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Running Head: ASSESSING FEDERAL WORK STUDY PROGRAM AT NECC 1
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at Northern Essex Community College
Brianne McDonough
Courtney Struble
Jonathan Ladino
Xia He
July 28 2013
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 2
Abstract
The main goal of this assessment project is to evaluate the current Federal Work-Study
Program at Northern Essex Community College. A survey, which included a mix of both open
response, Likert scale, and yes or no response questions, was designed and administered to
students who were employed under the Federal Work-Study Program at the college during the
2012-2013 academic year. The data was collected via an online survey, which included both a
qualitative and quantitative evaluation. This report includes the methodology, results, analysis
and recommendations based upon the responses collected by the survey.
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 3
PURPOSE
The purpose of this assessment project is to conduct an external evaluation the Federal
Work-Study Program (FWS) at Northern Essex Community College (NECC). The intention of
the assessment team was to develop learning outcomes for the Federal Work-Study Program,
assess the newly developed learning outcomes, and to gauge student satisfaction on their
experience being employed through the program. Furthermore, the assessment team hopes to be
able to establish a framework for further refining and evaluating the Federal Work-Study
Program and make recommendations based upon their findings.
NECC is a 2-year public institution location in Haverhill, Massachusetts. As a
community college, North Essex offers both associates and certificate programs and is defined as
a medium-sized institution with population of 7,385 students (Carnegie Classifications, 2013).
NECC lists its mission on their website which reads,
The mission of Northern Essex Community College is to serve the people of the Greater
Merrimack Valley as a caring and comprehensive center of educational excellence that offers
high quality, affordable adult and post-secondary education through the Associate Degree level,
as well as a broad range of occupational programs and community services which enhance the
social, cultural and economic life of the region (Northern Essex Community College, 2013).
The Federal Work-Study Program at NECC is rooted in the federal Opportunity Act of
1964. The main goal of the program is to provide employment opportunities for students,
provide relevant career and academic related experience for students, and improve the
relationship between the College and the community (Stephen F. Austin, 2013). One of NECC’s
core values is to provide “affordable access to educational opportunities” (Northern Essex
Community College, 2013). Aligning well with both the institutional mission and several core
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 4
values, the Federal Work-Study Program at Northern Essex is one of the many programs
supported by the Financial Aid Office, which provides financial support to both students and
their families.
As a federally supported program, the Federal Work-Study Program adheres to strict
guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education
has a large role in regulating which students are eligible for employment under the Federal
Work-Study Program, and the type of employment permitted. In addition, program allocations
and wages are determined at the federal level, rather than at the institutional level (U.S.
Department of Education, 2013). This close regulation by the federal government presents
additional challenges for the Financial Aid Office in carrying out program objectives and
complicates the process of assessing intended programmatic learning outcomes.
At Northern Essex Community College, the existing Federal Work-Study Program
provides an opportunity for students to work on or off campus. Through their employment
students gain relevant employment experience and entry-level job skills in addition to earning an
income, which helps many to defray the costs of living expenses or educational expenses. In
combination, employment in the Federal Work-Study Program promotes the successful
completion of a degree and provides work experience, which is useful to students seeking
employment opportunities upon graduation.
Despite these well-understood goals, prior to the undertaking of this assessment project,
there were no established learning outcomes set for the Federal Work-Study Program at Northern
Essex Community College. Therefore one of the first tasks taken on by the assessment team was
to develop learning outcomes for the program. The assessment team and representatives from
the Financial Aid Office worked together to develop measurable learning outcomes for the
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 5
program. Development learning outcomes was guided by the Council for Advancement of
Standards in Higher Education Self-Assessment Guide for Financial Aid Programs (2008).
The following learning outcomes were established for the program:
• Provide a professional experience that students will be able to put on their resume
• Improve interview skills i.e. eye contact, clear voice, volume, personable
• Allow students to work and earn money that they can use to finish their education
• Allow students to gain a network of professionals who they can then utilize if/when
needed
• Help students gain professional experience that they can use in their future career
• Students will meet with their supervisor at least twice a semester
• Students will establish goals and work towards them with their supervisor
• Students will learn the importance of professional responsibility; time management,
responsibility, communication, understanding strengths/weaknesses etc.
• Students will add their position to their professional resume
The existing Federal Work-Study program at North Essex Community College currently
serves approximately 150 students each year. The program encourages students to find
employment related to their course of study. However, since its inception, there has been no
formal move to create learning outcomes or conduct an assessment of the program. The
assessment team determined that both the development of learning outcomes and an initial
assessment of the program would be useful to both the Financial Aid Office and the College.
Recognizing that this step towards creating a means to evaluate and assess this program as an
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 6
essential piece, the assessment team decided to move forward despite time constraints and
limited support from College stakeholders.
As just one of the many programs supported by the Financial Aid Office at Northern
Essex, the Federal Work-Study Program has many components. As indicated in Table 1, many
different resources are dedicated to supporting the program. The inputs include financial
resources, including funding from both the institution and federal government; human resources
which includes departmental supervisors and staff; technological resources; as well as equipment
and facilities.
What is produced as a result of the program is equally, if not more, important. In the year
2012-2013 the Federal Work-Study Program employed 127 students in 38 different
departments/organizations. In total, student staff logged approximately 18,700 hours. Students
being able to earn a paycheck to help support them in their educational pursuits is just one of the
initial outcomes of being able to provide employment opportunities to students at the College.
Of course, other benefits include experience developing basic job skills, improved attitudes
towards employment, and increased contact with staff and administrators.
The intermediate and long-term goals include increased commitment to the institution
and ability to stay enrolled at the College. Employment through the Federal Work-Study
Program also leads to increased experience with employment prior to graduation and increased
confidence working alongside staff and administrators. Long-term this is likely to transfer into
increased employability upon graduation and increased entry-level job experience and
transferable skills.
Given the inputs, outputs, and long-term outcomes, it is evident that the Federal Work-
Study Program not only has a lot to offer students, but also is also well invested in at both the
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 7
institutional and federal level. Taking into account its place at the institution, the program is
certainly worth assessing in order to make sure these resources are producing (and to what extent
they are producing) the intended outcomes. The research team felt assessing this program would
be beneficial to both the institution and the students who choose to take advantage of their
financial aid by seeking employment through the Federal Work-Study Program.
