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

As can be seen, WNCC fared well in several categories compared to other small colleges and
cohort intuitions. Even though student participation in student organizations seems low, the
comparative satisfaction rating was high. Transfer credit assistance also received favorable
ratings. The fact that academic advising/planning indicated the highest satisfaction at 76.5% is
intriguing when linked with other findings. Students ranked academic advising/planning as “Very
Important” or “Somewhat Important” (90.1%), and they self-reported as participating in academic
advising/planning either “Sometimes” or “Often” for a total of about 55.0% of the time. The
“Sometimes” result was 42.9%; the “Often” result was only 12.1%.
Students seem to be satisfied with the academic advising they receive, but the number of students
engaged in such advising appears to be lower than would seem to be necessary in order to sustain
a link between an advisor (faculty member of otherwise) and the institution.
Since research indicates that a student-faculty member connection is a critical component of
retention strategies (as previously discussed), the results from the 2007 CCSSE report about the
frequency of advising consultations served as one of the precipitating factors in the decision to
bring the central advising in closer proximity to academic advising--when the Student Services
personnel from the Williams Building were relocated to the main building at Scottsbluff. Students in
Sidney and Alliance primarily work with a Student Services representative for advising, except for a
few in specialized areas like nursing, where they consult with a faculty member in the discipline to
ensure that they remain in step with the program.
The “Services to Students with Disabilities” category appears from this initial survey report to be a
matter of institutional concern. The new ADA guidelines and comprehensive strategy named the
Compensatory Abilities Policy addressed the issue somewhat, but there may remain a problem in
the routing of concerns to the Disability Services Officer, the time available for him to spend with
individual students, or in the lack of formal communications or meetings wherein faculty members
can understand best methods of implementation for prescribed accommodations.
Of course, the term disability can mean anything from physical impairment to a diagnosable
learning disability of some type, so the range of possibility in the question makes it hard to
understand which specific area needs the most attention in the time between first encounter and
fully implemented service. Given that returning veterans and more students from the K-12 ranks
will be entering higher education and more of them may require specific support of some type in
order to succeed, it is important to WNCC to refine strategies to assist the students. An important
step will be to compare the results from the same question on the 2009 report when it is reviewed.
Summary
The College has a long tradition of service in its district, particularly in Scottsbluff as a junior
college and then later as it expanded farther into the service area with branch campuses and
additional academic and industry-related training. Although the other campuses have been in their
respective communities for shorter periods of time, they also have become vital but customary
additions because the WNCC listens to its constituents and responds to their needs. The citizens
who live and work in the area nearly universally support and take pride in their local highereducation
institution, a fact which is invariably noted by visitors or job candidates who inquire about
the College in one of the host communities where a campus is located.
Western Nebraska Community College Page 173