Table of Contents 2

Executive Summary 5

1. Introduction 5
2. Concern One 5
3. Concern Two 8
4. Concern Three 9
5. Concern Four 11

Chapter One: Financial Condition 13

1. Level of Internal Borrowing 13
2. External Debt 14
3. Budget Concerns 15
4. Development and Fund Raising 17

Chapter Two: Enrollment and Retention 24

1. Recruitment and Enrollment 24
2. Retention and Attrition 28

Chapter Three: Off-campus Programs 32

1. Introduction 32
2. Program Setting 33
3. Cohort Locations 34
4. Staffing for Growth 35
5. Rapid Return on Investment and Integration with the Traditional Campus 36
6. Participation in Faculty Governance 37
7. Faculty 37
8. Building for the Future 39
9. Improving Quality 39
10. Summary 40

Chapter Four: Graduate Program in Ministry and Leadership 41

1. Introduction 41
2. Program Development 41
3. Curriculum Development 41
4. The Intensive Course Format 42
5. Integration with the Traditional Campus 43
6. Faculty 44
7. Governance 44
8. Building for the Future 44
9. Summary 45

Chapter Five: Summary 46

Chapter Six: Responses to Suggestions for Improvement 48

List of Tables

1. Table One – Debt Service 7
2. Table Two – Change in Faculty/Staff Salaries and Academic Budgets 7
3. Table Three – Traditional Student Enrollments 8
4. Table Four – Retention of First-Time Freshmen 8
5. Table Five – Retention of First-Time Minority Freshmen 9
6. Table Six – LAMP Program 10
7. Table Seven – GOAL Program 11
8. Table Eight – Enrollment Summary 1990-2000 24
9. Table Nine – Five-year History of Applications to Enrolled 25
10. Table Ten – Freshmen Cohort Participation in Athletics 27
11. Table Eleven – GOAL Unduplicated Headcounts/Number of Cohort Groups 37
12. Table Twelve – GOAL Faculty 38
13. Table Thirteen – GOAL Enrollments by Location, Gender, and Ethnicity 38
14. Table Fourteen – LAMP Enrollments/Faculty 45
15. Table Fifteen – Five-year History of Full- and Part-time Enrollments 52

Figures

1. Figure One – Internal Debt 13
2. Figure Two – External Debt 14
3. Figure Three – Net Tuition Per Student 17
4. Figure Four – Components of the Capital Campaign 22
5. Figure Five – Gift Income 22
6. Figure Six – Average Gift Income 23
7. Figure Seven – Six-year Graduation Rates 30
8. Figure Eight – Freshman to Sophomore Retention Rates 30
9. Figure Nine – GOAL Student Progression from Transfer to Graduation 34
10. Figure Ten – Expansion of GOAL Program Locations 35
11. Figure Eleven – Current Staffing for Office of Adult and Graduate Studies 36
12. Figure Twelve – Example of the LAMP Two-week Intensive Course Format 42
13. Figure Thirteen – Example of Three-year Progression through LAMP 43

Appendices

1. Basic Institutional Data Forms 54
2. New Millennium Commission Strategic Plan 75
3. Ten-year Budget Projections 89
4. Greenville College Governance Structure 91
5. List of Majors 92

1. Reviewing the institution for reaccreditation;
2. Reviewing a request for initiation of a Master’s degree program in Ministry and Leadership; and
3. Evaluating expansion of a degree completion program to sites beyond that of the Greenville campus.

At the conclusion of the visit, the evaluation team recommended continued accreditation for the College. The next comprehensive visit will take place in 2005-2006. Part of the recommended change to the Statement of Affiliation Status (SAS) included a mandated focus visit during the 2000-2001 academic year, with the purpose of continued monitoring of:

1. Financial condition, debt reduction, development and fund-raising (see chapter one);
2. Enrollment trends, retention, and attrition (see chapter two);
3. Off-campus programs (see chapter three); and
4. The graduate program in Ministry and Leadership (see chapter four).

The remainder of the Executive Summary will highlight the current status of each concern. See the appropriate chapter for a fuller discussion of the issues raised by the evaluation team.

Several actions have been taken to address the fiscal condition of the College:

1. Improved systems to provide accurate and timely reports for decision making;
2. Engaged the services of a consultant to provide an assessment of the College’s fiscal condition;
3. Purchased a new data management system so that all aspects of the College’s administrative functions could be integrated; and
4. Made changes in personnel to address areas needing greater attention or support.

Discussion of the main concerns of the evaluation team follows.

A. Internal Borrowing

The following steps have been taken to reduce the amount of internal borrowing:

1. The Board of Trustees acted in May 1999 to eliminate the possibility of internal borrowing from the endowment fund.
2. The College moved all annuity funds to an outside agency for management beginning January 1998. As of June 30, 2000, King Trust Company of the Free Methodist Foundation in Spring Arbor, Michigan, is managing $3,760,649 in endowment investments. Licenses to manage annuity funds are now held in every state where annuitants reside.
3. The College established the Greenville College Foundation in May 1999 to administer the endowment as well as restricted and temporarily restricted grants and gifts. Funds were transferred to the Foundation in October 1999. As of June 30, 2000, the endowment was valued at $7,588,904.
4. The College developed systems to provide accurate and timely financial reports.

