Category Eight: Planning Continuous Improvement

Processes

8P1 Key Planning Processes

Table 8.1 describes STI’s key planning processes and the individuals, groups and/or teams responsible for these processes. These processes align with STI’s mission of educating for employment.

Table 8.1 Key Planning Processes

Strategic Planning

STI’s strategic planning process guides the institution’s budget, academic program, and other planning processes. The process enables the institution to identify priorities, address stakeholder needs, and accomplish its mission and goals.

Strategic Goals are developed every 3 to 5 years and are reviewed and revised annually. The process begins with a review of the institute’s mission, vision, and values, and the successes and failures of the previous strategic goals. This is followed by a SWOT analysis of the institution. From this analysis and review, draft goals and objectives are established. The goals are further defined and discussed using the following questions:

1. Does STI want to pursue this goal/objective?
2. Does this objective fit within this goal?
3. How will STI monitor progress and measure results for this goal or objective?
4. Is the objective strategic or an on-going operational activity?

STI’s 2010-2011 strategic goals, with their objectives, connection to the AQIP categories, and Targets are listed in Table 8.2.

Table 8.2 STI Strategic Goals, Objectives and Targets for 2009-2010

*Fall 2010: Articulation for six health programs with the University of South Dakota has been approved and will be implemented for Fall 2011.
**Fall 2010 Implementation of AQIP Action Project: Comprehensive Faculty Training

Participants in the planning process include a strategic planning committee called the AQIP Futures Team, which includes representation from faculty, staff, and administration (including the STI President). Additional input is sought from faculty and staff by providing them the opportunity to review the draft strategic plan. Community input is provided through the STI Council and Sioux Falls School Board.

Once a strategic plan is developed, the STI Council reviews and recommends the plan for approval by the Sioux Falls School Board. The School Board has final authority to approve the STI Strategic Plan. Communication of the strategic plan is accomplished through meetings, publications, web site postings, and presentations to internal and external stakeholders.

The AQIP Futures Team meets periodically to review and revise the strategic plan and monitor progress toward goals as needed. STI’s Administrative Team interprets the strategic plan by setting yearly institutional projects for each strategic objective. Institutional projects are tied to the mission and strategic goals, communicated to faculty and staff in the fall, and implemented throughout the year. The strategies include measurable goals, completion timelines, assignment of administrative responsibilities, and status updates and notes. Status is reviewed in weekly Administrative Team meetings and quarterly STI Council meetings. Implementation is accomplished through the appropriate committee, program, or departments. Updates on projects are given at STI’s Monthly Meetings, through emails such as Jeff’s Corner, at committee or team meetings, or as written documents posted on the STInet site.

Budget

The STI budget is the key planning document for other plans. Each fall, STI begins its budget planning process, which involves all areas of the institute and requires input from every department and program. During these conversations, administrators gather input from faculty and staff regarding program and department general budget needs, such as staffing, supplies, travel and professional development, etc. Administrators also gather information on capital equipment, capital improvement and technology needs. Department and program action projects are considered in the budget planning process. Information from these planning meetings is brought back to the Administrative Team for discussion and final decisions. Once completed, the budget is presented to the STI Council by STI Administration and staff as part of a Budget Review Committee. The recommendation of the STI Council is sent to the Sioux Falls School Board for final approval.

Academic Program Planning

STI’s Academic Administrative Team is responsible for working with faculty on program planning. The planning begins with program faculty identifying three program action projects  each fall and developing program priorities to be discussed during the budget and program planning meetings. Faculty and administration discuss staffing and program expense needs as well as program accreditations, future program goals, program expansion, etc. Information gathered from Advisory Committees and other stakeholders is also shared at this time.

A yearly faculty Academic Planning Calendar  has been developed to assist faculty in the completion of all required planning steps and reports.

Capital Equipment and Capital Improvement Planning

Capital equipment and capital improvement needs are prioritized by the Administrative Team and are placed on the Capital Equipment and Capital Improvement plans. These plans identify the items to be addressed each year for up to five years in the future. If funds are not available in a given year to complete an item, the item is reprioritized to determine if it moves to another year. If funds become available, an item may move to an earlier year. The process allows STI to focus on the most important items while maintaining an accurate list for all needs.

Technology Planning

Institute Technology needs arise from students, faculty, and staff feedback, Helpdesk reports, Information Technology Department meetings, student surveys of instruction, student satisfaction surveys, Advisory Committees, and STI committee and budget meetings. Once identified, technology needs are prioritized by the Administrative Team, and items are either included as part of the budget or as part of the Capital Equipment or Capital Improvement plans.

Department Planning

Similar to program planning, Department Plans (Admissions, Finance, Marketing, Financial Aid, Student Success, and other departments) parallel the Academic Program Planning process. Department action projects are developed throughout the year through meetings between the appropriate administrator and staff, and are then implemented throughout the year. These strategies focus on improving processes and services to better meet student needs. Strategies requiring funding are placed in the department budget for consideration by the Administrative Team.

Business and Industry Training Planning

The Business and Industry Training (BIT) Division is beginning a strategic planning process in order to review and revise business and personnel practices. This process will help the division bring its operations to a “best practices” standard to better serve both internal and external customers.

