October 2, 2009 M. Richard Shaink President Charles Stewart Mott Community College 1401 E. Court Street Flint, MI 48503-2089 Dear President Shaink: Enclosed is a copy of Charles Stewart Mott Community College’s Systems Appraisal Feedback Report. It begins with a concise Executive Summary, intended for those general readers that do not require a high level of detail. Your Systems Appraisal Team of quality experts provided extensive detail in the full report by identifying nine distinct groups of what they view as your institution’s strengths and opportunities for improvement, one group for each of the nine AQIP Categories. We are also emailing your institution’s AQIP Liaison a copy of this full Systems Appraisal Feedback Report and enclosures. To receive maximum benefit from your Systems Appraisal, you and your colleagues should plan to invest substantial time in discussing it, considering the team’s observations and advice, and identifying which actions will best advance your institution. The enclosed After Your Appraisal details what lies ahead and how to use your Feedback Report most effectively, and explains when and how to register for your next Strategy Forum. To comply with federal requirements, we need the CEO of the institution formally to acknowledge receipt of this report within the next two weeks, and to provide us with any comments you wish to make about it. Please read the enclosed After Your Appraisal suggestions before you decide how to respond. Limit your acknowledgement and comments to a maximum of two typewritten pages, and understand that your response will become part of your institution’s permanent HLC file, to be shared with future peer reviewers who review your institution (including the next Systems Appraisal team, the next Quality Checkup visit team, and the next Reaffirmation of Accreditation panel). Email your response to AQIP@hlcommission.org; call me or Mary Green (at 800-621-7440 x130) if you have any questions about it. We know you will gain real value from the Systems Appraisal Feedback and the activities it will stimulate within your institution, and we are proud to be working with you as you continue along the never-ending path to improvement. Sincerely, Stephen D. Spangehl Vice President SYSTEMS APPRAISAL FEEDBACK REPORT in response to the Systems Portfolio of MOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE September 28, 2009 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400 Chicago, Illinois 60602-2504 www.AQIP.org AQIP@hlcommission.org 800-621-7440 SYSTEMS APPRAISAL FEEDBACK REPORT In response to the Systems Portfolio of MOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE September 28, 2009 Table of Contents Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... 1 Elements of the Feedback Report .............................................................................................. 4 Strategic and Accreditation Issues .............................................................................................. 6 Using the Feedback Report .......................................................................................................... 8 Critical Characteristics Analysis ....................................................................................... 9 Category Feedback ........................................................................................................ 12 Helping Students Learn ............................................................................................ 12 Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives ............................................................. 18 Understanding Students' and Other Stakeholders’ Needs ....................................... 22 Valuing People ......................................................................................................... 25 Leading and Communicating ................................................................................... 29 Supporting Institutional Operations .......................................................................... 33 Measuring Effectiveness .......................................................................................... 36 Planning Continuous Improvement .......................................................................... 40 Building Collaborative Relationships ........................................................................ 43 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR MOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE The following are summary comments on each of the AQIP Categories crafted by the Appraisal Team to highlight Mott Community College’s achievements and to identify challenges yet to be met. • Category One Mott Community College has a culture of learning and student support grounded in traditional review and committee structures. There are several offices of student support available through a single stop student center. Learning assessment is in the early stages of a systematic and formalized process, starting with revised outcomes for general education and inter-rater reliability processes for capstone projects. There are several opportunities to strengthen the processes, including documentation, which will support processes designed to improve learning. • Category Two Mott Community College has defined key non-instructional objectives very broadly, making it difficult to identify the key activities which define the institution’s unique processes and identities. To understand where an institution is going, selfassessment of the current status is important to any quality process improvement. The portfolio would be enhanced by listing the measures, baseline data, or goals the college uses to analyze non-instructional programs. Benchmarking and other similar activities will provide insights into how other institutions compare in this category. Mott Community College appears to serve as a leader in workforce and economic development during rapidly changing economic and workforce shifts. Mott Community College has laid a foundation by stressing the interdependence of instructional and non-instructional functions. It can build on this by the systematic collection and analysis of data to use in future decision making. • Category Three Mott Community College identifies student needs through a variety of means and uses surveys to gather student opinion throughout the student’s tenure at the college. However, the portfolio does not report a similar, systematic approach to identify the needs of external stakeholders, nor does the college have a systematic process to identify new student and stakeholder groups. It maintains a clear process for gathering student complaints, and the faculty evaluation instrument identifies high levels of student satisfaction. There is, however, no similar report for levels of student satisfaction with Student Services. The college would benefit from a systematic approach to gathering 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 1 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 satisfaction data from external stakeholders and examining benchmark and trend data to understand student and stakeholder needs. Performance results for student relationships are largely limited to graduation and transfer rates for student athletes, which give an incomplete picture of the situation. Data regarding improvement efforts are similarly limited to internal stakeholders. The next step is to support the evolution of more systematic processes based on sound data collection, analysis, and use. • Category Four While Mott Community College has created effective hiring guidelines and processes for both full-time and part-time employees and documents orientation for full-time employees, it is unclear what services are available for part-time staff or faculty. Although Mott Community College points to anecdotal evidence that it values people, it does not demonstrate how it values people. For example, Mott Community College points to its low turnover rate as an indication of practices in place to value employees. However, turnover can be affected by any number of factors and by itself does not necessarily reflect employee satisfaction. The college is in the initial stages of its AQIP journey and appears committed to AQIP. The institution would benefit from benchmarking and the use of comparative data. The college’s next step is to develop more formal systematic processes and to routinely assess them. Results from validated satisfaction surveys, benchmarking with other institutions, examining trends, and varied performance evaluation methods will provide evidence of how Mott Community College values people in a more substantive manner. • Category Five Mott Community College’s low turnover rate and employee longevity of administrators and faculty could indicate satisfaction with leadership and communication processes. The portfolio is not clear in how issues are brought to appropriate bodies nor in how decisions are shared past the managerial level of the organization. Mott Community College would strengthen the organization and portfolio by setting targets, collecting results, and setting improvement goals in this important accreditation area. • Category Six Mott Community College determines support service needs for students through direct contact with students. However, the college does not clarify how it determines support service needs for other stakeholder groups. The college maintains an active Department of Public Safety that is working to develop relationships with 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 2 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 relevant entities off campus. The college conducts a student satisfaction survey, but the results seem limited by a high number of “no comment” responses. Mott Community College relies on survey instruments for which content and design validity remains undetermined. The college supplies clear examples of improvements in support services, but it does not clarify a process for targeting future improvements. Mott Community College could benefit from comparing results with its higher education competitors and collaborators and examining internal trends to further improve or capitalize on strengths. • Category Seven Mott Community College believes its Systems Portfolio provides evidence that it is beginning to function in the early stages of a systematic approach to data collection. Mott Community College ties data collection to required reports and other internal needs focusing more on the collection than the analysis and use of the data. The college distributes data information in a variety of ways and has developed a Datatel Users Group and a data warehouse model to help improve performance. The college has incorporated technology needs into its strategic plan and has recently merged two offices responsible for computing technology into a single office. The college acknowledges the need for more efficiencies and departmental goals as well as trend, comparative and benchmarking data, and it is in the process of setting targets for future improvement. • Category Eight Mott Community College has a five-year strategic plan developed with wide input from internal and external stakeholders. While long and short term goals have been developed and internal and external information is used to inform, there is an opportunity for the institution to develop an evaluation process for collection, analysis, communication, intervention, and benchmarking of the planning process as well as for continuous improvement. It is fairly obvious that the budget drives the planning process and perhaps other processes as well, directly or indirectly. Ideally, as Mott Community College matures into a high-performing institution, planning processes will drive the budget. • Category Nine Mott Community College’s has a reputation for responsiveness to external entities and has developed an array of collaborative relationships. Mott Community College has established strong partnerships with local K-12 school districts, 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 3 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 including a high school located on the college campus for at-risk and under-performing students. In addition to transfer programs, the college operates a University Center where students can earn advanced degrees from 4-year institutions. The college has formed partnerships with external providers and maintains a comprehensive set of procedures for suppliers. However, the college does not have comparative or benchmarking data in this area. Mott Community College has an opportunity to develop institution-wide processes that could be used to collect and analyze evidence. This will enable Mott Community College to evaluate and prioritize its relationships and assure it is meeting the varying needs of current and future partners and ensure the wise use of financial and human