Category Two: Meeting Student and Other Key Stakeholder Needs

Category Two Overview

Southeast Tech believes that it has done an exceptional job of identifying student and other key stakeholder groups and meeting their needs. The clear and focused mission of educating for employment demands that our students are the center of programs and services, and staff and faculty actively respond to that mission.

Beginning around 2007 and based on student retention levels, Southeast Tech set student retention as a key target area.  Over the past ten years, the Institute has developed numerous processes and actions to improve student support services and retention.  The Institute believes that its Current and Prospective Student Need processes and results are now at the integrated maturity level.   

While Southeast Tech has had a long history of fostering strong relationships with other key stakeholders through faculty, staff and administrator networking with business and industry leaders and employers, the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Sioux Falls Economic Development Foundation, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and other state offices, the processes used to achieve these relationships have been systematic to aligned, depending upon the type of relationship.  Information on employer requirements has been gathered through targeted industry forums in health, manufacturing, transportation, IT and construction, through an Employer Survey; and through the professional networking of faculty and administration. Program faculty also maintain active Advisory Committees, which meet twice a year and are the source of valuable information in each field. 

Southeast Tech designs and delivers short and long-term contract and continuing education training for area employers.  

Southeast Tech believes that it is systematic in the maturity of its processes for addressing other stakeholder needs. In terms of collecting results, and analyzing and sharing information at various levels for these stakeholders, as well as intentionally referencing the results in decision-making, the Institution needs to further mature.

2P1 Current and Prospective Student Need

• Determining new student groups to target for educational offerings and services
• Meeting changing student needs
• Identifying and supporting student subgroups with distinctive needs (e.g., seniors, commuters, distance learners, military veterans) (3.D.1)
• Deploying non-academic support services to help students be successful (3.D.2)
• Ensuring staff members who provide non-academic student support services are qualified, trained, and supported (3.C.6)
• Communicating the availability of non-academic support services (3.D.2)
• Selecting the tools, methods and instruments to assess student needs
• Assessing the degree to which student needs are met

Determining New Student Groups to Target for Educational Offerings and Services AND Meeting Changing Student Needs, AND Identifying and Supporting Student Subgroups with Distinctive Needs (3.D.1)

Southeast Tech’s process for Determining New Student Groups to Target for Educational Offerings, Meeting Changing Student Needs, and Identifying and Supporting Student Subgroups with Distinctive Needs is all part of the Institute’s larger and more encompassing retention process.  Therefore, a description of that larger process will provide a better understanding of how Southeast Tech meets the above objectives.

So imagine an hourglass.  Allow the sand within the hourglass to represent the student, and imagine that the flow of sand through the hourglass represents the rate of speed toward student attrition.  Should all the sand pass through the middle of the hourglass, the student fails to be retained.

But there isn’t just one hourglass, just as there isn’t just one student.  Since no two students are exactly alike, what works as a retention solution for one student, fails to work with another. So imagine thousands of hourglasses, one hourglass for every student.  Look carefully at each hourglass and you will see that every hourglass is unique.  Some hourglasses are full of sand.  Others appear nearly empty.  Some hourglasses are losing sand quickly, while others are barely losing sand at all.

Students with hourglasses full of sand and losing sand very slowly are currently at a low risk of attrition.  Those with little sand and those losing sand quickly are currently at high risk for attrition.  To further complicate things, the amount of sand in the hourglass and the flow of sand through the hourglass can change at any time for any student.

Regardless of the amount of sand in the hourglass or how quickly it is flowing, it is Southeast Tech’s retention goal to stop the flow and retain the student.  A limitation exists, however.  It is not possible to penetrate the inside of the hourglass.  Therefore, it is not possible for anyone, other than the student, to add sand to the hourglass or to hold back the sand from falling.  Only the student can control this.

Finally, imagine that the hourglass is opaque, not clear.  While direct student interactions, predictive modeling, and past student success can provide us with a glimpse within, it is nearly impossible to gauge how much sand is in the hourglass or how quickly it is falling.

Considering these restrictions, how can we expect to impact student retention?  How do we help the student add sand to their hourglass?  How do we help the student slow down the flow of sand, or better yet, stop it?

CAPTURE

Southeast Tech’s retention process (Figure 2P1.1) begins with the top half of the hourglass.  Along its edges are the process inputs - the methods the Institute has available for detecting potential student attrition.  Capturing these inputs is the first step in retaining students.

Institutional employees and departments who interact with our students on a daily basis have the greatest opportunity to observe student needs and concerns.  Every day each Southeast Tech employee, from the President to custodian, has the opportunity to evaluate the status of our students and determine when student issues need to be addressed.  Based on what they observe either with the student directly or through other students, what they see in the student’s academic work, or what they observe through social interactions and other observations, our employees have the unique opportunity to provide the Institute with information about the needs and concerns of individual students or groups of students.

But employees are not the only inputs.  Student surveys, such as the College Readiness Inventory, GRIT and the Student Satisfaction Inventory, as well as predictive modeling based on information such as incoming student demographics, past student attrition, and student grades, provide additional inputs.  Table 2P1.1 provides a listing of input sources and input methods used to capture important retention data and student information.

These inputs are funneled down the outer edges of the top half of the hourglass and are captured at the midsection by the Institute’s Student Success Team and Retention Office through team meetings, Institutional Research reports, assessment data, surveys, informal communications and Southeast Tech Cares, the Institute’s internal communication and at-risk student identifier software system.

DEVELOP 

At the midsection of the hourglass, the second step in retaining students is developing a plan of action.  This occurs at two levels:

Immediate Student Support:  Southeast Tech employees are empowered to respond directly to meet student needs.  When this is not possible, employees use our Southeast Tech Cares system, an internal student retention communication software, to submit a Student Care Referral, which is received by the Southeast Tech Retention Office.  The Retention Office determines who can best meet the student’s or student group’s needs and assigns an intervention request to the appropriate Southeast Tech employee where a plan of action is developed.

Future Student Support Initiatives:  While responding quickly to immediate student needs is critical, Southeast Tech realizes that improving student retention is a long term goal requiring the development of new and the improvement of existing campus retention initiatives.  

To meet these long-term and overall student needs, the Institute’s Retention Office responsibilities are shared with the Institution-wide AQIP Student Success Team.  This team, composed of employees from across campus, and including the Retention Coordinators, reviews and analyzes retention and other inputs and develops campus-wide retention initiatives such as the Southeast Tech Attendance Challenge, Academic Recovery, Emergency Loans, Student Clubs and Organizations, and many more.   

The Student Success Team holds a summer strategy retreat to analyze the captured input and develop action projects and targets for improving services to meet the changing needs of Southeast Tech’s students as well as to identify new key student groups.  Depending upon the key student group affected, action projects are developed and activated to meet the targeted student needs by the appropriate student success department or area using the same Deploying Actions Process (6P1). 

DECIDE

Once a plan of action has been developed, the third step of the retention process is deciding if the action will be deployed. Just as there are two levels in development, there are two levels for decision making:

Immediate Student Support:  Based on the inputs, Southeast Tech’s Retention Coordinators make decisions on the appropriate actions to be taken to immediately assist the student.  In some cases, a Southeast Tech employee has already assisted the student and has documented the outcome within Southeast Tech Cares, which allows all other users connected to that student to view the interaction and the results.  In other cases, the Retention Coordinators receive Care Referrals, submitted by Southeast Tech employees.  These Care Referrals are reviewed by the Retention Coordinators who then assign interventions to the appropriate employees. Depending upon the student support need, an intervention may be assigned to an Academic or Success Advisor, Financial Aid staff, Tutoring Coordinator, Personal Counselor, etc.   

Future Student Support Initiatives:  The Student Success Team and its various subcommittees determine what action projects will best meet the needs of Southeast Tech students, develop a plan of action with targets, and seek approval for implementation as needed.  In many cases, no approval other than that of the Team is required.  In cases where approval of administration or other entities is required, the Team works with these individuals to obtain permission for implementation.

DEPLOY

Regardless of whether responses to students’ needs are immediate or long term, deployment is key and is the fourth step of the process.  Once the Retention Office determines that an individual student needs immediate care assistance, or the Student Success Team develops a retention initiative, deployment takes place at the bottom of the hourglass.

Passing deployment on to other individuals or groups is purposeful.  Southeast Tech recognizes that the Retention Office and the Student Success Team, while valuable to the Institute’s retention efforts, cannot do it alone.  Effective deployment of student interventions and retention initiatives requires the involvement of all our employees.

Student interventions are assigned to the individual who is most able to meet the student’s immediate needs.  This could be a Student Success or Academic Advisor, faculty member, Financial Aid or Admissions Counselor, or the Tutoring or Disabilities Coordinator.   The retention initiative deployment may involve teams, committees and individuals from anywhere across our campus.  Southeast Tech strives to develop its interventions and initiatives to involve the most appropriate people to guarantee successful implementation.

Although the Student Success Team meets only four to six times a year, the process has been successful through the use of subcommittees, which work on assigned student support action projects and meet as often as biweekly.  Subcommittees report their progress at each Student Success Team meeting, providing input on future direction and adjustments to current projects as necessary. Subcommittees are developed as needed. 

If a new key student group is determined, a key student group champion is assigned to the new group. Assigning champions to target groups allows Southeast Tech to more appropriately and accurately target each student group and address needs.  For example, the Team recognized the need to develop a plan to assist a new student target group, Students of Diverse Ethnicity.  After studying the student body ethnicity trends, the Team determined that the Institute had reached a point where more specific outreach and support of students of diverse ethnicity was necessary.  After analyzing the metropolitan growth in ethnicity, the Team worked with Admissions to include ethnic diversity as an outreach for new students as well.  An AQIP Action Project resulted and is currently underway. 

EVALUATE

Once deployed, the fifth step of the process is to track the effectiveness of the initiatives and/or interventions that have been deployed.  With the help of the Office of Institutional Research, those involved in the deployment collect and analyze data and compare results to established targets to determine overall effectiveness.  These results are filtered back to the Retention Office and Student Success Team for further analysis and reflection. 

PUBLISH

Publishing and communicating the overall results, the sixth step in the process, provides the framework that supports the process.  Through the use of Southeast Tech Cares, the Institute is able to effectively collect, monitor and share student retention information.  Emails, notes, referrals, predictive modeling, student interventions and other data is made available to all employees who have the opportunity to support the student in need of intervention.  This collective sharing of individual and team efforts to support our students assures that interventions and initiatives are neither duplicated nor ignored.

REFLECT

Finally, the last step is to reflect on and improve the retention process itself.  During its summer retreat, the Student Success Team uses the collected data and personal experiences to reflect on how the process has worked and how it can be improved.  Adjustments are then made to the process, which begins again by capturing the inputs.

By using this centralized approach, Southeast Tech is able to integrate its entire retention process from capturing and analyzing inputs, to deciding, developing and deploying interventions, to collecting and analyzing data, to reflection and future improvements.

So imagine a student.  Imagine that within that student is an hourglass full of falling sand.  How much time is left?  How long will it be before the sand runs out?  At Southeast Tech, we recognize that although we cannot see the hourglass, it is there, and that for any student at any given moment, time may be running out.  But we also know that by working together we have the means to do everything we can to make sure we leave no student behind.  We believe this is our goal and our mission, and we work every day to achieve it.

Identifying and Supporting Student Subgroups with Distinctive Needs​ (3.D.1)

Through the retention process described above, Southeast Tech identifies and supports all students, including student subgroups with distinctive needs.  Currently, the Institute has identified the following key student groups, main support actions, and student group champions (Table 2P1.2):  

* Indicates key student groups with expanded services since last portfolio.

