Bossier Parish Community College is in compliance with this core requirement because the College engages in institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes integrated, continuous, systematic, and inclusive of all programs and services as directed by the Louisiana State Legislature, by Louisiana R.S. 39:31, which requires each state agency to produce, every three years, a 5-year strategic plan. The manual contains definitions for strategic planning and outlines the process. The College-mandated plan must be consistent with the state's master plan. The College reviews all programs and services annually as indicated in Institutional Planning and Evaluation. Beginning with its last institutional self-study, the College made extensive efforts to revamp and revitalize its planning process. Three former College committees--the Planning and Development Committee, the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, and the former Planning Committee--combined into one comprehensive campus-wide committee called the Planning Council.

The Planning Council is made up of all personnel from the director level and above, one representative from the Staff Senate, and six representatives from the Faculty Senate. The Planning Council developed a revised planning process to provide for the College's growth. The Planning Council meets bi-monthly during the academic year to carry out the following specific responsibilities:

• To review the College's scope and mission.
• To coordinate the College's planning efforts.
• To assess the performance and effectiveness of the College and to suggest strategies for improvement.
• To provide an opportunity for input into the College's decision-making process by every facet of the College community.
• To review the proposed annual budget.

In summary, the Planning Council oversees and coordinates the entire College planning process. The Council has established a statement of ongoing mission and purposes which it reviews annually. The Council also reviews, interprets, and evaluates program, division, and individual professional goals. From these goals, flow decisions about College programs, facilities, finances, and staffing. Progress made toward reaching the goal and making critical decisions is monitored by the Council using such aids as the annual performance and information reports, various surveys, and special studies. This information is then used by the Council, the various College units, and individuals to determine goals and objectives for the upcoming year.

Every unit adheres to the established BPCC policy of integrating planning and evaluation as a means to optimize the unit's performance. This integration includes the following:

• Statement of measurable strategies for the unit
• Establishment of specific performance indicators for each strategy
• Determination of assessment results
• Evaluation of results
• Implementation of changes based on assessment outcomes
• Determination of new strategies for the future

The following describes the planning and assessment process:

The following examples illustrate improvements across the College that resulted from the Planning Council:

• New campus, which includes new educational, art/theatre, and athletic facilities
• Web registration for student convenience
• Online courses
• Addition of new courses
• Additional faculty
• Implementation of technology in classrooms
• Student access to college information with web access
• Automated student access to college information with web access
• Increased services and awareness of services available through the Counseling Center
• Effective career development program of services at the College
• Student computer access in the Financial Aid Office
• Expanded Professional Development for Faculty
• Upgrade of computer labs
• Community education in-service workshops to faculty and staff to upgrade their computer skills
• Additional tutoring through the Developmental Education Learning Center, including one-on-one tutoring
• Additional databases to the Library's Technology Resource Center, allowing students to access periodical titles not purchased by the Library, as well as those to which the Library subscribes.
• Additional Library staff to better serve students
• Development of a Distance Learning program

The mission of Bossier Parish Community College is to provide instruction and service to its community. The mission is accomplished through courses and programs that provide sound academic education, broad career and workforce training, continuing education, and varied community services through flexible instructional delivery systems. The College provides a wholesome, ethical, and intellectually stimulating environment in which diverse students develop their academic and workforce skills to compete in a technological society.

To achieve its mission of instruction and service, Bossier Parish Community College is committed to:

• Offering associate degree programs, one-and two-year occupational certificate programs, and specialized career training.
• Delivering education and training/retraining through technical programs, workforce development, community education, and non-credit courses to serve citizen, business, and industry needs.
• Providing opportunity to earn academic college credits for articulation to other institutions of higher learning.
• Providing developmental studies and remedial programs that enable students to acquire basic skills.
• Utilizing a comprehensive program of student services.

Because the College's planning process is cyclical and strives for continuous improvement, each division/department must end each academic year with external and internal assessments of its performance. Each division/department uses a specific external assessment instrument listed in the Comprehensive Assessment Plan to review the satisfaction with and the effectiveness of the programs and services it offers. Additionally, each division/department creates an end of the year report, which provides an internal assessment to review the accomplishments of its Strategies for Success. Finally, these reports are compiled by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment into an Annual Report and used by the Planning Council members prior to the next academic year to revise and modify the Strategic Plan.

Bossier Parish Community College and its divisions/departments engage the College's annual institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes. The planning processes begin before the start of each academic year during the annual Planning Council Retreat. Administration is fully represented at the retreat and assists the other divisions/departments of the College in the review and modification of the 5 year Strategic Plan by generating goals and objectives that are in support of the College's mission and consistent with the mandates of the LCTCS.

Administration is composed of six units: Chancellor's Office, Office of Grants, Multicultural Affairs, Public Relations, Development/Alumni, Project MOMS; each engages in institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes and are in compliance with SACS requirement 2.5. Their individual missions and narratives are listed below.

CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE

The mission of the Chancellor's Office is that of the College: The mission of Bossier Parish Community College is to provide instruction and service to its community by offering courses in academic, non-academic, and workforce training to meet changing needs of our citizens and business and industry in our community. This is accomplished by providing an intellectually stimulating environment with state-of-the-art equipment in our classrooms and laboratories to enable our diverse student population to develop specialized skills to compete in a technological society.

The Chancellor oversees all operations of the College. He works under the guidelines developed by the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS). The Chancellor is responsible for planning and developing long term goals for the institution and seeing that those goals are achieved. The Chancellor is evaluated annually by the President of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. At the time of evaluation, the Chancellor submits a planning document (Chancellor Evaluation Form A) listing the goals and objectives and measure/evidence of achievement for the upcoming year. Classified and unclassified staff, who work under the direct supervision of the Chancellor, are evaluated annually on goals set in planning sessions. Evaluations are on file in the Human Resources Department.

The Chancellor has an Executive Council which includes the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Vice Chancellor for Economic Development, Director of Public Relations, and his Executive Assistant. The Executive Council meets at the discretion of the Chancellor to formally approve policies and procedures of the College and to discuss major issues affecting the institution. The agendas and minutes of the Executive Council are on file in the Chancellor's Office.

The Chancellor acts as a public advocate for the College by networking with community and governmental officials to institute programs to meet the needs of business and industry and the citizens of Northwest Louisiana. As part of the evaluation process, the System President requires that two external stakeholders evaluate the Chancellor based on his representation of the institution in the community, responsiveness to the organization's needs, job knowledge and leadership qualities. (Chancellor Evaluation Form C). The external evaluation is mailed directly to the System Office in Baton Rouge.

