Table of Contents us/fvtc...2. Use critical and creative thinking to solve problems, resolve conflicts, make decisions, and complete tasks 3. Work cooperatively in a team environment

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Table of Contents

Fox Valley Technical College Organizational Overview .............................................................. O-1

AQIP Category One: Helping Students Learn

Processes ................................................................................................................................ 1-1

Results .................................................................................................................................. 1-10

Improvements ...................................................................................................................... 1-15

AQIP Category Two: Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives

Processes ................................................................................................................................ 2-1

Results .................................................................................................................................... 2-3

Improvements ........................................................................................................................ 2-6

AQIP Category Three: Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs

Processes ................................................................................................................................ 3-1

Results .................................................................................................................................... 3-4

Improvements ........................................................................................................................ 3-7

AQIP Category Four: Valuing People

Processes ................................................................................................................................ 4-1

Results .................................................................................................................................... 4-8

Improvements ...................................................................................................................... 4-11

AQIP Category Five: Leading and Communicating

Processes ................................................................................................................................ 5-1

Results .................................................................................................................................... 5-5

Improvements ........................................................................................................................ 5-8

AQIP Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations

Processes ................................................................................................................................ 6-1

Results .................................................................................................................................... 6-3

Improvements ........................................................................................................................ 6-5

AQIP Category Seven: Measuring Effectiveness

Processes ................................................................................................................................ 7-1

Results .................................................................................................................................... 7-4

Improvements ........................................................................................................................ 7-6

AQIP Category Eight: Planning Continuous Improvement

Processes ................................................................................................................................ 8-1

Results .................................................................................................................................... 8-4

Improvements ........................................................................................................................ 8-9

AQIP Category Nine: Building Collaborative Relationships

Processes ................................................................................................................................ 9-1

Results .................................................................................................................................... 9-5

Improvements ........................................................................................................................ 9-9

Glossary ............................................................................................................................................ G-1

Index .................................................................................................................................................... I-1

O-1

FVTC Organizational Overview – 2010 Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) has provided workforce education and training since 1912 and in

1967 became part of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). FVTC is one of the largest of the

16 publicly supported associate degree granting two-year technical colleges in the WTCS and serves a

five-county district in northeastern Wisconsin (Pop. 466,000).

FVTC has campuses in Appleton and Oshkosh, with regional centers in Chilton, Clintonville, Neenah,

Waupaca and Wautoma. FVTC is governed in accordance with Wisconsin

State Statute 38.001, which establishes the mission and purposes of the

WTCS. The WTCS Board provides general oversight and operational

guidelines in compliance with enabling legislation. Each college in the

system operates independently under a locally appointed governing Board of

Trustees.

FVTC is supported by approximately $131 million in revenues (FY 2010).

District property tax revenues make up 41% of these revenues. Other

sources of revenue include state aid (10%), student tuition and fees/financial

aid (26%), federal and state grants (16%), institutional donations, and

income from contract training (7%).

As is true for all the colleges in the WTCS, FVTC‘s mission is to provide a trained workforce and

contribute to the economic development of our region and state. In pursuit of that mission, FVTC served

over 47,000 students, including 10,500 degree-declared students with Full Time Equivalency (FTE) of

over 7,400 in FY 2010.

FVTC‘s overall aim is summed up in our motto, ―Knowledge That Works.‖ At the same time, FVTC

seeks to create an academic climate that is flexible and responsive to the needs of individual learners.

These goals are captured in our institutional Vision and Values.

The College‘s five core values were developed and defined through a collaborative process and endorsed

by the FVTC Board of Trustees as one of the Ends Statements guiding the development of institutional

policies and practices to achieve its desired teaching/learning environment.

FVTC District Map

Fox Valley Technical College October 2010

Organizational Overview O-2

The value of Integrity establishes an expectation of ethical behavior and communication. A Code of

Ethics expressed in Board and administrative policy further defines this expectation. The College values

of Collaborative Partnerships and Diversity create clear expectations for social responsibility, community

service, and inclusiveness. Leaders set expectations that the College will uphold these three values by:

Providing access to education for individuals in the community who may not have access to other

higher education options.

Welcoming the growing diversity of communities.

Carefully executing fiduciary responsibility.

Maintaining close relationships with stakeholders through a continuum of collaboration ranging from

participation in community events and volunteerism to long-term formal partnerships (Category 9).

The College values of Innovation and Continuous Improvement are reflected in FVTC‘s development of

new programs, use of Strategic Investments and New Initiative Requests (Category 8) to support new

ideas, and by the College‘s internal Quality Review Process (QRP), that encourages all areas of the

College to self-assess and improve their programs on a continuing basis. In addition, the College has

applied Lean principles to several of its internal processes in the last few years, as described in Categories

4 and 6.

Finally, FVTC‘s value of Customer Focus is manifested throughout the College, from in-person, single-

point of contact service for students, as well as maintaining an up-to-date website to offering

Individualized Technical Studies degrees, and customized training to area businesses, industry, and

government agencies (Category 2). These values and the work of the College described in the subsequent

sections mirror the Principles of High Performing Organizations (AQIP) as both are guideposts and

aspirations of FVTC.

1. Goals for student learning

Education leading to employment and enhancing workplace skills are the guiding directions for all

student learning at FVTC. Accordingly, teaching and learning are competency-based and grounded in

experiential learning and exposure to workplace technology. Instructors must meet rigorous certification

standards, including demonstrated work experience for all occupational programs. Initially, programs are

aligned to meet market needs and forecasts. This alignment is strengthened continuously through input

from program advisory committees composed of employers and employees in the field. It is also

important to note that while other WTCS colleges have discontinued offering non-credit courses due to

budget constraints; FVTC views these courses as a community service which is responsive to local needs

and interests. (Category 2 highlights the workforce learning aspect of non-credit courses.)

Assessment of student learning has been the focus of an AQIP Action Project since 2008. The College‘s

targeted assessment journey to understand and implement summative assessment began at least eight

years prior to this project. The assessment focus has experienced ebbs and flows of dedicated resources,

faculty buy-in, and organizational priority. Progress has been made in large part due to the identification

and measurement of summative assessment as an indicator in the QRP and supporting pilot projects. A

systemic priority in the next five years of the QRP is to continue the development and implementation of

a summative assessment in every program and track the measurable results to identify areas for

improvement in each program.

To ensure that student learning is in line with College-endorsed teaching and learning philosophies, both

program design and course curricula undergo rigorous development processes as described in Category 1.

Since 2001, the College has been using a quality standards-based review process for its curriculum and

online courses. Curriculum evaluation assesses rigor, depth of content, and quality. Curriculum

standards include those that address learning styles and the multiple intelligence spectrum of learning to

enhance success for more students. Other standards ensure that curriculum is free of bias ―against age,



disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, non-traditional students, political affiliation, race,

religion, service in the armed forces, and sexual orientation.‖

The Worldwide Instructional Design System (WIDS) is the curriculum design and documentation system

used by the colleges in the WTCS. The use of WIDS assures consistency in design and rigor across the

state. This documentation also ensures consistency in competency-based instruction in times of faculty

transition and across multiple course sections.

In 2009-10, FVTC offered more than 54 associate degree and 28 technical diploma credit programs (see

Table 1.19 at the end of Category One for a complete listing). Individuals may ―test drive‖ a degree or

upgrade specific skills by completing one of over 150 certificates. In addition, thousands of offerings

ranging from short avocational courses (e.g. sewing) to technical courses for employed adults (e.g. Lean

manufacturing) compose the non-credit offerings of the College, serving adults seeking the development of

their basic skills, avocational interests, or job-related skills.

Since General Education course requirements vary among associate degree programs, FVTC adopted five

core abilities for all associate degree and diploma students. The core abilities are integrated throughout a

student‘s program of study, including both General Studies courses and occupational program courses.

The abilities align with skills identified by employers as most needed in future graduates.

1. Demonstrate adaptation to change

2. Use critical and creative thinking to solve problems, resolve conflicts, make decisions, and

complete tasks

3. Work cooperatively in a team environment

4. Communicate in ways that honor diversity

5. Demonstrate personal integrity through ethical and responsible behaviors

Programs offer classes through the following delivery modes: on- and off-site classrooms, accelerated,

accelerated/integrated, online, interactive television, and blended. Technology is an integral part of

hands-on content in most programs. In addition, FVTC is a recognized pioneer in employing new and

emerging teaching/learning technologies. This development was inspired by the College vision of the

1990s to become ―an interactive learning community not bound by time or place.‖ The College supports

Blackboard, QuestionMark Perception, Camtasia, WebCasting, Adobe Connect, learning objects, and

other key applications which, in turn, support alternative delivery. Faculty members actively seek to

adapt and improve the integration of occupational technology into teaching and learning. Table O.1

highlights examples of occupational technology in use at the College.

Table O.1 Examples of Occupational Technology Incorporated into Educational Programs

Technology Application in Educational Programs and Delivery

Simulation Interactive computer-generated scenarios in flexographic printing

Use of force lab in law enforcement program simulating live crime scenarios

Human patient simulators in health sciences

Aviation pilot training using flight simulator

Automation Robotics applications in automated manufacturing

Coordination of measuring and computer controlled machining in machine tool

Digital

Imaging Waterjet cutting table in metal fabrication

Rapid prototype technology in mechanical design (FabLab)

An abiding high performance strength of FVTC is the clear FOCUS on the technical college mission and

the commitment to a creative LEARNING environment that helps more and more students find their

passion for future life work. The ongoing opportunity for improvement is systemic documentation of



student performance and designing more avenues for more students to successfully complete their

pathways to a college credential and a rewarding career.

2. Economic development services

As stated in the FVTC Mission, the economic growth of the communities served is central to the focus of

the College. Collaboration with area employers to enhance the effectiveness of their employees through

training is evident in the Strategic Directions and Annual Objectives as the College intentionally directs

its resources to customization of our instructional programming to meet the specific training needs of

employers in all sectors of the local economy. In Category 2, FVTC chooses to highlight its Business and

Industry Services (BIS) as a key organizational dimension thereby recognizing employers as primary

stakeholders and their employees as students served through a sophisticated and successful contract

training operation that is a prominent strength of FVTC.

Unlike some colleges that have a corporate training as an independent entity, FVTC‘s BIS model is fully

integrated into academic programs across the College. Faculty members provide the training needed

under contract with companies. This is mutually beneficial to the company and the academic programs,

keeping both as current as possible with the interchange of content research from the faculty and industry

practice relevance to the classroom. Many company personnel become members of our program advisory

committees (Category 1) to share their knowledge and expertise with the program faculty on a regular

basis. This symbiotic relationship revolving around needed skills and training expertise within a

traditionally strong economic region of Wisconsin has propelled FVTC to lead the WTCS in contract

training revenues earned, averaging about $6M annually, and employees trained averaging over 20,000

annually for over 20 years.

As FVTC strives to be the trainer of choice for companies and organizations within its District, the small

team of staff members who maintain close communication and active needs assessment networks, along

with the faculty who provide training, have fine tuned the high performing principle of AGILITY, which

has spread across the culture of FVTC. The opportunity for improvement in this category is to creatively

assist area organizations to recover from the recent recession by providing local access to affordable and

high quality workforce training they need to move productively into the future.

3. Student and stakeholder expectations

Since the 2006 AQIP Systems Portfolio, FVTC has made great strides in seeking to understand student

needs and expectations by discontinuing the ACT Student Satisfaction Survey and, instead, implementing

the Noel Levitz survey. Survey results zeroed in on a key student expectation of early feedback on their

course performance progress, not only when they are doing poorly in a class. The 2008 Noel Levitz

survey led to student focus groups to better understand their expectations. This feedback resulted in the

development of an AQIP Action Project and an ad hoc team dedicated to examination of the findings

relative to current policy/processes and gaps needed to be addressed by new policies and procedures. The

second iteration of the Noel Levitz survey in 2010 continued to identify this as a top student expectation

that requires organizational attention. The Early Academic Alert Committee is working on policy

revisions and other interventions as part of the AQIP Action Project.

Our data analysis indicates that persistently low rates of course completion is a growing priority of

student need (particularly high areas of withdrawals and failure), which leads to reduced rates of program

completion/graduation. In many cases, math courses were identified as a major challenge to student

success in their occupational program completion goal. At this writing, a major College initiative is

underway supported by a Strategic Investment (Category 8) to focus upon math course redesign and a

Math Teaching and Learning Center. Efforts will continue to focus upon improving the graduation rate of

FVTC students.



The overarching short- and long-term requirements for FVTC students are captured in the statutory

purposes of a technical college in Wisconsin (Organizational Overview – Item 5). State-enabling

legislation underscores the requirement for affordability and access as fundamental to serving the career

skills needs of the citizenry of Wisconsin. With a student population that is generally working and likely

to have a family, the need for flexibility and convenience of course scheduling becomes an essential

condition for going to college. The universal desire to be able to transfer credits underscores our

articulation efforts (Category 9). Many of our students have specialized needs which escalate their risk

factors for achieving their intended goals. A finely tuned system of support services has developed over

the years to strengthen the likelihood of success regardless of the risk characteristics presented by

students. Support systems including counseling, multicultural services for minority, English Language

Learning (ELL) and international students, and academic support for disabled students are some of the

services available to meet unique needs. A signature strength of the College is its demonstration of the

high performing principle of INTEGRITY in that it treats the special needs of students as common needs

that are persistently and passionately studied to better understand and address, thereby helping all students

to have a learning environment of equity, dignity and respect.

As a public, tax-supported community institution, there are myriad stakeholders for FVTC, among which

are three key groups: employers, the workforce/alumni, and other educational institutions (Category 9).

Employers require a skilled workforce which translates to instructional programming for both initial

training needs and ongoing learning. Members of the regional workforce, which includes FVTC alumni,

depend upon FVTC for keeping their skills updated, advancing in their careers and changing careers.

Elementary and secondary students and teachers need to understand the opportunities offered by technical

careers and the educational preparation that provides the foundation for advanced skills development at

the technical college and beyond. While the area private colleges and public (University of Wisconsin)

four-year universities and two-year transfer campuses are competitors for student enrollments, there is

more emphasis on collaborative efforts to serve the region‘s educational needs as evidenced by the

consortium of thirteen post-secondary institutions known as NEW ERA (Northeast Wisconsin

Educational Resource Alliance).

4. Human resources

Human resource related processes have been the target of major improvement efforts at FVTC for well

over a decade and have progressed to be on par with best practices in the field. People are proud to be

part of the FVTC organization and the great service that is provided to our community. In the recent

economic recession, our College was the only ―port in the storm‖ for many of our fellow residents and

people in all corners of the organization worked together to adjust our systems, processes, class sizes and

offerings to help meet the needs. As stated in the Principles of High Performance Organizations

dimension of PEOPLE, FVTC recognizes its human resources as ―its most valuable asset‖ and invests in

this asset by thoughtful development of processes and services that foster growth and engagement,

responding to new ideas from within while keeping an eye on what works in other organizations.

The administration, faculty and staff of FVTC reflect a diversified mix of experience and credentials in

keeping with the College‘s mission. Fifty-five percent of the administrative staff and faculty have earned

a master‘s degree or higher. In addition, FVTC recognizes and values the importance of relevant business

or industrial experience in administrative staff and faculty. Certification standards set by WTCS require

that technical faculty members have significant occupational experience in their fields.

FVTC employees are classified as management, faculty, or support staff. Management positions are

normally governed by individually negotiated contracts. Faculty and support staff are represented by

collective bargaining units. The Faculty Association (FA) represents full- and part-time faculty members.

The Educational Support Personnel Association (ESPA) represents full- and part-time support staff. The

College addresses work environment issues and establishes job classifications based on collaboration with



bargaining units. Negotiated agreements establish the framework for wages, benefits, and working

conditions to include work schedules and assignments.

The number of full- and part-time faculty and staff remains fairly stable, while the number of adjunct

faculty can vary from semester to semester based upon enrollment. The College employs roughly 600-

800 adjunct faculty each year. Table O.2 summarizes staff distribution.

Table O.2 College Employees 2009-10

Full Time Faculty 301

Part Time Faculty (includes adjunct) 645

Full Time Management 125

Part Time Management 3

Full time support staff 243

Part time support staff 170 Source: 2010 NCA Annual Institutional Data Update

The College is organized around work functions and common purposes. The President‘s Executive Team

includes Vice Presidents of Instructional Services, Administrative Services, and Student/Community

Development, three Executive Deans, the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information Officer (see

Organizational Chart at the end of Category 4). Within each division and work unit, a team structure

enables decisions about instructional programs to be made close to where the learning happens. Cross-

functional structures described in Category 5 ensure horizontal communication and integration of key

functions and strategies.

Providing service from two campuses, five regional centers, six training centers, numerous community

sites, and operating on-site in business/industry across the five-county District has led to greater self-

direction and reliance on electronic communication/meetings. As the College serves students and

industries in the region as well as in specialized content areas nationwide, work schedules have become

more flexible to facilitate travel and year-round needs.

As public resources become increasingly strained, existing positions and openings are continually

monitored to be certain that resources, staffing, and organizational needs are aligned. The College takes a

long-term perspective both internally and externally to analyze and anticipate workforce needs in light of

external and internal changes. These and other factors inform both strategic planning and on-going

decisions about hiring and staff development.

5. Aligning processes with Mission, Vision and Values

The Board of Trustees represents the community in determining and assuring appropriate organizational

performance. Board responsibilities are distinguished from staff responsibilities by the following:

serving as the official governance link between the College and the community, employing and

supervising the College President, selecting and retaining the services of District legal counsel and

financial auditor, and enacting written governing policies. These address:

• ENDS: College services, impacts, benefits, outcomes, recipients, and their relative worth (what good

for which needs at what cost). Ends include College vision, mission, strategic directions and purposes

(Table O.3).

• EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS: Constraints on executive authority which establish the prudence and

ethics boundaries within which all executive activity and decisions must take place.

• GOVERNANCE PROCESS: Specification of how the Board conceives, carries out, and monitors its

own tasks.



• BOARD-STAFF RELATIONSHIP: How authority and accountability are delegated to the President

and their proper use monitored.

As the centerpiece to FVTC‘s continuous improvement system, seven formal reports are developed,

reviewed by related staff, and presented to the Board of Trustees over the course of the academic year

with three years of data, an analysis of the immediate past year‘s performance and plans for improvement.

These reports answer the framing questions: What do we do? For whom and are they satisfied? At what

cost? Each report benchmarks FVTC performance with four WTCS colleges similar in size and/or

program mix to FVTC. Key three-year measures include data on students served, student success,

student/stakeholder satisfaction, regional service levels, links with strategic directions, funding

performance and trends. Table O.3 outlines the eight purposes, reporting month and the AQIP category

which highlights performance results. Overall results for 2009-10 indicate (Figure 5.10) that the College

is achieving positive results related to serving constituents.

Table O.3 FVTC Performance Monitoring of College Purposes

Statutory Purpose Board Report

Month

AQIP

Category

Provide training and education to upgrade the

occupational skills of individuals and the business and

industry work force and provide community services and

avocational or self-enrichment activities

September Two and Nine

Deliver associate degree, technical diploma, and

certificate level programs which provide the skills and

knowledge necessary to address occupational competencies

from initial job-entry to advanced certification.

October One

Design and deliver customized training, consulting

services, and technical assistance in partnership with

public and private sector employers to further economic

development.

November Two

Collaborate with secondary schools, colleges, and

universities to enable students’ smooth passage between

educational systems.

January Nine

Offer related academic and technical support courses for

joint labor/management apprenticeship programs.

February One

Provide basic skills programming necessary to enhance the

success of students.

March One and

Three

Provide counseling services necessary to enhance the

success of students.

May Three

Offer educational programming and supportive services

for special populations to address barriers prohibiting

participation in education and employment.

May Three

6. Aligning key support goals

The vision statement highlights the strategies of innovation and excellence that guide the desired

alignment of administrative support goals with our mission and values. The College provides a full

spectrum of organizational services to students and external stakeholders. While some services involve

direct interaction with students and external stakeholders, others operate ―behind the scenes‖ as the

invisible infrastructure. The College seeks to be ―state-of-the art‖ in providing a learning/working

environment that demonstrates pride in our value of innovation and continuous improvement. We

welcome opportunities to showcase our instructional facilities and equipment to prospective students,

parents, employers and other community stakeholders to underscore our efforts and investment in these

priority areas. Similarly, excellence is the hallmark of our dedication to customer service in how our



students experience the administrative support processes that are key elements of their interaction with the

College. While an increasing number of these interactions involve technology, many involve human

interactions that define service excellence as understanding their individual situations and desire to access

educational or support services.

Administrative support services include a broad range of services that create a stable and responsive

institution. For example, the smooth entrance of students into the College is facilitated by formal

admission and enrollment processes as well as supportive efforts such as helping students obtain financial

aid and personal support for at-risk students. Instructional Support Services include a variety of services

designed to make it easier for students to focus on learning. These include practical assistance, such as

child care and food service, as well as functions that directly support instruction, such as alternative

deliveries and instructional technology. Graduation and placement services help students transition from

College to employment. This area of College services has also developed programming to assist

displaced workers in finding new employment, including creating a Job Seekers Network.

High performance in these all important administrative support areas is achieved through the engagement

and INVOLVEMENT of those teams who operate and understand the processes, and are committed to the

continuous alignment of the processes with our mission, vision and values. Since the 2006 AQIP

Systems Portfolio, FVTC has strengthened these efforts by adopting the practice of Value Stream

Mapping to initiate rapid and sustained process improvements.

7. Information management

As the focus of two AQIP projects, the measurement of effectiveness has successfully evolved through

the quest for the ―perfect dashboard‖ and improved data warehousing systems to better understanding of

what the College truly needs for both. Institutional data is centrally collected by the Information

Technology (IT) department systems and is accessed in a decentralized fashion throughout the College.

Data reports can be self-managed by staff as needed via user friendly web-based resources. New reports

can be ordered through an automated system or by personally working with IT staff.

Information systems have been developed and refined over the past decade to become aligned with the

work processes and staff/student needs. During early years of conversion from our legacy system to

PeopleSoft, many in the organization considered PeopleSoft a ―bad word‖. Now, a fully functioning

system has evolved as an organizational strength through both advances in technology and greater

familiarity and use of the system. The transition to new versions has broadly involved people who use the

system and its data for their work in the design of the processes for adaptation. In this way, the

information systems are better matched to the organizational processes and voiced needs of the people

working with those systems. IT leaders and other staff are open to ideas for improvement in the quality of

data processes and results. This practice truly demonstrates an organizational strength and high

performing principle of INFORMATION that is fundamentally useful and reliable for making decisions

and improvements.

The WTCS Office has data requirements that drive information collection, processing and distribution for

reporting and monitoring functions. In addition to the WTCS data requirements, other data collection

needs, including federal requirements for Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

reporting and affirmative action determine data collection needs. The College uses PeopleSoft

Administrative Software to collect data and process transactions.

FVTC uses the functionality and convenience of the Internet to accommodate a wide variety of

applications that serve data input, analysis, and reporting needs. Applications include offsite access to

PeopleSoft, email, student registration (via MyFVTC and MyTraining), reporting, academic programs,

personnel information, financial aid, payments, campus news, campus events, and administrative



functions. In addition, there is a learning management tool (Blackboard) for online and blended courses

as well as a dedicated portal for our specialized criminal justice training.

8. Commitments, constraints, challenges, and opportunities

Due to rapid and persistent changes in the environment, FVTC has adjusted its formal scanning effort

from one that occurred just prior to strategic planning every four years to an ongoing effort that advances

the high performance principle of FORESIGHT in College conversations about short-term and long-term

plans and strategies. The External Impact Assessment Committee researches publications in the sectors

of Education, Environment, Technology, Workforce and Political to identify key factors that need to be

considered by the College in planning for the future. These findings continuously inform the College‘s

SWOT analysis which is officially reviewed by the Executive Team and Board at their semi-annual

retreats.

The central commitment of FVTC is to the communities that it serves in alignment with our mission,

vision, values and purposes. As captured in our vision statement, we pride ourselves in innovation, which

means that we are constantly challenged to make it our business to know what current trends are and the

potential impact upon our stakeholders. In these times of uncertainty, proactive planning involves FVTC

staff engaging in conversations across the District and beyond to learn how our stakeholders are

experiencing today‘s challenges and viewing future trends. These conversations inform our forecasts on

the responsiveness of FVTC service structures and program offerings.

Although financial constraints are the most challenging, the statutory limitation on any new facilities of

$1.5M (without public referendum) poses a significant constraint on innovation in state-of-the art and

responsive technical facilities. The FVTC District voters passed a $25M referendum in 1998 which

funded a major enhancement of facilities across the region. However, the current and foreseeable future

economic climate is not conducive to supporting school and college referenda. The challenge in meeting

the anticipated community needs is to creatively work within this constraint by identifying alternative

means of advancing innovation that is not dependent upon public referenda.

Other key challenges include:

flat/declining state funding

dramatically increasing enrollments

pressure to control property taxes

keeping curriculum and technology current

influx of dislocated workers

need to increase course and degree completions

unfunded legislative mandates

FVTC is fortunate to be in the position to advance many opportunities for post-secondary education to an

increasing number of individuals in a wide variety of occupations. Recent headlines have noted that

community/technical colleges are the key to economic recovery. Although a great responsibility, this is

an opportunity to serve our students and stakeholders. FVTC demonstrates the high performance

principle of LEADERSHIP with an unwavering commitment to supporting these efforts by prioritizing,

balancing and marshalling the necessary resources to advance opportunity while being accountable for

progress (Figure 8.5 – Strategic Plan).

With emerging instructional and occupational technologies changing not only teaching and learning but

the dynamics of the workplace, there is a constant flow of ideas from our innovative and passionate

faculty and staff to create the optimal learning environment. FVTC has a long standing practice of

proactively developing partnerships and seeking public and private grants and other funding to provide

the necessary resources in support of innovation.

Efforts are underway to better align and integrate our planning processes to target our energies and clarify

our intentions across the organization. Our twenty-year participation in the Continuous Quality

Improvement Network (CQIN) offers the opportunity to learn from high performing organizations



(usually Malcolm Baldrige awardees) who share their best practices with the 30-40 members of CQIN

most of whom are community and technical colleges. This learning partnership keeps FVTC open to

examining its practices and how improvements can create even more opportunities for better serving the

needs of our community.

9. Key collaborations

Many of the opportunities and innovations that FVTC is involved with are due to important and effective

partnerships with a wide variety of business, industry, government, education and service organizations

that range from local to world-wide. FVTC is very proud of these partnerships and supports staff in

creating, nurturing and aligning partnerships with the mission and strategic directions of the College,

thereby demonstrating strong performance in the principle of COLLABORATION.

The broad mission of education for employment along with the ongoing challenge of resource constraints

necessitates collaboration to leverage resources, such as equipment donations to insure relevant

technology in the learning environment. Some partnerships with other public organizations, for example,

are intended to assist in pooling, optimizing or attracting resources through initiatives which serve the

needs of all. FVTC maintains high standards in being a proactive, engaged and responsible partner in

order to continuously advance excellence in pursuit of the College mission, vision and purposes.

FVTC Agenda for Continuous Improvement

The accreditation exercise of assembling a Systems Portfolio causes the College to thoughtfully document

and reflect upon its Agenda for Continuous Improvement. As a fiscally sound organization with a solid

infrastructure of physical, human and technology resources, FVTC has a formidable foundation of

strengths from which to examine and tackle its opportunities for improvement. The initial listing of

improvement areas is provided below. The quest for identifying additional ways to better serve students,

use resources more efficiently and learn from our own data where to focus our innovative energy is

ongoing.

Greater focus on student success to improve course completion and graduation rates

Strengthen the alignment of planning processes and goals across the College

Continue to seek available comparative external data and best practice benchmarks

Continue the assessment of student learning initiative to include all programs

Continue to identify follow up actions for student and employee surveys

Improve the financial aid and registration processes to better serve student expectations

1-1

Category One: Helping Students Learn

Processes (P)

1P1 Common learning objectives

At FVTC, the common or shared objectives for all associate degree and diploma graduates are called the

―Core Abilities‖. The original list of Core Abilities was created by focus teams made up of: 1) faculty

members from a cross-section of FVTC departments, 2) Executive Team members, and 3) representatives

from several regional employers. The validity of the objectives listed in the Core Abilities Statement is

assessed annually by surveying regional employers. If the results indicate that the Core Abilities should

be reassessed, the Curriculum and Assessment Advisory Committee will convene a Core Abilities Work

Group charged with validating the Core Abilities to ensure that they reflect the expectations of the

workplace. If the Core Abilities require change, the Work Group initiates the Core Abilities Update

Process (Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1 Core Abilities Update Process

1

Benchmark &

Propose Updates

Work Group

Meetings

2

Internal Feedback

Faculty/Mgmt.

Surveys & Curr.

Assessment

Committee Focus

Groups

3

External

Feedback

Program Advisory

Committees &

Employer Survey

4

Review Feedback

& Revise

Work Group

Meetings &

Executive Team

(adopt, revise,

or reject)

5

Final Review and

Adoption

Board of Trustees

Meeting (adopt or

reject update)

The Core Abilities Update Process begins by benchmarking FVTC Core Abilities against those of other

regional and national colleges. For a new core ability, the Work Group would develop indicators to

measure student learning and to ensure the capture of competencies. 1P2 Program Outcomes

Initial program learning objectives are determined through the Designing A CUrriculuM (DACUM)

process. DACUMs are one-day facilitated sessions in which professionals currently working in the target

occupational field collaborate to identify the duties, tasks, knowledge, skills, traits, and tools used on the

job. Figure 1.2 outlines the steps in the DACUM process.

Figure 1.2 Steps in the DACUM

Pre-DACUM

PreparationDean invites expert

incumbent workers

(list derived from

Advisory Comm.,

Adjunct Fac.,

graduates, etc.) &

prepares initial job

description.

DACUM

Step 1

Incumbent workers

review proposed job

description and

brainstorm areas of

job responsibility.

DACUM

Step 2

Incumbent workers

identify and prioritize

tasks based upon

criticality, frequency,

and training needed.

DACUM

Step 3

Incumbent workers

identify required general

knowledge and skills;

necessary facilities,

tools, & equipment; and

emerging technologies

associated with

the job.

Post-DACUM

Validation

IDD Department

compiles DACUM data

for report. College

Effectiveness Dept.

surveys regional

employers to verify

DACUM results.

https://intranet.fvtc.edu/adminservices/marketing/Documents/College Logo Transition 2008/FVTC_Hor4C19235.jpg


Category One: Helping Students Learn 1-2

Every new occupational program goes through a facilitated DACUM. Based on the DACUM, department

and program faculty create a list of proposed courses and define proposed program outcomes, learning

objectives, and assessment strategies.

Each occupational program at the College receives guidance from an Advisory Committee made up of

stakeholders from the community representing businesses and/or agencies that are actively engaged in the

occupation associated with the FVTC program. Program Advisory Committees meet at least twice each

year and annually review, revise, and approve a list of program outcomes representing the current

needs—and anticipated future needs—of regional employers for that occupation. 1P3 Designing New Programs

New program development follows a standard process specified by the WTCS. Required elements

include demonstration of need for the program and expected demand for graduates (Table 1.1). Focus

groups of regional employers help to guide program content within the guidelines of WTCS. Once a

program is established, annual employer surveys provide feedback for the College on how well the

program is meeting employer needs and whether revisions are needed.

Table 1.1 New Program Development Process

1. Develop a proposal

2. Benchmark other similar programs

3. Conduct labor market research

4. Assess employer need

5. Conduct a DACUM (if applicable)

6. Develop curriculum

7. Analyze cost

8. Seek formal approval from local and state boards

1P4 Responsive Programming

Programming decisions begin with an examination of market needs and continue through the steps

outlined in Figure 1.3. After initial implementation, programming decisions loop through the final three

steps as needed in response to QRP and Advisory Committee indicators.

Figure 1.3 Program Implementation Process

Market Needs DACUM Implement

Feedback:

QRP,

Advisory

Committees

Revise

If market trends indicate that demand for a program is declining, the program leadership evaluates the

viability of the program and may initiate the process to discontinue an academic program (see 1P14 for a

full description of the program discontinuation process).

One way that FVTC anticipates and monitors employment market trends is by participating in regional

economic initiatives such as those sponsored by New North, a consortium of businesses and civic

organizations focused on promoting job growth in the 18 counties that make up the Northeast Wisconsin

region. New North committees report current employment data, research employment trends, and project

future needs of area employers. FVTC is active in New North, with representation on several

committees.

