplace training and

Community Education. TrainND records both duplicated and unduplicated headcounts and estimates failure/drop-

out rates of registered students.

• Summary results of measures (include tables and figures when possible)

As an indication of successful ILO completion, Figure 1 presents student success IPEDS data in relation to cohort

institutions. Students who persist to completion are assumed to have a higher probability of achieving ILOs. The

results show that the College’s student success data is comparable to those of cohort institutions and has remained

consistent over the past four years.

Figure 1-1: Williston State College IPEDS Data Feedback Report

2011 2012 2013 2014

Graduation Rate (% of total entering students)

WSC 36% 40% 35% 37%

Cohort 39% 37% 37% 32%

Full-Time Retention (% of first time students)

WSC 54% 60% 50% 58%

Cohort 60% 60% 57% 59%

Part-Time Retention (% of first time students)

WSC 29% 0% 40% 15%

Cohort 37% 37% 38% 45%

Preliminary outcomes from the first ILO e-portfolio assessment were completed in April 2015. The e-portfolio

assessments demonstrate how well students meet the four ILOs via coursework and College experiences.

Concerning ILO 1: Communication Skills, students demonstrate proficiency in five of the seven communication

categories and demonstrate some proficiency in the two remaining categories. Future revisions of the ILO 1:

Communication assessment will expand on dimensions of communication, such as speech and visual interpretive

skills.


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Figure 1-2: E-Portfolio Assessment Results 2015

Level of Proficiency: Writing/Oral Skills

Question

No/Limited

Proficiency

(1)

Some

Proficiency

(2)

Proficiency

(3)

High

Proficiency

(4)

Total

Responses Mean

Thesis/Focus: (a) Originality 11 34 55 61 161 3.03

Organization 14 22 47 82 165 3.19

Support/Reasoning

(a) Ideas (b) Details 15 22 55 73 165 3.13

Use of sources and

Documentation 38 35 51 35 159 2.52

Audience awareness 10 26 60 69 165 3.14

Style (a) Sentences

(b) Diction/Syntax

(c) Tone/Voice

5 42 55 63 165 3.07

Writing/Speaking Conventions:

Grammar/Spelling/Usage/Punctu

ation

9 51 60 45 165 2.85

Concerning ILO 2: Reasoning Skills and Problem Solving, students demonstrate proficiency in all four categories.

Proficiency in all four categories was demonstrated across programs, courses and student demographics.


Level of Proficiency: Reasoning

Question

No/Limited

Proficiency

(1)

Some

Proficiency

(2)

Proficiency

(3)

High

Proficiency

(4)

Total

Responses Mean

Defining the problem 4 7 75 78 164 3.38

Developing a plan to solve the

problem 4 11 74 73 162 3.33

Collecting and analyzing

information 4 8 75 77 164 3.37

Interpreting findings and solving

the problem 4 8 73 76 161 3.37

Concerning ILO 3: Knowledge of Diverse Cultures and Value Systems: students demonstrate proficiency in three

of the six categories and demonstrate some proficiency in the remaining categories. Future revisions of the ILO 3:

Knowledge of Diverse Cultures and Value Systems will clarify question category wording to reduce ambiguity.


Level of Proficiency: Diversity

Question

No/Limited

Proficiency

(1)

Some

Proficiency

(2)

Proficiency

(3)

High

Proficiency

(4)

Total

Responses Mean

Awareness of culture 16 24 49 72 161 3.10

Awareness of history and its

impact 28 26 41 62 157 2.87

Stereotyping and bias 29 30 49 39 147 2.67

Interactions with individuals

from different cultures 29 24 54 42 149 2.73

Knowledge of importance of

civic engagement 21 21 45 71 158 3.05

Civic contexts and structures 21 24 47 66 158 3.00


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Concerning ILO 4: Apply Health-Related Knowledge to Promote Physical and Mental Well-Being, students

demonstrate proficiency in one of the four categories and limited proficiency in the remaining three categories.

Results for ILO 4: Apply Health-Related Knowledge to Promote Physical and Mental Well-Being demonstrate that

the Colleges needs to make curricular and co-curricular improvements in this category.


Level of Proficiency: Wellness

Question

No/Limited

Proficiency

(1)

Some

Proficiency

(2)

Proficiency

(3)

High

Proficiency

(4)

Total

Responses Mean

Physical education 63 35 15 25 138 2.01

Personal development a

component of self-actualization 25 46 30 43 144 2.63





Since 2011, TrainND Northwest workforce training class completers totaled 49,960 duplicated and 35,421

unduplicated students. Since 2012 TrainND Community Education completers totaled 2,568 duplicated and 1,515

unduplicated students. Less than 2% of registered students fail or quit and are not counted in duplicated or non-

duplicated numbers.

• Comparison of results with internal targets and external benchmarks

Student engagement perception indicators aligned with ILO concepts is used as a means to better understand and

supplement ILO data. The results demonstrate that there are few solid improvement trends within each ILO–related

question. College scores are somewhat consistent with Cohort scores, however the College will focus on improving

overall trending of scores.

Figure 1-6: Community College Survey of Student Engagement

2009 2011 2013

WSC CCSSE

Cohort WSC

CCSSE

Cohort WSC

CCSSE

Cohort

ILO 1: Demonstrate effective communication skills. Made a class presentation 1.83 2.05 2.09 2.08 2.15 2.13

Worked on a paper or project that required integrating

ideas or information from various sources 2.54 2.72 2.69 2.77 2.40 2.80

ILO 2: Use reasoning skills to analyze and solve problems. Synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or

experiences in new ways 2.63 2.72 2.84 2.76 2.60 2.78

Applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in

new situations 2.68 2.66 2.83 2.69 2.54 2.72

ILO 3: Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures and value systems. Had serious conversations with student of a different race

or ethnicity than your own 1.98 2.38 2.19 2.41 2.17 2.43

Had serious conversations with students who differ from

you in terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions,

or personal values 2.31 2.34 2.35 2.35 2.32 2.35

ILO 4: Apply health-related knowledge to promote physical and mental well-being. Providing the support you need to thrive socially 2.17 2.14 2.53 2.17 2.26 2.21

Helping you cope with your non-academic

responsibilities 1.92 1.94 2.08 1.95 2.01 1.99


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• Interpretation of results and insights gained

The Institutional Scorecard has proven to be a valuable tool in decision making to date and will enhance quality

improvement culture with its development. Current graduation and full-time and part-time retention rates support

implementation of the outcomes based assessment developed since 2011. Clear outcomes, continuous assessment

and improvement, and institutional commitment to producing a valuable experience for students can raise all three

metrics as the system is fully implemented beginning spring 2015.

The College must find curricular and co-curricular resources and techniques to improve student outcomes. For

example, opportunities to make presentations and integrative papers and projects may enhance communication

skills. While student diversity skills may be increased through international travel opportunities.

Maintaining a high level of achievement in reasoning and problem-solving skills will be a goal of that ILO.

The College’s stated commitment to physical and mental health-related knowledge and skills must be applied

across the curriculum and in co-curricular activities. Expansion of wellness categories beyond physical and mental

well-being may increase student awareness and application of knowledge in the wellness area.

TrainND’s ability to effectively serve large numbers of students may present a model for the Instructional Division

in serving the influx of students in the next semesters.

The HLC Assessment Academy project piloted in Spring 2015 effectively assessed the achievement of the ILOs for

the first time. Continued use and revision of the method will improve the overall assessment process in turn

providing valid and reliable results for analysis.

1I1 Based on 1R1, what improvements have been implemented or will be implemented in the next one to

three years? (4.B.3)

Since 2011, the College has demonstrated its commitment to academic quality improvement by making

institutional, program, and course outcomes explicit and systematized. In Spring 2015, the Assessment Academy

project successfully assessed ILOs, indicating areas for quality improvement. (4.B.3)

A reliable system of faculty training in the outcome-based quality improvement system must be developed and used

continually and effectively for the process to continue successfully. Every instructor must be fully aware of

outcomes and use that awareness to guide instruction and assessment. Evidence and outcome-based planning and

improvement of programs must become the institutional culture. Dynamic, perhaps unconventional means may be

required to improve student achievement of ILOs. Cross-curricular understanding and aim for all four ILOs must be

developed and used continuously. (4.B.3)

Communication between the Instructional Division and TrainND Northwest will be vital in the 2015-2017

biennium, to develop a system that reliably provides quality service to large numbers of students while minimizing

resource demands.

Program Learning Outcomes

1P2 Program Learning Outcomes focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities graduates from particular

programs are expected to possess. Describe the processes for determining, communicating, and ensuring the

stated program learning outcomes and who is involved in those processes. This includes, but is not limited to,

descriptions of key processes for:

• Aligning program learning outcomes to the mission, educational offerings, and degree levels of the

institution (3.E.2)

Alignment of Program Learning Outcomes with Mission


13

The Curriculum Committee internally assures new program proposals directly align with the criteria enumerated in

the College mission. Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs also provide curriculum to meet state,

national, and industry standards and accreditations. (3.E.2)

The NDUS requires that new program requests address both the institutional and the system missions per the SBHE

Policy 403.1 Program Approval. The College presents internally approved program requests to the State Academic

Affairs Council for consideration. A three-step process of approval is followed per NDUS Procedure

403.1 Academic Requests. The Chancellor’s Office presents requests to the SBHE for final approval. (3.E.2)

TrainND Northwest works with its advisory board to ensure offerings meet present and future regional workforce

and cultural needs. Professional development is offered to staff to develop additional offerings. TrainND Northwest

also aligns offerings to certification boards, national guidelines, professional associations, accrediting agencies,

licensure and state requirements, and advisory and industry standards, certification boards, national guidelines.

Both Instructional Division and TrainND Northwest programs make active use of advisory boards composed of

strategic stakeholders to develop, approve, and oversee educational offerings. (3.E.2)

Alignment of Program Learning Outcomes to Educational Offerings

The College aligns program-learning outcomes to educational offerings in two ways. Program learning outcomes

are specifically listed in the Program Outcome Guides (POGs). The specific program outcomes that a course can

satisfy are listed in the Course Outcomes Guides (COGs). The documented linkage of how POGs and COGs align

assures that students are able to achieve documented program outcomes though various courses. The linkage also

allows assessment of programs and courses relative to each other as well as the assessment of program, course and

possibly institutional outcomes. (3.E.2)

As stated above, TrainND Northwest works with its advisory board to ensure offerings meet present and future

regional workforce and cultural needs. Due to the specialization and tailoring of its offerings and to the non-

degree nature of its educational delivery TrainND Northwest does not use ILOs, POGs, or COGs. (3.E.2)

Alignment of Program Learning Outcomes with Degree Levels

As a two-year NDUS institution, the College’s Instructional Division offers developmental and lower division

college-level coursework leading to certificates of completion, program certificates, Associates in Applied Science,

Associates in Art, and Associates in Science. The intuitional definition, scope and sequence of a degree dictate how

the curriculum is to meet program outcomes. Instructional departments are responsible for developing both

programs and POGs. To date, the College has created POGs for all associate level degrees. The institution is using

these POGs as models for the development of other degree level outcome guides. (3.E.2)

TrainND Northwest works with its advisory board to ensure that programs are of an appropriate level and type.

Stakeholder input and industry and community demands determine scope, sequence, and level-of-training of

offerings leading to certificates of completion, state or national or industrial certificates based on testing, state

licenses, endorsements and verification cards. (3.E.2)

• Determining program outcomes (4.B.4)

New program proposals must be vetted through the appropriate department. Stakeholder input is vital during

program outcome creation. Advisory committees, alumni, outside agencies and entities, etc., assist in developing a

Program Outcomes Guide (POG) which list admission requirements, prerequisites, general and program-specific

coursework, capstone assessment tasks, and intended Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs). (4.B.4)

The responsible Instructional Department approves POGs for Curriculum Committee review and approval. The

Curriculum Committee ensures mission alignment, robustness, and program outcomes. Upon approval, the Vice

President for Instruction presents the POG as part of the request to the NDUS Academic Affairs Council. The

http://ndus.edu/makers/procedures/sbhe/default.asp?PID=91&SID=5





14

Department of Career & Technical Education (CTE) may review POGs as a part of the five-year CTE program

review. The Chancellor presents approved proposals to the SBHE for approval and formal filing. (4.B.4)

TrainND Northwest uses an interactive process involving participants, businesses, clients, instructors, staff, the

advisory board, and the TrainND CEO to establish program outcomes. (4.B.4)

• Articulating the purposes, content, and level of achievement of the outcomes (4.B.1)

Every Instructional Division syllabus lists the institutional, program, and course outcomes. When introducing the

syllabus, instructional faculty explain outcomes and their purposes. Departmental program webpages present all

associate degree level program learning outcomes. (4.B.1)

Program outcomes rubrics are established to assess each program. Passage rates of licensure or certification testing

and employment information in the various CTE programs demonstrate the level of achievement of the outcomes.

The full program review process determines and communicates the level of outcomes achievement as well as

recommends program improvement. Finalized program reviews are placed online. Achievement outcomes are

communicated via program reviews, media releases, and during recruitment visits. (4.B.1)

CTE Advisory Committees and the TrainND Advisory Board assess workforce training programs and employer

satisfaction, including gainful employment reporting to document the achievement level of programs in terms of

learning outcomes, content, and level of achievement. TrainND Community Education results are communicated

via area media releases. (4.B.1)

• Ensuring the outcomes remain relevant and aligned with student, workplace, and societal needs (3.B.4)

Departmental faculty ensure that outcomes remain relevant and aligned with student, workplace, and societal needs.

Full program reviews are completed every three years with annual updates submitted to AQIP 1 for assessment.

Acting as a review team, AQIP 1 recommends changes or updates during the program review process. All

Instructional Division program changes are approved by advisory boards or committees, then approved by NDUS

Academic Affairs Council. (3.B.4)

Instructional Division departments update programs both proactively and reactively. For example, departments seek

out stakeholder input to assure current practices while accreditation standards can motivate program change.

College recruiting efforts also provide insight concerning existing program changes requested by area stakeholders.

Program reviews process also recommends changes, as do CTE Advisory Committees and the TrainND Advisory

Board. Licensure passage rates help ensure program learning outcomes align with workplace and societal needs.

Transfer success rate information helps ensure relevancy of program outcomes.

Faculty and staff professional development provides opportunities to gain further understanding of professional

trends and demands. Knowledge acquired through professional development, statewide discipline meetings and

community surveys indicate quality and quantity of the College’s service region program demands. (3.B.4)

TrainND Northwest’s Advisory Board assures relevancy and alignment of its offerings to community, employers,

and their employees. Response survey and achievement of degree objectives provide feedback for analysis.

TrainND Northwest, as well as all other statewide TrainND locations, employs this practice. (3.B.4)

• Designing, aligning, and delivering co-curricular activities to support learning (3.E.1, 4.B.2)

Many divisions and departments are involved in the designing, aligning and delivering of co-curricular activities to

support learning. The four ILOs can be met by sources other than the classroom, lab, or workshop. The

establishment of course, program and institutional outcomes has established a foundation for co-curricular activities

to better design and align themselves to student learning outcomes (3.E.1). Some programs involve students in

activities and clubs that are reflective of professional organizations or societies. Membership enhances student

learning by involving students in groups that may be beneficial in future professional endeavors. The Biz-tech


15

Club, for example, operates technological repair and cleaning services. ILO related skills, such as, reasoning and

problem solving are cultivated though such activities. (4.B.2)

• Selecting tools/methods/instruments used to assess attainment of program learning outcomes (4.B.2)

Departmental and program faculty from the Instructional Division decide program learning outcomes and their

means of assessment. The College requires faculty to use common assessment methods and tools for measuring

student COGs and ILOs. Tools to evaluate attainment of program learning outcomes are based off of best

assessment practices, modeling other institutions, workshops and training. Statewide discipline groups also provide

strong input on program assessment methods. CTE program advisory committees and the TrainND Northwest

Advisory Board suggest means of assessment within programs. Program assessment tools are approved by the

Curriculum Committee and the Vice President for Instruction. (4.B.2)

• Assessing program learning outcomes (4.B.1, 4.B.2, 4.B.4)

Program learning outcomes are assessed through the program review process. Full program reviews are submitted

every third year and program updates are submitted annually. Program coordinators complete program review

templates, which are then evaluated by AQIP 1 and scored on the basis of established rubrics. AQIP 1 develops

scoring consensus and lists comments or dissent, if any. AQIP 1 lists recommendations and suggestions before

finalization. Administration lists additional recommendations and returns the review to the program. (4.B.1, 4.B.2,

4.B.4)

Annual updates are based on a simpler template. This template outlines progress and plans for the program in

response to previous recommendations and requests data updates. AQIP 1 reviews annual updates and may offer

additional recommendations. (4.B.4)

TrainND Northwest staff review and summarize participant and client evaluations upon class completion. Class

summaries are shared with instructors. The CEO of TrainND Northwest reviews client evaluations and makes

recommendations for course improvement, which are reviewed by the Advisory Board.

1R2 What are the results for determining if students possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are

expected in programs?


Program outcomes are posted on the website and syllabi. Program graduates demonstrate attainment of the four

ILOs as well as specific programs outcomes. Longitudinal comparison of program graduation rates indicates

program outcome achievement. Many CTE programs require state or national licensure examination to obtain

employment. Licensure and examination passage rates are direct indicators of program outcome achievement.

Comparisons of WSC graduates to external benchmarks indicate achievement of its program outcome goals.

• Overall levels of deployment of assessment processes within the institution

The overall deployment of institutional assessment processes gained momentum over the last four years. COGs are

used to assess outcomes of all individual courses. POGs have been developed for all associate-level degrees. The e-

portfolio has established a stronger culture of assessment among faculty. Faculty training has taken place

concerning surveys and assessments. Every program is to have a defined set of data and written procedures for

collecting, analyzing, and archiving data for quality decision-making use.

• Summary results of assessments (include tables and figures when possible)

Instructional Division liberal arts programs produce the majority of graduates. CTE programs include Associate in

Applied Science, certificates, and certificates of completion programs and encompass various disciplines.


16

Figure 1-7: Williston State College Graduates by Degree

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015*

AA-Liberal Arts 59 58 53 57 82 14

AS-Liberal Arts 25 34 37 38 55 12

Associate in Applied Science 71 65 59 51 66 3

Certificate 39 38 29 41 50 35

Certificate of Completion 1 28 0 0 7 1

Diploma 1 0 0 1 0 0

Total Degrees Awarded 196 223 178 188 260 65

Results by Academic Year

2015 year statistics are in progress as of end of term Fall 2014

Source: Campus Connection, Graduates by Major and Minor

Massage program graduates must complete licensure requirements before entering the workforce. The 2013

Massage graduate cohort achieved a higher licensure pass rate than national averages on the Massage & Bodywork

Licensing Exam (MBLEx) and the National Certification Exam for Therapeutic massage (NCETM).

Figure 1-8: Licensure Passage Rates

2013 Academic Year Data

Number of First

time Candidates

Number

Passed

Number Failed WSC Pass Rate

Percentage

National

Pass Rate

MBLEx 2 2 0 100% 71%

NCETM 5 4 1 80% 71.08%

Since 2011, WSC’s Practical Nursing Program graduates exceeded national and state-wide Dakota Nursing

Program first-time NCLEX-PN passing rates every year.

Figure 1-9: Summary of NCLEX first time pass rates 2011-2014 for

WSC Dakota Nursing Program Practical Nurse Program

Academic Year 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

PN National 83.94% 84.5% 84.16 %

PN ND State 95.03% 92.2% 95.24 %

PN WSC (Total) 19/19 - 100% 27/27- 100% 22/22 - 100%

Dakota Nursing Program Total 78/80 - 97.5% 91/92 - 98.9% 74/75 - 98.67%

Since 2011, WSC’s Associate Degree Nursing Program graduates passage rates have consistently ranged around

national, state, and overall Dakota Nursing Program rates.

Figure 1-10: Summary of NCLEX first time pass rates 2011-2014 for

WSC Dakota Nursing Program Registered Nurse Program

Academic Year 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

RN National 88.92% 87.03% 82.56%

RN ND State 89.42% 87.2% 88.43%

RN WSC (Total) 29/32 - 90.63%

(11 from 2011)

18/21 - 85.7%

(4 from 2012)

23/26 - 88.46%

(8 from 2013)

Dakota Nursing Program total 82/93 - 88.17% 73/83 - 87.95% 59/66 - 89.39%


17


Graduation Rates by Degree shows a steady increase in graduation over a five-year period. Graduation rates by

degree levels also show overall improvement for each degree level. WSC graduates that require licensure for

professional purposes demonstrate high rates of success. Given that program outcomes are heavily tied to industry

and licensure or certification standards, this measure demonstrates that program outcomes achievement is positively

impacting licensure pass rates and success.

• Interpretation of assessment results and insights gained

Given the limited data above, programs are achieving identified program outcomes. The collection of program

outcome data for programs not dependent on licensure or certification must be clearly demonstrated and accessible

for all programs to take on a culture of program quality assessment.


three years? (4.B.3)

The College realizes that the alignment of co-curricular outcomes to the institutional mission and overall learning

experience of students require improvement. The establishment of a proactive process to link co-curricular

activities to learning outcomes will allow for greater use of co-curricular activities to assess ILOs and POGs. By

establishing a stronger means to assess co-curricular activities, the institution will receive a better picture of how

students are achieving ILOs and POGs. (4.B.3)

Program completion data is vital in assessing program outcomes. The College is developing methods to better

assess program completion rates. Data such as program completion, cohort completion and time to completion will

become essential to program outcome assessment, giving greater insight to overall program vitality.

The College has been making continuous improvement since acceptance into the Assessment Academy in the areas

of outcomes development and assessment. Formal assessments are posted on the website to demonstrate the degree

to which WSC meets the institutional and program learning outcomes. A stronger effort will be made to present

clear and accessible program outcome data, especially for programs that do not rely on licensure upon completion.

Low-performing programs, based on outcomes, are currently in review for termination. (4.B.3)

Academic Program Design

1P3 Academic Program Design focuses on developing and revising programs to meet stakeholders’ needs.

Describe the processes for ensuring new and current programs meet the needs of the institution and its

diverse stakeholders. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key processes for:

• Identifying student stakeholder groups and determining their educational needs (1.C.1, 1.C.2)

The College uses its mission to identify student stakeholder groups and determine their educational needs. The

mission identifies the need to assist various student stakeholder groups in its range of programs and services. Two

primary student stakeholder groups with varying subgroups are identified to determine educational need. The

College primarily identifies student groups by those seeking services provided by the College or by those seeking

services provided by TrainND Northwest workforce training and community education services.

As an open-access degree granting institution, the College has a diverse student body that reflects the changing and

growing community it serves. Student body diversity is considered during program design. The College’s

Instructional Division recognizes three distinct groups of student stakeholders. These include prospective students,

current students, and alumni or students who have recently left the institution. (1.C.1)

Prospective student educational needs are determined through various methods. Recruiting efforts gather

prospective student need information. Student needs are electronically gathered and aggregated. Prospective student


18

information is communicated to the Instructional Division for review and consideration. The Instructional Division

reviews ACT report data and corresponds with local high schools to review prospective student needs, especially

those related to program interest, developmental course and Student Success Center service offerings. Reviewing

placement reports and understanding local student achievement levels allows the College to respond to

developmental education and student service needs. Advisory boards and employer feedback are two other

methods used to assess needs of prospective students. Although indirect in nature, advisory boards linked into

industry needs and employers of newly employed graduates inform what can be added or improved to incoming

student programs of study to increase overall student success. (1.C.2)

The College considers a student’s financial need a major and influential part of a student’s educational needs.

Student affordability coupled with educational quality and access is a top priority for the College. Prospective

students’ financial needs are determined through various methods. The Finance Office works collaboratively with

Financial Aid to set pricing and ensure greatest value to students. Students are offered comprehensive services

which answer student financial questions relating to cost, financial aid, and scholarship. (1.C.2)

Students become current students after completing the admission process and course registration. All current

students are obligated to meet with a faculty advisor prior to registration each semester. Current student educational

needs are evaluated through use of Student Education Plans, which document degree requirements and academic

need discussion points. Advising sessions allow for individual conversation concerning specific academic needs

such as supplemental instruction, tutoring, English Language Learner, Disability Support Services, developmental

course work determined by placement, study skills, and reading improvement. Social or emotional needs can be

discussed during advising or with other faculty or staff. (1.C.2)

Through the admission and advising process, students choose and declare a program of study. Programs of study

and learning modalities also determine student educational needs. The College’s educational offerings include

Liberal Arts transfer degrees, Associate in Applied Science degree programs, Certificate Programs, Certificates of

Completion and non-degree options. Each degree level determines student educational needs in respect to general

education requirements and technical course work. Advisors work to individually tailor educational plans to meet

program outcomes. Again, needs may be academically or service related. (1.C.2)

Student educational needs can change based on course or program modality. The Office of Extended Learning

(OEL) identifies specific distance learner needs and makes improvements to better meet their needs. For example,

Smarthinking 24/7 tutoring is available for all students. It is specifically geared toward distance learners requiring

distance assistance possibly or at hours outside normal office hours. OEL staff bridge communication of distance

students and distance faculty to assure the best educational experience is achieved. Students encountering distance

learning difficulty are referred to the instructor, advisor or the Student Success Center to modify Student

Educational Plans. OEL works directly with the department chairs and program coordinators to ensure that online

and two-way video course technological and scheduling needs are met each semester in a timely manner. (1.C.2)

Upon completion of College educational goals, students are able to meet with faculty advisors or the Coordinator

for Retention, Career Pathways to discuss next opportunities. Conversations allow for staff to understand alumni or

departing student needs to disseminate within departments. Communication allows faculty to update courses and

programs based on feedback to determine student needs post-college. Data is tracked concerning reason for leaving

the institution, employment is established or when transferring to another institution. When possible, alumni are

encouraged to serve on CTE Advisory Committees or attend campus events. Opportunities for alumni engagement

allow the College to receive student perspective feedback on academic offerings as well as services and

opportunities offered to alumni. (1.C.2)

As an institution whose mission supports workforce training and cultural activities, the College’s offerings reflect

the changing and growing community it serves. A variety of student needs is considered while programs are

designed. TrainND Northwest recognizes two distinct groups of student stakeholders; those interested in workforce

training or community education. Workforce training needs are typically determined by employment demands or by

employer request. Students typically seek out workforce training to enhance previous skills or to learn new, in-

demand skills. The OEL also works with TrainND Northwest to review training outcomes should students pursue


19

credit for prior learning options post-training. Community education student needs are typically met through survey

data requesting topics. Course offerings are adjusted to meet documented community education needs and

demands. (1.C.2)

The Adult Learning Center (ALC) is a strategic partner and a grant funded program through the North Dakota

Department of Public Instruction. The mission of the ALC is to provide services to help adults increase knowledge

and improve essential skills. The ALC provides services such as GED Preparation, Study Skills, College

Preparation, English Language or Job Readiness Skills. Individual ALC participant needs and individual goals are

determined with an advisor. The ALC works with the Student Services division to determine prospective student

needs through meetings, committee participation, etc. (1.C.2)

Figure 1-11: Student Stakeholder Groups

Student Sub Groups Student Group Expectations Methods to Determine Stakeholder Needs

Prospective Student Become educated concerning

College programs, services and

personnel at WSC

Recruitment Tours, College fairs, recruitment visits,

new student orientations, faculty advising, College

night workshops for high school students,

predictive data

Degree Seeking

Career and Technical

Courses and programs aligned to

prepare students to seek

employment opportunities in

program related field

Faculty advising, Student Success Center services,

student course reviews, program reviews, Graduate

Survey, CCSSE results, Alumni Survey,

Complaints/grievances process

Degree Seeking

Transfer

Clear, articulated pathways for

transfer of programs, partnering

institution information,

knowledge of support services

and systems to assist in

successful transfer



Survey, CCSSE results, Alumni Survey,


Distance Clear, articulated pathways for

distance course and program

expectations, knowledge of

support services and systems to

assist in successful distance

course or program completion



Survey, CCSSE results, PSOL results, Alumni

Survey, Complaints/grievances process

Non Degree Seeking Clear, articulated pathways of

course expectations, knowledge

of support services and systems

to assist in successful course(s)

completion



Survey, CCSSE results, PSOL results,


Developmental

Students

Clear, articulated pathways of

course expectations, knowledge

of support services and systems

to assist in successful course(s)

completion for successful

program completion



Survey, CCSSE results, PSOL results, Alumni

Survey, Complaints/grievances process

Alumni Clear, articulated pathways for

post program completion,

knowledge of support services

and systems for post-program

success

Faculty advising sessions, Coordinator for

Retention, Career Pathways advising sessions or

Career Navigator/Data Specialist advising sessions,

or Graduate Survey

Workforce Training Courses, programs and services

developed and delivered to

provide affordable, flexible,

learning opportunities to advance

Advisory board recommendations, partnerships

with business, business skills needs assessments,

Employer/employee focus groups, one-on-one

discussions with businesses by our Business


20

workforce skills Relations/Sales Manager, student class evaluations,

pre and post course surveys.

Community

Education Student

Diverse and affordable personal

life enrichment education

opportunities

course surveys, student class evaluations;

community input, and community-based

organizations, and partnerships

• Identifying other key stakeholder groups and determining their needs (1.C.1, 1.C.2)

The College recognizes three major groups of other key stakeholders with varying subgroups and works to

determine their needs. These include other educational organizations, the external community, and governmental

organizations. Identification and engagement with these groups varies, but many center on partnerships, meetings,

surveys, data analysis and outreach. Many of these stakeholder groups are also involved in the College’s annual

strategic planning process. (1.C.1)

Other educational organizations considered stakeholders by the College include, but are not limited to: the Higher

Learning Commission (HLC), the SBHE, the NDUS, other institutions of higher education, area high schools, and

other educational organizations. The College identifies them primarily because of their partnerships, working

relationship or collaborative efforts. Organizational needs are determined on an individual basis, however strategic

efforts within the College may work to satisfy needs of more than one.

As the College’s regional accrediting agency, the College has obligations to and reports to the HLC. Adhering to

HLC policy and procedure is one way the College meets and better understands the HLC’s documented needs. The

institution participates in HLC activities and receives continual feedback concerning understanding and meeting

their needs and criteria. The College has obligations to and reports to SBHE and NDUS, as they are the two

governing bodies of public institutions in North Dakota. Adhering to SBHE and NDUS policy and procedure is one

way the College determines and meets documented needs. The College participates in many SBHE and NDUS

committees, such as the Academic Affairs Council, which allow for open communication of needs and expectations

of both parties. Needs of partner institutions are determined through transfer agreements, collaborative partnerships

and consortial arrangements. Such arrangements allow students educational opportunities beyond the offering

uniquely found at the College. Such arrangements are negotiated, documented and agreed upon prior to execution

to ensure that needs are pre-determined and agreed upon. (1.C.2)

The OEL works directly with area high schools in Northwest North Dakota and Northeast Montana, to provide

early entry college opportunities to high school students. The OEL works with high school counselors to determine

students who are prepared for early entry college courses and to assist students with the admission process.

Throughout the semester, the department communicates student concerns, academic needs, etc. with high school

administration. The OEL uses student and administrative input for review of departmental offerings. Based on area

schools’ requests, departments work to best meet area high school course needs. (1.C.2)

Various external community organizations are considered key College stakeholders. Area businesses, regional

industry, community organizations, etc. comprise some of the external community organizations viewed as key

stakeholders. External community organizational needs are primarily determined on an individual basis. External

community members can be invited to the College’s annual strategic planning event, participate as a Career and

Technical Advisory committee member or participate in disciplinary groups for transfer programs. Instructional

Division and TrainND Northwest also partner with regional employers to assist in identifying and determining

opportunities and the feasibility of meeting stakeholder educational or training needs. Campus departments are

consulted for input concerning how best to meet needs. (1.C.2)

Federal, state, and city governments are key College stakeholders. At the federal level, the College works with the

Department of Labor and the Department of Education. Federal government agencies require federal compliance.

The College fulfills federal requirements, through staff training, cross-training, professional development,

evaluations, audits, and shared services agreements. At the state level, the College works closely with the

Governor’s Office and the State Legislature. Both the Governor’s Office and the State Legislature ensure effective

and efficient use of college resources. The College works with state officials through legislative meetings, annual


21

audits, the creation of the College’s budget and compliance reporting. (1.C.2)

At the City level, the College works closely with local city governments, local school districts, and the Williston

Parks and Recreation (WPR). The College works closely with local cities as well as local county officials in both

resource development and legislative advocacy. WSC and the WPR have an agreement for the operation of the

major recreation center on Campus. (1.C.2)

Figure 1-12: Key Stakeholders

Educational

organizations

Stakeholder Expectations Methods to Determine Stakeholder Needs

Accrediting

Bodies (HLC)

Meet and maintain accreditation

standards, assumed practices,

Federal regulations compliance

Maintenance and approval of accreditation pathway

obligations

SBHE Meet and maintain SBHE policy

and procedure

Adherence to SBHE policy and procedure

North Dakota

University System

Meet and maintain NDUS policy

and procedure

Adherence to NDUS policy and procedure

Other institutions

of higher

education

Well prepared transfer students

with appropriate competencies for

continued educational pursuits,

maintain mutually agreed upon

documents to facilitate transfer,

coursework, services, etc.

Formal transfer agreements including bi-annual

review, formal articulation agreements and update

meetings with partner institutions,

K-12 Secondary

Institutions

Aligned curricula and services to

ensure high school graduates

successfully transition to higher

education, clear articulated

admission and pathways for early

entry students to engage in early

entry coursework.

Office of Extended Learning collaboration with K-12

staff and faculty concerning college preparation,

developmental course need/offering, Early Entry

course offerings, student service offerings, predictive

data (ACT test scores, HS GPA).

Other educational

organizations:

CTE Office,

WICHE, WUE,

NJCAA, LEAP,

North Dakota

General Education

Council

Meet and maintain conditions of

agreements and partnership

Adherence to conditions of agreements and

partnership

External

community


Area businesses Graduates of appropriate ability

and competency to succeed in the

workplace. College

responsiveness to industry and

employment needs

Collaboration to understand and meet industry

workforce training needs, advisory boards’

participation, meetings (Economic Development,

Chamber of Commerce, etc.)

Community

Organizations

Engaged and beneficial

partnerships where the College

assists in the community

development

Active membership and participation in boards of

directors, advisory boards, strategic partnerships, etc.

Community

Individuals,

Leaders, and,

Taxpayers

Provide opportunities to

participate and provide open

feedback concerning College

initiatives. Access to community

evens hosted by the College.

Public meetings with public comment and

participation, electronic comment form, web surveys,

community mailings of events schedules, Teton

Thunder magazine, strategic plan, Public Record and

Open Meeting laws compliance, annual audit,


22

Transparent reporting and

effective use of public resources.

institutional score card, etc.

Donors

Assurance of intended use of gift

Informal and formal events and meetings designed to

engage with current and potential donors, donor

dinners and lunches, gift agreements and monitoring

to ensure donor’s gifts are being used in the manner

of which was their intention when they gave; Annual

audit; and donor letters and surveys.

Foundation

Engaged in College goal setting

and strategic planning, accurate

information to inform current and

potential donors of College

priorities

Informational meetings, President membership on

Foundation Board, current operating agreement;

Annual development priorities process to jointly

develop and community philanthropy needs of the

College; and events to encourage financial

commitments to the College by private donors,

corporations and organizations to meet the current

needs of the college and students.

Governmental

organizations


State Elected

Officials

Participation and response to state

higher education legislation,

effective and efficient use of state

resources used for College

operations.

Meetings with legislative delegation prior to the start

of legislative sessions, one-on-one meetings,

participation in the legislative process, including

testifying during committee meetings, institutional

score card, annual audits, compliance reporting.

Federal and State

Governmental

Agencies (DOE,

SEVIS)

Meet and maintain federal DOE

and federal immigration

regulations compliance

Adherence of federal DOE regulations and

compliance, federal immigration regulations and

compliance staff training, cross-training, professional

development, shared services agreements

• Developing and improving responsive programming to meet all stakeholders’ needs (1.C.1, 1.C.2)

The College uses two primary processes to develop and improve programming to meet stakeholder’s needs. The

new program development process and program review processes are the two ways the college develops and

improves programming to meet stakeholder needs.

New program development can originate in various ways. College staff or participating strategic partners can

suggest ideas at the annual Strategic Planning Event. Other requests can come through the SBHE office, Enrollment

Services interest data, economic reports, community requests, professional development, employment meetings, or

advisory board meetings. TrainND Northwest and CTE program advisory boards can suggest programs, review

curriculum content and provide recommendations for change or approval. Industry partnership and input is

influential and important to program planning and responsiveness. (1.C.1)

New program requests are directed to either the Instructional or the TrainND Division. Instructional departments or

TrainND Northwest conduct qualitative and quantitative feasibility studies to determine related job market,

program demand, required financial commitment, faculty and staffing needs, required equipment, physical space,

technological needs, and external collaboration. Program implementation is determined by feasibility assessments,

which help prioritize program implementation ideas in respect to stakeholder needs. (1.C.1)

The program development and approval process ensures that new programs are aligned with the College’s mission

ensuring program development and improvement and considers all stakeholder needs. The Curriculum Committee

reviews program proposals to ensure feasibility and mission alignment. Upon approval, proposals move to the

Instructional Office for endorsement and then to Executive Cabinet review and approval. Upon campus approval,

the Vice President for Instruction presents documentation to the state Academic Affairs Council for approval. Once

approved, proposals move forward to the Presidents’ Cabinet followed by the Chancellor’s approval and finally is


23

approved by the SBHE. The many channels that review and approve program requests allow consideration of

varying perspectives and opinions. (1.C.1)

The College improves programs and ensures alignment with stakeholder needs through the program review process,

as described in 1P2. Elements of this process assess and validate a programs’ ability to meet stakeholder needs.

Such elements include the consideration of advisory board feedback and student outcome measures, which assess

alignment with stakeholder needs, such as job placement rates, transfer rates, etc. (1.C.2)

• Selecting the tools/methods/instruments used to assess the currency and effectiveness of academic programs

The College assesses academic program currency and effectiveness based on collaboration with key stakeholders.

Partnership and methods of engagement determine tools to evaluate the relevancy and effectiveness of academic

programs. The College uses partnerships with educational organizations such as accrediting bodies to establish

program outcomes according to documented standards. Such standards assist in guiding program effectiveness. For

example, program outcomes are created to assist student employment attainment post program completion.

• Reviewing the viability of courses and programs and changing or discontinuing when necessary (4.A.1)

Courses and program viability as well as changing or discontinuing programs is assessed through the program

review process. The program review process evaluates one-third of all programs each year, but all programs

provide annual program updates. Internal, state, community and other educational organizations play key roles in

the review process. The College has been building program assessment through establishment of Institutional

Learning Outcomes, Program and Course Outcome Guides as well as improving its program review process. The

program review process uses a continuous improvement model of assessment and improvement. (4.A.1)

The academic program review process uses metrics to determine program viability. Program enrollment,

completion rates, persistence, transfer, job placement, etc., are analyzed. The review process includes a rubric used

to rate program performance related to demand and viability. Instructional Administration review completed rubrics

for approval or additional comments. Programs submit follow-up reports for program review sections below the

College’s assumed practices level. These reports contribute to decision making for program and course

sustainability. Full program review documents are submitted to the NDUS Academic Affairs Office for review and

assessment to determine program viability. The CTE Office program review teams use enrollment, graduation

rates, currency of equipment, employability of students, and industry support for the program providing another

layer of program viability review. External accreditation agencies’ reviews also contribute to the viability

assessment of courses and programs. When a program is unable to maintain assumed practices and viability

standards, program discontinuation is considered. (4.A.1)

1R3 What are the results for determining if programs are current and meet the needs of the institution’s

diverse stakeholders?


The College uses the various outcomes and measures to determine if programs are current and meet stakeholder

needs including: Priorities Survey (PSOL) of Online Learners Survey results, Early Enrollment pass rates, predictor

tests, passage rates, and advisory committee minutes.

The PSOL is one way the Office of Extended Learning (OEL) is reviewing the different needs, expectations, and

priorities of distance learning students. Results allow the College to understand if the learner’s educational goals in

either online courses or programs are being met.

Although not considered an academic program, early entry students comprise nearly one third of headcount. A top

priority of the OEL is to assure early entry student needs are met and that they are able to perform well. Successful

course pass rates are one indicator that early entry student academic needs are being met.


24

Passage rates on licensure board exams for the nursing and massage programs are used to determine if student

academic needs have been met throughout the program as well as if external stakeholders needs have been met by

having employable and competent employees.

Advisory Committee minutes provide strengths and recommendations for each program – enrollment and

graduation rates validate the currency, and meeting the needs of diverse stakeholders. For example, the Diesel

Technology program was agricultural based for many years. The regional industry has changed and enrollment,

graduation, and employer satisfaction decreased. Curriculum was updated to meet the new market demands. The

program’s name, curriculum and degree offerings were changed. As a result, enrollment has increased, scholarship

support for students from industry has increased and technologically based donations/financial support (TAACCCT

grant) for updated equipment/supplies has increased.


PSOL results show that the College’s internal score is nearing national averages more than before. This shows

improvement from previous years although all years have not seen consistent improvement.