In addition to setting goals for the College, the Chancellor receives valuable input from the Planning Council. The Planning Council was established in 1989. The original purpose of the Planning Council was to review the scope and mission of the College; coordinate planning efforts of the College; implement the institutional effectiveness plan of the College; assess the performance and effectiveness of the College; suggest strategies for improvement; provide an opportunity for input in the decision-making process at the College, and provide a review of the proposed annual budget.

Today, the Planning Council includes the administrative staff, deans, directors, division chairs, and faculty/staff representation. The Council is subdivided into five subcommittees to address the goals of the College. These subcommittees are Access and Success; Programs and Services; Partnerships; Resources; and Institutional Effectiveness. The subcommittees meet every other month and report their progress to the entire Planning Council. The minutes of the Planning Council are available on Blackboard. The Planning Council is also charged with evaluating each department/division of the College annually. This information is compiled into a BPCC Report Card, which is used to improve areas of weakness. The BPCC Report Card is on-file in the Office of the Director of Institutional Research and Assessment. The Planning Council schedules an annual retreat in May to review highlights of the current year and to plan and develop goals for the upcoming year.

One priority of the Chancellor's is to ensure that all units of the College actively plan, assess, and evaluate, and that College goals support the Master Plan for Education in Louisiana and goals and priorities of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. Two measures of achievement of this goal are the publication of Strategies for Success and the Annual Report. Strategies for Success is the planning document in which all College units actively provide input. The Annual Report documents each unit's success in meeting the goals.

Budgetary Support:

The operational budget is approved by the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board of Supervisors. Success and improvement of programs is documented by increased enrollment (14-day count) and increased retention. New academic degrees and certificate programs are researched and developed as needed.

External funding for programs allows for the purchase of additional state-of-the-art equipment to enhance the learning process of students. The Department of Grants and External Funding provides a list of proposals submitted and grants funded annually to the Chancellor.

Another means of funding is through the BPCC Foundation. The success of the BPCC Foundation depends on support from administration, faculty, staff, and the community. This is accomplished through payroll deductions, donations from individuals and businesses, scholarships, and annual fundraisers. The BPCC Foundation provides professional development activities for faculty and staff, athletic support, and student scholarships.

Checks and balances are an integral part of an effective institution. Random compliance audits are performed internally in areas which receive federal and state funding such as the Office of Grants and External Funding and the Finance Department. The Finance Department is regularly audited internally by the Compliance Officer for cash counts, payroll, revenue and expenditures. Results of the audits are documented in a formal report of findings.

GRANTS and EXTERNAL FUNDING

The mission of the Office of Grants is to encourage, facilitate, and assist faculty and staff members in their search and application for external funds (PRE-AWARD) and to assist project directors in complying with the complex requirements of federal and state laws and regulations and College policies and procedures regarding grant programs

The Office of Grants continues to expand and improve opportunities for grant writing activities for all disciplines within the College. The Director continues to coordinate grant development activities for the College and to encourage, facilitate, and assist faculty and staff members in their search and application for external funds.

A listing of grant submissions (by fiscal year) is located in the Grants Office. This listing indicates the project title, agency, project director, amount requested, and amount funded. As grant opportunities become available for submission, the project director directs the request for proposals to applicable divisions for review and submission. The Director monitors activity with e-mails and phone calls.

Each proposal that is submitted goes through a review/evaluation process with the granting agency. After the Director receives reviewers' comments, a meeting is held with the Director and the faculty/staff who submitted the grant. The reviewers' comments are used to strengthen future proposals. A copy of the reviewers' comments are filed in applicable grant folders and shared with faculty and staff as the prepare grant narratives.

MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS

The mission of the Office of Multicultural Affairs is to produce and promote programming through educational, social, and community events; to enhance understanding, knowledge, awareness, enjoyment, and respect of all cultural groups for students, staff, faculty and the surrounding community. Multicultural Affairs provides academic and personal support and acts as a referral and assistance service for ALANA (African, Latin, Asian, and Native American) student populations. The mission is accomplished through assisting departments and student organizations to create environments and multicultural programs which will attract, support and increase student success and continuation at the College.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs assesses student needs by surveying students to find out how they feel about activities provided by Multicultural Affairs. The Office of Multicultural Affairs uses the results of the surveys to improve programs and accomplish the department's mission. After students are surveyed and Multicultural Affairs obtains the results, the department makes appropriate changes based on the recommendations of events that interest College students.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

The mission of the Public Relations Office is to promote and maintain a comprehensive external and internal college marketing and communications program.

The Office meets annually to discuss goals and objectives for each area of Public Relations; i.e., publications, media relations, policies and procedures. Strategies are developed for each goal and objective. These strategies are documented on the Strategies for Success,

For publication evaluations, individual supervisors provide input, make yearly corrections and offer suggestions to the content of all brochures that encompass all academic and nonacademic programs. Other publications which include the General Catalog, Academic Bulletin and Schedule of Classes, and newsletters are reviewed continuously to make improvements. The supervisors of various departments/divisions on campus make those suggestions/changes. The Public Relations Office follows through with those requested changes or additions. For a complete listing of publications see Annual Report 15. All media releases, media clippings, and formal advertising are logged annually and compared to previous academic years. The yearly information regarding success and failures is used to form the next year's marketing plan. Annual Report 18-19.

The Director attends the Planning Council Retreat. At the retreat, Vice Chancellors present their division/departments' accomplishments and provide an assessment of services. The Director participates in discussion of fiscal year planning for all departments. The retreat sets the overall goals for the College and begins the planning process for each department. The Office receives an annual report card that assesses the services of the Office. The annual report card is completed by members of the Planning Council. The Office meets to discuss the results of the report card and develops various ways to improve needed areas.

The Director meets with the LCTCS Director of Public Information on a quarterly basis. System-wide policies are disseminated at the meetings. The Director implements policy changes in the College Public Relations Office.

Bossier Parish Community College engages in ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research based planning and evaluation processes that incorporate a systematic review of programs and services that (a) results in continuing improvement, and (b) demonstrates that the institution is effectively accomplishing its mission at the level of Academic Affairs which includes academic divisions, Institutional Research and Assessment, and Academic Planning. Since the establishment of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System in 1997, the College has had a systematic review of programs and services pertaining to academic areas.

