Wayne Community College - SACS Website - Comprehensive Standards 3.4.2

Comprehensive Standard 3.4.2: Continuing Education, Outreach, and Service Programs

The institution's continuing education, outreach, and service programs are consistent with the institution's mission.

Judgment of Compliance: The College certifies COMPLIANCE.

Narrative:

As stated in the WCC General Catalog 2004-2005, the mission of Wayne Community College is to serve "individuals, business and industry, and other organizations with quality, economical, and convenient learning opportunities." The Continuing Education and Workforce Preparedness Division supports this mission by providing life-long learning experiences and offering planned instructional responses to identified needs of targeted audiences (North Carolina Administrative Code 2E.0305). The division provides these learning experiences through five different departments, each with its own mission.

Table 1 Departments and Missions of the Continuing Education
and Workforce Preparedness Division

Department	Mission
Basic Skills	To assist adults to become literate and to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency, to assist adults who are parents to obtain the education skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children, and to assist adults in the completion of a secondary school education.
HRD Human Resources Development	To develop basic workplace skills by providing skills assessment services, employability skills training, and career development and by providing counseling to unemployed and underemployed adults.
Occupational Extension	To train individuals for new employment opportunities and to upgrade skills to meet new and changing job requirements and to meet certification, recertification, or continuing education requirements.
Community Service	To provide courses, seminars, and activities that contribute to the community's overall cultural, civic, and intellectual growth and to assist adults in the development of new personal or leisure skills or the upgrading of existing ones.
Business & Industry Small Business Center	To help the many small businesses within the service area survive, prosper, and contribute to the economic well being of the community and the state.

Quality Learning Opportunities

To assure the quality of its learning opportunities and instructors, the Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Preparedness uses four different indicators:

Instructor qualifications
Evaluation of course and instructor by students
Course outlines
Common Course Library

When employing instructors, Wayne Community College uses the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Comprehensive Standard 3.7.1 to determine instructional qualifications. Following this guideline, the division determines acceptable qualifications through primary consideration of the highest earned degree in the discipline. Also considered are competence, effectiveness, and capacity, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, related work experiences in the field, professional licensure and certifications, honors and awards, any documentation of excellence in teaching, and any other documents that demonstrate competence. Departmental directors complete the Continuing Education Division's Evidence of Competency Form prior to employing prospective instructors, thus ensuring that qualified instructors are employed.

The second indicator that the Continuing Education Division uses to monitor the quality of its learning experiences is a two-part evaluation instrument. The Student Course and Instructor Evaluation document provides students with an avenue to express their opinions concerning the quality of the course and their opinions of the instructor's effectiveness as a teacher. Evaluations are completed at the end of each course and delivered to the division office for tallying. Results of these tallies show a 98.91% approval in the top two categories using a Likert scale. Each evaluation compilation is reviewed by the appropriate departmental director and shared with the instructor. Results are filed in the instructor's personnel file for six months before being destroyed.

Table 2 Course Evaluations for Basic Skills, HRD, Occupational
Extension, and Community Service

BASIC SKILLS	YES	NO
1. Objectives were presented clearly and easily understood	56
2. Objectives were achieved	55	1
3. Satisfied with the materials	63	2
4. Course was well planned and organized	65

HRD	YES	NO
1. Objectives were presented clearly and easily understood	58
2. Objectives were achieved	58
3. Satisfied with the materials	58
4. Course was well planned and organized	58

OCCUPATIONAL EXTENSION	YES	NO
1. Objectives were presented clearly and easily understood	36
2. Objectives were achieved	36
3. Satisfied with the materials	36
4. Course was well planned and organized	36

COMMUNITY SERVICE	YES	NO
1. Objectives were presented clearly and easily understood	38
2. Objectives were achieved	38	1
3. Satisfied with the materials	38	2
4. Course was well planned and organized	38

OVERALL COURSE RATING	Fair		Good	Very Good
	1	2	3	4	5
BASIC SKILLS		1	5	11	47
HRD			1	4	53
OCCUPATIONAL EXTENSION			1	3	32
COMMUNITY SERVICE				6	32

The Business and Industry Department also evaluates but employs a different instrument to collect data for its short seminars as opposed to courses that are conducted over an entire semester. While a different instrument is used, a Likert scale is employed, and the same procedure is followed as with all other departments. Seminars received a satisfactory ranking of 97% from participating students.

