Category Three: Valuing People

Category Three Overview

Valuing employees is key to the overall success of the Institute and its ability to be effective in meeting its mission. It is also a difficult goal to achieve. In recent years, Southeast Tech has set valuing employees as a key improvement area, focusing several AQIP action projects on various aspects of employee relationships. While the Institute believes, and the outcome measures indicate, that progress in this area is being made, the Institute still has more to accomplish. Communication and leadership are key to valuing employees; therefore, these are the areas Southeast Tech has targeted the most. Both begin during the hiring process and continue through evaluations, recognitions, employee involvement, planning, budgeting, assessments, and professional development; therefore, you will see a focus on employees not only in this category, but also in the other five categories. In terms of all valuing employee processes, Southeast Tech believes that it is reaching the aligned maturity level, and upon full implementation of its future actions, it will reach the integrated level in the next two to three years. The Institute believes this holds true for Institutional Valuing Employees results as well.

3P1 Hiring Employees

• Recruiting, hiring, and orienting processes that result in staff and administrators who possess the required qualification, skills and values (3.C.6)
• Developing and meeting academic credentialing standards for faculty, including those in dual credit, contractual, and consortia programs (3.C.1, 3.C.2)
• Ensuring the institution has sufficient numbers of faculty to carry out both classroom and non-classroom programs and activities (3.C.1)
• Ensuring the acquisition of sufficient numbers of staff to provide student support services
• Tracking outcomes/measures utilizing appropriate tools

Recruiting, Hiring, and Orienting Processes that Result in Staff and Administrators Who Possess the Required Qualification, Skills, and Values (3.C.6) 

See Figure 3P1.1 and the Hiring Process description below.

Capture and Develop

Whether Southeast Tech is hiring for a new position or the replacement of a current position, the process begins by capturing the input from those sources working closest to the position itself. This includes the immediate supervisor and those employees directly linked to the new or replacement position.

During the input process, Southeast Tech reviews the specific credentials and skills required by other colleges or organizations with similar positions, as well as changes that have occurred in the field. Minimal criteria for all faculty and staff have been established and are required as follows:

Faculty:  Southeast Tech full-time faculty are required to meet the following criteria (3.C.2):

• Hold a degree appropriate to their field and/or appropriate work experience (3+ years) as determined by the Institute. (General Education instructors teaching transferable courses must have a master’s degree and 18 credits in the specific field.);
• Have three years of relevant work experience as determined by the Institute;
• Maintain instructor credentials as determined by the State of South Dakota (renewed every five years).
  • Contracted full-time faculty, mainly in health-related programs, must meet the requirements/qualifications in bullets one and two, but are not required to participate in state credentialing; however, these individuals must maintain any specific career-related licensing or credentialing requirements associated with their career field;
  • Part-time faculty, including Dual Credit part-time faculty, must meet the requirements/qualifications in the field they will be teaching as listed in bullets one and two, but are not required to participate in state credentialing.

Staff: Qualifications for staff differ according to position and are specified in each job description as identified through the input process.

The results of this input process are job descriptions that meet the needs of the Institute, accurately describe the positions and duties, and assure the Institute has determined the appropriate qualifications for all positions. Prior to submitting the new or updated job description to the Human Resources Department, the signature of the administrator in charge of the designated area is required to indicate that the job description has been reviewed and potentially revised.  The Human Resources Department also reviews the job description and assures that the requirements/qualifications meet the Institute’s expectations, and that the job description includes all the necessary requirements for posting (3.C.6).

Decide

The decision regarding the hiring of replacement positions where funding for the position has already been established generally occurs quickly and only requires the approval of the President and the immediate supervisor.  This allows for a quick response to the immediate need to fill a vacant position and assure that the Institute’s already established high quality of services and instruction is not impacted.  However, depending upon the needs and confines of the Institute, the President or the administrator overseeing the position can delay, remove, or request changes to the replacement position.    

A more formal process is required for the hiring of a new position.  The immediate supervisor must officially request the position, including information on position purpose, connection to Institutional goals, job requirements and responsibilities, expected outcomes, salary placement, impact on revenue and budget, etc.  The document is submitted to the Human Resources Department to assure all required information has been provided.  These requests are submitted as part of the Annual Planning (4P2) process and are included as part of the budget review. The Southeast Tech Administrative Team then meets to determine which positions will be brought to the Southeast Tech Council and Board for consideration and final approval. This allows for all positions to receive equal consideration and assures that the requests are prioritized according to Institutional strategic goals. It also provides the opportunity to combine or adjust requests prior to final submission and assure appropriate funding is included in the new budget. Those positions not moved forward in the budget can be submitted again for future consideration.

Once the request is approved by Southeast Tech’s Administrative Team, final approval is required by the President, Southeast Tech Council, and the Sioux Falls School Board as part of the Annual Planning process (4P 2 ). 

Deploy - Hiring

Throughout the hiring process, Southeast Tech’s Human Resource Department and the immediate supervisor work together to complete the hire.

Deployment follows a specified process with the following steps:

1. Recruitment and advertisement of the position: Coordinated by the Human Resources Department, the position is advertised in local, regional, and/or national media, depending upon the position.  The immediate supervisor and Human Resources Officer determine what method of advertisement will provide the best opportunity to find a successful candidate. Southeast Tech recruits faculty and staff through advertisements in local and regional newspapers, on the Sioux Falls School District and Southeast Tech websites, and through other appropriate venues such as district bulletin boards, job search websites, etc. Southeast Tech has also found that direct recruitment through business and industry contacts, Advisory Committee connections, professional organization memberships, and word-of-mouth significantly increases the opportunity for finding potential candidates.
2. Review of all applicants for required credentials, certifications, degrees and/or work experience: Southeast Tech’s Human Resources Department gathers and reviews all applications and records information regarding which applicants meet the requirements for the position and may be considered for interviews (3.C.2) (3.C.6).
3. Development of the interview panel: The immediate supervisor determines who will participate on the interview panel.  Besides the immediate supervisor, the interview panel may include one to three employees from within the area of the position and may include external stakeholder experts, as desired.
4. Determination of final applicants to be interviewed: The immediate supervisor and members of the interview panel review applications meeting the established requirements and determine which applicants to interview. Interviews are scheduled by the immediate supervisor or designee.
5. Development of interview questions: Interview questions are developed under the direction of the immediate supervisor with input from the interview panel and the Human Resources Department.
6. Interviews of the candidates: Candidates are interviewed by the interview panel. Southeast Tech has developed an interview rating sheet to guide the panel in determining the successful candidate and assure rating consistency among panel members. Southeast Tech’s focus on the student is a central tenant in the interview process for all hires. During this process, interview panels consider how each potential employee will blend with the culture of teaching, learning and student success at the Institute.  Southeast Tech places a strong emphasis on the ability of its faculty to be effective teachers, particularly for teaching the two-year technical student. Therefore, during the faculty interview process, Southeast Tech strives to find those individuals who not only know the technical aspects of a given field, but also have the ability to effectively communicate this information to others. Orientation to Southeast Tech also begins in the interview.  Each interviewee is given a Southeast Tech information sheet and a short overview of the Institute, including Southeast Tech’s mission, vision and values.
7. Final decision of the review panel: Once all interviews are completed, the interview panel ranks the candidates and determines which candidate will be offered the position. If the interview panel cannot determine a successful candidate, the immediate supervisor works with the Human Resources Department to determine the next step, which may include a second round of advertisements and interviews.
8. Reference and qualification checks, offering the position, and communication to all interviewees: Prior to hiring, the immediate supervisor, HR, or designee checks candidate references.  The Human Resources department and the immediate supervisor also review documentation of credentials to assure that the candidate meets the required qualifications. Should one of these requirements not be met, the immediate supervisor and the Human Resources Department determine what the next steps will be.  In some situations, Southeast Tech will hire such an applicant but will require that the new hire complete the required credentials/qualifications within a specified period of time in order to maintain employment (3.C.2) (3.C.6).
9. Acceptance of the person for the position: The immediate supervisor or the Human Resources Department contacts the successful candidate and offers the position.  If the candidate decides not to accept the position, the immediate supervisor, with input from the interview panel and the Human Resources Department, determines the next step, which may result in reopening the position or offering it to another candidate.  Fingerprinting and background checks are conducted upon acceptance.
10. Personnel Action Form (PAF): The immediate supervisor completes the Personnel Action Form (PAF) and submits the form to the Human Resources Department. This form provides the Human Resources Department with the necessary information to begin the onboarding process.
11. Communication to Interviewees and Applicants: The PAF also provides the Human Resources Department with the necessary information to communicate to the other interviewees and applicants that the position has been filled and thank them for considering Southeast Tech for employment.

