Standard III - Section D 1.A
1. Review the Specific Standard Section
|
D. Financial Resources
Financial resources are sufficient to support student learning programs and services and to improve institutional effectiveness. The distribution of resources supports the development, maintenance, and enhancement of programs and services. The institution plans and manages its financial affairs with integrity and in a manner that ensures financial stability. The level of financial resources provides a reasonable expectation of both short-term and long-term financial solvency. Financial resources planning is integrated with institutional planning.
1. The institution relies upon its mission and goals as the foundation for financial planning.
a. Financial planning is integrated with and supports all institutional planning.
|
2. List of Team Members working on this Standard
3. Read and Review Self-Study Questions and Suggested Source of Evidence
Major reference source for analyzing accreditation standards:
“Accreditation Commission Self Study Guidelines, August 2004, Guide to Evaluating Institutions”
http://www.ohlone.edu/org/instruction/docs/200408accredcomm-guidetoevaluatinginstitutions.pdf
4. Locate and Review the Evidence.
Include Suggested Sources of Evidence from the “Guide to Evaluating Institutions” as well as additional engagement activities conducted by your Team, such as team meetings, special meetings of existing groups, special focus groups, open forums, surveys, etc…)
|
List of evidence being reviewed and engagement activities being conducted:
|
5. Descriptive Summary
Draft a brief one or two paragraph description of what the College is doing to meet the standard.
|
The Ohlone Community College District is primarily funded through the state apportionment calculation. In 2006-07 that formula changed as a result of the passage of
Senate Bill (SB) 361. The District consists of a single campus and a center. The center is located in Newark and is currently under construction with a target completion date of January 2008. Even though there is not a specific physical location for the center, the District has maintained the service to the Newark community through courses taught at Newark Memorial High School and the University of Phoenix with student services being provided at the One Stop Center also located in Newark. These efforts were sufficient to warrant the inclusion of the Newark activity as a Center and qualified for full Center funding.
The District is also the Western Regional Center for Gallaudet University. As a result of this and the proximity of the K-12 School for the Deaf, there is a need to provide extensive services to the deaf community which is only partially funded by the state allocation of Disabled Student Program & Services (DSP&S). This adds to the strain on the District's General Fund. There is a modest amount of private funding through the Ohlone Foundation that assists with specific student needs that are not otherwise funded.
California Community Colleges are the lowest per full time equivalent student (FTES) funded in the state educational system as well as in the Country.
Insert the table of K-12 and universities as well as other state funding.
The general fund is designed to support the various operational needs and specific building maintenance is funded through statewide bonds as part of the scheduled maintenance program. While Ohlone has successfully leveraged these funds to the fullest extent possible (state data mart) they are still inadequate to support the needs of the aging buildings and not all the maintenance needs are provided for under this mechanism.
The District passed a prop 39 bond for $150,000,000 to build a Newark Center and a Student Support Center as well as provide safety, maintenance, and upgrades on the Fremont Campus. Even with these efforts there is still dollar amount unfunded more maintenance and upgrades that can not be met.
Technology has also taken its toll on the funding sources of the District………
As a result the many needs of the District must be met with alternative funding. Specific efforts have been made to:
· Increase community partnerships to help support high cost programs like nursing and athletics,
· Use grants to spring board institutional and programmatic change as well as technology,
· Increase fund raising efforts to support unmet needs of programs and students,
· Develop the frontage property to provide a future funding source for the continued maintenance of facilities,
· Look at alternative land uses and possible advantageous land swaps
|
6. Integration Review
Is there an expression of our College Values? Is there a contribution to our College Goals? Is there an expression of the Accreditation Themes?
|
Self Evaluation: The planning process begins with the setting the revenue constraints. Once these parameters are known then the various constituent groups compare current expenditure levels with expected plans for the next fiscal year. All staffing is reviewed by the Deans, Directors and Managers. During the spring semester management has an opportunity to meet with the faculty and staff within their divisions as well as review the program service reviews for needs that must be included in the budget. Since budgets have been tight the last few years, managers have been asked to move budget around to accommodate new expenditures. The one time funding from 06-07 has provided an opportunity to get new allocations for requirements from the program service review process. All requests are sent to the College Council for prioritization. There are numerous committees of campus but the structure is too new to ascertain if the structure will actually provide a conduit to the budget process.
|
7. Self Evaluation
Provide a rating of how well the College is addressing the specific standard using this scoring rubric:
1. Superior: College has worked in this area and considerable improvement is noted
2. Satisfactory: College has taken some actions to address the area and some improvement is noted.
3. Needs Improvement: College has not adequately addressed the area.
Rating:
Draft a one or two paragraph explanation for this rating based upon your assessment of the College’s activities in relation to the standard. Pay particular attention to the quality of our involvement and interventions since the last WASC self-study report.
8. Planning Agenda
If the assessment process does not identify areas in need of change, simply state, No Plan Required
If the assessment process identifies areas in need of change, a planning agenda for improvement should be developed. The planning agenda should identify the activities and processes the institution should implement, or is implementing, to produce improvement. How will these plans be incorporated into the evaluation and planning processes of the institution? How will the outcomes of this planning agenda improve student learning and foster institutional improvement in general.
|
Planning Agenda: The budget survey that was sent out indicated that most faculty and staff and even some managers do not understand the process. More participation should be encouraged by faculty and staff. A revamping of the budget model is necessary to provide additional opportunities for funding possibilities.
|
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.