Self-Study Report - Olympic College

Self-Study Report 

Prepared for the Northwest Commission on 

Colleges and Universities 

2009

Mission 

We serve and enrich all our communities by providing quality education and training for all who seek to 

improve their lives through learning. 

Vision 

At Olympic College we envision learning as a life enhancing journey of discovery where: 

Our students are life-long learners in a global society. 

� To realize our vision, we will focus on student learning and success, promoting learning through accessible education, personalized 

service, adaptive and innovative teaching, and an ongoing commitment to academic excellence. 

Our employees are empowered to achieve the college mission. 

� To realize our vision, we will appreciate and value our employees, providing opportunities to enhance professional skills, encouraging 

learning and advancement, and prioritizing and sharing institutional resources. 

Our community recognizes the college as its cornerstone of learning. 

� To realize our vision, we will develop strong community partnerships and fulfill our role as a cultural center, enriching those we serve by 

creating relevant educational options and bringing a diverse array of activities to the region. 

Values 

We honor our shared values by holding ourselves and each other accountable for: 

A dedication to public service and Higher Education. 

To demonstrate our values we… 

� Commit ourselves to student learning and success 

� Embrace the wide-ranging mission of the community college 

� Meet or exceed professional standards of practice and ethics 

� Champion the principles of academic freedom and intellectual honesty 

� Foster innovation, creativity, and flexibility in our efforts to offer exemplary education and service 

� Regularly evaluate our practice and make changes to better support those who are underserved 

A commitment to life-long Learning. 


� Assess our work rigorously and reflectively to improve our knowledge 

� Improve our practices and behaviors as we learn better ways of working 

� Take thoughtful risks to acquire new perspectives and skills 

� Create a learning environment in which each learner is welcomed, encouraged and supported 

The practice of civil and constructive discourse and respect for diversity. 


� Exemplify civility as a hallmark of our institution 

� Appreciate and listen to one another with respect for our differences 

� Acknowledge that our own cultural conditioning influences our perceptions of other people 

� Are open-minded problem solvers who manage conflicts proactively and effectively 

A quest for community and environmental health. 


� Contribute to the wellbeing and sustainability of our community 

� Serve as stewards of our environment 

� Study and model choices and practices that enhance environmental health, economic vitality, and social justice 

The thoughtful use of our finite resources, including ourselves. 


� Empower employees to assert leadership and engage in institutional decision making 

� Develop, prioritize and communicate our goals collaboratively 

� Identify, share, and make the most effective use of our resources 

� Work together to accomplish our tasks and achieve the college mission 

� Strive for a balanced work environment in which we are efficient and competent, but also kind and friendly

Table of Contents 

Preface – Process and Membership .............................................................................................................. i 

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... vii 

Glossary ......................................................................................................................................................... ix 

Standard One: Institutional Mission and Goals, Planning and Effectiveness ............................................ 1‐1 

Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1‐1 

Mission and Vision ........................................................................................................................ 1‐2 

Institutional Planning .................................................................................................................... 1‐6 

Assessment and Effectiveness .................................................................................................... 1‐19 

Standard One Strengths and Recommendations ....................................................................... 1‐27 

Appendix 

The Planning and Assessment Cycle in Action ............................................................... A1‐1 

Standard Two: Educational Program and Its Effectiveness ....................................................................... 2‐1 

Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 2‐1 

General Requirements .................................................................................................................. 2‐3 

Educational Program Planning and Assessment ......................................................................... 2‐23 

Undergraduate Programs ........................................................................................................... 2‐44 

Off Campus and Other Special Programs Proving Academic Credit ........................................... 2‐55 

Non‐Credit Programs and Courses ............................................................................................. 2‐71 

Standard Two: Strengths and Recommendations ...................................................................... 2‐73 

Appendix 

General Education Distribution Requirements .............................................................. A2‐1 

Faculty Contact Information .......................................................................................... A2‐2 

Inventory of degree programs that have been added or deleted in 

the last five years ................................................................................................... A2‐6 

Number of degrees granted in each program for the last three years ......................... A2‐8 

Standard Three: Students .......................................................................................................................... 3‐1 

Student Services Purpose, Organization and Assessment ............................................................ 3‐1 

Academic Credit and Records ..................................................................................................... 3‐13 

Services for Students .................................................................................................................. 3‐18 

Standard Three: Strengths and Recommendations .................................................................... 3‐42 

Appendix 

Board of Trustees Diversity Resolution #05‐1025‐1 ...................................................... A3‐1 

Self‐Study Report TOC‐1

Standard Four: Faculty ............................................................................................................................... 4‐1 

Faculty Selection, Evaluation, Roles, Welfare and Development ................................................. 4‐1 

Scholarship, Research and Artistic Creation ............................................................................... 4‐20 

Standard Four: Strengths and Recommendations ...................................................................... 4‐22 

Appendix 

Samples of Scholarship, Research and Artistic Creation ............................................... A4‐1 

Standard Five: Library and Information Resources .................................................................................... 5‐1 

Libraries Purpose and Scope; Information Resources and Services ............................................. 5‐1 

Facilities and Access .................................................................................................................... 5‐12 

Instructional Technology ............................................................................................................ 5‐16 

Information Technology .............................................................................................................. 5‐17 

Personnel and Management....................................................................................................... 5‐25 

Planning and Evaluation.............................................................................................................. 5‐26 

Standard Five: Strengths and Recommendations ....................................................................... 5‐28 

Appendix 

Olympic College Libraries Organizational Chart ............................................................ A5‐1 

Sample Library Assessments and Actions Taken based on Assessments ...................... A5‐2 

Olympic College Information Technology Organizational Chart ................................... A5‐3 

Standard Six: Governance and Administration .......................................................................................... 6‐1 

Governance System ...................................................................................................................... 6‐1 

Affirmative Action and Non‐Discrimination ................................................................................ 6‐13 

Collective Bargaining ................................................................................................................... 6‐15 

Standard Six: Strengths and Recommendations ......................................................................... 6‐16 

Appendix 

Board of Trustees Biographical Information .................................................................. A6‐1 

Standard Seven: Financial Planning ........................................................................................................... 7‐1 

Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 7‐1 

Financial Planning ......................................................................................................................... 7‐1 

Adequacy of Financial Resources .................................................................................................. 7‐4 

Financial Management ............................................................................................................... 7‐10 

Fundraising and Development .................................................................................................... 7‐11 

Standard Seven: Strengths and Recommendations ................................................................... 7‐12 

Appendix 

Guiding Principles .......................................................................................................... A7‐1 

Current Funds Revenues ................................................................................................ A7‐5 

Current Funds Expenditures .......................................................................................... A7‐6 

Sources of Financial Aid ................................................................................................. A7‐7 

Operating Gifts and Endowments .................................................................................. A7‐8 

Capital Investments ....................................................................................................... A7‐9 

Endowment Fund Balances Time Period: 2006‐2009 .................................................. A7‐10 

Endowment Distributions Time Period: 2006‐2009 .................................................... A7‐11 

Olympic College Foundation Endowment Distributions Time Period 2006‐2009 ....... A7‐12 

Supplementary Documentation of Year end Accruals ................................................. A7‐14 

TOC‐2 Self‐Study Report

Standard Eight: Physical Resources ........................................................................................................... 8‐1 

Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 8‐1 

Instructional and Support Facilities .............................................................................................. 8‐2 

Equipment and Materials ........................................................................................................... 8‐11 

Physical Resources Planning ....................................................................................................... 8‐12 

Standard Eight: Strengths and Recommendations ..................................................................... 8‐14 

Appendix 

Bremerton Campus Map ................................................................................................ A8‐1 

Poulsbo Campus Map .................................................................................................... A8‐2 

Shelton Campus Map ..................................................................................................... A8‐3 

Standard Nine: Institutional Integrity ........................................................................................................ 9‐1 

Institutional Integrity .................................................................................................................... 9‐1 

Strengths and Recommendations ................................................................................................. 9‐9 

Self‐Study Report TOC‐3

Preface��Self�Study�Process�and�Membership� 

PROCESS� 

Olympic College’s 2009 Self-Study arose 

from the collaborative efforts of many 

individuals representing all segments of the 

College community including members of the 

Board of Trustees, full and part-time faculty, 

staff, administrators, and students. The design 

of this project intentionally encouraged 

widespread and diverse participation, honest 

and open discussion, and consensus on analysis 

and recommendations. 

Early in the process, the Steering 

Committee chose to publish records of 

proceedings, relevant data, draft documents, 

and other information connected with the 

College’s process of self-examination. To 

accomplish this level of disclosure, the Steering 

Committee created an accreditation SharePoint 

site available to the entire college community, 

and used email, announcements, and 

presentations to keep the College community 

engaged in the process and informed of its 

progress. 

All committees completed their written 

reports spring quarter 2009. Revisions were 

made throughout the process. Near the end of 

� 

the self-study process, the Steering Committee 

conducted a number of open forums to present 

individual standard sections to the College for 

questions and comments. The purpose of the 

forums was to invite feedback on the key 

findings, strengths, and recommendations that 

arose from the self-study process. 

Once all materials were submitted, the 

Steering Committee chair served as co-editor 

with the leadership of each Standard to 

produce a final copy for Steering Committee 

review and publication. During this part of the 

process, the entire body of work, in all its 

iterations, remained accessible to the College 

via the SharePoint site. In August, at the 

conclusion of the editing process, the 

SharePoint link containing the competed Self- 

Study was emailed to all. Hard copy versions of 

the document were produced and widely 

distributed, and the report was posted to the 

College’s website. 

Self-Study Report i

MEMBERSHIP� 

Steering�Committee� 

Rick�MacLennan,�Chair,�Vice�President�of�Student�Services� 

Bob Abel, Physics Faculty 

Kristy Anderson, Associate Dean of Planning, Assessment and Research 

Judi Brown, Dean of Math, Engineering, Science and Health 

Debbi Campbell, Specialist, Information Technology 

Mary Garguile, Vice President for Instruction 

Jack Hanson, Executive Director, Information Technology 

Gina Huston, Dean of Sciences and Humanities 

Barbara Martin, Vice President for Administrative Services 

Kim McNamara, Dean of Student Development 

David Mitchell, President 

Ruth Ross, Dean of Library/Media Services 

Melinda St. John, Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Student Services 

Chris Stokke, Nursing Faculty 

Standard�One� 

Kristy�Anderson,�Co�Chair,�Associate�Dean�of�Planning,�Assessment�and�Research� 

Donald�Robertson,�Co�Chair,�Math�Faculty� 

Nellie Buckland, Specialist, Procurement 

Pete Crane, Board of Trustee 

Katherine Erfe, Advisor, Mentoring and Advising for Persistence and Success 

Wendy McFadden, Program Specialist, Veteran’s Services 

Kim McNamara, Dean of Student Development 

Charlotte Purl, Manager, Projects, Programs and Telecom 

April Rabe, Office Assistant, Planning, Assessment and Research 

Ruth Ross, Dean of Library/ Media Services 

Standard�2.A� 

Richard�Strand,�Chair,�Dean�of�Business�and�Technology� 

Tim Hagan, Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty 

Chris Hobson, Welding Faculty 

Mary Ann Kelso, Math Faculty 


Gloria Martin, Director of Instructional Support Services 

Wendy Miles, Director of Military and Continuing Education 

Penny Morse, Advisor, Student Entry and Advising Center 

� 

ii Self-Study Report

Standard�2.B� 

Kim�McNamara,�Chair,�Dean�of�Student�Development� 

Kristy Anderson, Associate Dean of Planning, Assessment and Research 

Rhonda Booth, Administrative Assistant, Workforce Development 

Linnea Hess, Physics Faculty 

Karen Hulsebosch, Math Faculty 

Deb Lamb, History Faculty 

Gloria Martin, Director of Instructional Support Services 

April Rabe, Office Assistant, Planning, Assessment and Research 

Joanne Salas, Office Technology Faculty 

Naomi Saunders, Administrative Assistant, Library/Media Services 

Esther Koi Tirima, English Faculty 

Rachel Wellman, Director of Multicultural Services 

Cindy Wyman, Director of Program Development for Workforce Development 

Standard�2.C� 

Judi�Brown,�Chair,�Dean�of�Math,�Engineering�Science�and�Health� 

Ann Brackebusch, Math Faculty 

Tom Cameron, English Faculty 

Susan Digby, Geology Faculty 


Jason Heinze, Math Faculty 

Pat Lyons, Advisor, Student Entry and Advising Center 

Standard�2.G�and�2.H� 

Kim�McNamara,�Co�Chair�Dean�of�Student�Development� 

Richard�Strand,�Co�Chair,�Dean�of�Business�and�Technology� 

Larry Akers, Director of Kitsap Readiness Response Institute 

Tom Cameron, English Faculty 

Gwen Garrett, Program Coordinator, Business and Technology 

Don Haines, Physics Faculty 

Janis Johnson, Program Assistant, OC Shelton 

Jackie Lorenz, Program Coordinator, Continuing Education 

Teresa McDermott, Director, Worker Retraining and Work Integrated Learning 

Wendy Miles, Director of Military and Continuing Education 

� 

Self-Study Report iii

Standard�Three� 

Gina�Huston,�Chair,�Dean�of�Social�Sciences�and�Humanities� 

John Babbo, Counseling Faculty 

Karen Fusco, Director of Access Services 

Toni Hartsfield, Director of Student Programs and Leadership Development 

Karen Hemmerly, Program Support Supervisor, Records and Registration 

Barry Janusch, Director of Athletics and the Bremer Student Center 

Eunha Jung, English Faculty 

Joseph Koroma, Associate Dean of Financial Aid 

Dianna Larsen, Dean of Enrollment Services 

Denis Snyder, Director of Auxiliary Services 

Koi Tirima, English Faculty 

Rachel Wellman, Director of Multicultural Services 

Janell Whiteley, Director of Business Services 

Standard�Four� 

Chris�Stokke,�Chair,�Nursing�Faculty� 

Bob Abel, Physics Faculty 

Nancy Bermea, Office Technology Faculty 

Judi Brown, Dean of Math, Engineering, Science and Health 

Mike Dodge, Math Faculty 

Martin Haines, Math Faculty 

Tess Harrison, Program Assistant, Instruction 

Athena Prado Higgins, Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Instruction 

Judith Meyers, History Faculty 

Standard�Five� 

Ruth�Ross,�Co�Chair,�Dean�of�Library/Media�Services� 

Jack�Hanson,�Co�Chair,�Executive�Director�of�Information�and�Technology� 

Sarah Adams, Library Adjunct Faculty 

Chip Barker, Psychology Faculty 

Nancy Bermea, Office Technology Faculty 

Jeff Brown, Engineering Faculty 

Debbie Campbell, Specialist, Information Technology 

Bev Cheney, Board of Trustee 

Judith Cunneen, Library Faculty 

Jodie DeLay, History Faculty 

Angela Dorsey, Educational Advisor, Student Services 

Matt Dodge, Biology Faculty 

Katherine Erfe, Advisor, Mentoring and Advising for Persistence and Success 

Donna Forbes, Technician, Library/Media Services 

Karen Hemmerly, Program Support Supervisor, Records and Registration 

Amy Herman, Library Faculty 

Kent Mercer, Library Faculty 

Chris Schmechel, Director of Web Services, Information Technology 

iv Self-Study Report

Standard�Six� 

John�Babbo,�Chair,�Counseling�Faculty� 

Candace Alvarez, Space Analyst, Instructional Support Services 

Bev Cheney, Board of Trustee 

Nora Downard, Program Coordinator, Records and Registration 

Allison Smith, Executive Assistant to the President 

David Mitchell, President 

Ruth Ross, Dean of Library/Media Services 

Elaine Urrutia, Data Processer, Registration and Records 

Standard�Seven� 

Janell�Whiteley,�Chair,�Director�of�Business�Services� 


Candace Alvarez, Space Analyst, Instructional Support 

Joan Hanten, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement 

Tim Hewitt, Sergeant, Safety and Security 

Margaret Hodun, Budget Analyst, Administrative Services 

Thomas Oliver, Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Administrative Services 

Standard�Eight� 

Bill�Wilkie,�Chair,�Director�of�Facilities�Services�and�Capital�Projects� 

Karen Fusco, Director of Access Services 



Samantha Powers, Administrative Services Manager, Facility Services 

Richard Strand, Dean of Business and Technology 

Standard�Nine� 

Jennifer�Hayes,�Chair,�Director�of�Communications� 

Barry Janusch, Director of Athletics and the Bremer Student Center 

Judie Jose, Administrative Assistant, Human Resources Services 

Dianna Larsen, Dean of Enrollment Services 


Darlene Peters, Board of Trustee 

Michael Prince, Journalism Faculty 

Melinda St. John, Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Student Services 

Linda Yerger, Executive Director of Human Resource Services 

� 

Self-Study Report v

Accreditation�Host�Committee� 

Melinda St. John,�Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Student Services� 

Nick Giovanni, Culinary Arts Faculty 

Thomas Oliver, Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Administrative Services 

Samantha Powers, Administrative Services Manager, Facilities Services 

Athena Prado Higgins, Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Instruction 

Charlotte Purl, Manager, Projects, Programs and Telecom 


Publication�Team� 


Daphne Van Berkom, Administrative Assistant, Student Development Services 

Jennifer Hayes, Director of Communications 

Joanie Pearson, Creative Design Manager, Communications 

Lu Sawdye, Program Coordinator, Duplicating Services 


� � 

vi Self-Study Report

Executive�Summary� 

Since the last full scale reaccreditation 

process in 2001 Olympic College has evolved 

and changed in many ways. Forty-seven 

percent of the College’s full-time faculty have 

been hired since 2001; a new site in Poulsbo 

was opened in 2004 and now serves over 1,200 

students; a new President and two new Vice 

Presidents have been hired; the student 

population has become more diverse; all 

recommendations from the 2001 accreditation 

report have been addressed as indicated 

throughout this self study; four new buildings 

have been built with more on the way, as a 

result the College’s physical appearance has 

been revitalized; relations between the faculty 

and the executive administrators have been 

significantly improved; the College has 

established robust and operational programs of 

institutional effectiveness, planning, assessment 

and analysis; and the College has initiated a 

baccalaureate program in nursing (BSN). 

Through all of this the Mission of Olympic 

College has remained constant and has served 

the College and community well. That mission 

states, “We serve and enrich all our 

communities by providing quality education and 

training for all who seek to improve their lives 

through learning.” The communities that the 

College serves believe that the BSN program 

falls naturally under the umbrella of this 

mission as does all the other programmatic, 

student and facilities changes listed above. 

This Self Study refers to recent budget 

reductions on numerous occasions. Within 

such a fiscal climate, the College adhered to its 

vision, strategic planning, and assessment 

processes and based decisions on clear 

principles derived from them. As a result 

advances in support of strategic goals and 

initiatives were achieved. New programs were 

added and full time faculty positions continued 

to be filled. Student achievement efforts, 

particularly in support of under-represented 

student populations, were made more 

deliberate and effective, and a program of 

sustainability has been developed. Keeping 

true to the mission in this climate, while making 

significant budget reductions, has required 

extraordinary sacrifice and effort on the part of 

every Olympic College employee; and while 

some uncertainty still exists, the College, rather 

than enter into a retrenchment mode, has 

planned for a stronger and improved future and 

moved forward with implementing strategies to 

get there. 

In the course of conducting this 

comprehensive self-study, the Steering 

Committee and standards teams assessed the 

College against the essential eligibility 

requirements and found it to be in compliance 

with them. As expected, this self-study analysis 

also helped the College identify strengths and 

opportunities for improvement. Not 

surprisingly, as key themes of positive 

institutional progress were identified, there was 

substantial interest (as reflected in many of the 

recommendations) in documenting the need to 

sustain efforts and continue progress. In many 

instances, the separation between a strength 

and a recommendation is a matter of degree. 

For example, this report documents planning 

and assessment activities that are widespread 

and authentic—engaging personnel at all levels 

of the institution and leading to meaningful 

change. For some planning and assessment 

activities, such as the Student Achievement 

Initiative, traditional lines of control have been 

blurred and now actively engage 

interdisciplinary teams of faculty and staff (in 

this example between Instruction and Student 

Services). Yet while the College’s planning and 

assessment efforts are viewed as a major 

strength, it is not always clear how these 

Self-Study Report vii

activities form an integrated and cohesive 

system. Because of this, several 

recommendations speak to the need to provide 

a better sense of priority and clarity, as well as 

to make planning and assessment processes 

more accessible through better communication. 

The College has made great progress in the 

areas of instructional program review and 

assessment. As with planning and assessment, 

generally, the work in these areas is rich and 

authentic. The current process of instructional 

program review, however, is relatively new and 

not fully understood by all, and work has 

already begun to increase understanding of the 

process. For instructional assessment, better 

use of evaluation tools and data will provide 

faculty and instructional administrators’ access 

to better information to evaluate all classes and 

modes of instruction. Included in this 

discussion is the work on Core Abilities and the 

recommendation to stay the course and 

continue this work. 

The College recognizes in this report the 

need to evaluate the adequacy and 

effectiveness of its programs and services, and 

to use this information to make decisions about 

how essential activities are staffed, organized, 

and funded. This report includes several 

examples of how the College has done that. 

Distance education and online resources and 

the increasingly central role they have in 

supporting learning are evolving rapidly at 

Olympic College. Two recommendations—one 

each in Standards Two and Five, speak to the 

need to more purposefully engage in strategic 

planning to guide the College’s efforts in these 

areas. 

Finally you will notice that, by design, 

Standard Two provides description and analyses 

across the full program of instruction rather 

than by individual academic programs or 

disciplines. We note this because the reader 

may expect a more detailed description of the 

College’s instructional programs and disciplines 

within the document. Some general program 

and division information is included in the 

introduction of Standard Two, and detailed 

program notebooks will be available in the 

resource room, but the intent of addressing the 

Standards in this manner was to provide a more 

comprehensive and integrated analysis of the 

processes at work in Instruction. 

viii Self-Study Report

Glossary 

ACF� 

American Culinary Federation 

AHE� 

Association for Higher Education – The faculty 

union for the College 

ARC� 

Admissions and Registration Council – A 

professional group representing members in 

Washington State. 

ARGAC� 

Admissions, Registration and Graduation Appeal 

Committee 

ASOC� 

Associated Students of Olympic College – The 

student governing body at the College 

B&T� 

Business and Technology -- One of the three 

instructional divisions of the College 

BSN� 

Bachelor of Science in Nursing – The first fouryear 

program at Olympic College. 

BSC� 

Bremer Student Center – Housing the 

Bremerton campus facilities for the Bookstore, 

Food Services, the Multicultural Center, the 

ASOC and some athletic facilities. 

Cabinet� 

AKA President’s Cabinet, consisting of the 

following positions: Vice President of 

Instruction; Vice President of Student Services; 

Vice President for Administrative Services; 

Executive Director of Institutional Advancement 

& the OC Foundation; Director of 

Communications; President, of the local AHE 

(Faculty Union); Executive Assistant to the 

President; Executive Director of Human 

Resource Services; Director of Extended 

Learning; Director of Multicultural Services; 

Executive Director of Information Technology 

CBA� 

Collective Bargaining Agreement – One of two 

agreements the College has with unions (faculty 

and classified staff). 

CCN� 

Common Course Numbering 

CCSSE� 

Community College Survey of Student 

Engagement – A student engagement survey 

conducted in 2005, 2007 and 2009 

CFDC� 

Child and Family Development Center 

CIC� 

College Instructional Center – A building that is 

part of the Bremerton Master Plan. It is 

planned to be constructed on the site of the 

current Humanities building and will house the 

BSN, Art, Music and Theatrical programs. 

CIS� 

Under the SBCTC, the coordinating body for 

information technology across all community 

and technical colleges in the State of 

Washington 

Self-Study Report ix 

�

College�Council� 

An advisory body spanning representation from 

all aspects of the College currently composed 

of: Director of Instructional Support Services; 

President’s Office Staff; Executive Assistant to 

the Vice President of Student Services; Human 

Resource Staff; Customized Training and 

Military Education Staff; SEAC Staff; two full 

time Faculty; Enrollment Services Staff; ASOC 

President; ASOC Treasurer; ASOC Vice President 

(Poulsbo Campus); ASOC Vice President 

(Shelton Campus); Executive Assistant to the 

President; IT Staff; one Adjunct Faculty 

member; President, Olympic College (exofficio); 

Instructional Support Services Staff. 

These positions are elected and change on a 

regular basis. 

CSC� 

College Service Center – The name given to the 

College’s main administrative building, located 

on the Bremerton campus. 

DAC� 

Diversity Advisory Committee 

DAF� 

Diversity Assessment Framework – A pilot 

assessment tool developed on the state level. 

Faculty�Council� 

An advisory council composed of faculty 

members from across the college 

FAM� 

Financial Aid Management – the new financial 

aid software utilized by SBCTC colleges 

throughout the State. 

Five�Column�Model� 

A form that is one of several tools used for the 

assessment of institutional effectiveness. 

FMS� 

Financial Management System – A computer 

accounting system used throughout the SBCTC 

system. 

FSC� 

Faculty Screening Committee 

HECB� 

Higher Education Coordinating Board – An 

organization within State government which 

coordinates activities between the various 

public institutions of higher education in 

Washington. 

IBC� 

Instructor Briefcase – Communication software 

used throughout Washington State� 

I�BEST� 

Integrated Basic Education and Skill Training 

ICBA� 

Independent College Bookstore Association 

IPC� 

Instructional Policies Council – The College body 

that sets policy on instructional issues. It 

includes administration, faculty and student 

representation. 

KEDA� 

Kitsap Economic Development Alliance 

MAPS� 

Mentoring and Advising for Persistence and 

Success – A College program to provide 

students with assistance in support of their 

academic achievement. 

MESH� 

Math, Engineering, Science and Health 

Occupations – One of the three instructional 

divisions of the College 

MIS� 

Management Information System 

MSC� 

Multicultural Services Center 

NWAACC� 

Northwest Athletic Association of Community 

Colleges 

x Self-Study Report

OAC� 

Outcomes Assessment Committee – A 

committee charged with facilitating and 

promoting the assessment of student learning. 

This committee assists with the implementation 

and assessment of the College’s core abilities. 

OASIS� 

Online Access to Student Information System – 

The online class registration site for students at 

the College. 

OFM� 

Office�of�Financial�Management�–�A branch of 

the State government that provides vital 

information, fiscal services and policy support 

that the Governor, legislature and state 

agencies need to serve the people of 

Washington State� 

PACE� 

Personal Assessment of the College 

Environment – An employee climate survey 

conducted in 2004, 2006 and 2008. 

PDU� 

Professional Development Units 

President’s�Council� 

An advisory body composed of the Cabinet and: 

the President of the local WPEA (Classified Staff 

Union), Dean of MESH, Enrollment Services 

Representative, Dean of Student Development, 

Dean of Enrollment Services, Dean of SSH, Dean 

of Library & Media, Dean of B&T, Associate 

Dean of Planning, Assessment & Research 

PSNS� 

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard – One of the five 

Naval bases in Kitsap County and one of two 

naval shipyards on the West Coast. The College 

has classrooms on the base to serve this large 

constituency 

RCW� 

Revised Code of Washington – One of two 

forms of Washington State law, the other being 

WAC. 

S&A� 

Services and Activities – A self-imposed student 

fee used for student activities. 

SAI� 

Student Achievement Initiative – 

SAO� 

State Auditor’s Office – A Washington State 

agency that regularly audits all divisions and 

department of the State including public 

institutions of higher educations. 

SAP� 

Standards of Academic Progress 

SAR� 

Students At Risk group 

SBCDC� 

Sophia Bremer Child Development Center – The 

new child development center planned to be 

built North of the Health Occupations building. 

SBCTC� 

State Board of Community and Technical 

Colleges – The governing body for all public 

community and technical colleges in the State 

of Washington. 

SEAC� 

Student Entry and Advising Center – A 

centralized location for general advising and 

testing services at the College 

SEM� 

Science, Engineering and Math – An advising 

position has been developed specifically to 

assist students in these areas. 

SFA� 

Student Financial Aid 

SING� 

Students In Need Group – A College 

organization formed to address the needs of 

students in or near poverty. 

Self-Study Report xi 

�

SLT� 

Strategic Leadership Team – A committee 

working one of several College Strategic 

Initiatives. 

SMS� 

Student Management System – The data 

system Olympic College uses to manage student 

information. 

SPG� 

Strategic Planning Group – The committee 

charge with coordinating and managing the 

College’s strategic plan. 

SPLD� 

Student Programs and Leadership Development 

– A College office created to facilitate the work 

of the ASOC and other student groups 

SSH� 

Social Sciences and Humanities -- One of the 

three instructional divisions of the College 

TACTC� 

Trustees Association for Community and 

Technical Colleges -- A collaborative 

organization of all of the trustees within the 

SBCTC. 

TRC� 

Tenure Review Committee 

WAC� 

Washington Administrative Code – One of two 

forms of Washington State law, the other being 

RCW. 

WFD� 

Workforce Development—A division of 

Instruction. 

WPEA� 

Washington Public Employees Association – the 

classified staff union for the college 

xii Self-Study Report

{Standard�One} 

Institutional�Mission�and�Goals,� 

Planning�and�Effectiveness 

Standard�One

{Standard�One}� 

Institutional�Mission�and�Goals,�Planning�and� 

Effectiveness� 

INTRODUCTION� 

Founded in 1946 Olympic College is a public 

community college located on the Kitsap 

Peninsula in Washington State. The Olympic 

College District consists of Kitsap and Mason 

Counties. In addition to the original campus in 

Bremerton, there are also two other locations 

and a virtual distance learning program. The 

Shelton site is located thirty-eight miles south 

of the Bremerton campus and the Poulsbo 

facility is located nineteen miles to the north. 

While students may take courses at more than 

one location simultaneously, enrollments at the 

branch campuses are approximately 470 at 

Shelton and 1,170 at Poulsbo each quarter 

(headcount). Approximately 1,600 students 

take one or more distance classes each quarter. 

In 2008, fall quarter enrollment at Olympic 

College was 8,100 (headcount). This is an 

enrollment growth of about 16 percent since 

the last full scale accreditation visit and is the 

highest enrollment in the College’s history. 

Olympic College is one of thirty-four 

community and technical colleges in 

Washington State governed by the State Board 

for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). 

By statute, the community college Mission is 

comprehensive including transfer, workforce, 

and basic skills education. In 2006, the 

Washington State Legislature gave its approval 

to add applied baccalaureate capacity at four 

community colleges. Through a competitive 

process Olympic College was selected by the 

SBCTC, and subsequently approved by The 

Washington State Higher Education 

Coordinating Board (HECB) to offer the Bachelor 

of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. 

Olympic College serves as a vital center for 

education, culture, and community. It is the 

sole public institution of higher education 

within its two-county service area, with a total 

population of 297,615 (US Census Bureau 2008 

estimate). Located on the west side of Puget 

Sound, the Bremerton campus is located in the 

historic population center of Kitsap County, the 

city of Bremerton. Olympic College was created 

by the Bremerton School District at the end of 

World War II and was subsumed under the 

Washington State Community and Technical 

College Act of 1967. 

The decline of both the Bremerton shipyard 

after World War II, and the lumber industry in 

Mason County, precipitated a slow decline in 

the regional economy and population. A 

notable exception was Bainbridge Island, which 

has long served as a bedroom community to 

downtown Seattle. By the 1990’s, the area’s 

economy had bottomed out. Since that time, 

the trend has reversed as economic pressures 

have pushed Central Puget Sound population 

and businesses to the West Sound including the 

Kitsap Peninsula. Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo 

and Silverdale have grown enormously and 

there has been a dramatic turnaround in the 

population core of Bremerton. The reversal has 

been slower in Mason County, but even there, 

economic pressures are making it attractive as a 

residence for state workers from Olympia. 

Kitsap and Mason counties are projected to 

continue growing over the next twenty-five to 

thirty years. The SBCTC estimates that Olympic 

College’s enrollment growth will follow that 

trend, growing fifteen percent in the next ten 

years alone. 

{Standard�One}�Institutional Mission and Goals, Planning and Effectiveness 1-1

The last full-scale accreditation team 

visiting Olympic College in 2001 noted that the 

strategic planning process and program of 

institutional assessment was “a work in 

progress”. Since that time, the College has 

continued to build on and refine these systems. 

Olympic College has a Mission and Vision that 

provide guidance to all College decisions and 

actions. The College has a Strategic Plan that 

supports the Mission and Vision and comes out 

MISSION�AND�VISION� 

Mission�and�Vision�Statements� 

Description.��The Mission and Vision 

(Figures 1.1 and 1.2) work in concert with one 

another to define what is unique and vital 

about Olympic College. Over the past decade, 

these documents have increasingly served as a 

guiding path for the College and their recent 

review by the College community has validated 

their importance. The Mission exemplifies a 

commitment to learning and serves as the 

umbrella for everything the College does. The 

Vision serves as a roadmap to guide the 

College’s planning. The Vision and Strategic 

Initiatives together can be considered the 

institutional goals�of the College. The Mission 

and Vision are discussed in depth in this section 

of Standard One; the Strategic Initiatives are 

� 

� 

of a widely inclusive strategic planning process 

which has been in place and increasingly 

strengthened over the past ten years. The 

Strategic Plan informs all aspects of institutional 

decision making, including the budget planning 

and facilities master planning processes. 

Institutional and educational assessment 

processes are integrated into and inform the 

College’s planning processes at all levels of the 

organization. 

treated in the next section of this standard. The 

Mission and Vision of Olympic College are 

posted around the campus and sites and are 

included here as Figure 1.1. 

In September of 2006, the College began a 

process of reviewing the Mission and Vision 

statements, which had been adopted and in use 

since 1999. This was done at the request of the 

Board of Trustees and the College President. 

The Mission was reaffirmed and a new Vision 

statement was adopted by the Board of 

Trustees in 2008. A new Values statement was 

also adopted and is discussed in Standard Nine. 

The adopted documents informed the 2010-13 

Strategic Plan which was initiated by the Board 

of Trustees at their retreat during the summer 

of 2008. 

Figure�1.1��Mission�Statement�(Adopted�March�1999,�Reaffirmed�June�2005�and�August�2008)� 

We�serve�and�enrich�all�our�communities�by�providing�� 

quality�education�and�training�for�all�who�seek�to�improve�� 

their�lives�through�learning.� 

� 

Vision�statements�on�next�page.�� 

1-2 {Standard�One}�Institutional Mission and Goals, Planning and Effectiveness

� 

Figure�1.2��Vision�Statements�(Adopted�January�2008)� 

At�Olympic�College�we�envision�learning�as�a�life�enhancing�journey�of�discovery�where…� 

� 

Our�students�are�life�long�learners�in�a�global�society.� 

To realize our Vision, we will focus on student learning and success, promoting learning 

through accessible education, personalized service, adaptive and innovative teaching, and 

an ongoing commitment to academic excellence. 

Our�employees�are�empowered�to�achieve�the�College�Mission.� 

To realize our Vision, we will appreciate and value our employees, providing opportunities 

to enhance professional skills, encouraging learning and advancement, and prioritizing and 

sharing institutional resources. 

Our�community�recognizes�the�College�as�its�cornerstone�of�learning.� 

To realize our Vision, we will develop strong community partnerships and fulfill our role as 

a cultural center, enriching those we serve by creating relevant educational options and 

bringing a diverse array of activities to the region. 

In order to ensure that the review of the 

Mission and Vision was an inclusive process that 

included input from the College and 

surrounding communities, President Mitchell 

charged the Mission, Vision and Values 

Taskforce with reviewing and, as needed, 

revising the Mission, Vision, and Values of the 

College. The taskforce was made up of eleven 

people, including one Board member, two 

faculty, two students, and six administrative 

and classified staff from across the College. 

The taskforce began its work by researching 

the concepts of Mission, Vision, and Values and 

gathering academic literature regarding the 

recommended process for developing the 

statements in a higher education institution. 

Based on this literature, the taskforce designed 

a process for gathering community input. 

Members then developed and tested a set of 

questions to ask in order to solicit input. In the 

winter and spring of 2007, the taskforce 

conducted ten different forums with a variety of 

College constituents to gather input regarding 

the Mission, Vision, and Values. In all, the 

taskforce obtained input from more than 350 

individuals, including students, faculty, staff, 

and local community members. Once the input 

was gathered, the taskforce came together with 

the members of the College’s Strategic Planning 

Group (SPG) to identify the major themes that 

emerged from the data. The taskforce then 

developed initial Vision and Values statements 

from the themes. In the fall of 2007, the draft 

Vision statement was shared with the College 

community for feedback and the information 

obtained was used to refine the Vision 

statement. The statement was submitted to 

the Board of Trustees for approval in January of 

2008. 

Feedback obtained regarding the College’s 

Mission supported the idea that the existing 

Mission statement remains relevant. The Board 

of Trustees reaffirmed the Mission statement in 

August of 2008. � 

Analysis.��The review and creation of 

Mission, Vision, and Values in 1999 and again in 

2008 provide evidence that they are 

periodically reexamined. The process of 

reexamining the documents has taught the 

College something important about each of 

them. First, the Mission statement is fairly 

broad and is sometimes criticized because for 


trying to be “all things to all people”. However, 

when the Mission, Vision, and Values Taskforce 

considered revising it to be more focused, many 

College stakeholders indicated that they 

believed it needed to be broad, since that is the 

nature of a comprehensive community college. 

This input provided strong reaffirmation of the 

current Mission statement as appropriate in its 

balance between broad ideas and the need to 

define the College’s scope of activities. 

Second, the College learned that the Vision 

statement, as it existed, was not explicit enough 

to adequately inform planning and assessment 

and specifically with respect to guiding the 

Strategic Plan. The newly revised Vision 

statement acts as a more substantive roadmap 

for the future than its predecessor did. It is 

substantially clearer about the areas of 

accomplishment that Olympic College should 

focus on over the next ten years. The broad 

areas of focus outlined in the Vision are student 

learning, employee empowerment, and 

community enhancement. This clarity is 

assisting the Strategic Planning Group in making 

decisions as it develops the next Strategic Plan, 

a process which began in June of 2008. Because 

of the value gained by the most recent Mission 

and Vision review, there is interest in having a 

more routine review period established— 

perhaps one connected to the new seven-year 

NWCCU accreditation cycle. 

Communication�of�the�Mission�and�Vision� 

Description.��Members of the Olympic 

College service district, which includes citizens 

in Kitsap and Mason counties, have 

opportunities to be exposed to the College’s 

Mission and Vision statements. The College 

Mission and Vision are included in the Olympic� 

College�Catalog and on the College web site. In 

addition, they appear in the View, the quarterly 

class schedule; on the College’s Facts�&�Figures 

brochure, which is available to the public; and 

on job announcements published by the Human 

Resources Department. It is common practice 

to include the Mission and Vision in these 

publications and to allow its use in other 

College publications, but there is no policy that 

requires their use. The College publishes an 

annual report to the external community each 

year to highlight its strategic activities and to 

show that documents progress made toward 

the Mission and Vision. Annual reports are 

available as Standard One exhibits. 

Employees are made aware of the College’s 

Mission and Vision. When each was adopted, it 

was sent out to the entire campus via e-mail. 

The Mission and Vision are posted at various 

locations around campus so that students, 

employees, and visitors alike have the 

opportunity to review them. Additionally, as 

part of the classified staff yearly Performance 

Evaluation Form, there are two sections of the 

document that give supervisors and staff the 

opportunity to discuss and reflect upon the 

employees role in the organization as it relates 

to the Mission and Strategic Plan of the 

organization. The Performance Evaluation 

Form is available as a Standard One exhibit. In 

the "Preliminary Steps" section the supervisor 

identifies linkages between the employee’s 

position and the organizational Mission. The 

supervisor may request input from or 

involvement of the employee. In the section 

titled, "Position Linkage with Organizational 

Mission and Strategic Plan," the employee is 

asked to identify the Mission and discuss how 

the duties and responsibilities of the position 

link to and/or contribute to the achievement of 

the Mission and goals of the organization. 

Analysis.��The Olympic College service 

district is directly exposed to the College 

Mission and Vision statements four times a year 

in the View, the College's quarterly schedule of 

classes, which is mailed to all households in 

Kitsap and Mason Counties. The Mission and 

Vision also appear in some community and 

student-focused publications such as the annual 

catalog. The Mission and Vision statements are 

displayed on the Olympic College web site. The 

College has not done any recent marketing 

studies to determine the community’s 


familiarity with the College’s Mission and Vision 

statements and therefore, it is unclear whether 

or not these documents are widely read and 

understood by the external College community. 

With the adoption of a new Vision statement, 

this would be a good time to conduct a market 

survey of public awareness. Additionally, while 

the Mission is posted on job announcements, 

hiring committees are not required to ask any 

questions that are Mission or Vision related. 

This is something that the College may also 

want to review and consider. 

Internally, the Mission and Vision 

statements are publicized to the campus 

community and have some level of recognition 

on campus. Students have opportunities to be 

aware of the Mission and Vision as they appear 

in the catalog and student handbook as well as 

various public locations on campus. Employees 

in all employee groups on the 2006 and 2008 

Personal Assessment of the College 

Environment (PACE) Climate Surveys indicated, 

with an average score above four (out of five), 

that they feel their jobs are relevant to the 

institution’s Mission statement. The PACE 

Climate Survey 2006, and the PACE Climate 

Survey 2008 are both available as Standard One 

exhibits. Supervisors are provided training by 

Human Resource Services twice-yearly on how 

to fill out the Classified Performance 

Development Plan, including tips for placing the 

employee into the Mission of the College. On 

the 2007-08 Employee Engagement Survey 

employees indicated, on average, that they 

“usually” know how their work contributes to 

the goals of the College. The 2007-08 Employee 

Engagement Survey is available as a Standard 

One exhibit. 

� 

While there is a process for assisting 

classified staff in identifying their role in 

achieving the Mission, no similar process exists 

for faculty or administrative employees. There 

have been improvements made to both faculty 

and administrative employee evaluation 

processes since the last self-study in 2001 (for 

more details on the employee evaluation 

processes, please see Standards Four and Six). 

Given this progress, the College may want to 

consider taking the next step and including a 

component in these evaluations that addresses 

each faculty and administrators’ role in the 

Mission of the College. 

Substantive�Change� 

In August of 2006, Olympic College notified 

the Commission on Colleges and Universities 

that it was Olympic College’s desire to offer a 

nursing degree at the baccalaureate Level. 

Olympic College was one of four Washington 

community and technical colleges selected by 

the SBCTC, through a competitive process, to 

develop a baccalaureate level program 

designed to provide a pathway for students 

who receive an associate degree in an applied 

field. 

This notification took the form of a 

Prospectus�for�a�Major�Substantive�Change and 

can be found as a Standard One exhibit. The 

decision to offer a baccalaureate level program 

is consistent with the College’s Mission and 

Strategic Initiatives which includes an Initiative 

that is focused on bringing four-year 

educational options for students to the service 

district. 


INSTITUTIONAL�PLANNING� 

The Strategic Plan, in concert with the 

Vision, provides the College with clear Missionoriented 

institutional goals. The Strategic Plan 

is not an all-encompassing plan, but rather a 

focused set of Initiatives designed to move the 

College forward in key areas. As a result, 

additional planning at all levels of the institution 

is required both to support the Strategic Plan 

and to ensure that day to day operations occur. 

The Board of Trustee work plan, President’s 

goals, Cabinet’s work plan, budget planning, 

and facilities master planning support the 

College’s Strategic Plan and provide a 

foundation for the operational activities that 

need to occur to manage the College and 

achieve the College’s Mission. 

In addition to these strategic and Collegewide 

planning processes, Olympic College 

engages in several layers of operational 

planning. Administrative units and 

departments across the institution as well as 

institutional committees and groups all 

contribute to planning, implementation, and 

assessment activities in support of our Vision 

(Appendix 1.1: The Planning and Assessment 

Cycle in Action). First, each administrative unit 

(Instruction, Student Services, etc.) conducts its 

own internal operational planning, whether 

formal or informal. For example, Instruction 

has an instructional program planning process 

which allows for program growth and 

development. Second, administrators are asked 

to have goals for their individual departments 

and discuss them with their supervisor as part 

of their annual evaluation process. Often these 

planning activities include institutional 

committees that participate in planning as part 

of implementing specific activities; the 

Enrollment Management and Student 

Achievement Initiative committees are good 

examples of this type of involvement. 

Evolution�of�Strategic�Planning�� 

(Please reference figures 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5) 

�Description.��Olympic College is entering its 

fifth strategic planning cycle since the inception 

of the current processes ten years ago. Prior to 

that time, strategic planning did occur but was 

largely an administrative function that did not 

significantly involve the College community. 

Since his arrival at Olympic College in 2002, 

President Mitchell has embraced and 

strengthened this internally-developed and 

widely inclusive strategic planning process. 

Realizing that the College had a strategic 

planning process which strives to involve many 

members of the College community in crossdepartmental 

teams, he enthusiastically 

endorsed and continues to support strategic 

planning as an important part of the College’s 

growth and development. 

What results from each strategic planning 

cycle are sets of Strategic Initiatives derived 

from all-campus input and approved by the 

Board of Trustees. The strategic planning cycle 

is a five-year overlapping planning cycle 

designed so that there is constant 

implementation of Initiatives. It serves as the 

implementation and assessment roadmap for 

the Vision of the College. A Strategic Planning 

Group (SPG) made up of approximately eleven 

members of the College community oversees 

the entire strategic planning process. Each 

Strategic Initiative has its own leadership team 

to develop and oversee its outcomes. 

Analysis.� Strategic Initiatives are updated 

every three years as part of an overlapping five 

year planning cycle. The timeframe for 

completing Strategic Plans has been expanded 

over the years to acknowledge the need to 

allow more time for College input and for the 

accomplishment of Initiatives but the process 

has remained fundamentally the same. 


Currently, each Strategic Plan has two years 

for development and planning, two years for 

implementation, and a transition year that 

helps to ensure an Initiative’s sustainability 

once it is no longer a part of the Strategic Plan. 

The Plan goes into effect and is therefore 

named, in year three when its implementation 

phase begins. The sustainability year was 

added to the 2007-10 Plan to allow for 

Initiatives to transition into the regular business 

of the College while still receiving priority in the 

budgeting process. 

The�Process�of�Developing�a�Strategic�Plan�� 

Description.��The process for developing the 

Strategic Initiatives is inclusive in nature and 

similar to the process used to develop the 

Vision and Values statements as discussed 

above. Every three years the SPG reviews, 

revises, adds and deletes Strategic Initiatives 

from the Strategic Plan based on assessment 

� 

results; the Mission, Vision, and Values of the 

College; Board of Trustees feedback; input from 

the College community; district and State 

demographic information; and Washington 

State Community and Technical College System 

trend and planning information. Discussions 

with the Board and Cabinet begin the process. 

Then, open forums are held and emails are sent 

in an attempt to make sure that all members of 

the campus community have the opportunity to 

participate in developing the Initiatives. All of 

the information collected is compiled and 

reviewed by the SPG who then proposes a set 

of Strategic Initiatives to the President’s Cabinet 

for review and ultimately to the Board of 

Trustees for approval. Strategic Planning Input 

2010-13 is available as a Standard One exhibit. 

Six Strategic Initiatives comprise the 2007-10 

Strategic Plan. 

Figure�1.3��Past�Strategic�Planning�Cycles�at�Olympic�College�1999�2001/2004�07� 

� 1999� 2000� 2001� 2002 2003� 2004� 2005� 2006� 2007� 

1999�01� 

2002�04� 

2004�07� 

Input & Plan Implement 

Implement 

& Evaluate 

Input Plan Implement Implement 

& Evaluate 

Input Plan Implement Implement Implement 

& Evaluate 

Figure�1.4��Current�and�Future�Strategic�Planning�Cycles�at�Olympic�College�2007�10/2013�16� 

� 2005�06� 2006�07� 2007�08� 2008�09� 2009�10� 2010�11� 2011�12� 2012�13� 

2007�10� Input Plan Implement Implement, 

Evaluate, & 

Reflect 

Sustainability 

2010��13� Input Plan Implement Implement, 

Evaluate, & 

Reflect 

Sustainability 

2013�16� Input Planning 


1.� 

2.� 

3.� 

4.� 

� 

5.� 

6.� 

Figure�1.5�2007�10�Strategic�Plan�(Adopted�October�2006)� 

To facilitate student progress toward goal completion, implement�a�seamless�advising�process�and�a� 

comprehensive�student�success�program.� 

To be more deliberate and effective in our efforts to deliver education at a distance, finalize�and� 

implement�a�long�range�distance�education�plan.�� 

To be more mindful of our diversity, to improve the inclusiveness and efficiency of our 

communication processes, and to enhance the quality of our interpersonal relationships,�initiate� 

more�effective�and�respectful�communication�practices.� 

To maximize community access to Olympic College, especially for under-represented and underserved 

populations, develop�and�implement�an�on�going�enrollment�management�system�that� 

informs�instructional�programs,�student�support�services,�and�facilities�planning.�� 

To focus attention on learning and to help students, faculty, staff, and administrators see themselves 

as a community of learners, foster�a�College�wide�culture�of�assessment�that�embraces�the� 

assessment�of�learning�outcomes�and�promotes�the�scholarship�of�teaching�and�learning.�� 

To increase the educational options available to our communities, actively�pursue�opportunities�to� 

bring�baccalaureate�programs�to�our�district.�� 

Each Strategic Initiative has its own plan 

with identified stakeholders, activities, and 

timelines. Additionally, each Initiative is 

assessed through the development of outcomes 

and criteria for success. The number of 

Strategic Initiatives depends on the scope of 

each and the needs of the campus. The SPG 

attempts to balance the number of Initiatives 

that can be supported and the desires of the 

community to accomplish truly institutional 

outcomes. An interim progress report is issued 

each year by the SPG on the Strategic Initiatives 

with a final report of results distributed at the 

end of the planning cycle. Upon conclusion of a 

Strategic Plan, the SPG does an assessment and 

reflects on the full implementation process 

identify potential improvements. As noted 

above, one such reflection period resulted in 

the addition of an additional year for the 

planning cycle. 

Analysis.��The strategic planning process 

used by Olympic College is an internally 

developed process tailored to the needs of the 

College. It is participatory and allows for 

multiple voices in the process. The overlapping 

nature of the system eliminates the “planning 

to plan” syndrome seen in many other planning 

processes without truncating the time needed 

to obtain feedback and do the research 

required to develop meaningful Initiatives. The 

stability of a planning process that is cyclical 

and takes five years from beginning to end is a 

plus as it helps to ensure that the Initiatives 

remain long term and Vision-focused in nature. 

The widely inclusive nature of the Initiative 

development process allows for campus buy-in. 

These features make the strategic planning 

process a strength of Olympic College. 

The�Process�of�Implementing�a�Strategic�Plan� 

Description.��Once the Strategic Plan is 

adopted by the Board of Trustees, each 

Strategic Initiative is supported by its own 

Strategic Leadership Team. Initiative leadership 

teams set the outcomes and assessment 

measures for the Initiatives. They work in 

concert with existing committees and work 

units to accomplish the Initiative. Generally, at 

least one of the co-chairs of each leadership 

team is a member of the SPG. While this level 

of involvement requires an exceptional 


commitment, it helps to ensure that the SPG is 

aware of the activities of each Initiative and can 

monitor progress towards the outcomes. 

Membership on the leadership teams varies 

depending upon the needs of the Initiative, but 

includes representatives of all work units or 

committees currently engaged with the topic(s) 

covered in the Initiative. This allows for a broad 

representation of employees to be involved in 

the implementation of the strategic planning 

process. A list of 2007-10 Strategic Leadership 

Team members is available as a Standard One 

exhibit. As a result of this inclusion, the 

Strategic Initiatives both inform and are 

informed by the planning and activities already 

taking place in other areas across the College. 

When appropriate, members of the external 

community are consulted for guidance and 

direction. For example, for Strategic Initiative 6 

from the 2007-10 Initiatives, calls for increasing 

baccalaureate programs available to our 

communities. Olympic College’s President and 

other members of the Strategic Leadership 

Team were involved in extensive meetings held 

by the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance 

(KEDA) to explore the educational needs of 

the area. 

The KEDA panel included elected officials 

from several counties and cities, state 

legislators from the region, tribal 

representatives, and other community leaders, 

all of whom overwhelmingly supported the 

expansion of educational opportunities for our 

place-bound residents. As a result of this effort, 

legislation was passed appropriating money to 

pursue research and involve the Higher 

Education Coordinating Board (HECB) in taking 

on the need for greater access to higher 

education in the area. The outcome of this 

effort is still pending, but clearly the 

Baccalaureate Nursing Program is in line with 

the spirit of the KEDA panel. 

Strategic Leadership Teams take a year to 

plan the implementation of the Initiative (see 

Figure 1.6 on next page). They do research and 

environmental scanning, develop outcomes and 

criteria for success for each Initiative, and look 

for opportunities across campus to work with 

committees that might already be engaged in 

the implementation of some parts of the 

Strategic Initiative. These other committees 

can get support from the Strategic Leadership 

Team. Generally, the chairs of such committees 

are part of the leadership team. Additionally, 

the Strategic Leadership Teams determine 

which budget requests support their part of the 

Strategic Plan and endorse those that they 

believe support their outcomes. 

Analysis.��The use of leadership teams 

allows the College to capitalize on the work of 

committees that already exist around strategic 

activities and to involve a fairly large number of 

employees in the accomplishment of the 

Initiatives. This raises awareness of strategic 

planning and gives it visibility that a planning 

process done by a smaller number of people 

does not have. With approximately fifty 

members of the College community involved in 

Strategic Leadership Teams and/or serving on 

the Budget Committee, exposure to the 

Strategic Plan is significant. This allows the 

College community to see that it is working 

toward common goals. 

There are some areas for improvement in 

the Strategic Leadership Team process. One 

concern is that participation on leadership 

teams is still lacking among some groups. 

Students are not currently a part of this 

particular planning process. They are not 

intentionally excluded, but recruitment of 

students has been difficult and significant effort 

has not been put into this endeavor. Classified 

staff participation is also low on the Strategic 

Leadership Teams. As a result, both of these 

groups are less invested in the means to 

achieving the College Vision. There are 

ramifications to the lack of classified staff 

participation; involvement is an important way 


that people find out and learn about strategic 

planning. The SPG has been told several times 

by members of the classified staff that it is 

difficult for them to participate because of their 

existing workload. Efforts should be made to 

give members of the classified staff the leeway 

in their work to participate on institutional 

committees such as Strategic Leadership Teams. 

Additionally, managing expectations around 

strategic planning is important because of the 

cyclical nature of this process, but it is a 

challenge for the SPG. Some Initiatives will not 

be completed in one planning cycle. Often, one 

or more of the Initiatives from a given plan will 

morph in focus and language, but remain an 

Initiative in the next Strategic Plan. For 

� 

example, the Communication Initiative in the 

2004-07 plan achieved most of its technological 

outcomes, but not all of its more culturechanging 

behavioral outcomes. As a result, 

communication remains a Strategic Initiative in 

the 2007-10 plan but the outcomes are 

different. In particular, the SPG has found that 

when Strategic Initiatives set out to change 

climate, culture and/or communication, as 

some of Olympic College’s Initiatives do, 

outcomes may not be realized in one planning 

cycle. Success for a Strategic Plan is defined as 

learning and making progress toward stated 

outcomes. This definition needs to be more 

fully communicated to the campus community, 

whose expectation may be raised by Initiatives 

written to stretch the College’s capacity. 

Figure�1.6��Strategic�Leadership�Team�Planning�Process�Flow�Chart�� 


Another complexity with culture and 

climate-changing goals is that it is not always 

possible to fully assess them in the moment. 

Some gains will be made down the road, once 

time has passed and culture has changed. This 

is a good thing but can pose certain reporting 

challenges. For the most part, the SPG 

acknowledges and discusses these changes, but 

has not found a way to share them with the 

College community. 

Impact�of�the�Strategic�Plan� 

Description.��Progress toward the Strategic 

Plan is evaluated yearly and a report of 

outcomes is provided at the end of each 

planning cycle. The Strategic Plan 2004-07 

Report of Results and the 2007-10 Strategic 

Plan Interim Report - June 2008 are available as 

Standard One exhibits. Implementation of the 

College’s Mission and Vision via the Strategic 

Plan has resulted in many significant 

accomplishments over the past ten years. 

Strategic Initiatives range in scope and need for 

resources, but are all things that require crossdepartmental 

cooperation to achieve. 

The last three Strategic Plans have all 

resulted in important change for the College. 

For example, a significant change to the College 

that resulted from the 2002-04 Strategic Plan 

was the creation of an International Student 

Program. The College researched and 

determined that an international student 

program was feasible and that it would bring 

significant diversity to the College community. 

As a result, in 2007-08, thirty-three 

international students attended Olympic 

College. The 2004-07 Strategic Plan resulted in 

a marketing plan, an instructional program 

planning process, and completion of the ground 

work for technological connectivity that now 

allows OC to grow its virtual campus. The 2004- 

07 Strategic Plan also taught the College that 

some things such as becoming a learning 

college are paradigm shifts that do not 

necessarily lend themselves to a single course 

of action or Strategic Initiative. 

While the 2007-10 Strategic Plan is still in 

progress and therefore the assessment for it is 

not complete, changes are occurring. For 

example, support for building a culture of 

assessment, which is one of the Strategic 

Initiatives, is at an all time high both in terms of 

activities and resources. This has led to more 

education and significant discussion of student 

learning via outcomes assessment as well as 

work on Core Abilities. Additional examples of 

accomplishments of the 2007-10 Strategic 

Initiative are described in Figure 1.7 on next 

page. 

Analysis.��The mature strategic planning 

process at Olympic College is a strength that 

serves the long-range future of Olympic College 

well. As discussed above, several large 

institutional projects were accomplished and 

measured as a direct result of having a 

reasoned and measured Strategic Plan. 

Additionally, because of the emphasis the 

Strategic Plan places on assessment, successes 

and challenges alike are documented for the 

College community to see and employees can 

reflect both on progress made and remaining 

work to be done. While there is room for 

improvement in writing and measuring the 

assessments for each Initiative, a serious 

attempt is made to evaluate progress toward 

the outcomes of the Strategic Plan and by 

extension, the Vision of the College. The Board 

of Trustees receives periodic updates on the 

Strategic Initiatives. Board involvement helps 

the College maintain an emphasis on 

accountability and use of results. 

One concern that is expressed from time to 

time is that it is difficult to limit the Strategic 

Initiatives to fall in line with the resources 

available to the College. By the time they are 

fully developed, Strategic Initiatives tend to be 

ambitious in nature and not everything in the 

Strategic Plan can be resourced in any given 

year or cycle. As a result, some Initiatives and 

items within Initiatives get higher priority at 

times than others do. Strategic Leadership 

Teams and the SPG help to determine which 


items should get priority funding through the 

annual budget request endorsement process. 

As discussed above, increased communication 

to the College community to manage 

expectations is helping to alleviate the 

� 

expectation that everything can be done all at 

once. The number of Strategic Initiatives 

contributes to this issue and can be addressed 

by limiting them to a more realistic and 

manageable number. 

�Figure�1.7��2007�10�Strategic�Initiative�Accomplishments�as�of�April�2009� 

Strategic�Initiative� Accomplishments� 

Advising�and�Student� 

Success� 

Distance�Education� 

Communication� 

Enrollment� 

Management� 

Culture�of� 

Assessment� 

Baccalaureate� 

Programs� 

� Movement of advising to instruction to allow for a more seamless transition 

process from entry advising to faculty advising. 

� Increased collaboration among SEAC advisors and faculty has resulted in more 

on advising information in the Olympic�College�Catalog (Advising now has its 

own section in the catalog). 

� The Advising Coordinating Team (ACT) was successful in recommending the 

creation of a Science Engineering & Math (SEM) Advisor. 

� Professional advisors and faculty are jointly discussing how best to address 

specific and general advising needs. 

� Student registration process mapped in order to determine web-based services 

needed for distance students. 

� Launched Angel in spring of 2009. Angel is a web-based portal for students 

which will allow students to receive many student service functions via the web 

tailored to their specific needs. 

� Highly participatory process to update the Mission, Vision, and Values. 

� Expanded training and development opportunities 

� Increased positive communication opportunities such as the “We Are OC” 

newsletter, the “Make a Difference” award, and the “I Am OC” campaign. 

� Developed high level position to manage the Olympic College web site. 

� Implementation of Student Achievement Initiative strategies including expanded 

learning communities’ offerings, teaching assistants for developmental math, 

and increased understanding of the CASAS Point Gain Process in Adult Basic 

Education. 

� Progress on the development of a long-range enrollment management plan. 

� Increased number of faculty involved in the assessment of student learning 

through course and program-level assessment projects and the development of 

a set of Core Abilities for students. 

� Increased number of workshops and other assessment forums where faculty can 

meet and discuss assessment techniques. 

� Progress on the assessment of Core Abilities including two institutes where 

faculty engaged in cross discipline assessment of student work. 

� Cabinet Learning Community focused on helping the College to achieve its 

Mission, Vision, and Values. 

� Baccalaureate Nursing Program implemented with students enrolled in the 

program. The first set of graduates completed in spring 2009. 

� Olympic College has been involved in an extensive community-led research 

project that confirmed the need for a baccalaureate presence on the Kitsap 

Peninsula. This process resulted in a HECB recommendation for a higher 

education center at Olympic College. 


Statewide budget shortfalls will have an 

impact in developing the next set of Strategic 

Initiatives. As part of its preparation for 

statewide budget cutbacks, the Cabinet recently 

discussed this issue. The SPG was asked to 

provide information on how the budget cuts 

would impact current Strategic Initiatives. 

Impacts of Possible Budget Cuts on Strategic 

Initiatives is available as a Standard One exhibit. 

The President stated clearly to Cabinet and to a 

subsequent message to the College community 

that it was his intention to continue on with the 

regular cycle of strategic planning despite 

budget cutbacks and that in fact strategic 

planning was more important than ever in times 

of limited resources. Recent efforts (discussed 

later in this section) to shift existing resources 

to ensure strategic items are funded despite 

budget cutbacks provide evidence of the 

College’s commitment to strategic planning. 

Connections�between�Strategic�Planning�and� 

other�College�Level�Planning�Activities� 

Description.��As is evident from the 

description above, Olympic College has invested 

considerable time and effort in the planning 

and implementation of its Strategic Initiatives. 

In recent years, the College instituted efforts to 

increase its financial and physical resources 

supporting the Strategic Plan. Decisions of the 

College Budget Committee and the Facilities 

Master Planning Process are influenced by the 

Strategic Plan in clear and tangible ways. For 

the last several years, these pan-institutional 

processes have worked in concert with one 

another and, while there have been challenges 

and growth opportunities along the way, the 

connections have steadily improved. A full 

discussion of budget planning can be found in 

Standard Seven and a full discussion of Facilities 

Master Planning can be found in Standard Eight. 

Additionally, the Board of Trustees, President, 

and Cabinet all have goals that work to support 

the Strategic Plan as well as provide a 

foundation for the College’s operations. 

In 2004 the President replaced a largely 

administrative budget committee with an 

institutional Budget Committee that was made 

up of representatives of the newly created 

College Council, as well as the SPG. The Budget 

Committee is responsible for recommending 

new items, activities, positions, etc., for 

funding. For the most part, it does not get 

involved in the redistribution or reprogramming 

of existing budgets. It recommends funding to 

the President’s Cabinet where final decisions 

about allocation are made. By having 

representatives from strategic planning on the 

institutional Budget Committee and making a 

connection between budgeting and strategic 

planning explicit in the budget development 

criteria, the ties between planning and 

budgeting have been strengthened 

considerably providing transparency to the 

process for the College community. 

The influence of the Strategic Plan on the 

institutional budget process takes two forms. 

First, six members of the SPG serve on the 

Budget Committee and comprise about onehalf 

of its membership. Second, individuals 

submitting budget requests are encouraged to 

seek the endorsement of a related Strategic 

Leadership Team for those requests that 

directly support an aspect of the Strategic Plan. 

Requests that are endorsed by Strategic 

Leadership Teams are given consideration by 

the Budget Committee during deliberations. 

Funding has been allocated to those requests 

specifically related to the College’s Strategic 

Plan every year since the current budget 

planning process began in 2004. The details of 

how the Strategic Initiatives were funded in the 

2008-09 College Budget Process are described 

in Figure 1.8 on next page. In addition to 

existing financial resources and staff effort, 

$312,000 in new or reallocated funding was 

dedicated to support these Initiatives. 


Figure�1.8��2008�Budget�Process:�Funding�for�the�2007�10�Strategic�Plan*� 

Initiative� 

Initiative�#1�Advising�and� 

Student�Success� 

Initiative�#2�Distance� 

Education�� 

Amount� 

Requested**� 

Amount�Funded� 

with�New� 

Money***� 

Amount�Funded� 

by�Reallocation� 

Percent�of� 

Requests� 

Funded� 

$155,000 $64,000 $20,000 54% 

$48,000 $0 $0 0% 

Initiative�#3�Communication�� $42,000 $10,000 $10,000 48% 

Initiative�#4�� 

Enrollment�Management� 

Initiative�#5� 

Culture�of�Assessment� 

Initiative�#6� 

Baccalaureate�Programs� 

$346,000 $208,000 $0 60% 

$0 N/A N/A N/A 

$0 N/A N/A N/A 

Total� $601,000 $282,000 $30,000 52% 

*�All�numbers�are�approximate.�� 

**�This�column�only�includes�those�things�endorsed�by�the�Strategic�Leadership�Teams� 

***This�number�includes�the�following:�(1)�those�things�recommended�by�the�Budget�Committee�and�(2)�those� 

things�added�to�the�budget�process�by�the�President’s�Cabinet.� 

Approximately 40 percent of resources 

allocated to newly funded items in the 2008-09 

College budget went to items endorsed by the 

Strategic Leadership Teams. The total amount 

of new funds allocated in the budget process 

was $763,669, and of this the Strategic Plan 

received about $312,000. Through the budget 

process, items endorsed by the Strategic 

Leadership Teams received approximately 51 

percent of what they were seeking ($312,000 

out of $601,000). Of this, $58,000 was in 

permanent (on-going) funding and the rest was 

one-time money. 

In addition to the items requested and 

funded above in the chart, during fiscal year 

2008-09 the Strategic Initiatives were also 

supported by funds for particular outcomes that 

emerged as priorities but where money was not 

originally requested as part of the budget 

process above. The three most significant items 

total approximately $250,000 and include 

human effectiveness training (supporting 

Strategic Initiative Three), the SBCTC Student 

Achievement Initiative (supporting Strategic 

Initiative Four), and assessment and Core 

Abilities (supporting Strategic Initiative Five). 

As a result of the addition of these items, 

the overall amount of documented College 

budget allocated to the Strategic Plan for 2008- 

09 was approximately $562,000. Some of these 

funds may not be fully expended due to 

statewide budget cuts. However, institutional 

commitment at this level demonstrates a clear 

connection between the strategic planning 

process and resource allocation. In the fall of 

2008 the SPG was asked by the Cabinet to 

discuss the potential impacts of budget 

reductions. As discussed above, the SPG 

provided the Cabinet with a document detailing 

some of the things from the Strategic Plan that 

could be at risk as a result of budget cuts. 

Cabinet agreed to monitor cutbacks and remain 

aware of their impacts on strategic planning 

outcomes. 


Each of the Strategic Initiatives has 

implications for the Facilities Master Plan as 

well. As part of the development of the 

Facilities Master Plan, these Initiatives are 

� 

reviewed and considered. Figure 1.9 details the 

implications of each of the current Strategic 

Initiatives on the Facilities Master Plan. 

Figure�1.9��Connections�between�Strategic�Initiatives�and�Facilities�Master�Plan�� 

Initiative� Implications�for�Campus�Master�Plan� 

Initiative�One� 

Advising�and� 

Student�Success� 

Initiative�Two� 

Distance� 

Education�� 

Initiative�Three� 

Communication�� 

Initiative�Four�� 

Enrollment� 

Management� 

� Construction of the new humanities building includes a new enrollment services, 

advising, and counseling center that are designed to serve student needs. 

� Campus and building development should include spaces that invite students, faculty, 

and staff to mingle and communicate, such as outdoor gathering areas and interior 

common areas. 

� More space is required to hold Learning Community activities, which are important to 

the College’s group-oriented instructional philosophy. 

� Distance learning courses constitute about 20% of the instructional program. The 

College’s multi-media program supports distance learning but does not have facilities 

adequate to its growing role. Develop a dedicated multi-media center with space for 

authoring and production. 

� Embracing diversity and encouraging communications depend upon a physical 

environment that welcomes people, making it easy to engage in the life of the 

community. Campus and building spaces should invite students, faculty, and staff to 

gather and participate in community activities. 

� Large gatherings for educational and cultural activities are an important part of the life 

of the College and its connection to the community. A new theater that can be configured 

for multiple uses and provide space for events at the scale of 60, 160 or 280 

people would be an effective way of accommodating this need. 

The enrollment management system has identified one long range trend and four 

immediate instructional programming and student services needs that must be addressed 

through facilities planning: 

Long�Range�Trend� 

(1) The College has a significant declining trend in assignable square feet per FTE. The 

SBCTC projects that it will have the lowest ratio in the system by 2016. 

Immediate�Needs� 

(1) The Nursing Program does not have adequate space to serve growing programs and 

enrollment, and is divided between the Bremerton and Poulsbo campuses. The Poulsbo 

campus needs more space to serve growing enrollment. The Nursing programs should be 

relocated to Bremerton. 

(2) Fine Arts programs in Art, Music, and Drama are constrained by existing facilities that 

do not serve their functional and technical needs. The buildings they occupy have 

significant deficiencies. 

(3) Vocational programs in Welding, Drafting, and Electronics are constrained by facilities 

that do not serve their functional and technical needs. The building they occupy has 

significant deficiencies. A new program Initiative in Baking needs an instructional lab. 

(4) Existing child care facilities are not adequate to serve student demand. Enrollment is 

limited as a result. 

Facilities planning strategies in response to these needs are: 

� Provide more assignable space on the Bremerton campus to improve the space to FTE 

ratio. 

� Replace the Art, Music, and Theater Buildings with a new Instruction Center to house 

the Fine Arts and Nursing programs, and provide general purpose classrooms and labs 

for campus-wide use. 


� 

Figure�1.9��Connections�between�Strategic�Initiatives�and�Facilities�Master�Plan�(Cont.)� 

Initiative�Five� 

Culture�of� 

Assessment 

Initiative�Six� 

Baccalaureate� 

Programs� 

� Renovate the Shop Building to accommodate Welding, Drafting, Electronics, and a new 

program Initiative in Baking. 

� Construct a new child care center. 

On-going evaluation of the impact of the campus master plan on learning outcomes 

should be part of the culture of assessment. As a place that draws people together to 

learn, share, and experience, the College has a responsibility to provide a physical plant 

that supports scholarship. 

� As the only public higher education center in Kitsap and Mason counties, Olympic 

College must recognize the role it will play in serving the growing population of the 

region. The City of Bremerton has expressed a strong interest in Olympic College as a 

community center for education and cultural experience. 

� Campus planning must accommodate significant physical development to 

accommodate the growth that may result from providing baccalaureate programs to 

meet these needs. 

In support of the College’s Vision and 

Strategic Plan, the Board of Trustees and 

Cabinet both develop action plans and the 

President develops goals each year. The 

strategies contained in these documents are 

one of the significant ways that the leadership 

of the College can track their intended 

contribution to the institutional goals. These 

plans are available as Standard One exhibits. 

Additionally, the Olympic College 

Foundation (OCF) supports the strategic 

planning and budgeting processes of the 

College by contributing meaningfully towards 

emergent financial needs through the 

solicitation of designated gifts in support of 

programs and projects identified in the 

College’s annual strategic planning and 

budgeting processes. As a private, non-profit 

501(c)3 organization, the Foundation seeks 

philanthropic gifts for student scholarships, 

program enhancements, and capital projects, as 

well as support for cultural events and activities 

that enrich the entire community. The central 

purpose and role of the Olympic College 

Foundation is to "promote and receive 

philanthropic gifts for the benefit of OC 

students." The Strategic Business Plan for 

Olympic College Foundation is available as a 

Standard One exhibit. This year, in an effort to 

help the College through this very difficult 

budget period, the OCF has committed 

$500,000 in additional support over a two year 

period ($150,000 of which is discretionary). Of 

the remaining restricted funds, $35,444 has 

been set aside in the first year for the BSN 

electronic databases and periodicals to support 

Baccalaureate level research. 

Analysis.��Olympic College puts considerable 

human, fiscal, and physical resources toward its 

Vision and Strategic Initiatives. The connection 

of the Strategic Plan with the budget process 

has been a positive one. It has lent credibility to 

strategic planning; offices, departments, and 

committees taking part in a Strategic Initiative 

are able to request and receive monetary 

support for strategic efforts that might 

otherwise go unfunded. In a survey of current 

and former Budget Committee members, 58 

percent indicated that they agreed or strongly 

agreed that “. . . items connected to the 

College’s Strategic Initiatives are given priority 

in the budget process” and only 8 percent 

disagreed with this statement. The Budget 

Committee Questionnaire Results and 

Responses are available as a Standard One 

exhibit. The inclusion of representatives from 

the SPG provides the Budget Committee with a 

pan-institutional perspective regarding issues 

facing the College. This close connection and 

overlap in membership among the SPG and 

Budget Committee is positive and critical to the 

success of both groups. 


While the ties between strategic planning 

and the institutional budget process 

demonstrate credibility for strategic planning, it 

is noteworthy that, in what is typically a 

competitive budget environment, not all linked 

requests receive full funding. While progress on 

outcomes for many aspects of the Strategic 

Initiatives relies on existing resources, in 

particular human resources, full achievement of 

outcomes may be limited when Initiatives are 

underfunded. As noted above, last year about 

half of the endorsed Strategic Initiative requests 

were funded. As a result, some activities are 

prioritized over others and some must depend 

on the movement of existing resources. Some 

existing funds do get spent on Strategic Plan 

Initiatives. Prior to the current year, this was 

primarily dependent on individual managers 

rather than an institutional decision-making 

process. Facing budget cuts, the Cabinet took 

steps this year to look at shifting existing 

resources to help in funding strategic activities. 

As budgets constrict and managers have fewer 

resources to work with, the College needs to 

support and encourage those with a role to play 

in the Strategic Initiatives to continue to make 

these efforts a priority. 

Like the connection between strategic 

planning and budgeting, the connection 

between the Strategic Plan and the Facilities 

Master Plan is also mutually beneficial. The 

Strategic Plan benefits from a closely aligned 

Facilities Master Plan, because when strategic 

planning is allowed to inform facilities planning, 

then it is doing its job in terms of accomplishing 

the College’s Vision (institutional goals). The 

relationship is also beneficial for Facilities 

Master Planning for two specific reasons. First, 

the SBCTC (which determines which of the 

State’s community colleges will receive capital 

funding) requires that all community and 

technical colleges in the State align their 

facilities plans to college strategic plans. 

Second, and most importantly, the Strategic 

Plan gives direction to the facility needs of the 

College. Without such direction, it would be 

difficult to prioritize capital projects. The 

strengthening of this connection is a positive 

step toward improving decisions around facility 

planning. 

Like its peer institutions, Olympic College is 

a complex organization with multiple interests 

and goals. Last year it was unclear to some, for 

example, how the Board of Trustees’ goals, the 

President’s goals, and Cabinet's goals align with 

the Strategic Plan. The Strategic Initiatives were 

perceived to be competing with these other, 

important goals for attention. The documents 

were reviewed and a crosswalk was developed 

between the Board of Trustees Goals and the 

Strategic Plan and is available as a Standard One 

exhibit. The two were found to be closely 

aligned. Additionally, in the spring of 2008 the 

Board of Trustees, President, and Cabinet 

discussed the perception issue and agreed that 

the Board’s, Cabinet’s, and President’s goals 

would be written more like work plans to reflect 

their actual intent as supporting rather than 

competing documents for the Strategic Plan. 

Both this action, along with the more specific 

Vision statement discussed above, will help to 

make planning more effective and less 

confusing for those not less tied to the planning 

process. Additionally, since the Strategic 

Initiatives receive priority in the budget process, 

they increasingly compete favorably with other 

interests for institutional attention. The 

Strategic Plan serves as a guide for limiting the 

other “priorities” and, when emerging 

opportunities do require attention, their 

relative importance needs to be made clear to 

the College community. 

Operational�Planning� 

Description.��In addition to strategic and 

college-level planning, ongoing operational 

planning also occurs at Olympic College. Some 

of these activities support the Strategic Plan, 

while others are focused on the day to day 

activities required to run the College and serve 

students. Administrative units and 

departments plan and implement day to day 

activities on an ongoing basis. These 


operational planning activities fall into several 

categories. First, administrative units such as 

Instruction and Student Services have 

committees that work on things impacting their 

entire area. For example, Instruction has an 

Instructional Program Planning Committee that 

reviews current offerings and looks for 

opportunities to provide new or modified 

programs to meet students’ needs. This process 

serves both planning and assessment functions 

for instructional programs and is discussed in 

depth in Standard Two. Second, individual 

departments conduct their own planning 

activities. Each non-teaching area participates 

in the institutional assessment process and 

conducts an assessment of at least one of its 

outcomes each year (see Institutional 

Assessment below) with the purpose being 

continuous process and decision making 

improvement. Faculty, similarly engage in 

course and program planning and assessment 

activities. As part of both of these levels of 

planning, individuals often engage in cross-unit 

committees such as Enrollment Management 

and the Student Achievement Initiative around 

specific activities. 

Analysis.��Olympic College has a multilayered 

planning system that allows for 

employee involvement at all levels. Operational 

planning is connected to Strategic and other 

plans as appropriate. Plans are evaluated and 

changes made based on the results of 

assessment activities. While it is not feasible to 

document all planning at the work unit level— 

i.e., capturing every activity of the College 

would not be feasible (or useful)—some effort 

should be made to make information regarding 

unit and department activities more accessible. 

In an organization this size with people spread 

out in multiple locations and at multiple sites, it 

is understandable and even normal that not 

everyone would be aware of other units’ 

activities. However, there appears to be a 

desire for greater information sharing when it 

comes to planning and decision-making, 

particularly at the division and work-unit levels 

of the organization.� 

Public�Service�Activities� 

Public service activities at Olympic College 

align with its Mission and Vision. Additionally, 

two of the Strategic Initiatives (Strategic 

Initiatives 4 and 6) seek to increase community 

access and options, especially for 

underrepresented populations. The College 

provides leadership, coordination, collaboration 

and communication in order to effectively serve 

the campus and the community. Public service 

activities at Olympic College include events 

facilitated and/or supported by the College and 

events sponsored by outside organizations that 

take place at the College and for which the 

College is either an active or a passive 

participant. 

Olympic College provides information to 

students, faculty and staff to encourage 

engagement in public service activities. 

The View, Olympic College’s quarterly class 

schedule, is mailed to 134,000 households 

throughout Kitsap and Mason counties. In it, 

community members can find access to 

continuing education classes providing basic 

computer skills, entrepreneur strategies, small 

business classes, etc. The College also offers 

training to small business owners and their 

employees, as well as new business start-ups 

through the Small Business Development 

Center. 

College facilities and equipment are 

available for use by community members, 

nonprofit organizations, and businesses. In 

keeping with the 2004-06 strategic priority to 

“pursue and nurture partnerships with the 

community”, the College waives rental fees for 

facility use if the requesters have an existing 

partnership with the College or the event could 

be considered as a friend-raising or recruitment 

activity. 


ASSESSMENT�&�EFFECTIVENESS� 

Building a shared understanding of the 

importance of systematically assessing and 

documenting the effectiveness of planning and 

decision-making is a deliberate and ongoing 

process that Olympic College has been engaged 

in for more than ten years. Institutional and 

educational assessment at Olympic College is 

born out of the value of lifelong learning. 

Several actions have been taken by the College 

to strengthen its commitment to continuous 

improvement. Institutional assessment has 

been systematically practiced at Olympic 

College since the late 1990’s through strategic 

planning, the five-column model, and a program 

of institutional research activities. In 1997, the 

College established an Office of Institutional 

Research whose responsibilities have grown to 

encompass not only institutional research but 

also strategic planning and some assessment. 

Educational assessment in particular has grown 

considerably over the last five years. Almost 

half of the full-time faculty engages in a 

structured program of course or program level 

assessment activities and the College is now 

assessing its Core Abilities; other faculty engage 

in other assessment activities not part of this 

program. A Center for Teaching and Learning 

was established in 2002, and serves as a 

resource for faculty and staff who want to 

assess and improve the work they do with 

students. More recently, sensing the 

opportunity to reach a tipping point in the 

campus understanding of assessment, the 

College included in its 2007-10 Strategic Plan a 

Strategic Initiative to “. . . foster a College-wide 

culture of assessment that embraces the 

assessment of learning outcomes and promotes 

the scholarship of teaching and learning.” 

(Strategic Initiative Five) 

Institutional and educational assessment 

occurs at all levels of the institution and is 

designed to improve the effectiveness and 

efficiency of College planning and decision 

making. As Figure 1.10 illustrates, the College 

recognizes the need to use the results of its 

assessment activities to make change. 

The Planning and Assessment Inventory, 

referenced in the Institutional Planning Section 

(Appendix 1.1), provides examples of the 

relationships between planning, assessment, 

and the use of results at all levels of the 

institution. 

Both institutional and educational 

assessment at all levels of the institution (i.e. 

strategic, college, administrative unit, and 

departmental levels) share some basic 

characteristics that everyone who is engaged in 

assessment can identify. Below is a diagram 

that indicates these basic steps. Through 

various tools such as the five-column model and 

Course and Program Outcomes Assessment, 

employees at Olympic College have been given 

the opportunity to participate in these basic 

functions of assessment. 

Institutional�Assessment�� 

Description.��Institutional committees such 

as the SPG and the Budget Committee support 

and promote institutional assessment through 

their emphasis on obtaining and using 

measurable results. As described above, the 

Strategic Plan has outcomes and assessment 

measures that evaluate the Strategic Initiatives. 

The data collected from the Initiatives helps to 

guide the work of the Strategic Leadership 

Teams; it informs the work of the Budget and 

Master Planning Committees, and it influences 

decisions made by the Cabinet. For example, 

the Strategic Initiative Three (Communication) 

relies heavily on the results of the PACE Climate 

Survey to determine progress toward its 

outcomes. As a result, the climate survey is 

taken seriously by College administrators. The 

President conducts follow up visits to 

departments and units to help his 

understanding of the results. 


Figure�1.10��Olympic�College�Planning�and�Assessment�Diagram� 

Continue�to�Assess�for� 

Improvement� 

(as�Needed) 

Review�Results�and� 

Make�Needed� 

Changes 

Conduct�Assessment� 

and�Analyze�Results 

The last two times the survey has been 

conducted, lists of actions have been published 

as a follow-up to these visits. The Climate 

Survey Follow-Up email (March 15, 2007 and 

March 2009); and Employee Climate Survey 

email (April 13), 2009 are available as Standard 

One exhibits. This emphasis on follow-through 

by the President contributes to the success of 

strategic planning and serves as a model of the 

positive change that can come out of 

assessment. 

Another major assessment activity at the 

institutional level is embedded within the 

budget process.��As discussed in detail in 

Standard Seven, when budget requests are 

made they must include outcomes and� 

measures of success. Requests granted by the 

Select�Issue�of�Focus 

Implement�Plan�and� 

Assessment 

Implementation 

Review�Existing� 

Environment 

Set�Desired� 

Outcomes�and� 

Criteria�for�Success 

Develop�Strategies� 

for�Improvement�and� 

Allocate�Resources 

Budget Committee require a follow-up report 

on the outcomes and measures of the funded 

items one and two years after receiving 

funding. In order to maintain funding, units 

need to show progress toward, or learning 

from, the outcomes and activities they have 

pursued. The Budget Committee considers the 

follow-up reports submitted by requestors in 

determining future funding. 

Institutional assessment also occurs at the 

administrative unit level where the College’s 

administrative units such as Instruction, Student 

Services, and Administrative Services use 

assessment tools to evaluate their operational 

planning activities. For example, Student 

Services has a program review cycle (see 

Standard Three for a discussion of the Student 


Services Program Review process)�in which all 

of their programs are evaluated at least once 

every five years. Another example is the 

Instructional Program Review process where 

administrators and faculty review program data 

biannually as part of the instructional program 

planning cycle. FTE targets are also set each 

year for each division. The results of both of 

these processes inform the decision-making 

process used by the instructional administrators 

when considering areas for new and 

replacement full-time faculty. Additionally, 

administrative units often collaborate on 

assessment Initiatives as in the case of the 

SBCTC Student Achievement Initiative. The 

Student Achievement Committee is chaired by 

the Dean of Student Development and is made 

up of employees from both Student Services 

and Instruction. This group regularly reviews 

student progress toward goal achievement and 

discusses strategies for improving student 

learning and retention. (For a full discussion of 

the Student Achievement Initiative please see 

Standards Two and Three.) 

Finally, institutional assessment occurs at 

the individual department and work-unit level 

where individual work teams at the College can 

assess their own performance according to the 

outcomes they have set for themselves each 

year. This process of unit level assessment is 

usually referred to by members of the College 

community as “Institutional Effectiveness” or 

“the five-column model”. Non-faculty work 

units (as defined by supervisors) are required to 

assess an objective of their department each 

year to ensure positive change and 

improvement in effectiveness or efficiency. 

This activity is designed to both increase 

awareness of the need for planning and 

assessment and to help departments improve 

the efficiency and/or effectiveness of specific 

aspects of their work. 

Institutional assessment via the five-column 

model has been an annual process for 

administrative and support units of the College 

for the last nine years. (2000-01/2004-05 Five- 

Column Models and 2005-06/2008-09 Five- 

Column Models are available as Standard One 

exhibits.) Participation in the five-column 

model requires that work units submit one to 

three objectives or outcomes that they wish to 

asses in the coming year and document: (1) 

how well they do in meeting these objectives 

during the year; (2) what they learned from the 

project; and (3) how they can further improve 

what they are doing. Upon completion of the 

cycle, results are widely shared. Five 

institutional effectiveness liaisons are 

designated to help facilitate this process each 

year. The process uses the same basic 

assessment cycle discussed above and allows 

for widespread participation. Some recent 

examples of objectives that have been achieved 

or learning that has occurred as a result of the 

five-column model are as shown in Figure 1.11. 

Analysis.��Assessment of the Strategic 

Initiatives and of fulfilled budget requests is 

well documented. Results from the Strategic 

Plan such as the movement of advising to 

instruction; the decision to fund student 

achievement activities; and the progress on 

campus climate have been achieved largely 

because of the College’s willingness to engage 

in on-going assessment. In particular, the 

President’s commitment to improving the 

College climate by engaging in a regular 

assessment via the PACE Climate Survey is a 

strong example of how assessment can change 

practices when it is given institutional priority. 

Additionally, the budget process has a strong 

assessment component. Individuals who have 

requested funds via the current campus budget 

process are aware that they will be required to 

report the results and therefore are highly 

motivated to show progress and learning as it 

relates to their respective budget requests. 

Please see Standard Seven for examples of 

“closing the loop” on the budget process. The 

existence of strategic and College-level planning 

processes with clear outcomes and assessment 

measures is an asset when it comes time to 

making institutional-level decisions.�� 


Objective�� 

Opportunity Grant 

(OG) second year: 

Improve student 

retention and 

program completion 

rates. 

� 


Students who 

frequent the 

Multicultural Center 

(MCS) will increase 

their understanding of 

the importance of 

developing an 

educational plan. 

Figure�1.11��Excerpted�Examples�of�Results�from�the�2007�08�Five�Column�Models� 

Institutional�Effectiveness��Workforce�Development� 

Means�of�Assessment 

Take current data before 

enactment of new focus 

and see if activities 

improve student 

retention. 

(Retention rates per 

quarter for last year were 

62% taken from OG first 

year records). 

Assess quarterly for OG 

second year students, - 

determine base line and 

achieve a five percent 

increase in student 

retention for the year. 

Target retention rate is 

67%. � 

Summary�of�Data�Collected 

Quarterly retention data is 

displayed below: 

Fall 2007 to winter 2008- 83 % 

Winter 2008 to spring 2008- 

99% 

Spring 2008 to summer/fall 

2008-93% 

Average quarterly retention 

rate was 92% and the target 

was 67%. 

The data indicates that 

providing the one-on-one 

intake process and doing 

ongoing case management 

had a positive effect on 

student retention. It is 

important to note that the 

mix of eligible programs was 

expanded during this period. 

Note: retention rates are 

defined as completing their 

certificate, working in the field 

of study, continuing with their 

education.� 

Institutional�Effectiveness��Student�Development�–�Counseling�Services� 


International students 

studying at Olympic 

College during 2004-05 

will indicate an eighty 

percent satisfaction 

level with the overall 

admissions process, 

initial advising, and 

orientation to the 

College. 

Summary�of�Data Collected 

One hundred percent of 

participants agree (ten 

respondents) to strongly agree 

(nineteen respondents) that 

the academic and career 

workshops and individual 

services increased their 

understanding of the 

importance of academic 

planning and career 

exploration. 

One hundred percent of 

participants agree (nine) to 

strongly agree (thirty) that they 

will use the information gained 

to develop and educational 

plan and that they utilized OC 

resources toward career 

exploration. 

Eighty-five percent of students 

who accessed services will 

develop an educational plan. 

Use�of�Results� 

Continue to perform 

activities to include oneon-one 

intake process 

and case management, 

ensure students, staff, 

and faculty are aware of 

resources available at OC 

and within the 

community. 

Proceed with established 

quarterly retention rate 

data collection processes. 

Rates will be monitored. 

Perform analysis of 

activities provided, 

staffing levels, and 

potential contributing 

external factors if the 

retention rate declines. 

Increase information 

sharing and collaboration 

within OC and with 

partners in the local 

community. � 


Based on the results the 

provision of counseling 

services in the 

Multicultural Center will 

be continued. An 

additional means of 

assessment will be 

developed and 

implemented in 2008-09 

to measure student 

learning and application 

of this understanding. 


Figure�1.11��Excerpted�Examples�of�Results�from�the�2007�08�Five�Column�Models�(Cont.)� 


Increase the 

persistence and 

success of Running 

Start students who 

experience academic 

difficulty. 


Increase the 

consistency and 

effectiveness of 

branch campus course 

scheduling.� 

Institutional�Effectiveness��Running�Start�and�High�School�Outreach� 


Seventy-five percent of 

low grade students who 

participate in planning 

for success advising 

sessions will complete 

the following quarter 

classes with a GPA for 2.0 

or above and enroll in 

courses the next quarter. 

Summary�of�Data�Collected 

Forty-three percent of fall 

quarter low grade students 

who participated completed 

winter quarter classes with a 

2.0 or higher GPA 

Fifty-seven percent of the 

students enrolled in spring 

classes and half of those 

students earned a GPA 2.0 or 

higher. 

Eighty percent of winter 

quarter low grade students 

who participated completed 

spring quarter classes with a 

2.0 GPA or higher. Twentyfive 

percent of these students 

enrolled in Summer classes 

and fifty percent earned a 2.0 

GPA or higher. 

Nineteen students 

participated with diverse 

perspectives and outcomes. 

Students reported that the 

self-assessments helped them 

be realistic about their skills, 

access to resources and will 

take action to improve. 

Institutional�Effectiveness��Shelton�Campus� 


Data will be collected 

regarding course 

offerings at the branch 

campuses in the past. 

Input will be sought from 

faculty and advisors 

regarding classes needed 

for degree completion, 

including time and 

frequency of course 

offerings. 

By the end of the year a 

one-year schedule our 

course offerings will be 

available for the transfer 

program, as well as each 

professional technical 

program available to 

students of the Shelton 

campus.� 

Summary�of Data�Collected 

Using data re: prior year’s 

enrollments and input from 

advisors, we worked with 

faculty from a number of 

disciplines, including math, 

science, English, art and 

speech to expand course 

offerings and create a 

predictable one-year 

schedule. We also worked 

with faculty from the criminal 

justice, early childhood, 

welding and computer 

information systems programs 

to expand program offerings 

at the Shelton campus. One 

year schedules have been 

created for all but the CIS 

program. Work is still 

underway to develop studentfriendly 

advising sheets.� 


Based on student 

feedback the service will 

continue to be offered to 

Running Start students 

who experience academic 

difficulty. 

The target was set highprobably 

too high in 

relationship to the many 

difficulties students faces. 

So many variables affect 

student success – some 

out of the student’s 

control. No measures 

were set in place for 

students who did not 

participate, so it is 

difficult to judge success 

compared to other 

students. 


These efforts paid off in 

many ways. We now 

have significantly more 

options for students, 

predictable offerings for 

accurate advising and 

more efficient and 

effective scheduling 

processes. 

We will reach out to the 

other divisions and 

continue this process. 

We will develop student 

friendly advising sheets 

for students and advisors. 


At the College level, the Cabinet has 

included assessment measures in its work plan. 

The results are reviewed quarterly, at the 

Cabinet’s annual retreat, and shared with the 

College community. As they have worked 

through this year’s plan, the Cabinet has found 

that the measures they selected are not all 

strong ones. Efforts will be made to improve 

upon this process in future years. 

Administrative unit assessment activities 

inform decision-making and resource allocation. 

Instructional administrators use institutional 

research around student faculty ratios, program 

completions, and other data from the 

Instructional Program Planning Data Book to 

maintain and update an Instructional Program 

Plan. The plan helps to determine which 

disciplines are targeted for growth, including 

faculty positions. 

Participation in the College’s process of 

institutional assessment through the fivecolumn 

model is not always enthusiastic, but 

most administrators and many staff do 

understand its value and participate each year. 

Over the years, the ability of individual 

employees to write and understand outcomes 

and objectives has improved significantly. Most 

plans arrive each year with all five columns, 

including the use of result, filled out in a 

meaningful way. In most, but not all, cases 

departments give extensive thought to the use 

of their assessment results. 

As shown in Figure 1.11 on previous page, 

results of the five-column model impact 

students by increasing students' understanding 

of their educational options (Multicultural 

Services); increasing GPAs of struggling students 

(Running Start); increasing student persistence 

(Opportunity Grant), and increasing students’ 

scheduling options (Shelton Campus). 

It is, however, also the case each year that 

some institutional effectiveness plans are not 

completed. Limited resources, staff changes, 

emerging and shifting priorities, etc., are often 

responsible for unfinished plans; there are a 

few areas, however, that choose not to 

participate in the process. The President 

encourages units to complete the five-column 

model each year by endorsing the process and 

by discussing its progress with Cabinet. The 

College needs to explore strategies to 

encourage all units to engage in this level of 

assessment. 

Educational�Assessment� 

Description.��Olympic College’s program of 

educational assessment includes elements 

discussed in the section on institutional 

assessment (such as the Student Achievement 

Initiative and Instructional Program Planning 

Program Review), and also focuses on the 

assessment of student learning through course 

and program level assessment and Core 

Abilities. Educational assessment at Olympic 

College stresses the value of improving student 

learning through the same basic assessment 

steps discussed above (i.e., collection of data, 

analysis of findings, and use of results). The 

adoption of a set of Core Abilities for Olympic 

College graduates has furthered the discussion 

among full and part-time faculty as they have 

engaged in dialog and debated methods for 

assessing student learning. The College now 

has five Core Abilities which graduates should 

have exposure to while they are at Olympic 

College. They include communication, thinking, 

information literacy and technology, global 

perspective, and lifelong learning. For a full 

discussion and specific information on 

educational assessment please see Standard 

Two. 

Analysis.��Educational assessment in 

particular has been a focus of the College over 

the last five years and has grown in awareness 

and importance among the faculty. One of the 

College’s Strategic Initiatives (Strategic Initiative 

Five) focuses on assessment and has several 

outcomes and assessment measures evaluating 

student learning. As a result, faculty 

engagement in the assessment of student 


learning has increased as evidenced by the 

increasing number of faculty who attend 

assessment workshops, turn in assessment 

projects, and engage in dialog with colleagues 

around the assessment of student learning. The 

challenges and opportunities ahead in 

educational assessment are discussed in detail 

in Standard Two. 

Support�for�Assessment� 

Description.��Olympic College recognizes 

that assessment is an important function that 

needs to be encouraged and supported. The 

formal mechanisms for assessment discussed 

above are a critical part of supporting 

assessment. Support for assessment has been 

building at Olympic College and has taken 

several forms including the transition of the 

Office of Institutional Research to the Planning, 

Assessment and Research Office, the 

development of a Center for Teaching and 

Learning, the earmark of significant resources 

toward student learning outcomes assessment 

including Core Abilities, and the support for 

cross-departmental collaboration on activities 

such as learning communities. 

Institutional research supports and 

contributes to assessment at all levels of 

institutional and educational assessment at 

Olympic College. Staff in the Planning, 

Assessment & Research Office, as well as others 

who serve on the College Data Group, routinely 

engage in research activities that support 

assessment and promote the use of data for 

decision making. Some of the larger research 

projects that serve as institutional assessment 

measures include student and employee 

surveys, program planning data, and an annual 

review of basic institutional data. Examples are 

available as Standard One exhibits. 

These research tools are repeated regularly 

and provide a foundation for many assessment 

activities. The College community is often 

asked to review these tools at meetings and 

events and to consider how they can be used as 

a basis for decision-making and improvement. 

