Student services aqip committee

1. Student servicesaqip committee Report to aqip council Recommendations for improvement to registration process. March 6, 2006

2. REPORT TO AQIP COUNCIL IMPROVEMENTS TO REGISTRATION PROCESS This is a follow-up report and is submitted as an addendum to the report submitted in November 2005 with recommendations to improve the registration process at Northern New Mexico College. Improving the registration process is an action project of the Student Services AQIP Committee. The SSAC decided that this action project would proceed with two reports. The first which was submitted in November was completed with the data that was available and was accelerated due to the need for some immediate improvements to be implemented for the spring semester registration. Recognizing that there was a limited amount of data available to the committee for the November report there was an aggressive effort to collect valid data during the spring semester registration to enhance the committees work with this subsequent report to the AQIP Council. The committees work this spring was greatly enhanced because of the type and volume of data that was acquired by the committee for use with this action project. During the spring semester there was an expanded effort to acquire information regarding NNMC’s registration process. There were a series of surveys that were administered to various groups during spring pre-registration, regular registration, and late registration (attached as addendum). In addition data was gathered to measure cycle time, staff and faculty utilization and technology capabilities. The availability of data gave much more credence to the registration sub-committee’s work and lends validity to the recommendations that the committee is submitting for consideration. The registration sub-committee was able to utilize quality improvement tools to determine the cause and effect and subsequently to reach consensus on the solutions that are being submitted as recommendations. Mr. Thomas Garcia facilitated the process used by the committee to arrive at the recommendations submitted at the end of this report. The process improvement flow chart and process improvement schedule utilized by the sub-committee are found on pages 2 and 3. The report is lengthy and contains a description of the groups work on each step of the process improvement flow chart. Diagrams and charts illustrate the results of each exercise and support the final recommendations made by the committee. Because of the reports length it will be listed on our college’s website to allow access to anyone interested as soon as the AQIP Council and our President have had an opportunity to respond to it.

5. Charter Committee: Northern’s Board of Regents chartered four AQIP Committees one of which is the Student Services AQIP Committee. For this action project the SSAC formed the registration improvement subcommittee whom was responsible for the work and recommendations found in this report. Develop Ground Rules: Ground rules for conduct and work of the committee were identified and agreed to by all committee members and are part of the committees record. Data Mining: Data mining occurred over the course of a full AQIP Committee meeting and continued through the first meeting of the registration subcommittee. Data has been mined from various sources including the following. a.) Data used to submit the first report included a three page listing of registration concerns that had been received by the Office of the President. In addition, the report included data solicited from students, staff and faculty. b.) Student survey (attached) conducted during pre-registration. c.) Student survey (attached) conducted during regular arena registration. d.) Student survey (attached) conducted during late registration. e.) Staff and faculty survey (attached) during regular arena registration. f.) Survey of registration types and length of all New Mexico Colleges. g.) Statistical data compiled by NNMC’S Advisement Office.

6. Data Sharing: Occurred during two meetings of the AQIP and Registration Sub-committee. Metrics: The critical few metrics that the committee determined should be used from now on to measure continuous improvement in the registration process include the following: a.) Student satisfaction with: 1. accuracy of information 2. cycle time 3. knowledge staff/faculty have of registration process 4. Staff/faculty experience with registration process 5. technology availability b.) Actual cycle time c.) Number of staff/faculty used for registration d.) Quality of training for faculty/staff (measured by perception of the trainees) e.) Number of students registered. 1. Pre-registration 2. On-line web based 3. Regular registration 4. Late registration f.) Technology capabilities g.) Staff/faculty satisfaction

7. Process Flow Chart: • A process flow chart illustrating the current registration process was developed and it • Served as a tool for discussion and improvement recommendations. A revised flow chart • depicting the registration process was developed (attached as Addendum A) and is line with • the recommendations for improvement that are part of this report. • Problem Brainstorming: • Problem brainstorming entailed each committee member identifying up to five problems with • the registration process gleaned from all the data available to the committee as listed under • data mining. Each member utilized a sticky note pad to list the problems (separately) on the • wall. Directions were provided to insure that members identified problems not solutions. A • total of forty (40) problems were identified by the committee. • Problem Affinity: • The committee affinitized the problems by each having several opportunities to sort the • individual post it notes into similar (common) categories. Each category was then provided a • name (title). • Late Registration (12 responses) 1) “Late registration” 2)“Late registration; late for bookstore to try and have enough books for students” 3) “Late registration staffing pattern” 4) “Late registration; no signs, directions” 5) “David Letterman late-late-late-late registration” 6) “Too many days to pre-register, register and late register”

