RVCC 2019 NECHE Self-Study

“Soar into your Future!” 

Accreditation Self-Study 

February 2019 

Prepared for the New England Commission on Institutions of Higher Education 

(NECHE) 

River Valley Community College ● One College Place, Claremont, NH 03743 ● (603) 542-7744 ● www.rivervalley.edu 

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Table of Contents 

INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS .............................................................................................................. iii 

CHIEF INSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS .............................................................................................................. ix 

ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS ........................................................................................................................... x 

TABLE OF CIHE ACTIONS, ITEMS OF SPECIAL ATTENTION, OR CONCERNS ............................................... xxiv 

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 

RVCC STANDARD COMMITTEES .................................................................................................................... 3 

INSTITUTIONAL OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................... 4 

Standard One ................................................................................................................................................ 8 

Standard Two............................................................................................................................................. 14 

Standard Three ........................................................................................................................................... 27 

Standard Four ............................................................................................................................................. 37 

Standard Five .............................................................................................................................................. 58 

Standard Six ................................................................................................................................................ 76 

Standard Seven ........................................................................................................................................... 97 

Standard Eight .......................................................................................................................................... 119 

Standard Nine ........................................................................................................................................... 136 

Appendices ................................................................................................................................................ 151 

Affirmation of Compliance with Federal Regulations Relating to Title IV ............................................ 151 

E-Series Forms ....................................................................................................................................... 153 

Management Letter & Financial Report…………………………………………………………………………………………..171 

List of Documents/Exhibits ................................................................................................................... 261 

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INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS 

Institutional Characteristics Form Revised September 2009 

Date: November 6, 2018 

1. Corporate name of institution: River Valley Community College 

2. Date institution was chartered or authorized: 1961 

3. Date institution enrolled first students in degree programs: 1968 

4. Date institution awarded first degrees: 1970 

5. Type of control: 

Public 

Private 

State 

City 

Other 

(Specify) _________________ 

Independent, not-for-profit 

Religious Group 

(Name of Church) __________________________ 

Proprietary 

Other: (Specify) ___________________ 

6. By what agency is the institution legally authorized to provide a program of education beyond 

high school, and what degrees is it authorized to grant? State of New Hampshire – Associate in Arts, 

Associate in Science 

_______________________________________________________________________________ 

7. Level of postsecondary offering (check all that apply) 

Less than one year of work 

First professional degree 

At least one but less than two years 

Master’s and/or work beyond the first 

professional degree 

Diploma or certificate programs of 

Work beyond the master’s level 

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at least two but less than four years 

Associate degree granting program 

of at least two years 

but not at the doctoral level 

A doctor of philosophy or 

equivalent degree 

Four- or five-year baccalaureate 

program 

Other doctoral programs 

degree granting 

Other (Specify) 

8. Type of undergraduate programs (check all that apply) 

Occupational training at the 

crafts/clerical level (certificate 

or diploma) 

Liberal arts and general 

Occupational training at the technical 

or semi-professional level 

(degree) 

Teacher preparatory 

Two-year programs designed for 

full transfer to a baccalaureate 

degree 

__________________ 

Professional 

Other_Non- Credit Workshops 

9. The calendar system at the institution is: 

Semester Quarter Trimester Other __________________ 

10. What constitutes the credit hour load for a full-time equivalent (FTE) student each semester? 

a) Undergraduate __12_____ credit hours 

b) Graduate __N/A_____ credit hours 

c) Professional __N/A_____ credit hours 

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11. Student population: 

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a) Degree-seeking students: 

Undergraduate Graduate Total 

Full-time student headcount 

189 N/A 189 

Part-time student headcount 

653 N/A 653 

FTE 

573.3 N/A 573.3 

b) Number of students (headcount) in non-credit, short-term courses: ______229_______ 

12. List all programs accredited by a nationally recognized, specialized accrediting agency. 

Program Agency Accredited since Last Reviewed Next Review 

Accounting 

Business 

Management 

Medical 

Assistant 

Medical 

Laboratory 

Technician 

Nursing 

Occupational 

Therapy 

Assistant 

Association of 

Collegiate 

Business 

Schools & 

Programs 

(ACBSP) 

Association of 

Collegiate 

Business 

Schools & 

Programs 

(ACBSP) 

Commission on 

Accreditation of 

Allied Health 

Education 

Programs 

(CAAHEP) 

National 

Accrediting 

Agency for 

Clinical 

Laboratory 

Sciences 

(NAACLS) 

Accreditation 

Commission for 

Education in 

Nursing 

(ACEN) 

Accreditation 

Council for 

Occupational 

Therapy 

Education 

(ACOTE) 

2008 2008 2019 

2008 2008 2019 

1982 2015 2023 

1970 2018 2028 

2002 (NLNAC) 

2016 (ACEN) 

2016 2021 

1973 2018 2023

Physical 

Therapy 

Assistant 

Radiologic 

Technology 

Respiratory 

Therapy 

Commission on 

Accreditation in 

Physical 

Therapy 

Education 

(CAPTE) 

Joint Review 

Committee on 

Education in 

Radiologic 

Technology 

(JRCERT) 

Commission on 

Accreditation of 

Respiratory 

Care (COARC) 

1978 2015 2025 

2014 2018 2019 

1976 2016 2026 

13. Off-campus Locations. List all instructional locations other than the main campus. For each site, 

indicate whether the location offers full-degree programs or 50% or more of one or more degree 

programs. Record the full-time equivalent enrollment (FTE) for the most recent year. 

Add more rows as needed. 

A. In-state Locations 

Full degree 50%-99% FTE 

Academic Center in Keene X x * 

Academic Center in Lebanon x * 

*FTE for academic centers is not 

calculated separately 

B. Out-of-state Locations 

14. International Locations: For each overseas instructional location, indicate the name of the program, 

the location, and the headcount of students enrolled for the most recent year. An overseas 

instructional location is defined as “any overseas location of an institution, other than the main 

campus, at which the institution matriculates students to whom it offers any portion of a degree 

program or offers on-site instruction or instructional support for students enrolled in a predominantly 

or totally on-line program.” Do not include study abroad locations. 

N/A 

15. Degrees and certificates offered 50% or more electronically: For each degree or Title IV-eligible 

certificate, indicate the level (certificate, associate, baccalaureate, master’s, professional, doctoral), 

the percentage of credits that may be completed on-line, and the FTE of matriculated students for the 

most recent year. Enter more rows as needed. 

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Name of program Degree level % online 

FTE 

AY18 

Accounting Associate 85% 37 

Accounting Certificate 83% 3.5 

Advanced Accounting Certificate 70% 1 

Business Management Concentration Associate 90% 63.84 

Business Management Certificate 85% 3.83 

Criminal Justice Associate 55% 18.34 

Early Childhood Education Associate 85% 63.5 

Early Childhood Education Level I Certificate 85% 2 

Early Childhood Education Level II Certificate 85% 6 

Early Childhood Education Infant & Toddler Certificate 85% 0.75 

General Studies 1 + 2 + 3 Associate 50% 227.67 

General Studies 1 Associate 1.17 



Liberal Arts Associate 80% 108.08 

Medical Administrative Assistant Certificate 83% 7.67 

Social Services Associate 50% 21.75 

Social Services Certificate 66% 0 

16. Instruction offered through contractual relationships: For each contractual relationship through 

which instruction is offered for a Title IV-eligible degree or certificate, indicate the name of the contractor, 

the location of instruction, the program name, and degree or certificate, and the number of credits that may 

be completed through the contractual relationship. Enter more rows as needed. 

None 

17. List by name and title the chief administrative officers of the institution. 

Table provided on following page. 

18. Supply a table of organization for the institution. While the organization of any institution will 

depend on its purpose, size and scope of operation, institutional organization usually includes four 

areas. Although every institution may not have a major administrative division for these areas, the 

following outline may be helpful in charting and describing the overall administrative organization: 

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a) Organization of academic affairs, showing a line of responsibility to president for each 

department, school division, library, admissions office, and other units assigned to this area; 

b) Organization of student affairs, including health services, student government, intercollegiate 

activities, and other units assigned to this area; 

c) Organization of finances and business management, including plant operations and maintenance, 

non-academic personnel administration, IT, auxiliary enterprises, and other units assigned to this 

area; 

d) Organization of institutional advancement, including fund development, public relations, alumni 

office and other units assigned to this area. 

19. Record briefly the central elements in the history of the institution: 

History of the institution: 

Date Event 

1961 New Hampshire Legislature authorized the development of 5 vocational institutes [RSA 

188-1] to prepare qualified high school graduates or the equivalent as skilled workers 

to meet the occupational needs of the state. 

1968 New Hampshire Vocational Institute at Claremont opens. 

1969 Name of NH Vocational Institute is changed to New Hampshire Vocational Technical 

College at Claremont. 

1973 NH Vocational Technical College at Claremont is accredited by NEASC (CTCI). 

1989 NH Vocational Technical College at Claremont name is changed to New Hampshire 

Technical College at Claremont. 

1996 NH Technical College name is changed to New Hampshire Community Technical 

College (NHCTC) at Claremont. 

1996 NHCTC at Claremont is merged with NHCTC at Nashua to form one regional college. 

1999 NHCTC at Claremont implements an Associate in Arts degree 

2002 NHCTC- Claremont/Nashua is accredited by NEASC (CIHE) 

2004 NHCTC at Claremont opens the Keene Academic Center. 

2006 Reorganization results in the separation of merged colleges, creating New Hampshire 

Community Technical College at Claremont as one college. 

2007 New Hampshire Technical College System reorganizes as a self-governing entity under 

the Board of Trustees and changes its name to the Community College System of New 

Hampshire. 

2008 Renamed River Valley Community College 

2012 Fifth Year Report to NEASC 

2013-2014 Renovation of the RVCC Claremont facility 

2016 RVCC opens the Academic Center of Excellence in Lebanon, N.H. (Former Lebanon 

College) 

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CHIEF INSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS 

Function or Office Name Exact Title Year of Appointment 

Chair Board of Trustees Jeremy Hitchcock Chairperson, 

CCSNH Board of Trustees 

President/CEO Alfred Williams President 2018 

Executive Vice President 

Chief Academic Officer Aimee Jahn VP of Academic Affairs 2018 

Deans of Schools and Colleges 

(insert rows as needed) 

Chief Financial Officer Andrea Allbee Business Affairs Officer 2016 

2018 

Chief Student Services Officer Jennifer Cournoyer Interim Associate VP of 

Student Affairs 

2018 

Planning 

Institutional Research 

Assessment 

Development 

Library James Allen Director of the Library 2008 

Chief Information Officer Shubhashish Mathema IT Manager 2017 

Continuing Education Daniel Osborn Coordinator of Workforce 

& Community Education 

2017 

Grants/Research 

Admissions Kathy Aldrich Admissions Counselor 2017 

Registrar Jillian Davis Registrar 2018 

Financial Aid Julia Dower Director of Financial Aid 2005 

Public Relations 

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ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS 

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TABLE OF CIHE ACTIONS, ITEMS OF SPECIAL 

ATTENTION, OR CONCERNS 

TABLE OF CIHE ACTIONS, ITEMS OF SPECIAL ATTENTION, OR CONCERNS 

Date of 

CIHE 

Letter 

Detailed Actions, Items of Special Attention, or 

Concerns 

CIHE 

Standards 

cited in Letter 

January Provide update on Radiologic Technology program 

26, 2017 following JRCERT site evaluation Spring 2018 

January 

26, 2017 

January 

26, 2017 

January 

26, 2017 

January 

25, 2016 

Provide update on Lebanon, NH location with 

emphasis on: 

Achieving enrollment goals for location 

o Increase enrollment by 5% annually 

o Increase non-credit offerings in 

workforce development and 

continuation at the site by 6% 


emphasis on: 

Competing facility improvements to 

enhance the academic and student services 

available to students 

o Converting classrooms to smart 

classrooms 

o Upgrading technology 

o Upgrading security 

o Creation of a multi-healthcare and 

science lab to enable expansion of 

STEM and healthcare programs at 

the site 


emphasis on: 

Implementing plans to ensure stable 

leadership for the institution and Lebanon 

Academic Center 

Implementing New Data management system with 

emphasis on assessing data and using results to 

inform planning and decision-making 

N/A 152 

Self-Study 

Page Number 

Students 22, 42, 53, 66, 

111 

Institutional 

Resources 

(7.21) 

Planning & 

Evaluation 

(2.3) 

Organization & 

Governance 

(3.12) 

Planning & 

Evaluation 

(2.2) 

112 

17, 35 

19, 95, 128 

January 

25, 2016 

January 

25, 2016 

Assuring appropriate student participation in the 

governance and planning process of the College 

Evaluating the effectiveness of the Strategic 

Enrollment Management Plan with emphasis on 

achieving student success and retention goals 

Educational 

Effectiveness 

(8.3, 8.5, 8.6, 

8.10) 


Governance 

(3.16) 

Planning & 

Evaluation 

(2.6, 2.8) 

35 

65 

January 

25, 2016 

Developing risk assessment and financial plans to 

inform decisions related to institutional growth with 

attention to expanding to new locations 

Planning & 

Evaluation 

(2.4) 

17, 103 

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Institutional 

Resources 

(7.6, 7.14) 

TABLE OF CIHE ACTIONS, ITEMS OF SPECIAL ATTENTION, OR CONCERNS (CONTINUED) 

Date of 

CIHE 

Letter 

January 

25, 2016 

November 

18, 2013 

Detailed Actions, Items of Special Attention, or 

Concerns 

Implementing leadership transition plans with 

emphasis on stabilizing turnover and filling interim 

positions with permanent employees to assure that 

the Extended Leadership Team is functioning 

effectively 

Continued success in offering programs at its offcampus 

instructional locations 

Assuring sufficient faculty to offer the 

programs in Keene 

CIHE 

Standards 

cited in Letter 

Planning & 

Evaluation 

(2.3) 


Governance 

(3.12) 

Teaching, 

Learning & 

Scholarship 

(6.2) 

Self-Study 

Page Number 

2, 19, 44 

53, 85 

November 

18, 2013 

Continued success in offering programs at its offcampus 

instructional locations: 

Using the results of the program review of 

the Advanced Machine Technology program 

offered in Lebanon to make improvements 

The Academic 

Program (4.6) 

42, 53 

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INTRODUCTION 

River Valley Community College (RVCC) began the self-study process in 2015, with the 

following goals in mind: 

 

 

 

To improve the College’s ability to meet the needs of all students; 

To demonstrate the College’s ability to persevere and provide high quality education 

for students even in the midst of challenging times; 

To highlight the College’s areas of strength and communicate readiness to build 

upon these strengths moving forward. 

The president at the time, Dr. Harvey-Smith, identified and appointed a chair for each 

standard. On October 15 th , 2015, all Standard Chairs were sent to participate in the Self- 

Study Workshop in Southbridge, MA. Upon returning to campus, under the direction of the 

Special Assistant to the President, the Standard Chairs met and developed a timeline for 

data collection and completion of the self-study. In order to ensure wide participation, all 

members of the college community were charged with volunteering for a Standard that 

was of interest to them. Standard committees were finalized during the Fall 2015 

semester, based on the 2013 Standards for Accreditation. 

In 2016, with the consolidation from eleven to nine Standards for Accreditation, the 

standard committees were re-formatted to reflect the new standards. Committees were 

also updated to reflect current employment at the College, and to ensure that all college 

faculty and staff were given a voice in the process. Simultaneously, the project oversight 

was transitioned to the Associate Vice-President of Academic Affairs (AVPAA) of the Keene 

Academic Center (KAC) who currently serves as a faculty member and the Department 

Chair of the Business department. 

In AY 2016-2017, due to multiple changes in administration, RVCC was granted permission 

from NECHE to postpone the self-study from Spring of 2018 to Spring of 2019. Standard 

committees began meeting in the Spring Semester of 2017 to work individually on their 

standards and to begin preparations for data collection in Fall of 2017. Each Standard 

Chair or Co-Chair was responsible for setting meeting dates and agendas, working with 

and guiding their committees, and gathering data to address the required information. 

During the “Faculty and Staff Work Weeks” in fall 2017, which are the traditional kick-off 

to the academic year, Dr. Patricia O’Brien travelled to RVCC and presented to the entire 

college community. At this August 24, 2017 visit, Dr. O’Brien’s presentation highlighted 

the process of accreditation, some areas to pay attention to when gathering data and 

writing standards, and information to clarify questions on the consolidation of the 

standards. The standard committees then proceeded to break out sessions where each 

committee could review the work that had been done in Spring 2017, review their 

progress, and ask questions of Dr. O’Brien. Following the break-out sessions, the 

Standard Chairs met with Dr. O’Brien to wrap up with any follow-up questions that they 

had. 

Standard Chairs continued to work on gathering data, and in Fall of 2017, a “one voice” 

writer was appointed to write the self-study. During the Spring 2018 Faculty Work Week 

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in January, the one-voice writer outlined the timeline of requests for data from Standard 

committees and presented the process she would follow for writing of the narrative. 

On April 25, 2018, the college community was once again visited by a NECHE 

representative. Dr. Carol Anderson came to speak with the college community regarding 

self-study preparation, a review of the Standards for Accreditation, Commission 

Expectations, and Areas of Emphasis. This presentation was very helpful in highlighting 

specific sub-standards that teams needed to focus on and Dr. Anderson reviewed specific 

areas that RVCC specifically needed to highlight from previous letters the college had 

received from NECHE. At this visit, Standard Chairs were able to meet directly with Dr. 

Anderson and clarify any additional questions that had come up since the visit from Dr. 

O’Brien. 

Writing continued throughout the Summer of 2018, and in October 2018, oversight of the 

process was turned over to the new Interim Associate Vice President of Student Affairs 

(IAVPSA). The initial draft of the report was submitted to an external review board for 

comment. Their feedback, along with updates from the President and his administration 

were incorporated into the report. 

In Fall 2018, presentations on the accreditation process and the self-study report were 

made at the All-College Staff Meeting and to the Student Government Association. A draft 

report was submitted to NECHE in November of 2018 and Carol Anderson visited campus 

on December 5 th , 2018 to review and provide feedback on the draft. A team comprised of 

the original one-voice writer, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and the Interim 

Associate Vice President of Student Affairs was tasked with making final revisions to the 

draft in December of 2018. The team solicited feedback from student readers who 

provided their input at a meeting on January 3, 2019. Final revisions were shared with 

each standard committee in January of 2019. The final draft was submitted to NECHE in 

February of 2019. 

While this process was started early, the college community recognizes that turnover in 

administration, college personnel, and therefore standard committee memberships 

provided some challenges. The leadership of President Williams and his administration has 

lent a new focus and clarity to the self-study process, and the report contained herein is an 

accurate reflection of RVCC’s strengths, areas for improvement, and expectations for the 

College going forward. 

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RVCC STANDARD COMMITTEES 

Committee Membership 

Standard One – Mission & Purpose 

Standard Six – Teaching, Learning, & Scholarship 

Kevin Krawiec, Faculty (Chair) 

Laurie Clute, Faculty (Chair) 

Robert Morris, Faculty 

Rich Andrusiak, Faculty 

Jen Saylor, Faculty 

Ken Czechowicz, Faculty 

Sue Prasch, Faculty 

Standard Two – Planning & Evaluation 

Denise Ruby, Faculty 

Kerry Belknap Morris, Faculty (Co-Chair) Martha Mott, Staff 

Susan Prasch, Faculty (Co-Chair) 

Kathy Aldrich, Staff 

Standard Seven – Institutional Resources 

Cathy Gorman, Staff 

Andrea Albee, Staff (Chair) 

Gloria Oakes, Staff 

Ken Czechowicz, Faculty 

Kathi Rheaume, Staff 

Jim Allen, Staff 

James Carroll, Staff 

Standard Three – Organization & Governance Pat Labrecque, Staff 

Jim Allen, Staff (Chair) 

Michelle Lockwood, Staff 

Charlene Ashey, Staff 

Crystal Thibodeau, Staff 

Jerry Appell, Staff 

Christine Cavanaugh, Staff 

Standard Eight – Educational Effectiveness 

Morgan Sailer, Staff 

Linda Richelson, Staff (Co-Chair) 

Jillian Davis, Staff (Co-Chair) 

Standard Four – The Academic Program 

Michelle Luciano-Torres, Faculty 

Kim-Laura Boyle, Faculty (Co-Chair) 

Michelle Kainen, Faculty 

Aimee Jahn, VPAA (Co-Chair) 

Lisa Gould, Faculty 

Amanda Couitt, Faculty 

Standard Nine – Integrity, Transparency, & Public 

Disclosure 

Jim Allen, Staff (Chair) 

Standard Five – Students 

Laura Hanson, Staff 

Nickole Milo, Staff (Chair) 

Dan Osborn, Staff 

Julie Robinson, Faculty 

Naomi Drury, Staff 

Julia Dower, Staff 

Cathy Driesch, Staff 

Rianna Villemaire, Staff 

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INSTITUTIONAL OVERVIEW 

River Valley Community College is a small, rural community college which celebrated its 

50 th year anniversary in 2018. Originally named New Hampshire Vocational Institute at 

Claremont, it opened in 1968 with 129 students, and became an immediate source of the 

pride for the Claremont, New Hampshire area. The first graduating class was composed of 

twenty-six nurses, twelve medical assistants, and nine medical laboratory students, 

beginning a tradition of excellence in the allied health field that continues today. 

River Valley Community College is one of seven colleges that make up the Community 

College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH, “the System”). CCSNH is overseen by a 

Chancellor and a Board of Trustees. While RVCC works within a system, each college is 

directed by its own President who is responsible for the organizational structure of the 

institution; and its own Board of Trustees. Each college is responsible for its own 

budgeting system, developing its own academic offerings to meet the needs of the region 

it serves, and creating its own strategic plan; all while working collaboratively under the 

umbrella of CCSNH. 

RVCC is located on the western border of the state of New Hampshire. The College’s 

service area extends from Keene, NH in the southwestern portion of the state, up to 

Hanover, NH to the north, spanning approximately eighty-five miles. It also extends 

westerly into the state of Vermont approximately fifty miles and easterly to the Lakes 

Region of New Hampshire, another 50 miles. In addition, students attending some of our 

unique Allied Health and Health Science programs regularly commute two hours one way 

to attend classes, as there are no other institutions that offer these programs in the area. 

In academic year 2017-2018, RVCC served 859 credit students and 229 non-credit 

students. The average age of the student population is 30 and the majority of the 

students (78%) attend part time. Approximately 80% of students are eligible for financial 

aid. The College’s academic offerings include one Associate in Arts Degree, 17 Associate in 

Science Degree programs, and 14 Certificate Programs. For academic year 2017-2018, 

RVCC reported 192 program completers with 120 associate degrees awarded, and 72 

certificates. The College offers a variety of courses, both on-ground and online, at the 

Claremont campus and at two academic centers located in Keene, NH (KAC) and Lebanon, 

NH (LAC), and RVCC students generally express satisfaction with their educational 

experiences at the College (Figure 1). 

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A recurring theme discussed throughout the process of this self-study is the constant state 

of flux at the administrative level of the College. After several years without consistent 

leadership, RVCC selected a new president, Alfred Williams, and promoted a new Vice 

President of Academic Affairs (VPAA), Aimee Jahn, from inside the Institution. President 

Williams also recruited an Interim Associate Vice President of Student Affairs (IAVPSA), 

Jenn Cournoyer. The appointment of both a new President and the IAVPSA who bring 

outside vision, and the VPAA who has intimate knowledge of the College, has reinvigorated 

the faculty and staff at RVCC and confirmed that the College is continuing to move down 

the right path. Upon his arrival in July 2018, President Williams committed to ensuring that 

student success would stay at the forefront of everything the College does, articulating his 

vision to the Executive Leadership Team and at the Fall 2018 All-College Staff Meeting 

that: 

 

 

 

 

The College meets the educational and workforce needs of the community through a 

focus on retention and completion. 

The College provides training for the workforce by offering Certificates and Degrees 

leading directly to work opportunities, and consistently works with area employers 

to evaluate programs and offerings. 

The College provides direct pathways to transfer options. 

The College engages in consistent self-evaluation to remove roadblocks for students 

and ensure student success. 

The process of this self-study has also highlighted some significant developments and 

areas of achievement in the years since the progress report submitted to NECHE in 

February of 2015, in line with the 2018 Strategic Plan. These include: 

 

 

 

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A new mission statement that more accurately reflects the aims of the College, and 

a strategic plan to support those aims. 

New safety and security features including a security system with cameras, a parttime 

Chief Security Officer, and Blue Phones in the Claremont parking lot. 

Improvements to academic programs including the redesign of the Social Services 

and Criminal Justice programs, the addition of the Radiologic Tech program, the 

development and implementation of co-requisite mathematics, the ability of the

Physical Therapist Assistant program to accept more students, and the opening of 

the Academic Center in Lebanon, NH. 

New methods for open communication in the College including a bi-weekly 

Presidential newsletter for faculty and staff, a monthly newsletter for students, a 

new texting service for students, the installation of Zoom equipment for both 

classroom and faculty/staff use, and coordination of social media by the President’s 

Assistant. 

Better reporting and fiscal management implemented by the BAO which have 

stabilized the College’s finances 

River Valley Community College takes pride in the fact that it has been educating students 

in western New Hampshire for fifty years. The College’s alumni are working in medical 

occupations, at technology firms, and in private businesses throughout our service 

area. RVCC’s main campus in Claremont is located in an area defined by the Chronicle of 

Higher Education as an educational desert, meaning that the population only has one lowcost 

option for college in a fifty-mile area. Thus, it is vital that the College’s programs are 

successful and high-quality in order to provide transfer opportunities for our 

graduates. The self-study process has confirmed that the College is dedicated to 

continuous evaluation and improvement, and illuminated the pride that RVCC takes in 

educating students. Staff and faculty alike are motivated to come to work each day by the 

knowledge that they have a positive direct impact on students and thus the 

community. Serving such a wide area with a small number of employees requires faculty 

and staff to wear many hats, but they do so willingly to witness the success of RVCC 

students. 

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DATA FIRST FORMS 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Institution Name: 

River Valley Community College 

OPE ID: ? : 00756000 

0 Annual Audit 

? 0 Certified: Qualified 

Financial Results for Year Ending: ? 06/30 Yes/No Unqualified 

Most Recent Year ? 2018 Yes Unqualified 

1 Year Prior 2017 Yes Unqualified 

2 Years Prior 2016 Yes Unqualified 

Fiscal Year Ends on: 

30-Jun (month/day) 

Budget / Plans 

Current Year 2019 

Next Year 2020 

Contact Person: 

Title: 

Telephone No: 

E-mail address 

? Andrea Allbee 

Business Affairs Officer 

603.542.7744 x5301 

aallbee@ccsnh.edu 

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Standard One 

Mission & Purposes

Description 

Mission Statement: River Valley Community College transforms lives by providing a 

quality and affordable education through innovative personal approaches to lifelong 

learning and career pathways. 

The mission of the College reflects the institution’s unique character, and its commitment 

to serve the needs of a wide variety of student populations, including recent high school 

graduates, dual enrolled students (high school and college), GED holders, first-generation 

college students, veterans returning to school, adults seeking a new career, and seniors 

continuing their learning. Some of our students are overcoming educational risk factors, 

such as learning disabilities, physical health challenges and family instability. Many of our 

students are faced with time constraints, family responsibilities and financial concerns, 

including balancing multiple part-time jobs and personal and family demands. The College 

has a strong tradition of supporting the success of all students. There is a deep respect for 

the diverse talents and struggles of students, and a pride in celebrating each success. 

Over time, changes with regard to the community demographics (business and industry), 

system initiatives, and student population/ interests have required RVCC to review its 

mission statement. Review of the mission statement often has coincided with the 

investiture of new administration. The College’s mission statement was most recently 

revised by faculty, staff and administration in February of 2017 at an All College Meeting. 

This process of review ensures that the College’s mission remains an appropriate template 

for our academic programs; it also supports and provides direction for student services. 

The college body stated that the institutional mission should be clear and succinct so that 

it could easily be remembered by the college community. Simultaneously, at the 

recommendation of the administration, there was a unanimous vote by faculty and staff to 

do away with the vision statement, because it appeared redundant to the new mission 

statement. 

College operations, organizational structure, personnel matters, academic and studentsupport 

programs, and strategic and financial plans are all grounded in the mission of the 

College. The mission is visible on the College’s website, Catalog, Academic Policy and 

Procedure Manual, and in the Student Handbook. 

River Valley Community College’s mission statement was developed to be consistent with 

the Mission & Vision Statement of CCSNH. 

CCSNH Mission Statement: Our purpose is to provide residents with affordable, accessible 

education and training that aligns with the needs of New Hampshire’s businesses and 

communities, delivered through an innovative, efficient, and collaborative system of 

colleges. CCSNH is dedicated to the educational, professional, and personal success of its 

students; a skilled workforce for our state’s businesses; and a strong New Hampshire 

economy. 

CCSNH Vision Statement: 65 by 25: To maintain New Hampshire’s positive economic 

indicators, including low unemployment and high per capita income, NH will need 65% of 

adults with education beyond high school. CCSNH is committed to achieving this by 2025. 

9 | P a g e

Currently, New Hampshire has a relatively low unemployment rate; averaging about 2.4% 

for an eleven-month period ranging from January-November of 2018. This is below the 

national average of 3.7%. The counties served by RVCC are slightly below even the NH 

average with Sullivan County (Claremont) averaging 2.2%; Grafton county (LAC) 

averaging 2.1%; and Cheshire County (KAC) only slightly above the state average at 

2.6%. These percentages average approximately 1000 unemployed people in each of the 

Academic Center Locations (Keene and Lebanon) and only approximately 525 unemployed 

people in Claremont. (NH Economic Security, Economic, and Labor Market Information 

Bureau, “2018 NH Local Area Unemployment Statistics”). This low level of unemployment 

in the counties served by RVCC, while good for the economy, has a negative impact on 

enrollment trends. 

The close alignment between RVCC’s mission statement and CCSNH’s mission statement 

ensures that our mission enjoys the support of the CCSNH Board of Trustees. Though 

consistent with the system mission, the College’s mission still reflects the unique 

influences of our community and region as well as our institutional history and culture. 

Our mission statement has provided a touchstone for the development and delivery of our 

academic programs, community outreach, and services, and is consistent with the 

following initiatives in the College’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial Stewardship 

Student Success 

Teaching & Learning Excellence 

Operational & Technological Efficiency 

Community, Business & Industry Partnerships 

Faculty & Staff Development 

Appraisal of Mission & Purposes: 

The mission of student success provides a sense of unity and purpose for everyone on 

campus. Faculty and staff have stayed true to the mission throughout administrative 

turnover, and the commitment of faculty and staff to the students is one of the reasons 

that RVCC has weathered the transitions so well. Respecting past traditions is an 

important value on campus, and it is important to recognize the ongoing commitment to 

student success as the College plans for the future. Fully realizing our mission of 

accessibility, quality and affordable education, and personal approaches to lifelong learning 

requires our outreach to, and development of, a variety of academic supports and 

programming. 

In one such endeavor, RVCC reaches out in partnerships to local High Schools and Centers 

of Technical Education in programs such as Running Start, our dual enrollment program 

which offers high school students the chance to earn college credits at their high school for 

a reduced tuition rate. 

College credits can also be earned through our Bridge2College program, which affords high 

school students the opportunity to earn college credit by taking courses at the College at a 

reduced rate. 

10 | P a g e

Through our workforce development office, RVCC offers many educational and training 

opportunities to various businesses and industries in our catchment area such as the 

following: 

 

 

 

 

Working with our medical partners to provide training in medical terminology, 

computer applications, and customer service. 

Working with our manufacturing partners in providing over 100 on-line personal 

development and information technology programs to allow workers to access these 

programs and work at their own pace. 

Collaborating with the American Red Cross to provide space and materials to train 

Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNAs). 

Providing practitioners in their chosen field, Continuing Education Units (CEUs) 

As part of the partnership between CCSNH, the NH Department of Resources and 

Economic Development, and the NH Department of Employment Security, we also host 

WorkReadyNH, a tuition-free workforce development program targeted towards un/ underemployed 

residents. Those who successfully complete the program receive a nationally 

recognized certificate to provide to prospective employers. 

RVCC strives to provide all of its students with the academic supports needed to ensure 

their success. To integrate academic support and services into one location (beginning in 

Claremont), the Student Success Center was relocated adjacent to the Library and Library 

Computer Lab. This area offers a variety of opportunities for students needing to build or 

strengthen basic academic skills. While Keene does not have a dedicated space like 

Claremont and Lebanon, there are private spaces for students to meet with tutors and do 

computer work. All students can access the Library’s electronic catalog via their Easy Log- 

In credentials although the majority of the physical collection is housed in Claremont. 

To improve persistence and graduation rates, the Mathematics department restructured 

their course offerings to implement a co-requisite lab/ gateway course model for students 

who wish to enroll in Statistics I, Functions and Modeling I, and Mathematical 

Investigations. 

River Valley sees itself as a partner with the Claremont, Keene, and Lebanon communities 

as evidenced by community involvement with the College, and College involvement with 

the communities. Examples include: 

 

 

 

 

Participation of community members from each region (Claremont, Keene, and 

Lebanon) on the 2017 Presidential Search Committee; 

Community food donations to students of the College while the cafeteria was closed 

during its transition to a Micro-Market; 

College charity drives for local food and animal shelters; 

College employee participation in local fundraising efforts such as “Steppin’ Up to 

end Violence 5K,” a local 5K road race to assist the Turning Points Network in raising 

money for their fight against domestic and sexual violence in the region. 

The College’s new strategic plan (2018-2021) clearly outlines RVCC’s commitment to the 

mission for the institution as a whole. Objectives in the strategic plan such as Strategic 

11 | P a g e

Initiative 3: Teaching & Learning have “Key Strategies” that directly reflect the mission of 

the College and provide a pathway for continued support of the mission. 

Strengths 

 

 

 

 

There is a strong commitment of faculty and staff to student success as the heart of 

the mission, which has been periodically reviewed. 

The 2018 Strategic Plan builds off the mission to provide appropriate activities and 

initiatives. 

The CCSNH vision statement sets aspirational goals for the College. 

There is strong support from CCSNH and from the community to see RVCC succeed. 

Challenges 

The current low unemployment rate in N.H., coinciding with declining enrollment 

trends, may make it challenging to achieve the CCSNH mission of 65 by 25 in 

RVCC’s catchment area. 

There could be increased awareness by students, staff, faculty, and the community 

regarding the mission statement and 2018 Strategic Plan. 

Departments have not yet started writing strategic plans related to the 2018 

Strategic plan. 

Projections 

 

 

By Fall 2020 begin to include the College’s mission on marketing materials and 

internal communications to increase awareness of the mission. 

By Fall 2020 departments will begin work on departmental strategic plans which 

support and enhance the College’s Strategic Plan and are reflective of the College’s 

mission. 

12 | P a g e

Standard 1: Mission and Purposes 

Attach a copy of the current mission statement. 

Document 

Website location 

Institutional 

Mission 

Statement ? https://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/accreditation/mission ? 

Date 

Approved 

by the 

Governing 

Board 

February 

22, 2017 

? 

Mission 

Statement 

published 


College 

Catalog ? https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/62316244/rvcccatalog 

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62316264/rvcc-2018-2021-strategic-plan 

Strategic Plan 

Student https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62368170/studenthandbook201718final 

Handbook 

Print 

Publication 

? 

Related 

statements 


CCSNH 

Mission & 

Vision 

Statements ? https://www.ccsnh.edu/about-ccsnh/mission-strategic-plan 

Print 

Publication 

Please enter any explanatory notes in the box below 

13 | P a g e

14 | P a g e 

Standard Two 

Planning & Evaluation

Description 

Planning and evaluation at RVCC has taken a variety of paths over the past few years. 

With the turnover of administration, it became difficult to maintain a steady trajectory with 

regards to the College’s areas of focus. Despite this challenge, the College has done work 

at many levels of planning and evaluation that have strengthened and streamlined the 

academic offerings, improved financial processes, and identified areas of focus for the 

future. While the College operates in four locations; the main campus, two academic 

centers, and online; college-wide planning takes into consideration each of these locations 

simultaneously and as a whole. Planning for each location does occur independently, but 

only in consideration of the college-wide plan. 

Planning 

RVCC’s 2016-2020 Strategic Plan identified four strategic directions which included 

Student Access, Student Success, Teaching & Learning, and Sustainability. Each 

department based their own strategic plans on the same four strategic directions and all 

faculty were encouraged to incorporate the four strategic directions in their Individual 

Professional Growth Plans (PGPs). The four directions were utilized as a basis to guide all 

planning and decision making at the institution. In the RVCC 2015 Progress report, River 

Valley identified goals related to continued strategic planning. Changes in leadership, 

including the departure of the President in 2016 and the appointment of an Interim 

President shortly after, made it difficult to continue the direction of the 2016-2020 

Strategic Plan; and in 2017 work began on a new strategic plan. This work began at a 

Strategic Planning Retreat in February of 2017 which included representation from multiple 

areas of the RVCC faculty, staff, and the community. This process will be discussed fully 

later in this Standard. 

RVCC’s main method of communication to ensure all college parties are aware of 

information is the use of the All-College Staff Meeting. This once-monthly meeting, which 

is held in Claremont but utilizes online technology to allow the LAC and KAC to participate, 

is the meeting by which updates on all college activities are distributed. Any member of 

the institution can request an item be placed on the agenda and the meeting allows for a 

means of open communication. At least once per semester, representatives of the CCSNH 

System, including the Chancellor and Chief Human Resource Officer will attend the All- 

College Staff Meeting to communicate updates from the System to the RVCC Community. 

Often, these meetings provide opportunities for the college community to be updated on 

evaluation and planning at the College and the System level. 

For example, one area of concern expressed across the campus was lack of transparency 

and understanding of the budgeting process. While topics related directly to the budget 

process will be fully explained in Standard 7, it is important to note that over the past 

year, one of the areas that has improved greatly in regards to campus evaluation and 

planning is the implementation of regular budget updates from the College Business Affairs 

Officer (BAO) at our All-College Staff Meeting. The BAO is a regular presenter at these 

meetings. She also provides weekly and monthly budget updates to Program Directors. 

This has been particularly important in regards to our current enrollment trends and the 

impact that enrollment has on funding of the College. This change came as a result of 

15 | P a g e

direct feedback from Program Directors and Department Chairs expressing concern over 

lack of control or understanding of the budget process for their individual areas. This 

increased transparency has led to each program having an improved ability to plan and 

evaluate spending trends in their area and allowed the College as a whole to have 

improved understanding of their role in the budgeting process. 

The Institution also utilizes a model of Standing Teams that ensures that a variety of 

individuals are participating in the work of moving the institution forward. This list was 

reviewed and updated at the All-College Staff Meeting during Fall of 2018. 

Many programs have individual advisory boards which serve to guide the College forward 

at the program level. The College Advisory Board and individual program advisory boards 

allow for input from multiple constituents. Some program advisory boards include 

students and adjunct faculty, providing both internal and external perspectives for 

programs to consider when making plans for updates and improvements. 

The College has support from CCSNH to access data, but it is sometimes unclear what data 

is available for evaluation purposes at the college level and there are sometimes 

uncertainties about how to utilize this support effectively. In January 2018, CCSNH 

provided a training to a Rapid Insight program called NOABO, which was renamed Veera 

Bridge in Summer 2018. This program allows Program Directors direct access to 

enrollment data and trends and has been a welcome tool. Data is collected across the 

system but can be filtered by each Program Director to review trends in their individual 

programs and can even be drilled down to the level of individual students. Data can be 

sorted in a variety of ways, including by location to pull out the Academic Centers 

individually for improved analysis and planning. Program Directors for nationally accredited 

programs in the Health Sciences and Allied Health fields keep additional data as required 

by their accrediting bodies, but this is program-dependent. 

In February of 2017, representatives from a broad spectrum of RVCC faculty, staff, and 

administration, as well as a member from the Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, 

participated in a planning and evaluation meeting. This gathering provided an opportunity 

for evaluation of and reflection on the strengths and weaknesses of the Institution. 

Attendees reviewed the current mission statement (from 2015); the College Ethics and 

Core Values; the College’s slogan; and the Educational Philosophy Statement. Further 

conversation revolved around marketing and branding, local relations, alumni, and 

accessibility (meeting minutes, Strategic Planning Retreat 2/3/17). As a result of this 

retreat, a list of six Initiatives were developed to guide the 2018 – 2021 Strategic Plan. 

16 | P a g e

Committees for each Initiative met throughout the Spring of 2017 to develop objectives 

and the measurements they would use to evaluate progress towards completion of each 

objective. Due to leadership changes in Fall of 2017, work on the strategic plan slowed. 

This was a necessary step due to the search for a full-time President. Under President 

Williams, the 2018-2021 Strategic Plan was completed and approved by the college 

community in late Fall 2018. 

In the recent past due to instability in the offices of President and BAO, RVCC engaged in a 

period of reactionary spending instead of proactive planning for budgetary needs. This 

spending resulted in a deficit, and a workforce reduction in Spring of 2017. Under the 

current administration, focus and organization of college finances has shifted significantly 

to a strategic spending policy resulting in a balanced budget at RVCC. The BAO is 

transparent in how budgets are created, the many factors that need to be considered in 

budgeting, and most importantly, now involves each Department Chair, Division Director, 

and Program Director in developing their own budgets. The budget process has been 

clarified for the college community and is much more focused on creating a balanced 

budget with regular evaluation of income and expenses, resulting in the College once again 

operating in the black. This updated process of financial planning and evaluation is 

explained in detail in Standard Seven. 

An additional challenge in planning has been the expansion of the College through the 

Academic Center in Lebanon. Previously, when the College consisted of the Claremont 

campus and the Keene Academic Center, the roles of each location were clear. The 

College has struggled to find an identity for the LAC, however. Original plans for the LAC 

indicated that it would be the center for Business and Technology. After completion it was 

discussed that the LAC would house some Allied Health programs. These plans were 

discussed at the administrative level and did not include conversations with Program 

Directors. When Program Directors were included in these conversations it was clear that 

due to the lack of lab space at the LAC, national accreditation requirements, and 

enrollment trends, it was not going to be feasible to duplicate these programs at the LAC. 

President Williams’ administration has continued these open conversations to appropriately 

plan and clarify the roles of the Academic Centers within the College as a whole. These 

plans have included the expansion of non-credit offerings and eliminating duplication of 

classes at the LAC that are offered in Claremont. The VPAA along with Department Chairs 

and Program Coordinators have focused on classes that meet the needs of the Lebanon 

area, and together they are working on identifying a major that is exclusive to the LAC. 

The mathematics co-requisite project provides evidence of planning at the academic level; 

outcomes of which are explained in greater detail in Standard Five. While this is only one 

example of academic planning, it is one of the projects the College is proudest of and has 

that impacted students at all levels. In 2016, the Chancellor of CCSNH signed on to 

Complete College America, a non-profit organization that works with states to improve 

access to quality career certificates and degrees. In March of 2016, the RVCC Math 

Department Chair attended the National Academy for Scaling Co-Requisite Remediation in 

Atlanta, GA with a team from CCSNH. There, the team heard about co-requisite projects 

from colleges across the nation and began developing a system-wide co-requisite plan. 

That plan was adapted at each of the CCSNH colleges independently. 

17 | P a g e

The Department Chair, with help from one Academic Advisor who has a background in 

math, and one adjunct math faculty spent AY16-17 developing and planning the corequisite 

math model. This was the second major redesign of the mathematics pathway; 

the first occurring in 2012 which decreased the number of courses a student testing into 

the developmental pathway had to take from two to one. The first redesign resulted in 

improvements in math persistence as described in Standard Five; but did not eliminate the 

need for developmental courses. The Co-requisite project was planned to do just that, 

eliminate the developmental courses for math whenever possible for students. The project 

began by working with the CCSNH System-wide data analytics person to evaluate college 

data with specific focus on developmental math success rates and persistence rates dating 

back to 2011. The team then developed pacing guides and advising models for math 

pathways, set SAT cut scores for each math course, developed a schedule and structure of 

co-requisite mathematics courses, and developed training plans for instructors. Training 

for Program Directors was also included as this was a significant change in the way 

students were advised and filtered into math courses. Communication of this change to 

the College as a whole took place via All-College Staff Meeting, Department Chairs 

Meetings, and various working groups. The project plan was completed and the first corequisite 

courses were taught in Fall of 2017. Currently, the only developmental courses 

taught are for those students who show significant deficits in college-readiness related to 

their math skills or those students who self-select into the developmental courses for 

personal reasons. There are two courses: one for students entering into STEM fields, and 

one for students entering into non-STEM fields. 

Appraisal of Planning 

Since Fall of 2018 there has been an increase in stability of processes due to the new 

administrative structure under President Williams. For example, he recognized the need to 

finalize the College’s strategic plan. Most of the work had been done on it, but it had 

never been presented to the College to vote on. This was accomplished in December 

2018. Further improvements under the new administration include ensuring that relevant 

parties are at the table with regard to planning of programs, proactive rather than reactive 

approaches to issues, and open communication with the college community. 

Great strides have been made in the financial planning of the institution with improved 

identification of risks, improvements in involving individual departments in planning their 

own budgets, and increased transparency with regards to expenses and revenue. Program 

Directors now receive weekly updated budget spreadsheets for their programs which 

provides up to date information regarding spending and budgeting. This allows Program 

Directors increased control of supply purchasing to meet the academic needs of their 

students. Financial transparency has also led to improved understanding by the college 

community with regards to the Academic Centers and how each center contributes to the 

overall budget for the College. 

Planning and implementation of projects has also been quite successful at the 

programmatic level as evidenced by the implementation of the math co-requisite project. 

The thoughtful and purposeful plan developed prior to implementation, the implementation 

18 | P a g e

of the project, and the continued assessment will be utilized as a model as RVCC explores 

implementation of an English co-requisite project. 

Implementation of NOABO/Veera Bridge has led to greater access to data, although there 

are concerns with regards to limitations in the system. Veera Bridge pulls all data from 

Banner and Banner has limitations in data access particularly when it comes to evaluating 

students who may have more than one major. Programs with national accreditation do an 

excellent job of collecting data on graduates, but there are still not consistent practices 

across the institution when it comes to this type of data; instead it is left to individual 

Program Directors. 

Strengths 

 

 

While RVCC’s 2015 – 2020 Strategic Plan was not fully developed, the four strategic 

directions (student access, student success, teaching & learning, sustainability) 

continued to guide RVCC’s work—in many different areas and at all levels. 

RVCC has maintained its commitment to broad participation and regular 

communication, including All-College Staff Meeting, meetings with representatives 

from CCSNH System Office, and review of Standing Teams. 

Challenges 

 

RVCC needs to determine the best way to utilize software provided by CCSNH 

system. 

Evaluation 

Mission & Vision Evaluation 

RVCC has periodically reviewed and updated its mission, typically with the installation of a 

new President. The process has been done collectively at All-College Staff Meeting which 

allows input from the college community. Recent feedback on the mission identified that 

while there were parts of it that were accurately reflective of the College, members of the 

College had concerns with the wording of the mission related to is loftiness and its lack of 

measurability for some of the statements included. The most recent evaluation of the 

mission occurred at the February 2017 Strategic Planning Retreat in which the committee 

evaluated the mission statement. Feedback at that meeting echoed the feedback of the 

College as a whole, particularly that the statement was not concrete or tangible. This 

process allowed for the adoption of the College’s current mission. 

Academic Evaluation 

RVCC has multiple avenues of evaluating the effectiveness and quality of the academic 

programs leading to systematic improvements in the academic offerings at the College. 

Evaluation of each course occurs through course evaluations which are administered each 

semester to all students in the course. Results of the evaluations are deployed to each 

faculty member and to the Department Chairs who oversee the faculty member. 

Individual faculty can choose to use the feedback as they see fit and Department Chairs 

utilize the information in the faculty evaluation process. Course evaluations sometimes 

lead to adjustments in course assignments for students, changes in course materials, or 

19 | P a g e

may lead to formal revisions of course outlines submitted to Curriculum Team in order to 

change the course objectives. Some examples of changes made as a result of course 

evaluations include changing textbooks to better suit the level of the course instruction 

(AHLT 123R – Functional Kinesiology); and changing formats of classes from hybrid to face 

to face (MLTC 113R – Clinical Chemistry). Student evaluations had a major impact on 

revisions to the HSV 120R – Learning & Behavior course. This course was used by both the 

Early Childhood Education and Social Services programs. Specific student feedback on 

course evaluations indicated that this format was not effective, and students indicated they 

were uncertain why both majors were required to take the course together as they did not 

feel as though they were acquiring specific information on topics that they needed. 

Changes were made to course readings and assignments, but the same concerns appeared 

on subsequent course evaluations. With the revision of the Social Services Program, this 

course was eliminated from the program of study and the key content from this course 

was distributed into other required Social Service courses. The course remained in the 

Early Childhood program and was renamed and recoded as ECE 120R – Learning, 

Behavior, and Positive Guidance in the Fall of 2017. During Fall 2017 meetings with 

advisees, the ECE Program Director had none of the previous complaints that were 

associated with this course. The process for updating a course outline (including course 

objectives) is described in Standard Four. Beginning in Fall of 2017, the Curriculum Team 

has been working to ensure that competencies on the course objectives are measurable 

and not simply learning objectives or the table of contents from a textbook. Course 

outlines are expected to be reviewed by Program Directors every 5 years to ensure they 

are up to date and relevant. Most programs are in compliance with this request. Those 

programs that were not in compliance recently included Business, Accounting, and the 

Liberal Arts department. The new Business and Accounting Program Directors are 

working on updating their courses with a final completion goal of Fall 2019. A new Interim 

Program Director for Liberal Arts was hired in Fall of 2018 and one of her current projects 

is to evaluate and update the English course outlines. 

Graduation Satisfaction Surveys are administered to all completing students and evaluate 

the effectiveness of all areas of the College. Information helps to inform administrators 

and directors about their areas of focus and influences changes to program and college 

orientations, course scheduling/delivery methods, and advising practices. The 

dissemination of the results of this survey have been inconsistent in recent years. The 

IVPSA is developing a plan to consistently administer this survey and provide results to the 

necessary parties. 

Many programs undergo national accreditation and are constantly using evaluation data to 

ensure they are meeting the standards of their national accreditation agencies. Even 

programs without national accreditation utilize their professional standards in order to 

prepare students for the workforce. For example, the Massage Therapy Program, although 

not accredited because the profession does not require graduation from an accredited 

program, utilizes the “Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge” to guide its curriculum. 

Another example are the programs that relate to Computer Technology, which have been 

designed around industry standard certification and utilize Cisco’s educational curriculum 

which prepares students for the Cisco CCENT and Cisco CCNA certifications upon 

completion. These standards guide and inform program work, and feedback from advisory 

20 | P a g e

oards and clinical/practicum preceptors assist with evaluation of programmatic 

effectiveness. Input from individual advisory boards, as well as information that Program 

Directors glean from their participation in community boards and professional 

organizations also helps to inform the evaluation process. 

The new co-requisite math project has also undergone regular evaluation via surveys 

deployed to both instructors and students. Since Fall of 2017, feedback from instructor 

and student surveys has been gathered following each semester. Changes made to the 

co-requisite math courses since this time, based on student and instructor feedback 

include: the elimination of requiring the iLearn software in the Statistics I course (it is now 

optional at the request of both students and instructor feedback); labs are now attached 

directly to a lecture course as opposed to being open to students from multiple sections; 

and lab courses are taught by the same instructors that teach the lecture sections (a direct 

request from students). 

One clear example that has been implemented in evaluation and planning of academic 

programming relates directly to enrollment and the delivery of courses. Word of mouth 

feedback from advisors revealed students’ concerns regarding RVCC’s pattern of course 

cancellations of under-enrolled sections. This led to a Catch-22 in that students waited to 

enroll in courses, but courses would be cancelled due to under-enrollment. Beginning in 

Fall of 2017, the Department Chair of Liberal Arts started focusing much more on 

scheduling based on utilization of enrollment data. By evaluating tallies for the previous 

three corresponding semesters, and evaluating student enrollment at each Academic 

Center (Figure 2.2), the Chair was able to see patterns of registration and to identify 

sections of courses that filled, and sections that traditionally did not. 

While this data was evaluated based on each location, the goal of this process was to 

create a college-wide schedule of Liberal Arts electives that met the needs of all students 

and programs, prevented overlap of courses in the two closest locations (Claremont and 

Lebanon) unless both sections could fill, and decrease duplication of face to face and online 

21 | P a g e

sections in the same semester to ensure that courses were sufficiently enrolled to allow 

them to run. 

Considerations were made with regards to timing and location of courses which ensured 

that each academic center had options for all students without any one location being 

over-saturated with options. The Chair then used this information to develop a datadriven 

schedule that allowed for students to meet their academic needs without having so 

many sections leading to potential cancellations. As a result of the evaluation, planning, 

and thoughtful building of the schedule, RVCC has had a decline in cancelled courses and 

this, in combination with a concerted effort for early advising and registration, has led to a 

stabilization in the schedule. 

Program Evaluation 

All programs at RVCC undergo program review. There are two ways in which this is done. 

Programs which have national accreditation are expected to participate fully in whatever 

process their accreditation agency requires. This process often involves an eight to tenyear 

cycle of self-study, site visit, and review as well as yearly update reports. 

Additionally, for programs that are not accredited, there is an internal program review 

process which takes place on a rotating cycle and ensures that each program is reviewed 

formally. 

Over the past few years, the feedback from Program Directors undergoing program review 

was that the information being requested was not relevant, and the data required to 

answer the questions in the review process was often difficult to access. Having an 

outdated program review did not serve to provide the institution with relevant information 

related to program success and limited potential for academic planning. As a result of this 

feedback, the Department Chairs worked on updating the program review process during 

the Fall of 2017 to ensure that the information being collected and reported was easily 

accessible, relevant to the information required to determine program viability for the 

College, and realistic for Program Directors. In addition to updating the program review 

process, the Department Chairs developed a survey for Program Directors to use to assist 

them with collection of data. Data included in the program review process is both 

formative and summative, qualitative and quantitative. The Program Review has sections 

that ask program directors to provide data on topics such as purpose and goals, 

admissions, enrollment trends, curricula, faculty and program and student outcomes. 

Quantitative questions include items such as: “List program enrollments for the past three 

years…” with a qualitative follow up asking “Do you have reason to believe there are 

additional students in your program (e.g. second major) that do not show up [in the data 

set].” This provides Program Directors opportunities to elaborate on any limitations they 

may find in the Veera Bridge data set; thus eliminating the prior complaint about available 

data not providing a complete picture. 

