QEP

A Quality Enhancement Plan submitted by Amarillo College to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

SACSCOC Onsite Review: September 18-20, 2012

A Quality Enhancement Plan submitted by Amarillo College to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Dr. J. Paul Matney Chief Executive Officer, Amarillo College President Š 2012 Amarillo College 2201 S. Washington Amarillo, TX 79109

Danita McAnally SACSCOC Accreditation Liaison, Chief of Planning and Advancement Dr. Lana Jackson QEP Director Dr. Judith L. Carter QEP Assistant Director

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Table of Contents

List of Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi No Excuses! First-Year Seminar Logic Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Chapter I – Broad-based Institutional Process Identifying Key Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Focus of the Quality Enhancement Plan: No Excuses! First-Year Seminar . . . . . . . . . . . 3 QEP: Relationship to Institutional Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter II – Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Amarillo College Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Developmental Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Retention Rates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Focus Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Defining the QEP Cohort Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Understanding College Readiness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Role of Student Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Identifying an Initiative to Improve College Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Creating the FYS Course and Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Instruction and Pedagogy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 FYS Instructor Certification Workshop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Anticipated Enrollment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Chapter III – Capability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 A Strong Start – Focusing on Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Clear, Coherent Pathways. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 No Excuses! Commitment Pledge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Enrichment Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Career Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Educational Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Integrated Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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High Expectations and High Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Department Chair of the First-Year Experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 FYS Curriculum Specialist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Senior Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 FYS Curriculum Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 FYE Advisory Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 No Excuses! Core Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Intensive Student Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Integration into AC Certificate and Degree programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Career Clusters Alignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Requirement in the 42-hour Core Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Dual Credit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Design for Scale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Professional Development for Everyone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Chapter IV – Broad-based Involvement in Development and Implementation. . . . . 45 Amarillo College’s Vision for Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Institution-wide Initiatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Achieving the Dream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 No Excuses!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Poverty Awareness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Alignment of Institution-wide Initiatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Alignment with Partners for Postsecondary Success, A Community Initiative. . . . . . . . . 50 Broad-based Engagement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Chapter V – Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Institutional Assessments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Program Level Assessments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Course Level Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

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Appendices Appendix A

CCSSE Analysis Team Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Appendix B Conversations on Student Success Team Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Appendix C QEP Team Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Appendix D FYS Pilot Faculty Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Appendix E EDUC 1200 Course Syllabus • Fall 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Appendix F FYS Instructor Certification Workshop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Appendix G Achieve Your Dream: A ‘No Excuses’ Pledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Appendix H Curriculum Vitae: Lana Jackson, Ph.D.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Appendix I

Curriculum Vitae: Jill Gibson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Appendix J No Excuses! Core Team Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Appendix K Amarillo College No Excuses Belief System:

Student Success and Completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Appendix L FYS Certified Instructors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

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List of Tables

1.1 Progress Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1.2 Alignment of Institutional Goals with QEP Learning Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1 Percent of Students Who Successfully Completed

College-Level Courses, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2.2 Retention Rate, 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2.3 Retention Rate by Cohort Group, 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2.4 Student Focus Group, April 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.5 Dimensions of College Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 2.6 Student Focus Group, April 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2.7 Student Focus Group, April 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2.8 Student Focus Group, April 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 2.9 EDUC Learning Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 2.10 Course Pass Rates, Pilot Fall 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2.11 Course Retention Rates, Pilot Fall 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2.12 FYS Collaborations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 2.13 Anticipated Enrollment in FYS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 3.1 QEP Initiatives / Supporting Initiatives – Responsible Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 3.2 Placement of FYS within College Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 3.3 Quality Enhancement Plan Implementation Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 3.4 AC Degrees and Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 3.5 Anticipated Enrollment in FYS by Cohort Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 3.6 Proposed 5-Year Budget. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 3.7 Proposed 5-Year Budget Detailed Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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4.1 Strategic Plan Goals Through 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 4.2 Achieving the Dream (AtD) Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 4.3 Key Initiatives for Institutional Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 4.4 Connection Between No Excuses!, AtD and College Initiatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 5.1 Annual Assessments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 5.2 CCSSE - CCFSSE Paired Student/Faculty Questions, 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 5.3 FYS Course Grades, Fall 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 5.4 Following Semester Retention. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 5.5 FYS Retention by Demographic Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 5.6 FYS Student Focus Group Key Findings, 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 5.7 College Readiness Survey Pre- and Post-Test Results, Fall 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 5.8 First-Year Seminar Student Learning Objectives, Assessments and Outcomes. . . . . . . . . 63

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Executive Summary

Building upon institutional data and Best Practices research, Amarillo College (AC) has determined that the implementation of a customized, First-Year Seminar (FYS) course will serve as the focal point of its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Designed to enhance student learning by improving the “College Readiness” of entering freshmen, the FYS targets student needs which College personnel have determined are significant barriers to AC student success based upon triangulated data sources, including data related to developmental education status, retention rates, poverty, and student-identified barriers.

Research findings of David Conley, George Kuh, Vincent Tinto, et al. have guided the QEP Team and FYS Faculty groups in the development of an FYS curriculum which addresses unique AC student needs. Specific learning objectives embedded in the transfer-level course include: 1) Increase self-awareness.

2) Take charge of your life.

3) Identify and interact within your communities.

4) Manage your money.

5) Communicate effectively using a variety of formats.

6) Demonstrate information literacy skills.

7) Demonstrate effective study skills.

8) Demonstrate creative and critical thinking skills.

9) Develop an integrated educational and career pathway.

It is the intent of AC to require entering, First-Time-at-Amarillo-College students to enroll in a 3-hour FYS as a part of the 42-hour core curriculum, effective Fall 2014. Unique to the FYS course offerings will be the alignment of the FYS by Career Clusters, creating the opportunity to engage students in the College Readiness curriculum within their identified areas of study (i.e. Health Sciences FYS; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics FYS; Arts, A/V Technology & Communications FYS). Long-term evolution of the course necessitates the development of 1and 2-hour FYS courses to meet the unique needs of the Career & Technical Education (CTE) student who is engaged in a program of shorter duration focused on immediate employment upon completion of the CTE program.

First-Year Seminar assessments will be conducted in coordination with the Planning and Advancement Division, ensuring that all FYS assessments are integrated through a “closing the loops” process – a process which necessitates continual assessment to generate improvement.

The No Excuses! FYS assessment plan consists of three primary outcomes assessment components – institutional assessments, program assessments, and course assessments – allowing for both direct and indirect assessments.

Minimal baseline data was captured through the piloting of the FYS in Fall 2011. Expansion of the assessment process will allow the program to delve deeper, focusing on the attainment of specific, desired learning outcomes.

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Educational Plan

FYE Department

Assumptions

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Assessments

Local Business Owners

No Excuses! Core Team

FYE Department, FYE Advisory Committee

Financial Aid Representatives

Advisers, Mentors, Librarians, Tutors, Career Center, Social Worker

Course Level Pre- and Post-College Readiness Survey, Focus Groups, Course Learning Outcomes, FYS Student Performance Report

Career Research Job Shadow

Enrichment Activities

FYS Certified Instructors, Curriculum Committee

FTAC students

MyPlan, VARK Assessments College Success Skills

Participation

Outputs

Program Level Program Evaluation Tracking (PET) forms, Program Review, CCSSE, CCFSSE, SENSE

Create a comprehensive Educational Plan

Design, develop and present a Career Project

Expand Student Success

Attain Credentials

Long-Term

Institutional Level Profile of FYS Student Success in alignment with No Excuses!

Institutional Goals, Strategic Plan

External Factors

Persist from Term-to-Term and Year-to-Year

Complete Attempted Courses with a C or Better

Apply effective study skills and techniques which match learning style Demonstrate effective research skills utilizing technology

Complete Gateway Courses

Complete Developmental Courses and Progress to Credit Bearing Courses

Medium-Term

Value community experiencess

Apply academic and financial strategies

Develop self-awareness

Short-term

Outcomes - Impact

Research indicates that students who complete these courses are more likely to complete other courses, earn better grades, have higher overall GPAs, and obtain degrees.

- Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2012, p. 17

Activities

Collaboration between Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Business Affairs personnel

Training for FYS Instructional Partners (Support Staff)

Training for FYS Instructors

FYS Hybrid Curriculum

Inputs

Logic Model adapted from the University of Wisconsin

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Chapter I

Broad-based Institutional Process Identifying Key Issues

Amarillo College

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Broad-based Institutional Process Identifying Key Issues

The second oldest of the 50 public community college districts in Texas, Amarillo College is nestled in the heart of the Panhandle and provides services to nine counties as depicted in the Amarillo College Service Area illustration. Committed to “enriching the lives of students and our community,” AC’s mission closely aligns with its core purpose of helping “each student to succeed.” To that end, the College has envisioned a future where every student will have a success story.

Expressed through Goal 1 of the College’s Strategic Plan through 2015, Expand Student Success, College administration has committed personnel and resources to a plan of action focused on enhancing student learning and success.

Amarillo College’s Quality Enhancement Plan, No Excuses! – First-Year Seminar, is a key strategic initiative which the College has embraced for advancing its vision of student success. Central to the First-Year Seminar (FYS) are the opportunities to enhance student learning by addressing student needs as identified through institutional data and to engage in Promising Practices focused on improving student learning, retention and completion.

Amarillo College began the Quality Enhancement Plan developmental process in August 2009 when two separate teams were formed to review institutional data: the CCSSE Analysis Team and the Conversations on Student Success Team.

Specifically, the 12-member CCSSE Analysis Team (Appendix A) was charged with reviewing the Community College Survey of Student Engagement data and analysis completed during the first year that AC participated in the CCSSE process. Upon review, the team submitted The 2009 CCSSE and CCFSSE Report and provided insights gained from the CCSSE data to the President’s Cabinet and the Faculty Senate.

Complimenting CCSSE Team efforts, the 24-member Conversations on Student Success Team (Appendix B) reviewed the CCSSE data as well as additional institutional data while connecting its findings to research-based Best Practices focused on creating and enhancing Student Success.

As part of the Conversations Team efforts, the group also elected to hold student focus groups in order to look beyond the numbers. Insights gained from the focus groups greatly assisted in putting a “face” to the “numbers.” All Conversations minutes are available online.

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In May 2010, the CCSSE Analysis Team and the Conversations Team united to discuss their separate findings and reach a consensus regarding top priority areas for improving student success. Key areas identified as needing improvement to directly impact student learning and student success were Critical Thinking, Student Engagement, and Under-preparedness.

Upon presentation to and discussion of the topic areas with the President’s Cabinet, it was determined that addressing the issue of Under-preparedness took precedence over the other two areas of concern as the institution must assist students in their transitions into higher education before it can effectively address the additional two topic areas.

To further focus the QEP efforts, a 14-member QEP Team (Appendix C), consisting of members from both the CCSSE Analysis Team and Conversations on Student Success Team as well as additional members who provided needed expertise to finalize the QEP planning and marketing, was identified and charged to continue the work of the original two teams for the final phase of the planning process.

With the introduction of the QEP Team, Dr. Paul Matney, Amarillo College president, released the following statement to the AC community: Our QEP will provide AC a plan for enhancing student learning and improving student success. The plan will belong to the College, and as such, all members of the College community will be welcome to provide input throughout the QEP developmental process. Opportunities over the next two years will encourage participation and solicit feedback from throughout the entire College — truly an opportunity for all of us to make a difference in the lives of our students. . . .The charge of the QEP team is to create a carefully designed plan of action to enhance student learning. (Dr. Paul Matney, personal communication, Sept. 22, 2010) Throughout the QEP developmental process, progress reports were presented and input was actively solicited from the Board of Regents, President’s Cabinet, Faculty Senate, Dean’s Council, and Administrators Association (Table 1.1).

Table 1.1

Progress Reports

Organization and Membership

Presentation Dates

Archives of Meeting Minutes

Amarillo College Board of Regents

May 25, 2010 June 28, 2011 Sept. 27, 2011 Aug. 23, 2011

http://www.actx.edu/archives/index. php?module=article&id=27

President’s Cabinet

July 6, 2010 July 19, 2011 Nov. 1, 2011

http://www.actx.edu/archives/index. php?module=article&id=28

No Excuses! (Achieving the Dream) Core Team

Jan. 10, 2012 Feb. 6, 2012 May 7, 2012

http://www.actx.edu/archives/index. php?module=article&id=103

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Dean’s Council

Sept. 7, 2011 Mar. 21, 2012 May 2, 2012

http://www.actx.edu/archives/index. php?module=article&id=75

Faculty Senate

April 9, 2010 Oct. 7, 2011

http://www.actx.edu/archives/index. php?module=article&id=45

Administrators Association

July 11, 2012

http://www.actx.edu/cr/index.php? module=article&id=88

Classified Employees Council

April 11, 2012

Presentation at Classified Development Committee’s Spring Extravaganza.

No minutes are available.

Additional presentations were made to various groups on campus, including academic and student affairs professionals, advisers, instructional leadership, administrators, and classified employees, through departmental meetings. Feedback was also actively solicited through student focus groups, students enrolled in the pilot First-Year Seminar courses, and instructors who taught the pilot FYS courses. Coordination of institutional priority initiatives, including the QEP initiative, were managed through the No Excuses! / Achieving the Dream (AtD) Core Team.

Focus of the Quality Enhancement Plan: No Excuses! First-Year Seminar Following 22 months of investigation, discussion and analysis, the QEP team officially selected the First-Year Seminar as the key initiative for improving the college readiness of Amarillo College students (QEP minutes, 6/23/11). As the primary method for engaging entering students, the FYS is designed to ease the transition to college by supporting students’ academic, social and emotional development. As a recognized Promising Practice, a strategically focused FYS allows the institution to direct limited resources on a strategy that is likely to have the best positive impact on the largest possible number of students (Hamilton, 2012).

The newly designed College FYS curriculum is strategically written to connect students to personnel, courses, programs and services across the campus. Strategies and insights gained from the course should ensure each student will: • be an active, engaged member of the College community, meeting expectations and requirements of the College; • maximize personal strengths to ensure success in future courses; • be proactive in beginning and completing assignments and projects; • apply specific techniques to ensure personal success in classes (i.e. Cornell note taking, study skills, peer student groups, research skills, communication skills, etc.); • assume responsibility for personal development as a learner; and • connect with appropriate personnel for additional assistance.

In compliance with Core Requirement 2.12 and Comprehensive Standard 3.2.2, as established by the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the identified initiative and evolving FYS curriculum seeks to enhance student learning by not only encouraging the mastery of specific learning outcomes but also by positively impacting the environment which supports student learning. In addition, the College has sought to ensure broad-

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based involvement of all stakeholders by engaging multiple committees and individuals in the QEP developmental process over a three-year period, 2009-2012. The successful transition from the developmental phase of the QEP to the implementation phase of the plan will be ensured through the continued involvement of personnel and committees across stakeholder groups as well as through the newly established First-Year Experience (FYE) department.

In addition to fulfilling SACSCOC requirements, FYS curriculum personnel have ensured that Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) course-level requirements, as identified in the Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM), remain central to the FYS course, EDUC 1100/1200/1300 Learning Framework. The understanding and application of “scholarly models of the learning process” are central to mastery of the course curriculum which includes a study of the research and theory in the psychology of learning, cognition and motivation; factors that impact learning; and application of learning strategies (ACGM, p. 68).

QEP: Relationship to Institutional Goals Success-oriented educational institutions not only communicate their belief that all students can succeed, they also demonstrate their ongoing commitment to that belief through personnel who actively engage in the student success agenda (Brown & Rivas, 2011).

Committed to “enriching the lives of students and our community,” Goal 1 of the College’s Strategic Plan through 2015, Expand Student Success, articulates the College’s commitment to ensuring student success while identifying concrete strategies, tasks and dedicated leaders for the attainment of the goal. Specifically, tasks 1.1.1.6 and 1.1.1.7 encourage the development of FYE initiatives directed at improving retention and completion goals.

As an additional support for accomplishing Strategic Plan goals, Amarillo College became an Achieving the Dream institution (AtD) in Fall 2011 as well as a partner in the No Excuses!

University (NEU) network in January 2012. While NEU provides guidance for developing the Six Exceptional Systems upon which a cycle of continuous improvement may be institutionalized, guidance and expertise from Achieving the Dream coaches and staff will support the College as it develops and implements research-based policies and practices focused on building a culture of evidence, using data to identify problems, setting priorities, and measuring student-success progress. As the first No Excuses! College in the nation, AC has embraced the five AtD goals as No Excuses! institutional goals for focusing educational efforts: 1) Successfully complete developmental courses and advance to credit bearing courses; 2) Successfully complete initial college-level or gateway courses; 3) Complete courses with a grade of C or better; 4) Persist from one term to the next; and 5) Earn a certificate, degree, or reverse transfer.

Nine First-Year Seminar learning objectives, identified using institutional data and Best Practices literature, are directly tied to both the Strategic Plan and No Excuses! institutional goals. Table 1.2 illustrates the connection between Strategic Plan Goal 1, the five No Excuses! goals, FYS Learning Objectives, and anticipated FYS Learning Outcomes. FYS objectives and measurable learning outcomes will be explored in greater depth in Chapters II and V.

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Expand Student Success

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5 Attainment of Credentials

Persistence from Term-to-Term and Year-to-Year

Completion of Attempted Courses with a C or Better

Successful Completion of Gateway Courses

Completion of Developmental Courses and Progression to Credit Bearing Courses

No Excuses! Goals

(Achieving the Dream Goals)

Develop an integrated educational and career pathway.

Demonstrate creative and critical thinking skills.

Demonstrate information literacy skills.

Student will create a comprehensive Educational Plan which includes the identification of short- and long-term goals.

Student will design a Career Project, including a MyPlan self-assessment, an annotated bibliography, and a job shadow/interview.

Student will effectively utilize technology.

Student will demonstrate effective research skills.

Student will demonstrate an understanding of basic finances.

Student will identify and apply effective study skills and techniques which match personal learning style.

Demonstrate effective study skills.

Manage your money.

Student will present the Career Project to the class.

Student will explain the value of community experiences through written communication.

Student will create a comprehensive Educational Plan which includes the identification of short- and longterm goals.

Student will demonstrate growth in academic and financial strategies to take charge of his/her life.

Student will demonstrate growth in self-awareness.

EDUC 1300 FYS - Learning Frameworks Course Outcomes

Communicate effectively using a variety of formats.

Identify and interact within your communities.

Take charge of your life.

Increase self-awareness.

EDUC 1300 FYS Learning Objectives

Amarillo College - enriching the lives of our students and our community.

Alignment of Institutional Goals with QEP Learning Outcomes

Strategic Plan Goal 1

Table 1.2

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Chapter II Focus

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Focus

Amarillo College Students “One of the greatest challenges to student success in community colleges is the significant proportion of entering students – more than 6 in 10 – who arrive at the institution’s doors underprepared for college-level work” (McClenney, 2011, p. 20; Brown & Rivas, 2011; Wiley, Wyatt & Camara, 2010). As the QEP Team sought to fully define “under-prepared” AC students and match existing needs with potential Best Practices in higher education, the team found it necessary to access multiple data sets and utilize additional methodologies to clarify findings.

Developmental Education. By the most rigid of standards as assessed by college placement tests, Amarillo College students are significantly under-prepared for college-level work as 82% of entering students require some form of remediated coursework prior to entering college-level courses (Achieving the Dream Data Template Findings, 2011).

When looking more deeply into AC student persistence through specific, developmental education courses, the persistence rate is directly tied to the degree of remediation required as identified in Completion of Developmental Courses and Progression to Credit Bearing Courses (Table 2.1).

Table 2.1

Percent of Students Who Successfully Completed College-Level Courses, 2006

Started at College-Level Started One Course Below College-Level Started Two Courses Below College-Level Started Three Courses Below College-Level

Math

Writing

Reading

75% (N=346) 44% (N=84) 18% (N=57) 15% (N=58)

75% (N=648) 40% (N=89) 25% (N=8)

76% (N=911) 39% (N=80) 20% (N=20) 18% (N=11)

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2011

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Retention Rates. When longitudinal data of the entire student population is examined, both persistence and completion rates reflect the lack of preparedness identified by both CCSSE and Conversations teams and validated by the QEP Team. While the Fall to the immediate Spring retention rate was 70.8%, the Fall to the Second Spring retention rate for the same 2009 cohort group measured 39.1% (Table 2.2).

Retention Rate, 2009

Table 2.2

Retention

Retention

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Fall to Spring

Fall to Fall

Fall to Second Spring

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2011

For the QEP Team, persistence rates across ethnic, age and gender groups reveals a significant, consistently downward trend, similar enough to support a holistic assessment of student learning and retention issues rather than a singular, sub-population focus (Table 2.3).

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Table 2.3

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Retention Rate by Cohort Group, 2009 Fall-to-Spring

Fall-to-Fall

Fall-to-Second Spring

White

69.9% (N=932 out of 1333)

48.2% (N=642 out of 1333)

39% (N=520 out of 1333)

Hispanic

75.5% (N=542 out of 718)

52.8% (N=379 out of 718)

43.7% (N=314 out of 718)

Black

60.7% (N=108 out of 178)

29.8% (N=53 out of 178)

27.5% (N=49 out of 178)

Asian/Pacific Islander

69.4% (N=34 out of 49)

59.2% (N=29 out of 49)

46.9% (N=23 out of 49)

Native American

86.7% (N=13 out of 15)

* (fewer than 5 cases)

*

Non-reported

59.6% (N=28 out of 47)

19.1% (N=9 out of 47)

14.9% (N=7 out of 47)

Less than 20

74.5% (N=906 out of 1216)

54.1% (N=658 out of 1216)

45.6% (N=554 out of 1216)

20-24

60.3% (N=331 out of 549)

38.3% (N=210 out of 549)

27.3% (N=150 out of 549)

25 or older

73.0% (N=420 out of 575)

43.1% (N=248 out of 575)

36.9% (N=212 out of 575)

Female

73.4% (N=906 out of 1235)

50.9% (N=629 out of 1235)

41.9% (N=518 out of 1235)

Male

68.0% (N=751 out of 1105)

44.1% (N=487 out of 1105)

36.0% (N=398 out of 1105)

Ethnic Group

Age

Gender

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2011

Most telling with regard to persistence is the 12.7%, 3-year graduation and 12.5%, 3-year transfer rates recorded for the 2008 cohort (Persistence from Term to Term and Year to Year, 2011).

