SCC STUDENT ENGAGEMENT PLAN Year: 2012-2015

AGENDA ITEM #5.e.

Mission

The Student Engagement Committee will support students at South Central College by creating a student focused environment that enables faculty and staff to provide opportunities for successful completion of academic and professional career option goals.

Purpose

Educate the college community on student engagement best practices

Create and offer initiatives that support student engagement and success

Provide resources and support for academic success to students, faculty and staff

Planning Process

The 2012-2015Student Engagement Retention Planwas developed by an internal student engagement committee. The committee reviewed data specific to SCC as well as regional, state and national trend data to better understand the realities of the college. The committee also reviewed best practices literature in an effort to learn about existing practices that are based in educational theory or have been proven effective through practice.

FY15 Committee Members:Susan Mucha (Academic Support Center),Marilyn Weber (Academic Support Center Supervisor), Lisa Schickling (Counselor), Heidi Wyn (Student Life),Candy Laven (Financial Aid), Jeannie Meidlinger (Academic Advisor), Beth Danberry (RP&IE), Elizabeth Prange (Admissions/Financial Aid), John Engquist (Director of Admissions and Advising), Juanita Schueler (Faculty), Dr. Susan Tarnowski (VP of Student and Academic Affairs)

Reporting Structure

The committee will communicate to faculty, staff and administration at the Student and/or Faculty meetings and AASC committee meetings.

Advise on theimplementation of action steps through the continued review of research and best practices literature

Assist in tracking completed action steps

Assess plan effectiveness through a variety of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and other process and impact outcome measures (see following section for description of measures)

Revise plan if needed based on new research or best practices literature and KPI/outcome measure results

The 2012-2015 SCC Strategic Plan

The objectives and action steps detailed in this plan address several strategies within SCC’s Strategic Plan and will likely impact several of our Key Performance Indicators.

Plan addresses the following Strategic Plan strategies:
  1. Implement Student Retention Plan
  2. Implement College Transition Initiatives
  3. Support Professional Development for Faculty and Staff to Better Serve the Needs of our Students
/ Plan impact the following Key Performance Indicators:
  1. Retention & Success Rate
  2. Retention & Success Rate
  3. Professional Development and Trainings

Additional Process and Impact Outcomes

Implementation and effectiveness of the Student Engagement Plan will be measured via several process and impact outcomes. A process outcome refers to a measure of our implementation efforts, such as how many people attended training. An impact outcome provides guidance in determining if our efforts had their intended effect. The following process and impact measures are recommended to be tracked and reported on an annual basis:

Retention rate (overall and by program) measured in the following manner:

  1. Program persistence and completion rates – annual data available in the Program Portfolio document
  2. Retention and Success rates as defined by the MnSCU Accountability Dashboard
  3. Retention rates as defined by IPEDS

OBJECTIVE 1: Conduct a systematic analysis of data (i.e. Program Portfolio, Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), and Priority Survey of Online Learners (PSOL). Review other research/resources for appropriate action steps.
By analyzing this data, we will be able to assist program faculty and advisors in identifying target areas and create initiatives to affect student persistence and completion. Examples may include college readiness, student satisfaction, or completion or drop-out rates.
Supporting Research or Resources:
  • Minnesota Student Engagement Institute “Strengthening Student Engagement and Success in Minnesota’s Two-Year Colleges. CCSSE data from SCC utilized to create an action plan. (brought to AASC 2010-11)
  • MnSCU 2011 Promising Practices for Student Success Faculty Forum at MCTC. Draft plan of promising practices included: intrusive advising, learning communities, and supplemental instruction.
  • Noel Levitz National Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing, and Retention attendees: 2011: Linda Beer, Beth Danberry. 2012: Kayla Sandersfeld, Pam Becker.
  • Retention Retreat January 2012 results included future action plan should contain: Support training for faculty and staff on best practices, conduct analysis of data, create comprehensive advising strategy for the college, and focus on early career exploration and goal setting.
  • MnSCU Developmental Education Summit provided information about strategies for college readiness curriculum strategies and evaluation.
  • CCSSE – MnSCU Statewide Workshop February 2014: Pam Becker, Beth Danberry