Beyond the Institute’s formal process for meeting student needs, Southeast Tech’s program teams have their own processes for meeting specific program student needs. When possible, the data collected by the Office of Institutional Research is disaggregated by program, and all the data is made available to all employees for review.  Program teams use the data to set direction for the program to meet student needs, including setting targets, developing actions and updating results annually as part of Institutional program requirements.  This information is documented in the Institute’s Planning and Assessments database.

​Deploying Non-Academic Support Services to Help Students be Successful (3.D.2)

While the Retention process provides the mechanism for developing new and improving current student non-academic support services, and while both the Retention Office and the Student Success Team are responsible to assure that the Institute continues to improve support services as well as measure support services against established targets, once a specific non-academic support service is established and is institutionalized, ongoing deployment is turned over to the appropriate department: 

• Student Success Center: Established in 2009, the Student Success Center provides a one-stop shop and a centralized access point for student assistance. Student Success Advisors, Career Center, Library, Student Government/Student Activities, Student Retention, and Registrar services are all provided within the same location. The Vice President of Student Affairs and Institutional Research and Center employees are responsible for deploying the support services associated with the Center.  Additional resources, including counseling, tutoring, disabilities, and housing, while not located in the Center, are directly connected and are part of the Center.  Regardless of a current student’s need, the student can be directed to the Success Center for assistance (3.D.2).  
• Student Success Seminar Course: Students who have not demonstrated prior success at the college level are required to take a two-credit Student Success Seminar course. The goal of the course is to help students develop general academic skills, communicate Southeast Tech-specific Institutional information and requirements, introduce students to Institute resources, and foster a feeling of connectedness between the students and Southeast Tech. The course addresses goal setting, study skills, financial literacy, available resources such as library, personal counseling, and within the community, and more (3.D.2).
• Personal Counselors: Southeast Tech maintains two licensed professional counselors on staff who are available to meet student counseling needs. Their primary role is to provide intervention, helping students address issues which may interfere with their learning. Counseling sessions are offered in person, online, and via telephone – accommodating the individual needs of the student. Both counselors hold a Distance Certified Counselor (DCC) designation. Counselors also provide psychological screenings and referral services. 
• Disability and Tutoring Services: Southeast Tech provides accommodations as needed for students with documented disabilities. Additionally, a tutoring coordinator organizes tutoring services for students requesting assistance. Both services are available to all Southeast Tech students free of charge. Deployment of services is the responsibility of the Disabilities Coordinator and the Tutoring/Disabilities Facilitator (3.D.2).
• Learners to Leaders Program: Southeast Tech offers a Learners to Leaders program in conjunction with the Sioux Falls School District. The program allows at-risk high school students to take classes on campus and earn high school and Southeast Tech credits. A halftime Learners to Leaders facilitator provides support for these students, and the program is funded by Smithfield Foods (3.D.2).
• On Campus Events: Non-academic support services can also be fun! Special events on campus foster the feeling of community. Students are introduced to the campus during spring and fall campus picnics featuring entertainment and activities. Graduation ceremonies in December and May include graduation receptions for our graduates and their families. Throughout the academic year, the Student Government Association sponsors dances, a talent show, and other all-campus student activities.  Deployment is the responsibility of the Student Activities Coordinator and the Student Government Association.
• Intramural Sports: All credit students and Southeast Tech employees have the opportunity to participate in organized intramural sports – basketball, volleyball and bowling. The Student Activities Coordinator oversees the program with designated employees providing individual sport assistance.
• Student Organizations/Clubs: Southeast Tech has sixteen student organizations, which offer opportunities for students to participate in professional organizations, build leadership skills and participate in service-oriented activities. Students can also compete in local, regional, and national competitions, or attend various professional conferences. All student organizations have a Southeast Tech employee as an advisor, providing additional opportunities to develop relationships (see 1P2 for listing). It is an Institutional requirement that student organizations be directly related to programs.  Students may also join a variety of on-campus clubs from gaming to photography.  These clubs are student led and are determined by student interest.  A Southeast Tech employee serves as the club sponsor, and all clubs are required to complete a service-learning project.
• Career Center Office: The Career Center Office assists students in developing job seeking skills and writing effective resumes and cover letters. The Office also assists employers in finding qualified candidates to meet their employment needs through job postings and on-campus Career Fairs.  Students can meet with the Career Center Officer to discuss job opportunities either by walk-in, phone or email. The Career Center Officer also visits classrooms to meet and work with students (3.D.2). 
• On-Campus Housing: Southeast Tech builds a community of 202 on-campus housing students through the efforts of the housing staff. The Director of Housing and the Assistant Housing coordinators work directly with the Success Center to identify and assist housing students who may be struggling, either academically or personally. Housing staff also hold housing events to connect students with each other and with the staff.

Ensuring Staff Members Who Provide Non-Academic Student Support Services are Qualified, Trained, and Supported (3.C.6)

Ensuring high quality non-academic support services requires that Southeast Tech hire qualified staff, train staff effectively, and provide them with the necessary support structures to meet department and support area goals. Similar to the response provided on program quality in 1P4, this requires the integration of processes from across the portfolio categories. Therefore, references and links are indicated below to provide quick access to these processes.

• Hiring Non-Academic Support Staff:  Ensuring high quality non-academic support services begins with the hiring process.  Southeast Tech relies on the hiring process to assure new hires meet required job qualifications, including appropriate credentials and work experience.  The initial step of that process requires the creation or review of the job description to assure that all necessary adjustments are made to expected qualifications and job responsibilities.  The final steps of that process requires that the Human Resources department verifies that the successful candidate meets the required qualifications (3P1) (3.C.6).
• Staff New Hire Training:  The initial training of new hires is critical to their success; however, Southeast Tech recognizes that its process for new hire staff training has been inconsistent, leaving some new staff to receive training that is below the Institute’s standards.  Therefore, Southeast Tech is developing a stronger new staff training program that better meets these needs. Included in this training is a stronger review of Southeast Tech, its mission, vision and values, as well as a better connection to the staff’s assigned area, a mentoring program and a review of job responsibilities within the first three months of employment.  This allows time for positions with numerous duties spanning across a semester to experience these duties and provide a variety of services prior to review.  It also assures that a formal review takes place regarding job responsibilities to assure that the training has not missed any key elements (3P1) (3.C.6). 
• Staff Evaluation: New staff are evaluated by their immediate supervisor within the first 60 days of employment to assure that proper training and support are being provided and that job responsibilities are being full-filled.  All full-time staff are then evaluated on an annual basis.  In 2014-2015, Southeast Tech piloted a new evaluation process that not only provides the opportunity for all staff to set goals for the upcoming year as well as receive feedback on their previous performance, it also assures that the set goals are directly tied to the Institute’s mission and/or strategic plan.  Southeast Tech is currently expanding this evaluation process across campus.  Staff who do not meet minimum expectations may be required to complete a Plan of Improvement. Part-time staff are evaluated informally.  (3P1) (3.C.6)
• Professional Development:  Southeast Tech believes in continuing professional development, and therefore provides funding and training options for support staff throughout their career at the Institute.  Each functional area develops a professional development budget and determines how that funding is used to support staff development.  To assure that professional development needs are discussed and therefore addressed, the staff evaluation process includes professional development as part of the annual review process and directly relates professional development to the mission and/or strategic plan (3P3) (3.C.6).
• Staff Expectations: Southeast Tech has defined and documented its expectations for staff in its Code of Conduct policy. This includes information on expected behaviors and mirrors the expectations the Institute places in its Common Learning Outcome of professionalism.  These expectations are reinforced as part of the mentoring program, in department (weekly or bi-weekly) and all-campus meetings (monthly), during yearly evaluations, and on an as-needed basis.
• Student Satisfaction Inventory:  The satisfaction of students with their non-academic support services is the greatest indicator of providing high quality services.  Therefore, satisfaction results play a major role in department assessments, and meeting targets in these areas is critical to the success of the Institute.  The measures that are specific to a program are included within the department assessments and are measured for department effectiveness.
• Internal Program Review:  Southeast Tech is currently piloting an internal program/department review process as part of the Institute’s Annual Planning process. Through this process, all departments are reviewed annually to determine future direction and continuation.  Key indicators are measured against targets, providing an annual assessment of the overall effectiveness of the support service.  Key indicators include areas such as internal assessment results, student satisfaction with services, employee satisfaction rates, retention of key student groups, and other indicators that are specific to a particular department or area. The review includes a look at any revenue and expenditures associated with the support service as well as any support service program resource needs (1P3 and 4P2). 

Communicating the Availability of Non-Academic Support Services (3.D.2)

Communicating non-academic support services is vital and never-ending.  Therefore, communication is part of any new service implemented through the Retention process or is ongoing once implemented. The Student Success Team oversees the overall communication process; however, individual department and service areas are responsible to assure that communication takes place for the assigned area. Communication success is reviewed during the Retention process reflection.  Certain measures have been developed to help gauge support service use and student engagement and satisfaction to assure communication processes are working.  As shown in Table 2P1.3, services are communicated at various intervals throughout the time the student is involved with the Institute (3.D.2).  

Selecting the Tools, Methods and Instruments to Assess Student Needs

The Student Success Team selects the tools, methods and instruments, as well as targets, used to assess student needs and how well the Institute is meeting those needs.  This generally takes place during the refection time of the Retention process; however, whenever the Institute develops a new service to implement, assessments and targets are developed at that time and used in the evaluation process to determine effectiveness.  Results are then documented in the Planning and Assessments database and used in the Annual Planning process (4P2). 

Assessing the Degree to Which Student Needs are Met

Assessment of how well the Institute meets student needs is part of the Retention process and is the responsibility of the Student Success Team.  It is the Institute’s belief that it can best assess the degree to which it meets student needs through measures of Institutional and key student group retention and graduation rates, individual support service area satisfaction and new service implementation assessments.  In developing these assessments, the Student Success Team also assures that targets are included as part of the assessment process.   

Currently, the Institute develops annual fall degree-seeking student cohorts that are tracked institutionally and by program (2R2).  These same cohorts are then used to track retention rates for the Institute’s key student groups:  First Time, Transfer, Low Income, Students of Diverse Ethnicity, Online, Nontraditional (Age and Gender), Pre-Academic, Veteran, Tutoring, Disability, Housing, and Academic Recovery.

Based on analysis of previous performance results, the Southeast Tech Council set the fall-to-fall Key Performance Indicator (KPI) retention rate target at 68%.  Therefore, the Institute has adopted the fall-to-fall KPI for all key student groups.  Information on enrollments is also provided to give guidance to the Student Success Team on key student group population changes as well as which groups provide the greatest opportunity for Institutional retention gains.  

While student satisfaction does not directly measure whether the Institute is meeting key student group needs, it is still a valuable indicator.  Therefore, the Institute uses the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, given every three years, to gauge student satisfaction levels on areas related to current and prospective student needs.  

2R1 Current and Prospective Student Need Results

Summary Results of Measures with Internal Targets and Insights Gained 

Note: A year of “2015” in the tables indicates the fall 2015 cohort group.  Fall 2016 cohort retention data will not be available until Fall 2107.  Retention rates not yet available are marked with an “NA”. 

First Time Students:

From 21% to over 24% of the Institute’s student population is composed of first time students (Table 2R1.1).  Therefore, the Institute recognizes the significance of this key student group.  Prior to 2012, retention rates for First Time students held consistently around the 52-55% range. In 2009, based on previous year data and the desire to improve overall Institute retention rates, Southeast Tech implemented a Student Success Center, including three Student Success Advisors and a Student Success Seminar course.  The Institute believes this change, along with the implementation of the overall retention process described in 2P 1 , has helped increase First Time student retention by 4-8%, with the past three years above 60% (Table 1R1.2).  While still below the 68% target, the Institute is pleased with the movement toward the target. 