Program offerings based on employment market needs are typically well balanced with student interest in

programs, but occasionally demand outstrips capacity. When a program has more applicants than

available spaces, the program follows the ―Ready Group‖ process. Students who have met all admission



requirements comprise the Ready Group and take required general education and elective courses while

waiting to enter core classes. As spaces in the core classes open, priority is given to those students in the

Ready Group who have accumulated the highest number of required credits.

FVTC‘s Production Welding program recently developed a unique answer to growing demand for

training by students who could not attend day or evening classes. The program added an overnight cohort

section with classes that meet from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. The classes are in high demand and employer

demand for graduates of the program remains high.

1P5 Student Preparedness

The College uses the ACCUPLACER assessment instrument to determine the math, reading, and

sentence skill abilities of program applicants. The College offers free workshops and online practice

assessments to help students prepare to take the ACCUPLACER assessment and offers Goal Oriented

Adult Learning (GOAL) programming for those students whose scores fall below the cutoff for a

particular program. Figure 1.4 illustrates the process used to set ACCUPLACER thresholds.

Figure 1.4 ACCUPLACER Threshold Process

DACUMDevelop

Curriculum

Identify

foundational skills

needed for

curriculum

Set

Accuplacer

thresholds

Some programs have specific entrance requirements in addition to the ACCUPLACER scores.

Depending upon the DACUM report, these may include a high school diploma, a physical exam, a

criminal background check, a minimum age requirement, or other program-specific entrance

requirements. The Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is used to provide additional data for students

entering the GOAL program, and the BEST PLUS Oral English Proficiency test is used for the same

purpose in ELL.

1P6 Communicating Program Requirements

The College uses a variety of live/in-person, printed, and technology-based methods to communicate

program requirements to prospective and current students. Table 1.2 lists the various methods by type.

Table 1.2 Communicating Program Requirements to Prospective and Current Students

Live / In-Person Printed Technology-Based

Prospective Students

Transition Specialists (walk-in or appt.) Counseling Services Open Houses (College or Program) Career Fairs Information booths at education fairs Group guidance at FVTC events

Future Fest (career exploration)

Tech Space (after-school program and summer camp for at-risk youth)

Course Catalog

Program admission requirements

Entry math and reading skills

Course prerequisites

Student Academic Program Plan

Focus Your Future Magazine Guide to Becoming a Student Program-specific brochures

Program-specific web pages housed on the FVTC public website www.fvtc.edu

Current Students

Counseling Services Advising Program orientation sessions Student Academic Program Plan/Degree Audit

Course syllabi Course Catalog Program-specific brochures Student Academic Program Plan/Degree Audit

Program-specific web pages housed on the FVTC public website www.fvtc.edu

1P7 Matching Students and Programs

FVTC uses a wide variety of methods to help students select programs of study that match their needs,

interests, and abilities. Approaches include individual counseling and advising, placement testing, open

house events, and hands-on summer camps.

http://www.fvtc.edu/

http://www.fvtc.edu/



As part of a federal initiative channeled through WTCS, FVTC developed a Career Pathways program.

The program is designed to guide students from high school to the technical college to the workplace

and/or to a four-year college/university. A WTCS Career Pathways team is currently developing a

website for state-wide use by students, parents, and guidance counselors. The website will include

information about 79 Career Pathways in 16 occupational clusters and provide descriptions of required

and recommended high school coursework associated with each occupational area.

1P8 Underprepared Students

As illustrated in Figure 1.5, if a student does not meet the required ACCUPLACER score threshold,

he/she is referred to GOAL or Adult Basic Education (ABE) services.

Figure 1.5 Program Preparedness Assessment Process

ACCUPLACERScores

Met?Enter ProgramYes

No

GOAL/ABE

GOAL and ABE services are free, self-paced remedial classes in math, reading and writing which are

open to any FVTC district resident. Typical GOAL students include prospective FVTC students, current

students, graduates, high school students, and adults seeking to earn a high school equivalency diploma

(HSED) or general equivalency diploma (GED). GOAL classes are offered days and evenings in many

formats, including interactive television, online, and traditional classroom formats and in instructor-

assisted labs. Students may self-refer to GOAL or they may access the services on the recommendation

of high school teachers, high school guidance counselors, FVTC counselors, or FVTC instructors.

In addition to basic academic skills preparation, some students need assistance to develop technology

skills. FVTC has seen a 15% increase in student enrollment over the past year, much a result of displaced

workers returning to school after many years. Some of these students struggle to use basic computer

programs. To meet this need, the Business Technology department has a Quick Start Advisor who

conducts free ―Quick Start Basic Computer Skills‖ classes. FVTC recognizes the need to offer additional

support to students with limited or no basic technology skills and has formed a working group to further

examine the issue.

1P9 Addressing Learning Styles

In most cases, instructors serve as the primary source for detection of differences in student learning

styles. Differences in learning style are covered as part of the coursework required for instructional

certification (see 1P11 for a description of the WTCS faculty certification requirements). The Teaching

Methods and Educational Psychology certification courses include units on learning style differences and

explore the issue of identifying and addressing such differences through course construction, delivery

options, and learner-centered activities. In addition, as part of a faculty member‘s Individual Professional

Development Plan (IPDP), a faculty member may obtain professional development to identify and

address learning differences (See 1P11 for a description of IPDP).

Some students contact the Educational Support Services (ESS) department directly regarding learning

differences that were identified in the K-12 system. Other students detect their learning style differences

as a result of workshops or courses offered by the College. For example, College Success is an optional

one-credit course designed to help students develop the skills and habits necessary to be more successful



in college. The course addresses learning styles and assists the students in developing academic skills and

goals in consideration of their personal learning styles. 1P10 Meeting Subgroup Needs

FVTC supports students with special needs through direct instructional support services, specialized

training, and student support groups. The ESS department has education specialists available to assist

students with special learning needs. It offers academic support services, including transition assistance,

specialized advising, assessment, accessibility assistance, advocacy, test-taking accommodations, note-

taking and technology services, interpreter services for the hearing impaired, and liaison with

instructors/staff. In addition, Training and Development Services (TDS) offers elective training sessions

for faculty members on helping students with disabilities to succeed, such as Understanding Students with

Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome.

To meet the needs of returning adult students, Counseling Services conducts several monthly one-hour

workshops for workers in transition to college. FVTC also offers the Wo/Men‘s Educational Bureau to

provide free needs assessment, counseling, Starting Point Workshops, and career planning assistance to

male and female displaced homemakers, and single parents in transition. To promote college-wide

understanding of the special needs of adult learners, the Fall 2009 College In-Service focused on the

needs of displaced workers and featured a panel of current students who shared their experiences and

insights about returning to school.

The Minority Student Services department provides admission, financial aid, transition, and

ACCUPLACER assistance and also provides counseling and ELL support for students from culturally

diverse backgrounds. FVTC also facilitates support groups for special student populations. For example,

in response to the recent influx of returning adult students, in 2009, FVTC re-launched the OWLs

program, a support group for ―Older, Wiser Learners‖ who are re-entering school.

To better meet the access needs of students, FVTC offers online, blended, hybrid, and web-enhanced

courses. In the past three years, use of FVTC‘s online course platform (Blackboard) has increased 40%

and the number of users is expected to double or triple during the next five years. FVTC also uses

technology to connect students to student services and to each other. Student clubs, such as the Interior

Design Club, have online course shells with discussion boards, email capability, file-sharing, etc. to make

it possible for students with limited time on campus to become involved in extra-curricular activities. In

addition, FVTC maintains an active presence on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and

LinkedIn. 1P11 Defining Effective Teaching and Learning

FVTC‘s expectations for effective teaching and learning are communicated to instructors in a continuous

cycle throughout their teaching careers. At the hiring stage, expectations are communicated through a

highly detailed job description and a teach-a-lesson requirement during the final job interview. During an

instructor‘s first year at FVTC, he/she is paired with a seasoned faculty member as part of the Faculty

Mentoring Program. New faculty members receive one hour of compensation weekly to meet with

mentors who are trained to offer advice, share best practices, and observe and assist with classroom

delivery techniques. In addition to mentor observations, deans or associate deans observe new faculty

members teaching in the classroom once each semester during the first two years and every 1-3 years

thereafter. Before the classroom visit, the dean meets with the new instructor to discuss expectations and

then reviews the expectations and observations in a post-visit meeting.

After hire, all instructors (full time, part-time, and adjunct) are required to complete a series of courses to

be certified to teach in the WTCS. Table 1.3 lists the WTCS certification courses and the performance

objectives for each course. After completing the seven required courses, instructors must obtain



minimum continuing training and development credits every five years. FVTC‘s TDS department

frequently offers qualified training sessions covering such topics as Addressing the Needs of the Adult

Learner, Using Multimedia Technology to Reach Visual and Auditory Learners, etc.

Table 1.3 WTCS Certification Courses and Outcome Expectations

WTCS Certification Course

Outcome Expectations

Teaching Methods Identify appropriate teaching methods to effectively deliver classroom instruction

Educational Psychology Apply educational and psychological principles to the teaching/learning process

Educational Evaluation Construct, select, and administer student evaluation measures

Guidance & Counseling Apply basic counseling techniques to a classroom setting

Educational Diversity Identify characteristics, and methods to meet needs, of diverse student populations

Course Construction Plan, organize, and construct curriculum

Philosophy of VTAE Describe mission/function of WTCS

In addition to the WTCS certification courses, all full-time and adjunct faculty members who are new to

online teaching must take the Internet Qualification Series (IQS): Teaching with Technology course. The

IQS course addresses the theories, best practices, and technologies used in online course delivery. The

course has been recognized as a benchmark for training faculty entering the online course delivery arena

and faculty from other WTCS districts are now required to complete this training.

The Faculty Association works in collaboration with the Administration to improve teaching and learning

at FVTC. Six ―Restructured Days‖ have been built into the annual instructor contract. Restructured Days

provide opportunities for faculty members to participate in training sessions, facilitated best practices

sessions, etc. Recent topics included curriculum development strategies, online learning techniques, and

best practices for addressing problem behavior in the classroom (Category 4). In addition, each academic

department sets goals and defines strategies to meet the College‘s mission. 1P12 Course Delivery Systems

Program leadership (deans and department chairs) make the decisions regarding course delivery. Factors

such as market needs, employment opportunities, student requirements, qualified faculty and staff,

instructional needs and facilities, and flexible delivery options contribute to delivery decisions. Course

schedules are built by instructional programs and coordinated both within instructional divisions and

between each instructional division and General Studies. Course delivery system decisions are carefully

considered within the context of the Faculty Association Master Agreement, which addresses workweek

and workday definitions and guidelines for training and compensation for alternatively delivered courses.

1P13 Course/Program Currency

Program currency is one of the targets of the college‘s Quality Review Process (QRP). The QRP guides

continuous improvement efforts for each academic program at FVTC (see listing of all associate degree,

technical diploma programs and apprenticeship programs in Table 1.19 at the end of this category). All

programs in the college conduct a self-study every five years and use the results to select three

action/improvement plans for the program. Program leaders and faculty then review their progress every

year. Figure 1.6 illustrates the steps in the QRP.

Figure 1.6 Steps in the Quality Review Process (QRP)

Part I:

Self-study &

Student

Feedback

Part II:

Scorecard

Review

Part III:

Recommendations

& Future Trends

Part IV:

Improvement

Plan

Part V:

Evaluation of

Process &

Annual Reports



Each program‘s QRP scorecard includes an indicator for monitoring the currency of curriculum as well as

for monitoring the documentation of curriculum in WIDS. Curriculum that is over five years old must be

reviewed, revised, and updated. DACUMs (Figure 1.2) may be a part of the review process.

Summative assessment data and Advisory Committee feedback, as part of the QRP, provide internal data

regarding the effectiveness and currency of programs and courses. Every year, department teams review

summative assessment data, Advisory Committee feedback, statewide curriculum, textbooks, and best

practices training information for each course to ensure the courses are up to date and effective.

Between 2004 and 2009, each occupational and apprenticeship program completed the first cycle of full

program reviews culminating in five-year plans for improvement. All programs are now working on their

action plans and each program completes an annual report on the team‘s progress in advancing the action

plan. The second cycle of full review began in 2009.

Performance Monitoring is a process used by the FVTC Board to ensure that the College‘s programs and

courses are current and effective (Category 5). Performance Monitoring focuses on external measures of

program effectiveness, such as the annual Graduate Employment Research Report (GERR) and the

Employer Satisfaction Survey. The GERR contains placement data (salary, hours, job title, etc.) for

recent graduates and 6-month and 5-year follow-up data for prior graduates. In the employer survey,

regional employers indicate their level of satisfaction with the technical skills, people skills, and attitudes

of FVTC graduates and their willingness to either recommend FVTC graduates to other employers or hire

FVTC graduates in the future. The results of these annual surveys are reported to the FVTC Board and

staff.

Curriculum effectiveness and currency are also monitored by WTCS-required Program Advisory

Committees. Committees provide guidance to the College in program development, curriculum content,

instructional delivery, student recruitment, retention, and marketing. Advisory Committees are directly

involved in the QRP process and provide the key external perspective identifying future occupational

trends and reviewing program improvement plans. 1P14 Changing and Discontinuing Programs and Courses

Each Program Advisory Committee reviews the program outcomes and required courses annually for

relevancy to the current and predicted workplace. If the Advisory Committee recommends changes in the

program outcomes, the program faculty review the courses and curricula and make any needed

adjustments to meet the new outcomes. If the program outcomes are substantially changed, or if the

Advisory Committee, department chair, or dean believe that re-evaluation of the program curricula is

warranted, the dean may schedule a DACUM to re-examine the duties, tasks, knowledge, skills, traits,

and tools used on the job. The results of the DACUM then inform program and/or course changes made

by the program faculty.

In addition to Advisory Committee recommendations, the QRP may also trigger course and program

changes. In the QRP, programs must identify and pursue action projects which typically included a

curriculum update project for many programs. Also included within the QRP is an analysis designed to

determine the health/viability of a program. Factors examined include enrollment, retention, and

summative assessment data.

Deans and associate deans monitor student enrollments at the program and course level. If a dean notices

a declining trend, he/she will consider the enrollment numbers in conjunction with student satisfaction

survey data, course evaluation data, Advisory Committee feedback, and budget concerns. If those factors

indicate that a program is in decline, the dean will meet with the program faculty to identify improvement

goals to be included in the QRP. If the concerns are not resolved, the dean may exercise discretion to

discontinue a program following the steps listed in Figure 1.7.



Figure 1.7 Process for Discontinuing an Academic Program

Evaluate program

viability and notify

WTCS of intent to

suspend program.

Suspend Program

(Close enrollments but

maintain curriculum

while current students

finish program)

Request formal

discontinuance of

program

1P15 Addressing Learning Support Needs

Student needs for academic support are identified at admission through ACCUPLACER assessment (1P3)

and throughout the student‘s academic career through advising and the Early Academic Alert (EAA).

When needs are identified, the following resources are in place to provide learning support:

GOAL preparatory program for students needing to brush up on basic skills based on

ACCUPLACER scores before entering a degree-based program of study

ELL courses to boost English language skills prior to program entry

Peer tutoring services by request through Educational Support Services (ESS)

Disability related and bilingual support services provided by ESS

Counseling Services—Counseling for at-risk students with non-academic barriers and/or barriers

that impact learning

Library—learning support materials, library and research orientations / services

As outlined in Table 1.4, faculty support needs are directly addressed by the Instructional Development

and Delivery (IDD) and TDS departments and indirectly addressed by ESS.

Table 1.4 Supporting Faculty Needs Related to Student Learning Instructional Development and Delivery (IDD)

Provides ongoing training and support in curriculum development, assessment, classroom delivery, flexible learning options (online, ITV, etc.), and walk-in individualized assistance for faculty

Provides technical support for students and faculty in ITV and online classes, including AV/Media equipment

Determines faculty development needs through faculty representation on Blackboard and Curriculum/Assessment Advisory Committee

Develops e-learning tools (―Learning Objects‖) for use in live, online, and blended classes (2,000+ Learning Objects in repository)

Training & Development Services (TDS)

Staff Development Center provides faculty with training in best practices for teaching and learning, computer skills, interpersonal skills, and software/systems training.

Professional Growth Opportunities

WTCS Certification

―Excellence in Teaching‖ Series for Adjunct Faculty

Educational Support Services (ESS)

Provides guidance for faculty regarding meeting accommodation needs and case management

Provides peer tutoring

Aligns ESS faculty with programs and communicates availability to assist students with special needs

1P16 Co-curricular Goals

Student clubs are the primary curriculum-related co-curricular activities at FVTC. As illustrated in Figure

1.8, the most common clubs are occupational clubs, such as the Interior Design Club and the Criminal

Justice Student Association.



Figure 1.8 Types of Clubs Offered

Many clubs are associated with national organizations and provide additional opportunities for learning

and work-related trips, competitions, and networking within the field. For example, members of the

FVTC Delta Epsilon Chi (DECA) organization for college students preparing for careers in marketing,

merchandising, or management recently competed at the state DECA competition, taking first place in the

Human Resources category and second place in the Business Ethics Team category. The FVTC student

chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) received the 2008-09

Outstanding Student Chapter award for its seven-state region.

A goal of Student Life is to integrate volunteerism and service learning into the college experience.

Faculty members collaborate with Student Life to offer opportunities for their students, such as the

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs staffed by

student volunteers from FVTC‘s Accounting Club. Student Life also collaborates with General Studies to

offer a three-credit course on service learning over Spring break. Student Government offers students a

chance to develop leadership skills through service on the elected Board or on committees including the

Intramural Board, Fox Times newsletter, and Student Activities. Students who participate in

extracurricular activities receive a Co-Curricular Transcript.

1P17 Meeting Learning and Development Expectations

The College employs two main strategies to determine graduate preparation. First, to evaluate how well

graduating students have mastered program outcomes and core abilities, the College uses summative

assessments. The summative assessments include clinicals, portfolios, internships, capstone projects,

demonstrations, licensures/certifications, and testing. In 2008, FVTC identified a Summative Assessment

Initiative as an AQIP Action Project (the ―Next Generation Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes‖

project). The IDD department selects 15-20 programs each year for inclusion in the Summative

Assessment Initiative. As part of the QRP process, each of the selected programs works with the IDD

department to connect the learning and development expectations identified by the program‘s Advisory

Committee with appropriate summative assessment tools to measure the target skill or expectation. The

summative assessment indicators are then entered into the Worldwide Instructional Design System

(WIDS) and are electronically tied to the program outcomes or Core Abilities they are designed to

measure. After each summative assessment is administered, program faculty members review the

resulting data and use it to guide improvement actions at the course and/or program level. The

Summative Assessment Initiative is entering its third year.

The second method used to determine that graduates have met FVTC learning and development

expectations is to assess each graduate‘s performance in his or her post-FVTC activities through surveys

of employers to determine employer satisfaction with the skills of the graduates they hire. The College

also tracks the GPA of graduates who transfer to the University of Wisconsin System.



1P18 Designing Student Assessment

The key components in determining the processes for student assessment are the program and curriculum

development processes. As illustrated in Figure 1.9, the program-level process begins with

recommendations from the Curriculum and Assessment Committee. A sub-committee of program faculty

members for each course reviews program outcomes, occupational licensing requirements, and the array

of assessment strategies identified by IDD and the Curriculum and Assessment Advisory Committee to

reach consensus on the assessments that best fit course and program content and ultimate application.

Assessment strategies are regularly reviewed for effectiveness as part of the QRP.

Figure 1.9 Assessing Student Learning: Program Level

1

Curriculum &

Assessment Comm.

identifies array of

assessment strategies

for use by FVTC

programs (various

methods to address

varied learning styles).

2

Program faculty review

program outcomes and

licensing requirements

(if applicable).

3

Program faculty course

subcommittees reach

consensus re array of

strategies (from Step 1)

that best fits

each course.

4

Assessment strategies

are reviewed for

effectiveness as part

of the QRP.

At the course level (Figure 1.10), faculty members determine the most appropriate assessment methods by

reviewing course competencies, performance standards, and learning objectives. Methods include self,

peer, instructor, and group assessment using traditional and collaborative testing, criteria-based research,

product creation, demonstration, journaling, observation, oral testing, portfolio development, skill

performance, and others. Figure 1.10 Assessing Student Learning: Course Level

1

As part of the

curriculum development

process, instructor

identifies course

learning objectives and

competencies.

2

Instructor identifies

performance standards

tied to course learning

objectives and

competencies.

3

Instructor reviews

assessment strategies

identified by program

faculty (Step 3 above).

4

Instructor adopts

strategies tied to course

performance standards,

competencies, and

learning objectives.

Results (R)

1R1 Measures of Learning and Development

Instructors regularly measure student performance through tests, papers, quizzes, projects, presentations,

in-class or online discussions, and internship/apprenticeship reports. Other than the requirement of a final

grade, FVTC currently does not have an official policy requiring assessment at specified points in time

during the semester. The College, as part of its AQIP Action Project to improve the Early Academic

Alert System, is considering a policy that would encourage instructors to inform students of their

academic progress at specified points during the semester.

As part of the Improving Student Learning/Next Generation Assessment of Student Learning Initiative,

each FVTC program will identify a summative assessment (capstone course, capstone project or portfolio,

clinical or practicum, exam, internship, or Technical Skill Attainment) during the QRP process.

For some programs, an industry recognized test or license is in place and readily available to conduct this

assessment (e.g., the nursing state board licensing exam). Faculty teams examine the results of these



assessments to identify problem areas and to take measures to refine the curriculum to improve student

learning. In 2009-10, twenty-one programs were selected to participate in the pilot initiative to invest

focused team action on developing assessments with validated methods to rate performance. This initial

group was selected based upon the projects they had already included in their QRP Improvement Plans.

Figure 1.11 shows the encouraging results of the pilot project and the first full year of implementation.

The College plan is to include every program in this initiative over the next 4 years.

Figure 1.11 Results of Improving Student Learning/Summative Assessment Pilot Project

9%80%

11%

2007-08

Before Summative

Assessment

Action Project

22%

54%

24%

2008-09

After Summative

Assessment

Action Project Pilot

= No S.A.

= S.A. in use

= S.A. in use &

using data to

improve program

27%

53%20%

2009-10

First Full Year

After Pilot

1R2 Performance on Common Learning Outcomes

Prior to 2008, FVTC did not have a college-wide initiative to directly measure the common student

learning and development objectives (Core Abilities) beyond the course level. In 2008, the college began

implementation of the Summative Assessment Initiative (1P17). FVTC summative assessments are

required to include measurements of the students‘ Core Abilities. In 2009, in response to feedback from

program leaders and the IDD department regarding challenges associated with measurement of Core

Abilities acquisition, the Core Abilities Work Group developed and proposed performance indicators of

student learning. The indicators are included in the updates currently under review in the Core Abilities

Update Process (1P1, Figure 1.1).

In addition to direct measurement of Core Abilities through summative assessments, FVTC measures

common student learning and development objectives through employer and student surveys (Category 3).

1R3 Learning Outcomes

Table 1.5 shows that the number of associate degree and technical diploma graduates has increased over a

three-year period while the number of and GED/HSED graduates has fluctuated. In Table 1.6, FVTC is

benchmarked against four other WTCS colleges and three other comparable community colleges from

around the nation participating in the National Community College Benchmarking Survey (NCCBS).

Results show that FVTC leads comparable benchmarks in four of nine learning outcomes. The lower

rank for first-level math illustrates a situation that the College is now addressing through the

establishment of the new Math Teaching and Learning Center (see 1I1). Table 1.5 Number of Program Graduates or GED/HSED Completers

Associate Degree Technical Diploma GED/HSED

2007-08 748 1,087 417

2008-09 790 1,217 469

2009-10 826 1,405 449



Table 1.6 Completer Success Rates*

Co

lleg

e

Alg

eb

ra

Sp

eech

Wri

tin

g

Co

mp

osit

ion

I

Fir

st-

level

Ma

th

Develo

pm

en

tal

Ma

th

Develo

pm

en

tal

Read

ing

Develo

pm

en

tal

Wri

tin

g

Co

lleg

e-L

evel

Co

urs

es

FVTC 33%

82%

100%

82%

86%

100%

100%

100%

89%

Benchmark Rank

7/8

4/8

1/8

5/8

5/8

1/8

1/8

1/8

4/8

Source: National Community College Benchmark Project 2009

1R4 Evidence of Meeting Stakeholder Requirements

Evidence that FVTC graduates have acquired the knowledge and skills required by its stakeholders is

based on actual student performance in the workplace, on licensing exams, and/or in continuing

education. Tables 1.7 through 1.12 illustrate FVTC‘s performance in the first category: workplace

performance.

Table 1.7 Job Placement of Graduates: Associate Degree and Technical Diploma

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Percent employed* 92 90 85

WTCS mean 93 91 86

Related job* 78 75 73

WTCS mean 77 77 73

Source: Graduate Employment Report – 75% response rate

Table 1.8 Employer Satisfaction with FVTC Graduates

2008 2009 2010

Very satisfied 50% 53% 41%

Satisfied 47% 47% 54%

Unsatisfied 3% 0% 5%

Source: FVTC Employer Satisfaction Surveys

Table 1.9 Employer Satisfaction with FVTC Apprenticeship Training

2004-05 2006-07 2009-10

FVTC 3.10 3.10 3.25

Source: QRP Satisfaction Survey, scale 1-4 (4=high)

Table 1.10 Employer Satisfaction with FVTC Graduate Skills

Percent of hired graduates meeting or exceeding employer expectations in skill areas

2007 2008 2009

Technical – math skills 97% 95% 94%

Technical – reading and writing skills 96% 96% 99%

Technical – operation of equipment 94% 90% 98%

Technical – computer skills 97% 96% 94%

People – team skills 90% 93% 87%

People – interpersonal skills 90% 91% 87%

Attitude – good work ethic 91% 91% 91%

Attitude – customer relationships 94% 92% 94%

Attitude – seeks continuous improvement 92% 93% 90%

Source: Employer Satisfaction Surveys



Table 1.11 FVTC Student Satisfaction—Course Takers in Workforce

2006 2008 2010 Quality of instruction 4.28 4.64 4.55

Course content 4.27 4.39 4.43

Variety of courses 4.15 4.18 4.17

Source: Student Satisfaction Surveys; Scale 1-5, 5=very satisfied

Table 1.12 Alumni Satisfied or Very Satisfied with FVTC Education

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 FVTC 97% 98% 97% 98%

WTCS Average 97% 97% 97% 97%

Source: Graduate Follow-up Survey

Student knowledge and skills viewed by licensing agencies. Students in four of FVTC‘s most

academically challenging programs must pass licensure examinations after graduation. Results from all

four programs are shown in Table 1.13.

Table 1.13 FVTC Student Performance on Licensure Examinations

FVTC Programs 2008 2009 2010

Dental Hygienist (NBDHE)

100% 100% 100%

Occupational Therapy Assistant (NBCOT)

43% 75% Not available

Nursing-Associate Degree (NCLEX-RN)

87% 83% 94%

Nursing-Assistant (NCLEX-PN)

95% 94% Testing in progress

Student knowledge and skills viewed by four-year institutions. Approximately 22% of FVTC

graduates transfer to Wisconsin public and private four-year institutions. Table 1.14 shows that FVTC

graduates‘ first year GPAs at the University of Wisconsin (UW) System‘s four-year institutions meets or

exceeds the GPAs of graduates from the UW 2-year transfer colleges, Wisconsin private colleges, and the

WTCS overall.

Table 1.14 First year GPA for Students Transferring to the UW System

Comparisons 2006 2007 2008 FVTC 2.9 3.0 2.9

WTCS average 2.8 2.8 2.9

UW 2-year transfer colleges 2.9 2.9 2.9

Wisconsin private colleges 2.9 2.9 2.8

Source: University of Wisconsin System Informational Memorandum: Undergraduate Transfer Students 2008-09

In addition, as Table 1.15 illustrates, FVTC transfer students have similar 2-year retention rates at UW

System four-year institutions:

Table 1.15 Second Year Retention Rates for Students Who Transfer to the UW System

Comparisons 2007 Full-time students 2007 Part-time students Total FVTC 76% 58% 68%

WTCS average 73% 57% 69%

UW 2-year transfer colleges 81% 71% 80%

Wisconsin private colleges 69% 63% 68%

Source: University of Wisconsin System Informational Memorandum: Undergraduate Transfer Students 2008-09



1R5 Learning Support Process Results

The FVTC libraries have a collection of 30,367 books, 12,940 e-books, 7,836 audiovisuals, and 185 serial

titles. Gate count in a typical week is 5,232 and the circulation average is 9,558 items per year. In the

last two years, the College has made substantial enhancements to the library‘s web page, including

posting portals for research databases, links to academic Films on Demand, search tools, ―Ask a

Librarian‖ (students may submit questions for help with research), blogs, and a video tour of the library

facilities.

In addition to library services, FVTC learning support processes include GOAL services. The use of

GOAL services has increased significantly each year over the past three years (Table 1.16).

Table 1.16 Number of GOAL Students Served

GOAL Data 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

# of students 4,660 5,173 5,401

% of all students 10% 11% 11.5%

Source: WTCS Report VE215350A

To enhance learning support, the IDD and TDS departments work collaboratively to design and facilitate

Summer Staff Development Days and Winter Staff Development Days. One of the most successful

events associated with these workshops has been accelerated learning training. As a result of these

sessions, accelerated learning strategies have been incorporated in regular classes, and six programs have

adopted the methodologies at the program level. These accelerated learning practices allow students who

might normally require five to seven years to complete their degree on a part-time basis to finish in three

years.

Faculty Development Center mini-grants have been used to support faculty in the integration of

technology into their programs and courses for the past eight years. Grants have supported the

development of learning objects, incorporation of new tools (Camtasia, WebCasting, Macromedia

Breeze), and adaptation of courses to Internet and blended delivery.

Regarding online learning, the IDD department typically surveys students at least once a year. (Due to

multiple retirements in the IDD department, the surveys did not go out in 2008 or 2009.) In April of

2007, 236 online students participated in the College‘s survey. In 2010, 323 online students participated

in the survey. The satisfaction of the respondents is reported in Table 1.17.

Table 1.17 Percent of Internet Students’ Satisfaction with Online Courses

2007 2010

Easy to contact instructor through the system 85% 85%

Helpdesk/tech support readily available when needed 52% 48%

Technical problems did not interfere with learning 70% 70%

Internet delivery allowed student to take classes otherwise not available 70% 73%

Would take another class delivered over the Internet 84% 84%

Source: FVTC Online Evaluation, 2007 & 2010.

In response to the results regarding Helpdesk/tech support availability (Table 1.17), the IDD department

has contracted to provide 24/7 technical support for students and faculty in online learning.

1R6 Comparative Results

According to Table 1.18, FVTC compares favorably with the National Community College Benchmark

Project (NCCBP) median in all areas with the exception of algebra completion. The algebra results are

being addressed through the recent establishment of the Math Teaching and Learning Center (see 1I1

below for more information about this initiative).



Table 1.18 Comparison with National Benchmarks

NCCBP Indicators FVTC 2009 Benchmark Project Median

Percent completed in 3 years 40% 18%

Next-term persistence rate 77% 69%

Instructional Effectiveness 5.6 5.4

Retention rate (college-level courses) 90% 89%

Enrollee success rate (college-level courses) 80% 74%

Completer success rate (college-level courses) 89% 83%

Math completer success rate (remedial courses) 100% 66%

Writing completer success rate (remedial courses) 100% 69%

Reading completer success rate (remedial courses) 100% 77%

Writing completer success rate (first college-level course

after remedial coursework)

100% 81%

Math completer success rate (first college-level course

after remedial coursework)

86% 78%

Composition completer success rate (core academic skills) 82% 80%

Algebra completer success rate (core academic skills) 33% 73%

Speech completer success rate (core academic skills) 82% 86%

Employer Satisfaction with Career Program Preparation 96% 95% Source: National Community College Benchmark Project 2009 (210 institutions reporting)

Improvements (I)

1I1 Recent Improvement

In response to low successful completion rates in math courses, FVTC made a Strategic Investment

(Category 8) in a new initiative to improve student learning in math. The new initiative allows for the

creation of the Math Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), an additional full-time math faculty member,

and the development of new curriculum modeled after a successful similar program at UW Stout. The

program is designed to provide more opportunities for students to practice learning math concepts. With

the assistance of computerized programs, students will be able to solve complex math problems, receive

instant feedback, and have the opportunity to correct their mistakes in a non-threatening environment.

