The Accelerated Instructional Program Review Narrative Report

The Accelerated Instructional Program Review Narrative Report

1. College: College of Alameda

Discipline, Department or Program: History

Date: 2/19/10

Members of the Accelerated Instructional Program Review Team: Eddie Loretto

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HIST / ASIAN / 156 / 43.7% / 156 / 37.8% / 184 / 37.0% / 207 / 37.3%
AFRICAN AMERICAN / 74 / 20.7% / 99 / 24.0% / 109 / 21.9% / 117 / 21.1%
FILIPINO / 16 / 4.5% / 21 / 5.1% / 20 / 4.0% / 21 / 3.8%
HISPANIC/LATINO / 42 / 11.8% / 44 / 10.7% / 54 / 10.9% / 53 / 9.5%
NATIVE AMERICAN / 0 / 0.0% / 1 / 0.2% / 3 / 0.6% / 4 / 0.7%
OTHER NON WHITE / 6 / 1.7% / 8 / 1.9% / 20 / 4.0% / 17 / 3.1%
WHITE NON HISPANIC / 46 / 12.9% / 59 / 14.3% / 72 / 14.5% / 96 / 17.3%
UNKNOWN / 17 / 4.8% / 25 / 6.1% / 35 / 7.0% / 40 / 7.2%
Total / 357 / 413 / 497 / 555

2. Narrative Description of the Discipline, Department or Program:

1. Mission Statement

College of Alameda's mission is to meet the educational needs of its community by providing comprehensive and flexible programs, which will enable students to transfer to four-year institutions, to earn degrees and certificates in selected academic and occupational fields, to prepare for positions in the workforce, to improve their basic learning skills, and to expand their general knowledge.

In fulfilling its mission, the college strives to provide its students with the support services necessary to assist them in realizing their educational and occupational goals. Access is open to all who can benefit from instruction at the collegiate level.

The college works in partnership with its community and with other educational institutions in assessing and meeting the unique needs of its diverse population. This mission is in accord with that of the Peralta Community College District and with legislation of the State of California.

2. Description of the program

The Department of History was one of the first core subjects offered at The College of Alameda in 1970. In that year, the Department staffed two full-time instructors, with three other full-time instructors also teaching history courses. The department also staffed five part-time instructors. In all, sixteen history courses were offered, with another "history" course offered in Philosophy.

In 1989, the department staffed three full-time instructors with three other full-time instructors teaching history courses. The department staffed one part-time instructor. The department offered nine history courses, with four other "history" courses offered in the Humanities department.

In 1998, the department staffed one full-time instructor and three part-time instructors, offering eleven courses in history.

In 2008 the history department introduced a new CSU and IGETC transferable course, History 18 (20th Century American Protest movement).

Present Curricular Offerings

A list of the department's present offerings is provided below:

History 2A - European Civilization to 1500

History 2B - European Civilization from 1500

History 7A - United States History to 1877

History 7B - United States History from 1865

History 17 - Mexican-American History

History 18 – 20th Century American Protest Movement

History 19 - California History

The primary function of the History Department is to help matriculate students to four year colleges and other degree programs. A significant portion of the program is designed to offer a wide-ranging interpretation of American History from the great civilizations of Meso-America (Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas) to the present. In addition, the department has a long and storied history of offering courses that reflect the diversity of our student population. The history department has offered courses in Latin American History, Mexican American History, the History of Mexico, Asian History and the History of the Vietnam War.

The History Department is also leading the college effort to offer courses online. The History Department has offered more sections online than any other discipline on campus. At the moment, all CSU, UC, and IGETC transferable courses are offered online. We offer a section of 7A, 7B, 17, 18, 19, 2A, and 2B online. The History department at the College of Alameda will continue to be innovative and visionary in the courses that are offered and the methods delivered.

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3. Curriculum:

·  Is the curriculum current and effective?

All courses offered from the history department are current and effective in reaching their course objectives.

·  Have course outlines been updated within the last three years? If not, what plans are in place to remedy this?

All courses offered from the history department have been updated within the past three years with the exception of History 19 (California History). The three-year update requirement will be applicable at the end of the fall 2011 semester. That course outline update is in process.

·  Has your department conducted a curriculum review of course outlines? If not, what are the plans to remedy this?

Yes. The History department has conducted a curriculum review of course outlines of course offered the past three years.

