STEPS Reporting

Purpose of Assessment

STEPS (Systematic Evaluation of Programs and Services) aids in assessing the effectiveness of services, operations, and contributions to WWCC’s mission. The process encourages continuous improvement, data-informed planning, and alignment with college-wide strategic priorities in a manageable and predictable yearly format.

STEPS is tied to the budgeting cycle and support resource requests by providing alignment and evidence of both the need and impact of resource requests.

Alignment with Strategic Priorities

WWCC’s top priorities are included in the Strategic Plan. College leadership has determined the annual objective(s) for each priority this year. When you set your goals, you will want to align them to one of the three priority/objective combinations.

Priority 1 – Students Learn and Achieve their Goals
- Annual Objective: Increase Enrollment
Priority 2 – Employer of Choice
- Annual Objective: Develop employees professionally, Improve College Culture
Priority 3 – Institutional Stability and Sustainability
- Annual Objective: Optimize Budget

View the currently submitted STEPS goals here.

Submitted STEPS Goals

Report your accomplishments here by August 1, 2026

2025-26 Results Reporting Form – Part B

Timeline

STEPS occurs in two phases. Divisional Vice Presidents will determine when your reporting area will begin goal setting each year, but the submissions must hit the critical due dates.

Phase 1 – Goals, Measures, and Resources (Part A) Form is due by December 31st each year to meet the budget cycle needs.

2026-27 Part A Form – Coming Soon!

Phase 2 – Results, Insights, and Continuous Improvement Planning (Part B) Form is due by August 1 each year to inform new goals for the upcoming academic year.

Resources

Who Submits STEPs

Some reporting areas are functional and related to individuals who do similar work or workflows, others are more unit-based. The reporting areas have been pre-determined by college leadership and and can be viewed below.

***** Admin Services Reporting Areas******
AS-Safety and Security
AS-Purchasing/Motor Pool/Asset Mngment
AS-Student Financials/Cashiering
AS-Payroll
AS-Accounting/Travel/Grants
AS-Technology Services
AS-Facilities & Environmental Services
******Institutional Effectiveness Areas*******
IE-Institutional Research & Effectiveness
IE-Enrollment Strategies
*******Exec Offices Reporting Areas******
Exec Admin-Office of VPI
Exec Admin-Office of VPSS
Exec Admin-Office of VP-PEED
Exec Admin-Office of VPAS
Exec Admin-Office of EDHR
Exec Admin-Office of President
******Operational Dept Areas******
Marketing and Communications Dept
Human Resources Dept
Foundation Dept

******* Student Services Reporting Areas*******
SS-Admissions and Registrar (OAR)
SS -Advising
SS -Athletics
SS-Clarkston Student Services
SS-Office of the Dean of Clarkston
SS-Disability Support
SS-Financial Aid
SS-Outreach
SS-Student Life
SS-Student Support
SS-TRIO
******Instructional Reporting Areas******
INS-Office of Dean of Arts,Sci,TR Studies, & HS Progs
INS-Office of Dean of Nursing & Allied Health
INS-Office of Dean of Workforce Education
INS-WEC
INS-Office of Dean Corrections
INS-Center of Excellence
INS – Center for Teaching & Learning
INS – Library
INS – Academic Success Center
INS – Continuing & Community Education

Setting Measurable Goals

For STEPS, goals must be established, and then we need ways to measure whether we met that goal.

Goals are specific, clear, and measurable. They set a target that can be measured.

Example: By March, XYZ Dept will decrease the time it takes a student to _______ by 5%, making the process more efficient for students.

Setting Actions

Actions are the activities you will do to to meet the goal.

Example: XYZ Dept will create and implement a self-service form for students to directly request ________ which should decrease the wait time.

Determining What and How to Measure Progress

Once your goal and action is set, you need to figure out how you will know if your actions had any effect on your goal. There are lot’s of ways to measure and collect evidence of your efforts. Common measurement techniques include (but are not limited to):

- Feedback forms or surveys
- Tracking key metrics (e.g., counts, percentages, ratios)
- Comparisons over time (before/after, year-over-year)
- Rate of change analysis
- Service time improvements (e.g., reduced wait times)
- Trend analysis
- Task or milestone completion tracking
- Other (you can explain)

Putting Results to Work

Once you’ve been working on your goal(s) and collecting your evidence of progress, it’s time to analyze those results. Based on the result, you’ll want to take the next steps. If you achieved your initial goal, you may want to improve it even more, or set a new goal that capitalizes on your success! Or if you didn’t meet your goal, you may want to change your actions to see if you can improve your results next year. Either way, it’s important to take what you learned, and move forward to keep the college in a continuous cycle of improvement.

Here are some examples of how a result might lead to next steps.

Area	Goal	Result	Next STEPS (Continuous Improvement Plan)
Facilities	Improve rental space request process with a new form	45% of users report confusion with the new form	Redesign request form, test with users, + create how-to video
HR	Improve employee onboarding experience	Only 60% of new hires reported received their new checklist in the email process	Automate distribution and assign point-person to follow up
Financial Aid	Reduce verification delays by 3 days	Reduced delays by 1 day.	Investigate using nudges in CRM to speed up the process

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