Deploy – Onboarding

1. Prior to Arrival: In order to assure that onboarding of a new employee or an existing employee moving to another position is successful, Southeast Tech has developed a web-based onboarding process.  The immediate supervisor begins the process by completing the online onboarding form.  Based on the needs of the new employee and the job description and responsibilities, the immediate supervisor provides the required input to assure that appropriate actions by various departments are taken prior to the arrival of the new employee or the transition of the current employee. The online process requires the various departments to indicate when items have been completed.  This information is then made available to the immediate supervisor to assure that all prior arrival activities are completed on time.  These actions include:

• Human Resources Department (HR):  HR receives information required to assure that the new hire or change of position is appropriately entered into the Institute’s human resources software and includes employee start date, contract type, FTE level, salary placement step and lane, cost center charge out, etc.  HR then inputs this information prior to the employee beginning the position.  HR staff also prepare new employee materials (review of Southeast Tech’s mission, vision, values, accreditation, history, employee working agreements as applicable, etc.).     
• Business Office/Building Operations:  The employee’s physical location and need for office items such as a desk, chairs, office equipment, as well as building and room access, etc. are determined to assure that the physical location and building access is prepared in advance of the start date.
• Information Technology Department (IT):  IT receives information on employee hardware needs (computer, monitor, printer, etc.), software (Office, Publisher, program-related, administrative software (EX), document imaging, etc.), software access level (for security purposes), login requests, etc. This allows IT the necessary time to complete the technology needs of the employee and assure that all needs are met prior to arrival.
• Training/Mentoring:  The individuals responsible for the training/mentoring of the new employee hire are assigned and receive the necessary information regarding the position to provide time to prepare a new employee training guide specific to that position prior to arrival.

2. Arrival: To assure that the first days and weeks of employment are the most beneficial to the new employee or the employee in a new position, as well as the department or program area, the following onboarding activities take place.  The actual order of these activities varies depending upon the position, the date of initial employment, and the needs of the department or program.

• Human Resources Department: New employees or employees new to a position meet with HR to discuss the General Employee handbook, appropriate negotiated agreement, and to answer any questions the employee may have. HR covers the following topics and others as necessary to the position:
  •        A Welcome Letter from the President
  •        Southeast Tech’s mission, vision, and core values
  •        Southeast Tech’s organizational chart
  •        A campus map
  •        Key policies and regulations
  •        Employee benefit plan
  •        Employee Code of Conduct and Southeast Tech expectations
  •        Telephone listings and voice mail user guide
  •        Payroll and calendars
  •        Collective bargaining agreement or employment rider
  •        ID Badge
• Assigned Department or Program Area: New employees or employees new to a position meet with their immediate supervisor and/or the assigned trainer to begin the job-level orientation and training. Southeast Tech has established general training areas to be covered by all departments and programs; however, much of the training is specific to the job functions of the position.
• New Full-Time Faculty Orientation: New full-time faculty take a four credit, two-year, mentoring class taught by the Academic Administrative Team. This class includes discussions and presentations on AQIP, Southeast Tech history, mission, vision and values, teaching techniques, etc. Completion of the initial training program, with documentation in the Southeast Tech administrative software, indicates to both the immediate supervisor and the Human Resource department that the employee orientation process has been completed.
• New Part-Time Faculty Orientation: Part-time faculty have similar but shorter orientation sessions that are conducted before the beginning of each fall and spring semesters and involve part-time faculty, both new and returning. Individualized part-time faculty training is provided by the Academic Administrative Team.  Part-time faculty are given the opportunity to attend the new full-time faculty training if they choose to do so; however, they are not paid for the hours in training. Both new full-time and part-time faculty receive additional support and orientation from other faculty within their program area. Veteran faculty assist new instructors with course syllabi, lesson planning, course management techniques, Southeast Tech policies and procedures, etc. 
• New Staff Orientation: New staff are oriented through the immediate supervisor or assigned trainer. This orientation is completed through direct meetings with the immediate supervisor and/or trainer, shadowing experiences with other employees, and meetings with various Southeast Tech departments.  The training is based on the employee’s job description.  A checkoff system is used to assure that all training is completed.  The immediate supervisor sends the final checkoff to the Human Resource department to indicate that the orientation and training is complete. To assist with the orientation of new employees and maintain better consistency in services, Southeast Tech is improving documentation for individual work processes, especially regarding specific job duties.  Mentors/team leaders in each area also assist with orienting the new employee.  Additionally, employee handbooks and the website support orientation (3.C.6).

Southeast Tech has a current action plan to improve all new employee initial orientation and training through an “Introduction to Southeast Tech” course to be taken by all new employees beginning 2017-2018 (3R 1 ) (3.C.6).

Evaluate

Southeast Tech has piloted evaluations of the hiring and on-boarding processes to gain the perspective of new employees and their satisfaction with hiring, orientation and initial training.  As the Institute implements the “Introduction to Southeast Tech” course, the evaluation process will become more formalized.  

Publish and Communicate

New employees are introduced at monthly meetings and in-service days. A welcome and introduction email about the new employee is sent out to all employees.  Training materials are available for review by all employees on STInet, and additional information is available in negotiated agreements, also available on STInet.  Additional training and updates are provided as part of in-service and monthly campus meetings. 

Reflect 

Southeast Tech is developing surveys of the various users of the recruiting, hiring, and onboarding process to gather data regarding their experiences and determine ways to improve the process, including satisfaction surveys of new hires. The Human Resources department will gather the information and report findings to the users as well as the Administrative Team for consideration of future improvements.  Southeast Tech also uses completion timelines for each step of the process in order to find and remove barriers in the process.

Developing and Meeting Academic Credentialing Standards for Faculty, Including Those in Dual Credit, Contractual, and Consortia Programs (3.C.1, 3.C.2)

Southeast Tech uses the process described above to assure that the necessary initial academic credentialing is developed and met by all faculty, including part-time and dual credit. Part-time faculty must meet position requirements the same as full-time faculty.  Dual credit students take coursework within Southeast Tech’s regular course offerings, which are all taught by full-time and part-time faculty hired and trained through the methods described in the Recruiting, Hiring and Orientating section.  Southeast Tech recently piloted concurrent credit enrollment where the course was taught by a high school faculty member. Credentials of the high school instructor were required to meet the same minimal requirements of Southeast Tech’s full-time faculty and was verified by the Vice President of Academics (see 1P 4  for more information on how Southeast Tech assures quality within concurrent coursework).  Southeast Tech does not have contractual or consortia programs (3.C.1) (3.C.2). 

