·         Identify policies that promote and encourage student completion of credentials.

·         Identify policies that are barriers to student completion of credentials.

Primary: Category 6 – Supporting Institutional Operations

Sinclair Community College is the lead college for Completion by Design in the state of Ohio. This effort is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and seeks to increase graduation rates by a transformation of college policies and practices. A thorough policy review is needed in order to identify unknown barriers to completion. Further motivating this work is the state of Ohio’s new funding formula, which rewards institutions financially based on success metrics including successful completion of developmental education, accumulation of credits, and graduation.

Advising, registration, testing and assessment, financial aid, instruction, student and auxiliary services.

 

 

Registration, policies around course withdrawal, repeating failed courses, attendance, financial aid, testing and placement upon entry.

 

 

Indicators include:

·          Completion of list of policy barriers and incentives which promote completion.

·          Completion of charges to governing bodies to consider recommendations for

            policy change.

 

 

This timeline coincides with the Implementation phase of Completion by Design. Important milestones include:

 

Year One: By March 1, 2013 develop a template for an institutional review framework, utilizing support materials given by Jobs for the Future.

By May 1, 2013, charge work teams for each of the general areas within the policy review (registration, academic policies, financial aid, etc.).

By December 15, 2013, report out on policies that serve as barriers and incentives to complete and recommend changes.

 

Year Two: By April 1, 2014, seed the policy change in the appropriate governing body of the institution (board of trustees), with the institution’s senior administrators (president’s cabinet, leadership council, department chairs), and with other representative bodies (faculty senate and staff senate).

 

 

The institution will use President’s Cabinet as the steering committee for the work, supported by the Policy Team already formed through Completion by Design, which will serve as the coordinating body for the work on the ground. Interim goals include:

·          Raise awareness and create a list of policies that promote completion.

·          Raise awareness and create a list of policies that inhibit completion.

·          Recommend charges to appropriate bodies (faculty senate, instructional policies 

           committee, registration, board of trustees, etc.).