Upon completion of the program review process, Program Directors provide and present 

the review to the Department Chair workgroup which will allow for a discussion about each 

program and its effectiveness between the Department Chairs and the Program Directors. 

The Department Chair group makes recommendations about the program which may 

include suggestions for improvement, continuation without changes, or may, when 

22 | P a g e

necessary, guide a suspension or closure of a program. The entire process is overseen by 

the VPAA. This process was introduced to the college community during Faculty and Staff 

Work Weeks in Fall of 2018 and training for all Program Directors was provided in 

November 2018. The training was recorded for future use by Program Directors. 

Programs that undergo national accreditation may submit their national accreditation 

reports/results in lieu of the internal program review process. 

River Valley has a strong history of assessment by accredited programs, and the Program 

Directors of accredited programs often already have techniques to gather data that nonaccredited 

programs may be able to utilize. This area is particularly true with regard to 

gathering information on program graduates. In Spring of 2018, Program Directors began 

a plan for accredited programs to formally share assessment and data collection 

techniques with non-accredited programs. Work on this project is ongoing. 

The program review process has led to a stream-lining of the programmatic offerings at 

RVCC as identified in the newly updated program review schedule. This has been achieved 

via removal of programs as necessary (due to low enrollment or decreased need in the 

region for the training offered). Other programs have undergone the program review 

process and been re-designed to better suit the need of the region. One example of this 

was the Human Services Program, which was placed on hold for the 2016-2017 academic 

year due low enrollment. Faculty then gathered information from local agencies regarding 

the types of training that would better suit the students in this program. The curriculum 

was updated based on the feedback and the program was relaunched in Fall of 2017 as the 

Social Services Program. 

Appraisal of Evaluation 

In response to feedback from Program Directors, the Graduate Satisfaction Survey was 

deployed as an electronic survey in Spring of 2018. The CCSNH System is also in the 

process of implementing DegreeWorks which will help streamline the process for advisors 

to track student success and retention. RVCC will implement Degree Works in 2019. 

The program review process was also updated during Academic Year 17-18 as a result of 

feedback from Program Directors. The updated process was created by Department Chairs 

to reflect the difficulty Program Directors noted in accessing data that was being requested 

as part of the process. While NOABO/Veera Bridge provides some information that can be 

utilized for review of programs, it was not sufficient for the entirety of the data sets that 

the program review process requested. The updated program review process was 

implemented in Fall of 2018 and included a formal training for faculty during the semester 

as well as a survey that Program Directors can deploy to faculty in their program to gather 

necessary data. RVCC continues to look at ways in which we can use the processes of the 

accredited programs to assist in data gathering for non-accredited programs. 

Strengths 

 

 

23 | P a g e 

The College has an abundance of qualitative data at the course and program level. 

Department Chairs and Program Directors are dedicated to evaluation and review, 

and actively work to make this a systematic part of the culture of all academic 

programs.

Challenges 

 

 

There is still a need for a consistent plan across the College, regardless of program, 

for collection of relevant data to guide future programmatic planning. 

Course outlines in the Liberal Arts department are in need of updating. 

Projections 

 

 

By the end of AY20-21, the President and VPAA will evaluate data collection 

methods at the college level and work with Department Chairs and Student Services 

to create a streamlined process of data collection and assessment; while 

simultaneously evaluating how RVCC will implement these processes without a 

dedicated Institutional Researcher 

By the end of Spring 2019, the Interim Liberal Arts Program Director will have 

evaluated and updated, as needed, any course outlines that are out of compliance 

with the Curriculum Team standard. 

24 | P a g e

Standard 2: Planning and Evaluation 

PLANNING 

Year 

approved 

by 

governing 

board 

Immediately prior Strategic 

Plan 2011 

Effective 

Dates 

? ? ? 

2011- 

2013 n/a 


Current Strategic Plan 2018 

Next Strategic Plan 2021 

2018- https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62 

2021 316264/rvcc-2018-2021-strategic-plan 

2021- 

2026 n/a 

Year 

completed 

Effective 

Dates 


Master plan 

Academic plan 

Financial plan 

Technology plan 

Enrollment plan 

Development plan 

Academic Advising 

Manual 

n/a 

n/a 

n/a 

n/a 

in progress 

n/a 

in progress 

EVALUATION 

Academic program 

review 

Program review system (colleges and departments). System 

last updated: ? 2018 

Program review schedule (e.g., every 5 years) 

Sample program review reports (name of unit or 

program)* 


Every five years if not accredited by an outside 

agency 

External Example: NAACLS ? See Canvas: Standard 2 

Internal Review Process See Canvas: Standard 2 

System to review other functions and units 

Program review schedule (every X years or website location of 

schedule) 

25 | P a g e

Sample program review reports (name of unit or 

program)* 

Other significant institutional studies (Name and web 

location)* 

Date 

Example: Advising: www.notrealcollege.edu/advising 2014 

CCSSE 

2008, 2011, 2014 (see workroom) 

*Insert additional rows, as 

appropriate. 

Please enter any explanatory notes in the box 

below 

26 | P a g e

Standard Three 

Organization & Governance 

27 | P a g e

Description 

River Valley Community College is one of the seven colleges which make up the 

Community College System of New Hampshire. CCSNH was established in 2007 by Senate 

Bill 82 which initiated the transition from a State agency to an autonomous entity. The 

State of New Hampshire General Statutes, Chapter 188-F provides the approval for each of 

the colleges in CCSNH to award degrees upon completion of program requirements. River 

Valley, while a member of CCSNH, has its own governance structure which is directly 

responsible for the oversight and management of all areas of academics and scholarship 

that it participates in. As a public institution, funding comes from the State of NH and is 

filtered through CCSNH, but RVCC ultimately has responsibility for the administration of 

that funding. 

Organization 

Governing Board 

CCSNH has a Board of Trustees (BoT) that is appointed by the Governor and confirmed by 

the Executive Council. The BoT appoints the CCSNH Chancellor; provides direction and 

sets strategic goals for the system; presents capital and operating budget requests to the 

Governor and Legislature; and provides policy-level oversight for the seven colleges. 

CCSNH provides administrative and operational support that would be too expensive, or 

impractical, for each of the seven institutions within the System to maintain for 

themselves, such as risk management and legal counsel. The System Office is, in turn, 

supported by an allocation of tuition revenue from each college. 

Make-Up of the Board of Trustees 

The CCSNH BoT is the legal authority as outlined in BoT Policy Section 100. The BoT is 

made up of NH Residents and membership of the board must meet the requirements setforth 

in the BoT Policy Section 120 regarding Membership and Teams. The make-up of the 

board includes New Hampshire residents who are either non-voting members or voting 

members as outlined in Table 3.1. 

Table 3.1: Members of the CCSNH BoT 

Non-Voting Members 

 

 

 

 

Governor 

Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of 

CCSNH 

President of each CCSNH college 

Commissioners of Departments 

of Resources and Economic 

Development; Employment 

Security; and Education 

Voting Members (appointed by 

Governor) 

Four (4) members from the fields 

of Business and Industry 

One (1) member who is a high 

school vocational/technical 

education director 

One (1) member who is an 

alumnus of a CCSNH college 

One (1) member from the field of 

education 

One (1) member from the health 

care profession 

28 | P a g e

Two (2) members from 

building/mechanical trades or 

labor 

One (1) member from 

community service sector 

One (1) member from law 

enforcement 

Eight (8) members of the general 

public 

Two (2) members who are fulltime 

students enrolled at a 

CCSNH college (rotates among 

institutions) 

One (1) member from the 

technology sector 

One (1) member who is an 

employee of CCSNH (rotates 

among institutions) 

BoT meetings occur bi-monthly and operate through a committee structure with each 

committee having a defined area of oversight. The Standing Committees outlined in the 

BoT By-Laws include the Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Audit Committee, 

Academic and Student Affairs and Workforce Development Committee, Human Resource 

Committee, Facilities and Capital Budget Committee, Governance Committee, Marketing 

Committee, and Safety & Risk Management Committee. 

The Board of Trustees, in addition to their bi-monthly meetings, hold an annual retreat for 

in-depth discussion and professional development. The schedule of BoT meetings, meeting 

minutes, and a full list of trustees is publically available on the CCSNH website. As 

necessary, RVCC, often through the President or BAO, report to individual committees on 

updates from the College. 

Responsibilities of the Board of Trustees 

The BoT By-Laws Article V identify the Authority of the CCSNH Board of Trustees which is 

responsible not only for appointment of the Chancellor and President of the institution but 

also sets compensation for administrators; prepares and adopts the budget for CCSNH 

which includes each college as a separate budgetary unit; establishes tuition and fees; 

manages any contracts and leases related to the buildings and structures of each college; 

develops and adopts personnel policies for the colleges; advises the community colleges 

with regards to strategic direction, general policies and programs; and advises colleges in 

making any necessary changes to their programs to better meet the needs of the state’s 

economy and changing job market. All new majors and programs any CCSNH institution 

proposes must be approved by the BoT before implementation. 

Article VI of the BoT by-laws is the Conflict of Interest policy and identifies that the 

trustees of CCSNH must follow all statutory federal and state laws. Any violation of 

Conflict of Interest policy or laws “as defined by said statute shall be reported to the Board 

and acted upon by it as required by law and no person shall vote or be present for the 

29 | P a g e

action by the Board in relation to any such matter involving that person.” Policy 210 – 

Expectations of Board Members also identifies that it is the responsibility of each board 

member to “place the interests of CCSNH above the interests of any individual.” Further 

clarification of the Conflict of Interest Policy which guides the Board of Trustees is outlined 

in Policy 223 – Conflict of Interest which includes the Conflict of Interest Statement that 

must be signed by each member of the Board of Trustees. 

Responsibilities of the Chancellor 

The Chancellor of CCSNH is the Chief Executive Officer and bears responsibility for the 

overall administration and performance of CCSNH. The Chancellor is assisted by two 

Associate Vice-Chancellors, one in charge of Finance & Strategic Planning, and one in 

charge of HR Planning & Development. The Chancellor also directly oversees the CCSNH 

Director of Communications and CCSNH Legal Counsel. Together with the BoT, the 

Chancellor develops and implements the overall strategic direction of the System and 

oversees the Presidents of the seven colleges. 

Delegation to the College President 

The BoT policies (230-250) identify that they are responsible for appointment and 

evaluation of the Chancellor, who is in turn responsible for evaluation of the System Vice- 

Chancellors and the Presidents. Policy 250 identifies that the College President has 

responsibility for establishing the mission, vision, and strategic goals for the College 

(aligned with the CCSNH mission, vision, and strategic goals). The President is also 

charged by the BoT with providing “leadership to the overall management and operation of 

the College including accreditation, instructional programs, regional economic and 

workforce development, budget preparation, fiscal control, physical plant operation and 

maintenance, human resources management, and fundraising.” 

30 | P a g e

Institutional Organization 

River Valley’s internal organizational structure has undergone a large number of transitions 

in the past five years. The administrative structure has been fluid with the appointment of 

each President or Interim President depending on their focus for the institution. In Fall of 

2017, with the removal of another Interim President, and the promotion of the Interim 

Vice-President, who was on a one-year temporary assignment through The Registry of 

College and University Presidents, it became clear that a more permanent, stable model 

was needed. For Academic Year 17-18, the Interim President acted in the role of President 

as well as Vice President of Student and Academic Affairs. This was clearly not an ideal 

situation, and the Chancellor appointed an Advisor to the President to assist in oversight of 

RVCC. This Advisor to the President was a President of another CCSNH college and had 

previously served as the President of River Valley. This President’s familiarity with RVCC 

faculty, staff, and the culture of RVCC; in addition to the energy and expertise of the 

Interim President/VPASA proved to be quite successful as the College undertook a search 

for a full-time President. 

The Presidential search throughout Spring 2018 resulted in the hiring of President Alfred 

Williams who started July 1, 2018. Simultaneously, in Spring of 2018, the decision was 

made to promote internally for the role of VPAA. The Department Chair of Liberal Arts 

transitioned to Interim VPAA in June of 2018, and was made permanent in January of 

2019. This new model provided an ideal balance of institutional knowledge with new, 

outside energy, and the college community as a whole is pleased with the appointments to 

both of these positions. With the return to a more traditional, stable model of internal 

governance, the organizational chart is stabilizing. 

The President of RVCC serves as the Institution’s Chief Executive Officer and before 

appointment must be recommended by the Chancellor and approved by the CCSNH Board 

of Trustees. The President reports directly to the Chancellor and is responsible for overall 

management and operation of the College including preparation and control of the 

Institution’s budget as well as overall administration of the faculty and staff at the College 

via an organized structure of oversight. As mentioned in Standard Two, all locations are 

treated as one college and therefore all locations have the same oversight. While all 

administrators are located at the Claremont campus, each Academic Center has a 

Supervisor that reports directly to the President and sits on the President’s Extended 

Leadership Team. Additionally, administrators are in contact with the LAC and KAC Site 

Directors on as needed basis. The utilization of Vice Presidents and other administrative 

staff; including Academic Center Supervisors as well as Department Heads and 

Department Chairs, assists in assuring that all employees at RVCC understand their role in 

the success of the Institution. While there are clear supervisory lines that employees 

should follow according to the organizational chart, in general, the College abides by an 

“open door” communication policy. This works particularly well because of the small nature 

of RVCC and in most instances, communication occurs directly between whatever parties 

need to discuss individual concerns. In some instances, communication must follow a 

more formal process and this is done through Staff Forum, Faculty Forum, Department 

Meetings, and Department Chair Meetings. 

31 | P a g e

Appraisal of Organization 

The organizational system of CCSNH is very stable and clearly outlined. While the 

organization and governance of the College has been more varied, since Fall of 2018 there 

has been increased clarity in each person’s role and increased communication at all levels 

of the College. The College is on much more stable footing than we were two years ago, 

and the new President entered into a college that has a clearer picture of roles than it has 

had in the past three years. 

Appraisal of Governing Board 

The Board of Trustees has clear policies and procedures that guide its roles and 

responsibilities for CCSNH as a whole as well as how it interacts with each college. 

Ultimately, the Governing Board is responsible for many decisions that impact RVCC 

related to programming and finances, but changes to academics are always initiated by 

the institution. The President of the institution serves as a bridge between the interests of 

the College itself and the charge of the Board of Trustees. 

Oversight of the BoT and CCSNH as a whole underwent a State of NH Legislative Budget 

Audit (LBA) to provide a critical look at how CCSNH as a State funded entity is operating, 

utilizing resources, and fulfilling its mission. The legislative audit identified that there was a 

need for improved financial policies, development of long-term financial plans, improved 

processes for oversight of budgeting and purchasing and improved need for financial 

transparency. This audit was welcomed by the Board of Trustees, and Chancellor’s office, 

and was well-received by the RVCC community when the Chancellor came to share the 

findings. CCSNH has dedicated itself to complying with the LBA and has established a 

Task Force, which includes a staff member of one of the CCSNH colleges, to address and 

improve the issues brought forth. 

Strengths 

 

 

 

 

The organizational system of CCSNH is very stable and clearly outlined. 

The Governing Board has clear policies and procedures that guide its roles and 

responsibilities for CCSNH as a whole as well as how it interacts with each college. 

Clear policies dictate the role of both CCSNH and RVCC governance. 

The LBA has spurred improvements at the CCSNH level with regards to many 

concerns at RVCC related to lack of administrative oversight. 

Challenges 

 

As one of the smallest college in the CCSNH System, it can be difficult to ensure 

that RVCC’s interests are thoroughly represented in system level decisions. 

Internal Governance 

Periods of Transition 

RVCC has been in a constant state of transition over the past six years, resulting in a lack 

of clear direction related to organizational structure, strategic planning, and long term 

plans for the Academic Centers. In addition to the multiple transitions, there have been 

32 | P a g e

challenges in financial stability related to fluctuations in enrollment and lack of consistency 

in the BAO position. Throughout this period of time, the faculty and staff opened direct 

lines of communication with the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and 

Planning to express concerns. These concerns preceded the resignation of one President 

and the removal of an Interim President. 

Significant progress has been made since the arrival of President Williams in July 2018. 

Roles have been clarified, transparency in budgeting and an increased shift towards 

empowering faculty and staff has returned to the RVCC culture. Department Chairs have 

been given more autonomy to create and implement academic policy, a greater emphasis 

has been placed on the needs of students, and the College has started to have some very 

realistic conversations at All-College Staff Meeting related to the future and planning 

surrounding the Academic Centers in Keene and Lebanon. As part of these discussions, 

the AVPAA positions, which oversaw the Keene and Lebanon Academic Centers, had 

changes in their roles. The AVPAA of Keene moved into a full-time faculty role and was 

assigned as the Department Chair of the Business department. To manage the Keene 

Academic Center, a Program Specialist was promoted to Interim Supervisor. The AVPAA of 

the Lebanon Academic Center was transitioned to a Center Director, but left RVCC in 

Spring 2018. The Student Service Generalist that serves at Lebanon, was then promoted 

to Interim Supervisor of the LAC. These changes brought the College more in line with 

other colleges of its size in CCSNH and are in line with the feedback in the LBA related to 

RVCC’s “increased levels of administrators.” These changes had an additional positive 

impact of filling a vacant faculty role in the Business department. 

Additional improvements in project completion have included the work done to update the 

Standing Team Documents as well as work on the strategic plan. 

Input from College Constituencies 

The College President is assisted with the general administration of the College and seeks 

input from faculty, staff, and students. The Standing Teams help provide leadership and 

direction to RVCC through regular meetings and open communications as guided by the 

Standing Teams Document and the Communications Model. 

During Fall 2017, under the direction of the Interim VPASA, the oversight of academic 

programming was shifted to the Department Chair group. They worked closely with the 

Interim President/VPASA who oversaw the work done by the group, but ultimate control 

was provided via input from all Department Chairs. The Early College Coordinator also 

reported to the Interim President/VPASA to ensure the quality of these programs was 

consistent with RVCC expectations. With the appointment of a Vice President of Academic 

Affairs in late Spring 2018, the oversight of all academics now resides with this role who 

will continue to oversee the Department Chairs and the Early College Coordinator and work 

collaboratively to ensure academic quality at RVCC. 

All academic programs and course offerings are reviewed by the Curriculum Team which 

oversees new program proposals, new course proposals, and reviews and revisions to 

current programs and courses (including discontinuation of programs or courses). The 

Curriculum Team also makes recommendations regarding formatting/content of course 

outlines and course syllabi. All classes, regardless of location or method of instruction 

33 | P a g e

must follow the course outlines approved by the Curriculum Team which is made up of 

volunteer faculty and staff members, and the Registrar. 

Students participate in RVCC governance via a number of avenues which are described in 

detail in Standard Five. One example of student participation is the President of the SGA 

serving on the College Council and acting to provide the student perspective to RVCC’s 

Administration. Whenever possible, student input is solicited on college decisions. For 

example, students recently voted to make RVCC a smoke-free campus. In the Fall 2018 

Semester, SGA also voted to use some of their funds each year to fight student hunger. 

Appraisal of Internal Governance 

Since July 2018, internal governance at RVCC has stabilized. President Williams made 

VPAA Jahn permanent, hired IAVPSA Cournoyer, HR Director Lamoureux. Increased 

transparency from this new administrative team, and requests for input from faculty and 

staff have had a direct positive impact on college morale. 

Strengths 

 

 

 

 

 

The stabilization of leadership at RVCC with the hiring of President Williams in July 

2018 has improved college morale. 

Multiple, clear lines of communication via Standing Teams and scheduled meetings 

allow for multiple voices from the College to be heard. 

Faculty and staff are vested in the success of the College. 

Faculty and staff can request meetings directly with the Chancellor and the Vice 

Chancellors as needed and RVCC has had good support from CCSNH Administration 

when requested. 

Promotion of the Department Chair of Liberal Arts to VPAA helps maintain 

institutional knowledge on the Administrative Team. 

Challenges 

 

There are still a number of Standing Teams that may not fit with the current 

administration’s goals, the Strategic Plan, and the current status of the College. A 

few of the Standing Teams are redundant or their roles are outdated in the current 

college structure. 

Projections 

 

By Fall of 2019, the Standing Teams will be evaluated and reorganized and the 

Standing Team Document will be updated to reflect current practice. 

34 | P a g e

Standard 3: Organization and Governance 

(Board and Internal Governance) 

Please attach to this form: 

1) A copy of the institution's organization chart(s). 

2) A copy of the by-laws, enabling legislation, and/or other appropriate documentation to establish the 

legal authority of the institution to award degrees in accordance with applicable requirements. 

If there is a "sponsoring entity," such as a church or religious congregation, a state system, or a corporation, describe 

and document the relationship with the accredited institution. 

Name of the sponsoring entity 

Website location of documentation of relationship 

Governing Board 

By-laws 

Board members' names and affiliations 

Board committees * 

Academic, Student Affairs Workforce Development 

Audit Committee 

Facilities and Capital Budget Committee 

Executive Committee 

Finance Committee 

Governance Committee 

Human Resources Committee 

Marketing Committee 

Safety and Risk Management Committee 

Major institutional faculty committees or governance 

groups* 

Faculty Forum 

Curriculum Team 

Department Chairs 

Community College System of New Hampshire 

http://www.ccsnh.edu 


Website location or document name for meeting 

minutes 

https://www.ccsnh.edu/board-trustees/meetingsand-minutes 

https://www.ccsnh.edu/about-ccsnh/board-trustees 

https://www.ccsnh.edu/board-trustees/meetingsand-minutes 


minutes 

Faculty Forum Minutes 

Curriculum Team Minutes 

Department Chairs Minutes 

Major institutional student committees or governance 

groups* 

Student Government Association 


minutes 

Student Government Association Minutes 

Other major institutional committees or governance 

groups* 

RVCC Advisory Board 

Program Advisory Boards 


minutes 

RVCC Advisory Board Minutes 

Program Advisory Board Minutes 

35 | P a g e

*Insert additional rows as appropriate. 


*Board Committees meeting minutes: found on my.ccsnh.edu 

*Major institutional faculty committees or governance meeting minutes: found on Canvas 

*Major student institutional committee meeting minutes: found in Canvas 

*Other major institutional committees: found in Canvas 

Campuses, Branches and Locations Currently in Operation (See definitions in comment boxes) 

(Insert additional rows as appropriate.) 

Enrollment* 

Location (City, 

State/Country) 

Date 

Initiated 

2 years 

prior 

1 year 

prior 

Current 

year 

? (FY2017 ) (FY 2018) (FY 2019 ) 

? Main campus 1 College Place, Claremont, NH 9/1/1968 2,115 1,930 2,186 

? Other principal campuses 

? Branch campuses (US) 

? Other instructional locations (US) Academic Centers - Keene/Lebanon 9/1/2004 * 

? Branch campuses (overseas) 

? Other instructional locations (overseas) 

Educational modalities 

Standard 3: Organization and Governance 

(Locations and Modalities) 

Number of programs 

Date First 

Initiated 

2 years 

prior 

1 year 

prior 

Current 

year 

Distance Learning Programs (FY2017 ) (FY 2018) (FY 2019) 

Programs 50-99% on-line ** 

1,155 1,155 1,291 

Programs 100% on-line 

? Correspondence Education 

Low-Residency Programs 

Competency-based Programs 

Dual Enrollment Programs 

Contractual Arrangements 

involving the award of credit 

0 

HTTI Lebanon, NH 

2016-2017 16 0 0 

*Enter the annual unduplicated headcount for each of the years specified below. 

Enrollment* 


*These enrollments are included in the Main Campus Enrollment as they are not a separate campus, but other instructional locations. 

**Students do not enroll in online degree programs. All students enrolled in the College may take online courses. Enrollment reflects 

any student who enrolled in an online course (unduplicated), and most students are also enrolled in face to face courses within their 

program. 

36 | P a g e

37 | P a g e 

Standard Four 

The Academic Program

Description 

River Valley Community College offers credentials including the Associate in Science, 

Associate in Science with a Concentration, Associate in Arts, and Certificate Programs. In 

2017-2018, RVCC offered 18 options for students wishing to pursue an associate degree 

and 12 options for students wishing to pursue certificates. The RVCC Catalog is dominated 

by allied health and health science fields, an area that the College is known for. The 

Catalog also offers credentials in business, computer technology, education, and social 

services. RVCC offers a General Studies degree for students who would like to combine a 

certificate program with an associate degree curriculum that is not currently an option 

through RVCC or who would like to self-design a degree. Lastly, RVCC offers a degree in 

liberal arts which serves as a transfer pathway to four-year institutions. 

Two programs at RVCC, Running Start and Bridge2College, serve to encourage early 

college enrollment for area high school students. Running Start courses are River Valley 

courses that are offered at local high school and technical centers. These courses utilize 

certified high school instructors who teach the same content that is offered at RVCC under 

the guidance and supervision of an RVCC faculty. The Bridge2College program allows local 

high school students to attend classes at RVCC where they can earn dual college and high 

school credit. 

Program Length & Planning 

All certificates and degrees offered at River Valley Community College lead to a credential 

in a recognized field of study. The shortest program, phlebotomy, is two semesters in 

length. Many of the certificate programs require at least three semesters to complete, and 

all associate degree programs, including the Liberal Arts degree, require two full years; 

although the time to a Liberal Arts degree can be shortened if a student commits to 

summer coursework. All curriculum maps are available on the RVCC Website or are 

located in our College Catalog. All programs at RVCC have published goals which highlight 

the expected outcomes of the program and expectations for program completers. 

All programs at RVCC have a coherent curriculum plan that is designed to take students 

from introductory to advanced knowledge based on course content and sequence. 

Students may only alter the sequencing of courses in a curriculum with a waiver from the 

Program Director, and a Program Director may only waive a pre- or co- requisite with 

sufficient evidence that the student can meet the readiness of the course. Curriculum plans 

include a series of courses, each with a written, approved course outline. The course 

outline serves as a static document for the course to ensure that all instructors teaching 

the course are working towards the same outcomes and includes the following 

information: a standard course description, specific course learning goals, pre-requisite or 

co-requisite course requirements, instructional and assessment methods, and the content 

outline. The course outline can only be changed through a formal process of assessment 

by the RVCC Curriculum Team. 

All programs of study are outlined in the College Catalog, and programs also use the 

Catalog to identify any specific programmatic admissions processes; to define successful 

38 | P a g e

progress through the program; and to identify grading policies. All classes have a course 

syllabus, a separate document from the course outline, which further identifies course and 

classroom expectations of the individual instructor teaching the course. 

All program designs must meet the CCSNH Board of Trustees policies for degree 

requirements as outlined in BoT Academic Policy 620.02. All new programs must be 

approved through the Curriculum Team, the VPAAs, and the BoT. 

Budgeting for Programs 

All programs submit budgets each year to the Business Affairs Officer who is responsible 

for evaluation of programmatic budgets and fitting them into the college budget each year 

as described in Standard 7. Program Directors, in consultation with additional faculty in 

their programs, are responsible for identifying the financial needs of the academic program 

and for developing a budget that, while fiscally responsible, will also meet the needs of 

program improvement. Many programs, with the exception of liberal arts, general studies, 

and biological science, are further financially eligible for Perkins Grant funding under the 

classifications as outlined by the State of NH Department of Education. 

Assuring Academic Quality 

Programmatic Oversight, Implementation, and Review 

As shown in the organizational structure (p. x), each program has a Program Director who 

is responsible for oversight of all aspects of the program including faculty, budgets, mode 

of program offering, and curriculum. All Program Directors are further supported by the 

Department Chair who provides an additional layer of oversight for the integrity and 

quality of academic programs. While the direct oversight of the curriculum is the 

responsibility of the Program Director, any curricular changes that a Program Director 

wishes to implement must be approved through the process outlined in Figure 4.1. Final 

approval for programmatic changes is the responsibility of the VPAA. 

Many programs at RVCC, particularly those in the allied health, health science, and 

nursing, have additional oversight reporting through their national accreditation agencies. 

Many programs also have individual advisory boards who assist with oversight of the 

program and work specifically to ensure that programs are relevant to the community and 

industry in which graduates will be employed. 

Figure 4.1: Programmatic changes approval process 

39 | P a g e

Any new program that the College would like to be developed must go through the CCSNH 

BoT (policy 640.02). If RVCC wishes to create a new program, the College must first 

present a letter of intent to the VPAA’s of all CCSNH colleges with sufficient rationale, 

identified need, anticipated enrollment, and costs of the new program. Upon VPAA 

approval of the proposal, RVCC undergoes an internal process of curriculum development 

including sequencing of courses and course outlines for each course that will be included in 

the program. These documents must be approved by the Curriculum Team through their 

standard process. Upon approval by RVCC’s Curriculum Team, the new program is 

presented to the CCSNH Board of Trustees for final approval before RVCC can implement 

the new program. 

All current programs have been required to undergo the in-college program review process 

developed in 2010. Because of concerns that the existing process did not capture relevant 

information, in the Spring 2018 semester, the Department Chairs and the VPAA redesigned 

the program review document, creating a process and a new timeline for each program’s 

review. This new process is being implemented during the 2018-2019 academic year, and 

training of the Program Directors in the new process is ongoing. 

Academic Planning at the Academic Centers 

Academic planning falls under the purview of the VPAA who works in conjunction with the 

President. For example, in Fall 2017, the Interim President/VPASA and the College Advisor 

began working on a process to clearly define the roles of the Claremont campus and the 

Keene and Lebanon Academic Centers. They carefully examined student populations, 

finances, and distribution of programming. This process was further supported by the 

promotion of the new VPAA and the hiring of the President in Summer 2018. Going 

forward, feasibility studies will be conducted in order to make data-informed decisions 

about focus directions for each of RVCC’s Academic Centers. 

Early College and Other Off-Campus Educational Experiences 

Academic experiences that take place off-campus include the Running Start Partnerships 

as well as the partnerships with local facilities for the Allied Health, Nursing, and Early 

Childhood Educational practicum, internship, clinical and fieldwork experiences. Courses 

offered for college credit through RVCC’s Workforce Development Program are also offered 

through local businesses as described later in Standard Five. All MOU’s for these programs 

are overseen by the Office of the VPAA and housed in the Academic Affairs Office. 

RVCC’s Educated Person and English Language Expectations 

40 | P a g e

All programs at RVCC strive to follow the Philosophy of the College which defines an 

educated person. Each program sets its own threshold for meeting this philosophy based 

on the individual expectations of the program through development of appropriate course 

competencies listed in the course outline documents. Assessment of the philosophy is 

discussed in Standard Eight. 

All students enrolled in degree programs at RVCC must complete College Composition as a 

required course per BoT policy 620.02 for both Associate of Science and Associate of Arts 

degrees. All college courses are taught in English and students must take the Accuplacer 

Assessment in Writing before entering into College Composition. The Accuplacer test is 

issued in English. Students who identify as ESL and may need additional assistance prior 

to starting classes are directed to local agencies in Claremont, Keene, and Lebanon who 

specialize in this area. No ESL services are available at RVCC. 

Information Literacy is assessed at the college level through the Library which provides a 

tutorial as well as an online assessment. 

Appraisal of Assuring Academic Quality 

RVCC has policies and procedures in place to ensure the quality of the Academic Programs 

offered by the College and to comply with CCSNH and college expectations. 

To improve clear and effective communication, in Spring 2018, Department Chairs and 

Curriculum Team began to discuss consolidating course outlines with course syllabi. This 

consolidation of documents was completed in Fall of 2018, and the pilot implementation is 

currently taking place. 

Discussions at both the Department Chair level and the Curriculum Team level have 

centered on refining and improving policies and procedures related to academic planning 

so that planning can continue despite any transitions in administration. This increase in 

ownership of academic planning was supported by both the Interim President/VPAA and 

the Advisor to the President under the previous administration and has continued support 

under President Williams and VPAA Jahn. 

Throughout the transitions that have occurred, RVCC has followed the process for approval 

for Substantive Changes as it relates to the College including updates in administration, 

identification of changes to accredited programs, and plans for development of the LAC. 

River Valley faculty and staff have remained committed to ensuring academic quality for 

students, and often have employers comment on the quality and well-roundedness of 

RVCC graduates. 

Undergraduate Degree Programs 

Academic Core 

All associate degree programs at RVCC follow the BoT policies for the Liberal Arts Core 

which includes, at minimum, the following courses with the remainder of the minimum 60 

credits being based on the requirements of the individual program: 

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Certificates that do not have the option of an associate degree can be made into an A.S. 

degree through the General Studies program. Other programs, such as early childhood, 

offer stackable credentials such as Level I & II certificates that can also be turned into an 

associate degree. Although there are no general education requirements, all certificate 

programs employ outcomes that identify mastery of the specific discipline, some of which 

may include skills learned in liberal arts core courses. 

RVCC follows the CCSNH BoT policy with regards to general education requirements (as 

outlined above in Table 4.1) and which are identified in the College Catalog (page 19). The 

Associate of Arts degree, by definition, has a greater emphasis on general education 

requirements. The only Associate of Arts degree offered at RVCC is the Liberal Arts 

degree. This can also be used as a transfer degree for students who wish to continue their 

education at a 4-year institution. The Liberal Arts degree affords the student the most 

choice in electives. Most Associate of Science degrees are more restrictive and the 

remaining credit loads are filled with required program specific courses; very few of the 

A.S. degrees offer unrestricted electives, but students are allowed some choice in their 

Liberal Arts Core. 

Students graduating from RVCC have met the requirements of each course in their 

program, met the graduation requirements of the College, and for associate degree 

earners, have successfully completed the Liberal Arts core. As the Philosophy of the 

College is threaded through all programs, they have also met the outcomes for the 

educated person. One CCSNH initiative that RVCC hopes will bring our completion rates 

even higher is the Open Education Resources (OER) initiative. Currently, the Associate 

Professor of Biological Science represents RVCC at the system level. Lowering textbook 

costs for students may help them take more classes, and may encourage them to 

complete in a timely manner. 

Appraisal of Undergraduate Degree Programs 

Many of the A.S. degrees are designed with a specific employment goal in mind or are 

subject to the requirements of national accreditation standards which restricts the amount 

of choice that can be given to a student with regards to electives. These programs are 

designed to ensure that the student meets the educational and technical standards 

required for employment. Credits beyond the Liberal Arts Core are designed specifically to 

meet the needs of the program while still keeping the credit load within a reasonable 

number for an associate degree. Students who wish to transfer to a four-year institution 

can pursue the Liberal Arts degree which is modeled after the first two years of most fouryear 

liberal arts colleges. 

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One area that came to light during the self-study process was the lack of a structured 

assessment plan in some of the liberal arts areas. While the accredited programs, as well 

as mathematics and sciences, have standard assessment timelines, English and social 

sciences do not. Administration supported the current VPAA in attending the Assessment 

Institute in Indianapolis in October 2018. VPAA Jahn was able to bring back a wealth of 

practical knowledge in the area and has been working on an assessment plan designed 

first for liberal arts courses, then moving to the liberal arts program as a whole, then to 

college-wide assessment. 

General Education 

The general education requirement is clearly outlined, as described above, in the Liberal 

Arts Core of RVCC that all associate degree programs must meet. The Liberal Arts Core 

directly informs and prepares students to meet the definition of the educated person as set 

out in the RVCC Philosophy. The Philosophy further identifies that students who graduate 

from RVCC should “[embrace] an understanding and appreciation of self in today's socially 

and technologically complex world, and through the stimulation of intellectual curiosity, 

learners will be able to improve their lives and contribute something of value to the 

community of which they are a part.” The goal of all programs, certificate or degree, is to 

prepare students to enter the world with increased skills relevant to their individual goals. 

All programs follow a developed program map which ensures that the general education 

requirements of the arts and humanities, science, social science, and mathematics inform 

and support the technical programs. Program Directors are thoughtful in their placement 

of the general education courses in their program maps and often general education 

courses are used as pre-requisite or co-requisites for technical program courses. 

RVCC follows the CCSNH BoT policy which requires a minimum of 20 credits in general 

education courses. Approximately 12-13 of these credits will come from the Liberal Arts 

Core, with the remaining credits being determined for each program depending on the 

need of that program, but coming from Humanities/Fine Arts/Language; Quantitative 

Reasoning; Science; or Social Science. The Associate of Arts Degree requires even more 

credits (37-40) in the general education subjects. The variability in credit load is a result of 

math courses being either 3 or 4-credit courses, and lab science having variable credit 

loads. 

Appraisal of General Education 

The general education requirements at RVCC follow the CCSNH System requirements and 

are designed to meet the standards set forth in River Valley’s definition of an educated 

person. The requirements ensure that students graduating from River Valley have 

exposure and meet minimum standards in English, math, science, social science, and 

humanities. Programs are allowed to fill electives as they see fit to meet the specific 

nature of the degree being awarded. This format allows for students to have some choice 

in their coursework while still allowing Program Directors the ability to ensure that the 

curriculum of study meets with the rigor and expectations of the industry they are 

preparing students for. For those students who intend to transfer to a four-year 

43 | P a g e

institution, the general education requirements provide a foundational basis to prepare 

them for more advanced studies. 

The Major or Concentration 

Each program follows a program map which builds from early levels of knowledge to more 

advanced levels as the student progresses from 100 to 200 level courses. Each program 

has written goals and objectives. Each course in the program also identifies specific goals 

and skills that will be obtained upon completion. 

Program goals and outcomes are informed by accreditation standards, industry standards, 

employment requirements, or transfer expectations. Many technical programs, including 

certificate programs, use input from advisory boards and/or accreditation standards to 

guide the knowledge base that the students must meet. 

Appraisal of the Major or Concentration 

Program Directors have autonomy in development of the curriculum and how the program 

specific coursework will be implemented. However, development of the coursework which 

supports the curriculum of the individual program is created with the same framework as 

the general education requirements ensuring that coursework is appropriate for the 

student’s level of knowledge while progressing the student from simple knowledge to 

complex mastery. Content of the program specific courses is informed in many of the 

allied health, health science, and nursing programs by national accreditation standards. 

Additional input on curricular expectations of programs comes from advisory boards and 

industry standards. Program Directors regularly evaluate their courses for relevancy to 

ensure graduates are prepared for their chosen fields. The Curriculum Team requires 

courses be reviewed every five years but most Program Directors do this on a more 

frequent basis. 

Integrity in the Award of Academic Credit 

Academic Credit & Course Objectives 

River Valley awards two levels of credentials: the certificate and the associate degree. All 

credentials meet standards of the CCSNH Board of Trustee Policy 620.02 regarding 

requirements for graduation. All associate degrees must contain a minimum of sixty 

credits with at least 15 credits taken directly at RVCC (not transferred in) including a 

minimum of 8 credits in the major or specific field of study. Depending on the degree 

being awarded, either the Associate in Science or the Associate in Arts, there are slight 

differences in the core. All students in either track must earn a minimum of 20 credits of 

liberal arts courses including College Composition, Math, Humanities/Fine Arts/Language, 

Science, and a Social Science. The Associate of Arts degree requires additional credits in 

Literature/Composition/Communications and at least one Lab Science. The remaining 

credits must include 20-24 (for an A.A.) or 30 (for an A.S.) program specific credits. In 

the case of the A.A. in Liberal Arts, the additional credits must include 12-15 additional 

Liberal Arts electives from the core listed plus 9 credits of open electives. Certificate 

programs at RVCC also follow the BoT policy and must be at least 6 credits in length with 

all courses designed to meet competencies in an occupational field. 

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All program curricula, as well as course competencies, are reviewed before implementation 

by the Curriculum team. Their role is to ensure, by working with Program Directors, that 

all programs meet the requirements as outlined above. All Program Directors are directly 

responsible for developing course content including required competencies. These 

competencies are expected to be written in measurable terms and are evaluated by the 

Curriculum Team before implementation in the classroom. The Program Director, through 

the development of the course outline, also identifies what teaching and assessment 

methods may be used for each course. Individual faculty have the academic freedom to 

deliver content as they see fit so long as they meet the course competencies, follow the 

learning objectives, and develop clear assessment techniques to measure objectives. 

Regardless of credential issued by the College, no developmental coursework/credits can 

count towards graduation, and all students must earn a minimum Cumulative Grade Point 

Average of 2.0 or higher. 

Credit Load 

Because the standard for a Bachelor’s Degree is 120 credits, the System instituted a 60 

credit max for an Associate Degree. This helps to limit student cost and smooth the way 

for students to transfer their two-year degree to a four-year institution if they wish to do 

so. RVCC has a large number of accredited programs in the Allied Health and Health 

Science fields. There is always a struggle for these programs to fall within the 60 credit 

limit as they need to meet both the System requirements for Liberal Arts courses, include 

all required content for accreditation and preparation of the student, and also include 

clinical experiences which are credit bearing. In addition, the Medical Laboratory 

Technician program has two pathways, one which allows for direct transfer to UNH 

provided the student takes a specific set of RVCC electives. This pathway bears a slightly 

higher credit load. Other programs at RVCC also rise above the 60 credit limit. This is 

because all RVCC math courses and science courses are four credit courses versus the 

CCSNH requirements which are based on math and science courses that are either three or 

four credits. RVCC science and math courses are designed for smooth articulation with the 

University System of NH. The liberal arts electives that students choose can also have an 

impact on the total credit load of a program. 

All credits awarded follow the CCSNH System policy 650.01 related to contact hours and 

are consistent with NECHE policy. A credit hour is defined as one hour of classroom or 

laboratory work and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for a 

15 or 16-week semester. One hour of instructional time is considered 50 minutes of direct 

instruction. 

Direct faculty instruction (“lecture classes”) have a one to one ratio. One hour of 

instruction per week equates to one credit when calculated over a full semester (fifteen or 

sixteen weeks). Laboratory classes must have two or three hours per week over a fifteen 

or sixteen-week semester to equate to one contact hour. The lab hour determination is left 

to the Program Director responsible for the course and must be approved by the 

Curriculum Team. Once the ratio is established as part of the course outline, it cannot be 

adjusted without going through the Curriculum Team process. Any course taught on a 

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shortened schedule (less than 15 weeks) must meet the semester equivalents for a credit 

load outlined in Table 4.2 

Additional courses described in this policy that are offered by River Valley include Clinicals, 

Fieldwork, Affiliations, Practicums, and Internships. Contact hours for these classifications 

are 60 minutes of direct instruction. All courses in these categories follow the policies 

outlined by the CCSNH BoT with regard to credit load (outlined in table 4.2) and level of 

oversight by RVCC faculty. Each of these courses has a course outline with measurable 

objectives and, depending on the classification, is overseen by RVCC faculty in different 

ways. Clinicals are taught in a patient/client care setting exclusively by RVCC faculty and 

are found in the Nursing, Massage Therapy, and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs. 

Fieldwork, Affiliations, and Practicums are found in the Occupational Therapy Assistant, 

Physical Therapist Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technician, Respiratory Therapy, 

Radiologic Technology, Medical Assistant and Early Childhood Education programs. 

Students in these courses are working in direct patient/client/child care facilities, and with 

approved preceptors while receiving regular oversight via electronic and in person visits by 

RVCC faculty. Internships are offered in the Phlebotomy program and have oversight 

similar to Fieldwork and Practicums. While many of RVCC’s programs have required 

competencies, we have no programs that are completely competency based. 

Guided Pathways & Program Mapping 

In Fall of 2016, RVCC began rigorously working on program mapping with a goal of 

introducing Guided Pathways and Academic Focus Areas. Many programs, particularly 

those related to the Allied Health and Health Science fields already had program maps that 

were provided to students during their first meeting with their academic advisors. Since 

Fall of 2016, every program has worked to streamline their program maps to ensure 

students are aware of which semester courses should be taken and the order which they 

should follow. All current program maps are housed in Canvas for access by any advisor 

to follow. 

Early College 

Our most prominent dual-enrollment program, Running Start, allows our courses to be 

taught at the high school facility by high school teachers who meet our credential 

requirements. Every high school instructor is overseen by a RVCC faculty member whose 

job it is to visit the classroom and assess that the content being taught meets the course 

competencies and is being delivered at the same rigor as it would be if offered directly at 

46 | P a g e

the College. Faculty mentors often have to work closely with new instructors to ensure 

that the RVCC standards are met. All Running Start classroom visits are documented with 

standard forms and are evaluated and housed by the Running Start Coordinator. 

Academic Policies and Academic Freedom 

All students must earn a passing grade on either a 10-point scale or a 7-point scale (for 

many allied health and health science programs) in order to be awarded credit. Passing 

grades for courses may vary between departments per individual program policy. 

RVCC policies outlined in the Student Handbook (pages 22-24) define Satisfactory 

Academic Progress at the College as the Cumulative GPA of credits earned against the total 

number of credits attempted in the student’s program of study. They also provide 

definitions and guidelines for the classifications and criteria for Academic Probation and 

Academic Suspension. Policies are clear and identify academic as well as Financial Aid 

implications for continuation in programs. The Student Handbook also identifies policies by 

which the student has the right to appeal decisions impacting their progress through the 

college programs. 

All Program Directors are directly responsible for developing course content including 

required competencies. These competencies are expected to be written in measurable 

terms and are evaluated by the Curriculum Team before implementation in the classroom. 

The Program Director, through the development of the course outline also identifies what 

teaching and assessment methods may be used for each course. 

Individual faculty have the academic freedom to deliver content as they see fit so long as 

they meet the course competencies, follow the learning objectives, and develop clear 

assessment techniques to measure objectives. Faculty are responsible for following the 

course outline to ensure that students are assessed appropriately for all outcomes and that 

grading criteria from classroom assessments are accurately reflective of student work. 

The Student Handbook defines cheating and plagiarism in the Student Code of Conduct 

Section C (page 44). Each faculty member is responsible for ensuring that all submitted 

student work is their own work or cited properly. 

Course Transfer & Credit Awarded for Prior Experience 

Each course that a student wishes to transfer into RVCC is evaluated by the Program 

Director who oversees the content area of the course being requested for transfer 

evaluation. This ensures that content experts in each field are directly involved in the 

decision for which transfers can be completed. Program Directors evaluate course 

descriptions, and when needed, course syllabi to ensure similar objectives, assessments, 

and credit load prior to accepting courses for transfer. Our high school program, Running 

Start, is described above and all credits for the dual enrolled students are awarded directly 

by RVCC. CBE’s are described below and require students meet the final assessment of 

the course before being approved for credit. 

Transfer of credit from outside institutions follows a clear policy which is available in the 

Student Handbook (page 17). The College allows for transfer in of any course which 

meets our course objectives and competencies, has the same or greater credit load, and is 

no greater than ten years old. Occasionally, a content expert will allow for transfer of a 

47 | P a g e

course greater than ten years old if a student has sufficient, additional proof that they 

have maintained currency in the content area since taking the course. Students who plan 

to take a course at another college during their time at RVCC can submit paperwork for 

pre-approval for transfer to ensure that their course will transfer in upon successful 

completion. Certain programs in Allied Health have additional transfer of credit policies to 

remain in compliance with program accreditation requirements and individual transfer 

policies are provided on the program website or in the program handbook. It is the 

responsibility of the Program Director to accurately communicate all program-specific 

transfer policies to students. 

River Valley’s policy on credit award for prior experiential learning is through a process 

called Credit by Examination (CBE). If a student can demonstrate sufficient reason why 

their prior experience has met the course objectives, they may challenge the course. 

Typically, this is done in a manner which provides the student a chance to take a 

comprehensive final exam, comprehensive practical exam, and/or submit a portfolio of 

work that demonstrates mastery of the course objectives. The grade issued for this CBE is 

identified as the course grade on the student’s transcript. Students can also earn credit by 

transferring completion of College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Exams or Advanced 

Placement (AP) coursework. 

Per the CCSNH BoT Academic Policy 620.02, RVCC may only issue associate degrees for 

which a student has completed 15 credits being offered directly by the College (not 

transferred in) including a minimum of 8 credits in the major or specific field of study. 

Many of the programs in allied health and health science, which require credit loads above 

60 credits, do not allow for direct transfer of program-specific courses, but will only allow 

transfer of credit related to general education credits. This continues to ensure that all 

students complete at least 25% of their coursework directly at RVCC. Certificate programs 

also follow CCSNH Policy which states that a minimum of 6 credits, or 25% of credit load, 

whichever is greater, must be completed at the College awarding the degree. For 

example, even our smallest credit program, phlebotomy, which has only six (6) credits, 

will allow transfer in of the phlebotomy course from another school (3 credits) for students 

who wish to complete their phlebotomy internship at one of our clinical locations. These 

students therefore, may transfer in only 50% maximum of their credit load towards their 

Phlebotomy certificate, while still taking the RVCC phlebotomy internship and completing 

50% of their credits at RVCC before being awarded their certificate. 

Articulation Agreements 

River Valley has articulation agreements with a number of four-year institutions in the 

State of NH and has worked closely with those institutions in recent years to ensure that 

course competencies align for ease of transfer. This work has been most rigorously done in 

the math and science fields to ensure that students at RVCC can transfer their coursework 

to any of the NH Universities. 

Program & Course Scheduling 

Scheduling of programs and courses follows the program maps as described above. RVCC 

does not offer any programs on an abbreviated schedule, but does offer courses via 

distance education. All online courses follow the same outline as the same course offered 

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in the face to face format and are treated equivalently to a face to face course. Students 

participating in the online version of a course must meet the same course objectives as 

those students seated in the same course being offered in a face to face format. Online 

courses are included as part of faculty evaluation processes similarly to evaluation of any 

other course material. Each semester, the Liberal Arts department runs one or two “late 

start” courses to allow students who may need to alter their schedules time to register for 

additional electives. These courses also follow the requirements of the traditional, fullsemester 

length course but do so over a fewer number of weeks. This shortening of the 

schedule requires that the courses meet for longer periods each week in order to meet 

contact hour requirements. 

All students enrolled in either 100% online courses or off-campus courses such as 

internships and practicums have regular access to their faculty through our online learning 

management system, email, phone, or physical contact during site visits. All students 

enrolled in distance education must log in through their RVCC issued Easy Log-In, a 

username and password issued to all students to access their Canvas account, Student 

Information System, and email. This Easy Log-In is individual to each student and is the 

only option we have as a college to ensure that students who register for an online course 

are the ones completing the course. 

Appraisal of Integrity in the Award of Academic Credit 

RVCC does a very good job of ensuring authority and administrative oversight of all 

courses for which institutional credit is awarded. The College follows the BoT policies and 

all awards of institutional credit have oversight by the VPAA. The VPAA is responsible for 

evaluating the schedule each semester to ensure that courses are scheduled for 

appropriate lengths of times to meet credit loads. Department Chairs or Program 

Directors evaluate all faculty to ensure that course objectives are being met and that 

courses are meeting as outlined on the schedule. During faculty evaluations where a 

faculty is teaching online, Department Chairs and Program Directors are given access to 

online courses to evaluate the virtual learning environment. Courses taught off campus 

through Running Start are evaluated each semester by faculty partners to ensure that high 

school partners are teaching at the same level and providing comparable assessments as 

would be given in the college environment. 

One challenge that we have faced as a college is having a central location for reporting 

acts of plagiarism or cheating. Most issues are held at the program level but faculty have 

brought up concerns related to cross-college cheating and plagiarism issues. Previously, 

all issues were reported to the VPAA which allowed a common repository of information. 

This ensured that if a student violated student policies in multiple courses, there was a 

central location for evaluation of repeated student issues. This process was discontinued 

with the VPAA holding the position in 2015 but was reinstated in Fall of 2018 so all 

plagiarism issues are again housed in the Office of Academic Affairs. 

One opportunity we have as a small college is that we are consistently working to reinvent 

and update Liberal Arts electives to keep them current. In the past two years we have 

introduced the following courses: Introduction to Drawing, Introduction to Painting, 

Understanding World Religions, as well as Introduction to Counseling Theories and 

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Techniques. The Department Chair of Liberal Arts has also worked diligently to monitor 

course tallies and collect data regarding which courses are most popular among students 

and has worked to rotate these courses to ensure that they are available as needed for 

students and are offered without competing against each other to ensure enrollment is 

sufficient for all courses to run in the semester they are offered. One area that the 

Department Chair group has recently discussed is offering certain courses only in certain 

semesters and documenting this in the Catalog to allow students to have more specificity 

when working with their advisors on course planning. Additionally, many of our students 

attend college part-time, while most program maps are planned for the full-time student. 

This sometimes poses challenges for academic advisors to assist students in a complete 

plan if they are attending part-time. Currently the College is exploring making greater use 

of our technology to deliver instruction. For example, RVCC’s Claremont campus uses the 

College’s Zoom software to tie in students from the Lebanon and Keene Academic Centers 

for classes only offered in Claremont. 

Strengths 

 

 

 

Integrity of academics is overseen through a number of avenues including the 

Program Director, Department Chair, VPAA, and Curriculum Team 

RVCC has strong academic policies which follow and are supportive of CCSNH 

System Policies. 

River Valley has a strong academic Catalog which delivers a variety of programs 

unique to the State of NH and the State of VT. 

Challenges 

 

 

Due to required content and the way credit hours are calculated, it is difficult for 

many programs to remain within the recommended 60 credit limit suggested for an 

associate degree. 

RVCC does not yet have systematic adoption of Open Education Resources. 

Projections 

 

 

The VPAA, in conjunction with the President, Department Chairs, and other relevant 

college constituents will develop a long term plan related to academics for 

Claremont as well as the Lebanon Academic Center and the Keene Academic Center 

by Spring 2020. 

By Spring 2020, RVCC will have a plan for systematic adoption of OER. 

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Standard 4: The Academic Program 

(Summary - Degree-Seeking Enrollment and Degrees) 

Fall Enrollment* by location and modality, as of Census Date 

Degree Level/ Location & 

Modality 

Associate's Bachelor's Master's 

Clinical 

doctorates (e.g., 

Pharm.D., DPT, 

DNP) 

Professional 

doctorates (e.g., 

Ed.D., Psy.D., 

D.B.A.) 

M.D., J.D., 

DDS 

Ph.D. 

Total Degree- 

Seeking 

Main Campus FT 140 140 

Main Campus PT 485 485 

Other Principal Campus FT 0 

Other Principal Campus PT 0 

Branch campuses FT 0 

Branch campuses PT 0 

Other Locations FT 0 

Other Locations PT 0 

Overseas Locations FT 0 

Overseas Locations FT 0 

Distance education FT 

0 

Distance education PT 

0 

Correspondence FT 0 

Correspondence PT 0 

Low-Residency FT 0 

Low-Residency PT 0 

Unduplicated Headcount Total 625 0 0 0 0 0 0 625 

Total FTE 512.00 512.00 

Enter FTE definition: Degrees Awarded, Most Recent 1 FTE = 

student taking 

at least 12 

credits 

Year 119 119 

Notes: 

1) Enrollment numbers should include all students in the named categories, including students in continuing education and students enrolled 

through any contractual relationship. 

