Institutional Degree Completion and Academic Plans
2014-2015 Outline
The Institutional Degree Completion and Academic Plans provide a means for the State Regents to view each
institution’s priorities and aspirations in the context of the State System. The plan is divided into three parts: A)
informing the State Regents about planned degree completion initiatives, B) informing the State Regents of academic
program, technology, and efficiency plans for the future, and C) projecting enrollment targets for the next three years.
Institutions are encouraged to utilize this form to submit information electronically. Although the length of the
completion and academic plans can be expected to vary, it is anticipated a concise plan should be possible within
fifteen or fewer pages. The template format is provided. The 2014-2015 Degree Completion and Academic Plan is
due September 15, 2014. This due date will allow for compilation and preparation for the State Regents’ annual
review.
In addition to this document, please provide a copy of the institution’s current strategic plan. Referencing the strategic
plan as a supporting document, please respond to the following items regarding degree completion and academic
plans for the year 2014-2015.
A.
The Completion Agenda -- The State Regents have a public agenda with the goals to: 1) enhance access
and improve the quality of public higher education for all Oklahomans, 2) increase the number of
college graduates, and 3) better prepare student to meet the challenges of a global economy. In joining
the Complete College America (CCA) Alliance of States, Oklahoma pledged to extend its Public
Agenda scope and reach, recommit to its performance funding program, and make college completion
a top priority with commitments to state and campus goals, solid action plans, removal of policy
barriers, and measures of progress. Though the college completion efforts of Oklahoma to expand
upon current state and campus programs, there will be new initiatives at local and state levels
developed to meet the degree and certificate completion goals. Review of the CCA datasets and best
practices within the CCA network of states have revealed several opportunities that Oklahoma can
pursue to ensure that more students are prepared for college, that barriers to degree completion are
diminished, and that graduates have certificates and degrees that have value and flexibility in
establishing careers and/or advancing graduate and professional school opportunities. Examples of
state and campus activities in support of these goals include:

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
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
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Adult degree completion initiatives in high-demand academic disciplines at the associate and bachelor’s degree
levels
Reverse transfer initiatives that allow students with significant hours toward a degree to complete meaningful
associate degrees in the short-term with clear paths to bachelor’s degree options
Certificate completion options through further development of cooperative agreements between higher education
and CareerTech
Targeted initiatives to increase freshman to sophomore retention and overall graduation rates
More effective and efficient completion of remediation and freshman gateway courses
Development of innovative and workforce-driven academic programs at the certificate, associate, and bachelor’s
levels
Development of more intentional partnerships between higher education and K-12 to enable better preparation of
students for collegiate success and smoother transition between 12 th grade and the freshman year
Better documentation of degree completion contributions of private and for-profit postsecondary education and
the Career Tech system cooperative agreement programs.
Based on your institution’s priorities and commitment to the public agenda and CCA, address each of
the four goals of the Complete College Oklahoma plan. (note: tables may expand to allow full information)
Focus on Readiness
1. Focus on Readiness. Higher education and K-12 will work together to develop and implement a strategy
that seeks to identify students not on target to be college-ready by graduation and targets activities in the 11th
and 12th grades to reduce remediation demands in the transition from high school to college.
High-impact
strategies
How will we
do it?
Who will be
responsible?
What is
timetable?
Measures
of success?
Progress from last
report?
NOC’s Gear Up
Coordinator
continues
to
work with 4 high
schools—Caney
Valley, Guymon,
Newkirk,
and
Woodward--to
help
prepare
more students for
college success.
The Gear Up
Coordinator
travels
to
designated
high schools
to meet with
students for
pre-college
needs,
assisting with
paperwork
for
enrollment
and financial
aid
applications,
as well as
directing
students
toward
coursework
for college
readiness.
In addition to
concurrent
enrollment
on NOC’s 3
campuses,
ITV
connections
will continue
to be made
available for
area
high
schools
as
class limits
allow.
Sarah Linn
worked with
the Gear Up
Program
from
Fall
2012Summer
2014.
The Gear
Up grant
was
awarded in
February of
2012 and is
a
7-year
grant.
An increase
in collegebound rate
for each of
the participating high
schools and
degree
completion
will be the
best
markers of
success.
