Message from the President
All colleges tend to have a specialty, something that makes them “known.” Some colleges, for example, are known for an outstanding engineering program. Others are known for an emphasis on classical literature.
HCC’s specialty is “quality and improvement.” It has been a hallmark of the college since our doors fi rst opened to students in 1970. It is something faculty and staff embrace with a passion, something they see as foundational to our mission of helping students succeed. And it is something they do very, very well.
That special characteristic became very public in the spring of 2008 when HCC won the U.S. Senate Productivity Award, Maryland’s top recognition of performance excellence.
Among the criteria for the award are a strong customer focus, fact-based decision processes, systematic approaches to strategy development and implementation, and information systems that guide process improvement initiatives. This all sounds very quantitative, and it is. At HCC, the numbers add up to one thing: student success.
This year’s Annual Report to the Community is about the people behind the award and the high standards that classify them as exceptional. HCC was founded on the principles of outcomes assessment and 38 years ago its program was one of the fi rst of its kind. The concept has gained traction in higher education over the decades, but HCC faculty and staff were - and continue to be -- leaders among their peers.
With great pride, I present their vast and varied work.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Hetherington, Ed.D. President
CONTENTS
The Measure of Education ...... Page 2 • Profi les of Improvement • How HCC Assesses Learning • About the U.S. Senate Productivity Award Enrollment, budget and other HCC numbers ...... Page 11 Highlights of FY2008 ...... Page 12 The Year in Headlines ...... Page 15 HCC Educational Foundation Donor Report ...... Page 16
1 EDUCATION THAT MEASURES UP
The Measure of Education
In 2008, when HCC won Maryland’s top performance excellence award, the U.S. Senate Productivity Award, the recognition was 38 years in the making.
From the day HCC fi rst opened its doors in 1970, faculty and staff were on a mission to go beyond standard term papers and test scores to measure learning. They explored innovative ways to determine whether students had absorbed the contents of their courses, and then used this data to improve teaching.
Over the years, assessment at HCC has grown beyond the classroom to encompass virtually every aspect of business, from admissions and advising, to athletics and technology services, to the housekeeping department. But the heart of HCC’s assessment remains focused on the process of learning.
HCC has an extensive commitment to learning outcomes assessment, a highly structured process in which faculty conduct research to examine factors affecting student learning. They use the fi ndings to build better instructional practices to maximize the opportunity for success.
HCC faculty are committed to teaching excellence and improving student learning. They embrace assessment as a key to achieving these goals. Student and course outcomes continue to meet and exceed identifi ed goals and standards.
With extensive experience and a proven track record, HCC serves as a model of outcomes assessment for area community colleges, regional four-year public and private institutions, and the broad arena of outcomes assessment in higher education.
The following profi les refl ect the broad scope of faculty assessment and how the numbers-based efforts have a genuine impact on student learning and success.
THE ULTIMATE MEASURES OF SUCCESS
Studied Started Sharpened Became abroad a business her English a nurse language skills
2 PROFILES OF IMPROVEMENT
Global Awareness
Cheryl Berman Professor of World Languages
tudy-abroad programs allow students to Sexperience other cultures. But, do they genuinely enhance global perspectives? Based on a study of HCC’s Mexico program, Professor Berman’s research showed that the program is successful in meeting student goals and in changing attitudes about another country and its cultures. The program also enhances leadership, self-reliance, and risk-taking.
MathMusic
Dr. GabrielBenjamin Ayine Myers Associate Professor of Mathematics Associate Professor of Music
CC students take placement tests to determine HtheirCC serves preparedness students for at college-levelmany levels, math.from those SomeHwho students have studiedplace directly music forinto years college-level to those courses,who have but little others background – who may yet desirebe enrolling to major long afterin music. their lastWorking math with class other – need music refresher faculty, courses. Dr. InMyers his assessment researched project,and developed Dr. Ayine an found instrument that to studentsmeasure whostudent took musical a refresher and technicalcourse ultimately performance werein applied more music likely classesto have higherto prepare college-level them better math for gradesadvanced and study. cumulative grade point averages than those who placed directly into college-level math.
