2016-2017 Bates Technical College Institutional Assessment Plan
2016-2017
Bates Technical College Institutional Assessment Plan
Table of Contents
About Bates Technical College ...................................................................................................... 1
Institutional Assessment at Bates Technical College ..................................................................... 2
Assessment Focus: Linking the Mission to Mission Fulfillment & Mission Sustainability ........3
Mission Statement ................................................................................................................... 3
Core Themes ............................................................................................................................ 3
Bates’ Core Themes Cross-walked to Mission Statement (Mission Fulfillment) ................... 3
Bates’ Strategic Directions Cross-walked to Core Themes (Mission Sustainability) ............. 3
Bates Technical College Data for Institutional Assessment ........................................................4
Grow new clienteles & programs: ........................................................................................... 4
Increase student achievement: ................................................................................................. 4
Enhance efficiency & expand capacity: .................................................................................. 4
Expand delivery options: ......................................................................................................... 4
Bates Technical College Assessment Committees.......................................................................5
Bates Technical College 2016 -17 Assessment Calendar ............................................................5
Appendix A Bates Technical College Strategic Plan (2016-2022) ................................................ 7
Appendix B Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicators (2015-2016) ........................................... 8
Appendix C 2014 Student Survey Results ...................................................................................... 9
Appendix D 2017 Student Survey Results.................................................................................... 10
Appendix E Department Annual Improvement Plans and Key Indicators (2016-2017) .............. 11
Administrative Services (Available in fall 2016) .................................................................. 11
Communications (Available in fall 2016) ............................................................................. 11
Foundation (Available in fall 2016) ...................................................................................... 11
Human Resources (Available in fall 2016) ........................................................................... 11
Instruction (Available in fall 2016) ....................................................................................... 11
Institutional Effectiveness and Student Success.................................................................... 12
Appendix F Multi-Year Initiative for Student Success ................................................................. 15
Part One: Project Description ................................................................................................ 15
Part Two: Strategies/Indicators* ........................................................................................... 17
Part Three: Timeline .............................................................................................................. 18
Part Four: Project Syllabus .................................................................................................... 19
Appendix G Bates Technical College Program Review Process.................................................. 24
Appendix H Bates Technical College Program Assessment Committee ..................................... 26
Appendix I Bates Technical College Assessment Summary Form .............................................. 32
1
About Bates Technical College
Bates Technical College is celebrating 75 years of service and success. Bates is an
innovator. Vocational training began in Tacoma on Sept. 4, 1940, in the basement of Hawthorne
Elementary School. During the 1941-42 school year, the program became known as the Tacoma
Vocational School.
In 1944 the Tacoma School District hired L. H. (LaVerne Hazen) Bates as the school's director.
The school's name was changed to the Tacoma Vocational-Technical Institute in 1947.
Verne Bates retired from the director's position in 1969. The Tacoma School Board changed the
Institute's name to the L. H. Bates Vocational Technical Institute in honor of Mr. Bates' service
and dedication to the Institute and vocational education.
In 1991, state legislation separated the state's vocational technical institutes from local school
districts and merged them under the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
Today, Bates Technical College annually serves approximately 3,000 career training students
and 10,000 more community members on three campuses in programs such as Continuing
Education, Child Studies, High School, General Education and Basic Studies, and others.
Our unique classroom settings mirror the workplace, providing students with opportunities to
practice and develop skills to levels required for successful employment. Bates offers two-year
associate of applied science degrees, certificates of competency, certificates of training, industry
certifications and, in specific programs, prepares students for the achievement of state licensure.
The college maintains articulation degrees with several four-year universities, making some of
the college's two-year degrees transferable.
2
Institutional Assessment at Bates Technical College
Bates Technical College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and
Universities (NWCCU). Part of being accredited by the NWCCU is that Bates must provide an
overview of our institutional assessment plan for linking/aligning our mission (Standard One)
with and mission fulfillment and sustainability (Standard Five). Bates’ institutional assessment
process includes six (6) areas of interest, and they are:
1. Mission Statement
2. Mission Accomplishment
3. Strategic Plan
4. Mission Statement Elements
5. Mission Fulfillment (Core Themes)
6. Mission Sustainability (Strategic Directions)
3
Assessment Focus: Linking the Mission to Mission Fulfillment & Mission Sustainability
For the 2016 to 2022 Strategic Plan (Appendix A), Bates Technical College is assessing mission
fulfillment through strategic directions that are aligned with our core themes. The strategic
directions cover four areas: grow new clienteles and programs; increase student achievement;
enhance efficiency and capacity; and expand delivery options. For the 2015-16 academic year,
faculty and staff at Bates developed plans with key performance indicators in each of these areas.
The results of those efforts are in Appendix B and will be reviewed for developing new plans for
the 2016-17 academic year. Below, the mission statement is cross-walked with the core themes
and the core themes are cross-walked with our strategic directions. This ensures that the
objectives outlined in our strategic directions achieve both mission fulfillment and mission
sustainability.
Mission Statement
Bates Technical College enriches our diverse communities1 by inspiring student learning
2,
challenging greater achievement3 and educating for employment
4.
