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SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Accounting PROGRAM REVIEW

March6,2019

BYEDPHIPPEN

PHIPPENCONSULTING,LLC

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND PRIORITY SUGGESTIONS 3

PROGRAM REVIEW FINDINGS 4

INTRODUCTION 6

METHODOLOGY 7

CURRICULUM 8

ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING 8

EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES 12

STUDENT DATA TRENDS 13

FACULTY 19

RESOURCES 20

PARTNERSHIPS 20

PROGRAM SERVICES 21

COMPETITION 21

LABOR MARKET OPPORTUNITIES 23

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND PRIORITY SUGGESTIONS

Overall Observations

TheAccountingProgram(ACCT)offersoneassociatedegree(AST),oneCertificateofProficiency(Accounting),andfourShortTermcertificates(AccountingClerk,AccountsReceivable/PayableClerk,PayrollClerk,andTaxPreparer).TheShortTermcertificatesarefullyintegratedintotheAASandautomaticallyconferred.SomecoursesintheACCTprogramarerequiredbyotherprogramsorarepopularelectives.Asaresult,slightlyfewerthan9percentofstudentsintheprogramarepursuinganaccountingdegreeorcertificate(asdeterminedbyEPCor“Intentcodes”).Unlessotherwisespecified,thisreviewfocusesonthosestudentswhoarepursuinganACCTdegreeorcertificate.

TheACCTprogramisamature,stableprogramatShoreline.ItwasoneofthefirstprogramsinWashingtonStatetoofferafullyonlineACCTdegreeoption.NowmostACCTprogramsinWashingtonofferafullyonlineoption.Accountingprogramsarerelativelystandardizedanddifferentiationisdifficult.Indeed,moststudentsreportchoosingShorelinebecauseofitslocation.

Oneofthemostdifficultadvisingchallengeistohelpstudentschoosebetweenthetransferortheprofessional-technicaldegree,thelatterofwhichisnottransferrabletoafour-yearsetting.In2015,theprogramunderwentacurriculumchangesothatthefirstthreecoursesastudenttakesarethesameforboththetransferandprofessional-technicalpathways.Thisgavestudentstimetolearnabouttheprofession,theirabilities,andthechallengesoftheprogrambeforehavingtochooseapathway.Thewebsitewasrecentlyupdatedtomoreclearlyshowstudentsthecareeroptionsanddifferencesbetweentheprograms.

Facultypridethemselvesontheirstudentfocusandresponsivenessandtheresultswereapparentinthestudentsurveys,wherestudentsfrequentlymentionedfacultyresponsivenessasaprogramstrength.Oneexampleofthisistheirrecentmovetoconductmostadvisingonline.Thefacultyhavedevelopedtoolsandstrategiestoensurethisworkswellforstudents.Oneofthemostimportantstrategiesthatmakethisworkisacommitmenttoprovideupdatedinformationwithinthesameday–andusuallyittakesonlyafewhours.

Overall,theACCTprogramiswellrun,producesexcellentresults,andhassomeareasforimprovement.

Priority Suggestion 1: Address employer demand for better interpersonal communication skills.

Asisfairlycommoninprofessional-technicalprograms,employersnoteatrendthatyoungerhireslackinterpersonalcommunicationskills.AdvisorycommitteemembersnotedarecenttrendofusingaccountantsinIndiatohandlesomeofthemorebasicaccountingtasks.Firstyearaccountantsfindthemselvesinthepositionofmanagingtheseemployees.Theyalsonotedthatsomenewhireslacktheabilitytoproductivelyparticipateinchallengingconversationsrelatedtofeedbackorparticipatingonteams.

Providinginterpersonalskillstrainingcanbechallengingforanonlineprogram.Indeed,withoutspecificstrategies,onlinetrainingcouldexacerbatetheverylackoftheseskills.

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Suggestions

1.1 Seekwaystoimproveinterpersonalskillstrainingthroughtheonlineformat,possiblybyworkingwiththeAssociateDeanofTeaching,Learning,andAssessmentandherstaffand/ortheExecutiveDirectorofVirtualCampus,eLearning,andInstructionalTechnology.(pp.8-9)

1.2 ShorelineAdministrationshouldconsiderpartneringwithinstructorsofthebusinesswritingandpublicspeakingcoursestohelpaddressthisneed.(p.9)

1.3 DiscussopportunitiestoengagetheAdvisoryCommitteeinroleplayingthetypesofconversationsthatneedtohappenwithexistingstudents.(p.9)

Priority Suggestion 2: Consider new strategies to meet the needs of students requesting more in-person classes

Similartootheronlineprofessional-technicalprograms,studentandalumnisurveysrevealedasub-setofstudentsrequestingmorein-personlearningopportunitieswithinstructors.Unfortunately,thesurveysarenotstructuredtoprovidedescriptivedataabouttheseindividuals,ortoaccuratelygaugethenumberofstudentsthisimpacts.Nonetheless,therewereconsistentresponsesrequestingthistypeofhelp.