resources. Accreditation issues and Strategic challenges for Mott Community College are listed in detail within the Strategic and Accreditation Issues Analysis section of the Appraisal Feedback Report. ELEMENTS OF MOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE’s FEEDBACK REPORT The Systems Appraisal Feedback Report provides AQIP’s official response to your Systems Portfolio by a team of readers trained in evaluation. After appraisers independently reviewed your document, the team reached consensus on essential elements of your institutional profile, strengths and opportunities for improvement by Category, and significant issues for your institution. These are presented in three sections of the Feedback Report: Accreditation Issues Analysis, Critical Characteristics Analysis, and Category Feedback. These components are interrelated in defining context, evaluating performance, surfacing critical issues, and assessing institutional performance. It is important to remember that the Systems Appraisal Team had only your Systems Portfolio to guide their analysis of your institution’s strengths and opportunities for improvement. Consequently, their report may omit important strengths — if you were too modest to stress them in your Systems Portfolio, or if your discussion and documentation of them was unconvincing. Similarly, the team may have pointed out areas of potential improvement that are already receiving the institution’s attention. Again, the team used its best judgment in identifying improvement opportunities. If some of these areas of potential improvement are now strengths 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 4 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 rather than opportunities because of your own focused efforts, that is all to your credit. If the team was unsure about an area, we urged it to err on the side of giving your institution the best possible advice about where investing your efforts might pay off. If some of their advice comes after the fact, after you’ve already tackled an area, no harm is done. Executive Summary: Summative statements agreed upon by the Systems Appraisal Team reflecting the reviewers’ assessment of the institution’s current status in relation to critical quality characteristics: robustness of process design; utilization or deployment of processes; the existence of results, trends, and comparative data; the use of results data as feedback, and systematic processes for improvement of the activities that the Category covers. Since institutions are complex, maturity levels may vary from one Category to another. Strategic challenges for the institution are listed in detail within the Strategic and Accreditation Issues Analysis section of the Appraisal Feedback Report. Strategic and Accreditation Issues Analysis: Strategic issues are those most closely related to your institution’s ability to succeed in reaching its mission, planning, and quality improvement goals. Accreditation issues are areas where you have not yet provided evidence that you meet the Commission’s Criteria for Accreditation, or where the evidence you have presented suggests you may have difficulties, now or in the future, in meeting these expectations. If accreditation is essential for your institution then any accreditation issues identified are, by definition, also strategic. The Systems Appraisal Team identified both of these kinds of issues through analysis of your Organizational Overview and the feedback it provided for each Category, as well as by reviewing the Index to the Criteria for Accreditation that you provided along with your Systems Portfolio. This list of strategic issues offers a framework for addressing ongoing improvement of processes and systems, serving as an executive summary of the Report’s key findings and recommendations. Critical Characteristics: Your Systems Portfolio’s Organizational Overview provides context for the team’s knowledge of your institution’s identity, mission objectives, strategic goals, and key factors related to improvement. Critical Characteristics are those features most important for understanding the institution’s mission, environment, stakeholders, competitive position, goals, and processes. Characteristics having the greatest relevance to each Category are identified in the Report. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 5 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 Category Feedback: The Report’s feedback on each of AQIP’s nine Categories specifically identifies strengths and opportunities for improvement. An S or SS identifies strengths, with the double letter signifying important achievements or capabilities upon which to build. Opportunities are designated by O, with OO indicating areas where attention may result in more significant improvement. Comments, which are keyed to your Systems Portfolio, offer brief analysis of each strength and opportunity. Organized by Category, and presenting the team’s findings in detail, this section is the heart of the Report. STRATEGIC AND ACCREDITATION ISSUES In conducting the Systems Appraisal, the team attempted to identify the broader issues that present the greatest challenges and opportunities for your institution in the coming years. These are all strategic issues, ones you need to grapple with as you identify your institution’s strategies for confronting the future and becoming the institution you want to be. The team also examined whether any of these strategic issues put your institution into jeopardy of not meeting the Higher Learning Commission’s accreditation expectations. Issues Affecting Compliance with the Criteria for Accreditation. An important goal for the Systems Appraisal was to review your institution’s compliance with the Higher Learning Commission’s Criteria for Accreditation. The peer quality experts who served on the team were all trained in evaluating colleges and universities using the Commission’s Criteria, and the Systems Appraisal process they followed included careful steps to ensure the team used the Criteria as a major factor in their review. As the team reviewed your presentation of your institution’s systems and processes under each AQIP Category, it searched for accreditationrelated issues and concerns. In addition, the team used the Index to the Criteria for Accreditation that you provided with your Portfolio to perform a comprehensive review of the Criteria and each Core Component to ascertain whether you presented compelling evidence that your institution complies with each of these Commission expectations. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 6 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 The Systems Appraisal team concluded that Mott Community College has presented evidence that it complies with each of the Five Criteria for Accreditation and each of their Core Components. Although the Systems Appraisal does not in itself constitute a review for continued accreditation, the team’s conclusion upon reviewing your Portfolio against the Criteria will serve as a telling piece of evidence during the Commission’s next scheduled AQIP review of your institution for Reaffirmation of Accreditation Issues Affecting Future Institutional Strategies. The Systems Appraisal Team identified the following strategic issues to assist Mott Community College in prioritizing and taking action on the important broad challenges and opportunities it faces. From these you may discover your vital immediate priorities, shaping strategies that can lead to a quantum leap in the performance of your institution. Implementing these strategies may call for specific actions, so AQIP’s expectation that your institution be engaged in three or four vital Action Projects at all times will help encourage your administrators, faculty, and staff to turn these strategic goals into real accomplishments. Knowing that Mott Community College will discuss these strategic issues, give priority to those it concludes are most critical, and take action promptly, the Systems Appraisal Team identified: • Mott Community College has established processes in many areas but many are ad hoc or informal and often appear to be reactive. As it continues to evolve, Mott Community College should examine how to be more proactive, systematic, and reflective as it designs process to ensure continuity, maximum inclusion, efficient use of resources, and timely responses to and anticipation of environmental change. • Mott Community College would benefit from more robust systematic data processes to support effective decision making. An integrated data cycle would involve collecting, analyzing, including benchmarks and trends, and sharing data followed by the development and implementation of interventions. Then the cycle begins anew to evaluate the outcomes of the interventions. • In order to further improve or capitalize on strengths, Mott Community College would benefit from systematically comparing results internally and with other institutions and organizations and examining them overtime. This will assist in developing realistic expectations and targets and produce a more robust picture than yearly snapshot data. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 7 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 USING THE FEEDBACK REPORT The AQIP Systems Appraisal Feedback Report is intended to initiate action for improvement. It is therefore important that the Report produced by the Systems Appraisal Team stimulate review of organizational processes and systems. Though decisions about specific actions are each institution’s, AQIP expects every institution to use its feedback to stimulate cycles of continual improvement. At the next Strategy Forum an AQIP institution attends, its peers will examine in detail how it is using the feedback from its Systems Appraisal. An organization needs to examine its Report strategically to identify those areas that will yield greatest benefit if addressed. Some key questions that may arise in careful examination of the Report may be: How do the team’s findings challenge our assumptions about ourselves? Given our mission and goals, which issues should we focus on? How will we employ results to innovate, grow, and encourage a positive culture of improvement? How will we incorporate lessons learned from this review in our planning and operational processes? How will we revise the Systems Portfolio to reflect what we have learned? How an organization interprets, communicates, and uses its feedback for improvement ought to support AQIP’s core values, encouraging involvement, learning, collaboration and integrity. Based solely upon an organization’s Systems Portfolio, the Report reflects a disciplined, external review of what an organization says about itself. The report should help an organization identify ways to improve its Systems Portfolio so it functions better to communicate accurately to internal and external audiences. But the Report’s chief purpose is to help you to identify areas for improvement, and to act so that these areas actually improve. These improvements can then be incorporated into an updated Systems Portfolio, guaranteeing that future Systems Appraisals will reflect the progress an institution has made. Within a year following the Systems Appraisal, an institution participates in another AQIP Strategy Forum, where the focus will be on what the institution has learned from its Appraisal (and from its other methods of identifying and prioritizing improvement opportunities, and what it has concluded are its major strategic priorities for the next few years. AQIP’s goal is to help an institution to clarify the strategic issues most vital to its success, and then to support the institution as it addresses these priorities through Action Projects that will make a difference in institutional performance. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 8 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 CRITICAL CHARACTERISTICS ANALYSIS The purpose of this section is to identify what team members understood to be the critical and distinguishing characteristics of your institution. They are the shared understanding of the most important aspects of Mott Community College, its current dynamics and the forces surrounding it, and its internal momentum and aspirations, at least as team members understood them. This section also demonstrates that the Systems Appraisal Team recognized and knew what makes Mott Community College distinctive. Should you find some characteristics that you think are critical and missing from this list, you may want to clarify and highlight these items when you revise your Systems Portfolio and other literature explaining your institution to the public. Item Critical Characteristic OV1a Over 80 years old, Mott Community College (MCC) is a public, comprehensive, two-year community college serving Genesee County, Michigan learners. OV1b MCC operates under a 5-year strategic plan driven by “a Board-initiated desire for a learning-centered college” that outlines goals for student learning, academic climate, as well as key systems and programs supported by “enabling objectives” for each of the overarching goals. OV1c The tenure of the current MCC president has provided stability and uniform leadership direction. OV1d MCC’s offerings include traditional transfer programs, career and technical education, workforce development and corporate services programs. OV1e The college states its mission as follows: “The mission of Mott Community College is to provide high quality, accessible and affordable educational opportunities and services— including programs focused on university transfer, technical and lifelong learning, as well as workforce and economic development—that promote student success, individual development, and improve the overall quality of life in a multicultural community.” OV2a As a non-residential institution, MCC offers an array of services, including: academic advising, athletics, a career resource center, counseling & student development, disability services, financial aid, student support services, student employment services, student life, Upward Bound, and workforce development. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 9 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 OV2b MCC operates four Community Technology Centers (CTCs) that focus on bridging the “digital divide” by providing free hands-on learning opportunities leading to career development for under-served communities. OV3a MCC has 10,456 students of which approximately 1/3 are full time. One third of the students are either under 21 or over 30 years of age with an average age of 27, 61% are female, 17% are African American, 72% are Caucasian, 2% are Hispanic, 1% are Native American, and 1% are Asian American. OV3b Main competitors include Baker College, a multi-campus for-profit institution offering traditional and occupational programs ranging from certificates through graduate degrees, University of Michigan—Flint which receives the majority of MCC’s 2-year transfer students and Delta College. There are six other community colleges and/or universities within an hour of travel from MCC. OV3c MCC partners with competing educational institutions. OV3d MCC student requirements and expectations focus on affordable, available services and employment preparation, while other stakeholder needs center on quality, responsiveness, community contribution, and economic impact OV4a MCC has 885 employees, of which 494 are faculty (29% are full time). There are 69 Support/Service Professionals, 122 Technical and Paraprofessionals, and 79 Clerical and Secretarial staff members. OV4b The college faculty and staff are represented by six separate bargaining groups. MCC full-time and part-time faculty are represented by the MCCEA, an affiliate of the Michigan Education Association (MEA). OV5a The Executive Cabinet (President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Student and Administrative Services, and Chief Human Resources Officer) provides the primary mechanism for alignment of leadership, decision making, and communication by managing the institution under the mission and policies set by the Board. OV6a The strategic goals and enabling objectives of the 2007-2012 Strategic Plan provide a mechanism for alignment of administrative support and mission including a set of 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 10 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 overarching goals that it uses to use to ensure appropriate technology, instructional, and administrative support at each location. OV7 The college uses Datatel as its main database and has begun to expand its use of the system for a more comprehensive, efficient implementation. This expansion was linked with two AQIP Action Projects in Degree Audits and Faculty Assignments. OV8a The portfolio states MCC is facing economic challenges as a result of declining employment and tax revenue on the local level and reduced funding at the state level. This situation has generated an increased reliance on student tuition, itself a limited source of potential funding. OV8b MCC is challenged by declining high school graduation rates, outmigration, aging population, legislative turnover due to term limits in the State legislature, a shrinking employment base, declining academic preparedness among incoming students, and issues of board governance resulting from the age and length of service of the elected board. OV8c MCC and the community it serves have a unique culture rooted in the auto industry, labor history, and institutional memory. MCC states these cultures are sometimes prone to fear and can be resistant to change. OV8d MCC views the anticipated influx of new employees, due to the number of employees eligible to retire, as an opportunity to address commitments that include: openness to new ideas, cultural change, quality processes, long term planning, and increased technology. OV9a MCC seeks to leverage available community resources through articulation, transfer, and partnership agreements with high schools, universities, and outside entities, including area employers. OV9b MCC is a member of MiTQIP, the statewide organization of Michigan AQIP Universities, and Colleges. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 11 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 CATEGORY FEEDBACK In the following sections, each of which deals with strengths and opportunities for improvement for one of the nine AQIP Categories, selected Critical Characteristics are again highlighted, those the Systems Appraisal Team believed were critical keys to reviewing that particular AQIP Category. The symbols used in these “strengths and opportunities” sections for each Category stand for outstanding strength (SS), strength (S), opportunity for improvement (O) and pressing or outstanding opportunity for improvement (OO). The choice of symbol for each item represents the consensus evaluation of the Systems Appraisal Team members, and deserves your thoughtful consideration. Comments marked SS or OO may need immediate attention, either to ensure the institution preserves and maximizes the value of its greatest strengths, or to devote immediate attention to its greatest opportunities for improvement. AQIP CATEGORY 1: HELPING STUDENTS LEARN Helping Students Learn identifies the shared purpose of all higher education organizations, and is accordingly the pivot of any institutional analysis. This Category focuses on the teachinglearning process within a formal instructional context, yet also addresses how your entire institution contributes to helping students learn and overall student development. It examines your institution's processes and systems related to learning objectives, mission-driven student learning and development, intellectual climate, academic programs and courses, student preparation, key issues such as technology and diversity, program and course delivery, faculty and staff roles, teaching and learning effectiveness, course sequencing and scheduling, learning and co-curricular support, student assessment, measures, analysis of results, and efforts to continuously improve these areas. Here are the Key Critical Characteristics of Mott Community College that were identified by the Systems Appraisal Team as most relevant for its interpretation of its Systems Portfolio section covering Category 1, Helping Students Learn: Item Critical Characteristic OV1a Over 80 years old, Mott Community College (MCC) is a public, comprehensive, two-year community college serving Genesee County, Michigan learners. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 12 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 OV1d MCC’s offerings include traditional transfer programs, career and technical education, workforce development and corporate services programs. OV1e The college states its mission as follows: “The mission of Mott Community College is to provide high quality, accessible and affordable educational opportunities and services— including programs focused on university transfer, technical and lifelong learning, as well as workforce and economic development—that promote student success, individual development, and improve the overall quality of life in a multicultural community.” OV2a As a non-residential institution, MCC offers an array of services, including: academic advising, athletics, a career resource center, counseling & student development, disability services, financial aid, student support services, student employment services, student life, Upward Bound, and workforce development. OV3a MCC has 10,456 students of which approximately 1/3 are full time. One third of the students are either under 21 or over 30 years of age with an average age of 27, 61% are female, 17% are African American, 72% are Caucasian, 2% are Hispanic, 1% are Native American, and 1% are Asian American. OV3d MCC student requirements and expectations focus on affordable, available services and employment preparation, while other stakeholder needs center on quality, responsiveness, community contribution, and economic impact. OV8a The portfolio states MCC is facing economic challenges as a result of declining employment and tax revenue on the local level and reduced funding at the state level. This situation has generated an increased reliance on student tuition, itself a limited source of potential funding. Here are what the Systems Appraisal Team identified as Mott Community College’s most important strengths and opportunities for improvement relating to processes encompassed by Category 1, Helping Students Learn. Item S/O Comment 1P1/2a S MCC establishes common learning objectives through its Professional Study Committee. A general education review committee functions as a subgroup and is responsible for reviewing and revising the objectives on 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 13 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 a regular basis. The review committee is comprised of at least one faculty member from each division. 1P1/2b O MCC reports no specific processes for determining specific program learning objectives outside of general education. 1P3 S MCC develops new programs and courses on the division level, subject to leadership by the academic deans. Program and course development is a group project and includes external feasibility and scanning activities. New programs and courses are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. 1P4 S Beginning at the program level and proceeding into course development, MCC faculty, administrators, and occupational program advisory committees design programs by keeping student goals and needs as central priorities. 1P5/6a S MCC provides online and print Admissions Guides for students. The interactive version of the Admission Guides help students navigate through materials, such as curricula, programs and courses, as well as links to important requirements and resources. 1P5/6b O It is unclear how MCC determines the preparation required of students for the specific curricula, programs, and courses they will pursue. Given the concerns of declining academic preparedness among incoming students expressed in OV8a, these are critical to support student success. For example, it is not clear how the college determines Accuplacer placement scores for specific programs. 1P7 S MCC provides advisors, career directors, and licensed professional counselors to assist students in selecting programs and addressing noninstructional issues. 1P8 S While course testing and placement is not mandated, MCC provides testing, courses and tutoring in developmental areas of reading, writing, and math for the underprepared student. In addition, MCC requires a preparatory course for students taking distance learning courses. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 14 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 1P9 O MCC has an opportunity to explore and develop tools and services for proactively detecting and addressing different learning styles. 1P10 S MCC addresses special needs of student subgroups through support strategies implemented by the DisAbility Services Office, scholarships for students aged 60 or above, non-credit programming through the Foundation for MCC, and veterans’ support services provided through the Office of the Registrar. 1P11a S MCC has created a Center for Teaching and Learning as an outcome of a 2007 AQIP Action Project. 1P11b O It is unclear how effective teaching and learning is documented, especially at the individual level. Developing processes to evaluate individual teaching could provide evidence of the achievement and support programs assisting individuals to improve their teaching. 1P12 S MCC has built a course delivery system by requiring master syllabus documentation for all courses and assuring faculty access to tools such as Blackboard and the Worldwide Instructional Design System software. The MCC Distance Learning Advisory Committee and the MCC Standard and Practices for Distance Education govern the quality delivery of distance learning content. 