The Annual Report is published by the Public Relations team at Northwest Vista College. For copies or questions, write to: Northwest Vista College Public Relations 3535 North Ellison Drive San Antonio, TX 78251 (210) 486-4689
Northwest Vista College One of the Alamo Community Colleges
Creating Opportunities for Success
President’s Message “Throw yourself like seed as you walk, and into your own field… From your work you will be able one day to gather yourself.”
From Throw Yourself Like Seed By Miguel de Unamuno
In 2007 Northwest Vista received the 2007 Texas Award for Performance Excellence. You will find in this 2007-08 Annual Report a focus on some approaches and outcomes, arranged under the headings that represent the Baldrige Criteria for Educational Performance Excellence – criteria by which we assess our performance each year to identify opportunities for improvement. This report also highlights some of the efforts of faculty, staff, and alumni who “throw themselves like seed” as they walk. As I ponder the journey of the past ten years, and that of the next ten, I believe our walk is grounded in our culture, a culture based on some simple but meaningful foundations:
• Being student-centered • Creating a collaborative learning environment • Being informed by data • Maintaining a “can do” spirit
From these foundations we work each day to fulfill our Mission, our Vision and our Values in service to our students and our community. It is my hope that in these pages we are able to share with you bits and pieces of how we gather ourselves so that students can engage in learning together. As you read, may you share our enthusiasm in creating opportunities for success, so that current and future Northwest Vista College students can become contributing workers and citizens like Arantxa, Brandon, Randy, Selina, Virginia, Cassandra and Ramon.
Highlights Northwest Vista College received the 2007 Texas Award for Performance Excellence (TAPE) from the Quality Texas Foundation, an annual recognition of organizations that have achieved excellence in daily operations.
— Jaqueline Claunch
Highlights
Northwest Vista College has a federally approved Institutional Review Board authorized by the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee the ethical research practices of human subjects at the college.
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Mission
&
Creating Opportunities for Success Vision
Learning to be...
To become responsible members of our world community, we create exemplary models for:
Learning to work... Learning to serve... Learning to lead...
Together.
Learning to be: • Understanding who I am • Developing self • Being open to new ideas • Developing a values set • Developing the creative self • Being joyful
Learning to lead: • Developing and supporting each other • Applying core learning elements of Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge • Valuing innovation and risk-taking • Serving as a positive role model • Developing mediation and team-building skills
Learning to work: • Developing technical skills and knowledge • Developing creative and critical thinking skills • Developing communication skills • Developing work ethic • Collaborating effectively
Together: • Positive interdependence • Partnering • Collaboration • Cooperation • Tolerance for and acceptance of differences • Synergy
Learning to serve: • Developing an ethic of service • Developing skills for responsible citizenship • Developing social and environmental responsibility • Developing a global perspective • Engaging in service to community
Highlights Northwest Vista College was ranked one of the top 30 community colleges in the nation by Washington Monthly in 2007.
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NVC Values We, the students, faculty, and staff of the Northwest Vista College community, are committed to making a difference through learning and through service. To that end, we are guided and inspired by a unifying set of values. Learning - We value a quality learning environment in which each of us grows in effectiveness as a worker and citizen while acquiring knowledge and understanding of self, community, and our cultural diversity. Community - We value a community in which all members are empowered to contribute as learners and leaders, practicing mutual respect and building mutual trust. Caring - We value caring — for ourselves, for each other, and for this place — and exhibit that caring through service to others. Synergy - We value working together to make our shared vision a reality, recognizing that the whole we can create together is greater than the sum of its parts.
Alamo Community Colleges Values Integrity - We have the courage to act ethically, building a culture of trust and respect. Communication - We engage in open and transparent communication, information sharing, and collaboration. Community - We commit to a joyful culture of learning and service where unity in diversity occurs through mutual respect, cooperation, and accessibility. Academic Freedom - We value creativity, growth, and transformation through vigorous inquiry and a free exchange of ideas for all. Accountability - We take responsibility for our actions and strive for continuous learning and improvement.
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Diversity - We value diversity, appreciating different ways of knowing and ways of living and recognizing that our diversity is a source of strength. Creativity - We value thinking beyond the usual parameters to engage in and support innovations that continually recreate our learning community as a model of excellence in higher education. Openness - We value open and honest communications that create an atmosphere of trust and an openness to change for the benefit of students. Integrity - We value acting with integrity, placing high ethical standards before personal gain and modeling that behavior for others. Joy - We value laughter and play that enriches our work and lives.
Alumni Spotlight
Arantxa Loizaga Class of 2007 Associate of Arts in Communications Reporter, KWEX TV/Univision
“Leadership is the ability to empower your community and help people become successful. At Northwest Vista College, students like me get support in and outside of the classroom. When I moved to the United States from Mexico, I spoke English but was not fluent. The writing lab and the math lab helped me become successful so that I had the same opportunities as students who spoke English all of their lives.�
Chapter 1:
Leadership
Leadership Senior leaders at Northwest Vista College encourage an open environment to engage employees and students. Our vision and values are promoted on a consistent basis to create a culture of excellence. Senior leaders provide direction to maximize access to college for our key communities. Our services are aligned with the needs of our stakeholders: students, workforce and community.