8. Late Registration Responses Continued • 7) “Late registration” • 8) “Students don’t know where to start for late registration” • 9) “Late registration; faculty not available first week of classes” • 10) “Late registration—chaotic, understaffed, student problems” • 11) “Late registration during first week of semester” • 12) “Too few advisors to help register students during late registration” • Staffing and Training (11 responses) • 1) “Insufficient people power; few breaks” • 2) “No reward such as break room, lunch ticket, etc.” • 3) “Too many staff at some entrances during regular registration” • 4) “Regular registration; computer knowledge of faculty advisors” • 5) “Students don’t know that they have to pay in full during regular/late • registration” • 6) “Regular registration; directions from people at the door” • 7) “No one to handle call-in requests for information (closed classes, etc.)” • 8) “More thorough training for helpers (floaters, etc.) at registration” • 9) “Admissions problems with student data” • 10) “Wrong information given at Info Desk” • 11) “Need more training”

9. Copies of Student Schedules (4 responses) • 1) “Where do students get copy of schedule (if they lost original); sent • to Advisement then Admissions; who’s responsible?” • 2) “Printing duplicate schedules for students” • 3) “Copies of schedules” • 4) “Giving out too many class schedules” • Technical Improvement (4 responses) • 1) “Lack of on-line registering” • 2) “Student ID station needs improvement” • 3) “Tend to broken down ID equipment” • 4) “Printing schedules [a coming problem]”—per Mike C. and • meaning that BANNER printers are programmed to only print one • semester. For the upcoming registration, students may need • Summer, Fall and Spring, 2006 schedule/bills. How will they get • more than one semester’s information?

10. Bookstore (3 responses) • 1) “Bottleneck w/Bookstore” • 2) “No books under F.A. until 1st day of class” • 3) “Opening new sections; Bookstore may not have enough books & not know = Need more” • Advisement (3 responses) • 1) “Knowledgeable advisors” • 2) “Advisor availability during Pre-registration” • 3) “Advisement” • Printed Material/Information (3 responses) • 1) “Better signs to identify the different stations” • 2) “Regular registration: Express Lane was not explained as well” • 3) “Printers for billing & ‘fast registration’ for one class (i.e. Express • Registration stations) were too close together; confusing for students”

11. Interrelationship Diagraph: The committee worked with each of the problem areas to in an attempt to determine which were key drivers or outcomes. This exercise encouraged committee members to think in multiple directions rather linearly, and allowed the committee to explore the cause and effect relationships among all the problems including the most controversial. Key areas emerged naturally not allowing for any issues to be forced by a dominant committee member. The results are depicted in the following chart. INTERRELAIONSHIP DIAGRAPH

12. Problem Prioritization: The committee prioritized the problems that had been identified by allowing each member to vote for five of the problem categories that were posted on the wall. Each committee member received one more vote than half. Half of eight was four plus one equaled five (5) votes each. A Pareto Chart depicting the results is shown below. The committee then used the numerators in the data to show priority of the problem areas by plotting that information in a Pareto Chart:

13. This information was compared to the group’s perception of priority for the problem areas as derived from last week’s meeting. Problem Areas Key: A=Late Registration E=Technical Improvement B=Staffing F=Bookstore C=Training G=Advisement D=Copies of schedules H=Printed Material

14. Root Cause Analysis: This exercise created a snapshot of the collective knowledge and consensus of the committee around each of the problems. The committee was guided to focus on the content of the problem, not the history of the problem or differing personal interests of committee members. It also focused the committee on causes not symptoms. The committee was asked to provide input into creating the following fishbone diagrams by noting their top and second reason (causes) that contributed to the effect (problem). The responses allowed the committee to identify the root cause for each problem. The fishbone diagrams for each problem are as follows:

22. Solution Brainstorming: • The committee was instructed to review the fishbone diagrams for each problem area and to write possible solutions on post it notes and stick them to the wall. Members wrote one solution per note and were allowed to write as many solutions as they could come up with. • Solution Affinity: • Committee members grouped the solution post it notes by their similarity to each other in an effort to create major categories for sets of solutions. The following is a list of those categories and the member commentary associated with each (120 total responses) • A. Training: Conduct training on registration process, BANNER, etc. (17 responses) • "Have periodic training" • "Train registration personnel" • "Cross-training" • "Train & inform registration staff about procedures for all registrations" • "Mandatory--All advisors must use BANNER to stay trained" • "More training before registration" • "Increase training" • "Match skills with role for registration“ • "Have a training area“ • ""Clarify faculty and staff roles for registration“ • Communicate to faculty updates; i.e. registration procedures/policies“ • "WebCT format possibly; ongoing training for students, faculty, and staff re: BANNER and registration

23. “Distribute training instructions to students for printing own schedules, Northern web-site, broadcast, hardcopy; Admissions, Advisement“ • "More BANNER training“ • "Training should be on-going throughout semester at various department meetings" • "Registration process discussions should be part of each Convocation to provide opportunities for suggestions, concerns, ideas, etc." • "Knowledge--Regularly scheduled training sessions before registration starts on all aspects of Registration." • B. Improve Registration Signage (2 responses) • "Improve signage“ • "More signs” C. Real-time Updates of Class Availability (8 responses) • "Video on registration process; going at registration“ • "Set a computer screen for student use“ • "Have a screen showing cancelled or closed classes“ • "Class schedules/cancellations needs to be electronically broadcast during registration.“ • "Availability for call-in course information“ • "Post closed and cancelled classes on the web periodically.“ • "Update technology.“ • "Have a link on web for students to access their schedules & records"

24. D. Celebrate Success (4 responses) • "Staff and faculty should be rewarded for assisting with registration on Saturdays" • "Recognition for a job-well-done" • "A break room during Registration" • "Staff rewards/praise" • E. Bookstore Size (4 responses) • "More registers & room" • "Bookstore too small" • "Room for reserve of textbooks" • "Increase Bookstore size" • F. Bookstore Staff (Increase) (4 responses) • "More staff, computers, cash machines at Bookstore" • "More cashiers in Bookstore" • "Small Bookstore staff should grow proportionally to school's enrollment." • "Hire and train Bookstore temporary help"

25. G. Bookstore Automation (7 responses) • "TI: Acquire software that will integrate w/Bookstore and Business Office“ • "Bookstore: Acquire integrative software“ • "Get Bookstore on-line w/BANNER“ • "Get interface for Bookstore“ • "Bookstore mechanization; automate information on: 1) classes per student; 2) Financial Aid entitlements“ • "Bookstore: Allow for the purchasing of books one day earlier“ • "Late Registration: Bookstore delays; adoptions in on time or penalty of some kind.“ H. ID Equipment Maintenance or Replacement & Staffing (6 responses) • "New ID machine“ • "ID station; two new computers and new machine.“ • "Purchase more and/or better ID equipment.“ • "Service or replace ID machine and computer.“ • "ID station should be doubled in equipment and staffing.“ • "More ID stations.“ • I. On-line Registration (10 responses) • "Expedite on-line registration“ • "Expedite on-line registration (available by next fall“ • "Technology: Get on-line“ • "Need BANNER to be ready for self-service“ • "On-line registration ability"

26. "On-line registration ability" • "On-line registration" • "Self-service on-line registration and printing on-line" • "TI: Expedite self-service on-line registration" • "On-line registration" • "On-line self-service registration for late starting short courses" • J. Increase Staffing (3 responses) • "Make it a part of every staff/faculty contract that they work registration." • "Inadequate Staffing: Delete late (send exceptions to Provost)" • "Enforce faculty participation" • K. Reprinting of Schedules (14 responses) • "Limit number of printed schedules for students" • "$.50 to $1.00 for new schedule" • "Keep printer available for first week of classes." • "Copies of schedule: Establish PC links with printers at different locations." • "Schedules: Designate one office and assign staff to be responsible for making schedules available" • "Charge for lost or replacement of schedules"