Table 3 Course Evaluations for Business and Industry

	YES	NO
1. The presenter was knowledgeable and professional	57
2. The program content was appropriate	55	1
3. The program materials were appropriate	42
4. The time was well planned	49	1
5. The facilities were clean and appropriate	57

OVERALL COURSE RATING	Fair		Good	Very Good
	1	2	3	4	5
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY		3	7	16	29

The second part of the evaluation process provides students the opportunity to evaluate the instructor(s). Students respond yes or no to five items and the provide an overall ranking of the instructor(s), using the Likert scale. Overall, 94% of the instructors received the highest two marks.

Table 4 Instructor Evaluations for Basic Skills, HRD, Occupational
Extension, and Community Service

BASIC SKILLS	YES	NO
1. Presented the material in an organized way	64	1
2. Uses illustrations and explanations that are clear and understandable	62	3
3. Speaks clearly and distinctly	65
4. Demonstrates enthusiasm in teaching	64	1
5. Encourages student to participate with questions and comments	62	3

HRD	YES	NO
1. Presented the material in an organized way	58
2. Uses illustrations and explanations that are clear and understandable	58
3. Speaks clearly and distinctly	58
4. Demonstrates enthusiasm in teaching	58
5. Encourages student to participate with questions and comments	57	1

OCCUPATIONAL EXTENSION	YES	NO
1. Presented the material in an organized way	35
2. Uses illustrations and explanations that are clear and understandable	35
3. Speaks clearly and distinctly	35
4. Demonstrates enthusiasm in teaching	35
5. Encourages student to participate with questions and comments	35

COMMUNITY SERVICE	YES	NO
1. Presented the material in an organized way	38
2. Uses illustrations and explanations that are clear and understandable	38
3. Speaks clearly and distinctly	38
4. Demonstrates enthusiasm in teaching	38
5. Encourages student to participate with questions and comments	38

OVERALL COURSE RATING	Fair		Good	Very Good
	1	2	3	4	5
BASIC SKILLS	1		2	11	50
HRD				2	56
OCCUPATIONAL EXTENSION			1	1	33
COMMUNITY SERVICE			2	3	33

Business and Industry again makes use of a different evaluation for seminars. However, the results mirror those of the other departments, with a 97% satisfaction rating by participants. Through evaluation, review, and then sharing the results with faculty, the division's Vice President consistently monitors and maintains the quality of courses and instructors.

To assure quality and consistency in courses and in accordance with North Carolina Administrative Code 23, the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) adopted a standardized outline format to address the approved Accountability and Credibility Plan. The division follows the outline format provided in NCCCS Continuing Education Guidelines, Appendix A. The following twelve elements are required in the course outline:

1. Course title
2. Course learning objectives
3. Course description
4. Course length
5. Outline
6. Continuing Education Units (CEU's)
7. Pre-requisites
8. Textbook(s) required
9. Supplies or other requirements
10. Evaluation methodology
11. Grading and minimum passing criteria
12. Attendance requirements

Departmental directors submit an outline for each course(s) being offered through the division. Since the NCCS revised the guidelines in October 2003, the division is currently reviewing course outlines to assure adherence to the new guidelines. All of the information in the outline is a part of the course syllabus that is given to the students at the first class meeting. The syllabus provides details about the course to ensure that the students are aware of the specifics of the course.

Another indicator to ensure quality of learning opportunities is the statewide system of an approved bank of courses known as the Common Course Library (Link requires internet connection.) (CCL). The NCCCS maintains this library electronically, and the division may select courses from the library or submit new courses for approval.

