III. Elements of Malcolm Baldrige Criteria

III Category 1 –Senior Leadership, Governance, and Social Responsibility.

III. 1. 1.  How do senior leaders develop and deploy their organization’s vision and values throughout the leadership system, to the workforce, to key suppliers and partners, and to students and stakeholders, as appropriate? How do their personal actions reflect a commitment to the organization values?

The Spartanburg County Commission for Technical and Community Education (Commission) is Spartanburg Community College’s (SCC) policy-making and governing body. The policies approved by the Commission are used by the President’s Council (PC), which is composed of Vice Presidents and Executive Directors representing all major areas of the College, to develop SCC’s vision, mission and values.  Annually, the President reviews the College’s goals and objectives for changes. The President then develops, with input from PC, specific initiatives which constitute the primary focus for the year. It is these specific goals, objectives and initiatives that PC members use to drive the planning process for their respective areas. This ensures that goals and objectives across all faculty and staff areas are consistent with the overall goals, objectives, vision and mission of the College.

It is the responsibility of each senior leader to expect reasonable progress and completion of College goals by year’s end.  In addition to holding regular staff meetings to discuss status, all senior leaders have an open-door policy and are accessible to their employees. Several senior leaders hold regular, informal communications sessions, which are open to all employees, regardless of their division. These sessions are used to share opinions on keys issues or, in some cases, for personal interaction with key leaders. Senior and mid-level managers hold their employees accountable for their performance through the Employee Performance Management System (EPMS) and Faculty Performance Management System (FPMS). Every individual has an annual plan, reflecting their goals, and how well they accomplish the plan is the basis for their year-end evaluation.

Senior leaders must delegate responsibility, but most make it a priority to stay in touch with key constituents. This includes attending County Council meetings and Chamber of Commerce events, as well as participating in key advisory board meetings, business and industry meetings and events with educational partners. Senior leaders also interact with students, as their position dictates, and many assist with on-site registration for each term.

Perhaps most notable, senior leaders model their commitment to the vision and values of the College through consistency in their daily decision-making concerning the workforce, students, suppliers, partners and stakeholders. They are outstanding representatives of the College, both internally and externally, and help create and confirm the image and brand of Spartanburg Community College.

All stakeholders, including the general public, can access the College’s vision, mission, and values in the College catalog, which is available in print and on the College’s website.

III. 1.2.  How do senior leaders create a sustainable organization with a focus on action to accomplish the organization’s strategic objectives, improve performance, and attain your vision?

Senior leaders, who include vice presidents, executive directors and deans, are successful in creating an organization that accomplishes the College’s vision and mission by including all members of their staff in the annual planning process.  As described, College goals, objectives and initiatives are determined by the President and President’s Council. The vice presidents, executive directors and deans, with input from their staff, develop purpose statements and plans for their faculty and staff areas in support of College goals. These area goals result in individual action plans for every permanent employee and are documented in the EPMS/FPMS system.  Progress toward the goals is monitored by each individual and then evaluated by the individual’s supervisor at year-end. Results are incorporated into plans for continued improvement. The EPMS/FPMS system is an instrument approved by the SBTCE for the evaluations. In addition to these internal measurements, SCC is a voluntary member of several accrediting agencies which develop frameworks for performance and objectives. These agencies provide external bodies to hold the College accountable for attaining its institutional vision.

III. 1.3. How do senior leaders personally promote and support an organizational environment that fosters and requires: legal and ethical behavior and fiscal, legal, and regulatory accountability? How are these monitored?

SCC is guided by Policy VI-380 which states that all employees and Commission members must perform their duties and conduct themselves in an ethical and accountable manner. The College adheres strictly to this policy and PC members model the appropriate conduct. This policy is one in an extensive Policy and Procedures Manual, a document that is updated regularly but at a minimum of once every five years, to reflect current standards and practices. All policies and procedures must follow state guidelines, at a minimum, but in many cases are more restrictive. 

In addition, the College has numerous auditing checkpoints at all levels to ensure compliance with regulatory agencies. The appropriateness of expenditures is monitored by individuals and their department/division heads, and confirmed by the divisional vice presidents. Ultimately, the Executive Vice President is responsible to the President for fiscal matters, including budget planning and management. The College’s revenues and expenses are audited by external auditors annually. The results of all previous audits indicate financial integrity. The State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education (SBTCE) performs an internal audit on equipment every year and on College operations at least once every three years. SCC is in the process of developing an internal auditing team that will review internal functions on a periodic basis.

III. 1. 4. How do senior leaders create an environment for organizational and workforce learning?

Senior leaders create an environment that fosters formal and informal learning opportunities. Employees are encouraged to continue their formal education from associate through doctoral degree programs, and tuition reimbursement is available for individuals who have been employed by the College for one year. Unique learning opportunities for SCC employees include the University of South Carolina’s (USC) Leadership Certificate in Higher Education, the South Carolina Technical College System’s (SCTCS) Leadership Academy and the State Budget and Control Board’s Leadership Program. Senior leaders encourage employees to take advantage of these learning opportunities and award pay increases for individuals completing these programs and other, pre-approved degrees. The College has an extensive professional development program covering subject-specific classes offered throughout the year. Many employees take advantage of these classes and most are filled to capacity. The SCC Foundation also offers support to faculty and staff with faculty/staff development grants to attend programs and seminars that will enhance their area of expertise.

SCC’s senior leaders communicate organizational information to employees at faculty and staff meetings and then make the minutes available to all employees through e-mail and by posting them in public folders. With these methods, employees are able to informally explore topics that affect the day-to-day operations of the institution. SCC also promotes lifelong learning by encouraging employees to participate in professional and civic organizations.

III. 1. 5.  How do senior leaders promote and personally participate in succession planning and the development of future organizational leaders?

Succession planning is one of the College’s primary goals. It is at the forefront of the leadership development plan and is discussed openly at bi-weekly President’s Council meetings. Senior leaders recommend employees for the USC Leadership Certificate in Higher Education program, the SCTCS Leadership Academy, and the Budget and Control Board Leadership Program and always use as many slots as the College is allowed. The College supports individuals selected to participate in these programs through flex-time policies, assistance with student assignments and positive feedback from senior management.

III. 1. 6.  How do senior leaders communicate with, engage, empower, and motivate the entire workforce throughout the organization? How do senior leaders take an active role in reward and recognition processes to reinforce high performance throughout the organization?

Senior leaders communicate regularly with their staff. All senior leaders have bi-weekly or monthly staff meetings. Topics at these meetings include President’s Council agenda items, divisional progress toward College goals and objectives as well as other key issues. In addition, the President’s office distributes the PC agenda to all faculty and staff prior to the meeting to give individuals the opportunity to express their opinion to their vice president or executive director in advance of the discussion. Minutes of each meeting are emailed and then posted in public folders, again, to encourage regular communication. These procedures keep employees informed.  Honest appreciation by senior leaders of employee’s ideas and opinions concerning the resolution of key issues encourages employees to provide constructive feedback. Follow-up on their suggestions by senior leaders empowers them.

 Many employees participate in numerous college-wide groups such as the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, the Learning Evidence Committee, the Tyger River Leadership Team, the Faculty Board, the Wellness Committee, the Academic Review Committee, the Recognition Committee and the Emergency Management Planning Team. Committee members are invested in the forward progress of the College through these groups because their input is solicited, valued and incorporated into the decision-making process.

