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Notre Dame College Self-Study Report

Chapter 6: Capacity to Serve

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Self-Study Report

• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Criterion One - Mission and Integrity
• Chapter 3: Criterion Two - Preparing for the Future
• Chapter 4: Criterion Three - Student Learning & Effective Teaching
• Chapter 5: Criterion Four - Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge
• Chapter 6
  • Criterion Five - Engagement & Service
  • Capacity to Serve
  • Engagement
  • Responsiveness
  • Value
  • Considerations
• Chapter 7: Conclusions

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  Higher Learning Commission Final Team Report

Core Component: Notre Dame College learns from the constituencies it serves and analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and expectations.

Notre Dame College’s commitments are shaped by its mission and its capacity to support those commitments.

None of the identified constituencies served by Notre Dame College is monolithic. The traditional-aged students reside on campus or they commute. Because the College does not offer adult student housing, all adults are commuters and they attend classes during the day, evening, and weekend. Parents of student athletes want results of contests instantly. Parents want information about their children frequently. Alumni who graduated prior to 2001 experienced a women’s college. Alumni who graduated after 2001 are looking for a different association and the College is exploring what that means. Relationships with external organizations range from the lofty collaboration to achieve a religious or service outcome, to the simple renting fields for a band camp. Attending to all needs would be overwhelming and a strain on resources. Wisely, commitments are based on the College’s mission and its accompanying Statement of Purpose to provide clear direction for choosing its commitments.

Statement of Purpose
Notre Dame College engages students, faculty, staff, and the wider community in the educational experience. All engaged by the College are encouraged to develop and honor these values and skills.

These values and skills permeate the activities at Notre Dame College. Those who serve Notre Dame College are constantly reminded of its mission as it is present in the College Catalog, the campus website, bookmarks, faculty’s course syllabi and other campus publications. These are not empty words, but living documents that infuse the College with a sense of purpose.

Notre Dame College’s mission and Statement of Purpose emphasize the value of exploring a religious tradition and deepening one’s spirituality. Recognizing that in today’s world it is not enough to know one’s faith intellectually, the College requires all students to take Social Justice: Issues and Action (Theology 450), which introduces students to a wide range of social teaching.

The College’s slogan, “Changing the world, one student at a time,” is a succinct expression of Notre Dame College’s commitment to instilling a sense of social responsibility in its students. This is manifested through the College’s ongoing commitment to service learning as a key component in the education of a Notre Dame student.

With over 40 clubs, organizations, and initiatives from which to choose, service opportunities abound at Notre Dame College. Examples of the College’s commitment to volunteerism, service, and social responsibility include the following:

• Formed by the Director of Campus Ministry, FalconCorps “provides opportunities for students to participate in community service, develop as leaders, and learn about social justice.” FalconCorps exposes students to the social needs of the local community. The College has a continuing relationship with various community agencies such as the Cleveland Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, West Side Catholic Center, St. Patrick’s Hunger Center, Community Women’s Shelter, and St. Julie Billiart School. These activities are now coordinated campus-wide with information disseminated through the Campus Ministry website, e-mail, and flyers.

• Thirteen students and the Campus Minister traveled to Spencer, West Virginia, during the Fall break to participate in the 2006 Campus Ministry Appalachian Immersion trip. While experiencing life in Appalachia, they lived simply and observed the application of concepts such as service, social justice, and purposeful living.

• In 2006, the Sr. Mary Margaret Harig Endowed Internship in Campus Ministry was established. This fund provides leadership development to a student interested in campus ministry, community service, and social justice.

• Notre Dame College students, faculty, and staff take regular morning trips to the Cleveland Food Bank where they interact with other Food Bank volunteers and perform tasks such as peeling and packing vegetables.

• The College has a chapter of Kappa Gamma Pi, the national Catholic college graduate honor society, which includes in its criteria for membership “demonstrated leadership and service during three undergraduate years and strong indications that the student will assume leadership in the future in the Church or larger civic or professional community.”

• Students enrolled in marketing classes volunteer to promote, advertise, and staff a holiday craft boutique on campus to raise funds for Women’s Hope Cooperative, an organization that helps inner city women develop job-related skills.

