WNCC 2010 Self-Study Report - Western Nebraska Community ...

• Intercollegiate Athletics
Athletic programs at WNCC are designed to develop a value system for students and to
assist student-athletes in preparing themselves academically, physically, and socially to
fulfill a meaningful place in society beyond WNCC. The College’s athletics program is
centered on the following twelve guiding principles: adaptability, compassion,
contemplation, courage, honesty, initiative, loyalty, optimism, perseverance, respect,
responsibility, and trustworthiness (RR 53).
Core Component 2c: The organization’s ongoing evaluation and assessment
processes provide reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness that clearly
informs strategies for continuous improvement.
WNCC has ongoing evaluation and assessment processes in place to gauge institutional
effectiveness and for continuous improvement.
Assessment of Student Learning
WNCC instructors and other employees utilize a variety of methods to ensure that students are
mastering the material in subject areas they study. Besides course, program, and general
education level assessment measures (further detailed in Criterion 3), external tools are used for
comparative purposes to gauge student achievement or to identify gaps where improvement can
take place, and reports are created and the information disseminated to the institution at large
about the results. The successful educational experience for students begins with accurate and
consistent placement into the courses for which the students are prepared, as discussed below.
Course Placement Instruments
Since 1986, WNCC has used ASSET and more recently eCompass tests for mandatory placement
in English, reading, and mathematics courses. If are inadequately prepared in those academic
areas, the College has courses to help students develop the skills necessary to succeed in collegelevel
courses (RR 54).
As previously outlined, a new academic division, the Division of Academic Enrichment, was
created during the summer of 2008 to house the developmental education courses (two levels of
writing, two in reading, and three math levels). A Chair and four full-time faculty members are
assigned to the division, with instructors from other divisions as well as adjunct instructors also
offering courses as needed.
Performance Reports
One of the ways in which WNCC attempts to triangulate learning results or to verify independently
the learning achieved during a course of study at the institution is through the administration of
standardized tests. The College utilizes the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency
(CAAP) test at the point of graduation, and degree-seeking students are required to take the CAAP
test before receiving their degree. Faculty and staff members review the results to confirm
program strengths and to identify areas that need to be strengthened. WNCC test results are
usually aligned with national norms. Examples of the CAAP test results follows:
Western Nebraska Community College Page 87