2021

education

Community College 

of the Northwest 

Case Study

www.nist.gov/baldrige
Baldrige Performance Excellence Program

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) • United States Department of Commerce

July 2021

To order copies of this publication or obtain other Baldrige Program products and services, contact 

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program

Administration Building, Room A600, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020

www.nist.gov/baldrige | 301.975.2036 | baldrige@nist.gov

The Baldrige Program welcomes your comments on the case study and other Baldrige products and services. 

Please direct your comments to the address above.

The Community College of the Northwest Case Study is a fictitious Baldrige Award application prepared for use in the 2021 Malcolm 

Baldrige National Quality Award Examiner Preparation Course. The fictitious case study organization is a U.S. community college 

that provides students access to higher education to prepare them for success in the workforce and to contribute positively to society. 

The case study illustrates the format and general content of an award application. However, since the case study serves primarily as 

a tool for training examiners to evaluate organizations against the 2020–2021 Baldrige Excellence Framework (Education) and its 

Criteria for Performance Excellence, it may not address all Criteria questions or demonstrate role-model responses in all Criteria areas. 

Please refer to the Community College of the Northwest Feedback Report to learn how the organization was scored by one team 

of examiners and to see its strengths and opportunities for improvement.

This case study is a work of fiction, created and produced for the sole purpose of training regarding the use of the Baldrige Excellence 

Framework. There is no connection between the fictitious Community College of the Northwest and any other organization, named 

either Community College of the Northwest or otherwise. The names of several national and government organizations are included to 

promote the realism of the case study as a training tool, but any data and content about them may have been fictionalized, as appropriate; 

all other organizations cited in the case study are fictitious or have been fictionalized. 

BALDRIGE EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK®, BALDRIGE CRITERIA FOR PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE®, BALDRIGE PERFORMANCE 

EXCELLENCE PROGRAM®, BALDRIGE COLLABORATIVE ASSESSMENT®, BALDRIGE EXAMINER®, BALDRIGE EXCELLENCE BUILDER®, 

PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE®, THE QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE®, and the MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD® medal 

and depictions or representations thereof are federally registered trademarks and service marks of the U.S. Department of Commerce, 

National Institute of Standards and Technology. The unauthorized use of these trademarks and service marks is prohibited.

NIST, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, manages the Baldrige Program. NIST has a 100-plus-year track record of 

serving U.S. industry, science, and the public with the mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing 

measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST carries 

out its mission in three cooperative programs, including the Baldrige Program. The other two are the NIST laboratories, conducting 

research that advances the nation’s technology infrastructure and is needed by U.S. industry to continually improve products and 

services; and the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a nationwide network of local centers offering technical and 

business assistance to small manufacturers.

Suggested citation: Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. 2021. 2021 Baldrige Case Study: Community College of the Northwest. 

Gaithersburg, MD: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://www.nist.gov/baldrige.
CONTENTS

2021 Eligibility Certification Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E1

Organization Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O1

2021 Award Application Form, page A-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1

Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G1

Preface: Organizational Profile

P.1 Organizational Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

P.2 Organizational Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Category 1: Leadership

1.1 Senior Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.2 Governance and Societal Contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Category 2: Strategy

2.1 Strategy Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2.2 Strategy Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Category 3: Customers

3.1 Customer Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

3.2 Customer Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Category 4: Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

4.1 Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of Organizational Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

4.2 Information and Knowledge Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Category 5: Workforce

5.1 Workforce Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

5.2 Workforce Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Category 6: Operations

6 .1 Work Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

6.2 Operational Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Category 7: Results

7.1 Student Learning and Process Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

7.2 Customer Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

7.3 Workforce Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

7.4 Leadership and Governance Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

7.5 Budgetary, Financial, Market, and Strategy Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
2021 ELIGIBILITY 

CERTIFICATION 

FORM
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

1. Your Organization

Official name Community College of the Northwest Headquarters 

address

100 College Drive

Gaithersville, CP 77777 Other name CCNW

Prior name (if changed within the past 5 years)

2. Highest-Ranking Official

 Mr .  Mrs .  Ms .  Dr.

Name Malcolm B. Aldrige Address  Same as above

Job title President

Email mbaldrige@ccnw.edu

Telephone 555-555-2000

Fax 555-555-2001

3. Eligibility Contact Point

Designate a person who can answer inquiries about your organization. Questions from your organization and requests from the 

Baldrige Program will be limited to this person and the alternate identified below.

 Mr .  Mrs .  Ms .  Dr.

Name Quisha U. Est Address  Same as above

Job title Director of Outreach and 

Organizational Development 

Email quest@ccnw.edu

Telephone 

(office and cell, 

if possible)

555-555-2345 Overnight 

mailing 

address

 Same as above (Do not use a P.O. box 

 number.)

Fax 555-555-2346

4. Alternate Eligibility Contact Point

 Mr .  Mrs .  Ms .  Dr.

Name Anders L. Faber Telephone 555-555-4321

E-mail alfaber@ccnw.edu Fax 555-555-4320

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-1 of 12
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-2 of 12

5. Application History

a. Has your organization previously submitted an eligibility certification package?

 Yes. Indicate the year(s). Also indicate the organization’s name at that time, if different.

Year(s) 2019

Name(s)

 No

 Don’t know 

b. Has your organization ever received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award®?

 Yes. 

Did your organization receive the award in 2015 (the year you submitted award-winning application) or earlier?

 Yes. Your organization is eligible to apply for the award.

 No. If your organization received an award between 2016 and 2020, it is eligible to apply for feedback only. 

Contact the Baldrige Program at (877) 237-9064, option 3, if you have questions.

 No

c. Has your organization participated in a regional/state/local or sector-specific Baldrige-based award process?

 Yes. Years: 2016, 2018

 No

d. Is your organization submitting additional materials (i.e., a completed Organizational Profile and two results measures for 

each of the five Criteria results items [option 8 in section 6k]) as a means of establishing eligibility?

 No. Proceed to question 6.

 Yes. In the box below, briefly explain the reason your organization chose this eligibility option. (This information will be 

shared with the Alliance leadership, without revealing your organization’s identity.)

 

6. Eligibility Determination

See also Is Your Organization Eligible? (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige-award/your-organization-eligible/).

a. Is your organization a distinct organization or business unit headquartered in the United States?

 Yes  No. Briefly explain.

b . Has your organization officially or legally existed for at least one year, or since April 1, 2020?

 Yes  No
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-3 of 12

c . Can your organization respond to all seven Baldrige Criteria categories? Specifically, does your organization have processes 

and related results for its unique operations, products, and/or services? For example, does it have an independent leadership 

system to set and deploy its vision, values, strategy, and action plans? Does it have approaches for engaging customers and 

the workforce, as well as for tracking and using data on the effectiveness of these approaches? 

 Yes  No 

d. If some of your organization’s activities are performed outside the United States or its territories and your organization 

receives a site visit, will you make available sufficient personnel, documentation, and facilities in the United States or its 

territories to allow a full examination of your worldwide organization? 

 Yes  No  Not applicable

e . If your organization receives an award, can it make sufficient personnel and documentation available to share its practices at 

the Quest for Excellence® Conference and at your organization’s U.S. facilities?

 Yes  No 

If you checked “No” for 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, or 6e, call the Baldrige Program at (877) 237-9064, option 3.

Questions for Subunits Only

f. If your organization is a subunit in education or health care, does your subunit provide direct teaching and instructional 

service to students or direct health care services to people?

 Yes. (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige-award/your-organization-eligible). Then proceed to item 6k.

 No. Continue with 6g.

g . Does your subunit function independently and as a discrete entity, with substantial authority to make key administrative and 

operational decisions? (It may receive policy direction and oversight from the parent organization.)

 Yes. Continue with 6h.

 No. Your subunit probably is not eligible to apply for the award. Call the Baldrige Program at (877) 237-9064, option 3.

h. Does your subunit have a clear definition of “organization” reflected in its literature? Does it function as a business or 

operational entity, not as activities assembled to write an award application?

 Yes. Continue with 6i.

 No. Your subunit probably is not eligible to apply for the award. Call the Baldrige Program at (877) 237-9064, option 3.

i . Is your subunit in manufacturing or service?

 Yes. Does it have 500 or fewer employees? Is it separately incorporated and distinct from the parent organization’s other 

subunits? Or was it independent before being acquired by the parent, and does it continue to operate independently 

under its own identity? 

 Yes. Your subunit is eligible in the small business category. Attach relevant portions of a supporting official document 

(e.g., articles of incorporation) to this form. 

*If your subunit has 500 or less employees, you may apply under Manufacturing or Service if it is more appropriate than 

Small Business. Proceed to item 6k.

 No. Continue with 6j.
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-4 of 12

j . Is your subunit self-sufficient enough to be examined in all seven categories of the Criteria?

• Does it have its own senior leaders?

• Does it plan and implement its own strategy?

• Does it serve identifiable customers either inside or outside the organization?

• Is it responsible for measuring its performance and managing knowledge and information?

• Does it manage its own workforce?

• Does it manage its own work processes and other aspects of its operations?

• Can it report results related to these areas?

 Yes. Proceed to 6k (table below).

 No. Your organization probably is not eligible to apply for the award. Call the Baldrige Program at (877) 237-9064, 

option 3.k .

k . Does your organization meet one of the following conditions?

1. My organization has won the Baldrige Award 

(prior to 2015).

Yes



Your organization 

is eligible .

No



Continue with 

statement 2.

2. Between 2015 and 2019, my organization applied 

for the national Baldrige Award, and the total of 

the process and results band numbers assigned in 

the feedback report was 8 or higher.

Yes



Your organization 

is eligible . 

Year: 

Total of band 

scores: 

No



Continue with 

statement 3.

3. Between 2015 and 2019, my organization applied 

for the national Baldrige Award and received a 

site visit.

Yes



Your organization

is eligible . 

Year of site visit: 

No



Continue with 

statement 4.

4. Between 2015 and 2019, my organization 

received the top award from an award program 

that is a member of the Alliance for Performance 

Excellence.

Yes



Your organization 

is eligible . 

Award program: 

Year of top 

award: 2019 

No



Continue with 

statement 5.

5. More than 25% of my organization’s workforce 

is located outside the organization’s home state.

Yes



Your organization 

is eligible . 

No



Continue with 

statement 6.

6. There is no Alliance for Performance Excellence 

award program available for my organization.

Yes



Your organization 

is eligible . 

No



Continue with 

statement 7.
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-5 of 12

7. Between 2016 and 2019, my organization applied 

for the national Baldrige Award through the 

alternate method (option 8 below) and the total 

of the process and results bands assigned in the 

feedback report was 6 or higher. 

Yes



Your organization 

is eligible .

Year: 

 No, my 

organization did 

not apply using 

this method.

 My organization 

applied using this 

method, but did 

NOT receive a 

total of 6 or higher.

Continue with 

statement 8.

Your organization 

is not eligible. Call 

877-237-9064, 

option 3, if you 

have questions. 

8. My organization will submit additional 

eligibility screening materials (i.e., a complete 

Organizational Profile and two results measures 

for each of the five Criteria results items). The 

Baldrige Program will use the materials to 

determine if my organization is eligible to apply 

for the award this year (as described in the fact 

sheet at Eligibility FAQs). 

Yes



The Baldrige 

Program will 

review the 

materials and 

contact your ECP 

after determining 

your eligibility.

No



Call 877-237-9064, 

option 3, if you 

have questions.

7. Award Category 

a. Award category (Check one.) 

Your education or health care organization may use the Business/Nonprofit Criteria and apply in the service, small business, 

or nonprofit category. However, you probably will find the sector-specific (Education or Health Care) Criteria more 

appropriate . 

For-Profit Nonprofit

 Manufacturing

 Service

 Small business (# 500 employees) 

 Education

 Health Care

 Nonprofit 

 Education

 Health Care

b . Industrial classifications. In table below, list up to three of the most descriptive NAICS codes for your organization (see 

NAICS list included at the end of this document). These are used to identify your organizational functions and to assign 

applications to examiners.

6112 6115 6116
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

8. Organizational Structure

a. For the preceding fiscal year, the organization had in

 up to $1 million  $1.1 million–$10 million 

 $10.1 million–$100 million  $100.1 million–$500 million 

 $500.1 million–$1 billion  more than $1 billion

 sales 

 revenue

 budget

b . Attach a line-and-box organization chart that includes divisions or unit levels. In each box, include the name of the unit or 

division and the name of its leader. Do not use shading or color in the boxes.

 The chart is attached.

c . The organization is _____ a larger parent or system. (Check all that apply.)

 not a subunit of (See item 6 above.)

 a subsidiary of  controlled by  administered by  owned by

 a division of  a unit of  a school of  other _____________________

Parent 

organization

Central Polk Community 

College System

Address 123 Polk Ave.

Jamestown, CP 77779

Total number of 

paid employees* 15

Highest-ranking 

official

Dr. Zachary Taylor Job title Executive Director

Telephone 555-222-1289

*Paid employees include permanent, part-time, temporary, and telecommuting employees, as well as contract employees 

supervised by the organization . Include employees of subunits but not of joint ventures.

Attach a line-and-box organization chart(s) showing your organization’s relationship to the parent’s highest management 

level, including all intervening levels. In each box, include the name of the unit or division and its leader. Do not use 

shading or color in the boxes.

 The chart is attached.

d. Considering the organization chart, briefly describe below how your organization relates to the parent and its other 

subunits in terms of products, services, and management structure.

The system office provides governance and oversight for CCNW.

e. Provide the title and date of an official document (e.g., an annual report, organizational literature, a press release) that 

clearly defines your organization as a discrete entity. 

Title Central Polk State Statute 12.1456 Date Jan. 2, 1970

Attach a copy of relevant portions of the document. If you name a website as documentation, print and attach the relevant 

pages, providing the name only (not the URL) of the website.

 Relevant portions of the document are attached.

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-6 of 12
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

f. Briefly describe the major functions your parent or its other subunits provide to your organization, if appropriate. 

Examples are strategic planning, business acquisition, research and development, facilities management, data gathering 

and analysis, human resource services, legal services, finance or accounting, sales/marketing, supply chain management, 

global expansion, information and knowledge management, education/training programs, information systems and 

technology services, curriculum and instruction, and academic program coordination/development.

Governance

Oversight

9. Site Listing

You may attach or continue your site listing on a separate page as long as you include all the information requested here. You may 

group sites by function or location (city, state), as appropriate. Please include the total for each column (sites, employees/faculty/

staff, volunteers, and products/services). If different sites are located on the same campus (e.g., medical building and acute care 

hospital), please indicate that in the “Sites” column. See the ABC HealthCare example below. If your organization has any joint 

ventures, please list and describe those in the second table below.

Please include a detailed listing showing all your sites. If your organization receives a site visit, an examiner team will use this 

information for planning and conducting its visit. Although site visits are not conducted at facilities outside the United States or its 

territories, these facilities may be contacted by teleconference or videoconference.

Example (ABC HealthCare)

Sites (U.S. and Foreign)

List the city and the state or country.

Workforce*

List the numbers at 

each site.

List the % at 

each site, 

or use “N/A” 

(not applicable).

Check one 

or more.

 Employees

 Faculty

 Staff

Volunteers

(no. or 

N/A)

Check one.

% of 

 Sales

 Revenue

 Budget

Relevant Products, Services, 

and/or Technologies

ABC Medical Center, Anytown, NY 1,232 147 77% Admin. offices, inpatient care, 

ED, imaging services, lab

ABC Hospital West, West Anytown, NY 255 78 14% Inpatient services, ED, lab

ABC Medical Group, Anytown, NY

Located on same campus as ABC 

Medical Center

236 N/A 6% Primary & specialty physician 

care

ABC Imaging Center, West Anytown, NY 11 N/A 1% Imaging services

ABC Hospice Services, West Anytown, NY

Different location than ABC Hospital West 

and ABC Imaging Center

94 89 1% On- and off-site hospice 

services

ABC Urgent Care, West Anytown, NY 8 N/A 1% Outpatient emergency and 

urgent care services

Total 6 1,836 314 100%

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-7 of 12
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-8 of 12

Your Organization

Sites (U.S. and Foreign)

List the city and the state or country.

Workforce* 

List the numbers at 

each site.

List the % at 

each site, 

or use “N/A” 

(not applicable).

Check one 

or more.

 Employees

 Faculty

 Staff

Volunteers

(no. or 

N/A)

Check one.

% of 

 Sales

 Revenue

 Budget

Relevant Products, Services, 

and/or Technologies

Gaithersville, CP 1,210 N/A N/A Educational services that 

lead to associate degrees, 

certificates, workforce 

badges, and other coursework 

Total 1,210 N/A 100%

*The term workforce refers to all people actively involved in accomplishing the work of an organization. The workforce includes 

paid employees (e.g., permanent, part-time, temporary, telecommuting, and contract employees supervised by the organization) 

and volunteers, as appropriate; it also includes team leaders, supervisors, and managers at all levels.

Joint Ventures

Partner Organization

# of applicant 

employees 

included in 

joint venture

% Owned 

by the 

Applicant

Describe extent/level of operational 

and managerial responsibility your 

organization has for the joint venture.

N/A

Total

10. Key Business/Organization Factors

List or briefly describe where necessary the following key business/organization factors (we recommend using bullets). Please be 

concise, but be as specific as possible. Provide full names of organizations (i.e., do not use acronyms). The Baldrige Program uses 

this information to avoid conflicts of interest when assigning examiners to your application. Examiners also use this information in 

their evaluations. 

a. Main products and/or services and major markets served (local, regional, national, and international)

Educational programs (degree-seeking, certificate, workforce development, and continuing education) for 

CCNW’s three-county service area (Mason, Walker, and Marcy counties)

b . Key competitors (those that constitute 5 percent or more of your competitors)

Einstein Technical Institute, St. Theresa Nursing College

c . Key customers/users (those that constitute 5 percent or more of your customers/users)

Recent high school graduates, non-traditional students, transfer students, career-seeking students, non-degreeseeking students, dual-credit high school students
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-9 of 12

d. Key suppliers/partners (those that constitute 5 percent or more of your suppliers/partners)

Key suppliers: Lifelong LMS, HappyPeople CRM Solutions, Wyatt ERP Systems

Key partners: Mason HS, Walker HS, Marcy HS, CCNW Foundation, Gaithersville Chamber of Commerce

e . Financial auditor Fiscal year (e.g., October 1–September 30)

Dewey, Cheatam, & Howe Oct. 1– Sept. 30

f. Parent organization (if your organization is a subunit).

11. Nomination to the Board of Examiners

If your organization is eligible to apply for the Baldrige Award in 2021, you may nominate one senior member from your 

organization to the 2021 Board of Examiners.

Nominees are appointed for one year only. Nominees

■ must not have served previously on the Board of Examiners and

■ must be citizens of the United States, be located in the United States or its territories, and be employees of the 

  applicant organization.

The program limits the number of examiners from any one organization. If your organization already has representatives on the 

board, nominating an additional person may affect their reappointment.

Board appointments provide a significant opportunity for your organization to learn about the Criteria and the evaluation 

process. The time commitment is also substantial: examiners commit to a minimum of 200 hours from April to August, including 

approximately 40–60 hours in April/May to complete self-study, four days in May to attend Examiner Preparation, and 95–130 

hours from June through August to complete an Independent and Consensus Review. If requested by the program, examiners also 

participate in a Site Visit Review of approximately nine days. The nominee or the organization must cover travel and housing 

expenses incurred for Examiner Preparation. 

 Mr .  Mrs .  Ms .  Dr.

Rita B. Ayless from our organization will serve on the 2021 Board of Examiners.

rbayless@ccnw.edu Email address

 I understand that the nominee or the organization will cover travel and hotel costs associated with participation in Examiner 

Preparation. I also understand that if my organization is determined to be ineligible to apply for the Baldrige Award in 2021, 

this examiner nomination will not be considered for the 2021 Board of Examiners.
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-10 of 12

12. Self-Certification and Signature 

I state and attest the following:

(1) I have reviewed the information provided in this eligibility certification package.

(2) To the best of my knowledge, 

■ this package includes no untrue statement of a material fact, and

■ no material fact has been omitted.

(3) Based on the information herein and the current eligibility requirements for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality 

 Award, my organization is eligible to apply.

(4) I understand that if the information is found not to support eligibility at any time during the 2021 award process, my 

 organization will no longer receive consideration for the award and will receive only a feedback report.

Malcolm B. Aldrige Malcolm B. Aldrige Jan. 1, 2021

Signature of highest-ranking official Printed name Date
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

2021 Eligibility Certification Form

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page E-11 of 12

13. Submission

To be considered for the 2021 award, your complete eligibility certification package must be submitted electronically no later than 

February 17, 2021. 

To submit your Eligibility Certification package, request a link to NIST’s secure file transfer system by emailing

asqbaldrige@asq.org. Do not email your eligibility package directly to ASQ. 

Do you authorize ASQ to return copies of your date-stamped eligibility forms (required to be included in your application 

package) via email? If you check “no” below, the copies will be returned to you via Federal Express. 

 Yes  No 

14. Fee

Indicate your method of payment for the $400 eligibility certification fee.

 Check (enclosed)  Money order (enclosed) Make payable to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

 ACH payment  Wire transfer

Checking ABA routing number: Checking account number: 

Before sending an ACH payment or wire transfer, notify the American Society for Quality (ASQ; [414] 298-8789, ext. 7205, or 

mbnqa@asq.org). Reference the Baldrige Award with your payment.

 Visa  MasterCard  American Express

Card number Authorized signature

Expiration date Printed name

Card billing address Today’s date

W-9 Request: If you require an IRS Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification),

contact ASQ at (414) 298-8789, ext. 7205 .
Eligibility package due February 17, 2021 

Award package due April 27, 2021

2021 Eligibility Certification Form Checklist

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Control No. 0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

1. Eligibility Certification Form*

 I have answered all questions completely.

 I have included a line-and-box organization chart showing all components of the organization and the name of each unit 

or division and its leader.

 The highest-ranking official has signed the form. 

For Organizations Submitting Additional Eligibility Screening Materials (to meet the alternative eligibility 

condition no. 8 for question 6k; see the table on page E-4)

 I have enclosed a complete Organizational Profile.

 I have enclosed data for two results measures for each of the five Criteria results items.

For Subunits Only

 I have included a line-and-box organization chart(s) showing the subunit’s relationship to the parent’s highest 

management level, including all intervening levels.

 I have enclosed copies of relevant portions of an official document clearly defining the subunit as a discrete entity.

*Please do not staple the pages of this form.

2. Fee

 I have indicated my method of payment for the nonrefundable $400 eligibility certification fee.

 If paying by check or money order, I have made it payable to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and 

included it in the eligibility certification package. 

3. Submission and Baldrige Examiner Nomination

 I am nominating a senior member of my organization to the 2021 Board of Examiners.

 I am not nominating a senior member of my organization to the 2021 Board of Examiners.

 I am emailing asqbaldrige@asq.org to request a link to NIST’s secure file transfer system to upload my eligibility 

certification package. 
ORGANIZATION 

CHART
O1

CCNW Organizational Chart
PAGE A-1 

OF THE 

2021 AWARD 

APPLICATION FORM
1. Your Organization 

Official name Community College of the Northwest

Mailing address 100 College Drive

Gaithersville, CP 77777

2. Award Category and Criteria Used 

a. Award category (Check one.)

 Manufacturing

 Service

 Small business. The larger percentage of sales is in 

(check one)  Manufacturing  Service

 Education

 Health care

 Nonprofit

b. Criteria used (Check one.)

 Business/Nonprofit

 Education

 Health Care

3. Official Contact Point 

Designate a person with in-depth knowledge of the 

organization, a good understanding of the application, and 

the authority to answer inquiries and arrange a site visit, if 

necessary. Contact between the Baldrige Program and your 

organization is limited to this individual and the alternate 

official contact point. If the official contact point changes 

during the application process, please inform the program.

 Mr .  Mrs .  Ms .  Dr.

Name Quisha U. Est

Title Director of Outreach and 

Organizational Development 

Mailing address  Same as above

Overnight 

mailing address

 Same as above

 (Do not use a P.O. box number.)

Telephone 555-555-2345

Fax 555-555-2346

E-mail quest@ccnw.edu

2021 Award Application Form 

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

OMB Clearance #0693-0006

Expiration Date: 07/31/2022

Page A-1

4. Alternate Official Contact Point

 Mr .  Mrs .  Ms .  Dr.

Name Anders L. Faber

Telephone 555-555-4321

Fax 555-555-4320

E-mail alfaber@ccnw.edu

5. Release and Ethics Statements

Release Statement

I understand that this application will be reviewed by members 

of the Board of Examiners.

If my organization is selected for a site visit, I agree that the 

organization will

■ host the site visit, 

■ facilitate an open and unbiased examination, and

■ pay reasonable costs associated with the site visit (see 

Baldrige Award Process Fees on our website [https:/

/www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige-award/award-process-fees]).

If selected to receive an award, my organization will share 

nonproprietary information on its successful performance 

excellence strategies with other U.S. organizations.

Ethics Statement and Signature of 

Highest-Ranking Official

I state and attest that

(1) I have reviewed the information provided by my

organization in this award application package. 

(2) To the best of my knowledge, this package contains no 

untrue statement of a material fact and omits no material 

fact that I am legally permitted to disclose and that affects 

my organization’s ethical and legal practices. This includes 

but is not limited to sanctions and ethical breaches.

Malcolm B. Aldrige April 21, 2021

Signature Date

 Mr .  Mrs .  Ms .  Dr.

Printed name Malcolm B. Aldrige

Job title President

Applicant name Community College of the Northwest

Mailing address  Same as above

Telephone 555-555-2000

Email mbaldrige@ccnw.edu

Fax 555-555-2001
GLOSSARY OF 

TERMS AND 

ABBREVIATIONS
G1

Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

A

ACCT: Association of Community College Trustees

ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act 

AOS: Available On-site

APMS: Action Plan Management System

AQIP: Academic Quality Improvement Program

AS: Administrative Support

B

B2P: Benchmark Looking Star Benchmark and Best Practice 

Process 

Best Practices and EOHW: Benefits, Policies, Staffing 

Relations, and Employee Health

BPS: Benefits, Policies, and Staffing Relations

BYOD: Bring Your Own Device

C

CAD: Computer-aided Drawing

Cap2: Workforce Capacity and Capabilities 

CAS: Central Administrative Support

CC: Core Competencies

CCNW: Community College of the Northwest

CCSSE: Community College Survey of Student Engagement

CEE: College Environment Evaluation

CEOC: Communication, Engagement, Outreach, and 

Communication

COKMP: CCNW Organizational Knowledge 

Management Process 

CP: Central Polk

CPBT: Central Polk Board of Trustees

CPBT-CoW: Committee of the Whole 

CPBT-FC: Financial Committee 

CPBT-PC: Policy Committee 

CPEC: Central Polk Electronic Procurement System

CUPA-HR: College and University Professional Association 

for Human Resources

D

DASHER: Data Sharing Consortium for Higher Education 

Research

DC: Dual Credit 

DoE: U.S. Department of Education

E

EAP: Employee Assistance Plan

ECHS: Early College High School 

EEOC: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

ES: Environmental Scanning

ESL: English as a Second Language

F

FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency

FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

FMLA: Family and Medical Leave Act

FT/PT: Full Time/Part Time

FTIC: First-time in College

FY: Fiscal Year

G

GASB: Governmental Accounting Standards Board 

GPA: Grade Point Average

H

HLC: Higher Learning Commission

HR: Human Resources

HRIS: Human Resources Information System

Health Resources and Services Administration

I

IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service

IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
G2

IDEF0: A methodology based on identifying inputs 

(requirements), controls (regulations, CCNW rules, 

accreditation criteria, risks, etc.), the output based on the 

requirements, and mechanisms (resources such as faculty and 

staff, finances, partners, facilities, IT, etc.)

