By Linda Kor Northland Pioneer College is taking measures to help the public better understand how the college operates and the outcomes being produced by the institution that serves both Navajo and Apache counties with four campuses and five centers. NPC President Jeanne Swarthout, Ph.D. explained, “We want to be as transparent as possible, but I know there are a lot of moving parts. Community colleges operate differently than universities and have different reporting requirements, so we want the public to have the opportunity to review how we operate.” To better inform the public, Swarthout noted that the college will provide a bi-annual report card showing the current status of the college and its operations. As a preface to the report card, the college has provided information regarding the current operations compared to previous years. NPC, like other community colleges throughout the state, has three primary revenue sources, state appropriations, local property taxes, and tuition and fees. With the exception of that provided by Proposition 301, no community college in Arizona receives sales tax funding. NPC and two other rural community college districts receive an additional revenue contribution from the state for property tax equalization, which is essentially a subsidy paid by more affluent counties in the state. As state appropriations have significantly decreased, the percentage of funding received from these sources has changed. According to the report by NPC, state funding for operations and maintenance in fiscal year 2010 was $3.6 million and in fiscal year 2015 it was $1.6 million, a decrease of 55 percent. Equalization funding in fiscal year 2010 was $6.6 million and in fiscal year 2015 it was $5.3 million, a decrease of 20 percent. Property tax funding in fiscal year 2010 was $11.4 million and in fiscal year 2015 it was $13.9 million, an increase of 23 percent. NPC notes that its largest cost is its employees, which is consistent with other community colleges in the nation. The college reports that in fiscal year 2010, employee associated costs accounted for 62 percent of its operating expenses, excluding depreciation, and in fiscal year 2015 it was 66 percent. During this same period NPC decreased total employees by eight percent. In fiscal year 2013 operating expenses increased annually by 1.8 percent, in fiscal year 2014, they grew by 1.1 percent, and in fiscal year 2015, they grew by 4.2 percent. The report states that the district governing board and college officials have developed fiscal policies over the last several years to address cash reserves and future capital reserves. The cash reserve policy allows the college to maintain at least six months of budgeted general fund annual expenses in reserves to ensure financial and operational stability. The future capital reserves policy allows the college to save for future needs instead of financing capital needs, thereby reducing the cost of capital acquisitions. Capital acquisitions are not funded by bonds, thereby necessitating no increases in property taxes. The number of students at the college is reported as full-time student equivalents (FTSE), and is defined by the state for the purposes of determining maintenance and operations aid. To determine the FTSE, all student credits are combined, totaled and divided by 15. Short-term and training credits are counted separately and non-credit enrollment is not considered. Most NPC students are part-time, thus headcount is always greater than FTSE, providing a more robust measure of service and cost as NPC serves students, regardless of enrolled credits. Total enrollment figures for the fall 2014 semester (semester and short term combined) show 4,383 community members enrolled in credit and noncredit classes; 3,756 in credit bearing courses; and 1,479 in non-credit courses (increased from 865 in fall 2009 due to legislative mandate to shift community education to noncredit). More than half of NPC’s degree-seeking students, even those with high school diplomas, start in developmental coursework for math and English. The college is open access and meets students at their skill level, rather than mandating a skill level to participate. NPC serves communities, not just certain parts of communities, according to Swarthout. NPC also boasts that 76 percent of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) and high school equivalency (GED) completers enroll in college after they receive their certificate, more than twice the state average of 32 percent. From 2009 to 2013, the average number of associate’s degrees awarded per year was 174. In 2014 there were 197 awarded, 13.5 percent over that average. Also during the span from 2009 to 2013 an average of 345 certificates were awarded each year. In 2014 there were 467 awarded, a 35.3 percent increase. Navajo County residents served by the college exceeded the state and national averages in the educational level NPC provides (some college to associate’s degree) with 36 percent in the county compared to a 34 percent state average and a national average of 29 percent. The performance of students at SKILLS USA is one measure of direct employment program quality and the report states that this year, NPC students won 23 medals in 11 events at the Arizona competition. For the sixth year in a row, 100 percent of NPC Nursing students have passed the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) national exam, with 93 percent passing the Registered Nurse (RN) exam on their first attempt. Over the past five years, 96 percent of paramedicine students have passed their national and state certification exams. Core transfer course success rate (using the same outcomes and objectives as university equivalent courses) in College Algebra, and English Composition I and II, basic measures of transfer course quality, exceeded state average. With NPC showing a rate of 91 percent in algebra, compared to 62 percent for the state; 75 percent in English I, compared to 73 percent for the state; and 82 percent in English II, compared to 75 percent for the state. NPC’s graduation rate for the past six years is at 23 percent and lags behind state’s 32 percent due to the high number of part-time students, but matches the national average for community colleges. It was also noted in the report that the most recent economic impact study measuring NPC’s contribution to Navajo County found that the college contributes $17.6 million in operations spending. The combination of operations, student spending and alumni impact adds $198.6 million to the annual economy of the county.