Suggestions

2.1ConsideralsodiscussingwaystoimproveengagementandmorebroadlymeetstudentneedswiththeAssociateDeanofTeaching,Learning,andAssessmentandherstaffand/ortheExecutiveDirectorofVirtualCampus,eLearning,andInstructionalTechnology.(p.9)

2.2Iftheyhavenotalreadydoneso,theCollegemayconsiderstrategiestoaddressthiscampus-wide.(p.9)

Priority Suggestion 3: Align Master Course Outcomes with Program Level Outcomes

FacultyhaveworkedhardtodevelopspecificMasterCourseOutcomes(MCO).TheyhavenotmappedtheMCOstotheirProgramLevelOutcomes(PLO).CompletingthistaskwillhelpensurethatcoursesaresufficientlycoveringeachPLOandthatnonearemissedorover-taught.

Suggestions

3.1WorkwithStudentLearningandSuccesstogettheirhelpconductingamappingexercise.(p.9)

Program Review Findings

Program Level Findings

1. StudentsuccessratesarelowerthantheaverageforallProfessionalTechnicalprograms.ThiscouldbebecauseofthesmallprogramsizeorareflectionoftheintensityoftheACCTprogram.(p.10)

2. Programenrollmentincreasedbymorethan12percentbetweenAY2013and2017.(pp.13-14)

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3. Comparedtoneighboringschools,ShorelinehasamongstthesmallestofACCTprograms.However,enrollmentatShorelinehasbeensteadywhilemostotherschools’enrollmenthasbeendeclining.(pp.14-15)

4. ACCTcompletionratesaresignificantlyhigherthanShorelineProfessional-Technicalprogramsonaverage,likelyduetoarelativelyhighnumberofcertificatesembeddedintheprogramandautomaticallyconferred.(pp.18-19)

Employment Findings

1. Ahighpercentageofalumniandformerstudentsurveyrespondentsindicatedtheywereworkinginanoccupationrelatedtotheaccountingfield(25outof43respondents).(p.12)

2. Until2015,programcompletersgainedemploymentatamuchhigherratethanleavers.Thechangesoccurringin2015andlatermayberelatedtothetighteninglabormarket.(pp.12-13)

Student/Course Level Findings

1. ConsiderengagingwithBusinessTechnologytoallowstudentstotestoutoftypingand10-keyrequirements.(p.8)

2. Removethethree-creditQuickBooksandCertifiedBookkeepercoursesduetolackofstudentdemand.(pp.8)

3. TheprogramparticipantsaremorediverseinmostcategoriescomparedtoindustryandtheoverallaveragesofShorelineProfessional-Technicalprograms.(pp.15-18)

4. AbouthalfofACCTcurrentstudentsworkatleast20hoursperweek.TheACCTprogramoffersseveralstrategiestohelpmeettheirneeds.(p.18)

Faculty Findings

1. Thetwofull-timefacultyfullyparticipatedinthisprogramreviewandwereengaged,thoughtful,andhadagoodunderstandingoftheneedsofstudentsandemployers.(p.19)

2. StudenttofacultyratiosdemonstratedagreatdealofefficiencyintheprogramcomparedtoBUSADMandallofProfessional-Technicalprogramsonaverage.(pp.19-20)

3. Facultyuseprofessionaldevelopmentresourcestostayuptodatewithemergingtrendsinthefield.(p.20)

4. Duringtheprogramreview,facultydemonstratedexpert-levelabilitieswithonlinelearningtoolsusedatShoreline.(p.19)

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Resource Findings

1. ACCTistaughtfullyonlineandfacultyarepleasedwithonlinetoolsavailabletothem.(p.20)

Partnerships

1. TheACCTprogramadvisorycommitteewasrecentlyreconstituted,andworkisneededtogrowitinsizeanddiversityofmembers,andtoorientmemberstotheACCTprogram.(p.20)

