Team I – Demonstrated Value of a NWOSU Degree How are we currently articulating the value of an...

Team I – Demonstrated Value of a NWOSU Degree

How are we currently articulating the value of an NWOSU education and should we do so differently in today’s highly competitive environment?

Value of NWOSU Degree• Key Findings• Conclusions• Strategic Choices• Outstanding Questions

Key Findings• All graduating students complete the Graduating Student

Questionnaire; however, not all students are answering it in its entirety. (See Appendix)

• Ten percent of students have completed the 2015 Alumni Student Satisfaction Survey (administered by the Assessment Office). The three year average of completion is 10.2%. (See Appendix)

• Over the past three years, students who withdraw from NWOSU due to dissatisfaction with instruction or advisement, was less than 0.5%.

Key Findings (cont.)• NWOSU had a 100% (76 of 76 students) response

rate on the 2015 Graduate Student Exit Interview. (See Appendix)

• Fifty-five percent of NWOSU students have no debt when they graduate compared to the Oklahoma average of 45% having no debt.– NWOSU average debt: $15,468 – Oklahoma average debt: $23,430– National average debt: $28,950

Information Retrieved from Oklahoma State Regent’s for High Education.

Conclusions• NWOSU has a well-designed evaluation instrument (Alumni

Student Satisfaction Survey, Graduating Student Questionnaire, Graduate Student Exit Interview, and reasons for withdrawal from Student Services) for assessing the quality of a degree obtained from Northwestern.

• Subsequent tracking strategies need to be coordinated and strengthened to measure educational attainment satisfaction from all stakeholders (Alumni Office, Assessment Office, and Student Services Office).

Conclusions (cont.)• Although Northwestern has a well-designed

evaluation instrument currently in place, not all portions of the Graduating Student Questionnaire are being completed and additional questions need to be added.

• Data from above mentioned sources demonstrate that a degree from Northwestern is valued by our graduates.

Strategic Choices

• Increase the completion rate on the Graduating Student Questionnaire by administering it in all capstone courses.

• Captured data should lead to an increased response rate on the Alumni Student Satisfaction Survey.

• Questionnaire information collected by the Office of Student Services and Enrollment Management, the Assessment Office, Graduate Office and the Alumni Office will be analyzed, aggregated, and disseminated. Annual reports will be completed and sent to all key stakeholders.

Strategic Choices (cont.)

• Increase awareness of the Graduating Student Questionnaire by using social media and student email.

• Adjust Complete Withdrawal Form to include a personal email address for follow up when “other” was marked as the reason for withdrawal. NWOSU can improve this scenario with quality data.

• Use gained data for marketing purposes.

Outstanding Questions• How can the new assessment system (ALCA) be used to

capture and assess student learning as well as gain information to help market the value of an NWOSU degree?

• How can NWOSU solicit more employer data to substantiate student responses?

• How can information gained be disseminated and used as a marketing tool to outside stakeholders to help recruit students?

Team II – Increase Enrollment & Improve Retention

Team Members:•Mr. Calleb Mosburg•Dr. Wayne McMillin•Dr. Cristina Gordon•Dr. Marc Decker•Mr. Matt Adair•Ms. Paige Fischer•Ms. Haylee Bates

Key FindingsRecruitment •We are spending approximately $10 per student in recruitment efforts (undergraduate students)•Biggest % cohort increase - International Students (67% increase between Fall 2013 and Fall 2014 / Decreased 11.2% between Fall 2014 and Fall 2015) *Enrollment Management Plan*•Majority of our recruitment efforts are aimed at H.S. Seniors Estimated 90%•Hispanic student population has grown 38.8%(42 students) since 2010 *NWOSU Factbook*•Male enrollment has dropped 10.9% (111 students) since 2010 and 1.8% (24 students) drop in Female enrollment *NWOSU Factbook*