2) Each student should be recorded in only one category, e.g., students enrolled in low-residency programs housed on the main campus should be 

recorded only in the category "low-residency programs." 

3) Please refer to form 3.2, "Locations and Modalities," for definitions of locations and instructional modalities. 

* For programs not taught in the fall, report an analogous term's enrollment as of its Census Date. 


Students at RVCC apply to the college, not to an academic center. All students are considered at part of the data for RVCC-Claremont but any student can 

take classes at the Keene Academic Center, the Lebaonon Academic Center, and online. Students do not enroll at a specific location or modality. 

51 | P a g e


(Summary - Non-degree seeking Enrollment and Awards) 

Fall Enrollment* by location and modality, as of Census Date 

Degree Level/ Location & 

Modality 

Title IV-Eligible 

Certificates: Students 

Seeking Certificates 

Non-Matriculated 

Students 

Visiting 

Students 

Total Nondegree-Seeking 

Total degreeseeking 

(from 

previous page) 

Grand total 

Main Campus FT 17 17 17 

Main Campus PT 74 74 74 

Other Principal Campus FT 0 0 

Other Principal Campus PT 0 0 

Branch campuses FT 0 0 

Branch campuses PT 0 0 

Other Locations FT 0 0 

Other Locations PT 0 0 

Overseas Locations FT 0 0 

Overseas Locations FT 0 0 

Distance education FT 

0 0 

Distance education PT 

0 0 

Correspondence FT 0 0 

Correspondence PT 0 0 

Low-Residency FT 0 0 

Low-Residency PT 0 0 

Unduplicated Headcount 

Total 91 0 0 91 91 

Total FTE 60.00 60 60.00 

FTE = student taking at 

least 12 credits 

Enter FTE definition: 

Certificates Awarded, Most 

Recent Year 71 

Notes: 

1) Enrollment numbers should include all students in the named categories, including students in continuing education and students enrolled 

through any contractual relationship. 

2) Each student should be recorded in only one category, e.g., students enrolled in low-residency programs housed on the main campus should 

be recorded only in the category "low-residency programs." 

3) Please refer to form 3.2, "Locations and Modalities," for definitions of locations and instructional modalities. 

* For programs not taught in the fall, report an analogous term's enrollment as of its Census Date. 


52 | P a g e


(Headcount by UNDERGRADUATE Major) 

? Number 3 Years 2 Years 1 Year Current Next Year 

of Prior Prior Prior Year Forward (goal) 

For Fall Term, as of Census Date credits* Fall 2015 Fall 2016 Fall 2017 Fall 2018 Fall 2019 

Certificate (add more rows as needed) 

? Accounting 23.00 37.00 27.00 30.00 28.00 30.00 

Advanced Accounting 35.00 3.00 24.00 21.00 - 10.00 

Advanced Machine Tool 24.00 595.00 225.00 73.00 - n/a 

Healthcare Applications 32/33 n/a n/a n/a n/a 950.00 

Business Management 30.00 22.00 27.00 30.00 18.00 25.00 

Computer Technology: Networking 18.00 62.00 80.00 42.00 6.00 42.00 

Cybersecurity Security & Healthcare 18.00 7.00 18.00 15.00 - 12.00 

Early Childhood Education Level 1 12.00 21.00 33.00 24.00 12.00 15.00 

Early Childhood Education Level 2 24.00 18.00 36.00 54.00 45.00 45.00 

Human Services 24.00 - 9.00 n/a n/a n/a 

Infant & Toddler 18.00 n/a n/a n/a 39.00 40.00 

Massage Therapy 37.00 375.00 330.00 394.00 265.00 275.00 

Medical Administrative Assistant 18.00 132.00 119.00 36.00 120.00 125.00 

Medical Assistant 42.00 242.00 285.00 218.00 122.00 125.00 

Phlebotomy 6.00 36.00 24.00 18.00 39.00 39.00 

Social Services 18.00 n/a n/a n/a 21.00 21.00 

Total 1,550 1,237 955 715 1,754 

Associate (add more rows as needed) 

? Accounting 60/62 200 220 296 243 245 

Business Management 60/62 636 615 491 436 438 

Computer Technology: Networking 60 212 223 115 132 150 

Computer Technology: Information Tech 60 n/a n/a n/a 63 60 

Cybersecurity & Healthcare IT 60 144 112 52 58 85 

Creative Writing 69 34 24 24 n/a n/a 

Criminal Justice 60 235 172 107 232 235 

Early Childhood Education 63-65 307 418 597 430 430 

General Studies: Cert-Degree 60 60 38 34 25 20 

General Studies: Self-Designed 60 0 7 14 11 n/a 

Human Services 63-65 162 86 9 n/a n/a 

Liberal Arts 60 476 766 658 531 530 

Mathematics & Science: Biological Science 60 126 220 176 131 60 

Mathematics & Science: Engineering 60 119 229 37 20 n/a 

Mathematics & Science: Math 60 10 17 8 4 n/a 

Mathematics & Science: Physical Science 60 0 10 n/a n/a n/a 

Medical Laboratory Technician 65-70 97 36 145 213 220 

Nursing 65/66 459 514 552 595 705 

Occupational Therapy Assistant 68 421 385 327 361 324 

Physical Therapist Assistant 70 225 338 375 370 370 

Radiologic Technology 69 106 324 239 278 280 

Respiratory Therapy 62 315 311 314 294 310 

Social Services 60 n/a n/a 93 224 220 

Teacher Education 64 67 90 16 4 - 

? Undeclared 2076 1,701 1,621 1,492 425 

Total 6,487 6,856 6,300 6,147 5,107 

53 | P a g e

Baccalaureate (add more rows as needed) 

? 

Undeclared 

Total 0 0 0 0 0 

Total Undergraduate 8,037 8,093 7,255 6,862 6,861 

* Enter here the number of credits students must complete in order to earn the credential (e.g., 69 credits in an A.S. in Nursing) 


1) All credits are reported only based on a student's first declared major. For example, a student may list General Eduaction: 

Exploratory as their first major, but have a second major of Phlebotomy; their credit load is only listed under General 

Eduation: Exploratory program, even though they are taking credits in the Phelbotomy program as well. 2)Credit Loads for 

Degree Completion have ranges due to the variablity in credit load for math and science elective courses as well as variablity in 

54 | P a g e


(Headcount by GRADUATE Major) 

? For Fall Term, as of Census Date 

? Number 3 Years 2 Years 1 Year Current Next Year 

of Prior Prior Prior Year Forward (goal) 

credits* (Fall 2 ) (Fall 2 ) (Fall 2 ) (Fall 2 ) (Fall 2 ) 

Master's (add more rows as needed) 

? 

Total 0 0 0 0 0 

Doctorate (add more rows as needed) 

? 

Total 0 0 0 0 0 

First Professional (add more rows as needed) 

? 

Total 0 0 0 0 0 

Other; specify (add more rows as needed) 

? 

Total 0 0 0 0 0 

Total Graduate 0 0 0 0 0 

* Enter here the number of credits students must complete in order to earn the credential (e.g., 36 credits in an M.B.A.) 


No graduate level programs offered 

55 | P a g e


(Credit Hours Generated and Information Literacy) 

Credit Hours Generated By Department or Comparable Academic Unit 

? 3 Years 2 Years 1 Year Current Next Year 

? Prior Prior Prior Year Forward (goal) 

(FY 2015) (FY2016) (FY 2017) (FY 2018) (FY 2019) 

Undergraduate (add more rows as needed) 

? Allied Health 895 1,157 1,078 1,025 1,025 

Business 908 1,014 768 597 601 

Health Science 557 467 557 636 1,331 

Liberal Arts 2,964 2,827 1,526 2,354 1,649 

Math 971 836 786 508 510 

Nursing & Respiratory Therapy 762 770 1,584 797 800 

Science & Technology 998 1,022 956 945 945 

Total 8,055 8,093 7,255 6,862 6,861 

Graduate (add more rows as needed) 

Information Literacy Sessions 

Main campus 

Total 0 0 0 0 0 

Sessions embedded in a class 33 34 43 20 

Free-standing sessions 

Branch/other locations 

Sessions embedded in a class 


Online sessions 

URL of Information Literacy Reports: https://www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources/puksta-library/information-literacy 


Thes credit hours generated are based on the current departmental structure although departments have been reorganized a number of 

times in the time frame that this data sheet covers. In Fall 2016, the BoT changed the requirement for an Associates degree to contain 

only College Composition as a required course, eliminating the second English requirement. This accounts for a large portion of the 

decreased credits from Fall 2016 to Fall 2017 in the Liberal Arts Department. 

56 | P a g e


(Credit Hours Generated and Information Literacy) 

Credit Hours Generated By Department or Comparable Academic Unit 

? 3 Years 2 Years 1 Year Current Next Year 

? Prior Prior Prior Year Forward (goal) 

(FY 2015) (FY2016) (FY 2017) (FY 2018) (FY 2019) 

Undergraduate (add more rows as needed) 

? Allied Health 895 1,157 1,078 1,025 1,025 

Business 908 1,014 768 597 601 

Health Science 557 467 557 636 1,331 

Liberal Arts 2,964 2,827 1,526 2,354 1,649 

Math 971 836 786 508 510 

Nursing & Respiratory Therapy 762 770 1,584 797 800 

Science & Technology 998 1,022 956 945 945 

Total 8,055 8,093 7,255 6,862 6,861 

Graduate (add more rows as needed) 

Information Literacy Sessions 

Main campus 

Total 0 0 0 0 0 

Sessions embedded in a class 33 34 43 20 



Sessions embedded in a class 


Online sessions 

URL of Information Literacy Reports: www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources/puksta-library/information-literacy 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources/puksta-library/information-literacy 


Thes credit hours generated are based on the current departmental structure although departments have been reorganized a number of 

times in the time frame that this data sheet covers. In Fall 2016, the BoT changed the requirement for an Associates degree to contain 

only College Composition as a required course, eliminating the second English requirement. This accounts for a large portion of the 

decreased credits from Fall 2016 to Fall 2017 in the Liberal Arts Department. 

57 | P a g e

58 | P a g e 

Standard Five 

Students

Description 

River Valley Community College serves a rural area of New Hampshire with a diverse 

population of students. The majority of our students are non-traditional as we have many 

programs that attract students who are looking for a change in career. In academic year 

2017-2018, RVCC served 859 credit students and 229 non-credit students. The average 

age of the student population was 30 and the majority of the students (78%) attend part 

time (Table 5.1). Approximately 80% of students are eligible for Financial Aid. 

Students attend River Valley for a variety of reasons. Some wish to take one or two 

courses in order to improve work skills or are part of a formal Workforce Development 

collaboration between RVCC and a local business; some students wish to earn a certificate 

to get a foot in the door in a particular field; some wish to pursue an associate degree to 

further their education or transfer; and some students are attending four-year schools and 

attend classes with us to supplement their programs of study while they are home during 

the summer. River Valley serves many students who are first-generation college students. 

Some of these students apply directly out of high school, and others decide to obtain a 

college degree later in life. Often students are not prepared for college level courses, 

which presents a set of unique challenges. RVCC has worked to ensure all students are 

supported by providing college readiness courses, co-requisite courses, and tutoring. The 

variable student populate allows the College to see amazing growth in the students it 

serves. 

Admissions & Financial Aid 

The College mission, ethics, and core values are woven throughout all activities related to 

students. RVCC is an open access college which means that any student with a highschool 

degree, GED (General Education Development), or HiSET (High School Equivalency 

Test) is eligible to attend. There are some programs and courses that have additional 

benchmarks and admission requirements. These are clearly communicated to students 

through published programmatic application packets or through course pre-requisite 

information. RVCC follows all federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination. For 

applicants who wish to apply to RVCC but already hold a terminal degree from another 

college, their college transcript is accepted in lieu of a high school equivalency. 

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Admissions policies are clearly accessible on the college website and follow the CCSNH BoT 

Policy 740 – Admission of Students. The College Catalog helps students identify a 

program of study and counsels students on the matriculation process. Specific programs, 

which may have additional admission requirements such as technical or psychomotor skills 

that are required for employment or related to accreditation standards, can be found in the 

College Catalog as well. Each Program Director in charge of programs with additional 

admissions requirements is responsible for ensuring that any additional program 

admissions requirements are clearly stated in the program documentation. Program 

Directors work with the Admissions Office to ensure that admissions requirements for their 

programs are current in the admissions database. 

All college and program admissions must adhere to the College’s Non-Discrimination Policy 

which is identified in the College Catalog (pg. 79), on the RVCC website, and on the first 

page of the college application. 

Many programs in the Allied Health, Health Science and Nursing departments have specific 

admission requirements and often require prior completion of high school Biology, Algebra, 

Chemistry, or Physics in order to ensure proper preparation for the rigors of the program. 

These specific requirements are listed in each programs individual Catalog page. If 

students wish to enter these programs and do not have proof of completion of these 

requirements, the College provides comparable course work that Program Directors will 

accept in lieu of high school requirements. For example, the RVCC course CHEM030R – 

Introduction to Chemical Principles serves as the equivalent to high school Chemistry and 

can be accepted towards program admission. 

Financial Aid information is provided to all students and can be found on the RVCC 

website, in the College Catalog (pgs. 8-9), and in the Student Handbook (pg. 30). The 

Director of Financial Aid and Admissions Counselors travel to each Academic Center at 

least one day per week to meet with students who may not be able to travel to the 

Claremont location where these offices are permanently housed. 

Recruitment & Retention 

As a result of the variable student population, it is important for RVCC to evaluate data 

related to student demographics. Student demographic information is culled from 

admissions application and registration forms, and the College identifies the typical age 

range, gender, part vs. full-time status, and veteran status. These data inform our 

admission outreach both to target the students we already attract and to identify gaps in 

our demographics. 

Nearly half of the students who are enrolled at River Valley Community College are ages 

25 and under. This tells us that recent high school graduates make up a large percentage 

of our applicants. We acknowledge that high school students applying to college often 

apply to many schools before deciding where they will go, suggesting that we receive a 

much higher percentage of applicants from traditional students than our enrollment 

reflects. Our enrollment team focuses on this cohort of students by maintaining good 

relationships with school counselors, attending regional college fairs, holding “Quick Admit” 

days at area high schools, hosting Discovery Day, and by participating in college planning 

nights held at area high schools and colleges. 

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RVCC students who are 25 and over make up the remaining 53% of our college 

population. This cohort is more difficult to recruit as they are adults who have already 

established themselves in their personal and professional lives. To reach out to this 

population, our enrollment team advertises and hosts open houses prior to each semester 

and holds Quick Admit days every month at each of our locations. The team also 

participates in many community events including job and employment fairs, home shows, 

farmer’s markets, sporting events, and civic events. The enrollment team also works with 

the New Hampshire and Vermont Department of Employment Security, New Hampshire 

and Vermont Adult Learning, and local correctional institutions. 

The majority of students at RVCC are part time students. In consideration of this, we 

assume that most of our applicants are balancing work and family life and will continue to 

do so when they enroll at RVCC. To accommodate this working population, RVCC offers 

courses and programs with varying meeting times on campus, online, and in hybrid 

formats to accommodate students’ busy lives. We see our online course enrollment data 

continue to climb with an increase of credits sold reaching over 15% in Spring 2019. To 

recruit this population of working people, our team reaches out to area employers, 

including businesses who offer tuition reimbursement to ensure they have our materials 

available to their employees. RVCC is a member of the local Chambers of Commerce, 

Rotary, and other civic organizations. The team also reaches out to local social service 

agencies and participates in events to help unemployed and under employed people find 

an educational path that fits their lifestyles. 

RVCC is home to the Respiratory Therapy program, which is the only program of its kind in 

NH; and the Medical Laboratory Technician, Occupational Therapy Assistant, and Physical 

Therapist Assistant programs which are the only of their kind in the Vermont/New 

Hampshire area. For these programs, recruitment efforts are targeted in geographic 

regions that are not typically served by RVCC. These programs have, in recent years, 

attracted New England students from as far away as Berlin, NH and Burlington, VT to the 

north; Rutland, VT to the west, and Laconia, NH and Nashua, NH to the west and south. 

While the majority of our students are NH Residents, we do attract out of state students 

occasionally coming from as far away as Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Washington State. 

These applicants often identify internet sources or local family and friends as ones who 

bring RVCC to their attention. 

61 | P a g e

An additional area of recruitment comes from collaboration between RVCC’s Career and 

Transfer Specialist, Enrollment Specialists, and the Coordinator of Workforce Development. 

This collaboration helps to strengthen the recruitment efforts so we can better serve our 

local populations by providing accurate and reliable information regarding the services and 

support that RVCC can provide. For example, Career and Transfer Services and Early 

College Coordinator provide guidance and outreach to potential high school and career and 

technical education students interested in pursuing programs at River Valley. Career 

Services provides interest assessments to guide students into a program path that aligns 

with their academic goals while the Early College Coordinator provides direction around 

credits, classes and dual enrollment as a liaison between secondary and post-secondary 

education programs and oversees the Running Start program. 

One program example of this collaboration is Pathway2Success. A cohort of ten students 

from three different high schools will complete thirty-three credits in the IT, Computer 

Networking or the Cybersecurity programs by the time they graduate from high 

school. This includes class time and experiential learning activities. 

The Fujifilm Digimatix (Lebanon, NH) and Hypertherm (Lebanon, NH) project is a 

collaborative effort between Early College, Transfer and Career Services, and Workforce 

Development to provide students at Lebanon High School and Thetford Academy with dual 

high school and college credits for classes completed at both sites. Students will also have 

the opportunity to learn about the manufacturing industry at these two businesses through 

work based and experiential learning opportunities. 

Career Services and Workforce Development collaborate by providing outreach to 

businesses. Outreach and services include advertising paid internships and employment 

opportunities to students at RVCC and providing career fairs. Workforce Development 

offers a needs assessments and provides information and resources to businesses 

interested in creating training programs using RVCC for credit, non-credit, and 

apprenticeship programs; and assists in recruiting and admitting students to RVCC who 

may not have otherwise utilized our services. 

Our core values and ethics are woven into all prospective and current student interactions 

by ensuring students and families are treated with respect; faculty and staff are responsive 

to questions and timely in communications; and by providing realistic expectations of what 

it is to be a successful student and what support services (tutoring, disability services, 

student workshops, etc.) are available as described later in this Standard. 

The 2018 Strategic Plan identifies goals for recruitment and retention of students. For any 

program holding individual accreditations from national organizations, such as those in the 

allied health, health science, or nursing & respiratory therapy departments, recruitment 

and retention measures are required parts of their accreditation reporting. Any program 

that does not have an individual national accreditation for reporting are subject to the incollege 

program review process to determine viability and measures regarding retention 

and graduation rates are utilized in this process. This information, coupled with other 

data as listed above which identifies gaps in our student demographics, provides the 

enrollment management team a means to promote programs to targeted populations. 

62 | P a g e

Student Readiness for College 

The Student Success Center (SSC) has many services for students who may require 

additional support. Students are provided with information about these services at New 

Student Orientation. Services provided in the SSC include disability services, tutoring 

services, and workshops such as resume writing, study skills, test taking strategies, and 

advice on how to prepare for the Accuplacer exam. 

RVCC uses the Accuplacer Reading and Writing Sections to determine college readiness 

and placements for College Composition, some science courses and some other programspecific 

college courses. 

Traditionally, the mathematics department had also used Accuplacer testing as a method 

of evaluation of student readiness for college level math; however, over the past two 

years, the math program at RVCC has been revamped as described in Standard Two. The 

transition from the previously utilized developmental math pathway to a co-requisite 

model of mathematics, required an update to the mathematics advising process. The 

team worked to develop a standard classification of math readiness based on multiple 

measures: SAT scores, previous math courses, and the students’ academic goals. The 

team chose to switch from the Accuplacer to SAT scores for the co-requisite project as a 

means of eliminating placement barriers. The SAT is part of the state assessment package 

at high school; thus, a vast majority of NH high school students take the SAT and it is paid 

for by the state. For those students who are non-traditional or do not have SAT scores, the 

process utilizes a personal advising session which evaluates previous math courses as well 

as the student’s comfort and understanding of necessary math concepts. The use of 

multiple measures as a math advising tool came as a recommendation from both the Dana 

Center Multiple Pathway Research and Complete College America resources. 

Standards related to academic expectations, removal from the College related to academic 

standing, and the appeal process are clearly explained in the Student Handbook (pgs. 22- 

23). Students are directed to the online Student Handbook at New Student Orientation 

each semester. 

Student Financial Aid 

Approximately 80% of students at RVCC qualify for Financial Aid, and all students are 

encouraged to fill out the FAFSA as part of the admissions process. The CCSNH Financial 

Aid Handbook spells out the process for students to follow and is located on the RVCC 

website. New students are also sent Financial Aid packets that offer step-by-step 

instructions. The Financial Aid Office staff is available to assist students in answering 

questions and to assist students and families in the FAFSA filing process. The staff will sit 

with the student either in the library computer lab or the Student Success Center and help 

guide them through the FAFSA application. 

The Financial Aid Office is responsible for reviewing a student’s financial aid records, 

collecting required documentation and determining financial aid awards. RVCC aid is based 

on the Standard Federal Methodology Need Analysis. Students must meet all federal 

requirements including Satisfactory Academic Progress. The SAP policy is on the RVCC 

website and in the Student Handbook. 

63 | P a g e

Registered students can see their charges online through the student SIS (Student 

Information System). Costs are published on the RVCC website and available through the 

Business Office. If a student chooses to borrow loans, they are required to complete 

Entrance Counseling which helps a student understand their rights and responsibilities as a 

loan borrower and also understand student loan debt and loan repayment. The Net Price 

Calculator, an online tool to help students and families estimate costs, is also available 

through RVCC’s website. 

River Valley also encourages students to apply for both need-based and merit scholarships 

through the RVCC website and through the CCSNH AwardSpring program, which matches 

students with potential scholarships. 

Appraisal of Admissions & Financial Aid 

RVCC works hard to support all students regardless of their past educational and personal 

experiences throughout all student services. The College has standard admission policies, 

and any program with special admissions requirements clearly identifies the policy in 

written admissions material. 

The advising processes for the co-requisite math courses have been clearly developed over 

the past two years in response to a change in the mathematics program at RVCC. The corequisite 

model is offered at all locations and allows students who would traditionally be 

placed into developmental courses to be placed into entry-level mathematics courses with 

real time support to mitigate the persistence factor. This model allows students to 

complete the entire developmental pathway throughout their time in their gateway 

mathematics course. This is done through an appropriate, structured, lab-model of extra 

learning. This model has shown promising results in the math department (Figure 5.2 – 

“Co-Requisite Math”, Rich Andrusiak, Department Chair, Math). The co-requisite model 

decreases time in college level Math completion and cost for students, and is showing 

excellent results in regards to student retention. This success is most visible when looking 

at the two-year success rate, defined as a student passing a gateway college Math course 

within two years of starting the math pathway. Previously, when using the traditional 

model of developmental coursework prior to a college level course, the pass rate was lower 

than the national average of 21%. In 2012, there was a redesign of the developmental 

pathway which resulted in an increase of the two-year pass rate to 34% (the first increase 

in the third column of Figure 5.2). This improvement continued between 2012 and 2017 

after the first math redesign. In Fall of 2017, with the implementation of the co-requisite 

model; pass rates of student taking college level math increased significantly to 76% and 

in Spring of 2018 to 94%. This is well beyond the national average of students in a 

developmental pathway. Even more interesting is that the co-requisite groups now have 

success rates similar to those students who do not require placement into the co-requisite 

programs, students who are considered “college ready” based on math advising. Success 

rates of non-co-requisite students was 78% in Fall 2017 and 88% in Spring 2018. Not 

only is RVCC now well above the national average for successful completion of a math 

class, regardless of entry level course, but co-requisite students are finding success in 

their college-level math classes at a rate equivalent to their peers who do not require 

additional math assistance. This success has allowed students who previously may be held 

up in their education due to lack of success in math to continue in their programs at the 

same rate as their peers. 

64 | P a g e

The College, under the direction of the Liberal Arts Department Chair is working on a plan 

to identify utilizing a co-requisite model for English courses, much in the same way that 

the math department has utilized. This plan will be the goal of the Liberal Arts department 

to be completed upon hiring of a full-time English Faculty member. 

RVCC takes its financial responsibility to students seriously and works individually with 

students to ensure that they understand the cost of their education. Multiple avenues of 

funding are available to students including loans, grants, and scholarships. 

Student Services & Co-Curricular Experiences 

The mission of RVCC is reflected in how the College addresses the needs of its students. 

RVCC offers a variety of supports for students while they work to achieve academic 

success. 

RVCC offers course and program offerings that occur during the day, evening, or in the 

online environment. Regardless of when and how students are taking courses, or if they 

are attending labs, clinicals, practicums, internships, or fieldwork; they are supported by 

the entire Student Services department. The overarching goal of Student Services is to 

retain students and help them meet their goals. Another goal is to build confident learners. 

Student Service staff are available by email, phone, or in-person appointment, and we are 

exploring the option for students to be able to Zoom/Skype with staff members as needed. 

RVCC provides New Student Orientation three times per year, free tutoring services, 

alternate testing and disability services, workshops and guest speakers. 

Through the Student Success Center, any student, with appropriate documentation, may 

request an evaluation of class accommodations by the Disabilities Coordinator. These 

class accommodations are relayed to each individual faculty member and copies signed by 

the student and the faculty member are housed in the Disabilities Coordinator’s office. 

Training for all faculty related to Disability Services is provided at New Faculty Orientation 

and additional consultation on a case by case basis is provided by Department Chairs to 

65 | P a g e

adjunct faculty in conjunction with the Disabilities Coordinator. When necessary, CCSNH 

legal counsel is contacted to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. 

The Disabilities Coordinator is based out of the Claremont campus, but spends one day per 

month at the KAC and meets with students at the LAC by appointment. She is also 

accessible by phone and email. Disability services are explained on the college website in 

addition to the full application packet that each student is provided upon making a request 

for accommodations. Faculty provide the following statement on their syllabi: 

All students have access to multiple modes of tutoring including peer-tutoring, faculty 

tutoring, master tutoring, and Smarthinking Online Tutoring which is embedded in Canvas 

and available to students at no extra charge. In the Fall of 2017, with the advent of the 

math co-requisite model, drop-in math tutoring was implemented. Drop-in math tutoring is 

available to students at all three locations, and the Science department offers “Open Lab 

Sessions” for students in all science courses. Non-math related tutoring is available to all 

students by appointment. 

All students have access to the library via remote access through their Easy Log-In. 

Students can access the Library Catalog, as well as all electronic journal resources twentyfour 

hours a day, seven days a week. Library service information is found in the College 

Catalog (pg. 16) and in the Student Handbook (pg. 15). 

The College follows its non-discrimination policy in all dealings with students. The nondiscrimination 

policy is located on the website and in the Student Handbook and focuses 

on providing a community atmosphere grounded in mutual respect, dignity, and integrity; 

while prohibiting any discrimination as defined under applicable law. 

The College website provides information on all college services available to students. 

During New Student Orientation students are provided information on Safety, Student 

Handbook policies and content, RAVE (electronic alert system for school closure and delays 

or other emergencies on campus), Student Support Services, Career Services, Financial 

Aid, the Bookstore, Student Government Association, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, 

Library Resources and Canvas. At Orientation, students are also introduced to 

expectations of the classroom, expectations of behaviors as students, and an orientation to 

course syllabi. Many programs also hold individual program orientations or information 

sessions to alert students to program-specific policies. All students at Orientation are 

shown to the college website as well with directions on how to find out more information 

about the topics listed above. Orientations take place at Claremont and Keene. 

RVCC has a number of clearly identified and published ethical standards which guides all 

aspects of student services. These policies are identified in the Student Handbook (page 

30-34) and via CCSNH BoT Policies. 

66 | P a g e


All Program Directors and Academic Advisors are trained in academic advising and assist 

their advisees in determining the best course placement for program courses based on the 

student’s previous high school and college work and their ability to meet course prerequisites 

before being registered for a course. Advisors, in consultation with the 

students, review previous college work to determine if transfer of credits is possible. In 

addition, Academic Advisors use program maps and discussions with the students to 

determine the best course placement and course load options for the student each 

semester. All program requirements and standards of programs are outlined in the 

Catalog, on our website, and through individual program maps which are available to all 

advisors through Canvas. 

When needed, the Disability Coordinator can assist with developing an accommodation 

plan in conjunction with an academic plan and will discuss with the student best course 

placement and best course pairings. For students who may be undecided about the 

direction of their academic programming, career services are available for student help 

with career assessment to help determine best program placement. Career and Transfer 

services are funded by the Carl D. Perkins grant through the NH Department of Education 

and information on this service is posted for student access. 

As a smaller institution, RVCC is a “high touch” environment for students. RVCC offers 

free tutoring, routine meetings with Program Directors and faculty, and the Financial Aid 

Office, Business Office, Registrar, and Library staff are readily available to assist students. 

These offices regularly offer drop-in services, just as the RVCC faculty do. Faculty and 

staff at RVCC are committed to supporting their students in their career paths from start to 

finish. One example of this that occurs on a regular basis is when a student decides to 

change their major. There is a typically a personal “hand off” of students from the advisor 

of the program they are leaving to the advisor of the program they are interested in. 

Making face to face introductions helps ensure that the students follow through with the 

correct person to assist them in making the decision when changing majors. Former 

advisors and new advisors stay in contact throughout the process to ensure that the 

students files are transferred and appropriate paperwork is completed. Faculty and staff 

67 | P a g e

are also guided by the CBA (pgs. 27-29) which outlines Service to Students as a job and 

professional responsibility (pg. 12). 

Wrap-Around Services 

President Williams and his administrative staff have made wrap-around services for 

students a priority. In Fall 2018, knowing that 50% of community college students report 

being food insecure, the College sought out donations from local grocery distributers to 

begin a food pantry on campus. SGA immediately became interested and pledged $2000 

per semester to fund free food for students. RVCC became a registered distribution site 

with the NH Food Bank in November 2018, and now fresh vegetables, meat, dairy 

products, and shelf-ready foods are always freely available for students to have on campus 

and to take home. Many students are open about their struggles with food insecurity, and 

frequently comment on how they appreciate the free food and how it helps take a weight 

off their shoulders and helps them focus in school. 

River Valley has also been exploring transportation options for students. Claremont is a 

fairly rural area, and RVCC is just far enough outside of the city of Claremont proper that 

commuting to the school can pose a barrier for students. In Fall 2018, the IAVPSA began 

work with Southwestern Community Services in an effort to put RVCC on their regular bus 

route. Beginning with Summer Semester 2019, River Valley will be a regular stop, and will 

pilot a program to provide bus passes via student ID card. 

RVCC staff have also been renovating the lactation space for mothers on campus. The 

Claremont space was woefully inadequate, and the spaces at the KAC and LAC needed 

some furnishings. An ad-hoc committee quickly formed, met to explore best practices for 

lactation rooms, and wrote to a local furniture store to ask for support. Love’s Bedding 

and Furniture responded enthusiastically to the request, and offered new furniture, 

lighting, and decorations for the room in Claremont. Next, the committee wrote a grant 

and was awarded $5000 to purchase a hospital grade pump, privacy screens, refrigerators, 

microwaves, and other appropriate equipment for the three locations. As of the writing of 

this report, the three spaces are under renovation with an “unveiling” planned for later this 

spring. 

Physical & Mental Health Services 

As a result of the widespread nature of the area we serve, and the lack of residential 

services on campus, there are no physical or mental health services provided by the 

College. Instead, the College serves the mental and physical health of its students in two 

distinct ways. The first is through the College StART Team. The StART team is a 

committee made up of faculty and staff from all three locations. This team holds weekly 

meetings to bring any student concerns, whether they be academic, personal, behavioral, 

or crisis-related forward and to determine a plan to resolve, observe, or intervene as is 

appropriate. The College has compiled information on area support services available for 

both physical and mental health needs of students, communicated via brochures, posters, 

and the website. All syllabi are required to have the Title IX Statement on them with 

contact information of RVCC’s Title IX representative. The statement also includes contact 

numbers for local crisis centers in Claremont, Keene, and Lebanon. 

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In Fall of 2018, a group of students, staff, and faculty attended Green Dot training. After 

this, RVCC implemented a CSSAPP Committee (a grant-funded initiative for 

Comprehensive Campus Sexual and Relationship Violence and Stalking Prevention 

Planning) consisting of the Disabilities Coordinator, 1 Academic Advisor, 2 Program 

Assistants and 1 faculty member; and has participated in the Bridges out of Poverty 

program. These initiatives help RVCC employees gain a deeper insight into the impact and 

prevalence of challenges that many of the College’s students face. They also help create 

an awareness and sensitivity, as well as resources, for students in complex situations. The 

College also has developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with WISE, Turning 

Points Network, and the Monadnock Center for Violence prevention as well as developed 

MOU’s with the three police departments that serve the towns for each RVCC location. The 

identification and partnership with these local resources assists our students who may be 

in need of services beyond those we can provide on campus. 

Student Representation in College Governance 

RVCC has student representation in campus governance in a number of ways, all outlined in 

the RVCC Standing Teams Mission and Purpose Document: 

One student member sits on the College Council, usually the President of SGA or 

their designee (pg. 7) 

One Senior level student sits on Graduation Team (pg. 19) 

The Judicial Team has a total of four voting members elected as follows (pg. 21): 

o Two (2) faculty or staff selected by the College President or other 

appropriate college official(s). 

o Two (2) students selected by the Student Senate or other appropriate 

student group 

A total of four (4) alternate voting members may be selected as follows: 

o Two (2) faculty or staff selected by the College President or other 

appropriate college official(s). 

o Two (2) students selected by the Student Senate or other appropriate 

student group. 

Students sit on interview teams as appropriate and as determined by the interview 

team chair 

Co-Curricular Opportunities 

Students can further enhance their educational experience at RVCC by joining the Student 

Government Association or program-specific clubs, or by participating in college sponsored 

field trips. Recent trips include Swamp Bat games (New England Collegiate Baseball 

League Team in Keene, NH), Manchester Monarch Games (mid-level professional hockey in 

Manchester, NH), Boston Red Sox games, and trips to the Body World exhibit in both 

Portland, ME and Boston, MA. 

At RVCC, any student group can develop their own club as long as they follow the by-laws 

for the Student Government Association (SGA). There are some student groups that are 

very active on campus such as the Massage Therapy Club, Phi Theta Kappa, and the 

Biomechanics Club for physical therapist assistant students. All students have the 

opportunity to participate in the Student Government Association which regularly supports 

student activities including bringing speakers to campus. Recent guests have spoken on 

topics such as LGBTQ issues and politics as they relate to Constitution Day. SGA also helps 

organize the on-campus food pantry as well as the end of the year celebration for 

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students. Student Govenerment uses the College’s student funds to help reimburse 

students for CPR certification, health club memberships, and scholarships to cover 

admission to the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. 

Student Services Staff 

At RVCC all employees in Student Service Areas are certified through a formal employment 

process directed by the Human Resources office. Once a candidate application is certified 

through HR processes, they are subject to a formal interview process to evaluate that the 

candidate has the necessary qualifications and skills to carry out their job. Upon hire, staff 

are trained by experienced personnel and are encouraged to attend any available trainings 

provided at the CCSNH system level or college level that pertain to job skill improvement. 

All staff are evaluated yearly by their managers through a formal process as outlined in 

the Staff Collective Bargaining Agreement (pg. 20). 

Academic Records 

The College follows regulatory guidance and makes public its policies related to information 

contained in the permanent academic record of students and follows policies related to the 

retention; safety and security of records; and the disposal of records. It is important to 

note that disability records are held separate from a student’s academic record. Permanent 

Academic Records are maintained according to the policies and guidelines set forth by the 

CCSNH retention record schedule instituted by the CCSNH risk management/legal 

counselor. The Permanent Academic record includes the transcript that is in Banner or, 

prior to 1993, the academic transcript is housed in a fire-proof cabinet in the Registrar’s 

office. Old paper grades are stored in a fire-proof cabinet in the storage room in the onestop 

area in Claremont. Change of grade or grade appeals are also held in the Registrar’s 

office. 

Evaluation of Student Services 

Evaluation of Student Services takes place in various ways. For example, a “New Student 

Orientation Survey” is given at the end of each session and tutoring evaluations for each 

academic year are analyzed during the summer Student Success Center retreat. Previous 

discussions about this survey identified the need for it to be broader in scope and to 

include questions linked directly to the effectiveness of the tutoring for the student. The 

Graduate Satisfaction Survey asks questions regarding many areas of Student Services. 

Appraisal of Student Services & Co-Curricular Activities 

RVCC has a formal process for hiring and evaluation of student services job duties and has 

begun to fill roles that had been left unfilled under previous administrations. All staff keep 

student success at the forefront of everything they do. Wrap around services have made a 

positive impact on students, and the recent hiring of an Enrollment Coordinator and the 

Interim Associate VP of Student Affairs have brought new energy and stability to this area. 

The College has a strong culture of support for the student population as evidenced by the 

clear policies for academic advising, the commitment of the College to utilizing the corequisite 

math model, and support for college activities. 

Strengths 

 

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The implementation of co-requisite math programming led to increased student 

success.

Strong community partnerships provide physical and mental health services for 

students. 

Strong Student Affairs and SSC staff are committed to student support and success. 

The Financial Aid Office works closely with students to help them pay for college in a 

fiscally responsible manner. 

Challenges 

 

Each Program Director or Academic Advisor chooses how they will monitor their 

advisees; while there is an advising manual, there is no standard method of 

advising across the College. 

Projections 

 

 

Working in conjunction with the VPAA and the AVPSA, staff and faculty will train on 

DegreeWorks by Fall 2019. 

The IAVPSA will review and update the Student Handbook by Fall 2019 and will 

develop a regular timeline for annual review. 

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Standard 5: Students 

(Admissions, Fall Term) 

Complete this form for each distinct student body identified by the institution (see Standard 5.1) 

? 

Credit Seeking Students Only - Including Continuing Education 

3 Years 2 Years 1 Year Current Goal 

Prior Prior Prior Year (specify year) 

(FY 2016) (FY 2017) (FY 2018) (FY 2019) (FY 2020) 

Freshmen - Undergraduate ? 

Completed Applications ? 431 386 325 367 375 

Applications Accepted ? 429 386 321 367 372 

Applicants Enrolled ? 293 273 218 253 256 

% Accepted of Applied 99.5% 100.0% 98.8% 100.0% 99.2% 

% Enrolled of Accepted 68.3% 70.7% 67.9% 68.9% 68.8% 

Percent Change Year over Year 

Completed Applications na -10.4% -15.8% 12.9% 2.2% 

Applications Accepted na -10.0% -16.8% 14.3% 1.4% 

Applicants Enrolled na -6.8% -20.1% 16.1% 1.2% 

Average of statistical indicator of 

aptitude of enrollees: (define below) ? 

Transfers - Undergraduate ? 

Completed Applications 173 163 133 184 186 

Applications Accepted 173 163 132 184 186 

Applications Enrolled 131 120 89 137 140 

% Accepted of Applied 100.0% 100.0% 99.2% 100.0% 100.0% 

% Enrolled of Accepted 75.7% 73.6% 67.4% 74.5% 75.3% 

Master's Degree ? 

Completed Applications 

Applications Accepted 

Applications Enrolled 

% Accepted of Applied - - - - - 

% Enrolled of Accepted - - - - - 

First Professional Degree ? 






Doctoral Degree ? 







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(Enrollment, Fall Term) 


Credit-Seeking Students Only - Including Continuing Education 

3 Years 2 Years 1 Year Current Goal 

Prior Prior Prior Year (specify year) 

(FY 2016 ) (FY 2017) (FY 2018 ) (FY 2019) (FY 2020) 

UNDERGRADUATE ? 

First Year Full-Time Headcount ? 59 67 45 92 94 

Part-Time Headcount ? 713 707 829 1,065 1,075 

Total Headcount 772 774 874 1,157 1,169 

Total FTE ? 16 16 15 15 16 

Second Year Full-Time Headcount 158 161 143 64 70 

Part-Time Headcount 423 383 303 222 230 

Total Headcount 581 544 446 286 300 

Total FTE 

Third Year Full-Time Headcount 

Part-Time Headcount 


Total FTE 

Fourth Year Full-Time Headcount 



Total FTE 9 5 3 4 4 

Unclassified Full-Time Headcount ? 54 54 34 24 20 



Total FTE 

Total Undergraduate Students 

Full-Time Headcount 271 282 222 180 184 

Part-Time Headcount 1,136 1,090 1,132 1,287 1,305 

Total Headcount 1,407 1,372 1,354 1,467 1,489 

Total FTE 25 21 18 19 20 

% Change FTE Undergraduate na -16.0% -14.3% 5.6% 5.3% 

GRADUATE ? 

Full-Time Headcount ? 

Part-Time Headcount ? 


Total FTE ? 

% Change FTE Graduate na - - - - 

GRAND TOTAL 

Grand Total Headcount 1,407 1,372 1,354 1,467 1,489 

Grand Total FTE 25 21 18 19 20 

% Change Grand Total FTE na -16.0% -14.3% 5.6% 5.3% 

? 


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(Financial Aid, Debt, Developmental Courses) 


? Where does the institution describe the students it seeks to serve? 

(FY16) (FY17) (FY18) 

? Three-year Cohort Default Rate 13.4 13.9 13.3 

? Three-year Loan repayment rate 52.3 49.9 48.3 

(from College Scorecard) 

3 Years 

Prior 

2 Years 

Prior 

Most 

Recently 

Completed 

Year 

Current 

Year 

Goal 

(specify 

year) 

(FY16) (FY17) (FY18) (FY19)* (FY20) 

? Student Financial Aid 

Total Federal Aid $4,987,590 $4,731,650 $3,908,408 $1,975,079 $1,900,000 

Grants $1,384,039 $1,380,457 $1,207,262 $635,782 $1,200,000 

Loans $3,603,551 $3,319,916 $2,675,918 $1,331,943 $2,600,000 

Work Study $32,059 $31,277 $25,228 $7,354 $25,000 

Total State Aid $166,845 $141,441 $151,718 $63,172 $150,000 

Total Institutional Aid $2,750 $57,250 $16,300 $12,000 $25,000 

Grants $2,750 $57,250 $16,300 $12,000 $25,000 

Loans NA NA NA NA NA 

Total Private Aid $36,304 $52,122 $45,541 $40,000 

Grants NA NA NA NA 

Loans $36,304 $52,122 $45,541 $40,000 

Student Debt 

Percent of students graduating with debt (include all students who graduated in this calculation) 

Undergraduates 62% 67% 65% 67% 65% 

Graduates 

First professional students 

For students with debt: 

Average amount of debt for students leaving the institution with a degree 

Undergraduates $10,513 $13,046 $12,600 $12,192 $12,000 

Graduates 


Average amount of debt for students leaving the institution without a degree 

Undergraduates $9,620 $8,447 $6,603 $3,653 $5,000 

Graduate Students 


Percent of First-year students in Developmental Courses (courses for which no credit toward a degree is granted) 

English as a Second/Other Language NA NA NA NA NA 

English (reading, writing, communication skills) 5% 3% 4% 2% 1% 

Math 17% 14% 9% 6% 3% 

Other 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 


*Current year is based on 2018-2019 aid year. Aid for spring 2019 has not disbursed at this time. 

74 | P a g e

Undergraduate Admissions 

information 

Completed 

Applications 

Applicants 

Accepted 

Applicants 

Enrolled 

? Category of Students (e.g., male/female); add more rows as needed 

Male 111 111 74 

Female 254 254 177 

Not available 2 2 2 

20 and under 127 127 81 

21 to 25 87 87 58 

25 and older 153 153 114 

Non-minority 161 161 115 

Minority 15 15 9 

Unknown 191 191 129 

Graduate Admissions information 


(Student Diversity) 


For each type of diversity important to your institution (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, first generation status, Pell 

eligibility), provide information on student admissions and enrollment below. Use current year data. 

Completed 

Applications 

Applicants 

Accepted 


Applicants 

Enrolled 

Undergraduate Enrollment 

information 

Full-time 

Students 

Part-time 

Students 

Total 

Headcount 

FTE 

Headcount 

Goal 

(FY2020) 

? 

Category of Students (e.g., male/female); add more rows as needed 

Male 52 455 507 

Female 112 826 938 

Not available 0 37 37 

20 and under 66 794 860 

21 to 25 40 164 204 

26 and older 58 352 410 

Unknown 0 8 8 

Non-minority 90 924 

Minority 7 77 

Unknown 67 372 

Graduate Enrollment information 

Full-time 

Students 

Part-time 

Students 



Total 

Headcount 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

FTE 

Headcount 

Goal 

(FY2020) 

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Standard Six 

Teaching, Learning & Scholarship 

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Description 

River Valley Community College prides itself on the quality of the academic staff it recruits 

and retains, and the academic product that they produce. Faculty at River Valley are 

primarily white, reflective of the region; and primarily women, reflective of the high 

number of female dominated Allied Health and Health Science fields that the College 

supports. Faculty are classified as either full-time or adjunct, and in recent years there 

has been a decrease in the number of full-time faculty due to budgetary restrictions. In 

light of this, course needs have been met through the hiring of adjunct instructors. The 

decline in numbers of total faculty has been in response to decreased enrollment and more 

efficient course scheduling as highlighted in Standard Two. 

The academic staff consider the mission of RVCC in all decision making processes to 

ensure that they are meeting the needs of each student individually, as well as of the local 

communities and region as a whole. As a small community college, River Valley’s primary 

focus is not on scholarship or research but rather on improving the education levels of all 

students who walk through our doors. Academic staff participate in a variety of teaching 

and learning activities to improve their own effectiveness inside and outside of the 

classroom, and all members of the academic staff pride themselves on getting to know 

their students beyond just interactions in the classroom through supervision of student 

activities, tutoring, advising, and informal mentoring. 

Faculty & Academic Staff 

Faculty Profile 

The make-up of the faculty body at River Valley is reflective of the mission and of the 

student body and the region in terms of similar demographics. RVCC faculty are either 

classified as adjunct, or full-time. Categories of both adjunct and full-time faculty are 

defined by CCSNH Board of Trustees Policies (BoT) 690.1 (Full-Time Faculty Job 

Descriptions and Qualifications) and 690.02 (Part time and Running-Start Faculty 

Qualifications) as well as by each group’s respective Collective Bargaining Agreements 

(CBA). Full-time faculty are represented by the New Hampshire Higher Education Union – 

IBEW 2320 (NHHEU) and Adjunct Faculty by the State Employees Association 1984 (SEA) 

who help negotiate the CBAs for each group on a biannual basis. All faculty are held to 

standards of both their respective CBA’s and by CCSNH BoT policies. 

Full-time faculty categories include: Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, 

and Professor. The requirements for appointment level are based on State of New 

Hampshire Personnel Rule Per 301.02 - Class Specification. Each classification has a set of 

responsibilities, and minimum qualifications including: the amount of formal education 

necessary; the amount of equivalent schooling which may be substituted for formal 

schooling, such as correspondence courses, adult education courses, trade or 

apprenticeship training; the amount of experience required, including the amount of time 

spent in practical preparation in related positions, the amount of equivalent experience 

that may be substituted for formal education, or formal education to be substituted for 

experience, if applicable; and any license or certification requirements. Faculty are 

classified at the time of hire accordingly. 

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Adjunct instructors are classified as either Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Lecturer, or Adjunct 

Senior Lecturer. Adjunct Faculty who serve as Clinical Instructors in the Allied Health & 

Health Science fields are further classified as Level 1, 2, or 3 based on their longevity in 

the role (2017-2018 Adjunct Faculty CBA). All faculty classifications are made initially at 

the time of hire with set processes for promotion to the next highest level. 

As a group, faculty at RVCC are highly experienced in either the field of education, their 

respective field of study, or both. Faculty with specialized credentials and varied 

experiences bring quality programming to the students. For example, the primary 

Mathematics professor previously worked for the State of NH Department of Education and 

helped to develop the state’s mathematics standards. Faculty in our many Allied Health, 

Health Science, and Nursing programs hold licenses to practice in their professions, and 

often continue to work in their fields to maintain clinical competence. Current full-time 

faculty are categorized at either the Professor or Associate Professor level. Most faculty 

have advanced degrees with the majority having Master’s level training. Currently, RVCC 

has four faculty with Doctoral degrees, sixteen with Master’s, and two with Bachelor’s. The 

faculty with Bachelor’s Degrees as their terminal degrees are teaching in certificate 

programs where the Bachelor’s degree is the allowable standard for teaching. 

The College tends to have more female educators than male with women making up 73% 

of the full-time faculty population. This gender distribution is similar to the distribution of 

the student population and is influenced by the heavy role of Nursing and Allied Health & 

Health Science programs that make up the academic Catalog. River Valley has the most 

health related programs of the seven community colleges in the NH System, and the 

faculty reflect these women-dominated professions. The college faculty are primarily white, 

with a distribution consistent with the ethnicity of the NH counties the College serves. 

While the College does not have any specific goals for the achievement of diversity among 

our faculty and academic staff, our race/ethnicity percentage exceeds the regional data of 

the three counties we serve. 

The College supports one full-time faculty teaching Mathematics and one full-time faculty 

teaching Biological Science courses. All other Liberal Arts positions are filled with adjunct 

faculty. The College supports two full-time faculty in our Business program, one full-time 

faculty in our Computer Science program, and one full-time faculty in our Early Childhood 

Education program. RVCC boasts a large number of Allied Health programs whose 

individual accreditation requirements often predicate a set number of full-time faculty be 

assigned to those programs directly. Due to decreased numbers of full-time faculty, some 

programs are managed by part-time Program Directors (which are classified as staff 

positions although they may also hold an adjunct teaching position); as well as some 

programs which do not have Program Directors but are managed by the Department Chair 

instead. The ratio of students to faculty, although increased since elimination of full-time 

positions before AY ’17-18, still remains low. 

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While slightly increased over previous years, this ratio is quite effective at providing 

students with personalized attention. According to the 2018 Graduate Satisfaction Survey, 

students were satisfied with their interactions with their advisors. 

Figure 6.1: Graduate Satisfaction Survey AY2017-2018 

Percent of students choosing “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” for a given category 

Occasionally, RVCC employs teaching assistants to provide supplemental academic support 

to students and faculty. The Science department hires two part-time employees who work 

as lab technicians: one works at the Keene Academic Center and one at the Claremont 

campus. These lab technicians are responsible for supporting full-time and adjunct faculty 

via preparation of lab materials, supervision of open lab times for students, and being 

available to answer some content questions. In Fall of 2018, the Radiologic Technology 

program also utilized a lab assistant for the first time to work with students in the preclinical 

rotation simulated lab and to work with students enrolled in the Radiographic 

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Position and Procedures 1 course. Students and faculty reported finding the additional 

assistant helpful in preparing students for their clinical rotations. 

Job Descriptions (SJDs), Workloads, Responsibilities 

All faculty have specifically defined roles in the institution as defined by the CCSNH BoT 

policies referenced above as well as the full-time and adjunct CBA documents. 

CCSNH BoT policy 690 states that the “responsibilities of part-time [adjunct] faculty are 

limited to those accountabilities associated with teaching a course at the College.” The 

responsibilities expected of adjunct faculty include development of instructional materials, 

or usage of prepared instructional materials; and grading of their assigned course(s) work 

to meet the course objectives as defined in course outlines. Adjunct faculty are also 

expected to be available for student consultation before and after class or via electronic 

means as outlined in Section 9 – Workload of the 2017-18 Adjunct faculty CBA. Most 

adjunct faculty meet this requirement through electronic communications either via 

Canvas or e-mail. Some adjunct faculty, such as one of the Phlebotomy instructors sets 

aside 30 minutes after each class to be available to students; and adjunct faculty, such as 

one teaching Psychology, reserve classroom space each week to hold “office hours” in 

order to assist students. 

Full-time faculty have additional responsibilities including teaching and learning, academic 

contributions to a department and/or the College, service to students, service to college 

and community, and professional growth and development. The responsibilities of each 

faculty member are outlined in their Supplemental Job Description (the SJD). This SJD is 

available at the time of advertisement of each faculty position and also clearly outlines the 

requirement for appointment level (professor, associate professor, or assistant professor). 

All faculty are assigned to a specific program or department upon hire and their specific 

job responsibilities are outlined in their SJD. With appropriate credentials, faculty may 

teach in a discipline outside of their assigned program or department to fulfill the needs of 

the institution. 

All qualifications for teaching are overseen by the Office of Academics, specifically the 

VPAA, to ensure that all faculty applicants meet minimum qualifications. SJDs are revised 

upon promotion or as needed based on individual job requirements. 

River Valley ensures the proper qualifications of all full-time faculty. Since 2005, the 

minimum degree qualification for all full-time and adjunct faculty has been a Master’s 

degree. There are some exceptions to this policy made only for programs with 

accreditation standards that do not require a Master’s degree such as Massage Therapy, 

Medical Assisting, and Medical Laboratory Technician. Occasionally, exceptions have also 

been made for programs in which no qualified Master’s level faculty are otherwise 

available. In these situations, exceptions are typically made only when there is sufficient 

experience to offset the lack of Master’s degree. In addition to degrees, some faculty 

members hold certifications and licenses required by their profession. This is often the 

case in many programs in Nursing and Respiratory Care, Allied Health, and Health 

Sciences. In these cases, faculty are required to maintain certifications, licenses, and 

other criteria as dictated by the state or federal requirements or by the individual program 

80 | P a g e

accrediting body. Many accrediting agencies in the Allied Health fields require faculty to 

hold state licensure in order to maintain teaching credentials within the programs. 

All workloads for full-time faculty are determined as a collaboration between the faculty 

and their Department Chair, and are guided by the standards outlined in the CBA and 

SJDs. The CBA is negotiated every other year between the CCSNH Administration and the 

CCSNH faculty, represented by the New Hampshire Higher Education Union/IBEW 

(NHHEU/IBEW) and the CCSNH Administration. RVCC is represented on the faculty 

bargaining team by one member of the full-time faculty. SJDs are created at the time of 

hire, and updated as necessary, in collaboration with program faculty and Department 

Chairs, the VPAA, and the Human Resource department. The VPAA has final approval of 

all full-time faculty workloads. Per the CBA, full-time faculty workloads are assigned to 

be a balance of Instructional Workload, to make up no greater than 85% of faculty time 

and include items such as instructional preparation, teaching, grading, assisting students 

and advising. The balance of faculty time should be made up of Non-Instructional 

Workload; no greater than 30% of which should be dedicated to 

Institutional/CCSNH/Student and Community Service including committee work, 

mentoring, recruiting and retention, accreditation and administrative duties; and 

Professional Growth and Development which should make up no greater than 5% of 

faculty time. 

