Community College of Philadelphia
Administrative Function and Support Service Audit
Corporate Solutions
Executive Summary
Introduction to Function/Service
Description and History
Corporate Solutions is the primary unit at Community College of Philadelphia that is responsible
for outreach to the business community. Corporate Solutions works with organizations to help
them increase organizational effectiveness and productivity and to solve problems associated
with talent recruitment and management, human capital development and retention.
In 1978, the College created a Center for Business and Industry as part of a Community Services
unit. Later it was placed under the Educational Support Services Division, and then in 1991
refocused as the Center for Training and Economic Development and aligned once again with
Community Services. Later that year it evolved into the Office of Economic Development
(OED); new leadership was hired that reported directly to the President. The activities of the
OED ended with the departure of the leadership.
From 1991 to 1999 the Center for Business and Industry provided general interest training
programs to individuals. The Center also provided contracted training to businesses and to a few
departments of local government.
In 1999 a Director for Continuing Education and Economic Development was hired to provide
leadership for the newly organized Center for Business and Industry. As an outgrowth of the
College’s year 2000 Strategic Plan, the Center for Business and Industry was moved to a newly
created Division of Business and Technology, in 2001. This new division was home to both
credit and noncredit educational programs and services. From 2001 through 2005 noncredit
training programs continued being offered to the public and customized training programs for
businesses began to grow. In 2003 the unit moved into a new building which was also called the
Center for Business and Industry. A comprehensive business plan was written for this unit in
September 2005. In 2006, the work unit Center for Business and Industry was renamed
Corporate Solutions and one of the Assistant Deans of the Division of Business and Technology
took on the additional title of Executive Director of Corporate Solutions. The branding of this
unit as Corporate Solutions achieved several goals. First, it distinguished the work unit from the
facility in which it was housed. Second, it created a brand that was easily understood by the
markets that it served. And, finally, the brand defined the work of the unit as providing
“corporate solutions” to corporate problems.
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Overview of Current Strengths, Opportunities and Activities
Strengths:
 We are Community College of Philadelphia!
 Dr. Curtis is viewed throughout the City, State, and region as a strong leader and
advocate for workforce development.
 The College has strong relationships with workforce development leaders in the City.
 The Center for Business and Industry facility provides opportunities for growth in
Corporate Solutions programming.
 Corporate College training contracts with employers have experienced growth and a high
retention rate.
 The current workforce and economic development professionals have an exceptional
work ethic, diverse backgrounds, and are developing as a team.
 The quality of Corporate Solutions promotional pieces is improving.
 We have client ambassadors and cheerleaders.
Opportunities:
 Increase Corporate College contract education for employers.
 Increase collaboration among College staff members that are actively engaged in work
with employers and/or workforce development.
 Increase WEDnetPA, Customized Job Training (CJT), and Industry Partnership corporate
customized training.
 Increase noncredit distance training and learning options.
 Expand Testing Center services.
 Increase program involvement with the Collegiate Consortium for Workforce and
Economic Development.
 Expand Corporate College and noncredit certificate offerings.
 Develop noncredit Institutes and/or Certificates, which are industry clustered and
profession specific.
 Continue collaboration with Deans, Department Heads and faculty on workplace learning
and training offerings through new certificates and degree offerings.
 Continue to grow Corporate Solutions name recognition through branding.
 Increase effective utilization of the website to create interactive opportunities.
 Increase our technical programming capabilities through selective partnerships.
 Increase the collection and use of testimonials and referrals.
 Increase basic data collection, tracking and reporting.
Activities (Corporate Solutions Programs)
Corporate Solutions activities are organized around the following primary functions and
services:
Corporate College:
The Corporate College team, in cooperation with academic deans and departments, brings
College credit courses, certificates and degree programs on-site to employer locations. Corporate
College also manages credit programs for corporate clients that are held on campus or at other
sites selected by the client. The success and growth of Corporate College is directly linked to the
requirements of various curriculums, the College’s ability to handle the capacity of requests, the
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availability of appropriate faculty, the availability of appropriate laboratories and equipment, and
the budget. Faculty members who are hired and assigned to Corporate College course sections
by the appropriate department head provide all instruction in the Corporate College.
