FOLLOW-UP REVIEW REPORT NUMBER 22-04 JULY 2022
TCSG Technical Education
Action has been taken, but further work remains to address findings
Greg S. Griffin | State Auditor Leslie McGuire | Director

Follow-Up Review Report No. 22-04
Performance Audit Division
Greg S. Griffin, State Auditor Leslie McGuire, Director

July 2022

Why we did this review
This follow-up review was conducted to determine the extent to which the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) addressed recommendations presented in our June 2020 performance audit (Report # 19-12).
The 2020 performance audit assessed the effectiveness of technical education at promoting the economic well-being of Georgia citizens by recruiting new students, keeping them long enough to obtain an award, and moving graduates to employment. The audit also examined TCSG's funding to colleges and programs, as well as its effectiveness at retaining faculty.
About Technical Education
Technical education is postsecondary vocational education that provides for workforce development in the state through certificate, diploma, and associate degree programs. Common technical education programs include commercial truck driving, nursing, cybersecurity, and welding.
Technical education is provided by 22 colleges located across the state. Each college has a local board of directors, though system-wide policies are determined by the board of the Technical College System of Georgia.

TCSG Technical Education
Action has been taken, but further
work remains to address findings
What we found
Since our 2020 performance audit, the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) has addressed several findings related to monitoring student outcomes, management, and oversight. For example, it instituted a new micro-credential system, began redesigning its job classification system, and enhanced data collection and reporting capabilities. However, additional action is needed in several areas.
Student Outcomes
At the time of the audit, we found that approximately 44% of traditional technical college students who had recently enrolled obtained an award, though rates varied by technical college and program. Approximately 12% of students who left without an award transferred to a four-year postsecondary institution. According to staff, other reasons for leaving prior to award included a lack of academic preparedness and personal challenges such as financial struggles.
TCSG has continued efforts to recruit and retain traditional students and assess programmatic and operational expenditures; however, we identified further areas of improvement. For example, central office and technical college staff developed additional credential opportunities and improved some website marketing materials to promote technical education. However, website content still needs to be standardized among the colleges.
In addition, TCSG has developed reports to help colleges identify reasons students leave prior to award and identify prospective students--including dual enrollment students-- for recruitment. TCSG staff also report they have incorporated additional datasets to better understand and share wage information with prospective students. Finally, TCSG has expanded articulation agreements for occupational programs at the institution-level, though it has not increased statewide transfer of prominent occupational programs and courses.

270 Washington Street, SW, Suite 4-101 Atlanta, Georgia 30334 | Phone 404.656.2180 | audits.ga.gov

Management and Operations
In 2020, we had several recommendations related to TCSG's management and operations, particularly in the areas of strategic planning, performance monitoring, and funding. These areas--and action taken since the original audit--are discussed below:
TCSG continues to monitor its tuition (which increased from $89 to $100 per credit hour during the audit) and is considering differentiated tuition for more expensive programs. TCSG has also leveraged state funds (including $8.3 million from the Governor's Emergency Education Relief package) and private resources for specific programs. Finally, it continues to evaluate its investment in programs and campus locations--particularly in light of the 2020 launch of its eCampus model, which allows students virtual access to nearly 100 courses across all technical colleges, regardless of location.
In 2020, we recommended TCSG consider the effects of continuing education, given the percentage of students transferring to four-year institutions, and include related activities or metrics in its strategic plan. Since the audit, TCSG has incorporated continuing education into its goals and objectives and has provided guidance for technical colleges to consider as they create their independent plans. However, a review of plans for some colleges with higher transfer rates indicated metrics specific to continuing education had not yet been incorporated.
TCSG continues to utilize outcome metrics that were in place during the original audit. We noted some methodologies result in limitations related to transparently and clearly conveying system or technical college performance in the areas of retention, graduation, and placement.
TCSG is currently working to redesign its job classification system and develop universal program coding, as recommended in the original audit. This will enable staff to calculate turnover rates and review faculty retention--as well as wages--at the school and program level.
Agency Response: TCSG provided technical corrections to the report that were addressed.
The following table summarizes the findings and recommendations in our 2020 report and actions taken to address them. A copy of the 2020 performance audit report (#19-12) may be accessed at: TCSG Technical Education Performance Audit Report.
270 Washington Street, SW, Suite 4-101 Atlanta, Georgia 30334 | Phone 404.656.2180 | audits.ga.gov

