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Report to the Commission on
Higher Education
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Building A Vision Of Excellence
Self-Study
Quinsigamond Community College
Self-Study 2003
Prepared for: The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education,
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.
670 West Boylston Street
Worcester, MA 01606-2092 www.qcc.mass.edu
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Title Page……………………………..……………………………………………………………...i Table of Contents……...……………………………………………………………………………ii-iii Glossary…………………………………………………………………………………………… ..iv-v Institutional Characteristics…………………………………………………………………..……vi-viii Organizational Charts………………………………………………………………………………ix-xi Chief Institutional Officers………………………………………………………………………...xii President’s Message………………………………………………………………………………..xiii-xiv Self-Study Committees Steering Committee and Subcommittees
for the Eleven Standards…………………………………………………………………xv-xvi Preface……………………………………………………..………………………………………xvii-xviii Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………..xix-xx NARRATIVE STANDARD ONE…………………………………………………………………………… 1 - 5 Mission and Purpose STANDARD TWO…………………………………………………………………………… 6 -17 Planning and Evaluation STANDARD THREE………………………………………………………………………...18 - 28 Organization and Governance STANDARD FOUR…………………………………………………………………………. 29 -71 Programs and Instruction STANDARD FIVE……………………………………………………………………………72 - 90 Faculty STANDARD SIX……………………………………………………………………………. 91 - 114 Student Services STANDARD SEVEN……………………………………………………………………… . 115 - 130 Library and Information Resources
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page STANDARD EIGHT……………………………………………………………………….131 - 143 Physical Resources
STANDARD NINE…………………………………………………………………………144 - 155 Financial Resources
STANDARD TEN…………………………………………………………………………..156 - 163 Public Disclosure STANDARD ELEVEN………………………………………………………………………164 - 167 Integrity Appendices CIHE Data Form I Current Fund Revenues and Expenditures……………………………………168 CIHE Data Form II Changes in Fund Balances and Indebtedness…………………………………169 CIHE Data Form III Student Admissions Data…………………………………………………….…170 CIHE Data Form IV Student Enrollment Data………………………………………………….……171 CIHE Data Form V Projected Financial, Tuition, and Enrollment Data………….……………….172 CIHE Data Form VI Faculty Profile………………………………………………………….……….173 - 176 CIHE Data Form VII Student Headcount by Major………………………………………………….177 -179 CIHE Data Form VIII
Credit Hours Generated by Department or Comparable Academic Unit
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GLOSSARY
AAC: Academic Affairs Committee ACC: All-College Council Accuplacer: computerized assessment test for math and reading ACF: All-College Forum ACRL: Association of College and Research Libraries AFSCME: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees ALA: American Library Association APA: Applied Arts Program BHE: Massachusetts State Board of Higher Education (Governing board for post-secondary institutions) BRT: Budget Resource Team CAPS Plan: Career, Academic, Personal Success Plan CARS: Campus Area Record System to be replaced by “CX” (Jenzabar CX, the campus networking platform) CCE: Center for Continuing Education CMRLS: Central Massachusetts Regional Library System CORE CURRICULUM: skills and competencies inherent in all programs CORI: Criminal Offender Record Information CSC: Communication Skills Center CW/MARS: Central and Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing Network DCAM: Division of Capital Asset Management EBE: Experience-Based Education EBSCO: ESL: English as a Second Language FAVA: Friends Achieving with Varying Abilities FY: Fiscal Year GASB: Governmental Accounting Standards Board GED: General Education Development General Education: The minimum programmatic required courses/ credits across disciplines HHC: Health Careers Center IE: Institutional Effectiveness ILC: Individual Learning Center IPR: Internal Program Review LRC: Learning Resource Center MBLC: Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners MCCC: Massachusetts Community College Council MCAS: Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System MCCLPHEI: Massachusetts Conference of Chief Librarians of Public higher Education MTA: Massachusetts Teachers’ Association NACADA: National Academic Advising Association NDI: New Directions Institute N-L SSI: Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory NREMT: National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians QCC Ideals: standards that delimit behaviors of campus civility QCC Portfolio: Web based profile of the College’s work-in-progress on Institutional Effectiveness SABES: Systems for Adult Basic Education Supports TITLE III: A federal “strengthening institutions” grant of $1.8 million to construct a new paradigm of services to under-prepared in-coming students.
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USDOE: United States Department of Education Writeplacer: computerized assessment test for composing skills WTI: Worcester Technical Institute
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vi
INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Quinsigamond Community College
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Assistant to the President
Director of Institutional
Research
Assistant to the President/Secretary to the
Board of Trustees
PRESIDENT'S STAFF Board of Trustees
President
Vice President for Enrollment
and Student
Director of Human
Resources
Vice President of
Academic Affairs
Executive Directorof
Development
Vice President for
Administrative Services
Director of Marketing and
Public Relations
ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS
Administrative Assistant I Clerk IV
Vice Presidentof
Academic Affairs
Director of Special Projects
Assessment Specialist/ Research Analyst Title III
Director of Career
Development Title III
Dean of Instruction for
Health Care and Life Sciences
Dean of Instruction
for Technology
Dean of Instruction for
Business Management and Human
Services
Dean, Center for Continuing Education
Assistant Dean, Academic
Support Services/ Executive
Director of Library
Director of Institutional
Research
Dean of Instruction for
Humanities and Social Sciences
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Administrative Assistant I1 Administrative Assistant I1
Administrative Assistant I rk III
Vice Presidentof Enrollment
udentServices
Campus Ministry
Associate Dean
of Enrollment
and StudentServices
Director ofFinancial
Aid
AssociateDean of Student
Retention Services
AssociateDean of
Enrollment Services
Director of Student Life and Sports
Management
Director of Admissions
Cleand St
Administrative Assistant I
Vice-President ofAdministrative
Services
Comptroller Chief
TechnologyOfficer
Director of Facilities
Associate Dean of
Administrative Services
Assistant Dean of
Auxiliary Operations
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Administrative Assistant I
HUMAN RESOURCES
Director ofHuman Resources
Coordinator of Staff
Development (PT)
Assistant Director of
Human Resources for Affirmative Action and
Recruitment
HumanResources
Administrator
HumanResources
Administrator
Assistant Director of
Human Resources forEmployment
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CHIEF INSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS FUNCTION OR OFFICAL NAME EXACT TITLE Chair Board of Trustees Roland Gauthier Chair
President/Director Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis President
Executive Vice President N/A
Chief Academic Officer Dr. Cathy L. Livingston Vice President of Academic Affairs
Deans of Schools and Colleges N/A
Chief Financial Officer Sheila Sykes Vice President of Administrative Services
Student Services Officer Ann Carroll Vice President of Enrollment & Student Services
Planning Dr. Cathy L. Livingston Vice President of Academic Affairs
Institutional Research Dr. Joseph Lanni Director of Institutional Research
Development vacant
Library Anne Pound Assistant Dean of Academic Services
Continuing Education Christopher Robbins Dean of Continuing Education
Grants/Research Richard Ricardi Director of Grants Development
Admissions Ronald Smith Director of Admission
Registrar Tara Fitzgerald Jenkins Associate Dean of Enrollment & Student Services/Registrar
Financial Aid Iris Godes Director of Financial Aid
Public Relations Victor Somma Director of Marketing & Public Affairs
Alumni Associations Victor Somma Director of Marketing & Public Affairs
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
The simplest way to describe Quinsigamond Community College is a work in progress. Over the
past ten years our College has begun the painful, hard climb from an institution plagued by fiscal
challenge, stagnant programming, outdated systems and debilitated physical plant to one that is vibrant,
alert and alive. We are working hard to transcend the fiscal challenges which constantly beset the public
higher education system in Massachusetts, although our visit could not take place in a less favorable fiscal
clime. While following a planful approach to transforming ourselves from the inside out, the College has
crafted an aggressive agenda of change focused on achieving state-of-the-art currency in everything we
do: curriculum, facilities, equipment, institutional systems, and faculty and staff expertise. Within the
next 3-5 years, we intend to become one of the most progressive institutions in the state, and, in spite of
current fiscal set backs, we are well on our way to achieving that.
Over the past ten years Quinsigamond has engaged in nothing short of institutional
transformation. On a scale of 1 to 10 to mark our progress, we may now be at about 6. Our mission and
vision are clear; our systems are growing progressively solid; our faculty and staff are engaged; our
progress is steady. We have done much, but we have much yet to do, and we will not rest until we are
done. We are under no illusions about how much we have yet to do, but we celebrate, thank and
congratulate our hard working faculty and staff for all that we have accomplished to date.
This Self-Study is a testimony to both of those impulses. Within its covers, we have worked to
applaud our achievements while stating honestly the challenges we must continue to address. While those
challenges are far fewer than those which we faced in 1993, they are nonetheless significant. Our campus
has worked hard to prepare for this visit; we hope that you will find the description, the appraisal and the
projection reflective of a campus in transition but a campus firmly in charge of its destiny.
I thank our courageous and hard working Steering Committee and all the members of our many
Standard Subcommittees for their hard work on our behalf. They have dedicated the last 18 months to
examining every inch of our campus infrastructure on our collective behalf. For that we are grateful. I
thank the faculty and staff of Quinsigamond Community College for the extraordinary progress we have
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made over the past ten years and for their continued willingness to press shoulder to the wheel as we
move into the next phase of our institutional life cycle. We welcome our peer reviewers to our campus,
and we extend our full commitment to assisting you as you review and assess our inner workings. The
Self-Study process has been enormously helpful in enabling us to understand ourselves. We welcome and
look forward to your input and feedback.
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SELF – STUDY COMMITTEES
Steering Committee
Standard One Chair: Richard Baldwin Mission and Purposes Standard Two Chair: Cathy Livingston Planning and Evaluation Standard Three Chair: Marilyn Martin Organization and Governance Standard Four Chair: Kathy Rentsch, Charles Pedersen Programs and Instruction Standard Five Chair: Walter Swett Faculty Standard Six Chair: Betsy Zuegg, Jeri Thornton Student Services Standard Seven Chair: Anne Pound, Ken Dwyer Library and Information
Resources Standard Eight Chair: Larry Popple Physical Resources Standard Nine Chair: Nancy Smith Financial Resources Standard Ten Chair: Tara Fitzgerald-Jenkins Public Disclosure Standard Eleven Chair: Combined with Standard Ten Integrity
Subcommittee Members
Standard Five: Barbara Dawidjan Standard One: Adrienne Nichols Richard Devine Susan Laprade Ralph Parente Allison Shields Brenda Marshall Sandra England Standard Two: None Steven Rayshick Mary Scott Standard Three: Kathi Lewando Ellis Paakkonen Maura Stickles
Margaret Wong Susan McPherson
Jane Pickett Maureen Woolhouse Virginia Asadoorian Susan Laprade Bill Daring Standard Six: Deb Levin Standard Four: Laraine Sommella Maria Addison Maria Addison
Jane Shea George McDermott
Marsha Garstka
Rick Ricardi Tony Nardella
Denise Minor Nancy Berthiaume Charulata Trivedi Sarah Hovespian
Iris Godes
Liz Woods Kathy Rentsch Joan Ladik Ron Smith Mary Scott Carol Murphy Barry Glinski Jeri Thornton Peg McGrath Jim Heffernan Karen Cox Jane June Beth Elbeg Charulata Trivedi
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Standard Seven: Rick Ricardi Deb Dowen Liz Woods Sheila Booth Elaine Previte Loan Anh Vidmanis Standard Eight: Chuck Barton Adrian Comeaux Dennis Fitzgerald Pam Fitzgerald Tara Fitzgerald Don Hall Dan Lamarche Susan Laprade Luz Rupert-Lopez Trent Masiki Barbara Melanson Cheryl Martunas Rick Ricardi Faith Symmes Liz Woods
Standard Nine: Christina Hebert Kevin Kiernan Pam Fitzgerald Iris Godes Rick Ricardi Bob Smith Faith Symmes Susan Laprade Bob Prior Standard Ten/Eleven: Susan Laprade Iris Godes Nancy Smith Victor Somma Ray Bauwens Pat Toney Carol Rinaldi Dan Daly
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PREFACE
Upon notice in June 2001 from Dr. Charles Cook that Quinsigamond was scheduled for
accreditation review in Fall 2003, President Sandra Kurtinitis launched the formal NEASC Self-Study
process at the College’s January, 2002 All College Day She appointed Dr. Cathy Livingston, Vice
President of Academic Affairs, to serve as the Chair of the Steering Committee and extended an open
invitation to all members of the College community to participate in the process, either as members of the
Steering Committee or as participants in one of the eleven Standard sub-committees. Over 70 members of
the College community became actively involved in this opportunity to engage in institutional self-
reflection.
In her January 2, 2002 memo to the College community, the President committed the College to
“taking a ‘no holds barred’ look at the College from top to bottom” and encouraged the campus to use the
Self-Study experience as “an opportunity for the institution to take stock of itself, to applaud its successes
and to address its deficiencies and challenges.” She declared that the work on the NEASC Self-Study
would become the underpinnings of the College’s Strategic Planning for the next five years. Specific to
the NEASC Self-Study, analysis would aim to highlight the self-identified, following needs:
• To chronicle and assess the College's internal changes over the last decade and to document
and assess its relationship with the Central Massachusetts community.
• To invite and involve all those connected to the College -- as employees, students, liaisons
with businesses, and others -- into the inquiry process.
• To review and assess all programs, policies, and characteristics as separate strands (NEASC
standards) in relation to an entire fabric of operations.
• To form the basis of future directions in light of results.
As work began in earnest in that Spring, Dr. Livingston framed a skeletal structure to guide the
work of both Steering Committee and Standard sub-committees. Committees met monthly and into the
summer gathering data for the description and appraisal sections of the report. In April 2002, the Steering
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Committee, with the assistance of the Technology Department, set up, via paper and Webboard, a
Campus Survey (available in workroom) to seek input from all employees of the College. The data
generated from that survey revealed in-house perceptions of various College attributes.
In August 2002, Dr. Livingston and the Steering Committee compiled a working outline of the
process to that point, noting especially how the study was shaping up and what gaps and overloads
needed attention. President Kurtinitis and her Senior Staff reviewed that collection, and noted positive and
negative attributes to be integrated into the committees' discussions for the next round of meetings. In
September 2002, Ms. Kathy Frederickson, Professor of English, assumed the role of editor for the
document in its entirety. Working with each Chair of the Standards Committees and with Dr. Livingston,
she reviewed and revised the text of each standard.
Consistent efforts have been made to keep the College community informed and involved in the
Self-Study process. At each All College Day since the launching of the NEASC Self-Study process, the
President has discussed the significance of the Self-Study review in relation to the College’s goals, and
the Vice President has summarized progress to date. Additionally, results of the Self-Study were the
featured topics for the November and December All-College Forums in Fall 2002. The entire College
community was invited to those sessions at which Committee Chairs presented summaries of their work
and members of the College community were given an opportunity to pose questions and concerns.
After Ms. Frederickson prepared several working drafts for Steering Committee review, she
completed a more polished draft in late April 2003, which was shared with the College community to
solicit broader input throughout May 2003. The Self-Study was refined and finalized throughout the
Summer of 2003 and forwarded to the NEASC Visiting Team in early September, 2003 in preparation for
its October 2003 visit.
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Quinsigamond Community College
OVERVIEW
Founded in 1963 as the sixth community college in Massachusetts, Quinsigamond Community
College has situated itself as a prototypical open-access institution of higher learning. Emerging into a
post 9/11 culture, we understand now, more than ever, the centrality of forging new teaching/ learning
paradigms as well as maintaining our adaptability to a complex modern world with its demands for new
workforce development. Providing opportunity and enabling access to our shared ideology of the
American dream, in all its divergent interpretations, we occupy a unique educational niche in our
seemingly paradoxical commitment to provide both constancy and change. Educating individuals in a
holistic environment that nurtures intellect, spirit, and emotion, we foster community and diversity -
diversity in community.
The last five years have seen in-house changes meant to accommodate environmental and cultural
changes. Since our Five-Year Interim Report of 1998, we have maintained the Teaching/Learning
Roundtable as an engaged, thinking body for the College, and have initiated new institutional endeavors
meant to gauge our strengths and challenges. The award of Federal Title III Grant monies in 2001 of $1.8
million necessary to the reconceptualization and reconstruction of our Developmental Education
instruction has been a tremendous boon to our resource pool. We are able now to implement concrete
remedies identified by a long-standing task force. Additional efforts to affect positive change and
enhance integrity, whether they be a $15 million state-of-the-art Learning Center, better signage to direct
new students, or the hiring of new faculty, are tied to budget planning and incrementally have contributed
to a renewed campus culture.
The College's core values, meant to foster a climate of accomplishment and achievement,
continue to guide the Strategic Plan for 2002-2007 and highlight the following strategic directions:
• Curriculum Transformation • Planned Growth • Enrollment Management • Technology • Professional Experience • Facilities Upgrade
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• Fiscal Resources • Institutional Effectiveness
Student enrollment has grown from its 1992 enrollment of 3707 to a current 6621 -- 2802 of
whom attend full-time and 3819 part-time (Fall 2002). For Spring, 2003, students subscribed to 1066
credit courses (including all labs, tutorials, asynchronous courses and other learning arrangements). The
Center for Continuing Education's Spring, 2003 offerings total 1,400 courses -- including all public
course offerings, contract training and training online.
Current shifts and challenges:
As increasing numbers of students depart from the traditional profile, more immigrants, working
parents, disabled individuals, individuals with untenable MCAS (high school exit exam linked to
awarding of diploma) scores, displaced or "downsized" workers require creative educational
arrangements. Expanded weekend scheduling has been in place since Fall, 2002; early morning classes
commencing at 6:40 accommodate workers; online courses, both credit and noncredit, have been offered
since 2000; special retraining programs have assisted people in transition and educational offerings that
are tailored to external trends as well as workforce needs have mushroomed. The campus has also
expanded its presence in the community with its College at the Mall satellite, its downtown Continuous
Learning Center, its nearby Southbridge facility, and is considering negotiating for more space in the
vicinity.
The last three years have seen a reduction in state funding: A15% reduction in state funding for
this academic year alone has stressed not so much our short- and long-term goals, but the pace at which
we proceed. In spite of marked deficits in funding and staffing, the College maintains its vitality and
agency; our flexibility in these transitional times attests to our hallmark ability to affect and be affected by
the community we serve.
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STANDARD ONE - MISSION AND PURPOSE
DESCRIPTION
The Quinsigamond Community College Mission Statement was revised in 1997 and is consistent
with Chapter 15A of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The College provides a
variety of high quality transfer and career programming at both the Associate and Certificate level that
serves the needs of the citizens and industry in the College’s service area. Specific training needs are
addressed through the Center for Continuing Education which provides incumbent and transitional
workers with both synchronous and asynchronous non-credit courses. The educational needs of the
growing immigrant and under-educated populations are addressed through the College’s English as a
Second Language and Adult Basic Education programs. The Adult Basic Education Grant, which is
funded through the Department of Education, allows the Center for Continuing Education to service 1000
learners each year. The Center provides them with the skills to enter higher education, to obtain
employment or to advance their career.
With its wide range of support services, variety of programming, and relatively low tuition --
$115.00 per credit -- the College provides access to education for virtually all of the citizens of Central
Massachusetts regardless of socio-economic or educational status. The Mission Statement, which
consists of twenty-six words, was revised, with input from all segments of the College community over
the 1996-1997 academic year and accepted by the Board of Higher Education in 1999:
Quinsigamond Community College serves the educational needs of Central Massachusetts by
providing affordable, accessible, and high quality programming leading to career, transfer, and lifelong
learning.
Since the revision of the mission in 1997, significant efforts have been made to ensure that all
members of the College community are familiar with it. The President routinely grounds her comments
in the mission in her All College Day presentations at the beginning of each Fall and Spring semester.
Recently, all College publications were reviewed for inclusion of the mission statement. As of Fall 2002,
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the mission statement is now included in the Schedule Booklet for Credit Courses, the 2002-2003 College
Catalog, and all subsequent Catalog productions. More recently, the College launched a Mission
Visibility Project via a partnership of the Public Affairs Office, the Staff Development Committee, and
the College’s Applied Arts Program. At a recent All College Day, all faculty and staff received a framed
copy of the College’s mission/ vision/ values and ideals statements to display on their desks. Handsome
framed posters containing these same statements are exhibited in all classrooms and public spaces.
Dissemination of the mission to the external community occurs through several publications, most
prominently in “A Report to the Community,” a document circulated in Spring 2002, to businesses,
colleges, and high schools in the College’s service area.
The mission statement is the umbrella document and yardstick by which academic programs are
evaluated through the process of Internal Program Review (IPR, further noted in Standard Four), an
examination of current offerings which seeks to validate the quality of extant programs, identify revisions,
including the replacement of outdated curricula with more current information. The findings of Internal
Program Review translate into concrete justification for new and innovative classroom supports, new or
additional faculty positions, new or additional equipment, and other requests for tangible improvements.
The mission, vision, goals, and presidential initiatives drive the formation of the QCC Strategic Plan,
evaluated annually by the College Community for progress and modified annually to reflect evolving
priorities and challenges.
APPRAISAL
Strengths
Five years ago, the College decided to "simplify the mission and live it" to reduce a multi-page
mission statement to a short, sharp expression that could define what is “quintessentially Quinsigamond”
(Fifth Year Interim Report 11). In an attempt to "meet the challenge of shaping a technologically literate,
yet humane citizenry, able to thrive, not just survive, in Marshall McLuhan's Global Village" (Fifth Year
Interim Report 33), the College is not only supporting, but also producing, a technologically savvy
student and staff population.
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All students have access to computers in assisted computer labs; all faculty have desk-top
computers, internet connections and CARS (administrative software) capacities. Asynchronous learning,
both credit and non-credit, is integrated into course offerings, and support staff maintain the infrastructure
for all College technology.
Challenges
The Institutional Survey (noted in the Preface) reveals a gap in perceptions of the mission. The
text of the mission statement does not really capture the College's "distinctive character" (NEASC
Standards for Accreditation 3). Though 86% of respondents to the College Survey believe the Mission
and Purposes were clear to them, 40% of the administrative personnel and 30% of the full-time faculty
and unit professionals believe that the College does not collect sufficient data required to regularly
evaluate its performance against the Mission Statement. Further, close to 35% of the responding
administrative staff believes the College needs to prioritize concrete methods of measuring attainment of
goals. In other words, personnel believe they understand the Mission but are not clear how the Mission
guides their daily work. College respondents are unsure how, exactly, QCC meets the needs of Central
Massachusetts without specific benchmarks or observable anchors. Further, it appears the Mission is not
uniformly applied to all areas of the College. Weekend College, Workforce Development and the growing
numbers of ESL and immigrant students are slighted in budgetary and programmatic planning; thus,
though the Mission impacts all College decisions, its lack of clarity destabilizes the decision making
process. Less than half --- 46.1% of respondents to the College Survey -- believe that workforce
development is a major component of the Mission. Further, the lack of an Institutional Researcher -- the
position, although recently filled in August 2003, has been vacant for 3 years -- attests to the limited data
collection of aggregates, trends, profiles and practices -- of students and employees. That deficit is
explicated in Standard Two, Planning and Evaluation, Appraisal.
PROJECTION
To address these concerns, the President appointed a Task Force to review the College’s mission
statement in September, 2002. Working throughout the year, the Task Force met its goal to forward a
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recommendation to revise the College’s mission statement this past Spring. Quinsigamond is ready for
the next constructivist action in relation to our mission. Now that we have the capabilities to connect to
the world, how do we conceptualize it, our relationship to it and the implications for students, their
careers and families? In an effort to address those questions, to more clearly craft the mission statement
to eliminate discrepancies in interpretation, and to articulate more thoughtfully those attributes that
contribute to the College's uniqueness, a draft of a new mission statement will be moved through the
Governance approval process:
As a regional leader in education and workforce development, Quinsigamond Community College provides learners, employers, and the community at large high quality comprehensive credit and non-credit programming leading to immediate employment, transfer, or personal/ professional enhancement.
Operational Guidelines
To accomplish its mission, the College:
• Provides access to its constituency through a strong developmental program and flexible scheduling.
• Offers academic programming that, where possible, provides a career ladder pathway to accommodate the economic and educational needs of the learner.
• Provides a full range of student support services including career counseling, academic advising, and academic support.
• Facilitates a seamless transition through the educational continuum with the development of articulation agreements with secondary schools and baccalaureate granting institutions.
• Conducts ongoing, systematic evaluation to document institutional quality, effectiveness, and fiscal responsibility.
This proposed revision enables more thorough assessment by subjecting the operational
guidelines to quantitative and qualitative appraisals. These appraisals will support systematic evaluations
of institutional effectiveness by more clearly measuring the degree to which the College achieves its
stated mission. The presence of an institutional research officer will hopefully over time remedy the
institutional deficit with respect to data collection and analysis. This proposed draft also assists in
moving the College to a one-college concept by more fully integrating the various operations of the
College under the umbrella of the Mission Statement. The College has taken and will continue to take
action to ensure that the Mission Statement is included in publications intended for widespread
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distribution internally and externally. Various departments and programs are in the process of crafting
their own mission statements to reflect their roles beneath the umbrella of the College’s mission statement
with the intention that consistency, commonality, and interconnectedness undergird all arenas of the
College.
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STANDARD TWO – PLANNING AND EVALUATION
DESCRIPTION
This standard presented one of the greatest challenges in preparing the College’s Self-Study.
Although continuous efforts had been made to fill the position of Director of Institutional Research, the
position, now recently filled, had been vacant for three years (from March 2000 – August 2003).
Although the College produces and assembles an enormous amount of data, and basic reporting needs
continue to be supported by other offices on campus, the absence of a centralized office to manage,
collect and analyze data has made it difficult for the College to participate in planning and evaluation
activities that rely on data to inform and guide decision making.
Anticipating a timely appointment of a Director of Institutional Research subsequent to initiating
the self-study process in January 2002, the College delayed assembling a committee to work on this
standard. However, since the new Director was not appointed until the summer of 2003, the President
assigned the task of preparing this standard to Dr. Cathy L. Livingston, Vice President of Academic
Affairs. Dr. Livingston assumed oversight responsibility for the Office of Planning and Institutional
Research in the summer, 2002.
Prior to President Kurtinitis’s arrival in 1995, the College had no strategic planning process. An
outdated Five-Year Plan sat in the president’s office, long untouched, while the College flirted with the
concepts of TQM. To bring focus to this planning vacuum and to give clear direction to the
transformational work to be done at the College, in January 1996, the college community participated in a
strategic planning exercise that produced more than seven hundred priorities, indicating the clear need for
radical action and a cohesive college-wide agenda. These priorities were weighted to reflect those
deemed most important to the growth of the College and then grouped into eight general categories:
curriculum transformation, technology, enrollment services, workforce development, staff development,
governance, facilities, and marketing. Task forces were set to work on each, and these constructs were
refined into the strategic directions which formed a blue print for action which—annually revised-- has
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guided the College’s aggressive agenda of change. As these preliminary steps were largely bootstrap
efforts to create a mindset and environment for focused action, in 2001, the College engaged the services
of a planning consultant, Dr. Kathryn German, to facilitate the more formal assemblage of a 3-5 Year
Plan for the College (2002 – 2006) which guides, but has not replaced the exercise in which the College
engages annually to refine its directions.
The key mechanism for promoting action on the College’s strategic initiatives is the Teaching/
Learning Roundtable and the series of task forces which radiate outward from it. Created by the President
in 1998, the Teaching/Learning Roundtable (TLR) serves as the College’s strategic thinking body.
Chaired by the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the TLR meets monthly and consists of 28-30
representatives from across the College. It serves as the umbrella mechanism to coordinate and support
the work of the individual Task Forces which have, since 1996, provided extensive grass roots
involvement to the College’s strategic planning efforts. Since that time, the President annually issues a
charge to each Task Force which is made up of from 10 – 20 volunteers with Chairs appointed by the
president. Depending on the agenda, as many as 150 faculty and staff have been involved in Task Force
work in any one year. While several of the original Task Forces are still in place, the President, with
input from her staff, revises their charge annually to adapt to their evolving goals and appoints new Task
Forces as needed. Membership also fluctuates, depending on the specific tasks and the availability and
interest of College personnel. The following Task Forces were in place for 2002 – 2003:
Library Transition Team (new)
Campus Committee
Mission Review (new)
Enrollment Management
Staff Development
Technology Integration
Facilities Use/Library Backfill
Curriculum Transformation: QCC Plan of Education
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Institutional Effectiveness (new)
Developmental Advising Model (new)
Web Registration (new)
One Stop Expansion (new).
Each year the President hosts a luncheon in mid to late September to introduce the new and
revised goals and agendas of the TLR and the Task Forces. Invitations are extended to anyone serving on
the TLR and/or the various Task Forces and governance committees, as well as members of Senior Staff
and members of their Staffs. Generally, 75-100 people attend. The President provides an overview of the
goals for the year, and introduces the chairs of the Task Forces. The Vice President of Academic Affairs
provides a more in-depth view of the general theme that will serve as the TLR’s focus for the year.
Two years ago, TLR members began to recognize they had outgrown the original role and
function of the TLR, and they expressed the desire to tackle more substantive projects. In its early years,
the TLR meetings served primarily as “reporting out” opportunities. Sharing the work and ongoing
progress of each Task Force provided everyone with the much needed opportunity to coordinate efforts
and benefit from the thinking of each group. However, after using this model for several years, it became
clear that committee members were becoming bored with this format. In addition, as everyone became
more adept with using technology, it became more obvious that minutes of meetings could simply be
posted on the web board, allowing everyone to still keep up with the progress of each group’s efforts.
The focus of the newer Task Forces provided a symbiotic model to meld the work of the TLR and
one of the Task Forces so as to provide more challenging work for the TLR. For example, a new Task
Force on Institutional Effectiveness was created in September 2002. The creation of this Task Force was
recommended by the TLR in May, 2002. Its primary charge was to create a process parallel to the
Internal Program Review (IPR) process. The IPR process was created by Academic Affairs to enhance
and sustain program quality and currency. The idea was to extrapolate elements from the IPR and to
transform them as needed into a model/manual that could be used across all areas of the College with the
goal of promoting increased institutional effectiveness.
Standard II 8
Quinsigamond Community College
Knowing that this was a huge undertaking and that broad input was essential, the Task Force on
Institutional Effectiveness suggested that their “work in progress” serve as the primary agenda of the TLR
for 2002-2003. The Task Force created an outline and timetable of the steps its members would follow in
preparing a manual on institutional effectiveness. The TLR served as the sounding board for this Task
Force. The process seemed to work well for both groups. The presence of the larger group provided an
opportunity for more people to react and challenge the thinking of the smaller Task Force. In addition,
the extra “air time” allotted to the Task Force provided its members with a chance to pitch their ideas and
lobby for broader institutional support.
The process for evaluating each year’s efforts has become much less formal in the absence of a
Director of Institutional Research (DIR). Originally, the DIR would work with Chairs and Senior Staff
members to create performance indicators for each of the major goals. This was generally completed
over the summer and prior to the start of the Fall semester. These indicators served as concrete measures
of progress towards goal. However, in the absence of the DIR, there hasn’t been anyone at the College
who has the time and availability to work with each Task Force to help them create such indicators.
Without these measures in place, the “evaluation” aspect of this process is based on individual or small
group judgment rather than previously stated outcome measures.
Typically, the April meeting of the TLR is devoted to assessing the progress to date on each of
the objectives. Using a rating system that consists of
B = Begun
C = Continued (In Progress)
D = Delayed
R = Retired (Completed),
the committee-of-the-whole reviews each item under each objective and assigns a rating. This summary
is then forwarded to the President and her staff. They review the TLR ratings and amend based on their
own assessments. Both groups also recommend the addition of new activities as well as revisions to
Standard II 9
Quinsigamond Community College
existing activities. The final version is submitted to the Board of Trustees in July or August for their
approval.
In addition to the ongoing work of the TLR, several other initiatives of the College merit notation.
The College received a planning grant in 1999-2000 in order to fund the efforts needed to submit an
application for a Title III Strengthening Institution grant. As part of the application, the College had to
create a Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP). Given the highly competitive nature of these grants,
the College designed an all day event that identified external trends important to consider in creating a
CDP. The Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Director of Special Projects, and the Director of
Institutional Research created materials that included data, trend analysis, and commentary for the four
major areas likely to impact the College’s future directions. These areas included the Economy,
Workforce Development, Legislative issues, and K-12 Educational Reform and Promising Practices. The
President extended invitations to keynote speakers who addressed major trends in each of the four areas.
The College closed down on March 31, 2000, and all full-time employees were expected to attend the
planning sessions held at a nearby hotel. The morning session – led by the invited panelists - focused on
in-depth analysis of the information provided in advance. The afternoon discussions provided the
opportunity for the College community to identify key issues and challenges that the College needed to
address in order to enhance its effectiveness in light of the complex external factors discussed in the
morning. Several key areas surfaced from all of this planning, and eventually the College identified the
need to be more effective in its delivery of developmental education and advising services. The College
was awarded a Title III grant in September 2001.
Another ongoing planning and evaluation function is rooted in the College’s award-winning
Internal Program Review (IPR). This process is more fully described in Standard 4, Programs and
Instruction, but a brief summary here will provide the connection to this standard. Essentially, the first
section of the IPR consists of researching external trends as a way of benchmarking the quality and
currency of each academic program. The research component consists of information from many sources.
While the list of sources is too lengthy to include here, a sampling of featured items includes:
Standard II 10
Quinsigamond Community College
occupational outlook information, state and regional workforce needs, career opportunities, national skills
standards, employer surveys, graduate surveys, etc. A copy of the IPR manual is available in the
workroom.
Once faculty have collected this information, they have to prepare a summary of their findings.
This summary is then used as a rationale to make the case for any changes or revisions they wish to make
to their program. The rationale also plays a key part in supporting any requests for additional resources.
Another example of the College’s attempt to collect data is the recent administrations of the Noel-
Levitz Student Satisfaction Index. The College administered it for the first time in 2000, and again in
2002. To-date, there has been limited use of this data in guiding decision-making. With the assistance of
an institutional research officer, the College could learn more about its effectiveness using the wealth of
information generated through this survey instrument.
And finally, a number of departments and areas on campus attempt to complete their own mini-
versions of strategic directions for the year.
APPRAISAL
There is some variation in how members of the community assess the College’s performance with
respect to this standard. The NEASC survey – referenced in the Preface – reflects the differing opinions.
With respect to qualities such as how systematic, broad-based, and interrelated are QCC’s planning and
evaluation efforts, approximately 64% of the total survey respondents gave a favorable rating and 20%
gave a negative rating. However, as in other standards, the non-unit professionals gave a more negative
rating weighing in with 35% of respondents disagreeing that the College’s systems of planning and
evaluation share these characteristics.
Fewer than half of the total respondents believe that the College provides adequate funding to
support ongoing systematic evaluation. A fairly large portion of the respondents – 28%- cited “no basis
for judgment.” A closer look at the breakout responses for different groups again highlights the non-unit
professionals as having the most intense disagreement - 37%.
Standard II 11
Quinsigamond Community College
Slightly more than half of the respondents believe the College undertakes short- and long-term
planning that includes candid and realistic analysis of internal and external opportunities and constraints.
Again, the strongest disagreement - 50% - with this statement is found among the non-unit professionals.
The full-time faculty give a very positive rating to this statement with almost 65% agreeing that the
College does this well. This is probably a good example of how one’s role in the institution may provide
one with a different view of how things are done. It is possible that the faculty have a more favorable
view of this component of planning and evaluation in that they have been involved in the Internal
Program Review process for the last four years. Given that nearly 85% of the College’s academic
programs and certificates have completed the IPR process, most of the full-time faculty have participated
in discussions and research that provides some candid analyses of their area. The non-unit professionals
include managers, directors, deans, vice presidents within the College, etc. They clearly play a strong
leadership role in the College and have direct supervisory responsibilities. Because of the leadership roles
held by members of this classification, their reactions are an important signal and bellwether of how well
the College is responding to their needs.
Not surprisingly, the College did not receive favorable ratings on its systematic collection and use
of data to support its planning and enhance its institutional effectiveness. Fewer than half of the
respondents rated the College positively, twenty percent indicated “no basis for judgment”, and a third
gave a negative rating. The three-year vacancy in Institutional Research has clearly had a negative impact
on the College’s ability to demonstrate data-driven decision-making. At the very least, this finding does
have some implications for future directions in that it is clearly indicating the need to communicate how
data is collected and how it used in making decisions.
In a similar finding, the College is weak on connecting evaluation activities to planning activities.
Herein is probably the main source of tension within the institution with regard to this standard. As
someone on the NEASC Steering Committee commented during the analysis of the survey results, “we do
a lot of talking about planning” at the College. The comment was referencing the lack of data informing
the planning process as well as the lack of evaluation and analyses. There seem to be two different
Standard II 12
Quinsigamond Community College
schools of thought regarding “planning” functions at the College; the dividing feature centers on the role
and usefulness of data collection and analysis.
Good planning activities should consider both external and internal data in both setting direction
and in evaluating the progress in achieving the stated goals. The “evaluation” piece of the planning
process is not an integral part of the mindset of the institution at this time, particularly since the former
Director of Institutional Research left. A reader who is more familiar with the traditional rubrics of
strategic planning may challenge what the College has labeled as its Strategic Directions. First, the
current directions are a mixture of operational or tactical strategies, and in most cases, the College has not
identified the data used to select particular initiatives over others. In their current form, the strategic
directions do not prioritize the activities listed under them, nor is there a weighted priority for the seven
separate directions. This lack of priority and clarity may make it difficult for members of the college
community to identify and comprehend how financial resources are allocated to be consistent with
planning priorities.
There is ample support at the College to really infuse the planning and evaluation process with
more data. The Task Force on Institutional Effectiveness competed its charge ahead of schedule in 2002-
2003. It has produced a manual titled Institutional Effectiveness Review Guidebook and has forwarded
this manual to the President. The President and the Senior Staff plan to review this material before
September 2003. The Task Force has recommended that the College begin implementing this process in
2003-2004. Essentially, each area of the College would be invited to pick a time slot to undergo review
in the next five years. A steering committee would be appointed to coordinate the process so that similar
or interrelated departments would go through the process in the same year.
The Task Force created the following Vision Statement for Institutional Effectiveness:
QCC strives to constantly engage in an interconnected cycle of planning,
implementation, and evaluation. QCC promotes a culture of inquiry in which Faculty and Staff
of the College are committed to on-going assessment of institutional effectiveness. Each area of
the College identifies “best practices” for its area using external benchmarks and standards and
Standard II 13
Quinsigamond Community College
then evaluates the effectiveness of its services and practices against these services. The
comparative results guide the College in affirming its strengths and continuation of successful
practices and in modifying other practices as needed.