1P13/14a S MCC maintains advisory committees, particularly in occupational programs, to update curriculum and maintain currency in the offerings. Most courses and programs were revised during 2008-2009 as part of a general education review. 1P13/14b O MCC has an opportunity to develop systematic processes beyond advisory committees to help ensure that its programs and courses are upto-date and can effectively accommodate rapidly changing areas of study. 1P15a S MCC relies on Accuplacer and course-based assessments to determine learning support needs. Curriculum-centered support services in writing, science, and math supplement comprehensive support services offered 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 15 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 by Counseling and Student Development and the Teaching and Learning Center. 1P15b O MCC has an opportunity to correlate Accuplacer test scores and developmental course participation with further coursework. This information can be used to improve developmental courses, lab and tutoring services, and numerous support centers for underprepared students, as well as support decisions on requiring specific remedial actions of students. 1P16 O While MCC has a variety of co-curricular student clubs and organizations, there is no systematic process to align the goals of those activities with MCC’s curriculum. By developing such processes, the students and organizations should see additional benefits for having such groups and should expect greater student performance and understanding in curriculum areas. 1P17 S MCC employs a number of means to determine that students in specific disciplines who receive degrees or certificates have met learning and development expectations, including: graded course work, individual career/educational portfolios, capstone projects, and external assessments such as licensure and certification exams. 1P18a S MCC assesses student learning on three levels: the course level by the individual instructor, the program level by the program coordinator and program faculty, and the institutional level by the Committee for the Assessment of Student Learning. 1P18b O There is an opportunity to develop additional and systematic assessments across programs and courses. 1R1/2a S MCC has trend data of general education objective results through use of the MAPP assessment instrument. Graduate follow-up surveys are also completed by those who have earned degrees and certificates to measure how prepared they feel in general education areas. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 16 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 1R1/2b O MCC’s portfolio and understanding of student learning could be enhanced through establishing targets and goals and assigning specific MAPP subscores to specific student learning and development objectives. 1R3a S Historically, MCC collected and analyzed performance results based on student portfolio reviews for specific program learning outcomes on a regular cycle. External review of student portfolios by teams representing both industrial and educational sectors showed improving results on an annual basis 1R3b O MCC has an opportunity to develop processes to routinely collect and analyze data to evaluate specific learning objectives for programs which do not use portfolio reviews. 1R4a S MCC conducts a Graduate Follow-Up Survey. Over a four-year period, a majority of responding former students reported they thought the college prepared them well or very well in relation to their major. Nursing students compare favorably with or exceed statewide results in the NCLEX-RN examination. 1R4b OO MCC reports that “no institution-wide instrument collects direct evidence of skill mastery from employers and other educational institutions for programs, degrees, and certificates.” This evidence is critical to support effective data-based decision making to design strategies to improve student learning. 1R5 O MCC has an opportunity to develop processes and tools for collecting and analyzing data to improve student support services, in particular benchmarking and trend data. Such information has the potential to have impact on the retention of students. 1R6 S MCC collects benchmarking data for results in helping students learn through its use of the MAPP assessment instrument. The portfolio reports data showing that MCC students compare favorably with or exceed national results. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 17 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 1I1a S MCC has implemented CCSSE and CCFSSE which will provide benchmark and trend data for the benefit of the institution. 1I1b O MCC has suspended its institution-wide system of portfolio assessment because it did not correspond with the college’s recently revised general education requirements. It would be helpful if the portfolio discussed the problem in more detail since it is appears that some programs are still using a portfolio method of assessment on the departmental level. 1I2 S MCC has redesigned general education learning outcomes and requirements based on performance evidence and collaborative participation. AQIP CATEGORY 2: ACCOMPLISHING OTHER DISTINCTIVE OBJECTIVES Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives addresses the processes that contribute to the achievement of your institution’s major objectives that complement student learning and fulfill other portions of your mission. Depending on your institution’s character, it examines your institution's processes and systems related to identification of other distinctive objectives, alignment of other distinctive objectives, faculty and staff roles, assessment and review of objectives, measures, analysis of results, and efforts to continuously improve these areas. Here are the Key Critical Characteristics of Mott Community College that were identified by the Systems Appraisal Team as most relevant for its interpretation of its Systems Portfolio section covering Category 2, Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives: Item Critical Characteristic OV1d MCC’s offerings include traditional transfer programs, career and technical education, workforce development, and corporate services programs. OV2a As a non-residential institution, MCC offers an array of services, including: academic advising, athletics, a career resource center, counseling & student development, disability services, financial aid, student support services, student employment services, student life, Upward Bound, and workforce development. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 18 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 OV2b MCC operates four Community Technology Centers (CTCs) that focus on bridging the “digital divide” by providing free hands-on learning opportunities leading to career development for under-served communities. OV9a MCC seeks to leverage available community resources through articulation, transfer, and partnership agreements with high schools, universities, and outside entities, including area employers. Here are what the Systems Appraisal Team identified as Mott Community College ’s most important strengths and opportunities for improvement relating to processes encompassed by Category 2, Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives. Item S/O Comment 2P1a S MCC is organized into two primary operational units: Academic Affairs and Student and Administrative Services, a structure which appears to provide lines of communication without going through multiple layers. In addition, the units define key non-instructional processes, and the organizational units are structured with an emphasis on the interdependence of instructional and non-instructional functions. 2P1b O MCC has an opportunity to develop systematic means that will help it design and clarify non-instructional processes effectively. 2P2 SS MCC understands its role in providing workforce and economic development activities alongside traditional instructional priorities. To pursue a parity of instructional and community goals and to determine its major non-instructional objectives, MCC obtains input from community groups and organizations, monitors labor market trends and information, and participates in various advisory groups and councils. In addition, the college conducts environmental scanning, works closely with the local workforce investment board and the State Department of Labor, and obtains feedback from employers. 2P3 O The mechanisms that MCC uses to identify and communicate noninstructional objectives—email, the college website, and regular meetings—apply primarily to external stakeholders. However, the college 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 19 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 has defined non-instructional objectives to include major internal activities and stakeholders. Beyond a reference to strategic planning, the portfolio does not clearly identify how those internal activities and stakeholders are included. MCC might benefit from the experience and knowledge of its internal stakeholders by systematically involving them in processes to determine its major non-instructional objectives. 2P4a S The MCC strategic planning process includes specific mechanisms for tracking non-instructional objective performance. In addition to monthly review by the Board and Executive Cabinet, the process includes regular reporting cycles from non-instructional entities and ongoing review meetings with non-instructional lead managers conducted by the Vice President of Student and Administrative Services. MCC has developed key annual non-instructional objectives called “enabling objectives” reported to the Board on a monthly basis. These objectives are tracked in a central database and are integrated into the annual strategic planning process. Operational activities are reviewed monthly by the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee to detail work toward objectives and work underway at each campus. 2P4b O It is not clear if there is an overall and systemic method of assessment and evaluation of non-instructional objectives. Such assessments might be useful in determining when objectives are or are not being met. Mere examination of the data might not reveal both negative and positive issues found through systematic analysis. Additionally, involvement of other individuals in the review of the data would bring a broader perspective. 2P5/6a S Faculty and staff needs regarding non-instructional objectives are determined partially through the strategic planning process and partially on an ad hoc basis, relying heavily on internal survey research conducted by the Institutional Research Office. 2P5/6b O It is unclear how internal surveys are validated and analyzed. Failure to do so systematically could result in faulty conclusions and provide a poor 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 20 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 basis for decision making. Supplementing internal survey research with external data would also increase both the validity and reliability of the data. 2R1/2a S MCC tracks a variety of non-instructional department measures to monitor student and employee needs involving information technology, safety, and facilities. Documentation is completed in both numeric and visual forms. For example, the college provides a table of Call Center Data on volume of calls. Managers appear to use data to monitor activities and plan accordingly to meet needs. 2R1/2b O The data provided for non-instructional objectives do not include results on workforce and economic development activities, despite MCC’s acknowledgement of the importance of these functions. 2R1/2c O MCC has an opportunity to outline clearly how it uses data to effect improvements. For example, MCC alludes to how data is used to reveal patterns around registration and peak period activity, but it does not provide an account of how the data is used. 2R3 O MCC has identified only a few benchmarking areas, and these appear to be limited to those which are required by law. It is unclear how the college plans to benchmark results for other distinctive objectives internally and with other public or private institutions or entities. For instance, the college reports positive enrollments in workforce development in a variety of areas. A stronger example of success could be made if results were compared to goals or past enrollments in those areas. Without such benchmarks, it is unclear if these numbers are greater than expected. Benchmarking might be useful for determining success as well as for planning for future. Failure to do so can lead to under- and overestimation of levels of success and/or concern. 