As a result, internal debt to the endowment has been reduced from a high of $4,767,000 in 1996 to a balance of $3,794,000 as of June 30, 2000. The upcoming Capital Campaign includes a major component for endowment that aims to retire the $3.8 million debt. A deferred gift of $1 million has already been committed, leaving a balance of $2.8 million to be pledged.

B. External Debt

External debt has, in fact, increased since the last NCA visit from $5.4 million in 1996 to a low of $4.9 million in 1998, and a balance as of June 30, 2000 of $7.2 million. However, the level of debt load impacting the annual budget has remained relatively stable from fiscal years 1996 to 2000. Table One shows the College’s service of debt load for the past five fiscal years.

Table One

DEBT SERVICE (in thousands)

Two factors have largely contributed to the increased external debt-- issuance of $1.4 million in bonds in order to address deferred maintenance and safety issues and the repayment of $651,000 to the Department of Education after receiving funds that should not have been issued. Additional borrowing in the current fiscal year (2000-2001) for a residence hall and a bookstore/classroom building is fully amortized by offsetting revenue from increased student room fees and long-term lease and pledge commitments.

C. Budget Concerns

Increases in faculty and staff salaries, deferred maintenance, academic budgets, and equipment and supplies have increased but not at the desired rate. Progress has been made in addressing deferred maintenance with the issuance of the $1.4 million bond issue December 1999. Other changes are highlighted in Table Two. Following use of an external consultant in Fall 1999, expense reductions were effected through staff reductions and budget cuts. At the same time, significant changes in personnel, systems, and auditors were implemented to permit closer control of expenses.

Table Two

CHANGE IN FACULTY/STAFF SALARIES and ACADEMIC BUDGETS

Table Three indicates that between 1990 and 1997, enrollment in Greenville’s traditional program fluctuated between 803 and 893. Beginning Fall 1998, enrollment has steadily increased. The most notable and dramatic increase of 84 students occurred Fall 2000.

While spring-to-fall retention rates still need improvement, note (Table Four) that beginning with the 1997 freshmen cohort, with one exception, the retention percentages are all at least slightly higher than the six-year average in every category. This indicates a trend in the right direction.

Table Four

RETENTION OF FIRST-TIME FRESHMEN

Table Five shows retention rates for first-time freshmen minority students. With regard to minority students, again the retention rate is not at the desired level. But here too the retention trend has improved since 1997 in all instances save one.

Table Five

RETENTION OF FIRST-TIME MINORITY FRESHMEN

Concerted efforts have been made to address the developmental needs of minority students. Among these are:

Start-up costs for the Master of Arts in Leadership and Ministry (LAMP) degree did not drain resources from the traditional program. A grant from the Chatlos Foundation in the amount of $10,000 and from an anonymous donor via the Free Methodist Foundation in the amount of $25,000 provided necessary funds to add library resources, develop curriculum and complete initial research on a course format. Dialog with prospective program participants determined that a twice-yearly, two-week, intensive format was preferred. Building on that input, planning continued in preparation for the initial course offerings.

LAMP is organized to use revenue generated by the program to pay necessary direct operating expenses, and has served primarily to help prepare persons for service. Table Six summarizes tuition revenue, expenses, enrollment, and staffing since the inception of the program. Faculty staffing and curriculum development have been organized to prevent any negative drain in personnel resources in the College’s Religion and Philosophy department (the department most directly related to LAMP). The program is currently operating with little, if any, additional monies being contributed from general program operations. Courses have been offered on the Greenville College campus at times (January and August) when traditional students and faculty are least impacted. No courses have been offered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Additional discussion of the LAMP program development is provided in Chapter Four and in the LAMP Operation Plan located in the Resource Room. An analysis of the program using NCA criteria as a guide is included in the appendices of the Operation Plan.

Table Six

LAMP PROGRAM

A major factor in the Greenville College Opportunities in Adult Learning (GOAL) program not draining resources from the residential program was the result of permissions granted to move the program beyond the Kaskaskia Community College District. Application was made to the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) in the spring of 1996 to offer the GOAL program in four additional community college districts. IBHE approved the application in July 1996. Following state approval, application was made to NCA in the fall of 1996 for permission to offer the program in the community college districts approved by IBHE. The NCA commission in November 1996 approved the application.

With permission to offer the GOAL program in the population centers of south central Illinois, program enrollment surged (see Table Seven). From 1996-1997 to the 1999-2000 academic year, tuition produced by increasing enrollment has far exceeded program costs and thus has contributed a significant surplus to overall College operations.