Key Communities Our number one strategic objective is to provide access to college for students who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education. Northwest Vista College has for the past two years engaged in strategies to increase Hispanic enrollment as a percentage of overall student enrollment.
Enrollment by Ethnicity
50% 45%
45.4% 44.9% 44.0%
40% 35% 30% 25%
20% We are slowly improving the overall Hispanic enrollment, with a goal to reflect the population 15% of our service area. Hispanic student enrollment 10% grew from 44 percent in fall 2005 to 45.4 percent 5% in fall 2007. 0% The African-American student population at NVC currently mirrors the population in Bexar County. To speed progress toward the growth of Hispanic student enrollment, we have action plans to improve recruitment, marketing, enrollment and financial aid.
46.2% 45.9% 43.7%
5.5%
5.1%
6.1%
AfricanAmerican
White FALL 2005
FALL 2006
Hispanic FALL 2007
[1-1]
Highlights Northwest Vista College is a member of the American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education. The college is conducting an environmental audit to assess the status of environmental sustainabilty and to identify strengths as well as key opportunities for improvement.
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Focus on Key Communities We consistently track the progress of students by ethnicity and provide support services that lead to academic success and graduation for all student groups. Most recent data indicates that the graduation rates for our Hispanic students are increasing but do not yet mirror enrollment rates for the Hispanic students. Graph 1-2 illustrates that 38.4 percent of students who graduated in 2005 were Hispanic. That number increased the following year to 42.6 percent. While the gap for Hispanic graduates is narrowing, we are still short of our goal to reach graduation rates for Hispanic students that align with the overall Hispanic enrollment of 45.4 percent (Graph 1-1) for fall 2007. To help our key communities reach graduation, Northwest Vista College is instituting new strategies that include additional support services, mentoring, scholarships and financial aid to address some of the challenges students face while in college.
Graduation Percentages by Ethnicity 52.4%
50%
47.0% 42.6%
45%
38.4%
40% 35% 30% 25%
Highlights
20% 15%
6.6%
10%
College values are prominently displayed around campus. The value of caring, for example, is encouraged through civic engagement for students and employees. In 2007, NVC employees contributed 54 percent more than in the previous year to the annual United Way campaign, for a total contribution of $31,000.
5.1%
5% 0% White
AfricanAmerican FY2005
Hispanic
FY2006
[1-2]
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Leadership Support of Key Communities Another key community of students at Northwest Vista College is those who require remediation. More than 85 percent of entering students require developmental math. Students who take developmental math at Northwest Vista College have a 77 percent success rate (Graph 1-3). This corresponds to the 98th percentile when compared to other institutions, according to the National Community College Benchmarking Project (NCCBP). As a result, NVC was the highest performing Hispanic Serving Institution in the nation in developmental math success rates in 2007. The other colleges represented by letters on the graph include Austin Community College, Community College of Denver, Maricopa, Miami-Dade Community College, Palo Alto College, San Antonio College and Valencia Community College in no particular order (Graph 1-3).
Developmental Math Success Rates (NCCBP 2007) 80%
77%
68%
70%
63%
60%
57%
49%
50%
45%
40%
36%
30% NVC
B
C
D
E
F
G
[1-3]
Highlights Northwest Vista College is a national leader in Developmental Education and provides support services through our Advocacy Center, which received the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) recognition. The Developmental Math program is the only one in the nation to receive the NADE recognition at the Distinguished Level.
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Alumni Spotlight
Brandon Wallace Sr. Class of 2007 Associate of Applied Science in Multimedia Specialist Lead Editor, 1080, Inc.
“The best thing about Northwest Vista College is the knowledge of the instructors who have a lot of hands-on experience in the subject they teach. They also told us where to look for jobs, how to conduct ourselves, what to do and say at a job interview. That’s what I call preparing students for the real world. Now I use those skills every day at my job.”
Chapter 2:
Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning Northwest Vista College develops and deploys a new Strategic Plan every five years. It is evaluated on an annual basis by the leadership team and all college employees. Changes to the plan are made in response to student success data, surveys, internal and external environmental scans that include job market analysis, educational trends and social and political influences. The Strategic Plan is then deployed through organizational, work group and individual action plans. Progress is measured regularly by the Executive Team.