Core Themes
Bates Technical College measures mission fulfillment through four strategic core themes.
Workforce Education: We are committed to providing high quality training that helps students
realize their potential for growth and success through innovative instruction.
Student Centered: Bates supports students, enabling them to succeed, to aspire to education, to
reach their goals and transition successfully to further education or employment.
General Education: Bates recognizes that the skills and knowledge attained through general and
related education are essential to success and ensuring well-rounded learners.
Community Relationships: Strong local and global partnerships with business, industry, labor
and the public make the college a respected, effective community resource, contributing to local
community vitality.
Bates’ Strategic Directions Cross-walked to Core Themes (Mission Sustainability)
Grow New Clienteles & Programs (A & D) Increase Student Achievement (B & D) Enhance Efficiency & Expand Capacity (A & B) Expand Delivery Options (A, B & C)
Bates’ Core Themes Cross-walked to Mission Statement (Mission Fulfillment)
A. Workforce Education (1, 2, 3, 4) B. Student Centered (1, 2, 3) C. General Education (1, 2, 3, 4) D. Community Relationships (1, 4)
4
Bates Technical College Data for Institutional Assessment
The following are data, datasets and metrics that are being used to measure the impact of the
plans faculty and staff are developing and implementing. They are grouped by strategy direction.
Grow new clienteles & programs:
Community & student body demographics and socioeconomic status comparisons
Veterans and military enrollment
International enrollment
Under-represented minority enrollment
Enrollment of local area high school graduates
Increase student achievement:
Job Placement
Number of Degrees Awarded
Course Evaluations/Student Input Forms (SIFs)
Student Achievement Initiative (SAI) Points
Student Satisfaction (Bates Satisfaction Survey, CCSSE or RNL Inventory)
Rubric Aligning Course, Program and Institutional SLOs
Program Review
Currently, programs that have achieved or are pursuing programmatic accreditation are
exempt from the program review process. They will, however, have to provide the latest
submission that they made to their accreditor to ensure continuous improvement.
For programs that have not gone through programmatic accreditation, they will follow
the institution’s program review process. Details are in Appendix G.
Multi-Year Initiative for Student Success (Appendix F)
Enhance efficiency & expand capacity:
Fill rates of current programs
Quarter to quarter fill rate comparisons
Expand delivery options:
Number of online courses
Number of online programs
Number of hybrid online/on-ground programs
New facilities and classroom spaces
5
Bates Technical College Assessment Committees
Institutional Level
The purpose of the institutional assessment committee is to identify, gather and discuss data and
information about student learning in the institution. This is a cross-functional committee that is
focused on the entire student experience at Bates Technical College—to ensure that student
learning is supported across the institution. Along with faculty, membership includes
representatives from student services, academic affairs, finance and the president’s direct reports.
Bates Technical College is in the process of forming this committee with the first meeting to take
place in the fall of 2016.
Program Level
In addition to the institutional assessment committee, led by faculty, Bates also formed a
program assessment committee. Please check Appendix H for more information.
Bates Technical College 2016 -17 Assessment Calendar
The assessment cycle is helpful in determining if our indicators and inputs are meaningful to our
measurable outcomes. The mission fulfillment involves multiple departments (e.g. Instruction,
Student Services, Administrative Services, Facilities, and the President and direct reports, which
include: Communications, Foundation, and Human Resources).
Assessment Action Items by Month and Tasks
Month Tasks
July 2016
Create Summary of Programs from 2014 Student Satisfaction Survey
results and distribute to programs/deans; create workshops for
preparation of assessment
August 2016 Focus on Mid-Cycle Report/Visit
August 15 – 26, 2016 Collect responses for 2015-16 strategic plan indicators
August 31, 2016 Compile 2015-16 key performance indicators report and distribute to
faculty/staff
September 1, 2016 Reminder to Faculty
September 5 – 9, 2016 Conduct workshops with functional areas for 2016-17 strategic plans
and indicators
September 12, 2016 Receive responses from all programs/faculty
September 23, 2016 Power Point presentation at all staff day and post plans to website
6
October 24 – 25, 2016 NWCCU – Mid-Cycle Visit
October – March 2017 Departments/Programs are collecting data; Submission of budget
requests that tie in to the strategic plan
April 2017 Conduct 2017 Student Satisfaction Survey -- Likert Scale Survey
May 2017 Receive and review 2017 Student Satisfaction Survey results
May 2017 Receive responses from all programs/faculty
June 2017 Presentations at all staff day (Annual Review)
7
Appendix A Bates Technical College Strategic Plan (2016-2022)
(See separate document)
8
Appendix B Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicators (2015-2016)
(See separate document)
9
Appendix C 2014 Student Survey Results
(See separate document)
10
Appendix D 2017 Student Survey Results
(Not available until 2017)
11
Appendix E Department Annual Improvement Plans and Key Indicators (2016-2017)
Administrative Services (Available in fall 2016)
Communications (Available in fall 2016)
Foundation (Available in fall 2016)
Human Resources (Available in fall 2016)
Instruction (Available in fall 2016)
12
Institutional Effectiveness and Student Success
Annual Plan for Continuous Improvement
Functional Area: Student Services
Academic Year: 2016-17
Initiative: Create a student resource packet
1. Plan: What do you plan on doing differently in your area to better serve students?
Provide comprehensive information on services to new students prior to the fall quarter
start.