Figure 1-13: WSC Priority Survey of Online Learners

WSC

2008

National

2008

WSC

2010

National

2010

WSC

2013

National

2013

WSC

2015

National

2015

Enrollment Services 0.36 0.72 0.48 0.64 0.77 0.50 0.51 0.51

Academic Services 0.56 0.66 0.74 0.58 0.69 0.56 0.66 0.55

Instructional Services 0.59 0.67 0.46 0.67 0.47 0.60 0.71 0.59

Student Services 0.40 0.56 0.61 0.66 0.65 0.56 0.46 0.55

Institutional Perceptions 0.62 0.68 0.45 0.67 0.61 0.69 0.50 0.68

Student course performance by student stakeholder group is an indicator that course and program academic needs

are being met. First Year, Transfer and Early Entry student course performance rates show that course passage rates

for such students are quite consistent with Early Entry student passage rates higher than most other student groups.

Figure 1-14: Passage Rates for First Year Students

Spring

2012

Fall

2012

Spring

2013

Fall

2013

Spring

2014

Fall

2014

Total Grades Awarded 1,467 1,767 1,489 1,729 1,462 1,577

Total Passing Grades (C or above) 1,150 1,427 1,205 1,348 1,178 1,153

Percent of Passing Grades Earned 78.39% 80.76% 80.93% 77.96% 80.57% 73.11%

*Passage rate are based on PeopleSoft grade. Passing grades for this purpose are grades earned of a C or better.

Figure 1-15: Passage Rates for Transfer Students

Spring

2012

Fall

2012

Spring

2013

Fall

2013

Spring

2014

Fall

2014

Total Grades Awarded 876 704 699 815 868 1,038

Total Passing Grades (C or above) 702 600 606 644 722 828



Figure 1-16: Passage Rates for Early Entry Students

Spring

2012

Fall

2012

Spring

2013

Fall

2013

Spring

2014

Fall

2014

Total Grades Awarded 203 225 291 412 448 364

Total Passing Grades (C or above) 192 206 277 372 409 339




25

Licensure Passage Rate data provides external benchmarking and score trends. High passage rates indicate that

student academic needs have been met and that external stakeholders such as employer’s needs have been met by

having employable and competent employees.



Number of First

time Candidates

Number

Passed


Percentage

National

Pass Rate

MBLEx 2 2 0 100% 71.00%

NCETM 5 4 1 80% 71.08%

NCLEX-PN 21 21 0 100% 84.16%

NCLEX-RN 29 20 9 68.37% 82.56%


The College recognizes that online learning student perceptions have seen improvements relative to national

averages in recent years. The institutional target is to meet or exceed national averages on the PSOL. The College

prioritizes early entry student success. Course passage rates are indicative of such efforts. The College aims to

maintain or improve current course passage rates. The College also aims for professional licensure passage rates to

meet or exceed state or national passage rates.


The program review process has allowed the Instructional Division to better assess program effectiveness.

Although, departments are much more comfortable with the process, there is room for great improvement. As a

result, programs have changed titles, programming, or been proposed for inactive or termination status. These

changes will allow the College to better focus resources toward effective programs that meet stakeholder needs.


three years?

The College anticipates creating and updating curriculum processes with improved policies and procedures. Such

changes will assist in course and program updates and further consideration for stakeholder needs at all levels of the

curriculum process. The College anticipates working toward updating articulation agreements with other four-year

institutions within the NDUS to assist with diverse offerings to respond to the changing needs of regional

stakeholders.

Now that the College has refined its program review process, the Instructional Division is in a good position to start

creating internal and external benchmarks. All programs must begin review of program completion, program

transfer statistics, industry demand and post-program employment to review currency and the ability to meet

stakeholder needs. The Instructional Division has started and will continue work on a Program Financial Viability

Report, which will assess the financial viability of programs for comparison and review. TrainND Northwest will

continue working alongside its industry partners to provide responsive offerings in both workforce and community

education.

Academic Program Quality

1P4 Academic Program Quality focuses on ensuring quality across all programs, modalities, and locations.

Describe the processes for ensuring quality academic programming. This includes, but is not limited to,


• Determining and communicating the preparation required of students for the specific curricula, programs,

courses, and learning they will pursue (4.A.4)


26

The College determines student preparatory requirements at three levels within its educational offerings. These

include the admission requirements for college entry, prerequisite requirements for college-level coursework, which

encompasses either prerequisite course completion or sufficient placement test scores, and requirements for

admission into select programs. (4.A.4)

Before students are able to enroll in courses programs, students must meet all admission requirements for full

acceptance. The NDUS has established specific admission requirements in the form of NDUS Policy 402. The

College adheres to all state admission requirements. As an open admission institution, any student who completes

all College admission requirements specific to the chosen admission type can be admitted. A criminal background

record may prohibit admission or on-campus admission if it is deemed inappropriate for the safety of other students

on campus or prohibits employment in the field upon successful program completion, including clinical practicums,

internships, and cooperative education for programs, such as Nursing or Petroleum Production Technology. (4.A.4)

Course requirements are proposed by faculty and approved through Curriculum Committee processes. Broader-

style curriculum mapping assists faculty with the development of program and course competencies, as well as

creating a better understanding of course prerequisite needs. The process ensures that required course prerequisites

assist in developing the skills needed for success in relevant courses. Course requirements may detail other specific

course(s) or certain placement scores as prerequisites for entry. The programming of prerequisites restricts student

enrollment if proper prerequisites have not been met. Course requirements are communicated via advising, course

syllabi, the catalog, the website and the student Campus Connection portal. Faculty communicate requirements on

the first day of the course. (4.A.4)

Program admission is required for some programs, such as Nursing. Program faculty, in consultation with external

accrediting/certification boards, licensure boards, advisory committees, employers, etc. determine specific program

entrance requirements. Admission requirements are recommended by the program coordinator and approved by the

department, Curriculum Committee, and Instructional Administration. Inclusion of external constituents helps to

ensure that course and program-based competencies are identified to inform students of preparatory requirements

prior to application as well as to determine student readiness. (4.A.4)

The College communicates program and course requirements through a variety of mechanisms. The online catalog

includes program admission requirements, course prerequisites and placement policies. Faculty incorporate course

requirements into syllabi and advise students based on program and program specific requirements. Mandatory

advising each semester and fall orientation sessions assist communication of program-specific information.

Mandatory orientations for selective programs provide students with information specific to program of study.

Student Education Plans (SEPs) outline degree requirements and are discussed during advising sessions. Based on

placement scores, transfer or previous coursework, advisors inform students about the requirements for courses and

programs and update SEPs according to student progress. The Student Success Center also provides general

advising to students and information on course and program preparation. (4.A.4)

• Evaluating and ensuring program rigor for all modalities, locations, consortia, and when offering dual-

credit programs (3.A.1, 3.A.3, 4.A.4)

Program coordinators, department chairs and Instructional Administration approve and review curriculum for

consistency, institutional outcomes, program outcomes, and course outcomes for all modalities, locations,

consortia, including dual-credit programs. The initial step in ensuring program rigor requires that all faculty meet

all program hiring standards. COGs are the official and definitive guide for course development while POGs are

the official and definitive guide for program development. Department chairs and program coordinators evaluate

and assess course and program outcomes to ensure program rigor is consistent for all degree levels across all

modalities. (3.A.1, 3.A.3)

A comprehensive program review process ensures quality and stability of all academic programs. Quality

expectations and evaluation standards are alike for all modalities. During the review process, programs provide

evidence of continuous improvement by assessing student learning, program operations, enrollment, program

demand based on enrollment trends, availability of jobs, outcome development, alignment with mission, employer

http://www.ndus.edu/makers/procedures/sbhe/default.asp?PID=79&SID=5

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Future-Students/Admission.html

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Instructional-Division/Curriculum-Committee.html

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Classes/Academic-Pathways/Health-and-Wellness/Nursing-(AAS).html


http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Academic%20Success/Updated%20guidelines%20with%20accuplacer%20scores.pdf

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Current-Students/Academic-Success-Center.html


27

satisfaction, on the job training, and incorporation of student and stakeholder feedback. (4.A.4)

The OEL works with faculty and area high schools regarding early entry courses and students. The OEL

collaborates with faculty and high school instructors regarding student learning outcomes and academic rigor.

Department chairs or a designee works with the early entry faculty to ensure course and program rigor is

maintained based on approved outcomes. (3.A.3, 4.A.4)

Strong community, business, and strategic partner relationships allow the College to receive rich feedback relating

to academic rigor. The College solicits strategic partners and the business community expertise in the form of

advisory committees. Advisory committee feedback is used to improve program quality.

• Awarding prior learning and transfer credits (4.A.2, 4.A.3)

Credit for Prior Learning is awarded by following NDUS Board Policy 441 Degree Credit, Non-Degree Credit,

Developmental Coursework, and Non-Credit Instructional Activity and NDUS Policy 403.7.4 Common Credit-By-

Exam Guidelines. The two policies identify how non-degree credit, developmental and non-credit instructional

credit, military credit and credit by examination are reviewed for credit purposes. The College uses American

Council on Education recommendations to review military transcript work. Credit by examination can be obtained

through successful completion of Advanced Placement, College Level Examination Program, International

Baccalaureate, and DANTES Specialized Subject Tests examination scores. College Credit for Prior Learning

Policy and Procedure outlines how a student, in adherence to NDUS policy, can earn course credit through

alternative means. (4.A.2, 4.A.3)

Transfer credit is awarded by following NDUS Board Policy 402.4 Admission Policies - Transfer Applicants and

the College’s Transfer Credit and Transfer Appeal Procedures. All accepted transfer credits are indicated on a

student record. The College accepts credit from regionally accredited post-secondary US institutions. Program

coordinators and/or department chairs are consulted on an as-need basis concerning program-specific coursework

evaluations. (4.A.2, 4.A.3)

International transfer work is reviewed per SBHE Policy 402.9 Admission Policies - New International Students

and NDUS 402.9 Admissions Procedures - New Applicants with International Coursework which states that all

transcripts, including high school or postsecondary transcripts for institutions not located in the U.S., must be

submitted for evaluation by approved evaluators prior to admission. (4.A.2, 4.A.3)

• Selecting, implementing, and maintaining specialized accreditation(s) (4.A.5)

The selection, implementation, and maintenance of specialized program accreditation are determined by several

factors: employability of students upon completion of the program, advisory committee recommendation and

approval, licensure board recommendations and consortia group recommendations. Engagement with external

stakeholders, such as advisory boards, is a key aspect when considering and understanding impacts of specialized

accreditation. For example, input from healthcare facilities and nursing program graduate employment experiences

have resulted in the Dakota Nursing Program pursuing the ACEN national accreditation process. (4.A.5)

Implementation of specialized accreditation follows the accreditor’s guidelines. Program coordinators,

departments, and Instructional Administration collaborate to complete required documentation. Employee

qualifications and verification documentation is provided by the Human Resources Office. The Finance Office

provides financial reports, fiscal viability, and financial support. Programs Coordinators are responsible for

maintaining knowledge of specialized accreditation processes and ensuring compliance, while Instructional

Administration provides support. Program Coordinators are responsible for working with Instructional

Administration, the Human Resources Office and the Finance Office to ensure viability of continued specialized

accreditation for programs.

http://www.ndus.edu/makers/procedures/ndus/default.asp?PID=454&SID=56


http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Admissions/CPL%20form.pdf

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Admissions/CPL%20form.pdf


http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Research%20Records/Procedure-Transfer%20Credit%20and%20Transfer%20Appeal.pdf



http://www.dakotanursing.org/accreditation.asp


28

• Assessing the level of outcomes attainment by graduates at all levels (3.A.2, 4.A.6)

Degree levels have varying purposes and learning outcomes. The College established Program Outcome Guides

(POGs) for associate level transfer and Career and Technical Education (CTE) degrees. The College is working to

complete outcomes guides for all other degree levels including CTE certificates with lesser levels of both general

education and technical coursework and CTE-based certificates of completion. All associate degree graduates are

assessed on the successful completion of institutional and program outcomes as noted in 1P1 and 1P2. (3.A.2)

Institutional Learning Outcomes are assessed via approved rubrics. Within departments, program coordinators and

faculty assess course and program outcomes based on the assessment tools and methods approved by the

department. The POGs and COGs outline the approved course and program assessment tools. The POGs and

COGs for all programs are posted online. The program review process also assesses programmatic student

achievement. (4.A.6)

• Selecting the tools/methods/instruments used to assess program rigor across all modalities

The College believes in consistent delivery of curriculum regardless of modality. All sections of the same course

have common course outcomes and use common assessments to determine course achievement. Common course

assessments are determined by faculty collaboration, are identified on the COG, and undergo initial review by the

Curriculum Committee. Program coordinators, alongside various stakeholders, determine program outcomes

through collaboration. Faculty collaboratively identify program learning outcomes and select the tools to assess

student outcome achievement. The program review process assumes that academic rigor is ensured and is

consistent across all modalities and increases in complexity with each class level.

1R4 What are the results for determining the quality of academic programs?


The following tools and methods are used to assure program quality across all modalities: instructor qualifications,

program reviews, program accreditation guidelines, and licensure passage rates when applicable.

Program reviews are the primary tool to determine academic program quality. Programs, including program

outcomes, are reviewed by approved assessment methods on a three-year rotation. The CTE Office Review, which

is on a 5-year rotation, makes assessment and site visits for all CTE programs to ensure academic rigor, viability,

and accountability. Some programs, such as nursing, use specialized accreditation guidelines to create outcomes to

demonstrate consistent academic rigor levels as outlined by the North Dakota State Board of Nursing. Program

passage rates validate that the academic rigor is met.

The College uses outcomes and measures to evaluate student performance across programs. The outcomes and

measures used include institutional learning outcomes, course outcome guides, and program outcome guides. Each

semester, students complete course assessments that are used in the assessment of academic program quality. The

assessment of Program Outcomes varies between programs. Because of the broad nature of the liberal arts associate

degrees, their program outcomes are the documented institutional outcomes. Program review assessment rubrics are

used to assess individual program reviews.

Program reviews conclude with the program strengths and opportunities and program viability statements. After

completion by AQIP 1, program evaluation reports are reviewed and approved by Instructional Administration

before filing with the SBHE office.


AQIP 1 with Instructional Administration review programs and their viability based on the approved process per

SBHE Policy 403.1.2 Institutional Instructional Program Evaluation. The Instructional Division’s program review

results from the last year are reflected below.

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Institutional-Effectiveness/Instituitional-Effectiveness/Categories/Helping-Students-Learn-A/Assessment-Academy.html

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Classes/Academic-Pathways/Health-and-Wellness/Massage-(AAS).html



29

Figure 1-18: Program Review Results & Responses: 2014

Program Results

Diesel Technology low enrollment trend, changing industry needs in the field, the Diesel Technology AAS

Program was terminated in Spring 2014 immediately replaced by a Transportation

Technician Technology Program with two areas of emphasis: Light/Medium Duty and

Heavy Duty

Academic Skills Academic Skills Course (ASC) prefix changed to University (UNIV) in Spring 2014.

Associate in Science chemistry, anatomy & physiology, and college algebra are barrier courses, additional

supplemental instructors will be hired for fall to help increase the success rate, and new

teaching strategies are being considered such as learning communities and competency

based education

Health Information

Management

consistent low enrollment and low graduation rates, in Summer 2014 the Health

Information Management Certificate Program and AAS was placed on inactive status

Medical Billing &

Coding

continued health care demand at a reduced level of required education preparation and

changed function within the healthcare system, the Program Certificate in Medical

Billing and Coding changed to Medical Coding and

Certificate of Completion in Medical Editing was added

Petroleum

Production

Technology

June 2014, a Certificate of Completion option in Automation and Control and Lease

Operator began in response to industry need

Extended Learning needs to work on quality assurance aspects of online course offerings, stronger support

services for online students is needed

Interdisciplinary

Studies

low enrollment, still needs to be provided as an option for students, individuals are

moving into the area with a variety of skill sets and need re-training to meet the specifics

of the current job market

Student Success

Center

Student Success Center seeing increased demand for ELL services because of both

increasing diversity of oilfield population and College offerings with Japanese sister

college, changes to GED testing due to implementation of the Common Core have

decreased GED completion numbers, the Center needs updated computers for GED

testing, GED student enrollment increase will be a priority

Transportation

Technician

Technology

program receiving industry scholarships, updated technology to meet industry standards

is needed, online training systems are current, curriculum has been updated, program

needs one full-time instructor and either one part-time or an adjunct instructor, program

needs to re-establish national certification

Welding Technology need to work on collecting data employer satisfaction, current instructor needs to

complete necessary welding licensures/certification over the next year

Accounting data presented needs to reflect the CTE program be separated from the Liberal Arts

Transfer

Business program needs to have a designated coordinator


The comparison of results with internal targets and external benchmarks can be seen by reviewing the results

documents: Culture of Assessment and the Community College Survey of Student Engagement .

The program review process is bringing about a culture change regarding the Instructional Division’s use of

assessment. The use of common data regarding programs allows for a global understanding of programs by

program coordinators and department chairs.

Baseline data was collected in fall 2011 and over four semesters from faculty to determine perceptions surrounding

the College’s culture of assessment. Results were determined by averaging numeric values for each response: most

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Instruction/Student%20Learning%20Outcomes/Culture%20of%20assessment%20results%20survey.pdf

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Institutional-Effectiveness/Instituitional-Effectiveness/Documents/Results-Documents/Community-College-Survey-of-Student-Engagement.html

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Instruction/Student%20Learning%20Outcomes/Culture%20of%20assessment%20results%20survey.pdf


30

agreeable-5 to most disagreeable-1. Significant improvement is evident for all questions, except for one. The

question “I use Student Learning Outcomes to determine whether my students have learned” saw overall

improvement until spring 2013, however the final assessment was not the highest average observed.

Figure 1-19: Williston State College

Culture of Assessment: Fall 2011 – Spring 2013

Question / Survey Detail Topic Fall 2011 Spring 2012 Fall 2012 Spring 2013

Total Number of Respondents 20 27 23 20

1. Which describes your understanding of Student Learning Outcomes? 3.75 4.07 4.39 4.6*

2. How confident are you at applying Student Learning Outcomes at the course level?

3.80 4.19 4.30 5*

3. What effect do Student Learning Outcomes have at the program level?

4.2 4.26 4.43 5.3*

4. I use results/feedback to change the way I teach a course from semester to semester. 4.3 4.22 4.04 4.35*

5. I use Student Learning Outcomes to determine whether my students have learned.

3.95 3.81 4.52* 4.25

6. I appreciate the value of conducting assessment measures to gain insight on the teaching and learning process.

4.3 4.22 4.26 5.95*

Total Average Response 4.05 4.13 4.32 4.91*

* Highest Average Response

CCSSE compares campus benchmark to cohort benchmark scores of 50. A greater than five point spread from the

benchmark, indicates further investigation and possible improvement. Two College benchmarks are flagged as

concerns: Student Effort and Academic Challenge. 2013 results show a decrease in all five benchmark categories.

During this time period, the College experienced significant employee turnover and construction.


Williston State College Benchmark Scores Report

2009 2011 2013

Benchmark Score Score Score

Active and Collaborative Learning 50.00 47.4 56.6 52.3

Student Effort 50.00 50.4 49.6 42.4

Academic Challenge 50.00 45.5 50.1 41.7

Student-Faculty Interaction 50.00 53.3 61.5 55.7

Support for Learners 50.00 50.4 56.0 48.2


Since the last systems portfolio, the College has made significant changes in regard to institutional, program, and

course outcomes. A significant positive aspect is that faculty understand and have brought the outcomes and

assessment process to courses and programs. Documentation regarding outcomes is still in the initial stages. As

the institutional learning assessment and new program review process are in their initial phases, the College

anticipates that much work will be required for continuation and refinement. Refinement dedicated toward the

program review, benchmarking and comparison process is needed for better understanding of program outcomes,

program quality and viability.


three years?

Over the next one to three years, the goal is to ensure that programs offered are viable based on key identified


31

program metrics. AQIP 1 will develop consistent and accessible program results data. Refinement of the program

review, benchmarking and comparison will be made for better understanding of program outcomes, program

quality and viability. In addition, on campus faculty will improve coordination with adjunct and early entry faculty

to ensure outcomes and academic rigor are consistent. The quality assurance standards for the annual assessment

process state that programs using multiple delivery modalities will describe how assessment practices ensure

consistency of rigor and learning outcomes attainment. Outcomes and outcome assessment of certificate programs

will be developed and implemented.

Academic Student Support

1P5 Academic Student Support focuses on systems designed to help students be successful. Describe the

processes for developing and delivering academic support to students. This includes, but is not limited to,


• Identifying underprepared and at-risk students, and determining their academic support needs (3.D.1)

Although considered a part of many departments’ work, the Student Success Center is considered the champion of

academic student support on campus. Along with providing all developmental courses for the College, the Student

Success Center provides academic student support to all students as well as provides adult education through the

Adult Learning Center. (3.D.1)

At-risk College students are identified by various methods. Academically and non-academically at-risk students are

first identified through the admission process. Non-academically at-risk students are identified through questions

relating to criminal background on the application for admission. Admission file holds are placed and reviewed by

the Executive Director of Student Services for any student with a criminal background so as to review and advise

on potential situations that could adversely affect the campus population. Placement tests are a required part of the

admission process and are used by advisors to help identify academically at-risk students or students who may need

assistance in specific disciplines. Advisors are assigned to all new students, providing students a faculty advisor

specialized in their area of interest. Each semester, a student is required to meet with his or her assigned advisor as

an advisor hold is placed on each student’s account. Through the advising process, advisors discuss program and

course interest, goals and placement scores, as well as personal needs, deficiencies, or areas of improvement so that

at-risk factors can be identified and assessed for action plan recommendation. Advisors release the hold after

advising. (3.D.1)

On-campus or online attendance is a vital necessity to student academic success. As an attempt to identify at-risk

students and encourage student persistence, faculty are to report repeated absences for all classes via the campus

excessive absence form. Completed forms are emailed to the Coordinator for Retention who creates an excessive

absence report for each student based off of the faculty-provided information. Members of the Student Success

Center (SSC) work to contact and document all reported students via email, phone, and letter. As a result of their

initial contact, the SSC members work with students, and possibly their instructors, to create a solution aimed at

overall student success. This positive plan of action considers the following factors: living location and minimum

credit requirements, financial aid, options for successful completion based on time of notification, and current

academic probation/suspension status. Based on the above information, SSC staff make documented

recommendations to the student. Examples of acceptable recommendations include: tutoring sessions in the SSC to

improve grade(s), withdrawing from a class(es) prior to receiving a failing grade, withdrawing from a full semester

if there is sufficient need. SSC will also assist with scheduling a time with the Counselor if needed, a service that

was added in 2012. (3.D.1)

At term end, GPAs are calculated for all students. Academic Probation is issued to students with an institutional

GPA below 2.00. Academic suspension is issued to students on academic probation whose institutional GPA

remains below 2.00 at the end of the next term. Students suspended for academic reasons are not eligible to enroll

in classes for a minimum of one semester following the suspension. Academically at-risk students are identified

through this process and are contacted via email and letter concerning academic status. The SSC also contacts

students on probation and suspension and assists with success plans for following terms. Students who are placed


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32

on suspension may choose to appeal the suspension by submitting a written statement of circumstance to the Office

for Instruction within seven days of suspension notice. To be approved for reinstatement, the Office of Instruction

mandates a formalized Student Success Plan with the SSC, to assure the student is best set up for future success.

(3.D.1)

On-campus Disability Support Services also identify at-risk students. Disability Services (DSS) assists both

students with disabilities, and faculty and staff working with students with disabilities by: providing academic

support services through reasonable and appropriate accommodations for eligible students with documented

disabilities free of charge, referring eligible students with disabilities to academic support services, encouraging

self-advocacy for students with disabilities and making referrals to outside agencies when appropriate. (3.D.1)

Free to current WSC students, Counseling Services provide confidential consultation, brief short-term intervention,

and referrals. Sessions are kept confidential within legal and ethical limits. Information is only released outside of

the Counseling Office with student permission. With permission of the student, Counseling Services works with

various offices and individuals to identify and create success plans for at-risk individuals. Counseling services are

used as a method for identifying and making necessary plans of action for at-risk students, or are recommended as a

part of other action plans like the excessive absences process. (3.D.1)

Students wishing to gain additional assistance for academic work can participate in on-campus and online tutoring

and supplemental instruction services, specifically the Math and Writing labs. Although not a primary vehicle to

identify at-risk students, such opportunities allow instructors and tutors to work with students and collaborate with

instructors, advisors and other support staff should at-risk factors present themselves. (3.D.1)

As faculty have primary contact with students, faculty are encouraged to be aware of at-risk student behaviors.

Support staff are also encouraged to do the same. Observation and consultation with the student or other support

staff can also be a vehicle of identifying at-risk students. Process is typically on a case-by-case basis, depending on

the origin of the concern. For example, if a faculty member notices a changed behavior in a student, they may

address the student or work with the Counseling Center to assist in the matter. (3.D.1)

The Adult Learning Center (ALC) provides services to help adults increase knowledge and improve skills essential

in a changing world. The ALC is a grant-funded program through the ND Department of Public Instruction.

Students who participate as members of the ALC typically attend by personal choice or upon recommendation. To

begin as an ALC student, all students attend an orientation session with a thorough explanation of program history

and services. During orientation, student expectations are outlined and advising takes place to assess student needs

and goals. During orientation and advising, initial at-risk issues are discussed and assessed. Throughout the

program, which is individualized for each student, at-risk behaviors are reviewed and assessed within the ALC,

using available campus and external resources. (3.D.1)

• Deploying academic support services to help students select and successfully complete courses and

programs (3.D.2)

Faculty advisors provide guidance to students in their area of interest. Through the advising process, advisors

discuss academic interests, goals and placement scores. Placement test scores are the primary method of identifying

required developmental coursework or other support courses for successful course or program completion.

Developmental coursework is offered for the areas of English Language Learner, study skills, reading, algebra, and

English for students who have deficient placement scores. Developmental courses are available in various learning

modalities to accommodate distance and student scheduling needs. (3.D.2)

Athletics ensures that the student-athletes are making satisfactory academic progress in three ways. First, every

sport organizes study tables to fit student needs. Some study tables are self-run later in the evening. Some sports

invite faculty to serve as homework tutors/advisors. Second, athletics ensures academic progress by conducting

grade checks. The grade-check system was reorganized this past year to assist faculty in preparing timely student

reports for athletic staff. Finally, athletics ensures academic support though heightened involvement in the

registration process. With the help of advisors, coaches ensure student schedules balance academic and athletic

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http://www.willistonstate.edu/Current-Students/Student-Services/Counseling-Services.html


http://www.willistonstate.edu/Current-Students/Academic-Success-Center/Smarthinking.html

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33

demand. Coaches understand athletes’ work ethic and study behavior, so by assisting with the registration process

students have a greater chance for success. (3.D.2)

As a part of the student services support team, resident assistants have many roles and responsibilities supporting

on-campus resident academic and non-academic needs. Services include, but are not limited to, building a

residential community through programming and creating a resident-only computer lab and study lounge, being a

familiar first resource for students with academic or institutional questions, and enforcing campus housing policies

to ensure a living environment that is highly conducive to learning. (3.D.2)

Formal academic support systems are in place through the Student Success Center. Supplemental Instruction (SI) is

provided through the Writing and Math Labs, while the Student Success Center provides subject-specific referrals

for additional assistance. 24-7 online tutoring is provided by SmartThinking and has been increasing in popularity

and use. Services are available for all students or upon faculty or advisor referral. Some services are embedded as

an integral or required element of courses, however some participation is required for at-risk students. The table

below lists key academic support services and participation requirements. (3.D.2)

Figure 1-21: Student Academic Support Offerings

Academic Support Available to

All Students

Required for all students

including at-risk

Required

intervention for

at-risk students

Placement Testing X

Orientation X

UNIV 100 College Strategies or

UNIV 101 College Transitions

X

Required Faculty Advising X

General Advising X

No-Show Reporting X

Excessive Absence Reporting X

Student Education Plan X

Tutoring / Labs X

Online Smarthinking Tutoring X

Probation / Suspension Notification X

SSC Individual Academic Assistance X

Satisfactory Academic Progress (Federal SAP) X

Suspension Reinstatement /

Student Success Plans

X

Summer / Spring Bridge Courses X

• Ensuring faculty are available for student inquiry (3.C.5)

The Office of Instruction ensures faculty are available for student inquiry by standardizing practices within faculty

contracts. Faculty are expected to hold a campus presence if teaching on-campus. Faculty are required to post and

maintain office hours outside of office doors and share that information, at a minimum, through course syllabi. The

College Personnel Directory also contains contact information for all full-time faculty. (3.C.5)

Faculty are required to return inquiries and grades in a timely fashion. Regular communication and feedback are

systemic through College email and the Moodle learning management platform. Faculty may support student

inquiries by expanding availability and offering courses days, evenings or on-line. While the above are campus-

wide practices, faculty members may provide additional opportunities to build student support through student

organization involvement, event participation, and other venues related to respective programs. (3.C.5)



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• Determining and addressing the learning support needs (tutoring, advising, library, laboratories, research,

etc.) of students and faculty (3.D.1, 3.D.3, 3.D.4, 3.D.5)

Placement score data, library usage, tutoring statistics, etc. have helped the Office of Instruction adjust services for

upcoming terms to address learning support needs of students and faculty. Changing enrollment patterns or student

demographics can complicate planning for addressing future learning support needs. For example, the College has

seen a recent influx in students requiring developmental coursework. Adjustments to assist students requiring

services and developmental course offerings have been made to best support student needs. (3.D.1)

Support for students requiring developmental coursework is determined using placement scores and addressed

through faculty advising and the Student Success Center (SSC). Supplemental Instruction (SI) and tutoring needs

are self-determined or determined through faculty and advisor recommendation. SI and tutoring hours and offerings

are reviewed each term and developed by appropriate departments. Hours of use and student feedback help

determine support needs. Advising is offered through assigned faculty advisors specific to a student’s interests;

however, the SSC also provides general advising which adds another level of support in terms of the planning,

support and coaching needed to ensure services are available to students. Students meet with a faculty advisor prior

to each semester to ensure they remain on path to successful course and program completion. Managed out of the

SSC, Student Education Plans (SEPs), outline degree requirements for students and advisors. SEPs outline

educational and program progress and help determine and address learning support needs. (3.D.1, 3.D.3)

Recent infrastructure and resource improvements have been implemented to support students learning and

instructor teaching. The new science addition opened in 2012 providing an additional 10,000 square feet and four

laboratories featuring state-of-the-art technology and equipment. In late 2012, the College added a Nursing

Simulation lab, which provides realistic interactive training manikins for simulating medical emergencies including

CPR, ACLS, NBC, trauma, bleeding control and first aid. Theory, assessment, and critical thinking can be

improved through resemblances of actual situations. TEAS testing is now a required a part of the nursing program

application and is used to determine and address the learning support needs. (3.D.4, 3.D.5)

In 2013, the College created the Learning Commons that houses all learning support systems, such as library and

research support, online tutoring assistance and learning management system assistance. New physical space and

modern technology have created an intentional and proactive approach for student academic support. Laptop check-

out, computer kiosks and a technology bar provide students with mobile access to resources to enhance learning.

Required of all students, either UNIV 100 College Strategies or UNIV 101 College Transitions, orient students to

the resources, times and offerings of the Learning Commons. With the completion of the Stevens Hall renovation,

the Learning Commons and Student Success Center are now connected, meaning sharing of space and resources is

simplified for students, as well as faculty. (3.D.1, 3.D.4, 3.D.5)

• Ensuring staff members who provide student academic support services are qualified, trained, and

supported (3.C.6)

Academic support staff are subject to WSC hiring practices including qualification review prior to hire. Successful

recruitment is dependent on the creation of a detailed job description that focuses on specific duties and

Institutional needs. The Director for Human Resources works with the hiring department to establish job

descriptions to comply with accreditation, curriculum, and academic support services needs. As outlined in 3P1,

WSC complies with SBHE policies and procedures regarding hiring practices, outlining minimum and preferred

qualifications. To assure credentialing, official transcripts and/or additional certifications are required, criminal

background checks are conducted; three professional references, a letter of intent, application for employment, and

resume. The Director for Human Resources and the selection committee conduct initial reviews of credentialing

and experience during the interview process. Once hired, all employees are subject to a probationary period and

areas are evaluated annually. (3.C.6)

Academic support staff training comes in various forms. Fall and spring in-services offer training and learning

opportunities. Examples of past in-service trainings include diversity and advisor training. Professional

development is available through the Office of Instruction via departmental recommendation, the WSC Foundation,

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35

and professional groups. New academic support staff are assigned a senior staff mentor. Mentors assist new

employees through the on-boarding process, assist with process questions and help acclimate new employees to the

culture of the College. State or federal compliance training are provided in-house or through professional

development opportunities to support full compliance. Cross-departmental training and cooperation is vital as many

aspects of academic support staff’s work is championed by other departments. Online Learning Management

System (LMS) training through the Extended Learning department, academic record training through the Office of

Research and Records, and website training through the Information Technology Department has assisted academic

support staff to work efficiently promoting student success. Webinars are also a cost-efficient professional

development tool used in academic support service training. (3.C.6)

Support for academic support staff also comes in various forms. Departmental and individual meetings offer intra-

departmental communication, support and feedback. Annual employment reviews offer performance feedback and

support. In-services offer training and learning opportunities to help support performance. Other Campus

departments offer support, such as data and analysis provided from the Office of Research and Records. Co-worker

support has come in many forms, such as course coverage if time conflicts or personal issues prohibit an instructor

to teach a course. General wellness support for all employees, including academic support staff is provided by

discounted wellness center memberships to the Williston ARC as well as free counseling services available through

the employee health care benefit package. (3.C.6)

• Communicating the availability of academic support services (3.D.2)

Academic support services are communicated via various formats. Steven’s Hall has been redesigned for easy and

visible access to Student Services, Extended Learning, and the Student Success Center. All of these areas have been

strategically placed in proximity of one another to provide easy communication and increase support through a

collaborative approach for underprepared students. New student orientation sessions inform new students on the

types of academic support services, times, formats, etc. All syllabi are required to outline academic support

services. UNIV 100 College Strategies and UNIV 101 College Transitions courses provide insight to available

support services to all graduates. Current semester academic support services and hours of operation are sent to

student list-servs. Academic support staff committee participation allows for cross-campus communication of

services and allows for discourse for improvement, feedback and integration possibilities into other campus

activities. (3.D.2)

Student Education Plans (SEPs) enhance advising by outlining degree requirements and assisting students and

advisors in tracking educational progress. They aid in keeping students on track and aware of completion

requirements. The SEP cover page outlines important questions for advisors and students to review, including

important academic support service information. Other vehicles of communication for academic support services

are the excessive absence, probation and suspension notifications. During these processes Student Success Center

(SSC) staff educate and advise on available support services to bolster student success. Student Success Plans

completed with the SSC by students wishing to be reinstated from suspension provide thorough education about the

possible obligation of participation in academic support services. (3.D.2)

Both aspects of the Student Success Center, the Academic Skills and the Adult Learning Center, have advisory

committee meetings that provide additional communication of services as well as a platform for suggestions and

feedback from diverse constituents. Communication of Adult Learning Center services is distributed region wide.

Area high school counselors are contacted and given communication, North Dakota Department of Public

Instruction, Job Service, and North Dakota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation among others are used. (3.D.2)

• Determining goals for retention, persistence and program completion (4.C.1, 4.C.4)

The college uses various processes to establish and review retention and completion goals. The Institutional

Scorecard documents student success trend data. The newly formed Enrollment Management (EM) team has been

tasked with addressing goal setting and monitoring progress. The Instructional Division and AQIP 1 set annual

goals through the annual strategic planning event. Program review and course completion data are used to compare

year-to-year course and program outcomes. Academic Skills sets goals for math and English course passage rates.

http://www.willistonparks.com/arc.html

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Classes/Adult-Learning-Center.html

http://dpi.state.nd.us/adulted/learnctr.shtm


http://www.jobsnd.com/office-locations/williston

http://www.nd.gov/dhs/dvr/

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36

Student Education Plans, excessive absence reporting, and Student Success Plans for suspended students have all

been created in the spirit of promoting retention, persistence and completion. (4.C.1)

Processes are in place for setting retention and completion goals, however the College is taking action toward

strengthening initiatives related to retention and completion goals. (4.C.4)

Figure 1-22: Processes for Retention and Completions Goals

Process Method of Review Responsible

Institutional Scorecard and Student

Success Data

Student Success Data Collection Institutional Effectiveness

Enrollment Management (EM)Team Student Success Data Review Cross-divisional EM team

Annual Strategic Planning Setting of Annual Goals AQIP 1

Program Review Year-to-Year program data Instructional Departments

Course Completion Data Student Success Data Instructional Division

Advising Student Education Plans Student Success Center, Faculty

Excessive Absence Reporting Student Success Center Review Student Success Center

• Selecting the tools/methods/instruments used to evaluate the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of

support services

The Office of Instruction and the Student Success Center identify the tools and instruments to evaluate and measure

the effectiveness of student support services. Satisfaction instruments, such as the CCSSE and Graduation Opinion

Poll, offer insight into student perceptions of academic support services in relation to cohort colleges. Participation

and activity records determine the degree of student engagement. Outcome measures that track student performance

and progress at aggregate and case levels, such as probation and suspension statistics, or course completion rates,

evaluate student success and progress. The Learning Commons also uses metrics to assess usage, relevance of its

collection, and the preferred mediums of use. Formal program reviews and annual updates provide information on

program viability and sustainability.

The Adult Learning Center uses tools to measure the effectiveness of student support services as set forth by North

Dakota Department of Public Instruction regulation. For example, required post-program follow-ups are required of

each student to document and measure progress.

1R5 What are the results for determining the quality of academic support services?


As an open-admission institution, WSC welcomes students with various educational preparation backgrounds. The

goal of academic support services is to offer each student the best chance to successfully achieve goals. Measures

determining academic support service quality are student perceptions and satisfaction, as well as student success

measures regarding academic support services. Outcomes and measures used to assess academic support services

include: student perspectives on academic support services, developmental math and English completion rates,

successful course completion rates, probation/suspension rates, excessive absences results.

• Summary results of assessments (include tables and figures when possible) (4.C.2, 4.C.4)

The 2012 Master plan identified the lack of reception and poor way-finding in the College’s main academic

building. The new welcome desk inside the plaza of the front door provides individual and electronic information

on various academic support services. The centralized, one-stop Student Services location allows for streamlined

dissemination of procedures, resources, support service, and educational offerings. Accessibility of academic

support services has improved with the creation of clusters of similar functions, programs, and services. Academic

departments are clustered, providing individual offices to all full-time faculty. Each cluster has an open area to

accommodate student study groups, meetings, etc. Communication, awareness, and collaboration are enhanced




37

through increased teamwork. The Learning Commons is now co-located with the Student Success Center,

increasing student study and support spaces. The renovation represents the strategic investment of current assets

and the creation of new assets, for example providing “smart classroom” technology to all classrooms to facilitate

multi-media instruction and support.

Student perspective is vital when reviewing satisfaction and quality of academic student support. The Student

Success Center has seen growth in use and satisfaction this past year.

Figure 1-23: Williston State College Graduation Opinion Poll

Student Success Center

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Excellent Rating 16 35 13 20 29 24

Average Rating 18 17 12 14 22 24

Poor Rating 0 0 0 0 0 1

Not Applicable 31 24 24 14 15 21

No Response 3 9 1 0 0 1

Total Responses 68 85 50 48 66 71

Percentage of Excellent Responses 23.5% 41.2% 26.0% 41.6% 43.9% 33.8%

Student perspective is vital when reviewing satisfaction and quality of faculty advisors. Positive perceptions of the

faculty advisors declined in in 2012, but have experienced increases since.


Faculty Advisor Rating

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015






Total Responses 68 85 50 48 66 71

Percentage of Excellent Responses 45.6% 54.1% 42.0% 79.2% 63.6% 45.1%

Course completion is vital when considering how academic student support contributes to student course and

program completion. (4.C.2, 4.C.4)

*Earned grades of A, B, C, or S counted for course completion, percentage of total grades given

WSC considers developmental coursework important to overall student persistence and success as they prepare

students with foundational information for continued coursework. The College has seen few courses with steadily

improving pass percentages and is working to improve rates. (4.C.2, 4.C.4)

Figure 1-26: Developmental Coursework Completion

FALL 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Math & English

ASC 087 32.7% 49.2% 35.71% 40.59% 53.62%

ASC 091 N/A N/A 44.90% 57.14% 39.02%

ASC 092 54.40% 50.85% 42.86% 48.25% 61.04%

ASC 093* 52.2% 63.64% 47.56% 38.67% 55.45%

Figure 1-25: Overall Course Completion

Source: Campus Connection Grade Rosters

Spring 11 Fall 11 Spring 12 Fall 12 Spring 13 Fall 13 Spring 14 Fall 14

Completion* 77.61% 78.15% 78.99% 81.97% 83.51% 80.13% 82.45% 77.42%


38

SPRING 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Math & English

ASC 087 22.73% 13.04% 26.20% 66.67% 65.52%

ASC 091 N/A N/A 31.25% 53.85% 69.23%

ASC 092 35% 38.24% 54.30% 33.33% 70.97%

ASC 093* 42.37% 62.70% 47.10% 43.24% 66.15%

*Fall 2012 Math 102 changed to ASC 093

Degree completion is vital when considering how academic student support contributes to student program

completion success. (4.C.2, 4.C.4)

Figure 1-27: IPEDS Graduation by Completion Percentage

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Completed within 2 years 42 42 48 37 44 41



Academic deficiency trends are vital when considering how academic student support contributes to student

success. Follow-up work with students receiving academic deficiencies offers insight into student success issues

and where WSC can make improvements to assist. (4.C.2, 4.C.4)

Figure 1-28: Academic Deficiency Trends

Source: Campus Connection Academic Standing Report

Spring

2010

Fall

2010

Spring

2011

Fall

2011

Spring

2012

Fall

2012

Spring

2013

Fall

2013

Spring

2014

Fall

2014

Probation 6.93% 8.91% 6.55% 8.36% 7.22% 8.29% 4.80% 9.90% 6.96% 11.66%

Suspension 2.23% .86% 3.21% .81% 1.49% 1.86% 2.09% 1.32% 3.37% 2.72%

*Percentages are of total semester headcount Excessive absence trends are vital when considering how academic student support contributes to student success.

