Shift in Submission Schedule for Individual Programs/Service Areas

Further adjustments were necessary to the submission timeline for programs and service areas. The College had originally envisioned a phased implementation for submission of SPARE/SPARC reports, with selected programs and service areas submitting either a SPARE or SPARC in the 2021-22 academic year. This would have enabled an evaluation of the process as it was implemented in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 years, with any identified desirable improvements being implemented during that time. However, before the first full cycle was implemented with the linkage to the budget planning process, it was recognized that this phased implementation would not yield the whole-college view necessary for budget decision-makers and would also not provide all programs and service areas input into the budget planning process for the first cycle.

To ensure a baseline planning platform and provide for College-wide input into the planning and resource allocation process, all programs and service areas were asked to submit, if they were not scheduled for a comprehensive review, a two-year SPARE report, due in August 2021. This initial two-year SPARE provided, at once, a retrospective review of the previous year (2020-21) and a forward-looking perspective of the 2021-22 year for each area submitting the report, with resource allocation requests for the 2022-23 year. These submissions would then be available to meet the adjusted timeline necessary for decision-makers and the budget planning process, with funds disbursement occurring in July of the coming year.

Development of Service Area Outcomes, Goals & Objectives

This new SPARE/SPARC submission schedule (see above, Programmatic Assessment section) also necessitated the accelerated development of goals and objectives for all program and service areas, and, for the service areas, the development of outcomes and assessment methods. While service areas have completed this development and reported these outcomes, goals and objectives in their submitted reports, some areas may choose to further refine these outcomes in subsequent submissions. In addition, the Registrar Office, new since independent accreditation, is still in the process of implementing an outcomes assessment survey. This survey will be implemented in Fall 2022.

2021-22 First Cycle Completion

In accordance with the new schedule, SPARE/SPARC reports were submitted to the area supervisor in August 2021. The reports were reviewed by the area supervisor or Vice President, informed by meetings with area personnel, with a discussion of resource requests and their relation to College Strategic Priorities and Core Theme sub-objectives. During the Fall 2021 term these SPARE/SPARCs were available for the Executive Team for review and discussion for planning purposes, prioritization of funding requests based on planning priorities, and identification of funding possibilities for those approved requests. These decisions and recommendations were then available during Winter and Spring terms to the Budget Planning Committee for budget planning and formulation, and submission to the budget approval process. The 2022-23 budget was approved prior to the end of June 2022, with area supervisors notifying their personnel of the status of their funding requests.

Prioritized and funded resource requests were funded from either the 2021-22 or 2022-23 General Fund or identified as meeting a grant-funded opportunity. Appendix 1 presents the requests funded through the General Fund and those projected for grant funding, along with the Core Theme Sub-objective or Strategic Priority these funded requests support.

In Summary

With the completion of the first full cycle of the SPAR process, culminating in the linkage to resource allocation and planning, the design and implementation of the process is substantially complete, and the next cycle of SPARE/SPARC submission is in progress. As with all processes, there will be opportunities for continuous improvement and further refinement. For example, some service areas are interested in revising their service area outcomes and improving their assessment tools. The College will continue to work on improving the process as the cycle progresses, to inform planning, decision-making and allocation of resources and capacity. 

Addendum 2: Refine and Fully Implement Assessment
of Student Learning Outcomes

Recommendation: Refine and fully implement the system for assessing student learning outcomes for courses, programs, and degrees, utilizing the results to inform academic learning, support planning, and practices leading to the enhancement of student learning achievement.

Relevant Standards (2020):

1.C.5  The institution engages in an effective system of assessment to evaluate the quality of learning in its programs. The institution recognizes the central role of faculty to establish curricula, assessing student learning, and improving instructional programs.

1.C.7  The institution uses the results of its assessment efforts to inform academic and learning-support planning and practices to continuously improve student learning.

Oregon Coast Community College has substantially completed the implementation of its assessment plan and process, and has identified, through analysis of the process to date, further refinements to improve the quality of information provided through these assessments and to enhance effective collaboration among faculty groups on improvement strategies.

