Cabrillo College Outreach and Recruitment Office Program Plan August 23, 2013 Table of Contents Section One: Program Overview Background and History .............................................................................................................. 1 Mission and Purpose ................................................................................................................... 1 Whom do you serve? ................................................................................................................. 1 What collaborations is your department involved in? .............................................................. 2 Program Operating Costs ........................................................................................................... 4 Enrollment Trends ...................................................................................................................... 5 Section Two: Planning and Outcomes Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) .............................................................................................. 6 Student Learning Outcomes Assessments and Results .............................................................. 6 Recommendations based on SLO Assessment and other data.................................................. 8 Process Review ........................................................................................................................... 8 Section Three: Goals and Recommendations Program Directions and Recommendations .............................................................................. 8 Appendix .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Section One: Program Overview Background and History At least since 1999 (there are no documents available before this year) the Outreach and Recruitment Office (ORO ) was staffed by a full-time Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator under the supervision the College’s Instruction component. In the spring of 2010, this position was moved to the College’s Student Services component under the supervision of the Dean of Counseling and Support Services. In the spring of 2012, due to the severe budget crisis, this position was eliminated and replaced with a 50% Outreach Specialist position. A new job description was created with a lower salary range and less responsibilities. This new position was added to a 50% EOPS/CARE Outreach Specialist position to create one full-time position effective July 1, 2012. At this time, this position was moved to operate under the supervision of the Dean of Student Services. The Outreach and Recruitment’s physical office as eliminated and its operation is now merged and located with the EOPS Outreach Specialist. 1. Mission and Purpose The purpose of the Outreach Office is to conduct outreach to prospective Cabrillo students; including the recruitment and retention of academically or financially disadvantaged students (e.g. EOPS eligible); serve as a liaison between College departments, local high schools and the community. This office assists all students in their quest to attend college for lifelong learning and success in an ever-changing world. The mission of the Outreach Office is to serve all prospective students by introducing them to information, processes, and resources that will increase their awareness of the college experience, inform them of their educational options at Cabrillo College, and provide them with steps to help them reach their educational goals. This is in direct alignment with the Cabrillo College mission which states, in part, “. . . dedicated to helping all students achieve their academic, career, and professional goals.” 2. Whom do you serve? The Outreach Specialist is a point of entry for many prospective students throughout Santa Cruz County and often beyond the county and state boarders and sometimes even for students from countries abroad. Their primary questions are around the admissions process, concurrent enrollment, assessment, orientation, registration, transfer agreements, academic and career programs, student services, housing, student organizations, EOPS, and student employment. 1 The Outreach Specialist also serves Cabrillo College at large and it’s many individual departments and programs to promote these throughout Santa Cruz County at high schools, community centers and many college fairs. The following is a list of some of the departments and programs that are served by the Outreach Specialist: Nursing Dental Hygiene Radiologic Technology Digital Media Computer Science Computer Instructional Systems Theater Arts Art Music Early Childhood Education Construction Energy Management Athletic Journalism Health and Human Services Environmental Science Engineering Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Horticulture Digital Bridge Public Safety Disabled Students Program Services 3. What collaborations is your department involved in? The following list includes the major offices, departments and programs with whom the Outreach Specialist collaborates: Office of the Dean of Counseling and Support Services - High School Articulation Council (HSAC) – The Outreach Specialist attends meetings of the HSAC to connect with the high school counselors and representatives from Santa Cruz County high schools. HSAC meets approximately 6 times per academic year. Admissions and Records – Communication between Outreach Specialist & A&R is ongoing to stay abreast of admission requirement changes and