Minutes 04/22/2008

MARICOPA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
GOVERNING BOARD
APRIL 22, 2008
MINUTES

A systemic dialogue was scheduled to be held at 4:00 p.m. in the Rio Conference Center at Rio Salado College in Tempe, Arizona, pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice having been duly given.

PRESENT

GOVERNING BOARD
Don Campbell, President
Linda Rosenthal, Member
Jerry Walker, Member

ABSENT:
Colleen Clark, Secretary
Scott Crowley, Member

ADMINISTRATION
Andrea Buehman for Maria Harper-Marinick
Debra Thompson
Steve Helfgot
Albert Crusoe
Anna Solley
Mary Kay Kickels
Shouan Pan
Ken Atwater
Art DeCabooter
Ernie Lara
Gene Giovannini
Linda Thor
Velvie Green
Maria Hesse

SYSTEMIC DIALOGUE (4:15 p.m. through 7:00 p.m.)

Welcome & Introductions:
Dr. Sylvia Manlove, Vice President for Student Affairs at GateWay Community College, welcomed everyone present to the evening’s Systemic Dialogue entitled “Showing Students the Light at the End of the Tunnel – Being Their On-Ramp to Success!” She introduced members of the Governing Board who were present as well as members of the Chancellor’s Executive Council. She passed the podium to Dr. Bob Bendotti, Vice President of Academic Affairs, who provided an overview and purpose for the presentations and discussions scheduled to take place.

Overview of Purpose & Structure of Dialogue:
Dr. Bendotti explained that the purpose was two-fold: one would be to show how MCCCD can help students get on the ramp to student success and the other to show the numbers necessary to achieve this success. Statistics report that if things remain the same, we are going to have to increase number of baccalaureate degrees by 300,000 for an approximate total of 400,399 in order to remain competitive in the U.S. In Arizona, for every 100 students that enter kindergarten only 14 will earn a baccalaureate degree. “Students have the right to fail” but they also have a responsibility to succeed. With tuition, cost of the class supports 17% of cost of course. Taxpayers of Arizona expect us to do everything we know how to do to make students successful. That is indeed possible and we need to be more prescriptive to students. Students who enroll in college classes are far more likely to succeed if they are placed in the right classes. Students who feel welcome in college will remain. Students who are engaged will also persist in much higher levels. In math, 71% of students are placing into development math and most do not make it out. Dr. Bendotti cited an article written by Ron Robb in the Arizona Republic that spoke about ASU’s production capacity in students getting degrees. It stated that ASU does not need to get bigger but needed more competition. Informed access needs to be paid attention to. In order to properly review results, colleges need to look at CCSSE benchmarks to see how students are faring. These benchmarks include active and collaborative learning, student effort, academic challenge, student-faculty interaction, and support for learners.

CCSSE Video Clip:
Participants were shown a video depicting students explaining what works and what doesn’t work on college campuses. Students expressed dissatisfaction when they were given maps with no room numbers, long waits for advisors, constant returning for help, lack of instructions, and payments not being applied. On the other hand, they had positive experiences when they were provided an orientation, tours, disability services, students’ activities, and provided a transition to four-year schools.

A Maricopa Story: iStart Smart at PVCC:
At PVC the iStart Smart Program was initiated to help underprepared students, help students persist, help students with 200 level courses, and to help them persist in accomplishing their goals. Tracking of this program shows that persistence rates have increased at PVC as a result of the prescriptive nature of the program.

Table Discussions:
Participants engaged in table discussions pertaining to “What more can Maricopa do to intentionally help students to ‘get started’ the ‘right’ way?”

Student Connections
Greg Reents, Director of Student Life at MCC, and Queta Chavez, PC Counseling Faculty, spoke about what makes academic life successful for students. They spoke about the Student Life Retreat, LeaderShape, Student Public Policy Forum and International Education.

Table Discussions:
Participants engaged in table discussions pertaining to “What more can Maricopa do to intentionally promote student interaction and involvement with campus and community life?”

Academic Engagement:
Eric Leshinskie, Interim District Director for Academic Affairs Support Programs and Services, introduced a video clip from CCSSE, and also a video showing how students at Chandler-Gilbert Community College engaged in a campus-wide activity called “See Your World,” CGCC’s nomination for the Maricopa Innovation of the Year Award. Faculty members Chris Schnick, Pushpa Ramakrishna, and Mike Greene participated in talking about the activities that help their students become more civically and globally engaged.

