Micro-change: Study

Study: Part 8

Improvements in Efficiency & Effectiveness: Procedural Changes

• The intake procedural changes were effective with the CARE Team averaging 1.17 days from referral to initial outreach, just 0.17 days more than the stated goal.  Heading into implementation, there was significant buy-in from the team that this was a necessary improvement ultimately leading to our success.
• 74% of referred students were successfully connected to campus resources during the period of implementation: the desired state was 80%.  A deep dive into the 26% without documented connection reveals that some took a leave of absence which is a successful outcome for the student.  This suggests our measures of success are incomplete, an area we will redefine in expansion.
• 9% of students did not engage in the process, though documentation for each student reveals significant effort on behalf of each CARE team contact to engage the student with a campus resource. The documented effort regularly includes Public Safety’s involvement which is consistent with the new protocols. In expansion of the improvement project, we will consider root causes of non-engagement of referred students and work to decrease this rate.
• The scope and pace of this improvement is not sustainable without a software product.  The manual nature of following over 100 students, tracking touchpoints, documenting actions, reaching out to faculty, and meeting intensively with students required a range of 4-10 hours each week for CARE Team members.  As the leader of the team, it was common for me to spend 4-5 hours each evening processing referrals.
• This project helped me articulate the urgency and successfully secure software to aid in CARE Team work.  Approval to identify and purchase software was granted April 9, 2020.

Building Confidence: Communication Plan

• The post-survey revealed a shift in faculty mindset and confidence.  In the pre-survey, 59% of respondents reported being somewhat confident in CARE and 34% reported being confident.  Post-survey results report 62% confident and 38% somewhat confident.
• The feedback loop appears to have had the most influence as survey comments indicate a notable increase in feedback and ongoing communication between the referring party and CARE contact.  100% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they have seen positive change in the work of the CARE Team.
• Anecdotally, the COVID-19 pandemic illuminated this shift as the CARE Team is experiencing a sharp increase in referrals during the resultant online learning period.  The CARE Team is working in overdrive to connect with students and the referring parties report evidence that it is making a difference.  According to referring parties, students are adjusting, reengaging with classes, and submitting assignments.

Summary

• While the scope of the project was ambitious, tackling both technical and adaptive components was necessary.  We could not have improved confidence with increased communication alone and improving our procedures would have gone unnoticed had we not tended to the cultural issues.
• Data is an incredibly useful tool in understanding, planning, and assessing the work of a CARE team.  Managing data manually requires extensive competencies and commitment and has its limitations.  As we look to expand the improvement project, appropriate technology tools and resources are critical.
• Throughout the change process, CARE Team members were included in learning about/reflecting on the issue, suggesting changes to process, and communicating with the campus community.  This was critical to our success and creating buy-in.  As such, expansion of this improvement project will be driven by the entire team as well.