also to trouble shoot on 2 behalf of prospective students with issues that may arise in respect to their applications etc. Financial Aide and Scholarship Office (FASO) – keep close contact with FASO staff regarding specific problems/questions about FAFSA applications as students move through the process. Will walk students over to the FASO and introduce them to financial aid advisors. Assessment Office – Work with the Assessment Office staff to schedule special assessments such as for the Summer Migrant Program. Although assessment schedules are posted online, Counseling – Introduce counselors to tour groups and introduce students to the services available thru the Counseling Office, the Transfer Center, and Honors Program. Collaborate with staff in setting up special presentations for large groups or a specific event. Learning Communities Office – Work closely with the staff of the LC’s. Walk students to the center and introduce them to staff where assessment can be made to see which program best fits the student’s needs. Many re-entry students are referred to the LC’s as a first step into the college experience. Career Technical Education (CTE) Department Office – Connect with many of the CTE programs to stay current with requirements for incoming students. Take information & brochures to the high schools, community agencies and programs in the area to post. Local High Schools – Work closely with the high school staff & counselors in doing classroom and special events presentations about Cabrillo College programs and possibilities for students. Attend Career & College Fairs, work with teen parent programs, & @ risk youth. Educational Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) - In addition to the general recruitment when recruiting for the EOPS/CARE Program, I specifically target students that are educationally & economically disadvantaged that would qualify for the EOPS services. In addition, single parents are recruited that may be served by CARE for (over & above services). I make presentations to these groups and supply them with information regarding applications, deadlines and program requirements. There are numerous follow-ups with these prospective students as well. 3 4. Program Operating Costs: 2007-08 Staff Other Exp. 2008-09 $73,271 $7,009 2009-10 $77,774 $1,021 2010-11 $82,223 $1,171 2011-12 $83,916 $15,764 2012-13 $53,629 $3,323 Outreach & Recruitment Operating Expenses $82,223 $80,500 $70,500 $83,916 $77,774 $73,271 Allocated Budget $60,500 $53,629 $50,500 $40,500 $30,500 $20,500 $15,764 $10,500 $500 $7,009 2008-2009 $1,021 2009-2010 $1,171 2010-2011 $3,323 2011-2012 2012-2013 Staff $73,271 $77,774 $82,223 $83,916 $53,629 Other Exp. $7,009 $1,021 $1,171 $15,764 $3,323 The data for the operating costs of Outreach and Enrollment indicates that these costs were rising each year, mostly due to personnel costs, i.e. the cost of the salary of the Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator. There was a significant drop in personnel costs beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year. This is attributable to the fact that the Outreach and Recruitment position was eliminated and replaced with the funding of a 60% Outreach Specialist position. This position is lower on the salary schedule and has correspondingly less responsibility. It is important to note that this change in staffing was caused by the severe budget cuts that took place in many departments and programs during that year. The graph also shows a fluctuation of funding for supplies and other expenses, starting with $7,000 in the 2008-2009 academic year, dropping to approximately $1,000 for 2009-2011 academic years, rising significantly to over $15,000 in the academic year of 2010-2012 and dropping down to approximately $3,000 for the year 2012-2013. This fluctuation in funding is largely due to the fact that most of the funding, at that time, came from matriculation funds. 4 During the 2008-2009 and 2011-2012 academic years, supplemental support funding was provided from the Vice President of Instruction. During those years, outreach services were enhanced to include student employment to provide more campus tours and hospitality for the HSAC (High School Articulation Council and other outreach events. This level of funding is no longer available. 5. Enrollment Trends The following graph and table provides data on the student head count and FTES (full-time equivalent students) for the previous 5 years. Student Headcount & FTES Data 30,000 27,500 25,000 24,757 22,500 22,330 20,851 20,000 19,614 18,312 17,500 15,000 12,500 10,000 13,396 12,515 11,856 11,434 10,732 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 Headcount 24,757 22,330 20,851 19,614 18,312 FTES 13,396 12,515 11,856 11,434 10,732 A significant and consistent drop in the student head count and FTES number is depicted in this graph starting in the academic year 2008-2009 and ending in 2012-13. This reflects enrollment trends throughout the state of California and corresponds to a severe drop in funding to Cabrillo College as well as all of the California Community Colleges. During this period, a significant reduction in course offerings took place which contributed to the loss of enrollment. 5 Section Two: Planning and Outcomes 1. Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) a. Students participating in outreach events will be able to list at least three steps to enroll at Cabrillo College. b. Students participating in campus tour will be able to list three student support services. 