January 18, 2012
Administrative Council
Presentation
Original Charge:
• Address communications concerns raised in the Higher Learning
Commission’s accreditation report.
– “TCC is a rapidly changing and innovative institution, and for its new programs,
initiatives, policies and ideas to be effectively implemented and
communicated to students and the community at large, the college
administration must examine its internal organizational structures, training
policies, and communications to empower front-line employees to provide the
service excellence that the institution seeks to achieve.”
Revised Charge:
• Address communications concerns raised in the Higher Learning
Commission and incorporate goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan.
Formation:
• 10 Member Task Force:
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Lauren Brookey – co-chair
Pat Fischer – co chair
Flo Potts
Jan Clayton
Cherie Hughes
Kevin Clayton
Bill Creech
Judy Tarpley
Janice Wilhite
Donna Wood
Original Task Force Goals:
1) to develop or add internal mechanisms which
are data informed that improve
communication to all employees
2) to create a communication system that
supports employee collaboration
Materials Reviewed by the Task Force:
– PACE climate survey
– HLC report
– Render and Associates market research
– Communication tools currently used within TCC
– TCC Strategic Plan
– Best practices in internal communications
Task Force Actions
– The Task Force developed and conducted an internal survey
focused on communication to gain a better understanding of
employee’s perceptions regarding communication with TCC.
The survey was conducted in the spring of 2010.
– During the work of the Communications Task Force, the College
also began work on a Strategic Plan. For a period of time, the
Task Force was also charged with looking at external
communication, but later returned to its primary focus –
internal communication.
– Developed a set of Core Beliefs to guide the Task Force’s
planning.
Core Beliefs
– Effective communication is essential to the continued success of TCC,
– Effective communication is the responsibility of all employees – both in terms
of originating communication and receiving communication,
– Timely communication is critical to ensure the right people have the right
information at the right time,
– TCC has appropriate means or vehicles for effective communication, but we
don’t always use them well or in a timely manner, and
– Individual, departmental and committee communications planning rather
than a comprehensive plan administered by one person or committee would
be the most effective approach to ensuring constructive communications
within the college.
Survey Implementation Key Findings:
– 617 respondents
• Full-time 78 percent, Part-time 22 percent
– 611 respondents
• Campus location 89 percent, CC or other 11 percent
– 362 respondents
• Identified as Faculty 45 percent, Staff 44 percent of
Administration 11 percent
– 621 respondents
• Less than 1 year of employment 8 percent, 1-5 years 29
percent, 5-10 years 23 percent, more than 10 years 39
percent
Survey Implementation Key Findings
70 percent of employees feel that the College
is very or mostly effective in communicating
employee information from administration to
employees
Survey Implementation Key Findings
30 percent believe that communications
about college operations is inadequate or not
effective
Survey Implementation Key Findings
87 percent feel they can speak to their
supervisors about job related issues
84 percent feel there is good
communication between themselves and supervisor
Survey Implementation Key Findings
69 percent believe TCC administration needs
to take more responsibility to improve communication
67 percent believe TCC employees need to
take more responsibility to stay informed
Survey Implementation Key Findings
65 percent said TCC communication is
generally accurate
Statements with lowest responses were:
55 percent
believe there is good communication
between the administrative offices and campuses
41 percent
believe existing communication
channels are effective
38 percent
believe communication by college wide
committees is effective
Highest rankings for different types of communication were:
93 percent – Emails
72 percent – TCC website
72 percent – HR News
71 percent – Informal grapevine
communication with peers
65 percent – Meetings with my supervisor
Lowest rankings included those communication tactics uses
occasionally or not at all:
85 percent – Suggestion boxes
84 percent – Video messages
82 percent – Celebrate Learning
newsletter
78 percent – President’s Council
72 percent – Large Meeting Q & A
Highest rankings for how informed employees felt about
specific topics:
80 percent – Employee policies and
procedures
78 percent – College Vision
77 percent – Employment opportunities
74 percent – Employee benefits
73 percent – Training
Items receiving the least favorable responses of poorly or
not at all informed:
57 percent – Financial aid policies
50 percent – Budget and business status
48 percent – Tulsa area higher education
needs
47 percent – Tulsa area community needs
46 percent – Continuing education
progress
Overall Conclusions:
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Positive about communication with supervisor
Administration needs to communicate better
Employees need to take the initiative to stay informed
Communication across the college form location to
location is identified as a concern
– A need to improve communication with part-time
employees
– Email is the most routinely used type of
communication
Communication Task Force Outcomes:
Action: Conduct college wide survey of all employees to
determine level of satisfaction with current
communication methodologies and mediums.
Overview: In general, there was a positive opinion of
TCC’s efforts to communicate with its employees.
Areas with lower ratings included: communication
with part-time staff; communication on budget issues;
communication to and from students; and
communication between different campuses and
locations.
Results:
The survey had 617 respondents (78 percent fulltime and 22 percent part-time). Areas with
strongest agreement (60 percent or more):
• Supervisor communication is positive
• TCC administration needs to take more responsibility to
improve communication
• TCC employees need to take more responsibility to stay
informed
• TCC communication is generally accurate
Results:
Areas with lowest agreement (55 percent or less)
• There is good communication between administrative
offices and campuses
• Existing communication channels are effective
• Communication by college wide committees is effective
• There is good communication between administrative
offices and campuses
Recommendation 1:
Bi-annual communications survey to determine
areas of improvement, need or significant trend
change. First survey completed by the
Communications Task Force will be considered a
baseline for ongoing comparison and monitoring
with each survey following.
Recommendation 2:
Share survey results with college wide community.
Handout: Communications Survey results
Action: Task Force Developed Communications Planning Form
Overview: As a result of Task Force discussion, decision was made
to develop a communication model that would be fluid, practical
and required of all supervisors, areas and leaders rather than
comprehensive, perhaps easily outdated and the responsibility
of one individual or a small group. The model was to require
1) encourage communication as a policy or application to all
college planning
2) bi-annual assessment on communication research
3) implementation of a Communication Planning form that
would allow individuals and areas to incorporate
communication into their planning.
Recommendation 1: Develop a Communication Planning Form
for all Supervisors
Recommendation 2: Introduce Communication Planning Form at
Administrative Council Meeting with instructions and support
and follow up evaluation.
Recommendation 3: Expansion of “Game Plan” projects form to
include support for materials identified in the
Communications Planning Form.
Recommendation 4: Expectation that new policies or procedures
for employees or students that are to be introduced require a
Communication Planning Form as part of its implementation.
Recommendation 5: Task Force or Team formed to develop a
stronger portal for college wide communications within the
framework of the software owned or to be owned in the
future by the College and including collaboration with IT.
Recommendation 6: Develop a Communications Committee as a
sub-committee of the Operations Council
Handout: Communication Planning Form
Resources
Communication
Survey Results
Leadership Talking Points
Communication Planning
Form
– Bulletin Board, Blackboard
- Bulletin Board
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Gameplan, Bulletin Board, My TCC,
Blackboard