Commission on Higher Education Annual Accountability Report
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year
MISSION STATEMENT
The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education is a higher education coordinating board consisting of eighteen lay members supported by a professional staff. Broadly defined, its mission is to serve the citizens of the State by promoting quality and efficiency in the state system of higher education. More specifically, its purpose is to develop plans; conduct studies; approve new academic programs; administer certain state, regional, and federal programs; make recommendations concerning requests for appropriations and capital improvements; promote access to higher education; and carry out those other duties required by its enabling legislation or other statutes. Its efforts are directed toward the promotion of a clearer understanding of and greater unity among all institutions of higher learning, both public and private, in the interest of serving the higher education needs of South Carolina.
Approved by the Commission on Higher Education on January 4, 1990)
PROGRAM INITIATIVES AND OUTCOMES
The Commission on Higher Education utilizes an annual work plan to accomplish its mission and to identify and pursue programmatic goals and objectives within each of the administrative divisions. The Commission's five administrative divisions are Academic Affairs and Student Services; Access and Equity and Special Projects; Finance, Facilities, and Statistical Services; Licensing, Veterans Education and Training; and Planning, Assessment, and Vocational/Technical Education.
Outlined below are the major initiatives undertaken as part of the 1995-96 Commission work plan and, described briefly, the outcomes of each initiative. The initiatives are organized by the Commission's respective administrative divisions.
| I. | Academic Affairs and Student Services Division | ||
| A. | As required by Senate Bill 365 (which became Act 137) as ratified by the 1995 General Assembly, the Academic Affairs Division will develop for the Commission's consideration "procedures for the transferability of courses at the undergraduate level between two-year and four-year institutions or schools" and will continue to follow the plan of action developed under the auspices of the School-to-Work legislation which will form the basis for the procedures to be developed. | ||
| Outcome: | Approval of appropriate policy is completed. Implementation is underway and will take two to three years. | ||
| B. | As required by Senate Bill 365 (which became Act 137) as ratified by the 1995 General Assembly, the Academic Affairs division will "coordinate with the State Board of Education in the approval of secondary education courses for the purpose of determining minimum college entrance requirements" by 1) working with the State Department of Education and the higher education institutions to develop a longitudinal tracking system to assess student performance against standardized instruments such as the SAT and in entry-level college courses and, once #1 is accomplished, 2) developing a plan to coordinate meetings of disciplinary groups of faculty and secondary teachers to calibrate content and expectations for students between the two high school curricula (college prep and tech prep) and college entry-level (non-remedial) coursework. | ||
| Outcome: | This provision was superseded by Act 359 of 1996 which requires that "minimum academic requirements for college admission" be defined. A proposal is under development. | ||
| C. | As required by Senate Bill 365 (which became Act 137) as ratified by the 1995 General Assembly, the Academic Affairs division will conduct a detailed "review of minimum undergraduate admissions standards for in-state and out-of-state students." | ||
| Outcome: | Completed but not yet acted on by CHE. | ||
| D. | The Academic Affairs Division will provide staff support as needed for the Joint Legislative Committee to Study the Governance and Operation of Higher Education. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed | ||
| E. | The Academic Affairs Division will develop new guidelines for competitive grant proposals to be accepted for FY 1995-96 under the restructured federal Eisenhower Professional Development Program which will further support the new federal Regulatory Guidelines issued on June 1, 1995. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed | ||
| F. | The Academic Affairs Division will prepare for the Commission's consideration an analysis of and policy recommendations related to remedial education and an implementation plan for future action. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Implementation is under way. | ||
| G. | The Academic Affairs Division will continue to provide staff support to the Council for Educational Collaboration. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Ongoing support continues to be provided by one division member who is serving as interim Director of the Council for Educational Collaboration. | ||
| H. | The Academic Affairs Division will conduct a review, using an out-of-state consultant, of the EIA Teacher Recruitment Programs located at Winthrop University, S.C. State University and Benedict College, comparable to the statewide review of the Centers of Excellence programs conducted in FY 1992-93. The review will be conducted in order to ascertain the effectiveness of the programs and to consider future programmatic directions from a state-level perspective. | ||
| Outcome: | Review has been completed and will be submitted to CHE in June 1997. | ||
| I. | The Academic Affairs Division will provide staff support for the reconfigured Dean's Committee on Medical Education as it examines areas for collaboration and cooperation between the two medical schools, particularly in graduate medical education, undergraduate medical education, clinical services, and research. | ||
| Outcome: | Ongoing | ||