2. Student Leaning Outcomes Assessment and Results The following table provides the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and assessment of these SLOs for the Outreach and Recruitment Office. 6 7 3. Recommendations based on SLO Assessment and other data. a. To ensure more significant data on the outcome of the 2 SLOs, an alternative type of assessment that includes individual responses should be considered. b. Considering the trend of an extreme drop in student FTES and student headcount, the large drop in funding for outreach and recruitment and the fact that state funds to support the community colleges have already begun to increase, there is a high probability that the CAP will be increasing. With this in mind, it is recommended that funds be restored to increase funding to promote more outreach and recruitment services in the near future. 4. Process review: a. How are your processes reviewed to ensure they are effective and support your SLOs and student success? Beginning in July of 2012, when the Outreach and Recruitment Office was moved to the supervision of the Dean of Student Services, weekly meeting took place between the Dean of Student Services and the Outreach Specialist. These weekly meetings took place for several months until the new duties of the Outreach Specialist became a consistent practice. Weekly meetings continue as needed or replaced with a “check-in” phone call to ensure all is well. b. Have any processes been changed as a result of this review? The need for consistent presence at the High School Articulation Council was expressed for which this will become a high priority for the academic year of 2013-2014. Section Three: Goals and Recommendations 1. Due to the fact that the data shows inconsistent levels of funding for outreach activities, reliable and ongoing funding should be sought. This would ensure consistent and quality service to the Cabrillo College community on and off campus. 2. Due to the recent upward trend in enrollment, consideration should be given to upgrading the Outreach Specialist position back to its original classification of Outreach Coordinator and increased to full-time status. Likewise, a supply budget for materials, mileage reimbursement etc. should be increase per the above recommendation to support the activities of an Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator. This will become critical as the State of California begins to raise the enrollment cap at Cabrillo College. 8 Appendix: The following is the program review previous to 2012-2013 academic year. It is included here to provide more historical information. OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT OFFICE (ORO) Program Review (previous to the 2012-2013 academic year) I. Background and Analysis a. Description of area and function: The purpose and work of the Outreach and Recruitment Office (ORO) is integral to the mission, purpose and core values of Cabrillo College. Excerpts from the three following statements are directly related “…assisting all students in their quest for lifelong learning and success in an everchanging world….aid(ing) students in their pursuit of transfer, career preparation, personal fulfillment, job advancement, and retraining goals…and …providing services that underscore …respect for all people and cultures. Our commitment is to encourage excellence, (and) involve and enrich our community.” The mission of Outreach and Recruitment Office is to serve prospective students by introducing them to information, processes, and resources that will increase their awareness of the college experience, inform them of their educational options at Cabrillo College, and provide them with steps to help them reach their educational goals. A BIT OF HISTORY ORO serves a dual purpose of coordinating the College’s main outreach efforts in addition to being a direct service provider. The coordinating role has been added from the past structure where one full-time staff member, “Schools Outreach Coordinator” did most of the high school visits and worked with the High School Articulation Council and led all tours that were requested by individuals, families and organizations. Outreach was a fairly isolated, one-person effort, with other campus services providing their independent outreach in rather isolated ways. Basically, very little coordination existed. The feedback the College received from high schools was that Cabrillo was duplicating efforts and looked poorly coordinated, as multiple programs sent staff to the same schools in 9 overlapping time periods. When this staff member moved from the area it allowed the Instructional Development Division to re-evaluate the role and responsibilities of the outreach function and position. As a result, the position was reclassified from a range 40 to a 44 to incorporate the coordination role more extensively. Staff ambassadors (22) were recruited from the classified staff in 2007 with support from the managers and union to provide outreach activities and tours. This has added a variety of styles and skills to the service and also provides staff with some additional ways to serve Cabrillo. Four trainings for the Staff Ambassadors were provided in 2007. Student workers have also been trained to provide support to the Outreach Coordinator and to lead tours. This has been very well-received by those receiving the service. This student assistant component has been funded by the VPI from one- time funds. The coordinator has moved