The South Dakota Department of Education’s Credential Board, comprised of two representatives from each of the four state technical institutes (one administrator and one faculty member) oversees the credentialing process, publishes statewide standards, and reviews the standards annually to ensure currency and accuracy.  The Board is the final authority for any credential disputes that cannot be resolved at the local level and therefore makes all final decisions regarding credential refusal, suspension, or revocation.

Southeast Tech’s Credential Committee oversees the internal process of assuring full-time faculty maintain their state requirements for continued credentialing.  An initial 2-year credential is granted by the state for all new faculty.  Renewal credentials occur every five years after the two-year credential.  All full-time faculty must have a current post-secondary credential stating the subject areas they are qualified to instruct. During the initial two-year credential, new faculty must complete specific training established for new faculty.  Once completed, each five-year renewal requires faculty to complete 150 hours of training, education or other experiences that has been approved by the Credential Committee. The Credential Committee maintains records of these hours and alerts faculty who have upcoming credential renewal dates.  Should a faculty member be in a position where there is a concern regarding a credential, the Committee alerts the immediate supervisor for follow-up.  Full-time faculty must maintain their credentials or are not allowed to continue as a full-time instructor.

Ensuring the Institution has Sufficient Numbers of Faculty to Carry Out Both Classroom and Non-Classroom Programs and Activities (3.C.1) AND Ensuring the Acquisition of Sufficient Numbers of Staff to Provide Student Support Services

The Southeast Tech Administrative Team uses Institutional data (including Institutional and program enrollment, retention and graduation rates, changes in required technology and learning within given programs, ratios of staff and faculty to students, etc.), and information gathered from department and program budget and planning meetings to assure the Institute has sufficient numbers of faculty and staff to provide for student academic and non-academic needs.  This information is gathered and presented as part of the Annual Planning process (4P 1 ) and is used to determine personnel needs and adjust personnel as necessary. At a minimum, Southeast Tech ensures that each program has at least one full-time faculty member overseeing and guiding the program (3.C.1).

Southeast Tech also recognizes the need to be prepared for personnel changes that occur due to retirements and departures. To better prepare for these job changes, Southeast Tech administration continually works with faculty and staff to determine what changes may be coming in the near or distant future so that the Institute can better meet these challenges. For example, Southeast Tech is expecting that within the next two to three years, a significant change in faculty, due to retirements, will take place. Southeast Tech is already preparing for this.

Sudden changes, such as long term illnesses, death, or employee terminations, create additional Institutional challenges. To meet these challenges, Southeast Tech relies on its stakeholders to help the Institute.

This has included:

• Hiring previous employees to fill positions temporarily;
• Reassigning job responsibilities and calling upon current employees to assist in other areas;
• Working with Advisory Committees to find outside resources to provide support;
• Hiring part-time assistance through temp agencies.

Tracking Outcomes/Measures Utilizing Appropriate Tools

Through 2012, Southeast Tech conducted an institutionally-developed Campus Climate Survey every other year. In order to provide the Institute with comparison data as well as set targets/benchmarks to national means, Southeast Tech switched to the Noel-Levitz Employee Satisfaction Survey in 2014, conducting the survey again in 2016.  (The Institute will continue to conduct the survey every other year.) 

The survey serves as Southeast Tech’s main measure of its recruitment, hiring and orienting practices.  Currently, the Institute is developing additional measures that more directly relate to satisfaction with the immediate recruiting, hiring and orienting processes; however, these measures are still in the development stage and are set for a Fall 2017 implementation.

The current measures used for recruitment, hiring, and orienting practices are (Noel-Levitz survey questions):

• The Institute Consistently Follows Clear Processes for Selecting New Employees (Table 3R1.1)
• The Institute Consistently Follows Clear Processes for Orienting and Training New Employees (Table 3R1.2)
• I am Paid Fairly for the Work I Do (Table 3R1.3)
• The Employee Benefits Available to Me are Valuable (Table 3R1.4)

Southeast Tech has chosen to set its Institutional target at the highest National Mean score of the 2014 and 2016 survey years.  The purpose of setting the target at this level is to provide the Institute with a target/benchmark that is meaningful and represents a significant achievement.

The tables in 3R1 reflect the 2014 and 2016 results for full-time employees.  In 2014, 56% of faculty and 46% of staff responded to the survey.  In 2016, 44% of faculty and 36% of staff responded.  While these participation percentages are solid, the Institute has set 50% of faculty and 50% of staff participation rates as its future target.

3R1 Hiring Employees 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/Comparison Results with Internal Targets and Benchmarks/Interpretation of Results and Insights Gained

Southeast Tech has seen progress in CESS results for the New Employee Selection Process (Table 3R1.1) and the New Employee Orienting/Training Process (Table 3R1.2) as indicated by the increase in scores of +.25 and +.18, respectively.  Both processes have also shown an improvement toward the target, moving from 90% of target in 2014 to above the target in 2016.  In recent years the Academic Division specifically targeted initial hiring, orientation, and training as goals in academics (3P1), which the Institute believes played a significant role in the improved results.

Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan:  The Institute has a new strategic plan approved in Fall 2016.  Improving internal communication and building a stronger internal community is part of that plan; therefore, the Institute has set the following actions:

• Develop an “Introduction to the Institute” course for all new employees to strengthen on-boarding and initial training (Summer 2017 implementation)
• Expand the course to include a staff mentoring program similar to the current faculty mentoring program (2017-2018 development)
• Investigate the development of an internal communications “Cabinet” to further assure that needs of employees are being met (2017-2018 development)

While not directly related to the process of recruitment, hiring, orienting and training of new employees, employee satisfaction with salary and benefits is vital to the hiring process. Without maintaining competitive wages, the Institute would not be able to attract the high level of applicants we currently attract.  As demonstrated by the CESS results for Fairly Paid for the Work I Do (Table 3R1.3) and Benefits are Valuable to Me (Table 3R1.4), Southeast Tech employees rank their satisfaction in these areas above the national mean at +.28 and +.48 respectively.

Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan:  The Institute has maintained a high level of satisfaction with its current salary and benefit package.  No further action is planned at this time. 

Overall, Southeast Tech believes it has maintained solid results for its recruitment, hiring and orienting practices and has defined actions in place to continue to move the Institute forward in strengthening these processes.

3I1 Hiring Employees Improvements

Southeast Tech has made several significant changes since 2010 that have improved the Institute’s hiring and onboarding processes including:

• Enhanced STInet TASK system that improves communications on new hires across campus to assure all area preparations are completed prior to the employee’s first day;
• Updated and improved Personnel Action forms so that one form provides HR and the Business Office with all the necessary information to complete the hiring process for new employees and employees changing positions.

 Future initiatives include:

• Implement an “Introduction to the Institute” course for all new employees (Summer 2017);
• Develop a staff mentoring program similar to the Institute’s faculty mentoring program (2017-2018);
• Implement a more robust HR software package that will improve the hiring process through a paperless processing system (2017-2019);
• Improve employee participation in the Employee Satisfaction Survey to 50% for both full-time faculty and full-time staff (spring 2018).

The Institute believes that the creation of a more consistent and thorough onboarding process for all employees, and developing a staff mentoring program, will enhance the Institute’s current hiring process.

3P2 Evaluation and Recognition

• Designing performance evaluation systems for all employees
• Soliciting input from and communicating expectations to faculty, staff, and administrators
• Aligning the evaluation system with institutional objectives for both instructional and non-instructional programs and services
• Utilizing established institutional policies and procedures to regularly evaluate all faculty, staff, and administrators (3.C.3)
• Establishing employee recognition, compensation, and benefit systems to promote retention and high performance
• Promoting employee satisfaction and engagement
• Tracking outcomes/measures utilizing appropriate tools

Designing performance evaluation systems for all employees

Southeast Tech believes that employee evaluation is about assessing how the employee contributes to the overall performance of the Institute.  This contribution not only includes fulfilling job performance as outlined in the job description and the Institutional Employee Code of Conduct, but also includes meeting agreed upon goals and completing professional development activities.  Southeast Tech’s evaluation process, however, does differ according to position - full-time to part-time and faculty to staff (Table 3P2.1) (3.C.3).

