SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE
Institutional Effectiveness Committee
January 25, 2008
9:00 a.m. – Founders Room
MINUTES
Members Present: Rafael Aguilera, Dane Dewbre, Barbara Walker, Ginger Mulloy, Dennis
Churchwell, Kimbra Quinn, Patrick Logue, Yancy Nunez, Jay Driver, Phil Anderson, Teresa
Salinas, Beth Glass, Lesa Wood, Julie Gerstenberger, Todd Gregg, Phyllis Kennon, Allison Perin,
Ann Hebisen, Jim Walker, and Stephen John
Members Absent: Katheryn Townsend, Wayne Langehennig, Mollie Melton, David Conner,
Deborrah Caddell, Rob Blair, Marla Cottenoir, Haleigh Ballow.
The Institutional Effectiveness Committee met at 9:00 a.m. January 25, 2008 in the Oil Room.
Motion to approve the minutes of the October 26, 2007 meeting was made by Beth Glass.
Seconded by Rafael Aguilera. Motion approved by consensus.
The following agenda items were taken up.
Results of Student Satisfaction Inventory
Kimbra Quinn reported on the results of the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI)
that was administered to first time in college, degree seeking students for Fall 2007. Copies of
the survey results were distributed to committee members. Quinn reported that 289 students
participated in the survey, which measures how well the college is meeting student
expectations in eight areas. These areas include academic advising effectiveness, admissions
and financial aid, campus climate, campus services, instructional effectiveness, registration
effectiveness, safety and security and student centeredness. The SSI was last administered in fall
2005, and comparative data was presented.
The survey identified a number of strengths (high importance and high satisfaction) which
included instructional quality, safe and secure campus, welcoming atmosphere, classes
scheduled at convenient times, convenient ways to pay college bill, sufficient courses within
program available each term, tuition paid is worthwhile investment, registration is convenient,
campus staff is caring and helpful, online services are provided, campus is well-maintained,
computer labs are adequate and accessible.
Challenges (high importance and lower satisfaction) included notifying students early if doing
poorly in class, faculty provide timely feedback about student academic progress, institution
helps to identify financial resources to pay for education, adequate financial aid is available,
information about registration for upcoming term is provided in timely manner.
Quinn stated that Noel-Levitz recommends the college focus on our strengths, since these will
be attributes we will want to maintain high student satisfaction. Data results should be looked
at as a group and individually within various service areas. The SPC data was also compared to
a national community college sample. SPC students generally place greater importance on the
survey scales than do the national group. Additionally, SPC students are more satisfied with
the eight survey areas than the national group.
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Improvement was also made in several areas from the 2005 survey results. Students were more
satisfied with registration effectiveness, safety and security, student centeredness, campus
services, campus climate, admissions and financial aid, and advising than measured two years
ago. Quinn said the survey results will be presented to the Retention Team and presentations
will be made to other campus groups during the spring semester. It was suggested that the
survey results be widely distributed.
Status Reports and Action Items from IE Subcommittees: The following subcommittee reports
were given.
Supervisor Training Network Subcommittee: Rafael Aguilera reported that those who
participated in LeadSPC activities last fall have been surveyed to provide an evaluation of the
program. Evaluation results are currently being compiled and will be distributed to IE
Committee Members and the Executive Council. The subcommittee will schedule a meeting
soon to review the evaluations and to discuss how to select the next group of participants for
the spring semester. Stephen John asked the Subcommittee to also take up the task of
investigating how the “Connections” and “Advanced Connections” customer service training
that was piloted this past summer might be sustained and offered in other service areas.
Assessment and Outcomes Subcommittee: Jay Driver said he has met with the Instructional
Deans to gather their input to provide direction for the subcommittee’s next tasks. He reported
the Instructional Deans are presently leading the effort to investigate effective methods for
assessing the achievement of stated learning outcomes. The main focus for the subcommittee
will be on instruction. He called upon Yancy Nunez to provide additional explanation of what
is presently being studied. Nunez stated that any assessment of learning outcomes must be a
global assessment as it related to a program. The assessment model that is being developed will
look at groups of students. The first step will be to outline and enumerate course learning
objectives. This is already being done in technical programs. We are looking at adopting
common course syllabi that state minimum learning objectives expected for a course. A faculty
member can add additional objectives to the common course syllabi. Assessment would take
place on a group level and each department would identify what assessment method works
best. How to collect and report the data will be another factor that must be decided. He also
said that a two-year cycle of gathering data is being considered. As part of the process,
departments will identify benchmarks. Plans are being made for Nunez and other selected
instructional staff will attend the Learning Assessment Institute that is hosted each summer by
SACS.
Planning Processes Subcommittee: John reported that responses to the Constituent Survey are
presently being received on a daily basis. Approximately 1,200 surveys were mailed to a broadbased constituency the first week of January. He hopes to have preliminary results compiled by
the next IE Committee meeting. Work is underway to administer the Employee Survey this
spring. John said that the online survey will open the week following Spring Break. Results will
be complied for the Administrative Council summer planning workshop in July and will be
distributed to the IE Committee by Aug. 11.
Subcommittee Assignments
A list of subcommittee assignments for 2007-08 was distributed and IE Committee members
were asked to indicate their preference for subcommittee participation. The charges for the
various committees have been emailed to all members.
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The Communications Survey Subcommittee has completed its task and has been dissolved.
Committee members involved with that project were asked to become involved in another
subcommittee.
Announcements
The IE Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 25, 9 a.m. in the Founders
Room.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:00 a.m.
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