The Community Weighs In

1. The Community Weighs In Kathleen M. Vranos, M.S.A. Vision/Mission Recommendations For Greenfield Community College May, 2007

2. Research Objectives • Identify insights regarding: • Core needs of key constituents • Characteristics of college decision-making process • Core strengths of GCC • Best practices in community college strategic planning K.M. Vranos

3. Research Objectives (cont.) • Apply insights to recommendations for: • Refined Vision/Mission/Values Statement • Development of Strategic Enrollment Management Plan • Alumni Engagement Strategies K.M. Vranos

4. Methodology • Reviewed existing sources for INSIGHTS • Conducted 12 interviews with Pioneer Valley Community Leaders • Conducted 9 focus groups • Current, non-matriculated, for credit • Adult-learner, prospective • Traditional, prospective (Greenfield, Amherst, Frontier) • Alumni K.M. Vranos

5. Key Findings: Institutional and Secondary Research

6. Vision/Mission Best Practices • Vision: • States where you’ll be in 10 years • Mission: • Short, clear, concise • Repeatable • Inspiring to Leadership, Faculty and Staff • Grounded in Differential Advantage highly relevant to constituents • Informative for further strategic decision-making K.M. Vranos

7. Vision/Mission Examples (cont.) • United Way Mission: • Kellogg Company : • Google's Mission: • To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. K.M. Vranos

8. GCC Competitors Finding Focus: • Holyoke Community College • Springfield Technical Community College • UMass Amherst K.M. Vranos

9. GCC’s Core Strength: Student/Faculty Engagement GCC ranks in the 80th percentile on factors relating to strong Student/ Faculty engage-ment. Per Pam Matheson CCSSE analysis. K.M. Vranos

10. Employment Breakdown demonstrates community challenges: 2005 Average annual wage: $34,277 K.M. Vranos Source: Regional LMI Profile Series, March 2006, Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development

11. Key Findings Constituents express needs/perceptions of GCC

12. Adult-Learners • “Focusing event” stimulates adults to seek higher education. • Locally, event is a CRISIS. • Unemployment • Death of a spouse • Divorce • Abuse • Disability K.M. Vranos

13. Adult Learners • Consider higher ed, but fail to take action for YEARS • Stimulus appears to be EXTERNAL • GCC choice is AUTOMATIC! • In order to proceed, require: • Details on procedure • Financial aid counseling • Academic counseling • “Support systems” K.M. Vranos

14. Proposed Local Adult Learners Decision Model K.M. Vranos

15. Snapshots of high school students reveal: Despair with teaching profession Lack of direction Sense of pressure Little perceived assistance with college decision process Meet the Lost Generation K.M. Vranos

16. The Lost Generation • Search and evaluation processes have changed: • Students claim guidance counseling replaced by computer training • Career counseling, college search occurs online “No one knows me. I’m overwhelmed.” K.M. Vranos

17. The Lost Generation • Not surprisingly, MENTORING tops list for desired college experience. “I want to be a person, not a number.” “I want to get to know my teachers. I don’t know my teachers here.” “I want teachers who understand the way I learn.” “If a teacher knows your strengths and weaknesses, they can build you up.” “I want to find a vision for my future.” K.M. Vranos

18. The Lost Generation • Sadly, high school students don’t expect to find mentoring relationships with college teachers – at GCC, or anywhere! K.M. Vranos

19. The Lost Generation • Other characteristics of HIGH CONCERN include: • Affordable cost/financial aide package • Strong sense of campus life (sports are key) • Availability of internships and career placement K.M. Vranos

20. The Lost Generation • Perceptions of GCC were least defined in this segment, but generally negative. • “No Sports” top-of-mind association “We grew up with sports.” “I feel like sports are what bring us together as a community.” K.M. Vranos

21. The Lost Generation • In the absence of defined image, GCC receives negative rub-off from “drive-by” image and location. “All they have are those empty soccer fields. If GCC had sports, the place would be packed.” “Greenfield isn’t very appealing.” K.M. Vranos

