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Alamance Community College 2014-2016 Strategic Plan

Final Report

Alamance Community College (ACC) initiated a new strategic planning process in October 2013, and in just five months produced the 2014-2016 Strategic

Plan. The College formed a 19-member Institutional Effectiveness/Strategic Planning Committee that included a board representative to guide this work.

That committee had members from all areas of the College:

Dr. Algie Gatewood, Co-Chair, President of ACC

Dr. Gene Couch, Co-Chair, Executive Vice President

Carolyn Rhode, Vice President Institutional Advancement

Mark Newsome, Vice President Administrative and Fiscal Services

Cindy Collie, Controller

Jeff Bright, Assistant to the President for Business and Industry Training

Ed Williams, Director Public Information and Marketing

Dr. Jessica Harrell, Coordinator of Research and Institutional Effectiveness

Scott Queen, Associate Dean Business Technologies

Dr. Carol Disque, Dean of Student Development

Dr. Paul Craven, Instructor of English, Chair of Faculty Affairs Committee

Claire Dixon, Director of Academic & Career Readiness

Perry Hardison Instructor of Humanities

Ben Shirley Instructor of Sociology

Gary Saunders Dean of Continuing Education

Ervin Allen Director of Small Business Center

Dr. Clara Vega, Department Head Humanities and Fine Arts

Christopher Seip, ACC Student

Doug Fincannon, Board of Trustees Representative

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The process incorporated the use of focus groups and institutional performance measures to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the College. From

this assessment, the College developed a two-year strategic plan that identified twenty-three initiatives in five areas of focus: community engagement,

facilities, curriculum programs, student success, and operational effectiveness.

This document summarizes many of the activities and outcomes achieved by the strategic plan in each of these five areas. These highlights are not

inclusive of all outcomes.

The purpose of the strategic plan was to enable the College to operate proactively in meeting its Vision, Mission, Goals and Core Values. On January 13,

2014, the Board adopted the following:

VISION:

Creating a premier educational gateway to economic and cultural vitality.

MISSION:

To provide the educational programs and services of a comprehensive community college that respond to our diverse community needs and

empower lifelong learners to participate in a global society.

GOALS:

Promote student learning, access, and success through continuous improvement and innovation of our educational programs and services.

Advance workforce and economic development of the community.

Utilize physical, financial, and human resources in an accountable and effective way.

CORE VALUES

Collaboration – We foster partnerships, connections and collegiality.

Diversity – We reflect in our employees and processes the cultural awareness and inclusion embraced by the communities and individuals we

serve.

Excellence – We exceed stakeholder expectations with unwavering commitment to high quality.

Integrity – We support our actions and reactions with a pledge that everything we do is consistent, ethical, honest, transparent and with

demonstrated accountability.

Learning – We are committed to continuous improvement as individuals and as an organization.

Stewardship – We are committed to the optimal and sustainable use of our human, fiscal, and physical resources.

Success – We facilitate student achievement by providing quality services that support educational programs taught by highly competent

faculty.

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Community Engagement

A common concern among college stakeholders was that the College was not sufficiently active in and engaged with the community. In response to these

concerns, the College created a strategic initiative to improve ACC’s presence in Alamance County communities.

The College developed a Civic Engagement Opportunities Plan and contacted more than 70 business/industry, education, non-profit, cultural, civic, and

social services groups in order to build or rekindle relationships with key leaders and community groups throughout the county. The College also created

a new comprehensive marketing plan for the College, tailoring specific messages for various stakeholder groups. In addition, the College reached out

specifically to the Alamance-Burlington School System (ABSS) to cultivate closer ties with the K-12 system. Informational meetings with ABSS and home-

school parents and students were held to promote opportunities for high school students at ACC. The College also formed a work group with ABSS

administrators to collaborate on grants and new programs and initiatives. Also, the College created an Alumni Council to maintain and strengthen ties

between ACC and former students and graduates.

The hallmark of the community engagement initiative is the Biotechnology Center of Excellence, a discernment process led by members of our Board of

Trustees.