Table 1. Logic Model for the Federal Work-Study Program at Northern Essex Community College
Upon conclusion of the project, the assessment team plans to meet with representatives
from NECC’s Financial Aid Office to discuss their findings and to make recommendations to the
program director. The assessment team is confident that their findings will provide an initial
context for which the department can further develop their assessment and program goals. This
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 8
assessment project will provide a trial run assessment on which the department can refine the
program learning outcomes, questionnaire, data collection methods, and lastly the program itself.
METHOD
Prior to the development of the methodology stakeholders of the program were identified
and invited to provide their input for the assessment team. The major stakeholders were
identified as the Financial Aid Office, Career Services, Enrollment Management, various
department employing students through the program, and the U.S. Department of Education.
The Financial Aid Office was quickly identified as being one of the most significant stakeholders
with an interested in the assessment project. A member of the assessment team, who maintained
a close connection with the Financial Aid Office, volunteered to serve as the liaison.
This connection with the Financial Aid Office allowed the assessment team to have a
close working relationship with key stakeholders at NECC. The assessment team, including the
liaison for the Financial Aid Office developed a timeline and maintained regular communication.
Additionally, the team agreed to meet weekly in order to discuss the progress of the project,
divvy up tasks for the following week, and set deadlines. This means of communication created
a successful synergy between all members of the assessment team.
In order to conduct an assessment which combined student satisfaction and an evaluation
of intended student-learning outcomes, the assessment team settled on a survey that utilized two
components. The first portion sought to understand to what extent students were gaining
relevant job training and skills through their Federal Work-Study position. The second part of
the survey served to gauge how satisfied students were with their experience.
The assessment team decided to focus on students who had participated in the Federal
Work-Study Program at NECC would be contacted to participate. Students were chosen as the
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 9
focus due in part because they are the main recipients of the intended learning outcomes and
have valuable feedback to offer the Financial Aid Office regarding their experience.
Furthermore, a critical evaluation of their satisfaction with the program and an assessment of the
skills they are gaining can offer an inside perspective of how the program is meeting the
established learning outcomes.
Several methodologies were considered as a means of collecting data for the assessment.
The assessment team determined utilizing the web-based tool SurveyMonkey would be the best
method. This tool was determined to be the most compatible, especially given the short-timeline
and limited accessibility to students during the month of July. The assessment team was
fortunate to have the support of the Director of the Financial Aid Office who provided clearance
to implement the survey, contact information for students who were involved in the work study
program during the 2012-2013 academic year, and access to the College’s Survey Monkey
account for the purpose of creating and distributing the instrument for data collection.
Overall this assessment project is crucial to the institution at large. More information
about how students are viewing their experience and what skills they are coming away with can
lead to more developed learning outcomes to continue to improve the program. The Federal
Work-Study program serves to benefit both the students and the university. It provides a source
of income for the students and employees to various departments on campus. This keeps the
average debt lower for students, which is also a positive because students are able to have
financial support and continue towards achievement of their degree. Additionally, students who
take advantage of the FWS program are able to gain entry-level skills which can aid them in
finding employment upon graduation. Students’ success through this program can very possibly
lead to success graduation, which increases institution’s retention rate.
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 10
Beyond the institutional level, the success and management of funds of the FWS program
is determined by the Federal Government and the Department of Education. As external
stakeholders, these two constituents have a vested interest in the rapport of the program. Move
over, if the program can be improved and built upon, then the FWS program may gain a more
reputable standing among students and the institution.
Considering the research plan and purpose focused on a needs assessment of the Federal
Work-Study program, it seemed only appropriate for the population of the study to begin with
students currently utilizing the program. The research team decided to concentrate on the
student’s current view of the program, and leave the supervisor input for future research.
Collecting data from students would allow the research to focus purely on the needs of the
program’s consumers. The Federal Work-Study program had 127 participants during the 2012-
2013 academic year.
Due to summer break, not all students are on campus so the next determination that had
to be made was the type of survey instrument that would help collect the most data in the least
amount of time and in the most cost-effective manner. Since the director of the Financial Aid
Department had already offered the services of the web-based data collection program
SurveyMonkey, this was the best option to move forward. A member of the research team works
in the Financial Aid department and was able to obtain the students’ NECC email addresses and
personal email address.
The survey was created to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative
data included demographic information, Likert scale questions, and yes or no questions
determining the students’ interaction and experience with the Federal Work-Study coordinator,
their position supervisors, and their job responsibilities. The qualitative data was collected in the
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 11
form of open ended questions asking the student for their job experience, perceived strengths and
weaknesses of the program, and ideas for improvement (Appendix A). Once the instrument was
created it was then distributed to the 127 work study students via email during the first week of
July 2013. The email notified the student that they had until July 15th
, 2013 to complete the
survey (Appendix B). Follow up emails were sent every 3 days, to both the students’ school and
personal email accounts, during the first two weeks of July 2013 reminding students to complete
the survey. By sending the email to both the students’ school and personal email accounts the
research team sought to reach the students who were no longer utilizing their school accounts.
Although the best efforts were made to allot for any possible barriers to the study, there
were notable limitations to the study. The greatest limitation came from the fact that the project
was completed during the summer months. Many of the student workers were no longer on
campus for the summer. Other workers had graduated from Northern Essex Community College
during the spring and were no longer checking their student email accounts. The research team
may not have had up to date personal email account information for some of the student workers
involved with the study. In addition, because of the quick turnaround of the survey some
students may not have had the opportunity to complete the survey in the allotted time frame.
Finally, some students may not see the importance of completing the survey and may not be
interested in spending the time to provide feedback. With all of these limitations, only a limited
amount of work study students, 34, involved in the program provided information.
FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS:
Upon closure of the survey, the research team found that the feedback gained as a result
of the survey was extremely useful in providing insight to the student experience. Out of the 127
students who were sent the survey, 34 responded by completing the survey. This indicates that
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 12
26% of the students contacted chose to participate in the survey. The majority, 73.5% of
students, had been employed in the program for a year or less, while 38.2% had been employed
for over a year through the program. The research team was pleased to see that students
represented 22 different majors and concentrations and 23 different departments including a
range of both on campus and off-campus site locations.
The majority of respondents indicated that they were given the opportunity to work
independently on a task or project during their employment in their work-study position.
Participants responded they were ‘always’ and ‘almost always’ given this opportunity at 26.5%
and 47.1%, respectively. 20.6% indicated they were ‘occasionally’ given the opportunity to
work independently. Two participants responded negatively, indicating they were ‘almost never’
and ‘never’ given the opportunity to work independently providing a 2.9% response rate
Participants were asked if they ‘had the opportunity to work on a team toward a shared goal’.