Focus Groups. In an effort to fully identify and define the factors contributing to the underpreparedness and potential withdrawal of AC students, the QEP Team conducted student focus groups on campus as well as interviewed local independent school district administrators regarding college preparedness. During this time, the team also began to research college preparedness in terms of “college readiness� as reflected in current literature.

Four student focus groups, conducted during April 2011, revealed that academic obstacles were simply one piece of the college readiness puzzle. Overwhelmingly, all four student groups, representative of the general student population at AC, identified similar obstacles to success (Table 2.4).

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Student Focus Group, April 2011

Table 2.4

Student Focus Group (April 2011)

Student Focus Group Demographics

11,616

56

White

58% (N=6,699)

48% (N=27)

Hispanic

32% (N=3,708)

34% (N=19)

Black

5% (N=567)

13% (N=7)

Asian

3% (N=304)

2% (N=1)

American Indian

1% (N=145)

0% (N=0)

Other

2% (N=193)

3% (N=2)

Population (N)

Describe a life challenge that had the potential to negatively affect your college goals and explain how you overcame it. (could provide multiple answers; N=163) 48% (N=78)

personal (divorce, death of loved one, abusive relationship, foster care, homelessness, single-parent home, kicked out of home, etc.)

16% (N=26)

financial

14% (N=23)

educational (GED, high school dropout, testing, poor academic performance, etc.)

9% (N=15)

family obligations (childcare, etc.)

7% (N=11)

motivation / transition from home schooling

5% (N=8)

sickness Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, Quality Enhancement Plan Team, 2011

Interestingly, while the traditional definition of college readiness is associated with high school transcript analysis and/or performance on college placement tests (Conley, 2007; Mellow & Heelan, 2008), information gained through AC student focus groups ranked academic performance as third in a list of self-identified obstacles to completing educational goals.

Personal and financial issues were viewed by students as greater challenges to future success – in contrast to traditional definitions which infer that the greatest barrier to college readiness is lack of content knowledge as assessed on transcripts and through traditional placement tests.

Focus group findings reflect what the literature had revealed to the QEP Team. Factors having the greatest effect on student success include not only the level of student preparation for college-level work but also adequacy of personal financial resources, level of student commitment to earning a degree, student family responsibilities, level of job demands on students, student personal coping skills, level of certainty about career goals, level of emotional support from family, friends and significant others, and student first-generation status (Habley, 2011; Mellow & Heelan, 2008).

When administrators from Amarillo and Canyon Independent School Districts met with the QEP Team, they assisted the team in completing the college readiness puzzle. During the meeting with school district personnel, AC learned of the increasing poverty afflicting Amarillo area students as well as the districts efforts to assist students in overcoming obstacles.

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Specifically, the team learned of the No Excuses! University initiative and the Poverty Coaching Institute (QEP minutes). Over the next few months, increasing knowledge of the No Excuses!

University movement, training through the Poverty Coaching Institute, and internal efforts to become an Achieving the Dream institute would further expand the Team’s understanding of the students served by AC. Per the latest College data, 54.4% of AC students received Pell awards, indicating that 1 in every 2 students enrolled at AC lives at or below the poverty line (Achieving the Dream Data Template Findings, 2011).

Defining the QEP Cohort Group Following review of the associated data sets and analysis of qualitative data findings, the QEP Team determined that the primary focus of QEP efforts, designed to improve college readiness and enhance student learning, should be directed toward First-Time-in-College (FTIC) students.

In conjunction with AC’s role as an Achieving the Dream institution, class of 2011, the FYS cohort will mirror the AtD, First-Time-at-Amarillo-College (FTAC) cohort which includes students who are entering college for the first time and who are degree-seeking, including any transfer student.

Exclusions to the FYS/FTAC cohort group will include any entering student who enrolls for purposes of furthering his/her career, has no plans to graduate or transfer, etc. The Office of Institutional Research will ensure that all entering students are coded correctly according to selfidentified educational goals.

Unique to the FYS cohort will be the recognition of the college preparedness of transfer students who have already successfully earned 24 or more semester credit hours (SCH). Consequently, with the exception of general studies majors, transfer students who enroll at AC with 24 or more earned SCH will be exempt from enrolling in the FYS beginning in Fall 2014.

Implementation Year 1. As a part of the initial, pilot implementation of the FYS, the cohort group which the FYS will serve for 2012-2013 will be defined as all FTAC students who are general studies (GEN AS) majors. General studies majors were selected as the initial cohort in response to the revision to the general studies curriculum effective Fall 2012 (Curriculum Committee minutes, Feb. 2, 2012).

Implementation Year 2. As part of the scaling of this project, the cohort group which the FYS will serve for 2013-2014 will be defined as all FTAC students who are GEN AS majors and/or students who require two or more developmental education classes. Testing and Remediation Committee leadership intend to revise the Developmental Education Plan to include the FYS as a requirement for students who test into two or more developmental courses. It is anticipated that any student who tests into the lowest level of reading will be required to pass the RDNG 0301 – Basic Reading Skills course prior to enrolling in the FYS. Implementation Year 3, 4 and 5. In conjunction with the implementation of the new Texas 42-hour core curriculum in Fall of 2014, the FYS cohort group will expand to include all FTAC degree and certificate majors. Any student who has earned 24 or more credit hours and requires no remediation may be exempt from having to enroll in the FYS, allowing any advanced FTAC student to substitute a different course upon recommendation by an adviser. This expanded FTAC cohort group will be served during implementation years 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017.

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Understanding College Readiness “Learners need to be able to cope with and live in the real and internationally connected world, and at the same time, understand their role in transforming it” (Mellow & Heelan, 2008, p. 101; Taylor, 2010). Depending upon the source, estimates indicate that between 63 and 80 percent of new jobs will require some form of postsecondary education (Boggs, 2011; Brown & Rivas, 2011). Assisting AC students in becoming college ready so that they may acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to overcome personal and academic obstacles in order to create a lifetime of opportunity and success quickly became the focus for the QEP Team.

Institutional quantitative and qualitative data collections both indicated that improving college readiness would not only improve student learning but also prepare students for future success.

Operationally, David Conley (2007) defines college readiness “as the level of preparation a student needs to enroll and succeed – without remediation – in a credit-bearing general education course at a postsecondary institution that offers a baccalaureate degree or transfer to a baccalaureate program” (p. 1). However, to remain committed to the operational definition would limit the measurement of college readiness to transcript analysis and college placement tests.

Historical evidence as well as identified Best Practices research has indicated that a more robust definition of college readiness must be developed to embrace not only the intellectual demands of the college experience but also the behavioral and attitudinal traits of successful college students.

Reflective of this new understanding, Conley (2007, 2008) created a functional definition which recognizes that students who are prepared to succeed in college exhibit some degree of mastery in the following four distinct dimensions of College Readiness: 1) cognitive strategies; 2) content knowledge; 3) academic behaviors; and 4) contextual skills and awareness (Table 2.5).

Table 2.5

Dimensions of College Readiness

Source: Conley, 2007

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Conley’s (2007) functional definition connects the four dimensions of student preparedness that may be directly impacted by educators as they assist students in developing knowledge and skills that will assist them in being successful in college. As the author notes, the dimensions are interconnected and may overlap. For example, poor study habits (academic behaviors) directly affect the acquisition of content knowledge.

Key Cognitive Strategies may be defined as those patterns of intellectual behavior that lead to the development of mental processes and capabilities necessary for college-level work, including intellectual openness; inquisitiveness; analysis; reasoning, argumentation, proof; interpretation; and problem solving (Conley, 2007). The author recommends that these strategies must be developed over time so that they become ingrained behaviors or habitual ways of pursuing academic studies.

Often measured through transcript analysis and college placement tests, Content Knowledge is defined as those general areas in which students need strong foundational knowledge in academic disciplines, including the over-arching academic skills of writing and research (Conley, 2007).

Academic Behaviors are those self-selected behaviors, independent of any academic discipline, that reflect greater self-awareness, self-monitoring, and self-control on the part of the student (Conley, 2007). Self-monitoring and study skills in this dimension may encompass time management skills, communication skills, prioritizing responsibilities, and balancing personal life with college expectations.

The dimension of Contextual Skills and Awareness has grown increasingly important as student diversity on college campuses has increased (Conley, 2007). Essentially, successful students exhibit an understanding of how the college operates as a system and a culture, including an awareness of the norms, values and conventions of interaction on campus. In this dimension, students demonstrate the interpersonal and social skills necessary to interact successfully within the college environment.

Students who possess sufficient mastery of Key Cognitive Strategies, Content Knowledge, Academic Behaviors, and Contextual Skills and Awareness would be defined as being collegeready. “The more elements of the definition a student has mastered, the greater the likelihood that the student will succeed in general education entry-level courses� (Conley, 2007, p. 19).

Unfortunately, a single test to assess for sufficient mastery in these domains does not exist.

While no one would debate the central role that Cognitive Strategies and Content Knowledge must assume in the educational arena, it is intriguing that AC students recognize the essential role that knowledge and skills obtained within the dimensions of Academic Behaviors and Contextual Skills and Awareness play in enhancing learning and successfully navigating and completing college (Table 2.6).

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Table 2.6

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Student Focus Group, April 2011

Knowing what you know now, what would you tell others to do to help them prepare for college? (could provide multiple answers; N=70) 34% (N=24)

self-management skills (be ready; don’t give up on yourself; find help, tutoring, labs)

26% (N=18)

ask questions

19% (N=13)

go to class

7% (N=5)

communicate with professors

4% (N=3)

study

4% (N=3)

take student success class Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, Quality Enhancement Plan Team, 2011

Brown and Rivas (2011) concur with Conley’s and the AC students’ assessment of the demands placed upon students: students who have gaps in knowledge, information and skills necessary to understand and address the academic and procedural demands of college are unprepared for higher education and, subsequently, are more susceptible to dropping or stopping out.

“For underprepared community college students, the important challenges include moving from being undecided to choosing a program or major; assessing and responding to the need for skill development essential to college and career success; managing family, work, and other responsibilities; and facing the day-today psychological challenges associated with beliefs and expectations related to becoming confident, competent, committed, and successful students” (Brown & Rivas, 2011, p. 58).

The Role of Student Engagement The validity of Conley’s approach to College Readiness is underscored by student engagement research. Active student interaction with other individuals as well as with the subject matter increases student learning and persistence (Brown & Rivas, 2011; Mellow & Heelan, 2008; McClenney, 2011).

Student engagement has two components: 1) the amount of time and effort students put into their studies and other related activities; and 2) the way the institution allocates resources and organizes learning opportunities and services to induce students to participate in and benefit from such activities (Kuh et. al, 2005). According to Kay McClenney, student engagement doesn’t happen by accident; it happens by design (Brown & Rivas, 2011).

Confirming the role of student engagement in accomplishing college goals, 67% of AC students identified interpersonal relationships developed during educational activities as the most important experience which positively impacted their success in college (Table 2.7).

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Table 2.7

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Student Focus Group, April 2011

Describe an AC or college experience which positively impacted your success in college. (provided multiple answers; N=168) 52% (N=67)

faculty-student relationship

15% (N=26)

peer engagement

13% (N=21)

student club

10% (N=16)

tutoring

7% (N=12)

classroom experience Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, Quality Enhancement Plan Team, 2011

Analyzing 50 years of research, the foundational work of Chickering and Gamson (1987) identified seven engagement factors which educators successfully utilize to increase student learning and success: 1) student-faculty contact; 2) cooperation among students; 3) active learning; 4) prompt feedback; 5) time on task; 6) high expectations; and 7) respect for diverse talent and ways of thinking. Clearly, the work of Chickering and Gamson underscores the centric role which student engagement plays in developing and enhancing college readiness knowledge and skills.

Kuh et. al (2005) acknowledges that effective colleges – “those that add value” – channel students’ energies toward appropriate activities and engage them at a high level in those activities. “The time and energy students devote to educationally purposeful activities is the single best predictor of their learning and personal development” (p. 197).

Researchers also agree that student learning is enhanced in educational environments that are not only inclusive and affirming to students but also transparent with regard to the communication of student performance expectations (Education Commission of the States, 1995; Kuh et. al, 2005; Pascarella, 2001).

Identifying an Initiative to Improve College Readiness What happens to students after they enter college is more critical than pre-college attributes in determining whether students will persist or leave before achieving their goals (Brown & Rivas, 2011; Tinto, 2009).

Interventions which research indicates make the greatest contribution to retention include: mandated placement of students in courses based on test scores, tutoring, remedial or developmental coursework, comprehensive learning assistance center or lab, academic advising center, early warning system, first-year seminar, summer orientation, and training for facultyacademic advisors (Habley, 2011). In its quest to identify an initiative which could have a dramatic and positive impact on the college readiness of AC students while acknowledging existing efforts to improve student success, the QEP Team researched multiple strategies for enhancing student engagement and improving student learning, including transitional advising, tutoring, new student orientation, learning communities, and supplemental instruction (QEP minutes).

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The First-Year Seminar (FYS) quickly garnered the attention of the team as the FYS embraced the acquisition of knowledge and skills across multiple dimensions of college readiness: Key Cognitive Strategies, Academic Behaviors, and Contextual Skills and Awareness (Conley, 2007). The intent of the FYS would be to provide a set of knowledge and skills which would transfer to other courses as students sought to master Key Content Knowledge.

In addition to teaching college readiness skills, a well-designed and implemented FYS integrates key services and experiences into the course while connecting students to additional college resources which include tutoring, advising, and financial aid (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2012; McClenney, 2011; Padgett & Keup, 2011). Such a bold initiative has the potential to positively affect all entering students during the first semester of college by teaching knowledge and skills which may be applied not only in the FYS but also across courses, semesters and careers.

According to Padgett and Keup (2011), a first-year seminar is “…a course intended to enhance the academic and/or social integration of first-year students by introducing them (a) to a variety of specific topics, which vary by seminar type; (b) to essential skills for college success; and (c) to selected processes, the most common of which is the creation of a peer support group” (p. 2).

Researchers agree that participation in a FYS has statistically significant and substantially positive effects on a student’s successful transition into college while also increasing the likelihood of persistence (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2012; Hamilton, 2012; McClenney, 2011; Padgett & Keup, 2011; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005).

While not conversant on the research literature, AC students identified not only actions which are necessary for a successful college experience but also recommended the development of a program which would teach incoming students the necessary behaviors which would ensure success through college (Table 2.8).

Table 2.8

Student Focus Group, April 2011

Describe your own actions which positively influenced your classroom performance. (could provide multiple answers; N=121) 24% (N=29)

attended class

19% (N=23)

studied for class

12% (N=15)

managed time / prioritized responsibilities

12% (N=14)

maintained positive attitude

11% (N=13)

engaged in class (asked questions, joined discussions, completed assignments)

8% (N=10)

sought tutoring

7% (N=8)

interacted with peers outside of class

3% (N=4)

interacted with faculty outside of class

4% (N=5)

other

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How could AC assist all students in developing those actions/behaviors which ensure success?

(N=54) 24% (N=13)

high school on-campus visits / tours of campus (including rural areas)

17% (N=9)

new student orientation while in high school

15% (N=8)

show consequences of not succeeding

11% (N=6)

provide programs/examples to teach those traits

11% (N=6)

provide more knowledge about financial aid while in high school

7% (N=4)

make students complete New Student Orientation

6% (N=3)

internal motivation; can’t be taught

9% (N=5)

other: mid-semester motivation activity; more tutoring; help to develop peer relationships; etc.

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, Quality Enhancement Plan Team, 2011

Identified as a Promising Practice for the community college, the FYS has been recognized as one of a handful of initiatives that result in better outcomes for students. Emerging longitudinal evidence from multiple institutions has demonstrated the FYS to be successful; and, as a Promising Practice, it allows the institution to focus limited resources on a strategy that is likely to have the best positive impact on the largest possible number of students (Hamilton, 2012).

Fain (2012) corroborates Hamilton’s claims, noting that a two-year college should invest in a student success course. The researcher notes that four years of data indicate that students who enrolled in the Academic Strategies course at Tulsa Community College are 20 percent more likely to remain enrolled at the college than students who don’t take the course; they also perform better in academic coursework. In addition, at Durham Technical Community College, students who take the course have shown a 30 percent increase in retention (Fain, 2012).

“Research indicates that students who complete these courses are more likely to complete other courses, earn better grades, have higher overall GPAs, and obtain degrees” (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2012, p. 17).

Creating the FYS Course and Curriculum Identifying the FYS type which would best serve the needs of incoming AC students became the focus of a sub-committee endorsed by the QEP Team, the FYS Pilot Faculty Team (Appendix D). Membership for this curriculum development team was solicited in Spring 2011 through department chairs and supervisors in an effort to broaden participation while ensuring representation across student demographic areas, from developmental to honors, as well as across disciplines, services, and campuses. In addition, the Team worked closely with Advising to transition the former Student Success course, STSU 1200, into a comprehensive, transfer-level FYS course, EDUC 1200 – Learning Framework.

Padgett and Keup (2011) identify six FYS types for instructional consideration and implementation: 1) Extended Orientation; 2) Academic with uniform content across sections; 3) Academic on various topics; 4) Pre-professional or discipline linked; 5) Basic study skills; and 6) Hybrid.

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According to researchers, an institution should design and implement a unique FYS which best serves its mission and academic purpose.

Building upon knowledge gained from student focus groups, the CCSSE Report, and institutional data, the FYS Pilot Faculty Team elected to build a unique FYS course which would be Academic with uniform content across sections, focused on enhancing college readiness via a hybrid format.

It is the intent of the team to build and refine the FYS curriculum throughout Implementation Years 1 and 2, creating a robust, academic transfer course worthy of placement in the core curriculum.

As Mellow and Heelan (2008) note, placement of a course in the community college general education curriculum provides learning opportunities which transform students as they question and explore “assumptions that they have acquired throughout their lives” (p. 107).

Upon scaling the course in Implementation Years 3, 4 and 5 to include all FTAC students, it is the QEP Team’s and FYS Pilot Faculty Team’s intent to further align the course to meet students’ college and career readiness needs. In addition to demonstrating mastery of the nine learning objectives embedded in the college readiness curriculum, students will be enrolled in a FYS section in alignment with the “Career Cluster” with which their majors are affiliated (Mellow & Heelan, 2008). All Amarillo College certificates and degrees have been grouped according to Career Cluster, allowing each cluster to develop a foundational set of knowledge and skills, a cluster core curriculum, which each major within the cluster must master in order to be successful in any chosen career within the cluster. Alignment of the FYS with Career Clusters will not only encourage faculty participation across disciplines and campuses but will also emphasize to students the need to integrate college readiness knowledge and skills with career aspirations.

In accordance with governance requirements from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), select Texas community colleges which have introduced a FYS into the curriculum, including Brazosport College (PSYC 1300) and Houston Community College (EDUC 1300), have adopted the EDUC/PSYC 1100/1200/1300 Learning Framework rubric from the Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM). Central learning objectives of the Learning Framework course are: 1) research and theory in the psychology of learning, cognition and motivation, 2) factors that impact learning, and 3) application of learning strategies (ACGM, 2012). In recognition and adherence to the THECB requirements, the FYS Pilot Faculty Team was deliberate in its efforts to meet the expectations of its governing body, ensuring the transferability of the course.

As Padgett and Keup (2011) note, course objectives, not the seminar type, most clearly reflect the strategic academic and social skills which institutions expect their students to master.

Guiding the faculty discussions was the dual awareness of the need to instill college readiness knowledge and skills in each student as well as the need to empower the student to become a lifelong learner focused on creating a lifetime of opportunities and success. “The best pedagogy provides a basis for the learner to develop a perspective on not only what one should learn, but also how they learn it, because self-awareness of the intellectual process of continuous learning is ever more imperative in a complex and networked world” (Mellow & Heelan, 2008, p. 102).

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In a survey of institutions which offered the FYS, Padgett and Keup (2011) discovered the following course objectives were common to community college courses (p. 22): 1) orient the student to various campus resources and services – 66.4% 2) develop academic skills – 57.0% 3) connect with the institution – 51.5% 4) self-exploration/personal development – 37.0% 5) create common FYE – 14.9% (tie) 6) develop support network/friendships – 14.9% (tie) 7) improve retention to sophomore year – 11.9% 8) develop writing skills – 6.4% 9) increase student/faculty interaction – 6.0% 10) other – 5.5% 11) develop financial literacy – 3.0% 12) introduce a discipline – 2.1% With an awareness of current FYS efforts on other campuses, Career Cluster possibilities, and THECB requirements, the FYS Pilot Faculty Team identified nine learning objectives which best served the needs of AC’s students as determined through a review of literature and AC data (Table 2.9).

Table 2.9

EDUC Learning Objectives

1.

Increase self-awareness.

2.

Take charge of your life.

3.

Identify and interact within your communities.

4.

Demonstrate information literacy skills.

5.

Manage your money.

6.

Demonstrate effective study skills.

7.

Demonstrate creative and critical thinking skills.

8.

Communicate effectively using a variety of formats.

9.

Develop an integrated educational and career pathway.

As a potential unifying agent for creating connections across multiple programs and initiatives which support the transition and success of first-year students, the faculty team was also aware of the necessity of identifying key opportunities within the course for integrating additional personnel and services into the curriculum (Padgett & Keup, 2011).

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Instruction and Pedagogy “The single most important variable in the academic success of community college students is faculty expertise in teaching and learning. When this is coupled, as it is so often with community college faculty, with a sincere enthusiasm for making a difference in students’ lives, the transformative capability of education is realized.