Through this community engagement process, ACC has joined with business/industry, education, and civic groups to offer or sponsor programs and events

including: the Career Accelerator Program with ABSS, the Chamber of Commerce, and local industries; the Career Coach program with ABSS; Elon

Academy; the Burlington Mini-Makers’ Faire; Link Transit; and the President’s Roundtable group.

ACC has also been a site host for several high-profile community events such as The State of Alamance (3-time host); the Science Olympiad competition;

The Times-News Current Events Challenge, and the US Constitution exhibit.

As ACC has increased its presence in the community, enrollment has grown. Overall enrollment rose by 6 percent in 2015-16, the highest growth rate in

the state. Furthermore, Career and College Promise (CCP) and Early College enrollments have accelerated as well. CCP enrollment jumped from 348 in

Fall 2013 to 704 in Fall 2016 (an increase of 102%). Early College enrollment increased from 39 students in Fall 2015 (the first year of operation) to 63

students in Fall 2016 (an increase of 62%).

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Strategic Initiative 1: Improved community connection/engagement

Strategic Initiatives Activities Outcomes

1.1 Plan for President to make presentations at local civic or other community groups.

1.2 Plan for President to engage with business/industry, donors, non-profits, and other key stakeholder groups.

1.3 Create a new marketing plan to tell the “ACC story” tailored to various stakeholder groups.

1.4 Explore opportunities to have the community on campus.

1.5 Develop a plan to strengthen partnerships with educational providers and parents (public, private, charter, homeschool).

Development of Civic Engagement Opportunities Plan Contact with 70+ county groups/organizations New comprehensive marketing plan developed High-school outreach and meetings with ABSS, homeschool parents/students Lobby Alamance Board of Commissioners to fund the Advanced Applied Technology Center. Workgroup formed with ABSS administrators Creation of Alumni Council Promote Connect N.C. Bond Referendum Conduct a Schools Listening Tour. Serve on Governor’s Board of Science, Technology and Innovation

New community partnerships: Goodwill Industries, Alamance Library System, Burlington Housing Authority, Blessed Sacrament, CAP, Career Coaches in high schools, Elon Academy, Makers’ Faire, Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART), Link Transit, President’s Roundtable. ACC contributes to a Triad-area community college consortium seeking a federal grant to build a larger manufacturing presence in the Triad. ACC also joins Aviation/Manufacturing Careers Initiative with Piedmont-Triad community colleges consortium. ACC expanded its Corporate Education’s mission to include the launch of a Logistics/Supply Chain Management program. Comprehensive Marketing Plan expanded from 116 action items in 2014 to 204 action items in 2016. Alamance Commissioners unanimously vote to provide $15 million in funding for the Advanced Applied Technology Center. Site host for major community events: State of Alamance; N.C. Science Olympiad; Alamance Reads; Current Events Challenge; Constitution exhibit College more than doubles the number of outside groups visiting or leveraging campuses (from 61 average per year to 136 in 2016) Increased enrollment 6% overall enrollment growth in 2015-16; growth of CCP (102%) and Early College (62%), programs for high school students. President meets with 23 principals and representatives from 23 public, private schools and home educators on Schools Listening Tour

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Strategic Initiatives Activities Outcomes

Strategic Initiative 1, Continued Leverage partnerships/relationships with other community colleges to pursue grant opportunities Involve local community representatives in AATC, Facility Master Plan and Center of Excellence initiatives

College hosted groundbreaking and “Beam Signing” ceremonies at the AATC construction site to rally ongoing community support.

ACC receives $6.1 million after passage of the Connect N.C. Bond Referendum. ACC increases and enhances school tour program for ABSS Middle Schools. President provides Board of Science, Technology and Innovation with report on NC community college’s role in enhancing advanced manufacturing statewide. ACC partners with James Sprunt, Halifax, and Vance-Granville community colleges to win a $4 million Department of Labor grant to enhance workforce development. ACC to host 2018 National Association of Landscape Professionals Professional Conference and Competition.