Developing the Plan The Strategic Leadership Team drives the flow of the strategic planning process. The entire NVC community is involved in planning and reviewing to ensure that the Strategic Plan aligns to the needs of our students and community, and that it carries out the college’s mission, vision and values. The 2005-10 Strategic Objectives are to:
I. II. III. IV. V.
Increase access to education for underserved populations Enhance student engagement and success Cultivate dynamic responsive partners Foster a cultrue of workforce learning and service Engage in fact-based process and resource management
Deploying the Plan The Strategic Plan is deployed at three levels:
• Organizational: College level goals that address specific student or community needs
• Work group: Specific work unit addresses priorities pertaining to that area or a special expert group is set up to address and provide direction to a particular issue
• Individual: Employee addresses work group priorities at an individual level (How can I help my area accomplish our goals?) and plans professional development
Highlights Tai Chi instructor Sal De la Rosa received one of the highest achievements in the martial art of Taijiquan. De la Rosa made the top ranks in Master Chen Zhenglei’s system, which means he has become a “great teacher” of Taijiquan, a martial art that is more than a 1,000 years old. He was inducted into Master Zhenglei’s lineage in August 2007.
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High Transfer Rate The Strategic Plan has a set of measures known as the Balanced Scorecard that tracks the performance of each objective and action plan. One of our key performance measures are students transferring to a four-year institution to continue their education towards a bachelor’s degree. Our most current data available from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) show the 2006 transfer rate for Northwest Vista College students is almost 50 percent, which is the highest of any community college in Texas, and almost double the state average. The current statewide average is 26.4 percent (Graph 2-1). NVC Transfer Partners: • University of Texas at San Antonio • University of the Incarnate Word • Our Lady of the Lake University • Texas State University • Baptist Health System • St. Mary’s University • Texas A & M University • Texas A & M University - Kingsville • Texas A&M University - Kingsville System Center - San Antonio • Texas Tech University • University of Texas Health Science Center
Percentage of FTIC Transfer to Texas Senior Institutions 70%
60%
50%
40%
58.5%
49.6%
Highlights
39.5%
28.6% 29.5% 27.3%
30%
27.5% 24.7% 26.0%
26.4% 25.2% 24.9%
20% NVC
Austin CC MB Compare Texas (Baldrige) Statewide AY03-04
AY04-05
AY05-06
Chair of English and Reading Denise Tolan was recognized with the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award for the 200708 year, which recognizes teaching and leadership excellence in higher education. She was also nominated for the Minnie Stevens Piper Award, one of the oldest and most prestigious teaching awards in Texas.
[2-1]
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Strategic Planning Student Engagement Another key performance indicator of our Strategic Plan is student engagement and success. Student surveys consistently indicate that learning at Northwest Vista College (NVC) is active and collaborative. This teaching methodology, practiced widely at NVC, promotes high level of student engagement and success. Spring 2008 data from the Community College Survey on Student Engagement (CCSSE) show that NVC improved scores from 58.4 in 2007 to 59.0 in 2008. The 2008 score is actually lower than when it was 63.5 two years ago; however, it far exceeds comparison groups that include Texas Community Colleges, Achieving the Dream Colleges, Hispanic Serving Institutions and large colleges (Graph 2-2).
Active and Collaborative Learning Benchmark Scores 70 65
63.5
60
59.0
58.4
55
52.0 51.9 49.5
50
52.1 50.0 50.0 49.1
49.6 51.7 50.6 49.3
45 40
2006 NVC
Texas
2007 AtD Cons.
HSS Cons.
2008 Large Colleges
[2-2]
Highlights Assistant Professor of Psychology Donald Richard Lucas, Ph.D. was selected as a Piper Professor of 2007 by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. The award honors superior teaching at Texas colleges and universities. Dr. Lucas is the first professor at NVC to receive this award.
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Alumni Spotlight
Randy Crowell Class of 2007 Associate of Applied Science in Biotechnology Research Assistant
“Northwest Vista College is focused on students and helps them succeed. When you try to go back to college at my age, it is not easy. But my instructors did not lower the standard. Instead, they challenged me and did everything they could to help me. My degree in biotechnology allows me to do medical research that will hopefully help improve or extend someone’s life.”
Chapter 3:
Student Focus
Student Focus Northwest Vista College seeks to understand the voice of our students, community and workforce by listening to formal and informal feedback, evaluating surveys, and collecting qualitative data. We build relationships with our stakeholders by listening to and learning from their needs and requirements. This systematic dialogue allows us to continuously improve our course offerings and services.
Students Recommend NVC Students at Northwest Vista College report high satisfaction with their college experiences. The spring 2008 data from the Community College Survey on Student Engagement (CCSSE) shows that almost 98 percent of respondents would recommend Northwest Vista College to a friend. This number has grown by two percentage points from the last two years. Northwest Vista College is the top scoring institution in this area, above other large colleges, the CCSSE cohort, the Hispanic Serving Institution cohort and the Achieving the Dream (AtD) colleges (Graph 3-1).
CCSSE Results: Would Recommend NVC to Friend or Family 98
97.7
97 96
95.9
95.8
95.5 95.2
95.5
95.4 95.2
95 94
94.1
94.0
94.2
94.1
94.3
94.5 94.3
93
Quality of Instruction Students’ opinions regarding the quality of instruction at Northwest Vista College are above the norm, according to the latest Student Assessment of College Environment survey (SACE).
