Monitoring Report to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education from Orange County Community College Middletown, New York 10940 Prepared by Mindy Ross Middle States Liaison March 15, 2006 Subject of the Follow-up Report: �Documenting further progress in (1) articulation and assessment of student learning outcomes at the course, program, and institutional levels, (2) utilization of assessment results to improve teaching and learning, (3) implementation of effective curricular changes as a result of learning outcomes data, and (4) implementation of a comprehensive institutional strategic plan linked to budgeting and assessment.� Report requested following the Evaluation Team visit April 4-7, 2004 Dr. Robert C. Messina, Evaluation Team Chair Table of Contents Institutional Context/Update ����������������������. . . . . . .3 Progress to Date Monitoring Area 1 ��������������������������..7 Monitoring Area 2 ��������������������������..9 Monitoring Area 3 �������������������������....15 Monitoring Area 4 ��������������������������19 Summary of Progress on additional Middle States recommendations ����. ���..28 APPENDIX: Supporting documents listed below are posted at www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates Self-Study 2004 and Team Report > Middle States Self-Study 2004 > Middle States Commission Team Report (April 2004) Strategic Planning > Vision, Mission, & Values > SUNY Orange Strategic Plan 2005-2010 > Academic Master Plan 2005-2010 > Crisis Management Plan (May 2005) Assessment > Assessment Advisory Committee, Charge & Membership > Assessment Plan for Student Learning Objectives in the Major > Assessment Schedule, Student Learning Outcomes in General Education & the Major > Coordinator of Assessment, Summary of Activities > Critical Thinking Assessment Plan > General Education Assessment Plan AY 2006-2007 > Mathematics Assessment Plan > Written Communication Assessment Plan Budgeting & Resource Development > Planning & Budgeting for Institutional Effectiveness Committee (PBIE), Charge & Membership > Grants Activity * Grant activity July 02-June 05 * Grant activity September 05-January 06 * Grant status 01-03-06 * Grant status 05-03-05 * Grant status 10-03-05 * Grants listing FY 2005-2006 College Governance > Constitution & By-Laws Integrity > Report, Integrity Subcommittee (Reconvened), March 2005 Student Development Review > Executive Summary, Student Development Review Committee Report, Spring 2005 > Student Development Review Committee Report, Spring 2005 > Update on Student Development Activities, February 2006 Technology > Technology Committee, Charge & Membership > Information Commons Ad Hoc Committee, Charge & Membership Institutional Context/Update Orange County Community College is pleased to submit this document in response to the Commission�s request for a monitoring report in each of the following areas: �(1) articulation and assessment of student learning outcomes at the course, program, and institutional levels, (2) utilization of assessment results to improve teaching and learning, (3) implementation of effective curricular changes as a result of learning outcomes data, and (4) implementation of a comprehensive institutional strategic plan linked to budgeting and assessment.� We�ve achieved significant progress in each of the four areas, as delineated in the chapters to follow. In addition, the College community has worked hard to make progress in addressing the evaluation team�s other recommendations. We outline our substantial progress in these areas in a subsequent chapter of this report, with documentation for all activities posted on the College website at http://www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates/ Administrative Changes This report comes to you in the context of a number of administrative changes at the college. Perhaps most important has been a change in academic organization and leadership. In the spring, 2004, the academic area was reorganized to cluster departments into three academic divisions, each headed by an associate academic vice president. In February 2005, the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs became vacant. As a nationwide search for a new vice president commenced, our associate academic vice presidents were asked in the interim to assume most of the duties of the Vice President for Academic Affairs throughout the spring semester, 2005. In July, 2005, Dr. Catherine Chew assumed her post as our new Vice President for Academic Affairs. She brings our institution extensive community college experience in program development, assessment, teaching, faculty development, and college-community partnerships. The student development area has also seen a change in leadership. Our former Associate Vice President for Extension Centers, Paul Broadie, has assumed the position of Vice President for Student Development. Mr. Broadie has begun to implement a number of needed changes identified in a recent comprehensive review of the Student Development division. A summary of progress to date is included in the chapter addressing Monitoring Area #4, and the complete Student Development review report is posted under �Student Development Review� at http://www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates/ In the important area of institutional assessment, we are pleased to have hired a Coordinator of Assessment, Ms. Christine Work. Since assumption of her duties in February, 2005, Ms. Work has been working intensively with departments and programs across campus to concretize assessment plans and procedures, to tie assessment to program planning goals and objectives, and to utilize assessment results in order to improve teaching and learning. She has also developed an assessment web page for the campus web site where faculty, staff and students can access assessment documents as well as learn of the college�s assessment initiatives including assessment plans, tools, and findings. Furthermore, in August, 2004, we hired an Associate Vice President for Technology, James Dutcher, who has reorganized the Technical Services department and conducted a thorough assessment of technology infrastructure, hardware and software across campus. Mr. Dutcher is guiding a new Technology governance committee in developing a comprehensive Technology Master Plan for the College. Details about this initiative are included in the chapter addressing Monitoring Area #4. Updated Mission Statement & Development of a Five-year Strategic Plan In April and May, 2004, President Richards spearheaded an effort to update the college�s mission statement and to articulate the College�s vision and values. Broad-ranging discussions ensued among both internal and external focus groups, and the resulting Mission, Vision, and Values statements were adopted unanimously by the Board of Trustees in June, 2004 (see �Vision, Mission and Values� at http://www.sunyorange.edu/vision/). The College then embarked on the development of a five-year Strategic Plan. In June, 2004, the College retained the services of John Lee and Associates to conduct research on emerging trends in the Hudson Valley region and the needs of communities served by the College. At the same time, planning discussions were initiated across the college community, as well as among community leaders and other external stakeholders, while recommendations from the April 2004 Middle States visit and the State University of New York Mission Review project were reviewed. On December 13, 2004, the Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the new Strategic Plan 2005-2010, which defines the activities that will guide the College in improving educational quality, increasing accessibility, and supporting growth in a cost-effective manner over the next five years. In this its first