Developing the Year One Report: WVC’s Experience as

a Pilot College

Dr. Susan Murray

Executive Director, Institutional Effectiveness

Key Elements of the New Model

• Mission-driven

• Integrates planning, action and assessment

• Continuous improvement

• Shorter reporting intervals

• Analysis and synthesis

MISSION AND CORE THEMES

Institutional Context

• Comprehensive Community College– Defined in state statute: RCW 28B.50– Open admissions– Transfer, workforce, basic skills and

community education– Separate and distinct from K-12 system and

universities

Institutional Context• Large, rural service

district• Only higher education

institution based in the area

• Diverse population with disparate needs

• Economic drivers: agriculture, healthcare, natural resources

Mission Review

• Fall 2007 – Winter 2008

• Led by Trustees

• Response and discussion

• Revisions (minor) and reaffirmation

WVC Mission Statement

Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds.

Core Themes

• Definition– “a manifestation of a fundamental aspect of

institutional mission with an overarching common purpose that guides planning for programs and services, development of capacity, and application of resources to fulfill that aspect of the mission.”

Development of WVC Themes

• Ends Policies– Framework for institutional outcomes under

Policy Governance model– Parsed mission statement and mapped to

Ends Policies

• Key question:– Can we identify focused efforts or allocation of

resources to achieve this theme?

Core Themes• Transfer/Liberal Arts• Professional/Technical

Education• Basic Skills• Continuing Education• Student Diversity/

Access• Responsiveness to local

needs• Cultural education and

enrichment

Identifying Core Themes

OUTCOMES AND INDICATORS

Theme Level

For each theme:

• Definition/description

• Intended outcomes

• Assessable and meaningful indicators of achievement

• Rationale

New Standards and Core Themes

1.B.1

The institution identifies core themes that individually manifest essential elements of its mission and collectively encompass its mission.

1.B.2

For each core theme the institution establishes objectives, each with meaningful, assessable, and verifiable indicators of achievement, which form the basis for evaluating achievement of those objectives.

Examples

THEMEHigh-quality liberal arts/transfer program

ENDS POLICYPolicy II: Transfer Curricula Students who declare an intent to transfer are prepared to be successful at the baccalaureate level

INDICATORS• The rates at which students are retained in and complete transfer preparation programs and/or courses• A well-defined core curriculum articulated with university requirements• The success of WVC transfer students at receiving universities

SAMPLE MEASURESRetention through successive quarters for degree seeking studentsIPEDS (3 year) degree completion ratesStudent Achievement Initiative pointsEvidence of attainment of WVC Core AbilitiesEnrollment at 4-year institutionsAcademic performance after transferStudent satisfaction with instruction (CCSSE, WVC Graduation Survey)

ExamplesTHEMEStudent Diversity/Access

ENDS POLICIES

Policy V: Student Development and Support Services

Policy VI: Access to Educational Programs and Services

INDICATORS• Outreach and recruiting activities connecting WVC to district high schools• Participation in student organizations, athletics, and other leadership programs

• Student demographics compared to district population demographics• Participation in opportunities for distance learning• Partnerships with community-based organization to offer classes throughout the district• Scholarship support

SAMPLE MEASURESStudent organization/team demographicsGeneral enrollment/Running Start enrollment by high schoolRetention and completion for key demographic groupsStudent satisfaction with programs and services (CCSSE, grad survey)CCSSE Student Engagement benchmarks

Mission Level

• How do you define fulfillment of mission?– Synthesis: more than the discrete themes

• What is an acceptable threshold? – What level of performance is good enough?– Foreshadowing Standard Five

New Standards and Mission Fulfillment

1.A.2

The institution defines mission fulfillment in the context of its purpose, values, and characteristics. Within that definition, it articulates institutional achievements, outcomes, or expectations that represent an acceptable threshold or extent of mission fulfillment.

New Standards and Mission Fulfillment

5.A.1

The institution engages in regular, systematic, and participatory self-reflective assessment of its accomplishments and progress toward fulfilling its mission.

 5.A.2

Within its definition of mission fulfillment, the institution uses evidence-based assessment results to make determinations of quality, effectiveness and mission fulfillment and communicates findings to appropriate constituencies and the public.

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Feedback from Year One Report

Strengths:

• Direct and succinct report

• Clarity of core themes and strength of relationship to mission

• Primary use of direct measures of achievement for core theme outcomes

Feedback from Year One Report

Areas to review:

• Clarify intended outcomes for core themes

• Ensure all indicators are assessable, measurable, and provide direct evidence

• Develop and articulate benchmarks or acceptable levels of achievement for indicators

Feedback from Year One Report

Revisions to requirements:

• Define mission fulfillment

• Articulate an acceptable level of mission fulfillment

Current Status

• Developing response to mission fulfillment

• Gathering information for Standard Two

• Reviewing indicators and outcomes with group for each core theme

QUESTIONS?