Institutional Research and Effectiveness

Institutional Planning

The purpose of the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness is to monitor and support the process of planning and evaluation and then collect and provide institutional effectiveness information to the appropriate departments. The prevailing goal of the office is to provide the college with the process and the information to support effective planning in each course, department, and division, as well as at the institutional level. 

According to the guidelines set forth by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, an institution is expected to develop a broad-based system to determine institutional effectiveness appropriate to its own context and purpose, to use the purpose statement of the institution as the foundation of planning and evaluation, to employ a variety of assessment methods, and to demonstrate the use of the results of the planning and evaluation process for both educational programs and support activities. Institutional research must be an integral part of planning and evaluation and must be effective in collecting and analyzing data and disseminating results. An institution must regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its institutional research process and use findings for improvement.

The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness also reports to the state, federal, and higher education agencies and associations, as well as institutional leadership, educational programs, and student services.  This office coordinates and supports all institutional effectiveness efforts at Lon Morris College and will work to ensure the following:

1. All institutional effectiveness plans are tied to the mission, goals, and strategic plan of the College and have goals and objectives clearly defined and properly stated accordingly;  

2. All plans are implemented and completed within the timeframe as planned, or alternatives in plans or timetables are justified and documented; 

3. Evaluation is both formative and summative, and decisions are based on specific criteria so that achievements can be clearly defined and challenges can be identified; 

4. Results of assessment and evaluation are reported in a timely manner so that early, appropriate action can be taken; 

5. Results of effectiveness assessments and evaluation are used for institutional improvement;

6. All institutional efforts are properly documented.

Institutional effectiveness is a systematic and ongoing process of planning, evaluation, and improvement. An institutional effectiveness program aids in decision-making and improvement of an institution by collecting, analyzing, and acting upon data and information related to the goals and outcomes developed to support the college mission and purpose. According to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, institutional effectiveness is central to its philosophy of accreditation and is a core component of its Principles for Accreditation. While engaged in its pursuit of increased student learning, an institution is expected to document quality and effectiveness by employing a comprehensive system of planning and evaluation in all aspects of the institution.

There are four elements essential to institutional effectiveness: goals, tools of assessment, assessment, and evaluation. Goals provide direction for the appropriate area and provide a link to the overall strategic plan of the college.  Tools of assessment serve as a way to measure the progress made toward a particular goal.  The results of all measurements combine to provide substantial information that is considered the actual assessment of a goal.  The evaluation of these results provides insight and meaning to measurements, as well as direction for the subsequent goals and budgeting in the following planning period.  These four components make up the circle of institutional effectiveness in which continuous improvement and refinements on goals and methods are undertaken to ensure that the needs, purpose, and mission of an institution and its constituents are being met. Each element must be present in the planning process within each academic and non-academic area of the institution.  Thus, all departments and educational units must participate in this broad-based approach to enhance student learning and propagate the mission of LMC.                

In each academic area, program effectiveness is determined through the assessment and evaluation of student outcomes in the cognitive, affective, and performance domains.  A program is considered to be effective if students have the knowledge, skills, and values as expected (required) at the completion of their programs of study and can perform by applying their knowledge and skills to their advanced academic pursuits. Faculty leadership and ownership are essential to the success of instructional/student-learning outcome evaluation.  Faculty members are indeed the experts in their prospective fields and are in the best position to identify program outcomes and the strategies to be used to measure those outcomes.

The assessment of the outcomes in non-academic areas such as student services and administrative processes is also closely related to program effectiveness, as well as to the success of student learning. The quality and effectiveness of student services and administrative processes ensure a high student retention rate and the full completion of student programs of study. Regular evaluation of the outcomes of student services and administrative processes will enable different offices and departments to function effectively to their full capacity.  Regular assessment in the areas of transportation and maintenance also serve to provide students with a safe environment conducive to academic and personal success.

Plans from each division, department, and individual instructor derive from the mission of the institution, relate to the strategic plan, and include the following items:

1.  Goals and a statement linking the goals to the LMC Strategic Plan and                         mission statement.

2. Anticipated Outcomes, when appropriate (this may be combined with goals).

3. Tools of Assessment or measurements of progress toward goals.

4. Assessment Results

5. Evaluation of Assessment Results and Plans for Changes/Improvements for       the next planning cycle.  Anticipated changes to goals or tools are also discussed.  Any budgetary changes or concerns for the following planning cycle should be addressed, as well.  An evaluation of the course, department, or division progress towards the mission of LMC and goals of the strategic plan are also included.  These results are also used in administrator and faculty evaluations.