| J. | The Academic Affairs Division will coordinate the German Initiatives Task Force, an advisory group comprised of institutional representatives and Commission staff, and its program of work, including development of proposals to establish student and faculty exchange proposals with the German states of Brandenburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Thuringia and to develop a program segment for the fall conference. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Proposals have been submitted to the Budget and Control Board and fall conference was accomplished. Coordination of the Task Force is ongoing. | ||
| II. | Access and Equity and Special Projects Division | ||
| A. | Provide staff support, as needed, for the Joint Legislative Committee to Study the Governance and Operation of Higher Education. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Joint Study Committee report resulted in legislation, Act 359, instituting performance based funding for public higher education in South Carolina. | ||
| B. | Provide staff coordination and support for the Higher Education Public Information Committee and assist in the completion of the Committee's report on Initiative 2 as described in the third update to the State Plan for South Carolina higher education. | ||
| Outcome: | Staff coordination and support provided. Report on Initiative 2 completed and provided to Advisory Committee on Planning for information. | ||
| C. | Provide staff coordination and support for publication of the Commission's quarterly newsletter. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Newsletter published quarterly and distributed to 2,000 constituents. | ||
| D. | Visit colleges and universities to review progress and activities regarding the Access and Equity Program. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Six college and universities were visited. | ||
| E. | Solicit grant funding in support of statewide higher education. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. | ||
| F. | Visit previously unvisited colleges, universities, and schools to ensure the continued coordination of the Higher Education Awareness Program and the utilization of Program materials. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. | ||
| G. | Conduct Higher Education Awareness Program workshops to discuss and facilitate the coordination of Program responsibilities and activities. | ||
| Outcome: | Not completed. Recommended by EIA Select Committee contingent on funding from General Assembly. No funding was provided. | ||
| H. | Revise Higher Education Awareness Program materials in a manner consistent with suggestions received from schools and colleges and universities. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. | ||
| III. | Finance, Facilities, and Statistical Services Division | ||
| A. | Provide research assistance and staff support as requested by the special committee appointed by the Legislature to study higher education. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. | ||
| B. | Develop the implementation strategy for quality incentive funding initiative. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. | ||
| C. | Consult with Council of College and University Presidents on implementation of the faculty component of CHEMIS. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. | ||
| D. | Develop and present policy recommendations on classroom and laboratory utilization and station occupancy for the review and approval of the Commission. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. | ||
| IV. | Licensing, Veterans Education and Training Division | ||
| A. | Provide staff support, as needed, for the Joint Legislative Committee to Study the Governance and Operation of Higher Education. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. | ||
| B. | LICENSING - Implement revised regulations governing licensing of non-public institutions: review all institution files to detect compliance with revised regulatory requirements; advise affected institutions of regulatory changes, and what action each must take to comply; review and revise required documentation. | ||
| Outcome: | Ongoing because CHE licenses degree-granting institutions for up to five years. | ||
| C. | VETERANS EDUCATION & TRAINING - Devise and implement a marketing plan for Apprentice and other On-the-job training: develop and distribute information concerning program details; continue job-fair participation for veterans and other eligible persons; accelerate contacts for prospective job training opportunities in business, industry and government. | ||
| Outcome: | Ongoing. The marketing plan that the State Approving Agency (SAA) personnel developed was not fully implemented due to budgetary constraints; however, the staff developed and reproduced a tri-fold brochure explaining the Apprentice and On-the-Job training that is distributed to persons interested in the programs. SAA coordinators continue to be available to veterans service organizations for counseling in the use of veterans education benefits. | ||
| D. | TROOPS TO TEACHERS - Continue outreach to military and devise and implement strategies for outreach to civilians displaced by private Department of Defense (DOD) contractors: contract for the production of video and audio for commercial use and video for small group presentations; contact radio and television broadcasters to present audio and video as public service announcements; contact personnel managers of DOD contractors to meet with potential program participants. | ||
| Outcome: | Ongoing. South Carolinas Troops to Teachers (TTT) program was activated in February 1995. Many contacts and conversations have taken place in one-on-one and group sessions. Five television talk-shows and a number of radio programs were hosts to the TTT coordinators. TTT staff guided development of promotional and informational materials. Several video and audio pieces have been produced and distributed to radio and TV stations to be broadcast as public service announcements. TTT coordinators routinely participate in job fairs at active military bases. | ||
