Standard Three: Institutional Effectiveness
Committee Members:
| Faculty Richard Anderson, Co-Chair Jean Mach Jim Steidel Ron Trugman Walter Owyang |
Classified Jose Peña |
Administrators Barbara Christensen |
A. Institutional Research and Evaluation
A.1 Institutional research is integrated with and supportive of institutional planning and evaluation.
Descriptive Summary
For almost a decade, Cañada College has engaged in focused
institutional planning and goal setting. At first this was accomplished
through a college-wide annual Self-Assessment, Planning and
Budgeting process, which required each department or unit to
develop its own plans. These were then integrated into division
plans that were used for college wide planning and budgeting.
Early on, the college established this process as the method
for identifying and prioritizing new faculty and staff positions,
equipment requests, and facilities modifications. The process
has been continued, but in a somewhat simpler fashion, with
each department and division in the fall semester developing
goals and priorities for staffing, equipment, and facilities.
At first, the process was out of phase with the establishment of overall institutional goals but, in subsequent years, this was corrected with college goals established in late spring prior to the development of the department's and division's planning activities. The college goals are integrated with the District goals, which are adopted by the Board of Trustees in late spring for the upcoming year.
Division planning priorities are forwarded to the Vice Presidents who, in collaboration with deans, set overall priorities for their respective areas, Student Services and Instruction. These are submitted to the College Budgeting and Planning Committee, which makes overall recommendations to the president. The President's decisions are communicated to the College Council.
Research is integrated with the planning process. In establishing requests and determining priorities, departments are asked to provide justifications and evidence for the need (refs 1, 2). The evidence requested includes data on enrollment, efficiency, number of full-time and part-time faculty, results of prior program reviews, program need, and other relevant data.
For many years the college did not have a researcher but nonetheless carried out research through Instruction Office personnel. Two years ago a research position was funded and filled for a short time. It was then decided to assign research responsibilities to two faculty members, each assigned part-time to research. These researchers are concentrating their efforts on college outcomes and matriculation data, since district-wide research is carried out by District staff.
Predesigned reports are routinely extracted from the district's Information Technology System (Banner) and used for planning schedules, faculty loads, financial issues, and patterns of offering classes. In addition, a data query tool called SDA provides customized reports according to individual needs. These reports are used for institutional planning. In 1995 and again in 1997, two fact books (ref 3) were produced. Research data is available now on both the District's and College's websites. In May 1999, a vocational followup study was completed. A research committee was formed four years ago and met infrequently at first. The committee's main task was to develop a research agenda. This year, with the introduction of the two faculty researchers and the hire of a Coordinator of Matriculation, Articulation, and Transfer, the research committee has begun regular monthly meetings. Two years ago, a NoelLevitz institutional effectiveness survey and study (ref 4) was undertaken, and the information generated by it was used in institutional planning. Many of the study's recommendations were implemented.
Self Evaluation
The annual planning process for setting staffing, equipment,
and facilities priorities is institutionalized and working well.
All have an opportunity to be involved and good collaboration
occurs between different units. The process appears to be well
understood and accepted.
Studies, such as the Noel-Levitz study, have been used for institutional planning and evaluation.
As a result of research and planning, the following changes have occurred:
- a more flexible schedule, including short classes, weekend and off-campus classes, was introduced,
- block scheduling of selected courses was offered,
- offerings were increased at the Redwood City Center,
- a more diversified curriculum and modified teaching methods and styles were introduced, (Learning Communities, new math approaches, cooperative learning, teamwork writing, supplemental instruction),
- a new multimedia program was developed as a result of a research study on possible new programs for Cañada,
- a stronger focus on retention of students was implemented through a system of deficiency notices devised by an Academic Senate Advisory Committee,
- some service learning was introduced in areas such as ESL and through the Eisenhower project.
- the process for receiving and reviewing Program Reviews was refined last year by the College Council. The Council will continue to improve the Program Review document and will include a student feedback component and a link back to college decision-making.
Planning Agenda
None.
A.2 The institution provides the necessary resources for effective research and evaluation.
Descriptive Summary
Through the District, large amounts of information are available
either in the form of printed reports on-line through Banner,
or on the District and College research Web sites. Other information,
such as reports on the success of transfer students, is available
on public Web sites. The college funded a research position,
but has chosen instead to use two full-time faculty members
released partially from their teaching responsibilities to carry
out research. Through the District Intranet and the Internet,
many employees have access to the District and College websites
that include our research data. College researchers and other
employees have available to them a simplified data access tool,
(SDA), which permits research on specific research questions.
The Vice President of Instruction position, vacant for three years, has now been filled. This position adds a focus in the Office of Instruction on research. The administrative assistant position in the Instruction Office is filled by a person who is skilled in answering research questions and using the information for instructional planning purposes.