In 2008, FVTC selected the Next Generation Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes project as an

AQIP Action Project. Oversight of the project was assigned to the Assessment Team of the Curriculum

and Assessment Advisory Committee. The Assessment Team obtained specialized training in the design

and implementation of summative assessments and, in February 2009, it launched a pilot program: the

Improving Student Learning Initiative. Of the 21 programs included in the pilot phase, 14 completed all

target steps—from identification of valid assessment tools to use of the assessment data to improve

programs—and the remaining seven programs advanced to ―ready to administer‖ status. As part of its

commitment to this initiative and to encourage college-wide adoption of the plan, FVTC awards a $2,000

stipend to all program teams that complete the summative assessment work. The stipend is used to

compensate program teams for the additional time needed to develop and implement the assessments.

In response to student survey feedback regarding the need for uniform timely notification of academic

progress during the semester, FVTC formed an Early Academic Alert (EAA) work group and selected the

project as an AQIP Action Project. After receiving feedback from members of the faculty and

administration, the work group identified the need for a formal notification policy as a prerequisite to

adoption of a technical process for notification. The group recently presented its proposed policy changes

to the leadership of the Faculty Association, which approved the new policy. The proposal will now



move to the Executive Team and to the Board of Trustees for consideration. If adopted, the policy will

provide the foundation for the implementation of electronic tools designed to improve the EAA process. 1I2 Culture and Infrastructure Supports Process Improvements

All FVTC programs are targeted for in-depth program evaluation on a five-year cycle through the QRP.

The college‘s QRP Web System, developed to streamline the process, has become a model for other

colleges across the WTCS.

A key outcome of the QRP is a Program Improvement Plan. The plans focus on goals such as updating

curriculum every five years, full electronic documentation of curriculum, and/or development of

summative assessments. The Improving Student Learning/Next Generation Assessment of Student

Learning Outcomes Initiative, as part of the QRP, has produced improvements in all programs that

participated in the pilot QRP cycle and is expected to elicit measurable significant improvements with

each new QRP cycle. As part of the QRP, staff members from IDD meet with each program to describe

the Initiative, to assist with development of assessment tools and practices, and to guide the programs in

the use of the data for program improvement.



FVTC Associate Degrees, Technical Diplomas, and Apprenticeships 2010 – 11

Agriculture, Horticulture & Natural Resources Agri-Business/Science Technology (AAS) Agriculture Power Equipment (AAS) Farm Business & Production Management (TD) Farm Operation (TD) Horticulture Technician (TD) Laboratory Science Technician (AAS) Natural Resources Technician (AAS) Outdoor Power Equipment Technician (TD) Wildland Firefighter (AAS) Aviation Aeronautics-Pilot Training (AAS) Aircraft Electronics (AAS) Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic (TD) Business, Management & Finance Accounting (AAS)* Accounting Assistant (TD) Administrative Professional (AAS)* Banking & Financial Services (AAS) Broadcast Captioning (AAS)s Business Management (AAS) Human Resources (AAS)** Judicial Reporting (AAS)s Management Development (Supervisory

Management) (AAS)** Medical Administrative Professional (AAS) Meeting & Event Management (AAS) Office Assistant/Medical Office Assistant (TD) Paralegal (AAS)s Construction Construction Electrician Apprentice (A) Construction Management Technology (AAS) Construction, Residential Building (TD) Electrician Apprentice (A) Electricity (TD) Electronic System Technician (A) Operating Engineer Apprentice (A) Plumbing Apprentice (A) Sheet Metal Apprentice (A) Sheet Metal Construction (A) Steamfitting Apprentice/Steamfitting Service

Apprentice (A) Culinary & Hospitality Culinary Arts (AAS)* Food Service Production (TD) Hotel & Restaurant Management (AAS) Engineering & Electronic Related Technologies Automated Manufacturing Systems Technician

(AAS) Electro-Mechanical Technology (AAS)

Electronic and Computer Engineering Technology (AAS)

Electronics (AAS) Engineering Technology, Applied (AAS) Engineering Technology, Computer Control (AAS) Engineering Technology, Electrical (AAS) Mechanical Design Technology (AAS) Safety Engineering Technology (AAS) Health Science Dental Assistant (TD) Dental Hygienist (AAS) Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (TD) Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (TD) Medical Assistant (TD) Medical Coding Specialist (TD) Nursing-Associate Degree (AAS) Nursing Assistant (TD) Nursing, Practical (TD) Occupational Therapy Assistant (AAS) Paramedic Technician (AAS) Pharmacy Technician (TD)s Human Services Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Associate (AAS) Barber/Cosmetologist Apprentice (A) Early Childhood Education (AAS)* Information Technology IT-Computer Support Specialist (AAS) IT-Network Specialist (AAS) IT-Programmer/Analyst (AAS) IT-Web Development and Design Specialist (AAS) Law Enforcement & Public Safety Criminal Justice-Law Enforcement (AAS) Criminal Justice-Law Enforcement Academy (TD) Fire Protection Technician (AAS) Forensic Science (AAS) Manufacturing Industrial Electrician Apprentice (A) Machine Tool Technician (TD) Machinist Apprenticeship (A) Maintenance Mechanic/Millwright Apprentice (A) Maintenance Technician Apprentice (A) Millwright – Pipefitter (A) Pipe Fabricator Apprenticeship (A) Pipefitting Apprentice (A) Sheet Metal - Industrial (A) Technical Studies-Journeyworker (AAS) Tool & Die Apprentice (A) Welding Technician, Industrial (AAS) Welding, Production (TD) Welding/Metal Fabrication (TD)



Manufacturing (continued) Wood Manufacturing Technology (TD) Marketing, Sales & Service Interior Design (AAS) Interior Design – Commercial Design (AAS) Interior Design – Kitchen & Bath Design (AAS) Marketing (AAS)* Printing Technologies Package and Label Printing (TD) Package and Label Printing Technician (AAS) Printing and Publishing (AAS) Transportation Auto Collision Repair and Refinishing Technician

(TD) Automotive Maintenance Technician (TD) Automotive Technician (TD) Automotive Technician – Imports (TD) Automotive Technology (AAS) Automotive Technology – GM ASEP (AAS);

(General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program)

Automotive Technology – Imports (AAS) Diesel Equipment Mechanic (TD) Diesel Equipment Technology (AAS) Truck Driving (TD) Vehicle Refinishing and Repair Technology (AAS) General & Individual Studies Individualized Technical Studies (AAS) Liberal Arts Collaborative Program (AAS) *Offered in accelerated or self-paced format also • **Offered in accelerated format only • s Shared with another technical college AAS-Associate in Applied Science Degree TD-Technical Diploma

2-1

Figure 2.1 Business Outreach Processes

Category Two: Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives

Processes (P)

2P1. Design and operation of key non-instructional processes

FVTC‘s distinctive institutional objective is: ―The College seeks to strengthen Northeast Wisconsin’s

economic capacity through enterprise and workforce, entrepreneurial, and partnership development.‖ The

objective aligns with the College‘s statutory Purpose 2 (Services to Employed Adults) and Purpose 4

(Services to Business & Industry).

FVTC faculty, staff and managers

design and deliver services to

business and industry. Generally,

these individuals also have

responsibility for program-related

instruction, support and

administration. The business

outreach model shown in Figure 2.1

illustrates how College outreach

efforts are supported by 25 integrated

business outreach processes, process

owners, and hundreds of cross-

functional staff members. 2P2. Determining and setting non-instructional objectives

The FVTC Board and the College administration set broad parameters for all College activites through

strategic planning, annual planning, priority setting, strategic investments and performance monitoring

(Categories 5, 7 & 8). Specific ideas to enhance and support the distinctive objectives arise from faculty,

staff, advisory committees, businesses, partners, other educational providers, and workforce development

agencies. Each idea is assessed in terms of potential benefit to employers and external stakeholders, effect

on the economic health of the community, and the capacity of the College. Priorities are worked into the

annual planning process and business processes are adjusted as warranted.

2P3. Sharing expectations regarding these objectives

Table 2.1 shows how expectations for business and industry outreach are communicated within the

College, to employers and economic development partners, and to workforce development entities. The

Board and administration set out specific expectations internally through three-year strategic plan targets,

the College‘s annual objectives, and the annual Business and Industry Services (BIS) priorities.

Instructional areas providing contracted services further refine these in their annual planning processes.

Community communications, performance monitoring web reports, annual briefings and formalized

advocacy efforts keep external stakeholders apprised of College expectations and efforts to strengthen

regional economic capacity.



Category Two: Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives 2-2

Figure 2.2 Client Relationship Core Process

Table 2.1 Communication of Expectations

Communication Process Stakeholder Informed

Monitoring Purposes 2 and 4 Annually; email distribution and Web-based reports

College in general; FVTC Board of Directors

Establishing priorities and cost recovery/revenue targets

Annually; email distribution and one-on-one meetings

Business and Industry Services contract centers

Creating job descriptions and work schedules

On-going; one-on-one communications & agreements

Faculty and support staff

Designing staff development On-going; staff development portal and employee surveys

Faculty and support staff

Dissemination of Contract Services Handbook

Annually; revision and dissemination of handbook

Contract service providers and all staff

Establishing partnership agreements

On-going; partnership meetings & agreements

Private and public organizations

Advocacy at the state and federal level

On-going; advocacy liaison and committee; annual briefing

Legislators, WTCS Board, federal agencies

Participation in economic development efforts

Monthly/Quarterly; meetings and partnerships; annual briefing

Economic development and governmental officials

Coordinated community and public relations efforts

On-going; radio, news and web features; annual briefing; events

General public; entrepreneurial and business community

2P4. Assessing objectives

The annual Performance Monitoring report for

Purpose 4 focuses on entrepreneurial, enterprise, and

workforce development provided through contracts

and partnerships. It includes multiple opportunities

for staff, administration and board feedback. Results

from key business processes are monitored annually

and improvement plans identified. The President

and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) regularly review

findings and recommendations with the FVTC

Board. The Executive Team and the BIS unit staff

provide ongoing review of processes and

performance metrics.

Ongoing reviews measure performance against

targets established in the unit priorities, business

plans, the College‘s strategic plan, and annual

college goals. In addition to performance measures,

each reviewing group considers training and service

satisfaction and advisory committee input.

Incorporating this feedback ensures that training and

technical assistance deliverables align with

stakeholder needs. As needed, each reviewing group

modifies activities and processes (subject to

Executive Team approval) to better achieve

objectives.

2P5. Identifying faculty and staff needs

Performance management systems described in 4P8, 4P9 and 4P10 formally and systematically determine

faculty and staff needs in support of the College‘s distinctive objective. Faculty and staff needs are

further determined through 25 business outreach processes (Figure 2.1) across four process platforms.

Analyze

Customer Needs

Service/Staff

Expertise Exist?

Link Available

Service/Staff to

Customer

Create Appropriate

Service/Expertise

for Customer

Organizational

Capacity to Deliver

Services?

Propose to

Customer

Proposal Accepted ?

Implement Product

or Service

Determine

Customer

Satisfaction

Yes No

No

Yes

Establish On-Going

Relationships*



Figure 2.2 illustrates how determination of staff needs is integrated as part of the client relationship core

process central to the Administration/Infrastructure platform. Staff expertise is developed, a service is

created or a partner is identified if a customer request does not align to staff capabilities.

2P6. Adjusting objectives and supporting processes

Improvement projects are identified, prioritized and initiated across the four process platforms (i.e.,

Figure 2.1 – Administration/Infrastructure, Content, Delivery and Technology) based on College

priorities, faculty and staff needs, stakeholder feedback and available resources. Table 2.2 cites four

examples of process adjustments initiated in response to faculty and staff needs.

Table 2.2 Incorporation of Faculty & Staff Needs

Platform/Process Faculty & Staff Need Improvement Project

Technology: Technology

Integration Need integrated registration process MyTraining Online Registration

Delivery: Facilities Need fabrication services for businesses

FabLab Prototyping Center

Content: Materials Fulfillment Need variable data printing capabilities

Xerox and Ricoh Partnerships

Administration: Reporting/

Metrics

Need timely data and accessible reports

Enterprise Reporting Upgrade

Results (R)

2R1. Measures for non-instructional objectives

Measurement of FVTC major non-instructional objectives and activities are well refined. Key measures

listed in Table 2.3 are reviewed monthly by the appropriate contract centers, instructional leadership, BIS

unit and the Executive Team to assess results to College performance targets. On-going review of the key

process measures provides in-progress indicators of process effectiveness and leading indicators for

results. An executive summary of key measures are reviewed annually by the Executive Team and Board

as part of the formalized performance monitoring process.

Table 2.3 Key Process and Results Measures

Major Non-Instructional Objective Measures

Revenue generated

Table 2.4 & Figure 2.3 – Revenue generated by contracts and seminars

Table 2.4 – Cost recovery at organizational level

Table 2.5 – FTEs generated by contracts and seminars

Stakeholder impact

Table 2.6 – Number of individuals trained through contracts and seminars

Table 2.7 – Participant satisfaction

Table 2.8 – Employer value of services after delivery

Key business processes

Average days from end of service to billing

Accounts receivable outstanding balances

Monthly seminar run and revenue report

Participant and employer evaluation

Comparison to others

Table 2.9 – Revenue generated by contracts and seminars

Table 2.9 – Contracts completed

Table 2.9 – Number of individuals trained through contracts and seminars

2R2. Performance results

Revenue Generated –Table 2.4 illustrates a five-year analysis of the most current audited state-reportable

financial results including comparative data from all WTCS colleges. In 2008-09, activity and total

revenue in support of the distinctive objective increased by $180,884 to $7,677,795 (Figure 2.3). FVTC

again led the WTCS in securing Workforce Advancement Training (WAT) grants for the employers in its

districts by securing 27% of the available grant dollars. Contracting and seminar FTEs contributed 7.7%



of total FTEs generating additional College revenue not reported in Table 2.4 and Figure 2.3. Additional

financial comparative data, including out-of-state comparables, is reported in 2R3.

Table 2.4 Revenue and Cost Recovery on Contracts Significantly Higher Than State Average

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

FVTC Revenue * $4.9M $5.9M $5.6M $6.4M $6.5M

WTCS Average College Revenue * $1.5M $1.6M $1.7M $1.8M $1.9M

FVTC Cost Recovery % * 126.6% 183.2% 154.3% 165.0% 129.3%

WTCS Cost Recovery % * 95.8% 121.3% 118.4% 113.7% 113.6%

FVTC Net Revenue % ** 89.2% 102.6% 99.0% 103.2% 96.9%

Note: Revenue and cost recovery comparison based on state-reportable revenue only

Source: *WTCS Contract Reporting System; **FVTC Internal Accounting

Figure 2.3 Total Reportable and Non-Reportable Revenue Increases to $7.67M in 2008-09

Source: FVTC Internal Accounting; 2008-09 Purpose 4 Performance Monitoring Report

Table 2.5 FTEs Produced by Contracting Continue to Exceed State Average

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

FVTC FTEs * 385 394 414 514 535

WTCS College Average FTEs * 142 153 167 175 182

% of Total FVTC FTEs ** n/a 6.9% 7.1% 8.5% 7.7%

Source: *WTCS Contract Reporting System; **FVTC Internal Accounting

Stakeholder Impact – Customized training contracts and seminars generated approximately 16.1% of

total college enrollments in 2008-09. Table 2.6 summarizes comparative data for all WTCS colleges.

2R3 has additional comparative enrollment data and analysis. Stakeholder impact is also assessed by a

two-tier evaluation process. Evaluations are provided to trainees following each training session and to

employers thirty days after the conclusion of each contract. WTCS accepted metrics are used to measure

effectiveness and economic impact, although comparative data are not shared by the WTCS office. Key

participant measures in Table 2.7 demonstrate a high level of satisfaction. Similarly, key employer

measures (Table 2.8) support that services are of value and meet client expectations.

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Facilities/High School/Other $654,492 $603,707 $600,285 $470,413 $553,541

Technical Assistance $1,774,732 $1,562,714 $1,729,227 $1,957,753 $1,346,921

Customized Instruction $3,602,960 $4,452,580 $4,164,474 $5,068,745 $5,777,333

$0

$1,000,000

$2,000,000

$3,000,000

$4,000,000

$5,000,000

$6,000,000

$7,000,000

$8,000,000

$9,000,000



Table 2.6 External Employees Trained Through Contracting and Professional Seminars Compares Favorably to Comparables

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

FVTC Enrollments* 19,506 18,681 18,857 21,636 22,003

WTCS Average College Enrollments* 6,995 8,021 8,190 8,585 8,155

% of FVTC Distinct Headcount ** n/a 25.6% 26.6% 29.6% 29.7%

Source: *WTCS Contract Reporting System; ** FVTC Internal Accounting

Table 2.7 Customer Satisfaction Remains Steady Indicator

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Satisfaction with instruction 4.7 4.6 4.7 4.6 4.6

Satisfaction with content 4.5 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.4

Satisfaction with learning 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.3 4.4

Source: 2008-09 Purpose 4 Performance Monitoring Report; Point-of-Service Scale: 1=strongly disagree; 5=strongly agree

Table 2.8 Employer Satisfaction After Service Delivery

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Was good value 4.3 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.4

Overall satisfaction 4.1 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.5

Source: 2008-09 Purpose 4 Performance Monitoring Report; Post-Service Scale: 1=strongly disagree; 5=strongly agree

Key Business Processes – On-going review of the key process measures provides in-progress indicators

of process effectiveness and leading indicators for results. Standard reports are systematically distributed

to appropriate staff to assess progress and corrective action. Implementation of Microsoft reporting has

significantly enhanced the quality and number of business process reports used for decision making and

corrective action. Examples of key business process reports are noted in Table 2.3.

2R3. Comparative results

Three-year results of the National Community College Benchmark Project Survey show FVTC is

consistently in the 90th percentile of the majority of Business and Industry productivity measures.

Approximately 178 peer colleges participate in this annual benchmarking effort. Targeted benchmarking

of four comparable WTCS colleges and two out-of-state colleges with similar and mature business and

industry services were selected for comparison purposes. These colleges are benchmarked annually since

2006-07. Data is shared with WTCS comparable colleges while out-of-state colleges requested and were

assured of identity confidentiality.

Revenue Generated – Table 2.9 represents the WTCS benchmark colleges‘ revenue performance over the

last five years. The 2008-09 benchmark comparisons shows FVTC continues to lead the state and

comparable colleges in the provision of contract and professional development seminars as measured by

state reportable revenue. In 2008-09, FVTC delivered 21.8% of all WTCS contracts and professional

seminars as measured by revenue; whereas WTCS comparables showed the following results: Chippewa

Valley (3.6%); Gateway (5.9%); Northeast (12.2%); Waukesha County (9.9%). Out-of-state comparables

self-reported a three-year average of $769,122 annual revenue.

Contracts Completed – In 2008-09, the College served approximately 1,725 organizations and provided

services across all sectors ranging from the entrepreneur to multi-national corporations. Of the 919 state-

reportable contracts completed, 62.8% provided primarily customized training, 37.2% provided primarily

technical assistance. Non-reportable contracts included facility rental and high school agreements. In

2008-09, FVTC delivered 16.5% of all WTCS contracts; whereas WTCS comparables showed the

following results: Chippewa Valley (3.9%); Gateway (4.7%); Northeast (33%); Waukesha County

(6.1%). Out-of-state comparables self-reported a three-year average of 424 contracts.



Number Trained – In 2008-09, the College served 13,412 unduplicated employees and generated an

additional 3,852 enrollments in WAT grant activity. Contracts and seminars generated 29.7% of total

unduplicated college enrollments. Although technical assistance contracts provide service to a significant

number of individuals, these non-transcripted services do not generate enrollments. In 2008-09 FVTC

served 16.9% of all WTCS participants enrolled in customized training or professional development

seminars. By comparison, Chippewa Valley served (5.4%), Gateway served (3.7%), Northeast served

(17.3%), and Waukesha County served (6.4%) of the total. Out-of-state comparables self-reported a

three-year average of 5199 trained annually.

Table 2.9 Comparable Key Performance Metrics

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

FVTC Revenue $4.9M $5.9M $5.6M $6.7M $6.7M

Comparables Average Revenue $1.9M $2.1M $2.4M $2.3M $2.4M

FVTC Contracts 1407 1,377 1,178 1,137 919

Comparables Average Contracts 520 681 646 674 609

FVTC Number Trained 19,506 18,681 18,857 21,636 22,003

Comparables Average Trained 8266 11,433 11,465 11,798 10,668

Source: WTCS Contract Reporting System

2R4. Strengthening the Institution and Relationships with Our Community and Region

Each major thrust of the economic development initiative strengthens FVTC in unique ways.

Enterprise and Workforce Development

Keeps staff current in technology and business practices

Generates revenue filling a gap caused by declining percentages of state resources

Generates FTEs for the College which enhances state aid portion

Enhances the reputation and credibility of the College as a leader in economic development

services with influence at regional, state, national, and international levels

Partnership Development

Significantly increases College performance results in key areas

Results in students learning skills while working with state-of-the-art technology

Promotes the College to target audiences

Provides access to emerging cutting edge innovation in the market (i.e. technology and equipment

Enhances the reputation and credibility of the College as a world-class education provider

Entrepreneur Development

Provides access to an underserved market

Supports the Wisconsin initiative to build and support small businesses to sustain the economy

Collectively, these initiatives enhance the relationship of the College to the community by making it a full

partner in economic development. The College is not just a place for individuals to gain skills and for

employers to find trained workers. The College is, as a result of the economic development objective, a

proactive partner in creating favorable economic conditions, networking community resources to better

advantage, and bringing new resources to the community.

Improvements (I)

2I1 Recent improvements

The College mission is defined as helping individuals reach their potential by providing cost-effective

education which meets the objectives for employment, education and personal achievement. The process



of Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives serves the mission of the College through a consistent,

methodical plan that is both systematic and metric based. This process illustrated in Figure 2.4 is defined

by stated and communicated measures that are reviewed on a regular basis with the internal stakeholders

and are based on metrics that evaluate the quality of external stakeholder engagement. By linking this

systematic plan through process and metrics to the organizational mission of the College, the goal of

achieving Other Distinctive Objectives becomes part of the performance expectations of all stakeholders.

Figure 2.4 Business Outreach Plan Process

Recent improvements are summarized in Table 2.10 and briefly described. These improvement efforts

and forecasted projects (e.g., 2010-11 Balanced Scorecard Implementation) are based upon the quantity,

quality, type and regular review of metrics. Metric review validates alignment of outcomes with the

College mission, in order to set realistic goals. This alignment keeps the data meaningful as a tool for

informing both opportunities and threats to goal achievement.

Table 2.10 Business Outreach Improvement Projects

Business Outreach Process Improvement Project Outcome

Client Relationship Management I. Customer Relationship

Management System Upgrade Implementation of upgraded system & reporting capabilities

Evaluation II. Employer Satisfaction Survey Implementation of WTCS online client survey & impact data

Evaluation III. Participant Satisfaction Survey Implementation of upgraded participant survey & data reporting

Grants IV. WAT Grant Process

Documentation Centralized documentation of process, forms & best practices

Marketing/Communications V. Internet-based Marketing Initiative

& Web Redesign Integrated & coordinated email, social media and web promotion

Reporting/Metrics VI. Financial Projection Report

Upgrade Enhanced financial projections based on current & trend data

Registration Services VII. MyTraining Upgrade Upgraded seminar registration & reporting capabilities

Strategic Drivers

Drivers

Vision Mission Values Help individuals reach their potential by providing cost cost effective e

education and training which meet their their

objective for employment, continuing higher higher education, and personal enrichment.

* Continuous Improvement Improvement

* Collaboration Collaboration * Innovation Innovation * Integrity Integrity

Critical

l Processes

s

Measures

s

Organization

n Measures

s

A model of innovation innovation

and excellence in technical technical

education for *learning *working *serving ... a valued valued resource for the people of Wisconsin and beyond. beyond.

Tools

s

Partnership Management Instructor & Staff

Development

$ Revenue Revenue $ Expense Expense $ Net Revenue Revenue

# Prof Prof

Dev Initiative Initiative

# Continuous Continuous Improvement Improvement

College e

Partnerships/ /

Collaborations s

Contracts Market Size Segment

Outreach

h

Internal/External Collaboration

Content Design and Refresh

Participant/ / Employer r

Satisfaction n

Employer r

Survey y

Marketing Plan

# Display ads run run # Web page visits visits # Emails sent

CRM System

Financial & Revenue/Expense

Management

# Formal Partners Partners # Co Co

- Events s

Industry y

Advisory Groups Groups

Purpose e

Monitoring g

Business Development Plan

Customer Relationship &

Sales Plan

$ Revenue Revenue # Contacts Contacts # Accounts Accounts

Market Impressions

Agility

y

Participant Survey

Innovation Cost

Recovery

Cross-Functional Projects

Executed New/Quality

Products



I. Customer Relationship Management System Upgrade

The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system provides data for key metrics that are studied on

an on-demand basis in combination with other internal reports to track progress against annual

organizational goals. By managing activity levels against each of these metrics, we can allocate resources

as needed. These metrics include:

Number of customer accounts

Number of potential training engagements (pipeline)

Number of contracts written

Dollar amount of revenue opportunities

The CRM system provides an organized and comprehensive means to capture company and contact

information, training opportunities, key follow up criteria and other opportunity data required to track and

monitor contracted training engagements.

II. Employer Satisfaction Survey

Through the assistance of the WTCS, a new on-line client satisfaction survey was developed and

implemented. The survey provides critical insight to the value, logistics, return on investment, and

overall satisfaction of these clients who chose FVTC for contracted training. Results are able to be

benchmarked with other WTCS colleges.

III. Participant Satisfaction Survey

Key stakeholders were engaged in a value stream mapping process to outline the current and future states

of the Participant Evaluation Process. This process resulted in a documented process that tracks the

timeliness, accuracy and participation rate among clients of FVTC seminar training. Training events are

scored across twelve criteria for satisfaction and impact. This feedback informs improvements for

immediate action on content, instructional quality, value, and overall satisfaction of the training event.

IV. Workforce Advancement Training Grant Process Documentation

A repository of resources, forms, and training documentation was created for grant managers and

administrative staff to streamline a complicated and time-consuming process. The grant process was

formally documented and a handbook created to reference guidelines, best practices and grant processes.

V. Internet-based Marketing Initiative and Web Redesign

A comprehensive outbound and inbound internet based marketing program has been implemented in

coordination with a web redesign project. The number of emails distributed, emails opened, and click-

through rates to FVTC web pages are tracked for effectiveness and results. This data-driven system

allows for the systematic, scheduled and coordinated email marketing messages. This tool supports the

College priority of increasing outreach in a cost effective and comprehensive manner.

VI. Financial Projection Report Upgrade

Financial Services developed a series of new reporting tools including an upgraded financial projection

report. This report provides managers with timely information on contract center performance and

expected year-end projections in order to target interventions as needed.

VII. MyTraining Upgrade

A cross-functional user committee planned, redesigned, tested and implemented improvements to the

existing MyTraining online registration and billing system. The upgrade focused on improvements that

internal and external customers identified as high priorities.



2I2 Culture and infrastructure supports for process improvement

Linking the Performance Monitoring Report, Satisfaction Surveys, and monthly CRM reporting system

provides metrics-based connection to the mission and strategic plan of the college. This linkage provides

a framework for the consistent evaluation of effectiveness over time.

As demonstrated in Table 2.11, the College challenges the entire organization to be agile in anticipating

and meeting the demands of the employer and employees skills needs in the district. Market acceptance

of contracted training programs and technical assistance directly correlates with expanding and refining

programs to align with the labor market needs.

Table 2.11 Key Measures and Targets for 2007-11

Measures 2006-07

Baseline

2007-08

Actual

2008-09

Actual

2009-10

Actual

2010-11

Target

Strategic Direction 1 – Expand and refine programming and align with fluctuating labor market trends.

1.4 Customized training/technical assistance volume

$6.5M $7.5M $7.3M $6.8M* $7.1M*

* Target readjusted to reflect changing economic conditions.

Instructors, marketing staff, deans and associate deans, and BIS staff create an infrastructure to develop,

track and address the workforce training needs of our district employers. Complementary to these efforts

are the academic program advisory groups. These groups meet on a schedule basis to ensure a dialogue

occurs regarding the employer and workforce skill gaps and the required skill required by businesses.

Through goal setting, consistent outreach, and continuous feedback processes, FVTC generates revenue

and reach in contracted training.

3-1

Category Three: Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs

Processes (P)

3P1 Changing needs of your student groups

The primary way FVTC identifies the changing needs of all of our student groups is through the

Performance Monitoring Report process (Organizational Overview Item 5). Through the data review and

analysis, trends are observed in variation of service levels and satisfaction with services. Areas with

significant variation are subject to research with an analysis of findings and planned actions as part of the

report. Reports focus on a specific statutory purpose for which there are distinct student groups such as

degree seeking students, apprentices, and basic skills students, as well as student support and counseling

services that address needs across student groups. Aggregated results of the QRP are also observed and

captured as related to student needs.

In addition to the Performance Monitoring Report and QRP process (Category 1), which tend to quantify

the changing needs and patterns of service, key administrators meet with the Student Government

Association (SGA) to collect more qualitative information on the student experience and changing needs

of the student population. SGA is involved as a part of the policy revision process and the segregated fees

budgeting process.

When qualitative and quantitative data point to an area of changing needs, College leaders conduct a

deeper analysis of available data to determine more detailed patterns and any other disaggregation of data

by demographics or other salient characteristics to understand the scope of the change and to target

further study. These analyses include examinations of program-related data, from a continuum of

information and staff efforts at the department level, as well as a robust state client-reporting system that

includes demographic data and identification of patterns and Accuplacer test results and themes related to

student preparation. This inquiry can lead to an obvious solution or the need to involve key staff in

researching how other colleges have addressed similar needs and benchmark their approach to addressing

needs. As a hypothesis is shaped, FVTC provides resources through the New Initiative and Strategic

Investment process (Category 8) to test a solution on a small scale in order to determine its effectiveness

for larger scale implementation.

This continuous and multi-level monitoring of changing needs and trends informs the longer term systems

improvements but can also be accelerated as needs become more immediate. A good example of this is

the FVTC response in the recent recession to the tremendous increase of prospective students with urgent

needs to navigate College systems more effectively and redirect their lives. Their needs overwhelmed our

existing intake systems/personnel and necessitated the creation of a new level of service staff entitled

―transition specialists.‖ Supported by a Strategic Investment, the transition specialists address the need

for these prospective students to have additional admissions support as they began to understand the

enrollment process and embark upon life as a college student. The results, albeit qualitative and anecdotal

at this point, are overwhelmingly positive and indicative of an effective addition to the admissions process

that helps launch the students into their student experience at FVTC. This additional service, along with

continuing services and processes, will provide additional insight into the changing short-term and long-

term needs of students.



Category Three: Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs 3-2

3P2 Build and maintain a relationship with students

FVTC builds and maintains relationships with students in a number of ways starting from the first contact

a student makes with the institution through marketing and recruitment. Communication is kept active

via email, pertinent mailings and appointments/meetings as a student is exploring his/her options with

counselors and transition specialists transactions with enrollment services staff. For some students, the

next step is completing remedial work through GOAL learning support relationships with GOAL

instructors. Once matriculated, the key relationship is with faculty and instructional staff inside the

classroom (in person or virtual) through regular interaction. Faculty are certified and further trained to

provide advising to strengthen the relationship with students (Category 4). In the event that needs arise

for which they are not qualified, the appropriate referral can be made to other College services. In

addition to faculty office hours, students have access to electronic tools and systems (MyFVTC) to keep

in communication with their instructors and to be informed of College events and activities. Faculty are

able to reach out to students who are not successfully progressing in their class through the EAA process.

The instructor evaluation process is another feedback mechanism designed for students to communicate

with faculty. Beyond the classroom, there are a variety of services available designed to strengthen the

relationship with students and their engagement with the College (Table 3.1).

Table 3.1 Services build Student Relationships

Student Government Association Minority Student Services

Student Clubs and Organizations Wo/Men‘s Educational Bureau

Service Learning Older Wiser Learners (OWLS)

International Exchange Trips, etc Faculty Advising/Peer Advising

Veteran Services New Student Orientation

Counseling Services Educational Support Services

Students often state that they chose and have remained at FVTC because of the consistent caring

relationships formed at the College. Results from the Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Reports in 2008

and 2010 show consistent strong evidence of ―Student Centeredness‖ among the faculty and staff at

FVTC (Table 3.4).