The College’s Assessment Plan and Handbook, updated in 2022, details the process of learning outcomes assessment and program review, and is formulated as a resource for faculty and staff.

All student learning outcomes, including course learning outcomes (CLOs), program/discipline learning outcomes (PLOs, DLOs), and comprehensive institutional learning outcomes (CILOs), are assessed on a quarterly basis by faculty utilizing the outcomes assessment forms posted on the College website (see “Assessment” section, here).  Using these forms, faculty document the number of students who successfully completed the class (grade “C” or better) and who are assessed as having achieved the learning outcomes at four levels: Emerging, Developing, Competent, and Proficient. Based on these assessments results, faculty also respond to the following narrative questions:

1. Are you comfortable with the wording of your course learning outcomes? Do they capture what you want to capture? Are they measurable? Or would you like to make some changes to them?
2. What did you discover about student learning based on the assessment you conducted? Where did students exceed your expectations and where did they fall short? What surprised you in this term?
3. When you think about teaching this course the next time, what might you change in the way you assess your outcomes? In the way you might present your material?
4. Have you made changes this term based on prior assessments? If so, what impact have these changes made on student achievement?

Faculty responses to these questions provide documentation of analysis of assessment results and adjustments to instruction, content or instructional methods the faculty member plans for the next term to improve student achievement of outcomes. They also provide the Assessment Task Force feedback on assistance that can be provided for faculty in formulating improved outcomes or in facilitating collaborative faculty forums for discussion and review. See Appendix 2: Sample Spring 2022 Selected Faculty Narrative Responses to Assessment Questions.

This same process, utilizing the same assessment forms, is utilized by faculty for evaluating program/discipline learning outcomes. All course learning outcomes have been analyzed for their relevance and contribution to program/discipline learning outcomes and then “mapped” to these broader learning outcomes. Student achievement of program/discipline learning outcomes is evaluated using the same four categories of Emerging, Developing, Competent, or Proficient. Program or discipline faculty analyze these results together and report improvement strategies in the annual and comprehensive program reviews (SPARE/SPARC) for their area, accompanied by resource requests, if deemed necessary, to support these strategies. (See sample SPARE, Medical Assisting.)

Comprehensive Institutional Learning Outcomes (CILOs) – Two-year Degree Programs

CILOs are assessed using a different outcomes assessment form, utilizing the AACU VALUE rubrics which have been edited and adapted by OCCC faculty for this purpose. These rubrics identify specific skills and abilities which contribute to the achievement of the much broader, more general CILOs of Written and Oral Communication, Cultural Awareness, Problem-solving Skills, and Personal Accountability. At the time of the initial accreditation visit, faculty had completed the revision and adaptation of the VALUE rubric for the Communication CILO. The rubrics for all institutional learning outcomes have now been completed and are in use by faculty and posted on the College website for their reference. (See Learning Outcomes Assessment.)  

The breadth of a Comprehensive Institutional Learning Outcome means that the knowledge or skill set it represents is contributed to by a cross-disciplinary group of courses and across the student’s entire College experience. To assess CILOs, faculty and the Assessment Task Force identified a set of General Education courses common to two-year degree program requirements, and technical program courses required for two-year technical degrees, which most directly contribute to the achievement of the broader CILOs. Student CILO achievement is assessed in these contributing courses on a quarterly basis or each time the relevant course is taught, using the CILO assessment form. Students are evaluated on all sub-categories within each specific VALUE rubric, using the same four achievement levels utilized for course and program/discipline learning outcomes.

Student achievement of comprehensive institutional outcomes is recognized as being essential for continuing student success and lifelong learning. Graduate attainment of CILOs is a designated sub-objective for the Educational Pathways Core Theme, with the expectation that 70% of students with 65 or more credits achieve at least a level of Competent or Proficient on the CILO rubrics.  While this threshold is utilized for evaluating achievement of the Core Theme sub-objective, faculty assess all students enrolled in the associated courses to have the most complete information available, and to provide for a better analysis and formulation of improvement strategies.

