Academic Senate
2007-2008 |
 |
October 4, 2007
Notes
-Repetition of non-credit
classes: Doug tells me that the BOG will
make a decision in January 2009. This information comes from Carol B-F when she
was here for the BSI meeting. This language is what they will follow:
Title 5, Chapter 6 draft
Section 58161
Apportionment for Course Repetition
A community college district may claim the attendance of
students who repeat courses for state apportionment only if so authorized by
this section and if all other requirements of this chapter are satisfied.
Sections (a) through (g) talk about credit courses
(4) The Chancellor shall
report to the Board of Governors by January 15, 2009, on appropriate limitations
on state apportionment for repetition of noncredit courses. The Chancellor’s
recommendations* shall be developed in consultation with the Academic Senate for
California Community Colleges and the Chief Instructional Officers and shall be
based on research concerning the educational efficacy and public benefit of
repetition of each of the categories of noncredit courses. It is the intent of
the Board of Governors to consider the recommendations of the Chancellor and
adopt appropriate limitations on repetition of noncredit courses by June 30,
2009.
*John Gonzalez tells me that
we’ve been told that the Chancellor will recommend a “reasonable” number of
repeats for “non-enhanced” noncredit courses. We are hoping that “reasonable”
means 4 or more. There is currently no limit on repetition of non-credit
courses.
-Accreditation
Progress Report
-Due March 2008
-Means we have to finish it by Christmas (so we can get it to
our board in time)
-Doug is calling the WASC folks for more focused direction on
this report.
-We will need somebody to write it.
-We should be setting the stage and putting people in place
who steer the committees and write the self-study in 2008-2009.
-We will need a faculty co-chair, or two faculty co-chairs
for this big steering committee
-We need to start recruiting people for this now.
-Accreditation site-visit teams for other colleges
-WASC has requested names for people to participate in
accreditation site-visit teams for other colleges.
-It is important for faculty to participate in this process.
-After all, we would like faculty to be part of the team that
visits us.
-I received the following e-mail from Doug:
Fred,
I have received a request from
the commission to update the files of recommended members for accreditation
teams. I have added your name already. Currently listed faculty
members in their files are: Homer Bosserman,
Mark Clements, Judee Timm, and Grant Voth. I would like
to add the names of a few interested faculty members. The commission lists
the following as qualifications: those who possess a
broad perspective about an educational institution; can exercise sound judgment;
are effective at their position; enjoy respect of their peers; good analytic
thinkers; able to use a computer to create and access documents; meet deadlines;
able to work as part of a team; and perhaps most important, able to fulfill
their commitment if assigned to a team. That commitment involves
reading the self study and all related background materials for the institution,
attending a day-long training session, devoting a week to the visitation, and
writing their portion of the report immediately after.
We’ve talked about the
importance of faculty participating on these teams. I invite the Senate to
recommend faculty members for possible service. The actual invitation to
serve is done by the commission, so my only role is to recommend potential team
members.
I’d appreciate it if you could
make your recommendations in the near future so I can return this report.
Thanks,
Doug
CAC Chair
-Susan Walter has done an outstanding job in this role.
-She has taken the CAC from a paperwork-driven, detail
oriented committee to one that is broad-based, big-picture oriented, and is
dedicated to assuring that MPC conforms to Title 5 and includes critical
thinking in all appropriate classes.
-Disaster awaits us.
-Susan is leaving the CAC at the end of this year. We need to
find a replacement.
From PACC:
The Policy and
Communication Committee (PACC) is responsible for distribution of proposed
Board Policy and/or Board Policy Appendix language to campus constituent
groups for review and approval. The final proposed language will be
presented to College Council for review and approval, prior to submission to
the Board of Trustees. Attached you will find proposed language for
Board Policy Appendix 5105A, Procedures for Complaints of Unlawful
Discrimination, including Sexual Harassment. Included also as
background information are the Model Policy and Procedures for Handling
Complaints of Unlawful Discrimination, developed by the Chancellor’s
Office and on which the proposed draft is based, as well as the relevant
California Code of Regulations sections. Finally, a routing form has
been included which must be returned to PACC via the President’s office,
recording the constituent group’s action.
Please note that all
feedback must be received by November 1, 2007. If you have
questions, please do not hesitate to contact the President’s office.
Fred, we’ll let you decide
how you want to distribute this information to the Academic Senate.
Student Leaning
Outcomes (SLOs) for MPC
9/25/07
Definition
An SLO is a measurable or evaluable description of what a
student is expected to be able to “do” at the end of a course. The word “do,” in
this context, could mean, for example, “perform,” “paint,” “produce,” “analyze,”
“demonstrate,” “discriminate,” “synthesize,” “use the scientific method,” or any
number of verbs appropriate for a particular course. This description is totally
and completely up to the faculty members developing the SLOs, as are the methods
of evaluation, which may be quantitative or qualitative.