Spartanburg Community College has an advantage in its effort to motivate its employees because of the nature of the College’s business.  Education, especially teaching, requires a personality which is easily self-motivated. Typically, teacher salaries are below what one can earn in business and industry, so many individuals teach because of the self-satisfaction they get from helping others. A community college is also unique because faculty and staff are focused on helping students, who may not fit the traditional college student profile, succeed. Approximately one-third of the student’s at SCC are training to get a better job, which will have an immediate impact on their lives and the lives of their families upon graduation. Knowing that your job makes a difference in people’s lives is very gratifying.

Still, senior leaders at SCC recognize employees for outstanding performance. Congratulatory comments are shared daily through email communication and frequently at PC and SCCTCE meetings; this keeps senior leaders informed of accomplishments College-wide. Each year, President’s Council nominates three individuals for Educator for the Year in the categories of faculty, staff and administration. President’s Council also selects an innovator of the year for the A. Wade Martin award. These individuals represent SCC at the annual South Carolina Technical Education Association (SCTEA) Conference. The Vice President of Academic Affairs coordinates a “Did you know?” e-mail effort that announces professional and personal accomplishments of the workforce. Additionally, the Human Resources Department distributes an electronic newsletter that includes  employee recognition HR also organizes the annual “Retiree and State Service Awards” reception to recognize employees who have retired in the past year or have reached a milestone anniversary.  Recently, a Recognition Committee was formed to determine innovative ways to congratulate the workforce for achievement.

III. 1.7. How does your organization evaluate the performance of your senior leaders including the head of your organization, and the governance board/policy making body? How do senior leaders use these performance reviews to improve their own leadership effectiveness and that of the board and leadership system, as appropriate?

Each year, the President evaluates the job performance of his direct reports using the Employment Performance Management System (EPMS). Senior leaders submit detailed descriptions of their accomplishments, and the President uses these self-evaluations plus his personal knowledge of their achievements to rate each employee’s work. This process includes developing focused objectives for the upcoming year.

The Commission also uses EPMS to evaluate the President each year. Every August, the President presents an annual report to the Commission who then submits an evaluation of the President to the South Carolina Agency Head Salary Commission using its prescribed format.

The Commission evaluates their supervision of the College based on the President’s annual report.

III. 1.8. What performance measures do senior leaders regularly review to inform them on needed actions?

Senior leaders annually review the strategic plan to determine action items for the near and long term. A Mid-Year Progress Report and an End-of-Year Progress Report, to which the entire College contributes, show progress toward goals and objectives. Programs and services are reviewed annually prior to the operational planning process. This review is supplemented by data from the Institutional Research Office as well as assessment results. From the review, each service and program area at the College determines what actions need to be taken toward continuous improvement.

Daily enrollment reports, retention rates, certifications/licensure/registry results, graduation rates, annual student and employee satisfaction surveys, diversity of student body and workforce, faculty salary trends, facility utilizations, incident reports, marketing reports, travel requests, travel reimbursements, as well as monthly revenue and expense reports regularly provide data to inform and direct needed actions.

III. 1.9.  How does your organization address and anticipate any adverse impacts of its programs, offerings, services, and operations? What are the key compliance related processes, goals, and measures? (Actual results should be reported in Category 7.)

As a community-focused organization, SCC’s programs, offerings, services and operations are conceived, discussed and implemented with positive results for the service population in mind.  When potentially negative effects are identified, the PC is responsible for mitigating the situation. A Crisis Communications Plan has been instituted to provide clear roles and responsibilities to minimize any negative impacts from unexpected issues that could ultimately prevent the College from providing quality services to the students. This plan is used in addition to the Campus Emergency Safety Plan established by Campus Police. This year, Business Affairs developed a manual titled Risk Management Procedures and Guidelines. The next step is to create a comprehensive emergency management plan that combines the separate policies currently in place and includes a strategic response for infectious disease.

SCC strives to meet or exceed compliance regulations. At the bi-weekly PC meetings, topics related to compliance issues (diversity, financial issues and sexual harassment, etc.) are discussed at length. The group develops consensus for implementing solutions to problems and evaluates progress based on established performance measures.

III. 1.10.  How do senior leaders actively support and strengthen the communities in which your organization operates? Include how senior leaders determine areas of emphasis for organizational involvement and support, and how senior leaders, workforce, and the organization’s students contribute to improving these communities.

The College, all senior leaders, and members of the workforce participate in community-based organizations and activities. The College sponsors organizations and events that are compatible with its mission. For instance, the College supports the Adult Learning Center which helps citizens earn their GED. The Adult Learning Center provides scholarships to its graduates, and over fifty percent of Adult Learning Center graduates attend SCC. The College also supports the Boys & Girls Club and by helping disadvantaged youth stay in school and graduate, SCC encourages these youths to become productive citizens and to go on to post-secondary education.

A core College value pertaining to the community is “encouraging faculty and staff to serve as leaders and role models in the community.” SCC supports likeminded organizations by filling seats on boards, announcing volunteer opportunities, encouraging individuals and groups to volunteer as their personal time allows, and providing meeting space for organizations. Individual participation in community organizations is widespread and varied. Students and members of the workforce are involved in numerous charity events (ex: clothing, toy, and canned good drives, Habitat for Humanity home building, etc.), and participate in the College Town Consortium that includes other area colleges. The College and community come together for an evening of patriotic celebration at the annual Red, White and Boom July 4th celebration, sponsored by the SCC Foundation and the City of Spartanburg. SCC’s senior leaders and the College family are recognized for the roles they assume to strengthen the community.  

III  Category 2 – Strategic Planning

III. 2. 1.  What is your Strategic Planning process, including key participants, and how does it address:

1. Your organizations’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats;
2. Financial, regulatory, and other potential risks;
3. Shifts in technology, student and community demographics, markets, student and stakeholder preferences, and competition;
4. Workforce capabilities and needs;
5. Long-term organizational sustainability and organizational continuity in emergencies;
6. Your ability to execute the strategic plan.

The strategic planning process at SCC is founded on quality concepts. It envisions a series of interrelationships between the evaluation of progress towards goals, outcomes assessment, awareness of trends, determination of the effects of technological change, and strategic positioning. The process requires that decisions and plans be based on data and evaluation. It also requires that, through the annual planning process, every employee’s insights and the needs of students and the community are recognized and considered in determining what objectives and strategies for action should be chosen. The strategic plan is reviewed, evaluated and updated annually by the President’s Council with the input of all College supervisors.  All action items that have been completed are noted with their results. New action items for succeeding years are included in the update. 

A basic premise of the community college system is to serve the needs of the local citizens of the service area. Therefore, continuous analysis of the programs the College provides, and of the fields those programs serve, is an integral part of the planning process. Every program the College offers has an advisory committee consisting of representatives from the fields that the program serves. These committees meet two or three times a year to discuss current workplace requirements. If it is determined that SCC graduates are not prepared in some way, the curriculum can be changed, if needed, through the Academic Review Committee (ARC) which meets weekly. If a technology change results in SCC students training on obsolete equipment, the equipment is upgraded to the current standard. If the expenditure falls outside the normal budgeting process, the Academic Affairs Division can access an equipment fund to make the purchase. The advisory committees are the key to ensuring SCC understands the current needs of the workplace and that graduates are meeting those needs. SCC’s ability to respond quickly to changes in demand means the College can provide the most up-to-date training possible.