All full-time faculty are required to carry a workload of 15-18 contact hours per semester, 

or its equivalent in a pro-rated format to meet the required 30-36 contact hours for the 

year. An academic year for full-time faculty is counted as a fall and subsequent spring 

semester. The CBA allows for faculty to switch the summer semester for one of the other 

semesters, but no faculty at RVCC do this. All faculty work a fall and spring semester 

schedule. The College follows the CCSNH standard definition of a contact hour (Faculty 

CBA Article X.1.1 and Adjunct Faculty CBA 9E) in determining workload and faculty are 

credited with a contact hour for every 50 minutes of face to face time they spend with 

students. 

The VPAA, in conjunction with the faculty and Department Chair, may elect to decrease the 

required contact hours for full-time faculty members who assume additional administrative 

duties or special projects for the College. Per the CBA, the VPAA issues a letter of work 

load assignment no later than May 15 th and November 15 th each year stating the 

instructional assignments for the subsequent fall or spring semesters and the continuing 

non-instructional responsibilities. In each case, the letter states the course and numbers of 

sections expected to be taught in the following academic semester. 

Adjunct faculty negotiate a separate Collective Bargaining Agreement and are represented 

by the State Employee’s Association of NH Inc. (SEIU Local 1984/SEA). According to their 

Collective Bargaining Agreement, adjunct faculty are responsible for teaching, following all 

applicable policies and procedures, being available for student consultation, attending 

required faculty and college meetings, and submission of grades by the deadline. Adjunct 

appointment letters are sent at least two weeks before the start of a semester. Adjuncts 

may teach a maximum of 12 credit hours/semester, which includes their teaching 

responsibilities among all CCSNH colleges. Appointment letters include the courses to be 

taught, class/lab hours, and room assignments. 

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Scholarly expectations for faculty at RVCC are consistent with the mission and purpose of 

the College and are documented in SJDs along with faculty workload. Whenever a 

program requires that a faculty member hold specific licensure or certification in order to 

prepare students for the field of study, holding that credential is part of the job description 

and is evaluated prior to hiring. As part of the development of a faculty member’s 

workload each semester; the faculty member, Department Chair, and VPAA evaluate any 

scholarly pursuits that are categorized as non-instructional workload, and appropriate 

course release time is provided. Recently, examples of this type of work include RVCC’s 

co-requisite math project, committee work to develop course equivalency between CCSNH 

and the University System of NH, and preparation for individual program accreditation selfstudies. 

Program Directors and Department Chairs often have additional responsibilities as outlined 

in Article X of the Faculty CBA. The standard at River Valley is that the Program Director 

for each program is responsible for academic advising of any student in their program. 

There is also one full-time and one part-time advisor for General Studies and nonmatriculated 

students, and one part-time advisor for Liberal Arts students. In the case 

where a student may have multiple majors, direct communication between advisors is 

carried out to ensure that students are on track for both programs and can complete 

courses for both programs on an appropriate schedule. 

Currently, all advisors have access to each student’s unofficial transcript through the 

electronic Student Information System (SIS) and official transcripts via Banner or to 

student files held in the Registrar’s Office. This transcript allows advisors to see what 

courses and grades a student has taken and earned at any CCSNH institution, what 

courses the student has specifically taken or transferred in to River Valley, and what 

courses the student is currently enrolled in. In Fall of 2017, all programs were required to 

develop program maps. These maps are the pathway of courses, delineated by semester 

offered, that a student must take. Each Program Director uses these program maps when 

advising students and program maps for each program are housed in the RVCC 

Communications folder available in Canvas so that any advisor can access any map and 

assist students who may be considering changing majors. 

Program Directors are encouraged to do graduation audits at least one semester before 

the student is scheduled to graduate. Graduation audits for each student are then 

performed by the Registrar in the spring of the student’s final year to ensure that students 

are on track to graduate. At the time of the graduation audit, Program Directors or 

advisors are notified of any discrepancies to allow time for additional advising or to 

transfer in any missing classes. 

Recruitment, Hiring, Compensation 

Job openings for faculty are done in a transparent and orderly fashion. The College’s hiring 

practices comply with federal equal employment opportunity guidelines and state 

nondiscrimination laws. Department Chairs work with the VPAA and Human Resources to 

advertise job openings, first throughout CCSNH (in house) for one week (as per current 

contract wording) and then to the wider community. There is a standard CCSNH-wide 

application form and process. 

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As per the full-time faculty’s CBA, job announcements include the position title, grade 

level, employment status (exempt/nonexempt), position location, number of days and 

hours per week, pay rate, job description, required qualifications, requirements for 

applying, and the application processing period. Prospective hires are made aware of the 

job requirements and responsibilities in the job notices. Full-time faculty applicants 

receive a SJD that includes the scope of practice, accountabilities, minimum qualifications, 

and expected work traits. The SJD is adapted and reflective of the level of faculty rank 

that the hire will be employed at and is revised as the faculty member’s responsibilities 

change, or as the faculty is promoted to a higher rank. 

As part of the application process, full-time faculty applicants are asked to create and 

present a short lesson plan to a group of faculty and staff who are interested in 

participating. Feedback is collected and used by the search team that is comprised at least 

of the Department Chair and program representatives. 

Human Resources has a well-defined hiring process for adjuncts which includes completing 

an on-line application, listing courses taught in the past, and listing courses the applicant 

is qualified to teach. The appointment as adjunct and assignment is issued by the VPAA 


Faculty are encouraged to participate in the search process for instructional staff. Often, 

job openings are spread through word of mouth of faculty to colleagues in the field while 

job openings are posted, initially internally throughout CCSNH and then secondarily 

through public notification on the RVCC website. Qualified applicants are interviewed by a 

search committee and then make a short, public, teaching presentation to any college 

member who can attend. Any college employee who attends the presentation is surveyed 

for feedback. 

Faculty hiring is compatible with the College’s mission to provide a quality education for 

lifelong learning and career pathways. This can be seen by the variety of degrees, 

specialty licenses, professional backgrounds and experiences of the faculty. 

All faculty salaries at River Valley follow the salary schedule negotiated by the faculty and 

administration outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Salaries are 

commensurate with faculty appointment level and with an incremental (step) process. 

Faculty salaries increase provided satisfactory job performance is documented. This is 

done through performance evaluations and occurs in a standard fashion based on 

longevity. The length of time a faculty member stays at each step level is outlined in 

Article XVII of the CBA (17.1.2 b). Faculty may move from one faculty level to the next, 

and therefore onto the next pay level, through the formal promotion process. Benefits are 

provided to all full-time faculty at either the single, two-person, or family level. Additional 

compensation in the form of a stipend is provided to faculty holding a title of either 

Program Director of Department Chair. In the newest CBA, an increase to the stipend for 

PDs and DCs is included as is an increase to all faculty (3% increase in January 2018 and 

an additional 4% in August of 2018). 

All faculty have a choice between two health care plans depending on their individual 

needs and a portion of each members deductible is covered by the CCSNH. For those 

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faculty and staff that choose to “opt out” of the CCSNH health care options because they 

are covered elsewhere, a medical buy-out stipend is provided. 

As described in Article 16 of the 2017-2018 adjunct faculty CBA, adjunct faculty are hired 

at one of three levels (adjunct instructor, adjunct lecturer or adjunct senior lecturer) each 

with a rise in salary. The contract also includes further information about pay rates for 

Clinical adjunct faculty, pay for attendance at required meetings and payments that occur 

in the event of a late cancellation of a scheduled class. 

The College has been able to attract qualified faculty and staff with few exceptions. The 

best advertising has often been word of mouth as Department Chairs and Program 

Directors reach out through professional networks to qualified candidates, or other staff 

members discuss open positions at RVCC with their acquaintances. The Allied Health, 

Health Science, and Nursing positions tend to take longer to fill due to the discrepancy 

between teaching salaries and the clinical salaries individuals are leaving to take the 

teaching positions. Ultimately, faculty often make the leap from clinical practice to 

instruction because of the quality of the experience and their dedication to passing on 

knowledge to new professionals. There is a strong comradery among RVCC faculty and 

academic staff. Most have been here for many years. Newest hires have been in the 

Business, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs (due to retirements and 

new job offers). We also have many adjuncts who are well respected and hired regularly. 

Onboarding & Ethical Standards 

Faculty are integrated into the institution through a formal New Faculty Orientation process 

which is guided by the New Faculty Handbook, updated in 2017. During this process, each 

faculty member meets with the Human Resource officer as part of the onboarding process. 

At this time, any required federal paperwork is completed and faculty are introduced to 

River Valley policies that ensure that faculty act responsibly and ethically. New hire 

training includes review of CCSNH policies (Policy 323.01 Workplace Conduct) such as nondiscrimination, 

anti-bullying and sexual harassment, and acceptable use of IT. During this 

onboarding of faculty, they are also introduced to the protections afforded them by their 

respective CBA’s as well as the guidelines for Academic Freedom and Professional 

Responsibility (Full-time faculty CBA Article VI Academic Freedom & Professional 

Responsibility; adjunct faculty CBA Article 13 Academic Freedom & Professional 

Responsibility) Additional policies are found in The Faculty and Staff Manual which is 

available in Canvas. 

Professional Development 

Professional Development is outlined as part of expected full-time faculty workload (CBA 

Article X). Annually, full-time faculty complete a Professional Growth Plan (PGP) that 

identifies goals and action items relevant to the College Strategic Plan regarding student 

access, student success, teaching and learning, and sustainability. The Institution and 

System provide internal opportunities for professional development including the Annual 

CCSNH Symposium and Monthly Teaching and Learning Seminars. Carl Perkins Grant 

funds have also traditionally been available for faculty professional development in all 

technical programs at RVCC. Those faculty with individual licensure or professional 

requirements often pay for external professional development out of pocket and the 

institution is supportive in approving time off to attend these seminars. 

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There is a standard process that RVCC employees must follow in order to request Perkins 

funds. The process and forms are available to all employees through Canvas. Funds are 

allocated by the grant program manager. 

Evaluation & Promotion 

The CBA outlines the process for faculty evaluation and promotion (Full-time CBA Section 

XI and XII, Adjunct CBA Article 11 Evaluation) as well as outlines the process for faculty 

grievances (Full-time faculty CBA Section VII Grievance and Arbitration Procedures; 

Adjunct CBA Article 7 Grievance and Arbitration Procedures). 

Faculty at RVCC are evaluated on a regular basis. The process of faculty evaluation is 

outlined in the CBA in article XII – Performance Evaluations and occurs on a regular 

schedule based on the length of time the faculty member has served the College. The 

evaluation of the faculty member is carried out by either the Department Chair or the 

VPAA in the areas of teaching and learning effectiveness; academic contributions; service 

to students; service to the department/CCSNH/and community; and professional growth 

and development. During the evaluation process, the evaluator considers how effective 

the faculty member is in each area related to the mission and vision of both RVCC and 

CCSNH, as well as how effective the faculty member is at meeting their job duties and 

responsibilities as outlined in their SJD. Information for the evaluation also comes from 

the student evaluations that are completed at the end of each course, discussions with 

students seated in the faculty member’s class, a classroom evaluation and any selfevaluations 

related to a faculty member’s yearly Professional Development Plan. The 

evaluations are used to identify areas of strength as well as areas for improvement, and 

help support planning for continued workload assignments or to support the need for 

faculty professional development. 

During each evaluation, faculty are assessed on their knowledge related to their content 

area as well as their ability to teach. In concert with these evaluations, faculty complete 

Professional Growth Plans (PGPs)each year to self-identify any needed areas of 

improvement and develop a plan to meet those needs. These PGPs are particularly helpful 

in correcting any areas of knowledge or pedagogical weakness. 

Evaluations are one of the components utilized in the process of faculty promotion which is 

handled differently depending on if a faculty member is full-time or adjunct. Adjunct 

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faculty are eligible to move up a level after six successful semesters of teaching at the 

College as outlined in Article 16 of the Adjunct CBA. Adjunct faculty must identify their 

request for promotion in writing to their supervisor who will ensure that the proper 

evaluations have been completed and make a recommendation to the VPAA. The VPAA is 

responsible for the final decision. 

The process of promotion for full-time faculty is more involved and is outlined in Article XI 

of the Full-time Faculty CBA. Faculty are eligible to promote between levels after a 

specified period of time at the previous level. Promotion entails the submission of a 

portfolio which is evaluated by a committee of Master Teacher Fellows of the faculty 

member’s peers. Master Teacher Fellows must hold an academic rank at or above the 

rank the faculty member is seeking to promote to. In addition to portfolio review, the 

Master Teacher Fellows also observes the faculty member in the classroom, interviews 

students, interviews the faculty member’s colleagues and supervisor, and uses a 

standardized rubric which grades the faculty member on five areas: Teaching & Learning 

Effectiveness, Academic Contributions, Service to Students, Service to 

Institution/System/Community, and Professional Growth & Development. To obtain 

promotion, the faculty member must meet minimum standards on the promotion rubric for 

the level they are seeking. 

Appraisal of Faculty & Academic Staff 

The faculty and staff at RVCC are a small, but dedicated group of employees who work 

together to support the students and the mission of the College. Faculty and staff are 

hired, evaluated, retained, and promoted through a clear set of policies outlined by the 

CCSNH Board of Trustees and further clarified via the Collective Bargaining Agreements. 

Each employee unit; faculty, staff, and adjunct faculty, are represented by their own 

unions which negotiate each respective Collective Bargaining Agreement. 

One discrepancy related to hiring that has been identified occurred as result of a previous 

Interim President, who set a standard that the search committee for faculty should 

specifically excluded the Program Director (PD) or Department Chair (DC) to which the 

incoming faculty member would be reporting. The thought behind this was that the PD or 

DC might influence the hiring committee. However, faculty voiced dissent at this process 

and identified that specific necessary qualifications, known intimately by the PD or DC may 

not be evaluated if they were not seated on the interview team. Under the current 

administration, this has been rectified and the PD or DC is always seated, and often chairs, 

the interview team. The team makes a recommendation for the candidate of choice to the 

President. The President considers the recommendation of the interview team, but is 

ultimately responsible for appointment of the position. 

At times the salary discrepancy between practitioner and faculty member causes some 

difficulty in recruiting faculty to open positions, particularly in the areas of Allied Health. 

For example, the Radiologic Technology program experienced difficulty recruiting a Clinical 

Coordinator. This contributed to the program being placed on probation with their national 

accrediting agency, JCERT. After one and one half years of vacancy, the Clinical 

Coordinator positon was filled in December of 2018. In another example, in Spring of 

2018, the position of Fieldwork Coordinator of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program 

was vacant during the program self-study visit. This vacancy contributed to the 

probationary status of the OTA program. The Fieldwork Coordinator position was filled in 

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September of 2018 and the OTA program was removed from probationary status in 

December of 2018. 

A change that has recently impacted faculty as a result of the new CBA (2017-2019) is the 

clause that states that faculty are to remain “available and accessible” to students. In the 

past, advising time was considered “non-instructional” time. The updated CBA includes 

teaching, planning, evaluating, tutoring, advising, assisting students, curriculum/program 

development, academic contributions, and availability and access for students under the 

“instructional time”. This is a change from the old standard of holding 5 hours per week of 

office availability. With the increased use of technology for advising, faculty across CCSNH 

identified that the concept of an “office hour” was outdated as many faculty are 

communicating with their advisees through email exchanges and the use of the Learning 

Management Systems to discuss relevant advising. The change to the new standard of 

being “available and accessible” to students has improved the faculty at River Valley’s 

communication with students particularly in light of covering three academic locations. It 

was not always possible for a student to travel to the faculty’s location for advising and not 

always possible for the faculty to travel to one of the other Academic Center. Giving more 

flexibility to the faculty for student support has been a welcome change. Another welcome 

change was the arrival of the new President, and his commitment to filling vacant positions 

and stabilizing the organizational chart. Additional improvements will come as a result of 

assessing and updating advising procedures to include all faculty, not just Program 

Directors, in advising and implementation of Degree Works, an advising software. 

At River Valley, some faculty serve as Program Directors, and thus advisors, for multiple 

programs. Some Program Directors also serve as Department Chairs in addition to their 

faculty role. A number of faculty in the Allied Health department hold the role of Clinical 

Coordinator (or equivalent) in addition to their teaching responsibilities. Per the Faculty 

CBA, it is standard at River Valley that all Department Chairs receive a one course 

reduction each semester. In Spring of 2018 Department Chairs updated the workload 

forms to better meet the release time requirements outlined in the updated CBA, and 

discussed how Department Chair release time would be managed consistently across 

departments. As of Fall 2018, all Department Chairs are expected to hold a workload 

between 8-10 contact hours with the remainder of their workload time being dedicated to 

the responsibilities that are outlined by their role as Department Chair. As this is a new 

process, it will need to be evaluated and updated by the VPAA and Department Chairs 

after Spring 2019. 

Strengths 

The College’s hiring practices ensure a faculty with a variety of degrees, specialty 

licenses, professional backgrounds and experiences. 

Adequate support for academic staff is assessed via minutes from program or 

department meetings, Department Chair meetings, or Faculty Forum meetings. 

Changes to the CBA have allowed faculty more freedom in how they utilize out of 

class time to support students. 

Challenges 

The College’s faculty and staff represent somewhat limited ethnicity, but this is 

reflective of the state’s demographics, of the regions that RVCC serves, and of the 

student population. 

Course release time for faculty has not always been consistently applied. 

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Teaching & Learning 

Instructional Techniques & Content 

Every course at RVCC has an official document referred to as the course outline. While the 

course outline identifies topics to cover in a specific course, faculty have the academic 

freedom to teach in whatever manner they feel will best meet the course outcomes. 

Frequent methods of instruction include: didactic instruction such as lecture, student group 

work, guest lectures, case studies, video supplementation of course content; laboratory 

instruction to develop psychomotor skills such as hands-on manipulations, skills, role play, 

and simulations; and clinical learning and internships where students are learning directly 

in the work environment either under the direct supervision of RVCC faculty also at the 

workplace or by a clinical preceptor who is overseen by an RVCC faculty member. Many 

faculty incorporate technology into student learning via Canvas or the use of 

teleconferencing classrooms to allow for improved utilization of resources across the three 

RVCC locations. 

Faculty at RVCC utilize a variety of instructional techniques including lectures, 

demonstrations, discussions, hands-on labs, videos, readings, research projects, journals, 

and observations. The instructional techniques that are used in each course are identified 

in the course outline and are approved by the Curriculum Team for each course. 

Instructional modes at RVCC include 100% face to face courses, hybrid courses, and 100% 

online courses. Hybrid courses and online courses are delivered through Canvas. Faculty 

teaching face to face also utilize Canvas for assignments and posting of lecture material. 

The CCSNH System is responsible for developing a coordinated and integrated approach to 

on-line learning policies. The VPAAs approved a posted list of on-line policies in 2011 that 

include class size (maximum 20 students unless agreed upon by instructor and VPAA), and 

specific information that must be included in the on-line syllabus (such as information on 

Americans with Disability Act, copyright information, proctored exams and student 

authentication). 

Evaluation Methods 

Evaluations of student learning take place at the individual course level as determined by 

the individual faculty member through whichever assessment techniques they feel best 

measure the required course outcomes. Students who do not feel as though their learning 

in a course is sufficient have direct access to their instructors and can also bring their 

concerns to the attention of the Program Director, Department Chair, or VPAA. Most 

student concerns related to these issues are often a result of courses taught by new 

adjunct faculty. When this occurs, Program Directors or Department Chairs have 

employed a more rigorous mentoring process including, but not limited to classroom 

observations and one on one feedback with the adjunct faculty. Students also evaluate 

their learning in the course at the end of each semester during course evaluations and 

these evaluations are used by Department Chairs during the faculty evaluation process. All 

students must meet minimum passing grade standards in order to obtain credit for their 

course and for the course to be credited towards their graduation requirements. 

Students are allowed to choose what mode of delivery they would like to pursue based on 

the schedule of courses available but may be encouraged by their advisor to take a specific 

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mode of delivery when there is a need. Students are informed about the online learning 

environment on the RVCC website. River Valley has steadily increased its online learning 

opportunities over the past five years and now offers approximately 32-34 courses each 

fall semester in a completely online format. 

As previously described, faculty performance in both the face to face and online classroom 

is assessed on a standard schedule as outlined in the CBA. When areas of concern arise 

related to the quality of teaching and learning, it is the responsibility of the Department 

Chair to develop a plan, in conjunction with the individual faculty member, to remediate 

the issue. For many years there has been a set monthly meeting dedicated to Teaching & 

Learning for faculty. This had been organized by a full-time faculty member and open to 

full and adjunct faculty as well as any staff or administrators who wished to join. Topics 

covered in the past three years included subjects such as: Guided Pathways, Rethinking 

Student Instruction, Social Learning Theory & Bloom’s Taxonomy, Mentoring Students and 

Developing their Motivation to Persist and Do Well, Connections Between Academic 

programs and Developmental courses, Developing Rubrics, and Problem Based Learning. 

Professional Development 

Each year, RVCC participates in the CCSNH Symposium during which various workshops 

are available for faculty. The workshops vary in topic based on faculty and staff input 

across the system, but a number of workshops each year relate to topics that may be 

utilized to enhance quality in the classroom. Topics in recent years have included The 

Flipped Classroom, Mindfulness in Education, and Podcasting lectures. 

Faculty also have access to on-line professional development courses through the library 

on such topics as Evaluating Sources and Open Educational Resources. In Spring of 2018, 

all advisors, and interested staff and faculty were trained in NOABO/Veera Bridge (which 

allows access to programmatic enrollment data.) As RVCC and CCSNH prepared to 

transition to Canvas in Summer of 2018, there were also a number of formal trainings on 

the Learning Management System at the department and college level lead by members of 

the faculty who had prior experience using Canvas. 

Faculty and staff are provided the additional benefit of taking courses at any System 

institution for free through an employee waiver program. All employees must have 

permission of their supervisors to do this. 

Exposure of Students to Various Instructors 

At RVCC, all associate degree programs have a required Liberal Arts component as 

outlined by the Board of Trustees Academic Policy and as described in Standard 4. These 

requirements ensure that any student in an associate degree program taking Liberal Arts 

courses as part of their program of study are taught by faculty with educational experience 

or expertise in their field. Technical courses in each program are taught by faculty with 

educational experience, expertise, licensure, or certification in the specific field of study. 

Course outlines are a college-wide document, approved by the Curriculum Committee, 

which specify the description, objectives, outcomes, and teaching methods for a particular 

course. This document ensures that multiple sections of a course that are taught, 

regardless of instructional mode (face to face, hybrid, or online) are consistent for all 

sections of the same course. The course outline also includes grading scales to ensure 

equity in grading. When multiple faculty teach the lecture or lab sections of a course, the 

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course outline includes a grading scale and the Department Chair is responsible for 

coordinating the use of the same textbook. There is flexibility in how faculty meet the 

required outcomes identified in the course outline and each course must have a syllabus 

which identifies how the individual faculty member will run their course. Faculty are also 

protected by Academic Freedom policies in the CBA which allow for flexibility and 

personalization of each class offered. 


Throughout the three RVCC academic locations there are 1.5 Academic Advisors dedicated 

to advising General Studies students, which includes students who are undecided, and 

non-matriculated students; and one part-time advisor dedicated to Liberal Arts students. 

Program Directors and Department Chairs are also responsible for academic advising 

according to the program maps which have been created for each major at the College. 

Students are assigned an advisor upon acceptance to the College and they are provided 

with their advisor’s name and contact information in their acceptance letter. Each 

semester there are set Academic Advising Weeks which coincide with the distribution of 

the schedule for the following semester. Prior to the Academic Advising Week, fliers are 

posted throughout the College and emails are sent out from the Students Success Centers 

as well as directly from advisors to ensure that students are aware of upcoming advising 

and registration dates. All advisors have access to the advising manual which was 

updated in 2018 as well as access to the program maps via Canvas. Academic Advising is 

assessed as part of the Graduate Satisfaction Survey provided to graduating seniors. 

Scholarship & Research 

There are CCSNH policies that support scholarship, research and creative activities. The 

full-time faculty contract states up to 5% of full-time faculty’s job can be used for 

professional growth and development (Article X). This allowance is most frequently used 

by faculty in the Allied Health and Health Science programs. Two of the three Physical 

Therapist Assistant faculty, both of the Occupational Therapy Assistant faculty, and all 

faculty (full-time and adjunct) in the Massage Therapy program take time during the 

school year for clinical practice. Faculty also use this time to pursue advanced degrees. 

Recently, the Computer Technology faculty member earned his Master’s degree, the Math 

faculty member is in the process of earning his Doctoral Degree, and both OTA faculty 

members are enrolled in graduate programs (one Doctoral and one Master’s). The 

contract also outlines the policy that allows a faculty member to request either a paid or 

unpaid educational leave (Article XXV). The adjunct faculty contract does not include 

release time for professional growth and development nor for educational leaves (but does 

cover leaves for temporary disability, military service and civil duty). 

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Policies also exist to support formal research. CCSNH Policy 690.09 Protocols for Research 

in the Classroom identifies who may serve as research investigators, privacy requirements, 

oversight responsibilities, and the required elements in a written research proposal. 

Appraisal of Teaching & Learning 

Faculty at RVCC are dedicated to providing quality, relevant course materials. The use of 

Canvas helps to incorporate technology into all coursework and faculty at RVCC work hard 

to ensure that college courses are delivered at a high level regardless of if they are online, 

hybrid, or face to face courses. 

The majority of funding for faculty training comes through Perkins funding, however in 

recent years, Perkins funding has not been available to every eligible program. In AY16- 

17, under the Interim President, the Perkins Funding approach was drastically changed to 

a collaborative model that included Program Directors for all relevant programs. Program 

Directors met to discuss programmatic needs and the grant proposal was based on 

collaborative decision making, with an impartial grant manager to oversee the process. 

This new process led to a much more transparent distribution of funding and in Fall of 

2018, eight programs (Business Management, Early Childhood Education, Massage, 

Respiratory Therapy, Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technician, Phlebotomy, and Physical 

Therapist Assistant) were able to buy equipment or utilize Perkins funding for professional 

development. 

While this process has greatly improved the equality of funding distribution, it does not 

address all concerns related to professional development and training as not all programs 

or divisions are eligible for Perkins funding. As the budget stabilizes, the College will draft 

a formal Professional Development process by which faculty who do not qualify for Perkins 

funding can access professional development activities. 

Projections: 

 

 

By Fall 2019, the VPAA and Department Chairs will make a recommendation to 

revise the College’s current advising model to include all faculty and incorporate 

Degree Works into advising processes. 

By Spring 2020 the Department Chairs will draft a formal recommendation for a 

Professional Development process and present it to the VPAA. 

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Standard 6: Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship 

(Faculty by Category and Rank; Academic Staff by Category, Fall Term) 

3 Years 2 Years 1 Year Current Year 

Prior Prior Prior 

(FY 2016) (FY 2017 ) (FY 2018) (FY 2019) 

? Number of Faculty by category 

Full-time 30 28 23 21 

Part-time 

Adjunct 127 92 86 64 

Clinical 7 7 7 9 

Research 

Visiting 

Other; specify below: 

Total 164 127 116 94 

Percentage of Courses taught by full-time faculty 

47.00% 41.00% 38.00% 44.00% 

? Number of Faculty by rank, if applicable 

Professor 21 18 12 11 

Associate 9 9 10 9 

Assistant 1 1 

Instructor 


Total 31 27 22 21 

? Number of Academic Staff by category 

Librarians 1 1 1 1 

Advisors 2 2 2 3 

Instructional Designers 


Total 3 3 3 4 


Advisors for current year: acutally 2.5 FTE 

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(Highest Degrees, Fall Term) 


Prior Prior Prior 

? (FY 2016 ) (FY 2017) (FY 2018 ) (FY 2019) 

Highest Degree Earned: Doctorate 

Faculty Professor 4 3 1 1 

Associate 2 3 3 

Assistant 

Instructor 

No rank 

Other 

Total 4 5 4 4 

Academic Staff 

Other; specify* 

Librarians 

Advisors 

Inst. Designers 

Highest Degree Earned: Master's 


Associate 4 4 4 4 

Assistant 1 

Instructor 

No rank 

Other 

Total 22 18 13 11 

Academic Staff Librarians 1 1 1 1 

Advisors 



Highest Degree Earned: Bachelor's 


Associate 1 1 

Assistant 1 1 

Instructor 

No rank 

Other 

Total 3 2 1 2 



Librarians 

Advisors 


Highest Degree Earned: Professional License 

Faculty 

Professor 

Associate 

Assistant 

Instructor 1 2 1 

No rank 

Other 

Total 1 2 1 0 



Librarians 

Advisors 


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(Appointments, Tenure, Departures, Retirements, Teaching Load Full Academic Year) 


Prior 

Prior 

Prior 

(FY 2016) (FY 2017) (FY 2018 ) (FY 2019) 

FT PT FT PT FT PT FT PT 

? Number of Faculty Appointed 

Professor 

Associate 1 5 1 

Assistant 2 

Instructor 

No rank 

Other 

Total 0 0 1 0 5 0 3 0 

? Number of Faculty in Tenured Positions 

Professor 

Associate 

Assistant 

Instructor 

No rank 

Other 

Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

? Number of Faculty Departing 

Professor 4 6 1 

Associate 1 

Assistant 1 

Instructor 

No rank 

Other 

Total 0 0 6 0 6 0 1 0 

? Number of Faculty Retiring 

Professor 1 1 1 

Associate 

Assistant 

Instructor 

No rank 

Other 

Total 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 

Fall Teaching Load, in credit hours 

Professor Maximum 18.00 18.00 18.00 18.00 

Median 16.50 16.50 16.50 16.50 

Associate Maximum 18.00 18.00 18.00 18.00 

Median 16.50 16.50 16.50 16.50 

Assistant Maximum 18.00 18.00 18.00 18.00 

Instructor 

No rank 

Other 

Median 16.50 16.50 16.50 16.50 

Maximum 

Median 

Maximum 

Median 

Maximum 

Median 

Explanation of teaching load if not measured in credit hours 

Teaching load is measured in contact hours. 1 hour of teaching lecture or lab = 1 contact hour. 

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(Number of Faculty by Department or Comparable Unit, Fall Term) 

3 Years 

2 Years 1 Year 

Current Year 

Prior 

Prior 

Prior 

(Fall 2015 ) (Fall 2016) (Fall 2017 ) (Fall 2018 ) 

FT PT FT PT FT PT FT PT 

Number of Faculty by Department (or comparable academic unit); insert additional rows as needed 

? Allied Health 8 9 5 6 

Business and Accounting 3 3 2 2 

Health Sciences 3 2 3 2 

Liberal Arts 7 7 

Liberal Arts and Criminal Justice 2 2 

Mathematics & Engineering 2 1 

Science & Technology 2 2 

Nursing 6 6 5 

Nursing & Respiratory Therapy 7 

Total 24 0 25 0 21 2 23 2 


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(Faculty and Academic Staff Diversity) 

For each type of diversity important to your institution (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, other), provide information on 

faculty and academic staff below. Use current year data. 

Faculty Full-time Part-time Total 

Headcount 

Headcount 

Goal 

(specify year) 

? 

? 

Category of Faculty (e.g., male/female, ethnicity categories); add more rows as needed 

women 19 19 

men 4 4 

white 22 22 

African/American 1 1 

Hispanic/Latino 1 1 

0 

0 

Academic Staff Full-time Part-time Total Headcount Headcount 

Goal 

(specify year) 

Category of Academic Staff (e.g., male/female, ethnicity categories); add more rows as needed 

women 2 2 

men 2 2 

white 4 4 

African/American 0 0 

Hispanic/Latino 0 0 

0 

0 


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Standard Seven 

Institutional Resources

Description 

River Valley Community College is funded primarily from tuition and fees revenue, and 

from the funds appropriated from the State Legislature as part of their biannual budgeting 

process. Between 2016 and 2019, the percentage of state allocations between the 

colleges increased for the smaller, rural colleges. In 2019, the state allocated $5,610,017 

to RVCC, an increase over the past three fiscal years, allowing RVCC to rely less on tuition 

and fees (Figure 7.1). This helped maintain financial stability during a time of decreasing 

enrollment. 

Figure 7.1: RVCC Funding 2016-2019 

River Valley’s tuition and fees have varied over the past four years, ranging from 

$4,140,465 in FY16 to $3,912,443 in FY19. This variability is a result of both a declining 

student population and an increase in tuition and fees. For example, in FY18 after several 

years of declining enrollment with no change in tuition, the BoT voted to increase our per 

credit tuition amount from $200 to $210, with another needed increase in FY19 to $215 

per credit. The FY19 increase coincided with an additional increase in the RVCC student 

fee (calculated on a per credit basis) from $5/credit to $9/credit. This student fee increase 

occurred due to the removal of the graduation fee. 

When comparing average revenues between FY16 and FY18, our actual revenues have 

been funded 52% by the State of NH legislature appropriations via the CCSNH system 

office, 39% through tuition and fees, and 9% comes from other sources such as Grants, 

Workforce Development, Facility Rentals and Bookstore Commissions (Table 7.1). 

Table 7.1: RVCC Revenue Sources FY16 – FY19 

Revenue FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 Average 

Sources 

Tuition and 

Fees 

$ 4,140,465 $ 3,852,025 $ 3,795,393 39% 

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Gov. Grants $ 300,404 $ 1,389,296 $ 176,707 6% 

Other 

$ 58,211 $ 51,267 $ 54,483 1% 

Auxiliary 

Other 

$ 159,805 $ 253,067 $ 183,569 2% 

Revenue 

State 

$ 4,961,614 $ 5,152,158 $ 5,593,353 52% 

Appropriations 

Total Revenue $ 9,620,499 $ 10,697,813 $ 9,803,505 100% 

Although our Board of Trustees and our Advisory Committee are empowered to seek 

donations and accept gifts, these do not account for a regular or sizable portion of our 

resources. In Fall of 2018, a Chief Advancement Officer for the CCSNH Foundation, Tim 

Allison, was hired to focus efforts on stewardship and donation cultivation for all New 

Hampshire Community Colleges. His work will hopefully make donations a bigger part of 

the RVCC revenue stream. 

Human Resources 

Overview 

RVCC employs highly qualified personnel to fulfill its mission. As of February 1, 2019, River 

Valley Community College employed a total of 185 employees, which includes 21 full-time 

faculty, 96 adjunct faculty, and 68 full-time and part-time staff. Of the 185 employees, 

179 are unionized, while the remaining 6 are classified as non-union administrators. All 

hires must meet minimum standards of employment and are evaluated on a yearly basis 

to ensure that they are meeting the standards of their job responsibilities. Faculty must 

meet minimum education and experiential requirements as discussed in Standard Six. 

RVCC, as part of the Community College System of New Hampshire, follows three 

bargaining agreements. The 2017 – 2019 CCSNH/SEA Staff Collective Bargaining 

Agreement applies to all full-time and part-time professional, technical, and operating 

support staff, the 2017 – 2019 CCSNH/NHHEU FT Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement 

applies to full-time regular faculty, and the 2017 – 2018 CCSNH/SEA Adjunct Faculty 

Collective Bargaining Agreement (currently in bargaining phase) applies to all adjunct 

faculty. Procedures and policies for non-union employees are outlined in the CCSNH 

Managerial & Confidential Employee Handbook . 

Over the past few years, RVCC has undergone multiple leadership and administration 

changes and has most recently experienced a workforce reduction in the spring of 2017. 

Because of this, employees have been asked to step up and put in additional effort, while 

finding unique ways to provide exceptional service to students and to accomplish the new 

workloads. As a result, many employees have grown in their roles and now occupy 

positions of greater responsibility. 

With the hiring of a new College President in the summer of 2018, there has been 

increased stability and morale at the College. President Williams has initiated a concerted 

effort to bring back or introduce several key positions that were lacking. In addition to 

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oosting our Enrollment department with a new Enrollment Coordinator, Enrollment 

Specialist, and part-time student services staff, key hiring also included an Associate Vice 

President of Student Affairs and a Human Resource Officer to establish a strong leadership 

team. 

Appraisal of Human Resources 

Recognizing the limitations that surround antiquated hiring and employment practices 

based on previous affiliations that CCSNH had as a state system, RVCC has begun 

identifying and implementing solutions for inefficiencies with processes and procedures, 

such as the following: 

 

 

The onboarding process at RVCC has been a struggle for all involved parties due not 

only to the inefficiencies of the past but also to the recent vacancy and turnover in 

the Human Resource Officer position. With a new Officer hired and CCSNH moving 

forward on a project to overhaul onboarding and provide a new application for our 

recruitment system, these issues will be mostly eliminated. 

Although salary ranges for staff are consistent with state averages for comparable 

positions, and come with the added incentive of a good insurance and benefit 

package, managers have struggled with providing incentive and reward for 

performance due to the unionized increase structure. Through looking at additional 

growth opportunities and external professional development, RVCC is seeking 

alternative and unique ways of recognition. 

As a result of the turnover and instability in past years, morale of faculty and staff has 

been a chief concern. In addition to providing new stability and greater student service 

through key hires, RVCC leadership has recognized a lack of structure and role definition. 

To rectify this, the College is looking at reporting relationships and confirming or defining 

roles for employees where necessary. Although an ongoing project, there have already 

been positive results especially within the student services and enrollment area. To assist 

in the goal of recruiting and retaining our students, RVCC has hired two full-time and one 

part-time enrollment specialist. These positions have had a direct impact on the number 

of students and community members looking into RVCC. In addition, with the hiring of a 

full-time IT manager and a full-time IT technician, the RVCC community has been able to 

obtain and implement better technology and benefit from more timely assistance from the 

IT department. 

With a stable leadership team, several important positions being hired, and the continued 

support from the CCSNH System Office, RVCC has been able to gain more confidence in its 

strategic goals. Although there will always be room for improvement, the RVCC 

community has made huge strides since July 2018. 

Financial Resources 

Budgeting Process 

State law (RSA 188-F: 2) states that “the Community College System of New Hampshire 

shall be governed by a single Board of Trustees which is the policy making and operational 

authority. The BoT is responsible for ensuring that the colleges operate a well-coordinated 

100 | P a g e

system of public community college education.” Further, state law (RSA 188-F: 6; F: 6 IV- 

Xii) delegates to the BoT “…the management and control of all the property and affairs of 

the Community College system, all of its colleges, divisions and departments…” and a 

number of general authorities in the financial affairs area. This includes, but is not limited 

to, the acceptance and transfer of funds, the preparation of the biennial capital budget, the 

authority to enter contracts, and the ability to obtain land and resources. 

The CCSNH Finance Committee is responsible for overseeing fiscal policies related to long 

range planning and budgeting for the System. The BoT is advised periodically with regard 

to long range financial planning in order to assess whether projected revenues and 

expenses are in balance and sufficient to meet stated missions and goals. The BoT then 

makes appropriate adjustments in order to provide for fiscally responsible operations over 

the long term. CCSNH develops a tactical plan for each biennial period that coincides with 

the state funding request cycle. These plans reflect priorities and positions articulated in 

both system goals and campus strategic planning documents. 

As the head of CCSNH, the Chancellor is responsible for the oversight and management of 

funds and other resources, as well as the preparation of all pertinent documents and 

materials that require committee review and/or approval. Additionally, the Chancellor has 

the responsibility to administer financial policies and present these policies for 

documentation necessary for the proper and effective exercise of the BoT’s fiduciary 

responsibilities. 

Each year, the Chancellor, the Board of Trustees and the College Presidents speak in front 

of the New Hampshire Legislative Finance Committees to discuss the CCSNH biennial 

report. As part of this review, the Chancellor develops and maintains the CCSNH Capital 

Projects Plan which incorporates each college’s six year master plan. These plans are then 

used as reference material when asking for allocations of money from the House and 

Senate. The BoT periodically offers advice with regards to the plans and estimates for 

major project cost and funding. 

The CCSNH Foundation is a 501(c) (3) with a mission to provide educational opportunities 

through financial assistance for student scholarships, program development, and college 

facilities enhancement. CCSNH adheres to all IRS non-profit fundraising policies and does 

not solicit favors that would conflict with public interest. 

Shared services and other economic efficiencies are handled through the Chief Operations 

Officer. Federal funding is handled per federal regulations by the Financial Aid system, 

Compliance Officer, and Financial Aid Director of each college. These employees ensure 

accurate financial information in Banner. To guarantee the integrity of each college and its 

finances, the System Office performs internal audits and ensures all policies and 

procedures are operating honestly and efficiently. A BoT subcommittee arranges annual 

external financial and A-133 audits, and findings are presented to the Board of Trustees to 

guarantee transparency. Financial Aid is also annually audited and recommendations for 

improvement are noted. 

To provide a system of checks and balances, the President is responsible for maintaining a 

balanced budget, approving financial transactions, and explaining any adjustments, 

transfers, and revenue/expense patterns to the System Office. The BAO assists the 

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President by monitoring the budget, completing periodic fiscal-year forecasts, and ensuring 

that RVCC adheres to the financial policies laid out by the Board of Trustees. 

With the fluctuating staffing in the BAO position, at times there had been loss of oversight 

in the finances. As a result, the 2016 Fiscal Year saw a deficit of over ($405,637). When 

the College hired the current BAO in August of 2016, a true understanding of the finances 

was not even accessible. One of the first tasks of the BAO was to obtain accurate financial 

reports, to educate the college community on the financial situation, and create a 

transparent financial environment. As a result of these initiatives, the Business Office was 

able to convey to faculty and staff an overview of the spending habits of the College as 

well as find ways to decrease expenses. Communication with the college community about 

the budget began occurring on a regular basis during the 2016 All-College Staff Meeting. 

At each meeting, the BAO prepared a presentation to educate the college community 

about the state of the budget. The goal of the BAO during these presentations was to be 

transparent about the finances and always speak to the expenses that were particularly 

high for the month as well as ways to reduce those expenses. Some examples of 

reduction of daily expenses included items such as installing motion sensors on all college 

lighting, decreasing the use of color copies, evaluating the printing patterns of the College 

and renegotiating contracts related to the photocopiers, and reviewing policies surrounding 

making long distance phone calls from work phones. Analysis of these cost savings 

measures is ongoing. Other cost saving measures included the reduction of the vehicle 

fleet by one leased vehicle, saving the College $3400. As a result of these efforts, the 

RVCC community reduced the forecasted deficit as presented in February of 2017 from 

($533,702) to a deficit of ($265,000), and by FY18, RVCC was able turn the deficit into a 

surplus of $1,308,139. Currently, RVCC is forecasting a surplus for FY19 as well. 

Annually, the Business Affairs Officer provides all Department Chairs, Program 

Coordinators, and Department Heads with a description of current year expenses and asks 

them to develop a budget for the next fiscal year based on the amount they spent in the 

current fiscal year, plus any needed additions. In the past year, the BAO has encouraged 

a flat or 0% increase budgeting approach whenever possible to assist in balancing the 

budget, and to weather any enrollment variability. 

Once proposed budgets are collected, the BAO confers with the VPAA and President to 

analyze the budget as a whole and determine where adjustments need to be made. If 

changes to individual department budgets are needed, one on one conversations with 

department heads determine what can be done to accommodate the needs of RVCC. The 

BAO and the President work closely to ensure that budgets are appropriately distributed 

throughout programs, by basing any needed budget increases on enrollment, age of 

equipment, accreditation requirements, and explanations provided with budget requests. 

An example of the variability in programmatic budgets, and the process of ensuring that 

budgets are appropriately distributed can be seen by comparing the Criminal Justice 

program with the Medical Laboratory Program. An example of a flat or zero percentage 

increase budgeted program would be the Criminal Justice Program which consistently had 

a budget of $150 with no changes for years. In FY19, many of their classes switched to 

on-line or hybrid classes, minimizing the need for supplies, and solidifying the accuracy of 

a budget that is low in comparison to other programs in the College. On the other hand, 

the Medical Lab Technician program was estimating an increase in students, and is a 

program that is supply heavy and requires national accreditation dues. As a result, the 

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udget for this program was increased from $7,750 to $8,250 to ensure sufficient supplies 

for all students. 

Once the budget is approved at the college level, it goes to the CCSNH Office before being 

evaluated by the Board of Trustees Finance Committee, the full Board of Trustees, and 

ultimately by the State of NH. Weekly budget reports are sent to all Department Chairs, 

Department Heads, and Program Coordinators to help them track their fiscal year 

expenses. 

Each fall and spring a budget forecast is completed to recalibrate the budget and realign 

with the needs of RVCC. In general, each year, RVCC follows a rough estimate that 

enrollment between fall and spring semester will decrease by 7% due to attrition. As a 

result of this prediction, we recalibrate our year ending revenue for tuition and fees. The 

final enrollment numbers in the Fall of 2017 indicated that RVCC was down by 6.3%. The 

result was to reforecast our tuition revenue from $3.8 million to $3.2 million. At the same 

time, a vacant staff position affected our projection for revenue. Thus, the original budget 

developed the previous spring decreased from $9.8 million to $9.2 million. Because of this, 

there was a need to reduce the general operating expenses by 2%, bringing the original 

operating expense budget from $2.176 million to $2.143 million. To do this, we reduced 

the hours of operations, including early closures on evenings when there were no classes; 

closing the buildings on Saturday; and shifting staff schedules to decrease overtime. As a 

result, in Fiscal Year 2018, we were able to save $13,518 in overtime. 

Much work has been done in collaboration with the academic department to evaluate 

scheduling of courses to maximize building usage and reduce open hours. In Summer of 

2018, the College piloted a modified schedule at the Lebanon Academic Center with a 

focus on evening hours. This was a result of the evaluation of course tallies which showed 

evening classes as the best for student schedules. By continuing to use course tally data 

effectively to schedule building hours, we hope to improve the ratio of income vs. expense 

at the LAC. This system was re-evaluated after Summer of 2018, and feedback from the 

Lebanon Advisory Board and community indicated that they wanted the College to have a 

larger presence as opposed to just evening hours. In Fall of 2018, RVCC re-opened the 

LAC for daytime and evening hours with a focus on increasing usage of the building via 

continuing education courses. 

As a human capital organization, RVCC’s budget has traditionally consisted of roughly 78% 

salaries and benefits while other expenses account for roughly 22% of the total costs to 

the institution (Figure 7.2) 

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Similar to many organizations where the majority of the workforce is under the control of a 

Collective Bargaining Agreement, the salary increases are dictated by the CBA, often times 

before the budget is even created. As a result of salary increases being created before the 

budget is determined, the non-salary and benefits expenses of the budget are often 

reduced. The remaining 22%, of the expense budget consists of all other expenses 

needed for operations. Over the past 3 years, between 4% and 7% of the remaining 

expense budget, after salaries and expenses, were shared service allocations provided to 

the CCSNH system office for the support of their services to RVCC. These include 

Information Technology the procurement process regarding to high level purchasing, 

contract management, and check processing. 

One area that has seen great improvement on campus is academic technology. Computer 

labs, faculty computers, and classroom technology were historically managed on a small 

budget of $93,000. In FY2018, the department was allocated an additional $80,000; 

however, they only used $37,000 of that allotment due to an inconsistent policy for 

technology inventory and replacement. This task was emphasized when hiring a new IT 

Manager in Fall of 2018. One of the IT Manager’s first tasks upon hire was to do a physical 

inventory of the technology in the buildings, including evaluating the age of faculty and 

staff computers. As of Fall 2018, 90% of faculty and staff computers have been upgraded 

as well as adding teaching computers to the majority of general use classrooms, updating 

computer labs, and setting up online conferencing classrooms at all three locations. 

Another change that will impact the RVCC Budget was the CCSNH Board of Trustees 

passage of a new policy in Spring of 2018 which increases lab fees and the cost of the 

Clinical Surcharge from $350 to $500 effective Fall 2018. Prior to Fall 2018, this surcharge 

was only assessed to Nursing students but the increase in cost was also added to the 

Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physical Therapist Assistant programs. These 

increased fees go into the general fund. While some fees were increased, the Board of 

Trustees also voted to eliminate several fees assessed to students, such as application 

fees, orientation fees, and graduation fees which were seen as barriers to students 

attending colleges across CCSNH. The hope is that with such barriers removed, we will 

see benefits in enrollment. 

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CCSNH began a five-year budget model implemented in the Spring 2018 to see how 

various increases and decreases will ultimately affect our financial position. The five-year 

budget model allows individual colleges and the CCSNH System to make system wide and 

college specific assumptions, then make adjustments to revenue and expense projections, 

and analyze the outcomes. This financial modeling tool will provide the Board of Trustees 

a way to determining when tuition increases are needed or if program consolidation should 

be evaluated. Although in the early stages of utilization and development, this new fiveyear 

modeling tool assisted the Board of Trustees in deciding on a $5 per credit tuition 

increase for the FY19 based of the projected enrollment trends, cost of living increase, and 

changes in benefits cost. 

RVCC’s estimated FY2019 revenue is $9.926 million, and our estimated operating 

expenses are $9.324 million. We estimate our revenues to be flat, unless enrollment 

trends dictate otherwise. We estimate our expenses for salaries to increase based on 

percentages that are negotiated during the collective bargaining process and benefits 

changes based on industry trends and our estimated loss ratios. General operating 

expenses are projected to stay flat unless there are projected needs as a direct result of 

enrollment trends or if major equipment purchases for a program are needed. For 

example, RVCC purchased a non-energized X-ray machine for the Radiography program in 

FY18 to improve outcomes for students and to meet industry standard trainings for the 

accredited program. 

Once the RVCC budget is created, it is merged with other CCSHN institution budgets and 

with the budget of the System Office before being presented to the Board of Trustees 

finance committee. Upon approval, it is presented to the entire Board of Trustees. Then, 

each fall and spring, the BAO must present to the BoT and identify where RVCC stands 

compared to the year’s predicted budget. For 2019, RVCC budgeted a loss, presenting as 

general fund revenues of $9.483 million, salaries and benefits of $7.289, and operating 

expenses of $2.251 million, with an estimated loss of $57,307. The fall forecast for 2019 

is $9.642 million for revenue, and a $9.034 million forecast for expenses, with an 

estimated surplus of $607,902. This surplus is due to positions being vacant, enrollment 

numbers being higher than expected, and faculty and staff being conservative with 

spending. This forecast will be modified again in the spring once more accurate tally 

numbers for spring enrollment can be obtained, and salary and benefit data is accurately 

updated to reflect new hires. Lastly, throughout the year, financial updates are provided to 

the BoT on a monthly and quarterly basis. 

Reserve Fund 

Due to the high reliance on tuition revenue, the College is vulnerable to changes in 

enrollment and is currently in the process of developing a plan to create a reserve fund 

with the support of CCSNH and the Board of Trustees. The goal for each college in the 

CCSNH is to create a reserve of 5% within the next 5 years to ensure that each college can 

handle downward trends in enrollment. The strategic plan of the CCSNH accounts for the 

development of this reserve by reducing costs to individual colleges through the utilization 

of shared services (for example cutting Marketing, Institutional Research, and Banner 

Coordinator costs for smaller rural colleges by utilizing a shared staff member). 

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Finance Staff 

RVCC ensures that it has sufficient professionally qualified finance staff which includes a 

full-time Bursar and Senior Accounting Technician and a part-time Student Account 

Representative led by a Chief Business Affairs Officer. The BAO holds an MBA and is a 

Certified Public Accountant with over 20 years of experience. Prior to coming to RVCC in 

August of 2016, the BAO spent time at a large, Ivy-league college; at public schools; and 

as an auditor for both national and local firms. The organizational chart outlines the 

oversight of the financial staff by the BAO, who also serves on the extended leadership 

team at RVCC. 

Budgetary Transparency 

At RVCC, departments have input into their own budgets. Initial requests are generated 

by the faculty and staff themselves who understand what is required to ensure student 

needs are being met. Every semester the BAO presents the current financial positon to the 

faculty and staff at the All-College Staff Meeting. The BAO gets daily updates from CCSNH 

on financial information as well as credits sold so information related to revenue and 

expenses can be evaluated daily. On a bi-monthly basis, the BAO updates the President 

and senior administration on RVCC’s financial status and creates a budget projection and 

expense report for review. 

The BAO also presents the Financial Position of the College at every Advisory Council 

meeting. 

Response to Unexpected Budgetary Changes 

Increased transparency in the budget has helped departments to understand not only their 

own needs, but the needs of other departments. As a result, if one department is in need 

of new equipment, but does not have any more financial resources, funds are reallocated 

to enable the department in need to get the required equipment/materials. In the Spring 

of 2017, the Science and the Medical Lab Technician program combined resources to 

purchase $868.40 of microorganisms and chemicals for lab supplies. Because the MLT 

budget was already allocated to other required programmatic expenses, the Science 

department utilized excess monies they had and paid for a majority of the supplies. This 

sharing of resources ensured that the MLT program would have the needed supplies for 

the Pathogenic Microbiology course. In another example, in the summer of FY18, it was 

discovered that the Medical Lab Technician program microscopes had not been serviced 

and many were in a state of disrepair. This was an unplanned expense and there were not 

enough funds in the program’s budget to address this need. Upon learning of the need, 

the BAO, with permission of the President, reallocate Allied Health funds to accommodate 

the needs of the program and ensure that the microscopes were ready for the beginning of 

the fall semester. 

Budgetary Oversight 

The Board of Trustees, CCSNH, and RVCC administration all ensure oversight of the 

financial resources and ethical practices of the College. There is an internal auditor at 

CCSNH that oversees each college, and an external auditor examines CCSNH annually. 

Additionally, CCSNH underwent a Legislative Bureau Audit. This Audit highlighted a 

number of areas of concern which were addressed by the current administration and have 

106 | P a g e

een, or are being resolved. A CCSNH task force was assigned to create practices focusing 

on accurate and honest budgeting. As a result of the LBA, CCSNH and RVCC are 

completing a procedural overhaul, and improving many of our processes. The System 

Office prepares RVCC’s Financial Statements in accordance with GAAP and our audit is 

completed by an external auditor in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards 

adopted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. 