The overreaching document by which standards are measured is the College Mission Statement. This statement calls for "instruction and service to [the College's] community." In addition, the College's "mission is accomplished through courses and programs that provide sound academic education, broad career and workforce training, continuing education, and varied community services through flexible instructional delivery systems." To evaluate the effectiveness of methods used to achieve this mission, the College plans and implements strategies that support its mission.

The College and its academic areas assess whether they achieve these outcomes and provide both evidence of and plans for improvement based on results analyses as linked with the College's mission. The College has developed a Comprehensive Assessment Plan to assure that every area of the College is continuously being assessed. This document includes division specific tables, including a table for Academic Affairs. This table breaks down the population served by the specific academic area, the instruments used to gather data, the administration and frequency of administration, the target date for completion, and the College official to whom results are reported for division-wide planning based on these results.

Academic programs and services are evaluated based on the premises of the College's Strategic Plan for 2005-2009. Within this plan and the Strategies for Success for 2005-2006 are apparent the bases for planning and evaluation through measurable strategies and performance indicators ("output" and "outcome" and "objectives" and "goals"). Through this document, the College sets goals and measurements for results and change based on these results. Each goal in the 2005-2009 Strategic Plan, from planning for increased learning opportunities to increasing constituent accountability, touches the populations served by Academic Affairs.

In turn, this strategic plan for the College becomes division-specific as reported in the College's Annual Report. Each academic division submits documentation of its compliance with the College's Strategic Plan and reports annual division enrollment and enrollment of specific programs from Technical Certificates to Associate Degrees. In addition, academic divisions report updates in curriculum, numbers of traditional and Internet courses offered, course enrollment, and degrees awarded. The Annual Report also includes a detailed report for each division of faculty credentials and awards, publications, presentations, productions, and meetings and conferences attended. These specific details are part of the systematic review in which the College engages. Each division must assess need for improvement based on its own progress with goals and objectives as these affect the College mission.

The following examples illustrate improvements across the College that resulted from the planning and assessment process at the academic division level based on the 2004-2005 College Annual Report and other web-based documents:

ACADEMIC PLANNING

• To link student and community based missions, the Office worked to provide educational opportunities on high school campuses in certificate programs for at-risk students (Annual Report 257).
• The Office increased awareness of Tops Tech and EXCEL programs to minority high school students (Annual Report 257).
• Tops Tech students at the College increased by 95% from fall 2004 to fall 2005 (Annual Report 257).
• During the 2004-2005 academic year, the Office conducted four general advisor seminars with 33% of the faculty participating and one training session held for transfer advisors with 90% participation (9 out of 10 instructors) (Annual Report 258).
• In 2004-2005, the Office participated in COMPASS e-write testing with Liberal Arts. Ninety-seven students participated in Compass e-Write (Annual Report 258).
• The Office noted an overall 29% increase in placement tests administered (Annual Report 259).
• The Office confirmed and evaluated a College record 371 graduates during the 2004-2005 academic year (Annual Report 259).

• Based on its goal to increase enrollment in the Criminal Justice program, this Division created information sheets to distribute to Shreveport Police Department, Bossier City Police Department, and other area law enforcement agencies. Behavioral and Social Science faculty also distributed push cards to area high schools, libraries, convenience stores, video stores, and other high traffic spots. This strategy resulted in spring 2005 enrollment of 237 Criminal Justice students being matched after a loss of 12 graduates at fall graduation (Annual Report 158).
• College personnel involved in advising were provided with needed information to assist students. New students were provided with advisory guidelines, and the importance of seeing an advisor was stressed before selecting courses (Annual Report 159).
• Based on these positive results, the Division will continue to re-supply existing push card locations and expand to local metropolitan communities (Annual Report 158).

• This Division planned to increase Internet courses offered within the Division (Annual Report 171). As a result of planning, the Division increased the number of Internet sections from 41 to 48, a 17% increase (Annual Report 171). Based on these results, the Division will continue to promote electronic learning activities (Annual Report 171).
• The Division also planned to expand program and course offerings (Annual Report 171). As part of this plan, the Division submitted a request to the Board of Regents for a Legal Secretary Certification and revised the CIS curriculum to include three separate concentrations. If approved, the Legal Secretary Certificate would increase the Division's offerings by 25% (Annual Report 171).

Project R.E.A.D.

• The Division renewed its commitment to making the community aware of the importance of literacy. To this end, the Division planned and delivered six informational presentations to local organizations and kept on file copies of speeches, press releases, newsletters, and advertisements in the Project R.E.A.D. Office (Annual Report 180).
• This Division also planned to prepare the functionally illiterate adult for effective participation in society. As a result of Project R.E.A.D. planning, three 12-hour Laubach "Way to Read" tutor-training workshops were held. Sixty non-reading students were enrolled in Project R.E.A.D. and fifteen (15) partnerships/collaborations were formed (Annual Report 180).
• The Division received a Board of Regents Grant for $30,000 to aid in teaching reading to non-reading adults with dyslexia (Annual Report 179).
• Based on these positive results, the Division will continue to partner with community stakeholders to continue to prepare the functionally illiterate adult for effective participation in the community (Annual Report 180).

• The Division planned and implemented strategies to continue to enhance the quality of supplemental instruction offered by The Learning Center by improving the quality of supplemental resources provided by The Learning Center (Annual Report 181).
• "The Learning Center Inventory" binder was updated as new items are added to The Learning Center (Annual Report 181).
• As a result of this planning, the quality of supplemental resources provided by the TLC was improved upon the addition of four (4) new software programs, additional sets of human anatomy charts, medical dictionary, and copier for TLC student use (Annual Report 181).
• The Division plans to continue to improve the quality of supplemental resources provided by The Learning Center (Annual Report 181).
• The Learning Center continued to encourage utilization of peer tutoring and computerized programmed learning to students. The total number of student visits to the Learning Center during the 2004-2005 academic year was 21,340 (Annual Report 182).
• To increase opportunities for student success, the Learning Center revised course objectives of EDUC 099 and READ 099 to address student learning outcomes (Strategies for Success 49).
• To promote Learning Center services during the 2004-2005 academic year, individuals from the Division appeared on local television and radio segments (Annual Report 183).
• The Learning Center provided community outreach by providing tutoring to area middle- and high-school students (Annual Report 182).