IMP: Innovation Management Program

IP: Innovation Plan

IPEDS: Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System

IRA: Intelligent Risk Analysis

ISPs: Telcom and Internet Service Providers 

J

JPC: Job Design, Performance Management, and 

Compensation

K

KPI: Key Performance Indicator

L

LCP: Leadership Communication Process

LDC: Learning, Development, and Careers 

LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

LMS: Learning Management System

LS: Leadership System

M

MDQA: Model of Data Quality and Availability

MOU: Memorandum of Understanding

MVVCC: Mission, Vision, Values, Core Competencies

N

NCCBP: National Community College Benchmarking Project

NEO: New Employee Orientation

NPE: Network for Performance Excellence

NSC: National Student Clearinghouse

NWIP: Northwest Innovation Process

NWPMP: Northwest Performance Management Process

O

OCR: Office for Civil Rights

O-KPI: Unit/Operational KPIs

OPRS: Huddle Star Organizational Performance Review 

Structure 

P

Pandemic: COVID-19 

PDCA: Plan, Do, Check, Act Performance Improvement Model

PI: Process Improvement

PMM: Performance Monitoring Model 

PMS: Performance Measurement System

POC: Point of Contact

PROD: Office of Planning, Research, and Organizational 

Development 

PT: President’s Team

PTO: Paid-time Off 

R

RBM: Relationship-based Management Firm 

RFPs: Requests for Proposals

RHO: Recruitment, Hiring, and Onboarding

RMP: Relationship Management Process

ROI: Return on Investment

S

S/P/C: Suppliers, Partners, and Collaborators

SA: Strategic Advantage

SAS: Student Academic Success 

SC: Strategic Challenges

SGA: Student Government Association

S-KPI: Strategic Performance Metrics

SLs: Senior Leaders

SO: Strategic Opportunities

SObjs: Strategic Objectives
G3

SOPRP: Checkup Star Strategic and Operational Performance 

Review Process 

SOWS: Statements of Work 

SP3: Future Star Strategic Performance Projection Process 

SPOT: Strategic Planning Office Team

SPP: Strategic Planning Process

SRA: Strategic Resource Allocation

STAR-Point app: Students-Teachers-Action-Results App

STEM: Programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and 

Mathematics

SWM: Small/Woman/Minority

SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

T

TNW: The Northwest Way

V

VOC: Voice of the Customer

W

WBS: Work Breakdown Structure 

WORKS: HR Interactive Information System 
ORGANIZATIONAL 

PROFILE
i

Organizational Profile

P.1 Organizational Description

The Community College of the Northwest (CCNW) provides 

students access to higher education to prepare them for success 

in the workforce and to contribute positively to society. Since 

its beginning in 1970, CCNW has focused on its vision of open 

access, affordability, career-readiness, and social responsibility. 

At CCNW, open access means not only making higher education an opportunity for all but delivering educational programs 

and services that meet the needs of working adults and area 

employers; CCNW also creates an inclusive environment for 

first-generation college students. Affordability means graduating 

students with minimal to no debt. Career readiness means 

providing an education that prepares graduates to enter the 

job market with the necessary knowledge and skills to meet 

employer requirements. Social responsibility means that CCNW 

strives to meet the needs of the local economic and business 

environment as well as the adjacent rural communities.

CCNW is part of a 12-college system throughout the state of 

Central Polk. CCNW has the fifth largest enrollment among 

the 12 community colleges. Each campus is responsible for 

managing its own operations, and there is a Central Administrative Support (CAS) System office. CCNW is independently 

accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). 

Additionally, some programs have accreditation bodies specific 

to their areas of study.

As with most organizations, CCNW has been adapting to the 

COVID-19 pandemic (pandemic) in ways that leverage organizational agility, resilience, innovation, safety, and continuous 

improvement. Throughout this application, many adaptations 

are described. Many more are available on-site (AOS). As 

the pandemic began in the spring semester of 2020, CCNW 

chose not to shut down but to transition to virtual learning and 

working environments.

P.1a. Organizational Environment

P.1a(1). CCNW offers associate degrees, certificates, workforce 

badges, and courses for students to prepare for careers, attain 

new skills, transfer to four-year institutions, and contribute to 

society. Consistent with its vision to provide all students with 

access to higher education, CCNW is an open- access institution. (Some of the other colleges in the system have selective 

admissions requirements.) CCNW is distinctive in its engagement with community and business leaders to determine the 

educational programs that will be offered, as well as the optimal 

methods for delivering educational programs to ensure CCNW 

graduates are career-ready.

CCNW educates approximately 10,000 students per year. 

Approximately 75% of the courses are delivered face-to-face 

on the main campus, with 25% being delivered online or in an 

alternate location (during the pandemic, CDC guidance was 

followed). The percentage of courses delivered online or in 

an alternate location has been increasing over the past three 

years as part of strategic planning efforts. To meet the needs 

of working adults, the educational delivery model includes 

weekend, compressed, and evening courses, as well as credit for 

prior learning. The college also offers dual-credit (DC) academies to allow students to begin their college education for select 

programs while in high school. 

Within the degree-seeking programs, CCNW identifies programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 

(STEM), and health care-related programs as “critical degree 

programs.” These are programs that directly address community 

employment needs.

P.1a(2). See Figure P.1-2 for CCNW’s culture. CCNW helps 

students of all ages and ethnic and economic backgrounds 

achieve career-readiness and social responsibility through 

degree and non-degree programs that are tailored to meet their 

needs. Along with our mission, vision and values, our core 

competencies are integral to our culture, as they enable the 

operationalization of our mission, vision and values. Additionally, our communication system, (Figure 1.1-2) is an essential 

facet of our culture in that demonstrates our commitment to 

ongoing, two-way communication. Mission, vision, values and 

core competencies (MVVCC) are reviewed at the beginning of 

each strategy development cycle to ensure they promote culture.

P.1a(3). CCNW recruits a workforce with the qualities and 

experience to create an excellent educational experience for 

students. Full-time faculty are contracted for nine months to 

teach 15 course credits per semester, and the teaching load for 

adjunct faculty varies based on demand. Infusing their realworld experience into the classes, adjuncts may teach credit or 

Figure P.1-1a: Administrative and Support Services

Administrative and 

support services

Admissions, tutoring, ESL, transfer guidance, 

community service, internships, advising, career 

services, financial aid, information technology, 

police and security

Figure P.1-1: Main Educational Programs and Services

Educational programs 

and services Description Length

Degree-seeking 

programs

50 associate degrees 

leading to careers in 

high-need areas or 

transfer to a 4-year 

institution

14-week sessions, as 

well as accelerated 

and self-paced courses 

targeted toward nontraditional students

Certificate programs 25 certificate and 

workforce training 

badge programs 

designed to meet 

employer needs

3- to 14-week sessions. 

Some programs are one 

session and some are 

multisession.

Workforce 

development and 

continuing education 

programs

Personal development, 

badges, skill-building 

courses

1 day to 6 weeks
ii

non-credit courses or a combination. Faculty and administrative 

positions usually require a master’s degree. For some positions, 

a combination of education and relevant experience is acceptable. Budgeted staff are classified as management, professional, 

or support staff (Figure P.1-3). The college also employs 

temporary workers to support short-term services when needed.

CCNW does not have collective bargaining units. A limited 

number of positions have special health and safety requirements 

in recognized hazardous work environments such as welding, 

electrical, chemical, ergonomics, and driving safety for vehicle 

operators.

The Employee Engagement Survey statements determining key 

drivers of workforce engagement are the following: 

■ I am consistently treated well by my supervisor.

■ I have the necessary training and resources to do my work.

■ I am valued as a member of CCNW.

■ The work I do contributes to the mission of CCNW.

■ I am confident about the future of this institution.

Such statements are part of the foundation of specific key 

engagement drivers listed in Figure 5.2-1.

As a result of the financial impacts of the pandemic, CCNW 

furloughed some professional and support staff in selected 

areas of its operations beginning in FY21. CCNW has elected 

not to furlough faculty to ensure the necessary capabilities and 

capacity to deliver education and training.

P.1a(4). The CCNW campus of 125 acres houses 25 major 

academic and administrative buildings, 238 laboratories, and 

12 research laboratories. These facilities are used throughout 

the day, evenings, and weekends to meet the needs of working 

adults. The campus also provides dining, athletic facilities, art 

galleries, and theaters, as well as corresponding rehearsal and 

studio space.

Cutting-edge Technology: With a high proportion of classes 

available online, CCNW uses advanced technology to support 

and enhance instruction, student services, and business processes. The STAR (students-teachers-action-results)-Point app 

is used to connect students with each other and with faculty, and 

has a newsfeed from leadership option. An internal mobile app 

was already in place prior to the pandemic for student access 

to assignments, faculty, schedules, and feedback. With the 

pandemic, the Student Government Association (SGA) decided 

to expand its use to keep students connected and engaged. The 

students added to the app a social news feed and virtual UPS, 

virtual study circles, video messaging from the president, and 

text messaging to faculty. 

Further, the college engages students through a mobile technology experience with accounts to access the college wireless 

network and extensive online instructional resources and support services. Technologies used in academic programs include 

bring-your-own-device (BYOD) convenience, interactive TV, 

virtual classrooms and podcasting, virtual anatomy tables 

for dissection in health care-related programs, collaboration 

technology and virtual discussion rooms, and computer-aideddrawing (CAD) systems.

Hands-on learning: CCNW believes that students learn best 

through a combination of classroom and hands-on training 

experiences. As a result, the college has three times more labs 

than classrooms. Additionally, all associate degree programs 

require an internship, apprenticeship, or some other applied 

experience prior to graduation.

P.1a(5). CCNW is subject to a variety of local, state, regional, 

and federal requirements. Among these, key local regulations 

relate to county funding for CCNW—specifically use and 

oversight of county funds to the institution and environmental 

requirements related to the disposal of hazardous waste, which 

apply to automotive, welding, and health care-related programs. 

Regional oversight from CCNW’s accrediting body ensures that 

CCNW maintains high standards of quality in the education it 

provides. Additionally, several academic programs maintain 

accreditation specific to their fields of study. The Central Polk 

Board of Trustees (CPBT) provides strategic direction and sets 

policy for all colleges in the state system. At the federal level, 

CCNW complies with laws that govern institutions of higher 

education, such as the Higher Education Opportunity Act, 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Clery Act, and Family 

Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Regarding the 

open-access nature of CCNW, a student using federal financial 

aid is required to be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, have 

a high school diploma or GED, have a valid social security 

number, and be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate 

program. As an employer, CCNW complies with state and 

federal regulations related to equal opportunity and affirmative 

Figure P.1-2: CCNW Culture 

Mission Empowering students to be successful in the workforce 

and their communities

Vision

The Community College of the Northwest will be 

the best in the nation in providing students with 

accessibility, affordability, career-readiness, and social 

responsibility.

Values

• Students First

• Community-Engaged

• Collaboration

• Partnership

• Excellence

Core 

Competencies

• CC1: Provide exceptional student support services

• CC2: Partner with the local community to achieve 

excellence and graduate job readiness

• CC3: Maintain expert, up-to-date workforce

Figure P.1-3: Workforce Segments

Segment Number

Tenured and tenure-track faculty 250

Adjunct and non-tenure-track faculty (FT/PT) 200

Management 60

Professional staff 250

Support staff 400

Temporary staff 50

Total workforce 1,210
iii

action, conflicts of interest, tax compliance, and the Family 

and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). CCNW also complies with 

industry-related standards, such as the Payment Card Industry 

Data Security Standard.

The types of regulatory requirements and regulatory bodies are 

included in Figure P.1-4.

P.1b. Organizational Relationships

P.1b(1). As part of a system of community colleges, CCNW 

relies on policies, procedures, systems, and processes at the 

system level. As a public institution, CCNW also relies on these 

at the county or state level; these include determination of salary 

ranges; posting and processing of job openings; information 

technology and cybersecurity requirements, guidance, and some 

levels of support; purchasing and supply-chain management; 

and systems for finance and accounting. The governing and 

policy-setting body of the Central Polk Community College 

System is the CPBT. 

The CCNW president is the chief executive officer and reports 

to the chancellor of the college system. The chancellor of the 

college system reports to the CPBT. The President’s Team (PT) 

includes the president and the vice presidents of academic and 

student services; finance; administration; community engagement, outreach, and communications; and human resources (HR). 

The president and PT are the CCNW’s senior leaders (SL), 

responsible for strategy development, organizational performance review, process improvement, and management of 

college operations.

To inform the president and PT in their leadership of CCNW, a 

system of faculty governance exists to weigh in on issues and 

decisions that affect all faculty. Faculty governance consists of a 

board and committee structure, with faculty elected to serve on 

these bodies.

P.1b(2). CCNW’s key market (service area) is the three-county 

region surrounding it, and a growing secondary market includes 

high school students in academies, business internships, and 

work-study programs. The college’s primary customers are 

credit students. In fall 2019, CCNW had 9,000 credit students 

registered full-time, with a median age of 24–25, and 70% were 

from the three-county region. The other 1,000 students enrolled 

in non-degree-seeking programs. Enrollment of high school 

students in DC programs is in addition to the approximate 

annual enrollment of 10,000 degree and non-degree-seeking 

community college students.

P.1b(3). Key suppliers, partners, and collaborators complement the services offered by CCNW (see Figure P.1-6). 

They serve three important purposes. First, partners are often 

directly involved in the delivery of services to students and 

other customers. Second, partners play an important role in 

the strategy development and Northwest Innovation Process 

(NWIP), the two-way communication system, and support 

of the MVV. Third, the products and services that the college 

procures directly impact the quality of education provided and 

how effectively it is delivered. 

P.2 Organizational Situation

P.2a. Competitive Environment

P.2a(1). Fully 66% of students come from the three-county 

region (Mason, Walker, and Marcy counties), which has a 

combined population of 300,000. The region’s total population 

has been stable, although the number of high school graduates 

is expected to decline. Primary competitors are sister colleges. 

Other competitors include institutions of higher education 

within the service area with a similar focus on career-readiness 

and social responsibility (Figure P.2-1).

Figure P.1-4: Regulatory Requirements

Type Regulator

State Coordinating Board CPBT

Institutional Accreditation HLC

Specialized Accreditation 7 academic programs have disciplinespecific accreditation

Local Board of County Commissioners

Federal Regulations DoE, Department of Veterans’ Affairs,

Office of Civil Rights, Occupational 

Safety and Health Administration

Figure P.1-5: Students, Other Customers, and Stakeholders

Market Segments and 

Customer Groups Requirements and Expectations

Key Market Segments

Recent high school graduates in the 

3-county recruiting region 

• Focused recruitment

• Information about CCNW

Recent high school graduates outside • Easy access to services

the 3-county recruiting region 

Non-traditional students

Transfer students

Former students

Key Student and Other Customer Groups

Career-seeking students • Degree completion info

• Academic support services, 

including career counseling

Transfer students 

(i.e., seeking further education)

• Transfer articulation

• Degree completion info

• Academic challenges

Non-degree-seeking students • Provision of workforce skills

• Provisions for adult learner 

needs

DC high school students • College credit courses

• Collaboration with high school 

schedule

Key Stakeholders

Feeder schools See Figure P.1-6

Local Community See Figure P.1-6
iv

P.2a(2). The competition to attract new students continues to 

increase as both national and regional estimates project declines 

in the number of high school graduates over the next 10 years. 

As a result, some peers and competitors that have traditionally 

been more selective have lowered their admission standards to 

attract more students. In response, CCNW has strengthened its 

outreach and offered more pathways to entry, including (1) DC 

academies that allow students to begin their college education 

for select programs while in high school, (2) articulation agreements, and (3) collaboration with local employers. This increase 

in enrollment from high school students has led to increased 

attention on instructor qualifications. CCNW has also increased 

P.1-6: Suppliers, Partners, and Collaborators

Group Role Results

Key Partners and Collaborators

Transfer schools and sister colleges Partner through articulation agreements and joint transfers AOS

Feeder schools (Mason High School, 

Walker High School, Marcy High School)

Provide student enrollment, transition services, and collaborative programs 7.5-12

CCNW Foundation Provide funding for programs and scholarships to support MVVCC 7.5-5, 7.5-7

Donors Provide gifts to the CCNW Foundation AOS

CCNW Alumni Association Engage alumni to advocate on behalf of CCNW and engage with CCNW as needed 7.2-24

Alumni Offer a key community connection 7.2-24

Employers and advisory committees • Hire graduates

• Provide input on curriculum

• Provide students with hands-on experiences, including internships and 

apprenticeships

7.1-12, 7.1-15

Technology companies (ICS, Canter) Partner with CCNW to create technological solutions for higher education, 

specifically for community colleges

7.1-16, 7.1-16a, 

7.2-12, 7.2-23

Local community, including Gaithersville 

Chamber of Commerce

Provide students with opportunities to support societal needs and engage in 

hands-on experiences

7.2-12

Key Suppliers

Technology providers (ICS, Lifelong LMS, 

HappyPeople CRM Solutions, Wyatt ERP 

Systems)

Provide technology to support the learning environment, business processes, student 

services, and HR

7.1-16, 7.1-17

Laboratory support providers Provide innovative products and tools for hands-on learning, such as simulation 

tools and supplies to design, build, and implement real-world products

7.2-13

Service providers (Bookstore, Dining) Provide learning resources and food services for students, employees, and events 7.2-14

Administrative Support (AS) Provide AS that enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of operations at CCNW AOS

staffing in the admissions area to address competition for 

students from online education providers. 

Another challenge for public higher education is affordability—

not only the cost of tuition but also expenses (food, shelter, 

transportation, utilities). Keeping CCNW affordable is a critical 

focus area and a component of its mission.

P.2a(3). CCNW has four categories of comparative data: peers, 

competitors, national averages, and best-in-class. Guided by the 

vision to be best in the nation, CCNW sets its targets at best-inclass performance or at the performance level of aspirational 

peers. Challenges with obtaining comparative data are (1) data 

Figure P.2-1: Comparative Data

Category Defined as Sources

Peers Institutions with similar characteristics as CCNW • IPEDS

• CCSSE

• CollUnivPA-HR

• Nome Zevil DASHER

• Other Baldrige Award winners 

(in and out of sector)

• NCCBP

• Cost and Productivity Project

• NSC

Competitors Other institutions within the 12-college system (i.e., sister colleges) and the service area, 

including private technical colleges like Einstein Technical Institute and the St. Theresa 

Nursing College

National Averages Mid-point of performance for all institutions reporting data

Best-in-Class Top-decile performance in the nation. Also includes performance of aspirational peers 

(e.g., Hertz Community College, Reimann County College, Fangmeyer Junior College) 

and of Baldrige Award recipients
v

in national databases often lag a year behind, and (2) many of 

the metrics of importance to CCNW (KPIs) are not available 

from central sources (thus the college started its own datasharing consortium called DASHER).

P.2b. Strategic Context

Strategic challenges and advantages are shown in Figure P.2-2.

P.2c. Performance Improvement System

In 2010, after a number of performance improvement initiatives, 

the college approved implementation of a model for performance improvement and student success, which is based on the 

Baldrige Excellence Framework. CCNW’s long-time history of 

engaging in performance improvement includes the following:

■ 1983—Several administrators attend a W. Edwards Deming 

workshop.

■ 1985—Influenced by a major supplier of the big-three car 

manufacturers, CCNW begins an internal quality program 

for non-academic areas.

■ 1992—A new president brings in a Philip Crosby-style total 

quality management program.

■ 1994—Several staff and faculty serve as examiners for the 

Mason County Quality Cup, a local Baldrige-based program 

(closed in 1996).

■ 1997—Several staff and faculty serve as examiners for the 

Central Polk Society for Performance Excellence. (There is 

no other Baldrige-based state program until 2013.)

■ 1998—CCNW writes a Level 1 application (business profile) 

to the Central Polk Society for Performance Excellence, and 

receives feedback.

■ 2002—CCNW writes a Level 3 application (all items, 

35 pages) to the Central Polk Society for Performance 

Excellence. CCNW receives detailed feedback that it uses in 

process improvement (PI) projects.

■ 2004—CCNW writes a full application to the Central Polk 

Society for Performance Excellence, and receives a site visit 

and a detailed feedback report that is uses to prioritize PI 

projects.

■ 2005—CCNW is one of 15 community colleges that 

begins to work with Stephen Spangehl’s Academic Quality 

Improvement Project (AQIP) at the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

■ 2008—CCNW joins AQIP, and subsequently conducts action 

projects.

■ 2010—CCNW approves the Northwest Way (TNW).

■ 2013—A regional Baldrige-based program, Network for 

Performance Excellence (NPE), begins to serve organizations in Central Polk and three other states.

■ 2014—Several administrators and two faculty members 

serve as examiners for NPE, but CCNW focus remains on 

AQIP rather than state program.

■ 2017—CCNW submits a full application to NPE, receives 

a site visit and detailed feedback, and receives Silver Award 

(third highest level); feedback helps prioritize process 

improvements.

■ 2019—CCNW submits another full application to NPE, 

receives a site visit and detailed feedback, and receives the 

Governor’s Award (highest level).

■ 2019—CCNW submits an application to the national 

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP). It does 

not receive a site visit but receives a detailed feedback report.

■ 2020—CCNW is preparing a national application to BPEP 

for submission in early 2021.

TNW guides strategic planning, leadership, performance 

improvement, performance measurement, accountability, and 

accreditation processes. It is central to everything CCNW 

does. This model is also grounded in the Plan, Do, Check, Act 

(PDCA) performance improvement model.

Figure P.2-2: Strategic Context

Strategic Advantages

SA1: Student success outcomes

SA2: Societal responsibility outcomes

SA3: Partnerships 

SA4: Affordability

Strategic Challenges

SC1: Decreased state funding

SC2: Influx of DC, high school students through Early College High School 

Development Program (ECHS)

SC3: Increased competition for students

SC4: Demands to close the achievement gap 

SC5: Ensuring qualifications of incoming full- and part-time faculty 

Figure P.2-3: The Northwest Way Model for Performance Improvement
RESPONSES 

ADDRESSING ALL 

CRITERIA ITEMS
1

Category 1—Leadership

1.1 Senior Leadership 

SLs include the PT, General Counsel, and president. SLs 

lead the organization through a Leadership System (LS) that 

integrates the strategic plan and key work systems and processes to deliver high-performance results, meeting student and 

key stakeholder expectations. The organization’s MVV are the 

central core of the LS (Figure 1.1-1), connecting open access, 

affordability, career-readiness, and social responsibility to a 

central focus on student success, in fulfillment of the mission.

1.1a. Vision and Values

1.1a(1). SLs establish and re-evaluate the MVV statements 

triennially through step 1 of the Strategic Planning Process 

(SPP; Figure 2.1-1), where a Strategy Team uses survey and 

stakeholder feedback to ensure alignment to the mission and 

vision. Once established by the Strategy Team and affirmed by 

the CPBT, the MVV are deployed by the PT through the Leadership Communication Process (LCP; Figure 1.1-2) methods. 

In addition, all public-facing evidence of the MVV is updated 

through the Media Relations department and integrated through 

internal communications, including signage in all public 

meeting rooms, the website, and regional marketing materials. 

The vision statement is embedded in the signature line for all 

employee email and on internal agendas.

Once the strategic plan is completed and approved, leaders 

cascade and reinforce the MVV with employees through departmental meetings, while SLs explain the MVV in new employee 

orientation (NEO). A key NEO message is that everyone is 

expected to reflect the values in action every day, including SLs. 

Feedback on every role’s reflection of the values is part of the 

annual performance review process. 

1.1a(2). CCNW’s SLs have developed and adopted a Culture 

Walk program that models ethical and legal behavior, as well 

as inclusion and equity, in the education sector and makes it 

easy to view compliance and inclusivity expectations from 

the top of the organization. The SLs established this program 

in 2016 to be clear on the ethical, moral, legal, and inclusivity 

standards of behavior expected at CCNW, based on a national 

presentation at ACCT Congress, a legal review, and input from 

a recognized state ethicist. SLs introduce the program in NEO, 

with the expectation that employees consistently seek to do the 

right thing when facing a legal, ethical or inclusivity issue. Input 

or advice from others is expected and encouraged. A Culture 

Walk “first, do no harm” algorithm guides decision making 

through the program, and PT members serve as resources for 

all challenging situations. Each Culture Walk issue is logged 

with actions taken, and the outcome is maintained and evaluated 

annually for ongoing learning and NEO use. Current employees 

complete an annual review of the Culture Walk via the Learning 

Management System (LMS), and they must successfully pass 

the post-test, reflecting competency.

Students are informed of the Culture Walk program on 

enrollment, and have access to a confidential online portal to 

report any issues, concerns or events. Student submissions are 

evaluated within 48 hours by the program Dean and their PT 

member, with evaluation, follow-up and process modification 

as indicated. Any adverse actions are included in the CPBT 

compliance reports. Vendors and community stakeholders are 

also informed of the ethical and legal standards of CCNW on 

the website prior to working with CCNW, and are encouraged to 

report any anonymous concerns through a confidential hotline. 

All Culture Walk issues are logged in a secure intranet portal 

with full visibility by the CPBT, Chancellor, President and 

General Counsel. Issues are directly routed to the responsible 

PT member for action and resolution. Concerns related to the 

President are auto routed to the Chancellor and the CPBT. All 

reported issues and resolutions are summarized in the CPBT 

compliance reports. Accountability for timely actions and 

resolution within the Culture Walk program is through Compliance Services, through real-time SL feedback, and annual 

performance reviews for all PT members and the President, with 

oversight by the Chancellor. Each year, SLs review program 

feedback and results, and create an educational update for 

workforce and SLs via the online learning system; required for 

all workforce. 

1.1b. Communication

In Figure 1.1-2, the LCP methods show how SLs communicate 

and engage the workforce, key partners, students, and other 

customers. 

Key decisions for organizational change and two-way communication mechanisms are noted above. In two-way communication, a mechanism for exchange of ideas and feedback 

is involved. For example, students prefer to respond via the 

student feedback portal on the intranet or via text/STAR-Point 

to the program faculty or dean. Workforce members prefer to 

send feedback via a confidential intranet portal or directly via 

email or text/STAR-Point. 

 

Figure 1.1-1: CCNW Leadership System 
2

Strategic management decisions are made through the Strategy 

Team (see Figure 2.1-1) or at weekly PT cabinet meetings, 

and decisions are communicated to department chairs and 

directors through monthly leadership meetings. A director of 

internal communication and director of media relations ensure 

that a consistent template is used to cascade communications 

to the intended stakeholders, using standard communication 

mechanisms (Figure 1.1-2). Program decisions involve program 

faculty and deans as subject-matter experts in analysis and 

recommendations. Strategic board decisions are made at the 

monthly CPBT meetings, and decisions are either shared with 

SLs in person or at PT meetings. In urgent issues, the president 

may gather information from the PT and make a best decision or 

raise the issue to the chancellor or CPBT. The primary mechanisms used to communicate needs for organizational change are 

the president’s video message and direct communications with 

involved stakeholders using a cascading communication tree. 

SLs, deans, and department chairs all have text access published 

in the faculty intranet site, which is searchable on the CCNW 

intranet and the STAR-Point application. STAR-Point was 

first developed in 2017 to meet the growing connection and 

convenience needs of student millennials who desire relevant 

CCNW information on their phones. STAR-Point stands for 

Students-Teachers-Action-Results. It provides protected and 

real-time access to internal communications, updated regularly 

by the Internal Communications department, as a social feed. 

For students, STAR-Point provides easy access to faculty and 

course content, registrars, billing, student socials, events, committees, and college updates. For most students, STAR-Point is 

their primary connection to CCNW from their phone or other 

electronic device. Communication-level-access permissions

in STAR-Point are by role, activated through 

information technology security on admissions/hires/

partnerships. CPBT members also have access to 

STAR-Point for distribution of board-related, realtime communications and meeting materials. 

Effectiveness of communication is evaluated as 

an element of the Employee Engagement Survey 

(P.1a[3]), conducted annually. In 2018, the survey 

vendor was changed from Laney Mess to Canter to 

simplify questions and gain more frequent and meaningful survey feedback. Communication effectiveness 

is also evaluated by the CPBT self-evaluation, and 

key partners are part of annual service commitments. 

Motivation of the workforce, students, and organization to high levels of performance metrics is 

through the STAR Award system. A STAR Award is 

available each month to a member of the organization 

who is nominated by a peer or affiliated member of 

the organization for high-level performance beyond 

expectations, based on student excellence criteria. 

Selection of the award is made through the multidisciplinary STAR Award Committee, facilitated by the 

vice presidents of HR and community engagement, 

outreach, and communications. The selected recipient 

is publicly recognized and entered to receive a special 

award at the annual college CCNW Foundation 

Gala. The CCNW Foundation Board meets monthly to manage 

resources during the academic year and serves to advance strong 

donor relationships with alumni students and local businesses. 

