SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE
Institutional Effectiveness Committee
September 15, 2006
9 a.m. – Founders Room
MINUTES
Members Present: Phil Anderson, Gail Platt, Molly Melton, Marla Cottenoir, Lesa Wood,
Stephanie Jones, Fran Cotton, Kara Martinez, Rafael Aguilera, Teresa Salinas, Kimbra Quinn,
Justin Duffell, Barbara Walker, Dane Dewbre, Jeri Ann Dewbre, Dennis Churchwell, Cary
Marrow, Ginger Mulloy, Darrell Grimes, Orlo Sundre, Jack Wardlow, Stephen John
Members Absent: Jay Driver, Julie Gerstenberger, Larry Nichols, Rob Blair, Allison Perrin,
David Conner, Lee Cox, Dick Walsh.
The Institutional Effectiveness Committee met at 9 a.m. Sept. 15, 2006 in the Founders Room.
New committee members introduced at the meeting included: Orlo Sundre, Molly Melton,
Justin Duffell, Barbara Walker, Dennis Churchwell, Ginger Mulloy and Kara Martinez. The
following agenda items were discussed.
2006 Employee Survey Results: Committee member reviewed and discussed the results of the
2006 Employee Survey. The Survey Report identifies five possible areas for improvement:
rewards and recognition, physical facilities, cooperation and communication, planning and
effectiveness, and the budget process. The role of supervisory leadership in facilitating
employee engagement in planning and effectiveness, the budget process and in communication
and cooperation was discussed. Much of the discussion focused on organizational
communications. As in past surveys, employees indicate that the communication/cooperation
within departments is adequate, but that communication between departments needs to be
improved. The survey, however, provides little insight into the institution’s communications
challenges. Members noted that the growing size of the college, its multi-campus nature,
workloads, employee disinterest, and other factors could be contributing to perceived
communications breakdowns. It was agreed that in order to improve organizational
communications, we must have a better understanding of what the central problem is. Using
employee focus groups was suggested as one strategy for identifying what information do
employees want and how do they want to receive it. It was also recognized that supervisory
leadership is the key to facilitating change and improvement in the targeted areas. Supervisor
training was identified as one means for accomplishing this task. It was the consensus of the
committee to develop two ad hoc subcommittees to investigate these two areas for
improvement.
Kimbra Quinn volunteered to chair the Organizational Communications/Cooperation Subcommittee. Jeri Ann Dewbre volunteered to chair the Supervisor Training Network Subcommittee. Members were asked to volunteer for the project of their choice by contacting the
sub-committee chairs.
Assessment and Outcomes Subcommittee: Gail Platt provided a progress report on the work
of the subcommittee. She shared with the group information from John N. Gardner, executive
director of the Policy Center for the First Year of College, regarding the importance of
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assessment. Work on defining the characteristics and/or qualities demonstrated by an SPC
graduate were also discussed. At the March 24, 2006 meeting, the list compiled by the
Department Chairs and organized into broad categories was presented for review. Dr. Platt
recommended to the committee that a task force with faculty representation from each
instructional department be formed to review, refine and describe the universal learning
outcomes of the college’s educational program. The recommendation was approved by
consensus. Department chairs will be contacted to recommend one or two faculty to participate
in this project. Dr. Platt also brought attention to two national reports that are being distributed.
The Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education has released a
draft report of its work, and the National Center for Public Policy and High Education has
released its 2006 Report Card on Higher Education. The report card for Texas was distributed
to committee members.
Phil Anderson reported on the math assessment pilot project that was conducted in the Math
Department this past year. Math faculty identified learning outcomes for Math 1314 College
Algebra and used the student evaluation of instruction instrument to survey the extent to which
course outcomes were adequately explained during the semester. The eight outcome statements
were added to the nine evaluation statements that are part of the evaluation instrument. The
results of the pilot were discussed. Dr. Anderson questioned the usefulness of the data in that it
measures student perceptions regarding how well the course outcomes were explained, but
perhaps does not provide an indication if the students mastered the expected outcomes. Marla
Cottenoir suggested that a structured testing approach might be considered, similar to what is
being used in the Nursing Department. Dr. Platt suggested that the math pilot represented a
qualitative approach to learning assessment and that it may need to be combined with other
assessment methods to provide evidence that course outcomes are being mastered. Various
assessment ideas were discussed.
New Employee Orientation Day 3: Jeri Ann Dewbre reported for Dick Walsh the plans that are
being made for NEO Day 3, scheduled for Sept. 22. An agenda of the morning’s activities was
distributed. IE Committee Members who are not involved in the event were invited to attend as
observers.
IE Committee Planning Report: Stephen John distributed the IE Committee’s Institutional
Effectiveness Report for 2005-06. Committee members were asked to review the IEPR and to
provide any additional information that might have been overlooked in reporting progress
made on the committee’s targeted objectives. The IEPR will be finalized and distributed, and
the 2006-07 Committee plan will be developed.
Graduate Follow-up: Marla Cottenoir reported on the status of the graduate follow-up project.
The Instructional Deans have been evaluating an alumni/employer survey service provided by
Noel-Levitz. Noel-Levitz has offered to customize a survey instrument and administer the
survey to a pilot cohort of technical graduates. She distributed copies of the alumni and
employer surveys and asked that comments and suggestions be submitted to her by Sept. 29.
Closing the Gaps Education Summit: The South Plains Closing the Gaps Coalition will host its
2006 Education Summit Nov. 1 at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. Information about the
Summit was distributed and IE Committee members were invited to participate. SPC is a
member of the coalition, which is developing into a P-16 partnership.
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With no further business, the meeting adjourned: 10:45 a.m.
The next meeting of the IE Committee is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 27, 2006, in the Founders
Room.
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