• The Education Council raises money for many charities through book sales and other fund raising projects. In 2004 it sponsored an Easter candy drive for the children of St. Adalbert’s School in Cleveland. Wrapped candies were placed in individual plastic Easter eggs for the children’s Easter egg hunt.

• The Weekend College (WECO) sponsors outreach programs such as a clothing drive for underprivileged women in a shelter; a campaign to provide scarves and mittens to children in a poor neighborhood; and a drive to provide toys, books, and school supplies to an inner city school.

Notre Dame College practices periodic environmental scanning to understand the changing needs of its constituencies and their communities.

From the first inquiry about Notre Dame College by an interested applicant to the ongoing relationship cultivated and maintained with each graduate by the Advancement Office, every effort is made to make the Notre Dame College experience a positive one.

• The Admissions Office collects and tabulates information relating to the needs of its prospective students. When visiting college fairs, Admissions Counselors survey attendees regarding their curricular and extracurricular interests. This serves as an informal environmental scanning.

• The College administers two surveys created by the Cooperative Institutional and Research Program (CIRP). The CIRP Freshman Survey is given at the beginning of the academic year, providing normative data about entering college students. The College also administers the College Student Survey (CSS) at the end of their senior year, providing valuable feedback about the students‚ academic and campus life experiences that can be used for evaluating the impact of college programs and services.

• Your First College Year (YFCY) Survey is given to students at the end of their freshman year. The results of this survey suggest changes that can to be linked to curricular choices and extra-curricular participation.

• Students complete faculty evaluation surveys for each course at the end of each semester.

• Students readily communicate problems or concerns regarding courses, instructors, and facilities to the Director of Advising/Dean of the Weekend College (WECO).

• The Director of Campus Activities evaluates activities by listening to student comments. In addition, surveys regarding campus activities are available on the Intranet. If attendance at a particular campus activity is low, the event is modified to meet the needs of the campus community.

• Graduation surveys are administered by the Advancement Office to all graduating seniors approximately one month before graduation. This survey is a first step to connecting graduates to the Alumni Relations function of the Advancement Office. Having accurate contact information is vital to creating a bond between students and the College.

The College makes effective use of technology to collect information for use in planning and assessment:

• Students, faculty, staff, and the public are invited to communicate suggestions or comments to the President through the College’s website.

• The intranet offers surveys to those who have used the services of Career Services, Campus Activities, the Counseling Center, the Dwyer Learning Center, Normandy Catering, and the intranet.

• The intranet offers a form to all residence hall occupants to report problems and request service from the Maintenance Department.

Departments serving both internal and external constituencies utilize a variety of data gathering methods:

Center for Professional Development: A detailed survey at the back of its course catalog pertains to the professional development needs of its users. The form may be faxed or mailed to the College.

Library: The Clara Fritzsche Library learns from the constituencies it serves through a variety of formal and informal evaluative tools.

• During Fall, 2005, surveys were distributed to faculty, students and staff. Thirty-nine surveys were completed by 25 students, seven faculty members, four alumni, and three guests. The surveys evaluated Library service, events, and the newly opened Falcon Café located in the Library. Each suggestion was carefully taken into consideration by the Library staff. About 50 percent of the suggestions have been implemented.

  Suggestions and comments directed to the Falcon Café were forwarded to Normandy Catering. Some of these, such as hanging art in the Café and offering new menu items such as bagels have also been implemented.

• In an effort to provide ongoing feedback regarding library-sponsored events, the Library revised the College’s “Evaluation of Community Programs” form. This form is distributed to participants after all library events such as art openings and exhibits, gallery talks, book signings, lectures, and poetry readings. It is also used by other departments as they evaluate their events.

Keller Center: The Keller Center supports 17 collegiate athletic programs. The Center is also available at no cost to the faculty, students and staff of the College. Residents of the local community may buy memberships to use this facility. Local high schools and other groups or organizations may rent the College’s athletic facilities and fields.

