Chapter 1 - Introduction
Learning-focused, Distinctive, Connected, Future-oriented: these Cross-Cutting Themes of the Higher Learning Commission are indeed the hallmarks of St. Clair County Community College, an organization now in its 83rd year of providing quality learning opportunities to residents of Michigan’s thumb area. From the time the first 34 students enrolled in 1923 in what was then known as Port Huron Junior College, until today, when nearly 4,200 students are taking classes, the College has been committed continuously to meeting the educational needs of students and the workforce requirements of the County.
This self-study report is submitted to the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association as formal application for continued accreditation. The report includes a Request for Change in affiliation status. The steering committee chose to use the four cross-cutting themes of the Commission as its organizing framework for planning and conducting the self-study process and to prepare its report. This chapter introduces and guides the reader to the framework, the process, and this report.
Organization of the Report
Chapter 1 of this report provides a brief history and profile of the College, includes its accreditation history, and describes significant changes the college has experienced since its last comprehensive visit. The chapter then describes the self-study process and notes the specific responses of the College to the challenges identified by the last NCA team. Finally, the chapter provides the reader with an explanation and mapping of how the criteria and core components of the Commission are covered in the report, and includes an explanation of the purposes and logic for choosing the thematic approach to conduct the College’s self-study.
Chapters 2 through 5 each present an examination of how the Commission’s criteria for accreditation are met through the lenses of the four cross-cutting themes. Chapter 6 describes the College’s compliance with federal regulations, Chapter 7 presents its request for change in affiliation status, and Chapter 8 concludes with its formal request for continued accreditation with the Commission. Top
From Past to Present: A Brief College History
St. Clair County Community College began operation in 1923 as Port Huron Junior College, although its establishment required a change in the laws of the State of Michigan. State law at the time authorized establishing junior colleges only in towns with populations that exceeded 30,000; in 1923, Port Huron’s population was only 25,000. Fortunately for the area, Senator John W. Smith secured passage of an amendment lowering the population threshold.
Established as a division of the Port Huron School District, the College was financed with a contingency fund of $6,000. Tuition was set at $60 for residents and $90 for non-residents. The Director of the College and the initial seven faculty members were part-time employees, and 16 freshman courses were offered to the 34 students who enrolled. The second year of operation saw 40 freshman and sophomore courses offered to the 63 enrolled students. The second year also saw the beginning of the College library with $400 worth of books; $600 more was allotted the following year.
The next 40 years saw the continued growth of the College. An important step forward occurred in 1954 when a two-year program in Nursing Education was established–only the fifth such program in the United States. Other occupational programs were established in subsequent years, joining the liberal arts courses and programs that were offered from the beginning.
Perhaps the most significant change in the College’s history occurred on June 12, 1967, when the Junior College was transformed into a county-wide community college by a vote of the people. Following approval by the State Board of Education, control of the College was transferred from the Port Huron Area School District to an independent community college Board on January 1, 1968, and Port Huron Junior College thus became St. Clair County Community College.
Today, the College is a comprehensive community college with an annual budget in excess of $28 million. Located on a 25-acre riverfront campus in downtown Port Huron, the College serves seven K-12 school districts in St. Clair County, with off-campus centers also serving students in Sanilac, Huron, and Lapeer counties. Offering day, evening, weekend and online classes, the College serves more than 9,200 students annually through its credit and non-credit class offerings, and through specialized training provided to business and industry. The College has academic programs for students seeking to complete requirements for the first two years of bachelor’s degree programs, and also offers occupational training in over thirty career areas. Additionally, the College provides the community diverse opportunities for personal enrichment and lifelong learning. Top
The College serves a geographic area whose economy is both agricultural and industrial. Manufacturing, particularly the plastics industry, services, and retail trade dominate the county’s workforce. A concentration of health care facilities also contributes to the job market. Features of St. Clair County Community College include:
- An enrollment of approximately 4,200 students (43% full-time, 57% part-time; 61% female, 39% male; average age 25)
- A full-time faculty of 71 and a part-time faculty of approximately 182
- Six off-campus sites located in Anchor Bay, Bad Axe, Peck, Yale, Imlay City, and Algonac, Michigan
- A Twinning Agreement with Lambton College in Sarnia, Ontario allowing for student exchange
- More than 280 non-credit courses and seminars with an enrollment of 1,717 students
- Strong two-year programs in Associate Degree Nursing, Business, and Computer Information Systems
- Bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree courses offered in the University Center through arrangements with four-year institutions, as well as online degree programs
Accreditation History
Port Huron Junior College received its first accreditation in 1923 when the Chairman of the Junior College Committee of the University of Michigan visited the College and assured acceptance of credits by the University. The College received its first North Central Association (NCA) accreditation in 1930, and has held continuous accreditation since that time. In July, 1969, the Association transferred accreditation from Port Huron Junior College to St. Clair County Community College, following an evaluation team visit.