The Task Force anchored its work in two central guiding themes. First, it chose to emphasize
student success as its primary and central theme. Therefore, every area of the College will be required to
evaluate its effectiveness with respect to how it contributes to student success. As an extension of this
theme, the Task Force also endorsed the use of the Core Indicators of student success as identified in Core
Indicators of Effectiveness for Community Colleges written by Richard Alfred and others and published
by Community College Press in 1999. These indicators include:
Student Goal Attainment
Persistence (Fall to Fall)
Degree Completion Rates
Placement Rate in the Workforce
Employer Assessment of Students
Licensure/Certification Pass Rates
Client Assessment of Programs and Services
Demonstration of Critical Literacy Skills
Demonstration of Citizen Skills
Number and Rate Who Transfer
Performance After Transfer
Success in Subsequent, Related Coursework
Participation Rate in Service Area
Responsiveness to Community Needs.
This is a very aggressive undertaking, and the College will have to devote adequate resources to
support this initiative if it is to be successful. Resources are needed to assist areas in completing the
Standard II 14
Quinsigamond Community College
research needed, as well as providing released time from other tasks in order to do this work. Someone
will need to be designated to coordinate and bring leadership to this project.
In addition, there has to be some funding response to those initiatives that will surface as critical
to enhance effectiveness. The Task Force was cognizant of the state’s financial challenges while
preparing this manual. In view of this awareness, the Task Force placed great emphasis on each area’s
rethinking how its resources are currently allocated, and encouraging areas to redirect resources – both
human, fiscal, and physical space – to greater and more effective use.
Currently the College’s support of the Internal Program Review process has waned, particularly
in the absence of an institutional researcher. In the beginning, the IR Office prepared packets for faculty
that contained both standardized types of relevant data as well as customized information identified as
useful by the faculty. In the absence of IR, the faculty and Academic Affairs staff have tried to create and
collect some of this data on their own. All of the faculty who have completed the process have identified
the need for greater IR resources.
Two years ago QCC was invited to be one of the ten colleges participating in NEASC’s electronic
portfolio pilot project. The College did participate, and has created a portfolio on Institutional
Effectiveness ~ www.qccportfolio.net. This portfolio is discussed in greater detail in Standard Four.
Faculty from five different programs worked on this project last year. Their work is phenomenal, both
from the creative ways in which faculty approached this project and their degree of commitment to
assessing student learning. Their work far exceed expectations, and they took it to new levels. Some of
the faculty are using their portfolios as instructional resources. Having posted examples of successful
student work, they can now use these examples as visual illustrations of outcomes for current students
undertaking projects.
This work, along with committed and ongoing requests by faculty and other members of the
College for IR and technology support to conduct research, clearly illustrate a campus desire and
readiness to increase research capabilities.
Standard II 15
Quinsigamond Community College
And finally, there are some serious challenges the College faces if it is going to continue to
participate in seeking outside funding – grants, workforce development initiatives, etc. All of these
initiatives now require measurement and data collection as part of their performance indicators. The
College recently submitted a corrective action plan to the Massachusetts Department of Education in an
effort to confirm the institution’s commitment to systematically collecting and analyzing graduate follow-
up data required for Perkins funding. Also, the Title III initiative must have institutional support if it is
going to be able to meet its research objectives.
PROJECTION
In order to address the backfill needs of institutional research, the College has recently redefined
one of its Title III positions to include a concentration on data collection and analysis. The new position,
Research Analyst/Assessment Specialist, will focus primarily on the needs of the Title III project. The
new hire will hopefully be in place by Fall, 2003. He/she will work with faculty in outcomes assessment,
data collection, and data analysis. Time permitting, this individual will be able to assist the Director of
Institutional Research on specific projects.
Two parallel themes will guide the activities of the IR office over the next two to three years.
The first concentrates on systematic data collection and analysis. This effort will be triaged to include the
most immediate needs of systematic reporting requirements taking priority over all projects. Once the
databases are built to anticipate and respond to these ongoing needs, the Office will entertain a second
level of projects. There will need to be some campus-wide discussion on how projects are prioritized.
The previous Director of Institutional Research had many more requests for research assistance than she
could address. For example, preferences may be given to areas participating in the Internal Program
Review Process or the Institutional Effectiveness review. It is possible that within a couple of years, the
combination of a second staff person and a more systematic, routine operation will be able to support
individual research needs.
The second central theme of the Office will focus on sensitizing the community to the role of data
in decision-making. To initiate this effort, the Office will compile a Fact Book and make it available to
Standard II 16
Quinsigamond Community College
the college community. To start out, it will provide a three-year view of basic factual information
pertaining to students, programs, retention, student success, etc. The College converted to a new
administrative software system several years ago, and going back any further than three years ago is
difficult.
Next, the Office will put out a monthly newsletter. This publication will include information on
how the ongoing research of the Office is useful to the College in its decision-making. The Director will
also work with various offices on the campus in setting performance indicators for the College’s stated
priorities. As the community becomes more used to seeing how data can be useful in planning and
evaluation, and as the College begins to rely on its Fact Book to ensure uniformity in number quoting, the
general awareness of how to think on this level should increase.
Finally, on a positive note, it is fair to say that there is a strong base of support within and across
the College to pursue a more disciplined, data informed, planning and evaluation process. The NEASC
survey’s candid acknowledgment of the lack of systematic data collection and analysis combined with the
strong campus interest in pursuing institutional effectiveness measures are very positive indicators of the
desire to improve and enhance institutional effectiveness. This more disciplined approach, coupled with
the invigorated, passionate grassroots ownership and interest of the TLR, provides a wonderful
combination of forces to plan for and evaluate the College’s future initiatives.
Standard II 17
Quinsigamond Community College
STANDARD THREE - ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNANCE
DESCRIPTION
Hierarchical Structure:
Under the Chapter 15A of the Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Quinsigamond
Community College is governed by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE), which oversees
the University of Massachusetts with its five campuses, all nine state colleges, and the fifteen community
colleges. All statewide polices and practices carry the authority of the eleven member committee who
are, along with the Chair, appointed by the Governor. Heading the Board is the Chancellor, who,
appointed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board, is the secretary to the council, its chief executive
officer and liaison between the State's 29 public higher education campuses and the Board. She acts as
chief spokesperson for higher education in the Commonwealth, and oversees State appropriations of
roughly $1 billion annually.
Locally, the College is governed by its Board of Trustees, appointed by the Governor to serve
five-year terms, with the option to renew once. The Board allows for eleven members; eight members are
private citizens of the Commonwealth; one is a Student Trustee who is elected by the Student Body to
serve a one-year term; two are alumni, (one elected by the Alumni Association, one directly appointed
by the Governor).
Management of the College is under their auspices and since attention is paid to maintaining a
racial, gender, and ethnic mix, they bring diverse perspectives and backgrounds to the forefront of the
College's affairs. Therefore, the College is assured that multiple points of view represent multiple
concerns.
In addition to receiving all of the College’s items that require the Board’s attention as they are
presented at each Board meeting, the Board of Trustees members are kept informed through a variety of
communications forwarded to them between Board meeting dates. All communications that are
addressed “To the College Community” as well as all other widely disseminated publications (President’s
Standard III 18
Quinsigamond Community College
Bulletin, Open Door, Alumni Newsletter, for example) are forwarded to Board members. Board members
are accessible to the President for consultation and decision making by phone and e-mail when timeliness
is of concern. All policies forwarded to the President for approval by the All College Council, as well as
all proposed or revised College policies, are presented to the Board for its approval before such policies
are promulgated and/or acted upon. Once the Board has approved a policy, the President, via
memorandum, informs the College community at large.
Annually, the Board members are involved in a day-long retreat at which they discuss the
Strategic Directions for the College for the coming academic year. The President keeps in close contact
with the trustees and will occasionally meet informally with them in the non-meeting months to keep
them apprised of college issues.
This series of organizational charts represent the organizational structure at the College as of June
2003.
The College President reports to the Board of Trustees and her Staff reports to her.
Assis tant to thePres ident
Dire ctor ofIns titutional
Re s e arch
Pre s ide nt/Se cre tary to theB oard of Trus te e s
As s is tant to the
PRESIDENT 'S ST AFFB oard of Trus te e s
Pre s ide nt
Vice Pre s ide ntfor
nrollme ntand
Stude nt Se rvice s
Dire ctor o fH uman
Re s ource s
Vice Pre s ide ntfor
Acade mic Affairs
Exe cutive Dire ctorof
De ve lopme nt
Vice Pre s ide ntfor
Adminis trativeSe rv ice s
Dire ctor o fM ark e ting
andPublic Re lations
E
President Sandra Kurtinitis, the College's Chief Executive Officer, oversees the process of
identifying goals and allocating the necessary funds to attain them through the Strategic Goals which
have, since 1996, aimed to identify methods of maximizing the College's institutional effectiveness. The
Standard III 19
Quinsigamond Community College
positions indicated above reflect internal changes, reconfigured as of Fall, 2002. The position of Director
of Institutional Research has been vacant for three years. This position was recently filled with a new
Director reporting in August 2003. He will report to the Vice President of Academic Affairs who now
oversees Planning, Evaluation, and Institutional Effectiveness. The position of Executive Director of
Development, although currently vacant (since June 2002), is under search. The position of Assistant to
the President for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs has been eliminated as a fiscal conservation measure,
and those functions are now assigned to the office of Human Resources. The Coordinator of Staff
Development now also reports to Human Resources.
AdministrativeAssistant I Clerk IV
Vice Presidentof
Academic Affairs
rector of Special Projects
Assessment Specialist/ Research Analyst Title III
Director of Career
Development Title III
Dean of Instruction for
Health Care and Life Sciences
Dean of Instruction
for Technology
Dean of Instruction for
Business Management and Human
Services
Dean, Center for Continuing Education
Assistant Dean, Academic
Support Services/ Executive
Director of Library
Director of Institutional
Research
Dean of Instruction for
Humanities and Social Sciences
Di
The Vice President of Academic Affairs oversees the Dean of the Health Care and Life Sciences;
the Dean of Technology; the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences; the Dean of Business Management
and Human Services; Dean, Center for Continuing Education; as well as Director of Special Projects and
Assistant Dean of Academic Support Services. As referenced above, the Director of Institutional
Research will be reporting to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The Dean of the Center for
Standard III 20
Quinsigamond Community College
Continuing Education oversees the Director of Operations; Director of Adult Basic Education and
Occupational Education and the Director for Central Massachusetts SABES.
ar
E
D
re
E
S
Administrative Assistant I1 Administrative Assistant I1
Administrative Assistant I rk III
Vice Presidentof Enrollment
udentServices
Campus Ministry
Associate Dean
of Enrollment
and StudentServices
Director ofFinancial
Aid
AssociateDean of Student
Retention Services
AssociateDean of
Enrollment Services
Director of Student Life and Sports
Management
Director of Admissions
Cleand St
The Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services was appointed in 1999 with expanded
eas of responsibility and now oversees the Associate Dean of Retention Services, the Associate Dean of
nrollment and Student Services (Registrar), the Director of Student Life and Sports Management,
irector of Financial Aid, as well as Campus Ministry. The Director of Admissions has been assigned to
port to the former Director of Financial Aid who has recently been promoted to the Associate Dean of
nrollment Services.
tandard
Administrative Assistant I
Vice-President ofAdministrative
Services
Comptroller Chief
TechnologyOfficer
Director of Facilities
Associate Dean of
Administrative Services
Assistant Dean of
Auxiliary Operations
III 21
Quinsigamond Community College
The Vice President for Administrative Services oversees the Comptroller, Chief Technology
Officer, Director of Facilities, Associate Dean of Administrative Services, and the Assistant Dean of
Auxiliary Operations.
Adm
Ass
Pres
Phy
Gov
conc
Trus
staff
distr
inte
Stan
Administrative Assistant I
HUMAN RESOURCES
Director ofHuman Resources
Coordinator of Staff
Development (PT)
Assistant Director of
Human Resources for Affirmative Action and
Recruitment
HumanResources
Administrator
HumanResources
Administrator
Assistant Director of
Human Resources for Employment
The Director of Human Resources works with five administrative colleagues: three
inistrative Assistants; the Assistant Director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action; and the
istant Director of Human Resources and Employment. The Director of Marketing reports directly to
ident.
Physical relocation of various services, departments and offices is addressed in Standard Eight,
sical Resources.
ernance
As noted under Organization, the Board of Higher Education directs the College in matters
erning statewide issues, such as tuition, funding, collective bargaining and personnel. The Board of
tees directs the College in matters concerning in-house issues such as fiduciary actions, curricula,
appointments and fee schedules. Trustees meet bi-monthly and minutes of the meeting are
ibuted to the College community. The President's Staff, meeting weekly, directs the College in all
rnal affairs.
dard III 22
Quinsigamond Community College
The formal Quinsigamond Community College Governance Structure is composed of
representatives of all college constituencies -- faculty, staff, and students -- who have the right to
participate effectively in the decision-making process at the campus level. All constituent groups of the
Governance Structure share the responsibility of acting jointly in recommending policies that will guide
the College in its fulfillment of the mission.
All-College Forum
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE Board of Trustees
President
All-College Council
Senior Staff
Academic Affairs Committee
AdministrativeServices
Committee
Technology Committee
Enrollment and
Student Services
As indicated above, the governance structure consists of the following bodies:
• The All-College Council - A deliberative group overseeing governance. • The All-College Forum - An opportunity for dialogue among all members of the college
community. • The Academic Affairs Committee - A Standing Committee of the All-College Council dealing
with academic policies, including curriculum matters. • The Administrative Services Committee - A Standing Committee of the All-College Council
dealing with administrative policies and services. • The Technology Committee - A Standing Committee of the All-College Council dealing with
technology-related policies. • The Enrollment and Student Services Committee - A Standing Committee of the All-College
Council dealing with student-related policies.
Standard III 23
Quinsigamond Community College
This structure reflects the recent vote (conducted in March, 2002) to ratify a new College Governance
Structure and process including these revisions:
• Elimination of a Community Services Standing Committee
• Creation of a Technology Standing Committee
• Revision of procedure for course/program approval
• Streamlining, refinement, and tightening of policy and procedures throughout the document
• Clarifying the process for election of Standing Committee members
Quinsigamond Community College’s One College Concept, conceptualized in 1996, was built on
two premises: the classroom is the center of our universe, and we must carry our students smoothly from
entry to exit, no matter their ultimate intent (transfer, career, personal enrichment, for example). To that
end, the college compartmentalized all instructional services into one area, Instruction, subdivided into
two categories, credit and non-credit. The primary goal of this reclassification was to more closely
connect the credit and non-credit courses as well as the people who deliver and receive the instruction.
The Center for Continuing Education focuses primarily on short-term non-credit training
programs. It also oversees the management of “contracted” credit training that is offered outside the
regularly scheduled semester schedule. Continuing Education is integrated into the policy formation and
management systems in the following ways: the Dean of the Center for Continuing Education reports to
the Vice President of Academic Affairs and is a member of the Vice President’s staff; Continuing
Education is a member of the Teaching/ Learning Roundtable; when credit programs are “managed” by
Continuing Education the instructor is assigned by the Instructional Dean who oversees programs in the
identified area; articulation agreements have been approved to provide seamless transfers from non-credit
to credit learning experiences; Continuing Education houses GED preparation, adult basic education, and
ESOL classes which can provide a smooth transition into the college’s certificate and degree programs;
and, there are numerous programs of enrichment to complement certificate and degree offerings provided
by the Center for Continuing Education. Off-campus, Continuing e\Education, distance education,
Standard III 24
Quinsigamond Community College
international, and evening and weekend programs are clearly incorporated into the policy formation and
management system of the College. Various learning arrangements and modalities are further referenced
in Standard Four, Programs and Instruction.
Quinsigamond Community College Division of Academic Affairs has initiated an unprecedented
review of curricular offering. As part of the College’s commitment to meeting the diverse educational
needs of central Massachusetts, this Internal Program Review (IPR) process continues to actively engage
QCC faculty in professional research and consultation with their colleagues in business/industry and
healthcare, higher education, and K-12 public education. It strengthens the teaching/learning process by
insuring that all of QCC’s curricular offerings respond specifically to regional workforce development
needs and reflect state-of-the-art currency in instructional design, methodology, and assessment of student
achievement. The processes and yields, thus far, of Internal Program Review are further discussed in
Standard Four, Programs and Instruction.
The College offers all constituencies additional, less formal, complementary venues for input on
any College topic that impacts any strand of governance. The Coordinators Council, formed in Fall,
2000 by Vice President Livingston, is an example of a new network. Meeting monthly, coordinators from
the major academic divisions and content areas broach topics germane to their work areas as well as to
others'. The focus is to explore how the disciplines can better integrate their pedagogies and practices and
create more seamless learning experiences for students.
Each major Division holds monthly meetings at which coordinators report out to all members;
while academic departments within the divisions meet monthly as well. Attendance is mandatory for all
fulltime faculty.
The Teaching/ Learning Roundtable has been evolving as a planning body since 1996. It meets
monthly and addresses topics that arise from its nexus of Task Forces.
Standard III 25
Quinsigamond Community College
Facilities Use/Library Backfill
Mission Revision
Library Transition Team
Institutional Effectiveness
Enrollment Services Center
Enrollment Management
Technology Integration
QCC Plan of Education
2002-2003
Task Force composition and membership reconfigures itself annually and invites all College personnel to
participate. The central focus for 2002-03 was Institutional Effectiveness.
APPRAISAL
Strengths
Organization
The majority of faculty and staff are satisfied with the current organizational structure:
approximately two thirds of the respondents endorse the system of governance as measured by the
NEASC in-house survey, with another 18% indicating no basis for judgment. Though 76% of respondents
endorse the organizational structure as positively supporting teaching, learning, and scholarship, the lack
of clarity in how the College's hierarchy is connected to deployment of information, expressed by nearly
30% of respondents, bears out the impression that many think the system supports teaching and learning
but they are not sure how.
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Governance
Agree or strongly
agree
No basis for judgment
Disagree or strongly disagree
The organizational structure supports teaching, learning, and scholarship. (Question # 14 in the Institutional Survey)
76.3% 4.6% 17.8%
Our organizational and reporting structures are clear. (Question # 15) 62.5% 7.2% 29.6%
The Board of Trustees keeps the College community informed of actions. (Question # 22) 84.2% 6.6% 8.6%
Although there is no schedule for a systematic evaluation of the governance structure, a recent
reexamination circulated a new proposal which was adopted as policy after conducting a vote.
The modification of the Governance structure is a direct result of the vote of March, 2002. All faculty and
staff -- full and part time/ day and evening were invited to vote. The document, available in the work
room, details key changes in an attempt to streamline policies and practices:
• Eliminate Community Services Committee • Create Technology Committee • Revise course/program approval procedure • Streamline, refine and tighten policies and procedures • Clarify Standing Committee member election
procedures
Challenges
According to Item 16 in the Institutional Survey, almost 37% of the respondents disagree or
strongly disagree that Center for Continuing Education, Distance Education, and other strands of the
curricula have been fully integrated into the college-wide system.
Agree or strongly
agree
No basis for judgment
Disagree or strongly disagree
Off-campus, distance education and evening and weekend programs are clearly integrated into the one-college concept. (Question # 16)
44% 19.1% 36.9%
This is a fairly strong indication that the respondents do not feel the College has yet achieved a "one-
college concept."
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In relation to the in-house perceptions of how well the governance system works, a Spring, 2002
vote to ratify the revised governance document revealed these figures:
Full time employees 38 yes 4 no Part time employees 6 yes 1 no Students 8 yes 1 no
Of those who voted, the majority clearly supported the modifications in the Governance process.
However, since approximately 800 full and part time faculty and staff are eligible to vote, the lack of
participation reveals a lack of interest, understanding or genuine concern.
PROJECTION
Since the College community is not, generally, knowledgeable about in-house systemic
operations and how to access and initiate change or revision within the system, basic tenets and
procedures must be promulgated to all employees.
• The College will focus on means to strengthen the role of committee members to serve as
representatives of their areas or groups and to communicate back to larger groups.
• The President and the Senior Staff have made a commitment to utilize all committees within the
Governance Structure.
• If College personnel agree with the point that the "one college concept" has not yet materialized,
various points of obstruction need be identified and remedied.
• The creation of a Faculty Senate must be considered in order to create a site vehicle for faculty to
opine, critique, affirm, validate or voice pertinent issues that affect their teaching/ learning
arrangements and to redress what is perceived as a dearth of information about campus issues.
• Strategies for engaging Staff Development in its role as explicator and facilitator of the
Governance Structure may be designed.
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STANDARD FOUR - PROGRAMS AND INSTRUCTION
DESCRIPTION
Introduction/Mission/Plan For Education
Quinsigamond Community College is firmly committed to the education of its learners. President
Sandra L. Kurtinitis' mantra “teaching and learning are at the center of everything we do” is the lead item
in the QCC Strategic Directions, 2002-2007, which are developed and guided by the College's mission
and purposes. Quinsigamond endeavors to meet the region’s educational and economic needs through a
comprehensive selection of transfer, career, and specifically designed courses, certificates, and associate
degree programs in business, human services, health care, technology, general studies and liberal arts.
Students may select from a variety of programs that support transfer to a baccalaureate program.
Currently, all of the transfer programs are supported by articulation agreements with most of the state
colleges and universities. Many of the programs list agreements with private institutions of higher
education as well. Students seeking immediate employment or enhanced career opportunities may elect
from a comprehensive selection of associate degree or certificate programs. Quinsigamond offers
approximately 30 programs that lead to an associate degree and approximately 25 programs that lead to a
certificate. The Center for Continuing Education (CCE) works with CEOs, employers and community
leaders and organizations to provide targeted professional development opportunities that enhance
performance and the quality of services within the workplace and the community. Programs of study are
carefully reviewed for mission congruence through an approval process that involves the Massachusetts
Board of Higher Education, the QCC Board of Trustees, and the College's Governance structure. The
College specifies and publishes degree requirements for each program in the College Catalog and
programmatic brochures and slip-sheets (workroom; explicated in Standard Ten) distributed by the
Admissions and Advising offices. All programs can be accessed via the College website at
www.qcc.mass.edu.
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The "QCC Comprehensive Plan of Education," a draft in progress (workroom) produced by a
Task Force under the auspices of the Teaching/ Learning Roundtable, provides the vision for teaching and
learning at Quinsigamond Community College. Given the significant influx of new full time and adjunct
faculty over the last 4 years (approximately 50% of full-time faculty are new), the College envisions that
this Plan will serve as the written statement of its philosophy and approach to student success and will
help to ensure continuity and consistency among faculty whether their assignments bring them to campus
during the day, evening, weekends, full time or part time. The Plan articulates the characteristics of our
educational programs, the organization of the educational continuum, the instructional approaches
utilized, the mutual responsibilities of both faculty and students, and the strategies in place to assess
educational effectiveness, thus enhancing student success. It is also a key document in the College's
planning mechanisms for gauging institutional effectiveness.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Curriculum: Academic Planning & Evaluation
Quinsigamond employs a curricular review strategy called Internal Program Review (IPR) as its
primary academic planning and evaluation tool. During the IPR, the faculty define the external forces
that help to shape and delineate program content and structure, revise or revamp curricula as indicated,
and then identify the strategic institutional supports needed in order to realize the ideal program. Upon
completion of the IPR, the program faculty details a curriculum plan, aligning the goals of the program
with program courses and appropriate assessment strategies. This curriculum plan serves as the basis for
ongoing analysis of program effectiveness. Between cycles of IPR, the faculty is asked to conduct
ongoing analysis of program effectiveness. These activities support College-wide goals regarding
curricular transformation. The entire IPR process is detailed within this Standard.
Core Curriculum
Quinsigamond expects its graduates, across all programs, to develop and strengthen their general
education skills throughout their career at QCC. General education skills are complex skills that are
integral to lifelong learning and contribute to the mastery of tasks and challenges faced in daily and career
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pursuits. They serve as the basis for the continuous learning and development that enhances the quality
and richness of life. The Core Curriculum (detailed in the College Catalog) specifically details these
areas of knowledge and skill development in a manner that typifies the widely accepted definition of an
educated person. Competency attainment is evidenced through a variety of viable, material modes of
assessment.
The College has adopted an integrative Core Curriculum in order to support general education
across all programs. Specific course requirements within each program provide the foundation/platform
competencies. Subsequently, each program builds on the foundation to further develop the general
education competencies. The Core Curriculum includes the following competencies:
• Written communication – The student can create a variety of communications in writing which clearly express his/her thoughts in a well organized and developed format, using correct sentence structure, punctuation and spelling.
• Oral Communication/Teamwork - The student can express his/her thoughts orally in a clear, well-organized format; can enhance the performance of teams through effective communication.
• Quantitative Skills – The student has developed the ability to apply quantitative reasoning in a variety of applications.
• Technology: Application and Resources – The student is able to demonstrate information retrieval and utilization using a variety of computer applications.
• Critical Thinking Skills – The student is able to apply higher order thinking skills to a variety of applications and situations.
• Multiple Perspectives – The student understands the importance of and knowledge about world citizenry.
• Experiential Education/Service Learning – The student has applied knowledge gained in the classroom to actual real-life situations.
• Personal Development – The student has developed a proactive stance regarding self-actualization.
General Education
The College offers three types of Associate Degrees; the type of degree determines the minimum
number of credits required in general education and is aligned with the requirements as defined by the
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Massachusetts Board of Higher Education and the New England Association of Schools & Colleges. In
an attempt to ensure a balanced distribution of the arts and humanities within each program of study,
courses from each of the disciplines are integrated into curriculum. The humanities, mathematics,
sciences, and social sciences are represented with varying emphases depending upon the nature of the
specific program of study. For example, in the nurse education program there is a heavier emphasis on
the natural sciences, while in the technology programs there is a considerable focus on mathematics.
Students further develop and apply general education competencies in advanced coursework within the
discipline. Program faculty have been encouraged to incorporate at least one unrestricted elective in each
program to enable exploration of personal interest. The College thus ensures that the interrelationship
among the primary domains of knowledge is underscored. Competency is demonstrated by the passing
grade in each specific course and maintaining a 2.0 GPA for graduation.
Program Specific Curriculum
Through the Internal Program Review process, the faculty are engaged in a comprehensive effort
aimed at updating and aligning learning objectives in each program against external benchmarks, such as
industry skills standards or other professional standards as defined by accrediting associations. The
faculty define degree objectives in terms of the competencies to be mastered upon graduation, evaluate
the coherence of the program design, describe the rationale for course selection and sequencing in both
program-specific and general education courses, and examine both the breadth and depth of the
curriculum. All curricular revisions, course additions or deletions and other program modifications must
be anchored in the IPR research.
Internal Program Review: The Cornerstone of Academic Planning & Evaluation
WTI Integration As Precursor To IPR: Academic Planning And Evaluation
A recent milestone achievement for the College was the expansion of curricular offerings via the
integration of several significant curriculum strands offered previously by the now defunct Worcester
Technical Institute (WTI). In 1999, the College sat at the confluence of several pivotal events. Internally,
it had launched an historic appraisal, update, revision, and development of curriculum to ensure its
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responsiveness to the needs of the community and the learners it served. Further, the College had begun
the process of developing an ongoing, cycle of Internal Program Review (IPR) for each degree and
certificate offering. Finally, QCC was presented with an opportunity to evaluate the ongoing need for the
career and technical education programming provided by Worcester Technical Institute, a post graduate
program formerly operated by the Worcester Vocational School System.
Directed by Vice-President of Academic Affairs Cathy Livingston, team members with expertise
in curriculum development, economic and educational research, and industry requirements and needs
joined forces with faculty from QCC and WTI to evaluate possibilities. Using an evaluative rubric that
included elements such as centrality to mission; market viability; congruence with current offerings;
career ladder potential; and resource share, the team evaluated the full menu of WTI’s programmatic
offerings. Once a general programmatic area received a favorable rating, the team prepared curriculum
options. All proposed curricular options were supported by extensive background information and
research. These proposals were considered internally through QCC’s governance processes as well as by
practicing professionals and related advisory boards currently working with QCC and/or WTI. In all, the
College proposed 12 new degree and certificate programs for approval. In March 1999, the
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (MA BHE) approved eleven of these programs. The following
year, the twelfth program was resubmitted for consideration and subsequently received its BHE approval
in spring 2000. The WTI Integration formed the template for Internal Program Review. It is also
evidence of the strong working relationship between faculty and academic administrators aimed at
ensuring educational and economic opportunities for our learners and graduates.
IPR: Description
Internal Program Review (IPR) is a systematic curricular review process designed to completely
overhaul the College’s programmatic offerings. It is the pathway to creating state-of-the-art curriculum
keyed to market viability and to meeting the education and workforce development needs of learners,
employers, and the community at large. Through IPR, all programs are assessed against the measures of
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their centrality to the College’s Mission, market viability, and degree of congruence with other offerings,
career ladder and economic self-sufficiency potential.
Led by the faculty, IPR is transforming Quinsigamond’s educational programming into a
dynamic, market driven menu of both credit and non-credit programs positioned to meeting both learner
and community needs. In simplest terms, IPR equates to program development defined by economic and
demographic need. It is this particular focus on economic and demographic need that sets the IPR process
apart from its counterparts at other institutions. Using relevant and current data such as labor statistics
and occupational outlook projections, faculty must ensure that employment opportunities, that is, living
wage employment opportunities, exist and will continue to grow for prospective graduates of any given
program. Secondly, this focus on “living wage” opportunities is of equal and absolute importance in the
deliberation. It is not enough for QCC to prepare graduates to gain employment at the minimum wage.
This institution is committed to providing opportunities for its graduates to enter employment at a wage
level that will insure economic self-sufficiency for themselves and their families. Using the Self-
Sufficiency Standard for Massachusetts developed by the Women’s Educational & Industrial Union,
faculty analyze prospective career paths and related wages against the “real costs of living, working,
raising a family, and paying taxes without public or private subsidies”. This commitment to economic
self-sufficiency is evidenced in the career ladder approach taken in the degree programs that offer
certificates or some smaller subset of skills proficiency nestled into the larger degree program. (See
“Business Office Support Specialist” program). This curricular approach allows individuals to gain
valuable, marketable skills more rapidly in order to attain better employment opportunities while
continuing progression toward the terminal degree.
Through the Internal Program Review process, the faculty are engaged in a comprehensive effort
aimed at updating and aligning learning objectives in each program against external benchmarks, such as
industry skills standards or other professional standards as defined by accrediting associations. Faculty
define degree objectives in terms of the competencies to be mastered upon graduation, evaluate the
coherence of the program design, describe the rationale for course selection and sequencing in both
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program-specific and general education courses, and examine both the breadth and depth of the
curriculum. IPR recognizes that communication, computational, technological and analytical skills must
inform our curricula; and that state-of-the-art facilities and equipment with commensurate faculty and
staff expertise and the requisite infusion of technology in the classroom and across the campus is
fundamental.
Program objectives are calibrated for their appropriateness to a two-year associate degree or
shorter-term certificate program. Individual syllabi spell out the contractual nature of the learning
arrangement (samples in work room) and detail learning outcomes relative to overall program outcomes.
The evaluation of student learning and the award of credit are based upon clearly stated criteria that
reflect the learning objectives of a given degree or certificate program and are consistently and effectively
enforced across the institution.
Faculty, working with an expanded knowledge base of what should be taught in their program,
implement and manage the results of IPR. All curricular revisions, course additions or deletions and other
program modifications must be anchored in the IPR research, as are all requests for additional faculty,
equipment, technology acquisitions, and space. Although the faculty determines course content,
curricular changes receive approval through the Academic Affairs governance process. The approval is a
3-step process: from Division Approval, to Academic Affairs Staff approval, to College-wide Academic
Affairs Committee approval.
The program coordinator works closely with the instructional dean and other administrators in
advocating for the resources and supports necessary to realize the maximum potential of a given program.
Internal Program Review recognizes and underscores the importance of the role of multiple and varied
resources for the development and improvement of academic programs. (See Section III in the IPR
Guidebook in workroom.) For example, recommendations from the recent Electronics Technology/
Electromechanical Technology review included developing a proactive program enrollment management
strategy, pursuing program accreditation through the Accrediting Board for Engineering Technologies
and seeking corporate sponsorship to establish an Automated Technology Training Center.
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Outcomes Assessment
Quinsigamond’s curriculum is designed and developed using learning outcomes as the
benchmark for assessing learner achievement and overall instructional effectiveness. Upon completion of
IPR, the faculty develops a comprehensive assessment plan that details the interrelationships among the
program goals, the course objectives, and the assessment methodologies utilized. During the Spring 2002
term, QCC was invited to participate in a NEASC-funded pilot project-aimed at the development of an
electronic assessment portfolio meant to provide documentation of student learning processes and
outcomes within the context of each institution’s distinctive mission; and further to present the variety of
ways that faculty, administrators, and students confirm the amount and quality of student learning that
occurs; and how the curriculum and other campus experiences impact this learning. Selected student
learning assessment efforts for classroom, program and institution levels within a thematic context were
determined by each institution in alignment with its strategic planning. QCC’s Institutional Effectiveness
Portfolio (www.qccportfolio.net) effort has provided the resources to complement and build upon IPR in
its support of College-wide goals regarding curricular transformation.
To date, five programs of study have incorporated the main features of their outcomes assessment
work in the portfolio. These features include the executive summary of the IPR or recent self-study
completed for a professional accrediting organization, an assessment plan, research questions, examples
of assessment results, and documentation of the changes in practice based upon assessment results. Each
portfolio offers a discipline specific approach to outcomes assessment and documentation of student
learning.
The College has also embarked upon the process of general education outcomes assessment by
means of the Internal Program Review process. Through an in-depth analysis of curriculum, faculty must
develop a rationale for the entire course sequence and then, specifically analyze how the general
education components are integrated with and support the achievement of overall program outcomes.
Through follow up surveys to alumni and employers, they gain useful feedback as to graduate
competence in written and verbal communication skills and quantitative abilities. Based upon its IPR, the
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mathematics department approved the development and implementation of a departmental final
examination in each of its developmental courses in an effort to insure greater consistency in student
outcomes.
Complementing these measures, all course descriptions were rewritten recently in an attempt to
bring uniformity and consistency to the course Catalog. The guidelines for the revision clearly focused
on crafting course descriptions that are clear and concise and utilize outcome-oriented verbs wherever
possible. This revision underscores the institutional focus on outcomes and sets the framework for
expanded outcomes assessment work to continue.
Alternative Instruction
Accelerated Learning
In January 2003, a group of faculty and staff attended a 3-day intensive workshop on Accelerated
Learning: a methodology that focuses on the learner in terms of the individual’s learning styles,
organization preferences, assimilation styles, and intelligences. Undergriding the paradigm is the belief
that every individual has the ability to acquire information, store information and retrieve that information
at any time in a variety of forms, and that this ability is generated by a series of factors unique to every
individual. The whole brain approach is designed to create maximum learning efficiency. Retention
increases by as much as 200% via action exercises and various devices -- props, music, mnemonics,
themes, color -- to enhance relevancy and the collaborative, social construction of knowledge. The
Accelerated Learning approach creates maximum learning efficiency through the design and presentation
of instruction that meets the needs of the various learning styles found in a typical classroom setting.
The Division of Business Management and Human Services and The Center for Continuing Education are
spearheading the roll out of an Accelerated Learning Program. The Center for Continuing Education is
offering this program to the business community. As of Spring 2003, courses are being revamped and a
schedule of course offerings to commence in October 2003 has been prepared. Principles of
Management, Human Resources Management, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Ethical Issues in
Business, and Financial Accounting are the lead pilots. Area colleges and universities currently offering
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Accelerated Learning programs, Becker College and Regis College, have been contacted with the intent
of developing articulation agreements.
Weekend College
In response to tremendous enrollment growth and increased consumer demand for more flexible
scheduling options, the Division of Academic Affairs introduced expanded weekend programming on
Friday evenings, Saturday mornings and afternoons and Sunday afternoons during Fall 2001. The
purpose of this programming is two-fold: first, weekend course offerings provide a convenient alternative
time frame to offer additional sections of highly enrolled service courses in areas such as mathematics,
English, and computer information systems; secondly, weekend scheduling coupled with the Accelerated
Learning strategy provides an excellent platform for offering accelerated routes to certificate and degrees
on weekends only. This programming provides an important and competitive alternative for non-
traditional community college students.
Distance Education
During the academic year 2000, QCC initiated a distance education effort aimed at encouraging
enthusiastic faculty members to launch on-line courses in their respective disciplines. The development
of a comprehensive menu of on line course offerings serves multiple purposes. First, it alleviates time
and space constraints for scheduling additional sections of highly enrolled service courses such as the
ENG 101/102, the English Composition & Literature I/II sequence or CIS 111 Introduction to
Microcomputer Applications. Secondly, it provides an opportunity to offer selected electives to both
currently enrolled QCC students and to a wider audience of working professionals who may need to gain
currency or continuing education units in a specific discipline. One such example is PSY 273, Chemical
Dependency. Beyond currently enrolled students, this course appeals to a wider audience including
employees in Human Service, Social Work, Rehabilitation Counseling or other allied health professions
who require ongoing CEU’s to maintain professional licensure.
Distance education efforts are coordinated through the office of Distance Education that is staffed
by a faculty coordinator. This office serves as the central coordination point for information and
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communications regarding all on-line credit course offerings. The office works collaboratively with all
academic areas and with enrollment services and academic computing to ensure that services and
information for all registered students is available in a timely fashion.
QCC maintains a thoughtful and well-reasoned approach to the development of its distance
education program considering both the rationale and intended audience for each course it approves for
on-line course development. Currently 24 courses are offered on-line and can be viewed at
http://www.qcc.mass.edu/qcconline/credit.htm. In 2002-2003, 455 students enrolled in 40 classes and
Spring 2003 saw 289 students enrolled. The Center for Continuing Education also offers over 300 online
courses; and in 2003, 405 students enrolled.
Experience Based Education
The Experience-Based Education (EBE) office administers the awarding of credit to students who
have prior learning from a non-collegiate source. Prior learning is recognized through several paths:
credit by examination (AP, DANTES, CLEP, and QCC faculty-generated challenge examinations),
credentialing, and portfolio assessment. Credits awarded for approved non-collegiate learning
experiences are deemed academically equivalent to a college-level learning experience by utilizing
nationally accepted standards, the QCC “Request for Course-Equivalency Credit” process, and/or faculty
expertise. Each option utilizes completed eligibility guidelines, and clearly spelled out QCC procedures.
In 1999 the Vice President of Academic Affairs instituted a policy and procedure for the development,
review, and maintenance of Articulation Agreements: the “Request for Course-Equivalency Credit”
process. This formal process has two goals:
• To increase the level of participation by Tech Prep High Schools and non-collegiate institutions by removing barriers and having a more reasonable response time.
• To ensure that the awarding of credit is academically sound and equivalent to the traditional college level classroom experience.