For example, after each of the last two Student 

Engagement Surveys special early-evening 

dinner events were held so that faculty, staff, 

administrators, and students could get together 

and discuss the survey results and their 

implications. These types of events not only 

raise awareness of the available data, but also 

get people to discuss data in the context of the 

committees and groups with which they work. 

In addition to the regular program of research 

activities, a number of ad hoc institutional 

research projects are conducted each year in 

support of College efforts such as enrollment 

management, the Student Achievement 

Initiative, grant development, and strategic 

planning. For example, information on “course 

completers”, county demographics, and student 

achievement point gain results were all 

provided during the last academic year. The 

combination of planned research projects and 

ad hoc reporting, and the consistent effort to 

share research information with the College 

through meetings and events, has substantially 

increased the availability of useful data to the 

institution. Over the past several years, the 

Office of Planning, Assessment and Research 

has expanded its responsibilities to include 

providing leadership and support for strategic 

planning and outcomes assessment. Staffing 

for these functions has increased over time 

from one full-time person two full- and one 

part-time employee. Staff members also work 

with the College’s Data Group and others to 

provide institutional research data for College 

decision-making and support for student 

learning outcomes assessment. 

The Center for Teaching and Learning, 

established in 2002, focuses on professional 

development for faculty and staff and provides 

opportunities for dialog on the scholarship of 

teaching and learning including curriculum 

development, educational assessment, and 

classroom technology. The Center has been 

involved in encouraging the collaborative 

atmosphere needed to foster meaningful 

assessment. For example, the Center Director 


provided support for a Cabinet Learning 

Community where senior administrators 

explored leadership topics relevant to the 

Vision and Values and hoped to provide 

encouragement for this type of engagement 

and learning for the larger College community. 

Additionally, the Center serves as a resource to 

focus attention on the primary Mission of the 

College, that of teaching and learning. 

The College has committed significant 

resources for assessment-related activities. The 

Student Learning Outcomes Assessment 

Committee is funded to include a faculty cochair 

and resources for assessment workshops 

and activities. Incentives in the form of 

stipends have been made available for full-time 

faculty who want to participate in course or 

program level assessment projects each of the 

last three years. The process of developing and 

assessing Core Abilities has been supported 

with resources for a faculty lead, stipends for 

faculty to participate in Core Abilities Institutes 

and Workshops, and funding for the 

development of tools related to the Core 

Abilities such as the Course Mapping Database. 

Analysis.��As called for in the College’s last 

Self-Study, the amount and quality of 

institutional research has grown since 2001 at 

Olympic College. The College regularly surveys 

students and employees, has an annual fact 

book, reviews instructional program planning 

data regularly, and has some resources 

available for ad hoc data needs. Staff members 

who work with data understand the need to 

move beyond publishing raw data and toward 

putting together meaningful pieces of 

information and helping the College to close the 

loop on assessment activities. Members of the 

Data Group serve as data experts on various 

committees such as Enrollment Management 

and the Student Achievement Initiative in order 

to help other groups interpret and use the 

results of data that is generated. Additionally, 

survey results are analyzed and in some cases, 

such as with the PACE Employee Climate 

Survey, formal plans are developed to make 

changes based on results as well as follow-up 

activities. However, more could be done to 

capture information about the use of results. 

For example, a student engagement survey is 

done every two years. Results are disseminated 

with some analysis, and anecdotes indicate that 

this data gets used by various groups on 

campus, but there is no formal mechanism for 

tracking this. 

The expansion of the duties of the 

Institutional Research Office to include 

educational assessment activities (while a 

challenge to already busy research staff) has 

provided for additional administrative focus on 

outcomes assessment. In the past, the Vice 

President of Instruction was the primary driver 

of educational outcomes and assessment 

activities from the administrative side and did 

not always have the necessary time to focus on 

issues around assessing student learning. The 

shift of some assessment activities to the 

Planning, Assessment & Research Office has 

allowed for another individual to take on some 

of these tasks and support faculty efforts to 

emphasize the assessment of student learning. 

This shift, along with the College’s growing 

emphasis on assessment, has resulted in an 

expanding awareness on the part of 

instructional administrators that more and 

more meaningful data analysis is needed to 

support faculty’s efforts to assess student 

learning. This is particularly apparent at the 

program level where graduate follow-up data is 

sometimes difficult to obtain. 

One of the ways the College has supported 

assessment has been through the Center for 

Teaching and Learning. The Center fosters 

innovative learning and teaching practices that 

orient teachers to focus on evaluating the 

effectiveness of their instruction. The Center 

director works one on one and collectively with 

faculty to promote assessment and curriculum 

change. The Center director has expertise in 

qualitative assessment and is able to provide 

faculty assistance in assessing curriculum using 


a variety of assessment methods. For a more 

in-depth accounting of the work of the Center, 

see Standard Two. 

The administrative commitment to 

assessment through human and financial 

resources has been significant. In addition to a 

reasonable amount of money available to the 

Outcomes Assessment Committee, 

considerable money has gone toward Core 

Abilities over the last several years. This 

funding has positively impacted the College’s 

ability to engage faculty in leadership and 

development around student learning 

STANDARD�ONE:��STRENGTHS�AND�RECOMMENDATIONS� 

Strengths:� 

• Olympic College’s Mission and Vision 

statements and Strategic Plan are the 

result of inclusive processes that allow 

for employees of the College to give input 

and influence the outcomes of the 

documents. 

• The stability of an on-going routine 

strategic planning process allows the 

College to tackle long-range Initiatives to 

help the College achieve its Mission. 

• The overlapping nature of the strategic 

planning process allows for planning, 

implementation, and assessment to 

occur simultaneously. The Strategic 

Initiatives are regularly assessed and the 

results reported to the college 

community. Olympic College’s Strategic 

Plan benefits from considerable 

resources: human, fiscal, and physical. 

Despite the statewide budget cuts 

impacting the College, the institution has 

continued to put money toward 

achieving the outcomes of the Strategic 

Plan. 

outcomes assessment. A commitment of 

$75,000 was made by the Cabinet for Outcomes 

Assessment and Core Abilities for the 2009-10 

academic year. While this is less than these 

activities have received over the last few of 

years, it is still a significant financial 

commitment given current budget constraints. 

As many of these activities are largely faculty 

based, they will require on-going monetary 

support in order to be sustained. In order to 

sustain assessment activities, the College will 

need to convert some of this funding into ongoing 

support. 

• Olympic College has a stable and growing 

culture of assessment in which 

employees understand the need to 

assess and learn from results. 

• Significant resources are currently being 

deployed to support the assessment of 

teaching and learning and the College has 

done much to provide support for a 

culture of assessment. 

Recommendations:� 

• Additional effort should be made to 

manage expectations around strategic 

planning. The College needs to better 

communicate about the Strategic 

Initiatives and help the community to 

understand that not all Initiatives are 

intended to be completed in one 

strategic planning cycle. 

• The College needs to find ways to 

encourage staff and faculty at the 

departmental level to continue support 

for the outcomes and activities of the 

Strategic Plan despite resource 

constrictions. 


Recommendations�(Cont.)� 

• Given all the College is attempting to 

accomplish, it is sometimes unclear how 

effort should be prioritized (goals, 

Strategic Initiatives, etc.) It is important 

that the College continues to connect 

efforts of the College-wide leadership 

groups with the Strategic Plan, as was 

done with the Board of Trustees 

crosswalk and with the Cabinet Work 

Plan. Additional communication around 

emerging priorities will also help the 

College community to understand which 

things require institutional attention. 

• Improve the College’s ability to track and 

share the use of assessment results and 

to engage in graduate follow-up 

activities. 

• Make administrative unit and 

departmental level plans more accessible 

to help employees understand the work 

of other areas and make connections 

between the work in their own area and 

that of others. 

• While the College periodically reviews its 

Mission and Vision, consider creating a 

time-specific cycle. 

• Determine community awareness of 

Olympic College's Mission and Vision and, 

as needed, work to raise awareness 

throughout the district. 


{Appendix} 

Supporting�Documentation�for 

Standard�One

Appendix�1.1��The�Planning�and�Assessment�Cycle�in�Action�� 

Planning�Level� Area� Planning�Processes� 

Examples�of� 

Assessment�Tools� 

Examples�of�Use�of�Results� 

Mission/Vision Institution Mission /Vision 

Taskforce 

Strategic 

Planning 

College-Wide 

Planning 

Administrative 

Unit Planning 

Institution Strategic Initiatives 

with Outcomes and 

Assessment 

Measures 

Institution Board Work Plan; 

Cabinet Work Plan; 

Budget Plan; 

Facilities Master 

Plan; President’s 

Goals; Enrollment 

Management 

Instruction 

Instructional 

Program Planning; 

Core Abilities; 

Schedule 

Planning/FTE Targets 

On-going Assessment 

throughout the 

Organization 

Employee Engagement 

and Climate Surveys; 

Student Opinion and 

Engagement Surveys; 

Budget Follow-Up 

Reports; 

Student/Institutional 

Data Analysis 

Facilitated Board Retreat 

& Self-Evaluation 

Process; Budget Request 

Follow-Up Form; 

Employee Climate & 

Engagement Surveys; Adhoc 

Surveys such as 

Budget Committee 

Survey; Fact Book 

Program Review Data & 

Questionnaire; Core 

Abilities Course Mapping 

& Assessment Process; 

State Performance 

Reports; Instructional 

Program Planning Data 

Book; Instructional 

Support Services FTE 

Report 

� Changes to Vision resulted in more focused Strategic Plan 

� Student Survey data showing concerns about advising resulted 

in changes to the advising process including moving advising to 

Instruction to facilitate greater communication between SEAC 

and Faculty Advisors. 

� Quarterly joint meetings between the Diversity Advisory 

Committee, the Communication Committee and the President 

resulted as a way to follow up on concerns expressed by through 

the Employee Climate Survey. 

� Assessment of the Budget Planning Process resulted in increased 

transparency in Budget Committee including greater efforts to 

document committee outcomes. 

� Results from Employee Engagement and Climate Surveys 

prompted Cabinet to undertake their own Learning Community 

to aid them in discussing, understanding, and modeling the 

college’s Vision and Values. 

� Out of the Enrollment Management Process, there has been an 

increased understanding of student need and student use of 

financial aid. This has resulted in the creation of SING (Students 

in Need Group). 

� Results from the 2008 Core Abilities Summer Institute were 

shared at a large faculty workshop during Opening Days, raising 

awareness of the need to assess and make changes based on the 

Core Abilities. Since that time, Instructional Groups and 

Committees, including the Instructional Policies Council, have 

started to examine data to identify any necessary changes to the 

college-wide curriculum and course mapping process to ensure 

graduates are receiving “ample opportunities” and are 

“performing sufficiently” on these core abilities. 

� The Core Abilities Course Mapping Process has caused some 

disciplines to take a closer look at their course outcomes to 

ensure they reflect the curriculum that is common to all 

instructors and some faculty are modifying their course 

outcomes to reflect the Core Abilities. Participants in the Core 

Abilities Institute in particular have indicated that they plan to 

make curriculum changes based on their experience. 

{Standard One} Institutional Mission and Goals, Planning and Effectiveness A1-1







Unit Planning 

(Cont.) 

Student 

Services 

Admin. 

Services 

Program Review; 

Student 

Achievement; 

Registration Training 

and Debrief; Diversity 

Plan; Student 

Services Meetings; 

Enrollment Planning 

Process Review; 

Annual Evaluation 

Process; Capital and 

Operations Update; 

Small Works Projects 

Student Services 

Program Review Report; 

Student Achievement 

Point Gain Results; Web 

Surveys; Student Forums; 

Student Opinion and 

Engagement Surveys; 

Error and Rejection 

Reports; Diversity 

Assessment Tool; 

Student Services Annual 

Report 

Quality Improvement 

Tools such as 

Flowcharting Processes, 

Interviewing; 

Questioning 

Assumptions, etc.; 

Computerized 

Maintenance 

Management System; 

Work Order Tracking 

� For more information on Core Abilities, please see the “Evidence 

of Student Learning” tab in the Core Abilities Notebook in the 

Standard Two exhibits. 

� Program Planning has informed decisions on new faculty 

positions and new programs. For example the addition of Basic 

Skills Faculty was a result of an identified need from the Program 

Planning Process. 

� Student Achievement Point Gain Project has resulted in a better 

understanding of student retention and this has resulted in 

funding for several efforts including: 

o Teaching Assistants in Developmental Math/English Classes 

o Orientation to College Classes 

o Continuation of MAPS Advising 

o Resourcing Learning Communities 

� The Registration & Records Debrief led to annual retreats that 

include professional development and a review of service 

processes to improve customer services 

� An effort to work toward improved delivery of on-line services 

for students was the result of on-going assessment using several 

assessment tools including program review; division planning; 

budget planning, etc. 

� Student Forums led to changes in Shelton and Poulsbo site 

service operations. 

� Purchasing Requisition Process Review has resulted in reduction 

of duplication in phone calls to vendors and has reduced the 

number of part-time staff hours needed. 

� Payroll Timecard/Timesheet Process Review has resulted in a 

fewer handwritten checks and employees being paid in a 

timelier manner. 

A1-2 {Standard�One}�Institutional Mission and Goals, Planning and Effectiveness






Information 

Technology 

Institutional 

Adv. 

Basic Project 

Portfolio; Project 

Quick Scope 

OC Foundation 

Strategic Plan 

Project Status Tracking; 

Track Incidents; Quality 

Tools (Plan, Do, Check, 

Act; Process 

Improvement Models; 

etc.); User Centered 

Design; Web Analytics 

OCF Annual Accounting 

Reports; OCF Annual 

Support Report; Report 

of Gifts to Olympic 

College (Monthly); OC 

Community Survey 

� By tracking the Average�Time�Open for Help Desk requests, staff 

are able to keep the average time to completion down under 

five days. 

� A project was done to measure the energy output of computer 

monitors. Based on the findings, a process was developed to 

bring computers on campus down at night and back up in the 

morning with a calculated savings. 

� The web redesign process is based on data collected indicating 

the top twenty-five content pages students are interested in 

visiting. These areas are being redesigned first to maximize the 

ROI (Return on Investment). 

� In reviewing data from annual reports, it was determined that 

most people give to the Foundation after discussing their 

support with either their attorney or accountant. As a result of 

this knowledge, the Foundation is targeting a marketing 

campaign to attorneys and accountants to raise their awareness 

about the Olympic College Foundation. 

� The Foundation has determined from the Annual�Support�Report 

that there is a need to be proactive in matching donors’ gifts to 

college need. 

� A survey was conducted of the tools most widely accessed by 

students and community members. The responses indicated the 

quarterly class schedule, the OC web site, the OC newsletter, 

and newspaper advertisements were the mostly commonly 

accessed mediums. Based on the responses, the I AM OC 

campaign focused on these primary areas to promote the 

campaign and build awareness of OC. 

{Standard One} Institutional Mission and Goals, Planning and Effectiveness A1-3

{Standard�Two} 

Educational�Programs�and�Its� 

Effectiveness 

Standard�Two

{Standard�Two}� 

Educational�Program�and�Its�Effectiveness� 


Instruction at Olympic College is organized 

into five major divisions, introduced below. 

Business�and�Technology� 

The Business and Technology (B&T) Division 

represents a collection of academic transfer and 

professional-technical programs that are 

specifically designed to enhance the skills and 

abilities of students and to contribute toward 

their success in business, technology, and trade 

related fields of study and work. The mission of 

the Business and Technology Division is: 

To�seek�to�facilitate�the�learning�and� 

employment�of�students,�to�provide�them� 

with�an�atmosphere�that�promotes�success,� 

and�to�share�our�time�and�talent�with�our� 

various�learning�and�living�communities.� 

Programs found in this division include: 

Apprenticeship, Automotive Technology, 

Business and Economics, Business 

Management, Computer Information Systems, 

Cosmetology, the Culinary Arts Institute, 

Electronics, Industrial Trades Technician, 

Manufacturing, Medical Assisting, Office 

Technology, Organizational Leadership and 

Resource Management, Technical Design, and 

Welding Technology. 

The Division is comprised of one full-time 

Dean (exempt administrator), thirty-two fulltime 

faculty members, sixty-four adjunct faculty 

members, twenty-nine volunteer adjunct 

faculty, five full-time classified staff, and 

eighteen part-time staff. The Division generates 

approximately 1,505 annualized FTE students. 

Library,�Media,�Distance�Learning� 

The Library Media Division includes three 

libraries, the Center for Teaching and Learning, 

Instructional Media support, and Distance 

Learning. The Library’s mission statement says: 

We�support�quality�education�by�providing� 

access�to�information�in�all�formats.��We� 

foster�lifelong�learning�by�teaching� 

information�literacy�to�all�our�communities.�� 

We�promote�an�environment�of�academic� 

freedom,�encouraging�the�pursuit�of�all� 

points�of�view�and�individual�interests.� 

Media Services and Distance Learning had 

the following mission statement, prior to its 

current reconfiguration: 

We�serve�the�College�by�providing� 

leadership�in�instructional�technology,� 

access�to�media�resources,�and�support�of� 

their�use.��Our�team�collaborates�with� 

students,�faculty,�staff,�and�community� 

members�to�plan,�design,�and�create� 

projects�and�facilities�that�meet�their� 

instructional�technology�needs.� 

The programs found in this area provide 

library, technology, and distance learning 

support for all instruction: academic and 

vocational; pre-college, associate and 

baccalaureate; day and evening, Bremerton, 

Shelton, and Poulsbo, and distance classes. 


Dean (exempt Administrator), three full-time 

librarians and five adjunct librarians, four fulltime 

and six part-time library classified staff; 

one full-time distance learning faculty member 

and a full-time classified assistant for distance, 

{Standard�Two} Educational Program and Its Effectiveness 2-1

with one more technical position being 

planned; and one full-time video –instructionalmedia 

staff person. Staffing for the Center for 

Teaching and Learning is under discussion. 

Mathematics,�Engineering,�Sciences,�Health� 

Sciences� 

The Mathematics, Engineering, Sciences 

and Health Sciences [MESH] Division is focused 

on providing excellent instruction in these four 

major areas of study. The MESH Division is 

committed to: 

• Excellence in instruction in the areas of 

qualitative, quantitative, and scientific 

reasoning for a diverse community of 

learners; 

• Lifelong learning, personal growth, 

professional growth and optimal wellness 

for ourselves, our students, and our 

community; 

• High academic and ethical standards; 

• Teaching and learning strategies which 

integrate theory, experience, and 

application; and 

• Preparing students to be successful 

contributors to a global society. 

Disciplines included in the MESH Division 

are Mathematics, Engineering Transfer, the 

Natural and Physical Sciences (Astronomy, 

Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, 

Environmental Studies, Geography, Geology, 

Meteorology, Physics, and Science), Fire 

Science, and several disciplines in Health 

(Nursing Assistant-Certified, Practical Nursing, 

Registered Nursing, Baccalaureate in Nursing, 

Physical Therapist Assistant, and Physical 

Education). These courses are offered on all 

three campuses as well as a number of offcampus 

locations. 

The MESH Division employs one full-time 

Dean (exempt administrator), one associate 

Dean, and four exempt administrative 

personnel, forty-two full-time professors, 

approximately 119 adjunct professors on 

average, eight full-time classified staff, and 

twelve part-time staff. The Division averages 

approximately 1,750 annualized FTE. 

Social�Sciences�and�Humanities� 

The Social Sciences and Humanities division 

offers excellent instruction in a wide variety of 

disciplines, including transfer and professional 

technical programs. Each discipline has its own 

mission statement that may be found in the 

discipline notebooks for Standard Two (under 

tab 2, Description of Discipline or Program). 

The following disciplines are included in the 

Social Sciences and Humanities division: 

Anthropology, Art, Criminal Justice, Dramatic 

Arts, Early Childhood Education, Education, 

English, Foreign Languages, History, Humanities, 

Human Services, Integrated Multimedia, 

Journalism, Music, Political Science, Psychology, 

Sociology, and Speech. These courses are 

offered on all three campuses as well as a 

number of off-campus locations. 


Dean (exempt administrator), thirty-five fulltime 

faculty members, 134 adjunct faculty 

members, three full-time and six part-time 

classified staff. The Division averages 1,970 FTE 

students annually. 

Workforce�Development�and�Basic�Studies�� 

The mission of the Workforce Development 

Division is: “Strengthening our community by 

linking education and employment to create a 

skilled workforce.” To accomplish this mission, 

the department: secures resources for the 

development and enhancement of learning; 

researches, develops and promotes programs 

based on community need; provides seamless 

transitions into learning environments based on 

individual needs; exchanges information, ideas 

and services; fosters open communication, 

trust, and supportive relationships internally 

and externally. 

2-2 {Standard�Two} Educational Program and Its Effectiveness

The Workforce Development Division 

includes a variety of programs: WorkFirst 

(Washington State’s Welfare-to-Work program), 

Worker Retraining, Perkins grants, Tech Prep, 

Co-Op / Work Integrated Learning, and Adult 

Education. Included in Adult Education are the 

ABE, GED, ESOL, El Civics, WIA Youth, and 

Integrated Basic Education Skills Training (I- 

BEST) programs. The Division is also currently 

responsible for several major national and 

statewide grants. Classes offered by this 

department include Adult Education, Coop/Work-Integrated 

Learning, and job, 

computer, and life skills trainings/workshops at 

a multitude of locations throughout the 

College’s service area. In addition, the 

Workforce Development Division is responsible 

for the vocational certifications of all 

professional-technical faculty members, the 

coordination and support of twenty-five 

professional-technical Advisory Committees, 

GENERAL�REQUIREMENTS 

Description. Olympic College offers a 

comprehensive set of transfer, professionaltechnical, 

basic and continuing education options 

to serve the educational needs of Kitsap and 

Mason counties. Figure 2.1 displays the College’s 

operating footprint linked to instruction and the 

key resources that support it. 

Since academic year 2004-05 enrollment 

and staffing patterns both statewide and locally 

have been very dynamic. Figure 2.2 on next 

page highlights the student/faculty ratio trend 

that has been observed for the College in 

comparison to the State system. 

the program approval process for professionaltechnical 

programs, and articulation 

agreements and Memoranda of Understanding 

for professional-technical courses and 

programs. The Dean participates in the hiring of 

all professional-technical faculty members. 

The Workforce Development Division is 

comprised of eleven full-time exempt 

employees including one Dean, one Associate 

Dean, four Directors, four Educational Advisors, 

and one Coordinator. There are six full-time 

classified and nine part-time classified staff, five 

full-time faculty members, and on average 

twenty-eight part-time faculty members. The 

Division also has hiring and budget approval 

authority for positions partially funded with 

WFD funds that support other programs 

campus-wide. This currently includes one fulltime 

manager (exempt administrator), one fulltime 

and seventy-four part time classified staff. 

The Division averages 378 annual FTE students. 

In an effort to better respond to changing 

market conditions, the College has moved to 

monitor student enrollment trends far more 

closely and to tie the allocation of resources 

and the development of schedules, courses and 

programs to a more strategic vision of 

community interests and needs, such as the 

development of the Baccalaureate in Nursing 

Degree for place-bound graduates of the 

Associate Degree in Nursing program. This 

effort is intended to improve the efficiency and 

effectiveness of program delivery and student 

success. 


Figure�2.1.��Olympic�College�Instructional�Operating�Footprint�(2007�08)� 

Category/Area� Bremerton� Poulsbo� Shelton� Distance� Other�Off�Campus*� Total� 

Classrooms/labs� 87 15 15 0 35 152 

Instructional� 

Administrators� 

9 2 1 0 0 12 

Faculty�(FT/PT)� 83/247 12/47 5/14 7/4 7/63 116/375** 

FTEs�(Students)� 3,100 549 279 682 673 5,232*** 

FTEf��(Faculty)� 215.6 35.9 16.6 33.4 6.9 308.4 

Duplicated� 

42,148 7,642 3,223 7,105 696 60,814 

Headcount�� 

Classes/sections� 

taught�annually� 

4,297 831 678 596 518 6,920 

Data�Source��College�Class�Openings�Report.� 

*See�Figure�2.32�and�related�discussion�for�further�description�of�off�campus�activities� 

**Non�duplicate�listing,�however�adjunct�faculty�may�have�assignments�at�more�than�one�location� 

***Includes�International/Running�Start�Students�and�volunteer�service�classes� 

� 

Figure�2.2.��Enrollment/Faculty�Staffing�Trend� 

Academic� 

Year� 

FTE*� 

Students� 

State�System� Olympic�College� 

FTE� 

Faculty 

Student/� 

Faculty�Ratio� 

FTE*� 

Students� 

FTE� 

Faculty� 

2004�05� 145,711 6,869 21.21 4,950 224 22.10 

2005�06� 146,189 7,020 20.82 5,016 237 21.13 

2006�07� 148,162 7,194 20.59 5,055 256 19.23 

2007�08� 152,530 7,469 20.42 5,164 271 19.07 

Data�Source��SBCTC�data.� 

*Full�Time�Equivalent�Student�(FTEs)��totals�include�Running�Start�and�International�students� 

Analysis. Figure 2.2 shows the enrollment 

trend at Olympic College has paralleled the 

State as a whole since 2004-05 rising 4.3 

percent as compared to 4.6 percent (Note: 

These figures do not capture the substantial 

economy-related enrollment growth last year 

and this summer). The College has made a 

conscious effort to enhance its pool of full-time 

faculty resulting in a twenty-one percent 

increase in full-time equivalent faculty in the 

same period compared to only nine percent for 

the State. Student-faculty ratios have been 

reduced at both the State (minus four percent) 

and College (minus fourteen percent) level. 

Therefore, in comparison with other 

Washington community colleges, Olympic 

Student/� 

Faculty�Ratio� 

College is performing either comparably or 

better with regard to these basic measures. 

As noted in Figure 2.1, the allocation of 

resources linked to instruction, including 

classrooms, labs, faculty, and administrative 

oversight, align well with the missions assigned 

to various areas; although, there is a much 

greater dependence on part-time faculty at off 

campus locations. While there continues to be 

challenges and periodic stressors related to 

balance throughout the College’s geographically 

and demographically diverse district, the 

commitment the College has made to 

expanding facilities and services has resulted in 

better support across the board, all of which 


has helped enhance the delivery of educational 

programs. 

Figure 2.3 offers a summary of trends 

connected to major areas of study at the 

College since 2004-05. Student program intent 

at Olympic College appears to generally mirror 

the statewide trend in most categories. 

However there are some differences, 

particularly in the areas of science, social 

sciences, business/commerce and natural 

science. Of particular note, the percent 

increase in students participating in Adult Basic 

Education programs at Olympic College is up 

fifty-nine percent, compared to only twentyone 

percent statewide. 

� 

Program/Area�Of�Study�� 

� 

�Figure�2.3.��Stated�Student�Program�Intent� 

2004�05� 

State�FTEs� 

OC�FTEs� 

The investment the College has made in 

facilities and equipment, the hiring of new 

faculty, the implementation of learning 

outcomes and Core Abilities, the development 

of new delivery systems and the ongoing 

assessment of program effectiveness has 

helped to ensure the fulfillment of program 

objectives. While enrollments are presently 

significantly up—both at Olympic College and 

throughout the State system, concerns about 

the economy and the budget have created 

uncertainty about the College’s ability to 

continue allocating resources to keep pace with 

community needs and interests. 

2006�07� 


OC�FTEs� 

2007�08� 


Business�Administration� 2,319 166 2,415 171 2,506 171 

Science� 10,175 320 9,868 275 10,148 285 

Mathematics� 4,968 260 5,033 231 5,355 253 

Social�Science� 13,730 508 12,715 483 13,349 568 

Humanities� 20,069 870 19,397 796 19,530 768 

Health�&�Physical�Ed� 2,375 38 2,274 48 2,407 58 

Adult�Basic�Ed� 18,060 209 20,662 275 21,876 334 

Business�Commerce� 12,100 317 12,274 392 12,128 348 

Data�Processing� 5,796 199 5,329 187 5,235 188 

Health�Sciences� 9,916 310 10,608 352 10,703 370 

Mechanics�&�Engineering� 9,749 497 10,103 608 10,720 554 

Natural�Science� 2,762 33 2,684 28 2,667 32 

Public�Support� 3,487 94 3,586 103 3,695 115 

Occupational�Support� 3,967 158 3,423 118 3,716 132 

Developmental� 12,054 468 11,663 476 12,165 496 

� 

OC�FTEs� 


Instructional�Organization�and�Support� 

Description. To accomplish its mission and 

maintain effective oversight of the resources 

allocated by the college, Olympic College has 

organized instruction into divisions as depicted 

in Figure 2.4 on next page, including Business 

and Technology (B&T), Mathematics, 

Engineering, Science and Health (MESH), Social 

Sciences and Humanities (SSH), Library-Media 

(L-M), Workforce Development and Basic 

Studies (WD), and Military/ Continuing 

Education/Contract Training (MCE-CT). In 

response to interest in the consistency of 

academic standards (course staffing and 

delivery) throughout the district, the site 

directors at Shelton (OCS) and Poulsbo (OCP) 

were also aligned to report directly to the Vice 

President of Instruction in January 2004. 

Further to assure a closer connection between 

counseling faculty, the advising staff and 

College faculty, program oversight for academic 

advising now resides in Instruction. Finally, 

further realignment of staff created combined 

supervision of both the Shelton and Poulsbo 

campuses. This change was precipitated in part 

by budget issues. 

In support of these major instructional 

entities, the offices of Instructional Support 

Services and Planning, Assessment, and 

Research provide support for the allocation of 

instructional resources; track enrollment 

trends; monitor the growing inventory of 

courses and programs consistent with College 

and State policies and standards; and conduct 

and convey data to facilitate program planning, 

review, and development. 

Analysis. Instruction has evolved to adapt 

to the expanding nature and changing character 

of the district. This has been necessary to 

assure standard hiring and delivery practices 

are in place in connection with all academic 

programs, and the changing nature of perceived 

student needs to access courses and programs 

at ever-increasing distances from the College 

without compromising either the integrity or 

quality of program content. Three instructional 

divisions (B&T; MESH; and SSH) maintain 

oversight of the vast majority of the inventory 

of college courses (1,740 of 2,163 or 80.4 

percent). The remaining areas have 

responsibility for the balance, most of which are 

Adult Education or non-credit continuing 

education courses. 

The organizational and policy changes that 

have been made over the past several years 

appear to have achieved a more common 

standard in terms of faculty hiring practices, 

course delivery standards and program 

oversight. Most importantly, revised budgeting 

policies and practices have resulted in 

investments that have led to hiring more fulltime 

faculty, developing new programs and 

pioneering new course delivery systems. The 

impact of recent staff realignments, including 

supervision of off-campus sites, will need to be 

monitored. While the current uncertainty 

surrounding the economy, the budget, and OC’s 

responses to these issues has raised concerns 

and anxiety, Olympic College has remained true 

to its established principles and strategic 

priorities by continuing to invest the resources 

essential to sustain and grow educational 

programs (see discipline/program notebooks in 

the Standard Two exhibits).� 

Curriculum�Oversight�Councils�and�Committees� 

Description.��Several major councils and 

committees have been established to integrate 

the interests of various stakeholders and ensure 

course and program offerings are created, 

designed and delivered in a way that facilitates 

access and student success. Figure 2.5�offers a 

summary of several key committees that meet 

throughout the academic year to work on a 

wide range of instructional issues (for example, 

the use and improvement of facilities, the 

review and approval of courses and programs, 

outcomes assessment, scheduling, tutoring 

services, and the allocation of resources to 

support program development). A full list of 

Instructional Committees may be found in the 

Standard Two exhibits. 


� 

Figure�2.4.��Instructional�Organization�Chart� 

*Indicates�the�incumbent�is�new�in�this�role�since�the�last�full�scale�accreditation.� 

{Standard Two} Educational Program and Its Effectiveness 2-7

The Instructional Policies Council (IPC) with 

a balance of faculty, staff, and administrative 

members, meets monthly to review and 

approve all actions related to the creation, 

deletion, design, and review of courses and 

programs at Olympic College. Meeting minutes 

document the proceedings and offer an ongoing 

record of council actions to include those 

involving the development, review, and 

approval of major instructional policies 

intended to govern curricular implementation 

and practices. (Copies are available at 

Instructional Support Services and in the IPC 

Notebook in the Resource Room.) IPC works to 

ensure that all courses are reviewed by 

discipline faculty, with additional review by 

academic division deans, at least once every 

five years. The IPC also has oversight of 

graduation requirements, articulation 

agreements, and instructional policies such as 

course repeats and grade appeals. In addition, 

all degrees and certificates must have IPC 

approval to be published in the Olympic�College� 

Catalog or other College materials. 

IPC includes twelve faculty representatives 

elected by their instructional divisions who have 

primary responsibility for reviewing and 

approving curriculum and instructional policies, 

along with academic deans, the Library Dean, 

the Dean of Enrollment Services (Registrar), 

Workforce Development Dean, two student 

representatives, and the Vice President of 

Instruction, who chairs the Council. In addition, 

several non-voting representatives provide 

input as needed including the Director of 

Military and Continuing Education, the 

Executive Director of Information Technology, 

the Director of Instructional Support Services, 

the Associate Dean of Planning, Assessment, 

and Research, Credential Evaluators, Dean of 

Student Development, and representatives 

from Veterans Services and Student Entry and 

Advising. 

Figure�2.5.��Key�Instructional/Institutional�Committees�and�Task�Groups� 

Committee/Task�Group� Frequency�Of�Meeting� Description� 

Distance�Learning� Quarterly 

Enrollment�Management� Monthly (1-2 Times) 

Instructional�Policies�Council� Monthly 

Instructional�Program� 

Planning� 

5-10 Times Per Year 

Oversee distance delivery and provide a forum 

for exchanging ideas about best practices 

Review enrollment data and trends, implement 

plan 

Review and approve Olympic College inventory 

of courses and programs along with major 

instructional policies 

Review program creation opportunities, assess 

community needs and interests 

Schedule� Monthly Review and integrate division schedule plans 

Outcomes�And�Assessment� Monthly 

Tutoring�Consortium� Quarterly 

Workforce�Advisory�Forum� Quarterly 

Endorse/review outcomes/assessment 

initiatives 

Advise and consult with the VP of Instruction on 

tutoring issues 

Review and assess major workforce trends, 

allocation of resources to workforce programs 


Analysis. The conversations that take place 

at various instructional council/committee 

meetings each academic term do much to focus 

the energy and attention of the College on 

issues that the College perceives mean most to 

students, staff, and faculty in relation to 

fulfilling the College’s instructional mission, 

including the approval of the new BSN program. 

While each of these committees involves broad 

collaboration among institutional stakeholders 

to provide oversight of instructional programs, 

it is the IPC that ensures Olympic College’s 

inventory of courses and programs remain 

relevant to the College’s learning communities 

and true to the College mission. 

Above and beyond the organization of IPC 

itself, is the value of the work it has 

accomplished over time. IPC has been at the 

forefront in assuring that student learning 

outcomes have been established, reviewed and 

approved for all credit bearing courses at OC. 

Instructional Support Services maintains a 

comprehensive list to track the status of 

courses. In addition to an oversight 

responsibility, IPC also routinely collaborates in 

the creation of new courses and programs to 

assure they are in compliance with institutional 

policies and procedures. Equally important, IPC 

is the primary body assigned to review and 

approve instructional policy, a role that it has 

embraced more actively in the past seven years. 

� 

While the organization of IPC is strong and 

provides for broad faculty input, in recent years 

the student positions on this committee have 

gone unfilled more often than not. Student 

involvement has been actively courted over the 

last two years, but these efforts have not been 

entirely successful. New approaches are 

needed to entice meaningful student 

engagement in IPC’s efforts. 

Resource�Allocation� 

Description. The allocation of resources is a 

collaborative process outlined more fully in 

Standards One and Seven. In sum, each unit is 

invited to submit its budget requests through 

their respective divisions and departments for 

review by the Strategic Initiative Leadership 

Teams (if appropriate) and the College Budget 

Committee that then makes its 

recommendations to the Cabinet. Allocations 

are then made to support and sustain 

operations for the upcoming academic year and 

to provide funding for new initiatives consistent 

with institutional priorities and strategic 

initiatives. Figure 2.6 shows the general 

allocation of operating funds between the 

major departments of the College. 

Figure�2.6.��Allocation�of�College�Operating�Budget�by�Academic�Year� 

Department� 2004�05� 2005�06� 2006�07� 2007�08� 2008�09 

Instruction� 

Student�Services� 

Administration� 

Facilities� 

15,097,475 

(61.1%) 

2,926,221 

(11.8%) 

3,965,885 

(16.1%) 

2,723,117 

(11 %) 

15,726,134 

(61.4%) 

3,180,655 

(12.4%) 

4,037,758 

(15.8%) 

2,666,351 

(10.4%) 

18,581,699 

(61.2%) 

3,712,322 

(12.4%) 

4,521,959 

(15.1%) 

3,077,350 

(10.3%) 

19,408,891 

(60.9%) 

4,053,773 

(12.7%) 

4,897,128 

(15.4%) 

3,503,650 

(11%) 

29,164,218 

(63.3%) 

4,205,835 

(13.2%) 

4,274,338 

(13.4%) 

3,212,084 

(10.8%) 

Total� 24,712,698� 25,610,898� 29,893,340�� 31,863,442� 31,856,475� 

*Estimate�that�College�operating�funds�represent�approximately�eighty�percent�of�Instruction’s�annual�budget,�the� 

balance�coming�from�funds�for�support�of�special�programs�such�as�apprenticeship.� 


Analysis. The College has made a 

determined effort to increase the amount of 

resources that are available to support 

sustaining and growing educational programs. 

Moreover, through an improved budget 

allocation process the college has targeted its 

investment opportunities on developing new 

educational programs or expanding those that 

already exist. In recent years new faculty 

positions in Culinary Arts, Nursing, Biology, 

English, Mathematics, and Welding have 

allowed for program improvement and growth. 

Aided by special grants and targeted legislative 

funding, investments in new programs like the 

BSN, Physical Therapist Assistant, and 

Manufacturing have been possible. 

The availability of resources to specifically 

support the instructional mission of the College 

is always a challenge. Increasing costs of staff, 

faculty, supplies and equipment place a 

significant demand on budget administrators to 

sustain and support programs across the board. 

Funding for Instruction has been relatively 

stable over the years at about sixty percent of 

the College operating budget. Special funding 

in various categories (grants, etc.) has been 

heavily leveraged to fuel program expansion 

and growth. Moving forward into the 2009-10 

academic year, as the State’s operating budget 

constricts and enrollment rises at an even faster 

rate, meeting instructional mandates will 

become an even greater challenge. 

A statewide budget crisis is already having 

an impact on program support and 

development. The process of assessing the 

budget impact on the College and its programs 

is ongoing as this report is written. The range of 

the projected impact varies from a five to ten 

percent budget reduction. As the assessment 

process moves forward the College leadership 

has maintained an open dialogue among all 

major stakeholders along with its commitment 

to supporting the College’s core mission. 

� 

Certificate�and�Degree�Program�Options� 

Description. As a comprehensive 

community college, OC provides a wide variety 

of degree and certificate programs to serve the 

needs of its service area. Until 2007 and the 

development of the Baccalaureate Degree in 

Nursing, the primary focus of OC’s programs 

was to prepare students for potential transfer 

to a four-year college or university or to equip 

them with a set of skills to enhance or further 

their careers. Additionally there are some 

programs that support those who have more 

narrowly focused interests, whether for 

personal or professional reasons. Figure 2.7 on 

next page provides an overview of the general 

transfer degree and certificate options available 

through the College. 

Figure 2.8 on next page summarizes the 

certificate and degree options that have been 

created to support the needs of professionaltechnical 

students. While they may transfer to 

other educational institutions, they primarily 

exist to support career interests. 

Analysis. The inventory of courses and 

programs is continually reviewed by staff, 

faculty, university partners, and community 

advisory committees to validate their 

appropriateness and relevancy to OC’s service 

area needs. Each of these programs has 

established student learning outcomes that 

articulate what students will have accomplished 

or be able to do upon completion. The courses 

and outcomes that form the building blocks of 

each program, no matter the length, are 

scheduled to be reviewed at least once every 

five years with the results validated by the IPC. 

Quarterly credit value is determined based on 

the formula prescribed by the State Board (RCW 

28B) and the hours determined by faculty 

content experts related to contact time 

required to fulfill class, lab and/or other 

instructional outcomes. 


� 

Figure�2.7.��Transfer�Degree�Options� 

Options� Program�Subject�Area� 

Associate�in�Applied�Science�Transfer� 

(AAS�T)� 

Associate�in�Arts��(AA)� 

Associate�in�Arts�(AA)�or� 

Associate�of�Science�(AS)� 

Early Childhood Education, Organizational Leadership & Resource 

Management 

Anthropology, Art, Business and Economics, Criminal Justice, Dramatic 

Arts, Education, English, Environmental Studies, Fire Science, Fire Service 

Management & Administration, Foreign Languages, History, Human 

Services, Integrated Multimedia, Journalism, Mathematics, Music, 

Physics, Political Science, Pre-Law, Pre-Professional Health Occupations, 

Psychology, Sociology, Speech, Supportive Health Occupations 

Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Geography, Marine 

Science/Oceanography 

Bachelor�of�Science�in�Nursing�(BSN)� Nursing (two-year baccalaureate, ADN to BSN) 

Transfer�Curriculum�–�prep�only� 

Dental Hygiene, Diagnostic Ultrasound, Medical Laboratory, Pharmacy, 

Radiology. 

Figure�2.8.��Professional�Technical�Certificate�and�Degree�Options� 

Options� Program�Subject�Area�(Number�Available)� 

Associate�in�Applied�Science�[AAS]� Computer Information Systems, Physical Therapist Assistant 

Associate�in�Technical�Arts�Degree� 

[ATA]� 

Certificate�of�Specialization� 

(61�89�credits)� 

Certificate�of�Proficiency� 


Certificate�of�Completion� 


Certificate�of�Recognition� 


Accounting, Automotive, Business Management, Computer Information 

Systems, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts (2), Early Childhood 

Education, Education, Electronics, Environmental Studies, Industrial Trades 

Technician, Integrated Multimedia, Legal Office, Licensed Practical Nurse, 

Medical Assisting, Nursing/Healthcare (2), Office Technology, Technical 

Design, Welding 

Cosmetology, Culinary Arts Institute (2), Fire Service, Human Services, 

Medical Assisting, Nursing/Healthcare, Welding 

Accounting, Business Management (2), Computer Information Systems (2), 

Cosmetology (3), Early Childhood Education, Electronics, Environmental 

Studies, Fire Science, Human Services, Integrated Multimedia, Legal Office, 

Office Technology, Technical Design (5) 

Culinary Arts (2), Industrial Trades Technician (2), Medical Assisting, Office 

Technology, Technical Design (4), Welding 

Automotive (6), Business Management (3), Computer Information Systems 

(14), Culinary Arts (2), Early Childhood Education (4), Electronics (2), Fire 

Service (2), Human Services, Integrated Multimedia, Medical Assisting, 

Nursing/Healthcare, Office Technology, Organizational Leadership/ 

Resource Management (2), Technical Design (5), Welding (2) 


Course/Program designations are assigned 

consistent with the discipline representing the 

actual content as determined by Classification 

of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code and policy 

guidance from the State related to actual 

course numbering (RCW 28B). In summer 2008, 

in conjunction with other Community and 

Technical Colleges in the state, Olympic College 

adopted the Common Course Numbering (CCN) 

system for a significant number of courses 

primarily used for transfer between Washington 

community and technical colleges. Courses 

linked to programs are intended to offer 

sufficient depth and breadth to assure synthesis 

of learning and the achievement of established 

student learning outcomes. As discussed later 

on in this Standard, each discipline is charged 

with conducting ongoing review of courses and 

programs to assure the content and delivery of 

undergraduate programs meets or exceeds 

expectations. Olympic College continues to 

evolve its program mix, delivery methods, and 

course alignment based on the perceived needs 

of the College’s service area and the ongoing 

assessments performed by faculty in connection 

with specific courses and programs. The 

following are cited as examples of recent 

progress: 

• The development of more modular 

professional-technical programs provided 

students with a greater number of useful 

entry and exit points. These modular 

programs are largely linked to 

professional-technical certificate and 

degree options. The governing criteria 

for creating such modular programs is 

that they must reflect sufficient content 

(depth and breadth) to ensure successful 

students will enhance their knowledge of 

the field represented and enable them to 

apply this general knowledge towards 

fulfilling established program learning 

outcomes. Programs which have 

invested considerable energy in 

developing a more modular approach to 

the delivery of program content would 

include Automotive, Computer 

Information Systems, Culinary Arts, 

Medical Assisting, Nurse Assistant, 

Organizational Leadership and Resource 

Management, Technical Design, and 

Welding. The impact of this trend is to 

dramatically increase the absolute 

number of program completers as well as 

to provide seamless educational 

pathways that allow for recognized 

completion points and easy re-entry. 

• Expansion of degree options provided 

students with more choices that better 

relate to their individual academic and 

career background and interests. In 

addition to the traditional transfer 

degrees such as the Associate in Arts 

(AA), Associate of Science (AS), and the 

most commonly pursued professional 

technical degree, the Associate of 

Technical Arts (ATA), students may now 

choose from newer degree options such 

as the Associate of Applied Science- 

Transfer (AAS-T) and the most recently 

added option, the Associate of General 

Studies (AGS). These new degree 

programs allow students the flexibility to 

apply their academic talents and interests 

towards a wider variety of educational 

options. 

• New degree options have made room for 

students to import courses (and 

therefore credits) that they may have 

taken from non-traditional institutions, 

such as military training schools, with the 

proviso that the credits relate to the 

degree intent and established outcomes 

and are judged to be of college-level 

merit by the American Council on 

Education (ACE). This change allows 

students greater flexibility in shaping 

their degree content to better suit their 

personal educational goals and career 

objectives. 

• A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) 

degree program is among the most 

revolutionary changes that have been 

embraced by the College. The BSN was 

designed for full-time working nurses to 

accommodate their work schedules. 

Nursing classes are scheduled one day 

per week for the first four quarters and 

two days per week for the last two 

quarters. Further, students can complete 

the degree in two-year, three-year or 

four-year options. General education 


courses for the BSN are offered in hybrid 

and online formats. Beginning fall 

quarter 2009, students will have the 

added option of going to school full-time 

and completing the program in one year. 

A total of 180 credits are required for the 

BSN degree. In addition to offering 

classes in a format that meets the needs 

of working students, practicing nurses 

also get credit for their nursing licensure 

as part of the degree and can apply 

thirty-five credits earned during their 

Associate Degree in Nursing toward the 

BSN (consistent with the University of 

Washington – Tacoma program on which 

this degree is modeled). 

• New transfer educational opportunities� 

provide students with more portability 

and expand their life-long learning 

opportunities. Working with both in and 

out-of-State academic partners, the 

College has successfully expanded the 

number, type and variety of two-year 

degrees that will prepare students to 

transfer and pursue more advanced 

degree options. The options are 

summarized in Figure 2.9. 

While the expanded number of certificate 

and degree options affords students greater 

flexibility and is believed to contribute towards 

improving retention and completion rates, the 

impact on advising is significant. Not only must 

advisors be more attuned to student interests, 

they must also be better equipped to maintain 

their knowledge of the options that are 

available and what they will allow the student 

to do in moving forward on various educational 

and career pathways. Having more options also 

places a greater burden on the college to track 

student intent and progress towards 

completion. 

This reality is one reason the college has 

seen fit to more closely align college advisors 

with Instruction and has included the Deans of 

both Enrollment Services and Student 

Development on key instructional committees 

such as Instructional Policies Council (IPC), 

Instructional Program Planning (IPP) and 

Instructional Administrators Meetings (IAM) to 

ensure ongoing cross fertilization of challenges, 

ideas and solutions to a wide variety of 

educational concerns. 

Figure�2.9.��Professional�Technical�Program�Transfer�Options� 

Partner�Institution� Degree�Options� 

Evergreen State University—Bachelors in 

Related degree Areas of Study 

University of Washington-Tacoma—Bachelor of 

Science in Computing and Software Science 

Washington State University – Bachelor of Arts 

in Human Development 

Chapman University—Bachelor of Arts in 

Organizational Leadership 

Old Dominion University—Bachelor of Science 

in Occupational Studies 

Rogers State University – Bachelor of 

Technology in Applied Technology 

Seattle Pacific University – Bachelor of Arts or 

Science in Professional Studies 

Accounting (ATA); Animation Gaming Production (ATA); 

Business Management (ATA); Computer Information Systems 

(ATA); Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement (ATA); Early 

Childhood Education (AAS-T, ATA); Integrated Multimedia 

(ATA); Legal Office Professional (ATA); Medical Assisting (ATA); 

Nursing (ATA); Organizational Leadership (AAS-T); Para 

educator (ATA); Physical Therapist Assistant (AAS); Transition 

to ADN (ATA) 

Information Systems Science (ATA) 

Early Childhood Education (AAS-T, ATA) 

Organizational Leadership and Resource Management (AAS-T) 

Leadership and Occupational Studies (AAS-T) 

Marine Systems Technology (ATA) 

Any AAS-T, or any ATA with at least twenty college level liberal 

arts credits 


Program�Design�and�Student�Learning/Success� 

Description. Figure 2.10�provides a 

summary of certificate and degree completers 

between 2004-05 and 2007-08. In fact, going 

back to 2000-01, the absolute number of 

certificates and degrees awarded has risen from 

1,237 to 1,560 for an increase of forty-seven 

percent. This rate of increase compares to only 

Figure�2.10.��Certificate/Degree�Award�Summary*� 

an eight percent increase in FTEs. While the 

number of degrees awarded has remained 

relatively flat since Academic Year 2001-02, 

certificates awarded rose from 336 in 2001-02 

to 658 in 2007-08. This change largely stems 

from the creation of more modular programs 

allowing students more flexible entry and exit 

points. 

Academic�Year� 2004�05 2005�06 2006�07� 2007�08 

Program/Title� DEG.� CERT. DEG. CERT. DEG. CERT.� DEG. CERT. 

AAS/AA/AS� 

ATA/AAS�T� 

575� 0 572 0 541 �0� 582 0 

Automotive� 9 0 6 0 9 1 6 17 

Business�Management� 23 13 9 12 18 8 18 30 

Computer�Information� 

Systems� 

19 53 17 33 15 40 12 27 

Cosmetology� 3 3 3 2 3 1 7 2 

Criminal�Justice� 4 0 5 0 2 0 5 0 

Culinary�Arts� 3 3 10 4 1 46 7 43 

Early�Childhood�Education� 5 22 6 17 6 21 4 20 

Electronics� 9 1 13 2 12 0 8 2 

Family�Service� 0 3 0 4 0 4 0 8 

Fire�Science�Management�&� 


2 3 0 0 1 0 1 23 

Fire�Science�� 13 0 9 0 5 0 2 32 

Industrial�Trades�Technician� 131 34 145 70 195 0 91 171 

Integrated�Multimedia� 1 8 14 3 12 3 19 3 

Marine�Systems�Technology� 0 0 20 0 16 0 5 0 

Medical�Assisting� 7 27 6 42 4 56 7 51 

Nursing� 38 16 41 15 58 0 84 0 

Nursing�Assistant� 0 82 0 62 0 41 0 57 

Office�Technology� 25 22 36 18 37 29 26 39 

Organizational�Leadership�&� 

Resource�Management� 

NA NA NA NA NA NA 0 10 

Physical�Therapist� NA NA NA NA NA NA 7 0 

Practical�Nursing� 0 25 0 30 0 36 0 24 

Technical�Design� 11 4 6 101 11 13 6 24 

Welding� 2 50 5 54 9 73 5 75 

Subtotal�of�ATA/AAS�T� 334� 370 351 469 414 377� 320 658 

Total�All�Degrees/Certificates� 909� 370 923 469 955 377� 902 658 

Total�Degrees�And�Certificates� 1,339 1,392 1,332� 1,560 

*Data�Source��Student�Services,�Enrollment�Services� 


Certificate and degree programs are 

populated with course content that is intended 

to meet established student learning outcomes 

as well as enhance a student’s ability to achieve 

recognized learning milestones that document 

competency. For the most part, certificate 

programs are designed to enhance and/or 

document student competency in a particular 

area of interest to local employers. As the 

character and scope of the particular certificate 

expands (from certificate of recognition to 

specialization) general education competencies 

are included to ensure programs fulfill the State 

mandate to address desired competencies in 

communication, computation, human relations 

and speech. Transfer programs are directly 

linked to the expectations established by 

Olympic College’s four-year partners and 

subject to State Board review and approval. 

Course�and�Program�Organization,�Design,�Cost� 

and�Scheduling� 

Description. The academic calendar 

consists of three ten-week terms, fall, winter 

and spring, along with an eight-week summer 

term. The Instructional Schedule Committee is 

charged with developing an academic schedule 

intended to make the best use of available 

facilities and at the same time afford students 

the greatest degree of flexibility in determining 

their schedule to complete certificate/degree 

requirements within an optimum period of 

time. Student learning outcomes attached to 

courses and programs do not vary based on the 

length of the term. Contact hour requirements 

are set to ensure students have the required 

time to learn and demonstrate their mastery of 

the content. 

Staff and faculty work to assure that course 

and program content is sized and packaged 

appropriately to achieve the established 

learning outcomes. The credits and contact 

hours required for each course are initially 

established by resident faculty subject matter 

experts and, as noted previously, reviewed and 

validated by an instructional dean and approved 

by the IPC before inclusion in the college 

inventory. In rare instances the Vice President 

of Instruction may grant a two-term provisional 

approval to teach a course pending actual 

review and approval by the IPC. 

Course scheduling is a very dynamic process 

that begins with individual disciplines assessing 

the number of sections needed to support 

student demand in any given term, generally 

projecting out several terms based on student 

needs, past practice, enrollment indices and the 

availability of faculty. In many cases disciplines 

must collaborate with other college 

stakeholders to ensure their wants and needs 

are considered as the quarterly schedule is 

developed. Key instructional and student 

services stakeholders meet quarterly to review 

and refine the schedule to ensure program 

obligations are met and that the College makes 

the best use of available facilities. 

In the fall of 2004, the College adopted a 

more liberal application of “block” classes to 

the daily schedule, allowing students to opt for 

more concentrated study in particular subject 

matter and the option to attend classes on 

fewer days but for longer periods of time. This 

option also affords faculty, in disciplines where 

it makes pedagogical sense, the opportunity to 

organize curriculum in a way that allows for 

expanded discussion of topics and to facilitate 

better use of media to support learning. No 

adjustment in student learning outcomes has 

been necessitated by this change. 

An annual schedule is developed and 

available for advising purposes on the college 

website. The information listed is published by 

discipline and location. It may be adjusted 

quarterly based on perceived student needs 

and enrollment indices. The College plans a 

schedule that affords students the opportunity 

to access courses and programs via several 

options: day (daily and block), evening, 

throughout the district at three different 

campuses and several off-campus sites, either 


face to face or via interactive television, and 

through other distance alternatives. 

The tuition and fees for credit bearing 

courses are addressed in the Olympic�College� 

Catalog, posted at the College website and 

published in the College class schedule, the� 

View. Rates are adjusted based on budget 

determinations made by the State Legislature. 

Fee increases are further subject to limits set by 

State Initiatives 601 and 960 and similarly must 

be reviewed and approved by the College 

Board. 

Analysis.��Resourcing a comprehensive 

schedule requires extensive collaboration 

between staff, faculty and administrators 

throughout the College. The College has 

developed a master facilities plan that focuses 

on upgrading aging classrooms and equipment 

as well as helping to expand program options 

and opportunities for students throughout the 

district. Hiring practices have been 

standardized to ensure qualified and quality 

faculty members, both full and part-time, are 

retained to teach classes. The college budget 

process referenced earlier has been developed 

to allow departments to advocate for changes 

based on a variety of indices and directly links 

the allocation of resources with established 

Figure�2.11.��Enrollment�Pattern�(in�FTEs)� 

strategic goals/initiatives. Oversight is vested 

with instructional committees that bring 

together stakeholders from various divisions 

and departments of the college to ensure the 

widest possible input is received and considered 

as decisions are made. 

In the past several years the College has 

seen a significant shift in student interests. 

Growth in distance classes and the expansion of 

block sections in some disciplines have largely 

been in response to OC’s perception of these 

interests. While it is uncertain in some cases 

how permanent this shift may be, the College 

continues to monitor course and program 

scheduling options to be able to respond 

accordingly. 

Figure 2.11 confirms a clear shift away 

from evening sections and towards distance 

education. Additionally, the completion of 

facilities in Poulsbo allowed for a redistribution 

of programs in the district resulting in moving 

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from the 

Bremerton campus to the Poulsbo site. A 

dramatic increase in enrollment has been 

observed in the northern part of the district as 

courses and students connected to nursing have 

followed the program itself. 

Category�(Time/Location�by�Academic�Year)� 2000�01� 2002�03� 2004�05� 2006�07� 2007�08� 

Bremerton�Day� 2,984 3,255 3,078 2,910 2,876 

Bremerton�Evening� 1,208 1,304 808 743 775 

Bremerton�Trades�&�Industry� 2 5 5 12 11 

Distance� NA* NA* 457 557 682 

Naval�Base�Kitsap—Bremerton�� 0 15 0 21 0 

Bangor/North�Kitsap/Poulsbo� 135 143 476 517 589 

Shelton� 305 229 212 251 268 

West�Sound�Technical�Skills�Center� 24 25 24 25 22 

Miscellaneous� 

Data�Source��College�Class�Openings�Report� 

19 N/A N/A N/A N/A 

*Distance�totals�were�not�listed�separately�until�2004�05.� 

**�Data�include�International/Running�Start�students�and�volunteer�service�classes. 


The College monitors enrollment patterns 

on a quarterly basis to assess student needs and 

perceived interests. One tool that is used to 

facilitate student success in finding desired 

classes is the Wait�List. Over time the College 

has worked to refine its management of 

waitlisted students to place as many as possible 

in available sections. Figure 2.12 indicates a 

favorable trend in managing this process. As 

noted, the average number of waitlisted 

sections each term since 2003-04 has dropped 

by fifty-nine percent. The number of waitlisted 

students has dropped by sixty-four percent in 

the same period. Equally important, the 

number of sections with fifteen or more 

students waitlisted has dropped by ninety-two 

percent and the number of sections with five or 

less students by fifty-three percent. Having 

fewer students waitlisted for classes reflects the 

efforts of each instructional division, the 

Instructional Schedule Committee, and the 

Enrollment Management Taskforce. In 

combination these entities have worked to 

ensure students have sufficient options to 

choose from in achieving their academic goals 

based on a flexible and more predictable 

schedule. While the data are not final for the 

current year, it appears that the number of 

waitlisted enrollments will have risen with the 

recent dramatic increase in enrollment. 

�Figure�2.12.��Waitlist�Trend� 

Category� 2003�04� 2006�07� 2007�08� 

Enrollments�(Duplicated)� 58,437 57,907 60,841 

A series of successful applications for grant 

funding linked to community needs and 

strategic initiatives have allowed for focused 

investments in key programs. These 

investments have had a significant impact on 

the College’s ability to accommodate student 

needs. As examples: 

• Apprentice�Education: In 2006 the 

College and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 

(PSNS) agreed to consolidate its footprint 

by remodeling a large facility inside the 

Shipyard Controlled Industrial Area 

(Building 460). This eliminated the 

movement of students between the 

Shipyard and on-campus locations to 

access needed classes. In addition, 

during the 2007-08 academic year, the 

College and PSNS agreed to adjust the 

annual schedule to a four-term system 

making better use of the summer term to 

level the demand and allow for optimum 

use of available facilities and faculty 

resources to accommodate significant 

growth. 

2002�03�vs.� 

2007�08� 

Waitlist�Sections� 715 378 290 -59.0% 

Waitlist�Students� 2,699 950 966 -64.0% 

>�15�Students�Waitlisted�Class� 27 0 2 -92.0% 

• The�BSN�program: In 2006, the 

Legislature changed the law allowing 

community and technical colleges the 

opportunity to offer applied 

baccalaureate degrees (degrees built on 

ATA degrees). Olympic College was one 

of four community colleges in the State 

chosen to offer an applied baccalaureate 

degree. Funding was provided in 2006- 

07 to plan the program. After extensive 

data analysis, a BSN degree was 

determined to be the most viable degree 

option given the large number of 

practicing nurses in the area who held 

ADN degrees and the need by area 

healthcare stakeholders to employ BSN 

prepared nurses. In 2006-07, the College 

partnered with the University of 

Washington-Tacoma’s (UWT) Nursing 

Department to help “jump start” the OC 

program. The UWT faculty provided 

invaluable information and advice as to 

how to develop, recruit for, and 

implement the new degree option. In 

2007-08, the program opened with UWT 

faculty teaching the upper division 

nursing courses (OC nursing faculty 

served as TAs) and Olympic College 

developing and offering upper division 

general education courses. In 2008-09, 

the College took over the teaching of all 

courses and all program activities. The 

program went through an extensive selfstudy 

and an accreditation visit by the 

Commission on Collegiate Nursing 

Education (CCNE) in April 2009 with a 

favorable exit report by the evaluation 

team. If the CCNE approves the 

recommendation of the site visitors in 

October 2009, special accreditation by 

this body will be retroactive to the time 

of the site visit. The first class graduated 

in June 2009. 

• Manufacturing: The award of a multiyear 

grant to a college consortium in 

Washington State allowed for hiring a 

full-time faculty member, purchasing of 

equipment, and adapting facilities to 

begin a new manufacturing program. 

• Medical�Assisting: The reallocation of 

resources from the Computer 

Information Systems Program to Medical 

Assisting allowed for hiring a second fulltime 

faculty member and the creation of 

a new Billing and Coding program. 

• Associate�Degree�Nursing: The 

completion of the OC-Poulsbo site 

allowed Olympic College to relocate the 

Nursing program to an upgraded facility, 

add faculty and expand program capacity 

by sixty-seven percent. 

• Physical�Therapy�Assistant: A two-year 

Workforce grant funded the hiring of two 

new faculty, program development, and 

facility acquisition and modification costs 

to support opening this program in 

winter 2007. 

• Welding: Growth funding allowed for 

adding two new faculty members and a 

newly remodeled facility in OC-Shelton 

improving student access and the overall 

capacity of the program to meet growing 

demand. 

These select examples demonstrate how 

the College has leveraged available resources 

and collaborated with various college and 

community interests to expand program access 

or improve availability. Program access and 

course availability are considered key variables 

in providing an optimal learning experience for 

students, along with adequate facilities and 

qualified faculty. 

As budget considerations become more 

complex, one area of concern is the high cost of 

maintaining the variety of options students now 

have from which to choose. The menu of 

options which offers choices from daily or block 

classes, day and evening, ITV, and a variety of 

distance delivery choices (from online to USB 

drive to hybrid), may allow for students to 

optimize their time available to complete 

classes, but the increased cost and complexity 

of developing and sustaining this variety of 

choices may be problematic. 

2-18 {Standard�Two} Educational Program and Its Effectiveness 

�

Educational�Program�Design—Program�Depth� 

and�Breadth� 

Description. The overriding focus of the 

College, beginning with faculty, is to assure that 

courses and programs are designed, delivered, 

packaged, and scheduled in a way that 

facilitates student success and allows them to 

achieve the established outcomes that have 

been attached to each course. Faculty 

members engage in a methodical process to 

insure this is the case. 

The process begins with faculty engaging in 

an informed inquiry of the content area, the 

resources available to support teaching it, and 

the assessment methods that will apply to 

validate student competency. This initial 

inquiry is augmented with input from 

colleagues and the appropriate instructional 

administrator, and as detailed earlier, is 

reviewed and approved by the IPC. In the case 

of professional-technical courses, community 

advisory committees which meet at least twice 

a year, serve as a rich source of information 

concerning employer needs and expectations, 

as well as a sounding board to review and 

approve course and program direction. In a like 

manner, transfer faculty maintain contact with 

their colleagues at four-year institutions to 

track new developments. In some cases faculty 

participate in forums involving representatives 

from sister colleges and in-state universities to 

review curricular topics of relevance to both 

two and four year institutions. 

At the State level, there are several 

organizations that exist to further assure that 

program content is created and maintained in a 

way that facilitates student success. Among the 

most prominent are those that follow: 

• Articulation�and�Transfer�Council�(ATC):�� 

The ATC, comprised of institutional and 

SBCTC representatives, meets quarterly 

to address statewide issues related to 

transfer curriculum and the articulation 

of such between institutions. 

• Joint�Access�Oversight�Group�(JAOG): 

JAOG considers statewide transfer issues 

and recommends policy strategies. It is a 

standing committee that meets six times 

a year with representatives from the 

public and independent institutions, the 

SBCTC, the Council of Presidents, and 

Higher Education Board Coordinating 

Board. 

• The�Intercollegiate�Relations� 

Commission�(ICRC): ICRC is comprised of 

representatives appointed by the 

presidents of all Washington public—and 

many private—higher education 

institutions. Its purpose is to facilitate 

the transfer between institutions for all 

students pursuing baccalaureate degrees 

in the State. 

• Washington�Apprenticeship�and�Training� 

Council: Council members appointed by 

the Governor meet quarterly to review 

and approve actions related to State 

apprentice programs. The Executive 

Director of the SBCT is an Ex-officio 

member and colleges with 

apprenticeship programs attend council 

meetings to present information relevant 

to program content and success rates. 

• Workforce�Education�Council�(WEC): The 

WEC consists of the chief workforce 

education officer from each community 

and technical college in Washington 

State. It is a subsidiary of the Instruction 

Commission. WEC meets quarterly to 

improve access to workforce training, 

boost economic development, and 

expand services for dislocated workers in 

the State. 

Analysis.��Faculty content experts are 

directly involved in the creation of courses and 

programs, all of which are subject to an 

intensive review process and approved and/or 

endorsed by both internal and external bodies 

from community and state-level to assure that 

curriculum is maintained in a way that 

facilitates student success. Active involvement 

in a number of statewide educational 

consortiums helps affirm that program content 

is appropriately shaped and that curricular 

content is well-focused to achieve published 


outcomes. More importantly these bodies 

provide for a level of collaboration and 

oversight that greatly facilitates the portability 

of learning as students work to leverage 

transcripted competencies towards the 

completion of higher level certificates and 

degrees in their chosen field of study. 

The College relies on multiple indices to 

validate student mastery and synthesis of 

learning. Among the most common sources 

traditionally relied on by the Olympic College 

community are completion rates, student 

surveys, employer feedback, a biennial program 

review process, industry validation of 

curriculum and certification (if appropriate), 

and transfer rates. Most recently, the College 

has established a set of overarching student 

Core Abilities that relate more globally to every 

educational program. The mapping of how 

these Core Abilities are addressed in course 

content began in earnest in the summer of 

2008. The outcomes and applicability of the 

results achieved so far will be discussed in detail 

in passages that follow; it is worth noting here, 

however, Olympic College faculty have been at 

the forefront of leading and implementing this 

institutional effort. While all major indices 

suggest that, in general, students benefit from 

their educational experience at Olympic College 

and that these benefits, in part or whole, stem 

from the character and content of the programs 

they complete, perhaps two of the most telling 

points relate to what students are enabled to 

do and achieve upon their completion. 

The first key indicator, as highlighted in 

Figures 2.13 and 2.14 on next page, shows that 

those who commit to completing programs, 

whether at the certificate or degree level, 

achieve an enhanced level of competence that 

appears to serve them well as they compete for 

living wage employment opportunities. In 

addition to the rise in completion data 

referenced earlier in Figure 2.10, which 

demonstrates that more students are achieving 

critical competency milestones, the fact that 

program completers report experiencing a 

seventeen percent higher average salary over 

time is attributed in part, to the impact of the 

education they gained while at Olympic College. 

A second major indicator is reflected in the 

increasing number of students who are 

successfully transferring to four-year 

institutions following their experience at 

Olympic College. As noted on Figure 2.14, since 

2002-03 the student transfer rate to in-state 

public institutions alone is up twenty-four 

percent. Given that the number of pure 

transfer degrees earned has remained relatively 

flat (Figure 2.10), this rise is attributed to having 

expanded the number of transfer options, 

improvements in academic advising, and a 

heightened degree of success for students 

pursuing transfer opportunities. 

Use�of�the�Library�� 

Library and media resources represent a 

vital component in the learning process for 

students dedicated to the pursuit of any 

educational goal. Standard Five offers a full 

description of the library and media resources 

that are available to Olympic College faculty and 

students and critical usage factors. Librarians 

work closely with the faculty to ensure the 

acquisition and maintenance of the resources 

necessary to support and sustain teaching, 

learning and applicable research at Olympic 


As documented in individual Discipline/ 

Program Accreditation Questionnaires and 

mapped by faculty in assessing Core Abilities, 

the College requires students to fulfill outcomes 

that necessitate information literacy. The 

expansion of library facilities throughout the 

district and enhanced online access to library 

resources has improved the learning 

environment. Librarians regularly provide 

workshops for faculty and students. 

Additionally, library staff and faculty are well 

represented on a wide variety of curricular 

committees and councils. In sum, the 

collaborative working relationship between the 

Library staff/faculty and the College as a whole 

represents a major contribution to student 

success and faculty preparedness. 


Figure�2.13.��Count�of�Job�Preparatory�Students�Average�Wages�for�Job�Preparatory�Students�Found�in� 

Employment�Securities�Data�Match� 

�2003�04�Cohort� �2004�05�Cohort� �2005�06�Cohort� 2006�07�Cohort� 

Category� #�of�Students� #�of�Students #�of�Students� #�of�Students 

Program Completers 332 333 332 347 

Early Leavers 250 282 326 295 

Category� Average�Wage Average�Wage Average�Wage� Average�Wage 

Program Completers $17.90 $16.89 $ 17.90 $18.57 

Early Leavers $15.74 $14.58 $14.40 $14.48 

Source:�State�Board�for�Community�and�Technical�Colleges�–�Data�Linking�for�Outcomes�Assessment�Files�(Data� 

Match�with�Employment�Securities).��Note:�Data�includes�only�those�where�wage�data�were�found�in�the� 

Employment�Securities�Data�Match,�not�all�graduates/leavers.� 

� 

Figure�2.14.��Olympic�College�Transfer�Summary� 

Institution� 2002�03� 2003�04� 2004�05� 2005�06� 2006�07� 2007�08� 

Central�Washington�State� 42 43 67 56 46 42 

Eastern�Washington�State� 8 7 17 12 15 12 

Evergreen�State� 25 27 33 27 28 30 

University�of�Washington—Bothell� 0 2 1 0 1 1 

University�of�Washington—Seattle� 80 44 57 44 57 54 

University�of�Washington—Tacoma� 33 27 36 33 45 71 

Washington�State—Pullman� 31 46 44 48 65 58 

Washington�State—Branch� 

Campuses� 

0 2 2 3 5 2 

Western�Washington�State 46 45 39 41 21 58 

Totals� 265 243 296 264 283� 328 

Source:�State�Board�for�Community�and�Technical�Colleges�website.� 

http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/transferrequest.request.asp.� 

� 

Adapting�to�Change�and�Assessing�Program� 

Viability� 

Description. Adapting to the many 

challenges confronted in a rapidly and everchanging 

environment is of paramount 

importance to the College and the communities 

it serves. Maintaining a highly collaborative 

process for the development of courses, 

programs and schedules offers a good 

foundation for remaining responsive to evolving 

interests and conditions. Dedicating the time 

and energy it takes to engage in effective 

instructional program planning is also essential 

to fulfilling the mandates associated with 

college-wide strategic initiatives. Securing 

outside resources to augment the College’s 

annual operating budget is critical if new 

program mix is to grow and become 

increasingly diverse. Assessing the merit of 

what the College currently does and what 

students are able to achieve will continue to 

inform choices about instructional programs 

and services. 

The results from periodic program review 

occasionally lead the College to determine that 

a program must further adapt to market 

conditions or face closure. A program closure 

policy has been created to guide this process 

and the State has published general guidelines 

that colleges may use to judge the viability of 


their programs. In essence, it is an objective set 

of criteria augmented by a subjective 

assessment process that help determine what 

action, if any, should be taken regarding a 

program. The details of the College’s 

assessment process are outlined in greater 

detail in subsequent sections. The following 

criteria, developed by the SBCTC, focus 

assessment of all vocational programs: 

• Is enrollment adequate? 

• Does the program meet industry (and/or 

college) standards/criteria? 

• Are there sufficient employment 

opportunities for graduates? 

• Do entry-level wages exceed minimum 

wage? 

• Are there career advancement 

opportunities? 

• Is the program advisory committee 

actively involved and supportive of the 

program? 

• Is the program costeffective/economically 

supportable? 

�Analysis. During the past eight years most 

Olympic College programs have remained fully 

viable and appear to be adapting well to 

evolving student and community needs and 

interests. As noted previously, growing 

enrollment, increasing completion rates, and 

feedback from Program Advisory Committees, 

along with viable transfer rates and anecdotal 

feedback from the College’s university partners 

all suggest that OC students achieve as good or 

better results than their counterparts in followon 

endeavors. There are a few instances where 

the College has learned that either 

market/industry conditions or community 

interests have moved or were moving beyond 

the ability of certain programs to sustain 

satisfactory results. In these few instances the 

College has collaboratively engaged program 

stakeholders to determine what actions, if any, 

were judged to be most appropriate in moving 

forward. 

In 2004, the Vice President of Instruction 

requested a program review of the Engineering 

discipline due to the lower than desired 

enrollments generated by the discipline. 

Faculty from the various disciplines that 

comprise the Engineering program conducted a 

review of enrollments of these courses as well 

as the Engineering courses and confirmed that 

if the Engineering program were to be closed, 

enrollments in those disciplines, primarily 

Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics, would 

suffer declines as well. The faculty instituted a 

number of curriculum changes, conducted 

student surveys to determine student needs, 

and worked together to provide better tracking 

of students in the Engineering program. These 

efforts were rewarded with an increase in 

enrollments; not only of the Engineering 

discipline courses but the support courses as 

well. During the 2008-09 academic year, faculty 

who teach in the Engineering program provided 

the IPP Committee with data supporting the 

viability of the Engineering program 

(conservatively 90 annualized FTEs). 

Recently, there has been interest on the 

part of other four-year institutions to bring 

Engineering degrees to Kitsap County. It is 

envisioned, should this happen, enrollments in 

the Engineering program will increase as 

Engineering continues to be a “high need” field 

in Kitsap County. 

In the fall of 2008, another set of program 

review data was submitted to staff and faculty 

for review. Discipline faculty reviewed these 

data and provided feedback on the status of 

their programs. From this feedback a select 

number of disciplines met with the IPP 

Committee to assess the needs of the program 

and to provide insight into emerging trends that 

might signal a need for change within existing 

programs or for the creation of new programs. 

In the past, programs such as Phlebotomy and 

Physical Therapy Assistant were begun because 

of this review. Among the programs targeted 

for attention this year are Automotive 

Technology, Electronics, Fire Science, and 

Education. 


EDUCATIONAL�PROGRAM�PLANNING�AND�ASSESSMENT 

Educational�Program�Planning� 

Description. Responding to the 

recommendations from the 2001 Accreditation 

Report for improving and systematizing Collegewide 

program planning and assessment, the 

College adopted strategic initiatives to 

specifically address these needs. Instructional 

program planning was emphasized in the 2004- 

07 strategic plan with the following initiative: 

To�make�course�and�training�offerings� 

responsive�to�community�needs�and�to� 

coordinate�college�resources,�improve�and� 

implement�long�range�instructional� 

program�planning�processes.�� 

The IPP Committee which emerged from 

this initiative was established for the purpose of 

conducting a formal and comprehensive 

program planning process. Approximately 

fifteen College faculty and staff members serve 

on the Committee. (A list of participants is 

available as a Standard Two exhibit.) The 

instructional planning process is used to identify 

potential areas for development and expansion, 

to better understand the strengths and 

weakness of existing programs and disciplines, 

and to exchange information with other College 

planning efforts, such as the Facilities Master 

Plan. The Committee’s role is to identify data 

points that support program analysis, monitor 

these data, facilitate an environmental scan 

that includes input from internal, local and 

regional community members, and 

communicate the College’s program plan to 

faculty, staff, and external community partners. 

One of the Committee’s goals was to create 

a ten-year instructional planning document that 

would communicate clear program priorities 

and recommendations. It was the intention of 

the Program Planning Committee to update the 

report every two years, as deemed necessary by 

the College. Since the development of the first 

plan in 2005, an addendum followed in 2006, a 

second report was prepared in 2007, and a third 

report was in progress at the time this report 

was written. (See Instructional Program 

Planning Reports, Standard Two exhibits.) 

The IPP process serves as the foundation for 

the exploration of the educational needs of the 

College’s service area and the development of 

new transfer and professional-technical 

programs to meet those needs. A program will 

not be chosen for implementation unless there 

is demand, financial viability, and support from 

the community. New program proposals 

include outcomes that reflect employer needs 

and address how the new program will meet 

student learning needs. Figure 2.15 identifies 

the list of programs studied compared to 

programs recommended in the 2005 plan. 

Existing disciplines and programs are also 

the focus of the IPP process because of the 

potential need to make changes to programs 

based on student demographics, regional 

employment, and economic trends. As the IPP 

Committee has evolved, it has taken on full 

responsibility for the College’s formal program 

review function, which is explained in more 

detail in the Educational Program Assessment 

section below. 

Analysis. Recommendations made in 

the Instructional Program Plan have served to 

guide the process of new program development 

and existing program enhancements. A number 

of programs identified as first priorities for 

program start-up or expansion in the report, 

including Nursing, Environmental Science 

(Environmental Studies), Phlebotomy, Physical 

Therapist Assistant, and Sustainable (or green) 

Building Construction, have been developed 

and implemented. The College established the 

baccalaureate degree in Nursing in response to 

the plan. Another program identified as a 

priority in the plan, Marine Manufacturing, was 

the focus of a district-wide research effort and 

has now evolved into a general manufacturing 

program, which met the needs of regional 

employers. 


Figure�2.15.��Results�of�the�2005�Instructional�Program�Planning�Process� 

Programs�Studied� Program�Recommendations� 

Administration of Justice 

Adult Education 

Aging/Gerontology 

Allied Health/Nursing 

Automotive 

Computer Information Systems 

Court Reporting/Closed Captionists 

Dental Assisting 

Dental Hygiene 

Education 

Emergency Medical Technology 

Engineering 

English/Math/Sciences 

Environmental Science 

Alternative Energy 

Fire Science 

Funeral Directing 

Green Building Construction 

Hospitality/Tourism 

Integrated Multimedia 

Languages 

Marine Manufacturing 

Merchant Marine 

Occupational Therapy Assisting 

Pharmacy Technology 

Phlebotomy 

Physical Therapist Assistant 

Radiological Technology 

The committee identified existing programs 

that had potential for growth given the 

community’s changing demographics and 

employment trends and suggested strategies to 

take advantage of these opportunities. The 

Committee’s recommendation to extend the 

Criminal Justice program to the Shelton campus 

was implemented, as was the recommendation 

to increase the number of offerings of English 

for speakers of other languages across the 

district. More online offerings have been added 

to the Early Childhood Education program to 

increase access for students. Additionally, the 

College is currently working to enhance and 

expand continuing education program offerings 

as identified in the IPP. 

The IPP has informed the development of 

the Facilities Master Plan, providing clarification 

for future instructional spaces and facilities 

design. For example, proposed new buildings 

First�Priority�Programs�Selected�for�New�Program� 

Development:� 

Allied Health/Nursing� 

Environmental Science 

Green Construction 

Marine Manufacturing 

Phlebotomy 

Physical Therapist Assistant 

Potential�Programs�Selected�for�Additional�Research: 

Aging/Gerontology 

Closed Captionists 

Emergency Medical Technology/Paramedic 

Funeral Directing 

Merchant Marine 

Occupational Therapy Assisting 

Existing�Programs�Selected�for�Enhancements:� 

Engineering 

Computer Information Systems 

will include instructional spaces designed to 

accommodate increased enrollments in allied 

health programs and improved instructional 

space for early childhood education. This direct 

connection between the Master Plan and the 

Instructional Program Plan has also led to 

increased approval ratings of State capital 

requests. The College has been very successful 

in securing State capital dollars through a 

competitive process that relies on instructional 

program planning as a primary criterion. 

Budget planning for major purchases of 

instructional equipment has also been 

facilitated by the plan. 

The emphasis on program planning as a 

strategic initiative led the College to conclude 

that it was a vitally important process 

demanding data, time and resources. A 

decision was made in 2008 to create a position 

dedicated to program planning. Unfortunately, 


the position was first put on hold and then 

eliminated due the worsening economy and 

budget reduction. In the meantime, the 

committee carries on the work of program 

planning under the leadership of the Vice 

President for Instruction. 

Educational�Program�Assessment� 

Description. In 2007, the College adopted a 

strategic initiative related to the assessment of 

learning: 

To�focus�attention�on�learning�and�to�help� 

students,�faculty,�staff,�and�administrators� 

see�themselves�as�a�community�of�learners,� 

foster�a�college�wide�culture�of�assessment� 

that�embraces�the�assessment�of�learning� 

outcomes�and�promotes�the�scholarship�of� 

teaching�and�learning.�� 

With the formation of a Core Abilities 

Taskforce in 2005, the revitalization of the 

Outcomes Assessment Committee in the spring 

of 2006, and the introduction of the SBCTC 

Student Achievement Initiative in 2007, Olympic 

College faculty and administrators significantly 

increased their engagement with and 

commitment toward the systematic assessment 

of student learning. Outcomes Assessment 

Reports, published annually since 2004, 

chronicle the growth of assessment activities 

and demonstrate progression toward a Collegewide 

culture of assessment. 

The Instructional Division manages a 

number of continuous review and oversight 

systems. These systems include course reviews, 

program reviews, and the use of professionaltechnical 

program advisory committees for 

program oversight. Faculty members have led 

the effort to assess their courses and programs. 

As faculty continue to reflect upon the practices 

and implications of the assessment of learning, 

approaches have evolved over time. Each year, 

in addition to the routine tasks of course and 

program reviews, faculty may choose to 

conduct focused course or program assessment 

projects, which have been supported by the 

College with stipends and faculty release time. 

Professional development opportunities and 

year-end reviews of the assessment projects 

facilitated by the Outcomes Assessment 

Committee have helped to foster a faculty 

learning community around teaching and 

learning. The adoption of Core Abilities and the 

related interdisciplinary assessment methods 

has created an impetus for ongoing collegewide 

discussion. As a result, the culture of 

assessment at the college has grown in breadth 

and depth across the institution. 

Course�Review� 

Once a course has been added to the 

College’s inventory, it comes up for review 

every five years. In this way, every course 

outline in the catalog is scheduled to be 

regularly reviewed and updated by a faculty 

member. Course reviews are supported and 

managed by the Office of Instruction. An 

electronic data base is used to document the 

course outline and the review schedule for each 

course. Each year, the list of courses to be 

reviewed is sent out to the instructional division 

deans who work with faculty to be sure the 

courses are reviewed. As part of the review, 

faculty may update learning outcomes, and/or 

assessment methods as deemed necessary. 

After reviewing the course, faculty submit the 

revised course outline to the IPC for approval. 

Instructional�Program�Review� 

Instructional Program Review has evolved 

at Olympic College in the past decade as a result 

of purposeful process analysis and 

improvement efforts. The system of program 

review has moved away from requiring a fullscale 

review of individual programs every five 

years to a continuous review process led by the 

IPP Committee. In the current process, 

program review data are published by the 

Office of Planning, Assessment and Research 

and provided to discipline faculty members. 

The program-specific data and key indices may 


include numbers of students enrolled, degrees 

and certificates completed, calculations of fulltime 

equivalent students and faculty and 

student/faculty ratios and employment, and 

salary trends for program completers, if 

applicable (the 2007�08�Instruction�Program� 

Planning�Data�Book is contained in the Standard 

Two exhibits). Feedback from students, 

employers and university partners obtained 

either formally or informally may provide 

additional data. 

Responding to a series of questions in the 

Program Planning Questionnaire, which was 

drafted by the IPP Committee, faculty are asked 

to interpret and comment on the data, to 

explain significant changes anticipated in their 

programs and indentify future trends 

influencing their fields. Faculty members are 

also asked for feedback and suggestions for 

improving the program assessment process. 

This information is shared with the Instructional 

Program Review Committee and may also be 

the subject of meetings between the Dean and 

the faculty throughout the year. 

The IPP Committee studies the data and 

faculty summaries for the existing programs and 

analyzes the data from the context of the 

College’s entire inventory of instructional 

programs. As programs are reviewed, 

committee members identify and develop 

recommendations for improvement, suggest 

strategies for enhancement, and in some cases, 

communicate issues of concern. The 

suggestions may become the focus of a course 

or program assessment project. If a program’s 

future viability appears to be in question, the 

Committee may refer the program to the formal 

program closure process in accordance with the 

Program Closure Policy. 

Professional�Technical�Program�Advisory� 

Committee�Oversight� 

Olympic College has community advisory 

committees for all professional-technical 

programs as required by the State Board for 

Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). 

Advisory committees are made up of employers 

and employees, including labor representatives 

with direct experience in the industry area. 

Each committee is chaired by a committee 

member who is not an employee of the college. 

College faculty and administrators participate in 

the committees as ex-officio, non-voting 

members. The College employs a program 

coordinator who provides the overall support 

for advisory committees, as well as leads 

advisory member orientation and training. 

Advisory committees meet at least twice per 

year, and more often as needed. Most 

committees meet quarterly to review 

curriculum, make suggestions for program 

modifications or new areas of emphasis, and 

provide information about current industry or 

program area trends and needs in the 

workplace. (See Advisory Committee 

documentation in the Exhibit Room.) 

Course�and�Program�Assessment�Projects� 

The College engages in a system of 

assessment identified as Institutional 

Effectiveness (see detailed explanation in 

Standard One) to assess programs and 

departments throughout the college. This 

approach, which has been in practice since 

2001, is used by all College departments and 

divisions as a way of pursuing continuous 

improvement of the College’s overall 

effectiveness. The system was developed to 

ensure that program-level assessment 

happened throughout the year and that a 

complete reporting cycle was achieved 

annually. As part of this institutional 

effectiveness effort, faculty may select specific 

aspects of their instructional courses or 

programs for focused assessment projects. In 

the spring of each academic year, faculty submit 

a report on their course or program assessment 

project, including goals, outcomes, and 

methods for measuring the results of the 

assessment activity, and a review of the results 

of the assessment project that provides an 

analysis of how the learning will inform and 

improve future practice. 


One of the reporting tools the College has 

used to communicate the results of the 

Institutional Effectiveness process is the fivecolumn 

model, which articulates the mission of 

the program or department, outcomes, 

assessment measures, assessment results, and 

use of results. As reported in the April 2006 

Fifth-Year Interim Report, while the five-column 

model works well for educational assessment at 

the program-level, it has not been as useful at 

the course-level. Responding to feedback from 

faculty about the limitations of the five-column 

model for assessing instructional areas, in 2006, 

faculty were given the option of conducting 

course or program-level assessment activities 

and completing a narrative report rather than 

the five-column model. This new reporting 

format requires the same data and analysis 

required by the five-column model; however, it 

provides more flexibility for assessment 

projects and more creativity for reporting 

responses. 

Giving faculty members the option of 

course or program-level assessment improved 

the relevancy and usefulness of this assessment 

process. Faculty may now choose to complete 

course assessments individually, or they may 

opt to join others in their program/discipline to 

set and implement assessment measures for 

the group. Some faculty members have chosen 

to engage in cross-disciplinary assessments of 

student learning. 

Figure 2.16 summarizes the number of 

instructional course and program special 

assessment projects completed by faculty 

members since 2001. As can be seen from 

these data, the number of these special faculty 

projects has increased since reporting options 

were increased in 2006. It is important to note 

that this program of assessment projects is only 

one element of the overall assessment 

program. 

Figure�2.16.��Course�and�Program�Assessment� 

Projects�Completed� 

Year� 

Number�of�Course�and�Program� 

Assessment�Projects 

2001�02 19 

2002�03 19 

2003�04 22 

2004�05 24 

2005�06 23 

2006�07 57 

2007�08 55 

Sixty-eight faculty signed up to 

2008�09� complete projects; half of these 

address a Core Ability. 

Analysis. Over the past twelve years 

Olympic College has maintained focus on 

assessment and increased resources to support 

the assessment of teaching and learning, 

resulting in the emergence of a culture of 

assessment. Faculty members and instructional 

administrators have refined and promoted 

assessment processes in a variety of modalities, 

and a concerted effort has been made to 

continuously improve and institutionalize the 

system of assessment. Due to this intentional 

effort, Olympic College’s processes for assessing 

its educational programs encompass all of its 

offerings, are conducted on a regular basis, and 

are integrated into the College’s overall 

planning and evaluation system. 

Course�Review� 

Olympic College’s internal instructional 

policy requires course reviews be conducted on 

all courses every five years. Figure 2.17 on next 

page summarizes the course review status and 

the status of outcomes as of June 2009. 

As of June 2009, ninety-four percent of the 

2,051 courses were considered to be current in 

terms of meeting Olympic College’s 

requirement for ongoing review. Instruction 

worked to refine processes and procedures, 

resulting in significantly improved compliance 

with College standards in the 2008-09 academic 

year. While 100 percent compliance was not 


achieved—i.e., only six percent are considered 

overdue— some remaining courses are being 

extensively revised, a process that will take 

longer than a routine course review. 

Instructional�Program�Review� 

Instructional programs experiencing 

enrollment difficulties were reviewed, modified 

and ultimately enhanced as a result of the 

Division� 

program review process. For example, 

recommendations made to revamp the 

Computer Information System program, Early 

Childhood Education program, and the 

Engineering program (discussed earlier) were 

implemented, leading to an increase in 

enrollments and in the number of degrees and 

certificates awarded to students. Figure 2.18 

summarizes the review process results for 

several programs identified for analysis. 

Figure�2.17.��Summary�of�Course�Reviews�and�Outcomes�as�of�June�2009� 

Courses�in� 

Inventory 

Missing� 

Outcomes 

Review� 

Overdue� 

Percent� 

Overdue 

Community�Education,�Contract�Training�&� 

Military�Education� 

334 0 31 9% 

Business�&�Technology� 708 0 6 1% 

Social�Sciences�&�Humanities� 493 11 33 7% 

Mathematics,�Engineering,�Science�&�Health 400 8 44 11% 

General�Studies�&�Running�Start� 10 0 0 0% 

Workforce�Development� 106 0 19 18% 

Totals� 2,051 19 133� 6% 

Figure�2.18.��Results�of�Program�Review�Analysis� 

Program� Recommendations� Results� 

Computer� 

Information� 

Systems� 

• Develop additional certificates. 

• Develop IT classes for the general population. 

• De-silo current CIS tracks to make them more 

flexible. 

• Develop interdisciplinary certificates. 

Education� • Promote new Para-educator program and 

Education transfer program. 

• Develop articulation agreements between 

Early Childhood Education program and 

baccalaureate programs. 

• Develop continuing education opportunities 

for teachers. 

• Develop certificate program in Parent 

Education. 

Engineering� • Pursue marketing efforts. 

• Adapt program to meet the needs of the 

military. 

• Encourage 2+2 partnerships. 

• Additional certificates were added. 

• Several certificates have been developed for the 

general population. 

• CIS tracks were de-siloed, making them more 

flexible. 

• An interdisciplinary certificate was created with 

the integrated multi-media program. 

• New Para-educator program was established 

and promoted. 

• Early Childhood Education degree completions 

have increased from fourteen in 2003-04 to 

twenty-two in 2007-08. 

• An evening program is being developed. 

• Partnerships with St. Martin’s College and 

University of North Dakota have been 

established. 

• Transfer opportunities with University of 

Washington, Washington State University and 

Seattle University have been improved. 


The College’s effort to achieve an equitable, 

effective and engaging program review process 

has greatly improved faculty participation 

levels. In 2006 program responses were 

received from sixteen instructional programs. 

This was an increase from 2004 when eleven 

programs submitted reports. In the 2008-09 

academic year Instructional Program Analysis 

Questionnaires had been completed by fiftytwo 

programs across the college as of the end 

of April 2009. Of these questionnaires received, 

thirteen were from the SSH Division, fifteen 

were from the MESH Division, eleven were from 

the B&T Division, and three questionnaires 

were from Adult Basic Education, Cooperative 

Education and General Studies. (See Program 

Review Notebooks in the Exhibit Room.) 

Faculty members were asked to provide 

suggestions for ways in which the Instructional 

Program Analysis process could be improved. 

Most of the feedback suggested that the 

process was adequate. Some faculty members 

did request additional data, such as longer time 

horizons or the analysis of other factors 

including employment and success of students 

who transfer to universities. Several program 

faculty expressed confusion about the data, 

which in some cases were different from the 

data they had been tracking. 

While an improved model of program 

review has emerged from this effort, the 

evolving process has resulted in concerns about 

consistency and regularity. This fact appears to 

have created some confusion across the 

campus about the process. The recent changes 

are still new to the College and not fully 

understood by all involved. Strategic 

communication may help the college 

community understand how the current system 

of program review works. 

Professional�Technical�Program�Advisory� 

Committees� 

Advisory committees serve an important 

role in helping the College maintain curricula 

and programs that are relevant and current. 

Program advisory committees provide support 

for new program development and strategic 

planning through their expertise and by 

validating community, regional, State and 

national workforce demand in the related area. 

As the number of programs grow, the effort to 

support the related advisory committees 

increases, requiring additional resources from 

the College. 


Over the past several years, as Institutional 

Effectiveness and Course and Program 

Assessment efforts have continued to evolve 

and mature, professional development 

opportunities and stipends have been made 

available to provide support for faculty 

participation in the initiatives, thereby further 

encouraging faculty engagement and learning in 

this area. As demonstrated in Figure 2.16 

above, the number of faculty participating in 

course or program assessment projects each 

year has increased. The results of these 

projects have helped faculty identify factors 

that affect student learning and informed 

decisions regarding advising, curriculum 

changes, and budget allocations for supportive 

resources. As the College moves into a difficult 

budget climate, funding support systems for 

assessment work may become difficult to 

attain. Given the effectiveness of faculty 

stipends and release time for engaging faculty 

in the assessment efforts, the College may need 

to consider the ways in which it resources these 

initiatives 

Instructional�Learning�Outcomes� 

Description. Olympic College has identified 

and published expected learning outcomes for 

every course and for each degree and 

certificate program. Faculty members are 

committed to continuously examining the 

effectiveness of those learning outcomes and 

the outcome assessment processes. The ongoing 

development of Core Abilities and the 

related assessment measures for these learning 

outcomes reflect the College’s commitment to 


learning outcomes. As a result of the Core 

Abilities initiative, faculty members are taking a 

closer look at their course outcomes to ensure 

they reflect the curriculum that is common to 

all instructors. In some disciplines, course 

outcomes are being modified to reflect the Core 

Abilities. 

The work of the Outcomes Assessment 

Committee has reinforced interdisciplinary 

assessment activities, creating a campus-wide 

and synergistic effort to assess student learning. 

The Outcomes Assessment Committee regularly 

engages the college community in discussions 

about learning outcomes and how the College’s 

assessment of outcomes can be improved. The 

committee has provided resources, technical 

skills, and a learning forum to support faculty 

engagement in assessment activities. The 

committee uses both formal and informal 

feedback from faculty and administrators to 

make decisions about resource allocations and 

to make recommendations for improvement of 

the assessment program. (See Assessment 

Notebooks and Annual Reports in the Exhibit 

Room.) 

Faculty members were instrumental in 

establishing The Center for Teaching and 

Learning in 2002 for the purpose of facilitating 

the learning community around teaching and 

learning outcomes and assessment. Included in 

the list of activities and purposes of The Center 

are the following statements: 

The�Center�will:� 

• offer a safe, supportive environment for 

discussing and solving the pedagogical, 

methodological, and situational problems 

of teachers and trainers; 

• facilitate the professional growth of all 

full- and part-time faculty and staff as 

both teachers and learners; 

• foster innovative instructional/teaching 

practices that improve and enhance 

learning; 

• orient teachers and trainers to focus on 

evaluating the effectiveness of their 

instruction. 

Since its inception, The Center has provided 

a variety of professional development 

opportunities focused on curriculum 

development, educational assessment, and 

classroom technology. Supporting faculty 

members through personalized mentoring and 

small group work has encouraged reflection on 

the scholarship of teaching and learning, 

aligned support systems for faculty as they 

move to improve their own teaching and 

learning, and created conditions that promote 

and sustain changes in practice. Due to budget 

issues the Center is currently undergoing 

reorganization. 

Course�level�Outcomes� 

Course learning outcomes are clearly 

defined through the curriculum development 

process required by the IPC. Course outline 

forms document end-of-course competencies 

and identify the methods faculty have chosen to 

use for assessing student achievement of the 

course outcomes. A wide range of assessment 

methods may be incorporated in the design of 

each course, including performance-based 

measures, student portfolios, projects, and 

more traditional paper and pencil examinations, 

as appropriate to the instructional content and 

learning outcomes of the course. Every faculty 

member who teaches the course is expected to 

teach to the outcomes and utilize the 

assessment methods indicated in the course 

outline. 

Program�level�Outcomes� 

All Professional-Technical programs have 

published program outcomes for each degree 

and certificate. These outcomes, which are 

vetted through the IPC approval process, are 

documented in the course outlines and 

published in the catalog and also in other 

program materials such as program brochures. 