year of implementation, a number of corollary plans have been developed or are nearing completion to implement the Strategic Plan�s vision: an Academic Master Plan, a Technology Master Plan, a Facilities Master Plan, an Enrollment Master Plan, and a Resource Development Master Plan. These plans will be discussed in more detail in the chapters on Monitoring Areas #1-4, with copies of completed plans included under �Strategic Planning� at http://www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates/. Development of an Academic Master Plan The development of the Academic Master Plan has been fundamental to beginning to realize the goals of the Strategic Plan. Over the summer, 2004, a broad-based Academic Master Planning Committee (AMP) met and developed a series of instruments to review and assess program quality. The college community reviewed these instruments through the college governance system and determined that a mission statement with goals and objectives should be developed for Academic Affairs prior to undertaking academic program review. In an inclusive college-wide series of meetings and workshops over the fall and spring 04-05, a mission statement and a set of goals for Academic Affairs were developed. With these goals in place, academic departments developed five-year plans reflecting specific planning priorities. In the fall 2005, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, in concert with the Associate Vice Presidents, created the framework and final draft of the Academic Master Plan after soliciting feedback from divisions and department chairs, the President�s Cabinet, and other stakeholders. The completed Academic Master Plan, the College�s first, was presented to the Board of Trustees at their November 2005 meeting. Details of the Academic Master Plan are included in Monitoring Areas #1-4, with a copy of the full plan at www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates/. Improvements in the Assessment, Planning, & Budgeting Process Our college governance system has also overseen a number of initiatives arising from the Self-Study and the team�s site visit. The charge and membership of the former Planning Committee have been revised to form a new committee, the Planning and Budgeting for Institutional Effectiveness Committee (PBIE). PBIE has spear-headed the complete revision of our institutional planning, budgeting and assessment process, including the development of an electronic planning and budgeting system that will revolutionize our ability to tie planning and budgeting to assessment and program review while making planning and budgeting a transparent college-wide process. This new committee also includes more extensive ex-officio representation, as well as a broader range of voting members from across the college community. The chapter covering Monitoring Area #4 will report on this committee�s work. In response to the changes in planning and budgeting, the College-Wide Assessment Committee and the General Education Committee have been recast into a single new governance standing committee, the Assessment Advisory Committee. This new committee will work with the Coordinator of Assessment to standardize assessment processes across campus and develop meaningful measures of institutional effectiveness. The chapters covering Monitoring Areas #2 and #4 detail the charge of this new committee. Furthermore, in the spring, 2004, the Board of Trustees adopted a five-year tuition plan beginning with the fall semester, 2005, which establishes a schedule of modest but steady increases in tuition to meet institutional needs. The tuition plan will aid in long-term planning and assist in keeping the college on sound financial footing in the years ahead. New Data Management System In the spring, 2006, we will upgrade our institutional information management system by migrating to the Banner data management system. Our current information management system, last upgraded in 1989, has hampered our efforts to both assess student learning and to tie results to curricular and programmatic changes. The $3-4 million Banner project will place SUNY Orange at the cutting edge in database management, creating an �enterprise data store� (EDS) which will place historical and longitudinal data about student success at our fingertips. Improved Communication Over the past two years, both administrative and college governance leaders have worked with great success to expand communication and working relationships throughout the college. President Richards has expanded his Cabinet so that meetings now regularly include attendance by the Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs, Student Development, Institutional Advancement, and Administration; Associate Vice Presidents for Technology, Extension Centers, Student Development, Health Professions, the Liberal Arts, and Business-Math-Science-Technology; and the college�s Comptroller, Director of Facilities and Administrative Services, Human Resources Officer, Institutional Research and Strategic Planning Officer, and College Governance President. Union leadership and Special Assistants to the President also regularly attend these meetings. The Cabinet continues to communicate regularly with the larger college community via ex-officio membership in governance committees, e-mail distribution of Cabinet agendas and minutes, monthly reports at college governance meetings, and �Monday Memos� circulated via e-mail from the President to all faculty and staff. Additional Accomplishments In addition to the major initiatives summarized above, the college community has worked hard over the past two years to address a number of other specific recommendations arising from the Self-Study and the Middle States team visit. To date, we have: * Developed and published student learning objectives for all courses, with uniform objectives for all multi-section courses * Completed plans for an employee policy and procedures manual * Developed and published a Crisis Management plan * Developed an action plan to address the recommendations of the Middle States Integrity Subcommittee (Standard 6) * Developed a Student Course Evaluation Form and initiated a pilot implementation project Developed and implemented a professional development and mentoring program for faculty and staff * Hired an Assistant Grant Writer * Hired a Coordinator of Instructional Technology We trust this report will give the Commission a sense of our dedication and commitment to addressing all of its recommendations in a way that will make our college a more effective, efficient, and responsive institution. Monitoring Area #1 �Documentation of further progress in the articulation and assessment of student learning outcomes at the course, program, and institutional levels� A. Progress in articulating and assessing student learning at the course level As of fall, 2005, clear, measurable student learning outcomes (SLOs) have been articulated for every course at the college; multiple section courses now have uniform SLOs. SLOs are now included in all course syllabi so that students are aware of learning expectations. Our new Assessment Coordinator has begun to work with academic departments as program reviews are scheduled to further refine course SLOs, aligning them, where appropriate, with objectives set forth by outside accrediting bodies. Additionally, student learning outcomes in the courses included in the State University of New York�s (SUNY�s) ten General Education competency areas are now assessed as part of our ongoing SUNY General Education assessment. The SUNY General Education assessments were initiated in the fall, 2002, and proceed on a three-year cycle (see schedule at http://www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates/). We completed the first three-year