Final Project by Tressena Jones

  

Tressena Jones 

 

Final Project

Course Reflection EDAC632    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmHr2XhnP6k&feature=youtu.be

 

EDAC632 Project Overview    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2yCH-Xcc0M&feature=youtu.be

 

1.   Program Organization

Introduction 

Man 4 Man is a nonprofit organization based in Anderson, Indiana, with a mission focused on assisting former prison inmates in their transition from incarceration to freedom. The organization aims to bring about positive changes in communities and families by providing essential support, including spiritual guidance and job opportunities for individuals who have been previously incarcerated.

Man 4 Man offers a diverse range of programs designed to address the multifaceted needs of formerly incarcerated individuals and the community. At the heart of their mission is spiritual work, which includes counseling, mentoring, and support groups aimed at nurturing personal growth and fostering a strong moral and ethical foundation. In addition to these spiritually based programs, Man 4 Man provides practical opportunities for individuals to rebuild their lives. This includes involvement in a moving crew, lawn care, construction, painting, clean-outs, and junk removal services. These vocational programs not only offer valuable job skills but also contribute to the participants' sense of purpose and self-worth. Moreover, the organization hosts Sunday church services to further nurture the spiritual well-being of its members, creating a holistic approach to rehabilitation and community reintegration. Lastly, Man 4 Man engages in community outreach by picking up donation items, promoting a sense of giving back and connection with the broader community. These comprehensive programs reflect Man 4 Man's dedication to guiding individuals towards successful reentry into society while promoting personal and spiritual growth.

Organizational Structure

The organizational structure of Man 4 Man, the nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting former prison inmates in Anderson, Indiana, is designed to efficiently and effectively fulfill its mission.

Executive Director is responsible for strategic planning, fundraising, and community engagement.

Program Director is overseeing educational programs and curriculum development. 

Finance Manager handles budgeting and financial reporting, while the HR and Volunteer Coordinator manages recruitment, training, and volunteer engagement. 

Community Outreach Coordinator fosters partnerships and community involvement.

Data Analyst/Researcher collects and analyzes vital program data.

As a small organization, Man 4 Man has several roles that are staffed by the same dedicated individuals. This allows for an efficient approach to assisting formerly incarcerated individuals, where program management, financial sustainability, community outreach, and data-driven decision-making are seamlessly integrated to facilitate successful reintegration and personal growth within the community. Despite limited resources, Man 4 Man remains steadfast in its commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of those it serves and the broader community.

 

Findings and Implications

The Man 4 Man organization contributes to lifelong learning and personal growth among adults, addressing various educational needs within the community. Man 4 Man offers a unique blend of spiritual and vocational support to facilitate the successful reintegration of former inmates into society. This assignment offers insights into the structure and functions of nonprofit organizations, particularly those focused on reintegration and rehabilitation, such as Man 4 Man. It highlights the diverse set of roles and responsibilities within such organizations and how they work to achieve their missions. Overall, the readings and this assignment provides valuable insights into the workings of nonprofit organizations, the multifaceted approach to reintegration support, and the various types of adult education programs available to empower individuals. It underscores the importance of community involvement and data-driven approaches in achieving the mission and vision of organizations like Man 4 Man.

 

References

Schmidt, S. W., & Yelich Biniecki, S. M. (2016). Organization and Administration of Adult Education Programs : A Guide for Practitioners. Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Man 4 Man (n.d). Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://manformanministries.com/#

 

 

2.   Leadership and Administration

 

Roles and Positions

The Executive Director (Sherry Davis) of The Anderson Impact Center is responsible for overall leadership and strategic direction of AIC. The role of the ED would include setting the mission and vision, developing strategies to achieve the organization's goals, and overseeing all aspects of the organization. In her role she also oversees the day-to-day operations of the AIC. Sherry is also responsible for managing staff, budgeting, and ensuring that the organization's programs and services align with its mission and goals.

The Anderson Impact Center has four core operations pillars mentioned: advocacy, financial stability, neighborhood revitalization, and arts & culture. Program Directors have the responsibility of designing and implementing programs, managing resources, and evaluating program effectiveness within their respective areas.

To undergird the work of the Executive Director and Program Directors, AIC has supporting staff and volunteers who contributes to various aspects of its programs and services, such as educators, community organizers, financial advisors, artists, and volunteers assisting with events and initiatives.

Each of these roles comes with the responsibility of advancing the mission of AIC, which is to impact and transform the disadvantaged community of Anderson, Indiana.

 

Daily Routines and Activities

The daily routines and activities at the Anderson Impact Center (AIC) varies depending on the type of programming that may be occurring.  The daily routines and activities at AIC would change based on the organizational priorities and the needs of the community. The Executive Director works to ensure Strategic planning and decision-making steers the programs. She is responsible for meeting with staff, board members, and external partners, monitoring progress toward the organizational goals. In her role, she also focuses on fundraising and donor relations, and public relations and community engagement.

Program Directors day to day is responsible for planning and organizing programs and initiatives related to their specific pillar. They will collaborate with staff and volunteers to execute programs, evaluate program outcomes and make necessary adjustments. Lastly, PD engages with community members and stakeholders to get them involved in being part of the work to carry out the mission and vision of the organization.

All of the work involved in the day to day operations is supported by various staff and volunteers, such as conducting educational workshops and training sessions and being available to provide one on one support to community members, organizing events and activities, and assisting with administrative tasks,

Qualifications

The overall opinions were very positive and affirming of their leaders. Having effective leaders created a positive work environment that allows everyone to carryout their assigned tasks. The qualities mentioned were understaning, caring, and dedication. Another positive leadership trait that was discussed is the ability of the ED and PD being focused on making the community a stable, healthier place to live for neighbors. Schmidt and Yelich Biniecki (2016) states that effective leaders influences and motivates others toward a shared mission and focuses on social good. Those leading at AIC is demonstrating stong leadership and communicating it to others that creating a better community is important work for all to be involved in and that is exactly what is happening at AIC.

