Strategic Plan 2011-14

Strengthen Students, Faculty and Staff

“Leaders establish the vision

for the future and set the strategy

for getting there.”

— John P. Kotter, Professor, Harvard Business School

Shaping Our Future

2011-14 Strategic Plan

Tru

stee

s an

d A

dm

inis

trat

ion Board of Chosen Freeholders

Thomas J. Mastrangelo, Director

David Scapicchio, Deputy Director

Douglas R. Cabana

John Cesaro

Kathy DeFillippo

John Krickus

Hank Lyon

as of January 2014

Board of TrusteesStanley T. Omland, P.E., P.P., Chair *

Jeffrey M. Advokat, Esq., Vice Chair

Dr. Joseph L. Ricca, Jr., Treasurer

Paul R. Licitra, Secretary

Laurie Bogaard, Esq.

Dr. Barbara L. Hadzima

Dr. Rosalie S. Lamonte

J. Richard Rajoppi

William Schievella

Michael A. Van Allen

Dr. Joseph S. Weisberg *

Carlos Herrera, Alumni Trustee

Sandra Geiger, Trustee Emerita

W. Thomas Margetts, Trustee Emeritus

William T. McNerney, Trustee Emeritus

as of July 2014

All trustees also serve concurrently as members of the CCM Foundation. Members noted with an * serve on the Foundation Board of Directors.

College AdministrationDr. Edward J. Yaw, President

Dr. Dwight L. Smith, Vice President of Academic Affairs

Karen VanDerhoof, Vice President of Business and Finance

Dr. Bette M. Simmons, Vice President of Student Development and Enrollment Management

Joseph Vitale, Executive Director for College Advancement and Planning and President of the CCM Foundation

Roger Flahive, Executive Director of Information Systems (CIO)

Thomas Burk, Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations

as of February 2010

County College of Morris FoundationJoseph T. Vitale, President

Jessica Ecker, Director of Development

Board of Directors

William McElroy ’83, Chair

John C. Parry, Jr., Vice Chair

Robert Zajac, Treasurer

Eileen Paragano ’91, Secretary

John Beyel, Esq., Assistant Secretary

Marilyn Ayres

Joseph Bilotti ‘88

Jack M. Farris, Esq.

Carol Fitzpatrick ‘86

Sandra Geiger

Thomas F. Hayes

Allan Iskra, Esq.

Edward Nelson ‘72

Keith C. Riddiford

Brandi Robinson

Everton Scott

Gil Zweig

2 County College of Morris

Messag

e from

the Presid

ent

Our MissionThe County College of Morris’s mission is to

deliver dynamic, challenging, high-quality and accessible academic programs and services

that support the individual’s quest for lifelong learning and professional development.

Our ValuesCommitment to the Academic Mission

of the College

Commitment to Honesty and Integrity

Commitment to Accessibility

Commitment to Diversity

Commitment to People

Since County College of Morris opened its doors in 1968, more than 45,000 graduates – each nurturing his or her own dreams and aspirations – have passed through our halls. During those decades, the plans and actions of many passionate students, administrators and faculty have contributed to CCM’s expansion into one of the finest community colleges in the country.

One important facet of our striving for excellence is our ongoing strategic planning – in academic programs, facilities and operations. The 2011-2014 Strategic Plan established milestones in anticipating student academic needs before and during their time at CCM: increasing integration of our online and in-classroom learning; synchronizing program, technology and facilities planning with budgetary planning cycles; and making the best use of our facilities and outdoor spaces.

The results are better academic preparation for students, the expansion of college programs to meet the demands of today’s job market, more efficient use of technology to save money and ensure a greener campus, and a financially strong institution.

This report presents some of the many accomplishments from our 2011-14 Strategic Plan. These successes reflect the efforts of our trustees, administrators, staff, faculty and community volunteers. Through their dedication, CCM has steadfastly held to the mission of our founders – to be an institution for lifelong learning, and to serve the community by offering an outstanding, affordable education to all.

Dr. Edward J. Yaw President, County College of Morris

“To accomplish great things

we must not only act, but also dream;

not only plan, but also believe.”

— Anatole France

3 Strategic Plan 2011-14

Strengthen Students, Faculty and Staff Emphasize Student Success E

mp

hasi

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tud

ent

Suc

cess Anticipating Academic Needs

A majority of students entering CCM as freshmen require at least one course in remedial math or English. The Early Assessment Program was created to evaluate those skills in high school juniors and seniors headed for college. The program is designed to identify academic weaknesses so secondary school teachers can work with students to bring them up to college level before they graduate. Since the need for remedial support is increasing, it is hoped that over time participating high schools will adjust their curriculum to address trends identified in their students. High schools currently working with CCM on this pilot program include Butler, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Morris Hills, Morris Knolls, Mt. Olive, Randolph and Roxbury.