Table Discussions:
Participants engaged in table discussions pertaining to “What more can Maricopa do to intentionally promote student’s academic engagement?”

Students Success Stories – Student Voices
Lauren Shellenbarger, Dean of Student Services at EMC, introduced a student panel consisting of ten students who spoke about their experiences at the colleges they attend. They commented on their personal involvement in activities and campus life, positive experiences they had had, and what outside activities they participated in, as well as any recommendations they had.

Concluding Comments:
Comments this evening showed that roles are different but MCCCD is the on-ramp to success. A report would be prepared and shared with the Board at a later date. Students and participants were thanked, as well as members of the planning committee which included:

Sylvia Manlove (GWC)
Bob Bendotti (PVC)
Lois Bartholomew (CGC)
Lauren Shellenbarger (EMC)
Queta Chavez (PC)
Rosemary Acosta (SCC)
Sylvia Hantla (Rio)
Tonya Drake (DO)
Eric Leshinskie (DO)

ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.

———————————
Colleen Clark
Governing Board Secretary

Showing Students the Light at the End of the Tunnel:
Being Their On-Ramp to Success

April 22, 2008 Rio Salado Conference Center

What more can Maricopa do to intentionally help students get started the “right way?”
- more accessible advisors – not enough
- integration information center with knowledgeable staff that students can ask academic as well as general questions
- have mandatory FYE classes
- familiarize faculty with needs of international students
- faculty need to be familiar with policy and procedures
- help student connect what they study with the practical use in the work place
- better/stronger advisement on course/degree planning
- mandatory placement – pros and cons – what if already took AP before asked
- if it works at one college, why not duplicate it in a systematic manner
- fresh start – help students in junior and senior years to prepare for college
- platform of success courses that can be taken at various transition times in their educational career
- decision zones – maybe have a secondary assessment
- course options – that include developmental refresher – can take over developmental half for free
- consistency among the colleges
- including faculty in the advisement process
- Math – practical application of math skills ie – mortgage, interest rates
- Marketing – stress the importance of a college degree, what opportunities are available with a degree? Market resources on campus life: tutoring, study skills, note-taking, etc.
- Courses ending on time – math courses ending all at the same place – some have finished on Chapter 7 or 10 while others end at Chapter 14 – not everyone ends at the same level. Student feel behind for the next course/level
- Offer a summer course for all in-coming freshmen for student success (CPD 105/114)
- FYE
- Orientation – human touch – variety with students, advisors, faculty, student club leaders helped
- Find way to require or encourage students to participate in programs advisors recommend
- Combine with other seminar courses
- Mandatory orientation
- Make finding courses easier
- Students need to be educated about what “credits” mean
- Encourage students to develop rapport with advisors
- Early testing to determine academic ability – even at high school level
- New SIS
- Need to be “intrusive” – students should be more aware of their academic progress over the year in their courses
- Faculty help to guide students to how to navigate campus and how it impacts course selection
- Implement IStartSmart or something similar at each college by 2010 with appropriate DO resource allocation
- More collaboration among those involved in development courses with intentional intervention for struggling students at the first struggle
- 1 credit tutored math class (Christine at GCC) could be done in English, too with librarians as tutors
- Review resource allocation/priorities
- Dedicated developmental or IStartSmart Center for all remedial courses – rather than pods specific to subject scattered throughout each college
- Choose one priority and focus on it
- Include students in six strategic directions for District
- Student life calculator – online tool to help students realize how much time is needed outside of class for coursework (includes est time for work, sleep, recreation – often exceeds 24 hr/day
- As representatives from PVCC, we were on the ground floor of IStartSmart and are now in the evaluation/build/improve stage
- Outreach, especially in the are of interest
- Information can be more readily available
- Use of sister and friends for help
- Better/more accurate information from advisors for students who want to transfer
- Hard to find good advisement
- Orientation is helpful if you have time
- Connections working on campus – job fair for campus jobs
- Show students around campus and places they can work
- Recruitment programs “REACH – ACE”
- Customer services is important
- REACH program makes it mandatory to take a college success course CPD 150 – college prep-like class
- Intrusive advising with consequences
- Allowance for last minute students
- Partner with specific advisors (DRS/Advising) for overlap
- International students appt with international student advisor (Assessment AZ jobs or careers – done with career advisor)
- Address career goals upon entry to encourage retention and completion
- Mandatory advisement, orientation, placement
- Intrusively help students register – do not leave students to travel alone, student leaders assist students register
- Advisors follow-up with students on their status – what’s next – academic checks with students, i.e. athletes, special programs
- Early alert system
- DMI 100 – tell you about programs, career exp
- Everyone should know good student (customer) services – Welcome, Smile on face & voice
- Website needs more color – too much info, smile thru web pages, personalize responses, quick response to online, ease of use
- Trying to register
- What do we do for those who didn’t StartSmart – drop back in
- Personal connection, collaborative groups, academic boot camps
- StrengthsQuest – use with all students
- More inviting/direct letters
- Teachers be involved – survey based on learning styles
- Having (or continuing to have) current students participate in new student orientations – personal contact, testimonials – various departments gave mini-presentations to the leaders prior to orientation so the leaders are well-informed
- Continue to require courses like IStartSmart/AAA115
- More access to scholarships and more PR (advertise!)
- Syllabi on the web
- Core competency
- Learning environment and classroom management
- Not enough pre-req
- Now have student system that promotes self-advising yet we are wanting to connect/engage, etc.
- Students needing developmental courses tend to come
- Instructor who choose to override
- Pressure to keep enrollment up that might not be best for individual
- Push for 12 credits rather than 6 credits
- Get more connected with elementary, junior and high school level and implement early outreach programs – more and more
- New student orientation mandate district-wide
- Give us staff if you’d like this to be successful – we need the $ resources for adequate staff
- Assigned advisors, utilize faculty and staff also to enhance the advising
- Every students needs someone to attach to to success (purposeful mentorship) assign them systemically
- Early career assessment – widely-known and accessible goals (similar to IGoal)
- Faculty and staff training on whatever program is chosen – get buy-in first
- Need passionate people (staff, faculty, administration)
- Signage NEEDED!
- Websites updated and correct
- Welcome center – accessible and team of experts
- “Disneyland” type greeters on a rotating basis this needs to be staff & faculty, easily identifiable and total campus responsibility (rotate through shifts as part of your job)
- Assess students before group advisement sessions (check assessment scores, interest path, NSIS training)
- New student system glitches are complicating the “right start” for staff and students