First Time Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):

• Increase use of Southeast Tech Cares First Time Student predictive modeling data to determine focus areas for action;
• Pilot a “Lunch with an Advisor” in the new building’s common’s area to increase exposure and immediate response to student needs;
• Review Student Success Seminar curriculum and assure most meaningful information is introduced early to reduce early attrition;
• Increase use of Career Assessment software to assure correct student program placement, including offering the assessment during high school visitation days, high school visits, and college fairs;
• Hold a career exploration day for high school and 8th grade students, including the Career Assessment Inventory;  
• Include the Career Assessment Inventory as part of the admissions process.

New Transfer Students

Contrary to most two-year colleges, Southeast Tech’s transfer-in population is significant, making up 35% to over 38% of the student population (Table 2R1.3).  Believing that transfer-in students with 9+ credits of successful post-secondary experience would not need to take the Student Success Seminar course, the Institute waived the requirement for these students. However, as the Success Center staff worked with these students, it became apparent that this student group still needed assistance in navigating Southeast Tech’s processes and procedures.  Additionally, the Student Success Advisors’ workloads with seminar course students did not allow them the opportunity to provide these services to the desired level.  Therefore, in 2013, Southeast Tech revised its Librarian position to be a transfer-in Student Success Advisor/Librarian with the goal of providing full Success Advisor services to these students. Overall retention of transfer students has remained strong and above the target level for the past four years (Table 2R1.4). 

New Transfer Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):

• Increase awareness across campus that we have a specific Student Success Advisor (SSA) assigned to transfer students;
• Develop a “course” on STInet that provides transfer students information similar to the Student Success Seminar class or offer a condensed Seminar course;
• Add transfer SSA contact information to the transfer website page for better connection prior to and after student enrollment;
• Develop transfer advising registration sessions;
• Implement use of social media, such as twitter, for additional transfer student connection;
• Create a JumpStart just for transfer students;
• Assure evaluations of transcripts are done in a timely manner and places transfer students effectively; 
• Work with Jenzabar to create a predictive model for Transfer students (2018-2019);
• Review requirements to be removed from the Student Success Seminar course (currently requires 9 successful post-secondary credits) to include a GPA requirement as well (2016-2017 review, 2017-2018 implement).

Low Income Students

Another significant enrollment group is low-income (Pell-eligible) students, which has made up to 47.5% of Southeast Tech’s student population (Table 2R1.5).  When Southeast Tech first introduced its Success Center, working with this key student group was one of the primary purposes.  The Institute believed that helping these students navigate the financial aid world as well as assisting them in meeting immediate and long term financial needs was key.  Therefore, the seminar course focuses lessons specifically on student personal finances, financial aid, and part-time job opportunities.  The Institute also implemented an Emergency Loan process in 2009 to support students with immediate financial needs up to $500.  The Institute believes these efforts have helped improve retention, with the Institute reaching its target level for the first time for the 2013 cohort and again for 2015 (Table 2R1.6).

Low Income Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):

• Continue education on financial aid and finances through the Seminar course, New Transfer Student “course” site, and Academic Recovery class;
• Input emergency loans in Cares so students can be tracked and offered additional help; 
• Review Academic Recovery student population to see if any key student groups make up significant percentages of the population and plan coursework accordingly;
• Look for opportunities to develop low income student scholarships during the second year of their programs; 
• Create a liaison/advisor for low-income students (2017-2018);
• Further identify and disseminate information on other financial resources including emergency loans, and Sponsor a Scholar;
• Develop a process for students to donate their textbooks to future students.

Students of Diverse Ethnicity

In recent years, Southeast Tech has experienced a significant increase in its ethnic student population (Table 2R1.7), which has grown from 7% of the student population in 2010 to 12.6% in 2016.  This increase has placed the overall ethnic student retention rate, which has been consistently below the Institute’s target, on the Institute’s radar for improvement.  Therefore, in Fall 2015 the Institute established an AQIP Action Project to address ethnic diversity concerns and is working toward implementation over a four-year period (2015-2019).  While the 2015 cohort has seen a significant increase in retention, reaching a level of 64.3% as compared to previous years of 58.3% or lower, the Institute is working to assure these gains are sustained and continue to improve (Table 2R1.8).  Additionally, the Sioux Falls Tomorrow Vision for the Future 2014 report from the community planning group adopted a long-range goal of the Sioux Falls Cultural Plan to address the needs of the community’s diverse population.  

Students of Diverse Ethnicity Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):

• Create a student ethnicity club;
• Develop a partnership with the Sioux Falls Multicultural Center and develop support services;
• Assure students are placed correctly during the admission process;
• Implement a reading course with required placement according to Accuplacer reading scores;
• Monitor effectiveness of those placed in the reading course;
• Review current AQIP project on ethnicity to determine where the Institute is at;
• Require faculty to enter Care referrals immediately when language becomes a barrier and offer these students assistance through the one credit Success Lab;
• Create a liaison/advisor for ESL/ELL students or create for a broader ethnicity group (2017-2018);
• Hire more ethnically diverse employees;
• Research how other colleges are working with ethnic groups and ESL/ELL students;
• Connect with the Hovland Adult Learning Center to determine how ESL/ELL support can be provided;
• Assure ethnicity is included in marketing.

Online Students (Distance Learners)

Another significant key student group with fast growing enrollments is the Institute’s online student population.  Moving from 3.7% of student population in 2010 to 13.7% in 2016, online students make up the fastest growing key student group for the Institute (Table 2R1.9). Online student retention rates ranged from 47.9% to 58.2% from 2010 to 2015.  In order to improve these rates, the Institute recognized the need to provide these students with additional support, both for online technology troubleshooting and online course assistance.  In 2012 Southeast Tech added online tutoring options, and in Fall 2013 the Institute hired an Online Support Specialist to provide online student assistance.  While still early in its implementation, the Institute has seen retention rates reach 64.7% in 2013, placing it within 90% of the established target. In recent years, however, retention has fallen to 58-59%, indicating there is still more work to be done (Table 2R1.10).

Online Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):

• Assure that online requirements are met during admissions, even for those taking a single online course;
• Provide more communication and build student knowledge on what it takes to meet online requirements;
• Form a committee to develop more online student support including an on-campus online/hybrid lab that allows individuals to come on campus to get help for their online course;
• Implement the REMIND.com application or similar options to assist online students;
• Require an online readiness course;
• Review and determine how to use TechSmith and Relay connection effectively.

Non-Traditional Students (Age and Gender)

Non-traditional students, both by age (21+) and by gender (students in programs where less than 25% of the workforce are of that gender) have always been key student groups.  Southeast Tech has consistently had from slightly below 40% to 45% of its population aged twenty-one or over (Table 4R1.11). These groups have also had consistent retention rates that rank at or very close to the established annual target (Table 2R1.12).  By using Student Success Advisors, the seminar course, and the retention process described in 2P 1 , the Institute believes it is already directly impacting this non-traditional group.  The most recent cohort group results (72.3%) met the Institute’s target of 68%.

Non-traditional students by gender have been a more challenging group in terms of student retention; however, the Institute is pleased with the recent improvements it has made in assisting these students and improving their retention.  For the 2013 and 2014 cohorts, the Institute had two consecutive years of retention rates at or within 90% of the target, and the 2015 cohort results (70%) met the Institute’s target.  The Institute believes its monthly Student Success Advisor interaction reports with this non-traditional group has helped place a direct focus on their success and has played a role in helping to achieve this improvement. Additionally, Southeast Tech has seen an increase in this student population from 5.7% in 2012 to 9.3% in 2016 (Table 2R1.13).  Southeast Tech believes this increase is partially due to the Institute’s focus on increasing non-traditional-by-gender enrollments through scholarship opportunities. 

Non-Traditional Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):  

• Develop a mentoring opportunity so non-traditional students can connect with non-traditional industry professionals (age and/or gender) (2017-2018);
• Use the career assessment to assure proper placement;
• Create a non-traditional student club;
• Promote programs to non-traditional gender groups and recruit women for STEM programs.

Pre-Academic Students

Academically underprepared students (based on ACT or Accuplacer scores) entering Southeast Tech are required to take developmental courses in English, math and/or reading.  As Table 2R1.15 indicates, the percentage of the student population needing these pre-academic courses had remained fairly consistent through 2014. The rise from 5.2% in 2014 to 20.2% in 2016 is due to Institutional placement adjustments requiring more students to take pre-academic coursework in order to better meet student needs and increase academic course success rates. What has been significant for the Institute is the increase in this key student group’s retention rates from an average of 52.8% for years 2011 and 2012 to 69.8% (above target) for 2013 and 61.7% and 62.5% (within 90% of target) for 2014 and 2015, respectively.  The Institute believes this significant increase is directly related to the Institute’s move to its co-requisite courses in both English and math.  In 2012, the Institute developed 099 labs to be taken in conjunction with the required ENGL 101 and MATH 101 academic courses.  The 099 labs provide students with additional assistance on academic coursework, helping students achieve success and remain on target for program completion. 

Pre-Academic Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):

• Continue pairing of 099/101 combination and review for further improvements;
• Review the use of an online 099 course and its effectiveness;
• Improve awareness of tutoring services for students in 099;  
• Assure face-to-face options are available during all semesters.

Veteran Students

Southeast Tech has been a Military Friendly School for many years with a consistent veteran population (Table 2R1.17); however, the Institute has recently committed more time and effort to provide additional services and attention to the needs of our veteran students, including the development of a Veterans Club, more recognition opportunities at graduation and other events, scholarship fundraisers, increased awareness of veteran benefits, etc.  Over the past few years, veteran retention rates have been above or within 90% of the Institute’s target; however, the most recent year fell below 60% (Table 2R1.18).  While the Institute has not found a specific reason for the decrease in veteran retention, the Institute has developed the following actions to increase veteran retention to previous levels:

Veteran Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):  

• Develop more veteran scholarships and continue to grow the amounts of the scholarships;
• Continue to develop ways to recognize veterans - such as a military Bookstore discount;
• Connect veterans to Southeast Tech employees who are also veterans or are currently in the military;
• Train more individuals on veteran services for back-up and additional support;
• Communicate and publicize information on military benefits, Veterans Club, available resources, etc.

Tutoring Students

Southeast Tech has provided free peer tutoring services since the 1980s and has always believed these tutoring services have been helpful for students, as indicated by the high retention rates ranging from 70% to 80% (Table 2R1.20).   However, in reviewing the population served by tutoring in 2011, the Institute determined that a larger student population would benefit from tutoring services.  Therefore, in 2011 the Institute set a target of serving a minimum of 10% of the student population with tutoring services.  In addition, the Institute wanted to assure that it was providing online students with tutoring opportunities.  To meet the 10% target, the Institute added online tutoring (2012), increased the subject matter covered by online tutoring, revised the location and focus of the tutoring center, increased communications on tutoring services, and developed stronger relationships with faculty. The result has been an increase of approximately 13% in population served (Table 2R1.19), while the overall retention rates have remained strong and well above the Institute’s target (Table 2R1.20).

Tutoring Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):

• Make using tutoring services a classroom assignment - maybe in SSS 100 or SSS 095; 
• Increase classroom demos of online tutoring where the service can be most effective - possibly all ENGL 101 classes;
• Celebrate and communicate tutoring success rates to employees and students - syllabi, visits, orientations, JumpStart, emails, posters, etc.;
• Develop tutoring outreach by creating tutoring times in other buildings, especially in the new food court area;
• Increase the number of online tutoring hours students can receive before needing to request more;
• Develop a Writing Lab;
• Develop tutoring directly related to challenging assignments and/or tests; 
• Discuss the current location of tutoring and if it should be moved (2017-2018);   

Disability Students

Approximately 250 self-reported Southeast Tech students indicate they have some type of disability.  Southeast Tech directly serves between 24% and 38% of this population on an annual basis, which equates to about 2.4% to 3.0% of the Institute’s overall student population (Table 2R1.21).  Unlike tutoring where Southeast Tech set a goal of increasing the percentage of population receiving tutoring services, the Institute has specifically determined not to establish a similar goal for disability services.  The Institute made this decision because many students with disabilities do not want their particular disability to be viewed as a limitation for them in their program; therefore, the Institute respects their decision for privacy by offering and encouraging services, but protecting the student’s right to make that decision.   

