(Issue #14)

The Planning and Resource Development Newsletter
for June, 2004

The Planning and Resource Development Electronic Newsletter is sent to you to keep you informed about accreditation, planning, program review, and grants development activities at Victor Valley College.

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

Standard II C has been revised and is available for your reading pleasure. Click the link below to view it.
Please recognize that this is a "draft" and that close editing will follow at a later date for grammar, punctuation, word selection, format, etc.   The College community worked as a team and devoted a lot of time, effort, and hard work for the preparation of the Standards Draft.    We will post more drafts and revisions as they become available. If you wish to give input for the Self Study, please contact Dr. Freeman, Accreditation Liaison Officer.

Click here to view the Self Study Draft

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Student Learning Outcomes Committee

Co-Chairs: Chris Cole, Student Support Services Coordinator
Mark Clair, Institutional Research Coordinator

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Coffee Klatch July 15, 2004 Time: 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Place: Board Room The purpose of the Coffee Klatch is to discuss Student Learning Outcomes.   A Coffee Klatch is a gathering for coffee and casual conversation.   This presentation will be the next in a series of Coffee Klatches to increase the dialogue about Student Learning Outcomes. Please RSVP Chris Cole or Mark Clair, CO-Chairs, Student Learning Outcomes Steering Committee. Sponsored by the Student Learning Outcomes Steering Committee, Planning and Resource Development Office, and the Institutional Research Office.   Coffee Klatch ~ June 17, 2004 The dialogue focused on identifying goals that support Student Learning and the ability to access Student Learning Outcomes. From Left To Right: Babette Dershem, Mark Clair, Kevin Crowley, Scott Hicks, Luke Powers, Dr. Fay Freeman, Gary Menser, Josephine Fennessey, Liz Gersten

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Student Learning Outcomes Definition

Knowledge, Skills, abilities, and the attitudes that a student has attained at the end (or as a result) of his or her engagement in a particular set of collegiate experiences (Accreditation Reference Handbook Draft, July 2003, ACCJC Standards Glossary pg. 31).

The development of Student Learning Outcomes is one of the key themes in these standards. The theme has to do with the institution consciously and robustly demonstrating the effectiveness of its efforts to produce and support student learning by developing student learning outcomes at the course, program, and degree level. This demonstration of effectiveness requires that learning outcomes be measured and assessed to determine how well learning is occurring so that changes to improve learning and teaching can be made. It requires that faculty engage in discussions of ways to deliver instruction to maximize student learning. It requires that those providing student support services develop student learning outcomes and evaluate the quality of their policies, processes, and procedures for providing students access and movement through the institution. And it requires that student learning outcomes be at the center of the institution’s key processes and allocation of resources. Ultimately, this theme requires that an institution engage in self-analysis leading to improvement of all that it does regarding learning and teaching.

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Master Plan Goals Draft

The Master Plan Goals Draft is nearing completion. The input was obtained from the Online Master Plan Goals survey, Goals Setting for the Master Plan Forum on January 29, 2004, Emails, meetings, and planning sessions. The goals focus on the following:

1. Organizational Excellence - The College's governance roles and processes are structured to maximize institutional effectiveness.

Possible Concepts For Objectives:

• For the purpose of effective student learning, the College will develop, promote, and continuously improve a collegial environment based on collaboration, respect, encouragement, integrity, and empowerment among and between students, board members, administration faculty, classified staff, and the community at large.
• Offer leadership training for students, faculty, administration, staff, and board members that focuses on effective collegial participation by Fall, 2005.
• Offer semi-annual campus-wide retreat focusing on institutional collaborative communication by Fall, 2006.


2. Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Student Success through Educational Excellence - Student learning will be the central focus in the development, implementation, evaluation, and improvement for all courses, programs, and services.

Possible Concepts For Objectives:

• The College will develop and implement plans for learning outcome assessment in all courses, programs, and services and as a basis for resource allocation.


3. Economic and Community Development - The College will effectively meet changing community needs for education leading to employment, cultural enrichment, civic, political and social responsibilities.

Possible Concepts For Objectives:

• The administration will identify a college entity charged with addressing community economic needs by June 30, 2004.


4. Diverse Populations - The College will increase access opportunities by improving programs and services to better serve an increasingly diverse campus population.

Possible Concepts For Objectives:

The research office will initiate a cohort tracking methodology to identify
• The number of diverse student populations who are transfer ready
  
• Successfully complete courses in basic skills
  
• Successfully complete certificate programs
• Successfully complete degree applicable and transfer level courses
• Increase the quality and quantity of the learning experience
• Increase the number of course completions
• Increase the integration of services throughout the college
• Increase outreach to the community


5. Technology - The College will integrate and utilize technology and provide quality technological training for the creation and delivery of instruction, support of programs and services, and the improvement of institutional effectiveness to enhance student learning.

Possible Concepts for Objectives:

• Implement college-wide technology plan to further the development of the use of technology in information technology, management information services, telecommunications, instructional technology, technology training for all employees and making technology accessible to every classroom.
• Will develop a sustainable master technology plan to serve as a model for all departments and programs to use in developing, upgrading, and maintaining campus-wide technology-based services.
• All new facilities will be added to the campus unless the design supports information technology resources.


6. Learning Centered Resource Management - Through utilization of prudent fiscal policies and the proactive entrepreneurial pursuit of increased revenue, the College will work diligently to secure solid financial resources to meet current and future enrollment growth, community learning needs and learning outcomes.

Possible Concepts For Objectives:

• More aggressive resource development and fund-raising strategies
  
• Utilization of student and community resources
• Increased faculty pursuit of research, teaching, service contracts and grants
• Actively support legislative (state, federal, local) and other efforts to increase base support and funding formulae for California Community Colleges.

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Khalid Rubayi Chair, Program Review Committee

Hi, I am Khalid Rubayi, Chair of the Program Review Committee and an Electronics faculty member. The Program Review Guide is on the Planning and Resource Development website (Click Here). If you have any comments or suggestions to improve the Guide, please contact me or Dr. Freeman, Planning and Resource Development Office.

For more information on Program Review click on the Logo above.

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These are a few of the upcoming grants

Workforce & Economic Development - due September 14, 2004:

• Industry-Driven Regional Education and Training Collaboratives
• Industry-Driven Regional Education and Training Collaboratives in Economically Distressed Areas
• Job Development Incentive Training (JDIF)

Click here for more information.

We welcome any suggestions to improve the Newsletter.
For questions or suggestions about Accreditation, Program Review, Integrated Planning, and Grants Development, please contact Dr. Fay Freeman at 760 245-4271 ext. 2414, or Pamela Penland at ext. 2431.

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 Worker
John Mitchell, Student Worker
Dr. Fay Freeman, Director