Institutional Effectiveness Dashboard 2026

The Institutional Effectiveness Measures (IEM) Dashboard can be found here.

Institutional effectiveness is a process that involves the entire institution in the assessment of the College’s performance on key indicators, called Institutional Effectiveness Measures (IEMs). These measures align with the mission of Harper College as well as the needs and expectations of the College’s internal and external stakeholders. Harper has 16 IEMs that are aligned with the You Matter, We Care; SOAR framework (Search, Onboard, Advance, Realize). This framework explores student milestones and outcomes for each phase of the student lifecycle and serves as an excellent organizing framework for the IEMs. In order to set targets for the IEMs, historical and comparison data were examined. Current institutional priorities and initiatives also guided the development of these targets.

Recommended targets were set using a framework that included three categories.

Expected: If we continue on our current path, this target represents the expected outcome.
Improvement: A challenging, yet attainable target that can be achieved through increased effort.
Stretch: A target achieved only if the measure is prioritized and institutional focus is placed on dramatic improvement.

Long-term targets have been set for each of the 16 measures and will be displayed on the dashboard. Targets have also been set to close equity gaps in measures where they exist. Progress on the IEM targets is identified as:

On Target: This status indicates that based on current and trend data it is projected that the 2026 target will be met.
Needs Attention: This status indicates that based on current and trend data additional attention and effort is needed if the target is to be achieved by 2026.
Target Achieved: This status will not be selected until 2026 data is available.

Harper College Institutional Effectiveness Measures (IEMs)
	Measure	2026 Target	Definition and Data Source
Search Explore your journey	Enrollment	Stretch 28%+	Proportion of district residents served by Harper College through credit instruction. (ICCB)
Onboard Prepare to take flight	Gateway Math Course Success	Expected 66-67%	Percent of students who complete gateway math within first year. (Internal Data)
Onboard Prepare to take flight	Gateway English Course Success	Expected 71-72%	Percent of students who complete gateway English within first year. (Internal Data)
Advance Follow your flight path	Fall to Spring Persistence	Improvement 85-86%	Percent of first-time, full/part-time, credential-seeking students who enroll at Harper in the given fall semester and either return the following spring or leave with a credential. (Internal Data)
	Fall to Fall Persistence	Improvement 69-70%	Percent of first-time, full/part-time, credential-seeking students who enroll at Harper in the given fall semester and either return the following fall or leave with a credential. (IPEDS)
	Part-Time Credit Accumulation (12hr)	Improvement 41-42%	Percent of first-time, part-time, degree or certificate-seeking students who earned 12 or more credits (including developmental) within first year. (PDP)
	Full-Time Credit Accumulation (24hrs)	Improvement 52-53%	Percent of first-time, full-time, degree or certificate-seeking students who earned 24 or more credits (including developmental) within first year. (PDP)
Realize Ensure a successful landing	Advancement	Stretch 75%+	Percent of first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students who graduated, transferred, or continued to enroll at Harper after three years. (IPEDS)
	Graduation Rate	Improvement 38-39%	Percent of first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students who completed a credential within three years of enrolling at Harper. (IPEDS)
	Post-Harper Student Satisfaction	Expected 90-91%	Percent of students who report being ‘Satisfied’ with program of study job preparation or preparation for continued education. (Follow-Up Survey)
	Post-Harper Student Employment	Improvement 70-71%	Percent of students who earned a career credential that have stable employment in the first year post-Harper. (IDES)
	Post-Harper Student Stable Earnings	Improvement 63-64%	Percent of students who earned a career credential that have stable annual earnings at a living wage in the first year post-Harper. (IDES)
You matter; we care (An overarching message of SOAR)	Financial Support for Students	Stretch 36%+	Percent of students who receive aid through scholarships/grants. (IPEDS)
	Faculty Relative to Student Diversity	Improvement 31-32%	Percent of racial/ethnic diverse FT and PT faculty relative to students. (IPEDS) Target is to reduce the gap.
	Employees Relative to Community Diversity	Improvement 14-15%	Percent of racial/ethnic diverse employees relative to community population. (IPEDS/U.S. Census) Target is to reduce the gap.
	Composite Financial Index	Expected 3.0-7.0	Overall financial health comprised of four ratios—Primary Reserve, Net Operating Revenues, Return on Assets, and Viability. (Higher Learning Commission)

ICCB – Illinois Community College Board; IDES – Illinois Department of Employment Security; IPEDS – Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; PDP – Postsecondary Data Partnership