Responses indicated that the majority of students gained exposure to working on a team.
Participant responses were as follows, 44.1% ‘always’, 20.6% ‘almost always’, 20.6%
‘occasionally’, 5.9% ‘almost never’ and 8.8% ‘never’.
The majority of students responded positively that they were given the opportunity to
work both independently and on a team. The response rates for ‘working on a team towards a
shared goal’ are slightly higher than the responses for working independently. This indicates
that students feel they are involved in the office goals and collaborative projects while being
given the opportunity to work with others slightly more than on an independent project or task.
This also indicated that students felt as though they were actively contributing to the office that
they were working for.
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 13
Participants were asked to answer how frequently they were encouraged to bring new
ideas and/or take a creative approach to completing tasks and projects. The majority of students
responded positively. 47.1% responded ‘always’, 17.6% ‘almost always’, 29.4% ‘occasionally’
while 5.9% responded ‘almost never’, zero students responded ‘never’.)
Similarly to the above question, the results show that students feel encouraged to bring
forward their ideas in the workplace. It shows that they were challenged to think deeper about
some of the processes that the office performed and present new and fresh ideas. In this case,
hopefully students feel included in the processes and goals of the office and feel as though their
opinion is valued.
Participants were asked to respond to the different types of communication used during
their work-study positions. The majority of students indicated they used written communication
in the form of email communication and writing letters/flyers. Responses were 38.2% ‘always’,
17.6% ‘almost always’, 26.5% ‘occasionally’, 8.8% ‘never’ and 8.8% ‘almost never’. Similarly,
participants were asked to about the development of their oral communication skills in the form
of making telephone calls, participation in meetings, etc. The majority of students indicated they
used this type of communication frequently. Responses were 32.4% ‘always’, 26.5% ‘almost
always’, 17.6% ‘occasionally’, 8.5% ‘almost never’ and 14.7% ‘never’.
Student responses indicated that they were using a variety of communication throughout
their employment. Most concerning, 17.6% of students indicated they ‘almost never’ or ‘never’
used written communication during their work study positions and 23.3% indicated they ‘almost
never’ or ‘never’ used oral communication. This may be an indication that students may not
necessarily pinpoint, recognize, or value these forms of communication as a skill set.
Regardless, supervisors should be encouraged to incorporate both written and oral
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 14
communication into the traditional task for work-study positions in order to build upon students
experience in these areas. This experience is a great way for students to develop both their oral
and written skills, with the amount of students who feel that these skills were not utilized, this is
an opportunity wasted.
Participants were asked to respond how frequently they interacted and worked with a
variety of students, faculty, and staff. 50% of participants responded that they ‘always’ worked
with a variety of students, faculty and staff, while 23.5% responded ‘almost always’ and 17.6%
responded ‘occasionally’. Only 8.8% of participants responded ‘almost never’ while zero
participants responded ‘never’.
The vast majority of students noted they ‘frequently interacted with a variety of students,
faculty, and staff’. At 73.5% responded ‘almost always’ and ‘always’. This is quite positive as
students are gaining exposure to working with a variety of constituents across the college, which
will then improve their ability to work with a variety of people in the workplace.
In order to gauge the level of computer technology skills students were utilizing in their
work-study positions, participants were asked how frequently they used computer technology in
their positions. Participant’s responses were as follows, 41.2% ‘always’, 17.6% ‘almost always’,
26.5% ‘occasionally’, 5.9% ‘almost never’ and 8.8% ‘never’.
This response was especially important for students at the community college who may
not otherwise have a broad experience with computer technology. It is encouraging to see so
many students responding positively that they utilize computer technology. However in the
alternative, students who are not encouraged or required to incorporate technology into their
tasks are missing out on the opportunity to build upon an important skill set.
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 15
A number of questions were asked regarding the supervision students received during
their work-study positions. 97.1% of respondents felt they had access to their supervisor or
coordinator when they needed it. 79.4% of students felt their supervisor ‘always’ held them
accountable while 14.7% of students responded ‘almost always’. 2.9% responded
‘occasionally/sometimes’, 2.9% said ‘almost never’ and zero students responded ‘never’.
Students were asked to answer how frequently they met with their supervisor; participants
responded 38.2% ‘always’, 23.5% ‘almost always’, 29.4% ‘occasionally’, 5.9% ‘almost never’,
and 2.9% ‘never’.
Students were also asked how often their supervisor helped them to identify strengths and
weakness. Participant responses were as follows, 44.1% ‘always’, 20.6% ‘almost always’,
26.5% ‘occasionally’, 2.9% ‘almost never’ and 5.9% never. 94.1% of respondents were satisfied
with the feedback they received from their supervisor. Overall, responses regarding supervision
seemed to indicate students were satisfied with their supervisory experience and felt their
supervisor provided good feedback. Most felt their supervisor was available and accessible.
All thirty-four students indicated that they gained new knowledge and skills during their
employment in a work-study position. The most prevalent skills gained were, seven participants
listed communication skills, five people listed computer skills and four people listed
administrative skills. The fact that all thirty-four students indicated that they learned a new skill
or refined an existing one, demonstrates that each student was able to takeaway something from
their experience. For the students who listed communication, computer, or administrative skills,
these are skills that they will be using in their daily lives in any type of occupation.
Of those who responded, 82.4% of students felt that financial aid provided them with
enough help to locate a work-study position. Conversely, 17.6% indicated that they were not
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 16
satisfied with the level of help they received while trying to find employment through the work-
study program. 76% of students felt there was enough variety in the options available for
employment in the work-study program, while 23.5% feel there is not enough variety.
Although 82.4% of students indicated that they felt there was enough help provided to
them to locate a work-study program, there is still room for improvement in this area. It is the
goal of the program to provide assistance to all students in searching for a position and help them
gain the experience necessary to improve their skills. Also, 23.5% of students believe that there
is not enough variety in the employment options that are offered through the program. This is an
area that the program can explore new unique positions that they can offer students to help
diversify the job market.
Participants were asked to indicate whether or not they maintained a professional resume.
79.4% responded yes, they have a professional resume, while 20.6% do not. Similarly, 70.6% of
students list their part-time work-study position on their resume. 85.3% believe that their work-
study position gave them valuable experience, which will help them in their long-term career
goals.