Table Seven

GOAL PROGRAM

Care has been taken to provide the staff and resources necessary to provide a quality learning environment and student services at each classroom site. Attention is constantly given to development of new classroom locations in the region in order to sustain enrollment and meet adult learner needs for a degree program that integrates with their work and family life.

Additional discussion of the GOAL program development is provided in Chapter Three and in the GOAL Operation Plan located in the Resource Room. An analysis of the program using NCA criteria as a guide is included in the appendices of the Operation Plan.

Chapter Five summarizes the progress that has been made and highlights next steps. Chapter Six briefly addresses the suggestions for improvement that were part of the evaluation team report of the April 1996 comprehensive visit.

In addition, rigorous controls have been established for the expenditure of these funds. The Foundation staff monitors and approves all expenses to ensure the funds are spent in accordance with the expressed purposes of the gifts or grants.

During the past five years, the amount of internal debt has been reduced from a high of $4,767,000 in 1996 to a balance as of June 30, 2000 of $3,794,000. The unrestricted fund pays interest on this debt at the rate of seven percent (7%) per annum.

The external debt has increased over the past five years, from $5.4 million in 1996 to a low of $4.9 million in 1998, and a balance as of June 30, 2000 of $7.2 million. This debt consists of the following:

Type of Debt June 30, 1996 June 30, 2000

Notes Payable to Individuals $ 1,245,000 $ 866,757

Bank Line-of-Credit 550,000 925,000

Mortgages Payable 34,000 0

Notes Payable – Computer Equipment 0 272,515

Capital Leases – Computer Equipment 0 77,599

Series A and B Revenue Bonds 142,000 0

1989/1998 Series Bonds 3,465,000 3,620,000

1999 Series Bonds ________ 0 1,400,000

Total Debt $ 5,436,000 $ 7,161,871

The Department of Education (DOE) debt was incurred in fiscal years 1998 and 1999. The College overdrew $651,000 from direct student loan funds. An arrangement was made with the DOE to pay back the debt in three installment payments in fiscal year 1999-2000.

In 1998, the 1989 Series Bond was refinanced at a more favorable interest rate. In 1999, a bond for $1,400,000 was issued for deferred maintenance and campus improvements. These funds were used to install fire alarm systems, fire escapes and to remodel residence halls. Notes and capital leases for computer equipment were obtained for the laptop program. This program, which started in 1998, provides laptops for faculty and students. Because students in the program pay $450 per semester for the use of the laptop, this is largely a self-amortizing program. During the summer of 1999, a campus wireless network was installed. This wireless connection enables all students/faculty with a wireless card to access the network inside or outside of buildings on the main campus. The majority of the funding for the "wireless campus" came from grant funds provided by the state of Illinois.

Additional external debt incurred in fiscal year 2001 includes $1.9 million in loans for a new bookstore/classroom building (offset by guaranteed revenue from a bookstore lease, pledges, and gifts) and a new residence hall (offset by additional room income).

A comprehensive debt retirement plan must include budgeted surpluses in unrestricted funds. A draft for such a plan resulted from the visit to campus in the fall of 1999 by a financial consultant. A second draft, prepared by the new chief financial officer this spring, projects the College budget and cash flow for the next ten years (see Appendix C). Its success depends on continued enrollment increases and continued expense reductions.

In addition to projected surpluses, a second focus for internal debt repayment will be on solicitation of gifts. The Capital Campaign discussed later in this chapter includes repaying funds that were borrowed internally in the amount of $2.8 million.

Budget constraints will continue to be a reality at Greenville College for the foreseeable future. The amount of indebtedness and annual debt service creates a burden on available programming funds. The board and current administration are aware of the need to operate within a balanced budget. The President’s Cabinet is currently reviewing a ten-year budget model that will reflect various assumptions, e.g., enrollment, gift income, salaries, etc. This model will give the administration direction for future budget decisions. Budget and accounting procedures in the past have not been adequate. Financial systems have been poor and financial data unreliable and difficult to obtain. In October 1999, President V. James Mannoia contracted the consulting services of Tom Bakewell to evaluate the financial condition of the College. As a result of Mr. Bakewell’s evaluation and policies put forward by the Board of Trustees, the following actions were taken:

Staff and administrative staff salaries increased by five percent during the 2000-2001fiscal year. The goal of the administration was to bring staff and administrative staff salaries to targeted levels by July 2001. However, unanticipated dramatic increases in health insurance costs (34 percent) in January 2001 led the administration, after consultation with employees, to allocate more resources to benefits and delay more substantial direct salary increases for another year.

The architectural firm of ABRIS has documented the amount of deferred maintenance at Greenville College. The architect’s estimate of deferred maintenance is $6,000,000. With the recent bond issue, progress has been made in this area. A substantial amount of the upcoming Capital Campaign will be dedicated to addressing deferred maintenance.