2. Implementation: What will you do differently to bring about the improvement you
intended?
Create a student resource packet.
3. Anticipated Evidence: What are your anticipated results?
We expect to improve fall to fall retention of first-time students.
4. Action: How will this change the way you address this intention in the future?
If successful, we will continue to build up pre-quarter start resources and activities.
Applies to the following Strategic Direction in the 2016-2022 Strategic Plan: Goal 2, Objective 7
Functional Area: Student Services
Academic Year: 2016-17
Initiative: Collect exit survey data
1. Plan: What do you plan on doing differently in your area to better serve students?
Gain more knowledge through surveys of student who left Bates before completing a
degree or certificate.
2. Implementation: What will you do differently to bring about the improvement you
intended?
Collect and analyze exit survey data.
3. Anticipated Evidence: What are your anticipated results?
More retained students. Offer better services based on data.
4. Action: How will this change the way you address this intention in the future?
We will be able to work proactively to offer better services in the areas identified by
exiting students.
Applies to the following Strategic Direction in the 2016-2022 Strategic Plan: Goal 2, Objective 1
and Goal 2, Objective 7
13
14
15
Appendix F Multi-Year Initiative for Student Success
In addition to the annual assessment activities at Bates Technical College, a multi-year plan for
student success is being developed. This plan focuses on longer term goals for the college to
increase student success.
EVIDENCE‐BASED INITIATIVE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
PROJECT PLAN: AUGUST 2016 ‐ AUGUST 2018
Part One: Project Description
Our Story
Bates Technical College was born out of conflict and the desire for independence.
As relationships between vocational education and K-12 dissolved in the political ferment of the
late 1980s, Tacoma established a clear alignment with labor and industry to support a vision for
technical workforce development. Our mission and message was straightforward – “Bates: The
Job School”.
Decades later, our college mission of “Enriching our diverse communities by inspiring student
learning, challenging greater achievement, and educating for employment” illustrates the scope
of our evolution from a Vocational School to an accredited institution of higher learning.
Our traditional student body at Bates consists of adults in transition, taught in an active learning,
lab-based environment. Students expect career-oriented excellence in teaching, learning, and
ultimately, employment. Our students are complex individuals, influenced by a variety of
external and internal variables. Success varies, student-by-student, and frustration is inevitable
when expectations aren’t met.
To address these expectations, the SBCTC and NWCCU have required procedural changes that
have shaken our institution to the core. Although faculty is engaged in the classroom, they have
been frustrated by the bureaucracy associated with change. Administration are engaged in the
organizational process, but have been frustrated by the faculty’s slow adoption of current
standards.
Faced with a mandate for overwhelming change, our administration took the bull by the horns, as
faculty dug in their heels. Non-collaborative process development drove a wedge through faculty
buy-in. This struggle became known as “The Great Clock-hour to Credit Rift.” With progress
inevitable, the current administration and faculty climate at Bates has passed the tipping point in
relation to organizational change and performance outcomes.
Now on the path to recovery, we are slowly and systematically reorganizing at all levels to meet
student, industry, and system wide CTC expectations. Previous competency-based educational
strategies are evolving into credit-based course re-design and instructional strategies.
16
Administration and faculty leaders are embracing the “EduSpeak” of aligning student learning
outcomes and programs of study with educational guidelines and accreditation standards. Our
mutual frustrations (administration, students, and faculty) are aligned as well, which is a
powerful starting place for our campus stakeholders to begin an initiative for achievement. This
two year action plan represents a continuous commitment to improvement for student success.
Defining the Problem
In the classroom, we know that clear teacher expectations based upon learning outcomes lead to
better student engagement. To be successful, instructors and students both need to work to
achieve specific outcomes. However, out of 49 Career and Technical Education Programs at
Bates, 29 programs do not yet have clear, measurable student learning outcomes (SLOs)
applicable to current academic and industry standards.
How do we intend to achieve buy-in from active learning-based programs to write high quality,
measurable learning outcomes? Our action plan answers this question.
Over the next two years, this plan will achieve alignment with state, regional and national
standards required for all Career Training programs at Bates, identifying and implementing clear,
measurable, and industry appropriate student learning outcomes.
Defining the Process
In order to maximize faculty buy-in over the two year period, we have designed a seven step
process for our campus stakeholders to create, review, and revise student learning outcomes at
course and program levels, as needed:
1. Administration: Provide professional development opportunities and
resources for faculty training (i.e. DACUM training, release time, return
to industry time).
2. Faculty/ Curriculum and Assessment Committees: Follow agreed-upon
procedures and processes (e.g. Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
memorandum, administrators, and budget approval) to schedule and then
initiate the program review process.
3. Curriculum and Assessment Committees: Collect program data.
4. Faculty/ Curriculum and Assessment Committees: Create learning
outcomes for the program (fellow instructors and committee members
will mentor program faculty throughout this process).