Implications

I gained valuable insights into the specific responsibilities of leaders and administrators within organizations. Clarity in understanding the roles and responsibilities is important, as it provides direction for addressing various needs and concerns effectively. What is clearly evident is that each organization possesses its own distinctive culture. While organizations doing similar work may share similar goals, there are unique cultural ways  that will shape their approach.

Also, I learned that leaders and administrators bring their individual strengths and perspectives to their roles, which can significantly enhance the organization's work. These differences add depth to the collective effort. As Schmidt and Yelich Biniecki (2016, pg. 33) point out, the distinctions in their roles and responsibilities should not be underestimated, as they influence how each contributes to the organization's mission.

In conclusion, this assignment highlights the importance of recognizing and respecting the diversity of roles and perspectives within an organization, ultimately contributing to the success of its mission.

Schmidt, S. W., & Yelich Biniecki, S. M. (2016). Organization and Administration of Adult Education programs: A Guide for Practitioners. Lap, Information Age Publishing, Inc.

 

3.   Budget and Marketing

 

Tressena Jones and Jordan McKannan

Roles: 

Tressena- Income and expenses, question #1 of budget and funding, and half of the implications, and interviewing the organization.

Jordan- Last three questions of budget and funding, half of the implications, references, and posting.

 

(1) Income and Expenses

Man 4 Man obtains its income from a variety of sources. One significant source of income comes from grants. The grants are often secured through partnerships with foundations and other nonprofit organizations. These grants provide essential funding for the organization's programs and operations. 

Man 4 Man also relies on the generosity of individuals and community members who make donations, both monetary and in-kind, to support their initiatives. Another source of income for the organization comes from the resale store that generates revenue through the sale of donated items. 

Lastly, the final source of income comes from the various vocational services, including landscaping, painting, and moving jobs. These job opportunities not only provide valuable vocational training to program participants but also contribute to the organization's financial sustainability, allowing them to continue their vital work in assisting former inmates in their journey towards successful reintegration into society.

The primary expenses incurred by Man 4 Man is payroll. Payroll is a significant expense, as it includes the salaries and wages of the organization's dedicated staff members. Another significant expense is operating costs. Operating costs consist of a range of expenditures, such as rent or mortgage for facilities, utilities, insurance, and administrative expenses necessary for the day-to-day functioning of the organization.

Marketing expenses are directed towards promoting the organization's programs, events, and community initiatives to reach a broader audience and engage potential supporters and participants. One last expense is for program costs. Program costs are another essential category, covering expenses related to curriculum development, participant support, vocational training materials, and other resources required to deliver the various educational and reintegration programs offered by Man 4 Man.

The fixed costs may include payroll for staff members and fixed operating expenses such as rent, insurance, and some administrative costs. These expenses remain relatively constant month-to-month and are essential for the organization's ongoing operation. The variable costs are often program costs. These costs can vary depending on the number of participants and the specific needs of each program. Then there’s marketing expenses, which may fluctuate as promotional activities are adjusted based on the organization's outreach goals and campaign efforts. So, if more participants enroll in a program, the program costs may increase, and if there's a need to promote programs more extensively in a particular period, there may be a rise in the cost for marketing.

 

(2) Budget and Funding

There are several factors that affect the budget for adult education programs within Man 4 Man organization, such as the demand for educational services, availability of grant funding, contributions from donations and fundraising efforts, seasonal changes that hinder the vocational services, expanding program initiatives, economic conditions, and lastly, program outcomes.

The programs are funded through grants, donations, revenue from the resale store, and various vocational services. All of the funding sources are essential in ensuring Man 4 Man can offer these adult education programs. 

Some challenges the organization faces are due to the different seasons. Two of the vocational services that generate funds for the program are affected by seasons. During the winter months, there are less landscaping jobs meaning the organization is not generating the funds that they would typically receive at the end of spring and through the summer. Additionally, more families move during summer and fall rather than the winter and early spring. The organization must account for the loss that they will see from the decrease in landscaping and moving services during the winter and spring months. 

A suggestion for the organization could be lobbying as their program is beneficial in ensuring former inmates can successfully re-enter society. These programs provide domestic violence education, vocational skills, life skills, and a few others. Organizations that provide adult education on domestic violence and employment skills often get involved with lobbying to bring awareness (Schmidt,S., & Yelich Biniecki, S., 2016). By doing this, the organization could gain funding by requesting funds through lobbying.  

 

(3) Implications 

This assignment has given a really good look into the operations and challenges faced by nonprofit organizations like Man 4 Man. It demonstrates the multifaceted approach required, combining spiritual guidance, vocational training, and community engagement to achieve their mission effectively. Overall, this assignment highlights the necessary role nonprofit organizations play in addressing the complexity of societal challenges, demonstrating their resilience and unwavering determination in fulfilling their mission.

There was a lot about the Man 4 Man program that was interesting to learn about in general as I feel this program would be an amazing asset to many communities. It was interesting to me that they utilize a resale store to bring in funds for their programs and I feel this is a unique way to do so. I worked closely with a small non-profit organization in my area last fall to write a grant proposal and learned a lot about their budget and funding so I was able to see some similarities between the two. One of the biggest similarities is that it appears both organizations receive a lot of community support which is necessary for program sustainability for nonprofits.

 

References

Schmidt, S. W., & Yelich Biniecki, S. M. (2016). Organization and administration of adult education programs: a guide for practitioners. Iap, Information Age Publishing, Inc.

