Accreditation Self-Study Report 2006
Standard Two
Planning and Evaluation
New Hampshire Technical Institute [NHTI] undertakes systematic, broad-based, and interrelated planning and evaluation activities necessary to fulfill its mission as a comprehensive community college. Institutional planning and evaluation occurs on many levels under the leadership of administrators and with the broad participation of faculty and staff. The process is inclusive and cross-functional, involving faculty, staff, students, alumni, advisory boards, and area businesses, and focuses on relationships among student needs, academic programming, physical resources, financial resources, and institutional growth. The Institute Leadership Team [ILT] is responsible for aligning NHTI's strategic and fiscal planning and evaluation efforts with the college's Mission/Values/Vision Statement as well as with the New Hampshire Community Technical College [NHCTC] System strategic and fiscal plans and mission statement.
Planning
During the 1999-2000 academic year, members of the ILT and the Governance and Organization Assessment Team [GOATs] developed a five-year strategic plan that merged, streamlined, and organized activities identified within various planning documents into five focus areas that had been targeted by the ILT as essential areas for planning and evaluation: Institutional Planning and Evaluation, Organization and Governance, Financial Resources, Student Access, and Quality of Educational Programs and Processes. This group then identified major goals and objectives for each area and developed both major and specific outcomes required to achieve each objective. The layout of the inclusive plan incorporated ILT sponsors, primary participants, completion dates, required resources, evaluation criteria, and assessment strategies for each major outcome.
Major administrative changes were taking place at the same time that the fifth year of the strategic plan was coming to a close. These changes delayed focusing attention on a review of the plan and extended it into the future. In the spring of 2005, simultaneous with the revision of its mission statement, the NHCTC System administration and Board of Trustees also began a new strategic planning effort. As a part of the effort, each college within the System completed a status report as a baseline for developing a five-year strategic plan for the System as a whole. Therefore, as NHTI begins its reassessment of its previous strategic plan, alignment with System efforts must be taken into account. In the initial review of the 2000-2005 Strategic Plan, the President's Vice Presidents Council (including the Vice Presidents, the Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Director of Communications) determined that the five focus areas identified in that plan as "essential" were still appropriate but that a streamlining of the format of the plan was desirable from a user point of view. The college will align its strategic goals with the published "Vision 2010 Strategic Goals" developed by the System Board of Trustees.
In accordance with the Governance Model (see Standard Three), individuals have an important voice in planning on both local and institutional levels. Faculty and/or staff communicate issues and initiatives to their supervisors, who then bring them forward to the Department Head Council, the Institute Forum, or an appropriate team for review and comment. These groups, in turn, bring the issues or initiatives to the ILT through the Vice Presidents, the Forum President, or other team sponsors, respectively. Students may communicate issues through the Student Senate, whose President is a member of the ILT, or through faculty. The ILT responds by acting on a team recommendation or by developing an action item or investigative team in accordance with the mission and the strategic plan.
At an institutional level, planning occurs in accordance with the Governance Model (see Standard Three) via standing and ad hoc teams, which include representatives from many academic and nonacademic departments and students, where appropriate. Much of the work of the college crosses over departments, such as allocation of professional development funds, purchase and distribution of computer hardware and software, and assessment of curriculum change proposals. Teams are created to plan and evaluate specified areas on either an ongoing or temporary basis through the ILT. The ILT sponsor is responsible for overseeing the alignment of team activities with the Mission/Values/Vision Statement and the strategic plan, as well as for communicating team progress and recommendations to the ILT and the campus community.
While all departments are involved in long-term planning as described above, they are also engaged in short-term planning on an ongoing basis as conditions change in the day-to-day workings of the college. For example, all academic departments present goals and objectives for the coming academic year in their annual Departmental Reports to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. However, if program-specific accreditation requirements change, the original year's goals and objectives may need to be modified. To cite a specific example, in August of 2004, there was some concern as to whether the new dental clinic and associated spaces would be ready for occupancy in time for the start of fall classes. The Office of Academic Affairs, the Allied Dental Education Department, the Maintenance Department, and the contractor all worked to develop a short-term plan to accommodate the possible delay. That plan changed daily as construction progressed; ultimately, most of the plan was not needed with the exception of planning the timeline for correcting construction problems that did not affect occupancy. In another example, over the 2002-2004 biennium, the then-Governor imposed freezes on hiring and equipment purchases and required appeals for waivers for "hardship" situations. The college therefore needed to develop short-term plans each time a position became vacant in order to ensure that the work of the affected area could be accomplished without affecting the overall mission of the college. When a key position became vacant in the library, for example, existing personnel were reassigned, part-time hours for permanent employees were extended, student interns were hired, and work was re-prioritized while the waiver process was completed.
