Our Approach to Strategic Planning: Using APPREIATIVE INQUIRY · Our Approach to Strategic Planning: Using APPREIATIVE INQUIRY Appreciative Inquiry is an approach to positive change

Our Approach to Strategic Planning: Using APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY

Appreciative Inquiry is an approach to positive change that has been used successfully in communities and organizations (including many colleges) all around the world. It is based on the simple idea that people and organizations move in the direction of what they ask questions about.

For example, when groups study human problems and conflicts, they often find that both the number and severity of these problems grow. In the same way, when groups study high human ideals, aspirations and achievements, such as peak experiences, best practices, successful collaborations, and noble accomplishments, these phenomena, too, tend to flourish.

So, Appreciative Inquiry distinguishes itself from other change efforts by deliberately asking positive questions to ignite constructive dialogue and inspired action within organizations and communities.

Our Strategic Planning Process and Timeline

April 2015: Initial planning began at a meeting of the All College Assembly Executive Committee.

June 2015: The Board of Higher Education Strategic Plan Review Committee convened campuses undertaking Strategic Planning in 2015-2016; 12 members of the college community participated in Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Training. They, along with others who previously participated in training, formed the NECC 2020 Strategic Planning Steering Committee.

September 2015: The official kick-off occurred during Fall Convocation with the implementation of an Appreciative Inquiry exercise. 180 Inquiry Guides were completed along with 27 sheets of newsprint and 19 Inquiry Guide table notes. For those individuals not able to attend Convocation, the Inquiry Guide was also posted as an interactive form on the college’s website.

September/October 2015 A Data Synthesis Team developed six themes:

o Integrated Student Experience; o Student Success; o Career Exploration/Development; o Professional Development; o Curriculum Innovation; and o External Partnerships.

October/November 2015: The themes then served as the basis for more than 15 SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) Forums. For those unable to attend a Forum, a SOAR Questionnaire was available on the college’s website to enable the community to access and complete the Questionnaire online. About 200 completed questionnaires were received.

December 2015: A core Writing Team reviewed the feedback and information and set about drafting broad Strategic Goals.

January 2016: A draft of the new Strategic Plan was presented at Spring Convocation. The draft Plan was posted on the college’s website and the college community was encouraged to provide preliminary feedback through that vehicle.

March 2016: A revised draft was presented at an All College Assembly Open Forum to gather additional feedback. It was also a call for volunteers to join Goal Teams and shape the direction and implementation of NECC 2020.

April 2016: A collegial meeting with the Board of Higher Education’s Strategic Plan Review Committee occurred. This was at a point in the planning process in which the overall shape of the Plan had been given preliminary definition but early enough that changes could still be made.

April and May 2016: Goal Teams continued work on developing the Plan and identifying metrics and strategies.

June 2016: Affirmations and approvals from the Executive Committee of the All College Assembly, the college’s Board of Trustees, and the Board of Higher Education.

Our Strategic Plan NECC Mission Statement At NECC, our mission is to educate and inspire our students to succeed. We provide a welcoming environment focused on teaching and learning—strongly committed to unlocking the potential within each student and empowering our diverse community of learners to meet their individual goals. We are a community college dedicated to creating vibrant and innovative opportunities that encourage excellence and enhance the cultural and economic life of our region. NECC Vision Statement To create a supportive learning environment that embraces diversity and inspires initiative and excellence. NECC Core Values Student Engagement: We are committed to fully engaging our students as active learners by providing a diverse range of educational experiences. Collaboration: We are committed to developing productive, collaborative relationships within the college and among our various constituencies in the greater Merrimack Valley. Personal and Professional Growth: We are committed to the personal and professional growth of faculty, staff, and students alike. We believe that lifelong learning is essential to the personal enrichment and professional growth of each individual. Respect: We are committed to fostering mutual respect that enables faculty, staff, and students to grow and work together in a supportive environment of shared governance, open communication, and fairness. Culture of Inclusion: We are committed to being a model of diversity and inclusion; the campus community reflects the layers of cultural and self-identity that proudly make up our region, nation, and world. We respect, value, and celebrate the strengths, characteristics, and perspectives of all and promote an inclusive environment that leverages the unique contributions of each individual, group, and organization into all aspects of our work. Access and Opportunity: We are committed to providing affordable access to educational opportunity. Excellence: We are committed to a high standard of educational excellence in teaching and learning. Nothing less than the best will do for and from our students and ourselves.