This is most powerful when an institution creates a culture, reward system, and administrative infrastructure to nurture and celebrate good teaching. (Mellow & Heelan, 2008, p. 199; Padgett & Keup, 2011) During Summer 2011, the FYS Pilot Faculty Team designed the syllabus for EDUC 1200 Learning Framework – FYS (Appendix E) and wrote the FYS curriculum. Piloted through 15 course sections during Fall 2011, EDUC 1200 was designed to be delivered in a standardized, hybrid format through the Angel Learning Management System. Students met once weekly with their instructors with the remaining required work completed through the online format. In addition to guiding students as they become proficient users of 21st century technology, the utilization of the hybrid format further engages FTAC students with their instructors, peers and coursework, both in and out of the classroom, increasing the amount of time on task, allowing students opportunities to practice concepts, and increasing long-term memory storage of key course concepts (Kuh et. al, 2005; Echo360, 2012).

Central to the course are: 1) Enrichment Activities designed to increase student engagement; 2) an Educational Plan designed to encourage short- and long-term goal-setting in connection with the creation of an integrated college and career pathway; 3) learning theories and practical applications to assist each individual in developing his/her personal learning strategies and style; and 4) a Career Project designed to introduce each student to his/her anticipated career field, further connecting the educational experience with future goals. For Fall 2011, enrollment limitations in the pilot sections allowed for only one section, section 020, to be designated by Career Cluster (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics - STEM). All other sections were either General Studies majors or a mixture of majors.

FYS faculty met during the Fall semester to compare notes, discuss upcoming lessons, and make recommendations for curricular revisions. As Padgett and Keup (2011) explain “…simple participation in a first-year seminar does not necessarily guarantee successful transitions or growth across measurable learning outcomes. Rather, it is the pedagogical practices and incorporation of vetted good practices within the seminar that facilitate students development” (p.

65). In addition to detailed attention to effective, online curriculum development, faculty engaged in professional development to learn Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) inquirybased instructional strategies which could be employed to enhance curriculum delivery in the classroom while further encouraging students to assume responsibility for their own learning (Custer, Donohue, Friou, Hall, Hiatt, Kroesch, Krohn, Malik, Muhammad, Quijano & Valdez, 2011).

Fall 2011 FYS instructor recommendations for improving the curriculum and delivery included: 1) increase the course from a 2-hour section to a 3-hour section to accommodate the robust course materials and required assignments; and 2) eliminate an outside textbook which is less personalized and redundant to the AC-specific materials. Accolades for the curriculum have

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focused on the development of a customized, online curriculum specific to AC student needs and the ongoing faculty collaboration in developing, implementing, assessing and revising the course.

Course pass rates (Table 2.10) and retention rates (Table 2.11) from the Fall 2011 pilot sections provide insight into the variations of student success across sections, emphasizing the need to develop specific FYS instructor training while establishing standardized assessments for the curriculum (to be discussed in Chapter V). While two sections of the FYS course were offered during Spring 2012, enrollment numbers were too low to provide accurate, verifiable data for comparison purposes.

Course Pass Rates, Pilot Fall 2011

Table 2.10

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

% Pass (A-C)

84% 62%

69%

62%

56%

68%

60 %

50% 40%

31%

48 % 38%

26%

44 %

24%

001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 011 012 013 014 016 020 Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2012

Course Retention Rates, Pilot Fall 2011

Table 2.11

Course Section 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 011 012 013 014 016 020

Retained 9 14 11 14 15 12 4 11 14 15 12 14 20 14 19

Above/Below Mean*

Not-Retained 69.2% 77.8% 84.6% 73.7% 71.4% 63.2% 66.7% 84.6% 70.0% 78.9% 57.1% 66.7% 80.0% 77.8% 76.0%

9 14 11 14 15 12 4 11 14 15 12 14 20 14 19

69.2% 77.8% 84.6% 73.7% 71.4% 63.2% 66.7% 84.6% 70.0% 78.9% 57.1% 66.7% 80.0% 77.8% 76.0%

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2012

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Below Above Above Above Below Below Below Above Below Above Below Below Above Above Above

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For Spring 2012, the FYS Faculty Pilot Team focused its efforts on developing a FYS Student Handbook to compliment the course, clarifying faculty qualifications and identifying AC faculty/staff eligible to teach the course, and developing a 4-day FYS Instructor Certification Workshop for all SACSCOC-qualified faculty/staff for implementation in Summer 2012.

FYS Instructor Certification Workshop College plans to conduct annual 4-day workshops for qualifying instructors align with Padgett and Keup’s (2011) findings that workshops and professional development activities were one of the most common forms of faculty training prior to teaching a First-Year Seminar. Due to the large numbers of AC students who will be required to enroll in the course beginning in Fall 2014, advanced efforts must be made to ensure that the First-Year Experience (FYE) Department can access the necessary number of instructors required for the successful implementation of the course. A focused, robust FYS Instructor Certification Workshop will ensure that all instructors have the necessary curricular knowledge and pedagogical foundation to successfully facilitate the course (Appendix F). In addition, a FYS Instructor’s Manual, reflective of the unique FYS course contents and AC student data, provides instructors with necessary guidance and materials for teaching the course. Portions of the manual have been adapted with permission from the University of South Carolina Instructor Resource Manual.

In response to the Fall 2011 FYS data findings and in acknowledgement of governing body requirements, the FYS Pilot Faculty Team, with the endorsement of the College President and Vice President of Academic Affairs, invited approximately 60 instructors who fulfill SACSCOC credentials for teaching a transfer level EDUC course to attend the first, pilot certification workshops conducted during Summer 2012. Designed to train instructors for delivery of the second set of pilot FYS courses beginning in Fall 2012, the workshop attracted 34 SACS-qualified faculty and staff from the Amarillo campuses, Hereford campus, Dumas campus, and dual credit high school campuses.

In addition to detailing the relationship between AC student needs, the FYS curriculum, student learning theory and student engagement, FYS instructor training emphasizes the necessity of collaboration across the College. While FYS faculty are responsible for selecting and implementing classroom learning strategies, managing the online content and interactions, and ensuring students master the learning outcomes of the FYS, each faculty member is also required to successfully collaborate with other faculty, academic affairs personnel and student affairs staff in the quest to ensure students are college ready.

Collaborations will generally take the form of, but are not limited to, “partner instructors” in which a guest speaker(s) from another area of the college or external resource will participate in a lesson for the purpose of advancing learning. For example, financial aid representatives may participate with the FYS instructor and students during a class period in which all participants engage in a game of “Family Feud” focused on improving students’ financial literacy skills. Table 2.12 illustrates the connection between course learning outcomes, faculty roles and instructional partner opportunities/responsibilities.

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Table 2.12

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FYS Collaborations

Student Learning Outcome

Learning Tool

Students will demonstrate growth in self-awareness.

VARK assessment MyPlan assessment

Roles/Responsibilities FYS Instructors will administer assessments through the curriculum.

Advisers and Career Center Representatives will collaborate to review results with each student. All personnel will assist each student in matching personal interests and abilities with study styles and career options.

Students will create a comprehensive Educational Plan which includes the identification of short- and long-term goals.

Educational Plan

FYS Instructors will administer assessments and introduce the Educational Plan. Advisers, Social Services Coordinator, and Financial Aid Representatives (through group and individual meetings) will assist students to understand personal strengths and challenges and to adjust for those traits on a short- and long-term Educational Plan of action.

Students will explain the value of community experiences through written communication.

Enrichment Activity worksheets

FYS Instructors will identify opportunities for students to engage in extracurricular or community events. The student will encounter and engage with a variety of people, including peers, College personnel, and Amarillo community members, in Enrichment Activities of his/ her choice, and report back on the value of the experience.

Students will demonstrate effective Career Project research skills utilizing technology.

Students will design a Career Project, including a MyPlan self-assessment, an annotated bibliography, and a job shadow/ interview.

FYS Instructors, Advisers, College Librarians and tutoring staff will assist students through the research, writing and creative process. Both individual and group meetings will be encouraged and scheduled.

FYS Instructors and Career Center Representatives will connect students with local professionals for completion and assessment of individual job shadows/interviews.

Students will present the Career Project to the class.

Career Project

FYS Instructors will provide guidance throughout the process, encouraging and directing each student to seek additional assistance and encouragement from necessary personnel and professionals.

Students will identify and apply effective study skills and techniques which match personal learning style.

MyPlan assessment

FYS Instructors will assist students in identifying personal learning strengths and challenges, ensuring students match personal strengths with effective learning strategies.

Students are more aware of financial resources and potential solutions to financial problems.

Educational Plan

FYS Instructors, Social Services Coordinator, and Financial Aid Representatives will assist students in understanding and applying basic financial strategies.

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Anticipated Enrollment EDUC 1200 Learning Framework – FYS was piloted in Fall 2011 through 15 course sections with a total enrollment of 264 students. During the initial pilot, the course was only required for Palo Duro High School’s Achievement through Commitment to Education (ACE) Scholarship recipients and students who were on suspension waiver for low grade point averages (GPA) during the preceding semester.

Preliminary feedback, pilot section data and Best Practices research indicate that the FYS initiative can be an effective tool for enhancing student learning as well as positively impacting the learning environment long-term. To that end, the QEP Team, AtD Core Team, and FYS Curriculum Team have focused their collective efforts on not only designing a pilot course but also on identifying the method by which the FYS may be expanded to more students across semesters and years. Manpower Development Corp (MDC, 2012) encourages institutions to initiate a pilot plan with the end in mind: “a pilot in which the organization considers the path and feasibility of expansion from the very beginning, and makes plans to develop the organizational sophistication necessary to scale up programming” (p. 5).

Appropriate planning, further detailed in Chapter III, indicates that the FYS has the potential to touch as many as 4,944 students by Fall-Spring 2016-2017 (Table 2.13). In addition, It is anticipated that participation in the FYS will have long-term, positive effects on student learning across semesters which cannot be measured by actual enrollment numbers alone.

Table 2.13

Total N

Anticipated Enrollment in FYS 2012-2013

2013-2014

2014-2015

2015-2016

2016-2017

237

1,997

4,484

4,708

4,944

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2012

With an awareness that “magnifying the impact of a successful program is more complicated than simply signing up more participants,” Chapter III details the scaling and implementation strategy which will allow AC to successfully deliver the FYS curriculum to an increasing number of students (MDC, 2012, p. 4).

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Chapter III

Capability

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Capability

“The effectiveness of any educational practice depends on its specific design and quality of implementation” (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2012, p. 7). A strategy is most likely to be effective if it has: 1) a strong start, focusing on the students’ first contacts and first weeks in college; 2) clear, coherent pathways, engaging students in a cohesive sequence of actions/behaviors; 3) integrated support, bringing support structures into the classroom thus creating a clear connection to learning; 4) high expectations and high support, 5) intensive student engagement – engagement must be “inescapable”; 6) design for scale, necessitating a long-term commitment of money and resources; and 7) professional development for everyone (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2012).

A Strong Start – Focusing on Success Over a three-year period, College personnel and stakeholders engaged in multiple opportunities designed to focus, define and develop the QEP for SACSCOC reaffirmation, as detailed in Chapter I. Refinement of the institutional initiative included AC’s decision to become an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Postsecondary Institution in 2011. As an AVID school, the College collaborates with the AVID College Readiness System (ACRS), an external partner, to provide professional development opportunities to personnel while aligning local efforts with AVID’s system of collecting and disseminating the latest research on student learning and success in a practitioner’s setting.

Integral to the AVID philosophy is the implementation of an AVID Seminar, a first-year seminar, which partners with extra-curricular and co-curricular services and activities to advance student success. While AC personnel had already determined the FYS would be the focus of the QEP, aligning institutional efforts with ACRS has provided instructors with additional tools for enhancing learning. AVID strategies, including Cornell Notes and Reading Techniques, were integrated into the unique AC FYS as the curriculum was piloted in Fall 2011 and Spring 2012. Emphasis on connecting with students during the first few weeks of college is demonstrated through the use of active learning techniques as well as by the introduction and completion of AC’s No Excuses! Commitment Pledge, modeled on the Student Pledge introduced through University101, University of South Carolina (Appendix G).

Clear, Coherent Pathways Tinto (1999) reminds educators that “the more students find value in their learning, the more they see it as connected to their interests, the likely they will become involved in learning and in turn learn more and persist more frequently” (p. 4). Course concepts and required weekly activities, designed to engage students in “relevant learning,” are detailed in the Course Calendar attached to the Course Syllabus (Appendix E). Specifically designed to engage students in a coherent sequence of learning activities and behaviors, key concepts are integrated throughout the course and require student engagement with personnel and peers across the College and community. In conjunction, desired student actions and behaviors increase in complexity as the semester progresses.

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No Excuses! Commitment Pledge. Due in Week 2 of the course, the No Excuses! Commitment Pledge is the starting point at which each student publicly commits to his/her educational journey and begins to build a social support network (Appendix G). Reflective of the high poverty rate of AC students as well as Best Practices research, FYS instructors challenge enrolled students to begin articulating their goals as early as the first week in the semester in order to build social capital in the College environment while learning to vocalize their own desires to supportive individuals. Required signatures on the pledge engage the student with crucial partners in the educational journey: a family member, an AC employee, a friend, and any additional supporter.

The identification of a personal support group early in the semester sets the stage for the development of a long-term, social support network which will benefit each student throughout the course and across semesters as he/she seeks to complete educational goals (Kuh et. al, 2005; Orr, Alcantara, Frazier, Kalinka & Kaplan, 2007; Tinto, 1999).

Enrichment Activities. Offered throughout the semester, Enrichment Activities are specifically designed to engage the student with the AC campus and College community. Research indicates that students who are engaged with their College on a social level develop a more personal connection to the College/personnel and are more likely to persist (Habley, 2011; Kuh et. al, 2005; Tinto, 1999). In order to complete the assignment, FYS students must attend or participate in three enrichment activities during the semester; reports on the selected activities are due in weeks 5, 9 and 14 of the semester. While not detailed in the Course Calendar, numerous enrichment activities are offered throughout the semester in order for students to select activities which best reflect their personal passions. Enrichment activities may include: participation in an intramural sport, participation in a campus club, attendance to a Common Reader event, etc. The FYS instructor will use his/her discretion in determining if an event on campus aligns with the desired learning outcomes of the course before offering the event as an enrichment activity.

Career Project. Comprised of four parts and accounting for 30 percent of the course grade, the Career Project is introduced in Week 5 of the course and revisited throughout the course.

Components of the Career Project include completion of the following items: 1) MyPlan, an assessment which helps students identify and connect personal strengths/ interests with potential careers, is due during Week 5 of the course. Coordinated through the Advising Department, MyPlan is administered online through the FYS curriculum.

Results from MyPlan are discussed in class as well as one-on-one with Advisers and Career Center representatives.

2) A Job Shadow and/or Interview with an area professional in a desired career field must be completed as part of the Career Project. Students begin the process of identifying a job shadow/interview location as early as Week 7, after they have completed MyPlan, discussed the assessment with an Adviser, and linked personal interests and abilities with a potential career. A written report on the Job Shadow/Interview is due in Week 15.

3) Career Research begins in conjunction with the Job Shadow/Interview process in Week 7. After completing MyPlan, students begin to research selected careers which align with personal interests and abilities with the purpose of fully identifying career options and the characteristics which define the chosen career, including required education, potential pay scale, desired employee traits, job responsibilities, and job outlook. An Annotated Bibliography, with no fewer than six references, is due during Week 12 of the course.

While Advising and Library staff provide necessary instruction in all FYS classes, students

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are encouraged to spend time with advisers, librarians and Writer’s Corner tutors during the production of this element of the project.

A Career Project Presentation which integrates information from MyPlan, the Job Shadow/Interview experience, and Career Research must be given to classmates during Week 16 of the course. The presentation not only allows each student to articulate findings with peers, it also allows each student to learn of additional careers which may be of interest. While the presentations will cover a wide scope of careers during the first two years of the FYS implementation with GEN AS majors, it is anticipated that the careers will be more narrowly defined when course sections are offered by Career Cluster in Fall 2014.

Instructional partners are crucial to the successful completion of the Career Project. Students are encouraged to work with not only faculty within their major discipline but also with staff in Advising, Lynn Library and Writers’ Corner to complete this project. The addition of an AC Career Center in Summer 2012 will greatly assist in the completion of this project, especially as the FYS is scaled to include more students (President’s Cabinet Minutes, Sept. 20, 2011).

Educational Plan. Formally introduced during Week 9, the Educational Pathway Plan segues off of the Career Project, requiring students to connect long-term career plans with realistic educational objectives and goals on a semester-by-semester timeframe. The worksheet, due during Week 11 of the course, is designed to be completed by the student with assistance from his/her assigned adviser prior to the beginning of registration for the next semester.

Additional key concepts integrated through the course include: identification of personal strengths/ challenges and alignment with community expectations; maximizing personal strengths to succeed in future courses and career; assuming responsibility for personal development as a learner; short- and long-term goal setting; developing crucial communication skills; developing a personal wellness plan; understanding and applying financial literacy skills; and College and community engagement.

Integrated Support “Incredible learning can result when faculty work together with student support staff to create a total focus on learning, knowing, and doing within the institution” (Mellow & Heelan, 2008).

Beginning in Summer 2011, the QEP Team and FYS Pilot Faculty Team focused their efforts on creating a viable FYS curriculum while building bridges with other institutional constituencies who also play a valuable role in enhancing student learning. Research clearly indicates that it is the interconnectedness of academics with key services on campus which ensure success for the whole student (Brown & Rivas 2011; Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2012; Gardner & Koch, 2011; Mellow & Hellan, 2008).

As detailed previously, implementation of the FYS requires collaboration across campuses: • faculty from all disciplines will be invited to participate as FYS instructors (following certification), bringing unique discipline knowledge to the career project; • advisers will work hand-in-hand with instructors and students on creating an integrated educational and career pathway; • financial aid staff will assist students in becoming financially literate;

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•

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Career Center personnel will assist with job shadows and internships; tutoring services will engage students who need extra assistance; volunteer mentors from all employee groups will partner with the most at-risk students to provide personal guidance and encouragement; and more roles are developing.

Support for the FYS goes beyond the classroom, however. In preparation for the implementation of the QEP, existing personnel appointments and committee assignments may be evolved to ensure the timely and effective implementation of the FYS initiative. Consideration for scaling of the project over a five-year period has also impacted the support structure for the organization.

Table 3.1 illustrates the anticipated areas which will engage with FYS implementation and responsible parties for ensuring success of the project.

Table 3.1

QEP Initiatives / Supporting Initiatives – Responsible Parties

QEP Initiative Initiative Components

Department

Personnel

FYS Course

First-Year Experience

Dr. Lana Jackson

FYS Instructor Training

First-Year Experience

Dr. Lana Jackson FYS Curriculum Team

FYS Support Staff Training

First-Year Experience

Dr. Lana Jackson FYE Advisory Committee

FYS Curriculum

First-Year Experience

FYS Curriculum Team

Support Services for the QEP Initiative Advising

Academic Advising

Jason Norman

New Student Orientation

Student Affairs

April Sessler

Tutoring

Student Affairs

April Sessler

Career Center

Student Affairs

Renee Burnman

Mentoring

Special Projects

April Sessler

Retention Alert

Student Affairs

Robert Austin

Institutional Research

Planning and Advancement

Kara Larkan-Skinner

Social Services

Student Affairs

Trudy Banner

While Support Services for the QEP Initiative are detailed in Table 3.1 for purposes of illuminating the FYS connections across the campus, they are not central to the SACS QEP initiative.

High Expectations and High Support Identified as one of five No Excuses! institutional initiatives, the FYS has great support from the AC community with the expectation of enhancing student learning. In addition to assisting students with the successful transition into college, it is anticipated that students will use knowledge and skills obtained through the course to succeed in future courses, to define short- and long-term goals, to complete their educations, and to obtain desirable careers.

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During the QEP developmental years, the QEP was maintained in the Planning and Advancement Division. Upon implementation of the QEP’s key initiative in Fall 2012, the First-Year Seminar will be relocated within a newly created First-Year Experience Department under the Dean of Academic Success in the College organization. Table 3.2 illustrates the organizational hierarchy specific to the FYS. Table 3.2

Placement of FYS within College Organization AC Board of Regents President Dr. Paul Matney Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart Dean of Academic Success Dr. Tamara Clunis Department Chair of First-Year Experience Dr. Lana Jackson

Central to effective implementation of the FYS initiative are the following personnel and committees: Department Chair of the First-Year Experience. Dr. Lana Jackson, who served as the Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for two years, will be reassigned as the Chair of the First-Year Experience Department, effective September 1, 2012. An Amarillo College employee for 16 years, Professor Jackson has served in multiple positions, including Mass Communication Department Chair, Career Clusters Director, and Faculty Senate President (Appendix H). In compliance with department chair duties as listed in the Amarillo College Organization Chart in the AC Faculty Handbook, Dr. Jackson will be “accountable for the quality control of instruction and all department functions” associated with the FYE department.

General duties and responsibilities include: program supervision/development; planning and department development; evaluation and preparation; department functions; advocacy and dispute resolution; support staff supervision; reports and inquiries; and instructional supervision.

More specifically, it is anticipated that Dr. Jackson will: • Direct the development of new curricula and programs to meet the changing needs of the community as appropriate to First-Year Experience (FYE) programming.

• Assist in the development of FYE policy and processes in compliance with College policies and processes.

• Lead the First-Year Seminar (FYS) development, implementation, assessment, revision, and scaling, including required reports to SACSCOC. • Lead the recruitment, training and re-certification of FYS faculty.

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•

• •

•

•

•

• • •

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Collaborate with personnel across divisions to identify, streamline and implement strategies to improve student learning, retention and completion.

Assist FYS faculty and staff with assessing learning outcomes.

Interpret AC data related to FYS and related initiatives, and recommend improvement and implementation strategies.

Facilitate communication across divisions and other college services, providing information on student success achievements and collecting feedback for future development.

Publish and promote the services and programs offered in connection with the FYE program, including the creation and maintenance of an FYE web presence.

Collaborate on faculty and staff training to meet goals of FYE and curriculum development, implementation and revision.

Teach one section of the FYS each long semester.