• To create opportunities for increased course offerings and shared knowledge, this Division participated in collaborative efforts between the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, the Board of Regents Electronic Learning Committee, the SREB/SREC "electronic campus," and the Chief Academic Officers Council in an effort to provide for the needs of traditional/nontraditional students via all forms of electronic learning (Annual Report 252 and Strategies for Success 62).
• The Director of Educational Technology attended approximately ten LCTCS-E-Learning Coordinators' Meetings during the fiscal year 2004-2005 (Annual Report 252).
• BPCC hosted the February meeting of the E-Learning Coordinators. These meetings were documented with minutes, notes, and agendas housed in the office of the Director of Educational Technology. These meetings are called monthly to address the needs, issues, and concerns in the E-Learning environment across the colleges and technical campuses of the LCTCS. Council of E-Learning Practitioners meetings were also attended by the Director on a quarterly basis. Notes and documentation of such meetings are housed in the director's office. The CEP is the Council of E-Learning (Annual Report 252).
• This Division acted on behalf of the College in a DEI/SELECT grant with Delta Community College to collaborate on allied health programs delivered via compressed video. This program already exists between BPCC and Rapides Parish in the area of Respiratory Therapy. Although Delta has purchased videoconferencing equipment, it has yet to connect with this program due to lack of personnel to oversee the Respiratory Program at Delta (Annual Report 252).
• Faculty training concentrated on increased online course offerings and traditional classroom augmentation via web-based media (Annual Report 253).
• 100 + hours of professional development and student awareness seminars increased awareness and utilization of electronic learning in 2004-2005 (Annual Report 253 and Strategies for Success 62).
• Based on data compiled for use of online tutoring through Smarthinking.com, over 700 of our College students use this service and have indicated that it is beneficial (Annual Report 247).

• This Department provides information to units of the College which can be used to enhance effectiveness and collects assessment data from 27 College divisions (BPCC Report Card).The Department produces student exit, graduation, and retention reports to assess and plan for future academic years (Annual Report 268).
• Strategies for Success and the Annual Report were converted to ACCESS databases in 2005-2006 (Annual Report 266 and 268).
• The Department maintains an electronic fact book accessible on the BPCC website under Institutional Research and Assessment (Annual Report 269).
• The Department completes and submits Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) reports to the U.S. Department of Education (Annual Report 269).
• The Department prepares and submits Louisiana Performance Accountability System (LaPAS) reports for the Louisiana Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) in the Division of Administration (Annual Report 269).
• The Department makes available via Internet the College's Strategic Plan, Strategies for Success, Annual Report, and Comprehensive Assessment Plan, and ACT-SOS Comparison Charts for 2002-2005 (Annual Report 269 and ACT-SOS).

• Provide improved opportunities for student success, this Division worked actively to improve areas in direct correlation with outcomes and assessment by revising master syllabi for all courses in the division based on specific objectives and learning outcomes. This faculty-driven effort moved through phases of drafting and revision, and the revised master syllabi are currently in place (Annual Report 198).
• The final step of the process is ongoing work with assessment of outcomes based on the new syllabi paradigm (Annual Report 198).
• Continued increase in student success (grade of "C" or better in all courses) is the means of assessment for the new learning-outcomes based syllabi (Annual Report 198).
• Provide learning opportunities for student success (Annual Report 194 and 198).
• Within English, foreign language, humanities, music, religion, speech, and theatre courses, faculty added pan-curricular resource lists and/or web sites to Section Information Sheets and course orientation to allow for student success in educational and professional interactions in all classes (Annual Report 194-197).
• Success rates for Liberal Arts classes are available in the Annual Report. The success rates in the nine disciplines for the fall 2004 semester and the spring 2005 semester combined are the following: Art - 97%; English - 87%, foreign language - 85%; humanities - 78%; journalism - 100%; music - 95%; religion - 96%; speech - 87%; and theatre - 93% (Annual Report 198).
• Completion of the new building for the Theatre and Music programs increased both student and community access to academic programs and productions in these disciplines (Annual Report 194 and 198).

• The Library renewed its commitment to provide library materials that will support the curricula and the community's access to BPCC resources (Annual Report 207).
• Library faculty and staff consulted with Division Chairs to determine materials needed for new or revised courses (Annual Report 207).
• Library liaisons met with teaching faculty throughout the academic year to determine what new materials were needed for new or revised courses by examining the Library's collection. Materials requested were purchased and incorporated into the collection (Annual Report 207).
• Library liaisons will continue meetings with teaching faculty to provide materials for collection. Emphasis will be placed on the reference collection to improve research access for students and local citizens (Annual Report 207).
• The Division aimed to provide space, equipment, and technology which will ensure operational efficiency, improve collection preservation, and respond to changing needs of users and staff. The move to the new campus provided these well-planned facilities and resources (Annual Report 207).
• The Division significantly upgraded the Library's website to allow greater access to distance education students and faculty teaching these classes (Annual Report 207 and 209).
• Increased use of library materials provides practical assessment of outcomes and direction for future increase of resources (Annual Report 208 and 209).
• The Systems Librarian updated the Library's website by creating and posting tutorials on the use of various library resources and services. The Library also revised other features on the website, including a new floor guide, a list of software in the Technology Resource Center (TRC) and the "What's New" section (Annual Report 207-209).
• Ongoing improvement in TRC resources and computer functions provides support for student success (Annual Report 207-209).

• This Division is supported by the library, scientific, and technology funds to keep mathematics and technical education classrooms up-to-date (Annual Report 214).
• The total amount of library, scientific, and technology funds spent is $9,126 (Annual Report 214).
• The success of this funds allocation will continue as the Division uses future library, scientific, and technology funds to update classrooms and laboratories. In addition, four Smartboards currently are in use in mathematics classrooms (Annual Report 214 and 215).
• The Division used new software to augment mathematics classes.
• The Division generates the report that gives the number of successes followed by MATH 102 failures. The report was generated and the results showed a larger percentage of students were successful in MATH 102 after MATH 099 than in last year's report (Annual Report 214).
• The Division planned to increase success rates in developmental mathematics courses and, to this end, submitted a grant proposal for computer-based developmental mathematics; the grant was awarded for $62,000 (Annual Report 216).
• Overall, the Division received $65,696 in grants and $9,126 in library, scientific, and technology funds. Classrooms and laboratories were updated with these funds. With mathematics software in developmental algebra, students' scores are improving (Annual Report 216).

