Building a Sustainable Future 2012 Self-Study Report
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Parkland College: Building a Sustainable Future 2012 Self-Study Report Submitted to the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Evaluation Visit October 1–3, 2012 Parkland College: Building a Sustainable Future 2012 Self-Study Report Submitted to the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Evaluation Visit October 1–3, 2012 Table of Contents Contents Parkland College: Core Component 1d 42 Building a Sustainable Future Board of Trustees . .42 . Administration . 43. History and Overview 1 Parkland College Association (PCA) . 48. Demographics and Data 2 College Governance . .50 . District 505 Map 4 Leadership Evaluation and Development . 51. Response to 2002 Core Component 1e 53 Higher Learning Commission Findings 5 Legal Integrity . 53 General and Auxiliary Fund Balances . 5 Fiscal Integrity . 54. Overview of the Curricular Integrity . 55. 2012 Reaccreditation Self-Study 6 College Environment Integrity . 57 Strengths and Challenges of the Self-Study Process . 11 . Community Relations Integrity . 63. Primary Findings of the Self-Study . 12 . Strengths and Challenges 64 Overview of the Self-Study . 15. Strengths . .64 . Acronyms and Initialisms for Self-Study . .15 . Challenges . 65. Criterion 1: Mission and Integrity Criterion 2: Preparing for the Future Core Component 1a 18 Core Component 2a 67 Mission Statement . 18. Strategic Planning . .67 . Core Values . 20. Input from Internal Constituents . .70 . Mission Statement Revision: 2008–2010 . 21. College Operational and Annual Planning . 71 . Purpose Statements under Review . 22 Core Component 2b 74 Strategies for Communicating the Mission . 22. Financial Resources . 74 Core Component 1b 23 Financial Revenues . 79 Commitment to Core Values . 23 Financial Expenses . 82. Measures to Diversify Faculty . 24. Budget Process . 83 . Academic Support Services . 28 Auxiliary Enterprises . 83 Retention Initiatives . .32 . Economic Factors Affecting the Future . 84 Core Component 1c 35 Human Resources . 85 . Workshops on Mission and Core Values . 35. Administrative Resources . .87 . Familiarity with Mission and Core Values . 36 Faculty and Staff Resources . 88 Master Campus Development Plan . 37. Physical Resources and College Facilities . 90 Innovation Fund . 39. Scholarship at Parkland (SPARK) Project . .39 . Student Services Support the Mission . .39 . Table of Contents i Core Component 2c 92 Core Component 3d 164 Contents Institutional Improvement and Use of Data . 93. Library . .164 . Core Component 2d 112 Classroom Technologies . 168 Developmental Education Council (DEC) . .112 . Office of Disability Services (ODS) . 170 First Year Experience (FYE) . 115 . Educational Spaces . .174 . P-20 Action Advisory Committee . 115 Strengths and Challenges 176 Student Success and Completion Strengths . 176. (Retention) Plan . 118 . Challenges . .176 . Student Success and Completion Plan . .120 . Criterion 4: Acquisition, Discovery, Plans for Campus Sustainability . 121 . and Application of Knowledge Datatel Migration . 125. Core Component 4a 178 Strengths and Challenges 128 Professional Development for Staff and Faculty . .178 Strengths . 128. Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning . 179 Challenges . .129 . The Leadership Conference . 183 Criterion 3: Student Learning Professional Development Funds . 183 . and Effective Teaching Internal Tuition Waivers . 184 Core Component 3a 130 Sabbaticals . .184 . New Courses and Programs . 130 Faculty, Staff, and Student Open Forums . 184 . Assessment of Courses and Programs . 131 Scholarship Opportunities . .185 . Strengths and Challenges of Assessment Plans . 135 Student Newspaper: The Prospectus . .189 . Assessment of General Education Objectives . .136 Student Literary Magazine: Images . .190 . Assessment and Program Review . 137 . Student Life Organizations . 191 Freedom of Inquiry . 193 Core Component 3b 138 Strategies for Hiring Qualified Faculty . .138 . Core Component 4b 194 Evaluation of All Faculty . 138 . General Education Requirements . 194. Professional Development Opportunities Writing across the Curriculum and the CETL . 140 (College Focus for 2010–2011) . 196 General Education Objectives Core Component 3c 143 (College Focus for 2011–2012) . .196 . Center for Academic Success (CAS) . 143 . SOAR and the First Year Experience . 148 . Student Technical Assistance and Resources . .149 . Counseling and Advising . 150. Distance and Virtual Learning . .153 . Table of Contents ii Core Component 4c 199 Core Component 5c 253 ICCB Program Review . .199 . K–12 Partnerships . 254. Contents Advisory Committees and Career Programs . 201 Dual Credit Courses . 255 Bus Tours, School Visits, Programs of Study (CDM) . .258 . and Town Hall Meetings . 