Fiscal Year 1996-1997
Introduction
USC-Spartanburg continues to challenge business as usual and aspires to higher levels. This commitment drives the institution and is reflected in some of the major accomplishments achieved this year. SACS Level III institutional accreditation for graduate programs has been awarded. The campus-wide computer network is two-thirds accomplished in just over a year, and major upgrades of computer labs and library access have been initiated. Sound stewardship of financial and human resources has been employed in all University functions, and faculty salaries have increased to regionally competitive levels. Positive community relations and an expanding University development program have also seen leaps to higher levels. A new experiential learning program has been established with a goal of 75% of the students benefitting from the program by 2000. Additionally, a new way of thinking about assessment reporting has been initiated. As a result, this is the first Institutional Effectiveness Summary in which the individuals with the most direct insight of each component have written their own summaries. Even though some written continuity may be lost, the depth and enthusiasm of the process have more than made up for the semantics loss. This enthusiasm, as seen in this report, is growing as USC-Spartanburg becomes a leading metropolitan university in the Southeast.
This summary report includes assessment results and outcomes for the following components:
The remaining components will be reported as follows:
1. General Education
This component was reported on last in 1996. Based on the schedule of reporting , it will be reported next in 1999.
2. Majors or Concentration
Major planning and assessment are performed in concert with the University mission and strategic plan. An assessment unit coordinator for each major compiles the assessment report under the guidance of department's faculty members and submits that document to the University's Academic Assessment Committee. The Assessment Committee, in turn, reviews each plan and report and either: 1.) approves the reports or 2.) returns them to the unit coordinators with suggestions of refining measurements or clarifying goals. Presently for this summary, the following majors have used the corresponding assessment instruments for the approved reports:
| Majors | ||||
| Assessment Instruments | French | Spanish | Biology | Criminal Justice |
| Alumni Survey | X | X | X | X |
| Graduating Seniors Survey | X | X | X | X |
| Capstone Course | X | X | X | X |
| Exit Interviews | X | X | X | X |
| Oral Reports | X | X | X | X |
| Portfolios | X | X | ||
| National Exam | X | |||
| Local Exam | X | X | X | X |
| Employer Survey | X | X | X | X |
| Senior Project | X | X | X | X |
| Course-embedded | X | X | X | X |
| Student Evaluation Forms | X | X | X | X |
| Self Assessment Procedures | X | X | X | X |
French and Spanish
The French and the Spanish majors are completing their third year in existence and as the various courses of the program are taught for the first time, accomplishment can be assessed and corrective actions taken when necessary. In 1996-97, 33.00 FTE were generated by students majoring in French and Spanish.
Following the goals presented in the planning document, oral proficiency remains a priority. Oral proficiency teaching is emphasized at all levels and oral testing takes place at the second and fourth year level of the program. Initial results of the second year testing will be evaluated at the end of the Spring semester 1997. Files for assessment of the written works have been established. New studies abroad were created and scholarships have been secured for such studies. Since the fall semester of 1995, 45 students are participating in internships in international companies here and abroad or participating in independent studies abroad. One French faculty and one Spanish faculty are preparing courses to offer languages for the business and nursing professions. Articulation with the two-year and technical colleges is going to be improved through the utilization of a new foreign language entrance examination. Language majors are involved in language activities outside the classroom. Term papers with bibliographical researches are required for senior literary and cultural classes. Update on the most advanced language technologies is available to the majors.
Due to the recent creation of the program, no major directional changes have taken place. However, after consultation among the Foreign Language faculty, some courses offered for the first time call for corrective action. Elements of Phonetics will be introduced in the classes of conversation at the 200 level, before the oral proficiency exams are taking place. Classes of Introduction to Romance Linguistics will be offered in each language when personnel allows. Some language specific clubs will be created to improve out of class activities for the students. Continued improvement of the library holdings is currently being pursued. Efforts to recruit additional students will include language cultural activities offered to the community on campus: summer camps, combined undergraduate and graduate courses and increasing the number of scholarships for majors in Foreign Languages and studies abroad.
