APPENDIX C: PROTOCOLS

PROTOCOLS:
PRIMARY GOALS OF THE SITE VISITS

1. How do colleges connect or link with local labor markets? What do the linkages look like? What are examples of different types of linkages, including formal programs, reciprocal consulting, and informal interactions or relations?
2. To what extent do administrators and faculty consider linkages with local labor markets to be (1) important, particularly in relation to other goals and priorities, and (2) part of their responsibilities? Are there internal, community-based, or other (e.g., state or federal policy) pressures to build linkages?
3. What obstacles do community colleges face in building these linkages? We are interested in obstacles that originate in either the college or the community. To what extent (and how) have colleges overcome these obstacles?
4. How if at all does the college encourage faculty to build linkages to local labor markets? What incentives, rewards, or training is provided? What is the apparent effectiveness of these efforts?

Note: By "links" to local labor markets, we mean all the ways that community colleges interact with businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other employers in their service area. These include both formal programs such as contract education or student internships and less formal activities such as joint membership on committees, field trips, or reciprocal consulting.

GENERAL INFORMATION TO COLLECT

Obtain a profile of the local labor market(s). What are the major local businesses and industries? Who are the major employers of students or graduates? Is the local economy growing, stable, or declining?

How many students are enrolled here? What is their average age? What are breakdowns by sex, race, and major? What percentage of students transfer? How many join the workforce? What percentage earn an associate's degree or certificate (i.e., complete their degree or program)? Do students come from this area? Do they remain in this area after completing their community college education?

How many faculty are there? Breakdown for tenure track and other. What is average age or length of employment for faculty? How many new faculty were hired each year in the past few years? What is breakdown for academic vs. vocational faculty? What percentage of faculty have Ph.D.s? What is the background of a typical vocational faculty member?

How are faculty involved in governance? How much power and autonomy do they have? How strong/active is the union? What are major concerns of the faculty senate and union?

How separate are academic and vocational faculty? Are they housed in different departments and buildings? When and how do they interact?

What formal programs exist intended to link the college to the local labor market(s)? Are there Tech Prep, school-to-work, contract education, career academies, or other special programs? Collect materials. Do they generate revenue for the college?

ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATORS

Background

1. What is your title?
2. How long have you been in this role?
3. How long have you been at this institution?
4. What departments or divisions report to you?
5. In addition to supervising departments or divisions, what are your other responsibilities? (Probe to determine responsibilities for academic vs. vocational education.)

Goals and Priorities

6. What are your top three goals or priorities for this institution?
7. (If vocational education is not among them) What are your top goals or priorities related specifically to vocational education? How distinct are the academic and vocational missions at this institution?
8. As you know, our primary focus is on linkages between colleges and local labor markets such as businesses, nonprofit, and government employers.
   • Do you have specific goals or strategies related to community linkages?
   • If so, what are they?
   • How important are these goals compared to other goals and priorities?
   • Are the goals written down anywhere? (get a copy)

Community Linkages

9. When we mention "local labor markets" what comes to mind? How do you describe or define the local labor markets? (Probes: types of industries or businesses, specific employers, geographic boundaries)
   Please describe the activities you undertake as an institution to connect with your local business community and labor markets.
10. How would you characterize relations between this school and the local labor market at this time?
11. With what labor market sectors are linkages the strongest? With what labor market sectors are linkages the weakest?
12. Do you believe that this institution needs stronger linkages to local labor markets?
    • If so, why? If not, why not?
    • (If yes) What hinders the institution from developing linkages? What obstacles must be overcome to achieve this?
13. How have community relations changed over the past five years? What accounts for these changes (probe for changes in school, community).
14. Who among administrators has responsibility for building community linkages? What are their roles? To what extent do they work together on this issue?
15. How has this college gone about building linkages to local labor markets? What programs or initiatives are in place? (Probes: Tech Prep, school-to-work, contract education, service-learning, other)
16. How are these programs or initiatives funded? Have you received state or federal monies designed to encourage greater connectivity with local business or labor markets? (Probes: School-to-Work funds, Tech Prep programs). Do any of the programs or initiatives generate revenue? (If so, are they self-supporting?)
17. Do any college departments or units stand out for having especially strong linkages?
    • If so, which ones?
    • In what way are the linkages strong?
    • How did they develop these linkages?
    • When did they develop these linkages?
    • Why did they develop these linkages?
18. What obstacles do administrators have to overcome in order to build linkages with local labor markets? (Probe for obstacles in the college and in the community.)
19. In what ways do local employers and businesses have input into the college? How often do you interact with them and in what settings? What committees or task forces do they sit on? In your opinion, is this sufficient? If not, what is needed? What obstacles must be overcome to build opportunities for this type of input?
20. Are there external pressures on the institution to strengthen linkages to local labor markets? (Probe for state and federal policy [e.g., Perkins, school-to-work], community, board of trustees, systemwide office?) Are there specific incentives for doing so? Are there penalties for not doing so?