 

4.   HRM

Roles:

·       Jordan McKannan: Interview, Introduction, Daily routine, and Implications

·       Tressena: Activities, Factors, Implications, References, and Posting

 

Introduction

Ryan Rowlett is the HRM for multiple regions within the Indiana Department of Child Services. In his role, he has several main functions but reported that he plays more of advisor for the local offices. Schmidt and Biniecki (2016) advise there the five core functions of HRM are as followed: policies and procedures, recruiting and hiring, orientation and training, records, maintenance, and legal compliance, and strategic planning. While speaking with Ryan, these core functions were noted in many of the functions of the HRM. An HRM with Indiana DCS advises local offices on employment issues, completes risk-assessments, I9 verifications, and conducts new employee orientations. Ryan provided an overview of essential functions for HRMs which are:

·       Provides consultation and guidance to agency executives and local office staff regarding human resources functions/issues (e.g., employee relations, policy, and procedures).

·       Identifies potential classification/compensation, reorganization problems and recommends solutions to management.

·       Develops curriculum, coordinates and/or conducts training on various human resources/management issues/topics.

·       Reviews and make recommendations on agency/division policies, work improvement plans and requests for working test extension.

·       May coordinate and/or conduct agency new employee orientation.

·       Keeps abreast of new developments, legislative changes and court cases impacting work areas.

·       Maintains compliance with federal and state regulations concerning employment.

·       Maintains Human Resource Information System records and compiles reports from the database.

·       Assists in the evaluation of reports, decisions, and results of assigned agency in relation to established goals.

·       Recommends new approaches, policies, and procedures to effect continual improvements in efficiency of assigned agency and services performed.

·       Participates in developing agency goals, objectives, and systems.

Routine of the HRM

The daily routine of an HRM for Indiana DCS can look different each day as Ryan oversees multiple DCS offices and regions. He must be prepared for his scheduled day to change at any moment depending on if there is a “fire to put out” as he says. Ryan advised that a typical day with no major issues would be reading through emails, assisting offices with hiring or employment issues, and completing reports to determine staffing needs. Although this is rare that he is able to have a typical day working as an HRM for Indiana DCS.

Activities 

Activities (Training): Each agency within the State of Indiana is required to perform its own trainings. The only trainings that HR completes for DCS is NEO and Supervisor onboarding. With in our Agency of INSPD we have monthly trainings on diversity an inclusion training, Weekly Lunch and Learns. These L&L cover different HR topics that include but not limited to PeopleSoft transaction training, investigation trainings and many other topics. DCS has a training Department which provides new employee training as well as on-going education for employees. Given the nature of the job employees must be continually learning to ensure they are doing their work effectively and staying in the know with new research or topics on child abuse and neglect.

These trainings are developed by conducting evaluations and research to determine the current needs for DCS employees. Once a training is identified, training staff form a committee to begin the process of forming the class curriculum and then complete a few trial runs before launching the class. Most trainings for the Department are held virtually which began due to COVID. There are a few held in person, but the agency determined that staff prefer virtual as their schedules can be chaotic making it difficult to leave their office for a whole day.

 Factors

There are a number of factors that can significantly influence an organization's choice of training activities. These factors can be internal or external. Such as, global events like pandemics or economic crises can bring about the need for immediate training on remote work tools and strategies, while shifts in laws and regulations may lead to compliance-focused training programs. Also, the changes seen in industries and technological advancements often require organizations to offer training to update employee skills and knowledge.

Internal factors also play very critical roles in factors that significantly influence training activities. Employee relations issues within Human Resource Management, such as workplace conflicts or harassment complaints, can drive the need for conflict resolution or diversity and inclusion training. Also, organizational goals and strategic priorities heavily influence and guide training decisions.The interchange of these multiple factors act as guides in an organization's choices in determining the types of training and development programs necessary to remain adaptable and competitive in an ever-changing environment.

 

Implications

While I am familiar with Ryan due to working with him, it was eye-opening to see how extensive his role is within the agency. He plays a crucial part in an employee’s career as he is with them from beginning to end. Many people view HRM as a negative due to their role in employee terminations, but this interview shows that their role is more than just hiring and terminating employees for the agency. I believe the agency has been working to bridge that gap by showing HRMs in a different light. The agency has begun having HRMs visit their local offices at least once a year which previously never occurred. I have worked for the agency for six years and prior to Ryan I never knew who our HRM was. This creates a better work relationship and builds a trust for employees to feel comfortable going to their HRM with possible concerns.

Working through the various segments of this assignment has provided me with a broader perspective on the expansive role of HRM departments and the significance of their contributions, which extending well beyond employee benefits, rights, and job responsibilites. Offering training classes and programs for employees undoubtedly serves as the backbone that enables the entire organization to smoothly execute its daily operations. This includes gaining insights into the dynamics of daily operations within a small to medium-sized company and considering the impact of such activities on the overall functionality of the organization.

 

References 

 Schmidt, S. W., & Yelich Biniecki, S. M. (2016). Organization and Administration of Adult Education programs: A Guide for Practitioners. Lap, Information Age Publishing, Inc.

 

 

5.   HRM

Roles:

-Tressena Jones: Purpose, Goals, & Marketing Strategy 

-Jordan McKannan: Marketing Strategy, Implications, & Summary Table

 

Introduction:

Purpose: Raise awareness about the importance of community health workers in enhancing healthcare accessibility and quality within under-served communities. Through promoting specific activities, we seek to attract individuals interested in pursuing a career in community healthcare, with the goal of building a strong workforce of competent and compassionate community health workers.

Goals:
1. Increase the visibility of the need by expanding the reach of community health worker training program by increasing visibility through targeted online and offline marketing strategies.
2. Generate interest and attract applicants for the training program in the months leading up to start of training program.
3. Establish partnerships with local hospitals and clinics enhance the program's reach.
4. Attain 45% enrollment rate. Convert applicants into enrolled trainees for the community health worker training program. 

