The College Effectiveness Department is responsible for the institutional research functions of collecting, analyzing and reporting a variety of College information and related data to support planning and decision making at Southwest Tech. The department supports strategic planning, assessing student learning and coordinates campus survey development, deployment and analysis.

College Effectiveness plays a significant role in garnering grant funding to support expansion, students, instructors, and the larger community. All grant reporting, tracking and documentation of grant activities are channeled through this office.

Functions of College Effectiveness

  • Provide the College with information that supports institutional strategic planning and data-informed decision making
  • Provide internal and external environmental scanning and project future trends and needs in support of institutional planning
  • Produce descriptive profiles of students and other institutional performance data
  • Develop assessment processes for college effectiveness studies
  • Plan, conduct, analyze, and disseminate the results of analytical studies, including campus climate, graduate and employer follow-up, and student satisfaction
  • Serve as a resource for accreditation and reaccreditation
  • Prepares and reports data to governmental and non-governmental agencies including Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
  • Provide analytical and consulting services to College committees and departments on an as-needed basis for College surveys
  • Research, write, manage and report all College grants

Institutional Data – Student Demographics and Outcomes

The Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Office of College Effectiveness produces descriptive data to inform institutional goals and aid in strategic decision-making. These data include information regarding student demographics, retention rates, program completion rates, and transfer-out rates.

IPEDS College Navigator

Southwest Tech’s College Effectiveness office coordinates the annual IPEDS reporting for the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The College Navigator website is a resource, open to the public, where a summary of institutionally reported IPEDS data can be found and easily compared. The following link is to the Southwest Tech data available, including retention and completion rates.

Graduate Success

Southwest Tech’s College Effectiveness office conducts an annual survey of our graduates. Responses are summarized in the Graduate Success Report and used both internally and externally. The survey helps us better understand whether Southwest Tech graduates are successful in gaining employment related to their field of study, where they are employed and how much they earn. The survey also gives graduates an opportunity to provide valuable feedback on what they felt were strengths of their education, or opportunities where Southwest Tech could make improvements. This information is highly valuable for the continuous improvement efforts of Southwest Tech.