2004 Innovations Awards Program

2004 INNOVATIONS AWARDS PROGRAM Application Form (INSTRUCTIONS: Please complete and submit this document electronically if possible, e.g. a Word document. The application form is available online at our web site, www.csg.org, in the Programs section. Please determine the appropriate Program Category from the enclosed Program Categories sheet, and list the category under the Category section below on the right.)

ID #: 04-E-53VT Category: Human Resources/Education State: Vermont

1. Program Name: The Student and Administrative Services Initiative (SASI)

2. Administering Agency: The Vermont State Colleges

3. Contact Person (Name and Title): Robert G. Clarke, Chancellor

4. Address: PO Box 359, Waterbury, VT 05676

5. Telephone Number: 802-241-2520

6. FAX Number: 802-241-3369

7. E-mail Address: [email protected]

8. Web site Address: www.vsc.edu

9. Please provide a two-sentence description of the program.

The Vermont State Colleges (VSC) sought to have a culture of student and client service, delivered when and where it is needed; with resources – human, financial and physical – focused on the mission of teaching, learning and public service. The VSC’s goal is to maximize the advantages of being a system and minimize bureaucracy by having comprehensive, consistent, and immediate access to information that supports institution- wide planning, management and decision-making and to be an organization that is flexible and can adapt quickly to shifting internal and external forces leveraging existing and emerging technologies.

10. How long has this program been operational (month and year)? Note: the program must be between 9 months and 5 years old on May 1, 2004 to be considered.

In September 1999 the VSC Board of Trustees adopted new mission and vision statements that became the framework for a charge to develop and implement a work plan to realize a new vision for the VSC, based on a set of 11 strategies and actions.

Since then, the VSC has established a rapid pace of implementation for each aspect of the Student and Administrative Services Initiative, with the goal of repositioning our colleges

- - 1 and the entire system for continued growth and efficacy. Each summer the VSC Board of Trustees meets to review progress and fine tune the many initiatives that are integral to the transformation of the VSC.

11. Why was the program created? (What problem[s] or issue[s] was it designed to address?)

Despite a history of cooperative planning, each of the 5 state colleges operated in isolation, with the system office serving in an executive oversight role. This “silo” approach led to inefficiencies both inside and outside the system, with duplication of programs and services. In addition, leadership realized there was significant untapped potential for collaboration between the colleges. Low state funding throughout the 1990’s, colleges operating on razor-thin budgets and students paying some of the highest public tuition costs in the country were identified as some primary forces for revamping the system. In addition, the VSC operated with a budget model that created a disincentive for growth – if enrollment at a college increased, appropriation support decreased.

12. Describe the specific activities and operations of the program in chronological order.

 Spring-Summer 1999 - The VSC Strategic Planning Steering Committee meets to create a framework for SASI.  September 27, 1999 - The VSC Board of Trustees adopts new Mission and Vision Statements (attached, Vision revised in October 2003).  September 1999 - The VSC Board of Trustees adopts a resolution promoting a new culture of student centeredness, cooperation and collaboration, respect for all degrees/institutions, external input for all programs, flexibility, and innovation and entrepreneurship (attached).  October 1999 - The VSC Board of Trustees endorses 11 strategic initiatives as critical to the repositioning of the VSC for future growth and improved service to students, communities and the state of Vermont. The initiatives are prioritized as a guide to the development of an implementation plan. (VSC Strategic Plan for Improved Programs and Services attached.)  October 1999 – The VSC implements a new, equitable budget model. The old model combined college income and state funding in a central pool that funded the OC first and then distributed to the colleges based on a pre-set formula. This old system provided little incentive for the colleges to increase revenues. The new model has the state appropriation divided equally among the five institutions and each college is entitled to whatever income it earns. Each college is also responsible for balancing its own budget and for funding Chancellor’s Office operations based on a per-college FTE formula. The new budget model levels the playing field and rewards a growing institution by allowing it to keep the resulting tuition revenue.  October 1999–August 2001 - Business Process Review initiated to redesign as many VSC processes as possible, taking maximum advantage of the functionality of a newly purchased administrative software. The goal is to provide students, employees and other clients access to the information they need while maintaining or increasing

