Students are to complete the course within one year or request an extension.
Objective
On-Year Completion
Students who enroll in correspondence courses will complete the course within one year.
Indicator
Totals Report
Totals report from 9/1 to 8/31 will provide the information needed.
Criterion
80% Completion
Of the students enrolled at 9/1, 80% will complete the course within one year.
Finding
Enrollment To Completion
From 9/1/2008-8/31/2009, 1,489 students were enrolled in correspondence courses. Of that number, 982 (66%) completed the course within one year. Other findings include: 542 (36%) dropped the course; 86 (6%) transferred; and 132 (9%) requested extensions. (See report attached.)
Action
Increase Course Completions
Since over one-third of enrolled students drop their correspondence courses, it will be necessary to implement safeguards. One proposal is to put these statistics into the bulletin advertizing the program and listing the courses. A section can be added to describe the type of students who typically complete correspondence courses within a year. For instance, individuals who are self-starters and take initiative as well as those who are self-disciplined usually complete the course. Individuals who procrastinate typically have to request extensions or simply drop out and lose their investment.
Goal
Timeliness In Enrollment Procedures
To review and process enrollment applications in a timely fashion
Objective
Increase Accessibility Of Packets
Have enrollment packets, both print-based and electronic, ready for shipment in a timely manner.
Indicator
Utilization Of Activity Report
An activity report within CORR01M, which is utilized to notify the student that his/her application has been processed, will illustrate timeliness because it alerts students automatically of their enrollment status.
Criterion
Improve Process Time
Enrollment applications received by mail are processed within one (1) to two (2) business days.
Finding
Improve Process Time
Ninety-five percent (95%) of the students' applications are received, processed, and mailed within the one- to two-business day time frame. Official transcripts that are not received with the enrollment application, appropriate Dean approval, Hazelwood exemption, and prerequisite requirements account for the remaining five percent (5%) not processed during that time period. Generally, once those issues are addressed, the remaining applications are processed and returned.
Action
Improve Process Time
Upon reviewing the findings from 2009-2010, the Correspondence Course Division is satisfied with the percentage of student applications being processed and returned for print-based courses. In regards to electronic packets, Computer Services has reduced the amount of new development in the existing system in order to focus more attention and ensure the success of the campus-wide conversion to the Banner software. Until then, the Correspondence Course Division will review its policies and procedures regarding the processing of student applications to determine if any continued improvements can be made toward efficiency.
Goal
Correspondence Students' Satisfaction
To promote student satisfaction in all aspects of correspondence course operations including the enrollment process, efficient communication with students and graders regarding timeliness in lesson submission and return, and the process of the final exam application
Objective
Technology Utilization
Greater client satisfaction will be achieved through an increased use of electronic means of communication.
Indicator
Electronic Activity Report To Students -- CORR01M
An activity report within CORR01M will automatically be sent via-email upon completion of requests for extensions, drops, reinstatements, transfers, and final grades. The fact that students are receiving automatic feedback results in increased student satisfaction.
Criterion
Correspondence Course Communication
One hundred percent (100%) of communications will be sent to students and faculty via email.
Finding
Improved Electronic Communication
One hundred percent (100%) of communication was sent to students and faculty via email.
Indicator
Late Lesson Report To Graders -- CORR76RC
A late lesson report, CORR76RC, will be generated on a monthly basis to alert course graders of their tardiness in returning lessons. It is expected that this will foster grader accountability thus increasing student satisfaction.
Criterion
Increase In Grader Compliance
One hundred percent (100%) of all course graders will comply with the two-week return time frame.
Finding
Increase In Grader Compliance
An email-based reminder was built in to the Late Lesson Return program which sent bi-weekly reminder messages to professors. As a result, the Correspondence Course Division determined that seventy-four percent (74%) of the course graders complied with the two-week return time frame for graded assignments. However, our goal of reaching one hundred percent (100%) compliance was not met.