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Facilities

Another common theme that emerged in the planning process was the College’s facilities. Space Utilization reports showed that ACC was at or near

capacity across all measures (capacity/enrollment ratio, square feet of academic facilities per FTE, average weekly instruction in classrooms, average

weekly hours of instruction in labs, space factors, net to gross, and space allocation). Furthermore, feedback from focus groups indicated that classrooms

and other student areas needed upgrades.

The College worked with a design team to create a Facilities Master Plan to guide future expansion, new construction, and renovation over the next 10-30

years. The Alamance County Board of County Commissioners provided $15 million (adjusted to $16 million) in financial support to begin construction on

the new Advanced Applied Technology Center. The College also pursued grants for immediate facility upgrades and new program equipment. A $200,000

grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation allowed the College to purchase new equipment for its Industrial Systems Technology (IST) and Mechatronics

programs. Impact Alamance funded a new $52,200 outdoor learning environment for the Child Care Center and an additional $54,000 award to build a

multi-purpose sports court. The B-Building stairs are being renovated, partially through a $60,000 Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trust grant. The College

also upgraded classroom technology for both the main campus and the Dillingham Center.

The College has new facilities, new equipment, and new facilities repairs completed or underway as a result of these activities, most notably a new HVAC

system and a new phone system. Construction on the new Advanced Applied Technology Center is expected to be completed in Fall 2017. The new

equipment for the IST and Mechatronics programs will be installed in this new building. The B-Building stairs renovations will be completed in February

2017. The Child Care Center’s new outdoor learning environment is already in use. As a result of the classroom technology upgrades, an additional 34

classrooms/meeting spaces have projectors and 11 additional classrooms have Extron systems.

In addition, the main entrance to the campus has been reconfigured to improve public safety, enhance aesthetics and improve traffic flow.

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Strategic Initiative 2: Identify areas of facility needs and develop plans to realize improvements

Strategic Initiatives Activities Outcomes

2.1 Review & update the facilities master plan 2.2 Review the infrastructure associated with technology and develop a plan for upgrades 2.3 Improve signage and/or presence from the highway 2.4 Review/investigate the need for off-campus locations & possible programming for these sites

Creation of new Facilities Master Plan (includes plans for off-site development and highway presence) Review of classroom technology Application & award of grants for facilities improvements Impact Alamance Golden Leaf Grant Foundation Cannon Charitable Trust

Phased plan for facilities growth & expansion New facilities: AATC construction underway. AATC facility re-configured and re-located to front Jimmie Kerr Road to showcase state-of-the-art facility. Due to cost, the highway signage project was placed on hold until funding is available. Renovations/additions: B-Building stairs renovation; New outdoor learning environment (Child Care); Distance Learning space is doubled; Writing Center opened; Math Center opened; new security alert system launched; mobile web optimization completed; door locks re-keyed, 20 year old telephone system replaced with a new VoIP system; new HVAC system being installed. College leveraging $54,000 grant to install multi-purpose sports court. Enhanced technology to 34 classrooms in 2015-16. Six additional classrooms slated for enhanced technology in 2017. New equipment: $200,000 Golden Leaf Grant funds Mechatronics, IST equipment

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Programs

ACC’s curriculum program offerings had not been systematically reviewed or updated in at least 16 years. To ensure that ACC’s programs met the needs

and interests of the community, the College commissioned a Gap Analysis Report prepared by EMSI. The report identified several areas where the College

could add or expand programs. As a result of this report, as well as feedback from local businesses and industries, ACC developed its first new curriculum

program in 16 years: Mechatronics. The College is pursuing two new programs in Engineering and Histotechnology (pending SACSCOC) approval. The

Board-driven Commission on the Center of Excellence designated the Biotechnology program as a Center of Excellence and plans are underway to expand

this program as well. One result of this work is the addition of a new certificate to the Biotechnology Program called Bioinformatics.

The review of ACC’s program offerings revealed other areas where ACC could improve and grow. The College created a new Distance Learning

department to provide more resources and assistance to both faculty and students for online courses. This new department has facilitated growth in both

online enrollments and in online course offerings. The College also expanded program and course offerings for high school students, including more

pathways and courses in the Career and College Promise program and the creation of an Early College. Enrollment in these programs has expanded as

well.