| E. | MILITARY ASSISTANCE COUNCIL (MAC) - Continue coordination of CHE staff activities as a member of the Council: establish and orchestrate activities of the Council's Education Subcommittee that includes representatives of other state agencies involved in statewide education policy. | ||
| Outcome: | Ongoing. Through December 1995, the Education Subcommittee has responded to the inquiries of 3,061 potential users of the services provided by the state agencies represented by the subcommittee since the beginning of the program. The MAC continues to help military personnel who are transitioning from the Service and for the large veterans population who need jobs and training opportunities to satisfy their second career needs. | ||
| V. | Planning, Assessment, and Vocational/Technical Education Division | ||
| (Planning and Assessment) | |||
| A. | Participate in development (including Environmental Scan) and seek approval of the fourth Update of the State Plan by December, 1995. | ||
| Outcome: | Environmental Scan Completed. State Plan update intentionally postponed pending completion of the Report of the Joint Legislative Committee to Study the Governance and Operation of Higher Education in South Carolina and passage of legislation resulting from that study. | ||
| B. | Provide research assistance and staff support as requested by the special committee that is doing the study of higher education. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Support provided as requested. | ||
| C. | Provide staff and technical support for the task forces studying Initiative 1 (Federal and State Trends in Accountability) and Initiative 3 (Statewide Information and Communication Infrastructure for Higher Education). | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Support provided as requested. | ||
| D. | Review with the Statewide Planning Committee the need for and structure of the next comprehensive Environmental Scan to be used for the new five-year plan for higher education. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed | ||
| E. | During the Spring, begin development of a new five-year plan, drawing on the findings of the special committee that completes its study of higher education by February 1. | ||
| Outcome: | Work on new State Plan intentionally postponed pending passage of legislation based on Report of the Joint Legislative Committee to Study the Governance and Operation of Higher Education in South Carolina. | ||
| F. | Provide a workshop at the Fall SCHEA Conference on "The State of Institutional Effectiveness in South Carolina and How to Update and Revise Your Institutional Effectiveness Plans" and at least two Spring workshops on "How to Prepare your Annual Planning and Assessment Reports." Prepare workbooks and memoranda to support the above. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. All workshops held and materials prepared. | ||
| G. | Prepare, with the assistance of the South Carolina Higher Education Assessment Network, two additional publications describing outstanding approaches to the assessment of various areas of institutional effectiveness. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Exemplary assessment brochures printed and distributed. | ||
| H. | Prepare and obtain Commission approval of Reports on Act 255 of 1992 and Summary Report on Institutional Effectiveness, January, 1996. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Publication named one of ten outstanding State agency publications by the State Library. | ||
| (State Occupational Training Advisory Committee) | |||
| I. | Complete the study of delivery systems for vocational, adult, and technical education and for JTPA training, including recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on consolidation and reform of these systems. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed | ||
| J. | Prepare biennial assessment of the cooperation, coordination, and articulation between secondary vocational education and postsecondary technical education, including the review of articulation agreements and other memoranda of agreement. | ||
| Outcome: | Incomplete. Draft report to be revised, approved, and distributed in next fiscal year. | ||
| (Contract Services for the Council on Vocational and Technical Education) | |||
| K. | Observe and/or participate in at least six State Department of Education site visits and evaluations of vocational programs under the Perkins Act and at least four State Department of Education visits to Tech-Prep Consortia. | ||
| Outcome: | Participated in eight State Department of Education site visits and evaluations of vocational programs under the Perkins Act. State Department discontinued visits to Tech-Prep Consortia. Added visits to two local PICS and to numerous JTPA meetings and conferences. | ||
| L. | Schedule regular meetings with officials of the Office of Occupational Education in the State Department of Education to assure appropriate input from South Carolina into any new legislative requirements for vocational and technical education being drafted and considered by the U.S. Congress and the Administration. | ||
| Outcome: | Regular meetings held with officials of the Office of Occupational Education. Appropriate input provided. No new legislation was approved by Congress or the Administration, but federal funding for Councils on Vocational Education was eliminated from the Appropriations Act. | ||
| M. | Schedule at least one Council meeting at a Technical College or major industrial site to continue orientation of Council members. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Council meeting held at Tri-County Technical College with visit to Bosch Industries on 1/16/96. | ||
| N. | Strengthen and improve the format for the public hearing required under the Perkins Act. | ||
| Outcome: | Completed. Strengthened and improved format included eight panelists representing various interests and hearing was held over closed circuit television available at technical colleges throughout the State. | ||