Strategic Lens The Strategic Lens represents four major components that are integral to the mission of the college:

• Our students and their success are at the heart of the college’s efforts. • Faculty and staff provide the essential education, training, and support services that fortify this success. • Our campus is an inclusive environment that supports these initiatives and that must be well equipped and

technologically up-to-date. • And our role in building partnerships in the community strengthens our college and our region. These components drive

everything we do and have helped shape the direction of our Strategic Goals.

The Vision Project: A Public Agenda for Higher Education in Massachusetts The Vision: We will produce the best-educated citizenry and workforce in the nation. We will be a national leader in research that drives economic development. All of the NECC 2020 strategic planning goals are tied to the key outcomes of the Vision Project:

• College Participation • College Completion • Student Learning • Workforce Alignment • Preparing Citizens • Elimination of Disparities (Closing Achievement Gaps)

Goal Name: Integrated Student Experience Design and deliver an integrated, structured, and inclusive student experience across campuses that maximizes student success. Colleges flourish when the student experience empowers students to take ownership of their success. Every stop on the student pathway—from recruitment and early college, to financial aid and support services, to academic achievements, retention, and completion—is guided and seamlessly connected through personal relationships with faculty and staff, buttressed by an efficient infrastructure that links organization, technology, facilities, and services across campuses. Ensuring access for students and preparing them to meet their educational goals, enter the world of work, and be informed, active citizens in our global society is paramount. Outcomes

Fall to Fall Retention: The integrated student experience is meant to increase student resilience by building strong personal relationships with peers and college employees, clarifying student career and academic goals, and adding to student social capital at their entrance to college. If these things are happening, students will be returning each fall semester at a higher rate. Male, Hispanic, and Hispanic Male student retention lag behind the overall student retention rate at NECC and so deserve special attention. This outcome measure supports both the DHE Completion and Achievement Gap goals.

Measures Baseline Data (Fall 2014-Fall 2015) Targets (Fall 2019-Fall 2020)

All students 63% 68%

Males 61% 68%

Hispanics 60% 68%

Hispanic Males 58% 65%

Strategies o Mandatory, expanded orientation and first year experience; o Expanded career/life goal identification and alignment with academic major within the first year; o Increased use of student cohorts to build peer support

Course Completion Rate: The integrated student experience aims to improve student academic performance by building more structure into the curriculum and integrating student support into that structure through the use of cross-functional teams that center on the faculty-student relationship and include advising, financial aid, counseling, tutoring, liaison for community resources, and other staff. The college’s overall course completion rate (grade of C or higher) and those for Males, Hispanics, and Hispanic Males should rise with these changes. This outcome measure supports both the DHE Completion and Achievement Gap goals.

Measures Baseline Data (Fall 2015) Targets (Fall 2020)

All students 72% 78%

Males 68% 76%

Hispanics 67% 76%

Hispanic Males 61% 72%

Strategies

o Guided pathways in every academic program; o Cross-functional faculty/support staff teams deliver structured pathways and support.

Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA): The integrated student experience is designed to improve overall student college outcomes through all the strategies mentioned above and more consistent as well as personalized academic advising and higher expectations for academic performance. A three-year VFA outcomes metric measures such outcomes for a cohort of all new degree-seeking students, including earning an Associate Degree or Certificate, transferring to a four-year college or university, continued enrollment, and discontinued enrollment but with at least 30 credits earned. The three-year VFA outcome measure is a new one for the college. This outcome measure supports the DHE College Completion goal and Achievement Gap goal.

Measures Baseline Data (Fall 2015 for Fall 2012 Cohort)

Targets (Fall 2020 for Fall 2017 Cohort)

All students 59% 63%

Males 56% 62%

Hispanics 56% 62%

Hispanic Males 50% 58%

Strategies

o Consistent relationship with academic advisor that keeps student on path to completion of academic credentials; o Default course scheduling reduces chances students make poor choices that delay completion; o Consistent, high expectations for academic performance measured by learning outcomes assessment.