Supervise personnel.

Manage the budget.

FYS Curriculum Specialist. Scaling and eventual expansion of the FYS necessitates the addition of a FYS Curriculum Specialist. During Years 1 and 2 of the QEP implementation, Assistant Professor Jill Gibson will receive 6 hours of Special Assignment to continue curriculum and professional development work which she began as a member of the QEP Team and FYS Pilot Faculty Team (Appendix I). Duties include: • Assist in the implementation and revision of the FYS curriculum.

• Assist in the revision and implementation of the FYS Instructor’s Certification Workshop.

• Provide instructional support for all FYS instructors.

• Lead the FYS Curriculum Committee.

Further expansion of the FYS curriculum across Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, academic transfer programs, and dual credit programs during Implementation Years 3, 4 and 5 may necessitate that this position expand to a full-time Curriculum Specialist position. Additional anticipated expenses are detailed in the FYS budget later in this chapter.

Senior Secretary. Kathy Wheeler, a 13-year AC employee, joined the FYE Department in June 2012 following the closure of the Technical Training Solutions program where she served as Senior Secretary. Previous employment at the College has included Staff Assistant in the Assistance Center/Business Office and Executive Secretary for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Division.

As a Senior Secretary in the Academic Success Division, Ms. Wheeler will work part-time for the FYE Department and part-time for the ACcess Learning Center. As Senior Secretary, she brings extensive experience in clerical support, budget accounts, grant and general ledger accounts, contract training, class set up and development, and computer skills including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and database management. In addition to excellent phone etiquette and people skills, she is proficient in Colleague and Datatel, including student and grade rosters, data entry, and requisitions. She is accustomed to working in deadline-oriented environments.

Assisting in the administrative and clerical duties associated with the implementation, assessment and revision of the FYS initiative, Ms. Wheeler will:

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• • • • • • • • •

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Assist the FYE Department Chair.

Provide a central communication point for all FYS instructors and participants.

Ensure evaluation data are collected and verified.

Prepare QEP reports for SACSCOC. Work with Institutional Research to summarize and prepare statistical reports.

Maintain records, files, and reports.

Coordinate activities (i.e. meetings, training, assessment activities, etc.).

Maintain written policies, meeting minutes, manuals and processes.

Contribute to the FYE team, including planning, problem solving, and pursuit of opportunities.

FYS Curriculum Committee. Evolving from the FYS Pilot Faculty Team, the FYS Curriculum Committee will expand to include additional faculty, both academic transfer and CTE, who will serve 2-year rotating terms.

The committee: • Requests and reviews data related to the FYS. • Develops, implements and revises the FYS curriculum based upon institutional data.

• Develops, implements and revises training for the FYS Instructors Certification Workshop based upon institutional data.

• Serves as the Training Team for the FYS Instructors Certification Workshop.

Membership will include individuals who either teach the FYS or work closely with the FYS: • 6 Washington Street Campus Faculty, representing diverse departments/services • 2 West Campus Faculty • 1 East Campus Facutly • 1 Branch Campus Representative • 1 Support Staff Representative (Librarian, Tutoring Services, etc.)

• 1 Planning and Advancement Representative (Institutional Research) Permanent membership will include: • Dr. Lana Jackson, FYE Department Chair • Jill Gibson, FYS Curriculum Specialist FYE Advisory Committee. In an effort to more effectively connect academic and student affairs programs and services, a FYE Advisory Committee, initially composed of select QEP Team members and existing FYE Committee members, will begin meeting in Fall 2012. The original two committees will be disbanded. The newly combined committee will: • Facilitate the development, implementation and continuing review of programs and services offered as a part of the First-Year Experience.

• Review the data related to FYE initiatives and make recommendations for continuation, revision or cessation of initiatives.

• Recommend Promising Practices which might be initiated to enhance existing FYE initiatives.

• Develop, implement and revise training for the FYS Support Staff based upon institutional data.

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• Report to the Dean’s Council and Student Affairs Council annually.

• Represent the interests of their assigned college demographic.

• Promote FYE initiatives across the College.

Membership will be assigned on a 2-year rotating basis for the following individuals: • 2 Washington Street Campus Faculty • 1 West Campus Faculty • 1 East Campus Faculty (At least 2 faculty representatives must have taught the FYS) • 1 Faculty Senate Representative • 1 Moore County Campus Representative • 1 Hereford Campus Representative • 1 Career Center Representative • 1 Student Representative • 1 Continuing Education Representative • 1 Student Life Department Representative Permanent Membership will include: • Dr. Lana Jackson, co-chair, FYE Department Chair • April Sessler, co-chair, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs • Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, Vice President of Academic Affairs • Dr. Tamara Clunis, Dean of Academic Success • Jason Norman, Director of Advising • Kristin McDonald-Willey, Assessments Coordinator – Outcomes Assessment No Excuses! Core Team. On a larger institutional scale, the FYS will be connected to other strategic initiatives which the College is pursuing through the No Excuses! Core Team (Appendix J). This committee’s charge is to build a completion agenda for Amarillo College, including the identification, planning, implementation and assessment of the five No Excuses! initiatives: Tutoring Expansion, Course Redesign, First-Year Seminar, Poverty Initiative, and Developmental Education.

No Excuses! and its connection with the FYS will be detailed further in Chapter IV – Broad-based Involvement in Development and Implementation.

Intensive Student Engagement Lessons learned through the development and implementation of the first FYS pilot as well as research-based recommendations guided the QEP Team as it developed a five-year, strategic implementation plan for scaling the FYS initiative to address the needs of all entering FTAC students (Table 3.3).

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Quality Enhancement Plan Implementation Timeline

• • •

Design Dual Credit course option with area ISDs

Design Continuing Education Units (CEU) to coordinate with FYS credit course

Design 1- and 2-hour FYS curriculum (EDUC 1100, EDUC 1200) to correlate with CTE certificates and degrees

•

Implement CE units which correlate with FYS credit course

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•

Development, revision and implementation of FYS Instructors Certification Workshop

Development, revision and implementation of FYS Support Staff Training

•

•

FYS Pilot Faculty meetings

FYS Support Staff Training

•

Orientation Meeting, 0 week

FYS Instructor Training

Revise and implement FYS curriculum

FYS Curriculum

•

•

•

•

•

•

Pilot 1- and 2-hour FYS curriculum for CTE majors (EDUC 1100, EDUC 1200)

Implement FYS as Core Option Requirement for all new students (FTAC) by Career Cluster, includes all FYS options (EDUC 1100, 1200 and 1300)

•

1,997

Implement 3-hour FYS for GEN AS majors, Dev Ed students, Dual Credit students

•

•

237

2012-13 2013-14

Pilot 3-hour FYS w/ GEN AS majors (EDUC 1300)

FYS Course

Anticipated FYS Enrollment

Table 3.3

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

4,484

2014-15

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

4,708

2015-16

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

4,944

2016-17

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Integration into AC Certificate and Degree programs. In order to serve all FTAC students, it is essential that the FYS be a required course on all degree and certificate plans; and, as such, the course must generate credit hours toward a desired major field of study. Table 3.4 identifies the various degrees and certificates which AC awards.

AC Degrees and Certificates

Table 3.4

Degree/Certificate

Semester Credit Hours Required (SCH)

Definition

Associate in Arts (A.A) or Associate in Science (A.S.) Degrees

Degrees are awarded upon the completion of a curriculum which has been designed to parallel the first two years of a four-year college or university program.

These degrees enable the student to transfer toward a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. May be referred to as an Academic Transfer degree.

60

Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.)

Degree is designed based on the guidelines established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and parallels the first two years of a Texas four-year college or university program. These degrees enable the student to transfer toward a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree designed to prepare a person for teacher certification in the respective areas of emphasis. This degree will also satisfy the requirement of the No Child Left Behind guidelines for teacher’s aides in public schools. May be referred to as an Academic Transfer degree.

60

Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)

Degree is awarded upon the completion of one of the technical or health occupations curricula. These curricula are designed to prepare the student to enter a career directly upon completion of the program. May be referred to as a Career and Technical Education degree.

60-72

Certificate of Completion (Cert1 and Cert2)

A Certificate of Completion in designated technical and health occupations areas are conferred on students who complete the prescribed curriculum. May be referred to as a Career and Technical Education certificate.

Level One = 15-42 Level Two = 43-59

Sources: Amarillo College Catalog, 2012, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, GIPWE, 2010

Problematic areas for inclusion of the 3-semester credit hour (SCH) FYS as a required course in the degree and certificate plans occur with Cert1, Cert2 and A.A.S. plans. Technical program certificates which require few SCH have little room for an additional course. In addition, health science A.A.S. degrees are also governed by external accrediting agencies specific to health care professions. Consequently, these programs must deliberately seek to include the FYS as a required course in a limited list of courses.

Due to the variety of certificates and degrees offered by AC as well as the data identifying student needs, the QEP Team sought solutions on how to best serve all incoming students, regardless of educational goal. While the original pilot was revised to a 3-hour course, necessity will require the scaling of the QEP initiative to include the development of complimentary 1- and 2-hour sections No Excuses! First-Year Seminar |

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which better align with Career and Technical Education (CTE) certificate and degree options or special programs. Discussion has included the alignment of course objectives across sections to ensure 1- and 2-hour sections, when taken separately, reflect the learning outcomes of the 3-hour section. Such alignment will better enable the student to move between CTE and academic transfer programs as he/she advances his/her education.

Career Clusters Alignment. Graduation rates improve when students are compelled to enter a concentrated program of study as early as possible (Jenkins & Cho, 2012). Conley (2007) advises that educational institutions create an “intellectually coherent program of study that is designed to focus on the big ideas of each subject area taught,” allowing the student to gain necessary knowledge and skills which ensure that students are both college and career ready as they move into the future (Conley, 2007, p. 21; Conley, 2010). In agreement with Conley, Hull (2005) asserts that Career Pathways (certificates and degree programs which fall within a Career Cluster) provide not only curricular structure but also a realistic purpose for teaching and learning.

Beginning in Fall 2014, it is the intent of the QEP Team to offer FYS sections by Career Clusters in order to not only enhance student learning through the advancement of college readiness knowledge and skills but also to more strongly connect students with career mentors and likeminded peers who demonstrate a passion for their field of study.

During the Fall 2011 pilot FYS, section 014, comprised of all general studies majors, had an A-C course pass rate of 48 percent and a retention rate of 80 percent (Tables 2.10 and 2.11). While the retention rate was above the mean, the pass rate ranked below the mean for all FYS courses. As a viable method for providing a stronger support structure for entering general studies majors who may need additional help in setting long-term educational and career goals, it was recommended by the FYS Pilot Faculty that these students be enrolled in an FYS course of mixed majors or Career Cluster-specific majors in which the student has an interest, beginning in Fall 2014.

Requirement in the 42-hour Core Curriculum. Key to successfully reaching incoming students across majors and programs will be the placement of the FYS course, EDUC 1100/1200/1300, in the newly revised Texas 42-hour Core Curriculum required of all transfer degrees. Per recommendations of the Undergraduate Education Advisory Committee (UEAC) and approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), a new 42-hour core curriculum will take effect in Fall 2014. The new curriculum is designed to increase student learning and improve student success.

Unique elements to the new Core Curriculum are six Core Objectives (Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Empirical and Quantitative Skills, Teamwork, Personal Responsibility, and Social Responsibility) taught across nine Foundational Component Areas, including a Core Area Option. The Core Area Option allows the institution to designate 6 hours of unique coursework related to accomplishing the mission of the institution as long as the coursework addresses three of the six Core Objectives, including Critical Thinking Skills and Communication Skills.

General education competencies, as identified in the AC catalog, mirror the Core Objectives identified in the Core Curriculum. In alignment with the college readiness goal of the FYS, “general education courses promote those skills, understandings, attitudes and values which will equip students for effective, responsible, productive living” (Amarillo College, 2012).

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Consideration for placement of the FYS in the new 42-hour core curriculum also must include attention to the THECB’s general education requirements for the A.A.S. degree (THECB, 2010). The 15-hour, general education core for this two-year Career and Technical degree must include at least one course in the following three areas: Humanities/Fine Arts, Social/Behavioral Science and Natural Science/Math. The 15-hour general education courses must be transferable courses or on the “college’s approved academic unique need course inventory” (p. 21). Related discussions note that certificate programs may include academic transfer courses as long as 50 percent of course credits reflect a focused, technical specialty.

The QEP Team has proposed the inclusion of the FYS course as a Core Area Option in the 42hour Core Curriculum as it teaches not only Critical Thinking Skills and Communication Skills but also the remaining four objectives as well. Alignment with A.A.S. and certificate requirements will ensure cohesion across curricular options. Curriculum leadership has indicated that the course will be included in the new Core Curriculum by 2014 (Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, personal communication, March 22, 2012).

Table 3.5 breaks down the anticipated enrollment in the FYS, originally identified in Chapter II, by degree and certificate options.

Table 3.5

Anticipated Enrollment in FYS by Cohort Group

Total N Definition of Enrolling Cohort

2012-2013

2013-2014

2014-2015

2015-2016

2016-2017

237

1,997

4,484

4,708

4,944

GEN AS majors (N=237)

• GEN AS majors (N=249) • Students requiring 2 or more remedial education courses (N=1748)

• All FTAC students; required in the 42-hour core curriculum as a Core Area Option and in the general education curriculum of A.A.S. programs (N=3,527; 3,704; 3,890) • Dual Credit Students (N=957; 1,004; 1,054)

237

940

1,492

1,567

1,645

N of CTE students (includes A.A.S., certificate majors)

0

1,057

2,035

2,137

2,245

N of Dual Credit Students

0

0

957

1,004

1,054

N of Academic Transfer students (includes A.A., A.S., A.A.T. majors)

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2012

Dual Credit. Expanding the FYS offering to area high schools by Fall 2013 also has merit among researchers. While Conley (2007) would like for college readiness skills to be taught beginning in middle school and Texas has introduced a Career Pathways curriculum into secondary schools

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(Conley, 2010), it remains essential that relationships between the postsecondary institutions and secondary institutions remain open, supportive and sequential.

“Dual credit, then, is a viable strategy for introducing college-level expectations and experiences to high school students” (Conley, 2010, p. 217). Introducing the FYS curriculum to students while they are still enrolled in high school will allow the postsecondary and secondary institutions to collaboratively integrate college and career readiness activities into the routines and requirements of high school. In accordance with Texas Education Agency (TEA) requirements, Brazosport College has provided a model for offering the FYS as a dual credit course option.

Design for Scale Indicative of the significance of the FYS in enhancing student learning across the College campus, the AC administration has demonstrated long-term commitment of fiscal and human resources to the QEP initiative (President’s Cabinet, March 20, 2012). Table 3.6 provides an overview of anticipated resources and associated costs related to the implementation and scaling of the FYS initiative over a five-year period.

Significant budgetary adjustments, reflective of the institution’s long-term commitment and resources will occur in fiscal year 2014-2015 as the FYS is mandated for all FTAC students in Fall 2014. The anticipated jump in enrollment from 100 to 176 sections (based on an enrollment of 20 students per section) necessitates a greater commitment from the College. Table 3.7 details the allocation of funds across each object class.

Funds for bringing the FYS to scale will be generated from: 1) tuition and fees generated by enrollment in the FYS course, 2) re-aligned funds captured from program closures such as Travel & Tourism, Substance Abuse, and Real Estate; and 3) the Student Success Contingency Fund.

In addition, dedicated funds for the QEP initiative will be secured in the normal budgeting process where ensuring student success has been identified as the institution’s top priority.

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Proposed 5-Year Budget

FYS Curriculum Specialist

Administrative Assistant

Instructor Training Stipends

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500

39 $ 157,368 $ 148,475 $ 7,000* $ 1,893

Advising Support / Career Center *

Existing Program Funds In-Kind Funds * New College Funds

TOTAL EXPENSES

$ 1,000

$ 5,000

$ 1,000

$ 2,000

$

500

Institutional Research Support *

Professional and Partnership Development (Internal and external)

$

Marketing & Dissemination

$ 4,000

Center for Teaching and Learning Support *

Travel (local and out-of-town conferences, workshops)

$ 10,000

Supplies & Materials

$ 133,368

$0

$ 12,000

$ 10,868 50%

$ 8,500 28%

$ 20,400

Assessment Instruments

50%

28%

500

500

$ 168,824

$ 7,000*

$ 150,368

$ 326,192

$ 1,000

$ 5,000

$ 1,000

$ 2,000

$

$

$ 7,000

$ 15,000

$ 294,192

$0

$ 22,000

$ 10,868 100%

$ 8,500 100%

$ 170,000

500

$ 259,325

$ 9,000*

$ 319,192

$ 587,517

$ 2,000

$ 5,000

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

$ 1,000

$

$ 12,000

$ 40,000

$ 523,017

$ 25,600

$ 40,000

$ 22,880 100%

$ 51,271 100%

$ 299,200

$0

$ 23,571

$ 52,820

$ 331,500

500

($ 20,727)

$ 9,000*

$ 578,517

$ 566,790

$ 2,000

$ 5,000

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

$ 1,000

$

$ 12,000

$ 40,000

$ 502,290

500

$ 20,208

$ 9,000*

$ 557,790

$ 586,998

$ 2,000

$ 5,000

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

$ 1,000

$

$ 12,000

$ 40,000

$ 522,498

$ 27,200 $28,000

$0

$ 23,223 100%

$ 52,040 100%

$ 314,500

$ 86,607

2016-2017

$ 85,327 100%

2015-2016

$ 84,066 100%

2014-2015

$ 82,824 100%

2013-2014

$ 81,600 100%

2012-2013 100%

Personnel Sub-total

Dual Credit Instructor Stipends

Board-Appointed Faculty, overload pay for FYS instruction

FYE Department Chair

Personnel (salaries and benefits)

Table 3.6

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Table 3.7

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Proposed 5-Year Budget Detailed Summary

Personnel positions listed below are necessary for the implementation, revision and scaling of the QEP initiative, the First-Year Seminar, over a five-year period. Salaries and stipends are reflective of AC salary schedules for similar positions and activities. Staff are budgeted on a 12-month cycle, with 1.5% cost of living adjustments for each succeeding year of implementation. All personnel are currently employed at the College. For organizational re-structuring purposes, the QEP budget will evolve into the FYE Departmental budget, effective Sept. 1, 2012, requiring a minimum amount of additional funds for the transition. In addition, savings will be captured with the reassignment of the Senior Secretary salary from the Technical Training Solutions program on East Campus. Personnel duties and responsibilities may be reviewed beginning on page 28 of this chapter.

Significant budget allocations occur beginning in fiscal year 2014-2015 as both the FYS Curriculum Specialist and Administrative Assistant move from part-time positions to full-time positions. In addition, the budget for Board-Appointed Faculty will increase significantly to accommodate instructors who have been trained and will be teaching planned course sections with an enrollment of 20 students per section, necessitating: 12 sections in 2012-2013; 100 sections in 2013-2014; 176 sections in 2014-2015; 185 sections in 2015-2016; and 195 sections in 2016-2017. These personnel costs are anticipated in response to the escalating population of students who will enroll in the FYS, the complexity of managing and revising multiple FYS course formats, and the diversity of data requirements associated with the expanding initiative. Instructional pay for Board-Appointed Faculty was calculated at a rate of $1,700 per 3-hour load. Example: For 2012-2013, 12, 3-hour sections x 1,700 = $20,400. As 1- and 2-hour FYS sections are created in subsequent years, the budget will be adjusted to accommodate any discrepancies.

Also, when implemented in 2014-2015, Dual Credit stipends for high school instructors will be added to the budget. Dual credit stipends are calculated on a sliding scale with the participating high schools. For a class of 30 students, the instructor will receive an $800 stipend. Dual credit instructors will be trained with FYS Instructors, incurring no additional certification costs, and will serve 30 students per section, necessitating: 32 sections in 2014-2015; 34 sections in 2015-2016; and 35 sections in 2016-2017.

While stipends for FYS Instructor training will be paid to participants during the first three years as the program is implemented, a core group of dedicated professors and evolved training practices should allow the program to discontinue paying a stipend for professional development associated with the class by 2015-2016.

Personnel Budget

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

FYE Department Chair

$ 81,600

$ 82,824

$ 84,066

$ 85,327

$ 86,607

Board-Appointed Faculty, overload pay for success class

$ 20,400

$ 170,000

$ 299,200

$ 314,500

$ 331,500

$ 8,500

$ 8,500

$ 51,271

$ 52,040

$ 52,820

Administrative Assistant

$ 10,868

$ 10,868

$ 22,880

$ 23,223

$ 23,571

Instructor Training Stipends

$ 12,000

$ 22,000

$ 40,000

$0

$0

$0

$0

$ 25,600

$ 27,200

$ 28,000

$ 133,368

$ 294,192

$ 523,017

$ 502,290

$ 522,498

FYS Curriculum Specialist

Dual Credit Instructor Stipends Total Expenses

Supplies and Materials include necessary and reasonable expenses associated with the successful implementation of the QEP initiative, including the production and distribution of the FYS Instructor’s Manual to participating instructors, the FYS Student Manual, required reports, and associated teaching supplies. Variations in Office Supply expenses correlate to the implementation and scaling of the project.