Considering that 85.3% of students indicated that their work-study position gave them
valuable experience which will help them in their long-term career goals, adding a resume
component to the program, and making sure that work-study position is listed should be a key
component to the program. This is an opportunity to assist students in not only developing a
professional resume, but also filling that resume with valuable job experience which can be used
to help achieve their long-term career goals.
The survey showed that 100% of students enjoyed their work-study experience. 100% of
students indicated they would recommend the work-study program to another student. 94.1% the
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 17
experience had a positive impact on their academic experience. Students were asked to share
any changes they would like to see in the work-study program. The most common responses
were they are satisfied and do not want to change anything (15) and they would like to have
additional hours for the program (11).
This information indicates that all of the students had a positive experience with their
work-study position. Not only did every student say that they enjoyed their experience, but all of
the students indicated that they would recommend the program to another student. This shows
that overall this is an extremely positive experience for students and one in which they wouldn’t
mind sharing with others. Considering eleven students indicated that they would like to see more
hours, this is something that we could investigate more to see if it is possible to provide more
hours to students.
There are areas of this experience that can be open to some adjustment to enhance the
student experience in the future. The area of suggested improvement that most students
indicated was the lack of operational hours for students to partake in while in the program. Most
students indicated that they would like to see more hours provided to students so that they can
get the most out of their time in the program. Although there will be a budgetary restriction in
terms of this adjustment, this should be something that the program looks into further to
investigate if there is a possibility to extend the program hours.
Along with the hour provided, there must be a strong push for all students to use both
written and oral communication within their experience in the work study program. 23.3% of
students indicated on the survey that they either almost never or never used oral communication
while 17.6% indicated that they almost never or never use written communication. No matter
the student’s plan of study, both of these communication skills are prevalent in any type of work
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 18
or career. There is an opportunity here for students to not only learn these different
communication skills but also to enhance them through usage and continued knowledge. There
should be an incorporation of both oral and written communication throughout the students
experience in the work study program. In addition to written and oral communication skills,
students also have an opportunity to build their computer skills through this program. From the
study, 14.7% of students indicated that they almost never or never used any computer skills
throughout their experience. Much like the written and oral communication skills, this program
offers a chance for students to learn and develop their computer skills in an educational
environment. These skills will be essential to the student’s success upon graduation and entrance
into the business world.
Along with the overall program, there are changes to the survey that would be made if it
was administered again. For the question that asks about supervision, rephrasing the question
would have helped gather more descriptive data then it does as written. The survey asked
students to evaluate how many times they met with their supervisor to discuss their overall job
performance and to rate it on an always to never scale. This question would have been more
beneficial to rate the satisfaction of the supervisor to student ratio based on quality feedback and
overall availability. The supervisor role in this program is essential to its success because it
allows for students to fully understand not only how their job performance is, but also how they
can improve their skills to be more marketable. The supervisor is responsible to help train and
market the student with valuable skills that they can take with them from the experience.
Obtaining a better understanding of the supervisor role in the program would help get a better
feel for how successful the supervisor to student interaction is.
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 19
References:
Stephen F. Austin State University (2013). Federal work-study. Retrieved from
http://www.sfasu.edu/faid/programs/workstudy.asp
U.S. Department of Education (2013). Federal work-study (fws) program. Retrieved from
http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fws/index.html
Northern Essex Community College (2013). Mission statement and core values. Retrieved from
http://www.necc.mass.edu/about/values/
Council for Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (2008). CAS self-assessment guide
for financial aid programs.
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 20
Appendix A
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NECCFWS
1. How long have you been involved in the work study program?
Less than 1 year
1 year
2 years
3 or more years
2. What is your major?
3. What department or organization do you work for?
4. What skills or knowledge do you feel that you have acquired from your work study position?
5. Did the program give you enough help to find your job?
Yes
No
6. Did you enjoy your work study position?
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 21
Yes
No
7. Would you work at this position again?
Yes
No
8. Do you feel there was enough variety in the available work study positions?
Yes
No
9. Were you able to have access to the work study coordinator and/or your supervisor when
you needed to?
Yes
No
10. Did your work-study experience have positive impact on your academic performance?
Yes
No
11. Do you have a professional resume?
Yes
No
12. Is your work study position on your professional resume?
Yes
No
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 22
I don't have a resume
13. Do you feel that your work study position will help you in your future career?
Yes
No
14. Are you satisfied with the amount of feedback from your supervisor?
Yes
No
15. Would you recommend this program to other students?
Yes
No
16. I had the opportunity to work independently on a task or project.
Never
Almost never
Occasionally/Sometimes
Almost Always
Always
17. I was encouraged to bring new ideas and take a creative approach to completing tasks
Never
Almost never
Occasionally/Sometimes
Almost Always
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 23
Always
18. I utilized written communication as a part of my position (i.e. email communication, creating letters fo
disbursement, creating flyers, etc.)
Never
Almost never
Occasionally/Sometimes
Almost Always
Always
19. I utilized oral communication as a part of my position (i.e. telephone calls, meetings, etc.).
Never
Almost never
Occasionally/Sometimes
Almost Always
Always
20. I utilized computer technology (such as Microsoft Office Suite or similar) as a part of my position
Never
Almost never
Occasionally/Sometimes
Almost Always
Always
21. I had the opportunity to work with a variety of students/faculty/staff across campus
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 24
Never
Almost never
Occasionally/Sometimes
Almost Always
Always
22. My supervisor held me accountable for the responsibilities outlined in the position
(including attendance, deadlines).
Never
Almost Never
Occasionally/Sometimes
Almost Always
Always
23. My supervisor met with me individually to discuss job responsibilities and my progress within the
position.
Never
Almost never
Occasionally/Sometimes
Almost Always
Always
24. My supervisor helped me to identify areas of strength and weaknesses in my job performance.
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 25
Never
Almost never
Occasionally/Sometimes
Almost Always
Always
25. I had the opportunity to work on a team towards a shared goal.
Never
Almost never
Occasionally/Sometimes
Almost Always
Always
26. What would you like to see change in the Northern Essex Community college work study program?
27. Is there anything else you like to share with us?
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 26
Appendix B
Hello XXX,
In preparation for the 2013-2014 academic year, we are doing an evaluation of the Federal
Work-Study program her at Northern Essex Community College. We are hoping to improve the
program for next year and we need your help. Your work study experience can provide us with
information on how you have perceived the program and how we can make it better for you and
other work study in the future. Please complete the survey at the attached link. It is anonymous
and shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Your input can really help us to create a better
experience with our Federal Work-Study Program here at Northern Essex Community College.
