EP Team: Cultural Opportunities

Core Indicator: Community Satisfaction with Programs/Services and Responsiveness to Assessed Needs (C.I. #11)

What We Know:

Major marketing study for MAC completed in January, 1999 by AJB Marketing Consultants, combined with Cultural Opportunities Team-led focus groups of administrators, faculty, staff, students and community members conducted in spring of '98 generated the following data:

Satisfaction with programs was cited in the following areas:

• Buffalo Theater
• Opera
• New Philharmonic
• WDCB
• Sports events
• International Brown Bags
• College Lecture Series
• Field Studies
• Not having to drive far/hassle with parking
• MAC Hot Tix email; do emails for this go off campus to a mail list?
• Enrichment lectures/discussions when offered

Dissatisfaction with programs was cited in the following areas:

• Poor climate control in theaters
• Not enough time given to faculty art shows in Gahlberg Gallery
• Theater 2 needs better lighting and new seats
• Arts Center needs to make the lobby more inviting, less "cold"
• Student prices for performances are too high
• No central place to find information on all Cultural Opportunities on campus
• Brown Bags are always at the same time; should be more variety of time
• Not enough events held at regional centers
• Some felt that there are far too many events, limiting the number they can attend
• Too few family-oriented cultural events

The above focus groups along with email and other interaction with faculty and staff generated the following data:

Many faculty, students and staff use/attend Cultural Opportunities on and off-carnpus that aren't as wellpublicized and "high-profile" as MAC events and athletic events. Community members at large know little about things like Brown Bag Lunch events or International Education events. Participation from the "outside" for these events is minimal.

Often, community members don't think of some activities (i.e. sports, field studies, field trips) as being "cultural".

Data Gaps and Associated Possible Measures being assessed

Ours is not a directly quantifiable Enduring Purpose. As we can see above, some areas have easily quantifiable data, while other, smaller, less prominent areas often do not. One problem, especially with this Core Indicator, is that it is dealing with feelings; satisfaction is sometimes difficult to measure.

Our research finds that there are many, many opportunities available on campus that are being under utilized and many smaller opportunities that, for lack of a wide audience, go unnoticed. We want to obtain more broad-based information about what is happening on campus in areas other than the "big culture guns", but don't know how to gather this data in an efficient way.

Example:
We would like to know how faculty determines whether a Cultural Opportunity used by students is "successful" or produces "student satisfaction" or even "faculty satisfaction"

Possible Institutional Goals (that can be measured and are likely to positively influence the Core Indicators)

#2 Introduce new and modify existing programs, services and systems as the continuous assessment of community learning needs and outcomes direct us.

• What new Cultural Opportunities are needed?
• What modifications are needed for existing Cultural Opportunities?
• What are the best ways to increase awareness of existing programs?

#3 Promote and support collaborative experimentation within the college and through partnerships to maintain our strong reputation and secure our financial future.

• How can collaborative efforts within the college be used to increase participation in less "high-profile" events and opportunities?
• How can the community at large be better informed about the wide variety of Cultural Opportunities available at COD?
• How can faculty become aware of "small" Cultural Opportunities available in other classes?
• How can faculty/staff be encouraged to create their own Cultural Opportunities?

Jeff Curto
11/23/99