2009 Performance Accountability Report Vol. 2 - Maryland Higher ...

selected academic support. For the second consecutive year, HCC’s tuition rate of $114 per
credit hour will remain the same for fall 2009; however, as mid-year state or county reductions
occur, a mid-year increase in tuition may need to be considered. HCC’s indicator for tuition and
fees as a percentage of tuition and fees at Maryland public four-year institutions at 56 percent
moved toward the benchmark level of 55 percent this year.
To help manage growth and its accompanying challenges, the college continues efforts to
improve through self-assessment. In 2008, HCC was the first Maryland community college to
receive Maryland’s distinguished U.S. Senate Productivity Award, which is the highest award
given to any Maryland business or organization. Also in 2008, HCC was a finalist for the
Baldrige award, received a site visit, and continues to work on process improvements in all areas.
The college submitted another Baldrige application in 2009.
Benchmark Assessment
Howard Community College is committed to the goals identified in the 2004 Maryland State Plan
for Postsecondary Education and MHEC’s accountability process for community colleges and
aligns with these goals its own strategic goals: student success and lifelong learning,
organizational excellence, and building community. In support of the college’s mission of
Providing pathways to success, these goals drive the annual plans (institutional, core work unit,
and individual) and budgets. The college’s board of trustees has found the MHEC community
college indicators to be particularly useful in guiding these plans.
Access and Affordability
The college is committed to attracting and retaining a rich diversity of students to its programs
and learning communities, eliminating barriers to learning, and responding quickly to the needs of
the community it serves. To this end, HCC provides open access and innovative learning systems,
along with a number of continuing and new programs to meet the needs and interests of a diverse
and dynamic community. Efforts to support institutional goals for growth in enrollment have
resulted in the total annual unduplicated headcount exceeding the benchmark by nearly one
thousand students in FY08. Annual unduplicated credit headcount continued to move toward the
benchmark level in FY08, and non-credit headcount exceeded the benchmark level by 8.6 percent
in FY08. Market share of first-time, full-time freshmen and market share of part-time
undergraduates continued to move toward benchmark levels in FY08. The market share of recent
college-bound high school graduates in the service area, after meeting the benchmark in FY07,
declined slightly in FY08. HCC continues to expand educational opportunities by increasing
programs, delivery methods, sections and space, and analyzes the impact of these improvements
to ensure effectiveness. HCC delivers programs in a variety of flexible formats to enable students
to accelerate course completion, and credit enrollment in online courses far exceeded the
benchmark in FY08. Non-credit enrollment in online courses continued to progress toward the
benchmark level in FY08.
The college uses technology to support instruction, learning, student services, and business
processes. The academic use of technology is driven by faculty initiatives, instructional and
certification requirements, competition, and access to electronic learning resources for credit and
noncredit students. Newly opened buildings provide the latest in technology and learning support
systems, such as wireless internet capability, smart classrooms, and increased bandwidth to
individual desktops. Additionally, the college maintains 76 computer labs to assist with the
instruction of English, math, science, multimedia, computer certifications, health care, and
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