3 EDUCATION THAT MEASURES UP
Chemistry
Dr. William Brown Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Susan Morgan Assistant Professor of Chemistry
ith the aim of giving HCC students a solid Wfoundation as they transfer to four-year colleges and advance in their careers, Dr. Brown is assessing student knowledge of general chemistry compared to a nationally normed group using American Chemical Society standards. Using similar standards, Dr. Morgan is assessing a chemistry class that is a prerequisite for the nursing program to ascertain if students are suffi ciently prepared to begin their nursing studies.
4 PROFILES OF IMPROVEMENT
How HCC Assesses Learning
HCC collects academic assessment data in numerous ways.
• The national IDEA course evaluation survey is administered in all courses taught by new and probationary faculty and about half of the continuing faculty each semester. HCC consistently meets national IDEA norms.
• Academic managers examine course success rates per term and analyze trend data. They also look at the percentage of students with an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher over time.
• Student perceptions of their learning and their HCC’s Learning Outcomes Assessment research HCC experience are monitored through the Yearly projects are coordinated by Zoe Irvin (left), Evaluation of Services by Students (YESS) survey. Dr. Nidhi Srivastava (center) and Carie Mellies YESS results consistently show that more than 80 (right) in the college’s Office of Planning, Research percent of students are very satisfied or satisfied with and Organizational Development. the overall quality of instruction.
• HCC examines itself against state and national benchmarks through the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). HCC exceeds the benchmark on each of the survey’s five indicators:
Effectiveness Indicators: HCC Maryland CCs National Benchmark (16 colleges) (447 colleges) Active & Collaborative Learning 52.4 50.2 50.0 Student Effort 53.5 51.5 50.0 Academic Challenge 53.1 51.4 50.0 Student-Faculty Interaction 54.6 52.6 50.0 Support for Learners 52.1 50.1 50.0
• Another external measurement is provided by the Community College Learning Assessment (CCLA). Offering national data on community colleges and four-year institutions, the CCLA examines how the college as a whole contributes to student development. Measures include critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving and written communication.
• All academic divisions submit two annual course-based assessment plans or one program review plan on a three year cycle, with an average of 30 assessment projects running in any given academic year.
THE ULTIMATE MEASURES OF SUCCESS
Explored his Graduated Launched Became love for food from the an an engineer Accelerated opera career Nursing Program
5 EDUCATION THAT MEASURES UP
Critical Thinking
Dr. James Bell Professor of Psychology
Margaret Armitage Professor of Psychology
ritical thinking is a general education requirement Cfor all HCC students. Dr. Bell is leading an effort to assess student critical thinking skills and determine methods of assessment in psychology, sociology (with Dr. Phil Vilardo, associate professor) and economics (with John Bouman, professor). Professor Armitage is focusing on the social sciences, exploring the extent to which students who complete a human development course demonstrate competency in reading, thinking, and expressing ideas.
6 PROFILES OF IMPROVEMENT
Music
Dr. Benjamin Myers Associate Professor of Music
CC serves students at many levels, from those Hwho have studied music for years to those who have little background yet desire to major in music. Working with other music faculty, Dr. Myers researched and developed an instrument to measure student musical and technical performance in applied music classes to prepare them better for advanced study.
About the U.S. Senate Productivity Award
Since 1983, Maryland’s U.S. Senators have honored the quality, productivity and business achievements of Maryland organizations by presenting the U.S. Senate Productivity Awards for Maryland.
The U.S. Senate Productivity Award is the highest-level award in Maryland, followed by the Maryland Quality Awards at the gold, silver and bronze levels. The award levels form a ladder that organizations can climb on their continuous improvement journey. Both the U.S. Senate Productivity and Maryland Quality Awards are offered through the Maryland Performance Excellence Awards Program.
The U.S. Senate Productivity Awards are given to organizations that are deemed worthy of emulation throughout Maryland. Recipients exemplify visionary leadership, strong customer focus, fact-based decision processes, systematic approaches to strategy development and implementation, information systems that link customer requirements to process improvement initiatives, and human resource development and management systems that recognize that sustained improvements come from sustained employee growth and loyalty.