- - 2 the quality of personal contact. Ease of use, speed, convenience and security became high priorities. We agreed to capture data once, when it is created, making it available to all appropriate clients immediately. We introduced a culture of exceeding the expectations of students and others that we serve, maximizing service and eliminating obstacles. We offer comprehensive, consistent and immediate access to information that supports institution-wide planning, management and decision making.  March 2000 – The VSC purchases a new system-wide administrative software program from Datatel: Colleague Administrative Information Software.  June 2000 – Purchased Blackboard course management system – linking course, instructor, and student information with Colleague data, and providing a uniform environment for both online courses and web components of face-to-face classes. Blackboard also incorporates best practices in web-based learning, presenting professional development opportunities for faculty.  August 2000 - The VSC develops a list of potential candidates for collaboration and consolidation (list attached).  July 2001-October 2002 - VSC Business Processes go live on Colleague: Finance/General Ledger, Accounts Payable live July 2001, Admissions live October 2001, Payroll and Human Resources live January 2002, Financial Aid live February 2002, Curriculum live February 2002, Registration/Academic Records/Student Accounts live April 2002.  September 2001 - To conserve resources and operate more efficiently, the VSC consolidated the delivery of several administrative functions, with individual colleges managing a single function for the entire system. Resources at each college are utilized to do one job well instead of spreading its resources ineffectively by replicating services at each college. Consolidating large amounts of data across multiple systems has made business and administration processes more effective and leveraged information technology to support college priorities. Consolidated data is collected for academic and curricular functions, accounts receivable, admissions, financial aid, human resources, finance, and web-based course management. Consolidation efforts, led by each of the VSC colleges, endorsed by the VSC Board of Trustees: CSC – Academic Data Management, CCV – Payroll, JSC – Administrative Information Systems, LSC – Purchasing, VTC – Accounts Receivable.  September 2001 - Each college has taken a lead in developing critical programs and hosting key leadership positions for the system. This permits the entire system to benefit from the efforts and expertise of one institution. In addition the colleges have made teamwork a priority seeking out ways to collaborate to improve academic offerings, student services and employee development programs. Collaboration efforts, led by each of the VSC colleges, endorsed by the VSC Board of Trustees, include: CSC – Educator Quality, CCV – Distance Learning, JSC – Library Planning, LSC – Information Technology, VTC – Workforce Education and Training.  October 2001 - Five processes are endorsed for redesign: Academic Data Management, including a new single VSC course list; Payroll; Student Billing; and, Accounts Payable & Purchasing.

- - 3  External Partnerships are developed, allowing the VSC to collaborate and meet a variety of critical needs around the state. Partnerships include the Vermont Public Education Partnership, the Vermont Workforce Education & Training Consortium, and Commission on Higher Education Funding.  September 2003 – The Board of Trustees, in conjunction with the Council of Presidents decide to focus on four system priorities which will support college priorities (attached).  May 2004 – Launch of the Blackboard Community Portal, which builds on the existing course management system, providing college announcements, college organization, online registration, payroll information, information technology help desk services, library services, and other critical information and transactions in a single location. The portal is targeted to the role of each user (student, faculty member, staff member) and is customizable by each user based on their preferences.

13. Why is the program a new and creative approach or method?

For years, the VSC operated under a “top-down” model, with the Chancellor’s Office serving as central leadership for the system and the colleges operating within guidelines set from above. Sensing that this approach would stymie growth for the future, VSC leaders restructured the system and the function of the central office to enable the sharing of leadership. The Chancellor decentralized decision-making and moved authority back to the colleges, changing the role of the Chancellor’s Office from “command and control” to “support and enhance.” The Council of Presidents (COP), which leads the VSC system, is comprised of the chancellor, the five college presidents and three vice presidents. The COP works with the Board of Trustees to set policies and procedures for the system. Each college operates under the authority of its president and cabinet. This approach gives the colleges the incentive to be innovative and entrepreneurial while at the same time holding them highly accountable.