• This Office planned to enhance enrollment opportunities for students by advertising through use of newspaper ads, radio announcements, and making schedules available at strategic high customer-traffic locations in Webster and Claiborne parishes (Annual Report 219).
• Accessibility continues to be the strength of this Division, reflected by growing numbers of students enrolled in Off-Campus courses. Total enrollment (including 45 dual enrollment students) for the 2004-2005 academic year was 1,114 students. This is an increase of 121 students, or 12%, over 2003-2004 (Annual Report 219 and 220).

• Based on student needs, the Division included learning styles techniques in classroom and laboratory instruction (Annual Report 230).
• The Division surveyed faculty to determine extent of integration of learning styles activities (Annual Report 230).
• Seventy-six percent of the faculty reported using learning styles activities as a component of instruction (Annual Report 230).
• As community outreach, the Division operated the 2005 Louisiana Region I Science and Engineering Fair with 624 students entered projects in the Region I Science and 231in the Engineering Fair with 89% of the Division faculty serving as judges in 2005 (Annual Report 223, 230, and 231).
• The Division will continue to promote the Region I Science and Engineering fair and encourage faculty participation to serve the community (Annual Report 231).
• This Division developed and completed a comprehensive evaluation of each certificate and degree program (Annual Report 231).
• The development of the instruments allows for systemic program assessment and improvement (Annual Report 231).
• The number of course sections offered by this Division increased from 326 in 2003-2004 to 377 in 2004-2005. This represents a 15% increase and allowed for an enrollment of 765 additional students. Based on these numbers, the Division expanded the number of sections offered in high enrollment courses (Annual Report 231).
• All eligible programs maintained accreditation. The Dietary Management program received initial approval from the Dietary Managers Association, The mid-term report on the Pharmacy Technician program was approved by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), and the Phlebotomy program received re-accreditation from the National Accrediting Agency for clinical laboratory science (Annual Report 231)
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• For 2004-2005, pre-clinical enrollment in the Medical Assistant program increased by 10% and clinical enrollment increased by 300%. Pre-clinical enrollment in the EMT Paramedic program increased by 11% and clinical enrollment increased by 100% (Annual Report 232).

• To continue consistency in student and community outreach, the Division communicates with Advisory Board members bi-yearly to ensure that our students remain marketable in Telecommunications fields (Annual Report 241).
• To promote the mission based connection of institution and community, the Advisory Board is made up of community leaders in various fields related to telecommunications. They continually apprise the Division of any changes and needs to their workforce, thus aiding in the marketability of our students (Annual Report 241).
• The Division increased awareness of the capabilities of our staff, faculty, and students by Louisiana Film Commission has increased tenfold. As active participants in the commission, the Division is participating in the film boom in North Louisiana (Annual Report 242).
• In 2004-2005, participation in "free" Public Service Announcements and "Smart Channel" advertising has increased approximately 7% (Annual Report 245).
• Significant contracts and grants awarded to this Division totaled $255,982.16 (Annual Report 241).

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs is responsible for the supervision of the eight departments that constitute Student Affairs. In addition, this Office is responsible for overseeing student judicial affairs; crisis management for students; Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) compliance; summer, fall, and spring registration; Athletic Title IX compliance; and publication of documents pertaining to all aspects of Student Affairs. As of 2004-2005, Student Affairs consists of eight departments: Admissions, Registrar, Financial Aid, Athletics, Student Activities, Recruiting, Counseling, and Job Placement.

One important mission of Student Affairs is to increase student awareness and stimulate participation by students in seminars, programs, campus organizations, and activities offered on campus and in the community. During 2004-2005, participation by students in activities increased by twelve percent (12%) (Annual Report 64). The new facility and an increased support by the Student Government Association helped Student Affairs accomplish this mission. Student Affairs accomplished its mission of departmental-wide community service with 100% of its employees participating in at least one community service project. One hundred percent of the staff in Student Affairs participated in three or more professional development seminars. The Student Affairs staff held and/or assisted with the following activities and events: National Kids Day, Senior Fling, a Voter Registration Drive, College and Career Fairs, BPCC Talent Show, Financial Aid Planning Fair, Cavalier Express and SGA Retreats, Safety Awareness Week, Seminars for Athletes, and Athletic Orientation.

ADMISSIONS/REGISTRAR

The Admissions/Registrar's Office continues to strive to provide and coordinate a registration process that is consistent with student needs and to ensure security, confidentiality and integrity of all student records. The fall 2004 and spring 2005 brought record numbers of students again for the second consecutive year. The students were allowed to order transcripts, pay online, and drop classes until the final drop date for the first time on the College's Computer Access Verification System (CAVS). The Admissions/Registrar's Office is using student email to inform students about missing documents and admissions requirements. To date, the Office has contacted by mail 13,624 students about records, and 16,806 emails about missing documents.

COUNSELING

The Counseling Center is responsible for four key areas which provide services to students: career counseling, personal counseling, students with disabilities, and job placement. This year, student traffic increased by 24%, and the Center received a Board of Regents Grant for $10,000 for counseling supplies that include career assessments and counseling resources. The Office of Disability Services sponsored "Diversity in Disabilities," which featured guest speakers from the Shreveport-Bossier area. The Job Placement Office hosted a number of recruiting events, an annual Job Fair, and seminars on resume and interview skills and dressing for success. The Counseling Center assisted 152 students with personal counseling and presented 24 seminars to students on campus. Topics included time management, study skills, career assessment, depression, anxiety, domestic violence, sexual assault, birth order, resume writing, dress for success, interview skills, and disability awareness.

ATHLETICS

The Athletic Department's accomplishments include improved graduation rates and GPAs for student /athletes. The Educational Counselor for Athletes instituted seminars, progress reports, and academic advising for student/athletes.

FINANCIAL AID

The College is dedicated to the philosophy that no student who desires a college education should be denied the opportunity because of lack of funds. Therefore, the College seeks to assist students in financing the costs associated with their education through various federal, state, and institutional programs. To the extent possible, students are aided in meeting their educational expenses through various forms of financial aid. The number of students listing the College as a perspective College on their federal financial aid application increased from 5,471 in academic year 2003-2004 to 5,741 in academic year 2004-2005. Of the applicants, 1,833 students received Federal Pell Grants totaling $4,715,124.57. The following is a comparison of the amount of aid disbursed in 2004-05 to the amount of aid disbursed in 2003-04.