The College expanded opportunities in the Academic and Career Readiness program by offering new classes (both off-site and online), initiating a new

inmate High School Equivalency program, and using a grant from United Way to provide financial assistance to students for testing fees. As a result, the

Academic and Career Readiness program’s FTE increased by 13% in 2014-15 (highest growth in the state).

Additionally, a reorganization of Continuing Education to refocus on Workforce Development has produced new programming: Nurse Aide 1, Geriatric Aid,

Pharmacy Technician, Plumbing, Electrical and Commercial Truck Driving.

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Strategic Initiative 3: Engage in a comprehensive review of the College’s current programs and to identify new program offerings that provide

educational opportunities of the highest quality to our service area

Strategic Initiatives Activities Outcomes

3.1 Complete a comprehensive review of the current programming & identify areas of improvement 3.2 Complete a needs assessment of our service area for possible new programs 3.3 Identify the area(s) where the College can be identified as an industry leader “Center of Excellence” 3.4 Expand Distance Learning options to include additional administrative support; more instructional design support; infrastructure; faculty training

EMSI Gap Analysis report completed Commission on Center of Excellence formed & recommendations made Spring 2015 Creation of Early College Creation of Computer-Integrated Machining certificate program for high school students. Increase emphasis on Workforce Development Expansion of CCP (new pathways, new off-site locations) New Office of Distance Learning Expansion of Academic & Career Readiness program New off-site, online courses New inmate program United Way grant for test fees New HiSET testing

New curriculum programs: Mechatronics, Bioinformatics, Engineering, and Histotechnology (pending SACSCOC approval)

Board-driven designation of Biotechnology as Center of Excellence Total enrollment growth of 6% in 2015-16 (best in state) Growth in high school programs: 102% increase in CCP enrollment from Fall 2013 to Fall 2016; 62 CCP graduates in 2016 (record number); Early College enrollment nearly doubled;

Online enrollment growth: 16.6% increase in online course enrollment; enrollment in online University Transfer program up 160% from Fall 2015 to Fall 2016

13% FTE growth in Academic & Career Readiness division Accelerated delivery of Workforce Development programs: Nurse Aide 1, Geriatric Aid, Pharmacy Technician, Plumbing, Electrical and Commercial Truck Driving. College graduates first high school cohort of Computer-Integrated Machining students Exploration of satellite facilities in Burlington and Mebane underway. College delivers $3 million in Customized Training to local industry in 2015-16.

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Strategic Initiatives Activities Outcomes

Strategic Initiative 3, Continued 47 acres of land ($400,000 value) donated to College. ACC exploring best use options to enhance Horticulture, Biotechnology, and Culinary programs. College launches annual $10,000 Clapp Entrepreneurial Opportunity competition to promote small business creation. Colleges launches internship program with The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (UNC-G and N.C. A&T).

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Operational Effectiveness

A final area of focus for the College was in operational effectiveness. Focus groups and SWOT analyses revealed several ways that college operations

could become more efficient. The College created a new organizational structure to align human resources with initiatives in order to meet and exceed

ACC’s strategica and student success initiatives. The College also completed a classification and compensation study as part of a comprehensive review of

all faculty and staff positions. In addition, a new employee evaluation system was created to align individual employee goals with the goals of the

institution, and will be implemented in Spring 2017. The College revised its curriculum program reviews to align more closely with budget and planning

processes. The College also purchased a new E-trieve document scanning system that allows staff to function at greater efficiency by using electronic files

and records rather than outdated paper files. Finally, the College has and is continuing to upgrade the technology in classrooms to improve teaching and

learning for faculty and students. To date, 34 classrooms have been upgraded with six additional classroom awaiting upgrade in 2017.