The Survey should be completed at the below link.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NECCFWS
Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 27
The final day to complete this survey will be July 15th
, 2013. If you have any questions at all
please let me know. Have a wonderful day!
Sincerely,
Courtney Newman
Financial Aid Counselor
Northern Essex Community College

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Assessing federal work study program at northern essex

  • 1. Running Head: ASSESSING FEDERAL WORK STUDY PROGRAM AT NECC 1 Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at Northern Essex Community College Brianne McDonough Courtney Struble Jonathan Ladino Xia He July 28 2013
  • 2. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 2 Abstract The main goal of this assessment project is to evaluate the current Federal Work-Study Program at Northern Essex Community College. A survey, which included a mix of both open response, Likert scale, and yes or no response questions, was designed and administered to students who were employed under the Federal Work-Study Program at the college during the 2012-2013 academic year. The data was collected via an online survey, which included both a qualitative and quantitative evaluation. This report includes the methodology, results, analysis and recommendations based upon the responses collected by the survey.
  • 3. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 3 PURPOSE The purpose of this assessment project is to conduct an external evaluation the Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) at Northern Essex Community College (NECC). The intention of the assessment team was to develop learning outcomes for the Federal Work-Study Program, assess the newly developed learning outcomes, and to gauge student satisfaction on their experience being employed through the program. Furthermore, the assessment team hopes to be able to establish a framework for further refining and evaluating the Federal Work-Study Program and make recommendations based upon their findings. NECC is a 2-year public institution location in Haverhill, Massachusetts. As a community college, North Essex offers both associates and certificate programs and is defined as a medium-sized institution with population of 7,385 students (Carnegie Classifications, 2013). NECC lists its mission on their website which reads, The mission of Northern Essex Community College is to serve the people of the Greater Merrimack Valley as a caring and comprehensive center of educational excellence that offers high quality, affordable adult and post-secondary education through the Associate Degree level, as well as a broad range of occupational programs and community services which enhance the social, cultural and economic life of the region (Northern Essex Community College, 2013). The Federal Work-Study Program at NECC is rooted in the federal Opportunity Act of 1964. The main goal of the program is to provide employment opportunities for students, provide relevant career and academic related experience for students, and improve the relationship between the College and the community (Stephen F. Austin, 2013). One of NECC’s core values is to provide “affordable access to educational opportunities” (Northern Essex Community College, 2013). Aligning well with both the institutional mission and several core
  • 4. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 4 values, the Federal Work-Study Program at Northern Essex is one of the many programs supported by the Financial Aid Office, which provides financial support to both students and their families. As a federally supported program, the Federal Work-Study Program adheres to strict guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education has a large role in regulating which students are eligible for employment under the Federal Work-Study Program, and the type of employment permitted. In addition, program allocations and wages are determined at the federal level, rather than at the institutional level (U.S. Department of Education, 2013). This close regulation by the federal government presents additional challenges for the Financial Aid Office in carrying out program objectives and complicates the process of assessing intended programmatic learning outcomes. At Northern Essex Community College, the existing Federal Work-Study Program provides an opportunity for students to work on or off campus. Through their employment students gain relevant employment experience and entry-level job skills in addition to earning an income, which helps many to defray the costs of living expenses or educational expenses. In combination, employment in the Federal Work-Study Program promotes the successful completion of a degree and provides work experience, which is useful to students seeking employment opportunities upon graduation. Despite these well-understood goals, prior to the undertaking of this assessment project, there were no established learning outcomes set for the Federal Work-Study Program at Northern Essex Community College. Therefore one of the first tasks taken on by the assessment team was to develop learning outcomes for the program. The assessment team and representatives from the Financial Aid Office worked together to develop measurable learning outcomes for the
  • 5. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 5 program. Development learning outcomes was guided by the Council for Advancement of Standards in Higher Education Self-Assessment Guide for Financial Aid Programs (2008). The following learning outcomes were established for the program: • Provide a professional experience that students will be able to put on their resume • Improve interview skills i.e. eye contact, clear voice, volume, personable • Allow students to work and earn money that they can use to finish their education • Allow students to gain a network of professionals who they can then utilize if/when needed • Help students gain professional experience that they can use in their future career • Students will meet with their supervisor at least twice a semester • Students will establish goals and work towards them with their supervisor • Students will learn the importance of professional responsibility; time management, responsibility, communication, understanding strengths/weaknesses etc. • Students will add their position to their professional resume The existing Federal Work-Study program at North Essex Community College currently serves approximately 150 students each year. The program encourages students to find employment related to their course of study. However, since its inception, there has been no formal move to create learning outcomes or conduct an assessment of the program. The assessment team determined that both the development of learning outcomes and an initial assessment of the program would be useful to both the Financial Aid Office and the College. Recognizing that this step towards creating a means to evaluate and assess this program as an
  • 6. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 6 essential piece, the assessment team decided to move forward despite time constraints and limited support from College stakeholders. As just one of the many programs supported by the Financial Aid Office at Northern Essex, the Federal Work-Study Program has many components. As indicated in Table 1, many different resources are dedicated to supporting the program. The inputs include financial resources, including funding from both the institution and federal government; human resources which includes departmental supervisors and staff; technological resources; as well as equipment and facilities. What is produced as a result of the program is equally, if not more, important. In the year 2012-2013 the Federal Work-Study Program employed 127 students in 38 different departments/organizations. In total, student staff logged approximately 18,700 hours. Students being able to earn a paycheck to help support them in their educational pursuits is just one of the initial outcomes of being able to provide employment opportunities to students at the College. Of course, other benefits include experience developing basic job skills, improved attitudes towards employment, and increased contact with staff and administrators. The intermediate and long-term goals include increased commitment to the institution and ability to stay enrolled at the College. Employment through the Federal Work-Study Program also leads to increased experience with employment prior to graduation and increased confidence working alongside staff and administrators. Long-term this is likely to transfer into increased employability upon graduation and increased entry-level job experience and transferable skills. Given the inputs, outputs, and long-term outcomes, it is evident that the Federal Work- Study Program not only has a lot to offer students, but also is also well invested in at both the
  • 7. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 7 institutional and federal level. Taking into account its place at the institution, the program is certainly worth assessing in order to make sure these resources are producing (and to what extent they are producing) the intended outcomes. The research team felt assessing this program would be beneficial to both the institution and the students who choose to take advantage of their financial aid by seeking employment through the Federal Work-Study Program. Table 1. Logic Model for the Federal Work-Study Program at Northern Essex Community College Upon conclusion of the project, the assessment team plans to meet with representatives from NECC’s Financial Aid Office to discuss their findings and to make recommendations to the program director. The assessment team is confident that their findings will provide an initial context for which the department can further develop their assessment and program goals. This