Biology
There is a clear relationship between biology course performance and performance on outside measures of knowledge. There are positive, statistically significant relationships between Biology GPA and performance on the Biology Major Field Assessment Test, the Medical College Admission Test, and the Biology GRE Subject Test. Of the Secondary Education Biology majors who completed their biology course work here, 97% passed the Biology section of the NTE. Biology alumni were more positive about the Biology program than the overall rates for USCS alumni; graduating Biology seniors expressed a satisfaction level similar to the level of all USCS graduating seniors.
Over 90% of students successfully completing Senior Seminar demonstrated satisfactory oral communication skills. Graduates were weakest in their writing skills. Students are now required to rewrite student papers in Biology courses. A standard writing guide was adopted for Biology courses. Ethics is emphasized in Senior Seminar and has some coverage in at least ten other Biology courses.
Information sheets on the major and on pre-professional options are revised yearly. Both Biology graduating seniors and alumni expressed higher satisfaction levels with academic advisement compared to general USCS graduating senior and alumni populations. Current Biology majors expressed satisfaction levels with academic advisement at rates comparable to the general USCS population. Membership is maintained in the National Association of Advisors of Health Professionals and advising information from the organization is disseminated to faculty.
Biology faculty sponsor four science-related student organizations, including a Health Professionals Club to increase health career awareness among students. Seven of eight faculty have sponsored internships, and a listing of internship opportunities was created and distributed. Two faculty currently sponsor independent undergraduate research, and significant research experiences occur in at least two senior-level courses. All eight Biology faculty provide public service, and three have served on the Piedmont Regional Science Fair Steering Committee.
Coverage of science achievements by scientists of different cultures and gender is included in several courses and textbooks, and we plan to increase the number of courses that have such a coverage. Availability of courses that serve Nursing students was increased. General education course work is overly dependent upon part-time faculty. The department continues to request new full-time faculty to help in this area.
Biology 2+2 degree programs were approved with two area Technical Colleges and a local independent junior college, which should facilitate transfer between schools. A proposal for an environmental sciences concentration in Biology will be submitted this year. Application for establishing a science honor society to recognize outstanding majors will be made next year.
Criminal Justice
The Criminal Justice Program at USCS has achieved outstanding results considering the limited resources and three and one-half faculty serving between 175-200 majors. In the senior survey, over 90% rated their criminal justice education as "good to excellent," and 80% of the alumni respondents rated their educational experience as "good to excellent." The success of the program and the quality of the majors and graduates is reflected in the demand for student interns (25% intern) and the placement of graduates in local, regional, State and Federal jobs. Ten percent pursue graduate degrees in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Law. Additional strengths are: the quality of the interactions between students and faculty which allow students to succeed; articulation agreements with Spartanburg Methodist College and Greenville Technical College as "feeders" into our program; student input into the assessment process for curriculum improvement, retention and advising to meet the diverse needs of the student population served by this metropolitan university; and the teaching ability, research productivity and academic background of the faculty.
The senior survey and discussion with students and criminal justice faculty identified the need for students to take one course from the following content areas: (1) police, (2) courts, and (3) corrections. Faculty implemented this curriculum requirement for the 1998-1999 academic year. Another weakness is retention or "inactive files": 1996 - 20% (20) inactive; 1995 - 27% (28) inactive; and prior to 1995 - 53% inactive out of 137 inactive files on record. Sixteen percent of the 137 inactive files had 91 or more hours earned. Faculty is addressing this problem with Houston State University, College of Criminal Justice, the National Assessment of Academic Advising and Retention in Baccalaureate Criminal Justice Programs. Faculty intend to conduct periodic surveys of graduates and alumni and develop a comprehensive database. Finally, improving the career resource bank for graduating seniors outside of criminal justice agencies, such as crime prevention in business, industry and education. This program is fortunate that the education provided to students makes them marketable upon graduation.
3. Performance of Professional Program Graduates on Licensing and Certification Exams
USC-Spartanburg is extremely proud of the achievements of the education and nursing programs. These programs continue to deliver high caliber performances on licensing and certification examinations with students consistently exceeding national and state passing rates. This is a reflection on the quality of instruction in the classroom and the dedication of the students.
4. Reports of Program Changes That Have Occurred As A Result of External Program Evaluations
There have been no program changes in 1996 as a result of external program evaluations.