22. The Lost Generation • Other generic community college perceptions: “It’s 13th grade.” “It’s not real college.” “The faculty can’t be good. Why would they teach there?” K.M. Vranos

23. The Lost Generation • Yet, 2/3 still place GCC on list of college possibilities. “I might end up there, but I won’t feel good about it.” “It’s probably all I’ll be able to afford.” K.M. Vranos

24. Proposed Local Traditional Decision Process K.M. Vranos

25. Community Leaders • Those with direct GCC experience readily cite differentiating characteristics of school: • “Transforming” experience for students • Partnership with community institutions • Quality of overall education • Engagement/responsiveness of President Pura K.M. Vranos

26. Community Leaders INSERT PHOTO HERE “The 1:1 experience is GCC’s secret to success. There are so many stories of students going to GCC, getting stabilized, having a quality experience through individualized attention, and becoming lifelong l earners.” GPS Administrator “People question themselves and their abilities. At GCC, people there have made a decision that they want you – they want to be a part of your life forever and see you succeed. You won’t find this in other institutions. GCC is like MOM – you can do it, we can help.” Greenfield Government Official K.M. Vranos

27. Community Leaders • Less engaged pockets of community: • Tend to occur outside of Greenfield • Discuss GCC in terms of what “could be” • Believe faculty concerns are focused outside of community • Believe institution has not been contacted by GCC, though other colleges have developed partnerships K.M. Vranos

28. Community Leaders • Less engaged also: • Can’t express differentiating characteristics of GCC • Can’t cite examples of GCC community involvement, or • Recognize good intentions, but point to lack of follow-through • Expect this to occur at program/faculty level K.M. Vranos

29. Community Leaders “When I started in this job, someone called from the other colleges. They reached out, made a contact, we met, developed HUGE relationships.” Northampton Public Schools Administrator “I’ve gotten to know Nancy Bair, but no one from the Main Campus. It seems like a different school.” Greenfield Business Association Administrator Yankee Candle Company H.R. Administrator K.M. Vranos

30. Community Leaders • Nearly every institution expressed desire to work with GCC to achieve organizational objectives through: • Degree/non-credit educational programs delivered on-campus, on-location or on-line. • Student internships • Academic research • Employee recruitment K.M. Vranos

31. Alumni • Consistently express GCC Advantage: “I learned to believe in myself and what I’m capable of.” “As a child, I had ADD and did poorly in school. I felt like a failure. I came to GCC with poor English and as a single mom. I found a supportive community here, and I got good grades and then a good job. GCC helped me feel proud of myself.” K.M. Vranos

32. Alumni • Best memories of GCC relate to student/faculty engagement: “On Graduation Day, my teacher walked through the line and said, ‘You did it!’ I’ll never forget that.” “At the 20th reunion, our Nursing Instructors came and we all LOVED this.” “The mentoring I received in the Art program got me to stay in school and work hard. I was so much better prepared when I got to Boston than the other students.” K.M. Vranos

33. Alumni • Admit they haven’t set foot on campus since graduation • Are generally unaware of Alumni opportunities available through GCC. • Would contribute time/money IF accompanied by professional/personal benefits • Would like to reconnect within fields of interest for: • Four-year degree through GCC • Visits with faculty • Career Networking • Ongoing professional development • Social functions K.M. Vranos

34. Recommended GCC Vision/Mission • Vision: Greenfield Community College will become the leading agent of change in the Pioneer Valley by building relationships to advance progress in intellectual, social, cultural, and economic development. In so doing, GCC will be the best small college anywhere. • Mission: At Greenfield Community College, we believe that the individual potential of each student is our future’s most valuable resource. Our passionate faculty and staff are committed to accomplishing our Mission, one student at a time: GCC: Partnering to achieve your highest potential. K.M. Vranos