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Strategic Initiative 4: Increased operational effectiveness

Strategic Initiatives Activities Outcomes

4.1 Review of organizational structure & salary review 4.2 Review technology to improve teaching/learning & administrative function 4.3 Assess & update the internal program review process 4.4 Review & revise the employee evaluation system

4.5 Develop plan to streamline current workflow & administrative processes

Address SACSCOC recommendations New organizational structure Class & compensation study completed Classroom technology upgrades Revised program review process implemented Review employee evaluation system E-trieve document scanning system implemented

SACSCOC reaffirms College’s accreditation. Job descriptions updated and salaries scaled to national benchmark market value Classrooms with updated technology (34 new projectors; 11 new Extron systems) New budget planning process implemented to improve accountability Program review aligned with budget & planning processes Improved records/file access & communication between departments Additional storage space freed by use of electronic files Employee merit review study underway President’s Cabinet expanded to include new perspectives Increased funding to encourage membership and participation in such areas as Chamber of Commerce, Community Council/United Way, Junior Achievement, Leadership Alamance, and Boy Scouts of America.

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Student Success

The past several years have seen a growing emphasis on student success and completion, both nationally and in North Carolina. In light of this, ACC made

reviewing and revising its student success services a priority. ACC is part of the second cohort of North Carolina community colleges participating in

Completion by Design and the College has made a number of changes to align student support services and programs with best practices. A new student

orientation and new advising model have been implemented. The College reorganized its Student Success division and added additional student support

positions, including a new Veterans’ Coordinator and success coaches. The College also added more funding and programs to help students with

academic and financial needs, including a new Math Center modeled after ACC’s successful Writing Center to provide additional services to students in

need of assistance, a new Single Stop Office (provided by $161,000 in grant funding), and wrap-around support to Mechatronics students (funded by a $1

million NC TechHire Alliance grant).

These changes to ACC’s support programs have led to early gains in student performance. In the 2016 NCCCS Performance Measures Report, ACC had

first year progression rates, transfer performance rates, and English and Math success rates that exceeded the average rate of the 58 community colleges

in the NCCCS.

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Strategic Initiative 5: Improve our student success models that are benchmarked against national models

Strategic Initiatives Activities Outcomes

5.1 Develop a new comprehensive Student Orientation 5.2 Create articulation agreements with senior institutions 5.3 Improve academic advising system 5.4 Explore transportation system to campus

Completion by Design second cohort New Student Orientation Articulation agreements with ECU; Guilford College; NC A&T; UNC-W; UNC-CH; UNCG RN to BSN New advising system Reorganization of Student Success division, creation of a new Student Success Center Single Stop grant and on-site office New Veterans’ Coordinator Two full-time career coaches at Cummings and Southern Alamance high schools. The College received a $70,000 NCWorks grant for 2016-17 and another $70,000 grant for 2017-18. New Math Center NC TechHire Alliance grant Solicit Link Transit and PART stops at ACC

New Student Success programs/services modeled on best practices

More transfer options; more seamless transfer process

Increased wrap-around support Text book rental system, a staggered tuition-payment system, a bridge-loan program – all to increase student retention.

Improved transportation options (PART and LinkTransit stops on campus)

Student performance rates higher than NCCCS rates in four areas (first year progress, transfer performance, College-level English success; College-level Math success) Leveraging $1 million in U.S. Department of Labor grant for TechHire initiative to increase Mechatronics enrollment in 2017-18. College staff/faculty raises a record $51,386 for ACC Foundation scholarships. ACC Foundation Directors campaign raises a record $428,921 for student scholarships. Emphasis on student retention contributes to 6 percent enrollment growth in 2015-16.

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While the College has met all 23 initiatives identified in the Strategic Plan, many activities, such as recruitment and marketing, are ongoing by design. In

some cases, our Strategic Plan achievements have opened new opportunities for the College. Looking forward, the College is developing plans to fund the

phases of our Facilities Master Plan and to align eligible employees to the midpoint of their respective salary scale. After the success of our curriculum

program review, the College is now in the process of reviewing our continuing education programs. Finally, the College is applying for a Title III

Strengthening Institutions grant to expand financial support for student success programs and services. The College has made significant advancements in

the past two years and we will use the momentum gained from these successes to carry us into our next planning phase.

