final version of the self-study document - Keuka College's Middle ...

eports from the Center for Experiential Learning, annual ASK Office reports, the June
2012 Taskforce on Academic Program Prioritization Report, the New Student Program
Evaluation (NSPE), and annual program assessment reports. Results from these
assessments are available on the College Share drive. Performance indicators which are
annually shared with the Board and the community at large include annual reports on
enrollments across all programs, results of institutional fundraising efforts, as well as
retention and graduation rates. Progress in achieving institutional goals is systematically
assessed on a regular basis, with modification of initiatives and operational tactics as
necessary. Evidence of reporting and discussion with relevant constituents can be found
in the Board of Trustees Minutes, Faculty Minutes, the President’s Annual State of the
College address, and Academic Council Minutes.
Analysis of the soon-to-be completed Strategic Plan 2009-2012 provides evidence that
the College achieved many, but not all, of its goals. The nine initiatives of the Strategic
Plan focus on institutional growth, expanded programming, increased revenues, and an
enhanced learning experience for students. As noted in Chapter 2, the College has
expanded its offerings of degree programs across New York State and overseas,
sufficiently increased revenues which were reinvested in employee salaries and services
provided to students, and improved its financial stability. Significant institutional
resources were dedicated to supporting and building capacity in Keuka’s non-traditional
program areas, with limited ability remaining then to allocate resources to fundraising or
increasing the endowment. Consequently, fundraising has not improved substantially,
with but moderate growth in the Annual Fund, Capital Giving, and Endowment Giving
(Appendix 4.3 Fundraising Totals). Currently without a Vice President for Advancement,
the College recognizes the need to fill this key position and to develop a strategy that will
aggressively increase the endowment.
Appendix 4.4 Strategic Plan Report Card 2009-2012 also indicates that many activities,
ones that are essential to mission and institutional performance, will continue into the
next Strategic Plan, although the initiatives themselves will be reconfigured. The several
drafts-to-date carry forward several operational goals which focus on strengthening
academic programs, fundraising, lowering tuition dependency, and creating a better
learning environment. Stronger accountability through enhanced tracking and analysis of
results is also a key theme of the current strategic planning work, echoing the 2009-2012
goal to “strengthen the culture of self-assessment across the institution.”
In response to this goal of strengthening the culture of self assessment, the College has
raised awareness and expanded expectations of assessment across all areas. Formative
evaluation of assessments, including examining the quality, utility, and use of
assessments to inform decisions, is now ongoing and demonstrated in a number of ways.
Appendix 4.5 Table 4.2: Approaches to Assessment Among Non-Academic & Discipline
Units provides evidence that the College has improved its processes to assess institutional
effectiveness. For example, the non-academic units provide evidence of using the Noel
Levitz results more regularly to inform their self-evaluation. The use of the Noel-Levitz
not only provides the non-academic units with useful information for continuous
improvement, but allows administrators to utilize this data for decision-making purposes
Page 3 of 31 Chapter 4: Inst. Effectiveness & Assessment