1.1c. Mission and Organizational Performance

1.1c(1). SLs create a welcoming and engaged culture that 

values each workforce member, student, and community 

relationship through listening mechanisms (Figure 3.1-1), 

integrated communication processes (Figure 1.1-2), strategic 

planning (Figure 2.1-1), and a LS (Figure 1.1-1) that focuses on 

high-performance results. Each activity is designed to support 

the mission by leveraging core competencies (CC), key work 

systems, and key work processes through ongoing cycles of 

improvement using PDCA.

Cultural alignment begins with faculty and workforce selection, 

NEO, and performance feedback and refinement, along with 

change management processes to ensure agility to student and 

community needs. As part of these processes, CCNW ensures 

inclusion of diverse backgrounds and ideas by soliciting 

participation from broad cross-sections of the institution. By 

leveraging the PDCA process inherent in TNW, the organization 

regularly evaluates equity for students, the workforce, and all 

stakeholders, to ensure that no one segment is inappropriately 

favored over another. Questions about workforce inclusion and 

equity are also included in the Employee Engagement Survey 

(P.1a[3]) conducted annually. For example, as students needed 

to stay at home for safety during a recent health emergency, SLs 

and the SGA worked with the CCNW Foundation to expand the 

STAR-Point app to serve as a remote, social, communication, 

and program support channel, connecting faculty and students 

with a focus on student success. The Change Management Process guided who was involved, the project plan, key milestones, 

Figure 1.1-2: Leadership Communication Process 

Method 

(* = Key Decisions)

Type of 

Communication WF KP S OC

*Cabinet (PT) Meetings 2W W AN AN AN

*CPBT Meetings 2W M M Q AN

CPBT Committees 2W BiM AN BiA AN

*Leadership Meetings 2W M AN Q AN

Dean/Department Meetings 2W M AN Q AN

SL/Communication Meetings 2W BiW AN BiW AN

Website/Social Feeds 2W D D D D

Intranet 2W D D D D

Email 2W D M W M

Newsletter (Digital +) 1W M BiM M BiM

*President Video (Strategy) 2W M BiM BiM BiM

STAR Awards 2W M — M —

Student/Faculty Meetings 2W BiA — BiA —

STAR-Point App 2W D D D D

KEY

Types of communication: 2W = 2 Way, 1W = 1 Way

Who: WF = Workforce (+PT), KP = Key Partners, S = Students, OC = Other (Key) Customers

Frequency: D = Daily, W = Weekly, M = Monthly, Q = Quarterly, BiW = Biweekly, 

BiM = Bimonthly, BiA = Biannually, AN = As needed
3

progress reports, and resources needed. The new STAR-Point 

features were designed based on student and faculty feedback 

through rapid cycle improvement; the sprint was implemented 

within two weeks.

The four-step NWIP (Figure 1.1-3) provides a consistent 

method to advance areas of significant need or opportunity, and 

to achieve organizational strategy, innovation, or intelligent 

risk-taking. (Figure 6.1-4 shows the flow of NWIP, with a 

requesting party submitting a business case for approval by the 

board that would flow into the “plan” part of Figure 1.1-3.)

The Innovation Management Program (IMP) provides a single 

point of access, development, progress notation, action, and 

evaluation for identified innovation and intelligent risk ideas, 

targeted and sourced from the workforce, community, students, 

and key partners through STAR-Point, the CCNW website, 

or a secure telecom and internet service provider (ISP) portal. 

Ideas are submitted using a template that includes the business 

case for the innovation. As these ideas are received, a board that 

includes SLs review them using a criteria matrix and advance 

those aligned to strategic or operational priorities to a PT member for deployment oversight. Progress updates are reported at 

least monthly using a stoplight system and through PT cabinet 

meetings. As a result of the global pandemic, CCNW modified 

its IMP. In addition to the solicitation of all innovation ideas, 

SLs have begun requesting ideas from the workforce, community, students and key partners that are specific to sustainability.

The president and the PT have a short-term succession plan 

that identifies one or more individuals who can manage their 

key duties for a period up to eight weeks. Individuals verify 

readiness every six months with the respective SL. The vice 

president of HR maintains a record of SL skills, knowledge, 

and abilities, as well as a matrix of individuals. Permanent or 

long-term succession is managed for the president and the PT 

through an annual assessment about career plans over the next 

1–3 years. Anticipated vacancies are brought to the chancellor 

through a confidential report, and a plan for replacement is 

begun at least six months before a SL departure. In some cases, 

an external search is required based on specific skills, knowledge, and abilities of the role. A succession matrix and plan is 

AOS. 

CCNW also has a Bright Star program that provides additional 

formal and informal training to internal candidates viewed to 

be strong potentials for future SL roles. Candidates are selected 

based on high-performance results, credentials, and cultural 

alignment. Once candidates complete the 12-month program, 

they receive a SL mentor, and are actively considered for an 

upcoming SL vacancy. Candidates for mid-level leadership roles 

may apply for the Rising Star program through HR as soon as 

the eligibility criteria are met: ability, credentials, and cultural 

fit. Rising Star program participants are eligible for free tuition 

at sponsored state colleges, an online leadership academy, and 

challenge assignments to reflect their abilities in action. Rising 

Star graduates have priority options for new CCNW mid-level 

leadership roles. 

1.1c(2). CCNW’s LS (Figure 1.1-1) seamlessly aligns the 

four key work systems of curriculum development, student 

instruction, faculty development, and community engagement 

to the vision of open access, affordability, career-readiness, 

and social responsibility, with a central focus on the mission. 

SLs create a sustainable and vibrant organization through clear 

strategic direction, carried out through the LS and LCP, building 

strong relationships among students, key partners, faculty, and 

community stakeholders. Feedback loops in each key communication process help to promote agility and responsiveness, 

which support and drive each of CCNW’s CCs. 

The LS guides SL alignment and accountability to strategic 

priorities. Weekly PT cabinet meetings address a brief progress 

update on strategic objectives (SObjs) and action plan items, 

barriers or key decisions needed, and resources needed or 

available to other priorities. Decisions are primarily made 

by consensus with a weighted analysis of benefits/risks. SLs 

then meet monthly with their deans and department chairs, 

and review progress on key strategies, impacts, and changes 

needed or key decisions. Department chairs meet monthly and 

cascade key communications to faculty and the workforce. 

The vice president of community engagement, outreach, and 

communications participates in PT meetings, and channels 

timely communication throughout the organization through the 

LCP methods. 

Performance expectations are set during the SPP and balanced 

by a distribution of action plans across the PT, while ensuring 

that each PT member has no more than three priority action 

plans. Decisions on oversight and accountability assignment 

occur during the SPP Action Planning Deployment Process 

Figure 1.1-3: Northwest Innovation Process 
4

and are evaluated at the first monthly PT meeting. Areas that 

are not on target have PDCA projects activated until progress 

is back on course. Each PT member provides oversight to 

departmental plans and metrics that align to strategic performance metrics (S-KPIs). A dashboard of these metrics is 

reported to the CPBT twice/year. S-KPIs support open access, 

affordability, career-readiness, and social responsibility, while 

also addressing financial performance, workforce health and 

safety, student engagement and results, and community support 

and engagement. 

1.2 Governance and Societal Contributions 

1.2a. Organizational Governance

1.2a(1). CCNW is governed by an 11-member board of trustees 

(CPBT), appointed per state statute with staggered three-year 

terms. The CPBT ensures responsible governance by fiduciary 

and leadership oversight of the college enterprise through 

regular open meetings, committee meetings, performance 

reviews, and participation in regional events for advocacy, 

community engagement, and support. The CPBT has primary 

responsibility for the selection and performance of the CCNW 

chancellor, who selects the CCNW president to lead the mission 

and vision of the college through specific programs and services 

and to support student success.

The CPBT meets monthly as a Committee of the Whole 

(CPBT-CoW), following a standard agenda with periodic 

reports and action items. Advance published meeting notices 

provide an opportunity for local citizens to participate, bring 

forward concerns, and ask questions at the meeting. The 

Financial Committee (CPBT-FC) meets 6x/year; reviews fiscal 

audits, budget plans, new programs, and resources; and verifies 

financial reports. The Policy Committee (CPBT-PC) meets 

quarterly and as needed to respond to new policies impacting 

regulatory, ethical, or stakeholder concerns and risks, as well as 

the role of the CPBT. At least three members of the CPBT serve 

on each board committee for discussion and recommendations 

to the CPBT-CoW, where CPBT actions occur. 

The CPBT evaluates the performance of CCNW through 

committee reports, program reports, metric dashboards, and program audits. The CPBT-FC reviews annual internal and external 

fiscal audits, while the CPBT-PC reviews all CPBT policies and 

approves any revisions annually. The fiscal audits are conducted 

by a qualified and unbiased certified accounting agency, 

selected by the CPBT, with findings reviewed and approved by 

the CPBT-CoW annually. CPBT dashboards provide oversight 

accountability to advance CCNW strategy and action plans, and 

are reviewed 4x/year, due to the frequency of updated data. 

Selection of governance members is guided by state statute 

and specific criteria. State criteria include county of residence, 

employment relationship (employer, employee, or elected 

official), ethnicity, gender, and representation of key programs 

or areas of needed knowledge on the board. Serving as public 

notice, an annual Appointment Process is announced to the 

communities, and all interested and qualified persons apply. 

An appointment interview meeting with the CPBT determines 

appointed roles by majority vote of a quorum. Appointees are 

sworn in to assume their roles as of July 1 annually (triennial 

terms), taking an oath of office. An orientation follows on 

duties, CCNW policies, systems, and reports. All CPBT members sign annual conflict-of-interest statements, and members 

receive training on open meetings and ethics regulations. The 

CPBT holds the chancellor accountable to annual performance 

outcomes aligned to SObjs. In addition, the chancellor facilitates 

an annual CPBT self-evaluation and a 360-degree review of the 

president. The CPBT participates in 360-degree SL feedback 

reviews as requested, sharing key findings for development and 

goal planning for the following year. A triennial written contract 

reflects the chancellor’s role requirements, term, and expectations; compensation may be adjusted by the CPBT based on an 

annual performance review and fiscal resources. 

The CPBT takes a lead role on succession planning for the 

chancellor and supports an effective succession plan for SLs. 

As part of the annual performance discussion, CPBT members 

confer with the chancellor confidentially on the feedback from 

SLs related to anticipated attrition in those roles within the 

next 2–3 years. If the CCNW president is planning to leave, the 

chancellor invokes the Succession Planning Process involving 

an evaluation of internal prospects or the need for an external 

search. A one-year minimum notice is requested to provide a 

suitable knowledge transfer process within the culture. If the 

chancellor or president anticipates a departure of a PT member, 

a minimum six month’s fair notice is requested for position 

replacement per the contract. Within that time a Bright Star

candidate may be selected and mentored into the role, or an 

external search completed. The 6–8-week, short-term plan is 

submitted for review annually to the chancellor and CPBT to 

ensure ongoing readiness. 

1.2a(2). Ensuring that leaders are living the Culture Walk and 

reflecting the desired values has been a passion of the CPBT 

for many years. In 2018, the CPBT expanded the 360-degree 

performance review tool from the faculty and workforce to the 

president and PT. This cycle of improvement enabled the CPBT 

to confidently evaluate the chancellor in cultural alignment 

with the president. The president’s review consists of a strategic 

dashboard, 360-degree performance review, Culture Walk

rating, and an ACCT-endorsed president’s review instrument 

with rated and narrative accomplishments. 

Similarly, each PT member is evaluated by the president using 

a standardized leadership performance review tool via the 

Human Resources Information System (HRIS), with 360-degree 

feedback, Culture Walk rating, and S-KPI report. PT members 

evaluate their peers and direct reports, and provide performance 

input to the president. A standard survey tool in the HRIS is 

distributed as a link to a sampling of direct reports (rotated 

annually if >5 direct reports), direct supervisor, PT member; the 

tool includes student and peer feedback, including the Culture 

Walk and communication effectiveness rating. SL compensation 

is defined through employment contracts based on a weighted 

matrix: 40% on CCNW performance overall, 60% on achievement of individual, strategic, action plans. 

The CPBT uses an annual self-evaluation to determine its 

strategic performance (on behalf of community stakeholders), 

financial performance, and advocacy for student success. The 

CPBT self-evaluation assesses its effectiveness to fulfill the 
5

roles and learning needs for development. Identified learning 

needs are included in regional trustee educational programs and 

annual board retreats, as indicated. Performance evaluations are 

also used to guide formal and informal learning opportunities 

for existing SLs and Bright Star graduates. The president’s 

philosophy supports life-long learning and mentoring, with 

the expectation that each member of the cabinet is actively 

mentoring at least one Bright Star who could either be his/her 

successor or a SL. To apply leadership principles for future 

situations, SL mentors engage mentees in challenging leadership situations. An annual development plan guides activities 

and accountability for results. Begun in 2015, this mentoring 

process has undergone multiple cycles of improvement to refine 

the Bright Star program, development plans, outcomes, and 

alignment to LS and performance results. Program participants 

rate the Bright Star peer mentoring program as a 9.5/10 in 

effectiveness of learning development. 

1.2b. Legal and Ethical Behavior

1.2b(1). SLs manage the CCNW facility and financial, policy, 

legal, operational, and educational programs and services, 

aligned to action plans, as accountable to the president and 

ultimately the chancellor. General Counsel, reporting to the 

president, provides legal guidance. Position descriptions define 

SL functional, operational, and regulatory responsibilities, 

distributed by skills, knowledge, or abilities. For example, community concerns related to educational programs and services 

are channeled from multiple sources to the vice president of 

academic and student services, including through the website, 

social media, open meetings, and formal grievances/complaints. 

As received, an evaluation and response are provided per the 

Complaint Management Process. Validated complaints about 

educational programs impacting student services are filed with 

the state board of education. General community stakeholder 

concerns may be shared at open meetings, community forums, 

or on social media. All concerns are evaluated, and a response 

to the party is provided if possible; patterns and trends are evaluated as part of ongoing process improvement (see category 6). 

When new programs, services, or operations are identified, 

community stakeholder feedback is gathered in the project 

exploration phase. Direct communication with stakeholders, 

including the local community and feeder schools, provides 

an opportunity to understand concerns and modify proposals 

to meet stakeholder expectations. Survey feedback is used 

for remote stakeholders or those where in-person or phone 

communication is not feasible. In addition, feedback from local 

business partners and community members is formally gathered 

through business and community advisory committees and 

informally through local community business events. These 

activities, while time consuming, significantly contribute to 

building lasting, trusted relationships. 

Key compliance processes include an employee handbook, 

updated annually and as needed; formal and informal communication processes; and specific compliance processes for 

financial, legal, regulatory, and accreditation requirements. 

Key compliance processes, measures, and goals are listed in 

Figure 1.2-1. 

Compliance processes are deployed through a review of 

relevant regulations and thresholds, internal process audits, and 

determination of an initial compliance goal. Ongoing compliance audits are coordinated through Compliance Services. 

Cycles of improvement are enlisted if audit findings identify 

variation from regulatory thresholds. Action plans are in place 

until thresholds are achieved and sustained for 12 months. 

Key processes for addressing risks with educational programs 

and services for degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking 

students are managed by the vice president of academic and 

student services, with the department chairs. Key process outcomes are student completion, satisfaction, and transfer rates by 

program. Goals are >80% completion and >85% satisfaction. 

Transfer rate measures and goals are noted by program, since 

some programs are designed with this as a goal. Workforce 

development and continuing education programs have a goal of 

student satisfaction and successful completion, as evaluated by 

either a cognitive test or a psychomotor task demonstration.

1.2b(2). CCNW promotes and ensures ethical behavior through 

workforce hire to cultural fit, the Culture Walk, and the Walk-ItRight ethics program, evaluated through 360-degree feedback 

for all employees and leaders. The Culture Walk ensures that 

desired behaviors in the culture are visible throughout the 

organization, including listening, valuing the feedback of others, 

and respecting the rights and dignity of others in all interactions. 

The Walk-It-Right program extends this to provide a mechanism 

to evaluate ethical and inclusivity conflicts and dilemmas, such 

that a person may contact any SL and explain his/her situation/

concern or raise it anonymously through STAR-Point or the 

intranet portal. If an answer is readily known, the situation is 

addressed, is logged, and ends. If the answer is not known, 

an ethical team of at least three members—and not more than 

seven—evaluates the situation and ultimately recommends the 

right path. Issue notation is made to serve as a guide for any 

future issues. Measures include the number of cases raised, 

Figure 1.2-1: Key Compliance Processes 

Key Compliance Process

Key Compliance 

Measures

Key Compliance 

Goals

Data Reporting Timely, accurate 

submission

Profiled every 

2 months

Secretary of State Board 

of Education Report

18 compliance 

measures

Meet 18/18 measures

Budget Revenue and expense 

detail

100% compliance

Workers’ Compensation Legal compliance 100% compliance

State Improvement 

Program

Meet program 

academic standards

Exceed program 

academic standards

FERPA Cited violations Zero violations

Title IX Reported concerns Safe plan in place 

for 100%

IDEA Special needs 

compliance review

100% compliance

OCR Equal access to 

education

Zero violations
6

comfort and ease of reporting, effective process resolution, and 

number of cases successfully resolved (AOS). 

The Walk-It-Right program was established in 2016 as a 

result of several student and faculty questions about how the 

organization addresses ethical, moral and inclusivity decisions. 

Using the Just Culture program as a guide, the Walk-It-Right

program centers on the power of collective learning through 

an ethical, legal, and moral lens. New faculty and workforce 

members learn about the program in NEO, where the key 

question is “what’s the right thing to do?” A series of questions 

determines the right approach. This process is used in leader 

meetings, classrooms, and stakeholder meetings. Walk-It-Right

has advanced stakeholder trust and transparency by sharing 

the learnings in leadership and employee forums. In 2017, 

Walk-It-Right was added to stakeholder surveys; while in 2018, 

a program score was added to SL reviews. In 2019, the CPBT 

adopted the model as a piece of the CPBT self-evaluation. 

Of reports made to CCNW’s hotline, investigations have 

resulted in no substantiated ethical breaches. This has been the 

desired effect of the Walk-It-Right program, which promotes a 

proactive and interactive methodology to ethical decision making. If a breach were to occur, it would be evaluated through 

Compliance Services for actions as needed. 

1.2c Societal Contributions

1.2c(1) CCNW incorporates societal well-being and benefit into 

its strategy and daily operations by leveraging relationships with 

students, local businesses, and community partners optimally, 

resulting in student success. These constituent groups are 

solicited for input, and in some cases, are included in the SPP 

itself. Their feedback is also solicited in terms of satisfaction 

and engagement with CCNW operations. Societal well-being 

to students equates to program graduates, while businesses 

reflect a program match to local business needs. Community 

partners consider success in the college’s environmental 

footprint. Societal well-being is considered in step 1 of the 

SPP, and cascades to action plans through a specific focus or 

initiative, as identified. In the most recent SPP, the following 

were areas of focus for societal well-being: students → graduate 

placements in programs of need; social → faculty and student 

events for community benefit; businesses → certification and 

DC programs; and environmental → recycling, green footprint 

initiatives. If societal well-being results are not at targets, cycles 

of improvement are enacted. Results are included in the CPBT 

strategic dashboard (Figure 7.5-17). 

1.2c(2). Key communities are considered to be feeder and 

transfer schools in grades 6–12, local business and community 

advisory committees, and industry partners who participate as 

volunteers or collaborators in aligned initiatives that benefit 

the community. For example, the local electrical company 

and its workforce are a key community based on its frequent 

interaction with students, college faculty, local residents, and 

national experts. CCNW actively supports key communities 

through focused programs to match employer needs, advisory 

committees, and programs in grades 6–12 for DC and high 

school academy courses. These efforts build career-placement 

and readiness and help retain students in higher-income 

positions within their community, keeping local students local. 

Key community support starts with strong respected relationships among CCNW SLs and faculty, as direct K–12 relationships. These relationships support shared-idea sessions, program 

meetings, advisory groups, committees, and community 

learning events. The CPBT also supports key communities by 

advocating for short- and long-term educational program needs 

and resources and ensuring that the quality of education exceeds 

national standards. Key communities were first addressed in the 

2018 SPP and are reviewed annually through step 1 of the SPP, 

with action plans as indicated. 

Category 2—Strategy

2.1 Strategy Development 

2.1a. Strategy Development Process

2.1a(1). To prepare for the future, throughout the year, CCNW 

conducts systematic strategic planning following a five-step SPP 

(Figure 2.1-1). Participants in this iterative, bottom-up, topdown approach include administrators, faculty, staff, students, 

partners, and community members, as well as suppliers, 

partners, and collaborators (S/P/C). Strategic planning for the 

short term of one year is carried out for the update/reaffirmation 

of the strategic plan and for the creation and execution of 

action plans by academic departments and operational units. 

Planning is also done in three-year periods for the development, 

monitoring, and reporting of long-term action plans, such as 

those for strategic initiatives above the department/unit level 

that require sustained funding, involvement of cross-functional 

teams, and ownership by the PT. SObjs, goals, and KPIs are set 

in one- and three-year periods. Because the PDCA methodology 

is integrated into the SPP, plans are regularly evaluated and, 

as appropriate, updated to be responsive to our operating 

environment. In this way, CCNW builds resiliency into both 

short- and long-term planning.

Step 1 of the SPP is the Strategy Visioning phase where 

separate preliminary planning meetings and discussions take 

place in the early spring by the CPBT, PT, faculty, department/

unit teams, students, and community members. In this step, 

those groups conduct SWOT analysis and review the MVV, 

SAs, SCs, SObjs, CCs, and stakeholders’ needs/priorities. 

They use this information, along with that from the year-round 

Environmental Scanning (ES) Process, to initiate discussions 

on priorities and strategic initiatives, culminating in the CCNW 

stakeholders’ strategic planning retreat where final strategies are 

formulated and forwarded to the PT for consideration. The ES 

process also considers anticipated technology changes that may 

impact operations.

Step 2 (Strategy Development) starts in the late spring and 

summer. In this second phase, the PT and unit leaders discuss 

recommended strategies, proposed innovations, current 
7

strategies, and SObjs; conduct intelligent risk analysis (IRA) of 

opportunities; and do gap analysis of workforce capability and 

capacity (Cap2). This leads to the update of SObjs, goals, and 

long-term action plans for strategic initiatives and their strategic 

KPIs, benchmarks, and projections; budget development and 

strategic resource allocation (SRA); a strategic plan update; and 

review/approval of innovation plans (IPs). These PT decisions 

are communicated to all CCNW stakeholders to prepare them 

for the next step.

Step 3 (Strategy Implementation) has departments, units, strategic initiative cross-functional teams, and PT members create 

and align their action plans, workforce plans, and funded IPs to 

the updated strategic plan and budget. Action plans, including 

unit goals, unit strategies, unit/operational KPIs, performance 

targets, and benchmarks, are transferred to the online Action 

Plan Management System (APMS) for communication to 

the workforce, deployment to S/P/C, and review/approval by 

unit leaders before execution and KPI tracking. The PT aligns 

KPIs to action plans and SObjs and creates a high-level data 

dashboard to track and report the senior-level, outcome-based, 

strategic KPIs (Figure 2.1-2) that cascade down to unit/operational KPIs.

Step 4 (Strategy Evaluation) starts at the end of summer of the 

following year with campus-wide, action-plan-results-sharing 

events, where reporting units and cross-functional teams present 

their performance accomplishments to the PT and workforce, 

and post the information on the intranet and website. This is 

followed by internal action plan performance gap analyses and 

the review of IP effectiveness and return on investment (ROI). 

In this phase, the PT also reviews SObj, goal, and strategic 

initiative achievement and effectiveness; conducts evaluation 

and control of strategic initiatives and key systems and processes; identifies best practices for sharing; and organizes a 

celebratory event to recognize high performance achieved by 

units and S/P/C.

Step 5 (Strategy/Process Improvement and Innovation) 

takes place not only after the strategy evaluation step but 

also throughout the annual SPP cycle, depending on the need 

to improve existing processes or develop innovations. This 

step focuses on the PDCA-based systematic improvement of 

strategies, key processes, and the innovation approach by the 

PT and unit leaders. Opportunities for improvement of these 

areas arising during the previous strategy evaluation (step 4) 

are addressed by the review of various key processes (including 

the SPP itself, NWIP, Budgeting Process, SRA process, and 

Cap2 Analysis Process), work systems, and the current and 

desired CCs by CCNW and S/P/C. This approach contributes 

to effective and systematic cycles of learning and improvement 

and supports TNW. To enhance its agility, the SPP can be 

reviewed quarterly, taking into account ES information and 

updated organizational needs and resources, as part of the 

response to drastic environmental changes or emergencies. SPP, 

step 5 is important for the NWIP because in it the college starts 

Figure 2.1-1: CCNW Strategic Planning Process
8

collecting innovative ideas for the subsequent generation of 

innovation proposals and plans administered by the IMP. SWOT 

analysis, continuous ES, systematic leadership, strategic and 

operational meetings, and active engagement with partners and 

the community allows CCNW to remain flexible and agile when 

managing each of the SPP, steps and daily work. The need for 

transformational change is addressed during SPP, step 1 when 

stakeholders review and discuss needs, priorities, and initiatives 

and share their recommendations with SLs who then prioritize 

strategies, initiatives, and specific actions for change during 

SPP, step 2 each year. 

2.1a(2). Yearly, the PT and unit leaders incorporate innovation 

into strategy development during SPP, step 2 by using the NWIP 

(Figure 1.1-3), conducting IRA of strategic opportunities (SOs) 

reviewed during SPP, step 1, and implementing recommended 

innovative ideas from the previous year’s SPP, step 5. SOs are 

identified/revised by stakeholders using SWOT analysis, continuous ES, and discussions during SPP, step 1. Supported by the 

IMP, NWIP involves IRA of SOs in order to determine which 

SOs are intelligent risks worth taking before they are prioritized 

and pursued as strategic initiatives or goals. The incorporation 

of innovation through the identification of SOs and determination of intelligent risks follows TNW and undergoes cycles of 

learning (1) through the systematic review for improvement of 

both the SPP and the NWIP (SPP, step 5) and (2) when the PT 

and unit leaders develop strategies (SPP, step 2). The current 

SOs are SO1: Increasing demand for online education and 

competency-based education by students and employers; SO2: 

Need for better workforce alignment and transfer articulations 

through additional partnerships with employers and universities; 

and SO3: Demand for on-site educational and training support 

among rural communities.

2.1a(3). The Performance Measurement System (PMS; 4.1a[1]),

ES process, and SWOT analysis are used to gather, analyze, 

and share relevant data and information for incorporation 

into the SPP. The integration of internal and external data to 

develop appropriate information for use in the SPP allows a 

more realistic and effective strategy development phase that 

meets the expectations of CCNW stakeholders. They review/

update SAs, SCs, and SObjs during SPP, step 1 before leveraging and aligning them with SObjs, goals, and action plans. 

Analysis of data and information about the changing external 

environment, including legal/regulatory changes, collected 

through the ES and SWOT analysis (SPP, step 1), enables the 

identification of potential blind spots in the information and is 

included in the SPP. Through a cycle of learning, resulting from 

the pandemic, CCNW includes forward-looking, “worst case 

scenario” planning to anticipate potential disruptions that could 

be caused by natural or man-made disasters, and this planning 

contemplates responses, particularly those of technological 

nature, to such scenarios. When including the above elements 

of risk in the collection and analysis of data and information 

for use in the SPP, IRA is a tool used consistently to minimize 

risk. IRA is also used in preliminary assessment stages before 

applying PDCA for process improvement. The IRA, SRA, and 

budgeting processes enable CCNW to mobilize resources and 

knowledge to execute the strategic plan. These processes have 

been simplified and improved through annual PDCA cycles 

(SPP, step 5) and have now an intrinsic agility that allows quick 

execution of contingency plans or new/modified action plans in 

response to external changes or other circumstances. 

2.1a(4). One of the benefits of focusing on hiring and developing an expert, up-to-date workforce is the resulting growth 

in capabilities that enable CCNW to accomplish its own key 

work processes to deliver exceptional educational programs 

and services. In some cases, these capabilities must be complemented by the resources and services offered by external 

sources. To make this decision, the PT and unit leaders review 

CCNW’s key systems and key processes during SPP, step 5. 

