Community Colleges of Spokane Research Report Cher Desautel & Casey Fielder February 15, 2011

1. Community Colleges of Spokane Research ReportCher Desautel & Casey FielderFebruary 15, 2011

2. Research Goals • Gather feedback to inform the strategic plan • Understand stakeholder perceptions of CCS • Understand how CCS can better serve and prepare students

3. Methodology – Focus Groups • Diverse cross-section of internal audiences • Used discussion guide designed to facilitate general discussion and touch on key focus areas • Faculty: 3 groups with 23 total participants • Staff: 4 groups with 36 participants • Students: Four groups with 9 participants • Total of 68 participants

4. Methodology – Insight Interviews • One-on-one phone interviews • Used discussion guide designed to facilitate general discussion and touch on key focus areas • 20 business and industry leaders • 10 K-12 system partners • 10 higher education partners • Total of 40 respondents

5. Methodology – Student Surveys • Survey tool created from focus group questions • Supplement student audience • Total of 58 students across institutions • 22 SFCC • 20 SCC • 5 Pullman Center • 5 Newport Center • 3 Colville Center • 3 Magnuson Building

6. SWOT - Strengths • 3 distinctive institutions unified by a common mission • Strong community reputation • Quality programs • Quality graduates • Quality staff and faculty • Diverse programs and degree offerings • Access • Wrap-around support services for students • Strategic alliances with regional industry/business

7. SWOT - Weaknesses • Current district structure and differing processes and procedures • Inconsistent processes that aren’t student-centric • Staff spread thin • Support services • Advising • Registration • Grants – lack of support • Communication • Disconnect around math placement/requirements • Lack of visibility with new district leadership

8. SWOT - Opportunities • Grants and support for these • Strengthen industry connection and partnerships • New leadership • Strengthen support services such as advising • Fully utilize facilities through rentals and evening/afternoon classes • Expand online capabilities • Expand class offerings including non-traditional dates/times

9. SWOT - Threats • Budget cuts • Online classes – investment, competitiveness, orientation • Too many adjunct faculty – needs to be balance • Not being able to respond to demand • Cynicism or distrust with process • Students’ dependence on financial aid as there may be cuts to this

10. Overall Key Findings • CCS is a critical component of the higher education landscape in our region. • CCS does its job well and serves as an accessible and important platform for educating people of varying backgrounds. • CCS needs to continue to build partnerships and focus on collaboration with external audiences.

11. Overall Key Findings • Internal audiences need support from CCS by streamlining processes and student support services. • CCS offers and needs to continue offering an education that is not only academic, but focuses on creating well-rounded and well-supported graduates.

12. Overall Key Findings • The three institutions under CCS act independently and not as one district, causing inconsistency and creating barriers for most stakeholder groups. • Ongoing, targeted and relevant communication with CCS stakeholders is important and needs continued emphasis.

13. Overall Key Findings • CCS has opportunities to leverage existing resources to manage through budget constraints.

14. Next Steps and Engagement Recommendations • Share the research results • Post on the website • Thank you email to all who participated with link to information • Continue to share information and invite feedback • Forums throughout strategic plan development and again once the plan is complete

15. Key Findings – Business Leaders • Business leaders view CCS as a vital part of our region’s higher education landscape. • CCS is well-known for providing a quality and accessible education to diverse populations throughout the region.

16. Key Findings – Business Leaders • CCS graduates are perceived as high-quality and prepared with the skills unique to their program of study, but need ongoing and additional training in non-technical skills. • CCS should have a close and ongoing relationship with the region’s industry organizations to maintain a clear understanding of workforce needs.

17. Key Findings – Business Leaders • Future workforce needs will be highly focused on manufacturing and health care industries. • When dealing with the challenges of budget constraints, CCS needs to focus on its mission and core strengths, as well as improving student experiences and outcomes.

18. Key Findings – K-12 Partners • K-12 partners viewed CCS as providing high quality programs that prepare students well for their selected pathways.

19. Key Findings – K-12 Partners • K-12 partners viewed CCS as a strong partner in our region’s education but feel it needs to focus on providing a collaborative/coordinated approach to support student success. • One key example of this was the disconnect in math education from high school to CCS.

20. Key Findings – K-12 Partners • Information about CCS institutions can be unclear or confusing for K-12 partners and students as details and information vary from one institution to the other. • Transitions from K-12 to CCS are a key part of students’ success in education and CCS should continue to focus on helping make transitions seamless.