With the completion of the VALUE rubrics and identification of courses for CILO assessment, all CILOs were assessed in the Spring 2022 term. Analysis of these assessment results indicates that the achievement threshold was met, with 70% of all students enrolled in the assessed courses meeting a level of “Competent” or “Proficient.”  (See Appendix 3: Spring 2022 CILO Assessment Results).

The evaluation of student achievement of these comprehensive outcomes invites collaboration among faculty across disciplines and programs, providing the strongest opportunity for meaningful discussion, understanding of student learning, and program improvement. Since these assessments were completed at end of the academic year in Spring term 2022 and submitted after grades with faculty leaving for the summer, discussion and evaluation of the CILO assessments is scheduled for Fall In-service in September 2022.

Use and Sharing of Assessment Results

As the development of the assessment process progressed toward completion in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years, forums for the use and sharing of these results were also developed or improved. Originally scheduled during Fall In-service sessions, outcomes assessment discussion and review is now a part of both Spring and Fall in-service scheduled sessions.

In-service sessions cover a variety of topics. The ATF Chair conducts general sessions, designed for all faculty but highly recommended for new faculty, that focus on how to assess student achievement, how to align assignments with student learning outcomes for valid and accurate assessment, and how to create rubrics for evaluation of student achievement of course learning outcomes. These sessions are recorded and distributed to faculty who were unable to attend.

In addition to these more general In-service sessions, breakout sessions are also conducted with faculty grouped by discipline or program to discuss assessment results, improve alignment of assessment methods with specific outcomes, and to collaborate on the development of improvement strategies for student achievement. While faculty are required to attend In-service sessions, informal meetings among smaller discipline and program faculty groups also often occur during the three-day Fall In-service and throughout the academic year to ensure all program/discipline faculty have the opportunity to collaborate on review and evaluation. These sessions also provide input into the evaluation of student achievement of program learning outcomes, which is reported and analyzed in the program’s annual SPARE report.

The ATF Chair and members meet with individual and new faculty members in Zoom sessions throughout the academic year to familiarize new faculty with the process, and to give assistance to faculty members in refining student learning outcomes and the development of appropriate assessment tools that align with and accurately assess student achievement of these outcomes. The ATF Chair has recorded training videos on “Why and How to Do Course Assessment” and “How to Submit Course Assessments”, with these videos posted on the College website in the Instructional Resources/Assessment section.

Summary of Progress Since Accreditation Visit

In the academic year 2020-21, the College made the decision to change the leadership of the Assessment Task Force, previously led by a member of the administration, to a faculty member who had demonstrated proficiency in assessment and established a strong assessment record for their department. This was anticipated to be a temporary change but one that would heighten faculty engagement in the assessment process. The Chair of the Mathematics department assumed this responsibility.

The onset of the pandemic transformed the 2020-21 year, and the necessary and immediate redesign of instruction and services to a remote delivery mode placed an unprecedented demand on the resources of the College. The new ATF Chair and committee members, faculty members who themselves were adapting the delivery of their own courses and providing additional hours to students to assist them in the transition, focused committee efforts on the continuing assessment of course and program learning outcomes, the onboarding of new faculty to the process, and providing remote professional development for faculty in assessment practices. While slowed somewhat, progress continued on the review and finalizing of the AACU VALUE rubrics for Cultural Awareness and the remaining Comprehensive Institutional Outcomes.

Faculty leadership of the Assessment Task Force was converted to a permanent position, carrying faculty load release time, for the 2021-22 academic year. This change provided continuity and stability to the leadership of the Task Force, with remaining implementation as well as planning and the formulation of goals and improvement strategies able to proceed with more focus. The review and editing of AACU VALUE rubrics for all CILOs was completed, with the rubrics presented to and approved by the College Council. Courses were identified as having a significant contribution toward the development of these skills and targeted for CILO assessment. Faculty training was provided and CILO assessment forms were developed, with all CILOs being assessed at end of Spring term 2022. Results of these assessments will be evaluated and discussed, with faculty discussing improvement strategies, in Fall 2022 In-Service sessions.

