state of the college germanna community college – fall 2015
TRANSCRIPT
State of the CollegeGermanna Community College – Fall 2015
From Access to Success• Germanna and Community
Colleges have focused on the Open Door
• The under-represented are increasingly well-represented
• But for many students & especially the traditionally under-represented, the door is a revolving door or a door that leads nowhere.
• Focus now must be on SUCCESS• Degrees & Credentials Leading to
Productive Employment• Degree attainment after Transfer• Equity in Success
Increased Diversity in Learners Demands Diversity in Teaching and Outreach• Curriculum and Outcomes
• Teaching strategies
• Outreach strategies
• Removal of barriers• Institutional• Facility design• Technological• Financial• College culture
• Adequate diversity of faculty and Staff• Role models• World view
• Individualization
Therefore• Focus on competencies and outcomes-based design and
evaluation
• Use technology to both individualize learning and transform how we teach and learn
• Close the gap between students’ learning/degrees and needs of society
• Redesign structures to more network-based organization
• Align college roles to future expectations
• Evolve a sustainable financial model
• Assess everything in terms of Equity of Outcomes and Success
• Steal from the Best
Planning 2021Student Success and Usable Credentials
Planning for 2021 – Context• VCCS Goal of tripling the number of credentials
• Governor’s emphasis on industry-recognized credentials and workforce development
• Germanna one of 4 colleges plus one consortium to receive government grant to produce more industry-recognized credentials• 100 plus achieved in 2014-15
• 2015-16 Virginia Legislative initiative to fund noncredit credentialing
• National focus on community college student success• Gates Foundation• Lumina Foundation• Complete College• Federal and State Governments
Review of Planning History• 2007-08 Mission, Vision, Values & 5 Strategic Initiatives revised
or created
• 2009 – Reviewed for Achieve 2015
• 2014 – Public Visioning Sessions• Culpeper• Orange• Stafford
• 2015 February Learning Day• College faculty and staff visioning sessions• Mission session
• 2015 Mission review• Led by College Council• Approved by College Board in May
Strategic Initiatives• Developed in 2007-08
• Revised in 2009
• VCCS Goal of tripling credential attainment between 2015 and 2021
• Progress reviewed quarterly at College Council and College Board
• Progress reported to Chancellor
• Next steps• Presidents Listening Visits up to 50 faculty and staff (begun in August)• Fall Learning Day All-College discussions• College Council reviews and recommends• President’s Council reviews and decides• College Board reviews and approves (January 2016)• Climate Survey 2015
Listening VisitsSummary of what I have heard
What We Are Proud About• Our mission and how we help the less fortunate
• Our work gives us purpose and creativity
• Of our students and graduates• Overcoming odds• Making a difference in our communities and for our students
• Of each other• Caring faculty and staff – passion for student success• We go the extra mile to help students succeed• We are problem solvers and innovators• The quality of the people here
• All the resources and services we offer our students
• The right mix of career and transfer programs
• We partner with other organizations
• “Working at Germanna has been the hardest job I have ever had but has given me the most satisfaction.”
• “Germanna changed my life when I came here as a student.”
What We’d Like to See Changed• More staff in certain areas
• More training and cross-training
• Less turfism and fewer organizational siloes
• Some feel we have lost a sense of close community
• Improve communication
• More events that bring all of us together
• Better articulation of military training and industry certifications to credits
• More student activities, especially in the arts
• Find a way to advertise to the under 40s
What We Think Will Help Students Succeed• One-on-one caring
• Help more students to succeed in developmental math
• More weekend and evening hours for support services
• The team approach works
• Student success coaches
• Have a more diverse faculty
• A class schedule planned further in advance and better coordinated across disciplines and locations
• General Education woven throughout curriculum: Faculty as a whole take ownership of gen. ed. outcomes and assessment
Strategic InitiativesProgress and Review
Become a Learning-Centered college, where quality teaching and support services foster student learning and success.
