needed to hear them. Another group of our own students told us why they had selected RCC. The college had gone through its ten-year regional accreditation process the preceding year. Most of us were weary of writing mission statements and goals and objectives. So when the president badgered us, week after week, with “What business are we in?”, the group decided that a one sentence statement about our business would be far more effective than a paragraph on our mission. Once we decided what business we were in, we started talking about values. One of the intriguing discussion questions about the three businesses we studied was, “What does this company value?” One value was profit, one was quality, and the other was service. What were Riverside Community College's values? Not surprisingly, the committee discovered that everyone wanted to do a good job. Groundsmen wanted the lawns to be green, mowed and trimmed with neat shrubbery and fresh, colorful flowers grown in season. Faculty members wanted to be excellent teachers, lucid and able to get their subjects across in an interesting, stimulating manner. Secretaries wanted to turn out work efficiently and respond to telephone calls before the third ring. Eventually, everyone realized that students were the fulcrum around which the institution revolved. We originally came up with seven values and grudgingly whittled them down to four. Student centeredness became our first value. Finally, we asked ourselves about our vision. What did we want to be in 1995? Did we want to become the best community college in Riverside County? Cer- tainly, and we may already be the best! How about the best in Southern California? Abso- lutely! What about the entire state—there are some pretty good colleges among the 106? Yes! And if we became the best in California, why not the entire country, or for that matter, the world? Well, gosh, gee whiz, why not go for it?! Eventually, the Action Groups had to make a state- ment about our business, vision and values. While de- veloping one of our values, student centcredness, the Action Groups were asked to complete this sentence: “To achieve student centeredness, we will... .” As the wecks went by, people began to know each other, and talk! They called each other by first names. Gradually, they began to realize that they indeed might have some say about the destiny of their institution. Gradually, there was a changed attitude—toward their job, cach other, the president, the teaching profes- sion. They developed an understanding of the interde- pendence of each job on campus. There was a kind of euphoria that gripped that first group. We were giant killers. There was nothing that we couldn't do if we put our minds to it and worked together! We had a vision; we knew what our business was. And our four values—student centeredness, teaching excellence, learning environment, tradition— would keep us on track! * Examples of PSPAC‘s outcomes, listed under the four values, follow: Student Centeredness—Our class schedules and other publications no longer have pictures of buildings on their covers. The pictures (in color) are of students and faculty working together, illustrating each of our four values. Teaching Excellence—(1) Faculty members were en- couraged to use media in their class presentations. A media specialist was hired to work with individual faculty members. (2) As a result of mixing disciplines within CAN Groups, members grew to recognize the expertise of faculty in other areas. Some began to invite members from other departments to lecture to their classes on pertinent topics. Learning Environment—PSPAC identified the need to upgrade the condition of all classrooms. During the summer of 1984, an ad hoc faculty committee drew up a list of 24 items an ideal classroom should have. Tradition—As a result of valuing tradition, we rein- stated Convocation—a college-wide activity which takes place during the opening of the Fall Semester. Faculty members, in full academic regalia, lead their students to the quadrangle lawn with pomp and circumstance, where a distinguished speaker gives a scholarly address on a topic of academic interest. ®% ® Note: PSPAC II participants were nominated by members from the first. PSPAC III’s members were primarily self-selected, and students were included for the first time. Beginning with and since PSPAC III, new faculty have been included. And PSPAC IV met on a different schedule—membership largely was faculty whose school schedules prohibited their attending the Friday afternoon sessions. PSPAC VII is ready to go. Over 300 individuals have been involved in PSPAC, thus far. Evan Vail, Dean, Research and Planning For further information, contact the author at Riverside Community College, 4800 Magnolia Avenue, River- side, CA 92506. Suanne D. Roueche, Editor danuary 13, 1989, Vol. XI, No. 1 ©Tha University of Taxas at Austin, 1989 Further duplication is permitted by MEMBER institutions for their own personnel. . INNOVATION ABSTRACTS is a publication of the National Institute for Staff and Organizatonal Development (NISOD), EDB 348, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, (512) 471-7545. Subscriptions are available to nonconsor- tium members for $40 per year. Funding in part by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Sid W. Richardson Foundation. Issued weekly when classes are in session during fall and spring terms and once dunng the summer. ISSN 0199-106.