to the necessary role as the “primary entre” to Cabrillo, where a triage-type service is provided. The high schools have provided positive feedback about this change, although it understandably does not always happen as hoped. In a small community, people call people they know or those with whom they have previously worked. Communication usually winds its way to the “appropriate place” and certainly more so than in the past. The Instructional and Student Services programs continue to provide program-specific outreach activities, as they can and should. ORO supports the division offices and faculty whenever possible so that program-specific outreach can be provided by the other college areas. Each area must decide “if” and “how” it might provide recruitment for its programs. ORO attempts to collect data from other areas to include in the annual report to the Board of Directors, but this is a challenge, since the data collection systems are weak, disconnected, and some programs do not see the value or need. This is one result of the decentralized nature of the college’s outreach efforts. Components of the Outreach and Recruitment Office include: High School Outreach ORO works directly with high school students and their parents and in close collaboration with high school counselors. The Office provides workshops to students on “how to enroll” and “what’s available at Cabrillo” for their near or distant future. The Office also trains high school teachers on how to directly assist their students at the high schools--a “train the trainers” model. This has improved our efficiency and brought the high school counselors into a partnership with Cabrillo in new ways. Additionally, the Office clarifies and works with other campus services to streamline processes that will increase concurrent and future enrollment in Cabrillo classes. 10 High School Articulation Council (HSAC) For many years, Instruction has provided a forum for the local high schools to hear about Cabrillo’s programs. The attendance is steady and robust --35-60/month. Beginning in 2006, the high schools were asked to identify the Cabrillo transfer and career programs they thought would most benefit their students. The request for more career programs and information was strong. The format for the meetings changed somewhat and the response has been excellent. The Cabrillo staff that regularly attends provides “on-the-spot” answers to questions, receives critical feedback “from the field” on how the College’s systems and services are or are not working. The College has an opportunity to make changes based on this candid and critical input. The representative from CSUMB and UCSC attend every month and see Cabrillo’s role as critical in their ability to answer questions about the four year systems. Running Start (RS): RS is a five year old program that annually brings high school seniors on to the Cabrillo campus for early registration in late May. In the early years, students came to campus for orientation and hopeful registration. Based upon an ongoing review, changes were made over the past two years that have resulted in better informed students and increased enrollment on the day of the event. The assessment testing continues to be offered at the high schools that have appropriate testing facilities. The improved services include early distribution of the test scores so the students can determine if they want to retest prior to RS. The Counseling Department has added a very popular, high school-based orientation prior to RS so the students are better informed on the “what and how” of enrollment. High school counselors have also been trained by our staff so they can better assist their students prior to RS. This year “How to Read the Schedule” sessions have been provided at the two Watsonville high schools. All of these changes support stronger high school collaboration and relieve Cabrillo staff from repetitive information that others can effectively provide. As a result of these changes, more registered (1009) on RS day last year. By census date, 80% were still enrolled in their courses. Tours and workshops for parents and information about the new Honors Transfer Program have been added. This program is underwritten by Matriculation and is staffed by many departments and staff from across the College. The initial applications for May 2008 have increased to over 1350. Concurrent Enrollment: The Outreach Office answers questions from prospective students, current students, parents, and high school counselors about the requirements and processes for concurrent enrollment and directs them to additional resources, as appropriate. Feedback about processes that are unclear and/or are seen as barriers to enrollment are passed on to Admissions and Records, Counseling and other services and programs. 