In the third year of
the grant, the Gear
Up Coordinator is
expanding work
with students who
are now on the
college campus
through
a
designated
Orientation
section for Gear
Up
students,
allowing weekly
contacts on their
progress
and
covering standard
Orientation topics
of study skills,
campus resources,
critical thinking,
etc.
Providing
coursework
for
dual
enrollment
will be an
ongoing
initiative.
As schools
across
Oklahoma
continue to
promote
dual
enrollment,
the
percentage
of collegebound and
collegeready high
school
graduates
should
increase.
In the 2013-2014
academic
year,
college courses
were transmitted
via ITV to 14
different
high
schools in NOC’s
service area. (See
other concurrent
numbers
in
learning
site
section.)
NOC works with
high schools to
encourage
concurrent
enrollment and
continues
its
partnership with
Enid
Public
Schools
to
expand collegelevel
course
offerings taken
by juniors and
seniors in their
university center
on the Enid High
campus.
Jermie
Fansler
assumed the
coordinator
position in
August
2014.
High school
coordinators
contact the
NOC Office
of
Enrollment
Management
to
request
ITV
connections
for coursework and/or
on-site
offerings at
Enid High.
2
2. Transform Remediation. Every Oklahoma institution will implement transformational models of
remedial placement and support through a statewide phased implementation and refinement process.
How will we do it?
Who will be
responsible?
What is
timetable?
Measures of
success?
Progress from
last report?
Composition
“boot
camp”
classes
were
created to allow
students
the
option of a oneweek
intensive
review period and
an opportunity to
test
into
the
related
college
credit
bearing
class. In addition
a
combination
Basic
Reading/Basic
Science class was
launched in Fall
2014 to help fast
track
students
through
two
different areas of
remediation in 4
rather than 6
credit hours.
All
divisions
with
remedial
class
offerings
(Language
Arts, Math,
and
Science)
have been
involved in
a task force
to identify
new
remediation
models.
In Fall 2013,
the first boot
camp pilot
of
Basic
Composition
was
launched on
the Tonkawa
campus. In
Fall 2014,
Basic
Composition
boot camps
were
launched on
all
3
campuses.
2014-2015
data will be
reviewed to
determine
success of
the model.
The success
of
this
program is
measured
by
the
number of
students
who test out
of
a
remediation
level after a
boot camp
experience.
Basic
Composition
boot camps were
expanded from 1
campus in Fall
2013 to all 3 of
NOC’s campuses
in Fall 2014. In
the
Tonkawa
section,
47
students enrolled
in the Basic
Composition
boot camp and 35
of them tested
into Composition
I
on
the
COMPASS exam
at the end of the
week. In the Enid
section,
17
students
were
tested and 8
passed
into
Composition I,
and
in
the
Stillwater
section,
21
students
were
tested and 9
passed
into
Composition I.
Transform Remediation
High-impact
strategies
Remediation
fast-track
options are
employed to
move
students
through
remediation
and on to
college
credit
bearing
classes
as
early
as
possible,
increasing
likelihood of
degree
completion.
3
Build Bridges to Certificates and Degrees
3. Build Bridges to Certificates and Degrees. Develop, implement, or expand a “Program Equivalent
Project” that bridges Career Tech course completion to certificate and Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
degree completion in the community colleges. Projects may also include college and university partnerships
in reverse-transfer initiatives for certificate and associate degree completion.
High-impact
strategies
How will we do
it?
Who will be
responsible?
What is
timetable?
Measures
of success?
NOC’s
Environmental
Task
Force
Committee
meets
1-2
times
each
semester
to
identify
regional needs
for
new
degrees and
certificates.
Through the task
force
and
advisory boards,
NOC continues
to
gather
feedback from
business
and
other community
partners
to
identify needs.
All
academic
divisions are
reviewing
curriculum
areas
for
possible
expansions.
Options for
new degree
and
certificates
are
reviewed
annually.
NOC will
increase
the number
of
certificates
and/or
degrees
awarded
each
academic
year.
NOC partners
with
three
universities to
offer students
reverse
transfer
options toward
degree
completion.
A
reverse
transfer liaison
on the NOC
campus is given
student contacts
at each of the
partner
institutions
to
reach
students
who may qualify
for
reverse
transfer.