5. Academic Advising
In January 1995, the position of Coordinator of Academic Advisement and Retention was created to direct implementation of the recommendations developed by a faculty task force on advisement/retention. To provide continuous feedback, a working group consisting of faculty and student affairs representatives was convened. This group serves as an advisory body to the Coordinator as well as a communication link to faculty advisors in each academic area. During the previous year, the advisory group focused on three (3) major goals:
The advisor data base provides a campus wide system for linking faculty advisors with their advisees. This data base is part of the central data base allowing the advisor access to information, such as advisees' address, phone number, and last semester's GPR. This is more effective than the previous system in which each academic unit developed an independent system, paper or data base, for tracking advisees. Better information can now be provided for faculty in following the progress of their students.
During the spring semester, a two hour workshop on academic advising was designed and implemented. With eight sessions offered, faculty were able to select a time most convenient for their schedule. This flexibility also provided cross campus representation at each workshop as well as 87% participation. The workshop focused on the knowledge and skills necessary to provide quality academic advising. Topics included roles and responsibilities in the advisement process for both faculty and students, support services available to students in crises, and administrative changes in advisement, testing, curriculum, and courses. A second component of the workshop was a series of case studies in which teams of faculty developed an advising plan for a student. Faculty evaluated the workshop as helpful, and a list of specific improvements for advisement was generated. An additional benefit was the interaction of faculty across disciplines discussing common concerns and issues. These recommendations were referred to the appropriate committee or office for implementation.
The annual assessment of academic advisement centers around two (2) questionnaires: one for faculty and one for students. These were administered subsequent to the faculty workshops and spring advisement for summer and fall semesters. Of the 550 students surveyed, 87% strongly agreed or agreed with the statement, "My advisor is knowledgeable about curriculum and degree requirements". 81% expressed satisfaction with their advisor. 84% agreed with the statement, "Academic advising is very important to my success at the University".
For the faculty survey, 98% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "Academic advising is a very important aspect of higher education". However, only 20% agreed that "the link between effective advising and the University reward system has been made". That issue has now been addressed in the criteria for merit pay developed by the administration with faculty input. The form also provides opportunity for faculty comments. Several ideas concerning the scheduling of advisement have been implemented.
6. Entry-Level Skills and Developmental Education
Under recent directions from the Commission on Higher Education, USC-Spartanburg has begun to phase-out developmental education for Fall 1997. Three of the four developmental courses have been eliminated for Fall 1997 with the exception of Math 099 - Algebra II. Nevertheless with consideration that about 68% of the first-time, full-time freshmen place into one or more developmental course for fall 1995, key strategies will be implemented to facilitate the charge of developmental elimination while ensuring adequate student preparation for college-level work.
One such strategy is to contract developmental courses with Spartanburg Technical College for those students who test low and would have placed in remedial courses. Until these arrangements are finalized, however, faculty developed workshops in reading, writing, and mathematics will be offered to the interim period to those students indicating deficiencies.
7. Success of Entering Students in Meeting College or University Admissions Standards
| 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | |
| All Freshmen | 96 | 94.2 | 88.7 |
| S. C. Residents | 96.5 | 95 | 90 |
| Non-Residents | 85.7 | 89.3 | 74.2 |
8. Achievement of Students Transferring from Two to Four Institutions
This component is not applicable to our institutional type.
9. Analysis of Undergraduate Retention and Attrition
The University of South Carolina-Spartanburg as part of the university system presents students with opportunities and advantages in transferring to other system campuses. Students and parents often choose USCS as a "first" college experience with the intention of later transferring to another institution. During the summer of 1996 freshman students were surveyed at new student orientation to ascertain their academic intentions. Of the 355 usable questionnaires 52% of the students stated that they planned to attend USCS until graduation. Thirty-two per cent six stated they planned to transfer (17% within the USC system and 15% to other colleges). The remaining students (17%) were unsure about their educational plans. Those students planning to transfer were asked at what point in their college career would they leave USCS. Forty-six per cent reported they planned to transfer after one year: 45% after two years. An additional question asked their reason in transferring. Twenty-eight per cent said they wanted a major not offered at USCS and 40% said they were interested in transferring to a college that was either larger or further from home. Our retention rate (63.8% of the 1995 cohort of first time, full-time freshmen return after the first year) may reflect a student population that in large number do not enter USCS with the intention of graduating from here.