Since August 2002, Wayne Community College has been the pilot school for the development of a new computerized information system known as the North Carolina Community College Administrative Information System. Working with the state's System Office, the division is an active partner in this development of the new College Information System (CIS). The division no longer uses the Common Course Library but has switched to the new Combined Course Library found in the new CIS. The new Combined Course Library is similar to the old Common Course Library but has some added features. Directors seeking to offer a new course must still research a master course list to determine if it is in the bank of approved courses. If, however, the course (now referred to as a section) is not found in the Combined Course Library, the new CIS has developed an improved electronic approval process. The Vice President of Continuing Education and Workforce Preparedness has been a dominant force in the development of the new CIS and maintains copies of the new procedures in his office. These procedures are not linked for viewing since they are currently under development and are subject to revision.

The Division assures a quality instructional staff and quality course offerings as outlined in 3.7.1 by maintaining a consistent evaluation procedure, updating course outlines, and using an established statewide course selection system.

Economical Learning Opportunities

While the cost of a course must not represent a barrier to students achieving life-long goals or upgrading skills, it must still be maintained at a level that is economically feasible. Several departments in the Continuing Education and Workforce Preparedness Division do not have registration fees; some have exemption policies, and the remaining follow an established, approved scale. The occupational sliding scale and the registration fee requirements for each department within the division are established by the State Board of the North Carolina Community System (NCCCS) through the authority of NCGS 115D-5 and in accordance with North Carolina Administrative Code 23 2D.0204.

Table 5 Occupational Sliding Scale for Fee Payments

1 to 10 hours	$50.00
11 to 30 hours	$55.00
31 to 100 hours	$60.00
100 or more hours	$65.00

Table 6 Registration Fees per Department

Department	Cost
Basic Skills	No Charge
HRD	*Sliding scale
Occupational Certification Recertification	Sliding scale * Exempt ** Exempt
Community Service Self Supporting Grant Support	No Exemptions – Cost varies with course
Business and Industry Small Business Center Focus Industry Training New and Expanding Industry Training	No Charge Sliding scale No Charge

* Free to senior citizens ** Fire Service, Law Enforcement, and EMS exempt for certification or recertification

In addition to registration fees, students have other costs such as books, supplies, and insurance. The director monitors these costs closely to ensure extraneous expenses do not deter students.

Convenient Learning Opportunities

Providing convenient learning opportunities is one of the goals of the Continuing Education and Workforce Preparedness Division. Between July 1, 2001, and June 30, 2003, the division conducted 4,649 classes and enrolled 68,716 students. Courses and seminars were offered on campus and at locations throughout the Wayne County service area. These were on various days of the week and on weekends; starting times began as early as 8:00 am and as late as 7:00 pm.

Table 7 Number of Classes and Enrollment by Department

	Basic Skills	HRD	Occupational Extension	Business and Industry	Community Service	Totals
Classes	1,285	271	2,553	181	359	4,649
Enrollment	24,465	3,349	32,519	3,928	4,455	68,716
Average students per class	19.04	12.35	12.78	21.7	11.09	14.68

BASIC SKILLS PROGRAM The Basic Skills program responds directly to the college's mission to "develop basic learning skills in all students." Each student in this program has documented goals, and 93% of students show growth through their mastery of employment skills or passing either post-tests or a GED unit test. This percentage exceeds national standards of 60% as well as state standards of 75%.

Performance is also measured through comparison with other community colleges, which have similar offerings and student population. According to the 2001-2003 Critical Success Factors for the North Carolina Community College System, WCC Basic Skills compares well with Basic Skills at five similar community colleges in North Carolina: Alamance, Johnston, Sandhills, Vance-Granville, and Surry. WCC consistently out-performs or nearly out-performs these colleges during the three-year period and exceeds state standards by approximately 14%.

