Policy No.

AA-1210.1F

 

 

  

POLICY & PROCEDURES MEMORANDUM

 

 

 

TITLE:

INSTITUTIONAL

EFFECTIVENESS AND

RESEARCH FOR

PLANNING AND

ASSESSMENT

 

 

  

EFFECTIVE DATE:

December 16, 2009

 

    

CANCELLATION:

 

AA-1210.1E (7/6/04)

 

 

OFFICE:

 

Academic Affairs (AA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

  

  

    

 

 

POLICY STATEMENT

 

 

It is the policy of Delgado Community College to develop and maintain an institutional

effectiveness and research process that is evidence-based and includes representatives of the college

community in setting priorities, guiding decision-making, and allocating resources to ensure that the

College is meeting the needs of all of its stakeholders.

 

 

PROCEDURES & SPECIFIC INFORMATION

 

 

1.

Purpose

 

 

To maintain a college-wide, coordinated research, planning and assessment process

that ensures a culture of decision making based on data and assessment activities associated

with the strategic plan, vision, core values, mission, and goals of the college-wide

community.

 

The continuous assessment of the quality of instructional and service programs at

Delgado Community College is a necessary component of institutional effectiveness.

The process of assessment is for the sole purpose of continuous quality improvement.

  

 

 

2.

Scope and Applicability

 

 

This policy and procedures memorandum applies to all units of the College.

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AA-1210.1F December 16, 2009

 

 

 

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3.

Responsibilities

 

 

Under the authority of the Board of Supervisors for the Louisiana Community and

Technical College System (LCTCS) and with the leadership of the Chancellor, the College

Council, and the Coordinating Council on Institutional Effectiveness, the faculty,

administration, and staff will develop and carry out the systematic review of all planning and

assessment activities of the College.

 

In support of LCTCS policy, assessments

should include but shall not be limited to

 

the assessment of student learning based on the following:

 

- the level of preparedness of first-time entering freshmen;

 

- academic preparedness of continuing students through

competency testing;

 

- graduating student academic performance;

 

- retention/persistence studies;

 

- program review;

 

- the attainment of professional accrediting/credentialing standards as

required by industry;

 

- student passage rates of certification and licensure examinations in

their respective fields of study;

 

- the ease of program articulation and transferability to other

institutions;

 

- educational support through administrative and student services

activities; and

 

- various satisfaction measures related to students, employees, etc.

 

 

4.

 

Institutional Effectiveness Process

 

 

  

The Institutional Effectiveness for Planning and Assessment Process Flow Chart

(Attachment A) demonstrates the institutional effectiveness process involved in planning and

assessment.

 

 

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December 16, 2009 AA-1210.1F

  

  

 

 

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5.

Planning and Assessment Procedures

 

 

The procedures for the planning and assessment activities associated with the

strategic plan will be monitored through the Coordinating Council on Institutional

Effectiveness.

 

 

6.

Institutional Research Procedures

 

A.

Requirements for Student-Related Research and Data Collection

 

 

To ensure consistent, reliable data and to reduce duplication of effort, the Office of

Institutional Research (OIR) will be responsible for managing data from and about

the student population. Therefore, any program or department that collects or

distributes student data, with the exception of data on student learning outcomes for

individual programs or disciplines, must comply with college-wide data formats and

forward data to OIR.

 

Any data collection that meets the following criteria must be approved by OIR, and

the results must be submitted to OIR.

 

 

- Surveys and assessment measures addressed to graduates, former students, or

employers of current or former Delgado students.

 

- Surveys and assessment measures addressed to populations such as all

students, first-time students, developmental education students, students on a

particular campus, etc.

 

B.

Other Research and Data Collection

 

The Office of Institutional Research serves as a clearinghouse for institutional and

educational research conducted by personnel of the College. This function enables

the Office of Institutional Research to encourage and facilitate the research efforts of

College personnel by providing assistance in planning and executing such efforts and

enables OIR to house a research library containing the results of such efforts.

Further, the clearinghouse function enables the College to avoid duplication of efforts

in the design or conduct of research studies and provides an inventory of studies

underway and completed.

 

 

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