92
2006 NVC
2007
CCSSEE Cohort
AtD
2008 HSS
Large Colleges
[3-1]
Highlights Northwest Vista College students won first place in a poster presentation of their research on happiness at a professional psychology research conference, The Psi Chi Southwestern Students of Psychology: Ideas, Data Exchange, and Review (SW SPIDER). The students conducted three studies with 630 subjects over a two-year period.
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The survey is administered by the National Institute for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness (NILIE), an independent non-profit organization. Northwest Vista College (NVC) scored above the 2006 norm of 4.07 as illustrated on Graph 3-2. Overall Quality of Instruction 4.25 4.19
4.20
4.17
4.15 4.10
4.10 4.07
4.05 4.00
Fall 05
Fall 03
Fall 06
06 Norm
[3-2]
NVC data regarding quality of instruction by student segments show that all groups: Hispanic, White and African-American, exhibit a high level of satisfaction. The Hispanic segment -- our target student group -- displays the highest satisfaction rate (Graph 3-3). Segmented information from 2006 is not available. Quality of Instruction as Rated by Student Ethnicity 4.30 4.24
4.20 4.15
4.17
4.15 4.14
Highlights
4.13
4.09
4.10 4.06
Northwest Vista College was recognized by the Community College Week as one of the Top 100 Associate Degree Producers of 2008. The publication ranked NVC tenth in the nation.
4.00 3.94
3.90
White FALL 2002
AfricanAmerican FALL 2003
Hispanic FALL 2005
[3-3]
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Student Focus Student Feedback Northwest Vista College uses a formal complaint management system known as HUGS (Help Us Grow Stronger). Developed in 2005, the HUGS system documents complaints and provides a conduit for resolution and feedback. The system categorizes complaints into segments that include academic support labs, business office, campus facilities, instruction, and technology. The goal of the system is to identify problem areas so that we can improve our services for students. As complaints increase in a particular area of service or instruction and similar results are seen through other forms of feedback, such as surveys or data, we evaluate these gaps to implement improvements. For example, we recently improved our outgoing transcript request processing. In 2006-2007, a total of 16,738 requests for transcripts were processed. Out of this number, 83 percent were processed with a hard copy requisition. The remaining 17 percent were processed using an online request form. In 2007-2008, the total number of requests had increased by 22 percent to 20,429. At the same time, the percentage of online requests had increased to 82 percent of the total. By making transcript requests available online, the cost in fulfilling this large number of requests has been reduced and frees up staff to take on other tasks. It also reduced the response time for transcripts to approximately 24 hours in most circumstances.
NVC Outgoing Transcript Requests Year
Paper/In person
% of Total
Online
% of Total
Total Transcript Requests
2006-07
13,891
83
2,847
17
16,738
2007-08
3,626
18
16,803
82
20,429
Highlights In 2007, NVC created the Sustaining Talent in Education to Launch Learning and Research (STELLAR) project. Funded by a $521,928 grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the project is designed to encourage and support students who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education in the fields of science and engineering.
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Alumni Spotlight
Selina Costilla Class of 2005 Associate of Arts in Education Sr. Teller/Account Service Representative, San Antonio Credit Union
“I had a great college experience at Northwest Vista. It was a better choice for me than a large university because I was able to stay close to home. The classes were small and instructors were fun and always available. I found Northwest Vista to be a great learning environment for me.�
Chapter 4:
Measurement
Measurement At Northwest Vista College, tracking our performance is essential in making sure we are meeting our goals and objectives with students, faculty, staff and the community. The college analyzes data continuously and quickly takes action where we see declines or possible concerns. It is critical for us to know when we need to redirect our efforts to ensure the success of our students.
Managing by Data The Alamo Community Colleges have five Strategic Drivers. The first one is about providing access to education for our diverse communities that come from various geographic areas, different socioeconomic backgrounds and with varying levels of educational preparedness. One way in which we measure this is with our enrollment data.
Enrollment Growth 11,000 10,627
10,500 10,000
9,807
9,500
Northwest Vista College has experienced continuous enrollment growth from our inception in 1995, when we started offering classes with 12 students. By fall 2003, we had 7,929 students. Most recent certified data by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shows NVC enrollment at 10,627 in fall 2007. This is an increase of 8.4 percent over fall 2006 enrollment of 9,807.
9,151
9,000
8,809
8,500 8,000
7,929
7,500 7,000
The success of our enrollment growth can be Fall 2003 Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 attributed to several factors, including our geographic [4-1] location in the fastest growing area of Bexar County, our feeder schools in the Northside Independent School District (NISD), the reputation of our collaborative and student-centered faculty and staff, as well as our beautiful campus.
Highlights Assistant Professor of Geology Nicholas J. DeLillo, Ph.D. received the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award for the 2007-08 year, which recognizes teaching and leadership excellence in higher education. He is also a three-time recipient of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.