An example of building a relationship with students to understand their needs is the current focus on

improving the services surrounding Financial Aid. As enrollments rise, the complications and confusion

of the financial aid process has warranted the addition of staff and the continuous improvement of

systems. Staff have worked to clearly outline and present the myriad of financial options available and

simplify financial aid industry language in order to reduce frustration and help more students secure

financial aid. 3P3 Analyze the changing needs of your key stakeholder groups AND 3P4 Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders

As noted in Item 3 of the Overview, the key stakeholders of FVTC are employers, the workforce/alumni

and K-12/four year universities. Employer needs and relationships are monitored and maintained

primarily through the program advisory committee process explained in Category 1. Employers‘

demands, as well as the workforce needs, are identified and relationships are fostered through our

Business and Industry Services detailed in Category 2. In addition, the workforce/ alumni turn to the

College for updating skills by attending classes. The College responds to enrollment growth trends by

adding more class sections, certificate offerings and seminars/workshops as demand is exhibited and

expressed through a variety of channels. Linkages with K-12 and four year colleges/universities are

maintained through advisory committees and through the Office of Articulated Programs to develop

seamless and responsive pathways between educational systems (Category 9).

In addition to the above processes, the primary vehicles for maintaining relationships across stakeholder

group are a multi-tiered communication and publication system (new student registrations, email, intranet,



public web page, the President‘s annual report to the community). These vehicles distribute information

on College initiatives, events, course offerings and other newsworthy items to keep FVTC in the forefront

of community awareness. 3P5 Determining new student and stakeholder groups

FVTC utilizes both direct (intentional – i.e. community, state and national professional affiliations) and

indirect (information – communication) to target new student and stakeholder groups. Although the

College is a public service institution, it is also an enterprise in a real sense and must balance the revenues

and expenditures. Being attuned to new opportunities via widespread community involvement on the part

of staff members informs and enhances our competitive edge. Networking with the community alerts

staff to opportunities for new programs that can be investigated through the formal New Program

Development process (Category 1). In addition, new course offerings or seminars can be offered to

examine the level of interest and reaction in the community. Potential student groups and stakeholder

needs are most likely to be identified through the formal strategic planning process and environmental

scanning (Category 8).

The College is flexible enough to successfully respond during the occurrence of unexpected surges in

student or stakeholder needs. This ability to react as needed and perform well is an indication of a culture

of improved processes and services that makes the proactive detection of new needs not only evident but

a responsibility for staff to examine for further action. Historical examples include increased services for

new immigrant groups in need of ELL and dislocated workers in need of new career direction. The

challenge to the College is to become more astute at anticipating and being ready for those unexpected

changes in need.

3P6 Collect complaint information

FVTC has well-documented processes for student complaints related to grades, conduct, sexual harassment,

and affirmative action. The processes and related policies are published in the College catalog, the Student

Handbook, the Academic Policy Handbook, and on the College website. A student complaint proceeds

through a series of steps that provide due process, protecting both the student and the College. Figure 3.3

highlights the main stages of these detailed processes. Complaints are maintained in a complaint log,

housed in the President‘s office, for quality assurance and reporting purposes. Each process has an

appropriate body established for formative review and summative resolution of complaints as identified in

Table 3.2.

Table 3.2 Student Complaint Policies and Reviewers

Policy Reviewing Body

Academic Appeals Faculty, Dean, SGA Executive Board, Academic Appeals Committee

Harassment/Discrimination Deans / Directors, Affirmative Action Officer

Sexual Harassment Deans / Directors, Title IX Coordinator

Student Conduct Deans / Directors, Conduct Officer; Behavioral Assessment Team

Violence and Intimidation/ Weapons Campus Security, Affirmative Action Officer, and FVTC Administration

In February 2010, the Administrative Policy ―Code of Conduct – Students‖ was revised and approved.

This revision outlines and emphasizes the balance in responsibilities and rights of both students and

faculty in and out of the classroom.

Currently, there are no formal systematic complaint processes for collecting feedback from other

stakeholders. Stakeholders contact the manager of the complaint area, who generally completes the

investigation and follow through.



Figure 3.3 Complaints Appeal Process

Results (R)

3R1 Student satisfaction measures The satisfaction of students and stakeholders is determined by the administration of regular surveys. The

AQIP Systems Appraisal and Strategy Forum in 2007 identified the need for an alternative to the ACT

student satisfaction survey in order to understand student satisfaction in key areas relative to the student

view of their importance or expectations. FVTC shifted from the ACT instrument to the Noel Levitz

Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) to gain this perspective. Starting in 2008, program students will be

surveyed every two years using the Noel Levitz SSI. Similarly, a survey is also administered to

coursetakers and apprentices. Graduates are surveyed six months after graduation and again five years

after graduation to gather information about employment as well as satisfaction with their FVTC

educational experience. As part of the QRP, focus groups are conducted with students in each program to

get specific feedback for use in planning for program and College improvements.

3R2 Student satisfaction results

The overall category results of the Noel Levitz SSI in 2010 compare favorably with the 2008 results and

the WTCS and national community college survey participants, as indicated in Table 3.4. Review of the

detailed satisfaction data shows gaps in previous performance as well as gaps in importance and

satisfaction particular when the ratings for satisfaction move below 5.0 on the 7 point scale. Tables 3.4 to

3.6 show student satisfaction results for key groups of students, apprentices and basic skills students with

high satisfaction demonstrated in all areas.

Student Registers

Complaint

Academic

Complaint

Non-Academic

Complaint

Issue resolved

with Instructor

Issue resolved with

Dean / Associate

Dean

Files report with

Conduct Officer

Student

Conduct

Officer resolved

End

End End

Yes

No

End

VP Instruction or Student

Services convenes Appeals

Committee for Hearing

Appeals

Committee

determines

outcome

Student Dean

and Student

Conduct Officer

informed of

decision

No

NoYes



3R3 Performance results for building relationships with your students

In addition to the general satisfaction demonstrated in Table 3.4, specific results (Table 3.7) in the

detailed areas (in bold) related to building relationships shows that the processes in place are

strengthening relationships and responsive to needs and areas of needed improvement.

Table 3.4 Satisfaction of FVTC Program Students

FVTC 2008

FVTC 2010

WTCS 2010

National 2010

Student Centeredness 5.84 5.93 5.46 5.37

Instructional Effectiveness 5.56 5.52 5.52 5.40

Responsiveness to Diverse Populations 5.39 5.48 5.46 5.47

Campus Support Services 5.02 5.03 4.99 4.97

Safety and Security 5.08 5.05 4.99 5.01

Academic Advising and Counseling 5.25 5.40 5.22 5.20

Admissions and Financial Aid 5.04 5.04 5.08 5.13

Academic Services 5.36 5.36 5.44 5.45

Registration Effectiveness 5.33 5.33 5.39 5.42

Service Excellence 5.24 5.28 5.31 5.26

Concern for the Individual 5.35 5.36 5.30 5.22

Campus Climate 5.42 5.41 5.39 5.30

Source: Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory; Scale 1-7, 7=very satisfied

Table 3.5 Apprenticeship Completers Satisfied or Very Satisfied with Hands-on Training

2008 2009 WTCS 2009 FVTC 92% 100% 95%

Source: FVTC and WTCS Apprenticeship Follow-up Surveys

Table 3.6 FVTC Student Satisfaction with Basic Education/GOAL

Spring 2008 Spring 2009 Relevant projects/tests 4.51 4.38

Climate of respect 4.48 4.44

Clear, concise instruction 4.39 4.38

Course Content 4.30 4.22

Variety of teaching methods 4.18 4.19

Source: Mean ratings from GOAL Lab Survey, 494 respondents, scale 1-5, 5=very satisfied

Table 3.7 Satisfaction of FVTC Program Students

2008 Importance

2008 Satisfaction

2010 Importance

2010 Satisfaction

Student Centeredness 5.84 5.49 5.93 5.49

Concern for students as individuals 5.99 5.29 6.04 5.20

Students feel welcome 5.99 5.68 6.10 5.71

Instructional Effectiveness 6.08 5.56 6.17 5.52

Students notified of progress early 5.94 4.88 6.02 4.83

Faculty understand student lives 6.06 5.42 6.13 5.42

Academic Advising and Counseling 5.88 5.25 6.05 5.40

Concern about individual success 5.89 5.19 6.09 5.36

Counselors care about student 5.80 5.16 5.95 5.28

Concern for the Individual 5.95 5.35 6.06 5.36

Faculty care about individual student 5.98 5.61 6.06 5.36

Campus Climate 5.80 5.41 5.90 5.42

Available complaint process 5.63 4.85 5.79 4.90

Source: Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory; Scale 1-7, 7=very satisfied

3R4 Stakeholder satisfaction results Employer satisfaction with the FVTC graduates they have hired is measured every year in the Employer

Satisfaction Survey. Previous to the 2010 survey, the survey was only distributed to employers who their

employee/FVTC graduate had granted the College permission to survey. The survey methodology was



changed in the 2010 survey to eliminate the need for graduate permission. Although the very satisfied

and satisfied ratings shifted, employers consistently express satisfaction with FVTC graduates (Table 3.8)

and with the training provided to their employed apprentices (Table 3.9). In the historical survey results,

two areas that show a decline from the previous year are team and interpersonal skills as compared to the

WTCS (Table 3.10). This correlates with employer focus groups who have expressed the need to

emphasize the importance of such ―soft‖ skills. Workforce and alumni stakeholders (Tables 3.11 and

3.12) give consistently high satisfaction ratings for the education that they experienced at FVTC.

Table 3.8 Employer Satisfaction with FVTC Graduates

2008 2009 2010 WTCS 2010

Very satisfied 50% 53% 41% 42%

Satisfied 47% 47% 54% 51%

Unsatisfied 3% 0% 5% 7%

Source: FVTC Employer Satisfaction Surveys

Table 3.9 Employer Satisfaction with FVTC Apprenticeship Training

2005 2007 2010 FVTC Target

FVTC 3.10 3.10 3.25 3.5

Source: QRP Satisfaction Survey, scale 1-4 (4=high)

Table 3.10 Employer Satisfaction with FVTC Graduate Skills

Percent of hired graduates meeting or exceeding employer expectations in skill areas

FVTC 2007

FVTC 2008

FVTC 2009

WTCS 2006

Technical – math skills 97% 95% 94% 81%

Technical – reading and writing skills 96% 96% 99% 93%

Technical – operation of equipment 94% 90% 98% 91%

Technical – computer skills 97% 96% 94% 74%

People – team skills 90% 93% 87% 90%

People – interpersonal skills 90% 91% 87% 90%

Attitude – good work ethic 91% 91% 91% 82%

Attitude – customer relationships 94% 92% 94% 91%

Attitude – seeks continuous improvement 92% 93% 90% 88%

Source: Employer Satisfaction Surveys (note: WTCS Employer Survey eliminated this section in 2010)

Table 3.11 FVTC Student Satisfaction of Course Takers as Workforce Stakeholders

2006 2008 2010

Quality of instruction 4.28 4.64 4.55

Course content 4.27 4.39 4.43

Variety of courses 4.15 4.18 4.17

Source: Student Satisfaction Surveys; Scale 1-5, 5=very satisfied

Table 3.12 Alumni Satisfied or Very Satisfied with FVTC Education

2006 2007 2008 2009 FVTC 97% 98% 97% 98%

WTCS Average 97% 97% 97% 97%

Source: Graduate Follow-up Survey

3R5 Results for building relationships with key stakeholders

Results for FVTC‘s key stakeholders, alumni (Table 3.12) and employers (Table 3.13), show satisfaction

with graduate performance as the cornerstone to build a strong relationship with our stakeholders. Further

results with both stakeholder groups relative to our effective BIS contract training (Category 2).

Table 3.13 Percent of Employers Who Would Hire from FVTC Again Hire Grad Again 2008 2009 2010 WTCS 2010

Employer Rating 91% 94% 92% 95%

Source: Employer Satisfaction Surveys



3R6 Comparison of results

According to Table 3.4, FVTC student satisfaction performance compares favorably with both the results

of WTCS and the national community college data. Some areas of concern noted are informing students

of their academic progress, the student complaint process and the financial aid process also mirrored in

the NCCBS results.

Improvements (I)

3I1 Recent improvements of processes and systems FVTC has recognized, particularly in the last several years, the need to become more systematic in the

use of data as the basis for decision-making regarding student performance. Earlier in the 200910

academic years, a cross-functional team of campus administrators and faculty convened, initially for the

purpose of responding to the possibility of American Graduation Initiative (AGI) grants. While the early

enthusiasm for the AGI has waned, new enthusiasm for data-driven decision-making has emerged. The

focus of the group has shifted to become the Student Success Initiative and the engine whereby data is

gathered, synthesized, examined, and recommendations will be made on ways to address the issues that

emerge from this examination.

Recent improvements highlight two very different ways that changes have been made to address needs.

The first change, referenced in 3P1, involved recognition of strained counseling resources available for

students who come in needing some ―processing time‖ related to the admissions process before they can

identify or articulate their needs. Admittedly, this change was a reaction to an influx of dislocated

workers and other unemployed students. Four new positions, entitled Transition Specialists, were created

to fill this need. The Transition Specialists were given comprehensive training on all programs and all

processes in order to answer a very wide variety of student questions and make appropriate referrals. A

new Center for New Students was created in a very visible location in the Student Services ―wing‖ of the

College. The facility was designed to be non-threatening and comfortable and offer a place where

questioning students would feel comfortable as they navigate the admissions process. In the first four

months of operation, 640 students have been served through face-to-face meetings with the four

Transition Specialists.

The second change involved two steps. First, the recognition that normed Accuplacer percentiles were

not a universally understood method for translating and understanding scores followed by an examination

of the practice of evaluating scores to identify problems. The College changed the process from using

percentiles to using the raw scores in PeopleSoft and all materials associated with the Accuplacer,

resulting in less confusion for students in understanding the purpose of the assessment and course pre-

requisites. In the fall of 2009, FVTC embarked on an Accuplacer assessment results review in many of

the instructional departments. Departmental meetings were conducted to review of scoring benchmarks

in order to more appropriately interface student, program, and employer needs.

From this comprehensive and critical examination of the Accuplacer scores, the math department

reviewed benchmarks for Accuplacer during monthly faculty team meetings and brought data to the

Student Success Initiative meeting showing themes related to achievement gaps by students. As a result,

a major College initiative is underway to address the math challenges related to successful course and

program completion (Category 8).

3I2 Culture and infrastructure supports process improvements

With the Performance Monitoring Report process as the key cultural and infrastructure method to identify

process improvement areas, the 2010 report for Counseling and Student Services noted two critical

admission processes which have been strained due to increasing enrollments: registration and financial

aid. For 2009-10, Financial Aid processed twice the volume of financial awards from the previous year

without additional staff. Since both processes often mystify students, hands-on, one-on-one support is



often most effective but requires staffing. Increased demands without additional staffing have impacted

FVTC Student Satisfaction 2010 results in the registration and financial aid process areas which were

both lower than those of our WTCS counterparts along with the gap widening between our ratings and

student expectations. Actions plans will be developed to address these issues in the upcoming year.

4-1

Category Four: Valuing People

Processes (P)

4P1 Identifying required credentials

Position openings are viewed as opportunities to strengthen College capacity and advance the mission,

values, and strategic directions, while meeting department needs. An approved position, new or

redesigned, is examined by Human Resources (HR) and the hiring manager to identify specific required

credentials, skills, and attributes. These characteristics are translated into a job description, hiring criteria,

and structured selection process. Job description templates and a centralized approval process ensure that

all positions use characteristics that support FVTC‘s values and mission. (Refer to Figure 4.10 FVTC

Organizational Chart at the end of Category 4). 4P2 Hiring process

FVTC uses a highly structured hiring process facilitated by HR to insure consistency, as outlined in Table

4.1. Targeted Selection is a behavioral based interviewing approach that prompts candidates to describe

relevant behaviors from their past experiences. Research studies have validated behavioral based

interviewing over other interviewing approaches in predicting job performance. FVTC has used this

system since the 1990‘s. A Post Hire Satisfaction Survey (PHSS) is conducted after each hire which

includes an interview with the hiring manager to determine how well the employee meets expectations in

areas such as overall job performance and team fit (with results as shown in Table 4.6). In cases where

the hire did not meet expectations in some way, the hiring manager and HR collaborate to problem solve

and identify improvements for subsequent hires. This continuous feedback loop and the collaborative

PDCA process between the hiring managers and HR plays a critical role in the effort to make sure each

hiring decision is effective. Table 4.1 Hiring Process

1. HR and hiring manager identify a profile of required qualifications and attributes (competencies), based on

identified Position Requirements.

2. HR adds supplemental questions to online application to collect screening information

3. HR posts position for online applications

4. Certification Officer screens candidates—verifies credentials and state certification requirements

5. Hiring Manager identifies selection team, with consideration for:

involvement of department team members (to support team decision-making as described in Category 5)

involvement of key stakeholders (to support values of customer focus, collaboration, and partnership)

diversity of membership (to support diversity value and Strategic Direction)

6. HR provides hiring manager with standardized interview guide template and methodology (Targeted Selection),

along with resources from successful selections in the same job family

7. Hiring manager creates an interview guide using the required competencies (Step 1) as the basis for selecting

appropriate behavioral-based questions

8. HR and hiring manager identify supplemental assessment strategies to assess and/or verify competencies, e.g.,

testing, simulations, role plays, teaching presentations, informal interview

9. Selection team identifies candidates for interviews, selecting a mix of candidates based on application screening

matrix/guidelines to increase the diversity of the interview pool

10. HR trains interview team members as necessary

11. Interview team conducts interviews

12. HR coordinates additional assessment strategies

13. HR completes employment verification, reference and criminal background checks

14. Selection team integrates interview and other assessment data and makes recommendations

15. Hiring manager incorporates all assessment information in decision making process and identifies best qualified



Category Four: Valuing People 4-2

applicant

16. HR develops employment offer and makes hire

17. HR and hiring manager begin orientation and retention process

18. HR conducts Post Hire Satisfaction Survey (PHSS) with new hire and hiring manager

19. HR evaluates results of PHSS, identifies areas of improvement, and integrates those into the process for

subsequent hires

4P3 Recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees

The College uses the systematic approach to recruitment, selection, and hiring as described above.

FVTC‘s recruitment and hiring processes are characterized by significant involvement of teams, strict

adherence to the process, and the use of a wide range of assessment strategies, including simulations. The

targeted recruitment plan includes strategies to reach more diverse candidates, as described in 4I1. All

openings are posted on the College website. Internal and external candidates apply through an online

recruitment system. Most support staff positions are filled with internal candidates due to contract

provisions that give preference to qualified current employees.

FVTC has been successful in retaining employees (Table 4.7) as a result of a systematic effort by the

College to provide the following incentives and benefits:

Competitive compensation and benefits

Flexible schedules and on-site day care

Wellness resources

Professional growth opportunities including

mentorships and leadership development programs

State-of-the-art technology

Strong union/management relationships

Recognition of effort

Opportunities to innovate

Positive internal climate

4P4 Employee orientation

Employee orientation follows a standard PDCA process:

1. HR, in conjunction with the hiring manager, develops a customized orientation plan, built around

standard core modules with additions based on employee needs.

2. HR reviews the orientation plan with the new employee.

3. HR schedules the new employee to attend several orientation modules during the first day or

week of employment. Employee must complete the remaining modules within six months.

4. The employee participates in other activities to ensure integration into the College. These

include:

a. Departmental and professional mentorships

b. College-wide orientations to learn about the mission, vision, values, and strategic

directions and about resources available

c. Lunch with the President

5. HR, through the Post Hire Satisfaction Survey, gathers feedback about the effectiveness of the

orientation process, and uses it to improve future orientation processes.

The orientation process has been through several cycles of improvement. New employee orientation is

viewed as an investment in employee success, and therefore new employee progress is tracked throughout

the first year. A significant element of orientation and support for new faculty is provided through the

mentorship program. This process has been in operation for more than 14 years. The College‘s target to

mentor 100 percent of new faculty members is regularly achieved.

4P5 Planning for personnel changes

In preparation for planned or inevitable personnel changes, the College builds the capacity of its

employees to assume open positions. Through the performance evaluation system(Figure 4.9),

individuals, together with their supervisors, identify professional aspirations and create an Individual

Professional Development Plan (IPDP) to acquire needed skills and experience. Programs and activities



are in place as outlined in Table 4.2 to provide employees with the opportunity to explore career interests,

develop associated skills for potential future roles, and accelerate development for leadership positions.

All of these Developmental Accelerators, Programs, and Activities are linked together through the IPDP

process and coordinated through HR and are intended to increase the pool of individuals interested in and

ready for positions of greater responsibility. As an indicator of progress, the College tracks the number of

employees who receive internal promotions (Table 4.12).

The employment of adjunct faculty provides the mutual opportunity for FVTC to observe their talents and

for adjunct faculty to experience teaching at FVTC. As a result, adjunct faculty members often apply and

are selected for faculty positions. Retention and development of adjunct faculty is enhanced through

recognition programs, availability of professional growth activities, and program/department support.

Also, support staff have the opportunity to learn about adjunct teaching and develop their IPDPs focused

on teaching through the ESPA Career Exploration and Development Workshop (shown in Figure 4.1).

Table 4.2 Developmental Accelerators, Programs, & Activities

Action Description

Talent Review Process with Executive Team to identify and build pool of viable

candidates for future targeted leadership positions

LEAD Academy FVTC in-house leadership academy

External leadership programs

All staff are eligible for selection and funding in programs such as

Leadership Fox Cities, Leadership Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Leadership Development Institute (WLDI)

ESPA Career Exploration and Development

Workshop

Support staff explore management / faculty positions while

developing leadership skills and organizational knowledge

Leaders Forward

Individualized development plan support that includes 360-degree

feedback process to provide insight for development; available to

all interested employees

Developmental in-place assignments (ex.:

project membership or leadership, interim

roles, adjunct teaching opportunities)

Experiences to accelerate development through their linkage to the

employee‘s IPDP, by providing the opportunity to acquire,

practice, and demonstrate new skills

In-house training, seminars, and workshops Training on a wide variety of topics available to all staff

Skill Port Open 24/7 access to an online library of over 2600 training

resources for current position or career goals

Financial support of credit attainment Support staff and managers receive tuition reimbursement; faculty

receive salary advancement

Figure 4.1 Linkage of Developmental Programs for Future Needs



The succession planning process for leadership positions begins with a semi-annual Talent Review by the

Executive Team. During this process, anticipated leadership position needs are identified, and

individuals with potential to fill those positions are identified. Depending on a candidate‘s skill level,

HR, in conjunction with the candidate‘s supervisor and appropriate Executive Team member, encourages

the candidate to participate in one or more of the developmental opportunities (Table 4.2).

A relatively new addition to the leadership development opportunities is FVTC‘s in-house leadership

development program, the Leadership Education & Development (LEAD) Academy. LEAD Academy

participants identify learning objectives for their LEAD experience through a consultative process that

draws upon feedback from the Executive Team, their supervisor, and future position requirements. These

individual learning objectives are supported by a mentor, a stretching project assignment (culminating in

a presentation to the Executive Team), collaboration in a cohort group, and monthly

workshops/networking. Following their participation in the year-long LEAD Academy experience,

participants receive support to continue building their IPDP through additional targeted development

experiences. Past participants are also offered the opportunity to join the LEAD Alumni group, where

they continue to network, share learning, and gain developmental experience through leadership

opportunities in conjunction with future LEAD Academies. 4P6 Designing work processes

Collaboration and staff involvement in decisions that affect their jobs are two key principles used to

design work processes to ensure productivity and satisfaction. These principles inform many College

work processes, including performance evaluations that foster two way dialogue; training in team skills,

and cross functional learning and teaming opportunities. FVTC strongly supports Lean and other

methods that involve staff directly in designing process improvements. College annual objectives include

planning and support of at least two Lean major initiatives a year, as well as support of smaller-scale Lean

projects (Category 6). TDS supports Lean initiatives through facilitation, consultation, coordination, and

training.

The College monitors employee satisfaction is through the ESPA, Faculty, and Management Employee

Surveys. These surveys specifically probe for barriers and areas of progress relating to employee

satisfaction, engagement, and productivity, as described in 4P12. A specific example of how the survey

results have been used to re-design work activities is the recent change in the academic calendar. As a

result of feedback patterns in the 2007 Faculty Survey, a change in the academic calendar was negotiated

in 2008 to provide for eight ―Restructured Days.‖ The express purpose of these days is to ―expand

opportunities that enhance working relationships and performance of students / teams / departments /

College.‖ The College sets the agenda for four of the days, with a focus on providing opportunities for

training, cross-functional work, and focus on areas that support Strategic Directions, College objectives,

and AQIP Action Projects. Individual teams set the agenda for the remaining four days, entering their

plans into the online Team Activity Planner (TAP). TAP provides a format for the team to enter their

plans for the upcoming year, review progress at year-end, and update plans for the next cycle.

4P7 Ensuring ethical practices

The College ensures the ethical practices of all employees through:

A Code of Ethics policy and a process to report and investigate alleged breaches

Orientation on ethics and professional behavior for new hires

Ongoing training and legal updates on topics such as diversity, harassment, FERPA, and

appropriate computer use

Program and financial audits, along with College purpose and EEOC compliance monitoring

Job descriptions specifically include ethical conduct as a part of Essential Aptitudes

Application of College policy and Master Agreement provisions to address any ethical breaches



4P8 Determining training needs

A number of vehicles at the individual, team, and organizational levels serve to identify gaps between

individual capacity and organizational needs. Professional development is targeted to address these

identified gaps. Other training needs are determined through a variety of means including

recommendations from the Executive Team based on organizational initiatives and annual objectives,

ongoing organizational assessment, QRP, and continuous improvement projects.

At the individual level, the process of developing an IPDP provides the link between strategy,

performance, and individual professional growth needs. The IPDP requires supervisory input, approval,

and commitment of time and resources. Supervisors prioritize requests for resources based on their

degree of alignment with department needs and College strategy.

At the faculty team level, identification and alignment of training needs occurs through the QRP process

and planning for the new Restructured Days (4P6). TDS, IDD, and mentors identify training needs for

newer faculty and patterns in faculty training needs or interests.

The ESPA Professional Development Advisory Team, initiated based on feedback from the first ESPA

Employee Survey, provides input on better ways to connect FVTC‘s training offerings with the training

needs of support staff. TDS also provides support staff and their supervisors information about upcoming

training relevant to individual IPDPs.

Based on the Management survey, the Management Survey Committee recommended several key areas

for focused training. The implementation of that training is currently in development (Table 4.15). Short

training topics that respond to issues from the survey or support Strategic Direction 5 (Internal

Relationships) are also incorporated into the quarterly President‘s Management Meeting (Category 5).

TDS reviews all IPDPs that are created in conjunction with leadership development programs, such as

Leaders Forward and LEAD Academy, to identify and plan for training needs of FVTC‘s leaders. TDS

also conducts surveys, interviews, and focus groups to seek input from employee groups on training

needs, schedules, and formats for continuing the PDCA process cycle related to training needs.

4P9 Training and developing employees

FVTC provides funding for professional growth activities, tuition reimbursement for support staff and

managers seeking knowledge and advanced degrees, and salary advancement for faculty. As a technical

college, FVTC places a high priority on staying current in one‘s field and supports industry-related

professional development including industry-focused conferences, trade shows, occupational leaves, and

sabbaticals. In addition, opportunities to mentor, lead, innovate, and participate in new activities are

considered meaningful development experiences.

The performance evaluation process provides a mechanism for every employee throughout his/her FVTC

employment to establish goals, receive feedback, reflect on performance, and develop an IPDP. Learning

is reinforced through recognition of completed activities and feedback during performance evaluations.

Leaders Forward (Table 4.2) builds capability through a systematic approach to identifying and

supporting development opportunities. Components of this process (Table 4.10) are applied in a

structured way based on best practice theory and methodology. Trained facilitators provide initial and

ongoing support for the creation and deployment of a plan that is customized to a specific individual‘s

development needs and career interests.



Table 4.3 Leaders Forward -- Leadership Development Process Components

Process Components

Identification of critical leadership competencies and technical skills

Input from learner and supervisor on career interests and potential

360-degree feedback to provide insight on current capabilities, development opportunities, priorities

Support during creation and deployment of a development plan

Use of customized resources and strategies to assist individuals achieve their plan

Use of development accelerators and on-the-job experiences to promote growth and learning

Mini-360 surveys to provide feedback on plan progress

Ongoing support for stages of plan implementation and learning

Management support for development—every leader is responsible to develop leadership skills of others

Figure 4.9 Performance Evaluation/Individual Professional Growth Planning Process

4P10 Evaluating personnel

The evaluation processes for management, ESPA and faculty use a developmental approach to clarify

expectations in the context of College goals and values, while supporting personal continuous

improvement and development. Each process contains position-specific content, with the ESPA and

faculty forms designed collaboratively through the negotiations process. Evaluation of the College

President is conducted by the Board of Trustees at the July meeting.

The performance evaluation process is used as a vehicle to systematically discuss progress and support

individual planning and goal setting for performance and development. The forms and methods are

designed as a PDCA model to achieve the objectives outlined in Table 4.4 and is evaluated for

effectiveness on a regular basis using the process outlined in 4P12.

Table 4.4 Performance Evaluation Objectives

Link to College goals and values

Clarify job responsibilities in the context of larger departmental and organizational goals

Encourage reflection

Collaborate through two-way dialogue around important topic areas

Discuss and agree on individual professional development plan (IPDP), that aligns with and supports college/departmental goals

Support continuous improvement of individual/team/College



4P11 Designing recognition, compensation, and benefits

A Recognition Committee studied employee recognition practices with its recommendations forming the

basis of FVTC‘s recognition system which includes Length of Service Awards, Great Performance

Awards, and recognition of service upon retirement. Additional internal and external recognition awards

based on alignment with College values and purposes are selected through a collaborative screening

process. These include the H. Victor Baldi Excellence in Instruction Award, the ESPA Award of

Excellence, the Carol Mishler Leadership Award, Advisor of the Year, and Student Club Advisor of the

Year. An annual staff event is held to acknowledge outstanding adjunct faculty.

The College President uses scheduled in-service days to highlight staff accomplishments in leadership

and innovation that are aligned with College strategy. The all-staff audience learns about key initiatives

and results through the presentation of feature videos and breakout sessions that showcase initiatives and

innovations and that promote idea exchange and shared learning.

Compensation and benefits for faculty and support staff are determined through the collective bargaining

process and defined in the Master Agreements. The College and bargaining units have used consensus

and interest-based negotiations processes. Administrative compensation is determined through an annual

review process and is subject to the President‘s approval. Adjunct compensation is annually reviewed

and adjusted with consideration for appropriate comparables.

4P12 Determining key motivators

The College uses a number of formal processes to determine key issues related to faculty, support staff,

and management motivation (Table 4.5).

Table 4.5 Issue Identification Forums and Processes

Union-Management Forums Other Processes for Issue Identification

Collective bargaining

Leadership Forum meetings (Category 5)

Weekly meetings of individual managers and union leaders

Quality One (Category 5)

Biennial Employee Surveys

HR focus groups and exit interviews

Daily interactions between managers and staff

Both union and management work hard to resolve contract issues. A grievance process is available, but

as a result of joint union-management processes and efforts to identify and respond to issues, the

grievance process has been activated only once in the last few years. Union and management jointly plan

and participate in training to prepare for negotiations. Training is provided on conflict management,

effective communication, and team effectiveness, key areas of interest to the unions and managers.

Union and management use a collaborative approach to understand issues related to employee

engagement, motivation, and work climate to develop action strategies for improvement (4I1). Two Joint

Employee Survey Committees (one for ESPA and one for FA), with members from both union and

management staff, develop the customized biennial Employee Surveys to seek feedback and information

around issues particularly important to the work climate for FVTC staff. The Management Survey

Committee has only management members. In addition to survey development, the Employee Survey

Committees coordinate the process to analyze survey results, prioritize actions for improvement, plan for,

and launch appropriate follow-up actions. Patterns across employee groups are identified and addressed

collaboratively by the Committees. A summary of issues identified and the courses of action selected are

contained in Table 4.15. The feedback loop from the Employee Survey Committees influences both the

questions added to subsequent surveys as well as the approach used to probe for additional insight prior to

action planning.



4P13 Evaluating employee satisfaction and well-being

The College provides for the health, safety, and well-being of employees through ways listed in Table 4.5.