35. Recommended GCC Strategic Priorities • Ensure that GCC maintains its leadership in delivering superior student/faculty engagement by fostering an environment in which GCC’s Principles of Education are delivered through dynamic, interpersonal, learning collaborations between students and faculty members. • Increase reach and effectiveness of student support services, including financial aid and academic advising, ESL and disability services, peer tutoring, career counseling and job placement to improve outcomes across our diverse student population. • Stimulate intellectual, social, and economic progress in the Pioneer Valley and surrounding communities by developing innovative collaborations between community partners and GCC faculty, staff, and students. • Implement and monitor a data-driven, strategic enrollment management plan to maximize access to educational opportunities which meet the needs of our students and community. • Increase alumni engagement with the college community by improving alumni support services and developing new alumni participation opportunities. • Implement a Vision-to-Outcome strategic planning process to ensure that strategic priorities result in improved student and community outcomes. K.M. Vranos

36. Strategic Enrollment Management Implications • Execute College Mission by requiring data-driven strategic planning to be conducted at the department level, with faculty/staff: • Assessing community needs relevant to discipline • Building innovative partnerships and delivery mechanisms in response • Capturing outcome data • Extending student/faculty engagement through to alumni experiences • Recognize Vision-to-Outcome strategic planning requires ability to track constituents from first contact through responses, enrollment, persistence, graduation, employment outcome and alumni participation. K.M. Vranos

37. Strategic Enrollment Management Implications • Implement top-to-bottom, data-driven review of all CONTACT POINTS with key constituent groups to establish baseline context for: • Source of initiation • Online • Telephone • In-person (off-site or on campus) • Stimulus • GCC message content • GCC response mechanisms • GCC materials provided • GCC follow-up procedures • Enrollment results • Persistence Rate • Student Outcomes • Alumni Participation K.M. Vranos

38. Strategic Enrollment Management Implications • Establish clear positioning statement to communicate GCC advantages to constituents. • Deliver consistent message throughout contact points • Faculty/staff – Train, equip, and motivate to deliver message and response materials, and participate in data collection. • College website – • Develop online inquiry/response and application process ASAP to capture traditional student segment. • Communicate college advantage through student testimonials, case histories, outcome data AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL. • Recognize that all content communicates to prospects positively or negatively. REMOVE content intended for internal consumption. • Leverage website for marketing/communication, prospecting, application, response, data collection, alumni engagement opportunities. K.M. Vranos

39. Strategic Enrollment Management Implications • Course Catalogue • Not used by Traditional student segment for enrollment decision-making. • Used by Adult Learners • Improve communication of college advantages, new programs, and all-important student support services. • Treat device as a NEWS VEHICLE to increase readership with each mailing. • Code catalogue response mechanisms to track effectiveness. • Include “check list” procedure in Table of Contents. • Offer “Return to School” workshop dates for personalized assistance and to serve as stimulus for enrollment. K.M. Vranos

40. Strategic Enrollment Management Implications • Media Opportunities • Convey college advantage consistently and persuasively with each opportunity. • Ensure that all press is accompanied by clear enrollment follow-up procedures (i.e., newspaper article about new program includes faculty phone number, website address, and application instructions.) • Train faculty/staff to obtain and record source data when responding to inquiries. K.M. Vranos

41. Partnership Opportunities throughout Pioneer Valley • Greenfield Public Schools - “Why spend grant money for training out of the area?” • GCC can provide science, math, technology, early childhood, sped training for staff and paras. • Utilize GPS as “lab” for GCC education department with use of GCC interns. • Reinstate public television math instruction, with GPS students coming to GCC for instruction. • Establish partnership for adult learners. • Strive to integrate GCC and GPS so that 70-80% of GHS students go to GCC, then 4-year college. • Study/recommend approaches for bullying. K.M. Vranos

42. Partnership Opportunities throughout Pioneer Valley • The United ARC: “GCC is not a preeminent presence in the lives of the disabled here. GCC could be an amazingly vital force for the disabled in this community.” • Help create awareness of potential of people with disabilities. • Actively recruit disabled as students and employees. • Link curricula to what families and people with disabilities experience – explore advocacy, tolerance, field experience, and employment connections. • Establish certificate programs to help human services workers earn higher wage: SPED certification for paras, residential assistants. • Mobilize GCC energy to be more active as community volunteers. • Address community interests in community college experience. K.M. Vranos