assessment cycle in the spring, 2005, and this fall embarked on the second round. Our analysis of the results from the first assessment cycle and implementation of needed changes are addressed in the chapter covering Monitoring Area #2. Furthermore, the areas of critical thinking, mathematics, and written communication have been identified by SUNY across the university as areas for strengthened campus-based assessment. Our General Education Committee is working collaboratively with academic departments to develop plans for assessing these three areas in all related course work; the assessment plans will be submitted to SUNY this spring. The Committee is also working on reviewing the findings from assessments of Critical Thinking and Information Management competencies completed in the spring, 2005, to develop dissemination and utilization strategies. The college-wide articulation of student learning outcomes and the assessment of individual courses have already resulted in some important curricular changes which are detailed in the chapter covering Monitoring Area #3. B. Progress in articulating and assessing student learning at the program level In the spring, 2005, in addition to developing student learning outcomes for all courses, our academic departments refined and published student learning outcomes for all programs. The Assessment Coordinator is working with departments to further refine these program objectives by spring 2006 to ensure that all are clear and measurable. Furthermore, the Assessment Coordinator will offer a regular series of workshops for faculty and staff on writing clear, measurable objectives and writing effective assessment plans so that all faculty and staff are conversant with principles and practices of effective assessment. Programs that have completed their 5-year SUNY program assessment process are meeting with the Assessment Coordinator to interpret assessment results, evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment instruments and methodologies used, initiate action steps for programmatic improvements, and develop planning and budgeting priorities accordingly. Associate Academic Vice Presidents have been meeting with individual departments within their divisions to help articulate assessment goals, develop assessment instruments, and establish appropriate means for outside review. C. Progress in articulating and assessing student learning at the institutional level An institutional commitment to articulating and assessing student learning is reflected in the College�s new Strategic Plan, in the new Academic Master Plan, and in a number of new initiatives in the area of assessment and data collection. For example, assessment of student learning at the institutional level has been initiated in conjunction with SUNY�s request for assessment of student learning in the General Education areas of Mathematics, written English, Information Management, and Critical Thinking. In order to move toward strengthened campus-based assessment, the College is developing an assessment plan and instruments incorporating SUNY-normed rubrics for Critical Thinking, Written Communication, and Mathematics (see �Assessment� at http://www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates/). The Information Management assessment administered during the AY 2004-2005 used web-based software that allowed the college to develop its own assessment questions. We are also working on developing key performance indicators for student learning, with a target completion date of spring, 2006, when we will upgrade our institutional information management system by migrating to the Banner data management system. Our current information management system, last upgraded in 1989, has hampered our efforts to both assess student learning and to tie results to curricular and programmatic changes. The $3 to $4 million Banner project, slated for implementation in the Spring, 2006, will place SUNY Orange at the cutting edge in database management, creating an �enterprise data store� (EDS) which will place historical and longitudinal data about student success at our fingertips. Monitoring Area #2 � Utilization of assessment results to improve teaching and learning. The College�s progress in the articulation and assessment of student learning outcomes at the course, program, and institutional levels, as detailed in the previous chapter, has led us to initiate a number of significant changes to connect assessment results to improvements in teaching and learning. First, in the summer, 2004, we reorganized Academic Affairs into three academic divisions: Liberal Arts; Business/Mathematics/Science & Technology; and Health Professions, each headed by an Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (AVP). A key goal of the reorganization was to make assessment a priority. Under the new structure, the AVP�s work specifically on assessment with departments in their divisions, both to initiate assessments and to analyze assessment results to make appropriate course and curricular changes. The AVP�s were also key in developing the framework for the College�s new Academic Master Plan. The Academic Master Plan was developed through a collaborative college-wide process, utilizing the results of assessments of program strengths and weaknesses. The new Academic Master Plan sets forth an academic mission and a set of goals and objectives to guide improvements in teaching and learning over the next five years (see �Strategic Planning� at www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates). Another major step toward utilizing assessment results to improve teaching and learning has been our hiring of a Coordinator of Assessment, Ms. Christine Work, in February 2005. A member of the Academic Affairs leadership team, her charge is to identify, develop, implement, and evaluate assessment plans college-wide and to ensure that meaningful assessment results are provided to programs and departments for use in curricular and programmatic improvement. A major focus of her work this academic year has been to coordinate and implement SUNY�s ongoing assessment of student learning for both General Education and the Major. As part of this responsibility, she has collaborated with the College�s General Education committee to implement assessment of the General Education knowledge, skills and competency areas. The schedule for these assessments over the next seven years, as well as copies of assessment plans in critical thinking, mathematics, and written communication are posted under �Assessment� at http://www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates/. The Coordinator of Assessment is also coordinating a task force charged with reviewing the results of the General Education assessments and developing utilization strategies. As a first step, the task force has initiated a Critical Thinking Roundtable to both share assessment findings from the spring, 2005, assessments as well as to begin a dialogue about improving the teaching of critical thinking across the curriculum. The task force is also recommending that teaching critical thinking become a key priority in faculty development through the College�s new Center for Teaching and Learning, currently under development by a broad-based committee of faculty and staff. In addition to hiring a Coordinator of Assessment, we�ve created a new Assessment Advisory Committee to subsume all college assessment activities, including the work of the previous College-wide Assessment and General Education Committees. The impetus for forming this new committee was our 2004 Middle States accreditation report, particularly related to Standards 7 and 14, and the completion of our first five-year cycle of SUNY General Education assessments. Approved as a governance standing committee