Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative
Partnership Resource Teams
Summary of Initial Observations
Date: November 9, 2015
Name of Institution: Hartnell College
Partnership Resource Team Members: Kevin Walthers, Marc Beam, Diana Bennett, May Chen, Joe Moreau
Area of Focus
Institution’s Point
Person or Group
Institutional Activities Underway
A. Data Integrity
Faculty Research Group
VP Information Technology
Dean, IPE
1. Development of Office of Institutional
Planning and Effectiveness
2. Recruitment of Director of Institutional
Research
B. Data Dictionary
VP Information Technology
Dean, IPE
1. Initial Planning to create dictionary
2.
1
Ideas Discussed with the Institution
during the Visit
a. Lack of confidence in existing data – The college
does an excellent job of reporting. It has started
data vetting with departments and there is
increasing confidence of accurate reporting in
some areas, i.e. 320 apportionment data and
categorical headcounts. The challenge is really
about trust in the decisions made based on less
than perfect numbers. The college has made lots
of progress regarding institutional planning but
without all the details to define/measure success.
Now the focus is on metrics and the college
culture is changing faster than the data support
technology can keep up with.
b. Need to clean existing data –Building a data
dictionary will create a shared understanding
across the college of each data element. This is
necessary for those who develop the data
warehouse and supporting tables. The college has
the staff resources and knowledge to implement
this tool without dragging every stakeholder into
the process. Clean data does not fix the bigger
issue of deciding what numbers to look at to
support big decisions.
c. Need to move to new data warehouse – Existing
efforts to provide information for ad hoc requests
come from multiple sources including IT and
Research, Admissions, Financial Aid, and student
services. There is a lack of agreement on which
data source to use although IT receives praise for
providing excellent reporting and technical
support. Technical skills are mixed across the IT
and IR team and there is a need for professional
development and cross-training. Ideally there
would be agreement on the staff roles and
responsibilities of: operational reporting, planning,
institutional research, and decision support.
a. Lack of consistent use of definitions [are slowing
progress] in data warehouse development. The
EDW team needs to make a short list of preferred
data elements with operational definitions and
sources defined. Submit those for quick approval,
then implement.
b. Stakeholders can refine over time.
Other IEPI Resources Needed?
 Return meeting
 Return meeting
Area of Focus
Institution’s Point
Person or Group
Institutional Activities Underway
Ideas Discussed with the Institution
during the Visit
Other IEPI Resources Needed?
C. Communication between IT and IPR staff
VP Information Technology
Dean, IPE
Academic Senate
Shared Governance Cttes.
1. CORE team brings staff together to
discuss IT issues
2.
a. Opportunities to work across councils and staffing
– In our short visit with faculty and staff we found
everyone very open to working together. Some
expressed frustration or feeling overwhelmed;
however the project can be accomplished in
smaller chunks with fewer people on each task.
b. Restoration of Data Summit – Discussions with
PRT suggested this was effective in the past and
may be easily reformed to focus on existing
challenges.
 Return meeting.

D. Enrollment Management
Enrollment Management Ctte.
VP Instruction
1. Multi term planning for scheduling
2.
a. Existing enrollments are meeting expectations
despite the above challenges. The college would
like to develop more sophisticated tools to
understand current enrollment patterns and learn
how to manage enrollments in the future.
b.
 .
2
Comment [L1]: Here, it seems to me that the best
course is for the PRT to make its own suggestions in
the Menu of Options: Highlight and provide
information links on good strategies and sources as
options for College consideration under Area of
Focus D. Members of the College group that Will
designates to work on the I&EP will receive the
Menu at least a week before the second visit, and if
they want more information on those strategies and
sources, the PRT members can share such
information in I&EP discussions during the visit.