Self Evaluation
The difficulty of filling the fulltime research position, followed
by a decision to fill this role with two fulltime faculty, has
meant that the College is not as far along in its formal research
structure as could be desired. Dissemination of research information
to the campus at large has not occurred in a regular and systematic
way because of this. Now, however, with the two faculty researchers
and the new Dean of Matriculation, Articulation, and Transfer,
progress is being made in research. The College will need to
assess whether the present staffing structure is sufficient
to meet its research needs. As new student populations enter
the college and new programs are developed, research needs may
grow so that additional support, either classified or professional,
may be needed for the researchers.
Discussion has been occurring with Cañada's sister colleges and with the District about coordinating efforts for research and collaborating more so as to reduce duplication of efforts. Depending on the outcome of these discussions, the College may need to engage in more research activities.
Planning Agenda
Within one year, the College will assess whether the current
staffing for research is appropriate.
A.3 The institution has developed and implemented the means for evaluating how well, and in what ways, it accomplishes its mission and purposes.
Descriptive Summary
Annually, the College assesses the extent to which the previous
year's goals have been accomplished. The following year's goals
are established with this assessment in mind. Through the Vice
President, Instruction, goals for teaching FTES, FTE and load
are established each fall for the upcoming year's schedule (ref
5). Divisional targets are established and areas of emphasis
for the schedule are agreed upon. The previous year's goals
and the extent to which they were accomplished are evaluated
and used as one of the methods of setting the next year's goals.
The program review process has been operating for six years. It was developed collaboratively Districtwide and includes both instructional programs and student services. Programs are evaluated on a rotating sixyear cycle. College Council receives and evaluates, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the program reviews. The qualitative review includes looking at the currency of the curriculum and the nature of the student body (ref 6).
Vocational program Advisory Committees meet twice annually and provide valuable advice. Program changes, especially curricular additions and modifications, are often a result of the advice of these bodies.
Student outcomes data for the last six years have been developed and are available to all on the college research Web site. It includes information on success, retention, and department grade distribution, as well as other data. Information on degrees, certificates, and transfers is available on other public Web sites and is used in planning.
Self Evaluation
The College's annual process of reviewing the prior year's goals
and establishing the goals for the upcoming year works well.
Likewise, the process for developing staffing, equipment and
facilities priorities is well understood and works well. The
Program Review process has received scrutiny from the College
Council and Academic Senate for the past three or four years.
Recent improvements to the process have refined and improved
the quality of the reports. Further improvements are envisaged
in order to strengthen the link back to institutional planning
and to include student satisfaction data. With a new president,
a renewed focus on serving the community, especially the rapidly
growing Hispanic population, means that the College's process
of annually setting goals may need to be strengthened through
a long-range strategic planning process.
The college's student outcomes data provide solid evidence of the success of its students and provides information that is useful in improving curriculum, services, or in addressing the needs of specific groups of students. At this point, the information is not being widely or routinely used. Greater use of research data in addressing student success issues is needed.
Planning Agenda
1. Within one year, the research team will develop a process
to disseminate research information to all members of the campus
community.
2. During 2001-2002, the College will engage in a long-range strategic planning process linked to research evidence and the needs of the community.
A.4 The institution provides evidence that its program evaluations lead to improvement of programs and services.
Descriptive Summary
Vocational programs Advisory Committees routinely make recommendations
for program and curriculum changes, thus enabling the programs
to keep up-to-date and to prepare students to be successful
when they enter the workforce.
The Program Review process has provided justification for changes in program staffing, facilities or funding. For example, increased staffing in Mathematics and English came about partly as a result of the findings in their program reviews. In addition, the findings of the NoelLevitz study were used to introduce a number of college changes including schedule, curriculum, staffing, and program modifications. Additionally, information on dissatisfaction with student services led to changes in counseling procedures and policies.
Self Evaluation
The college is making progress in integrating institutional
research with planning and evaluation. As an example, The Noel
Levitz survey was used in making changes, such as adding offsite
centers and changing procedures in counseling. This study was
used as the basis for much institutional planning. In addition
to the NoelLevitz study, in fall 1999, the College completed
a student survey study, the Faces of the Future survey from
the AACC/ACT Evaluation/Survey Service (ref 7). This study validates
findings from the NoelLevitz, and represents the College's intent
to continue such studies on a regular basis.
In addition, the Program Review system works well, is valued by the faculty, and is used in planning. The college has six years of Program Reviews that show change based on the process of research and planning. In the vocational programs, the Business Department has responded to the needs of the community.
Despite this progress, the college still needs to formalize further research and evaluation, to improve its communication about research activities across the District, to provide training in the use of research information for decision making, and to coordinate these activities better.
Planning Agenda
1. The college will link research closely to the planning and
goalsetting mechanisms of the college so that research becomes
a fundamental tool for helping the college define and reach
its goals.