From training materials that WASC gives
to accreditation site-visit teams: “As team evaluators look for evidence that
the institution is evaluating student learning outcomes, they will want to think
about the
designed curriculum, the
taught
curriculum, and the
learned curriculum,
bearing in mind that grades are not the best evidence of student learning. The
designed curriculum is what is in the college catalog and in official course
outlines of record. The taught curriculum can be found in the course syllabi.
The learned curriculum is what assessment is all about—what have the students
learned?” SLOs describe the
learned curriculum.
From a chemistry teacher quoted by Janet Fulk: “Outcomes
demonstrate an understanding and application of a subject beyond the nuts and
bolts which hold it together; objectives represent the nuts and bolts.”
What is most important
about all this?
The act of faculty talking to each other about teaching and
learning is an identifying characteristic of a vibrant academic institution.
Incorporation of SLOs into our culture is one way to do this. It also happens to
be endorsed and required by WASC.
From Doug Garrison after attending a
WASC training session for accreditation site visit team members: “The most
important
part of determining student learning outcomes is the
faculty dialog
involved in examining the designed
curriculum [college catalog and course outlines], the
taught
curriculum [course syllabi] and
learned curriculum
[direct and indirect assessment]. The focus should not be on compliance. It
should be on faculty discussing curriculum and teaching. Since all disciplines
are different, there is no one way to write an SLO.
Why are we being asked
to do this?
We are required to do this by WASC.
WASC is the last accrediting agency to adopt SLOs.
SLOs are part of an accountability
trend currently evident in all aspects of national and state politics. Our
paychecks are issued by the state of
California,
a political entity.
Are SLOs different
from objectives?
Yes.
Student learning outcomes build upon,
but are different from, course objectives because they represent an over-arching
description of what a student can
do at the end of a
course.
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Objectives
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Student
Learning Outcomes
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Objectives represent valuable skills, tools, or
content (nuts and bolts) that enable a student to engage a particular
subject.
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SLOs represent overarching products of the course.
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Objectives can be stated in terms of higher level
thinking skills
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SLOs can be stated in terms of higher level thinking
skills
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Objectives can often be numerous, specific, and
detailed.
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SLOs are broad statements of what can be accomplished
once the objectives are mastered.
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Objectives are written in the course outline of record and
comprise the individual parts that make up the whole of the class. The
objectives are the “nuts and bolts” that hold the product together. The SLOs are
the big picture vision of what that product looks like. Objectives describe the
skills, tools, or content that a student will master by the end of a course.
SLOs describe over-arching goals of what a student will be able to do by the end
of a course.
Examples
For MPC, we recommend one to three SLOs per course. If you
write more than three, you’re probably writing objectives rather than SLOs.
Examples from my courses:
Geology: Use observations of rock types and landscape
morphology to interpret basic geologic history and processes.
Oceanography: Recognize major seafloor features based on
their shape and interpret their origin using plate tectonic theory.
Oceanography:
Analyze how the
earth's oceans are a part of the earth's systems from geological, chemical,
biological and physical perspectives. (I found this one while looking for
internet examples)
Painting: Students will use appropriate tools and materials
to create paintings that synthesize conceptual understanding of image and
content, and contextualizes the role of individual expression in historical and
contemporary art.
Examples found on the internet:
Biology: Apply concepts of chemistry to physiological
systems.
History: Evaluate historical myths,
clichés, and prejudices that permeate contemporary
US
culture.
Criminal Justice: Describe the principles of community-based
policing and apply them to given situations.
Speech: Organize outline, and deliver well-researched
speeches to inform and persuade that are tailored to a specific audience.
Photography: Manually operate a 35 mm camera to create
original black and white photographs that apply principles of exposure and
development to concepts of composition, design, aesthetics, and content.
Piano: Sit at the keyboard so that the body will rest on it
frame in such a way to be able to use one’s hands, arms, and fingers to produce
a beautiful tone with great speed and evenness.
Nutrition: Analyze a documented nutritional problem,
determine a strategy to correct the problem, and write a draft nutritional
policy addressing the broader scope of the problem.
Engineering: Functioning as a member of a team, the student
will design and
present a concrete structure which complies with engineering
standards.
Math: Given data students will analyze information and create
a graph that is correctly titled and labeled, appropriately designed, and
accurately emphasizes the most important data content.
Most important thing
to remember
If we don’t write SLOs for our courses and programs, somebody
else will. And that would be everybody’s worst nightmare.
MPC SLO Articulation
Committee
Fred Hochstaedter
Robynn Smith
Jon Mikkelsen
Marianne Ide