NOC’s Vice
President for
Enrollment
Management
serves as the
transfer
liaison; all
academic
advisors are
trained on
the benefits
of reverse
transfer to
share with
students.
4
Progress from
last report?
A
practical
nursing
certificate was
approved in May
2014. The Ag,
Science,
and
Engineering
Department
applied for a
grant through the
Department of
Labor to develop
two certificates
in
Technical
Agricultural
Services.
Sept. 2013- NOC will In Sept. 2013,
NOC
increase
the NOC/UCO
partnered
the number partnership
with UCO of
allowed NOC to
for
the certificates identify &
reverse
and/or
graduate an
transfer
degrees
additional 75
program.
awarded
students through
Through the each
reverse transfer.
remainder
academic
Over 150
of the 2013- year.
degrees were
2014
awarded in
academic
2013-2014
year, two
through the
additional
NOC-OSU
partners
reverse transfer
(OSU and
partnership, as
NWOSU)
well as 5
completed
additional
agreements
degrees through
with NOC
the NOCfor reverse
NWOSU
transfer.
partnership.
Reach Higher for Adult
Completion
4. Reach Higher for Adult Completion. Further expand and develop Reach Higher as a degree and certificate
completion effort that involves the entire system of postsecondary education.
High-impact
strategies
How will we do
it?
Who will be
responsible?
Marketing
funds
for
Reach Higher
have allowed
NOC
to
highlight not
only
the
Enterprise
Development
degree, but all
degree options
for working
adults.
Academic
division chairs
annually assess
the need for
additional
sections
of
evening, hybrid,
and
online
courses to meet
the needs of nontraditional
students.
NOC’s
Marketing
Director assists
in promoting
programs
geared toward
working adults.
Academic
division chairs
continue to
assess need.
What is
timetable?
Measures
of success?
Progress from
last report?
Ongoing
An increase
in degree
completion
will be the
best
measure of
success.
In the Fall 2014
semester,
an
online tutoring
service
was
added to better
meet the needs of
students taking
distance courses
as part of degree
completion.
Other Local Institutional Priority Areas
5. Other Local Institutional Priority Areas for Degree Completion.
High-impact
strategies
How will we do it?
In addition to
regular
participation in
the
state
transfer matrix
meeting
at
UCO
in
September of
each
year,
NOC maintains
strong
articulation
agreements
with
partner
transfer
institutions
through 2 + 2
agreements, an
MOU
with
OSU and a
Bridge
Program with
NWOSU.
Two meetings are
held per year in the
spring, one between
NOC and OSU
instructors to align
curriculum and a
second
between
administrative
representatives to
update an MOU that
allows for ease of
transfer in the NOCOSU
Gateway
Program.
Biannual meetings
with
NWOSU
partners are used to
update 2 + 2
agreements
with
additional meetings
scheduled as needed
to update the Bridge
Scholarship
Program.
Who will be
responsible?
What is
timetable?
Academic
Annual
Affairs and review—
divisional
ongoing
representation
from
each subject
area aligned
meet.
5
Measures
of success?
Progress from
last report?
Alignment
of coursework and
programs
allow more
students to
transfer and
complete a
bachelor’s
degree.
Last
year’s
report noted that
since the launch
of the Bridge
Program in Fall
2007,
730
students have
signed up for the
transfer
scholarship,
with a potential
$1.3 million in
scholarships.
As of Fall 2014,
that number has
increased to 866
students with a
correlating
increase
in
scholarship
potential.
Northern
received
notification in
May of 2013 of
its selection to
participate in
the AACC Plus
50
Encore
Completion
Program. This
grant
will
provide
Northern with
$15,000
to
focus
on
drawing Plus
50 adults into
nursing as part
of an overall
degree
completion
initiative.
B.
An Advisory Board
continues to meet
with
partners,
including
The
Commons, a senior
living
complex;
team members from
NOC, Golden Oaks,
Grow Enid and
Integris Hospital.
The
Grant
Coordinator,
Grants
Account
Specialist,
and Encore
Completion
Coordinator
have worked
primarily
with
the
grant;
however, an
advisory
board
has
been used as
well.
May
2013December
2015 will
be
the
grant
cycle with
the goal of
a sustainable
program
in place
for Spring
2015.
The
number of
students
completing
degrees or
certificates
within the
program
will be the
measure of
success.