Students whose programs undergo re-design before they complete their requirements are accommodated
as much as possible. The EBE office in particular supports students through such transitions. Though
IPR is not used as a mechanism for closing programs, realistic analyses of labor market trends or regional
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employer demands have warranted that faculty recommend a program be discontinued or perhaps
reformatted to respond more effectively to the realities of the workplace. In the event that a program is
eliminated or requires modification, every effort is made to stay in sync with students’ plans and time
frames. Options may include individualized learning situations -- tutorials, independent or directed
studies. Eligibility and procedural guidelines are documented in the Experience-Based Education Faculty
Handbook and the EBE Student Booklet, Experience–Based Education Brochure: Credit for Prior
Learning, and Credit for Sponsored Learning brochures.
Both directed study and independent study are ways for students to pursue topics that are not
offered as QCC courses. A tutorial is an alternative learning experience to satisfy a course requirement.
A student must meet strict eligibility guidelines. For each of these options, a faculty member is hired to
oversee the scope and nature of the learning experience. Together the faculty member and the student
draft a Learning Agreement, which forms the basis of the learning experience. A co-operative education
work experience is required in many of the QCC associate degree programs. In addition, a Co-op
learning experience can be used in any program as a program elective. Co-operative education augments
the student’s coursework by establishing a different yet equally academically sound teaching/learning
experience. All students undertaking a Co-op learning experience are assigned a Co-op faculty advisor.
The student and advisor draft a Learning Agreement that forms the basis of the learning goals and
requirements. These EBE options play a crucial role to the students completing requirements when a
program is eliminated or requires modification.
Detailed eligibility guidelines and procedures are available to students and staff through the EBE
office, and the widely disseminated EBE faculty handbook and EBE student booklet, Experience–Based
Education: Credit for Prior Learning, Credit for Sponsored Learning, and the Placement Resource Center
pamphlets.
Center for Continuing Education
The Center for Continuing Education (CCE) addresses the continuous learning needs and
aspiration of the residents, workers, and leaders of Central Massachusetts via a portfolio of workplace
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focused, personal enrichment and leadership development offerings as they are influenced by economic
conditions, area demographics, and changing workplace and community needs. The Center reviews its
offerings annually in a formal review process, and on a cyclical basis through outreach activities that
solicit input from employers, local government agencies, leaders and learners within key industries
(Healthcare, Manufacturing, Service/Distribution, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, etc.) -- past, present
and future. The Center responds with the flexibility and adaptability in programming that result in the
rapid development and implementation of programming targeted to specifically cited needs and interests.
Generally, the Center targets 3 key segments of adult learners and leaders of Central
Massachusetts:
• The undereducated and under prepared population who lack economic resources and academic preparedness to pursue a certificate or degree program. Through the Adult Basic Education Grant, the CCE is able to service 1,000 learners each year in this category.
• Experienced workers who need training opportunities to enhance their economic opportunities and personal enrichment.
• Middle and senior level managers and leaders.
To meet the needs of the three target populations above, the CCE is actively engaged in pursuing
the availability of decentralized locations for the delivery of training resources offered asynchronously,
thus reducing commuting time and extending flexibility of time and space. Through contract learning, the
education is offered at the work site.
EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Honors Program
Highly motivated, achievement-oriented students are offered an opportunity for enhanced success
via the Honors Program. Better prepared to continue their studies at colleges and universities throughout
the country, Honors students complete selected courses on an Honors level, including a Capstone
Course/Honors Colloquium, a team-facilitated, interdisciplinary seminar designed to be the culmination
of the Honors Program. Currently, two Colloquia have been offered: "Education and the American
Dream" taught Spring, 2000 and Spring, 2001; "Health Care in America," taught Spring 2002 and Spring
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2003. The faculty is developing a new topic, "The Mob in America" for potential subscription, Spring
2004.
The Liberal Arts Program
The Liberal Arts Program, re-designed effective September, 2002, is the primary transfer
program to a four-year institution for Quinsigamond Community College students. Recognizing the
intrinsic value of a liberal arts education for further academic work, careers in a wide range of
professions, and personal growth, the Liberal Arts Program fosters learning outcomes that apply students’
abilities to think creatively, communicate effectively, work cooperatively, set goals, utilize appropriately
information and data, and also comprehend the applicability of a liberal arts education to the “real world”
to broaden their understanding of themselves and others.
To strengthen the focus on the liberal arts, the curriculum includes two new 3-credit courses: LIB
101, Introduction to Liberal Arts; and LIB 250, Liberal Arts Capstone Seminar. The Introduction to
Liberal Arts deals with “learning how to learn.” Studying multidisciplinary and multicultural materials
from the humanities, mathematics, natural, social, and behavioral sciences, students learn the
relationships and connections among the liberal arts disciplines. The Liberal Arts Capstone Seminar
offers students an opportunity to apply and further develop the competencies they have gained by
critically examining a “real world” issue from the various liberal arts disciplines.
Service Learning
Over the last two years, Quinsigamond has implemented a service-learning component to its
curriculum. As a form of experiential based learning where the student applies academic knowledge and
critical thinking skills to address community or individual needs, service learning enhances the teaching
of academic objectives by extending learning beyond the walls of the classroom. Community service is
blended with classroom learning so that each is enriched by the other. Service learning as a pedagogy
benefits all members involved; the students, the faculty, the academic institution and the community
served. Through an internal competitive process, interested faculty members have proposed and
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implemented service learning components to courses as varied as Applied Arts, Ecology, Dental Hygiene,
and Nursing.
Outside Workshops Conferences, And Community Events
QCC offers members of the local community and beyond opportunities for professional
development or for earning credit through QCC’s sponsorship of conferences, institutes, workshops, and
other instructional or enrichment activities. For example, the New Directions Institute (NDI), a
professional development initiative hosted by the Division of Academic Affairs sponsors professional
development programs and workshops designed for community college educators across the country.
Over the last two years, NDI has sponsored two national summer institutes focused on the Internal
Program Review process. In addition, several of the health care programs have sponsored professional
workshops and seminars. One of the most successful is the 48-hour on-line paramedic refresher program.
This program was the first if its kind to be established in Massachusetts and the first approved by the
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). The Dental Hygiene program regularly
sponsors continuing education courses led by both full-time and adjunct faculty in the program. During
the last academic year, the program sponsored sessions on “Dentistry Around the World”, “Update on
Fluoride”, “21st century Dentistry” and “Facial Paralysis”. For the past two years, the Respiratory Care
program has hosted the Kettering National Seminar that prepares students for the National Board for
Respiratory Care credentialing examination.
FOCUS ON UNDER-PREPARED STUDENTS
A yearlong planning process primed the College for competitively seeking out funding support
from the United States Department of Education; a Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant was awarded
in September 2001 to help remedy Quinsigamond's serious institutional challenges with respect to support
for, and success of, under-prepared and undecided students. The grant is supporting a comprehensive
redesign of academic and student services delivered to entry-level under-prepared students with particular
emphasis on curricular reconfiguration and the implementation of a developmental advising approach.
Key program components include:
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• Revision and redesign of all developmental education courses offered in mathematics and English and the development of an orientation course for students new to QCC;
• Development of an aggressive outcomes assessment methodology; • Implementation of a developmental advising model to assist QCC students by providing
realistic career goal assessment and comprehensive academic planning.
During the first year (2001-2002), the faculty under the direction of Dr. Cathy Livingston, Vice
President for Academic Affairs designed a new first-year experience course (ORT 110) and redesigned
three of the seven courses that comprise the developmental education sequence--ENG 091 Intermediate
Reading Skills, ENG 096 Intermediate Writing Skills, and MAT 099 Intermediate Algebra. In the design
of the course and supporting materials, considerable integrated emphasis was placed on learner
centeredness, course content, and integration of innovative instructional methodologies. Course charters
that specify course goals, material to be covered, recommended instructional approaches, appropriate
technology applications; and student assessment instruments and a common final examination were
developed for each course (workroom). These courses and all supporting strategies and materials piloted
in 2002-2003 will be fully implemented across all sections in Fall 2003. In addition, through the
collaborative efforts of the Vice President of Academic Affairs, her staff, the Title III team and the
faculty, a yearlong Faculty Development series has been planned for 2003-3004. Beginning with a two-
day conference in August, faculty will be introduced to the new materials via an on-line orientation
module, a series of workshops that emphasize universal design and reflective practice, and the faculty
members who will serve as individual course coaches and resource for each of the four courses ready to
be implemented.
In 2002-2003, faculty members redesigned ENG 090 Basic Reading Skills, ENG 095 Basic
Writing Skills and MAT 095 Beginning Algebra. These new materials and resources compiled for all
revised courses can be reviewed at http://www.qcc.mass.edu/t3/instructors.html. These tools provide
faculty, both full time and adjunct with a clear, consistent plan for teaching and learning and serve to
support and enhance student success.
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Given institutional constraints on offering comprehensive developmental advising services,
particularly to those students who are most at risk, that is the academically under prepared or undecided
students, the College designed and launched a freshman year experience course during Fall 2002. Called
ORT 110, Strategies for College and Career, the course is intended for first time college students who
want success and need direction in their college experience. The course focuses strongly on career and
educational planning, understanding self and learning styles, and academic success skills. The outcome
of this integrated experience is a CAPS (Career, Academic, Personal Success) Plan that contains a
portfolio of information for the student and his or her respective advisor to use as a foundation for career
and academic planning. The CAPS plan can be stored electronically and will serve as an invaluable
advising tool. This course is open to all students and is currently required within the first twenty credits
for all students enrolled in the General Studies program.
An additional benefit of the ORT 110 course is the CAPS Survey, a survey administered early in
the semester to all registered ORT 110 students. A comprehensive research and data collection tool
aimed at identifying specific factors that promote or detract from student success, the surveys are useful
in the construction of campus-wide retention initiatives. Data also provides faculty with an immediate
profile of his/her class, (regarding learning styles, preferences, computer usage skills, study skills, career
knowledge and career planning readiness) allowing for modifications in instructional delivery and course
content, to best meet the needs of students.
ADVISING AND RETENTION
Advising
Currently, advising takes place in multiple venues across the campus. It may be accomplished
formally through an advising relationship with a full time faculty advisor; or through the Advising Center
that is staffed by two full time professional advisors and reinforced by several adjunct faculty advisors
during registration and the “add/drop” period; or through the Health Careers Center, a specialized
advising center that offers advising for students who aspire to one of the health programs, but must meet
certain prerequisites before gaining acceptance to a program.
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Approximately 1800 students are assigned a full time faculty advisor in their major or program
(contractually, faculty are limited to 18 advisees per semester). The remaining students are assigned to the
Advising Center or Health Careers Center to seek advice regarding course selection and registration.
Students seeking comprehensive advice regarding career exploration and planning must seek out those
services separately and in addition to the advising process.
The next major challenge through the Title III project is to adopt and fully implement a
developmental advising model college-wide. The College is committed to creating a developmental
advising model by Fall 2003 using the seminal work of Terry O’Banion as a guide. The Task Force on
Developmental Advising is currently reviewing the O’Banion model as well as that of Valencia
Community College, a nationally recognized leader in developmental advising, in an effort to define a
model that will apply to all aspects of advising at QCC.
According to O’Banion, a developmental advising model assumes that the “purpose of academic
advising is to help a student choose a program of study which will serve him in the development of his
total potential. … The process of academic advising includes the following dimensions: (1) exploration of
life goals, (2) exploration of vocational goals, (3) program choice, (4) course choice, and (5) scheduling
courses.” ("An Academic Advising Model" [Junior College Journal 1972, 42: 62, 64, 66-69. Rpt.
NACADA Journal 1994, 14.2: 10-16]). The developmental advising approach assumes that a student
gains greater competence and independence in the academic realm as he or she clarifies and confirms life
and vocational goals and then, selects an appropriate academic program. The goal of the developmental
advising model is to assist students in gaining this independence and then to redeploy key advisors to
work most closely with students in the early stages of goal clarification.
Catalog Revision as an Advising Tool
With its emphasis on improving advising services for all students, QCC revamped its College
Catalog for the 2002-2003 academic year. This revised format is designed to serve as a more useful
advising tool to students as they plan their program of study. While the Catalog is provided in the
workroom for further review, it is important to note here the most significant change -- the curriculum
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format. Each program of study is organized in a grid format listing the sequential clusters of courses
required for certificate or degree completion. In addition, this visual aid includes columns that allow the
student to use the catalog as a working academic planner. Additionally, the program description section
clearly defines the actual degree awarded in each program along with the options available to the student
upon graduation. During the 2002-2003 academic year, the faculty rewrote all course descriptions with an
emphasis on outcomes. This addition will further enhance the usefulness of the Catalog as a planning and
advising tool.
Retention
The Office of Retention Services and the Enrollment Management Task Force are jointly charged
with designing strategies to retain all students. Working in conjunction with areas throughout the
campus, retention efforts include a campus-wide Early Alert Initiative, geared towards students on
Financial Aid Probation, and/or students who have withdrawn from QCC. The Early Alert Initiative
encourages faculty to contact students who have missed class(es) during the first week of the semester;
the Office of Student Retention then contacts those students who faculty designate as “not making
satisfactory progress” in class, provides them with encouragement, and outlines the available supports
across campus. The Financial Aid Probation Retention Initiative offers students on financial aid
probation supportive advising and contracts for proactive strategies to encourage academic success.
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
Recruitment
While the program faculty and academic administrators develop program admissions criteria,
recruitment strategies are designed and implemented by the Admissions Office and the Enrollment and
Student Services Division. Since the College is committed to its Open Admissions policy, all who wish to
attend are welcomed. The College recruitment program includes regular visits to the approximately eighty
high schools in the College’s service area; visits with educational and social service agencies; campus
tour programs often involving presentations by College personnel and students to invited guests; campus
“open house” programs; and a follow-up process of prospective students via letter and telephone.
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Representative staff, including a multi-linguist, visits area high schools that enroll a significant number of
ethnic minority students. The Admissions Office processes all student applications to a program.
Admissions
The College has several programs, mostly in the health areas, which are classified as “high
demand” programs. These are programs for which there are many more qualified applicants than
available spaces. In 1998, in an attempt to provide equal access to all qualified applicants for the high
demand programs, a new process was implemented for the matriculation of these applicants. Each
department in the Health Care Division established new minimum admission criteria for students to be
successful in meeting the demands of its program. Acceptances for all programs are on a first-qualified,
first-accepted basis. They are placed on the program list according to the date they met the minimum
admissions criteria. Applicants to any program requiring minimum academic criteria who do not meet the
criteria are automatically accepted into the General Studies Program. Students not qualified for a health
program, yet interested in pursuing a health career, are referred to The Health Careers Center for career
and supportive advising. Through assessment testing, transcript review, and course registrations, students
are assisted in completing the requirements necessary to qualify for their desired health career program.
Students are advised to re-apply through admissions just prior to their meeting the minimum entrance
requirements.
Assessment/Placement
As required by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, all incoming students are asked to
take academic placement tests via the computerized Accuplacer for Mathematics and the Writeplacer for
English writing and composition. Scores determine English and math course placement and indicate
developmental needs for students who require pre-college work; the College adheres to the minimum
acceptable scores as defined by the BHE for college level work. Students are exempt from assessment
testing only if they have completed a college-level course elsewhere and have documentation of their
enrollment.
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ENHANCING PROGRAMS & INSTRUCTION
Use Of Technology To Support Learning
In an effort to realize the full potential of instructional technology, QCC has provided partial
release time for three full time faculty members to serve as mentors for their colleagues and to assist in
the integration of technology across the curriculum. Additionally, one of the strategies embedded in the
Title III course redesign work is the increased utilization of interactive teaching strategies to effectively
promote student involvement, learning, and retention. Simultaneously, through the efforts of an
instructional design expert, strategies for effective integration of technologies for the creation, delivery,
and evaluation of instruction are being developed, field-tested and evaluated.
Faculty Scholarship
Faculty members link their scholarship to the College's mission in a variety of ways: working on
advanced degrees and/ or certificates; developing on-line courses, writing for publication, applying for
externships supported by Perkins funding, and working on sabbatical projects. The staff development
office funds travel and conference expenses up to $750 per year per faculty member, and the President
maintains a "Best Practices" fund that supports costs associated with sending a cross-functional team of
faculty and staff across the country on specific teaching and learning initiatives. Too, released time, or
reassigned time, enables creative and experimental projects. The Honors Colloquium, for example, is a
product of team teaching individuals whose work in design was awarded by a stipend. Faculty's
involvement in various projects reflects the gamut of professional interests and roles as tabled below.
Recent Sabbatical Leaves
SEMESTER SABBATICANT MAJOR GOAL OF THE PROJECT
Spring 2003 Kathleen Wilkinson To strengthen the curriculum by integrating a component of advocacy for the field, including incorporation of higher wages for EDE professionals
Spring 2003 Rafael Vicente To create curriculum units that will provide instruction in the basic elements in computer programming
Fall 2002 No applications
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SEMESTER SABBATICANT MAJOR GOAL OF THE PROJECT
Spring 2002 Lynda Nesbitt To develop the Certificate Program in Polysomnography in response to area industry need and to act as a feeder program for the Respiratory Care Program
Spring 2002 Kenneth Wong
To research and write dissertation at the University of Michigan and keep informed on the latest developments in the field of history
Spring 2002 Kathy Frederickson
To compile a working resource text for community college English Composition instructors
Fall 2001 Michael Vallante To re-examine the PSY 115 course: Self Assessment and Career Planning and to acquire or design an assessment instrument
Spring 2001 Marilyn Kalal To create instructional materials which will become part of the Dental Hygiene curriculum
Fall 2000 Dadbeh Bigonahy (.5) To identify and analyze human genes that repair or prevent damage to DNA
Fall 2000 Dadbeh Bigonahy (.5) (Same as above)
Spring 2000* (Taken Fall 1999)
Sandra Ostresh To take classes on distance education with ultimate goal of offering Radiologic Technology courses on the Internet
Fall 1999 Paul Connell To revitalize existing Liberal Arts Degree program, including revision of curriculum, in response to declining program enrollment
Conference Presentations:
Name DEPARTMENT Title or Subject Event Location and Date
Kathy Rentsch Walter Swett
Special Projects Human Services
Institutional Portfolios
NEASC Annual Meeting
Boston, MA 12/2002
Margaret Wong Anne Shull Sheila Booth
English The Learner at the Center
Teaching English in the Two-Year College Conf.
Portland, ME, 10/2002
Sheila Booth English Using Technology in the Writing Class
6th Annual MA Community College Conf.
Holyoke, MA, 4/2002
Steve Zona Mathematics Activating Students with Manipulatives
New England Mathematical Association
Middlesex Community College, Lowell, MA 4/2000
Mari Seder Kathy Wilkinson
Early Childhood Education
Project Work: A Lab School's Experience
National Assoc. For Education of Young Children Conference
New York City, 11/2002
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Name DEPARTMENT Title or Subject Event Location and Date
Joyce Cooney Dental Hygiene Kidseal/Flouride Mouth Rinse Project
15th International Symposium on Dental Hygiene
Sydney, Australia, 10/2000
Virginia Asadoorian Mathematics Learning Math
the "Write Way"
28th Annual Conf of CA Mathematics Council
Monterey, CA, 10/2000
Kathy Frederickson Susan McPherson
English Teaching the Conflict in Oleanna
Two-Year College Northeast Conference
Pittsburgh, PA, 10/2000
Tony Nardella
Human Services/ Experiential Learning
Putting the "Me" in Resume
New England assoc. For Cooperative Education and Field Experience
Mystic, CT, 9/2000
Sarmad Saman Science Lactic Acid Bacteria
Fourth International Summit on Anti-Fungal Drugs
Strategic Research Institute New York City 3/1999
Ken Wong History
Chinese Marriage Patterns in Massachusetts, 1850-1900
Assoc for Asian American Studies, 14th Annual Meeting
Seattle, WA 4/1997
APPRAISAL
Introduction/Mission/Plan of Education
Strengths
Over 90% of respondents to the NEASC Institutional Survey confirmed that QCC’s primary
focus is the education of its students. The in-house Institutional Survey also evinced strong agreement
with the statement that QCC's educational programming is consistent with its mission. This perception is
further confirmed by student response to the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) (Completed
in Fall 2000 and Fall 2002). In 2000 and again, in 2002, the two items ranked by students as most
important were instructional effectiveness and academic advising/counseling. When queried as to the
strengths of the institution, the quality of instruction and overall instructional effectiveness were rated
high, with overall student satisfaction increasing significantly in 2002. Respondents also rated the faculty
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as being both “knowledgeable in their fields” and “available after class and during office hours” among
the significant strengths of the institution.
Challenges
As enrollment growth continues to advance at the rate of 6-8% or more each year, the College is
placing an ever-increasing reliance upon adjunct faculty to teach multiple sections of key foundation
courses within the curriculum. While this is most apparent within the Humanities and Liberal Arts area, it
is becoming increasingly challenging to maintain quality and consistency across courses in all divisions.
Academic Programs/ Curriculum: Academic Planning & Evaluation/ Core Curriculum; General
Education; Program Specific Curriculum
Strengths
Respondents to the Institutional Survey concurred that “QCC periodically reviews its degree
programs using a clearly defined and established process” and further, an overwhelming majority of the
faculty and non-unit professionals concur that they have a substantial voice in that review process. This is
clear evidence of the importance the institution places upon a comprehensive and inclusive approach to
academic planning and evaluation.
Given QCC’s adherence to the guidelines set forth by NEASC, the Massachusetts BHE and the
Internal Program Review process, QCC's degree programs are well designed in their inclusion of both a
general education requirement and the major or concentration requirement. In the exit briefing following
the Noel-Levitz Enrollment Opportunities Analysis (Completed in Fall 2000), the “quality of various
academic programs” was cited as one of the institution’s identified strengths. The College fully abides by
the Degree Standards and recommendations for the General Education Component as detailed in the 1989
document titled The Undergraduate Experience. This document continues to serve as the comprehensive
policy statement on academic issues; the MA Board of Higher Education continues to utilize its
guidelines in its program approval process. All degree programs offered by QCC have received BHE
approval. The QCC Academic Affairs Committee monitors ongoing compliance with academic policy
matters.
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Internal Program Review/ WTI Integration/ IPR Description
Strengths
The extraordinary undertaking of absorbing the curricula of Worcester Technical Institute
preceded the commensurate success of IPR. With focused and directed leadership, the merger of WTI
programs moved through the customary internal approval processes and governance structures in less
than six months from inception to Massachusetts’ BHE approval. Not only did the merger provide
Quinsigamond with an opportunity to develop state-of-the-art programs to enhance the educational and
economic standing of the community and its residents, but also it is testimony to the collaborative spirit in
which faculty and academic administrators approach the development, implementation, and evaluation of
programmatic offerings. The WTI Integration generated an annual increase of $1 million dollars in
additional state appropriation for QCC in order to fully realize the successful transfer and establishment
of these programs.
Through Internal Program Review, the cornerstone of Quinsigamond’s efforts to position each of
its programs to comprehensively fulfill the mission and purposes, program currency and instructional
effectiveness is improving. For example, the Business Office Support Specialist (BOSS) program was the
product of an extensive revision of Administrative Office Management, an outdated and under-enrolled
secretarial science program. Through IPR, BOSS (described further in the College Catalog) was aligned
with national skill standards as defined by the International Association of Administrative Professionals.
Not only was curricular content significantly revised, but also the structure of the certificate and degree
programs was revamped in order to allow students to gain in-demand workforce skills in a true career
ladder approach.
The review of the Applied Arts (APA) program led to a considerable shift in curricular focus
from the traditional graphic arts to web-based design. The APA Internal Program Review provided
compelling evidence for the critical need for program expansion and necessary significant facility and
technology upgrades. With fiscal support from a local foundation, the program realized this upgrade and
fully doubled program enrollment (plus a wait list) within six months of completing the IPR.
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Faculty are also actively seeking industry externships, technology training, and other
opportunities in order to keep abreast of rapidly changing industry skill requirements, technology
changes, and emerging trends in health care, business, and technology. The value of this professional
development is reflected in the increasing student satisfaction with overall instructional effectiveness in
the results from the Fall 2002 Noel Levitz SSI. Specifically, students pointed to both “quality of
instruction” and to faculty as “knowledgeable in their fields” among the key strengths of the institution.
The mechanisms of IPR assure that Quinsigamond degree objectives and requirements for each program
are defined and that programs have a coherent design and appropriate breadth, depth, and continuity. As
of Fall 2003, over 85% of the degree and certificate programs will have completed the first round of
comprehensive IPR. The completed IPR and its accompanying recommendations receive intensive
scrutiny at multiple levels, both within and external to the institution, including the QCC Board of
Trustees. The Academic Affairs Staff closely monitors the implementation of IPR recommendations
across the institution and reports progress on its annual IPR Report Card.
Statewide and national professional associations have recognized the IPR process. In 2001, QCC
was a Bellwether Award finalist for its work with IPR. The Bellwether Awards are awarded annually
during the Community College Futures Assembly, sponsored by the Institute of Higher Education at the
University of Florida. The Institute focuses on identifying and promoting high quality, innovative
programs and practices worthy of replication at other institutions. In the same year, the National Council
of Instructional Administrators recognized IPR as an Exemplary Initiative in Student Success. In Fall
2001, the College Board and the New England College Council presented QCC with the Hallmark Award
for Excellence in Education for the Internal Program Review. Currently, the Vice President of Academic
Affairs and Director of Special Projects are co-authoring a chapter accepted for inclusion in a book
focused on enhancing effectiveness in higher education.
Based upon this success, the Academic Affairs team launched the New Directions Institute in
June 2001, a summer training institute for teams of faculty and administrators from other Colleges to
learn the theoretical and practical application of the IPR process. This nationwide training institute has
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drawn teams of educators from California, Michigan, Florida, as well as several of the New England
states over the last two years.
Challenges
Although a majority of respondents to the Institutional Survey agreed that “QCC periodically
reviews its degree programs using a clearly defined and established process”, more than a third of
respondents to the NEASC Institutional Survey disagreed with the statement that QCC provides sufficient
resources to sustain and improve programs. The Division of Academic Affairs has prepared an IPR
Report Card that provides a current snapshot of progress made on realizing the strategic institutional
supports recommended by each program through the IPR process. While considerable progress has been
made in several key areas such as curriculum transformation, community outreach, and faculty
development, there remains significant need for progress in other areas such as strategic enrollment
management and significant advising improvements. The College is in desperate need of an institutional
researcher to support academic planning and evaluation and to guide the institution in making decisions
based upon thorough analysis of data.
Outcomes Assessment
Strengths
IPR has provided the framework for the development of clear learning objectives and program
specific and general education outcomes assessment are in early stages of development. Quinsigamond
became involved with the NEASC assessment portfolio project with the intention of using it as a vehicle
to build a comprehensive outcome assessment strategy for academic programs. The results of the IPR
with respect to curricular alignment with external skill standards and other professional benchmarks lead
logically to the development and implementation of an outcomes assessment process. QCC identified the
following goals in its original proposal:
• Involve faculty in an ongoing discussion of assessment and overall program effectiveness • Support faculty driven initiatives to evaluate program effectiveness • Expand the institution’s capacity to evaluate its effectiveness
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The five programmatic approaches displayed in the QCC Portfolio have served as a model and
catalyst for other academic programs to develop their program effectiveness approach. The unique
approach taken by several programs that are utilizing the portfolio as an instructional tool has led to an
expanded appreciation for the dynamic value and power of the electronic portfolio in advancing learning,
not simply showcasing static results. As anticipated, the portfolio has facilitated increased professional
dialogue regarding assessment. This is evidenced in-house via several campus wide forums that have
featured the portfolio and the work of the faculty. In addition, several administrators and faculty
members have presented to public audiences including participants at the recent NEASC Annual Meeting
and colleagues in the ten College pilot project. Each of these venues provided a rich opportunity for
professional dialogue on program effectiveness, outcomes assessment, and the relative merits of an
electronic format of a portfolio.
One notable impact of the portfolio project is the institutional shift in emphasis from assessment
of outcomes to evaluation of overall effectiveness that by definition includes assessment of outcomes, but
focuses the institution in a continuous cycle of review and revision. The portfolio project galvanized
College-wide efforts aimed at measuring overall Institutional Effectiveness (IE). In fact, during Spring
2002, the Vice President of Academic Affairs convened a committee to develop a vision statement for
institutional effectiveness. In Fall 2002, the President charged this group as a Task Force to develop an
interactive Institutional Effectiveness Guidebook (modeled upon IPR, available in the workroom) for use
by all areas of the College.
Another objective outcomes assessment measure is graduate competence as measured by the
consistently high pass rates on licensure examinations in all the allied health fields. For the last three
years, the average pass rate for these programs has been approximately 95%; actual numbers are available
in the workroom.
Challenges
Allocation of the resources necessary to support and advance these outcomes assessment efforts
and to compensate the faculty for this time intensive endeavor will continue to be an institutional
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challenge, particularly in the current fiscal climate. The College is in desperate need of an institutional
researcher to support these assessment efforts and to guide the institution in making decisions based upon
thorough analysis of data.
Alternative Instructional Methodologies
Strengths Overall
Accelerated Learning
The Accelerated Learning effort, expanded weekend programming, and distance education effort
exemplify the innovation and collaboration among faculty, academic administrators and the Center for
Continuing Education that has fostered QCC’s rapid curricular transformation. Accelerated Learning, a
powerful alterative to the traditional classroom instruction, offers a unique combination of continuing
education and credit courses and enables study with other experienced workers whose knowledge and
expertise are important components of the learning process. Students will be able to earn an associate
degree in 2 ½ years attending class one night a week all year round. They will become a part of a cohort
group with start-ups throughout the year, allowing more flexibility in enrollment. Cohort groups have
been proven to improve retention. Students will thus spend less time in the classroom and more time,
approximately 10 -15 hours per week, in independent and group study. Program courses are sequentially
pre-determined in order to build on the students' learning needs.
Distance Education
Perhaps the single most important indicator of Distance Education success is the collective voice
of the enrolled students. Fall, 2002 saw the overall performance of all asynchronous course related
matters ranked in the very high status by students across the (cyber) campus. The campus profile
(workroom) was the result of both the faculty coordinator and the technical support staff working together
to design a method of online evaluation that would protect students' privacy, confidentiality and honesty.
A primary challenge, however, is the insurance of authenticity of student work. Courses include the same
provisions as synchronous classes for plagiarism or other breaches of agreement. Teaching students
correct documentation is, for any course, part of the faculty's responsibility to act as "gatekeepers."
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Challenges Overall
The College needs to develop a comprehensive long-range plan for distance education, weekend
and evening College, and accelerated programming to provide structure, context, and rationale for
resource allocation for its continued development and expansion. Distance education course development
and delivery, the expansion of weekend programming, and the accelerated learning effort are primarily
grass roots efforts among interested faculty and academic administrators. As overall popularity grows
and these become a common elements of course scheduling, the College must contend with such
questions as which specific degree or certificate programs can and should be placed entirely on-line, on
weekends, or in accelerated format. Additionally, the College must conduct an environmental scan to
determine what additional resources and supports are available and could be integrated in to complement
student learning. For example, the distance learning effort needs to determine how best to utilize or
integrate the on-line course offerings available through the Mass Colleges Online. And while the focus of
the Center for Continuing Education is on short-term and customized training, non-credit to credit
transition, there are no viable statistics which assess the overall satisfaction of the students or success of
the program. Though students fill out evaluation forms for each CCE class and 94% of the participants
for 2002 “agreed or strongly agreed” that the quality of the course content, course materials and the
delivery were highly effective, the College must pursue more comprehensive data collection and analysis.
Nearly 37% of the total respondents to the Institutional Survey indicated disagreement/strong
disagreement with the statement that continuing education, off-campus offerings, distance education, and
evening/weekend programs are clearly integrated and incorporated into policy formation and management
systems of the institution. This number is even slightly higher for the responding category of faculty/non-
unity professionals. In a related question, 40% of total respondents indicated disagreement/strong
disagreement with the statement that these efforts receive the same institutional support as courses offered
during the day.
Without a planned growth strategy in place, the College will continue to face unrestricted
enrollment growth and increasing reliance on adjunct faculty particularly in the evening and weekend
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course sections. The ongoing challenge of providing a consistent quality of education and also, adequate
learning and academic support resources to all students is becoming increasingly more difficult to
manage.
Non-Traditional/Experience Based Education
Strengths
There has been a significant increase in the overall institutional recognition of the importance of
awarding credit for prior learning within the student’s curriculum. For the individuals who responded to
the NEASC Institutional Survey (administered in Spring, 2002), 65% of the full-time faculty or unit
professionals strongly agreed or agreed that EBE policies and procedures were clearly stated and
available. In FY01, 847 credits were awarded; 1856 credits in FY02.
Significant progress has been made in establishing appropriate articulation agreements between
various institutions and QCC. A documentation and communication system was developed in which a
Tech Prep coordinator was hired to construct Tech Prep agreements and facilitate students' access to the
advantages of the agreement; coordination of all articulation agreements was subsequently centralized
under the Experience Based Education office. New requests with Tech Prep high schools and non-
collegiate institutions are reviewed using the newly implemented Request for Course-Equivalency Credit
process. This structured process ensures that all credit awarded accurately reflects a College level
equivalency.
As of Fall, 2002, 23 high school articulation agreements and 6 non-collegiate institution
articulation agreements (appended) have been reviewed and approved through the new process. QCC’s
newly developed reporting system, using a Microsoft Access database, tracks the status of all QCC
established articulation agreements and those in the Request for Course-Equivalency Credit process and
can provide real time data on request (appended).
Sixty percent of respondents to the campus Institutional Survey believe that QCC makes
“appropriate arrangements for students” when curriculum changes or program eliminations occur. Nearly
27% of respondents had no basis for judgment, which indicates how rare significant curricular change or
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program closure has been in the institution’s history. Results of the Noel-Levitz SSI (Fall 2001) also
confirm this appraisal: the parameters identified as service excellence and student centeredness indicate a
gap of less than 1.00 between student expectations and their actual satisfaction.
Challenges
There are only a few active and current articulation agreements that have been established with
non-collegiate institutions, Worcester Art Museum, for example. A considerable outreach effort needs to
be undertaken to seek out institutions that have and/or could offer students credit possibilities for QCC
programs.
Additional Strands
Honors Program
As of Spring 2003, 120 students are enrolled from eleven different majors; however, student
diversity poses a significant challenge. Most enrollees have been white non-traditional women, so race
and gender representation remains unevenly split.
Service Learning
Overall, the service learning effort has met with success as evidenced by the quality of the
projects and the committed involvement of the faculty and students. Too, the service learning effort is
enjoying significant community support and engaging the College in the community in many different
ways.
Yet, as with any project that moves beyond the confines of the traditional classroom, service
learning continues to meet with scheduling challenges regarding the difference between real world and
school-based timing. In addition, as service learning expands across the curriculum and interest among
the faculty grows, more propitious time management and workload issues need to be worked out.
FOCUS ON UNDERPREPARED STUDENTS
Strengths
Results of the Institutional Survey (Administered Spring 2002) show an overwhelming positive
response from all respondents to the statement, “QCC has systems in place to support students who may
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need additional support to reach their educational goals." These findings resonate with those of the Noel
Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey (SSI) (Completed in Fall 2000 and Fall 2002) that indicate overall
satisfaction with academic services and campus support for academic success. In addition, one of the
institution’s strengths cited during the Noel Levitz Opportunities Analysis (Completed in Fall 2001) was
its “commitment to improving the quality of student life and success.”
The Title III initiative is providing QCC with a unique opportunity to research, design,
implement, and evaluate a comprehensive and integrated transformation of the institution’s approach to
working with academically under prepared students. While focused on entry-level students, it is effecting
a campus wide transformation in the teaching and learning process that will ultimately benefit all courses
and programs.
Student persistence data analyzed from Fall 2002 to Spring 2003 for four different cohorts of
First-Year students enrolled in all sections of the redesigned courses are promising -- those courses
include MAT 099; ENG 091; ENG 096; and ORT 110, Strategies for College and Career. Most
compelling is the 89.7% semester-to-semester persistence rate for those students who were enrolled in
ORT 110 during Fall 2002. Those students who were enrolled in one or more of the redesigned
developmental courses show a semester-to-semester persistence rate of roughly 78-80%. As a point of
comparison, data for a baseline cohort who were enrolled in one or more of the developmental courses in
Fall 2001 show a 71.1% persistence rate into Spring 2002.
Data pertaining to student success during Fall 2002 shows that nearly 64% (228/355 students) of
those enrolled in one or more of the redesigned developmental courses earned a grade of C or better. As a
point of comparison, only 58% (486/835 students) of those in the control group (i.e., enrolled in non-pilot
sections of the same course in that semester) achieved a similar level of success. Overall, those students
enrolled in one or more of the redesigned developmental courses but not ORT 110 show a semester
success rate of 60.7 % as compared with a 75.4% success rate for those who took both ORT 110 and one
or more developmental course. This data is encouraging; the College is eager to begin generating
longitudinal data beginning with Fall 2003.
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ADVISING & RETENTION
Advising
Challenges
The Advising Center piloted its "One-Stop" concept for Fall 2002 and Spring 2003 registration.
The current space and personnel limitations make developmental advising in this area impossible, but the
hope is that with the implementation of the Web registration module (slated for Spring 2003), students
who are clear on their academic objectives will register without assistance, and advisors would have more
time to work with those students who do need assistance. The Noel Levitz SSI (2002) showed only slight
improvement in student satisfaction with Advising.
Inadequate advising, particularly for under prepared and undecided students has been an ongoing
challenge for this institution. Consider that in Fall 2002, over 1000 students were enrolled in one or more
developmental English courses and 2051 students were enrolled in one of the developmental mathematics
course. In Fall 2002 there were approximately 2000 students enrolled in the General Studies program,
attempting to define a focused career direction. The vast majority of these entering students take the
standardized assessment test (CPT) with little or no preparation or thought to the consequences of the test
results. These students, new to the College and without firm direction, typically enter the advising
process through the Academic Advising Center, which is not adequately prepared to address the entire
range of needs of the whole student. Currently, in-coming students are typically assigned to the Advising
Center during their first semester or year on campus. In this case, they will often meet with the first
available advisor, rather than develop a consistent relationship with a single individual. Thus, these
students are unable to develop a more meaningful advising dyad early on.
Persistence data for a baseline cohort of 1875 students enrolled in one or more of the seven
developmental courses during fall semester 2001 supports the assertion that academically under-prepared
and/or undecided students face significant challenges with respect to connecting to QCC and achieving
successful outcomes. By Spring 2002, only 71.1% or 1480 of 1875 students returned. By the following
Fall 2002, only 51.8% or 1152 of 1875 of those students returned, and by spring 2003, just 940 of 1875
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students or 46.1% were still enrolled at QCC. The Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI)
(Completed in Fall 2000) revealed significant student dissatisfaction with advising processes and follow
up results from the Fall 2002 administration of the SSI, while slightly improved, point to considerable
dissatisfaction and continuing challenges with the advising process. Student complaints range from their
perception of the advisor’s familiarity with various programs of study requirements to overall
approachability and helpfulness of advising center staff.