Noncredit Customized Training and Workforce Development:
The Noncredit Customized Training and Workforce Development team partners with employers
in order to create customized training solutions across a wide range of industry sectors. Eligible
employers can have the cost of their training subsidized by funding that the College receives
from the Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania (WEDnetPA). This
team delivers results-driven, skills-based custom training solutions to meet employer’s
distinctive needs at times and at locations convenient to them. This unit sometimes experiences
conflicts with internal processes and timelines related to College internal systems. Additionally,
the unit has experienced a need to use consultative trainers and to partner with specialized
training organizations. The use of these services resulted in a contract dispute.
Professional Development and Continuing Education:
The Professional Development and Continuing Education team helps individuals keep pace with
rapidly changing work environments. Noncredit training programs in this area are designed: to
help individuals with their own professional development and career advancement, to enable
individuals to meet mandatory continuing education requirements, and to help prepare
individuals for certification and licensure preparation and testing.
The Professional Development and Continuing Education area has under-performed because of
a lack of new course development and staff turnover. Because it is important to deliver
educational programs and services that are wanted in the marketplace, a new director and
assistant director were hired to reinvigorate this area. New certificates, courses and training
programs are currently being researched and developed.
Testing and Training Center:
The Testing and Training Center team administers professional and national on-line certification
examinations to employees from a wide range of career fields in a comfortable, proctored testing
environment. WEDnetPA and ed2go online training programs are also administered in this area.
Current challenges in the Testing and Training Center include: increasing the number of
candidates choosing our Center as their testing location; increasing the number of students
registering for ed2go courses; and increasing the growth of WEDnetPA associated noncredit
corporate contract training programs.
Meeting Space and Support:
Corporate Solutions team members coordinate and support the utilization of meeting space by
employers and other organizations in the Center for Business and Industry facility. This service
is provided in cooperation with the Office of Marketing and Government Relations.
Mission and Objectives
The mission of Community College of Philadelphia’s Corporate Solutions unit is to be the
preferred source for results-oriented education and training resources for the City of Philadelphia
and regional employers. Corporate Solutions provides quality, effective credit and noncredit
education and training programs to business, industry, government, education, professional
organizations, community organizations and individuals. We are committed to offering
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customer-focused programs and services, which help to develop a world-class workforce in
Philadelphia and enhance the economic vitality of the City, its residents and employers.
The key objectives of Corporate Solutions are:
 increase net revenue to the College to support the College’s financial success.
 increase the number of new and retained clients to assure program growth.
 increase the number of new programs and services developed to meet market demand.
 respond to requests from College units and external organizations as a collaborative
partner that advances the College’s workforce development mission.
 identify resources and institutional commitment required to continue quality
improvement and increase customers.
Performance Indicators, Measures, and Effectiveness Standards
Performance indicators for Corporate Solutions are established each year and approved by the
Vice President for Academic Affairs. For Fiscal Year 2008 and 2009 metrics were established
for five strategic objectives:
1. Corporate Solutions will increase net revenue to the College to support the College’s
financial success. (Generate $1,422,103 net revenue)
2. Corporate Solutions will increase the number of new and retained clients to assure
program growth. (Retain 80% Of Corporate College Clients and 50% of Contract
Training Clients)
3. Corporate Solutions will increase the number of new programs and services developed to
meet market demand. (Develop Supervisory Certificate and, Small Business Program)
4. Corporate Solutions will respond to requests from College units and external
organizations as a collaborative partner that advances the College’s workforce
development mission. (Strengthen relationships with Division of Marketing and
Government Relations, Information Technology Services, Chambers of Commerce,
Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board (PWIB), Philadelphia Workforce
Development Corporation (PWDC)
5. Identify resources and institutional commitment required to continue quality
improvement and increase customers. (Online Registration)
Each of the strategic objectives has specific targets by product and service area that support the
overall objectives and are reevaluated annually.