27. "Students should be charged $1.00 for additional copies of schedule" • "Have computer and some staff available for printing duplicate schedules." • "Open computer to access extra(s)/replace lost class schedules" • "Printed Materials: Schedules; up-to-date available at kiosks" • "Technical Improvements: Develop capacity to allow students to print their own schedules" • "Self-service print on-line enabled" • "Able to print class schedules during Registration" • "Don't print so many printed schedules in beginning (they have old data by registration) L. Printed Materials (8 responses) • "Printed Material; print more catalogs." • "Produce enough catalogs and have available registration." • "Printed Material; have all printed material on-line and available." • "Have routes for registrations printed." • "More communication" • "Registration process handbook" • "Announcements in local media re: starting processes early (admission, financial aid, etc.)" • "Financial Aid handbook"

28. M. Eliminate Late Registration (17 responses) • "Get rid of late registration completely" • "Eliminate late registration" • "Do away with late registration except for case by case" • "End late registration while expanding regular registration (some)" • "Late registration: Eliminate" • "Eliminate Late Registration (only w/Dean's approval)" • "Late/Cancellations requiring an add; handle adds at department Chairperson level" • "Late Registration: Up late fee to $25.00 (or more) • "Late Registration: Change Late Registration days to end before classes start" • "Advisement: Late Registration--Turn over to Provost" • "Limit Late to two days for full-semester classes" • "Limit Late Registration to 'special' circumstances be exception" • "Charge more for Late Registration" • "Penalties for Late Registration" • "Late Registration continues, but with increased staffing" • "Shorter Late Registration" • "Make Late Registration on-line only with a monetary penalty to be used for student activity"

29. N. Advisement Recommendations (5 responses) • "Advisement--Make it everyone's responsibility to work Registration; pre- and late" • "Advisement--Lack of knowledge; schedule mandatory training between Convocation and open registration" • "Advisement training and policies need to be developed and scheduled consistently." • "Schedule students for advisement appointments" • "Advisement: Designate one office and assign staff to produce transcripts" • O. Complete BANNER Conversion (History) (2 responses) • "Complete history conversion" • "Qualified staff to move student histories into BANNER so current unofficial transcripts available." • Miscellaneous • P. “Pre-Registration” (1 response) • Q. “ID Stickers Available at Registration (taken care of )” (1 response) • R. “Transcripts Available” (1 response) • S. “Upgrade Hardware for All Staff and Advisors for BANNER” (1 response)

30. T. Keep On Doing What We're Doing (5 responses) • "Prior Planning to identify printed materials and where needed signage, current schedule info.; catalogs." • "Use survey data and trending to identify needs; recognize which problems solved, etc." • "Planning based on surveys, data and review each semester--identify staffing, training needs." • "Inadequate staffing; advance planning prior to Pre-Registration based on each semester and trending #'s, qualifications, assignments." • "Investigate problem as a means to improve process 1st day of class; Bookstore--separate AQIP sub-committee

31. Interrelationship Diagraph: The committee used the six highest ranked categories and completed an Interrelationship Diagraph to determine the key drivers which will help determine the heart of effective solutions.

32. Solution Prioritization: Committee members had an opportunity to vote for 8 solutions but could only vote for each one once. There were several high scoring solutions and some that received either only one vote or no votes at all. There were a total of fourteen (15) solutions that received a score. The Pareto chart that follows depicts the committees choices based from highest frequency to lowest.

34. RECOMMENDATIONS TO AQIP COUNCIL • Recommendations are based on the data that the committee has mined and were • arrived at by utilizing the quality improvement tools identified in the Process • Improvement Flow Chart illustrated on page 2. These recommendations are in • addition to the recommendations submitted in a report to this council in November • 2005. All recommendations previously submitted were supported and approved for • implementation by the Office of the President and by our Board of Regents. • Student satisfaction surveys reflect a marked improvement in the registration • process this spring compared to previous semesters. Improvement can be • attributed to implementation of recommendations from our November report. • Recommendations: • Expedite On-Line Registration - The Interrelationship Diagraph demonstrates that by having on-line registration it would correct or eliminate eight (8) of the solutions listed in the Pareto Chart. The committee strongly recommends that on-line registration be available as soon as possible but no later than for fall pre-registration. • Eliminate Late registration – Eliminating late registration would have positive impact on five (5) other solution recommendations.