2. The College Council will look at the current model for Program Review and may ask that more information on student satisfaction with the programs be included.
B. Institutional Planning
B.1 The institution defines and publishes its planning processes and involves appropriate segments of the college community in the development of institutional plans.
Descriptive Summary
On an annual basis, planning begins at the District level, with
the adoption by the Board of Trustees of general institutional
goals and budget priorities in late spring. College goals and
budget priorities (ref 8) that are linked to the District goals
are established simultaneously. The college planning process
includes annual division planning, starting at the departmental
level and using input from all constituentsfaculty, staff, administrators
to determine requests for staff, equipment, and facilities;
all are given a chance to participate. The process moves to
the division level for prioritizing, with input from the division
councils on planning with budget implications; it then goes
to the respective vicepresidents, with prioritizing at all levels.
The Budget and Planning Committee is responsible for recommending
overall priorities to the President, who communicates her decisions
to the College Council.
Self Evaluation
This institutional planning process is indeed effective and
functional, and appropriate constituencies are involved at various
levels of the process. A document describing the flow, constituencies,
and timeline of the process is available (ref 8).
Planning Agenda
None
B.2 The institution defines and integrates its evaluation and planning processes to identify priorities for improvement.
Descriptive Summary
Annually, the College Council evaluates the work it has accomplished
during the past year, and how well its processes have occurred.
Modifications to the Council's procedures have occurred as a
result of these evaluations, resulting in observable improvements
each year.
The College Council evaluates the program reviews and the program review process. As a result of the planning process, which takes place from the department level on through College Council, the institution does establish priorities. For example, staffing, equipment, and facilities priorities are established through a bottom-up process that involves all segments of the college community.
Self Evaluation
The College engages in reflection about its evaluation and planning
processes and each year adjusts these to make improvements.
Both the processes and the outcomes are becoming stronger. Processes
are placing greater emphasis on the use of data and outcomes.
Planning Agenda
None
B.3 The institution engages in systematic and integrated educational, financial, physical, and human resources planning and implements changes to improve programs and services.
Descriptive Summary
In 1991, the District adopted a vision statement, Vision 2000,
that serves as a companion to the District's Mission, further
guiding the District into the 21st Century. In June 1994, the
entire District embarked on an Educational/ Facilities Master
Planning Process intended to extend the goals of Vision 2000
to its longrange facilities planning. The threeyear process
produced several planning documents (ref 9): Outlook Papers;
Baseline Information for Master Planning (Summer/Fall 1994);
Educational/Facilities Planning Project: Phase One Final Report
(September 1996) which contains recommendations for instructional
and student services planning; and Educational/Facilities Planning
Project: Phase Two (June 1997), which contains recommendations
about each college's physical plant. In addition, an extensive
community needs assessment took place (ref 10). The master planning
was based upon the community needs assessments and surveys.
Many of the recommendations, ranging from a new librarylearning
center for the College to the studentcentered model, were acted
upon.
The college planning process includes all components: educational, financial, physical, and human resources. College goals are tied to District goals and are guided by the president (ref 8). They are developed in a retreat that includes the College Council, the Classified Council, Academic Senate, and administrators, then refined by the College Council. Annually, the College Council meets with other shared governance bodies to review the past year's college goals, to decide which to continue, and to add new goals. The College's goals are again integrated with the District's goals. After being reviewed and revised through several steps, they are then shared in packets with all faculty and staff on opening day.
Self Evaluation
The planning process has been functioning top to bottom, bottom
to top, for a number of years. The system for identifying priorities
has been working well now for at least five years, and has become
an integral part of the institution, based on the use of data
in rational decisionmaking. It is only budgetary concerns that
limit the college from carrying out all the goals defined by
this process. With the majority of personnel involved in the
process, with ample opportunity for input, no voice should go
unheard. For example, the entire Science and Technology Division
was aware of and participated in the process of researching
nuclear medicine and physical therapy assisting programs, and,
in both cases, decided not to go ahead with the programs, based
on research done and comments from industry.
During the time that District Master Planning occurred, there was great emphasis on integrated District and College planning. Since the formal Master Planning process ceased in 1997, the integration of district and college planning has become less clear. The College engages in planning and determines what research is needed. However, there is no overall direction or research plan that guides the District and the three colleges.
Planning Agenda
1. The College and the District will work together to clarify
and develop stronger linkages between District strategic planning
processes and individual college's institutional planning.
2. The new Budget Planning Council will make use of program review documents in its deliberations, thus adding another level of checks and balances.
C. Institutional Outcomes Assessment
C1. The institution specifies intended institutional outcomes and has clear documentation of their achievement.