The annual planning process encompasses several processes and includes: 1) review of mission, values, broad College-wide goals and objectives; 2) data collection – external analysis and environmental scanning, internal evaluation and assessment; 3) development of annual planning unit objectives and budget requirements; and 4) implementation. These processes are interconnected; each feeds the others. For example, the data compiled in environmental scanning might point to emerging markets or changing community needs that should be incorporated into the mission; the mission and broad goals should guide the selection of program goals and objectives; evaluation results are also used to help units set objectives and choose strategies for improvement; objectives should drive the budget; and the plan should be the blueprint for implementation.

Just as each unit of the College analyzes its trends, strengths and challenges in determining the unit objectives for the succeeding year, the College also analyzes its opportunities and barriers in reviewing and updating its long range objectives in the Strategic Plan as well as determining its action plans for the succeeding years. This review is done annually by the PC with input from the various divisions. The Strategic Plan is updated accordingly and made public to the College and the community via the website, http://www.sccsc.edu/IE/Strategic_Plan.htm.

III. 2. 2.   How do your strategic objectives address the strategic challenges you identified in your Executive Summary?

SCC’s strategic challenges identified in the Executive Summary and the strategic objectives in the Strategic Plan to address them are: 

Challenge: The College must obtain adequate funding to revitalize classrooms and labs with state of the art equipment, and to modify inadequate facilities and to build new facilities that meet the educational needs of students preparing for careers.

Objective: 5A) Develop a long-range resource development plan.

Challenge: The College must provide competitive salaries, increase full-time positions especially among the faculty at all College campuses, and plan for the replacement of retirees.

Objective: 4C) Provide competitive salaries and employee benefits

                5A) Develop a long-range resource development plan

5B) Develop a plan to insure qualified leaders are available to replace those exiting in the next five years.

Challenge: The College must maintain the quality of academic programs by keeping classes current with educational technology and with changes in technology while continuing to provide new quality programs.

Objective: 1B) Develop new programs and expand existing programs to support already identified workforce development needs.

                5A) Develop a long-range resource development plan.

Challenge: The College needs to increase assistance to students for tuition and books, as well as providing more flexible education to address individual learning styles and student convenience.

Objective: 2B) Provide the programs to meet the identified needs.

                5A) Develop a long-range resource development plan.

Challenge: The College must provide professional development for faculty and staff so that they can continually update their knowledge base and skills. The College should also provide employee recognition and motivation.

 Objective: 3A) Allow and encourage faculty to improve and update their skills.

                      4A) Expand professional development opportunities for faculty and staff

4D) Celebrate College accomplishments and reward exceptional employees.

5A) Develop a long-range resource development plan.

Challenge: The College must continue to work with the service area communities to help prepare students for college and to ensure that the educational level as well as employability skills of the workforce continue to improve to ensure economic growth.

Objective: 1 A) Support the development of economic clusters and identify other opportunities for economic growth.

1C) Maintain and expand partnerships with business, industries and educational institutions.

               2A) Identify educational needs from both an individual and business/industry perspective.

After the end of each fiscal year (June 30), each planning unit completes an end-of-year report on planning objectives for the year just ended. These reports are used to evaluate the College’s progress toward its goals and objectives.

III. 2. 3.  How do you evaluate and improve your strategic planning process?

The strategic plan is reviewed, evaluated and updated annually by the President’s Council with the input of all College supervisors. A key premise of the planning and evaluation process is that plans are based on what has happened, is happening, and will happen in the world outside the College with a focus on the challenges and opportunities these external changes present. The College as a whole systematically reviews the external realities of its community through the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) Council. The IE Council establishes environmental scanning committees in six areas to identify, study, and analyze the current and emerging issues and forces that influence the quality of life of the people in SCC’s service area. The committees propose and the IE Council adopts “planning assumptions” that are fed into the College’s annual planning process. These planning assumptions summarize the most significant demographic, economic, political, technological, environmental, and social factors thought to impact the College’s current operations and future development. Planning groups and units within the College structure also develop planning assumptions more specific to each area.

The College has many ways of collecting data for evaluation and assessment, from the assessment of student learning to College-wide assessment of progress toward goals. The results of these data collection, evaluation, and assessment efforts are fed into the planning process. The most systematic and formal of these evaluation processes is completion of the Program or Service Planning Document.

III. 2. 4.  How do you develop and track action plans that address your key strategic objectives? Include how you allocate resources to ensure the accomplishment of your actions plans.

The mission, values, and institutional goals are the foundation of annual planning. At the beginning of each academic year, the PC reviews the College’s goals and objectives. The IE Council identifies any specific issues and/or areas which need special emphasis. New opportunities and/or challenges which have presented themselves to the College or other initiatives to which the president wants the College to give special attention are also identified. These items are incorporated into the College’s objectives. The president communicates these goals and objectives to the College community, identifying them as the basis for planning the following year’s activities, beginning in July.

Institutional Effectiveness planning is the selected course of action the College uses to accomplish its mission and reach its goals. The annual planning process focuses the efforts of all College units on the accomplishment of College-wide goals and objectives. Unit objectives, developed in each area of the College, serve as the basis for developing action strategies for continuous improvement. Each fall the Planning Division compiles program and service planning templates for each planning unit. Included in each template are data from College-wide sources such as student and class databases. The templates allow for data collected at the unit level to be reported and for reporting goals, objectives, strategies, persons responsible and estimated budget requirements. Data is gathered to fill in the template, which is circulated to all staff in the unit (or subunit). A mandatory one-half day for planning is set aside each fall and each unit is expected to meet to develop an annual plan. Further meetings can be held to discuss the implications of the data, the implications of the changes to the College objectives for that unit (or subunit), and other information that the unit might have that can help determine what improvements should be made and/or what new activities should be planned. As consensus is reached on desirable and feasible objectives and strategies for the coming year, people who will be responsible for the strategies are identified and an estimated budget impact is figured. Unit planning documents also are compiled and coordinated at the planning group level to insure against overlap and duplication, and to insure that the group’s leadership can support each action and/or budget request.

The IE Council promotes continuous quality improvement. It oversees the planning/budgeting process, coordinates objectives and budget requests, and recommends priorities for implementation of objectives and budget requests. It also completes an annual environmental scan, monitors and coordinates quality team projects, and institutional outcomes assessment. All unit plan objectives which involve costs are brought by the respective group leaders to the IE Council for review. This review process insures consistency, a coordinated approach to achieving College goals and initiatives, and a forum to recommend appropriate priorities. The head of each planning group presents objectives and budget requests to the council as appropriate.  The council’s consensus review is recommended to the President. Prior to the IE Council’s review of group and unit plans, those objectives that involve technology are reviewed by the Information Technology Committee. This committee prioritizes and recommends objectives to the IE Council based on its judgment of the most effective and efficient use of technology. This review insures that the College adopts a consistent approach to technology and that it adheres to the Technology Plan.

