Standard 1: Institutional Mission
The institution has a statement of mission that defines the institution, its educational purposes, its students, and its place in the higher education community.
Committee for Standard One
Timothy Heisler, Speech Communications Faculty (Chair)
Cindy
Ahre, English Instructional Assistant
Anne Allary, Student
Teri Bengiveno, History Faculty
Frank Cuozzo, Anthropology Faculty
James Dobson, Speech Communications Faculty
Karen Halliday, Vice President of Student Services
Ruth Hanna, Geology Faculty
David Joplin, English Faculty
Karen Kit, Executive Assistant to Vice President of Student Services
Ron Liljedahl, Horticulture Faculty
Amber Machamer, Director of Research and Planning
Jane McCoy, History Faculty
Anthony Parisi, Student
Bill Paskewitz, Art Faculty
1.1 The institution has a statement of mission, adopted by the governing board, which identifies the broad-based educational purposes it seeks to achieve.
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
The Mission
Statement was approved by the Board of Trustees in 1998 and appears
in the 2000-02 Las Positas College (LPC) Catalog. The LPC Mission
Statement reads:
The Mission of Las Positas College is to provide:
- high quality, comprehensive educational programs and services;
- educational and training opportunities adaptable to changing needs;
- access for all students in our community; and
- superior
faculty and staff committed to facilitating student success. (1.1)
The LPC Mission Statement is currently under review by the LPC Institutional Planning Committee (IPC). The IPC is a representative committee on campus wherein all major organizational decisions are reviewed, evaluated and studied. Members of this committee are appointed by the Academic and Classified senates with equal representation from each of the four divisions. Committee members communicate to their respective divisions and constituencies to ensure significant input with respect to committee discussions and decisions. In September 2001, the IPC approved the inclusion of the California State Mission of Community Colleges (CSMCC) in the 2002-04 LPC Catalog. (1.2) The CSMCC now accompanies the LPC Mission Statement.
SELF-EVALUATION
The current LPC Mission Statement identifies the need to provide access for all students in the community; the need for superior faculty and staff; the need for high-quality, comprehensive educational programs and services; and the need for adaptability to educational and training opportunities.
Recently, the IPC recognized that the current LPC Mission Statement does not address transfer. In response, the CSMCC is included in the 2002-04 LPC Catalog, and the IPC will address the issue of appropriately revising the LPC Mission Statement.
LPC staff surveyed in the Accreditation Self Study express satisfaction with the guiding nature of the College Mission Statement. Results of the survey of faculty (full-time and part-time), administration and classified staff show the following:
- The
Mission Statement adequately defines broad-based objectives developed
through the College planning process: 96 percent; five percent
disagree. (1.3)
1.2 The Mission Statement defines the students the institution intends to serve as well as the parameters under which programs can be offered and resources allocated.
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
The existing LPC Mission Statement broadly defines the programs offered at LPC as those that are high quality, comprehensive, and provide educational and training opportunities adaptable to changing needs. The current Mission Statement does not identify the College's students.
SELF-EVALUATION
While the existing mission broadly defines College goals, it is inadequate in addressing essential criteria such as defining students the institution intends to serve, and specifically identifying parameters under which programs can be offered and resources allocated.
Incorporation
of the CSMCC resolves this deficiency in the short term. The State's
fuller and more specific statement does, generally, define the students
the College intends to serve and offers parameters for programs.
However, the State document does not directly address the allocation
of resources. LPC needs to write more specific definitions for the
Mission Statement about the students it intends to serve. These definitions
will supercede the general statements of the CSMCC.
1.3 Institutional planning and decision making are guided by the Mission Statement.
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
The College makes decisions through a shared governance system that is guided by the philosophy of the Mission Statement. The Mission Statement establishes a broad framework for College goals, as well as for the planning and decision-making activities intended to achieve those goals.
SELF-EVALUATION
LPC staff surveyed for the Accreditation Self Study express general satisfaction with the guiding nature of the Mission Statement in planning and decision making at the College. Results of the survey of faculty (full-time and part-time), administration and classified staff show the following results:
- Institutional
planning and decision making are guided by the Mission Statement:
86 percent agree, 14 percent disagree. (1.4)
Twenty-one percent of individuals responding to the Accreditation Survey indicate that they had no experience with whether or not institutional planning and decision making are guided by the Mission Statement. The College needs to address those individuals who lack experience with this aspect of the Mission Statement.
The Mission Statement needs greater visibility inside the College. It does appear in major publications and is addressed in staff orientations. (1.5) Over 20 percent of the LPC staff is, in general, unfamiliar with the Mission Statement. The Mission Statement should hold a more prominent place on the College website and in other major College publications.
Additionally,
while the philosophy and spirit of the CSMCC and LPC mission statements
guide the decision-making activities of the campus, they are rarely
tangibly utilized in the making of those decisions. (1.6)
PLANNING AGENDA
- Ensure that the Mission Statement is used in the planning and decision-making processes of the college.
1.4 The institution evaluates and revises its Mission Statement on a regular basis.
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
LPC is guided by a Mission Statement and Philosophy that define its goal as the cultivation of responses to the educational, economic, social and cultural needs of its population. The current Mission Statement was first published in the 1998-00 LPC Catalog.
The IPC reviews the Mission Statement and coordinates it with the goals and priorities submitted by each of the college's divisions. (REF Org Chart) Members of the IPC include the college's four intersegmental groups: students, faculty, classified staff, and administrators. All members are appointed by the representative constituencies, with the exception of the administrators, who are appointed by LPC's President.
SELF-EVALUATION
The review of the Mission Statement by the IPC focuses the attention of the college on the mission of the college and reveals where revisions may be needed. Everyone on campus then participates in review and revision.
A subgroup of the IPC is currently analyzing, evaluating and rewriting the LPC's Mission Statement for presentation to the college community.
PLANNING AGENDA
- Complete necessary revisions to the LPC Mission Statement and then present the revised statement to the campus community, and then to the Board of Trustees for approval.
References
| 1.1 | Las Positas College 2000-2002 Catalog, page 6 |
| 1.2 | California Community Colleges State Chancellor’s Office “Community Colleges Mission Statement” website: http://www.cccco.edu/cccco/mission.htm |
| 1.3 | Las Positas College Accreditation Survey Results Spring 2001 |
| 1.4 | Las Positas College Accreditation Survey Results Spring 2001 |
| 1.5 | Las Positas College website: www.clpccd.cc.ca.us/lpc/about/mission.htm. Las Positas College 2000-2002 Catalog, pg 6. Las Positas College 2001 Fall Schedule – not present. |
| 1.6 | Keith Jolly, IPC Faculty Representative 1999/2000. Ruth Hanna, IPC Faculty Representative 2000/2001. Tim Heisler, IPC Faculty Representative 2000. Sharon Cadwalader, IPC Classified Staff Representative 1999/2000. Don Milanese, IPC Administrative Representative. |
| 1.7 | Collegial Consultation July 22, 1997. |
| 1.8 | Las Positas College Organizational Chart |
Interviews for Standard One
Sharon
Cadwalader
– Presidential Administrative Assistant
Ruth
Hanna
– Geology Faculty
Tim
Heisler
– Speech Communications Faculty
Keith
Jolly
– Computer Science Faculty
Don
Milanese
– Vice President of Academic Services