• Users of the Keller Center informally communicate their likes and dislikes of the facilities to the Director of Athletics.

• Memberships are tracked on a yearly basis, noting the number of renewals and new members.

Notre Dame College demonstrates attention to the diversity of the constituencies it serves.

Notre Dame College demonstrates its commitment to diversity in all aspects of campus life. An appreciation and respect for people of all races, creeds and nationalities is engrained in the campus culture. Notre Dame College is consistently ranked as one of the most diverse colleges in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. In the August 28, 2005 issue with the latest rankings, Notre Dame College is rated fourth in racial diversity in the Midwest for 2005 – 2006 among comprehensive colleges. International students comprise 14 percent of the student population, a percentage unusually high for a school of Notre Dame’s size, allowing students to gain an appreciation of other cultures and viewpoints. Campus publications include photographs of all races, ages, and nationalities. Other examples of the College’s celebration of diversity include:

• The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, which includes a guest speaker, exhibits, and performance events.

• Black Scholars, a student organization that aims “to promote multicultural diversity, as well as multicultural awareness throughout the Notre Dame College as well as the community,” sponsors events promoting diversity throughout the school year.

• The Multicultural Club, whose current officers are two international students, is a group “dedicated to helping the Notre Dame College community learn about diversity.” In Fall, 2005 they sponsored a multicultural fair featuring foods of many nationalities.

• The STARS (Student Teachers Achieving Real Success) program is offered by the Cleveland Municipal School District and the College’s Education Department to Cleveland high school minority students interested in the teaching profession.

• The General Education Requirements include a cross-cultural international studies component which may be satisfied by a cross cultural or international anthropology, business, literature, social science or theology course; a modern language; or a course associated with travel abroad.

• In April, 2005 Notre Dame College hosted a coaches’ training program for minority women sponsored by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Its intent was to attract minorities into interscholastic coaching positions.

Tolerance Resource Center: The College demonstrates attention to diversity through its Tolerance Resource Center. Founded in 1997, the Tolerance Resource Center houses a collection of over 2,000 books, videos, posters, curriculum kits, postcards, and resource guides on the topics of diversity, tolerance and anti-bias issues, with special emphasis on the Holocaust and Native Americans. The Center, now a regional headquarters for research, outreach, and education, fulfills the vision of the late Maggie Kocevar ‘90, a Notre Dame College alumna and adjunct professor.

The Center promotes diversity on campus and in the larger community by sponsoring workshops, art exhibits, educator conferences, lectures, and other events. In addition, the Center supports the curriculum by providing resources for Special Topics: The Holocaust (History 391).

Eastern Church Resource Center: Another example of the College’s commitment to promoting tolerance and diversity is the establishment of the Eastern Church Resource Center. Founded in 1999, the Center was conceived by the former Director of Lifelong Learning and the late Eleanor Malburg, an administrative assistant for the Pastoral Theology office. In addition to a collection of books, videos, and icons pertaining to Orthodox, Byzantine, and other Eastern Rite religions, the Center houses and archive of audio tapes and other literature from its annual seminars.

Eastern Churches Seminar: The Eastern Church Planning Committee, headquartered at the College, sponsors the annual Eastern Churches Seminar, a forum for the study of Eastern Churches and ecumenism. This seminar has been held each Fall since 1983. It brings together clergy and laity of various Eastern Churches such as Byzantine and Orthodox, and the Roman Catholic Church, to share tradition, to enter into dialogue, and to work collaboratively for deeper understanding, appreciation, and friendship.

Performing Arts Center: The Performing Arts Center is frequently the site of exhibits and events sponsored by the College’s Tolerance Resource Center. Since the Performing Art Center’s inception, the Chair of the Art Department, who serves as the curator for all art exhibits installed in the Performing Arts Center, also serves as the acting director for the Tolerance Resource Center. Examples of diversity include:

• Fall, 2001 – “Mary Costanza: Images of Love and War,” an exhibit of paintings by Philadelphia artist, poet, and Holocaust scholar Mary Costanza co-sponsored by the Tolerance Resource Center and the Italian-American Cultural Foundation. Held in the Performing Arts Center, the schedule of events included lectures, performances by the Manchester Dance Ensemble and the Bodwin Theater Group, and Notre Dame College’s Holocaust Educators‚ Conference II. An accompanying exhibit, “Kaddish for Six Million,” was held in the Clara Fritzsche Library. A comprehensive bibliography on teaching the Holocaust was compiled and distributed at the conference.