Part-Time Staff and Part-Time Faculty Evaluation: 

Besides student employees, Southeast Tech hires only a few part-time staff and temporary positions for short periods of time.  These individuals are supervised and evaluated by the person directly responsible for their work assignments, and while there is no formal process for these positions, their immediate supervisor provides them with direction and determines their job performance and contributions to the Institute on a daily work basis.

Part-Time faculty are evaluated by their direct Academic Administrator during their first semester and periodically after that.  Student Survey of Instruction forms are also completed by students and are part of the evaluation process (3.C.3).

Continued Employment:  Should an employee not meet required standards for job performance, steps are taken to improve performance or remove the individual from employment.  The required steps vary and are based upon negotiated agreements.

Soliciting Input From and Communicating Expectations to Faculty, Staff, and Administrators

Through the Capture part of the evaluation process, Southeast Tech is able to assure that input is solicited from faculty, staff and administration as part of the evaluation process. Additionally, the process provides the opportunity for communication of expectations, and later reflection on job performance, through the Evaluate and Communicate and Publish parts of the process.

Aligning the Evaluation System with Institutional Objectives for Both Instructional and Non-Instructional Programs and Services

By requiring that Action and Professional Development Goals align to the Institute’s strategic plan or mission through the evaluation process above (see Develop and Decide staff section), the Institute assures that goals align to Institutional objectives, whether instructional or non-instructional.  Since the faculty evaluation process is specifically developed for instructional goals and Institutional involvement, this evaluation process also aligns with Institutional objectives (see Capture and Develop and Decide faculty sections).

Utilizing Established Institutional Policies and Procedures to Regularly Evaluate All Faculty, Staff, and Administrators (3.C.3)

The Evaluation Process described above is an annual process unless indicated otherwise (3.C.3). The faculty evaluation is documented in the Faculty Handbook as part of the negotiated agreement. 

Establishing Employee Recognition, Compensation, and Benefit Systems to Promote Retention and High Performance

Employee Recognition:

Employee recognition is both a personal decision of the giver and personal preference of the receiver.  What one person believes is recognition may not be to another.  For example, formal recognition in front of all employees may be recognition for some individuals and embarrassment for others.  Southeast Tech tries to be sensitive to the recognition preferences of the individual while still maintaining a process that recognizes employee contributions overall:

• BLUE: Building a stronger campus climate has been a major initiative of the Institute over the past five years.  Based on recent campus climate surveys, a sub-committee of the Institute’s Campus Climate Team developed a formal employee recognition process in 2013 called BLUE: Bold in our attitude, Leadership in all we do, United in our teamwork, and Excellence in our customer service. Any employee can recognize another employee in these areas by completing a simple form on the internal STInet site. The form requires that the employee check the area of recognition and provide specific details.  Once submitted, an email is sent to a designated recognition processor who assures that the recognition is sent to the individual and to the immediate supervisor.  Once a year, all the recipients are recognized at an all-campus Monthly Meeting.  The name of each recognized employee is displayed and a random drawing is held with the winner receiving a Southeast Tech Bookstore gift certificate.  To acknowledge and encourage more individuals to nominate employees, the person who made the winning nomination also receives a gift card. NOTE: While this process proved to be successful, it recently faltered and is being re-established for implementation in 2017-2018 (3R2). 
• Years of Service:  The Human Resources department recognizes milestones in years of service annually at a spring Monthly Meeting.  New employees and those reaching 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30+ years of service are recognized with service pins.
• Events:  The In-Service Committee and Campus Climate Team develop annual events for all employees to celebrate the Institute’s accomplishments and all employee contributions to that success.  These are developed as part of the processes associated with these two groups and have included:
  • Off-campus employee social events;
  • Good News Reports at monthly meetings;
  • Published articles and news briefs on accomplishments located on the Southeast Tech website and shared with the news media and the institute’s Tech Times magazine or featured in the annual President’s Report;
  • In-Service celebrations and opportunities to build campus connections and foster camaraderie;
  • Personal and specific acknowledgements through emails, thank you notes, words of appreciation, and recognition in front of peers at building or department/program meetings.

Compensation and Benefits:

To assure that Southeast Tech is offering a competitive salary and benefit package, the Administrative Team reviews salaries and benefits, comparing current salary and benefits to similar packages at other higher education institutions as well as within industry.  Industry comparisons are especially important given the technical nature of our programs and the need to lure highly skilled technical individuals from industry into teaching.  Because compensation and benefits have a significant impact on the Institution’s overall budget, the process used for the development of this system is completed as part of the Annual Planning process (4P2).  

Most Southeast Tech employee group salaries and benefits are directly tied to the Sioux Falls School District negotiated agreements.  Therefore, the exact compensation and benefits for Institute personnel are generally tied directly to how these groups are recognized within the District.  This includes clerical, custodial, specialists, and administration. Only “employment contract” individuals are not designated as part of an official bargaining group and have their salaries and benefits directly determined by the Institute.  Salary and benefit adjustments for this group are comparable to the adjustments made with the other negotiating groups. 

The only negotiating group that works directly with Southeast Tech administration for adjustments to compensation and benefits is faculty.  Through the Sioux Falls Education Association (SFEA), a faculty contract negotiation team works with Southeast Tech administration within the negotiation process to develop a compensation and benefits package for faculty.

NOTE: Recent legislation passed by the state in March 2017 removed all unions at the technical institute level across the state as of July 2017. Southeast Tech is currently working on how this will affect the Institute’s current employee processes, including compensation and benefits.

Promoting Employee Satisfaction and Engagement

Employee Retention is closely tied to employee engagement and satisfaction.  Therefore, Southeast Tech strives to develop a culture of participation and input.  This is accomplished through a variety of processes:

• Campus Climate Team:  The Campus Climate Team is the key team given the responsibility to work directly on promoting a positive campus climate.   

The team’s process begins with the capturing and analyzing of the inputs directly related to the campus culture.  Chief among these inputs is the Campus Climate Survey, conducted every other year.  In previous years, Southeast Tech used a survey developed internally; however, starting in 2014, the Institute began using the Noel-Levitz College Employee Satisfaction Survey (CESS).  The change was made to allow the Institute to collect comparative data regarding employee satisfaction as well as to better gauge significant changes in employee satisfaction levels.  Additional inputs have included follow-up surveys developed to gather data on specific campus issues or to determine employee interests and in-service topics.

The Campus Climate Team holds a summer strategy retreat to review these inputs and develop potential actions and targets for the coming year.  The team has several standing committees that work on specific topic areas throughout the year:  Wellness, Recognition, Community Involvement, and Communications.  As plans for the coming year are developed, the plans are assigned to a standing committee or are undertaken by a new committee.  Additional employee membership is added to individual committees as needed.

A plan of action is then developed by each subcommittee for deployment over the coming year.  In most instances, the approval of the Campus Climate Team is all that is needed to pursue an action; however, should other approval, input, or financial resources be required, the team seeks approval from the appropriate level.

Deployment is then completed by the sub-committees with members seeking outside support from various campus resources as needed.

Although the Campus Climate Team meets only three to four times a year, the process has been successful through the use of subcommittees.  These subcommittees meet monthly or even weekly, as needed.  Subcommittees report their progress at each Campus Climate Team meeting with actions adjusted as needed.

Once deployed, actions are tracked for effectiveness and are filtered back to the Campus Climate Team where the team and the Office of Institutional Research analyzes any data and compares results to established targets to determine overall effectiveness. 