Following the NCA visit in April 1996, the College began the process of addressing the concerns mentioned relative to fund-raising. The President, at that time, made a difficult personnel change in the Vice President for College Advancement position. In concert with the Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees, a new Vice President for College Advancement, Mr. David A. Hoag, was hired in July 1996 after a national search.

Shortly thereafter, an audit of the department (evaluating personnel, budget, fundraising goals, and programs) was conducted. The study used material written by Dr. Wesley K. Willmer from Biola University.

The audit revealed several areas that needed attention. First, additional funds to support the advancement office were required to reach the CCCU mean ($200,000) for institutions of Greenville’s size. Second, staff size was determined to be inadequate, based on comparisons with other institutions. Finally, the College ranked below other institutions in terms of gifts and grants raised.

The College implemented a plan to address the areas of concern presented in the advancement audit. Priorities were established and included the following, to be discussed in greater detail in the remainder of this chapter:

1. Increasing the Annual Fund (unrestricted support);
2. Improving funding of annuities;
3. Establishing the Greenville College Foundation (restricted and endowed gifts); and
4. Increasing focus on planning in the following areas:
1. Institutional strategic plan – New Millennium Commission (NMC);
2. Deferred maintenance plan;
3. Campus Master Plan;
4. Capital Campaign Feasibility Study;
5. "Vision 2005"; and
6. The next Capital Campaign.

1. Increasing the Annual Fund – Historically, the College’s major fundraising efforts had focused on the winter telethon program. Even though this had been a fairly successful program, the College missed other opportunities throughout the year. A strategic annual fund program was put in place including: (1) major gift efforts – moves management; (2) direct mail/telethon improvements; (3) President’s Society – major gift recognition program and events; (4) entire year programming of advancement activities; and (5) improved alumni and public relations initiatives.

2. Annuity Fund Improvements – Prior to January 1998, the College had only reserved the gift portion of gift annuities. It was decided to place the face value of the annuity in an annuity reserve to preserve the entire gift in order to benefit the institution more in the future. At that time, current tax laws encouraged institutions to be "licensed" in states where they issued annuities. Consequently, the College entered into a partnership with its denominational foundation "The Free Methodist Foundation" (FMF). The FMF now issues annuities on the institution’s behalf. The FMF is licensed in all states where Greenville College does business. Following the restructuring of the annuity program, the College has secured many new annuities, one of which was valued at more than $1,000,000. The current known annuities of the "Cooperative Planned Giving Program" through 2000 for the College through the Free Methodist Foundation are valued at over $18 million and are in the following categories:

Outright Gift/Estate Maturities - $615,731

Revocable Planned Gifts - $14,260948

Irrevocable Planned Gifts - $3,847,909

3. The Greenville College Foundation (restricted and endowed gifts) – In order to improve the integrity of the endowment (due to past internal borrowing), the Board of Trustees formed a task force in 1998 to study the feasibility of creating the Greenville College Foundation with two main functions: (1) raise additional endowment funds for the institution; and (2) manage the endowment – investments and distributions. In May 1999, the Board of Trustees approved the organization of the Foundation. The Foundation has been active since July 1, 1999. During the first year, endowment policies were established and better stewardship reporting to donors is occurring.

4. Planning Stages – This portion of the plan uses information gathered by various studies, most of which have been completed. The results from these will help direct the case for institutional support. The four planning stages are as follows:

1. Institutional Strategic Plan - During the spring of 2000, the Board of Trustees approved a new strategic plan (New Millennium Commission) to guide the College for the next three to five years (see Appendix B).
2. Deferred Maintenance Plan – During the summer of 1998, the plan was completed with a total of deferred maintenance needs in excess of $6 million.
3. Campus Master Plan – A campus committee was organized in Spring 2000 to create a plan to complement the work done by the New Millennium Commission. In November 2000, a draft of the master plan was presented to the Board of Trustees. Suggested changes are now being incorporated into the report. The plan will be finalized May 2001.
4. Capital Campaign Feasibility Study – During the summer of 2000, the College selected campaign counsel to assist with a feasibility study for the next campaign at Greenville College. The study is being completed this spring and will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees in May 2001.
5. "Vision 2005"– The 1996 NCA self-study report indicated that the College would implement "Vision 2005." The ten-year goal for the campaign was set at $40 million. A feasibility study to measure constituency interest and capability to support the campaign had not been conducted. Several of the items that were part of Vision 2005 have been addressed:

Changes made in advancement leadership after the 1996 NCA report resulted in the institution experiencing its top four years of gift support. In 1996, total gift income was $1.7 million. Since then gift income has doubled. Gift income decreased slightly during 1998-1999, in large part because of a presidential transition.

In summary, it is our goal to increase gift income to exceed $4 million annually, and to decrease dependence on the annual fund (unrestricted fund) to approximately $1 million per year. The result will be increased funds for endowment and restricted purposes.

During the past four years, the gift income average has grown to more than $3.1 million. In the four years prior to the 1996 visit, gift income averaged just over $1.5 million.