Negotiated labor agreements address wages, hours, and working conditions. The College is both ADA

and OSHA compliant. Health and safety incident reports and Campus Security logs are entered into the

Incident Reporting System for review, follow-up, and trend analysis. The College participates in risk loss

prevention assessments to maintain a low-risk environment and identify areas for improvement. The

Faculty, ESPA, and Management Employee Surveys provide a systematic approach to monitoring

employee satisfaction (4P12).

Results 4R1 Measures for valuing people

Recruitment & Selection--Hiring, Recruitment, Orientation: Measures of effectiveness are collected

through the Post Hire Satisfaction Survey (PHSS), with favorable results shown in Table 4.6 compared to

targets and benchmarks. Both hiring managers and new employees evaluate all aspects of the

recruitment, selection, and orientation processes, including whether the position was filled within the time

expected. HR monitors retention as an indicator of hiring process outcomes which reflect a ―good fit‖ for

the person, the position, and the organization (Table 4.7). Retention is consistently high (99.1%). The

percent of the orientation plans completed within the target time frame is monitored (Table 4.8), along

with overall hiring manager and employee satisfaction (Table 4.6).

To monitor College progress on increasing staff ethnic diversity, data are collected on the diversity of

applicant pools as well as current staff (Table 4.8) although the number hired are not meeting desired

targets. Data on where applicants learn of the open position are collected and monitored by HR to

evaluate and improve applicant sourcing strategies, particularly with respect to attracting diverse

candidates. Progress on the improvement plan is also measured (4I1).

Development--Professional Development, Leadership Development, Succession Planning: Investment in

employees‘ professional growth demonstrates valuing people and is an explicit component of one of the

College‘s Strategic Directions (Category 8). One indicator of how this process is functioning is staff

participation in training (Figure 4.10). Each in-house training class is followed by an online evaluation

which seeks feedback on class quality and relevance (Table 4.11) which show very positive results.

Specific class feedback is shared with the instructor and TDS staff, which they use to improve the class

and future offerings.

Progress for leadership development/succession planning is shown by the high number of staff who

annually received internal promotions (Table 4.12). Also tracked are activity measures for the number of

staff involved in LEAD Academy, Leaders Forward, and the ESPA Career Exploration and Development

Workshop. Data for staff retirements and resignations are collected for staff planning purposes. The

College‘s extensive financial support of credit and degree achievement activity is shown in Table 4.13.

Work Environment--Climate: The primary mechanisms used to measure staff perceptions of work

environment are the Faculty, ESPA, and Management Employee Surveys, which are repeated every two

years. Results are analyzed by employee group, with the composite results of anchor questions used for a

college-wide assessment (Table 4.14). In addition, focus groups, interviews with managers and work

teams, and topic-specific surveys using the College‘s online survey tool gather input and feedback for

planning, assessment, and improvement efforts. Examples of surveys include feedback on Restructured

Days and in-service programs and activities. 4R2 Results for valuing people

Recruitment and Selection – Table 4.6 shows a steady trend of increased ratings for most indicators that

typically met or exceeded the target. Table 4.7 shows faculty retention extremely high and higher than



benchmarks. There is a high degree of variation in the completion of orientation among new hires (Table

4.8). Ethnic diversity staff recruitment is steadily increasing but not quite meeting the intended targets

(Table 4.9).

Table 4.6 Hiring Process: Hiring Manager and New Employee Satisfaction

Actual Targets Comparables*

Fall ‗06

Spr ‗07

Fall ‗07

Spr ‗08

Fall ‗08

Spr ‗09

Fall ‗09

Target ‘09-‗10

Target ‘10-‗11

Case A

Case B

Case C

Hiring manager—employee met expectations

4.60 4.60 4.63 4.18 4.46 4.88 4.43 4.60 4.60 4.57 4.15 4.15

Hiring manager—hiring process met expectations

4.83 4.20 4.12 4.62 4.80 4.88 4.55 4.60 4.60

Hiring manager—orientation met expectations

4.25 4.67 4.71 4.53 4.80 4.85 4.96 4.60 4.60

Employee—job met expectations

3.80 3.85 3.86 4.00 4.00 4.10 4.17 4.09 4.13

Employee—satisfaction with orientation

3.80 4.50 5.00 4.50 4.22 4.60 4.63 4.45 4.49

*Comparables based on DDI White Paper ―Research Results-Targeted Selection Evaluation‖

Source: Post Hire Satisfaction Survey Database; Scale 1-5, 5=Great extent;

Table 4.7 FVTC Faculty Retention * 2007 2008 2009 CVTC LTC NTC

99.1% 99.7% 99.1% 99.1% 95.5% 96.25%

*Excludes retirements

Source: Human Resource Services Office

Table 4.8 Orientation Process: Percent of New Hires Who Completed Six Month Orientation*

Fall 2006

Spring 2007

Fall 2007

Spring 2008

Fall 2008

Spring 2009

Fall 2009

89% 20% 40% 50% 76% 82% 57%

*Within target time frame of 6 months—completers after 6 months not included; excludes first day/first week orientation modules Source: Learning Management System (LMS)

Table 4.9 Recruitment Process: Applicant Pool and Hiring Data for Ethnic Diversity Comparative

Data for Ethnic Diversity Actuals Targets Comparables

2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2009-10 2010-11 NWTC MPTC LTC

% Current Staff 3.8% 3.8% * * 5.7% 2.5% 1.1%

% Applicants – All Pools 5.7% 6.4% 9.2% 7.4% 10.6% 8.8% 1.5%

% Applicants – Faculty Only 5.2% 4.5% 6.9% 5.2% 8.0%

% Pools with Diverse Applicants

56% 62.5% 84.6% 69% 89%

% of Interviewed Candidates 2.4% 7.1% 19.8% 10% 14%

% of Diverse Applicants Hired

1.9% 2.6% 10.4%

*Target for diversity of hires not set

Source: HR Office AA/EO Applicant Tracking Database

Development – Staff are very active with internal training and highly satisfied with the training received

(Table 4.10 and 4.11). Promotions are exceeding the targets consistently (Table 4.12) and trends for

reimbursement for higher education tuition costs are steadily on the rise (Table 4.13).

Table 4.10 Development: Staff Participation in Internal Training

Measure 2006-07 Baseline

2007-08 Actual

2008-09 Actual

2009-10 Actual

2009-10 Target

2010-11 Target

% of employees engaged in professional development

84% 92% 99% 100% 87% 88%

Source: LMS Data Base



Table 4.11 Development: Participant Evaluation of Training Course Quality and Relevance

Dimension 2008-09 2009-10 2009-10 2010-11

Actual Actual Actual Actual

Quality – Instructor knew topic 98.4% 87.7% 98% 98%

Quality – Instructor explained material clearly

96.6% 94.2% 96% 96%

Relevance – will be able to apply what was learned

83.2% 82.3% 83% 83.5%

Note: Composite % of participants from all training sessions who respond with Agree or Strongly Agree

Source: Web Survey Data Base

Table 4.12 Development: Promotional Opportunities Attained by Employees* 2006-07 Baseline

2007-08 Actual

2008-09 Actual

2009-10 Actual

2009-10 Target

2010-11 Target

16 22 21 22 19 20

*Achievement of any upward position change

Source: Human Resource Services Office

Table 4.13 Development: Financial Support for Higher Education Credit Achievement FVTC Staff 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009 – Feb 10

Salary advancement — faculty 358

credits 401

credits 403

credits 323

credits 449 credits

Tuition reimbursement — ESPA, Management

432 credits

349 credits

392 credits

459 credits

Source: LMS Data Base

Work Environment – The actual 2009-10 climate rating for two out of the five indicators outpaced the

targets (Table 4.14). The lower rating of professional development for 2010 was explained in the

comments and by the Employee Survey Committees due to the lack of time to take advantage of the many

professional growth opportunities available to FVTC staff.

Table 4.14 Climate: Strategic Direction 5

Anchor Questions from Employee Surveys

Composite Ratings – All Staff

2008 Actual / Baseline

2010 Target

2010 Actual

2012 Target

Staff ratings of respect 4.34 4.38 4.35 TBD

Staff ratings of professional development 4.34 4.38 4.31 TBD

Staff ratings of input into decisions 3.88 3.96 3.94 TBD

Staff ratings of spirit of cooperation 3.64 3.71 3.78 TBD

Staff ratings of growth, collaboration, engagement 3.61 3.68 3.85 TBD

Source: Web Survey Data Base; Scale 1 to 5, 5=Great Extent

Meet/Exceed Target Between Baseline and Target Below Baseline

4R3 Evidence for effectiveness

FVTC‘s valuing people processes build capacity for achieving college goals. Category 8 describes

performance measures of the effectiveness of faculty, staff, and administrators in achieving the Strategic

Directions, including Strategic Direction 5, ―create an internal environment of growth, collaboration, and

engagement.‖

4R4 Comparative results

Progress in valuing people is measured by tracking internal trends. FVTC compares favorably to national

and WTCS benchmarks which are provided when possible (Tables 4.6, 4.7, and 4.9). Plans are to

incorporate additional questions into future employee surveys that can be benchmarked against other

institutions.



Improvements (I) 4I1 Recent improvements

Recruitment & Selection: Since the last AQIP Portfolio, new online application software and supporting

processes, which replaced a previous online application system, were implemented to improve reliability,

ease of use for applicants and staff, and provide increased functionality.

Aligned with the improvement plan to increase staff ethnic diversity, this system is now used to build

email distribution lists to reach diverse candidates through networking, community groups, and other

target audiences. Other improvement plan elements include increasing the percentage of diverse

interview teams, posting of adjunct opportunities online to reach more people, and adopting an

application screening matrix to expand the candidates considered for interviews.

Improved results for indicators of progress measures (such as diversity of applicant pools and others –

Table 4.9), are considered a reflection of the focused effort in this area. Unfortunately, due to retirements

and other personnel changes, the ethnic diversity of current staff has not improved. Efforts in this area

will continue through the annual goal-setting process and the FVTC AA/EO 5 Year Plan.

Development: Two significant improvements are the implementation of the Talent Review process and

LEAD Academy (4P5). Both of these initiatives are designed to strengthen succession planning and

leadership development processes and have met with positive feedback, particularly the LEAD Academy.

Although it is too early to evaluate long-term effectiveness, based on the first year‘s experience and

feedback, both will be repeated with only minor adjustments. The increase in the number of internal

promotions (Table 4.12) indicates that the College‘s focused efforts to help staff develop the skills they

need to apply for and attain positions of greater responsibility are working.

Climate: A significant area of improvement has been achieving meaningful collaboration on how to

improve the climate (4P12). Faculty Association and ESPA leadership, along with administration, agreed

to use Joint Employee Survey Committees to develop and coordinate customized surveys of their

respective staff group. The results of these surveys also form the basis of improvement targets and

progress measures for Strategic Direction 5. The functioning of the three Employee Survey Committees,

along with the status of the action plans that result from the surveys, is monitored by Quality One

(Category 5) as a regular agenda item.

Since the last AQIP Portfolio, based on the results of the first set of Employee Surveys, a number of

college-wide actions were implemented (such as adding eight new ―Restructured Days‖ to the

instructional calendar (4P6), to focus on areas considered important to achieving a greater sense of an

―internal environment of growth, collaboration, and engagement‖ (Strategic Direction 5). A summary of

these actions is outlined in Table 4.15. Areas with improved results (Table 4.14) are considered

indicators of progress. Areas with below target results will be emphasized in the planning process for

follow-up on the 2010 survey results. The methods used to probe for insights are also being adjusted.

For example, a new approach is being used for division-level action-planning in response to Faculty

Survey Committee feedback.



Table 4.15 Climate: Translating Survey Results* to Action Strategies

Staff Group Patterns of feedback Actions Faculty and Support Staff Common Themes

Organized and accessible staff/department information Knowledge of ―who does what‖ Cross-functional collaboration Knowledge of others‘ work Professional development Approachable leadership

Problem solving team – created FVTC Yellow Pages, paper and online versions

Focus group input on intranet; implementation of improvements to intranet and transition to Sharepoint

Return of Student Services Welcome Desk

Design and use of in-service sessions provide staff greater opportunity to meet staff across the College and tour other areas

Newly negotiated Faculty Restructured Days provide opportunities and time for cross-functional and team collaboration and training

Implementation of ESPA Spring into Excellence annual professional development event

Formation of ESPA Professional Development Advisory Committee to provide insight to address barriers to training

Ongoing ―Building Dialogue Sessions‖ provide information sharing conversations with college President

Some division structure changes

Management Common Themes

Limited time and resources Barriers to spirit of cooperation Dealing with performance issues Lack of understanding of how actions impact different departments

In process for 2010

Develop a performance management ―toolkit‖ and training

Develop a ―Project Impact Checklist‖ to enhance planning for new initiatives

Target Management Meeting training portion on SD 5 topics

Add an item to Performance Review Agenda to invite and encourage discussion on workload and alignment of priorities

Conduct focus group between Financial Services and budget managers to explore ways for Finance to provide additional support to help address the ―time‖ issue

Encourage and support process improvement through Lean initiatives

*Based on 2007-08 Faculty and ESPA Employee Surveys and 2009 Management Survey

4I2 Culture and infrastructure supports process improvements

Annual College and department objectives are established through an iterative process that considers

input from individuals and work teams on areas for growth, innovation and improvement, with the

outcomes aligned to objective-setting across the college (Category 8). Improvements in valuing people

are prioritized based on the gaps and needs that are identified through processes described in this

category, to support areas of College and department focus established through the College objective

setting process. In addition, HR continually works in collaboration with staff to gain ideas and insights

for improvements as well as participation in extensive best practice sharing, networking with the WTCS

Human Resource Directors and Recruitment Committees, and attendance at conferences and other

learning forums.



Figure 4.10 FVTC Organizational Chart

Fox Valley Technical College

Board of Trustees

Fox Valley Technical College

Organizational Chart

President

Dr. Susan May

Vice President

Administrative

Services

Vice President

Student &

Community

Development

Vice President

Instructional

Services

Executive Dean Executive Dean Executive DeanChief Financial

Officer

Chief Information

Officer

D. Elliott

*Business &

Service Division

*Health Division

*Child Care Center

*Food Service

Operations

P. Robinson

*Criminal Justice

Division

*Criminal Justice

Federal Programs

A. Van Straten

*Financial

Services

T. Kohl

*Information

Services

J. Eyler

*Manufacturing, IT

& Ag Division

*Transportation &

Construction

Division

*Graphic Arts

Division

*Printing Services

C. Matheny

*General Studies

Division

*Instructional

Development &

Delivery

*College

Effectiveness

*Business &

Industry Services

*Global Education

& Services

*Marketing &

Recruitment

P. Jorgensen

*Student Services

*Regional

Campuses &

Centers

J. McEwen

*Human

Resources

*Facilities &

Operations

Legislative

Advocacy

FVTC Foundation

& Community

Relations

A. DumkeJ. Rickman

5-1

Category Five: Leading and Communicating

Processes (P)

5P1 Defining mission and vision

The first step in College strategic planning is for a college wide Planning Committee to revisit mission,

vision and values statements (Organizational Overview). While the vision statement was launched with

the 2007 Strategic Plan, the mission statement and values were defined in the mid – 1990‘s strategic

planning process and have been reviewed (but left unchanged) for approximately five planning cycles.

The mission statement is well aligned with the statutory purposes of a Wisconsin technical college: to

disseminate knowledge that is continuously reflective of practices in the workplace and current with

occupational trends and technology. Sustaining a learning environment involves a continuous validation

and triangulation between the current mission/vision and values, workplace realities and the instructional

environment which occurs as part of formal strategic planning every 3 to 4 years (8P1). The key process

that facilitates this validation on an ongoing basis is Performance Monitoring of College Purposes

conducted by the FVTC Board of Trustees and College staff (Organizational Overview – Item 5).

5P2 Establishing Strategic Directions

Strategic directions identified as part of the Strategic Planning Process (Category 8) include measures to

allow monitoring actual performance against established performance targets. The Board holds the

President accountable for achieving strategic outcomes via these measures. The President holds each

member of the Executive Team accountable for creating and achieving progress toward annual objectives

(Table 8.2) for key operational areas. A year-end report (Table 8.4) on College performance is presented

to the Board of Trustees and published in a formal document that is distributed widely to FVTC

stakeholders (Website link: http://www.fvtc.edu/public/content.aspx?ID=2160&PID=3). This

performance report provides the context of measures and their targets for the current year, as well as

results for previous years within the range of the plan.

5P3 Incorporating student and stakeholder needs

The needs and expectations of students and stakeholders are the cornerstone of the review and updating of

the strategic directions that occurs in the Strategic Planning Process as well as the development of key

metrics of performance. For example, in the 2006 version of the Strategic Plan, Strategic Direction Two

read ―Extend outreach and capacity to draw more people into higher education.‖ During the updating of

the plan in 2009, the importance of successful completion of courses and programs was identified as an

expectation of key stakeholders as well as a student expectation. The language of the direction was

revised to include the wording ―and support their success.‖ This significant addition has generated

research efforts to better identify the extent of non-completion of courses and programs to further

understand the root cause (Categories 1 and 3).

5P4 Seeking future opportunities

The College vision statement (Organizational Overview) emphasizes ―innovation,‖ which propels leaders

to seek future opportunities, as well as ―excellence,‖ which keeps a proactive focus on students and

learning. An entrepreneurial spirit is woven within the cultural fabric of the College and encouraged by

leaders who support idea exploration, professional growth and involvement in a wide range of

partnerships. As a Strategic Direction (Table 8.4 – SD 3), innovative approaches and partnerships are

enthusiastically welcomed and have resulted in a competitive advantage in key areas that advance the

mission of the College (5R1). The process for developing these partnerships is very fluid across all levels

of management and faculty, as networking occurs through community involvement, business outreach,

and maintaining strong connections with our occupational fields of study. The process is strengthened by

http://www.fvtc.edu/public/content.aspx?ID=2160&PID=3



Category Five: Leading and Communicating 5-2

approachable leaders (Category 4) with an open door philosophy that encourages communication of

creative ideas and exciting possibilities on the horizon.

Excellence in enhancing the learning needs of students becomes evident as these innovative partnerships

manifest in the classroom. For example, Strategic Direction One guides the College toward expansion

and refinement of programming, measured by such indicators as the number of new programs and number

of programs expanding capacity. The integration of measures into the plan fosters action and

accountability throughout the College. In addition, our current AQIP Action Projects focused on

assessment of student learning, clearer understanding of student expectations and learning needs, and

measuring effectiveness to keep all three areas a priority for College activities.

5P5 Making decisions

With a Board of Trustees and Executive Team philosophy that decisions need to be made at the

appropriate levels, staff and faculty involvement in decision making depends upon many elements often

related to the need for resource investment and compliance with existing regulations (Table 5.1). In the

realm of the classroom, faculty and staff involved in the program make decisions on a daily basis about

the content of a course or mode of delivery. Ideas for new or expanded facilities involving significant

resources and regulations require the involvement of many levels of the organization in decision making.

Consequently, the scope of impact for decisions determines the communications and approvals needed.

Table 5.1 Examples of decisions made at appropriate levels

Decision Level New

Facilities New

Program Staff

Schedules Curriculum

Content

Board Level and State approval as needed Final OK Final OK

Executive Team and/or President Idea /$$

OK

Idea /$$

OK

Dean or Director Idea/OK Idea/OK Final OK

Department Team Idea/OK Idea/OK Idea/OK Idea/OK

Individual Faculty or staff Idea Idea Idea Idea/OK

= Advance decision to next level

FVTC has only a few standing committees (Table 5.2), but a robust ad hoc team approach to targeted

tasks and decision making. When appropriate, ad hoc groups are created to spearhead change initiatives

and conduct improvement projects. Their work is carefully defined in a charter document that outlines

their level of decision-making authority and the rationale for and goal of their work. Ad hoc groups may

make recommendations and disband, but often members of the group are from functional areas that carry

out decisions. Recent efforts are highlighted by the College‘s adaptation of Lean principles and value

stream mapping exercises to improve process design. Examples of ad hoc teams are listed in Table 5.3.

At any given time, a number of ad hoc teams exist within the College. Most are cross-functional,

representing instructional and non-instructional operations of the College, and are multi-level, composed

of managers, faculty, and support staff.

5P6 Using data, information, and performance results for decision-making

Performance data is central to decision-making at FVTC. A key function of the Performance Monitoring

Reports is to present data relative to the College purposes in order to determine if there is a need to adjust

the course of action in major areas of operations (Organizational Overview – Item 5). The measures of

the Strategic Plan are reported cumulatively on an annual basis, but individual indicators are monitored

and reported on a much more frequent basis to align the plans for resources with current data trends. For

example, the level of FTEs and enrollments college-wide and in divisions is monitored at least monthly to

gauge alignment of instructional resources with projected demands and adjust as needed for the future.



These key indicators are a standing topic for Executive Team meetings and highlighted at the meetings of

the Board of Trustees. Some additional examples are in Table 5.4.

Table 5.2 Standing Committees

Committee Charter

Leadership Forum Facilitates the open dialogue, sharing of information, and discussion of key issues between the College‘s Executive Team and the Executive Committees of the Faculty Association and the Educational Support Personnel Association.

Quality One Monitors, advises, and supports the deployment of continuous improvement efforts across the College.

QRP Team Deploys and improves the Quality Review Process as a College-wide system of program evaluation and improvement.

External Impact Assessment

Conducts on-going environmental scanning of key sectors including political, workforce, environment, education and technology by gathering articles and trend data, and analyzing implications for the College and its Strategic Plan.

Marketing Council Develops, implements, and evaluates strategies to proactively impact student enrollment.

Web Council Monitors and improves the information, appearance and functionality of the College web site.

Table 5.3 Key Ad Hoc Teams

Team Charter

AQIP Core Team Updates the Systems Portfolio involving staff in developing and reviewing responses to questions, seeking accurate representation of College operations.

Value Stream Teams Focuses on a specific process analyzing current state, ideal future state, gap analysis and plans to move forward involving those closest to the work process.

PeopleSoft Upgrade Teams

Analyzes and redesigns processes affected by a new software version within the College‘s administrative computing functions.

Executive Level Search Teams

Identifies appropriate finalist candidates based on search criteria through review of applications and interviews.

Student Success Initiative Task Force

Reviews trend data on course completion and program graduation rates, providing suggestions and offering feedback on targeted improvement efforts.

Targeted Selection Teams

Conducts job interviews of applicants for College positions with members selected from the department and other areas that interact with the position.

Table 5.4 Sample Results Used for Decision Making Processes

Sample Data/ Information Used Decision Making Process

Financial Performance, Resources and Needs Budget Decision Making Process

QRP Scorecard Performance Program Improvement Plans

Number of Dislocated Workers Expand Job Seekers Network services

Bookstore, document output, facility leases, etc. RFP Vendor/Service Provider Selection Process

5P7 Communication processes

FVTC is a relatively flat organization with frequent formal and informal communication across levels and

functional areas. Key communication challenges arise from organizational scope and complexity, time,

distance, and the sheer volume of information and data communicated. The resulting email and Web-

based communication strategies are complemented by meetings and structured conversations. Critical

communication junctures include monthly meetings of the Board of Trustees, Executive Team,

Instructional Deans and Directors, Leadership Forums, and quarterly Management Meetings. Table 5.5

describes leadership communication processes and their content focus.



As an example, Presidential dialogue sessions with departments are scheduled throughout the year for

informal and personal conversations to keep lines of communication open and for all staff to have easy

access to the chief executive officer. These sessions are well-attended, and people feel free to share

information and ask questions. The President learns firsthand about student trends, processes that need

attention or needs of particular constituent groups. Topics have included the need for high speed Internet

access in more rural corners of the District, College directions on sustainability matters, and computer

needs in laboratories. Department staff members feel listened to and connected to the organization as a

whole and cite this approach as an enhancement to communication in the employee surveys (Table 4.14).

5P8 Communicating a shared mission, vision, and values

The College uses a variety of processes to communicate the mission, vision, and values internally and

externally as described in Table 5.5. The mission is commonly referred to as ―education for employment‖

and serves as a public framework for highlighting examples of the mission in action on a continuous

basis. The major communication vehicle for connecting the mission, vision and values to the day-to-day

work of the College occurs at the Fall and Winter All Staff In-service Days. The College

Table 5.5 Leadership Communication Processes

Information

Mission, Vision, Values

Performance Expectations

Fo

rum

All Staff In-service Days

Reports to the Community n/a

Executive Team Meetings

Management Meetings

Leadership Forums

LEAD Academy

Deans and Directors Meetings n/a

President‘s Dialogue Sessions with Departments and with New Employees

To

ol

President‘s E-mail Updates n/a

College Print Publications n/a

College Website

New Employee Orientation

Pro

ce

ss

Organizational/Unit performance Reviews n/a

Individual Performance Reviews n/a

Planning, Goal Setting, and Budgeting

Performance Monitoring Reports One-way communication Ongoing two-way communication

Two-way communication

community convenes en masse, and the President leads presentations showcasing examples of students

served, employer viewpoints as well as peer innovation, and new partnerships. Through use of a variety

of media, from videos and creative games to guest panelists, these presentations clearly demonstrate

FVTC‘s performance of its mission, vision and values, as well as any challenges to maintaining our high

performance as an organization. These communication venues receive very positive comments on the

employee surveys.



5P9 Developing leaders

A variety of coordinated approaches listed in Table 5.6 are employed to develop current and future leaders

so that their practices align with the views of College leadership. In addition, President May has used the

designation of ―interim‖ for positions at the executive and divisional leadership level to provide both

stability and leadership development opportunities at times of transition (4P5).

Table 5.6 Approaches to Developing and Aligning Leadership Practices

Approach Description

Executive Team Development President works with members of the College Executive Team both individually and as a group focusing on development of individuals and of the team for on-going alignment of leadership expectations and approaches.

LEAD Academy Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Academy -- FVTC in-house leadership academy (4P5).

Leaders Forward Individualized development plan includes a 360 degree feedback process and mentorship support.

State and local leadership programs

FVTC annually supports faculty and staff participants in state and community leadership programs that align with College values.

Opportunities to lead Emerging leaders are given opportunities to assume ad hoc leadership roles on teams and projects.

5P10 Leadership succession

Leadership succession is facilitated by a variety of leadership development programs (Table 4.2)

particularly the Talent Review process. In the past few years, the College has used the interim

assignment process as an approach to leadership succession. For example, the interim assignment process

successfully served the College in the transition to a new President in 2008 who previously held the

position of CAO. Her previous position was filled by elevating three Deans to Executive Deans all

serving on the Executive Team and the Executive Dean of General Studies serving as the Interim Chief

Academic Officer. In early 2010, the retirement of the Interim CAO led to other interim assignments

which shifted the Vice President (VP) of Student Services to the Interim CAO and the designation of an

Interim VP of Student Services. The interim role gives the individual a clear sense of the day-to-day

challenges and expectations of the position while maintaining an already proven focus on the mission,

vision and values. As a member of the Executive Team, others can assess the fit of the new position in

action and provide feedback as needed to the President from a variety of perspectives. Individuals who

hold interim positions may choose to apply for the permanent position (which involves a national search

at the VP level). This process helps the College continue high performance and mission alignment during

the transitional periods.

Results (R)

5R1 Measuring performance

Current measures of leadership are described in Table 5.7. The District Board of Trustees conducts an

annual Board self-assessment, based on dimensions of Board responsibility, and assesses the performance

of the President annually. With a governance model focused upon the ends or purposes of the College, the

effectiveness of leadership is measured through the Performance Monitoring Reporting process. The

leadership of College administrators is measured through a formal performance assessment process

described in 4P5, which considers the results achieved through leadership, development of leadership in

others, personal growth and development, and the perceptions of others.



Table 5.7 Measures of Leadership and Communication

What is measured Frequency Approach Results

Performance Monitoring Reports Monthly Board rating of Reports Table 5.10 and 5.11

Board leadership Annually Self-evaluation Table 5.9

Strategic leadership and positioning

Annually Achievement of strategy WTCS Benchmark rankings

Category 8 Table 5.10

Work environment Every two years Employee group surveys Category 4

Personal leadership Annually Individual performance review Category 4

Organizational communication Every two years Employee group surveys Category 4

The overarching measure of how well the College advances its purposes through leadership and

communication is the Board‘s rating of the College‘s performance (Table 5.8). The rating results are

provided in Table 5.10. The Board also conducts a self-assessment of its leadership reflecting the overall

organization‘s performance in communication and connection to its mission, vision and values (Table

5.9).

Table 5.8 FVTC Performance Monitoring Report – Board Feedback

Rating Descriptions

= The College is clearly a best practice leader in this area and results exceed expectations. Continue to fine-tune delivery strategies that support continued excellence in fulfilling this purpose.

= Results are more than acceptable and the College‘s successful fulfillment of this purpose is obvious. Efforts at continuous improvement should be maintained.

= Things are going okay, but results may be inconsistent and/or lack real strength in our ability to achieve expectations in fulfilling this purpose. Improvement efforts may need to increase to achieve better results.

= There are several troubling issues with the College‘s ability to successfully fulfill this purpose and operate at an acceptable level. This purpose needs focused attention and some level of intervention to achieve improved results.

= The College is falling significantly behind in successfully fulfilling this purpose and struggling to achieve any real level of success in this area. Serious consideration needs to be given to how we are doing business and results need substantial improvement.

Finally, employees assess the effectiveness of FVTC leadership, communication, and collaboration in

biennial management, faculty and support staff surveys. The 2007-08 survey was the initial

administration of the internally developed surveys and 2010 was the second administration. See Category

4 for a complete review of these data.

5R2 Performance results

The results of the key measures for leading and communicating indicate high and improving performance

on nearly all measures.

Table 5.9 Results of Nine-Member Board Annual Self-Assessment

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Progress towards Board goals 4.30 4.22 4.40

Policy role performance 4.64 4.60 4.64

Policy direction 4.73 4.60 4.63

Board / CEO relations 4.67 4.58 4.85

College advocacy 4.17 4.38 4.50

*5 point scale with 5 being highly effective



Table 5.10 Board Rating of College Performance to Achieve Purposes

Performance Monitoring Report 2007-08 Rating*

2008-09 Rating*

2009-10 Rating*

Apprenticeship programs. 4.67 4.86 4.81

Associate degree, technical diploma, and certificate level programs 4.20 5.00 4.72

Basic skills programming. 4.56 4.81 4.81

Customized training and technical assistance to employers. 4.13 4.84 4.57

Collaboration with secondary schools, colleges, and universities. 4.50 4.81 4.36

Community services and avocational or self-enrichment activities. 4.13 4.73 4.33

Counseling and student support services. 4.28 5.00 4.86

*5-point scale in Table 5.8


The Performance Monitoring Reports provide comparison data with key benchmark colleges selected

from the 16 districts of the Wisconsin Technical College System. FVTC compares its performance with

peer-institutions of similar size and/or program mix including: Chippewa Valley Technical College,

Gateway Technical College, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and Waukesha County Technical

College. Table 5.11 provides a three year review of comparison data that shows FVTC leading in most

areas.

Table 5.11 FVTC Rank among WTCS benchmark colleges

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Non-credit programming students served 1 1 1

Graduates 2 2 2

Students employed in their field after graduation 2 4 2

State reportable contract revenue 1 1 1

Students served through contract training 2 2 2

Benchmarking best practices in leading and communicating outside the WTCS with other educational

organizations and beyond is viewed as integral to high performance at FVTC. College leaders are

actively involved in learning about these practices through organizations such as the American

Association of Community Colleges, American Community Colleges Trustees, and the League for

Innovation in Community College.

Membership in the Continuous Quality Improvement Network (CQIN) provides the opportunity for

FVTC to benchmark practices and performance results with 30-40 organizations, mainly community and

technical colleges, who are committed to the principles of continuous improvement. Many CQIN

members are AQIP colleges and universities. At the annual CQIN Summer Institute, CQIN members

learn from partners beyond higher education who are usually Malcolm Baldrige Award winners. These

partners have included the Ritz-Carlton, Disney, Toyota, health care systems and others. These learning

opportunities engage FVTC teams in reflective examination of our systems and processes to identify areas

of potential change in order to improve our performance in leadership and communication. These

learning opportunities often affirm existing practices and performance results at FVTC but also suggest

key refinements to our practices to get to the next level of performance excellence.