5. Curriculum and Assessment Committees: Gather data, track progress,
verify results (student input forms, faculty and advisory committee
feedback, alumni surveys).
17
6. Administration: Recognize and reward program faculty for their
participations and success.
7. Curriculum and Assessment Committees: Share data to improve
implementation as necessary. Follow procedures above for all 29
programs.
Defining Success
Within two years, 80% of programs at Bates Technical College will have Master Course
Outlines reviewed by the Curriculum Review Committee and approved by the Assessment
Committee. All course-level student learning outcomes on their Master Course Outlines will
have been reviewed and revised (where necessary) to ensure they are measurable and aligned
with program and institutional outcomes.
Part Two: Strategies/Indicators*
Strategies
● The campus has a solid commitment to equity‐based best practices in education,
coupled with clearly defined high expectations for all students.
● Structures and practices are in place to help all students achieve clear and concrete
learning outcomes that meet expectations. Structures and/or processes afford the
opportunity for formative assessment to modify courses of action if indicated.
● Professional development is pro-active, not remedial. Professional development
initiatives for program review are supported by campus administrators and grounded
in research on best practices.
● Assessment of learning is a shared cultural and professional norm. The center for
teaching and learning (or equivalent) promotes a shared vocabulary for conversations
about learning and supports campus‐wide initiatives for improving student learning.
● The process for setting institutional agendas regarding student learning is well‐defined and grounded in data about student success; faculty are involved in
conversations about how to assess student learning and maximize the use of existing
data sources and assessment processes.
● Working with data is understood as an iterative dialogue requiring participation from
multiple stakeholders. Data is used to document change: the evidence used to
determine the need for a change, the actual change that was implemented, and what
happened as a result of that change.
* (Indicators: See Appendix A)
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Part Three: Timeline
7x7 Plans
At Bates Technical College, some Career and Technical Education programs are already
accredited by a regional or national agency. Although these programs are regional or nationally
accredited, there will be continuous improvement components done on a yearly basis but not at
the comprehensive level that a full review would require. Therefore, we’re aligning their
reaccreditation cycle with the institutional cycle. The 7x7 plan means all 49 programs will be
reviewed at the conclusion of seven years. Listed below is how the process will work:
1. Identify where each of our 49 programs are on the schedule for program
accreditation.
2. Identify needs including education, professional development, mentoring, etc.
3. Prioritize program reviews based on accreditation timeline needs into groups
of approximately seven programs per year.
4. Initiate the process to create, review, and revise student learning outcomes at
course and program levels including:
a) Notifying those who are currently being accredited and familiarizing them
with the process.
b) Notify all others of their place in line for accreditation so they can begin
planning.
c) Identifying individuals who have recently completed the process as
“mentors” for programs next on the timeline for accreditation.
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Part Four: Project Syllabus
SLO 101: Writing Student Learning Outcomes
Term: 2016-2018
Delivery mode: Hybrid
Credits __, __ lecture/lab hours
Instructor Information
Names: Bryce Battisti, Al Griswold, Blake Ingram, Katie Lorz, Tim Trussler, Aimee Sidhu,
Mike Wood.
Office Hours: by appointment
Contact Information: Email
Meet your Instructors:
Bryce Battisti: Online Science Instructor, Instructional Designer, Assessment
Committee Chair, eLearning Committee, Curriculum Committee.
Al Griswold: VP of Instruction.
Blake Ingram: Dean of Workforce Development, Program Review, College Council.
Katie Lorz: IBEST Electrical Construction Instructor, Assessment Committee,
eLearning Committee.
Tim Trussler: eLearning and Library Manager.
Aimee Sidhu: Occupational Therapy Assistant Instructor, Curriculum Committee.
Mike Wood: Librarian, Assessment Committee.
Course Information
Prerequisites: Must be faculty or staff employee at Bates Technical College.
Course Description: This course is designed to assist faculty and staff with aligning Career
Training programs with the appropriate licensure and standards to create clear, measurable
student learning outcomes.
Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of the course faculty should be able to:
Articulate the value of Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for instructors and students.
Systematically review and revise 80% of course-level student learning outcomes on their
Master Course Outlines to ensure they are measurable and aligned with program and
institutional outcomes.
Submit Master Course Outlines (MCOs) for review by the Curriculum Review
Committee.
Submit SLO’s to the Assessment Committee for approval.
20
Required Textbook(s): Curriculum and Assessment Process Resource Manual/Website.
Required Supplies: Mentor, Professional Development, and Center for Teaching and
Learning.
Optional Supplies: Community of Conversation, Release Time, Sabbatical, Professional
Memberships, and Professional Conferences, and DACUM.