2R4 SS MCC has a long history of community engagement in non-instructional areas. MCC has been able to utilize information on non-instructional objectives to develop new programs in the area of workforce development. New initiatives in worker training supported by strong 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 21 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 relationships with the local community have resulted in an increase in both credit and non-credit enrollment. 2I1 S MCC identifies improvements in underserved areas of its region, specifically southeast Genesee County, which comprises a large portion of MCC’s service area. The college is working to expand new programs that meet the needs of medical, police, trade and other groups. 2I2 S MCC reports that its culture and infrastructure position it to be responsive to external forces in identifying improvement efforts. Building a culture of responsiveness to external stakeholders has enabled MCC to select key process, improvements, and targets as exemplified by recent web development changes and workforce development initiatives. MCC appears to serve as a leader in initiatives to help improve training and economic development opportunities for its region and state. AQIP CATEGORY 3: UNDERSTANDING STUDENTS’ AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS’ NEEDS Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs examines how your institution works actively to understand student and other stakeholder needs. It examines your institution's processes and systems related to student and stakeholder identification, student and stakeholder requirements, analysis of student and stakeholder needs, relationship building with students and stakeholders, complaint collection, analysis, and resolution, determining satisfaction of students and stakeholders, measures, analysis of results, and efforts to continuously improve these areas. Here are the Key Critical Characteristics of Mott Community College that were identified by the Systems Appraisal Team as most relevant for its interpretation of its Systems Portfolio section covering Category 3, Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs: Item Critical Characteristic OV3a MCC has 10,456 students of which approximately 1/3 are full time. One third of the students are either under 21 or over 30 years of age with an average age of 27, 61% are 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 22 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 female, 17% are African American, 72% are Caucasian, 2% are Hispanic, 1% are Native American, and 1% are Asian American. OV3d MCC student requirements and expectations focus on affordable, available services and employment preparation, while other stakeholder needs center on quality, responsiveness, community contribution, and economic impact. OV8b MCC is challenged by declining high school graduation rates, outmigration, aging population, legislative turnover due to term limits in the State legislature, a shrinking employment base, declining academic preparedness among incoming students, and issues of board governance resulting from the age and length of service of the elected board. OV8c MCC and the community it serves have a unique culture rooted in the auto industry, labor history, and institutional memory. MCC states these cultures are sometimes prone to fear and can be resistant to change. Here are what the Systems Appraisal Team identified as Mott Community College ’s most important strengths and opportunities for improvement relating to processes encompassed by Category 3, Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs. Item S/O Comment 3P1a S MCC gathers information regarding changing student needs from diverse sources, and it places responsibility for annual and short term goal development with action teams and managers. 3P1b O The portfolio does not clarify how the college prioritizes the information regarding changing student needs nor how it delegates responsibility for acting on the information. 3P2a S MCC builds and maintains relationships with students by fostering a culture of openness, communication, and participation at multiple levels. The college gathers input from students through a regular cycle of surveys and assessment instruments. 3P2b O Relationships with students appear to be encouraged at MCC but not proactively developed. The college relies heavily on surveys but provides no evidence that the surveys have been validated or have a meaningful 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 23 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 participation rate, which could lead to inaccurate conclusions drawn from the data. 3P3/4 O MCC relies on the strength of collaborative relationships with current key stakeholder groups to gauge changing stakeholder needs and to determine actions regarding those changing needs. Processes or mechanisms for building relationships with additional stakeholders could prove useful as relationships evolve. The informal and non-systematic approach could miss needs of those new to or outside the network. 3P5 O MCC responds to new student groups with educational offerings and services on an ad hoc basis. Development of a formal process for governing response to emerging student groups and populations may serve the mission of the college and expand the student base. 3P6 S The formal process for collecting, reviewing, and acting upon complaint information incorporates communication mechanisms with MCC students and other stakeholders. 3R1a S MCC conducts a variety of student surveys, including: student satisfaction, new student, exit, graduate follow-up, and student instructor evaluation forms (SIEF). 3R1b O Processes for obtaining satisfaction information from the annual cycle of surveys remain undeveloped with regard to validation of the instruments and attention to the response rates. 3R2a S Graduate follow-up survey data indicate a high level of positive responses to the various questions on satisfaction with preparation at MCC. 3R2b O MCC indicates the course satisfaction instrument used for more than two decades needs revision to enhance its utility for instructional improvement purposes. 3R3 S MCC reports positive student relationship building specifically in the areas of athletics, student clubs, and first-term student groups. 3R4/6 OO At this time, MCC does not systematically collect or analyze measures of satisfaction with respect to stakeholders other than students, and it has 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 24 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 no comparative results with other organizations nor internal trend data regarding these processes. 3I1a S Recent systematic improvements in understanding student and other stakeholder needs at MCC include creating learner centered enhancements for the advising system and student service facilities as well as implementing the College Information Center as a one-stop online and phone resource. 3I1b O While recent changes have been made, improvement efforts for external stakeholders are not described, and little information is presented on how data gathered informs the chosen priorities or targets. 3I2 S MCC attributes development of successful processes for improvement and target-setting in the area of understanding student and other stakeholder needs directly to a culture of openness and consultation with employees and community members. MCC has realized that other improvements and advancements can occur outside of the limited number of selected AQIP Action Projects. AQIP CATEGORY 4: VALUING PEOPLE Valuing People explores your institution’s commitment to the development of your employees since the efforts of all of your faculty, staff, and administrators are required for institutional success. It examines your institution's processes and systems related to work and job environment; workforce needs; training initiatives; job competencies and characteristics; recruitment, hiring, and retention practices; work processes and activities; training and development; personnel evaluation; recognition, reward, compensation, and benefits; motivation factors; satisfaction, health and safety, and well-being; measures; analysis of results; and efforts to continuously improve these areas. Here are the Key Critical Characteristics of Mott Community College that were identified by the Systems Appraisal Team as most relevant for its interpretation of its Systems Portfolio section covering Category 4, Valuing People: 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 25 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 Item Critical Characteristic OV4a MCC has 885 employees, of which 494 are faculty (29% are full time).There are 69 Support/Service Professionals, 122 Technical and Paraprofessionals, and 79 Clerical and Secretarial staff members. OV4b The college faculty and staff are represented by six separate bargaining groups. MCC full-time and part-time faculty are represented by the MCCEA, an affiliate of the Michigan Education Association (MEA). OV8c MCC and the community it serves have a unique culture rooted in the auto industry, labor history, and institutional memory. MCC states these cultures are sometimes prone to fear and can be resistant to change. OV8d MCC views the anticipated influx of new employees, due to the number of employees eligible to retire, as an opportunity to address commitments that include: openness to new ideas, cultural change, quality processes, long term planning, and increased technology. Here are what the Systems Appraisal Team identified as Mott Community College’s most important strengths and opportunities for improvement relating to processes encompassed by Category 4, Valuing People. Item S/O Comment 4P1/2 S MCC has processes in place to ensure creation of detailed job descriptions. It uses the same processes to hire its full time employees and its full time and part time faculty. 4P1 O MCC does not indicate that it has systematic processes to identify the specific credentials, skills, and values required for faculty, staff, and administrators and ensure the people they hire have them. These processes would support an effective response to the continuously changing nature of many of the college’s programs especially in the technology areas. 4P3 S The recruitment process at MCC includes internal stakeholders. The college advertises positions in venues appropriate to the job position. The 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 26 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 college updates its Affirmative Action Plan on a yearly basis, utilizing an outside consultant. 4P4 O MCC fails to describe processes for orienting part-time employees to the organization’s history, mission, and values. The college has an opportunity to fully develop its orientation process for all employees. 4P5a S MCC uses a number of strategies to retain employees such as a formal orientation program for full-time faculty and staff, compensation, benefits, institutional reputation, positive working environment, transparent communication, and monthly recognition of employees. The college reports a long-term turnover rate of 7%. 4P5b O An opportunity exists for more anticipatory tactics with respect to personnel attrition and internal migration. The college does not have a succession plan or a plan for faculty changeover. MCC indicates it has a systematic plan for changes in personnel, but it does not provide a description of the plan. This is of increased importance if the college is to take full advantage of the opportunities for change due to the anticipated influx of new employees. 4P6 S MCC reports an organizational culture that is highly open and “requires stakeholder involvement in process design.” This has resulted in a number of work processes in place that contribute to productivity and employee satisfaction. For example, the Human Resources office has created a cross-functional task force representative of its employees and uses it when new approaches are being implemented. 4P7 S MCC has a comprehensive conflict of interest policy enacted by its Board of Trustees. This policy is intended to promote ethical practices in its employees and inform ethical conduct for faculty and students. The statement “Ethical conduct is the obligation of every member of the Mott college community” is laudable. 4P8/9 O MCC determines training needs for new employees primarily on the program/unit level, based on reviews by immediate supervisors. MCC has the opportunity to develop a process to allow employees to be a part of 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 27 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 their own professional development and to partner with managers, administrators, and coordinators. Investigation of processes to train and develop all staff and administrators to contribute fully and effectively throughout their careers would complement the Center for Teaching and Learning for faculty. 