In addition to the increase in student aid, the Office conducted a "Financial Aid/Debt Management Fair," which served approximately 200 students, increased scholarship and work study awards, and employed 6 Federal Work Study student workers at the Shreveport and Bossier Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Student participation in activities and events has increased by twelve percent. This year over 4,377 students, faculty, staff, and their families participated in various events and activities, including two new traditions: Spring Family Fest and Fall Family Fest. These fun-filled family events are programs aimed primarily at our non-traditional student population who have children/grandchildren. The Student Affairs Department coordinates student organizations events, activities, honors, and community and campus service projects.

RECRUITING

The Recruiting Office is responsible for recruiting new students to the College. The Director of Recruiting and the Multicultural Recruitment Coordinator attended various college and career fairs, high school fairs, and trade shows. The Recruiting Office mailed over 6,000 postcard invitations to "Spring Fling" to prospective students from six parishes (Bienville, Caddo, Claiborne, Bossier, Desoto, and Webster), over 600 area high school seniors attended the event. The Multicultural Recruitment Coordinator visited under-represented schools/areas and distributed information to prospective students, schools and businesses.

Finance and Administration and its departments engage the College's annual institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes.

The mission of Finance and Administration is to provide sound education to the citizens of Northwest Louisiana for employment and transferability to four-year colleges and universities. Finance and Administration is composed of seven departments: Finance, Human Resources, Computer Services, Physical Plant, Security, Environmental Health and Safety, and Purchasing; each engages the above listed institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes and are in compliance with SACS requirement 2.5. Their individual missions and narratives are listed below.

FINANCE

The mission of the Finance Department is to provide a functional financial operating system for Bossier Parish Community College.

The planning process and budgetary process are closely linked for the College. All requests for new personnel and equipment are submitted and received by the Finance Department. Each division/department plan is reviewed to determine if requests are included in the plan. If they are not included, a justification and explanation is requested. This helps to maintain the integrity of the planning process while allowing flexibility to deal with issues that come up outside the normal planning process. The Planning Council communicates information about activities with all divisions/departments of the College in order to determine how the activity will affect College resources or availability of space.

During budget preparations, Budget Unit Heads are given the opportunity to present division/department needs to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration for consideration. New funding requests resulting from growth or any unforeseen circumstances are noted and given consideration provided there is the availability of funds. These requests are submitted to the Finance Department on the New Recurring Cost Form or New Non-Recurring Expense forms.

Institutional funds budgets are typically prepared during the mid- to late summer after the state base-budgets have been completed and approved. Budget changes associated with additional personnel and other objectives are compared to division/department plans and exceptions must be justified. These requests may or may not be granted based on the availability of state funds and projections of self-generated funds during the fiscal year.

Individual department budgets are submitted and incorporated into an annual budget which is submitted to the LCTCS Board to be reviewed and forwarded to the Board of Regents for final approval.

Monthly reports are reviewed to ensure that the integrity of the budget guidelines is being adhered to. A monthly expense and revenue report is submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration and these areas are monitored for compliance with the approved budget. Quarterly reports are submitted to the LCTCS Board to ensure that the College is maintaining the integrity of the approved budget. Any variations are noted and explained to the appropriate parties. End of year reports are generated to compare budgeted numbers to actual numbers and submitted to the LCTCS Board.

The following are some of the improvements and accomplishments of the Finance Department:

In fall 2004, the deferred payment plan was made available online so students would not have to visit the Business Office in person in order to select a plan.

In fall 2004, students were able to request and pay for transcripts online.

In spring 2005, the ability to make schedule changes, i.e. drop and/or add a class, was made available online, thereby decreasing lines at the Admissions/ Registrar's Office and the Business Office.

In fall 2005, training to faculty and staff on the Financial Forms Reference Guide was conducted.

In spring 2006, a webpage for the Finance Department was designed and may be viewed at http://www.bpcc.edu/finance.

HUMAN RESOURCES

The mission of the Human Resources Department of Bossier Parish Community College is to provide equitable and rewarding opportunity for all employees of BPCC. This mission is accomplished through conscientious application and administration of a comprehensive benefit package, attractive salary packages, and aggressive retirement options. The organization adheres to federal and state employment regulations and ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants.

FEBRUARY - The Human Resources Manual is reviewed annually and updated as new policy is approved by the LCTCS Board of Supervisors. Human Resources Department completes EEOC report. This report documents employment practices related to hiring. The Department tracks turnover rates for each calendar year. Exit questionnaires are distributed to exiting employees to record job satisfaction.

MARCH - Finance distributes next fiscal year budget requests for the Department. Director meets with each staff member to discuss any adjustments needed for the next fiscal year budget.

MAY - The Director attends the Planning Council Retreat. At the retreat, Vice Chancellors present their division/departments' accomplishments and provide an assessment of services. Director participates in discussion of fiscal year planning for all departments. The retreat sets the overall goals for the college and begins the planning process for each department. The Department receives an annual report card that assesses the Department's services. The annual report card is completed by members of the Planning Council. The Department meets to discuss the results of the report card and possible improvements needed.

JULY - The Department prepares Board of Regents report for classified employees and unclassified employees. This report lists all full-time positions with information regarding employee in position and salary information. The Department uses this information for comparison of salaries and benefits enrollment.

SEPT - The Department meets annually to discuss goals and objectives for each area of Human Resources; i.e., benefits, payroll, policies and procedures. Strategies are developed for each goal and objectives. These strategies are documented on the Strategies for Success.

NOVEMBER - The Department prepares IPEDS report for Institutional Research related to demographics and salary information of all full-time and part-time employees. The Department prepares Board of Regents report for unclassified employees. The Department uses this information for comparison of salaries and benefits enrollment.

The Human Resources Manual is reviewed annually and updated as new policy is approved by the LCTCS Board of Supervisors. The HR Employee Handbook is available on the BPCC website. Human Resources Department completes EEOC report. This report documents employment practices related to hiring. The EEOC policy, is stated in the HR Manual and Employee Handbook. The Department tracks turnover rates for each calendar year. Exit Questionnaires are distributed to exiting employees to record job satisfaction. The Finance Department distributes next fiscal year budget requests for the department. The Director meets with each staff member to discuss any adjustments needed for the next fiscal year budget.

As a member of the Planning Council, the Director attends the Planning Council Retreat. At the retreat, Vice Chancellors present their division/departments' accomplishments and provide an assessment of services. Director participates in discussion of fiscal year planning for all departments. The retreat sets the overall goals for the College and begins the planning process for each department.

At the end of the fiscal year, the overall assessment of the department effectiveness is reported in the Annual Report for the College. The Annual Report 133 details the changes based on the assessment outcomes and strategies for the future.

