Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations

Processes

6P1 Student and Stakeholder Support Needs

Students: The greatest source for determining student needs is the students themselves. Every three years, STI conducts the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory  which is STI’s primary formal survey for identifying student support needs. Information gathered from the survey is then analyzed and distributed to the appropriate departments or programs to be used to improve student support. In addition, STI administrators have a strong open door policy. Students can easily request to meet with the Vice President of Academics or the Vice President of Student Affairs, as well as administrators in charge of other program or department areas. Students also have strong relationships with faculty and success advisors and frequently express student support needs through these individuals. The IT Department’s online tech support allows students to electronically request help with computer issues.

Student Government Association (SGA) and Student Organizations: Comprised of students chosen as representatives from all program areas, SGA provides students with a voice for expressing their support needs and concerns. During monthly meetings, SGA members are given the opportunity to express concerns or make requests. These issues are given to administration for discussion and decisions. A response to each issue is reported back to the SGA and then to program students by their representatives. STI’s student organizations provide additional opportunities for students to voice their needs (1P16).

Faculty and staff: STI employees provide a second layer for identifying student support needs. Information is gathered every semester during student advising sessions. During these sessions, students may report a need for more computers, helpdesk support, or parking, for example. Faculty and staff request specific services for their students, such as a math lab or a process for students to charge books prior to receiving their financial aid. Also, faculty submit an End of Year Report in the Action Database, which may include support need requests for students. Support needs are also identified in Admissions, Financial Aid, the Business Office and the Student Success Center as well as other STI departments through daily interactions with students by recruiters, admissions counselors, student success advisors, Registrar, the Nontraditional Student Advisor, and other staff. Specific needs for disability or counseling services are reported to staff who are charged with those areas.

Administration: The Administrative Team meets weekly and discusses opportunities to improve student support services. These discussions include all aspects of student needs including academics, admissions, registration, financial and other aid, emergency funding needs, health issues, and job placement.

AQIP Teams and STI Committees: Students are not always able to know or express their own needs. Therefore, STI’s teams and committees offer another method for determining and meeting student needs. These groups use research, student communications, brainstorming and other continuous quality techniques to determine the needs of students and then work to meet those needs. An AQIP Student Success Team focuses entirely on improving the student experience.

STI Foundation and Foundation Scholarship Committee: The STI Foundation Board, made up of 18 community and business leaders, engages in on-going conversations with peers, foundation investors, the STI President, and Institutional Advancement Officer to address student support needs relative to scholarships and emergency funds. The Foundation focuses on four funding initiatives – scholarships, endowment, targeted initiatives, and unrestricted funds for workforce development.

The STI Foundation Scholarship Committee, comprised of STI faculty and staff, identifies student financial needs by reviewing scholarship applications. The committee determines scholarship awards based on need and student academic success. Scholarship contributors at or above a specified level are recognized through a recognition scholarship luncheon and in the annual President’s Report.

Housing: Housing staff members frequently identify specific needs of students. This provides STI with the opportunity to learn about student off-campus needs as well as to build connections between student campus and student housing needs.

On-Campus Career Center: STI maintains an on-campus Career Center, which provides input on student job needs, both before and after graduation.

External sources: STI determines additional student needs through research and outside agencies. These sources include:

• Web sites (i.e. South Dakota Department of Labor, other post-secondary institutes)
• Webinars, conferences, and seminars (i.e. Noel-Levitz, Alcohol Awareness)
• Collaboration (i.e. Other technical institutes, community agencies)
• Tech Prep secondary schools and counselor connections

Other stakeholder needs are determined in a number of ways:

• Business and Industry Advisory Boards, Employer Surveys, Focus Groups, Forums, Department of Labor contacts, Job Fairs
• Alumni
• Clinical, Internship and Preceptor contacts

6P2 Administrative Support Needs

6P3 Safety and Security

Safety Committee and full-time Security Officers: STI maintains a Safety Committee which meets regularly to address issues and develop and review procedures for emergency responses. Three full-time security officers from the Minnehaha Sheriff’s Department provide on-campus security. Additionally, these officers present training sessions for faculty and staff regarding appropriate crisis response and safety tips.

Security Cameras: STI has implemented security cameras throughout the campus. These cameras are monitored by the security officers to improve employee and student safety.

In-service Updates: Administration reviews policies and procedures with faculty and staff annually during in-service days. Particular issues are addressed through expert speakers on specific issues. STI’s security officers have presented sessions on dealing with emergency procedures and crisis response.