As the grant was
awarded in May
2013, students
entering
the
program have
not
yet
completed
degrees;
however,
additional
training
for
working with
non-traditional
students
was
provided in Fall
2014 in-service
meetings.
Summarize academic programs and services in the following areas:
1.
Priorities/Programs. List the institution’s academic priorities for the 2014-2015 year and the
planned activities that will be used to achieve these priorities. Please include, if appropriate, how these
academic priorities relate to high priority academic programs and any new academic program requests to be
submitted in the 2014-2015 year and the corresponding budget priorities/needs to be requested. Attach
budget need documentation.
a. Priorities/Programs
Academic priorities for 2014-2015 will center around projects listed within the Quality Initiative
for the Higher Learning Commission. These projects were chosen for their alignment with state
completion goals and two specific goals within NOC’s 2013-2018 Strategic Plan. Goal 1 of
NOC’s Strategic Plan is listed below:
Enhance recruitment efforts as well as retention and graduation rates.
Specific strategies identified within this institutional planning goal included the following
objectives to be met by 2018:
 The percentage of first-time, full-time students completing a degree within three years will
be at a minimum of 25%, enhanced by strategies in line with Complete College America
initiative, such as improved academic advisement.
 In areas of math, writing, reading, and science, students requiring 1 level of remediation
(based on ACT and initial COMPASS scores) will complete corresponding college-level
courses within the first 30 hours of enrollment at a 3% higher rate.
To address these objectives, NOC will identify new remediation models allowing students to
fast track through remediation in Early 8/Late 8 sequenced math courses, in intensive “boot
6
camp” models in math and English, and in combination courses through which students
complete two areas of remediation in fewer credit hours.
Through a focus on improving the academic advisement model, the quality initiative will also
align with Goal 4 of the 2013-2018 Strategic Plan, including an objective to improve the
professional development opportunities for both faculty and staff. This goal will be addressed
in the Quality Initiative through strategies such as the creation of an advisor’s handbook and
expanding professional development sessions related to advisement issues. With a stronger
academic advising model, students will be guided through fast track options best suited to their
level of academic preparation and skill set.
In support of this academic priority, NOC hired a Director of Institutional Research in the 20132014 academic year so that data sets could be gathered to better support which initiatives have
proven most successful for students. In the next academic year, the following measures will be
instrumental in determining the success of new remediation models:
 Ongoing examination of graduation rates (within 3 years and 5 years) for students with
varying levels of remediation needs
 Analysis of what percentage of students with remediation needs complete corresponding
credit-bearing class within 1 year of enrollment
 Level of participation from faculty and staff in professional development sessions focused
on academic advisement
 Responses on student engagement surveys (such as CCSSE) and internal student satisfaction
surveys, indicating effectiveness of academic advisement strategies
The key to a successful quality initiative will be ongoing assessment of which strategies are
proving most successful in student retention and completion. Through the administration of the
CCSSE survey and with the assistance of the newly-hired IR Director, NOC has begun
gathering benchmark data necessary for this analysis.
In addition to these overall initiatives in improving remediation models and the academic
advising models that will enhance degree completion, an academic priority will be developing
new curriculum, degrees, and certificates to meet regional needs. As one example, the
Agriculture, Science, and Engineering Division will hire a faculty member for a new full-time
position in Physical Science to allow NOC-Enid students the opportunity to complete a preEngineering degree; the division is also reviewing new degree options in Physical Therapy,
Dental Hygiene, Radiology, and Pre-Veterinary Medicine. In addition, the HPER Division is
reviewing the possibility of adding a personal training degree option under the current Physical
Education degree.
2.
Technology (uses in the classroom, faculty and curriculum development, student support services,
and distance education offerings, etc., especially noting new, different, and innovative uses of technology)
a. Current Status
Currently all classrooms being used for instruction on NOC’s campus are connected via phone to
the emergency alert system. The majority of the classrooms are Smart classrooms with
computers, projectors, and document cameras, and students have access to multiple computer labs
on each campus.
7
2013-2014 upgrades to technology included an upgrade to the Process Technology computer lab
and a campus network fiber upgrade on the Tonkawa campus, an upgrade for the planetarium
projector used within the Astronomy degree option in Enid, and upgraded projectors for
classrooms at NOC-Stillwater.