202 . Math Contest . 260. Community-Based Job Training (CBJT) Grant . 204 High School Arts Seminar . 261. Professional Certifications . 206. Story Shop . .262 . Employment Surveys . 206 Articulation, Transfer, and Degree Partnerships . 262 Career Center . 206. Parkland Pathway Program . .264 . Commitment to International Students . 207. Adult Re-entry Center . 264 Entrepreneurial Program . 210 . Core Component 5d 266 Adult Basic Education . 212 Parkland College Foundation . 266 . Core Component 4d 214 Strengths and Challenges 270 FERPA . 214 . Strengths . 270. Copyright Compliance . .214 . Challenges . .271 . Counseling and Advising . 216. OIAR . 217 Conclusion: Strengths and Challenges 217 Building a Sustainable Future and Request for Reaccreditation 272 Strengths . 217. Challenges . .218 . Criterion 5: Engagement and Service Constituents Served 219 Core Component 5a 222 Learning from the College and the Community . .222 Service and Outreach Opportunities . 223. Community Education . .231 . Core Component 5b 233 Workforce Development and Business Training . 233 Business Training . 235. Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) . 237 Community Media Engagement . 237 Community Programs and Services . 245 Cocurricular Activities . 249 Access Success . 253 Table of Contents iii Acrobat Tips Acrobat PDF Helpful Tips Use the Bookmarks panel for quick access to document pages. To open the Bookmarks panel, click the Bookmark button on the left under the main header. Click a title/link to go to that page within the document. Search Use the Find feature to search a specific term, phrase, or word within the document. From the Edit menu, select Find (Ctrl+F). A search box will open on the upper right of the document page. Type the specific term, phrase, or word in the text field and press return. The first instance of result will be highlighted within the document. Click the left/right arrows on the search box to find new or previous instances of the search item; click the down arrow for options that refine your search. Acrobat PDF Helpful Tips iv Introduction Parkland College: Building a Sustainable Future History and Overview Parkland College, a fully accredited public community college, was established in 1966 to serve the educational needs of Illinois Community College District 505 . The mission of Parkland College is to engage the commu- nity in learning . The college is a center for educational opportunity and community enrichment in east central Illinois and has earned a national reputation for its excellent academic standards and innovative, quality instruc- tion . Moreover, Parkland College works collaboratively with other educational institutions in the area . Of particular note is its multifaceted relationship with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) . Administratively, Parkland’s leadership team is well-connected with its counterparts at the university; con- versations among deans and department chairs regarding articulation, program development, and joint grant applications are common . Informally, the two institutions share pools of part-time faculty, drawing from the ever-changing graduate student population within certain colleges in the university . Perhaps the most obvious examples of collaboration between the two schools are the Parkland Pathway to Illinois program; the volume of students transferring from Parkland to UIUC; the number of UIUC students concurrently enrolling in classes at Parkland College; and dozens of program-level connections in such areas as entrepreneurship, international education, and ROTC . Parkland serves approximately 10,000 for-credit students each semester . Since 1967, more than 271,000 students have attended Parkland, and more than half of District 505 households contain at least one family member who has attended Parkland . Since the first academic year in 1967, Parkland College has grown significantly, from serv- ing 2,042 students in 1968 to serving 17,840 students in 2011 . See Figure 1. Figure 1. Parkland College enrollment figures from 1982 to 2011. History and Overview 1 More than 90 percent of Parkland’s full-time faculty members have advanced degrees as well as extensive, relevant experience in their fields . Classes are small, with an average faculty-to-student ratio of 1:21, which Introduction encourages productive interaction between faculty and students . The college’s board of trustees, staff, and faculty are committed to teaching and helping students reach their educational and career goals . For a list of cur- rent board of trustee members, see Table 1. Table 1. Parkland College Board of Trustees, 2012. Board of Trustees: Members Chair Thomas M. Bennett (Gibson City) Vice Chair Dana Trimble (Newman) Secretary Linden A. Warfel (Tolono) James