TCSG Technical Education

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Technical Education Follow-Up Review, July 2022

Original Findings/Recommendations

Current Status

TCSG graduates who obtain full employment after their last award earn wages slightly higher than the statewide median.
In 2020, we found that TCSG obtained data from the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL), which collects quarterly employment information (including industry type, wages) from Georgia businesses that file for unemployment insurance. However, this information excludes individuals who are self-employed, in the military, employed by a small business, or working outside the state. In addition, TCSG did not systematically analyze wage data from GDOL or other sources to determine infield or related field employment rates.
We recommended TCSG analyze awardees' wages and use the information to promote programs, determine program priorities, and provide information to prospective students. Given the likely prominence of self-employment or contractor work within certain programs, we also recommended GDOL data be supplemented with standardized surveys of awardees.

Partially Addressed TCSG has taken steps to analyze wage data to provide additional salary information to prospective students, and it continues to survey graduates to obtain additional wage information. However, TCSG is exploring additional ways to use the wage data. In addition, TCSG's communication strategy with prospective students requires improvement.
TCSG staff stated that in July 2020, they began supplementing GDOL information with wage data from the State Wage Interchange System--a system maintained by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education that facilitates wage data exchanges between participating state agencies. The system has helped confirm that many TCSG graduates work outside Georgia; however, due to licensing agreements, TCSG is unable to incorporate its results in public reports. TCSG also reviewed salary information, as well as job demand and postings, from a company that identifies trends in jobs and wages using labor market information from sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to TCSG staff, some technical colleges' webpages include wage information. Additionally, each technical college continues to survey graduates one year after departing to gather placement data and report it to TCSG's central office. TCSG staff said the surveys are similar across colleges and help TCSG fill gaps from other data sources (e.g., GDOL's Unemployment Insurance data), though survey response rates vary. One survey reviewed included requests for employment and wage information, areas for programmatic improvement, and information on any further education pursued by graduates.

It should be noted that TCSG acknowledged it needs to continue to research the application of the data sources mentioned above. In addition, TCSG indicated the need to develop a more comprehensive communication strategy with prospective students.

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Technical Education Follow-Up Review, July 2022

Original Findings/Recommendations

Current Status

Approximately half of TCSG's traditional students leave their college prior to obtaining an award.
At the time of the original performance audit, approximately half of TCSG's traditional students (i.e., those who enroll after graduating high school) left prior to obtaining an award. Reasons for leaving prior to an award included student employment, transfers to four-year institutions, academic challenges, and personal challenges. While TCSG and technical colleges were aware of retention challenges, we found further initiatives should be considered to increase retention and award rates overall.
We recommended TCSG's central office continue its efforts to create a stackable credentialing plan so more students could leave with an award. Stackable credentials are industry-recognized credentials accumulated over time to build a student's qualifications.
We also recommended TCSG's central office and technical colleges continue to monitor data obtained from the Student Navigator early referral program and its Banner data system to determine why students leave. As solutions are identified, central office should ensure that colleges are sharing best practices.
Finally, we recommended central office ensure technical colleges utilize the Student Navigator program (utilization during the original audit ranged from 2% to 27%).

