Hillsborough Community College's Online Planning System identified 23 plans in which one or more elements had been overlooked.  All of these plans are now complete with three exceptions.  The exceptions are for plans in which their development was “off-cycle” to the biennial planning process.  Consequently, they will not have completed select elements pertaining to progress reporting (assessment results, use of results, and status of the objective). 

The plans for Equity Programs and Government Lobbying were developed in Fall 2005 instead of Fall 2004.  This was due to a vacant administrative position for these areas.  After hire, the administrator took the lead in development of those plans.  The plans will synchronize with the planning process during the Fall 2006 reporting period.  Another off-cycle plan is for the Lumina funded grant project, Achieving the Dream.  It too will work in concert with the planning process in Fall 2006.  These Fall 2006 progress reports will be available for inspection by the On-Site Committee.

Fulfillment of HCC's College goals is supported by 94 unit plans across all administrative, academic support, and academic areas as well as numerous “optional plans” for campus-based administrators (deans, vice presidents, and campus presidents).  The provision of "optional plans" was established to address institutional desires for flexibility among the different campuses. Unlike the functional plans of the college, the development of these plans was left to the discretion of the administrator. Most administrators opted in. Within the plans, all units developed objectives in fall 2004 for the 2005-07 biennium.  A year later, the Critical Success Factor document reveals that 48% of 289 objectives were accomplished or partially accomplished at that point in the biennium. 

The progress reports document completion of three elements per objective 1) assessment results, 2) overall status of the objective, and 3) use of results.  Importantly, please reference tab 5, labeled "Fall 2005 Progress Report" within the Online Planning System. This will reveal completion of "actual objectives, evaluation results, and documentation that results are used for improvement" per every administrative, academic support, and academic unit. The Online Planning System is located in a separate file on the DVD provided (See Navigation Instructions). In addition, the Fall 2006 Progress Report will be available for inspection by the On-Site Committee.

To illustrate, the HCC Foundation developed an objective in Fall 2004 to “enhance expenditures on behalf of HCC for scholarships and college support.”  One of four expected outcomes identified for this objective is to “increase endowments by 10%.”

The means of assessment is the year-end financial statement. 

A year later in Fall 2005, progress reports were due.  The results of the assessment reveal an endowment increase of 24% from $1.3 to 1.6 million.  The status of the objective was judged as “accomplished” by the person identified as responsible for its achievement.  The use of results is “as the Foundation raises more funds and increases scholarship awards…more individuals, corporations and foundations will learn about its activities and outcomes.  The enhanced image as a successful fundraising organization will encourage other prospects to give and donors to give more.”