The retention number for those using these services, however, has been very high, with the past four years at or within 90% of the established target. That has not been true for the most recent retention rate for the 2015 cohort, which fell below 90% of target at a rate of 55.6% (Table 2R1.22).  Southeast Tech is currently reviewing the reasons for the retention decrease and will set a plan of action in summer 2017 once the review is completed.

Disability Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):

No new actions at this time.

Housing Students

Southeast Tech provides on-campus housing for up to 202 students. Because we are a two-year technical institute, it is not surprising that the percentage of new housing students falls within the range of 48% to over 60% with fluctuations moving up and then down according to the number of students choosing to return to housing for their second (or in some cases third) year (Table 2R1.23).  While overall retention has been within 90% of the target in previous years, the last three years (2013, 2014 and 2015) have had a significant overall increase, rising as high as 8% above the target level.  The Institute is pleased with these results and believes it is due to several changes made prior to the fall 2013 semester including: 1. increasing housing staff from 3 to 4 positions (moved Housing Director off campus, created two Housing/Retention Coordinators, and continued to provide evening security services); 2. increased programming (door decorations, birthday signs, housing events); 3. connected SGA to housing for after-hour events; 4. remodeled floors to include hall study rooms; and 5. moved to a fob rather than key card entry system.  The Institute believes these changes have helped housing students become better connected with the Institute as well as perform better academically.

Housing Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):  

• Review contract terms for those leaving housing and determine if any changes are warranted;
• Review and revise the Housing Handbook room change policy to make the process more efficient;
• Discuss increasing on-campus housing;  
• Discuss the creation of a housing curriculum with specific learning outcomes related to Southeast Tech’s Common Learning Outcomes.

Academic Recovery Students

Southeast Tech’s Academic Recovery course offers students on financial aid/academic warning the opportunity to learn skills on how to improve academic performance and get back on track toward successful completion of their program. The course is still fairly new, so the impact of the course is still being evaluated.  Currently, fall student Academic Recovery enrollments have been running at 5% to 6% of the student population.  The decrease in the percentage in 2016 may be due to fewer students needing the course, a sign that other Institutional actions to improve student academic success are working. However, more information is being analyzed to determine why the decrease has occurred (Table 2R1.25).  Not surprisingly, retention rates for these students is much lower than that of other key student groups (Table 2R1.26).  Improving these rates and getting them closer to the target level is a major emphasis of the Retention Coordinators.  

Academic Recovery Students Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan (4.C.3):

• Consider requiring the Academic Success lab in the semester after completing the Recovery course to provide additional assistance and support;
• Review the curriculum and revise as necessary;
• Follow-up with Academic Recovery students once they return for the next semester to assure their continued needs are being met.

Comparison Results with External Benchmarks and Insights Gained

Since Southeast Tech has defined its own method for developing cohorts for key student groups, finding comparisons to other institutions is difficult.  However, through the use of the National Community College Benchmarking Project (NCCBP), Southeast Tech has established benchmark opportunities for developmental academic and online (distance learning) students.  The Institute will continue to pursue other opportunities for further benchmarking with other groups.  Target levels are set by the Student Success Team and are designed to be stretch goals that are attainable and sustainable.  Note:  NCCBP data lags behind the current year in order to provide students the opportunity to take the developmental and required academic coursework. 

Developmental Academic Students:

As stated earlier, Southeast Tech launched its co-requisite pre-academic/academic coursework (ENGL 099/101 and MATH 099/101) in 2012.  This initiative was developed based on the Institute’s previously low success rate in developmental coursework.  The improved success rate for these students has been significant, as indicated in the NCCBP comparison to other community colleges.  

As Table 2R1.27 indicates, the Institute’s success rate for developmental math has increased from 58.1% in 2009 to 77.0% in 2013, moving the Institute from the 57th percentile to the 96th percentile. For Developmental Writing, the change has been just as dramatic, moving the Institute from a 56.9% success rate to a 77.4% rate, a change from the 17th percentile to the 90th percentile (Table 2R1.28).

Of course, the ultimate goal of any pre-academic course is to prepare students for the required academic courses. Therefore, it is important to track success rates of developmental students in their required academic courses as well.  

However, this statistic has been more complicated to measure, and the initial results appear contradictory to the desired results.  For example, from 2008 to 2012 the passing rate in the college-level math courses of those beginning in developmental math dropped from 100% to 88.4% (Table 2R1.29); similarly, English course pass rates dropped from 88.9% to 67.7% (Table 2R1.30). Three significant reasons may account for this discrepancy:

1.  Southeast Tech adjusted its required placement scores requiring more students to take pre-academic coursework; therefore, there is now a significantly larger population of developmental students taking the 101 course, which may skew the results.

2.  From 2008 to 2011, NCCBP only included those developmental students who took the 101 required course in the data. Starting in 2012, the Southeast Tech students counted in the data included those who took the 099/101 combination in the same semester and those who took 098 and 101 in separate semesters.  The success of students in the combination course may be a factor in the lower percent.  Furthermore, the results from 2008-2011 may not be comparable to the 2012 results.

3.  Finally, Southeast Tech currently has only one data point using the new 099/101 combination (2012).  The Institute recognized during this first year of offering the combined coursework that several adjustments were necessary to improve overall results.  

The Institute believes that these changes, as well as the changes described in the Pre-Academic Students section, will have a positive impact on future results.

Online Students (Distance Learners):

When compared to the NCCBP cohort, Southeast Tech’s distance learning pass rates are excellent and improving, moving from a 66.2% rate in 2011 to a 72.8% rate in 2015, an increase of over 6%.  The Institute has also moved from the 50th to the 81st percentile pass rate. While the Institute is pleased with these results on the course level, the ultimate goal is to retain students and move them to completion. Therefore, the Institute will continue to develop its online processes to meet student needs and improve retention rates (see Online Students section).

Student Satisfaction 

The Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) conducted every three years is the primary indicator of Southeast Tech’s student satisfaction. Southeast Tech results are very positive, particularly when compared nationally with other two-year institutions.  The three key areas of student satisfaction related to key student groups are provided in Tables 2R1.32, 2R1.33 and 2R1.34.  Ratings are based on a 7 point rating system with 7 meaning “very satisfied” and 1 meaning “not satisfied at all. The * ** *** all indicate that the difference to the national mean is statistically significant.  The Student Success Team has set the target level to be the highest National Mean score registered from the 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014 years. Southeast Tech again surveyed its students in spring 2017; however, results will not be available until July 2017. 

Southeast Tech consistently scores high on Concern for the Individual (Table 2R1.32), reaching the highest national mean score every year.  Service Excellence (Table 2R1.33) and Student Centeredness (Table 2R1.34) are both consistently within 90% of the target and are statistically at or above the national mean score every year; however, the Institute believes that through its continued focus on its key student groups as indicated throughout 2R1, these student satisfaction scores will reach or surpass the national mean in the future. 

2I1 Current and Prospective Student Need Improvements

Meeting current and prospective student needs has been a clear focus for Southeast Tech in recent years.  Therefore, the Institute has deployed numerous action plans in this area:

Financial Aid:  Recognizing the huge impact that financial aid plays on a student’s academic success, especially the Institute’s low income student group, the Institute made financial aid its focus in 2012-2013. With student numbers growing, the Financial Aid Office was struggling to keep up and students had to wait in line during the start of the semester to receive services.  To better serve students dependent upon financial aid, the Institute took the following actions: 

• Dedicated funds and provided on-campus Powerfaids (financial aid software) training for employees;
• Hired a financial aid consultant to review and improve processes;
• Reviewed and revised processes to better utilize Powerfaids and provide more time for financial aid officers to work directly with students;
• Purchased and implemented NetPartner;
• Implemented more email follow-ups for faster response time than mail service;
• Implemented overnight processing of data from EX (administrative software) into Powerfaids;
• Reassigned responsibility for assuring final high school transcripts are received to Admissions;
• Received Title III eligibility, which removed the required 25% Institutional match for workstudy, allowing for more student employee opportunities;
• Reduced printing and moved processes to paperless.  

   The result has been a significant decrease in processing time, a stronger customer service focus, and better support for all students.  Lines that once were ten to twenty students deep with estimated wait times of ten to over twenty minutes have not been reduced to lines of less than ten students with estimated wait times averaging less than ten minutes.

Document Imaging: Southeast Tech recognized that the use of paper files was a key issue in managing new student admissions, assuring accuracy of student files, and reducing employee time spent searching for student records.  This especially slowed down the time needed to evaluate transfer credits for the Institute’s new transfer student group, which then delayed communications back to these students.  The Institute therefore took the following actions: 

• Implemented document imaging in January 2014;
• Created faster document routing processes from the front-end staff to admission counselors, financial aid staff, and the Registrar;
• Reduced the impact of “misplaced” documents and the need to manually search for student records;
• Improved transcript review time for new transfer students as multiple staff can review the same file simultaneously;
• Improved processing time as employees can access files while in various locations outside their offices;
• Reduced student admissions and financial aid response times significantly;
• Eliminated the time to manually file each document in a physical location.

Southeast Tech Cares Communication System:  To improve communications on student needs across campus, and assure all employees understand a specific student’s needs and current situation, Southeast Tech implemented the Jenzabar Retention Module, which is called Southeast Tech Cares internally. The system increases the Institute’s ability to meet all key student group needs.

JumpStart: Prior to the start of the fall and spring semesters, new students beginning program coursework attend a JumpStart session specifically designed for their program. The day-long event helps students review their schedule and financial aid needs, allowing them to make adjustments prior to the start of the semester, learn more about Southeast Tech’s policies, procedures, and student handbook, meet with faculty to learn more about the program, discuss faculty expectations and complete any testing or other program requirements, receive their laptop or in bring-your-own laptop programs configure their laptop to Southeast Tech’s services, etc. JumpStart sets the stage for new students and assures they are prepared for learning on day one of their classes. 

Academic Recovery Course and Housing/Retention Coordinators: See 2P 1  and 2R 1  for more information on the Academic Recovery course. To assure consistency in delivery of the course, as well as provide a specific resource to meet the needs of these students, all recovery courses are taught by the two Housing/Retention coordinators who work at the Student Success Center during the day and provide housing assistance during the night. 

Student Activities and Events: To increase student engagement, which provides opportunities to make connections with all key student groups, Southeast Tech has expanded its activities and events to include BlueBoo (Halloween event for students and their families), annual 5K run/walk, student ”Success Wall” to recognize student and employee accomplishments, student clubs (Veterans, Gamers, CRU, etc.), Ticket Tuesday (pizza and tickets to hockey, basketball or baseball games or to the local movie theatre), Welcome Back Bash (at housing facility), therapy dogs during finals week, awareness events for sexual assault, etc.

Online Student Services: To better meet the needs of the online key student group, Southeast Tech has expanded the use of its Testing Center to include standardized proctoring services, online support assistance, an online orientation course, online tutoring options, and JumpStart sessions specifically for this student group. 

Attendance Challenge: Southeast Tech implemented an attendance challenge, held every fall and spring semester, that challenges all students to attend all classes every day for the first 14 days and the first 30 days. At the 14 day mark, a drawing is held and two students meeting the challenge receive gift certificates to the bookstore.  At the end of 30 days, all students meeting the challenge receive a challenge t-shirt and one student receives a Kindle or similar electronic device.

