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Creating a Culture of Assessment: HCC’s Use of Data to Drive Institutional Success

At HCC, assessment isn’t just a box to check – it’s a continuous loop of review and data-driven decision-making. Whether at the institutional, departmental, or course level, assessment plays a critical role in helping the college stay aligned with its mission and goals, while ensuring the best outcomes for its students.

“Assessment matters because we should always be striving to be the best we can be,” explains Carlee Ranalli, dean of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness. “It’s about identifying where we’re succeeding and where we have opportunities for growth, and then making informed decisions to move forward. That’s what continuous improvement looks like.”

While Carlee admits she is not a “math person,” she sees tremendous value in data, particularly in the context of education. “I like data because it tells a story,” she said. “Whether it’s quantitative or qualitative, it helps inform the decisions we make.”

That mindset has helped HCC develop a thoughtful and structured assessment process. In 2020, the college introduced six Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) that are assessed on a three-year rotating cycle, two per year, ensuring that the institution remains flexible and current in the changing educational landscape. Program-level outcomes in academic departments are mapped to the ILOs, while non-academic units set goals during nearly 70 fall unit planning meetings. Each unit is given the opportunity to present relevant data that is reviewed alongside program goals and budget requests.

“We don’t just approve a new faculty or staff position because someone asks,” Carlee explained. “We look at enrollment data and trends in our Fact Book to ensure decisions are grounded in evidence.”

A culture of assessment has been in place at HCC for several years, but recent changes have made the process more efficient and effective. “We having been moving toward the collection of more meaningful data. That way, we don’t have to assess everything every year, which frees up time to do more analysis and make our plans more actionable,” Carlee said.

This kind of data-informed decision making ensures that resources are being used effectively to meet both current and future needs. “It’s about being good stewards of institutional resources and tying spending directly to outcomes,” Carlee noted.

HCC has strengthened its program review process by seeking feedback from other avenues. In terms of academic programs, a five-year review of each program is being conducted by external reviewers from peer institutions. With regard to the increase in high school age enrollment, the college has made changes to the structure of the program to ensure better student outcomes, and National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) accreditation is being sought as further validation of HCC’s quality instruction.

This strong culture of assessment has not gone unnoticed. During its recent Middle States accreditation process, the college received high praise, particularly for its graduate survey that aligns directly with the ILOs. “The reviewers loved how the students’ responses validated our outcomes,” Carlee shared. “They were thoughtful and consistent, which tells us they’re really engaging with what we’re teaching.”

More than two years of preparation for the Middle States review allowed all units on campus to thoroughly review and report on the efforts the college has been undertaking. “A lot of schools struggle with assessment or finances during accreditation,” Carlee said. “We’ve been working hard in both areas, and it paid off.”

As HCC wraps up its current strategic plan and prepares to launch a new one in the fall, the focus remains on student success, academic quality, and institutional resilience. The next plan will continue to prioritize academic programs and student support, incorporating input from internal and external stakeholders.

“Assessment has helped us move from being busy to being effective,” Carlee concluded. “We’re not just collecting data anymore – we’re using it. And that’s making a real difference in student outcomes.”