Marketing Strategies:

In our marketing strategy we are looking to attract a diverse audience for our community health worker training program. We will look at recent high school graduates with interest in pursuing healthcare careers, other professionals already working in healthcare or associated looking to enhance their skills while giving back to their communities, and local community members with a strong commitment to serve under-served populations to make a significant impact on public health. We look to achieve this plan by social media campaigns, community events, and collaborative partnerships with local educational institutions and healthcare providers.

 

As high school graduates is one of our target markets we would attend career fairs at local high schools to spread information on the program. Attending these career fairs will allow us to talk to students directly about the benefits of this program and interact directly with possible candidates. 

 

Social media will play a huge role in our marketing as most individuals are on some form of a social media platform. For our marketing we will utilize Facebook, LinkedIn, a program website, and email. As we want a diverse market, this strategy will allow us to connect with a wider audience who may be interested in this program. 

 

Implications:

Social media has changed the population in many ways. It helps keep connected to friends and family further away, it provides faster news, and provides entertainment. Statistics show that roughly 4.9 billion people in the world use social media and spend about 2 hours of their day on social media (Wong, 2023). For this reason, utilizing social media platforms to market an adult education program would provide best results. Adults spend a good portion of their day scrolling social media and by placing ads for adult education programs then this will peak their interest.  

 

Summary Table: 

Goals	Strategies	Rationales	Possible Results
Increase Program Visibility	Attend career fairs and utilize social media for placing flyers about the program.	Advertise to potential candidates through social media and career fairs	Connect with a larger audience to increase awareness.
Generate Interest and Attract Applicants	Determine the target market and engage with possible applicants.	Focus on individuals who have a desire to work in healthcare or expand their skills.	Increase applicant enrollment into the program.
Establish Partnerships	Market to hospitals and clinics to provide knowledge on the programs.	Build connections with local hospitals and clinics to promote further expansion.	Increase the program's reach to community members and healthcare workers.

 

The flyer that will be utilized at events, through email, and on social media platforms is attached.  

 

 References: 

Wong, B. (2023, May 18). Top social media statistics and trends of 2023. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/social-media-statistics/Links to an external site. 

 Indiana State Department of Health. (n.d.). Community Health Workers. In.govLinks to an external site.. https://www.in.gov/health/cdpc/community-health-workers/Links to an external site.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2023.). Community Health Workers. The Heart Truth. Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/heart-trut

 

 

 

Final Project by Andrew Whitted

Final Project review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7JYR04BXeI

Links to an external site.Course Reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRUjzCFz8HQ

Links to an external site.

  

 

 

Andrew Whitted

Assignment 2: Program Organization

EDAC 632:  Organizing Adult and Community Education Programs

Dr. Bo Chang

September 3, 2023

 

Introduction

The Muncie Area Career Center is a technical and career education school that focuses on the development of career and academic skills to prepare high school students and adult learners for college and career.  The Muncie Area Career Center archives these goals through two programs: Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Adult Education (AE).  

 The Muncie Area Career Center is part of the Muncie Community School Corporation.  They offer a variety of activities to help students in learning about career and post-secondary opportunities.  Their knowledgeable and experienced faculty guide students through the learning process and help to prepare them for the future.  Many of the programs at the MACC provide an opportunity to earn duel credits for post-secondary education as well as industry certification in their chosen fields.   

 

Mission:  The mission of Muncie Community Schools is to provide a quality educational environment where every child is known, safe, inspired, challenged and empowered.

 

The Muncie Community School Corporation, in its historic partnership with Ball State University, believes in an innovative cradle-to-career community-based model with integrated and collaborative support from our business and professional sectors, non-profit service providers, community-based foundations and MCS families.

 

Vision:  The vision of Muncie Community School Corporation and the Muncie Area Career Center is placing learning first.

 

The MACC also offers Adult Secondary Credit (ASC) classes for those learners who want to complete their high school diploma.  Adult learns can also take courses to help them prepare to take the high school equivalency exam.  These courses are part of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program and are taught by certified teachers.  The MACC also offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for those citizens who want to improve their English speaking or writing skills.  All the programs at the MACC are designed to help improve the lives of the citizens in the Muncie and surrounding areas.  Helping to close the gap on inequities within the Muncie area is a major goal of MCSC and MACC.      

 

All the programs offered at the Muncie Area Career Center are focused around helping the student to succeed.  Some of the ways they do this are by offered many 100% free programs and offering a variety of days/times/locations that best fits the students schedule.  This would allow a working adult the opportunity to take an evening or weekend class close to home.  The MACC believes that it takes the whole community to make its programs successful.  That’s why, they rely on partnerships with local industry to help provide educational training and opportunities for employment.      

Organizational Structure

The Muncie Area Career Center is part of the Muncie Community School Corporation.  The Muncie Community School Corporation oversees all administration and instruction at the different school levels (career center, high school, middle school, elementary, etc.).  The Muncie Area Career Center is overseen by a board of trustees, Director of Public Education, Associate Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, CCO, CFO, CTO, Principle/Director and Assistant Principle/Assistant Director.  The MACC uses a functional assessment or organization style.  Using qualified educators and community involvement (community and industry partnerships) has allowed the MACC to be successful in their continuing education mission.  Community and industry partnerships are important to ensure the programs being offered at the MACC are not outdates or obsolete.  

 

Findings and Implications

This assignment really opened my eyes to how organizations are structured and why.  It was interesting to see the reasoning behind some of the organizational structure.  The diagram above only shows the immediate structure at the career college level.  The organizational structure goes much higher within the Muncie Community School Corporation.  There are then additional structures at the instruction and student levels within the Muncie Area Career Center.  

