Transitions Dimension Performance Indicator Responses
McHenry County College
6/18/2008



PI 5.1 Communications to Students To what degree does the institution communicate effectively with new students about the following?
Evaluate Each  Very Low/None
1		 Low
2		 Medium
3		 High
4		 Very High
5		 N/A
Institution's academic expectations 
Out-of class engagement1 opportunities 
Entry requirements for specific academic programs/majors 
College costs and financial aid (during recruitment and admissions) 
College costs and financial aid (after matriculation in order to plan for subsequent years) 

1 Out-of-class engagement includes traditional co-curricular offerings and other educationally effective experiences such as internships, student on-campus employment, leadership, and volunteer activities.


PI 5.2 Communication of the Student Experience To what degree does the institution effectively communicate the realities of college life through the following?
Institutional website 
Admissions print materials 
Campus tours for prospective students 

PI 5.3 Communication to Others To what degree does the institution communicate to the following groups their role in facilitating student success in college?
Secondary school personnel  
Families of new students 
Other support networks1 

1 Other support networks include organizations and groups (e.g., churches, community organizations, local businesses) that have on-going connections and influence with new students.


PI 5.4 Establishing Connections To what degree does your institution structure and implement experiences in which new students establish connections with the following?
Instructors (especially out-of-class) 
Other new students  
Continuing students 
Academic support services 

PI 5.5 Academic Advising What is the overall quality of academic advising for the following tasks and in the following time periods1?
In preparation for the first year of college  Very Low/None
1		 Low
2		 Medium
3		 High
4		 Very High
5		 N/A
Selecting courses2/schedule planning 
Exploring the rationale for selection of courses3 
Exploring life and career goals related to higher education 
In preparation for the second year of college  Very Low/None
1		 Low
2		 Medium
3		 High
4		 Very High
5		 N/A
Selecting courses/schedule planning 
Exploring the rationale for selection of courses 
Reviewing academic progress4 to date 
Discussing student intentions about future enrollment plans (stay, drop-out, transfer) 

1 This performance indicator focuses on only two advising periods. The task force may elect to consider other advising time periods, such as advising for the second quarter or semester.
2 Selecting courses refers to the mechanics of building a schedule of classes. High quality advising helps students select courses that are appropriate for their goals, at the appropriate level of difficulty, and arranged in an appropriate time schedule.
3 In high quality advising both the student and advisor discuss the rationale for the selection of courses so that the role of each course in the student’s overall educational plan is known, understood, and based on educationally sound reasoning.
4 Academic progress includes reviewing each student’s grade point average, monitoring time to degree/certificate completion, and discussing the student’s progress toward his/her immediate and long-range academic goals.