by the College Assembly in October, 2005, the Assessment Advisory Committee represents a cultural shift on campus, pulling together all work on assessment so that we can standardize assessment efforts and ensure accountability in utilizing results. Committee members will work directly with the Coordinator of Assessment to determine the appropriateness and practicality of proposed assessment measures; establish common language and terminology related to assessment for use college-wide; initiate a series of faculty/staff development activities to develop a climate and culture of assessment throughout the College; and ensure that assessment results are communicated and utilized effectively at all levels. The committee�s charge and membership are posted at http://www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates/ under �Assessment�). An important aspect of this new committee�s charge and structure is its direct link to planning and budgeting. Its charge requires that it communicate directly with the Planning and Budgeting for Institutional Effectiveness Committee (PBIE) regarding all assessments, and regularly report to and advise PBIE on the progress made in accomplishing strategic initiatives related to the Academic Master Plan and the College�s Strategic Plan. More detail on the charge and function of PBIE is provided in the chapter covering Monitoring Area #4. Another significant change at the College has been our work to implement a system and process for student course evaluations. An ad hoc governance committee was created in the fall, 2004, and charged with developing the evaluation process, creating an evaluation instrument, devising guidelines for the use of the instrument, and proposing a pilot implementation project. In August, 2005, the College Assembly voted to approve the proposed instrument and pilot project for fall, 2005. That pilot project has been completed, and the committee is currently working to establish guidelines for the use of results, make final adjustments to the survey instrument, and make plans for full implementation of student course evaluations in the academic year 2006-2007. Their careful work will ensure that results are linked to improvements in courses and the achievement of learning outcomes The structural changes detailed above signal an important change in the College�s approach to assessment, bringing it to the forefront of our concern and integrating assessment into our teaching, planning, and budgeting. This new approach has already yielded a number of positive results, as departments now have current, relevant, and useful information about the effectiveness of their courses, programs, and support services. Figure 1 summarizes a number of specific changes instituted by faculty and department chairs over the past two years in direct response to assessment results. We anticipate this list will grow longer once our new Student Evaluation instrument, new Assessment Advisory Committee, new Banner system, SUNY assessment cycle, and new PBIE committee are well underway and providing us with regular, reliable sources of data with which to assess the effectiveness of what we do. Figure 1 Examples of Improvements in Teaching and Learning In Response to Assessment Results: 2004-2006 Department Action Accounting/Office Technologies o Moved Internship class meetings to a computer lab for enhanced Notary Public instruction o Updated Office Technology manual o Reviewed & revised course topics in Accounting based on suggestions from employment agencies o Added a prerequisite of Excel software coursework for Intermediate Accounting I & II Applied Technologies o Computerizing all Architecture classes o Adding Help Desk and Networking options to Instructional Technology Arts & Communication o Outfitted Visual communications lab with state-of-the-art IMAC computers to ensure that students are using the most current technology in their field o Increased the research requirements for Fundamentals of Speech Communication to enhance students' research abilities o Now screening students for the Basic Musicianship course to insure proper placement according to student skill levels Biology o Revised Diversity of Life course to better promote observation, data interpretation, and analysis o Revised content, sequence, and pace for Intro. to Biology and developed key content objectives for each lab exercise o Enhanced lab exercises for General Biology to acculturate students to experimentation, observation, and data analysis o Added written reports on research and experimental results as well as poster presentations and group discussion to promote skills of interpretation and explanation in General Biology Business Management o Revised requirements to allow students to substitute E-Business Principles for Salesmanship, depending on student needs Dental Hygiene o Revised course content in all Preventive Oral Health Services courses, I-IV o Enhanced course content in Pharmacology o Emphasized Referral competency in related courses o Increased screening initiatives to promote public health involvement o Added additional patient case requirements to enhance clinical skills Diagnostic Imaging o Revised evaluation tools & student handbook o Changed required texts Education o Created Education Resource Room to centralize support materials for prospective teachers o Improved advisement by reassigning advisees according to program choice English & Foreign Languages English & Foreign Languages, (continued) o Investigating expanding Freshman English I with Support Module to a broader clientele of students o Developing additional credit & non-credit ESL courses o Partnering in development of an ESL Institute o Training additional faculty in online venues (web-enhanced, hybrid, online courses) o Adding to internationalizing the curriculum with new �Literature, Time & Place� course o Collaborating with Nursing Dept. to develop & implement a four-module �Nursing & Writing� course sequence Learning Assistance Services- Developmental Education Program o Initiated outreach activities for new & current students o Planning for Success series of outreaches and appointments with students at crucial times prior to and during the semester o Smart Start workshops prior to first week of classes o Q&A workshop with the Financial Aid Counselor o Revised newsletter for students in Devel. Education o Distributed personalized information packets for college readiness o Instituted pre-registration Devel. Ed. advising appointments o Focus on Success advising/counseling appointments for students on academic probation via telephone outreach. Learning Assistance Services- Tutoring Program o Study skills survey included in tutor orientation o Study skills review as part of tutor self-evaluation o Investigating study skills software with the English Department o Planning study skills workshops for tutors and tutees Learning Resource Center o Implementing an Information Commons, converting the first floor of the library into a one-stop research plaza o Added additional subject databases to enhance available on-line information o Targeted key book collection areas for updating Mathematics/Computer Science o Allocated more teaching time to geometry and other application topics o Updated learning objectives to assure uniformity of teaching o Designed new assessment tools for each course o Improved advising by assigned Computer Science students to Computer Science advisors o Increased training for computer science faculty o Changed programming language from C++ to java in the Computer Science program o Increased departmental student activities to provide a better learning environment Movement Science o Instituted standardized testing where appropriate to insure students achieve learning outcomes o Piloting pre and post-fitness