The College’s last comprehensive visit by the Association was in 1996, when a 10-year continuing accreditation was granted. The 1996 on-site visitation team report and the College’s response to its recommendations are discussed below. Top
Changes and/or Significant Developments since the Last Comprehensive Visit
The College has experienced significant changes since its last comprehensive visit from the Commission. The world, the State, and Southeast Michigan in particular, have been transformed during the past decade. Change is never easy, and there have been disruptions in the local economy and on campus, including administrative changes, financial challenges, and the challenges of physical plant changes brought about by the capital outlay projects completed during the past 10 years. The most significant changes have been:
- Capital Outlay Projects: M-TEC Building and Clara E. Mackenzie (CEM)/College Center Repurposing
- Financial Resources: significant reduction in State financing from 35.6 percent of the budget in 1996-97 to 24 percent in 2005-06, passage of millages in 1999 and 2003, deferred maintenance plan, financial forecasting and planning
- Administrative changes: Resignation of President in 2001, appointments of an Interim President in 2001 and a new president in 2002; creation of Provost position in 2003, establishment of Executive Leadership Team in 2003, Leadership Briefing Team in 2004, and Office of Institutional Effectiveness in 2006
- Technology changes: change in administrative data-processing platform from a character-based data system to an integrated system, campus-wide Internet access and email, multimedia classrooms, WAVE for online registration and grade reporting, College website, implementation of wireless Internet access in selected areas of campus
- Instructional changes: online courses, blended courses, new degree and certificate programs, change from mid-semester grades to 6-week Early Alert grades
- Student Services: One-stop registration and advising center, change from counseling model to academic advising model
- Service areas: contracting of food service, bookstore, and information technology to outside vendors
- University Center: expansion of partnerships with colleges and universities to provide on-campus and online bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs
These changes are described in more detail in the following chapters. Top
The Self-Study Process
This self-study report is the culmination of a wide-ranging study of the College’s effectiveness as an institution. Preparations for the Self-Study began in the fall of 2003, when Linda Flickinger, Professor of Psychology and Social Science Department Chair, and Michelle Mueller, Dean of Workforce Development, Planning & University Center, were appointed Co-Coordinators of the self-study.
The decision was made to organize the self-study using a thematic approach rather than organizing around the five criteria for accreditation. If the self-study is to be a guide for the College in the future, it should be more than a request for reaccreditation: it should assess the College as a learning-focused organization, a distinctive organization, a connected organization, and as a future-oriented organization. To accomplish these goals, four committees were established:
- The Learning-Focused Organization
- The Distinctive Organization
- The Connected Organization
- The Future-Oriented Organization
In the spring of 2004, the Steering Committee (the Provost, coordinators, and committee chairs) was established as committee chairs were chosen and several members of the Steering Committee attended the NCA Higher Learning Commission’s Self-Study Institute.
Data collection began with the establishment of a website for self-study materials. Co-coordinator Michelle Mueller had the responsibility for establishing this website, putting materials on the website, organizing the materials, and working closely with staff in information technology to maintain the site. The availability of the data on the website was a tremendous advantage to the committees as they did their work.