  • 8. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 8 assessment project will provide a trial run assessment on which the department can refine the program learning outcomes, questionnaire, data collection methods, and lastly the program itself. METHOD Prior to the development of the methodology stakeholders of the program were identified and invited to provide their input for the assessment team. The major stakeholders were identified as the Financial Aid Office, Career Services, Enrollment Management, various department employing students through the program, and the U.S. Department of Education. The Financial Aid Office was quickly identified as being one of the most significant stakeholders with an interested in the assessment project. A member of the assessment team, who maintained a close connection with the Financial Aid Office, volunteered to serve as the liaison. This connection with the Financial Aid Office allowed the assessment team to have a close working relationship with key stakeholders at NECC. The assessment team, including the liaison for the Financial Aid Office developed a timeline and maintained regular communication. Additionally, the team agreed to meet weekly in order to discuss the progress of the project, divvy up tasks for the following week, and set deadlines. This means of communication created a successful synergy between all members of the assessment team. In order to conduct an assessment which combined student satisfaction and an evaluation of intended student-learning outcomes, the assessment team settled on a survey that utilized two components. The first portion sought to understand to what extent students were gaining relevant job training and skills through their Federal Work-Study position. The second part of the survey served to gauge how satisfied students were with their experience. The assessment team decided to focus on students who had participated in the Federal Work-Study Program at NECC would be contacted to participate. Students were chosen as the
  • 9. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 9 focus due in part because they are the main recipients of the intended learning outcomes and have valuable feedback to offer the Financial Aid Office regarding their experience. Furthermore, a critical evaluation of their satisfaction with the program and an assessment of the skills they are gaining can offer an inside perspective of how the program is meeting the established learning outcomes. Several methodologies were considered as a means of collecting data for the assessment. The assessment team determined utilizing the web-based tool SurveyMonkey would be the best method. This tool was determined to be the most compatible, especially given the short-timeline and limited accessibility to students during the month of July. The assessment team was fortunate to have the support of the Director of the Financial Aid Office who provided clearance to implement the survey, contact information for students who were involved in the work study program during the 2012-2013 academic year, and access to the College’s Survey Monkey account for the purpose of creating and distributing the instrument for data collection. Overall this assessment project is crucial to the institution at large. More information about how students are viewing their experience and what skills they are coming away with can lead to more developed learning outcomes to continue to improve the program. The Federal Work-Study program serves to benefit both the students and the university. It provides a source of income for the students and employees to various departments on campus. This keeps the average debt lower for students, which is also a positive because students are able to have financial support and continue towards achievement of their degree. Additionally, students who take advantage of the FWS program are able to gain entry-level skills which can aid them in finding employment upon graduation. Students’ success through this program can very possibly lead to success graduation, which increases institution’s retention rate.
  • 10. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 10 Beyond the institutional level, the success and management of funds of the FWS program is determined by the Federal Government and the Department of Education. As external stakeholders, these two constituents have a vested interest in the rapport of the program. Move over, if the program can be improved and built upon, then the FWS program may gain a more reputable standing among students and the institution. Considering the research plan and purpose focused on a needs assessment of the Federal Work-Study program, it seemed only appropriate for the population of the study to begin with students currently utilizing the program. The research team decided to concentrate on the student’s current view of the program, and leave the supervisor input for future research. Collecting data from students would allow the research to focus purely on the needs of the program’s consumers. The Federal Work-Study program had 127 participants during the 2012- 2013 academic year. Due to summer break, not all students are on campus so the next determination that had to be made was the type of survey instrument that would help collect the most data in the least amount of time and in the most cost-effective manner. Since the director of the Financial Aid Department had already offered the services of the web-based data collection program SurveyMonkey, this was the best option to move forward. A member of the research team works in the Financial Aid department and was able to obtain the students’ NECC email addresses and personal email address. The survey was created to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data included demographic information, Likert scale questions, and yes or no questions determining the students’ interaction and experience with the Federal Work-Study coordinator, their position supervisors, and their job responsibilities. The qualitative data was collected in the
  • 11. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 11 form of open ended questions asking the student for their job experience, perceived strengths and weaknesses of the program, and ideas for improvement (Appendix A). Once the instrument was created it was then distributed to the 127 work study students via email during the first week of July 2013. The email notified the student that they had until July 15th , 2013 to complete the survey (Appendix B). Follow up emails were sent every 3 days, to both the students’ school and personal email accounts, during the first two weeks of July 2013 reminding students to complete the survey. By sending the email to both the students’ school and personal email accounts the research team sought to reach the students who were no longer utilizing their school accounts. Although the best efforts were made to allot for any possible barriers to the study, there were notable limitations to the study. The greatest limitation came from the fact that the project was completed during the summer months. Many of the student workers were no longer on campus for the summer. Other workers had graduated from Northern Essex Community College during the spring and were no longer checking their student email accounts. The research team may not have had up to date personal email account information for some of the student workers involved with the study. In addition, because of the quick turnaround of the survey some students may not have had the opportunity to complete the survey in the allotted time frame. Finally, some students may not see the importance of completing the survey and may not be interested in spending the time to provide feedback. With all of these limitations, only a limited amount of work study students, 34, involved in the program provided information. FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS: Upon closure of the survey, the research team found that the feedback gained as a result of the survey was extremely useful in providing insight to the student experience. Out of the 127 students who were sent the survey, 34 responded by completing the survey. This indicates that
  • 12. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 12 26% of the students contacted chose to participate in the survey. The majority, 73.5% of students, had been employed in the program for a year or less, while 38.2% had been employed for over a year through the program. The research team was pleased to see that students represented 22 different majors and concentrations and 23 different departments including a range of both on campus and off-campus site locations. The majority of respondents indicated that they were given the opportunity to work independently on a task or project during their employment in their work-study position. Participants responded they were ‘always’ and ‘almost always’ given this opportunity at 26.5% and 47.1%, respectively. 20.6% indicated they were ‘occasionally’ given the opportunity to work independently. Two participants responded negatively, indicating they were ‘almost never’ and ‘never’ given the opportunity to work independently providing a 2.9% response rate Participants were asked if they ‘had the opportunity to work on a team toward a shared goal’. Responses indicated that the majority of students gained exposure to working on a team. Participant responses were as follows, 44.1% ‘always’, 20.6% ‘almost always’, 20.6% ‘occasionally’, 5.9% ‘almost never’ and 8.8% ‘never’. The majority of students responded positively that they were given the opportunity to work both independently and on a team. The response rates for ‘working on a team towards a shared goal’ are slightly higher than the responses for working independently. This indicates that students feel they are involved in the office goals and collaborative projects while being given the opportunity to work with others slightly more than on an independent project or task. This also indicated that students felt as though they were actively contributing to the office that they were working for.
