Dear Highline College Community,

The Student Success Council has had a busy winter quarter implementing and reviewing progress of quarterly action plans tied to the strategic plan. As part of the council’s commitment to accountability, the information below reflects some of the work that’s been accomplished this quarter.

Reminder: The Student Success Council is a cross-campus leadership group made up of staff, faculty and students. This group is responsible for identifying, contributing to and reviewing progress of quarterly action plans tied to the strategic plan. The council ensures that the work is progressing as promised. The priorities for 2022-2023 are increasing enrollment, retention, and completion leading to high-wage jobs for our students.

Winter quarter action plan updates:

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tool: Complete the organizational structure, process and data decisions required to support future prospective student recruitment work to inform and support the implementation of the Watermark CRM module during spring quarter 2023.
Status Update:

• Decided to implement the CRM module addition to Aviso from Watermark.
• The working group has been focused on organizational structure and process questions that need to be answered to support the CRM work.
• Technical implementation work will begin the second week of spring quarter.

2. Advising with Aviso: Implement the use of Aviso to support all four phases of Highline’s advising model so that, from entry through completion, students feel supported in choosing a program and completing the related certificate/degree requirements as efficiently as possible.
Status Update:

• Identified how staff and faculty can communicate across various areas of advising to share important updates and track student progress.
• Created and launched academic plans (including specific targets and metrics).
• Set clear expectations about when and how AVISO is used to support student success.
• Developing documentation to clarify staff expectations for using AVISO during student interactions.
• Scheduling in-depth training to ensure faculty and staff are well-trained and familiar with AVISO.

3. Financial Aid: Improve communication with students, faculty and staff, by providing outstanding forward-facing customer service and easy-to-follow, financial aid-related resources.
Status Update:

• The six Financial Aid advisors hired in fall quarter are processing 400 file reviews a week, which has brought Financial Aid application processing time down from 120 days to 60 days.
• Currently beta testing “Check My Status” website that allows students to securely view their financial aid application status. The site uses plain language to tell students their current status and their next steps.
• Students can now make Aviso appointments with financial aid advisors, with 60+ hours of appointment slots per week in addition to walk-in availability.
• FA advisors will offer 30-minute meetings to each student after their financial aid is packaged, during which time they will go over their award, discuss payment options, and explain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and disbursement.
• CampusWorks is reviewing all student-facing emails and documents for clarity and to make suggestions for easier readability.

4. Website: By the end of winter quarter, identify a Content Management System (CMS) and establish a projected timeline to migrate from WordPress to the new CMS for a new Highline College website. Continue work to improve the college’s current top-level site (highline.edu) and three most commonly visited subdomains: admissions.highline.edu, registration.highline.edu and financialaid.highline.edu to provide clearer direction and information for prospective and current students.
Status Update:

• Conducted deep reviews of the top-level website, Admissions, Registration & Records and Financial Aid websites.
• In the process of working with departments –– with input from Campus Works –– to make needed changes related to accessibility, plain language, content structure and site navigation.
• Identified Highline’s requirements for a new CMS.
• Met with two CMS vendors on the state-approved contract list (Modern Campus and Terminalfour) and received quotes.
• Expect to have a decision on a new CMS vendor with a projected timeline for implementation by the end of winter quarter.

5. Adult Learner Recruitment: Complete the foundational research and program mapping needed by the end of March 2023 to develop an adult learner recruitment and marketing strategy for spring quarter with the target of seeing an impact to fall quarter 2023 enrollment.
Status Update:

• Identified the following academic programs to focus our adult learner recruitment: Business, Computer Science/ CIS, Paralegal, STEM and BAS.
• Conducted empathy interviews, facilitated by Access Services, to learn about the needs of adult learners. The support provided to students utilizing Access
  Services will benefit all learners.
• Cleaned up the program maps and course catalogs for the identified programs/ areas of focus so that there is a clear path from AA/AAS through the BAS degrees.

6. High School Engagement: In partnership with Federal Way and Highline Public Schools, engage staff and students to provide accurate information on Highline College programs and entry processes to include support for navigation through identified barriers as highlighted through our Strategic Enrollment Management plan and feedback from high school partners.
Goal Complete!

• Team members have planned and scheduled the Highline Expo. On April 13, the expo will bring 11th and 12th-grade students from Federal Way and Highline Public Schools to Highline College. Students will attend Degree Pathways workshops, a resource fair, classroom presentations, and campus tours. Seniors will have the opportunity to connect with staff around admissions, financial aid and entry advising before leaving campus.

If you have questions or suggestions, please send them to president@highline.edu.

Sincerely,

Student Success Council Communications Team
Gabrielle Bachmeier, Lisa Bernhagen, Raechel Dawson, Joshua Gerstman, Jennifer Johnston, Danielle Slota, Liz Word