The 1996 NCA report commented on the positive trend in enrollment. As Table Eight indicates, this positive trend has continued.

In 1997, two significant changes occurred for the admissions program. Mr. Randy Comfort was hired as Dean of Admissions to oversee the Offices of Admissions and Student Financial Services. Mr. Comfort came to Greenville College with ten years of admissions experience from colleges similar to Greenville in Oregon, California, and Colorado.

The other significant change was the disbanding of the Kaskaskia Community College (KC) dual matriculation program, which provided about 115 Greenville area students the opportunity to attend Greenville College at a significantly reduced tuition rate. While the absence of this program caused a dip in enrollment during the first year, increasing numbers have been achieved since that time. A Greenville Area Scholarship was introduced in 1997 to include students in the KC region, while expanding the College’s market to areas north, south, and west of the College. Increasing emphasis on dependents of alumni, denominational relationships, and regional students have also contributed to enrollment growth.

Financial Aid has also experienced change in the past five years with the hiring of Mr. Karl Somerville as Director of Student Financial Services. This position enabled the College to combine the Offices of Financial Aid and Student Accounts, providing students with more efficient processing of their financial documents and payments.

In 1996, the NCA evaluation team report made the following four recommendations:

1. Significantly broaden the pool from which the student body is drawn;
2. Take steps to insure a diverse student body;
3. Aggressively address student retention; and
4. Develop a creative financing plan to address student debt load.

1. Significant steps were taken to broaden the pool of prospective students, including purchasing lists of names from ACT and the National Research Council for College and University Admissions (NRCCUA). While these names broadened the pool, there was little evidence that this strategy impacted enrollment. The new Dean of Admissions moved away from purchasing names to expanding and broadening recruiting efforts through advertising and promotion. This shift in strategy has resulted in increasing enrollment trends since 1997 (see Table Nine).

FIVE-YEAR HISTORY OF APPLICATIONS TO ENROLLED

In Fall 1997, the Board of Trustees took proactive steps by creating two task forces to address declining enrollments. One evaluated the Office of Admissions; the other reviewed and suggested changes in pricing and financial aid.

The Admissions Task Force recommended recruiting strategies not currently being used and confirmed that the admissions program under the new Dean of Admissions was running well. As a result, in Fall 2000, the College welcomed its largest new student class.

The Financial Aid Task Force found that as the cost of private higher education has continued to rise, parents have become more concerned over rising costs. Recommendations from the Task Force included increasing grants for students who were more inclined to stay enrolled at the College, such as children of alumni, children of parents in Christian service, and students from the Free Methodist denomination. It also recommended a tuition freeze for two years, followed by increasing costs at only the cost of living for the next two years. All Task Force recommendations were adopted and the costs were frozen for two years beginning Fall 1998, and then increased by the cost of living for the Fall 2000. The institution took the position that with increased enrollment, the increasing costs of running the College would be covered. However, in spite of increased enrollments, the College found it difficult to keep up with salary increases and other costs while the tuition freeze was in place. Net revenue actually fell. With an increase in charges for Fall 2000 of approximately the cost of living, this trend has been reversed.

2. Assistance from many segments of the campus has been used to insure greater diversity in our student body. While the admissions office has continued to make this a priority, other areas of campus are vital to the successful enrollment and retention of minority students. Support structures, student services, faculty of color, off-campus opportunities, and on-campus programming are essential to bringing and retaining ethnic minority students. Efforts to increase the minority presence in the faculty and staff have contributed to momentum toward impacting minority students.

Admissions and marketing efforts are driven primarily through the Minority Student Marketing Plan that was created in 1997. Efforts to bring minority prospective students to campus have been very positive, as has refining our student services to provide expanded opportunities for minority involvement on and off campus.

Addressing issues important to minorities has helped with the retention of minority students, but much more work is needed. The implementation of a Multicultural Affairs Committee is continuing to oversee this area of campus life.

3. Aggressively address student retention (see page 28).

4. Student debt load is being addressed with the broadening of loan counseling to include pre-enrollment and post-enrollment student conferences.

Expense issues are still being addressed, while attempting to balance the increasing needs of the College in the areas of salaries, diversity, cross-cultural programming, technology, academic programming, and supplies. Financial aid discounting continues to be a concern as the College defines more clearly the institutional goals and objectives. The student academic profile is stronger, given the emphasis on academic scholarships. The College continues to balance the awarding of merit-based awards with need-based aid while staying within budget.

Table Ten

FRESHMEN COHORT PARTICIPATION IN ATHLETICS

Results from new student surveys over the past three years confirm that the practices and procedures in the admissions program have helped students make a smooth transition from high school to college. A High School Student Awareness and Perception Survey conducted in the summer of 1998 provided data that confirmed that people are not sufficiently aware of Greenville College even in geographic areas relatively close to the College. Expanded advertising in the St. Louis area, including Metro East, has been implemented. A campaign was created in 1999 through the efforts of public relations, GOAL, and admissions that included movie theatre promos, mall kiosks, radio advertising, and newspaper ads. To date, no formal evaluation regarding the effectiveness of the campaign has occurred. However, word of mouth feedback has been very positive. Plans are underway to launch a St. Louis series to raise regional awareness of GC that is being funded by an anonymous donor.

