SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE
Institutional Effectiveness Committee
November 9, 2012
9:00 a.m. – Founders Room
MINUTES
Members Present: Rafael Aguilera, Billy Alonzo, Cary Banks, Jim Belcher, Hope Beyer, Nanette Blair,
Rob Blair, Sharon Bogener, Dane Dewbre, Sue Ann Lopez, Kara Martinez, Cathy Mitchell, Yancy
Nuñez, Robert Plant, Gary Poffenbarger, Lynda Reid, Lance Scott, Ron Spears, Pete Stracener, Jeremy
Todd, Dawn Valles, Jim Walker, Ben Walton, Jack Wardlow, Ronnie Watkins, Alan Worley and Stephen
John.
Members Absent: Ann Gregory, Mollie Melton, Jody Reding, Yolanda Salgado, Amanda Sims.
Guest: Laura Graves
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. Minutes of the August 31, 2012 meeting, distributed earlier
by email, were presented for approval. Motion by Jack Wardlow to accept minutes by consensus. Motion
seconded by Rafael Aguilera.
The following subcommittee reports and agenda items were taken up.
Quality Enhancement Plan Update
Dr. Laura Graves provided an update on the status of the work being done on the Quality Enhancement
Plan as part of the college’s reaffirmation of accreditation with the SACS Commission on Colleges. The
QEP Executive Committee agenda for a meeting that was scheduled for Nov. 9 was distributed. The QEP
will focus on helping SPC students clarify their career goals and assist them in developing and
implementing an educational success plan. The committee is has tentatively selected the theme: “Plan for
Success.” She reported that the steering committee has identified two goals and three learning outcomes
for each goal, as follows.
Goal 1: To help SPC students clarify their career goals.
Learning Outcome 1: Students will assess their future career opportunities
Learning Outcome 2: Students will relate career requirements to their personal interests, abilities
and values.
Learning Outcome 3: Students will choose appropriate career pathways, based on selfassessment and analysis of the work world.
Goal 2: To assist SPC students in developing and implementing an educational success plan.
Learning Outcome 1: Students will select an academic program that is consistent with their
interests, abilities and career goals.
Learning Outcome 2: Students will chart a sequence of courses for academic program
completion.
Learning Outcome 3: Students will choose co-curricular activities to enhance their educational
and career goals.
Dr. Graves said the QEP Executive Committee planned to review these goals and outcomes and to hear
reports pertaining to advising, career planning and transfer, student life, finances, marketing and
assessment.
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Institutional Research and Data Subcommittee
Jack Wardlow presented information about reports that are prepared for the Integrated Postsecondary
Education Data System (IPEDS). The college provides IPEDS with reports that detail data related to
employees, faculty, students, foundation/endowments and finances. This data is then compiled into the
IPEDS Data Feedback Report which compares the college’s data to a comparison group of 25 other
community colleges that the system randomly selects based on similar enrollment factors. He distributed
the latest IPEDS Data Feedback Report for 2012 for SPC. IPEDS data is reported by academic year.
Wardlow said that we have problems with pulling data related to age, race and ethnicity from our data
system. Students are not understanding how to list race and ethnicity in CampusConnect. It was also
suggested that if we can select comparison colleges, we might consider comparing our data with other
Texas colleges or with colleges in surrounding states.
Wardlow also distributed a sample Student Profile Report by discipline and program. Data for the report
comes from the student database and not from certified reports. The report listed headcount enrollment,
percent female, percent minority, average age without dual credit students, percent fulltime, average
course load, percent freshman, percent sophomore and percent unclassified and percent first time in
college, and dual credit headcount. Data in each of these categories was presented for Fall 2007 to Fall
2012 in order to show trends in student demographics for the program or discipline. Committee members
discussed the merits of having this information for assessment and planning purposes. It was
recommended that the Student Profile Report exclude dual credit enrollment data and only present nondual credit student enrollment and demographic data. A separate dual credit Student Profile Report
should be generated for that student population. Wardlow said his office would proceed in compiling a
complete report for distribution. He reminded committee members that student and course data by
semester can be accessed on the Institutional Research section of MySPC.
Mission Statement Evaluation Subcommittee
Kara Martinez, subcommittee chair, reported on the organization of the Mission Statement Evaluation
Subcommittee. The following faculty and staff have volunteered to serve on the subcommittee: Lynda
Reid, Nancy Smith, Andrew Ruiz, Kathryn Townsend, Amber Dixon, Jim Ann Batenhorst, Brant Farrar,
Kathryn Perez, Jack Wardlow, Robert Plant, Randy Robertson, Lance Scott, Dawn Valles, and Hope
Beyer. The subcommittee has scheduled its first meeting for Nov. 30, 2013.
THECB Accountability Report for 2011
Copies of the Accountability Report for 2011 as prepared by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board’s accountability system were distributed. Various aspects of the report and its data were discussed.
In particular, the section reporting “Annual Momentum Points” was discussed. The coordinating board is
recommending that momentum points be used to drive 10 percent of community college funding from the
state. SPC’s momentum point totaled 10,844 for FY 2009 and 11,124 for FY 2010. The report did not
list any points for FY 2011. Information regarding momentum points had previously been presented to
the IE Committee. The points are tied to a variety of measures that include completion of developmental
work, completion of first math course, completion of 15 and 30 semester hours of credit,
degrees/certificates awarded and transfer to university after 15 credit hours.
Strategic Planning Guides
Committee members received the revised draft of the Strategic Program Review Guides for instructional
and non-instructional areas that has been adopted by the Administrative Council. The guides will be used
by planning units to conduct a comprehensive review of the current operational status of the unit and to
project critical needs for the next four years. The guides will be distributed by Administrative Council
members to their areas of responsibility. The review has been scheduled to take place during the spring
semester.
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Compliance Certification Report
John reported that work is continuing on writing the compliance narratives for the Compliance
Certification Report that is due March 15, 2013. The Administrative Council has been meeting monthly to
monitor progress on compiling the report. Approximately 50 percent of the compliance criteria had been
addressed with first-draft narratives. The goal is to have final drafts completed by the end of the semester.
Open Discussion and Announcements
Cary Banks requested to address the IE Committee members with his personal observations on
institutional effectiveness. He stated that in his 20 years an a member of the faculty and as a departmental
chairperson, administrative responsibilities have grown to a point where chairs are “extremely
overworked.” Increasing demands for planning, effectiveness, assessment and accountability don’t allow
chairs to have enough time to effectively administer the department and fulfill teaching responsibilities.
Chairs have three hours of release time, and in order to be an effective departmental administrator the
release time needs to be six hours. Program coordinators who have similar responsibilities have no release
time. He said the concern is how can we best make use of individuals who are called upon to be chairs
and program coordinators. The college’s growth over the past 10 years has resulted in many changes and
many new responsibilities for the college and its leadership. He suggested that if we want to be effective,
we need to staff for our enrollment size and like our peers. The time demands result in communications
problems because deans and chairs do not have time to adequately communicate with faculty. Banks said
that the college needs to tap into the energy of younger, new faculty members who are bringing great
ideas to the college. IE Committee members agreed that balancing all these demands is a challenge and
that these concerns need to be discussed openly and honestly.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.
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