Goal Name: Student Career Opportunities Provide students with comprehensive career development services including access to internships, career exploration, experiential learning, and job placement. The student learning experience is not limited to the classroom. Internship placements, service learning, and other experiential learning opportunities in the field provide hands-on experiences, enhancing the student’s value to prospective employers and for transfer to higher levels of education. Mentorship, job shadowing, industry/worksite tours, and informational interview opportunities also enable students to learn about the workplace. Providing students with comprehensive tools for career exploration and development throughout their academic experience contributes to long-term success of students. Outcomes

STEM and Health Careers: When analyzing the gap between female and male rate of STEM degrees conferred and the gap between female and male rate of Health Care degrees conferred as a percentage of all degrees conferred to a group, NECC is currently one of the lowest in the state, at 32% and 34% below the state average, respectively. We seek to self-examine the reasons behind this data and to increase the percentages of entrance, persistence, and completion of female students pursuing careers in the high-demand fields of STEM and male students in the high-demand fields of Health Care. This outcome measure supports the DHE Completion, Closing Achievement Gaps, and Workforce Alignment goals.

Baselines and Targets

Percentage of students identifying as female who are enrolled in STEM majors, compared to the number of total students enrolled in STEM majors at NECC.

Measures Baseline Data (Fall 2015) Targets (Fall 2020)

Total students in STEM majors 923 TBD; Fall 2020 Enrollment

Percent of students identifying as female in STEM majors

26.54% (245 students)

37%

Percentage of students identifying as male who are enrolled in Health Care majors, compared to the number of total students enrolled in Health Care majors at NECC.

Measures Baseline Data (Fall 2015) Targets (Fall 2020)

Total students in Health Care majors

1,795 TBD; Fall 2020 Enrollment

Percent of students identifying as male in Health Care majors

17.83% (320 students)

28%

Strategies o Processes to analyze entrance, persistence, and completion of students in STEM and Health Care majors, looking specifically

at reasons why we lose potential/current students at each step of the process; o Mandatory, expanded orientation for students in STEM and Health Care programs; o Expanded experiential learning opportunities for students in high-demand fields, including internships, job shadowing,

mentoring, career panels, service learning, and workshops; o Increased alignment with high school partners to solidify interest and understanding of career pathways in the high demand

fields of STEM and Health Care.

Workforce Alignment: When analyzing the NECC graduate survey data, there is a significant gap between graduates who are employed (part time or full time) in a job related to their field of study and graduates who are employed (part time or full time) in a job that is not related to their field of study. We seek to self-examine the reasons behind this data. Our goal is to increase the percentage of students who are graduating and finding employment related to their field of study or in a field of their choice that aligns with their interests, values, and abilities. These outcome measures support the DHE Completion, Closing Achievement Gaps, and Workforce Alignment goals.

Baselines and Targets

Total graduates responding to the graduate survey who are employed after graduation, either part time or full time, in a job related to their field of study * or in a career path of their choice.

Measures Baseline Data (Spring 2014)

Targets (Spring 2020)

Percent of graduates responding that they are employed after graduation in a job related to their field of study.

51.92%

62%

*To factor into the equation: Students may decide to pursue a career unrelated to their field of study; they still may be working in a field of their choice.

Strategies

o Work with Institutional Research on necessary revisions to the localized component of the graduate survey. o Utilize career exploration to help students explore and understand their majors early in their college career. Embed career

education into the curriculum to appropriately train graduates on navigating the job search and securing employment of choice upon graduation. o Build intentional, in-depth, and consistent career exploration tools and services for all incoming students at the front end

of the student experience. Creatively embed these tools into Orientation, Academic Advising, and the First Year Seminar course to ensure all students receive the services and that the services are sustainable. (See internal outcomes and measures below).

o Work with individual academic areas to embed industry-specific career education into the curriculum. Academic programs will have a suite of options from which to embed. Each option will have non-negotiable learning outcomes designed to equip students with the knowledge and tools necessary to conduct an effective job search. (See internal outcomes and measures below).

o Increase the number of internships and other experiential learning opportunities like service learning and volunteerism for all students across disciplines. Standardize internship education across all academic programs, including processes, data collection, and evaluation.

Goal Name: Professional Growth

Increase opportunities for faculty and staff that encourage professional growth, foster experimentation, and advance curriculum innovation.

Our faculty and staff prosper when they can continue to strengthen their practice throughout their careers. Whether that be through facilitated learning, conference attendance, cross-functional teams, or other collaborative endeavors, opportunities for professional growth for both full and part-time employees are essential. Further, the college must be flexible and support these efforts by enabling innovation and promoting the development of new models for curriculum such as those that provide transformative learning, guided pathways, global experiences, distance learning, integrative and accelerated learning, and competency-based education.

Outcomes

Creation, Development, and Implementation of New Curriculum Models: such as guided pathways, co-requisite developmental math and English (Fusion) models and competency-based education; and measurement of student success/participation in these models. This outcome measure supports the DHE Completion, Student Learning, and Achievement Gap goals.

