Accreditation - Hartnell College!!

Institutional Self Evaluation – 12-05-12
I.B.5
The institution uses documented assessment results to communicate matters of quality
assurance to appropriate constituencies.
Descriptive Summary
The college eliminated its Office of Institutional Research and Director of Institutional
Research in the 2008 restructuring and moved to a ―distributive‖ method of research in which
different areas become more involved in inquiry and collecting their own data. However, the
position was refilled in October 2012 by a Dean of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness.
This position will be responsible for institutional research, evaluation, and planning. And a
primary task is to lead the strategic planning effort for the college. This strategic planning is
intended to identify institutional goals, oultine the commensurate performance indicators and
develop the tools and mechanisms of regular assessment. In the absence of an assigned
researcher, various entities conducted their own research, which led to a lack of concerted
research and analysis efforts. Nonetheless, required research and analyses were performed,
albeit not a system-wide fashion.
In 2009, the Student Success Center was assembled, funded by a Title V grant. This group is
comprised of management, faculty, staff, and the sole institutional research analyst. The
charge of this group is to examine and research various aspects of student success. The group
meets weekly. Collection of data has led to a robust discussion: “What are the questions that
need to be answered through research?” The group began to look at developing research
tools that would bring the ability to do research to faculty—completions rates for courses,
etc. The Student Success Center received an award in 2011 from the Academic Senate of the
California Community Colleges, the ―Promising Outcomes Work and Exemplary Research
(POWER) Award.‖ (I.B.23) This research group‘s data and research tools are all accessible
on the Title V page of the college‘s website. (I.B.24)
The college collects data of many kinds. Most significant are district and student
demographics; enrollment and enrollment trends; and rates of student success including
certificate and degree completion and transfer.
The college is the beneficiary of over sixty grants (I.B.25), most of which directly improve
instruction and each of which has its own assessment requirements. Thus, for instance, the
college prepares reports on its use of Title V funds.
Self Evaluation
Hartnell continues to gather data essential to its mission, and using new software developed
under a Title V grant, is ―mining‖ significant data to help improve student success. The
addition of the new Dean of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness, more streamlined and
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