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Institutional Change Is Positive

How infusing continuous quality improvements transforms academic life

Dr. William A. Wojciechowski, President, Pratt Community College
speaks with Higher Education Digest

A commercial on TV says, “Same old thing,” over and over again. The camera follows a person walking with eyes downward cast, shoulders hunched over, sitting down to the same meal every single day. One day, this meal is different. Because of this change, the person walks taller, straighter and smiles.

As William Wojciechowski, president of Pratt Community College says, “Don’t ever think you are too good to change.”

In the following interview with Higher Education Digest, Wojciechowski shares his perspective on altering processes at institutions by implementing a quality-value initiative. He shows how other institutions can transform academic life with positive change.

Higher Education Digest: How did you start this quality process?

William Wojciechowski: By engaging in a series of conversations with the board of trustees, a vision for the future direction of the college and its place in the community emerged. In our case, we decided our goal is to become the post-secondary institution of choice in South Western Kansas.

Questions arose, as to how to stand apart from neighboring institutions offering high quality. A consensus surfaced: Whatever we did to position ourselves would be quality focused. In order to compete, Pratt Community College would have to be better, essentially adding value to the quality.

HED: What is quality-added value?

Wojciechowski: Quality is a standard of excellence with measurable outcomes, which distinguishes the institution from its peers. For example, our academic advising program showed a 90 percent student satisfaction level. The value component of quality looks at ways to enhance the educational programs and services so that the satisfaction levels increase. The added value was adding student goal accomplishment to enhance the meaning of satisfaction. The focus then shifts from what we have done to what we will do better.

A way of viewing this is to consider standards of measurement and ask how to improve the performance. The key here is to remember that you can’t manage what you can’t measure. And that also applies to managing change. For instance, if we want our students to exceed the norms on the CAAP and Work Keys tests, then we need to be able to measure student performance to better understand it both in terms of strengths and areas for improvement.

HED: How did you implement a quality initiative and evaluate it?

Wojciechowski: We focused on four areas:

1. Performing an internal audit and verification
   We conducted an internal audit of education, programs and services, as well as follow-up verification of these measurable outcomes. Our admissions department, for example, utilized focus groups, which asked current students to evaluate their academic experiences and the services at Pratt Community College. When results didn’t measure up, adjustments were made as necessary. When the students suggested additional ways to improve or enhance services, these were given serious consideration and added when possible. That is where the added value comes in.

2. Analyzing outcomes and looking for ways to improve
   After student focus groups verified the measurable outcomes, discussions began as to how to improve them.

3. Our admission department, for instance, broke down the step-by-step process explaining how students are admitted into the institution. The steps to this process got evaluated and revised for efficiency. Then, we looked for ways to add more value to that process such as online enrollment.

4. Testing the new improved processes
   To see how the new admissions process performed, it was compared with the old model during the next cycle of student recruitment. By comparing the two admissions processes, the new one became refined even further with more quality-focused components put into place.

5. Evaluating new, improved processes
   A year later the new, improved admissions process went under another review. Discussions and questions ensued: Is this the level of quality we want? What can be done to improve it? And, we will do this again for another cycle of improvements?

HED: Is this process ongoing?

Wojciechowski: Absolutely. The institution is under a state of constant change and has to be attuned to recognizing early on when a process doesn’t work. Looking for areas of improvement is second nature now.

The process is not perfect yet. There will always be areas of discovery, suggesting ways something could be done with more efficiency and more effectively. This is part of the continuous quality improvement process.

HED: Do you think your staff considers the program a success?

Wojciechowski: Yes and no. The majority of our staff recognizes our successes. However, some individuals continue to resist change, especially when they feel a longtime process continues to work reasonably well.

Our institution has a high turnover of employees. With new people involved in this process, it can be more difficult to implement. Many times, new employees question why we are doing something, or they will bring in new ideas or suggestions for improvement we may not have considered. And, sometimes we have to force ourselves to listen. So, you can see why the process of quality, which generally brings about change, is a constantly moving target.

HED: What do you recommend to others considering a quality initiative?

Wojciechowski: I recommend taking the following four actions.

1. Involve employees and staff early on in defining what quality means. In our case, some employees felt the board imposed the quality focus, and they were resistant to embrace it at first. If the dialogue had started first with employees and staff, I believe they would have bought into the process earlier.

2. Offer gains. Let employees and staff know how their professional and academic lives will improve by participating in this quality initiative. Offering them short-term gains also makes it easier for employees to embrace the program. I believe that if they see the success, they will want to be a part of it.

3. Provide incentives for improving performance. For example, when our automotive technician program became certified by the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence, the institution increased their budget. With the noted recognition and more operating funds, they also experienced greater autonomy in managing their program.

4. Step back and look at whole process. It is natural to look at improving a small section at a time, but it is more important to see the bigger picture because when you talk about quality, the whole process is greater than its parts.

Don’t be afraid to change. By embracing changes and improvements on a regular basis and making it a part of your institutional culture, your institution positions itself for the future.

Dr. William A. Wojciechowski is president of Pratt Community College and has held that position since March 1989. Prior to assuming the presidency, Dr. Wojciechowski had a distinguished career, spanning 28 years in the U.S. Air Force. During his Air Force career, Dr. Wojciechowski served in a number of key staff and command positions in education and technical training. He was a member of the original staff that founded the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) and led the initiative that resulted in Congressional legislation to grant the associate degree. As the chief planning and academic officer, he led CCAF through two highly successful accreditation efforts. After CCAF, Dr. Wojciechowski, then an Air Force colonel, held the position of Director of Plans and Evaluation for the Air Training Command—a system of nine undergraduate and graduate schools in the Department of the Air Force. Later, Dr. Wojciechowski served as the chief academic officer for the Department of Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute—a joint service school specializing in the management education of Department of Defense leadership. In 1984, he was appointed as the Commander of the Air Force’s Educational Development Center, then known as that service’s teachers college. There, he pioneered the development of a mid-range planning process that later served as a model for Air Force professional schools. Dr. Wojciechowski ended his Air Force career with a three-year term as the Commander of the Air Force Extension Course Institute. It was here that he became the chief architect for the use of distance education in the Air Force, eventually serving over 400,000 military and civilian students worldwide.

Dr. Wojciechowski has published numerous articles dealing with technical training, distance education, planning and management of educational institutions. He holds 14 military awards for leadership, management and combat service in the Republic of Vietnam. In 1994, Dr. Wojciechowski was recognized as one of the “Ten Best Community College Presidents,” receiving the prestigious Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction given by Phi Theta Kappa and the “Chief Executive Officer of the Year Award,” given by the Association of Community College Trustees, for the western region. He has served as a consultant in the development of educational planning processes. In 2004, he co-authored the book, Planning for the 21^st Century: A Guide for Community Colleges.