For transfer degrees, Olympic College’s general 

education requirements conform to the ICRC 

guidelines. General education requirements 

include quantitative reasoning, and oral and 

written communication, and distribution 

requirements in humanities, natural sciences, 

and social sciences. Additionally, the College 

has agreed upon five Core Abilities that are to 

serve as transfer degree outcomes (see 

description below). 

Core�Abilities� 

For the past four years, a major emphasis of 

student learning outcomes assessment has 

been on the development and assessment of 

institution-wide Core Abilities (see Figure 2.19 

on next page). A Core Abilities Taskforce was 

formed by the Vice President of Instruction in 

2005 for the purpose of establishing the Core 

Abilities and related assessment rubrics. 

Olympic College faculty defined core abilities in 

five areas central to the college mission and 

vision: Information Literacy and Technology, 

Global Perspective, Communication, Thinking, 

Mission�Statement�for�Assessing�Core�Abilities� 

Olympic College seeks to improve teaching and learning by focusing inquiry to ensure: 

• Students are getting ample opportunities to develop Core Abilities 

• Students are performing sufficiently on Core Abilities 

Guiding�Principles�for�Assessing�Core�Abilities� 

and Lifelong Learning. The Core Abilities were 

adopted by the IPC on the recommendation of 

the Core Abilities Taskforce in the spring of 

2005. Assessment rubrics for each of the five 

Core Abilities were developed by teams of 

faculty and revised with broad faculty input 

through a campus-wide process that included 

open forums. 

Once the Core Abilities were defined and 

the related assessment rubrics developed, the 

Outcomes and Assessment Committee took 

over the assessment of the Core Abilities. This 

assessment process is supported by the Office 

of Planning, Research and Assessment with 

oversight by the Outcomes Assessment 

Committee and recommendations from Core 

Abilities Institute participants. The following 

Mission Statement and Guiding Principles for 

the assessment of the Core Abilities were 

developed with input from the college 

community and approved by the IPC in 

December 2008: 

Olympic College has adopted the following principles to assess Core Abilities at the institutional level: 

• Assessment is a mechanism for dialogue and can help us improve teaching and learning. 

• Assessment data will be used solely to improve practice and are not part of the faculty assessment process, nor 

is it used to evaluate individual programs or students. 

• Emphasis is on faculty-led, course-based evidence to ensure a direct focus on teaching and learning. 

• Multiple means of assessment are utilized, including analysis and interpretation of data at the 

program/discipline level. 

• Process is sustainable by utilizing practices that promote a culture of inquiry, are manageable in terms of time 

and effort, and have adequate administrative support and resource allocation. 

• The American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) Nine Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student 

Learning are held as standards. 

� 


Figure�2.19.��Core�Abilities� 


This institutional-level process of assessing 

student learning has been designed to be 

systematic and ongoing. A plan and timeline for 

the assessment of these Core Abilities has been 

established. Two or three of the five Core 

Abilities will be assessed each year. Typically, 

two complete two-year cycles of assessment for 

each Core Ability occurs every six years, as 

illustrated in Figure 2.20. 

In spring 2008, the College focused on the 

assessment of three of the five Core Abilities: 

Thinking, Communication and Information 

Literacy and Technology. The first institutionwide 

core ability rating event (Core Abilities 

Institute) occurred summer 2008 and used data 

collected spring 2008 (see Core Abilities 

Accreditation Notebook in Exhibit Room). A 

second and third rating event for the first three 

Core Abilities took place in winter 2008 and 

summer 2009. These events assessed how well 

students are doing with regard to these Core 

Abilities and more fully discussed evidence of 

student progress on these three Abilities. The 

summer event specifically discussed three 

outcomes: 

• Thinking Outcome Two: “Graduates 

engage in creative problem solving.” 

• Communications Outcome One: 

Graduates understand and produce 

effective oral communication.” 

• Information Literacy & Technology 

Outcome Five: "Graduates use 

technology and information appropriate 

to field or discipline, synthesizing 

information to formulate insights and 

create knowledge.” 

Assessment of the other two Core Abilities, 

Global Perspectives and Lifelong Learning, is 

scheduled for the 2009-10 academic year. 

Work began in spring 2009 with discussions 

around the meaning of the rubrics, and will be 

complete according to schedule (see Figure 

2.20) in spring of 2011. 

The Outcomes Assessment Committee 

established the following three-step assessment 

process for the Core Abilities: 

• Course Mapping – Determine where in 

the curricula students are provided with 

opportunities to develop and 

demonstrate the Core Abilities. 

• Assessment Sampling – Gather and 

examine direct evidence of student 

learning/performance on the Core 

Abilities. 

• Core Abilities Assessment Rating – Use 

common Core Abilities assessment 

rubrics to evaluate the performance of 

students. 

Figure�2.20.��Data�Collection�Cycle�for�the�Five�Core�Abilities�–�Institutional�Level�Assessment� 


(each�with�outcomes�and� 

performance�indicators)� 

2007�08� 2008�09� 2009�10� 2010�11� 2011�12� 2012�13� 2013�14� 2014�15� 

Communication X� X� X X� � 

Thinking X� X� X X� � 

Information Literacy & 

Technology 

X� X� � � X� X� � � 

Global Perspective � � X X X� X 

Lifelong Learning � � X X X� X 


After the Core Abilities assessment rubrics 

had been developed, faculty began the 

assessment process by mapping the courses 

that provided the best evidence of student 

achievement of a particular Core Ability; for 

example, the performance indicator for the 

Written Communication Outcome, “Students 

convey understanding of and demonstrate 

proficiency in the writing practices of one or 

more disciplines.” Workshops were offered to 

train faculty to use the rubrics to complete 

Course Mapping Forms indicating which of their 

courses provide the opportunity for students to 

achieve and demonstrate the Core Abilities. 

Faculty then submitted samples of student 

work demonstrating achievement of the Core 

Abilities for an institutional-level rating process 

that took place July 2008 (two Core Abilities 

Summer Institutes) and December 2008 (Core 

Abilities Winter Institute). The student artifacts 

generated at the course level were used to 

conduct these general education assessments. 

A team of faculty members used explicit criteria 

(the Core Abilities assessment rubrics) to score 

the student work for the purpose of assessing 

whether the curriculum at Olympic College 

helps students achieve the Core Abilities. 

Course assignments were evaluated as part of 

this institutional-level assessment process to 

serve as a benchmark for student performance 

opportunities on the Core Abilities. The data 

were then tabulated and analyzed and the 

results presented to the faculty and appropriate 

administration to determine the need to adjust 

the College-wide curriculum. 

Scores based on explicit criteria for the Core� 

Abilities will help to create a continuous process 

that improves learning and ensures the quality 

of education at Olympic College. For example, 

the difference between each student sample 

average and the corresponding assignment 

average can be identified as a measure of the 

extent to which students performed as 

“expected” on the given Core Ability. The gap 

between the scores on what is and what could 

be for each outcome is a zone of possible 

change for student performance within the 

Institution. Those outcomes with the highest 

difference between values may be viewed as 

areas of “difficulty” or “least achievement” and 

in need of improvement. Another possible area 

for improvement is those outcomes where the 

scores on what is possible for student 

achievement (the assignment average) is not 

considered satisfactory; that is, the faculty feel 

the assignments should be providing more 

performance opportunities for students to 

achieve a higher level. These areas become the 

focus of efforts to improve student learning by 

revising curriculum and pedagogy. 

Analysis. Outcomes assessment work 

directed by faculty initiatives has resulted in a 

rich variety of informative teaching and learning 

assessment projects. Motivated by the desire 

to improve their professional practice and 

supported by the College with attention and 

resources, the faculty members engaging in 

these assessment projects have formed a 

learning environment in which scholarly 

dialogue and research have been fostered. 

Evidence of the success of this assessment work 

can be seen in the Core Abilities Institutes, 

results of the Student Achievement Initiative, 

annual assessment reports produced by the 

Outcomes Assessment Committee, and in the 

Assessment Poster Sessions where faculty 

members demonstrate and reflect upon their 

expectations for students and the results of 

their teaching strategies. (Annual Assessment 

Reports and Poster Sessions can be found in the 

Exhibit Room.) 

With guidance and support from the 

Outcomes Assessment Committee, faculty 

assessment activities have evolved from 

program assessment conducted as part of 

Institutional Effectiveness (discussed above) 

and single course assessments conducted by 

individual faculty members to a more systemic 

and comprehensive assessment of both courses 

and programs. For example, a number of 

Olympic College faculty members within several 

divisions have chosen to collaborate on 


developing and using a common tool to assess 

student learning at the course level. Chemistry 

faculty chose to use a nationally-normed exam 

as a common final exam in the year-long 

organic chemistry sequence and the year-long 

general chemistry sequence. (Olympic College’s 

general chemistry sequence exam results were 

used as part of the data upon which the 

national instrument was normalized.) The 

Mathematics Department piloted the use of a 

common final exam in the pre-calculus algebra 

course. An example of program-level 

assessment is the Engineering program’s 

decision to use the ABET assessment criteria in 

setting learning objectives. Faculty teaching 

developmental English courses established 

developmentally appropriate outcomes for 

each course in the developmental English 

series. Anthropology faculty and Library faculty 

have worked together to assess student’s 

information literacy skills and abilities in a crossdisciplinary 

assessment project. 

Much of the institutional work around the 

assessment of learning outcomes has been 

facilitated by the Outcomes Assessment 

Committee. Individual faculty members 

desiring to make changes in their own practice 

of teaching have utilized the Center for 

Teaching and Learning for personal instruction, 

mentoring and on-going support. Greater and 

more purposeful collaboration between The 

Center and the Outcomes Assessment 

Committee might increase College-wide 

engagement in the process and consolidate 

resources for the on-going support of teaching 

and learning outcomes assessment. 

Course�level�Learning�Outcomes� 

Course-level learning outcomes and the 

related assessments are a fully institutionalized 

process at Olympic College. Existing Course 

Outline formats require the completion of 

outcomes for all new courses and for each 

course outline that is updated or periodically 

evaluated, without exception. Despite the 

requirement for course outcomes, not all 

courses are in compliance. Figure 2.17 above, 

summarizes the status of those courses still 

without outcomes as of April 2009. Less than 

one percent of the existing courses are still 

missing outcomes. 

In 2008, a question in the ACT Student 

Opinion Survey asked students if instructors 

clearly indicate the intended learning outcomes 

for the course. Figure 2.21 summarizes the 

responses from students who answered the 

question. 

Based on these data, it appears that a 

majority of faculty members, 80.5 percent, 

clearly indicate the intended learning outcomes 

for the courses they teach. However, not all 

faculty members appear to be communicating 

course outcomes to students. Furthermore, 

anecdotal evidence emerging from the Core 

Abilities course mapping process described 

above suggests that some adjunct faculty may 

not know what the course outcomes are. This 

evidence has been brought to the attention of 

the instructional divisions with the result that 

course outlines and sample syllabi are now 

provided to adjunct faculty when they are asked 

to teach a course for the first time. 

Figure�2.21.�Summary�of�Student�Responses�to�2008�ACT�Student�Opinion�Survey�Question� 

“Instructors�clearly�indicate�the�intended�learning�outcomes�for�the�course.”� 

Strongly�Agree� Agree� Neutral� Disagree� Strongly�Disagree� 

35.2% 45.3% 14.6% 3.6% 1.3% 

� 


Core�Abilities�� 

Core Abilities and the related assessment 

processes have been developed with broad 

input from faculty and relevant instructional 

policy governing bodies (IPC and Faculty 

Council). For the first time at Olympic College, 

direct evidence of student learning in regards to 

the Core Abilities has been generated and 

examined across the curricula. A number of 

elements have been critical to insure success; 

these include: 

• Olympic College faculty play a central 

role in developing and leading the 

program and are responsible for using 

the results; 

• The College President articulates the 

value of assessment, supports the 

program and provides resources 

necessary for it to flourish; 

• A Mission Statement and Guiding 

Principles for Assessing Core Abilities 

were developed to guide the process and 

commonly accepted assessment practices 

are followed. (See Core Abilities 

Accreditation Notebook in Exhibit Room) 

A defining characteristic of the College’s 

Core Abilities is the recognition and need for 

students to develop these skills and abilities in 

the context of their chosen disciplines. For this 

reason, student work is evaluated through an 

interdisciplinary rating process at the Core 

Abilities Institute. The usefulness of this 

interdisciplinary rating method in helping build 

a “community of judgment” and a meaningful 

assessment process has helped to foster a 

culture of assessment across the disciplines at 

Olympic College. 

At least sixty-eight faculty actively engaged 

in the process of assessing student learning at 

the course, program, or institutional level by 

submitting a course or program level 

assessment project or participating in a Core 

Abilities Institute in which they assessed 

student work. Of the thirty faculty participating 

in the Winter Institute 2008, eleven were from 

B&T, ten were from MESH, one was from the 

Library, and eight were from SSH. While this 

level of involvement is positive, the Outcomes 

Assessment Committee has observed that not 

all disciplines appear to be as fully engaged in 

the Core Abilities assessment initiative as 

others. As of July 2009, three Core Abilities 

(Thinking, Communication, and Information 

Literacy and Technology) are fully developed 

including rubrics. Approximately sixty percent 

of disciplines have mapped at least fifty percent 

of their courses to these three Core Abilities. 

Work on the Core Abilities is continuous. As 

this process evolves and becomes more mature, 

it will be necessary to more clearly define the 

student population to be assessed, utilize more 

appropriate research designs, and enhance 

sampling techniques. For example, a crosssectional 

sampling design may be utilized that 

involves comparison of target points in the 

curriculum such as “introductory”, “capstone” 

or advanced program/discipline area courses. 

For some courses, such as those students may 

take in their first year at Olympic College, a 

“developing” level may be deemed the 

appropriate level for student achievement 

within the curriculum. The approaches to 

assessing outcomes for some courses, such as 

performance-based or clinical settings, will 

present more of a challenge and will require an 

integration of program/discipline level 

interpretation. More discipline-specific 

assessment rubrics may need to be created to 

better assess the abilities within the context of 

the different disciplines. 

The original plan for assessing Core Abilities 

included a feasibility study of an e-portfolio 

graduation requirement for assessing whether 

graduates have these Core Abilities upon 

graduation or transfer. While studies revealed 

that implementing an e-portfolio graduation 

requirement was not feasible at the time, the 

recent move to a new online portal, Angel, 

may support this strategy in the future. (See 

Feasibility Report in the Core Abilities Notebook 

in the exhibit room.) 


Evidence�that�the�Assessment�Process�Leads�to� 

the�Improvement�of�Teaching�and�Learning� 

Description. As an institution, Olympic 

College is fully engaged in the assessment of 

teaching and learning and has used the results 

of the assessment efforts to inform teaching 

practices and improve student learning. Since 

2004, the Outcomes Assessment Committee 

has prepared an annual report documenting the 

improvements that have been made to teaching 

and learning as a result of the assessment 

activities faculty have participated in. (See 

Annual Outcomes Assessment Reports in the 

Exhibit Room.) �Evidence of improved teaching 

and learning is gathered routinely through each 

of the College’s assessment activities described 

above, including Course and Program 

Assessment projects and Core Abilities. 

Examples of the evidence of improved teaching 

and learning is also documented by the Adult 

Basic Skills program and the Student 

Achievement Initiative. Additionally, indirect 

evidence can be found in faculty and student 

surveys. 


The course and program assessment project 

reports submitted at the end of the year 

demonstrate that Olympic College faculty 

members have critically examined course and 

program outcomes and assessment. 

Furthermore, the faculty is committed to 

making changes necessary for continuous 

improvement in their curriculum. Olympic 

College faculty also share best practices by 

participating in workshops and seminars 

focused on assessment and have presented 

talks and presentations at State and national 

conferences over the past several years, 

including the League for Innovation Conference 

and the Pacific Northwest Higher Education 

Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference. 

Each spring the Outcomes Assessment 

Committee Sponsors an Assessment Poster 

Session to showcase assessment projects. This 

event affords colleagues from across campus an 

opportunity to share and discuss their 

assessment projects with one another. 

Core�Abilities�Initiative� 

The Core Abilities assessment process has 

engaged faculty in a meaningful 

interdisciplinary dialog focused on improving 

teaching and learning. Approximately forty 

percent of the full-time faculty has participated 

in a Core Abilities Institute. Thirty-two faculty 

members participated in the Core Abilities 

Summer Institute 2008 and thirty faculty 

members participated in the Core Abilities 

Winter Institute 2008, including fourteen new 

participants. Twenty faculty members 

participated in the Core Abilities Summer 

Institute 2009. (See Core Abilities Accreditation 

Notebook in the Exhibit Room.) 

Documentation�of�Learning�by�the�Adult�Basic� 

Education�Program� 

As required by Washington State law, all 

students enrolling in adult basic education 

programs, including GED and English as a 

Second Language programs, must document 

student learning with pre- and post-tests of a 

wide range of learning areas, as well as general 

success measures such as employment and 

family literacy. The assessment is designed to 

measure the educational gain and achievement 

of Washington State Adult Learning Standards. 

These Learning Standards attempt to answer 

the “real life” outcomes question, “What do 

adults need to know and be able to do in order 

to carry out their roles and responsibilities as 

workers, parents, family members and 

citizens/community members?” Serving as 

guidelines for faculty and staff in the 

development of course and program outcomes, 

the Standards are used to design curricula, 

course outlines and lesson plans. The Standards 

are also communicated to students as a means 

for facilitating goal setting, as well as assessing 

progress. Each quarter, the Adult Basic 

Education Program must administer and submit 

the assessments to the State Board for 

Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). 


Tipping�Point�Research�� 

In 2005 the Washington State Board for 

Community and Technical Colleges, in 

collaboration with the Community College 

Research Center, published a study which is 

now commonly referred to as the “Tipping 

Point” Research. The original intent of the 

research was to learn more about the unique 

experiences and the educational and 

employment outcomes of adults who enter 

community college with limited education. The 

major finding of this research was the 

conclusion that students needed at least one 

year of college (45 credits) and a credential to 

make substantive earnings gains. This is the 

minimum necessary attainment and is now 

broadly known as the “Tipping Point” for 

students. Following the “Tipping Point” 

Research, further data analysis identified 

achievement points that once attained 

substantially improve students’ chances of 

completing degrees and certificates. This 

resulted in a new performance funding system 

for Washington State’s community and 

technical colleges, the Student Achievement 

Initiative, which was implemented in 2007-08. 

Student�Achievement�Initiative� 

As described in detail in Standard Three, the 

State Board for Community and Technical 

Colleges (SBCTC) implemented the Student 

Achievement Initiative, a statewide effort to 

promote student learning and persistence from 

the Adult Basic Education (ABE) level to precollege 

to college level. Success in the Student 

Achievement Initiative is measured by students 

gaining momentum points for the various 

milestones they complete. There are several 

categories in which students can gain 

momentum points. 

• Basic Skills – Total number of CASAS skill 

level gains made during the year by 

students as measured by pre and posttesting. 

Students must be federally 

reportable. One point is also awarded for 

each student earning a GED or High 

School diploma. 

• College Readiness – Number of level 

advances made by students in pre-college 

Math and pre-college English 

• Momentum Points that build to Tipping 

Point and Beyond: 

o Earning first 15 college level credits 

o Earning first 30 college level credits 

• Earning College Level Credits in Math: 

o Computation requirements for applied 

degrees 

o Quantitative reasoning requirements 

for transfer degrees 

• Completions: 

o Certificates 

o Associate degrees (technical and 

transfer) 

o Apprenticeship training 

Implementing the Student Achievement 

Initiative has resulted in strong collaboration 

between Student Services and instructional 

areas. Using data gathered about Olympic 

College student characteristics and progress, as 

well as the national research from the Columbia 

University Community College Research Center, 

Olympic College developed and resourced 

several strategies specifically focused on the 

improvement of teaching and student learning. 

These strategies are summarized in Figure 2.22. 

Figure�2.22.��Strategies�for�Improvement�of� 

Student�Teaching�and�Learning.� 

Strategy� 

Targeted� 

Momentum�Point� 

Area(s) 

Learning Communities 

College Readiness 

First 15 Credits 

CASAS Point Gain Project Basic Skills 

Teaching Assistants for 

Developmental Math Classes 

Orientation to College 

MAPS (Mentoring & Advising 

for Persistence and Success) 

Modularizing of 

Professional/Technical 

Curriculum 






Completions 


Olympic College has seen increased point 

gains in all areas since the base year of 2006-07. 

While data for all of 2008-09 will not be 

available until late summer, a comparison of 

summer/fall 2007 and summer/fall 2008 seems 

to indicate that the above strategies are making 

a difference in terms of student progress. 

Olympic College’s momentum points went 

up in all areas. And, while it is important to 

understand that increases in overall college 

enrollment play a role in increasing the 

momentum points gained, points�per�student 

increased as well. When controlling for 

enrollment increases, Olympic College Students’ 

points�per�student went up in several targeted 

areas including: Basic Skills, First 15 College 

Credits, and Completions. (See Figures 2.23 and 

2.24 on next page.) 

Additional momentum point-gain 

information regarding specific local strategies 

and targeted groups of students can be found in 

Standard Three. The college continues to 

monitor the above momentum point-gain data 

and will modify and improve its strategies to 

maximize student progress. Two of the 

Strategies explored this year are discussed in 

the following paragraphs. 

Empirical research suggests that learning 

communities increase deep learning and 

interdisciplinary connections for students. 

Given this premise, faculty members have been 

supported in their efforts to develop and 

implement a growing number of Learning 

Communities. Examples of these communities 

include The�Making�of�a�Life,�Liberty�and�Justice� 

for�All?,�Life�on�the�Edge, and Once�Upon�a� 

Number. Two of these learning communities, 

The�Making�of�a�Life, and Once�Upon�a�Number, 

combine developmental classes in English and 

math with college-level classes. 

Each quarter students enrolled in the Adult 

Basic Education (ABE) program are assessed at 

the beginning and end of the quarter to 

determine the skill gains they have achieved. 

The assessment tool used is the Comprehensive 

Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS). 

Understanding that CASAS measures how much 

progress students have made in “becoming 

college ready,” Olympic College established 

several strategies to support the goal of 

increasing the average CASAS point gains of 

students taking ABE classes. Strategies included 

increasing faculty interest in the CASAS 

assessment tool, improving the faculty’s skill 

level in administering the assessment, and 

involving faculty directly in the development of 

curriculum to improve CASAS scores. 

Other�Measures�of�Improved�Teaching�and� 

Learning� 

Multiple measures of assessment are 

utilized by the College to validate the results of 

the assessment of teaching and learning. 

Examples of several indirect measures of 

teaching and learning include the Community 

College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) 

and the Faculty Accreditation Self-Study 

Questionnaire. 

The purpose of the CCSSE was to measure 

student perceptions of their experiences at the 

college. This specific instrument was chosen 

because it measures students’ perceptions of 

both their learning and their level of 

engagement. The CCSSE was administered in 

2005 and 2007 so the results could be analyzed 

over time, as well as compared with benchmark 

scores. In 2007, the survey was administered to 

1,362 students enrolled in thirty-six randomly 

selected day and evening sections at Olympic 

College’s Bremerton, Shelton, Poulsbo 

campuses and at off-site locations including 

Bangor and Naval Hospital Bremerton. A total 

of 858 of the students completed the survey or 

sixty-three percent. (It is important to note that 

some students may have been included more 

than once in the base number of 1,362 because 

the survey was administered by class not 

individual. Students were told that they only 

needed to complete the survey in one class.) 


1,400 

1,200 

1,000 

800 

600 

400 

200 

- 

0.140 

0.120 

0.100 

0.080 

0.060 

0.040 

0.020 

- 

Figure�2.23.��Student�Achievement�Momentum�Points�through�Fall�2008� 

583 

757 

1,269 

1,186 

Basic Skills College 

Readiness 

0.065 

Student�Achievement�Momentum�Points 

1,127 

964 

� 

654 

592 565 544 529 

Figure�2.24.��Student�Achievement�Momentum�Points�per�Student� 

0.079 

287 

1st 15 Credits 1st 30 Credits Quant./Comp. Completions 

2007-08 Through Fall 2007 2008-09 Through Fall 2008 

Student�Achievement�Momentum�Points�per�Student�� 

0.133 0.133 

Basic Skills College 

Readiness 

0.118 

0.108 

0.066 0.068 

0.063 

0.057 0.055 

0.032 

1st 15 Credits 1st 30 Credits Quant./Comp. Completions 

2007-08 Through Fall 2007 2008-09 Through Fall 2008 


Survey results were shared with and 

analyzed by several groups within the college, 

including the President’s Cabinet, Instructional 

and Student Services Administrators and focus 

groups of faculty, staff and students. A section 

of the CCSSE, Academic Challenge, included ten 

survey items addressing “the nature and 

amount of assigned academic work, the 

complexity of the cognitive tasks presented to 

students, and the standards faculty members 

use to evaluate student performance.” Overall, 

students expressed high satisfaction with their 

educational experience at Olympic College. 

Ratings for Academic Challenge showed no 

significant difference from the Northwest 

Consortium or CCSSE Benchmark scores in these 

areas. 

Analysis. The College’s system for the 

assessment of learning is still relatively new 

and, as a result, institutional systems and 

mechanisms are not yet entirely established. 

The ever-evolving variety of assessment 

activities, while reflective of authentic faculty 

and institutional learning about outcomes and 

assessment, may appear to be disjointed or 

singular activities. Maintaining the current 

system and building campus recognition of the 

entire system of assessment will improve 

consistency and establish clear identification of 

assessment initiatives, areas of focus and 

methods of measurement. 


Analysis of the project assessment reports 

submitted by faculty at the end of the process 

indicates that the use of results for 

improvement fall into three main categories: 

• Modification of assignments, teaching 

practices: Examples include: changing 

individual teaching techniques, including 

more active learning activities such as 

field trips, case studies, student selfassessments 

or projects. 

• Curriculum changes: Examples include: 

modifying course prerequisites, 

developing/adding new courses, 

modifying course/program outcomes and 

content, standardizing evaluation tools 

including the use of common final exams. 

• Supportive resources: Examples include: 

increasing library services and access, 

increasing support through the Math 

Study Center and Writing Center, 

including more on-line/web based 

learning resources. 

Core�Abilities�� 

Core Abilities Institute evaluations and 

session feedback clearly indicate that 

instructors are motivated to improve curriculum 

and foster more growth and understanding 

centered on assessment. Some faculty 

members indicated they will be revising their 

assignments or taking ideas back to their 

departments. The following summaries of 

excerpts from the Institute evaluations provide 

evidence of this learning: 

I�learned�ways�to�critically�evaluate�my� 

assignments�within�the�context�of�the�Core� 

Abilities.� 

Looking�at�assignments�from�the� 

perspective�of�a�variety�of�disciplines�will� 

enable�me�to�refine�my�assignments�to� 

reflect�core�ability�learning.� 

The�Institute�has�made�me�focus�my� 

attention�of�a�more�global�view�of�the� 

College�and�the�skills�students�need�as� 

graduates.� 

During the 2008-09 academic year, 

individual faculty began to do their own 

assessment projects and revise curriculum 

based on their learning around Core Abilities 

through dialog about the rubrics, the Institutes, 

and course mapping efforts. Examples of 

faculty learning and curriculum changes from 

this work include: 

• An assessment project around the Core 

Ability Information Literacy and 

Technology Rubric led faculty in 

Anthropology and Sociology to conclude 


that the research and document sourcing 

requirements of their classes were 

essential and should be continued. 

Students generally understand that they 

need to document sources, but they have 

from minor to major errors regardless of 

the format they use. Comparing two 

classes in this assessment project gave 

the instructors an opportunity to reevaluate 

assignments given in class and 

reflect more critically on the outcomes. 

• The experience of attending a Core 

Abilities Institute led one Business 

Management Instructor to develop a 

participation rubric for her class to 

improve communication in on-line 

discussion forums. 

• A chemistry instructor’s experience with 

the critical thinking, information literacy 

and communication rubrics has inspired 

her to: refine assignments, introduce 

Core Abilities in the classroom on the first 

day of class, and help students 

understand where the Core Abilities 

occur in the curriculum. 

• An assessment project done by two 

instructors teaching the learning 

community The�Making�of�a�Life 

evaluated a method for assessing the 

Global Perspective Core Ability. They 

used an assessment tool called the 

Intercultural Development Inventory and 

a pre-test/post-test method to help them 

understand where students were in 

relation the Global Perspective Rubric. 

The faculty found that using the 

Intercultural Competency Indicator could 

contribute a way of assessing students’ 

Global Perspective Competency. 

• An English faculty member’s participation 

in the Core Abilities Institute focused on 

Oral Communication led the instructor to 

decide that their classes should have a 

much larger component of oral 

communication. She plans to develop 

much firmer standards and a rubric for 

the presentations and do more around 

teaching the steps leading up to 

presentations. 

Feedback obtained from faculty 

participating in the Core Abilities Institutes is 

summarized and reviewed and appropriate 

recommendations for changes to the Core 

Abilities implementation process are made the 

subsequent year. Examples of specific actions 

taken as a result of the Summer Institute 2008 

recommendations include: 

• Development of a Mission Statement and 

guiding Principles for Assessing Core 

Abilities; 

• year round training and opportunities for 

dialog; and 

• development of discipline specific 

examples to help guide the rating process 

for the Winter Institute. 

Recommendations from participants at the 

Winter Institute 2008 fall into five main 

categories: 

• Institute Process 

o Continue and expand the Institute 

o Include discipline/program level focus 

• Rubrics 

o Revise written communication rubric 

o Develop more discipline specific 

examples 

o Consider developing assignment 

rubrics 

• Curriculum 

o Encourage modification of syllabus, 

IPC Course Outline Forms, and 

assignments to include/reflect Core 

Abilities 

o Use data to inform curriculum 

decisions 

o Sample to include learning 

communities courses, on-line courses, 

and ESL student cohorts 

o Use data to inform questions of faculty 

expectations and level of challenge for 

students 

o Use data to inform teaching practices 


• Mechanisms to Improve Practice 

o Encourage faculty to include Core 

Abilities on syllabi 

o Share results and best practices 

o Promote additional discussion 

o Provide incentives/rewards 

o Track how assignments evolve with 

time 

• Training/Professional Development 

o Workshops focused on assignment 

design 

o Website with resources and models 

o More training 

These recommendations are shared with 

the Outcomes Assessment Committee, the 

College faculty and administrators. Appropriate 

actions are developed to address some of these 

recommended process and curriculum 

improvements. A summary of participant 

responses is included in the Core Abilities 

Institute Summary Reports. (See Core Abilities 

Accreditation Notebook and Assessment 

Notebooks in the Exhibit Room.) 

Documentation�of�Learning�by�the�Adult�Basic� 

Education�Program� 

As indicated by the data in the Student 

Achievement Momentum Points bar chart, the 

number of points awarded for Basic Skills 

students increased by 174 points to 757 points, 

representing a thirty percent increase. In this 

measure, each level gain or GED or HS Diploma 

awarded is counted. The program’s 

effectiveness is also measured the Basic Skills 

Performance Measure which counts the 

number of federally reportable students who 

make a skill level. According to the SBCTC report 

for 2007-2008, the program had 432 students 

who made skill level gains. The program 

exceeded its performance target of 336 

students by ninety-six students or twenty-nine 

percent. 


Strategies that were implemented from fall 

2007 to spring 2008 as part of the Student 

Achievement Initiative included the 

development of learning communities and an 

ABE faculty seminar series that addresses 

pedagogy and improved learning for students, 

as well as teaching assistants for developmental 

mathematics courses. Initial findings suggest 

that student persistence rates and student 

progress momentum points have increased for 

those students participating in learning 

communities. A survey of faculty participating 

in the CASAS Point Gain Project revealed that 

their interest and skill level had increased. The 

curriculum development phase of the project 

began in the spring quarter of 2009. 

Assessment data will continue to be compiled 

to assess student learning, student persistence, 

and momentum points garnered as students 

progress.��(For more information and data 

about the Student Achievement Initiative see 

Standard Three exhibits.) An outcome of 

linking these two initiatives together has been 

that faculty members are now working together 

to improve the transition of students from adult 

basic education to college-level classes. 

Other�Measures�of�Improved�Teaching�and� 

Learning� 

Figure 2.25 on next page summarizes the 

comparison of the 2005-07 CCSSE results by the 

outcome areas that correlate to three of the 

five Core Abilities, Communication, Thinking, 

and Information Literacy and Technology. The 

ratings reflect student impressions of how much 

their experience at Olympic College contributed 

to their knowledge, skills, and personal 

development in these areas. The rankings were 

the same for 2005 and 2007 with slight 

increases in each area in 2007. Thinking 

critically and analytically and Writing clearly and 

effectively were the two highest rated items, 

while Speaking clearly and effectively was the 

lowest rated item among those selected. (See 

CCSSE Survey in the Exhibit Room.)� 


Figure�2.25.��Community�College�Survey�of�Student�Engagement:�2005�07�Comparison� 

How�much�has�YOUR�EXPERIENCE�AT�THIS�COLLEGE�contributed�to�your�knowledge,�skills,�and�personal� 

development�in�the�following�areas?� 

1=Very little, 2=Some, 3=Quite a bit, 4=Very much� 

2005 2007� Difference 

Thinking�critically�and�analytically� 2.78 2.81 +0.03 

Writing�clearly�and�effectively� 2.58 2.62 +0.04 

Solving�numerical�problems� 2.53 2.58 +0.05 

Using�computing�and�information�technology 2.47 2.53 +0.06 

Speaking�clearly�and�effectively� 2.38 2.41 +0.03 

UNDERGRADUATE�PROGRAMS 

The baccalaureate degree, associate 

degrees, and certificate programs consisting of 

forty-five credits or more offered at Olympic 

College all include the tripartite structure 

suggested by the Commission. All require a 

general education component (written 

communication, quantitative/ symbolic 

reasoning, and distribution requirements in 

Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and the 

Humanities). For professional-technical degrees 

and certificates (forty-five credits or more), 

Human Relations in the Workplace is required 

along with communication and computational 

skills. All degrees and certificate programs of 

forty-five credits or more also include a 

knowledge base that provides excellent 

preparation for transfer students and 

outstanding technical skills and knowledge for 

the professional-technical degrees and 

certificates. Finally, all degrees and certificates 

include the requirement for electives to satisfy 

students’ intellectual curiosity. The general 

education requirements for each degree are 

clearly described in Sections 10, 11 and 12 of 

the Olympic College Catalog. Additionally, 

there are also degree worksheets available in 

Sections 11 and 12 of the Olympic College 

Catalog that help students plan course 

selection. 

Baccalaureate�Degree�Program� 

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) 

Degree was added to the Olympic College 

curriculum in fall 2007. The program began as a 

partnership between the University of 

Washington – Tacoma (UWT) Nursing Program 

and Olympic College. The partnership called for 

UWT professors and administrators to offer 

specific 300 and 400-level nursing courses at 

Olympic College during the 2007-08 academic 

year and also assist in the development of 

degree program outcomes, assessments, goals, 

and curricula. The Olympic College BSN degree 

program features general education 

requirements specific to the degree (see Figure 

2.26). 

The BSN degree requires 180 total credits. 

The breakdown of these credits is listed in 

Figure 2.26. 

Figure�2.26.��Overview�of�BSN�degree� 

General Education Credits (may be earned in the ADN and/or BSN program) 65 

Nursing Credits (earned in the ADN) 35 

Nursing Credits (for RN licensure) 35 

Upper Division Nursing Credits 1 

35 

Upper Division General Education Credits (electives) 10 

TOTAL�CREDITS� 

1 

�Examples�of�these�courses�are�BNURS�340,�350,�402,�403,�407�412,�430,�450,�and�451 

180� 


As is modeled in other RN-to-BSN 

completion programs available nationwide, the 

Olympic College BSN degree awards thirty-five 

nursing credits for Registered Nurse (RN) 

licensure. While the program admits students 

from RN programs other than Olympic 

College’s, students who do graduate from the 

OC RN program have already completed many 

of the general education requirements as part 

of the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). 

Examples of the general education courses 

completed in the Olympic College ADN 

curriculum are: five credits of English 

composition, five credits of Social Sciences 

(Psychology), and a minimum of fifteen credits 

in Natural Sciences (Anatomy and Physiology, 

Chemistry, and Microbiology). Because the OC 

ADN program has no specific requirement for 

Humanities distribution credits, a number of 

300 level Humanities courses have been 

developed (Anthropology 325: Death:��A� 

comparative�perspective, Anthropology 335: 

Culture,�Health,�and�Healing, and English 301: 

Writing�in�the�Disciplines). Additionally, a 300- 

Foreign�Language� 

Quantitative/Symbolic� 

Reasoning� 

Writing� 

Humanities� 

Social�Sciences� 

Natural�Sciences� 

level Social Science elective has been added 

(Political Science 300: Health�Politics�and� 

Policy). Finally, there are also several 300-level 

Nursing elective classes offered that provide 

opportunities for the BSN student to explore 

additional interests (examples include BNURS 

325: Stress,�Survival�and�Adaptation and BNURS 

326: Introduction�to�Forensic�Nursing). 

Additional electives to support the 

baccalaureate degree are also being developed. 

The primary objective of the Bachelor of 

Science in nursing degree is to build upon 

existing knowledge and expertise to promote 

evidenced based clinical reasoning and 

analytical skills resulting in excellent nursing 

care delivery to individuals, families, groups, 

and communities. The curriculum focuses on 

critical inquiry and analysis in an environment 

conducive to adult learning. The BSN degree is 

designed to meet the needs of working 

registered nurses, provide higher education 

access to place bound students, and enhance 

educational and career opportunities. 

Figure�2.27.��ADN�to�BSN�General�Education�Requirements� 

Two years in high school of the same foreign language or ten credits of 

one language at the college level. 1 May count as Humanities credits. 

Five credits. 

Requirement fulfilled by Statistics. 

Fifteen credits. 

Must include five credits of English composition and ten additional credits 

of writing-intensive coursework. 2 


College-level foreign language credits can be applied toward this 

requirement, and may be completed while in OC ADN and BSN programs. 


May be completed in OC ADN and BSN programs. 

Twenty-eight credits. 

Must include five credits of college level chemistry, ten credits of anatomy 

and physiology (can be met via examination), three credits of 

microbiology (can be met via examination). 

Electives� To complete total of sixty-five general education requirements. 

1� Students�who�were�educated�in�another�language�through�the�eighth�grade�may�be�exempt�from�this�requirement.� 

�2�� Ten�additional�credits�of�writing�intensive�coursework�may�be�met�through�coursework�in�the�OC�BSN�program.� 


Analysis. Legislative authority for the 

Washington State Board for Community and 

Technical Colleges to develop and offer 

programs of study leading to an applied 

baccalaureate degree is contained in the 

Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 28B.50.810, 

enacted by the Legislature in its 2005-06 

General Session. In 2006, Olympic College was 

one of four community colleges in the State 

chosen to offer a baccalaureate degree, after a 

very arduous competitive process. Informal 

candidacy for the BSN program was granted by 

the NWCCU in fall 2006 and OC admitted the 

first cohort of RN-BSN completion program 

students in fall 2007. The baccalaureate 

program has been approved by the Washington 

State Higher Education Board (HECB). In spring 

2009 the Commission on Collegiate Nursing 

Education (CCNE) completed its site visit to 

examine the BSN program. While its official 

declaration will not come until fall 2009, the 

team was highly complementary in the exit 

interview. The CCNE self study and related 

materials can be found in the Exhibit Room. 

The curriculum was designed to meet the 

unique needs of Kitsap and Mason counties, yet 

was framed by all RN to BSN programs in 

general and by the UWT’s program specifically 

in regard to credit requirements, including 

general education. UWT assisted in the 

development of curriculum, assessment, 

student recruitment, teaching the first four 

courses, and faculty development. In fall of 

2008, students were admitted to Olympic 

College only. Olympic College nursing faculty 

attended graduate nursing education courses at 

UWT and served as TAs in the UWT-taught 

nursing courses offered at Olympic College 

during the 2007-08 academic year. 

Harrison Medical Center (HMC) has 

provided support throughout the development 

of this degree. One of the goals at HMC is to 

achieve Magnet status that requires seventy 

percent of the nursing staff have BSN degrees. 

In close association with HMC, classes (both 

nursing and general education) have been 

scheduled on one day to allow staff nurses the 

flexibility required to attend classes and 

continue working at the medical center. 

Scholarships and tuition reimbursement 

incentives have been available to BSN students 

matriculating at Olympic College. Several of the 

spring 2009 BSN graduates indicated the intent 

to pursue a Master of Nursing at UWT. 

Associate�Degrees�and�Certificates� 

Description. Olympic College offers a 

variety of transfer associate degrees as well as 

several degree and certificate options that have 

limited transferability. 

Transfer�Associate�Degrees� 

Students earning transfer associate degrees 

at Olympic College complete a core of general 

education instruction that includes the 

Humanities, the Natural Sciences, Written 

Communication, Symbolic/Quantitative 

Reasoning, and the Social Sciences (see Figure 

2.28 on next page). A listing by major or subject 

area illustrating appropriate transfer degree 

choices, and worksheets for the transfer 

degrees that delineate general education and 

other degree requirements, are contained in 

the Olympic�College�Catalog�on pp. 62-64. 

Associate in Arts (AA) degrees are 

recommended for any student wishing to 

transfer to one of the State public or private 

four-year institutions under the Direct Transfer 

Agreement [DTA]. This degree offers students a 

wide degree of flexibility depending on their 

major. A listing of all the disciplines included in 

the distribution areas can be found on page 61 

of the Olympic�College�Catalog. 

The Associate of Science (AS) degree is 

specifically designed for students pursuing 

transfer degrees in the Biological Sciences, 

Environmental/Resource Sciences, Chemistry, 

Geology, and Earth Sciences (Track 1) and 

Engineering, Physics, Computer Sciences, and 

Atmospheric Earth Science (Track 2) and is most 

beneficial to students who have completed pre- 


calculus and are ready to take the required 

calculus series. 

The Associate of Applied Science – Transfer 

(AAS-T) degree is a transferable Professional- 

Technical degree, consistent with the State 

requirements set down by the Inter-college 

Relations Council (ICRC). The AAS-T degree 

transfers only to specified institutions of higher 

learning. Olympic College currently offers two 

AAS-T degrees: one in Early Childhood 

Education (ECE) and one in Organizational 

Leadership and Resources Management 

(Leadership and Occupational Studies). Both of 

these degrees include substantial general 

education coursework. The ECE degree 

articulates with a BA in Early Childhood 

Education with Washington State University. 

The OLRM degree transfers to Chapman 

University. 

A summary of the various general education 

requirements for both the BSN and these three 

transfer associate degrees is found in Figure 

2.28. For a listing of transfer degree options, 

see Figure 2.7 on page 2-45. 

Degree� 

Baccalaureate�of� 

Science�in�Nursing� 

(BSN)� 

Associate�in�Arts� 

(AA)� 

Associate�in�Science� 

(AS)� 

Associate�in� 

Applied�Science�–� 

Transfer� 

(AAS�T)� 

Professional�Technical�Degrees� 

Olympic College’s Professional-Technical 

degrees, e.g., Associate of Applied Science (AAS) 

and the Associate of Technical Arts (ATA) 

degrees, require communication and 

computation coursework, as well as human 

relations in the workplace as required by 

NWCCU Policy 2.1. Additionally, each degree 

prepares students for the respective vocation 

by offering a number of required courses 

specific for the field. For example, the ATA in 

Welding Technology includes English 

Composition, Applied Problem Solving, and 

Human Relations in the Workplace (see page 

115 of the Olympic�College�Catalog) plus 

students take fifty-one credits in Welding, 

including Arc�Welding, Oxyacetylene�Welding, 

and Gas�Tungsten�Arc�Welding, just to name a 

few of the courses included in this program. 

Currently, OC offers two AAS degrees: 

Information Systems Specialist and Physical 

Therapist Assistant. For a listing of ATA degree 

options, see Figure 2.8. 

Figure�2.28.��General�Education�Requirements�for�Transfer�Degrees� 

Written� 


15 credits 

Qualitative/ 

Symbolic�Reasoning 

5 credits 

Social� 

Sciences 

15 credits 

10 credits 5 credits 15 credits 

10 credits 15 credits 5-10 credits 

10 credits 

5 credits 

*�� ECE�requires�10�credits�of�Social�Sciences;�OLRM�requires�5�15�credits � 

**� ECE�requires�10�credits�of�Humanities;�OLRM�requires�5�credits� 

� 

* Varies 

depending 

on degree 

Natural�� 

Sciences� Humanities 

15 credits 

15 credits 

15 credits 15 credits 

50 credits 5-10 credits 

5 credits 

** Varies 

depending 

on degree 


Certificates� 

Olympic College also offers a number of 

non-transferable certificates. A list of 

certificates currently offered in various 

Professional-technical areas at Olympic College 

is included in Figure 2.8. Certificates are 

awarded depending on the number of credits 

earned. The Certificate of Recognition requires 

the least number of credits (less than twenty); 

the Certificate of Completion requires twenty to 

forty-four credits; the Certificate of Proficiency 

(forty-five to sixty credits); and the Certificate of 

Specialization, sixty-one plus credits. Most 

Certificates of Proficiency and Specialization 

require some level of General Education for 

completion. General education requirements 

for certificates are clearly discussed in the 

Professional/Technical section of the Olympic� 

College�Catalog, beginning on page 73. 

Limited�Transfer�Degree�Option� 

The newly adopted Associate of General 

Studies degree does require communication 

skills (ten credits), basic qualitative reasoning 

(five credits), and general education distribution 

in Humanities (five credits), Natural Sciences 

(five credits), Information Literacy (five credits), 

Personal Wellness (five credits), and Social 

Sciences (five credits); however, this degree was 

designed to provide an option for students who 

wish to obtain a degree that includes a broad 

scope of classes. Fifty credits must be earned 

from classes at the 100-level or higher. While 

this degree is technically non-transferable, 

students are advised that particular courses will 

transfer to other institutions and many 

institutions may accept all credits. For details 

concerning the various degree options, please 

see Section 13 of the Olympic�College�Catalog. 

�Analysis. All Olympic College transfer 

associate degrees and their general education 

requirements comply with the guidelines of the 

ICRC. These guidelines are published in the 

Olympic�College�Catalog, both online and in 

print, and all publications/brochures addressing 

degree requirements. 

Olympic College’s general education 

rationale (page 5 of the 2009-10 Olympic� 

College�Catalog) is based on the need for 

students to study a broad array of subjects and 

develop themselves as individuals and as 

citizens. The requirement for students to 

complete a minimum of forty-five credits in 

Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural 

Sciences in the AA (DTA) provides them the 

opportunity to study disciplines outside their 

major as well as providing them substantial 

prerequisite coursework for further upper 

division study in their major upon transfer. 

Olympic College requires all transfer 

degrees to contain ten credits of written 

communication (English Composition) as part of 

the general education requirement. Classes 

that specifically focus on oral communication— 

for example, courses in the Communication 

Studies discipline, Introduction�to�Speech, and 

Public�Speaking—are offered as Humanities 

electives in the distribution area and are 

included in the College’s Core Abilities. Critical 

analysis and/or logical thinking are components 

of written and quantitative reasoning courses; 

these courses are assessed for the Core Ability 

on “Thinking”. As noted in Figure 2.28, courses 

for the Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing focus 

on literacy in the discourse of the nursing field. 

Similarly, courses in academic preparation 

programs and professional-technical programs 

require students to demonstrate discourse 

literacy through written and oral reports and 

examinations. 

Courses that focus on the interrelationships 

between major fields of study are offered in 

Learning Communities. While Olympic College 

has offered linked classes in the past, for 

example, Life�on�the�Edge, a set of three courses 

that focuses on the Pacific Northwest through 

the interrelationships of several disciplines 

(most recently Art, Geography, and Natural 

History), many more learning community 


classes are being developed and offered to 

students especially in the area of 

developmental coursework. The work of the 

Learning Communities Taskforce has led to the 

development and scheduling of classes that 

allow students to take English, Mathematics, 

and Study Skills simultaneously in a cohort (in 

an effort to increase retention). The travel 

abroad courses also are naturally focused on 

the interrelationship of several different 

disciplines. The latest Annual Report from the 

Learning Communities Steering Committee can 

be found in the Exhibit Room. 

A comparison of the ACT Two-Year Student 

Opinion Survey conducted in five different years 

between 2000 and 2008 shows an increase in all 

average ratings for questions pertaining to 

general education. For example, a question 

asking if the variety of courses offered at 

Olympic College is satisfactory, the average 

rating of responses increased from 3.62 in 2004 

to 3.85 in 2008. When students were asked to 

evaluate satisfaction with the course content in 

their major area of study, average responses 

demonstrated steady increases from 2000-08, 

with an increase from 3.79 in 2004 to 3.9 in 

2008. When asked about satisfaction vis-à-vis 

the challenge of their program of study, twothirds 

of students responding consistently 

declared themselves satisfied or very satisfied 

with the level of challenge. Students rating 

their satisfaction with the preparation they 

were receiving for their chosen occupation 

declared themselves satisfied or very satisfied 

sixty-five percent of the time in 2008 an 

increase over respondents in 2001-03 

timeframe—at which time only fifty-three 

percent responded similarly. ACT Surveys can 

be found in the Exhibit Room. 

Adequacy�of�Faculty�and�Academic�Advising� 

Description. Generally, Olympic College has 

full time tenure track faculty members with 

appropriate degrees and/or experience to teach 

in all areas where major work is offered. OC has 

a few disciplines at the present time that do not 

for the reasons explained below. These 

programs/disciplines include the Criminal 

Justice program, the Environmental Studies 

program, and the Fire Science program. The 

adequacy of faculty for the educational levels 

offered and their representation across the 

disciplines is discussed in Standard Four. 

Academic advising programs that meet 

students’ needs for information and advice are 

discussed thoroughly in Standard Three. 

Additionally, the manner in which the faculty 

and other personnel are informed about how 

students are advised is similarly addressed in 

Standards Three and Four. 

Analysis. The Criminal Justice program 

courses are currently being taught by a former 

full-time Criminal Justice professor, due to the 

resignation of the full-time faculty member last 

year. The College is considering how to move 

forward with that discipline/program. The 

Environmental Studies program just began in 

the fall of 2008. The program courses were 

developed by two adjunct faculty members 

with degrees in the discipline, and have been 

taught by full and part-time faculty members 

with the necessary degrees to teach them. The 

Fire Science program is being led by a part-time 

director, following the resignation of the fulltime 

faculty member. The part-time director is 

employed by one of the local Fire Districts. 

Courses are taught by professional firefighters. 

The program is undergoing program review to 

determine the feasibility of continuing the 

program. In all cases, advising for program 

students is provided by the part-time faculty in 

addition to advising from the professionaltechnical 

program educational advisor. 

Credit�Transfers� 

Description. Olympic College communicates 

the information regarding college policies and 

procedures for transfer credit in the Olympic� 

College�Catalog on pages 16-17, on the 

evaluation request form, in a companion 

brochure, and on the college website. Olympic 

College ensures the credits it accepts are 


comparable to its own courses in a variety of 

ways discussed in Standard Three. 

Consultations and recommendations from 

instructional deans, faculty, and advising staff 

are a regular part of the transfer credit award 

process. Transcripts from countries outside of 

the US must first be submitted to a foreign 

credentials evaluation service for a course by 

course credit recommendation. Evaluation of 

foreign credentials is described in Standard 

Three. 

Articulations with other institutions have 

been achieved with other institutions in the 

State of Washington and in the OC service 

region, with 2+2 partner schools, military 

schools, and with many of the schools that are 

common transfer choices of OC students. The 

Olympic College Baccalaureate Degree in 

Nursing is articulated with the Master’s Degree 

in Nursing offered at UWT. 

Analysis. Implementation of and inclusion 

in the statewide common course numbering 

system has helped to simplify the transfer of 

credits between the thirty-four community and 

technical colleges. Student Entry Advising 

Center (SEAC) advisors continue to publish 

transfer guides from the baccalaureate 

institutions in Washington and from bordering 

states such as Idaho and Oregon. Because 

Olympic College serves a large military 

population, it is a member of the Service 

Members Opportunity College (SOC) which 

maintains a large articulated transfer network 

for active duty and veteran military students 

and their dependants. 

Developmental�Coursework� 

Description. The Adult Education Program 

serves basic skills students in the following 

areas: Adult Basic Education (ABE), General 

Education Development (GED), and English to 

Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). The goal 

of ABE is to improve reading, writing, and math 

skills, develop lifelong learning skills, meet basic 

skills development requirements for workplace 

success, and prepare for the five required 

examinations (writing, reading, social studies, 

science, and mathematics) to earn a GED. The 

GED class is designed to improve ability to 

comprehend, analyze, and evaluate written 

information, build academic skills to prepare for 

developmental English classes for credit or 

other college classes, and help students pass 

the five GED tests. The goal of English to 

Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) is to assist 

students in developing listening skills, learn to 

read and write in English, and learn about 

American culture and civics and the citizenship 

process. 

Olympic College’s Adult Education program 

offers ABE levels 2-4, GED, and ESOL levels 1-6, 

as well as additional support classes for ESOL 

students. These classes include Fundamentals 

of Grammar, Advanced Pronunciation, 

Conversational English, and Civics Education. 

Course descriptions are listed in the Olympic 

College Catalog. 

All students are required to attend a new 

student orientation prior to enrollment in ABE, 

GED or ESOL classes. The ABE/GED orientation 

is comprised of completing intake information, 

goal setting, review of programs and campus 

resources, administration of the Comprehensive 

Adult Student Assessment (CASAS ), assessment 

of writing and math, and course registration. In 

addition to these activities, the ESOL 

orientation includes an oral interview and goal 

setting. Students attending off-site classes are 

assessed on the Bremerton or Shelton 

campuses or at the respective off-site location. 

Olympic College communicates the 

information regarding college policies and 

procedures for non-credit adult education 

classes in the Olympic College Catalog, in a 

program brochure, on the College’s website and 

during orientation. There is a twenty-five dollar 

registration fee for adult education’s non-credit 

classes. Waivers are available. This information 

is found in the Olympic College quarterly View. 


The fee structure and refund policy is clear, 

equitable, and readily available to students. 

Analysis. The requirements of the Adult 

Education and Family Literacy Grant from the 

federal government regulate the entire 

ABE/GED/ESOL program (and other grants), 

even though the majority of the program is 

funded through the State. The Adult Education 

and Family Literacy Grant, which requires 

interim reporting, must be periodically 

rewritten based on the Washington�State�Plan� 

for�Adult�and�Family�Literacy. ABE programs 

have to comply with continuous State reporting 

requirements and adult learner standards and 

mandates, and participate in monitoring visits 

performed every other year (more frequent if 

there are major program issues/abnormalities). 

The Adult Education Office of the State 

Board for Community and Technical Colleges 

has formulated Adult Learning Standards for 

ABE/ESOL/GED students in Washington State. 

These standards form the basis of instruction 

and course objectives. Since the adoption of 

the Washington State Adult Learning Standards 

in 2006, two Adult Education faculty members 

have been selected to participate as Learning 

Standards Cadre. Their role is to train other 

Washington State faculty on understanding and 

using the Standards, and the development of 

best practices. 

The SBCTC’s ABE Office requires all eligible 

adult education providers to use the 

Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment 

System (CASAS) standardized assessment 

instruments, and Washington Adult Basic 

Education Reporting System (WABERS) data 

collection and reporting software to determine 

and report educational gain by educational 

functioning levels. 

ABE providers use the SBCTC’s Adult� 

Education�Assessment�Guide document as the 

policy foundation, in conjunction with CASAS 

test administration manuals, the Handbook�of� 

CASAS�Usage and Data�Collection�in� 

Washington�State, the WABERS�Guide, the 

WABERS�Data�Dictionary, and CASAS cadre 

training workshops, to provide a basis for 

development of local CASAS assessment and 

reporting procedures, guidelines and 

implementation practices.� 

Washington State’s assessment policy 

includes the selection and use of appropriate 

learner assessment and procedures for: 

• Determination of program eligibility; 

• Accurate learner goal-setting and 

placement into appropriate programs 

and instructional levels; 

• Pre- and post-testing to monitor progress 

toward goals; and 

• Certification of significant educational 

gains and level and program completion. 

The program offers late-start classes when 

existing classes reach capacity. Providing entry 

options to these classes not only 

accommodates continuous enrollment, it also 

meets the needs of students referred through 

the WorkFirst programs. The feedback from 

instructors and students has been positive; 

especially from students who prefer beginning 

with a new class rather than entering an 

existing one. 

The Adult Education Program hired its fifth 

full-time faculty member in 2008. This is the 

largest number of full-time faculty Olympic 

College’s Adult Education program has ever 

held. This is a statement of the College’s 

commitment to meeting the growing needs of 

under-prepared, low-skilled and non-native 

students in the community. This commitment is 

reflected in the Board of Trustees and 

President’s goals. 

There has been steady growth in ABE 

enrollments over the past four years. The 

number of annualized FTEs increased from 275 

in 2006-07 to 333 in 2008-09. This is a 

significant increase from 210 in 2004-05 and 

230 in 2005-06. Course offerings and schedules 


have changed as well to better meet the needs 

of students. With the growing number of FTEs, 

the lack of room space is a recurring issue. 

Class location inconsistency from one quarter to 

the next has caused frustration for students. 

Developmental�Courses� 

Description. All degrees and most 

certificates require college-level coursework in 

written communication and symbolic/ 

quantitative reasoning. To be admitted into a 

college-level class in those disciplines, students 

must receive an Accuplacer® assessment score 

that places them at or above college-level. 

Students who score below college-level are 

required to take the appropriate developmental 

courses. Accuplacer® is the assessment 

instrument used by Olympic College to place 

incoming students into Mathematics and 

English Composition courses; it is also used to 

measure students’ ability to benefit for financial 

aid purposes. Students may take the 

Accuplacer® assessment twice during a calendar 

year upon entrance to OC; however, once 

placed into a developmental class, they must 

enroll in that class and then successfully 

progress through the series of developmental 

courses prior to admission into college-level 

courses. Results of the Accuplacer® assessment 

are retained for two years. After that period, 

students may again take the Accuplacer®. 

The procedure for placement after taking 

the Accuplacer® differs by departments. For 

example, students who place into Mathematics 

094 must pass that class with a 2.0 GPA or 

better to be admitted to Math 099. They are 

not permitted to bypass Math 099 and enroll 

into a 100-level mathematics class. 

The Developmental English program 

addresses both reading and writing skills 

deficiencies. There are three courses: English 

091, 098, and 099. The first two are five-credit, 

eight-hours per week courses (coded as two 

hours lecture, six hours lab); the latter meets 

five-credits, five-hours per week. Students who 

receive a 2.0-2.99 GPA in English 091 and 098 

are eligible to take English 098 and 099 

(respectively) the following quarter. Students 

who receive 3.0 and higher grade points in 

English 091 and 098 are eligible to take English 

099 and 101(respectively) the following quarter. 

Below college-level courses are typically 

non-transferrable and are generally not 

accepted towards completion of a degree. 

Intermediate Algebra (MATH 099) is typically a 

prerequisite for computational courses 

embedded in some Professional-technical 

degrees such as the Associate Degree in Nursing 

and the Physical Therapist Assistant programs. 

Analysis. The leap-frog system of 

Developmental English keeps students who 

progress at higher rates from being stuck in the 

remedial sequence, and is made possible 

because the program has a common set of 

outcomes which are brought to bear 

sequentially in the different levels. These 

outcomes are listed separately on the course 

outlines and they are currently being evaluated 

through the use of placement rubrics based on 

the Olympic College Core Abilities rubric and 

others commonly used in the discipline. An 

assessment program was begun in fall 2007 to 

set up this rubric and design a process that can 

be used not only to evaluate the program but 

also to evaluate the quality of the placement 

system currently in use, with a view toward 

improving both. 

Developmental English courses promote 

student development of effective academic 

reading and writing skills. They do not focus, 

however, on skills mechanics, but are rather 

more process oriented, helping students learn 

to read and writing critically in the act of 

reading and writing, not merely through 

exercises. Students read and write whole 

essays; they critique the readings and the 

writings of themselves and others, learning to 

evaluate and recognize effective written 

communication.� 


The Mathematics Department has 

separately defined Developmental Program 

Outcomes which help direct the focus of 

assessment of student learning at this level. 

The Mathematics Department routinely and 

systematically collects data on student 

persistence and sequence persistence from 

developmental mathematics courses to transfer 

level mathematics courses. For example, in 

academic year 2008-09, a study was conducted 

concerning the completion rate (defined as a 

student completing a developmental 

mathematics class with a grade of 2.0 or better) 

correlated with Accuplacer® Placement scores. 

Of the 3,635 records available for students with 

various cut off scores received on the 

Accuplacer®, placing them into MATH 94 

(Elementary Algebra), an average of seventytwo 

percent of these students successfully 

completed the course with a grade of 2.0 or 

higher. Since academic year 2007-08, the 

Mathematics department, as part of the 

Student Achievement Initiative (see Standard 

3), has piloted the use of teaching assistants in 

the classroom for developmental courses and 

has counselors visit developmental classes to 

see if these “inescapable” interventions help 

support student learning and success. Initial 

data are still inconclusive; however, these 

interventions will continue for at least one 

more year. (See Exhibit Room: Mathematics 

Discipline/Program Accreditation Notebook, 

sample Mathematics Annual Persistence and 

Completion Reports with Longitudinal Trends, 

ACCUPLACER Placement Test Data Analysis.)� 

Specialized�Degrees�and�Certificate�Programs� 

Description. Several Olympic College 

professional-technical programs are nationally 

or State accredited or certified. Those 

accredited include the Associate Degree 

Nursing, Practical Nursing, Medical Office 

Assisting, Physical Therapist Assistant, and 

Culinary Arts Programs. The Automotive 

Technology program is certified. Self-study and 

evaluation reports and related materials from 

the most recent accreditation site visits are 

available in the resource room. Data are 

provided bi-annually for all professionaltechnical 

programs regarding job placement 

rates and wages, as a regular part of the 

program review process. License exams are 

completed for Practical Nursing, Associate 

Degree Nursing, Medical Assisting and 

Phlebotomy, and Cosmetology. 

The Automotive Program is certified 

through the National Automotive Technicians 

Education Foundation (NATEF), with 

intermediate inspections and reports due every 

two and one half years. The Automotive 

Program does not require or track pass rates of 

individual student Automotive Service Expert 

certification, but every other year students take 

the NATEF end of program exams that compare 

OC’s graduates with national norms. 

Practical Nursing and Associate Degree 

Nursing students are prepared to take national 

licensing exams. The ADN (and TADN) Nursing 

program tracks results by receiving program 

aggregate data from the Pearson Vue. The 

Practical Nursing Program receives a report 

from the National Council of State Boards of 

Nursing (NCSBN) regarding student pass rates. 

The Nurse Assistant program prepares students 

for the State certification exam. 

There is no State exam for Medical 

Assisting, but Phlebotomy program students 

and Medical Assisting students are qualified to 

participate in National exams, although this is 

not required to work in Washington. The 

department tracks the Medical Assisting 

students by the data that are received from the 

American Association of Medical Assistants 

(AAMA). Phlebotomy students are tracked by a 

questionnaire sent to them about six months 

after graduation. 

Washington State plans to begin licensing 

Physical Therapist Assistants later this year, and 

therefore the PTA program will be tracking 

student pass rates. 


Figure�2.29.��ADN/TADN�Cohort�NCLEX�First�Attempt�from�April�to�March�of�the�Subsequent�Year� 

April�to�March #�of�Grads�Tested� #�Passing� %�Passing� 

2004�05� 56 46 84 

2005�06� 49 43 88 

2006�07� 59 52 88 

Level�of�achievement�met�(eighty�percent�of�graduates�will�pass�NCLEX�on�first�attempt).� 

Computer Information Systems (CIS) 

students are encouraged to take industry 

certification exams, such as those offered by 

CompTIA, Microsoft, and Cisco. Several of the 

courses taught cover the concepts and requisite 

knowledge needed to pass the exams. 

The Cosmetology program, offered in 

conjunction with the West Sound Technical Skills 

Center, requires students to take the mandatory 

State licensing examination. Coursework is 

designed to prepare students for these 

examinations in the various areas of 

Cosmetology. 

Analysis. The Automotive Program uses the 

NATEF end-of-program exam to inform 

curricular fine-tuning decisions, in collaboration 

with advisory committee oversight and input. 

Faculty use the results of the examination to 

adapt and improve the curriculum. Links and 

some further descriptions are available through 

the Automotive Service Program website and in 

the exhibit room. 

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and the 

LPN-RN (TADN) program data are compiled and 

reviewed annually by the nursing faculty. The 

reports are detailed and provide information on 

specific areas where students did well, poorly or 

in between. Faculty identify trends over a three 

year time frame and make curriculum 

adjustments based on trends in data. Other data 

such as the results of employer and graduate 

surveys, course evaluations, etc. are also used to 

make course and curricular adjustments. NCLEX 

pass rates for the TADN program are listed on 

Figure 2.29. 

Rates on the first attempt success for the 

Practical Nursing program have steadily 

improved since the drop to eighty percent in 

2003, the third year of the program. The one 

common thread for those who were not 

successful on the first attempt is that many are 

non-native speakers of English. ESOL (English for 

Speakers of Other Languages) and PN faculty 

collaborated to identify strategies to assist these 

students succeed to complete the program and 

pass the NCLEX-PN. To date only two students 

have taken advantage of classes from the ESOL 

faculty. Both students graduated on schedule 

and passed the NCLEX-PN on the first attempt. 

Faculty have learned that students need to 

complete ESOL studies prior to entry into the PN 

program, as lessons learned need to be applied 

during the first quarter of the program. Preprogram 

students are advised of the availability 

of the ESOL courses during group information 

sessions and also one-on-one meetings with 

nursing advisors. Figure 2.30 outlines pass rates 

on first attempt for NCLEX-PN. 

Figure�2.30.��Pass�Rates�First�Attempt�NCLEX�PN� 

Year %�Successful 

2003 80% 

2004 94% 

2005 100% 

2006 94% 

The Nurse Assistant program receives 

monthly, quarterly, and yearly summaries of the 

numbers of students tested with pass rates. The 

NA program director also receives specific 

names of students who pass or fail. Percentages 

of pass/fail rates are examined and discussed 

with all faculty in order to modify class or clinical 

work to improve teaching. 


The Physical Therapist Assistant program 

will use pass rates as a threshold in the program 

assessment. The Commission on Accreditation 

in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) requires 

that the pass/fail rate is within one standard 

deviation of the national median. Additional 

specifics regarding program assessment 

procedures are found in the PTA Self Study 

report to CAPTE. 

In CIS, many students elect to study for and 

take the industry certification exams, though at 

present the College does not track which 

students are doing so. Olympic College is in the 

process of establishing an on-campus testing 

site (currently students have to go to Seattle to 

take the exams). Once the service is available 

on site, tracking of pass rates may become 

possible. Pass rates for the Cosmetology 

program can be seen in Figure 2.31. 

� 

Figure�2.31.��Licensing�Exams�Pass�Rates�for�Cosmetology�Programs� 

Course� 

2005� 

Pass�Rate 

2005 

% 

2006 

Pass�Rate 

2006 

% 

2007� 

Pass�Rate� 

2007 

%� 

Barber��Practical� 2 100% 6 75% 2 100% 

Barber��Theory� 5 83.33% 3 100% 

Cosmetologist��Practical� 8 100% 5 83.33% 13 92.86% 

Esthetician��Practical� 6 100% 3 42.86% 4 57.14% 

Esthetician��Theory� 1 16.67% 3 100% 

Hair�Design� 4 57.14% � 

Manicurist��Practical�� 3 50% 2 100% 3 100% 

Manicurist��Theory� 2 100% 2 100% 

OFF�CAMPUS�AND�OTHER�SPECIAL�PROGRAMS�PROVIDING�ACADEMIC�CREDIT� 

The changing nature of the communities 

served by OC, as well as the evolving interests 

of the students and employers, have led OC to 

develop, support and/or sustain various special 

education or training programs. In the past 

eight years these evolving interests, both 

individually and collectively have prompted the 

College to expand its footprint to include 

additional off-campus locations, extend the 

College’s reach by leveraging distance 

technology to the fullest possible extent, 

increase the opportunity of students to access 

course content through non-traditional means 

� 

� � 

such as Tech prep, Early College and finally, in 

partnership with area employers, enhance the 

academic programs that leverage student 

experience to achieve relevant academic goals. 

Off�Campus�and�Special�Learning�Activity� 

Programs� 

Description. Olympic College has many 

programs that serve student populations across 

the district and/or students with specific 

educational/training needs. The primary sites 

are summarized in Figure 2.32 on next page. 


Figure�2.32.��Off�Campus�Special�Education�Training�Centers/Programs�2007�08� 

Client/Program� Location(s)� � Annual�FTEs� Administered� 

Adult�Basic�Education� 

Various off campus sites 

include area schools, 

churches, community centers 

35 

Dean for Workforce 

Development 

Aviation� Bremerton National Airport 6 Dean for MESH 

Cosmetology� 

Fire�Fighters� 

(Apprentice)� 

West Sound Technical Skills 

Center (WSTSC), Bremerton 

20.5 

North Bend FF Academy 20.0 

Manufacturing� WSTSC, Bremerton New 2008 Dean for B&T 

Dean for Business and 

Technology (B&T) 

Dean for B&T & Dean for 

Mathematics, Engineering, 

Science and Health (MESH) 

Navy�Base��Kitsap� 

Bangor, Bremerton, Navy 

Hospital 

39.8 

Director of Military/ Continuing 

Education 

Naval�Civilian�Trade� 

Apprentice� 

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 

Bremerton/ Bangor 

460.3 Dean for B&T 

Phys�Therapist�Asst� Poulsbo, leased facility 16.8 Dean for MESH 

Pipe�Trades— 

Apprentice� 

West Sound Pipe Trades 

Training Center, Silverdale 


Shipyard�Professional� 

Development� 

Command University, Navy 

Base Kitsap—Bremerton 


Tribal�Education� 

S’klallum, Skokomish, Squaxin, 

Suquamish, South Puget 

Less than 10 FTEs, 

varies based on 

Director of Extended Learning 

and Instructional Deans, varies 

Centers� 

Sound Intertribal Planning tribal 

based on program offered and 

Agency 

interests/needs tribe served 

Welding� Bronze Works, Shelton 8.6 Dean for B&T 

Total�FTEs� 641.5 

�� 

� 

Analysis.��All programs providing academic 

credit are designed, approved, administered 

and periodically evaluated by the appropriate 

instructional division faculty and deans. 

Without exception they each come under the 

oversight of the IPC. Courses and programs 

offered at the offsite locations are most often 

extensions of on campus programs. Faculty 

who teach for the programs are hired by the 

instructional division deans who work together 

with discipline faculty to ensure they meet 

appropriate educational and experiential 

standards and are assessed regularly. Students 

who enroll in the programs complete the same 

application and registration process and pay the 

same tuition as students district-wide. Their 

records are maintained by the college’s student 

management system, while their financial 

transactions are processed and recorded 

through the college’s financial management 

system. These students are served by a 

centrally-located financial aid office and have 

access to student support services, such as 

advising, computer access, and tutoring; though 

not always at levels experienced by students 

attending the main campus in Bremerton. 

Adult�Basic�Education��Off�Campus�Classes� 

Description. While most adult education 

classes are offered on campus, approximately 

ten percent are made available at off-campus 

venues. This is done to foster community 

partnerships and provide access to educational 

opportunities to students who may otherwise 

not be able to attend due to distance, 

employment, and family obligations. These 

locations include tribal centers, military bases, 


churches, school district facilities, communitybased 

organizations/non-profits, county jails, 

and on-site at State agencies such as the 

Department of Social and Health Services. The 

courses taught at these off-site locations have 

the identical content and academic standards as 

classes taught on campus. 

Analysis. The ABE courses taught at off-site 

locations are generally characterized as having 

low enrollments, being offered during nontraditional 

hours, and often include students 

testing into multiple established levels of 

academic proficiency. Typically these classes 

require the assistance of an instructional and 

classroom technician to support the multiple 

levels and demands of a continuous enrollment 

program which includes intake, assessment, 

and registration. 

These off-site programs have a lower rate 

of success in meeting federally required 

assessments throughout the quarter. The posttesting 

of students, in particular, is a challenge. 

It creates difficulty when comparing student 

performance from these programs with 

students taking the same classes on-campus. 

Students participating in off-campus classes also 

have lower attendance and retention rates and 

have been less likely to transition to collegelevel 

classes. 

Aviation�Program� 

Description. In the fall of 2004, Olympic 

College approved an articulation agreement 

with Green River Community College (GRCC) 

allowing students to complete the first year of 

their pilot training program locally beginning in 

the fall of 2005. Students continue their studies 

through GRCC to complete the requirements for 

an Associate of Applied Science degree. This 

program is possible given the partnership the 

College has with Avian Flight Center at 

Bremerton International Airport. Certified 

instructor pilots are employed to allow students 

to complete both the flight and ground courses 

specific to the first year curriculum. 

Analysis. The general response to the 

program so far has attracted students with a 

more casual interest in flying. Generally, about 

fifteen students per quarter enroll in the ground 

school portion of the program and of these only 

five may go on to complete the flying portion of 

the program. 

Apprentice�Programs� 

Description.��Olympic College represents 

four distinct State and/or federal apprentice 

programs associated with the Puget Sound 

Naval Shipyard, Navy Undersea Warfare Center 

at Keyport, West Sound Plumbers and 

Pipefitters, and the Washington State Fire 

Fighters. In total these programs employ up to 

fifty full- and part-time faculty, largely at offcampus 

facilities. Students are typically 

enrolled in these programs by their employer 

representative. In accordance with State policy, 

tuition is reduced by fifty percent for classes 

adopted by the apprenticeship program as 

required to achieve journey-level status. The 

State allocates special funding to colleges on 

both a performance and competitive basis to 

distribute funds. Annual allocations have 

increased steadily along with enrollment in 

these same programs. The combined allocation 

for 2008-09 was $588,797, down slightly from 

2007-08 ($589,628), but up significantly over 

2006-07 ($435,615). 

Analysis.� Individual cooperative education 

agreements have been developed to clearly 

define the responsibilities of the College and 

the respective apprentice program sponsor to 

facilitate student success and to ensure the 

program meets established standards. A recent 

visit by representatives from the SBCTC and the 

Department of Labor and Industries determined 

that Olympic College’s oversight of 

apprenticeship programs is among the best in 

the State. 


Student success rates are significantly 

above the State average. For example, 197 

PSNS graduates in the fall of 2008 earned their 

ATA and achieved an overall GPA of 3.78. The 

associate degree completion rate for this cohort 

was ninety-four percent (twice the State 

average), and was comprise of minority (fifteen 

percent) and non-traditional students 

(women—twenty-five percent). In 2004-05, the 

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Olympic 

College partnered to remodel a building (B-460) 

inside the Shipyard to better serve the needs of 

apprentice students. The remodeled facility 

opened in the fall of 2006 and continues to 

serve PSNS and Keyport needs. 

Classes�offered�for�Academic�Credit�in�High� 

Schools� 

Description.��Olympic College has two 

programs that offer academic credit via classes 

that are offered in high schools. The first is 

Tech Prep.��Tech Prep classes are high school 

professional-technical classes that high school 

students may take to earn college credit. The 

number of Tech Prep credits awarded to high 

school students has grown significantly in 

recent years. All classes in the program are 

reviewed by college faculty who work together 

with the high school faculty to ensure there is at 

least an eighty percent match of course 

outcomes between a specific high school course 

and the college course it is matched with. Once 

a course match has been articulated, high 

school and college faculty review the courses 

every two years to renew the articulation 

Figure�2.33.��Tech�Prep�Enrollment�Credits�Awarded� 

agreement. Tech Prep teachers, who are 

employed by the school district, must meet 

State vocational teaching certification 

requirements. High school students who want 

college credit for the Tech Prep classes must 

submit an application by the end of the school 

year in which they were enrolled in the class. 

Once the application is submitted and the 

student has earned at least a B grade in the 

class, the course is listed on the student’s 

official college transcript. Tuition is not charged 

for these classes. Figure 2.33 documents the 

tremendous growth Olympic College has seen in 

enrollment since 2004-05. 

The Early College program is a grant 

supported program developed to provide 

Native American youth with opportunities to 

gain college credits while they are still in high 

school. The goal of this program is to increase 

the number of Native Americans who graduate 

from high school and enter college. Olympic 

College is currently partnering with two Early 

College programs, one at Shelton High School 

and the other at the Suquamish Tribal 

Education Center. The high school faculty 

assigned to teach Early College classes must 

have appropriate academic credentials and they 

must be approved and periodically reviewed by 

the appropriate division dean and/or discipline 

faculty. The courses taught are usually existing 

college courses that have been infused with 

culturally relevant subject matter. Figure 2.34 

on next page documents the Shelton High 

School Early College enrollments since 2005-06. 

The Suquamish Early College program has just 

begun offering classes. 

Academic�Year� Non�Duplicated�Student�Enrollment� Credits� Articulated�Courses� 

2004�05� 82 340 16 

2005�06� 323 1,712 39 

2006�07� 1,089 5,802 79 

2007�08� 1,563 9,064 113 

Totals� 3,057 16,918 NA 


Figure�2.34.��Shelton�High�School�Early�College� 

Enrollment�Credits�Awarded� 

Academic� 

Year� 

Duplicated� 

Student� 

Enrollment� 

Total�College� 

Credits� 

Awarded 

2005�06� 59 295 

2006�07� 103 515 

2007�08� 52 260 

Totals� 214� 1,070� 

Analysis. Statistically both the Tech Prep 

and Early College programs appear to be very 

successful. However, some faculty have 

observed anecdotally they have concerns that 

the student experience at the high school may 

result in a lower level of competency than is 

desired, particularly in courses that are 

intended to serve as a foundation for more 

advance study in the discipline. Nonetheless, 

the concept itself is widely adopted across the 

State and the data indicate that the program 

itself is serving an increasing number of 

students. If there are any indications that 

students are arriving unprepared to continue 

their studies there is a process in place to 

suspend courses or programs and/or to 

collaborate with secondary school faculty to 

revalidate course student learning outcomes 

and content. Of the 3,000+ students who have 

taken advantage of the program, 1,600 have 

continued on in some form at Olympic College. 

Beginning fall quarter, Instruction plans to study 

student success rates in these programs. 

Cooperative�Education�and�Internship�Program� 

(Work�Integrated�Learning)� 

Description. Cooperative Education is a 

work integrated learning program that uses a 

community site or workplace to provide 

students with supervised learning experiences 

in an employment setting that relates to their 

educational and/or career objectives. Other 

instructional modes include internships/ 

externships, community volunteer 

service/service learning, clinical experiences, 

and practicum. The Co-op Seminar introduces 

application of The Secretary’s Commission on 

Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) and critical 

job skills to support success in co-op work 

experience. Cooperative Work Experience is a 

contracted work experience coordinated with 

employer, faculty, and student to meet learning 

objectives specific to the work site and 

occupation/trade. Community Volunteer 

Service utilizes Cooperative Education to enable 

students to experience volunteerism as a 

central component of life and career planning. 

Figure 2.35 reflects the number of students, 

faculty and employers who have participated in 

the program since 2004-05. 

Figure�2.35.��Cooperative�Education�Summary� 

Category/Year� 

Group 

#Students� Credits� 

2004�05 3,093 4,656 

2005�06 1,689 3,769 

2006�07 268 975 

2007�08 310 1,143 

Totals 5,360� 10,543 

Analysis. Co-op course outlines are reevaluated 

on a five year cycle like any other 

course. Full-time faculty oversee individual 

student work experiences, participate in goal 

development, interview each student and their 

supervisor, and review student progress and 

performance at the conclusion of each session. 

Registration, tuition and the assignment of 

credit are all managed in accordance with 

College practice and policy. Files and records 

are maintained within the existing Student 

Management System, by individual faculty and 

the Cooperative Education/Internship Program 

Office.� 

West�Sound�Technical�Skills�Center�� 

Cosmetology�and�Manufacturing� 

Description. Olympic College has partnered 

with the West Sound Technical Skills Center 

(WSTSC) in Bremerton for the delivery of two 

programs in which both institutions have a 

shared interest. The College Cosmetology 


program operates alongside its secondary 

school counterpart sharing the same facilities 

and faculty as well as the staff required to 

support and sustain both programs, but 

teaching to fundamentally distinct learning 

outcomes depending on the level of the class 

and the student enrolled. Faculty report 

directly to the Dean for B&T on issues related to 

college students enrolled in the program. The 

College reimburses the Bremerton School 

District for access and use of the facilities 

involved. 

Manufacturing is a newly established 

program. Program start-up was funded by a 

Department of Labor grant. The program was 

designed to take advantage of already available 

classroom and lab facilities existing at WSTSC. 

In this instance the program is operating after 

normal WSTSC hours to avoid any conflict with 

WSTSC students and staff. The faculty report 

directly to the Dean for B&T and maintain dual 

offices at WSTSC and Olympic College, 

Bremerton. The College reimburses WSTSC for 

its use of facilities. 

Analysis. The partnership with West Sound 

Technical Skills Center has allowed the College 

to expand its program offerings to the 

community at minimal cost. While the use of a 

shared facility poses its challenges, staff, 

faculty, instructional and student service 

administrators collaborate closely and 

frequently to ensure the courses and programs 

are maintained to standard and students 

receive the support they need to succeed. The 

data on student success in the Cosmetology 

program cited in Figure 2.31 indicate students 

do as well or better than their counterparts in 

other college programs in completing their 

State licensing exam. The manufacturing 

program is too new to assess and analyze via 

data but the expectations are that joint use of 

the lab in this high cost program will allow the 

college time to grow the program while 

conserving valuable resources. 

Naval�Base�Kitsap� 

Description. The US Navy maintains a large 

presence throughout Olympic College’s district 

with four major locations including Bremerton, 

Bangor, Keyport and the Naval Hospital. 

Academic programs have been made available 

at two of the high demand locations to support 

the needs and interest of the US Navy military 

and civilian personnel. Individually, the courses 

offered and program represented remain under 

the oversight and are resourced by the 

appropriate instructional dean. Occasionally, 

contracted classes may be offered under the 

Director of Military and Continuing 

Education/Contract Training (MCE-CT). In 

either case, the Director of MCE-CT represents 

the College to coordinate class schedules and 

facilities. 

Analysis. The courses and programs 

represented at each location remain under the 

oversight and management of the appropriate 

instructional dean, consistent with the College’s 

district-wide model. Faculty are reviewed for 

appropriate credentials and assigned consistent 

with established policies and standards. The 

Military Education Office recently successfully 

completed a comprehensive Military 

Installation Voluntary Education Review 

(MIVER) and has been singled out for two years 

running as one on the nations “Top Military 

Friendly Schools” by the Military�Advanced� 

Education�Journal. 

Physical�Therapist�Assistant� 

Description. Using Workforce Development 

funds, Olympic College established a Physical 

Therapist Assistant Program (PTA) in 2006. 

Located in Poulsbo in an office building near 

other medical offices, the program is under the 

direction of the Dean for MESH. While the 

facilities are separate from the OC-Poulsbo 

campus, the program is fully integrated into the 

Olympic College format. The program employs 

two fulltime faculty members who are licensed 

physical therapists. The full-time faculty 


positions are both tenure tracked, with 

established workloads consistent with Olympic 

College standards. 

Analysis. The PTA curriculum is consistent 

with other programs, both at the institutional 

and national levels. The curriculum must be 

approved by the IPC for both overall curriculum 

format as well as for each course individually. It 

is then approved by the SBCTC. Additionally the 

entire PTA program, and specifically the 

curriculum content, must be approved by the 

Commission on Accreditation for Physical 

Therapy Education (CAPTE). This insures 

consistency with all other programs nationally 

as well as validity regarding preparation for the 

national licensure examination for PTA. 

Puget�Sound�Naval�Shipyard�Command� 

University� 

Description. In the fall of 2006, the Puget 

Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) opened its training 

center, Command University, to serve and 

support the continuing education needs of their 

various employee groups. Olympic College has 

developed a leadership and management 

curriculum that fulfill the competencies 

required for PSNS supervisors. In addition, 

Command University and Olympic College have 

partnered to deliver foreign language training 

and to help develop employee math, English, 

and computer literacy skills. 

Analysis. As with other off-site locations, 

the courses and programs scheduled at 

Command University come under the purview 

of the appropriate instructional dean. The close 

proximity of the facility to the Bremerton 

campus location also facilitates access to 

additional learning resources. The particular 

courses scheduled are often in direct response 

to the employer’s needs and desires in 

connection with employee professional 

development interests. Since opening in the fall 

of 2006, FTE student participation has averaged 

twenty-five quarterly, 8.6 annually. Subjects 

tend to concentrate around three broad 

themes—foreign language training for overseas 

assignment, organizational leadership and 

resources management, and skill development. 

Smaller groups of students continue to be 

integrated in regularly scheduled classes on the 

Bremerton campus to complete routine general 

education courses in math, English and so on. 

Tribal�Education�Center�Initiatives� 

Description. Olympic College has ongoing 

relationships with the Native American Tribes 

located throughout the district for the purpose 

of providing college access to these historically 

underserved members of the community. 

Classes offered at the tribal centers vary, 

depending on the needs of students and the 

tribes’ economic development initiatives. 

Among the many programs the College and the 

local tribes have collaborated on are included 

GED preparation courses, career readiness 

training, professional technical programs in 

business management and automotive, and 

transfer classes such as art, history and 

literature (which have been infused with native 

culture and traditions). 

Analysis. Course offerings at the tribal 

centers are dependent upon grant 

opportunities, tribal education center personnel 

and tribal council leadership. When offered, 

courses have generally had low enrollments 

and/or attendance and have been, therefore, 

difficult to sustain over time. Infusing college 

courses with culturally relevant subject matter 

is often the goal of these offerings, as this 

appears to be an important factor related to the 

success of native students. This can be a 

challenging goal to achieve as the process 

requires active research, working relationships 

built on mutual trust and respect, and an 

agreed upon degree of flexibility as the college 

course outcomes and the cultural focus are 

blended together. 

{Standard�Two} Educational Program and Its Effectiveness 2-61 

�

Welding�(Shelton)� 

Description. In the fall of 2008, Olympic 

College opened a trades center east of Shelton 

to expand access to welding and potentially 

other professional-technical programs in that 

part of the district. High Wage, High Demand 

funding was received to start up the program, 

with permanent FTE funding at approximately 

$9,000 per FTE. The staff and faculty report to 

the Dean for B&T and operate under the same 

criteria as the Olympic College-Bremerton 

based program. 

Analysis. Since relocating from Shelton 

High School in the fall of 2008 to the Trades 

Center outside Shelton, students appear to be 

maintaining their interest in pursuing course 

and program completion. The broad range of 

equipment available allows the faculty to teach 

to a range of welding competencies and thus 

fulfill the established student learning outcomes 

without compromise. The College is continuing 

to explore additional program options for the 

facility. 

Distance�Learning� 

Description. Olympic College has adopted 

three delivery systems for distance learning to 

address the needs of its student population: 

telecourses, online, and a proprietary USB 

delivery system. Telecourses are the oldest 

format, having been offered here for more than 

thirty years. Online class development at 

Olympic College began with the advent of 

Washington Online (WAOL), a consortium of 

Washington community colleges that 

centralizes the hardware, software, and 

administrative functions of online delivery, 

providing both student and faculty technology 

support, as well as training for new online 

instructors. Portable courseware via USB drives 

is a recent experiment in delivery systems 

within the past four years. This particular 

system was envisioned as a method that would 

be marketed to a distinct subset of distance 

students: those without internet access, 

particularly naval personnel either deployed or 

working long duty shifts. 

While only partially distance-based 

modalities, hybrid and web-enhanced courses 

are growing at Olympic College and are 

supported by Distance Learning personnel. This 

support includes, but is not limited to, 

assistance with course design, learning 

management support, multimedia production 

and streaming, and faculty professional 

development. 

Distance delivery of instruction is not 

treated differently from traditional on-ground 

delivery of instruction. As such, all regulations, 

rules, procedures, and policies that regulate or 

affect traditional courses are equally applicable 

for distance learning. 

Analysis. Distance delivery systems 

employed at Olympic College are consistent 

with the College’s mission of meeting student 

needs. Olympic College’s students are typical of 

most community college students; some need 

adaptable, asynchronous quality instruction 

that will allow them to obtain an education 

while employed, raising families, etc. Eighty 

percent of Olympic College students live less 

than twenty miles away and only four percent 

live more than forty miles away. The College 

does serve students who are truly distant (there 

are the occasional examples of armed services 

personnel in Iraq or at sea), but the majority live 

within the service district. Regardless, online 

student duplicated headcount enrollment from 

summer term 2000 to summer term 2008 has 

grown at a median rate of 114.9 percent per 

term. In spring 2008, the number of duplicated 

headcount enrolled students, 1,629, reached its 

highest point up to that time. These numbers 

mirror the distance growth rate (predominated 

by online instruction) reported both nationally 

by the Alfred P. Sloan Consortium for all higher 

education institutions and statewide by the 

SBCTC.� 


Through Olympic College’s membership in 

WAOL, Olympic College students are able to 

complete a degree from a distance through 

coursework that combines Olympic College 

distance courses with online courses offered 

through the other Washington State community 

and technical colleges. The lack of a fully online 

Olympic College program has not slowed the 

College’s continued growth in online 

enrollment, but it has also not made Olympic 

College globally or regionally competitive for 

distance-only student enrollment. The USBbased 

program was an attempt to establish a 

completely distance-based electronics program, 

business program, and an online transferrable 

two-year degree program. The future of this 

particular medium is difficult to predict, given 

staffing and software issues. 

For several years, Olympic College students 

have been asked the ACT Two-Year Student 

Opinion Survey question, “What would you say 

was the ONE most significant obstacle to you in 

scheduling your classes this quarter?” For 

several years, the number one response was “I 

did not have a problem scheduling my classes”, 

with response rates between thirty-three and 

forty-one percent. The number two response, 

however, was that personal/work schedules 

interfered with availability of classes (seventeen 

to nineteen percent); and in the 2008 ACT Two- 

Year Student Opinion Survey administration, 

eleven percent of the respondents indicated 

that desired classes were not offered at 

convenient locations. 

Asynchronous offerings that do not 

mandate geographical proximity would 

seemingly be of use to those students who have 

been experiencing issues with getting the 

classes they desire within the constraints of 

their lives. Over the years represented by the 

ACT Survey, distance education courses as a 

percentage of the whole have risen to nearly 

eighteen percent of the total offerings and 

student satisfaction with course availability has 

been improving slightly over these years (see 

Figure 2.36). It appears that asynchronous 

distance offerings have been helpful in this 

regard. However, student responses to the 

questions above would seem to indicate that 

there are other issues related to scheduling that 

are unanswered by the growing availability and 

popularity of distance offerings. 

A related question, “When I want to take a 

course via distance learning, OC offers the class 

I am looking for” shows a slight increase in 

positive responses from 2004 to 2008, from 

eighteen to twenty-two percent, indicating a 

growth in availability of sought after courses. 

Demand for more course offerings in distance 

has remained relatively steady, as seen in 

Figure 2.37. 

Figure�2.36.��ACT�Survey�question:�“Availability�of�the�courses�you�want�at�times�you�can�take�them”� 

Very�Satisfied� Satisfied� Neutral� Dissatisfied� 

Very� 

Dissatisfied� 

Average�Rating� 

2001� 9.9% 32.4% 20.4% 21.3% 7.2% 3.18 

2003� 7.9% 32.0% 22.2% 20.6% 9.2% 3.10 

2004� 9.0% 33.0% 25.9% 19.9% 8.3% 3.15 

2008� 13.5% 34.3% 25.3% 15.6% 4.6% 3.39 

� 

Figure�2.37.��ACT�Survey�question:��“I�would�like�Olympic�College�to�offer�more�courses�via�distance�learning”� 

Strongly�Agree� Agree� Neutral� Disagree� 

Strongly� 

Disagree 

2003� 13.1% 14.1% 25.9% 4.0% 1.7% 

2004� 14.5% 12.6% 22.2% 3.7% 3.3% 

2008� 14.1% 12.9% 22.4% 4.2% 3.3% 


Enrollment in VHS telecourses between 

summer 2000 and spring 2005 realized an 

unsteady growth with enrolled duplicated 

headcount peaking in spring 2005 at 473 

students. Since then the duplicated headcount 

enrollment has been on a steady decline 

reaching its lowest point in summer 2008. This 

decline is due to a number of factors, including 

aging content and technology as well as the 

adaptation of much of this content to a new 

USB drive portable courseware system. USB 

drive courses have had a mixed review and 

enrollments have declined since their inception. 

The instability of the homegrown software and 

the declining success rate of students in these 

courses have raised issues about the future of 

this medium. 

Curriculum�and�Instruction� 

Description. All courses at Olympic College 

are subject to the same policies and systems, 

transcripted using the same process, and are 

subject to the same outcomes and course 

outlines regardless of delivery method. Courses 

are developed by faculty members within 

disciplines, submitted to division deans, and are 

reviewed and approved by the IPC. As with on- 

� 

ground courses, currency of materials, content, 

and academic freedom in conduct of the course 

is the responsibility of the faculty. Distance 

Campus personnel assist faculty and provide 

training in instructional and curriculum design 

as requested; however, all matters of content 

and instruction are the responsibility of the 

faculty as a group and the faculty member as 

the teacher. 

Analysis.��Olympic College has begun work 

on a two-year master schedule for distance 

classes separate from other courses. Such a 

schedule would assist in planning coherent, 

consistent, and reliably available distance 

offerings, establishing a fully distance/online 

transferrable degree program, and increasing 

the ability of the College to forecast and 

integrate distance and on ground offerings 

across all three OC sites. 

The ACT Survey asks students who have 

taken a distance course how likely they would 

be to revisit their distance experience. Data for 

this question are only available from the last 

two surveys administered; results are 

summarized in Figure 2.38. 

Figure�2.38.��ACT�Student�Survey��Likelihood�of�return�enrollments�in�distance�classes.� 

“If�you�have�taken�a�distance�learning�class�(on�line,�ITV,�Telecourse,�USB,�etc.)�at� 

Olympic�College,�how�likely�would�you�be�to�take�additional�distance�learning� 

classes?”� 

2004� 2008� 

A. Very likely 12.4% 13.6% 

B. Somewhat likely 9.3% 12.0% 

C. Neutral 6.1% 6.0% 

D. Not very likely 6.1% 6.5% 

E. Not al all likely 2.6% 3.9% 

F. Don't know 56.5% 49.9% 

G. Not applicable - I've never taken a distance learning course at Olympic College 1.0% 1.2% 


All categories in this question are increasing 

as the number of students who ‘don’t know’ 

enroll in distance classes and develop an 

opinion. The number responding positively is 

increasing faster than those who are not likely 

to select a distance class in the future. If the 

surest satisfaction is measured in repeat 

enrollments, then this implies some support for 

the notion that students are having a good 

experience with distance course options. 

Faculty�and�Student�Support� 

Description. Support for OC’s distance 

students comes from a variety of directions. 

Washington Online (WAOL) provides one 

avenue of support that gives students the 

ability to tap into technological assistance 24/7. 

Through a consortium agreement, Presidium (a 

subscription based, help desk company 

employed by WAOL to support all its online 

students) provides Olympic College students 

help with personal computer issues, technical 

assistance, browser configuration, and 

troubleshooting. Assistance is available by 

telephone. Content and class specific issues 

that students face are handled by the faculty 

member. WAOL also provides students with 

access to a Week Zero Tutorial classroom, a self 

paced course that teaches the use of 

Blackboard. WAOL also provides access to 

some basic reference materials and the 

Proquest periodical index for all online 

students. By July 2009, WAOL plans to move to 

the Angel platform, and similar services will be 

available for that environment. 

WAOL also provides training for faculty in 

online course design, account maintenance, 

server and login issues, course materials and 

assignment issues, online course management 

tutorials, blogs, and course review standards. 

Please see their website for more information: 

http://www.waol.org. 

Olympic College provides support for its 

faculty and students via the Distance Learning 

Office. This office troubleshoots local issues, 

assists faculty in the creation and adaptation of 

courses to the online and USB environment, 

provides technological support for all distance 

mediums, and assists with research and 

development related to distance learning. In 

2008-09 Media Services and Distance Learning 

was reorganized to give classroom technology 

responsibilities to Information Technology and 

split off Distance Learning support functions to 

its own entity. Presently, the Distance Learning 

Office is comprised of a Distance Learning 

Coordinator (177-day contract faculty position) 

and a forty-hour per week full-time program 

assistant. 

Student Services support for online 

students in the areas of advising, registration, 

counseling, and other typical student services 

functions are met by the efforts of those 

offices. Currently, students are able to work 

with advisors and registration through a 

combination of telephone, Internet, online chat, 

postal mail, and fax. Further discussion of these 

services can be found in Standard Three. 

Library assistance for distance learning 

students is provided in several ways. OC holds 

subscriptions to twenty-four different online 

indexes and reference works for students as 

well as approximately 6,000 electronic books 

available via the internet 24/7. Virtual 

reference service is available via chat or email 

24/7 as well. For more details, please see 

Standard Five. 

