SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE
Institutional Effectiveness Committee
April 12, 2013
9:00 a.m. – Founders Room
MINUTES
Members Present: Rafael Aguilera, Nanette Blair, Rob Blair, Ann Gregory, Mollie Melton, Robert
Plant, Gary Poffenbarger, Lynda Reid, Yolanda Salgado, Lance Scott, Ron Spears, Pete Stracener, Jeremy
Todd, Jim Walker, Ben Walton, Jack Wardlow, Ronnie Watkins, Alan Worley, Shanna Donica and
Stephen John.
Members Absent: Billy Alonzo, Cary Banks, Jim Belcher, Hope Beyer, Sharon Bogener, Dane Dewbre,
Urisonya Flunder, Sue Ann Lopez, Kara Martinez, Cathy Mitchell, Yancy Nuñez, Jody Reding, Amanda
Sims.
Guest: Laura Graves
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. Minutes of the November 9, 2012 meeting, distributed
earlier by email, were presented for approval. Motion by Jack Wardlow to accept minutes by consensus.
Motion seconded by Rafael Aguilera.
Shanna Donica was introduced as the new director of institutional effectiveness and assessment. She
provided the committee with a brief introduction to her background and former work at Texas Tech
University. She also reported that she and Yancy Nuñez recently visited Abilene Christian University to
review their use of TaskStream as a planning and assessment tool. They have developed a different
workspace structure that we may adopt. More consideration will be given at a later day. She also said one
of her goals, in working with the Institutional Research Office, is to begin developing a Fact Book this
summer. Donica is also chairing the committee that is coordinating preparations for the SACS On-Site
Committee visit in October.
The following subcommittee reports and agenda items were taken up.
Quality Enhancement Plan Update
Dr. Laura Graves provided an update on the progress in preparing the college’s Quality Enhancement
Plan. A writing committee is working to get a draft of the QEP proposal written for review. The Steering
Team is investigating an online process that will integrate all advisement information, life advising,
academic advising, career advising and an educational success plan. The plan proposes one database
where all SPC student information will reside. The plan also proposes a system whereby students can
create a “growth diary.” The committee has written the learning objectives, outcomes and assessment
plan.
Compliance Certification Report
Stephen John reported that the Compliance Certification Report was submitted to SACS and the Off-Site
Review Committee March 11. The report will be reviewed by the committee May 7-9 in Atlanta, Ga. The
college can expect to receive the Off-Site Committee report on compliance sometime in late May or early
June. Dr. Steven Sheeley, SACS liaison, will make a visit to the campus May 20-21 to discuss
preparations for the On-Site Review Committee visit October 15-17. John expressed his appreciation to
all those who contributed to the CCR.
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Supervisors Network-LeadSPC Update
Rafael Aguilera reported that a professional development experience was held April 5. The leadership and
teamwork workshop, conducted by David Miller and Jim Shearer with Spirit Ranch, was attended by 14
participants. The session included several leadership activities. Aguilera said the session reminded
supervisors that we need to embrace change and think outside the box to find good solutions to
challenges. Additionally, the participants learned that every recommended action requires follow-through.
Feedback from participants was very positive.
Institutional Research and Data Subcommittee
Jack Wardlow presented a list of data documents that can be found on the MySPC page for Institutional
Research. Most of the documents are read-only because some contain priviledged information. Wardlow
also distributed student achievement data reports that have been compiled for Fall 2007 to Fall 2012 and
discussed the information presented in the reports. The reports included student profile information
including program/discipline enrollment and demographic information, as well as, course completion and
grade distribution information by program/discipline. Separate reports for traditional college students and
dual credit students have been prepared. The reports are also found on the IR MySPC page.