Grants & Additional Fundraising 

While grant funding only accounts for 6%, on average, of our total revenue, these monies 

are vital to the work we do with students. Over the past three fiscal years, our largest 

continuous grant, Work Ready NH accounted for the following revenue: $164,000 (FY16); 

$172,000(FY17); and $173,000 (FY18). Another major grant, the Carl D. Perkins Grant, 

accounted for: $8000 (FY16); $40,000 (FY17); and $91,000 (FY18). During this 

accreditation period, we also participated in a Federal Grant with the US Department of 

Labor Employment and Training Administration for the H1B Grant related to our Advanced 

Manufacturing program. The grant was awarded in FY13 for $4.9 million and was 

extended through April of FY17. The majority of the spending for this grant was made in 

FY17 with purchases of $1.2 million. During FY16 and FY17, in preparation for the opening 

of the Lebanon Academic Center, RVCC received funding from the City of Lebanon as a 

HUD Pass-thru in the amount of $475,000 and from the Northern Borders Regional 

Commission in the amount of $150,000. These funds were expended as capital 

improvements and appear in reporting as capital expenditures. 

RVCC has not actively participated in fundraising since 2015. Fundraising efforts during 

2013-2015 focused on increasing monies for scholarships. These scholarships have been 

implemented over the past few years as the Envisioning a Brighter Future Scholarship (for 

new and returning students). With CCSNH Foundation’s new Chief Advancement Officer, 

we look forward to renewed fundraising efforts. 

Appraisal of Resources 

Financial Resources 

Although RVCC still needs to diversify revenue resources and find new opportunities for 

tailoring expenses, over the past two years we have gone from a college community that 

did not even employ a Business Affairs Officer to a college that not only employs a full time 

BAO, but receives financial briefings on a regular basis, and exhibits transparency as a 

cornerstone of the financial processes. Potential future next-steps would be to integrate 

salary and benefits information into our financial system, Banner. Currently, budgeting for 

roughly 78% of the total RVCC budget is a manual process completed outside of the 

accounting system in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. As a system of multiple colleges all 

working together, using Microsoft Excel to calculate the majority of the budget is an 

example of not having sufficient reporting tools to complete tasks in a timely and efficient 

manner. What should take mere minutes becomes much more cumbersome as a result of 

having to get information from the payroll system and the budgeting system separately. 

In most organizations of this size, this is not a manual process. When comparing our 

financial resources, RVCC and the CCSNH System rely heavily on paper processes, while 

other colleges and academic institutions have often eliminated many of these processes 

due to the technological advances of a fully integrated accounting system or even an 

107 | P a g e

enterprise management system. With advances in budgeting and accounting software 

(some of which are available in Banner but have not been adopted by CCSNH), we could 

become more accurate and more efficient. 

Information, Physical, & Technological Resources 

River Valley Community College has changed a great deal in our information, physical and 

technological resources since the last self-study. The physical infrastructure has changed 

significantly with the renovation of the main campus in 2013-2014; the purchase of a new 

location for our Keene Academic Center; and the purchase and renovation of the defunct 

Lebanon College in Lebanon, NH as our new Lebanon Academic Center. These updates 

have been discussed in prior NECHE Progress Reports. 

RVCC has also worked on prioritizing critical maintenance and safety for the institution. 

Recent security upgrades at all RVCC locations include the installation of security cameras 

inside and outside of the College, as well as the use of swipe cards on exterior and interior 

doors. Upgrades to classrooms include new furniture and dedicated instructional 

computers in most of the rooms that are used by RVCC students and faculty. Rooms that 

we hope to upgrade in the future are the Anatomy & Physiology Lab, the Medical 

Laboratory Technician Lab, the Medical Assistant Lab, the Chemistry Lab, and two small 

classrooms. Recent academic technology upgrades include the transition from Blackboard 

to Canvas and the migration from Banner 8 to Banner 9. 

As mentioned earlier, the RVCC IT Department has also been invigorated with new 

personnel. IT provides day-to-day support through a helpdesk ticketing system, email, 

phone and in-person. IT provides all hardware, software, networking and phone support 

for both the academic and administrative networks, as well as audio visual technological 

support for all classrooms. RVCC IT provides Easy Login username and passwords for all 

members of the college community which allows access to the network, SIS, Email, 

Canvas and all library databases. IT works with end users to resolve day to day 

technological problems and tracks potential external security threats, most commonly 

“phishing” emails, while educating the college community about these types of threats as 

soon as they are recognized. 

The RVCC Library supports the academic needs of River Valley Community College through 

the provision of information resources, services and instruction. The Library strives to be 

an integrated and valued asset to the RVCC community and to support student success. 

The Library staff pride themselves on their ability to recognize when information is needed 

and to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information and provide access to 

information resources that support the RVCC curriculum & research needs of students, 

faculty & staff. The Library provides information literacy sessions at all levels; face-to-face 

and email interactions with students and faculty; database tutorials; and a free information 

literacy tutorial in Canvas that all students are registered for. The Library is approximately 

ninety percent electronic, and the RVCC community can access the library holdings via use 

of their Easy Login credentials at any time. 

Strengths 

 

 

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The RVCC Library continues to expand its services and collections. 

Infrastructure has been updated at all three locations.

The RVCC IT Department has a student centered philosophy and is assessing IT 

needs for all locations and modalities. 

Challenges 

College funding is highly dependent on tuition and fees revenue streams need to be 

diversified. 

Projections 

 

 

By Summer 2020, the BAO and college administration will diversify revenue streams 

to include grant funding, non-credit programs, and other means beyond tuition. 

During the next Legislative Budget Cycle (FY2022-2024), RVCC will develop a plan 

to request capital funds to improve our facilities infrastructure at main campus and 

the academic centers, with a focus on the educational spaces that have not yet been 

updated. 

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Standard 7: Institutional Resources 

(Headcount of Employees by Occupational Category) 

For each of the occupational categories below, enter the data reported on the IPEDS Human Resources Survey (Parts B and 

D1) for each of the years listed. 

If your institution does not submit IPEDS, visit this link for information about how to complete this form: 

https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/IPEDS/Downloads/Forms/package_1_43.pdf 

3 Years 

2 Years 1 Year 

Prior Prior 

Prior Current Year 

(FY 2013-2014 ) (FY 2014-2015 ) (FY 2015-2016 ) (FY 2016-2017 ) 

FT PT Total FT PT Total FT PT Total FT PT Total 

Instructional Staff 27 193 220 29 118 147 30 134 164 28 99 127 

Research Staff 0 0 0 0 

Public Service Staff 0 0 0 0 

Librarians 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 

Library Technicians 2 2 1 1 3 3 1 1 

Archivists, Curators, Museum 

staff 0 0 0 0 

Student and Academic Affairs 12 38 50 10 47 57 12 39 51 15 27 42 

Management Occupations 2 1 3 5 1 6 2 2 4 5 5 

Business and Financial 

Operations 3 2 5 4 1 5 4 4 4 4 

Computer, Engineering and 

Science 0 1 1 2 2 1 3 2 2 

Community, Social Service, 

Legal, Arts, Design, 

Entertainment, Sports, and 

Media 0 0 0 0 

Healthcare Practitioners and 

Technical 0 0 0 0 

Service Occupations 0 5 5 10 4 5 9 4 5 9 

Sales and Related 

Occupations 0 0 0 0 

Office and Administrative 

Support 9 6 15 16 16 32 10 8 18 8 6 14 

Natural Resources, 

Construction, Maintenance 2 5 7 0 0 0 

Production, Transportation, 

Material Moving 0 0 0 0 

Total 56 247 303 71 190 261 65 192 257 67 138 205 


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Fiscal Year ends - month & day: (06/30) 

ASSETS (in 000s) 

2 Years Prior 

(FY 2016 ) 

1 Year Prior 

(FY 2017 ) 

Most Recent 

Year 

? Cash and Short Term Investments $1,861,336 $1,696,294 $3,260,808 -8.9% 92.2% 

? Cash held by State Treasurer - - 

? Deposits held by State Treasurer - - 

? Accounts Receivable, Net $435,095 $388,155 $248,535 -10.8% -36.0% 

? Contributions Receivable, Net - - 

? Inventory and Prepaid Expenses - - 

? Long-Term Investments $1,068,939 $1,094,284 - 2.4% 

? Loans to Students $53,878 $53,580 $55,296 -0.6% 3.2% 

? Funds held under bond agreement - - 

? Property, plants, and equipment, net $10,291,200 $10,302,521 $9,747,560 0.1% -5.4% 

? Other Assets $737,623 $1,344,070 $972,542 82.2% -27.6% 

Total Assets $13,379,132 $14,853,559 $15,379,025 11.0% 3.5% 

LIABILITIES (in 000s) 

? Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $826,917 $523,229 $507,754 -36.7% -3.0% 

? Deferred revenue & refundable advances $61,424 $81,862 $59,974 33.3% -26.7% 

? Due to state $153,361 -100.0% - 

? Due to affiliates - - 

? Annuity and life income obligations - - 

? Amounts held on behalf of others - - 

? Long-term investments - - 

? Refundable government advances - - 

? Other long-term liabilities $6,326,707 $7,164,316 $15,053,995 13.2% 110.1% 

Total Liabilities $7,368,409 $7,769,407 $15,621,723 5.4% 101.1% 

NET ASSETS (in 000s) 

Unrestricted net assets 

Institutional $5,837,560 $5,937,846 ($1,362,005) 1.7% -122.9% 

? Foundation - - 

Total $5,837,560 $5,937,846 ($1,362,005) 1.7% -122.9% 

Temporarily restricted net assets 

Institutional $159,689 $270,785 $232,797 69.6% -14.0% 


Total $159,689 $270,785 $232,797 69.6% -14.0% 

Permanently restricted net assets 


(Statement of Financial Position/Statement of Net Assets) 

Percent Change 

2 yrs-1 yr prior 1 yr-most recent 

Institutional $13,476 $875,521 $886,510 6396.9% 1.3% 


Total $13,476 $875,521 $886,510 6396.9% 1.3% 

? Total Net Assets $6,010,725 $7,084,152 ($242,698) 17.9% -103.4% 

TOTAL LIABILITIES and NET ASSETS $13,379,134 $14,853,559 $15,379,025 11.0% 3.5% 

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Fiscal Year ends - month& day: ( / ) 

OPERATING REVENUES (in 000s) 

3 Years Prior 

(FY2016 ) 

2 Years Prior 

(FY2017 ) 

Most Recently 

Completed Year 

(FY 2018 ) 

Current Year 

(FY 2019 ) 

Next Year 

Forward 

(FY 2020 ) 

? Tuition and fees $5,539,340 $4,922,250 $5,011,019 $5,076,858 $5,076,858 

? Room and board 

? Less: Financial aid -$1,398,875 -$1,070,225 -$1,215,626 -$1,164,415 -$1,164,415 

Net student fees $4,140,465 $3,852,025 $3,795,393 $3,912,443 $3,912,443 

? Government grants and contracts $300,404 $1,389,296 $176,707 $278,591 $278,591 

? Private gifts, grants and contracts 

? Other auxiliary enterprises $58,211 $51,267 $54,483 $61,090 $61,090 

Endowment income used in operations 

? Other revenue (specify): $159,805 $253,067 $183,569 $120,347 $120,347 

Other revenue (specify): 

Net assets released from restrictions 

Total Operating Revenues $4,658,885 $5,545,655 $4,210,152 $4,372,471 $4,372,471 

OPERATING EXPENSES (in 000s) 

? Instruction $3,108,058 $4,296,246 $3,296,000 $2,845,515 $2,845,515 

? Research $6,467 $9,093 $6,900 $5,957 $5,957 

? Public Service $320 $400 $300 $259 $259 

? Academic Support $1,601,105 $1,987,539 $1,525,000 $1,316,569 $1,316,569 

? Student Services $839,138 $1,229,868 $944,000 $814,978 $814,978 

? Institutional Support $2,394,703 $2,546,802 $1,953,000 $1,964,662 $1,964,662 

Fundraising and alumni relations 

? Operation, maintenance of plant (if not allocated) $2,026,286 $1,467,954 $1,126,000 $972,102 $972,102 

Scholarships and fellowships (cash refunded by public 

? institution) $1,157,996 $1,178,584 $1,486,443 $1,283,281 $1,283,281 

? Auxiliary enterprises $46,684 $42,537 $33,000 $59,490 $59,490 

? Depreciation (if not allocated) 

? Other expenses (specify): $2,737,752 $38,605 $30,050 $25,943 $25,943 

Other expenses (specify): $35,730 $277,307 

Total operating expenditures $13,918,509 $12,797,628 $10,400,693 $9,324,486 $9,566,063 

Change in net assets from operations -$9,259,624 -$7,251,973 -$6,190,541 -$4,952,015 -$5,193,592 

NON OPERATING REVENUES (in 000s) 

? State appropriations (net) $4,961,614 $5,152,158 $5,593,353 $5,610,017 $5,610,017 

? Investment return $134,044 $92,439 

? Interest expense (public institutions) -$57,145 -$56,456 -$55,742 -$55,001 

Gifts, bequests and contributions not used in operations 


(Statement of Revenues and Expenses) 

? Other (specify): Federal Non-Operating $3,197,316 $1,070,225 $1,215,626 $0 

Other (specify): State Non-Operating $103,359 $270,817 

Other (specify): Local Non-Operating $5,000 $0 

Net non-operating revenues $8,158,930 $6,407,641 $7,115,779 $5,554,275 $5,555,016 

Income before other revenues, expenses, gains, or 

losses -$1,100,694 -$844,332 $925,238 $602,260 $361,424 

? Capital appropriations (public institutions) $695,057 $442,225 $277,718 $35,730 $277,307 

? Other (specify): $137,107 $105,183 

TOTAL INCREASE/DECREASE IN NET 

ASSETS -$405,637 -$265,000 $1,308,139 $637,990 $638,731 

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FISCAL YEAR ENDS month & day ( / ) 

Long-term Debt 


(Statement of Debt) 

3 Years Prior 

(FY2016 ) 

2 Years Prior 

(FY2017 ) 

Most Recently 


(FY 2018 ) 

Current Year 


Next Year 

Forward 

(FY 2020 ) 

Beginning balance $0 $1,584,930 $1,566,235 $1,546,851 $1,526,753 

Additions $1,600,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 

? Reductions ($15,070) ($18,695) ($19,384) ($20,098) ($20,839) 

Ending balance $1,584,930 $1,566,235 $1,546,851 $1,526,753 $1,505,914 

Interest paid during fiscal year $48,130 $57,145 $56,456 $55,742 $55,001 

Current Portion $18,695 $19,384 $20,098 $20,839 $21,607 

Bond Rating 

Debt Service Coverage 

Operating Income / (Annual Interest + 

Current Portion of Debt) -6.07 -3.46 17.09 8.33 8.34 

Debt to Net Assets Ratio 

Long-tem Debt / Total Net Assets 0.26 0.22 0.23 0.20 0.19 

Debt to Assets Ratio 

Long-term Debt / Total Assets 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.10 0.10 

Debt Covenants: (1) Describe interest rate, schedule, and structure of payments; and (2) indicate whether the debt covenants 

are being met. If not being met, describe the specific covenant violation (i.e., requirement of the lender vs. actual achieved by 

the instituiton). Also, indicate whether a waiver has been secured from the lender and/or if covenants were modified. 

Community Facilities Loan for the Purchase of LebanonBuilding Purcahse 2015 was signed on July 23, 2015 for $1.6 Million. The funds 

were from the United States Department of Agriculture as a Rural Development Loan. Loan Repayment is 40 Years from the Date of 

Loan Closing, debt service to be paid $75,840 based on amortized payments. Estimated Payments are $6,320/month with an interest 

rate of 3.625%. 

Line(s) of Credit: List the institutions line(s) of credit and their uses. 

Future borrowing plans (please describe). 

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FISCAL YEAR ENDS month & day (06 /30 

) 


(Supplemental Data) 

3 Years Prior 

(FY2016 ) 

2 Years Prior 

(FY2017 ) 

Most Recently 


(FY 2018 ) 

Current Year 


Next Year 

Forward 

(FY 2020 ) 

NET ASSETS 

Net assets beginning of year Total increase/decrease in net 

$5,098,351 $6,010,725 $7,084,152 $6,841,454 $7,479,444 

assets $912,374 $1,073,427 ($242,698) $637,990 $638,731 

Net assets end of year $6,010,725 $7,084,152 $6,841,454 $7,479,444 $8,118,175 

FINANCIAL AID 

Source of funds 

Unrestricted institutional $3,250 $211,122 $87,933 $145,680 $150,000 

Federal, state and private grants $1,543,554 $1,178,584 $1,127,693 $1,018,735 $1,014,415 

Restricted funds 

Total $1,546,804 $1,389,706 $1,215,626 $1,164,415 $1,164,415 

% Discount of tuition and fees 25.1% 15.2% 7.2% 12.5% 12.9% 

? % Unrestricted discount 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 

? 

FEDERAL FINANCIAL 

RESPONSIBILITY COMPOSITE 

SCORE n/a n/a n/a n/a 

Please indicate your institution's endowment spending policy: 

RVCC doesn't have an endowment. Our endowment is housed at our CCSNH Foundation. 


114 | P a g e

FISCAL YEAR ENDS month & day ( 06 / 

30 ) 


(Liquidity) 

3 Years Prior 

(FY2016 ) 

2 Years Prior 

(FY2017 ) 

Most Recently 


(FY 2018 ) 

Current Year 


Next Year 

Forward 

(FY 2020 ) 

CASH FLOW 

Cash and Cash Equivalents 

beginning of year $455,292 $1,861,336 $2,765,234 $2,765,234 $2,765,234 

Cash Flow from Operating 

Activities ($338,699) ($198,223) $1,199,643 $1,199,643 $1,199,643 

Cash Flow from Investing Activities 

Cash Flow from Financing Activities $1,744,743 $1,102,121 $390,212 $390,212 $390,212 

Cash and Cash Equivalents 

end of year $1,861,336 $2,765,234 $4,355,089 $4,355,089 $4,355,089 

LIQUIDITY RATIOS 

Current Assets $2,296,431 $2,084,449 $3,417,959 $3,417,959 $3,417,959 

Current Liabilities $826,917 $605,091 $567,729 $567,729 $567,729 

Current Ratio 2.78 3.44 6.02 6.02 6.02 

Days Cash on Hand 

[Cash and Cash Equivalents / 

(Operating Expenses + 

Depreciation and other noncash 

expenses)]/ 365 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 

Please enter any explanatory notes in the box below that may impact the institution's cash flow. 

For the Cash Flow projections, we are assuming status quo for FY19 and FY20. We do not forecast balance sheets, only income 

statements. 

Has the institution needed to access its restricted net assets or liquidate other financial assets to fund operations? If so, please 

describe and indicate when approvals (if required) were obtained from the state's authority. 

Please enter any explanatory notes in the box below. 

115 | P a g e


(Information Resources) 

3 Years 

Prior 

2 Years 

Prior 

Most 

Recently 

Completed 

Year 

Current 

Year 

Next Year 

Forward 

(goal) 

(FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) 

Total Expenditures 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 

Materials $31,000 $30,000 

Salaries & wages (permanent staff) $128,476 

Salaries & wages (student employees) $4,233 $2,007 $1,865 $1,563 

Other operating expenses $49,121 

Expenditures/FTE student 

Materials $47 

Salaries & wages (permanent staff) $196 

Salaries & wages (student employees) $6 

Other operating expenses $75 

Collections 

Percent available physically 15% 15% 10% 10% 10% 

Percent available electronically 85% 85% 90% 90% 90% 

Number of digital repositories 0 0 0 0 0 

Personnel (FTE) 

Librarians - main campus 3 3 3 3 3 

Librarians - branch /other locations 0 0 0 0 0 

Other library personnel - main campus 0 0 0 0 0 

Other library personnel - branch/other locations 0 0 0 0 0 

Availability/attendance 

Hours of operation/week main campus 64 58 58 58 58 

Hours of operation/week branch/other locations 0 0 0 0 

0 

Consortia/Partnerships 

WALDO 

OCLC 

CCSNH Libraries 

NHU PAC 

NHCUC 

URL https://www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources/puksta-library/information-literacy 

of most http://www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources/puksta-library/information-literacy 

recent library annual report: 


See Form 4.5 for data about Information Literacy 

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(Technological Resources) 

3 Years 

Prior 

2 Years 

Prior 

Most 

Recently 

Completed 

Year 

Current 

Year 

? 

Next Year 

Forward 

(goal) 

(FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) 

? Course management system 

Canvas LMS 

Number of classes using the system 

Bandwidth 

On-campus network 1 Gbps 1 Gbps 1 Gbps 1 Gbps 1 Gbps 

Off-campus access 

? commodity internet (Mbps) 500Mbps 500Mbps 500Mbps 500Mbps 500Mbps 

? high-performance networks (Mbps) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 

? Wireless protocol(s) A,B,G,N,ACA,B,G,N,AC A,B,G,N,AC A,B,G,N,ACA,B,G,N,AC 

Typical classroom technology 

Main campus 


Projector, TV, Audio Speackers and Computer 

Projector, TV, Audio Speakers and Computer 

Software systems and versions 

Students 

Finances 

Human Resources 

Advancement 

Library 

Website Management 

Portfolio Management 

Interactive Video Conferencing 

Digital Object Management 

Banner 9 

Banner 9 

ADP from HRIS Systems & Banner 8.9 

N/A 

TWS / Traktec 

N/A 

Zoom 

Website locations of technology policies/plans 

Integrity and security of data 

http://www.ccsnh.edu/about-ccsnh/information-technology 

Privacy of individuals 


Appropriate use 


Disaster and recovery plan 


Technology replacement 



RVCC-Claremont has 500Mbps internet connection, and a 50Mbps Cloud connection. RVCC-Keene has a 130Mbps Internet and 

50Mbps Cloud connection. RVCC-Lebanon has a 130Mbps Internet connection and 50Mbps cloud connection. The cloud 

connection is to our internal data centers that house Banner, phone systems, internal resources. We use O365 for mail and MS 

applications. We have access to I2 via our service provider (IBEAM0. 

117 | P a g e

Campus location 

Main campus 

Other U.S. locations 

International locations 


(Physical Resources) 

Serviceable 

Buildings 

Assignable Square 

Feet (000) 

3 Years 

Prior 

2 Years 

Prior 

1 Year 

Prior 

Current 

Year 

Next Year 

Forward 

(goal) 

(FY 2014 ) (FY 2015 )(FY 2016 )(FY 2017 )(FY 2018 ) 

Revenue ($000) 

Capital appropriations (public institutions) 

Operating budget 

Gifts and grants 

Debt 

Total $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 

Expenditures ($000) 

New Construction 

Renovations, maintenance and equipment 

Technology 

Total $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 

Assignable square feet (000) Main campus Off-campus Total 

Classroom 5,863 5,863 

Laboratory 16,697 16,697 

Office 6,495 6,495 

Study 7,831 7,831 

Special 286 286 

General 2,848 2,848 

Support 1,231 1,231 

Residential 0 0 

Other 0 0 

Major new buildings, past 10 years (add rows as needed) 

Building name Purpose(s) 

Assignable Square Feet (000) Cost (000) Year 

Keene Academic Center satelite campus 

18,672.00 

Lebanon Acedimic Center satelite campus 

New buildings, planned for next 5 years (add rows as needed) 


Assignable Square Feet Cost (000) Year 

Main Campus 

Major Renovations, past 10 years (add rows as needed) 

The list below includes renovations costing $XXX or more 



Renovations planned for next 5 years (add rows as needed) 

The list below includes renovations costing $XXX or more 




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Standard Eight 

Educational Effectiveness 

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Description 

River Valley Community College demonstrates its effectiveness by ensuring that levels of 

student success are satisfactory, consistent with the degree/certificate awarded, and 

appropriate to the College’s Mission and Purposes. The College gathers and analyzes data 

on many of RVCC’s expected outcomes utilizing key institution-wide student success 

measures, including program passage rates, academic program review, and Graduate 

Satisfaction Surveys. To date, data across the four locations: Claremont, Lebanon, Keene, 

and online are aggregated. Students at RVCC are not assigned to a specific campus, but 

are a member of RVCC as a whole; therefore, data collected on students is not reflective of 

any one location. Students often take courses in multiple locations simultaneously, 

particularly since the geography of the Claremont Campus and the Lebanon Academic 

Center are so close. For example, Business programs offer Zoom classes to allow students 

at any location to attend. Data relevant to these success measures will be explored fully 

later in this section. The Community College System of New Hampshire provides 

enrollment and retention data needed for program review. The Registrar’s Office provides 

graduate rates, IPEDS/VFA reporting, and the Academic Affairs Office has initiated 

strategic planning. Other departments such as the Student Success Center and Career 

Services, Admissions, and Academic Affairs collect specific student data important to their 

respective functions. Many programs evaluate data to meet their individual accrediting 

agency standards and the internal college program review process helps to evaluate the 

effectiveness of non-accredited programs. RVCC enrolls students into either certificate or 

degree programs as one student body. 

Of interest to note, and one of the reasons data collection can be confusing, is that CCSNH 

and RVCC use two distinct databases: IPEDS and Veera Bridge. IPEDS data is reported 

through the Registrar’s Office by pulling reports from Banner and is reported from July to 

June of the previous year. Veera Bridge pulls data from our Banner reporting system but 

aggregates it by semester. Banner is the CCSNH database that is used to track all aspects 

of individual student records from application to registration. Since RVCC follows three 

semesters (fall: mid-August through December, spring: January through mid-May, and 

summer: mid-May through mid-August); data pulled from Veera Bridge does not match 

exactly with IPEDS. The differences in reporting cycles sometimes leads to a slight 

mismatch in the numbers seen across data although both reporting systems are accurate. 

Data Collection, Assessment & Effectiveness 

College Outcomes 

RVCC clearly identifies the expected outcomes for the College in the College Catalog and 

on the website. The Expected Outcomes of the College are reflective of the mission of 

RVCC and identify ways in which the College works to transform lives through personal 

approaches to each student. RVCC is an open access college and provides access to 

higher education for all members of the community. At River Valley, 53% of the student 

population are age 21 and over. In Fall of 2017, of the 859 students enrolled at the 

120 | P a g e

College, 88% (754) of the students were seeking degrees while the remaining were nondegree 

or certificate students (IPEDS). Students in the College have access to majors 

that lead directly to the workforce, or allow for transfer to four year institutions through 

the Liberal Arts degree. 

The expected outcomes are also reflective of the College’s dedication to meeting our 

students where they are. Our college strives to provide academic support services that 

meet the needs of each student to improve and enrich their college experience. These 

services include Tutoring & Disability Services, Library Services, and Financial Aid Services. 

All students have access to peer tutors through the Student Success Center. In Fall of 

2017, 85 students across 45 classes utilized the peer tutoring services. While the main 

library is found at the Claremont campus, with, approximately 15,000 physical books and 

1300 media sources (DVDs and audio CDs); the majority of students access the library 

resources via electronic sources. The Puksta Library provides access to 183,000 electronic 

books and 70,000 electronic journals. Students are supported further by a strong 

Financial Aid department and 56% of the students utilize Financial Aid at the College. 

Proof that the College is “preparing individuals for employment in a variety of careers…” 

can be seen via the variety of majors in which River Valley students enroll. The College 

Catalog is diverse and serves to meet the needs of the region via majors in Business, 

Computer Sciences, Education, and Health Care. These majors are reflective of the 

economic drivers in the areas of the River Valley catchment area. 

Figure 8.1: Percent of Student Body Enrolled by Major 

RVCC’s outcomes reflect the College’s mission to provide lifelong learning and career 

pathways by addressing not only the traditional degree-seeking student; but also 

recognize the students who attend the College seeking to transfer to four year institutions 

or improve vocational skills as described below. 

Assessment of Learning 

Programmatic outcomes are supported by the curriculum design of each program and by 

the courses offered as part of the curriculum. Programmatic outcomes are reflective of the 

121 | P a g e

expectations of industry standards for associate degrees and incorporate cognitive, 

psychomotor, and affective domains as appropriate. An excellent example of the 

demonstration of programmatic outcomes is in the Allied Health, Health Science, and 

Nursing departments. National Exam Pass Rates and Job Placement Rates are traditionally 

higher than the national average for most programs. 

Table 8.1: 2017 Programmatic Outcomes in Allied Health, Health Science, and 

Nursing Programs 

Program 

Ultimate Exam Pass 

Rates 

Job Placement 

Rates 

Medical Assistant 83% 93.3% 

Medical Lab Technician 100% 100% 

Nursing 100% 100% 

Occupational Therapy Assistant 94% 96% 

Physical Therapist Assistant 100% 100% 

Radiologic Technology 59% 59% 

Respiratory Therapy 77% 89% 

The program outcomes for the Associate in Liberal Arts are geared towards a more 

generalist approach to education and are designed for the student wishing to transfer to a 

four-year degree (Table 8.2). While students occasionally transfer to out of state schools, 

or private schools in New Hampshire, the majority of students transfer directly to the 

University System of New Hampshire (USNH). The USNH includes five universities 

including University of New Hampshire (UNH), UNH-Manchester (UNHM), Plymouth State 

University (PSU), Granite State University (GSU), and Keene State University (KSU). In 

2017, data from the USNH Institutional Research Offices included a total of 61 RVCC 

students seeking application to USNH colleges. Fifty-seven of those students were 

accepted, and 42 of them ultimately enrolled in USNH colleges (Figure 8.2). Of the 42 

enrolling in USNH schools, only 36% of the students had completed an associate degree 

before enrolling, but they carried an average GPA of 3.39. 

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Figure 8.2 – RVCC Student Transfer to USNH 

RVCC students transferring to USNH schools choose Nursing (21%), Business (14%), and 

Psychology (10%) for their Bachelor’s Degree (Figure 8.3). RVCC students had a 1-year 

retention rate between Fall 2015 and Fall 2016 (most current data available) of 78% and 

an overall 6-year graduation rate (entering Fall 2016 with degree by Fall 2016), of 36%. 

Figure 8.3 – RVCC to USNH Transfer, Chosen Major 

Programmatic outcomes are supported by each course in the curriculum plan, and 

curriculum plans are designed to ensure students are progressing towards achievement of 

programmatic outcomes. Each course has a course outline, described in Standard Four, 

which identifies the outcomes for that particular course. Course objectives for each course 

are written in measureable terms and are assessed by the Curriculum Committee to assure 

that course objectives are appropriate for the course level. Most courses at RVCC have 

outcomes that are written based on Bloom’s Taxonomy and the Curriculum Committee 

evaluates each program to ensure that objectives in early level courses are based on lower 

123 | P a g e

levels of the taxonomy, while courses later in the programs have objectives that assess 

higher levels of the taxonomy. Ultimately, the objectives of each course build on one 

another in order to progress the student toward meeting the programmatic outcomes. 

Assessment of learning occurs mostly at the course level and is the responsibility of the 

faculty teaching each course as overseen by the Program Directors. The course outlines 

identify expected types of assessment methods for each course. Assessment at RVCC 

includes traditional methods such as quizzes, tests, projects, laboratory practical exams, 

projects, portfolios, and presentations. Assessment methods are designed to meet the 

type of outcome; for example, tests and quizzes are utilized to measure knowledge 

outcomes, while practical exams are often used to measure psychomotor skills. 

One example of assessment at the course level occurred in Phlebotomy (PHBC 110R), 

which had a traditional rate of approximately 50% success, meaning only half of all 

students who started the course were successful enough (passing with a C or better) to 

move onto the second half of the certificate, the Phlebotomy Internship (PHBC190R). This 

data remained consistent regardless of instructor, variability in teaching, or variability in 

testing methods. In March of 2017, the Department Chair of Health Science, after 

consultation with the adjunct faculty at the time, put forth a curriculum change to add a 

formal lab component to the course. The course was originally a 3 credit lecture course 

with a primary focus on theory. While psychomotor skills were taught and tested, the 

format of the course did not allow for enough seat time for students to practice and perfect 

technique. In March of 2017 the course was changed to a lecture/lab course with students 

spending 2 hours of lecture (2 credits) and 2 hours of lab (1 credit) each week in class. 

This increased the psychomotor practice time without increasing credit load to the 

students. Simultaneously, the Phlebotomy program went through the Perkins grant to 

obtain two new practice draw arms which were put in place in the course in Fall of 2018. 

The restructuring of the course, and the obtainment of new teaching tools, lead to an 

increased success rate of students completing PHBC 110R and being eligible to continue on 

to PHBC 190R. In Fall of 2018, 89.5% of students taking PHBC 110R passed with a C or 

better and were eligible to take the Phlebotomy Internship. 

Another unique assessment method that occurs at the College is in the Anatomy & 

Physiology (A&P) courses to ensure student learning is the use of common exams and 

common case studies. All students, regardless of the course section they are taking, or 

the instructor they are taking A&P I or II with, have the same exams and also complete 

the same final case study. By having a common exam and case study, the Program 

Director of Biological Sciences has a way to measure student learning across the program 

as well as has data that assists with looking at teaching effectiveness. The Program 

Director looks at the average scores and score distribution for each section of the course to 

see if there are significant differences in content knowledge and grades. She also 

compares scores on final case studies and exams to previous semesters. There have not 

been any significant differences to note on the final case studies; but in one instance, the 

Program Director saw that in one section of A&P II, students were scoring far lower on 

their exams than students in other sections. The Program Director met with the faculty 

and realized that the instructor was not using the study guides and was not giving 

homework assignments. The Program Director began monitoring the faculty more closely 

124 | P a g e

to ensure students were provided study guides and homework assignments. Following 

these changes, exam scores increased and fell more in line with the other course sections. 

Another way in which these common assignments in A&P I and A&P II has been useful in 

assessing outcomes is by providing a way for the Program Director to recognize gaps in 

student knowledge. On the final case studies there is a set of expected answers. If there 

is an answer to a question that varies considerably from the expectations of the 

instructors, it provides a clue that there is a gap in teaching of particular content. In A&P 

II, reviewing problem areas on exams has led to improvements in teaching of specific 

concepts (blood typing and transfusions) as well as improving the way in which A&P I and 

A&P II concepts are related including: greater emphasis on second messenger systems 

and organic compounds; greater emphasis on cell respiration and organelle function; 

greater emphasis on hormones, and greater emphasis on adrenergic receptors and effects. 

The most widespread data collection that shows course outcomes are reflected in the data 

collected as part of the Math Co-Requisite Project described in Standard Five. Prior to 

implementation of the Co-Requisite Project, students in developmental math courses had 

only a 21% likelihood of passing a college-level mathematics course within two years. The 

pass rate for Spring 2018 was 94%. These results are significantly higher than the pass 

rates for students who begin in developmental mathematics, and are at or above the pass 

rates of students who meet the prerequisites for college-level mathematics. 

Most of the Allied Health programs including Nursing, as well as the Early Childhood 

Education and Social Science programs, have additional assessments of job readiness by 

requiring their students to participate in off-campus learning experiences. These clinical 

rotations, affiliations, practicums, internships and fieldworks provide direct, hands-on 

learning in the field of study. These courses are assessed through multiple avenues which 

include both direct observation of the student by RVCC faculty as well as via informal 

(phone or in-person conversations) and formal (completion of provided grading rubrics) 

assessments by the non-faculty professionals in the field who are hosting and supervising 

the RVCC students. Data related to outcome measures for these experiences is kept by 

each Clinical Coordinator or Program Director. For example, the Physical Therapist 

Director of Clinical Education provides a summation of the outcomes of the assessment 

tool completed by the Clinical Preceptors working with RVCC students to the other faculty 

in the PTA program upon completion of the clinical courses. For the Spring of 2018 cohort 

(senior level clinical affiliation), the expectation at the end is that the students are rated at 

“entry-level” meaning they are considered by their preceptor to be ready to step into clinic 

work with only minimal supervision. The DCE provided the following summation of student 

assessment: “All students were rated as entry level by their clinical instructor after their 

clinical affiliation. The number of patients seen varied greatly between settings and 

individual clinics. Some students saw a maximum of 5 patients a day and some saw 10. 

The complexity of the patients varied greatly among the settings as well. Overall, the 

clinicians supervising the students agree that they are entry level PTAs after their senior 

affiliation.” 

Many of the Allied Health programs have student learning outcomes related to professional 

behaviors. Professionalism in the Allied Health fields has been an area highlighted by 

advisory committees in recent years, and in response, programs have implemented course 

objectives or program objectives which are reflective of professional behaviors expected in 

125 | P a g e

the profession. To assess meeting of these objectives, faculty have students complete 

professional behavior rubrics throughout their programs. 

Assessment at the College is an area of continuous improvement. In October of 2018, our 

VPAA attended the 2018 Assessment Institute in Indianapolis conference. The Assessment 

Institute in Indianapolis is “the nation’s oldest and largest event focused exclusively on 

outcomes and assessment in higher education.” (www.assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu) At 

this three-day conference, the VPAA was able to attend workshops dedicated to teaching 

improved assessment techniques to the College. Since attending this conference, the 

VPAA is working systematically to implement a college assessment plan. This begins with 

a revisit of the college mission and college outcomes and developing standardized plans for 

how each outcome will be measured. From there, the VPAA and Program Directors will 

review programmatic outcomes for measurability and assessment techniques; followed by 

a review of each course in the program for measurable outcomes and assessment 

techniques. The VPAA is aware that some of this work is being done already, as described 

previously with regards to the accredited programs, but would like it to be much more 

systematic, intentional, and widespread. Specifically, this process will begin with the 

Liberal Arts program and will start with the College Composition course. The VPAA and the 

new Interim Liberal Arts Program Director are looking at implementation of a uniform 

assessment tool across all College Composition courses similar to the standardized 

assessments used in Anatomy & Physiology courses. This will require adoption of a 

current tool or development of a unique tool, establishing baselines of expectations, and 

implementing the tool at the beginning and end of the courses. The VPAA envisions a 

standardized grading rubric to compare pre-course and post-course performance and to 

measure course outcomes. Once this process is successfully tested and implemented in 

College Composition, this process will be duplicated in other Liberal Arts courses. 

Co-Curricular Outcomes 

A stated goal of the College is that it will “offer students the opportunity to contribute to 

the well-being of others through service learning and volunteerism.” Student life 

opportunities such as Student Government Association (SGA), Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), and 

individual student clubs are described in Standard Five. Examples of service learning and 

volunteer activities undertaken by these clubs in recent years include: 

 

 

 

 

Money raised by the Massage Therapy student club from providing massages 

in the student clinic is donated to the Hand to Heart Project 

(www.handtoheartproject.org), a group that provides massage to cancer 

patients in Vermont and New Hampshire. 

Members of PTK volunteered time and materials to build a ramp so that a 

classmate could access his home after undergoing a serious medical 

procedure. 

The SGA and students in the Physical Therapist Assistant program run food 

drives to support the Claremont Food Kitchen as well as support the food 

pantries located at each of our three locations. 

Students and staff fundraise for the Turning Points Network, an organization 

dedicated to ending domestic violence 

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(https://www.turningpointsnetwork.org/) via participation in their “Steppin’ 

Up to End Violence” 5K event. 

Satisfaction with Co-Curricular activities are assessed via the Graduate Satisfaction 

Survey. In 2018, 48% of students reported that they “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” with the 

statement “I was aware of extracurricular activities available to me and I participated in 

them.” This number reflects the nature of the student population, many of whom are nontraditional 

students who may only come to campus when they have classroom 

responsibilities. 

Qualitative and Quantitative Data Leading to Programmatic Improvements 

RVCC uses a number of measures to assess the experience and outcomes of our students. 

Qualitative measures such as course evaluations identify student satisfaction with 

instructors, course content, course organization, textbook and electronic resources, and 

the ability of courses to meet expected outcomes. These evaluations are used by Program 

Directors and Department Chairs when evaluating faculty as described in Standard Six. 

Results of these course surveys help Program Directors and Department Chairs evaluate 

the effectiveness of the learning experience. Course surveys help to inform training 

needed for specific adjunct faculty, textbook needs, and suggestions for how to improve 

individual courses. Specific examples of changes made as a result of these questionnaires 

is described in Standard Two. 

Each year, the College issues a Graduate Satisfaction Survey to each graduating senior. 

This survey assesses student satisfaction with most areas of the College. Overall, students 

are satisfied with their experience at RVCC (Figure 8.4). 

Figure 8.4: Graduate Satisfaction Survey AY2017-2018 

Percent of students choosing “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” for a given 

category 

Many programs utilize advisory boards to assist with qualitative assessment of the 

program. Advisory boards include members of the public, alumni, and employers from the 

127 | P a g e

area and allow Program Directors a way to get external feedback on student readiness, 

curriculum changes, and learning outcome appropriateness. Some programs in the Allied 

Health department also employ Employee Satisfaction Surveys which survey area 

employers that hire our graduates. These surveys provide data to programs which assist 

in assessing if we are preparing our students appropriately for the workforce. Feedback 

from advisory boards is invaluable in assisting Program Directors with program content 

and relevance of curricula to the current workforce. In 2017, the MLT program underwent 

a re-design to better align the curriculum with workforce needs. As a result of input from 

the Advisory Board, the program shifted its Clinical Practicums from being spread out 

throughout the curriculum to combining all areas (Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, 

Urinalysis, and Blood Bank) into one practicum offered in the final semester of the 

program. In addition to this, the advisory board had provided feedback that MLT students 

were not entering the workforce with enough confidence in phlebotomy skills. As such, 

competencies related to phlebotomy skills were added to the final practicum. The first 

group of students going through the new curriculum are completing their practicums in 

Spring of 2019. Data assessing effectiveness of the new curriculum will be evaluated at the 

Fall 2019 Advisory Board Meeting. 

RVCC is very proud that its student outcomes and levels of academic expectations are 

equivalent to similar students in the NH University System (UNH, Plymouth State, Keene 

State, and Granite State). Members of the Math and Science department worked as part 

of a CCSNH delegation with the University System delegation to create course 

equivalencies. On the surface, this work merely ensures that students taking specific 

classes at RVCC will have no difficulty transferring courses to the university system; 

however, what the work truly does is identify that students meeting specific course 

outcomes at RVCC are equivalent to students meeting the same course outcomes at the 

University System. Recently, courses in the English, Humanities, and Social Sciences have 

also been approved for course equivalency at the University System level. 

Student Success 

RVCC student success is measured in a variety of ways including certificate completion or 

transfer; licensure passage rates in the Allied Health programs; and employment rates as 

described earlier in this Standard narrative. Each program defines its unique program 

outcomes based on the standard of the industry they are preparing students for. Many 

accredited programs in the Allied Health, Health Science and Nursing departments set 

outcomes based on national accreditation agency thresholds and include data collection 

related to retention rates, graduation rates, board pass rates, licensure rates, employment 

rates. These accredited program thresholds are often established based on national 

averages and RVCC’s maintenance of accredited programs is dependent on meeting or 

exceeding these thresholds. Each accredited program publishes this data on its program 

website and regularly meets or exceeds national standards 

College wide success cutoffs have not been established, but RVCC tracks completion rates 

(Figure 8.5), retention rates, transfer rates, and Financial Aid loan default rates. Between 

Fall 2016 and Fall 2017, the first to second year retention rate of first time, degree seeking 

students was 51% for full-time students and 37% for part-time students. 

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Figure 8.5 – RVCC Program Completers (totals) 

Defining Student Success 

River Valley has historically defined success in traditional ways such as looking at degree 

completion, board pass rates, and employment in desired field. However, recent 

discussions at the Department Chair and Program Director level have identified that with 

the population of students at RVCC, these definitions are too narrow. More and more, 

students are coming to RVCC not with a goal of degree or certificate completion but with a 

goal of transfer or a goal to improve work skills in their current field. Initial discussions 

began related to development of a standard advising model whereby all incoming students 

would self-identify their goals and then advisors could track goal completion for students 

who do not fall into the traditional model of “completion.” This dove-tailed with the 

discussions of the upcoming implementation of Degree Works for advising as it would 

make sense to implement all changes at the same time. 

Student success measures are incorporated into all accredited program yearly reports and 

self-studies and are reported on program webpages as required by most national 

accrediting agencies. Student success measures have also been incorporated into Section 

VIII of the newly redesigned in-college program review process outlined in Standard Four. 

These measures help to provide data for Program Directors and Department Chairs to 

assist with suggestions for program improvements. 

Appraisal of Data Collection, Assessment & Effectiveness 

Data collection is the responsibility of individual Program Directors or Division Directors. 

Accredited programs do an excellent job of gathering and assessing data related to student 

outcomes, but this is not yet done consistently across the College. 

RVCC students are provided with clear information regarding learning outcomes through 

college and course documentation. The College strives to measure the effectiveness of 

129 | P a g e

student learning at the course level, program level, and institutional level and utilize the 

data gathered to improve the student experience. Graduate Satisfaction Surveys and 

graduate placement data are used by the institution to gain a better understanding of 

student success. At the program level, Program Directors use a variety of methods and 

tools to assure that a high level of educational quality is maintained. 

Currently, RVCC relies on Veera Bridge for data relative to retention rates, enrollment 

rates, and other demographic data. While this is somewhat useful, we are in the beginning 

stages of using this tool. It should also be noted that Rapid Insights, the provider, is still 

developing the resource using CCSNH as their test site. The implementation of Degree 

Works for Academic Advisors should also serve to provide additional data collection tools 

related to student retention. 

One of the areas of concern at RVCC was the declining completion rate over the past three 

Academic Years (Figure 8.1). This, in conjunction with the data provided in Chart 8.1 

shows that the majority of students enroll in the College as “General Studies: Exploratory” 

majors. This is attributed to the large number of competitive Allied Health programs at 

the College. When students do not meet admission requirements of their major of choice; 

or if they enter the College during a semester when their program doesn’t start; or if they 

would like to complete their General Education requirements prior to applying to their 

program of choice, they enter into the General Studies: Exploratory option while they 

continue to pursue acceptance into their program of choice. Ninety percent of students in 

General Studies: Exploratory are interested in matriculating into an Allied Health program. 

Many of these students do not complete as the General Education program is only to be 

utilized for the first 24 credits of college. 

The College recognized this as a concern and in Fall of 2018, under the leadership of the 

General Studies Academic Advisor, and with the support of VPAA Jahn, began to develop a 

solution to this situation. Recognizing the draw of the Allied Health programs at the 

College, the Academic Advisor and the Department Chair of Health Science began 

developing a certificate that will take the place of the General Studies: Exploratory option. 

This Certificate in Health Applications will prepare students for entry level health care 

positions such as Home Health Aids, Rehabilitation Aids, Dietetic Aids, and Health & 

Wellness Coaches while simultaneously allowing students to complete their General 

Education requirements for the Allied Health, Health Science, or Nursing programs. 

Students who do not transfer out of the certificate into their Allied Health program of 

choice will now be able to complete a certificate in two semesters. As of the writing of this 

report, this new certificate is before the Curriculum Team. 

Another area of concern from the assessment data was the relatively low Exam Pass Rate 

percentage in the Radiographic Technology program in Fall of 2017. This low pass rate 

caused students to place a complaint with the accrediting body, JCERT, who came for a 

surprise site visit. At the time, a new Program Director had just been hired and the 

Clinical Coordinator had left unexpectedly. The low pass rate, in conjunction with not 

having a dedicated Clinical Coordinator, caused the program to be placed on probation 

with their national accrediting body. In response to this, the new Program Director 

updated the curriculum, completed a new self-study (2017), and in December of 2018 a 

130 | P a g e

new Clinical Coordinator was hired. The probationary status will be re-evaluated by JCERT 

in May of 2019. 

Strengths 

Allied Health, Health Science, and Nursing programs, which make up the majority of 

the College Catalog, have strong data collection and assessment processes as a 

result of their national accreditation needs. 

The College has an established Curriculum Committee which is responsible for 

oversight of course outcomes and does an excellent job of ensuring course 

outcomes are reflective of appropriate course level and expectations are written in 

measureable terms. 

Many programs have strong advisory boards and Program Directors with strong 

connections to the workforce. 

Challenges 

The College does not have a dedicated Institutional Researcher or a person 

dedicated to doing this work; therefore, many people are collecting data in a variety 

of ways which can make comparisons difficult. 

The College does not have consistent ways to measure college outcomes for 

students who enter the College without completion as a goal. 

Projections 

 

 

By Spring 2020, The Program Director/Department Chair Group will create a 

standard set of advising questions that can allow Program Directors to have student 

self-identify goals. These goals can then be assessed and measured as part of the 

advising process each semester. 

Completion rates of the new Health Applications Certificate will be tracked in relation 

to the overall completion rates and the completion rate of the General Studies: 

Exploratory option. This will begin with the first certificate cohort beginning 

graduating Spring 2020. 

131 | P a g e

Student Success Measures/ 

Prior Performance and Goals 

IPEDS Retention Data 

3 Years 

Prior 

2 Years 

Prior 

1 Year 


Next Year 

Forward 

(goal) 

(FY2015-2016) (FY2016-2017) (FY2017-2018) (FY2018-2019) (FY2019-2020) 

Associate degree students **63% 57% 60% 51% 60% 

Bachelors degree students 

? IPEDS Graduation Data (150% of time) 

Associate degree students 27% 27% 24% 24% 24% 

Bachelors degree students 

? IPEDS Outcomes Measures Data 

First-time, full time students 

Awarded a degree within six years 41% 48% 43% 27% 35% 

Awarded a degree within eight years 41% 48% 43% 27% 35% 

Not awarded within eight years but still enrolled 6% 3% 2% 0% 0% 

First-time, part-time students 




Non-first-time, full-time students 




Non-first-time, part-time students 




? Other Undergraduate Retention/Persistence Rates (Add definitions/methodology in #1 below) 

1 Male 

50% 50% 50% 

Female 33% 52% 30% 

2 White 39% 52% 47% 

Hispanic 50% 

Black or African American 0% 

Asian 50% 

Two or more races 100% 

3 Race/Ethnicity Unknown 

Standard 8: Educational Effectiveness 

(Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Rates) 

4 

5 

? Other Undergraduate Graduation Rates (Add definitions/methodology in # 2 below) 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 **These are percentages for full-time, Certificate and Associate 

Definition and Methodology Explanations 

Simple retention calculation: number of students enrolled in original cohort that were still enrolled or graduated as a percent of the original 

1 cohort enrollment. 

Students awarded an Associates degree include students originally enrolled as Associates Degree and Certificate students. Calculation based 

2 

only on those students who earned an Associates Degree. 

Note: complete this form for each distinct student body identified by the institution (See Standard 8.1) 

132 | P a g e

Bachelor Cohort Entering Associate Cohort Entering 

? Category of Student/Outcome Measure 6 years ago 4 years ago 6 years ago 4 years ago 

? First-time, Full-time Students 

20% 30% 

2% 2% 

23% 9% 

Transferred to a different institution 27% 26% 

Not graduated, never transferred, no longer enrolled 28% 57% 

? First-time, Part-time Students 

10% 12% 

3% 1% 

13% 7% 



? Non-first-time, Full-time Students 

? 


(Student Success and Progress Rates and Other Measures of Student Success) 

Degree from original institution 

Not graduated, still enrolled at original institution 

Degree from a different institution 







21% 34% 

0% 0% 

18% 14% 



Non-first-time, Part-time Students 




20% 32% 

2% 0% 

12% 12% 



Measures of Student Achievement and Success/Institutional Performance and Goals 

3 Years 

Prior 

2 Years 

Prior 

1 Year 


Next Year 

Forward (goal) 

(FY 2015-2016) (FY2016-2017) (FY 2017-2018)(FY 2018-2019)(FY 2019-2020) 

Success of students pursuing higher degrees (add more rows as needed; add definitions/methodology in #1 below) 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Other measures of student success and achievement, including success of graduates in pursuing mission-related paths (e.g., 

Peace Corps, public service, global citizenship, leadership, spiritual formation) and success of graduates in fields for which 

they were not explicitly prepared (add more rows as needed; add definitions/methodology in #2 below) 

1 

2 

3 

4 


1 

2 

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Most Recent 

3-Years Prior 2 Years Prior 1 Year Prior 

Year 

(FY 2014-2015 ) (FY 2015-2016 ) (FY 2016-2017 ) (FY 2017-2018 ) 

? State Licensure Examination Passage Rates 

Name of exam 

# who 

took exam 

# who 

passed 

# who 

took exam 

# who 

passed 

# who 

took exam 

# who 

passed 

# who 

took exam 

# who 

passed 

1 NCLEX-RN 

28 26 24 22 29 29 

2 

3 

4 

5 

? National Licensure Passage Rates 

Name of exam 

# who 

took exam 

# who 

passed 

# who 

took exam 

# who 

passed 

# who 

took exam 

# who 

passed 

1 ACSP BOC 

4 4 

2 NBCOT 

13 13 16 15 11 6 

3 CMA(AAMA) 

10 7 8 7 5 3 

4 

5 

? 


(Licensure Passage and Job Placement Rates and 

Completion and Placement Rates for Short-Term Vocational Training Programs) 

Job Placement Rates 

# with 

jobs 

# with 

jobs 

# with 

jobs 

# who 

took exam 

# who 

passed 

Major/time period * # of grads 

# of grads 

# of grads 

# of grads # with jobs 

1 A.S., Respiratory Therapy, one year 6 5 12 10 9 8 12 11 

2 A.S., Physical Therapy Assistant, one year 10 10 11 11 12 

3 

4 

5 

* Check this box if the program reported is subject to "gainful employment" requirements. 

Web location of gainful employment report (if applicable) 

Completion and Placement Rates for Short-Term Vocational Training Programs for which students are eligible for 

Federal Financial Aid 

Next Year 

3 Years 2 Years 1 Year Current Forward 

Prior Prior Prior Year (goal) 

(FY 2 ) (FY2 ) (FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) 

? Completion Rates 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

? Placement Rates 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 


134 | P a g e

Student Success Measures/ 

Prior Performance and Goals 

3 Years 

Prior 

2 Years 

Prior 

1 Year 

Prior 

Next Year 

Forward 

(goal) 

Current Year 

(FY 2 ) (FY2 ) (FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) (FY 2 ) 

? Master's Programs (Add definitions/methodology in #1 below) 

Retention rates first-to-second year 

Graduation rates @ 150% time 

Average time to degree 

Other measures, specify: 


(Graduate Programs, Distance Education, Off-Campus Locations) 

? Doctoral Programs (Add definitions/methodology in #2 below) 





? First Professional Programs (Add definitions/methodology in #3 below) 





Distance Education (Add definitions/methodology in #4 below) 

Course completion rates 

Retention rates 

Graduation rates 


Branch Campus and Instructional Locations (Add definitions/methodology in #5 below) 

Course completion rates 

Retention rates 

Graduation rates 



1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

135 | P a g e

Standard Nine 

Integrity, Transparency & Public 

Disclosure 

136 | P a g e

Description 

River Valley Community College works diligently to adhere to the mission and vision of the 

College in all dealings with the students and communities served as well as during 

interactions between each member of the faculty and staff. College policies and practices 

identify clear expectations of our employees and the College works tirelessly to ensure that 

information provided to the public is accessible, clear, and informative. The Keene 

Academic Center and the Lebanon Academic Center are regulated by all of the same 

policies, procedures, and reporting requirements that are described in this standard. 