Meeting minutes are documented on the Team page of STInet, and actions are communicated to the entire campus through emails and Monthly Meeting reports.

Finally, during its summer retreat, the Campus Climate Team uses the collected data and implemented action information to reflect on how well the process worked and how it can be improved.  Adjustments are then made to the process, which begins again by capturing the inputs.

• Campus Teams/Committees: Teams and committees play a significant role in Southeast Tech’s planning, continuous quality improvement and daily operations processes. The team/committee roles in planning processes are described in 4P2 (strategic planning) and in 6P2 (AQIP Framework).  Some teams/committees, such as the Curriculum Committee (1P4) serve a specific and well-defined purpose such as maintaining the Institute’s viability in specific areas. All of these teams/committees have developed processes and procedures that best meet their needs. Most meet monthly, if not more, to discuss concerns, develop and improve processes, and build a working community. All use the “Deploying Actions Process” described in 6P1.  Some teams have learned that functioning as sub-committees that report back to the main committee three or four times a year has made them more effective. The emphasis on this team-based approach has helped Southeast Tech move its action projects forward, improve productivity, and provide better support services and stronger academic programming. Table 3P2.2 provides a list of Southeast Tech’s main teams/committees and their primary functions.

To assure all employees are invited to participate, the President’s Office sends out an annual email request to all employees with a list of teams/committees for their consideration. Employees can simply respond back to the email with the teams/committees they would like to join.  The President’s Office then provides this information to the appropriate administrator or employee who oversees the team/committee.  Current team/committee members rotate out of the group according to the by-laws established by the team/committee (6P2). 

• Program/Department Teams: Daily operations and the associated processes are developed and revised through program/department teams.  These teams function differently according to the specific Institutional area and play a significant role in the area’s effectiveness.  Through these teams, Southeast Tech strives to involve faculty and staff in the design of work processes and therefore the opportunity to contribute to their own success as well as the success of the Institute. Most of Southeast Tech’s continuous improvement initiatives have been employee, not administrator, driven. Whether it is the creation of a new form or a new process, Southeast Tech believes that input from those involved in that process is critical to the success of the Institution. That involvement also leads to improved productivity and employee satisfaction. 
• Strategy Forums: Southeast Tech hosts an annual strategy forum (summer) on a topic important to the maturation of the Institute (6P2).  The topic may be set by administration, the Futures Team, or through an all-campus survey, depending upon the year and the immediate needs of the Institute in meeting its strategic plan objectives.  Depending upon the subject, some employees may be chosen specifically to participate in the forum; however, forum participation is generally open to the entire Institute through an email invitation from the President’s Office or by the administrator overseeing the forum.  Facilitators for the forum are chosen by the President or designee and may include administrators, faculty or staff.  Facilitators assure that all participants receive the necessary communication and materials for the forum, prepare and conduct the forum, collect forum results, and present the results to the Futures Team.  The Futures Team then determines what specific team or committee will work with the collected results to analyze data and implement actions based on the forum input.  The Deployment process (6P1) is then followed to assure final actions are completed and that communication and reflection occurs.
• Professional Development: Providing opportunities for continued employee training both on and off campus helps employees develop their skills and increases employee satisfaction and engagement. While development budgets are tight and not every employee receives the opportunities they deserve, Southeast Tech is working on ways to provide more opportunities for employee development as well as a way to assure that development is planned with employees on an annual basis through the evaluation process (3P1). 
• Employee Mentoring: The faculty mentoring process provides opportunities for veteran faculty to share their expertise with new faculty, and the peer coaching process provides veteran faculty the opportunity to share their skills with and learn new skills from other veteran faculty from across campus (see Cycle 2: Alternate Evaluation section). The Institute is currently working toward the development of similar mentoring processes for staff to be piloted in 2017-2018. 
• Employee Evaluation: The purpose of employee evaluations is employee growth, and as such, the process provides an additional way to engage individuals and improve satisfaction. By using the interactive evaluation processes described above in Performance Evaluation Systems, Southeast Tech administration has the opportunity to discuss employee needs and individual concerns and address them on a personal level.  The process also provides opportunities to determine professional development needs so that these needs can be met, which also encourages engagement and leads to employee satisfaction.  
• In-service:  Southeast Tech has established nine in-service days to be held each year for faculty professional development.  The topics and agenda for in-service days are generated by the In-Service Committee, which is made up of faculty, staff and administration (3P3).  
• Employee Monthly Meetings: Communication is vital to assuring employee satisfaction.  To provide a consistent and direct communication opportunity with all employees, Southeast Tech holds monthly all employee meetings throughout the year. To assure that nearly all employees can attend, offices are closed for the hour meeting. However, some classes are still in session and the childcare center remains open.  These meetings include Good News Reports (positive events that have occurred since the last meeting), reports by teams/committees and departments, President reports on happenings and events (such as legislation) that directly impact the Institute, action project and goal updates, and program/department presentations to help assure all employees understand the roles played by other Institutional areas. Guest speakers are invited to cover important information, such as campus safety, community involvement opportunities, and assessment and accreditation updates.
• Academic Building Monthly Meetings: The Academic Administrative Team holds monthly building meetings to improve communication with academic areas.  While these meetings and topics are generally designed specifically for faculty and academic staff, Admissions and Student Success staff frequently attend these meetings and share important details in their respective departments.

All of these processes and activities promote employee engagement and satisfaction. 

Tracking Outcomes/Measures Utilizing Appropriate Tools​

Southeast Tech has developed an annual staff goal-setting and evaluation form that connects staff goals to the Institute’s Strategic Plan and/or Mission/Vision. Therefore, the key measure of the evaluation process are the outcomes of these goals. (This is a new process piloted from 2014-2017 in Student Success, which will be expanded into other areas for 2017-2018 as the new Strategic Plan is implemented.) The Institute tracks the following:

• # of Goals Set
• % of Goals Met/Partially Met/Continuing
• % of Goals Met/Partially Met
• # of Goals by Strategic Plan Pillar or Mission/Vision and # Met, Partially Met, Continued, Not Met, or Removed

Because the goal-setting and evaluation process is new to the Institute, no target has been set at this time.

Southeast Tech believes that evaluation processes and employee contributions to the Institution include meeting employee needs and employee satisfaction as key to our success.  Southeast Tech uses the Noel-Levitz College Employee Satisfaction Survey to determine employee satisfaction in these key areas:

• Job Performance Assistance and Meeting Employee Needs
• Empowerment, Employee Recognition and Appreciation for Work
• Employee Satisfaction (Spirit of Teamwork, Pride for Institution, Employee Overall Satisfaction and Employee Departures)

3R2 Evaluation and Recognition 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/Comparison Results with Internal Targets and Benchmarks/Interpretation of Results and Insights Gained

Evaluation Goal Outcome Results Overall and by Strategic Plan/Mission-Vision

Recognizing that a more formal capture of evaluation results was important, Southeast Tech’s Student Success Center piloted a new process for documenting how employee contributions to the Institution directly impact the mission, vision and strategic plan.  Starting in 2014-2015, Success Center employees used a goal-setting process with their supervisor that directly related all expected performance targets to the priority areas or the mission/vision.  The initial results were promising and indicated that the development of employee evaluation goals has the opportunity to significantly impact overall Institutional effectiveness (see 3I2 for goal-setting improvement examples). Of the 44 goals set in summer 2014, 93% were Met, Partially Met or Continuing, and 70% were Met or Partially Met by summer 2015.  For 2015 goals, the results for the 42 goals were 93% and 88%, respectively (Table 3R2.1).  Data for the 2016-2017 goals are not yet available.  Goals were generally evenly split between the priority areas of ”Leveraging Resources” and “Improving Student Success”, both key areas for the Student Affairs area.  In some situations where a goal no longer remained valid or relevant (for example, the Institute moved in a direction that made the goal unnecessary or contrary to the new direction), the goal was marked as “GR”, goal removed.  NOTE:  Southeast Tech originally planned to add more employees to the pilot in 2016-2017; however, because a new strategic plan was under development, the Institute decided to wait until after the plan was approved. The new process will be used in goal setting for more areas for the 2017-2018 year.  