 

I’m impressed with the different programs being offered at the Muncie Area Career Center.  Their dedication to helping adult learner to continue their education and obtain a high school diploma is impressive.  I like that a lot of the adult programs are free of charge to the student.  This helps to ensure cost will not stop someone from obtaining their high school diploma and continuing to improve themselves.  The mission of the MACC makes it clear that they are focused on improving the community through continuing education and career readiness.  The programs at MACC were implemented due to the overwhelming need to help improve the literacy and community high school completion percentages.  It also focuses on the importance of career readiness and promoting post-secondary career and educational opportunities.  Through a variety of educational programs, MACC makes it easy for those in the community to get the resources necessary to continue their education and help to improve their lives.  The hard work and dedication of the teachers, instructors, aides and administrators at the MACC is what helps to drive their success.                 

References

Adult education. Muncie Area Career Center. (n.d.-a). https://macc.muncie.k12.in.us/departments/adult-education 

Schmidt, S. W., & M., Y. B. S. (2016). Organization and administration of Adult Education Programs: A guide for practitioners. IAP, Information Age Pub

 

Andrew Whitted

Assignment 3: Leadership and Administration 

EDAC 632:  Organizing Adult and Community Education Programs

Dr. Bo Chang

September 10, 2023

 

Introduction

The Excel Center is operated by Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana. In 2003, the Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana created Goodwill Education Initiatives, Inc. (GEI). GEI was created as a not-for-profit entity, to operate charter schools. Through this process the Excel Center was established. The Excel Center provides adults the opportunity and support they need to earn a high school diploma and begin post-secondary education. They help adults to develop career paths in sectors that have growth opportunities and are in their local communities. They provide this extra layer of support in order to help students achieve their educational goals.  They want to be able to empower people to increase their independence and for them to reach their potential through employment, health and education.

 

Since opening its doors in 2010, The Excel Center has helped thousands of adult students to meet their full potential. The Excel Center has locations in Anderson, Bloomington, Clarksville, Indianapolis Decatur, Indianapolis Meadows, Indianapolis Michigan Street, Indianapolis Shadeland, Indianapolis Southeast, Indianapolis University Heights, Indianapolis West, Kokomo, Lafayette, Muncie, Noblesville, Richmond, and Shelbyville, Indiana. 

 

Roles and Positions

 

I had the pleasure of talking with Carrie Bradshaw, who is a current adult English education teacher at the Excel Center. Carrie was previously an administrator at a different institution and was able to give me insight into leadership and administrator roles at the Excel Center. The GEI Board of Directors acts as the ultimate governing authority over all 15 Excel Centers, including the Excel Center – Anderson location. The organizational chart continues down to the school director, lead teacher, lead coach, teachers, college & career readiness specialist, staff, Etc. Carrie discusses how people at a small school, sometimes have to wear multiple hats and perform numerous rolls in order to keep the school running smoothly.     

 

Daily Routines and Activities

 

An administrator is someone that is responsible for running a business or organization Schmidt & Yelich Binieki, 2016) This person makes decisions regarding how a business or organization is ran. In my opinion, you must be a good leader in order to be a good administrator. However, leaders do not necessarily need to have formal power, but they need to be able to influence and motivate others towards a common vision (Schmidt & Yelich Biniecki, 2016). An example would be a teacher who is good at rallying others to do what is right for the greater good. The teacher might have little to no power, but he or she can motivate others towards a common vision.   

 

The book mentions the different resources, people, and processes that an administrator oversees (Schmidt & Yelich Biniecki, 2016).

·      Organizing

·      Leading

·      Decision making

·      Budgeting

·      Marketing

·      Staffing

·      Strategic planning

·      Evaluating programs

·      Managing resources, people, and processes

Carrie talked about how being an administrator is so much different than being a teacher. Each job has its own levels of stress, but she prefers to be in the classroom with the adult student learners. There is a lot of stress associated with running a school and making sure the educational programs run smoothly. In her experience she has seen many teachers move on to become school administrators, but she’s also seen a lot of those individual return to teaching because of the stress involved or their lack of leadership skills. I’m told that every day can be different as an adult education program administrator, but you could expect some of the following.  

·      Supervise and manage educators, staff, and students

·      Attend board meetings, staff meetings, community meetings

·      Secure funding

·      Hire staff

·      Design and implement new processes

·      Approve marketing materials

·      Evaluate and propose changes to educational programs

·      Prepare reports for leadership team or auditors

·      Balance and maintain budgets

·      Visit with staff and students to make them feel welcomed and address any issue that might arise

·      Conduct in classroom teacher evaluations

·      Support students and staff 

·      Meet with community business and members to discuss and coordinate fundraising

Qualifications

 

When asked about the qualities of a leader or administrator, Carrie talked about how important it is for someone to work well as a team. You must be able to build and maintain an effective team. In her opinion you must be a strong leader in order to be an effective administrator. Someone must have strong interpersonal communication skills, team player, approachable, flexible, calm under pressure, decisive, confident, well educated, personable, and a critical thinker. Carrie says that anyone can be an administrator, but to be a truly great one you must have excellent leadership skills. The administration and school as a whole will not function properly without an effective leader.    

 

Implications

 

I really enjoyed this chapter and assignment as it highlighted the differences between leaders and administrators. My interview with Carrie gave me first hand insight as to why it’s important to be a good leader and be able to bring people together and to motivate them for the greater good. I was impressed with how the Excel Center has been able to recruit and maintain successful leaders in their administration positions. They strive to improve their educational experience in every way possible. I knew that administrators were busy people, but it amazed me how many duties they have to juggle in order to keep a school running successfully. In my opinion, you must have excellent leadership skills in order to be an effective administrator. You also do not need to be an administrator in order to be a good leader. Our adult education programs and students deserve only the best administrators and leaders possible. We should always be striving to improve the institution and ourselves in order to better our adult student educational experiences. 

 

References

Schmidt, S. W., & M., Y. B. S. (2016). Organization and administration of Adult Education Programs: A guide for practitioners. IAP, Information Age Publishing, Inc. 