Decision Board: To increase student involvement in campus decision-making and improvements, the Institute has developed a Decision Board, made up of students, staff, faculty and administration to hear student ideas that are beyond their ability to implement directly.  The Decision Board then makes recommendations to the Administrative Team regarding the implementation of these requests.

Transfer Calculator: To help transfer-in students determine what previous coursework will transfer in to Southeast Tech, the Institute has implemented an online transfer calculator, which allows the student to enter their college name and coursework to determine for themselves what will transfer in and for what Southeast Tech courses. 

Career Assessment Software: To help prospective students better determine the best career fit for them, the Institute has implemented a Career Assessment software package that not only helps the student determine general career areas suited for their abilities and preferences, but also provides them with a list of Southeast Tech programs that fit those same abilities and preferences.

Section 2R 1  provides a list of upcoming improvements to be implemented over the course of the next one to three years based on key student groups.  Beyond that list, the Institute is currently piloting an Academic Advisement and Registration process for incoming students (to replace the Institute’s previous orientation process) and will be revamping and improving its academic advisement process for current students over the next few years.  Southeast Tech believes that an improved advising process for both current and prospective students will help the Institute more effectively determine and meet key student group and individual student needs.

2P2 Retention, Persistence, and Completion

• Collecting student retention, persistence, and completion data (4.C.2, 4.C.4)
• Determining targets for student retention, persistence, and completion (4.C.1, 4.C.4)
• Analyzing information on student retention, persistence, and completion
• Meeting targets for retention, persistence, and completion (4.C.1)
• Selecting the tools, methods and instruments to assess retention, persistence, and completion (4.C.4)

With its mission of educating for employment, Southeast Tech has always valued the importance of retention and graduation rates.  In fact, retention rates is one of three key measures the State of South Dakota uses for continued program funding.  In recent years, with the increasing costs of providing cost-effective programming, and the increased external mandates for accountability from accrediting agencies, Southeast Tech has increased its focus on student retention.  That emphasis has been the key driver in determining what specific processes to target for improvement.

Collecting Student Retention, Persistence, and Completion Data (4.C.2, 4.C.4)

It is the responsibility of Southeast Tech’s Institutional Research (IR) Office to collect retention, persistence and completion data.  Data collection occurs on a scheduled basis, and data is stored in the Institute’s Planning and Assessments database with access available to all Southeast Tech employees.  Persistence, retention and completion rates are collected and reported at the Institutional level as well as disaggregated to the program level and for key student groups (2R1) (4.C.2) (4.C.4). The Southeast Tech Board and Council, Administrative Team, and the Federal and State Departments of Education determine, and in many cases require, specific tools and measures be used for determining retention, persistence and completion data.  

While Southeast Tech uses IPEDS and NSC retention and completion rates, and NCCBP persistence rates for benchmarking and target-setting at the Institutional level, the Institute has developed its own process and database for establishing internal cohorts for tracking purposes.  With Southeast Tech’s transfer-in student population of nearly 40% of the student body, the Institute believes it is important to include this population in internal retention/completion rate calculations.  Therefore, the Institute creates annual cohorts that include both first-time and transfer-in full time students for retention/completion rate tracking at the Institutional and program levels.  Cohort retention and completion rates are then tracked for a three-year period with rates reported in the Planning and Assessments database for employee review and action.

Once new retention, persistence or completion data is available, the IR department communicates this to all employees through an email announcement as well as providing information, updates and summaries at monthly all-employee meetings.  All disaggregated program data on retention, persistence, and completion is available through STInet at anytime for all Southeast Tech employees (4.C.2) (4.C.4).

Determining Targets for Student Retention, Persistence, and Completion​ (4.C.1, 4.C.4)

Southeast Tech’s retention focus begins with the setting of its Institutional Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and related retention targets, which in turn reflect Southeast Tech’s mission and vision.  KPIs are set through the actions of the Sioux Falls School Board, Administrative Team, and Southeast Tech Council and guide the Institution’s commitment to educational improvement. The KPIs are set based upon Board, Administrative Team and Council review of previous years’ data (a minimum of five years) and are developed as “stretch targets” to move the Institute forward in retention and completion rate improvement.  KPI results are presented to the Board and Council on an annual basis. Adjustments are made when necessary.  

Program retention and completion target levels mirror the Institutional-level KPI targets (4.C.1) (4.C.4).

Analyzing Student Retention, Persistence, and Completion Data

The IR department develops an Institutional report for analysis at the Institutional, program, and key student subgroup levels. The report reviews data trends, benchmarking levels, and results-to-target analysis and is available to all employees on the STInet site.  Summary information from the report is made available to the public through such means as the President’s Report, Tech Times, and the Systems Portfolio.

Once retention, persistence and completion rates have been set and data has been collected and distributed, analysis of the data occurs on several levels:

• Program Level:  Program faculty review both the IR report and program-level retention and graduation rate data to complete program-level analysis and develop action plans. Programs frequently involve Program Advisory committees and administration in their analysis and review.  
• Key Student Stakeholder Groups:  Key Student Stakeholder Champions review and analyze their specific student stakeholder group’s retention, persistence and/or completion rate data. (For example, the Tutoring Facilitator reviews the rates for those students using tutoring services.)  The champions then provide an analysis review to the Student Success Team.  The Team uses its summer retreat to discuss analysis on each key student group, look for connections among different groups, and set future direction (2P1, 2R1).
• Administration, Southeast Tech Council, Sioux Falls School Board:  The IR report is presented to all three groups for further analysis, communication and review.  The data is then used to determine potential action plans, either at the program or Institutional levels.

Finally, analysis of all pertinent program and department data is aligned as part of the Annual Planning process (4P2).  Since retention, persistence and completion rates are only one part of providing successful programming and services to students, the Annual Planning process (4P2) provides the opportunity to analyze and discuss all data points to assure that the allocations of resources are prioritized to best meet stakeholder needs and use resources efficiently.

Meeting Targets for Retention, Persistence, and Completion (4.C.1)

Targets for retention, persistence, and completion/graduation are part of action plans developed by each group involved in student success.  These action plans are developed with the support of administration, using the KPI and key student group targets. Therefore, throughout the year, teams, departments and programs pay attention to target goals.  At the program level, individual programs may have different targets, depending on the nature of the program and regional and national trends. Throughout the academic year, program teams address issues and adjust planning to ensure that targets for the year are met.  

At the Institutional and key student subgroup levels, Southeast Tech’s Student Success Team sets annual actions to improve retention, persistence and completion rates. This occurs as part of the Team’s annual planning meeting, which occurs every summer (2P1, 2R1).  

Once developed, actions are documented in the Planning and Assessments database, and results are monitored throughout the year with final results again documented in the database. Targeted areas are reviewed annually with administration as part of the Annual Planning process, allowing for further review, reflection, and future actions should a target level not be met.  The monitoring of targets and adjusting actions also assures that these goals/targets are appropriate to Southeast Tech’s student populations and educational programs (4.C.1).

Selecting Tools/Methods/Instruments to Assess Retention, Persistence, and Completion

It is the responsibility of the IR department to select the tools and methods used to assess retention, persistence and completion rates, based on best practices among educational peers. All measures are approved by the Administrative Team, Council and Board.  Southeast Tech’s method for developing internal cohorts has been consistent for almost 20 years, providing the Institute with a wealth of information regarding internal retention and completion rates.  In recent years, the IR department has expanded its analysis to include benchmarking through IPEDS, NCCBP and NSC, resulting in opportunities for external comparisons (4.C.4).  Finally, over the past five years, Southeast Tech has expanded its analysis to include key student subgroups, allowing the Institute to improve how it addresses the needs of those subgroups (2R1).

To assure that the selection of tools and methods includes the input of Institute stakeholders, the IR department has membership on the Student Success and Administrative teams, as well as the Southeast Tech Council. Faculty and staff also provide input into current best practice based on interactions with their professional organizations and conferences, including attendance at the HLC Annual Meeting.

At the Institutional level, Southeast Tech tracks and analyzes retention, persistence, and completion data through the following methods:

Internal Retention Rates

• Institutional Cohorts - Southeast Tech defines and tracks annual fall cohorts according to an Institutional model that includes all degree-seeking, full time (12+ credit) students who are new to the Institute, including transfer-in students.  Both one and two year programs are included in the Institutional measure.  Southeast Tech also disaggregates the data by program and provides this information to program faculty.  
• Perkins Data - As part of Southeast Tech’s Federal Perkins outcomes, the Institute must provide data on retention/transfer-out rates and completion of credentials, degrees and diplomas.  Perkins cohorts are built on degree-seeking students who have successfully completed a minimum of 12 credits anytime during the year of the cohort.
• Special Projects - As Southeast Tech implements action projects or initiatives within certain key student stakeholder groups or across campus, the Institute develops short-term measures to collect and analyze data and determine project effectiveness.

Comparison Retention Rates

• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) - IPEDS provides first time, full time student benchmarking opportunities using nationally standardized fall cohort models.
• National Community College Benchmarking Project (NCCBP) - As a member of NCCBP, Southeast Tech has the opportunity to benchmark specific Institutional and key student stakeholder groups using NCCBP-developed cohorts.
• National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) - NSC is a new comparison benchmarking opportunity that uses NSC collected data from participating colleges for benchmarking.
• State Technical Institute Reports - State reports provide opportunities to benchmark with the state’s other three technical institutes based on fall-to-fall retention rates of all students.  For this analysis, the state requires each institute to take a snapshot of all fall degree-seeking students (including both full-time and part-time students) and determine the retention rate to the following fall semester. This method is unique to the state and does not correlate to other reporting processes.

2R2 Retention, Persistence, and Completion Results

• Summary results of measures (include tables and figures when possible)
• Comparison of results with internal targets and external benchmarks
• Interpretation of results and insights gained

Color Coding:  Green: data point meets/exceeds target; Yellow: data point within 90% of target; Red: data point below 90% of target.

Summary Results of Measures with Internal Targets, Interpretation, and Insights Gained

Southeast Tech has a long history of calculating and analyzing Institutional cohort retention and graduation rates and using the data for continuous improvement, dating back to the 1990’s.  This has provided the Institute with great opportunities to improve its programs, services, and operations to better meet student needs and retain them to completion.  While the Institute tracks cohort retention/graduation rates over a three year period (fall-to-fall, two year, and three year), and sets targets for all three as indicated in Table 2R2.1, the Institute emphasizes its fall-to-fall retention target because it provides the most immediate feedback regarding retention/graduation trends and can lead the Institute to more immediate improvement opportunities. The Southeast Tech Board and Council has set a target of 68% for fall-to-fall retention.  Based on previous retention rates, the target was set because it provided the Institute with a meaningful and achievable goal. As indicated in Table 2R2.1, Southeast Tech has seen an increase in student fall-to-fall retention from 60.2% (2011) to 69.3% (2015), the highest retention rate for the Institute and meeting the Institute’s target for the second time. The Institute believes that the solid focus placed on student retention, and the various action projects implemented from 2009 on, have played a key role in these improvements (2P 1 ).

While Southeast Tech uses these retention rates for continuous improvement across the campus, the results are also disaggregated by program and shared with academic administrators and program faculty each fall for continuous improvement at the program level (2P 1 ).

Perkins data is reported annually to the state Department of Education (DOE) and includes two measures related to student retention.  The first measure (Table 2R2.2) monitors the combined retention-transfer rates based on a student cohort defined by the federal Perkins administration and DOE. The low target level is set by an agreement between Perkins and the state.  The Institute has exceeded this target easily over the past few years and has seen a positive increase in overall retention rates in 2013 and 2014 when compared to the previous two years.  