COMPUTER SERVICES

The mission of the Computer Services Department is to support, encourage and enhance the use of technology by faculty, staff and students by providing planning, budgeting and leadership for technology; and by administering the College's technical support units. These units provide technical infrastructure; College website maintenance; programming, training, design, consulting, and leadership for technology. In addition, the mission of Technical Support Services (TSS) is to manage and operate College-wide information systems and to coordinate support for the College information infrastructure in order to meet the academic and administrative computing needs of the College. The services that TSS provides include help desk, email, web server(s), academic server, database, IT security, and knowledge management services.

Since the move to the new campus, Computer Services has transformed the brick and mortar of our institution into a cohesive network of communication and learning. Moreover, completely new network architecture was implemented to complement the mission of BPCC and the new campus. The planning process for the acquisition of new equipment or software is a five step process designed to save the institution money through technological advancements. First, anticipated needs arise in Information Technology (IT). These anticipated needs usually concern improvements to the current system design and focus on warranty costs and end of life issues. Next, an analysis and discussion of the anticipated need is addressed at a departmental level where a proposed plan of action is created. If the purchase exceeds the state regulatory amount, then it must go before the Office of Information Technology via form (IT-10 Form). The Office of Information Technology is a state agency separate from our educational governing boards. The third step is to obtain funding for the proposed plan of action. If available, funding my come from various sources (i.e. the SGA student technology fee). The most appropriate sources are usually identified by the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration. The fourth step is to create a purchase request to the Purchasing Department for a price search. The final step is the equipments acquisition.

Computer Services systematic planning and evaluation process has yielded the following documented improvements in the Annual Report (129-131) over the 2004-2005 academic year:

• With the move to the College's new campus, the Department's strategy was to ensure a smooth information technology transition to the new BPCC campus. Over 600 computers were relocated, reloaded, and updated with the latest MS Windows XP and Office Software.
• The Computer Associates' management software has been implemented thus providing improved overall security, remote maintenance, and automated IT processes for College computers.
• The new form for the faculty evaluations has saved time and money because it is now printed on plain paper instead of form paper.

The mission of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) is to assure that Bossier Parish Community College provides a safe workplace and campus for employees, students, and visitors.

Current EHS manpower and equipment needs at the existing Bossier Parish Community College Campus are sufficient; however, the Department of Environmental Health and Safety planning process for new employees, equipment, and improvements hinges on the demands placed on the Department from the acquisition of the technical college campuses. While it must be acknowledged that many decisions are left to be made in the merger process, an increased demand on the Department seems inevitable. As each new campus is added, an assessment of the condition of the existing safety equipment, the needed improvements, and the effectiveness of current safety employees will be completed. Prioritized recommendations will be forwarded to the administration with requests for and needed new assets.

The most important accomplishment over last year is the revision of Bossier Parish Community College's entire Environmental Health and Safety program. This revision included the following:

• A newly written EHS Manual
• A newly developed inspection program
• Specialized policies for the Health and Physical Education Complex and Performing Arts Theatre
• Attendance at the Office of Risk Management continuing education programs
• Certification to teach the state mandated driving school

The mission of the Department of Purchasing, Receiving, and Property Control is to develop and implement sound procurement, receiving, and inventory practices in accordance with BPCC policy, legislative mandates, and Louisiana law and to provide quality and timely service to our customers and vendor communities.

The planning process for the Department of Purchasing, Receiving, and Property Control is primarily done on an "as needed" basis with need being determined by the demand that is placed on the department. The Department works with other associated departments (Human Resources, Physical Plant, Environmental Health and Safety, and Finance) when planning for new employee additions or equipment purchases. As needs arise with regard to employee additions and equipment purchases, they are submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration for evaluation of available funds and eventual approval.

Over the past year, the Department has added the following positions: Assistant Director of Purchasing, a Purchasing Agent, Property Control Manager, Administrative Coordinator IV, and Administrative Coordinator I.

PHYSICAL PLANT

The mission of the Department of the Physical Plant of Bossier Parish Community College is to provide quality services for the maintenance of all buildings and grounds.

The planning process for the Department of Physical Plant is primarily done on an "as needed" basis with need being determined by the demand that is placed on the Department by all other departments of the College. The Department works with other associated departments (Human Resources, Purchasing, Environmental Health and Safety, and Finance) when planning for new employee additions or equipment purchases. As needs arise with regard to employee additions and equipment purchases, they are submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration for evaluation of available funds and eventual approval.

CAMPUS SECURITY

The mission of Campus Security is to provide a safe and secure campus for all persons and property at Bossier Parish Community College. Campus Security has made several improvements to provide a continual flow of traffic and adequate parking for faculty, staff and students by changing the poorly marked faculty parking to a yellow color. The Department has added to its security staff by hiring two more police personnel. The campus has experienced minimal crimes: one arrest for felony drug charges; several small thefts or loss incidents, and one incident of vandalism of student's vehicle. Campus Security has requested to improve additional lighting on the campus as part of its planning for the upcoming academic year.

Economic Development is in compliance with SACS Core Requirement 2.5 as the unit engages in ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes that incorporate a systematic review of programs and services that (a) results in continuing improvements, and (b) demonstrates that the institution is effectively accomplishing its mission.

Economic Development consists of the following departments: Community Education, Workforce Development, Workforce Investment Act (W.I.A.) Out of School Youth Program, the ACT Center, and the Workplace Literacy Program. The primary mission of Economic Development is to develop and advance the workforce programs so that we can re-engineer and re-train Louisiana's workforce for an ever-changing global marketplace.

Each department within Economic Development engages in research-based planning and both internal and external systematic reviews in an effort to continually improve program quality and support of the College mission.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION

Community Education offers lifelong learning opportunities through a variety of affordable non-credit courses in leisure learning, professional development, computers, and online training that address the educational, recreational and cultural needs of the community. A program development timeline is established by Community Education each semester. This timeline includes beginning and ending dates for classes; recruiting instructors; establishing deadlines for submitting new courses. New course offerings are provided in response to student requests and/or current trends. Repeat courses are determined based on student evaluations, cancellation lists, and class accounting information.

Improvements are made as a result of student evaluations of classes, instructors, and customer service; the College report card scores; internal and external audits; and internal evaluations of the Community Education staff (staff meetings, informal suggestions).

