Fundamental Elements and Related Questions

Evidence/Methodology

Fundamental Element #1: Clearly defined mission, goals and objectives that:

Guide faculty, administration, staff and governing bodies in making decisions related to planning, resource allocation, program and curriculum development, and definition of program outcomes;

1. Is the content of the mission statement, and the related goals and objectives, clear and specific enough to enable all constituencies of the college to create plans that are consistent with them?
2. Do all constituents regularly refer to M/G/O in their planning activities?

Planning document  (Board approved)

Description of planning process and membership

Records of the process for developing/changing M/G/O.

Examples of Campus activities developed to meet M/G/O

Evaluation forms that link planning to individual accountability

Fundamental Elements and Related Questions

Evidence/Methodology

Fundamental Element #1: Clearly defined mission, goals and objectives that:

Include support of scholarly and creative activity, at levels and of the kinds appropriate to the institution’s purposes and character;

1. How do the M/G/O’s demonstrate that they encourage scholarly pursuits and creative activity throughout the institution?
2. What are examples of these kinds of activities that occur regularly at the college?
3. How do these activities advance the achievement of the mission?

List of all media in which the M/G/O can be found.

Planning Document initiative and priorities

End of year summary report on completed tasks to reach goals and objectives

Fundamental Elements and Related Questions

Evidence/Methodology

Fundamental Element #1: Clearly defined mission, goals and objectives that:

Are developed through collaborative participation by those who facilitate or are otherwise responsible for institutional improvement and developments;

1. Who was included in the development of the M/G/O?
2. How was the collaborative process conducted?
3. Is there ongoing consensus regarding the appropriateness of the M/G/O for CCAC’s future?

List of Planning Committee membership for five years and process for developing M/G/O

Planning process description

Fundamental Elements and Related Questions

Evidence/Methodology

Fundamental Element #1: Clearly defined mission, goals and objectives that:

Are formally approved, publicized and widely known by all constituents;

1. How are the M/G/O’s communicated to students and employees? Are they featured in a way that is current in the life of the college? (Not merely archival)
2. Are constituents likely to know the broad content of the M/G/O?

Sample of publications with M/G/O, samples of evaluation   instrument

Fundamental Elements and Related Questions

Evidence/Methodology

Fundamental Element #2: M/G/O that relates to external as well as internal contexts and constituencies;

1. How do the M/G/O relate to external constituencies such as residents of Allegheny County, organizations seeking to develop W. PA’s economy, county government, adjacent county residents, business and industry, etc.?
2. Does the college assess its contributions to the various external constituents? How is this assessment accomplished?  What actions are taken to align planning with results of assessment in this area?

Provide examples of activities that reflect the M/G/O/ being  applied to outside activities, e.g. workforce, K-12, special needs, community based activities, and the impact of the activities on the community

Student surveys, enrollment trends, faculty evaluations, and repeat business/funding

Fundamental Elements and Related Questions

Evidence/Methodology

Fundamental Element #3: institutional goals and objectives that are consistent with mission;

1. Do plans at all levels of the organization display a congruency that stems from working toward the same goals?
2. How do each of the institutional goals relate to a component of the mission statement?
3. Are any of the goals distinct from the mission statement?
4. How does the college correct any inconsistencies that may surface between M/G/O?

Report on College-wide activities related to the goals/objectives

Copy of planning document to demonstrate mission/goals relationship

Budget and planning are tied together e.g. deviation requires special review.

Provide examples of the Planning Committee’s

handling of inconsistencies.

Fundamental Elements and Related Questions

Evidence/Methodology

Fundamental Element #4: goals and objectives that focus on student learning, other outcomes, and institutional improvement;

1. What specific initiatives can be cited as examples that the M/G/O are spawning institutional growth and improvement?
2. Which of the M/G/O focus on student learning outcomes? What other outcomes are cited in the M/G/O?
3. How does the college assess its degree of achievement of the M/G/O?
4. What is done when there is little or no progress toward a goal?
5. How are the M/G/O’s regularly re-evaluated to determine their relevance to the college community?
6. How are decisions made to incorporate emerging trends into the M/G/O?

Examples of spawning institutional growth: Workforce Development, Dual Enrollment, ACE   

Program, Distance Learning, expansion into other   

counties, partnerships with health care providers, county  partnerships, and others

Student outcomes are stated in the College Plan with assessment/accountability stated.

Assessment is based on a review of completed initiatives, reviewed annually.  See annual report

Incomplete goals are reassessed and individuals held accountable for completion or revision.  Review evaluation and summary report.

Evaluation based on review of report generated by Institutional Research.

Planning is an ongoing process.  Planning is on a two-year cycle to capture emerging trends.