The vision of the leadership is to maximize the advantages of being a system and at the same time minimize the bureaucracy. The VSC determined ways to consolidate delivery of back office functions with individual colleges managing a single function for the entire system. A unique and central component of the consolidation process was the decision to combine five separate college databases into one. This decision profoundly changed and enhanced our business processes, causing us to challenge why and how we do what we do. Areas of intensive process review included:

 Academic Data Management – From five divergent sets of course descriptions, pre- requisites, and numbering schemes, we created a single course catalog for all five colleges, creating ease of transferability of transcripts and students, cross-college collaborations for programs and common evaluation of credits for courses from colleges and universities outside of the VSC.

 Payroll – instead of having five payroll offices, the Community College of Vermont took over payroll for the complete system streamlining the processing of all payrolls (employee, faculty and student). Additionally, nearly all VSC employees receive

- - 4 paystubs electronically, reducing waste and providing a reliable, consistent, efficient means of distributing this information.

 Accounts Receivable/General Ledger – The VSC, working with representatives from all five colleges, consolidated the general ledger into a single database. This includes a single set of vendors, allows for easy account transfers from college to college, and ledger gives one college responsibility for all student and account receivables and collectibles.

The Vermont State Colleges also saw the need to develop critical programs so that the entire system could benefit from the efforts and expertise of one institution. The VSC determined ways to collaborate to improve academic offerings and student services, including:

 Educator Quality – The VSC identified a state need for improved teacher preparation, and Castleton State College has spearheaded system-wide efforts.

 Distance Learning – Realizing that a key to the future of higher education is the internet, the Community College of Vermont is focusing on the myriad aspects of distance learning, including increased online courses and integrating web services into traditional courses.

 Library Planning – The VSC recognized the importance of improved library systems and that a combined effort by the five colleges will result in better offerings than the efforts of a single college. Johnson State College is leading this collaboration.

 Information Technology – The building blocks of the entire SASI program is that of shared information and data. Lyndon State Colleges is providing the leadership for the transformation of the VSC’s information technology to a single system, including a unified IT Help Desk for students, faculty, and staff.

 Workforce Education and Training – The VSC understands that an entrepreneurial spirit is necessary to find new and creative ways to grow and thrive. The Vermont Technical College has a history of providing outstanding workforce education and training to Vermonters and is leading the efforts for all five colleges to respond to the needs of Vermonters.

14. What were the program’s start-up costs? (Provide details about specific purchases for this program, staffing needs and other financial expenditures, as well as existing materials, technology and staff already in place.)

The start up costs of purchasing the Datatel Colleague Administrative Information Software and 3 years of consulting was $1,704,690 and the hardware costs were $254,000.

The start up and upgrade costs of purchasing BlackBoard was $275,000.

- - 5 In addition, the “soft” costs were tremendous. The VSC committed 100 people system- wide to work in 8 teams for 3 years to work out the technical details of creating new business processes. The VSC set aside a training facility at one of the colleges for the exclusive use of the teams, who were supported with computers and meals. Accommodations were made to backfill the work at the colleges.

Finally, the system has completed the consolidation and collaboration efforts without a loss of jobs, relying instead on retraining current staff and reallocating resources.

15. What are the program’s annual operational costs?

To operate the server, license the software and plan for hardware replacement, annual costs are approximately $403,000 for Colleague and $125,000 for Blackboard. This does not include training, special projects, or process improvement initiatives, which are ongoing. To

16. How is the program funded?

The new budget model gives each college an equal share in the state appropriation. In addition, the college is entitled to whatever income it earns, including tuition and fees, gifts and grants, fundraising and interest income. This model rewards the colleges for entrepreneurship activities and encourages the colleges to work together. The colleges through our FTE charge back model pay for the annual operational costs of the Datatel Colleague system.