All departments at NHTI systematically collect data, which are used both inside and outside each department for ongoing planning purposes. For example, academic departments distribute employer surveys to determine whether recent graduates are meeting workplace needs. Information gathered from these surveys can be used by the department itself to modify curriculum or by the college as a whole to plan and prioritize equipment purchases. The Office of Academic Affairs generates statistical data for both college and department use; for example, in the fall of 2004, the Vice President of Academic Affairs provided program department heads with five years of data regarding applications, admissions, and student persistence in their individual programs for use in setting departmental goals and objectives.
The Chief Financial Officer keeps the President continually apprised of the college's financial situation. When there is an indication of a potential financial contingency on the horizon, the President will call together the President's Vice Presidents Council or the ILT to begin discussions of possible solutions. For example, in the spring of 2004, when the lowest bid for the new Student Center came in $700,000 over the appropriation, the college was able to reassess priorities and shift funds to cover the expense. In another example, when it was learned in the summer of 2004 that the cost of contractually-agreed-upon health care insurance for full-time employees was rising 29% and that the increase would not be covered by the State's General Fund, the Board of Trustees, with input from the college presidents, voted to raise tuition rather than cut services to students.
The college has a demonstrable record of success in implementing results of its planning. For example, following the Commission's recommendations with regard to the college's 2000 self-study and following its own five-year Strategic Plan, NHTI developed its general education programs to provide more free electives for students in virtually all majors. To that end, a new Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs worked with Department Heads in general education areas and with community arts organizations to develop many new general education courses, including courses in the fine arts, which had been unavailable previously. Courses in the fine arts have been so successful that NHTI, in collaboration with the Director of the Kimball-Jenkins Community Art School, developed an Associate in Arts in Visual Arts program that was approved by the NHCTC System Board of Trustees in January 2006. In another example, physical improvements, such as the boat ramp and walking trails, and a conscious effort to market facilities have led to an increase in use by the general public including use of athletic fields by schools and summer camps. In addition, regular advertising of the "Wings of Knowledge" lecture series, the eclectic Friday Night Film series, the unique S.N.O.B. Film Festival, and art gallery openings in the library have also brought increased numbers of community members to the campus to take advantage of NHTI's facilities and programming. During the 2004-2005 academic year, approximately 2,000 people attended the Friday Night Film series, and another 1,000 people attended the S.N.O.B. Film Festival.
Top Evaluation
NHTI regularly and systematically evaluates the achievement of its mission and purposes. For example, results of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement [CCSSE], completed in 2003, indicated that students generally felt that NHTI was achieving its mission. Plans are in place to participate in this national survey again in 2006.
Academic departments at NHTI are expected to evaluate their programs and curricula on an ongoing basis. Annual reports are submitted to the Vice President of Academic Affairs at the end of each spring semester. These reports include both qualitative and quantitative data that inform plans for the upcoming year. For example, the Computer Information Systems department used student evaluations, annual faculty evaluations, and annual Advisory Board input to consolidate several existing programs, create a new program track, and change the department name to the Information Technology Department. In addition, many departments have quantitative external evaluation tools such as state and national licensure exams and industry certifications, as well as qualitative evaluation tools such as employer and graduate surveys.
There are also several examples of new programs or program expansions that have been implemented as a result of evaluation and feedback from the community. One example of this type of initiative is the planning and creation of an expansion of the Allied Dental Education programs and facilities, which were completed in September 2004, in response to the New Hampshire Dental Society's ongoing requests for an increase in the number of graduate dental hygienists and dental assistants. Other examples include the addition of a Practical Nursing Program, begun in January 2003, the Radiation Therapy Program, begun in September 2003, and the current Capital Campaign to expand the college's ability to educate nurses and to help fill current and projected nursing needs in the state.
In addition to the academic departments, all other areas of the college utilize evaluation tools to assess attainment of goals and objectives and to inform planning. These include the following: The Office of Student Affairs conducts regular meetings to discuss, evaluate, and plan all aspects of student life (e.g., counseling and placement, health and wellness, residential life, athletics, and other extracurricular activities). Student members of the Student Senate, Residence Life staff, and the Campus Activities Board work closely with Student Affairs staff to plan and coordinate activities. At the end of each semester, members of the Student Affairs staff provide the Vice President of Student Affairs with a summary report, including appraisals and projections, which in turn are incorporated into the Vice President's report to the President and used to plan and evaluate personnel and financial resources for the Student Affairs area.