evaluations for all fitness classes o Standardized journal requirements and self-assessment instruments for all classes o Instituted unit tests in Concepts of Physical Wellness course to more effectively assess student learning Nursing o Developing course modules in writing skills for nurses Occupational Therapy Asst. o Revised instructional materials and changed textbooks o Increased critical thinking & reasoning activities o Increased training in a wide array of assistive technology modalities Social Sciences o Training faculty in Blackboard course management system to utilize more technology support for students o Dedicating two classrooms to enhanced learning through the use of technology, outfitting these classrooms with state-of-the-art equipment Monitoring Area #3 � Implementation of effective curricular changes as a result of learning outcomes data. The College's major initiative in assessment over the past 18 months is now beginning to yield learning outcomes data which we are using to implement curricular changes. Guided by our new Academic Master Plan, we are taking a close look at curricula across the college to determine what is working, what needs to be changed, and what new directions we should follow to best serve our students and the larger community. We�re drawing upon both institutional reviews and specific program assessments to make these judgments. First, our 2004 Middle States Commission self-study and team visit gave us an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of our programs and services. We are embarked on a systematic program to respond to each of the recommendations set forth in the team's report and in our self-study. A summary of our progress in addressing the team�s recommendations is included at the end of this report. Further, our participation in the State University of New York (SUNY) Mission Review process gave us a wealth of data which will help guide decisions on curriculum, including information on demographic changes in Orange County, employment forecasts, and the educational preparation of our current and future student body. Most specifically, however, our Academic Master Plan 2005-2010 (AMP) has been built upon an extensive two-year program review process, gathering extensive data on each academic program and support program or service on campus. Quantitative data gathered included information on enrollment trends, program costs, labor market projections, retention rates within programs, and transfer success rates. Qualitative data included the results of detailed interviews with students and faculty as well as with external constituents such as local employers and members of our program advisory boards. The result is a detailed road map for the academic program over the next five years, organized around five common themes: the need for innovation in technology; the need for ongoing professional development; a commitment to expanding collaborations and partnerships; a commitment to expanding student support; and a commitment to improvement and innovation in curriculum and program design. The AMP then outlines a series of divisional and departmental objectives with regard to programs, personnel and facility needs, and student learning objectives. As Figure 2 indicates, curricular change is underway at the College. We anticipate more profound and extensive changes over the next several years as the new Academic Master Plan is implemented and learning outcomes data from our new campus-wide assessment initiative becomes available. Figure 2 Implementation of Effective Curricular Change as a Result of Learning Outcomes Data, 2004-2006 Department Action Accounting/Office Technologies o Revised Office Tech. Curriculum to include new course in Legal Documents & Terminology o Changed degree title from AAS Accounting Technician to AAS Accounting, based on Advisory Board input Applied Technologies o Developing a new program in Telecommunications o Upgrading programming languages for Computer Information Systems program Arts & Communication o Internationalizing the curriculum by developing courses in non-Western art history, drumming, songwriting, and Latin music. Criminal Justice o Collaborated with several other Hudson Valley colleges on a Homeland Security grant for which we are developing a program in Cybersecurity & Emergency Management o Reviewing degree offerings to determine if curricula reflect current trends in crime prevention and investigation o Investigating new concentration area in the AAS degree in Corrections & Security Management o Investigating new concentration area or certificate in Computer Forensics o Exploring revision of the Security & Law Enforcement certificate Diagnostic Imaging o Changed Patient Care Course from 1 credit to 2+1 credits o Adjusted clinical program requirements to reflect technological advancements in the field o Researching the feasibility of new certificate degree programs Education o This is a new department created in the Fall, 2004, to address the needs of a large number of students interested in careers in education. The Department has primary responsibility for education transfer students, as well as the AAS program in Early Childhood Education and the Teaching Assistant certificate program. Recent curricular changes include: o Revised balance between conceptual/theoretical information with practical constuctivist teaching in all courses o Revised AAS/Certificate in Early Childhood Development and Care; developed six new courses to better reflect desired student learning outcomes o Produced new marketing/informational brochures and website reflecting curricular changes & program opportunities Laboratory Technology o Revised the Medical Laboratory Technology curriculum to change lecture/laboratory credit distributions to better achieve learning outcomes o Changed course names to better reflect course content: Immunology; Instrumentation & Clinical Applications; Histology o Established co-requisites for clinical training and select courses throughout the program Mathematics/Computer Science o Created a Coordinator of Computer Science position to better monitor the program o Increased training for faculty via �mini-seminars� o Developed two new courses to be offered 2006-2007 o Increased student activities to provide a better learning environment Nursing o Created four Nursing Support courses to help students succeed in the core nursing courses o Added a clinical calculations course o Added the course Pharmacology and the Human Body o Added a Microbiology course o Added the course: Nursing V Transition into Practice Occupational Therapy Asst. o Increased the number and variety of fieldwork experiences o Developed community-based programs in non-traditional settings Social Sciences o Revising the International Studies program based on assessment results Monitoring Report #4: Implementation of a comprehensive institutional strategic plan linked to budgeting and assessment On December 13, 2004, the Board of Trustees of the College approved a comprehensive Strategic Plan to guide the college over the next five years. The Strategic Plan is a direct outgrowth of the College�s recently revised statements of vision, mission, and values. As noted in the Plan�s Executive Summary, the Strategic Plan �defines the activities that will improve educational quality, increase accessibility and support growth in a cost effective manner. It identifies strategic priorities that will guide the College in its journey to the next levels of excellence and quality of service� (OCCC Strategic Plan, p. 2). The Strategic Plan outlines five strategic priorities: I. Developing and implementing an Academic Master Plan, supported by plans for facilities, technology, resource development and enrollment management. II. Increasing the effectiveness of