Follow-up work with students receiving excessive absences offers insight into success issues and improvements

endeavors. Correlation between absence and academic deficiencies is seen below. (4.C.2, 4.C.4)

Figure 1-29: Excessive Absences

Term # of Reported

Excessive Absences

Fall 2014 excessive absences

also put on academic probation

Reported excessive absences placed on

academic suspension after Fall 2014

Fall 2014 38 19 3

% Total of

Reported

Excessive

Absences

50% 7.9%

Increased Writing Lab use suggests that the resource, has been valuable to students. Bilingual (English/Spanish)

Supplemental Instructor enhances quality allowing assistance for more, diverse students and to maintain consistent

hours. (4.C.2, 4.C.4)

Figure 1-30: Writing Lab Data Fall 2013 - present

Mo/Yr 11-13 12-13 1-14 2-14 3-14 4-14 8-14 9-14 10-14 11-14 12-14 1-15

# students 4 4 4 4 4 6 1 22 13 7 11 2


39

• Comparison of results with internal targets and external benchmarks (4.C.4)

Student perceptions are vital when reviewing academic support satisfaction, quality and effectiveness. CCSSE

results provide external cohort and other small college benchmark perceptions regarding student support. (4.C.4)


Comparison Group: Small Colleges in the 2013 Cohort

Williston State College 2013 Benchmark Scores Report

Your

College

Small

Colleges

2013

Cohort

Score Score Score

Student Faculty Interaction 55.7 51.9 50.0

Support for Learners 48.2 52.0 50.0

Williston State College 2013 Benchmark Means Report

Your

College

Small

Colleges

2013

Cohort

Mean Mean Mean

How much does this college emphasize each of the following? 1 – Very Little, 2 – Some, 3 – Quite a Bit, 4 – Very

Much

Provide the support you need to help you succeed at this college 2.94 3.06 3.01

Help you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family) 2.01 2.04 1.99

Provide the support you need to thrive socially 2.26 2.26 2.21

Provide the financial support you need to afford your education 2.46 2.68 2.58

How often do you use the following services at this college?

Academic advising/planning 1.75 1.86 1.80

Career counseling 1.34 1.45 1.44

Massage and Nursing licensure passage rate data provides external benchmarking and score trends allowing for

external comparison as well as insight in student academic support planning. (4.C.4)



Number of First

time Candidates

Number

Passed


Percentage

National

Pass Rate

MBLEx 2 2 0 100% 71%

NCETM 5 4 1 80% 71.08%

NCLEX-PN 21 21 0 100% 84.16%

NCLEX-RN 29 20 9 68.37% 82.56%

ACT trend data provides external benchmarking and trending allowing for external comparison as well as insight to

student academic support planning. The College has been above math national averages, but shows below most

national averages for English ACT placement scores.

Figure 1-33: ACT Comparison Scores

09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15

2 Year Average Math Score 18.8 18.8 18.9 18.8 19 19

WSC Math Score 19.9 20.4 20.7 20.3 20.1 19.7

2 Year Average English Score 18.3 19.3 19.3 19.0 19.1 19

WSC English Score 18.9 18.2 18.2 18.2 18.3 18.2


40

• Interpretation of assessment results and insights gained (4.C.2)

The creation of the Research and Records Office has strengthened the use of data driven decisions and has allowed

for academic student support to review progress and updates according to documented deficiencies or areas of

weakness. Academic student support has shown improvement in most areas, however developmental and overall

course completion, academic deficiencies and other areas show that improvement can be made. The College

acknowledges that future goal setting for measures and outcomes could help improve results, as well as give focus

to prioritizing new initiatives to improve academic student support areas in need. (4.C.2)


three years? (4.C.3)

Based on student perception and results data and forecasting of student demographics, academic student support

services anticipate some simple changes to improve support services. Regular departmental meetings will provide a

platform for department support and communication. Creation of a student directory with contact and advisor

information for faculty and support staff members may improve communication concerning students. The addition

of Student Success Center information in the Student Registration Guide will assist in improving communication of

contact and location information of services. Updated, user-friendly web sites will also improve communication of

services, access, contact and location. Sport-specific registration sessions will be implemented Spring 2015, so as to

assist returning athletes with course registration, advising and better student finance understanding. The Enrollment

Management team hopes to replicate other, specific returning student registration sessions once piloted with sports

groups. (4.C.3)

Progress must be made regarding forecasting. The newly formed Enrollment Management team, comprised of

cross-divisional participants, will be the primary driver in establishing academic student support goals. Plans to

improve academic deficiencies, overall course completion involve the following, which are currently in exploratory

phases. Academic student support services have identified the need for an enhanced early academic warning

system. Excessive absence reporting has made impacts with at-risk students; however, earlier, more comprehensive

strategies are desired as a means to impact course completion and deficiency rates. Academic student support

services are also exploring the possibility of mid-term grades, as well as how to improve the process for identifying

students with language barriers or ELL needs. (4.C.3)

Academic Integrity

1P6 Academic Integrity focuses on ethical practices while pursuing knowledge. Describe the processes for

supporting ethical scholarly practices by students and faculty. This includes, but is not limited to,


• Ensuring freedom of expression and the integrity of research and scholarly practice (2.D., 2.E.1, 2.E.3)

The College communicates its commitment to academic freedom for students, faculty, and the campus through its

vision, handbooks and other methods. The College recognizes the rights of all students to engage in discussion, to

exchange thought and opinion freely. The College aligns itself with the beliefs and core values of the SBHE, as it is

the policy-setting and advocacy body for the NDUS and the governing body for North Dakota's public institutions

of higher education. The SBHE beliefs and core values emphasize an environment conducive to innovation,

creativity, and flexibility. The mission and vision of the NDUS, also emphasize freedom of expression and

integrity. The College ensures freedom of expression and the integrity of research and scholarly practice by

adherence to NDUS policy 401.1 Academic Freedom. The College’s mission, vision, and values also promote an

environment and culture conducive to ensuring freedom of expression and the integrity of research and scholarly

practice. (2.D., 2.E.3)

Faculty follow guidelines established in the Instructional Division Policy & Procedure Manual. Faculty policies are

developed by various College entities, approved by Faculty Senate and Administration after review by the SBHE

legal counsel to ensure integrity of policies and procedures. Procedures are developed by the Instructional

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41

Administration and agreed upon by consensus with the Faulty Senate and Faculty Council. The governance

involved in policy review is designed to ensure the College is effectively and efficiently achieving the College

mission as well as ensuring freedom of expression and the integrity of practice. (2.E.1, 2.E.3)

• Ensuring ethical learning and research practices of students (2.E.2, 2.E.3)

Faculty ensure ethical learning and research practices take place for students throughout their educational

experience at the College. During orientation, the Student Services and Instructional Divisions inform students of

collegiate expectations regarding the academic learning environment. Faculty inform students of ethical

expectations with course syllabi the first day of classes. Located online, the catalog, the Student Code of Conduct,

and the Instructional Division Policy & Procedure Manual, provide the foundation for ethical learning and practices

within courses and programs. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the Student Code of Conduct

and be aware of policies regarding academic integrity. Students are afforded due process when a question of

academic dishonesty or unfair circumstance arises. This is outlined in section IX Academic Policies and Procedures

of the Student Code of Conduct. (2.E.2, 2.E.3)

Programs such as Massage Therapy, Nursing, Petroleum Production Technology and Speech Language Pathology

Assistant follow national, state, and industry standards to ensure ethical learning takes place. Review of the

national Massage Therapy board certification standards shows evidence of ethical codes of conduct at the national

level, while the ND Board of Massage does so at a state level. The North Dakota Board of Nursing and the North

Dakota Nurse Practices Act show evidence of ethical codes of conduct at a state level. Review of the Dakota

Nursing Program Handbook also provides another layer expected of ethical conduct of nursing students. Review of

the industry standards related to Petroleum Production Technology show evidence of ethical standards as well as in

the Speech Language Pathology Assistant Program, which follows the American Speech-Language-Hearing-

Association. (2.E.2, 2.E.3)

• Ensuring ethical teaching and research practices of faculty (2.E.2, 2.E.3)

Faculty are expected to demonstrate ethical teaching and research practices at all times. Upon hire, all employees

sign a Code of Conduct with the Human Resource Office. The Code of Conduct outlines expected employee

behaviors, practices and ethical conduct. Faculty also sign an Oaths for Teachers, which is based on the SBHE

Policy 610 and N.D.C.C. section 15-10-13-2 requirements. The oath documents instructor support of the US and

State Constitutions as well as the execution of duties to the best or his or her ability. (2.E.2, 2.E.3)

Faculty are required to follow all NDUS and College policies and procedures related to the educational

environment. The NDUS Academic Affairs related policies creates standard, ethical processes for all academic

affairs. Faculty policies and procedures, in the Instructional Division Policy & Procedure Manual, provide the

foundation for ethical learning and research practices. The College has general Personnel Policy and Procedures for

all employees, which assist in creating a culture and environment of ethical standards. (2.E.2, 2.E.3)

Ethical teaching is assessed through course observations and the use of standardized syllabi. Feedback and

suggestions pertaining to observations and syllabi can encourage the improvement of ethical practices. Upon

employment, full-time faculty are given a mentor. Mentorship can encompass student-centered learning, best

practices, and professionalism. (2.E.2, 2.E.3)

Freedom of expression and the integrity of research and scholarly practice is also ensured through faculty

participation in Curriculum Committee, Faculty Senate and Administrative representation on Executive Cabinet.

Comprised of voting members from all academic departments, The Curriculum Committee oversees the

development, review and modification of courses and programs. The Faculty Senate is also comprised of elected

members from all academic departments and other non-voting staff. Faculty Senate is charged with approval of

proposed policy and developing procedures for rank, tenure and grievance. Executive Cabinet is designed to ensure

that the College is effectively and efficiently achieving the Institution’s mission through timely, factual, and clear

communication between constituent groups regarding major institutional decisions. Promotion of transparent and

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http://www.ndboardofmassage.com/

http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/rules/docs/pdf/2010/ndsbm012910changes.pdf

https://www.ndbon.org/

http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t43.html

http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t43.html

http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/rules/docs/pdf/2010/ndsbm012910changes.pdf

http://dakotanursing.org/pdf/adn-pn-handbook.pdf

http://dakotanursing.org/pdf/adn-pn-handbook.pdf

http://www.ipieca.org/publication/human-rights-and-ethics-oil-and-gas-industry

http://www.asha.org/

http://www.asha.org/

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Human%20Resources/2011_Code%20of%20Conduct.pdf







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respectful communication at all levels of the college ensures collaborative and committed decisions are made

regarding the direction of the college’s ethical practices. (2.E.2, 2.E.3)

• Selecting the tools/methods/instruments used to evaluate the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of

supporting academic integrity

The Instructional & Student Services Divisions are responsible for maintaining and ensuring academic integrity

through the WSC Student Code of Conduct, College Catalog, Student Orientation and syllabi. The College uses

tools to assure comprehensive and effective academic integrity. Curriculum proposals require approval through the

Curriculum Committee’s detailed review processes. With cross-divisional representation, the Committee has open

discussions to assure course and program proposals meet intended purpose and mission of the College. Reviews

include course and program competencies, alignment of credits with contact hour expectations, and alignment of

course competencies with program and institutional expected outcomes. The curriculum review process allows for

the establishment of curriculum with cross-divisional input, which assures consistency in all curriculum sections

and academic integrity.

Academic integrity is also assured through course assessments, which are administered on a semester basis in all

course sections. Two assessment tools are used to evaluate the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of course-

related academic integrity. The Faculty Self-Assessment Form and the Faculty Observation Form, allow for both

self-assessment and observational feedback. Direct supervisors and Instructional Administration review completed

documents before filing with the Human Resources Office. Student course assessments are also administered on a

semester basis in all sections of a course. Student course assessment data is collected and reviewed to assure and

review any points related to academic integrity.

The creation and implementation of institutional, program and course learning outcomes also reinforces academic

integrity. Outcomes are reviewed, edited, and approved by the Curriculum Committee. Student performance related

to outcomes will allow the College to make data based decisions related to curriculum. The College program

review process allows for review of academic integrity at the program level. The comprehensive reviews assess

program viability, progress toward meeting the program outcomes and overall program related academic integrity.

1R6 What are the results for determining the quality of academic integrity?


Various measures are used to determine the quality of academic integrity. The number of formal academic appeals

brought forward to the Instructional Administration and the NDUS help assess academic integrity effectiveness and

quality. Student perceptions concerning their educational experience are assessed using student responses on the

CCSSE. Student perceptions, although not a direct measure of academic integrity, provide insight as to how

students perceive support, ethics building and planning, which are all essential to building integrity. The survey is

completed every two years and is available on the website.

• Summary results of measures (include tables and figures where appropriate)

Formal Academic Appeals - One formal academic appeal was presented to the Instructional Division

Administrative level since the last systems portfolio. The appeal related to the fairness and accuracy of a final

grade. Using WSC Student Code of Conduct policy and procedure, the Vice President for Instruction presented

results to the student and the initial grade remained.

Over the last four years, two academic concerns were verbally presented to the SBHE. One concern related to

instructor qualifications and the other to program closure at a distance site. Both concerns were resolved at the

Vice President for Instruction level through additional communication with parties involved. No further action was

necessary or requested by the NDUS Office on behalf of Williston State College.

Based on history and these results, the current Academic Appeal process works to maintain a respectful level of

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Business%20Office/WSC%20Policies%20and%20Procedures%20for%20Web.pdf


http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Forms/Faculty%20Self%20Assessment%20.pdf

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Instruction/Faculty%20Observation%20Form%20.pdf




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College academic integrity. Communication and expectations between faculty, students and other constituents has

been effective. Minimal academic integrity issues have set a high standard of integrity related expectations.

CCSSE results – The CCSSE data points below have been chosen to show student support as related to academic

integrity as perceived by students. Student perception data at WSC shows that students are satisfied with the

available academic support that may contribute to stable foundations and sound academic integrity.


2009 2011 2013

WSC CCSSE

Cohort

WSC CCSSE

Cohort

WSC CCSSE

Cohort

Discussed grades or assignments an instructor 2.54 2.52 2.85 2.56 2.63 2.60

Received prompt feedback from instructors on your

performance 2.69 2.69 2.88 2.68 2.87 2.71

Provide the support you need to succeed at this college 2.91 3.00 3.20 2.99 2.94 3.01

Developing a personal code

of values and ethics 2.18 2.36 2.51 2.41 2.34 2.45

Academic Advising/Planning 1.73 1.80 1.74 1.78 1.75 1.80


The College hopes to achieve a result of no formal academic appeals at a Vice President and State level. The

College wishes to employ its policy and procedure to resolve student issues and educate on areas of opportunity at

informal levels. The past three years have shown few formal appeals, indicating that the process has been effective.

The CCSSE provides data in regard to internal and external benchmarks. The results show that the College had

made overall score improvements on every question above and assessed higher than the cohort group on half of the

questions, however results lower than Cohort group numbers showed just slightly below. Inconsistencies in

improvement or trending is hoped to stabilize and improve. As a Title III grant recipient in 2012, grant related

efforts are expected to provide additional students support systems and assist in counteracting challenges associated

with recent and rapid regional growth.


The types and frequency of academic misconduct incidents brought to a Vice President level over the last three

years were few. The academic freedom and ethical practices procedures put in place regarding academic integrity

are appropriate. Educational policies address issues of academic integrity at all levels. The small number of cases in

comparison to overall total course enrollments by term demonstrates few academic integrity issues.


three years?

As the newly implemented course, program and institutional outcome guides gain momentum, the College looks

forward to how it can embed academic integrity and ethics building further into the curriculum at all levels. If

funding permits, Dean positions will be added to the organizational structure to create an appropriate, permanent

buffer in regard to academic integrity and appeal processes for students and faculty.


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AQIP Category Two: Meeting Student and Other Key Stakeholder Needs

Meeting Student and Other Key Stakeholder Needs focuses on determining, understanding and meeting

needs of current and prospective students’ and other key stakeholders such as alumni and community

partners.

Introduction

Over the past five years, the College enhanced information gathering, information dissemination, and action

planning through a focus on institutional effectiveness. Student needs and stakeholder needs are collected through a

myriad of assessments (formal and informal). Assessment data is reviewed and refined via multiple evaluation

processes, Institutional Effectiveness Team, Enrollment Management Team, etc., creating actionable data.

Actionable data is used through multiple planning processes, e.g., strategic planning, AQIP teams, etc., in a process

of continued improvement for student success.

Internally, Instruction (including TrainND), Student Services and Financial Services are the key divisions

responsible for understanding and meeting academic and non-academic student needs. Externally, multiple

partners, e.g., Foundation, City, University System, etc., provide additional processes, resources, guidance and

direction in meeting student needs. The institutional effectiveness team integrates internal and external feedback

through the strategic planning, master planning, instructional assessment and AQIP processes.

Student Services provides guidance to both current and prospective student through the Enrollment Management

Team. The Enrollment Management team identifies key student groups and provides multiple responses to

changing student needs. TrainND ensures that the needs of local citizens are realized through contract training,

continuing education and conference services. Both enrollment services and TrainND utilize multiple assessments

and teams to target changing needs related to the changing demographics of this fast paced community.

Qualified faculty provide credit and non-credit learning opportunities through multiple learning platforms, online,

asynchronous, on campus, etc. Within the instructional program review process, the College has created a

scheduled process for collecting data in order to analyze academic programs. The process reviews the programs

strengths, weaknesses, learning outcomes, as well as current and future plans for the academic program. The Office

of Research and Record provides applicant, enrollment and completion data to Division Chairs for program review

purposes. Trending data helps provides a historical enrollment chart regarding program interest, admission,

registration, and graduation. Program faculty analyze the information provided and develop improvement

strategies.

The College is an integral part of northwest North Dakota’s community. Ongoing dialogue, employee participation

in the community, and community participation in the College’s planning processes ensure the College is meeting

community needs. The economy has been a significant challenge to both the College and the community. Because

of the growth, the College continues to be a statewide leader. With an economic slowdown, the College must reset

goals to account for the slowdown and make appropriate adjustments with community partners. With the

slowdown, enrollment increases are expected. The College will continue to spend significant attention to the annual

planning process to adapt to changes impacting the College’s multiple partnerships.

Current and Prospective Student Need

2P1 Current and Prospective Student Need focuses on determining, understanding and meeting the non-

academic needs of current and prospective students. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key

processes for:

• Identifying key student groups

The College identifies key student groups through various processes as described in AQIP Category 1 Question


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1P3. The College uses information gathering and feedback processes to identify key student groups. Multiple

divisions, facilitated by the student services division provides non-academic services based on key student group

needs. Key student groups are identified by utilizing data that is first collected during the admissions and financial

aid process where students report their educational goals, request on-line and/or on campus learning environments

and discuss their financial need. The enrollment services team identifies, evaluates and guides students through the

enrollment process. The enrollment services teams collects additional information through campus processes such

as registration days, individual advisement sessions, campus housing applications and new student orientation

sessions. The Student Services Division, the Office for Instruction, and marketing analyze the data collected and

ensures the appropriate support services meet student needs.

• Determining new student groups to target for educational offerings and services

The College uses two primary sources to determine new student groups to target for educational offerings and

services: 1. Multiple assessments and; 2. Feedback from partnerships.

College surveying and recruitment data are used to gather information. Various assessments provide information to

understand new or prospective student needs. Departments use CCSSE and focus group information to obtain

changing student need information. Employers and graduate surveys, advisory committees meeting notes, the

Campus Quality Survey, and community group meetings, provide additional stakeholders information concerning

new student groups to target for educational offerings and services. AQIP Teams, divisions and the enrollment

management team are responsible for reviewing data concerning new student group educational offerings.

Key educational partnerships inform the College about new student offerings and services. The College works

closely with NDUS, Department of Career and Technical Education (CTE), and the Department of Public

Instruction (DPI) to identify new student groups. The NDUS and the Academic Affairs Council play a role in

moving new educational offerings and services forward. The Instructional Division analyzes CTE Program

Reviews, DPI Early Enrollment data and internal Program Reviews for improvement and new service

consideration.

The College partners with regional industry and business partners in its service area to help inform service offerings

based on organization-specific identified needs. As participants in the Strategic Planning process, as advisory

committee members, or as program strategic partners, externals partners identify new or modified student groups,

programs or services to offer. New programs are collaboratively developed with direct input from industry partners

to ensure stakeholder needs are met. TrainND Northwest and their advisory committee continually assess

workforce training needs in the region. New student groups and service offerings are typically identified through

advisory committee participation and are annually reported through surveys to the Training Advisory Board and the

NDUS. All four state TrainND regions collect service information to avoid duplication of new services.

As a result of data analysis and internal/external feedback, department heads, AQIP Teams, and advisory

committees select, prioritize, and complete goals associated with each of the AQIP categories concerning new

student groups for educational offerings and services.

• Meeting changing student needs

The College has multiple vehicles for students to communicate their changing needs. One of the primary processes

is formalized student groups such as Student Government. An established leadership team consisting of the college

President, Staff Senate President, Faculty Senate President and Student Government President meet weekly to

ensure the needs of current students are being heard and addressed. The College gains insight on how to assist

students, accommodate changing needs and learn the effects decisions have on students. Student perspectives

concerning changing needs are also assessed though other groups such as the Tetons Advisor Board (TAB), Student

Ambassadors, Residence Assistants, as well as surveys such as CCSSE, Graduation Poll, etc.

Internally, the College continually assesses student needs. Student Services Departments, the Institutional

Effectiveness team and the AQIP Two team use information from multiple sources to assess and meet changing


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student needs. The Enrollment Management Team, a cross-divisional team, reviews data, projects trends, sets

targets, and considers recommendations from the Institutional Effectiveness Team. The team creates the plan and

identifies actions through the marketing, student services and instruction divisions. For example, feedback has led

to process changes to better assist student success. Excessive absence reporting has helped students with attendance

issues and a bilingual supplemental instructor in the Writing Lab assisted students with writing deficiencies.

The College has processes for external constituents to communicate changing student needs. The College uses

advisory committees to engage external stakeholders. The Williston State College Foundation offers additional

feedback on changing student needs. Several outreach processes through the Marketing Department, College

recruitment, Early Entry Outreach, the Strategic Planning process and the Adult Learning Center manage external

feedback to create changes that directly address student needs.

• Identifying and supporting student subgroups with distinctive needs (e.g., seniors, commuters, distance

learners, military veterans) (3.D.1)

Located in a remote location, WSC responds to a highly diverse student population. A typical entry level cohort can

consist of students well prepared for the university setting or students under-prepared requiring significant

developmental coursework. Mentioned previously in AQIP Category 1 question, the College has developed

processes for identifying and engaging a variety of student subgroups to help support their unique needs.

The Student Success Center, Faculty Advisors, Athletics, the Veteran’s Affairs Representative, and others work

together through a systematic communication process that aligns students with the necessary departments. For

example, the College has recognized it serves a significant number of students who benefit from developmental and

online coursework. The co-location of developmental and online learning ensures students have increased access to

developmental coursework and/or online-campus learning success. (3.D.1)

Student Services Division - Under the umbrella of the Student Services Division, enrollment services staff members

support students from initial contact, through the application and registration process. Financial Aid advisors

discuss student financial needs, FAFSA completion and scholarship opportunities. A Director for Residence Life

works with students who desire to live on campus, while a Student Life Coordinator makes sure that the campus

climate is fun, safe and inviting. A campus mental health counselor ensures all students have a safe place to learn

while balancing wellness with student success. A Veterans Affairs representative completes U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs paperwork on behalf of veterans, active-duty service members, National Guard members and their

departments. The certifying official provides campus services overviews, verifies enrollment, document changes in

status and report circumstances affecting benefits. (3.D.1)

Instructional Division - The Academic Affairs Council (AAC) provides guidance and leadership for academic

programs and policies throughout the NDUS, which includes the identification of students. Instructional Cabinet

works with the Enrollment Management to identify student needs and creates programming that is approved

through a process maintained by the AAC. (3.D.1)

The Office of Extended Learning (OEL) - As mentioned in AQIP Category 1 question 1P5, the OEL, as a part of

the Instructional Division, identifies specific distance learner needs and makes improvements to better meet

student needs. OEL staff bridge communication of distance students and distance faculty to assure the best

educational experience is achieved.

Student Success Center - As mentioned in AQIP Category 1 question 1P5, the Student Success Center, under the

Instructional Division, is the champion of academic student support on campus and assists the Enrollment

Management team in identifying and supporting student subgroups needs. The Center provides academic student

support through supplemental instruction, e.g., ELL, GED preparation, etc. The department communicates and

develops processes to address student subgroup needs primarily through Instructional Cabinet and the Enrollment

Management Team.



47

Faculty Advisors – Faculty Advisors work individually with students and Student Education Plans (SEPs) to help

guide students towards their degree goals. SEPs allow the student to see a snapshot of degree requirements and

support services offered, as well as allow for customization of degree plans to maximize personal strengths

during their time at the College.

• Deploying non-academic support services to help students be successful (3.D.2)

During the 2012-2013 academic year the college underwent restructuring to respond to prospective and current

student needs. Due to high turnover, a disconnect became evident between divisions causing students to receive

inconsistent non-academic support, especially during registration and advisement. An Executive Director for

Student Services (EDSS) was hired to align the enrollment management process. Department Chairs were hired to

assist with advising. Several advisement trainings, focusing on academic and non-academic services, were offered.

The Enrollment Management Team, a cross-divisional team, was created to create, assess, and update academic and

non-academic student services.

Realignment of enrollment services increased one on one student support through on campus registration days.

Advisors work with students to both map educational goals and explain non-academic support services. Other

services include supplemental instruction, disability support, financial aid, student finance, dining and housing.

(3.D.2)

Recruiting events, new student orientation and campus events assist in promoting wellness. Counseling works in

coordination with various offices and individuals to identify and create success plans for at-risk individuals,

partners with community health organizations, manages student health insurance as well as champions overall

wellness awareness and advocacy. Students receive membership, through student fees, to the Williston Parks and

Recreation District Area Recreation Center. Housing Residence Assistants (RAs) are provided training by the

NDUS Student Affairs Director. (3.D.2)

Recruiting events, new student orientation and campus groups assist student event promotion. Student Life prepares

an annual schedule of events. Hypnotists, comedians, dances, and open mic nights are examples of events

scheduled. The Teton Activity Board spaces out events so students can experience one event a week. (3.D.2)

• Ensuring staff members who provide non-academic student support services are qualified, trained, and

supported (3.C.6)

Described in greater detail in Category 3, division leaders work closely with the Human Resource Office to ensure

current and accurate job descriptions are on file. Job descriptions outline job functions as well as minimum and

preferred desired candidate qualifications. Open positions are posted to internal, local and national hiring forums to

attract the best possible candidates. All positions are ultimately tied to student satisfaction. Diverse interview

committees are ensure that the correct candidate will fulfill the responsibilities required for the position. (3.C.6)

The College provides resources for professional development. The Human Resource Office manages resources

allocated to faculty and staff for professional development. Faculty and Staff Senate decide how funds are

allocated. The WSC Foundation provides significant opportunities for professional development. Professional

development opportunities through the department or Faculty Senate are available for additional credentialing or

development opportunities. Professional development opportunities are created as a result of annual employee

performance reviews. Performance reviews determine individual training needs as well as necessary resources to

achieve the goals as established within a performance development plan. (3.C.6)

• Communicating the availability of non-academic support services (3.D.2)

The availability of non-academic support services are communicated to students through targeted communications,

direct marketing, public relations documents, media coverage, the website orientation week events, required UNIV

100 College Strategies and UNIV 101 College Transitions courses for both traditional and non-traditional students,

campus email, the College catalog, and course syllabi. The Enrollment Management Team annually evaluates




48

communication strategies using data collected from surveys such as CCSSE and reports brought forth from other

groups to ensure students are receiving meaningful information. Individual Faculty advising sessions also allow for

communication and education on non-academic student services. Faculty are given access to all student transfer

work and student placement scores and that can help guide the advising session. Faculty are encouraged to use

transfer work, scores and other information gathered during conversation to assist in encouraging non-academic

services that will benefit the student and the student experience. (3.D.2)

• Selecting tools/methods/instruments to assess student needs

With the restructuring of positions in 2012-2013, the College prioritized the actionable data that could be

accessible, easily understood and utilized across campus. To facilitate this need, Student Records separated from

Admission in order to create the Records and Research Department. The department specializes in extracting

current and relevant data from the Campus Connection data system, campus surveys such as CCSSE and program

reviews, etc. Data is presented in relevant reports to track student success trends, program enrollment and

completion rates, and overall student satisfaction. A data request form is used for specific or tailored data requests.

The Enrollment Management team and Institutional Effectiveness team selects data relevant to student needs as

well as data that can be reported in the Institutional Scorecard and the Enrollment Management documents.

• Assessing the degree to which student needs are met

The College uses formal and informal gathering processes to assess the degree student needs are met. The

Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) gathers information on how services to students are

delivered and perceived. The Graduate Opinion Poll provides student satisfaction data on College services.

Informal surveys are distributed, focus groups are conducted, cross-divisional participation in committees fosters

information communication as well as informal communication networks between colleagues assist with

information transfer between divisions. Student Services Division Departments such as Residence Life, Mental

Health Counseling, Financial Aid and Enrollment Services work with the Research and Records Department to

organize and integrate department-specific information into meaningful reports.

2R1 What are the results for determining if current and prospective students’ needs are being met?


Multiple assessments provide divisions and AQIP teams feedback to set goals and create actions. The College uses

the CCSSE, the Graduate Opinion Poll, focus groups, advisory committees and program reviews to determine if

student need are met. Surveys of employers and alumni, advisory committees, the Campus Quality Survey,

meetings with external constituents such as the Williston Chamber of Commerce, as well as Department of Career

and Technical Education program evaluations provide additional information regarding how well student

stakeholder needs are met. TrainND Northwest and the advisory board continually assess workforce training needs

in the region. As a result of data analysis and internal/external feedback, department heads, AQIP Teams, and

advisory committees select, prioritize, and complete goals associated with each of the AQIP categories.


The following CQS results show employees believe improvement has been made in most categories related to

meeting current and prospective student needs. Listening to students, providing feedback to students concerning

their satisfaction, monitoring student input for improvement, ensure quality service to guarantee student

satisfaction, and knowing students believe faculty care about what they think are all used as measures of meeting

student and prospective needs from a staff perspective. Employee perceptions have gradually improved since 2008,

but have not shown overall improvements in two of the five categories. High turnover has render results difficult to

compare with many new employees participating in surveying.

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Institutional%20Effectiveness/Data%20request%20form%20Fillable.pdf


49

Figure 2-1: Williston State College Campus Quality Survey

This institution listens to its students

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.606 4.571 4.655 4.590

How it is now 3.485 3.531 3.833 3.718

WSC Performance Gap 1.121 1.041 0.821 .872

Students have a way to provide feedback on their level of satisfaction with school programs and services

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.636 4.571 4.512 4.566

How it is now 3.909 3.612 3.884 3.632


Student input is systematically monitored and measured as a basis for improvement

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.606 4.543 4.482 4.403

How it is now 3.242 3.022 3.554 3.325

WSC Performance Gap 1.364 1.522 0.928 1.078

Guarantees of satisfaction are offered to students to ensure quality service

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.281 4.083 4.122 4.195

How it is now 3.094 3.042 3.256 3.260


Students believe faculty care about what they think

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.818 4.653 4.482 4.532

How it is now 4.000 3.755 3.843 3.66


The College’s Graduate Opinion Poll surveys recent graduates concerning College provided services. Overall

student perceptions of services have fluctuated over the past years concerning excellent ratings, but have shown

some improvement since 2010.


Student Perspective of Student Services Overall Area

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015






Total 68 85 50 48 66 71

% of Excellent Reponses 36.7% 56.47% 42.0% 60.4% 45.4% 45.1%


The following CQS results show that the overall College employee perspective concerning meeting current and

prospective student needs has improved and is nearing national averages concerning the questions below. The

College looks to meet or exceed national standards as an external benchmark.


50


This institution listens to its students

2008 2010 2012 2014


National Performance Gap 0.875 0.842 0.568 .826

Students have a way to provide feedback on their level of satisfaction with school programs and services

2008 2010 2012 2014



Student input is systematically monitored and measured as a basis for improvement

2008 2010 2012 2014


National Performance Gap 0.955 1.083 0.829 1.064

Guarantees of satisfaction are offered to students to ensure quality service

2008 2010 2012 2014



Students believe faculty care about what they think

2008 2010 2012 2014




Since the last portfolio, a new dormitory housing approximately 170 students has transformed on-campus life, an

influx of diverse individuals has moved to the region and high turnover have created challenges for the College.

Despite these challenges, the College has worked efficiently and cooperatively to satisfactorily meet prospective

and current student needs. With realignment on positions in the Student Services Division and the creation of the

Enrollment Management Team, the divisions most connected to prospective and current students are working for

continuous quality improvement as well as more in depth measurement in these areas.


three years?

In addition to the surveys and tools already in place, the Division of Student Services and the Enrollment

Management team will work to establish stronger student and stakeholder feedback and communication

opportunities. Responding to feedback and ensuring clear communication and responsiveness of services to

changing student needs is a top priority given the dramatic on and off-campus changes observed in recent years.

The College will look to use advisory boards, focus groups and other surveying techniques to gain first hand

knowledge about specific services. Broad representation of students, employees, and stakeholders will assure

diverse advice is gathered for improvement consideration.

Retention, Persistence, and Completion

2P2 Retention, Persistence, and Completion focus on the approach to collecting, analyzing and distributing

data on retention, persistence, and completion to stakeholders for decision-making. This includes, but is not

limited to, descriptions of key processes for:

• Collecting student retention, persistence, and completion data (4.C.2 , 4.C.4)

With a national focus on college completion, increasing student completion is a strategic priority for the College

and the NDUS. Systematic collection of institutional level retention, persistence and completion data assesses

progress toward state completion goals and external reporting requirements. The College gathers and organizes


51

student retention, persistence, and completion data by using the data management system, PeopleSoft. The Office

of Research & Record is responsible for compiling data from reports and collaborating with other personnel to best

understand the data and determine if discrepancies occur. The Office of Research & Record compiles reports in a

simple and consistent manner, easily understood by College personnel. Institutional, program and course level data

is collected regarding student success. Key data points include institutional level retention, program and course

completion rates, which are outlined in results section Figure 2R2-2. (4.C.2, 4.C.4)

• Determining targets for student retention, persistence, and completion

Various divisions and department are involved in determining targets for student retention persistence and

completion. Goals for retention, persistence, and completion are determined through the Strategic Planning and

budget initiatives, by the Instructional Division departments and programs, the Finance Office and the Enrollment

Management Team. The Office of Research and Records is responsible for providing data that assists in goal

setting. The College also has recently restructured the Enrollment Management Team (EM Team) so as to better

monitor enrollment, retention, and completion goals. The EM team will work in collaboration with divisions,

instructional and non-instructional, to achieve a comprehensive, cohesive, and supportive network for students from

the first inquiry through graduation and beyond. The EM team will meet regularly to analyze data that relates to all

aspects of retention, persistence, and completion to ensure measurable and attainable goals.

• Analyzing information on student retention, persistence, and completion

Within the instructional program review process, the College has created a scheduled process for collecting data in

order to analyze academic programs. The process reviews the programs strengths, weaknesses, learning outcomes,

as well as current and future plans for the academic program. The Office of Research and Record provides

applicant, enrollment and completion data to Division Chairs for program review purposes. Trending data helps

provides a historical enrollment chart regarding program interest, admission, registration, and graduation. Program

faculty analyze the information provided and develop improvement strategies.

At the institutional level, Executive Cabinet reviews weekly enrollment reports that include information on current

term program enrollment, scheduled credit hours produced, and other aspects in relation to student persistence.

Enrollment information is also complied in the “Enrollment Management: Planning, Results, and Improvement”

document. The document, used by the EM Team, compiles important data statistics that are used to determine best

goals and actions in relation to student retention, persistence, and completion.

• Meeting targets for retention, persistence, and completion (4.C.1)

With the recent restructure of the EM Team, the College will utilize data and goals to best determine actions needed

to meet retention, persistence, and completion targets. The EM Team will use the “Enrollment Management:

Planning, Results, and Improvement” document to compile data and goals for better decision-making. Data within

the document includes IPEDS retention rates, Semester-to-Semester campus retention rates, etc. The document

also includes CCSSE data regarding student use of campus tutoring and advisement helping to determine student

use of services encouraging persistence. The document also includes graduation rates by academic year and by

program. Compilation of this data, as well as other aspects related to Enrollment Management, will better assist the

campus in making better decisions towards reaching internally set benchmarks. (4.C.1)

• Selecting tools/methods/instruments to assess retention, persistence, and completion (4.C.4)

Through a systematic collaborative process, the College selects and develops tools to assess completion,

persistence, and retention. The Office of Research and Record works with faculty, staff, and administration to

develop definitions and methods for institutional, program and department review consistent with the mission and

strategic priorities. Measures are aligned with the Strategic Plan, which are developed by cross-functional AQIP

teams. Measures and methods are regularly evaluated to continuously improve the assessment system. The

Research Assistant compiles the goals and data into simplified communications that can be understood by non-


52

analytical audiences. Such reports ease understanding of goals and data for cross-divisional personnel so that the

identification of action needed to reach goals can also be simplified. (4.C.4)

2R2 What are the results for student retention, persistence, and completion?


The College uses several measures, shown in Figure 2-2, to better assess student retention, persistence, and

completion. Each measure below shows the result tracked, the collection and analysis frequency, and tool utilized

to obtain the data.

Summary results of measures (include tables and figures when possible)

Although not considered a primary driver of student retention, retention through the admission funnel is a key

component of overall student retention. The College has focused on strengthening enrollment percentages of new

applicants. Though not perfectly consistent, applicant and matriculant enrollment rates have increased.

Figure 2-5: Applicant Matriculation Rates

Source: ConnectND: Applicants by Admission Status Report

Spring

2012

Fall

2012

Spring

2013

Fall

2013

Spring

2014

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

New Students Applied 416 800 427 895 487 993 673

New Students Matriculated 337 535 272 618 288 621 433

New Students Enrolled 205 411 193 531 228 486 353

% Applied who Enrolled 49.28% 51.38% 45.20% 59.33% 46.82% 48.94% 52.45%

% Matriculated who Enrolled 60.83% 76.82% 70.96% 85.92% 79.17% 78.26% 81.52%

IPEDS Fall-to-Fall retention rates help the College understand student retention. The College’s has been fairly

consistent concerning fall-to-fall first-time, full-time retention, but less consistent with first-time, part-time

students. First-time, part-time student cohort numbers have been very small influencing percentage fluctuations.

Figure 2-6: Fall-to-Fall Retention Rates for First-Time Students

Source: IPEDS Feedback reports. http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/

2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

Part-Time 10% 20% 29% 0% 40% 15%

Full-Time 56% 55% 54% 60% 50% 58%

Figure 2-4: Student Retention, Persistence, and Completion

Data Measures

Student Success Measure Frequency Tools Utilized

Applicant Matriculation Rates Semester ConnectND

Fall-to-Fall Retention Rates

First-Time Full-Time Freshman Cohort

Annually IPEDS

Semester-to- Semester Retention Rates Semester ConnectND

CCSSE results on Academic Advisor Usage Biennially CCSSE

CCSSE results on Tutoring Center Usage Biennially CCSSE

Graduation Rates for Cohorts


Annually IPEDS

Total Degrees Awarded Semester ConnectND

Course Completion Rates Semester ConnectND

Transfer-Out Rates


Annually National Student Clearinghouse

http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/


53

Semester retention rates are important to the College in understanding overall student retention. The College has

been fairly consistent concerning fall-to-fall and spring-to-spring retention. The College is looking to improve such

statistics by incorporating and analyzing graduation and transfer-out information.

Figure 2-7: Semester Retention

Source: Data is provided from the NDU Campus Connection Enrollment Reports

Spring 2012 Fall 2012 Spring 2013 Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Fall 2014

4th Week Census Headcount 803 808 812 909 891 883

New Students 205 411 193 531 228 486

Returning Students 598 397 619 378 663 397

New Students Enrolled 25.53% 50.87% 23.77% 58.42% 25.59% 55.04%

Returning Students Enrolled 74.47% 49.13% 76.23% 41.58% 74.41% 44.96%

IPEDS graduation rates are important to the College in understanding student retention and completion. The

College has been fairly consistent concerning overall student completion.

