6P1 Student and Stakeholder Support Needs

Southeast relies on a number of sources to identify the support needs of its stakeholders. These include internal and external sources as well as research – surveys, graduation and retention rates, national publications, IPEDS, etc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other stakeholder needs are determined in a number of ways:

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