4P10 S MCC is working to “bargain the principles of continuous improvement” into its performance evaluation processes, and it provides an array of web-based resources for evaluators to use in employee evaluation. Improvement-based evaluation systems within collective bargaining will enable future development of linkages between personnel evaluation and program and service objectives 4P11 O Except for longevity, the college does not have a mechanism for aligning compensation and benefits with performance or retention. Opportunities exist to design other employee recognition or reward systems to align with objectives for programs and services, as in the cases cited for promotional opportunities. 4P12 O MCC has no formal institution-wide process for employee motivation. Developing processes could become important as compensation may become more limited. 4P13 S MCC promotes the health and wellness of its employees through employee assistance programs, an array of web-based resources, and a full-service Fitness Center. The college addresses campus safety with its own police force and an in-house system in which employees in every campus building can be members of an emergency response team. 4R1/2 OO MCC has an opportunity to improve its current survey system and to develop ways to systematically evaluate how it values people. Analysis and use of this data could be helpful in a financially challenging environment. 4R3 O MCC recognizes an opportunity to systematically gather evidence regarding the productivity and effectiveness of faculty, staff, and administrators in helping achieve college goals. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 28 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 4R4 O MCC recognizes an opportunity and cites future plans to compare evidence systematically regarding valuing people with performance results from other organizations. 4I1/2 S The president’s open forums enable MCC students and/or employees to ask questions, provide input, gain feedback, and make comments. These forums have proven instrumental in helping the college select specific processes to improve and to set targets for improved performance results. Two examples of improvement in results for valuing people are seen in the development of the Bear Bistro commons and the new employee recognition program. AQIP CATEGORY 5: LEADING AND COMMUNICATING Leading And Communicating addresses how your institution’s leadership and communication structures, networks, and processes guide your institution in setting directions, making decisions, seeking future opportunities, and building and sustaining a learning environment. It examines your institution's processes and systems related to leading activities, communicating activities, alignment of leadership system practices, institutional values and expectations, direction setting, future opportunity seeking, decision making, use of data, leadership development and sharing, succession planning, measures, analysis of results, and efforts to continuously improve these areas. Here are the Key Critical Characteristics of Mott Community College that were identified by the Systems Appraisal Team as most relevant for its interpretation of its Systems Portfolio section covering Category 5, Leading and Communicating: Item Critical Characteristic OV1b MCC operates under a 5-year strategic plan driven by “a Board-initiated desire for a learning-centered college” that outlines goals for student learning, academic climate, as well as key systems and programs supported by “enabling objectives” for each of the overarching goals 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 29 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 OV1c The tenure of the current MCC president has provided stability and uniform leadership direction. OV1e The college states its mission as follows: “The mission of Mott Community College is to provide high quality, accessible and affordable educational opportunities and services— including programs focused on university transfer, technical and lifelong learning, as well as workforce and economic development—that promote student success, individual development, and improve the overall quality of life in a multicultural community.” OV4b The college faculty and staff are represented by six separate bargaining groups. MCC full-time and part-time faculty are represented by the MCCEA, an affiliate of the Michigan Education Association (MEA). OV5a The Executive Cabinet (President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Student and Administrative Services, and Chief Human Resources Officer) provides the primary mechanism for alignment of leadership, decision making, and communication by managing the institution under the mission and policies set by the Board. OV6a The strategic goals and enabling objectives of the 2007-2012 Strategic Plan provide a mechanism for alignment of administrative support and mission including a set of overarching goals that it uses to use to ensure appropriate technology, instructional, and administrative support at each location. OV7 The college uses Datatel as its main database and has begun to expand its use of the system for a more comprehensive, efficient implementation. This expansion was linked with two AQIP Action Projects in Degree Audits and Faculty Assignments. Here are what the Systems Appraisal Team identified as Mott Community College’s most important strengths and opportunities for improvement relating to processes encompassed by Category 5, Leading and Communicating. Item S/O Comment 5P1 S MCC’s mission and values have been collectively and collaboratively defined and reviewed through broad constituent involvement, including: community town hall meetings, internal open forums, and stakeholder 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 30 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 surveys. Mission review and revision was undertaken in conjunction with strategic planning processes in both 2001 and 2006. 5P2/3 S Educational leaders at MCC set directions using the nine AQIP categories in alignment with college mission, vision, values, and commitment to high performance through the five-year strategic planning process, the annual objectives process, and the monthly Leadership Group Meeting. 5P4 S MCC conducts environmental scans as part of strategic planning processes and utilizes professional development opportunities for management, faculty, and staff to keep current in industry trends. The Office of Regional Technology Initiatives is an example of a proactive economic development effort based on addressing the technology needs of a variety of public and private entities. 5P5 S The MCC Board of Trustees sets broad strategic direction for the college, and the President’s Executive Cabinet manages the institution. The Professional Study Committee has standing committees for Academic Affairs, Curriculum, and Distance Learning. Ad hoc committees are formed periodically on an as-needed basis. 5P6 S The Enterprise Resource Platform system Datatel Colleague makes immediate and historical data available for use by team leaders, managers, and other college employees through queries of live data, as well as queries through MCC’s business intelligence software, Cognos, which can query live data or MCC’s data warehouse. 5P7/8a S Important modes of communication include monthly Leadership Group meetings, regular meetings between the leadership of MCC’s employee unions and the President, open forums for employees hosted by the President, and a monthly newsletter. 5P7/8b O Top down communication patterns with the potential for input from other members of the community and methods to promote communication among members of the cabinet are in place. However, it is unclear what practices are in place to promote bi-directional communication at lower levels, to include adjuncts or to involve the four Technology Centers and 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 31 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 five campus/center locations. Communication problems can lead to uneven achievement of objectives. 5P9a S Leadership abilities are encouraged and developed among faculty through the activities of the Center for Teaching and Learning. 5P9b O MCC does not have a systemic process designed to develop new leadership and to provide for a leadership succession process. Potential leadership capacity among faculty, staff, and administrators could remain unknown and unrealized without processes in place for measurement and rigorous development of shared leadership knowledge and skills throughout the college. 5P10 O MCC views the maintenance of its Mission, Vision, and Values as a concern. The college listed its lack of a succession plan and lack of staff development connected to leadership as areas of vulnerability. Because of issues of competition and the unique geographic and economic conditions in Michigan, the institution has an opportunity and an imperative to develop key mechanisms other than its Board of Trustees to maintain its mission. 5R1/2 OO MCC does not regularly collect and analyze measures of leading and communicating. Valid systematic data collection and analysis processes would allow the college to support the belief that it has effective processes for leading and communicating which can assist in continuous improvement. 5R3 O MCC currently has no comparison or trend data for leading and communicating. Failure to do so can lead to under- and over-estimation of levels of success and/or concern. 5I1 S As evidence of recent improvements, MCC cites its participation in QuadPOD (Professional and Organizational Developers). This is a collaborative effort involving MCC, the University of Michigan-Flint, Kettering University, and Baker College. The purpose is to improve postsecondary education in Flint area colleges, primarily through professional development training for faculty. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 32 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 5I1/2 O MCC indicates it has no specific targets for improvements in leading and communicating, but it also states it has a number of initiatives at the local, regional, state, and national level. One of these is its participation in Quad-POD activities. At a minimum, the College has the opportunity to report numbers of faculty participation and cost savings connected to the collaboration of the four institutions and shared faculty development. The college is collecting data and as an AQIP institution should now be reporting out, analyzing, and reflecting on its data. 5I2 O Building methodical measurement and analysis processes with regard to leading and communicating at MCC could provide a vital framework for systematic and comprehensive selection of potential process and improvement targets congruent with sophisticated improvement processes functioning in other organizational areas of the college. AQIP CATEGORY 6: SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONAL OPERATIONS Supporting Institutional Operations addresses the variety of your institutional support processes that help to provide an environment in which learning can thrive. It examines your institution's processes and systems related to student support, administrative support, identification of needs, contribution to student learning and accomplishing other distinctive objectives, day-today operations, use of data, measures, analysis of results, and efforts to continuously improve these areas. Here are the Key Critical Characteristics of Mott Community College that were identified by the Systems Appraisal Team as most relevant for its interpretation of its Systems Portfolio section covering Category 6, Supporting Institutional Operations: Item Critical Characteristic OV1c The tenure of the current MCC president has provided stability and uniform leadership direction. OV2a As a non-residential institution, MCC offers an array of services, including: academic advising, athletics, a career resource center, counseling & student development, 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 33 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 disability services, financial aid, student support services, student employment services, student life, Upward Bound, and workforce development. OV3d MCC student requirements and expectations focus on affordable, available services and employment preparation, while other stakeholder needs center on quality, responsiveness, community contribution, and economic impact. OV8b MCC is challenged by declining high school graduation rates, outmigration, aging population, legislative turnover due to term limits in the State legislature, a shrinking employment base, declining academic preparedness among incoming students, and issues of board governance resulting from the age and length of service of the elected board. Here are what the Systems Appraisal Team identified as Mott Community College’s most important strengths and opportunities for improvement relating to processes encompassed by Category 6, Supporting Institutional Operations. Item S/O Comment 6P1a S MCC determines support service needs for students using departments and other work groups that operate closely with students. The needs of the Board of Trustees are determined through the office of the president. 