They also review CCs and those of the S/P/C. Conclusions 

from this gap analysis are subsequently reviewed during the 

CCNW stakeholders’ strategic planning retreat (SPP, step 1), 

resulting in recommendations on what key work processes or 

systems to outsource. During SPP, step 2, the PT considers these 

recommendations and completes various analyses (IRA, Cap2 

analysis, alignment of S/P/C competencies to SObjs and goals, 

cost-control analysis, cost-benefit, and budgeting forecasts) 

before determining what key processes will be delivered and 

innovated by S/P/C. The above CC analysis done in SPP, step 5 

also allows the PT and unit leaders to determine which CCs or 

work systems must be developed or strengthened, prompting 

the creation of action plans to be proposed and approved in SPP, 

step 2 before deployment in SPP, step 3.

2.1b. Strategic Objectives

2.1b(1). SObjs, the most important strategic goals, action 

plans, S-KPIs, performance targets, and achievement timeline 

appear in Figure 2.1-2. The included action plans incorporate in 

their goals or strategies the key internal changes in educational 

programs, services, and operations and the external changes 

in student groups, customers, markets, and S/P/C that are 

necessary to leverage CCNW’s current SOs (2.1a[2]). SObjs, 

goals, and planned key changes are deployed to the PT and unit 

leaders via strategic planning and internal meetings during the 

SPP, steps 1 and 2. PT and unit leaders identify and address 

opportunities for improvement during SPP, steps 4 and 5. 

2.1b(2). SObjs leverage SAs and CCs and focus on SCs and 

SOs (Figure 2.1-2), so that CCNW can strengthen its current 

and future performance and accomplish its mission. Yet, 

effective achievement of SObjs is challenging with regard to 

balancing competing organizational needs, including different 

priorities and limited resources. To achieve that balance, the 

PT reviews the effectiveness of SObj achievement during SPP, 

step 4. This is complemented by the integrated work done by 

all CCNW stakeholders participating in the strategic planning 

retreat (SPP, step 1) who review the SObjs for alignment and 

relevance with current CCs, SAs, and SOs, followed by an 

analysis and discussion on how to address SCs via current, 

modified, or newly proposed SObjs. Their recommendations 

are used by the PT during SPP, step 2 to balance the SObjs and 

update them in one- and three-year periods in the new strategic 

plan. Annually, CCNW measures the level of SObj balance in 

meeting the needs of key stakeholders using systematic surveys 

of satisfaction and engagement among students, the workforce, 

S/P/C, and community members. The results are reviewed and 
9

Figure 2.1-2: CCNW Strategic Objectives, Goals, Action Plans, and KPI AlignmentStrategic Objectives Strategic Goals

SA, SC, SO, 

CC Aligned

Action Plans or 

Strategic Initiatives

Strategic Key 

Performance Indicators

2019 

Data

2020 

Data

2020 

Target

2023 

Projection

Figures 

Ref.

1. Student Access. Improve higher education student access to members of the community via affordability and student accessibility.

Develop/enhance partnerships with local independent school districts and rural community schools.

SA3, SC2, SC3, SO3, 

CC2

• ECHS• Independent School District

Superintendents SupportInitiative

Number of DC Students Enrolling at CCNW

2,231 2,316 2,300 2,600 7.4-13

Increase annual enrollment of students (credit and non-credit).

SC1, SC3, 

SO1, SO3

• Marketing & Communication 

Plan

• Strategic Enrollment 

Management

• Mobile/Remote Point-ofContact Orientation and 

Onboarding Plan

Overall Fall Enrollment (credit and non-credit students) and Satisfaction (credit and non-credit)

11,425; 

84

10,125; 

85

11,500; 

86

12,000; 

88

7.1-1, 

7.2-1

Maintain low tuition/fee levels and increase student financial aid.

SA4, SO3, 

SC1, SC3 

• Institutional Advancement 

Plan

• Free College Initiative

Student Loan Default Rate 8.8% NA 8.5% 5.0% 7.1-11

2. Student Success. Improve academic support to students with a focus on student engagement, course/program completion, persistence, graduation, and transfer.

Improve student support and engagement.

SA1, CC1 • FTIC Student Conversations

• Faculty Mentoring Plan

CCSSE Key Student Engagement Factors (Mean)

NA 5.82 5.80 6 .00 7.2-20

Fall-to-Fall Student Persistence Rate

62% 54% 65% 68% 7.1-9

Increase course completion (productive grade rates) in developmental education and highrisk courses.

SA1, SC4, 

SO3

• Math and English Labs 

and Clinics

• Developmental Education 

Student Support Plan

% Students Completing First College-Level Course (Math and English) in Year 1

95.3% 88.2% 93.4% 94.0% 7.1-9a

Increase engagement and support of students in online programs.

SA1, SO1, 

CC1

• Mobile/Remote

Education Apps

• Online College 

Orientation Plan

Number of Online Degrees Awarded

85 168 120 250 7.1-2a

Improve academic and technical program completion.

SA1, SO3, 

SC4

• Reverse Transfer Initiative• Intrusive Advising Plan

Number of Degrees Awarded 1,820 1,640 1,850 2,100 7.1-2

Improve student support services (advising, communication, mentoring) leading to completion and graduation.

SA1, SC1, 

SC4, SC5, 

CC1

• Faculty Mentoring Plan

• Intrusive Advising Plan

3- and 4-Year FT FTIC Graduation Rate

3Y 26%4Y 32% 

22%26%

28%34%

30%36%

7.1-3

Develop/improve academic pathways, transfer articulations, and MOUs with area universities.

SA1, SA3, 

SO2 

• Course Mapping/

Alignment Plan

• Reverse Transfer Initiative

Graduation Rate at Transfer 

Institutions

30% 25% 32% 35% 7.1-3b
10

Figure 2.1-2: (Continued)Strategic Objectives Strategic Goals

SA, SC, SO, 

CC Aligned

Action Plans or 

Strategic Initiatives

Strategic Key 

Performance Indicators

2019 

Data

2020 

Data

2020 

Target

2023 

Projection

Figures 

Ref.

2. Student Success. (continued)

Improve credit and non-credit student satisfaction.

SA1, SC3, 

SC5, CC1

• Student Support Services Plan• Student Participation and

Engagement Plan

Overall Student Satisfaction Level (Leadership, Quality of Instruction, Educational Experience, Professional and Personal Development)

4 .60 4 .74 4 .70 4.90 7.2-5

Enhance effectiveness of the advising program.

SA1, SC4, 

CC1, CC3

• Intrusive Advising Plan• Review of Best Advising

Practices

Students Satisfied with Advising 

5.8 5.9 5.9 6 7.2-3

3. Career Readiness. Align labor market-based pathways and programs to the needs of area employers and all student groups to prepare them to succeed in the workplace.

Develop STEM programs and other critical field areas for businesses and industries.

SA1, SC4, 

SO1, CC3

• STEM and Critical Field

Curriculum and ProgramDevelopment Plan

• STEM Youth Enrichment Plan

Degrees Awarded in Critical Field Occupations 

(Health Care = H, STEM = S)

H 168

S 383

91

216

180390

200400

7.1-2a

Improve academic, technical, and soft skills preparation of students aligned to current and future external workforce demands.

SA1, SC4, SC5, SO1, 

SO2, SO3, 

CC3 

• Area Employers and 

Universities CollaborationCompact

• Course Mapping/Alignment

Plan

• Student Internship, Externship,

and Placement Plan

Students Employed within 6 Months of Graduation (Placement)

1,290 640 1,300 1,400 7.1-12

Employer Satisfaction with CCNW Graduates Hired

4 .2 4 .2 4 .0 4 .5 7.2-16

4. Social Responsibility.Collaborate with and strengthen local economic and business entities and rural communities in the service area.

Increase efficiencies in renewable resource utilization and reduce waste/carbon footprint. 

SA2, SC1 • Partnership with State 

Renewable Energy Agency

• LEED Green Building

Certification Plan

Reduction in Consumption of Resources:W = Water Consumption (Million gallons/year);C = CO2 Emissions (Tons/student);T = Trash & Waste Production (lbs x 1000)

W 21 .16

C 3 .45

T 195.1

21 .02

3 .10

147 .0

21 .05

3 .20

150 .0

20 .02.90

100 .0

7.4-15

Increase/improve partnerships with community institutions and business organizations.

SA2, SA3, 

SC1, SC4, 

SO1, SO2, 

SO3, CC2

• Area Employers and

Universities Collaboration

Compact

• Education and Training

Centers in Service-Area RuralCommunities Action Plan

Satisfaction of Employers (E = Businesses, Industries), Transfer Schools (T), and Rural Communities with CCNW’s Leadership, Operations, and Support

E 4 .2

T 4.9

4 .24.9

4 .04 .5

4 .55 .0

7.2-16
11

improvements made during SPP, steps 4 and 5 in support of 

TNW, the LS, customer focus, and supply chain management.

2.2. Strategy Implementation

2.2a. Action Plan Development and Deployment

2.2a(1). A sample of key action plans aligned to SObja and 

strategic goals is included in Figure 2.1-2. A full set of action 

plans is AOS. Execution of CCNW’s multiyear strategic 

initiatives requires the deployment of long-term action plans 

managed by PT members and cross-functional teams of unit 

leaders. Short-term (annual) action plans are prepared using a 

standard format by each academic and operational unit. The 

fields included in action plans are unit mission, unit goals, 

unit goal strategies, metrics for each strategy, performance 

targets, and benchmark. The PT and unit leaders follow strategy 

development conclusions from SPP, step 2 and receive guidance 

from the Strategic Planning Office Team (SPOT) to create, 

modify, upload, and approve action plans in the online APMS 

during SPP, step 3. Each strategy is checked in the APMS for 

alignment with CCNW strategic initiatives, strategic goals, and 

SObjs before implementation. The Action Plan Development 

and Alignment Process is PDCA-reviewed by the PT and SPOT 

every year during SPP, step 5.

2.2a(2). Action plans are deployed to the workforce via 

action plan uploading and monitoring in the APMS, regular 

meetings with unit leaders and the PT, and regular operational 

activities during SPP, step 3. The Action Plan Development And 

Deployment Process is reviewed annually by the SPOT using 

the PDCA methodology during SPP, step 5. To sustain action 

plan key outcomes, CCNW carries out action plan updates/

modifications, action plan results monitoring and sharing, ROI 

assessments, and SRA. Action plan implementation integrates 

with SLs creating a focus on action (1.1c[2]), SObjs and goals 

(2.1b); performance analysis, review, and improvement (4.1b,c); 

and workforce performance management (5.2a[4]).

2.2a(3). In annual budgeting cycles, the CPBT applies SRA to 

allocate financial and other resources to each of the colleges in 

the Central Polk Community College System using a budget 

formula based on number of contact hours and strategic 

expansion priorities. The PT distributes funds to academic 

and operational units for action plan implementation and 

achievement at the end of SPP, step 2, taking into account IRA 

results, strategies and business decisions aligned to SObjs and 

goals, IMP needs and opportunities, and agility of the Budgeting 

Process to manage AP-related risks on financial viability. 

Resource distribution and communication is executed through 

CPBT meetings and use of the APMS’s budget module.

2.2a(4). A list of current key workforce plans supporting 

the SObjs and their corresponding action plans is shown in 

Figure 2.2-1.

During SPP, step 2, in coordination with the PT, the HR Team 

executes the Cap2 Analysis Process involving the review, 

update, and alignment of workforce plans and the creation 

of new ones aligned to the strategic plan to ensure adequate 

workforce Cap2 in support of SObjs, goals, and contingencies. 

The indicated four workforce plans proactively address the 

impacts on the workforce and the specific needed or consequential changes in workforce Cap2 associated with implementation 

of the listed action plans they support. Workforce plans are 

deployed to the PT, unit leaders, and workforce using the APMS, 

and they are integrated with the SPP (steps 2 and 3), SRA 

process, and workforce engagement and performance. They are 

reviewed/reaffirmed semiannually by SLs during SPP, step 5.

2.2a(5). CCNW uses S-KPIs to track the achievement/

effectiveness of longer-term action plans such as strategic 

initiative action plans (Figure 2.1-2). In addition, the college 

uses operational key performance indicators (O-KPIs) to track 

performance of academic and service units via annual action 

plans hosted in the APMS. Using this system, the PT and unit 

leaders cascade S-KPIs from the SObj level down to strategic 

goals, strategic initiatives/priorities, unit goals, strategies, and 

O-KPIs (unit metrics) during SPP, step 3. This ensures organizational alignment. The PMS undergoes PDCA-based cycles of 

improvement annually led by the PT and selected unit leaders 

during SPP, step 5. CCNW performance indicators integrate 

Figure 2.2-1: Key Workforce Plans and Their Impact

SObj Workforce Plans Action Plans Supported

Student Access Recruitment, Training, and Deployment of Faculty and Staff to 

Strategic Service-Area Locations

Mobile/Remote Point-of-Contact Orientation and Onboarding Plan

Student Success Faculty and Advisors Development Plan (1) FTIC Student Conversations

(2) Faculty Mentoring Plan

(3) Developmental Education Student Support Plan

(4) Online College Orientation Plan

(5) Student Participation and Engagement Plan

(6) Intrusive Advising Plan

(7) Review of Best Advising Practices

Career 

Readiness

New Employee Training on Competency-Based Education and 

Career Pathway Alignment

(1) STEM and Critical Field Curriculum and Program Development Plan

(2) Area Employers and Universities Collaboration Compact

(3) Course Mapping/Alignment Plan

Social 

Responsibility

Workforce Preparation for Rural Community Development Education and Training Centers in Service-Area Rural Communities 

Action Plan
12

with and support TNW (P.2c), performance management 

(5.2a[4]), and supply-chain management (5.1c).

2.2a(6). Action plan performance indicators managed in 

the APMS include performance projections (targets) for the 

short- and longer-terms (Figure 2.1-2), as well as local, state, 

and national benchmarks, as available. CCNW identifies action 

plans among those performance targets and benchmarks during 

SPP, step 4, and addresses them by carrying out PDCA-based 

process improvement cycles and corrective action plans in 

SPP, step 5. These systematic performance projection reviews 

and remedial actions are conducted by SLs during SPP, steps 4 

and 5. They are integrated with SLs creating a focus on action 

(1.1c[2]), SObjs (2.1b), comparative data (4.1a[2]), future 

performance (4.1c[1]), performance management (5.2a[4]), and 

organizational continuity (6.2c[2]).

2.2b. Action Plan Modification

Every year, the SPOT trains administrators and academic and 

operational unit leaders on how to create, update, modify, and 

share action plans maintained in the APMS (SPP, step 3). This 

enables agility among leaders to create or modify action plans 

for their rapid execution under changing environmental conditions, new strategic priorities dictated by the PT, or emergencies. 

This process is reviewed for improvement annually by SLs and 

the SPOT during SPP, step 5. It supports organizational agility 

(2.1a[1]), customer engagement (3.2b[2]), measurement agility 

(4.1a[3]), continuous improvement and innovation (4.1c[2]), 

performance management (5.2a[4]), innovation management 

(6.1d), and organizational continuity (6.2c[2]).

Category 3—Customers 

3.1 Customer Expectations

3.1a. Listening to Students and Other Customers

3.1a(1). CCNW utilizes a relationship-management system 

including multiple formal and informal methods to listen to, 

interact with, and observe students and other customers. The 

system reflects TNW (Figure P.2-3) and MVV at the center 

of the LS (Figure 1.1-1); aligns the LCP (Figure 1.1-2), PMS 

(Figure 4.1-1), and data from the voice of customer (VOC; 

Figure 3.1-1) to understand and prioritize student and customer 

needs; and leverages the SPP (Figure 2.1-1, step 1) and the IP 

(Figure 6.1-1) to design, improve, and innovate educational 

programs and support services. 

The VOC system comprises many communication modalities 

that are segmented by various student groups and regions, customers, CCNW strategic and operational teams, and support service departments (Figure 3.1-1). The VOC system demonstrates 

varying frequency, stages, and types of engagement among 

student and customer segments through surveys and audits that 

are analyzed by unique student and customer groups (Figure 

P.1-5). VOC data are used to support knowledge management 

Figure 3.1-1: Voice of the Customer

Method

Frequency Life Cycle Phase Customers

A, M, O, 

Q, SA*

Potential 

Students

Current 

Students Alumni

Feeder 

Schools

Transfer 

Schools Employers

Local 

Community

Service 

Provider Donors

Collect

Data

Operations Discussions O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Day-to-Day/

Dept. Meeting

O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Strategic Discussions O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

SPP (Figure 2.1-1) Q * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

CPBT Q * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Alumni Advisory CPBT SA * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Regional CC Council M * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Economic Development 

Council

SA * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Surveys–Students, 

Customers

O * * * ← ← ← ← ← ←

Audits A * * * ↔ ↔ ← ←

Social Media Scorecard O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Corp. Compliance 

(Figure 1.1-2)

O * * * ← ← ← ← ← ←

Industry Conferences O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Continued on next page
13

that includes sharing at key points of transitions in the student 

educational cycle; providing input to key internal departments; 

and implementing follow-up on immediate and actionable 

feedback regarding student and customer experiences. Further, 

VOC data inform multiple steps in the SPP (Figure 2.1-1) to 

validate the effectiveness of process improvement initiatives 

and identify needs for new programs and services.

Overall management of aggregating, analyzing, and distributing 

VOC data are overseen by the Office of Planning, Research, and 

Organizational Development (PROD), Student Services, and 

other PT teams. VOC methods go through cycles of learning 

annually using PDCA, and improvements are made as opportunities are identified. For example, during the pandemic crisis, 

all classes were converted to an electronic platform. Faculty 

required training in the use of the Kollab videoconferencing 

platform for presenting materials remotely based on feedback 

from students unable to see presentation materials due to 

presenter inexperience. CCNW LS and RMP subject-matter 

Figure 3.1-1: (Continued)

Method

Frequency* Life Cycle Phase Customers

A, M, O, 

Q, SA

Potential 

Students

Current 

Students Alumni

Feeder 

Schools

Transfer 

Schools Employers

Local 

Community

Service 

Provider Donors

Collect

Data

(Continued)

Outreach, Community 

Events

O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Contracts O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Best-Practice Sharing O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Scorecards and 

Dashboards

O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ → ↔ →

Student

Transitions

Meetings (Figure 3.1-2) O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Surveys–Schools, 

Employers

Q * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Complaints 

(Figure 3.2-1)

O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Conferences O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Social Media O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

SPP (Figure 2.1-1, Step 1) O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Surveys, Baldrige 

Feedback

A * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Leadership Development 

Report

O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Utilize

Input

PDCA–Cross-Function/

PT Teams

O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Graduation Rates O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Best Practice 

(Figure 6.1-4), IP

O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Education Conferences O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Best Practices (Figure 

6.1-1) IP, S-KPI, KPI

O * * * ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔

Legend ↔ 2-way Communication; ← and → in and out respectively

*A = Annual; M = Monthly; O = Ongoing; Q = Quarterly; SA = Semi-Annually

experts review survey data using PDCA tools as part of the 

VOC frequency.

For the student customer group, PROD analyzes data from a 

variety of sources (Figure 3.1-1) and provides ongoing input on 

issues and changing requirements to all concerned departments 

through its Relationship-Management System (Figure 3.1-2) 

and TNW VOC (Figure P.2-3). RMP meetings incorporate 

data to make adjustments in programs, processes, and service 

features to ensure that the organization is proactively addressing 

emerging needs. RMP’s cross-functional representation ensures 

alignment among faculty and staff members to promote 

broad understanding of issues and support appropriate and 

necessary actions. The entire workforce is an integral part 

of the VOC Process and committed to empowering students 

to have successful outcomes in accordance with the CCNW 

MVV—Empowering students to be successful in the workforce 

and their communities. Faculty and staff stress student contact 

and personalized service as high priorities and spend time 
14

Digital Design Team have implemented social media analytics 

to evaluate the effectiveness of CCNW’s virtual communication 

with its students and customers, as well as conversations 

occurring on campuses and among the student, alumni, and 

communities across the service area (Figures 7.2-10, 7.2-12, 

and 7.2-20). The CCNW website and WebSpace page have 

contact pages to encourage two-way communication through 

general information, questions, and comments. E-newsletters 

are sent to subscribers, and Gabble and text messaging are used 

to share urgent information. In 2020, the pandemic resulted in 

the conversion of the remote-learning platform. In response to 

an increased number of student complaints regarding internet 

access and distance-learning tools, a multidisciplinary team 

met with employers and key community leaders to evaluate 

and develop approaches to improve the effectiveness of 

distance-learning systems and instructional strategies across the 

region. CCNW used pandemic emergency funding to hire a consulting firm to lead campus and community-wide assessments to 

evaluate and align all aspects of electronic communication and 

educational approaches among CCNW, its at-risk and vulnerable students, and key community and regional partners. 

Methods vary among the stages of relationship building, 

including for students, alumni, donors, employers, and the community (Figure 3.1-1). CCNW’s commitment to a student-first 

culture is supported by a relationship-management system to 

understand the varying student/customer requirements and to 

develop leaders with a sense of service to their community. 

This commitment fosters loyalty and positive word-of-mouth, a 

sense of community excellence, collaboration, partnership, and 

community engagement, consistent with CCNW values. 

CEOC oversees agreements related to community involvement, 

advisory committees, and fundraising campaigns; identifies 

initiatives reflecting customer needs and expectations; and 

prioritizes opportunities to improve current and future services. 

Satisfaction surveys, reviews, 

focus groups, and feasibility 

studies are examples of the organization’s efforts to explore and 

evaluate programs and services 

(Figure 3.1-1). Current customer 

involvement in the PI Analytic 

Process is part of a shared effort to 

understand current performance and 

identify improvement opportunities. 

Outreach initiatives are developed 

for potential students and other 

customers with whom CCNW may 

not be engaged and result in understanding the design of educational 

programs, services, and marketing 

outreach that might appeal to those 

groups. 

CCNW seeks immediate and 

actionable feedback that is core to 

every interaction with customers. 

Point-of-contact (POC) satisfaction 

surveys are conducted after 

interacting with students during weekly open-door office 

hours and periodic in-class office hours. Empowering students 

supports face-to-face conversations with faculty. Conversations 

and personalized service are part of the TNW of creating a 

community of leadership. Faculty, staff, and advisors seek to 

understand student academic progress and experience during 

Operations Discussions (Figure 3.1-2) and align cycles of 

improvement with S-KPIs and O-KPIs. This approach improves 

service delivery and embeds the culture and characteristic of the 

workforce in the decision-making process and drives CCNW’s 

CC1 of exceptional student support services.

CCNW has well-developed VOC methods for other customer 

groups, including donors, advisory committees, and the local 

community, all of whom are customers of the services provided 

by the college (Figure P.1-6). VOC data are gathered and 

analyzed to determine customer needs and expectations, make 

educational and programs adjustments, and enhance satisfaction 

and effectiveness. RBM, a relationship-based management 

firm, manages VOC data collection and analysis with teams 

from PROD, CEOC, and the CCNW Foundation to differentiate 

needs from student, community, employer, and stakeholder 

groups. As issues, concerns, or college-wide improvement 

actions are identified, information is presented to the PT for 

discussion and decision making. Student and other customer 

data are considered in the ES, SWOT, and PI validation during 

the SPP (Figure 2.2-1, step one) and reviewed as part of RMP 

strategic and operational discussions throughout the year. 

CCNW uses social media and web-based technologies to 

communicate with current and potential students and customers. 

Students and the community provide real-time feedback and 

engage with faculty, staff, and advisors through Kollab chat, 

email, text, Gabble messaging platform, and Smyle photo/video 

sharing platform. Student government and advisors seek input 

through Smyle polling. CEOC teams and RBM’s Website and 

Figure 3.1-2: Relationship Management Process (RMP)
15

advising and orientation sessions, and advisory committees 

provide input each semester about facilities, technology, and 

equipment used to teach the skills, curriculum, and workforce 

needs for the industry. Each student is required to complete 

faculty evaluations at the close of each semester in order to 

receive grades. 

3.1a(2). CCNW deploys its RMP to listen to and learn about 

former and potential students and customers with the methods 

shown in Figure 3.1-1. Information about students at competitors and other colleges is available through discussions with 

other schools, at conferences and forums, through websites, 

in journals and research articles, and at job and high school 

fairs. National databases are purchased to better understand 

key customer and student groups when needed for key strategic 

or fundraising initiatives. This information is analyzed and 

potential impacts discussed during strategic planning sessions, 

leadership reviews, and PI processes to validate and prioritize 

program and service design, improvement, or innovation. 

Community customer data are gathered through fundraising 

feasibility studies, economic development conferences and 

forums, the Chamber of Commerce, and community leadership 

engagement. This information is analyzed and impacts are 

discussed during step 1 of the SPP (Figure 2.1-1), and is used 

to design, improve, and innovate community involvement, 

business partner development, fundraising campaign strategies, 

and legislative outreach.

Leadership development was identified as an opportunity 

to improve student recruitment in the 2016 SPP ES. The PT 

worked with community leaders, donors, alumni, and area high 

schools to explore the development of a student version of the 

CCNW STAR program (1.1b). 

3.1b. Student and Other Customer Segmentation, 

and Program and Service Offerings

3.1b(1). In the Northwest, community colleges have a significant role in the higher educational system, providing a bridge 

from high schools to four-year institutions and/or workforce 

training and retraining. CCNW also plays a role as a leader in 

regional economic development initiatives. For this reason, 

as well as its use of cutting-edge technology, CCNW markets 

beyond the three-county region to serve the entire state. CCNW 

operational teams review key issues regarding students, other 

customers, markets, and education and service offerings during 

weekly PT and other regularly scheduled meetings (RMP; Figure 3.1-2). Key issues are identified and summarized in reports 

from the PMS and PI tracking and monitoring. They include 

grade-point average (GPA) performance and attendance action 

plans; referrals to advisors or student services; and complaints 

from the hotline, social media, email, and surveys. 

The PT works with RBM to analyze CCNW data and compare 

them to competitor colleges in the region and national best 

practices. RBM reviews survey data and interviews regional 

advertising and social media consultants for insights into 

existing and potential markets. From this analysis, action plans 

are developed, reviewed, and revised by SLs, faculty, staff, 

community leaders, alumni, and student leaders, as part of 

step 1 of the SPP (Figure 2.1-1). This analysis provides the basis 

for goals and action plans to be considered for further research 

or to make changes within the organization. In 2018, a gap in 

first-year student GPA resulted in research and implementation 

of training sessions for first-year students to learn how to set and 

achieve goals. RBM analyzed and segmented the student groups 

and assigned advisors to develop a plan and check in with them 

at least once during the semester and at any time there was a 

faculty referral (referral flow chart and scorecard AOS). Students requiring physical, cultural, or language accommodations 

are addressed on a case-by-case basis, and summary reports 

align with the SPP. 

The RMP is a cross-functional forum for discussion regarding 

accessibility issues due to transportation, poverty, immigration, 

or other barriers to admission. RBM compares CCNW messaging on marketing materials and the website and rates them for 

effectiveness and readability. 

3.1b(2). CCNW determines its educational programs and 

services during step 1 of the SPP, which includes ESs, competitor analysis, surveys, and other feedback to identify future 

offerings. Basic program offerings are evaluated every five 

years, and specialized program offerings and certifications 

are evaluated in agreed-upon sequences to ensure curriculum 

and faculty qualifications remain current with industry and 

regulatory changes. For example, following the pandemic, 

programs for community health worker certifications required 

telehealth training in response to social distancing requirements 

and reimbursement protocols. Services, including financial aid, 

mental and social health counseling, and technology training, 

are evaluated annually or as-needed based on regulatory compliance requirements. 

Proposed new programs and services are validated through the 

SPP and RMP and vetted by faculty, staff, and the Curriculum 

Council. Recommendations are forwarded to key program 

and faculty leads and provided to the PT. For example, the 

recommendation for the STAR program resulted from listening 

to students and community leaders who then worked with 

faculty and student services leadership to create the operational 

plan, budget, governance structure, and ongoing evaluation 

using the NWIP. Working with high schools, faculty, and staff, 

CCNW examined coursework and services to align, assess, and 

develop services to prepare middle and high school students. 

The intention is to support community college students to 

succeed by setting and achieving goals, and be “job-ready” 

upon graduation. Approaches were added to increase one- and 

two-way communication with parents to address questions 

and expectations. The STAR program has attracted students 

from across the region who are interested in social justice and 

leadership, policy development, and public health disciplines. 