As an enhancement to current student support services, Northern Oklahoma College subscribed
to tutor.com beginning in the Fall 2014 semester to provide 24/7 tutoring. This service will
supplement the on-site tutoring provided through faculty office hours, study groups, peer tutoring
in the learning assistance center, and tutoring in campus math and writing labs. This new service
will make it easier for distance education students, whose geographic location and/or work
schedule prohibits coming to campus, to have access to a full range of tutoring services, covering
35 subject areas; however, the service is also expected to be useful for traditional students taking
courses on campus but needing assistance in evening hours and on the weekend when the campus
is closed. This service will be available through mobile applications as well for ease of use.
An upgrade to NOC’s POISE system completed in May 2014 allowed for advisors to access
students’ unofficial transcripts even when students had holds on their account; this change will
allow for more effective advisement. In addition, the process for entering transfer hours was
streamlined so that academic advisors are more likely to have current transcript information for
advisees.
Within individual academic divisions, technology uses have also expanded to meet curriculum
needs. In 2013-2014, the Math Division more fully incorporated Clickers—electronic student
response systems—into both remedial and college-level courses for immediate feedback.
b. Future Plans
To enhance faculty development, NOC is currently advertising for an instructional designer to
offer support for reviewing all online coursework based on the Quality Matters standards and the
Blackboard platform. The instructional designer will offer training for ITV technology as a
supplement to training currently offered by the Information Technology Department with an
emphasis on adapting curriculum to distance delivery.
With the instructional designer in place, NOC will be able to expand professional development
opportunities for technology training and maintain a Blackboard professional development page
for faculty to highlight regional training opportunities and provide regular updates for Quality
Matters standards as well as Blackboard training videos.
An additional mobile computer cart will also be purchased for the NOC-Stillwater campus for
2014-2015 to allow more instructors access to computer-assisted lesson plans. Academic
divisions are reviewing other technology needs for 2014-2015 within their individual strategic
plans, including a review of My Reading Lab for developmental reading courses and Adobe
Connect for online courses within the Language Arts Division. The Nursing Division has
requested an expansion of their computer labs to allow for more students to take the ATI
computerized exam at the same time.
8
3.
Academic Efficiencies
Academic Efficiencies - faculty sharing, partnership collaboration, course redesign, program downsizing or
deletion, etc., that have direct impact on budget, cost savings, efficiencies, the academic enterprise and
describe how those decisions were made.
c. Current Status
In February, NOC-Stillwater’s testing coordinator and counselor met with OSU Career Center
staff over three dates to discuss possible collaborations, including the curriculum for a career
inventory course, the World of Work, and the Kuder Career Inventory that NOC-Stillwater
students are paying for in fees. NOC-Stillwater students also toured the Career Center. This
partnership will provide resources for NOC students undecided on a major through early
interventions in the required Orientation courses and the elective course, World of Work.
In the Spring 2014 semester, NOC became one of eight community colleges in the nation
approved by the Saudi government to receive state funding for students sponsored to study in
the United States. Shortly after this agreement had been put in place, in March 2014, 25 Saudi
students enrolled for the Summer 2014 or Fall 2014 semester, primarily in the NOC-OSU
Gateway Program. By the end of the enrollment period for Fall 2014, that number had
increased to 53. In support of this new enrollment group, NOC has scheduled diversity training
for the Fall 2014 semester as well as enhancing tutoring services with the addition of an ESLtrained tutor on the NOC-Stillwater campus.
Also in the Spring 2014 semester, NOC joined the 'Study Abroad Project,” a partnership with all
Oklahoma Community Colleges and EF College Study Tours to promote global service
learning. The culmination of the partnership will lead to two students and a faculty member
from each institution taking part in a service learning experience abroad.
Within individual academic divisions, new articulations developed in 2013-2014 include the
Digital Media Institute’s (DMI) partnerships with Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas,
and Oklahoma Christian. Three DMI students have been accepted for transfer into
Southwestern College, and six DMI graduates have been accepted into Oklahoma Christian’s
animation program.
d. Future Plans
For curriculum and professional development, several academic divisions are hosting regional
conferences at NOC in the 2014-2015 academic year. The Business Division will be hosting the
ACBSP regional conference at NOC-Stillwater. The Fine Arts Division will be hosting the
DaVinci Institute Fall Forum at NOC-Tonkawa. The Language Arts Division will be hosting
OCADE at NOC-Stillwater and a Literary Festival at NOC-Tonkawa. In addition, the Language
Arts Division will once again host the Chautauqua Teachers Seminar at NOC-Enid in Summer
2015.
