The second in a series of articles focusing on detailed updates on the priorities of the WCC 2012-15 Strategic Plan, Shaping Our Future
Student Success is the second of the eight priorities in the 2012-15 Strategic Plan Shaping Our Future. The plan states that WCC will “Strengthen and enhance student success,” with an emphasis on the following areas: student satisfaction, success, persistence and retention, quality of curriculum, instruction and student services; post-secondary readiness and developmental instruction; enhancing the college experience for traditional degree students and seamless transfer to four-year institutions; job readiness; successful training and retraining for the workforce; and lifelong learning.
WCC’s cross-campus strategic planning team realized that the priority of student success encapsulates the core of WCC’s mission and vision. As an area that is so critical to the college, this presented a challenge and an opportunity: how to implement a priority that was so connected to instruction and student learning?
The answer to this challenge also presented the opportunity for the most involvement. The student success priority was split into two parts: Priority 2A, Student Success-Instruction was led by a team consisting of all faculty departments, who worked with chairs, deans, and priority team facilitators Julie Kissel and Rosemary Wilson to establish goals connected to student success. Priority 2B, Student Success—Student Services was coordinated by a team of faculty and staff, co-chaired by Jason Withrow and Linda Blakey, which set goals based on best practices in student services.
Every faculty department submitted goals in 2012-13 for 2A; many were updated in 2013-14, and continue to be updated and implemented moving in 2014-15. Major themes include marketing for programs, increased distance learning, use of social media, cross-disciplinary work, and project-based learning. In addition, 13 innovative initiatives were approved for funding through strategic dollars in FY14. Examples include: specialized training; support for extended instructional technology; and special speaker series. Reporting of department goals is extensive, and complete information on updated goals can be found in the Strategic Plan folder on the WCC Intranet.
For 2013-14, the priority team for Priority 2B, Student Services, focused on two overarching goals. Below are updates on the goals, action steps, and outcomes for 2B: Thanks go to 2A facilitators, Julie Kissel and Rosemary Wilson, and 2B co-chairs Jason Withrow and Linda Blakey and members Anita Chaudhri, Peter Leshkevich, Elizabeth Orbits, and Deb Guerro. WCC faculty, chairs, and deans deserve special thanks for their ongoing work in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of goals and initiatives related to this particular priority, which is central to the college’s strategic plan.
2013-14 Goal:
Provide technological support and information services to students and ensure that
students are aware of them.
2013-14 Action step:
Expand options for communication channels for accessing information regarding Support
Services through a one-stop site. Update: The one-stop WCC Gateway went live in March
2014.
2013-14 Action step:
Support advising access for students who are completing programs that are offered
100 percent online. Update: In collaboration with Learning Support Services, the college
is investigating software options and training tutors in online tutoring resources.
2013-14 Goal:
Implement directive academic advising to provide early intervention for students.
2013-14 Action step:
Create student educational plans for specific populations, and provide them with
intrusive advising that includes multiple points of contact to ensure early interventions.
Update: WCC’s Degree Works will be upgraded to include educational plans for students.
2013-14 Action step:
Hold group advising sessions for students. Update: Sessions were held for high school
students in the VIP program, with additional plans to expand group sessions.