Transcript Community Colleges of Spokane Focus Group Summary Report

Community Colleges of Spokane
Focus Group Summary Report
Prepared by
Robinson Research
October 2007
Methodology
• Six focus groups
– Business leaders
– Community leaders
– Alumni
– Employers served by CCS
– Higher education representatives
– K-12 counselors
• Conducted at Robinson Research facility
Purpose
• Gather perceptions to help CCS evaluate
the progress it is making on the goals
established in 2004
Overview
• Perceptions of CCS
– Overwhelmingly positive
• Biggest surprise
– High school counselors see both liberal arts
transfer and career/technical education
offered by CCS as good options for variety of
students
Objective #1
• Prepare students to compete and succeed in a
global economy …
Perceptions:
– Better at seamless transitions from high school than
other higher ed institutions
– Doing excellent job preparing students for workforce
– Aware of CCS role in improving adult literacy
– Not aware of CCS role in educating young children,
Head Start
Objective #1 Continued
• Prepare students to compete and succeed in a
global economy …
Perceptions:
– Work supporting adults in transition well known:
women’s programs, Kaiser, retraining
– Considered diverse in relationship to region
• Student population representative of community
• Lack of diversity in faculty
– No awareness of promotion of personal, academic,
civic responsibility
– Extremely responsive to changing needs of
employers
Objective #2
• Provide access to lifelong learning opportunities
for people of all ages and backgrounds …
Perceptions:
– High awareness of continuing education,
personal enrichment classes
– Low awareness of district’s geographic size or
rural/urban nature
– Low awareness of need to manage
enrollment
Objective #2 Continued
• Provide access to lifelong learning opportunities
for people of all ages and backgrounds …
Perceptions:
– Assume CCS pursues new resources (e.g.,
new buildings, programs) but little knowledge
of details
– Seen as slowly growing nontraditional delivery
methods
• Believe hands-on, face-to-face classroom
interaction still important
Objective #3
• Define the Institute for Extended Learning’s
roles, relationships and future directions …
Perceptions:
– Awareness of IEL and its roles, relationships to
district, SCC, SFCC has increased
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GEDs, ESL, adult literacy
It’s where people need it to be
Everything that’s not degree related
Oversees programs in rural areas
Tied closely to social programs
Objective #3 Continued
• Define the Institute for Extended Learning’s
roles, relationships and future directions …
Perceptions:
– SCC
• Extraordinary outreach to employers
• Technical programs with very good reputations
– SFCC
• The liberal arts transfer school
• Appropriately small class sizes
• Reputation for providing excellent value
Objective #4
• Clarify policy and operational roles to enhance
efficiency … emphasizing collaborative and
student-centered strategies … avoiding
unnecessary duplication
Perceptions:
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Little knowledge of CCS policies or operational roles
Efficiency equated with Blackboard, online learning
Noted long lines for financial aid and parking permits
Class times not convenient for working students
Duplication, if any, viewed as necessary
Objective #5
• Support a workplace environment where
diversity … is … cultivated and celebrated …
Perceptions:
– Trying hard to celebrate diversity among faculty and
staff
– No awareness of efforts to recruit and retain globally
competent, highly qualified faculty and staff
– No awareness of professional development
– No awareness of recognizing, rewarding job
performance
– However, they assume CCS does these things.
Objective #6
• Create and implement communications
strategies that enhance the public image of CCS
… increasing awareness and understanding
across the district.
Perceptions:
– Public image is pretty good
– Aware of quarterly schedule, advertising, advisory
groups, presence at community events
– Dr. Livingston is a positive influence, good
spokesperson
– Could communicate more about programs,
community resources
Objective #7
• Continually conduct master planning … that
clearly identifies, prioritizes and documents
future … needs.
Perceptions:
– Low awareness of this objective’s specifics
– But general feeling that CCS is getting its share of
funding from the State Legislature and is planning for
technology needs
Objective #8
• Practice good stewardship of the financial
resources entrusted to us …
Perceptions:
– Presume CCS is fiscally responsible
– Appears to be good
• No scandals
• No news is good news
• Continuous building, so must be doing okay
– Aware of the CCS Foundation and its work
Objective #9
• Be response to changing educational, training,
social and employment needs by building strong
collaborative relationships …
Perceptions:
– Seen as dynamic and flexible
– More responsive than the four years
– Amazed that CCS can put together a special program
in six months
– SCC especially good at collaborating with business
Objective #9 Continued
• Be response to changing educational, training,
social and employment needs by building strong
collaborative relationships …
Perceptions:
– Strong community player
– Works well with K-12 and four-year institutions
Constructive Criticism
Perceptions of areas that could be improved:
– Advising: Provide career counseling, not just class
schedule planning
• Ensure students understand the difference between a
technical degree and transfer degree
– Math: Correct the disconnect between high school
and college
– Class times: Make schedule more convenient for
working adults
– Update programs that may be out of touch with
today’s workplace
Conclusion
Even though specifics about many of the
objectives would be best known by CCS
employees and insiders, according to opinions
expressed by these six subsets of stakeholders:
CCS has been performing remarkably well.
Robinson Research
October 2007