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Quality Enhancement Plan Northwest Vista College (NVC) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The standards set forth by this agency require that we assess our set of student learning outcomes. Additionally, we are required to develop and implement a Quality Enhancement Plan with an emphasis on student learning. NVC’s Quality Enhancement Plan, Assessing Student Learning Across the Curriculum, delves more deeply into assessing three skills employers are looking for in our graduates: • critical thinking • communication (specifically speaking and writing) • collaboration Since Fall 2006, significant work has been accomplished in defining and assessing these outcomes. Based on the Spring 2008 assessment of critical thinking, students scored highest in the area of accuracy (facts are used accurately and appropriately). Students scored lowest in the area of depth and breadth. Assessment of writing indicated students are strongest in writing a thesis statement, while having slightly more difficulty with mechanics and supporting the thesis. Assessment of speaking indicated students are best at organizing their presentations around a purpose and using language appropriate for the audience, while struggling slightly with delivery (both physical and vocal) and organization. Assessment of cooperative learning is in the early stages, with designing and testing of assessment rubric completed in Spring 2008. Full assessment will be conducted in Spring 2009. Based upon the results of these assessments, faculty development sessions are being offered to highlight successes and address areas for improvement.
Highlights Northwest Vista College was the toprated community college at a regional Ethics Bowl, held in November 2007 at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Students competed in three rounds of debates that addressed contemporary ethical issues.
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Measurement Library Workshops
Growth of Library Instruction at NVC
The library instruction program has grown from 117 classes in 2001 to 447 classes in 2007. The number of students taught in the library research classes during this time has more than quadrupled. This is good news for our students’ learning outcomes: Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge (ASK). Our goal in library instruction is to empower the students to be in charge of their own learning while attending NVC and beyond.
Year
Number of Classes
Number of Students Taught
2001
117
2139
2002
214
4341
2003
263
4988
2004
278
5866
2005
418
8411
2006
380
8455
2007
447
9248
Information and Communication Technology The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) team has made several improvements. For example, the team reduced the average time it takes from the initial contact with the customer to resolution from 105.99 hours in 2007 to 77.13 hours in 2008. One of the most significant accomplishments this summer was ICT’s response in preparing two new buildings for the fall semester. Within a month’s time, ICT installed over 1260 computers, 50 projectors, 75 printers, 15 Smart Classrooms and a new Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system. At the same time, ICT finished deploying the VoIP phones to the rest of the college in a week’s time. The total number of phones installed was about 650.
Information and Communication Technology Data Jan 07 Dec 07
Jan 08 Oct 08
3,877
3,485
Average Time from Create Time to Assign Time
3
2
Average Time from Assign Time to First Contact with Customer
14
14
Average Time from First Contact with Customer to Resolved Time
105.99
77.13
Average Time from Create Time to Resolved Time
115.44
88.27
95%
95%
Year Total tickets
Average Satisfaction Rating
Highlights
Assistant Professor of Multimedia Technology Ron Wojnar received the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award for the 2007-08 year, which recognizes teaching and leadership excellence in higher education. He is also the first recipient of the Service Learning Award at NVC for encouraging students to create videos for non-profit organizations.
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Alumni Spotlight
Virginia Leggett Class of 2000 Associate of Science Budget Officer, Northwest Vista College
“I did not intend to go to college after high school. I did not see the value in it. But somehow I ended up at NVC as a student and an employee. Fast forward a few years and now I have a master’s degree and serve as the college budget officer. I honestly don’t know where or who I would be today if it weren’t for the opportunities I’ve had at NVC as a student and an employee.“
Chapter 5:
Employee Focus
Employee Focus Our culture of high performance and motivated workforce begins when senior leaders encourage employees’ understanding of their direct contribution to the mission of the college. This connection develops during the hiring process, and continues through new employee orientation and as part of a collaborative work environment. Opportunities for development and training, tuition reimbursements, employee recognitions and other reward systems also contribute to a high employee retention rate.
Satisfaction Survey Employee satisfaction with the work climate at Northwest Vista College is measured using Personal Assessment of College Environment (PACE) survey administered by an independent non-profit organization known as the National Institute for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness (NILIE). The PACE survey measures five areas that include teamwork and supervisor/employee relationship. To score in the band of 3-4 means there is a consultative work environment. A score in the 4-5 band indicates a collaborative environment. For 2006, Northwest Vista College employees’ overall rating was 4.1 in the collaborative range. Graph 5-1 illustrates ratings by all job types: administrative, professional, classified and faculty. The highest satisfaction rates (above 4) are for faculty and administrators who assess the culture as collaborative.
2006 PACE by Job Category 5
4
3
2
1
0
Supervisor Institution Teamwork Structure Administration
Professional
Student Focus Classified
Overall Faculty
[5-1]
Highlights
Communications faculty Linda Cuellar and Humanities faculty Craig Coroneos produced an award-winning documentary depicting financial success stories of local residents. The Proliner Award recognizes excellence in communication by the Association for Women in Communication, Inc.
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Employee Retention The high level of employee satisfaction at Northwest Vista College has improved employee retention. As the Graph 5-2 below shows, we retained 91 percent of our employees in 2007. This is the second year in a row that our employee retention has ranked higher than the national retention rate of 81.4 percent for the education industry.