Action
Increase In Electronic Communication And Grader Compliance
Although the Correspondence Course Division satisfied its goal of communicating with instructors and students electronically, additional steps will be taken to move away from paper-based communication entirely. In an effort to continue to encourage increased grader compliance, the Correspondence Course Division will send weekly reminder messages, via email and telephone, to professors prompting them to return graded assignments. It is hoped that implementation of this contact will increase participation to the one hundred percent (100%) level.
Objective
Correspondence Course Grader Evaluations
Student satisfaction will be enhanced through the implementation of a system to evaluate correspondence course graders.
Indicator
Clarity Scantron Grading Instrument And EListen Digital Survey Software
The Correspondence Course Division purchased an instrument and software which creates, deploys, collects, analyzes, and reports surveys and evaluations. This instrument and software were purchased and implemented in the beginning of the new 2009 Fiscal year. All office staff received training on its operation and an appropriate Course and Instructor Evaluation form has been designed, developed, and implemented on July 20, 2009. The Correspondence Course Division surveys course graders based on regularly scheduled Faculty and Instructor Course Evaluations. These evaluations are utilized for all print-based correspondence courses being offered and not only help the instructor improve but also help increase the quality of service provided by the Division as a whole. Professors will be notified of these reports and can view them on the University's inter-office S drive. These evaluations will be collected during the Fall and Spring Semesters, processed in May, and reported annually to the Deans and Chairs of the appropriate departments.
Criterion
Faculty And Instructor Course Evaluations
One hundred percent (100%) of students will rate the course(s) and instructor(s) with "strongly agree" or "agree" which indicates the satisfaction of students, specifically in the area of receiving graded lessons within a two-week time frame.
Finding
Course And Instructor Evaluations
The Correspondence Course Division has compiled the data from the 214 evaluation forms submitted during the 2009 Fiscal year. 87.18% of students acknowledged that they were satisfied with the timeliness of their receipt of graded lessons from their instructors.
Action
Faculty And Instructor Course Evaluations
Although the Correspondence Course Division achieved 87.18% of its goal, our department is going to take stronger actions to formidably address those instructors that did not provide their grading within the two-week time frame. Prior to the implementation of the evaluation system, graders were unaware of how students rated them in the area of timeliness. It is expected that these evaluations, which will be viewed by the graders as well as the Deans and Chairs of their respective departments, will cultivate awareness and encourage instructors to return graded lessons within the acceptable two-week time period.
Objective
Timeliness In Returning Graded Lessons
To reduce the time period in which graded lessons are returned to students
Indicator
Utilization Of In-Office Hold System
A lesson "hold bin" located in the Correspondence Course Division Office will be utilized to hold students' lessons, upon their request, rather than mailing them to their permanent addresses. Once the student has been notified that his/her lesson has been graded, the student will have two weeks to pick up his/her lesson before it is mailed. Graded lessons returned by the course graders will be held in the Correspondence Course Office for a maximum of two (2) weeks before they are mailed. Those graded lessons will be tracked based on the date they are received in the Correspondence Course Office from the course graders.
Criterion
100% Adherence To Student Request
One hundred percent (100%) of students' requests for a hold to be placed on their lessons will be processed and monitored.
Finding
Findings Forthcoming
Upon implementing a hold sign
95 % of correspondence students picked up their graded lessons after receiving an email from the Correspondence course division.
Action
Lesson HOLD System
The Correspondence Course Division will cotinue to monitor the HOLD lessons as requestd by students. The hold bin will be utilized as the toal for maintaining and tracking students lessons. The graeded lessons bar code will be scanned which will generate an email alerting the student that the lessons have been returned by the course grader and ready for pick up. A lesson HOLD log recording the students name, ID, date lessons returned will be kept on file. The Hold log will be reviewed every two weeks.. If the student who requested the lessons does not pick up the lesson(s) within two weeks, it will be mailed out to the address on the system. This lesson HOLD system will continue until correspondence courses are placed on line Fall 2011.