A1: Systems Map

LTEC 647
Group 1: Erica Yocum, Sav Siegfried, Mitch Harper, & Brittany Hall

System Description
The Richard W. Riley College of Education is one of the four colleges that make up Winthrop
University. It hosts undergraduate and graduate majors in all levels of education, educational
leadership, and human development as well as counseling, technology, and sports sciences. It is
an open system that is impacted by its environment.

Major System Components

● Faculty/ Staff
Those employed by the college in this capacity have a wide array of roles and responsibilities, from
educating college students to managing information technology. They each have an important
function within the system- many often serving the system in other ways, such as heading a
department or other program, alongside whatever their primary duties may be.
● Facilities
The role of the custodial staff within the system is to ensure that the building is clean, and tidy. The
maintenance staff ensures that all facilities in the building are in proper working order. These staff
members are supremely important to the system as they make sure that the educational environment
is looking its best and functioning at peak performance.
● Students
The main purpose of the college- and therefore the system- lies in educating its students. Within the
system, the students are finding a major to concentrate their efforts on, taking classes, learning about,
and making connections within their chosen field. The system not only focuses its efforts on
supporting its current students but also on garnering the interest of prospective students and sending
successful graduates into the workforce to do quality work within their fields as alumni.
● Administration
The Dean’s Office in the College of Education acts as administrative support for the system, as well
as oversees and facilitates academic, budgeting, planning, and research processes for the college.
They also act as representatives for the college in educational communities at local, state, and
national levels.
● Infrastructure
The College of Education is primarily housed in the Withers Building on Winthrop’s campus. This is
the “home base” of the system. The building not only provides a physical location for classrooms,
offices, and other spaces; but has served as an iconic landmark and symbol of Winthrop's history in
education for over 100 years.
● Alumni
Alumni serve the system in multiple ways. Firstly they act as community ambassadors, going out into
the world and representing the programs and the university as a whole. Secondly, they can make
donations to the college enrichment fund, or to one of many scholarships to support the continuing
education of others.

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 ● Special Programs
Several other programs exist within the college, such as the Winthrop Think College, Teaching
Fellows, The College Readiness Program and The Call Me MISTER program. These programs serve
and are served by the system's inputs and outputs in mutually beneficial ways.
● Partnerships
The college offers many professional development opportunities, opportunities for research
assistance, and pre-service teacher education programs. The college also partners with local schools,
hospitals, clinics, fitness centers, and senior living facilities to give its members hands-on experience.

Inputs and Outputs

Inputs
1. Federal, State, and Tuition Funding
2. Students who are taking individual courses and/or who are pursuing a degree in this program.
3. Professors/Faculty who teach the courses to students in person and online and who
create/enforce education programming
4. Staff who run day-to-day policies and ensure procedures are being met.
5. Building maintenance workers to care for the facility and maintain cleanliness and safety
6. Materials, equipment, and resources used in teaching, learning, and day-to-day
activities/tasks.
Outputs
1. Students with the education and skills to pursue a career in Education, Sport, or Human
sciences.
2. Student records including grades, attendance, demographics, etc.
3. Faculty and course evaluations completed by students
4. Student and faculty-generated materials and research
5. Professors/Educators with teaching experience
6. An environment that is safe, clean, and conducive to learning
This system has a variety of inputs and outputs. Inputs begin with money from tuition from incoming
students. Additionally, federal and state funding contributes to the program. This funding supports
the ability to have the building, employment of faculty/staff, and resources and materials needed for
these educational programs. Students enter this system to learn about education, human, and sport
sciences. During their time in this program, students take a variety of classes. These classes will give
students the knowledge and skills to be able to enter their chosen field upon completion. Professors
ensure that students are given the proper knowledge and opportunities to learn. Both students and
professors are allowed to do research and make resources based on their specific program. University
staff ensures the program runs smoothly. This includes keeping up with payroll, record keeping,
scheduling, etc. Maintenance ensures students are being taught in a safe and clean environment. All
of these inputs lead to the outputs which include students who are educated and prepared to move
into their next phase which normally includes employment or continuing to higher education.
Advancements in the fields are made by both students and staff. Oftentimes these advancements are
published in scholarly, peer-reviewed materials. Additionally, all faculty and staff are gainfully
employed and work in an inclusive environment.

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Feedback Loops
Positive Feedback Loops
1. Positive course evaluations most courses, students complete an evaluation. If the majority of
responses are positive, that is direct feedback that all systems are working effectively and
meeting the needs of students.
2. Enrollment increases if there is an increase in enrollment, which shows that the system is
effective. If students find their classes and programs satisfactory, they will often recommend
the program to others.
3. A high percentage of students are gainfully employed or going to higher education in their
field-If students are getting an effective education program, and they should be competitive
in the job market. A high rate of students being able to get a job or be accepted into higher
education programs indicates that they are being given a quality education and that the school
is successful.
Negative Feedback Loops
1. Enrollment Drops-If there is a decrease in enrollment, this indicates that students are not
satisfied with the program. This is an indicator that there is an issue somewhere in the
system. Students are either leaving these specific programs or the university in general.
2. University and/or the Program Loses Accreditation-Currently the university as a whole lists 5
major accreditations and the school of education has 10+ various accreditations. If any of
these accreditations are lost, that is an indicator that there is something wrong with the
system.
3. Negative course evaluations- When doing course evaluations, a significant number of
negative evaluations indicates there is an issue somewhere within the system. This could
include a problem based on the program, specific course, or professor.

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