Key FindingsRecruitment (Cont.) •Estimated number of people age 15-19 in Oklahoma will drop 2.8% [266,519 (2010 census data) to 259,043 (2014 estimated census data)] *U.S. Census Data*•Estimated number of students in grades 1-8 will increase 4.9% [400,999 (2010 census data) to 420,707 (estimated census data)] *U.S. Census Data*•High School Enrollments have remained similar from 2012-2015 in our service area (10 county service area)•The website is hard to navigate *Summary of Listening Sessions with Dr. Reno* •Branding – Cost-to-benefit ratio is not in balance *Summary of Listening Sessions with Dr. Reno*

Key FindingsRetention•“Undecided” students are at a higher risk of leaving as compared to students who have selected a major An average of 16.2% difference in students returning that have a selected major vs. students who are “undecided” on a selected major•First- time freshmen leaving between their first and second semester has averaged 18.92% *Enrollment Management Plan*•Annual return rate for first-time, full-time freshmen entering each fall has not reached the goal of 65% since 2008 (Average 60.2%) *Enrollment Management Plan*•Online enrollment is growing while traditional on-campus enrollment has taken a slight decline

Conclusions

• The message concerning quality in relation to affordability is not prominent

• Updates to our website would improve eye appeal and expand our reach to new recruitment markets

• We need to look at effective ways to recruit students earlier in their High School career

• We need to find best practices to guide our retention efforts

Strategic Choices• We need to improve methodologies and find

additional avenues to market our affordability and quality education

• Continued participation in the Academy for Student Persistence and Completion

• Provide additional opportunities for online courses to assist in generating additional credit hours

• Continue focus on International Student Recruitment

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

Data Collection

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

Primary Resource: survey distributed to full-time and adjunct faculty

64 respondents

Secondary Resources: university committee reports Title III grant reports staff and faculty interviews assessment reports

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

Findings & Conclusions

Faculty:

consider teaching improvement as an important professional obligation.

use varied teaching and assessment practices.

are open to examining and refining current methods.

perceive university support of attempts to implement varied teaching practices.

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

Faculty face challenges with:adapting practices to less traditional contexts (ITV, online).

engaging contemporary students.

Faculty have limited:awareness of development opportunities on-campus and through FD Blackboard site.

time for development efforts due to work load.

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

Assessment Summary:

Multi-tiered assessment program established

Data obtained from program used for departmental & institutional decision-making

Research needed to explore connection to individual pedagogical decisions

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

Strategic Choices

The university should expand faculty development opportunities.

Efforts should address:teaching & assessment strategies for varied contexts.

ways to foster student engagement in varied contexts.

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

The university should promote existing faculty development opportunities and resources.

Efforts should consider:varied promotional strategies: e-mail; announcements through deans, department chairs, etc.

use of established sense of unity to infuse faculty development events with a social element.

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

The university should continue to foster an environment of pedagogical innovation and excellence.

Efforts should address:ways to facilitate conversations among faculty (and possibly students) on effective teaching strategies.

implementation of focused programs (such as a learning and teaching fair) to express dedication to teaching excellence.

.

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

Outstanding Questions

How can the university best bring awareness of faculty development resources already available?

How can the university create space and time in which faculty members may exchange ideas about best practices?

How can best practices be brought into non-traditional classroom contexts?

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

What can the university do to better diversify the best teaching practices used by faculty?

What can the university do to support best practices that are already in place?

How can the university encourage the continued use of assessment data and processes to shape planning at all levels: course, departmental, and institutional?

Team III – Best Practices in Teaching & Assessment

Team IV – Diversify Sources of Revenue

• Decline in state appropriations.

• More dependent on enrollment and other funding sources.

• Cut expenses and costs of University operations.

• Continuing to update facilities.

• Academic Service fees.

• Tuition/Mandatory fees.

• Enrollment Management Plan.

• Partnerships/gifts and grants.

• Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Team V – Professional Development of Faculty/StaffFindings: Participation in Professional Development

Team V – Professional Development of Faculty/Staff

Findings: Suggested PD Sessions (from surveys)•Technology •Respectful workplace•Health & Safety•Procedural

Team V – Professional Development of Faculty/StaffFindings: Employee Awareness of Support

Team V – Professional Development of Faculty/Staff

Findings: Communication Efficiency•61% of Support Staff access NWOSU email at least once per week.•76% of Faculty are aware of PD resources on Blackboard.•25% of enrolled Faculty used PD tools on Blackboard.•Focus group responses indicated communication is inconsistent.

Team V – Professional Development of Faculty/Staff

Conclusions: Participation in PD•Employees participate in PD when required to do so.•Employees want varied sessions and multiple formats of PD.

Team V – Professional Development of Faculty/Staff

Conclusions: Employee Awareness of Support•Employee awareness of SL/CE and OSP is limited.•Most faculty and staff belong to at least one professional organization that can provide support.

Team V – Professional Development of Faculty/Staff

Conclusions: Communication Efficiency•University information, policies, and events are shared primarily through email; feedback suggests this communication is inconsistent.•Not all Support Staff have regular email access.•The Faculty Development Blackboard page is underutilized.

Team V – Professional Development of Faculty/Staff

Strategic Choices:•Include PD participation in annual staff evaluations.•Offer a variety of PD and service opportunities in multiple formats to accommodate faculty and staff at all sites.•Increase SL/CE and OSP on-campus marketing.•Remind employees of ways to share and find official communication.

Team V – Professional Development of Faculty/Staff

Strategic Choices:•Create a dedicated space for employees to check university email and technology resources.•Develop PD materials for Staff to mirror online Faculty resources.•Update and increase PD materials available on Blackboard.

Team VI – Institutional Partnerships

Existing University Partnerships

• Northwestern has nearly 200 current partnerships

• This includes 59 reported internship opportunities

• Most partnerships and internships are in professional/accredited programs

Team VI – Institutional Partnerships

Evaluation of Current Partnerships

• We don’t know much about our partnerships• Existing partnerships have limited institution-wide

impact (Revenue, enrollment, public profile)• Lack of partnerships related to economic

development of the region• There is no systematic approach to developing

partnerships (Lack of lead office, process)

Team VI – Institutional Partnerships

Team Findings• The development of new partnerships is hampered

by lack of fiscal and human resources• There is not a sense of urgency to develop new

partnerships• We are not a player in regional economic

development• We are not fully exploiting the opportunities of

being the only university in northwest Oklahoma

Team VI – Institutional Partnerships

Going Forward• Does developing impactful partnerships contribute

to the mission of the University?• Can institutional partnerships protect the University

in the current economic and political climate? • What strategic choices does the University face in

building new partnerships and enhancing current ones?

Team VII – Preparing for Open Pathways Accreditation

The Open Pathway seeks to achieve the following goals:•To enhance institutional value by opening the improvement aspect of accreditation so that institutions may choose Quality Initiatives to suit their current circumstances.•To reduce the reporting burden on institutions by utilizing as much information and data as possible from existing institutional processes and collecting them in electronic form.

• To enhance rigor by checking institutional data annually (Institutional Update) and conducting Assurance Reviews twice in the ten-year cycle.

• To integrate as much as possible all HLC processes and HLC requests for data into the reaffirmation of accreditation cycle.

Quality InitiativeThe Open Pathway requires the institution to undertake a major Quality Initiative designed to suit its present concerns or aspirations. The Quality Initiative takes place between years 5 and 9 of the 10-year Open Pathway Cycle. A Quality Initiative may be designed to begin and be completed during this time or it may continue an initiative already in progress or achieve a key milestone in the work of a longer initiative. The Quality Initiative is intended to allow institutions to take risks, aim high, and if so be it, learn from only partial success or even failure.

The Quality Initiative can take one of three forms:

1. The institution designs and proposes its own Quality Initiative to suit its present concerns or aspirations.

2. The institution chooses an initiative from a menu of topics.

3. The institution chooses to participate in a Commission-facilitated program.

http://www.nwosu.edu/nw-strategic-plan

Email comments to:Debbie Skinner at dgskinner@nwosu.edu