Program Review and Forecast Guideline for Getting Started on Prof background and Context

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  Instructional Programs: These are programs in which the major interaction between students and CRC faculty/staff occurs in credit-granting courses. Examples include programs from Business to Social Science and departments from Accounting to Work Experience. In the catalog, these are usually called “Areas of Study.”
  

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  Student Support/Student Services Programs: These are programs in which CRC faculty/staff work directly with students in a variety of settings other than credit granting classes. The catalog defines student support services as those which “…assist students with career decision-making, problem resolution, and goal achievement” (catalog p.9). This includes a wide range of services such as Assessment, Counseling, DSPS, EOPS, CARE, Health, Library, Math Center, Reading Writing Center, MESA/CCP, Student Development, Tutoring, etc.
  

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  Instructional Support/Administrative Services Programs: These are programs that indirectly support teaching and learning. They include Admissions and Records, Bookstore, Business Services, CASSL, Financial Aid, Planning and Research Office, Custodial Services, Instruction Office, etc.
  

The PrOF process is framed around the major strategic goals in the College’s Strategic Plan. These goals are given below to provide a context for the PrOF process.

 

Phase Two - Planning and Resource Needs (November/December)

Complete the initial draft of the curriculum review/plan (instructional programs only) and the identification of specific short and long-term program and college-wide planning agenda items (with associated resource needs) (Sections IH, IIA, IIB, IIIA and IIIB). Drafts of these sections should be disseminate to the department and the supervisor/responsible administrator for review and editing prior to moving on to the planning and resources phase of the process.  

This timeline and task analysis is illustrated in the following diagram:

Program Review Report

Program (or Service) Overview and Forecast (PrOF)
Signature Page

This PrOF process included departmental dialog yes no

---------------------------------------------------

This PrOF is complete Yes No

This PrOF process included dialog with the Supervisor/Responsible Administrator Yes No

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  Addition of ACCT 301 and ACCT 311 as on-line classes with the deletion of the ITFS sections
  
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  Added new faculty position which reflects program growth
  
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  Added sections of ACCT 301 and ACCT 311 to the regular schedule
  
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  Added new courses – ACCT 153 – Governmental Accounting and ACCT 127 – VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance)
  
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  Deferred the addition of ACCT 341 as an on-line course because of enrollment issues; compression of ACCT 301 and ACCT 311 into a one semester series (8 week sessions) is still under consideration but will be deferred pending FTE restrictions and enrollment caps
  
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  Revised and enhanced all of the Accounting programs, deleted one program (Accounting – computer applications)
  
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  Added Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) to most courses in the program and have included an assessment of ACCT 301 and a Program Assessment in the current semester (Fall 2008)
  
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  Consolidated tutoring into the college-wide tutoring center and expanded the hours and utilization of the service
  
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  Technology utilization has increased with the addition of Cengage and Wiley+ into ACCT 301, 311, 101, 103, 104, and 111. The utilization of an On-line homework manager service and the Learning Management System (D2L) is anticipated in all courses. Computers are being upgraded in the accounting lab and additional computers have been requested through the COB process and have been approved pending funding.
  
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  Funding was secured for a site license for Quick Books, the computerized accounting software.
  
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  On-line tutoring continues to be an issue. However additional FTE has been requested for additional evening/weekend IA time, and this person could be used to enhance the on-line tutoring need. A classified position request has been submitted, however it has not received a high ranking in the current cycle.
  
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  The Accounting Advisory committee has been re-invigorated. The is active collaboration with the Department of Corrections, Franchise Tax, IRS, Work-experience/Co-op, Elk Grove USD, CSUS, State Controller, and STRS.
  
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  Added the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance service to the Spring schedule. A Financial Literacy service is still under consideration
  
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  Access to additional facilities has been secured with the addition of BS145A as a classroom for use with the ACCT 341 and VITA (ACCT 127) courses.
  