Coursework
Schedule/calendar/organization:
R = Responsible person(s)
A = Accountable person(s)
C = Consulted person(s)
I = Informed person(s)
Course Topics Responsible
stakeholders Due Date
Informed
stakeholders
Informational Roll-out
Assessment &
Curriculum Comm (R) Fall 2016
Admin (I)
Institutional
Research (C)
Pilot programs for SLOs
Admin (A)
Select Faculty (R)
Project Mgr (A)
Tech Advisory
Boards (C)
CTE Program Identification for
Program Review
Program Review
Committee (R)
Deans (A)
Professional Development on SLOs
Part 1
Project Mgr (R)
Winter
2017
First Cadre meet with Mentors to
start MCO/SLO Review process
Assigned Mentor (R)
Professional Development on SLOs
Part 2
Project Mgr (R)
Spring
2017
First Cadre writes MCOs/SLOs Assigned Faculty (R)
Second Cadre meet with Mentors to
start MCO/SLO Review process Assigned Mentor (R)
1st year - Celebration of Success Project Mgr (R)
Summer
2017
21
First Cadre drafts and submits
MCOs/SLOs to Curriculum Comm
Curriculum Comm (R)
Assessment Comm (R)
Professional Development Part 3 Project Mgr (R) Fall 2017
Second Cadre writes MCOs/SLOs Faculty (R), Mentor (R)
Third Cadre meet with Mentors to
start MCO/SLO Review process
Faculty (R)
Assigned Mentor (R)
Professional Development Part 4 Faculty (R) Winter
2018
Second Cadre drafts and submits
MCOs/SLOs for review by Curr &
Assess Comm
Curriculum Comm (R)
Assessment Comm (R)
Third Cadre writes MCOs/SLOs Faculty (R)
Mentor (A)
Professional Development Part 5 Project Mgr (R) Spring
2018
Third Cadre drafts and submits
MCOs/SLOs for review by Curr &
Assess Comm
Curriculum Comm (R)
Assessment Comm (R)
2nd year - Celebration of Success
(T-Shirts!) Project Mgr (R)
Summer
2018
Assignments:
1. Participate in three professional development days annually and complete post-
workshop survey.
2. Meet with mentor to begin SLO review process.
3. Review and revise MCOs and SLOs for entire program.
4. Submit MCOs for Curriculum Committee Review.
5. Submit Student Learning Outcomes for Assessment Committee Approval.
Grading Criteria: Successful participants will complete 80% of the final project by August 1,
2018.
Course Policies:
Work Study: Successful participants may have the opportunity to mentor other participants.
Extra Credit: Early completion may result in priority for additional budgetary, resource, and
program supports.
Late Work: Those programs completing the SLO review process last may lose the opportunity
for additional budgetary, resource, and program supports.
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Project Task List
What needs to be done?
By whom
and with
whom?
When?
Who needs
to be
informed?
How?
Identify 6 program reviews, per
CBA,
Blake, Al,
Bryce
(Program
Review
committee),
FALL Quarter
start through
2016/17 year and
a repeat of
2017/18
Report to
faculty union,
in
writing/report
Earmark financial resources for
implementing DACUMS CAO, Al Sept
CBA and
program
faculty and
dean
Financial for professional
development training See above See above See above
Financial for membership to
professional associations See above See above See above
Financial for access to travel and
professional conferences See above See above See above
Finance and schedule release time
(sabbatical) See above See above See above
Finalize resource manual
(Develop shared vocabulary)
Assessment
and
Curriculum
committees
and Al
FALL
Professional
Development
All Faculty
Communication Strategy
Calendaring of 3 professional
development days (what to learn,
when to meet, how to share the
knowledge)
Assessment
&
Curriculum
Committees
Sept meetings
[Oct 1 deadline
for 2016/17 year]
Faculty,
CBA- notified
by Al and
union
Mentoring support/cadre for
writing student learning outcomes
Highly defined expectations
Equity-minded practices
Structures are in places for students
to meet LOs
Get approval by Curriculum and
Assessment Committees, follow
agreed-upon procedures and
23
processes of CBA memorandum,
administrators, and budget
approval.
Collect program data via iterative
process, multiple stakeholders are
involved, track progress, verify
results.
Data is used to document change:
the evidence used to determine the
need for a change, the actual
change that was implemented, and
what happened as a result of that
change (track progress, verify
results)
Reward faculty for their
participations and success - Align
budget increases with this process -
data-verified gaps and needs.
Adapt project if necessary
Faculty are regularly involved in
these conversations
Assessment and professional
development are cultural norms
The center for teaching and
learning is active in implementing
this initiative
Those charged with leading
professional development
initiatives on campus are supported
by campus administrators
Appendix G Bates Technical College Program Review Process
Purpose of Program Review
Program Review is a systematic way to assess the quality of academic programs and determine
ways to improve the quality of education, scholarship, and service. The purpose of program
review is threefold: first, to assure that the faculty and administration provide high quality
professional /technical and academic programs for students; second, to identify opportunities for
improvement in each program; and third, determine the strengths and challenges of the existing
program and to set strategies and plans of continuous improvement in order to provide future
learners with more competitive skills, viable knowledge, and a quality education. All these will
ensure the college is meeting business and industry needs by supplying a trained workforce.
Academic Program review is part of the College’s overall planning process. This is a systematic
component of the overall institutions evaluative process for measuring effectiveness, efficiency,
and quality of each program.
All programs should have evidence from an Academic Audit, which is the departmental records
and data, as well as institutional records such as: Master Course Outlines, syllabus on file;
program hand booklet, current assessment plan and multiple measures of teaching effectiveness.
