Victor Valley College - Community Focus Groups - Education Master Plan 2012

Victor Valley College Office of Institutional Effectiveness :: Fall 2012

Taking the Educational Master Plan to the Streets

Community Focus Groups 2012


EMP Next Step > Community Focus Groups

What do community members think of the game

plan so far?

Where do we go

next?

Take the EMP to the High Desert streets…

Where have we been?

Where are we now?


Focus Groups > Where were they held?

Apple Valley Chamber Office Apple Valley High School AVUSD Offices Citizen's Business Bank Desert Valley Hospital Excelsior High School Hesperia Chamber Office Residence in Hesperia Hispanic Chamber Lucerne Valley Community Center Marriott Courtyard, Sherman Oaks Phelan Community Center Shear Realty, Spring Valley Lake VV African-American Chamber Victorville Chamber of Commerce Victorville City Hall Victor Valley College

18 locations across the region


▪ 27 sessions over 15 days (9/13/2012 to 10/3/2012)

▪ 170 participants

▪ 24 years average High Desert residency

▪ 18 years average time worked in the High Desert

▪ First "extended stay" in the High Desert ranging from 1945 to 2012

▪ Multiple sectors represented (duplicated counts)

Participants > Who are they?

Faith-Based Org

VVC Student

Government

Community-Based Org

Other

VVC Employee

Business/Industry

Education

10

17

19

22

24

40

57

58


▪ Participants’ interactions with VVC range from being graduates or students, attending cultural events and/or participating in meetings on the campus

▪ Only 2 of 170 participants indicated never having any interactions with VVC

▪ Participants represent a robust cross-section of High Desert residents capable of providing valuable perspective and insight into VVC’s past and future

Participants > Who are they?


Protocol > What did you do?

Developed systematic focus group protocol

Trained group of volunteers from among VVC workforce to facilitate

PIO & VVCF arranged groups across the region

Facilitators deployed protocol with groups of 4 to 8 community members

1 to 2 hour discussions gathering feedback on VVC goals, priorities, and public image


Feedback > What did you learn?

VVC is perceived as very important to the community and to participants personally

There is general support for the goals set by the Board of Trustees, albeit with valuable constructive criticism

Opportunities exist to improve perceptions about VVC’s fiscal responsibility and service to students

Educational quality is perceived to be positive

Broad support is found for the strategic directions set forth in the Educational Master Plan—in fact…


Feedback > What did you learn? All 7 of the Strategic Priorities identified in EMP

2012 are perceived as worthy of “Top 3” status in the eyes of our community members—with the most popular priorities related to

Increasing student access (SP1)Responsible development of new programs (SP3)Collaborating with community partners (SP5)


Feedback > Strategic Priorities

SP1 - Meet the needs of

all students through a

variety of scheduling

options, class locations,

service delivery methods,

and universal access to

programs and services.

61%

27%

21%

12%

39%



SP2 - Expand the use of

technology to improve

instructional programs,

student support services,

and campus support

operations.

29%

4%

12%

13%

71%



SP3 - Develop innovative

education and training

programs guided by

market demand and

available institutional

assets and resources.

52%19%

15%18%48%



SP4 - Improve

institutional performance

on measures of student

success, institutional

effectiveness, and fiscal

responsibility.

42%9%

17%15%58%



SP5 - Collaborate with

regional K-12 schools,

business partners, and

community-based

organizations to improve

college and career

readiness of High Desert

students.

48%21%

15%12%52%



SP6 - Provide consistent,

high quality customer

service to empower

students, community

members, and fellow

employees throughout

the campus.

26%6%

8%12%74%



SP7 - Foster an inclusive

campus climate where all

are welcomed, respected,

and valued.

19%7%

4%8%81%


Feedback > Summary

Strategic priorities in EMP 2012 adequately cover most community concerns

SP1, SP3, and SP5 most popular

These priorities must be core considerations in planning and allocating resources

[SP1] Alternativ

e, accessible schedulin

g

[SP3] Innovative,

feasible training

programs

[SP4] Performanc

e on accountability measures

[SP6]High quality

customer service

[SP7] Inclusive,

welcoming campus climate

[SP2] Expanded

technology use

[SP5] Collaborati

on with community

partners


Feedback > Summary In addition to gathering feedback on the EMP, participant

perceptions of VVC’s image were assessed.

Participants provided suggestions for how we can achieve the district “image” goal—that is, having a reputation of being a high quality educational institution.

Opportunities for improvement of public perceptions of VVC’s fiscal responsibility and services to students should be addressed.

Participants were asked to describe VVC in one word—depicted by the word cloud on the next page.


Feedback > VVC in One Word


Feedback > Final Notes

Where do we go

next?

Where have we been?

Where are we now?

VVC is necessary, import-ant, and essential to the community.

Community support is found for the EMP, but there is a lot of work ahead.

We have an opportunity now to continue evolving and improving.


Now what?For more info or to join the effort

email [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]?subject=EMP-CFG%202012%20Inquiry