This survey also yielded information concerning students expected freshman GPR and projected study time. Seventy-eight per cent of the freshman expected a GPR of 3.0 or better based on less that 20 hours of studying a week. Concerned that this may be unrealistic, the faculty instituted Six Weeks grades. Beginning in the fall 1996 semester students were mailed their course grades at the end of the first six weeks of the semester. This initial feedback gives students the opportunity to make any adjustments in their study habits early enough in the semester to impact their final grade. Faculty advisors were then asked to contact their advisees who had grades below "C" at six weeks in order to refer them to academic support services. These services include the Writing Center, Computer Lab, Math Lab, Library, and Study Skills Seminars. Students were also referred to the Counseling and Career Center for assistance with personal or career issues. Early intervention may be one of the keys in improving the retention rate. In the book The Freshman Year Experience by Upcraft and Gardner, Noel and Levitz reported that the first six weeks of the semester is the most critical time for freshman. "During this critical period, the quality and responsiveness of faculty and staff may be the most powerful resources available for improving student success and persistence."
During the fall semester the Office of Retention and Advisement (referenced in the section on academic advising) instituted a pilot project to increase the success and retention of freshman admitted on probation. (Probationary freshman were students with high school grade point averages below 2.0 and S.A.T. test scores below 850 and admitted through a faculty committee.) Designated as Courses in Common, the program requires these students to enroll in a six semester hour block: Freshman Seminar and Western Civilization.
Topics for the Freshman Seminar includes time management, study skills, diversity, academic integrity, and critical thinking. Approximately one-third of the freshman seminar was designated as a library component detailing the research process and use of library resources. The seminar also serves as a lab for the Western Civilization, so that study skills, such as note taking, were related directly to the assignments in history. Students also enrolled in the required math and English course, as well as an elective.
At the end of the fall semester 34 of the 57 participants had earned a 2.0 GPA or higher. Thirteen students had a 3.0 or higher. Based on these results, the faculty have given approval for continuation of Courses in Common program.
10. Minority Student and Faculty Access and Equity
| Fall Semester | Total F.T. Faculty | Black F.T. Faculty Number | Black F.T. Faculty Percent |
| 1992 | 144 | 10 | 6.9 |
| 1993 | 144 | 9 | 6.3 |
| 1994 | 42 | 11 | 7.7 |
| 1995 | 31 | 11 | 8.4 |
| 1996 | 03 | 10 | 9.7 |
11. Academic Performance of Student Athletes
Beyond the performance on the courts, student-athletes' performance in the classrooms continues to be of paramount importance. Two measures that are used to assess the athletes' academic progress are semester grade-point averages and graduation rates in comparison to the general student body. Collectively, these measures seem to indicate that the student-athletes are performing similar to the student population as a whole. In the fall of 1997, over thirty-two percent (32.4%) of the student-athletes earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher while 46% of the general student population recorded similar marks. However, six year graduation rates of the student-athletes (56.2%) are higher than that of general students (36.9%). Of the four male student athletes that were recruited for basketball in the Fall of 1990, two have graduated and one has left the university in good academic standing leading for a 50% graduation rate.
The Athletic Department continues to develop action plans that will assist in maintaining and in some instances, improving the overall academic performance of student-athletes including GPA's. Specifically, the Athletic Department has implemented the following:
12. Procedures for Student Development
The assessment of this component, under the direction of Associate Chancellor for Student Affairs, has been primarily integrated into component 14, Administrative and Financial Processes and Performances. Each office, in turn, has developed its own specific plan under the general umbrella of the University's plan to be implemented and assessed.
One piece of important work that has occurred this year (but not necessarily addressed in any individual office) is the implementation of an action plan resulting from a study on building a campus community. Through a stratified sample of faculty, staff, students and community constituents, several ways to better improve the campus ambience and student development were identified. Some key point of the plan are: 1) enhancing the existing communication system on campus, 2) improve the physical appearance of Rifle Ridge Apartments and change the name, 3) establish a comprehensive residential life program which includes living-learning opportunities and emphasizes safety, and 4) examine the possibility of awarding credit or points for students who attend selected campus cultural events. In total, there are 19 areas under the plan with most of the work being completed within the next two years.