Table 8 Comparison of WCC Basic Skills to Similar Programs

Year	College	Complete a Level or Goal	Progressing Same Level	Exit Non- Completers	Moved to a Higher Level	Composite

2001	Alamance	15%	71%	7%	7%	93%
	Johnston	10%	56%	32%	2%	68%
	Sandhills	8%	53%	21%	18%	79%
	Vance-Granville	15%	38%	25%	21%	75%
	Surry	12%	41%	27%	21%	73%
	Wayne	20%	45%	6%	29%	94%

2002	Alamance	13%	60%	12%	15%	88%
	Johnston	11%	49%	27%	13%	73%
	Sandhills	6%	49%	24%	21%	76%
	Vance-Granville	14%	31%	19%	35%	81%
	Surry	11%	41%	25%	23%	75%
	Wayne	19%	53%	7%	21%	93%

2003	Alamance	9%	62%	10%	19%	90%
	Johnston	9%	55%	24%	12%	76%
	Sandhills	6%	51%	23%	20%	77%
	Vance-Granville	17%	46%	23%	15%	77%
	Surry	8%	47%	25%	20%	75%
	Wayne	21%	51%	11%	17%	89%

HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The Human Resources Development Program (HRD) conducts short-term training programs for unemployed/underemployed individuals and supports the college's mission to "develop both personal and marketable skills in all students." Training involves orientation to the world of work, motivational techniques, personal improvements, attitudes, and job seeking skills. In August 2001, for example, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base requested training through HRD for fifteen inmates housed in the base federal prison camp.

Between 2001 and 2003, HRD classes increased by more than 300%. The number of students enrolling for training during these academic years increased by more than 400%. This growing demand for pre-employment training is reflected in the HRD offerings in the WCC 2004 Fall Schedule of Courses.

Table 9 Number of Classes and Enrollment for HRD

	2001	2002	2003	Total
Classes	31	113	127	271
Enrollments	296	1,446	1,607	3,349

OCCUPATIONAL EXTENSION The largest department in the Continuing Education and Workforce Preparedness Division is Occupational Extension. Over 2,553 Occupational Extension classes enrolled 32,519 students between 2001 and 2003. The course offerings within this program relate to the college's mission:

"Develop both personal and marketable skills in all students.
Increase global and cultural awareness of students and community.
Provide for the training needs of local business and industry. . . ."

As it works to meet local training needs, a tremendous responsibility for Occupational Extension is to provide trained and qualified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) for the service area. The recent move by the county from volunteer to employed EMT services has prompted an even greater challenge to provide trained technicians. The passing rate of WCC's EMT program in 2000 was 61%. Through the efforts of the Occupational Extension program, the passing rate has risen 18 points over the last three years to 79%. This rate surpasses the North Carolina Community College System standard of 70%.

Table 10 EMT Passing Rate

Year	Number Tested	Percentage Passing
2000	51	61%
2001	43	67%
2002	61	74%
2003	38	79%

One of Occupational Extension's most exciting challenges has been in meeting the demands of a rapidly growing Hispanic community. Since 1990, Wayne County has experienced an increase of over 482% in the Hispanic population. As demonstrated in the WCC 2004 Fall Schedule of Courses, courses specifically for Spanish speaking students are now being offered. In the academic years 2001 – 2003, Basic Skills enrolled 2,148 students for which English was the second language. At the same time, the division also realized that such an increase in the Hispanic population would impact existing businesses, industries, and services within the county. To meet this challenge, Occupational Extension prepared work-related Spanish classes for English speaking students who would be dealing with non-English speaking clients. The major focus of these classes was reducing communication barriers and preparing employees to better interact with Hispanic clients. Exploring cultural diversity and acquiring basic skills in communication allowed businesses and agencies to provide quality services to an identified audience. As a result, clients received needed services, and service providers were able to expand job markets. Classes specifically targeted providers in the medical professions and public school units, as well as banking, childcare, sales and services, and construction industries.

Another program that Occupational Extension has become involved in is North Carolina Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning (NC REAL). This non-profit organization is dedicated to encouraging entrepreneurship and helping to start small businesses in North Carolina. While the intended clients were originally English speaking students, Occupational Extension, recognizing a potential within the Hispanic community, invested over two years in translating the qualifying guidelines so Hispanic students could also participate in the NC REAL program. Once the translation had been completed, facilitators could be taught the integral parts of the NC Real program and go on to train their instructional staff. Once instructors were competent to present the program, facilitators provided assistance to instructors in various activities required of the program and in securing experts to speak on various topics. Within the program there are many aspects of entrepreneurship, but the ultimate program goal is to complete a business plan. This business plan allows a student to approach a financial institution and hopefully qualify for a bank loan so as to start a small business. Several Hispanic students have achieved the goal of the program, approached financial institutions, acquired loans, and currently appear to be successful in their small business enterprises.