Leadership Training During the 2007-08 academic year, two groups of employees participated in a couple of new leadership training programs. The Alamo Community Colleges Leadership Academy for Success (ALAS) and the Leadership Lab at Northwest Vista College were each eight-monthlong programs based on the Franklin Covey curriculum, Leadership: Great Leaders, Great Team, Great Results, which is taught in the best organizations across the nation. The programs also included pre and post evaluation of the participants, mentoring and final projects. Participants learned leadership concepts that were directly applied in the workplace. Employee Retention 95% 91.0%
90% 84.4%
85%
Highlights
National Retention for Education Industry = 81.4% 78.1%
80% 76.8%
75%
70% Fall 2004
Fall 2005 Fall 2006
Fall 2007
Four Northwest Vista College employees were selected to participate in an intensive eightmonth-long leadership program known as the Alamo Community Colleges Leadership Academy for Success (ALAS). Conducted in the 2007-08 year, the program brought together employees from all five sister colleges and the district to collaborate together and apply learned concepts into the workplace.
[5-2]
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Employee Focus Employee Training Northwest Vista College is committed to performance excellence. We expect our employees to embrace our pursuit of continuous improvement and encourage them to participate in opportunities for personal and professional growth. Faculty and staff have access to top quality onsite training that enhances their skills and knowledge to help our students become successful. The categories of our onsite training are: • New Employee Orientation • Employee Development • Faculty Development • Information Technology • FOCUS PDCA • Service Learning • Cooperative Learning • Leadership Training
Creating Partnerships A unique feature of Employee Development at NVC is the building of partnerships with other organizations and the opportunity this creates for employees to interact with the community. For example, we have
partnerships with SeaWorld of Texas where our employees receive leadership training known as “Whale Done” and build lasting relationships with our community partner. Another example of innovative training that occurred in spring 2008 was a faculty development symposium titled Collaborating for Student Success: Building Engagement in Learning. Through a partnership with the University of the Incarnate Word – made possible by a Title V grant – faculty benefited from a variety of workshops ranging in topics from Quantitative Courses to Concept Mapping. Conducted by instructors from both institutions, faculty exchanged ideas and shared best practices. Participants also benefited from an inspiring presentation by a renowned educator and guest speaker, Vincent Tinto, whose book Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition was distributed to every instructor for additional reference and learning. Tinto is Chair of the Higher Education Program School of Education at Syracuse University. Future plans include a second symposium between the two colleges on the Northwest Vista College campus.
Highlights Twenty individuals took part in a new eight-monthlong intensive Leadership Lab at Northwest Vista College during the 2007-08 academic year. The training, based in part on Stephen Covey’s curriculum, included pre and post assessment for the participants, final project and direct application to the workplace.
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Alumni Spotlight
Cassandra Lazenby Class of 2004 Associate of Arts in Communications Executive Producer, Great Day SA/Kens 5 TV
“Northwest Vista College gave me access to the latest technology. The Multimedia Lab has state-of-the art cameras, equipment and editing software that I used as a student at the freshman and sophomore level. This helped to prepare me and my fellow students for a real work environment. I got a job while I was still in college, and my transition to the workplace was a piece of cake.�
Chapter 6:
Process Management
Process Management At Northwest Vista College, the goal is to create opportunities and services that students and the community will find of value. We frequently analyze our services to make sure we are giving the right resources and tools to students to help them succeed. At the same time, we give area residents programs that will bring them to the college.
Safety Process Over the last 18 months, senior leaders have made significant progress in creating an emergency preparedness plan and enhancing existing safety procedures. The Crisis Action Team (CATs) and the Building Action Team (BAT) were formed to handle safety, planning and administrative functions as well as safety drills. • General safety procedures that were put in place: Provided training in CPR Installed evacuation chairs Installed first aid kits Developed and conducted safety training Increased the number of courtesy patrol Installed Automatic Emergency Defibrillators (AED) • Emergency procedures that were completed: Developed an emergency plan Developed a crisis communication plan Developed a counseling checklist Conducted emergency drills: fire, tornado, bomb threat, shooter • Currently collaborating with sister colleges and central office on: Emergency Notification System
Highlights NVC Courtesy Patrol employees received the Executive Team Service Award in summer 2008 for expanding and improving their services, which include escorting people to their vehicles and buildings, administering CPR, providing assistance for lost items and vehicles, monitoring parking lots, and helping during campus events.
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Preparing Students for College Success NVC’s student intake process is designed to anticipate differences in preparation and to appropriately place students. The developmental math, reading and English programs have increased student success in developmental as well as college level coursework due to the relentless pursuit of excellence by faculty who teach in those areas. The award-winning Advocacy Center, training and mentoring for part-time faculty, accelerated learning models and other innovative strategies have led to high student success rates. Data shows that our developmental math students who enroll in college algebra are successful at approximately the same rate as students not requiring developmental math (Graph 6-1).