The STAR program seeks continued market and stakeholder 

feedback through an advisory board of philanthropists; community, business, and governmental leaders; and STAR alumni 

who serve as guest lecturers, mentors, and advisors and provide 

community, regional, and statewide internship opportunities.

3.2 Customer Engagement

3.2a. Student and Other Customer Experience 

3.2a(1). RBM engages potential students and future business 

partners through its involvement with the community’s 
16

school-readiness efforts, outreach programs including job fairs, 

college readiness programs, and recruitment strategies. RBM 

teams manage unique needs of different market segments 

and stages of the student life cycle by utilizing technology 

to facilitate online and in-person inquiries, applications, and 

enrollment. They also facilitate self-service support to advising, 

financial aid, registration, and billing functions.

As part of CCNW’s student-first commitment, faculty and staff 

are available to provide face-to-face services for students and 

customers requiring more support with special needs or more 

complex applications, such as immigration, ESL, international, 

and non-traditional students. The CEOC and PROD deploy 

advertising campaigns for digital media, print, television, and 

radio to target audiences with focused messages. Input from 

high school student leadership has helped expand social media 

outreach with Smyle and Gabble to increase one- and two-way 

communication with many age groups. RBM works with CEOC 

and PROD to develop an appropriate advertising mix, based on 

measurement, analysis, and input about student preferences. The 

CCNW website is updated annually with a “students-first” web 

design that prioritizes content and navigational needs of prospective students in key areas such as the home page, program 

description, admissions, enrollment, and financial aid, ensuring 

readable content and readability. Through the website, RBM 

supports CCNW management of incoming requests for information to ensure prompt and appropriate responses to prospective 

inquiries (Figure 7.2-25) and to monitor social media inquiries 

and conversations that are relevant or meaningful to the college, 

its prospective students, and the broader community college 

community. For example, as a result of a cycle of refinement in 

a 2020 website review, a RBM team developed a Spanish social 

media platform. 

The STAR program students provide another mechanism for 

continuous supportive conversations with students. Since the 

STAR students have a commitment to reach out to high school 

students, CCNW is exploring pathways to ensure that all students can be included with STAR success strategies. After the 

first year’s evaluation, students recommended an app to make 

access easier from smart phones, and in 2019, the STAR-Point 

app was introduced.

3.2a(2). Current and prospective students seek information 

through many methods, including through information sessions, 

face-to-face and virtual advising, the website, social media, 

radio and television, campus flyers, and other print publications. 

All students use the self-service system to register, pay their 

bills, process financial aid, evaluate professors, and obtain 

grades and transcripts. The faculty and staff online LMS was 

expanded to offer access to students as part of the STAR 

program in 2018. The CEOC and PROD teams and RBM are 

analyzing its effectiveness and developing a plan to deploy 

it to the entire student population. Participation in student 

government, RMP committees, weekly student life newsletters 

and posted flyers, Smyle poll reports, and student activities are 

additional sources of information for students. The Registration 

Process identifies students requiring financial or language 

assistance and/or other special assistance, who are then assigned 

an Advisor Support Team. The vice president of academic and 

student services office provides mental and physical in-person 

and telehealth health services to students free of charge. RMPidentified students who are in their last semester of classes often 

have special needs in career planning and interview preparation 

and were added to the special needs group during a Strategic 

Planning Improvement Process. Security phones are available 

across campus, and all students have an emergency phone app. 

Additional safety and self-defense training and emergency 

preparedness drills are part of orientation, and there is a student 

hotline (6.2c[2]). 

CCNW’s key means of support are approaches deployed as 

components of the RMP system to understand the differing 

requirements of student groups and customers, analysis to 

determine support mechanisms that meet those requirements, 

and the comparison of the effectiveness of the approaches with 

competitors and industry best practices. 

The VOC listening methods, outreach activities, and face-toface and telecommunication tools are examples of communication supporting student and customer engagement making 

it easier for students, business partners, and the community to 

be part of TNW. The vice president of academic and student 

services oversees the Admissions Process and assigns a team to 

plan and conduct outreach events and activities to help students 

with the application and registration processes. Faculty and 

advisor office hours are available through office appointments, 

“in-class” office hours, and by phone and Kollab teleconferencing. Students with special needs are assigned an advisor who 

facilitates completion of necessary documentation and resource 

procurement. STAR advisors, students, and alumni participate 

with the outreach activities to provide additional support to create a “community of students” and a “students-first” experience. 

CEOC and PROD staff oversee students transitioning to 

four-year institutions and identifying future career paths in 

partnership with the community Job Council and Chamber of 

Commerce, as well as STAR alumni mentors and coaches. 

3.2a(3). CCNW has a Complaint Management Process (Figure 

3.2-1) to ensure its value “Students First.” Complaints can be 

submitted through comment cards, emails, and phone calls, 

and office calls are welcomed by administration, faculty, 

advisors, and STAR leaders. Feedback is sought during advisory 

check-ins and office hours, Smyle polls, surveys, and focus 

groups. Information is sought by CCNW, outside agencies, 

consultants, business partners, and community agencies. RBM 

screens, assigns, and prioritizes complaints for follow-up teams. 

Red-flag complaints related to a security, safety, legal, or ethical 

issue are sent to the PT for immediate response and Crisis 

Communication Team involvement, if necessary. Complaints 

are aggregated and analyzed for cycle time, population, and 

trend evaluation.

During the pandemic school facility closure, a faculty team 

was made aware through the Complaint Management Process 

of issues in using Kollab with ineffective faculty presentation 

approaches; hackers also disrupted the use of technology with 

inappropriate images displaying during Kollab meetings. As a 

result, the PT convened a core group and added subject-matter 

experts to work with the faculty team in the PI process. 
17

Immediate action was taken to add passwords to the sign-on 

process, and the high school distance-learning specialist began 

conducting just-in-time training with faculty conducting Kollab. 

3.2a(4). As an education provider, CCNW is committed to 

ensuring fair treatment for all of its different students, student 

groups, other customer groups, and market segments. This 

commitment is based, in part, on the need to ensure that the 

college complies with all federal and state equal opportunity and 

anti-discrimination laws but also is an extension of the college’s 

values and the professionalism of the workforce.

3.2b. Determination of Student and Other Customer 

Satisfaction and Engagement

3.2b(1). The CCNW VOC methods (Figure 3.1-1), RMP, and 

RBM teams comprise a comprehensive process to gather information from students, customers, partners, and stakeholders. 

RBM has developed a set of algorithms to disaggregate data 

from all sources and be able to understand how needs differ 

among student groups and at different stages of the college 

experience. The CCNW PDCA and PI process ensure that 

analysis includes an understanding of the scores using quality 

management approaches such as root causes, Pareto, and 

in-process measures (Figure 6.1-1). 

3.2b(2). CCNW gathers information on students and others 

customers within the Central Polk Community College System, 

which aggregates metrics among all 12 colleges and allows 

comparison within the regional system. In addition, comparisons are made to national best practices, including CCSSE, 

Nome Zevil, Baldrige Award recipients, and other education 

leaders including Hertz and Reimann Community Colleges.

A RBM team collects data from the Chamber of Commerce 

and economic development surveys, community health 

improvement planning, and best practices and benchmarks 

from industries outside of education to ensure the analysis is 

aligned with business partners and the community at large. 

The STAR program increased its focus on students in social 

media stories based on the learnings from a recent Baldrige 

Award recipient. The recipient indicated that alumni stories 

scored lower in engagement than student stories. STAR student 

leaders have also been added to the RBM advisory teams. 

CCNW now seeks more ways to showcase students and has 

increased its “sense-of-student-community” scores. CCNW has 

consistently scored in the top 10 of choices for colleges in the 

region and been recognized as an outstanding business partner 

by the Regional Economic Development Authority and the state 

Chamber of Commerce. The community ranks CCNW as either 

the top or second choice in selection of college to attend, a key 

competitive factor (Figures 7.2-9, 7.2-12). 

3.2c. Use of Voice-of-the-Customer and Market Data

At each meeting, the RMP, CEOC, and PROD teams review 

S-KPIs presented by the RBM team from VOC, enrollment 

reports and other market data, daily reports, campaign data, 

and web traffic (RBM S-KPIs and dashboard AOS). Based on 

these data, proposed changes are vetted through the RMP and 

reviewed through the PI and SPP to determine new programs 

or services to help CCNW focus on “students-first” initiatives. 

VOC is among the stakeholder input considered during step 1 of 

the SPP.

Figure 3.2-1:Complaint Management Process

Category 4—Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

4.1 Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement 

of Organizational Performance

4.1a. Performance Measurement

4.1a(1). CCNW uses the Tracking Star PMS (Figure 4.1-1) 

to track data and information on daily operations and overall 

college performance, including the VOC Process and work and 

support systems. The four-step PMS is the approach to select, 

collect, align, integrate, act, and evaluate KPIs.

CCNW classifies all KPIs as either strategic (S-KPIs) or 

operational (O-KPIs). Figure 2.1-2 shows the S-KPIs for SObjs, 

strategic initiatives, and action plans. Figure 6.1-1 shows O-KPIs 

for key and support work processes. Figure 4.1-2 shows other 

O-KPIs key to the organization. CCNW reviews S-KPIs and 

O-KPIs during organizational performance reviews (Figure 4.1-6).

PROD deploys the PMS through the PT and SPOT down to each 

academic department and operational unit as well as action plan 
18

or external changes and provide timely data. CCNW tests out 

S-KPIs and O-KPIs as part of the approaches described in 

item 6.2c(2) for disasters and emergencies. CCNW also uses 

the Performance Monitoring Model (PMM; Figure 4.1-4) to 

identify through trend and other analysis any S-KPI, O-KPI, or 

benchmark issues requiring review or process improvement.

Feedback from drill and event after-action reviews, the PMS 

semiannual review, and feedback on individual reviews of 

Figure 4.1-1: Performance Measurement System (PMS): Tracking Star

 

leads. Item 4.2b(1) describes how results for S-KPIs and O-KPIs 

are available on four user-friendly TNW portals for faculty and 

staff, students, the public, and suppliers and partners (special 

access). PROD, academic departments, and operational units 

track these O-KPIs on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semester, semiannually, and/or annual basis, as defined in the PMS.

Annually, the PROD director reviews the PMS and its three 

O-KPIs (AOS) as part of SPP, step 4. The current PMS is the 

result of three prior cycles of improvement (AOS). The PT, 

vice presidents, and/or directors review S-KPIs and some 

O-KPIs annually (PMS, step 3). Integration of the PMS (PMS, 

step 4) ties directly to the SPP, step 3. Item 5.2c describes the 

individual employee Northwest Performance Management 

Process (NWPMP), and item 4.1b describes how the S-KPIs 

and O-KPIs feed into the organization performance reviews.

4.1a(2). The Organizational Profile in P.2a(3) and Figure P.2-1 

describes sources of comparative data. See 3.1b(1), 3.2a(2), 

3.2b(2), and 5.2c(3) regarding the methods CCNW uses to 

collect student and workforce comparisons. CCNW uses the 

Benchmark Looking Star Benchmark and Best Practice Process 

(B2P, Figure 4.1-3) to select comparative data and information to 

support fact-based decision making. PROD deploys the four-step 

B2P by applying a benchmark to each S-KPI and most O-KPIs. 

Semiannually, PROD and key stakeholders reviews the B2P 

and its two benchmarking O-KPIs (AOS). B2P has been subject 

to two cycles of improvement (AOS). The B2P Team reviews 

each benchmark annually (B2P, step 3). PROD updates sources 

of typical benchmarks annually. A new S-KPI or O-KPI, either 

through the SPP or the design of a work process, initiates efforts 

to find an appropriate benchmark. 

CCNW uses B2P as part of PMS, step 2. PROD, academic 

departments, and operational units integrate these into the 

organizational performance reviews described in item 4.1b.

4.1a(3). CCNW has several approaches to ensure that its PMS 

can be used to respond to rapid or unexpected organization 

Figure 4.1-2: Other O-KPIs

Short-Term O-KPIs Figures

Innovations 7.1-18

Student Satisfaction—Educational Experience 7.2-7

CCSSE Student Satisfaction—Key Services 7.2-9

Financial Aid Satisfaction 7.2-15

Dissatisfaction 7.2-17

Students Achieving Goals 7.2-23

Customer Engagement—Response Time 7.2-25

Satisfaction with PT Communications 7.4-1

CEE Leadership Reinforcement of Values 7.4-2

PT Focus on Action 7.4-3

On-time and Accurate Compliance 7.4-4

Compliance with Key Measures and Requirements 7.4-7

Ethics Hotline 7.4-8

Workforce Participation Ethics Training 7.4-9

Ethical Environment 7.4-11

Perception of Walk It Right Ethics Program 7.4-12

Employees Giving Back 7.4-14

Long-Term O-KPIs Figures

Student Aid 7.1-10

Savings Due to Online Education 7.1-16

Customer Satisfaction 7.2-10

Overall Satisfaction 7.2-12

STAR Leadership Development 7.2-21

Stakeholder Engagement 7.2-24

Workforce Engagement Factors (CEE Survey) 7.3-10

Workforce Engagement Factors (Canter) 7.3-9

Internal Financial Audit Findings 7.4-5

Accreditation and Legal Compliance 7.4-6

Stakeholders’ Trust in SLs 7.4-10

Market Penetration 7.5-11

Market Share 7.5-12

Clock Hours 7.5-13

Total Customers 7.5-14

Enrollment Growth 7.5-15

Market Tuition and Fees Comparison 7.5-16
19

O-KPIs provide cycles of learning to increase measurement 

agility. CCNW integrates measurement agility into its organizational continuity approaches (see item 6.2c) and as part of PMS.

CCNW tested its PMS and O-KPIs during the pandemic in 

2020. CCNW added O-KPIs to the approaches applied toward 

working remotely for most faculty and staff members, ensuring 

continuity for many of the student instruction and support 

systems .

4.1b. Performance Analysis and Review

CCNW uses the Checkup Star Strategic and Operational 

Performance Review Process (SOPRP; Figure 4.1-5) to 

conduct organizational reviews. The four-step SOPRP uses 

S-KPIs and O-KPIs to allow the PT and directors to assess 

organizational success to relative benchmarks, financial health, 

and progress in achieving SObjs and action plans. It also allows 

CCNW to respond rapidly to changing organizational needs 

and challenges, as demonstrated in CCNW’s actions during 

the pandemic. PROD, academic departments, and operational 

units conduct analysis to support these reviews using the PMM 

(Figure 4.1-4) to alert the PT to performance issues. 

The Huddle Star Organizational Performance Review Structure 

(OPRS; Figure 4.1-6) shows types of review, frequency, and 

participants. CCNW conducts periodic reviews throughout 

Figure 4.1-3: Benchmark Best Practice Process (B2P): Benchmark 

Best Practice Looking Star

Figure 4.1-4: Performance Monitoring Model (PMM): Assessment Star

Figure 4.1-5: Strategic and Operational Performance Review Process 

(SOPRP): Check-Up Star

Figure 4.1-6: Organizational Performance Review Structure (OPRS): 

Huddle Star

Team Review Area Frequency

CPBT CCNW Performance Quarterly

CPBT CCNW Strategic Plan Annually

PT Operational Huddle Weekly

PT Key O-KPIs Monthly

PT All S-KPIs Quarterly

PT Action Plan Progress Quarterly

PT Process Improvements Quarterly

PT Work and Support System Quarterly

PT Budget Re-Allocations Quarterly

PT Major Baldrige Approaches Semiannually

PT Innovation Projects Semiannually

PT Strategic Planning Annually

VP Budget Teams Annually

VP Program Reviews Annually

Dept./Unit. Operational Huddle Weekly

Dept./Unit. Dept/Unit O-KPIs Monthly
20

the academic departments and operational units, with PT and 

directors responsible for follow-up actions, such as establishment of emergent action plans, process improvement teams, or 

innovation projects. 

Leaders record these actions in the APMS (see item 2.1a[1]), 

which SPOT uses to integrate throughout CCNW and in its strategic and action planning processes. Supervisors integrate these 

organizational actions into individual performance plans (see 

item 5.2c). The chancellor and CPBT receive periodic reports 

from the CCNW president on all S-KPIs and selected O-KPIs; 

the president makes an annual presentation to the CPBT.

Two cycles of improvement (AOS) led to the current SOPRP. 

PROD reviews the three SOPRP O-KPIs semiannually (AOS). 

CCNW updates the OPRS each year; updates are driven by 

organizational and planning changes and lessons learned.

4.1c. Performance Improvement

4.1c(1). CCNW uses the Future Star Strategic Performance 

Projection Process (SP3; Figure 4.1-7) to project its future 

performance. SPOT deploys SP3 annually as part of SPP, step 4, 

and PMS, step 2, by reviewing levels, trends, and performance 

action plans to benchmarks of each S-KPI and many O-KPIs 

to identify short- and longer-term performance projections 

(see item 2.2a[6]). These future performance projections allow 

CCNW to set quantifiable strategic goals for SObjs. Two 

cycles of improvement for the SP3 are AOS. PROD reviews 

the SP3 O-KPIs semiannually (AOS). In April and July 2020, 

SPOT updated short-term performance projections due to 

the pandemic.

4.1c(2). CCNW identifies follow-up actions for process 

improvement or innovation projects from the organizational 

reviews and records them in APMS as opportunities. APMS 

requires the lead of each opportunity to determine the financial, 

workforce, supplier, and other resources estimated to accomplish it. PT and directors then determine a risk status (high, 

medium, and low) for each opportunity, which the PT then 

prioritizes quarterly. During the SPP, the SPOT reviews and 

updates priorities into APMS. These established priorities are 

available on dashboards on TNW portals for all faculty and 

staff, students, the public, and other stakeholders.

Directors and other leaders may deploy these opportunities as 

emergent process improvement or innovation projects within 

their resources. An example is the director of information 

technology and security who immediately implemented the 

STAR-Point app at the suggestion of several students near the 

beginning of online classes during the 2020 pandemic (see 

item 3.a[1]). The PT addresses projects requiring resources 

across CCNW or other sources, and it manages and allocates a 

specialized fund for innovation projects.

4.2 Information and Knowledge Management

4.2a. Data and Information

4.2a(1). CCNW verifies and ensures the quality of organizational data and information by using its Data Star Model of Data 

Quality and Availability (MDQA; Figure 4.2-1). MDQA uses 

attribute definitions, defines approaches for staff to use, utilizes 

a common data management system, and defines standard 

reporting structures. CCNW deploys the model in all information technology systems; defines how users manage data; 

defines organizational, daily, and in-process O-KPIs; and uses 

specific validations of data to ensure accuracy, validity, integrity, 

reliability, and currency. The CCNW Information Technology 

(IT) Committee reviews processes and makes decisions to 

change MDQA. 

Figure 4.1-7: Strategic Performance Projection Process (SP3): 

Future Star

Continued on next page

Figure 4.2-1: Model of Data Quality and Availability (MDQA)

Factor Method to Ensure

Accuracy/Validity Training

Accuracy/Validity Audit Reports

Accuracy/Validity Data-Field Validation

Accuracy/Validity Input Masks

Accuracy/Validity Error Reporting

Accuracy/Validity Complaint Data

Accuracy/Validity Vendor Monitoring

Accuracy/Validity Relational Database X-Checking

Integrity/Reliability User Authentication

Integrity/Reliability Training

Integrity/Reliability Audit Reports

Integrity/Reliability Data-Validation Functions

Integrity/Reliability Comparison to Standards

Integrity/Reliability Hardware/Software Monitoring

Currency Computer Access/Availability

Currency Policies, Reports, and Procedures

Currency Plan and Process Review Structure

Currency Work Orders

Currency Training
21

MDQA has been subject to two cycles of improvement (AOS). 

PROD reviews the two MDQA O-KPIs semiannually (AOS). It 

is currently subject to two improvement projects regarding the 

quality of data and information. CCNW is working on a joint 

project with Interwebs and ICS on big educational data innovation. This modeling integrates with the SPP, employee NWPMP, 

PMS, B2P, PMM, SOPRP, and SP3 (see item 4.1).

4.2a(2). CCNW uses the MDQA to ensure the availability of 

organizational data and information, and it has approaches for 

user-friendliness, timeliness, and reliability. Deployment and 

integration follow the same methods described in item 4.2a(1). 

Three improvement projects to MDQA are underway regarding 

availability of data and information.

4.2b. Organizational Knowledge 

4.2b(1). CCNW uses the four-step Retain Knowledge Star 

CCNW Organizational Knowledge Management Process 

(COKMP; Figure 4.2-2) to build and manage organizational 

knowledge. COKMP addresses the methods to collect and 

transfer workforce knowledge, the VOC, and market data; blend 

and correlate data; transfer relevant data to staff, students, and 

other stakeholders; and assemble and transfer knowledge for use 

in innovation projects and the SPP. PROD reviews COKMP and 

its three key O-KPIs (AOS) semiannually.

Examples of COKMP methods include job aides for each 

position; defined work process steps; seamless integration of 

information technology with work process steps; an inventory 

of data analytics and data science techniques; standard methods 

and procedures to identify sources of data and information, 

especially from outside CCNW; and a searchable database of 

key process owners and at least three subject-matter experts 

among the CCNW workforce. Entry of data into the knowledge 

management database is the responsibility of each academic 

department and operational unit.

CCNW deploys its knowledge management database and other 

assets through the four user-friendly TNW portals (see item 

4.1a[1]). PROD is responsible for COKMP and the underlying 

knowledge management database, supported by IT operational 

units.

Two cycles of improvement created COKMP, with a subsequent 

innovation project establishing the current COKMP approach. 

Two current improvement projects are underway, and COKMP 

is in scope for the big educational data (see item 4.2a[1]). 

Efforts are underway to incorporate in the next version of 

COKMP with new Interwebs search technologies and data-entry 

automations. Usage of the four TNW portals integrates COKMP 

in almost every organizational approach used at CCNW.

4.2b(2). CCNW uses the four-step B2P (Figure 4.1-3) to 

identify, share, and implement best practices throughout the 

organization. This also includes identifying internal and external 

organizations or operations that are high performing. PROD is 

responsible for B2P. The CCNW workforce, students, and other 

stakeholders have an easy way through their portals to identify 

potential best practices and high-performing organizations and 

operations. CCNW hosts an annual Day of Sharing to highlight 

notable internal or external best practices (see items 3.1a[1] and 

3.2a[2]). CCNW uses similar learning and integration for best 

practices as it does for benchmarking (see item 4.1a[2]). PROD 

reviews four best practice O-KPIs semiannually (AOS).

4.2b(3). CCNW embeds organizational learning into TNW and 

workforce LMS (see item 5.2c). COKMP incorporates many 

methods to use knowledge and resources to embed learning in 

the way CCNW operates (see item 4.2a[1]).

Figure 4.2-2: CCNW Organizational Knowledge Management Process 

(COKMP): Retain Knowledge Star

1—PLAN

Figure 4.2-1: (Continued)

Factor Method to Ensure

Currency Help Desk

Currency Network Monitoring

Currency Hardware Recycle Policies

Currency Student Data Update Prompts

Currency Employee Data Update Prompts

User-Friendly Data Prompts

User-Friendly Online Help Functions

User-Friendly Hover Prompts

User-Friendly Pop-Help Definitions

User-Friendly Availability in Foreign Languages

User-Friendly Webpage Layouts

User-Friendly Search Functions

Timeliness Prompt Updates of Databases

Timeliness Four TNW Portals

Timeliness As-of Dates on Most Online Pages

Timeliness Bullet Point Updates on Home Pages
22

Category 5—Workforce

5.1 Workforce Environment

CCNW builds an effective and supportive workforce environment aligned with the MVV through its HR division led by 

the vice president of HR and a team of directors. A team of 

generalists provides face-to-face frontline and telephone contact 

through the HR Information Center to all employees, retirees, 

job candidates/applicants, and other stakeholders. The generalist 

team handles documents; receives applications; fields questions; 

manages manual and electronic paperwork from hiring managers, candidates, and new hires; and answers questions about 

benefits and other HR issues that have impact for individual 

staff and departments. Four teams manage the functional teams 

of Job Design, Performance Management, and Compensation 

(JPC); Recruitment, Hiring, and Onboarding (RHO); Learning, 

Development, and Careers (LDC); and Benefits, Policies, 

Staffing Relations, and Employee Health (Best Practices and 

EOHW). 

HR communications are coordinated through the director of 

internal communications to deliver timely, consistent, and 

accurate information to all staff in multiple formats, including 

online, printed messages, memos, email blasts, and e-newsletters. The vice president of HR maintains a standing Innovation 

Team with participants from the four units and the communications officer to address continuous changes in technology 

resources, monitor changes to laws and regulations, and stay 

abreast of trends in human capital. During the 2020 pandemic, 

this team worked and met remotely to ensure the effectiveness 

of HR functionality of all the divisions, making and communicating changes to staff, ensuring availability of technology 

resources, and communicating with benefits providers.

5.1a. Workforce Capability and Capacity

5.1a(1). Annually, the JPC team assesses the capability of 

current staff, anticipated staffing needs, skills, and knowledge 

as part of the workforce plans addressed in the SPP. The JPC 

reviews and evaluates the Capability Review Process annually 

as part of strategy development for the vice president of HR 

to keep current with trends in compensation and performance. 

During this review, consideration is given to the near-term, 

meaning the upcoming academic year, and the long-term, 

meaning projections for the next three years, based on anticipated program growth or new programming, if any.

The JPC team analyzes current faculty capabilities; coordinates 

with high schools, certifying agencies, and academic deans 

to ensure qualifications are met; and along with RHO team, 

begins planning for upcoming-year hiring. Ongoing planning 

is conducted with these stakeholders to ensure any long-term 

hiring is consistent with certification requirements, societal 

benefit and institutional stewardship. The JPC team creates, 

verifies, reviews, and updates position descriptions, and 

coordinates with the State Community College Compensation 

Process to ensure salary compliance and equity across the 

hiring process. These position descriptions describe required 

education, certification/license, and experience qualifications for 

faculty and professional staff; include overall qualifications and 

experience of support staff; and verify the physical requirements 

of the position. All data and information related to positions and 

compensation reside in the TNW WORKS system, a comprehensive HR information system that is the repository of the life 

cycle of HR data and information. Any requests by a department 

to create a new position will require approval by the vice 

president of HR based on assessment of need and budgetary 

restrictions. 

Annually, the JPC team updates the Northwest Performance 

Management Process (NWPMP) based on the previous year’s 

feedback and assessment to ensure that NWPMP successfully 

evaluates and rewards staff while also identifies the learning and 

development needs and future position requirements. The JPC 

team administers the NWPMP annually, providing invaluable 

outcomes reports for departments and staff members as part of 

the evaluation of annual salary increases and career progression. 

Improvements over the past five years have included online 

administration in WORKS, addition of a 360-degree feedback 

tool for supervisors, refinement of career planning to include 

educational goals, and inclusion of a three-year plan of stretch 

goals for individual professional growth. Department heads and 

recruiters use these results as part of career management and 

advancement for internal candidates within the college. 

Annually, as part of workforce planning in the SPP, department 

heads assess the potential needed for new positions based on 

a community environmental scan for changes to the curriculum. Workforce planning assesses current capacity needs by 

evaluating projected enrollment and contact hours (workload 

measures) for the upcoming year. Department heads consider 

FT/PT faculty ratios, average class size, advising ratios, and 

student services ratios. Additionally, they evaluate the use of 

qualified part-time or adjunct faculty along with changes to 

non-classroom teaching staff to expand or reduce capacity in 

the short term. Changes to capacity require further budgetary 

approval. CCNW reassesses annual capacity and growth with 

five-year rolling data by review of industry standards. The 

review ensures that current jobs meet industry and certification 

Figure 5.1-1: Workforce Resources
23

Candidate 

interview

Dept. 

justifies hiring 

decisions; 

meets EEOC 

requirement

New hire; 

background 

evaluations 

and 

references

New hire 

attends 

orientation

Staff; 

converted 

to employee 

status

WORKS; 

repository 

for employee 

payroll, 

benefits, PTO, 

LDC records

JPC team 

creates positions 

to meet dept. 

credentials

Posting

Applicant 

applies to 

job posting

Recruiter 

matches 

candidate skills 

to posting

Applicant 

becomes 

candidate or 

remains in 

applicant pool

Figure 5.1-2: WORKS Descriptive Chart

standards, and projects growth or reduction for the following 

year to anticipate hiring needs. See 5.1-1 for workforce 

resources.

