College Honored As ‘Model Of Efficiency’

— NorthWest Arkansas Community College is one of nine colleges and universities nationwide recognized by University Business magazine in its winter 2012 “Models of Efficiency” national recognition program.

At A Glance

Other Winners

In addition to NorthWest Arkansas Community College, winter 2012 Models of Efficiency honorees include:

Baldwin University (Ohio)

Dallas County Community College District (Texas)

Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management (Calif.)

Northern Michigan University

Polk State College (Fla.)

Southern California University of Health Sciences

Texas A&M Health Science Center

University of West Georgia.

Source: NorthWest Arkansas Community College

Sponsored by Higher One, a company that assists college business office operations, the Models of Efficiency program recognizes innovative approaches for streamlining higher education operations through technology and/or business process improvements, according to a news release.

The end-of-course evaluation process for the college was varied with some areas using Scantrons or other printed material and some using Zoomerang, an online tool, and still others using an online tool created in-house. The paper process was time consuming, while Zoomerang had to be tailored for each department, then the collected data processed into a usable format. In addition, instructors often didn’t receive feedback until weeks after the semester ended. A consistent process between the divisions needed to be identified and implemented, according to the release.

After a vetting process, the college’s IT department purchased the SmartEval online system. The survey consists of 17 questions, along with a custom section for departments or subject areas. Students receive an automatic email with a personalized URL specifically for classes they take, which they can access on- or off-campus. A reminder email is delivered near class-end, according to the release.

Piloted during the first five-week session of summer 2012, the new online system was a success, achieving a savings of $17,613. Previous annual estimated expenses were about $28,612. SmartEval costs about $11,000 per year and just two hours per month to maintain. In addition, the system also provides more timely feedback to faculty — just three days after final grades, according to the release.

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