Back See this section in context: Criterion 2 Core Component 2B

2B.3: Commitment to Quality Education

As discussed earlier ( 2A.1), Sauk’s commitment to provide high quality education programs balanced with its awareness of its reliance on tuition has motivated it to continue to expand programs and services, even while it strives to operate within budget and maintain its cash surplus each year. FY11 Strategic Goals and Objectives direct the college to plan around several objectives that combine fiscal management with providing quality educational service:

• Marketing: Because student tuition and fees account for approximately 40% of operational fund revenue, Sauk must increase enrollments to offset possible funding shortfalls in order to avoid or minimize additional tuition increases. Several objectives address the need to improve the college’s financial condition through an increased emphasis on marketing and student recruitment:
  • Emphasize student success in all marketing promotions (Objective 3.4)
  • Increase the number of high school graduates who enroll at SVCC during the fall after graduation (Objective 3.5)
  • Increase the number of minority students (Objective 3.6)
  • Increase the number of non-traditional age students (Objective 3.7)
• Student success: The Strategic Directions also address financial resource management indirectly through student success. The number of credits generated by students successfully completing classes determines the amount of funding Sauk receives through State apportionment funding. In essence, the college is rewarded financially for student success. The Strategic Plan reflects this in the following objectives for Goal 2, “The college will improve student success through effective assistance activities”:
  • Improve student persistence in classes through the end of the semester (Objective 2.1)
  • Improve student retention from one semester to the next (Objective 2.2)
  • Increase the number of program completions (Objective 2.3)