Over half of the total respondents to the NEASC Institutional Survey (Administered in Spring
2002) disagreed/strongly disagreed with the statement; “QCC has an effective system of academic
advising that meets student needs for information and advice.” These challenges were further
corroborated by the findings of the Noel-Levitz Enrollment Opportunities Analysis (Completed in Fall
2001) that indicated both staffing and better communications of advising services were priority concerns
for the College.
Retention
Strengths
Early retention initiatives have met with some success. In Spring 2002, all students who had
withdrawn from all their courses during the Fall 2001 semester were contacted and encouraged to re-
enroll. Information was also sent to them on a variety of campus support services. This initiative was
duplicated for those who withdrew during Spring 2002. Students on financial aid probation were
encouraged to meet with the Associate Dean of Student Retention during the Summer 2002 to create a
contract for success. The intent was to create a safety net to encourage academic success. The campus-
wide Early Alert (noted in Description) program began in Fall, 2001. Forty-nine faculty members
participated in this initiative and supported 298 students; all of the students were contacted and 15% of
them completed their courses satisfactorily (that is, achieved a grade of C or better in a developmental
course and then, passing in all others.) During the Spring 2002 semester, 43 faculty members participated
in supporting 216 students; 23% of these students were retained. The most current Early Alert data (Fall
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2002) shows 55 faculty members participated and 34% of the students who were early alerted
successfully completed those courses for which they were early alerted.
In addition, a new Financial Aid probation initiative was piloted Fall 2002. 500 students on
financial aid were encouraged to meet with the Associate Dean for Retention to discuss their academic
progress. Of those who participated, 67% were removed from financial aid probation and in "good
standing" for Spring 2003 (as compared to 38.2% of the students on financial aid probation for Fall 2001
and 41.9% of the students who chose not to participate in the initiatives Fall 2002).
Challenges
Quinsigamond faces acute challenges with respect to retention of students particularly of those
students who enter academically under-prepared and without a firm career direction. Persistence data for
a baseline cohort of 1875 students who were enrolled in one or more of the seven developmental courses
during Fall 2001 confirm this finding. By Spring 2002, only 71.1% or 1480 students returned. By the
following Fall 2002, only 51.8%, or 1152 of those students, returned; and by Spring 2003, just 940
students, or 46.1%, were still enrolled at QCC.
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
Admissions
Strengths
According to the survey results for total respondents to the NEASC Institutional Survey
(Administered in Spring 2002) 76.6 % agree/strongly agree, “QCC’s programs of study have clear
admission requirements” (#37). These requirements are adjusted as necessary to reflect the changing
demands of the program and the profession and to ensure students’ academic success. The detailed
Admissions Recruitment Plan for 2002- 2003 is appended.
Challenges
Identifiable areas for growth in Admissions processes are evidenced by a recent evaluation by the
Noel-Levitz Enrollment Opportunities Analysis (Fall, 2001). Specifically, the College must develop a
long-term strategic enrollment plan including a comprehensive recruitment and retention plan to serve a
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student body that, as a whole, is broadly representative of the population the institution serves. One of the
consistent recommendations from the Internal Program Review is the need for strategic enrollment
management that includes a strategy for seating a full class in each of the programs of study. According to
the most recent IPR report card, this particular recommendation is yet to be fully addressed. The College
recently promoted the Director of Financial Aid to an Associate Dean of Enrollment Services. The
Director of Admissions will now report to this position.
PROJECTION
Introduction/Mission/Plan Of Education
Based upon the positive student response to both the 2000 and 2002 Noel Levitz Student
Satisfaction Inventory regarding overall instructional effectiveness, the College can confirm that initial
efforts to define a comprehensive Plan of Education, to upgrade curriculum and to develop consistent
measures of student success across its programs, are clearly meeting with success. The College will
continue to develop, refine, and disseminate the QCC Plan of Education in an ongoing effort to maximize
instructional effectiveness. Once the instructional component of the Plan of Education is completed, the
College would like to expand it to include all services and applications from enrollment to graduate
and/or goal completion.
Internal Program Review:
As part of a comprehensive academic planning process, the necessary strategic institutional
supports and other recommendations as reported on the (appended) IPR Report Card and the identified
funding priorities, should be more fully integrated into overall institutional planning, resource allocation,
and evaluation. This practice would align with the NEASC guidelines for planning and resource
allocation, “giving primary focus to the realization of its (QCC’s) educational objectives” NEASC
Standards for Accreditation, Standard Two Planning & Evaluation, 2.4). Further, this practice would
demonstrate the institution’s commitment to keeping teaching and learning at the center of everything we
do.
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With the recent appointment of a new fiscal officer and the pending appointment of an
Institutional Researcher, the College should develop a five year master plan which addresses all aspects of
the allocation of human, technological, financial, and physical resources as it pertains to the institution’s
primary focus -- the education of students.
Outcomes Assessment
The Division of Academic Affairs plans to develop and implement a discipline and general
education review process, modeled upon the IPR, as a forerunner to support faculty in analyzing and
assessing the effectiveness of the integrative core curriculum. The College should continue to support and
advance current outcomes assessment efforts by providing the resources necessary to support institutional
research and to fund the expansion of institutional effectiveness efforts, such as the development of
additional program effectiveness portfolios.
Enriched Instructional Opportunities/ Alternative Instruction Delivery:
CCE: The Center for Continuing Education is projected to expand its offerings in a variety of
areas and ways:
• To expand revenue from all areas by 4% in 2003 to a target of $449,000 through a combination of the contract training and open enrollment segments, both in synchronous and asynchronous arrangements. It is expanding services to include leadership development, management consulting, strategic planning services, an advanced level of public seminars and online offerings. In addition, it will more closely align with key central Massachusetts industries (manufacturing, service/distribution, life sciences, health care) for the purpose of customizing program development opportunities. To date, The Center has met and exceeded revenue target.
• To develop a career-oriented portfolio of training programs for Health Care and other key central Massachusetts industries working closely with the credit divisions at QCC. The result will be a blended set of credit and credit-free programs. To date, the Center has worked closely with the credit divisions and helped launch an “RN Refresher” Program and the Accelerated Learning Business Management Program.
• To extend awareness of CCE’s capabilities and training portfolios through the use of organizational memberships with the Chamber of Commerce, Central Mass Employers’ Association, the Northeast Human Resources Association and the American Society of Training and Development. To develop and implement recruitment tools for scheduled programming. To continue to promote CCE’s capability in the high-end technology training field.
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• To minimize space and time constraints confronting learners by expanding online programming that will enhance accessibility for learning for both introductory and advanced skill levels.
• To develop and implement an effective, integrated direct mail and advertising campaign to create awareness of the Center’s products and services. To date, the Center has developed a mailing list comprised of alumni, senior executives, current students, and Chamber of Commerce members. These efforts led to implementing the first monthly marketing campaign which has helped to increase the enrollments.
• To enhance flexibility for training delivery through the College at the Mall facilities by
offering both non-credit and credit courses. Classroom usage at the Mall will be optimized in 2003-2004.
Distance Education
The College needs to design a framework, a set of concrete goals, to more clearly articulate
objectives and assessment strategies specific to asynchronous learning. It is widely accepted that distance
education is a "portal” to an alternative modality; yet, the college must more clearly situate it and its
individual course requirements within its mission and purpose.
Non-Traditional/EBE
More attention needs to be paid to ensuring that administrators, faculty, and staff are aware of
how credit for prior learning fits into a student’s academic program and goals:
• More training is needed for the EBE support specialists in the area of military credentialing and how to utilize the national standards to maximize credit opportunities for the military trained student.
• Standards need to be developed for consistent application for portfolio assessment with faculty better trained in specifics. There is currently no evaluation tool to ensure individual faculty review is consistent with learning outcomes from a standard classroom experience.
• All students must be made aware of the opportunity to acquire credit if they possess appropriate prior learning.
Honors Program
The QCC Honors Program is currently seeking statewide accreditation -- valid for six years -- as
part of the "Massachusetts Commonwealth College Honors Program.” The statewide goal is for all four-
year public Colleges and universities and all two-year community Colleges to streamline their honors
programs and to facilitate student admission and transfer into those programs at four-year institutions.
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Service Learning
The current Service Learning grant expires in December, 2003. The College, in conjunction with
the Colleges of the Worcester Consortium, has submitted another grant to support the service learning
project. Plans for the future include program expansion pending appropriate funding.
FOCUS ON UNDERPREPARED STUDENTS
Quinsigamond will continue its work aimed at increasing student persistence and retention among
under prepared students using student success and persistence data to monitor the effectiveness of these
strategies as they are implemented. Faculty will continue to revamp, field test, and evaluate the
effectiveness of the seven redesigned courses that comprise the developmental sequence. In addition, the
College will expand the number of ORT 110 (first year experience course/Title III) sections available to
incoming students and will monitor the effectiveness of this course over time. Simultaneously, the
College will revamp comprehensive advising and assessment services. Initially, the institution’s focus
will be to define and establish a developmental advising model that will support students to reach their
academic and life goals successfully (Efforts in this regard are detailed below).
The College has received a Massachusetts Department of Education grant to launch a summer
transition pilot program, “Pathways to Success,” specifically designed for high school students who have
met local graduation requirements but have not attained a passing score on the MCAS tests. As a new
initiative, this pilot will be scrutinized for effectiveness after students re-test.
ADVISING & RETENTION
QCC must move beyond the fragmented career exploration and course selection/advising system
it currently utilizes to a more comprehensive developmental advising model. Such a paradigmatic shift
will take its cue from the Title III Initiative, the primary emphasis of which is to improve the
effectiveness of developmental courses and to develop and implement an institutional developmental
advising model that addresses the specific needs and concerns of students at different points in their
academic career. The work of Title III, antecedent to College-wide implementation, will incrementally
phase in efforts to address students' needs.
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The ORT 110 course with its required CAPS Plan is an in progress attempt to meet the individual
academic and career exploration advising needs of academically under-prepared students and undeclared
students. The College will continue to increase the number of sections of ORT 110 each semester in an
attempt to meet student demand and need for early career exploration and advising. The literature on first
year seminar courses coupled with our own emerging data provides excellent documentation of the
positive impact these courses have on student retention and academic achievement and is impetus to
expand these opportunities for students.
Through the efforts of the developmental advising task force convened in February 2003, QCC is
poised to significantly revamp its approach to advising. By December 2003, QCC will create a definition
of developmental advising that will be used campus wide and will further adopt benchmarking standards,
criteria, and values to use as guides. In addition, the College will create a mission/values statement that
will guide all advising functions. Central to this work will be the honest and reflective evaluation of
QCC’s ability to deliver services at each stage of the model. This will take into account existing
resources for each stage of the model, the integration of web-based registration across all stages of the
model, and the development of strategies for supplementing existing services in view of fiscal constraints.
The ultimate goal is to develop, plan and implement a roll out of a developmental advising model
(appended) that is guided by the work of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) and
the work of Drs. Terry O’Banion, and Virginia Gordon.
QCC must fully analyze all available data pertaining to its students, their preferences, and their
self-identified challenges to success in order to build campus wide retention initiatives. The CAPS
Survey, a comprehensive research and data collection tool, is aimed at identifying specific factors that
promote or detract from student success and are useful in the construction of campus-wide retention
initiatives. The survey also provides faculty with an immediate profile of his/her class, (regarding learning
styles, preferences, computer usage skills, study skills, career knowledge and career planning readiness)
allowing for modifications in instructional delivery and course content, to best meet the needs of students.
QCC should fully utilize these survey results to identify and develop targeted retention strategies.
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Quinsigamond must further intensify retention efforts by fully acting upon the recommendations of the
Noel Levitz Enrollment Opportunities Analysis (Completed in Fall 2001) Among the key proposals of
that report was that the College must develop “a longer-term strategic enrollment plan including a
comprehensive plan for recruitment and retention.” The Noel Levitz analysis yielded several suggestions
(highlighted below) for comprehensive retention efforts integral to the success of the College in retaining
students and achieving its programmatic enrollment goals:
“Developing a comprehensive plan to improve student retention and implement strategies, tools, and procedures to close the back door. Immediate growth can be realized with the reduction of attrition at least several percentage points each year.
The College should immediately begin to make a careful analysis of its retention by various cohorts.
Activate the entire College community in recruiting and retention activities and assume active roles.”
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
As referenced above, the Noel Levitz Enrollment Opportunities Analysis (Completed in Fall
2001) further recommended that QCC build an enrollment program that includes as fundamental
components:
• An adequate inquiry pool • Effective/efficient methods of managing the enrollment funnel • Purposeful communications systems/programs • Monitoring of progress toward goals • Admissions and Advising must develop and implement efficient intake processes.
Quinsigamond Community College must realize the importance of strategic enrollment
management responsive to the unique mission of this institution as a key partner in regional workforce
development. The College must focus its enrollment plan on the development and implementation of a
comprehensive strategy to enroll each program of study based upon both the labor market demand for
program graduates and the opportunity for learners and graduates to attain employment that leads to
economic self-sufficiency and career growth opportunities. The College has recently promoted the
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Director of Financial Aid to an Associate Dean of Enrollment Services; the existing Director of
Admissions will now report to this position.
Overall, the College is on the threshold of paradigmatic shifts as it redefines and redirects it role
in the twenty-first century. As this Self-Study indicates, the College must revise and implement
innovative learning opportunities and improve services to better assist students navigate their way as
learners, as wage-earners, as family members and civic minded, reflective people who feel valued by their
communities.
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STANDARD FIVE - FACULTY
DESCRIPTION
Profile of Current Numbers
The major strength of the institution is the quality of instruction delivered by highly competent
faculty whose qualifications and performance reify the mission of the College. Results from the two Noel-
Levitz surveys (2002 and 2000) indicate that students rank instructional effectiveness very highly, with an
overall performance gap of 0.97 on the 2002 survey (workroom). Students value the faculty's
demonstrations of concern, their understanding of differences, their breadth of knowledge and availability
for individualized assistance. Clearly, College faculty are the cornerstone of the Quinsigamond
experience.
As of Fall 2002, the College employed 106 full-time faculty and 301 adjuncts. The numbers
below indicate the rise in hires, both full-time and adjunct, commensurate with the rise in student
enrollment over the last ten years. Yet this 13.9 % increase in full-time faculty contrasts to a 104.7%
increase in adjunct faculty. Quinsigamond grapples with a 78.6% increase in the student body -- a 36.4%
increase in FTE -- to be accommodated by increasing numbers of adjunct faculty.
1992 2001 2002 Fall 1992 2001 2002
Fall 2003
Spring Faculty Students Full time 93 (39%) 104 (28%) 106 (26%) Head Count 3707 6197 6621 6309 Adjunct 147 (61%) 263 (72%) 301 (74%) FTE 2843 3572 3877 3628 Total 240 367 407 Source: IPEDS/Human Resources/ QCC Registrar
Faculty credentials, curriculum vitae, seniority rankings, and other classification data are reserved
in the workroom for the evaluation team. The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education and the
Massachusetts Council on Community Colleges have agreed on and articulated the minimum
requirements for the ranks of Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Full Professor in
Article XIV in the Massachusetts Community College Council Contract (workroom). Article VII in the
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current Contract defines academic freedom and academic responsibilities; and Article XII provides
information on workload, work assignments and working conditions.
The majority of full-time faculty members hold at least a Master’s degree in their subject area.
Those faculty who do not hold a Master’s degree, in technical and/or healthcare programs for example,
demonstrate a high level of training and experience, commensurate with the licensing requirements of
their profession. A number of those without Master's Degrees are currently pursuing such credentials --
to be completed within five years -- as a condition of continued employment. Several faculty members
also hold a doctorate or intensive coursework beyond the Master’s degree. Adjunct faculty possesses
qualifications identical to those of full-time faculty.
FACULTY DEGREES, 2001- 2002 Masters CGAS Doctorate
Full-Time 61 4 14 Part-Time 275 12 55
(Human Resources, Spring, 2003)
Adjunct Faculty FALL 2002Total Sections from Registrar's List 1135
Subtract 103
Total 3 or 4 credit courses 1032All Sections before 4:00 PM (M-F) 712
Taught by Full time Faculty 366 (or 51.4%)
Taught by Adjuncts 346 (or 48.6%)
SPRING 2003Total Sections from Registrar's List 1065Subtract 101Total 3 or 4 credit courses 964
All Sections before 4:00 PM (M-F) 645Taught by Full Time Faculty 347 (or 53.8%)
Taught by Adjuncts 298 (or 46.2%)
Clinical, Hospital, Blackstone, Tutorials, Duplicates Co-Op, Directed Study
Clinical, Hospital, Blackstone, Tutorials, Duplicates Co-Op, Directed Study
QCC relies heavily on adjunct
faculty to deliver instruction to its
student body. The chart at the right
illustrates that a high percentage of all
courses taught before 4:00 p.m. are
taught by adjunct faculty.
Based on faculty head count
rather than the actual ratios of courses
taught, Fall 2002 saw total faculty
number 407 -- 74% adjunct and 26%
full-time.
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Reliance on adjuncts is not unique to QCC, and much literature has been generated about the pros
and cons of this trend:
In the Fall of 1998, 43% of post secondary instructional faculty and staff were employed part time as defined by their institution. Instructional faculty and staff at public two-year institutions were the most likely group to be employed part time: 62%. (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2001) There is some agreement about the reasons for such a high utilization of adjuncts at the two-year
college: they cost the institution less, they can be easily replaced when curriculum needs change, or
program numbers change, and they can infuse classes with the latest information and “real world” skills
in rapidly changing fields. In-house part-time faculty and staff perceive a reduced level of support from
their institution, compared to their full-time colleagues. In 1998, QCC established the Integration of
Adjunct Staff Task Force, as part of the Teaching/Learning Roundtable. Their mission was to assess and
recommend a series of provisions designed to more completely assimilate those adjunct faculty and/or
part-time employees. Utilizing an informal poll, adjuncts and part-time staff focused on the lack of health
and other benefits, inequitable remuneration, and a perceived discrepancy in working conditions, like
office space and parking.
In the Fall of 2000, QCC administration announced and implemented improvements for adjuncts
and part-time staff in response to the task force recommendations: inclusion in College Catalog; email
and telephone access; tuition benefits; paid holidays; and paid snow days. A separate agreement between
the BHE and the MCCC spell out the details of responsibilities for adjunct/ continuing education faculty.
This contract is in force through 2003 and also addresses the general pay scale. Explanation of
advancement through the Steps is detailed in Article XIV: Section 14.05. To reach the new step 4, an
adjunct must have eight or more years of College seniority.
Recruitment/Appointment
The recruiting of faculty follows a pragmatic, incremental process. Faculty openings are
publicly and broadly advertised through internal and external job postings and, in most cases, classified
advertising in newspapers, professional journals and magazines that ensure local, regional and national
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exposure. Position vacancies are also advertised on the College’s web site. Furthermore, the College is
beginning to make more use of higher education recruitment sites on the Internet, including the web
version of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Members of the faculty participate in the hiring process by serving on screening committees and
interviewing qualified candidates. Quinsigamond Community College faculty appointments and hiring
procedures are consistent with the State Community Colleges’ Equal Employment Opportunity/
Affirmative Action/Diversity Plan and goals, as described in the Commonwealth's Affirmative Action
Plan, the 1993-96 edition of which is still current. At specified stages of the selection process, the
EEO/AA officer monitors the process and ensures compliance with state and federal non-discrimination
laws as well as with Quinsigamond Community College’s policies of fair employment practices and its
mission and values.
The Unit Professional Staff includes those persons in positions identified by title in Appendix A
of Article I of the collective bargaining agreement (workroom) between the Board of Higher Education
(BHE) and the Massachusetts Community College Council (MCCC) as well as several non-unit positions
that provide direct academic services to students. In general, these staff members do not have teaching
responsibilities, but are integral to the teaching/learning process by providing individualized support to
our students: tutoring, advising, assistance with individualized learning activities and counseling.
Professional members of the bargaining unit enjoy many of the same rights and privileges as the faculty;
e.g., job security and tenure.
Professional vacancies are publicly advertised via job postings, regional and local classified
advertisement, College website and Internet recruitment sites. Regardless of recruitment method,
appointed candidates receive a copy of the job posting, an official letter with terms of appointment, the
collective bargaining agreement and an Employee Handbook (workroom) with full explanation of the
appointment, re-appointment, evaluation, promotion/advancement and termination procedures and
policies applicable to their positions. The process for recruitment and selection of unit professional
personnel is sufficiently broad and competitive to ensure that professional staff are appropriately qualified
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for their positions. Furthermore, the College provides a variety of opportunities to enhance staff
development (noted within).
Salaries and benefits are consistent with the requirements of the positions. As of July 1999,
salary schedules are consistent with the labor market for these positions. For full-time Quinsigamond
faculty, the median salary is $51,900 as indicated below:
Range Faculty at That Level
35,000 - 39,999 18 40,000 - 49,999 26 50,000 - 59,999 36 60,000 - 69,999 12 70,000 - 76,000 14
The implementation of the Classification Study (workroom), which was ratified by the Board of
Higher education and MCCC, compensated full-time faculty and professional staff members who were
earning wages below the representative salary state-wide. As a consequence of the study, unit members’
salaries were adjusted to reflect adequate compensation for their professional training, experience and
rank with the proviso for appeal. (The Compensation Structure Chart is appended.) In addition to regular
compensation, meritorious performance -- a provision meant to be carried through the duration of the
current contract -- is recognized by the award of a bonus, which is not applied to the base salary of the
unit member. All members may apply for merit pay, but unit members are automatically considered for
merit during a scheduled evaluation cycle. Part-time professional staff and faculty generally receive
percentage across-the-board salary adjustments.
Provisions for faculty and unit professional appointment are established, as has been past
practice, in Article XI, Appointment & Reappointment – Tenure, of the MCCC/MTA Agreement. Non-
reappointment of a unit member in the first through the fourth years can be made without cause.
Termination following the fifth regular yearly appointment must be for just cause. Faculty and
professional staff members receive letters of reappointment annually through the sixth year by
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contractually agreed deadlines. Tenure may be granted to faculty and professional staff during the sixth
year of appointment, effective at the start of the seventh year of full-time employment.
Appointment, reappointment, and tenure of full-time faculty are presented in Articles XI, Sec 01-
03 of the MCC Contract. These same concerns are addressed for part-time faculty in the MCCC
Contract, Article XI, Sec 05. Additionally, the Criteria for Establishing Faculty Rank Recommendation
at Point of Hire provides personnel with the minimum factors to be considered for each full-time rank
category of Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor. Promotion guidelines
(change of rank) for faculty are outlined in the MCCC Contract, Article XIV.
Part-time faculty are offered employment in their area of expertise based upon seniority lists.
Based upon the needs of the College and the satisfactory reviews of their performance, part-time unit
members have some level of job security. Seniority lists of part-time faculty members are published and
distributed on a yearly basis. However, part-time unit professionals are not eligible for tenure.
Pension and Welfare benefit plans are administered by the State and are the same as those afforded to all
Commonwealth employees; other fringe benefits and leave policies are established pursuant to collective bargaining
or BHE policies.
Diversity: Full-Time Faculty
At the time of the last Self-Study, the follow-up evaluation from the NEASC Visiting Team cited
the College for the lack of gender diversity in the President's Cabinet as a "regrettable" situation (Report
of the Accreditation Team, 1994: 6). Since that time, the College has evened out the gender split -- the
Senior Staff is comprised of four women -- but still reflects a white racial dominance. Appended data
from Human Resources specifies the profile of faculty as well as that of student representation.
Workload
The basic responsibilities of the full-time faculty are clearly addressed in the MCCC Contract
(workroom). Faculty are required to adhere to the tasks below during a 40-45 hour work week:
• Teach 5 courses per semester (Article XII, 12.03 details the instructional workload). • Advise 18 students. • Maintain 4 posted office hours per week over at least 4 days.
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• Perform four hours per week of College Service as suits the member's area(s) of professional training and interest.
• Perform community service and engage in professional development as suits the member's area(s) of professional training and interest.
Faculty responsibilities in regard to class lists, audit policy, the audit process, student attendance,
release of student information, course withdrawal procedures, independent study, grading rules and
regulations, class discipline, due process, final grade submission, and general administrative policies are
covered in The Faculty Handbook (19-34) which also outlines employment policies, practices, general
procedures, and safety concerns. These tasks that are part of the fabric of instructors' daily lives are
further stressed by the expectations of staying current with technology:
E-mail, the Internet, and Web sites are rapidly becoming core components of postsecondary instruction for students in the United States. In Fall 1998, 94 percent of full-time instructional faculty and staff at 2 year institutions had access to the Internet. (Green 1999; National Center Educational Statistics 2001). The sheer volume of e-mail alone occupies substantial amounts of instructors' time to use as both
a learning tool and an alternate form of directive feedback and communication. As noted under
Appraisal, changes in workload have evolved over the last five years.
The workload of professional staff includes those duties delineated in the position description,
and where assigned, student advisement, college service including service on committees, student
activities advisement, program development and/or improvement, community service, and relevant
instructional responsibilities exclusive of traditional academic responsibilities. The normal workweek is
37.5 hours with either a ten or twelve month annual appointment.
Evaluation of Faculty
Evaluation of faculty covered by the current day contract is detailed in Article XIII. The goal is
to assess the professional performance of the unit member, particularly his/ her quality of instruction and
to provide a basis upon which decisions will be made concerning reappointment; promotion;
performance-based salary adjustments; tenure; sabbatical and professional leaves; and termination,
dismissal and discipline of a unit member. Non-tenured faculty are evaluated yearly; tenured faculty
every third year. The procedure for evaluating faculty members involves six components: student
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evaluations; course materials evaluations; classroom observation evaluations; student advisement and
college service evaluations; personnel file reviews; and summary evaluations. Weighting of these
components follows this disbursement, as required by the current contract:
• Student Evaluation: 25% • Course Materials Evaluation: 15% • Classroom Observation Evaluation: 25% • Student Advisement Evaluation: 10% • College Service Evaluation: 10% • Personnel File Review: 15%
New to the MCCC contract, commencing in 1999, is a process for post tenure review. The goals
of “post tenure review" are intended to uphold the integrity of tenure and academic freedom; assess the
professional performance of tenured unit members; and improve performance and quality of instruction
and service to students. A tenured professor receiving an unsatisfactory summary evaluation pursuant to
Article XIII is deemed “needs improvement” and required to undertake a plan of professional
development for at least one academic year.
Faculty teaching under the DCE contract are subject to student and course work evaluation each
semester they teach. Classroom observation of DCE faculty is conducted at least once until the instructor
has taught 5 courses over 3 consecutive years. Subsequently, classroom observations may be conducted
for stated written reasons.
The institution has mechanisms to ensure that faculty act responsibly and ethically observe the
established conditions of their employment, and otherwise function in a manner consistent with the
mission and purposes of the institution. The collective bargaining agreement between the Board of
Higher Education and the faculty contains provisions that address academic responsibility. The document
articulates the responsibility of faculty to the faculty's colleagues and the College community to preserve
intellectual honesty in teaching and research.
The College communicates its policies of Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action
and Non-discrimination to all personnel. These are stated in the Equal Employment
Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Diversity Plan together with the formal and informal processes for
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resolution of complaints, miscommunications and/or misunderstandings of these policies. The General
Laws of the Commonwealth also contain provisions prohibiting actual and perceived conflicts of interest
(MGL Ch. 268A). These provisions are applicable to all State employees including faculty of the
College. The State Ethics Commission enforces the provisions of this statute and serves as a resource to
employees who seek clarification of issues. These policies are also communicated to faculty at the time
of hire and are contained within the Employee Handbook. Finally, all newly hired personnel of the
College, including faculty, must consent to a review by the College of the individual’s Criminal Offender
Record Information (CORI).
Staff Development:
The institution provides support for faculty development opportunities directed toward enhancing
the quality of teaching in many diverse ways:
• Staff development grants are available to faculty for the purposes of attending conferences, workshops and seminars etc. The maximum amount available is $1000 for someone who is presenting at a conference, $700 for full-time faculty and $350 for eligible part-time faculty. Given the state's current fiscal crisis within the last two years, limitations have excluded out-of-state and overnight accommodations. Reimbursement requires pre- and post- conference approval forms. Faculty are also asked to submit an article for publication in “Visions” summarizing the conference, and to present at a “Brown Bag” luncheon key features of the conference.
• “Visions,” a newsletter of the Staff Development Committee published monthly by a faculty member, summarizes professional development activities of the faculty and offers tips, links, leads to other pedagogical connections.
• The Staff Development Office also publishes pertinent details about upcoming conferences and events for interested faculty.
• Sabbaticals are offered to tenured faculty. The application procedure is described in the MCCC contract. During the past three years, two sabbaticals each semester (or an average of four per year) have been awarded to faculty. (See Standard IV).
• Staff Development offers a variety of free workshops ranging from computer training and digital camera usage, to self-improvement and personal enrichment. Questionnaires are distributed at the beginning of each year asking faculty for input on workshop design.
• Upcoming exhibits of the Worcester Art Museum, as well as other exhibits are also publicized, and employees are encouraged to utilize passes.
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• The annual faculty retreat, which faculty now voluntarily partially fund due to the College’s fiscal challenges, hosts an off campus, overnight stay, usually in Dennis, MA for faculty to focus on topics of general importance to them, to reflect on the closing year, and to brainstorm new approaches to Fall semester challenges.
• The President also maintains a “Best Practices Fund” of $15,000 available to faculty and staff to research “best practices” at other institutions. This fund supports initiatives under the Roundtable to further the efforts of the College’s Strategic Goals.
• A “Departmental Professional Development Grant Program” has also been designed to support more focused, departmental professional development activities. Through this provision, grants of up to $500 are available for individual departments, offices, or areas to devise and conduct professional development activities that will support the efforts and growth of the group as a whole.
• A "Breakfast Club," meeting twice a month during the academic year, has been established for new faculty as a venue for forming collegiality and facilitating professional membership and growth. Faculty meet over breakfast while sharing in a professional development activity intended to support their success at QCC.
• Externships are open to faculty who desire to orient and connect the College's mission directly to the community; to better link the demands of the workplace to learning outcomes in the classroom, faculty members have opportunities to work with their peers in a business, healthcare, or education setting. These work-based learning opportunities are typically undertaken during the summer or intersession and provide faculty with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience. Faculty receive compensation equivalent to teaching a course.
The College has appointed a coordinator of staff development, reporting directly to the Director
of Human Resources, to oversee a committee of eight staff and faculty who guide decisions meant to
improve instructional effectiveness by offering faculty retreats, workshops both on and off campus, and
conference participation. It also publishes two newsletters: one informing the community of workshops
currently offered, the other publishing articles from recent conference attendees.
APPRAISAL
Profile of Current Numbers
Strengths
Several indicators demonstrate the high quality of instruction and faculty's role as the major
strength of the institution. Three items from the Noel Levitz Student Survey Inventory (from 2002 and
2000) demonstrate the high quality of QCC instruction and faculty. Of eleven summary variables (sub
sections), Instructional Effectiveness is ranked as most important and with high satisfaction. Items
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making specific reference to Instructional Effectiveness include item 18: “The quality of instruction I
receive in most of my classes is excellent;” Item 70: “I am able to experience intellectual growth here;”
and Item 58: “Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their fields.” All three indicate students' high
degree of satisfaction.
2002 2000
Item ImportanceSatisfactionPerformance Gap Importance SatisfactionPerformance
Gap Instructional Effectiveness (summary of 14 questions) 6.07 5.1 0.97 6.13 5.13 1 #18: quality of instruction 6.34 5.29 1.05 6.4 5.36 1.04 #70: experience intellectual growth 6.19 5.37 0.82 6.24 5.43 .81 #58: faculty knowledgeable 6.16 5.4 0.76 6.31 5.52 0.79
Challenges
The College employs 407 full-time and adjunct faculty to meet the needs of 6621 students (Fall, 2002)
and to assume other duties addressing institutional needs and meeting contractual obligations. Most of
these institutional needs and contractual obligations are carried by full-time faculty. Adjuncts are limited
in their availability and typically are not compensated for institutional work. Yet as the table below
indicates, full-time faculty generally are already clocking in an average of over 49 hours per week and
engaging in a full range of professional duties. Continued institutional support requires either more
manpower (new full-time hires) or a scaling down of required tasks.
FACULTY TIME ALLOCATION:
Average number of hours worked per week and percentage distribution of time spent on various work activities by full-time instructional faculty, by
type of institution and academic rank: Fall 1998
(Source: The Condition of Education, US Dept of Ed, National Center Educational Statistics: 2001)
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There is a common perception that there are not adequate numbers of full time faculty,
particularly in relationship to the sizable growth of the student body.
Item 44 of the in-house Institutional Survey states: "QCC has sufficient numbers of full time
faculty to accomplish its Mission and Purpose." Of those 144 responding, 68.1% disagree or strongly
disagree and only 13.9% agree or strongly agree. Of the 67 Full time faculty or unit professional
respondents, only 14.9% agree or strongly agree while 76.1% disagree or strongly disagree. An
ostensible ramification of this shortage of full-timers affects faculty-student advising or faculty
opportunities to work with the diverse learners outside the classroom. The College is concerned with the
quality of advisement, especially with enforcement of the current contract (executed June 14, 2000) which
reduced the number of advisees for full-time faculty from 25 to 18. Such reduction potentially attenuates
the quality of programmatic advising since those students who would be monitored by a faculty member
knowledgeable about specific programs must be seen in the Advising Center which may not have updated
or correct criteria.
The Noel-Levitz Survey provides indicators that may be related to faculty numbers and workload
challenges. Students deemed as priorities Item 72: “I can arrange a convenient appointment with a
faculty advisor when I need one;” and Item 65: “Students are notified early in the term if they are doing
poorly in class.” Both these items are ranked high in importance, but satisfaction is low resulting in a
poor Performance Gap.
2002 2000
Item Importance Satisfaction Performance Gap Importance Satisfaction Performance
Gap Item 72 6.18 4.96 1.22 6.23 5.04 1.19 Item 65 6.07 4.72 1.35 6.08 4.59 1.49
Adjunct Challenges
Questions about adequate numbers of faculty raise the underlying concern with the ratio of full-
time to part-time positions. This challenge is not unique to QCC. In-house research has not discovered
any formula or ratios that are considered "best practice" here or in other community colleges with similar
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urban profiles: As noted in Community College Week, “For most community colleges, something close
to an ideal ratio of classes taught by full-time and part-time faculty would probably be about 75:25"
(11/25/2002). The President is working towards that goal and advocates for a ratio for 70% full-time to
30% part-time for day (8:00 am. To 4:00 p.m.) courses. The College struggles to establish that desired
ratio in all academic disciplines; yet, as revealed in the document in the workroom, "Full-Time /Part-Time
Teaching Ratios, " a review of three recent College semesters demonstrates that several subject areas rely
on adjuncts to cover the majority of day courses: Anthropology (100%); Sociology (72%); Math (58%);
ESL (46%) and Speech (62%). The ratio may never equate to a 50% full-time/ 50% adjunct; yet, heavy
reliance on adjunct faculty delimits the full range of faculty involvement with students, policy issues,
campus life and an overall academic identity and sense of belonging.
Additionally, the full-time/ part-time ratio grounds some decisions which impact procedural
policy. For example, the President revised the course withdrawal process by eliminating the two required
signatures of both instructor and faculty advisor. The President's memo, January 27, 2003, concedes that
continuing to require signatures of both -- which would assume the student had more than one
professional to discuss his/ her need to withdraw -- is too cumbersome and was "more easily implemented
when we had fewer students and a higher ratio of full to part time faculty."
QCC is below average in total number of faculty for our student population size and below
average in percentage of full-time/ adjunct
faculty. Quinsigamond does not meet either
median or mean percentage of full-time faculty
in selected community colleges; yet, the College
is within the range of figures as her sister
institutions, as noted by Thompson on the
following page.
Employment Status of Faculty at Public Community Colleges:1997
Part-time, 66%
Full-time, 34%
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Thompsons: Peterson's College and Universities Web Site 7/2002
SOU
RC
E
College Number Students
Number Faculty % FT # FT
# Adjunct
% Adjunct
MA Quinsigamond C. C. 6137 370 29% 107 263 71% Mt. Wachusett C.C. 3711 257 28% 72 185 72% Middlesex C.C. 7568 468 27% 126 342 73%
Springfield Technical College 6257 396 45% 178 218 55%
Massasoit C.C. 6706 394 37% 146 248 63% N. Essex C.C. 1450 486 19% 92 394 81% Greenfield C.C. 2144 152 44% 67 85 56% Holyoke C.C. 5998 300 ?? ?? Bristol C.C. 6132 279 38% 106 173 62% Bunker Hill C.C. 6914 373 31% 116 257 69% Cap Cod C.C. 4176 331 24% 79 252 76% MEDIAN 30% 107 250 70% AVG 32% 109 242 68%
Recruitment/Appointment
Strengths
Since 1995, the majority of faculty hired to full-time positions have come from the ranks of
adjunct faculty. Of the 68 new hires, 34 (50%) have been QCC adjuncts; management recognizes the
high quality of adjuncts and demonstrates a commitment to respecting the position of the MCCC.
Twenty-four full-time faculty members have retired since 2000, and though the College has exceeded this
number in hiring 29 full-time individuals, this number (29) does not keep pace with the increasing
student enrollments.
Challenges
The in-house Institutional Survey indicates mixed perceptions of the adequacy of the process of
recruiting new faculty. Item #45: "QCC has an established and well-documented system in place for
recruiting and hiring new full-time and adjunct faculty" evoked this response: total respondents 144:
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35.2% agree or strongly agree; 31.2% disagree or strongly disagree; and 31.9% had no basis for
judgment.
In some work areas, the fiscal limitations imposed by the MCCC contract can limit the College’s
ability to attract competent faculty. Technical and health care faculty, for example, can be difficult to
recruit into teaching positions when the salaries offered by industry for such skills are so much more
competitive than those Massachusetts two-year public colleges can offer.
Diversity
Strengths
The College had made substantial progress in expanding the diversity of its faculty in recent years
as greater numbers of tenured faculty reach retirement age. A profile of the College’s faculty with regard
to gender, race and ethnicity indicates that there is an equitable balance based on gender; the College has
been able to capitalize on its recruitment advertisements attracting a more diverse pool of qualified
candidates. Additionally, a key strength is the College’s commitment to filling and expanding positions
as the numerous retirees have departed. Without such a commitment, those positions could have been re-
channeled to hire other types of staff.
Challenges
Yet, the ethnic and racial diversity among the faculty does not fully reflect the diversity of the
cities and towns in the greater Worcester area from which the College draws a 45% of its student body.