Strengthening Academic SkillsRemedial math and English courses are essential to the success of the eight out of 10 incoming freshmen at CCM who require pre-college academic support. As part of our Strategic Plan, the college updated its approaches to remedial instruction to enhance student success rates.

In math, CCM conducted a pilot program with Emporium – interactive computer software that students use in computer labs under the guidance of their teachers. The theory behind this approach is that students learn math by doing math. Before this one-semester, self-paced approach was introduced, students placing lowest in pre-testing had to take three courses before taking college-level math. Following the introduction of the Emporium program, student success rates in math rose 30 percentage points, from 29 percent to 59 percent in the pilot classes.

CCM’s English Department also created a developmental writing course, ENG 022, which is designed to be taken in a short timeframe, allowing students to complete the remedial course and a college-credit English course within one semester. Previously, those students were placed into a semester-long, developmental course, putting them behind their classmates. Following the introduction of ENG 022, student success rates in English have risen 20 percentage points, from 68 percent to 88 percent.

80.6% 80.6%85.5%

Incoming Freshmen Requiring One or More

Remedial Courses



Supporting Student SuccessEvery year, out of the approximate 8,600 students who attend CCM, about 7 percent are placed on academic probation after their first year. Project Success was developed to allow those students to succeed. Each student is assigned to a member of the counseling staff and receives a year of support in academics, time management and self-exploration. An individual plan is created to identify the obstacles holding those students back and to develop strategies to overcome them. In the first year the program was initiated, 130 students participated. An impressive 84 percent were taken off probation and remain in good academic standing.

16%(22 students) on academic probation

84%(108 students) taken off academic probation through the Project Success Pilot

Improvement in Student Success with New Remedial Courses

29%

Before

68% Before

Project Success Pilot

Math

Success Rate

English

Success Rate

88%

After59%

After


Strengthen Students, Faculty and Staff Strengthen Students, Faculty and Staff Integrate Planning and Budget Process

Establishing Writing StandardsBecause writing skills are critical for success, CCM’s English department developed a scoring system for composition to be used by both faculty and students to establish writing standards. Faculty members outside the English department use the scoring system as a basis for grading papers assigned in their classes. At the end of English Composition II, students are assigned a research paper. That project is evaluated using the scoring system, and students receive feedback to help them better understand the elements of writing a good research paper. Those components include understanding the audience, mastering the mechanics of writing and developing topics.

Maintaining Teaching ExcellenceTo maintain academic continuity, it is essential for colleges to establish and communicate teaching standards. CCM created two faculty orientation programs – one for full-time faculty and another for adjunct faculty. These programs establish the definition of effective teaching and provide advice on how best to help students learn. With the addition of more than 30 new, full-time faculty in recent years, continuity of teaching excellence is fundamental to maintaining excellence in education. As new generations of teachers enter the ranks and new technologies impact various fields of study, the orientation programs will evolve to remain relevant and challenging.

Evolving Professional StandardsAn important element in professional development is the capacity to reflect on current practices so they can evolve and improve. That is the philosophy behind Course Portfolios, which develop

a sense of self-awareness in the process of how faculty are teaching their students. The Faculty Fellows Program

of CCM’s Center for Teaching Excellence asked instructors to create their own electronic

Course Portfolios showcasing how they teach students, how their methods help

students learn, examples of student work and analyses of the success of their approaches. The practice of creating Course Portfolios is fostering a culture for improved teaching at CCM.

FA

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Str

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Strengthen Students, Faculty and Staff Integrate Planning and Budget Process

Streamlining into

Paperless AttendanceClass attendance is linked to financial aid. Verifying class attendance has long been a hurdle for the roughly 40 percent of CCM students receiving financial assistance. CCM has eliminated the paper system by having faculty directly input attendance into a software program that automatically submits information to the Financial Aid office. The information is received immediately, enabling financial aid for students to be processed more rapidly.

Turning Vision into RealityThe vision of any academic institution rests in its strategic planning. The ability to carry out that plan lies in successful financial planning. To bring the two into alignment, CCM accelerated its four-year strategic planning cycle to be in sync with its two-year budget cycle, ensuring that every strategic planning initiative is referenced in the annual operating budget in a transparent way. This enables the college to more efficiently apply to government and private funding sources in support of specific projects. That, combined with generated income and fundraising campaigns, secures the financial resources for everything CCM needs to grow and prosper – staffing, building and renovation projects, updating technology, maintaining equipment, supplying furniture and more.