Descriptive Summary
Through the annual College goals, the institutional outcomes
are clearly described (ref 8). The extent to which they are
accomplished is assessed at the end of each year in a written
summary that is discussed by the College Council. The achievement
of the goals, or lack thereof, is a factor taken into consideration
is establishing the next year's goals.
The college's Web site research page (ref 11) includes data for a six year time period on student outcomes including success, retention, enrollment by majors, placement test results (math, English, and ESL), grade point average by discipline, and other information. For English, ESL, and math, the success, retention, and placement test data are given by gender and ethnicity. In addition, the College is making use of IPEDS student right-to-know data on student outcomes, such as transfer and certificate and degree completion rates.
Self Evaluation
The College clearly specifies and evaluates its intended institutional
outcomes through its annual goals and the process of establishment
and evaluation. A good start has been made in developing base
line outcomes research for students and programs and the college
has begun to look at student success and retention in more detailed
ways. This research needs to be continued to provide much more
comprehensive and detailed information about how our students
do, especially in areas of the curriculum where the drop-out
rate is high. The college needs information that may be used
to develop strategies for improving student success and retention.
Planning Agenda
The college will carry out more intensive research into the
issues of student success and retention.
C.2 The institution uses information from its evaluation and planning activities to communicate matters of quality assurance to the public.
Descriptive Summary
The NoelLevitz study gave more impetus to communication of information.
The college now gives local high school districts very specific
information on how their students are doing, including GPA,
retention, success rates, transfers, and placement. All the
vocational programs have advisory committees, and the college
gives feedback to them. The District Office publishes Community
Connections, and the college routinely publicizes its successes
and activities through the public information office. College
Night in October and outreach to the high schools disseminate
information, and orientations for new students include information
on the college. The catalog and schedule focuses even more on
student success, with photographs and anecdotal material. The
District's and College's websites have a compendium of documents
that will communicate information on the College's success and
quality, as well as a wide range of other information on students,
programs, and the community. On the college's own website, information
is available about the college in general, special events, and
program information. The college has an awardwinning college
brochure, and individual departments are developing more brochures.
Many events, activities and groups, such as the Fashion Design
show, the Arts & Olive Festival, the engineering design
contest, athletic teams, plays, cultural events, Phi Theta Kappa
(our awardwinning honor society), and the Latin American Friendship
Club, and ASCC all promote the college to the public. During
the past year, the District has conducted a special campaign
to promote college programs on cable television stations in
San Mateo County, emphasizing student success in various programs.
In addition, on KCSM, the Districtrun PBS station, there are
frequent promotional spots highlighting college programs and
its graduates.
Self Evaluation
The institution communicates frequently and in varied ways with
the public about its programs, services, and successes. Last
year, the high transfer, degree and certificate rates documented
by IPEDS, was a major part of how the college communicated the
institution's success to the public.
Planning Agenda
None
C.3. The institution systematically reviews and modifies, as appropriate, its institutional research efforts, evaluation processes, institutional plans, and planning processes to determine their ongoing utility for assessing institutional effectiveness.
Descriptive Summary
The College Council has been involved and responsible for developing
and reviewing college goals, staffing, and budget planning.
It has actively sought feedback to identify areas for improvement
through the NoelLevitz study.
The College formed a research committee, established a research position, and delineated research goals that have been followed for the past 3-4 years. The committee has merged with the enrollment management committee to strengthen the relationship between research and enrollment management.
Self Evaluation
The College has made considerable progress in the last few years
in gathering data about supporting programs that meet college
goals. For example, the learning communities and distance learning
classes are receiving support over a longer period in order
to establish them and document how they are achieving those
goals. Despite the recent efforts that have been made, communicating
the quality opportunities the college offers to the community
is a continuing challenge.
The College is just starting to formalize systems for reviewing its institutional research effort, evaluation process, and the planning process. Cañada has made a good start on research by collecting local data and looking at District data. The college are generating a large amount of data and it is being used in a number of ways, although it is not yet being used consistently and routinely in all areas. The process that ties research to college goals is not yet consistently implemented.
Planning Agenda
As part of the effort to strengthen the research function, the
College will develop a process for assessing its research capability,
the impact of that research on the institution, and in conjunction
with the District, the relationship between college and district
research activities.
Supporting Documents
- Priorities for Staffing Requests, Fall 2000
- Priorities for Equipment and Facilities Requests, Fall 2000
- Canada College Fact Books, 1995 and 1997
- Noel Levitz Institutional Effectiveness Study, 1997
- Schedule Development Goals and Priorities for 2000-2001 and 2001-2002
- Program Review _ guides to process
- AACC/ACT Faces of the Future Survey, 1999
- 2000-2001 Canada College Budget Assumptions, Goals and Priorities
- SMCCCD Master Planning documents
- SMCCCD Community Needs Assessment
- Canada College research Web site