planning and resource allocation for all College operations, including expanding the scope of responsibility and authority of the Planning Committee, improving data collection, and integrating into the life of the College responses to issues raised by the Middle States� Commission III. Providing adequate resources to allow the College to realize its strategic goals IV. Reviewing and realigning the missions, operations, and staffing levels of all College departments in light of the strategic priorities V. Providing a clear, consistent and compelling presentation of the College, its programs and services We are pleased to report considerable progress over the last year in addressing each of the Strategic Plan�s five strategic priorities: Progress on Strategic Priority #1: Developing and implementing an Academic Master Plan, supported by plans for facilities, technology, resource development and enrollment management. The Academic Master Plan (AMP) was completed and approved by the Board of Trustees in November 2005 (see�Planning� at http://www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates/). The 60-page document was developed through a collaborative college-wide program review process, which included gathering extensive data on each academic program and support program or service on campus. Quantitative data gathered included information on enrollment trends, program costs, labor market projections, retention rates within programs, and transfer success rates. Qualitative data included the results of detailed interviews with students and faculty as well as with external constituents such as local employers and members of our program advisory boards. The resulting Academic Master Plan serves as a roadmap for academic courses and programs over the next five years. It identifies five themes to guide program development and resource allocation: innovations in technology; innovations in curricula and program design; professional development; the development of educational collaborations and partnerships; and enhanced student support mechanisms. The Plan then identifies the specific challenges facing each of the College�s three academic divisions and lays out objectives for each academic department. Furthermore, the Plan sets goals and objectives for the academic support areas of assessment, records and registration, continuing and professional education, honors, instructional technology, learning assistance services, the Learning Resource Center, and the new Center for Teaching and Learning. Finally, the AMP commits to a continuous planning, budgeting, and assessment cycle tied to the new Planning & Budgeting for Institutional Effectiveness Committee (PBIE) and lays out strategies for increasing the effectiveness of planning and resource allocation for academic matters. The new process more wisely guides curriculum development, encouraging the redesign or discontinuance of outmoded programs and the reallocation of resources to higher demand courses and programs. In addition to the Academic Master Plan, the College has made substantial progress in the development of a number of corollary plans linked to the Strategic Plan. Primary among these is a comprehensive Facilities Master Plan. In June, 2004, the College retained John Lee and Associates to conduct research on the needs of the communities served by the College, to identify emerging trends in the Hudson Valley region, and to facilitate discussion among internal and external constituent groups. Thereafter, JMZ Associates of Glens Falls, New York, was retained to help the College develop a Facilities Master Plan, encompassing both the needs of the main campus in Middletown and plans for a new branch campus in Newburgh, New York. JMZ is engaged this spring in a comprehensive series of interviews, �charrettes,� and planning sessions with internal and external individuals and groups to help the College identify the resources and facilities it will need to implement the Academic Master Plan and provide for the future growth of the county and the College. A significant dimension of this process is planning for a new branch campus in Newburgh. The Orange County executive has appointed a broad-based planning committee of College personnel and city and county officials to identify a site for the new branch campus and develop a budget and the necessary resources to make the new campus a reality within the next two to three years. The Facilities Master Plan for the College as a whole will be presented to the Board of Trustees for adoption in May, 2006. A comprehensive Technology Master Plan is also in final draft form. Recognizing that our institutional technology infrastructure is in significant need of an overhaul to meet the needs of our students and the vision of the Strategic Plan, the College has taken a number of steps to ensure strategic planning for enhanced technological resources and services across the institution. In August, 2004, the College hired an Associate Vice President for Technology, James Dutcher, who has reorganized the Technical Services department and conducted a thorough assessment of technology infrastructure, hardware and software across campus. Mr. Dutcher is now guiding a new Institutional Technology governance committee whose charge is to: * assist the AVP for Technology in the development of a Technology Master Plan that provides support for the strategic priorities of the College * assist in devising, reviewing and updating technology-related policies and procedures * establish a means of defining user needs * establish guidelines for technology-related professional development * address college-wide issues related to technology The committee includes representation from all academic areas, student development, continuing and professional development, administrative services, as well as support staff and students (see �Technology� at http://www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates). The Coordinators of Assessment and Instructional Technology attend as ex officio members, as do the AVP for Technology and the Director of Human Resources. Together they have developed a vision and a plan based on decentralized access, centralized administration, and adaptability in addressing future technological needs. The final draft of the Technology Master Plan is in the process of approval through the governance system, with presentation of the endorsed plan to the College�s Board of Trustees anticipated by June, 2006. The College has also embarked on the first phase of a comprehensive Resource Development Plan. We�ve contracted with the Clements Group to conduct a fundraising feasibility study which is now underway. Based on their recommendations and with Board of Trustee approval, the College will embark on a major capital campaign during the academic year 2006-2007. The second phase of the Resource Development plan�targeting fundraising at specific College needs�will be undertaken once the Technology and Facilities Master Plans are finalized this spring. Furthermore, the College is committed to continue seeking grants tied to the priorities of the Strategic Plan and to continue with annual fund and special event activities earmarked for scholarships and academic equipment. Evidence of the College�s successful pursuit of grant revenue is posted under �Budgeting & Resource Development� at www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates. In another important initiative for the College, the Enrollment Management Plan is in its final development stage and represents a renewed commitment to not only attracting but also retaining students and maximizing their chance of success at the College. In essence the Enrollment Management Plan is the operational arm of the Academic Master Plan, setting forth a comprehensive process