• Spring, 2003 – “Home of the Brave,” an installation by nationally known Native American artist and activist Charlene Teters, included a slide presentation; lectures; a panel discussion moderated by the Chair of Notre Dame College’s History Department; and “Choosing to Participate,” a case studies workshop for teachers co-sponsored by the Tolerance Resource Center and Facing History and Ourselves. An accompanying exhibit, “Home of the Brave: An Ohio Interpretation,” was displayed in the Library. College-wide participation was encouraged by providing faculty members with stipends for integrating the topic of Native Americans into the classroom. A generous grant enabled the Library to purchase materials about Native Americans for the Tolerance Resource Center collection. A bibliography of these holdings was distributed at the teachers’ workshop.

Library: The Library demonstrates attention to diversity in its art exhibits which have included Black History Month, Native Americans, Croatian textiles and folk dress, folk art of the world, the Holocaust, and religious persecution throughout the world. Several of these exhibits were sponsored by the Tolerance Resource Center and have coordinated with larger exhibits held in the College’s Performing Arts Center. The Library also fosters an awareness of various cultures and ethnic groups in the selection of materials for the collection.

For students who are on a limited budget, the Library assists students in ordering textbooks through interlibrary loan and OhioLINK, a consortium of 87 academic and public libraries. The Library does not charge for interlibrary loans of articles or books, even when a conditional fee is assessed by the lending library. It also does not limit the number of materials a student can receive through interlibrary loan.

Notre Dame College’s outreach programs respond to identified community needs.

Notre Dame College offers a wide range of outreach programs that respond to identified community needs. For example:

• The College’s Center for Professional Development has grown over the last five years in direct response to the needs of the community. In addition to professional development for teachers, as was the mode of operation six to ten years ago, the Center now offers online, off campus, evening, and weekend professional development opportunities year-round. It also offers an extensive summer school from June through mid-August. Moreover, the Center is an approved provider of continuing education for the Ohio Department of MRDD certifications as well as a provider of continuing education for social workers, counselors and human resource professionals. Responding to local and global trends, the Center has also developed into a “proving ground” for new campus initiatives such as Intelligence Analysis, Training/HR Development, and Business Leadership.

• The Education Department’s Teacher Education Evening Licensure (TEEL^®) Program responds to the needs of individuals in the greater community. It provides an affordable, flexible evening program for busy adults who already hold a bachelor’s or advanced degree and are interested in being credentialed to teach in the state of Ohio. The program offers licensure in Early Childhood, Middle Childhood and Adolescent to Young Adult, and Multi-Age Programs in the Visual Arts, Spanish and Mild Moderate Intervention Specialist MMIS (Grades PK- 12). The program’s success locally led to program expansion. Students in Akron/Canton, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Youngstown now have the opportunity to receive a Notre Dame College education.

• The College’s Weekend College (WECO) caters to the needs of working adult students. Classes are conveniently scheduled on weekends during each academic year offering an intense, concentrated approach to earning a Certificate, Associate in Arts degree, or a Bachelor of Arts degree in the same four year period as a traditional daytime student. Majors are concentrated primarily in business with a BA in psychology recently added in response to increased demand.

• Responding to the workforce needs of Northeast Ohio, Notre Dame College’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program offers two tracks to complete the BSN: the RN to BSN for registered nurses who can complete the program in an accelerated format, and the preprofessional track for traditional four year students. This two-track format meets the needs of a diverse student population.

• The College has an ongoing partnership with Regina High School whereby students who are juniors or seniors may enroll on a space available basis at Notre Dame College for classes in Calculus, Statistics, World Civilizations, General Psychology, Introduction to Education, and Photography. These courses are taken during the school day, after school, or in the evening. Students enrolled in courses that are part of the College’s general offering of classes are admitted on a space available basis.

