Core Component 5A:
The organization learns from the constituencies
it serves and analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and expectations.
The development of our mission was influenced by our understanding of the role of public education, which from the beginning was to educate citizens to be participants in a democracy. Thus, civic engagement and service to the community, including service learning is rooted in our administration, programs, and curriculum. Through our membership in MnSCU and our affiliation with agencies, boards, and community groups, we engage in a continuous dialogue with our constituents and respond to changing demographics and emerging needs.
St. Cloud State University faculty, staff, and students serve constituencies from the university neighborhood, City of St. Cloud, Midwest region, United States, as well as global locations. Recipients of services vary in age from infants, preschoolers, elementary and secondary school students, college students, workers, retirees, and senior citizens.
The American Democracy Project
St. Cloud State University has an embedded culture of service driven by personnel resources. These activities and relationships are continually expanding and increasing as more underserved populations and needs come to the attention of university faculty, staff, and students. One example of many new initiatives is the American Democracy Project (ADP), which involves participation in civic engagement, service learning, and co-curricular work on-campus and with other communities. The ADP is a national project, sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) in collaboration with The New York Times, which provides opportunities for St. Cloud State University students to engage in activities and projects designed to increase the number of undergraduate students committed to meaningful civic action. The relationship of ADP to other university organizations and agencies is an example of a coordinated effort to directly relate civic engagement, service learning, and our Democratic Citizenship core courses. The goals of the American Democracy Project clearly reflect our mission and Strategic Plan. Examples of activities include a university-wide effort to register students to vote, Constitution Day events and speakers, and a regular New York Times reading group on campus, the purpose of which is to encourage students’ involvement in discussing issues of regional, national, and international concern. A team of faculty and administration members is working to implement and expand ADP activities and service learning opportunities on the St. Cloud State University campus.
Through our affiliation with the American Democracy Project, we are developing a clearer vision of how we serve our constituents based on an analysis of campus capacity and conversations with other institutions that have defined themselves specifically in terms of service to their community. St. Cloud State University held an ADP regional conference in 2002, and teams from the university have attended regional and national conferences in order to compare programs and university missions. In 2003, the faculty and administrators working with the ADP project conducted an on-campus survey to collect data about campus interest, existing programs, and the resources dedicated to service and engagement. The data collected is still being considered, and the Service Learning Advisory Committee was established, in part, because the data indicated a need for further coordination of service learning and civic engagement activities. (Survey Results available in the Resource Room.) Finally, faculty and administrators have also collaborated through workshops offered by Campus Compact to analyze our programs and current efforts. The most recent workshop was held in the summer 2006. (Minutes available in the Resource Room.)
External Feedback Sources
The university engages in continual interaction with students and alumni to assess their needs and expectations. Most departments, programs, and student service units have advisory boards or committees comprised of professionals in the field who provide a conduit of information regarding needs for service, program improvement, and curriculum relevance. In the College of Business, the college level Advisory Board meets twice a year and offers continuous feedback on program and course development as well as being integral to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation process. The College of Education, as part of the NCATE and Minnesota Board of Teaching accreditation process, interacts with advisory boards for all 34 programs.
As mentioned earlier, St. Cloud State University also recently established a university-wide Service Learning Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from community nonprofit organizations. Likewise, many departments and units belong to and are active in academic and professional organizations that have direct contact with some of the university’s constituencies.
Along with public and private organizations, St. Cloud State University communicates with the higher education academy at large. University faculty and staff serve on system-wide committees that provide information on broader trends throughout the State. For example, one faculty member and one administrator serve on the MnSCU Graduate Council, which oversees graduate education for the system. This year the council, chaired by its St. Cloud State University faculty representative, deliberated on policies and overarching approaches to the introduction of the applied doctoral degrees authorized by recently enacted state law. Also, the President is a member of the MnSCU Leadership Council and the Provost serves on the Vice Chancellor’s Academic and Student Affairs Advisory Committee.
Within our university system, faculty, staff, and administrators who have direct relationships with external constituents report to an administrative council and recommend programming and changes accordingly. These councils include the University Council, the President’s Council, Academic Affairs Council, and the Deans’ Advisory Councils. In this way, there is a chain of communication starting with department meetings and continuing through the President’s Council.