Figure 2-8: Williston State College Cohorts Graduation Rates

Source: IPEDS Feedback reports. http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/

2006 Cohort 2007 Cohort 2008 Cohort 2009 Cohort

Completed within two years 32% 30% 31% 26%

Completed within three years 38% 36% 40% 35%

Completed within four years 40% 37% 43% 38%

Course completion is important to the College in understanding student retention and completion. The College’s

successfully completed courses have been fairly consistent over the past three years.

Figure 2-9: Percent of Total Credits Dropped, Failed, or Withdrawn

Source: Campus Connection BHE Student Record Term Stats report

Spring

2012

Fall

2012

Spring

2013

Fall

2013

Spring

2014

Fall

2014

% of Dropped, Failed, or Withdrawn Credits 32.46% 35.87% 28.06% 31.93% 31.00% 35.26%

% of Successfully Completed Credits 67.54% 64.13% 71.94% 68.07% 69.00% 64.74%

Overall degrees completion is important to the College in understanding student retention and completion. The

College’s overall degrees awarded have improved since 2012.

Figure 2-10: Degrees Earned by Academic Year

Source: Campus Connection “Graduates by Major and Minor Report”

*2015 includes only Summer 2014 and Fall 2014 graduates, Spring 2015 completion in progress

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

*

Associate in Arts / Associate in Science 84 92 90 95 137 26

Associate in Applied Science 71 65 59 51 66 3

Diploma 1 0 0 1 0 0

Certificate 39 38 29 41 50 35

Certificate of Completion 1 28 0 0 7 1

Total Degrees Earned 196 223 178 188 260 65

Overall transfer-out rates are important to the College in understanding student retention and completion. The

College’s overall degrees awarded have fluctuated since the 2008 cohort. Although part of the College mission

provides transfer pathways, the College aims to encourage completion.



54

Comparison of results with internal targets and external benchmarks

IPEDS Cohort comparison results show that the College scores below Cohort peers for both part and full-time

retention rates of first-time students.

Figure 2-12: Retention Rates Comparisons for First-Time Students

Source: Williston State College IPEDS Feedback reports. http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/

2006

Cohort

2007

Cohort

2008

Cohort

2009

Cohort

2010

Cohort

WSC Part-Time 20% 29% 0% 40% 15%

Comparison Group Median 42% 37% 37% 38% 45%

WSC Full-Time 55% 54% 60% 50% 58%


IPEDS Cohort comparison results show that the College scores both below and above Cohort peers for concerning

150% graduate rate comparisons. Overall, the College nears Cohort norms.

Figure 2-13: Graduation Rate Comparisons

Source: Williston State College IPEDS Feedback reports. http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/

Cohort students who graduate within three years comprise the graduation rate.

2006

Cohort

2007

Cohort

2008

Cohort

2009

Cohort

2010

Cohort

WSC 30% 36% 40% 35% 37%


CCSSE results show student perceptions of student persistence related services. The College’s has been fairly

consistent concerning its results as well as comparison to cohort results. The College has been consistently lower

than cohort results regarding academic advising and planning and looks to improve those, as well as overall results.


2009 2011 2013

WSC CCSSE

Cohort

WSC CCSSE

Cohort

WSC CCSSE

Cohort

Peer or other tutoring 1.46 1.46 1.46 1.48 1.45 1.50

Skill Labs (writing, math, etc.) 1.74 1.71 1.63 1.73 1.78 1.75

Academic Advising/Planning 1.73 1.80 1.74 1.78 1.75 1.80

Interpretation of results and insights gained

The College’s efforts concerning persistence, retention and completion reflect the mission of the College. Given

recent regional economic and internal challenges the College has faced, many of the above results show some

fluctuation. Ideally, the College would prefer to see steady improvement and maturity in processes, however, the

challenges presented to the campus in regards to enrollment management have left the College maintaining with

Figure 2-11: Transfer-Out Rates for Williston State College Cohorts Source: Transfer-Out Rates for First-Time/Full-Time Freshman was provided from the

National Student Clearinghouse Subsequent Enrollment Report www.nationalstudentclearinghouse.org

Transfer-Out Rate - Cohort students who did not graduate but transferred to another institution within 3 years.

2008 Cohort 2009 Cohort 2010 Cohort 2011 Cohort

First-Time, Full-Time Freshman Transfer 29.11% 43.82% 43.84% 37.89%



http://www.nationalstudentclearinghouse.org/


55

lesser improvements than desired. Understanding these resent challenges, the College has been responsive by

restructuring the Division of Student Services and creating The Enrollment Management Team to continue to

review processes and practices to improve and encourage persistence and completion.


three years?

With the recent addition of the Research Assistant and the restructuring of the EM Team, the College has begun to

take a pro-active approach in regards to retention, persistence, and completion. Planned improvements with

descriptions beginning 2015 are:

Admission and Enrollment data monitoring - The Research Assistant, in conjunction with the Registrar and

Enrollment Services, is tasked with creating application, enrollment, and advisement reports to ensure that student

records are processed correctly and re that students are best paired with advisors and program of interest. Reports

are to be reviewed on a weekly basis for accuracy.

Course Completion and Persistence - Student success data, course completion and fall-to-fall persistence, is now

collected. The student success rate (the percentage of A, B, C or S grades earned of total course enrollment) has

been incorporated into the newly revised end-of-term data collection process. The Research Assistant is tasked

with collecting and calculating these percentage rates. Data is distributed to determine best practices for student

success and persistence.

Retention and Completion rates by program - With the focus on college completion, increasing student

completion is a priority for the College and the NDUS. The Research Assistant is currently in the process of

reviewing process and procedures to track retention and completion by academic program. Program cohorts must

be established so as to track student retention, completion, program/change, or transfer-out. Percentage rates of

program completion will then be tracked on an academic year basis.

The Enrollment Management Team - With the assistance of the Office of Research & Record, the EM Team will

work collaboratively with divisions and departments to establish internal projects and benchmarks regarding

enrollment, retention, persistence, and completion. The EM Team’s mission includes working collaboratively as a

team to achieve a comprehensive, cohesive, and supportive network for students from the time of their first inquiry

through graduation and beyond. Monitoring internal and external benchmarks will help the EM team to set goals,

create improvement projects and monitor quality improvement cycle success.

Key Stakeholder Needs

2P3 Key Stakeholder Needs focuses on determining, understanding and meeting needs of key stakeholder

groups including alumni and community partners. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key

processes for:

• Determining key external stakeholder groups (e.g., alumni, employers, community)

As described in AQIP 1 Question 1P3, the College recognizes three major groups of other key stakeholders with

varying subgroups. These include other educational organizations, the external community, and governmental

organizations. Identification and engagement with these groups varies, but many center on partnerships, meetings,

surveys, data analysis and outreach. Many of these stakeholder groups are also involved in the College’s annual

strategic planning process. The NDUS, Executive Cabinet, the Williston State College Foundation, and TrainND

Northwest assist in determining and aligning key stakeholder groups for the College via the strategic planning

process. AQIP 1 Question 1P3 Figure 1-12 shows a complied list of Key Stakeholders.

• Determining new stakeholders to target for services or partnership

The College engages existing stakeholder groups to help understand current environment and future direction of the


56

institution. The process through which the College determines new groups for services or partnership originates

from the strategic planning process as described in AQIP 4 Question 4P2. The development of new strategic goals

helps identify new stakeholders. Reviewing the viability of a mutually beneficial engagement as partners and how

partnership will impact the achievement of strategic goals assists in determining new partnerships.

• Meeting the changing needs of key stakeholders

The College’s model of continuous improvement as described in AQIP 4 Question 4P2 includes a cycle of

implementation, evaluation, resource allocation and improvement. The College follows this model in determining

stakeholder groups and their needs. The College uses a process for meeting changing needs includes the purposeful

planning for activities that respond to the identified needs of stakeholders. Strategic-level institutional planning

guides institutional action to respond to emerging stakeholder needs and opportunities.

• Selecting tools/methods/instruments to assess key stakeholder needs

The College determines how to assess key stakeholder needs based on stakeholder collaboration. Existing

partnerships and mechanisms for engagement, described in AQIP 1 Question 1P3, the College and its stakeholder

groups collaborate to identify tools and methods to evaluate how well needs are being met. Common tools used to

assess stakeholder needs are articulation agreements, memorandums of understanding, the strategic planning

process, advisory groups and surveys. Agreements are annually updated, updated based on feedback received, via

advisory group feedback or updated as documented in an agreement.

• Assessing the degree to which key stakeholder needs are met

As of the last portfolio the College had a history of not sharing formal assessments or results. The College now

conducts and shares internal evaluations, agreement updates and performance data via the institutional effectiveness

process. The process for assessing the degree to which key stakeholders’ needs are met is driven from internal and

external information gathered through the Strategic Planning Process or through quality initiatives that measure

strategic goals. Primarily, the College‘s outreach vehicles collect data such as informational reports, advisory

committee minutes, surveys, etc.

2R3 What are the results for determining if key stakeholder needs are being met?


Assessment of how key stakeholder needs are being met is conducted through measures and outcomes captured

primarily through committee minutes, focus group results, surveys, institutional data, etc.

Key outcomes include the number of industry partnerships, the number of community partnerships, the number of

community members served, the total valuation of the Foundation, and the number of community and education

partnerships.

The following table identifies key stakeholders as well as the processes in place for adapting to key stakeholders

changing needs.

Figure 2-15: Key Stakeholders and Processes

Key Stakeholders Process

NDUS Makes recommendations to the chancellor and campus presidents about changes

required for key university system partners.

Executive Cabinet Approves changes requested to key partners called for in the strategic plan.

WSC Foundation Donor and alumni needs are addressed through the monthly Foundation Board meetings.

Community

Education

New community partners or changes to partnerships are vetted through participation in

either community education or conference services.

TrainND Northwest TrainND’s Advisory Board review partners and approves changes to relationships with


57

industry partners.

Regional School

Districts

Extended Learning conducts frequent site visits to determine and recommend changes to

school district partnerships.

Williston Park and

Recreation District

A mutual agreement of understanding is in place requiring multiple annual meetings to

update and amend changes to the partnership.


Anecdotal and hard data identifies the College as a community leader. Community education has seen a vast

increase in both the number of community partners served as well as the number of community members served.

Figure 2-16: TrainND Northwest Community Education Classes and Students Served

2013 2014

Students Served 830 1,156

Classes 110 170

Based on the Williston State College Foundation’s Annual Report, the Foundation is a state leader. Assets have

increased from nearly 10 million five years ago to nearly 30 million today. Workforce Training industry

partnerships has grown exponentially. TrainND Northwest serves over 350 businesses and over 11,000 employees.

Early Entry enrollment has increased dramatically. Spring 2015 dual enrollment numbers were the highest in the

history of the College with 441 students participating.

Several partnerships advanced via the College’s strategic planning process have met with success. A partnership

with the Williston Park and Recreation District resulted in a 77 million dollar recreation center on campus and a

partnership with Fort Berthold Community College to sustain a critical nursing program in Fort Berthold.


The College has become a national leader in results relating to key community stakeholders. The Foundation is now

in the top one hundred of community college foundations in regard to asset size. The partnership with Parks is the

largest Parks/College partnership in the country. TrainND Northwest serves the largest numbers of businesses in

North Dakota, if not the region. Dual credit enrollment increased to the point that the College demonstrated the

largest spring enrollment increase in the state.


Williston is a community of change and the College has been successfully navigating change over the past five

years. The needs and demands of key community stakeholders become increasingly pertinent. The strategic

planning process has become a critical tool in the identification and support of key partners. Dedication to this

process must continue as changes in the economy might divert the College’s attention from key players.


three years?

Improvements to key external stakeholders are made through the annual strategic planning process. As a result of

this year’s plan, a key partnership is being developed between the College, the WSC Foundation, and the arts

community for the creation of a performing arts center. Another example identified in this year’s plan is a

partnership with Williston Park and Recreation District to develop a women’s fast pitch softball field to be shared

by both the Parks District and the College. Outside of the Strategic Planning process, improvements and

enhancements continue. A grant application for 1.7 million dollars was submitted by the Foundation for the

creation of a park on the east side of the campus. Should the project be funded, the project will be wrapped into

next year’s strategic plan.


58

Complaint Processes

2P4 Complaint Processes focuses on collecting, analyzing and responding to complaints from students or key

(non-employee) stakeholder groups. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key processes for:

• Collecting complaint information from students

The College has both an informal as well as a formal complaint or grievance procedure for students to share their

comments and concerns. Informal complaints made by students or key stakeholders via phone, email, letter, and

social media or in person are directed to the Executive Director for Student Services (EDSS). The EDSS gathers all

necessary information and assesses the nature of the concern and its effect on the institutions ability to serve its

student population. Should the nature of the complaint best be addressed by another department, the EDSS relays

the complaint to that department for review. This information is passed through the appropriate channels to ensure

that a fair and equitable solution is provided to the complainant and effected parties. The EDSS conducts follow up

communications to ensure that a timely response is given and that a satisfactory resolution was attained. The

College’s formal grievance procedure for students is outlined in Section VIII Student Grievances of the current

Williston State College Code of Conduct. A grievance exists when an enrolled student is dissatisfied with a

decision or an aspect of his or her college experience over which the student has no control and on which remedial

action is desired. A grievance may also include an apparent violation of equal opportunity laws, regulations, fair

grading practices or behavioral concerns.

If a student feels unfairly treated, or has a grievance, the student shall first discuss it with the faculty member,

department chair, staff member, director, student, or with the person where the perceived unfair treatment occurred.

It may be a case of misunderstanding, which can be resolved through discussion. If a resolution can’t be attained

through this initial attempt, the student can file the official complaint with the person who has administrative

responsibility for the department or individual involved. The complete list of required steps are outlined in the

current edition of the Student Code of Conduct.

• Collecting complaint information from other key stakeholders

The process for collecting key stakeholders complaints is identical to that related to student complaints. Complaints

are directed to the EDSS for analysis and recommendation. The EDSS works with the necessary departments and/or

community groups to ensure that a timely and fair resolution is provided. All complaints received from students or

stakeholders are addressed in a manner that aligns with the institution’s mission statement.

• Learning from complaint information and determining actions

Both formal and informal complaints are directed to the Office of the EDSS for review, analysis and

recommendation. Streamlining all complaints through one central channel ensures that larger campus issues are

identified early and addressed through a shared systematic approach. This process results in less reactionary

measures, therefore improving the College’s ability to effectively and efficiently serve the student and community

populations. When appropriate, key staff and faculty members are brought together to review complaints and

determine what action should be taken in order to address unmet needs. Aligning the Divisions of Instruction and

Student Services to address needs ensures that students are socially, emotionally and financially supported in order

to thrive academically in the classroom.

• Communicating actions to students and other key stakeholders

A more systemized approach to documenting and communicating complaints is set for implementation for the

upcoming academic year. The procedure includes clear language of logging complaints, date complaint received,

identified complainant, nature of the complaint, office assigned to address the complaint, steps taken for resolution,

the resolution or decision, external actions by complainant, and how results will be communicated to the

complainant(s). The procedure will detail the assessment and evaluation of complaints to contribute to continuous

quality improvement.

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/College%20Policies%20and%20Standards%20for%20Students.pdf


59

• Selecting tools/methods/instruments to evaluate complaint resolution

The new procedure requires a central storage and maintenance of complaints and outcomes. Excel will be the initial

tool used to track and evaluate complaints. A specialized tool, Conduct Coordinator, is being considered for

tracking and examination of complaints. The College acknowledges that recent practices and processes were

informal and loosely aligned, and were not predictably maintained.

2R4 What are the results for student and key stakeholder complaints? This includes, but is not limited to,

descriptions of the following:


The College tracks the number and types of formal complaints it receives. Beginning Fall 2014, formal complaints

filed were centrally directed to the offices of the EDSS.


College Student Review Committee Process/Procedure - Two students elected to appeal the decision of the EDSS

in regard to imposed disciplinary sanctions though the College Student Review Committee Process/Procedure

during the last academic year. Using the WSC Student Code of Conduct policy and procedure, the EDSS’s decision

was reviewed by a committee selected by the Vice President for Instruction to ensure that fair and unbiased

treatment was given for each case. The two cases reviewed remained as decided by the EDSS. One of the cases was

then presented to the Office of the President for final review. The decision of the EDSS remained.

Student Grievances - Over the last academic year, the EDSS, the involved department administration and

department members jointly addressed one formal student grievance. Using the WSC Student Code of Conduct

policy and procedure, the student grievance was resolved at the informal level. No formal written student grievance

occurred. As a result, no further action was necessary given the informal resolution.

Based on these results, the current process works well to maintain the fair and equitable treatment of all students.

Communication and expectations between staff, faculty, students and other constituents has been effective.


The College has not set internal or external benchmarks concerning informal and formal complaints received. High

turnover has affected year-to-year comparison of such results. The College works to assure that policy, procedure

and process are established to ensure that practices effecting students and stakeholders are clear, communicated and

fair. Policy, procedure, and processes are reviewed to assure incidents are not repetitive in nature. All involved

parties conduct thorough reviews to increase overall campus understanding and agreeable resolution. The existing

policy and procedures assist the College in maintaining as few complaints and formal grievances as possible.


Complaints and/or grievances are taken seriously and addressed immediately. The number of complaints is modest

and manageable using the current tracking systems. Although it is manual, direct connection to top administrative

offices demonstrates the importance the College places on complaint resolution and customer satisfaction.

A more formalized complaint tracking will inform and support campus-wide efforts to improve processes.

Improved tracking quality will be used beyond the general informing and improvement processes. The nature of

complaints, categorization, clear patterns and measuring complaint results will inform customer service and quality

improvement initiatives from a top-down standpoint. Formal internal and external benchmarks will also inform

current process, its efficiency and effectiveness.




60


three years?

The College has initiated and will continue complaint improvements. Areas for immediate improvement include:

the establishment of clear categories and descriptions of complaints to be tracked, creating a data examination

process to identify themes and improvements, establishment of internal and external benchmarks of baseline data

for number and types of complaints received annually, research web-based complaint reporting system.

Building Collaborations and Partnerships

2P5 Building Collaborations and Partnerships focuses on aligning, building, and determining the

effectiveness of collaborations and partnerships to further the mission of the institution. This includes, but is

not limited to, descriptions of key processes for:

• Selecting partners for collaboration (e.g., other educational institutions, civic organizations, businesses)

Before committing to a partnership or collaboration, a business plan or proposal must be created and evaluated by

Executive Cabinet or through the Strategic Planning process. Potential collaboration is based on (1) advancement of

the strategic plan; (2) educational and financial agreement with the College’s mission and; (3) sustainability.

The Williston State College Foundation acts as a partner and guides the creation, prioritization, and building of key

College relationships. The Foundation provides student access through significant scholarship and aid

opportunities. The Foundation provides fiscal stability to the College through cultural, athletic, professional

development and capital support. The Foundation provides critical connections and relationships through donors.

The Foundation supports the College’s partnership development in response to the Strategic Plan.

• Building and maintaining relationships with partners

In a small community, the College relies on community partnerships. The College‘s first priority is basic services to

students. The College provides services with key organizations identified in the table below:

Organizations Service

Figure 2-17: Key Organizations and Services

Organizations Services Organizations Services

Local Law Enforcement Enhances campus security

Service Clubs Provide information to students on education and career opportunities

Local Businesses Offer student mentorships, internships, advisory board participation

Mercy Medical Center Delivers health services to students provides locations for clinical experiences

City and State Overall campus planning and the subsequent delivery of student services

WSC Foundation Creates access for students supports faculty/staff in professional development

Advisory Committees Provide quality educational services and direction to program coordinators

Figure 2 – 18: Key Tools and Processes

Tool Process

University System

Councils

Statewide initiatives facilitate students transfer within the NDUS, initiatives include:

general education requirements, transfer agreements, common course numbering

system, and articulation agreements. Councils discuss policy, best practices and

articulation agreement to determine effectiveness.

Strategic Planning Internal and external constituents evaluate existing and recommend new partnerships.

Site visits, quarterly,

biannual and annual

advisory meetings

Site Visits, quarterly, biannual and annual advisory meetings assess partnerships to

update existing MOU’s and partner agreements.

Formal and Informal

Evaluations

TrainND, program advisory groups, etc., utilize formal and informal evaluations to

assess industry partnership effectiveness. Academic units routinely analyze


61

program/clinical site evaluations to determine effectiveness.

Early Entry

Agreements

The OEL routinely analyzes concurrent enrollment agreements, site visits, meetings,

curriculum alignment, and high school programs to determine effectiveness

Clinical experiences,

practicums/internships

Contracts, Memoranda of Understanding, and other formal agreements routinely

analyzed to determine effectiveness

Employer surveys,

Graduate Opinion Poll

Evaluate partnership effectiveness through supervisor and student surveys, identify

success of partnerships such as job placement and transition from WSC

Advisory Committee

meeting feedback

Meetings gather partners to discuss program demand, effectiveness and recommended

curriculum changes, and other information for program success. Routine analysis

determines partnership effectiveness.

WSC Foundation Documentation and routine analysis of private giving, number of students receiving

scholarships, scholarship programs, donor development and recruitment; fundraising

plans determines partnership effectiveness.

Institutional support

and funding

Routine analysis of legislative agendas, pre-legislature meetings and advocacy, state

and capital funding received, desired legislation passed, partnership effectiveness.

As a result of regional economic activity, the College’s Strategic Plan establishes partnerships that go beyond the

scope of services to students. The College partnered with the hospital and the school district to create employee

housing. The College partnered with the Williston Park and Recreation District to host a community wellness

center on campus. Conference Services partners with many groups and businesses to utilize campus facilities for

events. In addition, Conference Services partners with various local businesses to offer career and job fairs, quality

entertainment, and social experiences for the community.

The College is an integral part of northwest North Dakota’s community. Ongoing dialogue, employee community

participation, and community participation in the College’s planning processes ensure the College is meeting

community needs. The community regularly discusses College and city needs both in informal settings as well as

during formal meetings/events designed to gather input (surveys, strategic planning, state and in-house evaluations,

advisory committees, legislators, government employees, etc.). The city recently assembled a monthly community

leader team that meets to address the community’s growing economy. The College’s president serves as a member.

• Selecting tools/methods/instruments to assess partnership effectiveness

The tools, methods and instruments used to assess partnership effectiveness depend on the type of partnership.

• Evaluating the degree to which collaborations and partnerships are effective

Evaluation of collaboration and partnership effectiveness is measured quantitatively and qualitatively. Anecdotal

data identifies the College as a community leader in developing effective community partnerships. Annual goals

provide quantitative and qualitative goals for benchmarking partnerships.

2R5 What are the results for determining the effectiveness of aligning and building collaborations and

partnerships?


As explained previously, the College measures partnership effectiveness of using various indicators. One tool used

is the Institutional Score Card. For example, the Institutional Score Card reports the number of businesses served

annually by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Such results suggest the effectiveness of existing

regional partnerships and how well the SBDC has established and maintained partnerships.

Multiple outcomes are measured and tracked via the College’s strategic plan. Annual goals specific to aligning and

building collaborative partnerships determine effectiveness of such efforts. For example, AQIP 4: Planning and

Leading’s Outcome is that WSC will evaluate and develop strategies to better serve students, stakeholders and the

community, the Annual Goal is to start fundraising and planning for the Performing Arts Center. The successful


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implementation of College strategies tied to creating the Performing Arts Center will measure the effectiveness of

collaborative partnerships.

Other key outcome measures for K-12 partnerships are identified via enrollment levels in high school courses,

transfer to other colleges and universities, and the expansion of career pathways in high schools.


Summary of the results measured are presented in annual reports and the annual update of the Institutional Score

Card. Semester Profile reports summarizes enrollment of all students.

Figure 2-19: Small Business Development Center

2011 2012 2013 3 Year Total

Clients Served 388 345 333 1056

Dollars Invested 55 million 61 million 65 million 181 million

Figure 2-20: TrainND Northwest Businesses Served and Feedback

2013 2014

Businesses Served 386 381

Satisfaction 99% 99%

Figure 2-21: Other Selected Examples of Aligning and Building Collaborations and Partnerships

Williston Park and Recreation District Completed first Mutual Agreement of Understanding.

WSC Foundation Completed second apartment building to meet college staff housing

needs as well as critical workers housing needs related to school

districts, city and state government.

Regional School Districts Significantly increased both dual credit opportunities and enrollments.


Using the examples above, internal targets are slightly down yet the College continues to lead the state in regard to

external benchmarks. Enrollment goals have exceeded targets as a result of dual credit. Spring enrollment had the

fastest increases at the state. TrainND Northwest continues to lead the state in working with local businesses yet

internal targets were not met. The SBDC continues to be a state and regional leader yet internal targets have not

been reached. The Foundation continues to exceed both internal targets and external benchmarks.


The College has numerous effective partnerships with diverse key stakeholder groups. Results pertaining to

meeting stakeholder needs indicate the College is a strong partner to many regional organizations. For example, the

percent of students successfully enrolled in the Early Entry program has significantly increased in the past year.

There are also areas for significant improvement. Underperformance concerning internal targets and the recent

decreased legislative funding indicate significant future challenges. The College realizes these challenges and is

already working strategically to respond.


three years?

The economy has been a significant challenge to both the College and the community. Because of the growth, the

College continues to be a statewide leader. With an economic slowdown, the College must reset goals to account

for the slowdown and make appropriate adjustments with community partners. With the slowdown, enrollment

increases are expected but community partnerships will produce new challenges especially those concerning

funding. The College will continue to spend significant attention to the annual planning process to adapt to changes

impacting the College’s multiple partnerships.


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AQIP Category Three: Valuing Employees

Valuing Employees explores the institution’s commitment to the hiring, development, and evaluation of

faculty, staff, and administrators.

Introduction

As a well-rounded and diverse campus, College employees play an integral part in upholding the motto, “Where the

People Make the Difference.” Reporting directly to the President, the Director for HR is able to ensure that

employee needs are heard by top College administration. The Institutional Effectiveness Team reviews employee

satisfaction surveys and makes recommendations to Executive Cabinet and the AQIP 3 Team on annual strategic

plan goals related to valuing employees. The College designs processes to contribute to employee productivity and

satisfaction. Annual reviews, all campus meetings and the annual strategic planning process are all examples of

activities geared toward improving employee productivity and satisfaction.

Given the recent regional economic changes and extensive College turnover, the Human Resource Office has been

greatly challenged and has worked diligently to respond to employment needs. Improved job descriptions,

improved annual performance reviews and a new employee onboarding process have allowed the HR Office to

make significant employee-related improvements despite challenges. Additional on-campus employee housing and

improved employee salaries are examples of how the College is committed to assuring employee satisfaction and

productivity.

Employee surveys and the Campus Quality Survey continue to provide the College with in-depth employee

perceptions. The 2014 Campus Quality Survey results demonstrate little improvement, but will allow the College to

concentrate efforts in areas showing declining results. With such high recent turnover, employee training,

professional development and employee retention will remain areas of focus.

Hiring

3P1 Hiring focuses on the acquisition of appropriately qualified/credentialed faculty, staff, and

administrators to ensure that effective, high-quality programs and student support services are provided.

This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key processes for:

• Recruiting, hiring, and orienting employees

Reporting directly to the President, the current Director for HR has grown and stabilized the department over the

past five years. Created in 2009, the HR Office provides input and direction regarding the recruitment and hiring of

employees, employee recognition, compensation, professional development, advancement, and retention. The HR

Office is the top driver in AQIP 3 initiatives surrounding its continuous efforts of valuing employees.

WSC complies with SBHE policies and procedures regarding hiring practices. Successful recruitment for a position

is dependent on the creation of a detailed job description that focuses on specific duties and institutional needs. The

Director for HR works with the hiring department to establish job descriptions that comply with accreditation,

curriculum learning outcomes and other skill sets that fall within established guidelines. The Director for HR

assures that each position is placed in the appropriate NDUS broadband job classifications.

The Director for HR advertises open positions. Advertisements are placed in local, regional, and national resources

based on level of expertise and position type. The Director for HR screens candidates to ensure minimum

requirements are met before an interview is extended. The College employs persons on the basis of merit without

unlawful discrimination in accordance with NDUS HR Policy 3.1 due to race, religion, color, national origin, age,

gender, physical or mental disability, status with regard to marriage or public assistance, sexual orientation or

participation in lawful activity of the employer's premises during nonworking hours or information which is

protected by the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). Candidates selected without appropriate

academic credentials may be given a designated period to obtain the necessary credential.


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The search committee, established by the hiring department and approved by the HR office, conducts interviews of

applicants selected after initial HR screening. Appropriate tests relative to the position may be required to evaluate

qualifications of an applicant, e.g., spreadsheet application testing or requesting samples of written communication

skills. The search committee recommends a candidate to hire to the Director for HR and the Chief Financial

Officer for approval and to finalize the offer. Depending on the position, the Director for HR and CFO will request

final approval from the President.

Since the last Systems Portfolio, an Action Project was designed and implemented to create a new employee

orientation program. The program provides new employees with a foundation for successful involvement, growth,

and development within the college. AQIP 3 created a document that covers the onboarding process from pre-

employment though the first three months of employment. The formalized document, which includes a checklist, is

a process that ensures all employees are similarly on-boarded with complete and detailed information. WSC

conducted extensive research on orientation and on-boarding models used by other colleges. This effective practice

incorporated models from multiple areas to the established program. The orientation program has many layers in

which to acclimate, assimilate and affiliate new employees.

• Designing hiring processes that result in staff and administrators who possess the required qualification,

skills, and values (3.C.6)

Working with the Director for HR, hiring departments are responsible for screening and interviewing qualified

applicants for vacant positions. Candidates are rated on achievement of minimum qualifications as outlined in the

job description. Discussion of potential candidates is held between the hiring manager and the Director for HR prior

to scheduling an interview. This allows the Director for HR to consider and confirm qualified and diverse

candidates. The Human Resources Office ensures: 1. open and competitive efforts are conducted for all positions;

2. advertising in appropriate markets; and 3. proper documentation of each selection process. (3.C.6)

The search committee includes representatives from the department as well as representatives from both faculty,

staff and in some instances, administration. With faculty positions, representatives from business and industry may

be asked to participate on the search committee. The HR Office approves search committees before the interview

process begins. Depending on the position, the interview process may include behavior-based interview questions,

a skills test, teaching demonstrations, open campus forums, or campus presentations. Hiring managers must

document reference checks. All benefitted employees are subject to a criminal background check. In some cases,

per NDUS Procedure 602.3, an FBI background check is required. (3.C.6)

• Developing and meeting academic credentialing standards for faculty, including those in dual credit,

contractual, and consortia programs (3.C.1, 3.C.2)

Williston State College uses Higher Learning Commission Criteria for Accreditation and Core Components,

specifically the document for “Determining Qualified Faculty: Guidelines for Institutions and Peer Reviewers” as

the primary basis for determining qualified faculty. The College also uses North Dakota University System

(NDUS) Policies and Procedures, specifically Policy Section 605 regarding hiring qualified faculty. Faculty

qualifications are also reviewed depending on if the faculty is to teach for the transfer curriculum or career and

technical education (CTE) curriculum. Faculty teaching within the transfer curriculum are held to HLC and NDUS

qualifications as noted above; however, those teaching CTE curriculum require additional credentialing as outlined

by the Department of Career and Technical Education of North Dakota. Certain programs also require specific

credentials as outlined by a governing board. Specifically, the Nursing and Massage programs are subject to

licensure and credentialing standards as set forth by the North Dakota Board of Nursing and the North Dakota

Board of Massage. Career and technical education programs also require certifications. Such certifications are

required upon hire and proof of certification is kept in employee files. For example, instructors within the Welding

program are required to show proof of AWS Master Certification. (3.C.1, 3.C.2)

The internal hiring process assist faculty in developing and meeting academic credentialing standards. To assure

credentialing during the application phase, official transcripts and/or additional certifications are required, criminal

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http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Forms/2015%20New%20Orientation%20Program.pdf


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background checks are conducted, three professional references, a letter of intent, a faculty application for

employment, and a resume are all required. Initial review of credentialing and experience is conducted during the

interview process. The interview process may vary slightly for full-time, adjunct, online, or dual credit faculty,

however selection committees review qualified applications and request interviews of chosen applicants. Full-time

faculty are required to a give a sample lesson as a part of the interview to demonstrate teaching ability in respect to

their credentials. (3.C.2)

All dual credit, contractual, and consortia faculty are required to have the same credentials according to the

guidelines set forth above depending on the teaching of transfer or career and technical education curriculum.

Should faculty require credentialing for the purpose of hire, the Director for HR and the hiring department will

outline expectations and a timeline to complete the needed credentials within the faculty contract. (3.C.2)

Prior teaching experience is preferred of all faculty candidates, however the College assigns a mentor for full-time

first-year instructors. Mentors are assigned to assist new faculty through the on-boarding process, assist with

process questions and help acclimate the new faculty member to the culture of the College. Professional

development opportunities through the department or Faculty Senate are available for additional credentialing or

development opportunities. (3.C.1)

• Ensuring the institution has sufficient numbers of faculty to carry out both classroom and non-classroom

programs and activities (3.C.1)

The Office of Instruction works with the Finance Office to assure appropriate funding is available for hiring

required faculty positions. Faculty are supported by state appropriated funding or by grant resources (in full or in

part) such as Title III or the Department of Labor. The Office of Instruction is responsible for managing faculty

numbers for classroom student/faculty ratios, as well as other non-classroom programs and activities. The Office of

Instruction works with departments to set appropriate enrollment caps for all courses and works in cooperation with

the Director for HR to assure faculty contracts outline and balance classroom and non-classroom faculty

obligations. The Office of Research and Records maintains and communicates enrollment data with the Office of

Instruction and administration to ensure staffing aligns with established goals. To ensure the College has sufficient

numbers of faculty, department chairs and program managers, the Vice President for Instruction regularly reviews

enrollment reports to determine specific course demands. Department chairs recommend the hiring of adjunct

faculty and the Vice President for Instruction has the authority to approve. Program completion requirements may

dictate low enrollment offerings. Experimental course offerings of low enrollment may be permitted given the

Office of Instruction and the Finance Office approve. (3.C.1)

Partnerships allow for flexibility of offerings within the NDUS and partner North Dakota schools. Additional

sections, depending on subject and enrollment needs, may be added to the schedule of courses. (3.C.1)

• Ensuring the acquisition of sufficient numbers of staff to provide student support services

The College is committed to supporting students’ needs. Administration continually monitors and identifies gaps

within the student support services area to enrich the learning environment at WSC. As a result of identifying these

gaps, WSC has created several new positions over the past two years based on information gathered via surveys,

student communication, etc. For example, low placement scores have given way to new supplemental instruction

and tutoring positions. The new staff positions are: counselor, research assistant, coordinator for retention,

coordinator for career pathways, and a coordinator for the math and writing lab.

As new positions become available, the hiring manager submits a request to both the Director for HR and the CFO.

The CFO identifies an appropriate budget for the position. The Director for HR reviews modifications to the job

description. If the Director for HR and the CFO approve the request, Executive Cabinet reviews the request for

approval. Executive Cabinet approval allows the hiring manager to work with HR to form a committee and begin

the hiring process.


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Some employees are supported (in full or in part) by grant resources, such as Title, III, Perkins or the Department of

Labor which have allowed WSC to create new positions to provide staff in the student support services area.

3R1 What are the results for determining if recruitment, hiring, and orienting practices assure effective

provision for programs and services?


The College uses various outcomes and measure to determine if recruitment, hiring, and orienting practices assure

effective provision for programs and services. Although not primarily documented to assure effective provision for

programs and services, turnover rates are used to determine overall climate of employment at the College, as well

as used to determine departmental needs. To review employee perceptions that surround how recruitment, hiring,

and orienting practices assure effective provisions for programs and services, the College reviews the Campus

Quality Survey (CQS), which is as instrument that uses gap analysis to analyze perceptions. The College takes

pride in maintaining a student-to-faculty ratio that ensures one-to-one faculty availability for the sole benefit of our

students.


Regional unemployment has hovered under one percent for the last four years. The College’s employee turnover for

fiscal year 2014 reached an all-time high: 39%. With employees on maternity and sick leave combined with hiring

challenges, the College has been operating at 85% capacity. Job applications have been extremely rare.

The College has had difficulty acquiring and maintaining staff to provide student support services. Depending on

the critical nature of the position, inexperienced employees moved into higher-level positions. Three developments

occurred to promote acquiring needed staff: 1. the last biennium request included additional funds to increase

faculty salaries by over 24%; 2. the College partnered with the Foundation to open two 74 unit apartment buildings

for employees and critical state, county and city employees; 3. the College set in place succession planning which

allowed upward movement of employees. Due to the extreme turnover, recruitment, hiring, and orienting practices

have taken center stage to assure effective provision for programs and services.

The turnover rates, identified below, have contributed to a significant loss of institutional knowledge. The College

was not prepared for the high rates of turnover; however, WSC responded to the situation by signing a shared

services agreement with the University of North Dakota (UND). This allows the College to continue business

operations in the areas of financial aid and finance.

The high turnover rates have also resulted in extensive training of new employees. Many new employees have gone

to Bismarck State College (BSC), UND and even as far as North Dakota State University (NDSU). The cost of

training has been significant, but WSC is dedicated to the education and training of its employees. The slow down

within the oil industry has provided a richer candidate pool. Hiring qualified candidates has enabled WSC to move

in a direction that, at one time, did not seem possible.

Figure 3-1: Williston State College Employee Turnover

09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15

Overall Turnover 36.20% 29.50% 43.30% 33.00% 39.00% 36.00%

The following CQS results show employees believe planning for selecting, orienting, training, empowering and

recognizing processes have improved since 2008. Employee perceptions did not improve during the most recent

CQS administration, but have gradually improved since 2008.


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Processes for selecting, orienting, training, empowering, and recognizing employees are carefully planned

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.727 4.524 4.506 4.513

How it is now 2.061 2.375 2.812 2.551


Job responsibilities are communicated clearly to employees

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.697 4.625 4.578 4.584

How it is now 2.667 3.125 3.157 2.961


The student-to-faculty ratio trends have remained stable over the past five years. The College strives to maintain a

ratio that allows for adequate one-on-one interaction between faculty and students.

Figure 3-3: Williston State College Student-to-Faculty Ratio

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Overall 17 to 1 19 to 1 23 to 1 16 to 1 16 to 1 18 to 1


College turnover for the first nine days of July, 2014 was 4%. The College experienced higher turnover in one week

than the quarterly turnover rate for US Companies - 3.49%. Turnover was almost 15% at the end of July. Figure 3-4

shows staff and faculty turnover in respect to other NDUS schools. Turnover has risen significantly over the past

six years and has remained higher than all other schools, even those within the oil-impacted region. Adequate

provision for programs and services has been difficult to maintain given the regional economic climate. Strategic

recruitment, hiring, and orienting practices are vital in maintaining College operations.

Figure 3-4: NDUS 2009 – 2014 Staff & Faculty Turnover Statistics

STAFF TURNOVER RATES

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

BSC 8.4% 8.2% 7.3% 7.8% 12.9% 14.2%

DCB 15.0% 4.5% 6.7% 14.3% 16.7% 23.2%

DSU 17.3% 15.0% 19.1% 24.8% 25.2% 30.3%

LRSC 7.0% 4.5% 6.7% 17.1% 14.3% 18.5%

MaSU 7.8% 5.6% 12.6% 6.2% 21.4% 20.3%

MiSU 13.0% 16.4% 18.4% 17.3% 16.1% 14.2%

NDSCS 13.7% 7.9% 8.0% 15.3% 13.6% 12.5%

NDSU 7.3% 7.6% 10.0% 13.2% 10.6% 10.9%

UND 10.5% 9.4% 8.6% 12.6% 12.2% 12.0%

VCSU 11.8% 10.6% 7.8% 10.5% 12.1% 16.0%

WSC 7.7% 27.3% 16.0% 30.1% 37.2% 36.9%

TOTAL 10.9% 9.2% 10.4% 13.4% 13.0% 13.2%

FACULTY TURNOVER RATES

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

BSC 5.2% 5.0% 4.0% 2.4% 4.0% 4.7%

DCB 8.7% 4.0% 7.4% 12.0% 7.4% 10.3%

DSU 11.8% 9.5% 13.5% 10.1% 14.9% 15.5%

LRSC 5.1% 2.4% 11.9% 2.3% 2.2% 21.4%

MaSU 13.5% 13.2% 10.3% 10.0% 7.1% 11.6%

MiSU 4.0% 8.5% 6.6% 10.7% 9.0% 12.4%

NDSCS 9.8% 5.0% 6.9% 4.1% 5.0% 9.2%

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NDSU 11.2% 6.3% 5.3% 6.9% 13.2% 11.9%

UND 5.5% 6.9% 6.2% 9.0% 5.6% 8.3%

VCSU 3.6% 8.8% 3.1% 7.7% 6.0% 12.3%

WSC 8.6% 8.6% 13.5% 13.2% 22.2% 44.8%

TOTAL 7.8% 6.8% 6.4% 7.8% 8.8% 10.8%

The following CQS results show college employees believe planning for selecting, orienting, training, empowering

and recognizing processes have improved since 2008, but are still higher than national averages.


Processes for selecting, orienting, training, empowering, and recognizing employees are carefully planned

2008 2010 2012 2014




2008 2010 2012 2014




For five years, the College has played catch up to overwhelming inflationary forces that have impacted regional

hiring practices. Increased costs have greatly limited the avenues by which the College is able to recruit, hire and

orient new employees. Some campus wages exceed comparable positions at other state intuitions by as much as

50%. The College requested additional funding in both the special and last legislative session. Additional funding

of $2 million in the last session created flexibility within the funding model and an increase in faculty wages to

stabilize for at least the first year of the biennium.