Following the development of a strategic plan for the College in the fall of 2005–which included a revised mission statement, new goals, and new values, work on the self-study began in earnest with the recruitment of members for the committees from the entire College community–administration, faculty, and staff. Including the members of the Steering Committee, over 40 individuals participated in the self-study (See Appendix C online or as a Word doc).
In January, 2006, a Self-Study Workshop was held to orient the committee members to the self-study–its process, procedures, and expectations. The College’s NCA liaison, Dr. Robert Appelson, participated in this workshop as a resource person. Committee members were given a Guide for Conducting the Self-Study, which was prepared by the Steering Committee. This Guide covered the objectives of the self-study, the plan for conducting the self-study (including a timetable), a preliminary outline for the self-study report, and guidelines for writing committee reports. Intended as a continuing resource, along with the North Central Association Handbook of Accreditation, the Guide provided a comprehensive plan for the self-study. Top
The plan for the self-study was good, but there were some difficulties encountered along the way. One of the first problems was the need to replace two of the four committee chairs because of the responsibilities those individuals had with the 2005-06 Capital Outlay project. Then, those replacement chairs had to be replaced when one of them left the College and the other suffered a personal tragedy. It was also apparent that as the committees began analysis of data there were significant differences of opinion on the part of various groups as to how the data were to be interpreted and reported, and this slowed the process in some instances.
As the various committees collected and reviewed data, analyzed those data, considered the College’s strengths, identified areas of concern, and discussed possible actions to be taken, everyone came to know the College much better. This knowledge was incorporated into the committee reports, which form the body of this Self-Study. This Self-Study Report summarizes the research done by the committees, their assessment of the College, and their recommendations.
Response to the 1996 North Central Visitation Team Report
In the Report of a Visit to St. Clair County Community College, Port Huron, Michigan, September 23-25, 1996, for the Commission of Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the members of the visitation team identified six concerns that needed to be addressed prior to the next on-site evaluation:
- St. Clair County Community College has experienced a delay in implementing its plan for assessing student academic achievement. The faculty and administration must ensure that the plan is implemented fully so the college can begin to gather data, analyze trends, and implement improvements in its instructional programs.
- Internal communications throughout St. Clair County Community College warrant continued attention and improvement. Not all employees, for example, understand the budgetary process.
- St. Clair County Community College’s administration appears to be talented and effective but also seems largely top-heavy. As a result, some functions lack support, such as grant writing, institutional research, strategic planning, and other essential functions. Top
- At St. Clair County Community College, student records are without satisfactory security, protective storage, or adequate backup. The college must assure the integrity of its student records by taking corrective measures in the areas of security, storage, and backup.
- While the Learning Resource Center’s staffing and collection budget have improved since St. Clair County Community College’s last accreditation visit, space problems remain unaddressed. The college must address the lack of adequate and inviting space for the many departments housed within the Learning Resources Center.
- Managers and staff express concern about the lack of institutionally planned and supported professional development activities on campus. For the long term productivity of the institution, St. Clair County Community College should seriously address this issue.
The College’s responses to these concerns are summarized below. Top
Delay in implementing plan for assessing student academic achievement. The College was required to submit a report on its progress in implementing assessment of student academic achievement by July, 1999. The report, as submitted, was deemed insufficient evidence of progress and a second report was required by July, 2000. This report was accepted as providing evidence of sufficient progress. Between 2000 and 2003, there was limited progress made in the implementation of institution-wide assessment. This was a period of turnover in the College presidency and administration, and institutional support for assessment was sporadic. Also, the implementation of a new administrative data processing system led to a data gap, as data formerly provided in hard-copy reports was now only available online and depended upon individuals having the ability to find the data themselves through the query process.