2. Whileonlycomposedofthethreemembers,theserepresentagoodstart.Theywereengagedanddidagoodjobofrepresentingtheirsegmentsoftheindustry.(p.20-21)

3. Facultywereawareoftheneedtogrowtheadvisorycommitteeandhavegoodideasabouthowtodothis.(p.21)

Program Services

1. Respondentstothestudentsurveyindicatedaslightlylowersatisfactionwithprogramservicesrelativetootherprogramreviews.However,becauseofthelowresponseratetothissurveythisfindingshouldbeconsideredqualitatively.(p.21)

2. OnethemeoftheprogramserviceswasadesireformoreACCTtutors.FacultyshouldconnectwithTutoringServicesDepartmenttoensurethattherearesufficienttutorsavailableforACCTstudents.(p.21)

Competition

1. AcomparativeanalysisrevealsthatdifferentiationisdifficultincommunitycollegeACCTprograms.(p.22)

2. Shoreline’sonlineprogramandresponsivenessoffacultywerenotedbystudentsandalumnitobeimportantprogramcomponents.(p.22)

Labor Market Opportunities

1. Theadvisorycommitteedidnothavestrongopinionsaboutthelabormarketdatabutsharedthattheirorganizationsdidnothavedifficultieshiringandtheydidnotknowofgraduateswhohaddifficultiesfindingemploymentinthefield.(p.23)

INTRODUCTION

Inanefforttomaintainthehighestqualitypost-secondaryeducationandmeetregulatoryrequirements,ShorelineCommunityCollegehiredPhippenConsulting,LLCinwinterof2019toconductaprogramreviewofitsAccounting(ACCT)Program.

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METHODOLOGY

Meetings

• Oneone-and-a-half-hourmeetingwithDivisionDean,programchair,andInstitutionalReviewstafftoidentifymajorissuesoffocus.

• Threetwo-hourmeetingswithstaffandfacultytodiscussallaspectsoftheirprogram.

• Oneone-hourmeetingwiththeACCTProgramAdvisoryCommitteetodiscusstherelevanceofthisprogram.

Documents Reviewed

• Onesurveyofcurrentstudents(n=61,14percentresponserate)

• Onesurveyofalumniandformerstudents(n=56,5percentresponserate)

• Studentdemographicdata

• Classcancellationandwaitlists

• Studentcompletiondata

• StudentcompletionratiosforACCT,Shoreline,andthestate

• Studentgradedistributions

• Comparativedataonstudent-facultyratios

• Comparativedataonfull-timetopart-timefacultyratios

• Programandcourselevelfillrates

• Labormarketdata

• JobopeningsdatafromEMSI

• Programlevellearningoutcomes

• Collegeandprogramwebsiteandplanningguides

• AnnualizedFTEs,headcount,andpercentofenrollmentbyprogramandbycertificate/degree

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Surveys

Theprograminstitutedanalumniandcurrentstudentsurveylastyear(seetheseparatedocument,“AccountingSurveys”foracopyofthesurveyresults).SurveysweredistributedbyShoreline’sMarketingandCommunicationsDepartmentusingMailChimpandSurveyMonkey.Oneemailandonefollow-upemailweresenttobothcurrentandformerstudentsresultinginaresponserateof14percentforcurrentstudentsand5percentforformerstudents.

Becausebothresponserateswererelativelylow,useofquantitativedatafromthesurveysislimited.

CURRICULUM

Curriculum Review

Thecurriculumwaslastrevisedin2015,atwhichtimetheyalignedtheprogramsothattransferandprofessional-technicalstudentstookthesamesetofintroductorycourses.Thiswasanimportantstructuralchange.Previoustothischange,studentseitherchosethetransferorprofessional-technicaltrackatthebeginningoftheprogram.Priorto2015thecourseswerenon-transferrablebetweenthetracks.Thiscreatedproblemsforstudentswhowantedtomovebetweentracks.Mostoftenthiswasastudentinthetransfertrackthathadsomethingpersonalintervenethatmadethecommitmenttocontinuewithschoolingchallenging.

Duringthe2015revisiontheprogramalsorespondedtoinputfromtheadvisorycommitteetomakeExcel,typing,and10-keyrequiredcourses.Somerespondentstothesurveysrequestedthatstudentsbeallowedtotestoutoftypingand10-keyrequirements.