5.1a(2). As part of the internal culture, CCNW believes in 

supporting, developing, and advancing the careers of internal 

faculty and staff. As positions become available, they are posted 

on departmental bulletin boards in departments, on the WORKS 

system for internal applicants, and on the system college 

recruitment system for seven calendar days for internal candidate priority. After seven days, positions are widely advertised 

depending on the audience to standard recruitment sites (JobMe, 

CareerEnhancer); to academic publications, Chronicle of Higher 

Education, and subject-matter journals; for certifications and 

licenses through certifying agencies; to career- or work-related 

websites and organizations; to the local employment security 

system; to Veterans Affairs career websites; to social media 

and on the radio; and at career fairs within the community. A 

recruiter generalist holds a resume-writing workshop twice a 

month for any internal or external applicant seeking assistance 

with the Application Process. The generalist also presents to 

community organizations and local high schools. CCNW seeks 

to employ a racially, ethnically, diverse applicant pool and has 

increased advertising for positions through community agencies 

and diversity websites; one goal of such an approach is to represent the diversity of ideas, cultures, and thinking in the hiring 

and student communities. For senior-level positions, a search 

team may be implemented to seek a more extensive applicant 

pool, with a dedicated recruiter available to answer questions 

and facilitate the process. All applicants are expected to apply 

online and can receive assistance setting up their personal application account in the recruitment center or through appointment 

with a recruiting assistant. 

Policies require that the hiring manager must interview at least 

three candidates. For the past three years, an improvement 

was introduced to facilitate behavioral-interview training for 

supervisors and departmental hiring managers to increase skill 

in evaluating candidates and to help eliminate interview bias. 

For faculty positions, interviews are conducted by the academic 

dean, department head, an interdisciplinary faculty team, and 

an HR representative. Faculty selection is based on academic 

credentials, recommendations from academic colleagues, and 

alignment with the college’s mission and values. Candidates for 

senior-level administrative roles also 

undergo an extensive 

interview process with 

department heads and 

other administrators 

to assess professional 

qualifications and 

alignment with the 

college’s mission 

and values. For staff 

positions, candidates 

are interviewed by a 

department manager 

and a team of departmental staff, and they 

may also be interviewed by other departments who coordinate 

with the position. 

To ensure equity in hiring, recruiters working on the RHO team 

match applicant knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience 

with the position requirements through the WORKS system, 

thus enabling recruiters to maintain information and record 

interviews and decision-history for all considered candidates to 

support diversity hiring and meet federal Equal Employment 

Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requirements. The WORKS 

system also creates a snapshot report for the CPBT to demonstrate current and trend information on employee demographics, 

credentials, training, turnover rates, and other workforce data for 

budgeted and temporary employees. Recruiters forward resumes 

of pre-qualified “candidates” to hiring managers electronically 

through the WORKS system for consideration and evaluation. 

Departmental leaders interview and determine the preferred 

hire. Once a decision is made, “candidate” status is changed in 

the WORKS system to “offer.” After receiving a conditional 

offer, applicants complete the Pre-Hire Process by providing 

proof of certification/license, educational qualifications/

certifications, information for a background check, and 

references. Upon successful review of these qualifications, the 

recruiter verifies the salary offer for the department to extend 

the formal offer, salary, and position start-date in writing. Upon 

hire, candidate status in the WORKS system changes to a 

“hired” employee status. 

Upon hire, all new employees engage in an orientation process 

that begins with a one-day, college-wide orientation to the 

facilities, benefits, policies, history, and culture of CCNW. This 

one-day orientation includes discussion of TNW, the MVV, 

a presentation by the president of the college, discussion of 

ethics,safety, inclusion and equity, review of the handbook and 

compliance, and the STAR rewards program. During the pandemic, hiring was frozen except for the hiring of essential staff. 

Once the college resumed online classes, initial interviews and 

group interviews were conducted remotely via Kollab. One-day 

orientation also was done remotely to ensure appropriate social 

distancing. After this one-day orientation, the new hire receives 

departmental orientation either in person or online depending on 

the role, and he/she is assigned a star buddy. The buddy system 

proved to be a positive experience for new hires—even during 

remote work time—in having a one-on-one contact to mentor 
24

the new hire through the changes. Departmental orientation 

includes at least a half-day orientation and training on the various IT systems and software programs relevant to the position.

An improvement that resulted from the pandemic was the 

development and implementation by the Knowledge Management Group of online technology training so that all staff could 

receive orientation to the secure internal WORKS system since 

this is where they record their work time and paid-time off 

(PTO), enroll in benefits, and receive pay statements and tax 

documents. The website includes a dedicated new employee 

web page to answer questions and provide detailed information. 

Additional systems training is position-specific and has set 

training requirements.

New hires and transfers are asked to assess the Onboarding 

Process in WORKS after six months in the position as part 

of the HR focus on improvement, which has led to increased 

IT training and expansion of the buddy system. To strengthen 

collaboration, enhance individual development, and promote 

agility, the LDC team offers monthly departmental training 

options that advance teamwork, including using PDCA, 

managing difficult conversations, developing supervisory and 

leadership skills, and other enrichment courses. CCNW seeks to 

create a cordial, inclusive, professional workforce, dedicated to 

the values of students first, community-engaged, collaboration, 

partnership and excellence. 

5.1a(3). Workforce change and organizational resilience 

became essential in the spring of 2020 with the pandemic that 

caused sudden changes across all sectors of the U.S. economy, 

including to educational delivery systems, challenging every 

organization in the education sector to develop new modes of 

delivering content, maintaining standards, ensuring quality, 

and meeting student needs. Even before spring 2020, CCNW, 

through the PT, faculty leadership, and IT and LDC teams, 

had instituted a Center for Faculty Development. Between 

2017 and 2019, CCNW had been increasing online content to 

deliver classroom interactive materials and lectures through 

faculty-designed courses. This process required the faculty to 

participate in training on technology and platforms to develop at 

least one online course per year to be delivered fully online as 

part of the College Transfer-Course Content Process.

Additionally, most faculty members had begun to develop 

online lectures that students could access in case of illness or 

absence. Some of the courses focused on workforce and career 

content were already delivered digitally, since many of these 

were one-time courses accessed remotely with online assessment processes. A joint team evaluated the delivery systems, 

content, and student success, with improvements made to each 

course and adapted for the next round of content development. 

With the sudden occurrence of the pandemic, CCNW staff 

were thrust quickly into an active emergency situation. Faculty 

and staff stepped up quickly and began leveraging knowledge 

already in place to meet the new demands on the workforce 

to prepare existing classroom-based coursework for online 

delivery and evaluation.

At the same time, CCNW began to leverage new remote work 

models and tools for professional and support staff who are not 

needed for face-to-face interaction with students or colleagues. 

These innovations include Kollab technology to provide 

scheduled faculty office hours for students, exam-prep review 

sessions, and virtual laboratories. The president has convened 

a dedicated Emergency Innovation Response Team to evaluate 

the policies and procedures for distance work, sick leave, and 

vacations and to prepare and plan for future sudden changes 

as part of sustainability that will remain part of the SPP and 

workforce planning. 

CCNW prepares the workforce for changing Cap2 through a 

three-year systematic change management strategy during the 

SPP with the PT and HR leadership. A twice-yearly snapshot 

evaluation is used to assess more immediate changes in 

enrollment and course of study requirements, changes to content 

and delivery methods, changes in expectations, and changes 

in state budgeting and staffing costs mandated by law. These 

evaluations occur in early March for September enrollment and 

early October for January enrollment. Faculty hours and class 

sizes are adjusted as needed to meet demands, with the addition 

of adjunct faculty to meet increased demand. Evaluations for 

workforce development and certification programs occur quarterly. Additionally, systematic change management evaluation 

evaluates the work environment by deliberately assessing the 

effectiveness of physical space and technology (hardware, software and cloud-based resources). This evaluation is made in the 

broader context of CCNW’s operating environment. Because 

of its PDCA-based SPP, CCNW adjusted its work environment, 

vis-à-vis on-site vs. work-from-home and the attendant use of 

technology. To prepare the workforce for such changes, the 

applicant leveraged its communications system and intranet to 

deliver just-in-time training.

CCNW prepares the workforce for growth through HR 

communications to all staff that describe opportunities for 

advancement and innovation, coaching employees to manage 

change proactively and meeting challenges through adherence 

to the vision of students first. The LDC team provides monthly, 

departmental, professional development training in teaching, 

use of technology, and online course development for all 

teaching staff, and quarterly skills enhancement in technology, 

business writing, records management, and personal growth for 

professional and support staff that is designed to be relevant to 

their roles at CCNW. 

Should enrollment or course of study expectations shift down or 

alter direction, adjustments are made to the number of adjunct 

and part-time faculty first. CCNW has rarely had to downsize 

the professional and support staff, but if necessary, it manages 

reductions through temporary assignments, priority hiring 

into vacant positions on campus and across the system, crosstraining, job sharing, early retirement packages for qualified 

individuals, and outplacement counseling. In times of reduction, 

CCNW notifies affected staff first of the changes in job status 

before any other announcement to the community. By policy, if 

a qualified regular staff or faculty member experiences layoff 

due to reduction in force, that employee is eligible to be rehired 

within a year as a priority candidate into a comparable position.

Annually and more frequently as needed, CCNW reviews 

this change management strategy and makes policy 
25

recommendations or revisions of processes as required to the 

SPP workforce team. In 2018, this review led to a change in 

policy to establish outplacement services, and in 2019, the 

college revised education/training opportunities for all staff to 

enable them to take up to 12 hours of approved coursework in 

support of career development or to support additional skills. In 

2020, adjustments were made to offer more just-in-time training 

to communicate new or revised processes that may be needed 

during times of rapid changes that impact the workforce.

5.1a(4). Broadly defined areas of expertise and responsibility 

are the foundation of an annual strategy that is aligned to and 

supports the work of the college SPP through committees 

and teams under the direction of a vice president. Unit-level 

teams promote collaboration and continuous improvement to 

achieve goals and establish action plans for the coming year. 

Cross-functional teams work on issues affecting the larger 

organization, and ad-hoc teams address specific, timely issues. 

Departments are aligned to a specific functional area, with 

both faculty and staff representation on teams and committees. 

Faculty chairs manage interests and decisions affecting faculty, 

adjuncts, and part-time teachers. Administrators manage staffing, budgeting, and departmental goals. Students work within 

these departments in order to gain internship hours and advance 

career interests. Each individual staff member is aligned with a 

departmental supervisor or faculty chair. 

Individuals set annual performance and goals aligned to 

departmental goals and plans, which are rolled up to division 

and organizational goals to achieve the MVVCC of the college.

During the 2020 pandemic, these teams met weekly through 

Kollab technology platforms and addressed immediate issues 

to establish procedures in navigating the move to virtual 

operations. The Student Academic Success (SAS) department 

evaluated and established policies on “attendance,” access 

to and security of learning platforms, and management of 

assignments, and the division facilitated team-based, hands-on 

learning through supportive internet technology. Over the 

summer, the SAS team, along with CCNW’s five divisions 

convened a one-day “Let’s Evaluate” symposium for all faculty, 

staff, and students to review what worked, what did not, what 

could be improved, what new ideas were learned, and what’s 

next. The information from this symposium was incorporated 

by the five organizational division vice presidents and teams 

into the Emergency Innovation Response team’s planning to 

ensure that the college provides exceptional student support 

services in all situations; partners effectively with the local 

community to achieve excellence and graduate job-readiness; 

and ensures that it continually educates an expert, up-to-date 

workforce for the future. 

The Emergency Innovation Response team also conducts 

table-top exercises multiple times per year, considering scenarios that range from minor disruptions in operations to “worst 

case” events. Organizational agility is evaluated as part of these 

table top exercises, and affected operations are assessed and 

improved to ensure greater resiliency.

5.1b. Workplace Climate

5.1b(1). CCNW ensures workplace health, security, and 

accessibility for the workforce through a cross-campus 

interdisciplinary Wellness Team. Wellness programs that 

promote healthy lifestyle habits are available through the 

HR Employee Health and Wellness Team and other campus 

organizations, and programs include a fully equipped wellness 

center, exercise classes, diet and nutrition counseling, focused 

weight loss and wellness programs, and access at a reduced 

rate for family members of staff to participate. Wellness 

programs focus on stress management, good work habits, 

time management, meditation, and financial planning. The 

Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) is available to any employee 

experiencing personal difficulties. During the spring, summer, 

and early fall, the college sponsors a weekly campus farmers’ 

market in cooperation with the community’s Extension Agency 

that provides fresh locally grown products as well as healthy 

lunch options for sale to all campus students, staff, and visitors. 

CCNW offers a campus health fair in early spring each year, 

with community health agencies available to promote smoking 

cessation, healthy eating, and the latest news and information on 

addiction counseling available locally. In the fall, CCNW holds 

several flu vaccine clinics on campus through the local health 

department to promote health for the individual and the campus. 

The college evaluates wellness programs each year through a 

campus-wide survey sent via email to all staff and faculty that 

asks for feedback and suggestions for new programs; the survey 

has an average 82% return rate over the last three years. 

CCNW maintains campus security through the public safety 

office under the leadership of the campus police who are 

equipped with both police cruisers and bicycles, and through 

video surveillance of buildings and walkways, security lighting 

Figure 5.1-3: Student Academic Success and Student Support Systems
26

in all campus areas and parking lots, Blue Box emergency 

telephones, after-hours student and security safe rides, classroom panic buttons and locks, and active-shooter drills and 

training. CCNW adheres to reporting of all campus crimes 

required under the Clery Act and to local and state authorities 

in the community. Students, staff, and visitors to the campus 

can report any incident to a dedicated “800” number 24/7 or 

submit a complaint or incident via the Complaint Management 

Process to the director of compliance services as well as 

in-person. The college convenes a dedicated Safety Committee 

that meets bi-weekly and reviews all safety incidents and 

issues, documents any investigation, and reports resolution of 

the issue to the president’s office. The committee evaluates the 

effectiveness of safety programs through a public safety survey 

annually and makes recommendations for needed changes to the 

security office. 

All buildings, facilities, renovations, and new designs comply 

with architectural standards and building requirements built to 

American Institute of Architects standards and consistent with 

the ADA. These laws help CCNW ensure that all facilities meet 

legal standards and are equipped with automated doors, ramps, 

accessible bathrooms, Braille signage, and hearing and visually 

impaired technology. The college ensures that employees who 

request physical accommodations to accomplish their work 

receive appropriate supportive equipment including accommodated workstations and/or technology. 

5.1b(2). CCNW has a comprehensive benefits package available 

to all staff depending on status (e.g., FT/PT, active or retired).

The secure employee portal in the WORKS system enables the 

staff member to access all benefits information at any time. Any 

change in position or work schedule automatically is reflected 

in changes to benefits. The employee can report time worked 

through the system for payroll, enter time off to maintain 

precise information for PTO, review time-off balances, and 

view other available benefits. Employees can enter changes 

such as addition of a family member, name change, and marital 

status by entering the change and submitting supporting 

documentation to the HR office. The Children’s Learning 

Center provides on-campus child care for staff and faculty while 

also providing a laboratory setting for students enrolled in early 

childhood development classes. An annual flu clinic is available 

to all students and staff. In fall 2020, CCNW participated as a 

community site for initial pandemic vaccination clinics sponsored by the local health department. 

Policies that affect the workforce are established and reviewed 

annually by a cross-functional team of directors from the president’s office, HR, and professional and support staff and faculty. 

Policies are administered through the HR office of equity, which 

evaluates grievances and harassment and seeks to establish and 

maintain a fair and equitable environment. Policies are updated 

in the WORKS system as they are approved, and a notice to 

review the change is sent out to all employees through an HR 

communication, through a policy change flag in WORKS, and 

in email blasts to the college community. CCNW adheres to 

federal and state level policies such as FMLA, Title IX, and 

EEOC, and it maintains policies for sick and vacation leave, 

retirement, separation, and reduction in force.

5.2 Workforce Engagement

5.2a. Assessment of Workforce Engagement 

5.2a(1). SLs drive engagement through TNW. To determine 

the key drivers of engagement, CCNW conducts a systematic, 

annual, environmental scan of cutting-edge research into factors 

of engagement from organizations, such as Baldrige Award winners, Canter, Great Higher Ed Employers, the Lead Creatively 

Institute, and the Society for Human Resource Management. 

The CCNW also convenes quarterly focus groups from across 

the college to assess and understand factors that support or 

hinder currently defined key drivers of engagement, such as 

effectiveness of organizational communication and managerial 

styles, trust and respect among colleagues, quality and effectiveness of departmental and administrative leaders, and belief and 

pride in the college’s achievements and reputation.

If CCNW identifies a new key driver of engagement, it convenes a team to evaluate what is identified and determine how 

to use this information in strategic and workforce planning 

to focus efforts on improving skills of leaders and managers 

Figure 5.1-4: Benefits Eligibility

Benefit

Eligible Workforce

FT = Full Time, 

PT = Part Time

Health Insurance FT, PT

Dental Insurance FT, PT

Life Insurance FT, PT

Retirement Plan FT, PT

Tuition Reimbursement or Waiver 

(with supervisor approval)

FT, PT, Adjunct

Flexible Spending Account FT, PT

Paid Leave All Employees

FMLA All Employees

Personal Leave (12 weeks) All Employees

Short- and Long-Term Disability FT, PT

Retiree Health Insurance Former FT, PT

EAP FT, PT

Facilities Access (i.e., library, gym, computer labs) All Employees

Children’s Learning Center Discount FT, PT

Business Memberships & Discounts All Employees

Wellness Center All Employees

Flu Clinic All Employees

Wellness Fair All Employees

Smoking Cessation All Employees

Tuition Support (other colleges) All Eligible Employees 

(having 2+ years)

Tuition Discount: Eligible Children 

& Dependents

FT

Personal, Civic, Bereavement, Military, 

Developmental Leave

All Employees

Ergonomic Furniture All Employees
27

to create an organizational culture that leverages the core 

competencies and demonstrates the core values. CCNW 

validates this systematic process to determine key driver of 

engagement through annual staff satisfaction surveys (Great 

Higher Ed Employers, Canter, College Environment Evaluation 

[CEE] Survey); performance evaluations and historical data on 

retention; exit interviews; and involvement of staff in collaborative teams, committees, and improvement efforts. 

5.2a(2). CCNW assesses workforce engagement, as well 

as inclusivity and equity, formally by means of surveys and 

workforce performance data, and informally by examining 

involvement in various activities and feedback from less formal 

indicators.

The primary survey instrument is the online CEE Climate Survey for Community Colleges that allows institutions to assess 

their progress and highlight areas for growth, to define areas 

needing change or improvement, and to set the stage for more 

in-depth strategic planning. This survey has been conducted 

annually since 2015.

Every other year, CCNW assesses engagement with the 

12-question online Canter 12Q survey, and assesses workplace 

climate, culture, inclusivity and staff development with the 

Great Higher Ed Employers survey. The Q12 survey was first 

used in 2017. The Great Higher Ed Employers survey was 

first used in 2016.

The information from these three survey instruments provides 

benchmarks of top-performing organizations outside the education sector on progress toward achieving the success factors 

of Students First, Community-Engaged, Collaboration, Partnership, and Excellence. The surveys provide data to evaluate the 

components of the key drivers of engagement (see also P.1a[3] 

and Figure 5.2-1) about supervisor relationships, training and 

resource availability and relevance, feeling valued as a team 

member, and being satisfied with the sense of contribution to the 

mission and with the future of CCNW. The LDC team evaluates the data received from these surveys, focus groups, and 

performance evaluation departmental summaries, and rolls the 

results into the workforce plans of the SPP (see Figure 2.2-1). 

Results of surveys are reported by departmental units and are 

used in setting action plans for the upcoming year. 

Faculty provide annual feedback on the effectiveness of training 

and development of online learning skills, quality and availability of student-focused resources (library, laboratories, online 

learning effectiveness), availability and quality of administrative 

leadership and support, quality of internal communications, and 

participation in external relations. Included in assessments are 

formal data on retention, turnover, faculty and staff participation 

in required and elective educational resources, exit interviews, 

and informal information measures on overall satisfaction with 

the campus culture. The Employee Exit Interview Process was 

improved and enhanced in 2017 to increase participation and 

the depth of information collected by using a third party who 

calls employees after they separate. Areas evaluated included 

communication, leadership abilities, collegial environment, 

inclusivity and equity, and management of conflict. This 

information is now used to identify opportunities to improve 

the workplace and increase employee engagement. In 2019, an 

additional enhancement was the addition of an evaluation of 

compensation equity, opportunity for advancement, and quality 

of managerial relationship. These other indicators help support 

decision making in revising engagement and success factors and 

setting the strategy for upcoming years.

5.2b. Organizational Culture 

CCNW fosters a work culture driven by the organization’s 

TNW and values: Students First, Community-Engaged, 

Collaboration, Partnership, and Excellence.

This work culture supports and engages employees to strive 

for student success, to expect principled leadership, to embody 

performance excellence through communication and improvement, and to engage in continuous learning. Within the work 

culture, CCNW actively seeks to benefit from the diverse ideas, 

cultures, and thinking of the entire staff and student community, 

which includes having one-day seminars to highlight literature, 

music, technology, and history and focusing on diverse cultures 

led by students, faculty, and outside speakers. Beginning with 

the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding processes, the college 

engages the workforce to achieve the MVV. Part of the engagement are recruitment interview teams and student-led tours, 

with staff representing the many cultures within the college.

From point-of-hire, CCNW empowers workforce members to 

take on new roles, with individual staff members serving as 

buddies to new hires, participating on committees and team 

improvement activities, attending forums and campus events, 

becoming involved in supporting student committees and activities, expanding personal educational skillsets through academic 

or professional development classes taught both at CCNW 

and universities, and advancing professional knowledge. New 

hires establish with their managers a personal performance 

plan, setting goals aligned with departmental action plans 

that are aligned to the college’s S-KPIs and O-KPIs. Monthly 

recognition from the college president cites achievements across 

campus of individual and departmental goals. Staff members 

are recognized upon achievement of new educational or 

professional milestones and certifications, as well as for service 

on committees through HR e-newsletter blasts. CCNW honors 

faculty and staff with the Northwest Star for achievements and 

contributions to the community at bi-monthly staff recognition 

luncheons. Beyond length-of-service compensation mandated 

by the state community college system, staff compensation 

recognizes individual achievement on performance reviews, 

personal educational advancement, contribution to the achievement of departmental goals and action plans, personal commitment to student success, and peer input. 

5.2c. Performance Management and Development

5.2c(1). The NWPMP resides organizationally under the 

JPC team, which monitors all positions, and maintains and 

updates changes mandated by the state community college 

compensation system to ensure equity. The JPC team manages 

staff and faculty performance management assessment, 

review, and improvement. The NWPMP is a fully automated 

program within the employee’s personal, password-protected 

account in the WORKS system into which both individual and 

supervisor have the secure ability to enter achievements and 
28

accomplishments, to add historical and current performance 

data, to set and monitor goals and educational achievements, 

and to prepare annual reviews of performance. By having a 

single point of entry, the individual can keep track of day-today, month-to-month accomplishments and review longer-term 

goals for action and planning.

The WORKS system also enables the employee and supervisor 

to ask for feedback from selected peers and colleagues as part of 

the 360-Degree Review Process. Faculty performance reviews 

are managed by departmental chairs and include academic 

growth challenges, participation in research and/or publication, 

and involvement in student mentorship. The performance 

of academic chairs and deans is reviewed every three years. 

The performance of adjunct and part-time faculty is reviewed 

annually, with continuation of employment dependent on 

funding along with quality of the teaching assessment. Student 

evaluations of individual faculty are included in the review 

process to support excellence in teaching from the student’s 

point of view. 

5.2c(2). Being able to maintain a performance profile within 

WORKS encourages staff and faculty alike to self-monitor 

and manage continuous professional improvement. The 

Performance Review Process consists of self-evaluation and 

goal setting on five areas of performance that are aligned to 

the values and core competencies. Individuals review progress 

toward departmental-aligned goals with their supervisors at 

mid-year and again at year’s end. Achievement is evaluated on 

three levels (i.e., exceeds performance expectations, achieves 

expectations, and attention required to achieve for each of the 

five areas under review). Goal setting for the next year provides 

remediation for items yet achieved and provides expansion or 

new direction for goals fully achieving performance expectations. Included in the goal-setting review are learning and 

development goals, plans for participation in organizations or 

teams, and innovative ideas to explore in support of intelligent 

risk. Compensation is based on level of achievement and 

state-budgeted funding available for workforce support. 

5.2c(3). CCNW evaluates the Learning Management System 

(LMS) to ensure its effectiveness in preparing the workforce 

to meet the demands of student achievement. As a learning 

organization, CCNW believes that learning never ends. 

Annually, the LDC team evaluates current performance review 

outcomes to determine and establish new learning opportunities 

and curriculum. Each faculty and staff member is required to 

take one class designed to address issues in student learning 

and achievement, one position-specific class that is skills- or 

financially based, and one class on how to use new technology 

to teach/perform job/participate in online meetings/design 

new technology, etc. All faculty members must participate in a 

full-day each semester that focuses on cutting-edge design and 

delivery of online learning. In addition, all faculty participate in 

a comprehensive development program to improve mentoring, 

student success, and college completion. Feedback from each 

of these learning opportunities enables the LDC team to make 

continuous improvements and innovate offerings. 

After the 2020 pandemic experience, in late summer 2020 and 

prior to commencing classes, CCNW instituted a one-day online 

review and evaluation of what it had accomplished and where 

the blind spots were, approaches to enriching online curriculum, 

and next steps. Going forward, the college anticipates that 

each semester faculty and staff will participate in an all-school 

convocation that will include a formal presentation focused 

on developing new ways to teach, learn, and work online 

effectively. 

In 2016, a multidisciplinary team of selected faculty, staff, 

and HR directors began a biennial campus-wide learning and 

Figure 5.2-1: Key Drivers of Engagement

Engagement Factor Characterized by 

Open 

Communication 

(supervisor 

relationships)

Deployment of MVV

Communication and System Engagement

SL Visibility

SL Interaction with the Workforce

Faculty Interaction with the Workforce

High-Performance 

Work (feeling valued 

as a team member)

TNW Leadership Model Deployed to all Units

Unit Planning Processes

Measurement System

Innovation Teams

Continuous learning 

Focus on Continuous 

Improvement and 

Innovation (training 

and resource 

availability and 

relevance)

Learning and Development Coursework 

Availability 

360-Degree Performance Reviews for 

Faculty and Staff

Tuition Support

Engaged and 

Empowered 

Workforce (being 

satisfied with the 

sense of contribution 

to the mission)

Decision Making at the Point of Impact through 

Collaborative Work Environments

Team-based Approach

Participation in Planning and Budgeting

Leadership Training

Interdisciplinary Councils

Career Progression

Cross-training

Diverse Ideas, 

Cultures, Thinking 

(being satisfied with 

the sense of the 

mission and with the 

future of CCNW)

Focus on Diversity, Recruiting and Hiring 

Approach

Team Selection Approach

Diversity Workshops and Celebrations

Action Plans for Underrepresented Minority 

Groups

Open Campus that Meets Accessibility 

Requirements of All

Inclusion and Equity Programming content that reflects the backgrounds 

and experiences of the CCNW campus community 

and the broader community

Training for leadership, supervisors and workforce 

on issues related to inclusion and equity

Regular assessment of internal and market pay 

scales
29

development needs assessment to understand what areas of 

development and training were needed to sustain the focus on 

the future of the college. As a result of this needs assessment, 

in 2018, the LDC team developed a cluster of professional 

development seminars and classes open to all levels of faculty 

and staff; the seminar and classes included leadership and 

administrative skills development, advanced technology skills 

training, and effective interpersonal communication skills. As 

of fall 2020, over 600 participants had begun these tracks, with 

more than 350 having completed a full track. 

Participants and trainers evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of individual classes in the learning and development 

curriculum using the Kirkpatrick four-level training evaluation 

model: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. This approach 

enables CCNW to assess outcomes at the individual, professional, team, and organization levels and to benchmark 

against “best-performing organizations” and CEE community 

college peer groups. In addition, CCNW seeks feedback from 

participants on the effectiveness of the teacher, the coursework, 

and the applicability of what has been learned and applied to the 

individual participant’s job after six months. 