Over the past ten years, Greenville College has been able to attract and enroll between 270 and 315 new students per year. The retention rate has been below expectations for an institution focused on attracting students who thrive in a close family-like environment. Dr William Flanagan, Vice President for Student Affairs at Beloit College and a member of the 1996 NCA visit team, was brought to campus in January 2001 as a consultant focusing on sophomore year retention. Commenting on our retention rate in his written remarks Dr. Flanagan said, "…remember, Greenville is doing reasonably well given your admissions picture."

During the five-year period prior to Fall 1997, mean retention and graduation rates were 69 and 43 percent, respectively. This compares to similar institutions in the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), of which Greenville is a member, as follows: the mean retention and graduation rates for the same period were 72 and 47 percent, respectively. The College became acutely aware of the fact that there must have been good reasons why students were not persisting. Until Fall 1997, efforts to find out why students were leaving were at best inconsistent and erratic.

In the summer of 1997, Greenville College accepted the offer to participate in a national Quality/Retention Project involving 86 church-related colleges and universities. Dr. Laurie Schreiner, co-author of the Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), became the project coordinator. Noel-Levitz made data-gathering instruments and data analysis available at significantly reduced rates. As a part of this project, data on approximately 20,000 students have been collected annually relative to student satisfaction (using the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, SSI) as well as risk factors in entering student (using the Noel-Levitz College Student Inventory, CSI). In addition, the Institutional Priorities Survey (IPS) was administered to the faculty. Uniform standards for tracking the retention and graduation rates for the 86 participating institutions have been implemented.

By December 1997, former President Smith appointed a campus wide Retention Committee comprised of representatives from the faculty, students and administration. Dr. Laurie Schreiner was retained as a consultant and came to the campus in January 1998 to mobilize the entire community to become more aware of retention-related issues. She communicated clearly that achieving a higher rate of retention is a multi-faceted problem that primarily relates to issues of quality. When proper attention is given to such issues, and students feel that their needs are being addressed, higher retention becomes a by-product. Closely guided by our consultant, the following specific steps were taken in setting up a campus wide retention program at Greenville College.

• CCCU Quality/Retention Project opportunity adopted July, 1997
• Student Satisfaction Inventory administered October, 1997
• Retention Committee appointed by the President December, 1997
• Dr. Laurie Schreiner, consultant brought to campus January, 1998
• Institutional Priorities Survey administered to faculty January, 1998
• Received results of the SSI January, 1998
• Conducted student focus group research March, 1998
• Retention Committee attended National Retention Conference March, 1998
• Action Plan presented to President Smith June, 1998
• Results of Action Plan Initiatives report to President August, 1998
• Year II ---cycle repeated September, 98/99
• Year III --- cycle repeated September, 99/00
• Year IV—cycle begun September, 00/01
• Emphasis:
• Year I Mobilization of Campus—gather data—develop a data base
• Year II Role of Faculty in Retention—Academic Advising – created Academic Advising Handbook
• Year III First Year and Sophomore year programming*
• Year IV Four year comprehensive retention model, emphasis on the development of a strength-based approach to student success and retention.

With the help of Dr. Laurie Schreiner, the Retention Task Force initially established retention and graduation rate goals. By 2001, the goal was to achieve mean retention and graduation rates comparable to the mean of CCCU institutions (72.9 and 47.2 percent respectively) by 2001. Since participating in the project, the fall-to-fall retention rates have been as follows: 1998 - 76.5 percent; 1999 - 71.6 percent; and 2000 - 73 percent. The six-year freshman cohort graduation rates over the same period were: 1992 - 44.5 percent; 1993 - 42.3 percent; and 1994 – 41.3 percent.

Strategic Indicators adopted as part of the New Millennium Commission Strategic Plan compares Greenville’s graduation and retention rates to competitor and model colleges. See Appendix B for a list of these colleges and universities. Figure Seven shows six-year graduation rates.

In response to the decline in graduation rates, the Retention Task Force appointed a sub-committee to assess reasons for the decline. Recommendations from the sub-committee regarding ways to address this issue will be included in a report to the President in Fall 2001.

Figure Eight compares Greenville’s freshman to sophomore retention rates with competitor and model institutions for the years 1997-2000. The College’s retention rates have moved in the right direction (from 69 percent to 73 percent) even though they do not compare to those of the competitor and model colleges and universities.