The Department of Continuing and Corporate Education, which includes the Division of Continuing Education [DCE] and the Business Training Center [CTBD], works with Department Heads, faculty, and the business community to plan and offer programming that is consistent with the Institute's Mission/Values/Vision Statement and that meets the needs of the community as a whole. For example, DCE integrates planning with Department Heads to ensure that course offerings meet the needs of matriculated and non-matriculated day and evening students and to ensure that instruction is consistent with that of day programs and courses. DCE also works in conjunction with Academic Affairs to plan, administer, and evaluate courses in alternative formats and off-campus locations. In addition, DCE is responsible for working with Department Heads to plan and evaluate most certificate programs and community interest courses. The CTBD is responsible for planning and developing workshops, courses, and other programs to meet the needs of the business community. All attendees evaluate CTBD programming for educational effectiveness, and CTBD evaluates programming for a comparison of both community need and cost effectiveness. For example, Northeast Delta Dental uses the CTBD for customer service training, and the feedback has indicated that the training has effected change.
The Admissions Office and the Financial Aid Office plan and evaluate their activities on a regular basis. These offices continually evaluate events, such as open houses, college fairs, and high school visits, based on their effectiveness in recruiting new students. The Administrative Network Team [ANTs] regularly plans, coordinates, and evaluates BANNER™ (database) use, admissions processes, registration, and orientation efforts.
The Maintenance Department also develops long- and short-term plans for the care and improvement of the buildings and grounds. The 2002 Campus Facilities Master Plan was developed by an engineering firm; however, with changing needs for building space, the Institute is re-evaluating the future use of space and long-term maintenance plans. Short-term maintenance plans are organized to respond to the academic calendar, seasons, and specific events. Longer-term maintenance planning also involves input from the Landscape Oversight Team. All maintenance plans are subject to budgetary and administrative approvals and changes. The President's Vice Presidents Council meets periodically to review and assess maintenance plans and activities with respect to overall campus needs and resource availability.
Institutional effectiveness is an ongoing process of collecting and analyzing data through which NHTI demonstrates continuous quality improvement of all aspects associated with fulfilling the college's mission and goals. The governance model adopted by the college (see Standard Three) has resulted in a multi-dimensional, overlapping, interrelated, and comprehensive methodology that allows the college to evaluate on an ongoing basis the institutional mission, purpose, and objectives. These are all used in a comprehensive and systematic way for the improvement and advancement of the college and to guide the allocation of resources to meet those goals, especially as they relate to student achievement.
Appraisal
New Hampshire Technical Institute incorporates strategic planning and assessing institutional effectiveness in all aspects of campus life. Institutional planning and assessment begins with the President and her advisory councils, including the Vice Presidents Council, the ILT, and the Institute Advisory Board. The Vice President of Academic Affairs is primarily responsible for planning and evaluation of all aspects of academic life, including day, evening, and alternative format academic programs, as well as the library and Learning Center; the Vice President of Continuing and Corporate Education plans and evaluates continuing and corporate education; and the Vice President of Student Affairs is responsible for planning and evaluation related to student life, as illustrated below.
All identified outcomes in the prior Strategic Plan, developed by the former Associate Vice President of Institutional Planning, Research, and Grants, had associated evaluation criteria and assessment strategies. Staff from this office oversaw the collection and analysis of data to assess the outcomes of strategic planning activities and had developed databases to manage the strategic plan and supporting data. However, as a result of the 2003 departure of the Associate Vice President of Institutional Planning, Research, and Grants, and reassignment of nearly all other personnel in the Office of Academic Affairs, it became necessary to re-prioritize activities related to planning, research, and evaluation in order to ensure adequate day-to-day operations of the Office. As a result, the plan was not fully updated, as was projected in the previous accreditation report.
In the spring of 2005, the NHCTCS Board of Trustees asked all areas of the college to develop a strategic plan through 2005-2006, and a small committee completed that plan, along with a "status report" discussing what was happening at the time the one-year plan was developed. All constituencies of the college had input into the plan. However, the plan was not shared with the college at large, though it was used in several program accreditations.
Even though a framework for planning and assessment has been developed, the degree of implementation varies from department to department. For example, most of the assessment/retention studies are done on a department-to-department basis as need arises.
Because there is no central and public repository of data and data analysis, efforts in this area are sometimes duplicated and decisions may not be as well informed as desired. At the same time, when data are available, there is a tendency to rely on instincts and/or anecdotal experience, or call for yet another round of research and evidence. The Academic Affairs statistician, who handled most data collection requests while the Associate Vice President position was vacant, produces excellent work on request. However, "thinking at its highest is asking the right question," and the statistician could not be expected to make those judgments. At this writing, planning and evaluation efforts are hampered because no single high-level individual knows what questions are being asked or coordinates the development of "the right questions."