These qualitative comparisons of ―leading and communicating‖ practices are directed by the results of our

employee surveys (5I1 and 5I2). However, with the change from a nationally benchmarked climate

survey, the Personal Assessment of the College Environment (PACE) to an internally developed survey

instrument, direct benchmark data is not readily available. Plans are to identify the results of similar

survey questions in other organizations to determine our relative performance strengths and areas for

improvement.



Improvements (I)

5I1 Recent improvements

Employee surveys resulted in improvements related to Leading and Communicating. An area for

continued focus is increased staff involvement in decision-making at the division level. Faculty survey

results in particular pointed to the need for dedicated time for communication opportunities within teams

and across the College. To address this need, eight days were set aside in the year as days that were

―restructured‖ from classroom responsibilities to a focus on internal communication as well as attention to

leadership responsibilities within teams.

These ―restructured‖ days have been generally well received. Faculty engage in cross-functional

activities to better connect with their peers across the institution. Examples of some activities include

general education and occupational faculty teams collaborating for mutual understanding of student needs

particularly in areas such as improving math relevancy.

Other recent improvements in this category (last two years) also include:

Creation of the LEAD Academy

Implementation of the President‘s dialogue sessions

Implementation of Management Meetings

More aggressive use of value stream mapping as ―leading and communicating‖ strategies

New format for our Reports to the Community

In-depth programmatic sessions with legislators to communicate our mission and our value

5I2 Culture and infrastructure support for process improvement

From 1994 to 2004, FVTC conducted a climate survey using the PACE survey tool. The resulting reports

categorized performance on four progressive levels of institutional effectiveness: coercive, competitive,

consultative, and collaborative. The FVTC culture ascribed to the principles of the collaborative level

and aspired to adopt the practices which would lead to that level of effectiveness. The hallmarks of this

collaborative climate are defined as: employee involvement in decision making, trust in leadership,

collaboration, and communication. The new method of monitoring the climate through employee group

surveys identifies the operational processes which need attention in order to effectively improve the

collaborative atmosphere of the College. To that end, employee survey results are used as the foundation

for direct conversations with employee groups. Often multiple sessions are required to come to an

understanding of both the data and commentary themes that indicate potential areas to target for

improvement in ―leading and communicating.‖

Within our continuous improvement and innovation culture, FVTC is always looking at what is working

and what is not (via data). Overall targets for ―leading and communicating‖ are set through consideration

of a variety of performance results but primarily the advancement of the Strategic Plan, the achievement

of the Annual Objectives, and the achievement of College purposes.

6-1

Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations

Processes (P)

6P1 Identifying support service needs of students AND 6P2 Identifying administrative support service needs of your faculty, staff, and administrators

Support service needs for students are focused on the identification of goals, transactions related to

getting them ready for and into the appropriate training based on goals, and support services geared

toward keeping them engaged until they fulfill identified goals. Needs of other key stakeholders are

identified through direct conversations with the stakeholders (advisory meetings, board meetings) or

identification of historical needs coupled with ongoing response to feedback. The design and delivery of

administrative support service considers the needs of the constituent (i.e., the student and stakeholder),

while balancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness with ease of use.

FVTC embodies a culture that is inextricably aligned with the philosophy of continuous improvement.

The casual onlooker might be tempted to conclude that data is being widely collected in a manner that is

segmented and disjointed. This is the case, to a large extent, yet at all times and in all areas of the

College, grass roots conversations are going on to examine data and shift practice in direct response to the

data. At a broader, more unified level, the College uses student feedback, input from the SGA, employee

surveys and informal discussions to identify the support needs. WTCS best practices among system

colleges and system standards also assists in the identification of support needs. The College continues to

find ways to use data to drive the need identification versus simply using anecdotal evidence and

identification of support needs.

An example of a recent change to an integral College process was the conversion from paper-based to

electric/online of a complex Adjunct Faculty Teaching Agreement (AFTA) process. Due to a process

improvement project, the new electronic AFTA (eAFTA) process delivers all adjunct faculty contracts

online, saving staff time and streamlining the process to administer the contracts.

6P3 Safety and security support processes

The College analyzes and benchmarks against nationally accepted standards and procedures regarding

campus safety. By utilizing student and staff feedback as well as the assistance of the SGA, safety

processes are designed to facilitate a safe campus environment. Nationally recognized best practices in

both facility management and safety management processes are frequently studied to influence the design

and maintenance of related College processes to keep all campus community members safe and secure.

Best practices are also shared among WTCS institutions who face many common issues.

FVTC has implemented a text and email alert system that systematically communicates security alert

messages to all members in the database. All students and staff are automatically added to the system

each school year, while a web based form allows students, staff, and community members to sign-up for

additional emails and cell phone numbers. A new software application will give greater access and

improved tracking for constituents around the College and at regional locations. The software will allow

tracking and monitoring of not only current threats, but behavioral problems that may escalate into

broader concerns. The software is planned for implementation during 2010-11.

Communication of safety-related processes for students occurs at new student orientation sessions. For

staff, the communication takes place via email, the staff intranet and bi-annual In-Service presentations.



Category Six: Supporting Institutional Operations 6-2

In addition, a public web page is completely dedicated to campus safety information, statistics and contact

information (http://www.fvtc.edu/public/content.aspx?id=1911&pid=1).

6P4 Daily management of key student, administrative and organizational support service processes

Support service processes are managed on a day-to-day basis primarily through the team processes

described in 5P5. Service providers understand how their work supports the mission and they use the

current strategic directions to align those processes to ensure that student and stakeholder needs are met.

Leaders use PDCA procedures to ensure that the processes are hitting the intended targets.

The illusive challenge of an institution of our size and granularity is to find a common process to manage

these multifaceted processes, particularly since a ―central command‖ approach may not allow different

departments to respond as quickly and efficiently to customer needs. The decentralized process, as

described in 6P1, allows moment-by-moment improvements to be made quickly and efficiently in

response to identified needs.

Best practices on managing processes are shared internally, and the College has implemented Value

Stream Mapping / Process Improvement Plan projects, using Rapid Improvement Events (RIE) to more

quickly respond to stakeholder feedback and needs. (Figure 6.1)

Figure 6.1 Value Stream Mapping Process

6P5 Documentation of support processes

The College uses Microsoft‘s SharePoint product as the backbone for the staff intranet. Through

SharePoint, staff members can share documents, post comments and collaboratively work together on

projects. One of the menu tabs is ―Initiatives‖ which is dedicated to process improvement plans, College

innovation projects and other related strategic processes which allow all staff to view, comment and

utilize resources from other projects.

Review Value Propositions

Map the Current State

Identify Waste in Current Process

Brainstorm Improvement

Identify Value & Non-Value Added Work

Map a Future State

Develop an Action Plan for Moving Forward

http://www.fvtc.edu/public/content.aspx?id=1911&pid=1



Other documentation for both formal and informal processes include:

Process training through workshops and staff-to-staff communication

Technical Operations Specialists (TOS) attend regular meetings to share documentation and

information on best practices related to setting up classes, enrollments and student communications

Dissemination of student and stakeholder feedback by front-line customer service providers to

managers and other providers

Additionally, when Value Stream Mapping / Process Improvement Plan projects are initiated, internal

facilitators collect and gather empirical data on ‗present state‘ process time maps that are compared to the

final outcomes. This way the feedback loop can be completed in order to assure time, money and budget

savings are measured with the project.

Results (R)

6R1 Measures of student, administrative and organizational support service processes

FVTC has faced the constant challenge to collect the ―right‖ types of data in order to measure processes

accurately. While there is a significant focus on our outcomes (the standard student satisfaction data

collection related to processes – Table 6.1), this quantitative data may be best used to identify areas where

more in-depth study will accurately gauge the true effectiveness. As displayed in Table 6.1, the lack of

meaningful distinction between the College‘s comparative performance to itself or the benchmarks points

to the need for more qualitative data collection (i.e. focus groups). These results are then triangulated with

patterns of observation for areas of concern. These results may then trigger a Value Stream Mapping

Process (Figure 6.1) which creates new layers of measures of effectiveness. 6R2 Results for student support service processes

Along with the use of the Noel-Levitz student satisfaction results (Table 6.1), the College seeks to expand

the use of those measures by creating a set of data that can provide a better systematic analysis to improve

support service processes throughout the College. The College‘s first attempts at finding more relevant

ways to measure those results are coming from our Value Stream Mapping exercises. The actual measures

for an administrative process (6R3) are setting the stage for similar exercises in student support service

processes such as registration and financial aid in the next few years. Table 6.1 Student Satisfaction with processes

Admissions Processes FVTC 2008

FVTC 2010

WTCS Average

Natl. Average

College orientation 5.19 5.20 5.26 5.24

Financial aid 4.73 4.70 4.91 5.04

Veteran services 4.55 4.56 4.55 4.60

Academic support 5.18 5.27 5.31 5.26

Registration 5.31 5.27 5.36 5.35

Tutorial services 5.02 5.13 5.23 5.41

Career & Placement Processes FVTC 2008

FVTC 2010

WTCS Average

Natl. Average

Career services 5.42 5.41 5.33 5.21

Job placement 5.18 5.10 5.04 5.0

Source: Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey, 1-7 scale used

6R3 Results for administrative support service processes

As indicated in 6R1, while data is collected on satisfaction, the performance result for processes continues

to be a challenge for FVTC. Two examples are outlined to show how the College strives to improve the

use of the ―right‖ data and enhance the systematic analysis of data currently collected.



First, the time documentation of the process related to adjunct faculty teaching agreements is a highly

manual process. This process has been significantly streamlined as a result of several rapid improvement

events. Those outcomes are shown in Table 6.2.

The College is also supporting Strategic Direction 6, Sustainability Initiatives (Figure 8.5), by collecting

utility information that directly measures the performance results for reducing our carbon footprint.

Those newly adopted measures are displayed in Table 6.3.

Table 6.2 Current, Target and Actual Data for AFTA Processes Current Goal Actual Improvement

Reduce Cycle Time 59 Days 30 Days 14 Days 76%

Reduce # of change requests 559/term 0 0 100%

Decrease # of expense checks issued 800/term $24,000

0 0 100%

Decrease mailing expenses $700 $100 0 100%

Decrease manual cycle time expended 270 minutes 140 minutes 30 minutes

90%

Eliminate # of AFTA copies made to track status

20,000 @ 10 cents ea = $2000

0 0 100%

Table 6.3 Strategic Direction on Sustainability Measures

2008-09 Baseline

2009-10 Target

2009-10 Actual

2010-11 Target

Measure 6.2: % of energy consumption reduction for electricity and gas for College facilities (Unit of Measurement: KWH or Therms / Sq. Ft. / Heating degree days / FTE)

238 (x 10-9

) (Electric)

-5% of 2008-09

239 (x10-9

) (Electric)

-6% of 2008-09

920 (x 10-11

) (Gas)

844 (x 10-11

) (Gas)

Measure 6.3: % of water consumption reduction for College facilities

46.7M gallons (Water)

-5% of 2008-09

40 M gallons (Water)

-11% of 2008-09


6R4 Use of results to improve student, administrative and organizational support services

A combination of data sources is analyzed by departments to identify trends and ultimately improve

processes. These data sources include student satisfaction surveys, advanced reporting data, focus groups

and staff feedback. The following processes and strategies are also used:

Strategic

Planning—College and division strategic planning and annual planning and budgeting

Self-assessment—Conducted by instructional programs as part of the QRP

The design of new and innovative programs, new initiatives, and new facilities

Operational

Ongoing monitoring of critical measures by individual providers, departments, and divisions

Monthly monitoring of leading indicators of critical process by the Executive Team

The College excels at collecting relevant data, but work continues on the systematic use of information to

improve results institution wide. FVTC is developing a review process for service areas modeled on the

QRP. This will ensure that each administrative and student support service area will cyclically review

performance, establish improvement plans, and monitor improved performance. 6R5 Comparison of results

Where comparative data are available, the information has been included with results presented in Table

6.1. In addition, national and higher education benchmarks are used to drive processes in Finance,



Information Technology (Category 7), and Facilities and Campus Safety. A key example is the College‘s

long-term obligation rating (Moody rating) of Aaa – the highest rating possible. FVTC shares this

financial health rating with six of the sixteen technical colleges in Wisconsin (top 44%). FVTC strives to

be best in class with relevant measures as available and seeks to adapt processes and practices to advance

our abilities to compare favorably with peer institutions.

Improvements (I)

6I1 Recent improvements to processes and systems

As highlighted in 6R1 – 6R4, the College continues to look for ways to improve the systematic collection

of relevant data and systematic analysis of that data. As discussed in 6P4, FVTC uses best practices and a

flat organizational structure to be as responsive as possible to process improvements in all areas,

understanding that what works best in one area to drive improvement may not be the best process to

follow in other areas.

PDCA processes, as well as Value Stream Mapping / Rapid Improvement Events drive each of these

improvement plans. The following improvements are underway at the College:

Expansion of peer tutoring to create connections between students

Updates and Improvements to MyFVTC, the student‘s online registration and record management

system

Updates and Improvements to MyTraining, the online seminar and business clients registration and

record management system

Working toward elimination of paper bills

Enhancement of business intelligence and data reporting features

Expansion of BlackBerry mobile devices and wireless laptops

Improvement of technology infrastructure to address redundancy, backup, and reliability of

information technology systems

Communication of improvements using the approaches described in 6P4 and through the College

initiative resources in the staff intranet

Concentrated Sustainability efforts to reduce carbon footprint of the College and encourage green

building techniques when appropriate

Document output and management project (to control printing, copying and device costs)

Online procurement system 6I2 Culture and infrastructure support for process improvements

FVTC has embraced a culture of continuous improvement since College leadership implemented the

continuous improvement model in the 1980s. Although College personnel have changed since the

beginning of the movement, an environment of collaboration and problem solving continues to permeate

the FVTC culture.

By aligning improvement projects to a carefully crafted set of Strategic Directions, the College is able to

focus improvement efforts. Other processes include aligning technology resources and projects via

Executive Team meetings to communicate and verify that the infrastructure will be in place to support the

improvement efforts.

As the culture and the infrastructure align, the next step is to coordinate measures for those efforts,

thereby closing the loop on the improvement project. This full cycle is the desired state to maintain or

raise process satisfaction among students, stakeholders and staff.

7-1

Category Seven: Measuring Effectiveness

Processes (P)

7P1 Selection, management, and use of data for programs and services AND 7P2 Selection, management, and use of data to support planning and improvement efforts

FVTC implemented a new request system called ServiceDesk Plus (SDP) in March 2009. All staff have

access to SDP to request assistance in a number of areas, one of which is to request specific data needed

to support programs and services as well as planning and improvement efforts (Figure 7.1). The data may

be delivered in the form of a standardized report, or a data cube for ad-hoc data reporting and analysis.

Staff have a high degree of data delivery customization available through the data warehouse and Report

Writers. Staff may run their reports on an as needed basis or may schedule them to run and be delivered

via email directly to their desktop. The data cubes allow staff to manipulate data for different purposes

without needing intervention from IT for each question/data request. Staff can select and manage the data

as needed for their purposes. The data and means to get the data in various formats is in the hands of the

staff members.

Figure 7.1 SDP Planning and Improvement Process

The data supplied to requestors comes from the FVTC data warehouse which has matured into a robust,

centralized Web-based system, with desktop access to common data components collected within the

FVTC environment. Data are supplied to the warehouse from PeopleSoft which is the College‘s system

of record for Student/HR/Finance. This provides all staff with access to current and trend data to assist in

Staff enter requests for data specific to their needs into the Service Desk Plus (SDP) system.

The Reporting Team works directly with the

Requestor to understand the data request and to clarify

requirements .

The Report Writer and Requestor work through an iterative process to achieve

the desired results as well as to validate/test the data.

The Report Writer and Requestor are satisfied with the

final product and post to Production. The report can be run as needed or scheduled to

run and be delivered. Data cubes can be used to create ad-hoc reports by the Requestor.

Adjustments to the report/data cube may be initiated by the original

Requestor as the need arises, or if a public report, other Staff may

request a similar item for their own use with altered requirements.



Category Seven: Measuring Effectiveness 7-2

reviewing performance regarding student learning, economic development activities, and overall

improvement efforts on a regular basis. The addition of data components from the Human Resources and

Finance systems, combined with enhanced data from the Student system, creates a comprehensive one-

stop location for College data gathering and dissemination. There is no longer a need to distribute data to

staff; they all have access to customize and select their own data from the centralized format. In

designing the data warehouse, various levels of staff from different departments and divisions had input to

determine what data should be loaded and tracked. Staff know that the data are accurate and validated

and they trust the resulting reports/data cubes. A feedback loop ensures that any gaps in data that are

discovered are quickly remedied by including those data elements in the warehouse nightly data run.

For instructional programs, FVTC continues to support the Academic Programming System, on-line

system created to automate and simplify the process of new program development and current program

curriculum updates. The system facilitates communication with program area teams, deans and process

administrators by including all key players in each step in the process. Key players receive email

notification as the process moves forward and are kept in the planning cycle to ensure that all pieces are

in place when final approval is granted for the new program or change to a program. The Academic

Programming System has improved deployment and ease of implementation by teams.

7P3 Determining department needs for data collection, storage, and accessibility

Information needs, storage, and accessibility data are gathered through various processes, based upon the

needs and demands of the internal customer. Certain areas of benchmarked, comparable data needs are

determined by state statute and policy. Sophisticated data collection systems such as the Client Reporting

System, Uniform Financial Accounting System, Staff Accounting System, and the Graduate Follow up

System, are in place through the WTCS and linked to functions of registration, admission, retention, and

graduate placement to determine the organizational performance and program area critical performance

indicators. A significant volume of information is submitted to the WTCS state office where it is

compiled and posted on a Website both for benchmarking and for public accountability.

Other data needs are determined based on extensive interviews conducted by the Data Management and

Reporting Team. The team conducts individual interviews with managers, directors and deans to

determine specific needs and demands for data. Individual results can be tailored based on the

information gathered from the College leadership.

Various avenues in the Information Technology department drive user requests for increased functionality

and use. Help Desk calls, general comments, and suggestions drive the priorities to meet needs not

anticipated. For specific department and user needs, Service Desk Plus is available to register requests for

reports, originate projects, post updates, and keep track of ongoing progress. Users must make a series of

selections to clarify exactly what they need for a specific project. The Data Management and Reporting

Team, along with the FVTC Executive Team, manage and prioritize the request workload. 7P4 Analyzing data and information regarding overall performance

Institutionally, data analysis takes place through Executive Team level retreats and regular meetings to

determine overall performance. Based on analysis of the data presented, the Executive Team sets

priorities and directions. Venues such as in-services, management meetings, and individual department

meetings drive the communication back to the directors, managers, and staff who use the information to

set individual goals. Other avenues for analysis are peer meetings throughout WTCS. While individual

analysis may not take place in this type of arena, the discussion based on district trends is invaluable.

Table 7.1 outlines how the data analysis fits into data user purposes.



Table 7.1 Data User Purposes and Data Analysis

Data Use Purposes Examples of How Data Is Analyzed

To determine fiscal and other compliance

Monthly financial reports and cross-analysis of budget items for discrepancies and trends

To monitor performance / progress Trend analysis of QRP indicators result in focused actions plans for the improvement of lower performance areas

To determine achievement of purposes

Selected indicators analyzed for trends and compared to other WTCS colleges for service and cost trends

To determine achievement of strategy direction

Key measureable indicators for each strategic direction monitors actual annual performance compared to targets

To set targets Performance trends are monitored to provide future goals

7P5 Determining the needs and priorities for comparative data and information

Needs and priorities for comparative information and data are often set or mandated by state and federal

requirements. In many cases, individual process owners and department deans and leadership help to

define benchmarking based on local industry best practices and community needs. Table 7.2 summarizes

the needs and criteria used to determine these comparative data sets. The uses of data (as referenced in

Figure 5.3) are also incorporated to highlight examples of the integration.

Table 7.2 Comparative Data Utilization

Comparison Level

Source of Data

Need Determination

Criteria Used

Data Use Examples

National Comparison

NCCBP College needs to compare same/relevant data, to assess FVTC‘s performance with peers outside of state system

Peer and competitor relevance, comparable out-of-state two year colleges

To determine achievement of purposes in line with contract training

National and State Comparison

IPEDS College needs relevant enrollment, payroll, and graduation information at both national and state levels

Accurate, relevant data, that has a measurable and comparable use between like institutions

To determine achievement of purposes, graduation and retention rates can be analyzed and trends watched

National, State, and Local Comparisons

Advisory Committees

Individual departments and instruction areas utilize committees of business leaders and professionals to help determine relevant instructional goals

Industry and community leaders who deal in specific business areas to set relevant instructional goals

To monitor performance and progress based on student learning and also to determine achievement of purposes through student and employer satisfaction

State Comparisons

WTCS System (QRPDS)

QRP state indicators include target and threshold indicators inclusive of other WTCS data

Highest and lowest average performance

To monitor performance / progress, the historical data can be reviewed for trend analysis

7P6 Ensuring department data analysis aligns with organizational goals

From a student learning perspective, the instructional programs‘ data collection and analysis is driven by

QRP. The alignment of the QRP data analysis and improvement plan development with the College

strategic directions and annual College objectives is an improvement priority for the College and under

investigation as a potential AQIP Action Project. 7P7 Ensuring the timeliness, accuracy, reliability, and security of your information systems

The timeliness, accuracy, reliability, and security of our information systems and processes are ensured

through a variety of interrelated controls and processes. An Information Security Manager is responsible

for the development and implementation of these processes and controls, as well as for business

continuity and disaster recovery planning. The core transaction and data systems are built upon a very

complex and redundant infrastructure. This infrastructure helps ensure timeliness and reliability through



reduced system downtime and increased hardware performance. Finally, a web based service desk tool is

in place that allows staff to both request new systems or reports as well as report any technical issues or

problems (Figure 7.1). This system provides a consistent mechanism for tracking and resolving issues.

The system also provides a set of data that can be tracked, analyzed, and measured.

The development of new systems and reports is a combined effort that includes both information

technology and functional staff. All systems and reports require significant user testing and signoff

before they are implemented into production environments. As in the design of the data warehouse,

various levels of staff from different departments and divisions have input to determine the readiness and

validity of information systems during the software development and implementation life cycle.

Results (R)

7R1 Measures of the information system performance and effectiveness of your system

An overall measure of the IT department are the results of surveys conducted on a random basis with

users of the Service Desk Plus (SDP) system to determine how well their IT needs are being met in

general. Table 7.3 shows the results from the start of SDP (March, 2009) through August, 2010.

Individual IT department areas also conduct periodic user surveys to determine system performance and

effectiveness in meeting their data needs. For example, the IT Reporting Team conducted a survey in the

summer of 2010 with 204 of 358 staff responding (57%) with users being quite satisfied with the

reporting system (Table 7.4). In addition to staff users, students are key users of the FVTC information

systems for functions such as online admissions, courses, paying bills, and ordering of textbooks with

increasing utilization being a key measure of system performance to date.

7R2 Evidence that the system is accomplishing its mission and goals

With the mission and goals of the FVTC information systems to provide reliable data that is easy to

access and use for decision making, the SDP survey results (Table 7.3) provide evidence that the IT

systems are accomplishing its mission and goals.

Table 7.3 Service Desk Plus (SDP) User Survey Results

SDP User Survey Questions Average*

My overall experience was positive 3.49

My request was addressed in a prompt and timely manner 3.49

The IT department effectively communicated the status of my request 3.45

The IT department understands my service needs 3.44

The solution provided was accurate and met my needs 3.46

The staff who assisted me were knowledgeable and professional 3.51

*Scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being the highest

Similar to the information system noted above, FVTC reporting systems aim to provide reliable data that

is easy to access and use for decision making. The results of the 2010 survey (Table 7.4) are one example

of evidence that the system is accomplishing its intent.

Table 7.4 2010 IT Reporting Team Survey Result Highlights

Areas of Focus Very

Satisfied Satisfied Neither Unsatisfied

Very Unsatisfied

Overall satisfaction with service 47% 39% 11% 2% 1%

Design and ease of navigating report site 29% 52% 15% 4% 0%

Ease of finding data for decision making 24% 52% 18% 6% 0%

Ease of use of site system 30% 52% 16% 2% 0%

Design / content of reports for decision-making 34% 51% 11% 4% 0%

Time to run a report 30% 49% 15% 6% 0%



The number of self-service admission applications continues to increase demonstrating the system has the

infrastructure to support the goal of providing access when the student wants it and in a manner that is

easy for them to use. Self Service Admission Applications rose from 19% of applications in 2007 to 41%

of applications in 2010 (through 8/31/10).

The number of classes offered through on-line methods which depend upon the IT infrastructure has also

seen an increase over the last three years. During the 2007 academic year 602 classes were offered on-

line while the 2010 academic year had 1035 active classes being offered on-line.

Recent changes in the on-line payment area have also provided easier, more secure access for students

paying their tuition bills and receiving refunds. The direct deposit refund process was implemented in

September 2009 and since that time we have gone from no ability to offer direct deposit processing to

over 2900 students signed up by September 2010. One hundred twenty eight (128) students have also

taken advantage of setting up an Authorized User on their account which gives them flexibility allowing a

parent or spouse access to their account. Cost savings have resulted due to less mail being sent for bills,

payments booked quicker and less checks being created for refunds. As an example; since the September

2009 implementation, we have had 10,926 individual customers use the electronic bill access on-line

which means we have not mailed paper bills to those students. IT also worked with the on-campus

bookstore (Barnes & Noble) to provide a link within the College website where students can buy their

textbooks on-line. Prior to this process students needed to buy their books in the bookstore. This

cooperative project resulted in a dramatic surge in the purchase of books on-line with sales of $429,936 in

the first year of service (09/10 academic year).

The online systems which support key student interactions and transactions with the College are key

examples of IT's promoting the mission and goals of individual divisions and the College as a whole.


The use of centralized reporting has not only led to increased satisfaction with reporting (7R2), it has also

kept FVTC in line with Business Intelligence (BI) trends. In their white paper ―Top 10 Trends in

Business Intelligence for 2009,‖ Hewlett/Packard identified demands for lower BI complexity, more

sophistication in the hands of business users, and data integration among the top trends. FVTC has

dedicated the necessary system and staff resources to achieve a warehouse and reporting system that is

less complex for the users while still maintaining data integrity with the ability for the user to be as

sophisticated as needed when accessing their information.

In his article ―New Trends in BI Requirements-Gathering‖ (Information Management Magazine,

July/August 2009), Fernando Martinez-Campos‘ observations align with the direction that FVTC has

taken with the Reporting Team when he stated: ―As individual BI projects become more complex and

services that have shared business processes and common needs emerge, requirements of automation

tools can drive efficiencies. This is especially true in cases when:

Requirements reviews need to be done with geographically dispersed business users,

The same business requirement is common across BI projects,

There are several business analysts and small to midsized enterprises collaborating on a BI

application,

Diverse lines of business share the same requirements and

A centralized team of business analysts or data stewards are responsible for gathering requirements

at the enterprise level‖.



With a centralized group of report writers, common business requirements have been established and

shared across the enterprise which reflects a best practice standard in the industry. This practice has led

to increased satisfaction and trust in the system.

For our enterprise software (PeopleSoft), FVTC established a methodology that keeps us current with the

regulatory, maintenance and release standards. These standards are set by Oracle (owner of the software)

as well as state and federal Agencies. FVTC is current on all releases and continuously maintains that

schedule by dedicating time and staff resources to the required updates.

In addition, adherence to the maintenance and release standards provides functionality improvements that

support business requirements across the College. This alignment to operating standards also increases

the lifecycle of the software by allowing for support from Oracle to continue. The ability to leverage this

fully functioning and integrated technology is a key element in orchestrating process efficiencies.

Improvements (I)

7I1 Recent improvements to processes and systems

Our method of storing and reporting information has improved. Over the past three years, FVTC has

focused on improving the structure and design of the data warehouse. The team initially adopted the

Ralph Kimball model of data warehousing, but made significant improvements on that initial design

which has resulted in better consistency and reliability of the data used for analysis and reporting. Some

of these improvements have decreased the nightly load times of the data warehouse which has greatly

increased our window for updating data. FVTC has also improved the delivery mechanism for staff who

use data. Microsoft Reporting Services has been integrated within the FVTC intranet using SharePoint

Services. This provides easy and secure access through an environment that is very robust and reliable.

The SharePoint reporting environment allows for easy searching capability as well as a delivery

mechanism that most staff are familiar with, Microsoft Excel.

AQIP strategy forum resulted in an action plan to identify distinct measurable indicators aligned with the

strategic directions. The ease with which data can be retrieved and analyzed provides staff with near real

time data which is analyzed and measured against the strategic directions at FVTC. These measures are

then reported by College leadership in the form of a scorecard (Category 8).

7I2 Culture and infrastructure support for process improvements

As highlighted in Category 6, FVTC incorporates Lean Principles into the educational setting through the

Value Stream Mapping process in key process areas to identify and target improvement projects. Added

as a strategic measure of continuous improvement in 2009-10, the FVTC culture has come to rely on this

process for examining key processes in order to identify time savings, more efficient methods, less waste

and improved staff morale. Value stream mapping teams include IT staff to support the ultimate project

which typically uses the information systems for data to monitor results. IT staff also provide ideas to

automate functions through the development of interfaces with the IT systems, as feasible, to gain

efficiencies.

In 2007, FVTC established the position of Chief Information Officer (CIO) who serves in a leadership

role for all IT related systems and functions across the College. The CIO reports to the President and is

part of the Executive Team representing the IT dimension in key decision-making processes. This allows

IT to better anticipate and integrate appropriate IT systems and solutions to support strategies and

initiatives. The acknowledged and essential role of information technologies in planning for the future is

even more critical for a technical college that increasingly depends upon these IT professionals and

technicians to support advanced and specialized instructional technologies, web interfaces and digital

equipment in the high skill/high tech learning environment.

8-1

Category Eight: Planning Continuous Improvement

Processes (P)

8P1 Key planning processes

FVTC‘s overall planning process, including strategic planning, is shown in Figure 8.1. The process

follows a PDCA process, and includes several levels of planning.

Figure 8.1 FVTC Overall Planning Process

Plan – Strategic Level: The FVTC Strategic Planning Process is on a three to four year cycle. Key steps

include revisiting and reestablishing or revising the foundational statements—mission, vision, values, and

purposes—before developing strategy. A cross-functional group representing faculty, staff, students and

other stakeholders establishes the strategic plan based on a process of answering four questions:

1. Where are we now?

2. Where would we like to be?

3. How do we get there?

4. How will we monitor progress and measure results?

The planning group draws on various sources of input in the planning process, listening to and analyzing

the voices of students, staff and stakeholders, organizational performance compared to purpose and plan,

the external environment, exemplary practitioners, and the competition. A broad spectrum of data is

considered in the process, and multiple existing forums are used to gain input into and reaction to proposed

strategy. Recommendations are made to the Board for formal adoption. The current strategies are a

product of planning that occurred during the 2006-07 academic year for the 2007-10 Strategic Plan. Due to

the volatile nature of the economy, a full-fledged strategic planning process was postponed in favor of an

abbreviated environmental scan that was conducted in the Spring of 2009. This process reviewed the

environment and trends to determine the need for any adjustments. Some minor adjustments in wording of

the Strategic Directions were suggested by the FVTC External Impact Assessment Committee. The group‘s

work also led to the development of an additional direction on sustainability. The current Strategic Plan is



Category Eight: Planning Continuous Improvement 8-2

for 2007-11. Key measures for each direction are reviewed and refined annually to ensure meaningful

measures of performance. Environmental scanning continues as an ongoing activity with the External

Impact Assessment Committee annually conducting a review of key sectors of the economy to determine

the impact on the organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

In addition, the Board of Trustees reviews the mission, vision, values, and strategies annually to

determine if any updating is needed, being careful to ensure that any revisions add value. The process by

which the statements were first created and have been subsequently revised is a broad-based participatory

process.

Plan – Operational Level: Annual objectives (Figures 8.2 and 8.4) and strategic investment proposals

align with strategic directions, operations, and ongoing priorities. Each year the College asks what can be

done in each area of operations to advance College strategic directions and organizational purposes. To

accommodate opportunities as they arise and support growth and innovation, a Strategic Investment

Process has been in place for the past seven years (8P7). The process provides for the review and funding

of proposals for targeted investments to support promising ideas.

Do – Strategic and Operational Plan Implementation: The review of plans includes alignment with

resources needed to prioritize and advance the planned activities.