Analysis. In fall 2006, the Distance Learning 

faculty support position was filled after being 

vacant for two academic years. Since fall 2006, 

along with individual faculty consultations 

regarding use of technology both for distance 

and for traditional classrooms, this position has 

provided Olympic College faculty with fortythree 

papers on the distance course design, 

Blackboard® “how-to”, and educational 

technology pedagogic and adult learning 


theory. Additionally, group training sessions 

were held on the use of Second Life in 

education, five group training sessions 

introducing SharePoint software and four group 

training sessions on webinar software’s place in 

addressing off-campus students were offered, 

as well as seventy-four one-on-one training 

sessions.� 

The College has experienced increased 

demand for both technology use in classrooms 

and for distance learning options. In order to 

meet these demands the College has 

reorganized responsibilities and reporting for 

both Information Technology and Distance 

Learning personnel. New permanent positions 

were funded for Distance Learning and 

Interactive Television support has shifted to 

Information Technology. While further changes 

are being discussed, most of the changes and 

new budgets should be in place by the time of 

the accreditation visit. All changes will be 

undergoing evaluation during the coming 

academic year. 

Another question in the ACT Survey asked 

students whether they were able to get the 

help they needed from Olympic College for 

their distance learning issues. While this 

question was only asked in 2004 and 2008, the 

results, as summarized in Figure 2.39, show 

some fairly solid shifts toward the positive. 

Since the reorganization of Distance Learning 

occurred in mid-2009, future assessment via the 

ACT Survey of student perceptions will be 

valuable. 

Planning�and�Assessment� 

Description. Distance Learning is addressed 

in number two of the six initiatives that make 

up the current strategic plan for the College: 

“To be more deliberate and effective in our 

efforts to deliver education at a distance, 

finalize and implement a long-range distance 

education plan.” This initiative runs from 2007- 

10 and has three outcomes: the establishment 

of student services support for distance; the 

establishment of a distance transferrable 

degree attainable in the same timeframe as onground; 

and the establishment of a distancestudent 

supportive web presence. The plan 

includes assessment measures, stakeholders, 

strategies, activities, and success criteria. 

Distance courses are evaluated under the 

same guidelines that are used with on ground 

courses. Student evaluations in courses are 

required of all adjunct faculty, faculty in tenure 

processes, and faculty undergoing post tenure 

review. A faculty committee working on 

student evaluation processes has designed a 

special evaluation for online courses that takes 

into account this special method, which can be 

viewed in the Exhibit Room. In the 2008-09 

academic year, all student evaluations will be 

converted to a computerized system for all 

classes, making it more easily adaptable to use 

with online classes. 

Figure�2.39.��ACT�Survey�results�“If�I�have�a�technical�question�or�problem�with�a�distance�learning� 

course,�I�know�who/where�to�call�for�assistance.”� 

�� Strongly�Agree Agree� Neutral Disagree Strongly�Disagree 

2004� 8.5% 16.8% 16.3% 3.5% 2.4% 

2008� 12.9% 18.1% 16.0% 2.5% 1.5% 

� � 


Analysis. The plan drafted by Strategic 

Initiative 2 has made significant progress in its 

first two years (see 2007-10 Strategic Plan 

Interim Report in the Exhibit Room). The 

Cabinet has adopted the second outcome of the 

initiative into its work plan: Distance students 

are able to get a transferrable degree via 

distance from OC in the same amount of time 

as traditional students. The Instructional 

Scheduling Committee is processing the 

inclusion of courses into the long-term schedule 

in order to meet this second outcome. Web 

services are being revamped from the “ground” 

up, allowing for new approaches for all 

students, but in particular for distance students 

who will have tailored portals that address their 

needs as independent asynchronous learners. 

Implementation of the plan has been slowed 

due to the loss of key personnel. 

The Distance Learning Office assists faculty 

in improving distance course offerings, modality 

improvements, and effective teaching strategies 

congruent with current research. As shown in 

Figure 2.40, Olympic College has similar or 

better success and retention statistics in its onground 

and distance classes than those found in 

California. Currently, USB courses are the only 

distance modality offered by Olympic College 

that has lower retention and success data. 

Because of this, use of this medium is under 

review. 

Prior to spring 2008, an evaluation 

instrument specifically designed for distanceoriented 

students was not available. Faculty 

employed a range of methods; however, some 

of them lacked anonymity and others were 

crafted for on-ground classes so they asked 

questions that were not relevant. Working in 

conjunction with faculty representatives, a 

commonly accepted, distance appropriate 

student feedback form was developed. This 

evaluation form and an online system for 

distributing and compiling the results were 

pilot-tested in the summer 2008 term with full 

implementation for all classes in fall 2008. The 

primary concern identified in the pilot test of 

the new online assessment method was about 

the reduced number of completed evaluations. 

There is currently insufficient data to determine 

whether this new system is effective at 

achieving return rates that are high enough to 

be valid. However, with the implementation of 

the new Angel platform in summer 2009, 

computerized assessments will be deliverable 

via a student portal that will have much higher 

visibility with Olympic College students than the 

current delivery system that employs student 

email accounts that are presently only 

sporadically used by students. Angel student 

portals will be available for all Olympic College 

students, on-ground included. Return rates for 

the new online assessment system are expected 

to rise once the new portals are in place. 

Figure�2.40.��Course�completion�retention�and�success�by�type� 

Retention Success� 

OC�On�Ground�Classes� 2007-08 89.0% 83.0% 

OC�Telecourses� 2007-08 77.0% 71.0% 

OC�USB�classes� 2007-08 57.0% 53.0% 

OC�Online��classes� 2007-08 79.0% 73.0% 

California�On�Ground�Classes� Spring 08 83.6% 67.6% 

California�Online�classes� Spring 08 77.0% 57.0% 

California�All�Distance�classes� Spring 08 77.3% 56.8% 

California�All�classes� Spring 08 83.0% 66.6% 

California�data�from:�https://misweb.cccco.edu/mis/onlinestat/ret_sucs_de.cfm�� 

Retention�is�defined�as�students�receiving�a�grade�other�than�incomplete�or�withdrawal.� 

Success�is�defined�as�receiving�a�grade�of�C�or�better�in�the�course.� 


Prior to spring 2008, Olympic College had 

no standard measure for distance course 

design. Collaboratively, the Distance Learning 

Committee and the Distance Faculty 

Coordinator developed a rubric to address this 

issue which can be found in the Exhibit Room. 

The rubric was specifically designed to not only 

evaluate distance courses based upon known 

best practices and theoretical constructs, but 

also to allow anyone unfamiliar with distance 

courses to use the rubric and be able to 

effectively evaluate a course. In accordance 

with the Collective�Bargaining�Agreement, this 

rubric was adopted as a consultative guide for 

tenured faculty and an evaluative guide for 

probationary and adjunct faculty in the design 

and operation of a distance course. Further 

research is needed to determine the 

effectiveness of the rubric and any need for 

further adaptation. 

Credit�by�Examination,�Vertical�Challenge,� 

Experiential�Learning� 

Description. Olympic College maintains two 

degree options that afford students the 

opportunity to leverage prior experience 

towards completion of a degree. The first 

option is outlined in the Olympic�College� 

Catalog as ATA Degree—Option Two. It allows 

for the allocation of college credit based on a 

student having achieved various experiential 

milestones. For example: 

• Experience at the journey level in an 

apprentice trade—five credits for the first 

year, one credit for each additional year 

to a maximum of five additional credits 

(total possible ten). 

• Experience as a supervisor or instructor— 

five credits for the first year, one credit 

for each additional year to a maximum of 

five additional credits (total possible ten 

credits). 

To be awarded a degree, students must still 

complete ninety credits of course work in 

courses numbered 100 or above with a GPA of 

at least 2.0. Students who possess journey- 

level experience and credits from other colleges 

must be evaluated by the appropriate faculty 

member and the Dean of Workforce 

Development. Graduates from the Puget Sound 

Naval Shipyard Program (prior to June, 1995) 

may obtain an ATA Degree using the graduation 

requirements in any Olympic�College�Catalog 

under which they were in attendance even if 

more than eight years ago. A second 

occurrence of experiential learning is found in 

the Baccalaureate of Science Degree in Nursing 

(BSN). Students pursuing this degree receive 

thirty-five credits for nursing licensure toward 

the degree. 

Analysis. A review of degrees awarded over 

the past thirty years indicates that ATA Option 

Two has been granted in only two cases— for a 

welder in 1975 and a journey level plumber in 

1987. While the process for awarding 

experiential credit remains valid, its limited 

application raises the question about its 

continued need or viability. 

Current Olympic College students may 

apply to take a comprehensive examination 

covering the subject matter covered in a course 

in lieu of completing all the course assignments. 

The course must be identified by the 

appropriate instructional division as eligible for 

credit by examination. Students apply by the 

eighth week of a quarter. Approval is obtained 

from the division dean who assigns a discipline 

faculty member to administer the examination. 

If the student successfully completes the 

examination the faculty member assigns the 

course grade and finalizes the application form. 

The student submits the application to the 

registrar’s office and the grade becomes part of 

the official transcript. 

Students may also apply to earn credit for 

certain courses designated by the appropriate 

division through a vertical challenge. This 

process allows a student to earn credit in a 

lower level class by successfully completing a 

higher level class with a grade of at least 3.0. 

An application form is presented for approval to 


the division dean and then submitted to the 

registrar’s office prior to the third week of the 

quarter. Once the grade is posted for the 

higher level class, the lower level class will 

become part of the official transcript. Figure 

2.41 summarizes the number of students who 

have taken advantage of these options by year 

group and the number of credits awarded. 

There are instances where students will 

show or claim mastery of select content based 

on prior academic or work experience. A few 

OC programs are actually designed to allow 

students to apply prior experience towards 

their degree after having documented that their 

background warrants the award of credit. Two 

of the most recent examples that permit this to 

occur are the AAS-Ts in Leadership and 

Occupational Studies and Information Systems 

Technician. Students may import from twentyfive 

to thirty credits from ACE documented 

courses that merit the award of college credit to 

satisfy the technical competency requirements 

for the degree. In other instances, students 

may formally request program advisors waive 

or substitute individual courses based on 

documented work or academic experience that 

closely represents or supplements approved 

course/program outcomes. 

As documented in Figures 2.41 and 2.42,� 

student experience is considered in connection 

to specific courses and programs where it is 

appropriate. Students asking for consideration 

must complete a request to challenge, test-out 

of, waive, or substitute some portion of the 

established curriculum based on their 

documented academic or work experience. 

Each situation is processed on a case-by-case 

basis. 

{Standard�Two} Educational Program and Its Effectiveness 2-69 

� 

Figure�2.41.��Vertical�Challenge—Credit�by�Exam�Summary� 

Year�Group/Category� 

Vertical�Challenge 

#Students� Credits 

Credit�by�Exam 

#Students�� Credits 

2004�05� 2 19 1 5 

2005�06� 27 169 7 35 

2006�07� 25 164 8 41 

2007�08� 35 265 5 17 

Totals� 89� 617� 21� 98� 

Source:�This�is�a�compilation�of�data�from�the�Instructional�divisions�and�Enrollment�Services.� 

� 

Figure�2.42.��Award�of�Waivers�and�Substitutions� 

Category� 

2005�06 

Requests�� Courses 

2006�07 

Request s Courses 

2007�08 

Requests� Courses 

Approved�Waivers� 18 18 12 15 2 3 

Approved� 

Substitution� 

73 88 111 153 50 61 

Total� 91� 106 123 168 52 64�� 

Source:�This�is�a�compilation�of�data�from�the�Instructional�divisions�and�Enrollment�Services.

Individual requests must be reviewed and 

approved by a qualified faculty member as well 

as the appropriate division dean. Once this 

process is complete, the Dean for Enrollment 

Services will conduct one final review before 

action is taken to adjust the student’s 

transcript. Figure 2.42 provides an overview of 

the number of requests that eventually resulted 

in a waiver or substitution and thus the general 

award of college credit. Ninety-two percent of 

the requests involve substitution. 

The Fire Science Program allows students to 

transfer Fire Science coursework they 

completed at their Fire Districts providing the 

curriculum follows the National Guidelines from 

the National Fire Academy in Washington, D.C. 

OC’s Fire Science courses use these guidelines 

as the standard for its curriculum. All courses 

taken outside of Olympic College must be 

evaluated by the Fire Science Director and if 

found to meet the standard, they are 

transcribed to Olympic College transcripts. The 

Fire Science Program offers a number of 

certificate options and two AA degrees, one in 

Fire Science and the other in Fire Service 

Management and Administration. 

Study�Abroad�Programs� 

Description.��While several faculty members 

have created summertime study-abroad 

opportunities for students, only one of these 

programs has garnered widespread interest and 

evolved to the level of sustainability. The first 

and most popular was led by an English 

professor who took students to Wales in the 

summer, where they earned college credit for 

studies in poetry and geography; however, 

housing difficulties in Aberystwyth brought an 

end to this program a few years ago. Two 

recent efforts remain active. One is a program 

� 

devised by a member of the English faculty to 

enroll students in an intensive summer program 

at Cambridge University through the college’s 

ongoing link to a consortium headed by the 

University of South Florida. Enrollment in this 

program earns Humanities credit for one or two 

students yearly. The other is lead by a Culinary 

Arts faculty member to connect student chefs 

with international cuisine. This culinary arts 

immersion program is designed to more fully 

develop student culinary skills in connection 

with international cuisine. Both programs are 

linked to earning college-level credit for the 

experience, require no foreign language 

proficiency and may be applied towards degree 

completion requirements. Students have 

received credit for their work in all of these 

programs by enrolling in courses which 

originated in and were vetted by the faculty 

where credit is granted. All course proposals 

passed through regular channels, have standard 

outcomes, and are part of the discipline’s 

offerings. These courses award 

instructional/experiential credit that may be 

applied towards degree completion 

requirements. 

Analysis. Olympic College’s study abroad 

efforts have largely been stalled due to the high 

cost of travel overseas and the weakening 

position of the dollar. While the programs 

themselves offer great promise and have been 

designed by faculty who have a passion for 

extending the reach of the learning process, the 

programs themselves have proven to be of 

limited consequence. Extensive information is 

provided to interested students covering all 

aspects of these programs before they depart. 

Faculty sponsors remain in touch with individual 

students to monitor their progress and evaluate 

their experience. 


NON�CREDIT�PROGRAMS�AND�COURSES 

Continuing�Education� 

Description. In response to Olympic 

College’s mission to work to enrich all its 

communities, the College seeks to provide 

quality non-credit learning experiences. Figure 

2.43 summarizes the character of these 

offerings. 

As noted above, a wide array of continuing 

activity in the form of community enrichment 

programs are offered at the Bremerton, 

Poulsbo and Shelton campuses in subject areas 

ranging from computers and small business 

classes to arts and crafts and leisure activities. 

Course offerings have ranged from sixty to 

nearly ninety courses each quarter in the past 

ten years. The courses, once developed by 

faculty and directors, are managed by the IPC. 

Student registration and records, as well as 

accounting documentation, for non-credit 

courses are maintained by the same Student 

Management System as for credit bearing 

courses. 

Leadership of these programs has 

transitioned during the past decade. In the late 

1990s, non-credit programs were managed by a 

center dedicated to Continuing Education and 

Contract Training. When the Poulsbo campus 

Program�Area/� 

Year�Group� 

was created, the Director of Continuing 

Education became the Director of Poulsbo, 

which included responsibility for continuing 

education. Most recently, as a new director 

was appointed to head the Poulsbo Campus, 

Continuing Education was reassigned to the 

Director of Military and Continuing Education. 

New course development is the result of 

research to determine demand, vetting through 

relevant academic instructional units to avoid 

redundancy or conflict with credit bearing 

courses, and where possible, direct input from 

faculty with expertise in the subject matter. In 

the case of professional development courses, 

faculty input is particularly critical to ensure 

quality programs. The office of Military and 

Continuing Education keeps track of 

enrollments by course and quarter to assist in 

the analysis of the program’s success. Course 

costs, enrollments, and student evaluations 

influence feasibility of course continuance. 

Each student is asked to complete an evaluation 

that provides insight regarding the quality of 

instruction. These are reviewed after each class 

and adjustments are made as needed. 

Currently no continuing education units (CEUs) 

are awarded by the College for these classes. 

� 

Figure�2.43.��Continuing�Education�Course/Program�Summary� 

2001�02 2006�07� 

Sections� Enrollment� Sections� Enrollment� 

Arts and Crafts 5 39 13 71 

Communication 14 137 15 142 

Community & Youth 0 0 9 102 

Computer Literacy 63 489 66 504 

Finance 1 7 9 49 

Home & Garden 18 151 12 51 

Leisure 28 252 21 126 

Proficiency 42 789 34 545 

Self Help 3 55 7 40 

Total� 174� 1,916 186 1,630� 


Analysis. As noted in Figure 2.43, in 2001- 

02 Olympic College sponsored 174 continuing 

education classes throughout the district 

resulting in 1,916 enrollments. More recently 

the actual number of classes offered has 

increased slightly to 186 classes in 2006-07, and 

enrollment has seen somewhat of a decline to 

1,630. Furthermore, the most significant 

change has occurred in the area of proficiency 

classes where the number of sections offered 

has dropped by nineteen percent and 

enrollment by thirty-one percent. Olympic 

College has been actively working to revalidate 

community interests and link the demand for 

continuing education classes to opportunities 

for delivering them more equitably throughout 

the district. 

Recognizing the untapped potential of the 

continuing education program at Olympic 

College, the college has recently chosen to 

focus more strategically on non-credit courses 

and has made the decision to reorganize the 

responsibilities for continuing education. While 

course approval and review, as well as 

registration and records management has 

always been centralized at the Bremerton 

campus, a lack of institutional coordination and 

focus created some inefficiencies and 

inconsistencies in the previous model. 

Leadership for the program has now been 

brought back to the Bremerton campus and will 

be consolidated into the Military/Continuing 

Education Office. The revised decision-making 

structure has been developed in a manner that 

supports decentralized course development and 

selection and faculty recruitment by the 

Director of Extended Learning with centralized 

administrative and marketing functions in 

Bremerton. After studying the continuing 

education programs of similar community 

� 

colleges in the region, the College has 

concluded that an enhanced program could 

produce a source of revenue. The 

reorganization is intended to breathe new life 

into Olympic College’s district-wide continuing 

education program, including more emphasis 

on professional development courses. It is far 

too soon to know what impact the 

reorganization will have in this area. 

Contract�Training� 

Description. Like continuing education, 

contract training represents a relatively small, 

though no less important, part of Olympic 

College’s inventory of classes. During the 

academic year 1999-2000 OC’s inventory of 

classes delivered and/or clients served totaled 

twenty-one for gross revenue of $131,275. In 

the years since 1999-2000, OC’s inventory of 

classes/clients served has dropped steadily to 

eleven and $119,985 respectively. While 

several clients have employed OC to meet their 

training needs, most of the contract training 

conducted has traditionally been in support of 

the US Navy. As their need for classes has 

ebbed and flowed, so has OC’s workload. 

Analysis. OC has proven to be very 

responsive to local military and civilian interests 

locally when it comes to creating and delivering 

focused training to satisfy industry/employer 

requirements. Over the years in addition to the 

US Navy, OC has supported training for clients 

such as SAFEBOATS, Lockheed Martin, US Coast 

Guard, Kitsap Mental Health Services, and the 

City of Bremerton. OC has routinely employed 

highly credentialed full- and part-time faculty to 

teach or facilitate classes who are typically 

vetted by other instructional deans and faculty 

to ensure they meet academic standards. 


STANDARD�TWO:��STRENGTHS�AND�RECOMMENDATIONS� 

Strengths� 

• The College has made a significant 

commitment to maximizing access to 

classes across all three campuses and offsite 

locations by leveraging day (daily and 

block), evening, and distance classes, as 

well as instructional technology. 

• The IPP process and resulting plan is 

being used to inform College decisionmaking. 

• Olympic College is actively engaged in a 

relevant and systematic assessment 

process through a variety of institution 

and faculty-led activities. 

• The development of Core Abilities has 

been thoughtful and inclusive faculty-led 

process that has fostered campus-wide 

engagement 

• with program and course outcomes 

assessment throughout each stage of the 

effort. 

• The Student Achievement Initiative has 

led to expanded use of assessment data 

to improve student learning. 

• Extensive long-term efforts to bring 

baccalaureate-level instruction to the 

College’s service area have resulted in 

strong local partnerships, additional 

distance partners, the funding of the 

College’s baccalaureate program, and 

recent Legislative funding of additional 

opportunities, via partnership with 

universities. 

� � 

� 

� 

� 

• The Instructional Policies Council has 

evolved, developing a policy focus, an 

assessment orientation, expanded 

representation, and improved quality of 

discussion. 

• Modularized professional-technical 

curricula have led to increased options 

for students, resulting in significant 

increases in certificates awarded. 

Recommendations� 

• Increase college community 

understanding of the instructional 

program review process through 

enhanced communication. 

• Strengthen college community 

recognition of and familiarity with the 

entire system of instructional assessment 

and related documentation. 

• A strategic plan and careful assessment 

should guide future reorganization and 

support issues for Distance Learning and 

Instructional Technology support. 

• Continue to develop and use evaluation 

tools and data to provide faculty and 

instructional administrators’ access to 

better information to evaluate all classes 

and modes of instruction. 

• Complete the assessment tools, 

implementation, and documentation of 

all Core Abilities and raise awareness 

across the college community of its 

implications. 


{Appendix} 


Standard�Two

{Appendix}� 

Supporting�Documentation�for�Standard�Two� 

Appendix�2.1.��General�Education�Distribution�Requirements� 

Humanities� Social�Science 

Anthropology 207, 325, 335 

Art 

Communication Studies 

Dramatic Arts 

English 

Foreign Languages 

Geography 103 

Humanities 

Journalism 

Music Theory and Lecture 

Philosophy 

Political Science 201 

Anthropology 

Baccalaureate Nursing 325 

Business 101 

Criminal Justice 101, 105, 106 

Economics 201, 202 

Education 

Engineering 104 

Geography 

History 

Human Services 101, 107 

Humanities 

Physical Education – Ed 104, 107 

Political Science 

Psychology 

Sociology 

Natural�Science� Humanities/Skills�Performance� 

*Anthropology 205 

Astronomy 

*Biology 

*Chemistry 

Computer Science 

Engineering 240 

Geography 101, 250 

*Geography 102 

*Geology 

Mathematics 

Meteorology 

*Oceanography 101 

Philosophy 106 

*Physics 

Science 

*Refers�to�disciplines�containing�lab�sciences.� 

� 

Art 

Dramatic Arts 

Music 

Physical Education – Recreation and Dance 

{Standard�Two} Educational Program and Its Effectiveness A2-1

Appendix�2.2.��Faculty�Contact�Information� 

Discipline� EXT�� NAME� EMAIL�ADDRESS� FAX�� ROOM� BLDG.� 

Adult Education 7448 GREIG, PAMELA pgreig@olympic.edu 7808 133 HOC 

Adult Education 6545 MCMANNON, GARY gmcmannon@olympic.edu 7508 109 ENG 

Adult Education 7538 PRENTISS, TINA tprentiss@olympic.edu 7508 123 HOC 

Adult Education 432-5435 THOMASSON, GARY gthomasson@olympic.edu 5412 PA1 OCS 

American Sign Lang 7338 ELLIOTT, MARIL melliott@olympic.edu 7689 144 HUM 

Anthropology 7111 HARTSE, CAROLINE chartse@olympic.edu 7689 127 ART 

Art 7287 WEICHMAN, MARIE mweichman@olympic.edu 7689 143 ART 

Art 7115 WU, INA iwu@olympic.edu 7689 101 MUS 

Astronomy 7381 FONG, DAVID dfong@olympic.edu 7705 121 ST 

Automotive Tech 7345 QUINN, STEVE squinn@olympic.edu 7346 122C ART 

Biology 394-2747 DODGE, MATT mdodge2@olympic.edu 2739 217 OCP 

Biology 7734 ELAURIA, ANGELA aelauria@olympic.edu 7705 206 ST 

Biology 7274 FERGUSON, DEANNA dferguson@olympic.edu 7705 208 ST 

Biology 7732 SEAVY, DON dseavy@olympic.edu 7705 216 ST 

Biology/Chemistry 7703 MILLER, LARRY lmiller@olympic.edu 4405 207 ST 

Business & Econ 7374 KING, SHARON sking@olympic.edu 7365 204 TEC 

Business & Econ 7386 SNAPP, RICHARD rsnapp@olympic.edu 7365 202 TEC 

Business & Econ 7378 WARD, ALAN award@olympic.edu 7365 107 BUS 

Business Mgmt 7383 JOHNSON, HELLA-ILONA hjohnson@olympic.edu 7365 212 BUS 

Business Mgmt 432-5407 MACKABEN, KANDACE kmackaben@olympic.edu 5412 125 OCS 

Chemistry 7733 BALDWIN, TED tbaldwin@olympic.edu 7705 205 ST 

Chemistry 7707 FLOWERS, BILLY bflowers@olympic.edu 7705 209 ST 

Chemistry 7728 GEYER, CAMERON cgeyer@olympic.edu 7705 213 ST 

Chemistry 7730 KIEBURTZ, BOB rkieburtz@olympic.edu 7705 210 ST 

Chemistry 394-2771 PELLOCK, JOHN jpellock@olympic.edu 2739 004B OCP 

Comp Info Sys 7377 BERGMAN, DON dbergman@olympic.edu 7365 205 TEC 

Comp Info Sys 7371 BILODEAU, PAM pbilodeau@olympic.edu 7365 215A TEC 

Comp Info Sys 7379 BLACKWELL, KEVIN kblackwell@olympic.edu 7365 215 TEC 

Comp Info Sys 7376 HANSON, DONDI dhanson@olympic.edu 7365 211 TEC 

Comp Info Sys 7357 WESTLUND, MARK mwestlund@olympic.edu 7365 211 BUS 

Counselor 7537 BABBO, JOHN jbabbo@olympic.edu 7477 321 CSC 

A2-2 {Standard�Two} Educational Program and Its Effectiveness


Counselor 7645 CARSON, ANTHONY acarson@olympic.edu 7233 317 CSC 

Counselor 7683 JONES, TERESA tjones@olympic.edu 7477 319 CSC 

Culinary Arts 7577 GIOVANNI, NICK ngiovanni@olympic.edu 7365 112A BUS 

Culinary Arts 7571 LAMMERS, STEVE slamers@olympic.edu 7454 118 BSC 

Culinary Arts 7316 PLEMMONS, CHRIS cplemmons@olympic.edu 7454 110 BUS 

Distance Learning Faculty 7772 MEREDITH, BEN bmeredith@olympic.edu 7775 120 LIB 

Early Childhood Ed 7289 DILLING GAYLE gdilling@olympic.edu 

Education 7317 SANFORD, MARY msanford@olympic.edu 7689 141 HUM 

Electronics 7375 SZYMKEWICZ, MIKE mszymkewicz@olympic.edu 7365 115A TECH 

Engineering 7738 BROWN, JEFF jjbrown@olympic.edu 7705 113 ST 

English 394-2709 BEGERT, SONIA sbegert@olympic.edu 2705 221 OCP 

English 7509 CAMERON, THOMAS tcameron@olympic.edu 7689 152 HUM 

English 7179 DELAY, JODY jdelay@olympic.edu 7689 158 HUM 

English 7354 HOENE, KATHRYN khoene@olympic.edu 7689 154 HUM 

English 7335 HONG, NATHANIEL nhong@olympic.edu 7689 146 HUM 

English 432-5409 HOOVER, CARMEN choover@olympic.edu 5412 127 OCS 

English 7627 JUNG, EUNHA ejung@olympic.edu 7689 306 CSC 

English 7336 MEYERS, JUDITH jmeyers@olympic.edu 7689 143 HUM 

English 7626 PLEVIN, ARLENE aplevin@oc.ct.cedu 7689 159 HUM 

English 7658 SHERMAN, IAN isherman@olympic.edu 7689 112 ENG 

English 7189 TIRIMA, ESTHER etirima@olympic.edu 7689 148 HUM 

English/Speech 7417 HARD, ALOYSIA ahard@olympic.edu 7689 150 HUM 

ESOL 7388 FJAERESTAD, IRENE ifjaerestad@olympic.edu 7845 110 ENG 

French/Spanish 7116 WAISMAN, ANA awaisman@olympic.edu 7689 102 MUS 

Geography 7840 DIGBY, SUSAN sdigby@olympic.edu 2739 215 ST 

Geology 7711 MACIAS, STEVE smacias@olympic.edu 7705 119 ST 

History 7415 LAMB, DEBORAH dlamb@olympic.edu 7698 159 HUM 

History 7416 SCHAEFFER, PHIL pschaeffer@olympic.edu 7689 149 HUM 

Integ. Multimedia 7310 SILVERTHORN, JOE jsilverthorn@olympic.edu 7689 112 ART 

Journalism 7243 PRINCE, MICHAEL mprince@olympic.edu 7689 101A TEC 

Library Faculty 7256 HERMAN, AMY aherman@olympic.edu 7261 105 HL 

Library Faculty 7255 MERCER, KENT kmercer@olympic.edu 7261 102 LIB 

Library Faculty 7257 MOORE, DIANNE dmoore@olympic.edu 7261 104 LIB 

Manufacturing 7676 GALLAGHER, CHRIS cgallagher2@olympic.edu 7365 201B SHOP 

Mathematics 7735 BRACKEBUSCH, ANN abrackebusch@olympic.edu 7705 157 HUM 

{Standard�Two} Educational Program and Its Effectiveness A2-3 

HOC


Mathematics 7720 CILLI-TURNER, EMILY ecilliturner@olympic.edu 7705 212 ST 

Mathematics 394-2741 DODGE, MIKE mdodge@olympic.edu 7705 214 OCP 

Mathematics 7714 HAINES, MARTIN mhaines@olympic.edu 7705 116 ST 

Mathematics 7737 HEINZE, JASON jhineze@olympic.edu 7705 118 ST 

Mathematics 7716 HOWELL, JAMES jhowell@olympic.edu 7705 117 ST 

Mathematics 7736 HULSEBOSCH, KAREN khulsebosch@olympic.edu 7705 115 ST 

Mathematics 7719 KELSO, MARY ANN mkelso@olympic.edu 7705 114 ST 

Mathematics 7774 O'NEIL, ELIZABETH eoneil@olympic.edu 7705 112 ST 

Mathematics 7739 ROBERTSON, DONALD drobertson@olympic.edu 7705 111 ST 

Mathematics 7713 STINSON, MYONG mstinson@olympic.edu 7705 211 ST 

Mathematics 7712 TRIPLETT, SHAWN striplett@olympic.edu 7705 120 ST 

Medical Assisting 7741 LIESEKE, CONNIE clieseke@olympic.edu 7491 106 ENG 

Medical Assisting 7679 PARKER, BARBARA bparker@olympic.edu 7365 108 ENG 

Music, Instrumental 7118 WHITE, RICK rwhite@olympic.edu 7689 105 MUS 

Music, Vocal 7117 FRASER, TERESA tfraser@olympic.edu 7689 104 MUS 

Nursing, Assoc. Dean 394-2749 BABBO, GERIANNE gbabbo@olympic.edu 2739 211 OCP 

Nursing ADN 394-2769 COOK, SUZY scook@olympic.edu 2739 217D OCP 

Nursing ADN 394-2757 COSGROVE, ALECIA acosgrove@olympic.edu 2739 217G OCP 

Nursing ADN/BSN 394-2768 HOLK, MINERVA mholk@olympic.edu 2739 217E OCP 

Nursing ADN/BSN 394-2758 MARIELLA, ANNE amariella@olympic.edu 2739 106C OCP 

Nursing ADN 394-2748 STOKKE, CHRIS cstokke@olympic.edu 2739 208 OCP 

Nursing ADN 394-2745 TEZAK, JAN jtezak@olympic.edu 2739 212 OCP 

Nursing/Practical/BSN 394-2740 MULLIGAN, ANNE amulligan@olympic.edu 2739 207 OCP 

Nursing ADN/BSN 394-2746 PERRONE, CHERE cperrone@olympic.edu 2739 227 OCP 

Nursing/Practical 394-2779 POWELL, ANNA apowell@olympic.edu 2739 205 OCP 

Nursing/TADN 394-2767 KARLSON, CATHY ckarlson@olympic.edu 394-2739 217C OCP 

Office Technology 7838 BERMEA, NANCY nbermea@olympic.edu 7365 213 BUS 

Office Technology 7384 HUDSON, TIA thudson@olympic.edu 7365 211 BUS 

Office Technology 7372 SALAS, JOANNE jsalas@olympic.edu 7365 109 BUS 

Org. Leadership 476-5339 BOLTON, KAREN kbolton@olympic.edu 476-1803 242 NAP 

Org. Leadership 7523 YERGLER, JEFF jyergler@olympic.edu 7518 112B BUS 

Philosophy/Political Science 7275 JOKHI, DINSHAW djokhi@olympic.edu 412 CSC 

Physical Education 7742 MACKENZIE, MICHAEL mmackenzie@olympic.edu 7454 105 PED 

Physical Therapy 779-4049 BARTLETT, LYNN lbartlett@olympic.edu 4385 

OCP Ext., DT 



Physical Therapy 779-4083 MIMAKI, STEPHANIE smimaki@olympic.edu 4385 OCP Ext., DT 

Physics 476-4622 ABEL, BOB babel@olympic.edu 1803 253 NAP 

Physics 426-6976 HAINES, DON dhaines@olympic.edu 1803 254 NAP 

Physics 7727 HESS, LINNEA lhess@olympic.edu 7705 214 ST 

Political Science 7339 TOREN, DAVID dtoren@olympic.edu 7689 147 HUM 

Psychology 7286 BARKER, CHIP cbarker@olympic.edu 7689 106 MUS 

Psychology 5438 SANDLER, JACK 5412 126 OCS 

Sociology/Family Services 7553 COHEN, MIRELLE mcohen@olympic.edu 7689 201 SHOP 

Technical Design 7393 NEWMAN, GRANT gnewman@olympic.edu 7365 104 ENG 

Technical Design 7389 RATY, RON rraty@olympic.edu 7365 202 SHOP 

Technical Design 6552 SANCHEZ, PETER psanchez@oc,ctc.edu 7365 207 BUS 

Theater Arts 7315 HAGAN, TIMOTHY thagan@olympic.edu 7689 101 MUS 

Welding 432-9555 HOBSON, CHRIS chobson@olympic.edu 432-8215 Welding OCS 

Welding 7312 KITCHENS, AL akitchens@olympic.edu 7365 203 SHOP 

Welding 7395 SNELL, KEVIN ksnell@olympic.edu 7365 204 SHOP 

� 


Appendix�2.3.��Inventory�of�degree�programs�that�have�been�added�or�deleted�in�the�last�five�years� 

Year� Program�Status� Certificate/Degree�Level� Curriculum�or�Program� 

2008�09� Added Associate in Technical Arts Environmental Studies 

Deleted Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Professional Food Service Preparation 

Deleted Completion (10 - 19 qtr cr) Naval Marine Electronics Technician 

2007�08� Added Baccalaureate Bachelor of Science in Nursing 

Added Associate in Technical Arts Animation Gaming Production 

Added Associate in General Studies non-transfer degree 

Added Specialization (61 - 89 qtr cr) Chemical Dependency Professional 

Added Specialization (61 - 89 qtr cr) Medical Billing and Coding 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Animation Gaming Production--Module One thru Five 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Apprenticeship Preparation 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Manufacturing 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Sales and Marketing 

2007�08� Deleted Associate in Technical Arts Network Implementation and Support 

Deleted Proficiency (45 - 60 qtr cr) Automotive Technology 

2006�07� Added Associate in Applied Science Physical Therapist Assistant 

Added 

Associate in Applied Science-- 

Transfer Organizational Leadership & Resource Management 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Organizational Leadership & Resource Management 

Added Associate in Technical Arts Information System Specialist 

Added Proficiency (45 - 60 qtr cr) Electronics 

Added Proficiency (45 - 60 qtr cr) Technical Design--Architectural Design 

Added Proficiency (45 - 60 qtr cr) Technical Design--Civil Design 

Added Proficiency (45 - 60 qtr cr) Technical Design--GIS 

Added Proficiency (45 - 60 qtr cr) Technical Design--Mechanical Design 

Added Completion (20 - 44 qtr cr) Technical Design--Architectural Design 

Added Completion (20 - 44 qtr cr) Technical Design--Civil Design 

Added Completion (20 - 44 qtr cr) Technical Design--GIS 

Added Completion (20 - 44 qtr cr) Technical Design--Mechanical Design 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Automotive Technology: Air Conditioning 

Added 

Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) 

Automotive Technology: Brake, Steering & Suspension 

Systems 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Automotive Technology: Electrical and Electronic Systems 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Automotive Technology: Engine Performance 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Automotive Technology: Engine Repair 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Business Management--Supervisory/Human Resource Skills 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Customer Service/Federal Employees 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Electronics 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Exploring Electronics 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) International Cuisine Experience 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Technical Design--Architectural Design 


Year� Program�Status� Certificate/Degree�Level� Curriculum�or�Program� 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Technical Design--Civil Design 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Technical Design--GIS 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Technical Design--Mechanical Design 

Deleted Specialization (61 - 89 qtr cr) Commercial Cooking/Dining Room Service 

2005�06� Added Associate in Arts & Sciences Transfer Curriculum: Geography 

Added Associate in Technical Arts Culinary Arts Institute: Hospitality Management 

Added Associate in Technical Arts Culinary Arts Institute: Sous Chef 

Added Specialization (61 - 89 qtr cr) Culinary Arts Institute: Hospitality Operations 

Added Specialization (61 - 89 qtr cr) Culinary Arts Institute: Lead Cook 

Added Specialization (61 - 89 qtr cr) Fire Service Management & Administration 

Added Proficiency (45 - 60 qtr cr) Fire Science 

Added Proficiency (45 - 60 qtr cr) Photo Manipulation 

Added Completion (20 - 44 qtr cr) Culinary Arts Institute: Hospitality Supervisor 

Added Completion (20 - 44 qtr cr) Culinary Arts Institute: Prep Cook 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Culinary Arts Institute: Cook's Helper 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Fire Science 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Fire Service Management & Administration 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Phlebotomy 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Web Client-Side Development 

Added Recognition (10 - 19 qtr cr) Web Page Design 

Deleted Associate in Technical Arts Fire Science 

� 


Appendix�2.4.��Number�of�degrees�granted�in�each�program�for�the�last�three�years.� 

Program�and�Degree� 2006�2007� 2007�2008� 2008�2009� 

Accounting Technology 31 23 33 

Associate in Technical Arts 19 10 21 

Certificate of Proficiency 12 13 12 

Administrative Office Support 26 21 13 



Automotive Technology 10 22 22 


Certificate of Proficiency 1 1 

Certificate of Recognition 15 17 

Bachelor of Science in Nursing 9 

Baccalaureate 9 

Business Management 26 44 39 



Certificate of Recognition 4 14 16 

Computer Information Systems 10 3 6 

Associate in Technical Arts 1 3 

Certificate of Proficiency 1 


Cosmetology 4 10 3 




Criminal Justice 2 5 2 


Culinary Arts Institute 49 50 55 


Certificate of Completion 22 17 18 


Customer Service Specialist 5 6 3 


Customer Service/Federal Employees 4 29 


Early Childhood Education 24 20 12 

Associate in Applied Science--Transfer 1 1 




Electronics 11 11 2 



Certificate of Recognition 1 

Fire Science 6 35 9 




Human Services 8 33 12 



Industrial Trades Technician 194 260 433 


Certificate of Completion 168 141 

Certificate of Recognition 12 

Information Systems Science 4 2 1 


Integrated Multimedia 12 19 7 


Program�and�Degree� 2006�2007� 2007�2008� 2008�2009� 


Legal Office Professional 10 8 4 



Marine Systems Technology 15 5 4 


Medical Assisting 25 21 18 



Medical Receptionist 9 13 10 


Network Implementation & Support 24 5 6 




Non-transfer 2 

Associate in General Studies 2 

Nursing 50 69 59 


Nursing Assistant 41 57 89 


Organization & Leadership Management 10 8 


Phlebotomy 26 29 19 


Photo Manipulation 2 3 2 



Physical Therapist Assistant 7 9 

Associate in Applied Science 7 9 

Practical Nursing 36 23 23 


Systems Development 2 1 

Associate in Technical Arts 2 1 

Technical Design 130 74 184 


Certificate of Completion 2 



Technical Support 7 9 14 



Transfer 574 583 568 

Associate in Arts & Sciences (DTA) 538 559 366 

Associate in Arts & Sciences Option B 2 1 1 

Associate in Arts (DTA) 174 

Associate in Science--Transfer 34 23 27 

Transition to Associate Degree Nursing 7 15 16 


Web Development 2 6 5 


Welding Technology 80 78 140 




Workplace Technology Skills 1 5 2 


Total� 1461 1590 1873� 

� 


{Standard�Three} 

Students 

Standard�Three

{Standard�Three}� 

Students� 

STUDENT�SERVICES�PURPOSE,�ORGANIZATION,�AND�ASSESSMENT 

Student�Services�Mission� 

Description. Consistent with the mission 

and strategic plan of the College, the Olympic 

College Student Services Mission Statement is 

as follows: 

The�Student�Services�team�provides� 

opportunities�for�the�educational�and� 

personal�development�of�students�through� 

comprehensive�programs�and�services.��We� 

foster�an�environment�that�facilitates� 

student�access,�supports�learning,�teaches� 

individual�responsibility,�and�encourages� 

goal�achievement.� 

The goals of the Student Services 

Division are: 

• To provide students with accurate and 

consistent information. 

• To provide courteous and professional 

services to all of our communities. 

• To collaborate with the campus 

community to assess and respond to 

identified student needs. 

• To communicate effectively with 

students and the community to promote 

awareness of and access to Olympic 

College programs and services. 

• To develop and implement quality 

services that support academic 

achievement. 

All departments within the division have 

missions and goals that are consistent with 

those of the Division and the College. A 

comprehensive Student Services report is 

published annually and reflects the mission and 

goals of the Division as well as those of each 

unit. In addition, each department completes a 

yearly institutional effectiveness plan, which 

includes their mission and establishes outcomes 

and assessments related to a specific program 

or process. Department staff analyze these 

results to determine if programmatic or process 

changes should be made or if further 

assessment is needed. Institutional 

Effectiveness Plans can be found in the 

Standard One exhibits. 

Staffing�and�Human�Resources�� 

Description. The Student Services Division 

is organized to provide effective levels of 

service throughout the College’s service district 

(Figure 3.1 on next page). Student Services staff 

have the appropriate qualifications and 

necessary experience to meet their 

responsibilities (staff resumes are available as 

Standard Three exhibits). Full-time employees 

total seventy-six, which include twenty-eight 

administrative and professional staff, forty-four 

classified staff, and four faculty members. The 

number of part-time staff, faculty, and students 

is 142. Based on Student Service Program 

Review recommendations, staffing levels have 

increased and upgrades in classification have 

occurred in some departments. A Student 

Services statistical staff profile which shows 

degrees held, years of experience and full or 

part-time status is presented in Figure 3.2 on 

page 3-3. 

{Standard�Three} Students 3-1

Figure�3.1.�Student�Services�Organizational�Chart� 

3-2 {Standard Three} Students

�Figure�3.2.��Student�Services�Staff�Profile� 

Exempt/Faculty Classified Students� 

Female� 31 54 50 

Male� 8 39 36 

Degrees� 

Ph. D., Ed. D.� 6 

MD, JD, MSW� 3 

MA, MS, M. Ed.� 21 1 

BA, BS� 9 26 

AA, AAS� 20 

Certificate, etc.� 25 

Years�Experience�in�the�Field� 

Full�time� 

None 2 2 

Less than 5 6 50 84 

5-10 8 12 

11-15 5 13 

16-20 3 12 

More than 20 17 6 

9/10 Months 4 5 

12 Months 28 39 

Part�time�(not�including�student employees) 

9/10 Months 4 18 

12 Months 3 31 

Counseling faculty are evaluated according 

to the collective bargaining agreement, which 

requires a post-tenure evaluation every five 

years. Classified employees are evaluated 

annually as per the classified collective 

bargaining agreement. Administrative exempt 

employees are evaluated annually using results 

from the employee engagement survey along 

with a self-assessment, supervisor assessment, 

and the setting of goals for the coming year. In 

the most recent administrative exempt 

employee evaluation process, a 360-degree 

feedback questionnaire was incorporated. 

Employee responsibilities are clearly defined 

through their respective job descriptions, which 

are periodically reviewed and updated. 

Due to an increased institutional emphasis 

on enrollment over the last few years, 

additional resources and personnel have been 

allocated to focus on entry services by 

emphasizing marketing, advertising, and 

outreach, as well as on efforts to create and 

expand Olympic College's international student 

population. Additional staff have been added in 

the Student Services Division, but due to recent 

state budget cuts some positions have been 

lost. Specifically, most vacant positions have 

not been filled and replacements for 

retirements have not been made. In some 

cases, existing staff have been reassigned to 

cover critical needs. 


In addition to a focus on enrollment, the 

last few years have seen more institutional 

attention to issues of student learning, 

engagement and persistence. A counseling 

position, the Student Success and Persistence 

Counselor, was added in 2007 to provide 

multicultural outreach to facilitate student 

achievement. Due to a retirement in 2008, a 

new counselor was hired to liaise with Adult 

Basic Education/English as a Second Language 

(ABE/ESOL). In addition, Multicultural Services 

added a full-time Program Assistant so that the 

Multicultural Center’s hours of operation could 

be expanded. 

Since the last Self-Study a new facility was 

added in Poulsbo, which began serving students 

winter quarter of 2004. As the student 

population at this site has grown, additional 

services and staff have been coordinated 

and/or added. For example, Poulsbo opened 

with one full-time Student Services 

representative to handle student admissions 

and registration. The staff now includes 

additional part-time support positions and a 

part-time professional advisor as well as 

scheduled services provided by Student Services 

staff from the Bremerton campus. A Branch 

Campus Management Team was formed two 

years ago to provide a venue for working on offsite 

service and program issues. One of the 

initial projects of the group was to develop an 

inventory of how Student Services were 

delivered at the off-site locations, and to work 

toward mutual solutions. 

Analysis.��Since the 2001 Self-Study, 

increased emphasis on delivering services to 

other sites as well as providing electronic 

services has proven challenging as staffing 

levels have not kept pace with the increase in 

hours of operation and service delivery. 

Because all sites experience the same peak 

times, available staff can be stretched to their 

limits. The formation of the Branch Campus 

Management Team has brought these issues to 

light and active steps have been taken to make 

progress in this area. For example, in response 

to the need for advising services at the offcampus 

sites, part-time funding was provided to 

support advising at Shelton and Poulsbo. 

Providing current levels of student services 

district-wide will become more challenging if 

institutional resources continue to decrease. 

Fall quarter 2008 had the highest 

enrollment in the history of the College. As 

enrollment increases, the staffing of high 

volume service areas such as the Student Entry 

and Advising Center, Student Financial Services, 

and Registration and Records becomes a 

greater challenge. These core areas impact 

student enrollment and persistence and are 

often the first impression students have of 

Olympic College. The Division and institution 

must ensure staffing patterns are responsive to 

changing institutional and student needs 

district-wide. 

Physical�Resources� 

Description.� Student Services are located in 

various buildings throughout the Bremerton 

campus. Multicultural Services, Athletics, 

Student Programs and Leadership 

Development, Food Services, and the College 

Bookstore are located in the Bremer Student 

Center (BSC), which was recently remodeled to 

create a more welcoming and useable space for 

students. Access Services for Students with 

Disabilities is located in the Humanities building 

and Career Services is located in the Arts 

complex at the southern edge of the Bremerton 

campus. The Student Entry and Advising Center 

is located in the lower level of the Haselwood 

Library and all other Bremerton services are 

located in the College Service Center (CSC). A 

new Humanities/Student Services building is 

scheduled to open in January 2010. The 

majority of Student Services will be located in 

one building. The Child and Family 

Development Center (CFDC) will be moving to a 

new building in the near future (more 

information can be found in Standard Eight). 

The Shelton and Poulsbo sites each have 

designated Student Services spaces that are 

3-4 {Standard�Three} Students

centrally located for easy student access. OC 

Shelton includes recently remodeled space for 

students that is now a more welcoming and 

useable student area. In the winter of 2008, the 

Student Services area at Poulsbo was 

remodeled to provide private offices for 

advising, counseling, testing, and student 

government. 

Analysis.��Since the last Self-Study, 

significant improvements to the physical 

resources for Student Services have been or will 

soon be implemented, allowing for 

centralization of services as well as updating of 

facilities. The remodel of the Bremer Student 

Center had a positive impact on student 

satisfaction with the facility as indicated by an 

11.2 percent increase in student satisfaction on 

ACT Student Opinion surveys from 2001 to 

2008. 

The new Student Services/Humanities 

building consolidate key services in one location 

providing better access for students. Slated for 

completion in 2010, the new Sophia Bremer 

Child Development Center (SBCDC) will address 

increased student demand for childcare by 

replacing the present childcare facilities, 

bringing the CDFC, Early Head Start, and Head 

Start under the same roof, accommodating 

nearly twice as many children, increasing 

preschool slots by twenty-six percent, and 

providing internships for education and health 

program students. 

�� 

Financial�Resources� 

Description.��Student Services is allocated 

thirteen percent of the institution’s operating 

funds, which is the average for community 

colleges in Washington. In addition, students 

are assessed a student service fee of one dollar 

per credit per term to a maximum of ten dollars 

in any one term. These funds are used to 

provide direct service to students. This fee was 

reapproved by students in May 2002. The fee is 

administered by the Vice President for Student 

Services and can be reviewed by students at any 

time. The student activities fee supports a 

number of services, extra-curricular student 

engagement activities, student leadership 

opportunities, and student government. 

A more inclusive, College-wide strategic 

budgeting process was implemented in 2003 

and budget decisions are based upon linkage to 

the Strategic Plan, including outcomes and 

assessments (for more information, please see 

Standard One). Student Services departments 

base budget requests on Strategic Initiatives, 

departmental outcomes and assessment 

results, as well as the recommendations of 

program review committees. The various 

outcomes and assessments conducted within 

Student Services have proven valuable in many 

cases with regard to securing space and 

resources to expand programs where needed 

and to address changing student demographics 

and needs. 

Figure�3.3.��Satisfaction�with�Student�Community�Center/Student�Union� 

Very� 

Satisfied� 

Satisfied� Neutral� Dissatisfied� 

Very� 


Average� 

Rating� 

2001� 9.1% 30.5% 27.4% 3.7% 0.7% 3.61 

2003� 11.2% 38.0% 24.8% 2.0% 0.8% 3.74 

2004� 12.4% 38.6% 25.3% 2.8% 1.1% 3.73 

2008� 17.5% 33.3% 23.8% 2.6% 0.6% 3.83 

� � 


Analysis.��Since the last Self-Study, the 

percent of the institution’s operating funds 

dedicated to Student Services has remained 

consistent. While adequate to meet current 

student needs, anticipated statewide budget 

cuts and increased enrollment have impacted 

service levels, which is an area of significant 

concern. The budget process gives Student 

Services administrative units an appropriate 

avenue to express resource needs — both in 

times of funding growth and for allocation 

decisions in times of budget decline. 

Policies�and�Procedures�for�Programs�and� 

Services�� 

Description.��Policies and procedures are in 

place and are publicized through various 

modalities to ensure students of their rights and 

responsibilities. These modalities include wide 

distribution of the Student�Handbook, the View,� 

the annual Olympic�College�Catalog, and the 

College website; these publications are 

available as Standard Three exhibits. 

Orientations and college success classes provide 

additional venues for disseminating policies and 

procedures, especially those related to student 

rights and responsibilities such as academic 

progress policies and procedures, grievance and 

appeals processes, and disciplinary procedures.� 

� 

Figure�3.4.��Progress�Levels� 

Information about student rights and 

responsibilities is disseminated to students 

through a variety of formats, including the 

College Catalog, the Student Handbook, and the 

website. The Student Conduct Code provides a 

clear statement of expectations and due 

process for student violations of standards. The 

code covers topics such as academic integrity, 

theft, use of alcohol and controlled substances, 

and disorderly conduct. The campus conduct 

officer is the Vice President of Student Services. 

Due process is consistently followed especially 

with regard to student disciplinary procedures, 

grade and financial aid appeals, and complaint 

processes. Division policies and procedures are 

maintained and kept on file in the Vice 

President of Student Services’ office, and are 

available as Standard Three exhibits. 

The 2008-09 Standards of Academic 

Progress policy is published in the College 

Catalog and is listed on the website and in the 

student handbook. The Standards�of�Academic� 

Progress brochure is available at the Registrar’s 

Office and the Vice President of Student 

Services’ Office. An evaluation of student 

progress occurs each quarter. Students in one 

of four unsatisfactory progress statuses may 

progress through all academic progress levels or 

may be continued on probation until their 

quarterly and cumulative GPA rise above 2.0. 

Appeal procedures and re-entry procedures are 

detailed within the policy. 

� 2007�08� 2006�07� 2005�06� 

Deficiency� 825 951 895 

Continued�on�Deficiency� 95 94 101 

Probation� 208 256 251 

Continued�On�Probation� 79 98 100 

Suspend�one�quarter� 81 100 96 

Readmit�on�Probation� 39 49 27 

Suspend�one�year� 50 54 48 

Readmit�on�Probation� 20 18 21 

TOTALS� 1,397 1,620 1,438� 


Specific division programs are regulated by 

external agencies and have clearly defined 

policies and procedures that adhere to these 

regulations. Examples include: Financial Aid, 

Veterans’ Services, Admissions and Records, 

and grant funded programs such as the 

Transitions Program and Opportunity Grant 

programs. In addition, the College abides by 

the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act and 

publishes information on these policies. 

Programmatic policies and procedures are 

periodically reviewed and assessed to ensure 

relevancy and fairness. The Student Services 

Program Review process includes an analysis of 

unit program components including policies and 

procedures, and recommendations from the 

program review are forwarded to the Vice 

President of Student Services for review. 

Analysis.��Figure 3.4 indicates a smaller 

number of students assigned to at-risk statuses 

when 2007-08 is compared to 2005-06. The 

smaller number between years indicates a 2.9% 

decrease in the total number of students 

assigned under the policy, although the overall 

headcount increased in each of the three 

academic years. Intervention actions have been 

implemented for students who are academic 

jeopardy, including letters recommending 

supportive services; and copies of suspension 

letters are sent to counselors for follow up 

action. 

Over the past three years, the Registrar and 

the counselors have worked together to 

enhance student success through educational 

planning. Starting In spring 2008, a newly 

formed Students At Risk (SAR) subgroup met to 

consider the current College-wide academic 

progress policy and review the Standards of 

Academic Progress (SAP) policies of Financial 

Aid Services and Veteran’s Services, which 

comply with federal and state requirements. 

The current financial aid policy is under 

consideration for change in 2010, but this will 

require discussion with and approval of the 

senior administration, plus planning for 

appropriate lead time for announcement of any 

changes before implementation. The SAR 

group presented the changes of terms to the 

Instructional Policies Council (IPC) and the 

recommendations were approved. 

Recommendations included changing the title 

of the College’s SAP policy to General Academic 

Progress Policy, and the statuses to be termed 

Academic Alert rather than Academic 

Deficiency, and Academic Warning rather than 

Academic Probation. The objective is to 

decrease the alarm and confusion reported by 

students when assigned to such statuses. In 

addition, the change will remedy some 

confusion by reducing the similarity of titles 

with the Financial Aid Standards of Academic 

Progress policy. The subsequent project for the 

group will be to consider other methods of 

identifying and assisting students who may be 

at academic risk with the expectation that 

follow-up will be of assistance. A web-based 

reporting system is being reviewed for 

implementation possibilities. The committee 

has plans to include faculty and staff in the 

discussion. 

Olympic College’s general academic 

progress policy is similar to policies of other 

Washington State community colleges. The 

actions of the Registrar’s Office noted above 

have been supplemented with a Planning�for� 

Success handout (see Standard Three exhibits) 

sent with the warning letters which helps 

students on academic progress status selfidentify 

problems in areas such as approaches 

to studying or personal problems, and contains 

a section for identifying short-term goals and 

action steps. Finally, identification of students 

in an academic at-risk situation has improved 

through enhanced reports of those with a 

quarterly or cumulative GPA of less than 2.0. 

This has led to earlier intervention in many 

instances, and the level of knowledge regarding 

the application of the policy has assisted in a 

procedure that is more straightforward. 

{Standard�Three} Students 3-7 

�

Publications�for�Students�� 

Description.��Staff members from across the 

College community collaborate on the writing 

and production of materials, publications, 

electronic media, and website information to be 

sure that messages are consistent. Information 

about student entry procedures is contained in 

the quarterly View�(schedule of classes),�the 

annual�Olympic�College�Catalog, Student� 

Handbook, program brochures, admissions 

publications, and the College website. These 

venues give students details about 

requirements, procedures, rights, 

responsibilities, academic regulations, degree 

program courses, costs, fees, charges, and 

refund policies. The Olympic�College�Catalog 

and Student�Handbook are published annually. 

The Student�Handbook�is distributed to new 

students with information on conduct, policies, 

plagiarism, academic honesty, ASOC and 

student organizations, services and athletics. A 

variety of departments contribute to these 

publications. 

The Student�Handbook is revised annually 

and reflects changes to the catalog, policies and 

procedures, and student service information. 

At least 5,000 hard copies of the handbook are 

distributed to students, especially new 

students. An on-line copy is available on the 

Olympic College website at: 

http://www.olympic.edu/NR/rdonlyres/A6BF3C3C- 

D14D-400C-8A1B- 

72B5BCA0B010/0/0910Handbook.pdf.�� 

Analysis.��Informational publications have 

been enhanced since the previous Self-Study. 

In 2002, Admissions office staff began a 

complete renewal of outreach materials and 

established a new process for producing 

informational pamphlets and brochures, 

admissions materials, and applications for 

admission. Similarly, registration materials and 

processes were included in procedures manuals 

and publications for the use of students and 

� 

� 

staff. The next major step forward occurred in 

2004 with the expansion of the 

Communications Office, which created 

templates, style guides and review processes to 

improve consistency of style and information 

provided in Olympic College publications. With 

respect to the consistent style and “look” of 

departmental and College-wide print, web, and 

advertising media, there have been great 

improvements in the use of template colors, 

fonts, and layouts. With respect to information 

contained therein, revision dates have been set 

to coincide with the yearly College catalog 

publication. Since 2003, admissions materials 

have been updated following this plan. 

Enhancement of several aspects - style and 

information - together with multiple checks and 

balances has resulted in professional materials 

which accurately reflect College programs. 

As noted in Figure 3.5 “Satisfaction with 

College Catalog/Admissions Publications” (on 

next page), with each of the last four ACT 

surveys, the average rating overall has 

increased from 3.94 to 4.05 indicating greater 

satisfaction with the catalog and Admissions 

Office publications. The 2008-09 Olympic� 

College�Catalog reflected sequential 

information and was arranged to assist the 

student reader in understanding the steps from 

application through graduation. In spring 2009 

a new Admissions publication brought together 

all the university transfer associate degree 

program areas in a smaller booklet useful for 

recruitment fairs and counselors. 

Web page updates have been maintained 

by individuals responsible for information on 

the website. Examples of updates important to 

students include pages for admissions, 

registration, tuition and fees, financial aid, 

Student Entry and Advising, Running Start, 

testing and graduation. The review and update 

of College materials is further explored in 

Standard Nine. 


Figure�3.5.��Satisfaction�with�College�Catalog/Admissions�Publications� 

Very�Satisfied� Satisfied� Neutral� Dissatisfied� 

Very� 


2001� 20.6% 46.3% 19.5% 2.0% 0.7% 3.94 

2003� 23.3% 45.4% 17.6% 2.7% 0.5% 3.99 

2004� 22.3% 48.2% 20.9% 2.2% 1.0% 3.94 

2008� 27.0% 44.8% 18.4% 1.5% 0.4% 4.05 

Source:�ACT�Student�Opinion�Survey� 

� 

Student�Services�Assessment�and�Planning� 

Description.��A variety of methods are used 

to evaluate the appropriateness, adequacy, and 

use of student services and programs. As part 

of overall institutional assessment activities, 

Student Services departments develop and 

implement institutional effectiveness plans on a 

yearly basis (see Standard One). The results of 

yearly assessments are used to improve 

programs, processes, and services (see selected 

examples Figure 3.6 on next page). The Dean of 

Student Development serves as the lead 

assessment coordinator and acts as the liaison 

to the College-wide institutional effectiveness 

and planning committee. 

Another means of assessing student 

services and programs is through the Student 

Services Program Review process. This process 

was initiated in the 2003-04 academic year and 

has proven useful in determining program 

planning, improvement, and resource needs. 

Conducting this review process is the Student 

Services Program Review Oversight Committee, 

comprised of a chair, student services staff and 

administrators, faculty, and a student. As 

implied by the name, this committee is 

responsible for overseeing the overall program 

review process, and members serve multiple 

years in order to bring expertise and 

consistency to the process. 

The program review process begins with 

the oversight committee chair providing the 

committee with the unit self-evaluations and 

reviewing the relevant Council for the 

Average� 

Rating 

Advancement of Standards in Higher Education 

Standards (CAS) and CAS Self-Assessment Guide 

with the committee. The unit self-evaluations 

are completed by the appropriate unit 

administrator and shared with the Unit Program 

Review Committee. This assessment provides 

the Unit Program Review Committee with an 

overview of the program to facilitate the 

development of a program review assessment 

plan, which includes surveys, interviews with 

stakeholders, document and budget review, 

research and analysis of trends, and other 

relevant data and resources. 

Program review results are shared with the 

President’s Cabinet and College Council to 

inform and advocate for changes in programs, 

including requests for additional space and 

resources (selected examples in Figure 3.7 on 

page 3-12). For documents related to student 

services Program Review, including process and 

procedures, program review notebooks, and 

results see Standard Three exhibits. 

Analysis.��Significant progress has been 

made within Student Services since the 2001 

Self-Study with regard to using various 

assessment methods to guide the planning and 

delivery of student services and programs. The 

College Institutional Effectiveness and Planning 

process has been fully integrated into the yearly 

planning and assessment activities of the 

Student Services Division. National surveys 

such as the Community College Survey of 

Student Engagement (CCSSE) and the ACT 

Student Opinion Survey are regularly 

administered and reviewed by Student Services 


personnel. The CCSSE was administered for the 

first time in 2005-06 and then again in 2007-08. 

A comparative analysis of results from 2005-07 

indicates minimal change with regard to overall 

benchmark scores in the support for learners 

� 


First year full-time 

Running Start students 

will make substantial 

progress in meeting 

student outcomes for 

Running Start advising as 

included in the new RS 

Educational Planning 

Workbook. 

Improve student-athlete 

retention 

category, with a .5 increase for 2007. A more 

thorough analysis of survey items pertaining to 

specific services and programs is included 

throughout Standard Three. 

Figure�3.6.��Institutional�Effectiveness�in�Student�Services� 

Running�Start/High�School�Outreach� 


By September 2008 80% of 

a selection of full-time 

Running Start students will 

meet seven of the eleven 

learning outcomes for 

advising their first year. 

Athletics� 

Calculations will be 

determined by comparing 

2005-06 eligibility rosters 

to 2006-07 eligibility 

rosters. Student-athlete 

retention will increase 

from 43% in 2005-06 to 

more than 50% in 2006- 

07. 

Summary�of�Data� 

Collected� 

Ninety-eight percent of 

full-time Running Start 

students who were high 

school juniors met seven 

of the eleven learning 

outcomes for RS advising 

during their first year, 

surpassing the unit 

objective. 105 students 

completed a self 

assessment and met 

individually with RS 

advisors to review their 

progress toward meeting 

learning outcomes. 

Ninety-eight percent of 

students also met eight of 

the eleven outcomes. 

Seventy-eight percent met 

nine of the eleven 

outcomes. 

Student-athlete retention 

increased from 43% in 

2005-06 to 47% in 2006- 

07. 

Use�of�Results 

Assessment of 

student learning 

outcomes for RS 

advising will 

continue in 2008-09. 

Student progress 

toward meeting the 

remaining outcomes 

in their second year 

will be assessed as 

well as assessing 

new students who 

enroll in the 

program. 

Advisors will take a 

larger role in 

assessing outcomes. 

The office will 

expand efforts to 

assist students and 

encourage 

participation in 

activities and 

increased planning, 

particularly to 

identify college 

majors and to plan 

for transfer 

The Athletic 

Department will 

continue to try and 

improve their 

retention rate. The 

counseling office is 

now being used for 

academic advising 

and provides 

assistance to the 

athletic director with 

the orientation 

program. 


Objective� 

Increase the number of 

ABE and ESOL students 

requesting career and 

employment services. 

Olympic College faculty 

members will express 

satisfaction with services 

received at the Testing 

Center 

Figure�3.6.��Institutional�Effectiveness�in�Student�Services�(Cont.)� 


Student data collected by 

Career and Employment 

Services. 

Objective will be met 

when 85% of respondents 

express satisfaction with 

the following Testing 

Center service 

components: 

Accessibility� 

Assistance� 

Availability� 


Consistency� 

Documentation 

� 

Career�Services� 

Testing�Center� 

� 

Summary�of�Data� 

Collected� 

Student data indicates a 

63% increase in the 

number of ABE / ESOL 

students utilizing career 

and employment services. 

The increased number of 

ABE/ESOL students 

registering for career 

services and utilizing the 

Career Center's resources 

is a result of a strategic 

outreach plan. 

Average responses for the 

six components of service 

on a Five-point scale: 

Accessibility 4.9 

Assistance 4.8 

Availability 3.9 

Communications 4.7 

Consistency 4.8 

Documentation 4.8 

Most comments related to 

hours of operations. 

Use�of�Results 

Continue to provide 

career services and 

outreach activities for 

ABE/ESOL students. 

Connect career and 

employment activities to 

ABE/ESOL student 

transition plans. 

Student Achievement 

Initiative Committee -- 

this information could be 

useful in assisting 

students with reaching 

their educational tipping 

point or. 

Adult Basic Education 

Transition Taskforce -- 

data would be useful in 

incorporating career 

development strategies 

into ABE/ I-BEST outreach 

activities and training 

programs. 

An adjustment in hours 

was put into effect in 

summer 2006. 


Figure�3.7.��Selected�Examples�of�Changes�Made�as�a�Result�of�Program�Review�Recommendations.� 

(See�Standard�Three�exhibits�for�complete�program�review�information.)� 

PROGRAM� CHANGES 

Women’s�Programs�&�College�Success� 

2002�03� 

Student�Financial�Aid� 

2003�04� 

Testing�and�Assessment�Services� 

2004�05� 

Career�Services� 

2004�05� 

Access�Services� 

2006�07� 

Admissions�&�Institutional�Outreach� 

2002�03� 

Multicultural�Services� 

2004�05� 

Counseling�Services� 

2007�08� 

The Student Services Program Review 

process has provided a mechanism to for 

thorough analysis of services and programs. It 

results in recommendations for program 

changes as well as highlights of program 

strengths and challenges. The process has 

resulted in significant changes, for example, in 

Student Financial Services, where it was 

recommended that more staff and space 

improvements be provided. As a result, one 

additional staff member was added, a staff 

position was upgraded, and a complete 

remodel of the space was completed to provide 

an environment more conducive to working 

with students in a confidential manner (Student 

Services Program Review examples are available 

as Standard Three exhibits.). 

The Program Review Oversight Committee 

has made changes to the process based upon 

feedback from the respective Unit Program 

Review Committee. One such change was to 

more consistently integrate the Council for the 

Advancement of Standards in Higher Education 

Reallocated time to allow for more on-campus outreach and retention 

activities 

Remodeled and upgraded physical space to create a more positive and 

inviting environment for students and hired additional staff to 

accommodate workload needs 

Designed a centralized testing and assessment center for the new 

Humanities/Student Services building to better serve students 

Secured full-time Office Assistant III and upgraded and increased the 

Program Coordinator position from three-quarter time to full-time to 

strengthen services for students 

Formed a committee to address district-wide accessible technology, 

resulting in the purchase and installation of adaptive software in the 

Accuplacer® lab, Career Center, and open labs at Poulsbo and 

Bremerton campuses 

Developed a consistent message and design for marketing materials 

that are aligned with the website design 

Hired an additional staff member to increase the level of services for 

students 

Increased diversity of counseling faculty and increased focus on 

serving underrepresented and underserved students, including those 

enrolled in Adult Education (ABE/ESOL) 

(CAS) program review standards into the 

process. 

While great strides have been made and in 

many cases results and recommendations have 

been used for program improvement and 

resource allocation, there is a lack of 

consistency across Student Services 

departments in following up on 

recommendations. This is due partly to a lack 

of institutional resources available at the time 

of the unit program review as well as lack of 

staff time to devote to yearly follow-up on 

progress with regard to program review 

recommendations. The Program Review 

Oversight Committee discussed these issues 

and implemented a system reflected in the 

Student Services Program Review guidelines for 

consistently following up on progress. It could 

be beneficial to develop a system to ensure that 

resource needs remain on a prioritized list so 

that when funds become available, these can be 

added to the Student Services budget priorities 

and analyzed to determine whether or not 

these are aligned with the strategic plan. 


ACADEMIC�CREDIT�AND�RECORDS 

Admissions�Policies�and�Procedures�� 

Description.��Olympic College is an opendoor 

admissions institution. Students may 

qualify for admission in one of three ways— 

high school or GED graduation, eighteen years 

of age or older, or a written release from the 

high school district. Any student who wishes to 

enroll for seven or more credits must submit an 

application for general admission. This may be 

done online, or by paper. Those students who 

wish to enroll in six or fewer credits may walk in 

to registration offices and by supplying 

residency and basic information, may register if 

course pre-requisites are met. Usually, 

applicants under the age of sixteen are not 

offered general admission. Admission follow up 

procedures have been established for the 

admissions office staff that address activities 

from inquiry, to prospect, to application. A nine 

to fourteen step follow-up system consists of 

contact through postal mailings, email, 

telephone assistance, campaigns, person-toperson 

interaction, campus tours, information 

listed on the website and a promotional CD. A 

� 

Figure�3.8.��Student�Admissions�Report� 

Evaluation�Year� 

(2008�09)� 

One�Year�Prior� 

(2007�08)� 

computer tracking system is used to follow up 

with prospective applicants, applicants, and 

enrolled students. Materials have been 

developed to increase the professional look of 

admission information sent to prospects and 

applicants. 

Qualified high school juniors and seniors are 

admitted to the Running Start Program and 

their admissions process is overseen by the staff 

of the Running Start Office. Special admission 

criteria are required for some health 

occupations programs (Nursing, Transition to 

Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing, 

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Physical Therapy 

Assistant, Medical Assisting, and Phlebotomy). 

The competitive admission procedures for 

health occupations are noted in special 

application packages and the admission lists are 

coordinated by the admissions office staff, in 

consultation with the Health Occupations 

administration and faculty. 

Two�Years�Prior� 

(2006�07)� 

Applications�Received� 6984 6364 6452 6457 

Admitted� 6984 6364 6452 6457 

Denied� 0 0 0 0 

Enrolled� 4931 4873 4932 4870 

Transfer�Applications� 

Received� 

Readmission� 

Applications�Received� 

Professional�Applications� 

Received� 

Non�Degree�Applications� 

Received� 

Included with 

applications 

received 

Applications for 

readmission are 

not required at OC 

Not recorded 

separately 

Not recorded 

separately 

Three�Years�Prior� 

(2005�06)� 


Analysis. Before 2001, applications for 

admission were not required. The requirement 

for an application for admission is now required 

for all students who wish to enroll in seven or 

more credits. The admissions process was 

added to serve students better–(i.e., to provide 

appropriate, accurate, and consistent 

information in order to help prospective 

navigate students their way into the 

institution). Previously, students entered the 

College in a variety of ways and at various entry 

points. Now they receive consistent attention 

and accurate information. Admission staff have 

several contacts with students in several modes 

(letter, email, phone calls) to assist with 

admission steps, and the admission process 

provides students with a connection to 

resources and answers to questions once the 

quarter has begun. Current admission policies 

are noted in the OC�College�Catalog and reflect 

the open door policy of serving the College’s 

local communities. 

Award�of�Academic�Credit�and�Appropriate� 

Criteria�for�Student�Evaluation� 

Description.��Olympic College honors 

academic credits earned at other regionally 

accredited institutions and subscribes to the 

statewide policy on Inter-College Transfer and 

Articulation among Washington State public 

colleges. In 2007, the College also implemented 

the statewide Common Course Numbering 

(CCN) scheme to facilitate transfer of credit. 

Credit may also be earned through the 

Advanced Placement (AP) program offered by 

the College Board, educational programs 

sponsored by the Armed Forces, College Level 

Examination Program (CLEP), and Defense 

Activity for Non-traditional Education Support 

Subjects Standardized Test (DANTES SST). The 

College complies with Service Members 

Opportunity College (SOC) principles and 

criteria to serve military service members and 

their families. Finally, through the “Direct 

Transcript of Tech Prep Credit” agreement, dual 

college and high school credit may be earned if 

the high school or technical school student has 

earned a B grade or higher in an articulated 

Tech/Prep course. 

Transfer students may transfer up to 

seventy credits toward the ninety credits 

required for an associate degree. Rules for the 

distribution of credits, electives and restricted 

electives within all associate degrees are 

applied. While credit is awarded, the credit 

may or may not be applicable to the degree 

sought. A written statement of the awarded 

credit clearly outlines courses transferred and 

applicability to associate degrees. 

Olympic College accepts transfer credit 

toward associate degrees from other accredited 

institutions if a 2.0 grade or equivalent in each 

transferred course was achieved. Credit is 

awarded based on information obtained from 

catalogs, syllabi, course outlines, and other 

materials and from experienced and 

knowledgeable faculty and staff at Olympic 

College and at the sending institution. 

International students may transfer collegelevel 

credits for comparable courses from 

institutions which are chartered, authorized, or 

sponsored by the nation’s government or 

ministry of education. Credit equivalency 

recommendations from a recognized 

translation service are also considered in the 

transfer of credit. 

Credit may also be awarded by other 

processes: (a) vertical challenge (credit awarded 

for lower courses upon completion of advanced 

courses); (b) credit by examination; and (c) 

advanced placement. For these processes, 

students confer with department faculty and 

credit is applied as per stipulated processes. 

These processes are noted in the SBCTC Policy 

Manual, Guidelines�for�Prior�Learning� 

Assessment (pages 74-76). 

Analysis.��College policies regarding the 

transfer of credit from other accredited 

institutions to Olympic College are consistent 

with NWCCU Policy 2.5: Transfer�and�Award�of� 

Academic�Credit. The formal policies are 

contained in the printed College catalog and the 


website PDF of the College catalog where the 

processes of evaluation of official and unofficial 

credits completed at another institution(s) are 

explained. Additional information and 

instructions on how to apply for transfer credit 

are noted on the website. 

The College provides clear policies and 

procedures for transfer credit. College staff 

members and evaluators apply strict guidelines 

for learning obtained in other organizations and 

work closely with faculty to award appropriate 

credit. The evaluation of transfer credit process 

is in a period of transition at the state level, but 

at OC, the clarification of the Award of Credit 

policy, and the “how to apply” procedure was 

recently approved by the IPC and was included 

in the 2009-10 Olympic�College�Catalog. 

The Common Course Numbering project 

and reciprocity agreements have been 

implemented. A cross-walk manual linking new 

course alpha-numerics and course titles to the 

old designations has been produced, printed 

and distributed by Admissions. A repeated 

course procedure has been established and 

enhanced by registration staff. The process 

requires a staff person to manually review the 

courses identified by an electronic report. 

Degree audit software is anticipated in 2009-10 

for testing and implementation. Three 

registration staff members participated in 

training in 2008, and this training will be 

expanded in 2009. Degree audit is expected to 

simplify and speed the evaluation process and 

award of transfer credits and give students and 

advisors greater tools for self-assistance in 

developing appropriate degrees and “what if” 

scenarios. 

The number of Servicemembers 

Opportunity Colleges (SOC) agreements has 

increased greatly since 2006. These 

agreements are developed for military students 

and detail requirements for their certificates or 

degrees. The agreement guarantees 

transferability of credits toward the student 

goal with other SOC institutions. Quality 

control and final approval is completed by the 

Registrar’s Office evaluators and the Registrar 

for training completed within the military 

following American Council on Education (ACE) 

recommendations. 

Grading�System� 

Description.��Olympic College follows 

recommendations set out by the SBCTC in their 

publication, Standard�Policies�and�Procedures� 

Manual, specifically Chapter Five, “Enrollment 

Reporting and Tuition and Fees,” Chapter Four, 

“Instructional Program and Course 

Development,” and the appendixes noted 

therein. (See: http://www.sbctc.edu/docs/policy 

_manual.pdf) 

The College also follows standard 

procedures set out in the “Academic Record 

and Transcript Guide,” found in the American 

Association of Collegiate Registrars and 

Admissions Officers (AACRAO) publication 

Admissions,�Academic�Records,�and�Registrar� 

Services. Regular consultation with members of 

the state-wide professional group, the 

Admissions and Registration Council (ARC), 

assists the College in the discussion and 

development of processes. In addition, these 

discussions and the recommendations in the 

SBCTC manual and the AACRAO publications 

serve as a guideline for discussions held with 

the IPC. 

The College uses decimal grades 0.7 

through 4.0, rather than a letter scale. Other 

grades used include P/NC (Pass/No Credit), NC 

(no credit), W (withdraw), WP (withdraw 

passing), and WF (withdraw failing). The 

grading policy of the College is stated in the 

Olympic�College�Catalog�and on the College 

website. Definitions are provided to guide the 

awarding of grades, compare decimal to letter 

grades, and provide information on particular 

policies which may affect the grade point 

average. Examples include grade changes, 

grade forgiveness, repeated courses, honors 

designations, and the General Academic 

Progress Policy. 


Grades are submitted to the Office of the 

Registrar by College faculty using the Instructor 

Briefcase (IBC) online option. IBC is a software 

package used by community colleges 

throughout the Washington State system. A 

small number of instructors submit their grades 

by paper grade roster. Grades are then 

transcripted and available to students within 

three days of the submission deadline. Grade 

changes are accepted with appropriate 

documentation from instructors. 

Analysis.��The grading system is secure, and 

follows state and national standards. 

Non�Credit�Classes�� 

Description.��Two types of non-credit classes 

are offered at the College: (a) Adult Basic 

Education/English as a Second Language 

(ABE/ESL), and (b) continuing education. The 

non-credit options are easily discernable by the 

numbering system. These courses are 

numbered at less than 090 in the course 

numbering system and are not listed on the 

transcript. Definitions of continuing education 

and non-credit short courses are listed in the 

Olympic�College�Catalog. Also, each degree 

listed in the catalog indicates credits required 

and stipulates that continuing education credits 

� 

may not be applied toward degrees or 

certificates. 

Continuing education and community 

interest offerings are listed in the quarterly 

publication, the View, in a section separate 

from the credit classes. Non-credit online 

classes (Education To Go) are also listed in that 

same section. Policies regarding non-credit 

classes are clear and appropriately noted in key 

College publications. 

Occasionally, a continuing education course 

may carry 100 level or above course 

designations. Those designated courses are 

coordinated through the appropriate 

instructional division and have regular 

expectations for attendance, assignments, 

testing and grades. 

Analysis.��The headcount for classes offered 

through ABE/ESL has increased overall for the 

last four years, based on reporting in the 

quarterly enrollment reports issued by the 

Registrar’s office (Figure 3.9) The registration 

impact of these increases has been handled at 

all campuses by the Online Access to Student 

Information System (OASIS) and in-person 

registration processes by staff. Continuing 

Education class registrations are distributed and 

handled across all campuses. 

Figure�3.9��Satisfaction�with�Purposes�for�which�Student�Activity�fees�are�used� 

Quarter�by�Year� 

Summer�2005� Summer�2006 Summer�2007 Summer�2008� Summer�2009 

Gross�FTE� 105 120 162 167 149 

Headcount� 191 243 356 310 325 

� Fall�2004� Fall�2005 Fall�2006 Fall�2007� Fall�2008 

Gross�FTE� 174 167 219 267 301 

Headcount� 374 311 410 493 527 

� Winter�2005� Winter�2006 Winter�2007 Winter�2008� Winter�2009 

Gross�FTE� 184 208 237 271 324 

Headcount� 312 363 456 480 567 

� Spring�2005� Spring�2006 Spring�2007 Spring�2008� Spring�2009 

Gross�FTE� 174 244 256 307 326 

Headcount� 374 429 503 525 609 


Transfer�Credit� 

Description.��Transfer credit is accepted 

from accredited institutions or from other 

institutions under procedures which provide 

adequate safeguards to ensure high academic 

quality and relevance to students’ programs. 

Implementation of transfer credit policies is 

consistent with NWCCU Policy 2.5: Transfer�and� 

Award�of�Academic�Credit. The final judgment 

for determining acceptable credit for transfer is 

the responsibility of the receiving institution. 

Analysis.��Olympic College provides clear 

guidelines to students and follows state 

guidelines with regard to the award of credit. 

Security�of�Student�Records� 

Description.��Student records are 

maintained electronically through the 

Washington State College Web Admissions 

Center and downloaded into the Student 

Management System (SMS) or in a fireproof 

vault. Records of transfer credit, credit by 

exam, independent study, grade changes, etc., 

are also maintained in the vault. For Running 

Start, paper documents indicating courses 

which satisfy both high school and community 

college graduation requirements are kept for six 

years. Documents are retained according to the 

General�Retention�Schedule published by the 

SBCTC and approved by the State Records 

Committee. Letters of admission are 

maintained in an electronic data base. 

Current student paper files are stored in the 

Registrar’s office fireproof vault, which also has 

a sprinkler and water alarm system. Electronic 

records are backed-up nightly on the HP 3000 

by IT staff. After a period of non-attendance, 

paper documents are microfilmed. Microfiche 

of paper documents and quarterly transcript 

files are stored in the Registrar’s vault and at a 

secure location off campus (bank vault). 

For disaster recovery purposes, duplicate 

computerized records of electronic 

transactions, Management Information System 

(MIS) reports, student records, etc., the SBCTC 

maintains electronic records in a secure off-site 

location. Records of students who attended 

prior to computerization of records in 1985 

were microfilmed and stored as above, plus 

paper copies of the transcripts are stored in the 

vault. Microfilmed files (reel) and microfiche 

cards are kept in the vault and at a secure offcampus 

location. 

FERPA regulations are stipulated in College 

Policy 300-07 which was approved by the Board 

of Trustees in 2006. Written consent is 

required to release certain types of information 

to others or to comply with third party requests 

and verifications. Procedures are in place for 

students to request access to their student file 

information. 

Employees are required to take FERPA 

training before access is given to electronic 

student records. This training is available online 

at the College website. Employees who need 

access to student records to fulfill their jobrelated 

responsibilities are required to 

undertake the training and sign a security 

agreement indicating they are aware of FERPA 

requirements. Users are assigned levels and 

areas of access, with login and passwords 

required to be changed on a regular basis. SMS 

contains reporting screens which record 

transactions based on dates, times, changes, 

and individuals making the changes. 

The release of information policy is included 

with College policy 300-07, along with directory 

information regulations. Directory information 

procedures are listed in the College catalog. 

Students may access their own computer 

student file information through OASIS with use 

of a student identification number and 

password. 

� � 


Analysis.��The security of student records is 

appropriate and includes disaster recovery. The 

access controls in place for electronic and paper 

records protect student information and social 

security numbers. Students can request that 

their information not be released. The 

Registrar’s office complies appropriately with 

the National Clearinghouse requirements for 

information. 

Graduation�Requirements� 

Description.��Program graduation 

requirements are listed in the Olympic�College� 

Catalog, on the website, and in various program 

brochures available through the admissions 

office. General and specific requirements for 

various certificates and degrees are listed, along 

with requirements for distribution for the 

Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Arts and 

Science(AAS), Associate of Technical Arts (ATA), 

Associate of Science-Transfer (AST), etc. 

Applications for graduation are available online 

and in paper documents. Appropriate 

reference to the Student Right-to-Know Act is 

included in required publications (graduation 

application, View, OC�Catalog, web) 

Certificate and degree evaluations for 

graduation purposes are conducted by staff 

members within the Registrar’s office. 

Substitutions, waivers and exemptions are 

sometimes received and granted for 

SERVICES�FOR�STUDENTS 

Student�Characteristics�and�Needs� 

Description.��Olympic College identifies the 

characteristics of its student population each 

fall quarter. Figure 3.10 on next page reflects 

student characteristics from 2004 through 

2008. Since the last Self-Study there have been 

significant increases in most categories. The 

percentage of students indicating workforce 

development as their goal increased by twentyfive 

percent since 2004. This was reflected in a 

professional and technical degrees and 

certificates with communication of approval by 

the faculty and division deans to the Registrar. 

Transfer degree substitutions, waivers and 

exemptions are submitted by potential 

graduates to the Registrar. The Registrar 

reviews all such requests from all degree areas. 

An appeal procedure has been established for 

students who wish to pursue requests which 

are denied. The Admissions, Registration, and 

Graduation Appeal Committee (ARGAC) meets 

as needed to consider such requests. 

Analysis.��The degree completion and 

graduation evaluation process is conducted 

quarterly and is tightly controlled for certificate 

and degree requirements and timeliness. 

Relatively few appeals are received. Appeals 

which cannot be handled through the Registrar 

are forwarded to the ARGAC. Three appeals or 

fewer have been received in each of the last 

five years as indicated by ARGAC files. 

Completion of certificates and degrees are 

entered on the official transcript. Verification 

of certificates and degrees is carried out by the 

Registrar’s office staff under the office’s 

directory information policy. Registration and 

Records staff members are working with the 

National Clearinghouse to establish the Degree 

Verify process. The effective date for changes 

to degrees will become more important once 

the degree audit software has been 

implemented.� 

large increase in the number of certificates 

awarded: 434 in 2003-04 and 681 in 2007-08. 

The number of students who intended to 

transfer increased slightly. Student headcount 

has increased by 14% since 2004 and the 

percentage of part-time students remains 

slightly higher than full-time students. The 

student population continues to be younger 

and the racial and ethnic diversity has increased 

significantly, especially in the multi-racial/other 

categories. 


Figure�3.10.��Student�Characteristics�� 

FALL�QUARTER�STUDENT�CHARACTERISTICS 

Fall�Quarter %�Change� %�Change 

2004� 2005� 2006 2007 2008 2007�08� 2004�08 

# # # # # % 

Total�Headcount� 7,111 7,536 7,646 7,552 8,102 7% 14% 

Full-time 

3,308 3,447 3,514 3,321 3,545 44% 7% 7% 

(12+ Credits) 

Part-Time 3,803 4,089 4,127 4,193 4,555 56% 9% 20% 

Total�First�time*� 2,055 2,155 2,216 2,072 2,229 8% 8% 

Full-time 862 876 880 806 952 39% 18% 10% 

Part-time 1,193 1,279 1,336 1,266 1277 61% 1% 7% 

(*First-time OC Student Summer or Fall) 

Kind�of�Student 

Transfer 3,089 3,160 3,077 3,024 3,157 40% 4% 2% 

Workforce 2,973 3,297 3,353 3,191 3,715 42% 16% 25% 

Basic Skills** 346 338 412 465 440 6% -5% 27% 

Other 703 741 799 834 788 11% -6% 12% 

(**Basic Skills as a Final Goal) 

Gender 

Male 3,101 3,316 3,256 3,149 3,409 41% 8% 10% 

Female 

Race/Ethnicity 

4,010 4,220 4,385 4,365 4,649 57% 7% 16% 

Asian 538 516 501 519 527 7% 2% -2% 

African American 204 192 210 232 281 3% 21% 38% 

American Indian 108 135 115 129 114 2% -12% 6% 

Hispanic 189 157 184 196 172 3% -12% -9% 

Pacific Islander/Native 

38 56 67 70 89 1% 27% 134% 

Hawaiian 

White 5,264 1,519 1,457 5,236 5,641 69% 8% 7% 

Alaskan Native 3 3 7 6 9 0% 50% 200% 

Multi-Racial 149 269 353 426 491 6% 15% 230% 

Other/Not Reported 613 676 730 700 751 9% 7% 23% 

International 5 12 17 27 24 0% -11% 380% 

Students�with� 

Disabilities� 

402 447 450 434 507 6% 17% 26% 

Average�Credit�Load� 10 10.8 9.8 9.7 9.7 

Full-time 13.4 14.4 14.5 14.5 14.5 

Part-time 5.6 5.8 5.8 6.0 6.0 

Median�Age 24.7 24.4 24.6 24.5 24.7 1% 0% 

Under20 

2,024 2,110 2,059 2,081 2,243 27% 8% 11% 

20-29 2,552 2,840 2,858 2,836 3,009 37% 6% 18% 

30-39 1,249 1,194 1,255 1,184 1,297 15% 10% 4% 

40+ 1,286 1,392 1,457 1,401 1,537 18% 10% 20% 

NOTE: Kind of Student, Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Disability and Age are based on Student Reported Data. 

Source:��Olympic�College�Data�Warehouse� 


The demographics of students attending 

the Poulsbo site are similar to those on the 

Bremerton campus, while Shelton has a 

significantly higher proportion of students 

indicating Basic Skills as their reason for 

attending college. In addition, the Shelton site 

has a higher percentage of part-time students, 

(sixty-nine percent) compared to Bremerton 

(fifty-six percent) and Poulsbo (fifty-eight 

percent). The Shelton student population 

includes a higher percentage of American Indian 

and Hispanic students than the other two sites.� 

Required Student-Right-to-Know data 

produced by the Integrated Post-Secondary 

Education System (IPEDS) 2007-08 report 

indicates the overall graduation rate for fulltime, 

first-time degree seeking undergraduates 

at Olympic College within 150 percent of 

normal time to degree completion at thirty 

percent. The IPEDS comparison college group 

median was twenty-two percent. White non- 

Hispanic graduation rates were thirty-two 

percent at Olympic while Black non-Hispanic 

rates were six percent at Olympic College and 

thirteen percent at comparison group colleges. 

Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander rates were 

at or above the overall graduation rate. 

According to IPEDS data, the full-time student 

retention rate was fifty-eight percent and the 

part-time rate was thirty-seven percent, which 

was comparable to other colleges. 

Analysis.��Student data informs program 

development and service delivery throughout 

the district, and the use of assessment 

information is reflected throughout this report. 

One major trend as noted above is the increase 

in workforce development as a student goal. 

Part of this increase is due to the SBCTC policies 

and funding to support such programs, such as 

Worker Retraining, Opportunity Grant, and 

Integrated Basic Education & Skills Training (I- 

BEST) in order to meet community needs for an 

educated workforce. Additional programs and 

services have been instituted to address these 

needs, such as increased advising and case 

management services, as well as increased 

financial aid support. An increase in Basic Skills 

students, especially at the Shelton site, has led 

to the hiring of an additional full-time tenure 

track Adult Education faculty member to serve 

Shelton. The increase in student diversity could 

be a result of the expansion of Multicultural 

Services and programs, which increased 

strategies and programs to recruit and retain a 

diverse student body. One such example is the 

Bremerton High School outreach program, 

which focuses on transitioning first generation 

students to Olympic College. 

Student�Support�and�College�Success� 

Description.��The College’s focus on student 

achievement has resulted in strong 

collaborations between Student Services and 

instructional areas, which have led to a Collegewide 

plan that is aligned with the institutional 

Strategic Plan related to serving underserved 

students and creating a comprehensive student 

learning and success program. To view the 

College-wide plan, please see Standard Three 

exhibits. 

In 2006-07 the SBCTC implemented the 

Student Achievement Initiative, a state-wide 

effort to promote student learning and 

persistence from the Adult Basic Education 

(ABE) level to pre-college to college level. The 

Student Achievement Initiative was designed to 

focus on student improvements that could be 

influenced by colleges implementing strategies 

to improve achievement according to the 

diverse needs and characteristics of their 

students and local communities. The Initiative 

includes six “momentum” points that represent 

critical steps in student progress. Two of the 

momentum points directly measure first year 

college-level progress. They are gained for 

earning the first fifteen and thirty college-level 

credits. Another point is earned for the first 

five college-level credits in a math class that 

meets the requirement for computation 

(applied degree) or quantitative reasoning 

(transfer degree). These points presume levels 

of college readiness and not all entering 


students are college ready. To address this, 

momentum points are given for student 

progress in Adult Basic Education, 

developmental English, and mathematics. The 

measures were developed based upon national 

research, and the Columbia University 

Community College Research Center assisted in 

empirically testing the measures. Improvement 

for individual colleges is measured as growth in 

total momentum points achieved from one year 

to the next. The first performance funding year 

is 2008-09 and total points gained will be 

compared to the base year (2006-07). The 

2007-08 year was considered the learning year 

and points garnered in that year will be 

included in the gains made in 2008-09. 

Figure�3.11� 

� 

Analysis.��In 2007-08 OC implemented three 

strategies to increase student achievement of 

the six momentum points. These strategies 

were: the Mentoring and Advising for 

Persistence and Success (MAPS) program, The� 

Making�of�a�Life; a learning community that 

combined developmental and college-level 

course work; and the development of a math 

study center. Figure 3.11 indicates Olympic 

College student achievement progress with 

regard to momentum points and assessment of 

point gains related to specific strategies 

implemented in 2007-08. 


�

As noted in Figure 3.12, specific strategies 

implemented had an impact on student 

progression. The points per student for all 

students except for those in the MAPS program 

was .73, while the Keys to College and Career 

learning community averaged 1.0 points, the 

MAPS (Mentoring and Advising for Persistence 

and Success) students averaged 1.83 points per 

student and the integrated Making�of�a�Life 

Learning Community averaged 2.75 points per 

student. In addition to the above strategies 

implemented in 2007-08, new Student 

Achievement Initiative strategies were 

implemented fall 2008 and included an 

orientation class, developmental learning 

communities, an ABE faculty seminar series that 

addresses pedagogy and improved learning for 

students, and teaching assistants for 

developmental mathematics courses. 

Assessment data will be compiled at the end of 

the 2008-09 academic year and will include 

student learning, student persistence, and 

momentum points gained. The Student 

� 

Figure�3.12� 

Achievement Initiative is available as a Standard 

Three exhibit. Preliminary fall 2008 data 

indicate that strategies are having the desired 

impact as points per student increased in the 

areas of Basic Skills, first fifteen College Credits, 

and Completions.�� 

Olympic College’s Student Achievement 

Initiative Committee is made up of 

approximately twenty-five faculty and 

administrators from Instruction and Student 

Services. They meet regularly, approximately 

twice a month, and have formed sub-groups 

supporting the strategies discussed above. The 

Student Achievement Initiative Committee has 

been successful in advocating for College 

resources. Last year (2008-09), more than 

$75,000 was spent supporting strategies 

specifically targeted by the Student 

Achievement Committee. In 2009-10 about 

$119,000 has been allocated to continue these 

efforts. 


The work of the Student Achievement 

Initiative Committee has crossed traditional 

boundaries and led to cross-campus 

collaborations to create and implement 

strategies that improve student learning and 

achievement such as the creation, 

implementation, and assessment of 

developmental learning communities. Based 

upon the assessments noted above, Olympic 

College is successfully addressing student 

learning and achievement through specific 

targeted strategies. Olympic College is part of a 

national longitudinal study conducted by the 

Columbia University Community College 

Research Center, which will analyze student 

success and goal attainment to determine if the 

strategies and methods implemented can be 

used as a model for impacting student 

persistence and achievement nationally. The 

President and his executive team are 

committed to ongoing support of this initiative. 

Student�Diversity� 

Description:��The College recognizes the 

diversity of its students and provides specific 

services and programs designed to address 

these diverse needs. Since the 2001 Self-Study, 

Multicultural Services has developed a 

comprehensive program with a focus on 

student retention through intentional student 

interactions, empowering students with the 

knowledge and skills to navigate the college 

system, inclusive programming, relocating 

services, and institutionalization of diversity. 

The office was moved from an administrative 

building (the College Service Center) to the 

Bremer Student Center where students have 

more immediate access. Also, a Diversity 

Advisory Committee (DAC), comprised of cross 

campus representatives was developed in 2003. 

The goals of the committee are to provide 

leadership by integrating diversity of ideas, 

cultures, and visions into: instructional design, 

development, and delivery; hiring practices and 

continuing development of staff; academic and 

support needs of traditionally 

underrepresented populations; and the 

assessment and enhancement of campus 

climate. DAC recommendations and progress 

are available as Standard Three exhibits. 

Diverse programs and events are offered 

throughout the year, many of which are cosponsored 

with Student Programs, Counseling, 

Access Services, International Student Services, 

and Women’s Programs and College Success. 

Events are coordinated with faculty to support 

diversity within the curriculum. In addition, a 

variety of student clubs exist that represent the 

diversity of the student interests, cultures, and 

experiences. 

The Multicultural Services Center (MSC) 

functions as a community within the College. 

The fundamental philosophy behind how 

services are provided differs from traditional 

methods. There has been an intentional effort 

to develop culturally responsive practices which 

have been modified to fit available resources. 

There are three main foci of the MSC: 

administrative issues, community partnerships, 

and direct student service. 

In an effort to better address diversity 

issues institutionally, the DAC agreed to support 

the use of the Diversity Assessment Framework 

(DAF) to assess institutional diversity and make 

recommendations to the president and Cabinet. 