Partially Addressed TCSG continues to track award attainment and is expanding opportunities for traditional students to obtain credentials. As noted below, it is expected that the planned initiatives will be fully implemented this year.
In Summer 2022, TCSG will implement a micro-credentialing system to allow students to receive credit-based certificates for completing short-term skills-based programs (one to six weeks), which can be stacked to support student's award attainment. Micro-credentials focus on individual competencies for high-demand career fields such as manufacturing and healthcare. TCSG received a multi-year grant to fund the system. TCSG also continues to expand stackable credentials--adding at least one since the original audit.
According to TCSG, the commissioner and technical college presidents analyze student retention rates annually in accordance with their strategic plan goals. TCSG surpassed its award attainment benchmark by 3% in academic year 2021. During the pandemic, however, TCSG noted that student retention rates--the percentage of beginning students who complete or are re-enrolled in the institution after a defined period--had declined. Using Student Navigator and Banner data, TCSG identified students who left and provided contact lists to the colleges so they could identify why students left and support them in completing remaining coursework.
According to TCSG staff, it has implemented the new TargetX Customer Relationship Management System (made up of modules), which will improve the recruitment and retention capabilities of all technical colleges by tracking prospective and existing students' interactions with TCSG and technical colleges. The system's retention module (which will be rolled out in 2022) will allow college staff, such as counselors, to receive alerts for at-risk students (e.g., student has not enrolled in future terms) and maintain proactive outreach to prevent students from dropping out before receiving an award or graduating. According to TCSG staff, all technical colleges have transitioned to this system and implemented the recruitment module.

TCSG Technical Education

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Technical Education Follow-Up Review, July 2022

Original Findings/Recommendations

Current Status

Although TCSG and technical colleges have recruiting efforts in place, improvements could be implemented to bring in more traditional students.
During the audit, we found that while TCSG's total enrollment had increased, the system's traditional student (i.e., those who enroll after graduating high school) enrollment had decreased. TCSG and technical colleges had used a variety of methods to bring additional students to technical colleges, but improvements could be made in technical college promotion, local collaborations, and cumulative recruitment efforts overall.
We recommended TCSG's central office improve marketability of its website by making information such as tuition and fees easily accessible, as well as including materials that promote technical education. TCSG's central office should also identify best practice elements that the colleges should include on their websites (e.g., wages, application, and financial aid deadlines).
We also recommended that TCSG's central office continue to pursue collaborations with other state agencies (as well as identify new ones), and that technical colleges should continue to build relationships with local schools and agencies to increase enrollments.
We recommended technical colleges use state longitudinal data to identify and actively target areas in Georgia where new high school graduates are not attending post-secondary institutions or are only employed.
Finally, we recommended technical colleges evaluate all recruitment efforts to determine the effectiveness of these measures and whether any efforts should be adjusted and refocused.

Partially Addressed TCSG and technical colleges have taken steps to improve recruitment of traditional students. However, TCSG should identify best practice elements that colleges could include on their websites.
In July 2020, TCSG improved the website by introducing a chatbot feature that provides information on general tuition and pricing. The welcome page also now includes videos and links to individual technical colleges. Finally, technical colleges have made some improvements to their webpages. However, technical colleges have flexibility in how they market their programs. As a result, websites do not consistently include elements such as information on the enrollment process, affordability, and availability of technical education.
TCSG's central office staff continues to work with certain state agencies to increase opportunities for student recruitment, training, data capture, and research projects. It has also expanded collaborations with the Georgia Board of Nursing, Georgia Film Academy, and Georgia Independent College Association.
TCSG staff also began using the state's longitudinal data system to help technical colleges identify prospective students. For example, it calculates the percentage of high school students served (by technical college delivery area) and shares the information with relevant colleges. In 2020 and 2021, it identified former dual enrollment students who, while demonstrating similar attributes as current traditional students (e.g., enrolled in multiple courses), did not enroll in a technical college after graduating high school. This list was also shared with the technical colleges.
Finally, TCSG's staff indicated they have evaluated its recent digital recruitment efforts. In June 2020, TCSG initiated a year-long digital marketing campaign designed to boost brand awareness and promote educational opportunities. Data on metrics such as reach, impressions, engagement, and application rates across 11 platforms helped identify effective marketing. Staff noted that the initiative will help determine whether marketing efforts are effective, particularly when coupled with the TargetX recruitment module, which alerts technical college staff of applicant activities and automates outreach (e.g., automatic reminder texts).

