[The following article appears in the February 1995 edition of _TQM_in_Higher_Education_, pages 3 to 6.] TEAMING UP FOR STUDENT SUCCESS Winthrop U. (SC) has found the secret to involving its constituents in the TQM process--focus the efforts on helping students succeed. Three years ago, the university had a TQM consultant train 40 of the institution's top administrators. At that time, three pilot teams--weekend student life (see TQM/HE, July 1994), access to student computers, and cultural events--were formed. However, after the teams had completed their work, the momentum seemed to die. "Nobody picked up the ball and ran with it," says Jim Black, dean of enrollment management-- that is until the president tapped Black to lead the charge. Black knew he would have to successfully implement TQM in his own area before making inroads in the rest of the campus. So he began the journey by developing teams in admissions, registration and records, and financial aid. His first admissions teams dealt with prospective students, campus visits, and communications with those who had applied. The financial aid team looked at improving communications to students. And the teams in registration and records looked at the whole process of graduation and enrollment verifications. After experiencing success (some of the outcomes included an 80-page training manual, just-in-time training, and a revision in the communications series to students) he took the next step-- forming two cross-functional teams, one on research and one on strategic planning. The goal of the research team was to review what kinds of retention data were available on campus and pull it together. "We were data rich but analysis poor," says Black. The research team conducted a thorough analysis of existing data and fed the information to the strategic planning team who used it to establish 10 retention goals. These goals were two-fold: to get campuswide involvement in the retention effort and to keep the TQM efforts alive. The goals became the projects for the eight teams. Here are their assignments and some results: * Academic Advising This team was to conduct a self-assessment of the school's advising process, determine the role and mission of advising at Winthrop, and consider related issues such as the selection of advisors, rewards, training, and evaluation. It has since recommended a visit by a national advising consultant for informal training sessions and the creation of an electronic information source for faculty advisors. * Early Intervention Often, early intervention can head off problems before they cause students to leave campus. This team looked for ways to heighten the awareness of warning signs which might indicate future academic or personal difficulties for students and identify, through networking, the appropriate institutional service to address the students' specific needs. By surveying resident assistants and faculty members, this team investigated possible identification strategies for at-risk students. * Support Services This team assessed the use of existing support services, their convenience to student users, the level at which students' needs were being met, and the impact of services on student performance. It developed a list of all student support services and identified a strategy for increasing student awareness of these services. * Strategic Communications This team takes the successes of all the teams and promotes them campuswide as well as conveys relevant retention data, giving everyone an awareness of student success activities. It surveyed departments for examples of exemplary retention efforts for communication to the campus community. * Rewards If you can't build a reward structure into the program, says Black, it won't work. "We want the teams not only to be something they're giving to, but something they're benefitting from," explains Black. This team was encouraged to look for creative ways to reward faculty and staff for providing exemplary programs or services to students. It began work on a student-based nomination system for rewarding faculty and staff. * Integration Research shows that the sooner students are integrated into campus life, the greater the chance they will stay and succeed. This team was charged to find ways to integrate students into the academic and social life of the school as soon as they entered Winthrop. Out of the integration team came the position of student ombudsman who introduces incoming students to campus organizations. This individual makes connections between the presidents of these organizations and the new students and makes sure some type of communication occurs. The ombudsman also checks the responses of the communication and the eventual effects on retention. * Family Ties This team creates a partnership with families of students who are at Winthrop and acts as a support service. One of its outcomes was an 800# "Family Ties Hotline" so family members can check when exams are and send a care package to their student. "This helps keep the family involved in the student's whole educational process," explains Black. Other successes include an annual parents' weekend, a parents' orientation, and a newsletter. * Customer Service Team This team's goal was to identify a campuswide customer service training program. They recommended the "Connections" program from Noel-Levitz. WHAT'S IN A NAME? At Winthrop, the teams aren't referred to as TQM or CQI teams. "We started out calling them 'quality improvement teams,"' says Black. "Then they were called 'retention teams.' Now, we call them 'student success teams.' You don't force the jargon. You go with the terminology that gets buy-in from the group." All of the current teams are cross-functional and voluntary. Participants are matched with the team's project. For example, all members of the "family ties" team have had a son or daughter in college or have participated in a similar group at another institution. Members of the "academic advising" team either work in an advising office or are responsible for advising in their school or college. Before joining a team, Black explains the amount of time required and gives the individual an opportunity to back out. Only two out of 80 have done so--because of time constraints, not philosophical differences. Black estimates that 15% of the campus is involved in the student success teams. Teams meet two hours per month to work on projects. Black gets together with team leaders every month before their meetings to help them focus their time. "The purpose of the meeting is to keep them focused on the goal they're responsible for," he says. Most teams began their work by flowcharting a particular process--when there was one to flowchart. As time goes on, they do occasional progress checks to make sure they're on track. "What they don't do," says Black, "is write reports. Their job is to produce change." Black describes those who volunteer as very action-oriented individuals. "The people who are members really want to be there." As such, when the team first starts up, members want to offer solutions. So "we grab for the low-hanging fruit"--those things that are obvious, that you don't need data to know, he says. Goals were set for each team before they began but Black didn't tell the teams which solutions to go with. In some instances there was no pre-existing program so the team wasn't trying to change a system. What do the participants think about their experiences? Black remarks that what they really like is everyone has a voice and role to play and when they come up with an idea, it's implemented. However, the teams do experience frustrations--Black describes working on a team akin to a roller coaster experience. "They like what they hear and being able to make a difference. But then they move into studying the problem which generally takes a long time. Then, after they see results, their perspective goes back up," he explains. But the benefits are obvious. Black sees faculty members who have been teaching one way for 15-20 years change as a result of their participation on a team. And the admissions staff, who "work very hard, are stretched very thin, and to add one more thing to their workload is a burden," willingly added two more teams after the work on the initial ones was over. On some campuses, top-down implementation of TQM seems to work well. But Black acknowledges that particular style wouldn't work with Winthrop's culture. The grassroots approach seems to be the way to go. And that can only add to student success. For information, contact: Jim Black, Dean of Enrollment Management, Winthrop U., Oakland Ave., Rock Hill, SC 29733; Ph: 803/323-2211; Fax: 803/328-2855 WE JUST