11 Workshops and Campus Tours: Workshops are offered to high school students and their parents about planning for college and the options that Cabrillo offers for transfer and career programs. We also provide pre-arranged tours to groups of high school students and other prospective students, which are customized to meet their needs and areas of interest. Written and oral feedback received from those on tours is excellent. College Fairs The Outreach Office tables at various fairs at local community colleges and high schools in Santa Cruz and Monterey County. Staff Ambassadors support this activity. Counselors’ Breakfast: The Counselors’ Breakfasts are held annually to inform all high school counselors about Cabrillo updates and to celebrate successes during the year. All counselors at the high schools are invited vs. the one representative that attends HSAC. Principals/Superintendents’ Breakfast: The Principals’ Breakfasts are held annually to inform principals and superintendents about administrative updates as well as how we can continue to collaborate on cross-segmental efforts. The College president and VP’s provide the content. Cabrillo Connection for Student Success: For two years, annual trainings have been designed and provided for new high school counselors. The purpose is to provide an orientation to Cabrillo processes and for experienced counselors to attend workshops conducted by faculty in various academic and occupational programs. Co-sponsored with Tech Prep and Articulation. Community Outreach: The Outreach Office tables at various community events as requested. a. Relationships with other college components: 12 Due to the broad nature of ORO services, there are ongoing relationships with many components on campus. ORO is both the liaison and point of entry for many prospective students. Their primary questions are around the admissions process, concurrent enrollment, assessment, orientation, registration, transfer agreements, academic and career programs, student services, housing, student organizations, EOPS, and student employment. Overlap of services occurs in areas listed above as ORO provides both initial and follow-up information to students to proceed in the admissions and registration process more efficiently. Additional, primary cross-component collaborations: Financial Aid: provide updated lists of school contact information (labels) to Financial Aid for their workshops A & R: provide updated list of Registrars, send out class schedules, high school releases to HS counselors and Registrars, forward A&R registration calendar to HS counselors Counseling: attend Bridge to Transfer (UCSC Educational Partnership) with Transfer Coordinator and Financial Aid (Watsonville Ctr.) Tech Prep: provide career-specific tours to high school academies (i.e. health and video), attend monthly Tech Prep meetings with COE, ROP and HS Counselors, attend quarterly Articulation meetings with Tech Prep and Articulation. Co-plan Cabrillo Connections for Student Success with Articulation Articulation (HS): co-design Cabrillo Connections for Student Success, quarterly Articulation meetings, work with Articulation to update HS website Counseling: Serve as liaison for outside contacts CEED: College and Career Night Student Affairs: RS, promotion-campus housing @ University Inn, EOPS: coordinate college career fairs, high school visits, delivery of registration materials to HSs, campus tours Instructional Depts.: Support and collaborate with Allied Health: Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Rad Tech, Digital Media, CS/CIS, Theater Arts, VAPA: Art, Music, ECE, CEM, PE (athletic teams, dance), Journalism, Health and Human Services, Environmental Science, Engineering, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, Horticulture, Digital Bridge, ECE, Public Safety, DSPS, LSP, Matriculation- RS, admissions info Watsonville- the Watsonville Center staff provides targeted outreach to Watsonville schools and works collaboratively with ORO for program design and delivery 13 Scotts Valley- ORO supports the open houses held at the site and works with Scotts Valley and SLV counselors and staff to promote registration and identify classes that high school students might take/need. As with most collaborations, systems and communication can always improve. With a commitment to ongoing improvement ,increased responsiveness by all, and a “sense of team” outside the “silo” mentality so common in organizations collaboration will improve It is the belief within the Instructional Development Division that a function can be located in different places within an organization and if people understand and support systemic thinking and planning, the location is irrelevant. The solution to this is much larger than this division can solve. b. Costs Currently, ORO’s budget is very small and survives through the generosity of other programsarticulation, Matriculation and the Office of Instruction. There needs to be a larger institutional commitment. General Fund Office of Instruction Total Staff and Operating One time funds since ‘07 05-06 $70,947 $70,947 06-07 $73,491 $5,000 $78,491 07-08 $75,169 $5,000 $80,169 c. Results of internal research Over the past three years, the Instructional Development Division in collaboration with several internal partners (EOPS, career programs, Puente, A&R, and Financial Aid) has informally identified issues that need addressing in regard to college outreach planning and delivery. When the President’ Enrollment Management Task Force supported the consultant-led Outreach and Redesign Project in 2007, ORO was a key player in the continued discussions. Under the leadership of the VP’s of Instruction and Student Services, additional campus constituents participated in an extensive review of the College’s outreach and recruitment efforts. The goal of this institutional effort was “to develop a more comprehensive and streamlined coordination of campus outreach efforts, decreasing duplication of services, maximizing resources, and presenting a more collaborative and well-coordinated response to the community we serve.” 