III. 2. 5.  How do you communicate and deploy your strategic objectives, action plans and related performance measures?

Everyone at SCC is involved in the planning process. Each planning unit or subunit meets in the fall to review data provided by the Planning Division and/or collected by the unit itself. Each unit also discusses trends in the community, the industry it is concerned with, it’s professional area, instructional methodologies, and educational administration. In addition, units discuss their role in carrying out the goals and objectives of the College. From these discussions, desirable innovations and/or improvements emerge, which can be developed into planning objectives. Consistent with continuous quality improvement, and recognizing that those closest to service delivery often see issues and solutions most clearly, SCC is committed to including every employee in these discussions. Subunit and unit objectives and budgets are combined and prioritized at the group level.  Groups may have objectives and budgets in addition to those developed by the units. All group reports are reviewed by the Institutional Effectiveness Council.

III. 2. 6.  How do you measure progress on your action plans?

During the year, planning units review the progress being made toward the objectives developed during the last planning cycle. Reviewing progress toward current objectives is particularly important during the time in which new objectives are being developed, as they may require follow-up or readjustments of the time frames. Planning objectives may be changed during the year if funds are not available or if more experience indicates that the direction selected is unworkable or unadvisable. However, the decision to change the objective should be indicated on the End of Year Status Report that is generated for each unit objective.

Each objective in the Strategic Plan has action plans and these plans have a measurement component.  Every six months a status report is created for the Strategic Plan providing a mid-year report and an end-of-year report. These reports combine input from the entire College community and show the progress being made toward the Strategic Objectives.

III. 2. 7.   If the organization’s strategic plan is available to the public through its internet homepage, please provide an address for that plan on the website.

The strategic plan is made available to the College and the community via the website.  http://www.sccsc.edu/IE/

III Category 3 – Student, Stakeholder, and Market Focus

III. 3. 1.  How do you identify the student and market segments your educational programs will address? How do you determine which student and market segments to pursue for current and future educational programs, offerings, and services?

SCC identifies its student and market segments in the College scope and in the Marketing & Public Relations department strategic plan. As a member of the 16-college Technical College System in South Carolina, SCC is mandated to serve the citizens of Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties. Through its vision and mission, the College is committed to increasing the educational attainment of the citizens of the service area, providing workforce training for new and existing business and industry, advancing economic development and, ultimately, improving the economic vitality of the three-county service area in the Upstate. Therefore, target markets include high school juniors and seniors interested in dual credit opportunities, recent high school graduates or students who have completed their GED; unemployed individuals looking for marketable skills; underemployed individuals interested in improving their job skills for a better job; citizens interested in personal enrichment classes; retirees returning to school to fulfill lifelong goals; new or existing business and industry who need training for their employees; business and industry interested in expanding or relocating to SCC’s service area; and entrepreneurs ready to manufacture their product or offer their service.

The educational classes, programs and services the College provides either enhance an individual’s skills, prepare a student for a career or allow a student to progress to a four-year institution for additional education. All of the 80+ programs SCC offers are either the direct result of market need for training that is unavailable or insufficient or a requirement for a four-year degree. Each program has an advisory board composed of members who are either employed or experienced in that industry. Each advisory board meets a minimum of twice a year to review curriculum, explore changes in the industry and evaluate the success of SCC program graduates as a key indicator of the effectiveness of the program. New programs are added when a business or industry discovers or anticipates a lack of qualified workers or when the College discovers a need. Statistical resources, such as the Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI) workforce database, are used in this analysis. The College’s Economic Development Director works closely with the Employment Security Commission, the Economic Futures Group, the Workforce Investment Board, the Upstate Alliance and area Chambers of Commerce to identify companies coming into or expanding in the College’s service area. The Technical College System’s ReadySC office then works with the company to determine their specific workforce needs. 

A recent example of this process is the development of a partnership with Duke Energy. To help meet the anticipated need for radiation protection technicians, the College partnered with Duke Energy to train students in this field. Students first complete a certificate in Fundamentals of Radiation Science. They go on to complete an Associate Degree in Industrial Technology with a major in Radiation Protection Technology. This program produced its first graduates in May 2008, with a 100% placement rate in a high-paying career field. The partnership has become a model for training Radiation Protection Technicians worldwide.

Another recent example is the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program. In 2004, the College partnered with a local four-year university which previously was providing the same degree. Now, SCC uniquely awards the ADN which transfers seamlessly to the University of South Carolina Upstate for the student who wishes to pursue the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing.

Student services are also identified by need and by keeping abreast of successful trends in education. Community College students are challenged from the beginning of their college careers to complete their educational goals. Many students have families, full-time jobs and numerous demands on their time. Some students have not been in school for many years or feel unprepared to succeed in an educational setting. Others are challenged by the perceived complexity of attending college or returning to college. As a result, student retention is quite often a problem. Transitional studies faculty researched the recent trend of Learning Communities and encouraged the administration to pursue its implementation. Learning Communities group at-risk students, identified by their reading test scores, into a cohort which then takes classes together. In addition to facilitating an informal support group, Learning Communities provide the students an opportunity to learn together, to be on campus at the same time and to arrange study groups. Data shows that at-risk students in Learning Communities are more likely to succeed and the results at SCC reflect that trend.

Generally, SCC does not target certain markets for specific programs because of the diversity of people that pursue new or upgraded skills. However, the College does monitor the demographics of the student population in order to plan effective advertising.

III. 3. 2.   How do you keep your listening and learning methods current with changing student and stakeholder needs and expectations (including educational programs, offerings, and service features)? How do you determine the relative importance of the expectations to these groups’ decisions related to enrollment?

Feedback from students and stakeholders is requested on a regular basis. Information is obtained from Advisory Committees, DACUM panels, community leaders, focus groups and surveys.  Some of the information is gathered in traditional formats such as informal feedback, discussion groups and paper surveys; in other cases, SCC utilizes available technology such as online survey tools. SCC is also expanding its use of web tools and constantly searches out and evaluates new opportunities for securing feedback. Regardless of how the data is obtained, feedback is shared quickly and easily through the use of technology with those to whom the information is relevant. That allows those impacted by the feedback to give it thoughtful consideration, discuss it, brainstorm solutions and weigh the benefits against the cost of implementation.

III. 3. 3.   How do you use information and feedback from current, former and future students and stakeholders to keep services and programs relevant and provide for continuous improvement?

Annually, faculty and staff evaluate the results of a satisfaction survey of current students conducted by the Institutional Effectiveness office and a graduate follow-up survey conducted by the Career Planning & Placement office. In addition, College recruiters meet weekly from September through April with students and guidance counselors at area high schools and career centers. Although their focus is to provide information, they also receive information and feedback. All of this information is used to evaluate the programs and services the College provides to students. The College also evaluates feedback it receives from stakeholders through the program advisory boards. As mentioned, each of the College’s 80+ programs is required to have an advisory board composed of individuals who are either employed or experienced in that industry. The College is also required by the Commission of Higher Education to monitor graduation and job placement rates. Programs that fall below the minimum requirements are placed on probation. In the event the graduation and placement rates do not improve, the program offering will be eliminated.

This continuous review of feedback from key constituents allows SCC to keep its programs and services current and relevant. It is a signature trademark of the technical/community College system which has been in place since its inception and which SCC takes pride in performing very well.