  • 13. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 13 Participants were asked to answer how frequently they were encouraged to bring new ideas and/or take a creative approach to completing tasks and projects. The majority of students responded positively. 47.1% responded ‘always’, 17.6% ‘almost always’, 29.4% ‘occasionally’ while 5.9% responded ‘almost never’, zero students responded ‘never’.) Similarly to the above question, the results show that students feel encouraged to bring forward their ideas in the workplace. It shows that they were challenged to think deeper about some of the processes that the office performed and present new and fresh ideas. In this case, hopefully students feel included in the processes and goals of the office and feel as though their opinion is valued. Participants were asked to respond to the different types of communication used during their work-study positions. The majority of students indicated they used written communication in the form of email communication and writing letters/flyers. Responses were 38.2% ‘always’, 17.6% ‘almost always’, 26.5% ‘occasionally’, 8.8% ‘never’ and 8.8% ‘almost never’. Similarly, participants were asked to about the development of their oral communication skills in the form of making telephone calls, participation in meetings, etc. The majority of students indicated they used this type of communication frequently. Responses were 32.4% ‘always’, 26.5% ‘almost always’, 17.6% ‘occasionally’, 8.5% ‘almost never’ and 14.7% ‘never’. Student responses indicated that they were using a variety of communication throughout their employment. Most concerning, 17.6% of students indicated they ‘almost never’ or ‘never’ used written communication during their work study positions and 23.3% indicated they ‘almost never’ or ‘never’ used oral communication. This may be an indication that students may not necessarily pinpoint, recognize, or value these forms of communication as a skill set. Regardless, supervisors should be encouraged to incorporate both written and oral
  • 14. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 14 communication into the traditional task for work-study positions in order to build upon students experience in these areas. This experience is a great way for students to develop both their oral and written skills, with the amount of students who feel that these skills were not utilized, this is an opportunity wasted. Participants were asked to respond how frequently they interacted and worked with a variety of students, faculty, and staff. 50% of participants responded that they ‘always’ worked with a variety of students, faculty and staff, while 23.5% responded ‘almost always’ and 17.6% responded ‘occasionally’. Only 8.8% of participants responded ‘almost never’ while zero participants responded ‘never’. The vast majority of students noted they ‘frequently interacted with a variety of students, faculty, and staff’. At 73.5% responded ‘almost always’ and ‘always’. This is quite positive as students are gaining exposure to working with a variety of constituents across the college, which will then improve their ability to work with a variety of people in the workplace. In order to gauge the level of computer technology skills students were utilizing in their work-study positions, participants were asked how frequently they used computer technology in their positions. Participant’s responses were as follows, 41.2% ‘always’, 17.6% ‘almost always’, 26.5% ‘occasionally’, 5.9% ‘almost never’ and 8.8% ‘never’. This response was especially important for students at the community college who may not otherwise have a broad experience with computer technology. It is encouraging to see so many students responding positively that they utilize computer technology. However in the alternative, students who are not encouraged or required to incorporate technology into their tasks are missing out on the opportunity to build upon an important skill set.
  • 15. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 15 A number of questions were asked regarding the supervision students received during their work-study positions. 97.1% of respondents felt they had access to their supervisor or coordinator when they needed it. 79.4% of students felt their supervisor ‘always’ held them accountable while 14.7% of students responded ‘almost always’. 2.9% responded ‘occasionally/sometimes’, 2.9% said ‘almost never’ and zero students responded ‘never’. Students were asked to answer how frequently they met with their supervisor; participants responded 38.2% ‘always’, 23.5% ‘almost always’, 29.4% ‘occasionally’, 5.9% ‘almost never’, and 2.9% ‘never’. Students were also asked how often their supervisor helped them to identify strengths and weakness. Participant responses were as follows, 44.1% ‘always’, 20.6% ‘almost always’, 26.5% ‘occasionally’, 2.9% ‘almost never’ and 5.9% never. 94.1% of respondents were satisfied with the feedback they received from their supervisor. Overall, responses regarding supervision seemed to indicate students were satisfied with their supervisory experience and felt their supervisor provided good feedback. Most felt their supervisor was available and accessible. All thirty-four students indicated that they gained new knowledge and skills during their employment in a work-study position. The most prevalent skills gained were, seven participants listed communication skills, five people listed computer skills and four people listed administrative skills. The fact that all thirty-four students indicated that they learned a new skill or refined an existing one, demonstrates that each student was able to takeaway something from their experience. For the students who listed communication, computer, or administrative skills, these are skills that they will be using in their daily lives in any type of occupation. Of those who responded, 82.4% of students felt that financial aid provided them with enough help to locate a work-study position. Conversely, 17.6% indicated that they were not
  • 16. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 16 satisfied with the level of help they received while trying to find employment through the work- study program. 76% of students felt there was enough variety in the options available for employment in the work-study program, while 23.5% feel there is not enough variety. Although 82.4% of students indicated that they felt there was enough help provided to them to locate a work-study program, there is still room for improvement in this area. It is the goal of the program to provide assistance to all students in searching for a position and help them gain the experience necessary to improve their skills. Also, 23.5% of students believe that there is not enough variety in the employment options that are offered through the program. This is an area that the program can explore new unique positions that they can offer students to help diversify the job market. Participants were asked to indicate whether or not they maintained a professional resume. 79.4% responded yes, they have a professional resume, while 20.6% do not. Similarly, 70.6% of students list their part-time work-study position on their resume. 85.3% believe that their work- study position gave them valuable experience, which will help them in their long-term career goals. Considering that 85.3% of students indicated that their work-study position gave them valuable experience which will help them in their long-term career goals, adding a resume component to the program, and making sure that work-study position is listed should be a key component to the program. This is an opportunity to assist students in not only developing a professional resume, but also filling that resume with valuable job experience which can be used to help achieve their long-term career goals. The survey showed that 100% of students enjoyed their work-study experience. 100% of students indicated they would recommend the work-study program to another student. 94.1% the