• Student success coaches have improved success rates for at-risk cohorts to be equivalent to that of “mainstream” students
• Student success rates improving slowly (discussed more later)
• Gladys P. Todd Academy for Underserved Students
• 72% completion for SAILS progress surveys
• New Career and Transfer Center with 2 new FT Counselors and 1 staff
Develop outreach efforts, programs, and services that fulfill the promise of affordable access to educational opportunities and workforce development for all the constituents of our service area
• Signed lease for training space in Caroline County (partially supported by Caroline County 3 year appropriation)
• Added 6th high school career coach
• Gladys Todd Academy funded by $2,000,000 Doris Buffet donation
• Workforce Development achieving 115% of “employers served” goal
• College Recruiter at Churches and events
• Student Services working with Culpeper Regional Adult Education
• Implementing DoL Veterans Service Demonstration Project
• Diversity Council has developed a diversity plan which has been sent to VCCS for approval
Develop partnerships and alternative resources to better enable the College to achieve its mission.
• University of Mary Washington• Nursing program• Co-enrollment program
• Caroline County 3 year appropriation for Center
• Gladys Todd Academy funded by $2,000,000 Doris Buffet donation
• Workforce received Federal Grant to reward industry recognized certificate production
Develop systems of continuous improvement and a culture of accountability to be better stewards of the resources and mission in our care
• Successfully implemented new Compliance Assist software for tracking assessment data and strategic plan progress
• Completed Civil Rights review • College received several commendations• College addressed directly or developed a plan to address areas of concern
Invest in people through professional development, recognitions and rewards systems• All employee groups received raises of 2 to 4% beginning this
month
• Adjunct faculty promotion plan budgeted for $125,000 per year beginning 2015-16
• VCCS task force on planning-based evaluation for administrative faculty
• Implemented pilot for redesigned New Employee Orientation
• Assessment completed for New Faculty Academy with improvements recommended and being implemented
Student SuccessContext and Report Cards
Germanna’s Report Cards (WalletHub)• 2015’s Best & Worst Community
Colleges Germanna number 217 out of 670• Cost & Financing (Cost per student and
faculty salaries) – Germanna number 641• Classroom Experience (CCSSE) –
Number 525• Education Outcomes (Success and
graduation rates) – Number 105• Career Outcomes (Return on
educational investment) – Number 23
• CCSSE says their results should not be used for comparing colleges
• But they are and will be used to compare
Germanna’s Report Card (CollegeMeasures.org)
Strategic Measure Outcome
National Rank AmongAll Colleges
National Rank AmongMedium-sized Public Colleges
Trend
Percentile Percentile
Graduation + transfer rate 34.0 % 28th 36th
First-year retention rate 85.2 % 67th 76th
Cost per student (FTE) $7,248 17th 19th
Cost per completion $33,360 20th 8th
Completions per 100 FTE students
22 53rd 79th
Cost of attrition * $0.8m N/A N/A
Student loan default rate 0.0 % 11th 10th
Salary to Cost Ratio 115.1 % 93rd 96th
* Amount spent by the college to educate first-year degree-seeking students (first-time, full-time) who did not begin a second year.
Germanna Report Card (National Center for Education Statistics)
Germanna Report Card (National Center for Education Statistics)
Germanna Report Card (National Center for Education Statistics)
Germanna Report Card (National Center for Education Statistics)
Germanna Report Card (National Center for Education Statistics)
Germanna Report Card (National Center for Education Statistics)
Students Receiving Veterans’ Benefits
College Completion – Chronicle of Higher Education
We have since moved into the middle
College Completion – Chronicle of Higher Education
College Completion – Chronicle of Higher Education
Planning for SuccessThe next 5 years
Three Big Efforts
1.Guided Pathways (versus the shapeless river)
2.Starting right – The first 5 courses3.Incentives to success
-Combined with other efforts in a system of integrated processes and practices and supported by a culture devoted to student achievement and success
- Three concurrent sessions to explore further and develop task forces
How do we know?• Community College Research
Center
• Aspen Institute
• Complete College America
• Indiana Commission for Higher Education
• Center for Community College Student Engagement
• Completion by Design
• Lumina Foundation
• Achieving the Dream
• Carnegie Foundation
• Learning Works
Impatient Optimists – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation• Four Solutions We Believe In:
1. Financial aid that makes college affordable for students with the most need and promotes both access and success.
2. Pathways that guide all students to a certificate or degree, regardless of how or where they began their education.
3. Technology that personalizes learning and helps students navigate the path to a certificate or degree. We believe that technology cannot replace the human element of higher education but can enrich it.
