Reference Document for Goal Team 1 Meeting – February 7, 2011
Strategic Issues
The team will review the 14 strategic issues that it selected at its first meeting, and someone will be asked to volunteer to review each one and provide any recommended update/comments in writing, using the Strategic Issues template, prior to the next team meeting.
The numbered issues selected by the team at the last meeting are:
Numbers 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, and 14
Regarding issue 4, the team asked whether it might want to tag this to a specific objective or if it relates to the entire goal.
The team also decided that the following additional issues listed on pp. 13 and 14 of the first meeting agenda packet should be listed as relating to Goal 1.
- It was suggested that “What constitutes Student Success? How does learning differ from student success?” relates to objective 1.3.
Also, it was suggested that the following four Additional Issues relate to Goal 1:
- What are the contributions that a student can make to achieve his or her goals?
- How do we measure the extent to which we are accessible? How can we describe what it means to “Build Pathways?”
- How do we define and practice collaboration? How should be communicate in a collaborative college? (It was noted that this relates to collaborating with partners, across goals, and with other departments.)
- What constitutes meaningful data? Should we compare statistics by socioeconomic indicators, rather than by race? What is the usefulness of such a comparison?
The comments from last year’s combined goal teams on the numbered issues above follow. The team did not write any comments last year on the “Additional Issues,” so those will be created for the first time this year. Each goal team has the opportunity to comment on any issue, and all comments will be combined, as we did last year.
The complete Strategic Issues report from the 09-10 teams may be found at this web address, under the section labeled Goal Team Reports on Strategic Issues and Initiatives, the first document:
http://www.valenciacc.edu/strategicplan/big_2009.cfm
Strategic Issues Brief #1 – Adrian Manley
Many students from diverse backgrounds do not have equal access to college. Objectives 1.1, 1.4, 1.5 (pathway)
Strategic Issue from 2006 Situational/Needs Analysis: Diversity
“The students in our future will be increasingly diverse in background and needs. The college is expecting an increase in students over the age of 44. Also expecting more minorities specifically Hispanics to enroll in Valencia.
Notable internal changes related to Strategic Issue:
Notable external changes related to Strategic Issue:
Update(s) suggested to the Issue Statement and/or to the Situational/Needs Analysis narrative:
We have experienced a surplus of older students returning to school. However, the turn in the economy is seems to be more of a motivating factor. Many come after just losing their jobs. It should be noted that this increase of 44 year olds and above come with extra issues than they would with just a career change.
Resources consulted in preparation of update(s):
Situational needs Analysis
Comments from Team 1 on Feb. 11, 2010
Those who are not native English speakers may have other barriers that should be looked at. Work schedules can be impediments. Residency and financial aid issues can impede early in the process. We don’t have enough classes to meet all demand. Do people who can benefit from what we offer have the information needed to be aware and to enroll? Textbook costs are impediments, but we offered discounts for those who purchased early. Bright Future payback may also be an impediment. Students with disabilities have special needs to overcome barriers. The Equity Report data may be useful here, as well. (The report is available in paper format.)
Goal Team Two Comments – February 9, 2010 – This is not just an issue of demographics, but also of the way in which our systems may create barriers to access. Do we have information about that? Who is not here, and why? How do we serve students who do not have on-line access? Do we know which second language populations are not here? Do we know how our systems may be difficult to use for those with disabilities (for example, the on-line application)?
We need to confirm the source of expected increase of students over the age of 44, noted by Adrian.
Nick Bekas provided additional demographic data to add to this issue via a separate report.
Also, the following was submitted by Lynn Dorn of Team 2, who received this from Joyce Romano:
. . . there are various ways in which we connect with the community to connect Valencia with persons who are homeless and/or seeking job skills although there is not a formal and comprehensive network as you described in Seminole County.
David and Elizabeth were the faculty involved with the Prometheus project that John Scolaro organized. It was modeled after Riches for the Poor and offered a humanities course for homeless persons as a way to help them discover their potential. It was connected with the Coalition for the Homeless and other local agencies (Elizabeth and David will remember the other agencies names – I recall one was a women’s center.) We tried to develop a sustainable model when the grant funds (several years) ran out but were unable to. Elizabeth and David will be able to tell you when they last offered the course.
We award Homeless Tuition Waivers to qualified students based on a state statute that allows it. As part of this, various individuals serve as mentors /advisors to these students. For example, I am currently helping one student complete his degree through this program.
A number of our College Transitions staff represent Valencia on community boards that serve this population or other disadvantaged populations.
We participate on the Children’s Cabinet in both Orange (Grace Acevedo) and Osceola (Nelson Sepulveda) counties. This connects various agencies in order to address the needs of children and families, including educational opportunity.
John Stover runs a summer program with the Coalition of the Homeless called Life Strides that focuses on getting students into the Office Systems Technology program (West Campus) and continuing as a cohort to obtain a certificate and degree for employment.
Kenya Richardson represents Valencia with a community network that focuses on foster youth who are “aging out” of the system. City of Light is one organization that has been promoting this work and we are connected to them through a member of the Valencia Foundation Board. Again, there is a tuition waiver available through state statute for which these students are eligible and Kenya also helps them with other financial aid eligibility and advising issues.