Recently,theyrespondedtostudentrequeststhatathree-creditcoursebeaddedtotheprogram.Manystudentsneededone-threecreditcoursetograduateandatthetimetherewerenoneinaccounting.Tomeetthisneed,thedepartmentcreatedathree-creditQuickBookscourseandathree-creditCertifiedBookkeepercourse.However,atthesametimethesecourseswerelaunched,anotherdepartmentlaunchedathree-creditsocialjusticecoursewhichbecamequitepopular.TheQuickBooksandCertifiedBookkeepercourseshavenotbeenpopularsinceandneedtoberemovedfromtheschedule.

Interpersonal Communication Skills

Asisfairlycommoninprofessional-technicalprograms,employersnoteatrendthatyoungerhireslackinterpersonalcommunicationskills.RecenttrendsincludeoneexamplefromtheAdvisorycommitteeregardingatrendofusingaccountantsinIndiatohandlesomeofthemorebasicaccountingtasks.Firstyearaccountantsfindthemselvesinthepositionofmanagingtheseemployees.Theyalsonotedthatsomenewhireslacktheabilitytoproductivelyparticipateinchallengingconversationsrelatedtofeedbackorparticipatingonteams.Theyindicatedthatyoungeremployeesraisedinthedigitalagesometimeslacktheskillstoeffectivelygiveandreceiveperformance-relatedfeedback.Theyalsoindicatedthatworkinginteamscanbeachallengefortheseyoungeremployees.

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Providinginterpersonalskillstrainingcanbechallengingforanonlineprogram.Indeed,withoutspecificstrategies,onlinetrainingcouldexacerbatetheverylackoftheseskills.FacultyshouldseekhelpfromtheAssociateDeanofTeaching,Learning,andAssessmentandherstaffand/ortheExecutiveDirectorofVirtualCampus,eLearning,andInstructionalTechnologytoimproveinterpersonalskillstrainingthroughtheonlineformat.TheycouldalsoengagetheAdvisoryCommitteeinadiscussionaboutwaystheycouldhelpcurrentstudentsthroughroleplayactivities.

BecausethisisanissuethatwillaffectallProfessionalTechnicalonlineprograms,ShorelineadministrationshouldconsiderreviewingcurriculumintheBusinessWritingandPublicSpeakingcoursestohelpaddressthisneed.

Better Meet Student Needs through Online Education

Studentandalumnisurveysrevealedasub-setofstudentsrequestingmorein-personlearningopportunitieswithinstructors.Therequestsincludedin-personclassesand/orin-personofficehours.Unfortunately,thesurveyswerenotstructuredtoprovidedescriptivedataabouttheseindividuals,ortoaccuratelygaugethenumberofstudentsthisimpacts.Whiletherewereconsistentresponsesrequestingthistypeofhelp,facultybelievedthattheywereininsufficientnumberstosupportopeningseparatein-personand/orhybridcourses.

ThistrendisnotuniquetotheACCTprogram,butisincreasinglyfoundwithotheronlineprograms.Moredatamayberequiredtobetterunderstandthesestudentsandtheirneeds.Regardless,facultycouldconsiderdiscussingwaystoimproveengagementandmorebroadlymeetstudentneedswiththeAssociateDeanofTeaching,Learning,andAssessmentandherstaffand/ortheExecutiveDirectorofVirtualCampus,eLearning,andInstructionalTechnology.

Iftheyhavenotalreadydoneso,theCollegemayconsiderstrategiestoaddressthiscampus-wide.

ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING

Program Outcomes

Itisimportantforprogramstoperiodicallyensuretheirstudentsareachievingprogramoutcomes.Onemethodfordoingthisistoaskalumnitoratetheextenttowhichtheyachievedprogramoutcomes,thoughthishasitslimitationsprimarilybasedonpopulationsampling.WithregardtotheACCTprogram,thealumnisurveysamplewastoosmalltogenerateusableresults.

Anotherwaytoensurestudentsareachievingprogramoutcomesistomapcoursestotheoutcomes.Facultynotedthattheyhaveworkedhardtoensureconcrete,specificMasterCourseOutcomes.ButtheyhavenotgonethroughaprocesstomaptheMasterCourseOutcomeswiththeProgramLevelOutcomes.Doingthiswillhelpfacultyunderstandwherelearningandassessmentoccursthroughouttheprogram,identifyinggapsthatcouldimproveuptakeofprogramlearningoutcomes.ACCTfacultyshouldworkwithInstitutionalReviewDepartmenttoundergothisprocessinthenearfuture.