What more can Maricopa do to intentionally promote student interaction and involvement with campus and community life?
- depends on students desire to participate, available time
- student steering committee to give programmatic ideas
- suggestion box on web site
- multi-college programs with international students combined with other interested clubs/student government
- online announcement board to let students know about events (note from Ann – maybe about emergencies also)
- conversation circles in foreign languages to connect all who want to practice – domestic and international students, faculty and staff (coordinated by international ed offices)
- post messages about events on Rio’s class site for online students
- music
- free stuff
- MySpace, FaceBook
- Mandatory orientations
- Recruit in high school
- Advertise widely opportunities for student involvement
- Get more students (not just the same students) involved in college activities
- Have student leaders visit classes, talking about involvement opportunities and benefits
- Have faculty announce these opportunities in class
- Use different means to inform students – email, mail
- Dorms – or use nearby apartments – keeps students on campus – student does not agree
- Food packages – food plan
- Create incentives for students to participate in leadership programs – attach it to scholarship
- Concern is non-traditional student who does not have time
- Tie engagement to end goal for students
- Students may want to make a difference - this is why they get involved
- Meaningful jobs on campus that pay enough
- Focus on specific groups of students
- Required classes – CPD 150/115 - religious students at Grand Canyon University is required
- Interaction between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs working together and communicating to increase student success
- Change the culture on campus – by telling students what classes to take to be successful CPD 150/115 encourage Student Life
- Increase services offered to students – daycare, welcome children to campus, transportation, support services for single parents
- Increase service learning projects – learning communities, First Year Experience (FYE) programs, group projects to encourage student interactions, support
- Placement tests mandatory district-wide
- Mandatory advisor meeting
- Faculty who are encouraging and pro-active in stimulating student interest
- Faculty can promote Student Life and build a relationship that feeds interest and activities that benefit both classes
- Cross-college dialogues – between student life and administration to make a student’s journey from passive to active
- More clubs
- Communication and advertising needs to be more visable
- Email account that is mandatory to use
- Should give students a school email account and use it to keep them informed on student events, clubs, etc.
- District-wide clubs and interaction between community college clubs
- Electronic communities
- Offer students connections to the rest of the community – where to find ethnic food, pick-up sports teams, etc
- Service-learning and more co-curricular tie-ins from Academic Affairs
- Theme for academic year supported across the college – write across the curriculum – like CGCC See Your World
- Learning outcomes across all departments (not just SL&L) in SA
- Utilize student talent more for marketing, design of college spaces
- More access to classr