173
AGENDA ITEM BACKGROUND
TO:
GOVERNING BOARD
FROM:
DATE
June 11, 2012
PRESIDENT
SUBJECT:
Priorities Resulting from Administrative Program Planning:
Division Offices
REASON FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION
INFORMATION
ENCLOSURE(S)
Page 1 of 2
ITEM NUMBER
D.7
BACKGROUND:
The Division Offices began the administrative program planning process during the 2010-2011 academic
year and completed the process spring semester 2012.
Instruction
The purpose of Administrative Program Planning is to evaluate existing functions and processes in order to
strengthen and improve the college administrative offices. The process is designed to:
 Provide a rigorous examination of programs and their outcomes
 Develop new insights into program effectiveness
 Engage departments in administrative program improvements
 Provide information for resource allocation within departments and within the college.
In May, Instruction Council (IC) received and reviewed the Division Office Program Plan. This plan, based
on a thorough review of internal and external data relative to the division offices, determines and prioritizes
program directions for the next six years. Members of Instruction Council critically read the plan and
questioned the authors regarding the intent and clarity of the directions. The plan was revised based on IC
discussions. After IC conducted its review, the plan was forwarded to the CPC for review. The following
priorities resulted from this plan:
(CONTINUED)
Administrator Initiating Item:
Wanda Garner, Dean, NAS
Kathie Welch, Dean, HAWK
Academic and Professional Matter
If yes, Faculty Senate Agreement
Senate President Signature
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
Final Disposition
174
RECOMMENDATIONS/ACTION ITEMS/COSTS
Based on our experience and the survey feedback, the following recommendations are suggested:
1. Review Instructional Division Office Roles and Responsibilities
(No Direct Cost)
Deans will work with division office staff to solicit input to clarify staff roles and responsibilities. When the
IDA reduction plan is implemented, we will need to determine how to implement reduced IDA staffing as
well as how to implement the centralized IDA position.
Instructional Division office open hours will be reviewed. With one IDA, open hours will need to be
reduced. Offices will need to be closed for lunch. When the IDA takes contract and vacation days, division
office hours will be impacted.
2. Restore adequate staffing
($66,000/position x 4 = $264,000)
Surveys rated the quality and availability of customer service in the division offices highly. We can
conclude that the Instructional Division office support structure as it existed F10 (survey date) was effective.
We would like to restore adequate staffing when the budget improves in order to provide the same high
level of customer support in the division offices.
The most common concern that surfaced in the survey comments was for drop in service and effectiveness
when staff is lost and positions are allowed to remain vacant. An example of the overall problem mentioned
in the surveys is the frustration caused when phones are put on automatic answer, which is likely to be more
prevalent with a staffing reduction.
3. Explore technological solutions to efficiently cope with reduced staffing & staff time by increasing ability
to receive inquiries and information via web forms & documents. (No Direct Cost)
With reduced staffing in the Instructional Division Office and the many responsibilities demanded of the
Division Dean, it would be worthwhile to explore the possibility of systematizing through automated
processes some of the time-consuming duties covered by the Division Office, instituting paperless
processing and tracking, especially of forms requiring multiple approvals, to include:
* Forms
* IIPP coordination and tracking
* Key requests
* Deadline reminders
* Roster and Grade changes
4. Explore ways to involve more of the faculty and staff in the decision-making process. As a result, faculty
and staff will gain a better understanding of the complex state regulations that guide program and budgetary
decisions. (No Direct Cost)
2