Beginning in 2003-04, steps have been taken to revitalize the assessment process:
- A team was sent to the AAHE Workshop “Creating a Sustainable Institutional Commitment to Assessment” in the fall of 2003
- In 2004-05, a Focus on Learning Academy was presented, featuring speakers such as Dr. Barbara Walvoord and Dr. Thomas Angelo
- A consultant was hired to assist with assessment in the spring of 2006
- An Assessment Forum was presented in April, 2006, showcasing assessment programs in various disciplines
- All discipline assessment plans have been reviewed and updated
- The Assessment Committee is developing a strategic plan for assessment
- An Assessment Update newsletter has begun publication
- An assessment section has been added to the College website that will allow direct Internet submission of assessment reports
- The newly-created Office of Institutional Effectiveness has assessment assistance as an assigned responsibility Top
These steps have helped produce significant progress in selected, but important, areas of assessment. Major disciplines, such as English, Nursing, and Computer Information Science have well-developed assessment programs that are providing measurable results. When these disciplines, along with several others, presented at the 2006 Assessment Forum, it was clear that they were actively involved in the assessment process. They provided good examples of what should and can be done in assessment as they discussed their successes as well as the difficulties they have encountered.
In the spring of 2006, the Assessment Committee conducted an online survey of faculty on assessment. This survey, which is discussed in more detail in the Learning-Focused Organization chapter, found that:
- The majority of faculty agree that assessment is a critical component of effective teaching and learning
- Informal assessment is occurring routinely in nearly every classroom on campus and has become institutionalized
- There is a need for further faculty training on assessment Top
- There is a gap between classroom assessment and institutionally-reported assessment: while there is a great deal of assessment taking place, it is not being formally reported or documented
The College is not where it would like to be–and where it should be–in terms of assessment. The creation of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and the hiring of an Executive Director to head that office should help significantly by offering institutional support for the assessment process. Further details regarding assessment are found in subsequent chapters of the Self-Study, especially the chapters on the Learning-Focused Organization and the Distinctive Organization.
Internal Communications throughout the College warrant continued attention and improvement.
In the past 10 years, the College has responded to these concerns by making email and Internet access available to employees and by establishing and/or adapting committee structures and communication vehicles. The College has established an Executive Leadership Team (president, provost, vice presidents, executive directors and deans) with subgroups Operational Cabinet and Instructional Cabinet. These groups meet regularly, bringing together representatives from all areas of the College to provide input on key decisions.
To ensure shared governance and expand communication, the Leadership Briefing Team was formed in 2005. An adaptation of previous groups, including the former President’s Council, the team includes members of the Executive Leadership Team, faculty department chairs, and directors and other mid-level managers. To ensure communication is reaching all employees, the Leadership Briefing Team in September 2006 began to send follow-up notes from its meetings to all staff via email.
St. Clair County Community College has established or retooled several communication vehicles to improve communication in the past 10 years. These vehicles include: Top
- Campus Connection–A monthly newsletter emailed to faculty and staff the Monday after each regular Board of Trustees meeting. The newsletter premiered in October 2004 and is adapted from Campus Update, which was typed up manually, copied and distributed to all faculty and staff before being discontinued in early 2001
- College Connection–A monthly newsletter, started in October 2005, direct-mailed to students, friends and clients of the college and sent by inter-office mail to faculty and staff
- Update–A start-of-semester newsletter, established in fall 2003, distributed to faculty and staff at the beginning of the fall and winter semesters
- Website–Originally built by a student and launched in 1996 at www.stclair.cc.mi.us. The domain name eventually was changed to www.sc4.edu. A redesigned website was launched August 31, 2005
- Email and Internet access–Made available in 1998 to administrators and some Career Plan professional staff members in the Main Building and A.J. Theisen Building. In 2001, when the college was networked, remaining employees received email and Internet access
Administration seems largely top-heavy. The 1996 NCA Accreditation team reported that they believed that both instructional and institutional administrative structures at the College were “top heavy.” Their rationale regarding instructional administrators was based on a ratio between discipline coordinators, department chairs and full and adjunct faculty. In Fall 1996 there were 11 department chairs, discipline coordinators (one for each discipline), and directors/managers for 80 full-time and 190 adjunct faculty. Obviously, numbers may be misleading since department chairs are really not considered administrators and are faculty members who devote 40% of their load to overseeing and coordinating department issues such as scheduling and staffing. The other 60% of their time is devoted to classroom instruction. The discipline coordinators are paid a stipend to assist the department chairs in staffing and scheduling. Currently, there are eight department chairs and 39 discipline coordinators for 71 full-time and 182 adjunct faculty.