21. Key Findings – K-12 Partners • Partnerships and communication between the K-12 schools and CCS are critical for student success and should continue to be an area of focus. • CCS can navigate current challenges by looking for ways to increase partnerships and find efficiencies in processes and class offerings.

22. Key Findings – K-12 Partners • Steps for improving quality and access of programs as well as completion rates should be well-rounded, touching on all areas of the student path, and align with the workforce needs of our region.

23. Key Findings – K-12 Partners • In looking to the future, CCS and K-12 partners will face challenges in education with a changing landscape around state standards and budget constraints, but need to focus on ways to continue preparing and serving students.

24. Key Findings – Higher Education Partners • Higher education partners credit CCS with offering students less expensive training options, with smaller class sizes, in a less intimidating learning environment than universities can provide.

25. Key Findings – Higher Education Partners • Higher education partners want CCS to focus advising efforts on helping every student look at the bigger picture of his/her education and long-term goals, including the possibility of becoming a transfer student. • Partners valued the diversity, determination and life experience that CCS transfer students bring and want more opportunity to promote their universities with CCS students.

26. Key Findings – Higher Education Partners • Opportunities abound for CCS advisors and advisors from higher education institutions to share data and build stronger partnerships. • CCS has opportunities to find efficiencies and improve student experiences by focusing on student support services.

27. Key Findings – Higher Education Partners • Higher education partners are pleased with the variety of programs offered. • Dual enrollment, including offering summer courses, was the idea mentioned most as a way for CCS and higher education partners to work together to generate new revenue.

28. Key Findings – Higher Education Partners • Higher education partners suggested taking a hard look at course offerings and what will be needed to be successful in the jobs of the future as the lead ideas for reducing costs. • Ongoing, frequent communication touch points are critical to ensuring students don’t slip through the cracks and are helped as they navigate the systems.

29. Key Findings – Staff • CCS provides flexible, important and quality education for our region. • The lack of consistency throughout the district is a significant weakness and barrier for CCS staff.

30. Key Findings – Staff • Clear access to education and supporting resources are important components in providing quality services and educational experiences for students. • Streamlined and clearly defined processes across institutions for staff and students are needed to better serve students, remove barriers, improve quality and help manage limited budgets.

31. Key Findings – Staff • Communication is vital and needs continued improvement and emphasis to ensure there is a clear process and exchange of information.

32. Key Findings – Faculty • CCS faculty felt a sense of pride in their institution and that CCS provides a quality educational environment focused on meeting the needs of those it serves. • The difference in systems and procedures among CCS institutions is confusing and often a source of frustration for CCS faculty.

33. Key Findings – Faculty • Graduates of CCS are well-prepared for their next step, but face barriers in getting to graduation. • Identifying metrics to measure program effectiveness and student preparedness is important, but metrics need to be tailored and flexible.

34. Key Findings – Faculty • Leveraging existing CCS resources can be a way of managing CCS’ limited budget. • Frequent and open CCS communication is important but needs to be deliberate, focused and relevant to the intended audience.

35. Key Findings – Students • Students viewed CCS’ breadth of program offerings and accessible education options as key strengths. • Advising services play an important role in student success.

36. Key Findings – Students • Students felt that they receive a quality education at CCS and are satisfied with the support they get from their instructors. • Students would like to see improvements in support services and communication from CCS.

37. Key Findings – Student Surveys • The majority of students sampled indicated they are attending CCS for two years to transfer to a four-year university. • Available programs of study, proximity to home and affordability were the major factors that brought students to CCS.

38. Key Findings – Student Surveys • Most students believe CCS is doing a good or excellent job in supporting students to reach their goals. • Most students believe CCS is doing a good or excellent job preparing them for their next level of education.

39. Key Findings – Student Surveys • Most students believe CCS provides good or excellent value for their money. • Most students believe CCS is doing a good or excellent job of communicating information students need to know. • Most students indicated that tuition increases won’t have a negative impact on them.

40. Key Findings – Student Surveys • Most students prefer to receive information from CCS via online mediums. • Students identified advising, expanded classes and times and financial aid as areas for improvement.

41. Key Findings – Student Surveys • Students identified the program and class offerings as well as quality instructors as key strengths of CCS. • Students identified the lack of flexibility in available classes and class times as key barriers.

42. Questions?

43. Thank You!