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Supplies and Materials Item Description – Year 1 FYS Instructors Manual

Unit Cost

Quantity

$ 50

50

$ 2,500

1

$ 5,700

12

$ 1,800

Office Supplies Teaching Supplies

$ 150

Cost

Total Supplies/Materials 2012-13

$ 10,000 Cost

Item Description – Year 2 FYS Instructors Manual

$ 50

50

$ 2,500

1

$ 2,500

100

$ 10,000

Office Supplies Teaching Supplies

$ 100

Total Supplies/Materials 2013-14

$ 15,000

Item Description – Year 3 FYS Instructors Manual

$ 50

100

$ 5,000

1

$ 8,600

176

$ 26,400

Office Supplies Teaching Supplies

$ 150

$ 40,000

Total Supplies/Materials 2014-15 Item Description – Year 4 FYS Instructors Manual

$ 50

100

$ 5,000

1

$ 7,250

185

$ 27,750

Office Supplies Teaching Supplies

$ 150

$ 40,000

Total Supplies/Materials 2015-16 Item Description – Year 5 FYS Manual updates

$ 50

100

$ 5,000

1

$ 4,750

195

$ 29,250

1

$ 1,000

Office Supplies Teaching Supplies

$ 150

Printing – 5th Year Report

$ 40,000

Total Supplies/Materials 2016-17 Total Supplies per Year

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

$ 10,000

$ 15,000

$ 40,000

$ 40,000

$ 40,000

Travel funds are necessary to cover expenses for staff to attend the SACSCOC Annual Conference and FYE Best Practices conferences, including the Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience, First-Year Student Success in the Community College, and Institute for First-Year Seminar Leadership. Out-of-state costs are budgeted at $1,500 per trip, including: airfare and ground transportation at $600 round trip; lodging at $150 per day/based on 4-day/3-night trip; and per diem of $30 per day based on 4-days travel time; and estimated registration fee of $600/ attendee. Anticipated funds allow for the following trips/travelers per year: 2 in 2012-13; 4 in 201314; 6 in 2014-15, 2015-15, 2016-17.

Travel Budget Total Travel per Year

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

$ 4,000

$ 7,000

$ 12,000

$ 12,000

$ 12,000

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Marketing funds cover costs for internal and external print communications associated with marketing the FYS to prospective students and instructors via brochures, cards, etc.

Marketing Budget Total Marketing per Year

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

$ 500

$ 500

$ 500

$ 500

$ 500

Professional Partnerships Development includes expenses connected to collaboration and community-building across internal and external constituent groups engaged in the successful implementation and scaling of the FYS across campuses and school systems.

Professional Partnerships Budget

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

Total Development per Year

$ 500

$ 500

$ 1,000

$ 1,000

$ 1,000

Assessment Instruments, which may include the Pre- and Post-College Readiness Survey, Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE), Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), and Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE), may be administered on alternating years to allow for benchmarking and archiving of data related to the FYS. Costs for the assessments will be shared with the Institutional Research Department.

Assessments Budget Total Assessment per Year

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

In-Kind Funds Center for Teaching and Learning will provide the necessary funding for FYS professional development activities, including two to four FYS Instructors Certification Workshops per year as determined by FYS enrollment, multiple FYS Support Staff Training sessions per year, monthly FYE Advisory committee meetings, etc.

CTL Budget Total CTL per Year

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

$ 1,000

$ 1,000

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

Institutional Research will provide support services for the QEP project in the form of data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Collaboration on data needs will require varying amounts of personnel time throughout the year.

Institutional Research Budget Total IR per Year

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

$ 5,000

$ 5,000

$ 5,000

$ 5,000

$ 5,000

Advising/Career Center maintains the College’s license for administering the MyPlan assessment to students: $1,000 per 3,000 students. Escalating costs reflect anticipated enrollment in the FYS. Advising/Career Center Budget Total Advising/CC per Year

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

$ 1,000

$ 1,000

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

This budget may be reviewed and revised annually to better reflect data-driven changes in FYS implementation, inflation and economic realities.

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Professional Development for Everyone Supporting community college “students as they struggle to complete their education is a Herculean task….Honoring the dedicated faculty, counselors, and staff who work with students who face so many challenges is a crucial aspect of understanding community colleges” (Mellow & Heelan, 2008, p. 194). Kuh et. al (2005) explain that effective colleges and universities honor faculty, administrators, staff, and students by encouraging them to be “both learner and teacher,” feeding their passions to maximize their talents while building an organization committed to student learning (p. 811).

In addition to the FYS Instructors Certification and FYS Support Staff Training which originate from the First-Year Experience Department, professional development efforts connected to the FYS are administered through the Center for Teaching and Learning which coordinates all efforts and implements the College’s Professional Development Program, including Learning Management System (LMS) training on Angel and Blackboard, mastery of applicable software (i.e. Softchalk, Adobe Presenter), and online course management training. New Faculty Academy, Online Instructor Certification, Amarillo College Teaching Seminar (ACTS), and available personalized training compliment the ongoing professional development opportunities related to the FYS. Tinto (2006) emphasizes the critical linkage between faculty development and effective pedagogy.

“It is increasingly clear that faculty actions, especially in the classroom, are critical to institutional efforts to increase student retention, but it is also clear that the faculty of our universities and colleges are, as a matter of practice, the only faculty from kindergarten through universities who are literally not trained to teach their students” (p.7). Recognizing this critical linkage, AC professional development plans strive to bridge the gap between instructor, pedagogy, and student. To that end, the Faculty Professional Development Committee serves as an institutionwide committee focused on identifying, coordinating, and implementing faculty development opportunities.

As one of five No Excuses! institutional initiatives, College efforts to advance the knowledge and expertise of all employees involved in implementing the FYS and sustaining student development and momentum beyond participation in the first-semester, First-Year Seminar is key to ensuring long-term student success. Due to the scope of the FYS and its interconnectedness to programs and services offered across the College, the list of vital personnel spans faculty, administrative and classified ranks.

Unique professional development activities, designed to focus previously disconnected efforts and personnel on the mutual goal of student success, have emerged over the past year, including AVID training on Best Practices with regard to Critical Reading, Socratic Seminar, Tutoring, Cornell Notes, and Advising; Listening & Learning with AC President Dr. Paul Matney; and campus-wide guest presenters focused on key issues related to AC students, including poverty expert Dr. Donna Beegle. Chapter IV explores the emerging inter-connectedness of AC’s key initiatives and ongoing efforts to enhance student learning, success and completion.

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Chapter IV

Broad-based Involvement in Development and Implementation

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C h a pte r I V

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Broad-based Involvement in Development and Implementation

Gardner and Koch (2011) advocate for the creation of a plan of action composed of interconnected programs and strategies which support and build upon one another, creating a success synergy which more profoundly resonates with students, faculty and others. The researchers argue that stand-alone programs, strategies and initiatives are generally short-lived, limited in scope, and result in little or no improvement gains. However, efforts, which are clearly connected through a well-designed, “comprehensive vision for excellence,” show greater promise for success as they are implemented, assessed, and refined in context with the total success experience (Jenkins, 2011).

Amarillo College’s Vision for Excellence After garnering input from more than 550 stakeholders, including 230 students, 140 employees, 60 community representatives, and members of the Board of Regents, campus leaders presented the AC community with a “roadmap for the future” in 2010 (Strategic Plan Executive Summary, p. 2, 4).

Specifically, the Strategic Plan Through 2015 focuses on accomplishing four goals: Table 4.1

Strategic Plan Goals Through 2015

Goal 1

Expand Student Success

Goal 2

Ensure Student Access

Goal 3

Collaborate with Partners in the Community

Goal 4

Ensure the College’s Future Source: Amarillo College Strategic Plan Through 2015

Guiding the accomplishment of the strategic plan goals is the institutional vision which aspires “for every AC student to have a success story.” Supporting the vision of are six underlying values, including student success, quality education, opportunity for all, community responsiveness, collaboration, and responsible stewardship. Attainment of the College’s mission, “enriching the lives of students and our community,” is within reach as the institution embraces the tangible strategies and tasks which are detailed in its strategic plan. As Gardner and Koch (2011) write, “In the absence of a plan, redundancies and gaps occur, and retention stagnates. In short, a program or programs do not a successful plan make” (p. 1). AC’s Strategic Plan Through 2015 provides the focus and structure through which all potential College initiatives must align in order to support the mission of the College while accomplishing identified, strategic goals.

Approved in August 2010, the College’s development of the Strategic Plan, including stakeholder surveys and focus group methodology, paralleled ongoing research and discussions occurring in meetings with the CCSSE Analysis Team and the Conversations on Student Success Team (see Chapter I). College retention and completion data, decreasing funds for education, and projections for an increasingly diversified student body unified all conversations as the College community increasingly became focused on improving “student success.” Student success strategies, including First-Year Experience programming, transitional advising, and tutoring expansion, became topics for

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discussion across campuses and in meetings as College committees joined the conversation and began exploring the literature related to student success (The 2009 CCSSE and CCFSSE Report, Conversations minutes, Strategic Plan Executive Summary).

While student success discussions extend beyond the QEP topic of college readiness and SACS requirements to enhance student learning, the pursuit of college readiness paves the path for additional initiatives addressing various “success” topics, including desirable pass rates, retention rates, and graduation rates.

Institution-wide Initiatives For the previous three years, Amarillo College has strived to implement an integrated, institution-wide plan for student success as defined by its strategic plan. In addition to internal efforts, the College has elected to partner with external agencies recognized for their abilities to utilize data to focus institutional priorities, to generate internal conversations and collaboration, and to seek systemic change.

According to a recent higher education benchmarking poll, two of the most significant retention issues facing colleges and universities are 1) underprepared or unmotivated students; and 2) respondents’ desire for greater collaboration across employee groups with regard to retention concerns (Noel-Levitz, 2011). While the College’s key, QEP initiative, the First-Year Seminar, focuses on improving the preparedness of students, AC has taken additional, complimentary steps to improve overall student success as defined by institutional data.

Achieving the Dream. Last year, Amarillo College became one of 30 community colleges nationwide to be selected to the 2011 Achieving the Dream (AtD) institutional cohort.

As an Achieving the Dream institution, AC will develop and implement researchbased policies and practices based on quantitative and qualitative analyses of its institutional strengths, problem areas and achievement gaps. Through Achieving the Dream, AC will have the opportunity to learn from other member institutions, while receiving assistance from experienced practitioners in building a culture of evidence, using data to identify problems, setting priorities, and measuring student-success progress. (Amarillo College, 2011) Conceived in 2004 by the Lumina Foundation for Education, AtD is a national non-profit organization focused on helping community college students to succeed, particularly students who have faced traditional barriers to success (MDC, 2006). Engagement with AtD coaches helps higher education institutions assess data and implement policies, procedures and practices designed to improve community college student success rates. With the support of quality training and peer coaches, AC has worked to identify strategies to improve student success, close achievement gaps, and increase retention, persistence and completion rates.

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Central to identifying priorities and determining initiatives for an AtD institution is the measurement and analysis of five, student-centered goals (Table 4.2).

Table 4.2

Achieving the Dream (AtD) Goals

1.

Successfully complete developmental courses and advance to credit-bearing courses

2.

Successfully complete initial college-level or gateway courses

3.

Complete courses with a grade C or better

4.

Persist from one term to the next

5.

Earn a certificate, associate degree, or reverse transfer Source: Boggs, 2011; MDC, 2009

Interventions and successive analyses of data sets allow the institution to establish a baseline for student performance and “raise the bar” as successful initiatives are piloted and scaled to achieve maximum improvement on student performance as assessed by the five goals.

AtD advocates for a “team-led process to analyze data, develop effective strategies for improving student success, cultivate support for strategies, and institutionalize new policies and practices” which are determined to be effective based upon the institutional data (MDC, 2006, p. 8). In adherence to AtD’s process for institutional change focused on improving student success rates, Amarillo College sought to ensure broad-based involvement of all stakeholder groups through the identification of a 22-member AtD Core Team charged with building a completion agenda for Amarillo College (Appendix J).

No Excuses! Coinciding with its identification as an AtD college, Amarillo College became the first higher education partner in the No Excuses! University (NEU) network in January 2012. Similar to AtD institutions, NEU schools focus on ensuring student success for traditionally disadvantaged youth. In addition, NEU schools also utilize data to analyze student progress and make informed recommendations for interventions (Lopez, 2009).

Unlike the AtD focus on five key retention and completion goals, NEU institutions primarily focus on improving the college readiness of all students. Lopez (2009) details the four visible steps to creating a culture of college readiness as: 1) defining a unified language that promotes the concept of college; 2) seeking ways to integrate the concept of college into existing subject matter; 3) modeling college readiness behaviors and expectations to students; and 4) continuously collaborating in search of innovative and successful practices that strengthen the college readiness purpose. The philosophy of No Excuses! permeates the culture of an NEU campus, impressing upon students, faculty and staff that every problem has a solution and every person has a role in fulfilling the dream of each student to achieve his/her college goals.

As the campus leadership team for AtD, the core team was assimilated to embrace the philosophy of NEU, becoming the No Excuses! Core Team (Appendix J).

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The key…to maintaining a passion for our work is not whether or not we can recall such [inspiring and transformational] moments, but whether those moments drive us on a daily basis.…we must maintain a personal commitment to recapturing that passion every day. Doing so reminds us of our need to fight the kind of selfishness that sometimes pollutes our profession, and to act as stewards for our students’ success. (Lopez, 2009, p. 184) By tirelessly working with AC students on a daily basis to overcome potential barriers to success, each College employee assists individuals in realizing personal prosperity while also contributing to the collective health and wealth of society (Lopez, 2009). “Ideally, the entire college campus has a role in sustaining and improving student learning. Incredible learning can result when faculty work together with student support staff to create a total focus on learning, knowing, and doing within the institution” (Mellow & Hellan, 2008, p. 102). Brown and Rivas (2011) concur, noting that student learning takes place as students interact with individuals across the entire campus; it is a shared responsibility of faculty, staff and administrators.

Poverty Awareness. As detailed in Chapter II, 54.4% of AC students received Pell awards, indicating that 1 in every 2 students enrolled at AC lives at or below the poverty line. In 2011, 64% percent of AC students said that personal and financial issues, including divorce, death of loved one, abusive relationship, foster care, homelessness, single-parent home, kicked out of home, etc., could have derailed their college goals (Student Focus Groups, Spring 2011).

When QEP Team members uncovered this silent obstacle to student success, College leaders made a deliberate effort to better understand the financial situation with which an increasing majority of AC students had to contend. In conjunction with other area, human services professionals, six College personnel participated in the Poverty Coaching Institute, conducted by Dr. Donna Beegle, president of Communication Across Barriers and a survivor of the War on Poverty (QEP minutes, May 24, 2011). In addition, multiple opportunities to illuminate the realities of AC students’ lives while assisting the College community in understanding its changing roles as educators included: a special assembly for the College featuring Dr. Beegle and the procurement and distribution of Dr. Beegle’s book, See Poverty – Be The Difference!, to AC faculty and staff.

In 2012, AC became the first Texas Benefit Bank (TBB) site. A project of the Texas Health Institute, the local TBB site, housed in the College’s Advising Center, provides personal assistance to students who are seeking access to eligible benefits. Funded by a grant from The Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation and the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program, the program is a collaborative effort between 11 non-profit agencies in the Amarillo area.

As a site location for the TBB, AC is seeking to remove barriers to student success. As Brown and Rivas (2011) note “…success-oriented colleges communicate their belief that all students can succeed, and they demonstrate that everyone in the campus community is committed to facilitating student success.”

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Alignment of Institution-wide Initiatives After a review of institutional data and Best Practices literature, and with support from Achieving the Dream (AtD), the No Excuses! network, and poverty educators, the No Excuses! Core Team identified five key initiatives which will receive institutional focus and support in order to best serve students and, thus, increase student success (Table 4.3) Table 4.3

Key Initiatives for Institutional Focus

1.

First-Year Seminar

2.

Tutoring Expansion

3.

Course Redesign

4.

Poverty Initiative

5.

Developmental Education (No Excuses! Core Team minutes: January 10, 2012; May 7, 2012)

The Amarillo College No Excuses! Belief System: Student Success and Completion statement articulates the College’s philosophy, processes, purposes and behaviors for ensuring student success and completion (Appendix K).

Working together, NEU provides philosophical and structural guidance for developing the Six Exceptional Systems upon which a cycle of continuous improvement may be institutionalized.

Expertise from Achieving the Dream coaches and staff supports the College as it develops and implements research-based policies and practices focused on building a culture of evidence, using data to identify problems, setting priorities, and measuring student-success progress. As the first No Excuses! College in the nation, AC has embraced the five AtD goals as No Excuses! institutional goals for focusing educational efforts. Table 4.4 illustrates the interconnectedness of these partnerships.

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Table 4.4

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Connection Between No Excuses!, AtD and College Initiatives

No Excuses!

Six Exceptional Systems Interventions Data Management Assessment Plan Standards Alignment Teacher Collaboration Culture of Universal Achievement

No Excuses! / AtD Strategic Initiatives 1. First-Year Seminar 2. Tutoring Expansion 3. Course Redesign 4. Poverty 5. Developmental Education Achieving the Dream Goals 1. Successfully complete developmental courses and advance to credit bearing courses 2. Successfully complete initial college-level or gateway courses 3. Complete courses with a grade of C or better 4. Persist from one term to the next 5. Earn a certificate, degree, or reverse transfer

McClenney (2011) notes that “Substantial change and lasting improvement in community college programs and services depend on the commitment to create new organizational cultures, processes, and habits of mind” (p. 23). Embracing its renewed image as a No Excuses! institution, the AC community has acknowledged that “…student success is not an institutional accident. It is a result of intentional actions taken by the college” (Habley, 2011).

Alignment with Partners for Postsecondary Success, A Community Initiative Externally, Amarillo College is an integral partner in the community-wide project Partners for Postsecondary Success (PPS), a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and MDC, Inc. grant project awarded in 2011. Focused on increasing the educational attainment of young adults who earn degrees or certificates beyond high school by 2025, AC is one of 20 collaborative entities engaged in data analysis, problem solving, and implementation of community-wide interventions.

Funding for a new Career Center and a Social Services Coordinator on the AC campus was granted through this unique partnership. Both services will be effective support structures for accomplishing the No Excuses! community and campus goals. In addition, the Career Center will play a key role as an educational partner in the students’ mastery of FYS Learning Objective 9 – Develop an integrated educational and career pathway. It is anticipated that the Social Services Coordinator will also contribute to FYS content as students engage in seminar lessons focused on Learning Objective 2 – Take charge of your life and Learning Objective 5 – Manage your money.

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On a broader scale, the PPS grant is supporting No Excuses! Neighborhoods, expanding the No Excuses! philosophy and implementation structure to the most needy of Amarillo neighborhoods.

Alignment with identified, No Excuses! Amarillo schools, from elementary through college, will ensure that students will have a supportive, vested community structure for ensuring college and career success and attainment.

Broad-based Engagement As detailed above, institution-wide support for the FYS is embedded in Amarillo College’s strategic plan and in its No Excuses! strategic initiatives. The institution’s willingness to dedicate human and fiscal resources to the implementation and sustainability of this project is further evidenced by the creation of a new First-Year Experience department and a significant Student Success contingency fund, as acknowledged in Chapter III. The College community’s embrace of this student success initiative is reflected in the voluntary participation of personnel from across AC divisions and campuses in four-day instructor training workshops conducted during Summer 2012. At the end of two workshops, 34 employees, defined as SACSCOC-qualified for the EDUC 1300 transfer-level course, were certified to teach the course (Appendix L). All personnel voluntarily participated, with the knowledge that EDUC sections may not be available for assignment in the upcoming academic year.

Multiple groups across Amarillo College campuses were engaged in the identification and development of the QEP’s key initiative, the First-Year Seminar, as detailed in Chapters I and II: the CCSSE Analysis Team, the Conversations on Student Success Team, the QEP Team, and the FYS Pilot Faculty Team. Representatives from ancillary groups, including Advising, Tutoring, Financial Aid, and the Career Center, were included in conversations and meetings to ensure that all personnel understood their support roles for the new initiative and were willing to engage in the collaborative learning project (QEP minutes).

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Chapter v

Assessment

Amarillo College

C h a pte r V

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Assessment

The knowledge and abilities that students acquire throughout their college careers directly impact their life chances; as such, it is imperative that educators ensure quality educational experiences through effective assessment techniques and procedures (National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment, 2011).

Housed in the Planning and Advancement Division, Amarillo College centralizes all institutional research and assessment efforts, ensuring that all assessments are integrated through a “closing the loops� process which is focused on accomplishing the College mission of enriching the lives of our students and our community.

In coordination, the No Excuses! FYS assessment plan consists of three primary outcomes assessment components: institutional assessments, program level assessments, and course assessments. Table 5.1 captures the variety of assessments associated with the FYS. Table 5.1

Semester

Annual Assessments Activity/Assessment Tool

Level

Personnel

Fall

Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) OR Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) (assessments will be given on alternate years)

I

Summer

FYS Student Performance Report: Profile of FYS Student Success in alignment with No Excuses! Goals

I

Program

Kara Larkan-Skinner

Fall

Planning Evaluation Tracking (PET) form

D

Program

Dr. Lana Jackson

Fall, Spring

Pre- and Post-College Readiness Survey

D

Course

Kara Larkan-Skinner Dr. Lana Jackson

Spring

Focus Groups

I

Course

Dr. Lana Jackson

Fall, Spring

Course Artifacts (Rubric)

D

Course

Dr. Lana Jackson

Institutional Kara Larkan-Skinner

D = Direct, I = Indirect

Institutional Assessments Institutional assessments, conducted by the office of Institutional Research within the Planning and Advancement Division, include those broad-based surveys and quantitative data collections which align with the FYS goals and student learning outcomes.

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Following a three-year, baseline survey period using the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), the CCSSE will be alternated with the Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE), beginning in Fall 2012, in order to better capture student data from both entering and returning students. Longitudinal institutional data from both instruments should assist the College in capturing the broad picture of student engagement and progression through their collegiate experience. As a companion piece, it is anticipated that the Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE) will be administered at least one more time over the next five years.

Specifically, the CCSSE provides student insight into the student body experience and AC practices, while the CCFSSE, as a complimentary survey, provides faculty insight into teaching practices, student life and educational experiences. Together, both instruments have provided insights and baseline data for consideration by the FYS Curriculum Committee in decision-making related to the FYS (Table 5.2).

Table 5.2

CCSSE - CCFSSE Paired Student / Faculty Questions Not Likely

Student Question: Student Response: Faculty Question: AC All Faculty Percent: Student Question: Student Response: Faculty Question: AC All Faculty Percent: Student Question: Student Response: Faculty Question: AC All Faculty Percent:

Somewhat Likely

Likely

Very likely

Total

How likely is it that the following issues would cause you to withdraw from class or from this college: Working full-time?