One-time funding from the state legislature provided the startup purchase of the Datatel Colleague software system.

17. Did this program require the passage of legislation, executive order or regulations? If YES, please indicate the citation number.

18. What equipment, technology and software are used to operate and administer this program?

IBM S7A Server Datatel Colleague Administrative Information Software BlackBoard Community Portal

19. To the best of your knowledge, did this program originate in your state? If YES, please indicate the innovator’s name, present address, telephone number and e-mail address.

- - 6 This program originated through the creative energies of the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees and Council of Presidents who needed to find a way for the system to thrive in the 21st century.

20. Are you aware of similar programs in other states? If YES, which ones and how does this program differ?

21. Has the program been fully implemented? If NO, what actions remain to be taken?

The program is fully implemented as of 2004. The original 11 strategic initiatives have been focused to four system priorities that support the priorities of each college. The program is set up to continue to evolve as needs arise.

22. Briefly evaluate (pro and con) the program’s effectiveness in addressing the defined problem[s] or issue[s]. Provide tangible examples.

The Student and Administrative Services Initiative has been extraordinarily successful. As the VSC has transitioned from working in isolation to working in collaboration the benefits stand out. The VSC has seen enrollment growth by 18 percent in the last four years, from 9,896 in fall 2000 to 11,687 in fall 2003. The system has opened up access to Vermonters growing from 50 locations in 2000 to more than 60 locations today. Online courses have grown with more than 350 courses available to students today, a 23 percent growth in the past year alone.

The colleges are fiscally sound and preparing for more growth with new residence halls and upgraded facilities. Each college has sharpened its strategic focus and is taking advantage of its own niche in the marketplace.

The VSC has established a single course catalog, enabling students to choose from the offerings at all five institutions at once and the VSC has established new VSC-wide degree programs.

Teamwork has risen to the surface with JSC and CCV working together to redesign the External Degree Program allowing students to earn a bachelor’s degree in their local communities; Lyndon is collaborating with Castleton to offer a nursing program in the Northeast Kingdom, alleviating a severe nursing shortage in the region and VTC expanded its LPN program by offering it jointly with CCV at several statewide locations. VTC and CCV combined efforts to create the Vermont Technical and Community College Library, providing additional library services to CCV students.

Partnerships with statewide businesses are on the rise with 30,000 Vermonters using VSC workforce education and training services each semester.

- - 7 23. How has the program grown and/or changed since its inception?

Each year the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees comes together for an annual retreat to continue to evaluate and refine the transformation of the system and its operations. By fall 2003 the VSC had decided to focus on four of the original 11 strategic initiatives: Workforce Education & Training (led by VTC); Teaching and Learning Technologies (led by CCV); SASI / Information Technology Services (led by LSC/JSC); Comprehensive Assessment (led by LSC); Educator Quality (led by CSC); Employee Relations (led by Chancellor’s Office).

24. What limitations or obstacles might other states expect to encounter if they attempt to adopt this program?

Sweeping operational transformation of a multi-college system has led to significant issues regarding the change of an institution’s culture. It is necessary to stay highly attuned to students, faculty and staff and to communicate thoroughly about the process and expectations. Each VSC college worked to focus on its strengths, identifying distinctive programs and promoting its “niche” in the marketplace to ensure its individual identity within the system.

Finally, the changes that the VSC has undergone would not have been successful without complete buy-in from the leadership: the Board of Trustees, Presidents, Chancellor and Vice Presidents. Every single leader within the system believed deeply in the necessity and urgency for change as outlined in the 1999 mission and vision of the VSC in order to compete and grow in the 21st century.

Add space as appropriate to this form. When complete, return to: CSG Innovations Awards 2004 The Council of State Governments 2760 Research Park Drive, P.O. Box 11910 Lexington, KY 40578-1910 [email protected]

DEADLINE: All original applications must be received by April 20, 2004, to be considered for an Innovations Award for 2004.