TCSG Technical Education

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Technical Education Follow-Up Review, July 2022

Original Findings/Recommendations

Current Status

The dual enrollment population should be further evaluated for its impact on technical colleges' budget and operations, as well as outcomes.
We found dual enrollment students were a greater proportion of the total TCSG student population and helped maintain, and increase, the overall enrollment despite declines in the traditional student population. We also found while dual enrollment students' credit hours contributed to an increase in TCSG's state funding allocation, colleges did not receive as much local funding as they would from traditional students. As such, it was unclear whether revenue received from dual enrollment students sufficiently covered colleges' expenses.

Partially Addressed TCSG has taken steps to determine dual enrollment's impact on its colleges' revenue and expenditures. However, the General Assembly has not fully assessed the dual enrollment program's outcomes.
Since 2020, TCSG has added components to its existing Cost Survey, which is administered to technical colleges to determine direct (e.g., academic costs), institutional (e.g., presidents' salaries), and program costs. However, further action is needed to refine the variables utilized in calculating instruction costs separately for dual enrollment. TCSG staff indicated they review the survey's methodology to determine the systemwide direct cost per credit hour. Based on preliminary analysis from the 2021 Cost Survey (for the 2020-2021 school year), local revenue losses are not offset by the state appropriations to the Dual Enrollment Program.

We recommended TCSG's central office identify dual enrollment's impact on technical colleges' revenue and expenditures to determine whether dual enrollment pays for itself.
We also recommended the General Assembly consider assessing whether dual enrollment achieves its overall mission. Based on the purpose stated in legislation passed in 2020 (House Bill 444), this could include examining whether students ultimately graduate from a four-year institution and whether the time and cost to obtain a college degree is lower for former dual enrollment students compared to those who did not participate in the program.

The Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC), as required by House Bill 444, annually evaluates aspects of the dual enrollment program such as the percentage of dual enrollment graduates who enrolled in USG, private, and TCSG institutions and the number of students obtaining postsecondary credentials prior to high school completion. However, it has not fully assessed whether dual enrollment achieves its mission, particularly increasing graduation rates from postsecondary institutions and decreasing time and cost to obtain postsecondary credentials. It should be noted that House Bill 444 excluded 9th graders from participating in the dual enrollment program, limited 10th graders, and capped the number of funded semester hours to 30.

TCSG Technical Education

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Technical Education Follow-Up Review, July 2022

Original Findings/Recommendations
Statewide agreements for general education appear to meet the needs of transfer students; however, significant gaps exist in coverage for occupational coursework.

Current Status
Partially Addressed TCSG is currently working to expand articulation agreements but should continue to evaluate the need for curriculum standardization for prominent occupational programs and courses.

In 2020, we found most general education courses transfer under articulation agreements between TCSG and the University System of Georgia (USG). However, articulation agreements between TCSG and USG for occupational programs did not result in high credit transfer rates between institutions. Occupational programs were not standardized across the technical college system, which resulted in few relevant agreements with common transferring institutions, inconsistent degree acceptance across technical colleges, and limited agreements with prominent transfer schools. As a result, students had to retake classes and extend the time and financial investment to obtain a bachelor's degree in the preferred field.
We recommended TCSG's central office and technical colleges regularly evaluate articulation agreements and make necessary adjustments based on student course and transfer data to facilitate seamless transitions to four-year institutions.
We also recommended TCSG's central office evaluate the need for further curriculum standardization to increase statewide transfer of occupational programs or courses that are prominent among its former students who subsequently attend four-year institutions.