The foundation of the Program Review is a self-study that focuses on program performance,
continuous program improvement, the identification of problems and solutions, and evidence of
student-learning outcomes. The self-study will present both an analysis and a description of the
total academic program and its future.
This part of the Self-Study will examine seven specific categories with each support staff
identified:
A. Program Statistics - Director of Outcomes, Assessment and Research
B. Curriculum - Chair of Curriculum Review Committee
C. Assessment of Student Learning - Chair of Assessment Committee
D. Advisory Committees - Dean/GAC/Faculty
E. Equipment and Facilities - EVP/ VPA-Services
F. Faculty Professional Development - HR/Instruction office
G. Collaboration Across the College - Co-curricular -BAT, IDeans & College Council
The second facet of the Program Review process will consist of the following components:
A. Program Information - Academic Audit (Reported Annually)
a. Enrollment Data and Trends – Data Collected Yearly (Director of Outcomes,
Assessment and Research)
b. Demographic Data -Yearly collected- Yearly - (Director of Outcomes,
Assessment and Research)
c. Alumni Survey Data - Yearly Reported - Director of Outcomes, Assessment and
Research Program Demand – Yearly Reported (Advisory/GAC & Center of
Excellence)
B. Three-Year Status Report (Faculty/Dean completes)
a. Program Description - (Program Overview/Mission)
b. Career Opportunities - (Area/Regional Data on occupation)
c. Degree/Certificate Options - (Types of Degrees/certificate awarded)
d. Program Overview/General Department Information - Faculty/Dean
e. Admission requirements - VPSS/Programs/Advisors
f. Program Retention Requirements if Applicable - SAI/IBEST/Director of
Outcomes, Assessment and Research g. Transfer Options or Articulation Agreements - Deans
h. Application of Knowledge (Experiential Learning, Work base learning, COOPS,
Internships and/or Clinical) - Faculty/Dean
i. Outstanding Program Achievements - Faculty/Program awards
j. General Education Requirements - Faculty/Dean
k. Catalog Description & Course Descriptions - Faculty/MCO’s/Publication
l. Advising/Student Support - Faculty/Admissions/ASG/Disability
Services/Workforce C. Program Resources (Faculty/Dean Completes)
a. Faculty (Number of Faculty to Assigned Program)
b. Space (Allocated Rooms/Lab space) - Dean/Facilities
c. Student Questionnaire (questions regarding program/courses, their participation
and involvement, the kinds of activities they encountered, to what extent classes
accomplished their goals) – Director of Outcomes, Assessment and Research
d. Student Learning Outcomes - Director of Outcomes, Assessment and
Research and Assessment Committee/Faculty
e. Assessment Process –Assessment Committee/Faculty
f. Program Strengths - Self Assessment by Faculty
g. Areas of Improvement- EVP/VPA/VPSS
D. Developing an Improvement Plan & Final Portfolio - Faculty/Dean
a. Once the Self-Study Is completed submit a final report with all these pieces
reviewed.
E. Feedback on the Academic Program Review Process - EVP/Program Review
Committee a. Feedback from all stakeholders is requested each year. This feedback is used to
improve the process of academic program review- Student, Alumni and
Employer Survey’s F. Implementing improvements and Progress Reports - Dean/Faculty
a. During the year following the review, the program will implement the action items
listed on the improvement plan and provide periodic reports on progress on the action
items.
Annual Progress Report
Approved Plan
Self-
Study
Action
Plan
External
Review
Team
Appendix H Bates Technical College Program Assessment Committee
MISSION
The Assessment Committee at Bates Technical College will work to improve student learning by
creating effective tools for the assessment of student learning outcomes at the course, program
and college-level and evaluating annual program assessments for completion.
MEMBERSHIP
Faculty Bryce Battisti, Teresa Borchardt, Mike Clark, Beth Cummings, Lynn
Neal, Matt Spitzer, Mike Wood, Katie Lorz, Bill Swarens
Staff Kelsey Williams
Administrator Blake Ingram
Board of
Trustee N/A
SCHEDULE
Frequency of Meetings: Monthly
Date and Time: Second Wednesday, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm
PURPOSE
In order to enhance Institutional Effectiveness, the Assessment Committee at Bates Technical
College will work to improve students' retention, completion, and achievement of employment
by creating effective tools for the assessment of learning outcomes at course, program and
college-level.
FUNCTIONS
The Assessment Committee exists to:
Coordinate with College administration in helping each program create/update Program-
wide Student Learning Outcomes that are accurately mapped to college-wide learning
outcomes.
Create a repository of annual Assessment Plans and Assessment Results for each
program.
Provide faculty with tools for assessing course-level student learning outcomes.
Design and deploy assessment instruments for recording data that will accurately map
Bates’ curriculum to course, program, and college wide learning outcomes.
Maintain an Assessment Committee page on the Bates website to share assessment-
related resources and document progress helping students achieve learning outcomes.
MEMBERSHIP
The Assessment Committee is faculty led and receives oversight and support from the Executive
VP of Instruction/Chief Academic Officer (or designee). The committee consists of one faculty
member representing each cluster/department to reflect the varied programs of study at Bates
Technical College. Each member will attempt to provide a qualified replacement when a member
cannot attend. In the case of a vote taking place during a member’s absence, the replacement
may vote with a written proxy from the absent member or with prior permission from the chair.