III. 3. 4.   How do you determine student and stakeholder satisfaction and dissatisfaction and use this information to improve?

As mentioned, feedback on student and stakeholder satisfaction is obtained regularly and through various media. The results are analyzed and potential solutions are weighed against institutional goals and the available financial resources to implement the changes.

One formalized means for analyzing feedback is through the College’s Learning Evidence Committee. This committee, comprised of representatives from all sectors of the College community, assists with the College’s assessment and institutional effectiveness processes. It focuses on the analysis of evidence that learning outcomes are systematically identified and progress toward achieving them is assessed. It reviews data collected by the College in a variety of ways, makes recommendations for improvements based on the analysis of various assessments, and monitors improvements and changes made as a result of the assessment.  The committee submits recommendations to the academic team, President’s Council and other appropriate entities.

III. 3.5.   How do you build positive relationships to attract and retain students and stakeholders, to enhance student performance, and to meet and exceed their expectations for learning? Indicate any key distinctions between different student and stakeholder groups.

SCC builds positive relationships with students and the community through a brand and image campaign that is executed on many levels. At the highest level, the College maintains consistency in advertising and publications through all media: print, broadcast and web. The College also has a strong customer service focus and each member of the faculty and staff strives, personally, to assist students and potential students in every way possible. The College has a strong community presence through events like Career Quest, which draws over 1,000 middle and high school students and their parents. This collaborative event involves the support of the College, all school districts in the service area and local business and industry. The College also has a strong presence at the area high schools and career centers, and recruiters are onsite weekly between September and April.

Student retention is critical in the community college environment. Many SCC efforts focus on providing services that assist students, through academic and personal interventions, to stay in school. As mentioned, Learning Communities have been successful in retaining at-risk students. Through a grant funded by the US Department of Education, the College offers the Success Network for students who need academic support. The Tutorial Learning Center provides free tutoring. The AIM Center provides financial assistance for books, transportation and childcare. In addition, Advising Center provides students with academic counseling and information on all of the support services that are available.

The College also does an outstanding job communicating with and thanking the community and local and state government for their support. The College also partners with the SCC Foundation to host the community event each year where information about the College is provided to the people who attend from all over the area.  SCC has been able to construct several new buildings and open two new campuses in the last decade. College officials take every opportunity to invite stakeholders to ground-breaking and grand opening events to recognize their role in the expansion. College administrators attend local and state government meetings, as well as community events to remind community leaders of the vital role the College plays in the economy.

III Category 4 – Measurement, Analysis, and Review of Organizational Performance

III. 4. 1. How do you select which operations, processes and systems to measure to determine student learning, and for tracking daily operations and overall organizational performance, including progress relative to strategic objectives and action plans?

Many of the operations, processes and systems that are measured are determined by the College’s external entities such as regional accrediting body, SACS, and various program accreditation groups. The College also complies with state and federal agency requests for measurement information as well as commission and board requests, community requests, survey requests, peer institution requests and others. To do peer analyses, the College must rely on benchmark data to determine what to measure. The College is a member of the National Community College Benchmark Project (NCCBP).  Internally, as part of the annual operational planning process, each unit objective must include a measurement strategy.  Mid-year and end-of-year reports are compiled showing progress towards the College’s goals and objectives. Each year the strategic plan is reviewed and updated; action items that have been completed are noted on the plan with the completion results. New action items are included with an accompanying assessment strategy and timeline.

III. 4. 2.  How do you select, collect, align and integrate data/information analysis to provide effective support for decision making and innovation throughout your organization?

Data/information play a crucial role in decision making throughout the College. Program and service review, which involve substantial data, help to determine the objectives that units develop in their annual operational planning. Evaluations and assessments are analyzed regularly to provide information that can be used for improvement in both annual and strategic planning. College goals and objectives are evaluated regularly to determine progress that has been made and to make any adjustments deemed necessary.  The Institutional Research Office, the Institutional Effectiveness Office, the Information Technology Office and other offices provide regular data and reports, as well as special requests, to various individuals, councils, committees and the College community for use in decision making. The Learning Evidence Committee regularly reviews/analyzes College-wide data and makes recommendations for improvements to the appropriate areas.

III. 4. 3. How do you keep your measures current with educational service needs and directions?

Key measures of success include progress toward the Quality Enhancement Plan, evidence of improved student learning, growth in program quality and reputation, improved and expanded technology and facilities.  All these areas are continuously reviewed and assessed through contact with faculty, staff, students and the community. Environmental scanning, involvement in the service area communities, program and service review, regional and program accreditation, advisory committees and other input help to keep the College measures current with educational service needs and directions.

       III. 4. 4. How do you select and use key comparative data and information from within and outside the academic community to support operational strategic decision making?

The Institutional Effectiveness Summary Report and the Performance Measures required by the Commission on Higher Education of all public colleges and universities within the state provide comparative data on a number of variables. These variables include faculty credentialing and compensation, classroom quality, student performance on professional licensure exams, graduation and retention rates, administrative efficiency, and accessibility to higher education for all citizens of the state.

Key comparative data is selected from IPEDS, from the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education data warehouse, from national norms included with results of national surveys participated in, and from peer group meetings and exchanges and from the NCCBP. These data are used primarily for benchmarking and determining best practices. Data and information from within the College will be analyzed by the Learning Evidence Committee and others to provide recommendations to the President’s Council, the Institutional Effectiveness Council, the Technology Committee and other College groups for inclusion in decision making about program development, campus and facilities development, technology planning, and any other improvements that are warranted.

III. 4. 5.  How do you ensure data integrity, timeliness, accuracy, security and availability for decision making?

A major responsibility of the Institutional Research Office is to ensure data integrity and accuracy. The Information Technology Office is responsible for data management and security, as are all the faculty and staff who have access to data and data entry. Timeliness and availability, although in keeping with state and federal reporting requirements, have been current internal data issues that the College has greatly improved in the past year with coding changes to statewide data.

III. 4. 6.  How do you translate organizational performance review findings into priorities for continuous improvement?

Each academic and service unit at the College does program and service reviews for annual planning. Data and assessments are reviewed for relevant information. This information is used to develop objectives for the coming year, working toward improvement. Additionally, as data is collected and reviewed at the College level, the Learning Evidence Committee will receive and analyze the results and will make recommendations for improvements to the appropriate areas of the College. Organizational performance review findings may also lead to revisions in the College objectives and action items to more closely align them with the College mission.

III. 4. 7.  How do you collect, transfer, and maintain organizational and employee knowledge (knowledge assets)? How do you identify and share best practices?

All employees receive an annual review which documents each employee’s knowledge of his or her job and accomplishments.  Supervisors are required to share with their supervisors and the appropriate President’s Council (PC) member, the performance appraisal for all employees receiving an exceptional rating.  As best practices are identified, faculty and staff are invited to make presentations to the PC and the commission frequently to share best practices. Human Resources provides the PC with an annual comparison summary by Division, for their review and evaluation, of all reviews within their division. Many professional development workshops are built around faculty/staff skills and expertise.

III Category 5 – Workforce Focus

III. 5. 1.  How do you organize and manage work to enable your workforce to develop and utilize their full potential, aligned with the organization’s objectives, strategies, and action plans and promote cooperation, initiative, empowerment, innovation, and your organizational culture?

