B1005 Continuing Education Programming

Policy Statement

As identified in the College purpose statement, continuing education programming is an essential service that assists students with developing new occupational skills to use in their current and/or future career.

Students receive value by engaging in the College’s continuing education courses, seminars, certifications, credentials, and programs (i.e., continuing education programming) designed to help them upgrade their skills for their current job, retrain for a new job, or prepare for a new career.  By completing these activities, students potentially increase their employability, mobility, and earning potential.  Students receive greater value when they can document their participation in continuing education programming that meets nationally recognized criteria.  Students receive greater benefits when they can transfer their continuing education course or program between various other systems of professional development (e.g., Continuing Education Units, Continuing Professional Development Units, Professional Development Hours, Professional Learning Units, etc.). Students receive value by maintaining their current or obtaining a new professional license or certification.  Students receive the greatest value when their continuing education programming can be connected to the College’s professional certificate and degree programs.

When employees complete continuing education programming, employers receive value from: an agile and skilled workforce that brings new ideas and creativity to a rapidly changing market and work environment; the alignment of employee skills with business goals and objectives; and improved employee loyalty, morale, job satisfaction, and retention.  This leads to a culture of continuity and consistency; improved productivity and profitability; and the opportunity to develop future organizational leaders.

To achieve these benefits, the Board directs the President to establish, execute, and continuously improve a program of continuing education.

Key Monitoring Activities:

As it relates to the key performance areas noted in the Monitoring College Effectiveness policy, the Board is interested in community need, student interest, enrollment, employment readiness, and deployment.

The measures and indicators suggested below are advisory in nature and are intended to provide the President with a broad range of ideas as to what the Board might find helpful as it monitors the College’s progress on the key performance areas for this strategic outcome.  The President, at his/her discretion, can modify the measures and indicators as needed.

Specific measures for community need may include data that illustrates how workforce development needs are being met.  Potential indicators might include: the number of College service area and regional employees completing professional development courses; percentage of courses and programs that align with in-demand jobs within the College service area and region; and the number of partnerships with external organizations that provide professional development training.

Specific measures for student interest may include data that demonstrates increased program relevance.  A potential indicator might identify the percentage of courses and programs having professional recognition and/or nationally recognized credentials.

Specific measures for enrollment may include data that reflects CEU’s, FTE, and headcount of students taking continuing education courses.  Data aggregated by student demographic profiles is appropriate.  Potential indicators might identify: the number of students who participate in continuing education courses and programs; the number of professional CEU’s earned; the number of students who participate in continuing education courses and programs to help them upgrade their skills for their current job; the number of students who participate in continuing education courses and programs to help them retrain for a new job; and the number of students who participate in continuing education courses and programs to help them prepare for a new career.

Specific measures for employment readiness may include data that demonstrates licensure pass rates, pass rates for certification exams, and job placement rates.  Potential indicators might describe the percentage of students who passed licensure exam within six (6) months of completion of a continuing education course or program; the number of students that passed nationally recognized certification exams while enrolled at SCC or within six (6) months of completion; and the number of continuing education courses or program completers who obtain a sustainable job.

Specific measures for deployment may include data in the measures of curriculum management and scheduling effectiveness, including breadth of courses, percentage of courses offered in multiple timeframes/formats, number of students who access courses from off-campus locations, the average number of sections per course, average enrollment per course, and average enrollment per section.