At the time of initial accreditation, implementation of CILO assessment was the remaining component of OCCC’s assessment process to be completed. With the assessment of all CILOs in Spring 2022, and analysis and collaborative discussion of results scheduled for Fall 2022 In-service, implementation of the assessment process is now substantially complete. Assessment results for CLOs and DLO/PLOs are being utilized to inform academic learning and support services planning, and practices targeted to enhance student learning achievement are being identified on an ongoing basis. Changes to the program review timeline (see Addendum 1) have integrated the evaluation of program learning outcomes into the resource allocation process, with resource requests identified as contributing to learning outcomes achievement being submitted with annual program reviews.

Assessment Challenges in a Small College

Oregon Coast Community College is one of the smallest among Oregon community colleges and is characterized by small section sizes and focused scheduling for enrollment management purposes.  Its small size contributes to a personalized learning and student support experience for our students. The small section size, however, yields, each assessment cycle, a low “n” to be reported at each level of learning outcomes for many classes, yielding results that are often not statistically significant and that make it difficult to extrapolate/analyze and make meaningful, generalized observations on student achievement.

Economy of scheduling means some courses, especially in the electives area, may only be offered once a year, sometimes with a student enrollment count of less than 15. For these courses, the lack of frequent and consistent assessment weakens the value of the assessment information and the ability to draw conclusions to assess the impact of improvement strategies. In addition, the College’s small size means that some instructional programs and/or “departments” are represented by only one faculty member. This presents challenges in promoting collaboration on course assessment and results analysis.

Finally, small student enrollment means that some programs may have only a few completers each year, making it difficult to accurately evaluate student learning achievement upon program/degree completion.

Goals for Continuous Improvement in Assessment Process

While implementation of the assessment process is substantially complete, the College strives to steadily improve the quality of assessment information and, by extension, its value for identifying strategies for improvement in student learning and support. The Assessment Task Force has completed an informal and preliminary review and evaluation of the assessment process to assist in identification of 2022-23 goals and planning priorities. This preliminary report will be presented at the Fall 2022 In-Service, with opportunities for input and feedback, and then subsequently submitted to OCCC’s College Council. This is planned to become an annual Assessment Review and Report to be presented for discussion at Fall In-service.

Preliminarily, the Assessment Task Force has identified, for 2022-23, the following goals or improvement strategies for improved assessment:

• With College leadership, continue to foster a culture of assessment and increase faculty participation. Faculty participation during the pandemic did not meet target participation rates, with CLO participation rates just over 50% and CILO assessment participation at 67%. There is little doubt that the extraordinary demands being placed on faculty during the pandemic had a negative impact on participation rates. The College is striving to achieve the goal of 100% faculty participation to help ameliorate the challenges of small enrollment rates and low frequency of some class offerings.
• To counter the impact of one-person departments and discipline faculty, consider the re-alignment of collaborative faculty groups according to disciplines rather than programs, for analysis and evaluation of assessment results.
• Continue the focus on professional development sessions and one-on-one coaching sessions for faculty; consider identifying faculty leaders for discipline groups to expand assessment leadership and advocacy.
• Increase number of courses identified for Cultural Awareness and Personal Responsibility CILO assessment.
• Explore methods for aggregation of assessment results within individual program/discipline learning outcomes to enhance utility of small number of data points.
• Continue to evaluate the feasibility of a transition to tracking assessments of individual students for individualized assessment of progress in learning outcome achievement. This has been identified as a possible means of improving assessment value with the challenges of small observation numbers. To date the apparent complexity of implementation of this approach, involving technical challenges and protection of student confidentiality, makes this an ongoing subject of research and evaluation.