·  What are the department’s plans for curriculum improvement (i.e., courses to be developed, updated, enhanced, or deactivated)? Have prerequisites, co-requisites, and advisories been validated? Is the date of validation on the course outline?

At the moment, the department is in the midst of maintaining the number of courses in all modalities as a result of shrinking state budgets. In the past academic year (Fall 2009/Spring 2010), the history department has eliminated its course offerings during the Winter Intersession and Spring Intersession as well eliminate 23% of its Spring 2010 schedule.

·  What steps has the department taken to incorporate student learning outcomes in the curriculum? Are outcomes set for each course? If not, which courses do not have outcomes?

The most obvious example of incorporating student learning outcomes are in the courses that are offered online. In a well designed online course, student exit skills go beyond those in a traditional face-to-face course. In addition to developing writing skills, analytical skills, thinking skills, time-management skills, students learn how to interact with others through group assignments or in discussion forums.

·  Describe the efforts to develop outcomes at the program level. In which ways do these outcomes align with the institutional outcomes?

Since my department includes only one full-time faculty member, all of the developmental changes are department-wide.

·  Recommendations and priorities.

Minimize the number of sections eliminated as a result of shrinking budgets. In addition , continue to develop the department’s online course offering and continue to develop young talented instructors through the faculty diversity internship program.

HIST / 050 / 43703 / SMITH SHERRONE / 2 / 2 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 4 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 12
HIST / 050 / 43704 / SMITH SHERRONE / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 6 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 12
HIST / 051 / 43705 / SMITH SHERRONE / 3 / 3 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 12
HIST / 002A / 43710 / VISCO MICHELLE M / 10 / 1 / 4 / 0 / 0 / 7 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 11 / 34
HIST / 002B / 43711 / VISCO MICHELLE M / 11 / 6 / 1 / 0 / 2 / 4 / 0 / 2 / 0 / 9 / 35
HIST / 007A / 43696 / MORALES DESIREE / 9 / 12 / 11 / 0 / 6 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 11 / 51
HIST / 007A / 43697 / LORETTO EDDIE / 15 / 4 / 19 / 0 / 3 / 9 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 14 / 64
HIST / 007A / 43698 / POPAL MOHAMMAD M / 29 / 9 / 1 / 0 / 4 / 5 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 9 / 57
HIST / 007A / 43699 / POPAL MOHAMMAD M / 35 / 7 / 5 / 0 / 3 / 4 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 55
HIST / 007A / 43700 / STORY MEREDITH / 79 / 2 / 1 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 83
HIST / 007A / 43707 / LORETTO EDDIE / 4 / 9 / 5 / 0 / 2 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 11 / 34
HIST / 007B / 43701 / LORETTO EDDIE / 8 / 3 / 4 / 0 / 4 / 14 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 25 / 58
HIST / 007B / 43702 / POPAL MOHAMMAD M / 25 / 9 / 4 / 0 / 2 / 9 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 7 / 56
HIST / 007B / 43708 / LORETTO EDDIE / 4 / 8 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 14 / 32
HIST / 007B / 43709 / LORETTO EDDIE / 5 / 6 / 1 / 0 / 1 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 19 / 38

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4. Instruction:

·  Describe effective and innovative strategies used by faculty to involve students in the learning process. How has new technology been used by the department to improve student learning?

The clearest examples of innovative strategies that involve students in the learning process are the online courses offered through the department. The designs of all of the courses are based on the Adult Learning Theories created by Malcolm Knowles. By the end of a semester, students are very much a part of the learning process through the required number of posts per week.

In addition, all courses utilize LCD projectors and PowerPoint with their lecture notes. Students have access to all course lectures, documents, homework assignments, and study guides 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

·  How does the department maintain the integrity and consistency of academic standards within the discipline?

Since the department consists of one full time instructor and four adjunct faculty, the process of course develop and evaluation is feasible. All course syllabi closely adhere to the school approved course outlines. In addition, the department uses the same text book for all History 7A and 7B courses.

·  Discuss the enrollment trends of your department. What is the student demand for specific courses? How do you know? What do you think are the salient trends affecting enrollments?

