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

(African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic). Because the number
of students in the cohort for analysis in each category is less than fifty in each of
the four years under study, these rates are not reported. The rationale for not
reporting observations with small numbers was to avoid revealing outcomes for a
few students. Results for very few students also are subject to erratic fluctuations
which may have little or no reliability.
Economic Growth and Vitality: Workforce Development
The downward trend in unduplicated annual headcount in non-credit workforce
development courses at the College (indicator #24a) and annual course
enrollments (indicator #24b) was reversed in FY2008 with 16.7% and 5.0%
growth respectively. Shifts in market demand are ever changing based on the
economic conditions of our county. Certainly, the impact of the downturn began
to have an effect in FY2008. However, Cecil continues to add new program areas
to both the trades and professional continuing education courses. In the latter
area, three new continuing education certificates were introduced in FY2008.
Initial reaction from local employers was very positive; however, the timing of
the introduction of these offerings coinciding with the tightening of professional
development funding did not yield significant increases in enrollment during
FY2008. Career & Community Education will continue to infuse these changes
in its programming in order to be in an excellent position when there is an
economic upturn.
Annual headcount and course enrollments in continuing professional education
leading to government or industry-required certification or licensure (indicator
#25) remained flat from FY2007 to FY2008. A temporary absence in the
leadership roles for this program may have negatively impacted the delivery and
therefore the growth of the program. An impact to this indicator was felt when the
non-credit courses in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning were not offered in
FY2008. However, reductions in enrollment in Commercial Driver License
preparation accounts for the more significant factor.
While the number of businesses provided with non-credit training (Indicator #26)
continued with a slight downward trend, both unduplicated headcount and annual
course enrollments in noncredit contract training (indicator #27) had more
significant declines in FY2008. There is a continued shift in market demand for
credit contract training as the need for a degree-holding workforce in response to
BRAC continues. However as discussed previously, for the most part, the
elimination or significant reduction in training funds was the dominating factor.
Employer satisfaction with non-credit contract training provided by the College
has always been excellent (indicator #28). In FY 2008, 100 percent of the clients
surveyed expressed satisfaction with the services provided.
Enrollment in noncredit community service and lifelong learning courses
(indicator #29) at the College has been steadily growing over the years though
remained relatively flat in FY2008. Noncredit headcount enrollments in basic
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