BIT is undertaking a significant software upgrade as the division transitions to Jenzabar’s Higher Reach. This software will allow BIT to track and report on training activities, undertake e-marketing campaigns and transition to a true shopping cart environment for online registrations.

Foundation Planning

STI Foundation planning centers around a 5-year Development Plan based on its mission to obtain, manage and allocate contributions to support STI students. The current plan was approved by the Sioux Falls School Board in January 2009 and is reviewed and updated annually by the STI Foundation Board, STI Institutional Advancement Officer and STI President. In this plan, the STI Foundation Board defines its key goals as continuing to build corporate awareness of the value STI brings to our community through workforce development and supporting student success through scholarships and targeted initiatives.

Marketing Planning

Since marketing is such a critical aspect of STI’s success, STI has established a Marketing Committee to address STI marketing needs and planning. The committee includes the Marketing Coordinator and marketing staff, President, Director of Students, and the STI Web Specialist and meets weekly to set and implement STI’s marketing plan.

The plan helps assure that all facets of marketing – print, media, web, phone, etc. – are used effectively and convey a coherent message and accomplish efficient use of limited resources.

8P2 Short- and Long-Term Strategies

Short-term strategies are selected by the STI Administrative Team at the institutional level and by faculty and staff at the program and department levels. These strategies are chosen according to the needs of the area and support the mission and Strategic Goals of the institute. Selection of strategies at the program level is determined by program faculty with input from the program’s Advisory Committee and approved by STI administration. Department level strategies are selected by the staff and administrators in that department. Faculty and staff examine regional and institutional trends, industry feedback and input, student learning data, student satisfaction, employer satisfaction, enrollment, retention rates, and graduation rates when selecting their projects.

Short term strategies must meet the following criteria:

• Does it align with the institute’s Strategic Goals?
• Is it something STI wants to pursue?
• Can it be accomplished within 18 to 24 months? If not, can it be broken down into shorter action projects?
• Is it a strategic or on-going operational action?

8P3 Key Action Plans

Table 8.3 Development of Key Action Projects

8P4 Planning Process Alignment

Departments and program action projects are developed in the fall of each year. As part of the documentation process, these action projects are required to be aligned with the goals of the Strategic Plan and annual institutional strategies. A drop-down box in the Action Database allows staff to select which of the strategic goals a project addresses. The administrator for the area is responsible for assuring that action projects align with institute goals. The action projects  are documented in and monitored through a database that all employees have access to on the STInet Employee tab.

The STInet website is the central connecting point for planning documents and communication. The Strategic Plan, AQIP Action Projects, and institutional goals and objectives are posted on the Continuous Quality tab and are available for public viewing. Department and program action projects are located through the STInet website.

The coordination and alignment of STI goals, objectives and action projects is an area that the institute believes it can improve.

8P5 Strategies and Action Plans

Each Strategic, AQIP, annual institutional, and department or program project requires the inclusion of outcome descriptions, measurements, and indicators of success, which are set by the administration, staff and faculty involved in the project.

Measurements and performance targets are based on previous data and performances, benchmarking with other institutions or industry, accreditation benchmarks or requirements, and the identification and development of new data elements.

Institutionally, STI has established Key Performance Indicators  and performance targets for the institute, including graduation rates, graduate employment rates, employer satisfaction rates, student satisfaction rates, and Writing Across the Curriculum and program assessments. These targets were developed through several years of monthly meetings of the AQIP Information and Analysis Team, which included membership from staff, faculty and administration. Key Performance Indicators are approved by the STI Council and updated as new data becomes available. This varies according to the indicator.

In addition, at the end of each year, programs and departments document accomplishments and challenges in the Action Database. Administration reviews the report and used it to set priorities for the following year as well as to celebrate accomplishments.

8P6 Linking Strategies and Actions with Current Resources and Future Needs

The Administrative Team then makes additional adjustments to budget resource requests, removing or deferring some, while requesting others be included in the proposed budget for the following year. At each step of the process, the resource request and its potential to move the institute toward its strategic goals are discussed. Those requests that do not meet or have less impact on attaining the goals of the institute are either removed or deferred to another year.

STI maintains Capital Equipment and Capital Improvement lists that appropriate STI funds annually and establish multi-year improvement lists for future consideration and budget allocations. Capital projects may be moved forward or deferred according to the needs of the institute and the availability of funds. These lists are reviewed and adjusted annually as part of a rolling budget process.

STI’s allocation of resources demonstrates a responsible strategy for linking mission with current and future viability. Figure 8.1 shows general expenditure categories. In keeping with the mission of educating for employment and emphasis on teaching and learning, a major portion (64%) of STI’s resources are allocated to student learning and support.

8P7 Assessing and Addressing Risk

STI maintains at least 20% of its budget in reserves. Reserve funds may be utilized for emergency purposes. As part of a risk management process, the South Dakota Department of Education is increasing the technical institute maintenance and repair fund to cover emergency facility repair and maintenance issues.

As the Revenue Sources Chart 8.2 indicates, only 39% of revenue comes from federal and state funding. With the current economic climate, a significant portion of revenue must be generated from tuition and fees.