13. Library Resources and Service
This component was reported on last in 1996. Based on the schedule of reporting , it will be reported next in 2000.
14. Administrative and Financial Processes and Performance
Leaner budgets have demanded a greater accountability of all University functions and a more productive use of resources associated with those functions. Each office of the University is required to examine its processes (functional mapping), identify its unique contribution to the University (measure and assess), and continuously improve that contribution (plan). Some of the administrative areas can be assessed through student feedback such as in the Alumni Survey or the Graduating Seniors Opinion Survey. Some functions, however, are obscure to students; they know very little, if any, about the particular function of a office and its impact. These type of offices may require assessment efforts of a benchmarking nature and/or percentage of accomplishment of stated goals. In the offices reported in this summary, all offices with the possible exceptions of University Communications, Purchasing, and Mail Services are interfacing with the students on a daily basis.
Financial Aid
The USCS Financial Aid Department has successfully focused on improving the office operations while handling an increasing amount of students. The office has successfully implemented a 24 hour response policy on student inquiries, while the population of students applying for financial aid has increased 13% from 2690 students to 3056 students over the previous four years. This improvement was also coupled with a 48 hour response time policy on Financial Aid Transcripts. These improvements have allowed the office to handle the increase in student traffic without increases in office head count or budget.
The office under took a major effort to educate the parents of incoming students on how the Financial Aid process worked. The office added four new high school financial aid night programs to their calendar. This successful addition has reduced confusion and delays in getting correct information submitted on first-time applications. Improvements were also made by upgrading computer hardware and software to increase the speed of processing award letters and provide needs analysis to perspective students. These efforts have resulted in a 30% improvement in response times from 10 days to 7. Planning for the future include simplifying office working relationships by cross-training all Enrollment Management support staff in Customer Service and general Financial Aid information to assure that we are continuing to improve our relationship our with students.
University Communications
The major accomplishment of the Office of University Communications during the assessment period is not reflected in the assessment planning document (but is included in this report) because the office was not aware that it was going to take place until after the planning document was prepared. Shortly after the office submitted the planning document, it was learned that the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland had confirmed that he would visit the University to deliver the May commencement address. The Office of University Communications was responsible for making the arrangements for the visit. The Office worked with Polish officials in Poland and in Washington, D.C. as well as United States Secret Service and Polish security to arrange a most successful visit which included a luncheon with over 200 community guests, a campus tour in which the Prime Minister and his entourage (as well as members of the media) were given a detailed look at the University and its strengths, a pre-graduation reception and the commencement itself in which the Prime Minister received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. The visit was publicized locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. As a result of the visit, with the Prime Minister's assistance USCS is coordinating exchange agreements with universities in Poland.
In addition, the overall marketing, media relations and publicity efforts of the university communications office helped to strengthen the University's position as a metropolitan university and enhanced the image of the institution among its stakeholders. As a result of such efforts, coupled with the efforts of other offices such as admissions, the USCS enrollment experienced a slight increase during a time that many state-assisted institutions have struggled with enrollment decreases.
The Speakers Bureau program has been a huge success with many organizations requesting that USCS faculty, staff and administrators speak at their meetings, and we have had an increase in the amount of media requests to use our faulty/staff as "experts" on certain subjects. The accomplishments of the USCS faculty, staff and students have been routinely publicized in a variety of media outlets during the assessment period.
Finally, the office was recognized by the National Admissions Marketing Awards with an award of merit for the Access to Quality billboard campaign during the assessment period.
Campus Recreation
The 1995-96 year for the Campus Recreation office was a highly successful one. With over 1800 single participants and over 11,000 recreational experiences for these participants, the overall goals were accomplished. The training and support to student staff was supplemented by a staff manual and individual staff evaluation.
The focus for campus recreation will widen in the coming year with an increased emphasis on the ropes adventure course (Goal V - To expand and promote the ropes adventure course) and experiential learning. The ropes course will be utilized for leadership training, team building, problem-solving and communication skills training for both on-campus and off-campus groups.