Check – Each Executive Team member is responsible for monitoring annual plans and objectives and

determining any actions that may need to be taken. The Executive Team reviews progress on annual

objectives formally at mid-year and at the end of the year using the arrow indicator scale described in

Figure 8.4. Progress reports are shared with the Trustees at each of these intervals as well. The colored

arrow approach was implemented to more easily identify whether strategies and objectives are progressing

at expected levels. The simple system of colored symbols was devised as shown in the legend for Figure

8.4. The symbols are applied to each strategy or objective based on executive assessment of the

corresponding action plan‘s progress and results.

Act – The monitoring function informs the College on needed corrective actions to improve performance to

redirect a focus to better advance the intentions of the plan or revise the plans going forward. This action

may be taken on an incremental operations level as needed or as a more strategic approach.

8P2 Selection of short and long-term strategies

As indicated in the Organizational Overview and largely identified by ongoing environmental scanning,

the key challenges and opportunities facing the College in the ensuing three to five years are employer

needs, regional economic recovery, increased emphasis on student success, changing technology, and the

status of public funding. Political influences affect funding and the relationship between the university

and technical college systems in Wisconsin are also a significant factor. Strategic planning aims to zero

in on the vital few directions that position the College to continue to achieve its mission and vision. The

resulting Strategic Directions are culminating statements of the most critical areas to invest in, and the

development of short-term strategies or annual objectives is guided by (but not restricted to) those areas.

Some annual objectives are developed by assessing the progress to-date on measures associated with each

direction and are designed to close gaps. Other short-term strategies take advantage of remaining areas

open to opportunity. Ideas that are consistent with College mission, vision, values and strategic directions

can expect an enthusiastic response.

8P3 Developing action plans

Action plans cascade down from the Strategic Directions and back up from the organizational units to

refine and inform strategies as described in Figure 8.5. Inputs include current performance; financial



assessment; environmental factors; FVTC strategic plan; QRP results; external stakeholders‘ influence;

survey results and future trends and visioning.

To accommodate opportunities, a Strategic Investment Process has operated for the past seven years

(8P7). The process provides for the review and funding of proposals for targeted investments to support

promising ideas.

Figure 8.2 Annual Objective Setting Process

Steps Description Timeframe

1 Progress is formally monitored at mid-year (as well as informally on an ongoing basis)

February

2 Executive Team members and their teams use mid-year and near year-end assessments of progress to draft potential objectives for the next year

May

3 Progress is formally monitored at year-end June

4 Executive Team holds a retreat to discuss progress on strategic directions and establish draft annual goals for the coming year

June

5 Departments and individual managers develop performance objectives based on the College‘s annual objectives

July

8P4 Alignment of planning processes, organizational strategies, and action plans

Built on a hierarchical structure, the annual objective setting process aligns divisional and individual

objectives with College Strategic Directions. Division plans also link to longer-term institutional plans

such as the Academic Program Plan, Facilities Plan and Sustainability Plan. The Executive Team

members align their action plans with the Strategic Plan and then their direct reports align their action

plans with their respective vice presidents/executive dean‘s plan through the performance review process.

FVTC recognizes the need to strengthen the alignment of instructional improvement plans in the Quality

Review Process (QRP) with the overall planning process to be more explicitly linked to the organizational

strategies. At this time, QRP results are very program-specific. To make a greater impact on College-

level planning, the institution needs to identify a meaningful way to summarize and analyze overall QRP

results. This is the focus of benchmarking work in process with a Malcolm Baldrige award winning

organization.

8P5 Selecting measures and setting performance targets

The establishment of key measures of performance and targets was a key learning element of the Strategy

Forum in 2007 as the College leaders focused their energy on improving performance in Measuring

Effectiveness. Measures including baseline and annual targets for each Strategic Direction are proposed

by the primary Executive Team members connected with each Strategic Direction based upon the

availability of valid and reliable data (Figure 8.5). Proposed measures and performance targets are then

presented to the Executive Team and the President for input and approval prior to being presented to the

Board of Trustees for their review and approval. The results are reported at mid-year and year-end with

the measure reviewed for adequacy of meaning as the new plan is developed. This is an iterative process

to continuously improve and challenge the clarity of the measure and the focus of the performance.

8P6 Supporting strategies and action plans

Annual capital and operational budget planning aligns the selected objectives with the resources needed

and available to implement the plans. The Executive Team is the primary body that wrestles with

balancing strategy and needs with available resources and is proactive in seeking new sources of funding

through contracts, grants, donations via the College Foundation, and through external partnerships. In

addition, the College recognizes that the planning process has limitations in accurately anticipating

opportunities and new ideas that develop over the course of a year. Therefore, the Strategic Investment

Process serves as an invaluable mechanism to address unforeseen needs and opportunities to be

responsive because a strategic investment can be made at any point in the year even after the budget is

adopted (8P7).



8P7 Assessing and addressing risk in your planning process

As discussed in 8P1, environmental scanning has been adopted as an ongoing process to assess and

address risk in terms of emerging threats to College plans. The College also realizes that our ability to be

agile in responding to new opportunities may require risking unplanned resources for pilot or research

efforts. In 2003, the Strategic Investment Process was adopted by the Board to accelerate progress in

achieving the College‘s Strategic Directions not feasible without additional investment, and at any time

throughout the year. The proposals are funded using College reserves if necessary. Briefly, projects

which require unbudgeted financial support are proposed for a three to five year period with the idea that

the project will prove to be sustainable or value added to justify ongoing College support. The Strategic

Investment Process includes the following steps:

Figure 8.3 Strategic Investment Process

As of the end of 2009-10, 48 Strategic Investments have been approved for a total college investment of

approximately $15.9M which has not required any use of the College reserves. This has been

accomplished for two key reasons: a) most proposals have met or exceeded performance targets, and b)

fiscal management of total College resources has supported the actual funding required, with no need to

tap College reserves. 8P8 Ensuring the development and nurturing of employee capabilities to address change

College plans influence staffing levels, job descriptions, recruitment, hiring, performance evaluation, and

professional development that is made available to College employees. Notably, the semi-annual in-

service activities nurture capabilities through sharing of new ideas and methods used to adapt to changes.

The link between College strategy and each of these Human Resource Services processes is described in

Category 4.

Results (R)

8R1 Measuring effectiveness of planning processes and systems

The overall measure of effectiveness of the planning system is the quality of the results produced by the

College. As explained earlier, Figure 8.4 provides an abbreviated year-end report for performance on the

annual objectives (note that this figure includes only a few examples).

The 2009-10 Annual Objectives results show that 66% (8 of 12) objectives earned a full green arrow

meaning that the objective met or exceeded the target. Twenty-five percent (3 of 12) of the objectives

received a partially green arrow meaning that results are progressing but not at expected levels while one

objective received a yellow arrow meaning that efforts need to be reviewed in this area.

Submit proposed idea to an

Executive Team member for

consideration

Executive Team

reviews and

approves proposed

Strategic

Investment

Strategic

Investment

project is

reviewed and

approved by the

Board

Board reviews

progress annually

for the duration of

the proposal



Figure 8.4 – Monitoring College Annual Objectives

2009-10 College Annual Objectives Year End Results

Strategic plan implementation objective – Advance progress in achieving the

College Strategic Directions by meeting or exceeding the majority of targets for the

identified measures.

Status:

Progress Report: Of the 29 measures related to the College Strategic Directions, 21 measures (72.4%) have met

or exceeded the target or are projected to meet the target.

Enrollment objective – Achieve a full-time equivalency enrollment in the range of

6,400 – 6,700 FTE. Status:

Progress Report: Driven by unprecedented enrollment gains in Associate Degree and Technical Diploma

programming, the College has far exceeded the targeted FTE range. As of June 7, 2010, 7,382 FTE‘s have been

recorded. The projection is that enrollment will reach 7,400 FTE‘s for this academic year – well above the

projected 6,700 FTE mark.

Financial objective – Build upon the College‘s solid financial health by meeting or

exceeding the planned budget parameters for FY 2010. Status:

Progress Report: The economy has continued to drive record-setting enrollment growth, resulting in an overall

positive financial result for the College. Despite poor investment performance and reduced demand for business

and industry training, the combined operating fund is expected to end the year with a surplus of roughly $1.5M.

Program development objective – Support enrollment growth goals by launching 4

new programs and expanding 5 programs to address capacity needs. Status:

Progress Report: Three new AAS programs have been implemented in 2009-10 (Construction Management

Technology; Laboratory Science Technician [shared with MSTC]; and Maintenance Technician). In addition, four

programs have expanded with sub-plans: Applied Engineering Technology; Business Management; Computer

Control Engineering Technology; and Electrical Engineering Technology. In response to enrollment growth, 22

programs and 53 courses have expanded capacity to accommodate more students.

Student outcomes objective – Implement strategies to improve student retention and

course completion to meet the Perkins plan targets in technical skill attainment,

academic skill attainment, student retention, graduation rates, and develop a process

to use summative assessment data to improve program curricula and delivery in

selected pilot programs.

Status:

Grant development objective – Secure between $15M and $20M in external funding

through public and private grant proposals, including at least $1M in new

development.

Status:

Contract services objective – Generate at least $7.3M in contract services for

FY2010, achieving cost recovery on these services, including overhead costs. Status:

Facilities objective – Implement the Sustainability Plan developed by the cross-

functional team in 2008-09. Status:

Human resources objective – Implement strategies to improve staff‘s perception of

an internal environment of growth, collaboration, and engagement. Status:

Information technology objective – Improve levels of service by focusing on and

measuring customer satisfaction, system stability, and time to service. Status:

Public relations/visibility objective – Enhance the College‘s public visibility

through positive media placements and targeted marketing efforts which align with

the College‘s enrollment goals and priorities.

Status:

Legislative objective – Expand local legislator awareness of technical colleges as a

key asset for regional economic growth and of the issues and challenges we face. Status:



FVTC Scorecard Legend for Annual Objective Monitoring Symbol Description

Full Green Arrow: Results are meeting or exceeding expectations and no action is required.

Partially Green Arrow: Results are progressing, but not at the expected levels. No action on the plan/efforts is required; however, there will be an increase in the monitoring of the plan.

Yellow Arrow: Results are indicating caution with the existing plan/efforts and there is a need to review the existing plan.

Partially Red Arrow: Results are below the expected levels and the existing plan is not working, but efforts are under way to take corrective actions and revise the plan.

Full Red Arrow: Results are well below the expected levels and actions need to be taken immediately.

When the new strategic planning cycle approaches, the last planning process is evaluated based upon the

results it produced. In addition, the College benchmarks the planning approaches of other organizations

and carefully considers adjustments to the planning processes on an ongoing basis, often at a very detailed

level (e.g. adjustments recently made to the capital budget planning process and the academic planning

process).

8R2 Results for organizational strategies and action plans (Figure 8.5)

The performance results for each measure of the strategic plan are presented through 2009-10. The actual

measure for the year is rated according to the following color coded scale:


Actual results for 2009-10 show that the majority of measures (21 of 31 or 68%) have met or exceeded

the target. Seven actual results are between the baseline and target while three results are below the

baseline. At least four of the lagging results are due to the economic recession which has influenced

measures such as job placement (1.1) and customized training revenue (1.4). Performance that is below

target is reviewed to determine the need for intervention or adjustment. 8R3 Performance projections of your strategies and action plans over the next 1-3 years Figure 8.6 shows the targets for 2010-11 which is the last year of this Strategic Plan. A new set of

Strategic Directions and measures for 2011-14 will be the result of the strategic planning process to be

launch in 2010-11.

Figure 8.5 FVTC 2007-11 Strategic Plan and Measures

Measures

2006-07 Baseline

2007-08 Actual

2008-09 Actual

2009-10 Target

2009-10 Actual

SD 1—Expand and refine programming to anticipate and align with fluctuating labor market trends.

Measure 1.1: % of graduates employed in program-related occupations

76% 78% 75% 76% 73%

Measure 1.2: Number of District employers using College service for employee recruitment (TechConnect, On-Campus Recruitment, and Career Fairs)

530 610 679

Measure 1.3: Number of new programs launched (degree/diploma/sub-plans)

2 3 5 4 7

Measure 1.4: Customized training/technical assistance volume

$6.5M $7.5 M $7.3M $7.3M $6.8M

Measure 1.5: Number of programs expanded to address capacity needs

4 5 22



Measures

2006-07 Baseline

2007-08 Actual

2008-09 Actual

2009-10 Target

2009-10 Actual

SD 2—Extend outreach and capacity to draw more people into higher education and support their success.

Measure 2.1: Number of district high school graduates who immediately enroll at FVTC

1,216 1,309 1,391 1,446 1,879

Measure 2.2: % of non-program GOAL/ELL students converting to programs

12% 12.4% 12.7% 14% 13.6%

Measure 2.3: Number of regions showing enrollment gains

3 of 7 4 of 7 5 of 7 5 of 7 6 of 7

Measure 2.4: Total number of people served

47,176 46,959 45,200 47,000 47,009

Measure 2.5: Total number of Full Time Equivalents (FTE)

6,488 6,400-6,700

7,413

Measure 2.6: % of programs offered evening/weekend/online

47% 53% 56% 57% 78%

Measure 2.7: % of program enrollees who persist

71% 72% 72%

SD 3—Expand innovative approaches and partnerships to leverage and enhance College resources.

Measure 3.1: Number of strategic investment proposals approved

6 5 6 4 6

Measure 3.2: Number of new initiative requests approved

2 12 9 14 9

Measure 3.3: Number of formal Lean process improvement projects launched

3 3

6

Measure 3.4: Number of major new partnerships

3 5 4 4 8

SD 4—Provide the means for career and economic advancement for an increasingly diverse population.

Measure 4.1: % of minority students in occupational programs / % of minorities in the district population

8.33% / 5.09%

9.45% / 5.09%

Exceed % in District

Population

7.6% / 5.09%

Measure 4.2: % of non-program GOAL/ELL minority students converting to programs

6% 6.6% 7.8% 9% 7.4%

Measure 4.3: % of gender diverse students in non-traditional occupations

8.98% 9.11% 9.36% 9.27% 9.36%

SD 5—Create an internal environment of growth, collaboration, and engagement.

Measure 5.1: % of employees engaged in professional development

84% 92% 99% 87% 98%

Measure 5.2: Promotional opportunities attained by employees

16 22 21 19 22

Measure 5.3: Staff rating of respect 4.34 4.38 4.35

Measure 5.4: Staff rating of professional growth

4.34 4.38 4.31

Measure 5.5: Staff rating of decision input

3.88 3.96 3.94

Measure 5.6: Staff rating of cooperation 3.64 3.71 3.78

Measure 5.7: Staff rating of growth, collaboration and engagement

3.61 3.68 3.85

SD 6: Demonstrate principles of sustainability in college operations and instructional programming.

Measure 6.1: Reduce the college‘s carbon footprint

Measures proposed

Measures established



Measures

2006-07 Baseline

2007-08 Actual

2008-09 Actual

2009-10 Target

2009-10 Actual

SD 6: Demonstrate principles of sustainability in college operations and instructional programming.

Measure 6.2: % of energy consumption reduction for electricity and gas for College facilities (Unit of Measurement: KwH or Therms/Sq.Ft./Heating degree days/FTE)

238 (x 10-9) (Electric)

-5% of 2008-09

239 (x10-9) (Electric)

920 (x 10-11) (Gas)

844 (x 10-11) (Gas)

Measure 6.3: % of water consumption reduction for College facilities

46.7M gallons

-5% of 2008-09

40M gallons

Measure 6.4: Number of workshops and seminars offered on sustainability topics

7 12 27


Figure 8.6 FVTC 2007-11 Strategic Plan Measures Targets Measures

2010-11 Target

SD 1—Expand and refine programming to anticipate and align with fluctuating labor market trends.

Measure 1.1: % of graduates employed in program-related occupations 78%

Measure 1.2: Number of District employers using College service for employee recruitment (TechConnect, On-Campus Recruitment, and Career Fairs)

702

Measure 1.3: Number of new programs launched (degree/diploma/sub-plans) 5

Measure 1.4: Customized training/technical assistance volume $7.1M

Measure 1.5: Number of programs expanded to address capacity needs 5

SD 2—Extend outreach and capacity to draw more people into higher education and support their success.

Measure 2.1: Number of district high school graduates who immediately enroll at FVTC 1,900

Measure 2.2: % of non-program GOAL/ELL students converting to programs 15%

Measure 2.3: Number of regions showing enrollment gains 5 of 7

Measure 2.4: Total number of people served 49,000

Measure 2.5: Total number of Full Time Equivalents (FTE) 6,800 – 7,500

Measure 2.6: % of programs offered evening/weekend/online 80%

Measure 2.7: % of program enrollees who persist 73%

SD 3—Expand innovative approaches and partnerships to leverage and enhance College resources.

Measure 3.1: Number of strategic investment proposals approved 6

Measure 3.2: Number of new initiative requests approved 16

Measure 3.3: Number of formal Lean process improvement projects launched 3

Measure 3.4: Number of major new partnerships 4

SD 4—Provide the means for career and economic advancement for an increasingly diverse population.

Measure 4.1: % of minority students in occupational programs / % of minorities in the district population

Exceed % in District Pop.

Measure 4.2: % of non-program GOAL/ELL minority students converting to programs 10%

Measure 4.3: % of gender diverse students in non-traditional occupations 9.41%

SD 5—Create an internal environment of growth, collaboration, and engagement.

Measure 5.1: % of employees engaged in professional development 88%

Measure 5.2: Promotional opportunities attained by employees 20

Note: Measures 5.3 – 5.7 are only updated bi-annually

SD 6—Demonstrate principles of sustainability in college operations and instructional programming.

Measure 6.1: Reduce the college‘s carbon footprint Sustainability Index measure

Measure 6.2: % of energy consumption reduction for electricity and gas for College facilities (KWH or Therms/Sq.Ft/Heating degree days/FTE)

-6% of 2008-09

Measure 6.3: % of water consumption reduction for College facilities -11% of 2008-09

Measure 6.4: Number of workshops and seminars offered on sustainability topics 32




FVTC compares the design of its strategic planning process and focus of the strategic plan with other

higher education organizations as well as selected health care and financial organizations to identify

potential areas of focus or expansion. Direct comparison of FVTC planning process results with other

organizations is not conducted at this time.

8R5 Evidence of effectiveness of planning systems

The effectiveness of the systems for Planning Continuous Improvement is broadly reviewed for both

performance and comprehensiveness. The Board of Trustees and Executive Team members are asked at

semi-annual retreats to reflect upon the Strategic Plan progress and achievements in order to recommend

additions or adjustments. At the beginning of each new Strategic Planning Process, key stakeholder

groups react to the College‘s performance of the stated Strategic Directions and suggest areas for greater

focus. The measures of performance are similarly reviewed annually to determine whether these are the

most effective measures for each direction and if not, where adjustments or other measures might provide

better performance information.

Improvements (I)

8I1 Recent improvements of processes and systems As previously noted, the most significant improvement has been the identification of measures for each

strategic direction. This has enhanced the comprehensive alignment and understanding of the intent of

the Strategic Plan and its systematic relationship to activities across the College. In addition, the number

of annual objectives decreased from well over 50 in 2007 to a simple but significant dozen that

encompass what is critically important in the College. This streamlining focuses energy on achieving

these objectives and continuously improving operations rather than the exercise of reporting upon

multiple measures.

Recognizing the ongoing need for an organization to be current, relevant, and alert to emerging trends,

FVTC has improved the effectiveness and efficiency of planning by conducting ongoing environmental

scanning with the External Impact Assessment Committee. For the next planning cycle that will be

conducted in 2010-11, the process is currently under review to develop a less time consuming and more

concentrated focused strategic planning event that directly engages more stakeholders.

8I2 Culture and infrastructure support for process improvements

A key element of the FVTC culture is an open and honest approach, which makes executive intent and

actions to improve clearly visible to all. An example of this is the addition in 2007 of Strategic Direction

Five: To create an environment of growth, collaboration and engagement. This direction encompasses

diverse threads of feedback that called for the Plan and continuous improvement to be aimed at critical

perceptions and concerns of the internal College community. This direction paved the way for immediate

action within the union contract negotiation process to adjust the College calendar to make time for

collaboration and communication. The culture is ―no nonsense‖ and when concern was voiced that staff

needs were not reflected in an obvious way in the Plan, leaders took their concern to heart and earnestly

set about to work with key groups to insure that the concern was adequately addressed. Efforts continue

on the journey to make progress but progress is being made (Category 4 – Employee survey results).

9-1

Category Nine: Building Collaborative Relationships

Processes (P)

FVTC aligns its processes to create, prioritize and build relationships with other entities as outlined in its

legislated purposes and internal core values on collaborative partnerships. One of the eight purposes

specifically addresses collaboration with other education systems: ―Collaborate with secondary schools,

colleges, and universities to enable students‘ smooth passage between educational systems‖

(Organizational Overview – Figure O.3). FVTC‘s commitment to building collaborative partnerships is

one of five core values: We value partnerships with business, industry, government, educational systems,

and our communities. The College seeks partnership opportunities which are evaluated for alignment

with the mission and purposes. FVTC has answered questions in this category by highlighting key

partnerships. Figure 9.1 displays the general process flow followed for managing and building

partnerships.

Figure 9.1

9P1 Building relationships with schools

High Schools that Articulate with FVTC. FVTC takes a deliberate, planned approach in building formal

articulation agreements with its 29 in-district high schools partners. The Articulated Programs

department collaborates with College faculty to provide recommended courses for articulation. FVTC

End or Implement Exit

Strategy

Identify the Scope

of the Partnership

Define Partner

Roles & Responsibilites

Identify

Key Performance Indicators

Implement the Partnership

Agreement

Partnership Management

Process

Yes

No

No

Yes

Is there an opportunity

for a partnership?

Are all partners willing to

engage at this level?

Have Key Performance

Indicators been met?

No Yes

Is it Beneficial

and Viable for all partners?

No

Yes

Nurture Partnership for

Continuous Improvement

AGR

EEM

ENT

FOR

MAT

ION

STAG

E



Category Nine: Building Collaborative Relationships 9-2

hosts curriculum workshops each fall that connect high school teachers with College faculty to explore

interests and discuss articulation through advanced standing or transcripted (dual) credit.

FVTC fosters further communication throughout the year between secondary teachers and its faculty,

encourages development of new agreements, and reviews existing agreements and documents progress of

each relationship. High school transcripted credit teachers are provided curriculum, certified through the

WTCS, and are in-serviced each year on College processes and policies such as online registration,

attendance and grading. 9P2 Building relationships with employers and colleges/universities

Employers that Serve on FVTC Program Advisory Committees. FVTC depends on active advisory

committees, which are required by the WTCS, to ensure the College‘s programming and curriculum is

relevant and provides state-of-the-art training to students. Membership includes equal representation of

employers and employees and is based on experience, availability, character and commitment. Members

are generally appointed to three-year terms on a staggering basis to insure continuity within the

committee. Meetings are held at least twice a year and open meeting laws apply.

Four Year Colleges/Universities that Receive FVTC Students. FVTC seeks to build partnerships with

four-year colleges and universities to provide FVTC graduates with opportunities to transfer to four-year

colleges and universities by expanding current or creating new transfer agreements with a goal of junior-

status transfer. The Articulated Programs department collaborates with FVTC instructional staff on an

on-going basis to identify target colleges and programs for development. Face-to-face meetings,

telephone calls and written communications are the basic modes of communication to facilitate the

development of program-to-program or bachelor degree completion articulations. FVTC assists four-year

colleges in the promotion of their bachelor degree programs to the College‘s students by hosting an

annual Four-Year Credit Transfer Fair on campus and maintaining Web pages for each partner.

[www.fvtc.edu/4yearcredittransfer]

Employers that Hire FVTC Students. The Student Employment Services department has created a

comprehensive employer marketing plan which is supported through an employer database system.

These two systems complement each other as the Student Employment Services department promotes

employer events and services, including TechConnect, a statewide online job-listing tool. This approach

also provides FVTC with the opportunity to foster the development of new and continuous employer

relationships. Employers are invited to campus for luncheons. These luncheons promote services

provided by Student Employment Services and give instructional staff the opportunity to share

information about FVTC programs through a question and answer session and connect with employers in

an advisory capacity.

9P3 Building relationships with service providers

FVTC Foundation, Inc. The College established the FVTC Foundation, Inc. as a 501(c)3 nonprofit

organization in 1976. The mission of the Foundation is to be the College‘s partner in securing and

providing various resources to promote lifelong learning and workforce development throughout the

communities we serve. FVTC provides office space, staff and access to all College resources to the

Foundation. FVTC faculty and administration have built strong and lasting ties with area businesses,

organizations, and individuals providing a platform for the Foundation to solicit the resources needed to

positively impact students and the economic welfare of our district. FVTC presents opportunities to the

Foundation to fulfill its mission based on student and workforce needs and then partners with the

Foundation to present funding opportunities to donors. FVTC has provided the Foundation the

opportunity to purchase and/or build facilities for the College, ultimately providing a revenue stream to

the Foundation from lease agreements with the College and enabling the Foundation‘s assets to grow.

http://www.fvtc.edu/4yearcredittransfer



9P4 Building relationships with materials and service suppliers

As a governmental unit, FVTC is required to procure goods and services in a manner that provides

maximum open and free competition. The College‘s procurement staff works closely with employees to

create, prioritize, and build relationships with the organizations that supply goods and services to the

College. They follow the purchasing guidelines put in place by the WTCS and state statutes regarding

quotes, sealed bids, contract length, etc., and work closely with departments requesting goods and

services to ensure that these regulations are followed. These policies and procedures are listed in detail

on the Procurement Services intranet site so that all staff has access to them.

Key procurement regulations require that the College secure three written quotes for procurements

between $10,000 and $25,000 and obtain official sealed bids for all procurements over $25,000. The

College‘s procurement staff facilitates the sealed bid process and uses a service called DemandStar to

electronically notify suppliers of bid opportunities as well as to track all bid and proposal activity.

The College also goes above and beyond to build relationships with vendors and maximize the value of

each dollar spent. For example, the College recently signed a ten-year agreement with Case IH and

Service Motor Company to utilize a wide range of Case IH equipment in the agriculture, horticulture, and

natural resources programs, as well as for campus operations. This partnership essentially involves the

consignment of equipment to the College at a value of approximately $1.4 million annually. Case IH has

created similar partnerships with UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, and UW-Madison, but FVTC is the

first technical college to be given this offer.

9P5 Building relationships with other entities

National and International Criminal Justice Agencies. FVTC Criminal Justice Division (CJD)

provides an excellent example of FVTC‘s relationship building and sustainment effort with its service

community. The division relationships include in-district, state, tribal, national, as well as international

programs. Creativity is developed from staff research, trend monitoring, program evaluations, local and

national advisory committees, requests from ―clientele‖, and implementation of state and federal grants.

Priorities are placed on the criticalness of need (client timeline and/or immediate impact of communities,

i.e. child abduction training). Discussions with clientele determine the need and staff will then adjust and

assign project priority accordingly. Although the work deliverable may be immediate, the department

recognizes that relationships are long term. CJD maintains relationships by assuring clientele and

partners that each interest is most important to CJD and its‘ mission. To assure strength and continuation

of such relationships, many partners serve on one or more of CJD‘s several advisory committees. These

committees provide a forum for dialogue as well as guidance for staff to determine relevancy of work

products. CJD recognizes the important of education associations, external agencies, consortia partners,

and the general community. It is from these agencies that CJD draws its various advisory committee

members.

Sensitive to service needs, CJD reviews formal agreements and adapts its services and training to the

appropriate culture and customs of the service area. CJD is committed to and recognizes their clientele

and partners. To ensure services are aligned with current trends, CJD operates in a continuous

improvement mode. The staff observes trends throughout the United States and internationally to ensure

the relevance of its training and services. Various processes are utilized to determine select offerings by

analyzing formal evaluations, hosting formal and informal advisory meetings and following up on

personal contacts and networking. Several partnerships have come about because of CJD‘s ―brand‖ name

recognition. Associations with other agencies often come about because CJD is known for its

professional work and how it does business.

Global Education Partners. The Global Education and Services department builds partnerships that

help the College increase global expertise in the technical areas taught on campus and in the business and



industry community. For example, the College‘s partnership with Georgetown University and the United

States Agency for International Development, both in Washington, focuses on internationalizing the

campus by bringing students from Central American countries to study in Natural Resources and

Agriculture programs. These programs in turn develop a global component in program curriculum and

expand faculty‘s expertise in the international topics benefitting the local students and community. The

partnership with Community Colleges for International Development brings students from Egypt and

helps to internationalize curriculum in Business and Marketing. Other public and private international

partnerships such as Youth for Understanding, International Exchange and Research Board, Congress-

Bundestag exchange sponsor students to study at FVTC.

The College‘s local partnerships with school districts and community organizations help to strengthen our

ELL program for students whose native language is other than English. Partnerships with the University

of Wisconsin System and Lawrence University help FVTC expand global expertise among our College

faculty and community in Wisconsin. FVTC partners with many businesses operating in the global

market because these businesses help us allocate experts on various training topics in global trade. The

Global Education and Services department plays an active role in national and local organizations such as

Community Colleges for International Development, Women in Management, Chambers of Commerce,

Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Rotary International, and Sister Cities Organizations, which allows

us to meet potential partners and learn about new initiatives.

9P6 Meeting partner needs (Table 9.1)

Table 9.1 Feedback Process for Ensuring Needs Are Met

Key Partnerships Source of Feedback on Needs Met

High Schools that Articulate with FVTC

FVTC staff who annually review current AS and TC agreements for continuation in the new academic year and new curriculum submitted by the high schools for AS

FVTC instructors who teach students who earned credit through articulation agreements

Secondary teachers who are teaching AS and/or TC courses

Participant evaluations of events

FVTC Board of Trustees through Board Performance Monitoring Report process

Employers that Serve on FVTC Program Advisory Committee

Advisory Committee members

Advisory Committee meeting evaluations In addition, FVTC annually recognizes outstanding advisory committee members

Four Year Colleges / Universities that Receive FVTC Students

FVTC staff who seek new credit transfer relationships and/or review existing agreements

Four-year college partners that participate in the annual credit transfer fair

Partner comments received during the agreement-building process

FVTC students/graduates comments on credit transfer options

Four-year credit website utilization data

FVTC Board of Trustees through Board Performance Monitoring Report process

Employers that Hire FVTC Students

Employer evaluations at events such as career fairs, on-campus recruitments and mock interview days

FVTC Foundation, Inc.

FVTC President and Foundation Executive Director meet at least semi-monthly

FVTC President, Chief Academic Officer, and two College Trustees serve on the Foundation‘s Board of Directors

Foundation Executive Director provides quarterly reports to the Board of Trustees

FVTC Vendors The College‘s Procurement staff reviews all invitations for bid before dissemination to ensure that our expectations of suppliers are clearly defined. This saves suppliers time when responding to proposals.

All invitations for bid and requests for proposal are publicly posted on the DemandStar website. If registered on the site, suppliers will be automatically notified when the College (or other government agencies) posts a bid in the areas they are



interested in. This saves suppliers marketing time and effort and makes it very easy for the College to heighten awareness of its contracting opportunities.

All procurement contracts are signed by the College‘s Purchasing Manager, who takes the time before signing to review all terms and conditions and clarify any areas of confusion.

The College disseminates purchase orders via email wherever possible, which is faster, cheaper, and more reliable than ground mail or fax.

The College‘s Accounts Payable department honors the payment terms of all suppliers, and regularly pays invoices well ahead of their scheduled due date.

Frequent face-to-face meetings are held with the College‘s major vendors (office supplies, printers/copiers, construction, etc).

National and International Criminal Justice Agencies

Monthly conference calls/in-person meetings with partners to share information regarding existing work, new programs or seeking of grants

Representation on behalf of partners at meetings

Periodic review of common goals and vision; partner ―self‖ assessments

Review of student (participant) comments on work products and services

Six month evaluations following requested training or technical assistance services

Quarterly meetings with grant funders/federal partners

Global Education Partners

Global Education and Services management staff serves on many committees and governing boards locally and nationally which allows us to receive feedback on our partnership relationships. We build internal relationships with various departments at the College based on the need of our department customers.

9P7 Building relationships between and among departments and units

Examples of internal collaborations are the way in which staff work together during Restructuring Days

(Category 4) and through Cross-Functional Teams (Category 5).