·       The College ensures all employees have an accurate position description which clearly defines all job functions. This information is then included in the College Employee Performance Management System (EPMS) and Faculty Performance Management System (FPMS) process.  As part of the appraisal system, supervisors must establish success criteria for each job function and objective.  The College also requires each employee to have an objective related to the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).  The QEP Committee reviews the results of these objectives annually.  Supervisors evaluate each job function and objective annually.

·       The College uses a campus wide Annual Planning Process that involves all employees. A day is identified for all faculty and staff to brain storm ideas for department goals and objectives. The departmental goals must feed into the goals from the College’s strategic plan. 

·       Human Resources provides EPMS/FPMS training for all new employees and for all newly appointed supervisors.  Additionally, refresher training courses are provided for supervisors.  HR encourages supervisors to utilize the appraisal system to determine employee goals and then provide assistance for obtaining the goals.

·       The College uses several on-going committees and establishes short-term committees to encourage faculty and staff to provide ideas and suggestions for professional growth.  For example, the Faculty and Staff Development (FSD) Committee makes recommendations to the President’s Council regarding tuition assistance guidelines and ideas for leadership programs.

III. 5. 2.  How do you achieve effective communication and knowledge/skill/best practice sharing across departments, jobs, and locations?

·       Divisional and department meetings are encouraged.

·       The College president holds faculty and staff meetings periodically.

·       The College president holds annual meetings with faculty and staff in small groups – “Communication with the President Sessions”.

·       Best practices are shared by faculty and staff with the college community through faculty/staff development sessions.

·       Policies and procedures are kept current and changes are provided electronically to all faculty and staff.

·       Very detailed New Employee Orientations are held for all new employees, both fulltime and adjunct, periodically throughout the year.

·       PC meetings, which consist of divisional leadership, are regularly scheduled.

·       Communication across locations occurs through Peer Group meetings (HR, CBO, Financial Aid, etc.).  It also occurs when faculty and staff members attend conferences such as the South Carolina Technical Education Association (SCTEA).

·       Communication across jobs and departments occur when new employees are assigned mentors for the first year to assist with their transitional period.

·       The minutes from the President’s Council meetings and other divisional meetings are shared electronically with faculty and staff.

III. 5. 3. How does your workforce performance management system, including feedback to and from individual members of the workforce, support high performance work and contribute to the achievement of your action plans?

·       Managers and supervisors are encouraged to use the Employee Performance Management System (EPMS) and Faculty Performance Management System (FPMS) as a tool in establishing clear performance expectations for employees. This system allows managers and supervisors to agree upon meaningful objectives that directly benefit the employee and the College.  Employees are encouraged during the planning stage, as well as in the EPMS and FPMS evaluation meetings, to identify and seek higher levels of performance.

·       All employees are required to have one objective that links to the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan. Annually, the HR Office provides the QEP Committee with a summary of employee ratings for this objective.

·       To provide a more user friendly and a more efficient appraisal system, beginning early in fiscal year 2008-09, the College will implement an electronic appraisal system. Also, to improve efficiency of the appraisal system, College management approved implementing a Universal Appraisal System.

·       Annually, the President, with input from the President’s Council, selects employees to participate in the SCTCS Leadership Academy and the USC Graduate Higher Education Certificate Program.  

III. 5. 4. How do you accomplish effective succession planning?  How do you manage effective career progression for your entire workforce throughout the organization?

·       A College study, Workforce Planning –A Basis for Setting a Strategic Direction defined workforce planning; set a strategic direction; analyzed the workforce; identified skill gaps; and developed an action plan.  The action plan recommends the following:

o   An annual PC review of potential vacancies with timely recommendations for replacements

o   Leadership Development Program

o   Continued Encouragement of Diversity

o   Enhanced Employee Training & Development Plan

o   Benefits, compensation and working conditions to encourage retention of employees

·       All new and/or vacant positions are posted to allow for internal promotion.  Faculty and staff are encouraged to obtain the necessary educational requirements for promotion through the College’s tuition assistance program.   The College promotes from within when possible.

·       Nominating or selecting individuals to participate in the USC Leadership Certificate Program and the Technical College System Leadership Program. 

III. 5. 5.  How does your development and learning system for leaders address the following:

a.     Development of personal leadership attributes…

·       Potential leaders are encouraged to further their education by utilizing the College’s tuition assistance program; to participate in the SCTCS’s Leadership Program; and/or to participate in the University of South Carolina’s Leadership Program. Salary increases are provided to faculty and staff upon completion of these programs.

b.     Development of organizational knowledge…

·       SCTCS’s Leadership Program is an excellent program for potential leaders to gain a thorough understanding of management within the Technical College System. Colleges within the system are allowed to send one to two employees per year.  The College always utilizes the maximum number of slots allowed each year. 

·       When possible, the College gives potential leaders the opportunity to serve in “interim” positions. Members of the workforce are encouraged to participate in various College committees in facilitator roles and as committee members.

·       Potential leaders are encouraged to attend SCTCS peer groups meetings and to be actively involved in leadership roles.

·       Potential leaders participate in State sponsored training programs for leaders.

·       The College provides divisional travel allocations for the workforce to participate in workshops, conferences, and seminars.

·       The College encourages and supports potential leaders to participate in the Leadership Spartanburg Program and local community organizations.

c.     Ethical practices…

·       The College provides all employees with a copy of the South Carolina State Ethics Commission – Rules of Conduct.  State and local policies and procedures are provided to all employees and employees are expected to comply with these regulations.

·       The College has a policy and procedure, Ethics Requirements for Employees and Public Officials, which is available on-line to all employees.

d.     Your core competencies, strategic challenges, and accomplishment of action plans…

·       The Colleges has several different options for leadership development but a formal evaluation process needs to be developed.  The College needs to better identify and train potential leaders and, after providing opportunities for training, develop a system to evaluate the effectiveness of the training results.

 III. 5. 6. How do you assess your workforce capability and capacity needs, including skills, competencies, and staffing levels?

·       The College’s appraisal system requires President Council review of all performance appraisals with an “Exceeds” rating.  This provides management with a review of exemplary performance.

·       During the budgeting process, President’s Council members have an opportunity to address their needs for additional staff and for departmental reorganization that may result in promotions or job reassignments to better utilize employee capabilities.

·       Employees participating in the College’s tuition assistance program submit an Educational Plan, which provides approval for a salary increase, pending budget, upon completion of the degree/certification.

·       Salary increases are provided to employees completing approved degrees, diplomas, and/or certificates.

III. 5. 7.  How do you recruit, hire, and retain new employees?

Recruit

·       The College utilizes an electronic application system which has greatly increased the number of applications received for vacant positions.  The system will be expanded by converting to the State’s NEOGOV system.  This Statewide system has proved to be an excellent tool for recruitment and user friendly for supervisors and applicants.

·       The College currently advertises all positions nationally, on-line, through HigherEd.com and Insidehighered.com.  Based on the type of position being advertised, it may be advertised in local and state newspapers. All positions are posted on the college website; e-mail notices are sent to the system office and all technical/community colleges in South Carolina, Upstate Career Source, and Spartanburg District Schools. Additionally, hard copies of the notice of vacancy are sent to minority churches, Spartanburg Officials/leaders, Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce, Department of Social Services, SC State Human Affairs Commission, and several other State and local agencies.