The Assessment Committee Chairperson shall not represent his/her individual cluster in the work
of the committee.
The committee will be supported by the chief officer of academic affairs or designee. Supporting
teaching and learning will be represented by the chief officer for student affairs or designee. An
executive assistant shall be assigned by the chief officer of academic affairs to record meeting
notes and provide clerical support.
TERMS OF OFFICE
The voting members of the committee will elect a chair. The term of office for the
chair will be two years. In the event that the office of the chair falls vacant, a new
chair will be voted in at the next regular meeting and will complete the term of
office.
An Assessment Committee member’s term of office shall be two years
(renewable). All regular terms of service will begin with the first committee
meeting of a new academic year, in the fall quarter.
If a committee member is unable to complete his/her term of office, the
department involved will elect a replacement to complete the term. Temporary
vacancies will be filled by election or appointment by the instructional dean as
determined within each department.
A department dean is not eligible for election to the curriculum committee.
A parliamentarian from an outside source may be appointed by the chair or by
request of the membership.
The committee shall appoint at least one representative to the Curriculum
Committee and the College Council; this may be one or more individuals
throughout the course of the academic year based on availability and
representation.
DUTIES OF THE CHAIRPERSON
The chair will call the committee into session and provide an agenda. An executive
assistant will record and publish minutes and maintain records of all matters considered
and decided by the committee.
The chair may invite members of the campus community, such as advisors, and
deans to sit with the committee on an ad hoc basis. Any person or persons may
request to be on the agenda for the purpose of addressing the committee on an
issue.
MEETINGS
Regular Assessment Committee meetings will be held monthly unless cancelled by the chair
and/or vote of the committee. Additional meetings or work sessions may be called by the chair.
Meetings are open, and visitors may have the opportunity to speak on any item on the agenda at
the request of the meeting chair.
VOTING
• No meeting of the committee will be official if less than a simple majority of its voting
members are present.
• All matters before the committee will be decided by a simple majority vote of the
members present.
• Suspension of the committee rules will require a two-thirds majority of those members
present.
PROCEDURES
• Roberts Rules of Order will be used in all meetings.
• Proposals and items for consideration must be submitted to the committee secretary ten
calendar days in advance of the meeting. Proposals and items of consideration not
meeting the deadline may be discussed, but no decision may be rendered; any exceptions
to this rule must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the committee.
• Proposed agendas and necessary paperwork for each meeting will be circulated to the
committee members at least five working days in advance of each meeting.
• A proposal will be placed on a meeting agenda only if it meets the following criteria;
The proper forms are completed accurately and fully.
The original should be sent to the committee chair as well as an email or hard
copy for distribution purposes, ten calendar days prior to the next meeting.
• The departmental representative will present the nature and merit of his/her department's
course or program proposal to the committee on the first reading.
• Non-approved proposals will be returned to the originator for resubmission.
• The committee will make all recommendations to the chief officer for academic affairs.
BY-LAWS
The Assessment Committee will draft its own by-laws covering day-to-day operation, schedules,
and procedures. These by-laws will become the working document of the committee upon
approval by two-thirds of the committee members present during a scheduled committee
meeting.
Amendments to the by-laws may be proposed by any member of the committee. An amendment
proposal must be submitted in writing to the committee ten working days prior to the meeting.
Passage of the amendment will require the approval of two-thirds of the members when a
quorum is present.
DEFINITIONS
Accreditation: The primary means by which colleges, universities and programs assure quality
to students and the public. Accreditation provides access by the institution to federal funds,
including federal financial aid funds; eases transfer of courses and programs among colleges and
universities; and is used by employers when evaluating credentials of job applicants. Bates
Technical College’s accrediting agency, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and
Universities, does a full scale review of each institution it accredits every ten years. Features of
this evaluation include the self-study, a written summary of performance prepared by the
institution; and a site visit performed by a visiting evaluation team of peer reviewers appointed
by the Commission.
Assessment: An ongoing process of understanding and improving student learning. Assessment
involves:
Making expectations explicit and public
Systematically gathering & interpreting evidence
Measuring outcomes by expectation
Using results to document, explain, and improve performance (Thomas A. Angelo,
AAHE Bulletin, November 1995, p.7).
College-wide Learning Outcomes (CLOs): We are an institution of higher education. As such, we strive to inspire, challenge, and educate
our students in the development of human diversity, effective communication and critical
thinking skills. In alignment with the college strategic plan (2010-2014), the following college-
wide learning outcomes reflect the guiding expectations by all programs at Bates Technical
College. (Revised April 17, 2013)
Bates Technical College graduates should be able to demonstrate competence in:
• Human diversity involves a recognition and appreciation of the size, complexity, and
diversity of the earth conceived as a single entity. For students, this includes the ability to
recognize, interpret, and respond to the differences and commonalities among people in
the workplace and the learning environment, thereby demonstrating effective
communication skills.
• Effective communication includes the ability to identify relationships among ideas,
points of view, and language choices by reading and writing critically.