According to TCSG, Academic Affairs staff are working with USG to expand articulation agreements for additional institutions and courses eligible for transfer. TCSG's central office staff indicated plans to develop collaborative faculty workgroups to identify additional courses eligible for transfer (e.g., Anatomy and Physiology). The workgroups intend to help technical colleges match their curriculum and course competencies with USG and institutions' expectations. As of May 2022, the list of articulation agreements has expanded to include a systemwide Associate of Applied Science credit transfer for 10 programs with DeVry and Middle Georgia State University.
Additionally, TCSG staff indicated they are taking inventory of their college-level articulation agreements and working toward approving all 28 general education courses into the USG system. However, TCSG has not identified further areas to standardize curriculum for occupational courses or programs. According to TCSG staff, USG institutions do not have standardized curriculum themselves, which contributed to TCSG's development of agreements on a per-college basis. It should be noted that in 2020, we found that other states like Tennessee had standardized several occupational courses and programs.
As described in the original audit, without these articulation agreements, students must retake classes after transferring, which extends the time and financial investment to obtain a bachelor's degree in a related field. TCSG staff agreed that students having to retake courses is not aligned with its goals and stated it would be willing to develop statewide agreements if there was a guarantee that the receiving institution would accept them.

TCSG Technical Education

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Technical Education Follow-Up Review, July 2022

Original Findings/Recommendations

Current Status

TCSG should determine how student transfers to a four-year institution should be included in strategic planning and performance monitoring.
In our original report, we noted that while TCSG acknowledged its dual role of moving students to either employment or additional education, its 2020-2024 strategic plan did not include any activities or strategies related to continuing education, nor did it establish what the balance between the employment and continuing education should be.
We recommended TCSG establish specific activities and metrics related to the stated goal of preparing students to continue education in its strategic plan, while technical colleges should determine what specific activities and metrics related to continuing education to include in their plans.
We also recommended TCSG and technical colleges determine what proportion of courses should be dedicated to general education. These proportions may vary by college but can be used as a baseline for further assessments to ensure students' needs are being met.
Lastly, we recommended TCSG management provide guidance to the technical colleges regarding how to balance the roles of increasing the workforce in the state and providing courses that will transfer to a four-year institution.

Partially Addressed TCSG has updated their strategic plan to establish activities related to continuing education. According to TCSG staff, it also provides guidance to the colleges on elements to include in their strategic plans, as well as balancing workforce needs with courses qualifying for transfer. However, a review of the strategic plans of some colleges with high transfer rates identified that goals and activities related to this role were not included. In addition, further action is needed for TCSG to determine the appropriate proportion of general education courses.
Since the audit, TCSG added to its strategic plan a goal of improving opportunities for students to transfer credits to other postsecondary institutions. It also included an annual review of statewide articulation agreements to ensure they allow students to transfer credits for both individual courses and degrees to four-year institutions.
While TCSG central office cannot dictate what the independent technical colleges include in their strategic plans, it has directed them to consider system strategic goals when formulating their own. However, as of June 2022, some colleges' strategic plans were missing elements such as metrics on continuing education--even when they exhibit high transfer rates. Central office staff noted they discuss balancing the roles of workforce development and continuing education during bimonthly Presidents' Council meetings.
TCSG staff did not indicate any action had been taken to determine the appropriate proportion of courses that should be dedicated to general education. However, TCSG staff noted that its focus is on occupational courses and guidance to the technical colleges is rooted in this mission.

TCSG Technical Education

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Technical Education Follow-Up Review, July 2022

Original Findings/Recommendations

Current Status

TCSG uses data to track college performance and inform strategic planning; however, improvements are needed to increase transparency and clarity.

Not Addressed TCSG and technical colleges continue to utilize existing reports and methodologies to analyze data for its strategies. As such, additional improvements to transparency and clarity are needed.