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  Instructional Programs is located at: http://library.crc.losrios.edu/PrOF_Data_Packets/PrOf_Research_Program_List.aspx
  
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  Student Support/Student Services Programs is online at http://www.crc.losrios.edu/Faculty_and_Staff/Research_Office/Our_College/Student_Services_Information_System.htm
  
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  Instructional Support and Administrative Programs is online at http://www.crc.losrios.edu/Faculty_and_Staff/Research_Office/Our_College/Instructional_SupportAdministrative_Services_Information_System.htm
  

1. 
   Briefly list observations from the data and other numerical or descriptive information that indicate program strengths. (Note: responses should include the data element and its relevance…for example: enrollment in English has grown by 25% over the past four years which has enhanced productivity and enabled us to hire new full time instructors or utilization of counseling has grown by 25% over the past four years which has allowed us to hire a counseling supervisor).
   

We have seen a significant increase in enrollment. Since the spring 2005, we have experienced nearly a 40 percent increase in enrollments for unduplicated enrollment. With the exception of Spring 2007, there have been consistent enrollment increases each semester since Spring 2005 and the trend does not reflect the Spring enrollment drop in college-wide patterns. At the same time, our productivity has also increased substantially. The Accounting program has experienced excellent productivity, frequently exceeding the College goal of 500. For example, Fall 2005 program productivity was 530 and Fall 2007 was 564. At the same time, Spring 2006 was 494, compared to Spring 2008, which was 553.

Average course success rates by semester are fairly stable around 60 percent from Fall 2002 through Spring 2008. Although there is more variability than college-wide statistics, the program statistics tend to be slightly higher than college-wide statistics.

The department is currently engaged in an assessment of its SLOs. Currently, we are examining ethics (a college-wide and program SLO) and a program/course SLO for ACCT 301, namely production of financial statements. Depending on the assessment results, we may recommend changes in our courses or programs.

2. 
   Briefly list observations from the data and other numerical or descriptive information that indicate program areas that may need a response or change over the next four years. (Note: responses should include the data element and its relevance…for example: Nutrition 300 courses are closed within four days of the start of registration so students cannot complete their program requirements in a timely manner or online inquiries to counseling have doubled over the past four years, which has strained our resources.)
   

Compared to college demographics, the Accounting program has a greater percentage (by 5%-20%) of Asian/Pacific Islander and a lower percentage (9%-10%) of African American and Latino. There is an issue with respect to African American enrollments in business overall, including in Accounting. Some efforts to recruit African American students should be considered.

When student success rates are analyzed by ethnicity, we are seeing a decline in African American and Hispanic course success rates and a slight increase in White course success rates, with more variability than the college-wide statistics. Some efforts to enhance the success of African American and Hispanic students should be considered.

The department is currently engaged in an assessment of its SLOs. Currently, we are examining ethics (a college-wide and program SLO) and a program/course SLO for ACCT 301, namely production of financial statements. We have learned that we must make changes to raise the ethics issues in our classes.

2. 
   Based on the previous discussion of strengths and needs, briefly list planning ideas that could be employed to strengthen the program. (Note: responses should include the relevant need and strategy…for example: To enhance access to Nutrition 300, work with the Dean to modify scheduling, obtain release time to create online sections, and work with the VPI to increase departmental FTE or develop new materials in Counseling that enhance our ability to respond more effectively and efficiently to the increase in online inquiries.)
   

We should consider the adoption of a standardized course information sheet that we give to all students in order to better understand their goals and background.

2. 
   If numerical or descriptive information not provided by the Research Office was used, please list these sources below:
   

We tried to use the VTEA data sources – but they were not very helpful as they had not been updated.

2. 
   The Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and/or Service Area Outcomes (SAOs) from the previous PrOF are below. Edit, delete or complete the information on the applicable table(s) as needed. Add or delete rows as needed. If no changes were made, please indicate that in the space provided. If Program Student Learning or Service Area Outcomes have not been developed, please do so at this time. Resources to help are available via links at http://www.crc.losrios.edu/Faculty_and_Staff/CASSL/Student_Learning_Outcomes.htm
   

Program SLOs

P-SLO 1: Synthesize general accounting theory and practice into financial records

P-SLO 2: Analytical Skills: Analyze business information and infer resolution of key issues

P-SLO 3: Communication Skills: Compose effective accounting information documents and communicate them to appropriate users

P-SLO 4: Technology Skills: Integrate technology into the development of accounting information

P-SLO 5: Critical Thinking Skills: Analyze, summarize, and interpret financial information

P-SLO 6: Ethics: Evaluate actions so that actions are based on integrity and honesty

P_SLO 7: Diversity: Support actions that improve the ability to interact effectively in diverse environments and with diverse persons