Subsequent College Math Success in College Algebra 82% 80%
79% 78%
78%
78%
77% 76%
76% 74%
73%
Highlights
72% 70%
Northwest Vista College is the only community college in Texas to receive a $10,000 grant for the 2007-08 academic year from the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces: Dance College Component initiative, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts with Dance/USA.
68% Fall 2005
Fall 2006 Fall 2007
College Prepared Students Students that Passed Dev Course
[6-1]
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Process Management Students with Educational Goals Research shows that students who declare an educational major within the first semester (the first fifteen credit hours) are more likely to be successful in college than those who do not declare a major. Northwest Vista College is committed to helping students set their career goals. In 2007, our Career and Transfer Services Center (CaTS) provided face-to-face support to more than 13,000 visitors. Most of the assistance was regarding Web registration and information for scholarships and financial aid. Fifty-four percent of those who came to visit the first time, returned to the CaTS Center for guidance in exploring and choosing a major. The Center also provides resources on career planning as well as job readiness and placement. The CaTS Center has implemented several initiatives to reduce the number of undeclared majors. One of those events is Major Mania, which is conducted twice a year. Students visit booths where faculty and staff discuss various programs of study at Northwest Vista College. Some booths have hands-on demonstrations showing students what they can expect in the classroom or in the workplace. Results showed that 96 percent of students who attended Major Mania said it was a powerful experience in helping them with their educational goals. The data for undeclared majors show significant improvements. In 2005, the number of undeclared majors was 20 percent. The following year, it was 19 percent. In 2007, the number of undeclared majors declined to 11 percent. The Career Game is another tool to help students identify their career goals by understanding their interests, skills and abilities, and how those fit in with a specific career. The staff of the Career Center visits Student Development classes—a introductory course to college life —and administers the tool to the students, as part of the CaTS in the Classroom program.
Highlights The public relations team at Northwest Vista College received two Gold Medallion Awards from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) in October 2007. The award recognized the 2006 Annual Report and the 2007-08 Catalog on a CD-ROM.
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Alumni Spotlight
Ramon Montez Class of 2006 Associate of Arts in Communications Customer Service Representative, CPS Energy
“I would say that the faculty and staff at NVC are excellent. Instructors and staff bring their own real life experience into the classroom which helped me understand the information and made it enjoyable to learn. Between classes, I loved attending all the student events and activities. I am especially grateful to the Library staff who helped me whenever I was doing research and when I was missing my textbooks one semester.�
Chapter 7:
Results
College Awards & Recognitions Alamo Community Colleges Leadership Academy for Success (ALAS) Debi Gaitan, Kasey Fielder, Elaine Lang and Renata Serafin were selected to participate in the ALAS program for the 2007-08 academic year.
Hall of Honor Allen Haas, Jr., president of the Northwest Vista College Phi Theta Kappa chapter, Beta Lambda Upsilon, was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa District’s “Hall of Honor” in March 2007.
American Association for Sustainability Northwest Vista College was chosen to be a member of the American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education. The college is conducting an environmental audit to assess the status of environmental sustainability and to identify strengths, as well as key opportunities for improvement.
Hallmark Award The Northwest Vista College Phi Theta Kappa chapter, Beta Lambda Upsilon (BLU), received the coveted Hallmark Award for chapter leadership in March 2007. BLU was also recognized as a Three-Star Chapter.
Diana Hacker Award Developmental Advocacy Center was recognized with the Diana Hacker Award by the Two-Year College Association for outstanding programs in English and “Fostering Student Success.” Ethics Bowl Northwest Vista College was the top-rated community college at a regional Ethics Bowl, held in November 2007 at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Students competed in three rounds of debates that addressed contemporary ethical issues. Executive Team Service Award NVC Courtesy Patrol employees received the Executive Team Service Award in summer 2008 for expanding and improving their services, which include escorting people to their vehicles and buildings, administering CPR, assisting with lost items and vehicles, monitoring parking lots, and helping during campus events. Gold Medallions The public relations team at Northwest Vista College received two Gold Medallion Awards from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) in October 2007. The award recognized the 2006 Annual Report and the 2007-08 Catalog on a CD-ROM.
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Horizon Award In March 2007, Kevin Kelley, co-advisor for the Northwest Vista College Phi Theta Kappa chapter, Beta Lambda Upsilon, was given the Horizon Award, which recognizes outstanding chapter advisors. Leadership Lab The following individuals were selected to participate in the Northwest Vista College Leadership Lab for the 2007-08 academic year: Kathi Ashworth, Julie Bajusz, Lydia Beaver, Zak Cernoch, Katherine Courtney, Maxine Cuellar, Jesse Diaz, Ana Escamilla, Jo Garcia, Christine Godin, Yvonne Guerra, Shawn Harward, Bob Kemmerer, Chris Maddox, Debra Morgan, Diana Muniz, Darryl Nettles, Felix Salinas, Janie Scott and Carolyn Tyler. Master Chen Northwest Vista College Tai Chi instructor Sal De la Rosa received one of the highest achievements in the martial art of Taijiquan. De la Rosa made the top ranks in Master Chen Henglei’s system, which means he has become a “great teacher” of Taijiquan. Miss Fiesta and Miss Congeniality Samantha Garcia, a student at Northwest Vista College, was crowned Miss Fiesta San Antonio 2007. Garcia was also named Miss Congeniality and won an award for Best Historical Skit, in which she portrayed labor rights activist Emma Tenayuca.