Supporting the college's mission to increase global and cultural awareness and provide for local training needs, the Small Business Center offered over 180 courses from 2001 – 2003. The Director of the Small Business Center has additionally completed the North Carolina REAL facilitator training to allow Hispanic clients to take advantage of seminars offered through the Small Business Center.

The courses offered through Occupational Extension allow the citizens in Wayne County to participate in life-long learning opportunities, upgrade work skills, develop new skills, or pursue work-related training. The College installed computer labs in the Dudley and Mount Olive communities during 2001-02 to allow additional learning opportunities, provide greater accessibility, and prevent the additional expense of travel to a Goldsboro facility. Wayne County employers can add to productivity with better-trained employees, and their employees can improve job satisfaction as they acquire, develop, or upgrade skills.

The Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Preparedness has also developed a partnership with Cisco Systems in training individuals in careers as network technicians, engineers, administrators, and helpdesk staff. Students are admitted to a series of courses, taught in English or Spanish, which prepare them to take an exam leading to Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). While employment is not guaranteed, students locate jobs quickly through Cisco Systems' web site with an added benefit for those with bilingual capabilities. As an example of job opportunities for CCNAs within Cisco Systems, at the time of this report, over nineteen hundred (1,900) openings existed.

Table 11 Number of Classes and Enrollment for Occupational Extension

	2001	2002	2003	Totals
Classes	823	874	856	2,553
Enrollments	11,081	10,612	10,826	32,519

COMMUNITY SERVICE. As part of its mission, Wayne Community College "strives to enhance the quality of life in the community." The Community Services department strives to provide lifelong learning by contributing to the community's overall cultural, civic, and intellectual growth. Courses are presented through two venues: self-supporting or community services. Students in self-supporting courses pay for the cost of the instructor. In contrast, community service classes are supported through grant monies, are free to seniors, and focus on the arts and life enrichment topics. Community service classes cover a wide diversity of subjects including painting, photography, defensive driving, home maintenance, consumer education, dog obedience, sewing, and taxidermy.

Increasing cultural awareness within the service area is also an important goal for the Community Services area. In 2002 an International Reception was held for citizens within Wayne County to bring the many different cultures within the county under one roof and to demonstrate the resources available at the college for individuals whose primary language is not English. Individuals attending represented approximately nineteen different countries. The largest number of people spoke Spanish. Other native languages included French, Italian, Arabian, Bosnian, Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and German. This successful reception demonstrated avenues for this audience to gain employment skills, improve proficiency of current skills, or acquire skills for better employment. The reception made people aware that the college not only offers courses delivered in Spanish but also in Japanese, Chinese, and Bosnian. Courses were highlighted, but the constituents were also informed of the practical skills that could be acquired, such as the ability to get a North Carolina driver's license by studying books written in their native language. Coordination with North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles allows students without adequate command of English to acquire their North Carolina Drivers license, therefore removing the barrier of transportation in acquiring gainful employment.

Another cultural event was conducted in 2002 in coordination with the Wayne County Public School System and Wayne County Arts Council. This event featured a South American band performing music from the South American culture. An afternoon concert brought over four hundred high school students with an evening concert attracting an overflow attendance resulting in standing room only.

Table 12 Numbers of Classes and Enrollment for Community Services

	2001	2002	2003	Totals
Classes	120	113	126	359
Enrollments	1,448	1,488	1,519	4,455

Business and Industry/Small Business Center. The last program under the direction of the Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Preparedness is the Business and Industry Center/Small Business Center (SBC). Its mission is to increase the success rate and number of small businesses within Wayne County. This mission reflects the college's mission to provide for the training needs of local business and industry. The SBC offers educational programs, consulting services, and specialized training to owners of small businesses and those who would be owners.