In 2020, we found TCSG used technical college data to track several metrics, which helped inform strategic planning, assess college performance, and report outputs and outcomes. However, we found the methodologies used to create these metrics had limitations. As a result, outcomes reported--including retention, graduation, and placement--may not have fully conveyed system or technical college performance.
We recommended TCSG's central office management further refine performance measures to provide more nuanced information on system and college outcomes to inform strategic planning and support budget requests.
We also recommended TCSG modify its methodologies for calculating outcomes, including:
Separating its employment and continuing education outcomes rather than reporting a single placement rate;
Calculating in-field placement rate based on all employed populations, including those who are employed in an unrelated field while continuing education; and
Separating the percentage who obtain an award, the percentage who are still enrolled at TCSG, and the percentage who transferred to other institutions when reporting retention rates.

Since the audit, TCSG continues to utilize existing reports to inform planning and budget requests and meet technical colleges' federal reporting requirements; the reports are housed in a central repository accessible by central office and technical college staff.
TCSG continues to report placement rate as a combination of employment status and continuing education, rather than separating the metrics as recommended. TCSG staff noted that it continues to calculate employment status and continuing education outcomes as separate percentages, as well as percentage of students who obtain an award, are still enrolled at TCSG, and transfer to other institutions. However, these data points are still not publicly reported.
TCSG has also not modified its in-field placement rate to include all employed populations, which can overstate performance. In response to the original audit, TCSG noted that changing the population would "provide a less accurate portrayal of the intended information" because individuals continuing their education are not likely working in the field in which they are training. However, we noted that the calculation included individuals who were continuing their education (within or outside of TCSG) and employed in-field or in a related field, but not those meeting the same criteria yet employed in an unrelated field.

Finally, we recommended TCSG consider monitoring the percentage of students who obtain an award. This could be done using the IPEDS definition or another definition as determined by central office based on its student population.

TCSG Technical Education

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Technical Education Follow-Up Review, July 2022

Original Findings/Recommendations

Current Status

Occupational programs with high technical education expenditures typically generate awards and gainful employment, though growth in these programs may be challenging without additional funding.
In 2020, we found that occupational programs successfully retained students long enough to obtain an award and moved graduates towards gainful employment; however, the most successful programs were expensive to offer, and fundingrelated issues inhibited program growth.
We recommended TCSG's central office and technical colleges continue assessing the success of programs to drive decisions regarding what programs warrant the highest levels of investment. In this assessment, unsuccessful programs should be evaluated to determine whether they should continue at all or on certain campuses.
We also recommended that TCSG's state board evaluate its tuition revenue each year to determine whether increases are warranted.

Fully Addressed TCSG's central office has identified and pursued several efforts to obtain increased programmatic funding.
TCSG staff notes that most programs requiring a high level of investment are also in high demand. Central office staff continue to work with companies and associations of various industries and notify technical colleges of any outstanding workforce needs. Since the original audit, TCSG has continued to utilize its "purge process," under which technical colleges are responsible for evaluating whether programs that have not had enrollment in the past three years should be submitted for termination to the State Board.
In Fall 2019, TCSG's tuition increased from $89 to the current rate of $100 per credit hour. Staff noted future increases are unlikely given the impact of the pandemic on its student population. However, some programs that have higher operating costs, such as Commercial Truck Driving, have differentiated tuition ($132 per credit hour) and additional fees to compensate for program-specific expenses. TCSG is currently working with the Governor's Office and Georgia Student Finance Commission to determine whether further tuition increases are warranted for these types of programs.

Additionally, we recommended the General Assembly consider reallocating state funding to programs that have been deemed strategically important to the state's economic growth and are successfully achieving this goal.
Finally, we recommended that technical colleges share strategies for increasing funding sources for programming.

In January 2022, the General Assembly approved the allocation of $8.3 million in Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds to six technical colleges for the Education-to-Workforce Pipeline for Commercial Drivers. TCSG's increased budget requests for fiscal year 2023 were also approved; these funds will support programs in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and commercial truck driving.
Finally, TCSG's staff noted that the central office has worked to increase funding sources for programming and share strategies with technical colleges. Staff also noted that TCSG and technical colleges partner with a variety of private, local businesses that have funded new occupational programs, paid instructor salaries, or donated equipment. Staff stated that TCSG and technical college foundations meet annually to share strategies on funding sources for programming and receive additional resources, such as training on grant writing.