Integrity 

Integrity, Communication, Responsibility 

RVCC and CCSNH expect that members of the college community, including the Board of 

Trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and students will act responsibly, ethically, and 

with integrity. Both RVCC and CCSNH Leadership have fostered an atmosphere where 

issues can be discussed and members of the RVCC community understand their role in 

encouraging integrity in the workplace. The RVCC Standards of Ethics and Core Values 

guide how the college community interacts with one another, emphasizing collaboration 

and appreciation. The respect that community members have for each other can be 

observed in day to day interactions amongst faculty, staff, and administration. 

The CCSNH System also has policies that are specific to the college community and reflect 

integrity. These policies include Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, IT Acceptable Use 

Policy, Information Security and Conflicts of Interest. 

The governance structure at RVCC follows a model of shared governance and allows for 

issues to be readily discussed and acted upon. There are multiple opportunities for all 

members of the college community to participate in discussing issues that impact the 

College. These meetings take place at all levels of the institution from Department 

Meetings, to All College Meetings, up through Extended Leadership Team and both College 

and CCSNH Advisory Boards. RVCC has an open line of communication with CCSNH 

directly, and the Chancellor or an appropriate representative from his office participate in 

college meetings as needed. Meetings at all levels occur on a set schedule (Table 9.1) and 

any member of the community can request that an agenda item be added to any meeting. 

Table 9.1: RVCC Standing Teams related to Communication 

Team 

Meeting schedule 

All-College Meeting 

Opportunity for the college to come together for the 

purposes of discussion and planning, 3 times per 

semester. 

College Council 

As needed meeting to create a safe and supportive 

environment for innovation and new ideas by empowering 

stakeholders through communication, recognition, 

appreciation and engagement. 

Staff Forum 

Faculty Forum 

As needed meeting 

Once monthly meeting during fall and spring semesters 

provides a forum for faculty to share pedagogy, discuss 

137 | P a g e

issues surrounding the academics of the College and make 

recommendations to administration. 

Extended Leadership Team 

Program Advisory 

Committees 

RVCC Advisory Committees 

Bi-monthly meeting. To ensure the integrity of all 

operations of the College, the Leadership Team makes 

recommendations to the President that support fiscal 

accountability, including human resources. The Team 

uses a collaborative approach to make decisions that are 

unable to be made in Standing Teams and to confirm 

policy changes that are made by Standing Teams. Final 

accountability for decisions that cannot be made by the 

team rests with the President. 

Program dependent schedule, typically 1-2 times per year 

to discuss issues impacting individual programs to provide 

perspectives and feedback from industry leaders and 

community members for each academic program 

Meets at least twice per semester, the Advisory 

Committee shall be established at each campus of the 

colleges for the purpose of advising the President on the 

operation and development of the institution. 

CCSNH Activities related to Communication 

CCSNH Symposium & Once per semester. CCSNH’s Symposium (fall) and 

Winter Convening 

Winter Convening (spring) is a day dedicated to our own 

professional development; presentations about new 

approaches and best practices, the sharing of ideas, and 

connecting with friends and colleagues across the 

system. It is open to all CCSNH employees 

CCSNH Chancellor or 

Designee 

CCSNH Board of Trustees 

Visits RVCC a minimum of once per year, more as 

needed, to update college community on how systemwide 

issues are reflected by and impacting RVCC 

Meet bi-monthly at each campus in the System on a 

rotating schedule The CCSNH Board of Trustees provides 

stewardship and oversight for the Community College 

System of NH. Its members are advocates and 

ambassadors, representing a range of professional 

backgrounds and experience. Except for the student 

and ex-officio members, trustees are nominated by the 

Governor and confirmed by the NH Executive Council. 

Standing Teams at RVCC each have their own bylaws and constitutions. Meeting minutes 

for all teams are kept in our “RVCC Communications” folder housed in Canvas. Some 

teams still utilize paper copies of minutes, and these are stored in the library. The ability 

to review the meeting minutes of Standing Teams at the College adds to our ability to be 

accountable to issues of integrity and public disclosure. 

Policies 

All employees of the College are oriented to policies at both the college and system level 

that govern issues of responsible and ethical actions. As part of new employee 

onboarding, the Human Resource Officer provides and reviews the Sexual Harassment 

138 | P a g e

Policy, the Domestic Violence in the Workplace Policy, the Drug-Free Workplace Policy, IT 

Acceptable Use Policy, FERPA policies and the RVCC Code of Ethics. 

All RVCC locations (Claremont, Keene and Lebanon) post the required state and federal 

laws for employees to review as needed. These policies include: Minimum Wage Law, 

Equal Employment Opportunity protections, Employee Polygraph Protection Rights, 

Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights, Family Medical Leave Act, 

Right to Work in the US Act, Whistleblower Protection Act, Unemployment, Workers 

Compensation and Equal Pay Law. 

RVCC periodically reviews its policies through Standing Teams at the College. Each 

Standing Team is responsible for reviewing its policies and procedures and in Fall of 2017, 

the Standing Team document outlining each team’s mission, membership, and role was 

reviewed during All-College Staff Meeting by the entire college. CCSNH BoT policies are 

reviewed at their discretion. Safety policies are reviewed periodically in relation to yearly 

reporting of Clery Act data. 

Academic Honesty & Fair Treatment 

The Student Handbook has a section dedicated to academic honesty and provides 

definitions of plagiarism and cheating policies as well as containing copyright policy from 

the copyright law of the United States (pg. 9). The Student Handbook also covers fairness 

issues for students with appropriate policies and procedures including The Student Code of 

Conduct (pgs. 43-53). 

Adequate provision is made to ensure academic honesty at the Institution and is the 

responsibility of all faculty. RVCC’s educational policies and procedures are periodically 

reviewed and equitably applied to all students. They include Intellectual Property Rights, 

the avoidance of conflict of interest, privacy rights and fairness in dealing with students. 

Faculty and staff are covered in the collective bargaining agreements for faculty, adjunct 

faculty and staff (Table 9.2) 

Table 9.2: Collective Bargaining Agreement Articles related to Truthfulness, Clarity, & 

Fairness 

Staff 

Intellectual Property Article 32 (pg. 54) 

Grievance & Arbitration Article 7 (pg. 13) 

Privacy Rights Article 34 (pg. 56) 

Adjunct Faculty 




Location: 

(http://www.seiu1984.org/files/2012/03/2017- 

2019-Staff-with-Appendices_2.pdf) 

Location: 

(http://www.seiu1984.org/files/2017/10/2017- 

2018-adjunct-faculty.pdf) 

139 | P a g e

Full-time Faculty 

Location: (http://ibew2320.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/02/2017-2019-CCSNHand-NHHEU-CBA-for-FT-Faculty_Final.pdf) 




RVCC is committed to the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. The Faculty CBA, 

Article VI- Academic Integrity and Professional Responsibility (pg. 12) and the Adjunct 

Faculty CBA Article 13 (pg. 16), contain outlines of the expectations of both CCSNH and 

the faculty which “endorse principles and standards of academic freedom...traditionally 

accepted in institutions of higher education. Therefore, as an academic community 

committed to teaching and service excellence, CCSNH fosters a professional atmosphere 

that promotes the highest standards of professional conduct and integrity.” 

Students, likewise are expected to take advantage of various points of view, both from 

instructors and classmates and be guided by the RVCC Education Philosophy which defines 

the educated person as someone who can: “read critically, write clearly and 

comprehensively, reason analytically and utilize mathematical and scientific skills to solve 

life’s problems.” 

RVCC and the CCSNH System have established clear policies ensuring institutional integrity 

related to grievance policies for faculty, staff, and students. The Student Handbook 

outlines the process for a student to appeal a grade (pg. 20). For students who are placed 

on Academic Probation, the Academic Standing Committee (ASC) has policies and 

procedures that reviews each student’s case individually. Prior to the evaluation, students 

are notified of their right to appeal their suspension. Faculty (full-time and adjunct) and 

staff grievance policies are outlined in each group’s respective Collective Bargaining 

Agreements (Staff CBA: Article 7, pgs. 13-16; Adjunct Faculty CBA: Article 7, pgs. 14-17; 

Full-time Faculty CBA: Article 7, pgs. 9-12). 

The Student Code of Conduct, contained within the Student Handbook (pages 43-54) 

covers areas of the College that ensure students understand the operations of the College 

including General Infractions, Academic Misconduct, Disruption of College Operations, 

Health & Safety Violations, Violations of Criminal Laws and the College Code of Conduct, 

Student Disciplinary Proceedings, the Judicial Process and Student Rights. The Handbook 

also covers many important topics related to the Academic Appeal Process, Academic 

Integrity, Academic Probation, Cheating & Plagiarism, Dismissal from the College, FERPA, 

and the Grading System. 

Legal Obligations 

RVCC observes all legal requirements. It has a charter and formal authority from the 

State of New Hampshire authorizing the College to grant all degrees it awards, and has the 

authority to conduct these activities in the local jurisdictions it serves. State of New 

Hampshire RSA 188-F:1 formally established the Community College System of New 

140 | P a g e

Hampshire as a self-governing body under the authority of the CCSNH Board of Trustees 

and identifies seven colleges throughout the state including one in Claremont which is 

currently named River Valley Community College. RSA 188-F-1 also allows for regional 

academic centers and covers RVCC’s Keene and Lebanon Academic Centers. 

RVCC follows all non-discrimination policies with relation to hiring of all employees and 

recruitment and admissions of all students. The RVCC Non-Discrimination Policy is housed 

on the college website and is referenced with all hiring notices, as well as on the college 

student application. The policy also identifies contact information for the College’s Equity 

Committee Chairperson, CCSNH HR Director, US Department of Education, and NH 

Commission for Human Rights and EOC. 

Students who perform work study jobs where they are privy to private information must 

sign and abide by FERPA documentation as part of their employment. These documents 

are maintained with the student’s employment record. 

RVCC holds its responsibility for sponsored activities of the College very seriously and 

generally seeks approval of the Extended Leadership Team. The Team is comprised of the 

President, VPAA, VPSA, Chief Business Affairs Officer and representatives from other areas 

of the College. Depending on the activity, there might be added approvals needed from 

the Student Government Association or Student Club Advisors. For off-campus activities, 

the Institution ensures students abide by the Student Code of Conduct and are supervised 

by a college representative. For all off-campus activities, students (or their guardians if 

they are underage) must sign off on the “Waiver for On or Off-Campus Activities” form 

which are then held by the IVPSA (for academic activities) or the SGA President (for 

activities sponsored by the Student Government). 

Students who are on RVCC sponsored internships, practicums, clinicals, or fieldwork 

assignments are held to the same standards as on-campus students and are governed by 

the policies in the Student Handbook as well as any specific policies outlined in the legal 

agreement (Affiliation Agreements) between the College and the site of the 

internship/practicum/clinical or fieldwork. These agreements are reviewed by CCSNH 

System Counsel and are housed in the office of Academic Affairs. 

Communication with NECHE 

RVCC Administration updates NECHE as needed regarding changes at the institution. 

RVCC demonstrates honesty and integrity and complies with the Commission’s standards, 

policies, requirements of affiliations, and requests. RVCC notifies the commission 

regarding adverse events. For example, RVCC was notified in August of 2018 that the OTA 

program was put on probation by ACOTE. A plan of corrective action was provided to 

NECHE which NECHE responded to positively. Due to the corrective actions taken, ACOTE 

removed OTA’s probationary status and reinstated full accreditation in December of 2018. 

In addition, as of the writing of this report, RVCC is developing a plan of corrective action 

for the Radiologic Technology program, which was placed on probation by JRCERT. 

141 | P a g e

Transparency 

Informed Decision Making for Students 

The RVCC website contains all information that a prospective and current student may 

need to make informed decisions about their education. The River Valley homepage 

contains links directly to the three most useful areas for students: Admissions, Academics, 

and Student Resources. These links include access to the college application process, 

tuition and fees, the Financial Aid office, links to each program page, and links to many 

policies and procedures that directly relate to students. Student policies are found on the 

“Student Resources” tab of the website which includes a link not only to specific policies, 

forms and statistics, but also to the Student Handbook. 

Communication with the Public 

RVCC is clear in its communications with the public via the website, the College Catalog, 

and the Student Handbook. Information related to application and admission processes is 

found in both the Catalog (pg. 9-16) and on the website. Employment information for 

certificate programs is found on the website via the Gainful Employment Index and for 

many accredited programs directly on their program pages. National accrediting agencies 

often require their respective programs to publish accreditation status, retention rates, 

graduation rates, national board exam pass rates, and employment statistics. Each 

accredited program at RVCC is in compliance with the national accreditation standards for 

that program and publishes required information on their program webpage. 

RVCC is responsive to reasonable requests for information and informs the public about 

how inquiries may be made through the College’s “Contact Us” form on the website. 

Generally, the information from the “Contact Us” page goes to the Admissions Office and 

they disseminate the request appropriately. 

Program content in the College Catalog is the responsibility of each program Director to 

update on a yearly basis. This content is then reviewed by the VPAA before the printing of 

the Catalog. Ten years of electronic versions of the College Catalog are archived on the 

RVCC website. The VPAA, in conjunction with the Chair of the Curriculum Team, has made 

the 2018-2019 College Catalog a top priority. The VPAA is additionally auditing the 

Catalog, all programs, and the upcoming academic schedules to ensure consistency and 

compliance for all courses with CCSNH and RVCC policy. 

Public Disclosure 

Media Format 

RVCC publishes all materials relevant to public disclosure, both digital and print form, 

through its College Catalog and Student Handbook and directly on pages on its college 

website. The 2017-2018 Catalog (pgs. 9-16) clearly sets forth the obligations and 

142 | P a g e

esponsibilities of both students and the institution. Specific links related to public 

disclosure for the College can be found in Standard Nine’s Data First Forms. 

Consumer Information 

RVCC publishes a description of the Institution, a historical overview of the College, 

demographic information on student population, tuition costs, Financial Aid information, 

accreditation information, and the mission statement on both the website and in the 

Catalog. RVCC clearly identifies that it is accredited through NECHE on its website and in 

the College Catalog (pg. 4). 

Additional information found in both locations includes information regarding academic and 

student support services such as the Library; and advising, tutoring and disability services 

(pgs. 14-16 of the College Catalog). RVCC publishes the expected outcomes of the College 

on its website as well as in the College Catalog (pg. 3) and Student Handbook (pg. 6). 

The College’s retention rate can be found on the website as well. 

RVCC indicates which programs, courses, services, and personnel are not available during 

a given academic year through the publication of the semester course schedule and 

through the College Catalog. Program Directors are responsible for evaluating currency of 

curriculum and updating it through Curriculum Committee and subsequently removing any 

content that is not current from the Catalog. 

River Valley publishes three directories of information, one directory each for faculty, 

staff, and administration. The directories indicate departmental or program affiliations; and 

degrees held and the institution granting them. Faculty are also listed, with their degrees 

and granting institution, in the College Catalog. The names the College Advisory Board are 

also found on the RVCC website. RVCC does not list adjunct faculty in the College Catalog 

or in the directory. 

RVCC’S Consumer Information page has all relevant costs for an education at RVCC as well 

as related financial data. Relevant topics covered on this page include the Price of 

Attendance, the Net Price Calculator, the Refund Policy and Requirements for Withdrawal, 

Textbook information, and Disbursement. Some Academic Programs also have information 

related to the overall cost of the degree or certificate listed on their program specific page. 

For example, on the Physical Therapist Assistant program page, there is a link titled “cost 

to attend”. The College Catalog also has a financial disclosure section which outlines tuition 

costs and lab and student fees (pgs. 6-7). The default rate for Financial Aid is 13.9% and 

can be found on the Veterans Shopping Sheet and is also on College Navigator. 

Success Measures 

Success measures for individual programs are found on the program websites. For 

certificate programs, gainful employment data is listed for each program and for accredited 

programs, additional outcomes measures are found on each program webpage as required 

by individual accrediting bodies and include items such as national exam results, licensure 

143 | P a g e

pass rates, and employment rates. 

Appraisal of Integrity, Transparency & Public Disclosure 

River Valley prides itself on being a transparent institution which follows best practices for 

public disclosure. The College has long subscribed to the idea of “shared governance.” 

Employees take a vested interest in the success of the College and work to create an 

atmosphere where all voices are welcomed. The All-College Staff Meeting is a place where 

anyone can add an agenda item, and open dialog on agenda items is encouraged. 

All Standing Teams at River Valley are responsible for self-governance and adhering to 

their Team’s by-laws. The team is also responsible for posting of meeting minutes to 

inform the college community at large about the discussions and activities that the group 

engages in. The posting of meeting minutes has been an area of inconsistency at the 

College. Some groups are very good about taking minutes and posting minutes in Canvas. 

Other groups take paper notes which are not posted, or do not take notes at all. This is an 

area that needs to be clarified for the College and a standard operating procedure related 

to meeting minutes would be helpful. 

River Valley has a number of policies that guide the free pursuit of knowledge, privacy 

rights for students and employees, and codes of conduct for students and employees. The 

College follows standard practice and national and state law with regards to equity and 

student privacy. 

The College posts all relevant information on programmatic outcomes and student success 

on its website and also releases pertinent information via press releases to local news 

organizations. As of this writing, the College is actively exploring options for a website redesign 

to make the site more attractive, easier to use and search, and mobile-friendly. 

Strengths 

 

 

 

 

 

CCSNH and RVCC Leadership has fostered an atmosphere where issues can be 

discussed openly. 

River Valley Community College follows a “shared governance” model where 

multiple constituencies have input into college wide issues. 

RVCC and the CCSNH System have established clear policies ensuring institutional 

integrity related to grievance policies for faculty, staff, and students. 

The RVCC website contains all information that a prospective and current student 

may need to make informed decisions about their education. 

RVCC is responsive to reasonable requests for information and informs the public 

about how inquiries may be made through the College’s website. 

Challenges 

 

 

The RVCC website layout can make it difficult to find information. 

There is no standard policy for taking meeting minutes and posting them for the 

College community. 

144 | P a g e

Projections 

 

 

 

By Fall of 2019, College administration will begin a redesign of the college website. 

By Spring of 2020, the Enrollment Team will develop a Marketing Plan for the 

College. 

By Fall of 2020, College administration will develop a policy and process for meeting 

minutes. 

145 | P a g e

Standard 9: Integrity, Transparency, and Public Disclosure 

(Integrity) 

? Policies 

Last 

Upda 

ted ? 

Website location where policy is posted 

Responsible Office or 

Committee 

Academic 

honesty 

2017- 

2018 http://www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources/student-handbook VPAASA 

Intellectual 

property rights 2015 http://www.ccsnh.edu/copyright-and-intellectual-property CCSNH; CBA 

Conflict of 

interest 2015 http://www.rivervalley.edu/employment-opportunities CCSNH; CBA 

Privacy rights 

Fairness for 

students 

no 

date http://www.rivervalley.edu/sites/default/files/content/FERPA.pdf CCSNH 

2017- 


Fairness for 

faculty 2015 http://www.ccsnh.edu/human-resources/ccsnh-employee-and-labor-relations CCSNH; HR 

Fairness for 

staff 2017 http://www.ccsnh.edu/human-resources/ccsnh-employee-and-labor-relations CCSNH; HR 

Academic 

freedom 2015 http://www.ccsnh.edu/academic-freedom CCSNH; CBA 

Research 

3.12.1 

5 

http://www.ccsnh.edu/sites/default/files/content/documents/Academic%20Sec 

tion%20system%20policies%203-12-15%20WITH%20TABLE.pdf 

CCSNH System 690.6 

Academic Freedom 

Title IX 

no 

date 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/non-discrimination-policy 

CCSNH; 

CBA;HR;Title IX 

Coordinator 

Other; specify 

no 

date 


CCSNH; 


Coordinator 

Nondiscrimination 

policies 

Recruitment 

and admissions 

not 

avail. 


CCSNH; 


Coordinator 

Employment 

not 

avail. 

http://www.ccsnh.edu/mission-strategic-plan/non-discrimination-policy 

CCSNH; 


Coordinator 

Evaluation 

not 

avail. 


CCSNH; 


Coordinator 

Disciplinary 

action 

not 

avail. 


CCSNH; 


Coordinator 

146 | P a g e

Advancement 

not 

avail. 


CCSNH; 


Coordinator 


Resolution of 

grievances 

Students 

2017- 


Faculty 2015 http://www.ccsnh.edu/human-resources/ccsnh-employee-and-labor-relations CBA 

Staff 2017 http://www.ccsnh.edu/human-resources/ccsnh-employee-and-labor-relations CBA 


? Other 

Last 

Upda 

ted 

Website location or Publication 

Responsible Office or 

Committee 

Please enter any explanatory 

notes in the box below 

Information 

How can inquiries be made about the institution? Where can questions 

be addressed? 

Notice of availability of publications and of audited financial statement 

or fair summary 

Processes for admissions 

Website location and/or Relevant 

Publication(s) 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/admissions 

http://www.ccsnh.edu/AuditedFinancialStateme 

nts 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/admissions 

147 | P a g e

Processes for employment 

Processes for grading 

Processes for assessment 

Processes for student discipline 

Processes for consideration of complaints and appeals 

List below the statements or promises made regarding program 

excellence, learning outcomes, success in placement, and 

achievements of graduates or faculty and indicate where valid 

documentation can be found. 

Statement/Promise 

Gainful employment 

NEASC Accreditation 

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education 

Programs 

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care 

National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences 

Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education 

The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA) 

New Hampshire Board of Nursing 

Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs 

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing 

Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic 

Technology 

Website location and/or publication where 

valid documentation can be found 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/employmentopportunities 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/studentresources/student-handbook 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/admissions/testingassessment 



http://www.rivervalley.edu/studentresources/gainful-employment-index 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/aboutrvcc/accreditation 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/academics/academi 

c-programs/physical-therapist-assistant 


c-programs/medical-assistant/medical-assistantcertificate 


c-programs/respiratory-therapy 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/aboutrvcc/accreditation 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/academics/academicprograms/occupational-therapy-assistant 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/accreditation 




c-programs/radiologic-technology 

Date of last review of: 

Print publications 

Digital publications 

ongoing 

ongoing 


148 | P a g e

Standard 9: Integrity, Transparency, and Public Disclosure 

(Public Disclosure) 

Information 

Institutional catalog 


https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62316244/rvcccatalog 

149 | P a g e

Obligations and responsibilities of 

students and the institution 

Information on admission and 

attendance 

Institutional mission and objectives 

Expected educational outcomes 

Status as public or independent 

institution; status as not-for-profit 

or for-profit; religious affiliation 

Requirements, procedures and 

policies re: admissions 

Requirements, procedures and 

policies re: transfer credit 

A list of institutions with which the 

institution has an articulation 

agreement 

Student fees, charges and refund 

policies 

Rules and regulations for student 

conduct 

Procedures for student appeals and 

complaints 

Other information re: attending or 

withdrawing from the institution 

Academic programs 

Courses currently offered 

Other available educational 

opportunities 

Other academic policies and 

procedures 

Requirements for degrees and 

other forms of academic 

recognition 

List of continuing faculty, 

indicating department or program 

affiliation, degrees held, and 

institutions granting them 

Names and positions of 

administrative officers 

Names, principal affiliations of 

governing board members 

Locations and programs available 

at branch campuses, other 

instructional locations, and 

overseas operations at which 

students can enroll for a degree, 

along with a description of 

programs and services available at 

each location 

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62368170/ 

studenthandbook201718final 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/admissions/welcome 

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62368170 

/studenthandbook201718final 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/mission 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/aboutrvcc/mission/expected-outcomes 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/accreditation 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/admissions/applicationprocess-forms 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources/nhtransfer-program 

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62368170/stud 

enthandbook201718final 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/admissions/tuitionfees/tuition-and-fees 







http://www.rivervalley.edu/academics/programs-study 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/academics/coursedescriptions 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/workforce-development 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/academics/academicdegree-requirements 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/contactus/directories/faculty 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/contactus/directories/administration 

http://www.ccsnh.edu/about-ccsnh/board-trustees 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/admissions/academiccenters 

150 | P a g e

Programs, courses, services, and 

personnel not available in any given 

academic year. 

Size and characteristics of the 

student body 

Description of the campus setting 

Availability of academic and other 

support services 

Range of co-curricular and nonacademic 

opportunities available to 

students 

Institutional learning and physical 

resources from which a student can 

reasonably be expected to benefit 

Institutional goals for students' 

education 

Success of students in achieving 

institutional goals including rates of 

retention and graduation and other 

measure of student success 

appropriate to institutional mission. 

Passage rates for licensure exams, 

as appropriate 

Total cost of education and net 

price, including availability of 

financial aid and typical length of 

study 

Expected amount of student debt 

upon graduation and loan payment 

rates 

Statement about accreditation 


rvcccatalog 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/glance 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/glance 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/studentlife 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources/studentsuccess-center 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources/charlesp-puksta-library 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/aboutrvcc/mission/expected-outcomes 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/sites/default/files/content/ 

RVCC%20First%20Time%20Enrollment%20%26%20Persi 

stance%20June%202013.pdf 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/consumerinformation 

http://www.rivervalley.edu/student-resources/gainfulemployment-index 


Appendices 

Affirmation of Compliance with Federal Regulations Relating to Title IV 

151 | P a g e

AFFIRMATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS RELATING TO TITLE IV 

Periodically, member institutions are asked to affirm their compliance with federal requirements relating to Title 

IV program participation, including relevant requirements of the Higher Education Opportunity Act. 

1. Credit Hour: Federal regulation defines a credit hour as an amount of work represented in intended learning 

outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutional established equivalence that 

reasonably approximates not less than: (1) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of 

two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester 

hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a 

different amount of time; or (2) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this 

definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, 

practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours. (NECHE Policy 111. See 

also Standards for Accreditation 4.34.) 

URL 

Print Publications 

Self-study/ Fifth-year report Page 

Reference 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/consumer-information 


(Page 10) 

Page 78 of 2018 self-study 

2. Credit Transfer Policies: The institution’s policy on transfer of credit is publicly disclosed through its 

website and other relevant publications. The institution includes a statement of its criteria for transfer of credit 

earned at another institution of higher education along with a list of institutions with which it has articulation 

agreements. (NECHE Policy 95. See also Standards for Accreditation 4.38, 4.39 and 9.19.) 

URL 

Print 

Publications 

Self-study/ 

Fifth-year 

report Page 

Reference 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/consumer-information 

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62368170/studenthandbook201718final 

(Page 17) 


(Page 12) 


3. Student Complaints: “Policies on student rights and responsibilities, including grievance procedures, are 

clearly stated, well publicized and readily available, and fairly and consistently administered.” (Standards for 

Accreditation 5.18, 9.8, and 9.19.) 

URL 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/accreditation/student-rights-and-grievancepolicies 

152 | P a g e


Self-study/ Fifth-year 

report Page Reference 


(Page 53) 


4. Distance and Correspondence Education: Verification of Student Identity: If the institution offers distance 

education or correspondence education, it has processes in place to establish that the student who registers in a 

distance education or correspondence education course or program is the same student who participates in and 

completes the program and receives the academic credit. . . .The institution protects student privacy and notifies 

students at the time of registration or enrollment of any projected additional student charges associated with the 

verification of student identity. (NECHE Policy 95. See also Standards for Accreditation 4.48.) Method(s) used 

for verification 

URL 


Self-study/ Fifth-year 

report Page Reference 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/academics/online-learning 


(page 17) 


(page 11) 


5. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATIONS ONLY: Public Notification of an Evaluation Visit and 

Opportunity for Public Comment: The institution has made an appropriate and timely effort to notify the public of 

an upcoming comprehensive evaluation and to solicit comments. (NECHE Policy 77.) 

URL 


Self-study/ Fifth-year report 

Page Reference 

https://www.rivervalley.edu/about-rvcc/accreditation 


(page 4) 


The undersigned affirms that River Valley Community College meets the above federal requirements relating to 

Title IV program participation, including those enumerated above. 

Chief Executive Officer: 

Date: __2/8/2019 

E-Series Forms 

E-SERIES FORMS: MAKING ASSESSMENT MORE EXPLICIT 

OPTION E1: PART A. INVENTORY OF EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS INDICATORS 

153 | P a g e

154 | P a g e

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

CATEGORY 

Where are the 

learning outcomes for 

this level/program 

published? (please 

specify) 

Include URLs where 

appropriate. 

Other than GPA, what 

data/ evidence is used to 

determine that graduates 

have achieved the stated 

outcomes for the degree? 

(e.g., capstone course, 

portfolio review, licensure 

examination) 

Who interprets the 

evidence? What is 

the process? 

(e.g. annually by 

the curriculum 

committee) 

What changes have 

been made as a result 

of using the 

data/evidence? 

Date of 

most 

recent 

program 

review (for 

general 

education 

and each 

degree 

program) 

At the 

institutional 

level: 

Expected Outcomes of 

the College are found 

on pg 3 of the College 

Catalog: 

https://www.rivervall 

ey.edu/sites/default/fi 

les/content/101053RV 

CCCatalogWeb320161 

220GSCUpdates.pdf 

All Associate degree 

students complete courses 

designed to provide 

opportunities to develop 

one or more of the 

outcomes listed in 

Expected Outcomes. 

Evidence of the 

development of these skills 

comes through course 

assessments, activities, 

assignments, practica, 

internships, and clinical 

experiences. 

Faculty interpret 

evidence of learning 

exhibited in the 

coursework. 

The College 

Administration 

reviews feedback 

from outside 

constituencies. 

Implementation of the 

Co-Requisite Math 

Pathways to improve 

college level success. 

Increased continuing 

education offerings for 

non-matriculated 

community members. 

NEASC/CI 

HE 5-Year 

Review 

Spring, 

2013 

Feedback from outside 

constituencies including the 

communities served via the 

College Advisory Board. 

For general 

education if 

an 

undergraduat 

e institution: 

Associate degree 

programs require 

either specific general 

education courses or 

specific distributions 

of these courses. 

Requirements are 

published on page 19 

of the College 

Catalog: 

Evidence comes through 

evaluation of Program 

Maps to ensure compliance 

of all programs with 

general education 

requirements. 

Curriculum Team 

and VPAA approve 

all curricular 

changes. 

Per the Complete 

College America 15-to- 

Finish initiative, the 

number of General 

Education credits 

required for the various 

degrees was reduced to 

fit within a 60+ credit 

requirement for the 

degree. This was 

accomplished via the 

BoT policy of 

elimination of a second 

level English course. 

Yearly 

review of 

College 

Catalog 

and 

Program 

Maps 



les/content/101053RV 

155 | P a g e

CCCatalogWeb320161 

220GSCUpdates.pdf 

1.Accounting, 

AS 


ey.edu/academics/aca 

demicprograms/accounting/ 

accounting 

Successful completion of 

courses requires a 

demonstration of practical 

knowledge of computer 

and accounting skills 

through comprehensive 

case problems and final 

exams. “Soft skills” critical 

to employability are 

assessed through projects 

in Professional 

Communications course. 

Program Director 

and Department 

Chair interpret 

program outcomes. 

Individual student 

outcomes are 

interpreted by 

faculty and also by 

the Program 

Director through 

advising meetings 


Courses and programs 

have been revised to 

reflect changes in the 

law and industry and to 

align with transfer 

requirements of fouryear 

institutions. 

2018 

Transfer data is 

gathered from 

graduates in their 

final semester. 

2. 

Accounting, 

Certificate 




accountingadvancedaccounting 








exams 






outcomes are 



the Program 







law and industry 

2018 

3. Advanced 

Accounting, 

Certificate 




accountingadvancedaccounting 








exams 






outcomes are 



the Program 







law and industry 

2018 

4.Business 

Management, 

Business 

Management 

Concentratio 

n, AS 



demicprograms/businessmanagement 

Final examinations 

Final Projects 

Business Plan Development 

Faculty 


Department Chair 

Courses revised to 

incorporate external 

business community 

experience. 

Business Math was 

eliminated and replaced 

2009 

156 | P a g e

with college level math 

course. 

5.Business 

Management, 

Certificate 



demicprograms/businessmanagement 

Final examinations 

Final Projects 

Business Plan Development 

Faculty 



Courses revised to 

incorporate external 

business community 

experience. 

Business Math was 

eliminated and replaced 

with college level math 

course. 

2009 

6. 

Cybersecurit 

y and 

Healthcare 

IT, AS 

https://www.river 

valley.edu/sites/defau 

lt/files 

/content/RVCCCollege 

Catalog1819Updated2 

0181029. 

pdf pg. 26 

Capstone Course or 

Internship: CSCI 

296R/CSCI 297R 

Skills Exams 

Employer Feedback on 

Student Interns 

Graduate Satisfaction 

Surveys 

Faculty 

Program 

Coordinator 

Advisory Board 

Revisions to course 

outlines 

Revisions to Program 

Maps 

2018 

Program alumni surveys 

7. 

Cybersecurit 

y and 

Healthcare 

IT, Certificate 



demicprograms/computertechnology/cybersecu 

rity-healthcareit/cybersecurity-0 

Skills Exams 




Surveys 


Faculty 

Program 

Coordinator 



outlines 


Maps 

2018 

8. Criminal 

Justice, AS 



demicprograms/criminaljustice 

Portfolio Project and 

Internship: CRMJ 290R 


Updated and changed 

program delivery, 

streamlined Program 

Map 

2016 

9. Early 

Childhood 

Education, 

AS 



demicprograms/earlychildhood-education 

These are also in the 

ECE Program’s 

student handbook. 

Portfolios 

Practicum site evaluations 

Student focus groups 

Surveys (graduate 

satisfaction, program 

alumni, employer) 

Advisory Board Feedback 

Faculty 

Program 

Coordinator 



outlines, updated 

program of study, the 

development of new 

courses, revised 

evaluation tools for 

practicum courses, new 

course delivery 

methods, and adapted 

advising practices. 

2012 

10. Early 

Childhood 

Education 

Level 1, 

Certificate 

Modified ECE Degree 

outcomes have been 

utilized. Revisions 

are planned. 

Course: ECE 104R 

Faculty 

Program 

Coordinator 



outlines, new course 

delivery methods, and 

adapted advising 

practices 

2012 

157 | P a g e

11. Early 

Childhood 

Education 

Level 2, 

Certificate 

Modified ECE Degree 

outcomes have been 

utilized. Revisions 

are planned. 

Course: ECE 190R 

Practicum: 191R 

Faculty 

Program 

Coordinator 



outlines, revised 

evaluation tools for 

practicum courses, new 

course delivery 

methods, and adapted 

advising practices 

2012 

12. Early 

Childhood 

Education, 

Infant & 

Toddler 

Certificate 


ey.edu/infant-toddlercertificate 

Prepares students to apply 

for an infant toddler 

endorsement on an ECE 

credential awarded by the 

NH Child Development 

Bureau 

Faculty 

Program 

Coordinator 


New Program 

New 

Program 

13. 

Information 

Technology, 

AS 

https://www.river 

valley.edu/sites/defau 

lt/files 

/content/RVCCCollege 

Catalog1819Updated2 

0181029. 

pdf pg. 28 


Internship: CSCI 


Skills Exams 




Surveys 

Faculty 

Program 

Coordinator 


New Program 

New 

Program 


14. Liberal 

Arts, AS 



demicprograms/liberal-arts 

Transfer rates to 

baccalaureate programs 


Developed Program 

Maps to Outline Specific 

Pathways 

Reduced credits to 60 

2014 

15. Massage 

Therapy, 

Certificate 



demicprograms/massagetherapy 

Practicum and Clinicals: 

MASS 193R, MASS 140R, 

MASS 195R 

Employer Feedback 

Faculty 



Changes to curriculum 

to include MASS 102R, 

MASS 103R,and MASS 

104R 

2012 

16. 

Mathematics 

and Science, 

Biological 

Science 

Concentratio 

n 

The program 

outcomes are listed 

on the RVCC website 

on the program’s 

information page: 



demicprograms/mathematic 

s-andscience/biologicalscience-concentration 

The program director 

reviews transcripts of 

students in the major each 

semester and reviews 

transfers annually. The 

program director/advisor 

also speaks to students’ 

teachers frequently 


Reduction of required 

credits from 64 to 60 

Removal of the 

Capstone courses due 

to lack of transferability 

to the University 

System 

April 2019 

17. Medical 

Administrativ 

e Assistant, 

Certificate 


ey.edu/rvcccommunity/campusnews/medicalassisting-programrvcc-awarded- 

ALHT 121R/ALHT 124R 

Employer satisfaction 

Employment rates 

Faculty 

Program Direcor 


Delivery methods of 

course delivery have 

been updated to 

include, traditional 

classroom, hybrid and 

distance learning and 

some courses are now 

RVCC 

Program 

Review 

Scheduled 

for 

AY2019- 

2020 

158 | P a g e

continuingaccreditation 

offered at the Academic 

Centers. 

18. Medical 

Assistant, 

Certificate 



les/content/Mission% 

20Statement%20%26 

%20Program%20Outc 

ome.pdf 


Graduate rates 

Exam Rates 


Faculty 



Yearly ARF for 

MAERB 

Accreditation 

Delivery methods of 

course delivery have 

been updated to 

include, traditional 

classroom, hybrid and 

distance learning and 

some courses are now 

offered at the Academic 

Centers. 

2015 

Practicum hours 

reduced from 240 to 

160. 

19.Medical 

Laboratory 

Technician, 

AS 



les/content/2017MLTS 

tudentHandbook_INus 

e.pdf pg 5 

Practicum: MLTC 290 


Surveys 

Practicum Supervisor 

Interviews 

ASCP BOC Exam pass rates 

Faculty 

Program 

Coordinator 



Revisions to curriculum 

including change in 

format of Practicum and 

hybridization of 

courses. 

2018 

20. 

Networking, 

AS 



demicprograms/computertechnology/networkin 

g 


Internships: CSCI 


Skills Exams 



Faculty 

Program 

Coordinator 



outlines 


Maps 

2018 


Surveys 


21. 

Networking, 

Certificate 

https://www.rivervall 

ey.edu/academics/aca 

demicprograms/computer-technology/networkin 

g-0 

 

Skills Exams 




Surveys 


Faculty 

Program 

Coordinator 



outlines 


Maps 

2018 

22. Nursing, 

AS 



demicprograms/nursing/ass 

ociate-sciencenursing-degree 

Clinicals: ADNR116R, 

ADNR117R, ADNR220R, 

ADNR230R 

ATI Content Mastery 

Assessments 

RN Comprehensive 

Predictor 

Clinical Evaluation Tool 

(CET) 


Faculty 

Advisory Committee 

NH Board of Nursing 

National Council of 

State Boards of 

Nursing (NCSBN) 

Accreditation 

Commission for 

Increased # of ATI 

assessments 

Increased use of PrepU 

& ATI assignments 

Revised CET per ACEN 

Revised course 

competencies per 

NCSBN guidelines 

2016 

159 | P a g e

NHBON Annual Program 

Report 

ACEN Annual Program 

Report 

Education in Nursing 

(ACEN) 

Systematic Plan of 

Evaluation 

NCLEX-RN Licensure 

Graduate Surveys 

Employer Surveys 

23. 

Occupational 

Therapy 

Assistant, AS 


ey. 

edu/sites/default/files 

/content/OTA%20 

Curriculum%20Design 

%20 

and%20Student%20O 

utcomes.pdf 

Fieldworks: OCTA 

190R,OCTA 290R,OCTA 

291R 


Surveys 

Fieldwork Supervisor 

Interviews 

Employer Satisfaction 

Surveys 

NBCOT pass rates 

Faculty 



Tiered learning 

approach to SOAP note 

writing in OCTA 125R, 

OCTA 190R, and OCTA 

213R. 

Changed format of 

Level I Fieldwork 

Experience (OCTA 190) 

to a camp-experience. 

Planned implementation 

of hybrid course AHLT 

104R in Fall 2019. 

2018 

24. 

Phlebotomy, 

Certificate 



demicprograms/phlebotomy 

Internship: PHBC190R 

Program Faculty 


Increased PHBC 110R 

course to include 

increased lab practice 

time to improve 

psychomotor skills 

proficiency. 

RVCC 

Program 

Review 

Scheduled 

for 

AY2019- 

2020 

25. Physical 

Therapist 

Assistant, AS 



les/content/2018%20 

PTA%20Program%20 

Public%20Disclosure 

%20Information_3.pd 

f 

Practicums: PTAC 190R, 

PTAC292R 

Practicum Supervisor 

Interviews 

FSBPT Exam Pass Rates 

Employment Rates 

Advisory Board, 

Faculty, 

Practicum 

Supervisor, 

Department Chair, 

Program 

Coordinator 

Changed format of 

Practicum Courses and 

Senior Seminar Course 

Modified program 

application process for 

Fall 2019 

2016 


Surveys 

26. 

Radiologic 

Technology, 

AS 



demicprograms/radiologictechnology 

Practicums: RADT 121R, 

RADT 122R, RADT 223R, 

RADT 224R 

ARRT Passing Rates 

Faculty 



Curriculum Revised in 

2017 

Changed textbooks and 

academic materials 

2017 



Surveys 

Acquired de-energized 

X-ray machine for 

student practice 


Surveys 

160 | P a g e

27. 

Respiratory 

Therapy, AS 



les/content/RVCCColle 

geCatalog1819Update 

d20181029.pdf Pg. 

49 

Practicums: RSPT 191, 

RSPT 281R, RSPT 282R 

Graduation Rates 

NBRC Exam Pass Rates 

Faculty 



Course content 

updated, Redistributed 

lecture vs.lab hours; 

updated number of 

clinical hours. 

2016 



Surveys 

29. Social 

Services, AS 

Course materials for 

HSV 110R, 270R, and 

271R 

Fieldwork: HSV270R 

Seminar: HSV 271R 

Faculty, Program 

Coordinator, and 


Major program revision 2014 

In process of being 

revised 

29. Social 

Services, 

Certificate 

Course materials for 

HSV 110R, 270R, and 

271R 

HSV 125R and HSV 126R 

Faculty, Program 

Coordinator, and 


Major program revision 2014 

In process of being 

revised 

Institutions selecting E1a should also include E1b. 

Note: Please see the Statement on Student Achievement and Success Data Forms (available on the CIHE website: 

https://cihe.neasc.org) for more information about completing these forms. 

161 | P a g e


OPTION E1: PART B. INVENTORY OF SPECIALIZED AND PROGRAM ACCREDITATION 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(6) 

Professional, 

specialized, State, 

or programmatic 

accreditations 

currently held by 

the institution (by 

agency or 

program name). 

Date of most 

recent 

accreditation 

action by 

each listed 

agency. 

List key issues for continuing 

accreditation identified in 

accreditation action letter or 

report. 

Key performance 

indicators as required by 

agency or selected by 

program (licensure, board, 

or bar pass rates; 

employment rates, etc.). 

* 

Date and 

nature of 

next 

scheduled 

review. 

Medical Assisting, 

CAAHEP 

March, 2015 

The review conducted by the 

Medical Assisting Education 

Review Board (MAERB) and 

CAAHEP’s Board of Directors 

recognized the program’s 

substantial compliance with the 

nationally established 

accreditation standards. This 

program was awarded an eight 

year accreditation, the 

maximum allowed by 

MAERB/CAAHEP. Minor citations 

were addressed and approved 

in February 2019. 

Retention 

Placement 

Grad Satisfaction Rate 


Rate 

Exam Participation Rate 

Exam Pass Rate 

2023 

Physical Therapy 

Assistant, CAPTE 

May, 2016 

The program was required to 

clarify the workloads for the 

program faculty and send them 

a completed annual assessment 

(a template had been sent the 

first time). These updates were 

accepted and a 10 year 

continuing accreditation was 

granted. 

Graduation 


Licensure pass rates 

Number and variety of 

clinical education sites 

2025 

Respiratory 

Therapy, COARC 

2016 No deficiencies were reported. 

The program was given a full 10 

year accreditation. 

On-time graduation 

NBRC pass rates (High cut 

score) 

2026 


rates 

Job placement rates 

Graduate satisfaction 

rates 

2016 In Compliance 

NCLEX-RN pass rates 

2021 

Nursing, ACEN & 

NH BON 

Areas needing development: 

4.2 SLOs need to demonstrate 

consistent progression. 

Program completion rates 

Program satisfaction rates 

Graduate employment 

rates 

162 | P a g e

4.12 Learning activities & 

instructional materials need to 

be appropriate for all delivery 

formats & consistent with SLOs 

3 years of data correlating 

learning activities 

with EPOs 

6.1 ELOS must be stated in 

specific and measurable terms 

6.2 Data must be collected and 

trended by program option and 

location prior to aggregation for 

program as whole 

6.4.3 Sufficient data must be 

collected and trended for 

program decision making. 

Medical Lab 

Technician, 

NAACLS 

2018 Continuing accreditation 

awarded for ten years. A ‘Year 

5 Interim Report’ must be 

submitted to NAACLS with a 

summary of the last five years 

of annual reporting, a narrative 

on how outcomes measures are 

analyzed and used in program 

assessment, and a narrative 

describing any actions taken as 

a result of the program 

assessment. 

ASCP BOC pass rates 

Program completion rates 


2028 

Radiological 

Technology, 

JRCERT 

(continued on 

following pages) 

2017 Program was placed on 

Probation until May of 2019 

New curriculum was develop 

and implemented in fall 2017 

Admission rate 

Retention rate 

Program completion rate 

ARRT Passing rate (first 

attempt) 

2017 

New self-study was submitted 

to the JRCERT. 

Employment rate 

Site visit on June 2018 

Program was not in compliance 

with 

Objective 2.2 - Lack of 

assurance that the program 

provides an adequate number 

of faculty to meet all 

educational, program, 

administrative, and 

accreditation requirements. 

Action taken: new clinical 

coordinator was hired on 

January2019. 



provides faculty with 

163 | P a g e

opportunities for continued 

professional development. 

Action taken: Program Director 

attended two conferences 

(February and November 2018) 



evaluates program faculty and 

clinical instructor performance 

and shares evaluation results 

regularly to assure instructional 

responsibilities are performed. 

Action taken: First report 

submitted to all clinical sites 

during Summer of 2018. A 

revised clinical instructor 

evaluation put in place January 

2019. 



documents the following 

program effectiveness data: 

Graduate and Employer 

satisfaction 

Note: The program has only two 

graduating classes. The 

program collects these data on 

the following schedule: 

Graduate Survey – 6 months 

after graduation; Employee 

Survey – 1 year after 

graduation. At this time, the 

program doesn’t have five years 

of data as required. The 

Program has a revised 

assessment plan. Will continue 

to improve. 



analyzes and shares student 

learning outcome data and 

program effectiveness data to 

foster continuous program 

improvement. 

Action taken: Effectiveness data 

report is on the College 

webpage, data results are 

discussed with advisory board 

and clinical preceptors for 

feedback. 

Mid-term report will be 

submitted on April 19, 2019 

JRCERT final decision will be 

receive by May, 2019. 

Occupational 

Therapy 

Assistant, ACOTE 

2018 The program is fully accredited. 

Two areas were identified by 

ACOTE that needed further 

attention and update via a 

Retention Rates 


Grad Satisfaction Rate 

2023 

164 | P a g e

Progress Report (to be 

submitted on 2/15/19) 


Rate 

1: Balanced workload giving 

AFWC release time to perform 

FW planning and placement 

duties: This area has been met 

and three contact hours of 

release time has been given to 

AFWC. 2. Integration of a COTA 

into didactic instruction: This 

area has been met and COTA 

will be integrated into OCTA212 

course in Spring 2019. 

Exam Pass Rate 

Business 

Management, 

ACBSP 

2008 No issues identified. Program 

given 10 year accreditation 

(initial accreditation) in 2008. 

Assessment of 

satisfaction of key 

needs and 

expectations for 

students and 

stakeholders 

2019 

Specific competency 

attainment 

Faculty satisfaction 

survey 

Curriculum Summary: 

Professional 

Component, General 

Education 

Component, Business 

Major Component, 

Minimum Grade 

Requirement, Support 

Services, Educational 

Innovation, Student 

Academic Success, 

Student Retention 

*Record results of key performance indicators in form 8.3 of the Data First Forms 

Institutions selecting E1b should also include E1a 

165 | P a g e


OPTION E2. COLLEGE PORTRAIT/VSA PLUS PROGRAM REVIEW 

I. Institutions selecting this option should include copies of the most recent College Portrait institutional template 

under the Voluntary System of Accountability and up to two prior templates. The templates are available from APLU 

and AASCU. 

II. Complete the information on program review, below. 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

CATEGORY 

What is the date 

of the most 

recent program 

review? 

How is an 

“external 

perspective” 

incorporated into 

the review? 

How are the 

results of the 

program review 

considered? 

What major 

changes have 

been made as a 

result of the 

most recent 

program review? 

What is the date 

of the next 

program review? 

List each degree 

program: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

166 | P a g e


OPTION E3. INSTITUTIONAL CLAIMS FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, WITH VALIDATING EVIDENCE 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

CATEGORY 

What are the 

claims for student 

achievement or 

student success? 

Where are the 

claims published? 

(please specify) 

Include URLs 

where 

appropriate. 

Other than 

course 

completion and 

grades, what 

outcomes 

evidence is used 

to support the 

claims? 

Who interprets 

the evidence? 

What is the 

process? 

(e.g. by the 

curriculum 

committee) 

What changes 

have been made 

in the program, 

the claims or the 

evidence? 

At the institutional 

level: 

For general 

education if an 

undergraduate 

institution: 


program: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

167 | P a g e


OPTION E4. MEASURES OF STUDENT SUCCESS: COMPARISON WITH PEERS 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

CATEGORY 

What is the 

measure of 

student 

achievement or 

student success? 

What is the 

institution’s score 

or rate? 

What is the peer 

comparison 

group? 

What is the peer 

score or rate on 

this measure? 

What changes 

have been made 

as a result of the 

comparison? 

At the institutional 

level: 

For general 

education if an 

undergraduate 

institution: 


program: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

168 | P a g e

Management Letter & Financial Report 

Board of Trustees 


(A Component Unit of the State of New Hampshire) 

Dear Board Members: 

We have audited the financial statements of the business-type activities and the discretely 

presented component unit of the Community College System of New Hampshire (a 

Component Unit of the State of New Hampshire) (CCSNH) as of and for the year ended 

June 30, 2018, and have issued our report thereon dated December 7, 2018. 

As stated in our engagement letter dated May 25, 2018, our responsibility, as described 

by professional standards, is to express an opinion about whether the financial statements 

prepared by management with your oversight are fairly presented in all material respects, 

in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Our audit of the financial 

statements does not relieve you or management of your responsibilities. 

Our responsibility for the supplementary information accompanying the financial 

statements, as described by professional standards, is to evaluate the presentation of the 

supplementary information in relation to the financial statements as a whole and to report 

on whether the supplementary information is fairly stated, in all material respects, in 

relation to the financial statements as a whole. 

We did not audit the financial statements of the discretely-presented component unit, 

Community Colleges of New Hampshire Foundation (the Foundation), as of and for the 

year ended June 30, 2018. Those financial statements were audited by another auditor 

whose report thereon has been furnished to us, and our opinion, insofar as it relates to the 

amounts included for the Foundation, is based on the report of the other auditor. 

Professional standards require that we provide you with information about our 

responsibilities under U.S. generally accepted auditing standards, Government Auditing 

Standards and Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, as well as 

certain information related to the planned scope and timing of our audit. We have 

communicated such information in our communications dated May 25, 2018. 

169 | P a g e

Qualitative Aspects of Accounting Practices 

PART I – REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS 

Management is responsible for the selection and use of appropriate accounting policies. 

The significant accounting policies used by CCSNH are described in Note 1 to the financial 

statements. 

During the year ended June 30, 2018, CCSNH adopted new accounting guidance, 

Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 75, Accounting and 

Financial Reporting for Postemployment Benefits Other Than Pensions (GASB 75). The 

changes made to the basic financial statements to comply with GASB 75 have been 

reported as an adjustment as of the beginning of the year ended June 30, 2018. Because 

management determined it was not practical for CCSNH to determine the amounts of all 

deferred inflows of resources and deferred outflows of resources related to the other postemployment 

benefit (OPEB) plans as of June 30, 2017, the beginning balances of deferred 

inflows of resources and deferred outflows of resources related to the OPEB plans have not 

been recorded. The impact of the adoption of GASB 75 as of the beginning of the year 

ended June 30, 2018 was as a net OPEB liability and cumulative effect of change in 

accounting principle of $143,484,240. 

No other new accounting policies were adopted and the application of existing policies was 

not changed during 2018. We noted no transactions entered into by CCSNH during the 

year for which there is a lack of authoritative guidance or consensus. All significant 

transactions have been recognized in the financial statements in the proper period. 

Accounting estimates are an integral part of the financial statements prepared by 

management and are based on management’s knowledge and experience about past and 

current events and assumptions about future events. Certain accounting estimates are 

particularly sensitive because of their significance to the financial statements and because 

of the possibility that future events affecting them may differ significantly from those 

expected. The most sensitive estimates affecting the financial statements were: 

• The estimates used in the calculation of the net OPEB liability, deferred inflows of 

resources and deferred outflows of resources related to the OPEB plans. The net OPEB 

liability and related deferred inflows of resources and deferred outflows of resources 

related to the OPEB plan administered by the State of New Hampshire (the State) are 

based on the December 31, 2016 actuarial valuation, updated to the measurement date of 

June 30, 2017, which was prepared by Segal Consulting, the actuary engaged by the 

State. The net OPEB liability and related deferred inflows of resources and deferred 

outflows of resources related to the OPEB plan administered by the New Hampshire 

Retirement System (NHRS) are based on actuarial information provided by the NHRS and 

audited by KPMG. 

• The estimates used in the calculation of the net pension liability, deferred inflows of 

resources and deferred outflows of resources related to the pension plan, which are based 

on actuarial information provided by the New Hampshire Retirement System and audited 

by KPMG. 

• The allowance for loan losses related to the note receivable on the Stratham Property. 

• The estimated useful lives of capital assets used in the calculation of depreciation 

expense, which are based on the perceived life of the related capital assets 

170 | P a g e

We have evaluated the key factors and assumptions used to develop these estimates in 

determining that they are reasonable in relation to the financial statements taken as a 

whole. 

Certain financial statement disclosures are particularly sensitive because of their 

significance to financial statement users. The most sensitive disclosures affecting the 

financial statements were: 

• The disclosure of the allowance for loan losses related to the note receivable on the 

Stratham Property in Note 1. 