Table 13 Number of Classes and Enrollment for Business and Industry

	2001	2002	2003	Totals
Classes	65	57	59	181
Enrollments	1,464	1,277	1,187	3,928

In addition to the educational aspect of the program, an active counseling component is available to offer personalized help to clients. From 2001-2003, 428 clients from various types of business operations took advantage of this service. As might be expected, clients operating their own businesses used this service in greater numbers. The different categories of business and their frequency in using the counseling service provided are presented in Table 14.

Table 14 Small Business Center Counseling Services

Types of Businesses	2001	2002	2003
Corporations	24	25	15
Partnerships	21	27	20
Sole Proprietorships	84	87	98
Other	6	9	12
Totals	135	148	145

In June 2004 the college, through the efforts of the SBC, hosted the county's first Small Business Vendor Fair and Seminars. This fair was open to all small businesses making or distributing products and services that could be purchased by military bases in North Carolina. The goal of the event was to provide an opportunity for these small vendors to understand how to participate in more than 57 million dollars available for small business contracts. Approximately 730 people attended, representing 43 local small businesses plus other North Carolina-based small businesses. Vendors displayed their products for 300 military purchasers from two military bases located within the state. Additionally, three seminars attracted 87 participants who were also attending the vendor fair.

Planning

Planning is an integral and vital part of the educational process within the division. The division endorses and actively participates in the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) program. This process ensures the division meets current and expected demands of the service area, assures connection to the mission of the college, provides an avenue for budgeting, and allows for an effective evaluation method. In the last several years, the division has written a number of planning objectives that have resulted in positive improvements for the division.

Table 15 Sample WCC Planning Documents

College Unit/ Department	Planning Objective	Action(s) Taken	Outcome/ Improvements
Human Resource and Development	Short Range Goal #7.3 Expand the college's role in meeting community needs	To provide HRD training to the inmate population at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Federal Prison Camp to prepare them to be released from prison	Fifteen students passed the 80- hour course and acquired job- seeking skills prior to being released.
Occupational Extension	Short Range Goal #2.1 Improve current educational programs through continuous planning and evaluation	Provide "Response to Terrorism" training to EMS, Fire Service, and Law Enforcement officers	Five hundred and fifty students completed training in response to terrorism.
Occupational Extension	Short Range Goal #2.3 Increase educational and training opportunities for displaced workers, current workers, and new entrants into the workforce	Expand Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Training (DART), a new occupational extension program at Cherry Hospital, to prepare students to re-enter the workplace.	Six CBI (Cognitive Behavior Intervention) classes were held with 99% of the students successfully completing the program. No follow up was permitted due to release.
Occupational Extension	Short Range Goal #2.3 Increase educational and training opportunities for displaced workers, current workers, and new entrants into the workforce	Expand occupational extension computer network and basic application courses.	Forty-five additional computers were installed in three off-campus locations, expanding training opportunities.
Occupational Extension	Short Range Goal #9.2 Incorporate the tenets of cultural diversity in the instructional programs of the college	Expand key occupational extension programs that exist on campus to prepare students for entry-level employment. Primary focus is on the Hispanics who do not speak English well enough to succeed in traditional classes.	Three vocational courses were opened, resulting in seventeen Hispanics being employed and four being promoted to team leaders within their companies
Business and Industry Center Small Business Center	Short Range Goal # 9.1 Identify and serve populations under represented in Wayne Community College programs	Train non-Spanish speaking medical office staff in practical, learner-friendly survival Spanish skills as requested by local physicians, hospital personnel, and industrial nurses.	Twenty-one students were trained to communicate with Hispanic patients, thus providing better access to care.

Summary:

The college appoints a Vice President for the Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Preparedness to supervise activities within the division. Through his oversight, the division maintains a focus on quality instruction, accessibility and appropriateness of courses, utilization of the most current technology possible, and awareness of future trends. The Vice President coordinates each educational unit's efforts through directors to meet the training needs for the citizens of Wayne County. Through its many and varied programs, the division is an integral part of the college's community as well as an integral educational entity serving Wayne County. The Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Preparedness consistently provides quality, economical, and convenient learning opportunities to the assigned service area.