Description of Data Sources and Collection Methodologies:
The data sources for the assessment of the objectives are drawn from:
 Financial Reports from the Office of the Vice President of Finance and Planning (Fiscal
Years 06-07 through 08-09)
 Enrollment and Training Program Data
 External Evaluator Report based on meetings and conference calls with internal and
external constituents over a two day period.
 WEDnet PA Reports
 Corporate Solutions Internal Databases and Reports
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
o Internal Call Log Data Base
o Internal CPE Student Evaluation Data Base
o Internal Client Call Log and Contract Tracking Databases
o Contactwise Client Management Database
o Internal Corporate Solutions management reports
Survey responses compiled from seven separate surveys distributed to internal and
external customers.
Collection Methodology
The collection methodology consisted of a review of three years of data from FY 2006-07
through FY 2008-09. A number of the internal Corporate Solutions data sources had partial data
because data collection has been a developing process over the three year period.
The breadth of product delivery and service operations required the development of seven
surveys that were distributed electronically through the web based survey service company
SurveyMonkey.Com.
The highest response rates were:
 Corporate College and Contract Training Clients 40.5%
 College Administrators 22%
 WEDnet PA Clients 19.1%
The lowest response rates were:
 Student Surveys - Corporate College Students 3.7%; CPE students 7.2%
 Classified Staff 6.5%
 Faculty 9.1%
Summary of Results and Findings
1. Corporate Solutions generated $1,337,358 net revenue (94% of target)
2. Corporate College retained 81% of its clients. Contract Training retained 40% of its
clients.
Corporate College and Contract Training Client Retention
2006-2007 to 2008-2009
Total Clients
Clients
Retained
% retained
Corporate College
(goal=80%)
22
18
81.8%
Contract Training
(goal=50%)
45
18
40.0%
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3. A Supervisory Management Certificate and Small Business Management Certificate
program were developed.
4. Corporate Solutions team members are active participants at Chamber of Commerce
events and have developed collaborative relationships with both the PWIB and PWDC.
5. Noncredit online registration has been implemented.
Summary of Results and Analysis of Findings for Surveys
Client Surveys
The client surveys were set up to gauge the levels of satisfaction with the services provided,
effectiveness of communication and overall responsiveness of Corporate Solutions team
members. The results of the client surveys were the most positive of all the responses of
constituents surveyed. The average of responses for all items related to satisfaction with
services provided was above 4.0 with no responses for dissatisfied or very dissatisfied in either
the Corporate College and Contract Training or WEDnet PA surveys. These findings were
reinforced by the external evaluator’s summary of interviews with clients. She wrote, “There was
overwhelming praise and accolades for the Corporate Solutions staff, offerings, customer
service, and delivery…. Many of the clients felt that they were involved in a very collaborative
process when dealing with the Corporate Solutions’ staff. They applauded how the staff was
very sensitive to the employer and the employees.” The process of relationship building and
providing a quality product to organizational clients is an attribute of the staff and faculty
involved in program development and delivery.
Student Surveys
The student surveys were set up to examine the quality of instruction provided and the level of
customer service provided by the staff. The primary difficulty in establishing any clear findings
from the student surveys was the low response rate. The response rate was possibly influenced
by the decision to only conduct the survey electronically and the lack of a sufficient number of
appropriate email addresses. Only those students for whom we had non-CCP email addresses
were chosen understanding that most non credit and Corporate College students do not use their
CCP email accounts. The collection and access to either home or work email addresses is an
area addressed in the recommendations.
There were very few, if any, survey responses that indicated dissatisfaction with either the
quality of the training or credit class or the level of service provided by staff.
Internal CCP Surveys
The survey results for the internal surveys present a unique juxtaposition to the results of the
student and client surveys. The overall ratings and responses for the customer service
performance of Corporate Solutions were lower than the client and student surveys. Examination
of the three sets of results indicates that there is a need for better communication with the
College community about what Corporate Solutions is and what it does..