Measures Baseline Data (Fall 2014 – Spring 2015) Targets (Fall 2019 – Fall 2020)

ALP (Accelerated Learning Program) Options for Math and English, a Developmental class (Fusion) paired co-requisitely with a college level Math or English Class; Integrated model of Developmental Reading and Writing; majority of developmental classes, both math and English offered as pre-requisites stand-alone classes

AMP Math (accelerated math program) N=49 students enrolled, 65% passed (grades of A-C) College Level Math

ALP English (accelerated learning program) N = 86 students enrolled, 73% passed (grades of A-C) English 101

RWR (integrated reading and writing, a 6-credit course replacing separate developmental reading and writing courses) N = 82 students enrolled, 81% passed (grades of A-C) and of

TBD

these, N=53 students enrolled and 70% passed (grades of A-C) subsequent English 101 (this includes Fall 2015)

First Year Seminar class delivered primarily to dual and triple developmental students (this will change as of FY’17 to include all first time students with less than 12 credits)

N = 769 students enrolled, 68% passed (grades of A-C)

TBD

Number of students enrolled in Competency Based Education courses, co-requisite and integrated models of developmental education

Baseline Data Not Yet Available TBD

Guided Pathways Baseline Data Not Yet Available TBD

Number of accelerated learning opportunities offered by the college:

Accelerated Math Program

Accelerated Learning Program

Accelerated Reading, Writing, and Reasoning

Number of Faculty Training to Teach these Courses

6 AMP

9 ALP

5 RWR N = 9 Faculty Currently Trained

TBD (Based on demand and resources)

Number of faculty involved in Global Scholars and Experiential Learning, International Education

International Education/ Study Abroad, N = 25

Global Scholars, N = 50

Experiential Teaching and Learning, N = 2

TBD

Strategies

o Co-requisite models of course offerings in developmental courses will be increased so that the majority of students who place

below college level are taking the college level class at the same time; o Collaboration with advisors and student support staff on increasing enrollment in the new curriculum models;

o Professional learning support dedicated to new curriculum models with strategies such as communities of practice, mentoring, and sharing best practices for innovations will be created and sustained. These may include:

- International Studies One Geographic Region and Global Scholars Programs; - Discipline specific, or embedded First Year Seminar classes; - Co-requisite and integrated models of course design (Accelerated Learning); - Competency Based Education Courses; - Online Learning modalities; - Guided Pathways; and - Service Learning.

Goal Name: External Partnerships Expand and strengthen partnerships with the external community. Northern Essex is a community college in which the concept of community is as vital as the term college. This is demonstrated when the college reaches out to forge partnerships and deepen its academic, cultural, social, and economic impact within the region and around the world. Partnerships with other institutions of higher education, PK-12, and with businesses, community groups, donors, and others, all add value to the student experience and to the college as a whole. Outcomes

Opportunities to Serve and Support School Systems in the Region: Our K-12 partnerships are designed to address the needs of local school systems. When successful, local high school graduates are better prepared for college and, as a result, more likely to graduate and earn degrees leading to higher levels of education and/or meaningful employment. This outcome measure supports both the DHE College Participation and Completion goals.

Measures Baseline Data (Fall 2015) Targets (Fall 2020)

Number of high school students who enroll at NECC

327 TBD; Fall 2020 Enrollment

Number of dual enrolled students who finish the semester

203 213

Number of those students who are achieving college credits (grade C or better) through dual enrollment

179 188

Total Dual Enrollment FTE 109 TBD; Fall 2020 Enrollment

Strategies

o NECC representatives will visit partner high schools to share information about the educational opportunities offered at NECC; increase outreach and awareness.

o Curriculum alignment increased between NECC and partner high schools.

o Partner schools will have defined and mapped pathways from high school to community college and beyond for students; helping students define their educational and career goals.

Partnerships will continue to be built with higher education institutions to further enhance transfer opportunities and college affordability. This outcome measure supports the DHE College Completion and Preparing Citizens goals.

Measures Baseline Data (Fall 2012 – Spring 2015) Targets (Fall 2020)

Percent of students who transfer to four-year educational institutions upon graduating from NECC

42% 45%

Strategies

o Alignment of curriculum to create seamless pathways for NECC students with plans to transfer; alignment with the Massachusetts Commonwealth Commitment, a college affordability and completion plan.

o Increase student awareness of completion programs and articulation agreements.