The College Effectiveness Department is responsible for the institutional research functions of collecting, analyzing and reporting a variety of College information and related data to support planning and decision making at Southwest Tech. The department supports strategic planning, assessing student learning and coordinates campus survey development, deployment and analysis.

College Effectiveness plays a significant role in garnering grant funding to support expansion, students, instructors, and the larger community. All grant reporting, tracking and documentation of grant activities are channeled through this office.

Functions of College Effectiveness

  • Provide the College with information that supports institutional strategic planning and data-informed decision making
  • Provide internal and external environmental scanning and project future trends and needs in support of institutional planning
  • Produce descriptive profiles of students and other institutional performance data
  • Develop assessment processes for college effectiveness studies
  • Plan, conduct, analyze, and disseminate the results of analytical studies, including campus climate, graduate and employer follow-up, and student satisfaction
  • Serve as a resource for accreditation and reaccreditation
  • Prepares and reports data to governmental and non-governmental agencies including Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
  • Provide analytical and consulting services to College committees and departments on an as-needed basis for College surveys
  • Research, write, manage and report all College grants
  • Student Demographics

  • Institutional Data – Student Demographics

    The Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Office of College Effectiveness provides student demographic information to support institutional planning, strategic decision-making, and reporting requirements. These data offer insight into the characteristics of our student population, including enrollment trends and demographic profiles, helping the College better understand and serve the communities we support.

  • IPEDS College Navigator

  • IPEDS College Navigator

    Southwest Tech’s College Effectiveness office coordinates the annual IPEDS reporting for the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The College Navigator website is a resource, open to the public, where a summary of institutionally reported IPEDS data can be found and easily compared. The following link is to the Southwest Tech data available, including retention and completion rates.

  • Student Achievement Data

  • Student Outcomes

    Southwest Tech monitors key student achievement measures to evaluate institutional effectiveness and student success. These outcomes include retention, program completion, and transfer rates, providing insight into students' progress and achievement throughout their educational journey. The data are used to support continuous improvement efforts, inform planning, and meet state and federal reporting requirements.


    Definitions

    • Graduation, retention, and transfer data are obtained from Wisconsin Technical College System Data Cubes.
    • Cohort is defined as: First-time program students who have not been enrolled in the program during four years prior to the cohort year and are enrolled in at least one full-time equivalent (FTE) generating course with a course completion status of Pass, Fail, Incomplete, or Withdrew in the cohort year.
    • Graduation is defined as 3-Year Graduation: Program enrollees meeting cohort requirements who graduated from the program in the cohort (1st) year, the following (2nd) year, or the following (3rd) year.
    • Retention is defined as 2nd Year Retention: Program enrollees meeting cohort requirements who either graduated from the program in the cohort (1st) year, graduated from the program during the following (2nd) year fall term, or were enrolled in at least one FTE generating course with a course completion status of Pass, Fail, Incomplete, or Withdrew in the following (2nd) year fall term.
    • Transfer is defined as Non-Graduate Transfers: Program enrollees meeting cohort requirements who both did not graduate from the program during the fiscal year and transferred to a non-WTCS 2 or 4-year institution.

    Cohort Year 2nd Year Retention 3-Year Graduation
    2021 71.1% 52.9%
    2022 72.6% 55.0%
    2023 70.9% 56.3%
    2024  70.7% 58.0%
    2025 74.4% N/A
    Fiscal Year Non-Graduate Transfers
    2021 6.1%
    2022 5.4%
    2023 6.5%
    2024  6.4%
    2025 2.8%

    Graduate Success

    Southwest Tech’s College Effectiveness office conducts an annual survey of our graduates. Responses are summarized in the Graduate Success Report and used both internally and externally. The survey helps us better understand whether Southwest Tech graduates are successful in gaining employment related to their field of study, where they are employed and how much they earn. The survey also gives graduates an opportunity to provide valuable feedback on what they felt were strengths of their education, or opportunities where Southwest Tech could make improvements. This information is highly valuable for the continuous improvement efforts of Southwest Tech.


    Number of Grads Number Still in School Number of Replies Number Employed (excluding those still in school) Percent Employed (excluding those still in school) Number Employed in Related Occupation Percent Employed in Related Occupation Number Employed in Unrelated Occupation Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation Percent Employed in SWTC District Median Hourly Wage Hourly Wage Range
    College-Wide Results (2022-2023) 721 135 535 370 94% 297 85% 53 15% 94 $23.50 $12.00-$60.00
    College-Wide Results (2023-24) 704 124 458 304 91% 262 87% 40 13% 129 $25.18 $7.69-$200.00
    College-Wide Results (2024-2025) 713 134 520 364 94% 291 87% 43 13% 51% $24.02 $9.00-$100.00