Crisis Response Plan: The Safety Committee, STI Security, and STI Administrative Team are working together to revise and strengthen STI’s crisis response plan.

Emergency Alert System: The emergency alert system allows STI administration to contact all faculty, staff and students with emergency alerts directly to personal cell phones or landlines (voice and text messages) and emails. STI regularly runs tests of the system to all faculty, staff and students to make sure that the system is working correctly.

6P4 Managing Support Service Processes

STI also reviews student data, surveys, and individual interactions with students to determine what service areas can be improved and how to improve them.

Procedures and reports are in place to assure that student data is accurate and that student needs requiring a response are appropriately addressed and documented as needed. Documentation through the STI administrative software notepad system provides a direct link for staff to view this documentation to better meet student needs.

STI’s IT Department utilizes an electronic TASK ticket system to monitor user issues and resolutions. This data is then analyzed for process improvements.

6P5 Support Process Documentation

With the development of a Student Success Center, STI has been able to increase communications about processes and student needs between various departments by providing an additional link among students, faculty, and support staff.

Results

6R1 Measures of Support Services

6R2 Performance Results of Support Services

Table 6.1 SSI Student Support Question Results Above National Mean (2008)

* ** *** (statistically significant above the national mean)

Table 6.2 indicates the SSI 2008 results at or below the national mean. STI currently has an AQIP Action Project to address IT efficiency and upgrades. The Mickelson Center renovation is expected to have a significant impact on Library services and presence. STI has also addressed its tutoring services by increasing tutoring hours and options and believes that these changes will show significant improvement results when the next survey is given in spring 2011.

Table 6.2 SSI Student Support Question Results At or Below National Mean (2008)

The STI Foundation report on number and amount of student scholarships awarded indicates the strength of this specific student support. For 2009-2010, the Foundation net assets totaled $842,496, and the Scholarship Committee awarded 171 scholarships worth a total of $136,770. As Table 6.3 shows, the STI Foundation Endowment balance has continued to grow.

Table 6.3 STI Foundation Endowment Funds

6R3 Performance Results for Administrative Support Services

Facilities and Equipment

Table 6.4 shows the significant facility and maintenance changes at STI over the past 5 years.

Table 6.4 Major Facility Improvements

The STI 2008 Campus Climate survey indicated that 80% of faculty and 87.5% of staff reported that STI has adequate facilities. In 2010 the survey indicated that 85.1% of faculty and 89.3% of staff reported that STI has adequate facilities.

When asked whether the buildings are well maintained, 85.4% of faculty and 88.3% of staff agreed in 2008. In 2010, 75.5% of faculty and 82% of staff agreed. For 2010-2011 STI added an additional custodial position.

In the STI 2008 Campus Climate survey 71.4% of faculty and 83.6% of staff indicated that STI has adequate equipment. In 2010, 77% of faculty and 83.6% of staff reported that STI has adequate equipment.

Human Resources

STI’s Human Resources department is reviewing the accuracy of all job descriptions and using a web-based Human Resources Service to bring consistency and assure ADA compliance for all job descriptions. The process will also help STI maintain job duties consistent with those at other institutes.

Safety and Security

Safety and Security are addressed in 6P3. STI has not had significant safety or security incidents over the past five years.

The STI 2008 Campus Climate survey indicated that 98.2% of faculty and 95% of staff reported they were “safe at work.” In 2010, the survey indicated that 91.6% of faculty and 94% of staff felt “safe at work.”

Library

The STI 2008 Campus Climate survey indicated that 85.7% of faculty and 90.3% of staff reported that “Library resources and services were adequate.” In 2010 the survey indicated that 76.6% of faculty and 85.1% of staff felt “Library resources and services were adequate.”

Professional Development

Diversity: In 2008, 92.4% of faculty and 94.9% of staff said that “acceptance of diversity exists at Southeast.” In 2010, the survey indicated that 95.6% of faculty and 92.4% of staff believe the previous statement. Southeast annually provides professional development related to diversity.

Additional Training: In 2008, 77.8% of faculty agreed that they have opportunities to pursue further education and training, while 64.3% of staff agreed. In 2010 the results were 77.7% of faculty and 68% of staff. The AQIP Campus Climate team is currently working on a project to create a formal professional development opportunity for staff. The team reviewed the Campus Climate survey and chose this project based on their analysis of the survey results.