In Summary

With the implementation of the assessment process complete, the College has moved into the continuous improvement phase on assessment practices and process. Like most small colleges, OCCC experiences challenges associated with the small enrollment numbers and department size that, while an asset in providing a personalized and supportive learning and teaching environment for students, may complicate effective analysis and evaluation of assessment results. The Assessment Task Force has formulated goals and improvement strategies to strengthen collaboration and the evaluation process and continue to increase faculty participation.  The College continues to strive toward enhancement of the process, the refinement of assessment results, and their evaluation to improve student learning, support, and achievement.

Addendum 3: Integrated Planning

Recommendation: Develop a purposeful, systematic, integrated, and comprehensive plan articulating priorities and guiding decisions on resource allocation and application of institutional capacity.

Relevant Standards (2020)

1.B.3 The institution provides evidence that its planning process is inclusive and offers opportunities for comment by appropriate constituencies, allocates necessary resources, and leads to improvement of institutional effectiveness.

Summary of Planning System Development Since Last Visit

OCCC continues to refine and enhance its comprehensive planning system. Comprised of three interconnected levels of planning and assessment, the system is designed to allocate necessary resources to improve institutional effectiveness. This system evolved from 2014 to 2020, the timeframe in which OCCC was working toward and achieved independent accreditation. It was last documented in OCCC’s 2019 Self Evaluation Report.  Since 2020, the planning system is increasingly being integrated throughout the institution and individual plan elements have been updated as current plans reach the end of their planning horizon. College plans are available to constituents and stakeholders via the Institutional Effectiveness webpage.

The three levels of interconnected planning and assessment are as follows:

• Comprehensive Level
  • Mission/Vision/Values
  • Institutional Effectiveness framework expressed via Core Themes
  • College Strategic Plan
• Institutional Level
  • Budget
  • Enrollment
  • Facilities
• Operational Level
  • Accreditation
  • Assessment
  • Business Continuity and Emergency Response
  • Information Technology
  • Special project plans – which vary over time

Institutional plans (Budget, Facilities, Enrollment) function to support the Core Themes mission fulfillment framework as well as supporting and advancing the College Strategic Plan. Operational plans support and advance the College Strategic Plan. For example, the Information Technology Operational Plan situates IT plans, goals, and strategies within the College Strategic Goals.

In 2021 the OCCC Board of Education completed a review of the College Mission (adopted in 2015). The 2021 review resulted in the inclusion of the phrase “a commitment to equitable outcomes.” In 2022, the President led the College community in a strategic planning process to develop a College Strategic Priorities 2023-2028 (CSP), replacing the prior Five Big Ideas strategic framework. The CSP has five over-arching Strategic Priorities. Operational plans may address any of the five college priorities; there is no expectation that operational plans (such as Information Technology) set goals in all five priority areas.

Process and Input

The process to develop the College Strategic Plan 2023-2028 has been inclusive and to date has presented numerous opportunities for comment by appropriate constituencies including all college staff (at In-Service and numerous Town Halls), the Equity and Inclusion Committee, the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County, and the Board of Education and any audience via multiple Board presentations as the plan has developed.  Operational plans also seek input and provide opportunities for comment from stakeholders which are typically more internal. As an example, the Information Technology Operations Plan  provides narrative as to how input was solicited and what groups were consulted.

At the time of this mid-cycle report, the Strategic Priorities of the new College Strategic Plan have been accepted by the Board of Education and are being integrated into other supporting plans.  Additional elements of the CSP (executive summary, year one supporting activities, and metrics) are planned to be finished in time for a Fall 2022 launch.

Strategic Priorities of the College Strategic Plan 2023-2028 (CSP):

1. 1. Students at the Center

OCCC is a Student-Centered College.

OCCC strives to provide equitable outcomes for all students; Our culture is welcoming of all and values diversity of students and employees. College systems are designed and organized for student success; Educational Pathways are designed to ease access and streamline successful attainment of student goals such as degrees, employment, or transfer.

1. 2. Resourced and Ready

Our People, Technology and Buildings are Student Ready,
 The College is Fiscally Strong and Sustainable.

