2016 Boards and Commissions

Nebraska Community College Student Performance and Occupational Education Grant Committee

General Information

Formal Name:Nebraska Community College Student Performance and Occupational Education Grant Committee
Contact Person:Gary Timm, Chief Finance and Administrative Officer, Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, 402-471-0020, gary.timm@nebraska.gov
Purpose:The committee oversees state funds appropriated by the Legislature to the Nebraska Community College Student Performance and Occupational Grant Fund. The fund provides grants to community colleges for applied technology and occupational faculty training, instructional equipment upgrades, employee assessment, pre-employment training, employment training, and dislocated worker programs benefiting the state. Grants also are available for programs or activities to enhance student performance in degree, certificate or diploma completion, retention our foundations education, or the collection, reporting, analysis and utilization of student data. Legislation passed in 2015 expanded the oversight responsibility of the committee to include the Community College Gap Assistance Program effective July 1, 2016. The Gap Assistance Programs primary goal is to address workforce shortages in high-need occupations in Nebraska, as well as to train those already employed in these in-demand areas and increase their advancement potential. Community colleges can award gap assistance to students taking non-credit courses that could lead to jobs in one of these occupations. Because these students are enrolled in non-credit courses, they're not eligible for federal financial aid .
How Many Affectable:Approximately 1.1 million (est. 2015 Nebraska population ages 18-64)
How Many Served:1,515
Year Created:2012
Year Active:2012
Sunset Date:None

Authorization

Authorization Citation:Neb. Rev. Stat. 85-1539 (Student Performance and Occupational Education Grant) and Neb. Rev. Stat. 85-2010 (Gap Assistance Program)
Parent Agency:Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education

Memberships and Meetings

Number Of Members:Seven, consisting of one representative each from the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, Department of Economic Development, Department of Labor, and Department of Education, as well as three representatives from the community college ar
Who Appoints:Participating agencies and community colleges
Legislative Approval:No.
Qualifications Of Members:See "Number of Members" question above. Participating agencies and community colleges choose their representatives.
Per Diem:No
Expense Reimbursement:No
Term Length:Two years for community college representatives; no defined term length for agency representatives.
Terms Rotate or Expire At Once:All Expire

Meetings Required In:

Required FY 13-14:None
Held FY 13-14:Two
Required FY 14-15:None
Held FY 14-15:Two
Required FY 15-16:None
Held FY 15-16:Two

Operations

Support Staff:No
Shared or Separate:NA
FY 13-14 Budget:Up to $500,000
FY 14-15 Budget:Up to $500,000
FY 15-16 Budget:Up to $500,000 - Note: Gap Assistance Program Initial appropriation begins July 1, 2016.
Other Funding Sources:The Community College Gap Assistance Program is funded through State Lottery revenue, with an initial appropriation beginning July 1, 2016.
Spending Authority:Occupational Education Grant Committee membersare responsible for awarding grants based on applications submitted by the community colleges. Gap Assistance Program Committee members have no spending authority. Distribution of funds to community college

Accomplishments

Since July 1, 2012:For the Nebraska Community College Student Performance and Occupational Grant:2013-14 Grant: A consortium of all six community colleges submitted an application with each college identifying specific initiatives to meet the consortiums overall goals. For the 2013-14 grant, the main focus was on reverse transfer and student success and persistence intervention. Central Community College (CCC) identified 94 housing students having academic risk factors and provided these students the opportunity to enroll in either CCCs College Survival course or College Foundations course at no cost as well as hiring six part-time success coaches. 28 of the 94 students enrolled for the following summer semester. Metropolitan Community College (MCC) purchased codes to access Gallups StrengthsFinder Assessment for use by both faculty and students. Mid-Plains Community College hosted On Course professional development training that provided a foundation in learner-centered education and provided participants with practical and proven educational strategies they can implement immediately with their students. Northeast Community College (NCC) launched a drop-in tutoring program that more than doubled the number of students receiving tutoring from the previous academic year and, overall, increased the number of students that took advantage of tutoring to 463 students. Southeast Community College had 64 faculty members complete level three of the Engaged Learning program and 35 faculty members complete level two. After implementing active learning strategies, faculty felt that student engagement had increased. Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) also hosted On Course training with 78 faculty participating in the one-day professional development training and 50 Student Service team members participating in the one-day training. WNCC also purchased equipment to pilot a flipped classroom technique. In a flipped classroom, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out research at home and engage in concepts of the course in the classroom with the guidance of the instructor. In all four math courses, students in the pilot course outperformed those students in the traditional classroom setting. 2014-15 Grant: For the 2014-15 grant, reverse transfer and professional development projects were continued at most of the colleges with the consortium providing state-wide On Course workshops. New activities for this grant year included: CCC had 12 advisors attend the 2015 Appreciative Advising Institute. Appreciative Advising is the intentional collaborative practice of asking positive, open-ended questions that help students optimize their educational experiences and achieve their dreams, goals, and potentials. NECC hiring nine Peer Advisors to implement a peer advising program to assist in registration decisions. MCC having eight staff attend the 2015 National Academic Advising Association Summer Institute to assist in developing an action plan to improve their advising program. WNCC forming a team to attend the Higher Learning Commission Academy on Student Persistence and Completion. This program advises institutions on defining, tracking and analyzing data on student success; establishing clear goals and strategies for student population groups; and implementing those goals. The program also introduces institutions to new techniques for researching and comparing emerging methods of evaluation and improvement. Institutions also learn how to collect and analyze data to identify patterns that lead to data-informed decisions.2015-16 Grant: Two proposals were received one from the consortium (all community colleges except MCC) and one from MCC. The consortiums proposal consisted mainly of marketing the community colleges Career and Technical Education programs. To accomplish this, the consortium will be contracting with an agency specializing in communication, promotion, branding, and marketing. MCCs proposal includes participation in AKSARBENs Career Connectors Pilot Program that will follow Avenue Scholars cohort from high school to MCC and provide enhanced advisingcoaching once students enter MCC. Additionally, this proposal includes an evaluation of the projects impact by contracting with the University of Nebraska at Omahas STEP office. If the program is successful, the AKSARBEN Foundation intends to replicate it across Nebraska.