Our faculty are active in responding to community needs and programs are often developed in cooperation with community stakeholders. Examples of our collaboration include the nursing program, the M.S. in Regulatory Affairs and Services, the M.B.A at Maple Grove, and the teacher education and administrative licensure programs at North Branch. In each case, the university conducted a needs assessment in relation to community recommendations and developed programs in relationship to the analysis. (See examples in Resource Room)
The President recently initiated a web-based feedback form whereby students are able to communicate directly to the President about concerns or issues related to their education. If a concern is raised by a student, that information is funneled to appropriate campus units for a timely response. St. Cloud State University also administers an annual graduation follow-up report and an alumni survey that has been discussed and documented earlier in the report. (See Criterion 3)
To connect with parents and family members of students living in residential halls, Student Life and Development (SLD) sends a monthly postcard focused on information that is timely and of importance as well as conversation topics that could be used with their son or daughter. For example, topics include safety, alcohol and drug use, campus involvement and building of community, friendships, and relationships with members of the university community including faculty. SLD has also initiated a continuous feedback process referred to as “The Loop”, a publication mailed to parents and family members of students living in the residence halls. “The Loop” serves as a parent’s guide to student success. The publication provides tips and strategies on being a parent of a college student, as well as a monthly calendar with information on common student stressors and campus events. (Document available in Resource Room)
Data Results
The university gathers feedback on how we are valued from its constituencies in a number of ways. As described earlier, advisory boards are asked for feedback, both on the quality of our graduates as well as the relevancy of the curriculum. St. Cloud State University employs numerous survey tools to gather student opinions, including ACT, student engagement data (NSSE), Career Services employment follow-up studies, Write Place satisfaction surveys, library and technology satisfaction surveys, and campus morale surveys. In addition, Student Life and Development (SLD) administers surveys at events to solicit feedback on the quality and utility of those programs and regularly uses the information to make improvements and plan future programs. St. Cloud State University also surveys alumni regarding the quality of their education and factors that contributed to their satisfaction with St. Cloud State University.
For the last several years, St. Cloud State University departments and units have used appropriate NSSE survey data to determine areas of focus in their programs. For instance, the Career Services Center (CSC) selected five NSSE questions to emphasize during the 2005-06 academic year, and the results of the 2006 NSSE survey will be used to determine if their seminars, job fairs, and on-campus interviews made a difference in student perceptions. The CSC also compared data from the 2005 and 2003 surveys to determine if changes had occurred in students' perceptions. As a result of the data analysis, CSC discovered that its efforts to improve student etiquette at social events and overall interview skills had been successful. In addition, the center provides survey data about St. Cloud State University graduates, including information regarding hiring, employers, and the employment status by major programs. These efforts represent some of the ongoing efforts to use data to learn from our constituencies and to use that data to drive decision-making to better serve and meet the needs of our constituents.
Evaluation of Core Component 5A
Strengths:
St. Cloud State University uses formal and informal structures to learn from
constituencies and continually analyze their role and capacity in meeting
the changing needs and expectations. Formal structures are in place
to enable the university to continually learn from the constituencies we
serve and to respond appropriately with the programs and services needed. The
accreditation structure mandating ongoing feedback and continuous engagement
forms the foundation of our efforts. The university committee structure
also assists in communicating and analyzing data collected.
Initiatives in Progress: The American Democracy Project provides a formal structure for the campus community to become actively involved in civic engagement, service learning, and co-curricular work within our own campus as well as other communities. The recent creation of the Service Learning Advisory Committee, which includes faculty, staff, and administration from a variety of university offices and units, is also an example of a renewed effort to coordinate and organize civic engagement and service learning. Finally, the use of data through the analysis of feedback from advisory boards, employer surveys, and other data collection efforts has provided important information for our planning processes.
Future Challenges: At the same time, we recognize the need for further coordination of information and analysis that will ensure better access and service to our constituencies. We can be more deliberate about our collection and analysis of data and information gained from our relationships with external constituencies and provide a more systematic approach to the analysis and use of the information available to us. St. Cloud State University has increased resources for long-term investment in service and engagement and we want to build on our renewed awareness of the central role of service and civic engagement in our public institution. Identified goals include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Provide for further campus-wide data collection and analysis of engagement and service to inform the planning processes across campus.
- Share more fully our relationships with employers, organizations, and K-12 schools inside and outside of Minnesota.
- Maintain our investment in memberships to critical professional organizations.
- Continue to build on the culture of service through national and international programs such as the American Democracy Project.