9
4.
Learning Site Activity Report
Please respond to the following questions as a learning site:
a. Include the number of courses sent to and received from other institutions, including only electronic
courses. Detail the productivity in those courses and programs, as well as the breakdown between
upper division and lower division courses.
Interactive television (ITV) has been used to share faculty resources among Northern’s three
campuses, but in addition, these courses are sent to numerous high schools and career technology
centers to facilitate opportunities in concurrent enrollment and cooperative agreements. In the
2013-2014 academic year, general education offerings were sent to the following:
 14 high schools
 Autry, Meridian, and Northwest Career Technology Centers
 University Center in Ponca City.
Lower-division courses sent to high schools, career tech centers, and other learning sites:
Fall 2013
87 sections (with a total of 591 enrollments at these distant sites)
Spring 2014
82 sections (with a total of 516 enrollments at these distant sites)
As the University Center in Ponca City has grown, Northern has also expanded its offerings on
site in key areas such as remedial math so that students have face-to-face instruction for additional
assistance.
b. Provide detailed information about how the learning site is ascertaining and meeting employer needs
and student demands.
Primarily general education courses have been offered at the learning sites, rather than program
courses; however, high school counselors and advisors at the University Center have regularly
communicated course needs for both dual enrollment in general education coursework and
program courses for degree completion. For all learning sites, regional needs are assessed through
a number of measures, including the use of advisory boards, labor market data analysis in program
reviews, and close contacts with learning site coordinators.
NOC measures employer needs and satisfaction with graduates in accredited programs such as
nursing through alumni and employer surveys with 6-month and 2-year graduate surveys
conducted. In addition, the Nursing Division meets regularly with an advisory board composed
of membership from 14 health service providers in the service area. At their March 2014 advisory
board meeting, 20 healthcare facilities were represented with many of the same facilities being
represented at the annual spring career day. The Business Division, accredited by ACBSP,
maintains a vital link with an advisory board of 7 business and educational partners to insure
employer needs and student transfer needs are being met, as well as providing new intern
opportunities. The Digital Media Institute works with an advisory board representing eight design
studios to align and regularly update technology, and the Process Technology Program works
10
with 14 industry partners to identify industry needs and to create job shadowing, internship, and
scholarship opportunities. In the 2012-2013 academic year, an agriculture advisory board was
developed to gain industry feedback. In their February 2014 meeting, the board discussed the
direction of the livestock judging program with a recommendation leading to the hiring of a fulltime livestock judging coach.
c. Describe in detail planned changes in locations to send or receive courses and programs (i.e. branch
campuses or off-campus locations, etc.).
Northern will continue using ITV delivery and the online course format to meet the needs of
students whose schedules or geographic locations make travel to one of our three campuses
challenging. ITV delivery of select general education courses will be offered at the University
Center in Ponca City, at high schools for concurrent enrollment through ITV, and at Enid High’s
University Center. To examine student need for general education coursework at career
technology centers, NOC will continue dialogue with the State Regents and career technology
center partners to determine the feasibility of contractual arrangements in alignment with HLC
policy. Students will also be able to transfer credits in through Prior Learning Assessment.
C.
Provide the institution’s 2014, 2015, 2016 projections for fall headcount enrollment and annual FTE
by undergraduate and graduate separately.



Fall 2014: Undergraduate Headcount:___4559___
Fall 2014: Graduate (if applicable) Headcount:___N/A______
2014 Annual FTE:__2686___



Fall 2015: Undergraduate Headcount:___4468____ (based on 2% projected decline)
Fall 2015: Graduate (if applicable) Headcount:______N/A_____
2015 Annual FTE:___2632___



Fall 2016: Undergraduate Headcount:___4379____ (based on 2% projected decline)
Fall 2016: Graduate (if applicable) Headcount:____N/A_____
2016 Annual FTE:___2579___
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