Introduction, Context and Acknowledgements:Welcome to the Support WebSite of the SRJC I)nstitutional S)tudies (IS) Class: Spring 2002
Social Science 48.17, sec 8194 Steve Rabinowitsh, Instructor (535-0407)
|| Report #6.pdf || || Abstract#6.pdf ||
|| Biblio#6.pdf || || Appendix#6.pdf ||
Last updated: 2003-02-28
Fear none; Respect all
Prologue: My apologies to disabled, disadvantaged, non-native speaking student and users of non- Santa Rosa Campus based Learning Resources. This investigation is incomplete because the Standard #6 Report does not attempt to evaluate the quality of services or report on student feedback in these and other areas of student learning.
Postscript: As of early February 2003, the written report of the Accreditation Site Team is available at the SRJC, CWIS home page. It is in the Institutional Documents section. Unfortunately, there did not appear be any IT professionals on the team. The composition of the team seemed to reflect the fact that the Standard 6 self -assessment report found no serious deficiencies in Student Learning Services.
On the other hand, the composition of the visiting team did appear to reflect both the diversity recruitment, training, promotion and retention goals of the current California Junior College Board of Governors, the SRJC self-study and the final Accreditation Commission report.
Introduction, Context and Acknowledgements:
The Motives =>The Mission => The Methods x 2
Listen, Read, Write & Discuss => O)rient , O)bserve , D)ecide & A)ct
* First, there is the academic language learning method model adapted from Francis Bacon, the father of that is know in traditional, rational and orthodox Western Civilizations as the Scientific Method.
* Second, the ooda military/business method model is explained in PDF.
The Spring 2002,IS class ran parallel to the SRJC Self-Study , part of the college wide preparation for a 22-24 October 2002 site visit by a ACCJC sanctioned accreditation team. I)nstitutional S)tudies was a one-time class originated by Dr. Edmund Buckley, Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Accreditation Liaison at SRJC. The purpose was to gather student input and feedback in preparation for the site visit by a Western Area Junior/Community College Accreditation team.
The focus of the team was the ten accreditation standards reflected in the faculty generated SRJC Institutional Accreditation Self-Study Report, a collection of online, searchable PDF documents. That collection includes an Abstract and a preparation time line produced by Karin Guzman, the study coordinator. That report is the primary source document and model for this student contribution.
* Thanks to Bob Flores, Robert, Sharon and AS President, Laura Ann Hunnameder, Student Trustee, Lily Bergfelt and the SRJC Associated Student Assembly for the warm welcome and the opportunity for a fruitful exchange of ideas at their regular Monday PM meeting on 25 March. Our class will be represented at the California Community College Lobby Day visitation to the state capitol Tuesday, 30 April. Thanks to Andrew Dolcini, AS VP for Legislation and LEGS Committee Student Chairman.
Special thanks to Dr. A. Darlene Pacheco, Carolyn Norman, CCCCO, Library and Learning Resources Coordinator, Jane Labes, Adjunct Reference Librarian, Plover, Judith Bernstein, AFA Staff , and Maria Gaitan, Academic Affairs Staff.
* Recent Events:
Our most recent event was Monday, May 11,2002 at 1500 in the Board Room, Pedroncelli Building, Armory Dr. on the SRJC campus. We participated in a lively Q&A session with representatives from the Board of Trustees, the Administration, and the Self Study Standards Committees. We particularly welcomed the presence of Trustee, Kathleen Doyle, CPA and Dean Garrison of the Petaluma Campus and Standard #6 committee member.
The second draft of the Self Study Standards, Abstract and Timeline is now online in the Administrtion>Institutional Documents> path at CWIS
Resent presentations have included Karin Guzman who gave an update and some emerging themes including: Planning, Budget, Facilities, Curriculum. In addition, the class presented to Ed Buckley, SRJC runner, Academic Affairs VP and "Chief Instructional Officer".
Focus, Emerging
Themes and Standard #6 Recommendations:
* There is a clear and pressing need for California Community Colleges to demonstrate evidence that they are effective in producing measurable documentation of student learning outcomes. Gross output numbers like enrollment and retention are inadequate to the task. Thanks to Dr. A. Darlene Pacheco, Associate Director, ACCJC.
* The Student feed-back loop appears to be working and effective at many levels of instruction, evaluation, planning, services, and shared governance. However, the research, documentation and efficiency of that effort is not uniformly demonstrable across all programs and all locations. For context, refer the recent first edition of the SRJC District Fact Book and to the 2001 Student Survey by the newly created SRJC Institutional Research department.
* Requests for IT3 training from teaching faculty is evident in the Self-Study Report. For example, information tech, instructional tech, and internet tech are frequently referenced by the report section writers in the context of a clear and present need for upgrading instructor skills, technical training and support for the new Digital Class Room. In addition, The Library, Learning Resources & Technology Strategic Plan has clearly targeted resources for faculty training and recruitment in preparation for a student "Information Competency" instruction requirement starting Fall 2002.
* The work of many SRJC faculty/administration/student committees appears not to be timely, effective nor well documented in the form of transparent online communications. By contrast, The online AFA, (All Faculty Association}, uses an effective combination of PDF documents and an SRJC based website to effectively, efficiently and quickly communicate with its members on matter of common concern, like ongoing contract negotiations.
* Who is the SRJC equivalent of a corporate Chief Information, Instuctional & Technical Officer. (CIO, CTO)?
Recommendations: A Summary.
* Consider creating an IT3 Academic Information Services position of District Vice President. This management position would integate teaching and learning function such as: research, planning, assessment, funding, budgeting, hiring, training, accessibility,documentation, content creation, implementation, contracting, licensing, grant writing, safety, security, and asset management/installation/auditing/servicing/maintenance/upgrading.
