Accreditation Mid-term report 2010

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The Instructional Program Review report has been revised each year since 2005-2006 in response to the accreditation emphasis on Student Learning Outcomes and as the College refined its processes and procedures.  Program level SLO’s are now required for each degree and Certificate of Achievement.  Programs are now asked to provide their Program Outcomes in the process of program review.  When a Discipline does not have a degree or Certificate of Achievement, discipline-level SLO’s are required, which may reflect primarily GE-related SLOs. Beginning in 2008-09, each department was asked to report their program level SLOs and include an Assessment Plan as part of the Instructional Program Review as well as Academic Master Plan process.  Departments are asked to indicate an anticipated completion of the SLO Assessment Plan.  (The SLO Assessment Plan should be completed within a five-year cycle.)  The Instructional Program Review process includes examples and assistance for departments.  In items 221-24, departments are asked to describe their progress in more detail, including a description of assessment methodologies, an analysis of assessment results, and subsequent changes to pedagogy to improve learning.

 The college’s website for the Instructional Program Review process is as follow: http://www.cuyamaca.edu/programreview06/. Login is required.  The website contains the report template, instructions to authors, the survey, and links to a number of resources.  The website also contains the final reports from 2001-02 to 2008-09.

 Learning Resources (Library) Program Review

The Cuyamaca College Library completed its first program review in 2006-2007. The Program Review Committee's report and recommendations to the Library may be found at http://www.cuyamaca.edu/programreview06/. The Library program review described Library SLO’s at the program level and the course level.

The Library has identified its Program SLO’s.  The mission of the Library SLO’s is to develop student information competency skill, which is defined as the ability to find, use and evaluate information. Rather than giving students answers and sending them away, the Library shows them how to find, use and evaluate information so they can become better critical-thinking researchers.

In 2007-2008, the Library has identified five Library Program Level SLO’s which are posted on a website. The Library has also identified Course Level SLO’s for its stand alone course called LIR 110, Research Methods.

The Library has designed its assessment tools for Program Level SLO’s. In 2008-2009, the Library began a pilot assessment of its Library Instruction Program.  SLOs 1, 2, and 3 were selected for the year 2008-2009. The Library worked closely with the District Institutional Research Office to develop two reliable assessment tools. Both assessment tools measured student learning as a result of exposure to library instruction. The first tool measured student learning after a reference interview with a librarian. The second tool measured student learning as a result of a library orientation given by a librarian.

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In fall 2009, both assessment tools were implemented in a pilot study. The librarians have been distributing and collecting the reference desk survey cards and library orientation quizzes throughout the fall 2009 semester.

The Library has implemented assessment and continues to gather data. Both assessment tools were designed to measure student learning as a result of exposure to library instruction. Use of the first tool, focused on student learning following a reference interview with a librarian, produced data indicating that students (100%) agreed that they did learn some information competency skills after exposure to library instruction at the reference desk.).  Application of the second tool, designed to measure student learning after a library orientation, produced inconclusive results and a need to revise the assessment tool.

The Library has analyzed the results of its assessment of the effectiveness of library instruction and library usage. The anticipated outcomes were not universally realized during this pilot study.  Several factors may have obscured the actual influence of library instruction on student library usage and skill development. For example, the results indicate a need for improvement to the assessment tools.  The district District Institutional Research Department has recommended that the Library rewrite the second assessment tool questions, clarify test directions, and select different questions so as to avoid miscommunication and produce more reliable data. Therefore, the Library will be refining its assessment tools and introducing the revised products to students in fall 2010.

 In conclusion, since the accreditation site visit in 2007, Cuyamaca College has completed its program review process for student services, instruction and the library.  Each process now includes an evaluation of the achievement of student learning outcomes and uses the evaluation results to improve both performance within the area and the review instrument itself.  As more areas move toward completion of the SLO cycle and more assessment results become available, program review processes will become increasingly more evidence based and increasingly effective in leading to productive change.

 STANDARD II:  STUDENT LEARNING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

 Recommendation 3: Resources

The team recommends that the college and the district ensure that the number of full-time faculty and staff is adequate to support the instructional needs and student support services to improve student learning and enhance the achievement of the mission of the institution.

 Status: Ongoing

Response:  In 2006-2007, the Governing Board of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District took significant action to improve student learning and enhance the achievement of the mission of the institution.  In that year, the Governing Board allocated $300,000 to hire additional faculty; the same amount was allocated by the Board in each of the following two

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·        The Curriculum Committee will continue to work with individual departments to ensure that all courses are updated with SLO’s and all new submissions to the Curriculum Committee will include SLO’s (II.A.1.c.)

