Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative

IEPI is a collaborative effort to help advance the institutional effectiveness of California Community Colleges (CCC). Most importantly, IEPI will enhance the system’s ability to effectively serve students. Per SB 852 and SB860, colleges must develop framework indicators that serve four operational areas. IEPI is jointly administered by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the Santa Clarita Community College District, which is contracted by the state to support colleges with the initiative through Partnership Resource Teams.

What are the IEPI Goals?

Institutional Effectiveness Goals

What are the IEPI Framework Indicators?

The framework of indicators are designed to measure the ongoing condition of a community college’s operational environment in the following areas:

• Student performance and outcomes
• Accreditation status
• Fiscal viability
• State and federal programmatic compliance

What are the Definitions of the Framework Indicators?

Student performance and outcomes:

• Completion Rate (Overall, Prepared and Unprepared): percentage of degree, certificate and/or transfer-seeking students, beginning in 2008-09, tracked for six years who completed a degree, certificate or transfer-related outcome.
• Remedial Rate (Overall, Prepared and Unprepared): percentage of credit students tracked for six years, starting in 2008-09, below transfer level in English, mathematics, and/or ESL and completed a college-level course in the same discipline.
• Career Technical Education Rate: percentage of students tracked for six years, beginning in 2008-09, who completed more than eight units in courses classified as career technical education in a single discipline and completed a degree, certificate or transferred.
• Successful course completion: percentage of student who earn a grade of “C” or better or “credit”.
• Completion of degrees: number of associate degrees completed.
• Completion of certificates: number of Chancellor’s Office approved certificates completed.
• Number of students who transfer to 4-year institutions: number of students who transfer to a four-year institution. 

Accreditation status:

• Accreditation status
• Date of next visit

Fiscal viability and State/Federal programmatic compliance:

• Salary and benefits: salaries and benefits as a percentage of unrestricted general fund expenditures, excluding other outgoing expenditures.
• Full-time equivalent students: annual number of full-time equivalent students.
• Annual operating excess/deficiency: net increase or decrease in unrestricted general fund balance.
• Cash balance: unrestricted and restricted general fund cash balance, excluding investments.
• Audit findings: modified opinion, material weaknesses, or significant deficiencies as identified in an annual independent audit financial statement.

Do the goals for the indicators have to be aspirational or can a college set a minimum baseline?

Generally, goals should be aspirational, or higher than baseline data. The statute specifically states that goals be “challenging” and “quantifiable.” However, there could be instances in which the college already exceeds a desired standard, such as exceeding a desired fund reserve level. In this instance, it would be reasonable to set targets that are not higher than current levels. In addition to the goals being challenging or aspirational, they also should be realistic, measurable and attainable.

What happens if a college does not achieve its goal? Will sanctions be imposed?

Sanctions will be imposed if the college does not achieve their goal, provided that the college has tried to implement changes and measured the effectiveness.