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Grades

AnexaminationofACCTcoursesuccessandgradesrevealsthatACCTpassratesandgradesareslightlylowerthanallShorelineProfessional-Technicalprogramsduringthesametimeperiod.Thiscouldbeoccurringbecauseofthesmallernumberofstudentsintheprogram,relativetoallProfessional-Technicalprograms.Facultyalsoindicatethattheprogramisintensiveandrequiresasignificantamountofdedicatedtimetobesuccessful.Theytypicallyadviseworkingstudentsthatiftheyareworkingandgoingtoschool,theywillneedtwofulldayseachweektodedicatetotheiraccountingwork.

ACCT(Intent)CourseSuccessbyAcademicYear

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Professional-TechnicalProgramCourseSuccessbyAcademicYear

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Gradedistributionsinthefollowingtablerevealfairlyconsistentandobjectivegradingpracticesfromyear-to-year.Year-to-yearvariabilityisattributedtotherelativelysmallnumbersofstudentswithACCTintentcodes(approximately110-130studentsdependingontheyear).

ACCT (Intent) Prof-Tech

EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES

Tounderstandemploymentoutcomes,twodatasourcesaretypicallyused.First,ACCTalumnisurveyresponsesregardingtheiremploymentstatusisconsidered.Rememberingthatthealumniresponseratewasquitelow(fivepercent),theresultsreportedwerenotusable.

Whenrespondingtoanopen-endedquestionabouttheircurrentjobsandresponsibilities,25outof43respondentsindicatedtheywereworkinginaoccupationrelatedtotheACCTprogram.Thisisahighcorrelationandpointstotherelevancyoftheprogramandthetightaccountinglabormarket.

TheseconddatasourceistheDataLinkingforOutcomesAssessmentdatabasecompiledbytheWashingtonStateBoardforCommunityandTechnicalCollegeslinkingprogramoutcomesandemploymentdata.Thisdatashowstheemploymentoutcomesforalumnithatcompletedtheirdegreeorcertificate.Thedatadoesnotshowwhatjobstheseindividualshave.

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Academic Year Estimated Employment

Rate for Completers

Estimated Employment

Rate for Leavers

2012-2013 79% 65%

2013-2014 81% 70%

2014-2015 81% 54%

2015-2016 76% 80%

2016-2017 94% 84%

Until2015,completersgainedemploymentatamuchhigherratethanleavers.In2015,leaversalsobegangainingemploymentatahighrate.Theadvisorycommitteeandfacultyindicatethatthisislikelybecauseofthetighteninglabormarket.

Completers–AverageWages(2012-2016)

CompletionYear Completers Leavers

2012-2013 $22.07 $17.38

2013-2014 $19.01 $15.80

2014-2015 $17.17 $15.08

2015-2016 $20.92 $17.96

2016-2017 $18.01 $21.48

Reportedwagesforthisprogramwerestrongforbothcompletersandleavers.Leaverswagestrengthmaybeattributedtotheminimumwageincreasesaswellasthetighteninglabormarket.

STUDENT DATA TRENDS

Enrollment

Asthefollowingtableshows,ACCTFTEenrollmentincreasedbyover12percentbetweenAY2013and2017.Thisincreasecanbeattributedtoastrategiceffortonthepartoffacultytokeepenrollmenthigh,inlightofdecliningenrollmentselsewhereacrossShorelineCollege.Theyaccomplishedthisbymethodicallyreviewingcourseenrollmentsandensuringallcourseswereasfullaspossible.Incomparison,Shoreline’sBusinessAdministrationprogramenrollmentincreasedby30percentoverthesametimeperiod(afterrecoveringfromsignificantlowenrollmentinAY2014).Shoreline’sprofessional-technicalprogramsonaveragedecreasedby4percentduringthesametimeperiod.

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FTEbyAcademicYear

ACCT BUSADM Prof-Tech

ThefollowingtablecomparesShorelineACCT’sFTEwithotherlocalcolleges.Shoreline’sprogramisthesmallestoflocalcolleges.ThisislikelyattributabletoShoreline’ssmallservicearea,thewidespreadusofonlineinstructioninthisfield,andtheuniformnatureofAccountingprogramsacrossthestate,whichmakesdifferentiationdifficult.ItisimportanttonotethatShoreline’sprogramgrewby12percentduringthistimeperiod,mostlyattributedtoasignificantlysmallerenrollmentin2015-15.Mostotherprogramsdeclinedduringthesametimeperiod,rangingbetween8to26percentdeclines.Theoneexception,Bellevue,showedsteadygrowthandincreasedalittlemorethan7percentduringthisperiod.