5.2c(4). CCNW supports career progression for faculty and 

staff through priority recruiting and hiring into open positions, 

cross-training within departments and career paths for support 

staff, tuition reimbursement, waivers and support, stretch 

assignments for promising staff, and outplacement support for 

staff affected by reductions or changes in current positions. All 

classes in the Learning and Development System are offered at 

no cost to any staff member with supervisor support.

Through the annual PMS, employees demonstrate progress 

toward goals and can demonstrate readiness for advancement. 

Faculty have established steps needed for advancement that 

are tracked through the PMS. SLs encourage advancement in 

support of succession through stretch goals, assignments, and 

educational advancement. Backed by HR policy, the RHO team 

seeks qualified internal applicants first to fill vacancies. Over 

the last five years, CCNW has filled 43% of open staff positions 

through internal advancement and 22% of professional/managerial positions through transfer. 

5.2c(5). CCNW ensures that diversity, equity, and inclusion 

are promoted through its PMS and performance and career 

development processes through affinity mentorship programs 

in which senior leaders, who represent diverse and intersectional groups, are available to mentor newer members of the 

workforce. Through experience forums, which use “Heard, 

Seen, Respected” dialogues, people of diverse backgrounds 

come together to share and hear the lived experiences of others. 

Additionally, the communication system is used to spotlight 

diverse individuals and groups on campus, as well as the impact 

they have on the campus and surrounding communities.

Category 6—Operations

6.1 Work Processes

6.1a. Program, Service, and Process Design

6.1a(1). Requirements are primarily gathered from VOC data 

(employers, students, surveys, regulators, accreditation bodies, 

etc.) and through faculty and partners. Requirements are first 

sorted by the responsible operational units and academic 

departments. Actionable requirements are determined by 

analyzing requirements, determining numbers, and ranking 

importance using Pareto analysis, a Likert grading scale (1 to 5), 

and a criteria-based threshold based on cost, resources, and 

other factors. Regulatory and accreditation requirements bypass 

the selection process and are passed to implementation. 

6.1a(2). Key work processes, along with their requirements, 

measures, and results linkages, are shown in Figure 6.1-1. 

Key work processes support key work systems and are education-based. Key work processes follow the student life cycle 

from matriculation, instruction, to graduation and 

placement. 

6.1a(3). Work processes and products are designed based on 

the TNW (Figure P.2-3). After adoption of the Baldrige Criteria, 

a number of work processes and products were piloted across 

CCNW. All designs now incorporate a PDCA loop, which has 

resulted in cycles of improvement and learning. 

For the design of work processes, applicable process requirements defined in 6.1a(1) are selected for implementation. 

Initially, existing work processes are reviewed to see if the 

requirement can be met by an existing process; if not, whether 

a modification can be made. If a new work process is required, 

it is designed. Work process design is based upon the NIST 

IDEF0 methodology (Figure 6.1-2). A commercial software tool 

is used to implement the methodology. A process team is formed 

from the responsible operational unit or academic department, 

although in some cases the team may be cross-cutting; a process 

team leader is appointed.

The selection of applicable product or process requirements 

is defined in 6.1a(1). The work process design using IDEF0 

is tiered using decomposition to define the process steps. The 

individual steps will vary based on the desired work process. 

A step common to all designs is the identification of in-process 

measures and O-KPIs for measurements; these are input into the 

Tracking Star PMS along with requirements defined for ongoing 

monitoring (continuous, monthly, quarterly, etc.). Agility is 

achieved by having scalable processes and the use of PDCA 

feedback for improvements. This was shown in the spring 2020 

semester with the scale up of online learning throughout CCNW. 

The design of educational programs and services is based on 

the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body 

of Knowledge. A team and team leader are selected from the 

responsible organizational unit or academic department. The 

scope of the educational program or service is defined based on 

selected requirements from 6.1a(1). A work breakdown structure 

(WBS) is defined for required activities and deliverables (can 
30

be the educational program, teaching material, catalog entry, 

textbook ordering, etc.). A schedule is laid out for the WBS 

activities and deliverables. A budget is developed to achieve the 

output. HR are planned and allocated (faculty and staff). Quality 

and acceptance standards are set. Communications are defined 

(measurement and reporting, catalog, online content, textbooks, 

etc.). Risks are identified, analyzed, and mitigated. If required, 

procurement is conducted with vendor or partner selection, and 

the contract vehicle is chosen, awarded, and monitored. The 

design is monitored and controlled through the use of KPIs 

input into the Tracking Star PMS. Analysis and improvement 

steps are done as part of the PDCA loop.

6.1b. Process Management and Improvement

6.1b(1). As part of CCNW work process and product design, 

O-KPI measures are linked to requirements and entered into 

Figure 6.1-1: Key Work Processes

Work Process

Work (or Support) 

System Supported Requirement

Measure

(O-KPIs) Figures

Key Work Processes

Registration Student Instruction Student Input Number of Students, Credit & 

Continuing Education Hours

7.1-1, 7.1-4, 7.1-5, 7.1-16a

Advising Student Instruction Education Plans Required Education Plans 7.1-12, 7.2-3, 7.2-11, 7.2-3, 7.2-12

Curriculum 

Design and 

Instruction

Curriculum Development, 

Community Engagement 

(High School)

Conduct Courses Courses Conducted (and High 

School), Satisfaction

7.1-1 to 7.1-9; 7.2-1, 7.2-2, 7.2-7, 7.2-7

Placement Community Engagement Employment Opportunities Job Offers, Student and 

Employer Satisfaction

7.1-12, 7.1-15; 7.2-16

Faculty 

Development 

Faculty Development Continuing Education and 

Development

Continuing Education, HR 7.3-13, 7.3-15

Support Processes

Finance Multiple Budget Formulation and 

Execution; Recover Tuition, 

Fees, Donations, Payments

Performance vs Budget; 

Funds Collected and 

Disbursed

7.5-1 to 7.5-10

Procurement Multiple Available Resources/Cost Cost and Cycle Time 7.1-20 to 7.1-23

Security/Safety Multiple Safe Environment Incidents/Audits/Drills 7.1-19, 7.2-6, 7.3-5, 7.3-7

Food Service Student Services Satisfaction/Cost Costs/Satisfaction 7.1-21, 7.2-6, 7.2-25

Bookstore Student Services Availability/Cost Costs/Satisfaction 7.1-21, 7.2-6

HR Employment, Faculty 

Support

Adequate Faculty and Staff Staffing and Satisfaction 7.3-1 to 7.3-3, 7.3-6, 7.3-9, 7.3-10

IT Technology Resources Available Availability 7.1-17, 7.2-13, 7.2-23, 7.2-25

Scheduling Matriculation, Counseling Course and Facility 

Availability

Offerings 7.1-4 , 7.1-5, 7.2-5

 

Figure 6.1-2: IDEF0 Process Design Block the Tracking Star PMS (Figure 4.1-1). Ongoing monitoring 

in the dashboard (4.1b) ensures the meeting of organizational 

requirements. Operational key performance measures are shown 

in Figure 6.1-1 and are linked to requirements. As part of the 

pilots in 6.1a(3), regular reviews were held using a stoplight 

monitoring of processes in the dashboard, where criteria are set 

based on measures such as cost/budget, schedule, and outcomes. 

Thresholds are established to take interventions, if required. 

This methodology is now implemented across CCNW.

6.1b(2). Support processes are determined to be processes 

not directly linked to the education of students but required 

to operate CCNW. Support processes, the work systems they 

support, requirements, and measures with linkages to associated 

results are shown in Figure 6.1-1.

6.1b(3). Previously, most of CCNW’s work processes were 

open ended. As part of the Baldrige journey, TNW was modified 

to incorporate a PDCA loop that includes monitoring and 

improvement steps. As a result of this, CCNW’s processes 

were improved to include the PDCA methodology, and it is 

now implemented across CCNW. This resulted in the use of 

the PMS dashboard for stoplight reviews in processes with 

pre-determined threshold values for the measures. The reviews 

result in analysis and possible revision if results are below 

thresholds, which reduces variability and provides linkages to 

enhance core competencies.
31

6.1c. Supply-Network Management

CCNW is under Central Polk and CAS 

procurement regulations (AOS). The CCNW 

Procurement Process is shown in Figure 6.1-3. 

The process is based on cost and complexity 

ranging from simple purchases of less 

than $5,000; through commodity materials 

and services using the Central Polk online 

procurement system; to blanket contracts 

with pre-approved suppliers; to complex, 

often capital, procurements requiring detailed 

statements of work (SOWs) and requests for 

proposals (RFPs). After training three years 

ago, CCNW shifted a growing number of 

procurements to the Central Polk Electronic 

Procurement (CPEC) system. This has resulted 

in reduced cycle times and cost savings; for 

example, in procurement effort; reduced 

acquired product or service costs; more agility to respond to 

changes; and an increase in small, woman, and minority vendor 

and supplier participation and procurement dollars (Figure 

7.1-20), which is a requirement and measured at the state level. 

Integration of the registration and scheduling systems, along 

with online textbooks, resulted in a win-win situation, with 

savings shared between CCNW and students, and an incentive 

payment to the vendor (Figures 7.1-21 and 7.1-22). With this 

success, incentive payments are being incorporated into vendor 

contracts where applicable.

6.1d. Management of Opportunities for Innovation

Direction for CCNW innovations is described in 2.1a(2). 

CCNW established an Innovation Board with membership 

from SLs, operational units, and academic departments. The 

NWIP (Figure 1.1-3) is a consistent method (using PDCA) to 

advance identified areas of significant need or opportunity, and 

to achieve organizational strategy, innovation, or intelligent 

risk-taking. Figure 6.1-4 shows the flow of NWIP, with a 

requesting party submitting a business case for approval by 

the board that would flow into the “plan” part of Figure 1.1-3. 

Innovations may come from step 5 of the SPP or other sources 

in CCNW, such as performance reviews, Culture Walk, 

COKMP, and include a benefit/cost analysis, schedule, risks, 

and outcome. If approved, the innovation is monitored using a 

stoplight review (green, yellow, red) based on criteria: green, 

no problem; yellow, 10% over budget/schedule or risk of not 

meeting objective (possible modification); red, 20% over 

budget/schedule or not meeting objective (modify or consider 

cancelling). Completed innovations are evaluated for performance and for future lessons learned. Innovations are shown in 

Figure 7.1-18. After deployment of the Innovation Process, the 

percentage of innovations completed increased and the percentage of innovations canceled decreased.

6.2 Operational Effectiveness

6.2a. Process Efficiency and Effectiveness

Processes are designed using the methodology and measurements shown in 6.1. The use of PDCA has led to cycles of 

improvements and learnings in processes and reviews. The use 

of the stoplight reviews with pre-determined criteria places 

an emphasis on adherence to budget/cost and schedules. The 

continuous improvement cycle leads to improvements in cycle 

time and cost control. The integration of the registration and 

scheduling system with food services and the bookstore resulted 

in cost savings (Figure 7.1-19) and the use of the Central Polk 

electronic procurement system. Blanket contracts reduced the 

cycle time and processing costs of procurements (Figure 7.1-20).

6.2b. Security and Cybersecurity

CCNW comes under the state and Central Polk Community 

College System chief information officers for cybersecurity policies; CCNW sets the procedures. CCNW uses a server-based 

architecture with three virtual machine partitions for security 

purposes:

■ Public facing for the website, social media, and public emails

■ Education for course conduct, registration, advising, and 

records

■ Administrative for HR, financial, procurement, security, 

bookstore, food service, etc. 

CCNW has an enterprise license for the CASTLE security suite 

of products, as well as for consulting services. This provides 

functions such as firewalls, virus scans, access permissions, 

and password management. All CCNW computers use the 

product; students use their own computers; suppliers, partners, 

Figure 6.1-3: Procurement Process

Figure 6.1-4: Innovation Process
32

faculty, and staff use remote access; however, all must use the 

client-side software to access CCNW systems. The CASTLE 

security suite is updated as required, with passwords changed 

every 90 days. 

To protect systems from threats, students in the IT cybersecurity concentration, along with the faculty, were split into red 

(attackers) and blue (defenders) teams for an exercise as their 

graduation project. In addition, the Baldrige Cybersecurity 

Excellence Builder and NIST Cybersecurity Framework are 

used for guidance, as well as ongoing monitoring of the United 

States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) website. The attacks were detected; however, the procedures were 

lacking in the response and recovery areas and the procedures 

were updated. 

During the spring 2020 semester, the move to online classes 

outran the capacity of the college’s servers. A pre-approved state 

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) vendor, Polk Web Services, 

with verified security measures, was placed under contract to 

meet the demand. This resulted in a slight initial degradation in 

availability but was quickly restored to prior levels. 

Cybersecurity results are shown in Figure 7.1-16; a general 

increase in cybersecurity activity, both in attacks and vendor 

software protection updates, can be seen over the past few 

years.

6.2c. Safety, Business Continuity, and Resilience

6.2c(1). Safety at CCNW is based on a culture of prevention. 

The college borrowed some common phrases to promote its 

safety program such as “Prevent Defense” and “If you see 

something, say something.” The college established a safety 

drop box accessible by phone, text, and email to report safety 

issues (Figure 7.1-17). Learning from emergency preparedness 

drills was adapted into the Emergency and Safety Process 

(Figure 6.2-1), with an emphasis on preparation.

Safety training is required for all faculty and staff, with 

follow-on topics and added safety measures required for 

certain occupations such as drivers, cafeteria workers, physical 

plant staff, etc. General safety measures are part of classes for 

students, with more extensive training in classes such as labs, 

electrical, machinery, culinary, health sciences, etc. Safety 

audits and inspections are conducted with an external firm and 

with internal staff from respective operating units and academic 

departments on a regular schedule, as well as unannounced. 

As part of safety preparation, planned future and temporary 

safety issues to resolve are part of ongoing discussions. Some 

discussions were rescheduled when the pandemic shut down the 

campus in 2020. 

For other customers and stakeholders who come to campus, 

CCNW posts safety-related messages at all entrances and at key 

locations within our facilities. For pre-arranged visits to campus, 

the CCNW contact for the visit or meeting provides the visitor, 

by email, any pertinent safety information for their visit.

6.2c(2). The CCNW emergency process is based on the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) four phases of emergency management processes, with the addition of after-action 

analyze and improve steps (Figure 6.2-1). The Emergency Plan 

(AOS) is based on the FEMA Emergency Plan framework, and 

required training is conducted online with all faculty and staff 

and specialized training for targeted groups. Drills and audits 

are conducted based on a schedule, as well as unannounced; as 

an innovation, drills and audits were moved to targeted areas 

(Figure 7.1-19). Students are exposed to emergency planning 

the first day of class.

The Central Polk Community College System has a backup, 

secure, server facility that is utilized by CCNW for backup 

software and storage. Storage is backed up daily, and cutover 

tests are performed monthly. The backup server is also connected into the redundant Central Polk Electronic Procurement 

(CPEC) system for communication with suppliers. It was found 

that the extensive backup systems of the ISPs provide sufficient 

communication capabilities with faculty, staff, and students.

An after-action review and analysis of a state-county-cityschool exercise found that campus security could not communicate with all first-responder groups. Radios were modified to 

permit interoperability. Based on the FEMA-driven Emergency 

Plan, targeted drills are now held in areas such as fire, medical, 

shooter/hostage, weather, and chemical spill.

During the spring 2020 semester, the move to online classes 

outran the capacity of the school’s servers. A pre-approved 

vendor, Polk Web Services, with verified security measures, was 

placed under contract to meet the demand.

Figure 6.2-1: Emergency and Safety Process

 

Category 7—Results

7.1 Student Learning and Process Results

In category 7 figures, comparisons are made to a Baldrige 

Award recipient and the top decile for schools of comparable 

size as part of the National Community College Benchmarking 

Project (NCCBP), if available, as well as appropriate peer 

institutions. 

Where FY21 data are shown, the result is a combination of 

actual results and projected data. Updated data are AOS.

7.1a. Student Learning and Customer-Focused 

Service Results

Student learning results were impacted during the move to 

virtual operations in the spring 2020 semester, and the impact is 
33

still being felt. The greatest impacts were in courses that could 

not be easily transitioned online; these included labs. Online 

delivery also impacted overall course delivery and graduations. 

Initial 2021 registrations and attendance figures show an 

increase (Figure 7.1-1); updated results are AOS. Segmentation 

by academic departments and majors is also AOS. Degrees 

awarded are shown in Figure 7.1-2.

Critical degrees are identified in CCNW as being in health 

care and STEM fields. These majors were impacted by the 

pandemic to a greater extent than the college overall due to the 

dependence on laboratory courses and projects such as nursing, 

engineering technology, pre-engineering, and science (physics, 

chemistry, etc.). There is an increase in the actual and projected 

degrees award for 2021 as students were able to complete 

required courses (Figure 7.1-2a).

CCNW has seen an increase in degrees awarded through 

online courses (Figure 7.1-2a). There are many non-traditional 

students, including international and military students, in online 

programs. This cohort felt the least educational impact from 

the pandemic and shows an increase with students completing 

degree requirements online.

Graduation rates are shown in Figures 7.1-3 and 7.1-3b.

Credit hours delivered (Figure 7.1-4) fell during the pandemic, 

with courses requiring in-person contact suffering the most; 

these included labs and projects. Initial data from re-opening the 

campus show that registrations and attendance are increasing. 

Updated results are AOS. Continuing education hours are 

shown in Figure 7.1-5.

Due to the pandemic, the lack of available classes in 2020 negatively impacted students transferring to four-year institutions 

(Figure 7.1-6). This result is expected to recover with required 

course completions.

Figure 7.1-1: Enrollment 

 

Figure 7.1-3: Graduation Rate 

 

 

Figure 7.1-3b: Graduation Rate at Transfer Institutions 

 

 

Figure 7.1-2: Degrees Awarded 

Figure 7.1-4: Credit Hours Delivered 

Figure 7.1-2a: Critical (Health Care and STEM) and Online 

Degrees Awarded 

Figure 7.1-5: Continuing Education Hours 
34

Online delivery of courses was previously initiated and accelerated during the spring 2020 semester (Figure 7.1-7). This trend 

is continuing into the current year.

CCNW engages with the community through adult education. 

Most adult students (Figure 7.1-7b) carry less than a full-time 

credit load, and they attend evening or online classes. 

With the acceptance of online education during the pandemic, 

there was an increase in the number of credit hours taken by 

advanced high school students; the increase was both in the 

number of students and the number of credit hours taken (Figure 

7.1-8); this trend is continuing. Advanced high school credit 

hours is a community outreach program in CCNW.

CCNW provides contact for K–12 students and their families 

through methods such as career days, science fairs, and recruiting; during the pandemic, contacts were limited to online high 

school recruitment and orientation, and limited teaching support 

(Figure 7.1-8a).

The persistence rate is defined as the percentage of students 

enrolling in consecutive terms. CCNW considers the fall-to-fall 

student persistence rate part of strategic objective #2, Student 

Success (Figure 7.1-9).

Figure 7.1-6: Students Transferring to Four-Year Institutions 

Figure 7.1-7b: Percentage of Adult Students

Successful completion of a student’s first college course is 

seen as a predictor of future success (Figure 7.1-9a). The 2020 

percentage result for CCNW was impacted by the cancellation 

of many classes and a shift to an online format.

Student aid requests and amounts increased over the years 

(Figure 7.1-10). Although CCNW saw a decline in enrollment 

during the pandemic, there was an increase in student aid 

requests and amounts.

The student loan default rate is better than the DoE average 

(Figure 7.1-11); however, almost half the student loans in the 

country are in some form of deferral or forbearance. 2020 

data are not shown here since there were multiple student loan 

deferrals put in place due to the pandemic.

Placement assistance has been traditionally reserved for 

post-high school students, as well as job and career changers 

(Figure 7.1-12). Reflecting the general economy, placement 

requests from displaced workers increased in the spring of 2020 

due to decreased demand from employers.

Figure 7.1-8: Advanced High School Credit Hours 

 

Figure 7.1-9: Persistence Rate 

 

 

Figure 7.1-7: Online Hours (Thousands) 

Figure 7.1-8a: K–12 Contact HR 
35

Students in degree or certificate programs are required to have a 

lesson plan as a result of advising (Figure 7.1-13).

A number of programs present the opportunity to gain external 

certifications (Figure 7.1-14). The main areas are in health care 

(e.g., MRI, current procedural terminology [CPT], certified 

EKG technician [CET], certified medical assistant [CMA]), IT 

(e.g., COMP-TIA, Microsoft, CISCO), and trade (e.g., Automotive Service Excellence [ASE], welding)-related programs. The 

number of certifications are greater than the number of students 

obtaining them since many are receiving multiple certifications.

7.1b. Work Process Effectiveness Results

7.1b(1). Many students take part in an internship opportunity at 

CCNW. A measure of success is the percentage of students who 

receive full-time job offers from their placements (Figure 7.1-15).

CCNW stresses the relationship with local organizations as 

employers.

Online education has resulted in savings due to reduced 

physical facility costs (utilities, janitorial service, security, etc.; 

Figure 7.1-16). Further savings are expected with the deferral 

of physical plant expansion in the future. CCNW supports both 

paper and online admissions and registrations. 

There has been a move to online for both admissions and 

registrations resulting in reduced times for completion (Figures 7.1-16a). Paper registration is planned to be phased out in 

2022. CCNW is compiling the cost savings with the move to 

online education, and the data should be AOS.

The increase in cybersecurity activity (attempted attacks) 

reflects a general trend and is reflected in CCNW and vendor 

efforts (Figure 7.1-17). There was a decrease in IT availability 

during the spring of 2020 with the addition of online classes 

Figure 7.1-10: Student Aid 

Figure 7.1-12: Placement Assistance

Students 

Requesting 

Placement 

Assistance

Students 

Placed 

Within 

6 Months

Percentage 

Students 

Placed

DASHER 

Top 

Decile

DASHER 

Peer 

Average

2017 1,150 880 77% 77% 70%

2018 1,320 1,050 80% 81% 73%

2019 1,550 1,290 83% 84% 75%

2020 2,360 640 27% 35% 31%

Figure 7.1-14: External Certifications Awarded 

Figure 7.1-11: Student Loan Default Rate 

Figure 7.1-13: Percentage Students with Education Plan 

Figure 7.1-15: Percentage Interns Receiving Full-Time Offers 

from Employer

Figure 7.1-9a: Percentage Students Completing First Course

 
36

7.1c. Supply-Network Management Results

An increase in small, woman, and minority (SWM) vendor and 

supplier participation and procurement dollars, a requirement 

and measure at the state level, was the result of a shift to the 

CPEC system (Figure 7.1-20). The increase supports the key 

workforce engagement factor of supporting diverse ideas, 

cultures, and thinking.

The integration of the registration and scheduling systems 

with food services and the bookstore resulted in savings due to 

just-in-time ordering and less inventory and wastage (Figure 

7.1-21). Also, textbooks are shifting to online ebooks; textbook 

savings were shared between CCNW, students, and a $25,000 

contract-incentive payment to the vendor (Figure 7.1-22). 

The use of the CPEC system and blanket contracts resulted 

in procurement cycle time and processing cost savings 

(Figure 7.1-23). 2020 savings may be lower than expected due 

to the small number of time and labor-intensive capital projects.

Figure 7.1-17: Cybersecurity, IT 

2017 2018 2019 2020

Training Modules 4,208 5,680 6,233 7,125

Security Software Updates 45 96 157 246

Issues Detected 62 115 239 462

Audits/Exercises 4 8 18 28

Availability 99.1% 99.4% 99.8% 97.2%

Figure 7.1-18: Innovations 

Innovations 

Submitted

Innovations 

Completed

% 

Completed

DASHER 

Peer Avg % 

Completed

DASHER 

Top 

Decile

2017 5 2 40% 56% 70%

2018 12 6 50% 62% 75%

2019 22 18 82% 67% 80%

2020 13 10 77% 69% 75%

Figure 7.1-19: Safety and Emergency 

2017 2018 2019 2020

Safety Drop Box Inputs 18 34 53 36

Safety Audit Issues 4 9 12 6

Audit Issues Resolved 4 9 12 6

OSHA Incidents 0 0 0 0

Workers Comp Claims 2 1 0 0

Emergency Drills Held 4 6 14 18

Table-top Exercises Held 3 3 4 4

Figure 7.1-20: Small/Woman/Minority-Owned Procurements 

Figure 7.1-21: Support Savings 

Figure 7.1-16: Savings Due to Online Education, and Percentage 

of Online Applications and Registrations 

Figure 7.1-16a: Admission and Registration Times 

and external capacity. The transition has since recovered to 

pre-pandemic levels.

Both the number of innovations submitted and innovations 

completions increased from 2017 to 2019 after the adoption of 

the Innovation Board and a defined process (Figure 7.1-18).

7.1b(2). The number of safety and emergency drills increased 

in 2019 after the adoption of the FEMA-based Emergency Plan 

and process (Figure 7.1-19). Drills shifted to targeted areas 

rather than only campus-wide.
37

7.2 Customer Results

7.2a. Student- and Other Customer-Focused Results

7.2a(1). As indicated in 3.2a, CCNW uses RBM and CCSSE to 

determine student engagement and satisfaction in an alternating 

biennial schedule; RBM in even years and CCSSE in odd years. 

Figures 7.2-1 and 7.2-2 show RBM results for the 2014, 2016, 

2018, and 2020 survey years. Overall satisfaction exceeds 

competitor schools in the market and compares favorably with 

a community college Baldrige Award recipient (Figure 7.2-1). 

Figure 7.1-23: Procurement Request Cycle Time (Days) and Cost ($)

Figure 7.2-1: RBM Overall Satisfaction 

 

Figure 7.2-2: RBM College Met Expectations 

Figure 7.2-4: Satisfaction with Student Focus 

Figure 7.2-3: Satisfaction with Academic Services 

Figure 7.2-5: Student Satisfaction with CCNW Programs 

Student Satisfaction with: 2015 2017 2019 Benchmark for 2019

Degree programs 3.59 4 .50 4 .55 4 .33

Certificate programs 4 .02 4 .73 4 .73 4 .57

Workforce development programs 4 .33 4.39 4.90 NA

Continuing education programs 4 .57 4 .73 4 .75 NA

All Programs 4 .12 4 .60 4 .74 NA

Source: CCSSE top decile

Figure 7.1-22: Online Textbook Savings

Figure 7.2-6: Satisfaction with Campus Environment

College met expectations results for key elements of academic 

services and satisfaction have improved in all areas (Figures 

7.2-3 through 7.2-6). Performance projections for satisfaction 

with student focus reflect continued PI work with business 

partners and high schools (3.2b[2]) to improve and expand 

remote-learning capabilities (Figure 7.2-4).

Figures 7.2-7 through 7.2-10 show Nome Zevil results, 

and Figures 7.2-11 through 7.2-13 show CCSSE results for 

survey years. 
38

Satisfaction with the educational experience has improved year 

over year and is outperforming the national norm (Figures 7.2-7 

and 7.2-11). Satisfaction with student services, as measured by 

top-box scores, indicates improvement in key areas of performance (Figures 7.2-8 and 7.2-13).

Figure 7.2-8: Top-Box Satisfaction in Key Academic Services Areas

Figure 7.2-10: Nome Zevil Met Expectations 

Figure 7.2-11: CCSSE Educational Experience 

Figure 7.2-12: CCSSE Overall Satisfaction 

Figure 7.2-9: Overall Satisfaction 

Figure 7.2-13: CCSSE Top-Box Satisfaction in Key Services 

Satisfaction with CCNW student services demonstrates 

excellent levels of customer satisfaction in key student segments 

(Figure 7.2-14). CCNW student groups are very satisfied with 

the support provided; all scores in 2020 are above 4.2 on a 

5-point scale. 

Financial aid satisfaction (Figures 7.2-15) and community satisfaction measured by RBM (Figure 7.2-16) demonstrate positive 

scores. Community perception (Figure 7.2-17) and community 

Figure 7.2-7: Nome Zevil Educational Experience 

Figure 7.2-14: Customer Satisfaction with CCNW Student Services
39

Figure 7.2-16: Community Satisfaction with CCNW (RBM Survey)

Figure 7.2-15: Financial Aid Student Satisfaction 

grading (Figure 7.2-18) indicate favorable rankings/results. In 

Figure 7.2-18, respondents ranked CCNW as either the top or 

second choice (A or B) in selection of college to attend, a key 

competitive factor.