The team also cited the institutional administrative structure as top heavy resulting in a lack of support in other areas such as grant writing, institutional research and effectiveness, and strategic planning. The College has rectified this concern through the hiring of an Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness who reports to the President and is now responsible for institutional research as well as for supporting the planning and assessment work of the College. Top
Student records are without satisfactory security, protective storage, or adequate backup. The College has made progress in securing student records, but there are still actions that have not been taken primarily due to the cost involved. The following actions have been taken:
- All records are now kept in locked cabinets
- All financial aid and enrollment services records are now in one location with high security cameras and limited access (not in an open/public area)
- Most student records are now in electronic form and all files are regularly backed up.
The College does not yet have fire-proof cabinets and does not have the imaging equipment needed to back up paper documents.
LRC space problems unaddressed. One of NCA’s recommendations to the College in 1996 was to address the space limitations in the Learning Resources Center. Beginning in 2003, the Learning Resources Center (LRC), and Academic Achievement Center (AAC) staffs focused on developing space requirements for the capital outlay project, which eventually resulted in a centralized location on campus for both service areas. According to the 1994 master facilities plan, the LRC-CEM had 25,176 square feet with 18,921 usable square feet. With the 2005-06 capital outlay project for the College Center, the total square feet for the building is 45,864, of which 29,204 square feet has been designated for the combined LRC/AAC and 11,042 square feet for commons areas such as the Atrium and Cafeteria.
In the design of the new facility, consideration was given to how print collections would be used in the future in light of the increased use of technology. For example, many periodicals are now available in electronic format. To avoid duplication and save funds, many periodicals have been deleted from the collection reducing the need for space for them. Audiovisual materials have gone from 16mm films, which are no longer part of the collection, to videotapes to DVDs–also requiring less space. Audiocassettes and slide sets have been eliminated from the collection as the use of these formats dwindled. The explosion in the use of the Internet meant that the LRC no longer had to retain telephone books, college catalogs or corporate annual reports. The use of compressed shelving also reduced the amount of space needed in the new facility to store the circulating book collection. Top
In 1996, the Internet was just developing, and its impact on libraries and information retrieval was uncertain. Therefore, the focus was still on acquiring and storing hard copy materials. In 2006, the focus is on the accessibility of materials in electronic format and through the Internet. Having a sufficient number of computers for students to access electronic resources has become more of the concern. There are approximately 100 computer workstations for students in the LRC/AAC and wireless areas in the LRC and Atrium for students with laptops. In addition, there is ample seating for students by making use of the entire College Center for research, study, instructional support and socialization. The new LRC/AAC and Atrium areas are considerably more inviting in appearance as well.
Lack of institutionally-planned and supported professional development activities on campus. The College has had an institutionally-supported professional development program for faculty for many years. There is a workshop series, plus a day-long professional development conference each year. In addition, full-time faculty are each allotted $300 annually for professional development and travel, and can apply to the Professional Development/Travel Fund for up to $750 additional funding.
Members of the Career Plan and Educational Support Personnel (ESP) have tuition reimbursement through the College and some have used these funds to pursue degrees and take training sessions through the non-credit area. The current Career Plan contract provides a total of $10,000 to members of this unit. A yearly cap of $600 is available for each member and can be used for conference travel, professional memberships, and courses. The ESP contract includes the Conference and Education Fund which provides up to $500 for each member and a total of $5,000 per year. One concern about professional development growth in these areas appears to be connected to the workload of individuals in the unit. Staff may have so many activities going on that they may lack the time for additional professional development.
