Core Indicators of Institutional Effectiveness

MSU – Great Falls College of Technology (MSUGF) is committed to continuous improvement, the evaluation of institutional effectiveness, and the assessment of student learning. This commitment is reflected through an assortment of activities and processes emanating from the College's mission, vision, values, core themes, and strategic plan.

As we strive to become more performance-based in the allocation of resources and create a mission-centric model to document our effectiveness [1], MSUGF has established a set of measures to guide our processes. These measures, known as core indicators of institutional effectiveness, support our everyday operations and assist us as we seek continuous improvement towards mission fulfillment.

MSUGF’s core indicators of institutional effectiveness [2] stem from the Montana Board of Regent’s system measures of effectiveness, federal accountability law and policy, and the College’s Mission and Core Themes. The core indicators of institutional effectiveness are summarized in the following:

Core Indicator 1: Participation (Credit-Bearing)
Core Indicator 2: Regional Market Penetration Rates
Core Indicator 3: Persistence (Retention)
Core Indicator 4: Graduation Rates
Core Indicator 5: Demonstration of Abilities
Core Indicator 6: Success of Remedial Students in Developmental Coursework
Core Indicator 7: Success of Remedial Students in Subsequent and Related Coursework
Core Indicator 8: Workforce Degree Production
Core Indicator 9: Job Placement and Earnings
Core Indicator 10: Licensure and Certification Pass Rates
Core Indicator 11: Employer Satisfaction with Graduates
Core Indicator 12: Transfer Degree Production
Core Indicator 13: Transfer Rates
Core Indicator 14: Performance after Transfer
Core Indicator 15: Participation (Professional & Continuing Education)
Core Indicator 16: Contract Business Training

[1] A core indicator is "...a regularly produced measure that describes a specified condition or result that is central (or foundational) to the achievement of a college's mission and to meeting the needs and interests of key stakeholders" (Alfred, Shults, and Seybert, 2007, p. 12). Alfred, Shults, and Seybert (2007, p. 23) identified sixteen core indicators of effectiveness for community colleges. If applied comprehensively, these indicators will establish the foundation for a model of institutional effectiveness that will allow us to document our performance. We have adapted those core indicators and they are divided into five components related to our mission: student progress; developmental education; outreach; workforce development; and transfer preparation (Alfred, Shults, & Seybert, 2007, p. 23).

[2] Core Indicators of Institutional Effectiveness are assessed at the institutional level. In addition departments and divisions maintain and assess their effectiveness with unit-level indicators.