Given the above results, the College recognizes that there is room to improve toward maturity. The results above

show that improvements can be observed, however more concise data may be better to explain such processes.


three years?

The College has been resourceful in addressing impacts related to turnover and will continue to address these

challenges. The current slowdown shows promising signs for employee retention and a possible decrease in overall

wages for the Williston area that may provide the College with a competitive pay scale. If oil activity significantly

increases again, the College will operate in a high risk and fiscally unsustainable environment.

With the establishment of the formal orientation onboarding, the College finds it necessary to understand how new

employees perceives the onboarding process. To build upon the creation of the orientation onboarding, the College

plans to implement a feedback survey for recently hired employees after a three-month period and will look to the

results to make improvements.

The 2015-17 legislative biennium must recognize previous fiscal accommodations and take into consideration the

College’s fiscal needs to continue positive growth. If this does not happen, the College anticipates a 10% reduction

in force as well as experience high employee turnover once again. Continued funding should assist in stabilizing

employee turnover. The Director for HR will work closely with Executive Cabinet to implement a variety of

professional development opportunities to enable WSC to be more visionary and less reactionary.

The TAACCCT grant funds the majority of the CTE positions and provides necessary funding to both train and

operate in this area. The College is working to sustain positions in the CTE department post-grant funding.


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High enrollment is expected Fall 2015, and with inexperienced faculty and staff, it is WSC’s top priority to train

new employees for a successful academic year. The Director for HR plans to work with supervisors to assure loss

of knowledge is limited through strong retention initiatives.

Evaluation and Recognition

3P2 Evaluation and Recognition focuses on processes that assess and recognize faculty, staff, and

administrators’ contributions to the institution. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key

processes for:

• Designing performance evaluation systems for all employees

Performance development is a positive, goal-oriented means to improve individual performance on the job and to

recognize improved performance at all levels of employment. Performance development is based on job

clarification; improved communication and understanding between management and employees; and upon the

definition and review of results for both personal, group, and organizational achievement.

In accordance with the NDUS Human Resource Policy Manual, Section 17.2, a performance evaluation is

conducted at the completion of an employee’s probationary period and each year thereafter, prior to the end of the

fiscal year. The mutual review of job responsibilities ensures supervisors continue to accurately represent the

employee's contributing role in departmental objectives and the institution's overall mission.

Exempt and non-exempt staff performance evaluations were revised in 2013–14 to more accurately measure

essential duties and key objectives for positions. The immediate supervisor discusses past performance and notes

strengths and areas for improvement, future performance expectations, and goals for the next evaluation period with

the employee. If improvement is needed, a mutually agreed upon performance improvement plan is created.

Performance improvement plans includes an outline of expected areas of improvement and a timeline to accomplish

the documented improvements. Upon determining future employee training needs, managers make every effort to

provide or request resources to provide requested training.

• Soliciting input from and communicating expectations to faculty, staff, and administrators

WSC solicits staff input concerning expectations through various methods. The College solicits input through

several Campus Quality Survey questions and monitors trend data. Feedback includes overall employee satisfaction

scores, employee empowerment and teamwork, and employee training and recognition. AQIP Committees, Faculty

Senate, and the Staff Senate conduct focus groups and surveys to provide additional data for decision makers.

The College has established several venues for sharing information and communication. The President meets with

the faculty, staff and student senate presidents once a week along with the Director for HR. Faculty, staff and

student concerns are addressed at this meeting. Once a month, employees come together for lunch. During this

time, the President updates the College community on important issues surrounding the college. After the updates,

the President opens the meeting up to questions or concerns employees may have at the College. Transparency and

open communication within the institution is important to the college community.

Input and expectations are also communicated through performance evaluations, departmental meetings and

strategic planning.

Performance Evaluations: Within the performance evaluations, supervisors solicit follow-up on suggestions for

continuous improvement of organizational processes and systems within the individual’s scope. Two-way

communication regarding position and employee specific expectations is incorporated into the annual evaluation

process. Employees are provided the opportunity for self-evaluation, and both the supervisor and employee engage

collaboratively in goals setting, based on the shared perspective on employee performance.

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Departments: Departments meet at least once a month to conduct routine departmental business. Many departments

meet once a week to bring information to employees concerning Executive Cabinet discussions. Chairs and

Directors communicate expectations and solicit feedback.

Strategic Planning: Every employee is given the opportunity to provide input on the direction of the College,

through the recent strategic planning process. Expectations for faculty, staff, and administrators are incorporated

within the plan. As a major part of the alignment with the College’s Strategic Plan, communication plays an

important role in all interactions with employees, both individually and in groups.

• Aligning the evaluation system with institutional objectives for both instructional and non-instructional

programs and services

The performance evaluation process is used as a vehicle to systematically discuss progress and to support

individual planning and goal-setting for performance and development. Mutual review of job responsibilities

ensures an accurate representation of the employee’s contributing role in departmental objectives and the

institution’s overall mission. The performance evaluation structured format provides a consistent checkpoint and

framework for discussion and alignment of individual goals to support objectives for programs and services.

• Utilizing established institutional policies and procedures to regularly evaluate all faculty, staff, and

administrators (3.C.3)

All benefited NDUS employees have an annual written and verbal performance development review that includes

evaluation of performance based upon mutually agreed upon development plans or goals. Procedures governing

faculty are consistent with requirements stated in NDUS Policy 605.1. Requirements for employees included within

the broadbanding system are stated in Section 17 of the NDUS Human Resource Policy Manual; those

requirements also apply to all other employees except faculty. (3.C.3)

• Establishing employee recognition, compensation, and benefit systems to promote retention and high

performance

Benefit packages are determined at the state level (NDUS Human Resource Policy Manual). State legislation,

SBHE guidelines, and campus policy guide salary increases. NDUS employees’ benefits include paid family health

insurance, retirement plans, vacation, employee assistance program, life insurance and sick leave. The College

provides additional benefits specific to WSC employees such as half price membership at the Area Recreational

Center, which is located on WSC’s campus. The HR Office and AQIP 3 design other benefits, specific to WSC,

through review of assessments. Both groups make recommendations for implementation in the College‘s annual

goals. Additionally, at the end of each academic year, the HR Office recognizes employee service starting at three-

year increments. At their expense, employees can select additional benefits such as dental or vision insurance.

• Promoting employee satisfaction and engagement

Administration, with guidance of Faculty and Staff senates, and direction by AQIP 3 are responsible for creating an

environment where employees are motivated to do their best on a daily basis. As a result of the economy, the

College has been addressing issues ranging from housing to wage inflation. As a formal approach, WSC

administers the Campus Quality Survey. As an informal approach, AQIP 3 conducts an employee satisfaction

survey, which has been very useful in helping supervisors understand job satisfaction in their area for the last two

years. The AQIP 3 analyzes results and develops methods of improvement, which are reviewed and incorporated

into annual goals. In part, this team led to the development of the AQIP action plan to implement a quality training

initiative, develop a reward and recognition plan, and improve communication strategies.

WSC operates under NDUS procedures for personnel. Procedures address matters ranging from lobbying to a drug-

free workplace. All employees must sign a Code of Conduct at the beginning of employment and once a year

during the evaluation process. The NDUS is committed to upholding the highest ethical and professional standards.

As part of this commitment, a 24-hour fraud hotline is available to report suspected fraudulent behavior.


http://ndus.edu/makers/procedures/hr/



71

WSC designs processes to contribute to employee productivity and satisfaction, e.g., flex schedules, monthly all

staff lunch gatherings, etc. Year-end reviews provide employees an opportunity to give feedback and set goals. The

Institutional Effectiveness team reviews employee satisfaction surveys and makes recommendations to Executive

Cabinet and AQIP 3 on annual goals related to valuing employees and takes action or makes recommendations to

relevant groups.

3R2 What are the results for determining if evaluation processes assess employees’ contributions to the

institution?


The annual evaluation determines effective employee contributions. The annual evaluation is comprised of: quality

of work, productivity, innovation/change, communication and teamwork, professional development and

contributions, leadership, program/project and management. The current employee evaluation form includes an

assessment of employee performance related to major duties within the position description. Supervisors review

employee’s job-related goals and objectives to assure alignment with the College’s mission as well as strategic and

operational goals. Position descriptions are updated annually during the performance evaluation to assess

employees’ contributions to the institution that best reflect the work required by the position and the changing

needs of the institution.

Employee performance is tied to four areas: mission, strategic planning, employee performance goals and

supervisory goals. The evaluation process requires supervisors to annually evaluate employees. The Code of

Conduct and Substance Abuse Policy are reviewed during the evaluation process. Employees must sign the separate

documents apart from the evaluation to ensure an understanding of WSC’s policies. The College tied the annual

legislative increases to performance for the first time in 2014. The Director for HR tracks all employee annual

evaluations to ensure that all benefitted employees participate in the process.

The College reviews the Campus Quality Survey, which uses gap analysis to analyze perceptions, assists the

College in understanding how or if the evaluation assess employees’ contributions to the institution.


The following CQS results show employees believe their suggestions are used to improve the College, that job

responsibilities are communicated clearly and that employees are encouraged to provide suggestions and have

showed improvement since 2008. Employee perceptions did not improve during the most recent CQS

administration, but have improved gradually since 2008. High turnover has rendered year-to-year comparison

difficult. As new employees participate in the survey, results are bound to be different and not easily comparable.


Employee suggestions are used to improve our institution

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.606 4.438 4.482 4.519

How it is now 2.727 3.125 3.386 3.195



How it should be 4.697 4.625 4.578 4.584

How it is now 2.667 3.125 3.157 2.961


Employees are encouraged to provide suggestions on ways to improve the work flow

How it should be 4.606 4.563 4.402 4.539

How it is now 2.667 3.042 3.268 3.053





72


The following CQS national benchmarks results show varying employees perceptions regarding assessment of

employee’s contributions through the evaluation process since 2008. Employee perceptions did not improve during

the most recent CQS administration, but have improved gradually since 2008.


Employee suggestions are used to improve our institution

2008 2010 2012 2014






Employees are encouraged to provide suggestions on ways to improve the work flow




The College understands that a form of measurement, evaluation and analysis are needed to assess employee

contributions to the institution. As stated earlier, the evaluation process was improved last year to demonstrate if an

employee is exceptional in their job or unsatisfactory. The Director for HR has received positive feedback with the

new and improved annual evaluation process.

Williston State College’s mission, "Where the People Make the Difference” is aligned within the evaluation process

where the College provides opportunities to its employees to engage in every aspect of College operations.

Although the above performance gaps are not what the college would like to see, the College continues to listen and

encourage employees to provide suggestions on ways to improve the work flow as well as communicate clear

expectations. The College believes past turnover rates have dictated the above gaps.


three years?

WSC has been making progress in redesigning its HR processes. For the past two years, the legislative increase has

been based on performance through the annual evaluation process. However, it recognizes that the establishment

and tracking of outcomes and measures to determine if the evaluation process assesses employees’ contributions

has yet to be accomplished.

The College has plans to track measures such as employee evaluation ratings, promotions, the number of

performance issues, and employees on performance improvement plans, and performance-based pay increases.

Development

3P3 Development focuses on processes for continually training, educating, and supporting employees to

remain current in their methods and to contribute fully and effectively throughout their careers within the

institution. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key processes for:

• Providing and supporting regular professional development for all employees (3.C.4, 5.A.4)

Multiple methods such as assessments, AQIP teams, accreditation requirements, etc. are used to determine training

needs. Individual employees, departments, supervisors, and Human Resources identify specific and campus-wide

training opportunities. Professional development opportunities are created as a result of annual employee


73

performance reviews. The performance review determines an individual's future training needs as well as necessary

resources to achieve the goals as established within the performance development plan. (5.A.4)

As per NDUS SBHE Policy 820, Faculty/Staff and Spouse & Dependent Tuition Waivers are available to benefited

employees. Employees may take up to three classes per calendar year as part of the tuition waiver program. An

employee desiring coursework must obtain initial approval for the requested release time from their immediate

supervisor or department, with final division approval. Release time for the employee taking the desired

coursework is limited to one academic class per semester. Employees and dependents are also able to take courses

at Dickinson State University with the provided tuition waivers, excluding dual credit. (5.A.4)

Annual assessment reports completed by the academic departments identify faculty professional development needs

tied to student learning. Instructional and the Information Technology Department assist faculty in incorporating

technology into the classroom. Academic programs identify training needs via assessment data, national testing

results, advisory committee input, and accreditation reviews. (3.C.4)

WSC provides resources to staff for professional development. The Office of HR manages resources allocated to

faculty and staff for professional development. Faculty and Staff Senate, with support from the Office of HR,

allocate professional development dollars. The WSC Foundation also provides significant opportunities for

professional development. (3.C.4)

WSC employees participate in professional development activities. Annually, WSC employees take part in a

number of workshops and conferences held on campus and throughout the state. For example, the faculty, who are

members of the ND Community College Consortium, participate in professional development workshops focused

on student learning. The faculty members participate in an annual professional development conference, which

focuses on teaching and learning in career and technical fields. (3.C.4)

• Ensuring that instructors are current in instructional content in their disciplines and pedagogical processes

(3.C.4)

The HLC faculty hiring standards state that those teaching in undergraduate programs should hold a degree at least

one level above that of the program in which they are teaching. The College follows these guidelines as well as

supports continuing education of the faculty. (3.C.4)

The College has set aside funding for faculty for professional development opportunities, which is a high priority

for faculty at the college to stay current in the college’s faculty expertise. Funding is provided for the faculty to

attend professional conferences, workshops, as well as continue their education in their field of study.

Two years ago, the College developed a program in which faculty members are able to further their education by

signing an additional contract to remain committed to the college three years upon completion. WSC provides

funds for the tuition associated with the degree being sought. Five employees are currently taking advantage of this

opportunity. (3.C.4)

• Supporting student support staff members to increase their skills and knowledge in their areas of expertise

(e.g. advising, financial aid, etc.) (3.C.6)

Many employees in the student support area are new. WSC works with the NDUS to provide training to support

staff in the areas identified above. For example, the University of North Dakota financial aid team provides

financial aid assistance and retired NDUS staff have consulted on campus in many areas. Often, WSC employees

train with their NDUS counterpart. (3.C.6)

Partnering with the NDUS has benefited not only the staff, but also the students who utilize the student support

services. As students are the primary focus, the college has and will continue to be proactive in providing the tools

necessary to accommodate and train staff in these areas. (3.C.6)


http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Human%20Resources/Tuition%20Waiver.pdf


74

• Aligning employee professional development activities with institutional objectives

With support from the Office of HR, Faculty and Staff Senate award professional development. Funding is

allocated for applicants representing both the senates. Professional Development Guidelines dictate that the

professional development awards must fit the College mission, provide direct benefit to the institution, pertain to

area of employment as well as improve performance and/or knowledge base.

Employees must complete a Professional Development Grant Application, which is an abstract of the proposed

activity. Supervisors must endorse the funding opportunity. Faculty and Staff Senates approve or deny

applications. History at WSC has shown that those employee who have applied, are awarded the dollars to develop

their professional development opportunities.

All applicants are approved for at least a portion of the requested professional development funding, if not all.

Professional development is a priority and the College is committed to employee growth that aligns with

institutional objectives.

3R3 What are the results for determining if employees are assisted and supported in their professional

development?


Professional Development Grant Applications are housed within the Office of HR. Working with both Faculty and

Staff Senate Presidents, the Director for HR ensures a fair distribution of the funds associated with professional

development. If funding is still available at the end of the fiscal year, the Director for HR provides opportunities to

assist employees in the areas of leadership, management, etc.

The College reviews the Campus Quality Survey (CQS), which is as instrument that uses gap analysis to analyze

perceptions, assists the College in understanding how or if employees are assisted and supported in their

professional development.


The Office of HR has $30,000 per fiscal year to award for professional development. All grant applications to date

have been approved for funding, which shows the College’s commitment to employee professional development.

The following CQS results show varying employees perceptions regarding professional development since 2008.

The results have driven the Director for HR to make improvements in these areas.


Prof. development training programs are available to assist employees in improving their job performance

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.576 4.625 4.583 4.566

How it is now 3.727 3.479 3.726 3.408


Employees receive special trainings in improving customer service

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.485 4.429 4.376 4.410

How it is now 2.667 2.837 2.741 2.577


Employees are rewarded for outstanding job performance

How it should be 4.636 4.563 4.412 4.355

How it is now 2.182 2.438 2.800 2.737


http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Forms/StaffProDevGuidlines.pdf

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Forms/Staff%20Grant%20Application.pdf


75


The following CQS results using national benchmarks show varying employees perceptions regarding professional

development since 2008. The College aspires to maintain or exceed national benchmarks.


Prof. development training programs are available to assist employees in improving their job performance

2008 2010 2012 2014



Employees receive special trainings in improving customer service

2008 2010 2012 2014



Employees are rewarded for outstanding job performance




Attracting and retaining qualified faculty and staff has been an increasing concern, and remaining staff have found

it necessary to take on additional duties. The challenge to fill positions continues. The labor shortage created by the

oil boom offers job seekers a wide choice of job and career opportunities.

Administrators understand that the institution cannot be successful without high quality and committed faculty and

staff. Efforts are ongoing to secure, support and retain a qualified and committed work force, including the

thoughtful selection of qualified employees, providing professional development opportunities, making progress on

reducing the gap with private industry salaries, and by rewarding employees utilizing the rewards and recognition

program as described.


three years?

The Director for HR is currently in the beginning stages of researching a new and improved Professional

Development procedure. The applications to request professional development dollars have been used for several

years. Updates to the application process will incorporate how the professional development can benefit the campus

and other constituents. The College is looking to maximize return on funds invested in employees. Both the Faculty

and Staff Senate Presidents have agreed to invest time in this vital procedure for the College. An updated process

would provide benefits to not only institution, but employees as well. Anticipated updates should be ready for

implementation by fall 2015.


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AQIP Category Four: Planning and Leading

Planning and Leading focuses on how the institution achieves its mission and lives its vision through

direction setting, goal development, strategic actions, threat mitigation, and capitalizing on opportunities.

Introduction

After five years of planning and the completion of three Master Plans over the same period, the College literally

transformed itself. The College’s adherence to its mission, vision, values and planning, as well as a focus on

internal and external constituents, were the driving factors. The College’s Strategic and Master Plans represent the

first step of developing, maintaining, and communicating the College’s mission, vision, and values. While local

school districts were caught off guard with the enrollment surge, Williston State had five years, a sense of urgency,

and leadership strongly behind a solid institutional effectiveness model to realign both plans.

Resource development through the Legislative process, the annual Foundation budget, and federal grants allowed

the College to bridge the fiscal gap. For the first time in the College’s fifty-year history, legislative advocacy,

foundation advocacy, and Federal grant advocacy provided funding for the College to address its mission, vision

and values.

The College added 47,000 square feet of new student housing and renovated almost 10,000 square feet of existing

student housing. To recruit and retain employees, the College partnered with the Foundation to add two new 74-unit

apartment buildings, which now house college employees as well as essential city, county and state workers.

The College ranked for the first time in the top 20 of the nation’s community colleges. 34,000 square feet were

renovated in Stevens Hall. A 10,000 square foot science addition was added to meet the needs of transfer students

that make up over 60% of the College’s student body. The College redeveloped both the back and the front of the

campus to accommodate additional parking as well as create a university setting.

Workforce training added 29,000 square feet to train over 16,000 people from 381 businesses in the last fiscal year.

New programs like the Crane Certification Program directly addressed industry needs related to energy

development.

Given significant turnover related to oil impact, the College did remarkably well in employee perception related to

leadership. Employees benefited from the ability to quickly ascend into leadership. With the current downturn in oil

prices, turnover has slowed and the College has positioned itself with the University of North Dakota to create

shared services in financial aid and finance. Additional community conversations will identify further ways for the

partnership to respond to the region’s higher education needs.

The highest wages combined with the lowest unemployment in the state over a five-year period have resulted in a

high degree of turnover (40% in 2014) robbing the College of its historic knowledge, weakening the college as a

result of an inexperienced workforce, and crippling the College’s ability to assume normal operations. Through

intensive planning, follow-up and good stewardship, Williston State prepared itself to be the state’s fastest growing

College in the highest cost region of the country - “Where the People Make the Difference”.

Mission and Vision

4P1 Mission and Vision focuses on how the institution develops, communicates, and reviews its mission and

vision. Describe the processes for developing, communicating, and reviewing the institution’s mission, vision,

and values and who is involved in those processes. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key

processes for:

• Developing, deploying, and reviewing the institution’s mission, vision, and values (1.A.1, 1.D.2, 1.D.3)

Williston State’s mission, vision, and values integrate and compliment the North Dakota University Systems


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mission, vision and goals. (1.A.1)

NDUS Mission: “To enhance the quality of life for all those we serve and the economic and social vitality of North

Dakota through the discovery, sharing and application of knowledge."

Williston State Mission: "Williston State College, "Where the People Make the Difference", is an open admission

learned-center, comprehensive community college of the North Dakota University System providing academic

transfer and occupational education, workforce training, and cultural activities to residents of North Dakota, the

Upper Plains, and beyond. Williston State is committed to providing educational opportunities that are accessible,

affordable, life changing, and life-long.”

NDUS Vision: "Leading the nation in educational attainment through access, innovation and excellence."

Williston State Vision: "We are committed to student excellence. We embrace quality student experiences, open

communication, and actionable data that enrich personal relationships among our college, faculty, community, and

students. We believe that people make the difference; that the college is the heart of the communities we serve; that

our facilities are a needed, neutral, and central community space; and that our faculty and staff serve multiple and

diverse needs in a global environment. We strive for a strong student presence on-campus, expanded offerings,

fiscal sustainability, modern facilities, current technologies, and continuous improvement as a result of both our

master and strategic plans."

NDUS Values: “Core Values - To be reflected in how the Board and all personnel of the University System carry

out responsibilities on a daily basis: High integrity; Open, honest, forthright and mutually respectful in discussion

and actions; Trustworthy; Accountable; Cooperative valued partner with other state agencies and entities;

Responsible stewards of state investment in the University System; Scholarship and the pursuit of excellence in the

discovery, sharing, and application of knowledge; Support and embrace diversity.”

Williston State Values: "Truthfulness, Empowerment, Inspiration, Personal and Professional Growth,

Relationships, Vision, Achievement, and Success."

Williston State College's leaders are committed to the institution working to achieve it mission, striving to achieve

its vision, and overseeing adherence to its stated values. Institutional Effectiveness, the College’s primary advocate

in overseeing the development, communication and review of the College’s mission, vision, and values, takes pride

of placing them in the priorities of the College. Institutional Effectiveness understands and effectively advances the

College’s mission, vision, and values. (1.A.1)

WSC revises mission, vision, and values as a part of annual strategic planning and does so via three primary

planning processes: 1. North Dakota University System strategic plan; 2. Williston State’s Strategic Plan (every

year); and 3: Master Plan (every five years). Internal and external groups review these plans. Internal groups

include but are not limited to Executive Cabinet, Institutional Effectiveness, AQIP Teams, Division Leadership

Teams, Faculty Senate, and Staff Senate. External Groups include but are not limited to the Chancellor, State Board

for Higher Education, ad hoc advisory groups, and advisory groups. The mission and goals are the result of a

thorough and comprehensive planning process that involves the entire community. (1.D.3)

North Dakota University System Strategic Plan: The NDUS Strategic Plan focuses on the expectations and

recommendations of the Roundtable on Higher Education. The overall goal is to create a university system that

meets the rapidly changing needs and opportunities of students and the State, is entrepreneurial in its thinking and

action, and responsibly takes risks as well as expecting and accepting failure. (1.D.2)

Strategic Plan: The Strategic Plan outlines the College performance targets for the next one to five years. The

College’s Strategic Plan is a living document shared and updated annually through the College’s annual planning

process. The College’s Annual Plan as well as the College’s Action Projects includes targets for annual

performance. For example, one of the College’s Action Projects addresses employee morale. The overall measure

for improvement will be the increase in staff perception related to the ten largest performance gaps in the Campus







http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Institutional-Effectiveness.html




http://ndus.edu/board/strategic-plan/

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Institutional-Effectiveness/Instituitional-Effectiveness/Documents/Planning-Documents/Strategic-Plan.html

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/President/2010%20Master%20Plan.pdf

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Governance/WSC-Management.html


http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Institutional%20Effectiveness/AQIP%20Team%20Membership.pdf

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Governance/WSC-Management/Faculty-Senate.html

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Student-Services-Division/Staff-Senate.html




78

Quality Survey. Projects in the Annual Plan, another example, include completion of three major capital projects.

The capital projects are the result of the master planning process.

Master Plan: The development of the Master Plan is an ongoing process. A team made up of internal and external

community members review, compile, and compare data collected through a comprehensive assessment of the

college’s existing facilities. The College’s internal community and community stakeholders submit

recommendations for minor and major projects. The recommendations ensure priorities support the college’s

mission, goals, and objectives. The process of developing this plan examines the college’s mission statement,

external environment, and students’ needs. It identifies the College's immediate to long-term facility needs based on

its vision of the future, external environment, and student requirements.

• Ensuring that institutional actions reflect a commitment to its values

Before 2012, the College had neither identified nor communicated institutional values. During the preparation of

the 2012 strategic plan, groups representing the various constituencies of the College community met to identify

and articulate what core values exist at Williston State today. Their deliberations resulted in the following eight

values that WSC acknowledges today. The order no way reflects order of importance. There was a fairly broad

consensus that the identified values were most typically associated with the College’s mission. The values have

become the most recognizable tool in evaluating the authentic nature of the College’s mission.

Multiple points throughout the year provide opportunities for employees, departments and divisions to ensure

actions reflect the values of the College. In the winter, all employees participate in the annual strategic planning

event. Mission, vision, and values are reviewed. Annual goals are created. In the spring, annual performance

evaluations require a review of the College’s mission, vision and goals.

Various departmental activities reflect commitment to institutional values. For example, development of Program

Outcome Guides (POGS) and Course Outcome Guides (COGS) used for curricular planning take institutional

values into consideration. Truthfulness and relationship values are evident in the College Composition I, II and

Introduction to Professional Writing COGS. All three COGS require avoiding academic dishonesty and require

proof of collaborative document creation and consideration of audiences. TrainND directly serves the personal and

professional growth, success, and achievement values by providing workforce training opportunities to those

wishing to diversify and grow workforce skills. The Student Success Center’s work directly serves the success and

achievement values. For example, the Writing Lab provides assistance to help students develop, maintain, and

expand skills and techniques necessary for writing success. An example of how Student Life strives to achieve the

value of empowerment is through student government processes. Student Senate has input and voting control over

student related issues, such as voting to approve student fees.

• Communicating the mission, vision, and values (1.B.1, 1.B.2, 1.B.3)

The mission is articulated publicly. The institution clearly articulates its mission through one or more public

documents, such as statements of purpose, vision, values, goals, plans, or institutional priorities. The mission

document or documents are current and explain the extent of the institution’s emphasis on the various aspects of its

mission, such as instruction, scholarship, research, application of research, creative works, clinical service, public

service, economic development, and religious or cultural purpose. (1.B.1, 1.B.2, 1.B.3)

The Institution, starting with the President, and the executive leadership, have committed to the process of ensuring

the mission, vision, and value statements are communicated through visible communication channels of the

Institution. The College uses a variety of processes to communicate the mission, vision, and values internally and

externally. The motto, “Where the People Make the Difference,” reflects institutional mission and is continually

communicated through the day-to-day work of the College. Internally, the mission is the focus of the fall and spring

in-services. (1.B. 1, 1.B.3)

Communication venues related to the mission, vision, and values receive very positive comments on employee

surveys. The Marketing Department regularly reinforces the College’s motto in print material and advertising

http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/President/2010%20Master%20Plan.pdf




79

media. Frequent external media coverage through a variety of regional outlets (TV, newspaper, radio, etc.) informs

the community about the WSC motto. Publication in the College’s catalog ensures that mission and vision are more

broadly communicated in both scope and nature to the College’s intended constituents.

• Ensuring that academic programs and services are consistent with the institution’s mission (1.A.2)

Both NDUS and Williston State ensure the NDUS system mission and the College missions are consistent with the

College’s academic programs and services. New academic programs must be approved at both the university

system level and the college level. NDUS campuses are required to announce their intent for any new programs. A

one-page summary must include the relationship of the proposal to the campus mission. NDUS procedure 403.1 has

a complete description of the process. Internally the College process builds upon the NDUS procedure while also

requiring various development and approval stages. Finally, one-third of existing programs are reviewed annually

to ensure that programs remain mission centric. (1.A.2)

In regard to academic and student support services, mission alignment is connected to the annual strategic planning

process and the annual budget process. The strategic planning process evaluates new services in relationship to the

mission. As academic and student support services are adopted through the strategic plan, support services

requiring fiscal resources are prioritized and implemented via the college budget process.

• Allocating resources to advance the institution’s mission and vision, while upholding the institution’s values

(1.D.1, 1.A.3)

Over the past several years, the College has undertaken a comprehensive redesign of core institutional processes

which it plans, assesses institutional effectiveness, and allocates resources towards continuous improvement. To

ensure the involvement and broaden the participation of faculty, staff, and students in this key process, the AQIP

Teams established a standing committee (made of AQIP Chairs) on budget and resource allocation. Unfortunately,

the dollars available to the College provide only basic support and do not place the College in a position to

adequately address its mission, vision and values. (1.A.3)

Resource development through the Legislative process, the annual Foundation budget, and federal grants has

allowed the College to bridge the fiscal gap. For the first time in the College’s fifty-year history, legislative

advocacy, foundation advocacy, and Federal grant advocacy has provided funding for the College to address its

mission, vision and values.

Legislature: The state’s biennium budget process creates huge demands on the College’s leadership. A system’s

and College approach is developed each year to request state funds to meet the College’s mission, vision, and

values. Capital projects and institutional requests are prioritized and moved through the Governor’s budget,

legislative support, and the Governor’s final signature. During the last biennium, the College developed a strong

case and received a 20% increase in operational funding and over 16 million dollars in capital projects. (1.D.1)

Foundation: The Foundation is a critical resource in allowing the College to fund priorities related to mission,

vision, and values. Annual requests are both vetted through Executive Cabinet or the strategic planning process and

presented to the Foundation. In the past five years, all requests have been approved, e.g., million dollar in

scholarships, funding for new boiler, capital improvement to the College’s front drive, etc.

Federal Grants: The College cannot rely on state lobbying efforts alone to address significant fiscal restraints

related to teaching and learning. A Title III grant and two TACCT grants have allowed the College to address

critical mission, vision and values directly related to teaching and learning. Without a grant writer, the College has

both partnered with larger Colleges as well as hired consultants to submit, on behalf of the College, for significantly

funded federal grants.

4R1 What are the results for developing, communicating, and reviewing the institution’s mission, vision, and

values?




80

• Outcomes/measures tracked and tools utilized (e.g. brand studies, focus groups, community forums/studies,

and employee satisfaction surveys)

To review the overall employee perception of the college and specifically perception of the mission, the College

reviews the Campus Quality Survey (CQS), which is an instrument that uses gap analysis as the foundation to

analyze perceptions. A recent web site survey was used to gather insight and feedback on both general information

about the College and information about the communication of the College’s mission.


The CQS results in Figure 4-1 document improvement in the familiarity of the mission, purpose and values of

College employees showing that WSC’s results are moving closer to national norms for other two-year schools.

The recent College website survey results (Figure 4-2) below informed the College that most of the 44 respondents

feel the website reflects the commitment to the mission, vision and values of the College well. This is one way that

the College has solicited internal and external opinions regarding the mission.

Figure 4-2: Williston State College Website Survey

Do you feel the website reflects a commitment to mission, vision and values of the college?

Answer Response %

Yes 36 82%

No 8 18%

Total 44 100%

Development and Review of Mission, Vision, and Values

The mission was developed in 2002, redrafted in 2012, and was approval in 2015. The vision and values were

developed in 2012.

Previous Mission Statement: “Williston State College, ‘Where the People Make the Difference’ is an open

admission learner-centered, comprehensive community college of the North Dakota University System providing

academic transfer and occupational education, work force training, and cultural activities to residents of North

Dakota, the Upper Plains, and beyond. Williston State is committed to providing educational opportunities that are

accessible, affordable, life changing, and life-long.”

2015 SBHE Approved Mission Statement: “The mission of Williston State College, ‘Where the People Make the

Difference,’ is to provide accessible, affordable, life changing, and life-long educational pathways to residents of

North Dakota, the Upper Plains, and beyond.”

Communication of Mission, Vision, and Values

The mission, vision, and values are posted on the College website and appear in the catalog. The motto portion of

the mission appears in recruiting, marketing, and instructional materials. It is articulated during campus visit days,

during new student orientation, in recruitment materials sent to students and their families. Mission, vision, and,

values themes also are embedded in communications to external stakeholders via the Teton Thunder, the College’s


The mission, purpose and values of this institution are familiar to employees

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.636 4.511 4.619 4.558

How it is now 3.333 3.404 3.774 3.727

WSC Performance Gap 1.303 1.106 .845 .831

National Two Year College Performance Gap .704 .699 .686 .677




http://www.wscfoundation.com/publications/teton-thunder/


81

quarterly publication. Finally, with the completion of the renovation of Stevens Hall, the mission now plays a

significant part of the College’s front entrance.

The College targets 100% of employee annual reviews to include review of the mission, vision, and values. The

College identifies annual goals tied to mission, vision, and values through the College’s annual strategic planning

retreat.

Employee’s Annual Performance Evaluation: In 2014, Williston State utilized a new employee evaluation form

modeled after Bismarck State College. As part of the employee evaluation, all employees were required to review

the College’s mission, vision, and values. Both employee and supervisor subsequently sign evaluations.

Annual Strategic Plan: Internal benchmarks are used to evaluate alignment of mission-driven initiatives against

annual budget allocations and are used to track progress on key priorities. Annual goals are created as a result of

mission, vision, and values.


WSC's Strategic Plan represents the first step of the process developing, maintaining, and communicating the

College’s mission, vision, and values. Over the past year, the institution’s mission, vision, and goals were found to

be in alignment with the University Systems new mission, vision, and values. Continuous quality improvement and

refinement methods are employed to ensure the goals, vision, and mission of the College are met. This process is

dynamic, ever changing and evolving. The process and results for developing, reviewing, and communicating the

College goals has been fully integrated into the College’s culture.

Significantly, regardless of turnover and hyperinflation, adherence and commitment to a strong process of

institutional effectiveness made a significant difference in the College meeting its mission. Bound by the mission,

vision, and values, Williston State successfully prepared itself to be the fastest growing College in the state in the

highest cost region of the country.


three years?

Building and sustaining the Research & Records Office is a critical first step in maintaining and understanding the

impact of the College’s mission, vision, and values. Changes to the marketing office will allow the College to

develop tools to more fully analyze the impact of the College’s mission, vision, and values.

Institutional Effectiveness: The President directed institutional effectiveness during the last systems portfolio. In

2012, the responsibility for institutional effectiveness was placed under the College’s Registrar. With Title III

funding, a full-time Research Assistant position was added to Institutional Effectiveness in 2013. The position will

be fully institutionalized by 2015.

Marketing Office: In 2014, the College reorganized the marketing department. The Director for Creative Services

heads the new marketing department. The Director for Creative Services is already beginning to capture data

related to community (internal and external) understanding and buy-in of the College’s mission, vision, and values.

After 2016, the College will possess multiple years of data to track mission, vision, and value impact at Williston

State College.

Strategic Planning

4P2 Strategic Planning focuses on how the institution achieves its mission and vision. Describe the processes

for communicating, planning, implementing, and reviewing the institution’s plans and who is involved in

those processes. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key processes for:



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• Engaging internal and external stakeholders in strategic planning (5.C.3)

The strategic planning process purposefully engages internal and external stakeholders to participate, review and

approve the state and College strategic plans as well as the Master Plan. Internal groups include but are not limited

to the Chancellor, State Board for Higher Education, Executive Cabinet, Institutional Effectiveness, AQIP Teams,

Division Leadership Teams, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Student Government, divisions, and departments.

Community representatives from K-12, four-year institutions, business sectors, business-related organizations,

municipal government, higher-education coordinating bodies, strategic partners and state government participate

and are engaged at College’s annual Strategic planning event. Environmental scanning by Institutional

Effectiveness systematically collects and assesses relevant information to understand the environment in which the

College currently exists and expects to exist in the future. The College gathers information about the external

world, as well as itself, to inform this process. The College crafts its strategies and plans based on the analysis of

this information. (5.C.3)

• Aligning operations with the institution’s mission, vision, values (5.C.2)

Internal groups, via the AQIP Teams, gather internal and external feedback on progress toward the annual goals to

create the Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan process details measures, criteria, targets, actions steps, start dates, end

dates, responsible persons, key stakeholders, important considerations, and budget implications for each component

of the Strategic Plan. The plan contains information that allows the College to document progress toward

implementing its institutional mission and goals. Importantly, the College’s Strategic Plan process highlights

budgeting implications as a key component in its planning and evaluation cycle.

The Institutional Effectiveness (IE) Team uses a shared language of performance to interpret assessments to align

strategic directions to mission, vision, and values that result in annual goals. IE’s goal is to transform the strategic

plan and the accreditation portfolio (static documents) into living documents updated on annual basis through

participation in AQIP’s six categories. To accomplish this goal, the IE team has four processes: 1. Every AQIP

team is aligned to an AQIP category, a State Goal, and an annual goal; 2. For each AQIP category, an AQIP team

annually reviews and identifies both the plan and the progress of its respective strategic direction; 3. Each IE

member serves as a resident expert on one of the strategic directions; 4. The chair of each strategic direction

committee serves as a member of the Budget Committee. The Institutional Effectiveness Governance and

Continuous Improvement Process is visualized below.

Figure 4-3

AQIP 1: Helping Students Learn is the College’s primary vehicle for linking instructional effectiveness to

institutional effectiveness. AQIP 1 represents instructional cabinet and creates the linkage between instructional


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assessment and overall strategic planning efforts. (5.C.2)

• Aligning efforts across departments, divisions, and colleges for optimum effectiveness and efficiency (5.B.3)

Williston State is committed to shared governance. The expansion of both executive cabinet and institutional

effectiveness underscores the College’s effort to provide a larger framework for aligning departments, divisions,

and colleges. To represent leadership at a grassroots level, the President’s Cabinet was created in 2012. In 2013, the

President of student government was added to President’s Cabinet. The coordination and alignment of planning

processes is both a top-down and bottom-up process. The expansion of institutional effectiveness underscores the

College’s effort to provide a larger framework for the new level of communication to have feedback loops that

avoid duplication, thus resulting in a wiser use of resources, and that work more closely under the College’s

mission and goals. The Institutional Effectiveness Team acts as the knowledge experts for the College. (5.B.3)

Executive Cabinet, President’s Cabinet and Institutional Effectiveness ensure communication, cooperation,

feedback, and improvement across departments and divisions on multiple levels. Like the US governance system, it

could be said that Williston State maintains four levels of governance: 1. Executive, represented by the college

President; 2. Upper Legislative, represented by the Executive Cabinet; 3. Lower Legislative, represented by the

president of Faculty Senate, the president of Staff Senate (President’s Cabinet), the president of student government

and the College president; and Judiciary, represented by Institutional Effectiveness.

1. President: In accordance with State Board Policy 305.1.3: “Presidents have the authority to work with the

Chancellor to develop, shape, and sustain the vision and mission of their institution within the context of the

overall university system and to manage their institution on a day-to-day operational basis.”

2. Executive Cabinet: Executive Cabinet ensures alignment with State Board for Higher Education vision, leads

implementation of College mission, vision, and values across departments and divisions. Membership on

Executive Cabinet are the President, Provost/Vice President for Instruction, Vice President for College

Advancement, CEO of TraiND, Small Business Development Center Director, Chief Financial Officer,

Director for Creative Services, Registrar/Director for Effectiveness, Director for Human Resources, Executive

Director for Student Services, and Director for Information Technology.

3. President’s Cabinet: President’s Cabinet supports communication between the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate,

Student Government, and Executive Cabinet. Membership on President's Cabinet consists of the President,

Faculty Senate President, Staff Senate President, Student Senate President, and the Director for Human

Resources.

a. Faculty Senate: The Faculty Senate meets monthly from August to May and exercises all the powers of the

Faculty Council subject to the limitations the Faculty Council may impose.

b. Staff Senate: The Staff Senate provides open meetings to express, propose, represent, and debate issues. The

Staff Senate, acting as an official and responsible voice in College governance, recommends action on issues

which receive majority approval of the senators.

4. Institutional Effectiveness (IE): Institutional effectiveness centers around five major initiatives: 1. Align

multiple college processes to one continuous systems approach; 2. Adopt strategic plan; 3. Develop Annual

Plan; 4. Modify IE plan; and 5. Develop resource allocation tied to assessment. The Institutional Effectiveness

Team provides oversight to the six AQIP Teams. Annually, team members and community leaders collaborate

to generate and test ideas for ways to accomplish desired results, to identify data needed to support decision-

making, to evaluate action options, to create goals, and to identify budget implications of those plans. The

Budget Team, consisting of the chairs of the AQIP Teams, reviews budget implications across all strategic

directions and develop recommendations regarding division and department priorities, resource use, and

funding options to the Executive Cabinet.