This strategic goal enumerates specific elements of being a student-ready college and draws attention to the centrality of sustainable financial resources. Those elements are College culture (for students and employees); professional development and training to fully optimize the many system enhancements of the past six years; and technological and physical learning environments are well-maintained and forward focused. Key elements of fiscal soundness will be the alignment of college enrollment (in times of expansion or contraction) with fiscal resources, and the cultivation of alternative sources of revenue.

1. 3. Careers Built Here

The Next CTE Building is Funded, Built and Occupied.

The primary focus of this goal is to develop and pass a Bond measure providing the match investment to fund a new building for specialized Career Technical Educational (CTE); to construct and populate the new facility; and to ensure that new and existing CTE programs (regardless of location) are equipped to provide industry-relevant learning.

1. 4. First Choice, Best Choice

Lincoln County Thinks OCCC First for Education and Employment.

We will reach out to all who may have interest in post high-school education with particular attention to those who have stepped away from education. We intend to be the first choice in Lincoln County for those seeking a college degree or certificate, workforce education, small business skills, GED, enrichment, and life-long learning. Additionally, for those seeking employment in Lincoln County, OCCC will be perceived as an employer of choice due to our culture and working environment.

1. 5. Sharks Make Their Marks

OCCC Positively Impacts Lincoln County.

Our efforts will grow the living wage workforce, and support, engage with, and grow the business community. OCCC will also serve as a convener of civil community discourse and learning. Our students and our work will have meaningful and positive impact on our home, Lincoln County, Oregon.

Integration of Planning and Resource Allocation for Improvement
of Institutional Effectiveness

Since at least 2015, budget development at OCCC has been grounded in the integration of planning and budgeting.  The budget remains designed to fulfill the mission of the College, and to advance strategic priorities and mission fulfillment at OCCC framed in the two core themes of the College: Student Success and Educational Pathways.

The College utilizes a structured budget-planning process that incorporates systematic engagement at the department and executive levels and provides for additional college input via staff and student forums and community input via public hearings. In 2018-19, the College formed the Budget Advisory Committee to broaden college-wide input into – and understanding of – budget formulation. The annual budget development cycle begins in December and ends with budget adoption in June.

Service and Program Area Review and Evaluation (SPARE Process)

The SPAR (Service and Program Area Review) process  links planning with resource requests and allocation at the unit level. SPARE was developed in 2018-2019 as an annual process used at OCCC for programs and specialized operational divisions to document objectives, assess progress, and identify needed resources to address gaps between objectives and outcomes. Though the onset of pandemic conditions slowed down implementation of the SPARE process, there has been meaningful progress since 2020. For the first time in 2021-22, most unit areas (instructional programs and service areas) were asked to complete a SPARE to submit resource requests as an input to the 2022-23 budget development process. All SPAREs were reviewed (and for some, refined) by the Executive Team (ET) to develop a resource request master list, adding institutional priorities which did not emerge via the SPARE process. ET then worked through this list to identify requests to be funded using available funding sources: grants if applicable, unspent 2021-22 funds, inclusion in the 2022-23 budget, or those not funded at this time. The SPARE process is now an integral part of budget development, and we intend to refine and improve the process over time.

The SPARE process completed by Human Resources serves as a strong example of the impact of planning and assessment on resource allocation.  SPARE identified several gaps in desired outcomes in OCCC’s performance evaluation processes and some underlying root causes (see addendum four for further discussion).  Via the SPARE the Director of Human Resources identified some resources needed to address the root causes.  When the HR SPARE was reviewed by the Executive Team, they not only supported, but augmented the resource request, understanding the importance of accelerating progress in enhancing the performance evaluation outcomes. These changes were funded in the 2022-2023 Budget, and work is now underway.

In Summary

OCCC has made significant strides in maturing, enhancing and institutionalizing the comprehensive planning system first envisioned in 2015.  Currently there are no major revisions planned for the planning system and processes, but rather attention and resources are focused on building out and renewing the individual components. Since the last visit by NWCCU in fall 2019, OCCC has reviewed and made a minor (but meaningful) revision to its mission statement, largely completed the next strategic planning process, developed a new six-year technology plan, and made significant strides in integrating the service/area program review process (SPARE) into budgeting.  This system is working effectively. Our planning process is inclusive and offers opportunities for comment by appropriate constituencies, allocates necessary resources, and leads to improvement of institutional effectiveness.