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FTEComparisonbyYear

ShorelineCommunityCollege

BellevueCollege

NorthSeattleCollege

EdmondsCommunityCollege

GreenRiverCollege

HighlineCollege

SeattleCentralCollege

2014-15 113.00 314.63 271.91 229.70 199.44 170.33 139.78

2015-16 125.69 321.33 234.23 226.77 189.67 156.00 128.33

2016-17 126.11 329.53 232.68 211.65 190.11 145.44 130.33

2017-18 125.78 339.03 200.26 210.73 183.45 147.33 134.56

Student Demographics

ACCTrangesbetween69to76percentfemaledependingontheyear,comparedtoindustry,whichwas88percentfemalein2016.1Shoreline’soverallProfessional-Technicalprogramsonaveragearebetween52and56percentfemale.Itdoesoffergreatereconomicdiversity(asmeasuredbyPellEligibility)thanShorelineasawhole.ThisprogramhasagreaterpercentageofolderstudentsthanoverallProfessional-Technicalprogramsonaverage.AtleasthalfofACCTstudentsareovertheageof31,comparedtoslightlylessthan40percentofProfessional-Technicalstudents.Themedianageofbookkeepersandaccountantsis48yearsofage.

RacialdiversityinACCTissimilartothatofShoreline’soverallProfessional-Technicalprograms.However,racialdiversityismuchbetterinACCTthanintheindustryoverall.Over80percentofbookkeepersandaccountantsarewhiteinindustry,whilebetween46to58percentofACCTstudentsarewhite.

ACCTAge

1 Industry comparisons in this section are from https://datausa.io/profile/soc/433031/ downloaded January 2019.

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Prof-TechAge

ACCTSex

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Prof-TechSex

ACCTRace/Ethnicity

Prof-TechRace/Ethnicity

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ACCTPellEligibility Prof-TechPellEligibility

Abouthalfoftherespondentstothecurrentstudentsurveyreportedtheywereworkingwhileattendingschool.Fourteenof31respondentsindicatedtheywereworkingmorethan20hoursperweek.Thisispossiblebecauseoftheonlinenatureoftheprogram,andmanystudentsandalumniindicatedthatthisflexibilityallowedthemtopursuetheireducationwhileworking.Otherprogramstructuresthataccommodateworkingstudentsincludesallowingstudentstheoptionofturninginallworkattheendofthequarterandmakingresponsivenesstostudentrequestsapriority.Thesestructureswereallconfirmedbyresponsestothestudentandalumnisurveys.

Completion Data

ThefollowingtablecomparestheACCTprogram’sratioofstudentsperworkforcecertificatesanddegreesearnedtoShorelineProfessional-Technicalstudentsandthestateasawhole.ACCTstudentscompletecertificatesanddegreesatahighratecomparedtoShorelineProfessional-Technicalstudentsandstatewideaverages.

AllWorkforceCertificatesandDegrees

2012-2013

2013-2014

2014-2015

2015-2016

2016-2017

2017-2018

State Ratio 21%. 20% 20% 22% 20% 20%

Shoreline

Completions 1.317 1,229 1,273 1,164 1,300 1,204.Headcount 5,203 4,681 4,205 4,132 4,862 5,089Ratio 26% 26% 30% 28% 27% 24%.

ACCT

Completions 49 57 67 63 66 54Headcount 91 86 88 80 85 77Ratio 53% 61% 75% 78% 77% 67%

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ThehighcompletionrateintheACCTprogramcanlargelybeattributedtothehighnumberofcertificatesthatareautomaticallyconferredasstudentsworktheirwaythroughtheprogram,asdemonstratedinthefollowingtable.

2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018

Accounting – AAAS 11 13 8 12 12 8 Practical Accounting – CP 5 0 0 2 2 3 Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable Clerk – CC

8 8 16 11 13 11

Payroll Clerk - CC 7 9 14 12 13 11 Accounting Clerk – CC 12 11 17 11 15 12 Tax Preparer – CC 6 16 12 15 11 9

Fill Rates

Fillratesaredeterminedbycomparingthenumberofstudentsenrolledinacourseduringanacademicyear,withthatcourse’scapacityfortheyear.Twocourseshadrelativelylowfillrates:ACCT206(QuickBooks)andACCT208(NonprofitandGovernmentAccounting).Facultywereawareofthelowratesfortheseclasses.Eachisofferedonlyonceperyear.ACCT208isintendedtoattractstudentswhoneedadditionalcreditstoqualifyfortheCPAexam.