4. Information that empowers students to make decisions about where and how they attend college, educators to identify students who need help and gauge how best to support them, and policymakers to determine how to target limited public resources toward student success.
Among Germanna’s Many Strengths- Dedicated faculty and staff devoted to student success- Germanna is already more focused course selection- Excellent Tutoring and Support Services- Student Success Coaches- SAILS Early warning System- Improved SDV & Orientation Program
The Essential Challenge – Not Either/Or• Help more students attain a useful degree or credential in a
reasonable time without a significant student loan debt
AND
• Help more students find their way to a career that pays well and enables them to live a good life
AND
• Help more students to transformative and deep learning that leads to a fulfilling and richer life
AND
• Help more students be productive and involved citizens
Noncredit Credentials
Efforts to Triple Noncredit Credentials
• Better recording of the credentials already earned by our noncredit and credit students• Obtain results from testers or test-takers
• Monies from Federal grant used to build capacity• Faculty training for now credential
• Expanded Apprenticeships
Navigating the Shapeless RiverImproving Student Success at Germanna
Undecided = At-Risk• Too many of our students• Major in I Don’t Know• Graduate in I Don’t Know• Transfer in I Don’t Know
• General studies (often undecided)• 2,163 of our students are classified as AA&S General Studies out of 6,149
total. 35.2% of our student population (Fall 2014)
Success rates• Retention Rates (Fall to Spring as well as Fall to Fall) have been
steady for last 5 years
• Within 10 years of enrolling at GCC—for both first time in college and transfer students:
• 34.1% of students will have completed their associates degree • 22.7% of students will have completed their associates degree at GCC• 11.4% of students will have completed their associates degree somewhere else
What will be easier with Structured Pathways
• Guaranteed schedule
• Course scheduling
• Faculty advising
The Challenge Ahead
The Challenge Ahead• Increase student success with no more state resources than
we have now
• Assure Equity in student access, success and employee diversity
• Improve our ability to work across department lines AND our sense of being a community
• Demonstrate with data what we have done and need to do
• Continue to treat our students as people we care enough about to both challenge and support them as individuals
• Triple useful and usable credentials by 2021
• Hold each other mutually accountable while respecting our differences
Guided PathwaysLessons from the Aspen Institute
Guiding Students Down the River into the Right Tributary
Broad Pathway
Program
Major Major
Career Career
ProgramProgram
Program
The Aspen Prize
Learning outcomesCompletion outcomesLabor market outcomesEquity in outcomes
High absolute performance
Improvement over
time
Four Measures of Community College Excellence
If our Goals followed the Aspen 4 Measures:1. COMPLETION: Triple the number of degrees, certificates and
industry-recognized credentials by 2012 (VCCS State Goal)
2. LEARNING: Continue to develop as a Learning Centered College so that students learn what they should and we measure ourselves by what they learn
3. LABOR MARKET: Improve the success of our graduates in their short- and long-term employment and in their bachelor-degree attainment
4. EQUITY: Ensure equitable outcomes for all learners regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and better support the underserved towards their success
The Aspen Prize
Completion/transfer rates that far surpass the national average
Outcomes of Prize Finalist Colleges
National Average Finalist Average Top 3 on This Metric
40%
51%
73%
The Aspen Prize
Exceptional improvements over time in completion
Outcomes of Prize Finalist Colleges
Increase in the number of credentials awarded at Valencia College, 2002-2011AA, AS/AAS Degrees and Certificates/Diplomas Awarded
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-140
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
AA Degrees
Certificates and Diplomas
AS and AAS Degrees
84% increase over 6 years
46% increase over 6 years
66% increase over 6 years
The Aspen Prize
National Average Finalist Average Top 3 on This Metric
34%
44%
59%
Far greater equity in outcomes than the national average
Outcomes of Prize Finalist Colleges
Three-year completion and/or transfer rates for underrepresented minority students compared to the national average
• Brazosport College (TX)• Santa Barbara City College (CA)• Santa Fe College (FL)
The Aspen Prize
Exceptional short-term labor market outcomes for graduates
Outcomes of Prize Finalist Colleges
Average salaries of recent graduates compared to the average for all new-hiresin the region (top three performers)
Lake Area Technical Institute (SD)
$20,540
$28,756
Regional
average
Walla Walla Community College (WA)
$23,211
$41,548
Regional
average
Brazosport College (TX)
$31,086
$56,576
Regional
average
40% above avg.