37%2009

30%2008

39%2010

40%2011

43%2012

43%2013

Percentage of Enrolled Students Receiving Financial Aid


Integrate P

lanning and

Bud

get P

rocess

Strengthen Students, Faculty and Staff Improve Efficiencies in College Operations

Enhancing Existing FacilitiesStudents have long had lounges throughout the campus to gather, work on projects or just rest between classes. So, when the college identified a need for more open-access computers for students, the most logical places to locate them were the existing student lounges. Renamed Student Technology Lounges, 20 open-access computers were installed in one and 10 in another. These lounges are open all hours of the day and night to accommodate the schedules of working and caregiving students. They are now so popular, the program has expanded to offer 24 more computers in the Health and Physical Education building and 10 in the Student Community Center.

Changing the Course of TimeIn order to grow in the years ahead, CCM must find ways to accommodate more students who cannot attend classes during traditional hours.

By beginning classes at 8 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m., additional courses were added at the end of the day, expanding course offerings and making more efficient use of existing facilities.

Improving Support of Student LearningThe Testing Center, Writing Center and Math Center used to be crowded into one space and the Science Center was located

in a separate area of the campus. But the Testing Center and tutorial centers provide services for completely different groups of students. The Testing Center provides placement testing for incoming students. The Writing, Math and Science Tutorial centers offer support for current students via computer-assisted modules or one-on-one sessions with full-time instructors. To achieve efficiency and effectiveness, the Testing Center was moved into CCM’s newly renovated library and the Math and Writing Centers, along with the Science Center, were consolidated into one space in DeMare Hall, offering a convenient location for students seeking academic support.


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20

10

20

12

20

14

20

11

20

13

$ 128,0

00

$ 61,00

0

$ 119,4

00

$ 81,50

0

$ 40,60

0

Annual Savings from Purchasing Consortium Initiatives

Total Savings = $430,500

Solar Panels8-Month Savings

= $57,022 in

Energy Costs

Finding Strength – and Savings – in NumbersWhen it comes to purchasing, the old cliché of strength in numbers clearly applies. The college enhanced its purchasing power by joining the Middlesex Regional Purchasing Consortium to benefit from volume purchasing. For example, when CCM recently carpeted one area in a building on campus, consortium pricing saved $9,600. Multiply that across all purchasing costs spent in a year and the college is now saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Saving Energy, Saving TreesLook across CCM today and you will see solar panels over several of the parking lots and on the roof of the Student Community Center. The panels generate 3,900,000 kWh annually, representing about 45 percent of the college’s yearly energy usage. In the eight months since the panels began generating electricity in October of 2013, they have saved the college $57,022 in energy costs.

In another move to save cost and paper, the processing and hand-delivery of paper paychecks were eliminated through direct deposits. This not only saved money, but contributed to making the college just a little greener.



Keeping It in the FamilyThe college employs electricians, mechanics and an in-house architect for updating classrooms, maintaining vehicles and more. This enables CCM to improve the functionality and aesthetics of classrooms without having to hire outside contractors. This pays off in time and money. The speed with which projects are finished builds morale across campus. Savings in this area have topped $2.5 million since 2011.

Opening a Box Office OnlineWhat better way to support the arts than with technology? Using digital PayPal services, CCM established an online box office for its dance, music and theatrical productions. Attendees can now purchase tickets online and have them held at the campus box office. This enables the public to purchase tickets at their own convenience without having to stop off at the campus, saving time and making it easier to reserve seats.

Annual Savings Through In-House Maintenance Versus Outside Contractors

Total Savings = $2,539,178

20

1420

13

20

1220

11

$ 483,487

$ 817,138

$ 618,462

$ 620,091



$15

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93

$15

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30

$2

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24

$12

5,0

18 $15

9,8

02

20102011

20122013

2014

Maximize Sources of Revenue

Meeting Workforce DemandThe job market is constantly shifting. In response, CCM continuously reviews its academic programs and develops new offerings to meet student and workforce demands. Among the programs added in the last four years are Computer Science, Culinary Arts and Science, Nutrition and Occupational Therapy.

Sharing Existing FacilitiesCCM is proud of its many state-of-the-art facilities. When they are not in use by the college, they are often rented to other schools. For example, the college’s Aquatic Center is rented to nine area high schools for swim practices and meets. The college also hosts county basketball and soccer tournaments, and its parking lots are often used for local festivals, such as Randolph’s Fourth of July celebration. In addition to high schools and sports leagues, organizations that have rented CCM facilities include the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and the YMCA. During the summer, almost $40,000 annually is generated through CCM’s Titan Sports Camps and Clinics. Another income source is derived from a small facility on campus, which is rented by the Morristown Utility Authority.