6P1b O An opportunity exists for more systematic and pro-active identification and documentation of the processes to identify support needs for students and other key stakeholder groups to strengthen improvement efforts. 6P2 O An opportunity exists for more systematic identification and documentation of processes to identify the administrative support service needs of faculty, staff, and administrators in order to strengthen improvement efforts. 6P3 SS A comprehensive crime prevention program at MCC based on a philosophy of community oriented policing directs the operations of the MCC Department of Public Safety. The MCC Department of Public Safety effectively coordinates and reports results from multiple safety-related prevention programs. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 34 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 6P4a S MCC’s Vice President for Student and Administrative Services directs operation of over twenty-one key student, administrative and organizational support service processes on a day-to-day basis to ensure they address needs prescribed by the college mission. 6P4b O The institutional portfolio points to an online link to outline key support services process. Processes for gathering and analyzing data are missing, however, as well as identification of what the institution considers “key.” There is an opportunity to clarify how leadership sets direction and coordinates major support functions at the college. 6P5 S Readily available online tutorials and job aids document MCC key support processes. Documentation written and revised by local users provides the basis for training opportunities intended to encourage knowledge sharing, innovation, and empowerment throughout the College. 6R1/2a S Student satisfaction data is collected for key indicators such as placement and advising. 6R1/2b O Results presented for the student satisfaction survey in the portfolio include a significant number of “no comments” to the extent that the value and use of the results seem limited. 6R3 O Although MCC collects performance data for administrative support service processes informally, that same informality may result in inconsistent data, lack of trends lines, and difficulty in establishing benchmarks. Results were not presented. 6R4 OO MCC points to Table 6-1 as a means to address this results area of its portfolio. MCC states that information gathered is used to improve services to its students and results are monitored to improve services. Given the dependence on this instrument, an opportunity exists to look at the current Student Satisfaction Survey and assess its performance in collecting the data MCC needs to make improvements. 6R5 O Opportunities exist for MCC to identify and document additional improvement by comparing performance results for processes related to 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 35 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 supporting organizational operations with other organizations through benchmarks and internally through trends. 6I1 S MCC has recently generated several improvements in supporting organizational operations, including: a systematic review of computer support throughout the college, comprehensive maintenance, asset management, space inventory systems, and a new advising system allowing alignment of advisement scheduling with peak demand. 6I2a S MCC’s participation in the annual AQIP Action Project process has helped initiate a cultural context to select specific processes and performance targets for improvement in supporting organizational operations. 6I2b O It appears MCC has based improvements primarily on AQIP Action Projects, on a recent comprehensive review of its computer support services, and on recent asset and maintenance inventory systems. While MCC does detail some improvements made, no details regarding processes for selection prioritization, implementation, evaluation, and documentation of the process are presented. AQIP CATEGORY 7: MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS Measuring Effectiveness examines how your institution collects, analyzes, and uses information to manage itself and to drive performance improvement. It examines your institution's processes and systems related to collection, storage, management, and use of information and data – at the institutional and departmental/unit levels; institutional measures of effectiveness; information and data alignment with institutional needs and directions; comparative information and data; analysis of information and data; effectiveness of information system and processes; measures; analysis of results; and efforts to continuously improve these areas. Here are the Key Critical Characteristics of Mott Community College that were identified by the Systems Appraisal Team as most relevant for its interpretation of its Systems Portfolio section covering Category 7, Measuring Effectiveness: 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 36 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 Item Critical Characteristic OV1b MCC operates under a 5-year strategic plan driven by “a Board-initiated desire for a learning-centered college” that outlines goals for student learning, academic climate as well as key systems and programs supported by “enabling objectives” for each of the overarching goals. OV1e The college states its mission as follows: “The mission of Mott Community College is to provide high quality, accessible and affordable educational opportunities and services— including programs focused on university transfer, technical and lifelong learning, as well as workforce and economic development—that promote student success, individual development, and improve the overall quality of life in a multicultural community.” OV5a The Executive Cabinet (President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Student and Administrative Services, and Chief Human Resources Officer) provides the primary mechanism for alignment of leadership, decision making, and communication by managing the institution under the mission and policies set by the Board. OV7 The college uses Datatel as its main database and has begun to expand its use of the system for a more comprehensive, efficient implementation. This expansion was linked with two AQIP Action Projects in Degree Audits and Faculty Assignments. OV9b MCC is a member of MiTQIP, the statewide organization of Michigan AQIP Universities and Colleges. Here are what the Systems Appraisal Team identified as Mott Community College ’s most important strengths and opportunities for improvement relating to processes encompassed by Category 7, Measuring Effectiveness. Item S/O Comment 7P1 S MCC selects performance data through internal administrative identification of key indicators, state required reports, Federal Perkins Core indicators, and federally required IPEDS. The college manages data primarily though the offices of Institutional Research and Accounting/Finance. The college distributes performance data through 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 37 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 employee forums, web pages, memos, emails, and submissions to external reporting sites. 7P2a S MCC has identified major and key criteria for tracking data reports. MCC Action Plans appear to be aligned within the MCC data tracking. MCC has a Director of Institutional Research and several research analysts on staff. 7P2b O Although the portfolio describes the taxonomy of standing data reports, MCC has an opportunity to clarify directly how the data is selected for planning and improvement. 7P3a S MCC states it has created a MCC Datatel Users Group that meets regularly on issues of data collection, storage, and access. The College maintains a data warehouse and uses business intelligence software to query the data entered in its Datatel Colleague. Custom reports can be prepared for various internal stakeholders by the Institutional Research Office. This promotes uniformity of data across the institution. 7P3b O MCC has an opportunity to develop systematic processes to determine the needs of departments and units related to the collection, storage, and accessibility of data and performance information. 7P4 S The Executive Cabinet and Board of Trustees hold primary responsibility for analyzing data describing the college’s finances, enrollment, infrastructure, and stakeholder satisfaction. The data are distributed through Board meeting minutes and web pages on the departmental level, where managers incorporate unit specific information. Data are maintained and made accessible on college web pages, network servers, data warehouse, and Datatel/Cognos systems. 7P5 S MCC reports that it collects comparative data as made necessary by environmental scanning of both internal and external conditions. Relevant sources may include federal and state reports, information provided by peer institutions in a statewide AQIP group, and regional demographic reports. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 38 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 7P6a S MCC’s departments have direct access to standards and reports from its Datatel Colleague and Cognos. This allows the college to analyze and compare data, and the reports are used to modify budgets as targets are set and data are aligned. 7P6b O MCC aligns data analysis with overall organizational goals on the departmental level as directed by lead administrators. However, there is an opportunity to build on its common data set by developing processes to ensure consistent department and unit analysis of the data. 7P7 S MCC leadership supports a secure, reliable, and accurate information system with a strategic commitment to timeliness and accuracy, and it has incorporated improvements in technology into its strategic plan. 7R1 O MCC reports that it relies on benchmarks within the Datatel system along with staff developed standards to establish measures of knowledge management. MCC has an opportunity to develop a set of measure of the performance and effectiveness of its system for information and knowledge management. 7R2/3a S MCC participates externally in a pilot benchmarking activity on developmental education measures along with peer institutions in a statewide AQIP group. Information Technology Services staff at MCC conducts a regular internal user group and service evaluations, performance audits, and usage reports to establish evidence the College systems for Measuring Effectiveness meet organizational needs in accomplishing the institutional mission and goals. 7R2/3b OO MCC focuses more on the means by which results may be determined than on the results themselves and the college acknowledges that collecting and using comparative data are relative weaknesses overall. The institution would benefit from a more proactive description of institution specific data to benchmark internally and against other institutions externally. Failure to do so can lead to assumptions of levels of success and/or concern and faulty decision making. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 39 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 7I1a SS MCC has merged two separate departments responsible for computing technology into a single office of Information Technology Services. This change should provide the college with more efficient and consistent data management. 7I2a S MCC recognizes the importance of data management in daily operations and in strategic planning. It is in the initial stages of setting specific targets for improvement. AQIP CATEGORY 8: PLANNING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Planning Continuous Improvement examines your institution’s planning processes and how your strategies and action plans are helping you achieve your mission and vision. It examines your institution's processes and systems related to institutional vision; planning; strategies and action plans; coordination and alignment of strategies and action plans; measures and performance projections; resource needs; faculty, staff, and administrator capabilities; measures; analysis of performance projections and results; and efforts to continuously improve these areas. Here are the Key Critical Characteristics of Mott Community College that were identified by the Systems Appraisal Team as most relevant for its interpretation of its Systems Portfolio section covering Category 8, Planning Continuous Improvement: Item Critical Characteristic OV1b MCC operates under a 5-year strategic plan driven by “a Board-initiated desire for a learning-centered college” that outlines goals for student learning, academic climate as well as key systems and programs supported by “enabling objectives” for each of the overarching goals. OV5a The Executive Cabinet (President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Student and Administrative Services, and Chief Human Resources Officer) provides the primary mechanism for alignment of leadership, decision making, and communication by managing the institution under the mission and policies set by the Board. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 40 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 OV6a The strategic goals and enabling objectives of the 2007-2012 Strategic Plan provide a mechanism for alignment of administrative support and mission including a set of overarching goals that it uses to ensure appropriate technology, instructional, and administrative support at each location. OV8d MCC views the anticipated influx of new employees, due to the number of employees eligible to retire, as an opportunity to address commitments that include: openness to new ideas, cultural change, quality processes, long term planning, and increased technology. Here are what the Systems Appraisal Team identified as Mott Community College’s most important strengths and opportunities for improvement relating to processes encompassed by Category 8, Planning Continuous Improvement. Item S/O Comment 8P1 S MCC’s five-year strategic plan was created in conjunction with the college’s desire to become a learning centered college and its cultural shift attributed to becoming associated with AQIP and CQI. The five-year strategic plan was developed with input from numerous stakeholders and is widely distributed through a variety of print and online methods to college stakeholders. 8P2/6 S MCC’s strategic plan describes seven categories: student learning and success, technology initiatives, systems improvement, economic development, human resources development, institutional image/community relations, and budget/finance. Within each category, the college develops strategic goals which are further described on a more specific action-oriented level in annual enabling goals. All enabling objectives have budgets to support them and are reviewed annually. 8P3a SS MCC uses a seven-step process for creating AQIP Action Projects. 8P3b O MCC has an opportunity to adapt its seven step process to develop key action plans that are not formal AQIP action projects. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 41 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 8P4a S A newly formed, centralized department of Planning, Research, and Quality is charged with developing a process to align planning activities across the organization in the future. 8P5 S MCC creates enabling objectives linked to larger overarching goals within the strategic plan. Top level administrators develop their own goals within the parameters of the plan along with enabling objectives and measures, and a central database compiles enabling objectives for presentation to the Board of Trustees. 8P7a S The MCC Board of Trustees charges the college president with primary responsibility for risk management. The college has made personnel changes to improve risk management activities. It cites a seven-year operating forecast in its budgeting process as its strongest evidence of ongoing risk management. 8P8 O The portfolio does not clarify the exact processes by which the college develops faculty, staff, and administrator capabilities to address changing requirements that develop within the planning process. With the anticipated influx of new employees, MCC has an opportunity to define its objectives, set measures, and establish performance targets. 8R1/4b OO MCC reports that it does not currently collect measures of the effectiveness of its planning process and that it does not have benchmarking data from other institutions. These data are critical to measure, analyze, benchmark, and align planning goals and systems across MCC. 8R2 O MCC collects the goals and objectives of its strategic plan in a centralized database. However, the results are currently limited to departmental level accomplishments. The college has an opportunity to develop a more centralized approach to improve its planning process. 8R3a S MCC has a set of specific performance targets for financial planning, for example Accounting/Finance. Budgets for salaries and benefits have set targets, and the college is using a seven-year budget forecast that includes trend data and projections for revenue as well as expense. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 42 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 8R3b O MCC reports that it sets its most specific performance targets in the area of financial planning. Otherwise, the college states that “no comprehensive system for setting targets for performance exists on an institution-wide basis.” There is an opportunity to implement an institutionwide process to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategic plan. 8R5 O No institution-wide process exists to collect and analyze evidence that the planning process has impacted the institution. MCC has an opportunity to review its evaluation processes. 8I1a S Recent improvements at MCC include training sessions on the use of quality processes, and the college has developed a methodology to assess the effectiveness of its Action Projects. 8I1b O MCC acknowledges that it can improve further in this area by being more systematic and comprehensive. This will allow for more effective databased decision making. 8I2 S The college has improved efficiency related to determining faculty assignments, monitoring employee benefits, and improving its ability to collect accurate information. For example, the conversion to Datatel has enhanced the infrastructure for selection of processes to improve and set targets for improved performance results in planning continuous improvement. AQIP CATEGORY 9: BUILDING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS Building Collaborative Relationships examines your institution’s relationships – current and potential – to analyze how they contribute to the institution’s accomplishing its mission. It examines your institution's processes and systems related to identification of key internal and external collaborative relationships; alignment of key collaborative relationships; relationship creation, prioritization, building; needs identification; internal relationships; measures; analysis of results; and efforts to continuously improve these areas. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 43 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 Here are the Key Critical Characteristics of Mott Community College that were identified by the Systems Appraisal Team as most relevant for its interpretation of its Systems Portfolio section covering Category 9, Building Collaborative Relationships: Item Critical Characteristic OV1e The college states its mission as follows: “The mission of Mott Community College is to provide high quality, accessible and affordable educational opportunities and services— including programs focused on university transfer, technical and lifelong learning, as well as workforce and economic development—that promote student success, individual development, and improve the overall quality of life in a multicultural community.” OV2a As a non-residential institution, MCC offers an array of services, including: academic advising, athletics, a career resource center, counseling & student development, disability services, financial aid, student support services, student employment services, student life, Upward Bound, and workforce development. OV3b Main competitors include Baker College, a multi-campus for-profit institution offering traditional and occupational programs ranging from certificates through graduate degrees, University of Michigan—Flint which receives the majority of MCC’s 2-year transfer students and Delta College. There are six other community colleges and/or universities within an hour of travel from MCC. OV3c MCC partners with competing educational institutions. OV8c MCC and the community it serves have a unique culture rooted in the auto industry, labor history, and institutional memory. MCC states these cultures are sometimes prone to fear and can be resistant to change OV9a MCC seeks to leverage available community resources through articulation, transfer, and partnership agreements with high schools, universities, and outside entities, including area employers OV9b MCC is a member of MiTQIP, the statewide organization of Michigan AQIP Universities, and Colleges. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 44 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 Here are what the Systems Appraisal Team identified as Mott Community College’s most important strengths and opportunities for improvement relating to processes encompassed by Category 9, Building Collaborative Relationships. Item S/O Comment 9P1a S MCC creates positive relationships with K-12 schools through formal K-12 partnerships and tech prep programs, builds relationships with other educational institutions as a member of the Greater Flint Educational Consortium (GFEC), develops relationships with transfer institutions through the Admissions and Registrar’s office, participates in state and federal workforce training programs, and serves at risk students through the Mott Middle College. 9P1b O It is not clear what processes MCC uses to prioritize its relationships with other educational institutions. 9P2 S MCC has built a long tradition of strong partnerships with regional transfer institutions and operates the University Center for collaborative enrollment with area transfer colleges. MCC cultivates employer relationships through occupational advisory committee participation in the evaluation process of program review in Occupation Education, as well as the activities of the Student Employment Services department dedicated to serving students and private sector employment partners. 9P3/4a S MCC has numerous relationships with vendors and organizations that provide services to its students and the college community. The college lists its two most important relations as those it maintains with its bookstore and food services providers. MCC has processes, policies, and procedures in place for competitive bids, RFPs, and other procurement processes. 9P3/4b O MCC has an opportunity to develop formal systematic processes to address and prioritize relationships with the organizations that provide services to its students and supply materials and services to the organization. These could become more critical in the current economic environment. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 45 Mott Community College Systems Appraisal Feedback Report September 28, 2009 9P5/6a S MCC reports a variety of occupational and higher education professional memberships at the regional, state, national and international level. These are evaluated on an annual basis as part of Mott’s budgeting process. These memberships are used to expand its capacity to be involved and responsive to economic growth, alignment of resources, and to enhance the viability of the college in its community. Additionally, it is expected that MCC leaders are engaged in service activities. 9P5/6b O MCC has an opportunity to develop processes to ensure that its partnership relationships are meeting the varying needs of those involved and thus ensure the wise use of financial and human resources. 9P7 S MCC has fostered integration and communication across college departments by the use of the college’s information systems, especially Datatel and AQIP Action Project teams. 9R1/2b OO No qualitative or quantitative measures are currently in place at MCC to assess how its partnerships do or do not add value to the college. Such information is important as the institution makes decisions on the deployment of human and financial resources in a challenging financial environment. 9R3 O MCC has an opportunity to develop comparative and trend data for building collaborative relationships. Failure to do so can lead to underand over-estimation of levels of success and/or concern. 9I1 SS MCC’s participation in the Michigan Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers has yielded recent improvements in building relationships with other higher education institutions. For example, MCC Registrar’s office has participated in the development of the Michigan Transfer Wizard web site and the K-16 alignment activities. 9I2 S MCC has a reputation for responsiveness to external entities, including governmental and community organizations. MCC has used a recent AQIP Action Project to improve experiential learning and cooperative education. 2009 Academic Quality Improvement Program, The Higher Learning Commission. All rights reserved. This report may be reproduced and distributed freely by Mott Community College. 46