The DAF was developed by the State Board in 

collaboration with the Washington Center, and 

representatives from the Multicultural Student 

Services Directors’ Council, the Student Services 

Commission, and the Instruction Commission. 

Olympic College was one of two schools in the 

system to pilot the assessment. Upon the 

recommendation of the Diversity Advisory 

Committee, the Board of Trustees adopted a 

Diversity Resolution (Appendix 3.1). One of the 

implementation procedures of the resolution 

was to administer the DAF every other year. 

DAC recommendations, Cabinet responses, and 

their current status are available as Standard 

Three exhibits. 


Two of the successes of the diversity 

program are the acceptance of serving underserved 

students as an institutional priority, and 

Integration of counseling services in the 

Multicultural Center. As a strategic focus on 

serving under-served students has become an 

institutional priority, program and service 

changes have been implemented. For example, 

the Mentoring and Advising for Persistence and 

Success (MAPS) program was created and is 

supported by the Counseling Department and a 

MAPS advisor. This program provides direct 

support for first generation, low income 

students and has proven effective in retaining 

students (Figure 3.12). In addition to 

personalized academic advising by the MAPS 

advisor and a faculty/staff mentoring 

component, the Counseling Department 

regularly provides outreach services to students 

through the Multicultural Center. There, a 

counselor works with students in groups and 

individually to assist with educational and 

career planning, as well as providing personal 

counseling services as needed. The Institutional 

Effectiveness plan for Multicultural Services 

reflects the success of these interventions and 

is available as a Standard Three exhibit. 

In addition to the work of Multicultural 

Services, the Students in Need Group (SING) 

was formed last year to begin strategically 

addressing students in or near poverty. Several 

initiatives are underway as result of SING, 

including: student-run food banks at the three 

campuses; committees addressing basic needs 

and financial resources (such as housing, 

homelessness, transportation, nutrition, etc.) 

and financial resources, and a website that 

includes a comprehensive listing of community 

resources (http://www.olympic.edu/Students 

/StudentServices/SING). 

Women’s Programs and College Success 

provides information and referral services for 

Olympic College students and for the 

community. This office promotes educational 

experiences that enrich the collegiate 

experience for all, regardless of culture, 

heritage, age, gender identity, or belief system. 

In addition, Women’s Programs and College 

Success fosters an appreciation for diverse 

learning styles and learning environments. One 

of its primary services is the Keys�to�College�and� 

Career�Program, a five-credit learning 

community that is designed to help people in 

transition identify career and educational goals 

to become self-sufficient. 

Veterans’ Services has been actively 

involved in the development of a Veterans’ 

Support Team — a group that has identified 

existing campus programs and services that can 

effectively collaborate to improve student 

veteran access to Olympic College’s academic 

programs and support services. A key activity 

of this group has been to promote faculty and 

staff awareness of veterans’ issues and needs 

by hosting presenters, webinars, and workshops 

on topics related to serving veterans. 

Access Services for Students with 

Disabilities facilitates access to educational 

programs and services for students with 

disabilities and works with the campus 

community to foster an environment that 

welcomes full participation in their academic 

experience. Services, accommodations, and 

academic adjustments are determined 

individually and may include test 

accommodations, note-taking services, sign 

language interpreters, materials in alternate 

format, assistive technology, and specialized 

furniture or equipment. In 2007-08, eighty-five 

percent of academic students and seventyseven 

percent of professional and technical 

students who utilized these services and/or 

accommodations either met their goal or 

persisted two or more quarters in the academic 

year. This contrasts significantly with students 

who were not registered with Access Services or 

utilizing services (fifty-six percent and fifty-two 

percent respectively). 


100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

85% 

56% 

Analysis.��The diversity of the Olympic 

College student population has increased over 

the last five years, including an increase in the 

number of students of color, an increase in 

students with disabilities, and an increase in the 

number of Adult Basic Education students. 

Olympic College added four questions to 

the ACT Student Opinion Survey that were 

specific to diversity and multiculturalism. 

Responses showed an increase in students who 

reported that they agreed and strongly agreed 

that “Faculty at Olympic College use examples 

relevant to my cultural group in their lectures,” 

moving up from 28.5 percent in 2003 to 32.6 

percent in 2008. When asked if they felt that 

students of different racial or ethnic groups 

participated equally in classroom activities, 

there was an increase in those who strongly 

agreed from 22.5 percent in 2003 to 28.5 

percent in 2008. Students reported an increase 

from twenty-three percent in 2003 to 32.2 

percent in 2008 in response to whether Olympic 

College is a comfortable environment and free 

from harassment of any kind (racial, sexual, 

other) for all students. These results are 

positive and support the effectiveness of 

diversity efforts on campus. 

One question that is of some concern was, 

“I feel I need to minimize various characteristics 

of my racial-ethnic or social/cultural group to fit 

in.” Students who strongly agreed and agreed 

3.13.��Persistence�Rates� 

77% 

52% 

Academic Professional Technical 

Students with disabilities 

registered with Access Services 

Students with disabilites not 

registered with Access Services 

rose slightly—from 10.1 percent in 2003 to 12.5 

percent in 2008. While a 2.4 percent increase 

over a five year period is not statistically 

significant, it is a cause of concern for the 

College and will be monitored. 

The placement of the Student Success and 

Persistence Counselor within the Multicultural 

Services Center had positive results with 100 

percent of students surveyed responding 

positively to questions regarding their personal 

educational plans (i.e., whether or not they had 

one and if they felt it was helping them stay on 

track). The students have responded so well to 

the placement of a counselor in the 

Multicultural Center that Multicultural Services 

and Counseling Services will continue to provide 

a broader range of support services. In 

addition, the placement of a math tutor in the 

center has had a positive impact: 100 percent of 

the students who have used the tutor 

progressed to the next math level. A database 

has been specifically designed to help the 

College better track students and target 

services. 

Student�Placement� 

Description.��Assessments for placement 

into English and mathematics courses are 

administered on the Bremerton campus 

through the Student Entry and Advising Center 


(SEAC) and also at off-campus sites. The College 

transitioned from using COMPASS® and ASSET® 

assessments developed by American College 

Testing (ACT) to Accuplacer® assessment 

developed by the Educational Testing Service 

(ETS) in 2006. An independent consultant was 

brought in to assist with the change, which 

included extensive research and analysis to 

inform the development of appropriate cut 

scores. The mathematics assessment is an 

adaptive test and students start in the 

elementary algebra level. Depending on their 

skills, the mathematics portion of the 

assessment may route students to college-level 

mathematics or to arithmetic. Accuplacer® was 

implemented in winter 2006 and validation 

studies conducted by an independent expert 

occurred in the spring of that year. The 

consultant worked closely with the 

mathematics and English departments to 

review the data and determine appropriate cut 

scores. 

Students are guided in course placement 

through a system of prerequisites, which are 

published in the quarterly View at the beginning 

of relevant course descriptions. Some are 

recommended prerequisites and others are 

mandatory and enforced through the 

registration process. Prerequisite blocks exist 

for English composition, mathematics courses, 

and many science and computer science 

courses. A prerequisite block may be overcome 

by having an appropriate placement test score, 

by achieving a grade of C or better in a 

prerequisite course, or by special permission 

from the faculty member who teaches the class. 

In addition to registration prerequisite blocking, 

a quarterly report is prepared for math faculty 

providing test scores and previously earned 

grades in mathematics. Faculty may 

administratively drop students who have not 

completed appropriate prerequisites. 

In addition to this system of prerequisites, 

many professional and technical faculty work to 

properly place students who may have obtained 

prior knowledge or competency in a given field. 

The vertical challenge procedure is often used 

to facilitate advancement in such cases. 

The English Department has developed a 

comprehensive developmental curriculum to 

address the gap between students who 

demonstrate acceptable reading levels and 

students whose reading deficiencies are below 

college level. The English Department faculty 

and the Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities 

have designed this curriculum to address the 

assessed reading needs of these students and 

course offerings have been expanded both in 

number of courses and in number of credit and 

contact hours. Placement in these courses is 

mandatory for students with assessed 

deficiencies. 

In addition to assessment for placement 

purposes, SEAC also administers Accuplacer® to 

students who need to demonstrate an “ability 

to benefit” for financial aid eligibility, if they do 

not possess a high school diploma or 

equivalent. According to federal regulations, a 

student can only be eligible for financial aid if 

they have received a high school diploma, 

passed a GED, or Ability-to-Benefit test. 

Analysis.��Accuplacer® has proven to be a 

more stable program for students. The version 

of COMPASS® used at the College was 

extremely sensitive to server interruptions and 

frequently “crashed” in the middle of student 

sessions. Accuplacer® is web-based and much 

less sensitive to disruptions to the web 

connection. Additionally, Accuplacer® has 

proven to be more accessible as students who 

have not yet moved to the College service 

district may take an assessment in their current 

location. The ability to allow approved proctors 

access to the actual OC placement assessment 

is much more flexible than the previous 

product. 

The members of the mathematics faculty 

have some concerns regarding Accuplacer® 

placement results and have requested a 

validation study be conducted, for the purpose 


of considering revision of cut-scores for 

placement. They are currently revising the pre- 

College curriculum, which will include a revision 

of cut-scores for placement. 

Placement for English classes is determined 

by reading comprehension and sentence-level 

analysis scores from the Accuplacer® 

assessment. The English Department 

conducted an assessment study in 2007-08 that 

required students to complete writing prompts 

at the beginning and end of each quarter, which 

were scored by instructors. A holistic scoring 

method was used and instructors found this an 

efficient and effective method for determining 

writing skill level. This process allows English 

faculty to provide a refined assessment of 

student writing ability to determine whether 

students are in the proper course as well as an 

opportunity to assess skill gains at the end of 

the course. The English Department will 

continue work on this assessment project. 

Orientation� 

Description.��Orientation for new students 

occurs through specialized and general 

orientation activities. Examples of targeted or 

specialized sessions can be found in Adult Basic 

Skills, the International Student Program, 

Running Start, and the Early Childhood and 

Family Development Center. New student 

advising sessions contain an orientation 

element — including an online version. The 

SEAC provides information, assessment, 

orientation, and advising to assist new students 

in entering Olympic College. The addition of 

web-based services to provide advising-related 

resources and links to transfer institutions 

allows students to access resources anytime. A 

one-credit Orientation�to�College�class has been 

piloted as part of the Student Achievement 

Initiative. New students are especially being 

encouraged to take this course. 

� 

� 

Orientation�to�College�is unique in that it 

has the potential to involve many departments 

on campus, working toward a common goal of 

kick-starting a student’s experience at Olympic 

College. The most recent course included 

participation from IT, the bookstore, Career 

Center, Student Programs, full-time faculty, the 

ASOC, the Writing Center, the library, and 

Multicultural Services. 

Student Programs and Leadership 

Development offers a new student open house 

the week prior to the start of fall classes. The 

ASOC Vice Presidents of the Shelton and 

Poulsbo sites also offer a new student event in 

the fall. During the first week of classes, 

volunteers staff welcome booths in high traffic 

locations to answer new student questions and 

direct students to campus locations as needed. 

Analysis.��According to the 2008 ACT 

Student Opinion Survey, many students did not 

realize that orientation programs existed at 

Olympic College. This indicates a need for 

better marketing of the program. A one-credit 

Orientation�to�College�class has been piloted as 

part of the Student Achievement Initiative and 

assessment data indicates that the class 

contributes positively to student retention. The 

retention rate of students who completed 

General Studies 101 was 95.6 percent from fall 

2008 to winter 2009, with students registering 

for an average credit load of 12.4 credits for 

winter. Pre- and post-tests were also 

administered in the course, indicating 

improvement in students’ understanding of 

eight key areas: academic planning, email 

access, career services, strategies for student 

success, financial aid, campus resources, 

diversity, and OC mission, vision and values. 

Student satisfaction with College 

orientation has improved since 2001, which 

could reflect increased efforts to enhance the 

new student experience at Olympic College. 


�� 

Figure�3.14.��Satisfaction�with�College�services:��College�orientation�program� 

Very� 

Satisfied� Satisfied� Neutral� Dissatisfied� 

Very� 


2001� 18.6% 41.0% 21.8% 9.0% 3.2% 3.67 

2003� 19.5% 44.4% 23.7% 7.0% 1.9% 3.75 

2004� 18.8% 41.2% 28.3% 4.8% 1.5% 3.75 

2008� 22.3% 40.4% 27.5% 3.8% 1.9% 3.81 

� 

Advising� 

Description.��The Northwest Commission on 

Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) Regular 

Interim Report for Olympic College completed 

in April 2006 included the following 

recommendation: 

Olympic�College�should�continue�efforts� 

made�toward�improvement�of�the�advising� 

process.��Particular�attention�should�be�paid� 

to�advising�that�is�seamless�through�a� 

student’s�college�experience,�from�the�initial� 

orientation�through�the�point�of�exiting.� 

A progress report addressing this 

recommendation was submitted to the NWCCU 

in October 2006. Since that time, inclusion of 

an advising-specific Strategic Initiative in the 

2007-09 Strategic Plan has provided forward 

movement toward the development and 

implementation of a seamless advising process 

from entry to exit. An Advising Coordinating 

Team which includes faculty and staff advisors 

has met over the past year to evaluate advising 

processes. The result was a number of 

recommendations that were forwarded to the 

executive leadership of the institution. One 

such recommendation implemented in fall 

2008, was to provide shared responsibility for 

advising through a dual reporting structure of 

instruction and Student Services. Additional 

recommendations include implementation of a 

degree audit program to provide students and 

advisors up-to-date, readily accessible 

information on progress toward degree and 

development of a method by which students 

can easily transition from entry advisors to 

Average� 

Rating� 

faculty advisors. A degree audit program is to 

be implemented in 2009-10. Time Trade, a 

scheduling tool to ease the transition for 

students from SEAC advisors to faculty advisors, 

was piloted spring 2009. Based upon results of 

the pilot a determination about continued use 

of this tool will be made by fall 2009. 

Students, with the exception of specific 

professional and technical and Major Ready 

Pathway programs, receive initial placement 

and advising from SEAC staff. Students 

interested in any of the nursing programs, 

including the Baccalaureate in Nursing are 

advised by the Nursing Advisor located at the 

Poulsbo site. After initial advising and 

orientation, students are referred to faculty 

advisors for subsequent advising in their major 

area of study, or, if they are not sure of their 

goals, they are referred to faculty counselors for 

assistance with decision-making. Students 

entering professional and technical programs 

and Major Ready Pathway programs are 

referred to faculty or program advisors in 

appropriate areas of study immediately after 

their placement assessment. High school 

juniors or seniors admitted to the Running Start 

program receive orientation and advising 

through the Running Start Office. Running Start 

students are referred to faculty advisors for 

advising in their major area of study or for 

professional and technical program advising. 

Undecided students are referred to counseling. 

All students registering for seven credits or 

more are required to obtain a PIN and meet 

with an advisor until they have fifteen 

transcripted credits. The reason for this policy 


is to increase the likelihood that students will 

make a connection with an advisor by their 

second quarter of attendance, and that this 

advising relationship will continue. 

Educational advisors, counselors, and 

faculty advisors help students make appropriate 

decisions concerning academic choices and 

career paths. Each year various advising 

resources, such as advising syllabi, academic 

path flow-charts, math sequences, and 

professional and technical program advising 

templates, are updated and made available to 

advisors. Advisor training occurs at various 

times throughout the year via workshops and 

National Academic Advising Association 

(NACADA) Webinars. An online advisor training 

and development course has also been 

redesigned using the new online course 

platform. Given the recent transition of advising 

program and policy oversight from Student 

Services to Instruction, the training format is 

being re-evaluated. Historically, an advising 

summer institute has been offered for faculty 

and educational advisors. 

Analysis.��While major steps have been 

taken to bridge the gap between the SEAC and 

faculty advisors, it is continually evolving and 

improving. Due to the formation of the 

Advising Coordinating Team in 2007, 

communication between SEAC advisors and 

faculty advisors has improved. Specifically, the 

faculty advising retreat during fall opening days 

2007 addressed the need to improve 

communication between the SEAC and faculty 

and to create a clear definition of advising and 

advisor responsibilities. Based on this 

discussion, faculty recommended a new 

Mathematics, Sciences, Engineering and Health 

(MESH) advisor position (the SEM advisor) and 

prompt development and implementation of a 

degree audit program to enhance 

communication among advisors and to track 

student progress toward their goals. In an 

effort to solidify efforts to further strengthen 

the advising system at Olympic College, the 

Advising Coordinating Team made a 

recommendation to move the oversight of 

advising to Instruction, which was effective fall 

2008. The Advising Coordinating Team has 

worked diligently over the last two years to 

improve the transition process from SEAC 

advisors to faculty advisors. As a result of this 

work, which included surveys and feedback 

from faculty and advisors, an advising system 

was developed that fits most advisees. The 

implementation of this system occurred 

through the 2008-09 academic year. 

Student assessment of services has shown 

improved satisfaction with advising. The 

comparisons of the CCSSE from 2005 to 2007 

show encouraging results. Students surveyed 

reported an increase from nine to twelve 

percent in “Often seek academic advising and 

planning,” with the largest gains made among 

full-time students (nine to fifteen percent). The 

same students showed a significant increase in 

their satisfaction with academic advising and 

planning jumping from twenty-three percent to 

thirty-three percent being “Very Satisfied,” with 

the largest gains in satisfaction among part-time 

students (twenty percent to thirty-five percent). 

The percentage of students who regard 

academic advising and planning as very 

important also increased substantially from 

fifty-three percent to sixty-six percent. Again, 

part-time students saw the highest increase in 

this category (fifty percent to sixty-four 

percent). Overall, the CCSSE results show that 

while more outreach needs to be conducted for 

part-time students, all students indicate an 

increase in the frequency, satisfaction, and 

importance of academic advising and planning. 

The ACT Student Opinion survey 2004 to 

2008 comparisons also show some encouraging 

results. The number of students who selfadvised 

went down from twenty-seven percent 

to twenty-two percent. Students who received 

advising from the Student Entry and Advising 

Center and Counseling Center who indicated 

that they were "Very Satisfied" went up from 

thirty-four percent to forty-three percent. 

Students who received advising from a faculty 


member who indicated “Very Satisfied” 

increased from forty-nine percent to fifty-five 

percent. 

Some factors that may have contributed to 

the rise in scores related to academic advising 

and planning include the creation of an advising 

syllabus in the SEAC, an increase in the number 

of counselors available to see students, and a 

step among faculty and educational advisors to 

“see students where they are” as opposed to 

only seeing students in their offices. For 

example, faculty advisors offer Café Advising in 

the Bremer Student Center near the espresso 

stand. A new MAPS advisor and counseling 

position have been created specifically to work 

with first-generation students. Both of the 

positions spend time in the Multicultural Center 

to meet with students. The most recent change 

would is the regular visits faculty counselors 

make to developmental math courses to 

encourage students to seek help when needed. 

Training and development of faculty and 

educational advisors remains a challenge. The 

Summer Advising Institute, which received 

favorable reviews from participants, was not 

offered last summer. The online training that is 

being re-designed should be a beneficial 

addition to in-person training and development 

opportunities. Further assessment of faculty 

and educational advisor training and 

development needs, as well as financial 

support, is necessary so that a comprehensive 

and meaningful advisor development program 

can be designed and implemented that will 

provide up-to-date information and resources 

to participants. The financial and human 

resources to provide ongoing advisor training 

and development at the local and national level 

remain a challenge. 

The College has made substantial progress 

toward the development of a seamless advising 

process from entry to exit, and the negotiated 

faculty agreement now lists advising as a 

related responsibility, thereby requiring faculty 

to declare advising as a required responsibility. 

This has provided needed clarity as to which 

faculty are available for advisor referral. 

Previously, advising was a required 

responsibility for all faculty, but some did not 

participate in this activity. The implementation 

of a degree audit program will dramatically 

improve the accuracy of advising and advisingrelated 

information and will increase student 

access to advisors and personalized advising 

resources. Consistent communication systems 

that utilize technology, such as a degree audit 

program and web-based resources, as well as 

training of faculty and other advisors remain 

ongoing priorities. 

Financial�Aid� 

Description.��The Student Financial Aid (SFA) 

Office provides financial assistance consistent 

with its mission and goals. Financial assistance 

includes federal and state grants, work-study, 

loans, and veteran benefits. Institutional 

resources are also utilized to supplement both 

state and federal financial aid for students. A 

portion of all tuition revenue (3.5 percent) is 

employed to award the Olympic College Grant 

and to provide short-term loans to students to 

purchase books and supplies. Various types of 

tuition waivers are provided to students, 

equivalent to three percent of tuition revenue. 

Financial aid is awarded based on federal 

financial aid methodology and other packaging 

formulas to ensure equitable and fair 

distribution of aid. The SFA Office continuously 

employs best practices to be in compliance with 

federal, state, and institutional policies. Federal 

and state reporting assure annual audits of all 

financial aid awards. The Federal Fiscal 

Operations Report and Application (FISAP) and 

State Unit Record reports mandate an 

accounting for every dollar awarded, and 

include edits to challenge perceived 

discrepancies. To date, no FISAP or Unit Record 

reports have been contested. A comprehensive 

State audit is conducted each year and includes 

a review of financial aid awards. 


Financial aid information is available to 

students and parents in a variety of ways. The 

most publicized venue is on the Olympic College 

website. A variety of print documents is also 

available such as brochures, bookmarks and 

mail inserts through which financial aid 

information is disseminated. Financial Aid 101 

information sessions, workshops, and other 

outreach events disseminate information both 

in print and through other methods to reach 

current and prospective students. Every award 

letter contains a document that summarizes 

relevant financial aid policies, rights and 

responsibilities of aid recipients. 

One way the SFA Office disseminates 

information to potential applicants about 

financing their education is through outreach 

events such as workshops and activities that 

target underprivileged and disadvantaged 

groups. The financial aid need analysis and 

other awarding formulas ensure that aid is 

awarded equitably and fairly. 

The Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) 

policy is also communicated to students by mail 

and on our website. The SAP policy clearly 

spells out conditions for students to remain in 

good standing and details the difference 

between good standing, probation, and 

cancellation statuses. Academic progress is 

measured by the percentage of credit hours 

completed, grade point average, and by the 

length of time in a program. The financial aid 

. 

academic standards for Olympic College are 

slightly more stringent than the institution’s 

standards. A petition and appeals process 

exists to address students who have special 

circumstances that prevent them from meeting 

the SAP. Loan applications and related 

information can be found on the College’s 

website and other office publications. Figure 

3.15 shows disbursements of aid including 

subsidized and unsubsidized loans. 

Analysis.��The SFA Office utilizes multiple 

methods to assess the performance of its 

primary goals and functions of the office. For 

example, in 2003 a SFA Office Program Review 

was conducted. This process, which involved a 

review by peers from another institution, 

recommended the addition of a new financial 

aid staff member and the redesigning of the 

office among other items. These two 

recommendations were implemented and 

resulted in an increase in the quality and 

quantity of service to students. In the 2008 ACT 

Student Survey, responses to the level of 

available financial aid information increased 

from 3.61 to 3.67 from 2004 to 2008. This 

increase could be a reflection of the increased 

number of services, brochures and information 

available on the financial aid website as well as 

the increase in staffing and the redesign of the 

Financial Aid Office. 

Figure�3.15.��Students�Receiving�Financial�Aid�and�Aid�Disbursed� 

Award�Years� 2003�04� 2004�05� 2005�06� 2006�07� 2007�08� 

Students�Receiving� 

Need�Based�Aid�� 

Students�Receiving� 

Loans� 

2,152 1,946 1,919 1,907 2,140 33.1% 

654 663 907 927 973 15% 

Total�Aid�Disbursed� $8,951,294 $8,236,944 $9,070,647 $9,147,765 $10,650,227 

Source:��SBCTC�Data�Warehouse,�Student�Table�and�Olympic�College�Financial�Aid�System� 

%�of�Total�in�aid� 

eligible� 

programs� 


A new Financial Aid Management (FAM) 

system was introduced by the SBCTC in 2008. It 

is hoped that when fully functional, this new 

system will speed up financial aid processing 

time. At this point, however, the new system is 

significantly slower than the one it replaced, 

and programming for FAM has been 

incomplete. Periodic updates and releases have 

given it a “build it as you go” feel to staff. FAM 

has been a great source of frustration for 

students and staff. For some students, the 

increase in processing time has meant that 

funds were not available to them prior to the 

beginning of the quarter in which they were 

needed. Staff are frustrated with the increased 

workload from both the implementation and 

limitations of FAM, but mostly they are 

concerned about the impact it has had on 

students. Overall, when coupled with the 

significantly higher number of students applying 

for financial aid in 2009, the effect has been 

unsatisfactory. The College has taken several 

steps to address these issues, including 

increasing staffing for financial aid, revising 

some policies and procedures, and conducting a 

daily triage and reporting process. 

The SFA Office conducted a survey in 2008 

of approximately 2000 students who received 

financial aid in the 2007-08 academic year. 

Students were asked to rate the services 

provided by the Financial Aid Office. 276 

students responded to the survey (Figure 3.16). 

Survey respondents also had the 

opportunity to provide written comments about 

their experience with the financial aid process; 

these are available as Standard Three exhibits. 

Feedback generally indicated that students felt 

the process could be improved significantly. 

Based on this feedback and the impact of the 

FAM implementation, several steps have been 

taken to improve service, including: 

• Financial�Aid�101�sessions�were set up at 

the three college sites and staff trained to 

make presentations. 

• “Bat”�phone:�Staff at other sites were 

provided a special phone number for 

immediate service. 

• Financial�Aid�website: Information was 

revised and simplified. 

• Materials: A brochure on how to pay for 

college was produced by the Enrollment 

Taskforce. 

• Office�hours: Office hours were changed 

to allow open hours for services to 

students and closed hours for aid 

packaging. 

• Staffing:� An Assistant Director was hired, 

with a focus on processing, scholarships, 

outreach, and Financial Aid 101 sessions. 

Instruction and Student Services 

reassigned staff to assist with basic data 

and file tasks for part of their work days. 

Additional financial aid professionals 

were recruited to provide temporary 

assistance with awarding. 

Figure�3.16.��Student�responses�about�financial�aid�process�and�services� 

Extremely� 

Satisfied� 

Somewhat� 

Satisfied� Satisfied� 

Somewhat� 


Extremely� 


Courtesy� 54% 15.60% 13.40% 10.50% 5.40% 


Process� 29.40% 19% 17.80% 19% 14.50% 

Staff� 

Knowledge� 48.70% 16.20% 17.70% 10% 7% 

Helpfulness� 51.30% 14.50% 15.60% 9.30% 8.90% 


• Communication:�A financial aid ‘call 

center’ was set up in June 2009 to better 

respond to inquiries. 

• Automation: Auto-review and autopackaging:�The 

new FAM modules were 

installed in July, and business processes 

and procedures continue to be reevaluated 

for transition to the automated 

process. 

• Student�portal: Olympic College will 

serve as a pilot site for this FAM 

application. It will increase students’ 

access to financial aid information 

(status of application, aid awarded 

messages from financial aid, etc.). 

Efforts to speed up financial aid processing 

and improve student satisfaction were ongoing 

at the time of publication. 

The cohort default rate of Olympic College 

student loan borrowers is monitored annually. 

Specific information is provided to student loan 

borrowers in entrance and exit counseling as 

required by federal regulations. Loan 

application materials are readily available to 

students who are interested in loans. Also, 

students have ready access to information on 

repayment obligations. Outreach programs are 

offered in all high schools in the service 

districts, financial aid workshops (FA 101) are 

offered on the main campus every week after 

regular business hours, and at the Poulsbo and 

Shelton sites on a regular basis. Besides online 

loan entrance and exit counseling, FA 101 

information sessions present students with a 

forum to answer specific loan questions. 

Students with higher income levels qualify 

for lesser grant amounts. Students tend to take 

out loans to finance the cost of their education 

if grants are inadequate. Due to increases in 

household incomes in Kitsap and Mason 

counties over the past several years, loan 

volumes have increased. For example, in Kitsap 

County, annual household incomes increased 

from 53,257 dollars in 2003 to 58,422 dollars in 

2006 and then went down to 56,774 dollars in 

2007. In Mason County, household incomes 

increased from 43,288 dollars to 48,433 dollars 

in 2007. The loan volume increased from 2.3 

million dollars in 2003-04 to three million 

dollars in 2007-08. Students who prematurely 

withdraw from college or do not graduate are 

at a higher risk of going into default since they 

are unlikely to find employment with salaries 

adequate to cover loan repayments. Difficult 

economic times also increase the risk of a rise in 

the default rate. Several measures are in place 

both internally and externally to reduce the 

default rate at Olympic College. For example, 

there is a thirty day delay on all student loans to 

ensure that loans are disbursed to students who 

are likely to complete the quarter. The College 

requires all students to complete entrance 

counseling before they receive loans and exit 

counseling after they stop attending class. 

These sessions explain the rights, 

responsibilities and obligations of student loans. 

Financial Aid 101 information workshops also 

provide a venue to discuss student loans. 

Figure�3.17.��Olympic�College�Student�Loan�Cohort�Default�2003�07� 

Years� 2003� 2004� 2005� 2006� 2007� 

Number�in�Repayment� 225 325 385 391 395 

Number�in�Default� 25 28 32 43 37 

Default�Rate� 9.8 8.6 8.3 10.9 9.3 

Source:��National�Student�Loan�Database�System�(NSLDS)� 

� 


Counseling�and�Wellness� 

Description.��Professional medical services 

are not available on campus. Short-term 

counseling services are provided to students, 

and those who are in need of long-term 

treatment are referred to outside community 

agencies. 

The Counseling Center provides a wide 

range of services that include educational 

intervention, crisis intervention, career 

counseling, personal counseling and academic 

planning. Referrals for health care information, 

alcohol and drug treatment, and community 

mental health services are provided through 

counseling services as well as through related 

Student Services departments. Counselors 

adhere to the code of ethics prescribed by the 

American Counseling Association, the American 

Psychological Association and the statutes and 

rules of the State of Washington. Healthrelated 

programming is offered throughout the 

year, including a Health and Wellness Fair, 

alcohol and other drug use workshops, and 

anxiety management workshops. Brochures 

related to health and wellness are available in 

the Counseling Department. 

In addition, Women’s Programs and College 

Success sponsors speakers and events that 

address issues including wellness, sexual 

harassment, relationships, communication, 

divorce, stress, non-traditional career options, 

values identification, domestic violence 

awareness and prevention, and achievement of 

personal and educational goals. Finally, this 

program connects Olympic College students 

with resources in the community. These 

community resources include housing, legal, 

financial, medical, and mental health services. 

Analysis.��Based upon departmental 

surveys, students who use counseling services 

indicate a high satisfaction level. For example, 

students who responded to a Counseling 

Services survey indicated the following: ninetynine 

percent were "Satisfied" to "Very Satisfied" 

that the counselor provided useful and accurate 

information; ninety-nine percent were 

"Satisfied" to "Very Satisfied" that the counselor 

explained test/assessment results in an 

understandable manner; ninety-six percent 

were "Satisfied" to "Very Satisfied" that the 

counselor helped with a confusing/difficult 

situation; and eighty-two percent were 

"Satisfied" to "Very Satisfied" that services will 

help improve their academic performance. The 

Counseling Department Institutional 

Effectiveness Plans are available in the Standard 

One exhibits. 

Career�Counseling� 

Description.��Career and student 

employment services and assistance are 

available at the Bremerton, Poulsbo, and 

Shelton sites. Services include computerized 

career assessments, job search or internship 

planning, informational interview and interview 

strategies, information on labor market trends 

and forecasts associated with the student’s 

major, and assistance with work study and 

community-based employment opportunities. 

Annual career events are scheduled quarterly 

such as the annual job fair, career expo, and 

community service and internship fair. The 

spring quarter Career Development Month 

activities increase the student’s career 

development opportunities. The Career 

Services web page offers students a convenient 

means of utilizing resources and information as 

needed. 

Career Services assists and supports the 

needs of not only current and prospective 

students but also alumni. A significant amount 

of time and effort are committed to assisting 

students from under-represented populations 

who are funded by state and federal grants 

such as Carl Perkins, WorkFirst, Opportunity, 

and Worker Retraining Grants. The center 

collaborates with Workforce Development staff 

to incorporate career and employment 

activities into grants such as WorkFirst, Worker 

Retraining and Opportunity Grant. Records 


indicate that students funded by the 

Opportunity Grant, WorkFirst, and Worker 

Retraining utilize the services. Many faculty 

have incorporated Career Services into 

curriculum such as General Studies 140, 

Certified Nurse Assistant, Office Technology, 

and Cooperative Education 120. 

Analysis.��As a result of program review 

recommendations, Career Services developed 

and implemented a strategic management plan, 

updated staffing titles, and secured additional 

staff. Due to budget reductions, staffing levels 

have changed. 

The 2008 ACT Two-Year Student Opinion 

Survey cited college services that students 

indicated as their top five "Most Satisfied" 

services and five "Least Satisfied" services. It 

was noted in the survey discussion results that, 

"One notable move on the list of college 

services that students are most satisfied with is 

Student Employment Services, which jumped 

from number fifteen in 2004 to number six on 

the current list of most satisfied services." 

Career Services’ increased use of 

technology such as online registration and web 

page resources plus direct services for the 

Poulsbo and Shelton campuses has increased 

the number of students registering for services 

district wide by seventy-five percent. Other 

assessment activities such as Institutional 

Effectiveness Plans have increased services and 

assistance for Adult Basic Education students by 

sixty-five percent as well as employment 

opportunities for students with disabilities by 

twenty-five percent. The Career Services 

Institutional Effectiveness Plans are available as 

a Standard Three exhibit. 

Safety�and�Security� 

Description.��The Office of Safety and 

Security provides services district-wide and is 

staffed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a 

week. The Safety and Security Department is 

responsible for ensuring overall campus security 

as well as managing campus parking and 

providing the College with educational services 

to enhance the personal safety, welfare and 

protection of property within the College 

community. Services include workshops on 

personal safety, class presentations, escort 

services from class to parking areas, emergency 

message delivery, victim assistance and referral, 

processing “unsafe condition” referrals and 

crime prevention consultation. 

In the spring of 2007 the College formed the 

Emergency Preparedness Taskforce to take a 

comprehensive and strategic approach to 

College safety and planning for emergencies. 

The Taskforce has been actively working for the 

past two years to address emergency scenarios, 

communication equipment and procedures, 

video monitoring, relationships with local law 

enforcement agencies, and other related areas. 

Focus groups have been conducted at all sites 

to inform the College community about 

planning activities and to learn about safety 

concerns within the College community. 

Analysis.��Based on annually reported crime 

statistics, the College appears to be providing 

adequate security (see Standard Three exhibits 

for a collection of annual reports). However, as 

more campus shootings have occurred 

nationally, perceptions of relative safety within 

the Olympic College community have declined 

(as assessed by focus group feedback and 

student conduct referrals). The Emergency 

Preparedness Taskforce has served as an 

effective response to safety concerns, and 

much has been accomplished to upgrade 

infrastructure (radio, video, locks, and lighting), 

policies and procedures, and training. Despite 

this progress, the College is only in the 

beginning stages of creating an effective 

process to coordinate early information and 

intervention for students causing concern. 

Efforts to address this concern include adding 

the component of a behavioral intervention 

team to the threat assessment process. 


�

Housing� 

Description.��Student housing is not 

available at Olympic College. A homestay 

program is available to international students. 

Homestay hosts are required to submit a 

written application and undergo a criminal 

record check. The homestay coordinator visits 

each prospective home to check on safety, 

security, cleanliness and supervision aspects. 

Approved homes are visited each quarter and 

an evaluation form completed and filed with 

the International Student Programs office and 

reviewed by the Dean of Enrollment Services. 

Contracts are signed by the homestay host and 

the students. Great care is taken in matching 

the needs and preferences of the students with 

the amenities of the home. Students may 

request a change in homestay accommodation 

within the first ten days of the quarter. Change 

for due cause may be requested at other times 

during the quarter. 

Food�Services� 

Description.��Food services are provided and 

supervised by the Culinary Arts program of the 

Business and Technology Division. Culinary Arts 

is an accredited American Culinary Federation 

(ACF) program, and is managed by three fulltime 

faculty members with an aggregate ninetyseven 

years of experience in the hospitality 

industry. The senior chef-instructor was the 

ACF Western Region Chef instructor of the year 

in 2006. The recently tenured chef-instructor is 

a new inductee into the prestigious American 

Academy of Chefs, the ACF honor society. 

Cafeteria service, fine dining restaurant 

menu service, espresso, and snacks are 

available on the Bremerton campus. Food 

Services fall under the auspices of the Kitsap 

County Health District, are regularly inspected, 

and follow all the Safe Food Handling rules and 

regulations of the Food Code adopted by the 

Washington State Department of Health. Food 

service needs at Shelton and Poulsbo are 

provided through vending machines. In 

addition to on-campus food services, catering 

services are provided to on and off-campus 

groups and organizations. According to 

responses from students on the ACT Student 

Opinion Survey (2008), student use of food 

services at Olympic College is similar to that of 

comparable institutions, and student 

satisfaction with food services is significantly 

higher (2008). 

Bookstore� 

Description.��The OC Bookstore is comprised 

of three stores serving Olympic College districtwide. 

Each store is stocked to meet the unique 

needs of its campus. The Bremerton store 

serves as the central facility where goods are 

received and then transferred to the other sites. 

The bookstore’s Point-of-Sale system, installed 

in the Poulsbo store in 2005 and Shelton in 

2006, ensures sound financial and operational 

consistency across the district. Since 1999 the 

store has also operated a website for online 

textbook sales. The store is updating its 

website during the 2008-09 year which will 

allow a more active virtual retail store. 

The Bremerton campus store was 

renovated in 2006 to enable stocking a much 

larger selection of books, supplies, software, 

office products, and insignia goods. A 

convenience store was added, providing the 

campus with additional food options and hours 

of operation including providing concessions to 

athletic events. The new store is well equipped 

to provide Olympic College students with all 

their classroom needs. The stores at the 

Shelton and Poulsbo sites are open 

approximately twelve weeks each quarter. 

One of the ways that the bookstore has 

expanded to support educational programs and 

contribute to the intellectual climate of the 

campus community is through hosting authors 

to discuss their books. Since 2006, the 

bookstore has hosted five well-attended events. 


A Washington State law enacted in the 

spring of 2007 required the Board of Trustees to 

create a policy governing bookstore efforts to 

manage the cost of textbooks for students. The 

Board of Trustees adopted the Course Materials 

Cost Savings Policy�in the spring of 2008. The 

policy and its procedures are included in the 

Standard Six exhibits. During the 2008-09 

academic year, the bookstore developed an 

implementation plan. 

The bookstore belongs to The Independent 

College Bookstore Association (ICBA), a 

cooperative buying group which uses its 

combined purchasing power to keep book and 

supply prices competitive for students. One of 

the most significant methods the bookstore 

uses to keep book costs in check is through the 

quarterly book buyback program. The program 

has always been popular, but has significantly 

expanded in recent years as demonstrated by 

Figure 3.18�� 

Analysis.��Eighty-six percent of respondents 

to last year’s Graduates Follow-up Survey 

positively evaluated the bookstore services, and 

student opinion survey ratings have been 

consistently above the national average. In the 

2008 ACT Student Opinion Survey, students 

rated their satisfaction with the bookstore 

higher than the national norm. Figure 3.19 

shows that high ratings in this survey have been 

consistent over time. 

Expanding demand has been met by 

expansion of the bookstore facilities and 

offerings. The largest area of growth for the 

bookstore has been food offerings, filling an 

important need during hours when food service 

is not available. 

The creation of an advisory committee 

consisting of bookstore staff, College faculty, 

staff and students could enhance the 

development and monitoring of current and 

future bookstore policies and practices to be 

responsive to changing needs. 

Figure�3.18.��Fall�Quarter�Sales�and�Buyback�Amounts�over�Five�Years� 

Fall�Quarter� 2004� 2005� 2006� 2007� 2008� %�Change� 

Buyback� $ 110,051 $ 116,850 $ 131,776 $ 143,051 $ 200,942 82.6% 

Used�Books� $ 182,450 $ 182,636 $ 202,525 $ 226,318 $ 313,916 72.1% 

New�Books� $ 740,020 $ 792,621 $ 822,550 $ 847,983 $ 795,635 7.5% 

Figure�3.19.��ACT�Student�Opinion�Survey�Results�for�the�Olympic�College�Bookstore�over�Time� 

Year� Very�Satisfied� Satisfied� Neutral� Dissatisfied� 

Very� 


2001� 15.4% 44.0% 18.7% 7.4% 4.0% 3.67 

2003� 18.4% 48.6% 17.2% 5.8% 2.0% 3.82 

2004� 19.2% 49.8% 17.3% 6.9% 2.6% 3.79 

2008� 27.0% 43.6% 15.9% 6.0% 2.3% 3.92 

� 

Average� 

Rating� 


Student�Programs�and�Leadership� 

Development�� 

Description.��Student Programs and 

Leadership Development (SPLD) is the 

administrative component of Student Services 

that provides management, supervision, and 

guidance to The Associated Students of Olympic 

College (ASOC). The ASOC provides a venue for 

representing student interests in the College 

governance system and provides funding for 

various student activities and programs through 

the Services and Activities (S&A) fees collected 

as part of tuition. Examples of programs funded 

include: student media (The�Olympian), choral 

and instrumental music groups, drama, tutorial 

services, honor societies (Phi Theta Kappa), 

student clubs, athletics, recreation, childcare, 

cultural programming, and diversity awareness. 

The 2008-09 S&A Program List is available as a 

Standard Three exhibit. 

The office of SPLD assists ASOC in 

administration of these programs. Paid and 

volunteer faculty and staff advisors apply 

policies and procedures as needed. 

Administrators and program advisors are 

guided by the Washington Administrative Codes 

(WAC), the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), 

Washington Department of Early Learning, 

National Association for the Education of Young 

Children, OC Board of Trustees, College policies, 

the�Northwest Athletic Association of 

Community Colleges (NWAACC), the ASOC 

Constitution and By-Laws, and the ASOC Club 

Handbook. The ASOC Constitution and By Laws 

and ASOC Club Handbook are available as 

Standard Three exhibits. 

Student clubs form around specific student 

interests, recreation, ethnicities, religious 

beliefs, or academic programs and may be 

affiliated with national or international 

organizations. The SPLD office provides clubs a 

handbook with information on campus services, 

resources, and policies and procedures. 

Student organizers plan and implement social, 

cultural, educational, and community-building 

events, and conduct post-event evaluations. 

Subsidized by S&A fees, the recreation 

program provides student discounts for local 

recreational activities (bowling, ice skating, 

climbing, swimming), and offers free or reduced 

prices for outdoor adventure excursions (skiing, 

snowboarding, climbing, hiking, etc.), as well as 

student organized intramural sports. OC 

Shelton and OC Poulsbo also enjoy discounted 

recreational activities specific to these two 

locations. 

S&A fees partially fund the OC Child 

Development and Family Center (CDFC), Early 

Head Start and Head Start programs. The 

Bremerton campus houses the CDFC, Early 

Head Start and Head Start are located offcampus. 

Staff includes licensed childcare 

specialists and state classified, exempt, and 

student staff. The Shelton campus houses a 

cooperative childcare facility that is not 

supported by S&A fees. Because the CDFC does 

not have facilities and services at the OC 

Shelton and Poulsbo sites, in 2008-09, eligible, 

randomly-chosen Shelton and Poulsbo students 

will use S&A fee funded vouchers to offset costs 

at licensed childcare facilities. 

OC Shelton and Poulsbo have increased the 

variety and number of activities, including 

student appreciation days, musical 

performances, lecture series, Earth Day events, 

voter registration drives, and special lunches in 

their commons areas. A Phi Theta Kappa 

representative recruits students and shares 

office space with the ASOC Vice-Presidents at 

both sites. 

Analysis.� The 2008 ACT Two-Year Student 

Opinion Survey reports one of the top five 

services with which students are most satisfied 

is cultural programs and activities. This could 

be reflective of increased collaborative 

programming between the Student Programs 

and Leadership Development and Multicultural 

Services offices. Changes in SPLD staffing has 


occurred over the last two years with a focus on 

providing a diverse array of programming, 

cultural events, and leadership opportunities 

for students. 

Students are moderately satisfied with the 

purpose for which student activities fees are 

used. The satisfaction level has been increasing 

since 2001. Students have assessed their 

process yearly with the guidance of the ASOC 

advisor and have continually made minor 

adjustments to the process and to their 

communication efforts with students. 

Student�Role�in�Governance� 

Description.��The office of Student Programs 

and Leadership Development assists students in 

forming and operating a governing body, the 

ASOC, of which all registered students are 

members. Each year, the general student 

population elects the ASOC officers, including 

representatives on the Shelton and Poulsbo 

sites, a President, Vice President for Judicial 

Affairs, Vice-President of Communications, and 

a Treasurer. The officers comprise the ASOC 

Executive Council. Students have a variety of 

opportunities to participate in campus 

governance, including formal representation at 

Board of Trustees meetings (see Standard Six 

for a more detailed description and analysis). 

Year� 

Intercollegiate�Athletics� 

Description.��The intercollegiate athletic 

program at Olympic College conducts a diverse 

athletic program consistent with the mission of 

the institution with an emphasis on developing 

the total student-athlete. The focus of the 

program is on academics and several initiatives 

have been developed to aid the studentathletes 

to become successful in their 

educational endeavors. Athletes use the 

counseling office, a student success counselor 

through the multicultural services office, 

coaches, and the athletic director for academic 

advising needs. Study hall, mandatory review of 

grades throughout the quarter, and direct 

intervention by the Athletic Director for “at 

risk” student-athletes supports this initiative. 

As a member of the Northwest Athletic 

Association of Community Colleges, the Athletic 

Department works with other region members 

to develop league schedules. The Athletic 

Director assists head coaches with scheduling of 

all games and matches to ensure class 

attendance and final examinations take top 

priority. 

� 

Figure�3.20.��Satisfaction�with�Purposes�for�which�Student�Activity�fees�are�used� 

Very� 

Satisfied� 


Very� 


2001� 4.0% 22.5% 43.3% 7.2% 2.5% 3.23 

2003� 6.5% 22.4% 43.3% 6.2% 2.8% 3.29 

2004� 5.3% 25.1% 43.9% 6.1% 2.4% 3.30 

2008� 7.8% 26.1% 43.9% 3.3% 1.2% 3.44 

Average�Rating� 


Participation in Northwest Athletic 

Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) 

involves adhering to strict guidelines relating to 

gender equity, academic responsibility and 

financial aid opportunities. Athletes comply 

with the same admissions, degree, and financial 

aid requirements as all other students. Since 

the 2001 Self-Study, the program has added 

four additional sports: Men’s and Women’s 

Soccer and Men’s and Women’s Golf. 

Regarding athletic waivers and scholarships, 

increased reporting to the Financial Aid Office 

has allowed a seamless integration of financial 

aid to student-athletes. Athletic awards are 

posted to an electronic file and sent via e-mail 

to Registration, Cashiering and Financial Aid. 

Each area plays a role in ensuring studentathletes 

receive the correct amount of financial 

aid and maintaining the accuracy of 

administrative records. 

In 2007 the Olympic College Board of 

Trustees voted to eliminate the non-resident 

operating portion of tuition for out-of-state 

students, resulting in an enrollment increase in 

out-of-state student-athletes at Olympic 

College. The increased support from waivers, 

scholarships and comparative tuition 

differential between residents and nonresidents 

has aided recruiting efforts of both 

male and female student-athletes. 

Administratively the program is supported 

by the Vice President of Student Services as well 

as various areas on campus such as Counseling, 

Advising, Registration and Records, Admissions, 

Financial Aid, and the Business Office. The Vice 

President of Student Services annually reviews 

the goals and objectives of the Athletic 

Department. Oversight for the program is done 

through a variety of reporting tools: Annual 

Student Services Report, bi-annual State 

auditor’s review, annual NWAACC Grant-in-Aid 

report, and in 2006, a program review. The 

Athletic Director has a dual role on the Student 

Services organizational chart; responsibility for 

intercollegiate athletics/recreation and Director 

of the Bremer Student Center. The Athletic 

Director also represents the College in the role 

of Men’s Commissioner to NWAACC. Specific 

duties of the Athletic Director are outlined in 

the Athletic Code Book and the NWAACC 

guidelines referenced in Appendix, Section B. 

Each NWAACC institution is required to have a 

men’s and women’s athletic commissioner. The 

College’s current women’s commissioner has 

been serving in the position for the past two 

years. Coaches are hired and held to strict 

professional standards such as minimum 

standards for experience and education, 

professional development, medical, legal and 

coaching requirements. Athletic Department 

goals and objectives are provided in writing to 

all candidates for athletic staff positions. Yearly 

formal training is provided to coaches and 

adherence to NWAACC rules is reviewed. Each 

year the coaches also obtain certification from 

NWAACC. Each sport is financially supported by 

paid positions for a head coach and one 

assistant coach. The coaching stipends are 

monitored by the Vice President of Student 

Services and range from $3,400 to $5,000 for 

head coaches and $2,100 to $3,000 for assistant 

coaches. Coaches start at the first level and 

move up each year until they reach the highest 

level. 

Institutionally, the program enjoys financial 

support from the Associated Students of 

Olympic College (ASOC), State operating and 

fundraising revenues. The ASOC was extremely 

supportive when the program expanded to 

include Soccer and Golf. The need for 

fundraising, however, is becoming greater each 

year. Each athletic team at Olympic College has 

developed fundraising projects to help enhance 

their budget. All projects are coordinated 

through the Athletic Director and the Director 

of Fiscal Services. A strict set of guidelines and 

procedures has been developed for fundraising. 

Head coaches work with the Athletic Director to 

establish fundraising projects. Funds are 

targeted for special equipment needs, 

scholarships and tournament costs. Accounting 

for fundraising monies follows State established 

procedures. 


On a yearly basis the Athletic Director 

submits a budget proposal for the entire 

athletic program to the ASOC for consideration. 

The Athletic Department works closely with the 

Olympic College Foundation with all major 

fundraising activities. The institution supports 

athletics with scholarship help in the form of 

partial tuition waivers. The students submit 

their budget request to the Vice President for 

Student Services, President of Olympic College 

and the Board of Trustees no later than June of 

each fiscal year. The Athletic Director oversees 

the budget for the entire intercollegiate 

athletics and recreation programs. A yearly 

analysis of expenditures and budget is 

presented to the Vice President for Student 

Services. 

Analysis.��For the past three years 

recruitment and retention of coaches has been 

a challenge. Coaches’ salaries have remained 

stagnant. In an effort to strengthen the athletic 

program, the Student Programs and Leadership 

Development Department was re-assigned to 

the Dean of Student Development to provide 

additional time for the athletic director to focus 

on athletics. As a result the athletic director has 

been able to work with other campus groups to 

find college employment opportunities for 

coaches. The goal is to have all head coaches 

secured in at least part-time employment on 

campus in positions that are in addition to their 

coaching responsibilities. The Athletic 

Department is working to develop an advisory 

board. The athletic director works with campus 

staff and faculty as well as community groups to 

develop membership to this board. 

The Athletic Department has partnered 

with the Olympic College Foundation for their 

major fundraising activities. Fundraising has 

become more necessary as other funding 

sources are limited. This past fall the Athletic 

Department Dinner and Auction was the first 

major fundraising activity conducted with the 

OC Foundation and was very successful. The 

Athletic Department has increased its 

community connections to help with 

fundraising activities as well as improving 

facilities. Working with the Bremerton School 

District has secured facility improvements for 

the softball, baseball and soccer programs. 

Student�Media� 

Description.��Olympic College offers a 

student funded newspaper publication, The� 

Olympian, which has received regional and 

national recognition over the last several years. 

Advised by journalism faculty, this newspaper 

offers paid and volunteer students a journalism 

experience that mirrors a professional 

newspaper publishing experience. While 

students from journalism classes are 

encouraged to write and take photos for the 

paper, it is not a requirement of any particular 

writing, photography or journalism class. The 

College’s relationship with the student 

newspaper, legal responsibility, editorial 

freedom, and accountability are described in 

WAC 132C-120-035 and is available on the 

College’s website and in the Student Handbook 

(found in the Standard Three exhibits). 

Olympic College exhibits integrity and 

responsibility in advertising, student 

recruitment and representation of accredited 

status. The primary emphasis of all 

advertisements, publications, promotional 

literature and recruitment activities is on 

Olympic College’s educational programs and 

services. These statements and representations 

are clear, accurate, and current. Olympic 

College has developed a system for 

departments, which create publications and 

web content, to review, track, and update 

information to ensure consistency and 

accuracy. Departments regularly conduct 

individual reviews of their content using a 

content review form that lists the title, the 

format, the author of the content, and the 

publish date. Reviewers fill in the form and 

indicate that the content was fact checked and 

verified with the current catalog. All claims 

made by the College are also reviewed and 

verified on the form. 


Catalogs and other official publications are 

accessible in electronic and hard copy formats, 

and contain accurate information regarding: 

institutional mission and goals; entrance 

requirements and procedures; basic 

information on programs and courses, with 

required sequences; degree and program 

completion requirements; listing of full and 

part-time faculty with degrees held and 

conferring institution; rules and regulations for 

conduct; tuition, fees, and other program costs, 

financial aid information and requirements; 

policies and procedures for refunding fees; 

career opportunities, licensure, and unique 

requirements; and an academic calendar. 

STANDARD�THREE:��STRENGTHS�AND�RECOMMENDATIONS� 

Strengths�� 

• A system of assessment has been 

implemented utilizing results for program 

planning and resource allocation that are 

aligned with the College’s mission and 

strategic plan. 

• The work of the Student Achievement 

Initiative Committee has crossed 

traditional boundaries and led to crosscampus 

collaborations to create and 

implement strategies that improve 

student learning and achievement. 

• Students Services has collaborated 

effectively to create and implement 

strategies to facilitate student access to 

educational programs and services. 

• A cohesive, safe, diverse, and supportive 

community for students has been created 

within the Multicultural Services Center 

which has positively impacted student 

connections, academic and personal 

growth, service to the community, and 

leadership development. 

• Student Services has improved 

communication efforts with students 

using multiple modalities. 

Student recruitment and admissions work is 

carried out by well-qualified and trained 

admissions and outreach staff who accurately 

represent Olympic College, including 

information on job placement and program 

costs. 

Representation of accredited status of the 

College and selected programs is stated 

accurately and fully in a comprehensive 

statement in the College catalog and other 

official publications. 

Recommendations� 

• Increase the use of technology such as a 

degree audit system and other web 

resources to improve accessibility and 

accuracy of advising information for 

students. 

• Create an advisory committee consisting 

of students, faculty, and staff for the 

bookstore and athletics. 

• Fully employ and assess the Financial Aid 

Module (FAM) to determine effective 

work flow processes and appropriate 

staffing levels. 

• Maintain commitment to professional 

development for Student Services 

personnel to stay current with best 

practices in respective fields 


{Appendix} 


Standard�Three

{Appendix}� 

Supporting�Documentation�for�Standard�Three� 

BOARD�OF�TRUSTEES�DIVERSITY�RESOLUTION�#05�1025�1� 

The Olympic College District is committed to integrating respect for the value of diversity into all 

components of college life. This commitment extends to the College’s policies and procedures, its 

services and programs, its workforce and student population and its curriculum. We believe that valuing 

diversity will transform us into an inclusive community that embraces and celebrates our many 

differences, (e.g., ethnicity, culture, social class, gender, sexual orientation, age, abilities, language, 

politics, race, religion, education and values). It will enable us to recognize the uniqueness in everyone, 

appreciate the contribution that each person can make, and respect the identity and the perspective of 

those who are indeed different from ourselves. These changes will create an inclusive environment that 

enriches the life and learning of the entire College community and reinforces our unity of purpose – 

student learning. 

� 

{Standard�Three} Students A3-1

{Standard�Four} 

Faculty 

Standard�Four

{Standard�Four}� 

Faculty� 

FACULTY�SELECTION,�EVALUATION,�ROLES,�WELFARE�AND�DEVELOPMENT 

Olympic College faculty are committed to 

the College mission, student academic 

achievement, and continuous improvement of 

courses and programs. The College is dedicated 

to employing exceptional full-time and parttime 

faculty members, and provides 

appropriate support for all academic 

employees. 

Description.��Olympic College faculty are 

qualified to perform academic assignments by 

demonstrating educational and/or experiential 

expertise. The faculty consists of full-time and 

part-time members primarily assigned to 

instructional divisions (see Instructional 

Organization Chart, Figure 2.4). Within these 

divisions, faculty work collaboratively with 

similarly qualified individuals. Each division is 

led by a dean qualified by education or 

experience to supervise division faculty and 

staff. The Nursing Programs [RN-to-BSN, 

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), Transition 

to ADN (LPN to RN), and Practical Nursing], 

though organizationally in the MESH Division, 

are led by an Associate Dean. Adult Education, 

a discipline in the Workforce Development 

Division, is also supervised by an Associate 

Dean. 

Counseling faculty assigned to Student 

Services have instructional responsibilities in 

addition to their customary obligations. 

Although they do not report through 

Instruction, the Vice President of Instruction 

(VPI) has oversight responsibility for the 

instructional-related duties of these faculty 

members. Library faculty provide vital resource 

support to faculty and students as well as 

� 

essential instructional responsibilities. The 

Revised Code of Washington that established 

community colleges granted faculty rank to all 

community college librarians and counselors. 

Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 

131-16-091 also requires that: 

.�.�.professional�teaching�personnel� 

performing�services�for�which�advanced� 

degrees�are�commonly�available�shall�hold� 

the�equivalent�of�a�master's�degree�in�the� 

field�of�their�educational�service�or�a� 

bachelor's�degree�and�professional�expertise� 

in�the�field�of�their�educational�service.�� 

At Olympic College, 100 percent of faculty 

in academic transfer programs meet these 

requirements. 

Although some Professional/Technical 

faculty do not have degrees at the master’s or 

bachelor’s level, they are qualified to provide 

instruction, in accordance with WAC 131-16- 

091, based on (1) broad and comprehensive 

training, (2) industry-recognized certification, 

and (3) two years relevant work experience 

and/or relevant, current teaching experience 

that particularly qualifies them to provide 

instruction in their specialty area. 

During the 2007-08 academic year, OC 

employed 119 full-time faculty and 394 parttime 

faculty for a part-time to full-time ratio of 

3.2:1 (headcount). Figures 4.1 and 4.2 on next 

page illustrate the faculty profile at Olympic 

College. Figure 4.3 on next page demonstrates 

the number and sources of full-time faculty 

terminal degrees. 

{Standard�Four} Faculty 4-1

Figure�4.1.��Faculty�Table�–�Institutional�Faculty�Profile�/�Numbers,�Degrees,�Salaries�/�Fall�2008� 

Rank�or� 

Class� 


Faculty� 

Part�time� 

Faculty� 

Full- 

Time 

Number� Number�of�Terminal�Degrees� Salary,�9�months� 

Part- 

Time 

Ph.D. Master Bach. 

Prof. 

License 

Less 

than 

Bach. 

Min Med Max 

119 28 72 14 3 2 43,043 56,941 66,125 

394 37 168 114 12 63 Note 1 

Note�1:��Part�time�salaries�are�based�on�a�formal�negotiated�agreement.��All�part�time�instructors�are�paid�using�the� 

same�formula.��Step�1�is�for�part�time�faculty�with�a�bachelor’s�degree�or�lower.��The�salary�is�based�on�a�full�time� 

quarterly�load�rate�of�$9,039�and�is�prorated�to�the�percent�of�load.��Step�2�is�for�part�time�faculty�with�a�master’s� 

degree�or�higher.��The�salary�is�based�on�a�full�time�load�rate�of�$9,357�and�is�prorated�to�the�percent�of�load.�� 

Rank�or� 

Class� 


Faculty� 

Part�time� 

Faculty� 

Figure�4.2.��Faculty�Table�–�Institutional�Faculty�Profile�/�Teaching�Experience,�Load�/�Fall�2008� 

Years�of�Experience�at�Institution� Total�Years�of�Teaching�Experience� 

Min Med Max Min Med Max 

1 9 40 Note 1 

1 2 33 

Note�1:��Data�is�not�readily�available�for�total�years�of�teaching�experience,�but�the�number�would�be�considerably� 

larger�than�the�number�of�years�at�the�institution.��The�majority�of�instructors�have�several�years�experience�prior� 

to�coming�to�Olympic�College.� 

Figure�4.3.��Faculty�Table�–�Number�and�Source�of�Terminal�Degrees�of�Full�Time�Faculty�/�Fall�2008� 

Institution�Granting�Terminal�Degree� 

Number�of�Degrees� 

Doctor� Master� Bachelor� 

American College of Computer and Information 1 

American InterContinental University 1 

Arizona State University 1 

Black Hills State University 1 

Boise State University 1 

Brigham Young University 1 

California State University 1 1 

Central Washington University 1 

Chapman University 1 

City University of New York 1 

City University 2 

Colorado State University 1 

4-2 {Standard�Four} Faculty

Figure�4.3.��Faculty�Table�–�Number�and�Source�of�Terminal�Degrees�of�Full�Time�Faculty�/�Fall�2008�(Cont.)� 

Columbia Theological Seminary 1 

Eastern Illinois University 1 

Eastern Washington University 1 

Florida Institute of Technology 1 

Glasgow University 1 

Harvard University 1 

Holy Redeemer College 1 

Idaho State University 2 

Indiana University 2 

Lewis and Clark College 1 

Long Beach State University 1 

Michigan State University 1 

Montana State University 1 1 

NewSchool of Architectural 1 

Oakland University 1 

Old Dominion University 1 

Oregon State University 1 

Peru State College 1 

Portland State University 1 1 

Purdue University 1 

Rocky Mountain College 1 

San Diego State University 1 

San Francisco State University 1 

San Jose State University 1 

Syracuse University 1 

Texas A & M University 1 

Texas Tech University 1 

The Evergreen State College 1 

University of Alabama 1 

University of Arizona 1 1 

University of British Columbia 1 

University of California 1 

University of California at Davis 1 

University of California, Los Angeles 2 1 


Figure�4.3.��Faculty�Table�–�Number�and�Source�of�Terminal�Degrees�of�Full�Time�Faculty�/�Fall�2008�(Cont.)� 

University of California, Santa Barbara 2 

University of Colorado 1 

University of Georgia 1 

University of Idaho 1 2 

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign 2 

University of Maryland 1 

University of New Mexico 1 2 

University of Minnesota 1 

University of Montana 1 

University of New Mexico 1 2 

University of North Dakota 1 

University of Northern Colorado 1 1 

University of Oklahoma 1 

University of Oregon 1 

University of Phoenix 1 

University of Puget Sound 1 

University of Texas 1 1 

University of Washington 5 19 1 

University of Wyoming 2 

Washington State University 1 1 

Western Michigan University 1 

Western Washington University 3 

Yale University 1 

Total� 29 77 10� 

� 

Analysis.��The Olympic College faculty is 

professionally qualified to provide rigorous 

curricula and meet the needs of the community 

the College serves. Members of the faculty 

possess the academic qualifications and 

professional expertise to provide students 

outstanding educational opportunities. Fulltime 

faculty and administrators acknowledge 

that the College is fortunate to have a vivacious, 

intellectual assembly of part-time faculty to 

support students and actively contribute to 

fulfilling the College’s mission. 

Faculty in academic transfer disciplines hold 

doctoral, master’s, or bachelor’s degrees. 

Advanced degrees are not required for 

academic employees in some professional and 

technical programs when bachelor’s or master’s 

degrees are not commonly available in those 

disciplines. Faculty holding a baccalaureate 

degree are required to document relevant 

professional expertise in their field of academic 

service. Many Olympic College professional and 

technical faculty possess master’s or doctoral 

degrees as well. For example, a master’s 

degree with a major in nursing or a 

baccalaureate degree in nursing with a master’s 


in a related field from an accredited college or 

university is required for any faculty who teach 

in a program that prepares registered nurses. 

The required educational preparation for 

faculty who teach in a Practical Nursing Program 

is baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing 

from an accredited college or university. All 

faculty who teach in the Nursing Program meet 

or exceed these requirements. All Olympic 

College faculty meet the educational 

requirements outlined in the Washington 

Administrative Code (WAC 131-16-091). 

Baccalaureate distribution courses taught 

include Medical Genetics (BIOL 351), Death: A 

Comparative Perspective (ANTHRO 325), 

Culture/Health/Healing (ANTHRO 335), and 

Writing in the Disciplines (ENGL 301). Three 

other courses found within the Baccalaureate 

Nursing discipline qualify for distribution credit: 

BNURS 320 Statistics for Health Care 

(quantitative reasoning); BNURS 323 Healthcare 

Politics and Policy (social sciences); and BNURS 

326 Introduction to Forensic Nursing (social 

sciences). All instructors of baccalaureate 

courses hold at least master’s degrees and most 

hold doctorates (or are doctoral candidates) in 

the subject area they teach. The degrees of 

baccalaureate instructors come from a variety 

of universities including the University of 

Washington, Washington State University, 

University of Massachusetts, Harvard, 

Columbia, University of New Mexico, Tufts, and 

� 

Academic� 

Year� 

Princeton. Many of the instructors have taught 

and done research at universities and have 

published as well. For more details about their 

specific backgrounds, please see the curriculum 

vitae found as a part of the Standard Four 

exhibits. 

To teach college-level courses, part-time 

faculty must meet the same qualification 

standards required of full-time faculty. There 

are some variations in faculty academic 

preparation in courses below the 100 level. For 

example, a master’s degree is required to teach 

college-level mathematics courses but a 

bachelor’s degree is acceptable for non-college 

level developmental mathematics courses. The 

same is true in non-college level developmental 

English courses. 

Over the past several years OC has added 

full-time faculty positions, even though the 

State did not fund growth for the College. Both 

the President and Vice President of Instruction 

are committed to increasing the percentage of 

FTEs generated by full-time faculty. Figure 4.4 

compares the full-time faculty to the part-time 

faculty by FTE over time (including full-time 

faculty overload) while Figure 4.5 on next page 

compares the actual number of full-time faculty 

to part-time faculty for academic years 2004-05 

through 2007-08. 

Figure�4.4.��Teaching�Faculty�by�Employment�Status�/�State�Supported,�By�FTE� 

Contract�FTEs� Overload� 

FTEs� 

Full�time�Faculty� Part�time�Faculty� Total� 


Total� 

FTEs� 

� 


Total� 

2007-08 138 23 61% 105 39% 266 

2006-07 123 20 57% 106 43% 249 

2005-06 117 20 59% 96 41% 233 

2004-05 104 15 54% 102 46% 221 

Source:�SBCTC�PMIS�Database,�Employee�and�EMPYQR�Tables� 

� 

Teaching� 

Faculty�(FTEs)� 


Figure�4.5.��Number�of�Employees�by�Category� 

of�Employee�/�State�Supported,�By�Headcount� 

Teaching�Faculty� 

Academic�Year� 

Full�Time� Part�time� 

2007-08 128 309 

2006-07 126 324 

2005-06 123 298 

2004-05 108 287 

Source:�SBCTC�PMIS�Database,�Employee�and� 

EMPYQR�Tables� 

Even though State funding has not 

maintained parity with the need for additional 

full-time faculty, Olympic College administration 

and faculty have collaborated to augment the 

number of full-time faculty positions with the 

support of the President and Board of Trustees. 

New full-time faculty positions have been 

created over the past several years. 

Maintaining a robust cadre of full-time faculty 

improves the full-time to part-time ratio, 

contributes to sound academic decisions, 

maintains support for academic programs, and 

increases assistance for part-time faculty. 

Given the current economic climate and 

system-wide budget reductions, the College’s 

ability to continue this trend will be challenged. 

Olympic College’s relative geographical 

isolation from the larger pool of adjunct faculty 

in the Seattle/Tacoma area poses some 

challenges in attracting qualified part-time 

faculty. Olympic College competes for parttime 

faculty with the closest school to the 

south, Tacoma Community College, for 

Bremerton faculty and with Pierce College and 

South Puget Sound Community College for 

Mason County faculty. Adding to the challenge, 

Olympic College part-time salaries are not on 

par with some of these proximate colleges. To 

address this, Olympic College has taken steps to 

retain existing part-time faculty including 

multiple quarter contracts, observance of 

seniority in assignment of instructional 

responsibilities and working to improve salaries 

and benefits. 

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) parttime 

faculty who teach in the apprentice 

program are nominated to serve as trade 

theory faculty by their shop superintendents. 

At a minimum they must be journey level trade 

specialists, have five years of experience in the 

trade, and preferably have supervisory 

experience. They complete an OC application 

documenting their credentials. The Dean of 

Business and Technology (B&T) reviews the 

applications and if complete, accepts the 

applicants as faculty on a voluntary service 

contract. 

Part-time faculty on voluntary service 

contracts are subject to the same degree of 

oversight and evaluation as paid part-time 

faculty. Reports and information are exchanged 

between the Dean of B&T and the faculty 

member to enhance their teaching ability. 

Additionally, the Dean meets with Trade Theory 

faculty one or two times per year to address 

common issues such as completion of course 

outcomes, core abilities, etc. The data indicate 

they do as well as regular Olympic College 

adjunct faculty. 

In 2009, a study was conducted to examine 

completion, retention, and persistence rates for 

Math 90, Math 94, and Math 99 students during 

academic years 2005-06 through 2007-08, to 

consider what trends occurred among full-time 

and adjunct faculty. (The study is available as a 

Standard Four exhibit.) Two notable trends 

were found. First, extreme variability occurred 

in completion rates, including more sections 

with unusually high completion rates among 

adjunct faculty. Second, while overall 

completion rates were higher among adjunct 

faculty, both retention and completion were 

higher in transfer-level mathematics (especially 

Math 119) among students who had full-time 

faculty for the developmental prerequisite 

course (Math 99). Math faculty are presently 

investigating why this happens. 


Faculty�Participation�in�Academic�Planning,� 

Curriculum�Development�and�Review,� 

Advising,�and�Institutional�Governance� 

Description. Program or course changes, 

new courses, course outline changes, and new 

degrees are developed by faculty, either 

individually or within disciplines; and curriculum 

governance is the same for all college sites. 

After development and review by the respective 

discipline, the material is submitted for review 

and approval to the Instructional Policies 

Council (IPC). The IPC is represented by faculty 

from multiple disciplines (a more detailed 

description of IPC can be found in Standard 

Two). 

Faculty are intimately involved with collegewide 

efforts to enhance curriculum assessment 

and improvement. Two crucial initiatives have 

been spearheaded by faculty which will 

significantly impact mission accomplishment 

and student learning. The first initiative relates 

to assessment of the education program. Work 

has been guided by two faculty-led groups, the 

Core Abilities Taskforce and the Outcomes 

Assessment Committee. The Core Abilities 

consist of outcomes, performance indicators 

and evaluation rubrics that were developed by 

a multi-disciplinary group of faculty members 

with opportunities for input from all faculty. In 

July 2008, the Core Abilities Taskforce 

sponsored a Summer Institute to review 

student work for Communication, Thinking, and 

Informational Literacy and Technology. 

Stipends were provided to a large, 

multidisciplinary group of faculty for their 

participation. Due to the success of the 

Summer Institute, a second institute was held in 

December 2008, and a third in July 2009. 

The second initiative involves the 

assessment of student learning outcomes and 

was initiated, developed, and implemented by 

faculty from multiple disciplines. The process is 

continual and dynamic, and directly relates to 

the College mission. The goal of outcomes 

assessment is to assist faculty in evaluating 

their curricula and programs and to plan 

changes to improve teaching and learning. 

Outcomes assessment supports evidence-based 

decision making in the continuous quality 

improvement of instruction. 

Outcomes assessment is based on defined 

articulation of student learning outcomes. 

These outcomes include course level, program 

level, and/or college-wide outcomes. The Core 

Abilities described previously are examples of 

outcomes assessment at a college-wide level. 

After learning outcomes are developed, 

meaningful student learning data is gathered 

and analyzed to determine if instructional 

methods can be altered to improve student 

success. The outcomes assessment process can 

be done by faculty working individually or by 

collaborating with colleagues. 

Faculty advise students, and many faculty 

have assigned groups of student advisees for 

whom they provide advising services. This is 

particularly true in Professional/Technical 

programs. Faculty are essential to the efficacy 

of academic advising and have been leading the 

efforts to improve the academic advising 

process. After receiving a recommendation 

from the NWCCU visit in 2001, faculty have 

taken the initiative and have been the catalyst 

to review and revise the OC academic advising 

process, which has included discussion of the 

role faculty have in academic advising. The 

Advising Taskforce, composed primarily of 

faculty members, proposed changes to the 

advising function including moving the advising 

responsibility from Student Services to 

Instruction and implementing innovate advising 

opportunities including Café Advising, in the 

Bremer Student Center. The work of the 

Advising Taskforce continues with the 

involvement of key faculty. The group refines 

its recommendations and collaborates with 

administration and the Faculty Council to 

implement further changes. Progress on 

academic advising is more fully discussed in 

Standard Three. 


Analysis.��Faculty involvement in academic 

planning, curriculum development and review, 

advising, and institutional governance is 

substantial. Through participation in 

committees and groups such as IPC, core 

abilities, and outcomes assessments, the faculty 

positively influences improvements in College 

academics and student learning. Student 

advising is another important service in which 

faculty have been leading change and 

implementing innovative methods to assist 

students to in making well-informed academic 

and career decisions. 

Faculty are active in institutional 

governance through involvement in 

institutional, instructional, division, and 

department committees. These individuals 

provide input from the faculty perspective with 

an emphasis on how decisions will positively 

impact student learning and academic rigor. 

Planning activities at OC include significant 

involvement of faculty. This participation is 

more fully discussed in Standard Six. 

Faculty�Workload� 

Description.��Appendix B-3 of the Olympic 

College Collective�Bargaining�Agreement (CBA) 

establishes full-time faculty workloads as well 

as workload variations across the disciplines, 

non-standard duties, distance education, and 

overloads. Academic disciplines have fifty 

annualized contact hours, fifteen hours per 

quarter and five variable hours. Professional- 

Technical disciplines range from fifty-three to 

ninety annualized contact hours with five 

variable hours. The CBA allows faculty to 

petition individually for compensation for 

excess variable hours. Loads vary for clinical or 

lab courses and for courses that include lab 

time. Appendix B-3 also establishes the 

College’s expectation that faculty will engage in 

professional enrichment as part of their 

assignment. There are areas of the Appendix 

that are currently in the negotiations process. 

Overloads are also addressed in Appendix 

B-3. Overload hours are hours worked 

voluntarily by faculty, determined in discussion 

with the appropriate dean. Some faculty 

members choose to work overloads to augment 

their income, while others are asked if they 

would be willing to work overloads because 

there are insufficient faculty members to teach 

the desired number of sections in their 

discipline. 

Many faculty participate in duties that 

relate to department management. The College 

is committed to supporting the faculty in the 

performance of these extra responsibilities by 

authorizing release time and stipends for 

coordination duties. There are currently 

nineteen faculty members who are authorized a 

total of 6.5 FTE release time for their 

coordination obligations. 

College expectation of and support for 

faculty development are also important parts of 

this standard. Appendix�B-3 of the CBA 

indicates that faculty may engage in 

professional enrichment activities as part of 

their contracted workload. These activities are 

documented as specified in the CBA. 

To support and encourage faculty 

professional enrichment, the College provides 

both monetary support and opportunities. Fulltime 

faculty members may receive $200 per 

year for professional development. Each 

division provides money in its budget to fund 

travel and attendance at conferences for fulltime 

faculty.��Each vocational faculty may also 

access up to $400 per year in Perkins funds. 

Other funding is available by application 

through grants from the Olympic College 

Foundation, Workforce Development, and the 

professional enrichment fund, which has 

separate funds available for both full and parttime 

faculty.��Faculty also receive support for 

professional development from the Center for 

Teaching and Learning. The Center creates 

opportunities for on-campus enrichment 

activities and solicits faculty input on programs 


and workshops. �There is also a sabbatical leave 

policy in place, and several faculty each year are 

granted sabbaticals, ranging from one quarter 

to a full year, to pursue relevant professional 

enrichment and scholarly activities. 

Analysis.��During the previous negotiations 

for the current contract, negotiators 

determined that Appendix�B-3 contained 

sections that needed revision. Consequently, 

the negotiators made few changes and asked 

the President to establish a taskforce to 

investigate the issue of load, incentive pay, 

distance education pay and other subjects 

contained in the appendix, and to develop 

recommendations for consideration by the 

faculty and administrative negotiation teams. 

Taskforce members were appointed from 

all areas of the faculty. The Dean of Social 

Sciences and Humanities was appointed chair. 

The primary goal of the B-3 Taskforce was to 

find ways to improve faculty morale and 

campus climate by investigating areas of 

perceived inequities and attempting to achieve 

fairness among the diverse workloads of 

faculty. The Taskforce concluded that there 

were workload inequities that had long been 

sources of discontent, and that the appendix 

itself contained outdated and problematic 

policies and procedures. The report of the 

Taskforce and recommendations were 

submitted in January of 2008 and are available 

as a Standard Four exhibit. The report was 

presented to the negotiating teams currently 

engaged in the negotiation process. 

For the members of the B-3 Taskforce, the 

process of reviewing workload issues brought 

about a greater understanding of the work and 

demands of other disciplines. 

Faculty�Salaries�and�Benefits� 

Description.��The State Legislature provides 

a budget which includes authorization and 

limitations for all funds allocated to community 

and technical colleges, including funding for 

increasing faculty salaries. Funds are 

distributed based on employee category. Salary 

increments for faculty are identified separately. 

The legislature does not consistently fund 

faculty increments and the Revised Code of 

Washington (RCW 28B.50.140 and RCW 

28B.52.035) prohibits community colleges from 

including local funds in the collective bargaining 

process. 

Upon notification from the SBCTC of the 

approved College budget, the Vice President of 

Administrative Services reviews the documents 

and meets with representatives of the 

Association of Higher Education (AHE) 

bargaining team to inform them of the amount 

of money that will be available during the 

bargaining process. Because faculty can move 

annually on the salary schedule, this movement 

can impact the funds available and is 

considered in negotiations. Human Resource 

Services tracks faculty changes such as 

resignations, retirements, and the addition of 

new faculty. These changes can lead to 

monetary savings which can be applied to 

funding increments or base salaries. 

After the amount of available funding is 

established, the distribution of State 

appropriated funds for faculty salaries and any 

turnover savings are determined through 

negotiations between the AHE and the College 

bargaining teams. Through this process several 

changes have occurred that have improved 

salary issues for full-time and part-time faculty. 

These include increased salaries, narrowed 

increments within the salary schedule, an 

expanded salary schedule to accommodate 

twenty five qualifying years of experience 

(QYE), and significantly improved part-time 

faculty salaries and benefits. 

Appendix B-1 of the CBA addresses faculty 

compensation. This includes salary provisions 

for full-time faculty, part-time academic 

employees, advancement on the salary 

schedule, salary payments, calendars, legislative 

authorization and funding, and professional 


hourly rates. The salary schedule is attached to 

the CBA as Appendix B-2. Full-time faculty are 

placed on the salary schedule according to the 

provisions of the CBA, Appendix B-1, Section 

2.6.1. Part-time faculty are compensated at a 

negotiated percentage of full-time faculty rate 

using the full-time faculty quarterly load as the 

base. 

There are two processes for full-time faculty 

advancement on the salary schedule (please see 

salary schedule in Standard Four exhibits). 

There are twenty-five rows on the schedule 

which represent qualifying years of experience. 

Annual movement occurs automatically as each 

faculty member accrues academic experience. 

This movement based on longevity yields 

increased salary increments. The second 

method of salary advancement occurs as 

academic employees earn additional 

Professional Development Units (PDUs) by 

participating in continuing education, 

attendance at conferences and seminars, 

professional reading, research, publishing and 

editing academic materials, community service, 

etc. As PDUs are accumulated, the employee 

moves to the right on the salary schedule. 

Faculty may move horizontally a maximum of 

two full columns per year based on the PDUs 

they have earned.� 

Olympic College full-time faculty are 

entitled to medical/dental insurance, 

retirement benefits and leave. These issues are 

outlined in Appendix A of the CBA. Special 

provisions for the various leave types are 

delineated in the CBA. Sabbatical leave, as an 

example, may be approved for one, two, or 

three quarters consecutively or nonconsecutively. 

Compensation during sabbatical 

leaves is computed at the rate of seventy-five 

percent of the appointee’s salary for two or 

three quarters leave, or at the rate of 100 

percent of the appointee’s salary for one 

quarter leave. 

Part-time faculty are not placed on the 

salary schedule. There is a two-step scale for 

part-time faculty pay which is based on the 

highest level of education attained. Step one is 

for part-time faculty with a bachelor’s degree or 

lower. The rate of pay for these individuals is 

based on a full-time quarterly load rate of 

$9,039 and is prorated to the percent of load. 

Step two is for individuals with a master’s 

degree or higher. The rate of pay for Step two 

adjunct faculty is based on a full-time quarterly 

load rate of $9,357 and is also prorated to the 

percent of load. 

Part-time faculty can establish eligibility for 

insurance benefits if they teach for two 

consecutive quarters at or above fifty percent 

of a full-time load. Once a part-time faculty 

member establishes eligibility, they must 

maintain at least a fifty percent load to remain 

eligible for benefits. Part-time faculty who 

teach for two years at a fifty percent full-time 

rate or greater can apply for insurance benefits 

under a process referred to as “averaging.” This 

is done on a voluntary basis. A letter is sent 

annually to all part-time faculty. Those who 

agree to participate in averaging and are 

determined eligible are continuously eligible for 

benefits during the year even if they fall below 

fifty percent FTE. 

Part-time retirement benefits are the same 

as full-time faculty once they are employed for 

two consecutive quarters at fifty percent or 

above. Part-time faculty are eligible to accrue 

sick leave benefits at the same rate as full-time 

faculty, prorated on their percentage of fulltime 

rate. Sick leave eligibility begins on the 

first quarter of employment and accumulates 

until the employee separates from the College. 

Analysis.��Figure 4.6 on next page shows the 

Integrated Post-secondary Education Data 

System (IPEDS) full-time faculty salary data for 

nine-month academic appointments. In fall 

2005 Olympic College ranked twenty-third out 

of thirty-four community and technical colleges. 

In fall 2006 the ranking improved to 


seventeenth and to fourteenth one year later. 

Although the average Olympic College faculty 

salary increased by 4.4 percent between fall 

2005 and fall 2006, the average salary was 

below the State average in both years. In 2007 

the average Olympic College faculty salary was 

slightly higher than the State average. 

Figure�4.6.��Faculty�Salaries�for�Faculty�on�Nine�Month�Academic�Appointments�Fall�2005�07� 

School� Fall�2005� Fall�2006� Fall�2007� 

%�Change� 

F05�to�F06� 

Highline 52,397 54,649 57,309 4.3 9.4 

Bellevue 51,857 54,251 56,674 4.6 9.3 

Bellingham 53,643 54,986 55,219 2.5 2.9 

Yakima Valley 51,571 51,379 55,141 -0.4 6.9 

Green River 50,879 52,803 55,107 3.8 8.3 

Tacoma 52,763 53,202 55,082 0.8 4.4 

Skagit Valley 49,996 51,529 54,408 3.1 8.8 

Lower Columbia 50,020 51,647 54,268 3.3 8.5 

Clark 48,272 51,227 54,185 6.1 12.2 

Wenatchee Valley 49,127 50,932 54,084 3.7 10.1 

Shoreline 53,882 49,746 53,198 -7.7 -1.3 

Spokane 49,831 51,002 53,079 2.3 6.5 

Columbia Basin 46,987 48,200 53,003 2.6 12.8 

Olympic� 48,429� 50,557 52,680 4.4 8.8� 

Lake Washington 48,797 48,653 52,357 -0.3 7.3 

Cascadia 49,874 50,704 52,344 1.7 5.0 

Bates * 50,480 48,621 52,315 -3.7 3.6 

Centralia 49,965 50,596 52,246 1.3 4.6 

Renton 48,769 49,910 52,210 2.3 7.1 

Edmonds 50,416 52,273 51,965 3.7 3.1 

Grays Harbor 47,530 49,080 51,826 3.3 9.0 

Spokane Falls 49,298 49,824 51,746 1.1 5.0 

Seattle South 50,274 50,101 51,662 -0.3 2.8 

Pierce Ft Steilacoom 47,527 49,194 51,458 3.5 8.3 

Walla Walla 48,168 51,513 51,441 6.9 6.8 

Seattle Central 49,654 49,446 50,800 -0.4 2.3 

Seattle North 50,667 48,819 50,443 -3.6 -0.4 

Big Bend 46,301 47,804 49,879 3.2 7.7 

South Puget Sound 48,628 50,539 49,607 3.9 2.0 

Peninsula 44,954 53,453 49,120 18.9 9.3 

Whatcom 45,012 45,359 46,020 0.8 2.2 

Clover Park * 47,861 44,430 45,287 -7.2 -5.4 

Everett 45,736 48,377 45,075 5.8 -1.4 

Pierce Puyallup 44,784 44,916 44,852 0.3 0.2 

SYSTEM�TOTAL� $49,518�� $50,766� 52,520 2.5 6.1� 

* 

Majority�of�faculty�on�eleven/twelve�month�contracts,�thus�not�included�in�average.� 

Source:��IPEDS�Federal�Web�based�Data�Collection�Site.� 

Notes:��Includes�full�time�permanent�teaching�faculty�only.��Counselors�&�librarians�not�included.� 

%�Change� 

F05�to�F07� 


When comparing average salaries, average 

starting salaries, the salaries for master’sprepared 

faculty with thirteen years experience, 

and the highest/lowest salaries across the 

system, Olympic College shows up primarily in 

the third and forth quartiles with the exception 

of average starting salaries in which Olympic 

College is in the second quartile. Data for the 

following year are consistent with the exception 

of average salaries — in that year Olympic 

College shifted into the second quartile. This 

data, though interesting, can be deceiving as it 

could be skewed by the number of faculty at 

the low or high extremes of the salary schedule, 

the number of newly hired faculty at an 

institution, and their academic preparation and 

experience. It is difficult to draw accurate 

conclusions about salaries based on these data. 

This is especially true in light of the efforts 

between the College administration and AHE to 

improve salaries, increase the number of fulltime 

faculty and address salary concerns with 

the State Board of Community and Technical 

Colleges (SBCTC) and the legislature. The data 

are available in the Standard Four exhibits. 

The average salary for an Olympic College 

full-time academic employee was $50,557 in 

the 2006-07 academic year (source: IPEDS 

Federal Web-based Data Collection Site). The 

average two-year college faculty salary varies by 

comparative group in a study of 2006-07 salary 

data by the SBCTC State Compensation 

Taskforce. Figure 4.7 demonstrates the average 

salaries of these comparative groups. These 

data demonstrate that in the 2006-07 academic 

year the average Olympic College salary was 

below the average salary of the comparative 

groups. However, the Washington State 

average is well below the comparative groups 

as well. 

Figure�4.7.��SBCTC�Compensation�Comparison� 

of�Two�Year�College�Faculty�Salaries�2006�07� 

Comparative�Group� Mean�Salary� 

Olympic�College $50,557 

Washington�State $50,766 

National $56,808 

Peer�States $59,930 

Global�Challenge�States� $69,150 

Regional�(Western)�States� $72,644 

According to the SBCTC Statewide Financial 

Database, the average community and technical 

college, full-time faculty salary was $50,766 in 

the 2006-07 academic year when adjusted for 

inflation. This average salary has minimally 

increased over the past two years. However, 

when compared over time this average salary 

remains 4.5 percent less in purchasing power 

than the average salary in the 2002-03 

academic year. Figure 4.8 validates this loss 

when adjusted for inflation. 

Figure�4.8.��Faculty�Salary�In�Inflation�Adjusted� 

Dollars�/�Fiscal�Years�2002�03�To�2006�07� 

Full�Time,�Washington�Community�and� 

Technical�College�Faculty� 

Fiscal�Year� Salary� 

2006�07 $50,766 

2005�06 $50,580 

2004�05 $50,579 

2003�04 $52,163 

2002�03 $53,063 

Source:��SBCTC�Statewide�Financial�Database,� 

CR2012H� 


The SBCTC is currently conducting a salary 

study of two-year college faculty salaries 

because of the depressed salaries in this sector. 

The Washington�Learns�report of 2006 

recommended that higher education faculty 

salaries be indexed to the seven comparable 

top Global Challenge states where we are 

nearly tied for the lowest two-year college 

faculty salaries as demonstrated by Figure 4.9. 

Figure�4.9.��Average�Two�Year�Faculty�Salary� 

Comparison�/�Global�Challenge�States�2005�06� 

State� Average�Salary� 

California� $72,402 

New�Jersey� $65,320 

Connecticut� $62,198 

Delaware� $61,119 

Maryland� $59,168 

Washington� $48,739 

Virginia� $48,659 

Colorado� $44,013 

In a report by Suzanne Clery and Amelia 

Topper, Faculty�Salaries:�2005�06, it was 

reported that Washington was one of four 

states where the faculty salary difference 

between two-year and four-year public 

institutions was greater than $25,000. The 

average discrepancy demonstrated that twoyear 

faculty earn $12,529 less than their fouryear 

counterparts. The authors further 

indicated that greatest discrepancy between 

faculty pay at four-year and two-year 

institutions occurred in Washington State. In 

Washington State the gap was documented as 

$29,746. 

Low full-time faculty salaries have been a 

significant and debilitating problem for some 

time. Faculty report that it impacts faculty 

participation in governance and will continue to 

get more problematic until the issues of 

inadequate compensation and too few full-time 

faculty for too many tasks is resolved by forces 

outside of our local control. College Trustees, 

the College President, and the AHE President 

have met jointly with college service area 

legislators, addressed these issues at joint 

meetings, and ensured that all parties remain 

mutually informed of comprehensive efforts on 

the issue. 

Monetary support is not always possible for 

the work faculty perform beyond their 

contractual duties. This is especially true in 

periods of economic downturn. The College has 

agreed to implement alternative methods to 

recognize faculty who do committee and 

council work that is inordinately time 

consuming. One method that has been used is 

to provide one credit of Professional 

Development Unit (PDU) per quarter for faculty 

chairs of tenure committees and other critical 

committees. Accumulation of PDUs enables 

faculty to advance on the salary schedule. 

Unfortunately, this occurs within a zero sum 

game and merely rearranges the compensation 

pie without increasing the size of it. 

The overworked/underpaid dynamic will 

continue to be a problem that the institution 

itself is not in a position to solve, because 

legislative appropriations absolutely impose the 

level of faculty compensation in Washington 

State. The Legislature must take responsibility 

to correct the incongruities in community and 

technical college faculty salaries. This is a 

challenging situation for all community and 

technical colleges in the State. 

Faculty�Evaluation� 

Description.��Evaluation of faculty includes 

the tenure process for probationary faculty 

members, a formal post-tenure evaluation 

every five years for full-time faculty, and 

systematic evaluations for part-time faculty. All 

faculty evaluation processes incorporate 

multiple indices. The processes for each type of 

evaluation are specified in the CBA. 


The tenure process is delineated in 

Appendix C (Procedure for Granting Tenure) of 

the CBA. Each probationary faculty member is 

provided a five-member Tenure Review 

Committee (TRC). The committee consists of 

three tenured faculty members elected by a 

majority of faculty attending an all-faculty 

meeting. One faculty member must be from a 

division outside the probationer’s division. 

Each tenure committee includes a student 

member appointed by the President of the 

Associated Students of Olympic College (ASOC). 

The final member is the academic administrator 

directly responsible for the area in which the 

probationer is assigned. One of the tenured 

faculty members on the committee is elected 

by his/her colleagues to serve as Tenure 

Committee Co-chair with the Academic 

Administrator. A Tenure Review Checklist, 

available as a Standard Four exhibit, provides a 

straightforward reference tool to ensure that 

the committee and probationary faculty are 

aware of the items which will be reviewed 

during the quarterly tenure committee 

meetings. 

The tenure process includes evaluation over 

a three-year (nine quarter) probation period. 

Adjustments may be made occasionally to 

lengthen a probationary period based on the 

written recommendation of the TRC and with 

revision of the professional development plan 

by the probationary faculty member being 

evaluated. The probationary period may only 

be lengthened if the TRC believes that the 

probationary academic employee: (1) needs 

additional time to complete the professional 

development plan already in progress, and (2) 

will complete the plan satisfactorily. 

An improvement in the tenure process 

includes the selection of a Tenure Review 

Facilitator by the probationary faculty member, 

from a list of qualified facilitators 

recommended for this role. The facilitator’s 

role is to serve as an advocate for the tenure 

process to ensure that it maintains integrity and 

equity, rather than as an advocate for either the 

probationer or the committee. 

The process for post-tenure evaluation of 

full-time faculty is described in Appendix D, 

Section 3 of the CBA. Every tenured faculty is 

required to undergo a formal evaluation every 

five years. This evaluation is conducted by a 

faculty assessment team consisting of three 

faculty members. The methods of the 

evaluation vary but include multiple indices 

including student and peer evaluation of 

teaching as well as administrator observation. 

Review of advising, outreach, and/or 

professional enrichment activities may be 

included in the process. 

The adjunct faculty evaluation process is 

defined in Appendix D, Section 4 of the CBA. 

This process is dependent on the length of time 

the individual has provided instruction at 

Olympic College. For adjunct faculty in their 

first nine quarters of employment, quarterly 

student assessments are required for each class 

taught and written self evaluations in response 

to those assessments are also required. In 

addition, an evaluation is completed within the 

first two quarters by a full-time faculty member 

in the same discipline. An optional observation 

by the responsible Academic Administrator may 

be done within the first three quarters. After 

the first nine quarters of employment, if there 

have been no problems identified (or minor 

problems that have been successfully resolved), 

the evaluation process occurs annually or every 

third quarter of employment. This process 

includes student assessments of courses taught 

with a written response from the employee as 

well as observations by full-time faculty (once 

every six quarters) and the Academic 

Administrator (once every nine quarters). 

Analysis.��The tenure process and the 

granting of tenure are highly valued by faculty, 

administrators, and the Board of Trustees. 

Employment of well-qualified faculty is critical 

to the ability of the College to achieve its 

mission. The comprehensive tenure process is 


an extension of the faculty selection process to 

ensure qualified faculty at Olympic College. The 

Board of Trustees, the President, and the Vice 

President of Instruction thoroughly review all 

tenure binders at regular intervals during the 

nine quarter tenure process. Instructional 

deans are directly involved, serving as the 

responsible administrator on division tenure 

committees. Tenured faculty are essential to 

the success of the tenure process. Tenured 

faculty encourage and critique, identify 

strengths and weaknesses, and suggest 

methods to help probationary faculty 

understand and fulfill their instructional 

responsibilities. 

The process involves numerous methods of 

evaluation. The probationary faculty 

establishes personal and professional goals. 

These goals are evaluated by the probationary 

faculty at specified times. This self-evaluation is 

shared with the TRC members. Student 

evaluations are normally conducted in all 

classes taught by the probationer who then 

completes a written self-appraisal of those 

evaluations. Peer evaluations/observations and 

administrator observations are conducted 

continually throughout the process. These are 

also discussed in the TRC meetings. All TRC 

members have access to the raw data that is 

considered by the Committee and entered in 

the tenure file. 

New probationary faculty meet with the 

Vice President of Instruction at the beginning of 

the academic year and are informed about the 

process. They are given a binder of information 

to help them understand the process and their 

roles and responsibilities. During the initial TRC 

meeting, the responsible administrator and 

committee members review the process with 

the new faculty member. All items that are 

placed in the tenure file are initialed by the 

faculty co-chair and the probationary faculty. 

This ensures all involved parties are aware of 

the contents of the file. 

Probationary faculty meet with their tenure 

facilitator at intervals during the process. 

Facilitators are tenured faculty members who 

volunteer for this responsibility. They receive 

an orientation to the tenure facilitator role. The 

facilitator provides input to the TRC as well. 

Including tenure facilitators has been 

advantageous to the process. It is helpful to 

have a trained faculty member, not directly 

involved with the specific TRC, to review the 

process. This individual serves as another 

resource for the probationer and is able to 

determine if the process meets the 

requirements of the CBA. 

Overall, the tenure process is efficacious 

and methodical. There are two concerns that 

may have a slightly negative impact on the 

process. Both relate to the large number of 

active tenure committees. First, it is difficult to 

obtain a student member for each committee. 

The ASOC President relies on student 

volunteers to serve in this capacity. Often, 

students are not able or willing to attend 

meetings. Second, there is a need for a large 

number of faculty members to serve on these 

committees. Many faculty members serve on 

two or more committees and some chair more 

than one. Although faculty understand the 

importance of the process, serving on multiple 

committees can be time consuming and 

increases their workload. 

The review process for post-tenure assesses 

the strengths and opportunities for 

improvement of academic employees for the 

purpose of maintaining quality instruction and 

encouraging professional growth in a fair, 

professional, and impartial manner. Once every 

five years, each full-time faculty member meets 

with a faculty assessment team consisting of at 

least three faculty members. The Academic 

Administrator meets with the assessment team 

each quarter to assure a timely, quality process 

is being followed. The team recommends 

various methods of evaluation which may 

include teaching, advising, outreach, and/or 

professional enrichment activities. An 


assessment file is developed which includes all 

raw data and documents from the assessment 

process, including student and peer evaluations 

of teaching. The Academic Administrator 

reviews the file and discusses it with the faculty 

member under review. The assessment team 

submits a memo summarizing the process and 

the results to HR. The post-tenure review 

folder is the property of the faculty member. 