Hire

·       The College’s Human Resources Office screens applications for minimum education and experience requirements and forwards copies of applications of qualified applicants to the hiring official.   The hiring official selects applicants to be interviewed, and then notifies the Human Resources Office to schedule interviews.  The Human Resources Office speaks with applicants regarding benefits, vacation, etc., and sends applicants to the hiring official for the interview.  For out-of-town applicants, a telephone interview may be scheduled for the initial interview.  The hiring official selects applicants for a second interview.  During the second interview, the finalists meet with the hiring official, the appropriate dean or next line supervisor, and the appropriate Vice President, and a representative from Human Resources.  All faculty positions require a brief teaching demonstration.  With input from the hiring committee, the hiring official makes his or her recommendation and the Vice President presents the selection to the College President for approval.

Retain

·       When funding permits, the College provides bonuses, performance pay increases, and tuition assistance for further education.

·       Retention is a large part of the College’s Strategic Plan.  Creating a positive learning environment and creating a positive working environment which values the contribution of every employee are part of the College’s Strategic Plan. 

·       The College uses committees made up of faculty and staff to provide input and guidance with regards to training, recognition program, and other College initiatives.

·       The College promotes from within whenever possible and all positions are posted internally to allow for promotions.

·       The SCC Foundation also funds Faculty/Staff development grants.

III. 5. 8.  How does your workforce education, training, and development address your key organizational needs?  How do you encourage on the job use of new knowledge and skills?

·       The College has a Faculty and Staff Development Program (FSD).  The membership of the committee is designed to provide representation from all areas of the campus. Annually, the committee reviews the FSD budget and defines activities for the fiscal year. The committee determines the amount of tuition assistance; activities to be offered; and reviews activity evaluations for each FSD activity presented. The committee members solicit input from the faculty and staff to ensure that activities are provided to meet the needs of the College. All FSD activities are evaluated by the participants and reviewed by the committee members. A summary of the evaluations is also provided to the presenters. 

·       The College also provides funds for departmental professional development.

·       Faculty and staff members are asked to present training sessions – FSD.

III. 5. 9.  How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your workforce and leader training and development systems?
 

·       The College evaluates the effectiveness of the workforce through the use of a formal appraisal system for faculty and staff in permanent positions (EPMS/FPMS).  In addition, faculty, both fulltime and adjuncts, are evaluated through student evaluations.

·       The Colleges has several different options for leadership development but a formal evaluation process needs to be developed.  The College needs to better identify and train potential leaders and, after providing opportunities for training, develop a system to evaluate the effectiveness of the training results.  The College will ask the State to address this issue.

      III. 5. 10.  How do you motivate your workforce to develop and utilize their full potential?

·       The College encourages faculty and staff to utilize the tuition assistance program to obtain necessary educational requirements for advancement.  In addition, annual Faculty and Staff Development Activities are offered to provide management and leadership development skills.  Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in the SCTCS’s Leadership Program and the USC Graduate Leadership Certificate Program.  Salary increases are provided to graduates of these programs and also upon completion of approved degrees/certifications.

·       Feedback is also received during the employee three month progress reports.

·       The College promotes within whenever possible. 

III. 5. 11.  What formal and/or informal assessment methods and measures do you use to obtain information on workforce well-being, satisfaction, and motivation?

·       An exit interview questionnaire is completed by all employees leaving the College.  This information is provided to the President and appropriate member of the President’s Council.  The information provided on the Exit Interview provides management with information to address possible issues prior to filling the position. 

·       The Institutional Effectiveness Office conducts a satisfaction survey on all service areas of the College. Based on the results of that survey, each area develops a response to include projected improvement.

·       The Human Resources Office provides training for supervisors on administering the College appraisal systems (EPMS/FPMS).  Supervisors are encouraged to use this process to encourage faculty and staff to identify goals and advise them how to reach the goals.

·       The College conducts a formal Employee Attitude Survey as recommended by the Area Commission or President.

   III. 5. 12.  How do you use faculty and staff satisfaction assessment findings to identify and determine priorities for improvement?

·       Faculty and staff are provided the opportunity to meet at least annually with the President to provide suggestions for improvement and to provide new ideas.  The President works with his council to prioritize suggestions.

·       The Learning Evidence Committee reviews assessment findings and makes recommendations to the President’s Council or the appropriate area.

·       Through the annual planning process, objectives and strategies for involvement are identified and prioritized.

III Category 6 – Process Management

III. 6. 1.  How do you determine, and what are your organization’s core competencies, and how do they relate to your mission, competitive environment, and action plans?

The vision of Spartanburg Community College is to be the innovative leader in providing relevant, accessible, and affordable educational programs and services to support and improve the economic vitality of the service community. Specifically, SCC’s mission as a public, suburban, two-year comprehensive, open-admission institution of higher education is to serve the citizens of the upstate counties of Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union in South Carolina. The College advances economic development of the region through programs, services and partnerships that address emerging and continuing employment needs in a rapidly changing global environment. Through excellence in teaching and learning, the College promotes lifelong learning and helps students reach their personal and professional goals.

Spartanburg Community College implements its mission through programs, services and partnerships (core competencies) that include:

·         College-Level Credit Programs

·         Corporate and Community Education Programs

·         Developmental Education Programs

·         Student Development Programs

At Spartanburg Community College, we believe in the worth of individuals and their potential for growth and development:

·         Values Pertaining to Students

o   Encouraging students to reach their highest potential and to increase their self-esteem.

o   Stressing students’ responsibility in taking an active role in their own learning, growth and development.

o   Fostering a caring environment appropriate for the personal and educational development of adult students.

o   Helping students acquire a work ethic appropriate for the personal and educational development of adult students.

o   Helping students acquire a work ethic appropriate to their career choice.

o   Promoting a desire for lifelong learning.

o   Instilling a sense of college pride in students.

·         Values Pertaining to Faculty and Staff

o   Accomplishing the College mission through teamwork, effective communication and personal accountability.

o   Maintaining a climate of mutual trust and respect.

o   Treating faculty and staff fairly.

o   Giving employees personal responsibility for job performance.

o   Developing professional potential of faculty and staff.

·         Values Pertaining to Community

o   Providing timely programs and services that meet the needs of students and area business and industry.

o   Participating as a partner in the community’s growth and development.

o   Promoting interactive communication with the community to ascertain needs and distribute information about programs and services.

o   Developing a continuum of educational opportunities by partnering with secondary and postsecondary institutions.

o   Encouraging faculty and staff to serve as leaders and role models in the community.

o   Being accountable to the community for effective use of resources.

      College core competencies, as outlined above, are further realized through five (5) strategic institutional goals with defined objectives and date-driven action items.  These five goals are: to support economic growth by providing workforce development, to enhance higher education attainment of citizens, to create a positive learning environment, to create a positive working environment and value employees, and to plan for continued growth and College success.

      The core competencies are determined through many and varied avenues, including, but not limited to, a review of the mission, values, goals and objectives; external analysis and environmental scan (planning assumptions); internal program/department/division evaluation and assessment; external input through communities-of-interest and advisory/focus groups, state and national best practices, benchmarking against similar institutions with respect to student outcomes, enrollment, graduation and placement rates, various accrediting agency reviews, audits, and others.