The second measure (Table 2R2.3) provides completion data for students receiving credentials, certificates, or degrees.  While the data shows a significant decrease in percentage from 2012 to 2014, it is partially due to a change in the cohort creation requirements, which lowered the number of completed credits from 24 to 12 to be included in the cohort. Southeast Tech’s current results are just slightly below the established target. At this point, Southeast Tech will continue to monitor the results to determine if any actions are necessary.   

Note: Perkins data is not currently available for the 2015 cohort. 

Comparison Results with External Benchmarks, Interpretation, and Insights Gained

IPEDS data allows the Institute to benchmark its graduation rates against national two-year college mean rates. The IPEDS 150% graduation rate bases the calculation on established first-time, full-time cohorts who have been given 150% of expected time to graduation to become completers (three years for a two-year program). Many Southeast Tech students who are new to the college experience require additional time to complete their program.  Therefore, Southeast Tech chose this calculation because it provides the Institute with a measure that allows for this additional time yet still meets the mission of getting graduates into employment as soon as possible. Because Southeast Tech has another comparison measure that directly relates the Institute’s retention rates to the state’s other three technical institutes, Southeast Tech uses the national rate for comparison here rather than establishing a subgroup. As Table 2R2.4 indicates, Southeast Tech’s graduation rate has improved 10% over the past five measurses and has been at or above the IPEDS mean score every year.  Southeast Tech had set an initial target of 34%; however, with the solid results it has seen, the Institute will be reviewing and adjusting this target for the 2017-2018 year.

NCCBP data provides opportunities for the Institute to benchmark Next-Term and Fall-to-Fall Persistence rates as well as Pass Rates in College-Level Coursework.  (As noted in 2R 1  , NCCBP data lags due to data collection and distribution and will not be updated again until summer 2017.) In all three of these areas, as indicated in the three NCCBP charts, Southeast Tech’s percentile ranking has remained high.  

Next-Term persistence (Table 2R2.5) measures the percentage of students who persist from the cohort’s initial semester to the following semester.  The Institute’s 84.5% for the 2013 cohort currently ranks at the 97th percentile.  The annual percentages have also remained fairly consistent over the past five measures.  Fall-to-Fall persistence (Table 2R2.6) measures the percentage of students who persist to the following fall semester, and the Institute’s 58.8% for the 2013 cohort currently ranks at the 93rd percentile.  Additionally, the persistence percentage level has been on an upward trend over the past five measures.  Finally, the Institute’s Enrollees Passing College-Level Courses (Table 2R2.7) is at 79.8% for the 2013 cohort, which currently ranks at the 77th percentile. The past two measures for these pass rates have also been the highest recorded by the Institute thus far.

Targets for the three NCCBP measures are set by the Student Success Team and provide another opportunity for continuous improvement.  The Team is pleased with these results and is not currently pursuing any process adjustments based on these results.

NSC is a new comparison data measure (Table 2R2.8).  Currently, the Institute is using the data to measure and benchmark outcomes over long timeframes (6 years).  As more of this data becomes available, the Institute will be able to gauge and review trend data as well as set more meaningful targets.  However, at the current time, the Student Success Team has set an initial overall target of 60%, which is slightly above the initial data point. 

State Reports for Technical Institutes provide the Institute with one more opportunity for benchmarking.  South Dakota has four technical institutes with Southeast Tech the largest of the three and located in the largest urban area in the state.  As part of the state’s annual reporting requirements, all technical institutes provide the state with fall-to-fall retention rates (Table 2R2.9).  

Although the data is valuable, direct comparison and analysis is difficult. For example, Southeast Tech has the highest percentage of part time students, a student group that has a higher percentage of attrition (Table 2R2.10), as well as one of the highest percentages of ethnic minority and non-traditional by age student populations. Southeast Tech is also located in a highly competitive higher education region with nine other post-secondary choices in the immediate area or within driving distance.  The region currently has a less than 3% unemployment rate, making employment opportunities a chief competitor for the Institute’s students.      

However, the Institute’s Student Success Team established a 70% target level prior to 2012 because the Institute had never attained this level, but the Team believed it was in reach.  That level has now been achieved for the past three measures (2103, 2014 and 2015).  During its summer 2017 retreat, the Student Success Team will re-evaluate the target to determine a new stretch goal.

Overall Interpretation of Results and Insights Gained

Overall Southeast Tech retention rates, whether analyzing those tracked for internal purposes, benchmarking purposes, or for federal and state funding, have been very positive and moving in an upward trend. The Institute believes that the actions it has taken in recent years has played a significant role in improving these rates.  At this point, the Institute will continue to focus its attention on the retention rates and actions associated with its key student groups (2P1) (2R1), which in turn will significantly improve the results listed here.

2I2 Retention, Persistence, and Completion Improvements

Southeast Tech has a history of tracking retention, persistence, and completion rates, and over time the Institute has improved its use of these rates in its planning processes.  However, the Institute continues to strive to use these results more effectively and has recently done so in the following ways:

• Increased the use of national and local retention benchmarking opportunities;
• Incorporated more retention results into the decision-making process, including the use of program/department data sheets (4P 2 );
• Focused attention of retention results on key student groups to provide more specific opportunities to assist and meet individual student needs (2R 1 ).

However, the overall purpose of tracking retention, persistence and completion rates is for improvement in student learning and success.  Because these purposes are directly related to meeting student needs, please see 2P1, 2R1 and 2I1 for how the Institute uses retention rates to improve student learning and success (4.C.3).

2P3 Key Stakeholder Needs

• Determining key external stakeholder groups (e.g., alumni, employers, community)
• Determining new stakeholders to target for services or partnership
• Meeting the changing needs of key stakeholders
•Selecting the tools, methods and instruments to assess key stakeholder needs
• Assessing the degree to which key stakeholder needs are met

Meeting Key Stakeholder Needs:  A Brief History and a New Process

Prior to Summer 2016, Southeast Tech’s process for identifying key external stakeholder groups and determining their needs was department assigned and disaggregated according to type of stakeholder.  While the Institute has established excellent relationships with its external stakeholders, and the Institute believes the services provided are high quality and meet the needs of these stakeholders, and while Southeast Tech has evidence of employer and other external stakeholder satisfaction, the Institute believes these processes at the Institutional level have been systematic.

With the establishment of a new five-year strategic plan, adopted by the Institute in fall 2016, a new emphasis has been placed on meeting external stakeholder needs, which has resulted in a new process initially implemented in 2016-2017.  While many changes will likely occur throughout the implementation process, which will result in future process updates, the following provides the new process framework and initial expectations.

Implemented as Southeast Tech’s workforce and community outreach, the process is the responsibility of the Institute’s new External Stakeholder Relationships Team.  This Team is now one of Southeast Tech’s key AQIP teams (6P2).  Membership includes the President, Foundation and Career Center officers, the Academic Director who oversees the Institute’s workforce training, Dean of Students, High School Coordinator/Liaison, Director of the Hovland Learning Center (ESL and GED preparation), Student Activities Coordinator, and at-large faculty and staff representatives. 

The process also includes a software system implemented through a partnership with NACElink Simplicity.  While the software’s purpose is Career Center services, Southeast Tech has broadened its use to become a centralized location for communicating with and meeting external stakeholder needs. It allows users to post jobs and internships, attend Career Fairs, request training or other support, partner for service learning opportunities, request career guidance services, donate to the Foundation, participate in Sponsor a Scholar, start a scholarship, request a campus visit, use Southeast Tech facilities, join our alumni, and much more. Once a request is submitted, it is received by the Institute’s Career Center office, which serves as the centralized location for stakeholder contact. The Center then directs the request to the appropriate internal department, and that department continues to work with the stakeholder to meet the stakeholder’s needs. 

Southeast Tech’s mission is to educate for employment, including lifelong learning.  This mission goes beyond the offerings of the Institute’s certificate, diploma and AAS degrees.  It includes English as a Second Language (ESL), General Education Equivalency (GED), individualized and customized workforce and industry training, development of basic employment skills (resume writing and interviewing skills), advanced employment training (job promotion supervisory and management skills), assistance in career choice and appropriate career and educational placement, full and part time job opportunities, and much more.

In other words, Southeast Tech believes its mission includes becoming the region’s Career Center for workforce outreach and placement, regardless of where that outreach takes the individual – employment, short term training, technical or college/university placement – the goal is to assure that the placement is in the best interest of the individual, and therefore the best interest of the community.

Beyond this, Southeast Tech is proud to serve all of its stakeholders, and therefore believes it has the responsibility to be an active member of the community, participating in regional events and providing service learning opportunities for its employees and students.  The Institute therefore seeks out partnerships with area businesses and organizations to connect with regional efforts for community improvement.

​Determining Key External Stakeholder Groups (e.g., Alumni, Employers, Community) AND Determining New Stakeholders to Target for Services or Partnership

CAPTURE

It is the responsibility of the External Stakeholder Relationships Team to determine key external stakeholder groups as well as new stakeholders to target for services or partnerships.  Through the use of the Career Connections database, the Team is able to capture inputs from membership stakeholders.  These members include students, employees, alumni, employers, community members, local and state government agencies, development and workforce foundations, non-profits, etc.  Career Connections is open to anyone who wants to become a member of the Southeast Tech community. The Team gathers additional input through reviews of local, state and regional workforce scans, Institutional sector breakfasts, Advisory committees, etc.  As part of the Team’s annual review of the collected data, the Team determines the key external stakeholder groups the Institute is currently serving as well as potential new stakeholders to target. The Team then makes recommendations to the Administrative Team to determine possible new outreach programs for new external stakeholder groups.  Table 2P3.1 provides a list of Southeast Tech’s current external stakeholder group partnerships, how we maintain the relationship and determine needs, the stakeholder’s current needs, and the assigned Institutional employee who champions the relationship.

Meeting the Changing Needs of Key Stakeholders

DEVELOP AND DECIDE

Developing the plan to meet external stakeholder’s needs is the responsibility of the receiving internal Southeast Tech department.  Once given the assignment, the department develops a plan with the stakeholder.  Final decisions for implementation is a joint effort between the two entities.  Should there be a need to receive additional assistance in plan development, or if the decision for implementation requires other internal or external approval, department staff request assistance or approval from the appropriate level.

DEPLOY

Department personnel then deploy the plan to the satisfaction of the stakeholder and provide updates and final implementation progress in the software, assuring that the stakeholder’s need is met.  

EVALUATE

The appropriate follow-up survey is then sent to stakeholders to measure satisfaction.  Additional measures, such as completion rates for coursework, assessments of student learning, donations received or internships are gathered, according to the particular service or support.  Data is tracked by the Office of Institutional Research and presented back to the External Stakeholder Relationships Team for further analysis.  By reviewing the outcomes, the Team assures that the Institute is fulfilling its role of meeting the needs of the community it serves.

PUBLISH

Results of meeting stakeholder needs are communicated through the Career Connections software to Southeast Tech’s internal and external stakeholders and may be included in other publications such as the President’s Report, Tech Times, etc.

REFLECTION

Because this process is new for the Institute, process reflection is vital.  Through reflections during summer retreats, the reported interactions with external stakeholders and the outcome and satisfaction rates are reviewed by the External Stakeholder Relationships Team, and improvements to the process and developments for future outreach opportunities are made.  This reflection also helps assure that the Institute is determining new key external stakeholder groups to serve as well as emerging stakeholder needs.

Communication throughout the process is key.  While communication during decision, development and deployment is the responsibility of the assigned department personnel, the External Stakeholder Relationships Team communicates regularly with stakeholder members through emails, mailings, web information, surveys, sector breakfasts, etc.  These surveys and other communications, and the data they provide, are then used to determine and meet any changing stakeholder needs. 