Institution, division, and department policies are now vetted through Executive Cabinet (top-down) and President’s

Cabinet (grassroots). Subsequent recommendations are brought forward to the President for final approval.

Williston State is vested in the active involvement of all departments and divisions in the governance of the

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Institutional-Effectiveness/Instituitional-Effectiveness/Institutional-Effectiveness-Team.html



http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Governance/WSC-Management/Faculty-Senate.html

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Student-Services-Division/Staff-Senate.html


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Institution through a participative process of shared governance. The President affirms this belief by supporting the

right of faculty, staff, administrators, and students to express ideas and opinions with respectful consideration

through the President’s Cabinet. Division and department goals are supported and reinforced through a process that

is both top-down and grassroots.

• Capitalizing on opportunities and institutional strengths and countering the impact of institutional

weaknesses and potential threats (5.C.4, 5.C.5)

Two environmental scans and the College’s annual audit provide a sound understanding of the College’s current

capacity. Internally, the Trend Enrollment Reports and the Institutional Scorecard anticipate a possible impact in

the institution’s sources of revenue, enrollment, the economy, and State support. Externally, the NDUS Strategic

Plan anticipates possible impact related to both enrollment and the economy. The College’s annual audit provides

guidance on College fiscal operations as well as the College’s fiscal capacity. (5.C.4)

The strategic planning process reviews annually emerging factors, such as technology and demographic shifts that

may impact the College. AQIP Teams identify emerging factors through the institutional effectiveness process. The

divisions have oversight responsibility for developing steps in the process, establishing measures and performance

targets. Divisions base measures and performance targets on resource availability, benchmarks, economic and

demographic trends, State and National mandates, and historical trends. As accomplishments are made, WSC

updates targets on an annual basis through progress reports submitted by divisions, feedback from the AQIP

Category Teams, SBHE expectations, legislative accountability measures, environmental scanning, economic

impact research, and projected enrollments. (5.C.5)

• Creating and implementing strategies and action plans that maximize current resources and meet future

needs (5.C.1, 5.C.4)

The strategic planning process culminates in the establishment of broad, strategic, long-term outcomes. Annual

goals drive operational strategies for both divisions and departments. This continuity ensures focus on areas that

most likely help accomplish those critical goals, which help the College attain its mission. College assessment

practices and resource allocation processes integrate the University System goals, College Strategic Plan goals, and

operational strategies. Resources are then allocated focused on helping the College meet its mission.

The College allocates resources in alignment with its mission and priorities. As a result of the environmental scans,

AQIP chairs, representing the College’s Budget Team, review and modify appropriate budgets to capitalize on

strengths and address weaknesses. The CFO acts as chair. When financial forecasts predict revenue shortfalls, the

Budget Team works with responsible AQIP teams to solicit ideas to address the campus shortfall. Staff and Faculty

Senate provide additional recommendations to the Executive Cabinet. When financial forecasts predict availability

of additional resources, the Budget Team is used to generate ideas for additional expenditures to advance the

College’s mission and goals. The State Board holds the College accountable in achieving outcomes aligned to the

University System’s goals. (5.C.1, 5.C.4)

4R2 What are the results for communicating, planning, implementing, and reviewing the institution’s

operational plans?

• Outcomes/measures tracked and tools utilized (e.g. achievement of goals and/or satisfaction with process)

Institutional Effectiveness utilizes multiple state and college-level assessments. The primary results are found in the

President’s Annual Evaluation, Campus Quality Survey (CQS), Annual Plan, and IPEDS Feedback Report.

President’s Evaluation: At the state level, the Chancellor evaluates the College President’s ability to accomplish the

College -identified goals. Per SBHE Policy 604.1.2, “Each President shall prepare for Chancellor review and

approval an annual goals statement identifying a focused set of goals the President hopes to attain during the

coming year, including implementation strategies and timelines, in support of the Board strategic direction.”


http://www.ndus.nodak.edu/board/strategic-plan/

http://www.ndus.nodak.edu/board/strategic-plan/

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Campus Quality Survey: The Campus Quality Survey (CQS) is a unique instrument that uses the basic structure,

format, and criteria of the Annual Presidential Award for Quality. Each survey item relates to one of eight quality

elements, and the data provides more specific information about certain aspects of the college and its effectiveness

in comparison to other colleges. Conducted biennially, this survey contains four categories the College uses to

measure effectiveness: 1. Strategic Quality Planning; 2. Quality/Productivity Improvement Results; 3. Quality

Assurance; 4. Measurement and Analysis.

Annual Goals: The Strategic Plan outlines the College performance targets for the next one to five years. The

College’s Annual Goals, as well as the College’s Action Projects includes targets for annual performance.

Trend Enrollment Reports: Trend enrollment reports provide year-to-year analysis of enrollment trends. Enrollment

data is used to both monitor existing enrollment as well as to project future enrollment. A more intensive planning,

results and improvement document provides information related directly to student success.


President’s Annual Evaluation: According to the President’s last three evaluations (Figure 4-4), WSC not only met

its goals but demonstrated significant improvement in an overwhelming environment.

Year Figure 4-4: President’s Evaluation

2012 “The impact due to the vast expansion of oil and gas development… Implications of such have had a

direct impact on every aspect of the college and its mission… The outcomes of your work and objective

met are consistent with the SBHE Strategic Plan.”

2013 “Ray, I know that this past year has been difficult for you and your senior staff. Nonetheless, I want you

to know how much I have admired your tenacity and your dedication to the needs of the campus… In

many ways you have become somewhat of an icon of the campus’s success, showing a positive attitude

despite trying times, always moving the campus forward against difficult impediments.”

2014 “You have been incredibly resourceful in meeting the workforce needs of a booming sector or our

state… Your responsiveness to workforce and educational needs in northwest North Dakota, while

trying to balance your own workforce needs internal to your organization is a tribute to your

resourcefulness, creativity, and dogged work ethic.”

Campus Quality Survey: AQIP Team 6 Leading and Planning identified Top Management/Leadership, Customer

Focus, and Effective Lines of Communication as critical data points (Figure 4-5). The gap between employees’

perceptions of how it is and how it should be has decreased for the most part with some improvement setbacks in

the most recent year. The current results, however show improvement in comparison with results from both six and

four years ago.


Top Management/Leadership (Main Survey Category)

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.644 4.584 4.529 4.525

How it is now 2.845 3.315 3.470 3.428


Customer Focus (Main Survey Category)

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.590 4.506 4.472 4.451

How it is now 3.417 3.397 3.585 3.446


There are effective lines of communication between departments

2008 2010 2012 2014

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Institutional-Effectiveness/Instituitional-Effectiveness/Documents/Results-Documents/Campus-Quality-Survey.html

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Institutional-Effectiveness/Instituitional-Effectiveness/Documents/Planning-Documents/Annual-Goals.html



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How it should be 4.697 4.688 4.500 4.539

How it is now 2.303 2.188 2.952 2.539


Strategic Plan: Williston State has updated the 2015-2016 Strategic Plan. For Leading and Planning, the annual

plan includes four broad goals. Each goal has an accompaniment of strategies that are serving as the guidelines for

the development of operational plan activities in and across the various units of the College.

1. Charrette takes place concerning a new Performing Arts center, fundraising put into place.

2. Allied Health Center legislative appropriations are sought.

3. Explore TrainND credit options for Williams County graduates.

4. College will strive to accommodate increased student demands. Executive cabinet shall monitors student

enrollment and completion; provide recommendations in relation to student success. Monitor class sizes, teacher-to-

student ratio, etc.

Trend Enrollment Report

Spring 2015 resulted in record enrollment for the College. Enrollment trend reports provide a weekly snapshot of

headcount and credit hour enrollment numbers providing pertinent information to student services, financial, and

academic planning. An example is found in Figure 4-6.

Figure 4-6


The President’s annual evaluation and Campus Quality Survey provide comparisons for both internal targets and

external benchmarks.

President’s Annual Evaluation: The President’s annual evaluation is used to measure the performance of both the

College and the President. Evaluations are also used to identify performance pay increases for the State’s eleven

Presidents. In the past three years, the President’s evaluation has earned the highest recommended increases of the

eleven Presidents.

Campus Quality Survey: In the categories of Strategic Quality Planning, Top Management Leadership Support,

Customer Focus, and Measurement and Analysis, the College’s 2014 performance gap closely resembles national

trends of all 2-year colleges. Each performance gap has decreased for the most part with some setbacks in the most

recent year. The current results again show improvement in comparison with results from both six and four years

ago.


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2008 2010 2012 2014


Two-Year National Performance Gap 1.210 1.180 1.170 1.150

Customer Focus (Main Survey Category)

2008 2010 2012 2014


Two-Year National Performance Gap 1.010 .990 .980 .980

There are effective lines of communication between departments

2008 2010 2012 2014




Highest private sector wages in the state combined with the lowest unemployment in the state over a four-year

period has resulted in a high degree of turnover. The College has lost significant historic knowledge. As a result of

an inexperienced workforce, a large number of college operations have been crippled through a lack of knowledge

as well as available mentors.

Figure 4-8: Williston State College Employee Turnover

09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15

Overall Turnover 36.20% 29.50% 43.30% 33.00% 39.00% 36.00%

Yet, the College continues a commitment to shared governance as well as a comprehensive strategic planning

process. As identified in the summary page, multiple additional results indicate the College has largely been

successful despite the challenges created by turnover. Staying the course within institutional effectiveness and

staying true to the strategic planning processes continue to bear good results despite significant operational

challenges.


three years?

Two significant efforts need to be made related to the College’s strategic planning process. The first initiative is the

State’s new performance funding model. The second initiative is tying institutional effectiveness to instructional

effectiveness.

State’s Performance Funding Model: North Dakota recently moved to a performance-funding model. State funding

has moved from students enrolled to students completing. With a slowing economy, the College also predicts a

sharp increase in Fall 2015 enrollment. The college must begin to realign enrollment and institutional effectiveness

goals to both completion and retention.

Instructional Effectiveness: The College has made significant progress in institutional effectiveness. Institutional

effectiveness has coordinated an instructional effectiveness component though AQIP Team One, Helping Students

Learn. The College still has to put in place a plan to clearly tie instructional effectiveness within the institutional

effectiveness loop.

Leadership

4P3 Leadership focuses on governance and leadership of the institution. Describe the processes for ensuring

sound and effective leadership of the institution and who is involved in those processes. This includes, but is

not limited to, descriptions of key processes for:


88

• Establishing appropriate board-institutional relationships to support leadership and governance (2.C.4)

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) is the policy-setting and advocacy body for the North

Dakota University System (NDUS) and the governing body for North Dakota's 11 publicly-supported colleges and

universities. Appointed by the Governor, the SBHE is made up of seven citizen members appointed to four-year

terms and one student to serve a one-year term. The Council of College Faculties selects the Board's non-voting

faculty advisor, and the NDUS Staff Senate selects the Board's non-voting staff advisor. (2.C.4)

Chapter 15-10 of the North Dakota Century Code sets forth the statutory powers of the Board. The SBHE has

authority over the institutions under its control with the right to prescribe, limit or modify the programs offered at

the several institutions. In furtherance of its powers, the Board may delegate to its employees details of the

administration of the institutions under its control. The Board has authority to organize or reorganize, within

constitutional and statutory limitations, the work of each institution under its control, and to do everything

necessary and proper for efficient and economical administration. (2.C.4)

Figure 4-9: NDUS Policy 100.6 Authority and Responsibility of the State Board

State

Board

“Further, the Board "shall have full authority over the institutions under its control" and "full

authority to organize or reorganize within constitutional and statutory limitations, the work of each

institution under its control, and do each and everything necessary and proper for the efficient and

economic administration of said State educational institutions."

Mission &

Vision

“In fulfilling its Mission and Vision, the Board will govern the institutions in the NDUS in

accordance with the North Dakota Constitution and State statutes and will be guided by the Belief

Statements and Core Values adopted by the Board.”

Chancellor “The Chancellor is the chief executive officer of the Board and NDUS and exercises such powers as

are necessary for Board and NDUS governance and functions.”

President “A President is the chief executive officer of the institution and a member of the Chancellor's

executive staff. The Presidents report to and are responsible to the Chancellor. The Presidents are

the chief executive officers of their respective institution. This designation includes the right and

responsibility to manage the institution within the overall policies and directives issued by the

Chancellor and Board.”

• Establishing oversight responsibilities and policies of the governing board (2.C.3, 5.B.1, 5.B.2)

As stated, the SBHE is charged with oversight of the NDUS. Within the 11-institution system, the Board must

consider the diverse needs of two research institutions, four regional universities, and five community colleges. The

Board must also consider diverse demographics and a changing economic climate. While the Board is charged as

the caretakers of the University System, the ND Legislature determines the funding levels of the University System.

Institutions submit operational budgets and facility maintenance needs, as well as proposals for new building and

expansion. Priorities are set by the SBHE with input from institutions. Ultimately, the State Legislature determines

the level of State funding to be awarded.

The SBHE rotates meeting sites, visiting all campuses. This gives Board members the opportunity to gather

additional information from each campus site. In an effort to broaden the transparency of the Board meetings,

meetings are streamed online so that constituents may listen to/view the proceedings. Examples of System-wide

initiatives, considered and implementable by the Board, include the University System Strategic Plan, Pathways to

Student Success and the System’s Funding Formula (Figure 4-10).

http://www.ndus.edu/board/

http://www.ndus.edu/system/

http://www.ndus.edu/system/

http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t15c10.pdf?20150318113602


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Figure 4-10: The governing board preserves its independence from undue influence on the part of donors,

elected officials, ownership interests, or other external parties when such influence would not be in the best

interest of the institution (2.C.3)

NDUS Policy 308.1 Officer and Employee Code of Conduct

1.

Introduction

and

Application

“The Board has established its Beliefs and Core Values in SBHE Policy 100.5 and in SBHE

Policy 100.6, the Board sets forth Authority and Responsibility of the Board, including its

Guiding Principles. SBHE Policies 100.5 and 100.6 establish a foundation or framework for

Board action and conduct of its members and NDUS officers and employees; this Code of

Conduct reinforces and supplements those policies.”

3. Conflicts

of Interest

“Board members, officers and employees may not unlawfully use their position or the

knowledge gained as a result of their position for private or personal advantage.”

The institution’s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support

collaborative processes that enable the institution to fulfill its mission. (5.B.1)

NDUS Policy 100.6 Authority and Responsibility of the State Board of Higher Education

3. Leadership

and Mission

“The Board will provide the leadership and governing environment necessary to maximize

the opportunities for the NDUS colleges and universities to be successful in fulfilling their

individual missions and enhancing the economic and social vitality of North Dakota.”

The institution has and employs policies and procedures to engage its internal constituencies—including its

governing board, administration, faculty, staff, and students—in the institution’s governance. (5.B.2)

NDUS Policy 100.6 Authority and Responsibility of the State Board of Higher Education

1. State

Board

“Recognizing the legitimacy and importance of such protection and believing each

institution properly retains substantial responsibility for its own affairs, the Board and the

system honor the integrity of each institution and its people.”

5. Chancellor

and

Presidents

“In addition to a strong Board and Chancellor, achieving the advantages and purposes of a

multi-institution NDUS require the energies, leadership, and talent of equally strong

Presidents who are dedicated to the mission and goals of their respective institution. While

the principal role of the Board and Chancellor lie in policy, overall direction, and planning,

the leadership demanded of the

NDUS Policy 302.1 Governance and Organization

1. Academic

and Student

Affairs

“The Board establishes an Academic and Student Affairs Committee with responsibility for

reviewing and recommending full board action, studies and reports related to academic and

student matters, as well as strategic planning and workforce development…”

• Maintaining board oversight, while delegating management responsibilities to administrators, and

academic matters to faculty (2.C.4)

The State Board’s Policy on Authority and Responsibilities, NDUS Policy 305.1, clearly identifies the process by

which the Board delegates to the Chancellor and the Presidents the executive responsibility for administering Board

policies as well as executing administrative actions of the Board. The President is responsible for choosing the

means through which these responsibilities are met. The President delegates these powers and duties to the

College’s Executive Cabinet, President’s Cabinet, and Institutional Effectiveness. The President is ultimately

responsible to the Board for the execution of delegated powers and duties (2.C.4).

• Ensuring open communication between and among all colleges, divisions, and departments

Processes for open communication take place at both the University System and the College. At the university

systems level, communication occurs through multiple committees and boards. The Academic and Student Affairs

Committee, Audit Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, Councils, Student Financial Program Advisory

Board, Faculty and Staff Advisors are specifically identified in NDUS Policy Section 302.

At the College level, communication occurs through the Institutional Effectiveness cycle. Key communication

junctures occur at Executive Cabinet, President’s Cabinet and through the various divisions. Executive Cabinet

allows communication to occur top-down and down-up. President’s Cabinet is a grass roots communication

approach and ensures a check and balance for communication occurring or not occurring via the Executive Cabinet.




90

Organizationally, the College provides communication at both the division and department levels. Finally, the

President holds regular all-campus meetings. All questions and comments are welcomed at these informal

meetings.

• Collaborating across all units to ensure the maintenance of high academic standards (5.B.3)

The institution enables the involvement of its administration, faculty, staff, and students in setting academic

requirements, policy, and processes through effective structures for contribution and collaborative effort.

Multiple teams work collaboratively to guide, establish and maintain College requirements, policy and processes.

At the North Dakota University System (NDUS) level, described earlier, the Academic and Student Affairs

Committee, the Audit Committee, the Budget and Finance Committee, various councils, and the Student Financial

Assistance Program Advisory Board ensures colleges work collaboratively to meet the individual institution's

respective mission and goals. At the College level, various cabinets, councils, divisions, and committees have

responsibility for the College’s academic requirements, policies, and procedures. (5.B.3)

Figure 4-11: University System Standing Councils and Committees

Council/Committee Charter

Academic and

Student Affairs

NDUS Policy 302.1.1: “The SBHE establishes an Academic and Student Affairs

Committee with responsibility for reviewing and recommending full board action,

studies and reports related to academic and student matters, as well as strategic

planning and workforce development.”

Audit Committee NDUS Policy 302.2.1: “To assist the SBHE in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities

for the financial reporting process, the system of internal control, the audit process, and

the NDUS’s process for monitoring compliance with laws, policies, regulations and the

code of conduct.”

Budget and Finance

Committee

NDUS Policy 302.3.1: “The SBHE Budget and Finance Committee is established to

ensure the NDUS’s fiscal stability and long-term economic health.”

Council of College

Faculties (CCF)

The CCF provides a structure through which NDUS faculty may identify and share

interests in teaching, research and service. CCF communicates with the SBHE

regarding issues of consensus as well as matters of concern.

Staff Senate The NDUS Staff Senate serves to represent staff employees from the eleven academic

institutions throughout the university system. The Senate identifies staff interests and

issues; acts as a forum for the discussion of staff-related matters; and facilitates

communication on behalf of the campus staff members with the NDUS Chancellor and

the State Board of Higher Education.

Student Affairs

Council

The Student Affairs Council provides guidance and leadership on student affairs issues

throughout the NDUS.

Administrative

Affairs Council

The Administrative Affairs Council advises the chancellor and campus Presidents on

administrative, budget and related financial matters.

Chief Information

Officer’s Council

The CIO Council advises the SBHE, chancellor and campus Presidents on key strategic

information technology initiatives, priorities, policies and procedures. The council

makes recommendations on information technologies, including electronic

communications networks and systems, computing systems, administrative information

systems, academic information systems and other information technology activities,

and evaluates alignment of resources with those recommendations.

Human Resource

Council

The Human Resource Council advises the chancellor, campus Presidents and

University System councils on human resource issues. The council also manages the

University System's broadbanded staff classification system.

Public Affairs

Council

The Public Affairs Council ensures the delivery of consistent messages to key

stakeholders of higher education in North Dakota.

Student Financial

Assistance Program

Advisory Board

NDUS Policy 302.6.1: Pursuant to N.D.C.C. & 15-62.2-03, there is established a

student financial assistance program advisory board.






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Figure 4-12: Williston State Cabinets, Councils, Divisions, and Committees

Council/Committee Charter

Executive Cabinet Directs the strategic priorities of the College. Team includes both division leaders and

direct reports to the president.

President’s Cabinet Ensures campus wide leadership, collaboration and communication.

Faculty Senate Ensures academic standards.

Provost’s Cabinet Provides overall institutional academic leadership.

Staff Senate Represents staff building a better college community through shared governance.

AQIP Teams Serve as principal drivers of the College’s institutional effectiveness efforts.

Budget Team Led by the CFO and made up of the AQIP Chairs, the Budget Team serves in an

advisory capacity and provides input and guidance in the development of the College's

annual operating and capital budgets

TrainND Advisory

Committee

Make recommendations concerning priorities of the workforce training region, assist in

identifying skill shortages and workforce training needs, provide input for preparation of

the business plan, provide connections between institutions and business, labor and

industry associations, provide fund-raising support, when necessary, to achieve the goals

set forth in the business plan for the workforce training region, assist the College and

Technical Education Council with the development of performance measurements for

workforce training, serve as an advocate for workforce training, assist with preparation

or review of annual workforce training reports

Curriculum

Committee

Responsible for monitoring and approving proposed curriculum changes as to how they

meet the needs of the mission of Williston State College. Voting members include a

faculty representative from each academic department. Non-voting members provide

input and share information with their departments in regard to the Curriculum

meetings.

Diversity

Committee

Responsible for the promotion of cultural diversity and awareness in the classroom,

campus, and community. The committee is responsible for many cultural activities.

The NDUS and College representative bodies provide effective structures for policy and process collaboration.

Through a streamlined and integrated approach between the NDUS and the College, internal constituencies have

input and make decisions to administrative policies and procedures that impact College operations.

• Providing effective leadership to all institutional stakeholders (2.C.1, 2.C.2)

An HLC Accreditation Advisory Team visited the NDUS in April, 2013. The Advisory Team emphasized the

importance of autonomy of the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) to accreditation. The Advisory Team was

concerned that undue influence could be exerted by the Legislature. The report also acknowledged that there had

been tension between the SBHE and the Legislature, which they said was not unique to North Dakota. The team

recommended that the Legislature and SBHE think about the State's considerable assets in its higher education

system - especially faculty, staff, students, facilities - and redouble their efforts to work together.

Shortly after the Advisory Team visit, the University System completed a system strategic plan and a system master

plan. In regard to the strategic plan, an extensive input phase offered guidance for the conversation on July 31,

2014, when the SBHE, the institutions’ Presidents, and senior NDUS staff gathered to consider stakeholder input

and formulate the University System’s new strategic plan. Both the University System’s strategic planning process

and master planning process provided an internal and an external scan of the College’s constituency interests and

needs. The College’s fiscal needs related to the internal and external university environmental scans were

incorporated into the University System fiscal budget. (2.C.1, 2.C.2)

At the College, shared governance, the Mission, the Strategic Plan, and the Master Plan has been the major tools for

involving all stakeholders. Each process ensures participation by both internal and external stakeholders.


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• Developing leaders at all levels within the institution

Leadership is encouraged at multiple levels. Three processes are key to developing leaders: Succession Planning,

Professional Development, and Institution Effectiveness.

Succession Planning: The Department of Human Resources oversees the College’s succession planning. Divisions

are required to have succession plans on file in the Human Resources Office. In the past several years, the human

resources office has used succession plans to fill vacated positions. Hiring and retaining talent has also been

strengthened by communication of the College’s efforts in succession planning efforts to potential job candidates.

Succession plans are on file in the Human Resources Office.

Professional Development: Professional development opportunities must be part of an employee's performance

evaluation. Professional development opportunities must also align to College goals. Both the College and the

Foundation provide significant professional development opportunities. The Foundation provides professional

development support for leadership opportunities identified by either the Faculty Senate or the Staff Senate. The

College provides professional development opportunities through the Human Resources Office.

Institutional Effectiveness: Through Institutional Effectiveness, the College is attempting to build a central

institutional knowledge base, which resides in the Institutional Effectiveness Team. Members are trained through

regional and national workshops in performance management and accreditation standards. The role of each IE

member is to inform and guide his/her respective committees. The IE Committee meets on regular basis to share

best practices and communicate gaps in AQIP Teams’ knowledge and skills.

• Ensuring the institution’s ability to act in accordance with its mission and vision (2.C.3)

Institutional Effectiveness is the key process by which the College ensures the realization of mission and vision.

The strategic planning process is the primary driver to Institutional Effectiveness’ mission and vision efforts. The

master planning process is the secondary driver to Institutional Effectiveness’ mission and vision efforts.

Three key vehicles are critical to the process of communicating the College’s mission and vision efforts: Executive

Cabinet, President’s Cabinet, and the AQIP Teams. Executive Cabinet utilizes an up-down approach. President’s

Cabinet utilizes a grassroots approach. The AQIP Teams provide the accountability measures for communicating

the College’s mission and vision efforts.

Finally, State Board of Higher Education Policy 308.1 keeps the entire North Dakota University System (NDUS)

focused on mission and vision. Every employee signs annually a code of conduct statement committing to the

highest ethical standards in the best interests of both the NDUS and the College. (2.C.3)

4R3 What are the results for ensuring long-term effective leadership of the institution?


Performance measures used to track long-term leadership effectiveness include accreditation, internal advancement,

President’s Annual Evaluation and the Campus Quality Survey.

Accreditation: The accrediting team visited NDUS in April, 2014. The team reviewed the system’s ability to

provide leadership to the eleven state colleges.

Internal Advancement: The Human Resource Office maintains a record of the College’s division succession plan.

The HR Office also reports on positions filled as a result of succession planning. Evidence of success in leadership

development/succession planning is the high number of staff members who receive internal promotions.

President’s Evaluation: NDUS Policy 604.1 requires annual performance evaluations of the Presidents: “The

Chancellor shall evaluate the individual performance of the Presidents on an annual basis… an opportunity to




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receive comments and ideas as to possible ways in which the management and planning functions of the University

System and its constituent institutions might be improved.”

Campus Quality Survey: Data from the Campus Quality Survey provide employee perceptions on the College’s

efforts in long-term leadership development.


Accreditation: From 2004-2013, the NDUS experienced significant leadership challenges with five Chancellors

during that time period. An Interim Chancellor is in place until 2015. Legislators and the general public have called

for a greater level of accountability. Under this scrutiny, a complaint was filed with the Higher Learning

Commission dated April 3, 2013. The HLC complaint noted the Chancellor’s push to change policies to the

detriment of the NDUS, accusations of open meeting law violations of the SBHE, turmoil within NDUS leadership

resulting in dismissals/resignations of NDUS employees and resignation of SBHE members. As with any leadership

turmoil, the effects are felt within the institutions themselves.

The HLC accrediting team visited the NDUS in April, 2014 and recognized the Interim Chancellor and his staff for

creating a disciplined, systematic approach for input and inclusive dialogue while reviewing policies and

procedures, roles and responsibilities of the SBHE and staff. The team noted that the SBHE returned to an inclusive

operational style that promotes collaboration between the SBHE and individual institutions as well as among the

institutions.

Internal Advancement: In the last three years, 22 positions were filled as a result of College succession planning.

President’s Evaluation:

Year Figure 4-13: President’s Evaluation-Relevant Comments

11-12 “Success gained has been made as a result of your leadership of the college and because of the public

confidence you have gained throughout the community and region.”

12-13 “Ray, I know that this past year has been difficult for you and your senior staff. Nonetheless, I want you

to know how much I have admired your tenacity and your dedication to the needs of the campus. “

13-14 “You have, however, continued, under the most stressed conditions possible, to resolve, to invent, to

create, to accomplish.”

Campus Quality Survey:

Of the ten smallest performance gaps related to the Top Management and Leadership category on the 2014 survey,

Williston State was recognized by employees for the following areas:

1. Administrators are committed to providing quality service (.776 performance gap)

2. Administrators have trust and confidence in me. (.818 performance gap)

Of the ten largest performance gaps related to the Top Management and Leadership category on the 2014 survey,

Williston State needs to address the following areas

1. Job responsibilities are communicated clearly to employees (1.623 performance gap)


Campus Quality Survey: The College uses the Campus Quality Survey Top Management/Leadership performance

gap data as a means of comparison for both internal targets and external benchmarks. The Top

Management/Leadership category encompasses a battery of eleven questions related to top leadership. The

employee perceptions of Top Management/Leadership over the past six years documents how the college is

working to improve, stabilize and create a cultural foundation to effective, long-term leadership. The last two

assessments show the College top leadership ranking higher than other two-year institutions.



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2008 2010 2012 2014




Given the oil-impact related turnover, the College did remarkably well in employee perception related to leadership

on the Campus Quality Survey. Employees benefit from the ability to quickly ascend into leadership positions. The

reality of the leadership situation is very different than these measured results. With numerous unfilled positions,

employees with a limited knowledge and experience assume even greater responsibilities.

The best and most cost effective method of training employees is on-the-job training. Due to the high turnover rate

and inexperience of employees hired in supervisory positions, the College has not been able to train employees on-

the-job. Williston’s remote location increases the cost of training as much of it occurs away from campus. Williston

State sits isolated in the northwest corner of North Dakota. The drive from Williston to the North Dakota University

System offices is around four hours one-way. The majority of training opportunities exist in Fargo (7 hour one-way

drive) and Grand Forks (6 hour one-way drive). Training on the university proprietary system is both expensive and

remote limiting training opportunities.

Turnover has had a crippling impact on the College. Over the last three years, the College spent nearly one million

dollars in costs associated with turnover.

The costs do not end at turnover. Additional costs took place as a result of inexperience of the employees, lack of

training on a proprietary system, and mistakes made by not being able to hire or retain people in their positions.

Leadership’s ability to stay on track has clearly challenged the College as identified in Williston State’s 2013

Financial Audit: “Williston State College has experienced extreme turnover during our audit period and does not

perform regular reviews of internal controls and associated risks.”


three years?

Many improvements related to leadership are related to external factors. The current drop in oil prices has slowed

turnover at the College. For the first time in three years (November, 2014), the College experienced 0% turnover. If

oil prices continue to stay low, managers may be in a position long enough to gain the required experience and

knowledge.

The College must continue to be creative in discovering new ways to explore faculty and staff leadership

opportunities. This year, the college placed a Finance Director on the University of North Dakota campus. The

College and UND share a history of collaboration and partnership. The employee serving in this remote location

now has access to a significant knowledge base that can be shared with employees on Williston State’s Campus.

This year, Williston State again reached out to the University of North Dakota to address a financial aid staff and

leadership gap. Although there are complications to these long distance relationships, staff have benefited from the

considerable leadership skills made available at the state’s premier research university.

Figure 4-15: Cost of Employee Turnover

FY 12 FY 13 FY 14

$294,721.00 $311,329.00 $322,898.40


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Integrity

4P4 Integrity focuses on how the institution ensures legal and ethical behavior and fulfills its societal

responsibilities. Describe the processes for developing and communicating legal and ethical standards,

monitoring behavior to ensure standards are met, and who is involved in those processes. This includes, but

is not limited to, descriptions of key processes for:

• Developing and communicating standards

Values, legal and ethical standards are developed, communicated, and monitored at the State level, North Dakota

University System Level, and College Level.

Various handbooks are reviewed and updated on a regular basis, as needed. Policy and procedure development,

review, and recommendation to the President and the Board are key processes of Faculty Senate and help facilitate

the College’s commitment to shared governance.

• Training employees for legal and ethical behavior

Training employees for legal and ethical behavior occurs primarily though the College’s Human Resources (HR)

Department, performance evaluation process, and fraud training.

HR Department: The HR Department provides new employee orientations, which includes a review of North

Dakota University System (NDUS) policies related to ethics and professional behavior. The College’s HR

Department in coordination with the NDUS, provides training and legal updates on topics such as diversity,

harassment and appropriate computer use.

Performance Evaluations: Employees and their supervisors are required to review the System's Code of Conduct

policies. After the review, employees sign the Code of Conduct Statement. The Code of Conduct Statement is

placed on file in the HR Department and documented in the employee’s annual performance evaluation.

Fraud Training: It is each employee's responsibility and a basic condition of employment to safeguard and preserve

the assets and resources of the state, the university system and its institutions. SBHE Policy 611.10 further defines

the expectations under Employee Responsibility and Activities: Theft, Fraud, Waste and Abuse. Each benefited

employee is required to participate in annual fraud awareness training.

• Modeling ethical and legal behavior from the highest levels of the organization

All employees, students and affiliated entities are responsible for ethical behavior and making decisions with

consideration to our role as stewards for the state and as representatives of the College in our interactions with

internal and external entities. Ethics and legal behavior are modeled by all employees through the following

expectations: championing the values of stewardship and service to the state throughout the organization; working

Figure 4-16: Policy References to Standards

Resource Relevant Policy (Examples) Developing, Communicating Monitoring

State of North

Dakota

Fiscal Transactions and Government

Operations

State Auditor through published annual report

NDUS Enforcement of the Code of Conduct,

Training to management, employees,

students and vendors on organizational

standards of ethics and compliance

University System Legal Team, University Audit

Team, Chancellor’s Cabinet, and Human Resource

Council through policy identified on system

website and monitoring of the Fraud Hotline

Williston State

College

Academic Misconduct, Harassment,

Sexual Harassment, Intimidation, and

Abuse, Registering with Services for

Students with Disabilities

Executive Cabinet, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate,

Student Senate communicated through the Student

Handbook, Faculty Handbook, and Staff

Constitution.



96

with university leadership to implement initiatives to foster an ethical culture; communicating with the President,

management and the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education on risks, incidents and activities related to the

ethics and compliance program as appropriate.

• Ensuring the ethical practice of all employees (2.A.)

The Fraud Hotline, Fraud Training, the Code of Conduct, and the annual state audit ensure all employees model the

highest ethical and legal behavior. The general scope of audit coverage is College-wide and no function, activity, or

unit of the College is exempt from audit or review. No officer, administrator, or staff member may prohibit ethical

compliance or audit from examining any College record or interviewing any employee or student that the auditor

determines is relevant to the audit or review. (2.A.)

Additional administrative polices and department procedures define appropriate ethical standards for specific areas,

such as Financial Management. NDUS and College policy are applied to address any ethical breaches. Through the

annual performance evaluation, as well as employee professional development, ethical practice of all the College

employees is a major focus. (2.A)

• Operating financial, academic, personnel, and auxiliary functions with integrity, including following fair

and ethical policies and adhering to processes for the governing board, administration, faculty, and staff

(2.A.)

The State of North Dakota and the NDUS have departments, committees, and commissions to monitor operational

integrity. Examples of these groups and their purpose are identified in the following chart. (2.A.)

Figure 4-17: Operational Integrity Tools

Committee/Council Purpose

NDUS Audit Committee Ethics, Compliance and Audit performs assurance and

consulting activities with a goal to assist NDUS

management in effectively discharging its duties.

State Auditor and Administrative Affairs Council Fiscal Integrity Oversight

Human Resource Council, Diversity Council Employee Integrity Oversight

Chief Information Officer’s Council Information Integrity Oversight

Student Affairs Council Student Integrity Oversight

Academic Affairs Council, College Technical

Education Council

Academic Integrity Oversight

Examples of processes instituted by the NDUS and the College that insure operational integrity and ethical

behavior include but are not limited to the following:

1. WSC Credit Card Usage Policy: The policy that outlines appropriate use the College credit card.

2. General Complaint Process: In addition to the established grievance, academic misconduct and appeals

processes, the Fraud Complaint Hotline allows concerns to be shared without requiring a formal complaint.

Student Code of Conduct: The College is committed to the principle that Collegiate affairs shall be conducted in an

orderly fashion. Accordingly, WSC expects each student will abide by civil laws and college regulations.

• Making information about programs, requirements, faculty and staff, costs to students, control, and

accreditation relationships readily and clearly available to all constituents (2.B.)

College information is available at the State level, North Dakota University System level, and the College level. At

the State level, the College is subject to the open records and open meetings law. All records of the College are

open to the public unless a specific statute makes a record or part of a record confidential or exempt. Everyone has

the right to access and obtain copies of the College’s public records.

At the University level, the Public Affairs Council (PAC) ensures the delivery of consistent messages to key


97

stakeholders of higher education in North Dakota. PAC members also contribute campus information to the NDUS

website. Members include the primary public affairs contact for each of the 11 campuses, the NDSU Agriculture

Communication Director and the University System Director of Public Affairs and Marketing.

Both the NDUS and WSC provide information concerning programs, requirements, faculty and staff, and costs

through pages on their respective websites. The websites contain information related to admissions, financial aid,

registration, and academic departments and programs. As an example, with the use of a web-based NDUS Tuition

& Fee Estimator Application, parents and students can make cost comparisons among the 11 North Dakota

University System colleges and universities. Williston State Institutional Effectiveness also provides quarterly data

updates via an institutional scorecard, updated links to all process and results documents, as well as information

related to the College’s accreditation status and makes them readily available via the web. The Instructional

Division is responsible for updating accurate program information both via web and print. The Student Finance and

Financial Aid Offices are responsible for maintaining current and accurate financial information both on the web

and in print. All College departments are to comply with College, State and federal reporting requirements,

especially those of Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965. (2.B)

4R4 What are the results for ensuring institutional integrity?


Internal and external tools are utilized to measure the College’s outcomes in integrity.

External Tools: State Fiscal and Performance Audit measure the fiscal integrity of the College while State

Operational Audits assure operational integrity of the College. Fraud Hotline reports collect information pertaining

to possible integrity issues relating to College employees. The NDUS monitors the number of Fraud Hotline

complaints and the subsequent investigations.

Internal Tools: Performance Evaluations document integrity and intention of employees, while annual fraud

training promotes ethical conduct of College's employees. Williston State monitors the number of employees

completing annual fraud training as well as the number of completed employee evaluations on file. The College

monitors the number of student disciplinary issues with documentation provided by Institutional Effectiveness. The

College also monitors staff and faculty grievances with documentation in the Human Resources Office.

Finally, the Campus Quality Survey provides a number of questions to address employee perceptions on work place

integrity. The survey includes questions asking about open and ethical communication, equitable and consistent

enforcement of College policies and procedures, etc.

Below are examples of results from the State Audit (Figure 4-18) and the Campus Quality Survey (Figure 4-19).

Figure 4-18: Audit Report Finding Examples

State Financial Audit FY 2013

All significant audit adjustments we proposed for Williston State College were recorded during fiscal years

2013 (4 adjustments) and 2012 (2 adjustments) North Dakota University System audits. These adjustments can

be seen in the fiscal years 2013 and 2012 NDUS audit reports.

State Operational Audit FY 2013

The State Auditor's office identified Williston State College

• Has weak controls in place surrounding fixed assets

• Has weak controls in place surrounding the processing of payroll

• Lacked controls in certain areas relating to cash and revenue

• Has weak controls in place surrounding expenditures

• Has weak controls in place surrounding purchase card expenditures

• Has inadequate controls surrounding tuition and fee waivers

• Has inadequate controls over noncash adjustments to student accounts

• Has inadequate controls surrounding enrollment reporting

http://fees.ndus.edu/

http://fees.ndus.edu/


98


Administrators have confidence and trust in me.

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.636 4.604 4.452 4.597

How it is now 2.818 3.833 3.869 3.779

WSC Performance Gap 1.818 .771 .583 .818

Written procedures clearly define who is responsible for each operation and service.

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.697 4.500 4.506 4.610

How it is now 2.727 2.717 2.867 2.779


The institution analyzes complaints to determine appropriate remedial actions.

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.545 4.563 4.452 4.416

How it is now 2.394 3.042 3.214 3.026


The institution believes in continues quality improvement.

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.606 4.521 4.643 4.579

How it is now 3.242 3.771 4.131 3.921



The College uses the National performance gap as its target. The College’s performance gap has been consistent

with the two-year national performance gap.


Administrators have confidence and trust in me.

2008 2010 2012 2014


Two-Year National Performance Gap 856 .843 .831 .822

Written procedures clearly define who is responsible for each operation and service.

2008 2010 2012 2014



The institution analyzes complaints to determine appropriate remedial actions.

2008 2010 2012 2014



The institution believes in continues quality improvement.

2008 2010 2012 2014


Two-Year National Performance Gap .755 .744 .726s .715


The College has made significant progress in performance related to institutional integrity. In 2011, the NDUS

instituted the Fraud Hotline. The Fraud Hotline was a large step in addressing the College’s concern for addressing

complaints outside the formal chain of command. Given the large number of new employees, the renovation and

displacement of the majority of College employees, the College continues to maintain the two-year national


99

performance gap as a goal to both meet and exceed.

College turnover has provided an opportunity to address fiscal and financial aid integrity through a unique

partnership with the University of North Dakota (UND). UND and WSC’s Presidents recently signed two

agreements whereby UND provides services to WSC in Student Financial Aid and Financial Services. These

agreements represent the culmination of conversations among UND, WSC, and the NDUS to provide better service

at the WSC campus. High employee turnover, limited resources, and rapidly expanding needs in the local

community have hyper-taxed the ability of the WSC campus to maintain stable, consistent, effective operations.

While these new agreements will offer some relief to the College, the pressures across all campus operations—

including the core business of delivering credit and non-credit academic offerings—will continue.


three years?

Much work remains concerning integrity improvements, how the institution ensures legal and ethical behavior and

fulfills its societal responsibilities. The College will continually update and document policies and procedures in

user-friendly formats. Last year, the Faculty Senate Handbook was separated into two handbooks – one faculty-

related and student-one related. Faculty Senate and Instructional Cabinet recently completed an Action Project to

produce an updated Faculty handbook however, work remains to have a finalized project.