Ethnicity/Race City Of Worc Worcester County Students, Fall 01 Full-Time Faculty Adjunct Total Population 172,648 750,963 6,197 104 263
Black, non-Hispanic 6.9% 2.7% 7% 4.8% 4.2%
American Indian/Alaska .4% .3% 1% 0 .3%
Asian/Pacific Islander 5.0% 2.6% 4% 3.8% 1.5%
Hispanic/Latino 15.1% 6.8% 10% 2.8% .7%
White, non-Hispanic 77.1% 86.5% 68% 88.6% 93.1%
Other Race/ethnicity 7.2% 2.9% 10% 0 0
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Workload Strengths
The College communicates its mission, purpose, standards and policies in a variety of internal
publications and documents. Faculty and staff are provided with both formal and informal processes to
consider complaints, resolve professional disagreements and disputes, and balance their interests with
competing interests of colleagues, students or others. College policies are reviewed as kept current in the
Faculty Handbook; the Employee Handbook; the Student Handbook; and the Academic Calendar. The
MCCC Agreement for Academic Years July 1st, 1999 through June 30th, 2002, was executed on June 14th,
2000. In that the faculty contract expires on June 30, 2002, it will be the next item due for review.
Through the procedures and guidelines specified in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Affirmative
Action Plan and Student Handbook, faculty and staff are provided an open, fair, orderly and supportive
climate in which they are encouraged to conduct their daily work.
Many faculty, typically coordinators, have been awarded “release” time, re-assigned time or
supplemental stipends to enable them to pursue projects or initiate professional development in line with
the College’s Strategic Goals.
Challenges
Faculty aspire to a full range of practices consonant with pedagogical strategies and values:
• demonstrate mastery in a field, topic, profession or enhance learning opportunities for students through innovation in delivery methods:
• attend to administrative requirements such as attendance reports for financial aid, midterm grades for all students and assisting the student retention department by direct contact with uninvolved students
• help shape curriculum by staying current in their field and contributing to program review • respond helpfully to students with officially identified developmental learning or disability
needs • participate in governance activities as a voice of the "front line" or "contact zone."
Yet such endeavors demand sizeable time commitments. As noted in Strengths in Standard Four,
Vice President Livingston has energized the academic side of the institution with several initiatives that
assure QCC’s response to local workforce needs and quality instruction. These projects -- Internal
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Program Review; Responsive Programming; a Title III grant focusing on Developmental Education and
Advising; Distance Education; Service Learning; Honors Program; Catalog Update; and Electronic
Portfolio on Institutional Effectiveness -- require the resources of a faculty already pressed for meeting
scheduling demands. With the major change in faculty workload, carrying five courses per semester
rather than four, full-time faculty have less time and energy to contribute to these valuable, essential
ongoing efforts.
Typically, adjunct faculty are not available for these projects due to outside employment or a
complex schedule of teaching at more than one college, and excessive reliance on adjuncts results in
fewer professionals to conduct the work required of a vibrant organization.
• On average, part-time faculty spent less of their time on administrative tasks (4 percent) than their full-time counterparts (14 percent). This overall difference was also the case for all types of institutions. Similarly, part-time faculty spent on average less of their time on service activities (5 percent) than full-time faculty (7 percent).
• College Part-time faculty held 2.0 regularly scheduled office hours per week, less than the 6.6 scheduled office hours reported by full-time faculty. Both Part-time and Full-time faculty reported spending 2.7 hours per week responding to student e-mails.
• Compared with those who did not use telecommunications technologies, full- and part-time instructional faculty and staff who used e-mail or course-specific Web sites generally reported working more hours per week on average, spending more time on research activities, and spending less time on teaching activities and office hours.
A Profile of Part-time Faculty: Fall 1998, , Berger, Andrea, Project Officer, et.al.. Washington, DC:2002. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2002).
Although several recommendations of the Adjunct Task Force have been implemented, QCC
adjuncts continue to seek more supports. The response to Item #46 of the Institutional Survey “QCC has
adequate systems in place to support its adjunct faculty” indicate continuing concerns.
Total respondents 144: combined 13.3% … agree or strongly agree 57.7% … disagree or strongly disagree 25% … no basis for judgement
Total respondents 13: part-time faculty/professional 15.4% … agree or strongly agree 77.0% … disagree or strongly disagree 7.7% … no basis for judgement
Also, all faculty are unsure about how responsibilities related to internal electronic
communications -- such as e-mail, maintaining web sites, teaching online, electronic advisee registration
-- will be contractually negotiated.
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Evaluation of Faculty: Any challenges to faculty evaluation are, in essence, an individual matter,
not necessarily representative of any collective experience.
Staff Development
Strengths
Professional development funding is distributed fairly among both full and part-time faculty.
Challenges
Although the College has prohibited out-of-state travel in the last two years because of fiscal
constraints, the faculty feel that at least one member from each department should attend a national
conference yearly in order to stay current with the many changes that occur each year in their respective
fields. Also, even though many workshops are offered on a variety of topics, many faculty cannot attend
these because they usually are held at inopportune times during the day when they are in class or have
office hours. More flexibility of times is needed. Further, the Staff Development program at QCC has
not been internally evaluated in the past five years.
PROJECTION
Profile of Current Numbers
QCC leadership will develop and implement a 3-5 year plan to increase the number of full-time
faculty in appropriate numbers that relate to programs and disciplines in which the adjunct-to-full-time
ratio does not meet the meet the 70 - 30 ratio for day courses taught by fulltime faculty; increases in
student population; changing workload demands; and, the "one college" concept.
Adjunct
QCC leadership will, at minimum, maintain recent efforts to address the unmet needs of adjunct faculty.
Task Force recommendations not yet implemented will be reviewed and a timeline established for
completion of the following measures:
• An Adjunct Faculty Handbook must be designed, compiled and disseminated.
• Office space must be provided and/ or expanded for Adjunct Faculty.
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• A system for mailboxes accessible to adjunct and their students must be provided for.
• Adjunct Faculty should all have voice mail.
• Since adjuncts will continue to be integral to the delivery of instruction, QCC will re-establish the Integration of Adjunct Staff Taskforce and explore the benefits and feasibility of a Dean of Adjuncts.
Recruitment/Appointment QCC will continue efforts to improve the processes for Faculty and Professional Staff
recruitment. Faculty will continue to participate in the search process.
Diversity
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has extended an early retirement incentive program for two
consecutive years to eligible state employees including employees in higher education. The consequent
attrition of some of the Faculty will provide additional opportunities for the College to recruit more
qualified candidates representative of the local and regional population. Diversifying the staff will
continue to be a slow process, however, due to the budgetary and hiring restrictions imposed on state
agencies by this legislated benefit. The current fiscal problems will delay, but not derail, the College's
efforts to build and maintain a diverse workforce.
Workload
Although most workload issues are contractually mandated, QCC Administration and Union
leadership need to examine and establish options related to: the number of advisees vis-a-vis teaching
load; flexibility of time of courses taught in regular schedule; and increasing integration of technology for
communication and instruction; and faculty participation in committee work.
Professional Development
The Staff Development Committee will establish a system to assess the participation in
the many learning opportunities available and will establish a methodology for evaluating the workshops
conducted under its auspices.
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STANDARD SIX - STUDENT SERVICES
DESCRIPTION
The Division of Enrollment and Student Services is a nexus of several integrated service venues
focused on meeting students' needs -- both academic and co-curricular. The Division mission statement --
The Division of Enrollment and Student Services promotes educational accessibility to potential and
current students. To meet the needs of our diverse student population, we provide a wide range of
services supporting and encouraging individuals based on their academic preparation and goals.
Recognizing that educational success is a holistic process, we strive to develop each student
academically, socially and culturally -- articulates the overarching goal that is further delineated in the
various strands of service. The Division recognizes that students' educational, academic, and
programmatic achievements are related to, and perhaps contingent upon, interrelated developmental
opportunities. A comprehensive array of student services offers an enhanced campus environment
geared to ensuring students' success both in and out of the classroom. The various supports described
below work in concert to help students maximize their total college experience. Guided by the mission of
the Division of Enrollment and Student Services, the College ensures that appropriate services, facilities
and use of technology are readily accessible to all populations.
Academic Support Services
Through the Academic Advising and Assessment Office, open from 8am-7pm, students are
offered detailed information about the Accuplacer Assessment Test (workroom) and a study brochure to
review prior to taking the test. To accommodate prospective students, off-site testing is available in
addition to the standard on-campus testing which is scheduled by appointment. Accuplacer ensures
appropriate placement into college courses or into the developmental sequence. (To place into college
level English (ENG 101), students must earn a Writeplacer (computerized essay assessment) score within
range of 9-12. To place into college Algebra (MAT 100), students must earn a CPT score of at least 52.
(Scores below these figures necessitate placement into the developmental sequence.) Guided by
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placement scores, the Academic Advising and Assessment Center advisors, the Health Careers Center
advisors, and individual faculty advisors assist students in course selection and registration. New students
are assigned Academic Advising and Assessment Center advisors while returning students are assigned
faculty advisors whenever possible. Students in General Studies, Liberal Arts, and those who are not in a
degree program, are often assigned to the Academic Advising and Assessment Center.
The Center is an official GED testing site; students are interviewed to discuss testing options,
receive general descriptive information about the GED process and are scheduled to take the tests.
Within 2-3 weeks, test scores are available; if students are unsuccessful, they are called to reschedule.
Students are referred to a GED preparation program as necessary (workroom).
ESL students are assessed, advised and registered in the Academic Advising and Assessment
Center. Translations of “How To Proceed Through the Enrollment Process” (workroom) and computer
instructions have been created in a variety of languages to assist students in this process. There are
dedicated ESL advisors who, having taught ESL and communicate fluently with this group, work with
ESL students in the Advising Center.
Orientation takes three forms: New Student Orientation, Program Specific Orientation, and as of
Fall 2002, a new Orientation course, ORT 110, Strategies for College and Career. During the Fall 2001,
3000 new students were sent invitations to New Student Orientation and approximately 1500 attended.
During the Fall 2002, approximately 3100 new students were invited and approximately 1500 attended.
The Career Exploration and Planning Center is a pre-enrollment support service that works with students
and potential students to assist them in clarifying their goals and selecting appropriate programs of study
to meet those goals. Tools that are available include career inventories and counseling. Career tests
include the COPS System tests, the Career Game, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (workroom). The
Center is open from 8a.m.-4p.m., and appointments may be made outside of those hours. The Center
works with Disability Services to meet the special needs of all students.
Students who are interested in the College’s health programs but do not meet the admission
requirements to these programs are assigned to the Health Careers Center (HCC) for advising. The HCC
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advisors assist students in exploring the various employment tracks and counsel students on academic
preparation and external factors that may impact their educational trajectory. The majority of HCC
advisors are health program faculty, familiar with the academic requirements of all the health programs
offered by the College, and knowledgeable about health professions generally. At any given time,
between 800 to 900 prospective health program students are assigned to the HCC.
The Transfer Office, working in concert with academic departments, provides support to advisors
and direct advising to students regarding transfer to four-year colleges. Information about transfer
programs and articulation agreements are maintained and publicized. Brochures are distributed at
information tables and during Open House and via a monthly article in the student newspaper, "The Open
Door." Information specific to various colleges and universities is available in the Transfer and
Articulation Office.
Open seven days a week, the Individualized Learning Center provides a diverse group of learners
with the resources and supportive environment that enables them to achieve their academic goals by
providing day, evening and weekend hours; tutoring services; instructional materials to accommodate
various learning styles; and an open space for collaborative work. Software for self-paced learning is also
available, and staff are trained to match learners with the appropriate learning modalities.
As noted, the College was awarded a USDOE Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant in 2001 to
provide a significant infusion of funds -- $1.75 million -- into the critical area of improving services for
under-prepared students. The Title III project (discussed in Standard IV) is currently showcasing faculty-
developed pilot courses, ENG 090, ENG 091, ENG 095, ENG 096, MAT 090, MAT 095, and MAT 099,
ORT 110, and is creating a developmental advising system for all students. Their materials are available
in the workroom - See Standard IV.
Financial Aid Services
The Financial Aid office received 4345 financial aid applications for the 2002-2003 academic
year. From this pool, 3457 students received financial assistance. Of this 20% increase in applications
over 2001-2002, approximately 50% of the students enrolled in eligible degree or certificate programs are
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receiving some sort of financial assistance. All students receive the Financial Aid brochure and an
application packet/information when they are sent a Viewbook from Admissions (workroom). Most of
the critical functions of the financial aid process are now automated with the new administrative computer
system, CARS. All eligible students who apply and complete their file by the priority deadline of April 1
for Fall and October 1 for Spring are awarded monies prior to their billing due date.
The College participates in the following federal and state financial aid programs: Federal Pell,
Federal SEOG, Federal Work Study, and the Wm D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program, MASSGrant,
Community College Access Grant (MA Cash Grant and MA Tuition Waiver) program, MA Part Time
Grant, MA Performance Bonus grant, numerous categorical tuition waivers and the MA No Interest Loan
program. Funds are reconciled with the College Business Office on a regular basis. The United States
Department Of Education and the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance have increased
funding levels to the extent that QCC is now able to fund all eligible students with financial need. Most
students are awarded enough to cover tuition, fees, books and supplies. There are no unrestricted
institutional funds, so the students who face funding challenges are those who do not meet the
Massachusetts residency requirements. The QCC Business Office authorizes book vouchers for books
and supplies and charges them to students’ financial aid accounts.
Adequate staffing in the Financial Aid Office, 5 professionals and 2 support staff, enables
processing of applications in a timely manner. Individual student appointments are taken and walk-in
business -- no more than a 15-minute wait -- is accepted. The office served more than 11,000 student
walk-ins during 2002, with an average of 927 per month. There was a high of 1485 students in August
2002 and a low of 481in Feb, 2002. Students who need assistance after hours or on weekends may
contact the office by mail, email, Internet, or phone to have questions answered.
An independent auditor audits FA Office annually for compliance with both federal and state
regulations. The most recent Federal Program Review occurred in July 2001 (workroom); and one in
1986 predated that. The USDOE report received Spring, 2003 shows no material findings.
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Disability Support Services
The Office of Disability Services provides support and accommodations according to the
guidelines and standards of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as well as the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990. Records of students who qualify for accommodation packets which specify the
needs for extended testing times, alternative modalities of assessment, (including physical arrangements,
proctor logs, and accommodation summary reports) are maintained in a database in the central Disability
Office, Room 246A. As part of the mission of the Disability Services Office, the staff helps 450 students
with disabilities achieve their educational goals by providing support services and reasonable
accommodations. There is a standard format of intake, disability and accommodations determination and
ongoing coordination of services. Records include running records, office contact activities,
documentation review, running records of tutors, note-taker activities, academic performance analysis and
time sheets for part-time employees (workroom).
Counseling Services offers short term counseling, clinical or psychosocial assessments, faculty
consultation, classroom presentations, community referrals, workshops, conflict resolution and
emergency referrals, withdrawal counseling, peer educators programs and advising to the Phi Theta
Kappa program. (workroom.)
The Evening Weekend Administration office serves a variety of functions for faculty and students
including messaging, faculty evaluations, processing of paperwork and acting as liaison to day staff. The
Library and the Individualized Learning Center provide support to students six days per week.
Career Placement Services
The Placement Resource Center’s primary responsibility is to assist students in the transition
from school to work and to enhance academic learning with employability skill building --- resume
writing, interviewing, and job search strategies for the workplace. Services also include individualized
coaching and guidance. Through relationships with local businesses, full-time professional and
cooperative education opportunities are established for students. A campus-wide and web-based job
posting system keeps faculty and students informed of current job opportunities. Staff includes one
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quarter-time, one part-time, and one full-time Placement Specialist, a full-time support staff and a part-
time coordinator.
Student Organization Services
QCC offers a wide range of campus organizations, as well as governance and leadership
opportunities. Clubs may be started by contacting the Student Life Office and obtaining the details of the
processes which allow students to form new clubs. The College participates in the Colleges of Worcester
Consortium ALANA Support Network (workroom) affording students and staff the opportunity to
connect with representatives from local colleges. For students of color, the Network has sponsored the
Crossing Boundaries Conference in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The Network facilitates information and
resource sharing to encourage the expansion of student participation. QCC developed a Multicultural
Student Organization in Spring 2001 to offer an umbrella-support for minority student activities.
The Student Senate is an elected group of students who represent the student voice on various college-
wide committees, and who set and meet goals on behalf of general student interest. The Senate promotes
the rights of students.
Phi Theta Kappa is the International Honor society for community and junior colleges whose
purpose is to recognize and encourage scholarship, leadership, fellowship and service. The campus
chapter is Alpha Zeta Theta.
FAVA, "Friends Achieving With Varying Abilities,” is the informal disability support and
advocacy group.
Other officially sanctioned clubs which are advised by faculty are the Asian American Student
Organization, Black Student Union, Chess Club, Criminal Justice Club, Dental Hygiene Club, Early
Childhood Club, Hotel and Restaurant Association, Human Service Club, Latino Student Organization,
Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) Club, Nursing Club, Occupational Therapy Club, the “Open Door”
Newspaper, Pride Alliance, Programming Committee, Psychology Club, Radiologic Technology Club,
Respiratory Club, and Sign Language Club.
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The QCC Student Leadership Institute, led by the Director of Student Activities and Sports
Management, builds relationships between and among students in leadership positions at QCC. Multi-
campus involvement helps students discover and strengthen their leadership qualities in various
workshops. (workroom)
Supports for Wellness and Recreation
With the retirement of the campus Health Services Coordinator in 2002, the activities surrounding
Health and Wellness have been dispersed to offices throughout Enrollment and Student Services. Health
records and immunizations records are located in the Registrar’s Office; Medical Parking permits are
dispersed through Disability Services; Wellness programming is provided under the leadership of Student
Activities; and health emergencies are delegated to Public Safety.
Fitness and sports activities are offered; QCC is a member of the MCCAC and the NCAA Region
XXI New England. Intercollegiate sports feature men’s baseball, men’s basketball, and women’s
basketball. QCC abides by the eligibility rules which include physical exams, transfer rules, and
academic requirements. To participate, full-time students must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average, and
all students, whether full or part time, must also maintain a 2.0 grade point average to be involved in club-
based sports. QCC coaches are responsible for recruitment for their sports. The Athletic Center is open
and free to QCC students, staff, and faculty, while outside memberships are available to the public for a
minimal fee. Hours are M-F 7:30am-9pm and Saturdays 7am-12. The exercise area features weights and
aerobic equipment, and ping pong tables. Women and men’s locker rooms contain showers, bathrooms,
changing areas and saunas. Limited lifeguard duty restricts swim time in the Olympic sized pool, but
classes are offered in swim lessons and water aerobics. Activities at the Athletic Center are advertised in
every building, and emails circulate announcing scheduled classes. At present, over 600 outside
members use the facility in addition to a large number of staff and students, with basketball the first
choice for students (workroom).
Supports for Student Rights, Privacy and Ethical Behavior
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Student Rights and Responsibilities and grievance procedures are published in the Student
Handbook which is disseminated at New Student Orientation, at the Information Tables set up at the start
of each semester, in the Admissions Office, and the Fuller Student Center, at all Open Houses, and at
other locations throughout campus (workroom). The widely displayed "QCC Ideals" publish the ethical
standards the campus endorses. The specific rights and responsibilities of students served by the
Disabilities Office are outlined in a form which those students sign. Disabilities Services students are
also given a Policies and Procedure manual (workroom). Student records in Disability Services are
continuously updated to comply with standards of accepted procedures for information retention and
record disposal. The disposition of student records in the Registrar’s Office adheres to the requirements
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Records Conservation Board’s General Records Schedules for
Community Colleges in Massachusetts, and the recommendation of the American Association of
Collegiate Admission Officers and Registrars.
The College measures students' evaluations of College services by administering the Noel-Levitz
Student Satisfaction Inventory (most currently in 2000 and 2002). The College plans to utilize this survey
bi-annually in the future. Other evaluative instruments such as the " QCC Campus Survey" and various
departmental questionnaires are administered as well.
Support for Co-Curricular Activities with well-qualified personnel
Professional staff members are recruited through an open and publicly advertised process. A
screening committee, selected by a senior administrator and trained by Human Resources staff,
determines preferred qualifications and selects candidates to be interviewed.
APPRAISAL
Student Satisfaction at a Glance
Overall, the matrix of enabling resources that Student Services offers is consistently utilized and
valued by students. Although both the 2000 and 2002 Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventories
(workroom) identified challenges in individual advising, students generally feel welcomed and safe at the
College and are satisfied with the quality of instruction, the scheduling of classes for their convenience,
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and the opportunities for intellectual growth and stimulation. The 2002 Inventory reflected a slightly
improved performance gap (.6) over the 2000 survey (.63) between importance and satisfaction for the
category of Campus Support Services. (The context for interpreting the Survey scores is detailed in the
workroom materials; the underlying premise is: any performance gap score that is equal to or below "1.0"
indicates that students are relatively satisfied with that particular aspect of their college experience.) Most
students have a sense of belonging; believe that people on this campus respect and are supportive of each
other; and that campus staff are caring and helpful.
The 2002 Survey item, “It is an enjoyable experience to be a student here,” reflected an improved
performance gap as well. Students expressed improved satisfaction in the availability of tutoring services,
academic supports and adequacy and accessibility of computer labs.
With regard to challenges, the Noel-Levitz Survey indicated that students are satisfied with
“Student Centeredness,” but feel more work is needed with regard to “Concern for the Individual.”
Another instrument, the in-house NEASC survey which was administered in Spring, 2002, queried
faculty and staff about institutional resources (financial aid, technology, tutoring, etc) and their
accessibility; 74% of faculty and staff respondents strongly agreed or agreed that these resources were
equally accessible to all. Also, the College-wide NEASC questionnaire asked faculty and staff if “QCC
systematically identifies the characteristics and learning needs of its students and then makes provisions
for responding to them.” Less than half (43.7%) either agreed or strongly agreed; 22.5% said they had no
basis for judgment, indicating a lack of awareness of how specific learning needs get addressed.
Academic Supports Services
Orientation, a strength:
During Fall 2002, the New Student Orientation saw double the participation of students over Fall
2000. Students were surveyed regarding the orientation experience. Of the 212 evaluations returned, the
following positive responses were submitted:
• Length of time for orientation 95.5% positive • Choice of days for orientation 99 % positive • Game format for orientation 98% positive
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• "How I feel about QCC after orientation" 100% positive
The 2002 Noel Levitz SSI reflected an improved performance rating in this area.
Assessment and Advising
Challenges
Advising is discussed in Standard Four, but noted here are implementation/ procedural flaws. As
mandated by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, every student enrolled in a degree or
certificate program, and every student wishing to take a math or English course, or a course with a math
or English prerequisite, is required to be assessed via the computerized testing software (Accuplacer)
administered by the Academic Advising and Assessment Center. Records are provided in paper format
and are uploaded daily to the student database to provide advisors with information regarding student
academic needs. The Noel Levitz Survey 2002 indicated that there are several challenges to be addressed
specific to advising, both in the Academic Advising and Assessment Center and with faculty advisors.
Students expressed dissatisfaction in the areas of advisors being knowledgeable about their programs
(Item 32), advisors being approachable (Item 6), about overall concern for student success (Item 25), and
about advisors helping them to set goals (Item 12).
According to the Noel Levitz Survey of 2000 as well, customer service in the Academic Advising
and Assessment Center fell short of desirable. The Academic Advising and Assessment Center made the
following changes and now commits to the following: all full-time staff receive customer service
training; staff provide ongoing proctor training for assessment testing, and communicate with Academic
Deans/faculty to ensure mutual understanding of the assessment testing process; and have increased the
number of computers in the assessment testing area. Staff also collaborate with the Admissions and Tech
Prep Offices to offer off-site assessment testing to potential applicants.
The Academic Advising and Assessment Center staff made the following commitments to
improve the class registration process: plan large group assessment testing sessions with the Admissions
Office as a recruiting tool; ensure that students meet with faculty advisors or in the Academic Advising
and Assessment Center each advising period -- 8,000 + contacts (duplicated count) were made in Fall,
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2002 and Spring, 2003; -- send letters to all returning students prior to the registration period to remind
them to meet with faculty advisors; provide name, office and phone number of their advisors; increase the
number of advisors during peak times from four to eight; allow students to make appointments to see an
Academic Advising and Assessment Center advisor in order to reduce wait time; and, finally, to use the
new Web Module to provide a more “user friendly” vehicle. Over summer 2003, students in a pilot group
will be shown how they can schedule classes themselves once their advisor has cleared their access.
Direct student access to web registration will free up advisors to focus on developmental advising with
other students who require more individualized attention. Advisors are also allowed “write access” to
registration in the student records system to provide a “one-stop” experience for students.
The Academic Advising and Assessment Center staff implemented training for all new advisors
and offers workshops each semester for returning advisors. In addition, the following changes were
made: the full-time co-coordinator in Academic Advising and Assessment Center works with high-risk
students (students who have been academically dismissed); the Director of Advising works with
International Students; and special advisors work with at-risk student populations (students whose
academic skills, past academic performance, and life situations create challenges to the successful
completion of their academic goals).
The catalyst for changes in the Academic Advising and Assessment Center stemmed from the
2000 Noel Levitz Survey and subsequent focus groups held during the Spring of 2001 which expressed
dissatisfaction with advising. An appointment system was set up: (typical student wait time during peak
registration periods for Fall 2001 was over one hour; during Fall 2002, it was less than half that time); a
"One-Stop Center" was developed enabling students to be assessed, advised, and registered on-line at one
location; staff in the Student Services Division were required to attend a 2-day customer service training
session in the Summer, 2002; all new faculty were provided with training using the CARS record system.
In spite of these efforts, the Noel-Levitz SSI 2002 showed only minimal positive change in the
student evaluation of advising. Other indicators also reveal the on-going problematic state of advising:
of faculty and staff responding to the NEASC campus survey question concerning faculty advisors
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meeting student needs, 49.3% (less than half) agreed or strongly agreed that advisors met student needs;
asked if they thought the Academic Advising and Assessment Center had made significant improvements,
only 45.1% of those surveyed agreed or strongly agreed.
Only two professional, full-time staff members are assigned to work in the spatially restricted
area in which the pilot one-stop center is located; adjunct faculty are called in to advise on an as-needed
basis. During the Summer and Fall 2002 registration period, the staff in this area made over 8,000
contacts (duplicated count) with students. During the 12- week spring registration 2003 period, 2827
appointments and 5843 walk-in students were served.
The 2002 Noel Levitz SSI did not reflect any substantial gains (using the Performance Gap
measure) from the same survey administered in 2000: Advisor approachable (1.24 to 1.13); Advisors help
with goal setting (1.46 to 1.37); Advisors concerned about success as individual (1.43 to 1.49); Advisors
knowledgeable about program requirements (1.26 to 1.18); Advisors knowledgeable about transfer
requirements (1.47 to 1.27).
Disability Services
Strengths
QCC set as one of its goals, “Meet student needs: expand Disability Services," establishing four
outcome measures for FY2002. Disability Services met most of the outcomes measures:
• Decrease the intake time for new students to 2 weeks and request for service to 1 week. They achieved the 2-week interval for over 90% of new students and generally achieved the 1-week interval for service.
• Create two formal trainings and six hours of tech support. Staff achieved this goal by providing formal training for note takers/tutors at the beginning of each semester as well as training for professional staff of TTY, screening instruments, and adaptive training instruments.
• Apply for 4 grants in FY02 to defray the cost of providing quality services to disabled students. Five grants were submitted grants to outside funding sources.
• Provide 9 outreach activities: Two faculty group outreach/support sessions were held at the beginning of each semester and held five individual academic department meetings. Off-campus outreach expanded by providing presentations to local agencies such as Mass Rehab Commission and regional high school staff.
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Disabilities Services developed specifically designed orientation/transition workshops on
disability-related topics to supplement general orientation for students and College staff. The 2002 Noel-
Levitz SSI reflected an improved satisfaction score with regard to the institution’s commitment to
students with disabilities (Item 86).
The quantity of services to disabled students has been expanded, and although staff is limited, the
focus of that office has been proactive rather than reactive. The University of Hawaii Disability Research
Institute has recognized it as one of the top three offices of its kind in the United States. It has also been
cited in International Best Practices for Rehabilitation for its services to students with psychiatric
disabilities and has been the recipient of a number of grants; its three current grants are targeted for
students with hearing, psychiatric, or low cognitive disabilities. Staff have presented at a number of
regional and national conferences and published articles on disability topics.
QCC students who receive personal counseling are asked to complete an “Evaluation of
Counseling Services” form at the termination of service. This form provides qualitative and quantitative
data. The Noel Levitz 2002 SSI reflected an improved performance gap (1.05 to .98) with regard to
counseling staff. The office maintains monthly statistics that reflect the number of students served and
the variety of professional contacts with students.
Financial Aid
An independent auditor audits Financial Aid for compliance with both federal and state
regulations. The last Federal Program Review was conducted in July 2001; all recent audits have shown
no material findings. The Massachusetts State Auditors are conducting an A-133 single audit for the
2002-2003 Award year; the audit will be completed in October 2003.
Strengths
The Financial Aid Office has streamlined the student process over the past two years. The
implementation of the CARS student record system has allowed the office to run more efficiently and to
communicate with students more regularly. The integration with the Business Office has greatly
improved the accuracy and efficiency of the disbursement process.
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All students who apply and complete their files by the priority deadlines are awarded financial aid
prior to their billing dates. In fact, the office is often able to award students who complete their files well
past the deadlines, prior to bill due dates. For students with substantial financial need, current levels of
state and federal funding allow aid packages to cover at least the full cost of tuition, fees, and books and
often also cover transportation and some living expenses. Due to the rising cost of the Educational
Service Fee, beginning Spring 2003, students with very low or no need, who were only eligible for a
freshman level student loan, did not have enough financial aid to cover their full cost for tuition, fees and
books if attending full time. Most QCC students have their living expenses covered by their current
income or other resources and are primarily concerned with receiving enough financial aid to cover their
direct costs (tuition, fees and books).
The Noel-Levitz Survey showed improvement in financial aid services from 2000 to 2002 as well
as increased value of financial aid to students. The following items reflect this improvement: Item 7,
“Adequate financial aid is available for most students” increased in importance from 6 to 6.11, while their
actual satisfaction increased from 4.61 to 4.87; Item 13, “Financial aid awards are announced to students
in time to be helpful in college planning” increased in importance from 5.89 to 5.95, while actual
satisfaction increased from 4.15 to 4.78; Item 20, “Financial aid counselors are helpful” increased in
importance from 5.81 to 5.86 and actual satisfaction increased from 4.37 to 4.81; Item 88, “Financial aid
as a factor in decision to enroll increased in importance from 5.4 to 5.64, which seems to be evidenced in
the 20% increase in financial aid applications.
In the College-wide NEASC survey, 74% of faculty and staff respondents either agreed or
strongly agreed that “Financial aid, technology, tutoring, etc – are equally accessible to all QCC
students.”
Challenges
Some areas of financial aid services, such as loan processing and work study awards, are not
supported by CARS and require a great deal of manual work which slows down the process for students.
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The report-generating Cognos software requires manual review and updates. Increased automation in
these areas is needed.
Supports for Career Placement Services
Placement Resource Center
A sampling of completed resumes, Placement Resource Center Questionnaire, Employer
Evaluations, Direct employer feedback, classroom visits, monthly and yearly statistics In Job Placement
services -- together ground appraisal of this service.
Strengths
Given the lack of staffing and space and the changes in administration, the Placement Resource
Center has focused on Placement becoming more outcomes driven, by way of creating a substantial
reporting system that integrates real time student intake data to access database reports. Numerical data is
analyzed and utilized to initiate improvement efforts. (See Placement Statistics Reports, FY01 and FY02,
workroom.) This data enables numerical measures of services in the following areas: number of new
students serviced; students placed; employer contacts; classroom visits; co-ops placed; students using the
center; number of jobs posted; workshop attendance.
The following results have been observed and measured: student participation in the Co-op
program increased by 34.2%; focus and accountability improved by separating and clarifying job
responsibilities in the Experience-Based Education and Placement Support functions; the Placement
Resource Center houses all the necessary job search and preparation materials and equipment needed for
a successful job search. The center is also utilized for ongoing group workshops in resume writing,
interviewing skills and other related job search skills. Approximately 300 students are currently (Spring
2003) utilizing services; a Placement Services Guide is updated and printed every semester and
distributed throughout the campus. (See Placement Services Guide Spring 2002 in workroom); and a Job
Posting System has been institutionalized. Jobs are posted on boards throughout the campus as well as on
the Web, ensuring access for a wide variety of students and faculty. Data indicates that the job offerings
remained steady (approximately 400 professional positions) although the overall market has declined;
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"Placement Resource Center Questionnaire," a student evaluation form, was initiated in 2001 to gather
quantitative data on services provided to students and indicated an "excellent" to "good" rating in 11
service categories (See Placement Resource Center Survey in workroom).
Challenges
The 2002 Noel Levitz SSI indicated an increased performance gap on item 30 “Career Services
Office helps getting jobs,” from .97 in 2000 to 1.08 in 2002 -- which may be attributable to outside forces
such as the down-turn in the economy or the down-sizing of many local potential employment venues.
Health Careers Center: A student academic plan is developed for all students who are advised through the
Health Careers Center: one hundred percent of the students who follow the prescribed student academic
plan and achieve appropriate grades are accepted into the health program of their choice on a rolling
admissions basis. Advisors in the Health Careers Center review students' aspirations and goals, life
concerns and personal challenges, as well as achievements of benchmarks and sequential requirements.
Intake interviews are conducted for all students at which time an individual student academic plan is
developed. Currently, the only full-time professional in the Health Careers Center is the Coordinator.
Supports for Student Organizations
During fiscal year 2000-2001, QCC established the following specific goals: Meet Student
Needs: Expand Student Services. Under this rubric, three outcome measures were established for FY02,
and all three were met or exceeded. The Fuller Student Center, opened in January 2002, was created and
dedicated to student use. The 2002 Noel Levitz SSI reflected an improved performance gap from .79 in
2000 to .67 in 2002 on the related item, “The student center is a comfortable place." Over 4,000 people
attended events connected to or housed in the Fuller Center between January 2002 and July 2002.
Student leadership is evaluated in its effectiveness, in part, if governance seats are filled and if the
Leadership Institute facilitates well-developed organizations as defined by their by-laws. On the college-
wide NEASC survey, faculty and staff agreed that “QCC provides opportunities and supports for student
leadership and participation in campus organizations and governance” with a solid 71.3% of those
respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing. In order to provide services to both day and evening students,
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the Office of Student Life provides extended hours in the Fuller Student Center in addition to open
Student Senate meetings. Programs and services are open to all to accommodate day, evening and
weekend students.
Supports for Wellness and Recreation
The Office of Student Life assumed responsibility for the Athletic programs in 2002; the
reorganization was designed to address the marginalization of College sports and to integrate sport related
functions more fully into general campus life. Athletic programs are assessed through participation. The
College offers a wide variety of intramural and athletic programs in the Athletic Center, yet these
programs are rarely integrated into the wider life of the campus. Fan support for the inter-collegiate
programs, and knowledge about the events in the Athletic Center, rarely reach the larger College
community. In the Fall of 2002, a survey was created to evaluate the desires of the Athletic Center
membership, which includes students, staff, and community members. As a result, offerings in the
Athletic complex, advertised via the College web site, include adult and children swim lessons, yoga,
water aerobics, individual massage therapy and other programs.
Publicizing Awareness of Civility
The Student Handbook is widely distributed to students at QCC. The document contains
descriptions of ethical standards governing student activities and policies pertaining to students. The QCC
Student Handbook was awarded first place in a competition sponsored by the National Council of
Marketing and Public Relations. The QCC "Ideals" were developed in 2001 as a result of the Vice
President of Enrollment and Student Services’ goal of creating clear statements to guide appropriate
behavior for all persons on campus, regardless of status. The vote to adopt the Ideals was held November
13-14, 2001 with 124 accepting and 17 dissenting. Based on both 2000 and 2002 Noel-Levitz Survey
Questions, student centeredness, campus climate and campus support services are largely in line with
national scores.
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Supports for Personnel
Employee performance appraisals are conducted annually. Staff are encouraged to participate in
professional developmental activities.
PROJECTION
The commitment to create annual goals and measurable objectives is implicit in one of the
College's strategic directions: Revise the enrollment process to emphasize the accessibility,
responsiveness and support essential to recruit, enroll, and retain a diverse student body.
General Directions
A major challenge in Student Services is to provide equitable accommodations to both day and
evening students. Even though some offices are consistently open in the evening (Academic Advising
and Assessment Center, Fuller Student Center, and Athletic Center), other offices including Financial
Aid, Admissions, and the Registrar’s Office extend office hours two weeks prior to the commencing of
the semester through the Drop/ Add period. Disability Services is open two nights throughout the
semester to accommodate the needs of their evening population. It is the goal of each office to offer
services more consistently to evening students in spite of fiscal challenges and each will remain open until
7:00 p.m. four evenings per week.
Enrollment and Student Services comprises two major areas: a customer service area to work
one-on-one with students, exploring their career and academic needs; and a processing center to handle all
related paperwork requests.
Assessment and Advising
The Advising Office recognizes the necessity for extensive advising training using the CARS
system: biannual training sessions for advisors are in the planning. Additional advisors will
accommodate students during peak registration times. Space must be allocated to additional
workstations.
To increase the flexibility of course registration and allow for round- the- clock access to
registration, the College is piloting a web registration module during Summer and Fall enrollment 2003.
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A product of the Web Transition Team, this initiative will focus on a particular group of students who
agree to a "field test" process, guided by knowledgeable staff. The College hopes to see this registration
option fully operational for the Spring 2004 semester.
Assessment testing is being piloted at local area high schools and some Human Service agencies
to serve a greater audience unable to come to campus to take the assessment test.
GED has been an integral component of the Advising and Assessment area. Those who take the
GED at QCC are more likely to continue their education at the College. The College will continue to
offer a Saturday testing date to accommodate our growing population.
The Title III Strengthening Institutions grant (noted in Standard Four) is expected to bring about
an overhaul and improvement in the College’s developmental education program as well as the College’s
approach to advising. It will target learning needs and characteristics of students in developmental
courses and design a developmental advising model to serve as the template for all advising on campus.
For ESL students, a pilot project using online assessment is being tested. A decision to move
permanently in this direction is being evaluated. The ESL faculty and Dean of Humanities and Social
Sciences have agreed to change the assessment instrument for ESL students to the CELSA, a
computerized exam that can also demonstrate "ability to benefit" as determined by the federal regulations
for federal aid
In two years’ time, the Advising/Assessment Testing Center as well as other Division services are
slated to move into a more modern, state-of-the-art facility called an “Enrollment Services Center." Here,
the students will be admitted, tested, advised, registered for courses, receive financial aid information and
career planning information, pay their bills and complete their registration process. The goal is to further
expand student services at the College at the Mall as soon as fiscal resources can support such
arrangements.