Administrator and Classified/Confidential Staff Results and Analysis
There were no average ratings above a 4.0 for responses to any of the items. The averages were
lower than the client and student surveys and the spread of responses was greater.
Recommendations and Timelines
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Ms. Nancy Rockey, Vice President, College and Community Development, Harrisburg Area
Community College, served as the external evaluator.
Overview of Methodology:
On June 23 and 24, 2009, an external audit was conducted of Corporate Solutions. Methods of
data collections included:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Interviews with Corporate Solutions personnel
In-person and phone interviews of corporate clients
Interview with Vice President of Academic Affairs
Review of the organizational chart for Corporate Solutions and Division of Business and
Technology
5. Review of the following documents:
a. 2004-2008 Strategic Plan for the Community College of Philadelphia
b. Monthly Report for Corporate Solutions Strategic Objectives and Outcomes for
Fiscal Year 2009-2009 (Results through April 30, 2009)
c. Division of Business and Technology and Corporate Solutions Strategic
Objectives & Outcomes FY 2008-09
d. Center for Business & Industry Business Plan, September 30, 2004
e. Corporate Solutions Spring & Summer 2009 offerings
f. Corporate Education and Training, Fall 2008
g. New Noncredit courses, workshops, and certificates to be offered for 2009-10
h. Pathways magazine
i. Miscellaneous marketing pieces
Summary and Observations of in Person and Phone Interviews with Corporate Clients
There was overwhelming praise and accolades for the Corporate Solutions staff, offerings,
customer service, and delivery. Corporate customers are satisfied with the product that is offered
and the way in which they are serviced by the Corporate Solutions’ staff. Many of the clients
felt that they were involved in a very collaborative process when dealing with the Corporate
Solutions’ staff. They applauded how the staff was very sensitive to the employer and the
employees.
There was strong satisfaction with the faculty who taught the courses and programs. The clients
were extremely pleased with the caliber of staff.
Clients reported that Corporate Solutions could use more resources from within the College to
support activities. The most frequently identified need was an increase in marketing and
exposure of Corporate Solutions to the community. Examples of marketing needed included:
television; radio; billboards; external marketing on the outside of the facility
Summary and Observations of in House Interviews
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Some observations from the interview were:
 the Corporate Solutions staff is very close as a unit and work well with one other.
 They are passionate about what they do and want to excel for the business community.
 They clearly understand their role as the external arm of the College and are very
entrepreneurial in how they approach their mission.
There is a frustration within Corporate Solutions with the lack of integration with the rest of the
College. There was a consistent theme of frustration with the lack of collaboration and with other
areas of the College.
There is a definite feeling of isolation from the rest of the College in many aspects such as:
1. Marketing: there is no marketing line within the Corporate Solutions’ budget, and there
is little collaboration on marketing which would allow the College units to share
resources.
2. Administrative Computing System: Banner does not fit the needs of Corporate Solutions
and hinders some aspects of serving students and the Division in effective ways.
3. Responsiveness of other Units: Corporate Solutions has to rely on the credit side to
develop curricula but at times the process is long.
4. Processes: Several processes such as registration, on-line registration, etc., need to be
more customized for the needs of Corporate Solutions.
5. Lack of direct representation for Corporate Solutions with decision-making groups such
as the President’s Cabinet.
Summary and Observations from the Material Review
Corporate Solutions’ strategic plan and strategic objectives suggest they clearly understand their
mission and have clear goals/objectives. They are limited in their capabilities due to the
structure of the unit as it is positioned within the College. The true potential of Corporate
Solutions can not be realized without changes to the way it is integrated and positioned within
the College.
The review of the printed material showed a consistent look and message to the external
community. More integration of Corporate Solutions into the overall marketing of the College
would be beneficial. The external community should see Corporate Solutions as the external
outreach arm of the College and an extension of the services the College has to offer. Corporate
Solutions can still be seen as a separate unit of the College that has a specific purpose and
mission to serve the private and public sectors while still being integrated into the overall
College.
