Institution-wide Planning

The college's current strategic planning process allows for institution-wide planning, goal setting and organizational change through the establishment of biennial unit enhancement goals.  In many cases, the process encourages units to base goals on college biennial objectives, and as exemplified by the response of units during the 2003-2005 Strategic Planning period with respect to the college goal to increase certification programs to foster retention efforts and support workforce development, the process encourages unit-based change in response to planning and goals generated by research and data.

The Enhancement Goal process also encourages units to establish unit-based goals, that in some cases although perhaps not a part of overall college strategic planning, enable the work units to establish goals and plans to address issues raised through data and research.  For example, during the 2003-2005 planning period, the math department looked at two experimental measures to improve student success. One, adding a lab to college algebra, showed no significant improvement in student grades. The second, offering an accelerated half-semester introductory algebra course combined with the other half of the semester having an accelerated mathematical models course (required for some applied science degrees) did have significant positive impact on students' grades.  As a result of this deliberate unit research and planning, this successful combination of courses is being offered again with the ultimate goal of enhancing student learning.

As an operational example, comparison data provided by the North Carolina Community College System indicated that based on the equipment audit report the 2003-2004 fiscal year, losses of equipment that year exceed the System average for items lost by 0.07 percent, although remaining below System averages for cost of lost items.  Realizing  through his reporting that the college needed to address the inventory control goal issue, the college purchasing agent responsible for physical inventory developed an enhancement goal in 2003 to reduce the college's losses from inventory, which were then cited in a 2005 letter about the college's spring 2004 inventory report.  In 2005, thanks to increased assistance from Technology Services (IT technical support), Craven's inventory losses were reduced.  To support this effort, the Technology Services has developed a database to keep track of moved computers, a very specific collaborative action that resulted from deliberate planning in response to data provided by an external agency.

Part IIa - Documentation to support change from research-based planning

Part IIb - Institution-wide Planning

Part III - Services and Program Review Processes

Part IV - A history of planning and data-driven decision making

Part V - Future direction of planning and assessment

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