UNM-Gallup’s Environmental Scan - Planning for the Future

KGLP Station Manager Rachel Kaub speaks with UNM-Gallup's Senior Institutional Researcher Brittany Babycos about the recent Environmental Scan (details follow).

You can see a copy of the scan at https://gallup.unm.edu/ir/

UNM-Gallup serves and celebrates a richly diverse population of students. The campus is a minority-majority university and 94% of students identify as multiethnic or a racial minority. These differences are part of the fabric of UNM-Gallup and allow for strong collaborations across all academic disciplines. Embracing, displaying, and sharing cultural differences makes UNM-Gallup strong, allowing for a culture of contrast rather than a contrast of cultures. The most recent data shows that the average age of UNM-Gallup students is 24.94 which is down slightly from previous semesters. The majority of students (60%) are classified as part-time students who take an average of 9.33 credit hours per semester. For the fall 2018 semester, 63% of students were female, and the majority of these students were returning students. The majority of UNM-Gallup students live in McKinley County and take face-to-face classes on-campus. With a growing number of online options, however, students from out of state and international locations are also registering for UNM-Gallup courses. The largest sub-group of students at UNM-Gallup are American Indian with a percentage of 69%. 15.8% of students identify as Hispanic and 7.3% as White. Among faculty members, the largest subgroup is White (46%), followed by American Indian (32%), and Hispanic (15%). These demographic distinctions encourage and allow for engagement and instruction across cultures. Cultural strengths infuse interactions and communications and are balanced throughout programming, decision-making, and provision of student services. UNM-Gallup also hosts a majority of students who are the first in their families to attend college. With an acknowledgement of this large community, efforts are put forth to streamline college navigation and help students and their families who may not be familiar with higher education processes and expectations. Art, language, and learning styles – these are only a few of the ways differences unite UNM-Gallup faculty, staff, and students and form a foundation that allows for learning and leading.

Environmental Scanning Environmental scanning is the process of analyzing financial, sociological, demographic, economic, workforce, technological, and other trends that may impact the mission and vision of an organization (Knutzen, 2000). The goal of an environmental scan is to produce information that is relevant to an organization for the purpose of forecasting changes in the external environment that may impact that organization. In addition to providing key information to UNM-Gallup administration, faculty, and staff for institutional decision-making, UNM-Gallup hopes that local stakeholders will find the environmental scanning project useful within their own organizations. Methodology Under the direction of UNM-Gallup’s Chief Executive Officer, UNM-Gallup’s Sr. Institutional Researcher was asked to conduct an environmental scan. An outline of environmental scanning procedures was developed using Judi Knutzen’s “Focus on the Future: Environmental Scanning at Columbia Basin College” (2000) as guidance. This publication was selected due to the clear, simple, yet inclusive nature of the core project components. This project included the following primary components: Core Trends, Areas of Interest, Trends and Events as Seen by Community Leaders (from interviews and focus groups), and Advisory Committees (Knutzen, 2000). To fit UNM-Gallup’scurrent needs, the Advisory Committee section was removed and a custom exploratory survey was added. Interest Areas The interest area data collection process involved multiple phases. First, all UNM-Gallup employees and students were invited by email to participate in the interest area section of the environmental scan. Upon agreeing to voluntarily participate, two groups of approximately ten UNM-Gallup employees attended an orientation session facilitated by UNM-Gallup’s Sr. Institutional Researcher. Orientation sessions included an overview of the environmental scanning process as well as instructions on how to participate in the interest areas. After successful completion of orientation, participants who wished to continue were provided with multiple resources located in UNM-Gallup’s 3
Microsoft Planner application. Participants were instructed to select one or more interest areas to provide information. Topics for interest areas included the following: Educational Partners, State and Federal Mandates, Economic Development, Local Demographics, Community Literacy, Educational Costs, Workforce Training and Retraining, Unemployment, Technology, Postsecondary Funding, and Cultural Considerations. Participants were given approximately 5 weeks to contribute information. After the deadline for submission, the Sr. Institutional Researcher reviewed the information and categorized it as “internal” or “external”. External information was relevant for the environment scan whereas internal information was more specific to UNM-Gallup policies or procedures. Internal information was placed aside for later distribution to UNM-Gallup administration. Sections were collapsed, moved, deleted, or re-named as appropriate (refer to the “Interest Areas” section of this document). Additional information was incorporated by the Sr. Institutional Researcher where appropriate (when little or no information was presented). Interviews Several community stakeholders were identified and sent an email requesting participation in the project. Emails with no response were followed-up with a phone call. Ten individuals were identified for interviews and seven accepted. Interviews were conducted in person or by telephone by the Sr. Institutional Researcher (6) and the Sr. Public Relations Specialist (1) after an informed consent process took place. Interviews were semi-structured and averaged approximately one hour in length. Interviews were audio-recorded and later transcribed using Trint transcription software. Data for all interviews and focus groups were compiled for theme identification. Comments that were mentioned by at least two individuals were retained in the “Interview and Focus Group Summary” of this report. See Appendix A for interview and focus group scripts. A copy of the consent form given to personal interview participants is available upon request.

Focus Groups All UNM-Gallup employees and students were invited by email to voluntarily participate in a focus group. Based on response, two focus groups were formed that were composed of UNM-Gallup faculty and staff. After the informed consent process, focus group participants were posed a series of open-ended questions. Each focus group session lasted between one and two hours. Participants were provided with light refreshments during the focus group sessions. Although participation in a focus group was not confidential, participants were asked to keep the identity of other individuals private. Sessions were audio recorded and later transcribed using Trint transcription software. Data collected during focus group sessions were combined with interview data. Comments that were made two or more times during interviews or focus groups were retained in the “Interview and Focus Group Summary” section of this report. For interview and focus group scripts, see Appendix A. A copy of the consent form distributed to focus groups participants is available upon request.

Survey After consulting with UNM-Gallup’s Chief Executive Officer regarding critical questions, an exploratory survey was constructed to be administered via SurveyMonkey. Survey questions were customized based on self-identification (i.e. UNM-Gallup student, local business owner, etc.) in order to maximize the amount of information gathered. Refer to Appendix B for the list of survey questions. Once ready for distribution, a link to the survey was put on UNM-Gallup’s main webpage and shared via UNM-Gallup’s Facebook page. Multiple emails were sent to UNM-Gallup affiliates and various community groups encouraging participation. In addition, computers were set up in UNM-Gallup’s Gurley Hall commons area to enable easy access to students. A tablet was also taken around the UNM-Gallup campus for students to participate. Last, students studying or receiving tutoring services in UNM-Gallup Center for Academic Learning (CAL) were asked to participate in the survey. Students who participated in the survey on campus (after being verbally asked) were given a UNM-Gallup lip balm and/ or a UNM-Gallup pen for their time. The survey was active for approximately 5 months.

The mission of UNM-Gallup IR is to service data requests that are internal to our campus, primarily for the purpose of reporting to external entities, and to support data-driven decision making both internally and at the level of state and federal governments. That is, even if a data request is meant to support external agencies, it should originate internally. All requests will adhere to guidelines set forth by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).