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

Diversity
Wor-Wic defines diversity, one of its core values, as the dynamic variety of people and ideas that
promote greater skill and wisdom, and enhance institutional vitality. In addition to promoting
this value, the college’s strategic goal to improve student success and increase the diversity of
students and employees also supports the State Plan goal to ensure equal educational opportunity
for Maryland’s diverse citizenry. Wor-Wic’s minority student representation is reflective of its
service area. The minority enrollment of the student body ranged from 26 percent to 29 percent
over the last four years and the service area population 18 years old and older was estimated to
consist of 26 percent minorities in the fall of 2005 and 27 percent since the fall of 2006.
Forty percent of the African American students who started in the fall of 2003 earned an award,
transferred or were still attending the college after four years. Almost one-fourth of the students
had graduated or transferred in the same time frame. The college has set its benchmarks at 60
percent for the successful-persister rate and 35 percent for the graduation-transfer rate.
Supporting the college’s strategic objective to increase the retention and goal achievement of
minority students, an African American mentoring program was implemented in the fall of 2008
with the purpose of increasing the retention rates of African American students. Asian American
and Hispanic student rates are not reported since the cohorts for analysis consist of less than 50
students.
Seeking to increase the diversity of faculty and administrative/professional employees, the
college works toward meeting the State Plan commitment to improve the diversity of faculty and
staff. The college has a strategic objective to increase minority representation in college faculty
and administrative and professional staff. Due to the low turnover of credit faculty, a limited
number of new credit faculty positions each year and lack of qualified minority applicants, it has
been difficult to meet the college’s benchmark of 12 percent minority credit faculty. However,
the percentage of minority credit faculty increased from 7 percent in the fall of 2005 to 10
percent in the fall of 2007 and then decreased to 9 percent in the fall of 2008. Gaining two more
minority credit full-time faculty employees would enable Wor-Wic to meet its benchmark. The
percentage of minority full-time administrative/professional employees increased each year from
4 percent in the fall of 2005 to 10 percent in the fall of 2008. The college has met its benchmark
of 10 percent. The human resources department at the college places advertisements and
conducts mailings that target under-represented candidates from racially and ethnically diverse
groups.
Economic Growth and Vitality, Workforce Development
Expanding courses, facilities and programs to meet the changing needs of the local work force is
a strategic goal for the college that addresses the State Plan goal to promote economic growth
and vitality through the development of a highly qualified work force. Ninety-one percent of
Wor-Wic’s career program 2005 graduates indicated they were satisfied with their job
preparation and 93 percent were employed full time in jobs related or somewhat related to their
academic major. Of the graduate employers, 100 percent indicated they were satisfied with the
job preparation of these employees.
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