The Excel Center - Anderson - in.gov. (n.d.). https://www.in.gov/icsb/files/1.-Anderson_ICSB_Full-Charter-Renewal-Application_SUBMISSION_2021-10-20.pdf

 

 

Andrew Whitted

Assignment 4: Budget and Funding

EDAC 632:  Organizing Adult and Community Education Programs

Dr. Bo Chang

September 30, 2023

 

Introduction

The Excel Center is operated by Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana. In 2003, the Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana created Goodwill Education Initiatives, Inc. (GEI). GEI was created as a not-for-profit entity, to operate charter schools. Through this process the Excel Center was established. Since opening its doors in 2010, The Excel Center has helped thousands of adult students to meet their full potential. The Excel Center has locations in Anderson, Bloomington, Clarksville, Indianapolis Decatur, Indianapolis Meadows, Indianapolis Michigan Street, Indianapolis Shadeland, Indianapolis Southeast, Indianapolis University Heights, Indianapolis West, Kokomo, Lafayette, Muncie, Noblesville, Richmond, and Shelbyville, Indiana. 

 

The Excel Center provides adults the opportunity and support they need to earn a high school diploma and begin post-secondary education. They help adults to develop career paths in sectors that have growth opportunities and are in their local communities. The school is known for their slogan “meet students where they are”, which means they will provide a flexible structure and supportive relationship to help students manage work, life, and family responsibilities. They provide this extra layer of support in order to help students achieve their educational goals.  They want to be able to empower people to increase their independence and for them to reach their potential through employment, health and education.          

 

Income and Expenses

 

The Excel Center is a tuition-free, public charter high school for adults.  The Excel Center is largely funded by state and federal grants, with support from Goodwill Industries. There are also other funds that are donated or raised through fundraisers that help with community employer partnerships and other expenses that are not covered by state and federal grants. An example of the other expenses would be a monthly transportation allowance provided to help students travel to and from the campus.  

 

REVENUES 2023 - 2024
State Revenue
Basic Tuition Support / Adult Grant	$ 2,025,000.00
Special Education Grant	$      87,681.00
Total State Revenue:	$ 2,112,681.00
Federal Revenue
IDEA- Part B Grant (Special Education)	$      41,438.00
Other Federal Revenue	$      20,619.00
Total Federal Revenue:	$      62,057.00
Other Revenue
Contributions, Donations & E-Rate Reimbursement	$      15,000.00
TOTAL REVENUE:	$ 2,189,738.00

One of the biggest expenses for the Excel Center would be the salaries and benefits for the staff and teachers. The next biggest expense for the charter school would be facility expenses. An example of facility expenses would be facility lease/mortgage payments, electric/gas, furniture, custodial and security services. Fixed expenses would be employee salaries/benefits, rent/mortgage, and utilities. Variable expenses would include textbooks, supplies, licensures and online learning platforms. Below are the estimates expenses for the Anderson Excel Center for the 23-24 academic year.   

 

2023-2024 EXPENSES
Total Personnel Expenses: Employee salaries/wages, health insurance, retirement, payroll taxes, Etc.	$ 1,186,345.75
Total Instructional Expenses: Textbooks, technology support, instructional software, student assessment, instructional supplies, Etc.	$       88,773.00
Total Administrative Resources: Technology and other related expenses.	$       16,235.00
Total Professional Purchases: Audit services, payroll services, insurance, travel, food service, transportation, marketing expenses, Etc.	$       71,593.00
Total Facilities Expenses: Lease/Mortgage, Insurance, utilities, repair and maintenance, security, furniture and fixture purchases, Etc.	$     387,609.00
Total Other Expenses: Administration fee, management fee, Etc.	$     311,001.13
Total Expenses =	$ 2,061,556.88

 

                                                                 Budget and Funding

 

There are multiple factors that affect the budget for adult education at the Excel Center. The amount of state and federal grant money disbursed to the Excel Center is purely based on enrollment numbers. Therefore, if enrollment is down for the year, the amount of money being received in grants from the state/federal governments is less. This can have a large impact on a school, since they have a number of fixed expenses. The Excel Center will still need to pay their rent and utilities no matter how many students they have attending any particular year. Lower enrollment numbers could lead to employee layoffs since there will be fewer teaching staff needed to run the school.    

 

The main funding source for the Excel Center is state/federal grants and support from Goodwill Industries. There is also other funding through donations that help to support items that cannot be covered by state/federal grants. The state/federal grant funding is directly tied to the number of students attending the school. A decrease in enrollment for the year, would significantly impact the amount of grant money the school receives. I was able to take a look at the Excel Center’s projected budget for the next 2-3 year. Each year they have their funding increasing, however there is no guarantee that enrollment numbers will support these increases. We can hope that the state/federal grant amounts will increase to help offset those values. 

 

It can be difficult for adult education programs to budget from year to year, since their state/federal grant amounts is solely based on the number of students they have attending. Therefore, I would say that not knowing their exact funding amount is one of the biggest challenges for the Excel Center. Most adult education programs do not know their exact enrollment until the start of the new school year.  If there is a significant decrease in enrollment they will not have enough time to cut costs before the school year begins. It might be in their best interest to find alternative funding methods to help fill the gaps in these situations. Similar to what they are doing now, they could ramp up more fundraising campaigns. An example would be something similar to Ball State’s “One Ball State Day”. This would allow those in the community to donate funds to keep the program functioning properly. 

 

Predicting enrollment numbers is tricky and largely depends on how well the economy is doing. In my higher education experience, I’ve seen larger enrollment numbers when the economy is doing bad.  However, if the economy is doing well and there are lots of jobs available, higher education enrollment numbers tend to be lower. Adult education programs should also do everything in their power to keep current students enrolled. Every school should be aware of and have programs in place to help with student retention. Retention programs to help identify those who may be at risk and ways to help assist students so they don’t drop out. Assigning each student to a student support specialist, who can check in with them on a regular basis, might help to keep retention numbers favorable. Tutoring and mental health counseling would be examples of other program that might help retain more students.     