Relationship building, however, goes beyond Team membership and a single deployment process.  Informal and formal institutional/ stakeholder communications and connections occur daily.  Therefore, Southeast Tech has established specific departments and individuals as champions to assure that the Institute is meeting all stakeholder needs (Table 2P3.1).

Selecting Tools, Methods and Instruments to Assess Key Stakeholder Needs

The External Stakeholder Relationships Team selects the tools, methods, instruments and targets used to assess key stakeholder needs and how well the Institute is meeting those needs. Selection and review of previous outcome results is part of the Team’s summer retreat.  However, as new relationships are built or new services are offered, any necessary assessments and targets are developed at that time and are used to determine effectiveness.  Results are then documented in the Planning and Assessments database and used in the Annual Planning process (4P2). 

Assessing the Degree to Which Key Stakeholder Needs are Met

Southeast Tech currently tracks and analyzes the following outcome measures for determining if key external stakeholder needs are being met:

• Employer Surveys - Southeast Tech conducts Employer Surveys every other year.  With the mission of educating for employment, the satisfaction of the employers of our graduates is vital.  Surveys are sent to all employers who hired Institute graduates in field or in a related field to the graduate’s program of study over the past two years.  The survey asks employers to rate on a 5-point Likert scale the performance they expected from the graduate as well as the actual performance of the graduate. The data is then used to determine employer satisfaction on a variety of key areas, directly related to one of Southeast Tech’s four common learning outcomes.  Southeast Tech also disaggregates this data by program and provides this information to program faculty to use for improvement.  Employers are also asked a series of questions (using a 5-point Likert scale) regarding their satisfaction with Southeast Tech, allowing the Institute to gauge employer satisfaction at the Institutional level. The five-point scale rating: 5-excellent, 4-very good, 3-satisfactory, 2-Unsatisfactory, 1-Unacceptable.
• Graduate Placement Surveys - Southeast Tech annually surveys graduates to determine placement results, allowing the Institute to gauge employment opportunities and trends, program placement rates, and beginning salaries.  Results include the percentages of graduates employed, employed in field/related field, continuing education, and average wages.  Results are tabulated at the Institutional and program levels.  

Data from the survey is shared with various stakeholders according to need and is made available to all Southeast Tech employees through STInet.  The survey results are reported to the Southeast Tech Council and Board.

With the implementation of the new software and the development of the External Stakeholder Relationships Team, Southeast Tech plans to expand how it assesses the degree to which the Institute meets key external stakeholder needs, developing new measures over the course of the next two to three years. 

2R3 Key Stakeholder Needs Results

• Summary results of measures (include tables and figures when possible)
• Comparison of results with internal targets and external benchmarks
• Interpretation of results and insights gained

Summary Results of Measures with Internal Targets, Interpretation, and Insights Gained

Information on Employer Survey results directly related to graduate performance is provided in Table 1R4.3 as part of program quality (1R4). The survey is given every other year and surveys employers of graduates from the past two years who have been employed in field or a related field. Therefore, this section will provide the results from the Employer survey that directly relate to Southeast Tech as an Institute. Table 2R3.1 provides employer survey results from 2007 through 2015 on eight key Institutional-level categories as well as an overall Institute grade.  An inital target of 4.00 (very good) was set for each category.  As the table indicates, the Institute reached this target in all areas except “Equipment” where the measure (3.96) was just slightly under the target.  In fact, besides “Equipment”, the “Meets Company Needs” is the only other category to ever fall below the 4.0 mark.  Southeast Tech also asks employers to grade Southeast Tech.  Results have ranged from 91.95% (2007) to the Institute’s highest rating of 92.79% during this past survey cycle (2015).  

Graduate placement results is another measurement of meeting stakeholder needs.  Table 1R4.4 Placement Rates (1R1) provides this data.  Southeast Tech’s six-month placement rates of over 95% annually, and in-related field placement rates of 88.7% to 93.9% indicates the success of the Institute in meeting workforce needs.

Southeast Tech currently does not have comparison results to external benchmarks.

Interpretation of Results and Insights Gained

Although all of the results are excellent, the Institute believes its new External Stakeholder Relationships Team and new process for building these relationships will move the Institute forward and increase external stakeholder satisfaction.  Southeast Tech conducted the Employer Survey again in spring/summer 2017 with the results expected to be available in July 2017.  Once compiled by the Office of Institutional Research, the External Stakeholder Relationships Team will review the results and determine future actions during its summer retreat.  At that time, the Team will also determine what addtional measures the Team should establish.

2I3 Key Stakeholder Needs Improvements

The most significant change Southeast Tech has made in terms of meeting key external stakeholder needs is to move from an informal to a formal process.  This adjustment includes:

• Developed the External Stakeholder Relationships Team;
• Incorporated the External Stakeholder Relationships Team into a new key AQIP team (6P 2 );
• Implemented a more robust Career Center to better serve students and external stakeholders;
• Purchased and implemented Career Connections, a software package that allows the Institute to integrate its key external stakeholder relationships process;
• Developed an initial framework for a more formal process to meet key external stakeholder needs;
• Held sector breakfasts for Health, Construction, Transportation, and IT workforce sectors.

Over the course of the next one to three years, Southeast Tech plans to:

• Develop more external stakeholder relationship measures;
• Conduct more sector breakfasts;
• Improve initial framework as needed to better meet key stakeholder needs.

2P4 Complaint Processes

• Collecting complaint information from students
• Collecting complaint information from other key stakeholders
• Learning from complaint information and determining actions
• Communicating actions to students and other key stakeholders
• Selecting the tools, methods and instruments to evaluate complaint resolution

Collecting Complaint Information from Students

As part of a continuous quality culture, Southeast Tech welcomes student views, concerns, and complaints. Formal complaints, however, are infrequent.  In order to focus on the most opportunities for improvement and assure Southeast Tech responds to the most student concerns, the Institute has chosen to document formal student appeals as part of its formal complaint process, even though appeals may not be actual student complaints. For example, a student may request a refund on a course or a “W” grade instead of an “F” grade. In most of these instances, the student is not issuing a formal complaint but is requesting an appeal given the situation’s circumstances.  In order to solve student issues as quickly and efficiently as possible, Southeast Tech also maintains an informal student complaints/appeals process and collects this information as well.

As formal appeals and complaints are received, they are entered into the administrative software system by the Vice President of Student Affairs, including all relevant dates and final outcomes. It is then the responsibility of the Office of Institutional Research to analyze the collected data and prepare Institutional reports (2R 4 ).   

Informal Student Complaint/Appeals Process

The Institute empowers its employees to resolve student issues at the lowest possible level.  As issues arise, students work directly with Southeast Tech employees to resolve concerns directly and quickly to meet student needs.  Frequently, students communicate these issues to their Success Advisor either through the Student Success Seminar course or through individual or group student meetings, emails or phone calls.  The Southeast Tech Registrar gathers student issues regarding registration and schedules, while the tutoring, disability, counseling, and other offices collect and resolve student issues respective to their areas. Faculty also work directly with students to resolve student issues, especially academic issues, and frequently send students to the Success Center for assistance with non-academic issues. 

Southeast Tech also gathers complaint and concern information through its Student Government Association (SGA). SGA offers broad student representation from all programs and serves to encourage student feedback through monthly meetings. Issues such as smoking on campus, parking, and wireless access are often brought forward by SGA. An SGA Decision Board was recently implemented to provide an improved process for the student group to voice concerns and have actions addressed more effectively (2P1).

Finally, through the use of its Southeast Tech Cares software, the Institute collects informal complaints/appeals during student interventions and interactions. These are entered by employees directly working with students to solve student issues or concerns.

Information from these informal complaints/appeals are collected as part of the Retention Process (2P 1   - Southeast Tech Cares documentation, the Student Success Team, and the Retention Office). Additionally, Southeast Tech’s Student Success Center’s monthly team meetings offer opportunities to discuss informal student concerns and complaints.

Formal Student Complaint Process

For situations where the informal complaint/appeal process is not possible or is not appropriate, Southeast Tech has established a Formal Student Complaint Process.  

Although the formal complaint process is communicated to all students through the Southeast Tech Catalog/Handbook and Southeast Tech website, the majority of student formal complaints are initiated after the student has communicated the concern to a Southeast Tech employee.  These individuals then connect the student with the appropriate Southeast Tech administrator for the appeal as defined in the Catalog/Handbook. For example, a complaint/appeal concerning a grade goes to the Vice President of Academics; a complaint/appeal regarding financial aid goes to the Director of Students.

Students can register formal complaints/appeals by simply emailing the complaint/appeal to a Southeast Tech administrator.  Once received, the complaint/appeal is communicated to the appropriate administrative office for review and response.  Finally, both the complaint/appeal and the response decision are communicated to the Vice President of Student Affairs and Institutional Research who documents the information in the Institute’s administrative software system.  By documenting the complaints/appeals, responses to the complaints/appeals, and the dates of each, the Institute can use this information to analyze issues by category, decision, and appeal response time (2R4).

Access to the information is controlled by the Vice President of Student Affairs and Institutional Research and is limited to the appropriate employees. Additional documentation, if necessary, is archived in the office of the Vice President. 

As defined in policy and communicated through the Student Handbook/Catalog, appeal decisions at the Vice President level are final unless they involve termination, expulsion or other more serious disciplinary actions. In these instances, the student may take the appeal to the President. Appeals to the President must be presented in writing. After receiving an appeal, the President investigates the matter and responds in writing to the complainant within 14 calendar days. The decision of the President is final. In rare circumstances, the Sioux Falls School Board could be involved in this process.

NOTE:  Southeast Tech has developed a separate process associated with Title IX complaints, which is also defined in policy and communicated through the Student Handbook/Catalog.

Collecting Complaint Information From Other Key Stakeholders

Southeast Tech’s new Career Connections software provides direct access for other key stakeholders to communicate complaints to the Institute.  The Career Center Advisor gathers these complaints and assures they are directed to the appropriate individual for follow-up.  The Career Connections software also provides a method to document the outcomes of these complaints as well as response times for further improvements. Throughout its history, Southeast Tech has received very few other key stakeholder complaints; however, it is the Institute’s perspective that providing a better opportunity for stakeholder input, whether a complaint or a potential improvement, will only strengthen the Institute.  Therefore, the Institute plans to encourage more of these interactions through the use of its Career Connections software.

Learning from Complaint Information and Determining Actions

The Vice President of Student Affairs and Institutional Research, along with the Retention Office, prepares an annual report regarding formal and informal complaint/appeal data collected in Southeast Tech Cares and the administrative software system.  The data is aggregated into specific categories and presented to the Student Success Team as part of its annual summer planning retreat (2P 1 ).  When the Student Success Team determines a pattern of complaints/appeals within a category, the Team assigns a committee to address the issue, bringing in the appropriate individuals, as determined by the Team, to inform change.  The assigned committee reports its review and actions back to the Student Success Team. 

The Institute then collects and analyzes future data on complaints/appeals to determine if the Institute’s actions have made progress in removing student complaints/appeals. For example, in the past, the greatest number of appeals dealt with course refunds.  Southeast Tech used this information to launch an action project and committee to develop processes to improve communications with students who stop attending classes but fail to complete an official termination.  This process has helped Southeast Tech address and resolve these student issues before a complaint/appeal is necessary (2R3).

Communicating Actions to Students and Other Key Stakeholders

Whenever a formal appeal/complaint is filed, the final decision regarding the appeal/complaint is communicated back in writing to the student(s) or stakeholder(s).  This information is documented in the Institute’s administrative software by the Vice President of Student Affairs, and any additional information is maintained in the Vice President’s office.

The administrator addressing the complaint shares the complaint/appeal and resolution with the relevant internal parties (faculty and staff), including the reasons for the decision. By doing so, Southeast Tech employees can better assist students in the future, solving issues prior to them reaching the formal complaint/appeal stage. 