• The disclosures of other OPEB required by GASB 75 in Notes 1, 2 and 8. 

• The disclosure of the cost-sharing multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan 

required by the GASB Statement No. 68 in Note 7. 

The financial statements are neutral, consistent, and clear. 

Difficulties Encountered in Performing the Audit 

We encountered no significant difficulties in dealing with management in performing and 

completing our audit. 

Corrected and Uncorrected Misstatements 

Professional standards require us to accumulate all known and likely misstatements 

identified during the audit, other than those that are trivial, and communicate them to the 

appropriate level of management. We noted two adjustments that management 

determined were immaterial to the financial statements taken as a whole. The attached 

schedule summarizes these uncorrected adjustments. 

Disagreements with Management 

For purposes of this letter, professional standards define a disagreement with management 

as a financial accounting, reporting, or auditing matter, whether or not resolved to our 

satisfaction, that could be significant to the financial statements or the auditor’s report. We 

are pleased to report that no such disagreements arose during the course of our audit. 

Management Representations 

We have requested certain representations from management that are included in the 

management representation letter dated December 7, 2018. 

Management Consultations with Other Independent Accountants 

In some cases, management may decide to consult with other accountants about auditing 

and accounting matters, similar to obtaining a “second opinion” on certain situations. If a 

consultation involves application of an accounting principle to CCSNH’s financial 

statements or a determination of the type of auditor’s opinion that may be expressed on 

those statements, our professional standards require the consulting accountant to check 

171 | P a g e

with us to determine that the consultant has all the relevant facts. To our knowledge, 

there were no such consultations with other accountants. 

Other Audit Findings or Issues 

We generally discuss a variety of matters, including the application of accounting principles 

and auditing standards, with management each year prior to retention as CCSNH’s auditor. 

However, these discussions occurred in the normal course of our professional relationship 

and our responses were not a condition to our retention. 

We applied certain limited procedures to the Management’s Discussion and Analysis and 

the supplementary information related to CCSNH’s pension and other postemployment 

benefits plans, which are required supplementary information (RSI) that supplements the 

basic financial statements. Our procedures consisted of inquiries of management regarding 

the methods of preparing the information and comparing the information for consistency 

with management’s responses to our inquiries, the basic financial statements, and other 

knowledge we obtained during our audit of the basic financial statements. We did not audit 

the RSI and do not express an opinion or provide any assurance on the RSI. 

We were engaged to report on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards, which 

accompany the financial statements but are not RSI. With respect to this supplementary 

information, we made certain inquiries of management and evaluated the form, content, 

and methods of preparing the information to determine that the information complies with 

U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or Uniform Guidance, the method of 

preparing it has not changed from the prior period, and the information is appropriate and 

complete in relation to our audit of the financial statements. Our procedures included 

comparing and reconciling the supplementary information to the underlying accounting 

records used to prepare the financial statements or to the financial statements themselves. 

172 | P a g e 

PART II – INTERNAL CONTROL MATTERS 

In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements of CCSNH as of and for 

the year ended June 30, 2018, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted auditing 

standards, we considered CCSNH’s internal control over financial reporting (internal 

control) as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the 

circumstances for the purposes of expressing our opinions on the financial statements, but 

not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of CCSNH’s internal 

control. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness CCSNH’s internal 

control. 

A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not 

allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned 

functions to prevent, or detect and correct, misstatements on a timely basis. A material 

weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control, such that 

there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the entity’s financial 

statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis. 

Our consideration of internal control was for the limited purpose described in the first 

paragraph of this section and was not designed to identify all deficiencies in internal 

control that might be material weaknesses. Given these limitations, during our audit we

did not identify any deficiencies in internal control that we consider to be material 

weaknesses. However, material weaknesses may exist that have not been identified. 

Approval of Budget Transfers 

PART III – ADVISORY COMMENTS 

We noted that the Business Office Managers at each campus and many Finance Office staff 

have the ability to post budget transfer journal entries. There are three different types of 

budget journal entries: initial budget set up, budget amendments, and line item transfers. 

It was noted that access to the initial budget set up and budget amendment entries is 

restricted to certain System Finance Office Staff. Through our testing we noted that there 

were several budget line item transfer entries recorded throughout the year that were not 

formally approved and did not appear to be supported by proper documentation. 

We recommend that CCSNH develop a threshold for budget line item transfers to be 

approved by the campus President or another designated senior management team 

member. We understand that the System has a policy that requires approval by the Board 

of Trustees for any budget transfer in excess of $300,000. We recommend the System 

update the policy to include a lower threshold for which a transfer entry would require the 

approval of appropriate System personnel. While we did note there are access restrictions 

to individuals on the types of budget entries they can post, budget entries should be 

approved to maintain the integrity the budget as a control and an effective analytical tool. 

Cash Clearing Account Reconciliations 

During our audit procedures surrounding cash it was noted that CCSNH does not have a 

formal process in place to reconcile the various ACH and cash clearing accounts. These 

balances include transactions that have cleared in a subsequent periods in addition to old 

balances that will need to be investigated. We recommend that CCSNH reconcile the ACH 

and cash clearing accounts on a monthly basis to ensure that the balances are identifiable 

and moved to the appropriate cash accounts upon clearing. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

We appreciate the cooperation and assistance of the management of CCSNH during the 

course of our audit. 

This letter is intended solely for the information and use of the Audit Committee, Board of 

Trustees, and management of CCSNH and is not intended to be, and should not be, used 

by anyone other than these specified parties. 

Bangor, Maine 

December 7, 2018 

173 | P a g e


COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT 

June 30, 2018 and 2017 

With Independent Auditor's Report 

COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 


Reports on Audits of Financial Statements and Supplementary Information June 30, 2018 and 

2017 

174 | P a g e

Table of Contents 

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT 

Board of Trustees 



We have audited the accompanying financial statements of the business-type activities and the 

discretely-presented component unit of the Community College System of New Hampshire (a 

Component Unit of the State of New Hampshire) (CCSNH) as of and for the years ended June 30, 2018 

and 2017, and the related notes to the financial statements, which collectively comprise CCSNH's basic 

financial statements as listed in the table of contents. 

Management's Responsibility for the Financial Statements 

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in 

accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; this includes the design, implementation, 

and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial 

statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. 

Auditor's Responsibility 

Our responsibility is to express opinions on these financial statements based on our audits. We did not 

audit the financial statements of the discretely-presented component unit. Those statements were 

audited by another auditor whose report has been furnished to us, and our opinion, insofar as it relates 

to the amounts included for the discretely-presented component unit, is based solely on the report of the 

175 | P a g e

other auditor. We conducted our audits in accordance with U.S. generally accepted auditing standards. 

Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about 

whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement. 

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in 

the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor's judgment, including the 

assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or 

error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity's 

preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are 

appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness 

of the entity's internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating 

the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting 

estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial 

statements. 

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for 

our audit opinions. 

Opinions 

In our opinion, based on our audits and the reports of the other auditor, the financial statements referred 

to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the business-type activities and 

the discretely-presented component unit of CCSNH as of June 30, 2018 and 2017, and the respective 

changes in financial position and, where applicable, cash flows thereof for the years then ended, in 

accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. 

Other Matters 

Required Supplementary Information 

U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require that Management's Discussion and Analysis on pages 3 

through 25 and the required supplementary information on pages 60 through 65 be presented to supplement 

the basic financial statements. Such information, although not part of the basic financial statements, is required 

by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), who considers it to be an essential part of financial 

reporting for placing the basic financial statements in an appropriate operational, economic, or historical 

context. We have applied certain limited procedures to the required supplementary information, in accordance 

with U.S. generally accepted auditing standards, which consisted of inquiries of management about the methods 

of preparing the information and comparing the information for consistency with management's responses to 

our inquiries, the basic financial statements, and other knowledge we obtained during our audit of the basic 

financial statements. We do not express an opinion or provide any assurance on the information because the 

limited procedures do not provide us with sufficient evidence to express an opinion or provide any assurance. 

Change in Accounting Principle 

As discussed in Note 2 to the basic financial statements, in 2018 CCSNH adopted new accounting guidance, GASB 

Statement No. 75, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Postemployment Benefits other than Pensions. Our 

opinion is not modified with respect to this matter. 

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Bangor, Maine 

December 7, 2018 

INTRODUCTION 

The following Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) includes the strategic vision and 

economic outlook as well as an analysis of the financial position and operations for the Community 

College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2018, 2017 and 2016. 

This discussion is provided by the management of CCSNH and should be read in conjunction with the 

financial statements and notes. 

The New Hampshire State Legislature, through the passage of Chapter 361, Laws of 2007, established 

CCSNH as a body politic and corporate for the purpose of providing a well-coordinated system of public 

community college education. Governance of CCSNH was placed with a single Board of Trustees which 

serves as its policy-making and operating authority. 

CCSNH is a state-wide system of seven independently accredited institutions including White 

Mountains Community College (WMCC), Lakes Region Community College (LRCC), River Valley 

Community College (RVCC), NHTI – Concord’s Community College, Manchester Community College 

(MCC), Nashua Community College (NCC), and Great Bay Community College (GBCC), as well as five 

academic centers in Keene, Littleton, Rochester, North Conway, and Lebanon, New Hampshire. 

The financial statements include the activity of the Community Colleges of New Hampshire Foundation 

(the Foundation), which is a separate legal entity established as a 501(c)(3) corporation and is a 

discretely-presented non-major component unit of CCSNH. The Foundation’s mission is to provide 

greater access to educational opportunities through financial assistance for student scholarships, 

program development, and enhancements to college facilities. The MD&A includes information only for 

CCSNH, not its component unit. Complete financial statements of the Foundation can be obtained from 

CCSNH’s system office. 

STRATEGIC VISION AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 

CCSNH’s mission is to provide residents with affordable, accessible education, and training that aligns 

with the needs of New Hampshire’s businesses and communities, delivered through an innovative, 

efficient, and collaborative system of colleges. CCSNH is dedicated to the educational, professional, 

and personal success of its students; a skilled workforce for our state’s business; and a strong New 

Hampshire economy. In our mission statement, CCSNH explicitly dedicates itself to supporting 

educational access and success, contributing to the State’s communities, and to its economic and social 

vitality 

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To maintain New Hampshire’s positive economic indicators, including low unemployment and high per 

capita income, the State will need 65 percent of adults with education beyond high school. CCSNH is 

committed to achieving this vision by 2025. CCSNH acts as an engine for the State’s economy, 

graduating students with certificates and degrees of economic value to New Hampshire. The more 

students who attend, particularly from the existing workforce, the more quickly our State moves 

towards educational attainment rates required to meet new labor-economic needs. 

CCSNH is poised to meet these workforce challenges, as well as to provide the state with a more 

educated, civically engaged citizenry, as we partner with four-year universities as well. By launching 

careers, facilitating job switches and promotions, as well as seamless transfer to continued education 

at baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels, CCSNH is in the business of making successful 

alumni. 

In order to maintain and grow our improved rates of student completion and achieve 65 by 25, we will: 

1. Assure clear pathways for students to credentials that lead to continuing education and strong career 

prospects, secured through partnerships with industry, four-year universities, and high schools 

2. Strategically meet enrollment needs for the State, including addressing the unique needs of our rural 

communities 

CCSNH will enable student success and academic operations in support of the above goals through 

conscientious stewardship of financial, human capital, and other assets and resources. We accomplish 

this by: 

1. Maintaining strong internal financial and facility controls and sustainability through sound budget, 

accounting, investment, and procurement operations 

2. Establishing CCSNH as an employer of choice 

3. Using data and technology to support our attainment goals 

Graduating in Programs of Value 

Much as enrollment has no meaning if students do not attain credentials of economic and educational 

value, credential attainment means little if the value it symbolizes is minimal. CCSNH must strive to 

keep its curriculum fresh and relevant through constant updates based on four-year University and 

employer and industry input. This is why all program descriptions, modifications, eliminations, and 

introductions must include – but not be limited to – the following attributes for ultimate approval: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Career opportunities associated 

with program 

Data quantifying need for 

program change, elimination or 

introduction, including from labor 

economics sources such as NH 

Employment Security (NHES), 

EMSI (Labor Market Statistics), 

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 

or Burning Glass 

Job openings and wage 

information 

Proposed career steps upon 

workforce entry 

Evidence of early employer 

partnership 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evidence of early four-year 

partnership 

Narrative of community 

impact/need 

Baccalaureate institutions to 

which a program transfers 

Proposed student outcomes 

Semester-by-semester listing of 

courses students should take 

Similarities to other programs at 

CCSNH and potential enrollment 

impact 

List of job titles associated with 

program 

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CCSNH has done an excellent job ensuring its credentials have economic and transfer 

value. Our graduates stay in New Hampshire at an average rate of 77 percent over the 

last four years, as can be seen in the figure below, and this excludes students who attend 

a New Hampshire four-year university without concurrent in-state employment. The share 

of students from the bottom fifth of incomes as students that move to the top fifth as 

adults is 16 percent, which is among the top 10 percent for all community colleges across 

the country. The median income of former students at age 34 is $34,170, which is also a 

leader in the New England region for community college systems and also in the top decile 

in the country. 

If our awards confer economic and transfer value, then we need to increase the rate at which students 

attain them. Today, CCSNH has seen growth here, across all graduation cohorts and in terms of total 

awards as presented below: 

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Today, CCSNH leads its New England community college system peers in graduation rate, and in 

composite graduation-transfer rate. For first-time-to-college students attending full-time who entered 

CCSNH in 2008, over an eight-year timeframe more than a third received a certificate or degree, and 

nearly another third transferred on to a four-year institution, leaving about 34 percent without an award 

and without transfer activity (excluding the one percent still enrolled at CCSNH after eight years). This 

first-in-the-region ranking extends to six-year and three-year graduation rate cohorts as well. Although 

CCSNH will grow its graduation rates across all cohorts, in the context of 65 by 25 attainment and the 

need to increase adult learner enrollment to meet that aim, it is important to note that, relative to other 

community colleges in the region, New Hampshire community college students are most likely to receive 

a credential. 

Promoting Student Completions Through More Enrollment 

As a highly tuition-driven institution, enrollment pipeline predicts both our number of student completers 

of degrees and certificates as well as our institutional operating revenue. Students who can enroll are 

either already enrolled with us, stop-outs (students who left college and the college has made an 

attempt to get the student to re-enroll), or prospects. Each require separate tactical sets of action, 

similar for active students and stop-outs in terms of segmentation, if not in accountability, metrics and 

messages. New students require a diverse set of tactics depending on from where they would arrive at 

our doors, whether traditional age or adult learner, and then whether in the recruitment stage of the 

enrollment lifecycle or onto admissions. Whether a prospect, recruit, admit, registrant, present enrollee, 

stop out, or even graduate – CCSNH has extraordinarily qualified and dedicated staff, armed with 

enterprise-wide technical systems, to help at each part of student lifecycle. 

Any given semester, more than half of enrolled students attended class the prior semester (summer 

excluded). Improving recruitment from local high schools, particularly of students who would otherwise 

not attend college, will become increasingly critical if New Hampshire is to meet the 65 by 25 goal. 

Already, New Hampshire is seeing a downturn in high school graduating class size, and this will likely 

persist until 2032. 

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CCSNH continues to see declines in enrollment characteristic of the New England region. Although 

there is no immediate impact to student success efforts, and financial impact to fiscal years 2019 and 

2020 is largely offset by the increase to tuition and conservative budgeting. Continued enrollment 

decline is something CCSNH is fiercely combating going into the Spring, and, ultimately, into the next 

academic year 

The graphs on the left represent enrollment and credits activity data, excluding Running 

Start students, as that is still very much in flux. Three primary factors influence 

enrollment: 

1. Unemployment rate. CCSNH enrollment is countercyclical with economic performance – 

the stronger the economy, the lower our enrollment. For the last six months, NH has had 

an unemployment rate of 2.7 percent, which has meant more people opting for jobs 

instead of continuing education. 

2. Diminishing high school graduating class size. In the last five years, NH high school 

graduates decreased approximately nine percent, which leads to a decrease in total 

applicants to CCSNH. 

3. Increasing competition from local universities, including those offering associate degree 

programs, like Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) advantage, as well as 

increased attention by four years to affordability. 

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In the charts below you can see high school graduating classes are decreasing across the country, but 

most rapidly in the New England region. And, within our region, New Hampshire and Connecticut high 

school graduating class sizes are projected to diminish 26 percent between now and 2032, a rate of 

decline more than quintuple that of the country. 

Projected growth / decline by US region and northeast states in high school graduates by 2032, i.e., 15 

years out (data from 2017) 

CCSNH continues to stay strong on retention and work to increase admissions into our Colleges. This 

involves co-authoring an enrollment management strategy aligned with our mission, and bolstering 

existing operations with the right tools for broadening outreach, getting more precise at prospective 

student segmentation, and better tracking of ongoing outreach efforts. Work is underway to come up 

with precise strategies for dealing with specific student segments. These include high school seniors 

learning about CCSNH, those high school students already engaged through Running Start and Early 

College programs, and non-traditional “adult” learners – segmented by those who have completed 

some credits with us but have not wrapped up their programs of study, versus those who are looking 

to start or restart higher education with us. 

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CCSNH, however, has one of the strongest dual-credit and dual-enrollment programs in the country, 

with more students in dual-credit as a proportion of all new students than any other state. CCSNH 

should continue to build on this strength by developing a pipeline of these students to enroll in college 

after they graduate from high school. Dual-credit and dual-enrollment programs offered at CCSNH 

through collaboration with local high schools include Early College, Running Start, eStart, and CTE. 

To recruit all remaining students --- non-CTE, also not in a dual-credit or dual-enrollment program – we 

promote the value of our colleges in high schools, including with teachers, parents, counselors, 

administrators, and students themselves. CCSNH targets parents primarily through marketing efforts 

that make the quality education proposition abundantly clear. 

CCSNH administrators and others follow-up with high school counselors, principals, and 

superintendents in their catchment area to sit with them and explain the transfer and workforce value 

proposition of our Colleges. Also, collaboration with the Commissioner of the Department of Education 

has helped tighten partnership with the K-12 system. 

Finally, CCSNH is working on attracting more adult learners to our institution. As of February 2018, 

New Hampshire has the second-lowest unemployment rate in the country at 2.6 percent – the lowest 

being Hawaii at 2.1 percent. Low unemployment is great, but to whatever extent employed workers, in 

the aggregate, do not meet 65 by 25 is, in essence, a proxy by which labor growth is hamstrung, 

alongside our ability to attract new businesses to the state, and to retain existing ones, despite low 

unemployment. 

With a decline in the absolute number of young people in the state, even a dramatic uptick in awards 

production for the traditional-age college-going population would not move New Hampshire towards 65 

by 25. The only way to get there will be by re-engaging adult learners, especially those who presently 

work in a low unemployment state. This imperative comes when, across the country, according to data 

calculated by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the proportion of undergraduate 

students age 24 and over has actually decreased over the last few years as the job market has 

improved, at precisely the time New Hampshire and other states need more workers with associate’s 

degrees or higher. 

The State is trying to get to 65 percent with credentials of economic value in seven years and stands 

today at only 50 percent – 10 percent with an associate’s, plus 40 percent with a bachelor’s or higher. 

This number excludes certificate achievers, which CCSNH estimates as another three percentage 

points out of the “Some College” segment below. 

NH Educational Attainment by Age Group, 20 

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By educational attainment, the highest rates of population with less than a high school 

diploma, or only high school diploma or GED or some college, are those in the 45 – 64 age 

group. 

As New Hampshire Employment Security notes: “It is important to acknowledge the 

potential need for training or upskilling of this large cohort of the population, those age 45- 

64 years with a ‘high school diploma’ or ‘some college, no degree’ as the highest level of 

educational attainment. The majority will still be participating and the labor market will 

need them. As most of these workers are currently employed, training should be 

approached from the perspective of finding ways to provide these workers with additional 

skills and educational enhancement (upskilling) in their field of expertise. Rather than 

retraining these workers in new fields, efforts should be explored to find ways to build 

upon the applied knowledge these workers might have and provide additional skills that 

will be needed in the future labor market.” 

Across all age groups, an associate’s degree – and a bachelor’s – correlate to lower 

unemployment rates, and higher wages. As the chart on the next page demonstrates, New 

Hampshire residents age 25 – 34 who have an associate’s degree have 91 percent less 

unemployment than those with only a high school diploma – the difference is 90 percent 

less in the age range of 35-44. 

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As for wage gaps, across all age groups, weekly wage follows educational attainment. Take for instance 

the 25-34 age group, where associate’s attainment represents a 39 percent increase in wages from high 

school diploma, and baccalaureate attainment a 22 percent jump from there. Also depicted are gains at 

associate’s level relative to high school diploma across all age groups, and overall. 

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Indeed, nearly all job growth nationally since the recession of 2007 – 2008 has come from jobs requiring 

at least some college. As for New Hampshire, according to the Department of Employment Security, 

“In broad terms, when comparing the occupational employment in 2004 with occupational employment 

in 2014, New Hampshire’s labor market has seen a net loss of approximately 30,000 jobs in occupations 

that do not require more than a high school diploma to enter.” 

CCSNH is positioned better than any other higher education institution in New England to seize the 

opportunity re-engagement of adult learners represents – by virtue of its relatively high awards 

attainment compared to other community college systems, relatively high social mobility compared to 

the state and the region, deep partnership with business and philanthropic communities, as well as with 

other state and higher education agencies and institutions, and the fact that we already enroll an 

increasingly non-traditional student body across an array of liberal arts, STEM, and trade degree and 

certificate programs. CCSNH introduced the 65 by 25 Vision and intends to take the lead in realizing it. 

New Hampshire – with its economic strength, relatively high attainment rates of its public higher 

education institutions, its vibrant philanthropic community, its tight collaboration between state 

institutions and private-sector partners, and its sheer present economic strength – is poised to generate 

a great return on internal investments in student recruitment: for adult learners, traditional age 

students, and our dual-credit/dual-enrollment populations. 

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

CCSNH reports its activity as a business-type activity using the full accrual basis of accounting. The 

accrual basis of accounting ensures that all amounts owed to CCSNH and all pending obligations are 

accounted for in the appropriate period. 

The three financial statements presented are the Statement of Net Position, the Statement of 

Revenues, Expenses and Changes in Net Position, and the Statement of Cash Flows. The Statement 

of Net Position and the Statement of Revenues, Expenses and Changes in Net Position are also 

presented for June 30, 2018 by individual campus. The assets and liabilities and net position as well 

as the revenues and expenses of the Chancellor’s office are allocated to the individual campuses based 

on each campus' relative percentage of student full-time equivalents (FTEs). 

CHANGE IN ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLE 

As disclosed in Note 2 to the basic financial statements, in 2018 CCSNH adopted new accounting 

guidance, Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 75, Accounting and 

Financial Reporting for Postemployment Benefits Other Than Pensions. The changes made to the 

basic financial statements to comply with the new accounting standards have been reported as an 

adjustment as of the beginning of the year ended June 30, 2018. Because it was not practical for 

CCSNH to determine the amounts of all deferred inflows of resources and outflows of resources related 

to the pension plan as of June 30, 2017, the beginning balances of deferred inflows of resources and 

deferred outflows of resources related to pensions have not been reported. The impact of the adoption 

of the new accounting standard as of the beginning of the year ended June 30, 2018 was both an 

increase in long-term liabilities and a decrease in unrestricted net position of 

$144,602,876. 

STATEMENTS OF NET POSITION 

The Statement of Net Position presents the assets, deferred outflows of resources, liabilities, and 

deferred inflows of resources and net position of CCSNH at the end of the fiscal year. Net position is a 

residual amount equal to assets and deferred outflows of resources less liabilities and deferred inflows 

of resources. Net position is presented in three categories. The first category, “invested in capital 

assets, net of related debt,” consists of capital assets, net of accumulated depreciation and reduced by 

outstanding balances of any borrowings that are attributable to the acquisition, construction or 

improvement of those assets. The next category is “restricted net position” which consists of restricted 

assets reduced by liabilities related to those assets. Restricted net position balances are further 

classified as nonexpendable or expendable. Nonexpendable balances consist of loan funds and 

permanent endowments (available for investment purposes only). Expendable balances are available 

for expenditure by CCSNH, but must be spent for purposes determined by external entities. Unrestricted 

net position balances are not subject to externally imposed restrictions and may be designated for 

specific purposes by management of CCSNH. 

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A summarized Statement of Net Position is as follows: 

30, 

June 

2018 2017 2016 

Assets 

Current $ 25,627,298 $ 22,580,348 $ 21,086,491 

Capital assets, net 117,002,778 119,330,044 121,715,102 

Other noncurrent assets 20,175,210 18,124,201 15,640,572 

Total assets 162,805,286 160,034,593 158,442,165 

Deferred outflows of resources 16,176,551 20,060,746 6,992,021 

Liabilities 

Current 11,340,440 11,968,455 11,936,559 

Noncurrent 198,811,673 95,421,210 85,397,470 

Total liabilities 210,152,113 107,389,665 97,334,029 

Deferred inflows of resources 42,292,467 7,609,348 4,396,230 

Net position 

Invested in capital assets, net of related debt 99,114,610 97,239,205 102,031,934 

Restricted nonexpendable 14,429,385 12,873,853 11,519,279 

Restricted expendable 3,991,013 4,041,565 4,147,691 

Unrestricted (190,997,751) (49,058,297) (53,994,977) 

Current assets 

Total net position $ (73,462,743) $ 65,096,326 $ 63,703,927 

Current assets consist of $23.07 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments, $1.75 

million in accounts, notes, and contracts receivable, $360 thousand due from the state of New 

Hampshire and $445 thousand in prepaid expenses. The $3.05 million increase in current assets was 

primarily attributable to a $4.47 million increase in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments. 

The increase in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments represents a 24% increase as 

compared to the prior year and was principally attributable to net cash flows from operations, investing 

and financing activities. 

In 2017, overall assets increased by $1.59 million due to an increase in the amount due from the State 

of New Hampshire for capital appropriations, a strong market performance in the investments, net of 

depreciation on capital assets in excess of additions to those capital assets. 

The increase in assets from 2016 to 2017 was primarily attributable to an increase in cash of $724 

thousand and in increase in the amounts due from the State of New Hampshire for capital 

appropriations of $1.2 million, in addition to an increase in investments of $2.9 million due to strong 

market performance, net of depreciation on capital assets in excess of additions to those capital 

assets. 

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Capital assets, net of accumulated depreciation 

The overall decrease in net capital assets of $2.3 million for 2018 was mainly attributable to a net 

increase in buildings and improvements and associated construction in process (CIP) of $5.1 million 

net of a net increase in accumulated depreciation of $7.4 million. 

The net increase in buildings and improvements and decrease in CIP was due to the movement of the 

HVAC building previously under construction from CIP starting in fiscal year 2017 to a depreciable asset 

in fiscal year 2018. 

The decrease in capital assets from 2016 to 2017 was due to projects at RVCC, MCC, GBCC, and 

LRCC being placed into service in the current year, netted with annual depreciation expense. 

Other noncurrent assets 

Other noncurrent assets consist of $18.2 million in long-term investments, $1.52 million in the long term 

portion of a note receivable taken on property in Stratham New Hampshire sold in fiscal year 2015 and 

$456 thousand long-term portion of student loans receivable. 

The increase in noncurrent assets from the prior year of $2 million is mainly attributable to an increase 

in long-term investments. This increase is attributable to invested excess cash received from the State 

of New Hampshire under the UNIQUE scholarship program. Under this program the State of New 

Hampshire remits cash to CCSNH of which a portion is paid out to students, using a defined formula, 

for tuition expenses and the remainder is re-invested for future use. Only the earnings on the reinvested 

funds may be used for future use. The principal portion is held within the restricted 

nonexpendable portion of net position. 

The increase in other noncurrent assets from 2016 to 2017 is primarily attributable to an increase in 

investments of $2.8 million due to a strong market performance in the investments and invested cash 

received in 2017 from the State for the UNIQUE program as described above. 

Deferred outflows of resources 

The financial statement deferred outflows of resources category is used to report consumption of 

resources applicable to a future reporting period. The balance reported for fiscal year 2018 includes 

amounts for certain pension and other postemployment benefit changes while fiscal years 2017 and 

2016 included amounts only for certain pension changes. The fiscal year 2018 includes other postemployment 

benefit changes due to the implementation of GASB 75 described earlier. These changes 

will be recognized as pension and other postemployment benefit expenses in future fiscal years. 

Current liabilities 

Current liabilities include accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $1.03 million, deferred revenue o f 

$1.2 million, current portions of long-term debt of $2.15 million, and accrued salaries and benefits of 

$6.96 million. 

Current liabilities decreased by $630 thousand during fiscal year 2018. The decrease was primarily 

attributable to a decrease in accounts payable on CIP. The decline was due to a significant decline in 

CIP projects open at the end of fiscal year 2018 relative to fiscal year 2017. 

Noncurrent liabilities 

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Noncurrent liabilities include liabilities for unfunded pension obligations and unfunded other postemployment 

benefit (OPEB) obligations of $62.95 million and $116.18 million respectively. Also 

included in noncurrent liabilities are noncurrent portions of long-term debt of $15.3 million, long-term 

employee benefits accruals of $3.89 million, and other long-term liabilities of $490 thousand. 

Noncurrent liabilities increased by $103.4 million during fiscal year 2018. The implementation of GASB 

Statement No. 75 on postemployment benefits resulted in a negative cumulative effect adjustment of 

$144.6 million as of July 1, 2017, however the liability for OPEB decreased to $116.2 million by yearend. 

In addition, CCSNH experienced an overall decline in our unfunded pension liability of $9.3 

million. Last, our long-term debt obligations decreased by $3.5 million due to normal amortization of 

the bonds payable along with an adjustment by the State of New Hampshire for existing bond debt in 

the amount of $1.5 million for a misallocation of bond debt to CCSNH. 

In 2017, the overall liabilities increased by $10.1 million related primarily to the current year activity 

associated with the net pension liability along with an increase in bonds payable of $940 thousand due 

to an advance refunding through the issuance of new general obligation refunding bonds with an original 

principal amount of $4.9 million. In 2016, liabilities increased by $707 thousand due to the net pension 

liability recorded in connection with the adoption of the new accounting standard that year. 

The increase in noncurrent liabilities from 2016 to 2017 was due to the increase in the net pension 

liability of $11.9 million. 

Deferred inflows of resources 

Deferred inflows of resources are used to report acquisition of resources applicable to a future reporting 

period. The balance in fiscal year 2018 reflects certain amounts related to other postemployment 

benefits, pensions, and re-funding of bond debt. 

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Net position 

Overall net position decreased by $138.56 million during the fiscal year. The decrease is primarily due 

to the recording of the other postemployment benefit liability as of July 1, 2017. 

CCSNH’s net investment in capital assets increased by $1.88 million during the fiscal year. The 

increase was attributable to an overall decline in net capital assets of $2.33 million netted against a 

decrease in capital asset related debt of $4.2 million. 

Lastly, CCSNH ended fiscal year 2018 with an increase in net position, after restatement of the 

beginning balance for GASB Statement No. 75, of $6.0 million and ended fiscal year 2017 with an 

increase in net position of $1.4 million. 

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Management's Discussion and Analysis (Unaudited) June 

30, 2018 and 2017 

STATEMENTS OF REVENUES, EXPENSES, AND CHANGES IN NET 

POSITION 

The purpose of the Statement of Revenues, Expenses, and Changes in Net Position is to present 

operating and nonoperating revenues received by the institution, operating and nonoperating expenses 

incurred and any other revenues, expenses, gains and losses. Changes in net position as presented on 

the Statement of Net Position are based on the activity presented in the Statement of Revenues, 

Expenses, and Changes in Net Position. 

A summarized statement of Revenues, Expenses, and Changes in Net Position follows: 

Years Ended June 30, 

2018 2017 

2016 

Restated 

Operating revenues 

Net tuition and fees $ 47,195,936 $ 47,931,119 $ 47,074,334 

Other revenue 29,166,007 29,093,622 33,721,163 

Total operating revenue 76,361,943 77,024,741 80,795,497 

Operating expenses 

Employee compensation and benefits 92,108,312 93,526,097 91,802,705 

Other operating expenses 35,016,849 34,501,951 35,486,621 

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Total operating expenses 127,125,161 128,028,048 127,289,326 

Operating loss (50,763,218) (51,003,307) (46,493,829) 

Nonoperating revenues (expenses) and other changes 

State appropriations - operating 46,475,000 43,775,000 42,500,000 

State appropriations - capital 5,542,772 5,421,823 7,727,797 

Capital grants and contracts 212,103 661,185 1,506,179 

Write-down of note receivable - - (398,310) 

Investment return used for operations 833,048 616,433 481,301 

Investment return net of amount used for operations 709,761 1,384,227 (848,639) 

Nonexpendable contributions 1,537,430 1,385,195 1,425,313 

Interest expense on capital debt (853,582) (848,157) (886,692) 

Gain on forgiveness of debt 2,350,493 - - 

Nonoperating revenues and other changes, net 56,807,025 52,395,706 51,506,949 

Increase in net position 6,043,807 1,392,399 5,013,120

Net position, beginning of year, as previously stated 65,096,326 63,703,927 58,690,807 

Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle (144,602,876) - - 

Net position, beginning of year, as restated (79,506,550) 63,703,927 58,690,807 

Net position, end of year $ (73,462,743) $ 65,096,326 $ 63,703,927 

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(A Component Unit of the State of New 

Hampshire) Management's Discussion and 

Analysis (Unaudited) June 30, 2018 and 2017 


Fiscal year 2018 net tuition and fees decreased by $735 thousand relative to fiscal year 2017. Gross 

tuition decreased in fiscal year 2018 by approximately $1.1 million (2.1%) relative to fiscal year 2017. 

The decrease is attributable to a decline in credits sold of 5.3% offset by an increase in tuition rates 

of 5% and slight changes in the mix of credits sold from higher rate credits to lower rate credits. 

Gross fees increased by $1.4 million (16%) mainly due to an increase in academic instruction fees of 

$50 per credit effective fiscal year 2018. The system also saw a slight increase in non-credit revenue 

of about $100 thousand due to an increase in volume. 

Fiscal year 2018 saw an increase in scholarship expenses of about $1.14 million relative to fiscal year 

2017. 

Operating revenues decreased by $3.8 million between 2016 and 2017. This is primarily due to a 

decrease in federal grants and contracts. During 2017, the H-1B Job Training Grant and U.S. 

Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Act were in their final years of significant funding. 

Nonoperating revenues and other changes 

Total nonoperating revenues increased by $4.4 million in fiscal year 2018 relative to fiscal year 2017. 

This increase is primarily attributable to an increase in operating state appropriations of $2.7 million 

219 | P a g e

and the recognition of a gain of $2.35 million to correct a State of New Hampshire error on bond debt 

that had been incorrectly allocated to CCSNH, offset by a decrease in investment income of $458 

thousand. 

Nonoperating revenues and other changes in net position increased by $889 thousand in 2017 driven 

by strong market performance, which offset some decreased revenue in capital appropriations. 


Fiscal year 2018 operating expenses remained relatively stable to fiscal year 2017, increasing by about 

$216 thousand (.17%). 

Salaries and benefits declined by approximately $1.42 million. This decrease was due primarily to an 

overall decline in pension expense for FY18 of $1.58 million relative to fiscal year 2017. OPEB expense 

increased $382 thousand, due mainly to the adoption of GASB 75. Overall salaries and wages stayed 

relatively stable, increasing by only $325 thousand (.50%), and employee benefits decreased by about 

$544 thousand (3.1%) mostly due to decreases in health insurance and HRA account utilization. These 

decreases were the result of a change in the mix of full time to part time employees, who are not eligible 

for health insurance. 

The system experienced increases in computer and software related expenses of $876 thousand due 

to investments in new technologies to help support student success. We also saw an overall increase 

in bad debt expense in fiscal year 2018 of $701 thousand. The increase in 2018 was due to a one-time 

write down to correct certain accounts within the system and an increase of approximately $260 

thousand in bad debt at MCC. However, the increase for MCC in 2018 was due only to the fact that 

MCC had net recoveries in fiscal year 2017 but normal debt charge offs in 2018. 

Fiscal year 2018 saw a decrease in consulting expenses of $483 thousand due to reductions in 

enrollment for certain courses that utilize outside consultants for instruction. Additional decreases were 

seen in marketing of $462 thousand (19%) due to some centralization of expenses at the system level 

instead of individual campuses. 

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In 2017, salaries and benefits were up $1.7 million, primarily due to increased pension expense. Other 

operating expenses decreased by $1.0 million due primarily to nonrecurring 2016 software 

implementation costs and less maintenance fees. 

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS 

The statements of cash flows summarize transactions involving cash and cash equivalents during each 

fiscal year. The statements provide an additional tool to assess the financial health of the institution 

and its ability to generate future cash flows to meet its obligations. 

Years Ended June 30, 

2018 2017 2016 

Net cash used - operating activities $ (40,750,651) $ (39,829,026) $ (38,342,641) 

Net cash provided - noncapital financing activities 48,012,430 45,160,195 43,925,313 

Net cash used - capital and related financing activities (2,089,292) (3,734,746) (731,827) 

Net cash provided (used) - investing activities (842,682) (872,188) 125,173 

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 4,329,805 724,235 4,976,018 

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year 9,955,625 9,231,390 4,255,372 

Cash and cash equivalents, end of year $ 14,285,430 $ 9,955,625 $ 9,231,390 

CCSNH maintains the cash position necessary to meet its obligations. The amount of cash on-hand 

fluctuates during the year due to the timing of tuition receipts and federal financial aid payments. 

Cash and cash equivalents increased by $4.3 million during 2018 and $724 thousand during 2017 

primarily due to an increase in the appropriations from the State of New Hampshire. 

Cash and cash equivalents increased by $5.0 million during 2016 due to lower compensation and 

benefit expenses netted with a decrease of tuition and fees and grant revenue. In addition, net cash 

used by capital and related financing activities decreased as more projects, including the student center 

at GBCC and the automotive building at LRCC, were funded through State capital appropriations. 

Community College System of New 

Hampshire 

Community Colleges of New 

Hampshire Foundation 

2018 2017 2018 2017 

Assets 

Current assets 

Cash and cash equivalents $ 14,285,430 $ 9,955,625 $ 564 $ 28,715 

Other current assets 604,723 1,147,151 - - 

Current portion of note and contributions receivable 187,418 133,268 50,222 40,113 

Grants and contracts receivable 457,052 697,948 - - 

Operating investments 8,788,529 8,650,231 - - 

Receivable on forgiveness of debt 944,215 - - - 

Due from State of New Hampshire for capital 

appropriations 359,931 1,996,125 - - 

Total current assets 25,627,298 22,580,348 50,786 68,828 

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Noncurrent assets 

Student loans receivable, net 455,570 546,375 - - 

Note and contributions receivable, net 1,518,136 1,623,514 12,000 10,000 

Investments 18,201,504 15,954,312 4,132,068 3,843,742 

Capital assets, net 117,002,778 119,330,044 - - 

Total noncurrent assets 137,177,988 137,454,245 4,144,068 3,853,742 

Total assets 162,805,286 160,034,593 4,194,854 3,922,570 

Deferred outflows of resources 

Pension 12,185,635 20,060,746 - - 

Other postemployment benefits 3,990,916 - - - 

Total deferred outflows of 

Liabilities 

resources 16,176,551 20,060,746 - - 

Current liabilities 

Accounts payable and accrued expenses 951,094 1,193,203 39,063 - 

Accounts payable for capital assets 75,039 670,933 - - 

Accrued salaries and benefits 6,960,961 6,490,908 - - 

Unearned revenue and deposits 1,201,188 1,376,151 - - 

Current portion of bonds payable 2,040,332 2,122,925 - - 

Current portion of other long-term liabilities 111,826 114,335 - - 

Total current liabilities 11,340,440 11,968,455 39,063 - 

Noncurrent liabilities 

Due to the State of New Hampshire - 6,438 - - 

Accrued salaries and benefits 3,888,764 3,882,090 - - 

Refundable advances 490,447 554,950 - - 

Net pension liability 62,952,418 72,213,216 - - 

Bonds payable 13,607,237 17,053,847 - - 


Other long-term liabilities 1,695,814 1,710,669 - - 

Total noncurrent liabilities 198,811,673 95,421,210 - - 

Total liabilities 210,152,113 107,389,665 39,063 - 

Deferred inflows of resources 

Pension 9,034,945 7,191,217 - - 


Deferred gain from advance bond refunding 357,921 418,131 - - 

Total deferred inflows of resources 42,292,467 7,609,348 - - 

Net position, as restated 

Invested in capital assets, net of related debt 99,114,610 97,239,205 - - 

Restricted nonexpendable 14,429,385 12,873,853 1,574,158 1,545,356 

Restricted expendable 3,991,013 4,041,565 2,088,979 1,985,184 

Unrestricted (190,997,751) (49,058,297 ) 492,654 392,030 

Total net position $ (73,462,743) 

$ 65,096,326 $ 4,155,791 $ 3,922,570 

Community College System of 

New Hampshire 

Community Colleges of New 

Hampshire Foundation 

2018 2017 2018 2017 


Tuition and fees $ 67,582,763 $ 67,178,863 $ - $ - 

Less scholarships (20,386,827) (19,247,744) - - 

Net tuition and fees 47,195,936 47,931,119 - - 

Grants and contracts 21,596,642 21,345,849 - - 

Contributions - - 755,068 608,595 

Other auxiliary enterprises 3,915,777 3,578,354 - - 

Other operating revenue 3,653,588 4,169,419 - - 

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Total operating revenues 76,361,943 77,024,741 755,068 608,595 


Employee compensation and benefits 92,108,312 93,526,097 - - 

Other operating expenses 23,950,884 23,219,908 918,444 710,711 

Utilities 2,865,398 2,898,154 - - 

Depreciation 8,200,567 8,383,889 - - 

Total operating expenses 127,125,161 128,028,048 918,444 710,711 

Operating loss (50,763,218) (51,003,307) (163,376) (102,116) 

Nonoperating revenues (expenses) 

State of New Hampshire appropriations 46,475,000 43,775,000 - - 

Contributions for long-term purposes - - 28,802 46,881 

Investment return used for operations 833,048 616,433 113,178 121,241 

Investment return excluding amount used for 

operations 709,761 1,384,227 254,617 415,451 

Interest expense on capital debt (853,582) (848,157) - - 

Nonoperating revenues, net 47,164,227 44,927,503 396,597 583,573 

(Loss) income before other 

changes in net position (3,598,991) (6,075,804) 233,221 481,457 

Other changes in net position 

State of New Hampshire capital appropriation 5,542,772 5,421,823 - - 

Capital grants and contracts 212,103 661,185 - - 

Nonexpendable contributions 1,537,430 1,385,195 - - 

Gain on forgiveness of debt 2,350,493 - - - 

Total other changes in net position 9,642,798 7,468,203 - - 

Increase in net position 6,043,807 1,392,399 233,221 481,457 

Net position, beginning of year, as previously 

stated 65,096,326 63,703,927 3,922,570 3,441,113 

Cumulative effect of change in accounting 

principle (144,602,876) - - - 

Net position, beginning of year, as restated (79,506,550) 63,703,927 3,922,570 3,441,113 

Net position, end of year $ (73,462,743) $ 65,096,326 $ 4,155,791 $ 3,922,570 

Cash flows from operating activities 

Receipts from tuition and fees $ 46,781,939 $ 48,078,384 

Receipts from grants and contracts 22,147,874 22,136,326 

Receipts from auxiliary enterprises 3,915,777 3,578,354 

Payments to suppliers (27,056,515) (26,125,361) 

Payments to employees (90,690,742) (91,444,221) 

Other cash receipts 4,151,016 3,947,492 

Net cash used for operating activities (40,750,651) (39,829,026) 

Cash flows from noncapital financing activities 

State of New Hampshire appropriations 46,475,000 43,775,000 

Contributions for long-term purposes 1,537,430 1,385,195 

Net cash provided by noncapital financing activities 48,012,430 45,160,195 

Cash flows from capital and related financing activities 

223 | P a g e

Appropriations from the State of New Hampshire for capital expenditures 7,178,966 4,204,533 

Payments made to the State of New Hampshire for capital accounts payable (6,438) (3,333,064) 

Capital grants and contracts received 212,103 661,185 

Purchase of capital assets (6,469,195) (5,622,915) 

Payments received on notes receivable 49,353 88,581 

Proceeds from borrowing on other long-term liabilities - 4,936,671 

Principal on bonds payable and other liabilities (2,140,289) (3,783,878) 

Interest on bonds payable and other liabilities (913,792) (885,859) 

Net cash used for capital and related financing activities (2,089,292) (3,734,746) 

and cash equivalents, end of year $ 14,285,430 $ 9,955,620 

Receipt of assets held by Foundation 

Proceeds from sales and maturities of investments 

- 

19,500,000 

13,757,410 

- 

Purchase of investments (20,716,349) (14,948,458) 

Interest and dividends received 373,667 318,860 

Net cash used for investing activities (842,682) (872,188) 

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 4,329,805 724,235 

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year 9,955,625 9,231,390 


New Hampshire 

2018 2017 


New Hampshire 

2018 2017 

Reconciliation of operating loss to net cash used for operating activities 

Reconciliation of operating loss to net cash used for operating activities 

Operating 

Operating loss 

loss 

$ (50,763,218) $ (51,003,307) 

Adjustments to reconcile operating loss to net cash used for operating activities 

$ 

Depreciation (50,763,218) 

8,200,567 8,383,889 

Change in allowance` - 121,233 

Write $ down (51,003,307) of note receivable 1,875 - 

Changes in assets, deferred outflows of resources, liabilities and deferred 

Adjustments to 

inflows of resources 

Other reconcile current assets operating 

542,428 17,019 

Student loss loans to net receivable cash 

90,805 65,113 

Grants used receivable for operating 

240,896 544,941 

Deferred activities outflows of resources - pension 7,875,111 (13,068,725) 

Deferred outflows of resources - OPEB (830,762) - 

Accounts payable and accrued expenses (242,108) (191,215) 

Accrued salaries and benefits 476,727 20,719 

Deferred revenue and deposits (174,963) 280,728 

OPEB liability (31,586,037) - 

Net pension liability (9,260,798) 11,879,062 

Refundable advances (64,503) (129,303) 

Deferred inflows of resources - pension 1,843,728 - 

Deferred inflows of resources - OPEB 32,899,601 3,250,820 

Net cash used for operating activities $ (40,750,651) $ (39,829,026) 

224 | P a g e

Reconciliation of noncash activity 

Acquisition of capital assets $ 5,873,301 $ 5,998,831 

Less: Acquisition of capital assets included in accounts payable at year-end (75,039) (670,933) 

Add: Payments on short-term trade accounts used to finance acquisition of capital 

assets 670,933 295,017 

Payments for the acquisition of capital assets $ 6,469,195 $ 5,622,920 

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Nature of Business 

The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH or the System) is comprised of the 

following colleges: 

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NHTI - Concord's Community College (NHTI); 

Manchester Community College (MCC); 

Nashua Community College (NCC); 

Great Bay Community College (GBCC); 

Lakes Region Community College (LRCC); 

White Mountains Community College (WMCC); and 

River Valley Community College (RVCC). 

CCSNH's main purpose is to provide a well-coordinated system of public community college education. 

CCSNH is governed by a single board of trustees with 22 voting members appointed by the Governor 

and Executive Council and 2 voting members who are full time students enrolled within CCSNH and 

are elected by the student body. CCSNH funds its operations through tuition, room and board, fees, 

grants, legacies and gifts, and State of New Hampshire (State) appropriations. 

Community Colleges of New Hampshire Foundation (the Foundation) is a separate legal entity 

established as a 501(c)(3) corporation. The Foundation is structured to seek and secure private funds 

and/or grants in order to supplement the traditional revenue sources of CCSNH. The Foundation’s 

mission is to support CCSNH and make higher education more accessible by providing student 

scholarship assistance, facility and staff support programs, and improved education facilities. These 

assets and all activity of the Foundation are included in the financial statements of CCSNH as a 

discretely-presented component unit. 

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis 

of Presentation 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared using the economic resources focus 

and the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting 

principles, as prescribed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). Revenues 

are recorded when earned and expenses are recorded when a liability is incurred, regardless of 

the timing of related cash flows. Grants and similar items are recognized as revenue as soon as 

all eligibility requirements have been met. 

CCSNH has determined that it functions as a business-type activity, as defined by GASB. The 

effect of interfund activity has been eliminated from these financial statements. 

CCSNH's policy is to define operating activities in the statement of revenues, expenses, and 

changes in net position as those that generally result from exchange transactions, such as charges 

for services provided to students and for the purchase of goods and services. Certain other 

transactions are reported as nonoperating revenues (expenses). These nonoperating revenues 

(expenses) include CCSNH's operating appropriations from the State, contributions, gain (loss) 

from the sale of capital assets, net investment income (loss), gifts received by the Foundation 

restricted for long-term purposes, and interest expense. 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows include unrestricted cash which is either 

held in demand deposit or short-term money market accounts, and highly-liquid savings deposits 

and investments with original maturities of three months or less when purchased. 

Student Loans Receivable 

The Federal Perkins Student Loan Program has provisions for deferment, forbearance, and 

cancellation of the individual loans. Principal payments, interest, and losses due to cancellation are 

shared by the College and the U.S. Government in proportion to their share of funds provided. 

Such funds may be reloaned by CCSNH after collection. Amounts advanced by the federal 

government under this program are ultimately refundable and are classified as refundable 

advances. 

Student loans receivable are stated at their unpaid principal balances adjusted for charge-offs and 

the allowance for loan losses. Interest income on student loans receivable is recorded when 

received. CCSNH provides for probable uncollectible amounts through a charge to expense and a 

credit to the allowance for loan losses based on its assessment of the current status of individual 

accounts. Balances that are still outstanding after the College has used reasonable collection 

efforts are written off through a charge to the allowance for loan losses and a credit to student 

loans receivable. Student loans receivable at June 30, 2018 and 2017 net of an allowance for loan 

losses was $524,473. 

Collections of the student loans receivable may not be used to pay current liabilities, as the 

proceeds are restricted for making new loans. Accordingly, the student loans receivable are 

recorded in the accompanying statements of net position as noncurrent assets. 

Investments 

CCSNH and the Foundation carry investments at their fair value. Fair value is estimated using the 

methods described in Note 10. Purchased and gifted securities are recorded at fair value on the 

date of the acquisition or gift, net of any brokerage fees. Realized and unrealized gains and losses 

in the investment portfolio are allocated on a specific-identification basis. 

Capital Assets 

Capital assets are recorded at cost when purchased or constructed and at fair value at the date of 

donation. In accordance with CCSNH's capitalization policy, only equipment (including equipment 

acquired under capital leases), capital projects and internally-generated intangibles with a 

projected cost of $5,000 or more are capitalized. Costs for maintenance, repairs and minor 

renewals and replacements are expensed as incurred. The costs of library materials are expensed 

as incurred. 

Depreciation and amortization of assets acquired are recorded on a straight-line basis over the 

estimated useful lives of the related assets, principally as follows: 

Buildings 

Building and land improvements 

Equipment and vehicles 

40 years 

20 years 

5 years 

227 | P a g e

When capital assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the asset and accumulated depreciation 

accounts are adjusted and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in the statement of revenues, 

expenses, and changes in net position. 

Note Receivable 

During the year ended June 30, 2015, GBCC sold its former Stratham, New Hampshire Campus 

for $2,750,000. The buyer paid cash of $250,000 at closing and signed a note receivable to CCSNH 

for $2,500,000. The note receivable is expected to be paid in monthly installments of 

$13,865, including interest at 3%, through September 14, 2024. All outstanding principal and 

interest is expected to be repaid on October 14, 2024, which is expected to amount to 

approximately $1,500,000. The note receivable balance as of June 30, 2018 and 2017 was 

$1,705,554 and $1,756,782, respectively. The balance at June 30, 2018 and 2017 is shown net of 

an allowance for loan losses of approximately $521,000 and $520,000, respectively. 

Unearned Revenue and Deposits 

Unearned revenue and deposits consist primarily of deposits and advance payments received for 

tuition and fees related to certain summer programs and tuition received for the following academic 

year. Revenue from summer programs is recognized ratably over the applicable academic periods. 

Compensated Absences 

Employees earn the right to be compensated during certain absences. The accompanying 

statements of net position reflect an accrual for the amounts earned, including related benefits 

ultimately payable for such benefit. A portion of this liability is classified as current and represents 

CCSNH’s estimate of vacation time that will be paid during the next fiscal year to employees. 

228 | P a g e

Refundable Advances 

CCSNH participates in the Federal Perkins Loan Program, which is funded through a combination 

of federal and institutional resources. The portion of this program that has been funded with federal 

funds is ultimately refundable to the U.S. Government upon termination of CCSNH’s participation 

in the program. The portion that would be refundable if the programs were terminated as of June 

30, 2018 and 2017 has been included in the accompanying statements of net position as a 

noncurrent liability. The portion of this program that has been funded with institutional funds has 

been classified as restricted - nonexpendable since these funds can only be used on a revolving 

basis for loans during the time CCSNH participates in the Federal Perkins Loan Program. 

Net Pension Liability 

For purposes of measuring the net pension liability, deferred outflows of resources and deferred 

inflows of resources related to pensions, and pension expense, information about the fiduciary net 

position of the New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS), and additions to/deductions from the 

NHRS’s fiduciary net position has been determined on the same basis as it is reported by the 

NHRS. Detailed information about the Pension Plan’s fiduciary net position is available in the 

separately issued NHRS annual report available from the NHRS website at https://www.nhrs.org. 

NHRS’s financial statements are prepared using the accrual basis of accounting. Both plan 

member and employer contributions are recognized in the period in which contributions are legally 

due. Benefits and refunds are recognized when due and payable in accordance with the terms of 

the plan. Investments are reported at fair value. Investments in both domestic and non-U.S. 

securities are valued at current market prices and expressed in U.S. dollars. NHRS uses a tradedate 

accounting basis for these investments. Investments in non-registered commingled funds are 

valued at net asset value as a practical expedient to estimate fair value. 

Other Postemployment Benefits 

For the purposes of measuring the net liability, deferred outflows of resources and deferred inflows 

of resources related to other postemployment benefits (OPEB), and OPEB expense, information 

about the fiduciary net position of the NHRS OPEB Plan and the State of New Hampshire OPEB 

Plan (“the State OPEB Plan”) has been determined on the same basis as it is reported by NHRS 

and the State OPEB Plan. 