Health Careers Center
The Health Careers Center has developed 2002-2003 goals closely tied to the College’s strategic
directions for achieving institutional effectiveness -- continue to facilitate the entry of students to the
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College’s health programs. The pool of HCC advisors needs be expanded to better service the 800-900
health program prospective students. In addition, the HCC Coordinator will work more closely with the
health program coordinators as they revisit both the minimum admission requirements and the admission
process to the health programs.
Financial Aid
The 2002-2003 award year has yielded a 20% increase in applications over the 2001-2002 award
year. The combination of the state's fiscal crisis -- resulting in reduced state aid allocations and awards --
a significant increase in the Educational Service Fee, and the increase in applications has stressed the
resources to meet student need. The packaging policy will need to be monitored very closely to determine
adequate funding to in-coming students.
Phone volume and student walk-in traffic has also increased with the increase in enrollment and
financial aid applications. A web site has recently been developed that enables students to download
basic financial aid information, standard forms and also link to the other important financial aid related
web sites at the state and federal level. The College is currently implementing the CARS web module,
which we plan to interface with the Financial Aid Office web site. With this module, students can
determine whether or not additional documents are needed to complete their files, and they can access
their personal financial aid award information.
In order to keep up with the customer service and student follow up required, an additional full
time support staff position is needed.
Aid packages in the future most likely will prioritize funding for tuition, fees and books, but it is
unlikely they will cover additional living expenses. Student loan volume, which has traditionally been
very low, is expected to increase substantially as students will be expected to borrow to assist with their
living expenses.
Currently, IT resources are insufficient to modify the CARS system to accommodate automation
of student loan and work-study programs; these two programs need technological integration.
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Students who enroll as late entrants do not have aid awarded prior to the billing due date. Currently they
must pay up front or sign on to the payment plan. Accommodations need to be devised to mitigate the
burdensome responsibility managing fees.
Disability Services
Disability Services will continue to systematically assess direct student assistance and, via
proactive planning and timeliness of services, reduce the number of disabled students operating in crisis
frameworks. Staff need to be trained in use of adaptive technology which needs to be more readily
available to students. More information needs to be deployed campus-wide concerning new student
orientation; disability orientation/transition workshops need to be refined; post-QCC transition planning
workshops need to be developed;, and ongoing disability-related skills training sessions, especially self-
advocacy, must be developed. Further, plans are in place to expand the Disability Services web site to
include training and informational material for student self-instruction on transition, skills development
and other related topics. Recently, through the Title III initiatives, the College has been selected as a pilot
site for utilizing some new technology in the delivery of education. Part of the grant includes the
awarding of new equipment and technology that support efforts embracing a “universal design for
learning.”
Counseling Services
Counseling Services will continue to provide crisis intervention as well as supervision of clinical
services and consultation to Disability Services. Counseling Services is committed to short-term
solution. focused therapy; mental health screenings; and personal skill development. Expanding
professional staff and activities in the Counseling office will expand services to more students.
Placement Resource Center
An ad campaign will be developed to attract students to the benefits of Cooperative Education
and Placement Services as well as educate the faculty and administration. Co-operative Education
policies and procedures will be reviewed and a plan for action developed to address establishing a co-op
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experience in a consistent manner; evaluating the learning experience as it relates to the award of credit;
and evaluating the co-op experience by the faculty.
As indicated by the Internal Program Review Process, specific areas will be targeted as liaisons to
employer contacts. Additional permanent partnerships need to be developed with local employers to
sustain employment opportunities for students as well as providing current employment skills trends to
the instructional areas. A stronger feedback loop needs to be developed between the employer and school
to ensure the quality of the employment experience and provide evaluative information.
Additional marketing efforts and materials need to be developed to enhance the overall
knowledge of PRC services to students, faculty and employers.
Evaluation tools need to be developed and implemented to assess Co-op learning experience.
A student placement tracking system needs to be developed. A significant increase of 24.3% in the
numbers of placed students --- 70 in 2002 and 53 in 2001 --- speaks to the need for an Institutional
Researcher: it is difficult to determine whether such a fluctuation is the result of ineffective data
management or an actual increase in number of students seeking placement.
Career Exploration and Planning Center
The Career Center needs to continue to effectively tie its resources with admissions, advising,
faculty and the Title III grant to increase student and potential student use of the resources. The Center is
starting to serve some special populations -- Section 30 Program (under which Unemployment Benefits
can be extended for full-time students in short-term programs); those requesting Career Workshops; GED
classes; Tech Prep; young parent groups. Spring 2003 offered services to high school juniors at the
Comprehensive Skills Center (New Bond Street, Worcester); a small group of teens at Worcester State
Hospital; and students who did not pass the MCAS tests. The Center can work with a wide variety of
groups on request, yet faces difficulty in planning to accommodate a range of needs. The Career Center
is also slated to move into the Enrollment Services Center in 2004 to more fully complement its role to
other offices.
Student Activities
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Plans are underway for the Office of Student Activities and the Office of Student Retention to
join in creating a pro-active attempt at increasing the number of students who participate in QCC clubs
and organizations. During the Spring 2003 semester, the Office of Student Retention worked with
volunteers from clubs and organizations in an enrollment drive to encourage more participation; some
clubs doubled enrollment numbers. National statistics indicate a 30% greater chance for students to
remain enrolled in college if they are part of a club or organization.
The Office of Student Life is working to have web pages developed for all campus clubs and
organization with links to the QCC home pages and direct contact with the QCC club advisor, and the
Club President.
The College is also researching a web portal, which will assist the College in communicating with
students and it could provide students with an opportunity to self-select group membership and
communicate with each other through such a portal.
The Fuller Student Center will continue to provide students with the contacts and information
about campus clubs and events to keep memberships rising.
Wellness and Recreation
While the College has had an active and well developed Intramural program, it has been a well
kept secret. With the recent merging of Student Life and Athletics, the Athletic Center is seeing
increased activity. The College has hired coaches for the men's and women's basketball teams, and a
search is in progress for a women's softball coach as well as a part-time person to address wellness
programming.
Overall, the network of offices delivering services to students will continue to assess all services
to students at QCC via the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey and other instruments; and redirect
efforts to better link all services and enhance efficacy across the campus. The support services exist to
complement academic pursuits, to enrich, enable and promote successful student learning.
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STANDARD SEVEN – LIBRARY AND INFORMATION RESOURCES
DESCRIPTION
Library
Construction of this Self Study parallels and complements the largest construction project in the College's
history: a new $15 million Learning Center to consolidate the Library, Individualized Learning Center,
Math Center, and Communications Skills Center under one roof. This document concentrates on current
services and resources yet attempts to convey the emergent transformation of services that will evolve
with new and expanded space and staffing.
Library Staff
Open 72 hours per week, the Library is currently staffed by
• 3 Full-time Librarians: Reference/Instruction Librarian, Collection Development Librarian, Technical Services and Systems Librarian
• 2 Full-time Library Assistants: Acquisitions Assistant, Circulation Assistant • 2 Part-time Librarians: Saturday Administrator and Sunday Administrator • 5 Part-time Library Assistants: Copy Cataloger, Circulation Assistant, and one Day and two
Evening/Weekend Circulation Assistants
Library Reference and Instruction
Library staff offers individual students and groups a formal instruction program with emphasis on
access and evaluation of print and non-print information resources. During the Fall, 2001, the Public
Services Librarian began offering professional development sessions to faculty in the pedagogical uses of
electronic resources. Articles about library services and resources appear regularly in "The Open Door"
student newspaper. Information is also disseminated through a regularly updated print brochure and the
QCC Library Web homepage. OCLC Interlibrary Loan services are available to all members of the
campus community.
Collections/Acquisitions
The QCC Library houses approximately 42,000+ books, 312+ current periodicals, and 2,400+
videos in two separate locations. The Individualized Learning Center provides access to the non-print
items. The Library, two floors below, houses the print collection. Neither of these spaces was designed to
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serve their current purpose; crowded quarters and limited physical access issues will be remedied when
the new Learning Center is completed in Fall 2003.
The need to expand the aging book collection in conjunction with the move to the new Learning
Center, prompted staff to initiate several major projects related to the collection. With the help of faculty,
a massive book and video “weeding” project eliminated outdated and damaged materials and began to
assess the collection by discipline and to guide the acquisition of new materials.
A "Library Collection Development Policy" was written to guide the acquisition of new print and
non-print resources. In Spring 2003, a Collection Development Team, made up of 15 faculty members
representing the College’s major programs, began the work of improving the library collection using
those policies as a guide. With the assistance of the College's Office of Development, the Library seeks
funding to bring the collection up to 60,000 volumes within five years.
Electronic and Remote Access/Local Consortia Membership
The Library has experienced reduced purchasing power due to the rising cost of print materials.
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) provides the College's Library with several
electronic databases (Newsbank, InfoTrac), and Massachusetts Conference of Chief Librarians of Public
Higher Education Institutions (MCCLPHEI) provides access to EBSCOhost. Budgetary allowances fund
access to FirstSearch and The New York Times Online. The Library participates in Worcester Area
Cooperating Libraries (WACL) and shares serials (periodical) holdings information with 28 Worcester
area libraries through the Worcester Area Union List of Serials (WAULS). Distance education students
and teaching faculty are provided with remote home/office access to several of these databases: the
C/WMARS catalog, WAULS, InfoTrac, and EBSCOHost.
The Library is a member of the Central/Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing
(C/WMARS) network of 138 member libraries. The online catalog contains 1.4 million unique titles
(about 6 million items). The Library also subscribes to NELINET, a non-profit cooperative of 660 New
England libraries which supplies OCLC access, group purchasing, and professional development
opportunities.
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Self-Evaluation
The primary mission of the QCC Library is to support the teaching and learning mission of the
College. Thus, the staff of the library embarked on a long-range planning process beginning in Fall 2000.
The process began with four surveys: one each to faculty and students regarding services and resources; a
survey of colleges to which our students most often transfer regarding those librarians’ expectations of
entering juniors; and a survey of other community colleges in Massachusetts regarding services offered
and resource allocation. These surveys produced benchmarks for what we could reasonably expect to
accomplish with our resources and what users believe to be the Library's strengths and weaknesses. In
Spring of 2001, using the results of the surveys as a “needs assessment” and the Association of College
and Research Libraries Standards for Community College Libraries as a template, the library staff
developed a long-range plan for the continued evaluation, improvement and growth of the Library’s
collections and services. That long-range plan has become our working document for the improvement of
our library.
Learning Resources
In addition to Library resources via an online public access catalog, numerous electronic
periodical and reference databases, as well as a traditional collection of books, videotapes, and
periodicals, the College has also created bridges to the curriculum with general-purpose computer
classrooms, discipline-specific computerized work areas, multi-media learning centers, and several multi-
purpose drop-in computing areas.
Our three main multi-media learning centers are the Individualized Learning Center, the Math
Center, and the Communication Skills Center. Each offers tutoring, VHS software, computer-based
instruction modules, Internet access to related sites, and instruction in the use of each of the resources.
The Individualized Learning Center offers multi-discipline tutoring support services; the Math Center
offers services in the support of the math curriculum; and the Communications Skills Center supports the
English and humanities curricula.
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Communication Skills Center
The Communications Skills Center staff provided 1,981 tutoring sessions and students logged
4,651 hours of computer use for the academic year of 2001.
In The Communication Skills Center (also referred to as The Writing Lab) peer tutors assist
students with their writing assignments for all courses at QCC. Lab offerings include: audio/tutorial
grammar/writing study and computer-assisted instruction in writing, reading, vocabulary, reasoning, and
study skills. Peer Tutoring sessions assist students in basic composing and grammar skills. Macintosh
computers, all providing Internet access and on-line multimedia encyclopedia, are available to all students
on a walk-in basis. Each has Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint); grammar study and writing
practice programs are available. These computers are also reserved regularly for specific class instruction,
usually for a class period, and for developmental classes, and are equipped with a range of grammar aids.
The Center is managed by a full time Learning Manager with 10 tutors on staff.
The Math Center
The Math Center is a free, drop-in tutorial center that provides assistance for students in any and
all mathematics courses offered at QCC. The Center’s staff consists of a full-time manager, eleven part-
time tutors working a total of 100 hours per week, and five work-study students working a total of 44
hours per week. When the current manager was hired, the Center was open thirty-nine hours per week.
Due to the College’s commitment to expanding services during evening and weekend hours, the Math
Center’s hours have expanded to fifty-six hours per week in Spring 2002, is now open for a total of sixty-
six hours per week, including eight weekend hours and fifteen evening hours. These hours will hopefully
expand even further when the Center relocates to the new Learning Center in Fall 2003.
In the Fall of 2001, the Math Center tutored nearly 2,000 students for a total of 2,300 contact
hours. During the Spring of 2002, the Center’s student usage increased by approximately fifty percent and
served 2842 students for a total well in excess of 3,000 contact hours. In Fall 2002, the Center served
more students than in the entire previous academic year: 3,553 students for a total of 4,445 contact hours.
This represents a 25% increase from Spring 2002, and an 85% increase from Fall 2001.
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Approximately two-thirds of tutorial assistance is for courses at the developmental level (i.e., up
through MAT 099); however, a significant number of calculus students also make heavy use of tutorial
resources.
The Center facilitates student use of freestanding commercial software, numerous CD- ROMs
and a range of software that accompanies the textbooks currently in use at the College. In addition,
traditional Microsoft Office applications are available.
Individualized Learning Center
The Individualized Learning Center is a drop-in, multimedia-learning laboratory that serves several
functions:
• provides free tutoring in a number of academic disciplines including: Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Nursing, Psychology, Sociology and Spanish. Ancillary course materials in the form of solutions materials, texts, CD ROMs, etc. are available here as well.
• maintains a collection of non-print materials that support the curriculum, and are made available to students and faculty six days a week. The necessary electronic delivery devices are available here as well.
• provides computer and Internet access six days a week, including evenings Monday through Thursday.
• provides students with disabilities a handicapped accessible workstation, equipped with specialized software and hardware suited to their needs.
All of these services are offered in a physical space which allows for collaboration and interaction among
diverse user groups.
The Individualized Learning Center (ILC) is staffed to assist students in the use of the hardware
and software in that area. Network Services provides technical assistance as needed. Staffing includes one
full-time Learning Center Manager and four part-time Learning Center Assistants to cover the 72 hours
per week when the ILC is open.
Information Resources
Information resources are both internal and external to the classroom. Beyond traditional drop-in
support facilities, several discipline-specific computerized classrooms support the areas of Applied Arts,
Biology, Computer Information Systems, Computer Systems Engineering Technology, Mathematics,
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Engineering, English, and Humanities. These classrooms provide current information resources from the
Internet and other networked products as well as multi-media software that the faculty have integrated
into their curricula.
To date, the College has established an Instructional Technology Lab within the Harrington
Academic Computing Center to centralize technology and expertise and serve as a productivity center for
faculty; a faculty/staff training room; and a faculty training curriculum providing instruction on the usage
and integration of digital photography, graphics, Web technology (e.g. FrontPage), interactive
presentations (PowerPoint), and online courseware (i.e. Intralearn).
To ensure technologically current access to information resources, the College employs a “Build
Forward” approach to replacing desktop systems. Each system is assigned a specific lifespan at which
point it is replaced by a new system and traded in to the vendor. The hardware/software standards are set
such that there are no intended upgrades to the hardware or the operating system during the expected
lifespan. However, minor upgrades are made if a system presents a compatibility issue with existing
toolbox software or other required College software. This Acquire/Retire Policy ensures that faculty, staff
and students have access to appropriate equipment for the tasks they need to accomplish. Additionally, all
use of campus computer systems is governed by the QCC Acceptable Use Policy.
The College is equipped with the following "virtual" facilities:
• Administrative Systems: The QCC administrative systems are implemented using Jenzabar CX. This system includes admission, enrollment and financial modules. Financial Aid also employs the EDExpress software provided by the federal government. Additionally, the COGNOS suite of information management tools is used to further analyze data for purposes of reporting and institutional research.
• Basic Information Tools: Each faculty and staff member is provided a desktop system with the Microsoft Office Suite and Jenzabar CX client as the basic toolbox. Each system is upgraded according to the College’s “Acquire/ Retire” strategy for information technology. (See attached Network Infrastructure for Hardware/Operating System Specifications, and Acquire/Retire cycle document)
• Information Storage Strategy: In order to manage the 1,200 networked devices on campus, the College employs a strategy whereby all information is stored via network directory services, allowing centralized backup of staff data and insuring against loss of data during local system failures. In case of a local system failure, a “loaner” can be configured with the staff member’s profile enabling access to their personal data.
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• Electronic Mail Staff: All QCC faculty and staff utilize Microsoft Outlook connecting to a Microsoft Exchange server configured to provide collaboration tools such as public folders and shared calendaring. Additionally, exchange forms are used for helpdesk requests, leave requests, and time/attendance collection. Remote access is also available via the Web.
• Electronic Mail Students: Upon enrollment, each student is provided with an email account via Communigate Email, accessed by any World Wide Web browser or a POP3 email client.
• Student & Academic Computing Facilities: Students are provided access to the Internet, campus email, campus toolbox software, and software required to complete coursework in the Harrington Academic Computing Center, Individualized Learning Center, Communications Skills Center, and the Math Center. The College also provides six general purpose computerized classrooms and eight program-specific computing areas. Together this provides 496 systems for student use.
College at the Mall
The College at the Mall is a new campus location. CCE offers Microsoft Certification training in
the ITech lab while various computer application classes and HRD classes are offered in the HRD Lab.
With Phase II of The College at the Mall completed in June 2002, courses formerly held at the QCC
Downtown Center and St. Paul’s migrated to the Mall. ESL classes are also conducted there.
Distance Education: The College offers online distance education for credit using the Intralearn
Learning Management System. This integrated system provides content delivery, chat, asynchronous
discussion, email client, testing, and grading. Students and Faculty access the system through Internet
Explorer or Netscape Navigator.
Massachusetts Colleges Online (MCO): To further enhance distance learning offerings,
Quinsigamond is involved with the Board of Higher Education’s eLearning Initiative, a pooling of the
limited resources of the Massachusetts state and community colleges. The eLearning portal provides
students across the state access to each campus's offerings.
World Wide Web: QCCWEB provides an array of information regarding programs, courses, and
student services.
QCC Intranet: The QCC Intranet provides access to information and services for the consumption
of the internal College community. It consolidates the order forms for various support departments, links
to the Virtual Helpdesk, various instructions & guidelines, and service department home pages.
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Technology Support: The College’s support strategy begins with training. A collaboration of the
Academic Computing/Instructional Technology, Information Systems, Media Services, and Staff
Development departments provides training for all campus administrative systems, toolbox software, and
instructional technology. Post training support is a team effort of the Technology Helpdesk, CARS
Helpdesk (Jenzabar CX), or Media Services. Each area can be contacted by telephone, Webform, or
email. Virtual help is provided on the web using handouts for set-up and troubleshooting as well as online
“How To” job-aides.
Since 1995, the College has committed approximately seven percent of the total operating budget
to distributing, maintaining, and managing technology. As part of the strategic planning process, the
Technology Integration Committee is charged with the annual review of technology standards. This group
consists of a cross section of faculty and staff that work to anticipate the functional needs of all campus
instructional and administrative systems for the upcoming academic year. Once identified, these needs
will drive equipment standards for the upcoming academic year. This annual process works in tandem
with the College’s acquire/ retire strategy to ensure that Quinsigamond remains technologically current in
both its instructional and administrative systems. This fiscal and physical commitment is evidenced by:
• Twenty-five (25) computer classrooms/laboratories (including the Library and Learning Labs/Centers) spread throughout the campus
• Current desktop computers at each staff workstation • A dedicated staff training room. • The Harrington Academic Computing Center provides sixty (60) student computing stations
and is open seventy-four (74) hours per week during the traditional academic year. • Staffing:
o 1 Chief Technology Officer o 1 Clerk IV o 3 Directors; Academic Computing, Information Systems, and Network
Telecommunications o 4 Staff Associates, 3 Programmers, 1 User Administration o 4 Technical Assistants III’s, 2 Academic Computing, 2 Network Services o 2 AV Technician II o 2 ¼ time Faculty Instructional Design Coordinators.
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APPRAISAL
Library
Strengths
Written in Spring 2001, the Library Long Range Plan is a five-year plan for the continued
evaluation, improvement and growth of the Library’s collections and services. A timeline for systemizing
policies and routine procedures has been set, as well as basic policies for circulation and collection
development. Other improvements to services and facilities await the completion of the new library
building.
With new personnel and a new building opening in Fall 2003, the College will be investing in the
kind of learning resource center that students need and deserve. There is, quite literally, no aspect of the
operation of the College's library that will not be greatly enhanced by the availability of sufficient and
appropriate space and staff and a substantial infusion of collection development funds.
Challenges
Staffing
For many years, until Fall 2001, the library was staffed by one Librarian and three Library
Assistants and was open 65 hours per week. Improvements since that time have been made, but as of
Spring 2003, staffing numbers are still below the minimum standard recommended by the Association of
College and Research Libraries for a community college of comparable size. Additional staff will be
requested as a part of the staffing plan for the new building.
Library Policies and Services
Spring 2001 saw the deployment of four surveys: one to faculty and one to students regarding
services and resources; a third survey to librarians at colleges to which QCC students most often transfer
regarding their expectations of entering juniors; and a fourth survey of other Massachusetts community
college library directors regarding comparable services. Resource allocations were designed to yield
benchmarks for what the Library could reasonably expect to accomplish with in-house resources and what
users believe to be the Library's strengths and weaknesses. The Noel-Levitz student satisfaction survey
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administered during that same period confirmed adequate services but inadequate collections. The
Campus Survey of Faculty and Staff in Spring 2001 further supported that status. Since very little
changed between Spring 2001 and Fall 2002, additional surveys were not administered. As new library
staff were hired following the retirement of three long-term employees, all operating systems and
procedures needed to be modernized and formalized. That has been the primary work of the three new
librarians since December 2002.
Library Collections
The shortcomings of the QCC Library collection will take significant time to remedy. Its deficit is
a product of years of inadequate budgets for library resources and a lack of library staff qualified to
conduct collection development. Historically, the library staff had little money to spend and most of it
was used to respond to urgent faculty requests and to pay for electronic databases, standing orders, and
periodical subscriptions. The 2000 and 2002 Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey indicate that
students perceive that the library collections are inadequate; they are.
Information Resources
Strengths
Computing Equipment and Services
The College has achieved each goal set ten years ago in the 1993 Self Study:
• installation of a campus-wide Local Area Network • electronic access to the print and non-print holdings of the QCC Library, remote reference
materials, and holdings of other libraries • membership in the CW/MARS network • construction of a new “State of the Art” Learning Resource Center (in progress) • QCCLAN is a high-speed data network consisting of a Gigabit backbone with 6 Gigabit
segments, 18 100 Megabit segments, and 100 Megabit access to the desktop. The network is populated by twelve hundred (1200) managed devices and twenty-three (23) file servers. The network provides students, faculty, and staff with a multitude of information resources including access to the Internet, CW/MARS, periodical and reference databases, distance education, and online student services.
The College has also reached the goals established in the 1998 Fifth Year Interim Report:
• Integration between the Library’s system and the College’s student records system • Training for faculty and staff
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• Improvement to lighting and access in ILC and Library
The new building will resolve lighting issues within the ILC and Library. Through the
CW/MARS network, all students, faculty and staff have access to our holdings from any desktop
computer connected to the Internet. Migrating from the Wang-based DMI system to Jenzabar CX has
provided a level of flexibility to interface student information to Accuplacer (student assessment testing),
CW/MARS, Communigate (student email), and Intralearn (Distance Education).
Additionally, the College has also added these capabilities to campus:
• network connectivity in every classroom • satellite downlink capability • renovation of an under-utilized area into the Harrington Academic Computing center with a
60 station open lab and two computerized classrooms • placement of ten (10) student access computers in the library, • improved classroom support, seven (7) mobile data projectors, and eleven (11) permanently
installed projection systems in the computerized classrooms
Technology
QCC has achieved average and above average status in areas of campus technology, including
faculty and student access to computers with live connections, live network access for the classrooms, and
basic instructional technology within the classrooms. Effective May, 2003, the computer technicians set
up in-house computers with an automatic prompt regarding the College’s acceptable use policy
(workroom) which was developed to protect the College legally and to ensure stability of systems. The
web text is the same as the hard copy everyone has received.
Staffing
The College has supported staff and faculty with technological growth. Standardizing has allowed
the development of modular training curricula for both administrative applications and instructional
technology usage. All trainings incorporate self-help handouts and some self-paced training modules. The
Public Services Librarian has begun holding faculty professional development workshops regarding the
use of periodical and reference databases. Lastly, a staff training area equipped with eight (8) stations for
staff and an instructor station provides a collaborative working environment for staff.
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Challenges
Staffing
Needs exist in the area of Academic Computing/ Instructional Technology (AC/IT)/ Media
Services
FY02 Staffing AC/IT: Director, two (2) Technical Assistants III, two (2) AV technicians II, two
(2) ¼ time Faculty Instructional Design Coordinators.
With the addition of one technical assistant III and the Faculty Instructional Design Coordinators
since July 2000 (1.5 staff), this area is understaffed by 2 according to the Price/ Waterhouse/ Coopers
Benchmark Average for Massachusetts State & Community Colleges and 2.7 members below the national
cohort.
Needs exist in Information Systems:
FY02 Staffing: Director and three (3) programmers: with the addition of one (1) programmer
since July 2000, this area is understaffed by 2.2.
Needs exist in Network Services and Telecommunication:
FY02 Staffing: Director, Assistant Director, one (1) Technical Assistant III: this area falls 2.27
staff below the Price/Waterhouse/Coopers Benchmark Average for Massachusetts Community Colleges
and 1.7 staff below the national cohort.
PROJECTION
Library
Staffing
Three new librarians will facilitate the reinvention of the QCC Library: The Technical Services
Librarian will complete the data recovery project and serve as the staff trainer for automating the many
systems that are currently done by hand. She will act as the chief contact between C/WMARS and
campus IT staff to provide seamless delivery of automated resources for students. She will be the key
person to alert staff to new software and electronic services which will enhance library operations and the
Library’s teaching mission.
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The creation of a new position for Collection Development Specialist will ensure that the
Library's collection never lags so far behind again. Responsible for overseeing the quality of the print
and non-print collection, this specialist will ensure that materials meet the needs of the campus
community. As a first step, this librarian will form a faculty Collection Development Team who will
work together to create a comprehensive Collection Development Plan which reflects QCC’s academic
goals and objectives. This plan will support the Internal Program Review Process and individual program
accreditation requirements by putting in place a process for prioritizing appropriate additions to the
Library’s collections and recommending specific discipline areas for updating. This librarian will
determine the appropriate mix of electronic and print resources by program and routinely assess the
collection’s strengths and weaknesses. She will routinely evaluate the services of library vendors and
make changes to ensure that maximum value is received for collection development funds.
The Reference/Instruction Librarian will design and implement a coordinated and relevant information
literacy program which will be made much more effective by the availability of the Online Information
Resource Center in the new building.
Collections
In addition to having a Collection Development Specialist, the key element that will enhance
collections is space: space available to combine the non-print and print collection under the management
of the library; space for plentiful shelving for expansion of the book collection; space for dry, clean
shelving for periodicals to enable easier access and usage; space for readily available reference materials
that students may carry to appropriate tutoring centers as needed. To bring its collection up to the ALA’s
recommendation for a college of QCC’s size, the President launched an aggressive Collections
Development Initiative in January 2003 to raise $1.7 million over the next five years. The College has
amassed $1.1 million between pledges and its own half-million dollars ($100,000.00 per year from
College resources over the next five years). An Alumni Challenge Match Grant from the Alden Trust
equal to $550,000.00 has supported the initiative.
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Services
Expanded facilities, staffing, and collections allow for a variety of new library services. These
services will be a primary focus of Fall 2003 planning and evaluation to begin as soon as the physical
transition to the new building is accomplished. New services may include: expanded Sunday hours, e-
mail reference, drop-in instruction sessions, support for distance education, laptop checkout and other
services of a modern academic library.
The Library will have an Information Desk where staff will coordinate the scheduling of tutoring
sessions and the use of group study rooms. This will provide the first contact to a welcoming, friendly,
helpful space and offer orientation to the building and its services.
Tutoring Facilities
The currently cramped, damp and insufficient facilities cease to exist and the new Library will
become a series of user-friendly environments:
• The Online Information Resource Center will offer, for the first time in QCC’s history, an electronic library resource room where both formally scheduled and drop-in information literacy classes can be held. It will also provide much needed open lab time for library research between those group sessions.
• Clustering three tutoring centers together on the same floor of the new building will allow coordinated scheduling, advertising of services, standardizing of hours and other advantages of a “one look, one purpose” tutoring function. That area will also house the Assistive Technology Lab soundproofed for voice activated software.
• The Math Center will double in size, a necessary resource to the growing numbers of students in developmental math classes.
• Tutoring staff will have private space for tutor interviewing/hiring and student conferences, as well as storage space for textbooks and equipment.
• Plentiful seating (soft seating, study carrels and tables) will be available for library users and 13 study rooms equipped with TV/VCRs meant to support group projects and group study.
Computing Equipment and Services
Staffing:
Increased volume generated by rapid campus growth and the benchmarks identified in the
Appraisal section insist the College take the following measures to bolster the technology support unit:
Develop New Skills for Existing Staff in the following areas:
• SQL Database Administrator/ Programmer
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• Perl and C++ Programming • COGNOS Decision Stream (ETL) • Pursue Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer track training • Pursue Microsoft Application Specialist track training • Checkpoint Firewall Administration • Citrix XP track training
Hire or contract for the following Technology Support Staff:
• Software Technician: Network Services (Hired, Summer 2003) • Software Technician: Academic Computing (Hired, Summer 2003) • Web Programmer/ Developer • AV Technician: Evenings • SQL Database Administrator
Managing Growth Using Technology
Given resource realities that face the College, several strategies have been adopted to facilitate
and manage growth within the given financial constraints. These strategies will optimize resources and
provide the College with the necessary technological environment required to fulfill its mission.
• End user training for all classroom and administrative technologies. • Standard software tools will control support costs • Employ thin-client technology to extend the lifespan of computer equipment • Develop technologies that provide for central management of technology
Virtual College: Jenzabar CX Student Portal
Upon registration, each student will be issued an email address and will be instructed to log into
the student portal provided by Jenzabar. Students will then access information regarding courses, events,
and student clubs. Additionally, the portal interfaces with the Student Information System providing
access to personal grades and progress.
QCC Information Infrastructure
The College will be constructing a local information warehouse based on MS SQL Server
Database Management System (DBMS). End users will then use the Web, Access, Jenzabar CX Menu, or
Excel to access their own tables within the SQL Server database. These tables will be updated
periodically to the CARS tables containing live information. The type of access (read/ write) will be
based upon user permissions. “Datamarts,” developed by Jenzabar and other information bases developed
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according to local specifications (e.g. Title III, HR, Institutional Advancement), will complement other
tools to augment the data warehouse and add essential information not tracked by the CX system. The
College will benefit from a robust platform to build College systems that are currently implemented with
MS Access; CX data integrated with other College systems; and considerably more flexibility with CX
data without endangering system integrity.
Distance Education
Massachusetts Colleges Online is an initiative by the Board of Higher Education to maximize
Distance Education Resources. As this venture matures, the College will take advantage of centralized
services such as a centralized portal connecting students with distance education offerings from all 15
community colleges, and the nine state colleges via a centrally hosted Learning Management System with
24x7 support, Instructional Design training, and inter-college collaboration to develop programs that can’t
be offered at any one campus. As MCO progresses, Quinsigamond will be able to access technology
services to help provide better system availability and helpdesk support than the College can offer on its
own. With a recently trained and highly skilled staff of librarians commencing employment Fall 2002, it
will be possible to design and provide quality services which support distance education students and
faculty. Of paramount importance to librarians is the new TEACH Act, "The Technology, Education and
Copyright Harmonization" Act, articulated by the ALA and issued by the Copyright Management Center
Indiana University, 2002.
Overall, as the new facility comes on line in early Fall, The Library and Information Services
have much to look forward to as the Learning Center slowly closes in the gaps -- materially and
academically -- it constantly reminds the community that the College will eventually be grounded in
state-of-the-art, art of the state.
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STANDARD EIGHT, PHYSICAL RESOURCES
DESCRIPTION
In 1963 Quinsigamond was the sixth community college established by the Massachusetts state
legislature. For the first few years the College operated at various temporary locations in Worcester.
Now situated on 47 acres, QCC has become a vital presence in Worcester's Greendale area since 1971
when the grounds were purchased from the former Assumption College. In the northeast corner of the
city, the College is conveniently located to serve the 168 towns and cities of Central Massachusetts via
the convergence of two interstate highways and a state highway. The College is bordered by residential
areas on three sides and a commercial area on the fourth side. The land is carried in the College’s
financial statements at its original cost of $1,278,049.00. Buildings, including improvements, furnishings
and equipment show a cost basis of $17,643,260.00. In today’s dollars, the land and buildings would be
considerably more valuable.
Over the last ten years, one of the most striking transformations of the College has been its
physicality, which is to say its material and cyber transmutation from a decrepit, urban eyesore to an
invigorated, active refurbished testament to "form follows function." In the 1993 Self-Study, Standard
Eight profiled not so much the College's presence in the community as its simple presence in space and
time. That report organized information according to building layout, listed physical features, specified
space utilization and recognized in the Appraisal section the following shortcomings: "the building issues
of most pressing concerns are the library, Learning Resources Center, and the cafeteria …. the inadequacy
of student lounge and study areas, fire safety and infrastructure in the Administration Building. " (Self-
Evaluation, Fall, 1993: 65). The subsequent report from the NEASC Visiting Team confirmed those
findings: "the Administration building, … is showing the effect of deferred maintenance, and is in need of
structural updating and attention to fire safety. The most pressing concerns -- in terms of suitability, size,
and safety -- are with the library, the learning resource center, and the cafeteria" (Report of the
Accreditation Team, 1994: 18).
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With the arrival of President Kurtinitis and her response to that deficit, Facilities Renovation was
catapulted to the fore of the President's Strategic Goals, and repair and renovation began in earnest in
1997. The 1998 Fifth-Year Interim Report noted in its "Response to Three Areas Identified for Special
Emphasis" the College's success in procuring $21 million from the state's Capital Projects funds. Now at
the apex of a decade of renewal and growth, is the construction of a new Library and Learning Center
(noted further in Appraisal) set for Fall completion. The Fifth-Year Report also enumerated remodeling
and expansion undertakings (28-29).
Main Campus
Administration Building: comprising 144,000 square feet, this main, "A," building, houses the
major Administrative offices including that of the President, Vice Presidents, Deans, Admissions,
Registrar, Financial Aid, and Business Office. Also located in this building are computer labs, graphic
arts lab, nursing lab, allied health labs, several classrooms, the Dental Clinic, and faculty offices. The
Print Shop, mailroom, Bookstore and main Cafeteria are all housed in the "A" Building as well.
Surprenant Hall: comprising 48,000 square feet, consists primarily of classrooms. SABES
offices, faculty offices and labs including electromechanical technology, computer support, specialized
computer, biology, physics, chemistry, and radiology are also located here. Support from industry,
including the Intel Corporation, has been important in establishing many of the high tech labs. The lower
level was converted to a mini conference center to accommodate special programs such as the Verizon
“Next Step” for training their employees under contract to the College and, of course, it is used for
classroom space at other times. Connected to Surprenant Hall is the 11,000 square feet Hebert Auditorium
which seats 550 people and has a stage and supporting dressing room areas.
Ahlfors Hall: named for Andrew and Helmi Ahlfors, two longtime Worcester residents whose
generous contribution made construction of this building possible, this facility has housed classrooms and
the Communications Skill Laboratory. When the new Learning Center opens, Ahlfors Hall will be
completely converted to classroom use to meet the needs of the College’s burgeoning enrollment.
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The Athletic Center comprises 47,500 square feet, which includes an Olympic sized swimming
pool; an 11,000 square foot gymnasium; locker rooms and showers; and an assortment of body building
equipment. Central Receiving, and the College Supply Room are also housed in this building. The
baseball field, the running track, and soccer fields are adjacent to the Athletic Center. An athletic
membership program is offered free to students, faculty and staff and at minimal cost to local residents.
Local residents enjoy the nearby outdoor track as an exercise and walking area.
The Child Study Center comprising 9,100 square feet, houses the Early Childhood Education
Program and the Nursery School. It provides a learning laboratory for students in the Early Childhood
Program and an affordable day care center for students’ children. Offices for staff and faculty related to
the program are situated within. The basement is also utilized for records storage.
Located at the northwest corner of the campus, the Maintenance Building of 5,400 square feet is
utilized for storage of large equipment and related maintenance functions.
The Fuller Student Center, created in 2001 from an abandoned brick garage, is a 3,500 square
foot Student Life Center, centralizing staff and student offices, a student lounge, conference room, and
game room. It is entirely devoted to student socializing and programming and was made possible through
the support of the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller, Worcester philanthropists.
Upon completion in early Fall, the new Learning Center will comprise 56,000 square feet on
three levels. The first floor will house a lounge, multimedia conference rooms, a classroom, and a café.
The second and third levels will contain the library, staff offices, communication skills lab, math lab, and
tutoring center.
College at the Mall and other Outlying Facilities
Our largest off campus site is the College at the Mall: 12,500 square feet of space located at the
Worcester Common Outlets in downtown Worcester. This facility houses eight general-purpose
classrooms, five computer classrooms and a multipurpose room as well as offices for the Adult Basic
Education Program, Continuous Learning Center, and the Downtown Outreach Center.
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The Worcester Senior Center hosts the kitchen facilities used by the Hotel Restaurant
Management Program which holds classes and operates a diner for senior citizens. The Center serves as a
lab for students, a site for community service and workplace simulation for students. Classes are held at
the Southbridge Center at Southbridge High School to accommodate the residents of southern Worcester
County. Collaboration with the Natick and Marlborough Fire Departments allows the College to offer
classes in fire science at both the Natick and Marlborough Fire Stations.
In regard to Virtual Facilities, the College also offers credit and non-credit distance-learning
classes via the Internet as detailed in Standard 7. Electronically linked offices and information-sharing is
also noted in Standard Seven.
Transportation and Parking
Surface parking provides over 380 spaces for faculty and staff and over 1200 spaces for students
as well as 20 handicapped spaces. At the beginning of each semester parking is expanded to an additional
375 spaces for students by using the upper track near the Athletic Center. The Worcester Regional
Transit Authority provides bus service on two routes that run on two borders of the College grounds.
Maintenance staffing: consists of a director, a recently hired assistant director, a clerical support person,
3 working foreman, 13 maintainers, three groundskeepers, 2 skilled laborers, 1 carpenter and 1 painter.
Contract cleaning is used for off campus sites.
Public Safety Staffing: consists of one Director, two Sergeants and seven officers.
