Institutional Program Review

Institutional Program Review

Program review at Skagit Valley College is the basis for assessing institutional effectiveness and an integral part of the institution’s operational planning process. The college has a clear focus on continuous program improvement at all levels of the organization. Overall institutional effectiveness and mission fulfillment is assessed through the college's annual Strategic Priority Performance Report process (see below). In addition, each area of the college (e.g. Academic Affairs, Student Services, College Support Services) engages in a program review process designed specifically for their work and objectives. Area program review is based on advancing specific strategic priority outcomes and provides the basis for overall institutional effectiveness. Results are shared widely within the college community, including at college-wide president's meetings, with the college’s shared governance committees, and the results are integrated into the college’s annual operational planning process. 

SVC Integrated Planning and Institutional Assessment

Institutional Effectiveness and Mission Fulfillment

Skagit Valley College’s five strategic priorities create the framework for assessing overall institutional effectiveness at the college. Each strategic priority has multiple goals, with associated KPIs, metrics, and objective targets to achieve by the end of the four-year strategic plan. These targets represent the highest-level objective data that demonstrate our effectiveness as an institution. The strategic priorities are formally assessed annually through the Strategic Priority Performance Reports presented to the SVC Board of Trustees. These reports include not only data on progress toward final objective targets, but also context from local and national peer comparisons, longitudinal data on progress over time, lessons learned, obstacles encountered, and strategies for immediate and long-term improvement. The data from these reports are widely shared throughout the college.


SVC Strategic Priorities: Outcomes, KPIs, Metrics, and Targets

Outcome Statement #1a:
Improve completion rates for all degree-seeking students

KPI 

Completion Rates

Metric 
  • Current and 3-year average degree completion rates for all categories
  • 5-year trend (if available)

Target(s)

  • Increase overall completion rate to 42% (baseline = 36%)
  • Increase Workforce completion to 50% (baseline = 45%)
  • Increase Academic-Transfer completion to 38% (baseline = 32%)
  • Increase Bachelor's completion to 80% (baseline = 70%) 

Outcome Statement #1b:
Maintain strong employment rates for Workforce and BAS program completers

KPI 

Employment Rates 

Metric 

Percentage of Workforce or BAS graduates employed nine months post degree completion

Target(s)

Improve student post completion employment to 75% (baseline = 68%)

 

Outcome Statement #2a:
 Improve differential completion rates in student success 

KPI 

Achievement Gaps

Metric 

Disaggregated three-year average completion rates for all degree seeking students

Target(s)

Decrease student achievement gaps to 3%

Outcome Statement #2b:
Improve employee sense of belonging 

KPI 

Sense of Belonging 

Metric 

HEDS survey Sense of Belonging Metric 

Target(s)

Increase SVC employee sense of belonging to 65% (baseline = 50%)

 

Outcome Statement #3a:
Increase student enrollment (FTEs) 

KPI 

Institutional Enrollment 

Metric 
  • Overall FTEs (annualized Full Time Equivalent)
  • State FTEs (annualized Full Time Equivalent) 

Target(s)

  • Increase total FTES to 4,400 (baseline = 3.269)
  • Increase State FTEs to 3,866 (baseline = 2,544)

Outcome Statement #3b:
Increase tuition bearing student populations  

KPI 

Tuition Revenue

Metric 

Annualized FTEs for: 1) State Tuition, 2) Running Start, 3) International, 4) Bachelor's

Target(s)
  • State Tuition: increase to 2,500 FTEs (baseline = 1,884) 
  • Running Start: increase to 700 FTEs (baseline = 539)  
  • Bachelor's: increase to 130 FTEs (baseline = 54) 
  • International: increase to 77 FTEs (baseline = 42) 

 

Outcome Statement #4a:
Improve employee climate satisfaction

KPI 

Campus Climate

Metric 

HEDS Campus Climate Survey

Target(s)

Increase percentage of SVC employees reporting a positive campus environment to 80% (baseline = 72%)

Outcome Statement #4b:
Improve student climate satisfaction  

KPI 

Student Satisfaction

Metric 

RNL Student Satisfaction Inventory

Target(s)

  • Increase student response rate to 20% (baseline = 5%)
  • Increase student satisfaction rate to 80% 

Outcome Statement #4c:
Maintain indicators of strong institutional fiscal health

KPI 

Financial Health

Metric 

Measure that combines multiple financial ratios — including primary reserve ratio, net income ratio, return on net assets, and viability ratio — into a single score. A score above 3.0 indicates strong financial health, while a score below 1.0 signals financial stress.

Target(s) 

Maintain a CFI score of at least 3.0 each fiscal year, ensuring the college maintains financial stability and long-term sustainability.

Outcome Statement #4d:
Reduce staffing turnover rates 

KPI 

Employee Turnover

Metric 

Percentage of employees who left the organization in a given time period 

Target(s)

  • Establish baseline turnover rate by 2025
  • Achieve staff turnover rate of less than 30% 

Outcome Statement #4e:
Improve culture, organization, resources, and/or efficiency of college and student support service areas  

KPI

College and Student Support Services Effectiveness

Metric

Program Review data establishing, reviewing, and creating improvement plans for the effectiveness of targeted areas: Human Resources, Information Technology, Business Office, Budgeting, Institutional Research, Marketing/Outreach, Enrollment Services, Financial Aid, Advising, Student Life, and Tutoring and Learning Support Services

Target(s)

Demonstrated improvements in culture, organization, resources, and/or efficiency in: HR, IT, Business Office, Institutional Research, Budgeting, Grants, and the college website 

 

Outcome Statement #5a:  
Improve college visibility and reputation in the community

KPI 

College Visibility

Metric 
  • District feedback and input from community taskforce and/or community focus group data
  • District-wide annual JSP number, funding amount, and hours provided 

Target(s)
  • Maintain and improve reputation for effectively serving the community and its needs
  • Maintain the number and quality of JSP projects. Approximately 5 projects per year and approximately $500,000 per year in awards

Outcome Statement #5b:  
Increase Foundation endowment size

KPI 

College Foundation Endowment 

Metric 

Total Foundation assets 

Target(s)

Increase Foundation endowment to $35 million (baseline = $28 million)