Principles of Good Evaluation Practice: 

The American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) has developed the following nine “Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning”:

1.   The assessment of student learning begins with educational values.

2.   Assessment is most effective when it reflects an understanding of learning as multidimensional, integrated, and revealed in performance over time.

3.   Assessment works best when the programs it seeks to improve have clear, explicitly stated purposes.

4.   Assessment requires attention to outcomes, but also and equally to the experiences that lead to those outcomes.

5.   Assessment works best when it is ongoing, not episodic.

6.   Assessment fosters wider improvement when representatives from across the educational community are involved.

7.   Assessment makes a difference when it begins with issues of use and illuminates questions that people really care about.

8.    Assessment is most likely to lead to improvement when it is part of a larger set of conditions that promote change.

9.   Through assessment, educators meet responsibilities to students and to the public. 

The institutional effectiveness process is an ongoing planning-assessment-improvement circle, in which continuous improvement and refinement on goals and methods of an institution are undertaken. In order to ensure the completion of this process, or close this circle, all the three basic functions of the process must be completed.   The following issues are essential to having a successful system of planning and evaluation:

            1. Planning and stating central expectations of program or performance outcomes;

2. Identifying and/or developing appropriate assessment and evaluation procedures;

            3. Conducting assessment and evaluation activities as planned;

4. Using the resultant assessment data to evaluate the extent of outcome accomplishment;

5. Based on the findings of assessment and evaluation, developing and implementing specific strategies for improvement and enhancement;

6. Modifying program and performance expected outcomes based on the enhancements and then, once again, starting the cycle of planning and evaluation.

General Procedures for Assessment and Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness

The Academic Dean will lead the planning process for the Division of Sciences, Division of Humanities, Division of Fine Arts, Service Learning, the library, the Learning Enrichment Center, and all other academic programs.  Within the academic units, division chairs and department chairs will coordinate planning within each area.  Course assessments will be conducted each semester in December and May.   Department, division, and all other program assessments will be conducted annually in May. 

The Assistant to the President will provide the same guidance in non-academic fields such as student services, bookstore, business office, financial aid, admissions, registrar, development, transportation, maintenance, housekeeping, and any other departments not specifically involved in classroom achievement. These assessments and evaluations will be completed in July. 

Each Academic Division and Non-Academic Department should follow these procedures within the appropriate timetable:

1. Department and division heads is responsible for calling and conducting an annual meeting in August of department personnel to establish goals for the year based on the evaluations of the preceding year, and evaluations of activities for the strategic plan of the College, and to review the mission statement.  Academic Division chairs are responsible for collecting academic department and course goals, tools of assessment, assessment, and evaluation at the appropriate times.

2. Electronic versions of these Goals and Tools of Assessment will be composed and submitted to either the Academic Dean or the Assistant to the President and copied to the Director of Institutional Research by August 15 of each year.  Division chairs are responsible for any changes in Core Competencies at this time.

3. Each academic division chair and non-academic department head will document and require participation in the planning and evaluation process by all members of that department.

4. Each department leader/division chair will be responsible for calling and conducting regular meetings to evaluate progress toward objectives; meetings will be called monthly or bi-monthly as determined by the department.  In addition, regularly scheduled meetings should also be held by division chairs to monitor this progress.  Minutes and documentation of progress should be collected at these meetings and monthly forms regarding activities toward institutional, division, department, course, and/or QEP goals should also be obtained.  All documentation should be maintained in electronic copy.

5. At the close of the semester, each academic division will conduct a collection of assessment results and evaluation of progress and determine any changes in goals for the following semester.  These results are due in December and May of each year and should be provided in electronic copy to the Academic Dean and Director of Institutional Research.  Division Chairs will also compile an assessment and evaluation of Core Competencies at this time.  All non-academic departments will follow the same procedures in July of each year (rather than each semester) and provide the Assistant to the President with this information in the same manner.

6. Results will be used in the annual evaluation of administrators and faculty.

Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness and the Institutional Effectiveness Committee

Responsibilities:

1.  Coordinate the annual consideration of the Strategic Plan and review of the mission statement by the board, administrators, faculty and staff.

2.  Coordinate the efforts of assessment and evaluation of institutional effectiveness in each division;

3. Check with each division regularly on the progress of the implementation of their plans and see to it that the evaluation plan of each program and office is carried out to the letter;

4. Compile results of assessment and evaluation of institutional effectiveness from each program and office and report to the leadership of the College for decision making and improvement.