Strategic Planning Process and Implementation

2017 – 2020

Introduction

In fall 2013, Alamance Community College (ACC) created a new strategic planning process. The new

process incorporated the use of focus groups and institutional performance measures to assess the

strengths and weaknesses of the College. From this assessment, the College developed a two-year

strategic plan that identified twenty-three initiatives in five areas of focus: community engagement,

facilities, curriculum programs, student success, and operational effectiveness. While some of the plan’s

initiatives are ongoing by design (e.g. the Facilities Master Plan, enrollment/recruiting strategies,

Completion by Design and other student success initiatives), the College has met its initial targets on all

of these twenty-three initiatives.

With the 2014-16 strategic plan now complete, ACC will develop a new strategic plan in 2017. This plan

will result in a clear set of goals and initiatives for the next three years. As part of this process, it is

essential to think through what is important to ACC’s community: What are the College’s institutional

priorities? What initiatives does the College want to emphasize over the next three years? As ACC

continues to improve its programs and services, a comprehensive plan must be developed that will help

the College maximize effective use of resources in supporting its programs and services.

According to best practices, a successful strategic plan should include the following key components:

• Clearly articulated vision and mission statements representing the purpose of the organization and its future trajectory

• Measurable and quantifiable goals and initiatives

• Involvement from the College community

With these attributes in mind, ACC will build upon and refine the planning process used for its previous

strategic plan.

Process Overview

The strategic planning process will be driven by the College’s Institutional Effectiveness Committee (IEC).

The purpose of the IEC is to develop, on behalf of and in consultation with ACC’s internal and external

stakeholders, a 2018-2020 strategic plan. In doing so, the IEC will review and revise as needed the

College’s vision and mission statements as well as identify key strategic goals and initiatives on which

the College will focus over the next three years. The President will serve on the IEC and the Board of

Trustees will have a representative member on the committee. In addition, the full Board of Trustees

will receive bimonthly updates on the IEC’s progress and will have opportunities for input throughout

the process.

Work on the new strategic plan will begin in January 2017 and will proceed through the seven phases

outlined below. A first draft of the strategic plan will be completed by July 2017. The IEC will refine the

draft and develop assessments for the plan’s initiatives throughout the fall of 2017. The President will

request final approval from the Board of Trustees by January 2018.

Phase 1: Mission and Vision

We will review the College’s vision and mission and propose an overall college goal for 2020.

This overall goal will be the foundation for the strategic planning process.

Result: Overall vision for ACC in the next three years established

Phase 2: Where are we now?

We will review key performance indicators (KPIs) and conduct an environmental scan to identify

our current areas of strengths and weaknesses. Where are we exceling? Where are we meeting

expectations? Where are we underperforming? What external factors will have the largest

impact on ACC in the next three years? We will use focus groups to gather information from

internal and external stakeholders.

Result: KPIs and benchmarks established; SWOT analysis completed

Phase 3: Identify major themes

We will use the KPIs and feedback collected from focus groups to identify and further develop

the common elements and themes that surfaced in the SWOT analysis. We will sort and

prioritize the themes identified.

Result: Four to five major themes/areas for the College to address

Phase 4: Establish major goals and objectives

Working with the major themes identified in the previous phase, we will develop measurable

and quantifiable goals and objectives for each of the themes.

Result: A set of goals and objectives for each major theme identified

Phase 5: Overall plan draft

We will draft a strategic plan taking into account the overall goal, KPI benchmarks, themes and

common elements, major goals and objectives.

Result: A first draft of the three-year strategic plan

Phase 6: Feedback and revision; Assessment plan

The draft plan will be disseminated for critique and discussion. We will develop assessments for

evaluating progress and effectiveness of the strategic plan.

Result: Revised draft of the three-year strategic plan, to include an assessment plan

Phase 7: Final plan roll out and publicity

ACC’s 2018-2020 Strategic Plan will be finalized and presented to the Board of Trustees for final

approval. Once approved, appropriate internal and external publicity materials will be used to

highlight the plan and how it will impact the college community.

Result: Final three-year strategic plan

Monitoring Progress

The College will develop tools such as a dashboard to monitor key performance indicators across a range

of areas including (but not limited to) enrollment, student success, and finances. These key

performance indicators will include the NCCCS Performance Measures as well as key performance

indicators identified specifically by the College for internal use. The performance indicators will help

inform decisions made about resource allocation and expenditures.