8P8 Professional Development

• STI holds monthly meetings for all employees to ensure that all staff and faculty are apprised of current developments and directional changes of the institution. These meetings also include mini in-service opportunities for training. An additional meeting for faculty is held each month with the Academic Administrative Team.
• Departments and program teams meet throughout the year, generally two or more times a month, to discuss the direction and needs of the area. These meetings may include training opportunities that are specific to that area.
• Each budget area also has the opportunity to include funding within their budget to allow staff and faculty to attend workshops and conferences.
• Two positions have been dedicated to provide instructional and technology support for faculty.
• New STI full time faculty participate in a year-long mentoring program designed to help them transition to their roles as instructors.
• Training is provided to faculty and staff whenever new changes are introduced into the existing culture. This may include training in areas such as new software, budget process, campus alert system, phone system, and printer/copier use.

See also Category Four: Valuing People  4P 8  and 4P 9 .

Results

8R1 Measures of the Effectiveness of Planning Process and Systems

If there is a disconnect between the measurement and the action projects, strategic goals or performance indicators, the institute revises the performance measures for the next planning cycle. This helps assure better monitoring and connections between action projects and strategic goals. The ultimate goal is to develop a better planning process and cycle during the following year to better meet the institute’s needs.

8R2 Performance Results for Accomplishing Organizational Strategies and Action Plans

STI Key Performance Indicators: Table 8.3 shows current STI performance indicator results. These indicators help STI stay focused on its overall goals and provide valuable feedback on how the institute is currently performing.

STI AQIP Action Projects: Table 8.4 lists STI’s AQIP Action Projects. The accomplishment of these action projects provides strong evidence of institutional level performance and accomplishment of strategic goals.

Table 8.4 STI Action Projects

STI Department and Program Action Projects: Results of department and program action projects are documented in the STI Action Database and show significant progress toward obtaining department and program level goals.

8R3 Strategy and Action Plan Performance Targets (1 to 3 years)

• Increase enrollments to a yearly unduplicated headcount of 3,100.
• Increase cohort retention rates to 90% from first to second semester.
• Increase cohort retention rates to 75% from first to second year.
• Increase cohort three-year graduation rates to 60%

8R4 Comparative Results

As shown in Table 8.5, STI compares favorably with other South Dakota public institutes (two and four year) in two of the three areas. STI is developing ways to improve its fall to fall retention rates; however, STI’s graduation rates are consistent with area institutions, and STI’s continued low tuition and fees provide students with an excellent education at a low cost.

Table 8.5 IPEDS Data Comparisons

At the state level, the South Dakota Board of Education requires that the four technical institutes provide yearly data elements that allow for comparison among the four institutes.

Table 8.6 State Board of Education Comparisons

Programs requiring certifications or licensures for students are able to make comparisons to national pass rates. STI’s pass rates for these programs in comparison to national standards are detailed in Table 1.8 in section 1R 3 .

Student satisfaction rates are measured using the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory . STI consistently ranks above the national mean in a majority of the categories.

Table 8.7 STI to National SSI Comparison in Major Categories

*significant at .05 level; **significant at .01 level; ***significant at the .001 level

Details are discussed in 3R 3 .

Improvements

8I1 Improving Current Processes for Planning Continuous Improvement

These improvements include:

• Development of Strategic Goals and Plan
• Development of Institute AQIP Action Projects
• Administrative Planning Retreats
• Development of the STI Council
• Development of Program and Department Action Projects 
• Development of an Action Project Database
• Development of Institute Level Projects
• Periodic Review of Institute Level Projects by the STI Council and SF School Board

Regular review of STI planning processes and systems takes place at various levels.

• Meetings of the STI Council include updates of STI’s Institute Level Projects.
• Throughout the year STI’s administrators monitor the progress of their department or program action projects and make adjustments as needed.
• Annual reports on action progress are required of all STI programs.
• During the summer, STI’s Administrative Team reviews the results of the action projects, plans and strategies and discusses performance levels. In addition, the team determines new directions and changes for the planning process.
• Key performance indicators are updated and reviewed yearly to determine whether action projects are helping STI meet its strategic goals.

STI communicates results and improvement priorities in the following ways:

• STI monthly staff meetings – introduction and updates on institutional projects and AQIP action projects, as well as review of key performance indicators
• STInet site – program level key performance targets and action project database access
• President’s Report – reports on STI’s yearly progress to all stakeholders
• STI Teams and Committees – STI’s various committees are responsible for the completion of STI’s strategic and action projects and plans.
• STI Council meetings – priorities and results are both communicated to the Council throughout the year

8I2 Culture and Infrastructure Role in Setting Targets and Selecting Processes for Improvement

The AQIP Futures Team analyzes the planning process and makes recommendations for improvement to the Administrative Team. For example, the AQIP Futures Team developed STI’s Deploying Actions Process (8P1, Chart 8.2). STI’s teams and committees provide an additional structure for continuously improving planning. AQIP teams, program teams, departments and committees continually look for ways to improve STI processes to better meet STI’s goals. STI believes that infrastructure and alignment continue to be areas for improvement.