The Sussex County Community College (SCCC) Board of Trustees administered the PACE Climate Survey in the Spring of 2024 to give campus leaders a baseline snapshot of the culture on the campus at the time. The report of the survey results has now been released by the Board of Trustees.
The PACE Climate Survey is based on a research-informed model showing the connection between leadership of an institution and the culture, policies, practices, and routines of that institution. Individual employee perceptions of the institution’s policies, practices, and routines are aggregated to produce a picture of the institutional climate. The survey was sent to all part-time and full-time employees of the institution.
A statement from Kurt Gewecke, Chair of the Board of Trustees was delivered Tuesday evening on the report of the survey. He also commented, “The board is thankful to all who participated in the survey. Their honesty has allowed us to assess our current situation and provided us with an opportunity to target enhancements to the college experience for the entire SCCC community. We are confident the current administration has both the means and desire to effect positive change in areas identified by the study. As always, we look forward to the innovative thinking that has been emblematic of SCCC.”
While the survey results revealed significant challenges in areas including institutional structure, policy adherence, communication, employee input, and student focus, it also showed overall strength in middle management, teamwork, and positive intentions. The report clearly did not support claims that the college had a toxic or hostile work environment. In a comment from Jon Connolly, the college’s president, remarked, “Conducting this climate survey is a tremendous opportunity for the college. The survey clearly focuses on areas of improvement for us to engage in as a community. This process moving forward will allow us to be more effective and to simultaneously feel better about the work we do together.” The report is shared on the college’s Web site.
The institution’s responsive action plan was developed by a collaborative process between the administration and the Board of Trustees to address areas for improvement while building on the strengths. The action plan began in the Summer of 2024 and continues this fall and next spring. The culture of the college will continue to respond and evolve as actions continue to develop over time. Actions and measures will focus on improved communication channels, collection of more data regarding the campus culture, and further development of policies and procedures. The leadership is hopeful that through increased levels of communication, responsiveness, and better structures of shared governance, the College will see improvement in the coming years.
For more information, visit the PACE Survey webpage.