– From the Maryland Performance Excellence Awards Program
HCC won bronze awards for 2002 and 2003, a silver award for 2006, and the U.S. Senate Productivity Award for 2007.
THE ULTIMATE MEASURES OF SUCCESS
Became Discovered Became a Became a life coach a passion to star lacrosse Student teach music player Government President
7 EDUCATION THAT MEASURES UP
Emotional Intelligence
Dr. Andrea Dardello Professor of English
r. Dardello investigated the extent to which D emotional intelligence (EI, as measured by a nationally-normed instrument) predicted writing skill, student success and retention. Preliminary results indicated a positive relationship between EI skills and success. Also, findings indicate that “satisfaction,” “inspiration” and “happiness” were emotions considered most useful in the writing process, while “frustration,” ‘boredom” and “confusion” impeded the writing process.
From the Mailroom to Sports Teams: Other Measures Across the College
Faculty and staff in every HCC • Scholarships and Endowments • Student Satisfaction with Safety department have identifi ed a total of Total private giving specifically for Overall satisfaction with condition of 462 measurable indicators, called the scholarships and endowments that safety, buildings and grounds. Dragon’s Vital Signs, that help monitor the benefit students. • Mailroom Work Orders pulse of their operations. The indicators • Student Retention Percentage of mailroom work are routinely presented and discussed in Percent of students who continue orders completed on or before fall-to-spring or fall-to-fall. scheduled date. forums open to the entire college community. Samples of indicators include: • Employee Satisfaction with • Timely Processing of Payments Executive Office Areas Percent of cash receipts processed • NCLEX Success Rate Satisfaction with offices of in a timely manner. Percentage of nursing graduates president, vice presidents, and • Sport Team Participation who passed licensing and other executive areas. Overall number of students certification exams. • Employee Satisfaction with participating in sports. • Continuing Education Perception Technicians Responding to of Quality Service Calls Percentage of students who would Ratings of information technology recommend a noncredit course or staff responsiveness, competency, take another course. and resolution time.
THE ULTIMATE MEASURES OF SUCCESS
Received a Trained her Interned Became National employees at Disney an honors Science World student Foundation scholarship
8 PROFILES OF IMPROVEMENT
Online Learning
Sharon Lyon Associate Professor of Physical Science
John Lafferty Assistant Professor of Computer Systems
s Internet-based distance learning grows Amore popular, two professors are conducting assessments to gauge its effectiveness. Professor Lyon is comparing success rates of online and on- campus geology lab students, and then measuring the effectiveness of improvements to the class. Professor Lafferty is conducting a similar study of students in his Principles of the Internet class.
9 EDUCATION THAT MEASURES UP
Nursing
Laura Sessions Associate Professor of Nursing
Jennifer Stanford Professor of Nursing
o meet the growing demand for nurses, HCC Tcreated an accelerated nursing program that select students can complete in one year. As part of a project to assess factors that affect student retention in nursing, Professors Sessions and Stanford found that student success in the accelerated program is comparable to the standard program.
10 Enrollment, Budget and Other Numbers
Fall Enrollment HCC Budget Credit Students Sources of Funds
8,000
7,500 Auxiliary Other 9% County 12% 7,000 31%
6,500
6,000
5,500
5,000 FY2007 Budget: $65,916,510 Tuition /Fees State 4,500 33% 15% 2007 2007 2005 2006 2004 *2008 FY2008 Budget: $75,830,601 * Preliminary
Enrollment Where Howard County Goes to College Noncredit Students Top 7 Maryland colleges and universities enrolling Howard County undergraduates (Fall 2007) 20,000 50%
15,000 40%
30% 10,000
20%
5,000 10%
0% 0 U. UM UM HCC Park State CCBC UMBC Towson College College 2007 2005 2006 2008 2004 Salisbury University
Ethnicity Share of High School Seniors Percentage of Howard County graduating class enrolling at HCC ■ HCC Credit Students ■ HCC Noncredit Students
60% 25%
50% 20% 40% 15% 30%
20% 10%
10% 5% 0 0% Asian White Native Other/ African- Hispanic Unknown American American 2007 1990 1995 2000
11 Highlights of FY 2008