It is also the intent of UND, WSC, and NDUS to initiate conversations among the three entities about creating a

stronger relationship between UND and WSC. Conversations will include stakeholders from each institution and

the communities they do or will serve. With no preconceived conclusions, these conversations will explore:

What is the best operational environment in which WSC can be run efficiently and effectively across the entire

spectrum of its operations?

How are the educational needs of northwest North Dakota best served?

What relationship change, if any, between UND and WSC will best contribute to the State Board of Higher

Education’s new mission of “Unleashing Potential,” whereby the potential of each institution is unfettered to be

responsive to the changing milieu of northwestern North Dakota.

The NDUS has expanded the audit office. High unemployment in North Dakota has made it difficult for the NDUS

to attract qualified candidates. A search is still in process to fill the lead auditor’s position. Williston State suffers

from high turnover, most noticeably in the Finance Office. With the slowdown in the economy, turnover has

reversed and employees are gaining the necessary experience to reduce risk in finance, student service, campus

services, and instruction.


100

AQIP Category Five: Knowledge Management and Resource Stewardship Knowledge Management and

Resource Stewardship addresses management of the fiscal, physical, technological, and information

infrastructures designed to provide an environment in which learning can thrive.

Introduction

Data is a vital piece of goal-setting and campus-wide planning. The College is committed to ensuring that the

culture of data is maintained. The College is working to ensure that scheduled data reports and historical data

collection is completed in a timely manner. Establishing the Research and Records Office has improved

consistency and completion of these data tasks.

After a setback in 2015-2017 funding, Williston State has been asked to have faith by legislative leadership that the

College will continue to get necessary resource support in 2017-2019. Given the hyper inflation of the Williston

area, the College will need to plan even more carefully to budget for expenditures when the future income stream

from the state is an unknown. Unfunded mandates in the next biennium will result in the College looking to trim

nearly $300,000. Additionally, the shortfall will also have to factor salary increases, training for new staff, deferred

maintenance, increases in utilities and other operating costs. The College has also leveraged grant funding to

address high cost technical training and various inflationary factors of which $750,000 needs to be institutionalized

in the 2017-2019 biennium.

The College will benefit from enrollment growth and a 2.5% tuition increase. Without the corresponding state

share, new dollars will be used to offset instructional expenses for additional classes. Ultimately, the loss of base

funding and the resulting reduction are manageable on their own. Other factors make the next two years for

Williston State doable, but challenging and intense. As a result of the reduced budget, limited reserves,

commitment to workforce training in our area, turnover within the college, turnover in the university system office,

significant enrollment growth, hyperinflation in the Williston region, Williston State declared fiscal exigency in

Spring 2015.

Declaration of a fiscal exigency will facilitate downsizing in order to address the multiple financial challenges

facing the college. With the declaration of fiscal exigency, Williston State believes the College can move forward

in the current environment. Hopefully, the slowdown in turnover will continue unabated, increasing the institution’s

knowledge base. The College will continue its focus on assessment and customer service. Over the next two years,

the College will continue to rely strongly on the Williston State College Foundation, one of the top one hundred

two-year college foundations in the country, in order to increase higher education opportunity in northwest North

Dakota. Two of the largest projects being undertaken by the Foundation are the Williams County Graduate

Scholarship, which pays for tuition, fees and books of any Williams County graduate and a campaign for a new fine

arts performance center. As the president of Williston State recently stated: “Regardless of the circumstances,

everything is possible in Williston. Behind our greatest challenges, Williston State has been able to identify

and capitalize on our greatest opportunities. As a community, as a College, we will continue to not only react to

events, but strategically integrate our collective processes to achieve significant outcomes for our students."

Knowledge Management

5P1 Knowledge Management focuses on how data, information, and performance results are used in

decision-making processes at all levels and in all parts of the institution. Describe the processes for

knowledge management and who is involved in those processes. This includes, but is not limited to,


Selecting, organizing, analyzing, and sharing data and performance information to support planning,

process improvement, and decision-making

Selection of Data: The College selects data vital to planning, improvement, decision-making and services using

multiple student and staff assessments, program reviews, etc. Results and planning documents containing vital data

are accessible on the College’s webpage. A recent Action Project resulted in the creation of The Institutional

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Institutional-Effectiveness/Instituitional-Effectiveness/Documents/Results-Documents.html

http://www.willistonstate.edu/About-Us/Institutional-Effectiveness/Instituitional-Effectiveness/Documents/Planning-Documents.html



101

Scorecard, which is a condensed document of vital institutional data. It was created to assist the organization by

continually monitoring the progress of measures vital to achieving strategic plan related goals as well as improving

institutional processes and practices across all campus operations. Measures are purposefully chosen by individual

AQIP category teams and reviewed by the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) Team. Developing measures engages

faculty, staff, and administration in a proactive approach that provides institutional-wide input for strategic

initiatives. The IE Advisor and AQIP teams members in cooperation with the office of Research and Record review

The Institutional Scorecard on a quarterly basis to assure that scorecard data is up to date and provides the most

relevant key data points. Institutional departments, individuals or groups may select and request customized reports

or specific data. Customized data requests are met through the office of Research and Record and are prepared on

an as-need basis or scheduled and delivered.

Organizing Data: The office of Research and Record is responsible for the organization and reporting of data.

Because data is housed in various formats, for example Campus Connection, federal reporting tools, etc., the

College has organized vital data on the website in two categories: planning documents and results documents.

Within the office of Research & Record, the Research Assistant is responsible for maintaining and organizing raw

data and data reports. The Research Assistant also is responsible for organizing the data in presentable, user-

friendly formats for campus personnel and for data reporting on the College website.

Analyzing of Data: Executive Cabinet, Institutional Effectiveness, and AQIP teams analyze reports generated from

Campus Connection, Institutional Scorecard Data and other results data to understand and manage the College’s

progress toward its performance goals. Maintaining a high level of participation throughout the campus is integral

to the institution’s planning and effectiveness efforts. The IE Team meets regularly to analyze results data, AQIP

advisors meet regularly with their teams to disseminate and analyze data. The Annual Strategic Planning Event is a

formal setting where results documents including The Institutional Scorecard are analyzed by each respective AQIP

group for goal-setting and strategic planning purposes.

Sharing of Data: In 2010, a new website and content management system was created. The content management

system allows multiple users to collect, store and access data online. All Statewide and College results are placed in

an online results section. All College planning and assessment information is posted to the College website. Certain

departments or committees share information online, like agendas and minutes, as well.

All employees are assigned to an AQIP Team. Because teams are cross functional and have representation from

each division, communication of data is facilitated between AQIP Teams, Executive Cabinet, and the various

divisions, programs and services. The Research Assistant posts results and planning documents online.

Transparency and readily available data are important when sharing data. Outcomes, assessments, results, and

actions taken by any divisions that impact instructional and non-instructional programs are posted.

The Research Assistant is charged with sharing data with specific departments. For example, each term the

Research Assistant prepares the Semester Profile which is a summary of enrollment information following census

reporting. This profile is posted to the College website and also shared with College personnel. The Research

Assistant also compiles results of campus surveys and other results documents to personnel on an as-needed basis.

Results are posted to the results and planning documents areas on the College website. The Research Assistant also

shares user-friendly reports to departments and personnel who may request data on a scheduled basis that may

assist in vital decision-making for that particular department.

Determining data, information, and performance results that units and departments need to plan and

manage effectively

A Research Assistant was hired in 2013 to enhance institutional research and data. The Research Assistant

provides, analyzes and reviews data reports. This new position has resulted in timely data and user-friendly reports

that ease the process of selecting and analyzing College planning data. Based on results provided from the Office

of Research and Record, Executive Cabinet, AQIP Teams, and other College personnel analyze and determine what

information is suitable for performance trending that better assists with the planning and management of the

College. AQIP Teams are comprised of the following positions: an representative from Executive Cabinet, called a








https://cts.ndus.edu/sits-departments/connectnd/










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Cabinet Sponsor; an advisor, the IE representative for the AQIP Team, a budget advisor, the AQIP Team Chair and

the AQIP team members. These individuals work to select and analyze data that is needed to plan and manage

effectively.

Making data, information, and performance results readily and reliably available to the units and

departments that depend upon this information for operational effectiveness, planning, and improvements

The College strives to provide timely data. The Office of Research & Record ensures that survey results and other

data is reliable and accessible to departments. Results and data are posted to the College website. Data is typically

updated on a quarterly basis or when available to the Research Assistant. Departments may also request

customized data reports for their department needs though the Data Request Form. The Research Assistant

completes data requests, which may also be scheduled on a recurring basis. Scheduled reports are organized on the

Research Report Calendar and distributed to the department when available.

Ensuring the timeliness, accuracy, reliability, and security of the institution’s knowledge management

system(s) and related processes

Secure access to the NDUS ConnectND data management system is of great importance. Employees requesting

access, complete FERPA training to gain password protected access to ConnectND data. Campus Access Control

Officers grant and monitor faculty and staff access and change requests. This guarantees security and

confidentiality of data.

ConnectND data is refreshed nightly for reporting based off of live data. Notification of any updating errors is

communicated by the NDUS office. Historical reports can also be generated from this system from 2004 to date.

ConnectND reports provide error output reports that can be reviewed and updated for report accuracy. The

Research Assistant and Registrar are tasked with verifying error reports and crosschecking information before it is

analyzed or reported. Several internal processes exist to assure data correction and updating.

Other checks and balances exist to assure reliability and accuracy of data. For example, The Office of Research &

Record commonly uses data trending and comparison strategies to assure data reliability. Cross-divisional review of

data ensures knowledge experts are consulted and the Research Calendar assures exact data is used to replicate

future data needs. The NDUS Accountability list-serv is also a community of institutional research personnel that

provides a platform to share and review practices related to accuracy and reliability. Quarterly reports allow for

staff review and feedback regarding the accuracy and reliability of the College’s movement toward its annual goals.

The website provides users direct access and control of information related to their areas. The Institutional

Effectiveness process ensures timely, accurate, and reliable information.

The Research Assistant ensures timely data processing and accurate presentation to College personnel and the

community. The Research Assistant is responsible for scheduling and sharing data that is requested on a routine

basis. Prior to sharing the data, the Research Assistant ensures data accuracy and FERPA compliance. Data may

include program/campus enrollment, historical trending data, or other releasable requested information.

Figure 5-1: Data Integrity Measures

Outcomes/Measures Tools Utilized

Timeliness Reports prepared according to Research Calendar,

or Data Request form

Campus Connection, internal reporting

Reliability Data Validation Audit reports, functional user cross-

checking and trend data verification

Accuracy Data Validation Output Report verification, functional user

cross-checking and trend data verification

5R1 What are the results for determining how data, information, and performance results are used in

decision-making processes at all levels and in all parts of the institution?




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• Outcomes/measures tracked and tools utilized (including software platforms and/or contracted services)

WSC uses various tools such as surveys, Campus Connection reporting, federal reporting statistics, program

reviews, service ticketing systems etc. to gather data to use for decision-making processes. WSC identifies

outcomes and measures of institutional performance in relation and respect to AQIP categories, strategic plan

initiatives and other improvement initiatives. Student perception data, employee perception data, enrollment

statistics, financial data, ticket response times, etc. are types of data used for decision-making processes. Data can

be used at the federal and state level for policy analysis and development, at the institutional level for

benchmarking, peer analysis and process improvement, or by outside constituents.

Figure 5-2: Formal Tools Used

Measurement Tool Information Gathered Cycle

CCSSE Student Engagement Every 2 Years

Campus Quality Survey (CQS) Employee Perceptions Every 2 Years

Graduation Opinion Poll (Internal Survey) Student Perceptions Annually

Institutional Scorecard (Internal Document) Institutional Performance Indicators Quarterly

Enrollment Management (Internal Document) Enrollment Performances Quarterly

2015 Student Affordability Report Cost of Attendance Performances Annually

2013-2014 Annual Enrollment Report Enrollment Performances/Comparisons Annually

Programs Offered-Programs Completed Academic Program Performances Annually

NDUS Annual Financial Report Financial Performance/Comparisons Annually

As systematic processes are developed and revised, assessment tools are incorporated into those processes. For

example, the Institutional Scorecard quarterly review process by the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) team allows

communication amongst all AQIP teams to review and update the Institutional Scorecard data. Feedback is

intended to provide information on future data needs of the Institutional Scorecard and informs IE about the

effectiveness and usefulness of the data. Additionally, the Research and Records department staff collect feedback

on the use of data through meetings to develop new reports and analysis, as well as monitor the types of data

requested through its data request forms or in response to regular reports.


The College recently added the Institutional Scorecard to the College’s planning documents. The Institutional

Scorecard assists the College in continually monitoring the progress of measures vital to achieving strategic plan

related goals as well as improving institutional processes and practices across all campus operations.

To review employee perception of results measures, the College reviews the Campus Quality Survey (CQS), which

is a perception instrument that uses gap analysis to measure the difference between perceptions of how something is

and how it should be. The four of the five CQS results below document improvement over time. The question “this

institution analyzes all relevant data before making decisions” has experienced a steady decrease, identifying a

clear point of opportunity.


It is easy to get information at this institution

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.485 4.467 4.593 4.667

How it is now 3.364 3.267 3.221 3.192

Performance Gap 1.121 1.200 1.372 1.474

This institution uses state and national data to compare its performance with that of other institutions

How it should be 4.531 4.396 4.148 4.289

How it is now 3.969 3.625 3.691 3.553

Performance Gap .563 .771 .457 .737

This institution continually evaluates and upgrades its process for collecting data





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How it should be 4.531 4.063 4.350 4.351

How it is now 3.594 3.188 3.488 3.364

Performance Gap .938 .875 .863 .987

Student Survey results are published and posted regularly

How it should be 4.333 4.133 4.265 4.182

How it is now 3.576 2.867 3.325 2.922

Performance Gap 1.032 1.267 .940 1.260

This institution analyzes all relevant data before making decisions

How it should be 4.667 4.500 4.500 4.429

How it is now 2.848 2.875 3.220 3.130

Performance Gap 1.818 1.625 1.280 1.113


The four of the five CQS results chosen to document employee perception of results measures document

improvement and have grown to be very consistent with national trends over the past six years. The question “this

institution analyzes all relevant data before making decisions” has experience a steady decrease, furthering its

results from those of the national norm, again identifying a clear point of opportunity.

Figure 5-4: Williston State College Campus Quality Survey-National Norms Comparison

It is easy to get information at this institution

2008 2010 2012 2014



This institution uses state and national data to compare its performance with that of other institutions

WSC Performance Gap .563 .771 .457 .737

National Performance Gap .764 .738 .724 .711

This institution continually evaluates and upgrades its process for collecting data

WSC Performance Gap .938 .875 .863 .987

National Performance Gap .918 .896 .887 .879

Student Survey results are published and posted regularly

WSC Performance Gap 1.032 1.267 .940 1.260


This institution analyzes all relevant data before making decisions



The college uses many state reports for benchmarking and comparison within the NDUS.

2015 Student Affordability Report

The NDUS Student Affordability report is a summary of the cost of attendance for NDUS institutions. The report

compares tuition, mandatory fees, room and board rates as well as campus net prices and regional averages. The

report is also compiled with a historical overview of total estimated student costs and Federal funding information.

On page 10, net prices for all NDUS institutions are compiled. In recent years, the College’s net price has

increased. It has still remained one of the more affordable campuses to attend. Report data also shows tuition and

fee changes as well as how all NDUS institutions rank as far as their household income and borrowed loan

amounts.

2013-2014 Annual Enrollment Report

The NDUS Annual Enrollment Report is a single, system-wide, unduplicated student count by combining degree

credit, non-degree credit, and non-credit enrollments for an academic year. Page 5 of the 2013-2014 annual report

displays breakdowns for degree credit delivery modes. The College ranks second or third to last amongst system

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peers in almost all categories. Williston State College is working to boost overall enrollment in all modalities,

especially through scholarship opportunities.

NDUS Programs Offered Programs Completed - 2012 - 2013

This report provides information on degree and certificate programs offered and student program completions for

fiscal year 2012-13 within the NDUS. Pages 89-90 show the College’s completion numbers by program for the

academic year. Reviewing and comparing other campuses’ degree programs and completions can aid in

determining need for new or updated programs.


Based on the collection of surveys and the results above, the College personnel are more satisfied with the use of

data, but still perceive that improvements can be made when using various sources of data for decisions. The

College has been performing close to Campus Quality Survey national averages. Inconsistencies in how data is

utilized on campus show the need for stabilization within the use of data and research. Reviewing data coupled with

perception results allows the College to focus on areas of opportunity in order to aid the College in its success.

Comparison with other NDUS institutions shows that Williston State College is positively ranked regarding

affordability, but can make substantial improvements in regard to overall enrollment, program completion and

financial health in comparison with state peers.


three years?

With the hiring of the Research Assistant, the primary improvement goals of the College concerning data informed

decision making and quality improvement processes will be to:

1. Create a schedule of data that will assist with trending and timely communication of results.

2. Use data to set goals at all levels of the College, engaging staff at all levels.

3. Continue to monitor and update in-progress documents to ensure data is consistently updated.

Data is a vital piece of goal-setting and campus-wide planning. The College is committed to ensuring that the

culture of data is maintained. The College is working to ensure that scheduled data reports and historical data

collection is completed in a timely manner. Establishing the Research and Records Office has improved

consistency and completion of these data tasks. The Research Assistant will create a data collection schedule to

better inform College personnel of results data. Data requests are being tracked and monitored using the Data

Request Form for record purposes as well as documentation purposes for future requests.

Improved data tracking, analysis and communication will assist College personnel and the community with

interpreting data for planning and goal-setting purposes. Trend data is continuously collected and reviewed to assist

divisions, departments, committees, etc. with goal setting. For example, the Institutional Scorecard is anticipating

extensive improvements and updates after its first year of use.

Resource Management

5P2 Resource Management focuses on how the resource base of an institution supports and improves its

educational programs and operations. Describe the processes for managing resources and who is involved in

those processes. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key processes for:

• Maintaining fiscal, physical, and technological infrastructures sufficient to support operations (5.A.1)

The College receives state appropriations biannually. The College has received one-time funding and oil-impact

related funding in response to extraordinary issues and inflationary factors resulting from the regional economic

climate. Additional capital funding has also been received to support infrastructure and deferred maintenance

needs. Tuition and fees are collected from student enrollment. (5.A.1)

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Additional funding sources have been available through state and federal grant opportunities, such as Title III and

TAACCTT grants. The College benefits from the WSC Foundation, which provides scholarship and one-time

initiative support. The foundation's net worth is above average for an institution of this size. (5.A.1)

The Finance Department is the central accounting office responsible for: accounts payable, accounts receivable,

budgeting, general ledger, banking, asset management, long-term debt, taxes, coordinating external audits, financial

reporting and other finance-related duties. The budget process aligns resource distribution to strategic planning and

institutional priorities that emphasize educational programming. Budget managers review current actual to

budgeted amounts, project actual amounts through the end of the current year and submit proposed budgets for

future years. This information is saved and shared for all budget managers to access. (5.A.1)

Accounting services within the Finance Department provide information to assist management in allocation and use

of resources; enable management and others to evaluate financial operations; and comply with generally accepted

accounting principles (GAAP). As an educational institution, the further objective is to provide a service that meets

educational and social needs and to ensure that institutional resources are used to provide services that serve the

College’s mission. (5.A.1)

All NDUS institutions use a standardized chart of accounts and fund ranges. These fund ranges and accounts are

used in creation of system-wide reports and financial statements. Consistency across all campuses is crucial to

presentation of accurate financial information and for comparative reporting between the campuses. (5.A.1)

The Facilities Department is responsible for providing students, faculty, staff and visitors with a healthy

environment that is conducive to the living, working and learning process. The department oversees campus

renovation, repair and capital projects, custodial work, grounds maintenance and campus-wide security. (5.A.1)

The state allocates deferred maintenance and extraordinary repair dollars, based on biannual approval from the

Legislature. Capital projects are proposed to the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) and require approval

from the Legislature prior to authorization. This comprehensive process presents a clearer picture of statewide

institutional needs, which helps the SBHE present informed budgets to the Legislature for funding requests for the

upcoming biennium. Planning strategies include consideration of how students learn, reflection on future growth of

the student body and anticipation of how learning may evolve in the future. Internally, periodic maintenance

requests, incoming maintenance and custodial requests are managed through the Facilities Department SchoolDude

e-ticketing system. This automated system streamlines the work order and work completion process. (5.A.1)

The North Dakota University System (NDUS) Core Technology Services (CTS) provides secure information

management and technology services to NDUS students, faculty, staff and state residents. CTS connects users to

the information and educational resources they need to accomplish goals. CTS is led by the NDUS chief

information officer who provides overall leadership, vision, strategy, management and accountability. The NDUS

provides support for various applications such as Office365, Campus Connection, Moodle, AdAstra, THD

Touchnet, WebNow, HRMS. NDUS provides a security intrusion prevention system for all NDUS institutions to

block harmful traffic in and out of the network. User groups have been established between all NDUS institutions

to share knowledge, provide opportunities to improve processes and create a statewide network for users to stay

connected, ask questions and share ideas. In addition, these user groups use list-serves and instant messaging to

enhance communication and form strong relationships. (5.A.1)

The Williston State College Information Technology (IT) Department works closely with the finance office to

forecast on-going and critical needs. The ever-changing nature of information technology poses challenges to the

planning process. Appropriated funding assists with the computer replacement as well as other hardware

replacement programs. Although forecasting occurs, extraordinary funds may be required. IT services are funded

through appropriated dollars supplemented with mandatory student technology fees. Student technology fees must

directly impact student technology needs and requires student approval for any changes. (5.A.1)

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The IT Department maintains and supports all hardware, software and network infrastructure essential to the

college. This includes core infrastructure, wireless, classroom and IVN (Interactive Video Network) technology,

helpdesk, email, printers, phone, IT security as well as support for security cameras and door access readers.

Department supervisors request data security and access though helpdesk tickets, which the IT Department

approves. User roles grant permission to shared folders to allow an individual access to the data necessary to

perform job functions. Changed every 90 days, strong passwords ensure access to those with appropriate

permission. Terminated employee access to email accounts, listservs, and network access is removed through a

process, which involves the IT Department, the HR Office and department supervisors. (5.A.1)

Server data backups are performed daily to safeguard against loss of important files. The IT Department maintains

two firewalls and two core switches for redundancy and failover in case of hardware failure. The firewalls, network

switches, and servers are kept locked at all times in secure rooms on campus. Server updates and patches are

installed regularly to remain protected from outside threats. All Windows XP computers have either been taken off

the network or upgraded to Windows 7 since the operating system ceased to be supported by Microsoft in 2014. A

plan will be implemented to demote and replace the one server with Windows Server 2003 by July 2015 when

support ends. (5.A.1)

• Setting goals aligned with the institutional mission, resources, opportunities and emerging needs (5.A.3)

Resource management goals align with both the College’s and the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education’s

(SBHE) strategic plan. On Oct 2, 2014, the SBHE officially approved their strategic plan, setting a bold new

direction for the NDUS to take advantage of the prosperity in North Dakota and give students and the state a

competitive edge. The College’s strategic plan is intended to ensure that the College’s performance matches its

mission by measuring outcomes and using these outcomes to assist decision-making and improvement. Continuous

quality improvement and refinement methods are employed to ensure the goals, vision and mission of the College

are met. This process is dynamic, ever changing and evolving. (5.A.3)

Campuses are required per SBHE Policy 901 Campus Planning and Facilities Management to complete a new

campus master plan every six years, with updates, revisions, and to submit biennially reviews. The NDUS, as part

of the legislatively mandated system-wide master planning process, hired Paulien and Associates to assist with the

master planning process during calendar year 2014. This system-wide process included reviewing the individual

campus master plans and making recommendations about content, format and consistency. A subsequent space

utilization plan has been developed, which will help prioritize system wide needs for capital building projects,

major renovation deferred maintenance and extraordinary repair needs. The system wide master plan has allowed

for the College to better prioritize internal projects vital to mission and institutional needs using criteria set forth in

the SBHE master plan. (5.A.3)

Alignment of resources is a part of the budget process, which analyzes new budget requests as well as new faculty

and staff positions to determine that they enhance the institution’s mission, resources, opportunities and needs.

Existing programs and positions are also periodically reviewed to determine whether or not they are still

accomplishing the goals of the institution. (5.A.3)

The College has been responsive to emerging needs, by working toward establishing and maintaining a contingency

fund. The state also has identified the importance of such institutional funds and has established SBHE Policy 810.1

Appropriated Funds Reserve policy effective March 2014, which requires NDUS institutions to establish and

maintain undesignated reserves for emergency and emerging needs. The Williston State College Foundation

(WSCF) is also generous supporter of the College. Over $2 million in scholarship and grant support was received in

each of the past two fiscal years. As the College works toward building an adequate contingency, WSCF grants

have provided funding for one-time and emergency needs. (5.A.3)




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• Allocating and assigning resources to achieve organizational goals, while ensuring that educational

purposes are not adversely affected (5.A.2)

Monitoring current year budgets and projecting next year budgets allow for review and reallocation of fiscal

resources. The draft budget is reviewed by the chairs of the AQIP committee to ensure alignment with the college’s

goals as identified in the annual strategic plan. The budget is then brought forward to the Executive Cabinet for

discussion and approval.

Department Heads and/or Budget Managers, Supervisors and the Finance Office approve purchases. A payment

that is requested outside of the budget is not allowed without an appropriately approved budget adjustment. The

State Procurement Office provides comprehensive purchasing services based upon sound procurement practices

and principles. All purchases of supplies, materials, and equipment, which encumber College funds, shall be

properly authorized, documented, and processed. They shall be obtained at the best value, and in a timely manner,

while maintaining fairness to vendors, and abiding by state law. Reasonable steps shall be taken to ensure that

North Dakota companies have an opportunity to compete for contracts or submit bids. The HR Office and Finance

Office must approve salary increase requests within the current fiscal year. In addition, Executive Cabinet must also

approve over-budget requests or new positions and the funding source(s) identified. These processes assist to

ensure adequate funding for educational purposes. (5.A.2)

Travel expenses comprise nearly all budgets given the College’s remote location. The College’s partnership with

the WSC Foundation has assisted in achieving organizational goals to help ensure educational goals remain

priority. The Foundation purchased a bus which it leases to the College, mainly for athletic team travel. Such a

system drives down travel costs and allows for further spending on educational priorities. State fleet vehicles are

available for employee use and travel procedures prevent employees from being reimbursed for personal vehicle

mileage reimbursement at a rate that would exceed the cost of using a state fleet vehicle. Out-of-town lodging costs

are paid at a state approved rate and meals are reimbursed at a state-approved per diem. (5.A.2)

Facility master plans are the tactical instruments for identifying and fulfilling the facility needs which support and

follow a strategic plan or imitative. The NDUS-wide master plan consists of facility condition assessment, project

approval process, institutional master plan process, and capital request evaluation. The NDUS-wide master plans

helps prioritize state funding needs, which in turn assists the College internally prioritize for major facility

improvements. Successful development of institutional master plans requires the establishment of strategic plans at

both the system and institutional level. Master plan success is dependent on a strategic plan that addresses the future

educational needs of students. (5.A.2)

Currently the College has a student technology fee of $10 per credit hour and a distance education fee of $43.56 per

nontraditional delivery credit hour. The technology fee funds IT staff, technology infrastructure, and software

related to educational purposes. Funds are also used to purchase the Microsoft Campus Agreement licensing which

provides free MS Office to all enrolled students and personnel. The distance education fee funds distance education

staff and IVN and online educational resources. (5.A.2)

The College has multiple copiers located in centralized areas for students, faculty and staff. The copiers are all

contracted for service and supplies through one local vendor, which allows for prompt repairs. Billing is managed

through a single budget overseen by the Finance Department. (5.A.2)

The IT Department has a 3-year computer replacement program funded by appropriated dollars. This provides

faculty and staff with the hardware needed to keep pace with changing technology. The campus also has two laptop

carts and one tablet cart for mobility and flexibility. (5.A.2)

5R2 What are the results for resource management?


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Internally generated fund summaries provide comparative financial information by fund and also current and

projected budget information. Comparative enrollment data help predict incoming tuition and fees, housing

occupancy, bookstore sales, faculty needs, etc.

The College uses the annual NDUS Financial Review to gain an understanding of its financial health and trends.

The report also allows for comparison to other NDUS institutions, based on year-end financial statements. The

Funding Analysis section distinguishes between financial statement position and funding adequacy. Overall

financial health is a direct indication of resource management efforts.

In the spring of 2014, the NDUS retained Paulien & Associates to prepare the NDUS Systemwide Master Plan.

The plan identifies short and long-term system needs and makes recommendations for future improvement. The

Master Plan includes demographic analysis, workforce/program alignment, facility condition assessment, review of

individual master plans, capital request evaluations and research and development issues.

The College uses many periodic State reports and audits that assist in monitoring financial, physical and

technological efforts. Self-progress evaluation, benchmarking and comparison within the NDUS are made possible

through such reports.

NDUS Annual Financial Report - Fiscal Year 2014

The NDUS annual financial report provides an overview of the System’s financial activities for the year ended June

30, 2014. The financial statements along with the accompanying Management’s Discussion and Analysis presents

the current year’s activities, resulting changes and currently known facts to assist readers in understanding the

financial statements. The Management discussion provides an overview of the financial position of the System for

the year ended June 30, 2014.

NDUS Semi Annual Budget Report

In addition to this report a separate semi-annual budget status report is presented to the SBHE Budget and Finance

Committee that discloses significant revenue and expenditure variances, deficits, and pending lawsuits.

Capital Tracking Report

The report tracks all capital projects that have earned legislative approval and shows original appropriation,

adjusted authorization, approved amounts for projects that don’t require legislative funding, what has been spent

and remaining authority. The report provides transparence on all aspects of legislatively funded and state board

approved projects.

Capital Variance Reports

The Capital Variance Report shows legislatively appropriated and SBHE approved projects. For each project in

excess of $250,000 the report shows the approved amount, any additions to the approved amounts, contract

amounts awarded expenses to date and anticipated project completion date. This provides monitoring of contract

amounts to approved amounts and expenses paid to contract amounts.

• Summary result of measures (include tables and figures when possible)

The College’s primary reserve ratio, viability ratio, current ratio, working capital ratio and operating income margin

have decreased since fiscal year 2011. While the operating income margin can fluctuate from year-to-year, the

decrease in the other ratios is a concern. Net income margin has been very good for the last consecutive four years

and the CFI is good. A plan was prepared and presented to the SBHE Budget and Finance Committee to address the

negative trends. The plan includes incurring no additional debt service in the short-term, exploring options to

reduce debt service, implementing budget cuts and reducing staff turnover.

Figure 5-5: Annual NDUS Financial Review Key Ratios

Description Industry Standard FY14 FY13 FY12 FY11

Composite Financial Index (CFI), including Foundation Above 1.10 4.01 2.39

Composite Financial Index (CFI), excluding Foundation Above 1.10 2.15 .56

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Viability Ratio Above 1.0 .2 .2 .2 .4

Primary Reserve Ratio Above .10 .1 .1 .2 .3

Current Ratio Above 2.0 1.5 1.4 1.9 2.7

Working Capital Ratio 4-6 weeks 3.8 2.8 6.1 7.8

Operating Income Margin Above 0 -4.6 -3.9 6.6 4.7

Net Income Margin Above 0 30.80 13.4 22.9 22.0

For the purpose of this report, master planning refers to the process of determining the range of facility solutions

and strategies needed for executing a strategic plan, and capital planning refers to the process of developing a

specific facility project or set of projects. Master plans for the NDUS system campuses were obtained, reviewed

and compared for similarities and differences. Several themes emerged from this review and this helped shape

analysis and recommendations. In an integrated planning model, a thorough and thoughtful master plan flows from

strategic plans and provides a flexible road map for constructing the facilities needed to achieve identified strategic

institutional goals. These strategic objectives might pertain to such key issues as enrollment, housing, academics or

research. Key campus-specific findings and recommendations are identified below.

Figure 5-6: 2014 Systemwide Masterplan

Key Findings Key Recommendations

Strong population growth will result in student

growth for NDUS

Substantially increase funding for deferred

maintenance, including heating plants

Workforce needs will be strongest in the Bakken

area

Develop a long-range plan to provide ongoing funding

for deferred maintenance

Deferred maintenance needs are significant Develop a campus facilities inventory (room level) at

each campus

Heating plants need investment at most campuses Conduct classroom utilization analysis at each campus

Master plans do not have a needs component Tie strategic objectives, utilization and needs measures

to campus master planning.

Develop ranking criteria for deferred maintenance and

capital projects

• Comparison of results with internal targets and external benchmark

The Composite Financial Index (CFI) creates one overall financial measurement of an institution’s health based on

four core ratios: primary reserve ratio, net income ratio, viability ratio and the return on net assets ratio. The CFI is

calculated by:

1. Determining the value of each ratio;

2. Converting the value of each ratio to strength factors along a common scale;

3. Multiplying the strength factors by specific weighting factors;

4. Totaling the resulting four numbers to reach the single CFI score.

The CFI is presented below for each institution and their discretely presented component unit(s) for FY2014 and

FY2013. In addition, the last two columns of the table provide the CFI for each institution excluding their

discretely present component unit(s) for the same period. Component unit balances are not included in other

calculations in this report.

Figure 5-7: CFI Scores FY2014 FY2013

FY2014 FY2013

Institution Component unit(s) included CFI,

including

component

units

CFI,

including

component

units

CFI,

excluding

component

units

CFI,

excluding

component

units Community Colleges

WSC WSC Foundation 4.01 2.39 2.15 0.56

NDSCS NDSCS Foundation 3.72 3.36 3.43 3.56

LRSC LRSC Foundation 3.69 0.91 2.75 (0.29)


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DCB DCB Foundation 3.53 1.75 3.42 0.43

BSC BSC Foundation 2.18 1.89 1.71 1.80

Regional Universities

VCSU VSCU Foundation 4.57 3.98 2.04 3.60

MISU MiSU Development Foundation 2.19 2.37 2.26 2.37

MASU MaSU Alumni Foundation 1.78 1.78 1.26 1.18

DSU DSU Foundation 0.79 1.18 4.45 4.19

Research Universities

UND

UND Alumni Assoc. & Foundation

4.57 3.91

3.01 2.20 RE Arena, Inc.

UND Center for Innovation

UND Research Foundation

NDSU

NDSU Development Foundation

4.25 3.90 2.87 3.11 NDSU Research & Technology Park

NDSU Research Foundation

NDSU Team Makers Club

The HLC uses the following standards when evaluating the CFI for accreditation review purposes:

Figure 5-8: CFI Standards

Zones Public Institutions Composite Index Outcomes

Above 1.10 to 10 No Review

In 0 to 1.0 Financial Panel Review if “in” for two or more consecutive years

Below -4.0 to -0.1 Financial Panel Review if “below” in any given year

The Operating Income Margin ratio measures current year financial results. The ratio is calculated by comparing

combined operating and nonoperating net income (before capital gifts and grants) to total combined operating and

nonoperating revenues (excluding capital gifts and grants). A ratio of greater than zero is desired and indicates the

institution is not spending more than it is taking in during the year. Additionally, a ratio of greater than zero

indicates the institution is adding to reserves.

The table below shows the operating income margin for each institution for the current fiscal year and three

previous fiscal years.

Figure 5-9: Operating Income Margin by Institution

Institution FY 2014 FY 2013 FY 2012 FY 2011

NDSU 3.40% 4.70% 1.20% 2.40%

UND 0.30% -0.30% 0.60% 2.00%

MaSU -2.40% 1.20% 1.10% 2.30%

VCSU -1.20% -3.40% -3.70% -3.50%

BSC -1.30% -1.90% 0.30% -2.30%

NDSCS -1.40% -4.10% -3.00% -5.60%

LRSC -2.30% -8.60% -7.90% 0.00%

DSU -3.80% -5.50% -1.20% -1.40%

MiSU -4.50% -4.50% -2.00% -0.50%

WSC -4.60% -3.90% 6.60% 4.70%

DCB -6.60% -5.40% 2.20% 2.40%


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Net Income Margin ratio measures an institution’s financial status in terms of current year operations. The ratio is

calculated by dividing the current year’s increase in net assets by total revenues. A positive net income margin

indicates that the institution experienced a net increase in current year fund balances. A negative net income margin

results when an institution’s current year expenditures exceed its current year revenues, requiring the institution to

draw on reserves or creating deficit spending.

Figure 5-10: Net Income Margin by Institution

Institution FY 2014 FY 2013 FY 2012 FY 2011

WSC 30.80% 13.40% 22.90% 22.00%

LRSC 18.70% -7.30% 13.40% 0.50%

NDSCS 8.70% 15.70% 1.40% 1.60%

UND 6.90% 4.40% 3.50% 6.60%

VCSU 6.60% 20.50% 10.90% 1.80%

NDSU 6.50% 8.50% 6.50% 8.50%

MaSU 5.30% 1.50% 7.30% 20.00%

BSC 4.20% 5.80% 5.90% 6.50%

MiSU 0.30% 8.50% 10.40% 2.20%

DCB -2.30% 3.20% 3.30% 13.10%

DSU -2.40% -4.30% 1.80% 2.60%

Given the results of the 2014 Systemwide Masterplan, Paulien & Associates strongly urge the NDUS to address the

backlog of deferred maintenance, which requires state funding and prioritized budgeting. Space utilization and

space needs are recommended as well as the development of data to allow a space need approach to be tested. It is

recommended to refine and create a scoring system to allow individual projects to be ranked. Comparison of the

College to other NDUS institutions can be viewed below.

Figure 5-11: Review of Individual Master Plans

U

N

D

N

D

S

U

V

C

S

U

M

a

S

U

M

S

U

N

D

S

C

S

L

R

S

C

B

S

C

D

C

B

W

S

C

Comments

Consultant

1-J

LG

1

JLG

EA

PC

1

1

JLG

EA

PC

Hu

ntr

Gro

be

JLG

1-Plan and/or edits to previous master plan prepared by

staff

Background

History

Vicinity

Previous Master Plan

Efforts 1 1 1 1 1 1

1-Not a detailed description as per some other campus plans; MSU included older plans in appendices

Master Plan Process 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-A more detailed description of planning process,

internal/external engagement could be added

Recent

Accomplishments

ADD: Institutional Information and Goals

Mission a 1 1

Strategic Plan (SP) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-Only general reference to SP (sometimes noted in

Section III) or a Vision Plan

Academic Programs 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-Academic program descriptions are provided or


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future program needs are described in Section I or IIIa,

but specific academic plan not evident; in evaluating technical job training needs, more industry data can be

helpful

Enrollment Trends and

Analysis 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1Some of this data is found either in Sections I or IIIa,

but specific academic plan not evident; in evaluating technical job training needs, more industry data can be

helpful

Research Trends and

Analysis

N

A

N

A

N

A

N

A

N

A

N

A

N

A

N

A If applicable

ADD: Existing Facilities Documentation/Analysis

Space Inventory

Space Utilization

Space Needs

Avg. Age of Space

Inventory

Existing Conditions

Landscape and Grounds 1 1-Missing some components

(sprinkler, lighting, etc.)

Buildings (Layout/Map/Condition)

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Facility Condition Assessment is 1-3 scale per system

Circulation

(Internal/External)

Infrastructure

Energy Utilities

(Steam/CW) 1 1 1 1 1

1-Evaulate existing condition and expansion capacity

Civil Utilities

(Sanitary/Storm) 1 1 1 1 1

1-Evaulate existing condition and expansion capacity

Electrical and Ltg

Infrastructure 1 1 2 1 1,2 1 1,2

1-As above; 2-no lighting inventory or evaluation

Telecom/

Information Technology 1 1 1 1 1

1-Eval exist condition and/or expansion capacity/fut

technology

ADD: Fire/Life Safety

Systems

POSSIBLE ADD (building narratives may have included)

ADD: Parking Lot

Condition

POSSIBLE ADD

Future Campus Requirements

Academic Programs 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-Trends supported by data and figures by

dept/discipline would be helpful; see also ADD#4

above

Academic Facilities 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-Narrative discussion general or very general

Support Facilities 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-Narrative discussion general or very general

Auxiliaries 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-Narrative discussion general or very general

Athletic and Rec 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-Narrative discussion general or very general

Parking 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-Narrative discussion general or very general

Infrastructure 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-Narrative discussion general or very general

Land

acquisition/disposition

Capital Projects

Future Project List 1 1-School of Medicine only

Budget Requests 1 1-School of Medicine only

ADD: DM Projects 2 1 1 1-Although not a DM separate list, the projects do

reflect DM needs; 2-List included from previous plan

Not included/not found

Partially Included

Included

General Notes and Observations

1-Consistency

There are differences in the way that various master plan elements are addresses. For

example, there are some items such as parking or utility systems which are described but not

evaluated in terms of condition of capacity


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2-Amount of Detail

Some items may merit more detailed explanations or evaluations, such as lighting, ADA and

fire/life safety systems, which represent areas of potential risk and liability; System Office

guidelines could clarify priorities for responses

3-Engineering Studies

References are sometimes made to engineering studies, such as for utilities or other items;

perhaps these could be made available on line; overall the use of separate studies can provide

tremendous expertise on technical issues or ones which may be subject to new or evolving

technologies

4-Redundancy It may be possible to combine some maps, particularly for the smaller institutions, such as

road/circulation maps and functional maps

5-Facilty Needs In most cases, Section III, “Future Campus Requirements” was general in nature and could

have specified a longer term list of potential projects

6-Project Requests Project requests were not compared and reviewed or analyzed in any detail within the scope

of this work.