that allows the college to optimize student enrollment and retention in credit programs as a result of marketing and retention efforts, while offering exemplary customer service to all. The Plan identifies key performance indicators in four categories�recruitment, retention, operations, and outcomes�and these will be used to measure progress in achieving the Plan�s goals. Finalization of the plan and adoption by the Board of Trustees is expected by September, 2006. Furthermore, the College is analyzing a number of business processes in the following areas related to enrollment management: soliciting student inquiries/recruiting; processing student inquiries to the point of application; admissions application processing; advising new students; advising currently enrolled and re-admitted students; registering students; billing students and processing student payments; creating the credit course schedule; creating the non-credit (continuing education) course schedule; and identifying at-risk/special-status student populations. This in-depth analysis will aid us in customizing our new student data management system (Banner), as well as identifying ways we can improve the services we provide to students. Progress on Strategic Priority #2: Increasing the effectiveness of planning and resource allocation for all College operations, including expanding the scope of responsibility and authority of the Planning Committee, improving data collection, and integrating into the life of the College our responses to issues raised by the Middle States� Commission The College has completely revised the planning and budgeting process, linking planning and budgeting to assessment results and to the College�s overall Strategic Plan and thereby speaking directly to the issues raised by the Middle States team during their visit in April, 2004. The new system not only provides for a more effective use of College resources; it also integrates planning and assessment into the life of the College such that expenditures are targeted directly at initiatives that lead to improvements in student learning and to the achievement of the College�s other mission and goals. Fundamental to this change has been our initiation of a new approach to planning and budgeting via a new governance committee, the Planning and Budgeting for Institutional Effectiveness Committee (PBIE) (see �Budgeting & Resource Development� at www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates). This is a standing committee that has been charged with overall responsibility for recommending to the President�s Cabinet the specific initiatives and performance outcomes necessary to meet the goals of the College�s Strategic Plan. The committee also annually reviews the College�s progress in achieving the goals of the Strategic Plan and in effectively making use of College resources. Specifically, the committee develops with the Vice President for Administration the annual cycle of budget preparation and review; establishes a process for the acquisition and review of requests for budget support; prioritizes those requests guided by division/department missions and goals that support the main elements of the Strategic Plan (the Academic Master Plan, as well as the Facilities, Technology, Resource Development, and Enrollment Management plans); justifies the allocation of resources against the Strategic Plan; reviews annually the effective use of such resources; develops, with the Cabinet, a means of reviewing the overall effectiveness of College operations by evaluating the outcomes of Academic Affairs, Student Development, Administration and Finance, and Institutional Advancement on a bi-annual calendar; and using the same bi-annual calendar, recommends updates to the priorities of the Strategic Plan and changes in the College�s operations to meet those priorities. Voting membership on the PBIE Committee includes representatives from each academic division, administrative affairs, student development, institutional technology, support staff, continuing and professional development, and the student body. The vice presidents for Administration, Institutional Advancement, and Academic Affairs, as well as the academic associate vice presidents and associate vice presidents for technology and student development sit on the committee as ex officio members, as do the president of College Governance, the Officer of Institutional Research and Strategic Planning, the Director of Academic Services, the Director of the Learning Resource Center, the Coordinator of Assessment, the Chair of the Assessment Advisory Committee, and the Middle States liaison. Since beginning its work in September, 2004, the PBIE Committee has spearheaded the complete revision of our institutional planning, budgeting, and assessment process. Following a review of the existing planning process and concerns raised during the Middle States team visit with regard to a lack of a complete �loop� in the planning and budgeting process, the committee initiated a review aimed at developing a new and comprehensive process which will insure that planning and budgeting are tied to the Strategic Plan and its corollary plans and are continually assessed and revised. The result is a new electronic planning and budgeting system dubbed the PIP: �Planning Initiatives and Prioritization.� The new system, developed through close collaboration between the PBIE committee and a staff member from the Institutional Technology department, provides for a systematic, campus-wide electronic planning & budgeting process open to the college community for view at any time. The PIP electronic online system requires department heads to post their planning initiatives and five-year action plans, in addition to estimated budgetary needs, and requires these initiatives to be linked to the College�s Strategic Plan and corollary plans. In this way, department heads will be obliged to consider in their planning not only student learning objectives but also assessment results culled from program review, general education assessment, SUNY Mission Review, and individual course assessments. Using these resources, departments will analyze assessment results and then respond to identified needs by developing planning initiatives and budget estimates targeted at improvements in student learning outcomes and achievement of the goals of the Academic Master Plan and the College�s Strategic Plan. The PBIE committee will then prioritize requests in light of overall College priorities, assessment results, and available resources, and recommend to the Vice Presidents and the President the initiatives to receive funding. The PIP process is in pilot form for the budgeting process of Spring, 2006, with a number of departments using the new electronic system and the rest slated to come online by the end of the year. An important aspect of the PBIE�s work is its direct link to the reconstituted Assessment Advisory Committee. This new committee, beginning in its work in January, 2006, is charged with advising and collaborating with the Coordinator of Assessment on the appropriateness and practicality of proposed assessment measures as applied to specific areas of the College; agreeing on and communicating common language and terminology related to assessment for use college-wide; sponsoring faculty/staff development activities related to assessment; developing a climate and culture of assessment throughout the College; promoting the use of assessment results; and comparing assessment results with the Strategic Plan and its related master plans for assessing the College�s overall institutional effectiveness. A key function of the Assessment Advisory Committee is to communicate directly with the PBIE committee regarding all assessments, and regularly report to and advise PBIE on the progress made in accomplishing strategic initiatives related to the Academic Master Plan and the College�s Strategic Plan. To facilitate this connection between the committees and between the planning, budgeting, and assessment processes, the chair of the Assessment Advisory Committee sits ex-officio on the PBIE committee. For a complete listing of the committee�s charge and membership, see www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates/ under the heading �Assessment.