However, in July 2005, a second Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs was hired whose primary responsibilities include institutional research, which should help unify and coordinate data collection, analysis, and distribution efforts to allow more initiatives to move forward. The new Associate Vice President will be able to coordinate various data reviews, in order to facilitate program and curriculum changes at the department level and to integrate results into the planning process at all levels. In addition, a clear plan can be developed for the types of data to be collected, time lines for completion of the data collection, and the types of analyses to be done.
Beginning in January 2006, the President renewed the college's strategic planning efforts, and monthly meetings of the Vice Presidents Council have been scheduled to move the efforts forward. This group will be endeavoring to create a more cohesive planning and evaluation process that includes broader communication of key planning documents that have heretofore been seen by only a limited number of individuals. The extent to which goals are evaluated and evaluative data are used for planning and program revision has not historically been well-communicated outside individual departments and teams.
The President's strategic planning group will also be working to ensure that as enrollment at NHTI continues to increase the college's capacity to serve students is not compromised. NHTI's transition and growth as a community college has challenged staff, faculty, and administrators to keep up with the day-to-day work of running departments, creating and delivering programs, and serving students in a growing institution, while evaluating what they did and using the results of that evaluation to plan for the future.
Professionals and support staff are dedicated to the institution and its students, and turnover is low from year to year. There is a general willingness to research and implement new efforts. Energy, creativity, and initiative are evident in the variety of programming presented in the academic, co-curricular, extra-curricular, and support areas each year, e.g., Teaching and Learning Team programs, Academic Success Council initiatives, and changes to Orientation and Registration events.
Systematic application of evaluative processes is becoming an integral part of the strategic planning at the departmental and team levels. Institutional planning groups place a greater emphasis on factors influencing student achievement. Existing forms of evaluating student achievement will continue to be utilized and considered more formally in efforts to enhance institutional effectiveness. In general, the institution determines the effectiveness of its planning and evaluation activities on an ongoing basis. Department Heads, various teams, accreditation agencies, advisory boards, and the ILT contribute to ongoing planning and evaluation to improve the college's implementation of its mission. Thus, the implementation of the college's mission guides planning and evaluation activities and determines effectiveness.
Some institutional assessment strategies are regularly completed (e.g., Annual Departmental Reports). Other assessments occur as teams, departments, and workgroups evaluate the effectiveness of their work; clearly stated assessment strategies in these areas must be developed and incorporated into the strategic plan. A new strategic plan needs to be developed and success indicators of institutional effectiveness must be measured and analyzed.
The Board of Trustees Strategic Goals document was published as "Vision 2010 Strategic Goals" late in 2005 and is being distributed to various constituencies during the spring of 2006. In addition to ensuring that college planning is in alignment with System goals, the President and Chief Financial Officer work closely with the NHCTC System Office and the System Board of Trustees to integrate all college operating and capital budget planning, as well as all capital construction projects and equipment purchases, into a combined agency plan. During this integration process, it is possible that realization of college planning efforts is deferred or rendered infeasible. Similarly, as the System budgets move through the legislative approval processes and as college hiring and purchasing requests move through the State of New Hampshire administrative approval processes, it is possible that projects and initiatives that were high on the college's priority list go unfunded and/or unapproved, thus requiring adjustments to the strategic plan.
Projection
New Hampshire Technical Institute will continue to develop/refine, incorporate, integrate, and implement institutional assessment, evaluation, and planning goals. Short-term goals will coordinate with long-range plans.
The college will make better use of the data in BANNERTM to gather, analyze, and report data on institutional effectiveness and will develop replicable processes and plans for data collection. Results of surveys, research, and initiatives by faculty, departments, and teams will be made widely available to all interested parties. Prior to planning any new building, outdoor recreational space, or parking construction, the college will invite faculty, staff, students, administrators, and members of the community to participate in a planning charrette whenever possible.
A balance between flexibility and adherence to established planning processes will be retained. The documents that contain reports of planned improvements will be continually updated as any plans are being implemented and subsequently evaluated.
Institutional and departmental planning efforts will be coordinated in order to (1) standardize public departmental planning documents such as syllabi and outcomes statements; (2) organize and publicize planning documents and data collection, perhaps on an intranet available only on campus; and (3) address the outcomes stated in the Educated Person Statement of Philosophy into the departmental course and program outcomes; a method of evaluating progress toward these outcomes will be established.
All departmental annual reports will continue to include an evaluation of previous goals and activities, using both quantitative and qualitative data and analysis. The college will continue to utilize the results of its planning and evaluation activities to fulfill the college's mission.