John Stover represents Valencia on the Tangelo Park Project which is sponsored by Harris Rosen. Mr. Rosen provides college scholarships to any Tangelo Park resident who graduates with a B average and also coordinates a community board that meets regularly to help the community solve a variety of issues.
Jessica Morales and her College Transitions team sponsor an annual Youth Education Day which is about preparing for college enrollment and invites disadvantaged youth in special programs at community centers, churches and schools. It was a few weeks ago and about 300 students attended.
The College Transitions team each liaison with various community centers that have youth and adult education programs such as Frontline Outreach in West Orlando.
We established a partnership last year with the City of Orlando when we were applying for a grant through the National League of Cities. It focused on providing college access to students and families from the Paramore Area of Orlando. While the grant application was not successful, we have continued to work with them on helping individual students enroll at Valencia and also inviting students and parents to Valencia programs such as Youth Education Days, Previews, and the Bridges program.
We served as a partner for the Orlando Housing Authority for a HUD grant that was successful just recently. They will be providing educational and job opportunity to residents of their housing projects and we will bring our College Transition programs to those locations as well as invite those residents to Valencia programs. They are considering providing transition housing for the homeless which could include Valencia students. We also supported their grant application for the renovation of the Lake Mann housing project and they have not heard yet if that was funded.
On January 31, we provided college transitions, financial aid, and advising staff for College Goal Sunday at 10 different locations such as community centers and schools. This is a national program to assist disadvantaged families to submit the FAFSA and obtain other scholarship information.
I realize these don’t all focus only on the homeless but they touch a range of community needs and focus on the disadvantaged, including homeless. In Orange and Osceola counties, the work is coordinated in pockets rather than one big board, so we connect with those pockets to the extent that our resources allow. I probably have not included everything but this is what comes to mind.
Additionally, the following data was obtained from Brad Honious, Financial Aid office:
Five Year Spring & Annual Year Financial Aid ComparisonsDollars / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009 / 2010 YTD
Spring Aid / $17,124,318 / $19,550,760 / $26,527,507 / $40,139,373 / $54,505,731
Annual / $38,892,022 / $43,123,327 / $58,522,106 / $90,400,305 / $115,027,534
Students on Aid / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009 / 2010 YTD
Spring
TTL Students / 27814 / 28809 / 31468 / 35014 / 38623
FA Students / 9507 / 9759 / 12137 / 15700 / 17965
% on Aid / 34.18% / 33.87% / 38.57% / 44.84% / 46.51%
Annual
TTL Students / 41493 / 43046 / 47015 / 51298 / 49034
FA Students / 12575 / 12993 / 15868 / 20433 / 23681
% on Aid / 30.31% / 30.18% / 33.75% / 39.83% / 48.30%
Data Effective Date: 13FEB2010:01:03:45
Created by the Data Warehouse
on 13FEB2010 at 9:29 PM
Annual Unduplicated Enrollments for Credit, PSAV and EPI Students Across Financial Aid Year
Strategic Issues Brief #2 – Joyce Romano
Many students whose stated goal is to obtain a certificate or a degree are not successful in reaching critical milestones in their educational plans. Objective 1.2 (goal achievement)
Strategic Issue from 2006 Situational/Needs Analysis: Many students whose stated goal is to obtain a certificate or a degree are not successful in reaching critical milestones in their educational plans.
Notable internal changes related to Strategic Issue: This is still true and we have updated institutional data to establish benchmarks and goals. These were developed as part of the Title V grant application that was submitted in June 2009. We looked at the milestones of and computed the success rates of cohorts of students by whether they started in developmental courses or college-level courses, and by ethnicity. We then set desired achievement based on the idea that we would “close the gaps” between these groups of students and all students would achieve at the current highest level of achievement. See the attached chart for the details.
Notable external changes related to Strategic Issue: With an increase in funding and focus from the federal government on community colleges (increase in Pell, expansion of student loans through Direct Loan program, stimulus funding, American Graduation Initiative, etc.), there is an increased increase in the completion rates of students. The current federal definition of graduation rates is understood to be flawed and there may be opportunity to establish some better “progression” or “momentum” measures.
Update(s) suggested to the Issue Statement and/or to the Situational/Needs Analysis narrative:
No need to update the issue statement; it is still accurate.
The Situational/Needs Analysis should be updated to reflect the newest trends in priority and funding from the federal government.
Resources consulted in preparation of update(s):
The data from the Title V 2009 grant proposal.
Comments from Team 1 on Feb. 11, 2010
Note that dual enrollment has also been cut. We are unable to grow programs in the high schools. Career Pathways requires that 49 industry certifications be completed and these credentials become part of the pathways. Funding cuts have impacted high school pathways programs. Not all high school students are well prepared to follow pathways.
If looked at broadly, not all issues are academic. Some are systemic, such as limited access programs or limited labs in which to offer courses.
Students may change goals and not inform the college. Students have trouble setting realistic goals. Everyone wants to be an engineer etc, but what they want may not be where their strengths lie.
Report on Issue 2 from Team 4.3/4.4 – March 4
Prepared by: Ty Johnson & Carmen Diaz
Notable internal changes related to Strategic Issue:
Students enrolling in college for the first time often have limited knowledge and understanding of degree programs and requirements. Decisions about academic programs, whether a certificate or a degree, are sometimes based on influence from others or through media advertisements promising lucrative employment opportunities and salaries.