 ·        College Services, primarily the Library and Student Development Services, will continue to pursue SLO assessment activities. Selection of assessment instruments and development of assessment procedures comprise elements of this SLO plan. (II.C.2)

 ·        The Academic Senate in conjunction with the Instructional Council and Academic Departments will establish a procedure for the inclusion of SLO’s into course syllabi as well as a syllabus review process (II.A.1.c.)

Status: Ongoing

Response: As indicated in the response to Recommendation 1, Cuyamaca College has achieved the Development level on the ACCJC SLO Rubric for Evaluating Institutional Effectiveness, and is currently working towards the Proficiency level.  The college has established an institutional framework for defining SLOs for all courses, programs, certificates, and degrees, including SLOs for general education, basic skills, transfer, career technical education, student services, and library & learning resources.

The college has continued to work with individual departments to ensure that all new and existing course outlines are updated with SLOs.  The SLO Coordinator works directly with departments and individual faculty to help develop course-level SLOs and accompanying assessment methodologies. Once the course outlines are submitted to the Curriculum Committee, the Student Learning Outcomes Technical Review (sub)Committee (SLOTRC) works directly with departments and individual faculty to review, and if necessary, revise all SLO submissions to ensure that all course-level SLOs and accompanying assessment methodologies are written in active language that are measurable. 

SLOTRC then makes recommendations to the Curriculum Committee regarding SLOs and accompanying assessment methodologies for final approval by the Curriculum Committee. As of spring 2010, the college has written SLOs and accompanying assessment methodologies into the official course outline of record for __% of all courses (link to Course Master List).  The Curriculum Committee continues to review SLO submissions for new courses and modifications to existing courses.

In 2007-2008, the Library identified five Library Program Level SLO’s and accompanying assessment methodologies which are posted on its website (http://www.cuyamaca.edu/slo/default.asp). The Library has also identified Course Level SLO’s for its stand-alone course called LIR 110, Research Methods.

In 2008-2009, the Library implemented its first assessment pilot study, analyzed the results, and with the help of the Institutional Research Department, determined that the results were inconclusive.  The Institutional Research Department worked with the Library to rewrite the two assessment (Page 25) tool questions, clarify test directions, and select different questions so as to avoid miscommunication and produce more reliable data. The Library will re-assess using the revised tools beginning in fall 2010.

In 2009, the college’s Student Services Division finalized their assessment plans, including the development of SLOs, identification of assessment methodologies, establishment of goals and criteria for assessment activities, and a planning mechanism for closing the loop and using assessment results to improve student learning (link to 2009-10 SSMP). 

 As of spring 2010, all Student Services departments have completed their first assessment cycle, and have incorporated the results into the Student Services Master Planning process (link to 2010 SSMP). This process prioritizes department activities for the following year, and includes funding priorities. Ongoing assessment activities will continue with refinement of SLOs and accompanying assessment methodologies occurring as needed based on analysis of prior year results.

 In Fall 2007, the Academic Senate, working with the Instructional Council (Academic Vice President, Academic Deans and Department Chairs & Coordinators), established a procedure for the inclusion of SLO’s into course syllabi, as well as a syllabus review process. Department Chairs and Coordinators provide faculty with instructions and examples of incorporating SLOs into course syllabi at department meetings, and provide individual training for faculty as needed. 

The Academic Senate updated its Faculty Handbook in spring 2010 to include instructions and examples of incorporating SLOs into course syllabi.  This handbook is available on the Academic Senate Website (link to faculty handbook), and is highlighted by the Academic Senate President during the new faculty orientation at the beginning of each semester.

 Each semester, course syllabi are collected by department chairs & coordinators, as well as division deans, and kept on file for reference.  All course syllabi are expected to include course-level SLOs. A review of an instructor’s course syllabi is part of each faculty evaluation, and the inclusion of SLOs, as defined by the Faculty Handbook, is considered an important component of a comprehensive syllabus.

 In conclusion, significant progress has been made since the college’s 2007 Self Study in moving towards the proficiency level on the ACCJC SLO Rubric for Evaluating Institutional Effectiveness (link to milestones document).  The college expects to be at the proficiency level and moving towards the sustainable continuous quality improvement level by 2012, which will be reflected in the college’s self study the following year in 2013.