Institutional Effectiveness

We evaluate our institutional effectiveness by envisioning our goals, defining measurable objectives, and employing student-centered strategies.

Goals

Our goals are visionary and define what we do to accomplish our mission.

Academic Transfer

We prepare students for successful transfer to the next step of their educational journey.

Adult Basic Education

We prepare students for college-level courses by guiding, supporting, and providing the tools necessary to achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals.

Career and Technical Education

We prepare students to enter the workforce in a timely manner; supporting our community needs in available and sustainable careers with a focus on future industries.

Student Success

We provide the services and resources needed for our students to be successful.

Objectives

Our objectives are detailed and measurable ways of helping us determine if we are meeting our goals.

Objective 1: Increasing Basic Education for Adults (BEdA) Transitions

By June 30, 2025, increase the number of BEdA students transitioning into workforce or transfer programs within one year from start from 14% (2019-20 cohort) to 28%.

Check our progress on our Basic Skills to College Transitions Suite.

Objective 2: Improving Student Completions

By June 30, 2025, increase the number of full-time students completing their program of study within 150% of time from 31.8% (2018-19 cohort) to 42%.

Check our progress on our Retention and Completion Rates Dashboard.

Objective 3: Closing Equity Gaps

Each year, continue closing equity gaps for Female students, Historically Underserved Minority students, Disability Access Services students, Pell Eligible students, and First Generation Students in all Student Achievement Initiative (SAI)-related metrics.

Check our progress on our Spokane Community College Equity Suite.

Strategies

We use four strategies, all working in concert with each other, to achieve our objectives.

Equity Diversity, and Inclusion

Our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) efforts create an inclusive environment where all students feel valued and have equitable access to opportunities. We create a more diverse and inclusive student body that values different perspectives and experiences, fosters empathy, and increases cultural competence, which are all crucial in today's interconnected world.

Guided Pathways

Guided Pathways is a comprehensive reform model aimed at improving student outcomes. The purpose of Guided Pathways is to simplify the journey through college by providing clear, structured routes to graduation and career success. By redesigning the college experience, Guided Pathways seeks to help students complete their programs more efficiently and affordably while closing equity gaps in achievement.

Perkins V

Perkins V (officially named the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act) improves the quality of career and technical education (CTE) by helping students develop the skills necessary for successful careers in the 21st-century job market. It supports the development of high-quality CTE programs, integrates rigorous instruction with holistic student support, and promotes partnerships among educational institutions and industries.

Strategic Enrollment Management

Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) is a comprehensive approach used to achieve and maintain the optimal recruitment, retention, and completion rates of our students. SEM aligns our resources with our mission, values, goals by establishing specific outcomes for our varied student populations as they move from recruitment through completion. A data-informed culture helps to guide our decisions, evaluate results, and improve our practices.

Putting Ideas Into Action

Through shared governance, we host a variety of advisory committees who monitor the effectiveness of our strategies. They recommend improvements to SCC’s Cabinet, who then prioritize the recommendations and provide resources. Once we implement the improvements, we share new effectiveness data back with the advisory committees.

1. Advisory Committees recommend improvements to the SCC Cabinet.
2. The SCC Cabinet then prioritizes efforts, assigns tasks to responsible parties, and allocates resources.
3. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Planning (IEP) tracks progress and provides data support to the responsible personnel.
4. The responsible personnel then provide updates to the Advisory Committees while completing the tasks.
5. The Advisory Committees then assess how well we are implementing the recommendations and make new recommendations to SCC Cabinet, which starts the cycle again.