Improvement in the evaluation of part-time 

faculty has occurred since the last accreditation 

visit. A Faculty Assessment Taskforce was 

created and given a specific charge to develop 

recommendations for multiple indices and 

design a new evaluation tool. The Taskforce 

recommendations were given to the 

negotiating teams prior to the last round of 

negotiations. The process is now clearly 

delineated in the CBA. The process now 

includes multiple indices. This Taskforce and 

the subsequent changes implemented 

addressed the recommendation in the April 

2001 accreditation visit. Student evaluations 

are completed for each class adjunct faculty 

teach in the first nine quarters of employment 

and the faculty member writes a self-evaluation 

responding to those assessments. The 

employee is also evaluated by a full-time faculty 

member from that discipline. The division dean 

or the responsible academic administrator has 

the discretion to do an observation as well. 

The adjunct evaluation process receives 

mixed reviews from adjunct faculty. Many 

indicate satisfaction while some part-time 

faculty believe further improvement is still 

needed in the process. There is some concern 

that an adjunct faculty member may be 

inadvertently omitted from an evaluation due 

to the large number of adjunct faculty, the 

variability in their workloads and locations, the 

manpower needed to perform the evaluations, 

and the time-intensive nature of the process. 

Generally part-time faculty are satisfied with 

these evaluation procedures, although there is 

some concern that the part-time evaluation is 

potentially more punitive in its application. 

Though improvement is evident, the part-time 

evaluation process is receiving further attention 

and is currently an interest being discussed in 

collective bargaining negotiations. 

Students are occasionally asked to report 

their opinion of the college environment 

including satisfaction with the quality of 

relationships and interactions with faculty. In 

2005 and 2007 students were asked to 

complete the Community College Survey of 

Student Engagement (CCSSE). In part, this 

survey addresses the issue of Student-Faculty 

Interaction. The general premise of this section 

is that the more contact students have with 

their teachers, the more likely they are to learn 

effectively and persist toward achievement of 

their educational goals. The students give their 

impression of interactions with faculty by 

indicating responses to the descriptors noted in 

Figure 4.10 on next page. A four-point 

Leichardt scale (1=Never, 2=Sometimes, 

3=Often, 4=Very Often) was used to determine 

student opinions. 

Results from the survey indicate that 

student satisfaction with interactions between 

full-time students and faculty are increasing in 

all areas while part-time students report slight 

decreases. When combined, the mean scores 

for all students show increases in all areas. 


Figure�4.10.��Comparison�of�Student�Faculty�Interaction��2005�07� 

Frequency�of�Interactions�with�Faculty� 

All 

Students 


Students� 

Part�time 

Students 

2005 2007 2005 2007� 2005� 2007 

Used�e�mail�to�communicate�with�an�instructor 2.05 2.52 2.20 2.66 1.88 2.39 

Discussed�grades�or�assignments�with�an�instructor 2.44 2.48 2.49 2.52 2.39 2.45 

Talked�about�career�plans�with�an�instructor�or� 

advisor� 

Discussed�ideas�from�your�readings�or�classes�with� 

instructors�outside�of�class� 

Received�prompt�feedback�(written�or�oral)�from� 

instructors�on�your�performance� 

Students also gave their impression of the 

quality of relationships with instructors at the 

College using a seven-point Leichardt scale. 

Scores ranged from 1 (unavailable, unhelpful, 

unsympathetic) to 7 (available, helpful, 

sympathetic). Mean scores improved for all 

categories of students as demonstrated in 

Figure 4.11. 

Figure�4.11.��Comparison�of�Quality�of� 

Relationships�with�Instructors��/�CCSSE�2005�07� 

All� Full�time� Part�time 

Students� Students� Students� 

2005 2007 2005 2007 2005 2007 

5.50 5.62 5.35 5.51 5.65 5.74 

In winter of 2008 the ACT Two-Year Student 

Opinion Survey was administered to 

approximately fourteen percent of Olympic 

College students. The survey asked students to 

indicate their level of satisfaction with various 

aspects of the college environment on a fiveitem 

Leichardt scale (5 = Very Satisfied, 4 = 

Satisfied, 3 = Neutral, 2 = Dissatisfied, 1 = Very 

Dissatisfied). The results of the survey 

demonstrated that the attitude of the teaching 

staff toward students was the premier item of 

student satisfaction with a mean score of 4.14. 

This item was the highest ranked item in the 

2004 survey as well. Out-of-class availability of 

instructors was also rated high with a mean 

score of 3.84, number ten on the list. 

2.06 2.11 2.06 2.19 2.06 2.03 

1.71 1.72 1.73 1.78 1.70 1.66 

2.68 2.75 2.57 2.77 2.80 2.72 

The data indicate student satisfaction with 

their relationships with faculty. These data 

demonstrate that faculty are concerned about 

student welfare and provide an environment in 

which students can learn. There are institutionwide 

efforts that indirectly contribute to 

student satisfaction. Faculty have been 

proactive in the development and 

implementation of a comprehensive evaluation 

system and outcomes assessment processes 

that promote improved student learning. 

Improvements in academic advising and 

support for faculty professional development at 

Olympic College have also contributed to 

student satisfaction.� 

Faculty�Recruitment�and�Selection� 

Description.��The selection of full-time 

faculty is of paramount importance. Careful 

planning at all levels in the institution 

contributes to an open process and ensures 

selection of the most qualified applicants. 

Understanding the significant impact a highly 

qualified faculty can make to the institutional 

mission and student success, Olympic College 

has been increasing the number of full-time 

faculty for the past six years. However, due to 

the severity of the Washington State budget 

deficits, this progress may be stalled and 

possibly reversed. 


The process for new faculty positions 

usually begins at the discipline level. Faculty 

members within the discipline assess the need 

for additional faculty positions and make 

recommendations to the division dean. After 

divisions have identified where new faculty 

positions are needed, the Instructional 

Administrators (consisting of the Vice President 

of Instruction and all deans) review the 

identified needs and recommend which 

positions will be filled. New positions are 

approved by the President and the President’s 

Cabinet. The process for replacement of vacant 

full-time faculty positions is identical, except 

the Cabinet is not normally involved in the 

approval process. 

After a new or vacant position is approved, 

the involved discipline develops specific 

screening criteria to meet the identified need. 

A Faculty Screening Committee (FSC) is then 

formed. Typically it consists of the responsible 

academic administrator, two or more discipline 

faculty members, and a Human Resource 

Services (HR) representative. The HR 

representative’s role is to ensure legal 

compliance with employment laws, to review 

questions proposed by the committee, and to 

ensure the selection process is followed. The 

FSC determines the interview format, develops 

questions that will be used for all interviewees, 

and develops the timeline for the remainder of 

the process. The FSC develops criteria and 

qualifications for the position, selects 

candidates, and conducts interviews. Upon 

completion of the interviews, the committee 

identifies one or more applicants for selection. 

These names are forwarded to the Vice 

President of Instruction and President for 

interviews. Typically, the Vice President 

interviews all candidates the committee 

interviews and the President interviews the 

identified finalist(s). The FSC may meet with 

the Vice President and/or President to discuss 

the finalists before the President makes the 

final decision. After a candidate is selected, the 

Vice President of Instruction or the responsible 

division dean contacts the individual and offers 

the position. 

Selection of part-time faculty is somewhat 

different from full-time faculty in that selection 

committees are not utilized. Each discipline 

identifies a full-time faculty member to help 

with the selection process. The designated 

faculty member and the responsible 

administrator review applications and 

determine which candidates will be interviewed 

using a checklist of expectations for adjuncts in 

the respective discipline. While some 

disciplines and programs are successful in 

recruiting qualified part-time faculty members, 

there are a few that are frequently challenged 

in their efforts to finding qualified part-time 

instructors. The disciplines and programs that 

traditionally find it difficult to hire part-time 

faculty members are primarily in mathematics, 

sciences and nursing. Recruitment of part-time 

faculty is made more difficult by the College’s 

relative isolation and distance from the 

Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area. Available 

part-time faculty have greater choice and 

higher remuneration at community and 

technical colleges along the Interstate-5 

corridor. Academic administrators, faculty, and 

Human Resource staff formed a taskforce last 

year to develop strategies to address this issue. 

Olympic College is dedicated to diversity 

within its faculty. Both the Olympic College 

Values statement and the third Strategic 

Initiative endorse the importance of diversity. 

This commitment is consistently reflected in 

recruitment practices and is an institutionally 

shared value. The College routinely posts 

recruitment advertisements in the Chronicle of 

Higher Education, Academic Careers, the State 

Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ 

web site, local newspapers, and the Olympic 

College web site. Additional advertising outlets 

are specifically chosen to reach a culturally 

diverse audience (e.g. HigherEdJobs.com and 

AcademicCareers.com) 


The Diversity Advisory Committee (DAC), on 

which several faculty are active members, exists 

to inform and make recommendations on 

diversity issues to the President and support 

and facilitate diversity efforts in all areas of 

campus life. The DAC recommendation to 

“recruit and retain diverse faculty and staff” 

was strengthened by its development of a 

standardized diversity question that is now 

included in all applications to help the FSCs 

understand applicants’ views on diversity. 

The institutional personnel policies and 

procedures are maintained on the Olympic 

College web site. The Board policy manual is 

also available on the Olympic College web site. 

Policies and procedures regarding hiring can be 

found in the HR section of the College web site 

or on the shared drive. 

Analysis. The current faculty recruitment 

and selection process has been used for many 

years. Although there is general satisfaction 

with the process, there is some concern about 

certain aspects. Occasionally, the process 

moves slowly in terms of approving new and/or 

replacement positions. This can delay the work 

of the search committees, which could make 

Olympic College less competitive for the best 

qualified candidates. 

A consultant reviewing the Olympic College 

recruitment and hiring process has developed 

eleven findings. Included in the findings are the 

following: (1) delays occur in obtaining different 

signatory approvals, (2) the hiring and recruiting 

processes are too rigid and not consistently 

applied, and (3) the process to recruit and hire 

takes too long, and increases the risk of losing 

potential candidates. The consultant suggested 

a revised process be initiated at Olympic 

College. The process to implement this 

recommendation is ongoing. 

Recruiting and maintaining a diverse faculty 

is important to the College. As of January 2009, 

the faculty is comprised of approximately fortyeight 

percent female, sixteen percent persons 

of color, five percent persons with disabilities, 

nine percent veteran, and eighty-two percent 

over forty years old. Between fall 2006 and fall 

2008 Olympic College hired seven faculty of 

color (from a total of forty-six hired during this 

two year period). During this same period four 

persons of color departed for reasons other 

than retirement. 

Academic�Freedom� 

Description.��Academic freedom is valued at 

Olympic College as evidenced in written 

documents, faculty commitment to innovation, 

and the support of administration. Academic 

freedom is addressed in the CBA, Article V, 

Section 3. This section states: 

Each�academic�employee�is�entitled�to� 

freedom�in�the�classroom�in�the�discussion� 

of�the�subject�which�that�academic� 

employee�teaches.��When�the�academic� 

employee�speaks�or�writes�outside�the�scope� 

of�Olympic�College�employment,�the� 

academic�employee�is�free�from�institutional� 

censorship�or�discipline�and�it�is�understood� 

that�the�academic�employee�is�not�an� 

institutional�spokesperson.� 

Academic freedom is also addressed in the 

Values Statement approved by the Board of 

Trustees in June, 2008. The Values Statement 

expresses the institution’s commitment to 

public service and higher education. It states, 

“To demonstrate our values we champion the 

principles of academic freedom and intellectual 

honesty.” The document also states we “foster 

innovation, creativity, and flexibility in efforts to 

offer exemplary education and service.” The 

Vision Statement (approved by the Board of 

Trustees, January 2008) also emphasizes 

“adaptive and innovative teaching.” 

Faculty are able to pursue scholarship 

without unreasonable limitations. Faculty are 

encouraged to develop new courses, utilize 

appropriate teaching techniques, develop 

course materials, and encourage differing 


opinions and open discussion in the classroom. 

Faculty are free from interference in the 

performance of their instructional 

responsibilities when they abide by accepted 

academic standards. 

Analysis.��The 2008 PACE Climate survey did 

not directly assess faculty opinions about 

academic freedom at Olympic College. 

Inferences that faculty believe academic 

freedom is valued at Olympic College can be 

made from items in the tool. Figure 4.12 

compares faculty opinions from the 2006 PACE 

Climate Survey with opinions from the 2008 

survey on statements that may relate to 

academic freedom. 

Faculty are aware of their instructional 

responsibilities and the professional exercise of 

academic freedom. Administrators are also 

aware of the importance of academic freedom 

and encourage curricular openness and civil 

debate. There have been no faculty grievances 

related to claims of infringement of the 

academic freedom protection provided in the 

CBA. 

Figure�4.12.��Faculty�Input�Regarding�Academic�Freedom� 

Statement� 2006� 2008� %�Change� 

The�extent�to�which�I�am�encouraged�to�be�innovative�in�my�work.� 3.73 3.78 1.3 

The�extent�to�which�innovation�is�appreciated�at�this�college.� 3.08 3.34 8.4 

Source:��PACE�Climate�Survey,�2008 

SCHOLARSHIP,�RESEARCH,�AND�ARTISTIC�CREATION� 

Faculty�Involvement� 

Description.��Many Olympic College faculty 

regularly participate in and provide outstanding 

results in Scholarship, Research and Artistic 

Creation (SRAC). Sample projects (Appendix 

4.1) show how faculty have participated in SRAC 

activities to enhance their professional status 

and their teaching skills in such diverse fields as 

Physics, Anthropology, English, Geography, 

Medical Assisting, Nursing, Multimedia, and 

Sociology. 

For example, faculty have published 

technical manuals and handbooks in 

multimedia and environmental studies. Other 

peer-reviewed publications explore such topics 

as female juvenile delinquency, cultural and 

physical landscapes, and environmental issues. 

Faculty have conducted research in astrophysics 

and on original documents relating to World 

War I and World War II. Research in China and 

Mongolia has enhanced diversity in the study of 

landscape and art forms. Art faculty have 

further served the community in the creation of 

public art. Faculty have presented on 

pedagogical issues as well, such as teaching and 

learning about ethics and the environment. 

Consistent with the institution’s mission 

and goals as a community college, the primary 

emphasis is on meritorious teaching. Excellence 

in teaching is further served by outcomes 

assessment where faculty are funded to 

research and engage in a wide range of teaching 

and learning issues at the course and program 

level. These outcomes initiatives involve 

individual and small groups of faculty examining 

course and program practices to improve 

teaching and learning, thus enhancing student 

success. 


Olympic College faculty also share best 

practices by participating in workshops and 

seminars focused on assessment and have 

presented talks and presentations at State and 

national conferences over the past several 

years, including the League for Innovation 

Conference and the Pacific Northwest Higher 

Education Teaching, Learning, and Assessment 

Conference. 

Unambiguous procedures regarding 

copyrights, patents, and ownership of 

intellectual property are delineated in Appendix 

V, Section 16 of the CBA. Procedures are also 

clearly laid out in the Employee Handbook, 

found on the Olympic College web site. 

Copyright and ethical issues in research are 

partially covered by the relevant State RCW and 

WAC. In addition, Olympic College has a Use of 

Human Subjects policy, which is currently being 

submitted to the IPC for review and approval. 

The main avenues through which faculty 

provide input on the development and 

administration of research policies and 

practices are in negotiations and by 

membership on committees such as the 

Sabbatical Leave Committee, Professional 

Credit Evaluation Committee, and Student 

Outcomes. In the granting of sabbatical leave 

and in outcomes assessment, for example, 

faculty are fundamentally involved in setting 

criteria, reviewing applications, and selecting 

recipients. 

The College provides a variety of ways in 

which faculty are encouraged and funded to 

engage in scholarship, research, and artistic 

creation. Besides sabbatical leave, funding 

sources include the Olympic College 

Foundation, the Professional Enrichment 

Committee, a variety of grant resources, the 

Center for Teaching and Learning, the 

Outcomes Committee, and division travel funds. 

Recently, a past member of the Board of 

� 

Trustees made a substantial monetary 

contribution to the Foundation. Although the 

specific guidance for the use of these funds has 

not been established, the intent was to provide 

for faculty education and enrichment. With the 

exception of sabbatical leave, all of these 

sources are available to adjunct faculty as well. 

A full range of informational resources is 

available through the Olympic College library as 

well as individual internet access. Full-time 

faculty have the physical advantage of 

individual office space and computers. 

Administrative support can take the form of 

providing staffing for faculty on leave as well as 

laptops for checkout. 

Faculty work on scholarship, research, and 

artistic creation is recognized and rewarded as 

part of the tenure and post-tenure review 

processes, in the awarding of grants and 

sabbatical leave, in recognition by the 

Professional Credit Evaluation Committee, by 

faculty excellence awards, by movement on the 

salary schedule and, in some cases, by the 

awarding of re-assigned time. All funding 

sources require an application procedure and 

some degree of faculty review in which 

applicants are asked to show the relevance of 

their requests to the College’s Strategic 

Initiatives, Core Abilities, etc.� 

Analysis.��Despite heavy teaching loads, 

Olympic College faculty engage in a significant 

amount of scholarship, research and artistic 

creation, as well as outcomes assessment (see 

Appendix 4.1). A wide variety of funding 

sources support these activities. Faculty are 

fundamentally involved in the processes by 

which these resources are distributed. There is, 

however, a problem with an inadequate policy 

statement on certain aspects of research and 

academic freedom. It is also important to note 

that any guarantee of academic freedom may 

have less relevance for adjunct faculty given 

their non-tenured status. 


STANDARD�FOUR:��STRENGTHS�AND�RECOMMENDATIONS� 

Strengths:� 

� Faculty are qualified to provide exceptional 

academic opportunities for students. 

� Faculty evaluation processes have improved 

and include the use of multiple evaluation 

indices for all faculty (probationary, posttenure, 

and part-time). 

� Faculty have ample opportunities to 

participate in institutional, division, and 

discipline governance. 

� Faculty are actively involved in academic 

planning, curriculum development and 

review, and academic advising. 

� 


� Improve the implementation of, and record 

keeping for, the part-time faculty evaluation 

process. 

� Revise the policy statement on academic 

freedom to cover faculty work outside the 

classroom. 

� The AHE and the College administration 

should continue their negotiations over local 

faculty salary to ensure its equitable 

administration. 

� The AHE and the College administration 

should continue to engage the Legislature in 

order to accomplish long-term and 

permanent improvements in faculty salaries. 

� Improve student participation on Tenure 

Review Committees. 


{Appendix} 


Standard�Four

{Appendix}� 

Supporting�Documentation�for�Standard�Four� 

SAMPLES�OF�SCHOLARSHIP,�RESEARCH�AND�ARTISTIC�CREATION�� 

(NOTE: FOR FULL VITAE, REFER TO THE STANDARD FOUR EXHIBITS.)� 

ABEL,�Bob,�Professor�of�Physics�and�Mathematics� 

Research� 

� Visiting Scholar, Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics, University of 

Washington, March-July 2004. Assisted in planning and conducting accelerator-based measurement 

of the 3He(a,y)7Be reaction cross section, related to solar neutrino studies. 

Publications� 

� With Richard M. Thorne. “Relativistic Charged Particle Precipitation into Jupiter’s Subauroral 

Atmosphere.” Icarus�166.2 (2003): 311-319. 

Presentations� 

� “Life Between the Stars: Could Tidal Heating Produce More Biology than Starshine?” Fall Meeting 

of the American Geophysical Union. San Francisco, December 2007. 

� With R. M. Thorne. “Calculating Quasi-linear Pitch Angle Diffusion Coefficients from the Wave-Normal 

Perspective. Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union. San Francisco, December 2005. 

COHEN,�Mirelle,�Professor�of�Sociology�� 


� Video Review—from Chaos�to�Community. Susanna Styron. Teaching�Sociology . Forthcoming. 

� Video Review—Revolution�’67. Marylou and Jerome Bongiono. Teaching�Sociology.��Forthcoming. 

� Book Review—Ethnicities and Race: Making Identities in a Changing World (Second Edition). 

Stephen Cornell and Douglass Hartmann. Teaching�Sociology 35.4 (October 2007): 391-2. 

� Video Review—The�Camden�28. Anthony Giacchino. Teaching�Sociology 35.4 (October 2007): 376-8. 

Conference�Presentations� 

� “Female Juvenile Delinquents: Structural Impediments to a Life of Conformity ‘On the Outs.’” 

California Sociology Association. Berkeley, CA. November 2007. 

� “Female Juvenile Delinquency: Mentoring as a Strategy to Reduce Recidivism and Improve Self- 

Efficacy.” California Sociology Association, Riverside, CA. November 2008. 

DIGBY,�Susan,�Professor�of�Geography� 

Travel� 

� Traveled to Mongolia and China in summer 2007, to England and major sites on the gold rush route 

within the Yukon in summer 2008. On each occasion, in addition to a photography record which is 

used in teaching she has followed the geographic tradition and kept travel journals. These contain 

narratives in written text, drawings and paintings. These visual and literary accounts form a mode of 

reasoning and help in understanding the cultural and physical landscapes. 

{Standard�Four} Faculty� A4-1�

DIGBY,�Susan,�Professor�of�Geography�(Cont.)� 

� 


� “Landscapes of war and peace at Fort Worden” Landscapings: Iconographies and Beyond” A 

Symposium and Memorial Celebration in Honour of Prof. Denis Cosgrove. UCLA, Los Angeles, CA. 

May 2008. 

� “Collage as Biographical Research Method and Discourse”�American Association of Geographers 

Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA. March 2007. 


� “Early Twentieth-Century Collection of Extinct Mammals from Northern Siberia: The Provenance of 

Bassett Digby’s Contributions to the Natural History Museum, London, and the British Museum.” 

Archives�of�Natural�History 35:1 (2008) : 105–117. 

� “The Casket of Magic: Home and Identity from Salvaged Objects” Home�Cultures 3.�2�� 

(July 2006): 169-190. 

�HARTSE,�Caroline,�Professor�of�Anthropology� 

Conference�Presentation� 

� “Cultural Appropriation of Pacific Northwest Rock Art.” Southwest/Texas Popular Cultural 

Association and American Culture Association 29th Annual Conference. Albuquerque, New Mexico, 

February 13-16, 2008. 

HONG,�Nat,�Professor�of�English� 


� “The Everyday Bikeness of Being: An American Repatriate’s Lament.” Bainbridge�Broom, 

Spring 2008. 

� “’Atta Way Grandma! Mow ‘Em Down’: The Political Use of Humor in Occupation-Period Danish 

Scrapbooks.” Humor:�International�Journal�of�Humor�Research. Forthcoming. 

� “Long-Haul Partners.” Festschrift�in�Honor�of�Howard�and�Edna�Hong�for�Their�Long�term�Translation� 

Work. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, forthcoming. 

HULSEBOSCH,�Karen� 

Conference�Presentations� 

� “Building Community and Fostering Inquiry through a Faculty Seminar Series.” Pacific Northwest 

Higher Education Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference. Spokane, WA. May 1, 2008. 

With: Cami Geyer (Chemistry), Katherine Howard (Geology), Steven Quinn (Automotive 

Technology), Tom Cameron (English), Koi Tirima (English), Terri Major (English), and Lori Vail 

(English). 

� “Critical Thinking Rubrics in Calculus.” Pacific Northwest Higher Education Teaching, Learning and 

Assessment Conference. Spokane, WA. May 1, 2003. With Linnea Hess (Physics). 

LAMMERS,�Steve,�Professor�of�Culinary�Arts� 

� Co-created the information / recruitment video that can be viewed on the OC Culinary Arts 

web-page 

� 

A4-2 {Standard�Four} Faculty

LIESEKE,�Connie,�Medical�Assisting�Programs�Coordinator� 

Publication� 

� With Elizabeth Ziebig. Essentials of Laboratory Practice: A Guide for Medical Assistants. 

Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis, c. 2010. 

MEYERS,�Judith,�Professor�of�English� 

Scholarly�Research� 

� Archival Research on Women and World War I. Imperial War Museum, London, Fall 2006, January 

2007. 

O’NEIL,�Elizabeth,�Professor�of�Mathematics� 

Conference�Presentation� 

� “Teaching Quantitative Reasoning with a Theme of Sustainability” Curriculum for the Bioregion: 

'Works in Progress' Conference. University of Puget Sound, Tacoma. March 6, 2009. 

� “Do TAs Make a Difference in Developmental Math?” Washington Mathematical Association of Two 

Year Colleges Conference. Columbia Basin College, Pasco, WA. April 23-25. 

PINDELL,�Deanna,�Adjunct�Professor�of�Art� 

Artistic�Creation� 

� 2008 Juncture. Webster’s Woods Sculpture Park. Port Angeles Fine Art Center, Port Angeles, WA. 

Juncture is a public art installation. The work includes three sculptural elements in a meditative 

clearing in the woods. 

� 2007 Dreaming�Tree�with�Meditation�Bench. Webster’s Woods Sculpture Park. Port Angeles Fine 

Art Center, Port Angeles, WA. Dreaming Tree is a public art installation. The work involves a 

meditative clearing in the woods, with a sculptural element and a functional sculptured bench. 

� 2007 Curator. “Figure of Speech” Invitational Exhibit. Northwind Arts Center. Port Townsend, WA. 

Curated a group show, inviting eight regional artists, on the theme of narrative, figurative art. 

Curation involves research, selecting artwork, writing the curator’s essay, and presenting the exhibit. 

� 2004-2008. Annual solo shows. Collective Visions Gallery. Bremerton, WA. Each solo show involves 

a body of artwork, related by conceptual theme as well as physical attributes (such as media used, 

iconography, etc.) 

PLEVIN,�Arlene,�Professor�of�English� 


� "Inviting Environmental Ethics: Being Green/Being Ethical" at "Reinventing Green: Environmental 

Education in a Changing World." 17th Annual Conference of the Environmental Education 

Association of Washington, November 8-10, 2007. 

� " Ecocomposition, Ethics, and the Public Intellectual: Embracing the Marginalized," at Western 

States Conference on Rhetoric and Literacy, October 23-25, 2008. 

� "Water Runs Through It: Sustainability and the Ethical Spirit in Peterson, Miller, and White," at the 

42nd Annual Conference of the Western Literature Association, "Edgewalking on the Western Rim," 

October 17-20, 2007. 

� Team Leader, Leading Olympic College's 5-member team attending the Curriculum for the 

Bioregion's Sustainability Across the Curriculum Institute, July 9-12, 2008. I am continuing this role 

as we fulfill the terms of the $4500 grant we were awarded. 

{Standard�Four} Faculty� A4-3�

PLEVIN,�Arlene,�Professor�of�English�(Cont.)� 

� "The Pedagogy of Ethics: Thinking about the Environment in Technical Writing" at the Association 

for the Study of Literature and the Environment (ASLE), June 12-14, 2007. 

� "Environmental Texts and Environmental Justice: The Text of Words and the Woods," at the 17th 

Annual American Literature Association, May 25-28, 2006. 


� "Still Putting Out ‘Fires’: Ranger Rick and Animal-Human Stewardship.” Reprinted in Wild�Things:� 

Children’s Culture�and�Ecocriticism. Edited by Sidney I. Dobrin and Kenneth B. Kidd. Detroit, 

Michigan: Wayne State University Press, 2004. [This will be reproduced with permission of the 

Wayne State University Press and the author in Children’s�Literature�Review,�Vol.�138,�CLR�138� 

scheduled to be released in October 2008. Published by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, CLR�138� 

will appear in a hard cover text edition, e-book, electronic and an online version--a secured dial-up 

subscription service primarily for libraries, schools and universities, with restricted access.] 

� Invited to review article, "The New Face of Corporations: Communication and Participation through 

Corporate Social Responsibility," for the Journal�of�Business�Communication, June 2007. 

� Researcher for Global�Issues,�Local�Arguments,�Readings�for�Writing. Ed. June Johnson,. White 

Plains, NY: Pearson/Longman, 2007. 

� Author of Instructor's�Manual�for�Global�Issues,�Local�Arguments. White Plains, NY: 

Pearson/Longman, 2007 (160 pages). 

� "The World is Our Home: Environmental Justice, Feminisms, and Student Ideology," in The�Feminist� 

Teacher 16. 2( 2006): 110-23. 

SILVERTHORNE,�Joe,�Professor�of�Multimedia� 

Publication� 

� Technical editor for Vaughn, Tay.��Multimedia:��Making�It�Work. Seventh Edition. New York 

[Boston] McGraw-Hill. 

WEICHMAN,�Marie,�Professor�of�Art� 

Artistic�Creation� 

� Artist Residency in Jingdezhen China – During the summer of 2007 Marie Weichman traveled to 

Jingdezhen, China to work at the Pottery Workshop and Experimental Sculpture Factory. 

Jingdezhen’s 1500 year history as the porcelain capital of the world provided Weichman with an 

environment in which contemporary works of art were created using traditions that were centuries 

old. The work was later exhibited in a three person show at the Las Cruces Museum of Art in Las 

Cruces, NM as well as Slippery Rock University. Her work was part of a six person exhibit at the 

2008 NCECA Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. 

� Craft Texas 2008 – Two works of art by Marie Weichman were included in the juried exhibit Craft 

Texas 2008 hosted by the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. The exhibit was juried by Kate 

Bonansinga, Director of the Stanlee And Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts and Assistant 

Professor of Art at the University of Texas at El Paso; Harlan Butt, Regents Professor of Art at the 

University of North Texas; Jane Sauer, owner of the Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM. The selected 

works by Weichman were “Incubation” and “Five Quilts (Life Is In The Details series).” 

� Ceramics�Monthly�Magazine – Marie Weichman was among 15 selected artists in Ceramic Monthly’s 

“Emerging Artists” focus for their May 2008 issue. The article featured a full page statement and 

image of artwork by the artist. 

A4-4 {Standard�Four} Faculty

{Standard�Five} 

Library�and�Information� 

Resources 

Standard�Five

{Standard�Five}� 

Library�and�Information�Resources� 

This standard consists of three sections that cover the services of libraries, media services, and 

information technology. For a full discussion of distance learning, please see Standard Two. 

LIBRARIES�–�PURPOSE�AND�SCOPE;�INFORMATION�RESOURCES�AND�SERVICES 

Collections,�Resources,�and�Library�Use� 

Description. The nature of the Olympic 

College libraries and their collections has 

changed dramatically since the College’s last 

accreditation visit. At that time the library and 

Media Services had just occupied a new facility 

built to replace the former building that was 

destroyed in a roof collapse. Since then, the 

new Haselwood Library in Bremerton has been 

joined by the addition of new facilities at both 

the Shelton and Poulsbo campuses. The 

addition of new libraries has required that the 

collections be split between all three sites, with 

the majority of the hardcopy collection residing 

at Bremerton and smaller hardcopy collections 

residing in Poulsbo and Shelton. Electronic 

database access is available equally at all three 

sites, as well as remotely via the Internet. New 

collections of compact discs and electronic 

books, have been added, hardcopy periodical 

collections have been eclipsed by electronic 

collections, and the natural progression of 

technology has forced media collections like 

VCR tapes to become replaced by DVDs and 

video streaming. The electronic book collection 

has well over 6,000 titles, and more are 

purchased annually, both as individual titles and 

in prepackaged collections. 

The Olympic College collections are current 

and are used by students, staff, and faculty, as 

well as by the citizens of Kitsap and Mason 

Counties. In 2007, the Olympic College library 

system held 77,693 volumes (books), 434 paper 

periodical titles, and over 3160 videos. The 

total collection value was over $4.6 million, with 

$102,000 of the collection being held at 

Shelton, and $95,000 held at Poulsbo. Annual 

inventories show overall growth in collections, 

despite nearly constant weeding efforts. 

The Library budget has received increases 

over the years to assist with the increasing cost 

of providing resources for students. Inflation 

and the rising cost of periodicals, however, have 

meant that the hardcopy periodicals collection 

continues to diminish in numbers despite the 

rise in budgets. Detailed budgets are available 

as Standard Five Exhibits. 

�Figure�5.1.��Collection�Inventory�� 

Inventory� 

area 

2000� 2008� %�increase� 

Active�Hardcopy�Periodical�Subscriptions�(Titles)�� 

Bremerton 270 186 -31% 

Shelton 2 8 300% 

Poulsbo 0 23 NA 

TOTALS 272 217� �20% 

Hardcopy�Books�(Volumes)�� 

Bremerton 67,543 77,622 15% 

Shelton 2,181 15,639 617% 

Poulsbo 0 1,783 100% 

TOTALS 69,724 95,044� 36% 

Non�print�(Volumes)� 

Bremerton 2,925 4,843 66% 

Shelton 132 226 71% 

Poulsbo 0 437 NA 

TOTALS 3,057 5,506� 80% 

{Standard�Five} Library and Information Resources 5-1

Figure�5.2.�Collections�Budget�Overview� 

Selected�Budget�Items� 1992� 2000� 2008*� 

Total�Library�Budget�� $548,711 $778,212 $1,077,218 38% 

Periodical�Subscriptions� $17,500 $20,250 $22,250 10% 

Books/AV�Materials/� 

Reference�/Serials/� 

Databases� 

Interlibrary�Loans�/� 

Automation�costs�[EL/EZ]� 

$29,477 $40,800 $78,050 91% 

$13,000 $19,845 $24,545 24% 

%�increase� 

2008/2000� 

Salaries�and�Benefits�� $458,253 $655,494 $913,741 39%** 

*2008�budgets�are�for�all�three�libraries,�Haselwood,�Johnson,�and�Poulsbo.� 

**Includes�personnel�budgets�for�two�new�libraries;�if�those�are�not�included,�the�increase�is�31%� 

� 

Analysis. Analyzing the use patterns of the 

Olympic College libraries and their collections is 

made more complex by several major changes 

that have occurred since the last accreditation 

visit. Many of these changes, however, have 

either expanded or improved services to 

students in significant ways. 

• Opening of expanded and remodeled 

Bremerton facility in 2000 (Haselwood 

Library) 

• Newly replaced reference and other 

collections dating from 2000 

• Opening of expanded Shelton facility (the 

Johnson Library) with staff, shelving, and 

collections 

• Opening of Poulsbo facility with its small 

library and the subsequent move of the 

library into a computer lab environment 

• Move of the Associate Degree Nursing 

program to the Poulsbo site with related 

collections 

• First time automation of the library in 

1999 and major additions of electronic 

resources with their statistical 

capabilities 

• The growth of distance learning to 

eighteen percent of Olympic College’s 

offerings and related access issues 

� 

In 1999 the library catalog was automated 

for the first time using Voyager’s Endeavor 

system. Holdings for all three libraries are now 

available through our online catalog on the 

library website. An historical look at the 

circulation of most materials by type is 

contained in Figure 5.3 on next page. These 

statistics do not include browse counts, only 

circulation statistics, due to a statistical 

anomaly that greatly increased browse 

numbers since 2005. 

Reporting of collection use now includes 

electronic resources, since access to these 

materials is a big part of the story and 

represents the information retrieval method of 

choice for most library users. While hardcopy 

use is on a downward slope, all electronic 

sources show significant utilization. These 

changes were expected, due to the increasing 

use of the Internet for research, the conversion 

of reserve holdings to digital versions, the 

significant increase in availability of both 

electronic books and electronic full text journals 

from all venues, the growing numbers of 

distance courses, and the strong patron 

preference for the convenience of electronic 

resources. 

5-2 {Standard�Five} Library and Information Resources

Item�Type� 

Figure�5.3.��Circulation�of�all�Hardcopy�Materials�� 

Fiscal�Year� 

2000�01� 2001�02� 2002�03� 2003�04� 2004�05� 2005�06� 2006�07� 2007�08� 

Hardcopy Books 9,079 9,475 9,829 9,941 9,128 8,164 6,777 6,639 

Hardcopy 

Reserve 

29 38 48 72 59 87 77 58 

Reference 45 54 66 129 53 51 31 71 

Hardcopy�Book� 

Total� 

9,153� 9,567� 9,943� 10,142� 9,240� 8,302� 6,885� 6,768� 

Periodicals� 9� 687� 1,092� 1,027� 1,139� 1,271� 1,059� 776� 

Videos 2,577 3,075 4,312 5,195 4,180 3,889 3,237 2,494 

Audio 3 154 253 361 344 363 265 340 

Total�A/V� 2,580� 3,229� 4,565 5,556 4,524 4,252� 3,502� 2,834 

*incomplete�data�for�these�years;�bar�coding�of�periodicals�and�other�materials�was�not�completed�until�2003.� 

Item�Type� 

Hardcopy�Books� 

� 

Figure�5.4.��Circulation�of�Hardcopy�and�Electronic�Books� 


2002�03� 2003�04� 2004�05� 2005�06� 2006�07� 2007�08� 

Circulation 9,943 10,142 9,240 8,302 6,885 6,768 

Volumes 82,259 83,478 86,351 88,952 92,251 95,044 

Percentage Circulated 12% 12% 11% 9% 7% 7% 

Item�Type�� 

Electronic Books 

Calendar�Year� 

2003� 2004� 2005� 2006� 2007� 2008� 

Circulation 102 227 274 786 802 881 

Total titles 1,676 3,149 4,608 5,500 6,333 7,167 

Percentage Circulated 6% 7% 6% 14% 13% 12% 

Olympic College began adding electronic 

books in 2003 with a purchased collection 

created to support community college level 

work. This collection has increased nearly every 

year, with both tailored collections and 

individual titles that are all accessible remotely 

via the Internet. The percentage of titles that 

have circulated are presented in Figure 5.4. 

With growing awareness of the availability of 

electronic titles, the percentage circulation of 

electronic books has surpassed that of hardcopy 

titles, a phenomenon that is likely due to their 

24/7/365 availability and to the currency of that 

collection. 


The recent availability of electronic reserves 

has been enthusiastically embraced by only a 

handful of instructors to date (less than three 

dozen out of 400+ faculty by headcount). 

However, just those few have resulted in 

significant traffic in electronic reserves, in 

contrast to the slow increase in hardcopy 

reserve circulation. 

While the use of hardcopy periodicals is 

increasing (over 2000 circulations annually), the 

use of electronic periodicals has soared and 

now cumulatively represents more than 75,000 

full text retrievals annually. The availability of 

statistics for these databases varies by vendor, 

start date, and vendor availability issues. 

However, as more databases are made 

available, some use patterns are beginning to 

emerge. Some of the databases with longer 

statistical histories show a decline in use (e.g., 

Britannica), which is likely because of the 

increasing availability of competing products 

and faculty preferences. For databases with 

similar content, like the comparable Proquest 

and Academic Search Elite, students appear to 

prefer the more accessible database (Proquest). 

A longer use history of databases will be of 

assistance in making choices between titles, 

something that may become necessary in the 

anticipated budget climate for Washington 

community colleges. While these databases are 

nowhere near the extensive collection held by 

the universities locally, analysis and comparison 

of the holdings of other Washington State 

community colleges puts Olympic College’s 

collection at the high end (analysis is available 

in the Standard Five exhibits). Further, overall 

use of databases is increasing annually by over 

twenty-seven percent. 

There are two other statewide initiatives 

that may increase access for our students in the 

near future. Recent legislation has expanded 

access to the University of Washington 

databases for health professionals, and it is 

projected that this legislation may include 

nursing students statewide. The 2008 session 

of the Legislature passed a community college 

initiative that would fund a statewide buying 

agreement for electronic databases that would 

vastly increase access for community college 

students. Unfortunately, this initiative was cut 

in the governor’s budget, so while community 

college libraries have the necessary political 

support, the economy has intervened. 

The College has already felt the impact of 

budget cuts in electronic databases. In the 

2008-09 academic year, the college allocated 

one-time funds to purchase JSTOR and 

ScienceDirect for students. The plan was to 

continue these subscriptions utilizing funds 

from the Haselwood Endowment. The 

Haselwood Endowment, a gift of the family for 

whom the library is named, has a base 

endowment of about $1.5 million. As with 

many college and university endowments, the 

Haselwood Endowment has recently decreased 

in value, and it will likely be unable to make 

disbursements to support the library for the 

next few years. In the interval the OC 

Foundation has disbursed funds to continue 

these databases from other sources. While this 

endowment was created to keep the 

Haselwood Library technologically current, 

depending on these funds for regular annual 

disbursements needs to be reevaluated. 

Collections are accessed in a variety of 

ways, but one of the most important ways is by 

librarians who assist students with research 

both in-house and remotely. The number of 

reference transactions and teaching 

presentations is noted in Figure 5.6 on next 

page. One-on-one reference assistance is 

available during all hours of operation. 

Librarians conduct orientations for various 

classes taught at Olympic College, including 

everything from English to Welding. One LPN 

class was included in a 2006 orientation at the 

Poulsbo campus. However, in-person reference 

assistance and orientations will soon be 

augmented by electronic delivery methods. 


Figure�5.5.��eReserves�Statistics� 

June�2006�Feb.�2006� Jan.�2007�Dec.�2007� Jan.�2008�Dec.�2008� 

Hits� 11,606 22,584 21,067 

Average�Hits/Day� 58 61 57 

Visits� 1,016 1,898 1,823 

Average�Visits/�Day� 5 5 4 

Unique�Visitors� 452 602 569 

Hit��A�single�action�on�the�web�server�as�it�appears�in�the�log�file.��A�visitor�downloading�a�single�file�is�logged�as�a� 

single�hit,�while�a�visitor�requesting�a�web�page�including�two�images�registers�as�three�hits�on�the�server;�one�hit�is� 

the�request�for�the�.html�page,�and�two�additional�hits�are�requests�for�the�downloaded�image�files.��While�the� 

volume�of�hits�is�an�indicator�of�web�server�traffic,�it�is�not�an�accurate�reflection�of�how�many�pages�are�being� 

viewed.� 

Visits��Number�of�times�a�visitor�came�to�your�site.�If�a�visitor�is�idle�longer�than�the�idle�time�limit,�WebTrends� 

assumes�the�visit�was�voluntarily�terminated.��If�the�visitor�continues�to�browse�your�site�after�they�reach�the�idle� 

time�limit,�a�new�visit�is�counted.��The�default�idle�time�limit�is�thirty�minutes.�� 

� 

Year� 

Figure�5.6.��Reference�Transactions�and�Presentations� 

Number�of�Reference�Transactions� Presentations�to�Groups� 

Typical�Week�(ALS)� Total�Annual�(ACRL) Number�of�presentations Number�of�Participants 

1999� 267 111 2,026 

2000� 290 112 2,120 

2001� 14,350 189 3,895 

2002� 305 13,970 192 2,655 

2003� 14,620 157 2,831 

2004� 289 13,793 192 3,696 

2006� 350 152 2,698 

2007� 12,641 106 1,909 

Olympic College began its participation in 

OCLC Questionpoint in October 2008, a move 

that was echoed by the majority of Washington 

community colleges in 2009. Questionpoint�is a 

virtual reference cooperative service that 

provides 24/7 access to a reference librarian for 

all users affiliated with the College through 

Olympic College’s website. The cooperative is a 

national one, and is available whenever Olympic 

College students or other patrons sign in with a 

question. A reference librarian is available via 

� 

e-mail or chat, with interactive website 

demonstration capabilities and a database of 

local information on all participating libraries. 

This service is a crucial one for not only our 

distance students, but for all our busy adult 

students who study at all hours. While it is too 

early to report results of this effort, librarians 

anticipate that this service will be met with the 

same enthusiasm as it has been by students 

already using these services at Washington’s 

universities. 


Figure�5.7.��ACT�Survey�Question�on�Library�Collections.� 

Students�agreeing:��“The�books�and�other�materials�owned�by�the�library�meet�my�course�needs”�� 

(by�percent)� 

Year� 

Strongly� 

agree� 

Agree� Neutral� Disagree� 

Strongly� 

Disagree� 

NA� Blank� 

1999� 8.5 30.7 25.5 11.6 4 13.4 6.3 3.7 

2000� 13.6 31.6 18.2 5.6 2.4 16.3 12.2 4.23 

2001� 13.8 32.6 20.6 3.5 2.2 17.6 9.7 4.35 

2003� 15.6 32.4 20.4 3.7 1.7 15.2 11 4.33 

2004� 17.2 34.1 20.6 5.4 1.3 14.9 6.4 4.29 

2008� 20.4 33.3 16.7 4.1 1.9 16.3 7.1 n/a 

ACT Student Opinion Survey data shows 

that overall, student satisfaction with 

collections has been positive, although the 

dramatic increase between 1999 and 2000 is 

undoubtedly due to a halo effect caused by the 

opening of the new Haselwood Library (Figure 

5.7). Since then, the number of students 

agreeing or strongly agreeing has risen steadily, 

however, validating to some degree the 

extensive efforts and changes made in the 

collections to date. 

Faculty�Involvement�and�Information�Literacy� 

Description.��Library faculty are full partners 

with the teaching faculty in the effort to 

enhance student learning. Each full-time 

librarian serves as a representative to one of 

the major divisions to provide consultation with 

discipline faculty on a regular basis. This 

partnership assists with the development of the 

collection in response to curriculum changes 

and serves to elicit faculty efforts to weed the 

collections. After the 1996 library roof collapse, 

library faculty worked extensively with their 

colleagues once the losses were identified to 

evaluate the losses for replacement and 

purchase updates and new materials for the 

collections on all fronts. Since that time, 

specific collection development projects have 

included working with faculty in History, 

Political science, American Sign Language, 

Welding, Parent Education, and the Teaching 

Average� 

Rating� 

and Learning Collections. Requests by faculty 

for new materials to support their classes are 

always given priority for purchase. The nursing 

collection went through a thorough updating in 

reference and reserve, and nearly all reserve 

materials were replaced. 

Regular, on-going weeding has been carried 

out by the librarians throughout the collection 

(Figure 5.1). More recent efforts to support the 

Nursing program, for example, have targeted 

textbooks in the collection that are more than 

five years old. In 2003 the library performed an 

extensive collection analysis study, surveying 

critical areas of the collection and targeting 

those areas for collection renewal. The library 

is currently comparing the collection of medical 

titles, including nursing, to the recently 

published Resources�for�College�Libraries, in 

order to identify and purchase missing core 

materials. 

Library faculty involve their colleagues in 

more than just collection development. 

Librarians are actively involved in instruction 

efforts in several ways. Information Literacy 

and Technology is one of the five Core Abilities. 

Librarians have been integral partners in the 

teaching of several courses in a variety of ways. 

Librarians have served as full teaching partners 

in both an on-ground English 102 class and in an 

online class, Anthropology 202. One librarian 

has release time to teach and coordinate the 


General Studies classes, including research 

portions of GENS 100, Strategies�for�Academic� 

Success. The same librarian has also created 

GENS 211, Research�Skills�in�History, as a part of 

a post tenure review, and taught GENS 211 in a 

learning community with English 102 and 

History 105; results of this experiment were 

reported at a League for Innovation in the 

Community College conference. The learning 

community was offered a second time in winter 

2008. 

Online tutorials are also a support tool of 

interest for the librarians. The Texas� 

Information�Literacy�Tutorial is attached to the 

library website for all to use, and is integrated 

into the GENS research and academic success 

classes. Recent work with Captivate has shown 

promise, and the library plans to offer online 

tutorials for several databases. 

Analysis.��Librarians are involved in 

instruction across campus. They participated 

actively in the creation of the Information 

Literacy and Technology Core Ability and are 

inserting themselves into instruction at all 

levels. Increasing adoption of technological 

approaches to instruction, both in the 

classroom and online, bode well for the future 

of faculty partnerships and outreach methods. 

Teaching faculty work to improve collections, 

selecting and weeding materials, and provide 

access to current research assignments. 

Baccalaureate�Collections,�Resources,�and� 

Instruction� 

Description. Olympic College libraries have 

long held a collection of nursing and health 

oriented materials aimed at Associate Degree 

nursing students. In addition to the book 

collection, there are 299 videos in the nursing 

collection with a value of $44,500. The 

associate degree collection has formed a solid 

base on which to build a baccalaureate level 

collection for use by BSN students. In addition, 

the baccalaureate budget has provided funds to 

purchase a beginning collection for the 

baccalaureate program. In 2006-07 over 

$50,000 was allocated to refresh nursing 

materials and to purchase collections suited to 

nursing research. In the 2007-08 year, another 

$10,000 was spent on added titles (both 

hardcopy and electronic). The electronic book 

collection now includes more than 443 medical 

and nursing titles, many of which were hand 

selected to support the BSN program. 

Electronic databases were also added for 

nursing and related instruction classes, 

including, including Anthrosource, Cochrane, 

Science�Direct, and JSTOR. Future allocations 

for materials will likely be used to support 

additional databases and other electronic 

materials. The College has committed to 

provide ongoing support for collections, 

including periodicals and databases, for all 

baccalaureate classes. 

Twenty-four hardcopy periodical titles are 

held at Poulsbo, nearly all of which are nursing 

oriented. The library system carries forty-one 

total current nursing subscriptions. Additional 

nursing titles are kept at Bremerton, some on 

microfilm. The majority of nursing and related 

health periodicals are kept online; thousands of 

titles are available via Olympic College through 

electronic databases such as Cumulative Index 

to Nursing and Allied Health Literature� 

(CINAHL),�Health�Source:�Nursing/Academic,� 

Medline,�and�Psychology�and�Behaviorial� 

Sciences. Each of these databases provides 

students access to indexing, abstracts, and full 

text of thousands of articles in relevant 

journals. All are available through the Internet 

to students and faculty. The 2008 session of the 

Washington State Legislature passed a bill that 

allows all nurses with professional licensure the 

ability to access the electronic databases 

collection at the University of Washington. 

Exactly how this will be implemented is still 

unclear. However, access to those collections 

for all nurses means an enormous increase in 

the availability of information to students. 

Unfortunately, this access does not appear to 

include access for librarians serving professional 

nurses. Current personnel include a full and 


part-time librarian, both of whom have health 

sciences academic and hospital library 

backgrounds. 

Analysis.��Nursing faculty are consulted 

about the content and location of nursing 

collections. When the decision was made to 

locate baccalaureate classes in Bremerton, 

relevant materials were placed there for BSN 

students. Olympic College’s health sciences 

librarian wrote a collection development plan 

for the BSN nursing collection fall Quarter, 

2006. The plan was presented to the BSN 

Curriculum Development Committee. The BSN 

committee was presented with a spreadsheet 

of selected materials and committee members 

added items for purchase. The BSN committee 

consulted with representatives from the 

Dewey�Class� Dewey�Descriptions� 

University of Washington Tacoma Library during 

winter quarter to discuss collection 

development. One outcome of this 

collaboration, for example, resulted in the 

addition of the Cochrane database at the 

suggestion of the BSN committee. 

The BSN program is new to the College, so 

use statistics are in early stages. Figure 5.8 

shows use of hardcopy books in relevant 

subject areas since the automation of the 

catalog (unfortunately, these particular 

statistics were not extracted earlier, and cannot 

be reconstructed now on an annual basis). 

While results do not show what resources are 

specifically used by students in the nursing 

program, it is clear that the collections are 

being accessed and used by students. 

Figure�5.8.��Hardcopy�Nursing�and�Medical�Book�Use�1999*�2008� 

Total� 

Browses 

Total� 

Charges� 

174� Economic & professional ethics 562 170 84 

344� Social, labor, welfare, & related law 451 117 81 

362� Social welfare problems & services 2,974 1,128 525 

610� Medical sciences medicine 2,486 790 457 

611� Human anatomy, cytology, histology 189 39 28 

612� Human physiology 1,099 414 153 

613� Promotion of health 1,385 422 180 

614� Incidence & prevention of disease 466 137 89 

615� Pharmacology & therapeutics 1,184 398 209 

616� Diseases 3,749 1,520 602 

617� Surgery & related medical specialties 270 95 54 

618� Gynecology & other medical specialties 719 320 116 

�� 

�� 

Total�Hardcopy�Nursing/Medical�book�use 15,534 5,550 

*1999�was�the�first�implementation�of�Voyager�Endeavor�Catalog.� 

�Total�Browses�&� 

Circulations�� 

21,084� 

Total�titles�2008� 

Total�Titles�� 

2,578� 

�� 


Statistics from January through June 2009 

show that electronic book use in these areas is 

nearly twice that of 2008, showing 773 uses. 

In the last decade nursing videos have 

circulated 6,824 times; one title circulated 173 

times, other titles have circulated only once; 

average circulation is twenty-seven. Nursing 

Faculty have complete control of the video 

collection, and have worked recently to select 

updated titles and retire older ones. 

Preliminary discussions have begun about the 

feasibility of using streaming video to better 

serve student needs, but so far first year 

nursing students are using the collection heavily 

and watching the videos in groups, stimulating 

discussion and interpretation. 

Nursing students and faculty have access to 

CINAHL, Healthsource, Cochrane, and other 

general databases for their research needs. 

Cochrane is a recent addition to the collection, 

so comparative data are not available. 

A number of reference works are also 

available electronically like the above 

databases. Relevant titles for nurses 

conducting research include the Nature� 

Encyclopedia�of�Life�Sciences,�International� 

Encyclopedia�of�Social�and�Behavioral�Sciences,� 

and the�CQ�Researcher. Statistics on these and 

other database uses are included as Standard 

Five exhibits. The faculty now use electronic 

reserves to make heavily used items available to 

students; nursing faculty are heavy users of this 

service. E-reserves are used in eight nursing 

courses. 

Librarians and library technicians have been 

meeting quarterly to train with CINAHL since 

2006 in preparation for its expanded use by BSN 

students; work with Cochrane database began 

in spring 2008 with its acquisition. 

Equipment� 

Description. There are fifty-eight computers 

available in the Haselwood Library for student 

use, and a circulating collection of four laptops 

that are checked out to students who use wireless 

Internet in the building. About half of the wired 

computers are in an open access lab that is always 

available for research and thirty-two reside in a 

bibliographic instruction classroom that is 

reserved for orientations and presentations to 

classes (when not scheduled, the classroom is 

used as an open lab). 

The Poulsbo library has twenty student-use 

computers (the library is situated in a computer 

lab). Shelton’s Johnson Library contains four 

computers with an intention of increasing those 

computers in the near future; both Poulsbo and 

Shelton have wireless access as well. In 

addition, library staff and faculty have high-end 

computers on their desktops needed to 

manipulate the massive databases required to 

perform their duties. 

In the Haselwood Library, a separate 

listening and viewing room provides carrels that 

contain VCRs, CD and tape players, and other 

audiovisual equipment. It contains two new 

stations with computers that run language 

software. A separate microfilm room has two 

microfilm/microfiche reader printers to access 

historical periodical information that is not 

available digitally. Two of the study rooms have 

teleconferencing and media viewing capability. 

Analysis. Recent reallocation of spaces 

devoted to print indexes will expand areas 

available for computers in the open lab at 

Haselwood, providing more wired computers 

for student use. Wireless access within the 

library is proving to be increasingly unstable, 

engendering student complaints on a regular 

basis. Computer replacement schedules have 

been suspended due to budget cuts and 

operational department budgets are being 

tapped to upgrade desktop computer memory 

needed to operate new versions of the Voyager 

automation software. 


Figure�5.9.��Use�of�Electronic�Books�Collection�in�Medical�and�Related�Areas;�� 

Accesses�by�Calendar�Year.� 

Subject� 2003� 2004� 2005� 2006� 2007� 2008� 

Total� 

Titles 

Biology�and�Life�Sciences� 0 4 6 12 2 15 68 0.7% 

Chemistry� 0 0 1 0 0 0 16 0% 

Medicine� 1 4 14 55 59 134 582 6.8% 

Psychology� 10 3 2 27 38 10 180 0.5% 

Science:�General� 0 0 0 3 6 4 47 0.2% 

%�circ 

2008 

Social�Sciences� 9 18 50 157 131 139 1092 7% 

Total�Accesses�in�selected�topics� 

above� 

20� 29� 73� 254� 236� 302� 1985� 15.2%� 

Total�Accesses,�all�e�books�in� 

library�collection� 

102� 227� 274� 786� 802� 881� � � 

� 

Figure�5.10.��Nursing�Database�Use� 

CINAHL�[Nursing/Allied�Health]� 2004 2005 2006 2007� 2008 

Sessions 435 1,679 1,705 

*2008: January and 

March are missing 

Searches 1,725 6,648 5,613 

7/2006 Full Text 166 1,916 1,346 

�Totals� 2,326� 10,243� 8,664*� 

Healthsource� 2004 2005 2006 2007� 2008 

Sessions 1,038 1,338 1,365 1,424 

Searches 3,912 5,407 5,361 4,771 

Full Text 2,692 1,359 1,822 814 

Totals� 7,642� 8,104� 8,548� 7,009� 

Cochrane� 2004� 2005� 2006� 2007� 2008� 

While students have access from home to 

online services and collections that are made 

available through the Olympic College Library 

website, many students still require access to 

computers on campus to complete their work. 

Since the labs in the library are available to all 

students, resources from the Student 

Technology Fee help keep hardware and 

software current. 

Sessions 154 

Searches 69 

Full Text 111 

Totals� 334� 

Links�between�Instruction,�College,� 

Community,�and�Library� 

Description.��The Olympic College libraries 

are members, along with thirteen regional 

community and technical colleges, in the ORCA 

Consortium that implements, maintains, and 

supports the Voyager system on a shared 

processor. Significant savings in automation 


costs are realized through this membership. 

Similarly, membership in the Washington 

Community College Virtual Reference 

consortium will provide savings in membership 

costs and in staff time commitments. OC 

benefits from consortium purchasing prices 

through the Washington State Library, BCR, and 

ORBIS Cascade. 

The library has formal agreements for the 

support of residents taking classes through the 

three formal 2+2 partners providing educational 

services on the OC Bremerton site (information 

about Old Dominion University, Western 

Washington University, and St. Martin’s 

University is available in Standard Five exhibits). 

The 2+2 institution libraries support their 

students' research needs in partnership with 

Olympic College’s libraries. The OC libraries 

support consists of reference services, 

bibliographic instruction, interlibrary loans, and 

course reserves for 2+2 students. 

OC libraries cooperate with libraries 

worldwide to bring interlibrary loan (ILL) 

services to college affiliates and to all residents 

of Kitsap and Mason counties. The holdings of 

� 

Figure�5.11.��Interlibrary�Loans�History� 

local libraries, such as Kitsap and Timberland 

Regional, are accessible through the College’s 

website, as is the OCLC�WorldCat, which 

conglomerates the holding of OCLC member 

libraries into a catalog of over eighty-two billion 

items available worldwide through interlibrary 

loan. Students and faculty from all campuses 

can request this free service electronically or in 

person; requested materials are normally 

available within five to ten days from the time 

of the request. 

Analysis. The OC libraries are members of 

viable partnerships that benefit students, staff, 

and faculty by increasing access to resources 

and services and keeping costs low. Increased 

access to full text materials from electronic 

databases and through the Internet has 

somewhat reduced the need to borrow 

materials from other libraries, but this 

increased access simultaneously makes 

students aware of many more items that are 

available in print. Because a substantial amount 

of needed resources are not available through 

the Internet, traffic persists. 


Bremerton� 

Loan� Borrow� Loan 

Shelton 

Borrow Loan 

Poulsbo 

Borrow Loan� 

Totals 

Borrow 

2007�08� 159 291 0 11 0 0 159 302 

2006�07� 194 196 0 52 1 22 195 270 

2005�06� 178 238 3 68 0 6 181 312 

2004�05� 158 372 1 0 0 45 159 417 

2003�04� 233 531 233 531 

2002�03� 317 637 317 637 

2001�02� 257 376 257 376 

2000�01� 279 821 279 821 

Totals� 1,775� 3,462� 4� 131 1 73 1,780� 3,666 

{Standard�Five} Library and Information Resources 5-11 

�

FACILITIES�AND�ACCESS� 

Facilities� 

Description. Over the last ten years, the 

Olympic College Learning Resource Center has 

become a library system composed of three 

libraries. It has undergone expansive changes 

that have completely recreated the delivery of 

services to the Olympic College community. In 

spring 2000, Bremerton’s Haselwood Library 

recovered completely from its 1996 collapse by 

opening the replacement building with added 

space, a complete renovation, a new 

information literacy computer classroom, a 

collection of study rooms for students, a new 

security system, an additional librarian, and 

updated collections. In spring 2003, the OC 

Shelton site opened a new library with a new 

base collection and funded part-time library 

technicians for the first time; in the last two 

years, the library became staffed by a full-time, 

permanent library technician. In winter of 

2004, the OC Poulsbo site opened with a new 

base library collection and two part-time library 

technicians for staffing. The location of the 

Poulsbo library was changed a year later to 

incorporate the collection and personnel into 

the learning center, a cluster of technology 

classrooms around the general open computer 

lab. In spring of 2008 a remodel of the cluster 

more than tripled the shelving for materials. 

Analysis.��The 2001 Self-Study noted the 

radical improvement in student opinions 

concerning the library based on 1999 and 2000 

ACT Student Opinion Survey data. The new 

facility helped the ranking to rise from 3.7 (.37 

points below the national average of 4.07) to 

4.23 in one year. This response was 

significantly higher than national averages for 

public colleges. Most recently, the 2008 ACT 

Student Opinion Survey ranked student 

satisfaction with library facilities and services at 

an average of 4.32, with eighty-six percent 

declaring they were either satisfied or very 

satisfied with the facilities and service. Shelton 

� 

library users ranked the library with an average 

of 4.86; Bremerton, 4.35; and Poulsbo 4.19. 

Overall, the libraries are doing well, but 

there is a related issue for the Poulsbo site. 

When ranking student satisfaction with 

available study areas at the three sites, OCP 

received the lowest marks for satisfaction, with 

an average of 3.34. Shelton was next highest at 

3.83, Bremerton responses averaged 4.06, and 

the overall average was 3.9. Fifty-one students 

or 25% said they were dissatisfied or very 

dissatisfied with study areas there. At least 

some of this reaction is likely due to the 

location of the library within a computer lab 

that is surrounded by classrooms; the traffic 

and multiple use of the space make it 

unsuitable for quiet study. To at least partially 

address study space needs, Olympic College has 

carved out areas for student study, including 

overlapping use of the cafeteria, hallways, and 

tutoring room. However, there remains no 

reliably quiet area for study. 

Physical access to the Haselwood Library is 

in decline. An historical look at the patron 

count reveals a slow decrease since 2003, with 

a large decrease that began in fall 2007. The 

general decrease can likely be tied to the steady 

growth in distance education and the increasing 

number of services the library provides online. 

Distance students are able to contact the library 

via the web for reference questions, interlibrary 

loans, materials to be mailed between sites, a 

collection of over 6,000 electronic books, and 

online full text periodicals available 24/7. With 

eighteen percent of enrollment occurring via 

distance, this seems logical. The large decline in 

fall 2007 is also understandable when taking 

into account the opening of the new Science 

building, with its larger and better staffed open 

computer lab. Until its opening, the library’s 

open computer lab was the lab of choice on 

campus. 


Quarter� 

Figure�5.12.��Haselwood�Library��Historical�Patron�Count��2000�Present*� 

2000� 

2001� 

2001� 

2002� 

2002� 

2003 

2003� 

2004 


2004� 

2005 

2005� 

2006 

2006� 

2007� 

2007� 

2008 

Summer� no data 13,792 14,144 14,529 12,058 13,061 12,509 13,182 

Fall� no data 60,742 65,742 66,817 62,813 62,748 63,568 52,415 

Winter� no data 60,960 59,189 55,200 58,812 55,861 52,250 43,474 

Spring� 53,995 52,810 55,051 51,836 51,463 52,704 49,784 39,160 

Totals� 53,995�� 188,304�� 194,126�� 188,382�� 185,146�� 184,374�� 178,111�� 148,231�� 

%�Change� � +3.1%� �3.0%� �1.7%� �0.4%� �3.4%� �16.8%� 

*The�raw�data�collected�was�twice�as�large;�this�data�has�been�divided�by�two�under�the�assumption�that�everyone� 

who�enters�returns�out�the�same�main�doors.� 

� 

From 2004 to 2007, specialty uses, like the 

Group Study rooms, remained popular with 

over 11,000 uses annually by students needing 

those spaces for group work, tutoring, or quiet 

study. With the opening of the Science building 

and its tutoring centers for mathematics, the 

number of total uses of those room was cut 

nearly in half, indicating a need for math 

tutoring areas that is now being met by the new 

facility. 

Access� 

Description. The Haselwood Library in 

Bremerton is open 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 

p.m. on Friday, Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 

4:00 p.m., and 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. 

The Johnson Library in Shelton is open 9:00 a.m. 

to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9:00 

a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thursday, and is closed on 

Friday. The Poulsbo Library is open for long 

hours, due to staffing by student computer 

technicians; students may check out materials 

during all the hours the learning center is open. 

Library technicians are available shorter hours. 

The facility is open 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., 


p.m. on Friday, and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on 

Saturday. Library technicians or librarians are 

available 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday 

through Thursday. Summer sessions are 

smaller and library hours are adjusted to 

accommodate reduced demand. All libraries 

are closed on State holidays and intersession 

breaks. 

As discussed earlier, the expansion of 

distance learning options for students and the 

need for students to have access to their 

materials 24/7 have resulted in a number of 

library services being converted to electronic 

access. These delivery methods allow students 

to conduct research offsite, expanding access 

for students and staff who have access to the 

Internet. Students and faculty at the Shelton 

and Poulsbo sites may request books by courier 

and photocopies of articles by phone, fax, or 

email. Requested items are delivered to the 

sites for pickup. Students enrolled in distance 

learning courses may request photocopies by 

phone, fax, or email; however, distance learning 

students are required to borrow hardcopy items 

in person. Virtual reference services are 

available 24/7 for reference assistance and all 

students and employees have access to our full 

text databases and electronic book collections 

remotely any time they wish via the web. 

Full library resources and services are 

available to all who are affiliated with the 

College, as well as to members of the 

community at large (with the exception of 

remote electronic database access which is 


limited by contractual agreements). The 

extension of borrowing privileges and our 

services to all community members is essential 

for a variety of reasons. Olympic College has 

the only academic library in Kitsap and Mason 

counties. Further, Olympic College students are 

typical community college students who often 

attend erratically, cycle in and out, and come 

back a quarter, a year, or twenty years later. 

Even when they are attending other institutions 

we hear from them; they prefer using our 

library no matter where they attend school. In 

addition, large numbers of our community 

monetarily supported the rebuilding of the 

Haselwood Library in 2000, when we renewed 

our promise that our facility and services would 

be available to the public. 

Analysis. Open hours have already changed 

due to budget cuts and may change again by 

the time of the accreditation visit. To assist 

students during times when the library is not 

open, virtual reference has been adopted. 

Access to materials of all kinds is delivered 

electronically for students at other sites for 

students who take distance classes. However, 

direct mailing of hardcopy materials may be 

indicated to further service, especially in times 

of restricted access due to budget cuts. 

Personnel�and�Management� 

Description. The personnel employed by the 

library are highly qualified and have clearly 

defined responsibilities. All librarians hold 

master’s degrees in library science and are 

members of the College faculty. The education 

and experience of other library personnel are 

included as Standard Five exhibits. The library 

is organized as outlined in Appendix 5.1; the 

Dean of Library Media reports to the Vice 

President of Instruction and is additionally 

responsible for two media personnel, the 

Distance Learning faculty member, and the 

Center for Teaching and Learning. 

In addition to the library staff found in the 

chart, approximately fifteen to twenty students 

are employed annually in a variety of positions 

throughout the library. Depending on the 

department, a student employee may shelve 

and check out materials, help process materials, 

perform clerical work, or other duties for which 

they are trained in-house. 

Analysis. As the Shelton and Poulsbo sites 

opened new buildings, the library was funded 

for part-time library technicians to staff the 

libraries located there. For years the library 

struggled to recruit and train part-time library 

technicians to serve Shelton students. For the 

past two plus years, a full-time library 

technician has been assigned to work at 

Shelton, a situation that has enhanced services 

to students and ended the revolving door of 

part-time employees. The number of requests 

for professional services at Poulsbo has 

increased along with the number of students, a 

situation that begged the issue of professional 

teaching services. Despite the economic 

downturn, the BSN program may bring an 

opportunity to upgrade services at this site as 

well as freeing up personnel to assist BSN 

students. Currently OC Poulsbo is served by a 

librarian one day a week and a library tech 

three days a week. Library staff are using a 

SharePoint site that allows for electronic 

scheduling of instruction; the schedule can be 

checked remotely and internal announcements, 

updates, documents, and meeting minutes are 

available from anywhere through the library 

blog and wiki. 

The budget for the Baccalaureate Program 

included funding in the second year of the 

program for additional librarian hours to assist 

with the research needs of BSN students. 

Initially, this allowed the addition of a fourth 

full-time librarian who began fall quarter 2008 

in a position split between the Poulsbo and 

Bremerton campuses. However, the recent 

economic downturn in Washington State has 

caused this position to be frozen in anticipation 

of budget cuts. Continued services and 


materials will be available through the BSN 

budget, with smaller ongoing amounts used 

mostly for electronic resources and heavily used 

hardcopy materials. 

Professional�Development� 

Description.��This discussion covers 

professional development for both the Library 

and Media Services (for the time prior to 

reorganization). The library and media staff and 

faculty are accorded opportunities for 

professional development that are similar to 

the rest of the College faculty and staff. 

Currently, the annual professional development 

budget for the library and media staff is $2,715. 

All but one of the full-time staff and faculty took 

advantage of a reasonable array of locally 

produced professional enrichment 

opportunities during the 2007-08 academic 

year. However, adjunct faculty and part-time 

staff were largely limited to in-house training 

only, due to funding, although one adjunct was 

supported in attending the Internet Librarian 

conference in Monterey, fall 2008. Given the 

limited budget, this represents a reasonable 

level of effort. To augment this effort, quarterly 

training days have been added to the schedule 

allowing Poulsbo and Shelton personnel to 

participate in sessions that introduce new 

concepts, database search techniques, and 

issues in the modern library. Media personnel 

are similarly supported and attend state level 

and local conferences under the standing State 

budget. As with the library personnel, national 

conferences require added funding from other 

sources. 

Analysis.��The library and media will 

continue to encourage the use of local training 

opportunities. At least one librarian has 

attended a national conference in their field 

nearly annually. In order to enable this 

improved level of professional development, 

leveraging additional funding has become a 

standard practice. Funds from the College’s 

Professional Enrichment Committee, the 

Washington State Library, the OC Staff 

Development Committee, and the OC 

Foundation have all been exploited. Pursuit of 

added funding to support professional 

development activities is a fact of life collegewide. 

Provision of training by local experts and 

internal personnel has provided exposure for 

library staff to a variety of topics that both 

provide professional development and 

influence planning. Recent budget cuts have 

frozen all out of state travel opportunities 

college-wide, however, and funding for 

professional development is expected to be 

significantly impacted for some time. 

Planning�and�Evaluation� 

Description. Library staff participate 

regularly in effectiveness efforts. At annual 

retreats library and media personnel evaluate 

the outcomes of the prior year’s chosen 

assessments and set new assessments for the 

coming year. These choices are reported either 

via the five column model or via a specialized 

form when library faculty elect to perform 

individual course level assessments. The annual 

planning retreats provide an opportunity to 

shape the work needed in the coming year and 

to provide for a regular schedule of assessment 

activities. The annual schedule also allows for 

frequent updates and flexibility. Assessments 

are available as Standard Five exhibits. 

Librarians hold weekly meetings with the 

dean to discuss issues and progress on plans 

and assessments. Recent enthusiasm on the 

part of librarians and staff to employ a variety 

of Library 2.0 technological solutions has led to 

a faculty effort to write a formal technology 

plan, weighing the sustainability of each new 

technology adopted. 

Analysis. The libraries have a long history of 

evaluation and assessment on many levels. 

Highlights of some assessment results are 

captured in Appendix 5.2. In this figure, annual 

assessment activities are mingled with other 

sources of assessment information gleaned 

from a variety of sources. While the librarians 


have always looked toward technology to solve 

problems and provide new approaches to 

helping students, the recent proliferation of 

technological approaches coupled with the staff 

time required to sustain each new experiment 

has led us to question our directions and write a 

plan that will select initiatives for their impact 

and relevance to student learning. Online 

student tutorials, blogs, wikis, digital 

INSTRUCTIONAL�TECHNOLOGY� 

Description. Media Services is located in 

the Haselwood Library, in space that was 

created specifically for its use during the rebuild 

of the facility in 2000. It includes an ITV 

classroom, television studio, and audio 

recording studio that abut the studio control 

room; an area for telecourse and video 

playback that can feed signals to the local public 

broadcasting station; a reception area that 

includes work areas for reception personnel; an 

area that houses circulating equipment; an 

Integrated multimedia computer lab with 

audiovisual interactive devices; storage for 

library and media equipment; a graphics 

production area, and offices. Media Services 

has a wide range of equipment available for 

student and faculty use. The equipment 

available may be scheduled for classroom use, 

checked out by faculty and in some cases by 

students, or used in-house. 

Analysis. As technology use and integration 

in instruction has increased, Media Services has 

worked to minimize equipment delivery by 

standardizing classroom teaching workstations, 

installing permanent equipment in many older 

classrooms and successfully imposing uniform 

standards and installations in new instructional 

facilities. These efforts have resulted, as 

desired, in a reduction of equipment delivery 

orders. Over the last several years, however, 

there has been a shift in the types of media 

requests—i.e., from older technology (such as 

lamination, graphics, audio and video 

collections, virtual reference, and instant 

messaging are some of the technologies that 

are either used by staff or under investigation 

at present. While experimentation promotes 

learning, ultimately the librarians have 

recognized a need to identify and prioritize 

sustainable initiatives, evaluating them for their 

impact on service to students and their ability 

to enhance efficiency.� 

duplication) to support of newer technologies 

and functions. These newer technologies 

include requests for support for distance 

learning classes, video streaming, video 

production, new distance-delivery technologies 

(i.e., USB drive courses), and support of the 

Integrated Multimedia video and audio classes. 

ITV classrooms and conference rooms now 

number thirteen, seven of which were added in 

2004; ITV support is now provided by 

Information Technology. 

Media equipment is, for the most part, on a 

replacement schedule, and the College has 

made special efforts to replace expensive 

equipment from one-time funds (e.g., the 

digital studio cameras that cost in excess of 

$100,000). Equipment to support media staff is 

funded primarily through the instructional 

equipment pool, an annual source that meets 

most needs. Replacement schedules and 

operational funds are subject to budget cuts, 

however, so this area is vulnerable to the 

current economic downturn. 

Students are expressing greater and greater 

satisfaction with classrooms. Over the time 

period represented in Figure 5.13 on next page, 

only one new classroom building has been 

added (the Science and Technology building). 

The improved ratings are a result of substantial 

remodels, furniture improvements, and added 

instructional technology--including teacher 

workstations and ITV classrooms. 


Access to the facility and to media and 

distance support personnel for evenings and 

weekends has always been an issue. Various 

attempts have been made to provide 

equipment access outside of the facility, but 

funding for personnel is limited. While 

Washington Online provides support for online 

faculty and students, issues with classroom 

� 

Very� 

Satisfied� 

Figure�5.13.��Satisfaction�with�Classroom�Facilities� 


technology and Interactive Television 

classrooms have arisen after hours. The 

Information Technology Helpdesk does provide 

some extended coverage. In addition, the pool 

of ITV technicians has been broadened to 

provide coverage for all scheduled classes and 

meetings. 

Very� 


2001� 14.6% 50.3% 20.0% 8.7% 1.6% 3.71 

2003� 13.1% 53.7% 20.3% 7.4% 0.8% 3.74 

2004� 15.9% 53.9% 19.1% 6.3% 1.4% 3.79 

2008� 25.0% 50.9% 15.8% 3.9% 0.6% 4.00 

INFORMATION�TECHNOLOGY 

Information Technology (IT) provides 

services consistent with and supportive of the 

institution’s mission and goals in the areas of 

instructional computing, administrative 

computing, office systems, telecommunications, 

web and application development, and 

customer support for users of these services. IT 

is responsible for the voice, video, and data 

infrastructure of the college. A 2008 

reorganization made classroom technology 

including teaching workstations and support of 

interactive television classrooms the 

responsibility of IT. 

Educational�Program�Support� 

Description. Olympic College has 1007 

computers in instructional labs and classrooms. 

On the Bremerton campus, the adaptive 

technology lab has twelve computers and 

numerous peripherals dedicated to meeting the 

needs of students with disabilities. There are 

over 500 software applications supported by IT 

which are installed in computer labs, available 

on the student network or College website for 

Average� 

rating� 

use by instruction. The software applications 

are varied and are selected by faculty to meet 

the needs of their curricula. Adaptive software 

and hardware are available in all open labs and 

as needed in instructional labs. In addition, 

dispersed throughout the other computing labs 

are ergonomic keyboards, one-handed 

keyboards, ergonomic track-ball mice, and large 

screen monitors. There are two stand-up 

systems that are allocated quarterly as 

determined by the Office of Access Services. 

Adaptive needs are always considered in the 

planning of new facilities. The computing labs 

are designated as open labs, general purpose 

teaching classrooms, and special purpose 

teaching classrooms. Open labs are designated 

for drop-in, first-come, first-serve only. No 

classes are taught in open labs. 

Students have access to both PCs and a 

small number of MACs. Students acquire access 

to these resources by paying a $3.50 per credit 

quarterly computer user fee, but no more than 

$35 per quarter. The account allows the 

student access to a number of software 


applications, the Internet, on-line resources, 

email, and printing resources. Student lab 

assistants staff the open computer labs to aid 

students with logging onto the student network 

and answering questions relating to use of the 

resources. Access to open computing labs for 

students is from at least 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 


p.m. on Friday. Bremerton and Poulsbo open 

earlier and close later as well as being open on 

Saturday and Sunday. Lab Techs are available in 

the open computer labs whenever they are 

open to help students with technical problems. 

Access to resources at Shelton and Poulsbo are 

on the same network, with the same type of 

computing equipment and software as the 

Bremerton campus. 

General purpose teaching labs are shared 

by multiple disciplines. Teaching labs are also 

used for open lab time when not in use for 

instruction. Special purpose labs are limited to 

meeting the needs of individual disciplines. 

Examples are Automotive, Nursing, Electronics, 

Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, CIS, ABE, 

Integrated Multimedia, Technical Drawing, and 

Journalism. Special purpose labs are equipped 

not only with high-end computers, but also with 

unique technology such as a DVD server for 

Automotive, color plotters and printers for CAD, 

Midi keyboards and Video Visualizers for 

Integrated Multimedia, and a 3D printer in 

Engineering. A list of student lab and computer 

resources can be found as Standard Five 

exhibits. 

Analysis.��Most student problems and 

questions in open computer labs are addressed 

by accessing a Lab Technician in the Open 

Computer Lab. Since Lab Techs are always 

present during Open Computer Lab hours, 

students have access to help when the need 

arises. Student forums at Shelton and Poulsbo 

indicated a need to improve technology and 

provide staffing with advanced training. Data 

from trouble calls to the HelpDesk are analyzed 

for access issues and problems. For example, 

the HelpDesk receives several hundred calls at 

the start of each quarter from students who 

have forgotten their password. In response, IT 

staff developed a process that allows IT Techs 

to reset passwords without needing to call the 

HelpDesk — saving students, instructors, and 

HelpDesk staff time and effort. A review of the 

data and processes from this password project 

also suggested that the login process be 

simplified to help students. The simplified login 

process was implemented in 2008. 

A major objective of Information 

Technology is to enhance customer 

understanding of technology and enhance the 

level and quality of service to customers. Some 

of the ways IT is doing this include offering 

more frequent group training sessions, 

conducting focus groups, and providing more 

access to information for our customers on the 

web. Over the last five years IT has embarked 

on a program of business process improvement 

and expanded services for students. Students 

ranked their satisfaction with computer services 

on the ACT survey. Steady improvement over 

the last four surveys is noted, with the results of 

the 2008 survey placing computer services as 

the number one ranked service of all those that 

were rated (Figure 5.14 on next page). 

Based on the recommendations IT made 

concerning its operations in the 2001 Self- 

Study, the College has identified methods of 

reducing the total cost of ownership by 

standardizing purchases and maintenance, and 

adopting a replacement schedule for 

instructional computing labs. The College 

identified funding for the refresh/replacement 

schedule program via the student computer fee 

that keeps instructional lab computers up to 

date. In addition, faculty and administration 

desktop computers are kept up to date via a 

replacement schedule. This is a best practice 

for managing technology at many colleges as 

evidenced in publications by organizations such 

as Educause, a leading higher education 

technology organization. The current budget 

issues have slowed replacement schedules, and 

may elongate the schedules on a permanent 

basis. 


� 

Figure�5.14.��Student�Satisfaction�with�Computer�Services,�ACT�Student�Opinion�Survey.� 

Very� 

Satisfied� 


Very� 


2001� 26.8% 45.1% 17.5% 5.1% 2.0% 3.93 

2003� 35.9% 45.5% 10.5% 5.2% 0.6% 4.13 

2004� 39.2% 43.7% 10.8% 2.3% 1.0% 4.22 

2008� 44.7% 42.3% 8.6% 2.1% 0.0% 4.33 

� 

Faculty are responsible for selecting the 

software applications that are used in the 

student computer labs. Once a faculty member 

selects, installs and tests instructional software 

on their desktop system, they request IT 

preview the software to determine 

compatibility with the network and the existing 

hardware in the appropriate student labs. If the 

software passes evaluation, then IT assists the 

faculty member in ordering and installing the 

software in the computer lab. If problems arise, 

such as insufficient computing power in the lab, 

IT works with Instruction to resolve the issues. 

The quantity and diversity of software in 

student computing labs can create software 

incompatibilities, overloading of hardware 

resources, and lab scheduling conflicts. Faculty 

members negotiate amongst themselves the 

software versions used in specific labs because 

the labs are shared. 

Instructional�Web�Systems� 

Description.��Instructors use three web 

systems to support instruction. One is an Angel 

system supported by the State of Washington 

Online (WAOL) for distance learning classes. 

(WAOL recently switched from Blackboard to 

the Angel system as described in Standard 

Two.) Olympic College uses two systems to 

provide web resources for regular on-site 

classes. The first site, Professors Online, has 

been used for over five years. Using Professors 

Online, Instructors can use a multitude of web 

authoring systems such as Dreamweaver, 

FrontPage, or even Microsoft Word to design 

Average� 

rating� 

web pages. Instructor-designed sites are 

diverse in their designs requiring students to 

learn to navigate each site separately. Training 

and support is available for instructors on how 

to use File Transport Protocol (FTP) and to 

establish the initial site. Problem solving 

support is also provided for instructors who 

experience problems with the site, FTP or html 

coding issues. Web-authoring software training 

is not a prerequisite for professors to establish a 

site. 

The second website used by instructors is 

instructors.olympic.edu. This website uses 

SharePoint to build instructor sites with a 

common look, feel and navigation. Being webbased, 

it does not require any software to be 

installed on instructor’s desktop systems at 

home or at the College. Training is required to 

get a site and is provided since the same 

software and training is used for college 

committee collaborative sites. 

Analysis.� Instructors have successfully built 

non-distance learning web resources using both 

Professors Online (FTP site) and instructors. 

olympic.edu (SharePoint); however there have 

been problems as reported to the IT HelpDesk. 

Both systems are difficult for instructors to 

learn and maintain and more training and 

support has been requested by instructors. 

Training and support are important faculty 

needs in this area. Both training and support 

are problematic because of lack of software and 

website standards on Professors Online. The 

SharePoint tools are more collaborative for 


students and instructors and more current. The 

SharePoint system requires less HTML 

experience and gives more administrative 

control over the site than Professors Online, but 

that control, setting permissions and the larger 

set of tools is also more complicated for training 

and operation. This complexity created 

permission problems in summer quarter 2008. 

IT corrected the permissions and is working 

with instructors to change the processes and 

technology so that the potential for incorrect 

permissions settings will be greatly reduced. IT 

is also encouraging instructors to consider using 

Angel. 

Administrative�Program�Support� 

Description. In conjunction with the 

statewide centralized services, Information 

Technology provides processing for student 

management, financial management, financial 

aid, and human resource systems. These 

centralized systems were developed and 

maintained by Washington’s Center for 

Information Services (CIS), which has now been 

moved into the State Board for Community and 

Technical Colleges (SBCTC). On site, IT provides 

consulting services that include customer 

application support, training, security 

administration, batch scheduling, and special 

request processing. Locally, third party 

applications such as electronic reporting, webbased 

courses, facilities management and 

scheduling, online catalog, and online 

registration are supported. 

Administrative applications are run on a 

Hewlett Packard 3000, Series 987. The HP3000 

communicates with systems at the SBCTC and 

locally with an HP9000 for web transactions. 

Based on the 2001 Self-Study recommendations 

made by IT for more web-based student 

services, the register-by-phone system has been 

replaced by a web-based registration and fee 

payment system. This system allows students 

to register for classes and pay on the web and is 

heavily used. Additionally, IT is actively 

engaged in a web redesign project, which is 

focused on making the student experience 

easier and more timely. As such, the redesign is 

being guided and prioritized with data and input 

collected directly from students. An Online 

Class Schedule was recently implemented to 

give students more current class information. 

Parallel work is underway to optimize and 

update web content and add links to 

applications serving students in the areas of 

Financial Aid, Angel online courses, Degree 

Audit and more. 

Analysis. Decisions about administrative 

hardware replacements for the HP3000 and its 

proprietary operating system and software are 

being discussed on the State level. A contract 

to replace the entire system was established at 

the State level but the project was terminated. 

Contracts are in place to support the HP3000 

until issues are resolved and a decision to 

proceed with a replacement system is made. 

The HP3000 is monitored nearly daily with tools 

that allow the College to identify real or 

potential problems, devise solutions and then 

monitor the effects of the solution. During 

critical registration times, administrative users 

serving students are asked about the speed of 

the system and loads are managed to give 

priority to student services. 

The choice of hardware, software and a 

date for the change will be a system-wide 

decision with no other options available for 

individual colleges who wish to implement 

some other solution. Students and the campus 

community are asking for more web-based 

services. Some of these requests that are not 

being met with application development at the 

State level are being adapted as shareware 

from other colleges or developed locally. The 

trend in industry and in the Washington 

community college system is toward meeting 

that need with Microsoft based technology 

solutions such as .NET applications, SQL server 

and IIS web server. This standardization allows 

Olympic College to share applications with 

other colleges and makes it easier to find and 

hire programmers for application integration 


and development. In the near future, IT will 

replace the HP9000 web server that supports 

online student services and credit card 

payments of fees to move to a Microsoft based 

platform. Information Technology at Olympic 

College is also using non-Microsoft software 

vendors as well as open source technologies 

and software. Additional training, staff, and 

other resources will be needed to make 

effective use of these other technologies and 

support more than one technology standard. 

Office�Systems�and�Equipment� 

Description. College employees have office 

computers that support the standard suite of 

productivity software, Microsoft Office 2007. In 

addition, office computers provide email, file 

and print services, virus protection, back-up 

support, group scheduling, shared calendaring, 

Intranet, and web services. Specialized 

applications such as the Procure+ purchasing 

program, Accuplacer® placement database, and 

the Endeavor Voyager library automation 

system, are supported within various 

departments. The desktop platform is Windows 

XP Professional. Employees having special 

needs are supported by voice recognition and 

text to speech synthesis software. 

There are over 600 staff computers. All fulltime 

and the majority of part-time employees 

have a computer available for their use. The 

College’s current standard is a Dell computer 

with dual core CPU and two Gigabytes of 

memory. The standard printer for office use is a 

networked HP LaserJet. Other peripheral 

equipment includes ergonomic keyboards, 

ergonomic mice, surge suppressors, scanners, 

speakers and removable drives. A network 

drive appears on each computer as the “Z” 

drive. Users can save their files on this one 

gigabyte drive. Since the Z drive sits on a server 

that is backed up, every user who saves to the Z 

drive has their documents backed up so that 

they can be recovered if their desktop 

computer crashes. Only a few key office 

computers used for emergencies are included 

on battery backups or emergency generators. 

Procure+, inter-office forms management, 

and the intra-organizational dissemination of 

information are some examples of web-based 

services provided for office network users. 

Web-based services are also being extended to 

student, faculty, and staff home computer 

systems. 

Analysis.� Standards for office software 

minimize the number of applications that must 

be supported and make it easier for students 

and staff to share documents produced by 

these applications. Microsoft Office 2007, 

Windows XP Professional, and Outlook are the 

current office standards. Despite these 

standards the College still has problems with 

versions of documents produced by Office 

when a new version of Office is adopted, 

leaving some computers still on the old version 

of the software for a short period of time. This 

incompatibility is due to some older computers 

being unable to run the new software and 

delays in installation because the new version 

cannot be completed on all computers in a 

short period of time. Decisions regarding the 

adoption of software for computer desktop 

systems and computer labs are increasingly 

being submitted to College governance 

processes. For example, the Technology 

Advisory Committee advised IT to delay the 

implementation date for Office 2007 in 

computer labs due to textbook limitations. 

More web-based services are being 

deployed to the office desktop. While off 

campus sharing is not as easy due to less 

homogeneity in operating systems and software 

versions, data collected from the web allows us 

to continually measure and adapt software 

conversion tools or use nearly universal file 

formats. Olympic College is addressing this by 

supplying copies of desktop applications for 

home use and also by providing remote access 

from off campus. This need for information at 

remote sites is also being met by having more 


web-based applications, such as a new campus 

directory and campus calendar. Committee and 

classroom work in Microsoft SharePoint enables 

collaborative work from home. Additionally, 

the technology infrastructure and architecture 

are currently under review for expansion. The 

resulting upgraded designs will allow for 

expected growth in demands for greater 

flexibility and access to data and applications 

from remote locations. 

Standardization of office computing 

equipment has reduced maintenance cost and 

improved service to the users of the equipment. 

IT works with College governance bodies and 

the campus in general to evaluate the need to 

revise equipment standards such as memory 

and processor speeds. For example, early tests 

of Microsoft Office 2007�indicated the need for 

more capable computers. These became our 

standard for new computer purchases. 

Memory was ordered for older computers and a 

mid-2008 test of Elluminate, a desktop 

conferencing software, indicated that 

computers will need even more memory. This 

process of updating office computing standards 

is continuously evaluated and revised to be 

more responsive, accurate and inclusive. 

Administrative�Web�Systems� 

Description. The College web software is 

based on Microsoft’s Content Management 

System (CMS). This allows over fifty college 

authors to post content on the college website 

for each of their administrative units. Extensive 

event and online training for web writing style, 

accessibility/ADA, web page editing, and site 

design has been provided for web users. This 

staff training was implemented based on IT’s 

own recommendations in the 2001 Self-Study. 

Each quarter authors are reminded to update 

web content. IT consults with various 

departments on how to improve their sites. 

Web metrics software (WebTrends and Google 

Analytics) have been used for three years to 

measure the effects of these changes and to 

power continuous improvement cycles. 

Analysis. Both informal information and 

web-data mining point to the need to improve 

web page design and information architecture. 

For example, in 2005, IT added a search feature 

to the OC website. A web search page is a key 

technology for helping users to find information 

so it was expected that the search page would 

be heavily hit. However, in 2006 the search 

page was not in the top twenty pages based on 

“hits” so IT tuned the search and improved the 

output page. In 2007 and 2008 the search page 

moved to the fourth most hit page and now 

regularly ranks in the top ten. Another major 

concern was making sure that web pages meet 

student needs and that students could find 

them. For example, Financial Aid and 

Registration were linked on the college home 

page, but students had to guess where to find 

other resources. In 2007, using web redesign 

best practices, IT redesigned and organized 

pages to make them easier to use and meet 

student needs. A “For Students” page was 

created to organize information into a “one 

stop shop” to help students find services and be 

given customized information. The 

effectiveness of the design compared to the old 

collection of student web page resources was 

validated by an online survey of eleven students 

in August 2007 and then launched in September 

2007. The “For Students” page quickly moved 

up in hits and was the fifth most accessed page 

on the OC website by March 2008. This page is 

linked from the home page, making it more 

accessible for students. This iterative process of 

identifying problems, proposing solutions and 

measuring results and then closing the loop has 

been applied to multiple websites. The current 

Web Redesign project will continue this trend of 

improvement driven by student needs. 

Infrastructure�Software� 

Description. Microsoft Server 2003, and 

UNIX operating systems support the enterprise 

needs of the College. Utilities for the diagnosis, 

maintenance, and management of the college’s 

complex Local Area Network (LAN)/Wide Area 

Network (WAN) are also used by IT to monitor 


the enterprise flow of data and network 

performance. Both Packeteer and Open View 

are used to identify, document, configure, and 

monitor network components. Services are 

monitored and pagers and telephones notify IT 

within seconds, 24/7, when there are problems 

with equipment, software, and services. The 

data and logs are reviewed daily; improvements 

are made and reviewed to ensure that old 

problems do not reoccur. 

Analysis.��To ensure quality services and 

continuous improvement, network monitoring 

provides “uptime” data showing most network 

and servers with 99.9 percent uptime. Based 

on IT recommendations for itself in the 2001 

Self-Study, the transition to Microsoft Server 

2003 and Active Directory has been completed. 

Also, the network analyzer tools are covered 

under maintenance and support agreements.� 

Policy�and�Procedures� 

Description. IT has instituted several 

internal policies and procedures for its 

employees and for the conducting of business 

that impact the College as a whole. The full text 

of these policies and procedures is available as 

a Standard Five exhibit. All student employees 

are required to read, initial each statement, and 

sign the “Student Employee Ethics and Security 

Agreement.” There is also a “Shop Ethics and 

Security Agreement” for those student 

maintenance technicians who have access to 

our repair facility. All student workers are 

required to wear a picture ID badge when on 

the job. Internal work procedures stress the 

safety and security of personnel and technology 

assets. For students working in the computer 

labs, IT provides training and written 

procedures for them to follow. 

Procedures are also provided for the 

acquisition, inventory, disposal, and surplus of 

all IT equipment following the State 

Department of Procurement guidelines. IT 

monitors and regulates the licensing of 

software used at the College. For example, by 

policy, un-licensed software is not allowed on 

any College computer, and if unauthorized 

software is found, it is immediately removed. 

IT needs to be more security and privacy 

conscious than most departments. For that 

reason IT has numerous internal procedures for 

the access, protection and recovery of 

information. There are emergency contact and 

call back procedures for IT personnel and 

security administration procedures for the 

assigning of rights for access and passwords to 

data and off-site storage and back up 

(rotational). There are standard operating 

procedures (SOP) for all servers regarding 

powering up and down, upgrades, preventative 

maintenance, user account creation and 

maintenance, application operations and 

maintenance, and file and system back up and 

restorations. 

There are a number of policies and 

procedures that impact users of technology at 

Olympic College. For all staff and students 

there is an Acceptable Use Policy for all 

technology resources. An updated version is 

currently under review. Students must adhere 

to computer lab policies that deal with paper 

use, copyright issues, and the SBCTC acceptable 

use policy for the Internet and web. Olympic 

College staff must also follow procedures for 

software acquisitions, copyright, and 

information access and privacy. All IT staff has 

responsibility for security, safety and access 

issues relating to his or her area. 

Analysis.��Maintaining the integrity of the 

College’s information resources is an ongoing, 

time consuming task. Security procedures and 

policies must be reviewed constantly to ensure 

that all regulatory and safety issues are current 

and working. As security problems develop, IT 

devises security solutions. IT reviews logs and 

conducts tests to evaluate the effectiveness of 

security improvements. These evaluations lead 

to innovations which become part of the 

project management system which has as its 


goal continuous improvement of systems and 

proactive responses to security risks. 

All IT employees are checked for prior 

convictions by the Human Resources 

Department. Because IT student employees 

and staff have access to most physical areas on 

the campuses, as well as access to sensitive 

areas of the networks, security is ranked very 

high when it comes to employee hiring, 

training, review, and termination. 

Every year IT Security Policy and Standards 

are audited and the results are sent to the State 

Department of Information for evaluation and 

feedback to the College. There is a continual 

need to inform the College community on the 

secure use of the institution’s technology 

resources. Because of workload constraints, 

this effort is usually restricted to the use of 

email and Opening Days training sessions. 

External agencies place rules on how IT 

conducts its business. IT adheres to the 

Department of Information Services (DIS) and 

the Information Services Board (ISB) policies. 

These Washington State technology agencies 

set policy for the community college system. IT 

also follows OSHA and WISHA guidelines and 

maintains Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) 

for hazardous waste. 

Links�between�College,�IT,�and�External� 

Networks� 

Description.��The Executive Director of 

Information Technology serves as a member of 

the President’s Cabinet, the College Council, 

and serves as a non-voting member of the 

Instructional Policies Council (IPC). The Director 

of Communications collaborates with the 

Executive Director of Information Technology 

on issues relating to web graphics, navigation 

and marketing. IT is responsible for 

recommending policy, procedure, editing style, 

web page organization, and how to meet 

special needs of students on the web. 

IT plans, coordinates, and monitors all 

campus projects that involve technology in a 

significant way in order to assure compliance 

with state and federal regulations. IT works 

with all College users in the procurement 

process for hardware, software and 

telecommunications acquisitions. This provides 

a focal point for standardizing, inventorying, 

testing, and implementing all technology at 

Olympic College. 