40.2% (N=376)

22.4% (N=210)

18.3% (N=171)

19.1% (N=179)

100% (N=936)

How likely is it that working full-time would cause students to withdraw from class or from this college?

3% (N=4)

20% (N=28)

28% (N=40)

49% (N=69)

100% (N=141)

How likely is it that the following issues would cause you to withdraw from class or from this college: Academically unprepared 59.4% (N=550)

22.8% (N=211)

11% (N=102)

6.7% (N=62)

100% (N=925)

How likely is it that being academically unprepared would cause students to withdraw from class or from this college?

6% (N=8)

20% (N=28)

27% (N=38)

48% (N=68)

100% (N=142)

How likely is it that the following issues would cause you to withdraw from class or from this college: Lack of finances 26.3% (N=247)

19.2% (N=180)

22.5% (N=211)

32% (N=300)

100% (N=938)

How likely is it that lacking finances would cause students to withdraw from class or from this college?

3% (N=4)

24% (N=34)

39% (N=55)

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34% (N=48)

100% (N=141)

Amarillo College

Not Likely Student Question: Student Response: Faculty Question: AC All Faculty Percent:

Somewhat Likely

Student Response:

Very likely

Total

How likely is it that the following issues would cause you to withdraw from class or from this college: Caring for dependents?

48.7% (N=456)

16.8% (N=157)

21.5% (N=201)

12.9% (N=121)

100% (N=935)

How likely is it that caring for dependents would cause students to withdraw from class or from this college?

1% (N=3)

39% (N=55)

40% (N=52)

100% (N=142)

Quite a bit

Very much

Total

20% (N=32)

Very little Student Question:

Likely

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Some

How much has your experience at this college contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in speaking clearly and effectively?

10.5% (N=98) None

Very little

29.5% (N=275)

35.7% (N=333)

24.3% (N=227)

100% (N=934)

Some

Quite a bit

Very much

Total

Faculty Question:

To what extent do students’ experiences in your selected course section contribute to their knowledge, skills, and personal development in speaking clearly and effectively?

AC All Faculty Percent:

3% (N=4)

13% (N=19)

Never Student Question: Student Response:

34% (N=49) Sometimes

21% (N=31)

100% (N=145)

Very often

Total

29% (N=42) Often

In your experience at this college during the current school year, about how often have you made a class presentation?

38.2% (N=361) Don’t know

Never

37.3% (N=352)

18.8% (N=178)

5.7% (N=54)

100% (N=945)

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Total

Faculty Question:

How often do students in your selected course section make a class presentation?

AC All Faculty Percent:

1% (N=1)

44% (N=65)

35% (N=52)

8% (N=12)

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2011

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12% (N=17)

100% (N=147)

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As a newly selected Achieving the Dream (AtD) institution (class of 2011), the FYS has been recognized as one of the five key initiatives for enhancing student learning and success by the No Excuses! Core Team (No Excuses! minutes, 1/10/12). In addition to CCSSE/CCFSSE data analysis and review, quantitative data related to the following five No Excuses! goals will be reviewed and assessed: 1) Successfully complete developmental courses and advance to credit bearing courses; 2) Successfully complete initial college-level or gateway courses; 3) Complete courses with a grade of C or better; 4) Persist from one term to the next; and 5) Earn a certificate, degree, or reverse transfer.

The FYS Student Performance Report: Profile of FYS Student Success (2012) provides an analysis of baseline data obtained from Fall 2011, pilot FYS courses (EDUC 1200) in connection with two No Excuses! goals: 3) complete courses with a grade of C or better; and 4) persistence from one term to the next.

Initial assessment indicates that 49.7% of first-time-in-college (FTIC) students enrolled in the FYS completed courses with a GPA of C or better as compared to their entering FYS Non FTIC peers where 50.5% completed coursework with a GPA of C or better (Table 5.3). It is notable that the FTIC cohort enrolled in the Fall 2011 FYS course sections represented two largely “atrisk� populations: Palo Duro High School (PDHS) graduates who were Achievement Through Commitment to Education (ACE) scholarship recipients and students who were on suspension waiver. The comparison group of FTIC Non FYS is comparable only to the extent that the students enrolled in AC the same semester and did not receive the FYS intervention.

Table 5.3

FYS Course Grades, Fall 2011 All FYS Student Course Grades Number

FTIC FYS Student Course Grades

Percent

Number

Percent

A

64

23.6%

49

25.9%

B

42

15.5%

24

12.7%

C

31

11.4%

21

11.1%

D

16

5.9%

11

5.8%

F

84

31.0%

62

32.8%

W

34

12.5%

22

5.3%

Successful

137

50.6%

94

49.7%

Unsuccessful

134

49.4%

95

50.3%

Total

271

100.0%

189

100.0%

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2012

Additional assessment of this cohort group concluded that 75.1% of the FTIC students enrolled in the FYS persisted to the Spring 2012 term as compared to 73.1% of FTIC students who did not enroll in the FYS (Table 5.4).

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Table 5.4

100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0%

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Following Semester Retention

73.1 %

75.1 %

73.1 %

All FYS (N=198)

FTIC FYS (N=142)

FTIC Non-FYS (N=993)

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2012

Further analysis indicates that while the FTIC FYS students performed well in retention rates, females, Hispanic and Pell students were most likely to persist (Table 5.5). In addition, when analyzed individually, several course sections indicated positive student performance in more than one area, providing a foundation for further pedagogical development.

Table 5.5

FYS Retention by Demographic Variables Returned

Gender Group

Did Not Return

Male

N= 84

70.0%

N=36

30.0%

Female

N= 114

75.5%

N=37

24.5%

White

N= 66

68.0%

N= 31

32.0%

Hispanic

N= 103

75.2%

N= 34

24.8%

African American

N=19

70.4%

N= 8

29.6%

Other

N=10

100.0%

N= 0

0.0%

Ever Awarded Pell-Based Financial Aid

Awarded

N= 147

77.8%

N= 42

22.2%

Not Awarded

N= 51

62.2%

N= 31

37.8%

ACE Status

Non-ACE

N= 102

72.9%

N= 38

27.1%

ACE

N= 96

73.3%

N= 35

26.7%

Ethnic Category

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2012

Due to changes in enrollment requirements beginning in Fall 2012, stronger comparisons may be explored as general studies (GEN AS) majors will be required to enroll in the FYS. Specifically, in addition to larger population samples, anticipated variables which will be available for analysis, allowing for clearer delineation between at-risk and non at-risk students, will include: FTAC status, developmental education status, Pell status, ethnicity and gender.

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As the FYS initiative begins to build longitudinal data, it is anticipated that persistence and completion data will be compared to a population of like students from captured data from Fall 2011.

Upon full integration of all recently introduced No Excuses! initiatives, including Tutoring Expansion, Course Redesign, FYS, Poverty Initiative, and Developmental Education, into the College system, multiple regression analysis will need to be conducted to determine the impact of each initiative upon student learning and success, specifically with regard to the five No Excuses! goals.

Program Level Assessments Program level assessments, as guided by the office of Institutional Effectiveness within the Planning and Assessment Division, include yearly student focus groups, an annual Planning and Evaluation Tracking (PET) form, and a Program Review.

Student focus groups will be conducted each Spring through a joint partnership between the FYS Advisory Committee and the office of Institutional Research. Focus groups will continue to provide further student insights into not only the impact of the FYS course but also generate additional perspectives which may affect unique learning outcomes addressed through the course (Table 5.6). Table 5.6 illustrates the similarities and differences of focus group findings over a two-year period. Top four categories are shaded.

FYS Student Focus Group Key Findings

Table 5.6

2011

2012

Knowing what you know now, what would you tell others to do to help them prepare for college? (could provide multiple answers)

24% (N=29)

38% (N=62)

attended class

19% (N=23)

2% (N=3)

studied for class

12% (N=15)

38% (N=62)

Managed time / prioritized responsibilities

12% (N=14)

10% (N=17)

maintained positive attitude; don’t give up on yourself

11% (N=13)

2% (N=3)

engaged in class (asked questions, joined discussions, completed assignments)

8% (N=10)

sought tutoring

7% (N=8)

20% (N=33)

interacted with peers outside of class

3% (N=4)

8% (N=13)

interacted with faculty outside of class

4% (N=5)

4% (N=5)

other: pay attention in high school

-

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2011

2012

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How could AC assist all students in developing those actions/behaviors which ensure success?

24% (N=13)

17% (N=9)

4% (N=8)

new student orientation while in high school

15% (N=8)

show consequences of not succeeding

11% (N=6)

9% (N=19)

provide programs/examples to teach those traits

11% (N=6)

1% (N=1)

provide more knowledge about financial aid while in high school

7% (N=4)

make students complete New Student Orientation

6% (N=3)

14% (N=30)

internal motivation; can’t be taught

-

12% (N=25)

help to develop peer relationships

-

10% (N=21)

better develop faculty-student relationships

-

10% (N=20)

peer study groups

-

11% (N=23)

matching learning style to teaching style

-

6% (N=12)

advertise activities/services better

-

6% (N=13)

make all students join a club

17% (N=25)

2011 other (10 or fewer responses): mid-semester motivation activity; more tutoring; help to develop peer relationships, etc.

2012 other (10 or fewer responses): sticky spaces; more advising; publicize faculty office hours; attendance grades; faculty development on teaching /learning styles; assign mentors; more awareness of majors

9% (N=5)

-

-

-

high school on-campus visits / tours of campus (including rural areas)

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, Quality Enhancement Plan Team, 2012

The PET form, which explores program goals, assessment data, outcomes, analysis, and recommendations, will assist the newly formed First-Year Experience (FYE) department in the alignment of program goals and outcomes with the College’s strategic plan. Due to the timing of the first FYS data collection and analysis (April 2012), the first PET form will be completed in Fall 2012.

As part of the larger Academic Success Division, the newly organized department will participate in a Program Review process on a 5-7 year rotation schedule. Designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the division under review, the Program Review analyzes the effectiveness and efficiencies of the reviewed program, ensures that the program is meeting or surpassing the needs of the students while accomplishing the goals of the College, and completes the loop for the integration of outcomes assessments, PET forms, past program reviews, and budgets. The Academic Success Division, and associated departments and programs, is scheduled for Program Review in 2019-2020.

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Course Level Assessments Course assessments, conducted in collaboration with the offices within the Planning and Advancement Division, include: a pre- and post- College Readiness Survey, FYS faculty focus groups, and course learning outcomes assessments.

Adapted by permission of the College of Southern Nevada, Amarillo College distributed a pre- and post- College Readiness Survey during the fourth and fifteenth weeks of the FYS pilot course during Fall 2011 in order to measure student self-perceptions of growth and development across the semester in areas of Academic Confidence, Financing College, Reasons for Going to College, Tackling College, AC Employees, Career Awareness, Reading and Writing, and Social Support.

Significant positive change was recorded in all areas. Table 5.7 reviews areas of growth identified in the FYS Student Survey Report: FYS Student College Readiness Results (2012) in which the change in student perspectives from the pre- and post-surveys showed a 10 or more points difference.

Table 5.7

College Readiness Survey, Pre- and Post-Test Results, Fall 2011 Academic Confidence

Statement:

Post-Test

Pre-Test

Change

I successfully manage stressful situations related to my school work

76.2% True (N=32)

51.2% True (N=62)

Positive (+25%)

I am confident using the computer and Internet for communicating with others and completing course assignments

90.5% True (N=37)

71.9% True (N=87)

Positive (+18.6%)

I am always confident that given advance notice, I am adequately prepared for any test

78.5% True (N=33)

65.3 % True (N=79)

Positive (+13.2%)

I take the initiative to communicate with my teachers, college staff and other students

73.9% True (N=31)

63.7% True (N=77)

Positive (+10.2%)

I successfully manage conflict(s) related to my schoolwork

83% True (N=34)

72.8% True (N=88)

Positive (+10.2%)

Financing College Statement:

Post-Test

Pre-Test

Change

I am aware of the resources at AC which can assist me with financial issues

81% True (N=34)

68% True (N=82)

Positive (+13%)

I successfully manage my money

78% True (N=32)

67.8% True (N=82)

Positive (+10.2%)

Post-Test

Pre-Test

Change

I have declared a major and I feel confident about my education

85.7% True (N=36)

58.7% True (N=71)

Positive (+27%)

I have explored the possibility for further education related to my chosen career

83.3% True (N=35)

57% True (N=69)

Positive (+26.3%)

Tackling College Statement:

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Statement:

Post-Test

Pre-Test

Change

I understand how to follow a degree sheet, its’ requirements and course sequence

69% True (N=29)

48.6% True (N=59)

Positive (+20.4%)

I keep a calendar and complete my assignments on time

76.2% True (N=32)

57% True (N=69)

Positive (+19.2%)

I balance the demands of work, family and school effectively

76.2% True (N=32)

59.5% True (N=72)

Positive (16.7%)

I have the academic skills necessary to succeed in my college classes

97.7% True (N=41)

83.5% True (N=101)

Positive (+14.2%)

I use study strategies, memory skills, and note-taking skills to improve my success in my classes

83.4% True (N=35)

71.1% True (N=86)

Positive (+12.3%)

Post-Test

Pre-Test

Change

92.9% True (N=39)

77.7% True (N=94)

Positive (+15.2%)

Post-Test

Pre-Test

Change

I have found at least one occupation that seems to fit well with my personality and interests

85.4% True (N=35)

63.7% True (N=77)

Positive (+21.7%)

My advisor and/or teachers have guided me in selecting my career goal based on my preferences and abilities

65.9% True (N=27)

44.6% True (N=54)

Positive (+21.3%)

In trying to plan a career, I have explored several possibilities and have weighed their advantages and disadvantages

70.8% True (N=29)

51.2% True (N=62)

Positive (+19.6)

I have made a firm decision to enter a certain occupation and have begun planning my life around that decision

72.5% True (N=29)

57% True (N=69)

Positive (+15.5%)

AC Employees Statement: Most of my teachers are very interesting and lively and they make the learning process quite enjoyable

Career Awareness Statement:

When I think about my career choice, I find that I have very little solid information to go on, such as the years of schooling and training required

43.9% Not True 32.2% Not True (N=18) (N=39)

Positive (+11.7%)

I am very confused about what occupation to go into

70.8% Not True 59.5% Not True (N=29) (N=72)

Positive (+11.3%)

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Reading & Writing Statement:

Post-Test

Pre-Test

Change

I like to spend some of my free time reading serious books and articles

39.1% True (N=16)

15.7% True (N=19)

Positive (+23.4%)

I am very comfortable writing a very clear and well-organized paper

69.1% True (N=29)

49.6% True (N=60)

Positive (+19.5%)

I pick up new vocabulary words quickly and I find it easy to use them in my speech and writing

52.4% True (N=22)

39.7% True (N=48)

Positive (+12.7%)

Pre-Test

Change

Social Support Statement:

Post-Test

I am having a hard time breaking away from my family/friends and attending college makes the situation worse

57.2% Not True 72.7% Not True (N=24) (N=88)

Negative (-15.5%)

Source: Amarillo College Office of Institutional Research, 2012

Students who completed the FYS pilot courses reported the following: • 85.7% are more confident in their academic ability; • 78.6% are more aware of financial resources and potential solutions to financial problems; • 88.1% are more confident that they can complete their college goals; • 83% have more clearly defined their career pathways; and • 71.4% would recommend this course to other students.

Initial findings from the Pre- and Post-Survey will serve as baseline data for implementation and scaling of the course.

In addition to qualitative assessments of student experiences, FYS faculty focus groups met during the Fall 2011 semester to provide a faculty perspective to the pilot course implementation as it unfolded throughout the teaching semester. Both student and faculty perspectives are essential in evolving the pedagogy and learning outcomes of the FYS course. In addition to sharing pedagogical concerns and solutions, specific decisions resulting from the faculty focus groups will continue to include customization of a course text and evolution of the curriculum.

Assessments will provide direct measurements of the effectiveness of the FYS course in achieving identified learning outcomes. Table 5.8 illustrates the alignment of FYS learning outcomes to assessments which will begin with the Fall 2012 pilot course sections.

With the exception of the Educational Plan and Career Project presentation, all course level

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2. Take charge of your life.

1. Increase self awareness.

AC Scoring Rubric

AC Scoring Rubric

Assessment Method

Students will create a comprehensive Educational Plan which includes the identification of shortand long-term goals.

Students will demonstrate growth in self-awareness.

Student Learning Outcome

Mid-semester

Mid-semester

Schedule

Establish baseline in 2012: +1% - 2013 +2% - 2014 +2% - 2015 +3% - 2016 +3% - 2017

Completion of Educational Plan Worksheet

Establish baseline in 2012: +1% - 2013 +2% - 2014 +2% - 2015 +3% - 2016 +3% - 2017

Completion and discussion of VARK Assessment

Completion and discussion of MyPlan Assessment

Metrics / Goal

First-Year Seminar Student Learning Objectives, Assessments and Outcomes

Student Learning Objective

Table 5.8

Instructor and staff training; curriculum changes

Instructor and staff training; curriculum changes

Use of Results

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AC Scoring Rubric

Pre- and PostCollege Readiness Survey

4. Increase self awareness.

5. Take charge of your life.

6. Identify and FYS Student interact within your Performance communities.

Report: Profile of FYS Student Success Report

AC Scoring Rubric

Assessment Method

3. Identify and interact within your communities.

Student Learning Objective

Each semester

Students are more aware of financial resources and potential solutions to financial problems.

Summer

End of semester

Students will demonstrate effective research skills utilizing technology.

Students will complete course with a grade C or better.

End of semester

Schedule

Students will explain the value of community experiences through written communication.

Student Learning Outcome

Baseline established in Fall 2011: 49% +1% - 2013 +5% - 2014 +5% - 2015 +5% - 2016 +5% - 2017; Goal: 70%

Baseline established in Fall 2011: 78% +2% - 2013 +5% - 2014 +5% - 2015 +5% - 2016 +5% - 2017; Goal: 100%

Establish baseline in 2012: +1% - 2013 +2% - 2014 +2% - 2015 +3% - 2016 +3% - 2017

Completion of an Annotated Bibliography

Establish baseline in 2012: +1% - 2013 +2% - 2014 +2% - 2015 +3% - 2016 +3% - 2017

Completion of Enrichment Activity worksheets

Metrics / Goal

Curriculum changes

Instructor and staff training; curriculum changes

Instructor and staff training; curriculum changes

Curriculum changes

Use of Results

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AC Scoring Rubric

AC Scoring Rubric

Students will create a comprehensive Educational Plan which includes the identification of shortand long-term goals.

Students will present the Career Project to the class.

Students will design a Career Project, including a MyPlan self-assessment, an annotated bibliography, and a job shadow/ interview.

7. Demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills.

8. Create effective communications.

Students will persist from one term to the next.

6. Identify and FYS Student interact within your Performance communities.

Report: Profile of FYS Student Success Report

AC Scoring Rubric

Student Learning Outcome

Assessment Method

Student Learning Objective

Mid-semester

End of semester

End of semester

Summer

Schedule

Establish baseline in 2012: +1% - 2013 +2% - 2014 +2% - 2015 +3% - 2016 +3% - 2017

Educational Plan worksheet

Establish baseline in 2012: +1% - 2013 +2% - 2014 +2% - 2015 +3% - 2016 +3% - 2017

Career Project

Establish baseline in 2012: +1% - 2013 +2% - 2014 +2% - 2015 +3% - 2016 +3% - 2017

Career Project

Baseline established in Fall 2011: 78% +2% - 2013 +2% - 2014 +2% - 2015 +3% - 2016 +3% - 2017; Goal: 90%

Metrics / Goal

Programmatic planning

Instructor and staff training

Programmatic planning; Curriculum changes

Programmatic planning; Instructor and staff training

Use of Results

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assessments are submitted through the Angel Learning Management System platform allowing submissions to be electronically archived and retrieved for analysis.

Summary

Amarillo College is committed to enhancing student learning through the implementation and evolution of a proven student success initiative focused on the unique needs of AC students.

Student completion of the First-Year Seminar will establish a solid foundation for college and career success. Collaboration with the Planning and Advancement Division is essential to ensuring that all FYS assessments are integrated through a “closing the loops� process – a process which necessitates continual assessment to generate improvement.

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REFERENCES & appendIces

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Refe r ences Amarillo College. (2011). AC joins national network to improve student success. Retrieved from http://www.actx.edu/index.php?module=article&id=314.

Amarillo College. (2012). General Education. Retrieved from http://catalog.actx.edu/preview_ program.php?catoid=11&poid=1813.

Boggs, G.R. (2011). The American community college: From access to success. In T. Brown, M.C. King, & P. Stanley (Eds.), Fulfilling the promise of the community college: Increasing first-year students engagement and success (Monograph No. 56, pp. 3-14). Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.

Brown, T., King, M.C., & Stanley, P. (Eds.). (2011) Fulfilling the promise of the community college: Increasing first-year students engagement and success (Monograph No. 56). Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.

Brown, T., & Rivas, M. (2011). Reframing at-risk to high-potential: Supporting the achievement and success of underprepared students in the critical first year of college. In T. Brown, M.C. King, & P. Stanley (Eds.), Fulfilling the promise of the community college: Increasing first-year students engagement and success (Monograph No. 56, pp. 53-66). Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.

Center for Community College Student Engagement (2012). A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success (A First Look). Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program.

Chickering, A.W., and Gamson, Z. (1987). Seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin.

Conley, D.T. (2007). Redefining College Readiness, Volume 5. Eugene, OR: Educational Policy Improvement Center.

Conley, D.T. (2008). College knowledge: What it really takes for students to succeed and what we can do to get them ready. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Conley, D.T. (2010). College and career ready: Helping all students succeed beyond high school.

San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Custer, H.H., Donohue, J., Friou, E., Hall, C., Hiatt, E., Kroesch, G., Krohn, B., Malik, S., Muhammad, F., Quijano, V., & Valdez, S. (2011). AVID Postsecondary strategies for success: A guide for faculty and student affairs professionals. San Diego, CA: AVID Press.