Appraisal
Strengths
The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education has established a strategic capital building
program for all state and community colleges to address present physical deficiencies and project needs
for predicted enrollment growth. The Board of Higher Education, the Division of Capital Asset
Management and the College have jointly authorized Eva Klein and Associates, Ltd. to direct
prioritization of the College’s capital needs. The Klein project phases in needs for the institution’s
renovation, modernization, adaptive re-use, demolition and other modes of fully utilizing extant assets --
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Phase One focuses on immediate needs during years 1 –5; while Phase Two conceptualizes needs for
years 6 –10 based on projected growth and strategic priority. The Klein assessment enumerates
individual campus projects, costs to correct deficiencies and solutions, and tracks the status of each.
Many of the identified physical needs cited by the Klein team in their "Strategic Capital Program:
Methods to Prioritize Capital Needs for Institutions" (10/2002), as well as those needs cited by the 1993
NEASC Visiting Team, have been remedied and are noted in the Klein Report (workroom). The Eva
Klein study identifies QCC’s need for additional instructional space as one of the top two priorities for
higher ed state wide.
The Learning Center
Commencing in Fall 2003, Quinsigamond Community College will have added a substantial new
facility to the list of campus resources. In the planning since 1999, this new 56,000 square foot building
is home to both the campus Library as well as various tutoring services, including the Mathematics,
Communication Skills and Individualized Learning Centers. Funded by the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts as a model, this new building features state-of-the-art technology as an integral component
to the learning environment. The building is home to a variety of teaching resources including an
Assistive Resource Room for the sight impaired, as well as two technology classrooms, one of which will
serve in on-line bibliographic/research education.
Central to the design of this building were the individual space requirements of the services to be
located there; and equally important were considerations of streamlining space allocations in an effort to
create collaborative, integrated areas that complement each other rather than compete for resources. The
College and the architectural design team of architectural firm Einhorn Yaffee Prescott accomplished the
final schematics. Various learning environments to accommodate various learning styles are in the
planning: from reading rooms, to instructional classrooms, to providing many individual and one-on-one
study rooms. This building has been aptly named The Learning Center. More than a traditional library or
classroom building, the Learning Center offers a nexus of learner-centered supports.
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The building additionally provides other enhancements to Quinsigamond. A new “casual” study
lounge will serve as a living room for the campus and a new café will become a community-gathering
place. The building will include a larger (2,000 sq. ft.) meeting hall, which can serve as lecture hall,
reception room to be divided as necessary into two large classrooms or meeting rooms. The hall can
easily sit 128 persons lecture style and 118 at round tables.
General Renovations
Since 1997, a campus wide program of construction and renovation has been instituted. Virtually
all faculty offices in both the Administration Building and Surprenant Hall have been renovated. Fresh
paint, new furniture, carpeting, ceilings, lighting and CAT 5 wiring for telephone and data services are
now standard and create a consistent décor throughout the Administration Building. Classrooms and
hallways in both buildings have also been re-carpeted and student seating replaced or refinished. All
classrooms in Suprenant Hall were painted, re-carpeted, and equipped with sun blocking shades to create
more comfortable environs, but more importantly, all have been equipped with TV sets, VCRs and
monitors. Hallways in the Administration Building have been painted and new lights and ceilings
installed. Restrooms in the Administration Building have been renovated and rendered accessible to
disabled persons. Interior and exterior signage has been updated to be informational and aesthetically
pleasing.
In 2001-2002 an entirely new fire alarm system was installed throughout the campus. The system
was designed and built by Simplex/Grinnell, a leader in fire alarms, at a cost of $350,000.00. Using
current building codes, the new system includes smoke and heat sensors, signals with both audio and
visual alarms and devices that close smoke doors automatically. Annunciator panels in each building and
in the Public Safety Office now pinpoint alarm locations. The Worcester Fire Department receives
automatic notification of an alarm through a dedicated telephone line. Each building has a strobe light
outside to indicate an alarm has been activated.
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Administration Building Renovations
The new Student Assessment and Advising Center was created in a completely renovated, air-
conditioned area near the main student entrance (the rear entrance to the Administration Building). It
brings together assessment and registration in one central 1,400 sq. ft. location. A payment center also
set up in this area provides a “one-stop” continuum for students to complete all their registration needs.
Through a grant from Massachusetts Department of Health and local contributions from groups
such as the Central Massachusetts Dental Society, the Dental Clinic was totally remodeled three years ago
at a cost of $800.000.00. It is now a state-of-the-art facility providing real-world experience for students
and serving as a community resource via the Great Brook Valley Community Health Center. There are
twenty modern dental chairs with high-end accessories (such as cavitronic scalers), complex X-Ray
equipment (including darkroom), a dedicated classroom and patient seating area all contained in a first
floor space at the front entrance to the Administration Building. A panoramic X-Ray machine and digital
radiographic capabilities make this an optimal training environment for students and provides a
community service by providing dental examining and cleaning for only $20.00 for local residents. In
addition, the QCC Dental Clinic serves as an operating site for full service dental care for community
members with limited financial resources. This service is provided in partnership with the Great Brook
Valley Community Health Center.
Several years ago, the Bookstore was moved to the former student cafeteria seating area. This is
a windowless area, unsuitable for a cafeteria but ideal for a bookstore. The area was gutted and
completely rehabbed including new bookstore fixtures, lighting and carpeting. A new point of sale
computer system was installed that allows on-line ordering of textbooks submitted by faculty, a web site
for students to order textbooks and cash registers that allow for credit cards and financial aid charging.
The system tracks inventory from receiving through sale and provides complete general ledger functions.
Seasonal gifts, greeting cards, sundries, newspapers, etc. make this a convenience for faculty, staff and
students located adjacent to our recently remodeled cafeteria. At the rear, offices and a receiving room
with conveyer belt to the outside provide staff with workspace. Students are able to select their own
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books from bookmobiles that roll out of the way when book rush is over. Transit passes, subsidized by
the College, are sold to students at a 25% discount through the bookstore to encourage use of public
transportation and to make transportation more affordable.
The Student Cafeteria seating area is decorated in a black and white motif with new tables and
chairs for 110 people. Live plants brighten large windows; air conditioning assures a comfortable eating
experience; the ATM machine and vending machines also in this area make student dining more
pleasurable.
The Cafeteria serving area was also completely gutted and professionally restructured to provide
an efficient, pleasant atmosphere for students and staff to select breakfast, lunch and snack items.
Kitchen equipment was upgraded or replaced. At a cost of $700,000.00 we now have an attractive,
efficient serving area complete with built-in refrigerated salad bar, self-service beverage machines with
built-in icemaker, grille and hot food serving area. This has allowed us to expand our community
catering capabilities, such as providing the catering for the annual Martin Luther King Breakfast for 750
people.
The Harrington Computer Center, an open computer lab housing sixty student use computers, and
two adjoining computer classrooms, were created four years ago on the third floor of the Administration
Building to accommodate the computer needs of our students. The nearby Fletcher Graphic Arts Lab was
doubled in size two years ago and brought up-to-date with Apple computers for our popular graphic arts
program.
The Fuller Student Center, completed two years ago through a generous half-million dollar gift
from the Fuller Foundation, provides students with an area to relax and mingle in a pleasant environment.
Space is provided for student governing bodies and organizations: offices for the Student Life staff,
student senate and newspaper, game room, TV lounge, vending area. There is an outdoor terrace for
BBQ’s, concerts and recreation in the warm weather. The Student Center was recreated by using an
abandoned brick garage that had aesthetic appeal and was re-designed to double its size while maintaining
the motif of the original.
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Community and state organizations heavily utilize Hebert Auditorium, the Athletic Center,
athletic fields, and conference rooms throughout the campus. Quinsigamond Community College has a
reputation for being a friendly and convenient place to meet.
The Facilities Use Committee has been reconstituted as the Library Backfill Committee and is
reviewing areas soon to be vacated when functions move to the new Learning Center. It meets every
other week during the academic year to appraise vacated areas and make recommendations for their re-
use. A formal process has been established to accept input from all segments of the College community
on suggestions and needs for re-use. The Vice-President of Administrative Services chairs the committee,
and its membership includes faculty, professional staff, classified staff and non-unit staff representing all
divisions of the College.
Sheltered bus stops are provided at both the front and rear entrances of the campus. A new traffic
light has been installed at the main entrance, which has helped considerably to ease the flow of traffic in
and out of the campus.
Despite an understaffed facilities department, the grounds have been well kept over the years
presenting an appealing environment in an essentially urban setting. In an innovative program started
almost 25 years ago, funds that would have been spent for cut flowers and the like for the
Commencement stage were used to buy shrubs and small trees. These are temporarily used to enhance
the stage area during the ceremony, and then planted throughout the campus.
With the exception of the 2nd floor of the Child Study Center, all of the buildings are accessible to
disabled persons.
Challenges
Several challenges hamper our efforts to support our mission:
The primary deterrent to enhanced comfortable learning arrangements is the shortage of
classrooms during times that are most in demand, 8 am to 2 pm, and 4 pm to 10 pm weekdays. Since we
are currently over-utilizing our classroom space, we can, according to the Klein report, expect major
difficulty in seating students, given the projected increase. The 2003 figure of FTEs, 3572, is expected to
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rise to 4,726 in 2011; the resulting 41.7% variance speaks to the immediacy of the College's need to
prioritize instruction-related space.
The visible lack of office space for adjunct faculty who also have difficulty accessing computers
has been articulated by the Adjunct Faculty Task Force (1998).
The Klein report indicates total replacement of the Child Study Center as a Phase One (High
Priority) need. Other high priorities include major new construction of a new General Academic Building
and a Maintenance/Receiving Building; ADA Improvements; Campus-Wide Asbestos Survey; and
Emergency Phone Installation.
Due to resignations and retirements over the last several years, the maintenance staff has not been
sufficient to keep the campus minimally clean, and there has been little preventative maintenance.
The Public Safety Staff is down a police officer due to resignations and retirements. With the dramatic
increase in enrollment over the last few years, another police officer and traffic control attendants are
needed.
The decentralization of maintenance staff and facilities, poor road access to central receiving and
lack of a loading dock hamper efficiency. Storage areas in all parts of the college, and particularly a
records storage area with climate control, are also limited.
There is a lack of central air conditioning throughout a majority of the campus; classrooms are
particularly uncomfortable during summer sessions.
The baseball field is in poor condition, needing an irrigation system and bleachers.
The Athletic Center needs up dating to make it an attractive and functional place for sports and
recreation.
Traffic circulation needs to be improved. The main campus road is also the main campus
walkway. A perimeter loop for cars would eliminate bottlenecks and pedestrian hazards.
Given the scope of renovations and updates that have been proposed, coupled with the current
Draconian fiscal climate, the College's progress in facilities overhaul, though considerable, cannot slow
down. Though the new Library and Learning Center is the most ambitious undertaking the College has
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moved forward in the last decade, enrollment projections demand significant enhancement of the learning
environment.
The 1993 NEASC assessment noted the “critical need to update the administration building and
to build a new structure to house the learning resource center, the cafeteria, and other programs” (“Report
of the Accreditation Visiting” Feb 14, 1994: 18); since then, facilities upgrade has been an on-going
“mission critical” commitment which President Kurtinitis targeted as a campaign to make a “Big, Visible
Difference.” Indeed, many of the safety and aesthetic deficits cited ten years ago have now materially
morphed into safety and aesthetic pluses that have helped inspire a new-found campus-wide self-
respecting, amicable ethos.
PROJECTION
General
The College has made great strides in the past five years improving the general physical condition
of the campus and its buildings. Offices have been renovated, classrooms updated, computer labs added,
parking expanded, but the capstone addition, the new Learning Center --- which will house the new
library, tutoring facilities and other resource areas --- presents a special challenge for the College: how
best, to equitably and reasonably utilize vacated spaces from over 14,000 square feet in the
Administration Building and 2,500 square feet in Ahlfors Building. Chaired by the Vice President of
Administrative Services, and representing all areas of the College, the Library Backfill Committee
(successor to the Facilities Use Committee) has been established to explore proposals for re-use of the
spaces. The College at large has been invited to present, through the various divisions, requests for re-
utilization of space. Two considerations guide this process: identify spaces and proposals that can be
matched and implemented quickly with minimal cost; and secondly, make plans for long-term re-use
which will require extensive resources. Of paramount importance is to identify areas that can be re-used
as classrooms as quickly as possible to accommodate enrollment increases.
Physical Planning
Long-term plans will require updating the College’s master plan (which has not been revised for a
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for long-term projection since 1987). In 2002, the Board of Higher Education (BHE) and the state
Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) commissioned the consultant firm, Eva Klein and
Associates, to develop the Strategic Capital Program for State and Community Colleges (noted in
Description and available in workroom) which is first major step in developing a new master plan. The
College will be integrating this report with the resolutions of the Library Backfill Committee to develop a
comprehensive plan for renovating existing space and grounds and for designing new functions for
various spaces. The College is working closely with the BHE and DCAM to choose an architect to
evaluate current facilities for applicability to the new plan. Although the state economic situation is bleak
at this time, the College will press forward to prepare for the future, seeking alternate funding to move
forward on renovation of backfill space
Maintenance Staffing
The Learning Center will require a minimum of three maintenance workers and one tradesman to
properly maintain this high-tech, state-of-the-art facility. The College has requested a supplemental state
appropriation to provide wages for the needed staff and to cover the cost of utilities. Meanwhile, other
methods of dealing with this challenge require more effective deployment of the already understaffed
custodial staff. Compounding the College’s maintenance issues are the two early retirements from 2002
that further understaffed the two unfilled positions. The Facilities Department has been reorganized with
the addition of an assistant director to share supervision with the director.
Other Maintenance Changes:
• Change existing shifts to maximize staff utilization. • Train custodial staff to achieve consistency in cleaning techniques. • Strict adherence to time-off scheduling. • Work “skeleton” days to take advantage of the unoccupied space. • Implement checklist and procedures for supervisors. • Create a cleaning-painting, repair trade team. • Use contract services for window cleaning. • Supervisors to take a more active roll in work-mix. • Use grounds crew inside during down times. • Maintain cafeteria using part-time help. • Enforce college policies regarding food within the buildings.
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• Recommend a zone scheduling method for classes and events that would allow maintenance free zones during off-hours activities.
• Standardize upon bulletin boards for placement of notices and ask staff not to tape or tack to walls.
• Request staff to be accountable for own trash and recyclables to be placed in proper receptacle.
• Request staff to be mindful of activities that might cause building damage. • Control outside handout papers.
Public Safety Staffing
The Department of Public Safety has also suffered from retirements and budget cuts. The
following proposals to bolster the department are being evaluated:
• Establish and fill from within the position of lieutenant to provide support to the Director of Public Safety.
• Promote from within to the position of sergeant, left vacant by retirement. • Hire up two full-time officers: one to fill the vacancy left by retirement and the other to
compliment the day shift overlap for weekend coverage. • Hire two part-time traffic enforcement officers allowing restructuring of the day shift
officers’ days off.
Though the College has made great progress in improving the physical condition of the campus in
the past five years, the constricted state economy and subsequent decrease of state aid will present
opportunities for the College to meet the challenge of maintaining and upgrading the physical plant in
innovative and creative ways.
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STANDARD 9 - FINANCIAL RESOURCES
DESCRIPTION
As part of the statewide system of Higher Education, Quinsigamond Community College is
dependent on state appropriation for approximately 40% of its revenue. The College had seen a steady
increase in its appropriation since the mid-1990s, but because of the downturn in the state economy, has
experienced a decrease of $482,000 or 3.2% in state maintenance appropriation in FY2002, a decrease in
FY03 of $658,369 or 4.5%, and a decrease of $1,875,274 or 13.5% in FY2004. The state maintenance
appropriation for FY 2002, FY2003, and FY 2004, consisted of $14,490,099, $13,831,730 and,
$11,956,456 respectively. The College had been cited for deferred maintenance needs in the 1993
NEASC Ten-Year Evaluation. Since then, the College has worked hard to acquire approximately $4.5
million from state funds to address the deficiencies. In conjunction with fundraising efforts, the College
has recently built a state-of-the-art dental lab and several computer labs; and transformed a storage
building into the new Fuller Student Center. September 2003, awaits the opening of the new library
funded by the Massachusetts Department of Capital Asset Management (DCAM).
Revenue Sources
QCC has seen an increase in its total revenue over the past several years despite the recent
decreases in the State Maintenance appropriation as indicated by the chart below:
Year State Maintenance Tuition & Fees Total FY 1997 9,549,059 8,411,432 17,960,491 FY 1998 10,420,068 7,053,417 17,473,485 FY 1999 11,599,398 6,548,083 18,147,481 FY 2000 12,249,087 7,532,163 19,781,250 FY 2001 14,972,130 7,354,993 22,327,123 FY 2002 14,491,256 8,914,153 23,405,409 FY 2003 13,831,730 10,841,542 24,673,272
Although the College was faced with a decrease in state appropriation in FY2002, it was still able
to show an increase in total revenue of 7.3% in 2002 as compared to 13.1% in 2001, and 15.1 % in 2000.
This rise results from an increase in tuition and fee revenue as well as an increase in other funding such as
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grants and fundraising. Approximately 45% of College revenue is spent on instruction; 8.5% on
academic support; 15% on scholarships; 10% on student services; 11% on institutional support; and
10.5% on operation of plant.
Budgetary Process
The Board of Trustees of QCC retains autonomy in all budget and financial planning matters as
set forth in Ch 15A of the General Laws of Massachusetts. At its September 2001meeting, the Board of
Trustees approved a 3-5 year Strategic Plan which was recommended by the College’s Planning
Committee.
The budget process begins with an estimate of all unrestricted revenue sources. The primary
sources of revenue are from the State Appropriation and from student tuition & fees. The student
enrollment for the year is estimated early in the budget process and the estimated state appropriation
figures are used. The prior year budget is adjusted for non-recurring expenditures and anticipated payroll
changes which are controlled centrally. The resulting budget is compared to current revenue projections
to determine expected surplus/(deficit) in operating budget. Individual cost center budgets have been
decreased by 5 - 20 % over the past three years based on the overall budget. The Vice Presidents have the
authority to re-allocate funds within their division with the exception of payroll which is centrally
controlled.
When available, funds in excess of the basic budget are available for requests to fund “plus” and
new strategic initiatives. New initiatives must first be requested by cost centers to the Vice Presidents.
The President makes final decisions on prioritizing projects and selecting new initiatives to be funded.
All funds approved for new initiatives are allocated separately as approved. Recent reductions in state
appropriated funds have restricted many new initiatives. In addition, resources may be re-allocated based
on circumstances that arise during the year. Once the final appropriation is approved by the Legislature
and signed by the Governor, the College budget is amended as needed and the Board of Trustees approves
the official operating budget of the College.
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Fiscal Integrity
Administrative Staff in Fiscal Services hold advanced degrees with years of experience in higher
education. They are provided with the training necessary to stay informed of current fiscal requirements
such as the new GASB reporting requirements that were implemented for FY02 and the new Foundation
reporting requirements of GASB 39, which will be implemented for FY04. Also, since the last NEASC
Self-Study, the College has purchased and implemented an integrated computer records system, CARS,
which stores and controls student and fiscal data. The CARS system also enables budget managers to
view the current status of their budget vs. actual expenditures at any given time. Because the CARS
system is an integrated system, the CARS system provides the most up-to date and complete enrollment,
billing & collection, revenue, purchasing, expenditure and budget data, which can be used for decision
making purposes.
As part of the College governance system, the Administrative Services Committee is charged
with developing non-academic policies for the day-to-day operations of the College and is responsible for
informing the College community of such policies. Fiscal policies are clearly stated in writing and
maintained in the Business Office which reconciles all funds on a monthly basis; Trust Fund Reports are
submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval at each Board meeting. The Vice President of
Administrative Services performs periodic analysis of actual vs. projected revenue in order to detect
variances as soon as possible. Offsetting cost cutting measures can then be implemented in a timely
manner without depleting reserve balances. Various reports enable Management to retrieve the
information necessary to make informed decisions.
The College is subject to several audits including audits by the Office of the State Comptroller,
State Single Audit, Federal Program Review, General Purpose Financial Statement Audit, and
Massachusetts Student Financial Assistance Audit. QCC engages the Independent Public Accounting
firm O’Connor & Drew to complete the General Purpose Financial Statement Audit and Massachusetts
Student Financial Assistance Audit on an annual basis. Audits are conducted in accordance with
generally accepted auditing standards for colleges and universities as adopted by the American Institute of
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Certified Public Accountants. O’Connor & Drew report any findings and recommendations in a
Management Letter to Management and the Board of Trustees. QCC Management responds to each
finding in writing and takes appropriate corrective action as needed. The Auditors follow up on each
finding to ensure that the issue has been resolved and report on the status of each finding in the following
year’s audit report.
Internal mechanisms that are in place to monitor the financial management include the following
measures: continuous up- to-date enrollment data management; actual revenue vs. projections analysis;
analysis of budgets vs. actual expenditures; quarterly reports submitted to the Board of Trustees; and
updated operating budget projections.
External Resources
QCC has been very successful in acquiring external resources to augment internal resources. The
revenue base of QCC has shown steady growth over the past several years and continued growth is
expected.
College "Foundation" and Grants
Pursuant to Chapter 15.A. of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Quinsigamond Board of
Trustees has empowered a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation, The Quinsigamond Community College
Foundation, Inc., to be its primary fundraising arm. It is a separate corporation under the direction of a
Board of Directors, and generally, donations are tax deductible for the donor. The Foundation is in
compliance with all Federal and Massachusetts reporting requirements and has been since its inception in
1985. The Foundation has been actively seeking philanthropic contributions on behalf of the College
since 1997. Though the position of Executive Director of Development is currently vacant, the person in
that role will act as a liaison to the Foundation for the President of the College.
The Foundation follows the requirements and policies established by the Massachusetts Board of
Higher Education and the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office. Audited annually by an external
private auditing firm, all fundraising activity conducted by the Foundation is carefully scrutinized. In
every audit conducted since its inception, the Foundation has always generated positive reports, and
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copies of audits are provided to the College's Board of Trustees. The Foundation is also subject to
reporting requirements of the Massachusetts Attorney General and the Massachusetts Secretary of State.
Foundation fundraising activities are recommended by the College President and approved by the
governing Board of Directors and will be coordinated by the Executive Director of Development.
Foundation and Grants staffs also pay close attention to, and are governed by, the wishes of each donor or
grantmaker as stipulated in their guidelines, and identifies the purposes for which funds are being
solicited to prospective donors. Where specific requirements are not stated, Foundation/Grants Office
staff develop written implementation objectives that respect the donor’s wishes, revise those objectives as
desired by the sponsor, while, at the same time, integrate the College’s objectives. Use of funds then
follows specificity of that articulation. All grant-seeking efforts are conducted within the parameters set
by the President and senior College administration structures. The Grants Director develops each funding
proposal to accurately reflect the need for the funds necessary to affect or promote growth in relation to
mission objectives.
All private gift and public grant requests are driven by institutional need as defined by the
College primarily in two ways: the President and her Senior Staff identify College needs via a “Big
Ticket” list as part of the ongoing strategic planning and budgeting processes, and external fund-seeking
efforts are developed and implemented to meet those needs; and secondly, the College's faculty and staff
identify needs at the classroom and student levels, and those needs are brought to the external fund-
seeking process. A grant-seeking process was developed by the Director of Grants Development under
the review of the President and her Senior Staff and approved as formal process in 1999.
Public grants are deposited directly into an account in the College's Business Office created for
the purpose of the grant projects and grant funds. The projects, and the funds granted for the projects, are
expended on a timely basis as agreed upon in the grant application. Private gifts are deposited into an
account in the QCC Foundation, Inc., and are subsequently transferred to the College upon request subject
to the approval of both the Board of the Foundation and the College's board of Trustees. Stipulations
govern the lawful expenditure of those funds, restricting them to the project for which the gift was
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originally intended. Gifts to the Foundation cannot be used for any purpose which is not consistent with
donor intent without prior authorization of the donor.
Quinsigamond Development staff seek to accurately represent the state of the College, its
finances, its activities, and its aspirations when soliciting external funds. In each funds request,
Quinsigamond Development staff clearly and unequivocally outline what the donor/funder can expect to
see happen with their contribution(s). At a minimum, exact activities with projected timelines are
provided the donor in advance of the gift. Typically, and especially with grant requests, the plans for the
funds are described in great detail, showing exactly how much will be spent, on what, by whom, and what
results (a goal or goals, and objectives) can be expected, by when. Once funds are received, the
Development staff impress upon each project implementation team the importance of meeting the
College's stated obligation to the donor/grantmaker. The expectation for periodic or final project reports
is clarified and set. And finally, all fiscal activity is recorded on CARS in restricted accounts established
for each restricted grant.
APPRAISAL
Strengths
Over the past five years, the College's revenue base has increased in light of the state's recent
decrease in state funding. An increase in other revenue sources such as federal, state, and local grants;
tuition and fees; donations; and auxiliary operations has helped the College get through two fiscally
challenging years. The severe fiscal shortfall facing the State in the next few years will make fiscal
management even more challenging. The College has been one of the few community colleges to hold
down tuition to one of the lowest levels in the state and we hope to be able to keep the fee structure as low
as possible in the future enabling us to support our mission of providing affordable and accessible
programming to residents of central Massachusetts.
One of the College’s outstanding achievements is the 2001 award of a $1.7 million Title III grant
from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant is guiding QCC's institutional effectiveness by
implementing a comprehensive redesign, testing, and evaluation of academic and student services
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delivered to entry-level under prepared students. Key program components include redesign of all math
and English developmental education courses; development of a systematic outcomes assessment
methodology; implementation of a developmental advising model; and construction of an efficient and
easy-to-use enrollment services space. All project strands are designed to foster under prepared students’
success in college and beyond. The project is in year two of its five-year implementation and its progress
thus far is noted in Standard Four, Program and Instruction.
Development Staff
Quinsigamond's Development staff is a small development shop – with three professional and
two support staff – and its major shortcoming is its inability to undertake every effort it would like to on
behalf of the College. The College is presently searching for a new Executive Director of Development
to replace the dean who retired last year. But within this context, the College has had many notable
fundraising successes in recent years, and has conducted them with integrity and by fully meeting the
College's and donors’ expectations for the funds. In the last five years, the Foundation has raised $3.5
million on behalf of the College, and College grant seeking efforts have raised $6 million.
The following exemplify the College's undertakings in presenting, planning and fulfilling funders'
expectations of various projects:
• The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education expected a new dental clinic instruction lab for its $200,000 gift in 1999; in Quinsigamond's main administration building now stands a $750,000 clinic (the difference provided by private donors such as the Stoddard Charitable Trust, $200,000) that is the most advanced in the state.
• James Harrington (Francis A. and Jacquelyn H. Harrington Foundation, $250,000) expected a new computer laboratory that would overnight transform Quinsigamond students' access to the latest in personal computing; The Harrington Computer Lab now invites comparison to any student computer lab.
• The Worcester Cultural Commission expected that the College would increase the utility of its art galleries by bringing area high school students to meet the artists.
• Dr. Kathryn O’Loughlin of the Delta Dental Foundation ($5,000) expected Quinsigamond would leverage its Dental Clinic and students to improve the oral health of at-risk neighborhood elementary-aged students; "Kid Seal" has served nearly 2,000 in three years and is the model for similar project implementations statewide.
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• Russell Fuller (George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation, $500,000) in Spring 2001 expected that he would see an old campus tractor shed transformed into Quinsigamond's first ever student center, and in January 2002 he dedicated the Fuller Student Center, a remarkable new extracurricular space. Quinsigamond takes seriously its obligations to its grant makers and donors, working to meet or exceed them.
The College's Development Office has well-reasoned and consistent approaches to the seeking of
external funds – both public grant and private philanthropic contribution. The College, through its
governing bodies, has a reasonable and effective mechanism for determining external fund seeking needs.
Grant maker and donors' interests are given full consideration during the request of a gift. That the use of
private gifts is in alignment with donor intent is centralized in and assured by the Development Office.
Monitoring of public grant expenditures' alignment with grant maker intent is not centralized in the
Development Office, but left to individual program directors.
Student Billing
The recent Noel-Levitz survey indicates that students are very pleased with the efforts that have
been made in the Business Office with regard to student billing issues. Improvements include utilization
of the new CARS system to streamline student billing and collections, addition of a Student Payment
Center at the One-Stop Student Center, and extended service hours. The College has also been very
successful in implementing an integrated financial aid disbursement and refund process with the Business
Office, which was a more cumbersome and manual process in the past.
Fiscal Integrity
The implementation of the CARS system has enhanced financial records management and aided
in increased communications between departments. The College has received an unqualified audit report
each year since its first audit in 1996. Management Letters have gone from including thirty-five
recommendations in 1997 to only four in 2001 and ten in 2002. Each Management Letter comment is
addressed by Management and followed up the next year by the Auditors. Internal controls are in place
and monitored periodically for compliance, and the College demonstrates integrity with its fiscal policies.
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Challenges
Liquidity & Cash Flow
A review of the fiscal year 2002 financial statements indicates that the College is currently facing
a liquidity and cash flow challenge. Faced with three years of reduced appropriations, mid-year
reversions, and the high cost of facilitating early retirements over the past two years, the College
committed substantial portions of its reserves to manage its way through two very difficult years.
Subsequent to the Commonwealth’s withdrawal of appropriated funds as part of its fiscal recession
strategy, the College’s cash flow has become increasingly constricted as Fiscal Year 2003 is winding
down. Without a cash reserve, the College must rely on increased revenue sources and cost saving
initiatives as it enters one of the most challenging fiscal years in recent history. In order to address
budget shortfalls due to state appropriation reductions in the last three years, the College implemented
fiscal policies including another 5% reduction in departmental budgets, hiring restrictions, and a ban on
out-of-state travel. Resources have been reallocated to mission critical functions; prudent spending and
cost saving initiatives have been advocated; and substantial fee increases implemented from Spring 2002
forward. A review of the financial statements reveals that the College needs to do even more if it is
going to be able to meet the challenge of the FY04 state budget shortfall. The Board of Trustees
approved a $15 per credit fee increase effective with the FA03 semester at its meeting on March 26, 2003.
The College presented a detailed plan to the Board of Trustees at its May 2003 meeting to outline
strategies to increase revenue from outside and ancillary services and increased spending efficiencies.
Budget Process
A review of the budget process indicates that the College had not established a financial planning
model that adequately addressed the need to preserve fund balance and maintain sufficient liquidity.
Also, the budget process over the last three years, which basically consisted of level-funded(minus 5%
per year) budget allocations to individual cost centers, did not allow for adequate input from cost center
managers regarding current needs. The operating budget did not reflect actual operating needs in some
cases. The operating budget should reflect expected operating costs, and Cost Center Managers should be
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accountable for the expenditures within their cost center. The NEASC Institutional Survey (Spring,
2002) results indicate that the campus appears to be split on whether QCC has an established process that
includes appropriate input from faculty and staff for establishing and implementing its budget: only 34.5
% of total respondents agree or strongly agree and 37.4% disagree or strongly disagree. Yet the same
Survey (Spring, 2002) indicates that 62% of total respondents agree or strongly agree that QCC makes
decisions related to programmatic, budgetary, and personnel matters consistent with its Mission and
Purpose and references the results in planning and resource allocation. Additionally, 64.2% of
respondents agree or strongly agree that QCC provides for Faculty Development to support the learning
needs of its diverse student body.
The College has implemented a new budget process for the 2004 fiscal year, which includes a
modified zero based budget request by cost center managers. The new Vice President of Administrative
Services created a "Budget Review Team" that includes herself, the Associate Dean of Administrative
Services and the Comptroller. Cost Center Managers will now submit their budget requests in three
categories: Basic, “Plus”, and New Initiatives to the "Budget Review Team." New Initiative requests
must identify the strategic goal that will be met with the request. The goal of the budget process is to
identify and fund all Basic operating needs first and then the “Plus” needs, depending on funding levels.
Budget Management
The level funding of departmental budgets over the past three years presented a challenge in
budget management because the budget often did not reflect changing departmental needs. This
challenge will be addressed in the new budget process for FY04.
The COGNOS reporting module has not been implemented for financial reporting. The Business
Office is currently relying on CARS canned financial reports and minimal reports created by consultants
or QCC IT staff. This minimizes the ability to gather and analyze financial information “on the fly”.
Certain reports must be prepared manually which is very time consuming and therefore costly.
The NEASC Institutional survey (Spring, 2002) results indicates that the College community is split on
whether QCC has a well-documented and orderly process for managing budget/cost center allocations:
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38.8% of total respondents agree or strongly agree and 33.9% disagree or strongly disagree with this
statement. The greatest dissatisfaction rates are evinced from non-unit professionals, 39% and faculty
and/ or unit professionals at 36.4%.
Further inquiry revealed that not all cost center managers feel they can rely on information from
the CARS system to be timely when reviewing their budgets and some cost center managers do not
review their budgets on a regular basis. An additional split indicates that only 38.1% of respondents
believe QCC has a well documented and publicized process for allocating budgeted funds; 33.9%
disagree or strongly disagree with this statement. The strongest level of dissatisfaction can be found
among the non-unit professional staff, many of who serve as cost center heads. Indeed, 43% of them
expressed dissatisfaction with how the budget process is publicized. 34.5% of the NEASC respondents
indicate agreement with the statement that the College has an established budget process that includes
adequate input from faculty and staff for establishing and implementing its budget. 37.4% disagree with
the statement with the highest rate of disagreement (40.9%) stemming from full-time faculty and unit
professionals.
Other
Although the integrated CARS system has been implemented for the major areas of the College,
the registration and billing for the Center for Continuing Education area has not yet migrated to the CARS
system. Detailed records are kept on an Excel database by the Center for Continuing Education.
PROJECTION
Quinsigamond Community College has provided quality education to the citizens of central
Massachusetts for 40 years. The economic outlook for the state of Massachusetts over the next few years
looks very dismal and all state agencies will be faced with severe budget challenges. The College realizes
the importance of maintaining the fund balance and an adequate level of liquidity while maintaining the
ability to meet the objectives set forth in its Mission statement and strategic plan. With the recent
addition of a new Vice President for Administrative Services, the College has begun to address the issue
of liquidity and fund balance by reviewing the current budget process and has begun working on
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developing, implementing, and monitoring a long-term financial planning model, which will align the
tactical financial planning with strategic direction. Meetings and training sessions with budget cost
center managers have been held to ensure proper understanding of the budget process and increased use
of the on-line CARS budget review.
With the fiscal challenge facing the state, there are many uncertainties facing state institutions
going into FY04. The College will need to reconsider its spending priorities, focus on mission critical
functions, initiate cost saving initiatives, and broaden its revenue base. A focus on creative fundraising
techniques will include increased grant and donor funding and a capital campaign to support the library
collection. Once the budgets have been allocated to cost centers managers, purchasing regulations must
be emphasized in order for system purchasing and budgeting controls to be effective. Although the
College is faced with many economic challenges over the next few years, the Business Office feels that
the new financial planning model and budget process will prepare the College for fiscal challenges that lie
ahead.
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STANDARD TEN - PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
DESCRIPTION
Quinsigamond Community College provides detailed, accurate, reader-friendly information to
students and other members of the interested public in all of its various official publications such as the
College Catalog, College Programs Books, the College's Programs Slipsheets, Student Handbook,
Viewbook, Semester Course Schedule Booklets, Course Description Booklets, College Website, and other
advertising publications, all of which are available to the Visiting Team in the NEASC workroom. QCC
has a publication process and schedule in place that ensures the periodic review of its publications so as to
ensure they are accurate and current.
Each year, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Vice President of Enrollment and Student
Services, Vice President of Administrative Services, Director of Marketing and Public Affairs, Director of
Human Resources, and the Assistant to the President -- assisted by their support staff -- review the
College Catalog to ensure that information is accurate. According to the publication process and
schedule, all other documents related to academic programs are generated from, and based on, the content
of the College Catalog. Academic Affairs and Admissions check and double check all information
pertaining to all facets of College related offerings for both credit and non-credit. Truth in advertising is
achieved via the internal system of documenting, updating and crosschecking all data.
Documents that depict the College overall:
College Catalog: provides a valid description of the College and its policies. Updated every year,
it spells out the College Mission Statement and provides authoritative information relative to admission
and attendance. It contains information concerning required educational outcomes; the transfer of credit;
student fees, charges and refund policies; rules and regulations for student conduct; other items related to
attending or withdrawing from the institution; academic programs, courses currently offered, and other
available educational opportunities; and academic policies and procedures and the requirements for
degrees or other forms of academic recognition. The College Catalog includes a list of current faculty,
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indicating departmental or program affiliation, distinguishing between those who have full- and part-time
status, degrees held and the institutions where degrees were earned. The names of administrative officers,
their positions, and the names of members of the governing board, are also included. For the vast
majority of its courses it does not list as "current” those courses not taught for two consecutive years and
not slated to be taught during the third consecutive year. QCC’s accreditation status is accurately
represented in the College Catalog.
Student Handbook: details the obligations and responsibilities of both students and the institution.
The current QCC Catalog and Student Handbook contain a description of the size and characteristics of
the student body, the campus setting, those institutional learning and physical resources from which a
student can reasonably be expected to benefit, and the range of co-curricular and non-academic
opportunities available to students. Co-curricular and nonacademic activities are also published in flyers
and other publications of the Office of Student Life.
Faculty Handbook: available to all faculty, but designed with Adjuncts in mind, the Faculty
Handbook serves as a basic primer for directing instructors in day-to-day navigation of institutional and
operational concerns.
Documents pertinent to student enrollment and retention:
• ViewBooks: the College’s primary recruiting piece, these are designed with front and back pockets to allow for insertion of additional materials. Distributed at local high schools, fairs, open houses, and company campus visits, the ViewBooks include “thank-you for inquiring about QCC” letters from the Admissions Office, Financial Aid and Scholarship brochures, and a blank application.
• Program Booklets: featuring Business, Technology, Health Care, Human Services, Liberal Arts and Continuing Education, these booklets were specifically designed to explicate all offerings in specific categories. The booklets replace a need to produce separate brochures for each program. Distributed in the same fashion as the ViewBooks, Program Booklets can also be used as self-mailers.
• SlipSheets: Designed and deployed prior to the development of Program Booklets, SlipSheets were produced for each and every degree and certificate option. Produced on inexpensive stock and printed in-house to reduce costs, these sheets are still on display racks throughout campus. The four-color Program Booklets have officially replaced the SlipSheets though the sheets are internally useful.
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• Admission Application: available in the Admissions Office (Room 148A); in high school Guidance offices; downloadable online, the application asks for basic information necessary for processing student admission.
• Semester Course Schedule Booklets: list all courses and sections of classes each semester, including credit allocation, prerequisites, room locations and, where determined, names of instructors.
• Financial Aid Packets: include all Federal forms necessary to complete in conjunction with in-house application materials.
Documents that depict financial resources: are detailed in Standard Nine.
In-house Communications
President's Bulletin: published twice monthly, this memo provides information and insight from
the President on key College issues. It publicizes minutes of all governance committee meetings and
provides information and notice concerning College events.
