Summary Report on Institutional Effectiveness
Northeastern Technical College
September 2005

Introduction:                 
This summary report for Northeastern Technical College includes the following components:
Majors or Concentrations and Library Resources and Services.

The following components will be reported on in the year indicated: Academic Advising (2008), Achievement of Students Transferring from Two-Year to Four-Year Institutions (2006), General Education (2006), and Procedures for Student Development (2007).


Library Resources and Services:            
The Northeastern Technical College (NETC) Library has continued to develop resources to support the learning activities of the students and the community.  Since moving to the new Library facility in Harris Hall, in May 2000, patronage, as well as the quantity and variety of resources, has significantly increased. (The chart below documents these activities).  The Library staff has placed emphasis on teaching patrons the skills needed to access information and resources.

Collection enhancements to promote and improve access to information and resources include the NETC Library Website with links to electronic resources including DISCUS, EBSCO Host Research Databases, Gale Group, ProQuest, Facts.Com, and Facts on File On-line along with the complete SOLINET e-Book collections from NetLibrary.  In addition, the library website provides an electronic virtual tour of the facility and its services. 

The College continues to seek collaborative partnerships to address the needs of our patrons.  NETC is a member of the South Carolina Information and Library Services (SCILS) Consortium which better enables NETC to provide extended access to materials in a cost-effective manner.  In 2004, the Consortium converted to Unicorn, a Sirsi Library Management System, which provides an open, scalable management system to automate library operations.  This management conversion has resulted in the revision of operational procedures which have improved circulation and recordkeeping services.   NETC is also a member of the Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries (PASCAL) Consortium.  PASCAL serves as a catalyst to promote the sharing of resources among academic libraries in the state and promotes cost savings through volume discount procurement.  Two notable initiatives undertaken by PASCAL recently include a major statewide electronic resource procurement branded “Collegiate DISCUS” and the selection of the Interfaces’ InnReach system to provide circulation-based universal borrowing among member institutions.  The philosophy of sharing of resources and our active participation in the SCILS and PASCAL consortia have benefited our patrons.

The Librarian has offered a series of instructional programs; these programs have been presented to faculty and staff, to students in class groups, and offered at the three community campuses.  This instruction includes directions for traditional uses of the Library as well as electronic resources.  These programs have contributed to the increases in database and other electronic resources usage, as shown in the chart.   In 2005, the Librarian conducted an in-service activity for faculty and is developing materials to assist adjunct faculty.  The Library will host public school library and learning resource staff in Fall 2005 to introduce and promote the availability of electronic resources. 

The Annual Library Survey has been conducted and the results have been reviewed by Library staff and the Library Committee.  Based on comments, improvements such as increasing the number of computers available for research have been made.  In Summer 2005, the Library Committee became a part of the umbrella committee for Instructional Support Services.  Their first meeting was held on June 14, 2005, and subsequent meetings will be scheduled at least once annually. In preparation for the new committee structure, Library policies and procedures were reviewed and updated in 2004. 

The mission of the NETC Library is to support the informational needs of the college by providing materials, technology and services to teach, promote and enhance the learning process of all users.  The current assessments of the Library indicate that the Library is fulfilling its mission.  The number and variety of materials available to patrons has increased significantly.  The infusion of technological resources and the usage statistics indicate that this aspect of library service is a priority.  The results of the Annual Patron Survey indicate satisfaction with patron services, with 94% of respondents indicating satisfaction with staff availability. Also 95% of respondents were satisfied with the knowledge/competence of Library staff, and 98% of respondents indicated satisfaction with Library operations.  The surveys indicate the desire for more computers in the Library, which has been addressed in the College Technology Committee’s Plan.  

The Northeastern Technical College Library is a dynamic and vital part of the educational program.  Through active collaboration with other libraries, focus on customer service, and emphasis upon continuous improvement, the NETC Library seeks to fulfill its mission to support the informational needs of all patrons, including students, faculty, staff and the community.

Northeastern Technical College

Majors or Concentrations:
Industrial Electronics Technology:
The Industrial Electronics Technology major at Northeastern Technical College is maintaining current curriculum content, as reflected by advisory committee input, employer satisfaction, and placement of students in related employment.  Faculty have participated in professional development activities, such as National Electric Code Seminar, during this period and adjunct faculty contribute to relevance of the curriculum.  The number of graduates of the program has remained consistent, except in 2002 and 2003 and returning to acceptable in 2004; the current reporting year information reflects sufficient enrollment, graduates and placement. The need for space identified previously was addressed and there is now one lab for electrical instruction, with space for residential wiring mock-up and one for electronics instruction. The major need for this program is equipment funding to purchase replacements for aging equipment.

Enrollment in the Industrial Electronics Degree has remained fairly consistent. The number of graduates and the placement rate reflect the success of the program.  The placement rate of graduates has been approximately 100% over the past ten years.

Findings resulting from the Fall 1998 DACUM conducted with technicians from industry representing the college’s three-county service area confirmed the program’s content.   The faculty reviewed and revised curriculum to assure its compatibility with the results of the DACUM, adding two new courses and appropriate equipment.  The DACUM will be reviewed as part of the action plan objectives for the next cycle.

Electronics faculty has been involved in a statewide National Science Foundation ATE program aimed at recruiting and retaining students in technology programs. Student learning styles, cooperative learning, teaming and workplace scenarios have been incorporated into the degree program as a result.

2005 Statement re: providing a “technologically skilled workforce”:

Policies and Procedures to Provide A Technologically Skilled Workforce

Providing a technologically skilled workforce for its service area is one of the core values of Northeastern Technical College.  This emphasis is documented in the college’s mission statement and institutional policies, as detailed below.  (Italics added.)

Northeastern Technical College’s mission statement (NETC Policy 1.3.1) reads in part: “…the College contributes to economic growth by enhancing the employability of service area residents in technology, business, health, arts, and sciences.

NETC’s philosophy statement (NETC Policy 1.3.2)  states that “…education must serve the needs of students in light of the occupational requirements of our community.”  Advisory committees representing all employment sectors, including technology, meet regularly and provide input into program design and evaluation.

Finally, the college regularly evaluates each of its instructional programs “in terms of its contribution to the current and predicted needs of business and industry and the general economic welfare of the State of South Carolina.”   (NETC Policy 4.1.4)