• The Academic Support Center for Students with Learning Differences provides programs and services for teachers and parents of students with documented learning disabilities. Initiated in 2005, the Center sponsors lectures and educational programming and houses a resource library of materials that may be used by those visiting the Center. The Director makes regular visits to area schools to disseminate information about the services offered by the Center. Presentations were given at Julie Billiart School, Cuyahoga Heights High School, Solon High School, Magnificat High School, Walsh Jesuit, Beaumont School, Summit Academy, the Laurence School, and Lyndhurst City Council. In addition, in November, 2005 the Center held an open house to introduce the Center and the specialized services it offers to the community-at-large.

• The Center for Pastorial Theology and Ministry serves the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland by offering undergraduate-level courses that prepare women and men as lay ecclesial ministers in parishes and in diocesan outreach programs. Pastoral Ministry courses are taken by those seeking to teach religion in the diocesan high schools.

• The Tolerance Resource Center responds to the needs of external constituencies through community programming and event planning. In many cases, community organizations have approached the Tolerance Resource Center with proposals for resource sharing and collaboration on specific events, such as: A Series of Discoveries with University Heights; Community Connections with the Heights Community Congress; the Italian-American Cultural Foundation for the Mary Costanza exhibit; and, “Exploring Paths to God: A Conversation for Catholics and Jews,” a series of workshops designed to explore Jewish-Catholic dialog co-sponsored by the Interfaith Commission of the Diocese of Cleveland.

• The Keller Center fills a niche in the community by offering memberships to those in the surrounding municipalities. The Keller Center provides special programs such as water exercise and swimming lessons for adults and children. Recently, additional fitness equipment was purchased for the Lennon Fitness Center and Keller Center hours were expanded to meet high demands for the fitness area and pool.

• Notre Dame College invites men and women 60 years of age and older to take a course for enrichment at the undergraduate level for a reduced rate. Senior citizens may also take Center for Professional Development offerings on a space-available basis.

In responding to external constituencies, Notre Dame College is well-served by programs such as continuing education, outreach, customized training, and extension services.

Notre Dame College’s continuing education, outreach, customized training, and extension services to industry, businesses and the local community are mutually beneficial. By responding to the continuing education needs of teachers, coaches, social workers, human services and business personnel, the Center for Professional Development has seen a dramatic increase in enrollment. Effective networking and a reputation for excellence has resulted in the Center being named as an approved provider of Social Worker Continuing Professional Education (CPE) and Counseling Continuing Professional Education (CPE) by the State of Ohio Social Worker and Counselor Board; an approved provider of HRCI (Human Resources Certification Institute) PHR/SPHR continuing education; and a certified provider of continuing education for Nursing Home Administrators. Its Sports First Aid and CPR courses meet the Ohio High School Athletic Association requirement for Pupil Personnel certification.

Courses are generally taught on Friday evenings and Saturdays, with flexibility enhanced by the introduction of online and blended offerings that combine traditional class time with an e-mail assignment, reducing time spent in the classroom.

• By forming effective partnerships with other institutions and businesses, the Center extends its reach by scheduling classes in Mayfield, Cuyahoga Heights, Garfield Heights and other locations throughout the Greater Cleveland area. Some examples of these partnerships include:

• Instructional Delivery Services partners with Notre Dame to provide education courses, including those offered through Notre Dame College’s new Highly Qualified Teacher Program. The courses are offered at the Cleveland East Vocational Education Consortium in Mayfield Village.

• Open Links, Ltd., also offers education courses for credit from Notre Dame College, taught in Garfield Heights.

• Highly Qualified Teacher Programs for Special Education Intervention Specialists courses are being taught both at Notre Dame College and the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center in Brecksville.

• Notre Dame College and the Teacher Education Institute partnered to provide online educational offerings with Notre Dame College credit.

• Through a partnership with the Ohio Department of Education, Notre Dame College graduate education credits may be earned through Ohio School Net e-Learning’s Highly Qualified Teacher course offerings.

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