College Awards & Recognitions NADE The Advocacy Center received the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) recognition. The Developmental Math program is the only one in the nation to receive the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) recognition at the Distinguished Level. National Endowment for the Arts Grant Northwest Vista College is the only community college in Texas to receive a $10,000 grant for the 2007-08 academic year from the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces: Dance College Component initiative, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts with Dance/ USA. NISOD Excellence in Teaching Nicholas J. DeLillo, Ph.D., assistant professor of geology, received the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award for 2007-08 academic year. Ron Wojnar, assistant professor of multimedia technology, received the NISOD Excellence Award for the 2007-08 academic year. The award recognizes teaching and leadership excellence in higher education. Denise Tolan Chair of English and Reading was recognized with the NISOD Excellence Award for the 2007-08 year. She was also nominated for the Minnie Stevens Piper Award, one of the oldest and most prestigious teaching awards in Texas. Piper Professor Donald Richard Lucas, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, was selected as a Piper Professor of 2007 by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. Dr. Lucas is the first professor at NVC to receive this award.
Proliner Award The Association for Women in Communications in San Antonio awarded NVC faculty members, Linda Cuellar and Craig Coroneos, with the Proliner Award for their documentary, “Gaining Ground,� which captured financial success stories of San Antonio residents. STELLAR Grant In 2007, NVC created the Sustaining Talent in Education to Launch Learning and Research (STELLAR) project. Funded by a $521,928 grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the project is designed to encourage and support students who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education in the fields of science and engineering. SW SPIDER Northwest Vista College students won first place in a poster presentation of their research on happiness at a professional psychology research conference, The Psi Chi Southwestern Students of Psychology: Ideas, Data Exchange, and Review (SW SPIDER). Texas Award for Performance Excellence The Quality Texas Foundation chose Northwest Vista College as the recipient of the 2007 Texas Award for Performance Excellence (TAPE). Top 30 Community College Northwest Vista College was ranked one of the Top 30 Community Colleges in the nation by Washington Monthly. Top 100 Associate Degree Producer Northwest Vista College was recognized by Community College Week as one of the Top 100 Associate Degree Producers of 2008. The publication ranked NVC 10th in the nation.
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Annual Report Team Artistic Advice
Tim Jones William Keith
Content Writing
Jacqueline Claunch Melissa Monroe-Young Renata Serafin
Design
Viviane Marioneaux Yuri Martinez-Ramos Lisa McDaniel Paul Vallejo
Editing
Judy Camargo Jacqueline Claunch Craig Coroneos Christa Emig Laura Lawrence Lisa McDaniel Debra Morgan Julie Pace Janie Scott
Feedback (Regarding Design)
Gary Bowling Beverly Evans Pati Garza Christine Godin William Keith Daniel Johnson Manny Martinez Judy McMillan Linda Reeves Michell Rodriguez Marta Sosa Felipe Tamez Patrick Troy
Graph Technicians
Shawn Harward Paul Vallejo
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Photo Coordinators
Manny Martinez Yuri Martinez-Ramos Jennifer Rivera
Photo Editing
Viviane Marioneaux Yuri Martinez-Ramos Lisa McDaniel Paul Vallejo
Photography
Ray Perez Karina Serna Paul Vallejo
Proofreading
Jo Garcia Bob Kemmerer Tim Molina
Research Team Leader
Lydia Beaver Judy Camargo Zak Cernoch Maxine Cuellar Maritza Dawkins-Holnes Jo Garcia Christine Godin William Keith Kevin Kelley Bob Kemmerer Elaine Lang Elizabeth Lopez Don Lucas Judy McMillan Melissa Monroe-Young Debra Morgan Julie Pace Linda Reeves Jerrold Schott Janie Scott Renata Serafin
College Administrators President
Jacqueline Claunch, Ph. D.
Vice President Academics
Jimmie Bruce, Ed. D.
Vice President Student Success
Vice President College Services
Diana Muniz, Ph. D. Julie Pace
Dean Community Development
Debra Morgan, Ph. D.
Dean Workforce Education and Training
Patrick Fontenot
Dean Learning Resources
Christine Godin
Northwest Vista College, a college of the Alamo Community Colleges, does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability with respect to access, employment programs, or services. Inquiries or complaints concerning these matters should be brought to the attention of: Director of Human Resources Title IX Coordinator 201 W. Sheridan, Bldg. A San Antonio, TX 78204 (210) 458-0200 Northwest Vista College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097: Telephone number 404-679-4501) to award certificate and associate degrees.
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Northwest Vista College 3535 North Ellison Drive San Antonio, TX 78251
(210) 486-4100
www.accd.edu/nvc