Both groups report more professional development activity over the past two years. Monthly meetings have addressed interests in professional development, including the inception of professional development days. The Career Plan area attended Service Excellence training and is considering whether leadership or workforce training available through noncredit areas many be useful. Career Plan employees are encouraged to suggest and present sessions. The Career Plan Review Committee Chair has helped bring in luncheon speakers connected to professional topics. These monthly events are called “Lunch and Learn.” Recent topics have included teambuilding and other leadership processes. Top
The Criteria for Accreditation and the Core Components
As is demonstrated in the following chapters, St. Clair County Community College meets the five criteria for accreditation and the core components associated with each of the criteria. Because the report is organized on a thematic approach rather than explicitly by the criteria, many of the core components are covered in more than one chapter. Of necessity, this leads to some redundancy, but the core components are viewed from a variety of perspectives as a result. All the core components are identified in the margins of the pages where they are covered in the text of the chapter. Additionally, the following chart shows where the core components are discussed in each chapter.
(Chapter 2) |
(Chapter 3) |
(Chapter 4) |
(Chapter 5) |
Core Component 3a |
Core Component 1a |
Core Component 1b |
Core Components 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d |
Core Components 2b 3c, 3d |
Core Components 1b 2c 4c 5c |
Core Components 3b, 3c 4c 5c, 5d |
Core Components 1a, 1c |
Core Components 3b 4b, 4d |
Core Components 1c, 1e 3a, 3c 5c |
Core Components 4c, 4d 5c |
Core Components 2a 5a |
Core Components 4a |
Core Components 1a 2c 4c |
Core Components 1d 5b 5c |
Core Components 4a, 4c |
Core Components 2c 4c 5a |
Core Components 2c 3a, 3b, 3c |
Core Components 1d 2d |
Core Components 3b, 3c, 3d |
St. Clair County Community College, as a Learning-Focused, Distinctive, Connected, and Future-Oriented Organization meets the criteria for accreditation: Top
- The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.
- The organization’s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.
- The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.
- The organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility consistent with its mission.
- As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and serves them in ways both value.
The following chapters of this report amply demonstrate the many ways in which the College fulfills these criteria. The criteria and core components are found as follows in the chapters of this self-study report:
| Criterion | Core Component | Chapter | |||
| One | |||||
| Two | |||||
| Three | |||||
| Four | |||||
| Five | |||||
Purposes of and Audiences for the Self-Study Report
The essential purpose of the Self-Study is to request continued accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. At the same time, the aim of the self-study process the College engaged in was to examine its effectiveness as an institution of higher learning and to document fully where the College is now, where it is going, and where it would like to be. Top
The specific objectives for the Self-Study process were to:
- Involve as many members of the College community as possible
- Conduct the self-study in an orderly and timely fashion
- Examine overall institutional effectiveness
- Identify the College’s strengths, concerns, and challenges
- Provide a model for going forward with continuous improvement
- Provide a report for peers and the community
Since the primary purpose of this Self-Study Report is to examine the effectiveness of the College as an institution, the immediate College community is the primary audience. Beyond the College community, the Report is intended for the residents of the College district, as well as residents of the areas served by the College outside its district. The Report also summarizes the results of the Self-Study for the North Central Association on-site evaluation team.
Purposes and Logic of the Thematic Approach
The College chose the thematic approach to self-study because it wanted the final report to serve as a guide for the future, and the four themes of the Learning-Focused Organization, the Distinctive Organization, the Connected Organization, and the Future-Oriented Organization fit well with the College’s strategic goals. The themes also provided a basis for other activities on campus, such as the 2006-07 Faculty Professional Development program.
Because the College wants the Self-Study to be a guide for the future, each of the theme-based committees was asked to apply a rubric based on the College’s strategic goals to evaluate the College’s progress toward meeting those goals. The rubric evaluation thus provides a summary for each theme, as completed by individual committees, which directly ties in with the College’s strategic goals. Top
Summary
St. Clair County Community College is a mature organization that has experienced and instituted significant changes in the last ten years. This report documents a thorough examination of our current practices and our plans and readiness to succeed in the future. The College is committed to meeting the high expectations of the Commission and those of our students and the diverse constituencies we serve.