* Consult the May 2002 PDF report from the lraccc. Intercom is their newsletter.
* Review the credentials of Joseph A. Moreau, Dean for Academic Information Services, Mira Costa College, Oceanside, CA and President of COL.
* Assess the current level of documentated feedback from ESL and disabled students accessing district learning services. Faulty media design apears to be a major source of student complains and legal actions brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Sara Horton of Dartmouth College is an published and respected authority on Educational Media Design Standards and Web Teaching.
Class Membership List, Contact Info,
Standard Focus & Profile :Steve Rabinowitsh: Instructor, Facilitator: srjcsteve@aol.com and Member of the Santa Rosa City Council.
* Ruth Burchell: ProtoArena@yahoo.com Online, Open and Distance e-Learning.
* Richard Florentino: HEMPETTE64@hotmail.com Continuing Reentry and student employee. Student Services. Re-entry ,Journalism background
* Doug Fisk: dfisk@santarosa.edu Standard #6: Library & Learning Services (Tutorial Center, HiTech Disability Center) including Educational Technology and Open Learning ( distance/open learning, C.A.T.E, student labs). Academic Computing. Faculty/Staff Professional Support & Development and Computing Services are associated, if not directly related, campus learning services. Life-long learner. An example of work in progress: || An Interview in PDF ||.
* Julie Huber: juber22@hotmail.com Standards Integration: Planning and Budget. Global student involvement survey. Science transfer student to UC Berkeley, Biochemistry, Pre-Med. Freshman Chemistry Student of the Year (2001). Department Scholarship Award 2002.
* Margaret Pennington: penningt@sonic.net Integrity, Mediation, and Ombudsperson. Conservation and environmental activist. Sierra Club Award Recipient.
* Alex Anderson: alsr@aol.com Governance#10. Liberal Arts transfer student and elections political organizer and active worker on Bond Prop A. Pre-Law.
Report Progress and
Timeline :Phase one:
As of the 5th of March, the class has finish a series of presentations by the Chairpersons of each of the ten Accreditation Standards Self-Study Committees. In addition, we have attended the public presentation of the Self-Study Report. The online 2001 SRJC Fact Book by Jeannie Johnson, SRJC I)nstitutional R)eseach and the SRJC Student Survey by KC Boatsman, IR have been key source data documents.
Class presenters have included: E.Buckley, K.Guzman, David Wolf, K.Futrell, J.Mazzini, J.Martin, B.Flores, C.Franci, R.Root, M.Lynch , K.C.Boatsman and others. We thank them all for their contributions to our understanding of the California Community College peer accreditation process.
Phase two:
We are now conducting focused research using polls and interviews with SRJC students, staff , administration/management, and members of the Board of Trustees. We particularly wish to acknowledge the valuable contribution to this phase made by Emeritus Faculty Member, Bob Blanchard, Social Sciences.( polbob@aol.com.) He came off the bench to spell Steve on Monday, March 11. Blanchard pearls include:
* open your eyes and your mind, make good observations and state them in a forthright and respectful manner.
* keep you eye on the ball and focus on the "Big Dog issues, committee and opinion/decision/makers. Planning, Budget and Curriculum are key.
* put your plan and your priorities into an action /results oriented concrete drop deadline, time and date specific drafting, editing and publishing plan. Easy: 1,2,3. Manage your time. Be willing to evaluate your evidence, (incomplete though it may be), draw key conclusions, make a recommendation. Know your intended audience.
Data & Interview Sources: Examples.
Public Committee Meetings, Forums & Presentations:
Facilities Subcommittee, SRJC District Board of Trustees: 2002-04-02 (Library Construction Plan by TLDC, Architects Santa Rosa, CA)
Monthly Meeting, District Board of Trustees , 2002-04-09, Library Design & Model presentation, (Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott, Boston , MA.)
Links: for
Background and Context
* The California Master Plan for Higher Education: An online overview.
* The Gold and the Blue: A memoir by Clark Kerr, PhD, retired UC President, and a blue-print prospective of a watershed event-- the California Master Plan for Higher Education, circa 1960.
* CCCCO. The California Community College Chancellor's Office
* Western Junior and Community College Accreditation Commission based in Santa Rosa, CA (ACCJC). Contact: A. Darlene Pacheco, Assist. Director and Open Learning Consortium/distlearn.com resource person, for the May 2 Conference, at the California Community College Chancellors office, 11th &Q Street, Sacramento.
* Santa Rosa Junior College Administrative Institutional Documents at CWIS Accreditation Self-Study. (a searchable PDF online collection that is in the process of editing, revising and updating.) BTW, the collection is a hallmark example of collaborative and transparent IT3 at work at SRJC.
The Class Goals: A
written Report and oral Presentation of Observations, Assessments and
Recommendations.
Purpose: To demonstrate and document "vital student participation" in :
* shared governance
* shared information and decision making
* the instructional, student services (Customer) feed-back loop. timely?, effective?, efficient? , qualitative and quantitative analysis?
Audience: SRJC District Board of Trustees, Faculty, Staff, Community and the 2002 Accredition Site Visitation Team. In addition, we hope to provide valid, credible and convincing evidence that students are part of an effective and complete 2002 institutional Self-Study and Evaluation feedback loop. It is anticpated that the student driven fact finding process will eventually become an integral part of the more comprehensive institutional culture and system.
Designed and Editing by Doug Fisk, Webscribe2 for IT3
Last updated: 2003-02-28
Feedback welcomed and appreciated.
Contact:
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