79% above avg.
82% above avg.
The Aspen Prize
Exceptional long-term labor market outcomes
Outcomes of Prize Finalist Colleges
Average salaries of graduates 5 years after graduation compared to the average for all workers in the region (top three performers)
Walla Walla Community College (WA)
$36,803
$57,044
Miami-Dade College (FL)
$45,664
$63,016
Brazosport College (TX)
$46,832
$77,272
Regional
average
Regional
average
Regional
average
55% above avg.
38% above avg.
65% above avg.
VCCS
• Annual 2% increase of budget allocation to student success by self-designed system-wide performance funding formula
• By 2019-2020 the allocation should be between 12-20%
Funding
Lessons from the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
Themes characterizing the institutions that achieve exceptional outcomes for students:
12345
Strong Leadership and Organizational Culture
Guided Pathways to Continuing Education and Well-Paying Jobs
Intentional Focus on Improving Teaching and Learning
Strategic Data Use to Improve Practice and Close Equity Gaps
Partnerships and Structures Aligned to Defined Student Outcomes
Build new pathways to success, including narrowly defined course sequences,
aligned to what comes next: workforce and four-year
transfer.
Exceptional colleges have comprehensive strategies for student success centered on clear pathways:
Focus support services on pathways goals(e.g. career/major
counseling, early alerts, intrusive advising).
Exceptional colleges have comprehensive strategies for student success centered on clear pathways:
Lessons from the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
Miami Dade College
Faculty and advisors were engaged to create new simple degree pathways for 60% of
incoming students.
Result: New default curricula for five degree pathways that, together, serve 60
percent of all new students.
Lessons from the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
Lake Area Technical Institute
Structured, cohort-based, block-schedule programs ensure students stay on
track.
Result: 76 percent graduation rate is among
the nation’s highest.
Structured “Metamajors” - Examples• Arizona State University• Engineering, Math, Technology & Physical Sciences• Arts/Humanities/Design• Heath & Life Sciences• Social/Behavioral Sciences
• Georgia State University
• Florida state university
• Austin Peay State University
Structured “Metamajors” - Examples• Florida Colleges• Arts, humanities, communication and design• Business • Education• Health sciences• Industry/manufacturing and construction• Public Safety• Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics• Social and behavioral sciences and human services
• Odessa College – Texas• Arts & Humanities• Business & Industry• Health Science• Public & Consumer Service• STEM
Starting off RightThe First 5 Courses
Valencia Community College• Valencia’s highest student attrition occurs in the first fifteen
credit hours
• “Starting right” will produce significant increases in long-term student achievement:• focusing key resources• thoughtfully designed learning experiences• plenty of good energy• support at the “front door”
• Valencia looked at the “gatekeeper courses” that most students take in their first 15 credit hours• Improving success here is critical
Incentives to Success
Financial Incentives• “Financial aid incentives have many benefits. They
simultaneously reduce the cost of attending college while rewarding positive academic performance.”• Our Piece of the Pie®, Inc.
• Attending part-time is one of the top 7 risk factors
Truckee Meadows Community College (Nevada)• Incentive grants to encourage students to attend full-time and
graduate within three years
• Graduation Incentive Grant• The Graduation Incentive Grant is offered to help students close to
graduating, but needing a little extra help to complete
• Freshman Incentive Grant• Apply for financial aid and be shown as needy• Must enroll full time, at 12 or 15 Fall, and 12 or 15 Spring Semester
credits• Must enroll in math and English during Fall Semester• Have to complete more than two-thirds of their classes each semester• Maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA)
The Challenge Ahead• Increase student success with no more state resources than
we have now
• Assure Equity in student access, success and employee diversity
• Improve our ability to work across department lines AND our sense of being a community
• Demonstrate with data what we have done and need to do
• Continue to treat our students as people we care enough about to both challenge and support them as individuals
• Triple useful and usable credentials by 2021
• Hold each other mutually accountable while respecting our differences