TABLE OF CONTENTS

Glendale Community College

NCA Self-Study Report, January 2002

Table of Contents | NCA Visit 2002 Home Page | GCC Home Page

Chapter One

Introduction

Glendale Community College Self-Study Report

Introduction

Glendale Community College (GCC) is one of 10 public colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD).  The photo at the end of this chapter shows GCC’s campus while it was still under construction in 1965.  While only a few might have predicted the phenomenal growth the College and surrounding area would experience in the following 35 years, the proof is in the number of students we have and continue to educate and serve.

2002 Team Visit

On March 4-6, 2002, Higher Learning Commission consultant evaluators will conduct an on-site visit.  With the submission of this report, Glendale Community College formally requests continuing accreditation.  Expecting the next 10 years to be equally as challenging and rewarding as the last 10, we pledge to examine our institution on a continual basis, assessing courses, programs, and practices to improve our ability to serve the needs of our students and community in the twenty-first century.

Accreditation History

GCC opened at its extension site in 1965 and received initial North Central Association accreditation in 1967, along with Mesa and Phoenix Colleges, with the advice to continue to address “significant and persistent problems which exist in terms of the relationship among the Governing Board, District Administrators, and the three Colleges.”  This original accreditation to the multi-campus district in August 1967 occurred 4 years after voters approved the establishment of a community-college district.  The College received renewed accreditation in 1977, 1983, and 1992 and celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2000.

 

Overview of the Self-Study Process

 

In Summer 1999, GCC began the task of conducting a comprehensive self- study.  President Pollack appointed a Steering Team Committee, who in turn created Tri-Chairs.  The Team’s charge was to research self-study models, organize the study into manageable stages, and select 7 criterion chairs to lead 15 employee teams from across the College.  To involve as many people as possible in the self-study process, the Steering Team developed the concept of “expanding teams.”  During the analytical phase of the self-study, teams increased to include “content experts” for each topic area.

* Grayed out name denotes change in Team Lead

Purpose of Self-Study

The Steering Team developed three goals for the self-study process:

Organization of the Self-Study Process

The Steering Team wanted a self-study process that would link to the College’s strategic planning process.  After researching a variety of models, the Team designed a process adapted from Sinclair Community College.  This self-reflective model was action-oriented and supported efforts for continuous improvement.  In this spirit of expanding growth and success in a new century and millennium, the Steering Team agreed to maintain the theme of the 1992 Self-Study Report.  Adelante, a Spanish word meaning “forward,” “charge,” or “come in,” conveys our intention to use the knowledge gained from the 2000 self-study experience as the basis for the internal review portion of the current strategic planning process and as a constant reminder that our focus must be on moving forward and attracting students to our quality programs.

 

 

The self-study process was organized into five major phases:

 

Phase

Description

Study Area Planning Phase

The 15 teams were assigned study areas under the five criteria.  Teams were asked to review the related patterns of evidence and to identify one or more topics to study that would demonstrate a pattern of evidence for the criterion

 

Descriptive Phase

For each topic studied, teams prepared a summary report describing the topic's current status.  This phase established a common understanding and starting point for phase three--to evaluate what works well and/or areas for improvement.  The Descriptive Phase covered the following areas:

1.  Current status (description of programs, services, activities)

2.  Accomplishments since 1992

3.  Response to concerns from 1992 NCA study (as needed)

4.  New initiatives, planning objectives, long-range plans

5.  Current issues to be considered

 

Evaluation Phase

     (Analytical)

For each topic, teams identified the best Measures of Success and the most significant influences on those Measures.  The Evaluation Phase covered the following areas:

1.  Measures of Success

2.  SWOT Analyses

  • Internal Strengths/Weaknesses
  • External Opportunities/Threats

3.  Brief discussions of the most significant SWOT findings

     and their influence(s) on the Measures of Success

 

Planning Phase

     (Analytical)

For each topic studied, teams generated responses to the most significant SWOT findings and their influences on the Measures of Success.  The Planning Phase covered the following area:

1.  Recommendations

 

Validation Phase

     (Analytical)

For each topic studied, content experts responded to team findings

 

Using the Self-Study Process for Improvement

This past September, members of the President’s Advisory Committee (PAC) reviewed over 360 team recommendations that came out of the self-study process.  Committee members worked in small groups to categorize each of the recommendations as strategic or operational.  Recommendations deemed operational were forwarded to the President and/or Deans with the request that the appropriate planning area consider them while planning for fiscal year 2002-03.  Recommendations deemed strategic will be forwarded to the Futures Committee (Strategic Planning).