Revenue from Renting Existing Facilities to Outside Groups

Total 5-Year Revenue = $802,76711 Strategic Plan 2011-14

Max

imiz

e S

our

ces

Of

Rev

enue

Strengthen Students, Faculty and Staff Improve Use of Technology

Accelerating FundraisingAfter considerable research and

analysis, CCM staff and the County College of Morris Foundation

Board of Directors developed a Long-Term Fundraising Plan. This comprehensive document includes strategies, incremental steps, benchmarks and deadlines for various fundraising efforts.

Studies show that 80 percent of all donations raised nationally

come from individuals. Only 10 percent is donated by corporations

and private foundations. With that analysis in mind, the

CCM Foundation set new goals for fundraising. Currently, the college receives 40 percent of its fundraising from individuals including alumni, faculty/staff, boards and friends. The new goal is to raise that level of individual giving to 50 percent over the four years of the plan, beginning with an active campaign to alumni, friends and parents. The Foundation has also introduced online giving and an easier way to benefit from employer matching funds. Ultimately, the Foundation’s goal is to raise $1 million per year.

Internal

$26,196

Alumni

$34,262

Organizations/Foundations

$151,322

Corporations

$160,764

Boards

$52,815

Friends

$98,625

Current Sources of Giving

Average = $523,984

5%6%

29%

10%

31%

19%

Corporations

$200,000

Friends

$310,000

Organizations/Foundations

$252,000

Boards

$113,000

Alumni

$70,000

Internal

$55,000

Future Sources of Giving

Total = $1,000,000

31%

20%12%

25%

7%5%


Strengthen Students, Faculty and Staff Improve Use of Technology

Digitizing the ClassroomCCM is committed to incorporating the latest technology into the classroom – including the use of iPads as textbooks. Now, in addition to traditional classroom courses, the college has expanded into hybrid (part classroom, part online) and full online courses. These options in learning are particularly convenient to working students and those with family responsibilities. On the faculty side, instructors are being taught how best to redesign their classroom courses for online delivery, incorporating videos and interactive elements that work well in the digital environment.

Helping Financial Aid StudentsIn the past, Financial Aid students could not purchase books or other materials until their aid funds arrived. This often left them behind in their classwork and many never caught up. To remedy the problem, CCM implemented a new point-of-sale computer system in the campus store that tracks financial aid, allowing students to purchase materials from any register and to subtract their book purchases from their financial aid before

it arrives. This enables students to have their books on the first

day of class, boosting their attendance and,

ultimately, their success in the classroom.


Imp

rove U

se of Techno

log

y

Future Planning 2015-18

Good planning is a continuous process of setting goals and measuring results to meet the evolving needs of students and workforce trends. We accomplished many of our goals in the 2011-14 Strategic Plan and because many of those goals remain important, they have been incorporated into the 2015-18 planning cycle.

Emphasizing Student Success and College CompletionOur objective is to have as many of our students successfully complete their course of studies as possible. To accomplish that objective, our goals are improved success rates in gateway and capstone courses and working with area high schools to offer developmental education courses to improve college readiness.

Strengthen Student, Faculty and Staff LearningWhile our goals over the next four years include improving the success rates of our students, we will also continue to promote faculty and staff development to improve teaching and services to students.

Integrate Planning and the Budget ProcessWe will assure that our 2015-18 Strategic Plan is aligned with CCM’s Mission and Values, while also aligning it with our budgeting timeline – directing resources to the priority areas of the plan.

Improve Efficiencies and Quality of College OperationsKey areas include making more efficient use of our facilities; continuing to take advantage of cost-saving consortium purchasing; and hiring, training and retaining highly-qualified faculty and staff.

Maximize Sources of RevenueOur goals over the next four years include executing a strategic fundraising plan to significantly increase gifts to the college and investigating the feasibility of new academic programs, both credit and non-credit.

Improve the Use of TechnologyWe will continue to create a paperless environment at CCM – both in academics and in operations. This will include the elimination of paper files in most college operations and reduced textbook costs by utilizing online resources.

Student Success and

College Completion

Student, Faculty

and Staff

Planningand Budget Revenue

Technology

College Operations

Student Success and

College Completion

Student, Faculty

and Staff


Technology

College Operations


Fut

ure

Pla

nnin

g 2

015-

18

Student Success and

College Completion

Student, Faculty

and Staff


Technology

College Operations

214 Center Grove Road, Randolph, NJ 07869

www.ccm.edu

Strategic Plan 2011-14

Documents

Transcript of Strategic Plan 2011-14