Addendum 4: Employee Performance Evaluation and Professional Development

Recommendation: Employee Performance Evaluation and Professional Development systems. Assess the performance evaluation process, implementation, and feedback mechanisms, professional growth and development, and support resources for employees necessary for improvement of its operational functions.

Relevant Standards (2020)

2.F.2 The institution provides faculty, staff, and administrators with appropriate opportunities and support for professional growth and development.

2.F.4 Faculty, staff, and administrators are evaluated regularly and systematically in alignment with institutional mission and goals, educational objectives, and policies and procedures. Evaluations are based on written criteria that are published, easily accessible, and clearly communicated. Evaluations are applied equitably, fairly, and consistently in relation to responsibilities and duties. Personnel are assessed for effectiveness and are provided feedback and encouragement for improvement.

Performance Evaluation Processes, Systems, and Implementation at OCCC

OCCC’s performance evaluation systems are typical among Oregon community colleges. Evaluation of represented employee groups (faculty and classified) is collectively bargained, and documented in the respective contract, and any changes in the process must be bargained. There are a very limited number of positions with technical exempt or classified duties (such as confidential) whose evaluation processes are aligned with the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), even though they are not part of the bargaining units. Administrative leadership employees are not part of a bargaining unit, and their current performance evaluation system is based on AACC (American Association of Community Colleges) leadership competencies.

The timely completion of performance evaluation processes has been inconsistent as documented by annual inventories completed by the HR office. The Director of Human Resources included an assessment of current evaluation systems as part of the Service/Program Area Review (SPARE) process for 2021. The HR SPARE noted: It has been difficult for OCCC managers to consistently complete employee performance evaluations, and this has held true over time. Root causes are multiple and occur within both design and implementation:

• Process design
• Ratio of evaluators/evaluatees (especially for PT faculty)
• Significant other responsibilities for managers, especially recent
  accreditation, and new federal requirements
• Historically high number of new hires
• A lack of automation
• Pandemic impacts

Multiple changes have occurred or are underway to address root causes. The HR SPARE (Program Review) served as an input to the budget development process which then allocated resources to allow HR to move forward with the automation of performance evaluation documentation beginning in Summer 2022, incorporating position descriptions, evaluations, tracking and reminders into the existing Paylocity payroll system. The Director of Human Resources and the VP of Academic Affairs have or will convene representative committees to collaborate on additional recommendations for changes in evaluation templates and processes, to better address the elements of NWCCU Standard 2.F.4. The faculty evaluation committee has designed a new student evaluation process and in 2022-23 will consider other components of the faculty evaluation process. The faculty group has also given considerable attention to how best to assess and provide constructive feedback to ensure that technology-mediated instruction is supported and high-quality. The VP of Academic Affairs and the Director of HR have worked together to expand the number of academic administrators who can complete faculty evaluations, particularly for part-time faculty, a group which sees higher and more frequent turnover. HR and the Classified representative committee have met and proposed refinements to the classified evaluation system. The success of these changes will be assessed over time, based on whether there is progress in the rate at which evaluations are completed on schedule and their consistency with the elements of Standard 2.F.4.

There are some indications that performance evaluation feedback mechanisms could be improved. All employees may submit a self-evaluation as part of the employee evaluation process, and some take advantage of this process. Town halls and employee meetings that ask for suggestions often bring forth comments that communication at OCCC overall could be improved. HR conducts exit interviews, and occasionally departing employees indicate they would prefer more frequent or more constructive feedback from supervisors. It is likely that some supervisors may be better versed or inclined to provide feedback more often and in a way that encourages growth. College administration plans to provide some training in 2022-2023 on how to effectively provide timely and more frequent constructive and helpful feedback to employees.