Evaluation results help determine which courses to drop and which to keep; whether changes are needed for a course (content, location, fee, length, etc.); whether to drop or retain an instructor; and which new courses or programs to develop (whether leisure, professional or computer). Internal evaluations and audits help to make changes in daily operations that result in a more efficiently run office and/or one that adheres to policy changes.

The 2005-2006 Strategies for Success 27 indicate that the Department will add new certificate and license opportunities. The Annual Report 92 lists the locksmith program as a new license/certificate program available through the Community Education Department.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (IWTP)

The mission of Workforce Development is to become the leader in workforce development for the state of Louisiana. Through short-term programs that provide long-term employment, we hope to re-engineer and re-train Louisiana's workforce for an ever changing global marketplace. (Strategies for Success 29)

The IWTP Department meets regularly to discuss continuous changes in the IWTP program as administered by the Department of Labor, to ensure the College is complying and exceeding necessary performance standards. The Department strategy for successfully securing grant funding and administering those grants is developed with input from project coordinators. The strategy is further refined within a monthly Department/Division Head Meeting with other program directors in Economic Development. Other unscheduled planning meetings with Finance, Purchasing, and Computer Services occur from time to time to resolve unexpected challenges that arise in the administration of the grants.

Quarterly, IWTP receives Customer Satisfaction surveys from employers participating in grants. At the conclusion of training components, Training Evaluations for each Instructor/Vendor are received. Annually, each grant is monitored and reviewed for compliance and success by a representative of the Department of Labor.

The results of our evaluation instruments yield beneficial insights into which instructors/vendors deliver the highest quality service, which communication techniques create the best working relationships with employers, how to improve our accounting policies to help streamline the invoicing and payment process, and how to efficiently coordinate the enormous inventory and training databases we manage.

WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT (W.I.A.) FOR OUT OF SCHOOL YOUTH

The W.I.A. Program presents opportunities to better prepare at-risk youth between 17 and 21 to become employable, productive, and responsible citizens. The W.I.A. Program offers comprehensive services to help these youth transition into the workforce by receiving continued education and training opportunities.

W.I.A. offers participants basic literacy skills in the form of pre-G.E.D. instruction and/or customized training in a demand occupation.

• Participants working on G.E.D. will improve basic literacy skills by increasing grade levels.
• Participants who are in a customized training program will complete and receive a credential.
• Participants working on basic literacy skills will improve by at least one grade level or receive their G.E.D.
• Participants who receive a credential in a demand occupation will find employment.

The Workforce Investment Act-Youth Program has incorporated a more intensive screening process so participants can be better served. This is a crucial component to the overall success of the program. The staff targets motivation and abilities to gauge the probability of success. Since instituting a more intensive screening process, results have been remarkable

ACT CENTER

The mission of the ACT Center is to provide computer-based services including skill assessments, training and testing for the College community. The ACT Center accomplishes this mission by providing access to a full range of training and testing for industry-based certifications or other credentials needed for personal and professional development in a technological society. Through ongoing membership in organizations such as the National College Testing Association (NCTA) and Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the ACT Center has opportunities to learn about skill assessments, training, and testing services offered at other colleges as well as testing and training needed by the workforce. As new opportunities are identified, research is conducted to explore the feasibility of implementing new services that support the Department's mission. To ensure that new services support the College's academic and administrative departments, research and planning include input from appropriate faculty and administrators. Strict guidelines are observed in accordance with procedures mandated by each testing service (ACT, VUE, Certiport and others). Each testing service monitors the ACT Center's performance to ensure that procedures are followed. If procedures are not followed, the ACT Center jeopardizes the right to continue providing services for the different testing services. The ACT Center attempts to comply with all procedures, and consequently, the ACT Center has a good relationship with each testing service.

Testing candidates who utilize the ACT Center have the opportunity to evaluate their testing experience. These evaluations are reviewed by the ACT Center Director and Testing Coordinator. If the testing candidate wishes to be contacted by the ACT Center Director, the candidate can include his/her name and telephone number. Otherwise, the test candidate can make anonymous comments. When an evaluation identifies an area needing improvement, improvements are implemented. Few evaluations have been completed, and most comments are positive.

The ACT Center strives to effectively accomplish its mission through implementation of new services and by continuously seeking to improve customer service and test center operations for existing services. While the mission of the ACT Center was to provide computer-based testing and training to meet workforce needs, recent opportunities to provide academic testing services (CLEP testing and proctoring distance education exams) are now helping the ACT Center effectively accomplish its mission.

WORKPLACE LITERACY PROGRAM (WPL)

The Workplace Literacy Program offers employers tools to identify qualified job applicants. In addition, we ascertain the skills people need to be successful on the job and determine where additional training can develop a higher caliber workforce.

In response to area business and industry concern with labor market's basic skills deficiencies as well as statistics revealing 26% area population has less than a high school diploma, the WPL program created pre-GED classes in 2005. GED students are evaluated monthly to address attendance and rate of progress. Instructors meet monthly to identify new and innovative approaches to engaging students.

Current projects include:

• Assessing Allied Health students for admission to clinical programs
• Pre-employment skills assessments for business
• Pre-GED classes
• Basic skills enhancements for low skilled employees of local companies

The Workplace Literacy Program engages in ongoing evaluation of departmental progress based on student surveys and employer feedback

In summary, Bossier Parish Community College engages in ongoing, integrated, institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation as directed by the Louisiana State Legislature. This includes a systematic review of mission, goals and outcomes which results in continuing improvement in institutional quality and which demonstrates the institution's effectiveness in accomplishing its mission. The Legislature requires state agencies (every 3 years) to produce a 5-year strategic plan which remains consistent with the state's master plan.

Within the College, the Planning Council is responsible for setting and reviewing goals and objectives. Once goals are set by the Planning Council, each division/department prioritizes outcomes consistent with the Council's goals and offers its own recommendations. Upon approval by the Council, these divisions/departments create their own Strategies for Success. Divisions/departments then end each academic year by assessing their strategies.

The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment compiles these assessments into its Annual Report, which is subsequently employed by Planning Council members in an effort to revise and modify the Strategic Plan for the upcoming academic year. From its bi-monthly meetings, to its August planning session, to its Spring review process, the council consistently maintains its focus upon the College's mission through its continual review of goals and outcomes.

Administration, as well, engages in institution-wide planning and evaluation, and each unit of administration operates under an individual mission statement and narrative which promotes the mission, goals, and outcomes of the College.

BPCC is committed to its mission: to provide instruction and service to the community through sound academic education, broad career and workforce training, continuing education, and wide-ranging community services.