Evaluator’s Observations and Recommendations
There are many opportunities for Corporate Solutions to become an integral part of the College
and used as the true external arm of the College linking the private and public sector of
Philadelphia with the College.
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As the driver of workforce development, Corporate Solutions brings great value to the private
and public communities who are striving to keep their workforces lean and highly productive at
the same time.
Besides the formal education that Community College of Philadelphia and other community
colleges excel at, the training and solutions that Corporate Solutions can provide are invaluable
and desperately needed by the public and private sector. In these economic times, the private
and public sectors are looking for smart ways to be more productive with less and value creative
ways to provide their employees to stay motivated and productive while working harder.
Corporate Solutions has the answers; and by the outpouring of praise from clients, Corporate
Solutions is extremely successful at providing the needed answers to the private and public
sector.
Listed below are recommendations for the College and Corporate Solutions to consider:
1. Corporate Solutions should be closely aligned with the academic side of the College.
There is a strong buy in and understanding from the top leadership in the academic
area, and that needs to be driven from the top to academic deans and faculty as much
as possible. Curriculum needs to be jointly developed where possible so clear
pathways can be developed for the students. The academic side should be marketing
Corporate Solutions and Corporate Solutions should be marketing the academic side.
2. A marketing budget should be established for Corporate Solutions. While the overall
look and message must be complimentary with all of the College’s marketing, there is
a different need at times for Corporate Solutions on how they market to the public
and private sector. They need the resources to create their own marketing plan and
have the resources to implement. Lack of marketing or the ability to quickly respond
to an opportunity is only lost business and impact for Corporate Solutions and
ultimately the College.
3. The service area for Corporate Solutions is already set, and as many stated internally
and externally, it is very political. Corporate Solutions must be given as much
freedom to service the existing population through creative ideas and the
entrepreneurial spirit. While this is not an issue within the Division of Business &
Technology, it is within the rest of the institution. It is difficult to be seen as
competition to the external community and fight for your position in workforce to
achieve your goals; but it is even harder to have to struggle internally to achieve your
goals.
4. One way to achieve the above is to have the Executive Director of Corporate
Solutions sit on the President’s Cabinet. The Executive Director would bring such
value to discussions for overall direction to impact the communities the College
serves. This would allow for integration and joint vision to be determined at the
highest level and assure the best success for the College and Corporate Solutions.
This would send a strong and clear message to the internal and external community as
to the importance of Corporate Solutions within the College structure.
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5. A small task force or group should be brought together to determine the best
computing platform for Corporate Solutions to run their operation efficiently. It is
widely known that Banner was never meant or capable to effectively address the
needs for an institution’s continuing education/noncredit/workforce unit. While
newer versions of Banner have some modules that better address the needs of
Corporate Solutions, it is not the powerful tool a sales force needs to monitor and
track information in the format that is needed. Also, the Donor module of Banner has
some aspects that are useful to a workforce operation, but it is not a clean way or truly
effective way to run and manage Corporate Solutions.
6. The Advancement Office and Corporate Solutions MUST be integrated in some
fashion to benefit from the strength and outreach of both areas. First and foremost,
data must be shared about donors and clients and meetings held to talk about both.
Each area can support the other and enhance the outreach and value the College
brings to the community. As depicted in the attached model, clients become donors
and donors become clients; and only through these areas working together can this be
achieved and bring success to both areas and the College.
7. There must be a collaborative means to share information from the top to the bottom
of the organization on what organizations and external committees the College has a
presence. There must be a unified effort on how the entire College is being
represented within the community and this information should be shared with
Corporate Solutions and vice versa. Since Corporate Solutions is the external arm of
the College, they are out in the community and the public and private sector and can
be one of the “eyes and ears” of the institution bringing valuable contact information
back to the institution and sharing valuable information to the same. In order for this
to happen, Corporate Solutions must be in the loop and an integrated part of the
College.
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