ACTION STEPS / Timeframe / Assigned to: / Resources/
Potential Cost / Outcome Measurement/Goal
1 / Pam & Beth attended a CCSSE-MnSCU Statewide Workshop February 2014. Beth utilized information presented to analyze benchmark scorescrosstabbedwith special focus questions. / March 2014 / Beth / Employee time / This information was shared with an FYE Retention group so they could better make data-informed decisions.
OBJECTIVE 2: Plan and implement Student Success Day
Supporting Research or Resources:Good Practices in Retention according to Noel Levitz
ACTION STEPS / Timeframe / Assigned to: / Resources/
Potential Cost / Outcome Measurement/Goal
1 / Planned Student Success Day.Event heldon both Faribault and North Mankato campuses in February 2015 / Feb 2015 / SE Committee / Costs includedlunch for students, speaker, employee time / Survey of students: received 61 completed surveys, all of which indicated studentsfound the event to be very useful. Students were very satisfied and very likely to recommend future SSD events to other SCC students.Student Success Day could have been better attended.
OBJECTIVE 3: Participate in comprehensive training college-wide of best practices.
Supporting Research or Resources: Information on Best Practices received at Noel Levitz conference.
ACTION STEPS / Timeframe / Assigned to: / Resources/
Potential Cost / Outcome Measurement/Goal
1. / Continued with Ask Anyone campaign by creating posters and cards to be displayed at both campuses. These depict a student with a question, and an SCC faculty/staff person with the answer to the question. / Display the posters/cards year-long around both campuses. / Committee members contributed ideas for “Ask Anyone” questions, SCC graphics department created posters. / $72.00 for printing / Campaign retired in FY 2015 due to Marketing Dept desire to move in another direction.
2. / Discussion regarding the SE Committee acting as a “clearinghouse” of student engagement efforts on campus. Began work on creation of a data base. / FY 15 / Committe / Unsure
3. / Discussed starting a newsletter, submitting from this committee to the student’s Spotlight, and to the Connections / FY 15 / Committee / Employee time
OBJECTIVE 4: Research, identify and review best practices for Career Exploration and Goal Setting.
It is the goal of the committee to research and create retention initiatives, once those initiatives have become a routine part of the college, the Student Engagement Committee will continue to support those initiatives by making suggestions from continuing research. As time and students change, we need to evaluate our current retention & engagement methods and adjust to student needs.
Supporting Research or Resources:
Action Step 1: Research other MnSCU 2-year college career planning tools, models and/or processes
Career Planning Tools / Comments
O’Net, OOH, ISEEK, MCIS, DEED, MNCareers, CareerOneStop.org, Uselection.org, Mnonline.org, Mntransfer.org, MN Workforce Center, GPS LifePlan, Careerbuilder.com, Monster.com, Careerkey.org / Currently, all these career planning tools are being used-need to add to Career & Counseling Center website. Received editing rights to website link and will complete updating of website link by end of Fall 2014.
SIGI 3, DISCOVER, FOCUS 2, CareerScope / After researching the mentioned career planning tools, we have decided to purchase FOCUS 2. The cost will be split between the Student Engagement Committee and the Career & Counseling Center budget. FOCUS 2 was purchased through the Career & Counseling Center budget for the 2013-2014 academic year. We had 266 students utilize the FOCUS 2 –Online Career, Major and Education Planning System this academic year. It was just renewed for the 2014-2015 academic year.
Minnesota State University, Mankato-“Handbook for Students Choosing or Changing Their Majors” / Like this concept. Will develop a career planning process piece to make available on the Career & Counseling Website. Currently, working on a Career-Decision Making piece for the “Parent Folders” for STAR Orientation sessions.
Job Banks / South Central College currently uses the Simplicity Job Bank. Candy Laven is looking into whether we would want to consider expanding how we currently use this job bank. The following links are used on a regular basis:



monster.com
CareerOneStop.org
County employment links used as well.
Received editing rights to website link, we will add the above listed links to website link by end of Fall 2014.
Action Step 1: Research other MnSCU 2-year college career planning tools, models and/or processes
Career Planning Models / Comments
National Career Development Association –National Career Development Guidelines / Many colleges, including SCC use this structure or a similar structure.
GPS LifePlan -Career Plan / Colleges that have GPS LifePlan tend to utilize the Career Plan in addition to the National Career Development Guidelines.
America’s Career Resource Network / Utilize the Career-Decision-Making Tool
Action Step 1: Research other MnSCU 2-year college career planning tools, models and/or processes
Career Planning Processes / Comments
Self-Assessment Tools; Career & Educational Research Resources; Job Hunting Strategies; Scheduled Resume Review Times; Learn about Career Pathways link; GPS LifePlan / Currently, all these career planning processes are being used-need to add to Career & Counseling Center website. GPS LifePlan, GPS LifePlan Workshop Series, Individual and Group Career Testing. Received editing rights to website link, we will add the listed links to website link by end of Fall 2014.
University Settings- On Campus Interviews / Career & Counseling Center Staff are interested in bringing employers to campus and setting up an on-campus interviewing schedule. Candy Laven (Placement Coordinator) had a mini job fair on each campus at the beginning of each semester. She had a larger job fair on each campus towards the end of each semester. Faribault had approximately twenty-one employers present, and North Mankato had approximately thirty-five employers present. Also, she had on-campus interviews available on each campus each semester. Faribault campus had approximately ten employers that came to campus and provided on-campus interviews throughout the academic year, and North Mankato campus had approximately thirty employers on campus throughout the academic year that provided on-campus interviews. The spring job fairs were combined with Grad Fest, and Student Success Day.
Career Resource Libraries / Career & Counseling Center has nice selection of resources; plan to expand functionality of Career Resource Room. Due to the relocation of Career and Counseling Center staff, we no longer have a Career Resource Room.
Website Resource Listings / In progress; We have resources pulled together-need to condense, and forward to webmaster. Received editing rights to website link, we will add the links to website link by end of Fall 2014.
Individual and Group Career Testing / Currently in place at South Central College. Some examples of group testing would be FOCUS 2-Online Career, Major and Education Planning System presentations and testing administered in some FYE sections, and Bridge Program classes. Individual career testing done through Career & Counseling Center Office.
Career Courses (taught by Counselors) / Counselor interested. Have investigated how students get it paid for on other campuses. It is offered as an independent study course on other campuses. Sometimes it was under psychology, counseling, etc. Would like to develop curriculum for course next academic year. If not, we could add the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities, Minnesota Online-Online Career Workshop-Charting Your Course to our website.
Various workshops done on topics such as career planning, resume, job search, etc. / GPS LifePlan Workshop Series; Presentations in the classrooms and for student organizations. GPS LifePlan Workshop Series; Presentations in the classrooms and for student organizations. Both Placement Coordinator and Counselor facilitate these presentations. Placement Coordinator and Counselor assisted with mock interviewing sessions for various classes (accounting, pharmacy technician, agriculture programs, SKILLS, mechatronics, etc. and off campus sites such as Fairmont High School and Mankato Area Community Transition Interagency Committee (CTIC).
Goal-setting resources found under GPS LifePlan or Personal Counseling websites. / GPS LifePlan; Need to add to Career & Counseling Center website; Great Lakes Grant could be a pilot for using the GPS LifePlan Goal Setting Workshop
Action Step 2: Develop a comprehensive Career Planning Model for SCC based on best practices
Utilize the FOCUS 2 (Online Career, Major, & Education Planning) tool as the framework for our Career Planning Model
Incorporate the National Career Development Associations Career Decision Making Model
Use the GPS LifePlan Program –Career Plan
Create campus career and goal setting activities around the above listed models
Action Step 3: Research and purchase career planning assessment tool to be utilized by SCC students
Recommend purchasing FOCUS 2-Online Career, Major, & Education Planning System
The annual lease fee with unlimited usage is$1285 plus an annual $29 administration fee. You can take advantage of a 10% discount by prepaying for a two year or more agreement. The pricing of FOCUS 2 is based on the total enrollment size of your college on one campus. Additional charges apply for multiple campuses. Students’ accounts, the administrators’ website and all technical and customer support and services are included in our price. Leasing will provide your college with usage of FOCUS 2 for all your students including full and part time students, alumni, co-branding, customizing, self-registration, support materials and administrative functions.FOCUS 2 was purchased through the Career & Counseling Center budget for the 2013-2014 academic year. We had 266 students utilize the FOCUS 2 –Online Career, Major and Education Planning System this academic year. It was just renewed for the 2014-2015 academic year.
FOCUS 2-Online Career, Major, & Education PlanningSystem
Career Planning Readiness:Planning Maturity, Academic Strengths, Personal Development Needs. FOCUS 2 assesses students’ involvement inand introduces activities that support career and education decision making.
5 Self Assessments:Reliable and research based assessments of students’ Work Interests (Holland Code), Personality, Values, Skills and Leisure Interests. Students’ assessment results are matched to occupations and supporting majors at your college. Interests matched directly to your college’s majors.
Major & Career Exploration:Detailed, current descriptions of 1000+ occupations,videos. Exploratory tools include Job Board Network, occupation search by name and industry, What can I do with a Major in…?”, compare any two occupations side by side.
Career Building Action Planner: Our Career Building Action Planning Tool will help students to identify career and education objectives, builda network of contactsand plan career relevant experiences such as Internships, Study Abroad, Volunteering, Work Experience, Networking ...
Career Portfolio and Decision Making: Online Career Portfolio summarizes students’ assessment results with their preferred majors andoccupationswith theirpersonal comments/rankings, goals and achievements.
Action Step 4: Determine best way to purposefully present career planning and goal setting information/tool to students (perhaps a 1-credit class, or include it in the FYE courses, or utilize GPS LifePlan)
Great Lakes Grant Pilot Cohort
GPS LifePlan embedded into the FYE Curriculum GPS LifePlan Overview Presentations have occurred in some of the FYE sections.
Careers Course taught by counselor
GPS LifePlan Careers and/or Goal Setting Workshop
MNOnline Career Workshop available on website
Action Step 5: Develop Program Showcases for technical programs (i.e. Engineering, Ag)
Advising Team working on this action step.
Action Step 6: Develop and implement a marketing plan for Career Counseling and Testing
Create something similar to the “Ask Anyone Campaign” for the Career & Counseling Center
Career & Counseling Center Newsletter
Improve Career & Counseling Center webpages; add more online resources, etc. Received editing rights to website link, we will add the links to website link by end of Fall 2014.
Meet with SCC’s Marketing Director to develop a marketing plan for the Career & Counseling Center New Director hired 2013-2014 academic year, we will have a meeting next Fall.

South Central College

Student Engagement Plan Year 2012-2015

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