Retention is one of the top three priorities on the President’s agenda. In Spring 2000, Dr. Laurie Schreiner spent a total of three days on campus consulting with the President’s cabinet, faculty, student development staff and student leaders. A new general education program was adopted by the faculty and implemented beginning Fall 2000. All first-time freshmen were subdivided into groups of 15-18 and assigned to a three hour credit bearing course entitled Foundations of the Liberal Arts (Core 101) taught by 16 carefully selected faculty members. In addition to teaching the course, the faculty related to students socially, served as their advisor, and helped them adjust to college. We believe these progressive and intentional programmatic innovations incorporated over the last three years will have a beneficial impact on the quality of our offerings, learning environment, and interactions with students, resulting in increased retention/graduation rates.

In Summer 2000, Greenville's commitment to improving retention was advanced through a grant of $464,000 (to be shared with Eastern College in Pennsylvania) from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). Titled "Affirming Students' Strengths: A Campus-Wide Approach to Student Success," the project involves a comprehensive strengths-based approach to student success and retention.   

As part of this project, Greenville is serving as a national test site for The Gallup Organization to use the "Strengths Finder" (a web-based instrument that has been widely used in the corporate world) with all first-year students.  This four-year project involves linking students' strengths with consideration of academic majors and career paths, service learning and a senior "capstone" experience.  Because Greenville is only mid-way through the first year of the project, its impact on retention is yet to be determined.

Since the program’s inception in 1995, the focus of the Greenville College Opportunities in Adult Learning (GOAL) program has been to complement and extend the mission of Greenville College. The format of the program is consistent with the College’s focus on a transformational liberal arts education within a Wesleyan theological tradition. The program was organized to expand from the traditional residential program without negative impact on administrative, faculty, and physical plant resources.

The GOAL program mission and outcomes for the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership (BSOL) major emanate from the institutional mission, philosophy and educational goals and objectives. The curriculum focuses on helping adult learners track their development of mind, body and spirit. GOAL students identify their gifts, develop important workplace abilities, and realize transformation is a lifelong process.

The regional demographics and educational model demand a program that is offered in areas away from the main campus and proximate to population centers where working adults can integrate attending the program with the rest of their lives. Adapting the program to the region has required three expansion actions within the six years of program operation.

The GOAL program is offered in the traditional degree completion format. Instead of requiring attendance on multiple days of the week over 15-week semesters, the classes are held on a one-class-night per week basis (6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.) Courses last five weeks and students enroll in one course at a time in consecutive order. The program is offered in a closed enrollment, cohort model. Cohorts include 15 to 20 students and are recruited by location. Once enrolled, the group progresses through the 11-course, 38- credit-hour curriculum (refer to the Resource Room for examples of a schedule and for course descriptions). Students are not added to the cohort once the course sequence begins. One hundred and four students have earned the bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership since the inception of the program.

In order to earn a degree, students must persist with their studies for approximately 18 months. As Figure Nine indicates, credits earned are added to previously completed education to reach the 120-semester credit hour graduation requirement. Students may enter the program by transferring between 60 and 82 semester credit hours of previous college work. Students who transfer 82 credit hours and meet the general education requirements of the College are not required to complete additional coursework outside of the major. Students who transfer from 60 and 81 credit hours into the program are required to complete additional coursework either at Greenville or another regionally accredited institution.

Organizational Leadership.

1. In 1995-1996, the program was offered only on the Greenville College campus due to NCA regulations (noted by #1 Figure Ten on the next page).
2. In 1996-1997, after receiving two approvals from NCA (one during the comprehensive visit and one resulting from a separate application), the program began operation in Godfrey, Belleville, Springfield, Centralia, and Effingham (noted by #2).
3. During the 1999-2000 academic year, an Edwardsville cohort was added (no additional approval was needed due to its location in the Lewis and Clark Community College District/Region 8 in the new IBHE system [denoted by #3]).
4. In 2000-2001, Decatur has become a cohort location after receiving NCA permission by letter (due to the IBHE change in determining off-campus program boundaries [denoted by #4]).
5. Preparation is underway for offering the program in the Champaign/Urbana region in 2001-2002 year (denoted by #5) in order to encourage continued enrollment growth.

Other colleges beginning degree completion programs often attempt to blend administrative assignments with the traditional campus. This practice retards program development for both student types. A strong, initial commitment to program administration was made when a team of four people was hired to plan and implement the program. This staffing pattern allowed for development of key functions: curriculum development, program administration, student and faculty policies, marketing and recruiting plans and future planning. As the area and students served by the program has grown, additional staffing has been added (Figure Eleven illustrates the current staff).

The original curriculum model for the program was provided by National-Louis University in Naperville, Illinois. Key to modest initial financial outlay for curricular development was the fact that the start-up consulting and the curriculum were acquired for a very reasonable one-time fee. National-Louis University did not receive a percentage of tuition or retain control of curriculum development. Both of these components are typical of consultant agreements with small colleges beginning degree completion programs. As the financial figures in the executive summary indicate, freedom from these restrictions contributed to a more rapid payback of initial program costs and greater financial contribution to college operation in subsequent years. Having immediate control of curriculum development allowed Greenville College faculty to begin the process of adapting coursework and research requirements for the traditional campus to fit the accelerated, adult degree completion format. Since beginning the program, each course has been re-written and/or updated by Greenville College faculty.