Professional Growth & Development Opportunities

Most OCCC employees have access to numerous opportunities for professional development and growth. These include participation at conferences, modest tuition reimbursement at other institutions and full waivers of OCCC tuition, and four days of annual In-Service events (Spring and Fall) during which the college is closed to students and the public so that employees can engage in learning and cross-functional collaborations. Since 2014, professional development regarding equity and inclusion has been part of each In-Service. Employees also can engage with statewide affiliation groups, which is particularly helpful for employees of a small college where there may not be a local peer group. Recent years have brought refinements to faculty professional development. The Director of Library Services and Media routinely and regularly distributes links to faculty for abundant optional (unpaid) PD opportunities. Since 2018-2019 funds for faculty professional development are formally budgeted, and self-directed applications for faculty professional development are now peer-reviewed. Faculty are routinely surveyed for desired PD topics.

Given the relatively positive state of professional development opportunities for employees at OCCC, there are no plans to convene representative committees to review PD systems at this time, allowing bandwidth to focus on the needed improvements in employee performance evaluation described above. There are a couple of refinements in professional development currently under discussion by the Executive Team. Both center on how to broaden engagement in professional development, which is currently strongest among full-time faculty, student affairs staff, and college administrators. Some support positions, particularly those that work alternate schedules, miss access to professional development, especially In-Service. Part-time faculty, while they have access to funding for conferences, may not be able to afford the unpaid time to attend. The Executive Team and the Director of HR are considering remedies.

Support Resources for Improvement of OCCC Operational Functions

The President led all employees in a College-wide SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) activity during the Fall 2021 In-Service. One theme which emerged was widespread desire for additional training on the new tools introduced in the past few years. This SWOT theme regarding operational training needs was expected. Despite many new operational training sessions implemented in recent years, the growth in new systems has been intimidating, and the two-year pandemic conditions have made training difficult.

This theme was woven with others into a strategic objective in the new College Strategic Plan, for OCCC to be “Resourced & Ready.” The college-wide strategic priorities are integrated into supporting plans as they are updated. The newly completed Information Technology Operation Plan (ITOP) is the most recent example and references IT training sessions in multiple areas.

Currently, the college provides numerous support resources to enable employees to operate effectively in their positions. These include peer-to-peer on-the-job training, SafeColleges and Vector Solutions compliance training sessions, Anthology (new ERP) training, on-boarding for new employees, IT/cybersecurity training sessions, and an HR employee resource page on the College website.

Ensuring that faculty are prepared to teach in ever more complex teaching environments is critical, and OCCC strives to stay ahead of those needs. Prior to 2020, technology-mediated instruction was mostly the province of self-selecting faculty. OCCC used Quality Matters to enable these faculty to advance their skills in on-line teaching and provided faculty training sessions in Canvas (Learning Management System/Platform) and Zoom. Regular student surveys provided feedback for faculty who had time and experience to develop their skills in a technology-mediated environment.

Then came the “Pandemic Pivot,” and all remaining faculty had to move quickly on-line. OCCC built in an extra week of Spring Break in 2020 to make that transition, but it remained a very steep learning curve. Leadership in Student and Academic Affairs conducted on-the spot assessments and observations which showed that faculty needed additional support and training to be effective in new modes of tech-enabled instruction. This led to the rapid development of a “training wheels” video (2020), and more support for live streaming. Soon the new Distance Education and Planning Committee (DEP) was formed, yielding greater standardization of the student experience.

In Summary

This recommendation deals with three related but distinct aspects of the employee experience at OCCC: performance evaluation, professional growth and development, and support resources enabling employees to do their best work for students and the College. Of these three areas, performance evaluation has been the most tenacious challenge for the College and is receiving the most attention, and assessment of outcomes and gaps. Specific changes have resulted, and more are pending. College leadership is also aware employees want and need more tools to do their work effectively, and this need is centered in the new College-wide strategic priority of “Resourced and Ready.” The comprehensive planning process described in Addendum Three will guide consideration of operational training needs across all functions of the college. And not least in this recommendation, OCCC values professional growth and development and is focusing on ensuring these opportunities are available in an equitable manner across the college.