Olympic College uses all common forms of 

computing, network, and distance learning 

technologies to extend the boundaries and 

obtain data from other sources. On a quarterly 

basis IT reviews bandwidth and evaluates future 

network needs based on emerging technology. 

This ensures that students have adequate 

access to regional, national and international 

networks. 

Analysis.��In March 2008, based on a call for 

increased IT interaction with instruction and an 

internal recommendation made as a result of 

the 2001 Self-Study, communications with 

divisions were further strengthened by 

implementing the Liaisons Program. Through 

this program an IT member is now assigned to 

each division, attends division meetings, and 

serves as a communication link between the 

division and IT. At least five new projects to 

improve service and many interesting 

exchanges with faculty have resulted from this 

initiative in just its first quarter of 

implementation. 

Constant monitoring and bandwidth 

adjustments have maintained the quality and 

speed of network access and services for 

students, while keeping the growth of network 

bandwidth to a manageable level. For example 

a study of Internet bandwidth use from 

November 2007 through November 2008 

showed a number of “flat tops” in the graph 

indicating Internet network congestion for 

users. IT searched for the cause, and devised a 

solution for better bandwidth usage. A graph 

showing the improved traffic pattern is included 

in the Standard Five exhibits. 


PERSONNEL�AND�MANAGEMENT� 

Staffing� 

Description.��Information Technology (IT) is 

structured to meet the needs of its customers. 

The six areas reporting to the Executive Director 

are Administrative Systems, Technical Services, 

Network Services, Applications and Web 

Services, Program and Projects, and 

Customer Services (Appendix 5.3). Seventeen 

full-time and nine part-time staff work in IT, 

along with twenty-six part-time ITV technicians 

and approximately fifty students per quarter to 

assist in all areas of the department. Examples 

of student duties include serving as student 

computing lab assistants, web and computer 

technicians, programmers, and office assistants. 

Analysis. IT uses a centralized staffing 

model in which staff are dispatched to all 

College locations based on work assignments. 

All tasks for Shelton and Poulsbo are assigned 

through the HelpDesk. A part-time technician 

has been assigned to Shelton and another to 

Poulsbo. Some tasks that require specialized 

skills still require technicians to travel to the 

remote sites to perform work. 

Analyzing IT staff data compared to support 

averages from the Campus Computing Survey, 

Olympic College is slightly understaffed. The 

fall 2008 support ratio at Olympic College was 

621 students per IT technician. The average 

community college has 518 students per 

technology support staff. On the basis of this 

data a conscious decision was made to preserve 

service to students in the budget cuts of 2008. 

One vacant classified position that maintained 

student computers was filled while a director, a 

manager and another exempt position were not 

replaced. 

Professional�Growth� 

Description.��Training IT staff has taken a 

number of forms. Staff have been given time in 

“sand boxes” so that they may learn a 

technology in a non-production environment. 

Some IT staff shared their expertise by 

providing training for other IT members. IT staff 

are given resources to travel to training events, 

mostly in-state. IT has also brought experts 

from other colleges or vendors to Olympic 

College to do training for IT staff on campus. 

For example, SiteCore, a web content 

management system vendor was brought in for 

twelve IT members to attend four days of 

training on the new web system. 

Analysis. The cost for training information 

technology professionals is high. The 

department budget for professional 

development and travel is $7,175. This amount 

is inadequate for a department as large as IT, 

which employs twenty-six full- and part-time 

staff. Experienced staff will conduct training 

internally in order to educate the more 

inexperienced newer members of the 

department. The department also takes 

advantage of classes offered through the 

Continuing Education Center, and regular credit 

bearing classes at the College for reduced or no 

cost. 

Financial�Support� 

Description.��The institution supports 

Information Technology sufficiently to operate, 

but funding varies from year to year for staffing 

and software support and maintenance. In 

2008 there was a one-time expenditure of 

$500,000 to update instructional technology. 

Every year IT monitors the need for technology 

equipment and the hardware demands of new 

software and the need to replace old 

equipment. Dollar costs for replacement and 

new equipment are projected and presented to 


instructional divisions and governance 

committees. 

Analysis.��An area of budgetary concern is 

the use of grant funds for the adaptive 

technology lab technicians and part-time 

maintenance technicians for the student 

network. Olympic College has taken significant 

steps toward funding technology on the 

institutional level with the implementation of 

the instructional refresh budget. Current 

budget cuts may elongate the replacement 

schedule. This should be monitored to ensure 

that funding is adequate to keep technology 

current. The IT planning process for equipment 

has been effective in determining how much 

funding is needed each year. At the same time 

this process drives the cost of equipment down 

through competitive bidding. OC contracting 

for computer equipment strives to keep the 

same vendor for standardization, while allowing 

the College to renegotiate pricing each year. 

As the demand for technology continues to 

escalate, a consistent funding model needs to 

emerge that encompasses the cost of 

infrastructure, hardware and software 

maintenance, equipment replacement, and 

PLANNING�AND�EVALUATION 

Planning� 

Description.��Departmental planning occurs 

annually during a retreat where goals and 

objectives for the upcoming year are set. These 

goals are geared toward meeting the Mission, 

Vision and Values of the College and the 

mission of Information Technology. The 

mission of Information Technology is to 

“facilitate innovation, learning, leadership and 

growth in the application of technology through 

service to all individuals in our communities.” 

Throughout the year, goals are revisited and 

adjustments made based on changes in 

technology and the campus environment. The 

staffing. IT has been aggressive in reducing 

costs and has made use of outsourcing where it 

makes sense. An example of outsourced 

staffing as well as support for servers and 

software is the procurement department, 

where an external vendor takes over the 

servers, their support, and maintenance at an 

off campus site. Angel online course 

management, Voyager library software, 

Accuplacer testing are all examples of systems 

that could be hosted locally. Instead, the 

College chose to contain costs by using vendors 

to provide this software as a service. In other 

cases policy and economics indicate the need to 

protect and maintain data locally. For example, 

administration felt that it was better to have 

sensitive information in the Hershey document 

imaging project maintained locally at the 

College. In addition to maintaining greater 

control over the data, the cost to support this 

application was $20,000 less than outsourcing 

the support. 

Overall there have been far more software 

and servers added to the support list for IT than 

services outsourced. A funding model needs to 

be developed that makes the support for ever 

increasing technology sustainable. 

budget planning process takes place in the 

spring, both internally in the Department, and 

externally with the other divisions of the 

College. Short term planning is done on a 

continual basis for projects related to the 

services and equipment offered by IT. Recently, 

multiple technology committees were 

combined into the Technology Advisory 

Committee, for a better coordinated approach 

to technology planning. In addition to 

technology committees, IT presents technology 

projects and draft policies to the Faculty Council 

and College Council for a more comprehensive 

review by faculty and staff. 


Information Technology sets institutional 

standards for infrastructure, computing 

hardware and peripherals, network operating 

systems, and desktop operating systems and 

productivity software. Application software 

that is used on the student network is based on 

curriculum needs and determined by the 

faculty. 

Analysis. Planning occurs on a continual 

basis in Information Technology. The goal of 

the department is to provide the infrastructure 

and resources needed for instruction as new 

technologies emerge and as its uses are 

anticipated for instructional delivery. At the 

same time, it is IT’s responsibility to maintain a 

stable and reliable platform that meets the 

current needs of our users and that does not 

cause disruption to services. Implementation of 

changes, therefore, is performed during breaks 

or during off hours, when students, staff and 

faculty will feel the least disruption. Another 

approach IT uses is phased implementation, 

where the changes are not major but are 

accomplished in smaller activities that cause 

less impact to our users. It is becoming more 

and more difficult to implement changes to the 

infrastructure and networks as the delivery of 

services moves toward 24/7 availability. 

Although significant improvements in 

campus feedback and planning have been 

made, there is a need to do long term strategic 

technology planning with the campus. Best 

practice for such activities can be found in 

Educause planning documents. This 

collaborative strategic technology planning 

concept is included in the charter of the overall 

campus technology planning committee and 

initial strategic planning has begun. 

Evaluation� 

Description. Evaluation of services occurs 

on a daily basis. The technology that supports 

the College must be up and running at all times. 

If there are failures, immediate action is taken 

to solve the problem. Ongoing evaluation of 

network and infrastructure performance is 

monitored using appropriate automated tools. 

IT customers provide the best forum for 

evaluation of our services, and serious effort is 

made to be responsive to the needs of all 

customers. As use of the web and Internet 

continues to grow, multiple channels for 

addressing users’ concerns have been 

established. Since the last self study, IT has 

implemented new tools for gathering user input 

and use of technology. Some examples of such 

tools are WebTrends, Google Analytics, web 

survey tools and HelpDesk call and customer 

satisfaction software.� 

Analysis. Technology is rapidly changing 

which makes it difficult to involve all the parties 

impacted by these changes. What this has 

caused is a schism between some users and 

Information Technology. Efforts are being 

made to involve as many people as possible in 

determining the direction that technology 

should take at Olympic College. Committees 

such as the Web Task Force and Instructional 

Technology Advisory Council (ITAC) are bridging 

the gap. Data gathering tools are also being 

used to power the continuous improvement 

process and business process engineering. 

IT has also used focus groups and other 

public events to present alternatives and get 

input from the campus in selecting technology. 

For example, during spring quarter 2008 IT 

conducted a user evaluation of three search 

engines in a side by side test with paper 

evaluations in the Bremer Student Center. This 

was part of the third cycle in improving the 

campus search engine. 

Every new software project has an alpha 

and beta test group to get design input and 

testing for user input and validation that the 

technology works. For example, streaming 

media technology has gone through four cycles 

to improve its usefulness to students and 

instructors. 


Improvements in the governance process 

have resulted in an increased number of faculty 

initiated technology projects. Examples are 

new email distribution lists for classes and 

reconfigurations of classroom teaching 

technology. 

Responding to student and staff complaints 

in 2004, IT started business process 

reengineering (BPR) to improve services to 

students and staff. For example, time-to- 

STANDARD�FIVE:��STRENGTHS�AND�RECOMMENDATIONS� 

Strengths:� 

• The library has expanded information 

access through added databases, more 

than 6,000 electronic books, and 24/7 

virtual reference service via instant 

messaging. 

• IT’s project planning and coordination are 

strong and involve stakeholders in a 

mutually beneficial collaboration. 

• Information Technology’s teamwork is 

student centered and relies on technical 

competence. 

completion on requests to evaluate and install 

software for instructors was reduced from one 

month in 2004, to two weeks in 2005, to three 

days in 2007. This was accomplished through 

iterative design and evaluating business 

processes year after year. Finally, in 2008 a 

novel approach allowed faculty to install preapproved 

software packages themselves, 

effectively reducing the response time to zero 

hours. 


• Evaluate the implications of changing 

demands on Olympic College’s libraries to 

maximize access to services and 

resources for all constituents. 

• Work toward reliably quiet study area 

options at the Poulsbo site. 

• The relationship and operations of the 

Media, Information Technology, and 

Distance Learning areas need to be 

clarified, informed, and evaluated against 

their collaboratively developed strategic 

plans. 

• Implement an institution-wide 

replacement schedule funding model for 

all technology infrastructure including, 

servers, network, classroom and office 

technology. 

• Improve the infrastructure to upgrade 

wireless service and integrate voice, 

video and data systems. 


{Appendix} 


Standard�Five

Amy Herman 

Library Faculty 

{Appendix}� 

Supporting�Documentation�for�Standard�Five� 

POULSBO�CAMPUS�LIBRARY 

Appendix�5.1.��Olympic�College�Libraries�Organizational�Chart� 

Kathy Weigert 

Library & Archives 

Paraprofessional 2 (PT) 

Amy Herman 


Dianne Moore 


Kent Mercer 


Vice President 

Instruction 

HASELWOOD�LIBRARY,�BREMERTON 

Sandra Reider, 

ILL & EReserves, 

Library & 

Archives Para 3 

Ruth Ross 

Dean 

Library-Media 

Naomi Saunders 

Administrative Assistant 

Miriam Wall, Periodicals 

Library & Archives Para 3 (50%) 

Ben Meredith 

Distance 

Learning Faculty 

Donna Forbes 

Technical 

Services 

Library & 

Archives 

Para 3 

Lesli Quimby 

Technical 

Services 

Library Tech 

[PT] 

THE�JOHNSON�LIBRARY,�SHELTON 

Library Tech (PT) 

INSTRUCTIONAL�MEDIA 

Roger Nick 

Media Technician 

Senior 

Mike Hesson 

Circulation 

Supervisor 

Library & 

Archives 

Para 4 

Linda 

Zimbeck 

Circulation 

Library Tech 

[PT] 

Raymond Quick 

Media 

Maintenance 

Technician II 

Adjunct 

Librarians 

Jackie Higgins 

Leslie Hassett 

Mary Confar 

Sara Scribner 

Paul Christensen 

{Standard�Five} Library and Information Resources A5-1 

�

Appendix�5.2.��Sample�Library�Assessments�and�Actions�Taken�based�on�Assessments� 

Year� Source�Type� Description� Sample�Findings�&�Responses�or�Changes�based�on�Findings� 

1993� Research Dewey classification study by librarians Several projects improving core collections in studied areas 

1999� 

2004� 

ACT Survey Student Survey w/ library materials question Sparked follow up study of core collections 

2002� Research Student learning outcomes in orientations Further concentration on hands on practice in student orientations 

2003� Research 

Librarian follow up Study of collection age of 6 

Dewey classification areas 

Collection age improved from 50% dated pre- 1969 [in 1993] to 37% in 

2003 & >25% of collection dated after 1990. 

2004� Research Materials processing system analyzed Processing time reduced by 26% (42 days to 31 days) 

2005� Survey 

2006� 

Outreach 

Analysis 


Students in Orientations given Angelo’s One 

Minute Paper Assessments 

Outreach to faculty re: incorporate information 

literacy in their classes 

Assessment of intercampus materials distribution 

times 

Assessments of learning outcomes used consistently throughout all 

presentations; One Minute Papers, etc. 

Six new classes incorporation outcomes & assignments in geography, 

chemistry, English 

Confirmed two-day transit time works 90% of time; examined internal 

library processes to eliminate other delays 

2007� Survey Users of electronic reference questions Presentation / training on reference question analysis 


2007� Analysis 

2007� Analysis 

Analysis of One Minute Paper evaluations used 

in orientations 

Cultural Anthro 202 librarian embedded to 

analyze student information requirements 

Anthro 335: librarian embedded to analyze upper 

division information needs 

Further training in learning outcomes for librarians and staff delivering 

orientations 

More online assistance, FAQs on web, online Proquest tutorial 

Subscription to Anthro Source, full CINAHL database; petitioned for and 

added JSTOR and ScienceDirect to database inventory, temporarily 

2007� Accreditation MIVER Accreditation [Military ] Accreditation received; library commended 

2008� Accreditation Assoc. Degree Nursing Prog. Accred. Accreditation received 

2008� Accreditation Physical Therapy Assist. Prog. Accred. Accreditation received 

2008� Focus Groups 

� � 

Two classes English Students, general services 

evaluation 

New keyboards in lab, new bib. classroom signage 

A5-2 {Standard�Five} Library and Information Resources

Appendix�5.3.��Olympic�College�Information�Technology�Organizational�Chart� 

{Standard�Five} Library and Information Resources A5-3

{Standard�Six} 

Governance�and�Administration 

Standard�Six

{Standard�Six}� 

Governance�and�Administration� 

GOVERNANCE�SYSTEM� 

Description.��Olympic College operates 

under the broad regulatory authority of the 

Washington State Board for Community and 

Technical Colleges (SBCTC). The Washington 

system of community and technical colleges 

was created by the Community College Act of 

1967 and includes thirty-four community and 

technical colleges. Each community college 

district has its own Board of Trustees. Through 

the SBCTC, the community and technical college 

presidents coordinate efforts on a statewide 

basis, as well as interface with the Washington 

State Legislature. Funding from the legislature 

comes to Olympic College through the SBCTC. 

The College’s formal structure and charter are 

fixed by Washington State Law. The charter is 

broad, and thereby flexible, but not easily 

changed at either the State or local level. 

The boards of trustees for community and 

technical colleges in Washington State are 

appointed by the Governor and confirmed by 

the Washington State Senate. The Revised 

Code of Washington (RCW) 28B.50.140 specifies 

the duties, responsibilities, and authority of 

boards of trustees and serves as the primary 

guideline for the Olympic College Board of 

Trustees, together with the Bylaws and the 

Standing Orders of the Board of Trustees, all of 

which are available as Standard Six exhibits.�� 

The Board’s authority to hire the President is 

found in OCP 100-01, Article VI, Officers�of�the� 

College. Delegation of Authority is found in OCP 

100-02, Article I, Delegation�of�Authority. 

State statute, the policies of the Board of 

Trustees and the College administration, and 

collective bargaining agreements define the 

system of governance at Olympic College. 

Organizational structure is prescribed in the 

Bylaws of the Olympic College Board of Trustees� 

(Policy OCP 100-01). These bylaws have been 

regularly reviewed and were revised for clarity 

most recently in January 2009. The structure of 

the College is summarized in Figure 6.1 on next 

page, and a more complete organizational chart 

may be found in the Exhibit Room. 

The governance system is established to 

support the teaching and learning environment 

necessary for the successful accomplishment of 

Olympic College’s Vision, Mission, and Values. 

Olympic College policies support the 

governance system and can be found on the 

College's web site at www.olympic.edu/ 

Campuses/AboutOC/BoardOfTrustees/Policies. A 

variety of printed documents also exist which 

describe the authority, responsibilities, and 

relationships between and among the board, 

administrators, faculty, staff, and students. 

These primarily include the Board Policy 

Manual, the Olympic�College Catalog, and 

various other documents found in the Exhibit 

Room exhibits for Standard Six. 

{Standard�Six} Governance and Administration 6-1

Figure 6.1 Olympic College Organizational Chart 

* Barbara Martin 

Vice President for 


Services 

Denis Snyder 

Dir. of Auxiliary 

Services 

* Bill Wilkie 

Dir. of Facilities 

Svcs & Capital Proj. 

* Janell Whiteley 

Dir. of Business 

Services 

* Larry Akers 

Dir. Readiness 

Response Center 

Linda Yerger 

Executive Dir. of 

Human Resource 

Services 

* Diana Lake 

Dir. of Procurement 

* Thomas Oliver 

Executive Assistant 

Rocky Wallace 

Safety & Security 

Supervisor 

* Kim McNamara 

Dean of Student 

Development 

Patricia Triggs 

Dir. of Career 

Services 

Barry Janusch 

Dir. Bremer Student 

Center / Athletic 

Director 

* Rhodes Lockwood 

Dir. of Child 

Development and 

Family Center 

Richard 

MacLennan 

Vice President of 

Student Services 

Melinda St. John 


Rachel Wellman 

Dir. of Multicultural 

Services 

Dianna Larson 

Dean of Enrollment 

Services & 

Registrar 

Susan Tollefson 

Running Start & HS 

Outreach 

* Jennifer 

Fyllingness 

Dir. Admission and 

Outreach 

* Joseph Koroma 

Associate Dean 

Student Financial 

Services 

*Kim McNamara 

Dean of General 

Studies and 

Advising 

* Dr. David Mitchell 

President 

* Mary Garguile 

Vice President of 

Instruction 

* Amy Hatfield 

Dean of Workforce 

& Basic Studies 

Dick Strand 

Dean for Business 

and Technology 

* Gina Huston 

Dean of Social Sci 

& Humanities 

Ruth Ross 

Dean of Library 

and Media 

*Judi Brown 

Dean of MESH 

Gloria Martin 

Dir. of Instructional 

Support Services 

* Wendy Miles 

Dir. of Military and 

Continuing Ed. 

* Allison Smith 


* Athena Higgins 


Elaine Williams 

Bryant, Associate 

Dean, Adult Ed 

*Geri Babbo, 

Associate Dean, 

Nursing 

* Joan Hanten 

Executive Dir. of 

Institutional 

Advancement & OC 

Foundation 

* Jennifer Hayes 

Communications 

Director 

* Kristin Poppo 

Dir. Of Extended 

Learning 

* Christy Gregory 

Secretary Senior 

Kristy Anderson 

Assoc Dean Planning, 

Assessment & Research 

*Kim McNamara 

Liaison for Advising 

* Jack Hanson 

Executive Director, 

Information 

Technology 

* Sandy Johnson 

Secretary Senior 

* Tom Jacobs 

Customer Services 

Manager 

Charlie McWhorter 

Network & 

Infrastructure 

Manager 

Charlotte Purl 

Information 

Technology 

Manager. 

* Evelyn Hernandez 

Technical Services 

Manager 

*Charlie 

McWhorter, Interim 

Dir. of Instructional 

Technology 

* new in role since last Accreditation in 2001 

6-2 {Standard�Six} Governance and Administration

Olympic College’s Board of Trustees, 

administration, faculty and staff are committed 

to serving all our communities and encouraging 

life-long learning. All members of the College 

community work together, via a network of 

formal and informal structures, to ensure a 

clear and positive flow of information, services, 

and support to the campus and surrounding 

communities. Relations between the Board, 

administration, faculty and staff are good; all 

constituents understand their role in the 

governance of the College. Improvements in 

climate and communication have been made 

since the last accreditation recommendation 

regarding communication and a constructive 

working environment. 

Faculty, staff, and students are able to 

provide input to college-wide decisions and 

matters in which they have a direct interest 

through a variety of venues, including briefings 

by faculty, staff, and student leaders at each 

monthly Board of Trustees’ meeting. The views 

and judgments of faculty, staff, and students 

are considered in meetings of Faculty Council, 

Association of Higher Education (AHE) 

meetings, College Council meetings, 

Washington Public Employees Association 

(WPEA) meetings, and Associated Students of 

Olympic College (ASOC) meetings. Concerns 

and judgments are then taken up by the 

appropriate vice presidents, and to Cabinet and 

the Board of Trustees, as appropriate. Faculty, 

staff, and students are included in the 

membership of several standing committees, 

including the Budget, Diversity, Enrollment 

Management, and Safety committees. 

Analysis. The President of Olympic College, 

in conjunction with the Board of Trustees, has 

delineated an organizational framework that 

includes the constituent groups of 

administration, staff, faculty, and students. 

Each constituent group has a role and 

participates in the governance of Olympic 

College. Established policies provide additional 

governance structure and are the result of legal 

mandates, negotiated agreements, college 

committee recommendations, and 

administrative decisions. The process by which 

board policies are reviewed and adopted is 

explicated in OC Policy 200-12, Policy� 

Standards. The governance structure allows for 

participation of constituent group members in 

the ongoing evaluation of college policies. The 

same college policies are applicable at all 

Olympic College locations. 

All constituents of the College understand 

and fulfill their respective roles at the College. 

The results of the Employee Engagement Survey 

in 2007 and 2008 underwrite this assertion. In a 

question regarding whether or not employees 

clearly understood what was expected of them 

in their work, the average response for each 

employee group was in the 3.9 to 4.7 range in 

2006 and in the 4.0 to 4.4 range in 2008, 

indicating that employees usually know what is 

expected of them (see Figure 6.2 on next page 

and Standard Six exhibit: “Olympic College 

Engagement Survey Averages”). This result is 

supported by findings in the 2008 PACE Climate 

Survey which indicated that employees believed 

work outcomes are clarified for them. The 

mean score of 3.17 fell into the consultative 

range. (The PACE Climate Survey is available in 

the reference room.) Both surveys use a fivepoint 

scale. 

The�Board�of�Trustees� 

Description. The five-member Olympic 

College Board of Trustees is appointed by the 

Governor and confirmed by the Washington 

State Senate to serve a five-year term. The role 

of the Board of Trustees is policy making in 

nature, establishing broad institutional policies, 

and delegating to the Chief Executive Officer 

the responsibility to implement these policies. 

No College employees serve on the Board. The 

President or the President’s designee serves as 

the Secretary of the Board, but has no vote. 

Board member biographical information is 

available in Appendix 6.1. Terms of Office and 

occupations of Board members are listed in 

Figure 6.3 on next page.� 


� 

Figure�6.2��Engagement�Survey�Question�#4�–�I�know�what�is�expected�of�me�in�my�work.� 

Employee�Group� 2006�07�Response� 

2006�07�Number�of� 

Respondents� 

2007�08�Response� 

Administrators 3.9 75 4.0 69 

Classified 4.3 114 4.1 91 

Full-Time Faculty 4.0 65 4.0 72 

Didn’t Identify 4.7 5 4.4 10 

Figure�6.3��Olympic�College�Board�of�Trustees.� 

Trustee� Term�of�Office� Occupation� 

Beverly Cheney October 2008 – September 2012 Retired School Superintendent 

Peter Crane October 2005 – September 2010 Retired Financial Advisor 

Darlene Peters, Chair October 2006 – September 2011 Retired Teacher/School Psychologist 

Douglas E. Sayan October 2003 – September 2008 Retired State Legislator/Educator 

The Board is broadly representative of the 

public interest and includes members who work 

and reside in varied geographic areas across the 

College’s two-county service area. 

Appointments to the Board as well as Board 

duties are delineated in Washington 

Administrative Code Title 131, Board�for 

Community�and�Technical�Colleges�http://apps. 

leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=131. For a 

complete list of Board policies, please see the 

OC web site, www.olympic.edu/Campuses/ 

AboutOC/BoardOfTrustees/Policies. 

The Board functions as a committee of the 

whole, responsible to its By-Laws and Standing 

Orders of the Olympic College Board of Trustees 

(The entire Bylaws and Standing Orders are 

available with the Standard Six Exhibits; a 

portion of the Bylaws and all of the Standing 

Orders may be found in the Washington 

Administrative Code, Chapter 132C-104, 

available online at: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/ 

WAC/default.aspx?cite=132C-104). The Bylaws 

and Standing Orders have been regularly 

reviewed and updated since the last 

accreditation visit. Board of Trustees meetings 

are summarized in minutes (found as a 

Standard Six Exhibit) that further demonstrate 

2007�08�Number�of� 

Respondents� 

Alice Tawresey February 2005 – September 2009 Retired Teacher/Past Mayor of Bainbridge Island 

that the board and administrators are clear in 

their roles and responsibilities granted by the 

laws of the State of Washington and by the 

rules and regulations of the State Board for 

Community and Technical Colleges. 

As established in its Bylaws, the Board is 

responsible for the recruitment, selection, and 

evaluation of the President. The Olympic 

College Board of Trustees conducted a national 

search, which resulted in the hiring of the 

current President, Dr. David Mitchell, in 2002. 

Each year, the Board evaluates the President as 

well as itself. The Board specifically requests 

input from all campus groups regarding the 

President’s performance. 

The President’s role with respect to the 

Board is also outlined in the Bylaws of the 

Olympic College Board of Trustees (OCP 100-01): 

The�President�of�the�College�shall�be� 

employed�by�the�board�upon�receiving�the� 

affirmative�votes�of�not�less�than�a�majority� 

of�the�members�of�the�board,�and�shall� 

serve�at�the�pleasure�of�the�board.��The� 

President�of�the�College�shall�be�the�chief� 

executive�officer�of�the�College�and�shall�be� 

responsible�directly�to�the�Board�for�the� 


management�and�conduct�of�all�the�affairs� 

of�the�College�except�those�which�by�law,� 

these�bylaws,�the�standing�orders,�or�other� 

orders�of�the�board�are�the�specific� 

responsibility�of�other�persons�or�bodies.�� 

Except�when�formally�excused,�the�President� 

of�the�College�is�directed�to�attend�all� 

regular�and�special�meetings�of�the�Board� 

and�its�committees.��The�President�is� 

authorized�to�bring�matters�before�the� 

Board�or�any�of�its�committees�for� 

discussion�and�action�at�any�meeting.� 

Regular meetings of the Board of Trustees 

are prescribed in Article IV of the Board Bylaws. 

Special meetings are announced in accordance 

with state regulations. The Board approves the 

Mission, Vision, and Values statements for the 

College, and the establishment and closure of 

all instructional degree, certificate, and diploma 

programs. Academic program and policy 

recommendations undergo an instructional 

review process prior to Instructional Policies 

Council (IPC) approval. Trustees review and 

approve awards of tenure and sabbaticals. The 

Board approves and monitors the annual 

budget and long-range financial plans and 

reviews annual fiscal audit reports. It also 

approves the Strategic Plan and accompanying 

Strategic Initiatives. Monthly Board meetings 

typically include study sessions on various 

topics of relevance to the institution, including 

special presentations concerning academic, 

vocational, or special programs. 

The Board evaluates its performance 

regularly, with the most recent evaluations 

conducted in 2006, 2008, and 2009. Standard 

Six exhibits contain examples of Board selfevaluations, 

as well as Board action items and 

goals that grew out of the evaluation processes 

in both 2006 and 2008. In 2009 the Board 

sought peer evaluation by inviting former 

Olympic College Trustees to a meeting to 

discuss their understanding of the role and 

request their assessment of the current Board’s 

accomplishments. 

As a result of the last full-scale evaluation 

and visit, it was recommended that Olympic 

College Board of Trustees regularly evaluate 

and revise its Board policies. Beginning in 2004, 

the College became engaged in a major 

overhaul of the College Policy Manual (see 

Standard Six Exhibits). All policies and 

procedures in the current College Policy Manual 

have been evaluated and revised as necessary 

within the past five years. In September of 

2007, the board adopted Policy OCP 200-12,� 

Policy�Standards, the purpose of which is to 

guide the development of new Olympic College 

policies and procedures, and to provide for the 

modification of existing policies and procedures 

as necessary. The rules coordinator facilitates 

the process of policy review. 

Board members served as members of 

accreditation standard subcommittees and 

reviewed the self study, its progress, and 

provided input throughout the development of 

the self study, including during special study 

sessions of the Board. Trustees participate in 

state and national organizations for college 

boards of trustees. They also participate 

actively in the State Trustees Association for 

Community and Technical Colleges (TACTC). 

This group meets quarterly to help define 

system-wide goals and strategies. The TACTC 

also hosts discussions on issues of importance 

to Washington’s community and technical 

colleges, such as support for students with 

disabilities, tenure and post-tenure review, 

accreditation, faculty salaries, utilization of 

adjunct faculty, and board effectiveness. 

During the legislative session trustees, acting on 

behalf of the TACTC, are instrumental in 

working with legislators to increase their 

understanding of relevant policy issues and 

funding for the system. Representatives from 

Olympic College serve as members of the TACTC 

legislative committee, and a former Board 

member was the Chair of the statewide 

organization in 2006-07. 

{Standard�Six} Governance and Administration 6-5 

�

Analysis.��The functioning of the Board of 

Trustees is closely regulated in numerous ways 

from the Revised Code of Washington 

28B.50.140 to its own Bylaws and Standing 

Orders. The Board also benefits from its ability 

to rely on the advice of a member of the 

Washington State Attorney General’s Office. 

The Board develops its own annual work plan 

that supports the Mission, Vision, and Values of 

the College; the work plan is shared with the 

entire College community. Board meetings are 

open to the public and its agendas and minutes 

are widely disseminated to the State Board 

Office and to the College community; they are 

also available on the College web site. 

Olympic College’s Board of Trustees is 

intimately involved with the life of the College 

and has served in a leadership role in the 

development of the Olympic College Mission, 

Vision, and Values. The Board quite visibly 

demonstrates support for the campus 

community through attendance and active 

involvement in a wide variety of campus events 

and activities such as groundbreaking 

ceremonies for new buildings, presentations to 

classes, graduation ceremonies, athletic events, 

student and faculty art shows and music 

performances, community luncheons, and 

awards ceremonies. 

Leadership�and�Management� 

Description.��Olympic College has a 

management team of twenty-one 

administrators supported by thirty-nine exempt 

managers and executive assistants. The 

President's full-time responsibility is to Olympic 

College, and must ensure that consistent and 

ethical standards of operation exist among all 

Olympic College units. The President directly 

supervises the Vice Presidents of Administrative 

Services, Instruction, and Student Services, as 

well as the Executive Directors of Information 

Technology and the Olympic College 

Foundation (Figure 6.1). 

Employee responsibilities are clearly 

defined through job descriptions, which are 

reviewed and updated at the time of annual 

performance review. The ethical conduct 

requirements for all administrative employees 

are published and each administrator signs a 

Standard of Conduct agreement annually at the 

time of contract renewal (see Standard Six 

exhibits). Policies, procedures, and criteria for 

administrative and staff appointment, 

evaluation, retention, promotion, and 

termination are accessible on the College web 

site. New employees are provided an 

orientation during which they are provided with 

an Employee Guide that covers a wide range of 

topics from ethics, FERPA, and College policies 

to emergency procedures and the Employee 

Assistance Program (see Standard Six exhibits). 

The Board has evaluated the President 

using a variety of methods, including an 

assessment of progress on board-approved 

goals, the results of 360-degree evaluations, 

and the results of the employee engagement 

survey (see Standard Six exhibits). All 

administrators who report directly to the 

President are evaluated twice annually–first to 

set goals and objectives, and again to review 

progress midway through the year. All 

administrators meet with their supervisor 

annually to review their progress and set goals 

and objectives for the coming year. A variety of 

methods have been used for administrative 

exempt employees, including 360-degree 

evaluations and assessment of results from an 

employee engagement survey. Irrespective of 

the type of instrument used to solicit feedback 

from direct reports and others, the 

administrative performance review process 

includes a self- evaluation and a written and 

oral evaluation by the individual administrator’s 

direct supervisor. 

Communication across administrative unit 

lines takes place at all College levels beginning 

with the Cabinet. The Cabinet discusses most 

College policy decisions at its weekly meetings. 

This group includes the President, the three 


division Vice Presidents, the Director of Human 

Resources, the Executive Directors of 

Information Technology and the Olympic 

College Foundation, the Directors of the 

Communications Office and Extended Learning, 

the President of the Faculty Union (AHE), the 

Director of Multicultural Services, and the 

Executive Assistant to the President. Weekly 

Cabinet meetings help ensure timely 

institutional decisions. Cabinet members carry 

information about discussions and decisions 

back to regularly scheduled meetings of their 

various constituents and divisions. The 

Executive Director of the Foundation attends 

Cabinet meetings regularly to ensure that all 

institutional advancement activities, including 

development, fundraising, and community 

relationships relate clearly and directly to the 

mission and goals of the College. 

Communication among units is further 

encouraged across division lines and is the 

purpose of regularly held monthly meetings of 

the President’s Council. The President’s Council 

consists of the members of the Cabinet (listed 

earlier) and various deans and directors from 

across the College. Administrative and exempt 

employees actively participate in campus 

committees and events and are encouraged to 

be available to students and staff as needed to 

discuss and address issues and concerns in a 

timely manner. 

In general, administrators making decisions 

strive for an ideal that includes consultation 

with those directly involved and primarily 

affected. Regular communication between and 

among the various units facilitates successful 

accomplishment of College goals. For example, 

instructional administrators meet weekly to 

facilitate cooperation and coordination among 

instructional units. Administrative Services and 

Student Services meetings also occur on a 

regularly-scheduled basis. 

The Office of Planning, Assessment, and 

Research is involved in local and statewide 

research projects that provide the campus with 

useful information needed in the decisionmaking 

process. The Office of Planning, 

Assessment, and Research provides data to the 

Cabinet, Institutional Effectiveness and 

Strategic Initiative Groups, and other 

committees on a number of topics such as 

student demographics, enrollment trends and 

projections, student retention, county and 

district demographics, statewide college trends, 

and more. The Office of Planning, Assessment, 

and Research also conducts periodic surveys of 

students, graduates, and others and distributes 

the data to the campus. Relevant data are 

presented at a number of different meetings 

and events including Cabinet and Student 

Services annual retreats, as well as during the 

Opening Days session for returning and new 

faculty. 

Analysis.��The organization of the 

administration of Olympic College is clearly 

defined and supports the successful 

implementation of educational activities 

addressed by the College's mission and goals. 

All College administrators are subject to the 

rules and oversight of the Washington State 

Executive Ethics Board. Unit goals exist and are 

based on the College's Mission, Vision, and 

Values statements. The College budget is 

available on the web for employees and 

updates to the College community are 

periodically provided. 

During the course of the last full-scale 

accreditation (2001), the College learned that 

many constituents felt left out of the budget 

process. To address this the College established 

more frequent, formal, and on-going 

communication regarding budget, planning, and 

campus goals, outcomes, and objectives as well 

as a committee that makes budget 

recommendations to the President and Cabinet. 

In addition, a greater distribution of the 

agendas and minutes from Cabinet, President’s 

Council, and Instructional Administrators 

meetings has substantially increased 

information sharing. 


The 2008 Personal Assessment of the 

College Environment (PACE ) Climate Survey 

results showed that full-time employees 

generally thought that communication and trust 

were improving at Olympic College. Average 

satisfaction ratings for all employee groups 

improved from 2006 to 2008 on questions such 

as “the extent to which open and ethical 

communication is practiced” and “the extent to 

which information is shared within this 

institution” (the 2006 PACE Climate Survey and 

2008 PACE Climate Survey are available in the 

reference room). However, these questions, 

along with others related to Institutional 

Structure�(such as cooperation and campus 

involvement in decision-making) remain some 

of the lowest scores on the survey with average 

ratings falling into the 2.0 – 2.99 or competitive 

portion of the survey scale. Overall, the 

assessment of these efforts appears to indicate 

that progress is occurring but that these 

continue to require institutional attention. 

In an effort to further understand and 

address areas where scores remain lower than 

desired, in the spring of 2009 the President 

visited employee groups and engaged in 

discussion with employees about the survey 

results. Subsequently, he issued a list of actions 

that will be undertaken to address common 

concerns (Standard One Exhibit: March 2009 

Employee Climate Survey E-Mail 4/13/09). For 

example, one concern was that information 

does not always flow to those who are most 

impacted by decisions. To address this issue, 

the President and Cabinet are encouraging 

supervisors to share information in formats 

other than email, as it was determined that not 

everyone has access to or reads email on a 

regular basis. The action plan also calls for the 

Cabinet to work with the College Council to 

create ways for people to learn more about 

what others do in their respective departments. 

A continuing theme in this standard that 

bears on the issues of communication and 

governance is the proliferation of committees 

on campus. Currently, there are over fifty 

committees dealing with various specific 

subjects, another fourteen for post-tenure 

review, approximately twenty vocational 

advisory committees, twelve accreditation 

committees, and an additional forty-three 

tenure committees for new faculty (see 

Standard Six exhibits). Scheduling, preparation, 

participation, distribution of minutes and 

agendas, and communication of the issues and 

the work of so many committees present an 

immense challenge to the institution. 

Individuals who participate in committee work 

serve, in many instances, as representatives for 

their respective constituencies--a role that 

requires solicitation of input and feedback. 

Ironically, while an essential role of committee 

involvement is to share, involve, and inform, 

the proliferation of committees make it difficult 

to involve and communicate fully. 

Nevertheless, there are copious 

opportunities to share in the governance and 

the work of the institution; the President’s 

Council is currently examining the number of 

committees, their relative importance and 

effectiveness, and ways in which those that do 

remain might work more efficiently and 

effectively. Exacerbating this condition is the 

diminishing number of people who are willing 

to work on committees; however, committee 

work is integral in a participatory governance 

institution. To address this concern, the 

administration is working on the number of 

committees as well as the effectiveness and 

efficiency of committee work. 

Administrative salaries fall at about the 

median level when compared to those around 

Washington State according to the most recent 

salary survey by the State Board for Community 

and Technical Colleges (see Standard Six 

Exhibit). However, they fall below the median 

nationwide, as well as below the median when 

compared to similar managerial positions in the 

public sector. This may be a contributing factor 

in the relatively lower numbers of applicants for 

open administrative positions. The turnover in 

administration is mirrored in the following 


discussion of the faculty role in institutional 

governance. 

Faculty�Role�in�Governance� 

Description.��The Olympic College 

governance structure provides multiple 

opportunities for direct faculty influence on 

institutional decision making processes. 

Examples of these include language in the 

collective bargaining agreement covering hiring 

processes for faculty and administrators; union 

leadership representation at the President’s 

Cabinet and Council meetings; and inclusion of 

Instructional Administrators. Faculty influence 

is also facilitated through the Instructional 

Policies Council (IPC), Faculty Council, College 

Council, Budget Committee, Strategic 

Leadership Team, and the Association of Higher 

Education (AHE). The AHE President attends 

monthly Board of Trustees meetings and 

participates in Board study sessions. In addition 

to regular discipline and division meetings, 

there are many other standing committees with 

faculty representation (for a full list, see 

Standard Four exhibits). 

Figure�6.4.��Recent�Faculty�Council�Topics� 

Reorganization�of�College�divisions�/�departments 

Campus�safety�and�security�–�all�sites� 

Creation�of�student�complaints�mediator� 

Enrollment�management�and�growth� 

Faculty�/�IT�agreement�policy�on�office�computer� 

rights� 

Classified�staff�involvement�at�graduation� 

Campus�pet�policy�in�classrooms�/�offices� 

Program�and�Course�assessment� 

Advising� 



Budget�Reductions�� 

� 

The Faculty Council role is to promote 

communication and collegiality in problem 

solving and planning. Meetings are open to 

faculty, administrators and all campus entities. 

Agendas are determined by issues forwarded to 

the chair, and any and all topics are considered 

relevant for discussion. The Faculty Council is 

advisory to the President, Vice Presidents, and 

Deans of the College. The Faculty Council is 

both a communication and feedback 

mechanism for dialogue and consideration of 

issues. When appropriate, recommendations 

made by the Council are forwarded to 

appropriate administrators and other involved 

parties. The Faculty Council is not a policy 

making group; it is advisory to the President 

and Vice President of Instruction. Examples of 

recent Faculty Council topics are listed in Figure 

6.4. 

Analysis.��Currently there is an improved 

spirit of cooperation that represents major 

progress since the last full-scale evaluation, 

when the relationship between faculty and the 

administration was significantly strained. 

Faculty opinion measured in the 2004, 2006, 

and 2008 PACE Climate Surveys (on next page) 

provides some data for gauging how full-time 

faculty feel concerning their role, their 

contributions, and their influence over College 

policy and institutional direction. 

While the faculty responses to the PACE 

Climate Survey have been consistently higher— 

though in some instances just marginally 

higher—than the employee averages, there are 

questions concerning faculty sentiment about 

their ability to influence College decisionmaking 

and contribute to the shape and rhythm 

of their workplace environment. While most 

faculty feel that they can influence decisionmaking 

if they participate in governance, often 

they do not participate because of added work 

duties, increasing institutional responsibilities, 

and the structural barriers to improving their 

inadequate compensation. 


PACE�Survey�Question� 

The�extent�to�which…� 

… decisions are made at the 

appropriate level 

… this institution is 

appropriately organized 

… I have the opportunity for 

advancement within this 

institution 

… I have appropriate control 

over the things that happen 

to me in my work 

environment 

… I am able to appropriately 

influence the direction of this 

institution 

Figure�6.5.��Results�of�PACE�Climate�Surveys�on�selected�questions.� 

2004� 

Faculty� 

Response� 

2004�All� 

Employee� 

Response� 

2006� 

Faculty� 

Response� 

2006�All� 

Employee� 

Response� 

2008� 

Faculty� 

Response� 

3.08 2.88 2.80 2.53 2.98 2.88 

3.10 2.84 2.72 2.57 2.93 2.84 

3.09 2.79 2.62 2.53 3.19 2.77 

3.40 3.21 3.27 3.08 3.35 

2008�All� 

Employee� 

Response� 

3.25 

3.13 2.99 2.88 2.72 3.08 2.96 

The�2004�PACE�Climate�Survey�was�administered�to�101�FT�faculty�in�November�2003;�fifty�five�responses�were� 

received�(54.5%).�The�2006�Pace�Climate�Survey�was�administered�to�109�FT�faculty�in�January/February�2006�with� 

fifty�one�returned�(46.8%).� 

� 

Olympic College has experienced significant 

faculty retirements and resignations that have 

created an unprecedented level of tenure 

committee work for full-time faculty. In 

addition, greater emphasis on duties such as 

the assessment of part-time faculty, assessment 

activities of all kinds, and demands for faculty 

participation in governance, hiring, and 

institutional process committees have increased 

workload implications for full-time faculty. 

Further, full-time faculty are the preferred 

participants for such activities as adjunct 

evaluations and tenure committees. Faculty 

still in the tenure process are often encouraged 

to focus primarily on their teaching, limiting 

their committee work, and therefore shifting 

some of the load of committee work to tenured 

faculty. Faculty leadership also finds that it is 

difficult for faculty to embrace governance 

participation with a glad heart or with 

enthusiasm because they are being asked to do 

so much for so little pay. 

This discussion about compensation may at 

first strike the reader as out of place in the 

section of the Self Study concerned with faculty 

involvement in governance. However, 

inadequate faculty compensation and full-time 

faculty increased workload have had a negative 

effect on faculty morale and sense of agency, 

resulting in diminished willingness to participate 

in College governance. Faculty participation in 

governance will continue to get more 

problematic until these issues are resolved 

(Note: further discussion of faculty salaries may 

be found in Standard Four). 

Student�Role�in�Governance� 

Description.��The Office of Student 

Programs and Leadership Development (SPLD) 

assists students to form and operate a 

governing body, the Associated Students of 

Olympic College (ASOC), to which all registered 

students belong. Each year, the general student 

population elects the ASOC officers who 

comprise the ASOC Executive Council; the 


council includes ASOC Vice Presidents of the OC 

Shelton and OC Poulsbo campuses, a President, 

Vice President for Judicial Affairs, and a Vice 

President of Communications. The Council 

hires a student Treasurer. 

The ASOC Executive Council helps manage 

the chartering and funding of student-funded 

clubs and organizations, appoints students to 

various institutional committees and task 

forces, and provides input and feedback to 

campus departments and administration as 

requested and needed. The ASOC Executive 

Council is guided by its constitution and bylaws, 

club handbook, OC institutional policies and 

procedures, OC Board of Trustees policies, the 

Revised Code of Washington (RCW), 

Washington Administrative Codes (WAC), and 

State law regarding student employees (see 

Standard Six exhibits: ASOC Club Handbook, 

ASOC Constitution and Bylaws). 

The general student population has a 

variety of opportunities to participate in 

institutional governance at Olympic College. 

Students may form a club or organization and 

volunteer to lead these organizations. ASOC 

officers and the Office of Student Programs and 

Leadership Development provide training and 

support for these volunteer leaders. Faculty 

and staff advisors provide support, guidance, 

and continuity from year to year (see Standard 

Six exhibits: ASOC Organizations). 

Students are also encouraged to participate 

in campus committees, including, but not 

limited to, the following: the Instructional 

Policy Council, tenure committees, policy 

review committees, taskforces, and other 

campus committees and work groups. An ASOC 

member serves on the College Council (an 

advisory committee to Olympic College’s 

President), the Budget Committee, the 

Commencement Committee, and the Student 

Technology Fee Committee. In 2007-08 the 

ASOC President appointed forty students to 

faculty tenure committees and a student served 

on an ad hoc Violence Prevention Policy Task 

Force. Over 150 students responded to an 

Alcohol and Drug Survey to shape programs and 

services with regard to alcohol and drug use. In 

both 2008 and 2009, the ASOC Treasurer was a 

member of the OC Budget Committee. The 

ASOC President attends and reports on ASOC 

activities and issues at the monthly Board of 

Trustees meeting. 

Analysis.��As is typical in most public 

community college commuter campuses, the 

level of activity and retention in student-funded 

programs fluctuates according to interests, 

stability of staff and faculty advisors, and staff 

support by the ASOC, and SPLD. It takes ASOC 

Executive Council substantial effort to recruit 

students to opt for both elected and volunteer 

positions for campus committees, task forces, 

and work groups. 

Student satisfaction with student 

governance has increased, according to 

respondent data in the 2008 Two-Year ACT 

Student Opinion survey. Satisfaction with 

“Student Voice in College Policies” increased 

from 27.7% in 2001 to 33% in 2008. Overall 

satisfaction with student government increased 

from 17% in 2001 to 21% in 2008, as did 

expressed student satisfaction with the way 

student activity fees were used. Despite this 

improvement, SPLD continues to strive for 

improved student involvement, distributing 

surveys at events, collecting names of students 

interested in committees, volunteering, and 

receiving information about events. In addition, 

SPLD has created a communication plan to 

market ASOC that includes using Constant 

Contact (email marketing) to involve students, 

has created a direct link from the OC web site 

home page to student events, and will 

collaborate with OC Distance Learning faculty to 

use Elluminate® and Angel as platforms for 

virtual meetings, web-streaming public 

meetings, and other practical applications. 

Further, a new Orientation to College course 

will present an opportunity for new students to 

learn about student services, campus resources, 

and student involvement opportunities. 


�Classified�Staff�Role�in�Governance� 

Description.��Opportunities for classified 

staff involvement in policy and governance are 

provided in a number of ways. Classified staff 

are represented monthly in a report to the 

Board of Trustees delivered by the WPEA 

President. While no classified staff members 

serve on the President’s Cabinet, the WPEA 

President does serve as a member of the 

President’s Council, a larger group that includes 

Cabinet members and meets monthly with the 

President. Classified staff members hold five 

seats on the College Council, a group that 

recommends policy for the entire campus, and 

are regular members of several standing 

committees that perform important work on 

more specific projects. 

�Analysis.��An analysis of the college-wide 

committees list reveal that classified staff are 

appointed to a number of positions on 

committees, but are absent from several others 

that might benefit from their presence. It may 

be argued that committees with a heavy faculty 

emphasis or high level policy role do not require 

staff presence, but staff question that judgment 

and ask that their ability to contribute on these 

committees be reevaluated. On some 

committees, classified staff are present solely as 

minute takers. On other committees that do 

include classified staff representation, staff are 

occasionally asked to record minutes. While 

this double role might be convenient for the 

committee, staff find that such designation 

confuses their standing within the committee 

and may minimize their ability to be 

appreciated as a fully contributing member. 

The Standard Six committee administered a 

small survey to all College employees in 2008. 

The survey asked six questions concerning 

employee involvement and representation in 

policy and procedure discussions at OC. The 

survey was distributed via SurveyMonkey.com 

and results were limited to the first 100 

employees who responded. Because of the 

limited features available, it was not possible to 

separate staff responses from the responses of 

other employee groups; however, the majority 

of those responding were classified staff (48%); 

other respondents included 29% faculty, 22% 

administrators, and there was one student 

response. Respondents were asked “Do you 

think your values and judgments are considered 

in decisions that directly affect you within the 

institution at large?” Of the 100 total 

responses, twenty-one answered "definitely” or 

“mostly”, twenty-five replied “somewhat”; 

thirty-three replied “not really”, and twenty 

chose “not at all”. 

While the Standard Six survey is limited in 

scope and application, the analysis above is 

supported by classified staff responses to the 

PACE Climate Survey. Those results show that 

in many of the questions about institutional 

structure, classified staff scored the College 

lower than other employee groups. For 

example, on questions such as “the extent to 

which decisions are made at the appropriate 

level” and “the extent to which I am able to 

appropriately influence the direction of this 

institution”, average responses of classified 

staff were lower than that of other employee 

groups on the same questions (see Standard 

One exhibits: PACE Climate Surveys 2004, 2006, 

and 2008). 

Classified staff are often unaware of how to 

participate in decision-making processes that 

may affect their position and/or department. 

Follow-up forums by the President have 

uncovered issues concerning staff who are 

uncomfortable about serving on committees 

when this service is in conflict with their 

primary job responsibilities. The College 

Council, in conjunction with the Faculty Council 

and President’s Council, will continue their work 

to increase classified staff awareness of these 

processes. Better communication concerning 

the availability of positions within committees 

and a request for classified staff representation 

will help with this effort. Other communication 

venues could be exploited to improve staff 

participation, including a web site or orientation 


that would elaborate on the role of staff 

participation. Structurally, the opportunity to 

participate may be there, but the classified staff 

participation rate is low. It is a goal to increase 

that participation rate. 

The results of the last three PACE Climate 

Surveys indicate what appears to be a desire for 

greater transparency when it comes to planning 

and decision-making, particularly at the division 

and work-unit levels of the organization. As 

discussed above, the Institutional Structure 

Category on the PACE Climate Survey includes 

questions about cross-departmental teamwork, 

information sharing, and decision-making. 

Overall, this category has received the lowest 

ratings of any category on the survey each time 

it has been administered, dipping down into 

System 2 in 2006 (see Standard One exhibits, 

PACE Climate Surveys 2004, 2006, and 2008). 

Comments by respondents suggest that a lack 

of clarity exists regarding how decisions are 

made and that some work units within the 

College do not take into account the goals and 

needs of other units in their decision making. 

Distrust of “other” work units was a theme 

AFFIRMATIVE�ACTION�AND�NON�DISCRIMINATION� 

Olympic College has adopted a policy on 

affirmative action that states in part: 

Olympic�College.�.�.�shall�provide�equal� 

educational�and�employment�opportunities� 

without�regard�to�race�or�ethnicity,�creed,� 

color,�sex,�national�origin,�age,�marital� 

status,�religious�preference,�life�threatening� 

illness,�the�presence�of�any�sensory,�mental,� 

or�physical�disability,�reliance�on�public� 

assistance,�sexual�orientation,�status�as�a� 

disabled�or�Vietnam�era�veteran,�or�political� 

opinions�or�affiliations.�� 

heard in several follow-up discussions the 

President had with staff in response to the 

2006 and 2008 PACE Climate Survey Reports 

(Standard One exhibit: March 2009 Employee 

Climate Survey Email 4/13/09). Many 

discussion attendees said that their work team 

worked hard, but that “other areas” of the 

college simply did not understand what they 

did. Several comments also indicated a lack of 

empathy for one another. These attitudes may 

be the result of decision-making that occurs 

without much interdepartmental 

communication concerning the effect of those 

decisions. 

Clearly, not all planning in the work unit can 

be documented, as capturing every activity of 

the College is not possible. In an organization 

the size of Olympic College with people spread 

out in multiple locations and at multiple sites, 

some of this is understandable and even 

normal. However, as communication is a 

Strategic Initiative, the College will continue 

efforts to make planning and decision-making at 

all levels more transparent. 

Further, in 2005 the Trustees passed a 

resolution on diversity (Board�Resolution�05� 

1025�1), which reads: 

The�Olympic�College�District�is�committed�to� 

integrating�respect�for�the�value�of�diversity� 

into�all�components�of�college�life.�This� 

commitment�extends�to�the�College's� 

policies�and�procedures,�its�services�and� 

programs,�its�workforce�and�student� 

population�and�its�curriculum.�We�believe� 

that�valuing�diversity�will�transform�us�into� 

an�inclusive�community�that�embraces�and� 

celebrates�our�many�differences,�e.g.,� 

ethnicity;�culture,�social�class,�gender,� 

sexual�orientation,�age,�abilities,�language,� 

politics,�race,�religion,�education,�and� 

values.�It�will�enable�us�to�recognize�the� 

uniqueness�in�everyone,�appreciate�the� 

contribution�that�each�person�can�make,� 


and�respect�the�identity�and�the�perspective� 

of�those�who�are�indeed�different�from� 

ourselves.��These�changes�will�create�an� 

inclusive�environment�that�enriches�the�life� 

and�learning�of�the�entire�College� 

community�and�reinforces�our�unity�of� 

purpose�Student�Learning.� 

In order to ensure equal opportunities at 

the College, position recruitment qualifications 

are based on measurable qualities, aptitudes or 

talents as they pertain to the requirement of 

positions advertised and selections made. The 

College has guidelines and procedures in both 

Human Resource Services (HRS) and Access 

Services to support employees and students 

with disabilities to perform on the job and in 

the classroom. Further, the College’s 

Multicultural Services Office and Diversity 

Advisory Committee focus on opportunities to 

support a broader representation of cultural 

backgrounds at all levels of the College. 

A copy of the Affirmative Action Policy and 

Plan is available in the Human Resource Office 

and is published on the College’s web site in its 

policy manual as Policy #400-06. www.olympic.edu/ 

StaffFaculty/Policies/affirmative.htm. Students and 

employees who believe they have been 

harassed or discriminated against may contact a 

harassment and discrimination process 

facilitator to discuss a complaint. The names of 

the facilitators are listed on the harassment and 

discrimination posters on bulletin boards 

around campus, in the classrooms, and in the 

Human Resource Services Office (see Standard 

Six exhibits). Persons who have questions or 

complaints regarding affirmative action or equal 

employment and education opportunities at the 

College are invited to contact the President or 

the Director of HRS. Procedures for filing 

complaints can be located on the shared drive. 

Analysis. In accordance with its efforts to 

maintain a climate of nondiscrimination, 

Olympic College follows Washington State’s civil 

rights law (RCW 49.60.030) and its own 

Affirmative Action Policy (available as Standard 

� 

Six exhibits), both of which provide guidelines 

for hiring, promoting, and providing educational 

and other essential services. 

The Director of HRS is responsible for the 

implementation of the Affirmative Action Plan. 

Reports and updates are developed in 

compliance with Washington State guidelines 

and timelines. Cabinet members are expected 

to share the affirmative action goals with 

administrative supervisors who share the 

responsibility for achieving the established 

goals. Specific goals are established when the 

College’s workforce falls below the percentages 

of available employees in the recruiting area. 

These goals, which include employment 

procedures, personnel administration, and 

diversity achievements, are monitored by the 

Director of HRS and inform the hiring decisions 

of the President and Board of Trustees. 

Targeted goals are measured and reevaluated 

annually, and are reported to the Governor’s 

Affirmative Action Plan Committee. 

Olympic College has established an 

educational environment for students, staff, 

and faculty in which the dignity of all individuals 

is respected. In support of the Affirmative 

Action Policy, the College does not tolerate 

harassment or discrimination of any person. 

Such conduct is deemed unacceptable and may 

be grounds for disciplinary action and/or 

separation of the relationship of that person 

with the College. If the College’s work with 

Affirmative Action is successful, then it may be 

instructive to look at student opinion regarding 

respect and dignity for all. Student opinion 

survey results from 2008 show that 77.1% of 

students surveyed agree or strongly agree that 

“Olympic College is a comfortable environment 

for all students; an environment that is free of 

harassment of any kind (racial, sexual, or 

other)” (see Standard One exhibit: 2008 ACT 

Two-Year Student Opinion Survey). 


COLLECTIVE�BARGAINING� 

The Washington Public Employees 

Association (WPEA) is the sole bargaining agent 

for all classified employees of Olympic College. 

Both a supervisors group and non-supervisors 

group exist at Olympic College. These groups 

are included in the chapter and serve as 

officers. The WPEA bargains a statewide 

contract for all WPEA-affiliated community and 

technical colleges. The bargaining agreement 

aims to promote the rights of its members by 

addressing such issues as due process, 

grievance procedures, benefits, and other 

issues of importance to staff members (see 

Standard Six exhibits). 

The WPEA contract serves to define issues 

regarding working conditions for all classified 

staff. Staff serve on committees as volunteers 

or by appointment. WPEA members serve on 

several committees defined in the contract, 

such as Classified Staff Development, Calendar 

Committee, and the Safety Committee. 

In November 2000, the supervisors of 

Olympic College signed a collective bargaining 

agreement under the umbrella of the WPEA. 

This agreement covers the eighteen supervisors 

and was ratified by the Board of Trustees in 

January of 2001. 

The Association of Higher Education (AHE), 

as the formal faculty union, actively participates 

in various governance matters. The President 

of the AHE is provided .33 FTE release time in 

support of this work. Olympic College 

recognizes the AHE as the exclusive negotiating 

representative for all faculty employees. 

Primary activities of the AHE include: 

� 

• Negotiating the Working Agreement, 

including compensation, workload, 

working conditions, grievance procedure, 

sabbaticals and other leaves, job 

description, tenure process, post-tenure 

review, and Reduction in Force (RIF) 

procedures (the working agreement is 

one of the Standard Six exhibits); 

• Participating in an Association/ Employer 

Committee (also known as the “four-onfour” 

committee), that is called as 

needed to address contractual issues 

during the period covered by the working 

agreement. This often results in a letter 

of agreement that clarifies or modifies 

the existing working agreement; 

• Making appointments to specific 

committees: the Sabbatical Leave 

committee, the Calendar committee, the 

Faculty Awards committee, and the 

Professional Credit Evaluation 

committee; and, 

• Handling violations of the working 

agreement in accordance with Article 

VII - Grievance Procedure. 

Analysis. The accreditation self-study 

process included representatives of the entire 

campus community, including students and 

trustees. Administrators, faculty, classified 

staff, exempt staff, and trustees served actively 

on the individual standard committees. 

Collective bargaining processes did not impede 

or prevent any constituent group's participation 

in the self-study process. 


STANDARD�SIX:��STRENGTHS�AND�RECOMMENDATIONS� 

Strengths:� 

• The Board, the President, the Faculty 

Union President, and other College 

personnel are united in their support and 

participation in leadership roles 

advocating for competitive salaries for all 

College personnel. 

• Interest-based bargaining training and 

practice has improved efforts toward 

collegial collective bargaining. 

• The Board of Trustees is a strong and vital 

part of the College. 

• Board policies and coding have improved 

dramatically since the last full-scale 

evaluation and visit. 


• Strive for additional methods to improve 

communication, transparency, and 

participation in governance. 

• Improve the communication of 

opportunities and support for classified 

staff participation on institutional 

committees. 


{Appendix} 


Standard�Six

{Appendix} 

Supporting�Documentation�for�Standard�Six 

BOARD�OF�TRUSTEES�BIOGRAPHICAL�INFORMATION� 

Beverly�Cheney� 

Appointed July 2008. Term expires September 2012. 

Spouse: Don 

704 Tufts Avenue East 

Port Orchard, WA 98366 

Phone: 360-621-7985 

Email: dbcheney74@gmail.com 

BA, MA University of Washington, 

Ed.D. Educational Leadership Seattle University, 

Washington State K-9 Principal’s Credential Central Washington University, 

Washington State K-12 Superintendent’s Credential Seattle University 

Member:� 

• Washington Association of School Administrators 

Formerly:� 

• Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board 

• Leadership Kitsap Board 

• South Kitsap Helpline 

Professional�Information:� 

• District Improvement Facilitator for Bremerton School District 

• Superintendent South Kitsap School District 

• Senior Director for Educational Assessment & Accountability 

• Elementary Principal and District Office Administrator 

• Elementary Principal 

• Elementary Teacher 

� 

{Standard�Six} Governance and Administration A6-1

Board�of�Trustees�Biographical�Information�(Cont.)� 

Pete�Crane� 

Appointed July 2001. Current term ends September 2010. 

Spouse: Paula, two adult daughters 

4620 Chico Way Northwest 

Bremerton, WA 98312 

Phone: 360-692-3080 

Cell: 360-621-3194 

Email: crane_pete@hotmail.com 

MA in Public Administration, George Washington University 

Member:� 

• Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council 

Formerly:� 

• Peace Corp Volunteer in Malaysia 

• Kitsap Regional Library Board 

• Kitsap Cares Partnership 

• The Dispute Resolution Center 

• Kitsap United Way 

• Kitsap Mental Health Services 

• Silverdale Rotary 

• Washington State Democrat Center 


Formerly:� 

• Kitsap County Trident Coordinator 

• Senior Portfolio Manager, Smith Barney 

A6-2 {Standard�Six} Governance and Administration


Darlene�Peters� 

Appointed October 2006. Term expires September 2011. 

Spouse: Richard 

33377 Kloomachin Place NE 

Kingston, WA 98346 

Phone: 360-638-0112 

Email: dpeters@oc.ctc.edu 

AA Lower Columbia College, 

BA Oregon College of Education, 

Masters of Education, Psychology and Counseling, Lewis and Clark 

Member:� 

• American Psychological Association 

• National Counseling Association 

• National Association of School Psychologists 

• Tribal Elders Council, S’Klallam Tribe 

• Washington State Counselors Association, 

• Early Childhood Council 

• Raven Canoe Society 

Formerly:� 

• Council against Child Abuse (appointed by former Governor Gary Locke) 


• Director of Education, S’Klallam Tribe 

Formerly:� 

• School Psychologist 

• School Counselor 

• Special Education Coordinator/Teacher 

� � 



Douglas�Sayan�� 

Appointed October 1998. Current term expired September 2008. 

Spouse: Marilyn, four adult children. 

360 East Libby Road 

Shelton, WA 98584 

Phone: 360-426-7440 

Email: Sayanglenn@aol.com 

BA, MA, University of Washington 

Prior�Appointments:� 

• Federal Department of Defense for Guard and Reserve 

• State Judicial Conduct Commission 

• State Personnel Appeals Board 

• Chair of State Council on Developmental Disabilities 


Formerly:� 

• Private management consultant on personnel, labor relations and organizational development 

• Member, Washington State House of Representatives 

• Director of Higher Education Personnel Board 

• Teacher and administrator 

• Corporate Training Administrator 

� � 

A6-4 {Standard�Six} Governance and Administration


� 

Alice�Tawresey� 

Appointed February 2005. Term expires September 2009. 

Spouse: John, two adult daughters and one adult son 

213 Gowen Place Northwest 

Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 

Phone: 206-842-4127 

FAX : 206-842-9952 

Email: alicetaw@aol.com 

BA in education, University of Washington, MPA, the Evans School at the University of Washington 

Member:� 

• American Marine Bank, Board Chair 

• Marine Transportation Association of Kitsap County 

• Treasurer, Bainbridge Shoreline Homeowners 

• Music Director and Organist Eagle Harbor Congregational Church 

Formerly:� 

• Washington State Transportation Commission (appointed by former Governors Gardiner, Lowry 

and Locke) 


• Mayor, City of Bainbridge Island, Washington 

• Teacher 

• Owner, College Options Consulting 


{Standard�Seven} 

Finance 

Standard�Seven

{Standard�Seven}� 

Financial�Planning� 


Olympic College has a history of financial 

stability. The College has been fiscally 

conservative in terms of staying within budget 

for operating, local and capital funds. Financial 

planning processes are tied to the College’s 

Strategic Planning process with identified 

outcomes. The College manages its budget, 

debt, and investments with careful attention to 

the laws and rules governing the expenditure 

and management of public funds. 

FINANCIAL�PLANNING� 

Financial�Planning�Authority�� 

Description. The Washington State 

Legislature has granted authority for the budget 

and financial affairs of the State’s thirty-four 

community and technical colleges to the State 

Board for Community and Technical Colleges 

(SBCTC) and individually to each community and 

technical college district under state law (RCW 

28B.050.140). The SBCTC, with guidance from 

the Office of Financial Management (OFM), 

establishes standards for financial procedures. 

The SBCTC establishes a single budget for 

submission to the governor and legislature. The 

Legislature’s appropriation is given to the SBCTC 

which in turn allocates funds to individual 

college districts. Individual college districts are 

governed by a five member board of trustees 

appointed by the governor with the consent of 

the Senate. 

Authority for budget and planning has been 

delegated to the College President by the 

Olympic College Board of Trustees; however the 

Board reserves to itself jurisdiction and 

The Olympic College Board of Trustees 

approves and monitors the College’s budgets 

through regular reports provided by the 

administration. They have provided a 

framework for sound fiscal management 

through policies guiding financial reserves and 

debt. 

authority for modifications to the operating 

budget in excess of three percent per the 

Standing Orders of the Board of Trustees Policy 

(see Standard Seven exhibits). 

Operating�Budget� 

The preliminary development of the 

operating budget model includes projected 

state allocations, estimated tuition revenue, 

interest earnings, and Running Start contract 

funds, as well as local revenue from dedicated 

fees. Once revenues have been identified, fixed 

costs such as salaries, benefits, utilities, rents, 

debt service, and legislative mandates as well as 

identified skims are added to the model. When 

the budget cycle begins in January, the 

established procedure is to take the prior year’s 

budget and make adjustments. This would 

include, but not be limited to, adjustments to 

salaries and benefits through bargaining 

agreements and projected long-range 

expenditure plans. Budget administrators are 

given considerable flexibility to budget 

{Standard�Seven} Finance 7-1

emaining funds for variable costs within their 

individual programs. 

Long range planning for major expenditures 

is a priority due to their impact on the budget. 

Specific cost categories are identified such as 

the College’s computer refresh program for 

systematic replacement of desktop units. Costs 

are projected for long range replacement and 

factored into the budgeting process. Reserves 

for replacing other equipment are also 

recognized and budgeted. These reserves 

benefit a variety of College programs such as 

the Readiness Response Institute, Printing, 

Duplicating and the Bookstore. 

In June 2009, the Board adopted the budget 

for the upcoming 2009-10 fiscal year. In prior 

years, the Board approved the annual budget at 

its September board meeting. 

Capital�Planning� 

Multi-year capital budgets and planning 

have been in place for almost six decades, 

resulting in the funding of numerous additions 

and repairs to campus facilities. Olympic 

College competes for capital funding with the 

State’s other community and technical colleges 

based on criteria adopted by the SBCTC; one 

request is submitted to the legislature on behalf 

of the entire system. A current ten year facility 

master plan is required in order to submit 

capital budget requests to the SBCTC. Standard 

Eight addresses the specific planning required 

to meet funding application requirements. 

One of the benefits of capital funding is the 

inclusion of funding for classroom equipment 

and furnishings. The College has been the 

beneficiary of several building replacement 

projects that have allowed acquisition of these 

necessary items from capital funding instead of 

operating funds. Maintenance and operation 

funds are also in capital budgets. 

Budget�Development� 

Description.��Five years ago the College 

undertook a deliberate process of linking the 

budget to its Strategic Initiatives. An 

institutional approach was taken in the 

formation of a budget planning committee that 

would develop an inclusive process whereby 

the campus would be invited to submit 

proposals for funding based on well-defined 

strategic objectives. The goal was to solidify the 

link between strategic initiatives through this 

process and prioritize institutional resources. 

The Budget Planning Committee consists of 

six members of the College Council, six 

members from the Strategic Planning 

Committee and three non-voting members: the 

Budget Committee Chair, Budget Analyst, and 

Vice President for Administrative Services. The 

six College Council members represent the 

various employee groups on campus: faculty, 

administrative/exempt, and classified as well as 

a member from the student body. The Strategic 

Planning Committee members represent the 

interests of the College’s Strategic Initiatives. 

A flowchart of the budget development 

process provides a macro perspective of the 

process from start to finish. The campus is 

invited to submit proposals using the Initial 

Budget Request Form, requesting an increase or 

a new expenditure in the coming fiscal year. 

The intent of the initial form is to focus on 

statement of need, relation of a request to a 

particular Strategic Initiative, and development 

of comprehensive outcomes and assessment 

measurements. If the initial request is 

approved, a Mid-Year Progress Report is 

required to provide the budget committee with 

a status report. At the end of the year, a Final 

Budget Report is required, which completes the 

budget cycle process. The flowchart and 

accompanying forms are available as Standard 

Seven exhibits. 

7-2 {Standard�Seven} Finance�

At the end of each budget cycle, the 

committee prepares a list of recommendations 

which is presented to the President and his 

Cabinet. This committee has an advisory role to 

the President and Cabinet on funding priorities 

for available funds to be used in an on-going or 

one-time funding capacity. Upon approval by 

the Cabinet, the budget is presented at an all 

College budget hearing by the President and the 

chair of the College Council. The budget 

committee recommendations are also posted 

on a SharePoint site so the entire campus has 

access to this information. The final budget 

proposal is presented to the Board of Trustees 

for adoption. 

In August 2008, due to an unprecedented 

statewide revenue shortfall, the President 

asked the Strategic Budget Committee to work 

with Cabinet to develop guidelines for dealing 

with projected deficits in the 2008-09 and 2009- 

11 biennial budgets. Budget Reduction Process 

Guidelines were developed as a result of this 

effort (see Appendix 7.1). Historically, budget 

reductions were identified at the Cabinet level 

and the results were shared with the campus. 

The President has stressed the importance of 

remaining strategic and guided by the College 

vision and Strategic Initiatives during this time 

of budget reductions. In keeping with this view, 

the College was able to fund Strategic Initiatives 

during a time of significant budget reductions. 

The budget process was transparent, 

informative, and guided by budget principles 

that had been endorsed by the Budget 

Committee, Cabinet, and Board of Trustees. 

Some budgets at OC are supported by user 

fees or dedicated revenues. The Associated 

Students of Olympic College (ASOC) budget is 

comprised of a percentage of tuition collections 

as well as fees for services. Distribution of 

these funds is conducted through an 

established process that allows for budget 

requests not only from student clubs and 

sponsored programs, but from other sectors of 

the campus community. Each year ASOC 

budget recommendations are formally 

approved by the Board of Trustees. 

Proprietary accounts are budgeted with 

various user fees and sales revenue. Careful 

budgeting is required for these funds as they 

are considered self-supporting and must 

generate sufficient revenues to cover their 

expenditures. Prior to 2008, the budget was 

rolled over from one fiscal year to the next; 

however, the business office has implemented a 

more proactive budgeting approach to these 

accounts by soliciting the input of the budget 

administrator not only in the early stages of 

budget development but throughout the year 

as well. 

Analysis. The College continues to promote 

transparency in the operating budget process 

by working with the Budget Committee, Board 

of Trustees and campus community to identify 

and align Strategic Initiatives with budget 

priorities. In April 2008 the Budget Committee 

surveyed past committee members to solicit 

feedback on the overall process. The survey’s 

focus was on perception of the budget 

committee process as it related to influence on 

the College budget, sufficient information in the 

budget presentations and feedback on 

committee leadership. The Budget Committee 

Questionnaire Results and Responses are in the 

Standard Seven exhibits for review. While a 

perspective from the actual committee 

members is helpful, a survey of the entire 

College community’s perspective of this process 

would give a more complete picture and help to 

assess outcomes and possible improvements. 

An intranet site was launched in January 

2009 that contains current information about 

the budget, developments at the State level, 

position status reports and links to state budget 

sites. Brown Bag lunch presentations have been 

held to provide up-to-date information and 

answer questions and concerns. As new 

forecast projections become known, the College 

continues to proactively keep the institution 


informed, solicit input for potential budget 

reductions and share final budget savings. 

Institutional�Debt� 

Description.��Olympic College has a debt 

policy which states the institution’s 

commitment to maintaining a sound fiscal 

position and specific objectives that seek to 

balance the debt service needs of the College. 

The policy also states that total revenues 

generated to support debt service must be 

equal to or greater than 125 percent of the 

annual debt service costs over the life of the 

debt schedule. The College’s debt service 

schedule for the next five years along with 

revenue streams identified for repayment are 

available as Standard Seven exhibits. 

ADEQUACY�OF�FINANCIAL�RESOURCES� 

Diverse�Funding�Sources� 

Description. Olympic College uses a variety 

of funding sources to support its programs and 

services. The State allocation, appropriated by 

the legislature, is the largest source of funding 

for operations. This is followed by tuition and 

interest earnings, grants and contracts, which 

include Running Start and local dedicated 

revenues. In recent years, the College has 

narrowly missed meeting enrollment targets 

established by the State, resulting in no new 

general enrollment revenues for the past three 

years. It is important to note that falling just 

one FTE short of the target has the same result 

as missing it by one hundred—i.e., no growth 

funding for the institution. The College has 

been successful, however, in competing for 

funding to start new programs and providing 

funding for new FTE’s in high demand and 

specialized programs. Examples include the 

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Physical 

Therapist Assistant, expanding the Welding 

Debt for capital-related expenditures 

requires approvals from the College's Board of 

Trustees, the State Board, the legislature and 

the Governor prior to the issuance of capital 

debt. The College has utilized lease/purchase 

agreements with the State Treasurer’s Office for 

financing information technology equipment 

and updating the phone system. In November 

2008, the Board approved an energy 

conservation project with financing through 

utility incentives, capital repair funding, and a 

certificate of participation (COP). 

Analysis.��The College uses debt judiciously 

for local needs and capital projects. Creative 

sources of funding for capital and institutional 

projects are identified such as student 

sponsored support, interfund loans and local 

capital fund balance. 

program to Shelton, and others. The College’s 

Running Start program is strong and generates 

approximately 1.9 million dollars annually. The 

College has had success in seeking outside grant 

funds. 

The College is the sole beneficiary of the 

William and Sophia Bremer Trust. Since 1989 

the trust has distributed over 6.5 million dollars, 

cumulatively, in the form of cash and real estate 

to the College. The trust agreement requires 

periodic financial reporting on how the College 

utilizes the funds to memorialize William and 

Sophia Bremer. The College and Trust are 

currently partners in funding the new Sophia 

Bremer Child Development Center with 

distributions from the Trust, which are matched 

by a state capital grant. 

The College operates a contract training 

and continuing education program. Neither of 

these programs is large and do not constitute a 

significant financial benefit to the institution. 


They strive to be self supporting, and the 

College is promoting growth in both areas. 

Debt�Service� 

Description.��Revenue streams are identified 

prior to the issuance of debt and a repayment 

schedule is prepared for the term of the loan. 

Since the last self-study, the College redeemed 

a 1968 Housing and Dining Revenue bond in 

2003, six years before the due date. In addition, 

the College has used debt to fund three capital 

projects: the Warren/Broadway Avenue 

parking lot; remodeling the Student Programs 

Office area; and the bookstore renovation. For 

the Warren Avenue parking lot, a studentapproved 

increase in the security enhancement 

fee provided the majority of revenue to retire 

this debt. For the Bremer Student Center 

remodel, the Associated Students of Olympic 

College (ASOC) pledged Services and Activities 

(S&A) fee revenue to repay this loan. The 

bookstore renovation debt service is funded 

entirely from the profits generated from the 

bookstore, a proprietary fund. The renovation 

increased the square footage of sales space. 

Additional sales, along with the creation of a 

convenience store located within the bookstore 

are expected to help support the repayment. 

� 

Short- and long-term debt liabilities are 

recorded in the financial records according to 

generally accepted accounting principles. 

Analysis.��The College takes a conservative 

approach to encumbering debt and in the case 

of the Housing and Dining Revenue bond, will 

retire debt early if it is fiscally responsible to 

do so. 

Financial�Stability� 

Figure�7.1.��Main�Funding�Sources� 

Description.��The main sources of funding 

for college operations include state 

appropriations, local tuition collections, 

Running Start contract revenue, dedicated user 

fees, and interest income (Figure 7.1). 

The Business Office budgets current 

dedicated local revenue, which is comprised of 

user fees for technology, some student services, 

and lab supplies. These accounts have become 

a greater portion of the College’s budget as 

specific fees are utilized to fund specific 

program needs. Budget administrators are 

responsible for keeping these accounts solvent, 

therefore, they may expend more than 

budgeted if there is revenue to support the 

expenditures or if there is a balance carried 

forward from the prior year. Board policy 

requires the College to maintain a fund balance 

of six to ten percent. 

June�2004� June�2005 June�2006 June�2007� June�2008 

State�Appropriations� 59.5% 58.4% 59.4% 60.8% 63.0% 

Tuition�Revenue� 28.5% 29.5% 28.7% 27.0% 25.4% 

Running�Start� 5.8% 6.2% 5.9% 5.9% 5.7% 

Fees� 6.1% 5.7% 5.6% 5.6% 5.3% 

Interest�Income� 0.1% 0.2% 0.4% 0.8% 0.5% 

Source�of�Data:��Actual�Revenues,�Expenditures�and�Changes�in�Resources,�Year�End�Board�Reports� 

� 


Running Start contract funds are directly 

budgeted in support of the operating budget; 

however, federal and state grants and contracts 

allow the College to support targeted efforts 

(Figure 7.2 ). For the past several years, the 

College has not been proactive in pursuing 

federal grants and contracts. In the 2008-09 

budget, a grant writer position was approved. 

With the impending budget cuts expected in 

the 2009-11 biennium, this position has been 

put on hold. 

Fund�Transfers� 

Description.��Operating transfers are legally 

authorized routine transfers between funds. 

The Board of Trustees or authorized designee 

must approve operating transfers. The process 

for authorizing can include adopted budgets, 

specific action authorizing a transfer or Board 

adoption of a resolution. 

The College has successfully utilized nonoperating 

transfers, called interfund loans, in 

which one fund lends excess resources to 

another fund. The most common use for nonoperating 

interfund loans is to support local 

capital projects. The remodel of the Bremer 

Student Center/Student Programs office area 

was supported by an interfund loan between 

the Associated Students of Olympic College 

(Fund 522) and the Local Capital Account (Fund 

147). Advantages of interfund loans include the 

ease of obtaining funding and lower loan 

expenses. 

Figure�7.2.��Grants�and�Contracts� 

Prior to 2002, State allocation funding 

formulas used by the State Board proved to be 

disadvantageous to several of the system’s 

colleges. This inequity grew over time until 

underfunded colleges pressed for relief. Over 

the last several years the State Board has 

worked to rectify the inequity in funding by 

utilizing an analysis that plots the allocations of 

each college and compares funding levels with 

budgeted FTEs. The term, “regression line 

funding” was coined to describe the efforts of 

the State Board to bring parity to state funding 

per FTE for each college. Since 2002, Olympic 

College has received over one million dollars in 

regression line funding dollars in the form of 

increased dollars per FTE. These additional 

funds are added to the base allocation to close 

the funding disparity gap between colleges (see 

Standard Seven exhibits). This has helped to 

address some of the resource concerns 

expressed in the 2001 full-scale evaluation. 

For the past eight years (2000-08), the 

College maintained enrollments within the state 

band for FTEs and, therefore, did not receive a 

reduction in state funding. By not exceeding 

the state target, however, the College was not 

eligible for available growth funding during 

those years—the impact being the loss of 

permanent funds to the operating budget. 

With the economic downturn came record level 

enrollments for the College in 2008-09. This 

enrollment growth positions the College to 

benefit from increases in future state 

allocations and will help the College weather 

some of the impending budget cuts for 2009-11 

(if growth FTEs are allocated—regardless, 

increased tuition collections will help). 

June�2004� June�2005� June�2006� June�2007� June�2008� 

Federal�Grants/Contracts� $ 161,070 $ 231,537 $ 231,936 $ 145,841 $ 146,204 

State�Grants/Contracts� $3,058,569 $3,446,076 $3,331,898 $3,269,343 $3,518,740 

Source�of�Data:��Actual�Revenues,�Expenditures�and�Changes�in�Resources,�Year�End�Board�Reports� 

7-6 {Standard�Seven} Finance� 

�

The institution has sufficient financial 

resources to support its instructional programs. 

In addition to general operating funds, Olympic 

College receives state allocations for specialized 

and professional-technical programs. An annual 

Workforce Development Base allocation of 

$40,000 assists the institution to support the 

development and expansion of high demand 

professional-technical programs. Olympic 

College also receives funding through the statesponsored 

Worker Retraining program. This 

program is intended to provide education and 

training in high demand programs to 

unemployed and dislocated workers. The 2008- 

09 and 2009-11 allocations for Worker 

Retraining were both 1.1 million dollars. Over 

300,000 dollars of these funds support 

instruction in high demand professionaltechnical 

programs. 

The institution receives additional state 

allocations and awards specifically aimed at 

supporting the more costly specialized 

professional-technical programs in areas of 

legislative emphasis. These are high-funded 

and/or enhanced FTEs. Figure 7.3 depicts the 

programs, number of FTEs, high-funded FTE 

value, and total institutional support from these 

funds. It is important to note that program 

specific FTEs, like those for the BSN, are 

permanently funded. 

Figure�7.3.��Specialized�and�Prof�Tech�Program�Funding� 

Program� #�of�FTEs� Funding�per�FTE� 

Adult�Basic�Education� 

Applied�Baccalaureate� 

Apprenticeship�High� 

Demand*� 

Early�Childhood� 

Education,�Math�&� 

Science�Enrollments*� 

Transfer�High�Demand� 

(STEM)� 

Workforce�High� 

Demand*� 

I�BEST*� 

2007-08 13 

2008-09 12 

Total�Amount�for� 

Institution� 

$6,050 $151,250 

2007-08 15 $6,300/FTE plus $4,000 allowed 

tuition collection; $226,000 

2008-09 20 

start-up funds 

2007-08 30 

2008-09 0 

2007-08 0 

2008-09 10 

2007-08 6 

2008-09 10 

2007-08 22 

2008-09 0 

2007-08 7 9,750 

2008-09 7 9,750 

$586,500 

$5,950 $178,500 

$5,550 $55,500 

$8,750 $140,000 

$8,750 $192,500 

$136,500 

*�Award,�not�allocation.�Application�required.� 

**The�BSN�program�was�started�through�a�competitive�process.��The�budget�is�comprised�of�the�state�funding�per� 

FTE�listed�above�plus�the�tuition�collected�at�the�baccalaureate�level�of�approximately�$4,100�per�FTE�for�a�total� 

$10,400�per�FTE.� 

� 


In addition to state general and 

performance-based allocations, the College 

actively pursues competitive local, state, and 

some federal grants to support instructional 

efforts and programs. For example, the College 

received a $100,000 rural grant in 2006 - 2007 

to expand the Electronics program. The College 

applied for Workforce High Demand funds and 

was awarded $192,500 (including permanent 

FTE funding) to expand the Welding program. 

Most recently, the College was awarded 

$425,000 as part of a joint Department of Labor 

grant focused on developing Career Pipelines in 

Advanced Manufacturing. 

Going forward, given the current economic 

situation in Washington State, it is likely that 

the amount of general and performance-based 

allocations available will be decreased. There is 

also a possibility of blending the target program 

areas in order to give the College maximum 

flexibility to respond to fiscal demands. 

Analysis.��College operating resources are 

improving as shown in prior sections. New 

programs have been offered with funding 

sources identified. A culture of fiscal 

conservation provides the College with options 

during challenging financial times as well as 

flexibility to take advantage of growth 

opportunities. Program reviews provide 

information for critical needs and the budget 

committee process provides an avenue for 

funding those needs. Capital funding has 

brought not only new structures to each of the 

campuses but resources to add new equipment 

and furniture. 


Description.��All financial aid funds, 

regardless of source, are coordinated through 

the Financial Aid Office, which is overseen by 

the Associate Dean for Student Financial 

Services. Sources of financial aid that are 

coordinated through this office include federal, 

state, institutional, and private. Students at 

Olympic College are eligible for four types of 

financial aid: (1) need-based grants; (2) 

scholarships; (3) loans; and (4) work-study. 

Over 8 million dollars in financial aid has been 

distributed each year for the past five years. 

Disbursement of aid is done with support from 

the business office as governmental regulations 

require the separation of duties between 

awarding and disbursement. 

The Financial Aid Office works in tandem 

with the Olympic College Foundation (OCF) to 

process scholarships to students. Each year 

over $300,000 in scholarships are awarded to 

Olympic College students. Additional funding 

sources include the 3.5 percent grant account in 

which 3.5 percent of every tuition dollar 

collected is deposited to this fund to award to 

students in the form of grants and/or loans. In 

2007, this fund was used to establish a pool of 

resources for textbook loans. Applicants are 

required to file the Financial Aid Federal 

Student Aid Application (FAFSA) in addition to 

the loan application. Future financial aid 

funding is the collateral for these loans. 

Analysis.��Federal stimulus funding will 

provide an increase in Pell Grant awards 

starting in 2009-10 but overall state program 

funds are lower due to the budget reductions. 

Endowment returns may not allow for 

distribution [to prevent erosion of principal] 

thereby further reducing funding opportunities 

for students in 2009-10.� 

Adequacy�of�Financial�Reserves� 

Description.��At the end of June 2008, the 

College had a reserve of 8.2 percent (or 2.8 

million dollars). Reserves have been dedicated 

for specific program needs and on a larger 

scale, to satisfy two Board-approved fiscal 

policies that continue the pattern of fiscal 

responsibility; the financial reserve policy which 

directs retention of six to ten percent of the 

annual operating budget as a college reserve 

and the debt policy which requires adequate 

revenue to support debt. 


At the March 2009 Board of Trustees 

meeting it was agreed that using a portion of 

the fund balance for one-time funding 

initiatives would be an appropriate action. 

However, the Trustees reiterated their support 

to remain in accordance with Board policy, and 

to keep the fund balance above six percent. 

Analysis.��A conservative fiscal policy, 

inclusive of reserves and identified resources 

for debt allows the College to support specific 

program initiatives even during severe budget 

reductions. 

Auxiliary�Enterprises�and�Self�Support� 

Programs� 

Description.��By State law, auxiliary 

enterprises are self-supporting entities. Five 

auxiliary enterprises exist at the College: 

Parking, Printing, Readiness Response Institute, 

Bookstore and Food Services. Food Services is 

considered a hybrid program because it has two 

components (instructional and self-supporting). 

Funding for Food Services is provided through a 

combination of operating funds and revenues 

from food sales. 

The Parking and Food Services accounts 

have consistently struggled to post revenues in 

excess of expenditures. Thorough reviews of 

the parking fund led to a realignment of 

resources against expenditures in order to 

balance this fund. Food Services has a 

consistent history of operating at a loss. A 

concerted effort has been made to remove 

prior year deficits and allow for planned 

objectives to make the program profitable or at 

least operate at breakeven. In prior years the 

cost of the instructional program side of Food 

Services was not fully supported by the College. 

Beginning in 2007, the College added additional 

operating dollars to support this program. 

Analysis.��In the 2002 Focused Interim 

Report, the College enjoyed profits generated 

by the Emergency Readiness Response 

Institute; since that report, the Navy has cut 

back their training funds and alternative 

contracts were needed to sustain this program. 

The College began developing a plan in 2008 to 

develop this program in order to generate 

revenue to support institutional goals. 

In 2008, the College began to budget all 

non-operating funds, inclusive of auxiliary 

enterprise accounts. The business office takes a 

proactive approach to working with units to 

develop corrective action plans if needed. 

Monthly budget status summary reports are 

produced and available online to budget 

managers. In addition, the College utilizes FMS 

Query, a tool that provides up-to-date financial 

information in an online format. The budget is 

reviewed quarterly against actual expenditures 

and revenues for all funds. Any budgeted 

drawdown of fund balances is also reflected. 

These reviews indicate that both Parking and 

Food Services are moving towards profitability. 

Vigilant oversight on the part of the respective 

budget administrators has been a key factor in 

this success. 

The College is not dependent on auxiliary 

enterprise income to balance general operating 

funds. A conservative fiscal policy has allowed 

the College to build financial reserves. State 

funding for new programs such as Physical 

Therapist Assistant, BSN, and Welding, as well 

as regression-line funding have allowed the 

College to support and build programs. In the 

fall of 2008 the College received approval from 

the State Board to add three new professional 

and technical programs and expand five existing 

programs. 

Financial support has been consistent from 

the Bremer Trust with an increased focus on 

funding for capital projects. 

{Standard�Seven} Finance 7-9 

�

FINANCIAL�MANAGEMENT 

Financial�Reporting� 

Description. The President reports regularly 

to the Board on the financial position of the 

College. Board members receive quarterly 

reports at regularly scheduled meetings. The 

College changed the quarterly board report 

format to better communicate financial 

information to the Board (see Standard Seven 

exhibits). The new format reflects initial 

budgets, budget revisions to date, and 

comparative revenue and expenditures to date. 

In 2008 the College began requiring all 

funds to be budgeted, inclusive of scholarships, 

proprietary accounts and capital projects. 

Quarterly financial statements of proprietary 

funds are provided to management. Requests 

from the SBCTC and Office of Financial 

Management (OFM) for financial information 

provide for additional review of funds. 

Financial�Officer� 

College finances are centralized under the 

Vice President for Administrative Services who 

reports directly to the President. The Director 

of Business Services, under the direction of the 

Vice President for Administrative Services is 

charged with administering accounting controls 

which relate to the integrity of financial records 

and the safeguarding of cash and cash 

equivalents. Control systems include the 

automation of many recording activities, the 

separation of duties, systems of approval, and 

authorizations for expenditures and bank 

reconciliation. An organizational chart of 

Administrative Services is provided as a 

Standard Seven exhibit. 

Management�of�Expenditures�and�Income� 

As required by Washington State law, all 

expenditures and income, as well as the 

administration of scholarships, grants, loans 

and student employment are fully controlled by 

the institution and included in its regular 

planning, budgeting, accounting and auditing 

procedures. Control of all college funds is 

monitored and reviewed by state auditors who 

check for any unauthorized bank accounts 

operating in the College’s name. 

Cash�Management�and�Investments� 

Under delegation of authority by the 

President, the Vice President of Administrative 

Services has authority for cash management 

and investment of funds; both of which are 

managed in compliance with regulations and 

policies established by the OFM and SBCTC. 

The College takes a conservative approach to 

investments utilizing the Local Government 

Investment Pool (LGIP) managed by the State 

Treasurer’s Office and municipal investment 

accounts offered through US Bank. 

Management of the College’s investments is 

within the limits imposed by the State Public 

Deposit Protection Act, which delineates the 

types of investments appropriate for public 

agencies. 

Accounting�System�� 

The Budget and Accounting Act contained 

in RCW 43.88 requires that the Governor, 

through the Director of OFM, devise and 

maintain a comprehensive accounting system in 

conformance with generally accepted 

accounting principles (GAAP) for use by all state 

agencies. The purpose of this system is to 

provide accountability for all revenues, 

expenditures/expenses, receipts and 

disbursements of the state. As a state agency, 

the College is mandated to utilize the financial 

management software of the community and 

technical college system. 

7-10 {Standard�Seven} Finance� 

�

In addition to the formal policies and 

procedures of OFM, the community and 

technical college system has developed an 

internal policies and common practices 

handbook entitled Financial�Accounting� 

Management�(FAM) that is utilized by the staff. 

Internal�Audits,�Management�Letters,�Audit� 

Reports� 

The College is audited on a biennial 

schedule by the Washington State Auditor’s 

Office (SAO) for compliance with federal and 

state regulations. All funds are included in this 

audit. The past ten audits have reported only 

one area of concern- controls over cash receipts 

needed to be improved in Food Services, the 

bookstore and Athletic Fundraising. In 2008 

procedures were updated to incorporate SAO’s 

recommended internal controls. A formal 

response by the College to the SAO was 

FUNDRAISING�AND�DEVELOPMENT 

Fundraising�Activities� 

Description.��Olympic College and the 

Olympic College Foundation entered into an 

Operating Agreement in 1993, wherein the 

College and Foundation agreed that the 

Foundation would operate as the fundraising 

arm for the College (for a copy of the Operating 

Agreement, see Standard Seven exhibits). The 

Olympic College Foundation operates 

exclusively for the purposes of promoting, 

supporting, maintaining, developing, increasing, 

and extending the educational programs and 

offerings of Olympic College. It conducts 

activities as permitted by its exempt status 

under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue 

Code, or acts amendatory thereof or 

supplementary thereto, and Chapter 24.03 

RCW, as now or hereafter amended. The 

Foundation accepts gifts in accordance with its 

written Gift�Acceptance�Policies�and�Guidelines. 

The Foundation is audited annually by an 

provided in the form of a corrective action plan 

which was sent to OFM and published in the 

annual state audit report (see Standard Seven 

exhibits). 

In addition to the statewide audit, each 

year the SBCTC sends an internal auditor to 

each campus to review processes and state 

sponsored programs such as Worker Retraining 

and Work First programs. These internal 

operations audits have contained minor 

recommendations to improve college financial 

reporting. 

Analysis.��The College’s financial practices 

are excellent, as illustrated by positive state and 

internal audits. The College continues to 

receive recognition from SBCTC staff for 

outstanding financial reporting and minimal 

errors during month and year end closings. For 

copies of the audit reports by SAO and the State 

Board, see Standard Seven exhibits. 

independent CPA firm and has no negative 

audit findings on record. The Foundation 

subscribes to the Donor�Bill�of�Rights, and 

reports routinely to its donors and the Olympic 

College Board of Trustees on its finances and 

activities. The Gift�Acceptance�Policies�and� 

Guidelines�and Donor�Bill�of�Rights are available 

as Standard Seven exhibits. 

The Olympic College Foundation’s 

Permanent Endowment exists to hold funds in 

perpetuity for the benefit of the students and 

programs of Olympic College. Management of 

these funds is in accordance with the 

Foundation’s written Statement�of�Investment� 

Policy,�Objectives�and�Guidelines�for�the� 

Endowment�Fund and is available as a Standard 

Seven exhibit. The primary objectives in the 

investment management for fund assets are 

preservation of purchasing power, and income 

and growth. The general principles of the 

investment management are that (1) 


investments shall be made solely in the interest 

of the beneficiaries of the fund; (2) the fund 

shall be invested with the care, skill, prudence, 

and diligence of a prudent person; (3) 

Investment of the funds shall be so diversified 

as to manage risk; and (4) the Foundation 

Finance Committee may employ a professional 

Investment Manager to attain the fund’s 

objectives. 

The College and The Foundation have a 

formal written agreement that details (1) 

responsibilities of the College, (2) 

responsibilities of the Foundation, (3) 

relationship between the College and the 

Foundation, (4) terms of the agreement, (5) 

governing law, and (6) miscellaneous 

provisions. The agreement, available as a 

Standard Seven exhibit, has been reviewed and 

approved by the Olympic College Board of 

Trustees, the President of Olympic College, the 

Assistant Attorney General of the State of 

Washington assigned to Olympic College, the 

Foundation Board President, and the 

Foundation Executive Director. 

STANDARD�SEVEN:��STRENGTHS�AND�RECOMMENDATIONS 

Strengths:� 

• The College continues to promote 

transparency in the operating budget 

process by working collaboratively with 

the Budget Committee, Board of 

Trustees, and campus community to 

identify and align Strategic Initiatives 

with budget priorities. 