Student dissatisfaction is determined by assessment of low 

scores. Figure 7.2-19 shows that results have improved and 

outperform the national Nome Zevil benchmarks.

Figure 7.2-18: Community Grading 

Figure 7.2-19: Dissatisfaction 

7.2a(2). CCNW determines the level of student engagement 

by RBM and CCSSE student engagement questions, and the 

college compares results against benchmarks in six areas: 

active and collective learning, student effort (AOS), academic 

challenge, student/faculty interaction (AOS), intellectual 

growth, and support for learners (Figure 7.2-20). In 2019, 

measures for leadership development were added as part of the 

STAR program (Figure 7.2-21). The CCNW goal is to exceed 

the external survey’s top decile. Figures 7.2-21 and 7.2-22 show 

that CCNW has improved in most areas and exceeds national 

norms in the STAR program.

Student-faculty interaction results dipped in 2020 during the 

remote-learning transition. NWPMP and Innovation Teams 

oversee the ongoing PDCA process to review and revise 

distance-learning practices. STAR Leadership Development 

(Figure 7.2-21) is tracked to determine engagement and student 

performance to goals at different stages (Figure 7.2-23), 

Figure 7.2-17: Community Perception 

Figure 7.2-20: Level of Student Engagement 

Figure 7.2-21: STAR Leadership Development 

 
40

7.3 Workforce Results

7.3a. Workforce-Focused Results

7.3a(1). Using a five-point scale for questions related to 

processes, information sharing, and satisfaction with opportunities for job-related training, the Great Higher Ed Employers 

survey of employees at all staff levels (Figure 7.3-1) informs 

assessment of CCNW’s capability needs of staff to achieve the 

MVV, meet the academic needs of students, and understand 

employee attitudes.

Attrition rates vary by staffing level and indicate positive retention levels relative to national norms against CollUnivPA-HR 

comparisons (Figure 7.3-2).

Vacancy rates indicate the percentage of open positions and 

reflect positive levels of retention within a healthy recruitment 

environment (Figure 7.3-3).

CCNW seeks to maintain a faculty-student ratio (Figure 

7.3-4) below the national average. The national comparison 

is to Univstats, which is a compilation from IPEDS, the DoE,

academic year 2019–2020 data, and self-research data.

7.3a(2). Great Higher Ed Employers data demonstrate that perceived safety for CCNW is above the top decile (Figure 7.3-5).

Figure 7.2-22: STAR Customer Engagement 

Figure 7.3-1: Faculty/Staff/Administrative Workforce Capability 

2016 2018 2020

Faculty 3 .74 3.82 3.91

Staff 3.48 3 .51 3 .55

Administration 4 .1 4 .3 4 .3

National Top Decile 3 .6 3.8 3.9

Figure 7.3-2: Workforce Attrition 

2017 2018 2019 2020

2020 

CollUnivPA-HR 

Top Decile

Faculty 5.90% 6.00% 5.80% 5.70% 7%

Staff 14.20% 14.10% 13.90% 14% 11%

Administration 13.20% 13.50% 13.40% 13.10% 20%

Figure 7.2-24: Stakeholder Engagement (Thousands) 

Figure 7.3-3: Vacancy Rates 

illustrating CCNW students-first value and commitment to 

serving all student segments. Other indications of engagement 

are “would recommend” and “would enroll again”—both 

included in Nome Zevil and CCSSE surveys. In both cases, 

CCNW exceeds the national norms. Stakeholder engagement is 

demonstrated in growth of total contributions, primarily from 

scholarship programs, from 2017 to 2020 (Figure 7.2-24), and 

improving response times for all student and customer inquiries 

(Figure 7.2-25). 

Figure 7.2-25: Customer Engagement Response Times 

Figure 7.2-23: Percent Students Achieving Goals 

Figure 7.3-4: Faculty-Student Ratio 

2017 2018 2019 2020 National Average

14:1 14:1 14:1 13:1 15:1
41

Figure 7.3-7: Workers’ Compensation Injuries 

Figure 7.3-8: Culture Walks 

% of Employees 

passing 

culture walk test

Culture 

walk issues 

logged

Avg time to resolution 

on culture walk issues

2017 100% 25 7 days

2018 99% 30 4 days

2019 100% 21 5 days

2020 100% 25 5 days

Figure 7.3-5: Perceived Safety 

CCNW evaluates workforce beliefs in its overall climate 

through a five-point survey in the Canter Q12 (Figure 7.3-6).

Through its low number of injuries (Figure 7.3-7), CCNW 

maintains a safe environment through the work of the faculty 

and staff and the focus of its safety committee.

Data on CCNW’s Culture Walk program are provided in Figure 

7.3-8. The program models ethical and legal behavior in the 

education sector and requires an annual review and post-test to 

demonstrate competency in the program.

7.3a(3). Figure 7.3-9 provides data on workforce engagement 

from the Canter Survey using a five-point scale. Figure 7.3-10 

provide data on key workforce engagement factors from the 

CEE survey also using a five-point survey.

Figure 7.3-6: Overall Workplace Climate 

The CEE 

survey designed 

specifically for 

community 

colleges enables 

CCNW to evaluate 

its institutional 

structure through a 

workforce survey 

that addresses 

teamwork and 

student focus 

(Figure 7.3-11).

The Great Higher 

Ed Employers 

survey enables 

institutions to 

benchmark 

themselves against 

top-performing 

colleges and 

receive recognition 

for achieving top 

levels of performance by category. 

CCNW has 

participated in the online survey since 2016 and has received 

recognition since 2019 as a great place to work. Categories 

include collaborative governance, professional/career development programs, teaching environment (faculty only), facilities, 

workspace and security, job satisfaction, work life balance, 

confidence in senior leadership, supervisor/department chair 

relationship, respect and appreciation, tenure clarity and process 

(faculty only), and diversity. In 2019, CCNW employees rated 

the college higher than the two-year college top decile on 

dimensions of compensation, respect/appreciation, work life 

balance, and teaching environment. 2020 results are provided in 

Figure 7.3-12.
42

7.3a(4). Investment in education for all employees supports 

both in-person and online learning, and provides opportunities 

to support off-campus learning. Figure 7.3-13 shows the annual 

Institutional support for employee education per FTE, and/ or 

tuition support for off-campus opportunities. 

Figure 7.3-14 shows satisfaction ratings on a 10-point scale 

for the Bright Star program, which provides additional formal 

and informal training to internal candidates viewed to be strong 

potentials for future SL roles. 

Leadership development at all levels of the workforce is part of 

effective career management and succession planning. Figure 

7.3-15 results also are used in assessing the effectiveness of 

training approaches.

Figure 7.3-10: Workforce Engagement Factors

Figure 7.3-11: Workforce Satisfaction 

Figure 7.3-12: Great Higher Education Employers Survey (2020)

Figure 7.3-13: Workforce Learning and Development Investment

 

Figure 7.3-9: Workforce Engagement Factors 
43

Figure 7.3-14: Satisfaction Ratings of Bright Star Peer-Mentoring 

Program 

Figure 7.3-15: Leadership Development Effectiveness 

Figure 7.4-1: Satisfaction with Communication from Senior Leaders 

FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Data Source

Administrators 3.9 4 .0 4 .5 4 .7 Canter

Faculty 3.9 3.9 4 .1 4 .3 Canter

Staff 4 .2 4 .2 4 .3 4 .2 Canter

Partners 4 .1 4 .3 4 .5 4 .5 Stakeholder 

Survey

Business/Industry 3.9 4 .1 4 .2 4 .3 Stakeholder 

Survey

CCNW Overall 4.0 4.1 4.3 4.4 Canter; 

Stakeholder 

Survey

Canter Survey of Employee 

Engagement, Top Decile

4 .7 4 .4 4 .2 4 .2 Canter

Figure 7.4-1a: Satisfaction with Senior Leaders Cultivating Innovation 

and Intelligent Risk Taking 

FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Data Source

Administrators 3 .7 4 .0 3.9 4 .5 Canter

Faculty 3 .7 3.9 4 .0 4 .1 Canter

Staff 4 .1 4 .0 4 .3 4 .2 Canter

Partners 4 .0 4 .2 4 .4 4 .4 Stakeholder Survey

Business/Industry 3.8 4 .0 4 .1 4 .2 Stakeholder Survey

CCNW Overall 3.9 4.0 4.1 4.2 Canter; Stakeholder 

Survey

7.4 Leadership and Governance Results

7.4a. Leadership, Governance, and Societal 

Contribution Results

7.4a(1). Figure 7.4-1 shows increasing satisfaction scores on a 

five-point scale for CCNW, particularly for administrators and 

faculty, demonstrating SLs’ communication effectiveness in the 

last three years relative to the national benchmark.

Figure 7.4-2 shows increasing CEE scores for CCNW over 

the last three years, particularly for administrators and staff, 

demonstrating SLs’ effectiveness in deploying and reinforcing 

its five institutional values relative to the national CEE norm.

For the last five years, internal survey results show an increase 

in the number of innovation plans that have been funded and the 

proportion successfully implemented, the overall organizational 

performance improvement rate change, and favorable workforce 

Figure 7.4-2: CEE Leadership Reinforcement of Values 

Students First Community-Engaged Collaboration Partnership Excellence

2018 2019 2020 2018 2019 2020 2018 2019 2020 2018 2019 2020 2018 2019 2020

Administrators 3.83 3.88 3.93 3 .64 3.82 3.81 3.58 3.58 3 .60 3.86 3.88 3.93 3.95 3.96 3.96

Faculty 3.69 3.79 3.78 3 .42 3 .50 3.69 3 .33 3 .33 3 .34 3 .73 3.78 3 .74 3 .74 3.81 3 .77

Staff 3 .74 3.84 3.84 3 .56 3 .60 3 .66 3 .55 3 .75 3 .75 3 .75 3.78 3.79 3.98 3.98 3.96

CCNW Overall 3.76 3.84 3.85 3.55 3.64 3.73 3.50 3.56 3.57 3.78 3.81 3.83 3.89 3.92 3.90

CEE, Top Decile 3.82 3.94 3.68 3 .61 3 .66 3 .67 3 .41 3 .43 3.38 3 .72 3 .77 3 .67 3.88 3.83 3.79

Figure 7.4-3: PT Focus on Action 

FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

Favorable Workforce 

Perception of SL’s Focus on 

Action (5-Point Scale)

4 .10 4 .10 4 .33 4 .52 4.84

perception of SL’s focus on action (Figure 7.4-3). See Figure 

1.1-3 for information on innovations submitted and approved.

7.4a(2). Figure 7.4-4 shows CCNW’s on-time and accurate 

compliance with required state and federal reports. Figure 7.4-5 

shows consistent improvement in oversight and compliance of 

federal and state programs, as well as perfect audits over the last 

three years.
44

7.4a(3). Figure 7.4-6 shows that CCNW has consistently met 

all accreditation requirements at the state, region, and specialty 

levels, certifying it as a higher education institution meeting all 

standards of quality during each of the last three accreditation 

process cycles. Likewise, CCNW has successfully met all 

county and federal legal/regulatory requirements since FY14.

Figure 7.4-7 shows favorable levels and trends for compliance 

over the last three years. This reflects an effective performance 

Figure 7.4-4: On-Time and Accurate Compliance with Required State 

and Federal Reports 

FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

State Reports 98% 99% 100% 100% 100%

Federal Reports 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Figure 7.4-6: Accreditation and Legal Compliance 

FY14 FY17 FY20

Specialized Accreditation of 

7 Academic Programs

96% 99% 100%

Central Polk State Coordinating 

Board Accreditation

100% 100% 100%

Institutional Higher Learning 

Commission Accreditation

100% 100% 100%

Board of County Commissioners 

regulations

100% 100% 100%

Federal Agencies Higher Education 

Laws and Requirements

98% 100% 100%

Figure 7.4-5: Internal Financial Audit Finding Results 

FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

Compliance Audits 1 1 1 1 1

Opinion UnmodifiedUnmodifiedUnmodifiedUnmodifiedUnmodified

Findings (Deficiencies) 4 2 0 0 0

Figure 7.4-7: Compliance with Key Measures and Requirements

FY18 FY19 FY20

On-Time and Accurate Data Reporting 100% 100% 100%

Meeting All 18 Secretary of State Board of 

Education Report Measures

100% 100% 100%

Reporting All Revenue and Expense Information 100% 100% 100%

Workers’ Compensation Compliance 98% 100% 100%

Meeting Academic Program Standards by the 

State Improvement Program

99% 100% 99%

No FERPA Violations 99% 100% 100%

Safe Title IX Reporting Plan in Place 100% 100% 100%

Review of Special Needs (IDEA) 97% 100% 100%

No Violations in Equal Access to Education (OCR) 100% 100% 100%

Figure 7.4-8: Substantiated Ethics Hotline Reports 

 

by SLs and the workforce to meet all legal, regulatory, and 

internal requirements for delivering programs and services.

7.4a(4). Figure 7.4-8 shows that the number of substantiated 

reports (number of reported ethics violations investigated using 

supporting evidence) has decreased over the last three years, 

with a count below 30; the national higher education substantiated reports average is used as a benchmark.

Ethics training was first required of all FT employees in FY16, 

and CCNW had a participation rate of 94%. Since FY18, the 

college has consistently reached its goal of 100% participation 

every year (Figure 7.4-9). 

Figure 7.4-10 shows a high level of trust in SLs. On a scale 

of 1 to 5, CCNW’s stakeholders “trust in PT members” has 

improved from 2.89 to 4.53 in the last three years, with the 2020 

score above the national top-decile level.

Figure 7.4-11 shows continued improvement over the last five 

years in how ethics are viewed (scale of 1 to 5) by the workforce when addressing bad behaviors, using established policies, 

considering the MVV when making decisions, ensuring 

integrity in testing and service, and ensuring a diversity of 

employees.

Figure 7.4-9: Employee Participation in Ethics Training 

Ethics Training FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

CCNW Total Employee 

Participation in Ethics 

Training (%)

94% 98% 100% 100% 100%

CCNW Academic Division 

Employee Participation in 

Ethics Training (%)

96% 99% 100% 100% 100%

CCNW Operational Division 

Employee Participation in 

Ethics Training (%)

92% 97% 100% 100% 100%

Top Sister College in the 

System

97% 98% 100% 98% 93%
45

Figure 7.4-10: Stakeholders’ Trust in SLs 

Trust in SLs FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Data Source

Trust in PT Members by All Stakeholders 3.38 2.89 3.18 4 .53 Canter Survey of Employee Engagement, Top Decile

Trust in PT Members by Faculty 2 .76 2 .77 3 .00 4 .32 Canter Survey of Employee Engagement, Top Decile

Trust in PT Members by Staff 4 .00 3 .00 3 .35 4 .73 Canter Survey of Employee Engagement, Top Decile

Trust in PT Members by Students 4 .15 4 .30 4.38 4 .42 CCSSE, Community College Survey of Student Engagement

Canter Survey Top Decile, Employee Engagement 4 .12 3.99 4 .00 4 .20 Canter Survey of Employee Engagement, Top Decile

Figure 7.4-11: Ethical Environment 

FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

FY20 

National 

Benchmark 

(Canter)

Misbehaviors 

Addressed

3 .75 3 .73 3 .75 3 .76 3 .77 3 .64

Policies Guide Work 3 .70 3 .75 3.78 3.81 3.83 3.68

Decisions Reflect MVV 3.78 3.80 3.82 3.85 3.93 3.80

Testing/Service 

Integrity

4 .16 4 .15 4 .15 4 .16 4 .21 4 .00

Workforce Diversity 3.90 3.91 3.92 3.94 3.96 3.82

Ethical Environment, 

Top Decile, Great 

Higher Ed Employers

3.90 3.85 3.95

Figure 7.4-12: Perception of Walk It Right Ethics Program 

Effectiveness 

2017 2018 2019 2020

SLs 3 .50 4 .01 4.58 4.68

Faculty 3 .52 3.58 3 .63 3 .74

Staff 3 .57 3 .62 3 .67 3.84

Students 3.90 3.88 3.98 4 .12

Partners 3.68 3.81 4 .01 4 .22

Community (businesses and 

service-area citizens)

4.68 4 .72 4 .76 4.87

Figure 7.4-14: Employees Giving Back 

7.4a(5). Figure 7.4-13 shows that DC 

enrollment has increased for the last five fall 

semesters, providing over $1.7 million in 

tuition waivers to 2,316 students in fall 2020. 

This societal benefit has trended favorably for 

DC students from rural communities whose 

proportion relative to all DC-enrolled students 

grew from 5% in fall 2016 to 31% in fall 

2020. In fall 2020, CCNW became the leading 

recruiter of DC students when it surpassed the 

best-in-state benchmark of 2,300.

Figure 7.4-14 demonstrates the continued 

commitment of employees to the area community via annual donations to support student 

scholarships and programs. The beneficial 

trend in the proportion 

of employee giving 

(participation) has 

been maintained for 

the last five years, and 

in 2020, it surpassed 

both the best-in-state 

and top-decile-in-thenation benchmarks.

Figure 7.4-13: Dual-Credit Enrollment 

 

Using a five-point scale, Figure 7.4-12 shows continued 

improvement over the last four years on how SLs are seen by 

CCNW’s stakeholders regarding their actions, judgment, and 

transparency as a result of the Walk It Right program.
46

Figure 7.4-15: Reduction in Consumption of Resources 

FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Arrow

Electricity Savings ($) 4,878,438 7,985,981 11,860,257 16,717,717 21,582,900 Up is better

Gas Savings ($) 2,044,955 2,930,573 3,808,166 4,744,551 5,506,663 Up is better

Water Consumption (Millions of Gallons/year) 25 .64 25 .17 23 .37 21 .16 21 .02 Down is better

CO2

 Emissions (Tons/student) 3 .44 3 .31 3 .51 3 .45 3 .10 Down is better

CO2 Emissions Benchmark: Second Nature 

Avg (Tons/student)

6 .13 1.49 9.96 13 .31 3 .15 Down is better

Waste/Trash Production (Pounds) 321,785 318,930 239,036 195,113 147,032 Down is better

to partly return to a positive net revenue. Note: FY20 is the 

2019–2020 AY and FYs (August 2019–July 2020).

Figure 7.5-2a shows CCNW total revenues and expenditures, 

and Figure 7.5-2b shows net margin percentage of revenues to 

expenditures, except FY20, compared to benchmarks. 

Funding for CCNW (Figure 7.5-3) comes from five primary 

sources. (Benchmarks are AOS.) Through B2P, the college has 

obtained benchmarks on peer and other community college percentages. CCNW has long sought a balanced source of funding, 

so if one area, such as if the state, reduced appropriations, it is 

able to increase funding in other areas. 

Despite a financial setback during FY20, CCNW remains in 

a strong fiscal position. Figure 7.5-4 shows net position (net 

assets) at the end of each FY compared to two relevant comparisons and reduction in unrestricted assets in FY18 due to the 

Figure 7.4-15 shows 

an increase in 

dollars saved from 

reduction in energy 

(electricity and gas) 

and water consumption, as well as a 

decrease in water 

consumption, CO2

emissions, and waste 

production over the 

last five years.

7.5 Budgetary, Financial, Market, and 

Strategy Results

CCNW evaluates its O-KPIs by obtaining relevant comparisons 

through B2P, top peer(s) DASHER benchmarks, top-decile 

performance NCCPB benchmarks, top-quartile performance, 

IPEDS benchmarks, and best-in-class benchmarks from other 

community colleges. Segmentation of all financial performance 

results is AOS.

CCNW records all accounting, budgetary, and other financial 

information in the Central Polk State Community College 

Financial System in accordance with the Governmental 

Accounting Standards Board (GASB). The CCNW fiscal year 

(FY) coincides with the academic year (AY) from the beginning 

of August to the end of July (FY20 began in August 2019). 

In the figures below, “FY21Proj” is six months actual and six 

months projection for FY21. The PT reviews all key financial 

O-KPIs monthly (Figure 4.1-2).

7.5a. Budgetary, Financial, and Market Results

7.5a(1). All key financial O-KPIs suffered in FY20 due to the 

pandemic in spring and summer 2020. CCNW went to online 

courses, but some students and partners for non-credit programs 

decided not to continue. 

Critical to CCNW’s financial performance is the net revenue 

from non-credit education programs and services: certificate, 

workforce development, and continuing education programs 

(Figure P.1-1). Figure 7.5-1 shows improved performance 

through FY19 better than two benchmarks. Based on the 

economic recovery occurring in its area, CCNW expects FY21 

Figure 7.5-1: Net Revenue of Certificate, Workforce Development, 

and Continuing Education 

 

Figure 7.5-2a: Revenues and Expenditures 

 

Figure 7.5-2b: Net Margin 

 

 
47

Figure 7.5-4: Net Position 

 

 

 

 

Figure 7.5-3: Sources of Revenues and Funding

Figure 7.5-5: CCNW Foundation Assets and Gifts 

 

 

Figure 7.5-6: Bond Credit Rating

Metric FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21Proj

S&P AA AA+ AA+ AAA AAA AA AA+

Moody’s Aa3 Aa2 Aa1 Aaa Aaa Aaa Aaa

implementation of GASB 75 (post-employment benefits other 

than pensions). Figure 7.5-5 shows the assets and gifts from the 

CCNW Foundation against three benchmarks.

CCNW continues to have strong bond credit ratings (Figure 

7.5-6), as only eleven community colleges across the nation had 

AAA and Aaa ratings in FY18 (none in Central Polk).

Figure 7.5-8: Cost Containment 

Due to losses in state and property taxes during the pandemic, 

the CCNW Foundation elected to provide grants and gifts to 

CCNW and its students to offset these reductions in funding 

(Figures 7.5-5 and 7.5-7), while CCNW was able to make 

significant reductions in expenditures (Figure 7.5-2). The 

CCNW Foundation anticipates more gifts to CCNW to support 

increased scholarships for students and grants and endowments 

to the institution in FY21. 

CCNW’s focus on process improvement and innovation has 

generated reductions in expenditures, better than its best 

DASHER peer institution (Figure 7.5-8). CCNW’s strong 

financial position allows it to devote more resources than most 

community colleges to instruction and academic support (Figure 

7.5-9). CCNW has been highlighted three out of the last five 

years at the annual HLC Conference for its cost containment 

and efforts to increase support to instruction and academic 

support. These reductions allowed CCNW to lower the cost per 

FTE each year (Figure 7.5-10). 

Figure 7.5-7: Scholarships, Endowments, and Grants Raised 
48

Figure 7.5-10: Cost per Enrollment 

Figure 7.5-11: Market Penetration 

 

Figure 7.5-12: Market Share 

Figure 7.5-13: CCNW Clock 

7.5a(2). CCNW maintains information on its market performance in the databases of the COKMP. It defines its market 

as the three-county region (Mason, Walker, and Marcy) in the 

northwestern area of Central Polk (Figure P.1-5). The PT reviews 

market performance S-KPIs and most O-KPIs monthly (Figure 

4.1-2). Segmentation of market performance results is AOS. 

Figure 7.5-11 shows the market penetration for credit, noncredit, and DC students, compared to benchmarks. While the 

region and state are experiencing a declining number of high 

school graduates, CCNW’s approaches have increased enrollments and market share in three counties (Figure 7.5-12). 

Figure 7.5-14: Total Customers 

Figure 7.5-9: Percent Expenditures on Instruction and Academic 

Support 

 

 

CCNW clock (or contact) hours had been improving through 

FY19 (Figure 7.5-13). Total customers likewise increased 

each year prior to the coronavirus pandemic (Figure 7.5-14). 

In addition, positive enrollment growth exceeded benchmarks 

(Figure 7.5-15). 

Due to CCNW’s strong financial position in August 2019, 

CCNW elected to defer the $450 overall tuition increase all 

other Central Polk community colleges were authorized by the 

CPBT to take. That contributed to an increase in enrollment 

during the 2019 fall semester (AOS). Figure 7.5-16 shows a 

comparison of tuition and fees against competitor, peer, and 

best-in-class institutions (Figure P.2-1). 
49

Figure 7.5-17: CCNW Strategic Dashboard

Strategic Objective Strategic Goals AY18 AY19 AY20 AY21 Proj

Student Access Partnerships not started

Enrollment

Tuition & Fees

Student Success Student Support & Engagement

Course Completion

Online Support & Engagement

Academic/Technical Program 

Completion

Student Support Services

Pathways & Transfers

Student Satisfaction

Advising Program

Career Readiness STEM Programs

Preparation of Students

Social Responsibility Renewables & Carbon Footprint

Partnerships not started not started

Figure 7.5-16: Market Tuition and Fees Comparison AY20 

College AY20

CCNW $2,200 

St. Theresa Nursing College $6,965 

Central Polk State University $4,985 

Hertz Community College—Best in Class $2,315 

Reimann County College—Best in Class $2,303 

Fangmeyer Junior College—Best in Class $2,768 

7.5b. Strategy Implementation Results

CCNW’s strategic plan contains strategic objectives, 

strategic goals, action plans or strategic initiatives, and S-KPIs 

(Figure 2.1-2). Figure 7.5-17 shows the accomplishment of 

strategic goals over the last three FYs, with a projection for 

FY21. 

As described in the Organizational Profile (see P.2c), CCNW 

is using Baldrige assessments to provide internal and external 

assessments of its progress in performance excellence. 

Figure 7.5-18 provides the status by quarter of action plans or 

strategic initiatives from the strategic plan. Results for taking 

intelligent risks in innovations are AOS.

Figure 7.5-15: Enrollment Growth 
50

Figure 7.5-18: Strategic Initiatives and Action Plan Status

Strategic Initiatives/Action Plans S-KPIs Figure

4th Qtr 

AY20

1st Qtr 

AY21

2nd Qtr 

AY21

3rd Qtr 

Proj AY21

4th Qtr 

Proj AY21

ECHS Development Program

Number of DC Students Enrolling at CCNW 7.4-13 Independent School District 

Superintendents Support Initiative

Marketing & Communication Plan

Overall Fall Enrollment 

(Credit and Non-Credit students)

7.1-1, 

7.2-1

Strategic Enrollment Management

Mobile/Remote Point-of-Contact 

Orientation and Onboarding Plan

Institutional Advancement Plan

Student Loan Default Rate 7.1-11

Free College Initiative

FTIC Student Conversations CCSSE Overall Score of Student Engagement 7.2-20

Faculty Mentoring Plan Fall-to-Fall Student Persistence Rate 7.1-9

Math and English Labs and Clinics

% Students Completing First College-Level 

Course (Math and English) in Year 1 Developmental Education Student 7.1-9a

Support Plan

Mobile/Remote Education Apps

Number of Students Completing Online Programs 7.1-2a

Online College Orientation Plan

Reverse Transfer Initiative

Number of Degrees and Certificates Awarded 7.1-2

Intrusive Advising Plan

Faculty Mentoring Plan

3- and 4-Year FT FTIC Graduation Rate 7.1-3

Intrusive Advising Plan

Course Mapping/Alignment Plan

Graduation Rate at Transfer Institutions 7.1-3b

Reverse Transfer Initiative

Student Support Services Plan Student Satisfaction Level (Overall, Leadership, 

Quality of Instruction, Educational Experience, 

Non-Credit [Professional vs Personal 

Development])

Student Participation and 7.2-5

Engagement Plan

Intrusive Advising Plan

% Students Satisfied with Advising 7.2-3

Review of Best Advising Practices

STEM and Critical Field Curriculum 

and Program Development Plan Degrees Awarded in Critical Field Occupations 7.1-2a

STEM Youth Enrichment Plan

Area Employers and Universities 

Collaboration Compact

% Students Employed within 6 Months of 

Graduation 7.1-12

Course Mapping/Alignment Plan

Employer Satisfaction with CCNW Graduates 

Hired 7.2-16 Student Internship, Externship, and 

Placement Plan

Partnership with State Renewable 

Energy Agency Reduction in Consumption 

of Resources 7.4-15

LEED Green Building Certification Plan

Area Employers and Universities 

Collaboration Compact

Satisfaction of Businesses, Industries, and 

Rural Communities with CCNW’s Leadership, 

Operations, and Support (Communication, Trust, 

Area Workforce and Economic Development, 

Business Support, Education and Training 

Services in Local Community, Environment/

Resources Conservation)

7.2-16 Education and Training Centers in 

Service Area Rural Communities 

Action Plan