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PROCEDURES FOR PROGRAM ASSESSMENT & IMPROVEMENT
Procedures for Program Assessment and Improvement is a formal process designed to assist instructional programs to review base line quantitative data, and when necessary, define corrective action that leads to measurable improvement of a program. Through the auspices of the Program Improvement Committee (PIC), a collective supportive effort is formalized that assists in the analysis and assessment of programs that need to develop a plan of action that leads to program improvement.
Instructional Program Improvement Process
"Educational program" is an organized sequence of courses leading to a defined objective, a degree, a certificate, a diploma, a license, or transfer to another institution of higher education. (Title 5 5500)
Within the first six weeks of the fall semester, or whenever directed by Cabinet, the Program Improvement Committee (PIC) meets to review programs.
The Program Improvement Committee (PIC)
The PIC committee will be comprised of: Two Instructional Deans appointed by the Vice President of Academic Affairs; one from a primarily transfer division and one from a largely vocational division. Four faculty members appointed by the Academic Senate; one from the vocational/professional technical areas, one from the transfer disciplines, one from Student Services and one that is an academic senate liaison. The appointments will be for a minimum of two years of service with no member serving more than four consecutive years. The intention of this recommendation is to achieve continuity in membership while also providing periodic freshening of the committee. Membership terms should be rotational (as decided by the initial permanent committee members). The Chair of the committee shall be one of the Instructional Deans as designated by the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
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Deans or faculty who are members of the PIC will not participate as PIC committee members in the assessment of their own programs, but will be expected to participate in the advocacy for their programs or disciplines.
Determination of Programs for Review: Programs may be recommended for review by a dean or the Chief Instructional Officer at any time. Recommendations from individual departments or advisory committees will be brought to the appropriate division dean to bring forward. All Programs recommended for voluntary discontinuance will be brought forward by the appropriate division dean. Programs which do not meet a pre-determined benchmark may be selected for review by PIC without being brought forward by a dean or Chief Instructional Officer. Established benchmarks must be approved by the Academic Senate and the Chief Instructional Officer in consultation with the Deans.
Possible Criteria for discussing programs will include qualitative and quantitative measures. These criteria include but are not limited to: Alignment with Educational Master Plan and Mission Balance of curriculum including CTE, Transfer and Basic Skills. Replication of programs in the region Possibility of conjoint programs with other community colleges Effects on local industry Effects on UC/CSU transfer Need for workers in the region in the skills taught in the program The impact on the transfer student’s ability to complete specific lower division subject areas and general education requirements Success rates Persistence of students in the program Productivity and efficiency Student achievement rates in terms of graduation, transfer, or job placement ARCC data outcomes Program review recommendations CTE specific data that is required for Title 5 curricular review and Perkins IV reporting Influence on related programs and services Significant reduction, elimination of program income or diminished student enrollment Cost of the program
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After reviewing programs, the committee will submit a written recommendation with its findings to the Office for Academic Affairs and the College Council within two weeks of meeting. The PIC process can result in three possible recommendations. A program may be recommended to continue, to continue with qualification, or to be discontinued. All recommendations will be reviewed by the Presidents Leadership Team and taken under consideration by the President for a final decision.
A. Recommendation to Continue: This is a recommendation to continue without qualification.
B. Recommended to Continue with qualification:
1. The program faculty and instructional program administrator will form a team to prepare a Program Improvement Action Plan addressing the recommendations from the Program Improvement Committee.
a) The team should include all full-time faculty members within the discipline, at least one full-time faculty member from outside the program and at least one advisory committee member if an advisory committee exists for the program. If the program does not have a full-time faculty member then a full-time faculty member from the Division or a related area will be included.
b) A mentor may be requested from the Academic Senate to assist in the development of the Program Improvement Action Plan.
c) The Program Improvement Action Plan will be submitted to the Office for Academic Affairs within six weeks following the notification of recommendation to continue with qualification.
d) The formalized action plan must be included with the next Annual Report or Program Review for College Council review.
e) The VP of Academic Affairs will convene the Program Improvement Committee to review the Program Improvement Action Plan no later than two weeks after receipt of the document.
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2. PIC will review the Program Improvement Action Plan and then meet with the Program Improvement Action Plan team and the Vice President of Academic Affairs to discuss the document.
3. PIC will formalize recommendations and options for program improvement in an Analysis Report. In this report PIC will determine a timeline for additional review of the program. They may also decide at this point to recommend the program for discontinuance.
4. The Analysis Report is submitted to the VP of Academic Affairs no later than four weeks after the VP convenes the PIC committee to review the Program Improvement Action Plan.
C. Recommendation to Discontinue:
1. Faculty and the instructional program administrator develop a Plan for Program Discontinuance within three weeks of notification that the program is recommended for discontinuance. The plan must contain detailed provisions for meeting the needs of the students currently enrolled in the program. Career and technical programs require consultation with the Private Industry Council per Educational Code 78016. This plan is then forwarded to the VP of Academic Affairs, who submits it to College Council and the Academic Senate for review and recommendations.
2. The plan (with recommendations) is forwarded to the President’s Cabinet for review and approval/disapproval. If the President’s Cabinet approves the discontinuance plan, it is implemented and the program is discontinued as determined by a final Plan for Program Discontinuance.