Echo360. (2012). Blended learning technologies: Connecting with the online-all-the-time student.

Dullus, VA: Echo360.

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Fain, P. (2012, February 21). Success begets success. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from http:// www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/02/21/student-success-courses-catch-slowly-communitycolleges.

Gardner, J. and Koch, A. (2011, January 13). A program is not a plan. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2011/01/13/gardner.

Habley, W.R. (2011). Enhancing first-year success in the community college: What works in student retention. In T. Brown, M.C. King, & P. Stanley (Eds.), Fulfilling the promise of the community college: Increasing first-year students engagement and success (Monograph No. 56, pp. 35-49). Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for the FirstYear Experience & Students in Transition.

Hamilton, R. (2012, February 21). Kay McClenney: The TT interview. The Texas Tribune.

Retrieved from http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/higher-education/kay-mcclenneytt-interview/?utm_source=texastribune.org&utm_medium=alerts&utm_campaign=News%20 Alert:%20Subscriptions.

Hull, D. (2005). Career pathways: Education with a purpose. CORD. Jenkins, D. (2011). Redesigning community colleges for completion: Lessons from research on high-performance organizations. Community College Research Center: 48.

Jenkins, D., & Cho, S.W. (2012). Get with the program: accelerating community college students’ entry into and completion of programs of study. Community College Research Center: Columbia University. CCRC Working Paper No. 32.

Kuh, G., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J., and Whitt, E. (2005). Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Lopez, Damen. (2009). No Excuses University: Hundreds of Schools – Thousands of Students – One Big Dream. China: TurnAround Schools Publications.

McClenney, K. Understanding entering community college students: Learning from student voices. In T. Brown, M.C. King, & P. Stanley (Eds.), Fulfilling the promise of the community college: Increasing first-year students engagement and success (Monograph No. 56, pp. 1533). Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.

MDC. (2006). Increasing student success at community colleges: Institutional change in Achieving the Dream – Community colleges count. Durham, NC: B. Gordon.

MDC. (2009). Field guide for improving student success: Achieving the dream – Community colleges count. Durham, NC: No author.

MDC. (2012). More to most: Scaling up effective community college practices. Durham, NC: A. Parcell.

Mellow, G.O., & Hellan, C. (2008). Minding the Dream: The Process and Practice of the American Community College. Lanham, M.D.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

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National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (2011). Down and in: Assessment practices at the program level. Champaign, IL: Ewell, P., Paulson, K, and Kinzie, J. Noel-Levitz. (2011). 2011 student retention practices at four-year and two-year institutions.

Coralville, Iowa: Author. Retrieved from: www.noellevitz.com/BenchmarkReports.

Office of Institutional Research and Institutional Effectiveness. (2011). FYS student performance report: Profile of FYS student success. Amarillo, TX: Larkan-Skinner, Smith & Mares.

Office of Institutional Research and Institutional Effectiveness. (2011). FYS student survey report: FYS student college readiness results. Amarillo, TX: Larkan-Skinner & Mares.

Orr, M.T., Alcantara, L, Frazier, F., Kalinka, C.J., and Kaplan, S. (2007). Boosters, brokers and bridges: Real-world ideas for college access programs. Indianapolis, IN: Lumina Foundation for Education, Inc. Padgett, R.D., & Keup, J.R. (2011). 2009 National Survey of First-Year Seminars: Ongoing Efforts to Support Students in Transition (Research Reports on College Transitions No. 2.) Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

Pascarella, E. (2001). Identifying excellence in undergraduate education: Are we even close?

Change, 33 (3), 18-23.

Pascarella, E.T & Terenzini, P.T. (2005). How college affects students, Vol. 2: A third decade of research. San Francisco: CA: Jossey-Bass.

Taylor, M.C. (2010). Crisis on campus: A bold plan for reforming our colleges and universities. New York: Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. (2012). Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manual. Austin, Texas: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. (2010). Guidelines for instructional programs in workforce education. Austin, Texas: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Tinto, V. (1999). Taking student retention seriously: Rethinking the first year of college. Syracuse, University: Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education.

Tinto, V. (2006). Research and practice of student retention: What’s next?� Journal of College Student Retention, Vol. 8(1), 1-19.

Wiley, A., Wyatt, J., and Camara, W.J. (2010). The development of a multidimensional college readiness index. College Board Research Report. No. 2010-3.

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append i ces Appendix A

CCSSE Analysis Team Membership

Name

Professional Assignment

Classification

Dr. Judith L. Carter

CCSSE Chair, Developmental English Coordinator

Faculty

Heather Atchley

Student Activities Director

Administrator

Tyler Grisham

disAbility Services Testing Specialist

Classified

Judy Jackman

Adviser

Faculty

Lynae’ Jacob

Speech/Theatre Department Chair

Faculty

Kara Larkan-Skinner

Institutional Research Director

Administrator

Patsy Lemaster

Associate Vice President, Center for Teaching and Learning

Administrator

Julie Mann

Customer Services Technical Specialist

Classified

Aimee Martin

Mathematics Associate Professor

Faculty

Adam Moore

Student

Student

Anthony Najar

Student Government Association Representation Chair

Student

Mark Usnick

BCIS Associate Professor

Faculty

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Appendix B

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Conversations on Student Success Team Membership

Name

Professional Assignment

Classification

Dr. Lana Jackson

Career Clusters Director, Professor and Department Chair of Mass Communication, Conversations Co-chair

Faculty

Dr. Kathy Wetzel

Conversations Co-chair, Mathematics Department Chair

Faculty

Tyler Adams

Student Government Association President

Student

Jennifer Bartlett

Mathematics Instructor

Faculty

Becky Burton

Radiography Program Director

Faculty

Judy H. Carter

Coordinator of Honors Programs

Retired Faculty

Brandi Clark

Systems Analyst III for Program Services

Classified

Cara Crowley

Director of Grants

Administrator

Dr. Mary Dodson

Professor of English

Faculty

Dr. Shawn Fouts

Corporate Development Consultant, B&I

Administrator

Charlotte Goebel

Peer Tutoring Assistant

Classified

Ann Hamblin

Professor of Reading

Faculty

Victoria Hughes

Community Outreach Specialist, Community Link

Classified

Dr. Alan Kee

Professor of Psychology

Faculty

Alexa Maples

Coordinator of TRIO Student Support Services

Classified

Jan Martin

Director of Medical Lab Technology

Faculty

Robert Mathews

Instructor of Truck Driving

Faculty

Susan McClure

Adviser, Division of Nursing

Faculty

Anthony Najar

SGA Representation Chair

Student

Ernesto Almos

Recruitment Specialist for Enrollment Mgmt.

Classified

Hailey Robertson

Student

Student

April Sessler

Associate Dean of Enrollment Management

Administrator

Joe Wyatt

Communications Coordinator of College Relations

Administrator

Dr. Steven Weber

Professor of Music

Faculty

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Appendix C

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QEP Team Membership

Name

Professional Assignment

Classification

Dr. Lana Jackson

QEP Director

Administrator

Dr. Judith L. Carter

QEP Assistant Director, Professor, Developmental English Coordinator

Faculty

Robert Austin

Ex-officio and VP of Student Affairs

Administrator

Dr. Tamara Clunis

Dean of Academic Success

Administrator

Megan Eikner

Associate Director of Continuing Education

Administrator

Lilia Escajeda

Ex-officio and Regent

Regent

Jill Gibson

Speech/Mass Communication Assistant Professor, Honors Assistant Professor

Faculty

Charlotte Goebel

Peer Tutoring Assistant

Classified

Matthew Goodman

English Instructor

Faculty

Kaki Hoover

Assistant Professor – Librarian

Faculty

Aimee Martin

Mathematics Associate Professor

Faculty

Jan Martin

Medical Lab Technology Director, Associate Professor

Faculty

Robert Mathews

Truck Driving Instructor

Faculty

Joe Wyatt

Communications Coordinator of College Relations

Administrator

Appendix D

FYS Pilot Faculty Team

Name

Professional Assignment

Classification

Dr. Lana Jackson

QEP Director

Administrator

Dr. Judith L. Carter

QEP Assistant Director, Professor, Developmental English Coordinator

Faculty

Edythe Carter

Mathematics Professor, Developmental Math Coordinator

Faculty

Dr. Tamara Clunis

Dean of Academic Success

Administrator

Jill Gibson

Speech/Mass Communication Assistant Professor, Honors Assistant Professor

Faculty

Courtney Milleson

Advising & Counseling Assistant Professor

Faculty

Vicki Swiedom

Advising Associate

Classified

Karen White

Mathematics Instructor

Faculty

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Appendix E

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EDUC 1200 Course Syllabus • Fall 2011

Department

Education

Honorary

Professor

Instructor

Edie Carter

E-Mail

elcarter@actx.edu

Phone

806-371-5335

Office Hours

Monday: 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Tuesday: 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. and 8:15-8:45 p.m.

Wednesday: 1:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Thursday and Friday: by appointment During these times, in order to ensure my undivided attention, I encourage students to schedule appointments. I am also available at alternative times by appointment. Please do not hesitate to speak to me before or after class or contact me by telephone (371-5335 or 433-9009) or e-mail (elcarter@actx.edu) if you have any questions or concerns. I will usually return all email within 12 hours. If I do not reply within that time period, please contact me again.

Semester

Fall

Catalog Year

2011-2012

Disability Statement

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Course Title

Learning Framework

Course Name and Number

EDUC-1200

Course Section

020

Prerequisites Course Description

A study of the: research and theory in the psychology of learning, cognition and motivation; factors that impact learning; and application of learning strategies. Theoretical models of strategic learning, cognition and motivation serve as the conceptual basis for the introduction of college-level student academic strategies. Students use assessment instruments (e.g., learning inventories) to help them identify their own strengths and weaknesses as strategic learners. Students are ultimately expected to integrate and apply the learning skills discussed across their own academic programs and become effective and efficient learners.

Students developing these skills should be able to continually draw from the theoretical models they have learned.

Hours

(2 sem hrs; 2 lec)

Class Type

Hybrid

Textbooks

FOCUS on Community College Success by Constance Staley, ISBN: 978-0-495-57176-6

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Amarillo College Student Planner and Handbook Amarillo College Common Reader: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,

by Jonathan Safran Foer, ISBN: 978-0-618-71165-9 Supplies

Thumb drive Note-taking materials Internet access 1/2� 3 ring-binder (provided) 10 page protectors (provided) 5 tab dividers (provided)

Student Perfor mance/Course Objectives

1. Increase self-awareness.

2. Take charge of your life.

3. Identify and interact within your communities.

4. Manage your money.

5. Communicate effectively using a variety of formats.

6. Demonstrate information literacy skills.

7. Demonstrate effective study skills.

8. Demonstrate creative and critical thinking skills.

9. Develop an integrated educational and career pathway.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Student Behavior

Students are expected to behave in the classroom in a manner that is supportive of the learning environment. Behaviors that are not supportive include, but are not limited to: tardiness/leaving early; electronic device noises; talking during lectures; abusive, offensive or disrespectful behavior/language.

Emails sent to your instructor must be addressed and signed. Emails, like all academic work, should be proofread, should not include slang or abbreviations, and should not resemble text messages.

Turn off cell phones or put them on silent during class.

Any student caught plagiarizing or cheating will receive a failing grade.

According to the Amarillo College Student Code of Conduct, plagiarism is the appropriating, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another’s work and the acknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own written work.

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Grading Criteria

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Your course grade will be determined by the following percentages: 10% Attendance/Class Participation

30% Daily Work / Homework

Includes discussion postings and drop box assignments

in AC Online course 20% AC Online quizzes completed by deadline 10% Enrichment Activities

You must attend/participate in 3 Enrichment Activities and write a short reflection paper on each experience. These activities are scheduled outside of regular class time. You may choose three activities from those that appear on the detailed Course Calendar located in the AC Online course.

30% Career Project

The Career Project will be completed in three parts: a job shadow, an annotated bibliography identifying key research about your chosen career, and a presentation

to classmates.

No late work accepted.

Final letter grades will be assigned as follows: A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C = 70-79 D = 60-69 F = below 60

Instructor Attendance Policy

Regular attendance is essential for satisfactory achievement. Your participation will directly affect your grade. Daily attendance will be recorded. For hybrid classes, points will be deducted from your participation/attendance grade for more than one absence -- regardless of the reason for the absence. Leaving class prior to dismissal time or arriving late will be counted as an absence. If you must stop attending, withdraw officially by the deadline. No administrative withdrawals will be initiated by the instructor.

Course Calendar

A more detailed course calendar will be provided in the AC Online Course.

Additional Information

It is of great benefit to gather fellow students’ contact information in the event you want to contact them to discuss an assignment or just to ask them a question.

Name_____________________________________________________ Contact Information_____________________________________ Name_____________________________________________________ Contact Information_____________________________________ Name_____________________________________________________ Contact Information_____________________________________

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Calendar Week 1 Aug. 22-26

Reading Online Lectures: - You’re in College Now - Technology Tips Textbook Reading: pp. 1-24

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Assignments Discussion: “About Me” E-mail contact information to instructor Mark important dates in Badger planner ENRICHMENT: Movie Night at the Pit – Thor, Aug. 25, 8:30 p.m.

ENRICHMENT: Noises Off!, Experimental Theatre, Aug. 24-27, 7:30 p.m., $7

Week 2 Aug. 29-Sept. 2

Online Lectures: - Achieving Your Dream

Complete pre-survey on College Readiness

Textbook Reading: pp. 25-46

Complete “Achieve Your Dream – No Excuses” Commitment Pledge ENRICHMENT: Join a club. Attend a minimum of 3 meetings.

Week 3 Sept. 5-9

Labor Day Holiday – Mon., Sept. 5

Discussion: “Self-Awareness and Time Management”

Online Lectures: - Defining Yourself - Managing Your Time and Energy

QUIZ: Multiple Choice

Textbook Reading: pp. 25-46 Week 4 Sept. 12-16

Online Lectures: - Learning to Learn - Maximize Your Learning Textbook Reading: pp. 63-71, pp. 225-232, pp. 185-205

ENRICHMENT: The Ladd Lecture, Sept. 8, Amarillo Museum of Art Complete the VARK questionnaire (learning styles) Discussion: “My Personal Learning Style & Strategies” Download Cornell Notes Template. Use template to take notes in another course.

Turn in notes to instructor.

QUIZ: Matching ENRICHMENT: Reconstructing 9/11 Kick-off Event, Celebration of diversity and unity at 11:45 a.m., Lunch provided

Week 5 Sept. 19-23

Online Lectures: - Your Hidden Agenda - Choosing a College Major and Career, Part 1 Textbook Reading: pp. 297-314 Fall Fest Celebration – Thurs., Sept. 22

Drop Box: Complete MyPlan (career inventory) Discussion: “myplan and My Future” Schedule visit with Career counselor ENRICHMENT: TG Financial Literacy Mini-Programs, Sept. 20 & 21 Drop Box: Enrichment Activity #1

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Week 6 Sept. 26-30

Week 7 Oct. 3-7

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Online Lectures: - Stress and Wellness - Tests and Test Anxiety

Drop Box: Complete Wellness Plan

Textbook Reading: pp. 235-264

QUIZ: Multiple Choice, True-False, Short answer

Online Lectures: - Choosing a College Major and Career, Part 2

Identify professional mentor for Job Shadow. Clear selection with your instructor.

Textbook Reading: pp.235-264

Discussion: “Job Shadow Plans” Schedule job shadow

Discussion: Stress & Tests

RESEARCH: Begin researching Career Project; Download Annotated Bibliography sample ENRICHMENT: Suddenly Last Summer, Oct. 7 & 8, 7:30 p.m., $7

Week 8 Oct. 10-14

Online Lectures: - College Reading Techniques - College Writing Techniques

Continue to work on job shadow

Textbook Reading: pp. 207-225, pp. 148-153

ENRICHMENT: Annual Leadership Retreat at the Campground, 5:30 p.m. on Friday the 14th, ends 12:00 noon on Saturday the 15th. Cost $5

RESEARCH: Continue to work on Career Project

ENRICHMENT: Co-ed Volleyball League, Oct. 13, 20, 27; Nov. 3, 10, 17; 6-10 p.m.

Week 9 Oct. 17-21

Online Lectures: - Oct. 17-21 Textbook Reading: pp. 315-324

Continue to work on job shadow. If you have not scheduled your job shadow, see your instructor this week.

Discussion: “My Goals” RESEARCH: Continue to work on Career Project Work on your unique Educational Pathway Plan Drop Box: Enrichment Activity #2

Week 10 Oct. 24-28

Online Lectures: - Manage Your Money

Complete survey at realitycheck.com

Textbook Reading: pp. 97-101

Drop Box: Money Management Worksheet

Discussion: “Reality Check”

RESEARCH: Continue to work on Career Project. Connect Career objectives to your Educational Pathway Plan.

QUIZ: Multiple Choice, True-False, Short answer

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Week 11 Oct. 31-Nov. 4

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Online Lectures: - Critical Thinking - Creativity

Continue to work on job shadow

Textbook Reading: pp. 103-125

TURN IN To Instructor: Educational Pathway Plan

RESEARCH: Continue to work on Career Project

QUIZ: Essay ENRICHMENT: Common Reader author night - Wed., Nov. 2 ENRICHMENT: Grand Opening at the Amarillo Museum of Art, Nov. 2 Week 12 Nov. 7-11

Online Lectures: - College Communication, Part 1 - College Communication, Part 2 Textbook Reading: pp.179-180, pp. 275-279

Week 13 Nov. 14-18

Week 14 Nov. 21-25

Course Grade Determined by:

Enrichment Activities TBD

Drop Box: Career Project Annotated Bibliography ENRICHMENT: AC Intramurals 5K, Nov. 12 all day Discussion: “Listening”

Textbook Reading: pp. 155-168

QUIZ (wk 12-13): Short Answer

Last Day to Withdraw – Wed., Nov. 16

Begin preparations for Career Project presentation: MyPlan results + career research/bibliography + job shadow experience + educational plan

Online Lectures: - Conflict - Emotional Intelligence

Discussion: “Conflict”

Thanksgiving Holiday – Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 24-26

Week 16 Dec. 5-9

Continue to work on job shadow

Online Lectures: - Listening

Textbook Reading: pp. 279-282, pp. 269-273

Week 15 Nov. 28-Dec. 2

Discussion: “Communication”

Continue to work on job shadow

Work on Career Project presentation: MyPlan results + career research/ bibliography + job shadow experience + educational plan Drop Box: Enrichment Activity #3

Online Lectures: - Working in the 21st Century

Discussion: Job Shadow Experience

Textbook Reading: pp. 325-337

Complete post-survey on college readiness

Finals

Presentation: Career Project

Drop Box: Job Shadow Paper

Commencement – Sat., Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to noon 10% 30% 20% 10% 30%

Attendance/ Participation (coming to class) Daily Work/ Homework (Discussions, Drop Box – except for Career Project) Tests & Quizzes Enrichment Activities Career Project

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Appendix F

FYS Instructor Certification Workshop

Agenda

Monday, May 21

8:30 Welcome & Icebreaker 9:00 Overview 10:00 Greeting by Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart 10:15 BREAK 10:30 Understanding First-Year Students 11:00 Course Structure & Assignments 12:15 Your Assignments 12:30 Optional Lunch (Dutch Treat)

Tuesday, May 22

8:30 9:00 9:30 10:15 10:30 11:30 12:30

Guest Speakers MyPlan presentation Research presentation BREAK Learning Theory & Practical Applications Work on Your Assignments Optional Lunch (Dutch Treat)

Wednesday, May 23

8:30 9:30 10:00 10:15 10:30 12:30

Active Learning Enhancing Student Engagement on Campus Educational Plan BREAK Your Assignment Presentations Optional Lunch (Dutch Treat)

Thursday, May 24

8:30 Your Assignment Presentations 12:00 Wrap-up 12:30 Adjourn

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Appendix G

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Achieve Your Dream – A ‘No Excuses’ Pledge

Achieve Your Dream A ‘No Excuses’ Pledge

I, ________________________________, do hereby pledge to do my part on the road through college.

I know I cannot do it alone, but my journey starts and ends with me.

I will take responsibility for my education.

I will study and work hard.

And, with the help of family, friends, faculty, staff, advisers and mentors, I can achieve my goal of successfully completing college – and I will. _______________________________________________ (your signature)

_______________________________________________ (date)

Signatures appearing below identify individuals who join in the shared promise to help you achieve your goal.

______________________________________ (Family Member)

________________________________________ (AC Employee)

_____________________________________________ (Friend)

__________________________________ (Additional Supporter)

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Appendix H

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Curriculum Vitae: Lana Jackson, Ph.D.

Curriculum Vitae: Lana Jackson, Ph.D. lcjackson@actx.edu

Lana Jackson offers 28 years of classroom and supervisory experience focused on developing and promoting student success. Career responsibilities have spanned both faculty and administrative duties, including the supervision of classified and faculty personnel, leadership roles on multiple college-wide projects and committees, and key supervisory roles requiring the collection, analysis and use of data for purposes of enhancing student learning and success. Diversified skill sets include mastery of Angel and WebCT Learning Management Systems and associated software applications required for the creation of online courses, successful teaching experiences in traditional, hybrid and online formats, expertise with desktop publishing and Microsoft Office technologies, and leadership roles in the development of program and college-wide curricula.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Higher Education, 2008 Texas Tech University Dissertation: Faculty Actions and Student Satisfaction in Distance Education

Courses at Three Texas Community Colleges Master of Arts, Education Administration, 1994 University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Bachelor of Arts, Mass Communications, 1983, Graduated with Honors University of Texas of the Permian Basin Associate in Arts, General Studies, 1981, Odessa College Graduate, 1980, Andrews High School

Certifications Mid-management Administrator Certificate (PK-12), Texas Education Agency Texas Teaching Certificate, Texas Education Agency Journalism, Government, English (Grades 06-12)

Career Profile Postsecondary Education Experience Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Director, 2010-present Amarillo College, Amarillo, Texas Responsibilities include: primary operational steward and coordinator of the QEP; develops the short- and long-range goals, objectives, and budgets related to the QEP; coordinates and guides the QEP Team through the developmental phase, including data

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collection and assessment, identification and broad-based engagement of all stakeholders, and preparation of the formal QEP proposal; maintains accurate documentation for SACSCOC; supervises the identification of student learning initiatives and Best Practices that impact student success; partners with Institutional Researcher and Institutional Effectiveness in developing assessment techniques for the implementation of QEP initiatives, including a tracking system that will monitor the progress of participants engaged in identified learning initiatives; publicizes the QEP at the campus level through print and web resources; manages the QEP budget; assists with Career Clusters and Institutional Effectiveness projects as assigned.