FACULTY

ACCT’schairanditsadditionalfull-timeinstructorfullyparticipatedintheprogramreview.Theywereengaged,thoughtful,andhadagoodunderstandingoftheneedsofstudentsandemployers.ACCThastwofull-timetwoassociatefaculty.

Studentandalumniwerecomplementaryofmostinstructorsinthisprogram,mentioningseveralbyname.Respondentstypicallynotedboththequalityofinstructionprovidedaswellastheresponsivenessoftheinstructorstoquestionsposedbystudents.

Duringtheprogramreview,facultydemonstratedexpert-levelabilitieswithonlinelearningtoolsusedatShoreline.Forexample,onefacultymemberdescribedhowhemonitorsstudenttimespentonindividualconceptsandusesthisdatatoquicklyprovidecustomizedhelpwhenneeded.

Faculty Workload

ACCTstudent-to-facultyratiodemonstratesagreatdealofefficiencyintheprogram.

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Year ACCT BUSADM PROFTECH

AY 2013 1:31 1:22 1:13

AY 2014 1:34 1:19 1:13

AY 2015 1:29 1:19 1:12

AY 2016 1:28 1:20 1:13

AY 2017 1:28 1:24 1:13

Professional Development

Facultyuseprofessionaldevelopmenttokeepuptodatewithemergingtrendsintheaccountingfieldandmeetstudentneeds.Forexample,whentheprogramfirstwentonlinetherewerefewsuitablee-booksavailableonthemarket.Toaddressthis,DanKingusedprofessionaldevelopmentfundstodevelopane-book.

RESOURCES

Theprogramistaughtonline.Facultyarequitepleasedwiththeonlinetoolsavailabletothemandfeltcompetentintheiruse.

Thestudentandalumnisurveyresponsesincludedfewcommentsaboutprogramresources.AveryfewrespondentssharedfrustrationswiththeMcGraw-Hilltextbook,notingeitherthatitwas“glitchy”orthatitdidnotincludepracticeproblems.Facultynotedthatthetextbookdoesnotalwaysworkwellwiththeonlinesystem.Forexample,ifastudentpurchasesacopyofthetextbook,thepagenumberscanbeoutofsynchwithwhat’sprovidedonline.

PARTNERSHIPS

Active Partners

TheACCTadvisorycommitteehasbeenreconstituted;theirfirstmeetingwastodiscusstheprogramreview.Thenewcommitteecurrentlyhasthreemembersrepresentingalargeaccountingfirmandacollegefinancialservicesoffice.Beingtheirfirstmeeting,theywereunfamiliarwiththedepartmentandneedanorientation.Forexample,feltthatExcelskillsarerequiredintheworkplacebutdidnotknowthatExcelisarequiredcourseintheACCTprogram.Theinclusionofpublicandprivateaccountingfirmsisanicestarttothenewcommittee.Itwillbeimportanttogrowthecommitteetoincludeabroadarrayofdiversemembers:temporaryaccountingfirms,smallaccountingpractices,andmore.TheACCTdepartmentshouldworktoensureadiversityofexperienceswithinthegroupaswell–currentmembersareontheyoungersideandbringanimportantvoicetothecommittee.Itwillbeimportanttoattractmoresenioraccountantsaswell.

Atameetingtodiscussthisprogramreview,theadvisorycommitteememberspresentwereengagedintheindustry.Theyseemedwillingtomakeactive

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contributionstothedepartment.Theyfullyparticipatedinthemeetingandmadethoughtfulcontributionstothereview.

Whenaskedaboutpartnershipstheywouldliketogrow,facultykeyedinongrowingthenewadvisorycommitteeandalreadyhadseveralideasonhowtoaccomplishthis.

PROGRAM SERVICES

CurrentstudentsweresurveyedregardingtheiropinionsofACCTprogramservices.Theywereaskedtorateeachcomponentonascaleof1(poor)to5(excellent).Theratingswere:

Element RatingHelpfulprograminformationoncollegewebsiteandprintedmaterials

3.94

Effectivecurriculumstructure:(Didthesequenceofcoursesmakesense?Didtheskillsyoulearnedinoneclasstransfertothenextclass?)

4.13

Supportofindividuallearningneeds 3.84Adequatepreparationforemployment(knowledgeandskillsforthefield)

4.0

Adequateguidanceforcareerplanning 3.79Adequateprogramresources(informationtechnology,equipment,space,supplies)

4.06

Classschedulesmeetstudentneeds 4.18Academicadvisingmeetsstudentneeds 4.05Effectivenessofothersupportservices(tutoring,financialaid,counselingetc.)