Mission Statement Evaluation Subcommittee
Dawn Valles reported that the subcommittee has held three meetings and seek approval from the IE
Committee to post a draft of a revised mission statement for review. The subcommittee has recommended
that the language of the statement be updated. For example, the reference to vocational-technical
education would be updated to career and technical education. The subcommittee will also continue to
work on restating the 10 purpose statements that articulate the role and scope of the college. Currently the
subcommittee is working to consolidate the 10 statements into eight statements aligned with the statutory
role and scope of the college. Consensus approval was granted to post the mission statement draft on
MySPC and offer employees an opportunity to review and comment.
THECB Accountability Report 2013
The latest Accountability Report compiled by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board was
distributed to committee members. Various aspects of the report were discussed. John pointed out the
section that reports the college’s Milestone Annual Success Point totals. Milestone points declined 4%
from FY 2010 to FY 2011. The State Legislature is considering a proposal from the Texas Association of
Community Colleges to tie 10% of state appropriations for instruction to Milestone Points for the next
biennium. State funding policy is moving from being enrollment-driven to performance-driven.
External Constituent Survey Results
Committee members were also presented the results of the 2012 External Constituent Survey. The survey
measures the perceived importance of the college’s mission and level of perceived performance in
fulfilling that mission among external constituents and stakeholders. Overall, respondents rated the
college’s core mission functions – preparation for university transfer and preparation for employment – as
being the most important functions to perform. Technology in the curriculum, programs and services for
student success, and a comprehensive curriculum that links general education to technical education were
also among the top five processes considered as being important. Those processes that were rated as
important for the college to perform were also rated as being “very good” by respondents. Those
processes rated as being “very good” included preparation for employment, preparation for university
transfer, development education programs for college preparation, accessible educational programs for
students traditionally not served by higher education, incorporation of technology in the curriculum, and
providing a comprehensive curriculum that links general education to technical and career education. In
summary, respondents see the college as fulfilling an important role in providing higher education
opportunities for residents of the college’s service area.
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John said that by using gap analysis techniques for importance and performance, an
Importance/Performance Matrix can be used to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.
Two core functions were identified as opportunities for improvement: programs for student success and
workforce development programs. The results do not deviate significantly from those of the prior survey
conducted in 2008, other than several core processes moved up in ranking as a result of the responses.
Strategic Planning Process Update
Committee members were provided an update on the strategic planning activities that were reviewed by
the Administrative Council at their April 4, 2013 meeting. These activities will include the review of
institutional mission, role and purpose that the IE Committee is currently conducting; development of an
environmental scan; gap analysis based on the scan and a SWOT analysis that the Administrative Council
will conduct this summer; identification of strategic issues from the scan and SWOT; identification of
goals and priority objectives to address strategic issues; and development of assessment measures and
benchmarks. Information from the Strategic Program Review Reports that are being prepared for
instructional and non-instructional planning units will also provide input into the revised Institutional Plan
for 2014-2017. A schedule of these activities will be prepared by the Administrative Council.
Open Discussion and Announcements
Committee members briefly discussed legislation before the Texas Legislature that would mandate a 60
semester hour associate degree and 120 hour bachelor’s degree. This will require the college to examine
its core curriculum carefully. Lynda Reid said the Fine Arts Department is already looking at course
credits against the Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manuel and is paring down courses. Music
Theory courses are being changed from three to two credit hour courses. Gary Poffenbarger said that
what happens to SPC’s core curriculum depends upon what our transfer institutions do and how many
hours they will accept toward a 120-hour bachelor’s degree. The English Department is examining how
we include the two freshman English courses into the 120-hour limit at the university level. Also
included in this examination are speech courses.
Rob Blair said SPC is part of a Starlink webinar that will focus on sharing strategies to get students to
degree or certificate completion. The webinar will include Odessa College and Blinn College. SPC’s
technical division will showcase it’s “earn while your learn” policy of proactively recording student
completion of coursework toward a certificate or associate degree and filing a graduation application on
behalf of the student. The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, 3 p.m. on the Starlink network.
With no additional business, the meeting was adjourned at 11 a.m.
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