Faculty

21. To what extent do faculty or other instructional personnel have responsibility for building linkages to local labor markets? Are there any requirements, policies, or incentives to encourage faculty to link to local labor markets? For example, are faculty rewarded for activities in the local community? Are the incentives different for academic vs. vocational faculty?
22. How specifically do faculty link with local labor markets? How does this affect their teaching and instructional activities?
23. What criteria are considered when making promotion and tenure decisions for faculty? Are linkages to local labor markets considered, even indirectly? If yes, explain. If no, why not?
24. What hinders faculty from developing linkages to local labor markets?
25. Have you undertaken any activities to encourage individual faculty to make connections with local labor markets? If so, please describe. Are these activities different for academic vs. vocational faculty?

26. Do you believe that faculty should be encouraged to develop stronger ties to the labor market? How important is this in relation to other demands on faculty time?
    What does the institution do to encourage interaction between academic and vocational faculty?

FACULTY

Background

1. What is your title? (e.g., assistant, associate, full, instructor)
2. What is your department, and what types of courses do you teach?
3. How long have you been at this institution?
4. In addition to teaching, what are your other responsibilities? (Probe to determine participation in campus governance, student advising, special programs.)

Goals and Priorities

5. As you know, our primary focus is on linkages between colleges and local labor marks such as businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government employers. In your opinion, how important is it for your department to have these linkages? Please explain.

Community Linkages

6. When we mention "local labor markets," what comes to mind? How do you describe or define the local labor markets? (Probes: types of industries or businesses, specific employers, geographic boundaries)
7. How would you characterize relations between your department and the local labor market(s) at this time?
8. With what labor market sectors are linkages the strongest? With what labor market sectors are linkages the weakest?
9. How have community relations changed over the past five years? What accounts for these changes (Probe: changes in school and community)?
10. Who within your department has responsibility for building community linkages? (Probes: Do you? What are their responsibilities?)
11. How has your department gone about building linkages to local labor markets? What programs or initiatives are in place? (Probes: Tech Prep, school-to-work, contract education, service-learning, other)
12. How are these programs or initiatives funded? Do they generate revenue? Are they self-supporting?
13. Do any college departments or units stand out for having especially strong linkages? If so, which ones? Is that a model for your own department? If not, why not? Is your department planning similar efforts? (If no, why not?)
14. Do you believe that your department or division needs stronger linkages to local labor markets?
    • If so, why? If not, why not?
    • (If yes) What hinders your department or division from developing linkages? What obstacles must be overcome to achieve this?

Faculty

15. What linkages do you personally have with local labor markets?
16. How do you use these linkages in your teaching? (e.g., do you send students into the community or invite community speakers into your classes?)
17. Compared to other faculty in your department, do you have stronger or weaker ties to local labor markets?
18. What obstacles do faculty have to overcome in order to build linkages with local labor markets? (Probe: obstacles in the college and in the community)
19. Are there external pressures or encouragement for you to strengthen linkages to local labor markets? For example, does your department chair or dean encourage faculty to interact with the community?
20. Are there incentives or resources for you to strengthen linkages to local markets? For example, can you obtain release time, professional development, money, or other support to interact with community employers?
21. Are linkages to local labor markets considered, even indirectly, in tenure and promotion decisions? If yes, explain. If no, why not?
22. Do you believe that faculty should be encouraged to develop stronger ties to the labor market? How important is this in relation to other demands on faculty time?