Benchmarking
Learning from Others
ATP On-line Workshop
Darla McCann
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
“ Accountability for effectiveness
and efficiency is becoming
increasingly more important to
higher education especially for
academic support programs.
Using benchmarking and
following best practices can
make a difference in achieving
this accountability.”
Frank L. Christ
“…benchmarking is the process of
identifying, understanding, and
adapting outstanding practices and
processes from organizations
anywhere in the world to help your
organization improve its
performance”
American Productivity & Quality Center,1998
Benchmarking Questions
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How are we doing?
Where are we now?
Where do we want to be?
Are we collecting the right
information?
• How do we compare with others?
• Are we using the best practices or
most promising practices in our
field?
Benchmarking Options
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Traditional site visit
Video conferencing
Hire a consultant
Consult research
Telephone interviews
Surf the web
Email discussion groups
Consult with an expert
“ Best practices are defined as
elements and activities that the
institution perceives as
congruent with its mission and
the concomitant mission of its
academic support center aka
learning support center or of any
center program or service.”
Christ, 2005
“…best practices would include
not only general guidelines but
also specific practical
suggestions for designing the
best possible instructional
programs and instructional
components….
Boylan, 2002
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center has:
1. a mission congruent with its
division and institutional mission
2. the support of central administration
3. an adequate budget to support its
mission, goals, and objectives
Christ, 2005
Sample Mission Statement
The mission of the Student
Academic Support Center is to
provide programs that meet the
specific academic support needs of
our diverse student population;
that encourage scholastic
persistence; that instill a
heightened sense of responsibility
and academic confidence, and that
develop life-long learning skills.
Anoka Ramsey Community College
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center has:
4. developed and follows a systematic
plan based on feedback and
program monitoring
5. a Three or Five Year Plan that is
shared with the administration
6. an Advisory Board
Christ, 2005
Sample Evaluation Plan
Program Goal
Method of
Evaluation
Data Collected
Frequency
1. To provide tutorial
services that facilitate
the academic success
of students.
1a. Institutional
Research Review of
compiled college-wide
data
1a. Percent of students
passing classes in “tutee
category” versus all students.
Percent of students retained
from “tutee category”
compared to all students.
Biannual
1b. Review of tutoring
data
1b. Count and description of
students receiving tutoring
services
Annual
1c. Student Survey
(questionnaires,
interviews, case
studies, focus groups)
1c. Student opinions
regarding satisfaction with
tutorial services.
Semiannual
1d. NADE Self
Evaluation Guides
completed by a group
of faculty, staff and
administration.
1d. Opinion data related to
organization and
administration program
components, and
instructional practices scored
on a rating scale.
Biannual
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center has:
7. an adequate professional staff to
support its mission
8. an adequate clerical staff to
support its mission
9. volunteers to support its mission
Christ, 2005
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center has:
10. a centrally located facility
with adequate space for its
programs and services
11. adequate equipment and
furnishings to implement its
programs and services
12. learning materials for
student use that allows for
learning style choices
Christ, 2005
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center is:
13. centrally located and is
accessible at convenient times
14. visible through campus signage
15. listed or described in
institutional publications such as
its catalog, web site, and
recruitment literature.
Christ, 2005
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center has:
16. a virtual presence through its web
17. services for the total campus
community: students, faculty,
administration, staff, and alumni
18. orientations to the center’s program
and services, faculty invited course
presentations and/or workshops,
student referrals and feedback
Christ, 2005
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center partners with:
19. academic departments that have
high risk courses to develop and
manage Supplemental Instruction
20. CRLA for an accredited tutorial
training program
21. ATP for certified tutors
Christ, 2005
ATP for certified tutor trainers
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center is:
22. involved in the institutional
student orientation program
23. involved in the institutional new
faculty orientation program
24. involved in supporting the learning
needs of online students
Christ, 2005
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center partners:
25. or offers online tutoring with
academic departments
26. with the campus bookstore to
display learning and study skills
materials used in the center’s
programs and services
Christ, 2005
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center has:
27. program descriptive
bookmarks that it
disseminates to faculty,
students, and staff
Christ, 2005
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center has:
28. a chief administrator with
recognized status as a program
coordinator
29. staff recognized by
administration and faculty for its
academic publications, research,
consulting, and leadership
Christ, 2005
Best & Promising Practices
A Learning Center has:
30. staff represented on relevant
campus committees and task
forces such as retention, distance
education, faculty development
31. received campus, district, and/or
national recognition
Christ, 2005
Presentation Links
Slide 3:
www.cheba.com
Slide 5 & 15:
www.pvc.maricopa.edu/~lsche/
Slide 16:
www.umkc.edu/cad/si/
www.crla.net/
www.anokaramsey.edu/studentservices/tutori
ng.cfm.
www.jsu.edu/depart/edprof/atp/ATP_Cert.pdf,
Discussion Board
Please go to the Discussion
Board and respond to the
prompt you will find for this
module.
Thank you!