Results of informal complaints/appeals that are addressed immediately by employees are often communicated to students orally during meetings with students or in writing, generally by email. Employees then document the complaint/appeal and response in Southeast Tech Cares (2P 1 ).

Selecting Tools, Methods and Instruments to Evaluate Complaint Resolution

It is the responsibility of the Student Success Team to determine the tools, methods and instruments used to evaluate complaint resolution. The current methods used, including all data and results, are reviewed by the Student Success Team during its annual summer planning and reflection process.  Should the Team determine, as part of the review, that a change in tools, methods or instruments is necessary, the Team then works with the Institutional Research Office and the appropriate administrators and employees to make the change (2P 1 ). 

Currently, Southeast Tech measures the success of its complaint process through the following:

• Reduction in the Total Number of Formal Complaints/Appeals;
• Reduction in the Chosen Focus Areas for Improvement;
• Appropriate Response Time;
• Student Satisfaction of the Complaints/Appeals Process. 

2R4 Complaint Processes Results

• Summary results of measures (include tables and figures when possible)
• Comparison of results with internal targets and external benchmarks
• Interpretation of results and insights gained

Summary Results of Measures AND Comparison of Results with Internal Targets AND Interpretation of Results and Insights Gained

Southeast Tech’s total number of formal complaints/appeals has dropped by 30% (57 to 40) from the 2009-2012 average to the 2015-2016 count (Table 2R4.1).  That reduction has occurred because of specific efforts the Institute took to reduce complaints/appeals in specific areas.  As shown in the Complaints by Type and Year (Table 2R4.3), refunds on courses and laptops were two key student complaint/appeal areas.  Southeast Tech set out to reduce these refund concerns by:  1. developing processes to determine student enrollment status faster, assuring that students who left the Institute were removed from courses and received their appropriate refunds prior to the need for an appeal, and 2. developing processes to allow students to bring their own laptop (rather than purchasing one through Southeast Tech), again resulting in fewer appeals. (The uptick in 2015-2016 in this category is due to part-time student requests to have the laptop requirement delayed until they enter the program as full-time students.)  Although the percentage of complaints/appeals that have been granted dipped to 46% in 2014-2015, it is now back up to a level similar to previous years (70% for 2015-2016). The Institute believes that this may continue at this level in the future. The Institute also believes this rate is an indication that the processes and communications that have been put in place are successfully addressing student concerns/appeals ahead of time; therefore, the remaining complaints/appeals are justifiable complaints/appeals that do need to rise to, and be addressed, at a higher level.

Timely responses to complaints/appeals is an additional measure of the success of the Institute’s complaints/appeals process (Table 2R4.2).  However, the data shows an increase rather than a decrease in the days to resolution (3.25 average for 2009-2012 to a peak of 13.40 days in 2014-2015 and 7.06 days in 2015-2016).  While this trend may at first appear negative, part of the reason for the increase is that the Institute has been able to “fix” many of the simpler complaint/appeal issues before a complaint/appeal is necessary, reducing the number of quick responses and leaving more of the longer responses. In the analysis of the 2014-2015 data, Southeast Tech found that a couple of more complicated complaints/appeals skewed the average. Over the years, the median number of days, however, has remained fairly consistent with the 2014-2015 year slightly elevated. The Institute will continue to monitor both measures but will leave the target level at an average of 10 or fewer days-to-resolution, expecting that as the Institute designs its processes to solve complaints/appeals before they occur, the remaining complaints/appeals will likely take longer to resolve.  

Comparison of Results with External Benchmarks AND Interpretation of Results and Insights Gained

Through the use of the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, Southeast Tech tracks student satisfaction of its complaint process.  Based on the highest National Mean for the years the Institute has given the SSI survey, the Institute has scored statistically above the mean three out of the last four survey years.  Although the most recent year was below the mean, the difference was only .08, which was not statistically different from the National Mean. Southeast Tech is pleased with these results; however, the Institute has set its target level at 5.00 and is continuing to work toward meeting that goal consistently. Therefore, in 2016-2017, Southeast Tech created a Decision Board.  The Decision Board provides the Institute’s Student Government Association (SGA) with a mechanism to take student ideas, concerns, and complaints to a board of faculty, staff, administrators, and students to discuss the request and determine a course of action. The system has been designed to assure that SGA receives a response on its request and that actions can be taken faster and more efficiently as needed.  The next survey results will be available in summer 2017 and will be analyzed by the Student Success Team for further action.

2I4 Complaint Processes Improvements

Southeast Tech has found the use of its complaint/appeal tracking process has helped the Institute determine potential areas for improvement that have led to:

• A revised housing contract buy-out option, reducing the resident’s charges should the student leave the Institute prior to contract completion;
• A move across campus to a bring-your-own-laptop option whenever possible, eliminating the need for students to purchase a laptop through the Institute;
• An improved process to determine and remove students who leave without completing a formal termination from the Institute.

Over the next year, Southeast Tech will work to incorporate the data collected through our Southeast Tech Cares communication process into the complaint/appeal process to further enhance the Institute’s ability to use data to inform change based on student concerns.

2P5 Building Collaborations and Partnerships

• Selecting partners for collaborations (e.g., other educational institutions, civic organizations, businesses)
• Building and maintaining relationships with partners
• Selecting the tools, methods and instruments to assess partnership effectiveness
• Evaluating the degree to which collaborations and partnerships are effective

Selecting Partners for Collaborations

Southeast Tech considers its partners to be key stakeholders; therefore, the Institute has assigned the External Stakeholder Relationships Team as the key Institutional group to oversee the Institute’s collaborations and assure that these collaborations are maintained and strengthened. Through the process described in 2P3, the Team uses the CAPTURE process to select partners for collaboration.  However, partnerships occur at various levels and require various department and program interaction.  While these department and program areas may establish partnerships within their areas, it is their responsibility to assure that the partnership is documented with the External Stakeholders Team.  By doing so, the Team can further assist in continuing the collaboration regardless of employee departures.  Any partnership requiring Institute resources, contractual agreements, etc. requires administrative approval as well.  

Building and Maintaining Relationships with Partners

See 2P3 for the process used to build and maintain partnership relationships.  By centralizing the Institute’s focus on key stakeholders, including partnerships, the Institute has the opportunity to establish and strenthen relationships on two levels:

Department/Program Level:  Like any other key stakeholder, each partnership is assigned a Champion (Table 2P3.1).  For example, Southeast Tech’s key partnership with Secondary Educational Institutions is championed by the Institute’s Pre-College Program Advisor.  This allows for direct interactions and communications at the department and program levels to assure that these partnerships are maintained at a personal and invididual level.  Information from department/program level interactions is provided to the External Stakeholder Relationships Team to assure that it is documented and maintained.

Institutional Level:  Documenting partnership relationships at the Institutional level, through the External Stakeholder Relationships Team, provides an opportunity to communicate the collaboration across campus as well as providing a second layer of assurance that the relationship is being maintained.  Finally, the Team provides the opportunity for the Institute to recognize and strengthen the relationship at the Institutional level. 

Selecting the Tools, Methods and Instruments to Assess Partnership Effectiveness

It is the responsibility of the External Stakeholder Relationships Team to select the tools, methods and instruments that are used for assessing partnership effectiveness.  The Team uses the same process as described in 2P3.

Evaluating the Degree to Which Collaborations and Partnerships are Effective

Currently, Southeast Tech has the following formal evaluation processes for partnership effectiveness:

• Employer Survey “Relationship” Results
• Career Connections Membership
• High School Student Dual Credit Enrollments
• High School Dual Credit Graduates Attending Southeast Tech

As the External Stakeholder Relationships Team matures, a key goal will be to develop, strengthen and expand the methods used for partnership evaluation.

2R5 Building Collaborations and Partnerships Results

• Summary results of measures (include tables and figures when possible)
• Comparison of results with internal targets and external benchmarks
• Interpretation of results and insights gained

Summary Results of Measures AND Comparison of Results with Internal Targets and External Benchmarks

Southeast Tech’s results for aligning and building collaborations and partnerships are provided below:

Employer Survey “Relationship” Results:  Key to its success is the Institute’s relationship to employers of its graduates. Employer relationships help the Institute build stronger programs through program Advisory Committees, service on the Institute’s Council, input through events such as the sector breakfasts, and ohter Institute support. Southeast Tech’s Employer Survey asks employers of our graduates to rate Southeast Tech on their relationship with the Institute.  As shown in Table 2R5.1, based on a five point Likert scale, Southeast Tech receives siginifcantly high marks ranging from an average of 4.05 up to a high of 4.18 and a current 4.16.  Considering that the Institute has had over a 33% to 44% return rate over the years, the results are impressive and indicate the strong partnerships Southeast Tech has developed.

Career Connections Membership:  While Southeast Tech is pleased with the overall results of its Relationships measure, the survey instrument does not challenge the Institute to increase its partnerships and collaborations.  In December of 2015, Southeast Tech launched its Career Connections, a software package the Institute is using to better communicate and partner with its external stakeholders.  Career Connections not only allows members to connect on workforce issues (such as post jobs 24/7, sign-up for Career Fairs, and recruit students directly through public resumes), Connections also allows members to sponsor a student or develop a scholarship, rent Institue facilities, register a complaint or a suggestion for improvement, request training from the Institute, request tours or speakers to attend their work site or their school, and receive communication updates from the Institute regarding Institute happenings and upcoming events.  By increasing membership, Southeast Tech is increasing its partnerships and developing stronger community relationships.  From the initial start in December 2015 to May 2017 (Table 2R5.2), Southeast Tech has increased its direct company connections by 970 (95% increase), individual memberships from 1522 to 2219 (46% increase), student membership to 1,271 (11 times the December 2015 count), and increased current job postings from 194 to 548 (182% increase).

While the results are impressive, building collaborations and partnerships is a main focus of the Institute’s current Strategic Plan (4P2); therefore, the Institute has set high Career Connections targets to be met by the end of the Strategic Plan.  In Summer 2017 the Institute will be developing actions to meet that target, including more sector breakfasts, company and industry mailings, outreach to high schools, etc.

High School Student Dual Credit Enrollments:  A key focus through our partnerships with regional high schools has been our dual credit enrollment opportunities. This initiative has grown significantly since the state began providing funding to offset the cost to high school students, who now pay only a fraction of the per credit charges.  Table 2R5.3 shows the impact the reduced charges has provided, with high school student enrollment in the fall semesters rising from 24 students in 2012 to 162 students in 2016. Southeast Tech has now met its target of 140 students and will continue with that target for one more year before determining if a new target should be set. 

High School Dual Credit Graduates Attending Southeast Tech:  While providing higher education opportunities to high schools is a great partnership opportunity, Southeast Tech would also like to see dual credit high school seniors continue on at Southeast Tech upon graduation.  Table 2R5.3 provides the percentage of these seniors enrolling in Southeast Tech the following fall semester.  In 2014 this number dipped to less than 90% of the target; therefore, Southeast Tech increased its efforts to recruit these students.  Results in 2015 were once again above target, but the Institute is leaving the target at 25% until enrollment results from the fall 2016 students is available.

Interpretation of Results and Insights Gained

Southeast Tech believes the Institute has only scratched the surface of what can be accomplished with its Career Connections memberships and high school partnerships.  The significant growth in companies and individuals wanting to join the Institute as Connections members and partners has been overwhelming, showing the community need for the services and graduates the Institute provides. Through its new Strategic Plan (4P1, 4R1), which has as a major theme building relationships and partnerships, the Institute is now striving to meet those needs.  

2I5 Building Collaborations and Partnerships Improvements

The improvements and future actions highlighted in Southeast Tech’s 2I 3  Key Stakeholder Needs section are also the improvements and future actions of the Institute for partnerships and collaborations.

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