• Critical thinking is defined as disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded,
and informed by evidence. Coursework is designed to challenge a student’s ability to
problem solve and analyze given the demands of an ever-changing workplace within a
diverse culture.
Course Objectives: What students should be able to know, do, or accomplish once they have
completed a particular course. These may also be referred to as student learning
objectives/outcomes or course expected outcomes. They are identified on Master Course
Outlines and course proposal forms and are a required element of course syllabi.
Educational Outcomes: What program faculty intend for students to be able to think, know, do
or accomplish. Student learning (course) objectives/outcomes, Program Learning Outcomes and
College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes are types of educational outcomes.
Institutional Effectiveness: The process by which a college evaluates its overall effectiveness in
light of its stated mission and goals. The goal of evaluating institutional effectiveness is
continuous improvement. Instructional assessment is one component of institutional
effectiveness.
Instructional Assessment Five Year Review Cycle: Ideally each Program in the College will
1. assess each Program Learning Outcome within a 5 year period
2. analyze the data from the assessment process to design improvements to the
teaching/learning process and/or revise the Program Learning Outcome
3. reassess the Program Learning Outcome after the improvements have been implemented
Instructional Program: An Instructional Program is defined as a group of courses taken within
a particular discipline or department culminating in a degree, certificate, or set of courses in a
distribution area or support area.
Learning: Engaging in a task that builds capacity for the rest of life. (Ruth Stiehl with Les
Lewchuk, The Outcomes Primer: Reconstructing the Curriculum, Corvallis: The Learning
Organization 2000, p. 28.)
Master Course Outline (MCO): Among other things the MCO document lists, for every course
taught at Bates, the course-level student learning outcomes that will be used by every instructor,
every section, every quarter it is taught.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO): What students should be able to know, do, or
accomplish once they have completed a particular series of courses, especially those within a
distribution requirement, or a particular program of study. They describe what students should
know or be able to do “out there”. These outcomes encompass the “big ideas” and skills that
students will carry away as a result of their academic preparation in a specific program at Bates
Technical College. Each program has approximately five Program Learning Outcomes which are
assessed in a five year cycle.
Reliability: Reliability is a measure of consistency for an assessment instrument or process. A
reliable assessment instrument should yield similar results over time with similar populations in
similar circumstances.
Student Learning Outcomes: A description of what students should be able to know or do as a
result of instruction. A learning outcome is a measureable statement of what a learner is
expected to know, understand or be able to do as a result of a learning process; good learning
outcomes focus on the application and integration of the knowledge and skills acquired in a
course. They are student centered, specific and use active language (verbs) that make
expectations clear. Bloom’s Taxonomy is very useful when writing learning outcomes. Student
learning outcomes can be delineated at the lesson, course/class, program or college-wide level:
Student learning outcomes=lesson or course level (also referred to as course objectives or
course outcomes)
Program learning outcomes= student learning outcomes at the Program level
College-wide Learning Outcomes=student learning outcomes at the College-wide level
Validity: Validity refers to the extent to which an assessment instrument or process measures the
desired performance and appropriate inferences can be drawn from the results.
Appendix I Bates Technical College Assessment Summary Form
Program Name:
Program Assessment Leader:
List the Faculty involved in Instructional
Assessment:
Date submitted:
I. List all of the courses offered by your program in the last 2 years, then indicate if the Course-
Level Student Learning Outcomes have been updated and when they were (or will be)
updated.
Courses
Offered
Updated Course-
Level Student
Learning
Outcomes?
Yes or No
If Yes, indicate when they were
updated.
If No, please indicate when they will be
updated.
Add more rows if necessary.
II. Please list your current Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes (what knowledge and
skills students can demonstrate after completing your program). After each PLO indicate to
which College-Wide Student Learning Outcome(s), or CWOs, the PLO aligns. Details on
each of the CWOs can be found at the following site: Bates Assessment Site URL Address
Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
When were the Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes updated last?
Please check all that apply regarding the alignment of Course-Level, Program-Level, and
College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes:
a. Most or all of our updated Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes have been aligned
to one or more of our Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes
b. Most or all of our Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes have been aligned to one
or more of the College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes
c. Most or all of our updated Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes have been aligned
to one or more of the College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes
d. Our Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes are in the process of being updated, and
they will be updated by (indicate quarter): _________________
e. The courses in our program primarily serve students transferring and/or earning A.A. and
A.S. transfer degrees, so our Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes are the learning
outcomes for the A.A. and A.S. degrees. (Note A.A. degree learning outcomes have been
updated, and the A.S. degree learning outcomes will be updated in 2014-2015.)
f. The updated Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes have not yet been aligned to
Program-Level or College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes, but they will be aligned by
(indicate quarter): _________________
g. No Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes have been updated or aligned.
h. The Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes have not been updated or aligned.
i. We do not have Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes.
III. The Instructional Assessment Committee (IAC) would like to help all faculty and programs
with their assessment efforts.
Describe the support and/or resources you would like from the IAC (e.g. help
with writing/updating learning outcomes, help linking course-level or program-
level learning outcomes to college-wide outcomes, help with using Canvas for
assessment, etc.).