As 3P2 indicated, faculty evaluation is currently a formally negotiated process with set cycles of evaluation and consistent and clearly communicated performance expectations.  During formal and informal cycles, faculty contributions to the Institute are discussed with the immediate supervisor conducting the evaluation.  For example, a section of the Informal Evaluation asks faculty to describe particular contributions to profession, Institutional activities such as committees or teams, and participation in the community.  While the Academic Administrators conducting the evaluations become aware of employee contributions, the summary record of collective contributions is not currently documented.  Beginning in July 2017, the State of South Dakota removed all negotiated groups from the technical institutes; therefore, there is an opportunity to expand the new staff pilot to incorporate all employees. 

Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan:  The process appears to be valuable and will be continued.  The action plan for the next two years are:

• Expand the pilot process into more areas, giving the Institute a better picture of how well the process will work to inform change;
• Assure that within the evaluation process there are opportunities to connect individual employee success to Institutional success to build the “big picture” and the employees role in achieving it;
• Revise the form to connect all future employee goals to the new Strategic Plan, mission and vision.  

Job Performance Assistance and Meeting Employee Needs Results

Besides goal-setting, employee evaluations are about improving job performance.  A key measure, therefore, is how effective supervisors are at helping their employees improve.  From 2014 to 2016, Southeast Tech has made significant progress in its evaluative performance in this area.  As Table 3R2.2 demonstrates, satisfaction with supervisor assistance in improving job performance raised +.49, moving the Institute from below 90% of target to the target.

Meeting the Needs of Employees (Table 3R2.3), however, has remained stagnant for all employee groups from 2014 to 2016.  While measures are within 90% of the associated target, the Institute has not made any progress in moving this measure toward the target.

Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan:  Results for supervisor assistance are encouraging and may indicate that goal-setting may be one reason for the increase.  However, in order to move the Meeting Employee Needs towards the target, Southeast Tech’s future actions are:

• Hold Campus Climate Team listening sessions with employees regarding their work needs;
• Use input from listening sessions to develop a plan of action with targets and measures;
• Work with administration for approval and deployment of the plan of action and its targets and measures;
• Review data, evaluate success, communicate results and reflect on the process to make changes and set additional action plans;
• Include employee need discussions as part of the evaluation process, and when possible and appropriate, adjust work environment; 
• Assure employee expectations are standardized and communicated, then hold employees accountable to those expectations;
• Gather input from employees regarding how to improve the evaluation process.

Empowerment Results

An effective organization will empower its workers to make decisions to meet student needs.  To do so requires that supervisors allow employees to make decisions and carry them out on their own. As Table 3R2.4 indicates, Southeast Tech has shown progress in this area, moving up +.27 from 2014 to 2016. This result is now within +.07 of the national mean target.  

Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan: The results indicate that Southeast Tech has made progress towards its target but cannot lose this momentum now.  Therefore, the Institute is working on the following future actions:

• Develop a campus that is based on a “Why Not Give It a Try” philosophy;
• Develop a more consistent way for employees to give suggestions.

Employee Recognition and Appreciation for Work Results

In spring 2013, Southeast Tech started an employee recognition program that provided a quick and easy way for any employee to recognize other employees. The process also provided the employee’s supervisor with notification of the recognition so that the supervisor could also recognize the individual. For spring 2013, 92 recognitions were given. For academic year 2013-2014, the number of recognitions decreased to 76.  Employee satisfaction with the Institute’s recognition process met the Institute’s target in 2014 as indicated in Table 3R2.5.  Southeast Tech attributes at least part of the 2014 rating of 3.23, to the recognition process. The Institute also attributes the decline in the 2016 satisfaction level (-.30) to the ending of the recognition process.

Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan:  While the recognition process got off to a good start, it requires a gatekeeper - an individual who receives the online recognitions and assures emails are sent to both the recognized employee and the employee’s supervisor.  The Campus Climate Team’s Recognition sub-committee created and implemented the process and continued to provide the gatekeeper support for some time; however, the gatekeeper role eventually moved from member to member within the sub-committee until finally recognition submittals were not being monitored effectively.  This has been a learning opportunity for the Institute.  We now recognize that once a successful process has been implemented, a plan must be put in place to make it sustainable.  In this case, the gatekeeper role needs to be assigned permanently to a specific position, assuring that recognitions will be processed.  The Institute is revising the process and assigning the responsibility to a specific job function.  The Institute plans to re-launch the recognition process in 2017-2018. 

While the recognition process itself moved below target, supervisor appreciation of employee’s work moved above target (Table 3R2.6).  The growth showed significant improvement from 2014 to 2016, moving the institute from below 90% of target to above target.  

Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan: To increase satisfaction with the recognition process and continue the gains made in supervisor appreciation, Southeast Tech has developed the following actions to be implemented over the next two years:

• Revitalize the Institution’s Recognition Process;
• Rely on and use internal experts to present and share their successes and knowledge with the campus;
• Bring in motivational speakers for in-services and Monthly Meetings;
• Standardize the Years of Service awards/gifts.

Employee Satisfaction Results

Several measures provide insight into employee satisfaction.  

First, there is the development of a team environment where employees all work together for the good of the Institute. While Southeast Tech’s teamwork rating rose +.11 from 2014 to 2016, it is currently still below the target level (Table 3R2.7).  

Second, Institutional pride provides insight into employee satisfaction.  Southeast Tech’s 2016 score rose +.12 from 2014 and is above 4.0, but is still shy of the national mean by +.07 (Table 3R2.8).  

Overall employee satisfaction has risen as well, moving from 3.69 (2014) to 3.90 (2016), which is within +.01 of the target level (Table 3R2.9).  

One final measure, departure rates, provides insight into high or low levels of turnover, an indicator of employee satisfaction.  Using the NCCBP data, Southeast Tech’s departure rate has remained consistently in the 3% to under 5% level, with its current 3% departure rate placing it at the 13th percentile in the comparison group, a significant achievement (Table 3R2.10).

Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan: 

The improvements in the employee satisfaction areas of spirit of teamwork, proud to work at the institution, and overall satisfaction have been positive and are nearing the Institute’s goal to be at or above the national mean.  By focusing on the actions already described and implementing the following action, Southeast Tech believes that, by the next employee survey, the Institute will reach its target:

• As the Institute strives to use its new building and its auditorium to bring more outside groups to campus, involve Institutional employees from across campus to plan and implement these opportunities to build teamwork and pride in the Institute.

3I2 Evaluation and Recognition Improvements

In the past five years, Southeast Tech has improved its evaluation and recognition processes in the following ways:

• Implemented a new evaluation process that more directly relates and tracks employee goals to the strategic plan, mission and vision;
• Implemented a successful employee recognition process.

The Institute learned a valuable lesson during the implementation of its recognition process: sustainability is vital. While the initial start of the recognition process was positive, successful, and appreciated by employees, not recognizing the importance of assuring sustainability resulted in the loss of the process. As the Institute moves forward with re-implementation of this process, as well as the implementation of future processes across the Institute, the need to determine sustainability has now become part of the Develop and Reflect process stages.