Graduate Faculty, Adjunct, 2012-present Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas Responsibilities include: online instruction of graduate level courses for College of Education using Blackboard LMS.

Director of Career Clusters Development, Summer 2009-2011 Amarillo College, Amarillo, Texas Responsibilities include: integration of AC instructional programs into the Career Clusters structure through the coordination of college-wide personnel and programs; oversight implementation of WIDS, a robust database software which allows personnel to manage, analyze and revise curricula across disciplines for the purpose of building effective Career Pathways and assessing student outcomes; coordination of brochure development for Career Clusters and associated instructional programs; outreach liaison to area independent school districts to vertically align curricula through the cluster model; outreach liaison to business and industry representatives for cluster programming needs.

Professor, Mass Communication Department, 1996-2010 Department Chair, 2003-2010 Amarillo College, Amarillo, Texas Tenured, 2003 Responsibilities include: coordination of three program budgets; planning and coordination of semester schedules; assessment, evaluation, and long-range planning for curricular and technology needs in academic and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs; supervision and evaluation of personnel; liaison with radio and television advisory boards, public school teachers, and area media professionals; recruitment and advising of students; development and implementation of on-campus, hybrid and online mass communication courses; co-advise the student-produced campus newspaper, magazine, and converged media projects; fulfill community and college service needs.

Secondary Education Experience Journalism Teacher, Yearbook and Newspaper Adviser, 1987-1996

Tascosa High School, Amarillo Independent School District, Amarillo, Texas Administrative Assistant, 1990-1993

Tascosa High School, Amarillo Independent School District, Amarillo, Texas Journalism/English Teacher, Yearbook and Newspaper Adviser, 1983-1986

Andrews High School, Andrews Independent School District, Amarillo, Texas

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Professional Media Experience Stringer, Freelancer – Amarillo Globe-News, Amarillo, Texas, 1999-2002 Women’s News Editor – Andrews County News, Andrews, Texas, 1979-1980

Postsecondary Projects

• Curriculum Development Leader for the First-Year Seminar (FYS), a college and

career readiness course for college freshmen, 2011-ongoing • Coaches/Champions Mentoring Project, 2011-ongoing • Worldwide Instructional Design System (WIDS) Implementation, 2009-2011 • Brochure Development for Career Clusters, 2009-2011 • Campus Liaison with area independent school district administrators for alignment of

secondary and postsecondary curriculum using the National Career Clusters model, 2008-2010 • Substantive Change for Distance Learning Prospectus, accreditation report for The

Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS),

chief editor and co-writer, April 2009 • Substantive Change for Off-Campus Sites, Amarillo and Randall High Schools

Prospectus, SACS report, chief editor, April 2009 • Fifth-Year Interim Report Documentation for Hereford Campus, SACS report, chief

editor and co-writer, August 2008 • Fifth-Year Interim Report, chief editor and co-writer, August 2008 • Media Convergence at Amarillo College, 2004-2011 • MEDIA MANIA, September 1997-2006

Postsecondary Publications •

• • • •

Jackson, L.C., Jones, S.J., and Rodriquez, R.C. (2010). Faculty Actions That Result in Student Satisfaction in Online Courses. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks.

14 (4): 78-96.

Career Clusters brochures, 2009-present AC Plugged In, 4 articles, 2008-2009 Mass Communication department brochure, Summer 2006 Media Mania brochures, 1997-2006

Postsecondary Presentations

•

•

• • •

•

•

“Engaging Across Generations BXiY: Lessons in Building for Student Success in a Technology Rich Learning Environment,” Texas Community College Teachers Association (TCCTA), Summer 2012 “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Curriculum Alignment,” Texas Association of Career and Technical Educators (TACTE), Spring 2012 Media Convergence, Panhandle Publications Workshop, Summer 2009 Mass Communication Department website development, Summer 2009 “Media Convergence – What’s in Your Future?,” Texas Community College Journalism Association Convention, September 2005 “Weaving WebCT and Student-Centered Instruction,” FIRST Center Spring Showcase, April 2001 “WebCT 3.1 and TOPIC,” FIRST Friday, November 2000

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Postsecondary Grants & Honors • •

•

• • •

•

Badger Heart Award, 2009 Seminar Grants, Poynter Institute for Media Studies, St. Petersburg, Florida Convergence Journalism for College Educators, February 2005 Interactive Design Seminar, April 2001 Reporting with the Internet for Educators, May 2001 Instructional Development Grants, AC Faculty Grants Selection Committee COMM 2315 online course development, 2000 COMM 2311 online course development, 1999 VCT online course scholarship, Carl Perkins Act, 2000 ACE Award, 1999 Edith Fox King Award (Interscholastic League Press Conference recognition for outstanding contributions to Texas Scholastic Journalism), 1997 Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, 1996, 1997

Service to the College

• Achieving the Dream (AtD) Core Team member, 2010-present • Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Core Team member, 2011-present • Institutional Effectiveness Committee, 2010 • College and Career Readiness Student Focus Groups, producer and moderator, 2011-present • Conversations on Student Success Student Focus Groups, producer and co-moderator, 2009-2010 • AC Bloggers, 2008-2010 • Instructional Technology Council, 2008-2009 • Faculty Senate President, 2008-2009 • Faculty Senate Vice-President, 2007-2008 • Faculty Senate, 2006-2009 • Faculty Development Committee, 1997-2000, 2007-2008, 2009-2010 • Institutional Review Board, 2007-2009 • Instructional Assessment Sub-committee, Ethics & Diversity, 2006-2008 • Initiated acmediapalooza.com, 2006-2008 • Business Division Program Review committee chair, 2005-2009 • AC Pirates of the Canyon Hot Air Balloon Rally, 2008 • IT Strategic Planning committee, 2005-2006 • MEDIA MANIA coordinator, 1997-2006 • What Matters Most facilitator, priority initiative 3, 2004 • Distinguished Alumnus Selection Committee, 2004-2005 • Career Connection, 2004 • ACcess Division Program Review committee, 2003-2004 • FIRST Center Stipend Committee, 2001

Service to the Community • • • •

Arts, AV & Technology Career Clusters - state representative, 2008-2011 Josten’s Summer Workshop host, 2000-present Taylor Publishing Company Summer Workshop host, 1998-present Marketing in Action: Celia’s Restaurant with Guyon Saunders, 2006

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• acmediapalooza.com, 2006-2008 • MEDIA MANIA coordinator, 1997-2006 • Spellman & Associates, trainer, 2003, 2005 • Avondale Elementary School 5th grade yearbook, 2003-2004 • Amarillo’s Promise Advertising Campaign creation, 2003-2004 • Avondale Elementary School directory, 2001-2004 • Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) committee for journalism education, 2002-2003

Professional Memberships • • • • • • •

National Council of Instructional Administrators (NCIA) Texas Community College Teachers Association (TCCTA) National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) College Media Advisers (CMA) Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Texas Community College Journalism Association (TCCJA) Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA)

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Appendix I

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Curriculum Vitae: Jill Gibson

Curriculum Vitae: Jill Gibson jlgibson@actx.edu

Winner of Amarillo College’s highest teaching award, the John F. Mead Faculty Excellence Award, Jill Gibson has spent the past 20 years in higher education both as an administrator and faculty member. This time spent working closely with freshman students has solidified her commitment to and understanding of the importance of implementing effective student success strategies. Gibson has served on numerous college committees, including the First-Year Experience Committee and the Institutional Outcomes Assessment Committee. She also advises student clubs and teaches honors and presidential scholars’ courses. Gibson’s teaching experience includes traditional, hybrid and online formats, with an emphasis on curriculum development and the implementation of engaging online course work. She has served as a learning management trainer for the College’s recent implementation of the Angel LMS. Gibson’s areas of expertise also include video production, desktop publishing, public relations, business communication and team management.

Education

Master of Science in Journalism with Broadcast Concentration, 1989 Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism Recipient of McCormick Fellowship Bachelor of Arts in English and Drama, Graduated with Distinction, 1988 Stanford University

Career Profile Assistant Professor, Mass Communication/Speech Department, 2004-present Amarillo College, Amarillo, Texas Tenured, 2011 Responsibilities include teaching Speech and Mass Communication classes. Duties include classroom and online instruction, preparation and grading; syllabus and curriculum development; assisting with competitions, recruiting and other departmental functions.

Develop and teach interactive, media-rich online classes. Teach Honors Speech courses.

Serve as adviser to AC student media, including The Ranger and The Ranger Online. Serve on various College committees, conduct outcomes assessment, and assist with marketing/ promotional efforts for both departments and for the college as a whole.

Freelance Writer/Editor/Marketing Consultant, 1997-2004 Amarillo College/KACV-TV, Amarillo, Texas Responsible for a wide variety of writing, editing and marketing projects for Amarillo College and KACV-TV. Projects included researching, writing and editing for Amarillo College’s Southern Association of Colleges and Schools re-accreditation study, report and addendum; coordinating marketing and publicity for a community outreach program on end-of-life care; writing public service announcements, soliciting media coverage and placing advertisements for KACV television specials; and researching and writing the Amarillo College Technology Master Plan.

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Director of College Relations, 1995-1997 Amarillo College, Amarillo, Texas Oversaw all external communications for this five-campus comprehensive community college and worked with all elements of the College, the community, the service area and the media to enhance the college’s public image and maintain goodwill. Formulated, implemented, supervised and evaluated the college’s communications activities through marketing, media relations, public relations, publications, advertising, website development and budgeting. Supervised a seven-member staff and oversaw an approximately half-million dollar advertising and marketing budget. Represented the College president during events and activities.

Assistant to the President/Coordinator Publicity and Recruiting, 1992-1995 Texas State Technical College, Amarillo, Texas Responsible for strategic planning and execution of marketing, promotional, advertising and recruiting activities. Public speaking and presentations to the College’s many publics including community leaders, civic groups, educators and prospective students. Coordinated special events and community outreach. Wrote news releases, coordinated media coverage, fielded media inquiries and represented the College in television, radio and newspaper interviews. Developed and implemented recruiting strategies. Conducted presentations and campus tours for prospective students, parents, educators, civic leaders and community groups.

Television reporter, anchor, producer, 1989-1992 KAMR-TV, Amarillo, Texas KOBR-TV/KOB-TV, Roswell, New Mexico The Lawrence Report, Lawrence, Kansas Responsibilities included researching, writing, editing videotape and narrating stories on all topics, including anchoring nightly news and news cut-ins, representing the station in the community, speaking at public functions, hosting telethons, compiling news broadcasts, managing newsroom, assigning stories, arranging schedules and overseeing staff.

Postsecondary Presentations • • • • • • • •

Annual moderator for Common Reader discussion panels, 2009, 2010, 2011 Annual presenter for New Faculty Academy classes, ongoing Annual presenter for Part-time Faculty Certification classes, ongoing Moderator of Honors Patriot Act Debate, 2011 Announced names of graduates at commencement ceremonies, 2009, 2010 Me Inc. presentation on communication for AC faculty and staff , 2009 KACV Pledge Drive Host, 2008, 2009 Moderator of student presidential election debate, 2004

Postsecondary Grants & Honors • •

John F. Mead Faculty Excellence Award, 2009-2010 Texans Caring for Texans Award, 2010

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Service to the College • • • • • • • • • • • •

QEP Team member, 2010-present Honors Committee member, 2008-present First-Year Experience Committee member, 2008-present Faculty Development Committee member, 2008-2010 E-Learning Faculty Internship Committee member, 2009 Instructional Designer Search Committee member, 2009 LMS Promotions Subcommittee chair, 2008 Faculty Senator, 2008-2011 Faculty Senate Secretary, 2008-2010 Chair of Aesthetic Assessment Subcommittee, 2006-2008 Member of Instructional Assessment Committee, 2005-1010 Member of Director of Communications Search Committee, 2004

Service to the Community • •

• • • • • •

disAbility Career Fair Presenter, 2009 Media Violence presentation for Parenting, the Underdeveloped Skill, conference, 2006 & 2007 Awards Ceremony Host for Regional Science Fair, 2007 Presentation on Amarillo College for Austin Middle School, 2007 Media Violence presentation for the Opportunity School, 2006 Your Digital Destiny presentation for Regional Science Fair, 2006 Presentation to Texas Community College Journalism Association, 2005 Presentation for National Association of Professional Mortgage Women, 2005

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Appendix J

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No Excuses! Core Team Membership

Name

Professional Assignment

Classification

Dr. Paul Matney

College President

Administrator

Dr. Russell LoweryHart

Vice President of Academic Affairs

Administrator

Robert Austin

Vice President of Student Affairs

Administrator

Danita McAnally

Chief of Planning and Advancement

Administrator

Ellen Green

Chief of Communication & Marketing

Administrator

Lee Colaw

Chief Information Officer

Administrator

Charlotte Rhodes

Amarillo Area Foundation

Private Citizen

Dr. Tamara Clunis

Dean of Academic Success

Administrator

Dr. Kathy Wetzel

Chair/Professor of Mathematics, Sciences & Engineering

Faculty

Kara Larkan-Skinner

Director of Institutional Research

Administrator

Renee Vincent

Executive Director – Moore County Campus

Administrator

April Sessler

Associate Vice President of Student Affairs

Administrator

Dr. Lana Jackson

QEP Director

Administrator

Dr. Mike Bellah

English Professor

Faculty

Sharon Doggett

Director of Accounting

Administrator

Danielle Flowers

Student

Student

Melodie Graves

Senior Advising Associate

Classified

Victor Montes

Student

Student

Mark Rowh

Associate Professor of Nucleur Medicine Technology

Faculty

Jeanetta Smiley

Administrative Clerk II – Continuing Education

Classified

Pam Trujillo

Associate Professor of Nutrition

Faculty

Tony Thomas

Associate Professor of Computer Assisted Drafting

Faculty

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Amarillo College No Excuses! Belief System: Student Success and Completion

Philosophy

At Amarillo College, we believe all students hold potential for college and career success. We strive to ensure every student has a success story. We embrace our responsibility for the “whole” student by setting high expectations for them and then assisting students in reaching these expectations.

We aspire to treat each student as an individual with unique challenges and needs.

We know that life is too short to listen to excuses. We will analyze and evaluate reasons for students’ successes and struggles, and not allow them to become our excuse for lack of success.

When we establish goals for ourselves and our college, we will reach them in powerful and profound ways.

Our students often get one shot at success – they depend on us. We will strive to be the right person for each student who crosses our path.

Process

We will forge a model for student success that is inspired by high expectations—ours and our students—and sustained by six exceptional systems.

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

Culture of Universal Achievement: We believe that every student can succeed in the completion of a certificate, degree or any other individual goal. We will be diligent and unceasing in our efforts to both maintain academic rigor and help our students’ achieve their individual dreams.

Collaboration: We will launch a true team effort that focuses on new, better, data-driven ways to improve student completion and career opportunities.

Standards Alignment: We will discover and develop new, better strategies for aligning our curriculum, programs, goals, and processes to bolster and optimize student completion.

Assessment: We will use our assessments of student experiences and learning outcomes to improve our curriculum, instruction, policies, and practices to maximize opportunities for student success.

Data Analysis: We will communicate with each other through data. We will use data to inform and drive our decision making.

Interventions: We will evaluate data with the guiding question, “if this data – then this intervention.” Our interventions will be responsive, effective, and scalable for maximum impact.

Purposes

Our No Excuses philosophy and processes will facilitate students’ ability to: • Successfully complete developmental courses and advance to credit bearing courses; • Successfully complete initial college-level or gateway courses; • Complete courses with a grade of C or better; • Persist from one term to the next; and • Earn a certificate, degree, or reverse transfer.

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Professional

As a member of the Amarillo College family, we will embrace the six “C’s” of a No Excuses! professional.

•

•

• •

• •

Committed: We are committed to being the right person for each student by expecting students’ best efforts and then guiding them to excellence. We are committed to being the right person for each other by supporting efforts to improve student success from our colleagues across the institution.

Courageous: We will have the courage to confront the status quo when it impedes student success. We will have courage to ensure our important work is not deterred by those who tell us our dreams for students are unrealistic or impossible.

Collaborative: We support and trust each other in our work toward student completion.

Creative: We are innovative and embrace new ways to better serve our students. We are not satisfied with continuing the “AC way” if our data shows we can do better.

Character-centered: We will do the right thing for our students and each other.

Completion focused: College completion and career readiness drive our efforts, no matter our job descriptions or reporting structures – we are all on the college completion team.

Powerful Symbolism

We are committed to exposing our students to the powerful imagery of successful completion and careers. Students will experience the symbolism of careers in and out of the classroom through internships, experiential learning, service learning, mentors, career planning, and/or career specific posters/photos/job postings/multimedia.

Pledge

As students enter Amarillo College, they pledge: I do hereby pledge to do my part on the road through college.

I know I cannot do it alone. I will ask for and seek the help I need.

I will take responsibility for my education.

I will study and work hard.

And, with the help of family, friends, faculty, staff, advisers and mentors, I can achieve my goal of successfully completing college and starting my career – and I will.

As employees of Amarillo College, we pledge to be the “right person” by helping our students fulfill their pledge to us.

Programs

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We are a part of a No Excuses! network of people dedicated to student success at every level.

As such, we will work hard to market our “No Excuses” message internally and externally through powerful symbolism and professional development. While our plans and actions will evolve based on data, our initial No Excuses! efforts will focus on: 1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Tutoring expansion: A critical element of academic success is skill building and support.

With award winning examples of tutoring already available to our students, Amarillo College will work to expand the reach, impact, and requirements of tutoring.

Course Redesign: With a need to respond to generational and workplace skill shifts, course redesign fuses course content, instructional technology and active learning.

The redesign process reshapes learning environments to significantly increase student knowledge acquisition and success.

FYS course: Amarillo College will work to build a First-Year Seminar course for all incoming, “first-time-in-college” students that aligns career clusters and builds academic and life skills to ensure students are prepared for college success.

Poverty Initiative: with almost 60% of AC’s students living in poverty, Amarillo College will work to leverage new tools such as Benefit Bank, AC Food Pantry, Retention Alert, and Social Service Coordination for additional support toward academic success.

Developmental Education: With over 65% of AC’s students enrolled in developmental education courses, success in developmental education is critical. Amarillo College will review the developmental education success data and develop a plan for pre-enrolment interventions, placement, and options for acceleration.

No Excuses! First-Year Seminar |

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No Excuses! First-Year Seminar |

Associate Degree Nursing, Associate Professor

D’dee Grove

Vice President of Academic Affairs

Speech/Mass Communication Assistant Professor, Honors Assistant Professor

Jill Gibson

Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart

Interior Design Assistant Professor

Ann Fry

QEP Director

Child Development Instructor

Rochelle Fouts

Dr. Lana Jackson

Dean of Career & Technical Education

Dr. Shawn Fouts

Reading Professor

English Instructor

Becky Easton

Judy Isbell

Social Sciences Instructor

Gary Douglass

Psychology & Social Sciences Assistant Professor

English Instructor

Cristy Creacy

Dr. Deborah Harding

Honors Program Coordinator

Judy H. Carter

Reading Professor

Developmental English Coordinator, Professor, QEP Assistant Director

Dr. Judith L. Carter

Ann Hamblin

Mathematics Professor, Developmental Math Coordinator

Edythe Carter

English Instructor

Radiography Program Director, Assistant Professor

Becky Burton

Matthew Goodman

Adult Students Program, Assistant Professor

Nancy Brent

Professional Assignment ESL Instructor and Outreach Coordinator

FYS Certified Instructors

Dolores Arambula

Name

Appendix L

94

Washington Street

Washington Street

Washington Street

Washington Street

Washington Street

Moore County

West

Washington Street

Washington Street

Washington Street

East

Washington Street

Washington Street

Washington Street

Washington Street

Washington Street

Washington Street

West

Washington Street

Hereford

Campus

Administrator

Administrator

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Administrator

Faculty

Adjunct

Adjunct

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Classification

Amarillo College Q E P | Fa l l 2 0 1 2

English Department Chair Mathematics Associate Professor Medical Lab Technology Coordinator, Associate Professor Office Administration Professor Education Department Chair, Assistant Professor Associate Degree Nursing Assistant Director, Professor English Instructor Psychology Instructor Coordinator of DisAbility Services Student Services & Outreach Representative Advising Associate Radiation Therapy Technology Director, Instructor Web & Digital Specialist, Librarian Mathematics Instructor

Aimee Martin

Jan Martin

Gay Mills

Mary Clare Munger

Dr. Richard Pullen

Becky Riethmayer

Dr. Elizabeth Rodriguez

Brenda Rossnagel

Geneva Saenz

Vicki Swiedom

Tony Tackitt

Mindy Weathersbee

Karen White

Professional Assignment

Elaine Loughlin

Name

Faculty

Washington Street

Washington Street

Washington Street

West

Moore County

Faculty

Classified

Faculty

Classified

Classified

Faculty

Washington Street Moore County

Adjunct

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Faculty

Adjunct

Classification

Hereford

West

Washington Street

Washington Street

West

Washington Street

Palo Duro High School

Campus

Amarillo College

No Excuses! First-Year Seminar |

95

Q E P | Fa l l 2 0 1 2

actx.edu Amarillo College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; (404) 679-4501) to award associate of arts degrees, associate of science degrees, associate of arts in teaching degrees, associate of applied science degrees, and certificates of completion.