REPORT OF A VISIT

TO

NORMANDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Bloomington, Minnesota

March 26-28, 2001

For the

The Higher Learning Commission

A Commission of the

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

 EVALUATION TEAM

Dr. Louis A. Reibling, Dean of Instruction, Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI (Chair)

Dr. Margaret M. Cleek, Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor, University of Wisconsin Colleges, Madison, WI

Mr. Donald B. Halog, Professor of English and Interim Dean of Faculty, Delta College, University Center, MI

Dr. Daniel J. LaVista, President, McHenry County College, Crystal Lake, IL

Dr. Marjorie A. Oliver, Provost, Wayne County Community College/Western Campus, Belleville, MI

Dr. R. Paul Urbanick, Chair, Humanities and Fine Arts, City Colleges of Chicago —Harold Washington College, Chicago, IL

Dr. Jerry L. Winter, Vice President for Instruction and Student Services, Northern Wyoming Community College District — Sheridan/Gillette, Gillette, WY 

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 VI. TEAM’S SUGGESTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONAL IMPROVEMENT

1.         Normandale must act aggressively to develop its ability to monitor its progress and success as an effective institution through greater efforts at institutional research and effectiveness assessment.

2.         NCC might investigate hybrid courses incorporating online and in class instruction to reduce seat time and free up classroom space.

3.         With the long wait for more expensive classroom renovation it would make more financial sense to develop classrooms with basics such as data projectors and computers.

4.         More attention should be given to identifying precisely which general education courses deal with critical thinking.

5.         The college needs to do a more effective job of marketing the honors program, creating new honors courses and developing learning communities that emphasize honors.

6.         Massive retirements and the hiring of new faculty may prove problematic because new nurses earn more then seasoned professors. Inadequate salaries are a problem for the state, and a concentrated lobby effort by the president’s community advisory board could prove helpful. With these retirements, careful administration will be necessary to ensure continued quality.

7.         Redesign of the business web site is essential since online registration for returning students and telephone registration are now in effect.

8.                  Some form of spot-checks or follow-up in the writing center would validate potential needs and problems of how the program could function better.                                                                                                                                                        

    9.       The Continuing Education Center should be 

               more aggressive in attracting clientele.

10.      Parts of the campus facilities are dated and need improved maintenance. As aging has occurred, the need for a beautification plan is visually obvious. In particular, the library, which is heavily used, needs carpeting and painting.

11.      It is suggested that included in student outcomes should be a section, which delineates the outcome of critical thinking. The question “what can or should a student be able to do in order for the college to determine that he or she has
critical thinking skills” must be addressed.

12.      Devise an emergency manual or policy   for fire or other emergency procedures.
Currently none is available.

13.      Raise the level of awareness for the wheel-assisted especially in areas normally reached by elevator (library third floor for example), by distributing these procedures on the first day of class to each instructor.

14.     The college did not review college contracts with outside agencies. Periodic
 review of these arrangements would be appropriate.

VII. TEAM’S ASSESSMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHS

1.          NCC has a clearly written and appropriate mission statement, which is effectively connected to a strong strategic planning process.

2.          All college constituent groups, including the College Advisory Committee, demonstrate commendable commitment of service to students.

3.          NCC has a commitment to shared governance in structure and actual practice.

4.          NCC has exemplary nursing and dental hygiene programs.

5.          The college should be commended for a broad range of activities designed to serve various needs of the community.

VIII. TEAM’S CHALLENGES

1.                        There is an insufficient use of data in institutional decision-making. NCC should increase the use of research data in the development of the strategic plan and in the evaluation of progress on strategic planning goals.

2.           NCC currently has little flexibility and no apparent plans in place to respond to future reductions in revenue streams. The team believes that NCC should develop a financial plan that models revenue and expense scenarios to better ensure its ability to manage its financial future successfully.

3.           NCC’s lack of retention of students beyond the freshman year results in inefficient use

             of college resources. NCC should develop an enrollment management plan that focuses

                    on retention strategies.

4.                  There is little knowledge of, or support for, student academic outcome assessment among

the college faculty and staff at NCC. NCC should develop and implement a satisfactory program to assess student academic achievement based on an accepted philosophy of general education containing such items as full faculty participation, well designed oversight, clear ties to the planning and budgeting processes of the institution, and continuous feedback loops to assure constant improvement and evaluation of instruction.

5.                  Student record processing is divided among several individuals and it is difficult to

identify overall responsibility for associated tasks and responsibilities. The team recommends the college registrar position be reviewed and restructured to include the individual responsible for oversight and control of all student records.

IX.    TEAM’S RECOMMENDATION AND RATIONALE

Recommendation Regarding Accreditation

The team recommends that the accreditation of Normandale Community College be continued and the next comprehensive evaluation be scheduled for 2010-2011. Also the team recommends that a focused visit be conducted on assessment in March, 2004.  

Rationale

Normandale Community College, as viewed by the team through a comprehensive visit, has met the General Institutional Requirements and demonstrated patterns of evidence satisfying the five evaluative criteria. The college has excellent leadership, a dedicated faculty and staff and is adequate financially. There are challenges for future finances, in enrollment management, better control of student records and more formal use of data to strategically plan. A severe challenge for NCC is to establish a unified college community for the successful program of student academic achievement.

Focused Visit

During the site visit there was evidence in conversations with the faculty that assessment of student outcomes was being accomplished by intake measures rather than any effort to measure outcomes. It was increasingly apparent in an open meeting with the faculty that they were reluctant to continue further consideration of assessment. Efforts by the team to dissuade those thoughts required lengthy discussions on the validity of assessment.

The team recommends a Focused Visit in March, 2004. By that time Normandale Community College should provide evidence that:

•     A clear and understandable statement of philosophy regarding general education exists

•    a research design that provides meaningful assessment results has been developed

•    appropriate measurement tools aligned with general education goals have been developed and are being used to systematically collect and examine assessment indicators at both the course and program level

•     a comprehensive program of assessment of student learning that includes other academic programs as well as general education has been developed

•     multiple measures of student learning are being collected

•    broad faculty participation in, and ownership of, the assessment program can be demonstrated

•    the administration regularly articulates the value of assessment to the college community

•     the value of assessment has been embraced by all constituencies within the college

•    the results of assessment of student learning at the course and program level are being compiled, disseminated, and used in planning, budgeting and decision making

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