The enrollment trend in the department favors courses offered online or hybrid. Therefore, one can assume that students are seeking for flexibility in the modality of the course. One indicator that online and hybrid courses are more sought after, is quickness in which they fill when enrollment opens. In the past two semesters, online courses tend to remain open less than two weeks. The biggest trend impacting enrollment, at the moment, is shrinking state budgets for community colleges. The competition for space in our limited number of sections by more students outside of our community is having a devastated effect on local student access to our courses.

·  Are courses scheduled in a manner that meets student needs and demand? How do you know?

Yes.

·  Recommendations and priorities.

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5. Student Success:

·  Describe student retention and program completion (degrees, certificates, persistence

rates) trends in the department. What initiatives can the department take to improve

retention and completion rates?

The department does not produce a large number of declared majors. In 2006, 2007, and 2008 the number of History majors declared was 1 for each year. The numbers of students who enroll in history courses are those attempting to fulfill other degree requirements. Very few students, less than 5%, who complete the course do not pass the course. Our department retention rates mirror those of the college in general. Those students, who drop the course, do so before the first census deadline. One major effort to improve our department’s retention and completion rates was to offer more online courses in an effort to offer more scheduling opportunities for students.

·  What are the key needs of students that affect their learning? What services are needed for these students to improve their learning? Describe the department’s efforts to access these services. What are your department’s instructional support needs?

Will be answered when the data become available.

·  Describe the department’s effort to assess student learning at the course level. Describe the efforts to assess student learning at the program level. In which ways has the department used student learning assessment results for improvement?

As required by actions of our Academic Senate, the History department is currently using SLOs to strengths and weaknesses of our program, within the context our college campus. The outcome from the data is yet to be gathered. The History Department will comply with all institutional program-level SLOs.

·  Recommendations and priorities.

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Persistence:

DEPT / 2005-06 / 2006-07 / 2007-08 / 2008-09
CW1 / PERS / RATE / CW1 / PERS / RATE / CW1 / PERS / RATE / CW1 / PERS / RATE
HIST / 357 / 225 / 63.0% / 413 / 266 / 64.4% / 497 / 331 / 66.6% / 552 / 317 / 57.4%

Retention and Success:

DEPT / 2005-06 / 2006-07 / 2007-08 / 2008-09
ATT / SCSS / ATT / SCSS / ATT / SCSS / ATT / SCSS
HIST / 851 / 58.8% / 1039 / 59.5% / 1213 / 60.3% / 1373 / 62.6%

Transfers:

California State University / Discipline / Instructional Program / FA 2006 STUDENTS / FA 2007 STUDENTS / FA 2008 STUDENTS
History / 1 / 1 / 1
University of California / Discipline / Instructional Program / FA 2006 STUDENTS / FA 2007 STUDENTS / FA 2008 STUDENTS
History

Degrees and Certificates:

6. Human and Physical Resources (including equipment and facilities)

Year 05-06
Term Type / Census Enrollment / Sections / FTEF / FTES / FTES/FTEF
Fall / 313 / 8 / 1.6 / 32.22 / 20.14
Spring / 332 / 7 / 1.4 / 33.2 / 23.71
645 / 15 / 3 / 65.42 / 21.81
Year 06-07
Term Type / Census Enrollment / Sections / FTEF / FTES / FTES/FTEF
Fall / 372 / 9 / 2 / 37.53 / 18.78
Spring / 342 / 9 / 1.98 / 34.22 / 17.26
714 / 18 / 3.98 / 71.75 / 18.02
Year 07-08
Term Type / Census Enrollment / Sections / FTEF / FTES / FTES/FTEF
Fall / 463 / 11 / 2.2 / 46.88 / 21.31
Spring / 470 / 13 / 2.58 / 46.58 / 18.04
933 / 24 / 4.78 / 93.46 / 19.54
Year 08-09
Term Type / Census Enrollment / Sections / FTEF / FTES / FTES/FTEF
Fall / 557 / 13 / 2.8 / 53.58 / 19.14
Spring / 497 / 12 / 2.6 / 49.24 / 18.94
1054 / 25 / 5.4 / 102.82 / 19.04
Year 04-05
Term Type / Census Enrollment / Sections / FTEF / FTES / FTES/FTEF
Fall / 298 / 9 / 1.8 / 31.2 / 17.33
Spring / 271 / 7 / 1.4 / 27.94 / 19.96
569 / 16 / 3.2 / 59.14 / 18.48

·  Describe your current level of staff, including full-time and part-time faculty, classified