Results (R)

9R1 Measures of building external and internal collaborative relationships

See measures in Table 9.2. Table 9.2 Measures of Collaborative Relationships with Key Partners

Key Partnerships Measures (9R1)

High Schools that Articulate with FVTC

Number of transcripted credit courses

Number of high schools served

Number of students served

Number of credits earned

Transcripted credit contract revenue generated

Employers that Serve on FVTC Advisory Committees

Graduate employment rate

Employer Satisfaction with our Graduates

Four-Year Colleges/ Universities that Receive FVTC Students

Number of new and existing four-year college/university partners

Number of students transferring to four-year colleges from FVTC


Total job openings posted and number of District employers posting on "TechConnect"


Number of FVTC Foundation administered scholarships presented to FVTC students.

Financial support received for College programs from the FVTC Foundation.

Number of properties owned by the FVTC Foundation available for College use.

FVTC Vendors The College‘s major vendors supply us with informational reports on a regular basis. The statistics contained in these reports vary by commodity. Examples:

The College‘s office supply vendor prepares semi-annual reports showing



spending by employee and spend by category. This data helps the College in negotiating pricing as well as communicating with staff and it helps the vendor better understand the College‘s needs.

The College‘s copier vendor provides a monthly report of usage by machine and a breakdown by type of impression (black & white, color, etc). College staff meets with the vendor to review and analyze the data, resulting in recommendations as to cost-saving measures we can take. For example, if a machine has consistently high usage, the College‘s Printing Services manager can meet with that area to determine whether some of their work should be rerouted to the Print Shop.


Number of federal, state, tribal, local and private partners

Amount of grant funding awarded

Number of individuals trained

Number of training events


Tangible measures = number of: students served, enrollments, type of courses internationalized and FTEs.

Intangible = marketing of products and services, heightened awareness of offerings in the community as well as student/employer feedback on increasing expertise in global topics and being able to work effectively in diverse environments.

9R2 Measures of building external and internal collaborative relationships

See performance results of each key partnership in the following tables and text.

Table 9.3 High Schools that Articulate with FVTC

Transcripted Credit: 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

# of Students (unduplicated) 109 254 664 1,158 1,690

# of High Schools 4 10 16 20 24

# of Courses 15 25 36 43 45

# of Credits 342 593 1,044 2,770 3,417

Total Contract Dollars $33,942 $66,200 $223,767 $391,824 $560,479

Employers that Serve on FVTC Advisory Committees. See Category 1.

Four-Year Colleges/Universities that Receive FVTC Students. FVTC has partnered with 30 four-year

college/universities and three new partnerships are under development.

Table 9.4 FVTC Students Transferring to Four Year Colleges/Universities

Four Year Colleges/Universities

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10 (to date)

University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh 53 103 109 142 130

Lakeland College 25 40 33 40 38

University of Wisconsin–Green Bay 10 11 15 25 30

University of Wisconsin–Stout 11 19 22 22 28

University of Phoenix 11 22 26 33 23

Marian University 19 19 28 30 18

University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point 9 10 10 16 12

Concordia University–Wisconsin* 4 1 7 11 8

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee 5 6 8 17 7

University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire 4 2 7 3 6

University of Wisconsin–Madison 4 8 4 7 1

Milwaukee School of Engineering 2 5 5 5 1 Source: National Student Clearinghouse



Source: Wisconsin TechConnect July 1- March 31 of each respective year

Table 9.5 FVTC Foundation Results

Foundation Results 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 FVTC Students Receiving Scholarships 438 512 560 593 Total Scholarship Dollars Applied to FVTC Tuition

$232,564 $259,289 $296,683 $339,722

Financial support to College (does not include scholarships or in-kind support)

$126,392 $235,705 $383,544 $508,724

Source: FVTC Foundation Annual Report

Currently, the FVTC Foundation owns four properties that the College leases as educational facilities and

one property available for future expansion.

FVTC Vendors. Performance results are prepared by FVTC vendors and are considered proprietary and

confidential.

National and International Criminal Justice Agencies FVTC‘s Criminal Justice Center of Innovation has partnered with more than 60 federal, state, tribal, local

and private entities to provide training and technical assistance in a wide variety of criminal justice and

public safety initiatives. The breadth and diversity of FVTC‘s Criminal Justice partnerships are

unmatched. Over the last two decades, FVTC has received over $200 million in grant funding, which has

enabled us to train thousands of criminal justice practitioners. For example, in 2008 alone, the Criminal

Justice Center for Child Protection conducted 144 training courses in 25 states, training more than 11,000

criminal justice practitioners. In the same period, the Criminal Justice Center for Innovation conducted

42 training events, with more than half the participants coming from tribal communities representing

more than 65 different tribes.

Global Education Partners. The FVTC Global Education and Services department has experienced

significant growth in FTEs and enrollment. Business and industry training has increased as well. New

initiatives to expand programming are underway, such as developing a model for online training in

different foreign languages. The College‘s collaborative relationship with the local Chambers of

Commerce led to the creation of a new program, Certified Global Trade Professional, which was piloted

in April 2010.

14

15

15

21

85

3

22

05

16

03

14

60

54

3

39

0

33

2

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

Part-Time Positions

Full-Time Positions

Number of Employers Posting

Figure 9.2 Performance Results of Employers Total Job Openings Posted and Number of District Employers Posting on "TechConnect"




High Schools that Articulate with FVTC. FVTC shows a five year growth pattern in results with the

high schools (Table 9.3) and is one of the top three technical colleges leading the state in transcripted

credit offerings to high schools. FVTC is the first Wisconsin college to develop an online registration

process for high school transcripted credit students.

Employers that Serve on FVTC Advisory Committees. Employers report consistently high

satisfaction with our graduates that is a hallmark of the WTCS and a tribute to the relevant industry

advice to insure courses, equipment and technology mirror industry standards.

Employers that Hire FVTC Students. FVTC compares favorably with other WTCS colleges (Table

1.G) and generally nation-wide with other colleges and universities with variation noted in how this data

is collected and analyzed.

Four-Year Colleges / Universities that Receive FVTC Students. Regarding the transfer of technical

college graduates to four-year colleges, Figure 9.3 illustrates that FVTC is a leader among the WTCS

technical colleges that do not have college transfer missions.


During the 2009 academic year, the FVTC Foundation awarded 46% more scholarships, worth 52% more

than the comparable sized WTCS school in northeast Wisconsin.

Source: University of Wisconsin-Informational Memorandum: Undergraduate Transfer Students


The partnerships that FVTC has cultivated over the years in the Criminal Justice community are unique

among our higher education colleagues not only within the state of Wisconsin, but nationally.

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

Waukesha

Northeast WI

Gateway

Chippewa Valley

Fox Valley

Figure 9.3 WTCS Students Transferring to the UW System by WTCS District

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07




The FVTC Global Education and Services department has the largest Global Education department

including academic programs and services of all 16 Wisconsin technical colleges.

Improvements (I)

9I1 Recent improvements to systems and processes and performance

Table 9.6 Collaborative Relationship Improvements

Key Partnerships Improvements High Schools that Articulate with FVTC

In an effort to be cost-efficient, FVTC took advantage of existing technology and moved to online registration of transcripted credit students through adaption of FVTC‘s MyTraining. In 2009-10, 2403 registrations were completed online at the partner high schools.


During the last year, FVTC developed a detailed employer database. Employer information is collected at employer events and activities from the WI TechConnect system, and from community agencies. An annual review process keeps our employer database as current as possible. Daily information as received can also easily be added to the database. From the employer database, we connect and target employers for building relationships through employer and student events.

Four Year Colleges/ Universities that Receive FVTC Students

In an effort to provide detailed credit transfer information to FVTC students and graduates in a consistent format, FVTC developed a two-year to four-year pathway template. The template is automatically populated with any FVTC associate degree program through the college‘s data warehouse, converted to a Word document, and shared with four-year college partners. Willing partners input course equivalencies and curriculum required to complete their baccalaureate degree onto the template. The completed pathways are posted on the landing page of each four-year college partner.


The College offers a one-year technical diploma program, Residential Building Construction, that constructs a house over the course of the year. The home that was scheduled to be constructed during the 2009-10 academic year was to be built for and funded by an individual. Shortly before the construction was to begin, the individual notified the college that he would not be building the home. The Foundation quickly responded, asking their board of directors to vote via email to approve the Foundation providing the funding for the home, thus allowing the class to begin as scheduled.

FVTC Vendors

There have been several recent improvements made related to building vendor relationships:

The DemandStar system allows the College to electronically notify suppliers of bids and requests for proposal and to track all bid/proposal activity. This is a free service for the College‘s vendors and, once they are enrolled in the system, it ensures that they will be notified of all bidding opportunities from the College as well as from other governmental entities. It also has saved the College in mailing costs and broadened the pool of vendors who are notified of our bid opportunities.

The 16 technical colleges in Wisconsin created a purchasing consortium in 1994 to facilitate cooperative procurement. The consortium continues to grow each year and recently added a second employee. Each of the colleges is charged an annual membership fee, but, using 2008-09 data, realizes an estimated $26.47 in savings for every $1.00 in fees. Savings are also quantified per FTE: in 2004-05 total procurement savings was measured at $13.03 per FTE and in 2007-08 was measured at $30.13 per FTE.

The College recently initiated a procurement card program. While still in its infancy, this program will allow the College to control spending limits and identify allowable merchants, provide better transaction detail for managers, receive a rebate based on annual spending, and eliminate expense reimbursement and petty cash transactions for low dollar purchases.


Improvements relate to communication technology amongst partners through the use of such technologies including: Blackboard, webcasts, virtual meetings, bulletin boards, and websites. CJD has developed new collaborative technology for its clientele, partners, and staff. This online technology, the Collaboration Portal, allows individuals to access training announcements, online resources, distance education, and communication boards.




A recent improvement was the decision to include partnership evaluation on a monthly team meeting report. Another improvement was to include partnership building and evaluation in the annual planning for the department. Every manager in the Global Education and Services department identifies key internal and external partners and focuses on establishing, maintaining and evaluating a relationship with them as it pertains to mutual goals.

9I2 Culture and infrastructure supports process improvement

One of the hallmarks of the FVTC culture is the value of building and maintaining healthy partnerships

with a variety of respected stakeholders. Not only evidenced in our strategic directions and values

statements, a regular showcasing of partnerships is featured in college publications, special partner

recognition events and in-service venues. This high level focus underscores the vital cultural priority of

improving and strengthening the processes which support and involve partners. The results are

quantifiable in many cases, as shared in this AQIP category, but equally qualitative in the sense that these

partnerships are acknowledged as key to improvement, growth, and advancement of excellence

throughout FVTC.

G-1

Glossary

A Apprenticeship

AA/EO Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity

AAS Associate in Applied Science

ABE Adult Basic Education

ACT Formerly the American College Testing Service

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act

AFTA Adjunct Faculty Teaching Agreement

AGI American Graduation Initiative

AITP Association of Information Technology Professionals

AQIP Academic Quality Improvement Program

AS Advance Standing

Accelerated/Integrated The integration of the competencies, learning objectives, learning activities,

and assessment strategies and often the co–facilitation by instructors from

different disciplines of two or more courses offered within a single time

frame.

BI Business Intelligence

BIS Business and Industry Services

CAO Chief Academic Officer

CIO Chief Information Officer

CJD Criminal Justice Division

CQIN Continuous Quality Improvement Network

CRM Customer Relationship Management

CVTC Chippewa Valley Technical College

DACUM Designing A CUrriculuM

DDI Development Dimensions Incorporated

DECA Delta Epsilon Chi (Marketing students‘ organization)

EAA Early Academic Alert

eAFTA electronic Adjunct Faculty Teaching Agreement

EEOC Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

ELL English Language Learning

ESPA Educational Support Personnel Association

ESS Educational Support Services

FA Faculty Association

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

FTE Full Time Equivalency

FVTC Fox Valley Technical College

FY Fiscal Year


Glossary G-2

GED General Equivalency Diploma

GERR Graduate Employment Research Report

GOAL Goal Oriented Adult Learning (adult basic education)

GPA Grade point average

HR Human Resources

HSED High School Equivalency Diploma (see GED)

IDD Instructional Development and Delivery

IPDP Individual Professional Development Plan

IPEDS Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

IQS Internet Qualification Series

IT Information Technology

ITV Instructional television

K–12 Kindergarten through Grade 12

KwH Kilowatt-hour

LEAD Leadership Education and Development

LMS Learning Management System

LTC Lakeshore Technical College

MPTC Moraine Park Technical College

MSTC Mid-State Technical College

NBCOT National Board for Certification of Orthopaedic Technologist

NBDHE National Board Dental Hygiene Examination

NCA North Central Association

NCCBP National Community College Benchmark Project

NCCBS National Community College Benchmarking Survey

NCLEX–PN National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses

NCLEC–RN National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses

NEW ERA Northeast Wisconsin Educational Resource Alliance

NTC Northcentral Technical College

NWTC Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

OSHA Occupational Health and Safety Administration

OWLs Older, Wiser Learners

PACE Personal Assessment of the College Environment

PDCA Plan–Do–Check–Act

PHSS Post Hire Satisfaction Survey

QRP Quality Review Process

QRPDS Quality Review Process Data System

RFP Request for Proposal

RIE Rapid Improvement Events

SD Strategic Direction

SDP Service Desk Plus


Glossary G-3

SGA Student Government Association

SSI Student Satisfaction Inventory

SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

TABE Test of Adult Basic Education

TAP Team Activity Planner

TC Transcripted Credit

TCE Tax Counseling for the Elderly

TD Technical Diploma

TDS Training and Development Services

TLC Teaching and Learning Center

TOS Technical Operations Specialists

UW University of Wisconsin

VITA Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

VP Vice President

VTAE Vocational Technical Adult Education

WAT Workforce Advancement Training

WI Wisconsin

WIDS Worldwide Instructional Design System

WLDI Wisconsin Leadership Development Institute

WTCS Wisconsin Technical College System

I-1

Index to Criteria for Accreditation for FVTC’s System Portfolio

Criterion One

Mission and Integrity—The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission

through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.

Core Component 1a

The organization‘s mission documents are clear and articulate publicly the organization‘s commitments.

The College has a clear mission statement emphasizing knowledge that works for the individuals who

seek it. [Organizational Overview – Intro]

The Board ensures alignment and fulfillment of the mission by monitoring performance against the

eight mission-related College purposes (Table O.3), the mission-driven strategic directions (Figure

8.5), and annual objectives (Figure 8.4).

The College vision, mission and values statements are communicated to the public through a variety

of processes. [5P8, Table 5.5]

The mission, commonly referred to by the public as ―knowledge that works‖ and ―education for

employment,‖ serves as a public framework for highlighting examples of the mission in action on a

continuous basis. [5P8] Core Component 1b

In its mission documents, the organization recognizes the diversity of its learners, other constituencies,

and the greater society it serves.

The mission states that the College seeks to ―build and maintain a diverse and effective work force

that supports the economic growth and stability of our communities.‖ [Organizational Overview –

Intro]

Diversity is a stated core value, demonstrating that the College recognizes the importance of an

educational environment that attracts, nurtures, and supports a diverse student and staff community.

[Organizational Overview – Intro, O-2]

A unique focus of the College and one of its eight purposes is partnerships with and training and

assistance for area employers and their employees in all sectors of the local economy, a diverse and

changing economic landscape. [Organizational Overview – Item 2, Category 2]

The College vision statement describes FVTC as ―valued resource for the people of Wisconsin and

beyond,‖ a resource for an increasingly diverse region, state and nation. [Organizational Overview –

Intro]

The College has established an improvement goal and system to increase staff ethnic diversity

through strategies including increasing the percentage of diverse interview teams. [4I1]

Core Component 1c

Understanding of and support for the mission pervade the organization.

All new employees attend College-wide orientations to learn about the mission, vision, values, and

strategic directions of FVTC. [4P4]

The College uses a variety of processes to communicate the mission, vision, and values internally; the

major vehicle for connecting the mission, vision and values to the day-to-day work of the College

occurs at the Fall and Winter All Staff In-service Days. [5P8, Table 5.5]

College service providers understand how their work supports the mission, and they use the current

strategic directions to align their processes to ensure that student and stakeholder needs are met. [6P4]



Index I-2

Recognition awards for faculty, support staff, and managers based on alignment with College values

and purposes are given annually with awardees selected through a collaborative screening process.

[4P11]

Core component 1d

The organization‘s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support

collaborative processes that enable the organization to fulfill its mission.

The Board of Trustees functions as a collective body to promote a positive image for the College

while representing the community in determining and assuring appropriate organizational

performance. [Organizational Overview – Item 5]

Union and management use a collaborative approach to understand issues related to employee

engagement, motivation, and work climate and to develop action strategies for improvement. [4P12]

A variety of coordinated approaches including the in-house LEAD Academy are employed to develop

current and future leaders so that their practices align with College leadership. [4P5, Tables 4.2,

4.3,and 5.6]

College structures foster decision-making at the appropriate levels. Decisions are made by the Board,

the Executive Team, individuals, and departments. [5P5, Table 5.1]

The functional-area decision-making structure is complemented by cross-functional structures to

ensure horizontal communication and integration of key functions and strategies. [5P5, Tables 5.2

and 5.3]

The College has a strategic direction to ―create an internal environment of growth, collaboration, and

engagement.‖ [Figure 8.5]

In response to a faculty survey indicating a desire for increased involvement in decision-making at the

division level, the College set aside eight days annually for faculty to focus on internal

communication as well as attention to leadership responsibilities within teams. [4I1 and 5I1]

Core component 1e

The organization upholds and protects its integrity.

The College‘s core value of integrity establishes the expectation of ethical behavior and

communication. [Organizational Overview – Intro]

A Code of Ethics expressed in Board and administrative policy further defines expectations for

behavior. [Organizational Overview – Intro]

Board policies include Executive Limitations which establish the prudence and ethics boundaries

within which all executive activity and decisions must take place. [Organizational Overview – Item

5]

The College ensures ethical practices through policy, training, and systems for evaluation of

personnel, programs, and College purposes along with financial audits and EEOC compliance

monitoring. Processes to address ethical breaches are in place. [4P7]

The College expects its graduates to demonstrate personal integrity through ethical and responsible

behaviors, one of five core abilities required of all graduates. [Organizational Overview – Item 1] Criterion Two

Preparing for the future—The organization‘s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and

planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill the mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond

to future challenges and opportunities. Core Component 2a

The organization realistically prepares for a future shaped by multiple societal and economic trends.


Index I-3

Due to rapid and persistent changes in the environment, FVTC has adjusted its formal scanning effort

from one that occurred just prior to strategic planning every four years to an ongoing effort that

informs conversations about short-term and long-term plans and strategies. [Organizational

Overview – Item 8]

To accommodate opportunities as they arise and support growth and innovation, a Strategic

Investment Process has been in place for the past seven years. The process provides for the review

and funding of promising ideas that surface outside the planning and budgeting cycle. (8P1, 8P7,

Figure 8.3]

The College has identified key challenges based on environmental scanning. These will be under

serious consideration as FVTC explores opportunities during strategic planning in fall 2010.

[Organizational Overview – Item 8]

Core Component 2b

The organization‘s resource base supports its educational programs and its plans for maintaining and

strengthening their quality in the future.

FVTC is supported by approximately $123 million in revenues made up of District property tax, state

aid, student tuition and fees/financial aid, federal and state grants, institutional donations, and income

from contract training. [Organizational Overview – Intro]

Strategic planning zeroes in on the vital few directions that the College should invest its resources in

to ensure future mission fulfillment. [8P2]

Annual capital and operational budget planning aligns objectives with the resources needed and

available to implement plans. The Executive Team balances needs with available resources and

continuously seeks new sources of funding through contracts, grants, donations via the College

Foundation, and external partnerships. [8P1, 8P6] Core Component 2c

The organization‘s ongoing evaluation and assessment processes provide reliable evidence of institutional

effectiveness that clearly informs strategies for continuous improvement.

In the Act phase of the strategic planning Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, the College identifies any

improvements needed to enhance performance based on clearly stated targets against stated

objectives. [8P1, Figure 8.5]

The Quality Review Process (QRP) guides continuous improvement efforts for each academic

program with each program conducting a self-study every five years and using results to select three

program action/improvement plans. [1P13, Figure 1.6]

As the centerpiece to FVTC‘s continuous improvement system, Board monitoring of College

purposes results in seven formal reports that include three years of data, an analysis of the immediate

past year‘s performance and plans for improvement. [Organizational Overview – Item 5, Table O.3,

Table 5.10]

Data analysis as part of a new cross-functional initiative focused on student success indicated areas of

persistently low rates of course completion. This led to a Strategic Investment to improve course

completion in math. The ongoing initiative will result in additional improvement projects. [1I1]

Core Component 2d

All levels of planning align with the organization‘s mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to fulfill that

mission.

The hierarchical annual objective setting process aligns divisional and individual objectives with

College Strategic Directions and to the longer-term Academic Program Plan, Facilities Plan and

Sustainability Plan. [Figures 8.2 and 8.4, 8P4]


Index I-4

Executive Team members align their action plans with the Strategic Plan and then their direct reports

align their action plans with their respective vice presidents/executive dean‘s plan through the

performance review process. [Figure 8.2, 8P4]

The Board and administration set out specific expectations internally for business and industry

outreach through three-year strategic plan targets, the College‘s annual objectives, and the annual

Business and Industry Services priorities. Instructional areas providing contracted services further

refine these in their annual planning processes. [2P3, Table 2.1, Figures 8.4 and 8.5]

Efforts are underway to better align and integrate planning across the organization based on a best

practice learned from a Baldrige winner through participation in the Continuous Quality Improvement

Network (CQIN). [Organizational Overview – Item 8] Criterion Three

Student Learning and Effective Teaching—The organization provides evidence of student learning and

teaching effectiveness that demonstrates the College is fulfilling its educational mission. Core component 3a

The organization‘s goals for student learning outcomes are clearly stated for each educational program

and make effective assessment possible.

The College has identified five core abilities required of every graduate regardless of program.

Student achievement of core abilities is monitored regularly. [Organizational Overview – Item 1,

1P1, 1R2]

Learning outcomes for each program are determined through one-day facilitated sessions in which

professionals currently working in the target occupational field collaborate. These are documented

and communicated clearly in the catalog. [1P2, Figures 1.2 and 1.3]

The key processes for developing student assessment are the program and curriculum development

processes. At the program level, program faculty review program outcomes, occupational licensing

requirements, and the assessment strategies to develop assessments that best fit course and program

content. At the course level, faculty members determine the most appropriate assessment methods by

reviewing course competencies, performance standards, and learning objectives. [1P18, Figures 1.9

and 1.10]

To evaluate how well graduating students have mastered program outcomes and core abilities, the

College uses program-specific summative assessments. After each summative assessment is

administered, program faculty members review the resulting data and use it to guide improvement

actions at the course and/or program level. [1P17, 1R1, Figure 1.11] Core component 3b

The organization values and supports effective teaching.

The Instructional Development and Delivery (IDD) department provides extensive support for faculty

for curriculum development, design of assessment strategies, and use of technology to support

teaching. Faculty Development Center mini-grants have been used to support faculty in the

integration of technology into their programs and courses for the past eight years. [Table 1.17, 1R5]

Effective teaching is the subject of courses that faculty must complete to continue employment.

[Table 1.3]

The Staff Development Center provides faculty with training in best practices for teaching and

learning, computer skills, interpersonal skills, and software/systems training. [Table 1.4]

The H. Victor Baldi Excellence in Instruction Award, a cash award given yearly, recognizes

outstanding teaching. [4P11]


Index I-5

FVTC‘s expectations for effective teaching and learning are initially communicated to prospective

instructors through a highly detailed job description, reinforced through a mentorship, and assessed as

part of faculty performance review. [1P11, Table 1.3, 4P10] Core component 3c

The organization creates effective learning environments.

FVTC is a recognized pioneer in employing new and emerging teaching/learning technologies.

Programs offer classes through a variety of delivery modes including on- and off-site classrooms,

accelerated, accelerated/integrated, online, interactive television, and blended. [Organizational

Overview – Item 1, 1P9, 1P12]

Occupational technology is an integral part of hands-on content in most programs, and faculty

members actively seek to adapt and improve its integration into teaching and learning. [Table O.1]

A system of assessment and placement into appropriate courses is used with beginning students to

assure successful learning. Instructional Support Services provides practical assistance, and

Counseling/Advising services helps students with concerns that may interfere with academic or

personal growth. [Table 1.4, 1P8]

The first step in College strategic planning is to revisit mission, vision and values statements.

Sustaining an effective learning environment involves a continuous validation and triangulation

between the current mission/vision and values, workplace realities and the instructional environment.

[5P1]

Core component 3d

The organization‘s learning resources support student learning and effective teaching.

A finely tuned system of support services has developed over the years to strengthen the likelihood of

success regardless of the risk characteristics presented by students. [Organizational Overview – Item

3, 1P15)

New faculty complete courses in teaching methods, course construction, and educational evaluation

as well as receive mentoring. [1P11, Table 1.3]

Three departments support faculty needs related to student learning. [Table 1.4]

The College has incorporated state-of-the-art technology into its programs and course delivery to an

extraordinary extent, often partnering with industry to acquire the latest technology. [Organizational

Overview – Item 1 and Item 9, Table O.1, 9P3]

To support promising new ideas that surface, FVTC provides resources through the New Initiative

and Strategic Investment process to test a solution on a small scale in order to determine its

effectiveness for larger scale implementation. [1I1, 3P1,8P7] Criterion Four

Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge—The organization promotes a life of learning for

its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and

social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission. Core Component 4a

The organization demonstrates, through the actions of its board, administrators, students, faculty, and

staff, that it values a life of learning.

To foster learning and improvement, the District Board of Trustees conducts an annual Board self-

assessment, based on dimensions of Board responsibility. [Tables 5.7 and 5.9]

Every employee develops an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) to guide and support

ongoing individual professional growth needs. [4P8, 4P9, Figure 4.9]


Index I-6

The College offers flexibility and convenience in course scheduling to accommodate lifelong

learning. Members of the regional workforce, which include FVTC alumni, depend upon FVTC for

keeping their skills updated, advancing in their careers and changing careers over a lifetime.


FVTC‘s Training and Development department offers training sessions on topics related to learner

needs, teaching strategies, the use of technology in teaching and learning, and related topics to faculty

and other topics to management and support staff. [1P11, Table 1.4]

In response to the diverse lifelong learning needs of the constituencies it serves, the College offers

associate degree and technical diploma credit programs, certificates, and offerings ranging from short

avocational courses to technical courses for adults seeking development of their basic skills, interests,

or job-related skills. [Organizational Overview – Item 1, Figure 1.19] Core Component 4b

The organization demonstrates that acquisition of a breadth of knowledge and skills and the exercise of

intellectual inquiry are integral to its educational programs.

All graduates are expected to exhibit critical and creative thinking skills, one of the core abilities.


The core abilities integrated throughout a student‘s program of study include using critical and

creative thinking and demonstrating integrity through ethical and responsible behaviors.


The College uses program-specific summative assessments to assess student mastery of the broad

span of program outcomes and core abilities. [1P17, 1P18, 1RI, Figure 1.11, 1R2]

Core Component 4c

The organization assesses the usefulness of its criteria to students who will live and work in a global,

diverse, and technological society.

Recognizing current and projected changes in society, the College established a strategic direction to

―provide the means for career and economic advancement for an increasingly diverse population‖.

[Figure 8.5]

In response to a technological divide, the College conducts free ―Quick Start Basic Computer Skills‖

classes for displaced workers returning to school. The IDD department is working to identify,

describe, and assess the minimum computer competencies needed to take online courses. [1P8]

The College Global Education and Services department has several public and private partnerships

with national and international organizations to bring international students to FVTC and send FVTC

students and faculty to other countries. The resulting experiences help internationalize the

curriculum. [9P5]

Technology is an integral part of hands-on content in most of the College‘s associate degree and

technical diploma credit programs. [Organizational Overview – Item 1, Table O.1] Core Component 4d

The organization provides support to ensure that faculty, students, and staff acquire, discover, and apply

knowledge responsibly.

The core value of Integrity demands responsible, accountable and ethical behavior from all members

of the College community. [Organizational Overview – Intro]

Demonstration of personal integrity through ethical and responsible behavior is a core ability

expected of all program students and assessed in programs. [Organizational Overview – Item 1]

Job descriptions include ethical conduct. The College ensures the ethical practices of all employees

through an orientation on ethics and professional behavior for new hires and ongoing training on legal

and ethics-related topics for all employees. [4P7]


Index I-7

Program design and course curricula undergo rigorous development processes that ensure that, in

addition to addressing effective teaching and learning principles, curriculum is free of bias against

age, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, non-traditional students, political affiliation,

race, religion, service in the armed forces, and sexual orientation. [Organizational Overview – Item 1]

Criterion Five

Engagement and Service—As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and

serves them in ways that both value. Core Component 5a

The organization learns from the constituencies it serves and analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and

expectations.

The College vision describes an institution that is ―a model of innovation and excellence in technical

education for learning, working, serving...‖ Serving was added to the vision in 2006 to emphasize

this critical dimension of the College mission. [Organizational Overview – Intro]

The needs and expectations of students and stakeholders are the cornerstone of the review and

updating of the strategic directions that occurs in the Strategic Planning Process as well as the

development of key metrics of performance. [5P3, 8P1]

The College relies on data from the Performance Monitoring Report and QRP process to understand

the changing needs and patterns of service to students. In addition, key administrators meet with the

Student Government Association to collect more qualitative information on the student experience

and changing needs of the student population. [3P1]

The College uses a variety of feedback processes to ensure that the needs of its many partners are

being met. [Table 9.1]

FVTC anticipates and monitors employment market needs and trends by participating in regional

economic initiatives, responding appropriately by developing, expanding, or eliminating programs.

[1P4, 1P14] Core Component 5b

The organization has the capacity and the commitment to engage with its identified constituencies and

communities.

FVTC‘s commitment to building collaborative partnerships is one of five core values and is affirmed

in the following statement: The College values mission-aligned partnerships with business, industry,

government, educational systems, and our communities and has a robust process for managing them.

[Organizational Overview – Item 9, Category 9, Table 9.1]

The College provides services to a broad geographical area through two campuses, five regional

centers, six training centers, numerous community sites, and on-line communication, services and

learning opportunities. [Organizational Overview – Item 4]

Specific ideas to enhance and support the distinctive objectives arise from faculty, staff, advisory

committees, businesses, partners, other educational providers, and workforce development agencies.

Ideas are assessed in terms of potential benefit to stakeholders, effect on the economic health of the

community, and the capacity of the College. [2P2]

The College is committed to and flexible enough to respond to unexpected surges in student or

stakeholder needs, a result of a culture of improved processes and services that makes the proactive

detection of new needs not only evident but a responsibility for staff to examine for further action.

[3P5]

Triggered by a continuous and multi level monitoring of changing needs and trends, College leaders

conduct a deeper analysis to determine detailed patterns and salient characteristics of the changing

needs of its constituencies and communities to refine is capacity to serve them. [3P1]


Index I-8

The capacity to service business and industry clients based on their expressed needs is systematically

evaluated as part of a core relationship process. [Table 2.1] Core Component 5c

The organization demonstrates its responsiveness to those constituencies that depend on it for service.

In the recent economic recession, FVTC was the only ―port in the storm‖ for many residents, and the

College responded quickly, adapting systems, processes, class sizes and offerings to help meet the

needs. [Organizational Overview – Item 4]

The process of determining the needs of organization for workforce development through contracts

and partnerships along with the process for determining satisfaction with those demonstrate a cycle of

responsiveness to a key stakeholder group. [2P4, Figure 2.2]

The strategic planning process involves listening to and analyzing the voices of students, staff and

stakeholders and to inform future College directions. These groups also provide input into and

reaction to proposed strategy. [8P1]

A variety of feedback processes for key partners ensures that their needs are heard and met. [Table

9.1]

Core Component 5d

Internal and external constituencies value the services the organization provides.

Program student satisfaction with relationship aspects of FVTC is as high as or higher than state and

national comparisons. [Table 3.4] Their satisfaction with advising and academics remained high

from 2008 to 2010 despite an unprecedented influx of new students (15%) in 2010. [Table 3.7]

Employer satisfaction with FVTC graduates, apprentices, and graduate skills is high. [Tables 3.8, 3.9,

and 3.10]

Employers contracting with the College for training are satisfied with it and view the training as a

good value. Their employees who received the training are also satisfied. [Tables 2.7 and 2.8]

The College monitors employee satisfaction through the ESPA, Faculty, and Management Employee

Surveys using a union and management collaborative approach to understand issues and to develop

action strategies for improvement. [4P12, Table 4.14]