35. Pro’s and Con’s associated with eliminating late registration • Pro’s • Students will not be starting classes late. • Faculty aren’t distracted and can start classes on first day scheduled. • Processes in Business Office, Advisement Center, ID Station, Admissions Office, Financial Aid will not be prolonged and offices can more efficiently provide required services on schedule. • Eliminate disservice to those students that do register on time • Risk of classes being closed to students is minimized • Students can be allowed to late register if they can document extenuating circumstances. Dean approval and a higher late registration fee are recommended as criteria to discourage anyone without extenuating circumstances to wait until late registration. • Bookstore services would improve because all other offices could focus on problem issues thus avoiding bottleneck situations in front of the bookstore. • Con’s • a. Run the risk of losing FTE’s • b. Extended opportunities to register are removed • The committee suggests that loss in FTE’s could be mitigated by: • a. Encouraging on-line registration • b. Encouraging pre-registration. • c. Advertising blitz through existing college publications informing students of • opportunities to register before classes start.

36. Spring 2006 Registration Statistics

37. Modified Late Registration Schedule: • The committee discussed the possibility that eliminating late registration in its entirety could be too radical of a change considering that recommendation number one is still not completed. Although we are recommending that on-line registration be available as soon as possible the reality is that it is still not there. In addition, not all our services are being provided at the desired levels although our expectations are that they will soon. (bookstore, records, admissions etc…) In light of existing conditions, if it is too risky to eliminate late registration in its entirety we recommend the following possibilities: • 1. Schedule Late Registration for one day only and insure that sufficient manpower and technological support are available. • 2. Schedule Late Registration before the first day of classes

38. APPENDICES

39. Information Desk Admissions No New Students Continuing Re-Admit Non-Degree Transfer-in Student Status? Need to test? Student Advisement Center Faculty Advisor Testing Yes Problems with Tuition? Business Office / Financial Aid Yes No Cashier Student ID’s

40. Northern New Mexico College • Spring 2006 • Student Pre-Registration Survey • Have you ever pre-registered for classes before this semester? Yes = 75% • Did you make an appointment with an advisor? Yes = 15% • If you DID NOT make an appointment with an advisor, why? 4. How long do you estimate your pre-registration process, beginning to end, took you? Average = 1 hour 6 minutes 5. Please indicate your level of satisfaction for the following:

42. 6. Do you plan to pre-register in the future? Yes = 94% No = 6% (please explain): Graduating this semester (2) 7. Please provide any additional comments that will assist us to continue to make improvements to our pre-registration process, Banner improvements Cashier Services needs to be a little friendlier

43. Northern New Mexico College conducted this survey in order to identify opportunities for improvement and to determine whether changes improved the student registration process. This survey was administered at the end of the registration process (Student ID station) January 7, 10, 11, 2006. There were a total of 267 responses. • 1. Please indicate your student registration status (Select only ONE): How long do you estimate your registration process, beginning to end, took you? 1 hour 15 minutes (AVERAGE) 10 minutes (Minimum) 6 hours (Maximum)

44. 2. Levels of Satisfaction:

49. 4. Please provide any additional comments that will assist us to continue to make improvements to our registration process Strengths: 1. Everybody was very helpful 2. Excellent 3. Financial Aid was the most helpful. 4. Good 5. Great job! 6. I was much pleased with the entire process. The ladies who helped me out were really friendly and helpful- the process was pretty quick. 7. Perfectly painless process registering @ NNMC today. Gracias! 8. Pre-registered - Thank you! 9. Registration was very organized and efficient this year. Much improved! 10. Staff is on the ball! 11. Thanks 12. The process was quicker this semester than the last time I registered. 13. This is a great college! 14. Your staff is excellent and friendly. I decided to finish my degree here because I feel like I belong here. Thanks Northern. 15. Everyone friendly.

50. Mixed 16. The "people involvement" was fine. The process was held up by technical problems i.e.: computer registration-to print out. This is why the express lane was unavailable. 17. The people/staff were great. The new system used by advisors was not very good. I had to wait a long time and keep going back to admissions. 18. There was some miscommunication between staff members that lead to confusion. Overall- everyone on staff was extremely helpful! 19. Staff was helpful- however when they were needed many were too busy with personal discussions that could of waited. I spent more time waiting for their discussion to end than what my simple question took to ask. 20. I'd like to recommend testing all locations of the advisor tables. Apparently the CS advisors were in a "dead spot" and there was no network activity for a while. I sat for about 40 minutes waiting for the issue to be resolved. I finally asked if one of the other advisors could enter me into the system before going to the cashiers. (Not sure when the problem was resolved) Besides this problem the rest of the process went ok.