Future initiatives over the next two years include:

• Reinstate BLUE, the Institute’s employee recognition process;
• Determine and implement employee evaluation processes for all employees currently under negotiated agreements (all negotiated agreements end July 2017);
• Expand the use of the staff evaluation process to more areas across campus, assuring that employee goals are directly connected to the strategic plan, mission, and vision;
• Develop a more formal process for employee suggestions for improvement.

3P3 Development

• Providing and supporting regular professional development for all employees (3.C.4, 5.A.4)
• Ensuring that instructors are current in instructional content in their disciplines and pedagogical processes (3.C.4)
• Supporting student support staff members to increase their skills and knowledge in their areas of expertise (e.g. advising, financial aid, etc.) (3.C.6)
• Aligning employee professional development activities with institutional objectives
• Tracking outcomes/measures utilizing appropriate tools

Providing and Supporting Regular Professional Development for All Employees (3.C.4, 5.A.4)

While Southeast Tech’s overall mission of educating for employment has remained consistent for nearly 50 years, the process of meeting that mission has changed significantly. From how we teach to how we provide student services to how we communicate with stakeholders, the world of educating for employment has changed dramatically. This change requires the Institute to continuously respond accordingly by providing the training and professional development necessary to meet the ever-changing world of education.

Training dollars, however, are limited; therefore, proper planning is key and requires the collection of and careful review of training and development needs. Southeast Tech therefore relies on the input of its stakeholders to determine these needs:

CAPTURE

External Stakeholder Input

While most external stakeholders do not directly request that the Institute provide training or development of employees, their input through program Advisory Committees, Council and Board representation, vendor relationships, strategic planning, responses to Institutional or employment surveys, or through informal conversations with Institutional employees, provides important information regarding the direction Institutional training and development should take.

This input is gathered through the following methods:

• Strategic Planning:  During the Strategic Planning development process (4P1), external stakeholders are given various opportunities to provide input to the plan, including recommendations for training and development, which is then documented as part of the planning process.
• Advisory Committee meetings:  During the two annually required program Advisory Committee meetings, external members of the committee have the opportunity to share with program faculty the various industry changes that may require continued faculty and staff education.  These meetings are also attended by Southeast Tech administration, assuring that the training or development need is communicated to the supervisory level as well.  Information is documented in Advisory Committee minutes (1P1).
• Southeast Tech Council and Governing Board:  Regular meetings of the Council and Board provide opportunities for input on training or development needs from these governing boards.  Additionally, both of these groups are involved in the Annual Planning process, allowing for direct input into training dollars and training and development planning (4P2).  This information is gathered directly by Southeast Tech administration and is documented in the Council and Board minutes.
• Vendor Relationships:  Southeast Tech relies significantly on the input of its vendor relationships to determine both type and scope of Institutional training and development needs.  Whether implementing a new product or improving the utilization of current products, Southeast Tech’s close relationship with its vendors provides the Institute with expertise that the Institute could not otherwise afford.  Therefore, the Institute frequently reaches out to these vendors for suggestions and assistance in training employees. Training and development recommendations are gathered and documented by the department involved in the vendor discussion.  If this does not include the department supervisor, the information is passed on to the supervisor by the employees involved (5P3). 
• Surveys:  Southeast Tech surveys employers of our graduates every other year (the survey includes the past two years of graduates).  The survey includes an opportunity for employers to suggest what training or development is necessary for Southeast Tech students, which can then lead to determining training needs for employees.  Additionally, the survey asks employers to rate Southeast Tech’s services and provides an opportunity for employer comment and recommendations for improvements.  
• Conversations: Not all input from external stakeholders occurs through formal processes.  Informal conversations occur regularly, and during these conversations, training and development needs may be discussed.  Employees then share these conversations with the appropriate sources, whether it is the Inservice Committee, a direct supervisor, or an individual in another department.

Internal Stakeholder Input

Southeast Tech’s internal stakeholders provide training and development input through a variety of processes and communication systems.  These methods help assure that Southeast Tech does not miss a training or development need.  Although it is not possible to list all the input methods, here are several key inputs:                                      

• Inservice Committee:  Employees can provide input directly to the Inservice Committee, which is the main campus committee for faculty training and development, through emails to committee members or by completing campus training and development surveys.  Although this training is generally specific to faculty needs, staff are invited to provide input to the Inservice Committee and attend training sessions as well.  
• Evaluations - Faculty:  During faculty evaluations, individual faculty members meet with their supervisor to review job performance.  As part of the evaluation cycle, the supervisor and the faculty member formally discuss professional development needs.  This information is documented as part of the evaluation itself (3P2).  
• Evaluations – Staff:  While staff annual evaluations differ in format to that of faculty, the process provides an opportunity to discuss training and development needs.  As part of the evaluation process itself, the staff member and administrator are prompted to discuss and document on the evaluation form future professional development goals (3P2).

Department and Program Team Meetings Input

• Budget Development:  Employees participate in the budget development cycle and provide input on training and development to assure that appropriate funds are considered as part of the Annual Planning process (4P2).  
• Committees and Teams:  Southeast Tech relies heavily on its employee teams and committees to gather training and development input.  Every committee has the responsibility to provide this information to administration for consideration.  These requests are documented in team/committee minutes and are shared with the appropriate administrator either through written requests such as email, or in direct communications.  In many instances, an administrator is a part of the team/committee and carries the message directly to the administrative team.   

DEVELOP

Educational funding is always limited; therefore, training budgets are tight and do not always allow for the Institute to tackle all training and development needs within a given budgeting cycle.  In order to assure that appropriate training priorities are established, a plan and rationale for requested training needs is developed.  In many cases, these training needs can be provided through established department and program training budgets, and therefore only require rationale at the department or program level.  In other cases, where additional training funds are needed or training and development are at the Institutional level, a more formal plan and rationale is required.

DECIDE

Final decisions on training and professional development may take place at several levels, but are all part of the Annual Planning process (4P2).

Department and Program Training:  As each department and program area develops its budget for the upcoming year, employees have the opportunity to address and allocate funds for future training and development.  The decision to use the funds is determined by the area’s employees and the immediate supervisor (5.A.4).

Inservice Training: An Inservice Committee, made up of faculty and administration, determines the use of allocated inservice training and development funds to be used during Inservice Days.  All employees are invited to attend those training sessions that are applicable to their positions (3.C.4).

New Initiative Training:  When Southeast Tech develops a new initiative, the Institute determines what training and development is required to guarantee a successful implementation.  This occurs as part of the new initiative planning process.  Those active in the implementation of the new initiative determine training and development needs and request the necessary resources during budget discussions (5.A.4). 

Established Annual Training:  Southeast Tech has made the commitment to continually fund specific training opportunities.  Currently, the Institute has allocated annual funding in the following areas:

• New Faculty Training:  Southeast Tech’s FAC 100 course provides five full days of new faculty training prior to the faculty member teaching a first semester.  The course covers Learning Management System details, internal website, first days/weeks of the semester, etc.  A second course, FAC 102, is required during the following year and covers methodology in more depth (3P2) (3.C.4).  
• New Faculty Mentoring:  New faculty also take a one year MENTR 100, which is a mentoring experience with a professional peer mentor to cover topics including evaluations, student advising, recruitment, retention, forms, student behavior and other issues, and a continuation of the information presented in FAC 100.  During the second year of teaching, new faculty take MENTR 200, which continues their mentoring and covers how to effectively deliver post-secondary technical education in the 21st century.  MENTR 200 is provided as an online mentoring course (3P2) (3.C.4).
• New Staff Training and Mentoring:  Currently, new staff training is completed by the immediate supervisor and HR, and effectiveness varies by department.  Southeast Tech is implementing a better process for initial staff training and mentoring (3P2) (5.A.4).
• Online Learning:  All faculty are invited to take FAC 103, which covers best practices in hybrid and online learning.  This course is offered in the summer and is required of all faculty wanting to teach hybrid or online courses (3.C.4).
• Specialty Courses:  Throughout the year, and especially in the summer, academics offers courses designed specifically to meet the ever-changing needs of technical education.  While the topics and formats of these courses may change based on the various inputs, funding has already been established for the continuation of these offerings (3.C.4).  
• Annual Conferences:  Because of the knowledge gained by the Institute, Southeast Tech has made a commitment to have employees attend specific annual conferences, including the Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference and the Jenzabar Annual Meeting (administrative software system) (3.C.4) (5.A.4).  
• Monthly Employee Meetings:  Training is provided on various issues to all employees as part of the Institute’s monthly meetings, including sexual assault, policy, and campus safety training (3.C.4) (5.A.4). 
• Monthly Building Meetings:  Faculty meet with their immediate supervisor for monthly building meetings, which includes training on specific academic or student issues (3.C.4) (5.A.4).
• Department Meetings:  Department meetings are held with the immediate supervisor on a monthly if not weekly basis, and staff discuss department needs as well as receive training on specific department-related issues (5.A.4). 