III. 6. 2. What are your organization’s key work processes?

Key work processes, those most important to maximizing student success, include: recruiting, enrolling, advising, registering, teaching, retaining, assessing/documenting student progress, graduation, and placement and/or transfer to a four-year college or university, planning, program and service review, and information technologies.

III. 6. 3. How do you incorporate input from students, faculty, staff, stakeholders, suppliers, and partners for determining your key work process requirements?

     SCC incorporates input from students, faculty, staff, stakeholders, suppliers, and partners through various surveys, advisory/focus groups, student evaluations, committees (ex: Institutional Effectiveness Committee, Information Technology Committee, Academic Review Committee, Learning Evidence Committee), and Institutional Research for data.   

For example, the key learning centered processes are determined by recognizing that people learn in different ways.  This requires the College to provide a variety of learning experiences targeted towards achieving desired learning outcomes.  Mechanisms such as student evaluations and classroom assessment are used to measure our success in meeting our identified learning requirements.  Faculty and staff provide input through committees, annual evaluation processes, accreditation, and the incorporation of new teaching methods and technologies. Also reviewed and incorporated are best practices from other institutions. Through campus focus groups and advisory committee members of the community, key learning centered processes are identified and implemented in the College curriculum.

III. 6. 4.  How do you incorporate organizational knowledge, new technology, cost controls, and other efficiency and effectiveness factors, such as cycle time, into process design and delivery?

Regarding cycle time, SCC incorporates curriculum models to provide consistency of like programs across the state, offer courses at a variety of times (ex: traditional, FlexStart, block schedule, etc), use adjunct faculty in appropriate ratios, update and review courses/programs each semester, offer a common core of general education courses, and offer classes through distance education (includes broadcast, online and hybrid formats). The College participates in collaborative partnerships with sister institutions to develop and implement new programs and share resources wherever possible (ex: Mechatronics). The College also encourages collaboration among academic programs and divisions resulting in courses being offered in one division that can be taken by students in another division (ex: Customer Service). There is on-going training in technology for faculty and staff through Faculty Staff Development (FSD), Corporate and Community Education, and Information Technology. When possible, the SCC Foundation is asked to support technology and design efforts.

III. 6. 5. How do you systematically evaluate and improve your work processes?

Annual planning processes provide all work units (program and service) the opportunity to assess and revise goals, procedures, plans, recognize accomplishments, determine challenges, etc. In addition, work processes in Academic Affairs are evaluated as to their effectiveness and revised as needed, usually on a semester or annual basis.  Various areas continually assess courses and programs using feedback from student surveys, faculty committees, advisory groups, state agencies, accreditation bodies, state standards and benchmarks, conferences, campus visits, and professional literature.

III. 6. 6. What are your key support processes, and how do you evaluate, improve and update these processes to achieve better performance?

All areas of the College are key to achieving the College mission; therefore, all are involved in the annual evaluation, improvement and updating process, called the annual planning process. The mission, values, and institutional goals are the foundation of annual planning. The annual planning process encompasses several processes which must be going on concurrently. These include: 1) review of mission, values, broad College-wide goals and objectives; 2) data collection – external analysis and environmental scanning, internal evaluation and assessment; 3) development of annual planning unit objectives and budget requirements; and 4) implementation. These processes are interconnected; each feeds the others. For example, the data compiled in environmental scanning might point to emerging markets or changing community needs that should be incorporated into the mission; the mission and broad goals should guide the selection of program goals and objectives; evaluation results are also used to help units set objectives and choose strategies for improvement; objectives should drive the budget; and the plan should be the blueprint for implementation.

At the beginning of each academic year, the President’s Council reviews the College goals and objectives. The Council identifies any specific issues and/or areas which need special emphasis, new opportunities and/or challenges which have presented themselves to the College, or other initiatives to which the President wants the College to give special attention for the year which will begin the following July. These are incorporated into the College objectives. The President makes these known to the College community, identifying them as the basis for planning the following year’s activities. Institutional Effectiveness planning is the selected course of action the College proposes to take to accomplish its mission and reach its goals. The annual planning process focuses the efforts of all College units on the accomplishment of College-wide goals and objectives. Unit objectives, developed in each area of the College, serve as the basis for developing action strategies for continuous improvement.

Key support processes involve all service units and academic support areas of the College (ex: Book Inn, Admissions, Financial Aid, Information Technologies, Business Office, Marketing/Public Relations, The Learning Center, Library, Advising Center, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, etc.).  Information re: key processes are obtained informally through comments/conversations/discussions and formally through surveys and committees. Additionally, each service area completes an annual review of their services and measures their effectiveness. Improvement plans are developed and timelines established.

A syllabus is distributed to all students in every credit course taught.  Each syllabus details the competency/outcome based learning for the course.  All courses have assessments (ex: homework, tests, or projects).  Class attendance is measured as indicated on the course syllabus.  Final grades are administered at the end of each semester.  Student evaluations are administered each semester and summaries are distributed to each faculty member and their supervisor by electronic means.  Through Course Assessment, improvements are made based on an annual analysis of each course taught.  Licensure, certification, and/or registry exam scores are also used as summative performance measures.  Evaluations for both faculty training and DACUM workshops are captured, and improvements are made based on the results.  Both full-time and adjunct faculty orientation session evaluation results are captured, and identified changes/improvements are made as necessary.  Other formative measures include internships and field experiences in specific courses. 

III. 6. 7. How does your organization ensure that adequate budgetary and financial resources are available to support your operations?  How do you determine the resources needed to meet current budgetary and financial obligations, as well as new initiatives?

The College has a comprehensive planning process that begins in the fall, includes all aspects of the College and leads into the budget sessions in the spring (March). Everyone is invited to attend the sessions to learn about the College's budget needs.  Discussion is limited to President’s Council (PC) members during the meetings but visitors are given time at the end of each session to ask questions and provide input.

Sessions are scheduled through June.  Each session addresses revenues and expenses, both savings and new costs. All new projects or activities that require funds have been identified and then prioritized through the annual planning process and are addressed based on the funds that are available. In most years we have been able to provide funds for most top priority projects that were requested.

Once new projects are funded PC members receive an Operations & Management (O&M) allocation for the upcoming year.  PC members have the authority to redirect funds within their budgets to allow them to address special needs. Funds are then allocated to Departments and the Departments submit budget plans, based on the allocated funds, for the year. Department Heads have the authority to allocate their funds as necessary to best accomplish their goals and objectives.

Managers are accountable for managing their budget within their allocated funds but do have some latitude in moving funds from one budget line to another based on their needs. If funds are not adequate they can go to their supervisor and seek additional funds. This process could go all the way back to the PC for fund redistribution.

The College maintains a small contingency fund that can be used to provide funds for unexpected expenses when departmental budgets are not adequate to cover them.

The SCC Foundation is also utilized to help support the mission of the College.

In addition, other financial resources are researched and considered (ex: grants). Partnerships with area business and industry result in funding support as well as partnerships with other educational institutions, both secondary and post-secondary.

An annual financial audit (ex: CPA) incorporates a professional third party review and demonstrates the College’s desire to be transparent and credible.