  • 17. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 17 experience had a positive impact on their academic experience. Students were asked to share any changes they would like to see in the work-study program. The most common responses were they are satisfied and do not want to change anything (15) and they would like to have additional hours for the program (11). This information indicates that all of the students had a positive experience with their work-study position. Not only did every student say that they enjoyed their experience, but all of the students indicated that they would recommend the program to another student. This shows that overall this is an extremely positive experience for students and one in which they wouldn’t mind sharing with others. Considering eleven students indicated that they would like to see more hours, this is something that we could investigate more to see if it is possible to provide more hours to students. There are areas of this experience that can be open to some adjustment to enhance the student experience in the future. The area of suggested improvement that most students indicated was the lack of operational hours for students to partake in while in the program. Most students indicated that they would like to see more hours provided to students so that they can get the most out of their time in the program. Although there will be a budgetary restriction in terms of this adjustment, this should be something that the program looks into further to investigate if there is a possibility to extend the program hours. Along with the hour provided, there must be a strong push for all students to use both written and oral communication within their experience in the work study program. 23.3% of students indicated on the survey that they either almost never or never used oral communication while 17.6% indicated that they almost never or never use written communication. No matter the student’s plan of study, both of these communication skills are prevalent in any type of work
  • 18. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 18 or career. There is an opportunity here for students to not only learn these different communication skills but also to enhance them through usage and continued knowledge. There should be an incorporation of both oral and written communication throughout the students experience in the work study program. In addition to written and oral communication skills, students also have an opportunity to build their computer skills through this program. From the study, 14.7% of students indicated that they almost never or never used any computer skills throughout their experience. Much like the written and oral communication skills, this program offers a chance for students to learn and develop their computer skills in an educational environment. These skills will be essential to the student’s success upon graduation and entrance into the business world. Along with the overall program, there are changes to the survey that would be made if it was administered again. For the question that asks about supervision, rephrasing the question would have helped gather more descriptive data then it does as written. The survey asked students to evaluate how many times they met with their supervisor to discuss their overall job performance and to rate it on an always to never scale. This question would have been more beneficial to rate the satisfaction of the supervisor to student ratio based on quality feedback and overall availability. The supervisor role in this program is essential to its success because it allows for students to fully understand not only how their job performance is, but also how they can improve their skills to be more marketable. The supervisor is responsible to help train and market the student with valuable skills that they can take with them from the experience. Obtaining a better understanding of the supervisor role in the program would help get a better feel for how successful the supervisor to student interaction is.
  • 19. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 19 References: Stephen F. Austin State University (2013). Federal work-study. Retrieved from http://www.sfasu.edu/faid/programs/workstudy.asp U.S. Department of Education (2013). Federal work-study (fws) program. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fws/index.html Northern Essex Community College (2013). Mission statement and core values. Retrieved from http://www.necc.mass.edu/about/values/ Council for Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (2008). CAS self-assessment guide for financial aid programs.
  • 20. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 20 Appendix A https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NECCFWS 1. How long have you been involved in the work study program? Less than 1 year 1 year 2 years 3 or more years 2. What is your major? 3. What department or organization do you work for? 4. What skills or knowledge do you feel that you have acquired from your work study position? 5. Did the program give you enough help to find your job? Yes No 6. Did you enjoy your work study position?
  • 21. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 21 Yes No 7. Would you work at this position again? Yes No 8. Do you feel there was enough variety in the available work study positions? Yes No 9. Were you able to have access to the work study coordinator and/or your supervisor when you needed to? Yes No 10. Did your work-study experience have positive impact on your academic performance? Yes No 11. Do you have a professional resume? Yes No 12. Is your work study position on your professional resume? Yes No
  • 22. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 22 I don't have a resume 13. Do you feel that your work study position will help you in your future career? Yes No 14. Are you satisfied with the amount of feedback from your supervisor? Yes No 15. Would you recommend this program to other students? Yes No 16. I had the opportunity to work independently on a task or project. Never Almost never Occasionally/Sometimes Almost Always Always 17. I was encouraged to bring new ideas and take a creative approach to completing tasks Never Almost never Occasionally/Sometimes Almost Always
  • 23. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 23 Always 18. I utilized written communication as a part of my position (i.e. email communication, creating letters fo disbursement, creating flyers, etc.) Never Almost never Occasionally/Sometimes Almost Always Always 19. I utilized oral communication as a part of my position (i.e. telephone calls, meetings, etc.). Never Almost never Occasionally/Sometimes Almost Always Always 20. I utilized computer technology (such as Microsoft Office Suite or similar) as a part of my position Never Almost never Occasionally/Sometimes Almost Always Always 21. I had the opportunity to work with a variety of students/faculty/staff across campus
  • 24. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 24 Never Almost never Occasionally/Sometimes Almost Always Always 22. My supervisor held me accountable for the responsibilities outlined in the position (including attendance, deadlines). Never Almost Never Occasionally/Sometimes Almost Always Always 23. My supervisor met with me individually to discuss job responsibilities and my progress within the position. Never Almost never Occasionally/Sometimes Almost Always Always 24. My supervisor helped me to identify areas of strength and weaknesses in my job performance.
  • 25. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 25 Never Almost never Occasionally/Sometimes Almost Always Always 25. I had the opportunity to work on a team towards a shared goal. Never Almost never Occasionally/Sometimes Almost Always Always 26. What would you like to see change in the Northern Essex Community college work study program? 27. Is there anything else you like to share with us?
  • 26. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 26 Appendix B Hello XXX, In preparation for the 2013-2014 academic year, we are doing an evaluation of the Federal Work-Study program her at Northern Essex Community College. We are hoping to improve the program for next year and we need your help. Your work study experience can provide us with information on how you have perceived the program and how we can make it better for you and other work study in the future. Please complete the survey at the attached link. It is anonymous and shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Your input can really help us to create a better experience with our Federal Work-Study Program here at Northern Essex Community College. The Survey should be completed at the below link. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NECCFWS
  • 27. Assessing Federal Work-Study Program at NECC 27 The final day to complete this survey will be July 15th , 2013. If you have any questions at all please let me know. Have a wonderful day! Sincerely, Courtney Newman Financial Aid Counselor Northern Essex Community College