Deferred Outflows and Inflows of Resources 

Deferred outflows of resources represent a consumption of net position that applies to a future 

period(s) and will not be recognized as an outflow of resources (expense) until then. Deferred 

inflows of resources represent an acquisition of net position that applies to a future period(s) and 

will not be recognized as an inflow of resources (revenue) until that time. 

Net Position 

GASB requires that resources be classified for accounting purposes into the following four net 

position categories: 

229 | P a g e 

Invested in capital assets, net of related debt: Capital assets, net of accumulated 

depreciation and outstanding principal balances of debt attributable to the acquisition, 

construction, repair or improvement of those assets, and increased or reduced by deferred

inflows and deferred outflows related to those assets. 

Restricted - nonexpendable: Net assets subject to externally-imposed conditions that CCSNH must 

maintain them in perpetuity. 

Restricted - expendable: Net assets whose use is subject to externally-imposed conditions 

that can be fulfilled by the actions of CCSNH or by the passage of time. 

Unrestricted: All other categories of net position. Unrestricted net position may be designated 

by actions of the CCSNH's Board of Trustees. 

CCSNH has adopted a policy of generally utilizing restricted, expendable resources, when 

available, prior to unrestricted resources. 

Net Student Fees 

Student tuition, dining, residence, and other fees are presented net of scholarships applied to 

students’ accounts. 

Contributions 

Contributions are recorded at their fair value at the date of gift. Promises to donate to CCSNH are 

recorded as receivables and revenues when the CCSNH has met all applicable eligibility and time 

requirements. Contributions to be used for endowment purposes are categorized as restricted 

nonexpendable. Other gifts are categorized as currently expendable. Pledges receivable, which 

are included in other current assets in the statements of net position, are reported net of amounts 

deemed uncollectible and after discounting to the present value of the expected future cash flows. 

Because of uncertainties with regard to their realizability and valuation, bequests and other 

intentions to give and conditional promises are not recognized as assets until the specified 

conditions are met. 

230 | P a g e

Operating Revenues and Expenses 

Operating revenues consist of tuition and fees; federal, state and other grants and contracts; sales 

and services of education activities; and auxiliary enterprises revenues. Operating expenses 

include instruction, public service, academic support, student services, institutional support, 

operations and maintenance, student aid, auxiliary enterprises, and residential life and depreciation 

and amortization. All other revenues and expenses of the System are reported as other or 

nonoperating revenues and expenses, including state general appropriations, noncapital gifts, 

investment income, interest expense and capital additions and deductions. Capital items represent 

all other changes in long-term plant and endowment net assets. Revenues are recognized when 

earned and expenses are recognized when incurred. Restricted grant revenue is recognized only 

to the extent expended for expenditure driven grants or, in the case of fixed-price contracts, when 

the contract terms are met or completed. 

Income Taxes 

The Internal Revenue Service has determined that CCSNH is a wholly-owned instrumentality of 

the State of New Hampshire and, as such, is generally exempt from federal income tax. The 

Foundation is exempt from income taxes because it is a 501(c)(3) organization. 

If an exempt organization regularly carries on a trade or business not substantially related to its 

exempt purpose, except that it provides funds to carry out that purpose, the organization is subject 

to tax on its income from that unrelated trade or business. The System has evaluated the positions 

taken on its business activities and has concluded no unrelated business income tax exists at June 

30, 2018 and 2017. 

Use of Estimates in Financial Statement Preparation 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting 

principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported 

amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of 

the financial statements. Estimates also affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses 

during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates 

231 | P a g e

2. Change in Accounting Principle 

During the year ended June 30, 2018, CCSNH adopted new accounting guidance, GASB 

Statement No. 75, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Postemployment Benefits Other than 

Pensions. The changes made to the basic financial statements to comply with the new accounting 

standard have been reported as an adjustment as of the beginning of the year ended June 30, 

2018. Because it was not practical for CCSNH to determine the amounts of all deferred inflows of 

resources and outflows of resources related to the NHRS OPEB Plan and the State OPEB Plan as 

of June 30, 2016, the beginning balances of deferred inflows of resources and deferred outflows 

of resources related to pensions have not been reported. The impact of the adoption of the new 

accounting standards as of the beginning of the year ended June 30, 2018 was $144,602,876 and 

is reported as a cumulative effect of change in accounting principle. 

3. Cash and Cash Equivalents 

Custodial credit risk is the risk that, in the event of bank failure, CCSNH’s deposits may not be 

returned. Deposits are considered uninsured and uncollateralized if they are not covered by 

depository insurance and are (a) uncollateralized, (b) collateralized with securities held by the 

pledging financial institution, or (c) collateralized with securities held by the pledging financial 

institution’s trust department or agent but not in CCSNH’s name. 

As of June 30, 2018 and 2017, CCSNH's uncollateralized uninsured cash and cash equivalents 

were approximately $14,120,000 and $9,580,000, respectively. Deposits held in noninterestbearing 

transaction accounts are aggregated with any interest-bearing deposits, and the combined 

total amounts are insured up to the first $250,000 per financial institution. 

232 | P a g e

4. Capital Assets 

Capital asset activity for the year ended June 30, 2018 is summarized below: 

Beginning 

Balance Additions Retirements Transfers 

Ending 

Balance 

Land $ 924,340 $ - $ - $ - $ 924,340 

Construction-in-process 4,134,600 4,828,973 - (7,772,164) 1,191,409 

Total non-depreciable 

assets 5,058,940 4,828,973 - (7,772,164) 2,115,749 

Land improvements 6,754,210 - - - 6,754,210 

Buildings and improvements 186,208,384 55,623 - 7,772,164 194,036,171 

Equipment and vehicles 18,617,757 988,705 (839,359) - 18,767,103 

Total depreciable assets 211,580,351 1,044,328 (839,359) 7,772,164 219,557,484 

Accumulated depreciation (97,309,247) (8,200,567) 839,359 - (104,670,455) 

Capital assets, net $119,330,044 $ (2,327,266) $ - $ - $ 117,002,778 

Capital asset activity for the year ended June 30, 2017 is summarized below: 

Beginning 

Balance Additions Retirements Transfers 

Ending 

Balance 

Land $ 924,340 $ - $ - $ - $ 924,340 

Construction-in-process 2,542,562 4,664,378 - (3,072,340) 4,134,600 

Total non-depreciable 

assets 3,466,902 4,664,378 - (3,072,340) 5,058,940 

Land improvements 6,726,714 27,496 - - 6,754,210 

Buildings and improvements 183,051,701 84,343 - 3,072,340 186,208,384 

Equipment and vehicles 17,840,767 1,222,614 (445,624) - 18,617,757 

Total depreciable assets 207,619,182 1,334,453 (445,624) 3,072,340 211,580,351 

Accumulated depreciation (89,370,982) (8,383,889) 445,624 - (97,309,247) 

Capital assets, net $121,715,102 $ (2,385,058) $ - $ - $119,330,044 

233 | P a g e

5. Long-Term Liabilities 

Changes in long-term liabilities during the year ended June 30, 2018 were as follows: 

Beginning 

Balance 

Additions 

Reductions 

Ending 

Balance 

Current 

Portion 

Accrued salaries and 

benefits $ 10,372,998 $ 476,727 $ - $ 10,849,725 $6,960,961 

Due to the State 6,438 - (6,438) - - 

Refundable advances 554,950 - (64,503) 490,447 - 

Net pension liability 72,213,216 - (9,260,798) 62,952,418 - 

Bonds payable 19,176,772 - (3,529,203) 15,647,569 2,040,332 

OPEB - 116,176,993 - 116,176,993 - 

Other long-term liabilities 1,825,004 107,201 (124,565) 1,807,640 111,826 

Long-term liabilities $ 104,149,378 $116,760,921 $(12,985,507) $207,924,792 $9,113,119 

Changes in long-term liabilities during the year ended June 30, 2017 were as follows: 

Beginning 

Balance 

Additions 

Reductions 

Ending 

Balance 

Current 

Portion 

Accrued salaries and 

benefits $ 10,352,279 $ 20,719 $ - $ 10,372,998 $ 6,490,908 

Due to the State 3,339,502 - (3,333,064) 6,438 - 

Refundable advances 684,253 - (129,303) 554,950 - 

Net pension liability 60,334,154 11,879,062 - 72,213,216 - 

Bonds payable 16,998,665 4,936,671 (2,758,564) 19,176,772 2,122,925 

Other long-term liabilities 2,850,318 - (1,025,314) 1,825,004 114,335 

Long-term liabilities $ 94,559,171 $ 16,836,452 $ (7,246,245) $104,149,378 $ 8,728,168 

During the year ended June 30, 2015, CCSNH received $1,854,293 from the State to fund 

a certain capital project. During the year ended June 30, 2016, CCSNH incurred $1,485,209 

of additional costs related to that capital project. 

During the year ended June 30, 2017, the amounts previously received from the State for 

the project were converted to a bond payable. During the year ended June 30, 2018, the 

amounts were repaid in full to the State. 

234 | P a g e

Other Long-Term Liabilities 

Future minimum payments under other long-term liabilities, which include capital leases and a note 

payable to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as of June 30, 2018 are as follows: 

Year ending June 30, Principal Interest Total 

2019 $ 111,826 $ 67,988 $ 179,814 

2020 88,140 62,592 150,732 

2021 86,648 57,741 144,389 

2022 44,563 54,697 99,260 

2023 46,195 53,065 99,260 

2019 - 2023 129,639 249,561 379,200 

2020 - 2024 155,358 223,842 379,200 

2025 - 2029 186,179 193,021 379,200 

2030 - 2034 223,115 156,085 379,200 

2035 - 2039 267,378 111,822 379,200 

2040 - 2044 320,422 58,778 379,200 

2021 - 2023 148,177 6,417 154,594 

$ 1,807,640 $ 1,295,609 $ 3,103,249 

During 2016, RVCC entered into an agreement with USDA in the amount of $1,600,000 to finance 

the purchase a building in Lebanon, New Hampshire. The note payable is to be repaid over 40 

years at a fixed interest rate of 3.625%. As of June 30, 2018 and 2017, the balance due to USDA 

was $1,538,444 and $1,566,235, respectively. 

The original cost basis of leased capital assets as of June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $279,734. 

Accumulated depreciation includes $167,840 and $111,894 as of June 30, 2018 and 2017 for the 

leased capital assets, respectively. 

235 | P a g e

6. Bonds Payable 

Bonds payable consisted of the following at June 30: 

2008 Series A General Obligation Bonds (original principal of $7,732,622) Serial 

bonds maturing through 2027 with annual principal payments 

2018 2017 

from $309,305 to $463,960 and interest rates from 3.375% to 4.00%. $ - $ 463,957 

2008 Series C General Obligation Bonds (original principal of $2,141,678) 

Serial bonds maturing through 2028 with annual principal payments 

from $0 to $128,504 and interest rates from 4.00% to 5.00%. - 128,504 

2009 Series A General Obligation Bonds (original principal of $5,000,000) 


from $200,000 to $300,000 and interest rates from 4.00% to 5.50%. 2,600,000 2,900,000 

2010 Series A General Obligation Bonds (original principal of $1,996,995) 


from $0 to $666,111 and coupon interest rates from 2.00% to 5.00%. 1,730,748 1,790,892 

2010 Series B General Obligation Bonds (original principal of $1,055,090) 


from $115,501 to $150,526 and interest rates from 3.00% to 4.00%. 295,312 434,476 



from $160,000 to $240,000 and interest rates from 2.64% to 4.15%. A 

portion of these bonds were refunded as part of the issuance of the 

2017 Series A General Obligation bonds.* 2,553,722 4,320,000 



from $79,763 to $133,446 and interest rates from 4.00% to 4.68%. A 

portion of these bonds were refunded as part of the issuance of the 

2017 Series A General Obligation bonds. 1,306,012 1,439,458 

2014 Series A General Obligation Refunding Bonds (original principal of 

$2,762,813) maturing through 2028 with annual principal payments beginning in 

2018 ranging from $34,564 to $102,325 and interest 

rates from 1.50% to 5.00%. 2,652,823 2,762,813 

2016 Series A General Obligation Refunding Bonds (original principal of 

$921,602) maturing through 2028 with annual principal payments beginning in 

2018 ranging from $36,734 to $192,626 and interest 

236 | P a g e

ates from 1.88% to 2.50%. 761,638 921,602 

2017 Series A General Obligation Bonds (original principal of $4,015,070) maturing 

through 2036 with annual principal payments beginning in 2018 ranging 

from $160,464 to $267,756 and interest rates from 

2.25% to 4.80%. 3,747,314 4,015,070 

$ 15,647,569 $ 19,176,772 

* During the year ended June 30, 2018, $1,406,278 of the outstanding principal on this bond along with 

$944,215 of debt service previously paid, was forgiven by the State of New Hampshire due to a clerical error made by 

the State in previous years. 

The debt service previously paid has been reflected as a receivable from the State on forgiveness 

of debt. The State has agreed to reduce debt service for this amount in 2019. The bonds principal 

and interest payable table below does not reflect this reduction. 

During the year ended June 30, 2015, CCSNH advance refunded selected bonds. The difference 

between the reacquisition price and the net carrying amount of the old debt of approximately 

$523,000 was recorded as a deferred inflow of resources and will be recognized in the statement of 

revenues, expenses, and changes in net position on an annual basis through the year 2028 using 

the effective-interest method. At June 30, 2018 and 2017, the unamortized deferred gain from 

advance refunding of the bonds was $357,921 and $418,131, respectively. 

Principal and interest payments on bonds payable for the next five years and in subsequent fiveyear 

periods are as follows at June 30, 2018: 

Year ending June 30, Principal Interest Total 

2019 $ 2,040,332 $ 687,598 $ 2,727,930 

2020 1,984,141 587,092 2,571,233 

2021 1,451,074 504,418 1,955,492 

2022 1,329,918 443,573 1,773,491 

2023 1,337,951 374,508 1,712,459 

2019 - 2023 4,822,746 1,102,697 5,925,443 

2020 - 2024 2,200,016 273,039 2,473,055 

2025 - 2027 481,391 31,290 512,681 

$ 15,647,569 $ 4,004,215 $ 19,651,784 

237 | P a g e

7. Defined Benefit Pension Plan 

CCSNH participates in the NHRS, which, as governed by Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) 100- 

A, is a public employee retirement system that administers a cost-sharing, multiple-employer 

pension plan (Pension Plan). NHRS is qualified as a tax-exempt organization under Sections 

401(a) and 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. Substantially all full-time state employees, public 

school teachers and administrators, permanent firefighters and permanent police officers within 

the State are eligible and required to participate in the NHRS. The pension plan is divided into two 

membership groups; State and local employees and teachers belong to Group I and police and 

firefighters belong to Group II. All of CCSNH's employees are part of Group I. The provisions of the 

Pension Plan can be amended only by legislative action taken by the New Hampshire State 

Legislature, pursuant to the authority granted it under the New Hampshire State Constitution. 

The NHRS pension plan and trust was established in 1967 by RSA 100-A: 2. The Pension Plan is 

a contributory, defined benefit plan providing service, disability, death, and vested retirement 

benefits to members and their beneficiaries. Although benefits are funded by member 

contributions, employer contributions and trust fund assets, NHRS computes benefits on the basis 

of members’ Average Final Compensation (AFC) and years of creditable service. Unlike a defined 

contribution plan, NHRS benefits provided to members are not dependent upon the amount of 

contributions paid into the NHRS or the investment return on trust assets. 

To qualify for a normal service retirement, members must have attained 60 years of age. However, 

a member who commenced service on or after July 1, 2011 shall not receive a service retirement 

allowance until attaining 65 years of age. The member may receive a reduced allowance after age 

60 if the member has at least 30 years of creditable service. The allowance shall be reduced based, 

for each month by which the date on which benefits commence precedes the month after which 

the member attains 65 years of age, by ¼ of one percent. 

For members retiring prior to the age of 65, the yearly pension amount is 1.67% of AFC multiplied 

by years of creditable service. For members retiring at 65 or older, the yearly pension amount is 

1.52% of AFC multiplied by years of creditable service. For members vested prior to January 1, 

2012, AFC is based on the highest three years of creditable service. For members not vested prior 

to January 1, 2012, or hired on or after July 1, 2011, AFC is based on a member’s highest five 

years of creditable service. At age 65, the yearly pension amount is recalculated with an 

appropriate graduated reduction based on years and months of creditable service that the member 

has at the time of retirement. 

Contributions Required and Made 

The Pension Plan is financed by contributions from the members, participating employers, and 

investment earnings. Contributions required to cover that amount of cost not met by the members’ 

contributions are determined by a biennial actuarial valuation by the Pension Plan’s actuary. By 

statute, the Board of Trustees of NHRS is responsible for the certification of employer contribution 

rates, which are determined through the preparation of biennial valuations of NHRS's assets by 

NHRS's actuary using the entry-age normal cost method. 

238 | P a g e

Commencing July 1, 2011, all Group I employees are responsible to accrue contributions at 7.00% 

of covered payroll. 

In terms of the employer share of contributions made to the Pension Plan, the pension contribution 

rate for Group I employees was 12.50% of covered payroll for the two-year period ended June 30, 

2017. Effective July 1, 2017, the contribution rate decreased to 12.15% and will remain fixed 

through June 30, 2019. 

For the years ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, CCSNH contributions to the Pension Plan were 

$4,874,343 and $5,080,526, respectively. 

Pension Liabilities, Pension Expense, and Deferred Outflows of Resources and Deferred Inflows of 

Resources Related to Pensions 

At June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, CCSNH reported a liability of $62,952,418 and 

$72,213,216 for its proportionate share of the net pension liability. The 2018 net pension liability is 

based on an actuarial valuation performed as of June 30, 2016 and a measurement date of June 

30, 2017. The net pension liability was rolled forward from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2017. 

CCSNH's proportion of the net pension liability was based on a projection of CCSNH’s long-term 

share of contributions to the Pension Plan relative to the projected contributions of all participating 

employers, as actuarially determined. At June 30, 2018 and 2017, CCSNH's proportion of the net 

pension liability was 1.2800% and 1.3580%, respectively. 

During the years ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, CCSNH recognized pension expense of 

$5,332,383 and $6,913,814, respectively. 

At June 30, 2018, CCSNH reported deferred outflows of resources and deferred inflows of 

resources related to pensions from the following sources: 

Deferred 

Outflows of 

Resources 

Deferred 

Inflows of 

Resources 

Differences between expected and actual experience $ 142,739 $ 801,203 

Changes in assumptions 6,321,254 - 

Net difference between projected and actual investment 

earnings on pension plan investments - 801,731 

Changes in proportion and differences between employer 

contributions and share of contributions 847,299 7,432,011 

Contributions subsequent to the measurement date 4,874,343 - 

Balances as of June 30, 2018 $ 12,185,635 $ 9,034,945 

239 | P a g e

Amounts reported as deferred outflows related to pensions resulting from CCSNH contributions 

subsequent to the measurement date will be recognized as a reduction of the net pension liability 

in the year ending June 30, 2019. Other amounts reported as deferred outflows of resources and 

deferred inflows of resources related to pensions will be recognized in pension expense as follows: 

Year ending June 30, 

2019 $ (524,712) 

2020 677,355 

2021 (186,234) 

2022 (1,690,062) 

$ (1,723,653) 


resources related to pensions from the following sources: 

Deferred 

Outflows of 

Resources 

Deferred 

Inflows of 

Resources 

Differences between expected and actual experience $ 200,680 $ 911,873 

Changes in assumptions 8,887,151 - 


earnings on pension plan investments 4,518,030 - 

Changes in proportion and differences between employer 

contributions and share of contributions 1,374,359 6,279,344 



The total pension liability was determined by a roll-forward of the actuarial valuations as of June 30, 

2017 and 2016 using the following actuarial assumptions, which, accordingly, apply to 2018 and 

2017 measurements: 

Inflation 2.5% 

Salary increases 

5.60% average, including inflation 

Investment rate of return 7.25%, net of investment expense, including inflation 

Mortality rates were based on the RP-2014 employee generational mortality tables for males and 

females, adjusted for mortality improvements using Scale MP-2015, based on the last experience 

study. 

The actuarial assumptions used in the June 30, 2017 and 2016 valuations were based on the results 

of the most recent actuarial experience study, which was for the period of July 1, 2010 to June 30, 

2015. 

240 | P a g e

Long-Term Rates of Return 

The long-term expected rate of return on pension plan investments was selected from a bestestimate 

range determined using the building-block approach. Under this method, an expected 

future real return range is calculated separately for each asset class. These ranges are combined 

to produce the long-term expected rate of return by weighting the expected future real rates of 

return net of investment expenses by the target asset allocation percentage and by adding 

expected inflation. 

The following table presents target allocations and the geometric real rates of return for 2017 and 

2016: 

Weighted Average 

Long-Term Expected 

Real 

Rate of Return 

Target 

Allocation 

Target 

Allocation 

Asset Class 2017 2016 2017 2016 

Large cap equities 22.50 % 22.50 % 4.25 % 4.25 % 

Small/mid cap equities 7.50 7.50 4.50 4.50 

Total domestic equity 30.00 30.00 

International equities (unhedged) 13.00 13.00 4.50 4.75 

Emerging international equities 7.00 7.00 6.25 6.25 

Total international equities 20.00 20.00 

Core bonds 5.00 5.00 0.75 0.64 

Short duration 2.00 2.00 (0.25) (0.25) 

Global multi-sector fixed income 11.00 11.00 2.11 1.71 

Absolute return fixed income 7.00 7.00 1.26 1.08 

Total fixed income 25.00 25.00 

Private equity 5.00 5.00 6.25 6.25 

Private debt 5.00 5.00 4.75 4.75 

Opportunistic 5.00 5.00 2.84 3.68 

Total alternative investments 15.00 15.00 

Real estate 10.00 10.00 3.25 3.25 

Total 100.00 % 100.00 % 

241 | P a g e

Discount Rate 

The discount rate used to measure the total pension liability as of June 30, 2017 and 2016 was 

7.25%. The projection of cash flows used to determine the discount rate assumed that plan 

member contributions will be made at the current contribution rate and that employer contributions 

will be made at rates equal to the difference between actuarially determined contribution rates and 

the member rate. For purposes of the projection, member contributions and employer service cost 

contributions are projected based on the expected payroll of current members only. Employer 

contributions are determined based on the pension plan’s actuarial funding policy and as required 

by RSA 100-A: 16. Based on those assumptions, the pension plan’s fiduciary net position was 

projected to be available to make all projected future benefit payments to current plan members. 

Therefore, the long-term expected rate of return on pension plan investments was applied to all 

periods of projected benefit payments to determine the total pension liability. 

Sensitivity Analysis 

The following presents CCSNH’s proportionate share of the net pension liability calculated using 

the discount rate of 7.25%, as well as what CCSNH’s proportionate share of the pension liability 

would be if it were calculated using a discount rate that is 1 percentage-point lower or 1 percentage 

point higher than the current rate: 

1% Decrease 

(6.25%) 

Current 

Discount Rate 

(7.25%) 

1% Increase 

(8.25%) 

CCSNH's proportionate share of the net 

pension liability $ 82,936,650 $ 62,952,418 $ 46,576,130 

8. Other Post-Employment Benefits 

Plan Description - NHRS 

In addition to providing pension benefits, NHRS administers a cost-sharing multiple-employer 

defined benefit postemployment medical subsidy healthcare plan designated in statute (RSA 100- 

A: 52, RSA 100-A: 52a and RSA 100-A: 52-b) by membership type. The membership types are 

Group I Teachers, Group I Political Subdivision Employees, Group I State Employees, and Group II 

Police Officer and Firefighters. All CCSNH employees are Group I participants. The NHRS OPEB 

Plan provides a medical insurance subsidy to qualified retired members. The medical subsidy is a 

payment made by NHRS to the former employer or their insurance administrator toward the cost of 

health insurance for a qualified retiree, his/her qualified spouse, and his/her certifiably dependent 

children with a disability who are living in the household and being cared for by the retiree. Under 

specific conditions, the qualified beneficiaries of members who die while in service may also be 

eligible for the medical subsidy. For qualified retirees not eligible for Medicare the subsidy amounts 

were $375.56 for a single-person plan and $751.12 for a two-person plan. For those qualified 

retirees eligible for Medicare, the amounts were $236.84 for a single-person plan and $473.68 for a 

two-person plan. There have been no increases in the monthly maximum subsidy amounts since 

July 1, 2007. The plan is closed to new entrants. 

242 | P a g e

The eligibility requirements for receiving OPEB Plan benefits differ for Group I and Group II 

members. For CCSNH (Group) I members, substantially all employees who were hired on or 

before June 30, 2003 and have 10 years of service may become eligible for these benefits if they 

reach normal retirement age while working for the State and receive their pensions on a periodic 

basis rather than a lump sum. During fiscal year 2004, legislation was passed that requires State 

Group I employees hired on or after July 1, 2003 to have 20 years of State service in order to 

qualify for health coverage benefits. These and similar benefits for active employees are 

authorized by state law and administered through the Employee and Retiree Benefit Risk 

Management Fund (the Fund), which is the State’s self-insurance fund implemented in October 

2003 for active State employees and retirees. 


The State Legislature has indicated it plans to only partially fund (on a pay-as-you-go basis) the 

annual required contribution (ARC), an actuarially determined rate. 

Plan members are not required to contribute to the OPEB Plan. CCSNH makes annual 

contributions to the OPEB Plan equal to the amount required by RSA 100-A: 52, which, for all 

Group I employees, was 1.64% of covered compensation during the year ended June 30, 2017. 

Effective July 1, 2017 the annual contribution rate was decreased to 1.07% and will remain fixed 

through June 30, 2019. CCSNH’s contributions to NHRS for the OPEB Plan for the years ended 

June 30, 2018 and 2017 were $456,916 and $694,802, respectively, which were equal to its ARC. 

OPEB Liabilities, OPEB Expense, and Deferred Outflows of Resources and Deferred Inflows of 

Resources Related to OPEB 

At June 30, 2018, CCSNH reported a liability of $5,462,993 for its proportionate share of the net 

OPEB liability. The net OPEB liability is based on an actuarial valuation performed as of June 30, 

2016 and a measurement date of June 30, 2017. The net OPEB liability was rolled forward from 

June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2017. CCSNH’s proportion of the net OPEB liability was based on a 

projection of the CCSNH’s long-term share of contributions to NHRS relative to the projected 

contributions of all participating employers as actuarially determined. At June 30, 2017 and 2016, 

CCSNH’s proportion of the net OPEB liability was 1.19479% and 1.26378%, respectively. 

For the year ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, CCSNH recognized OPEB expense of $170,718 and 

$694,802, respectively 

243 | P a g e

At June 30, 2018, CCSNH reported deferred outflows of resources and deferred inflows of resources 

related to OPEB from the following sources: 

Deferred 

Outflows of 

Resources 

Deferred 

Inflows of 

Resources 


earnings on OPEB plan investments $ - $ 17,239 

Changes in proportion - 100,362 

Contributions subsequent to the measurement date 456,916 - 

Balances as of June 30, 2018 $ 456,916 $ 117,601 


subsequent to the measurement date will be recognized as a reduction of the net OPEB liability in 

the year ending June 30, 2019. Other amounts reported as deferred outflows of resources and 

deferred inflows of resources related to OPEB will be recognized in OPEB expense as follows: 

Actuarial Assumptions 


2019 $ (74,513) 

2020 (34,469) 

2021 (4,310) 

2022 (4,309) 

$ (117,601) 

The collective total OPEB liability was determined by a roll forward of the actuarial valuation as of 

June 30, 2016, using the following actuarial assumptions, which apply to 2016 measurements: 

Actuarial cost method 

Amortization method 

Remaining amortization period 

funding 

Investment rate of return 

inflation Salary rate increase 

Inflation 

Healthcare cost trend rates 

stipends Aging factors 

stipends 

Entry-age normal 

Level percentage-of-payroll, closed 

Not applicable, under statutory 

7.25% net of investment expenses, include 

5.60% average, including inflation 

2.50% per year 

not applicable, given the benefits are fixed 

not applicable, given the benefits are fixed 

Mortality rates were based on the RP-2014 employee generational mortality tables for males and 

females, adjusted for mortality improvements using Scale MP-2015, based on the last experience 

study. 

The actuarial assumptions used in the June 30, 2016 valuation were based on the results of the 

most recent actuarial experience study, which was for the period of July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2015. 

244 | P a g e

Long-Term Rates of Return 

The long-term expected rate of return on OPEB plan investments was selected from a best 

estimate range determined using the building block approach. Under this method, an expected 

future real return range is calculated separately for each asset class. These ranges are combined 

to produce the long-term expected rate of return by weighting the expected future real rates of 

return net of investment expenses by the target asset allocation percentage and by adding 

expected inflation. 

Following is a table presenting target allocations and the geometric real rates of return for each 

asset class: 

Target Allocation 

Weighted Average 

Long-Term Expected Real 

Rate of Return 

Asset Class 2017 2016 2017 2016 

Large cap equities 22.50 % 22.50 % 4.25 % 4.25 % 

Small/mid cap equities 7.50 7.50 4.50 4.50 

Total domestic equity 30.00 30.00 

International equities (unhedged) 13.00 13.00 4.50 4.75 

Emerging international equities 7.00 7.00 6.25 6.25 

Total international equities 20.00 20.00 

Core bonds 5.00 5.00 0.75 0.64 

Short duration 2.00 2.00 (0.25) (0.25) 

Global multi-sector fixed income 11.00 11.00 2.11 1.71 

Absolute return fixed income 7.00 7.00 1.26 1.08 

Total fixed income 25.00 25.00 

Private equity 5.00 5.00 6.25 6.25 

Private debt 5.00 5.00 4.75 4.75 

Opportunistic 5.00 5.00 2.84 3.68 

Total alternative investments 15.00 15.00 

Real estate 10.00 10.00 3.25 3.25 

Total 100.00 % 100.00 % 

245 | P a g e

Discount Rate 

The discount rate used to measure the total OPEB liability was 7.25%. The projection of cash 

flows used to determine the discount rate assumed that plan member contributions will be made 

at the current contribution rate and that employer contributions will be made under the current 

statute by RSA 100-A:16. Based on those assumptions, the OPEB plan’s fiduciary net position 

was projected to be available to make all projected future benefit payments to current plan 

members. Therefore, the long-term expected rate of return on OPEB plan investments was applied 

to all periods of projected benefit payments to determine the collective total OPEB liability. 


The following presents CCSNH’s proportionate share of the net OPEB liability calculated using the 

discount rate of 7.25%, as well as what CCSNH’s proportionate share of the OPEB liability would 

be if it were calculated using a discount rate that is 1-percentage-point lower or 1-percentagepoint 

higher than the current rate: 

Current 

CCSNH's proportionate share of the net OPEB 

1% Decrease 

Discount Rate 

1% Increase 

liability $ 5,945,361 $ 5,462,993 $ 5,045,058 

OPEB Plan Fiduciary Net Position 

Detailed information about the OPEB Plans' fiduciary net position is available in the separately 

issued NHRS annual report available from NHRS’ website at https://www.nhrs.org. 

The OPEB plan’s fiduciary net position has been determined on the same basis used by NHRS. 

NHRS’s financial statements are prepared using the accrual basis of accounting. Both plan member 

and employer contributions are recognized in the period in which contributions are legally due. 

Benefits and refunds are recognized when due and payable in accordance with the terms of the 

plan. Investments are reported at fair value. Investments in both domestic and non-U.S. securities 

are valued at current market prices and expressed in U.S. dollars. NHRS uses a tradedate 

accounting basis for these investments. Investments in non-registered commingled funds are valued 

at net asset value as a practical expedient to estimate fair value. 

Plan Description - State Plan 

RSA 21-I:30 specifies that the State provide certain health care benefits for retired employees and 

their spouses through a single-employer (primary government and component units) defined benefit 

plan. These benefits include group hospitalization, hospital medical care, surgical care, and other 

medical care. Substantially all of the State’s employees who were hired on or before June 30, 2003 

and have 10 years of service may become eligible for these benefits if they reach normal retirement 

age while working for the State and receive their pensions on a periodic basis rather than in a lump 

sum. During fiscal year 2004, legislation was passed that requires State Group I employees hired 

on or after July 1, 2003 to have 20 years of state service in order to qualify for retiree health benefits. 

All CCSNH employees fall into the Group I category. Additionally, during fiscal year 2012, legislation 

was passed requiring Group I employees hired after July 1, 2011 to have 25 years of State service 

and increased the normal retirement age for Group I employees hired after July 1, 2011. 

246 | P a g e

These and similar benefits for active employees and retirees are authorized by RSA 21-I: 30 and 

provided through the Employee and Retiree Benefit Risk Management Fund which is the state’s 

self-insurance internal service fund. The Plan funds the cost of medical and prescription drug 

claims by charging actuarially developed working rates to State agencies for participating 

employees, retirees, and eligible spouses. An additional major source of funding for retiree benefits 

is from the NHRS medical subsidy payment described previously in this footnote. No assets are 

accumulated in a trust that meets the criteria in paragraph 4 of GASB Statement No. 

75. The State administers the plan. It does not issue a separate stand-alone financial report. 


The State Legislature has indicated it currently plans to only partially fund (on a pay-as-you-go 

basis) the ARC, an actuarially determined rate. CCSNH’s contributions to the State for the years 

ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 were $1,465,752 and $1,328,959, respectively. 

OPEB Liabilities, OPEB Expense, and Deferred Outflows of Resources and Deferred Inflows of 

Resources Related to OPEB 

At June 30, 2018, CCSNH reported a liability of $110,714,000 for its proportionate share of the 

State OPEB Plan liability. The OPEB liability was determined by an actuarial valuation as of 

December 31, 2016 adjusted forward to a measurement date of June 30, 2017. The OPEB liability 

was rolled forward from December 31, 2016 to June 30, 2017. CCSNH’s proportion of the OPEB 

liability was based on a projection of CCSNH’s long-term share of contributions to the State relative 

to the projected contributions of all participating employers as actuarially determined. At June 30, 

2017, CCSNH’s proportion of the State OPEB Plan’s liability was 4.966020%. 

For the year ended June 30, 2018, CCSNH recognized OPEB expense of $2,234,752. 


resources related to OPEB from the following sources: 

Deferred 

Outflows of 

Resources 

Deferred 

Inflows of 

Resources 

Changes in assumptions $ - $ 32,456,000 

Differences between expected and actual experience - 326,000 

Changes in proportion 970,000 - 

Differences between employer contributions and 

proportionate share of contributions 1,098,248 - 



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subsequent to the measurement date will be recognized as a reduction of the net OPEB liability in 

the year ending June 30, 2019. Other amounts reported as deferred outflows of resources and 

deferred inflows of resources related to OPEB will be recognized in OPEB expense as follows: 

Actuarial Assumptions 


2019 $ (6,179,518) 

2020 (6,179,518) 

2021 (6,179,518) 

2022 (6,179,518) 

2023 (6,178,723) 

2024 183,043 

$ (30,713,752) 

The collective total OPEB liability was determined by a roll forward of the actuarial valuation as of 

December 31, 2016, using the following actuarial assumptions, which apply to 2017 

measurements: 

Actuarial cost method 

Projected unit credit 

Amortization method 

Level percent of pay, 

open Remaining amortization period 30 years 

Investment rate of return not applicable as there are no invested assets 

Salary rate increase - Group I 13.25% decreasing over 9 years to an ultimate level of 

3.75% Discount rate 3.58% as of June 30, 2017 and 2.85% as of June 30, 2016 

Inflation 

3.25% per year 

Healthcare trend rates are based on the following: 

Medical: 

Under 65: 7.4% for one year then 4.5% per year. 

Over 65: 1.4% for one year then 4.5% per year. 

Prescription Drug: 

Under 65: 12.8% for one year then 9% decreasing by .5% each year to an ultimate level of 4.5% 

per year. 

Over 65: (6.1%) for one year then 9% decreasing by .5% each year to an ultimate level of 4.5% 

per year. 

Contributions – Retiree contributions are expected to increase with a blended medical and 

prescription drug trend. 

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Mortality rates were based on the following: 

Pre-retirement mortality rates – Healthy: RP-2014 employee mortality table projected 

generationally for males and females with Scale MP-2015. 

Postretirement mortality rates: 

Healthy: RP-2014 healthy annuitant mortality table projected generationally for males and 

females with Scale MP-2015. 

Disabled: RP-2014 disabled annuitant mortality table projected generationally for males and 

females with Scale MP-2015. 

The following scale factors for each member classification are applied to all mortality tables: 

Scale - Male 

Scale - Female 

Group I Group II - Police Group II - 

Fire 

116 % 

99 % 

100 % 

124 % 

106 % 

101 % 

The actuarial assumptions used in the June 30, 2017 and 2016 valuations were based on the results 

of the most recent actuarial experience study, which was for the period of July 1, 2010 to June 30, 

2015. 

Effective January 1, 2019, the State implemented a Medicare Advantage plan which is anticipated 

to reduce the overall plan liability in the year of implementation. 

Discount Rate 

Because the State OPEB Plan is not funded, the discount rate is based on the yield or index rate for 

20-year, tax-exempt general obligation municipal bonds with an average rate of AA/Aa or higher as 

shown in the Bond Buyer 20-Bond General Obligation Index. 

Changes in Assumptions 

The trend assumptions were revised from the 2016 measurements to the 2017 measurements to 

reflect current and future expectations. In addition, the discount rate used to measure the total OPEB 

liability was increased from 2.85% as of June 30, 2016 to 3.58% as of June 30, 2017. 

249 | P a g e



discount rate of 3.58%, as well as what CCSNH’s proportionate share of the OPEB liability would 

be if it were calculated using a discount rate that is 1-percentage-point lower or 1-percentagepoint 

higher than the current rate: 

1% Decrease 

Current 

Discount Rate 

1% Increase 


OPEB liability $ 126,794,800 $ 110,713,469 $ 96,978,044 


current trend rates, as well as what CCSNH’s proportionate share of the OPEB liability would be if it 

were calculated using healthcare cost trend rates that are 1-percentage-point lower or 1- 

percentage-point higher than the current rates: 

1% Decrease 

Current 

Trend Rate 

1% Increase 


OPEB liability $ 95,264,012 $ 110,713,469 $ 130,459,490 

9. Contingencies and Commitments 

Operating Lease Obligations 

CCSNH leases certain equipment and real estate under leases with terms exceeding one year. 

Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases (with initial or remaining 

lease terms in excess of one year) as of June 30, 2018 are as follows: 


2019 $ 739,700 

2020 712,000 

2021 383,300 

2022 206,200 

2023 182,700 

2024 to 2028 833,600 

2029 to 2033 833,600 

2034 to 2038 833,600 

2039 to 2043 833,600 

2044 to 2048 833,600 

2049 to 2053 833,600 

2054 to 2057 666,880 

$ 7,892,380 

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Total expense related to operating leases (with initial or remaining lease terms in excess of one 

year) amounted to $1,531,171 and $1,231,181 for the years ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, 

respectively. CCSNH signed additional operating leases after June 30, 2018 with total 

commitments of approximately $250,000 with various expiration dates ranging through the year 

ending June 30, 2023. 

Union Contracts 

Substantially all of CCSNH's employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, except 

for executive officers and confidential personnel. As of March 2017, CCSNH full-time faculty were 

represented by the NH Higher Education Union, which is part of the International Brotherhood of 

Electrical Workers, 2320. CCSNH staff are currently represented by the State Employees’ 

Association of New Hampshire, Inc., which is part of the Service Employees International Union 

Local 1984, CTW, and CLC (SEIU). The current collective bargaining agreement for full-time and 

part- time staff has a period of October 25, 2017 through September 30, 2019. 

Certain adjunct faculty of CCSNH are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, separate from 

the agreement described in the previous paragraph, and are represented by the State Employees' 

Association of New Hampshire, Inc., which is part of the SEIU 1984, CTW, CLC. The current 

collective bargaining agreement has a period of October 25, 2017 through December 31, 2018. 

Contingencies 

CCSNH participates in various federally-funded programs. These programs are subject to financial 

and compliance audits and resolution of identified questioned costs. The amount, if any, of 

expenditures which may be disallowed by the granting agency cannot be determined at this time. 

CCSNH is involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. 

The ultimate disposition of these matters is indeterminable but, in the opinion of management, the 

amount of ultimate liability would not have a significant impact on CCSNH's financial condition. 

Commitments 

CCSNH has entered into various construction contracts. The following commitments are ongoing 

projects at June 30, 2018: 

Expended 

through 

June 30, 2018 

Committed 

Future Costs 

Total Committed 

Costs of Project 

NHTI $ 7,278 $ 87,700 $ 94,978 

NCC 875,338 67,770 943,108 

WMCC 308,793 37,966 346,759 

Total $ 1,191,409 $ 193,436 $ 1,384,845 

At June 30, 2018 and 2017, invoices related to construction projects of $75,039 and $670,933, 

respectively, were included in accounts payable. 

251 | P a g e

Investments Fair Value 

Measurement 

GASB Statement No. 72, Fair Value Measurement and Application, establishes a fair value 

hierarchy for investments that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair 

value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for 

identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to measurements 

involving significant unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). 

The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows: 

Level 1: Inputs are unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets at the 

measurement date. The types of assets carried at Level 1 fair value generally are securities 

listed in active markets. The Foundation has valued its investments, listed on national 

exchanges, at the last sales price as of the day of the valuation. 

Level 2: Inputs are based upon quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted 

prices for identical or similar instruments in markets which are not active, and modelbased 

valuation techniques for which all significant assumptions are observable in the 

market or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term 

of the asset of liability. The fair values are therefore determined using model-based 

techniques that incorporate these inputs. 

Level 3: Inputs are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimates of 

assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The fair 

values are therefore determined using model-based techniques that include discounted 

cash flow models and similar techniques. 

The inputs or methodology used for valuing investments are not necessarily an indication of the 

risk associated with those investments. 

CCSNH Investments 

CCSNH operating investments consist of an investment in a short-term bond mutual fund. The fund 

targets a dollar-weighted average maturity of 0.75 years or less and invests in U.S dollardenominated 

money market and high-quality, investment-grade debt securities, primarily in the 

financial service industry. The fund's investments in fixed-rate securities have a maximum maturity 

of two years and investments in floating-rate securities have a maximum maturity of three years. 

Long-term investments include the UNIQUE endowment funds assets and other unrestricted 

investments. The State Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (the Act) requires 

the preservation of the original gift (corpus value) of the donor-restricted endowment funds absent 

explicit donor stipulations to the contrary. The System classifies as permanently restricted net 

position: (1) the original value of gifts donated to the permanent endowment, (2) the original value 

of subsequent gifts to the permanent endowment, and (3) accumulations to the permanent 

endowment made in accordance with the direction of the applicable donor gift instrument at the 

time the accumulation is added to the fund. 

252 | P a g e

Subject to the intent of a donor expressed in the gift instrument, the System may appropriate for 

expenditure or accumulate so much of an endowment fund as the System determines is prudent for 

the uses, benefits, purposes, and duration for which the endowment fund is established. Endowment 

assets are invested in a well-diversified asset mix, which includes equity and debt securities that is 

intended to result in a consistent inflation-protected rate of return that has sufficient liquidity to make 

an annual distribution of 4% while growing the funds, if possible. Cumulative appreciation on these 

funds was $3,872,147 and $3,162,386 at June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively and is reported in 

restricted expendable net position. 

The System manages interest rate risk according to its investment policy by maintaining 

investments that are both liquid, as determined by a readily available market, and highly 

diversified, using institutional class mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. 

Custodial credit risk for investments is the risk that, in the event of a failure of the counterparty 

to a transaction, CCSNH will not be able to recover the value of the investment or collateral 

securities that are in possession of an outside party. Investment securities are exposed to 

custodial credit risk if the securities are uninsured, are not registered in the name of CCSNH, 

and are held by either the counterparty or the counterparty's trust department or agency, but not 

in CCSNH’s name. As of June 30, 2018 and 2017, CCSNH's investments included in the 

statements of net position were not exposed to custodial credit risk. The investments were held 

by the counterparty, in the name of CCSNH. 

Investments held by CCSNH were comprised of the following at June 30, 2018: 

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 

Equity mutual funds $ 11,522,367 $ - $ - 

Fixed-income mutual funds 15,467,666 - - 

Total $ 26,990,033 $ - $ - 

Investments held by CCSNH were comprised of the following at June 30, 2017: 

Level 1 

Level 2 Level 3 

Equity mutual funds 

$ 10,238,067 $ - $ - 

Fixed-income mutual funds 14,366,476 - - 

Total $ 24,604,543 $ - $ - 

A summary of fixed-income mutual fund maturities as of June 30, 2018 and 2017 is as follows: 

Amount 

2018 

Maturities 

2017 

Amount 

Maturities 

$ 88,862 2.7 years $ 4,202,850 5.4 years 

226,041 2.5 years 315,543 3.5 years 

8,788,528 Less than a year 179,276 3.0 years 

6,364,235 N/A 9,668,807 Less than a year 

$ 15,467,666 $ 14,366,476 

The maturities are the weighted averages of the debt securities in which the funds invest. 

253 | P a g e

CCSNH has not defined a limit in its investment policies regarding the amount that can be placed 

with one issuer. However, the investment policy defines that the portfolio should be well diversified 

as to limit exposure to one issuer or security. As of June 30, 2018, individual investments 

representing more than 5% of the CCSNH's investments were as follows: 

Percentag 

e of 

Investmen 

ts 

Fidelity Conservative Income Bond 32.5 % 

Strategic Advisors Core Fund 12.2 

Strategic Advisors Growth Fund 5.5 

Strategic Advisors Value Fund 5.6 

Strategic Advisors International Fund 8.1 

Strategic Advisors Core Income Fund 19.4 

During the year ended June 30, 2017, certain investments previously managed by and held at 

the Foundation were transferred to the CCSNH. 

Community Colleges of New Hampshire Foundation 

The Foundation has adopted investment and spending policies for endowment assets that 

attempt to provide a predictable stream of funding to programs supported by its endowment funds, 

while also maintaining the purchasing power of those endowment assets over the long-term. 

Accordingly, the investment process seeks to achieve an after-cost total real rate of return, 

including investment income as well as capital appreciation, which exceeds the annual 

distribution with acceptable levels of risk. Endowment assets are invested in a well-diversified 

asset mix, which includes equity and debt securities, that is intended to result in a consistent 

inflation-protected rate of return that has sufficient liquidity to make an annual distribution of 4% 

while growing the funds, if possible. Actual returns may vary from this amount. Investment risk 

is measured in terms of the total endowment fund; investment assets and allocation between 

asset classes and strategies are managed to not expose the fund to unacceptable levels of risk. 

Investments held by the Foundation were comprised of the following at June 30, 2018: 

Level 1 

Level 2 Level 3 

Cash and cash equivalents 

$ 237,393 $ - $ - 

Equities 3,082,399 - - 

Fixed-income 812,276 - - 

Total $ 4,132,068 $ - $ - 

Investments held by the Foundation were comprised of the following at June 30, 2017: 

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 

Cash and cash equivalents $ 111,001 $ - $ - 

Equities 2,892,038 - - 

Fixed-income 840,703 - - 

Total $ 3,843,742 $ - $ - 

254 | P a g e

10. Risk Management 

CCSNH is exposed to various risks of loss related to torts; theft of, damage to and destruction of 

assets; and natural disaster for which CCSNH carried insurance. 

CCSNH has insurance coverage that includes automotive, crime, employment practices, fire, 

general liability, pollution, theft, and workers' compensation. There have been no significant 

changes in insurance coverage during the past fiscal year. Settlements did not exceed coverage 

amounts during fiscal years 2018 and 2019 

255 | P a g e

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REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Schedule of Collective Net Pension Liability * 

Employer proportion of the collective 

net pension liability 1.2800 % 

June 30, 

2018 2017 2016 2015 

2014 

1.3580 % 1.5230 % 1.5521 % 1.4834 % 

Employer's proportionate share of 

the collective net pension liability $62,952,418 

Employer's covered-employee 

payroll 

$35,391,000 

$72,213,216 $60,334,154 $58,259,797 $63,843,950 

$39,462,000 $38,603,000 $47,442,000 $43,413,000 

Employer's proportionate share of 

the collective net pension liability 

as a percentage of the employer's 

covered employee-payroll 

178 % 183 % 156 % 123 % 147 % 

Plan fiduciary net position as a 

percentage of the total pension 

liability 56.22 % 58.30 % 65.47 % 66.32 % 59.81 % 

* Schedule is intended to show 10 years. Additional years will be added as they become available. 

Schedule of Employer Contributions * 

June 30 

2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 

Required employer contribution** $ 5,080,526 $ 5,090,600 $ 5,109,493 $ 4,923,636 $ 3,688,122 

Actual employer contribution** $ 5,080,526 $ 5,090,600 $ 5,109,493 $ 4,923,636 $ 3,688,122 

Employer's covered-employee 

payroll 

$35,391,000 $39,462,000 $38,603,000 $47,442,000 $43,413,000 

Employer percentage contribution of the employer's as a 

covered-employee payroll 14.36 % 12.90 % 13.24 % 10.38 % 8.50 % 


** Contributions above are annual contributions during the measurement period. 

257 | P a g e

Notes to the Required Supplementary Information-Pension 

Changes of 

assumptions: 

Actuarial determined contribution rates for the 2012-2013 biennium 

were determined based on the June 30, 2009 actuarial valuation. 





Actuarial determined contribution rates for the 2018-2019 biennium 


For amounts reported in 2016 and later, the mortality table used was 

changed from RP-2000 Mortality Table projected to 2020 with Scale AA 

used in 2015 and 2014 to RPH-2014 Employee Generational Mortality 

Table adjusted for mortality improvements using Scale MP-2015. 

For amounts reported in 2016 and later, the discount rate as well as the 

investment rate of return used to measure the total pension liability were 

decreased to 7.25% from the rates of 7.75% used in 2015, 2014, and 2013. 

For amounts reported in 2016 and later, the assumed inflation rate used to 

measure the total pension liability was decreased to 2.5% from the rates of 

3.0% used in 2015, 2014, and 2013. 

For amounts reported in 2016 and later, the assumed salary increase rate 

used to measure the total pension liability was changed to 5.60% from the 

rates of 3.75% to 3.8% used in 2015, and 3.75% to 5.8% used in 2014 and 

2013. 

258 | P a g e

Schedule of Collective Net OPEB Liability (NHRS OPEB Plan)* 

June 30, 

2018 

June 30, 

2017 

Employer proportion of the collective net OPEB liability 1.194792 % 1.263781 % 

Employer's proportionate share of the collective net OPEB liability $ 5,462,993 $ 6,118,030 

Employer's covered-employee payroll $31,872,400 $32,876,046 

Employer's proportionate share of the collective net OPEB liability 

as a percentage of the employer's covered employee-payroll 17.14 % 18.61 % 

Plan fiduciary net position as a percentage of the total OPEB 

liability 

7.91 % 5.21 % 


Schedule of Employer Contributions* 

June 30 

2018 2017 

Required employer contributions** $ 694,802 $ 738,178 

Actual employer contributions** $ 694,802 $ 738,178 

Employer's covered-employee payroll $31,872,400 $32,876,046 

Employer contribution as a percentage of the employer's coveredemployee 

payroll 2.18 % 2.25 % 


** Contributions above are annual contributions during the measurement period. 

Notes to the Required Supplementary Information (NHRS OPEB Plan) 

There were no changes of assumptions in 2018 or 2017. 

259 | P a g e

Schedule of Collective Net OPEB Liability (State OPEB Plan)* 

June 30, 

2018 2017 

Employer proportion of the collective total 

OPEB liability 4.9660 % 4.9255 % 

Employer's proportionate share of the 

collective total OPEB liability $ 110,713,469 $ 

141,644,569 Employer's covered-employee payroll $ 35,835,065 $ 

34,568,382 

Employer's proportionate share of the 

collective total OPEB liability as a 

percentage of its covered employee-payroll 309 % 410 % 


Notes to the Required Supplementary Information (State OPEB Plan) 

There are no assets accumulated in a trust that meets the criteria in GASB 75 paragraph 4 to pay 

related benefits 

Changes of assumptions: 

Changes in assumptions reflect trend assumption revisions to reflect current experience and future 

expectations. 

The discount rate increased from 2. 

260 | P a g e

List of Documents/Exhibits 

The following documents and exhibits will be available via flash drive or the physical workroom for 

the visiting team. 

Standard 

Standard One 

Mission & 

Purpose 

Item 

River Valley CC Website 

CCSNH Website 

CCSNH History & Governance 

CCSNH Mission, Vision & Strategic Goals 

RVCC Mission Statement 

Standard Two 

Planning & 

Evaluation 

President's Council Meeting Minutes '08-'13 

Extended Leadership Team Meeting Minutes 

RVCC Strategic Plan 

Former Strategic Plans 

Program Accreditation Standards: 

Student Course Evaluation Form 

CCSSE (2008) 

CCSSE (2011) 

CCSSE (2014) 

Program Review Process 

Capital Plan 

RVCC Fact Book 

CCSNH Annual Report 

Standard Three 


Governance 

Standard Four 

The Academic 

Program 

CCSNH Board Meeting Agendas & Minutes 

RVCC Advisory Board Minutes 

Faculty Forum Minutes 

Faculty Handbook 

New Faculty Handbook 

All College Meetings 

Course Syllabi 

Syllabus Template 

Sample Contractual Relationships contract 

Current RVCC Catalog 

261 | P a g e

Graduate Surveys 

List of new and eliminated programs since last 

review 

New Program proposal form 

Academic Policies 

Schedule of Program Reviews 

Curriculum Team Meeting Minutes 

Standard Five 

Students 

Standard Six 

Teaching, 

Learning & 

Scholarship 

Standard Seven 

Institutional 

Resources 

SGA Minutes 

Admissions Application 

Admissions Acceptance Letter 

Orientation Surveys 

Orientation Agenda 

Student Policies 

Student Handbook 

Faculty CVs 

CBA 

Teaching & Learning events listing 

Faculty conferences 

Safety Committee Minutes 

Disaster Plan / Emergency Response Plan 

Foundation By-laws & Policies 

CCSNH Network Policy 

Library Guides 

Fiscal Policies 

Library Annual Stats / Report 

Standard Eight 

Educational 

Effectiveness 

Standard Nine 

Integrity, 

Transparency & 

Public 

Disclosure 

Program Review Form 

Employee Satisfaction Survey 

Sample Internship Evaluations 

Pass Rates for programs 

Program Sheets for Recruitment 

Admissions Brochure 

Open House Poster 

Newsletter 

Hot off the Pot 

262 | P a g e

RVCC 2019 NECHE Self-Study

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