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Technical Education Follow-Up Review, July 2022

Original Findings/Recommendations

Current Status

The majority of state operations funding for technical education is spent on the most heavily utilized locations.
In 2020, TCSG central office staff indicated a primary goal of technical education was to ensure that all Georgians are within 30 miles of a technical college, which influenced the number and distribution of campuses and learning centers. However, as the type of course offerings shift to increasingly online courses, TCSG should continue to evaluate the efficiency of its campuses and learning centers.
We recommended TCSG and technical colleges continuously monitor the utilization of campus locations and evaluate the need for sites that offer relatively fewer courses. We also recommended TCSG evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of online practices in place during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine whether any should continue as standard practice.

Fully Addressed TCSG and technical colleges have taken steps to monitor and evaluate the utilization of campus locations and determine the value of online practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the original audit, TCSG has developed reports with enrollment, credit hours, and full time equivalent by campus. TCSG also considers other potential uses of campuses when evaluating utilization. As of April 2022, no colleges or locations have been identified as needing to be closed.
In Fall 2020, TCSG launched its eCampus model, which allows it to open enrollment to students at any TCSG institution regardless of the student's physical location. TCSG received $10.4 million in GEER funds to create the eCampus model. As of February 2022, TCSG estimated more than 900 students are enrolled in almost 100 eCampus courses across all technical colleges. Staff noted that eCampus is intended to improve equity and access by expanding the courses available to students. Staff acknowledged some limitations to the model, particularly the need for broadband access and the exclusion of certain courses (e.g., commercial truck driving, hands-on labs). In addition, TCSG staff identified future funding as a potential challenge.

According to staff, tuition and fees are the same for students whether they are attending via eCampus or in-person. Since eCampus is less costly to administer, it is currently paying for itself.

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Technical Education Follow-Up Review, July 2022

Original Findings/Recommendations
TCSG and technical colleges should monitor faculty turnover at the program level to identify areas where additional retention efforts may be needed.

Current Status
Partially Addressed TCSG's central office has taken steps to analyze faculty turnover and standardize college data systems. However, staff indicated it will take additional time to address inefficiencies noted in the original finding.

In 2020, we found that system and college turnover rates for full-time faculty were below the state average. However, an in-depth review at the program level was needed to improve retention-- particularly for successful programs or those identified as strategically important to the state's economic development. We also noted that standardizing program categories across technical colleges could assist in system-wide initiatives to improve retention for any high-risk programs.
We recommended TCSG's central office and colleges calculate faculty turnover at the program level. This, in conjunction with system and college rates, would help evaluate overall effectiveness in faculty retention.
We also recommended the central office standardize college data systems, which would assist in monitoring faculty retention and salaries. This includes how part-time faculty are tracked, as well as program categories.

TCSG's central office and technical college staff have been working to calculate faculty turnover since the original audit; however, they report difficulties due to vague categorizations within the job classification system. According to staff, the job classification system does not differentiate at the program level; for example, the job title "Technical Instructor" may apply to those working in a variety of programs (e.g., welding or healthcare), which is not specified.
To address this issue, a project team (under the Strategic Operation Planning Process) is working with technical colleges to redesign their respective internal classification systems and develop universal coding by program. According to TCSG staff, beginning this fall, TCSG will start collecting certain data points that will facilitate integration of systems. The project should be completed in June 2023. At that time, the project team will begin identifying turnover at the program level, monitoring faculty retention, and monitoring salaries.
TCSG staff requested a new code in March 2020 to track part-time faculty, including short-term adjunct employees teaching noncontiguous semesters. This code was communicated to all technical colleges through email. However, TCSG cannot monitor faculty retention and salaries for both program and time cycle (i.e., full-time, part-time) until the classification project is complete.

10 Findings

2 Fully Addressed 7 Partially Addressed 1 Not Addressed 0 No Recommendations

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