Linking the Self-Study Process to Strategic Planning

During Fall 2001, an ad hoc work group reviewed and recommended a revised strategic planning process that was “outside-in” driven.  The process was designed to determine the gap between public needs and expectations, external forces and environmental trends, and the College’s current capabilities and performance as identified through the self-study process.  Armed with this important information, the College will be able to position itself more appropriately for the future to continue its long tradition of quality education to the community.

 

GCC 5-Year Planning Cycle
Conduct Self-Study

FY 2000-01 (done)

FY 2005-06

1.      Conduct internal review to evaluate the College’s current capabilities and performance using one of the following methods:  

·       Most recent self-study process (Sinclair model)

·       Traditional self-study process

·       AQIP model (Academic Quality Improvement Project from Higher Learning Commission)

2.    Categorize proposed planning ideas into operational and/or strategic issues.  Forward operational ideas to the President, Deans, and Futures Committee

Perform Strategic Planning

FY 2001-02 (in progress)

FY 2006-07

1.      Determine what external information is needed to conduct planning (environmental scan):

  • Needs - Public Perspective
  • Forces - Competitors & Collaborators
  • Trends - Political, Technological, Educational, Economic, Societal

2.     Agree on planning assumptions

3.     Determine the gap between needs/forces/trends and the College’s current capabilities and performance (Self-Study Report)

4.     Identify strategic choices

5.     Consider impact of strategic choices:

  • Internal Processes (planning, budgeting, assessing, developing curriculum, etc.)
  • Learning & Growth (employee capabilities, motivation, empowerment, alignment, and information systems’ capabilities)
  • Resources (physical, human, financial)

6.     Formulate a list of strategic goals and prioritize them; choose three goals to address

7.     Review the College’s Vision and Mission and Purposes Statements and align them to changing environments as needed; submit for Governing Board approval

8.    Update Institutional Effectiveness Plan to include strategic goals

Implement Strategic Plan

FY 2002-03 to 2006-07

FY 2007-08 to 2011-12

1.      Develop action plans

2.     Implement action plans

3.     Monitor and report progress in Annual Report;

as strategic goals are addressed, select another strategic goal from the list

A Reader’s Guide

The Self-Study Report is organized according to the Higher Learning Commission’s Criteria for Accreditation.  Fifteen (15) teams involving over 150 employees gathered information for each chapter’s topics, wrote “Team Analysis” paragraphs using the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) Analysis and Measures of Success model, and generated lists of “Areas for Improvement” and “Recommendations.”  Content sections conclude with a “Validation” paragraph written by the area manager, supervisor, appropriate dean, or the President.

Echoes of the Past

Long-time faculty members comment on GCC

 

Paul DePippo--Social Science Faculty

 

“As a former student and long-term instructor at GCC, I have watched, at close quarters, GCC’s evolution from a small liberal arts transfer institution into a comprehensive community college.  I have also come to appreciate GCC’s role as one of the most fundamental and important institutions which have been instrumental in the development of the northwest valley and in shaping the lives of many thousands of its people.”

 

Marilyn Hoffs--Retired Communication Faculty

 

“Life is about opportunities and about learning, and Glendale College offered me twenty-five wonderful years of opportunities.  I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the excitingly diverse students.  Because they came from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, various places on our earth, and had a variety of ways of communicating their worldviews, I also enjoyed learning from them.  Even at their age they have much to share.  I also greatly appreciated my colleagues in the teaching profession and the administrators at Glendale College.  Sharing, challenging, encouraging, and enlightening are just a few words that describe those relationships.  I’m proud to say that Glendale College is one of the best educational institutions in our state.”

 

Robert Hubbard--Philosophy Faculty

 

“The Owl of Minerva has not yet taken to flight.  A political mist conceals the essence of GCC.  The essence resides in the ability to conduct a dialog with the past, to foster the contest of ideas, and to contemplate a better future.  GCC is like a Banyan tree whose roots extend well beyond the College.”

 

Richard Rees--Psychology Faculty

 

“Thirty-seven year ago, I was hired to teach psychology at the Maryland branch of the new Glendale Community College.  I have been privileged to attend every graduation ceremony at GCC except three: two while working on a doctorate and one while on sabbatical.  GCC has been good to me, and I have been honored to be here so many years.  It has gone by so fast, but the memories are wonderful.”

 

Software: Microsoft Office

 

Aerial Photo of Glendale Community College Construction Site

From the South looking to the North (Photo from GCC 1965 Yearbook)

Next: Chapter Two -- Responses to Interim Advisory Visit

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