 

Findings and Implications

 

It was interesting to see how the Excel Center functioned financially. If you had asked me before doing more research I would’ve guess most of their money came from the Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana. However, the Excel Center is basically just like any other adult education program.  The majority of their funding comes from state/federal grants. Therefore, they deal with lots of the same issue regarding enrollment and retention numbers. It was also interesting to see everything that’s included in a budget for an adult education program. There are lots of things that are included in a school’s budget that you wouldn’t think of, like land leases, software licensures, security, insurance and travel. It’s difficult to budget for future years when you don’t know what your enrollment numbers will be for a specific year. This is important since state/federal grants are dependent on the school’s enrollment numbers for the year. As a school administrator, I would look into more funding options to try and make budgeting a little more stable.           

References

Schmidt, S. W., & M., Y. B. S. (2016). Organization and administration of Adult Education Programs: A guide for practitioners. IAP, Information Age Publishing, Inc. 

The Excel Center - Anderson - in.gov. (n.d.). https://www.in.gov/icsb/files/1.-Anderson_ICSB_Full-Charter-Renewal-Application_SUBMISSION_2021-10-20.pdf

 

 

Andrew Whitted

Assignment 6: HRM – Program Planning and Organization 

EDAC 632:  Organizing Adult and Community Education Programs

Dr. Bo Chang

November 5, 2023

 

Introduction

     Ball State University educates nearly 22,000 graduate and undergraduate students each year. Across their eight academic colleges they offer 120 undergraduate programs and more than 140 master’s, doctorial, certificate, and specialized degrees. Educating and maintaining a campus with so many students requires a large workforce. Ball State University is one of the largest employers in East Central Indiana with more than 3,500 faculty, professional, service, and staff employees. It’s the departments mission to focus on leading, building, and maintaining a customer service oriented human resource area that focuses on employee development, talent acquisition, employee well-being, compensation, benefits, and employee/labor relations. The department is focused on transforming into a problem-solving unit that focuses on being a best practice model of people and culture enhancement. 

Main Functions of HRM

     Educating Americas adult learners is a huge responsibility and a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. An institution of high learning must insure they have qualified individuals available to teach and run their adult educational programs. Professors or Instructors need to be highly skilled, knowledgeable, passionate, and motivated to teach adult learners. It’s imperative for a college or university to have a functioning human resource department that knows the importance of recruiting and employing qualified individuals. The HR department must also know when they need to rely on deans and program directors when making certain decisions regarding a minimum qualifications and job offerings. 

     The Ball State University Human Resources Department is mainly responsible for recruiting and maintaining employees. There are lots of other factors that play into recruiting and maintaining employees. For example, orientation and training, record maintenance, strategic planning, Etc. The department must ensure we are employing qualified teaching staff for our adult educational programs.      

 

Routine of the HRM

 

     The Human Resource Department at Ball State University has five major areas including employee benefits, payroll operations, employee relations and affirmative action, employment, and health enhancement programs. These five major areas within the human resource department also has sub divisions with multiple employees and job functions. As you can imagine employing more than 3,500 employees across a large campus can be challenging. Below are just a few of the daily job duties that are being performed by different individuals within the department. 

 

·      Recruiting new employees

o   Working with department managers during the hiring and onboarding process 

·      Evaluating job duties and roles

o   Conducting desk audits and approving new or updated job descriptions

·      Maintaining policies and employee records

·      Training and supporting managers

·      Administering employee wellness programs

·      Handling employee concerns

o   Investigating and providing solutions

·      Ensuring health and safety standards are being met

·      Employee retention and annual evaluations

·      Process payroll 

·      Administer employee benefits

·      Training and development

·      Future planning       

 

     It’s the responsibility of the Ball State Human Resource Department to anticipate the needs of employees and to come up with training opportunities to increase skill sets and improve the efficiency of the university.  The department offers a large variety of training and professional development opportunities for their employees. The department offers HR learning and development sessions, professional development partnerships, online tutorials, orientation sessions, professional enhancement programs, and the Leadership Excellence and Development Academy (LEAD). These programs are designed and implemented by the human resource department with the assistance of other outside sources. New employees should expect to go through a very informative orientation session that will help them to adjust to their new employer and campus community. 

     There are many different resources and learning opportunities provided, depending on your job and ambition to learn. For example, the LEAD program is a comprehensive leadership development program designed to assist aspiring leaders to enhance their current skill sets. This program was developed to help establish an internal pipeline of skilled leaders that will have a lasting impact on the institution’s future. These are the types of programs necessary to help improve the overall function of the university. Insuring proper training and resources for employees will ultimately improve the adult education that we are providing to our students. 

     The department sends out email communications regarding new and upcoming training/professional development opportunities. It is then the responsibility of the employee to sign up and attend these training opportunities.         

 

Findings and Implications

 

     Prior to completing this assignment, I knew that the HR department was responsible for hiring, paying, and training employees. However, I didn’t realize the multiple other training and professional development opportunities that are being offered to current employees. As a current employee at Ball State University I knew some of the training opportunities being offered, but there are many more that I was not aware of. The HR department sends out email communications regarding different trainings being offered, but many times those are lost in the hundreds of emails that are received by different areas each day. The HR department could consider sending flashier emails that might get an employee’s attention. They could also consider making some trainings mandatory if it will help to improve the overall function of the university and improve the education we are providing to adult learners. 

References

University Human Resource Services. Ball State University. (n.d.). https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/humanresources 

Schmidt, S. W., & M., Y. B. S. (2016). Organization and administration of Adult Education Programs: A guide for practitioners. IAP, Information Age Publishing, Inc. 