43. Partnership Opportunities throughout Pioneer Valley • Franklin County Community Development Corporation – “Let’s collaborate, rather than compete.” • Provide steady stream of interns for cultural, environmental and economic improvement. • Improve referral patterns between FCCDC and GCC’s Community Development and Business Departments. • Work together for ongoing speaking engagements to address local business needs. • Develop entrepreneurship training courses. K.M. Vranos

44. Partnership Opportunities Throughout Pioneer Valley • Cooley Dickenson Hospital – “GCC nursing grads have a special quality. I love to see them come here.” • Suggests GCC develop on-site training/degree programs for hospital employees in: • Business communications • Customer service • CIS/keyboarding • Allied health • Medical coding degree WITH six months field experience • Overall improved critical thinking and math skills K.M. Vranos

45. Partnership Opportunities Throughout Pioneer Valley • Greenfield Government – “GCC is the key to our vitality – our own institution of higher learning.” • Conduct political/sociologic/business academic study of why community fails to achieve goals. • Pursue 4-year degree opportunities at/through GCC. • Develop and execute educational aspects of Domestic Violence program. • Act as “draw” for Greenfield as cultural center of Franklin County. • Identify vocational opportunities/trends that represent “good fit” for economic development of Greenfield, and provide direction on development. • Assist in connecting employers/employees. K.M. Vranos

46. Partnership Opportunities Throughout Pioneer Valley • Northampton Public Schools – “We have well-developed relationships with Smith College, Westfield State, HCC, and UMass. No one from GCC has called.” • NPS cannot identify opportunities for GCC because Superintendent does not know enough about college. • Following relationships with other institutions are provided as examples: • HCC President meets with NPS Superintendent 1-2x per year to discuss needs/responses. • NPS high school students duel enrolled with HCC. • Smith College provides professional development for staff, paras • Smith College students work with at-risk NPS girls. • Smith provides research, consultation on assessment, curriculum, psychology services, nutrition. K.M. Vranos

47. Partnership Opportunities Throughout Pioneer Valley • Yankee Candle Company – “We’d like to fill 50% of our management positions through internal promotion. But we only fill 20% currently because of the low education and experience levels in the area.” • Using UMass interns in finance, marketing, CIS. Actively recruiting managers from UMass. • Using HCC for e:learning course in project management. Worried about quality. • Happy with employee educational/scholarship experiences with GCC. • Express doubt about sophistication level of GCC faculty. Open to having GCC: • Assist with development of junior management personnel. • Develop e-courses in leadership, management, sales & marketing, CIS, finance. K.M. Vranos

48. Partnership Opportunites Throughout Pioneer Valley • Channing Bete – “We have a very difficult time filling our job openings with people from the area because we require a 4-year degree or more and excellent writing or commercial design skills.” • Highly engaged with UMass via internships and recruitment. • Experiencing low yield with UMass recruitment because graduates tend to leave area. • Forced to recruit from city areas, hoping specialists are seeking quieter, family-oriented life style. • Does not offer part-time/flex hours, even for entry-level workers. • Sees opportunity for GCC to refer talented writers/designers who are committed to area and to completing 4-year degree. • Values GCC’s role in developing transfer student population pool. K.M. Vranos

49. Partnership Opportunities Throughout Pioneer Valley • Greenfield Business Association – “I’m new in the job. I’ve gotten to know Nancy Bair. But I had to call the Main Campus and introduce myself to find out about an intern and the programs.” • Help convince business owners of the need for ongoing business education and training. • Place interns with GBA and area businesses to advance skill levels of businesses and workers. • Expand usage of area businesses for academic case studies. • Partner with GBA to develop ongoing business education programs. K.M. Vranos

50. Partnership Opportunities Throughout the Pioneer Valley • The Recorder – “There is a mismatch between available jobs and available skills in this area.” • Believes faculty is not engaged with organization or productive in addressing community problems. • Has never had a GCC intern, and would like several! • Has difficulty filling technical/manufacturing jobs, and believes other area employers do, as well. • Suggests “Citizen Journalism” coursework – train students for writing, photo journalism, associated technical skills. • Suggests increased GCC emphasis on technical/vocational skills. K.M. Vranos