3.98

TheratingsforACCTprogramelementswerelowerthanwithotherprogramsatShoreline.Becauseofthelowresponserateofthestudentsurveyitisdifficulttodrawconclusionsabouttheselowerratings.Openresponsestotheratingsidentified:

• Adesireforaccountingtutorsand/orMathLearningCentertutorswhocouldhelpwithaccounting-relatedmathproblems;

• Excellentfaculty(asdescribedabove);• Technologydifficultiesrelatedtoincompatibilitieswithstandard

operatingsystemsandarelatedlackoftechnical-relatedguidance;• Aprettyevensplitbetweenstudentswhoenjoyedtheonlineformat

andthosewhodesiredmorein-personclasses;and• Studentswhodesiredlongerclasses.

Withregardtotutoring,facultybelievedthatthereweresufficienttutorsavailableandthatthesecomplaintswererelatedtostudentswaitingtolongtoaccesstutoringservices.Toconfirmthis,facultyshouldconnectwiththeTutoringServicesDepartment.

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COMPETITION

BothcurrentandformerstudentsrespondingtothesurveysindicatedthattheyselectedShorelinebecauseofthelocationoftheschool(asopposedtootherfactorssuchasquality,reputation,cost,orarecommendation).SurveyrespondentsalsonotedthatShoreline’sonlineofferingswereadeterminingfactoraswell.

Becausefacultysharedanintentiontoberesponsivetostudentinquiriesabouttheprogram,itisworthnotingthefollowingcommentfromthesurvey,notingthatonefacultymemberwas“…veryefficientandrepliedtomyquestionsregardingthe[AccountingandBusiness]programatShorelinequickly.[He]alsoassistedwithsettingupmyschedulefortheyear.OverallcommunicationwithanyoneatShorelinehasbeenveryefficient.Ididn’thavethesameexperiencewiththeotherschools.”

Acomparativeanalysisofotherschoolwebsiteswasconductedasacomponentofthisprogramreview.Thisreviewernotedthataccountingprogramsarequitesimilaracrossthestateandmostschoolsofferfullyonlinedegreesandcertificates.Forthisreason,itisdifficultforShorelinetodifferentiateitsprogram.Afewschoolsofferedthefollowingcomponentsthatmayhelpthemdifferentiate:

• CPAPreparation;• In-personandonlineoptions;• AnAccountingLearningCenter;• Certifiedbookkeeperexampreparation;• Articulationwithafour-yearschool(althoughthisarticulationwaslikely

fortransferstudentsasProfessional-Technicalprogramsdonotarticulatewell);and

• VolunteerIncomeTaxAssistanceprogram(inpartnershipwiththeUnitedWay).

CurrentstudentswereaskedwhatotherprogramstheyconsideredbeforeselectingShorelineandtheirresponsesindicatedthatShorelinecompeteswithmanydifferentuniversityandcollegeprogramsinWashingtonandacrossthecountryincluding:

• NorthSeattleCollege;• EdmondsCommunityCollege;• EverettCommunityCollege;• UniversityofWashington;• BellevueCollege;• WesternWashingtonUniversity;• WashingtonStateUniversity;• SeattleCentralCollege;and• SeattleUniversity.

23

LABOR MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Thefollowingchartportraysthelabormarketforthisprogram,basedondataavailablefromtheStateofWashington.

OCCUPATION DEMAND STATUS JOB GROWTH

(King & Snohomish Counties Combined)

SOC SOCTITLE King County Snohomish County 2018 2020 2022

13-2082 Tax Preparers NOT IN DEMAND na 558 578 595

43-3031 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks DEMAND na 15,806 16,333 16,695

43-3051 Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks BALANCED NOT IN DEMAND 1,655 1,708 1,744

43-4011 Brokerage Clerks NOT IN DEMAND na 466 471 476 43-9111 Statistical Assistants NOT IN DEMAND na 134 140 145

TheAdvisoryCommitteedidnothavestrongopinionsaboutthelabormarketdata.Theyindicatedthattheirorganizationswereabletohireentry-levelaccountingstaffwhenneeded.Twomembersoftheadvisorycommitteegraduatedfromassociatedegreeandbaccalaureateprogramswithinthelastfiveyears.Theybothindicatedthatalloftheirpeersfromtheseprogramshadgoodpayingjobsandnonewerestrugglingtofindwork.