 

Andrew Whitted

Assignment 7: Marketing 

EDAC 632:  Organizing Adult and Community Education Programs

Dr. Bo Chang

December 5, 2023

 

Introduction

This marketing plan was designed and implemented for Indiana Voter Connections (IVC). Indiana Voter Connections is a nonprofit organization founded in 2023 with the primary purpose of educating voters in Delaware County, Indiana. The estimated population of Delaware County as of 2022 is 112,031, of which approximately 82.2 percent of the population are adults over the age of 18 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). During the 2023 primary election there were a little over 45,000 registered voters and only nine percent of those registered actually voted (2023 Municipal Primary, 2023). There are many reasons why citizens do not vote, but the main reason is their lack of knowledge. This lack of knowledge regarding the election process is a huge barrier in our current democracy system. 

 

Indiana Voter Connections was founded with the primary function of educating the citizens of Delaware County on the election process. The IVC online platform provides free access to the following:

·      Online videos to help explain the overall voting process

·      Online videos and tutorials that walks them through the voter registration process

·      Live bi-weekly webinars with an opportunity to ask questions 

·      Information regarding who is on the upcoming ballot 

o   Candidate bio information and a link to the candidate’s website

·      Check your voter registration link 

·      Find your polling place link

·      Sign up for election reminders

·      Helpful checklists to assist on election day

·      Information regarding free rides to and from a polling site

·      Contact information to report an election issue

·      Important special assistance information for those with a disability and/or language 

 

This marketing campaign will help to introduce the community to IVC and to connect them with the information necessary to understand the election process. IVC plans to reach more than 10,000 citizens during this marketing campaign and increase their website traffic by at least 15 percent over the next 6 months. IVC’s primary goal is to educate citizens on the election process, but their hope is that this will ultimately increase the number of citizens who get out and vote on election day. 

 

Marketing Strategies

As a new organization in Delaware County, IVC does not currently have the name recognition benefit like other organizations. Their name recognition and brand will come with time.  The introduction stage of this marketing plan will help to get IVC’s name out into the community. There are many different reasons a citizen chooses to vote, but on the opposite end there are many reasons why they choose not to vote. The new target market for this campaign will be any eligible voter, that is not currently registered to vote. However, IVC hopes that even registered voters will utilize their online platform to check their voter registration status and stay up to date on ballot candidates.  

 

Indiana Voter Connections does not have a large operating budget and relies on government grants and donations to continue its adult voter education program. Therefore, this marketing campaign will use door-to-door campaigning, advertising posters, direct mail advertising, yard signs, flyer distribution, and table advertising at local community events. This type of marketing strategy will help to keep the price of the marketing campaign manageable. IVC would love to opportunity to advertise on tv, radio, or billboards, but they currently do not have the funding available to do so. We will also have an online Facebook, Twitter and Instagram presence. IVC will use these platforms to make posts and direct traffic to our main website and training materials. It’s important to think outside the box and to find ways to meet potential voters where they live, work, and socialize. Our door-to-door portion of the campaign will allow us to get out into the community and answer questions. We will have flyers and other promotional materials (direct marketing) to give out to citizens. This marketing campaign will also have table advertising at local community events (special events): Selma Lions Club Bluebird Days Festival, Frost Fest, Delaware Country Fair, college fairs, etc. There will be IVC representative available at each event to get our name out and to show citizens the benefits of using our online learning tools. IVC believes this to be the best marketing choice with the limited funding they have available. This type of campaign will allow us to begin getting our name out into the community and direct citizens to our website, where we can begin to educate them on the voting process.             

 

Implications

 

IVC believes that this type of marketing strategy will allow them to get their name out into the community and to begin building their organizational brand.  The product life cycle will require extra time, attention, and money to ensure citizens know who IVC is and the different educational programs that we offer. The organization is also looking into other ways to fundraise with local businesses and private donors. Additional funding would allow them more advertising opportunities (newspaper and radio ads) right before an election cycle begins. IVC will also look at ways to form partnerships with local schools and colleges. This partnership would allow us to begin a campaign that focused on the younger generation. It is IVC’s goal to reach as many citizens as possible, no matter their background.  However, implementing multiple marketing strategies would help us to relate more with individual groups.    

 

GOALS	STRATEGIES	RATIONALES	POSSIBLE RESULTS
Connect with high school students who are about to become legal voting age.	Posting flyers at the high school, partnering with high school’s government classes to make presentations.	Informing brand new voters on the voting process will lead to higher voting numbers.	Younger voters will use our online educational resources to become more educated on the election process. This will increase the number of voters who actively participate.
Connect with the younger generation (college students) in order to educate and promote voting in local and national elections.	Posting flyers on campus, attending college fairs, partnering with colleges on program awareness.	We can reach those younger individuals who are not aware of the voting process and also do not know where to go for voter education.	Younger voters will use our online educational resources to become more educated on the election process. This will increase the number of voters who actively participate.
Inform adult citizens of the multiple free educational tools we have available at ivc.org.	Passing out flyer’s door-to-door, posting on Facebook and other social media accounts, yard signs, mail flyers, Etc.	These marketing materials will get the organizations name out and inform adult citizens of the free educational courses at ivc.org.	Adult citizens will begin to explore all the educational materials at ivc.org. They will use this information to educate themselves on the voting process and become an active participant in the voting process.
Increase educational resource usage at ivc.org.	Send out mailers, post flyers, and attend community events.	Making adult students aware of the educational opportunities will increase the number of people who visit and use ivc.org.	The number of people educated on the election process will increase as well as the number of active participants in the voting process.

 

References

Schmidt, S. W., & M., Y. B. S. (2016). Organization and administration of Adult Education Programs: A guide for practitioners. IAP, Information Age Publishing, Inc. 

2023 municipal primary election municipal primary election turnout and ... (n.d.-a). https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/voter-information/files/2023-Municipal-Primary-Election-Turnout-and-Registration.9.20.23.pdf

U.S. Census Bureau quick facts: Delaware County, Indiana; United States. (n.d.-b). https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/delawarecountyindiana,US/PST045222