� The new planning and budgeting process via the committees described above now targets resources directly at initiatives that lead to improved student learning and the effective implementation of the College�s overall Strategic Plan. Progress on Strategic Priority #3 Providing adequate resources to allow the College to realize its strategic goals The College is engaged in an aggressive multi-pronged effort to ensure sufficient resources from both the public and private sectors to realize the ambitious goals set forth in the Strategic Plan. The first priority is to secure sufficient base aid from the State of New York. To this end, the College is partnering with its sister institutions across the state to aggressively lobby the Governor�s office to raise its proposed $100 per FTE increase in base aid for next year�s budget to $250 per FTE. We�re also lobbying for an additional $200 per FTE for high-cost, high-need programs such as health care and technology. On the local level, we continue to nurture our very positive relationship with our sponsor, Orange County, which generously provides more than a third of our operating budget. In terms of our students� contribution, the College�s Board of Trustees this fall instituted a five-year tuition plan that provides for a schedule of modest but regular tuition increases over the next five years to meet institutional needs. The tuition plan will aid in long-term planning and assist in keeping the college on sound financial footing in the years ahead. Beyond securing a stable base of public funds, the College is aggressively pursuing private sources of funding through individual donations and grants from foundations and corporations as well as income from grants. Periodic reports of our Grants Office illustrate the depth and breadth of this activity, including our current Title III grant proposal which will support efforts in Student Development and Academic Affairs to improve student retention rates (see �Budgeting & Resource Development� at www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates). Particularly exciting are a number of agreements we�re forging with corporate partners willing to donate equipment and expertise. For example, Citizens Communication Corporation has agreed to build this year at our Middletown campus a replica of a state-of-the-art telecommunications research laboratory modeled after their other two such facilities in Sacramento and Syracuse. This agreement includes not only the donation of equipment but training for faculty and staff and maintenance of the currency of the facility. A team of SUNY Orange faculty is slated to visit the Syracuse facility this spring and to begin developing curriculum around the capabilities and opportunities afforded by the new facility. The College is also engaged in negotiations with Microsoft and Sam Zell Foundation, one of whom is expected to sponsor the Center for Advanced Technology we will create as part of our new branch campus in Newburgh, New York. The benefits of partnerships like these�not only in terms of capital resources but in terms of the knowledge and expertise we gain�are incalculable. We�re also endeavoring as we build our new branch campus to serve as a model for the region in the use of alternative technologies and �green� building processes. We�ve submitted a grant application to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for funds for the planning and design stage. We see this process as providing benefits in the efficient, economical use of energy and the conservation of resources, but also as an opportunity for our students in physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, applied technologies, and other disciplines to learn about emerging technologies and witness their use. Progress on Strategic Priority #4: Reviewing and realigning the missions, operations, and staffing levels of all College departments in light of the strategic priorities This strategic priority, along with the recommendations of the Middle States Self-Study and Accreditation Team, has fostered a careful analysis of the functions and effectiveness of all College departments and programs, with a subsequent realignment of staffing, resources, and responsibilities now underway. The first change was the reorganization in 2004 of Academic Affairs into three divisions: Liberal Arts; Health Professions; and Mathematics, Science, Business & Technology. Each comprises five to seven departments and is headed by an Associate Vice President (AVP) who reports directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This reorganization creates an administrative layer where academic planning, budgeting, and assessment reside and where interdisciplinary connections can be forged. Furthermore, the AVP�s are charged with overseeing the implementation of the Academic Master Plan, as previously described. In the Student Development area, a broad-based committee of faculty, staff, and students during the academic year 2004-2005 completed an assessment of the Student Development program in three areas: student success and retention, academic and program advising, and enrollment management (see �Student Development Review� at www.sunyorange.edu/middlestates). Implementation of the report�s recommendations is underway. Furthermore, a new Vice President for Student Development, Paul Broadie III, has assumed leadership of the division and is finalizing an enrollment management plan which realigns the College�s marketing, recruitment, and retention efforts to better attract and retain students. The College�s new Director of Advising, Assessment, and Counseling will be deeply engaged in this effort, along with the Director of Admissions and the Vice President for Institutional Advancement. The College also seeks to expand advising services for students by hiring academic advising specialists to provide advising support 12 months a year, day and evening, both on campus and in the larger community. Progress on Strategic Priority #5: Provide a clear, consistent and compelling presentation of the College, its programs and services The Office of Institutional Research, under the leadership of Vice President Vinnie Cazzetta, is working to insure the College�s marketing, recruitment, and public relations approach presents a clear and consistent message to the public. One proposal under consideration is a plan to move recruitment out of the Office of Admissions into the Office of Institutional Advancement, enabling the College to present a unified and consistent message to potential students. Furthermore, the Office has worked to make brochures and other promotional materials uniform in design and content, and has redesigned the College website to make it more user-friendly. In an effort to reach out to our non-native community members, the College has been successful in attaining a grant for a major initiative in serving foreign-speaking residents and has just hired a Coordinator of English-As-A-Second-Language (ESL). Based at our Extension Center in Newburgh, the new ESL Coordinator is designing a variety of non-credit courses and programs to serve the County�s growing non-English-speaking population. We see the ESL initiative as an important dimension of our outreach and communication with all the residents of Orange County. 1