You are cordially invited to attend a Kick-Off Coffee Klatch
April 23, 2004
Time: 10:30 - 11:30
Place: Board Room

The purpose of the meeting is to discussing Student Learning Outcomes. A Coffee Klatch is a gathering for coffee and casual conversation (Webster's Dictionary). This presentation will be the "Kick Off" for a series of Coffee Klatches to increase the dialogue about Student Learning Outcomes. The dialogue will focus on the following:

• Welcome
• Meet & Greet
• Build Shared Knowledge and Responsibility for Student Learning
• Definition of Student Learning Outcomes
• Role of Departments, Programs, and Services in supporting Student Learning
• Join the Student Learning Outcomes Steering Committee
• Anything Else You Want To Know About Student Learning Outcomes

Please RSVP Rita Jackson.

Sponsored by the Student Learning Outcomes Steering Committee, Planning and Resource Development, and the Research Department

You are cordially invited to attend Accreditation Self Study Open Forum
April 28, 2004
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Place: SAC A - D

On behalf of the Accreditation Steering Committee, you are cordially invited to attend the Accreditation Self Study Open Forum. This is an opportunity to learn about the self study and also give input.

Special Guest Speaker - Dr. Darlene Pacheco,
Associate Director of the Accrediting Commission

Dr. Pacheco will be speaking about the new Accreditation Standards and the six Accreditation themes with a focus on student learning. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in group sessions and give input for the Self Study Standard Draft.

Please RSVP Holly Nollner, Staff Development

Accreditation Evaluation Visit
is scheduled for
March 8 - 10, 2005

Focus on the four Accreditation Standards

Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness

The institution demonstrates strong commitment to a mission that emphasizes achievement of student learning and to communicating the mission internally and externally. The institution uses analyses of quantitative and qualitative data and analysis in an ongoing and systematic cycle of evaluation, integrated planning, implementation, and re-evaluation to verify and improve the effectiveness by which the mission is accomplished.

Standard II: Student Learning Programs and Services

The institution offers high-quality instructional programs, student support services, and library and learning support services that facilitate and demonstrate the achievement of stated student learning outcomes. The institution provides an environment that supports learning, enhances student understanding and appreciation of diversity, and encourages personal and civic responsibility as well as intellectual, aesthetic, and personal development for all of its students.

Standard III: Resources

The institution effectively uses its human, physical, technology, and financial resources to achieve its broad educational purposes, including stated student learning outcomes, and to improve institutional effectiveness.

Standard IV: Leadership & Governance

The institution recognizes and utilizes the contributions of leadership throughout the organization for continuous improvement of the institution. Governance roles are designed to facilitate decisions that support student learning programs and services and improve institutional effectiveness, while acknowledging the designated responsibilities of the governing board and the chief administrator.

Accreditation Themes

There are six themes of quality that pervade the Accreditation Standards. As you write, weave the themes into the standards and your daily work. Preparation for the self study and completion of the Self Study Report under these integrated standards requires that attention be given to weaving these themes with responses given to the specific standards. Be sure to address both the themes and the standards in a coherent way that leads to assessment of institutional quality. The themes are as follows:

Click on a theme for an explanation

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Accreditation Calendar for March, 2004

For more information about Accreditation, contact Dr. Fay Freeman at 245-4271, ext 2414..

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Title V: Hispanic Serving Institutions The Planning and Resource Development Department has submitted a grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Education, Hispanic Institutions program. Grants are awarded to Hispanic-Serving Institutions to assist eligible Hispanic-serving institutions of higher education to expand their capacity to serve Hispanic and low-income students. Five-year development grants and one-year planning grants may be awarded. The grant proposal focuses on improving the Math and ESL Labs, faculty development, Instructional Technology Development, increase student success and student learning outcomes, improve fiscal stability through grant writing capacity, and increase student course completion and student persistence. Funding Source: Department of Education

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Paul Tonning Computer Information Technology Faculty

The Technology For Teaching Grant Initiative - 2004 Paul Tonning, Michael Butros, and Cherie Reardon collaborated and submitted a grant for The Technology For Teaching Grant initative - 2004. The project that is currently being planned is a cross-disciplinary computer laboratory. This lab will be shared between the Computer Information Technology and the mathematics departments. This project will be a pilot to explore the sharing of computer resources between departments that have traditionally required separate computing facilities and may serve as a model for other departments that want to utilize the same type of labs. The courses that will be impacted by this project will include the programming and operating systems courses in Computer Information Technology and algebra, pre-calculus and calculus courses in mathematics. The wireless laptops and the use of virtual machine software (VMWare) will be utilized in the computer laboratory. Funding Source: HP

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Resources:
Khalid Rubayi, Chair, Program Review Committee
Dr. Tom Miller, Planning Faculty Facilitator
Paul Tonning, Technology Plan Facilitator
Pamela Penland, Administrative Secretary
Scott Hicks, Student Office Assistant
John Mitchell, Student Office Assistant
Dr. Fay Freeman, Director