Additionally, a new AQIP Action Project for 2010-2011 developed by the Academic Administrative Team is a Comprehensive Faculty Training Program. The program involves expanded and formal courses to help faculty with technology, pedagogy, and peer exchange.

Technology Services

Over the past two years, STI’s Information Technology Department has implemented the following:

• A new VOIP phone system to reduce costs and provide faculty and staff with more functionality
• A centralized networked printing system that reduces costs and increases printing functionality

For 2010-2011, the IT team is focusing on the following projects:

• Upgrade of the campus wireless network and bandwidth
• Implementation of Higher Reach software for the STI Business and Industry Training Department
• Implementation of online bill payment
• Enhancing the STI website and STInet
• Implementation of “virtual desktops” across campus

Business Services

STI implemented a purchasing card system allowing departments and key employees within departments to have access to an STI purchasing card that automatically charges purchases back to the appropriate cost center. Purchases can be made immediately without the additional paperwork and time required to complete the regular purchase order process. Controls, such as limits on individual and monthly purchases, plus monthly review of purchases by an administrator, help ensure that the process is used correctly.

An independent audit was performed by an outside agency. In the opinion of the auditors, the financial statements for fiscal year 2009 present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the activities presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the USA.

6R4 Using Results to Improve Services

STI’s AQIP Student Success Team meets monthly to discuss student support needs and develop new processes and offerings to meet those needs. The composition of the team, which includes faculty, administrators, and support staff (including the Disabilities Coordinator, SGA Advisor, Tutoring Coordinator, counseling, housing, Information Technology, and success advisors) helps ensure input is received from multiple sources. The team has recommended new student services, improvements to current student services, and changes to policy.

Each organizational support area holds weekly or monthly meetings to discuss the changing needs of students. Information is gathered from student interactions, Student Government, the Student Satisfaction Inventory, student termination forms, faculty and staff input, and other sources. This information is then reviewed during meetings and used to improve services.

6R5 Comparative Results

In many areas STI’s rankings were significantly higher than rankings at other national community colleges. These included Advising (knowledgeable advisors who are concerned about student success and welfare), adequate financial aid, and helpful registration personnel. Child care facilities and career services were ranked above the national mean by statistically significant margins. (See 6R 2  and 3R 1  charts for details).

Currently, STI does not have comparative results for staff support services. However, since spring 2004 STI has been able to analyze trend data through its internal Campus Climate survey.

Improvements

6I1 Improvements

Success Center and Advisors: STI has now developed a Student Success Center, hired three Success Advisors and an Evening and Online Enrollment Coordinator, developed a Student Success Seminar course, created an Emergency Student Retention Fund, connected faculty to success advisors to better communicate individual student needs so that those needs are better met in a timely manner, and increased the institute’s emphasis on student retention. STI developed its Success Center based on meetings with other regional post-secondary institutes.

Efficient staff assignments and cross-training: Processes and systems STI has developed recently to effectively meet student needs include: assignment of staff to particular programs to build collaboration and communication; cross-training staff for better coverage and quicker response to students; development of processes and procedures that bring consistency to student interactions; assignment of success advisors to individual students providing students a single contact person for support; a team concept that is centered on meeting student needs.

Revision of processes: STI has revised both its Student Termination and Program Transfer/Double Major Program processes. These changes have helped clarify the steps necessary to complete these processes, making it easier for staff and students to gather the necessary information and complete the required steps.

Housing application process: STI’s student housing has developed an emergency/medical contact information process, student preference form, housing website, and hired a full time maintenance person.

6I2 Culture and Infrastructure Role in Setting Targets and Selecting Processes for Improvement

• What will help STI improve its retention?
• What processes will help STI better meet student needs so that the institute can retain them?
• What will future students need in order to be retained?

AQIP Teams which address particular areas and STI’s Action Projects contribute to the institute’s ability to improve results in supporting operations.

• The AQIP Information and Analysis Team set the initial targets for STI’s Student Satisfaction Inventory.
• The AQIP Action Projects help STI focus on targeted needs which can be addressed in a short time frame. For example, the AQIP Student Success Team and an action project on student success resulted in the implementation of the first phase of a Student Success Center with three full-time Success Advisors and an Evening and Online Enrollment Coordinator.
• As a result of the climate survey, the AQIP Campus Climate Team recommended ways to recognize faculty and staff for contributions. At the M&M monthly meeting, accomplishments for programs and individuals are announced and celebrated. Faculty and staff receive pins which acknowledge the years of service at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years, and these are publicly presented at a staff meeting.