Final training and development allocations are determined by the Administrative Team based on the strategic plan and available resources during the Annual Planning process and are then approved by the Council and Board (4P2).

DEPLOY

Once training and funding have been approved, deployment takes place based on the specific training area and department or team associated with the training purpose.  This occurs at the program, department, team, committee or Institutional level.  

PUBLISH AND COMMUNICATE​

Because faculty training and professional development are vital to faculty continued state credentialing, all training and professional development is documented by the Credentialing Committee.  Staff training associated with goal-setting within the evaluation process is documented in the following year’s outcome evaluation (3P2).  Team and committee training are documented within team or committee minutes, and training and professional development is shared with Advisory committees when appropriate.  Southeast Tech also recognizes individuals and their training and professional development during Monthly Meetings. Finally, training that is part of a specific target or goal, either at the Institutional, program/department or committee/team level is documented in the Planning and Assessments database.

REFLECT

Reflection occurs within the area associated with the training or professional development and may be documented in appropriate minutes.   

Ensuring That Instructors Are Current in Instructional Content in Their Disciplines and Pedagogical Processes (3.C.4)

Southeast Tech uses the process just described to assure that it provides faculty training and professional development funding, both at the program and Institutional levels, to assure faculty remain current in their disciplines and pedagogy.  As a technical institute, it is Southeast Tech’s priority to assure that faculty remain current in industry standards.  Therefore, the Institute uses is Advisory committees to inform faculty and administration of training needs and current and future expectations of industry requirements.  This information is then discussed during program Annual Planning meetings and included in budget requests for the coming year (4P2).  The Institute encourages all types of training, including industry-related professional development, industry conferences, trade shows, advanced degrees, etc.  It is up to faculty and their immediate supervisor to assure that proper training and professional development is provided.  The use of the Institute’s internal onboarding and new and continuing faculty training help the Institute assure that faculty are trained on the pedagogical processes used by the Institute.  Southeast Tech also provides opportunities for faculty to be mentors and team or committee leaders.  Faculty professional development activities are recorded and monitored by the Institute’s Credentialing Committee (3P2), and designated inservice days provide additional opportunities for continued development (3.C.4).

Supporting Student Support Staff Members to Increase Their Skills and Knowledge in Their Areas of Expertise (3.C.6)

Similar to faculty, Southeast Tech provides staff training and professional development funding both at the department level and Institutionally.  During the Annual Planning process, staff members work with their immediate supervisor to determine training and professional development needs (4P2).  Individual professional development goals are set during annual evaluations.  These goals must be directly related to the mission and strategic goals of the Institute and frequently are developed to improve the knowledge and expertise of the staff member to perform their job responsibilities or develop new knowledge bases.  These needs are then incorporated into departmental budgets (5P3).  The Institute encourages all types of staff training, including administrative software applications, role-associated regional and national conferences, advanced degrees, webinars, etc.  Staff members and their immediate supervisor work together to assure that the proper training and professional development are provided, and the Institute is developing a stronger onboarding process that will improve staff skills and knowledge upon hire.  Staff are also given opportunities to become team and committee leaders.  Training and professional development may be recorded as part of the evaluation process or within area minutes (3.C.6).

Aligning Employee Professional Development Activities with Institutional Objectives

Southeast Tech’s evaluation process (3P2) and Annual Planning process (4P2) are used to assure alignment of employee professional development with the Institute’s objectives.

Evaluation Process:  As the employee and immediate supervisor develop annual employee goals, the process requires that all goals, including employee training and professional development, be directly aligned with the Institute’s strategic plan or mission.  It is the responsibility of the immediate supervisor to assure this alignment occurs.  The training/professional development, however, is frequently a part of a larger Institutional goal or target; therefore, the training/development is frequently associated with a goal or target that has been incorporated directly into Institutional Annual Planning (4P2).  

Annual Planning Process:  As the Institute develops its annual plan, meetings are held at the department, program and committee/team levels to determine training/professional development needs.  These needs are then incorporated into budget requests (4P2), which are then incorporated into the Institute’s annual plan.  Annual planning is approved by the Administrative Team, Council and Board, assuring that training and professional development activities are aligned with Institutional objectives.

Tracking Outcomes/Measures Utilizing Appropriate Tools

Southeast Tech’s current tracks its results for assisting and supporting professional development through the Noel-Levitz College Employee Satisfaction Survey (CESS) for:

• Adequate Professional Development Opportunities
• Adequate Training Opportunities

3R3 Development 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 Results with Internal Targets Benchmarks AND Interpretation of Results and Insights Gained

Prior to 2014, Southeast Tech used an internal survey to gauge employee satisfaction with professional development.  The Institute now uses the Noel-Levitz CESS survey, which provides the opportunity for benchmarking with other colleges.  The Institute has set the higher of the two national mean scores for the 2014/2016 years as the Institute’s target.  

As Table 3R3.1 indicates, Southeast Tech’s employee satisfaction with training opportunities has risen from 3.07 (2014) to 3.19 (2016), which has placed the Institute within 90% of the target.  However, a gap of -.25 still exists before the target of 3.44 will be met.

Table 3R3.2 shows similar gains in professional development with the Institute moving from 3.00 (2014) to 3.24 (2016), which has moved the Institute to within 90% of the target. However, the Institute is still -.21 before the target level of 3.45.   

Summer 2016 Insights and Action Plan: The Institute can clearly achieve further gains in this area.  Therefore, over the next two to three years, the Institute plans to:

• Assure all new employees are trained adequately during the onboarding process;
• Implement a mentoring process for staff, similar to the one already established for faculty, to assure new employees receive adequate assistance through their first year at the Institute; 
• Expand the use of the new evaluation process, which includes a required section to set professional development goals specific to each employee;
• Develop a staff inservice day; 
• Develop additional methods to track professional development and its impact on the Institute.

3I3 Development Improvements

Southeast Tech has recently improved its development of employees through training and professional development in the following ways:

• Expanded and improved the already-established faculty training and mentoring programs;
• Dedicated funds for annual training and development at key national conferences; 
• Provided training on key focus areas, including campus safety, sexual assault response and prevention, student mental health assistance, Institutional administrative software, etc.

Over the course of the next two to three years, the Institute will pursue the following actions to further develop training and professional development across campus:

• Improve initial onboarding training for all employees by making it more thorough and consistent across campus;
• Implement a mentoring process for staff; 
• Expand the use of the new evaluation process, which includes a required section to set professional development goals specific to each employee;
• Develop a staff inservice day; 
• Develop additional methods to track professional development and its impact on the Institute.

Go to Category Four: Planning and Leading