14 Fifty key stakeholders (from on and off campus) worked with a consultant to identify an Outreach and Enrollment design process. The outcomes were to design: 1. a college-wide outreach and enrollment process that considers ”first contact with potential student” to “student in class” 2. an outreach and enrollment process that addresses all college stakeholders’ current and future recruitment requirements 3. a preliminary enrollment management plan to guide the improvement of student retention 4. a recruitment process that considers the success factors/needs of key recruitment partners within the College’s recruitment ecosystem (high schools, career programs, etc.) From stakeholders’ input and data on enrollment trends, the group identified the following areas of improvement: 1) outreach coordination, 2) initial contact “welcoming center”, 3) a standard enrollment process and 4) a high touch/special process for some key populations. The upcoming Emerging Scholars Institute was included in the planning of this model. To date, there has not been much follow-up activity on this group’s work. There is currently an opportunity with the College Receptionist’s retirement to expand the scope of that position/role to begin to move towards the “Welcome Center” concept (#2 above). Outreach and Recruitment is not only a college goal, but a Chancellor’s Office Goal. Cabrillo has adopted the same goals as the state, with the first goal in the College Master Plan 2008-2011 as: Goal A: To increase the effectiveness of outreach and enhance enrollment. A committee has been formed and has met to identify objectives. d. Results of external data research: • The Outreach and Recruitment Project was data-driven and the information and outcomes are on the website P:\Student Services_PUBLIC\Outreach and Enrollment Project 15 The results of the survey that PRO implemented for ORO are below: 27 schools were surveyed; 21 responded Who is your usual contact at Cabrillo? 76.2% ORO Coordinator Which Dept’s have you contacted in last 3 months? A&R 66.7% 23.8% No one in particular ORO 61.9% Fin Aid 61.9% Variety named 47.6% Primary Info Requested? Enrollment, Fin Aid, etc. Rely on ORO as main source of 52.6% Aware of ORO and use + info? 26.3% main contact (78.9% combined ) 10.5% heard of ORO 10.5% not aware of ORO Responsiveness from ORO Timeliness – 6 Good; 10 Excellent Responsive to your needs – 3 good; 13 excellent Knowledgeable: 5 good; 11 excellent Overall helpfulness: 5 good; 11 excellent 16 Which services do you request? Materials 87% Registration info 87% Answer Questions 87% Explain Cabrillo processes 81.3% Bring people to schools 56.3% Tours 37.5% Other 12.5% These results are promising to ORO. They support the shift from direct service to coordination AND providing a direct service. This enhances the “face” of Cabrillo in the community.. Summary of Challenges: 1.Increase the visibility and institutional support of the core function of Outreach and Recruitment at the College through the ongoing designation of resources, staffing, operational expenses (an actual budget) 2. Provide prompt and professional, client-centered customer service to internal and external constituencies. 3. Improve collaboration, reduce duplication, and manage resources more effectively through better coordination among those who conduct outreach 4.Improve application and registration processes to increase enrollment 5. Increase campus groups’ awareness and support for ORO’s activities, as they support interest and enrollment in other college programs II Program Directions and Recommendation 1. Educate and train staff about the function of Outreach and what is possible given the staffing reality; identify a college commitment through an annual budget with realistic resources. 2. Commit to a college expectation, beginning at the top, that staff and community are “clients” and deserve professional and timely responsiveness. 3. Identify a plan for moving forward with the President’s Outreach and Enrollment Task Force. 4. Implement the Enrollment Management Plan as identified in the College Master Plan under Goal A. Implement an Enrollment Management system that multiple programs/services can 17 access. This would allow us to mine student data and develop an individual outreach plan for each student. We would also know what has been sent to this students and who has contacted them. 5. Develop new strategies to collaborate successfully with academic and career programs in order to improve our outreach efforts on their behalf 6. Better coordination between all who conduct outreach, perhaps with an electronic master calendar a. Proposed plan for next 6 years: Implement the goals and objectives of the President’s Outreach and Enrollment Plan in conjunction with the Enrollment Management Plan identified in the College Master Plan, 20082011 . b. Description of plan for ongoing evaluation of functions and services This is an ongoing process. Surveys will be designed with PRO to assess satisfaction with services. 2010 SLOs for Outreach 1. Prospective students will demonstrate knowledge of campus procedures, programs and services as a result of meeting with the Outreach Coordinator. 2. Students that participate in campus tours will be able to list three services that can support their academic achievement 3. Students that have participated in an outreach event will be able to list the basic steps to enroll at Cabrillo College. 4. High school students will learn the steps to enroll at Cabrillo through the training provided to high school counselors at the High School Articulation Council meetings. 18