• A culture of fiscal conservatism provides 

the College with options during 

challenging financial times as well as 

flexibility to take advantage of growth 

opportunities. Program reviews provide 

information for critical needs and the 

budget planning committee process 

provides an avenue to apply for funding 

emergent, on-going, and one-time needs. 

Analysis.��The College is experiencing 

significant returns from its investment in the 

Foundation. During the period July 2002 to 

June 2008, the Foundation provided 1,734,327 

dollars in direct support to the institution, 

including program and campus support, 

scholarships awards and grants, and capital 

projects. In addition, the Foundation’s Legacy 

Partners�Endowment Campaign has attracted 

3,940,637 dollars in new and additional current 

gifts to the Permanent Endowment, and has 

recorded approximately two million dollars in 

future planned gifts. These endowments will 

provide support for the College in perpetuity. 

As the negative economic environment 

continues to impact the College, the Foundation 

is well positioned to meaningfully support 

College needs during the next biennium. This 

includes increasing its capacity to pass 

unrestricted dollars to the College, as well as to 

continue to support student scholarship, faculty 

development, and specific program needs. The 

Foundation has committed $500,000 over the 

next two years in support of the College and its 

students. 

• Support from the Olympic College 

Foundation and the William and Sophia 

Bremer Trust provide the College with 

funds to support faculty development 

and targeted capital projects. Capital 

funding has brought not only new 

structures to each of the campuses but 

resources to add new equipment, 

furniture, and maintenance and 

operating dollars for the buildings. 

• The College continues to experience 

significant returns from its investment in 

the Foundation. At the March 2009 

Board of Trustees meeting, Board 

Resolution 09-01 (Financial Support to 

Olympic College for 2009-11) was passed 

in which the Foundation resolved to 

provide 500,000 dollars in private 

support to Olympic College. This funding 


will help mitigate some of the impact of 

the 2009-11 budget cuts. 


• Implement a policy and process relative 

to self-support programs to regularly 

validate the fiscal stability and viability of 

these programs. 

• Periodically solicit feedback from the 

campus community on the budget 

committee process and utilize the 

findings to make improvements. 


{Appendix} 


Standard�Seven

{Appendix}� 

Supporting�Documentation�for�Standard�Seven� 

Appendix�7.1.��Guiding�Principles� 


Budget Process Beginning March 2009 

Budget Year 2009-2010 

� 

Goals:� 

1. Student centered – current & future 

o Access, retention and persistence 

o Quality and efficiency of services delivered 

2. Strategic Initiatives 

3. Maintain the function of the College 

� 

Criteria:� 

1. Sustainability 

a. Human 

b. Environmental 

c. Financial 

2. Measurable and realistic outcomes 

3. Potential to save money and staff time 

Implementation�of�Guiding�Principles�� 


Budget Process Beginning March 2009 

Budget Year 2009-2010 

The purpose of this document is to recommend a guide to the Budget Committee and other decision 

makers to make more informed and thoughtful decisions. Decision recommenders and decision makers 

are mindful that additional spending must be balanced by cuts elsewhere or new funding sources. 

Committee�Expectations�� 

The committee expects presentations will include evidence of consultation and collaboration with all of 

the stakeholders. Stakeholders include those affected by the decisions (e.g. staff, faculty, students and 

community members.) The committee will review outcomes and assessment methods critically. 

Presenters must be prepared to address College- and community-wide benefits gained and/or harm 

caused by this proposed action. 

� � 

{Standard�Seven} Finance A7-1�

Guidelines�(Cont.)� 

� 

Goals:� 

1.�Student�Centered� 

We need to ensure that students have equitable access to Olympic College. Of particular importance 

are retention, persistence and quality. Students should have the opportunity to reach their educational 

goals. 

The Budget Committee will consider the following questions, as appropriate. 

• How many students will be affected? 

• Which students will be affected? 

• Does this marginalize or benefit underrepresented/underserved populations? 

• For those who are affected, 

o to what degree? 

o do other options exist and are they feasible? 

• Does this create or eliminate barriers for any students? 

• Is this program or service unique? 

o Where can students feasibly receive like programs/services? 

• What are the consequences of not offering the program/service? 

o Other classes lost? 

o Other services impacted? 

• Does this directly affect a students’ ability to come to school? 

• How does this affect student persistence? 

• What other consequences might result both within and outside of the institution? 

• If it is an existing program, is it a growing program or shrinking program? 

• Is the program linked with community services/partnerships that provide specialized services, 

certifications, etc.? 

• Are there alternative funding sources? 

• What innovative redesign has been considered? 

• How will quality be affected? 

• Other? 

2.�Strategic�Initiatives� 

Strategic Initiatives are critical to the long-term planning of Olympic College. However, the Strategic 

Initiatives will not be the only consideration.� 

• Is the proposal endorsed by a Strategic Planning Group Leadership Team? 

• How does the proposed action align with the long range vision of the College? 


• How would the proposed action impact OC’s long range vision? 

• How would not funding the proposed action compromise OC’s long range vision? 

� � 

A7-2 {Standard�Seven} Finance�


� 

3.�Maintain�the�Function�of�the�College� 

This criterion refers to keeping facilities functioning as well as maintaining programs and services. 

• Can any of the functions be effectively supplied in other ways? 

• What brings higher efficiency? 

o Outsourced? 

o In-house? 

• What is the exact impact of the function on the College? 

• Can the program or service be maintained without the proposed action? 


• What innovative redesigns have been considered? 

• Does this eliminate duplication of services? 

• How does this change existing organizational structure or previously planned changes? 

• Are there safety or accessibility issues to be considered?� 

� 

Criteria:� 

1.�Sustainability� 

Healthy sustainability is the cornerstone of these criteria and consistent with Olympic College values. 

Human 

• How will this affect morale? 

o How many people will be affected? 

o Who will be affected? 

• Does this retain current employees? 

• Where and when will the remaining/additional workload be reassigned? 

• Does this overload the existing employee(s) and for how long? 

• How are employees compensated for the change? 

• How does this affect underrepresented/underserved populations? 

• How will the affected employees be supported through retraining, updating skills, etc.? 

Environmental 

• How will the proposed action impact the environment and Olympic College’s carbon footprint? 

• How will the proposed action reuse existing resources? 

• How does the proposed action reduce current consumption or waste? 

• How does the proposed action affect the aesthetics of the College? 

o Does the resulting change create an environment that represents the student population? 

o Does the resulting change represent underrepresented and/or underserved populations? 


� � 



� 

Financial 


• What are the short- and long-term effects of the proposal? 

• Is there a financial plan? 

o Is the plan economically viable? 

o Does it fall within SBCTC financial guidelines? 

• How might the proposed action affect the local economy and vice versa? 

• What are the true costs or savings of the proposal (including utilities, salary & benefits, office 

space, supplies, security needs, etc.)? 

2.�Measurable�and�realistic�outcomes� 

Outcomes should address intended benefits to the College and students. Programs that do not meet 

their stated outcomes may be right-sized (reduced or eliminated) per SBCTC standards. 

• What does success look like? 

• How will success be measured? 

• Is the assessment tool valid? 

• What is the evidence? 

o Is it qualitative? 

o Is it quantitative data? 

• What are the data sources? 

• Is the data valid, relevant, and appropriate? 

• What is the baseline data? 

• What are the milestones and/or benchmarks to evaluate success? 

3.�Potential�to�save�money�and�staff�time� 

The committee will consider how the College’s organization reflects the way the College does or should 

do business and will make suggestions to improve or enhance efficiency and economy. 

• Are funds being spent as originally intended? 

• What is the institutional history regarding this request? 

o Has this been requested or in place before? 

o What was the recommendation and final result? 

• What resources will be saved? 

o How will resources be saved? 

o What are the savings? 


Source�(IPEDS�Report)� 

Tuition and Fees 8,098,919 .18 8,198,392 

Government Appropriations 

Federal 0 

State 

Local 

Government Grants/ Contracts 

Federal 

State 

Local 

Private Gifts, 

Grants, 

Contracts 

Endowment 

Income 

Sales and Services of 

Educational Activities 

Appendix�7.2.��Table�1,�Current�Funds�Revenues�–�Public�Institutions�Only�� 

ACTUAL� PROJECTED� 

Year�1�2005�06)�� Year�2�(��2006�07) Year�3**�(�2007�08) Year�4***�(2008�09) Year�5�(2009�10)�� Year�6�(2010�11) 

Amount� %*� Amount� %� Amount� %� Amount� %� Amount� %� Amount� %� 

0 .0 0 

.18 8,262,466 .17 9,102,100 .19 10,000,000 .21 10,700,000 .21 

{Standard�Seven} Finance A7-5� 

.0 

0 .0 0 0 0 0 

19,414,360 .48 21,302,360 .48 24,981,986 .50 22,400,000 .47 21,506,000 .45 22,206,000 .45 

0 .0 0 

.0 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 

Unrestricted 23,510 .0 22,897 .0 22,826 .0 23,600 .0 25,000 .0 28,000 0 

Restricted 3,220,999 .07 

Unrestricted 

2,978,624 .07 3,374,918 .07 4,250,000 .09 4,460,000 .09 4,600,000 .09 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 0 0 .0 

Restricted 3,074,514 .07 

Unrestricted 2,623,255 .06 2,873,531 

2,926,298 .07 3,369,501 .07 3,500,000 .07 3,560,000 .07 3,700,000 .07 

.06 2,472,422 .05 2,500,000 .05 2,000,000 .05 2,100,000 .05 

Restricted 321,197 .0 361,029 .0 476,349 .0 530,000 .0 500,000 .0 550,000 .0 

Unrestricted 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 

Restricted 47,024 .0 45,001 .0 47,835 .0 

Unrestricted 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 

Restricted 98,074 .0 99,227 .0 

0 .0 

Auxiliary Enterprises 4,260,986 .11 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 

4,320,224 .11 4,681,357 .11 4,880,000 

.11 

5,020,000 .11 5,170,000 .11 

Hospitals 

0 .0 0 

.0 0 .0 0 .0 0 

.0 0 .0 

Other Sources 1,308,022 .03 1,433,435 .03 1,275,552 .03 872,850 .02 850,000 .02 870,000 .02 

Independent Operations 0 .0 0 

.0 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 

Total Current Funds Revenues 42,490,860 1.00 

44,561,018 1.00 48,965,212 1.00 

48,058,550 

1.00 47,921,000 1.00 49,924,000 1.00 

*Percentage�of�Total�Current�Fund�Revenues��**Most�recent�fiscal�year�for�which�audited�financial�statements�are�available��***Budget�for�Current�Year� 

� �

Source�(IPEDS�Report)� 

Education�and�General� 

Expenditures� 

Appendix�7.3.��Table�2,�Current�Funds�Expenditures�–�Public�Institutions�Only�� 


Year�1�(2005�06)�� Year�2�(2006�07)� Year�3**�(�2007�08)� Year�4***�(2008�09)� Year�5�(�2009�10)� Year�6�(�2010�11)� 


Instruction 17,971,876 .45 19,414,576 .45 21,261,078 .44 18,766,222 .39 18,942,221 .39 19,260,000 .39 

Research 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 . 0 0 0 0 .0 

Public Service 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 . 0 0 0 0 .0 

Academic Support 

(Excluding Libraries) 1,007,347 

.03 1,215,644 .03 1,263,537 .03 2,207,791 

.04 

2,228,497 .05 

2,250,000 

.05 

Library Expenditures 1,038,593 .03 1,245,889 .03 1,164,727 .02 1,471,861 .03 1,485,664 .03 1,500,000 .03 

Student Services 3,746,569 .09 3,975,325 .09 4,293,734 .09 4,415,582 .09 4,456,993 .09 4,500,000 .09 

Institutional Support 4,124,290 .10 4,567,444 .10 5,085,432 .10 5,887,442 .12 5,942,657 .12 6,200,000 .12 

Plant Operations & 

Maintenance 

3,536,355 .09 4,364,383 .10 6,057,662 .12 4,716,550 .10 4,835,577 .10 4,960,000 .10 

Scholarships and Fellowships 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 0 0 .0 

Awards from Unrestricted 

Funds 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 0 0 .0 

Awards from Restricted Funds 3,167,081 .08 3,337,276 .08 3,884,580 .08 4,806,718 .10 4,500,000 .09 4,800,000 

.10 

Educational and General 

Mandatory Transfer 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 0 0 .0 

Total Educational and General 

Expenditures/Mandatory 

Transfers 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 0 0 .0 

Auxiliary Enterprises 

(Including Transfers) 

0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 0 0 .0 

Hospitals (Including Transfers) 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 0 0 .0 

Independent Operations 

(Including Transfers) 

0 

.0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 0 0 .0 

Auxiliary Enterprises 5,118,283 .13 5,405,038 .12 5,779,125 .12 6,118,302 .13 6,400,000 .13 6,580,000 .13 

Hospitals 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 0 0 0 .0 

Total�Current�Funds� 

Expenditures�&�� 

Mandatory�Transfers� 

39,710,394 1.00 43,525,575 1.00 48,789,875 1.00 48,390,468 1.00 48,791,609 1.00 50,500,000 1.00 

*Percentage�of�Total�Current�Fund�Revenues��**Most�recent�fiscal�year�for�which�audited�financial�statements�are�available��***Budget�for�Current�Year� 


Annual Private 

Contributions 

Governmental State 

Aid 

Federal Aid (PELL, 

SEOG, WS) 

Endowment 

Earnings 

(Non-Foundation) 

Institutional 

Unfunded Aid 

Federal Student 

Loans 

(if applicable) 

Nonfederal 

Workstudy Aid 

Appendix�7.4.��Table�4,�Sources�of�Financial�Aid�–�Public�Institutions�Only�� 


Year�1�(�2005�06)� Year�2�(�2006�07)� Year�3**�(2007�08)� Year�4***�(2008�09)� Year�5�(2009�10)� Year�6�(�2010�11)� 


315,768 

1,876,014 

3,493,557 

4,165 

.02 323,208 .03 380,556 .03 438,999 .04 450,000 .03 465,000 .03 

.14 1,947,935 .16 2,152,521 .19 2,071,814 .18 2,090,000 .15 2,150,000 .15 

.26 3,470,920 .29 3,308,459 .29 3,756,638 .30 4,600,000 .34 5,000,000 .35 

.00 11,312 .00 18,505 .00 17,469 .00 12,000 .00 12,000 .00 

5,255,726 .40 3,693,759 .32 2,913,957 .26 2,964,907 .24 3,000,000 .22 2,900,000 .21 

2,274,890 

68,308 

Total�Financial�Aid� 13,288,428 

.18 2,440,886 .20 2,504,425 .23 2,989,130 .24 3,500,000 .26 3,650,000 .26 

.00 75,122 .00 54,241 .00 85,662 .00 85,000 .00 85,000 0.00 

1.00 11,963,142 1.00 11,332,664 1.00 12,324,619 1.00 13,737,000 1.00 14,262,000 1.00 

*Optional�for�Public�Institutions��**Most�recent�fiscal�year�for�which�audited�financial�statements�are�available��***Budget�for�Current�Year� 


Annual�Gifts� 

Appendix�7.5.��Table�9,�Operating�Gifts�and�Endowments� 


Year�1�(�2006�07)� Year�2�(2007�08)� Year�3*�(�2008�09)� Year�4**�(2009�10)� Year�5�(2010�11)� 

Amount� Amount� Amount� Amount� Amount� 

Operations Restricted 191,000 56,666 325,099 100,000 100,000 

Operations Unrestricted 166,936 151,428 142,143 140,000 140,000 

Endowments Exclusive of 

Foundation Gifts 

775,000 2,346,000 787,961 200,000 200,000 

Plant 0 0 0 0 0 

Total�Ratio�of�Annual�Gifts�to�E&G� ��1,132,936�� 2,554,094� ��1,255,203� ��440,000� ��440,000� 

Endowment�Fund�Balance� 

Permanent 2,012,229 4,320,048 5,014,220 5,000,000 5,000,000 

Term 1,571,669 1,586,670 1,586,700 1,550,000 1,550,000 

Quasi 33,921 33,921 35,421 35,000 50,000 

��Total� 3,617,819� �5,940,639� ��6,636,341� �6,585,000� �6,600,000� 

*Most�recent�fiscal�year�for�which�audited�financial�statements�are�available��**Budget�for�Current�year� 

Note:�If�applicable,�explain/describe�Foundation�relationship�and�prepare�separate�statement�for�Foundation�gifts�to�the�institution.� 


DO�NOT�INCLUDE� 

DEPRECIATION�EXPENSE 

Land 

Appendix�7.6.��Table�10,�Capital�Investments�–�All�Institutions� 

ACTUAL PROJECTED 

Year�1�(2005�06) Year�2�(2006�07) Year�3*�(2007�08)� Year�4**�(2008�09) Year�5�(2009�10) Year�6�(2010�11) 

Amount� Amount� Amount� Amount� Amount� Amount� 

Beginning Cost 3,444,991 3,444,991 3,444,991 3,444,991 3,444,991 5,484,991 

Additions 0 0 0 0 2,040,000 0 

Deductions 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Ending Cost 

Buildings 

3,444,991 3,444,991 3,444,991 3,444,991 5,484,991 5,484,991 


Additions 0 23,684,635 420,337 0 40,000,000 5,000,000 

Deductions 10,743 0 2,226,461 0 0 0 

Ending Cost 

Furniture and Equipment 

44,292,994 67,977,629 66,171,505 66,171,705 106,171,505 111,171,505 


Additions 262,307 774,013 351,660 126,638 0 250,000 

Deductions 0 57,290 10,978 150,467 0 0 

Ending Cost 4,634,822 5,351,545 5,692,227 5,668,398 5,668,398 5,918,398 

Construction in Progress � 


Additions 7,519,777 0 3,137,123 18,864,474 0 0 

Deductions 0 7,279,047 0 0 0 23,556,281 

Ending Cost 8,833,731 1,554,684 4,691,807 23,556,281 23,556,281 0 

Debt Service 

Principle 116,216 147,134 110,000 110,000 216,387 229,508 

Interest 3,790 1,129 78,406 74,281 140,007 125,022 

Depreciation 

(Private Institutions Only) 

*Most�recent�fiscal�year�for�which�audited�financial�statements�are�available��***Budget�for�Current�Year� 

� Briefly�describe�the�nature�of�the�projects�under�way�and/or�anticipated�(e.g.,�dormitories,�classroom�facilities,�auditorium).��Also,�indicate�sources�of�funds�for� 

the�project�(i.e.,�fund�raising,�debt.)� 

� 


Appendix�7.7.��Table�13,�Endowment�Fund�Balances�Time�Period:�2006�2009�(Source:�YE�Trial�Balance–GA1335)� 

ENDOWMENT�� ACCOUNT 

NAME� CODE� 

ENDOWMENT FUND�BAL FUND�BAL FUND�BAL 

ART MORKEN MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y88 TYPE @6/07 @6/08 @6/09 

C&I JOHNSON MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y99 

EXCEPTIONAL FACULTY 843-290-1X01 PERMANENT $(11,893.06) $(11,893.06) $(11,893.06) 

JAMIESON MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y84 PERMANENT $(29,000.36) $(29,000.36) $(29,000.36) 

L. NOONAN MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y97 PERMANENT $(409,498.38) $ (409,498.38) $(400,002.90) 

SHEILA ULLOCK MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y96 PERMANENT $(10,000.00) $10,000.00) $10,000.00) 

VETERAN'S MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y89 PERMANENT $(15,903.27) $15,903.27) $(15,903.27) 

PERMANENT $(11,035.98) $(11,035.98) $(11,035.98) 

TOTAL�PERMANENT�ENDOWMENTS: PERMANENT $(36,159.00) $(36,159.00) $(36,159.00) 

BREMER CLASSIFIED 859-290-1Y94 �$(523,490.05) $(523,490.05) $(513,994.57) 

JENNIE MAE MOYER 859-290-1Y85 

MAYME GAARD 859-290-1Y98 QUASI $(36,159.00) $(101,414.25) $(101,313.89) 

WM/SOPHIA BREMER 859-290-1Y87 QUASI $(37,594.93) $(37,594.93) $(36,446.97) 

� 

� � 

QUASI $(23,308.67) $(23,308.67) $(23,308.67) 

TOTAL�QUASI�ENDOWMENTS: QUASI $(168,817.04) $(170,142.08) $(170,460.73) 

�$�(265,879.64) $�(332,459.93) $�(331,530.26) 


� 

Appendix�7.8.��Table�13,�Endowment�Distributions�Time�Period:�2006�2009�(Source:�General�Ledger)� 

ENDOWMENT� ACCOUNT ENDOWMENT DISTRIBUTIONS DISTRIBUTIONS DISTRIBUTIONS 

NAME� CODE TYPE 2006�07 2007�08 2008�09 

ART MORKEN MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y88 PERMANENT $- $- $- 

C&I JOHNSON MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y99 PERMANENT $1,400.00 $- $1,350.00 

EXCEPTIONAL FACULTY 843-290-1X01 PERMANENT $12,000.00 $13,800.00 

JAMIESON MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y84 PERMANENT $- $- $- 

L. NOONAN MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y97 PERMANENT $600.00 $500.00 $148.92 

SHEILA ULLOCK MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y96 PERMANENT $- $- $- 

VETERAN'S MEMORIAL 859-290-1Y89 PERMANENT $- $ - $1,400.00 

TOTAL�PERMANENT�ENDOWMENTS: $�2,000.00 $12,500.00 $�16,698.92 

BREMER CLASSIFIED 859-290-1Y94 QUASI $2,925.00 $1,050.00 

JENNIE MAE MOYER 859-290-1Y85 QUASI $ 1,500.00 $1,050.00 $1,500.00 

MAYME GAARD 859-290-1Y98 QUASI $ - $ - $ 900.00 

WM/SOPHIA BREMER 859-290-1Y87 QUASI $3,500.00 $ - $ 6,000.00 

� � 

TOTAL�QUASI�ENDOWMENTS: $5,000.00 $3,975.00 $9,450.00 


Appendix�7.9.��Table�13,�Olympic�College�Foundation�Endowment�Distributions�Time�Period:�2006�2009�(Source:�QuickBooks)� 

ENDOWMENT�� ENDOWMENT� DISTRIBUTIONS� DISTRIBUTIONS� DISTRIBUTIONS� 

NAME� TYPE� 2006�07� 2007�08� 2008�09� 

AAUW- Charlotte Thompson Magelssen TRUE $2,544.00 $2,665.00 $2,216.00 

David Bearden TRUE $575.00 $591.00 $494.00 

Margaret Borquist Nursing TRUE $576.00 $606.00 $516.00 

Excellence In Science (Croswaite) TRUE $957.00 $1,010.00 $846.00 

Edith M Gideon TRUE $547.00 $577.00 $484.00 

Faye W. Bichon TRUE $1,464.00 $1,495.00 $1,231.00 

Glen H. Butler TRUE $526.00 $547.00 $451.00 

Howard Truant (Nusing) TRUE $2,342.00 $2,392.00 $1,970.00 

JS & Clara Kenyon TRUE $1,282.00 $1,338.00 $1,107.00 

John F. & Snypp TRUE $296.00 $1,253.00 $1,062.00 

Patterson-Dominy Scholarhsip TRUE $7,123.00 $7,430.00 $7,288.00 

Progress Grange #304 Scholarship TRUE $- $591.00 $503.00 

Raymond Schwietering (Shelton) TRUE $1,821.00 $2,017.00 $1,675.00 

Sloan Myers Scholarship TRUE $665.00 $746.00 $671.00 

Sun-Scripps Howard Journalism Schol TRUE $520.00 $823.00 $909.00 

William & Jane Miles Scholarship TRUE $686.00 $9,479.00 $15,211.00 

Charolette J. York Female Athlete Scholar TRUE $990.00 $1,135.00 $952.00 

Lawrence Gosser Scholarship (Shelton) TRUE $- $928.00 $777.00 

OPKF-(Mosbarger) Nursing Scholarship TRUE $- $1,030.00 $848.00 

Edward Leggett Nursing Schol (Shelton) TRUE $- $630.00 $521.00 

Maury Nursing End. (Shelton) TRUE $- $8,500.00 $9,677.00 

Gordon & Muriel Williams Schol End. TRUE $- $5,000.00 $2,776.00 

Trifam Foundation Schol. Endowment (Soule) TRUE $- $- $359.00 

Crosswaite Family Endowment TRUE $957.00 $1,010.00 $846.00 

Haselwood Library Endowment TRUE $15,975.00 $19,073.00 $31,264.00 

Stella James (Student Emergency Fund) TRUE $2,085.00 $2,132.00 $1,757.00 


ENDOWMENT�� ENDOWMENT� DISTRIBUTIONS� DISTRIBUTIONS� DISTRIBUTIONS� 

NAME� TYPE� 2006�07� 2007�08� 2008�09� 

Shelton Endowment TRUE $534.00 $543.00 $609.00 

Faculty Excellence Award Endowment TRUE $2,098.00 $2,132.00 $1,785.00 

Lester & Betty Kreuger Nursing Schol End. TRUE $1,437.00 

Francis Sutton Nursing Endowment TRUE $507.00 

Bernice Mitchell End. Fund TRUE �*�� 

Scott Jacob Carlson Auto Scholarship TRUE �*�� 

James & Emily Johnson End Scholarship TRUE �*�� 

Meredith P. & Helen Langer Smith TRUE �*�� 

William D. Harvey End Scholarship TRUE �*�� 

Maura Pilet Marler Scholarship TRUE �*�� 

Thomas Graham Scholarship Endowment TRUE �*�� 

Colonel Harry T. Sharkey Nursing Schol. Endowment TRUE �*�� 

Joseph Boyles Scholarship Fund TRUE �*�� 

Pauline Dahl Nursing Scholarship TRUE �*�� 

James & Audrey Robinson TRUE �*�� 

George Abbay Scholarship TRUE �*�� 

McBride Eckstrom Scholarship QUASI $1,500.00 $1,608.00 $2,400.00 

Anthony's Culinary Arts Scholarship QUASI $400.00 $629.00 

Herbert Goodman Scholarship QUASI $77,293.00 $78,903.00 $64,982.00 

Poulsbo Technology Endowment QUASI $- $871.00 

Oldendorph Library Endowment QUASI $1,472.00 

Olympic College Foundation QUASI $1,108.00 $1,302.00 $1,177.00 

Robert B. Stewart Scholarship Endowment QUASI $17,000.00 $14,370.00 

Jos. & Mary Ramaker QUASI �*�� 

Nursing Program Endowment QUASI �*�� 

OC Women's Program End. (KMH/Andrea Wobler) QUASI �*�� 

*These�funds�are�established�but�have�not�yet�met�the�criteria�to�be�distributed 

$124,464.00 $174,886.00 $176,650.00 


90.20.20 

June 1, 2009 

Appendix�7.10.��Supplementary�Documentation�of�Year�end�Accruals�(Source:�State�Administrative�Accounting�Manual)� 

Revenue accrual and deferred revenue activity 

� 

When cash has not been received by June 30 for revenues meeting the appropriate recognition criteria, record the revenue as an accrual 

(revenue offset by receivable) in Fiscal Month 99 or 25. Record the liquidation of these accruals (receivable offset by cash) in the ensuing fiscal 

year when the cash is received. 

90.20.20.c� Revenue recognition in governmental fund type accounts 

Revenues in governmental fund type accounts are recognized in the period in which they become both available and objectively�measurable 

as follows: 

In general, the following revenues are deemed measurable and available at June 30 and are accrued in the concluding fiscal year: 

� Taxes imposed on exchange transactions (gross receipts and fuel taxes) pertaining to underlying exchange transactions that occur as of 

June 30, are accrued as revenue in the concluding fiscal year if expected to be collected within twelve months of fiscal year-end. 

� Federal grant revenues are recognized according to the guidelines provided in Subsection 50.30.70. In general, federal grant revenues are 

recognized when the qualifying grant expenditures are made provided that the availability criteria are met. 

� Generally, revenues from licenses, permits, and fees are recognized as revenue in the fiscal year in which they are collected. 

� Property taxes which are due and expected to be collected within 60 days of the fiscal year-end are accrued as revenues in the concluding 

fiscal year for Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) reporting purposes. 

� Private donation pledges are accrued when the eligibility requirements are met provided that they are verifiable, unconditional, probable 

of collection, measurable and available. 

� All other revenues are accounted for in accordance with GAAP for both budget and accounting reporting purposes. 

90.20.20.d� Revenue�recognition�in�proprietary�and�trust�fund�type�accounts 

Revenues for proprietary and trust fund type accounts are accounted for on a full accrual basis which means that they are recognized in the 

period when earned. 

90.20.20.e� Revenue�accrual�estimate�adjustments 

Record over and under accruals of estimated revenue from the prior fiscal year-end as adjustments to revenue in the current period: 

� Record over accruals as a decrease to revenue in the current period. 

� Record under accruals as an increase to revenue in the current period. 

90.20.25� 

June�1,�2009� 

Expenditure/Expense�Recognition 


90.20.25.a� Governmental fund type accounts 

Expenditures in governmental fund type accounts are recognized in the period in which the account liability is incurred; that is, the period in 

which the goods or services are received. Goods and services must be received by June 30 to be included as an expenditure of the 

concluding fiscal year. 

90.20.25.b� Proprietary and trust fund type accounts 

In proprietary and trust fund type accounts, expenses are recognized when incurred, if measurable. All goods and services received through 

June 30 must be recognized in the concluding fiscal year. 

90.20.25.c� All accounts 

Record expenditures/expenses incurred in the concluding fiscal year but paid after June 30, as an accrual (expenditure/expense offset by 

payable) in Fiscal Month 99 or 25. Record liquidation of the accrual (payable offset by cash) in the ensuing fiscal year when paid. If the 

ensuing year is the second fiscal year of a biennium and the expenditure is charged against a biennial expenditure�authority�code�, then 

there is an additional entry to reverse the initial accrued expenditure and record a cash expenditure. 

� 

� 

Appendix�7.11.��Table�15,�List/Description�of�Financial�Reports�Provided�To�Governing�Board�Olympic�College�� 

� 

REPORT NAME DESCRIPTION PROVIDED 

QUARTERLY 

Budget and expenditure data (actual and estimated) for all funds, including 

general operating, auxiliary enterprises as well as capital funds. Summary of 

report as well as update on current status of college is provided by Vice 

President of Administration and attached to report. 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

REPORT 

BUDGET CHANGE Self explanatory; presented as needed, with the Board of Trustees Report QUARTERLY 

SUMMARIES 

� 

� 


{Standard�Eight} 

Physical�Resources 

Standard�Eight

{Standard�Eight}� 

Physical�Resources� 


Olympic College is actively working to 

upgrade, replace and add to its facilities to 

meet educational program demand. Since the 

last full-scale evaluation, the College has added 

new facilities on the Bremerton campus and the 

Poulsbo and Shelton sites. In 2007, the College 

updated the master plan for its Bremerton 

campus and began the process to update and 

expand its Poulsbo and Shelton master plans. 

The Poulsbo and Shelton master plans were 

completed in 2009. 

As an urban campus, the Bremerton site is a 

valuable resource in the College’s efforts to 

serve its growing constituency, but significant 

work must be done to take advantage of what 

the site has to offer. The College planning 

boundaries, as approved by the Board of 

Trustees and the City of Bremerton, will make 

the College property line more regular. The 

existing infrastructure is adequate to serve 

current needs and the master plan addresses 

future infrastructure improvements. Some of 

the existing buildings, dating from the 1960s 

and 1970s, have significant deficiencies in terms 

of seismic capacity, indoor air environment and 

barrier-free access. Others contain spaces that 

do not serve contemporary instructional 

programs. 

Despite some deficiencies, the general 

conditions of most of the College’s facilities are 

conducive to a student learning environment 

and plans are in place to address areas of 

deficiency and future enrollment growth. If the 

State Board for Community and Technical 

College’s (SBCTC) current capital plan is funded 

over the next six years, Olympic College will 

have the second highest historical capital 

allocation in the state’s community college 

system since the 1991-93 biennium. The 

College is confident that this infusion will go a 

long way to correct deficiencies (see Standard 

Eight exhibits). The previous self-study 

recommendations included the following: 

• Consider pursuit of funding for a 

permanent university facility on the 

Bremerton site that would also include 

expanded parking. 

• Continue to upgrade office and classroom 

furnishings. 

• Continue pursuit of improvements to the 

ventilation systems of all buildings. 

• Implement a Facilities Maintenance 

Management System. 

• Continue to explore and promote 

replacement keying systems and closed 

circuit television cameras for exterior 

locations. 

A university partner building has been 

placed in the ten-year plan for the College. 

Parking has been addressed through master 

planning and significant advancement has been 

made to accommodate the students, staff, and 

faculty. Classroom and office furnishings have 

been updated in buildings that do not have 

plans for replacement in the near future. As 

new buildings are built or as existing buildings 

are remodeled, furnishings are upgraded. The 

heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) 

systems are addressed as the need arises in 

each building. The list in Figure 8.2 outlines 

some of the areas where HVAC has been 

addressed since the previous self-study. There 

is a new online maintenance system that has 

been implemented at Olympic College and is 

discussed later in this document. Keying and 

outside camera systems are being addressed 

through the Emergency Preparedness Taskforce 

which is also discussed later in this text. 

{Standard�Eight} Physical Resources 8-1

INSTRUCTIONAL�AND�SUPPORT�FACILITIES� 

Sufficient�and�Adequate�Facilities� 

Description.��In keeping with the College’s 

Strategic Initiatives, the College is actively 

engaged in a concerted campaign to revitalize 

the Bremerton site. Much progress has been 

made toward this objective, but there are many 

continuing challenges. Configuring the 

Bremerton site to optimally serve the College’s 

needs will require major reorganization of the 

site including realignment of streets, land 

acquisition and building demolition. At the 

present time, the Bremerton campus does meet 

the demand based on enrollment. Planned 

capital growth will allow the campus to be 

transformed into a place where the College can 

achieve its full potential. 

The Bremerton campus currently 

encompasses over thirty-seven acres and 

twenty-one buildings totaling 329,193 gross 

square feet. A new building replacing the 

Humanities Building and providing a central 

location for student services is presently under 

construction. At its completion, the old 

Humanities Building will be demolished. This 

will bring the total square footage of the 

Bremerton campus to 409,444 square feet. 

The Shelton site is composed of two 

permanent buildings and two portable buildings 

occupying a twenty-seven acre area. The total 

square footage of the buildings is 21,488. The 

Poulsbo facility is composed of a single building 

of 35,249 square feet on a twenty acre site. 

An important part of the College’s 

construction and upgrade process includes the 

technology infrastructure. This includes 

adequate network resources, bandwidth, 

learning labs, Interactive Television (ITV) 

classrooms, computer classrooms, and teacher 

work stations with state-of-the-art electronic 

tools. The Science and Technology Building 

consolidated previously disaggregated 

computer labs into a centralized student 

computer laboratory; it also features additional 

computer classrooms and teaching work 

stations in every classroom. The new 

Humanities Building will also include teaching 

work stations in every classroom, several 

additional computer classrooms and two 

additional ITV classrooms. All the computer 

labs and classrooms are designed with 

ergonomic desks and chairs and meet ADA 

requirements for students with disabilities. 

Students with personally owned laptops also 

have wireless access to the network in most 

areas of the three campuses. 

Analysis.��The College follows and routinely 

updates its facilities master plan, using the 

strategic plan and the mission, vision, and 

initiatives of the College as a source of criteria 

for judging success. The master plan guides and 

informs the development of facilities. The plan 

seeks to balance the instructional, service, and 

administrative operations of the College, while 

maintaining the purposes, culture, image, and 

aesthetics of the College. 

The College schedules 101 classrooms for 

educational programs, which are divided into 

general purpose and dedicated space. 

Effectiveness of facilities dedicated to 

instruction varies. Some spaces are exemplary, 

some are adequate, and some need 

improvement. 

General purpose classrooms operate at 

peak capacity weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 

1:00 p.m. during the day and 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 

p.m. in the evening. In addition, the College 

provides a large number of classes online (see 

exhibits for Standard Eight). Figure 8.1 lists the 

instructional space inventory. There has been a 

significant increase in lab space since the last 

self study as a result of the addition of the 

Science and Technology building. 

8-2 {Standard�Eight} Physical Resources

What is not apparent from Figure 8.1 is that 

Olympic College has, out of necessity, learned 

to utilize space creatively. As a result, nearly all 

rooms have become multi-purpose rooms. For 

example, a biology lab may be used as a lecture 

classroom or a lab for other subjects. 

New�Buildings�� 

New buildings have been added and 

significant construction is planned through 

2015. In 2000, Olympic College opened the 

Haselwood Library. It is a learning resource 

center comparable to community colleges of 

the same size nationally. It also provides space 

for Media Services and the Student Entry and 

Advising Center. 

The relatively new Facilities Services 

Building was finished in 2001. It is a 10,000 

square-foot, comprehensive complex that 

includes all elements of the current facilities 

department including maintenance, grounds, 

and custodial departments. It also houses 

central receiving and mail services, duplicating 

services, and some offices for Information 

Technology. 

Figure�8.1.��Total�College�Space�and�Square�Footage�Inventory� 

Space�Type� Bremerton� Poulsbo� Shelton� Total� 

Classrooms 67,129 7,653 9,429 84,211 

Labs/Computer Labs 24,785 2,745 2,176 29,706 

Fine Arts Rooms (Theater, Art, Music) 9,707 0 0 9,707 

Technical/Vocational Arts Rooms 10,490 0 0 10,490 

Learning/Study Rooms/Library Rooms/Common Areas 13,646 3,058 1,938 18,642 

Faculty/Administrative Offices & Support 47,926 5,078 1,424 54,428 

Administrative/Computing/Student Services 

Areas/Reception Areas/Student Training/Bookstores 

46,926 1,059 1,835 49,229 

Lecture Halls 7,485 1,474 0 8,959 

Safes/Vaults 800 0 0 800 

Conference Rooms 8,540 484 155 9,179 

Unassigned (Includes Waiting Rooms; Anterooms; 

Vestibules; Hallways; Bathrooms; Showers; Lockers; 

Locker Rooms; Storage Rooms; Janitor/Media/Misc. 

Closets; Mechanical Rooms; Service Bays; Stairs; 

Loading Docks/Receiving Areas; Entries/Lobbies/Foyers; 

Basements; Laundry Rooms; Computer/Data/Cooling 

Rooms; Misc. Rooms) 

(see�Standard�Eight�exhibits�in�the�Exhibit�Room) 

92,350 13,698 4,531 110,579 


Also completed in 2003 was the 8,254 

square foot Johnson Library on the Shelton site. 

This facility is equipped with fiber optics to 

provide high tech access, two ITV spaces, and a 

teaching computer lab for twenty-four 

students. In addition, the Johnson Library 

provides three classrooms, five offices, and two 

small conference rooms. The library is named 

for Wes Johnson, a long-time Mason County 

resident and entrepreneur who bequeathed 

part of his estate to benefit Olympic College 

Shelton students. A state grant of $500,000 and 

a generous gift of $142,000 from another donor 

combined with Johnson's gift provided the 

necessary funding for this excellent addition to 

the Shelton site and community. 

Olympic College Poulsbo is a 39,000 squarefoot 

facility located on a twenty acre site in 

North Kitsap County. It opened in January of 

2004, providing convenience for students from 

Bainbridge Island and the northern part of the 

Kitsap Peninsula. A variety of credit and noncredit 

courses are available at this awardwinning 

facility. 

The new Science and Technology building 

completed in 2007 replaced the recently 

demolished Math and Science building. It is 

more than sufficient to achieve the College’s 

mission and initiatives in the areas of math, 

engineering, and science instruction. It is a twostory 

building totaling 57,598 square feet. This 

new facility has expanded capacity in the 

laboratory sciences as well as increasing 

opportunities for use of technology in other 

instructional areas. It has lecture halls that 

support the laboratory sciences and help to 

meet general education requirements. The 

biology, anatomy and physiology, and chemistry 

labs are used by the pre-professional health, 

supportive health, and pre-nursing students. 

The geology lab is the first dedicated geology 

lab for the College. It provides space for current 

and additional specimens and experiments. 

The Humanities and Student Services 

building began its two-year construction phase 

in May 2008. Its estimated completion date is 

January 2010. It will be state-of-the-art, and 

will incorporate lessons learned from older 

buildings. The project location occupies a 

pivotal site in the overall College plan. A 

replacement building for the existing 

Humanities building, it will provide 

technologically current learning environments 

and a welcoming service center for students. It 

is an 80,251 square-foot building that will house 

the humanities, social science, and adult 

education programs and general purpose 

classrooms to support these and other 

disciplines. It will also contain computer 

classrooms and provide a new student services 

area to include financial aid, registration, 

counseling, advising and other key student 

services in a one-stop environment. The 

College projects that this building will receive a 

LEED® gold designation. 

As a part of this project, land is being 

acquired for parking at the southeast corner of 

the Bremerton site. In addition to greatly 

needed additional parking, this land will allow 

for future growth, help create a more regular 

perimeter for the campus, and eventually allow 

the College to reconfigure some of the city 

streets that currently run through campus. 

Renovations�and�Remodels� 

In addition to new construction, the College 

has invested in significant renovations and 

remodels since the last self-study. Figure 8.2 on 

next page provides information on the areas 

that have been addressed and their completion 

dates. For more information on these projects, 

please see the Standard Eight exhibits. 


Renovations are intended to improve 

functionality, services to students, and learning 

environments. One of the most significant is 

the Bookstore remodel and expansion 

combined with the Bremer Student Center 

interior remodel. This project substantially 

improved the quality of BSC space where 

students convene to study, converse, and eat. 

Figure�8.2.��Major�College�Renovations�and� 

Remodels�Since�2001� 

Major�Renovation�and�Remodel� 

Project�Names� 

Completion� 

Year� 

CSC HVAC Remodel 2002 

Weight room Remodel 2003 

BSC HVAC Remodel 2004 

Engineering HVAC Remodel 2004 

CSC Elevator Renovation 2004 

BSC Student Services Renovation 2004 

BSC Fireside Dining Room 2005 

Financial Aid Remodel 2005 

Bookstore Remodel, Expansion, 

and new BSC Entry 

2006 

Art 122 Remodel 2006 

First and Third Floor CSC 

Renovation 

Health Occupations Interior 

Remodel 

2006 

2006 

Shelton Student Services Remodel 2006 

Poulsbo Nursing Lab Renovation 2007 

BSC Interior Remodel – Dining and 

Student Lounge 

2007 

CSC Restroom Remodel 2007 

Childcare Play Area 2007 

Shelton HVAC Remodel 2008 

Poulsbo Student Services Remodel 2008 

Emergency Electrical Loop 2008 

Shelton Weld Shop Remodel 2008 

B-100 Server Room Cooling 2008 

BSC Kitchen and Servery 

Improvements 

2009 

Planned�Improvements� 

The Art, Music, Theater, Welding, Food 

Services, Early Childhood Education, and Health 

Occupations programs are all functioning in 

adequate but less than ideal spaces. In January 

of 2008, Olympic College submitted three 

proposals to the State Board for Community 

and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). The first 

proposal was to fund the construction of a new 

instructional facility, the College Instruction 

Center (CIC), to house the Art, Music, Dramatic 

Arts, and Health Occupation programs. The 

second proposal was to remodel the Shop 

Building to provide space for an additional (yet 

to be determined) professional/ technical 

program, a modernized welding facility, and 

office space. The third proposal was for the 

construction of a new Child Development 

Center utilizing a State capital match program 

that provides up to $2 million for approved 

projects; the College’s portion comes from the 

Bremer Trust (a non-profit organization with 

the sole purpose of benefiting Olympic College 

and discussed in Standard Seven). All three of 

these proposals were selected by the SBCTC in a 

state-wide competition to be recommended to 

the Legislature for funding. 

The addition of the CIC on the Bremerton 

site will provide modern facilities for the 

College’s arts and health occupations programs. 

The proposed CIC will add much needed square 

footage for art, music and theater programs, as 

well as incorporating space for the nursing 

program that is currently located in Poulsbo. 

Returning the nursing program to the 

Bremerton site will eliminate the inconvenience 

for nursing students who now shuttle between 

campuses and improve access to clinical sites. 

At the same time, its addition will alleviate 

crowding on the Poulsbo site that currently 

limits its enrollment capacity. The new building 

will meet modern standards of square footage, 

barrier-free access, HVAC, electrical, data, 

communication, and seismic engineering, as 

well as safety and security. All of these 


elements are problematic in the current, aging 

structures. 

The Shop Building suffers from similar 

weaknesses, but in many ways it still meets 

important needs for the College. Instead of 

replacing it, a renovation will make the building 

more efficient in terms of energy consumption 

and instructional capacity. The proposed 

renovation corrects general access deficiencies 

and creates a new image for the structure, 

allowing better integration of the building with 

the rest of the campus. 

The Sophia Bremer Child Development 

Center (SBCDC) is a long-overdue improvement 

of the College’s capacity to serve students with 

children. It will resolve issues such as an aging 

building, functionally deficient areas, and 

providing services in three separate locations. 

The current space shortage negatively impacts 

students enrolled in the Early Childhood 

Education (ECE) program and nursing programs 

by restricting mandatory classroom observation 

and work-based learning opportunities. 

Recognizing the constraints that the existing 

facility places on the College’s ability to serve its 

constituents, the Bremer Trust committed 

funding for 50% of the construction cost, as well 

as donating the land on which the facility will be 

built. The addition of land that was acquired 

through the Bremer Trust is particularly 

valuable to the Bremerton campus’ small 

urban-bound site. 

Olympic College plans to address some 

other issues with projects that have not yet 

begun. One of the challenges currently being 

addressed is the need for a full-scale restroom 

upgrade. A restroom survey is being conducted 

and once the results are completed, the project 

will begin. Another challenge is the poor 

condition of several roofs. A survey of the roofs 

at all three sites was recently completed and a 

repair schedule was developed (see Standard 

Eight exhibits). The Shelton site roof 

improvements are being completed, and the 

Poulsbo site roof is scheduled to follow that 

work. 

A 1960’s-style building that stands out on 

the Bremerton site, the Physical Education 

building was recently evaluated for viability. In 

the near term, the College will address its 

structural degradation, electrical, and hot water 

supply problems. The administration plans to 

begin working with faculty, staff, and students 

to develop a plan for a replacement facility in 

the longer term. To move this project forward, 

alternative financing will need to be developed 

because the State does not favor using 

legislative funding for gymnasiums or athletic 

facilities. This is a point of significant frustration 

to Olympic College and those other Washington 

community colleges that have viable and active 

physical education programs. 

Future�Challenges�–�Bremerton�� 

In the foreseeable future, the College will 

also need to upgrade its heating, water, and 

electrical infrastructure to meet modern 

standards, increased demand based on collegewide 

surveys, and the new commitment to a 

“green” or sustainable standard. The main 

electrical service for the College, an 

underground power loop, will reach maximum 

capacity with the completion of the Sophia 

Bremer Child Development Center at the end of 

2009. Studies are underway to determine the 

appropriate method of electrical infrastructure 

improvements to serve future needs. The 

College is committed to addressing these 

concerns in the Master Plan. 

Future�Challenges�–�Poulsbo�&�Shelton� 

College programs at the Poulsbo and 

Shelton sites pose some special circumstances 

and problems. The Poulsbo and Shelton 

buildings encompass a total of 58,738 square 

feet. This includes two buildings on the Shelton 

site and one building on the Poulsbo site. 


The quality of the Shelton and Poulsbo 

buildings is excellent. Renovations were just 

completed on both. The Shelton site just 

underwent a renovation of the HVAC system. 

The Poulsbo building was renovated to expand 

usable square footage including more rooms 

and an improved Student Services area. 

Rapidly expanding demand and deficient 

square footage have created a particularly 

acute problem at the Poulsbo site where space 

is in high demand because of the presence of 

the nursing program, as well as the expanding 

interest in higher education services in the 

north end of the district. As stated above, the 

planned CIC building on the Bremerton campus 

addresses this situation, but since that building 

will not be complete until after 2015, an interim 

step is planned. At the completion of the 

Humanities and Student Services building, a 

substantial amount of currently utilized space 

will be vacated by the services and programs 

moving into the new facility. Vacated space will 

be redesigned to accommodate the return of 

the nursing program to the Bremerton campus, 

while relieving the strain on Poulsbo resources 

earlier than could otherwise be accomplished. 

Future�Challenges�–�General� 

Information Technology is short on office 

space and is dispersed across campus. The 

student labs and ITV classrooms are distributed 

all over the campuses with little planning other 

than locating them near the discipline 

requesting services. This presents a number of 

problems in terms of security, maintenance, 

and manageability of these resources. Space 

planning will begin in summer 2009, which 

should lead to a solution to many of these 

problems. 

Furnishings� 

Description.��Classrooms, offices, and 

student spaces are adequately furnished for 

employees and students to work, study, learn, 

and interact. Instruction drives how new 

classrooms are designed and equipped. 

General classrooms are furnished with 

appropriate chairs, tables, and specialty 

equipment where needed (for example, eye 

wash stations in labs and drawing tables for 

technical classrooms). Full and part-time 

faculty and staff are provided with standard 

office furnishings, phone and email access, and 

desktop computers. As new office space is 

remodeled or created, furniture is generally 

upgraded to ergonomic work environment 

standards and is also upgraded to 

accommodate ADA access where necessary. 

A complete inventory of room furnishings is 

completed on an annual basis and custodial 

staff members check classrooms daily to ensure 

that furnishings have not been removed. 

Faculty reports of inadequacies also help to 

maintain an appropriate classroom 

environment (see Standard Eight exhibits). 

Analysis.��The College has several facilitiesrelated 

needs, such as additional large meeting 

rooms, rooms that can hold more furnishings, 

larger computer classrooms, and areas where 

students can meet and interact with access to 

wireless Internet. 

Some of this will be addressed as new 

buildings are completed. For instance, the 

theater, which will be housed in the CIC 

building, will serve as both a theater and a large 

meeting area. There are several large 

classrooms in the Humanities/Student Services 

building designed to hold furnishings to allow 

instruction in lecture and computer workstation 

mode, as well as larger computer 

classrooms. Information Technology has 

recognized the need to improve wireless 

capacity and stability on campus and has a plan 

in place. The plan includes making additional 

ports available for wireless, testing coverage 

and signal strength across campus, and adding 

access points as needed. In addition, IT is 

working closely with Facilities, Instruction and 

Procurement in planning all new and remodeled 

classroom technology requirements. 


Facilities�Management,�Maintenance,�and� 

Operation� 

Description.��The Facilities Services 

Department and select members from the 

Student Services Department are responsible 

for management, maintenance, and operation 

of all indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as the 

physical development of the College. The 

mission of Olympic College’s Facilities Services 

Department is to facilitate student learning and 

maximize the effectiveness of staff and faculty 

assets through the maintenance and 

development of pleasant, safe, accessible, 

discrimination-free and service-oriented 

environments supplied with associated support 

equipment. 

Analysis.��The management, maintenance, 

and operation of instructional and support 

facilities are adequate to ensure their 

continuing quality and safety of operations. 

This assessment is based on the amount of 

work orders and concerns that have been 

addressed via the online maintenance system. 

Section� � Functions� 

Safety�and� 

Security� 

Maintenance� 

Custodial�Services� 

Grounds� 

Mail�&�Duplicating� 

Services� 

Capital�Projects� 


The seven departments involved in fulfilling 

these needs are listed and described in Figure 

8.3. An online work request system was 

implemented in October of 2007. This 

automated system allows all employees to 

submit and track work orders for any 

department within college operations. This is 

effective not only for addressing facilities 

repairs (from replacing light bulbs, to fixing 

water leaks, or setting up for events), but also 

for scheduling preventive maintenance in order 

to reduce the risk of emergencies or disasters 

within the College due to equipment failure. 

Since the work order system was implemented 

in late 2007, there have been a total of 4,623 

work requests entered. Of these work 

requests, 4,383 have been completed and 240 

are outstanding. The average time it takes to 

address an assigned work order is two days and 

the average time to completion once started is 

1.96 hours. 

Figure�8.3.��Maintenance�and�Operation�Departments� 

Oversees college security and parking twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week; 

responds to crime and safety issues; prepares for emergencies/disasters; enforces 

College rules and state laws; is responsible for locking and unlocking all College 

spaces; issues parking passes; and oversees hazardous materials program at the 


Maintains all building system equipment at the College, including HVAC, lighting, 

plumbing, electrical, and safety equipment; repairs and maintains existing facilities; 

completes minor improvement projects; manages keys and key requests; and 

moves equipment and furnishings as needed. Staff and operating budget are added 

as square footage expands. 

Responsible for cleaning College facilities, removing waste, and implementing the 

recycling program. 

Maintains all exterior spaces on at the College, including landscaped and hard 

surfaces, smoking shelters, and outdoor waste removal. 

Oversees College mail services and general receiving, provides supplies to the 

College, and oversees duplicating and printing services. 

Oversees new construction and remodel of existing space and updates and 

oversees the College master plan. 

Oversees budget, daily operations, general administrative duties of the 

department, tracks capital project paperwork, and fields work requests and phone 

calls from the College community. 


Certain systems, such as elevators, require 

maintenance contracts with outside vendors. In 

compliance with the public bid system, vendors 

selected are awarded two-year contracts with a 

year-to-year extension for up to five years. 

Outside vendors are selected and supervised by 

the Facilities Services Department. 

Small works projects are those projects that 

are more involved than small repairs, but are 

not on a capital improvement level (less than 

one million dollars). These are tracked and 

completed using the Small Projects List (see 

Standard Eight exhibits). 

Health,�Safety,�Accessibility,�Security,�and� 

Hazardous�Materials�� 

Description.��In general, the health, safety, 

and security of students, staff, and faculty are 

adequately protected at the College (see 

Standard Eight exhibits). The use, storage, and 

disposal of hazardous materials are appropriate 

to safeguard students, staff, and faculty. 

Facilities are maintained with regard for health 

and safety and meet requirements for the 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access. 

Facility planning provides for appropriate 

security arrangements and addresses access to 

all buildings for special constituencies including 

individuals with mobility limitations and other 

disabilities. 

In response to national and local violent 

incidents at colleges and schools and resulting 

State requirements, the College has an active 

Emergency Preparedness Taskforce. In its twoyear 

history, this taskforce has addressed and 

improved several aspects of its comprehensive 

emergency response plan, including the 

upgrading of radio equipment that now 

provides personnel the ability to communicate 

between the three main sites. Cameras are also 

being installed for security reasons, and 

enhanced security systems have already been 

installed at the Poulsbo and Shelton sites. The 

College has adopted a standard for secure cardentry 

systems to better control building access. 

The Taskforce is currently preparing an 

extensive training schedule for the upcoming 

academic year. 

Parking is a concern for students, faculty, 

and staff during certain times of the day and 

during certain times of the year and is 

addressed by the current parking acquisition 

and development project and master plan. 

Analysis.��College physical resources are 

reviewed regularly by Facilities personnel and 

by the Safety Committee for Health, Safety, 

Security, and Access. Updates are regularly 

attended to as necessary. Recently, the College 

began experiencing night-time thefts of a 

vending machine inside a building (requiring the 

thieves to force entry). Nightly rounds of 

security personnel were increased and thus far 

there have been no further problems. The 

College is also in the process of developing 

security guidelines for the use of physical 

pursuit, force, and detention by safety and 

security personnel. 

Olympic College fosters an environment 

that welcomes and allows for the full 

participation of people with disabilities, and 

whenever possible goes beyond compliance 

with relevant state and federal mandates. 

Many improvements have been made since the 

last self study. For example, the Business and 

Technology building was recently made more 

accessible by remodeling the main office on the 

ground floor. Aside from a couple of 

classrooms on the Bremerton site, all classroom 

furnishings have been changed from tablet 

desks to new, universally-usable tables. 

Recently, most main access doors to buildings 

were equipped with automatic door openers for 

easier access. All main access doors not 

equipped are in the queue to be addressed. 


The Safety Officer (or designee), the 

Facilities Director, and/or Security Officer also 

advise the College about issues concerning 

physical access throughout the three campuses. 

Older buildings are brought into ADA 

compliance when they are renovated. While 

every building at the College is accessible for 

disabled students and staff, not all access is 

ideal. For example, the Music and Art buildings 

are connected by a multi-level, maze-like 

layout, which make them inconvenient for 

wheelchair access. This will be addressed when 

the Art and Music complexes are replaced with 

the new CIC building. Similar upgrades are 

planned in other locations. All major capital 

projects undergo rigorous outside review by 

state representative experts to ensure anyone 

with a disability is accommodated. 

The hazardous materials program was 

recently consolidated and a "clarity check" by 

Facilities Services personnel and by Security 

personnel was performed in order to help work 

towards a program that is more transparent 

and centralized. Material safety data sheets 

(MSDS) for chemicals used by the College are 

available in Facilities Services. Key members of 

College staff are trained and/or licensed to 

handle and transport hazardous materials. 

Hazardous materials that are typically handled 

include laboratory chemicals, needles (used in 

health occupation programs), petrochemicals 

(automotive program), solvents and paints, 

fertilizers, and any blood spills that occur. 

Parking is difficult for students to access at 

peak times (Figure 8.4 shows Olympic College’s 

current parking resources). Alleviation will 

come with the addition of a parking lot being 

constructed as part of the humanities and 

student services facility project to be built on 

the block between Fifteenth Street and 

Thirteenth Street, and Warren Avenue and 

Broadway Avenue. This property is currently 

being acquired. 

Figure�8.4.��Current�College�Parking�Stalls� 

� Bremerton� Poulsbo� Shelton� 

Student General 1,099 220 207 

Student ADA 23 4 6 

Student Visitor 10 5 6 

Student Carpool 34 5 5 

Faculty/Staff 

General 

253 18 N/A* 

Faculty/Staff ADA 9 5 N/A* 

Faculty/Staff 

Visitor 

Faculty/Staff 

Adjunct 

Total Spaces per 

Site 

3 2 N/A* 

16 0 N/A* 

1,447 259 224 

*Faculty/Staff�and�Student�parking�at�Shelton�are� 

combined� 

Off�Site�Locations� 

Description. There are several off-site 

locations in which Olympic College programs 

are housed. They are included in the following 

list: 

• Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 

Bremerton 

• Rented facility for the Welding Program 

near Shelton (known as the Trades 

Center - Shelton) 

• Rented space in Poulsbo for the Physical 

Therapist Assistant Program 

• Bangor sub base in Silverdale 

• Naval Hospital in Bremerton 

• West Sound Pipe Trades 

• Tribal education centers 

• Cosmetology 

• West Sound Technical Center 

Non-College owned facilities are assessed 

for adequacy before classes begin or students 

are on-site. 


Analysis.��Of the off-site locations listed 

above, two are leased. A new site was 

developed specifically for the welding program 

in Shelton. In addition, the Physical Therapist 

Assistant Program is housed in a leased building 

in Poulsbo, which was specifically remodeled 

for that program’s needs. A recent 

accomplishment is the renovation of the 

Apprentice School located at the Puget Sound 

Naval Shipyard (PSNS). Olympic College 

EQUIPMENT�AND�MATERIALS 

Suitable�Equipment�&�Equipment�Maintenance�� 

Description. Suitable equipment is 

provided and is readily accessible at on-site and 

off-site locations to meet educational and 

administrative requirements. 

Large equipment (e.g., autoclave, kiln, 

editing equipment, welding machinery, etc.) is 

acquired using capital funds, instructional 

division funds, College-wide budgets, or 

through donations from the Olympic College 

Foundation. 

All Facilities Services equipment is 

maintained, inventoried, controlled, and 

replaced by Facilities Services. Repairs are 

made when possible. Equipment that cannot 

be repaired is replaced and upgraded to the 

current standard. When most equipment is five 

years old, it is replaced with the newest model. 

When equipment is no longer functional, 

working parts are salvaged and used to repair 

other equipment. This refresh system has been 

created, maintained, and refined since the last 

self-study (see Standard Eight exhibits). 

Computer equipment, network 

infrastructure and telecommunications are 

inventoried, controlled, maintained, and 

repaired or upgraded by the IT Department (see 

Standard Eight exhibits). The total number of 

instructional computers is 564. There are over 

570 staff computers. An additional 300 

supports an apprenticeship program to provide 

PSNS with trained workers. In order to make it 

as convenient as possible for both students and 

the shipyard, the Olympic College teaching 

faculty for this program teach on-site at PSNS. 

A recent renovation has allowed this facility to 

excel and serve as a model for future upgrades. 

The quantity of classrooms and computers, 

faculty break room, and mess hall are strong 

features of the redesigned space. 

computers will be added to the inventory at the 

completion of the Humanities and Student 

Services building. The College’s local area 

network (LAN) has a fiber-optic backbone that 

connects all major buildings and supports voice, 

video, and data transmission. 

At the request of users, IT has increased the 

number of options for peripheral equipment. 

This will not reduce the efficiencies gained by 

standardization. Acquiring computing 

resources from a sole source (State approved) 

vendor has realized a number of benefits 

including: elimination of the bid process, 

reduction in turn-around time from ordering to 

delivery, cross-shipments for replacement 

parts, and reduced maintenance costs. 

Analysis. The online work request system 

allows users (all College employees) to enter 

work requests, which are then reviewed by 

Facilities Services staff. Once it is determined 

which department within Facilities is best suited 

to address the request, it is assigned to the 

appropriate department. One aspect of the 

online system, the preventative maintenance 

program, covers all facilities infrastructure and 

related equipment. The online maintenance 

system provides daily reminders to the 

maintenance department of what needs to be 

done. To date, this system has helped 

tremendously with replacement of air filters, 

and maintenance of electrical equipment and 

HVAC equipment. It serves to increase the life 


cycle of equipment while reducing replacement 

costs. Further equipment maintenance issues 

are being discovered and entered into the 

system every day as this system develops. 

An inventory for all facilities-related 

equipment is being compiled and entered into 

the online maintenance system. This process is 

largely completed (see Standard Eight exhibits). 

Once the inventory is completed, all equipment 

will be scheduled for replacement in order to 

keep it all up to date and functioning properly. 

The College has identified methods of 

reducing the total cost of computer 

maintenance and upgrade by standardizing 

purchases, maintenance, and a replacement 

schedule for computing labs, making it possible 

to keep over 500 computers used in the 

PHYSICAL�RESOURCES�PLANNING 

Master�Facilities�Plan� 

Description.��The SBCTC requires each 

college to submit a master plan that addresses 

long-term building and planning needs. 

Olympic College’s Master Plan encompasses all 

three campuses. These plans include ten and 

twenty-five year views of the three sites (see 

Standard Eight exhibits). The master plans are 

updated every two years by the Vice President 

for Administrative Services, who works with the 

college community and interested parties from 

the surrounding communities, and acquires the 

approval of the Board of Trustees for all 

published master plans. 

Analysis.��According to the master plan and 

the College’s overall strategic initiatives, each 

new building and all grounds will be consistent 

with the established Olympic College context, 

and each building will be fully accessible, 

flexible, and economically viable. The College is 

also committed to sustainable design (see 

Standard Eight exhibits) and development of 

new facilities consistent with the principles of 

computing labs up to date. In March of 2008, 

this program was expanded to address regular 

replacement of equipment for instructional labs 

and classroom media equipment (teaching 

workstations). The adjustments have been 

made to this plan based on the viability of 

equipment as reported to the HelpDesk. This 

HelpDesk data will be used in the following 

years to adjust the replacement of equipment. 

The current fiber backbone (building to 

building) of the network infrastructure is 

sufficient to meet the needs of the College for 

the foreseeable future based on the newness of 

network equipment and industry standards. 

This will also be updated to serve the Campus in 

the future in order to support the new 

Humanities building. The bid for this update is 

presently under review by the State. 

energy conservation, resource efficiency, and 

interior environmental quality. All new 

buildings are required by the State to meet the 

LEED® silver standard. In order to update the 

College to new sustainable commitments, a 

well-received recycling program has been 

established, and a college-wide energy audit of 

all buildings was recently completed. The audit 

allowed the College to acquire funding for 

conservation projects that will net an estimated 

$200,000 in annual energy savings after the tenyear 

payback period. 

The master plan also identifies long-range 

growth forecasts and defines how the College 

will meet projected needs with appropriate 

facilities. This includes the College’s plan to 

acquire another four acres of land at the 

Poulsbo location for long-term growth. This 

acquisition has recently been completed. The 

college consults the master plan each time a 

new building or major renovation is proposed 

to ensure compliance with the plan and the 

College initiatives. As stated in the Master Plan: 


At�the�outset�of�the�campus�master� 

planning�process,�the�design�team�met�with� 

the�administrators,�faculty�and�staff�who� 

prepared�the�College’s�strategic�plan�to� 

define�the�relationship�between�their� 

initiatives�and�the�campus�master�plan.��The� 

College’s�team�made�it�clear�that�each� 

strategic�initiative�has�an�underlying� 

implication�on�the�long�range�development� 

of�the�campus.� 

These implications are outlined in the 

master plan. 

Planning�and�Required�Capital�Funds� 

Description.��Facility planning at Olympic 

College necessitates the acquisition of capital 

and operating funds. For State-supported 

projects, all colleges in the system follow the 

same procedures. The College makes 

application to the SBCTC each biennium for 

funding to construct new buildings and/or to 

remodel, renovate, or replace older buildings 

(see Standard Eight exhibits). College 

submittals are rated by a capital committee, 

comprised of SBCTC representatives, and are 

based upon established criteria, uniform 

planning parameters, and the quality of the 

College’s case for the facility (see Standard 

Eight exhibits). Approved projects enter a 

queue in order of their score and are submitted 

to the legislature. After legislative approval, 

funding for new construction is usually 

distributed over a four-year period. Due to the 

large number of projects in the system, the 

standard four-year process has recently been 

extended to six-years; pre-design funds 

provided in the first biennium, design in the 

second, and construction in the third. For 

repairs and improvement projects, all colleges 

in the system are evaluated by an outside 

engineering firm. 

Analysis.� Olympic College currently has 

approval for the following capital projects: 

• Construction of the Humanities/ Student 

Services building 

• Development of a new parking lot along 

Warren Avenue 

• Demolition of the existing Humanities 

building 

• Construction of the Sophia Bremer Child 

Development Center 

Added to the above list are two projects 

approved by the SBCTC system for submission 

to the legislature: 

• Construction of the College Instruction 

Center 

• Renovation of the Shop Building. 

Capital planning from the State involves 

input from the College personnel regarding 

program needs and from architectural viability 

reports such as the Facilities Condition Survey 

(see Standard Eight exhibits). This information 

is used to plan the future capital projects and is 

added to the Master Plan. The Master Plan and 

instructions from the State are then used to 

create a Project Request Report to submit to 

the SBCTC. The SBCTC has a process to 

determine whether to fund or not based on 

formulas having to do with enrollment and 

other criteria to identify fundable projects. The 

final results are published and available to all 

Washington community and technical colleges 

(see Standard Eight exhibits). If funded, the 

allocation and architect selection process 

begins. If a project is not recommended for 

funding, the program needs and viability 

reports are reevaluated and if still needed, the 

process begins again in the following biennium. 

In this manner, the College proactively 

addresses problem areas on a capital scale. 

{Standard�Eight} Physical Resources 8-13 

�

Planning�Review�and�Approval� 

Description.��The Olympic College Board of 

Trustees reviews and approves the facilities 

master plan, capital budgets, and College 

policies. It also receives regular updates on 

College construction projects. Board approval is 

required for acquisition of all new property, and 

SBCTC approval is required for acquisition of 

new property exceeding $250,000. 

Interviews for the College’s architect are 

held every two years. The successful candidate 

is then used throughout the next biennium to 

help the College with any project or project 

planning that requires architectural expertise 

(see Standard Eight exhibits). 

STANDARD�EIGHT:��STRENGTHS�AND�RECOMMENDATIONS 

Strengths:� 

• Olympic College’s Facilities Services 

Department plans all new and renovated 

facilities to be sustainable, ADA friendly, 

and instructionally-driven, technologically 

up-to-date for all programs. 

• Olympic College continues to consolidate 

programs for instructional effectiveness 

and efficiency that are currently located 

in different areas of the campus (for 

example-art, music, and theater will be 

combined into one facility with the 

construction of the new College 

Instruction Center). 

• Olympic College is in the process of 

combining all media, information 

technology, facilities infrastructure, and 

related equipment into one online 

management system to streamline and 

eliminate inefficiencies in current 

processes. 

• Olympic College has successfully 

competed statewide for capital funding 

to meet the projected needs of Olympic 

College. Since 2001, Olympic College has 

been funded, or will be funded a total of 

$162,024,612 for new facilities. 

The planning process for projects is fairly 

involved. The Vice President for Administrative 

Services and the President of Olympic College 

regularly solicit feedback from the College, 

community groups, and city officials. Final 

approval is ultimately given from the Board of 

Trustees. 

Analysis.��A recent example of employee 

input into planning for a new building is the 

design of the Humanities and Student Services 

building. In spring 2006, architects for the new 

building held extensive meetings with faculty 

and staff to identify space needs. The final 

design was significantly influenced by faculty 

and staff input. 

• Olympic College’s 2009 Facilities 

Condition Survey included all surveys 

consolidated from over the previous two 

years pertaining to the infrastructure of 

the College. The resulting requests will 

serve the College for the next ten years. 

• Olympic College has very well developed 

Master Plans for all three campuses. 

They will continue to serve the College 

for the next twenty to thirty years. 

• Olympic College has excelled at updating 

and expanding upon emergency action 

plans to encompass as many scenarios as 

possible. 

• Faculty, administrators, staff and 

students are actively working together to 

establish goals and strategies for 

reducing the College’s carbon footprint 

and developing environmental and 

sustainability education programs and 

courses. 

8-14 {Standard�Eight} Physical Resources 

�


• Develop a plan for replacement of the 

physical education building. Involve 

administration, faculty, staff and students 

to develop a comprehensive plan 

including financing recommendations.� 

• Expand the preventative maintenance 

program to include all facilities 

infrastructure and related equipment. 

• Continue the process of centralizing the 

disposal of all hazardous chemicals 

and/or waste to one area so that the 

College builds upon expertise, increases 

efficiency, and decreases duplication. 


{Appendix} 


Standard�Eight

{Appendix}� 

Supporting�Documentation�for�Standard�Eight� 

CAMPUS�MAPS 

Appendix�8.1.��Bremerton�Campus� 

{Standard�Eight} Physical Resources A8-1

Appendix�8.2.��Poulsbo�Campus� 

A8-2 {Standard�Eight} Physical Resources 

�

Appendix�8.3.��Shelton�Campus� 

{Standard�Eight} Physical Resources A8-3 

�

{Standard�Nine} 

Institutional�Integrity 

Standard�Nine

{Standard�Nine}� 

Institutional�Integrity� 

INSTITUTIONAL�INTEGRITY� 

Institutional�Ethics�� 

Description. Olympic College subscribes, 

exemplifies, and advocates high ethical 

standards in all its dealings with students, the 

public, organizations, and external agencies. � 

As part of its commitment to ethical 

standards within the institution, the College 

undertook a comprehensive process to review 

and update its Mission, Vision, and Values to 

reflect the current views and perspectives of 

the College. The Mission, Vision, and Values 

provide an ethical and practical framework for 

how the College intends to support and serve 

its students, communities, and employees. 

After a two-year process that involved the 

participation of three hundred and fifty staff, 

faculty, and community members the Board of 

Trustees reaffirmed the mission and a revised 

set of vision and values for the institution in 

2008. (Note: The process for reviewing and 

creating these statements is described fully in 

Standard One.) The values statements reflect 

and exemplify the character of the College, 

what it aspires to be, and how it influences the 

College’s direction, and is available as a 

Standard Nine exhibit. The Mission, Vision, and 

Values are posted throughout the institution, 

on the College’s web site, and are contained in 

publications available to the public, students, 

and employees. 

Olympic College has a strong commitment 

to ensuring that its learning environment 

remains free from harassment and 

discrimination. The Olympic College Board of 

Trustees reinforced sexual harassment and 

discrimination prevention by developing 

policies for the College, which can be found in 

the Standard Nine exhibits. The College 

communicates policies reflecting its 

commitments to employees and students. 

The College holds employees to a high 

standard of ethical behavior. Ethical standards 

are defined in several sources, including OC 

Vision and Values, a Standard�of�Conduct letter 

provided annually with exempt employment 

contracts, a description in annual faculty and 

classified contracts, The�New�Employee� 

Handbook, and the OC�Student�Handbook. 

Employees and Board of Trustee members are 

directed to access state ethics brochures and 

the State�Ethics�Manual online which adhere to 

the Ethics in Public Service Act (EPSA). It 

defines ethical behavior such as maintaining 

public interests over private interests, avoiding 

the use of a public position for private gain, 

conserving public resources and funds against 

misuse and fraud, participating in open and 

transparent practices and decisions, and 

avoiding financial or other influences in the 

performance of their public duties and 

responsibilities. 

The College’s Board of Trustees has 

reinforced the State’s high ethical standards by 

developing and approving ethics policies for 

both employees and trustees. The Description 

of Policies is available as a Standard Nine 

exhibit. The employee ethics policy emphasizes 

that all employees must adhere to the Ethics in 

Public Service Act (Policy 400-05). The Board of 

Trustees Code of Ethics policy guides trustees 

on their duties to the College, to one another 

and to the State and provides responsible and 

ethical practices board members should follow 

as trustees (Policy 100-11). 

{Standard�Nine} Institutional Integrity 9-1

The College distributes information to the 

College community about existing ethical 

policies and procedures through a variety of 

methods. Periodically, mandatory workshops 

are conducted by human resources staff to 

provide ethics training to new and existing 

employees. Workshop examples can be found 

in the Standard Nine exhibits. The State 

Executive Ethics Board provides ethics tips that 

are distributed by email to all employees. The 

Ethics Board has also made presentations to 

senior administrators and the Board of Trustees 

about ethical issues. State employees are 

encouraged to report ethical violations directly 

to the State Executive Ethics Board, which 

oversees compliance of the EPSA. 

In addition, the College distributes 

information on the Whistleblower Program 

annually through email announcements and 

through brochures. State employees may file 

complaints through the State Auditor’s 

confidential Whistleblower Program. The 

Whistleblower Program covers violation of 

State law or regulation, substantial and specific 

danger to the public health and safety, gross 

waste of public funds, gross mismanagement, 

someone preventing the dissemination of 

scientific opinion or altering technical findings, 

or other improper governmental action per 

State law. 

The institution also requires students to 

adhere to high ethical standards. As part of an 

ongoing effort, the College has published 

materials related to student conduct and rights 

and responsibilities. The Student Conduct Code 

is available in hard copy and is posted online, 

which is searchable so students and employees 

may access information. The Student�Handbook 

is updated annually and distributed at the 

beginning of every academic year at student 

events and copies are available across the 

College. Academic honesty, classroom conduct, 

sexual harassment policies, general rules of 

conduct, disciplinary procedures and freedom 

of expression are addressed in the conduct 

code. 

Students have an option to resolve issues 

either informally or through formal 

administrative procedures if they do not believe 

the College has represented or treated them 

fairly. 

A student complaint mediator offers 

impartial and confidential dispute resolution 

services to students who want to discuss issues 

and concerns prior to accessing formal 

complaint or grievance procedures. In 2008, 

the College provided funding for the College’s 

multicultural services director, who represents 

and promotes diversity and advocates for 

students at the College, to take on the 

additional responsibilities as a student 

complaints mediator. The mediator’s role is to 

help explain College policies and procedures, 

facilitate communication, advise individuals 

about formal and administrative options, and 

counsel individuals about steps to resolve 

problems informally. The Student Complaints 

Mediator job description is available as a 

Standard Nine exhibit. 

Formal administrative policies allow 

students to file complaints or appeal College 

decisions. Administrative policies include a 

grade appeal process for students who believe a 

grade does not reflect their level of work in a 

class and a process for students to pursue 

complaints against the performance or action of 

a College employee. Students may also pursue 

the complaint process if they believe an 

employee has been unfair or inconsistent with 

College policy or practices. The complaint 

process encourages discussion of complaints 

informally and directly with the employee 

before moving into the formal aspects of the 

policy, which include expressing a complaint in 

writing to the employee and employee's 

immediate supervisor within a prescribed 

timeframe. Complaint policies are available in 

the Standard Nine exhibits. In addition, at the 

Board and College level, a process exists for 

students in which they can appeal disciplinary 

actions taken by the College against them. 

9-2 {Standard�Nine} Institutional Integrity

The College advocates high ethical 

standards by communicating with the 

community, employees, and students to share 

information, gather input, and provide 

transparency on issues taking place at the 

College. Olympic College also regularly works 

with the media to communicate to residents in 

local communities. More than 150 stories have 

been published through local media outlets 

from 2005 to 2008, providing information on 

new programs, services, changes, issues, and 

community events (see listing of stories at: 

http://instructors.olympic.edu/pubinfo/ocinthenews/def 

ault.aspx). 

Since 2001, the College has organized 

regular meetings of the President’s Advisory 

Council, consisting of community leaders and 

elected officials in Kitsap and Mason counties, 

to communicate updates and gather feedback 

and ideas for improvement. The College also 

regularly seeks feedback from community 

members who participate on College 

professional-technical advisory committees. 

The committees offer guidance and counsel on 

the direction of vocational programs at the 

College to keep programs current. 

Annually, the institution seeks input from 

current students to learn about their 

experiences with the College, their needs, and 

how the College can serve them better. The 

goal is to help enrich student services and 

learning at the institution. The dialog has 

provided valuable insight about the 

communities and students the College serves. 

The College is committed to open 

communication with employees to keep them 

informed and hear their comments and input. 

Consider, for example, the process followed 

during the recent budget reductions at the 

institution. Beginning in August 2008, the 

College President took steps to communicate 

directly with the College community about the 

impending recession and potential budget cuts 

that could result because of an economic 

downturn. In September 2008, the Cabinet 

established a goal of providing a transparent 

and open process to communicate and receive 

staff and faculty input. Information sent from 

the Governor’s office as well as the State Board 

of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) 

was forwarded to all college employees along 

with possible implications. At the same time, 

College employees were asked to contribute 

their ideas and suggestions regarding where 

potential cuts might be made across the 

College. Beginning in fall 2008 and running 

throughout 2009, a series of employee “budget 

brown bag” meetings were organized to answer 

employee questions, explain the College’s 

budget, explore state budget forecasts, and 

discuss possible impacts on Olympic College. 

An information site was set up online for 

College employees to review budget 

communications. 

Analysis.��The College learned important 

lessons in the process of reexamining the 

Mission, Vision, and Values statements (see 

Standard One). Many stakeholders viewed the 

statements as they existed as not matching the 

deeply held beliefs of the College. The College 

values were revised to reflect more clearly how 

the College wanted to act and treat others. The 

President’s Cabinet has created a new learning 

community process to explore the College 

values and how they may be integrated across 

all levels of the institution. The learning that 

has taken place has been valuable and the 

College could be strengthened if a process for 

measuring whether the values are successful in 

guiding the College was developed. 

The State complaint process has provided 

an avenue to report misconduct at the College 

confidentially. Within the past five years, 

Olympic College employees have filed two 

complaints with the State—one was for the 

violation of ethics by a staff member and one 

was under the Whistleblower Program for an 

employee’s personal use of public funds. When 

comparing all institutions on the open access 

Executive Ethics Board web site, Olympic 

College has had a relatively low number of 


violations during the eleven years on record 

(see: www.ethics.wa.gov/ENFORCEMENT/ 

Results_of_Enforcement.htm). 

The Student Complaint Mediator tracks the 

number of students who sought advice and 

counsel. The Student Complaint Mediator 

position has addressed student concerns that 

may occur, but it may be advantageous to 

determine the extent to which students are 

generally aware of this resource; as well as to 

assess whether those who have used it consider 

it effective. 

From 2001 to 2008, the College 

administered the ACT Two-Year Student 

Opinion Survey four times to gauge student 

opinions on the College’s environment. In the 

ACT Two-Year Student Opinion Survey, which is 

available as a Standard Nine exhibit, the 

percentage of students who strongly agreed 

that Olympic College is a comfortable 

environment for all students with an 

environment that is free of harassment of any 

kind, remained constant in 2001, 2003, and 

2004. The percentage of surveyed students who 

strongly agreed the College offered a 

comfortable and harassment free environment 

increased 9% from 2004 to 2008. Based on 

both sets of responses, students’ perceptions of 

the College environment have made some 

improvement since 2004. 

Perhaps a specific case will best illustrate 

Olympic College’s commitment to integrity and 

ethical behavior. Beginning in February 2007 

and continuing until publication of its last issue 

in the spring, The�Olympian (the College’s 

student run newspaper) included full page color 

advertisements featuring scantily clad exotic 

dancers. The ads, which can be found in the 

Standard Nine exhibits, sought Olympic College 

students to work as dancers at an adult club. 

While the College administration and Board of 

Trustees disagreed with the editor’s decision to 

run the advertisements on the grounds that this 

message did not represent the mission and 

values of Olympic College, they acted with 

restraint and integrity. The Board of Trustees 

and the administration used a public and open 

process to respond, publishing a letter in The� 

Olympian supporting the rights of the studentrun 

newspaper to make its own editorial and 

publishing decisions and encouraging the paper 

to accept ads in the future that would uphold 

and respect the values of the College. In 

response, student news editors wrote articles 

defending the running of the advertisements. 

Members of the student body reacted by 

organizing a peaceful protest in front of the 

student union building against the newspaper’s 

decision. The ad continued to run without 

interruption until the end of its contract despite 

public, student, and College opposition. 

As part of its efforts to communicate its 

experiences to the community and create open 

dialog, a Student Press Forum sponsored by the 

OC Journalism Club on the Bremerton campus 

offered discussion and debate over the First 

Amendment rights and ethical responsibilities 

of the student press. An open invitation was 

extended to College students, employees, and 

the community to attend. The event took place 

on April 24, 2008 and a panel consisting of 

media law experts, a local newspaper editor, an 

OC administrator and an OC professor 

expressed ideas and took questions. The event 

offered a learning opportunity for student 

journalists, the College, and community. � 

Policies�and�Procedures�� 

Description. Olympic College has made a 

concerted effort and substantial progress in the 

coordination of its policies and procedures since 

the last self study. In the evaluation 

committee’s accreditation report of 2001, 

Recommendation Four noted: � 

The�College�Board�of�Trustees�does�not� 

regularly�evaluate�and�revise�board�policies.�� 

A�regular�policy�review�process�should�be� 

implemented�by�the�Board.�� 


Since that report, the College has made 

significant strides in reviewing and revising the 

board policy manual. 

Coordination of policy development and 

maintenance of the Policy�and�Procedure� 

Manual for Olympic College is facilitated by the 

College’s rules coordinator; the manual 

contains policies adopted by the Board of 

Trustees and procedures guiding their 

implementation. The policies are statements 

that direct present and future decisions at 

Olympic College. The rules coordinator ensures 

that the College’s procedure and policy manual 

is updated and meets current needs. The 

assignment of a permanent rules coordinator 

has centralized the review and revision process 

to help create less confusion and provide 

greater coordination. 

All Board policies are available online and 

are searchable by category, title and policy 

number. Requests for copies of specific policies 

or policy questions can be directed to the rules 

coordinator, whose contact information is also 

available online. To make the policies easily 

searchable, a consistent format is used for each 

policy including title, policy number, and 

reference number to any applicable laws. Each 

policy also contains review dates, board 

approval dates, and the dates matching sections 

of the Washington Administrative Code were 

adopted (if applicable). 

The rules coordinator works with the 

attorney general’s office to determine which 

board policies need to be entered into the 

Washington Administrative Code (WAC). 

Policies pertaining to standards of admission, 

academic advancement, academic credit, 

graduation and the granting of degrees, 

employment relationships, or fiscal processes 

are not required to be entered into the 

Washington Administrative Code; however, 

policies that affect the rights or privileges of 

students or members of the community at large 

are usually codified in the WAC. If it is 

determined that a policy should be entered into 

the WAC, Board of Trustees meetings, in which 

policies are reviewed, serve as public hearings 

for the new WAC and are published as such in 

the Washington State Register. Policies are first 

introduced to the Board as information items, 

and then reviewed for authorization as action 

items at the following board meeting. 

In September 2007, the College established 

a Policy Standard containing procedures to 

provide a consistent framework for any staff, 

faculty, or students to initiate a new policy or 

modify an existing one. (The Policy Standard is 

available as a Standard Nine exhibit.) The 

procedures include development, formatting 

and coordination, review by college bodies and 

legal counsel, Board adoption, communication 

of the policy, revisions, and the WAC approval 

process. The rules coordinator may also 

recognize a need for a policy or amendment 

and petition community subject experts to 

propose the necessary modifications to the 

policy manual. 

College policies on student rights and 

responsibilities and complaint procedures are 

summarized in the annual catalog and in the OC� 

Student�Handbook. These publications are 

distributed at the beginning of each quarter at 

each campus, and are available throughout the 

year and in electronic format online. The New� 

Employee�Handbook and Adjunct�Employee� 

Handbook also contain summaries of College 

policies. 

Analysis. Assigning the rules coordinator 

position permanently in 2007 has greatly 

improved the process of creating, modifying 

and reviewing the College’s policies. Twentyeight 

out of the fifty-four existing policies have 

been written or revised since the last self study. 

Remaining policies are currently under review 

and will continue being reviewed on an ongoing 

basis. A grid was created by the rules 

coordinator to update and review policies 

systematically. The matrix lists all of the College 

policies with notations showing which have 

been revised or have some action that is still 


equired, and is available as a Standard Nine 

exhibit. The matrix also lists some issues where 

a policy may be developed. The rules 

coordinator continues to revise the grid as part 

of their regular job responsibilities to ensure 

policies are undergoing consistent and regular 

review. 

The College is also working on using new 

web technology to help make policies more 

accessible, visible and provide more 

opportunity for feedback and comments by the 


Integrity�of�Publications�� 

Description. In the evaluation committee’s 

accreditation report of 2001, Recommendation 

Three noted: 

�The�College�catalog�and�program�brochures� 

are�not�carefully�reviewed�and�edited�for� 

accuracy�and�consistency.��The�College� 

needs�to�develop�more�rigorous�protocols�to� 

ensure�that�all�publications�clearly�and� 

accurately�represent�the�institution�and�its� 

programs.�� 

The College has made strides to improve 

the quality, consistency, and accuracy of its 

publications since the previous self-study. At 

the time of the previous self-study, desktop 

publishing software had recently been 

introduced on Olympic College computers 

allowing individual departments to create their 

own brochures, fliers, posters, and postcards to 

promote programs and College services. As was 

the case with many organizations such as 

Olympic College, individual content creators 

generated publications with varying designs and 

inconsistent content. 

To enhance consistency and accuracy of 

publications throughout the institution, the 

development of admissions and program 

brochures was centralized, the department in 

charge of creating core publications was 

restructured, consistency and accuracy tools 

were created for College departments to use in 

their areas, and communication about the 

importance of a consistent brand was promoted 

across the College. These steps have 

significantly increased information consistency 

and accuracy. 

Enrollment Services first initiated a process 

that centralized admissions and program 

publications in 2003. Each year, new 

publications are created within Enrollment 

Services using information derived from the 

new catalog, thus ensuring consistency and 

accuracy from year to year. 

In 2004, the department responsible for 

publications underwent reorganization with a 

name change to the Communications 

Department. A communications director with 

editing, design and content facilitation 

responsibilities was hired in 2004. A creative 

design manager was hired in 2005 to help 

organize and develop the course catalog, 

quarterly class schedule, annual report, and 

College image standards. As part of the 

reorganization effort, new processes, systems, 

and procedures were implemented to track, 

monitor, and standardize development and 

review of these core publications. 

For the catalog, which is widely used by the 

College as a source for print and web 

publication content, a new procedure was 

created in 2004 to track and update content to 

increase accuracy. The review process is 

conducted via shared folders allowing 

widespread involvement while simultaneously 

providing review checkpoints prior to 

publication. The procedure has also been 

adopted by some College departments for their 

content to increase consistency and accuracy 

and is used to cross check with current catalog 

content. A similar system was put in place to 

update and revise content in the annual facts 

and figure brochure and the quarterly class 

schedule, the View. The�View�is distributed 

widely and used for outreach events, 

recruitment, and public awareness. 


In addition to these new processes for core 

publications, the Communications Department 

has provided training and tools to communicate 

the importance of consistency to College 

communicators. The Communications 

Department provided one-on-one consultation 

on 193 print and web projects to forty-nine 

departments in 2007-08 (the most recent year 

that data was available). A clearinghouse of 

consistency and accuracy tools was also 

developed by the Communications Department 

for individual departments to supplement their 

processes and check content in their areas. The 

tools are available on the Communications 

Resources portal, a collaborative internal web 

sharing site, and are promoted regularly to the 


Web content created by College 

departments continues to be evaluated and 

improved. Web information is created and 

managed using a college-wide content 

management system (CMS) on the College’s 

web site. Individual department authors are 

assigned to areas of the web site and kept on 

file with Information Technology. Assigned 

authors use the CMS to make frequent or 

annual updates to content as needed. An 

online consistency and accuracy tool (similar to 

the tool used for print materials) is currently 

under development by Information Technology 

to help web content authors augment their 

processes and manage and check their content. 

In addition to content, institutional design 

standards are used to ensure design is 

consistent across the College. Design standards 

are defined in the OC�Branding�Toolkit, which 

includes information about photo guidelines, 

use of the logo, and required federal or state 

statements. Visual inspections of bulletin 

boards, elevators, College offices, and public 

areas are conducted regularly during the year to 

gauge use of the templates across the College. 

As an additional service, the 

Communications Department offers counsel to 

departments that have questions about design 

and content. The service gives departments the 

option to seek assistance and advice on how 

they can produce consistent and accurate 

materials for students and the public. 

Analysis.��The College has made significant 

improvements since the previous self-study in 

the accuracy and consistency of its publications. 

The ACT Two-Year Student Opinion survey given 

to students in 2003 found that fifty-eight 

percent of those that took the survey believed 

“Olympic College represents itself accurately 

and consistently through its catalogs, 

publications and official statements.” By 2008, 

the percentage had increased to sixty-five 

percent. 

As part of overall efforts to assess whether 

content has improved in consistency and 

accuracy, a publications review audit was 

conducted in fall 2008 by representatives from 

Admissions, Advising, Registration and Records, 

Communications, Continuing Education and 

Student Programs. The group evaluated and 

compared publication content prepared for the 

2008-09 year for consistency and accuracy. In 

total, 168 publications from across the College 

were reviewed, including College advertising, 

brochures, fliers, posters and other materials. 

Overall, program information in current 

publications was consistent with content in the 

current catalog, with nine printed materials 

considered out of date. (Content Review forms 

are available as Standard Nine exhibits.) As part 

of the evaluation, it was found that 104 

materials out of 168 did not have department 

contacts or dates of publication. When looking 

at printed materials, it was determined it would 

be difficult to track over time when content was 

out of date or when information was last 

revised. Based on the review audit, it was 

recommended that Olympic College 

publications begin including revision dates and 

contacts so departments could ensure 

publications were current and could archive 

them when needed. 


It is recommended that a review process be 

conducted annually to ensure continual 

assessment and improvement in content 

management across the College. 

Conflict�of�Interest�� 

Description. The College is committed to 

avoiding conflicts of interest. Employees 

adhere to State ethics policies, which contain 

language about conflicts of interest. The Board 

of Trustees also has its own ethics policy, which 

holds members accountable to the same 

standard as employees. 

In addition, the State’s Office of Financial 

Management’s State Administrative and 

Accounting Manual (SAAM) mandates that 

State employees must follow policies and 

procedures to prevent conflicts of interest (see 

page 14, www.ofm.wa.gov/policy/ch15.pdf). SAAM 

is the source that provides control and 

accountability over financial and administrative 

affairs of the State of Washington. 

Analysis.��All new exempt, classified, and 

faculty employees receive an orientation on 

policies and procedures of the College, 

including conflict of interest. They also receive 

an Employee�Handbook that includes 

information on conflict of interest in hard copy 

for their personal reference. Other references 

to conflict of interest and codes of conduct can 

be found in the Standard Code of Conduct letter 

that is distributed annually with exempt 

contracts, which must be reviewed and signed 

on an annual basis. The Standard Code of 

Conduct letter is available as a Standard Nine 

exhibit. 

Free�Pursuit�and�Dissemination�of�Knowledge�� 

Description. Olympic College values the 

open exchange of ideas and promotes academic 

freedom through policy and contract. Candor 

and rigor in debate are valued at the institution. 

OC faculty members are encouraged to pursue 

the free exchange of ideas and participate in 

professional development through associations, 

conferences, and sabbaticals. Specifically, a 

statement about the importance and protection 

of academic freedom is included in the 

collective bargaining agreement between the 

Association for Higher Education and Olympic 

College. The agreement entitles instructors to 

academic freedom in the classroom and 

freedom from censorship and discipline for any 

speaking or writing activities that take place 

outside Olympic College (see Standard Four). 

Along with the clear statement that 

protects the free flow of ideas in the classroom, 

the College community demonstrates a 

commitment to diversity, collaboration, 

innovation and discourse through frequent 

events and opportunities that promote and 

exercise new perspectives and expression of 

thought. Professional development is 

promoted among faculty through funding for 

use in attending professional conferences and 

workshops, the purchase of academic materials, 

or other opportunities a faculty member deems 

beneficial to personal and professional 

development. Faculty members are 

encouraged to investigate new developments in 

their field and to explore new avenues of 

thought. 

Staff, faculty and students participate in the 

exchange of ideas by organizing events that 

represent diverse perspectives. In the Student 

Conduct Code policy, the College has ensured 

freedom of expression for students. As written 

in the codified policy: “Students and student 

organizations shall be free to examine and to 

discuss all questions of interest to them and to 

express opinions publicly and privately.” 

Official policy statements regarding free 

pursuit of ideas, freedom to engage and express 

thoughts and actions, and communication of 

knowledge may be found in the faculty 

contract, the student conduct code, and the 

Olympic�College�Catalog. These official policy 

statements are available in print and online. 


Analysis. Examples of academic freedom 

and freedom of expression are exemplified in 

the events and discussions that take place at 

the College. Annually, a forum promoting 

voting and civic participation is held each year 

at OC. Members of the Washington State 

Legislature and local government officials 

discuss ideas and issues with the College 

community and the public. The faculty and 

classified union representatives regularly hold 

STANDARD�NINE:��STRENGTHS�AND�RECOMMENDATIONS� 

Strengths:� 

• The College has a strong commitment to 

ethical behavior for students, staff, and 

faculty that is emphasized through its 

policies and procedures. 

• Development of publication standards 

and processes has created a consistent 

College image in print and electronic 

formats. 

• The College supports the free exchange 

of ideas and freedom of expression 

through its policies and procedures for 

staff, faculty, and students. 

• Board policies undergo active and regular 

review. A grid has been developed to 

monitor progress on all policies, including 

action that needs to be taken to update 

existing policies. 

events for their members and the College, 

supporting discussion about the College 

community, leadership and service, and society 

at large. 

Students participate in and organize events 

that support the expression of ideas. In 

previous years, students and student clubs have 

organized and presented nationally known 

speakers on racial relations, gay and lesbian 

rights, and diverse cultures. 


• Incorporate the principles of the College's 

values statements into long-term College 

planning and operations and create a 

process for measuring whether the 

College's values statements are 

successful in guiding the College. 

• Conduct an integrated continuous review 

process of print and electronic materials 

to ensure accuracy and provide 

recommended improvements. 


This Self-Study Report is printed on recycled paper.

Accreditation Contact Points 

[Area Code 360; dial only the last four digits from campus phones] 

President David Mitchell 475-7101 dmitchell@olympic.edu 

Vice President, Instruction Mary Garguile 475-7401 mgarguile@olympic.edu 

Vice President, Administrative Serv. Barbara Martin 475-7501 bmartin@olympic.edu 

Vice President, Student Services Rick MacLennan 475-7476 rmaclennan@olympic.edu 

Accreditation Chair Rick MacLennan 475-7476 rmaclennan@olympic.edu 

Standard One Contacts Donald Robertson 475-7739 drobertson@olympic.edu 

Kristy Anderson 475-7108 kanderson@olympic.edu 

Standard Two Contacts Mary Garguile 475-7401 mgarguile@olympic.edu 

Dick Strand 475-7360 rstrand@olympic.edu 

Judi Brown 475-7701 jbrown@olympic.edu 

Kim McNamara 475-7535 kmcnamara@olympic.edu 

Standard Three Contacts Gina Huston 475-7767 ghuston@olympic.edu 

Rick MacLennan 475-7476 rmaclennan@olympic.edu 

Standard Four Contacts Chris Stokke 394-2748 cstokke@olympic.edu 

Rick MacLennan 475-7476 rmaclennan@olympic.edu 

Standard Five Contacts Jack Hanson 475-7622 jhanson@olympic.edu 

Ruth Ross 475-7163 rross@olympic.edu 

Standard Six Contacts John Babbo 475-7537 jbabbo@olympic.edu 

Ruth Ross 475-7163 rross@olympic.edu 

Standard Seven Contacts Janell Whiteley 475-7504 jwhiteley@olympic.edu 

Barbara Martin 475-7501 bmartin@olympic.edu 

Standard Eight Contacts Bill Wilkie 478-7835 bwilkie@olympic.edu 

Barbara Martin 475-7501 bmartin@olympic.edu 

Standard Nine Contact Jennifer Hayes 475-7721 jhayes@olympic.edu 

www.olympic.edu

Self-Study Report - Olympic College

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