Table Eleven

UNDUPLICATED HEADCOUNTS AND NUMBER OF COHORT GROUPS

The Dean of Adult and Graduate Studies works under the direction of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). Operational budgets are developed, managed, and reviewed with oversight from the VPAA and the Vice President for Finance. Hiring practices of faculty and staff follow established practices.

Academically, the Social Science division provides oversight for curriculum development and improvement. The faculty receive regular updates on program development via newsletter and presentations. The Academic Director working with GOAL program faculty directs ongoing curriculum revision. New courses, such as "Writing Strategy and Organization," are approved through the existing governance process.

The Dean of Adult and Graduate Studies is a member of the College’s Assessment Advisory Committee. This membership allows for assessment efforts in the GOAL program to be an adaptation of traditional campus efforts to confirm mission effectiveness.

Faculty assignments in the BSOL include primary and individual course instructors. Primary instructors serve as the project advisor for a cohort and teach four to five courses. Individual course professors instruct one to two courses depending on their education and experience. Sixty persons have served as GOAL faculty in the first 36 cohorts (see Table Twelve). Faculty includes: 1. full-time traditional faculty serving as adjuncts; 2. full-time administrative staff serving as adjuncts; 3. part-time adjunct faculty serving in both the traditional and GOAL program; and 4. part-time GOAL adjunct faculty.

Table Twelve

GOAL FACULTY (Cohorts 1-36)

Each plays a vital role in presenting and facilitating the instructional program. All faculty are approved for work in the GOAL program by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Dean of Adult and Graduate Studies.

Table Thirteen

GOAL ENROLLMENTS BY LOCATION, GENDER, and ETHNICITY

The GOAL program continues to evolve as part of the College’s strategic planning process known as the New Millennium Commission (NMC). Plans call for the BSOL degree to be offered in the current regions while further study is performed on new site locations in the central and southeastern parts of the state (as detailed on page five in the Operation Plan).

New degree offerings have received careful attention for future offering through the GOAL program. Development of a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies is being evaluated, given the large number of correctional facilities and law enforcement agencies in the region. Given the current supportive relationship between GOAL and LAMP, planning is underway for a partnership with the College’s Department of Teacher Education to offer a Master of Arts in Education to teaching professionals and people seeking to enter teaching. Because of the importance of teacher education to the College and the evolving nature of the field, this partnership is receiving priority in its development. The Master of Arts in Education concept has been approved unanimously by the faculty and is on the agenda of the May 2001 meeting of the board. Further information is available in the Resource Room.

Program evaluation and student assessment have paralleled program development in terms of being new and dynamic. The first three years of program operation involved creating, approving and improving the program curriculum and operations. While many improvements have been made in every area, they have been based largely on student and faculty feedback. Student assessment has been traditional in its method – professors grading students course by course with subjective standards.

A more formal tracking system showing student outcomes with established performance standards that coincide with theories of adult learning is planned for

implementation over the next three years (additional details are available in the GOAL Operation Plan in the Resource Room). These will include consideration of the educational goals of Greenville College and the needs of employers in the region. Curriculum changes, such as implementing a course focusing on writing, and the introduction of a portfolio process will allow NCA assessment requirements to be honored. The recently released NCA "Exemplary Principles of Good Practice that Characterize Adult Degree Completion Programs and the Awarding of Credit for Prior Learning" is being reviewed and integrated into the program assessment process.

At the time of the 1996 NCA Comprehensive Visit, the GOAL program was new and limited in its operation. The subsequent four and a half years of operation have revealed that it is an valued addition to the College’s academic offerings. The capabilities provided by GOAL in terms of increasing the visibility of Greenville College, developing off-campus education, and providing additional sources of enrollment and tuition revenue are now integral to college operations. Future plans call for further development of the program as Greenville College continues to integrate its primary focus on traditional, residential-based education with the fast evolving area of adult and graduate studies. Please refer to Table Seven (page 11) for a picture of the tremendous impact the GOAL program has had on the campus.

Greenville College was founded in 1892 and, throughout its history, has been dedicated to the education of church leadership by means of both the bachelor’s degree and post-baccalaureate studies. In the 1930’s, the College offered an A. B. degree in Ministry and sponsored an off-campus program known as the Winona extension. Today the bachelor’s degree in ministry and the LAMP program reflect this tradition.

The Master of Arts in Ministry and Leadership was born from a need for leadership development in the Free Methodist Church that emphasized the practical aspects of ministry. Given its long history in ministry education for the Free Methodist denomination, Greenville College responded by developing this graduate degree.

During fall of 1995, educational consultant Ooesting and Associates conducted a feasibility study on beginning the LAMP program. The study was positive about the potential of the program and