final report from HLC - Glendale Community College

2CRITERION TWO: PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE. The organization's allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation andplanning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges andopportunities.1. Evidence that Core Components are metThe team determined that GCC has adequate resources to support its Mission and is poised to meet future needs. GCC’s Honors Program andCTLE Program are examples of faculty-driven programs that maintain profound vetting processes to enhance the quality of the curriculumand student life through salient standards and engaging professional development opportunities. GCC’s department and program levelstrategic planning processes are exemplary and can add value to the College’s strategic planning effort. Notable are the strategic plansused by the HonorsProgram, CTLE Program, and the MCCCD District Libraries plans. GCC main and GCC North facilities were state of the art and wellmaintained. The college has a facilities master plan for the main campus and the north campus. Phase I of both master plans are alignedwith the 2004 capital bond issues. The facilities, and the programs they support, demonstrate the college’s commitment to serving theirstudents and community. The team took special note of the Public Safety Sciences building, the Life sciences building, the Library and thestudent technology lab in High Tech 1 building. Since 2001, four buildings have received awards of excellence in the annual Valley Forwardand Best of the West competitions. These competitions recognize excellence in facilities design, sustainability and the environment,educational programs and leadership and services improving each citizen’s way of life in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.GCC has a robust budget development process that provides input from all areas of the college. New operating budget requests are linkedto the strategic directions and are submitted to the President’s Budget Advisory Committee. Members of the President’s Budget AdvisoryCommittee discuss the budget requests with their employee group and bring their prioritized list to be discussed at the committee level.The President’s Budget Advisory Committee then recommends a prioritized list of requests to the president. Approved budget requests arethen posted on the business services web page. New staffing requests are reviewed by the executive leadership team. While numerouspositions have been held vacant, the executive leadership team has recommended and the president has approved numerous faculty andstaff positions to be filled in FY 2013.GCC must manage a complex financial system that includes many different funding sources with different spending criteria. GCC hasfaced difficult financial challenges with state funding to the district declining to 1% from 15% over the last 10 years. GCC relies heavilyon property taxes to support general operations and with a weakened economy and declining property values this may be a challenge.Through a successful giving campaign GCC has increased scholarship funds available (from $46,570 in FY 2002 to $2,792,900 in FY 2011)to students to help offset the increase in tuition costs. The college has exhibited prudent financial management by absorbing the budgetreductions, increasing aid to students and maintaining a balanced budget. GCC staff demonstrated professionalism, dedication and a focuson student success. Staff is offered generous and comprehensive professional development benefits.11 Final Report: Assurance Section