• Interpretation results and insights gained

At 2014 fiscal year end, none of the NDUS institutions had a CFI in the “Below” range or in the “In” range for two

consecutive years.

All institutions, except NDSU and UND have operating income margins below zero, which means they spent more

to operate than they earned from 2014 fiscal year operations. A negative margin for one year could be due to timing

issues or one-time events. Several years of a ratio of zero or less is of concern. Four institutions have had a negative

operating income margin for four straight years. Further, four institutions, including the College, have had a ratio of

zero or less for the last two consecutive years and should be closely monitored.

All institutions, but two, had a positive net income margin. A negative margin for one year could be due to timing

issues or one-time events. Several years of a negative margin is of concern. A negative net income margin for two

or more consecutive years should be closely monitored.


three years?

Thanks to a partnership between the Alva J Field Trust, WSC Foundation and the ND Higher Education Challenge

Fund, graduates of local high schools, who attend WSC, are eligible for free tuition, fees and books for two years.

This generous scholarship will have a very positive effect on enrollment and operating income.

Recently, a Memorandum of Understanding was entered into with the University of North Dakota (UND) to

administer the Financial Aid services and provide cash reconciliation services to the Finance Department at WSC.

These arrangements with UND were to provide critical services and support for WSC. Unfortunately, these

agreements will be discontinued at June 30, 2015 due to not being funded by the state for this next biennium. The

College is filling a vacant position and reworking duties in finance to continue necessary finance functions.

The budget process includes regular monitoring by budget managers and the Finance office to ensure that capital

project spending is within the approved spending authority, budget reallocations can be considered to cover one-

time unexpected expenses or immediate needs as determined by the AQIP budget team, and the foundation can be

laid for the next year’s budget. Fund summaries have been developed showing prior year actual amounts, current

year budgeted amounts, actual year-to-date amounts, projected actual current year amounts and next year proposed

budgeted amounts for every fund. These fund summaries are updated twice a month and are available to all budget

managers to assist in monitoring and managing their budgets.

The Finance Office is working to improve the strategic planning budgeting process and to better engage the budget

managers and the Budget Committee. The College is looking to create a strategic priorities fund for special

strategic plan related initiatives. These initiatives would be brought forward to the budget committee for

prioritization and approval similar to what is now in existence.

https://www.ndus.edu/uploads/reports/133/ndus-annualfinancial-report---fiscal-year-2014.pdf


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Operational Effectiveness

5P3 Operational Effectiveness focuses on how an institution ensures effective management of its operations

in the present and plans for continuity of operations into the future. Describe the processes for operational

effectiveness and who is involved in those processes. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key

processes for:

• Building budgets to accomplish institutional goals

The budget is guided by the strategic planning process, which is developed from AQIP’s annual goals and action

projects. The Finance Office ultimately manages the annual operating budget with expenditures approved at the

department and division level by those with budget managing responsibility.

A Budget Manager oversees every fund within each department at the College. Budget Managers include staff,

faculty and administrators. Therefore, the budget process is decentralized along organizational lines. These

managers are asked to submit budget plans for the upcoming fiscal year six to eight months prior to current year-

end. At the same time, current fiscal year projections are reviewed and updated. This process ensures that current

year spending is appropriate and allows for reallocation of unused budgeted amounts to one-time unexpected

expenses or immediate strategic priorities. This lays the foundation for planning the budget for the next year. Over

2,000 budget lines are created for each budget cycle.

The draft budget is prepared using information provided by the budget managers. The information from the budget

managers is reviewed, adjusted as necessary, and compiled by Department Chairs and administrators of the various

divisions. AQIP committee chairs ensure alignment with the goals identified in the strategic plan and rank or

prioritize one-time and emergency funding requests then review the budget. Finally, the budget is brought forward

to Executive Cabinet, which represents all sections of the campus, for discussion and approval.

• Monitoring financial position and adjusting budgets (5.A.5)

Fund summaries have been developed, updated semi-monthly and saved on a shared drive accessible to Budget

Managers. These fund summaries contain information from the general ledger, including revenues (other than

appropriated and tuition), payroll and other expenditures. The fund summaries include three prior years’

information, current year budget amounts, current year-to-date information and the budgeted amount remaining for

the year. These fund summaries are a very useful tool and are used by Budget Managers to monitor and manage

their budgets throughout the year. The following column titles are used by Budget Managers’ to continuously

review and update: current year projected actual amounts, budget adjustments needed and next year’s budgeted

amounts. (5.A.5)

A list of all individuals who have the authority to approve expenditures is maintained. The Finance Office gives

final approval of expenditures. Finance Office oversight includes monitoring expense amounts in excess of budget.

The Finance Office monitors all budget variances throughout the year. Differences in actual revenues or

expenditures from projected amounts are analyzed to determine whether budget adjustments or reallocations are

required. (5.A.5)

• Maintaining a technological infrastructure that is reliable, secure, and user-friendly

WSC has adopted standardized equipment and software platforms to reinforce infrastructure integrity. The IT

Department requires all equipment and technology purchases, regardless of funding source, to be submitted to the

Director for IT for sustaining compatibility and for ensuring adequate capacity to provide support.

The entire campus backbone infrastructure equipment and wireless were upgraded in 2012 to the most current

technology by replacing older network switches and wireless access points in all academic buildings. This included

adding two redundant firewalls for increased security. New classroom technology was installed in the main


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building during recent renovation. This included new interactive projectors, document cameras, computers and

monitors.

• Maintaining a physical infrastructure that is reliable, secure, and user-friendly

Campuses are required to complete a new campus master plan every six years, with updates, revisions and reviews

of the plan due biennially. The NDUS, as part of the legislatively mandated system-wide master planning process,

hired Paulien and Associates to assist with the master planning process during calendar year 2014. This system-

wide process included reviewing the individual campus master plans and making recommendations about content,

format and consistency. A subsequent space utilization plan has been developed.

The College hired a new Director for Facilities in October, 2014. The position overseas Campus Services and

ensures regular updates are brought to Executive Cabinet listing and prioritizing deferred maintenance and other

capital needs. The Custodial, Facilities and Security Departments compose what is called Campus Services. The

Director for Facilities also leads and coordinates new construction and renovation projects. When necessary,

outside architects, engineers and consultants are used for capital projects.

The Facilities Department uses the SchoolDude ticket system for incoming maintenance and custodial requests.

This automated system streamlines the work order process and enables the college to manage and prioritize the

work orders from request to completion and monitor performance of the completed work orders.

The Security Department provides for the safety and well-being of the students, faculty, staff and property through

development, maintenance, and enforcement of college policies and procedures. The Security Department strives

to preserve peace through conspicuous patrol, respond to calls for assistance including emergency and crisis

situations, and provide other safety-related services. The Campus Security Supervisor is in charge of the issuance

and control of keys to all doors on campus.

Since the new Director for Facilities started several projects have been completed: the Stevens Hall Renovation, a

new Key Management Procedure has been implemented and outdoor perimeter lighting has been improved.

• Managing risks to ensure operational stability, including emergency preparedness

The College is exposed to various risks for which it is insured. The Risk Management Fund (N.D.C.C. ch. 32-12.2)

was established by the 1995 North Dakota Legislature. The Risk Management Division of the Office of

Management and Budget administers the fund. The fund provides liability coverage and defense of a claim/lawsuit

brought against the state of North Dakota, its agencies and employees acting within the scope of employment.

The NDUS also participates in the North Dakota Fire and Tornado Fund and State Bonding Fund. The NDUS pays

an annual premium to the Fire and Tornado Fund to cover property damage to personal property. The Risk

Management Workers Compensation Program (N.D.C.C. § 65-04-03.1) was established by the 2001 North Dakota

Legislature and created a single workers compensation account for all state agencies.

The College Emergency Preparedness Plan establishes procedures, duties, plans, and training for college personnel

in the event of an emergency and to guide all individuals to safety. All College community members have a

responsibility to be prepared in the event of an emergency. The plan’s procedures are designed to provide a flexible

framework for emergency management of a crisis situation.

Providing students with safe campus environment is a top priority for the NDUS. NotiFind, as outlined in NDUS

Procedures 1902 Emergency Notification Systems, is the emergency notification system used by all elevent system

campuses. The system is used to provide information and instructions to students, faculty, staff members and others

when a situation poses an urgent or immediate threat to health or safety or significantly disrupts campus activities,

such as a weather-related closing.

http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t32c12-2.pdf?20150423085342

http://www.nd.gov/ndins/specialfunds/statefiretornadofund/



http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Housing%20and%20Safety/Emergency%20Preparedness%20Plan%2010-18-2010.pdf

http://www.ndus.edu/makers/procedures/NDUS/default.asp?PID=337&SID=62

http://www.ndus.edu/makers/procedures/NDUS/default.asp?PID=337&SID=62


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NotiFind uses cell phone, text messaging, landlines and e-mail to send alerts. Students are strongly encouraged to

participate in NotiFind. All NDUS employees, including student employees, are required to participate.

The NDUS is committed to upholding the highest ethical and professional standards. As part of this commitment

and per SBHE Policies 611.10 Employee Responsibility and Activities: Theft, Fraud, Abuse and Waste, a 24-hour

fraud hotline is available to report suspected fraudulent behavior. Examples of fraudulent behavior are outlined in

the policy. Each benefitted employee is required to complete annual fraud awareness training. Each institution must

develop and implement controls designed to minimize opportunities for theft, fraud, abuse, waste or unlawful or

improper use of public resources, including funds, supplies, data, technology, property or position.

The NDUS employs legal counsel that is responsible for advising the Chancellor, the Board, and institutional

officials on legal rights, obligations and regulatory matters. The NDUS legal counsel provides legal services and

counsel to the eleven NDUS institutions.

The NDUS annually requires Internal Control Employee Training for defined positions and job functions. The

training provides employees with information to assist in maintaining appropriate internal controls so institutional

objectives are carried out efficiently and effectively, assure that reliable financial records are in place, and assure

that the organization is in compliance with laws, regulations and policies.

5R3 What are the results for ensuring effective management of operations on an ongoing basis and for the

future?


The College uses a system of internal control (checks and balances) to monitor all budgetary, expenditure and

revenue activity within the financial system. This activity is audited annually by the North Dakota Office of State

Auditor. Ratios and trends, including the CFI ratios are prepared with data from the financial statements. These

ratios are compared to peer institutions and reported in the annul NDUS Financial Review.

The Executive Cabinet includes the Chief Financial Officer, Director of Facilities and Director of Information

Technology. At the weekly meeting, Cabinet members review, discuss and offer feedback on issues related to

finance, facilities and IT. Staff Senate, Faculty Senate and Student Senate meet regularly and discuss items, which

may then be brought forward to Cabinet. The various departments and divisions also meet and can request that

items or questions of importance to them be brought to Cabinet. This creates a transparent, inclusive process for

disseminating information and making decisions.

The IT Department effectively maintains the College’s technology infrastructure including the development of

ticketing and feedback methods that help identify infrastructure and resource weaknesses. The IT Department

manages the College’s help desk system. Issues are logged and assigned as necessary to the appropriate IT

individuals though the NDUS ticketing system. Vantage Technology Consulting group conducted a high level

review of current NDUS IT shared services, the current direction of NDUS IT, and recommendations of how

NDUS can best serve the needs of the campuses and provide centralized/enterprise IT services that will be either

more efficient or effective.

Periodic maintenance and custodial requests are managed through the Facilities Department SchoolDude e-

ticketing system. This automated system streamlines the work order and work completion process.


The 2015 – 2020 Strategic Plan states in AQIP 4 Goal 4 that the College will successfully accommodate increased

student demand. Action Year One states that Executive cabinet will monitor student enrollment and completion and

provide recommendations in relation to student success. They will also monitor class sizes, teacher-to-student ratio,

etc. Action Year Two states that continuous monitoring of student enrollment and completion. Executive Cabinet

receives information and data and has taken on responsibilities typically not managed and directly overseen by


http://www.willistonstate.edu/Documents/Institutional%20Effectiveness/Strategic%20plan%202015-2020%20FINAL.pdf


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Executive Cabinet to assure that overall operations are supporting the College’s mission and all divisions and

stakeholders are engaged in a cooperative and informed manner. The College understands the interdependent

relationships amongst divisions and looks to ensure overall College success by openly discussing, strategizing and

working toward plans of action to promote successful overall operations. In a time where unemployment is close to

zero, the College has been able to maintain enrollment and is projecting great increases for the next year, thanks to

generous scholarship opportunities. Our ability as a small school to react quickly to the changing environment,

community and local employers is and will continue to be a factor in operational decision making processes.

The IT Department’s work order management systems reports declining successful completion of work order

tickets. With turnover, staffing issues and a recently completed renovation, the IT Department is working to

improve statistics through training and hiring for an open position.

Figure 5-12: Help Desk Completion Rate - Information Technology Department *Data represents tickets submitted through ServiceNow.

This data does not include completion information for tickets not submitted through ServiceNOW.

Summer 2013 Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Summer 2014 Fall 2014 Spring 2015

% completed 100.00% 95.54% 90.65% 83.05% 88.76% 81.88%

The College’s SchoolDude facilities work-order management system shows varying successful completion results.

The Facilities Department hired a new Director in the Fall of 2014 and has experienced staff turnover, but is

working to improve statistics through training and hiring for an open position.

Figure 5-13: Help Desk Completion Rate - Facilities Department *Data represents tickets submitted through SchoolDude.

This data does not include completion information for tickets not submitted through SchoolDude.

Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Summer 2014 Fall 2014 Spring 2015

% completed 93.8% 82.5% 100.0% 99.3% 90.8%


The IT consulting group, Vantage, met with representatives from NDUS and the eleven NDUS campuses. They

found that there were some recurring issues and themes that were constant across most if not all of the campuses.

Campus satisfaction with NDUS shared services varies greatly by institution and by service. The institutions that

make up the System are incredibly varied in terms of size, needs, technical savvy, resources, etc. resulting in a

situation where “one size” can rarely fit all. The new NDUS IT leadership is assessing problems and potential

solutions and this report is an important part of that project.

Positively, campuses acknowledged that many aspects of technology on the campuses would not exist if it were it

not for shared services and NDUS funding. Many of the campuses could not afford these services otherwise.

Examples included the ERP systems and various master software licensing agreements. PeopleSoft, STAGEnet,

ODIN, and ConnectND were all cited as examples of shared services that generally work well. The state-wide

backbone is seen as robust and reliable. High level opportunities to address include: execution/delivery of the

service, governance, funding, communications, and diversity of needs and abilities across the system. Vantage

believes that there are considerable opportunities for collaboration and sharing among the 11 campuses and NDUS,

however there is not yet a culture of trust and cooperation across all institutions.

The College consists of nearly 230,000 square feet, while TrainND Northwest’s new building comprises 20,000

square feet for a total of 250,000 square feet. The following external NDUS benchmarks are used to evaluate and

guide internal benchmarks and operations. The Director of Facility Planning for NDUS, a new addition to the

NDUS staff, assists in creating system-wide facilities benchmarking.


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Figure 5-14: NDUS Benchmarks

NDUS External Bench Marks

(NDUS Director of Facility Planning)

Internal Goals/Objectives

(WSC Facilities Director)

Maintenance & Custodial Staffing Level Maintenance & Custodial Staffing Level

1.5 FTE per 10,000 square feet of space. 1 FTE per 12,000 square feet of space.

Utility expenses Utility expenses

$5.00 / square foot per year $4.50 / square foot per year

Maintenance & Custodial Operating Expenses Maintenance & Custodial Operating Expenses

$2.50 / square foot per year $2.30 / square foot per year


Turnover has been the most significant challenge facing basic operations. The College has lost a great deal of

intuitional knowledge, which are reflected in the results. Because the NDUS has also gone through a significant

amount of turnover, the College must continue to rely on a very strong network of North Dakota college

professionals to mentor and train employees. Only recently has turnover begun to decline allowing the College to

only just begin the rebuilding of critical knowledge bases. Even though the College received eight audit findings

related to turnover, both the legislature and the state board have been both patient and affirming to employees

attempting to find their feet while maintaining basic services to students. The NDUS’s IT office will bring a team

of professionals this summer to move and thus centralize the College’s databases through the system’s office.

Although this mandate has been required legislatively, Williston State, due to its hyper environment, has been

targeted to receive these critical services first. The College must continue to be creative in supporting employees in

gaining the knowledge they need to best serve students.


three years?

The SBHE adopted New Policy 810.1 Appropriated Funds Reserve in March 2014. This policy ensures that reserve

funds are established 1) to protect against sudden shortfalls in revenue; 2) to cover unanticipated significant

expenses; 3) to plan for one-time initiatives; and 4) to obtain strong accreditation scores and bond ratings. A

Campus process for developing and maintaining a contingency fund to be used for emergencies is being developed.

By June 30, 2014, campuses were to target establishing and thereafter maintaining an undesignated appropriated

reserve fund of between 5-7% of the previous fiscal years’ actual general fund and net tuition revenue. Williston

State College was able to meet this target by June 30, 2014.

Policy 810.1 also allows campuses to maintain appropriated “designated reserves” for specific purposes. These

allowed designated categories include: instructional and academic support, recruitment and retention, strategic

planning initiatives, safety/security, accreditation, student services and marketing, technology, equipment, capital

projects and deferred maintenance, debt service and sustainability.

Due to employee turnover in key positions, the College’s asset management was not kept up-to-date. In January a

major renovation of the main building, Stevens Hall, was completed. As a result of this renovation, many old assets

became obsolete and new assets were purchased. A concerted effort is being made to update the asset management

records. The first step of preparing a complete and accurate inventory of the College’s asset involves assistance of

all departments on campus. Once this is complete, data will be entered into the Asset Management module and

reconciled to amounts in the general ledger. Going forward, additions, deletions and corrections will be made as

required and the information will be reviewed and reconciled on at least an annual basis.

Repeat audit findings surrounding cash reconciliations are a concern. The Finance Office will be filling a vacant

position and reorganizing position duties to provide time for staff to focus on bringing the cash reconciliation

current. Once current, cash reconciliation will be completed on a monthly basis.



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AQIP Category 6: Quality Overview

Quality Overview focuses on the Continuous Quality Improvement culture and infrastructure of the

institution. This category gives the institution a chance to reflect on all its quality improvement initiatives,

how they are integrated, and how they contribute to improvement of the institution.

Introduction

The creation of the Institutional Effectiveness team in 2009 and the Research and Records Office in 2013, shows

that Williston State College has embraced and has centralized efforts to continue improvement surrounding a

campus culture of quality improvement. Stabilized and concerted efforts have allowed for improvements to evolve

into embedded practices.

The Institutional Effectiveness team's dedication to the AQIP process has helped the College work towards

consistency and an ongoing commitment to continuous quality improvement despite extreme turnover. Action

Projects have arisen from Strategy Forum, Systems Portfolio Appraisal feedback and Quality Check-up reports.

Action Projects have also provided opportunities for cross-campus collaborations efforts towards improvement. The

Institutional Scorecard Action Project for example, has addressed several data collection, relevance and

communication opportunities identified in the previous Systems Portfolio.

The continued commitment to a quality culture is evidenced by the involvement of the entire campus community

and external community partners though the Strategic Planning process. Alignment of the Strategic Plan to AQIP

processes has brought these quality processes together dedicating financial and personnel resources to the process.

This alignment places quality improvement at the center of campus culture allowing for bottom-up and top-down

influence.

The current Systems Portfolio shows improvement from the last, showing more systematic processes and more

evidence of data. Inclusion of internal targets and external benchmarks show trending and comparison data that

help evaluate quality improvement initiatives progress. AQIP team involvement in the creation of the Systems

Portfolio has strengthened the culture of quality though inclusion and individual feedback.

The campus has made tremendous efforts toward continuous quality improvement. The College also understands

that there is more work to be done to accomplish our goal of reaching maturity status in this category. The College

is recovering from a period of extreme turnover resulting in loss of institutional knowledge relating to the culture of

quality and quality processes.

The College believes that the institutionalization of documenting cross-campus goals will create a stronger more

unified culture of continuous improvement. With the first implementation stages of its Institutional, Program and

Course outcomes documented and the assessment regarding associate academic programs underway, the College

looks to move such assessment to all degree levels and to establish non-academic program and service reviews to

assist in creating a stronger more unified culture of continuous improvement for non-academic departments.

6P1 Quality Improvement Initiatives focus on the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiatives the

institution is engaged in and how they work together within the institution. Describe the processes for

determining, and integrating CQI initiatives, and who is involved in those processes. This includes, but is not

limited to, descriptions of key processes for:

• Selecting, deploying, and evaluating quality improvement initiatives

The College selects short and long-term quality improvement initiatives as a result of and in respect to results

documents such as the Systems Appraisal Feedback Reports, past Systems Portfolios, the North Dakota University

System Strategic Plan, the WSC Master Plan, and the WSC Strategic Plan, the Assessment Academy Update

feedback and Institutional Scorecard Data. The Institutional Effectiveness (IE) representatives regularly review and

analyze results documents to determine initial ideas about quality improvement initiatives. Documents include the


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Institutional Scorecard data, which is a collection data that informs AQIP processes from various sources such as

IPEDS, CCSSE, the Campus Quality Survey, and ConnectND.

The College’s Annual Strategic Planning event is the platform used to create both short and long-term quality

improvement initiatives. The Annual Strategic Planning event is a comprehensive strategic planning process that

results in a multi-year Strategic Plan. At this event, all employees join their respective cross-divisional AQIP team,

which includes strategic community partners, to review results data. These teams then determine quality

improvement projects for their respective AQIP areas where the College operates below the norm or below a level

previously identified in results documents. Long-term quality initiatives are identified and coined as Outcomes

during the Annual Strategic Planning event, while short-term quality initiatives are identified and coined Annual

Goals. Previous Annual Goals are modified to address new performance targets and performance targets are tied to

the budgeting process. AQIP teams develop Annual Goals tied to Outcomes and as outlined in the Strategic Plan.

Each Cabinet Sponsor is responsible for Annual Goals, both personally and for his or her department. Executive

Cabinet aids in creation and approves short and long-term institutional quality initiatives based on

recommendations made by the AQIP Teams, divisions, and the state.

The annual goals created during the annual Strategic Planning event are critical to the budget process and the

deployment of new quality improvement projects. The Budget Team is responsible for reviewing budget and data

implications for the AQIP Team goals. The Director for Financial Services acts as chair of the Budget Team,

which includes each AQIP Team chair. The Team develops recommendations to Executive Cabinet regarding

priorities, resource use, and funding options. The Budget Team monitors the budget process and provides feedback

to cabinet as the budget develops.

Should financial forecasts predict a shortfall in revenues, the Budget Team is requested to work with responsible

AQIP teams to solicit ideas to address the shortfall and accommodate Annual Goals to fit within budget

availability, but still meet institutional quality improvement efforts to the best of their ability. Staff Senate and

Faculty Senate can also provide additional recommendations to the Executive Cabinet. When the financial forecast

predicts availability of additional resources, the Budget Team can be used to generate ideas for additional

expenditures or alternate goals to advance the college‘s mission and goals.

The College also develops Action Projects to respond to annual goals. The College utilizes the Institutional

Effectiveness (IE) Team to review current AQIP Action Projects and identify future AQIP Action Projects that

assist the college in achieving the strategic goals. As departments retire AQIP Action Projects, others develop from

a prioritized list. Once the overall strategic goals and AQIP Action Projects with performance indicators are set,

individuals defined in the action project as the driver of the project determine how they will assist the college in

meeting goals and submit action plans to the IE Team.

AQIP Teams initially evaluate quality initiatives using the MAPS (measureable, attainable, personal, specific)

analysis processes. AQIP Teams continually evaluate and analyze quality improvement projects by reviewing

objectives, measures, and performance targets through the institutional effectiveness process. Divisions have

oversight responsibility for developing steps in processing, establishing measures and performance targets.

Divisions base measures and performance targets on resource availability, benchmarks, economic and demographic

trends, state and federal mandates, and historical trends. As accomplishments are made, The College updates targets

on an annual basis through progress reports submitted by divisions, feedback from the AQIP Category Teams,

SBHE expectations, legislative accountability measures, environmental scanning, economic impact research, and

projected enrollments.

• Aligning the Systems Portfolio, Action Projects, Quality Check-Up, and Strategy Forums

The coordination and alignment of quality improvement initiatives at the College is both a top-down and bottom-up

process. Accreditation activities are used as feedback tools used to inform the College about the efficacy of its

continuous quality improvement model. From a top-down perspective, the Quality Check-Up, which is an external

review, begins as a self-assessment. Reviewers provide an external perspective on the College’s self-assessment of

processes as well document how effectively it is targeting improvements in areas identified as opportunity for



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increased effectiveness. Communications with other constituencies, most notably students and the community,

allow the Quality Check-Up Team to give comprehensive feedback.

The Systems Portfolio is a comprehensive self-assessment of how the College’s processes integrate and contribute

to an institution-wide continuous improvement process. The Systems Portfolio helps determine where processes are

well-established and effective, as well as identifying opportunities that guide improvements. Action projects, as

mentioned above, originate from the results of Annual Strategic Planning event, which assures alignment with the

College’s mission and vision. The Strategy Forum allows the Institution to spend concentrated time and effort in

planning for improvement in needed areas, while also building the institutional capacity for understanding the

continuous quality improvement. The expertise and sharing of the Strategy Forum allows for organic discussion

and expert feedback on how to better align quality improvement initiatives.

6R1 What are the results for continuous quality improvement initiatives?

The creation of the Institutional Effectiveness team in 2009 and the Research and Records office in 2013 have

centralized efforts to create a campus culture of quality improvement, despite increased employee turnover.

Stabilized and concerted efforts have allowed for quality improvements efforts to evolve into embedded business

practices. The focus on continuous improvement cycles provides robust, longitudinal assessment across campus,

identifying areas of improvement to assist the College in fulfilling its mission.

To review employee perception concerning campus quality improvement, the College reviews the Campus Quality

Survey (CQS), which is a unique perception instrument that uses gap analysis to analyze perceptions. The three

CQS results below document improvement with small setbacks documented in 2014 in the upgrading of processes

for collecting data, the establishment of quality improvement teams, and the documented, up-to-date expectations

of departments from an employee perspective. The slight decrease in improvement is thought to be correlated with

the extensive turnover.


This Institution Continually Evaluates and Upgrades its Processes for Collecting Data

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.531 4.375 4.350 4.351

How it is now 3.594 3.188 3.488 3.364

Performance Gap .938 1.188 .863 .987

Two-Year National Performance Gap .918 .896 .907 .879

Quality Improvement Teams Have Been Established in this Organization

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.576 4.417 4.500 4.468

How it is now 3.364 3.729 4.024 3.675

Performance Gap 1.212 .688 .476 .792

Two-Year National Performance Gap .808 .783 1.114 .759

Each Department or Work Unit has Written, Up-to-Date Service Expectations

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.531 4.375 4.350 4.351

How it is now 3.594 3.188 3.488 3.364

Performance Gap .938 1.188 .863 .987


As a result of the concerted efforts toward institutional embodiment of quality improvement initiatives, the College

has yielded numerous continuous quality improvement initiatives at all levels of the Institution. Many of the quality

improvement initiatives focus on the implementation of the strategies within the Strategic Plan. However, others are

found in accreditation activities, departmental business, strategic partnerships, etc.


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For example:

As a result of participation in the HLC Assessment Academy, Intuitional Learning Outcomes, Program Outcome

Guides and Course Outcome Guides have been established for all associate-level learning, outlining instructional

expectation at various levels

In response to the 2011 System Portfolio feedback, an Action Project concerning the creation of the Institutional

Scorecard condensed vital results and planning data into one document

In response to the 2011 System Portfolio feedback, an Action Project concerning the creation of the Instructional

Division Policy and Procedure manual has provided consistent guidelines of work for Instruction

In response to the 2011 System Portfolio feedback, an Action Project concerning New Employee Orientation was

completed to enhance the employee’s understanding of the College and provide a positive, best start.

The annual strategic planning event resulted in a revised mission, values and vision.

The annual strategic planning event resulted in TrainND Northwest’s new building being completed to meet

heightened demand in non-credit training

Upon Master Plan recommendation, Dickson Hall was removed and two apartment units were constructed to

meet employee housing and critical service community employee needs

Upon Master Plan recommendation, the renovation of Stevens Hall was completed on-time

Upon Master Plan recommendation, the Front Drive Project was completed on-time

In partnership with the NDUS Challenge Grant, the Williston State College Foundation and Alva J. Field Trust

Memorial have pledged to afford quality education at no cost for all Williams County graduates

6I1 Based on 6R1, what quality improvement initiatives have been implemented or will be implemented in

the next one to three years?

The College’s quality improvement results and success to date have been inspiring despite the challenges

surrounding the College, most recently related to the regional oil industry’s impact. Tremendous changes in staffing

and other campus changes have led to loss of institutional knowledge and culture, especially surrounding

institutional quality improvement processes. Stability of operations and communication issues related to turnover

place pressure on the College, which challenge employee morale and campus climate in certain circles.

There still has been noticeable and considerable effort with a focus on numerous quality improvement initiatives.

The Strategic Plan represents only a part of the current quality initiatives. The creation of the Research and Records

office with a specific position now dedicated to Research has assured reliable, accurate, timely data that concerns

the implementation and monitoring of quality improvement initiatives. Given the office and position are only a

year old, the office and position are expected to grow the culture of quality from where it is now using data-driven

information. Institutional Scorecard tracking points not previously documented have allowed new information to

be analyzed in respect to the overall environment of the College. The process of reviewing and updating on a

quarterly basis is expected to continually assist the College to dig even deeper into meaningful data related to

quality improvement. For example, Housing Capacity and Occupancy rates and Percentage of New Student

Enrollment rates are new data points positively informing budgeting, instructional planning and staffing concerns.

As a part of the 2015 Strategic Plan, AQIP 6 is spearheading an annual goal of creating an updated, easy-to-follow

web page for data and quality references. AQIP 6 is also undertaking an annual goal of formalizing a data calendar

so as to assure data is compiled and communicated in a timely manner. Further evaluation of improvements of the

impact of these initiatives will be conducted using the College’s Institutional Scorecard and its vital data points

related to the culture of quality. The College is also completing the first implementation stages of its Institutional,

Program and Course outcomes assessment. To assure academic quality, the College is looking to continue its

establishment of outcomes assessment to other programs beyond the associate level.

Culture of Quality

6P2 Culture of Quality focuses on how the institution integrates continuous quality improvement into its

culture. Describe how a culture of quality is ensured within the institution. This includes, but is not limited

to, descriptions of key processes for:


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• Developing an infrastructure and providing resources to support a culture of quality

The establishment of Institutional Effectiveness (IE) in 2009 has formed the basis for the culture of quality at the

College. Continuous Quality Improvement has become embedded in College culture thanks to the establishment

and continued IE initiatives and participation by all College employees. Institutional Effectiveness is a cross-

divisional and collaborative group that is the driver of data analysis that assures quality, considers the accreditation

and strategic planning across the organization. The Director for Effectiveness leads IE and the Continuous Quality

processes, ensuring that the interests and needs of all employee groups and students are reflected in the dialogue

and decisions related to planning for continuous improvement. Cabinet Sponsors of each AQIP team advocate for

successful planning process and excellent team outcomes at an executive administration level. Each IE Advisor

works as the AQIP category knowledge expert supporting the team with data and analysis and provides guidance on

interrelationships between strategic plan and other quality initiatives and accreditation standards. IE Advisors work

throughout the academic year with their AQIP teams to distribute, explain and discuss institutional data. IE Chairs

facilitate team meetings and represent the AQIP team on the Budget Committee. Continuous improvement is

integrated across the organization at all levels and is an expectation for all employees. All employees participate as

a member of an AQIP team and are given opportunities to give recommendations and provide feedback on quality

improvement initiates at various levels. Integrated within this cycle is the College’s belief in shared governance and

inclusiveness across all levels of the Institution. This forms the infrastructure to support a culture of quality and

continuous improvement at the College.

Quality continuous planning, in respect to accreditation activities, is explained and reviewed biannually at all-

employee Fall In-Service and the Strategic Planning Event. New employees are offered an AQIP training session

during fall in-service. At the Annual Strategic Planning event, the cross-divisional teams meet to review and update

the strategic plan. Outcomes, or long-term goals, and Goals, or short-term goals, are discussed and revised for

annual updating. All employee participation allows for views and voices to be considered, as well as the importance

of quality initiatives to be reinforced. Though such activities, employees are involved in how processes are

developed and/or improved to ensure the continuous improvement is being implemented across the College, as well

as how these processes relate and integrate. Strategic planning goals are formally evaluated on an annual basis to

assess success, and the College again examines institutional performance through the Institutional Scorecard. The

annual occurrence of this event has helped to establish an all-inclusive focus on quality across the campus.

The annual budgeting process that involves the Director of Finance and AQIP Chairs mirrors the process of the

Strategic Planning event, again allowing for all employee recommendations and feedback on budgeting needs

related to the strategic plan. The Budget Committee assesses the potential impact of strategies to help guide

resource allocation to those areas with the greatest likelihood for positively impacting improved outcomes. The

annual occurrence of this event has helped to establish an all-inclusive, focus on how budget and campus quality

improvement are interrelated. The Systems Portfolio is conducted in an all-inclusive manner, as well. Cabinet

sponsors of each AQIP teams are responsible for the writing of each AQIP category; however they work with AQIP

teams so as to allow for all employee recommendations and feedback.

• Ensuring continuous quality improvement is making an evident and widely understood impact on

institutional culture and operations (5.D.1)

Since publishing the 2011 systems portfolio, the College has made results and data based decision-making a

primary piece of its overall strategy. Until the recent past, culture and operations have not been clearly connected to

the concept of continuous improvement. Parts of the organization more than others focused on continuous

improvement, however the integration of basic elements of quality improvement cycle can now be seen at most

levels of the institution. (5.D.1)

To encourage understanding of accreditation and the AQIP process, new employees are offered an AQIP training

session during fall in-service. Fall and spring College-wide In-Service sessions provide the opportunity for

collaboration in learning about College improvements initiatives through review of the strategic plan and Action

Projects as well as through general divisional and departmental updates. The President’s update outlines


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improvement initiatives planned for the year, as well as anticipated challenges during the year. The President’s

updates are objective, pertinent to the institutions performance and most importantly they demonstrate commitment

to identifying areas where improvement is required. The Strategic Planning process again involves all employees,

further ensuring that every employee is able to gain exposure to, learn about and give input towards the quality

improvement planning process. Individual AQIP meetings strategic plan updates, data sharing, what they need from

AQIP to accomplish goal. (5.D.1)

Communication is always a challenge. The bottom-up, top-down approach and all-inclusive participation with

Institutional Effectiveness, is used to include all employees, foster a culture of continuous quality improvement and

facilitate communication. The college openly assesses institutional effectiveness and distributes results

documentation. This is primarily to illustrate the annual assessment of the strategic plan and overall institutional

effectiveness. Across the institution, a stronger culture of continuous quality improvement is emerging. Processes

for assessment of student learning, enrollment management, and others are taking shape. The creation of the

Research and Records Department has helped ensure alignment of continuous improvement processes with the

organizations operations and culture. (5.D.1)

• Ensuring the institution learns from its experiences with CQI initiatives (5.D.2)

The College’s commitment to continuous quality improvement is evident with the commitment made in its vision

statement, explicitly highlighting actionable data and continuous improvement. Process improvement and

institutional learning is central to the model of continuous quality improvement at the College. (5.D.2)

The structure of the AQIP Pathway has provided a foundational process for implementing quality improvement

initiatives, as well as encouraged the use of results and feedback for further improvement and understanding. The

continuous Institutional Activities and Peer Feedback have helped the College understand the importance not only

of the effort in making improvement strides, but also in importance of the reflection on feedback. The AQIP

Pathway has assisted in creating a historical record of improvement initiatives, documenting projects of success and

areas for opportunity. The processes leading to quality improvement initiatives, and the assessment and evaluation

that accompany them provide opportunity to build institutional knowledge so that continuous learning becomes part

of culture. (5.D.2)

Mentioned previously, various planning processes incorporate cross-divisional, all-inclusive teams to monitor and

review quality improvement projects. Broad involvement provides cross-campus knowledge with which the

College can use to understand and learn from continuous quality improvement attempts. For example, the AQIP

Cabinet Sponsor is tasked with completing his or her respective section of the Systems Portfolio with assistance

from the AQIP team. The Systems Portfolio Review is distributed and reviewed by each AQIP team. Third-party

feedback allows the College to gain insight in determining the next targets for advancing quality. Similar processes

are used for outcomes and assessment portfolios, Strategic Planning, Action Projects and Systems Appraisals.

(5.D.2)

The College’s Annual Strategic Planning process allows for the creation of both short and long-term quality

improvement initiatives. The strategic planning process results in a multi-year Strategic Plan. The annual review of

the strategic plan by the cross-divisional AQIP teams allows for reflection on the previous year’s plan and results

and allows participants to learn from the trials and triumphs over the course of the previous year. The participation

of key community members and students on each AQIP team during strategic planning provides external feedback

loops for input and reflection. Such external feedback loops enhance understanding and learning by providing third-

party, externally informed opinions and viewpoints. Previous Annual Goals undergo modification to address new

performance targets and long-term outcomes are updated as need be. (5.D.2)

• Reviewing, reaffirming, and understanding the role and vitality of the AQIP Pathway within the institution

The College embraces the AQIP process and continuous quality improvement. The Institutional Effectiveness

group is charged with understanding the AQIP processes and requirements. This responsibility includes the

continuous correlation and explicit translation of how efforts at every level are part of the process of accreditation

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and continuous improvement. The Institutional Scorecard has been effective in zeroing in on cross-divisional data

items related to internal and external connections that are vital components of work at the College, the Strategic

Plan and accreditation efforts for continuous improvement. The rigorous processes of AQIP have helped the

College maintain operations and push forward with quality improvement despite the difficulties with turnover in

recent years.

The goal of the College is that the concept and focus on AQIP as something the College does will eventually grow

into an over-arching, successful use of continuous quality improvement in all areas. More important is the

establishment of a culture that supports the AQIP Pathway without focusing on AQIP itself. The College has taken

great strides to build a model of continuous quality improvement that exists at the core of the Institution’s culture

and operations. Through processes for assessing overall effectiveness, a shared governance structure, and student

learning outcomes, the continuous improvement elements within the AQIP Pathway are present in the core

components of the organizations operations. These are examples, but it is the belief of the College that the evidence

presented in this Systems Portfolio demonstrates it has embodied and is working to solidify the role of the AQIP

Pathway into the Institution.

6R2 What are the results for continuous quality improvement to evidence a culture of quality?

The College openly shares results documents, Strategic Plans and Institutional Scorecard data, even when the

information presented demonstrates areas where the College does not perform well. The College extends AQIP

invitations and training to all new employees and publishes group membership. The College’s model of continuous

improvement documents the process and involvement for all improvement initiatives.

To review the employee perception of a culture of quality on campus, the College reviews the Campus Quality

Survey (CQS), which is a unique perception instrument that uses gap analysis as the foundation of perceptions. The

five CQS results below document improvement, with small setbacks documented in 2014, in areas of the belief in

continuous quality improvement, student involvement in improvement, careful planning and employee involvement

in planning. The slight decrease in improvement is thought to be correlated with the extensive turnover and the time

it takes to familiarize others with an institutional culture.


This Institution Believes in Continuous Quality Improvement

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.606 4.521 4.463 4.579

How it is now 3.242 3.771 4.131 3.921


Two-Year National Performance Gap .755 .744 .726 .611

Student Input is Systematically Monitored and Measured as a Basis for Improvement

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.606 4.543 4.482 4.403

How it is now 3.242 3.022 3.554 3.325


Two-Year National Performance Gap .955 1.083 .829 1.064

This Institution Plans Carefully

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.636 4.500 4.548 4.408

How it is now 2.576 2.833 3.381 3.092



Employee Suggestions are Used to Improve our Institution

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.606 4.438 4.482 4.519

How it is now 2.727 3.125 3.386 3.195





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This Institution Involves its Employees in Planning for the Future

2008 2010 2012 2014

How it should be 4.576 4.458 4.595 4.649

How it is now 3.091 3.271 3.988 3.584


Two-Year National Performance Gap 1.249 1.221 .972 1.191

6I2 Based on 6R2, what improvements to the quality culture have been implemented or will be implemented

in the next one to three years?

Primary areas of improvement described in previous sections of this Systems Portfolio pertain to process

improvements or the familiarizing new employees to Campus processes. While the College has made

improvements over the previous few years toward implementing processes for different aspects of the College’s

operations that have helped build and strengthen a culture of quality, others remain to be improved or developed.

For example, the creation and regular review of the Institutional Scorecard is now taking place, which assists the

organization in continually monitoring the progress of measures vital to achieving strategic plan related goals as

well as improving institutional processes and practices across all campus operations. The plan does not at this point,

however, document goals for upcoming data collection periods. The College believes that the institutionalization of

documenting cross-campus goals will assist in creating a stronger more unified culture of continuous improvement.

In addition, AQIP 1 has made several improvements to its process and communication of academic program

reviews. The College believes that the institutionalization of non-academic program and service reviews will also

assist in creating a stronger more unified culture of continuous improvement for non-academic departments.