Visions: a newsletter compiled and designed by a faculty member intending to showcase internal
achievements and accomplishments and social as well as academic endeavors.
The Open Door: student newspaper is staffed by a part-time editor (a former student) and
volunteer student writers. All students are invited to submit campus-related as well as creative pieces.
Also, in her personalized, friendly voice, the President hosts a regular editorial column addressed to the
student body at large.
Electronic Representation
The College accurately represents itself via all web related presentation. Implementation and
Management of QCCWeb (Hypertext Links and Content):
QCCWeb provides both an Internet presence and Intranet capabilities for Quinsigamond
Community College. The system is team-managed and all involved are critical to success of the site. All
Web Site activity conforms to the QCC World Wide Web publishing policy as articulated below:
• The QCC Web Team consists of members from each department. The team works to identify content and services to be placed online, proof read content, and serve as an advisory board to the Web staff.
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• Each department or organization assigns an editor who is an employee of the College.
• Each departmental or organization web site is created as a “Sub-Web” of the College’s web server that is accessed using Microsoft FrontPage.
• Within the departmental web area there is a file called index.htm which contains links to department content and form documents. The content documents contain information and hypertext links relating to the departments' activities.
The Webmaster maintains links to the departmental index page and the departmental "Content
Editor" maintains the departmental index and content pages for the sub-web. The department manager
and the content editor are jointly responsible for the timeliness and appropriateness of the information
contained within the department’s web space.
Network Services can only provide limited programming support at this time. (e.g. Web forms
and small database usage)
The Academic Computing/ Instructional Technology Area provides support for HTML relating to
Distance Education efforts.
The Instructional Technology area also assists with the creation of any Multimedia objects to be
placed on the WWW servers.
The College readily complies with requests for all of its publications. It is also responsive to
reasonable requests for information about itself, including the institution’s most recent audited financial
statements. Most institutional publications, including tapes and film, web pages and other forms of
electronic dissemination, and oral communications are consistent with College Catalog content and fairly
represent the conditions and opportunities available at the institution.
Public Relations
Guided by his "Marketing Perspectives 2003" (workroom), the Director of Marketing and Public
Relations manages an advertising campaign that cultivates a positive portrayal of the College's
characteristics. As the link to internal College programs and affairs, the Director designs and compiles
public documents to various target populations. As the link to the external community, the Director also
sustains working relationships with Worcester area media. All media information, as well as a list of 61
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documents emanating from the Marketing and Public Affairs Office, are contained within the
"Perspectives" compilation.
Advertising
The College's 25+ Associate Degree and accompanying Certificate Programs -- along with
various options and strands -- are publicized in over 20 print and electronic mediums including the
Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Worcester Magazine, Worcester Business Journal, Worcester
Medicine, The Landmark, The Southbridge Evening News, The Spencer New Leader, The Webster Times,
The Auburn News, The Blackstone Valley News. Charter Media Channel 3, New England Cable News,
and local cable access Channel 13 television stations, along with local radio stations WSRS, WTAG,
WXLO, and the QCC web site have been primary electronic venues. In addition, College Open Houses,
high school recruiting visitations, business and industry contractual programming visitations, annual
business expositions, publications and events of the Colleges of the Worcester Consortium, business and
civic organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International, and media releases are
additional venues.
Telegram and Gazette: 120,000 total circulation includes household, stores, and newspaper racks-
--83,000 bought from household subscribers; 37,000 bought from stores and newspaper racks. The T and
G is the city and region's primary daily newspaper.
Worcester Magazine: a weekly tabloid formatted newspaper reaching 41 cities and towns; with
city and regional circulation of 40,000.
Worcester Business Journal: a bi-weekly tabloid formatted newspaper reaching 41 local
businesses; city and regional circulation of 11,000.
Worcester Medical Magazine: a quarterly reaching 41cities and towns' local doctors' offices,
clinics, hospitals; city and regional circulation of 10,000.
The Landmark: a weekly newspaper in the city of Holden with a circulation of 9000 households.
Stonebridge Press: 8 weekly and daily publications (Southbridge Evening News, Webster Times,
Spencer New Leader, Blackstone Valley Tribune, Auburn News, Winchendon Courier;
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South County Weekender, Wick-Qua-Boag Weekender; circulation 90,000 in 58 cities and towns -- West
and South of Worcester.
Community Crier: circulation 5000 and Vocero and Spanish Marketing Directory are aimed at the
local Spanish-speaking community.
Various local and regional radio stations including WXL0; WSRS; WTAG; WESO; and
television channels, Channel 3, Charter Media, and NECN; and Networks such as A and E, Animal
Planet, BET (diverse audiences--entertainment and education), CNBC, CNN, Food Network, Comedy
Central, Discovery, E!, ESPN, ESPN 2, Fox Family, Headline News, Home and Garden TV, History
Channel, Golf Channel, Lifetime, MTV, Nickelodeon Sci-Fi, Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), The
Learning Channel (TLC), TNT (sports and movies), TV Guide, TV Land, USA (family and movies), VH1,
(music), The Weather Channel, The Health Network -- reach a diverse population in the Central Mass and
New England region and are utilization when the budget allows.
Direct mailings; Business and Industry Networking; and Open Houses are additional means of
informing the community of College events; including, for example, QCC ArtsWorcester Gallery
showings; faculty projects; diversity arts shows and special lectures; one-man shows; new building
construction activities,; new buildings showcasing, especially the new library and the new applied arts
lab.
News emanating from the Presidents Office is reported to the Board of Higher Education, Trustee
meeting activities, Alumni News, and other constituencies.
Distance Learning
Asynchronous courses are advertised internally and externally, both online and in print. All
descriptions of credit and non-credit courses are included in brochures and schedules that describe other
offerings. Instructor names and email addresses are posted and interested persons are invited to contact
those instructors directly. "Virtual tours" assist students in understanding the natures and requirements of
the distance learning.
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APPRAISAL
Strengths
Most of the College's staff believe that the College meets the NEASC standards for public
disclosure: over 80% of respondents to the NEASC Institutional Survey (Spring 2002) confirmed that
Quinsigamond's publications present, clearly and straightforwardly, the College Mission, program
information, fees, academic policies and processes, student’s rights and responsibilities.
Nearly 60% of the respondents to the same survey agreed or strongly agreed that QCC publishes
and makes readily available to prospective and current students information about QCC’s offerings.
The College publication process requires the College Catalog be developed prior to all other publications
related to curriculum and credit programs. The curriculum is reviewed annually, and faculty utilize the
governance process through early May to make curricular revisions. All documents relative to academic
curricula and programs use the same information as the Catalog to ensure consistency. The current
Catalog lists the College’s accreditation status; current faculty and staff; the governing board members;
and describes the student body. It also specifies what qualifications are earned by completing programs,
and in some majors, the eligibility of program enrollees to take licensure examinations. The Student
Handbook enumerates the co-curricular and nonacademic activities available to students. The Director
of Student Life and Sports Management was awarded the First Place Gold Paragon Award for Best
Student Handbook for two-year colleges nationwide. Judged by the National Council for Marketing and
Public Relations, an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges, QCC’s
Student Handbook topped nearly 1800 entries in the competition for 2002- 03.
QCC readily complies with requests for all of its publications. It is also responsive to reasonable
requests for information about itself. QCC provides notice as to the availability upon request of the
institution’s most recent audited financial statement.
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Challenge
The College Web Page contains the same information as the Catalog relative to academic
curricula and programs; however, some department home pages do not contain the same curriculum
information.
PROJECTION
The College will continue to accurately portray itself in its publications. The College website
must continue to be maintained and updated in a timely manner and monitored for consistency not only of
data and information, but also for appearance and style.
The College will continue to accurately indicate in the Catalog a listing of current faculty and the
names of administrative officers and members of the governing board.
Statements proffered about qualifications earned in all College programs will continue to be
maintained for accuracy by the Instructional Deans.
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STANDARD 11 - INTEGRITY
DESCRIPTION
The College is solidly grounded in its global integrity and has numerous safeguards in place to
guard against potential infringements upon its in-house code of ethics. Procedures and processes ensure
that the College manages its affairs and dealings with students, faculty, staff, external agencies and
organizations, and the general public, in a democratic, supportive manner that speaks to its commitment
to civic responsibility and accountability.
All College related topics and policies are addressed in a variety of publications:
Student Concerns:
The College is a duly authorized entity under the Massachusetts Public Higher Education System,
its Board of Trustees, and derives its authority to grant degrees from the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 15A, Section 22. The College adheres to all legal
and academic requirements established by its governing bodies.
Fairness and academic honesty are detailed in the Student Handbook (workroom) which further
delineates student rights and responsibilities, student privacy rights, and the student grievance procedure.
"QCC Ideals," (workroom) developed and disseminated in 2001, articulate the overall ethos the College
strives to create. Behavioral norms are meant to foster civility and respect.
Faculty and Staff Concerns
The College publishes a Copyright policy, which clearly prohibits the dissemination of published,
copyrighted materials in or out of the classroom without prior express approval from the publisher.
The MCCC contract (workroom) contains principles and standards of academic freedom which
the College endorses and supports.
Affirmative Action Concerns
Diversity fuels the campus. The College respects and supports people of diverse characteristics
and backgrounds and protects opportunities for all by sustaining policies and procedures that mandate
Standard XI 163
Quinsigamond Community College
nondiscriminatory practices in recruitment, admissions, employment, evaluation, and advancement be
adhered to.
Implementation of Policies and Practices
Policies are made openly and within a Governance Structure that was recently revised and
updated. The Governance structure allows for input from all constituencies of the College. The Board of
Trustee meetings are open with the exception of executive sessions involving the reputation of individuals
or litigious matters. Policies and procedures are published and administered consistently and equitably.
The Student Handbook, the MCCC Contract, the AFSCME contract, and the Non-unit
Professional Personnel Handbook speak to procedures for the fair resolution of grievances brought by
faculty, staff, or students. QCC has established and publicizes clear policies ensuring institutional
integrity with the development of and subsequent approval of the "QCC Ideals."
QCC periodically assesses the effectiveness of its ethical policies and procedures through its
governance process including the All College Forum and its informal committee structure. The All -
College Forum and the various committees in the Governance Structure allow for the periodic assessment
of ethical policies and procedures.
Technology and Web Concerns
The College has taken considerable measures to ensure the stability and security of the campus
technology infrastructure. At the edge of the computer network the College employs a Firewall that
protects against intrusion and monitors traffic between the student systems and the administrative users.
Additionally, each server is protected by McAfee NetShield, updated daily. The College email server is
further protected by McAfee GroupShield that will catch clean and quarantine email viruses before end-
users ever see them. Lastly, each desktop is protected by McAfee VirusScan which is updated
automatically as the files are made available. The College has implemented Windows 2000 Active
Directory that enables maintenance of strict user policies that protect all systems, as well as data, that is
stored locally or in network directories. The Windows 2000 Active Directory scheme integrates with the
Enterasys network equipment providing policy protection at the network port level.
Standard XI 164
Quinsigamond Community College
QCC has received accreditation status from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in
1967, 1978, 1983, and 1993; the College adheres to those requirements related to institutional integrity
embodied in all other Commission Standards.
APPRAISAL
Strengths
Advocacy of Ethical Behaviors
The College recently developed and published the "QCC Ideals" (workroom and on display)
which were adopted by the College Community by a College wide vote and supported campus-wide. The
"Ideals" are an attempt to encapsulate and articulate the minimum behaviors deemed collegial and civil.
Voting was held November 13-14, 2002 with an approval vote of 124 and a dissenting vote of 17.
Various Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action statements are published and fostered by the
institution. Employee and Student Handbooks advocate high ethical standards. “Embracing and
supporting the principle that diversity is everybody’s business through the daily performance of duties
and responsibilities” is a statement included in each job description. Published yearly, an Affirmative
Action statement appears in the College Catalog and Student Handbook. Over 80% of the respondents to
the NEASC Institutional Survey, administered Spring 2002, agree or strongly agree that the College
fosters a supportive, respectful atmosphere, and people of diverse characteristics and backgrounds are
treated equitably. The College supports the Martin Luther King breakfast, an Equity Advisory
Committee, the Hispanics Achieving and Celebrating Excellence Dinner, the yearly Latino, Black
Heritage and Indian Celebrations, and four diversity art shows juried by Arts Worcester.
Implementing Policies and Procedures
The College has a Governance Structure that allows for formal input from all constituencies and a
system of informal committees whose goal is to enhance communication and cooperation. The Labor
Management Committee, MACER Committee, Public Safety Committee, and the various Task Forces
represent the informal committee structure. The Governance Structure (noted in Standard Three) was
revised and updated in 2001. The President has fostered a more widespread dissemination of College
Standard XI 165
Quinsigamond Community College
issues and concerns by publishing minutes from all committee meetings in the President's Bulletin. She
also disseminates Task Force reports and recommendations to the College community as each academic
year winds down; she showcases the work of each area at the annual “town hall” meeting held as the May
All-College Forum.
The Student Grievance Process, when needed, is conducted equitably and consistently. An
appeal process exists for students who are dismissed from the College or denied Financial Aid. A
grievance procedure for faculty is outlined in the MCCC Contract; the AFSCME Contract establishes a
grievance procedure for non-professional staff, and the Non-unit Professional Personnel Handbook
establishes a grievance procedure for professional staff.
Technology and Electronic Communication
In the wake of dynamic and widespread technological changes, integrity in electronic
communication is an issue impacting staff, faculty and students. All College-related self-referential
materials that are posted on the College's web site are monitored for accuracy and conformity to the
College's primary discursive instrument -- the College Catalog. All web related communication --
including course work generated by students - is subject to the College's right to store, monitor and direct
usage as outlined in the Acceptable Use Policy (workroom) and the faculty's right to require and measure
authenticity and legitimacy in student work. "TEACH" (The Technology, Education and Copyright
Harmonization Act [workroom]), signed into law by President Bush, November 2, 2002, sets new
standards and rigorous requirements in relation to copyright protected materials and information usage in
distance education; QCC will ensure distance educators abide by the specific conditions and
implementations. A Web related challenge, however, is the ensuring and updating of all information for
currency.
PROJECTION
The College will continue to adhere to high ethical standards in its treatment of students, faculty,
staff, and the public by fostering and supporting the truthfulness, clarity and fairness in all of its relations.
Standard XI 166
Quinsigamond Community College
The College will continue
• to endorse and support the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge.
• to observe the spirit and letter of applicable legal requirements.
• to manage its administrative operations with integrity and honesty and publish clear policies
to ensure institutional integrity.
• to comply with the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education’s standards, policies, and
requests.
Standard XI 167
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 168
FISCAL YEAR ENDS MONTH 06 DAY 30
3 YEARS PRIOR (FY 99)
2 YEARS PRIOR (FY 00)
1 YEAR PRIOR (FY 01)
MOST RECENTLY COMPLETED FY
(FY 02)
CURRENT BUDGET (FY 03)
CURRENT FUND REVENUES RESTRICTED & UNRESTRICTED
1) TUITION & FEES 6,548 7,532 7,355 5,849 9,617
2) GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS 14,205 15,369 19,290 18,552 17,756
3) GOVERNMENT GRANTS & CONTRACTS 4,548 5,432 6,051 6,184 6,636
4) PRIVATE GIFTS, GRANTS & CONTRACTS 123 330 384 316 367
5) ENDOWMENT INCOME
6) AUXILIARY ENTERPRISES 2,078 2,183 2,463 2,937 3,173
7) OTHER 581 1,884 1,035 3,370 1,478
8) TOTAL REVENUES 28,083 32,730 36,578 37,208 39,027CURRENT FUND EXPENDITURES RESTRICTED & UNRESTRICTED
9) INSTRUCTION 10,199 11,635 14,534 16,112 16,952
10) RESEARCH
11) PUBLIC SERVICE 35
12) ACADEMIC SUPPORT 3,480 3,713 3,456 3,035 3,198
13) STUDENT SERVICES 2,549 2,707 3,624 3,560 3,737
14) INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT 3,748 4,326 4,831 4,077 4,276
15) OPERATION, MAINTENANCE OF PLANT 1,754 2,117 1,884 3,843 3,941
16) SCHOLARSHIPS & FELLOWSHIPS 3,464 3,950 4,441 2,326 2,427
17) MANDATORY TRANSFERS 417 564 673
18) NONMANDATORY TRANSFERS 117 2,007 1,780
19 AUXILIARY ENTERPRISES 2,079 2,341 2,274 2,673 2,876
20) OTHER 966 1,120
21) TOTAL EXPENDITURES 27,842 33,360 37,497 36,592 38,527
22) REVENUE LESS EXPENDITURES 241 (630) (919) 616 50023) REVENUE LESS EXPENDITURES NOT INCL AUXILIARY ENTERPRISES 242 (472) (1,108) 352
24) TUITION AND FEES CHARGE FOR FULL TIME UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT 2,070 1,980 1,890 2,070 2,865
203
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 169
FISCAL YEAR ENDS MONTH 06 DAY 30
3 YEARS PRIOR (FY 99)
2 YEARS PRIOR (FY 00)
1 YEAR PRIOR (FY 01)
MOST RECENTLY COMPLETED FY
(FY 02)
CURRENT BUDGET (FY 03)
CURRENT-UNRESTRICTED
FUND BALANCE BEGINNING OF YEAR (2,046) (2,251) (2,518) (3,263) (4,057)
NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) (205) (267) (745) (794) 495
FUND BALANCE END OF YEAR (2,251) (2,518) (3,263) (4,057) (3,562)
CURRENT-RESTRICTED
FUND BALANCE BEGINNING OF YEAR 227 673 310 136 0
NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) 446 (363) (174) (136) 0
FUND BALANCE END OF YEAR 673 310 136 0 0
LOAN FUNDS
FUND BALANCE BEGINNING OF YEAR 299 252 167 140 69
NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) (47) (85) (27) (71) 0
FUND BALANCE END OF YEAR 252 167 140 69 69
ENDOWMENT & SIMILAR FUNDS
FUND BALANCE BEGINNING OF YEAR 329 337 332 345 381
NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) 8 (5) 13 36 (73)
FUND BALANCE END OF YEAR 337 332 345 381 308
ANNUITY & LIFE INCOME FUNDS
FUND BALANCE BEGINNING OF YEAR 0 0 0 0
NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) 0 0 0 0
FUND BALANCE END OF YEAR 0 0 0 0
PLANT FUNDS
FUND BALANCE BEGINNING OF YEAR 1,923 2,163 3,187 4,049 5,629
NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) 240 1,024 862 1,580 2,200
FUND BALANCE END OF YEAR 2,163 3,187 4,049 5,629 7,829
INDEBTEDNESS ON PHYSICAL PLANT BALANCE OWED ON PRINCIPAL AT BEGINNING OF YEAR 0 0 0 2,500
ADDITIONAL PRINCIPAL BORROWED DURING YEAR 0 0 2,500 0 0
PAYMENTS MADE ON PRINCIPAL DURING YEAR 0 0 0 0
BALANCE OWED ON PRINCIPAL AT END OF YEAR 0 0 2,500 2,500 2,437INTEREST PAYMENTS ON PHYSICAL PLANT INDEBTEDNESS 0 0 0 40
0
0
0
2,500
63
69
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 170
FALL TERM (YEAR)4 YEARS AGO
(FY 99)3 YEARS AGO
(FY 00)2 YEARS AGO
(FY 01)1 YEAR AGO
(FY 02)
CURRENT YEAR (FY 03)
Freshman
Completed Applications 2081 2240 2118 2497 2597
Applications Accepted 1537 1792 1881 2296 2340
Applicants Enrolled 1088 1108 1094 1357 1411Statistical Indicator of Aptitude of Enrollees used by Institution (describe below)
Transfers - Undergraduate
Completed Applications 512 524 581 663 868
Applications Accepted 314 354 528 570 652
Applicants Enrolled 243 279 357 358 394
Master's Degree
Completed Applications
Applications Accepted
Applicants Enrolled
First Professional Degree - All Programs
Completed Applications
Applications Accepted
Applicants Enrolled
Doctoral Degree
Completed Applications
Applications Accepted
Applicants Enrolled
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 171
UNDERGRADUATE4 YEARS AGO
(FY 99)3 YEARS AGO
(FY 00)2 YEARS AGO
(FY 01)1 YEAR AGO
(FY 02)
CURRENT YEAR (FY 03)
First Year: Full-Time Headcount 1344 1538 1365 1625 1814
Part-Time Headcount 1132 1161 1233 1415 1559
Total Headcount 2476 2699 2598 3040 3373
Total FTE
Second Year: Full-Time Headcount 483 535 490 604 666
Part-Time Headcount 779 830 881 886 950
Total Headcount 1262 1365 1371 1490 1616
Total FTE
Third Year: Full-Time Headcount
Part-Time Headcount
Total Headcount 0 0 0 0 0
Total FTE
Fourth Year: Full-Time Headcount
Part-Time Headcount
Total Headcount 0 0 0 0 0
Total FTE
Unclassified: Full-Time Headcount 260 280 363 273 322
Part-Time Headcount 1180 1183 1285 1394 1310
Total Headcount 1440 1463 1648 1667 1632
Total FTE
Total Headcount Undergraduate 5178 5527 5617 6197 6621
Total FTE Undergraduate 2957 3190 3243 3572 3877
GRADUATE
Full-Time Headcount
Part-Time Headcount
Total Headcount Graduate 0 0 0 0 0
Total FTE Graduate
Grand Total Headcount 5178 5527 5617 6197 6621
Grand Total FTE 2957 3190 3243 3572 3877
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 172
Fiscal Years FY 04 FY 05 FY 06
Projected Financial Data (000s omitted)
Total Current Fund Revenues 40,198 41,404 42,646 Total Current Fund Expenditures (including Mandatory Transfers for Principal and Interest) 39,698 40,654 41,896
Revenues less Expenditures 500 750 750
Other Transfers
Change in Current Fund Balance
Year FY 04 FY 05 FY 06
Projected Tuition and Fees Charge for Full-Time Student 3,625 3,735 3,847
Projected Enrollment - Fall Term(Credit Seeking Students Only, including Continuing Education)
Year FY 04 FY 05 FY 06
Undergraduate
Full-Time Headcount 2,240 2,307 2,376
Part-Time Headcount 4,580 4,717 4,858
Total Headcount 6,820 7,024 7,234
Total FTE 4,017 4,137 4,261
Graduate
Full-Time Headcount
Part-Time Headcount
Total Headcount - - -
Total FTE
Quinsigamond Community College
FT PT FT PT FT PT FT PT FT PT
NUMBER OF FACULTY
PROFESS0R 75 70 59 55 55
ASSOCIATE 10 8 9 12 18
ASSISTANT 14 22 29 33 30
INSTRUCTOR 6 7 9 8 6
OTHER 240 242 266 288 363
TOTAL 105 240 107 242 106 266 108 288 109 363
AGE (RANGE/MEAN)
PROFESSOR 45-69/ 54 46-73/ 56 44-67/ 56 38-68/ 54 39-66/ 55
ASSOCIATE 41-59/ 49 39-58/ 48 40-59/ 50 41-60/ 50 42-61/ 51
ASSISTANT 35-62/ 48 33-63/ 50 33-64/ 50 34-65/ 49 35-65/ 47
INSTRUCTOR 51-62/ 56 36-48/ 43 31-56/ 42 32-57/ 42 38-58/ 41
OTHER 22-81/ 51 23-82/ 52 24-83/ 51 24-83/ 50 25-84/ 52
MALE/FEMALE
PROFESSOR 43/32 37/33 29/30 28/28 25/30
ASSOCIATE 2/8 3/5 3/6 4/8 4/14
ASSISTANT 6/8 6/16 8/21 6/27 6/24
INSTRUCTOR 1/5 1/6 2/7 2/6 2/4
OTHER 133/107 133/109 136/130 148/140 165/169
TOTAL 52/53 133/107 47/60 133/109 42/64 136/130 40/69 148/140 37/72 165/169
YEARS AT THIS INSTITUTION (RANGE/MEDIAN)
PROFESSOR 4-36/ 23 6-37/ 22 0-38/ 22 0-36/ 20 1-37/ 20
ASSOCIATE 0-19/ 7 0-11/ 4 1-12/ 5 2-13/ 5 3-14/ 5
ASSISTANT 0-4/ 1 0-5/ 1 0-4/ 1 0-7/ 1 1-8/ 2
INSTRUCTOR 0-2/ 1 0-1/ .5 0-2/ 1 0-3/ 1 1-4/ 2
OTHER0-35/
18 0-36/ 18.50-37/
190-38/
140-39/ 14.5
CURRENT YEAR (FY 04)
4 YEARS AGO (FY 00)
3 YEARS AGO (FY 01)
2 YEARS AGO (FY 02)
1 YEAR AGO (FY 03)
Data Forms 173
Quinsigamond Community College
HIGHEST DEGREE EARNED
DOCTORATE
PROFESSOR 12 10 10 11 10
ASSOCIATE 2 1 1
ASSISTANT 1 1 1
INSTRUCTOR 0
OTHER (Adjunct) 28 30 34 42
TOTAL 14 28 11 30 11 34 12 42 12 0
MASTER'S
PROFESSOR 61 57 47 43 42
ASSOCIATE 8 7 9 12 17
ASSISTANT 14 22 27 29 27
INSTRUCTOR 4 5 7 6 4
OTHER 191 185 189 202
TOTAL 87 191 91 185 90 189 90 202 90 0
BACHELOR'S
PROFESSOR 2 3 2 2 2
ASSOCIATE 1 1
ASSISTANT 2 1 1 2
INSTRUCTOR 2 2 4 2
OTHER 22 27 40 44
TOTAL 4 22 6 27 5 40 7 44 7 0
PROFESSIONAL LICENSE(In addition to degree)
PROFESSOR 19 18 16 16 14
ASSOCIATE 4 4 5 7 4
ASSISTANT 9 12 12 7 1
INSTRUCTOR 3 3 3 3 1
OTHER 21 28 39 39
TOTAL 35 21 37 28 36 39 33 39 20 0
Data Forms 174
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 175
TEACHING LOAD (see deans)
FALL TERM ONLY FOR EACH YEAR (RANGE/MEDIAN IN CREDIT HOURS)
PROFESSOR 12 15 15 15 15
ASSOCIATE 12 15 15 15 15
ASSISTANT 12 15 15 15 15
INSTRUCTOR 12 15 15 15 15
OTHER
BASE SALARY FOR ACADEMIC YEAR (RANGE/MEAN) $1,000.00
PROFESSOR35-73/
61 35-73/ 6240-75/
6149-76/
62 46-75/ 61
ASSOCIATE42-55/
4242-55/
4742-56/
4844-57/
49 42-57/ 47
ASSISTANT36-58/
4436-58/
4436-59/
4437-60/
42 38-60/ 42
INSTRUCTOR36-47/
41 36-49/ 41 36-47/ 4036-41/
38 36-41/ 38
OTHER (Adjunct) 694-840 694-840 714-865 736-891 751-909
FRINGE BENEFITS (RANGE/MEDIAN)
PROFESSOR 20% n/a 20% n/a 21% n/a 22% n/a 21% n/a
ASSOCIATE 20% n/a 20% n/a 21% n/a 22% n/a 21% n/a
ASSISTANT 20% n/a 20% n/a 21% n/a 22% n/a 21% n/a
INSTRUCTOR 20% n/a 20% n/a 21% n/a 22% n/a 21% n/a
OTHER
NUMBER OF FACULTY APPOINTED
PROFESSOR 4 3 1 3 2
ASSOCIATE 4 5 5 9 13
ASSISTANT 14 22 32 33 30
INSTRUCTOR 6 7 9 8 6
OTHER
TOTAL 28 0 37 0 47 0 53 0 51 0
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 176
NUMBER OF FACULTY IN TENURED POSITIONS
PROFESSOR 71 67 67 53 53
ASSOCIATE 6 3 4 3 5
ASSISTANT
INSTRUCTOR
OTHER
TOTAL 77 0 70 0 71 0 56 0 58 0
NUMBER OF FACULTY DEPARTING
PROFESSOR 1
ASSOCIATE 1
ASSISTANT 2 2 1
INSTRUCTOR 2
OTHER
TOTAL 2 0 4 0 2 0 1 0 0
NUMBER OF FACULTY RETIRING
PROFESSOR 5 n/a 12 n/a 6 n/a 4 n/a n/a
ASSOCIATE n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
ASSISTANT n/a n/a 1 n/a n/a n/a
INSTRUCTOR n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
OTHER n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
TOTAL 5 0 12 0 7 0 4 0 0
NAME OF DEPARTMENT OR ACADEMIC UNIT
Health Care/Life Sciences 56 68 43 43 40 46 38 56 37
Humanities/Social Science 30 106 30 103 31 98 33 103 34
Business Mgmt/Human Services 19 66 14 55 14 58 15 50 15
Technology 20 41 21 64 23 79 23
TOTAL 105 240 107 242 106 266 109 288 109
NUMBER OF FACULTY BY DEPARTMENT OR COMPARABLE ACADEMIC UNIT
0
0
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 177
FALL TERM (YEAR)4 YEARS AGO
(FY 98)3 YEARS AGO
(FY 99)2 YEARS AGO
(FY00)1 YEAR AGO
(FY01)CURRENT YEAR
(FY02)UNDERGRADUATECERTIFICATEAccess Certificate in Business 1 0 0 1Access Certificate in Health 22 15 4 0 0Accounting Certificate 16 18 16 18 11Administrative Support Certificate 0 0 1 0Automated Office Procedure Certificate 2 0 0 0Automotive Maintenance & Light Repair C 0 0 0 1Biotechnology Technician Certificate 15 10 6 7 20Business Administration Certificate 0 0 0 0Business Certificate 0 0 1 0Business Support Specialist - Clerical Offi 0 0 0 10Business Support Specialist - Customer Se 0 0 0 1Business Support Specialist - Legal Office 0 0 5 5Business Support Specialist - Medical Off 0 0 18 6Business Support Specialist - Medical Off 0 0 0 3Business Support Specialist - Office Inform 0 0 1 1Computer Inform. Syst. - Application Spec 0 0 0 17Computer Inform. Syst. - Web Application 0 0 0 19Computer Information Systems Certificate 28 50 40 12 1Dental Assisting Certificate 0 10 12 15 14Early Child. Education - Adv. Early Child 0 0 0 0Early Child. Education - School Age Certi 0 0 0 0Early Child. Education for Assist. Teacher 0 0 1 12Early Childhood Certificate 0 0 4 2Electronics Technology Certificate 6 6 7 11EMT Paramedic Certificate 18 12 15 25 28EMT Intermediate Certifcate 11 6 7 7English as a Second Language Certificate 161 220 236 42 5Environmental Health & Safety Certificate 5 6 7 4Executive Office Support Certificate 13 4 1 0Food Service Management Certificate 2 2 0 5Health Certificate 1 0 0 1Hospitality Supervision Certificate 0 0 1 1Human Services Certificate 66 61 40 37 39Infant/Toddler Training Certificate 2 4 7 8Legal Secretarial Certificate 8 7 0 0Manufacturing Technology Certificate 0 0 0 4Medical Assisting Certificate 0 9 8 15Medical Office Clerical Certificate 1 0 0 0Medical Secretarial Certificate 24 18 0 4 2Mental Health Technician Certificate 0 0 0 0Occupational Health & Safety Certificate 2 0 0 1Occupational Therapy Certificate 1 0 1 0Office Administration Certificate 5 2 0 0Office Support Certificate 2 2 2 0Practical Nursing - Career Certificate 0 31 47 44 49Practical Nursing - Transfer Certificate 0 3 0 3Re-Entry Certificate for People in Transiti 0 3 1 1Secretarial Studies Certificate 0 0 0 0Small Business Management Certificate 9 9 11 9Surgical Technology Certificate 0 6 4 8Technology Certificate 1 0 0 0Total Quality Management Certificate 8 4 0 2Travel Agent Training Certificate 16 11 11 3 0Visual Arts Certificate 7 11 8 1 0
Total 453 540 523 366 358
10302
707
110
00000
0004801
32315
010
5
0
001
90
15383
141
1817
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 178
DEGREE PROGRAMSAdministrative Office Management 81 61 41 19 5Allied Dental Services - Dental Office 0 1 0 0 0Allied Dental Services - Health Science 0 0 0 0Allied Dental Services - Sales/Marketin 0 0 0 0Applied Arts 66 71 66 93 85Automotive Technology 14 25 9 18 19Basic Engineering 71 54 45 50 94Business Adm. Career-Accounting 0 0 0 42 34Business Adm. Career-Business Supp 0 0 0 14Business Adm. Career-Environmental 0 0 0 5 6Business Adm. Career-Management/M 0 0 0 85Business Adm. Career-Small Business 0 0 0 32Business Adm. Career-Total Quality M 0 0 0 2Business Adm. Career-Travel Agent T 0 0 0 0Business Adm. Transfer-Accounting 0 0 0 27 32Business Adm. Transfer-Management 0 0 0 86Business Administration 1 0 0 1 1Business Administration - Banking 5 3 2 2 0Business Administration - Career 252 253 260 120 197Business Administration - Transfer 182 185 202 98 121Business Technology 3 0 0 1 0Civil Engineering 0 2 8 6 1Complementary Health 0 0 0 0 1Computer Inform. Systs. - Applications 0 0 1 42Computer Inform. Systs. - Programing 0 0 0 53 73Computer Information Systems 107 125 127 71 16Computer Maintenance 5 4 0 0 0Computer Systems Engineering Techn 0 19 53 82Computer Systems Support Technolog 42 47 34 27 18Criminal Justice 276 256 231 232 264Dental Hygiene 38 34 34 37 38Early Childhood Education 129 132 158 171 167Electromechanical Technology 0 3 11 11 17Electronics Technology - Biomedical 0 0 0 3 3Electronics Technology - Electronics 0 0 0 22 21Electronics Technology - Microelectron 0 0 0 0Electronics Technology Degree 61 56 39 18 6Fire Science 45 74 66 58General Studies 1068 1330 1338 1941 2241General Studies Elementary Education 0 0 0 0General Studies-Community Health 0 0 0 5 14General Studies-Occupational Educati 0 0 0 0Hotel Restaurant Management 35 35 33 32 15Hotel Restaurant Mgmt-Foodservice M 0 0 0 0Hotel Restaurant Mgmt-Hospitality Mg 0 0 0 0 10Human Services Degree 132 115 91 84 100Liberal Arts 311 317 301 301 342Manufacturing Technology Degree 0 1 9 8 9Medical Support Specialist - Assisting 0 2 6 10 16Medical Support Specialist - Records T 0 1 0 2Medical Support Specialist: Health Info 0 0 0 0Nurse Education 151 149 153 151 165Occupational Therapy Assistant 77 61 37 20 11Opticianry 0 7 5 5 1Paramedic Technology 12 12 9 6 5Radiologic Technology 25 24 19 25 40Respiratory Therapy Care 25 17 5 10 12Telecommunications Technology 22 45 53 35 36Telecommunications Technology Corp 0 0 0 1Visual Arts - Liberal Arts 6 2 1 0 0Total 3242 3523 3447 4164 4632
4
31
10
1
2
0
45
92
50
75
6518
50
25
00
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 179
UNCLASSIFIED PROGRAMSConsortium 88 81 40 44 32Dual Enrollment 30 29 33 42 4Twelfth Year 12 13 6 0 33Undeclared 1353 1341 1568 1581 1563Total 1483 1464 1647 1667 1632
Grand Total 5178 5527 5617 6197 6622
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 180
4 YEARS AGO
(FY 00)3 YEARS AGO
(FY 01)
2 YEARS AGO
(FY 02)
1 YEAR AGO
(FY 03)
CURRENT YEAR
(FY N/A)
UNDERGRADUATE
Allied Health 208 291 256 297
Biology 5926 6511 6898 7299
Biotechnology 24 12 48 78
Chemistry 1531 1739 2082 2330
Dental Assisting 160 173 212 228
Dental Hygiene 764 798 812 832
Emergency Medical Technician 954 952 904 1164
Medical Support Specialist 76 145 107 172
Nurse Education 2731 2735 2922 3287
Opticianry 175 63 100
Occupational Therapy Assistant 966 550 277 223
Practical Nursing 1425 1492 1439 1538
Respiratory Care 304 64 178 211
Radiologic Technology 536 477 679 1110
Science 864 792 928 970
Surgical Technology 201 171 212 258
Totals 16845 16965 18054 19997
Applied Arts 1167 1251 1719 1938
Automotive Technology 600 402 511 745
Computer Information Specialist 6346 7251 8586 7782
Computer Science 954 934 1097 796Computer Systems Engineering Technology 22 135 283 322
Electromechanical Technology 51 107 122
Electronics Technology 1644 2291 2120 1398
NAME OF DEPARTMENT OR COMPARABLE UNIT (Credit hours are reported by course prefix[ENG + English]) and grouped withing the four academic divisions [Business Management/Human Services, Health Care & Life Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Technology Division])
Health Care/Life Sciences Division
Technology Division
Quinsigamond Community College
Data Forms 181
Engineering 373 339 429 588
Mathematics 12415 14194 18477 19746
Manufacturing Technology 48 219 301 336
Physics 728 610 640 952
Totals 24297 27677 34270 34725
Accounting 2847 3105 3216 3009
Administrative Office Management 1306 311.5 10.5 3.5
Business Law 1233 1482 1665 1509
Business Office Support Specialist 732 1032 1293
Business 18 9 18 88
Criminal Justice 2475 2419 2205 2289
Early Childhood Education 1555 2080 2382 2032
Economics 1044 1149 1335 1587
Financial Planning 57
Fire Science 776 810 575 456
Geography 429 285 264 192
Hotel Restaurant Management 553 541 508 611
Human Services 773 763 822 1025
Management 1551 1548 1785 2019
Marketing 1101 1089 1224 1047
Physical Education 553 690 504 258
Quality Control 24 27
Travel Agent Training 72 108 3
Totals 16286 17145.5 17575.5 17475.5
Anthropology 360 492 468 513
Art 1550 1637 1997 2063
American Sign Language 306 522 537 504
Humanities/Social Science Division
Business Management/Human Services
Quinsigamond Community College
English 14810 15855 18942 20958
English as a Second Language 3780 4836 5946 5286
French 117 99 72 69
German 87 129 48 78
Gerontology 141 105 168 123
General Studies 973 974 863 796
History 3042 3099 3198 3195
Humanities 2112 1980 1723 1980
Interdisciplinary Studies 192 78 189 408
Music 384 390 480 474
Orientation 780
Philosophy 408 558 570 456
Political Science 1341 1092 987 1086
Psychology 8511 8094 8148 9069
Sociology 4401 3915 4290 4830
Social Science 384 399 459 441
Speech 1851 1752 1869 2004
Spanish 1539 1512 1632 1512
Totals 46289 47518 52586 56625
GRAND TOTALS 103717 109305.5 122485.5 128822.5
Data Forms 182
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