Mail Services
During the 1996-97 fiscal year Mail Services maintained twice a day delivery and pick-up within the USCS campus. Timely and quality service continued to be the departments number one priority even with the replacement one half of the staff (two temporary employees). New bulk mailing regulations were implemented during January 1997. All pertinent departments were notified of new regulation and how it would change the processing of bulk mailings.
New equipment and software needed to improve processing and produce a cost saving on bulk and mass mailing were identified. After analysis of cost savings and budget restraints, it was decided to delay implementation. This will be reviewed in the fiscal year 1997-98.
USCS continues to receive twice a day pick-up and delivery of mail with a minimum staff. During 1996-97, UPS next day service coordinated and processed through Mail Services saved a minimum of $3.00 per shipment when compared to other overnight services. Having done over 300 parcels to this point, the office anticipates saving approximately $1,000.
Purchasing
During 1996-97, the Business Affairs Department was reorganized and the Purchasing Department moved from the Financial Services to Business Services. Purchasing was able to accomplish most of the objectives that funding allowed. Purchasing of office products was reviewed and the following recommendations were made and implemented. (1) Due to cost and manpower needed to operate purchase and sale of office supplies, purchasing department would close operation of central supply. (2) Due to the competition for office supply business in the area, department would be allowed to purchase locally or from General Services in Columbia.
USCS is in the process of running fiber to the support facility that houses the Purchasing Department. With the completion of this purchasing will be on-line with the rest of campus and have direct access to USC-Columbia. This will allow faster turn around of purchase orders and allow access to new software package when available.
Career Services
The Office of Career Services prepares students for their job search process by integrating active learning in the classroom through workshops, seminars and presentations (on topics ranging from interview preparation, resume and cover letter writing, business etiquette, to professional networking) and by engaging students in experiential learning activities (such as internships, externships, co-ops, and job-shadowing) which expose them to professional working environments. The Office is continually utilizing evaluative tools such as the Likert Scales to evaluate our services and outcomes. This year the office has been particularly successful in expanding and improving our employer network; increasing our outreach to students by taking Career Services' programs into the classroom; developing experiential learning opportunities on campus as well as off-campus; and maintaining community relations through providing workshops and programs for community groups and by providing student workers for community service or service learning opportunities.
The Office of Career Services has grown from a professional staff of 1 to 2.5 over the last year. With this investment in personnel, the office has established a small but growing experiential learning component, increased resume counseling services to over 350 students a year, and improved part-time job referral services for all students. If given the appropriate resources, the office would like to modernize the resume counseling equipment and software to allow students to have a disk copy of their resume for their personal use and to allow the student to begin to publish their resume electronically over the World Wide Web. Career Services also plans to increase our capacity for allowing students to research career opportunities over the Internet by purchasing additional computers with Internet access. Lastly, the Office of Career Services anticipates establishing a permanent classroom presence by offering a 2 hour credit bearing course on career planning and search processes.
15. Facilities
In the past three years, the Facilities Management Department has made great progress in developing and implementing processes to meet the University mission. A complete assessment of all spaces has been completed in order to update and correct the CHEMIS data base for space identification, utilization and square footage. A Capital Planing process was developed, and the first five year Capital Plan was published early in 1996. The plan is set up for annual revision, and the 1997 revision is complete. Preventive maintenance and work scheduling programs and procedures have been developed to better maintain our assets, and maintain them in a more efficient method. Permitting and inspection procedures for items such as air emissions, elevators, boilers, and the like have been updated and revised. A process is now underway to update the 1990 Campus Master Plan, to incorporate educational growth, recreational needs, and increased traffic flow and patterns. A process has been identified to perform building and other facilities audits in order to determine our actual work and deferred maintenance backlog. The office has implemented major energy savings initiatives in HVAC and lighting, and is a member of the EPA Green Lights program. A campus wide recycling program has been underway for three years now, and the office has achieved the point where the University anticipates reduced trash disposal costs in the near future because of the diversion of mixed paper, cardboard, and aluminum from our waste stream.
16. Public Service
This component was reported on last in 1995. Based on the schedule of reporting , it will be reported next in 1998.
17. Research
This component was reported on last in 1995. Based on the schedule of reporting , it will be reported next in 1998.