Institutional Effectiveness

COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

February 15, 2008 2nd Edition CAPIE (2/15/08)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Glossary……………………………………………………………………………. i

Overview

I. Introduction…………………………………………………………………1 Mission Statement for Comprehensive Assessment Plan…………..2 Value Statement for Comprehensive Assessment Plan……………. 3 Goals and Outcomes for Comprehensive Assessment Plan……….. 3

II. Mission, Goals, Outcomes and Objectives for the College………………... 4 Institutional Mission and Vision……………………………………5 Institutional Goals…………………………………………………..5 Strategic Goals……………………………………………………...8 Planning……………………………………………………………. 8 Strategic Planning………………………………………….. 9 Long-term Planning………………………………………... 10 Operational Planning………………………………………. 10 Unit and Program Planning…………………………………11

III. Outline of Assessment Plan………………………………………………... 12 Key Groups Charged with Implementation of Assessment Plan………………………………………… 13

IV. SCCC Assessment Template………………………………………………. 14

V. Assessment Plan Timelines…………………………………………………17

VI. Assessing the Assessment Plan……………………………………………..17

Appendices

Diagram of Integrated Planning and Assessment for Institutional Effectiveness…………………………………………………..Appendix A

Budgetary Planning Process………………………………………………………...Appendix B

Timelines for Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness…………………………………………………..Appendix C

Strategic Planning Council Process Calendar………………………………………Appendix D

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Forms and Templates

SCCC Assessment Plan Template…………………………………………………. Form A

Development Form: Unit Assessment Plan...... Form B

Development Form: Instructional Program Assessment Plan...... Form C

Development Form: Educational Support Program Assessment Plan………..…….Form D

Development Form: Course Assessment Form………………………………...... Form E

Development Form: Activity Assessment Plan……………………………………. Form F

Indicator Summary Sample Forms………………………………………………… Form G

Administrative Annual Goals Blank Form………………………………………… Form H

Assessment Timelines*

List of External Accreditations and Reviews…………………………………...... Timeline A

Cycle for Program Reviews in Academic Majors…………………………………. Timeline B

Cycle for General Education Assessment…………………………………………..Timeline C

Assessment Plans**

List of Surveys Conducted Regularly by Institutional Effectiveness……………… Plan A

Academic Program Review Process for Assessment of the Major…………………Plan B

Analyzing Program Vitality………………………………………………………...Plan C

SCCC General Education Assessment Plan……………………………………….. Plan D

SCCC Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment Plan……………………………..Plan E

Student Affairs Program Review Process…………………………………...... Plan F

* Additional assessment timelines to be appended as they are developed and approved. **Additional assessment plans to be appended as they are developed and approved.

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GLOSSARY

Accountability: justifying the investment of resources by providing substantive evidence and analysis for demonstrating that the investment yields significant results.

Action Plan: a description of activities to be undertaken for achieving objective(s), including implementation details, scheduled date(s) of completion, and the required financial commitment.

Activity: an event designed to effect a specified outcome. Activities occur as components of courses in instructional programs and as extracurricular events in non-instructional programs; or they can occur independently from programs.

Area: an alternate term for ‘unit.’ (See Unit.)

Assessment: the ongoing process of establishing clear expected goals and outcomes with measurable objectives; ensuring that there are sufficient opportunities for affected areas to achieve the outcomes and objectives; and systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine the degree to which outcomes and objectives match expectations.

Assessment Measures: a quantified observation that is used to determine progress in achieving a goal/outcome/objective under assessment (e.g., graduate rates might be used as assessment measures for the goal: to improve student success).

Assessment Plan: a document that specifies the goals, outcomes, and objectives of an institution, unit (area), program, course, or activity and which identifies what methods will be used to measure the degree to which those goals, outcomes, and objectives have been achieved. The plan must be systematic, and it must also provide a means by which the assessment results can be used to inform decision making and effect change if necessary.

Benchmark: a standard against which performance on an assessment measure or key performance indicator can be evaluated (e.g., using the mean graduation rate of a college’s peer institutions as the basis [i.e., benchmark] against which its own graduation rate is evaluated).

Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness (CAPIE): a plan that brings all units of the college into the assessment process for the purpose of determining the extent to which the institution is meeting its expanded statement of institutional purpose.

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Course: an organized series of instructional and learning activities, dealing with specified subject mater, designed to effect specified learning outcomes.

Data: factual information, such as observations or measurements—especially such information organized for analysis or used to reason or make decisions.

Evaluation: 1) the part of the assessment process that uses professional judgment to form conclusions about the data. 2) using assessment information in combination with professional judgment to make appropriate decisions about what has been assessed.

Expanded Statement of Institutional Purpose: an institution’s reason for being as defined by a combination of its mission and its goals. Unit, program, course, and activity missions must connect to the expanded statement of institutional purpose by linking to either the institution’s mission or to its goals.

Goal: a broad institutional, unit, or program aim (e.g., to enhance student success or to provide community service), deriving from the institution, unit, or program’s mission and effectuated for a given period of time through a planning process.

Indicator: a specific measure or observation that is used to ascertain progress in achieving an objective. (e.g., fall-to-spring retention of first-time full-time students as an indicator of first-year retention rate.)

Institutional Development: assuring that the college maintains its status and reputation as a college of excellence so that it can fulfill its responsibilities to its students and the community.

Institutional Effectiveness: the ability of an institution to achieve its stated mission and goals, i.e., its expanded statement of institutional purpose.

Intended Outcomes: the effects that goals aim to achieve. Whereas goals frequently identify the agents of action (e.g., units, or programs, or the people associated with them) along with the actions themselves, outcomes specify the anticipated results of those actions on a specified set of recipients or beneficiaries (e.g., students, personnel, the public). The two comparisons that follow exemplify this distinction: If as a goal, an institution asserts that it will

ii CAPIE (2/15/08) provide opportunities for student learning, the intended outcome of that goal would be that students will learn; or if Unit X asserts that it will work to promote student satisfaction with a particular service (goal), then the expected result would be satisfied students (outcome). Although the implications of the statements in each of these goal-outcome comparisons are strikingly similar, the distinction between their senses is critical. An Outcomes Assessment Cycle focuses on measuring the extent to which results (outcomes) are achieved, not on the extent to which the opportunities for achieving them (goals) were provided. Although statements of outcome can be expressed in terms that could make them directly measurable, they are best left as broad, sweeping statements because it is usually expected that several objective criteria will need to be met in order to a achieve any individual outcome.

 Unit Outcomes identify results associated with unit operations. They usually entail statements concerning process, service, efficiency, or satisfaction. Examples of unit outcomes could include improvement of services, processing or distributing information more promptly, and improving satisfaction with the services provided. No more than three-to-five unit outcomes should be listed in an assessment plan. Any unit is apt to have more than three-to-five intended outcomes; however, only the most important ones should be identified.

 Program Outcomes identify results associated with programmatic operations. They usually entail statements concerning process, service, efficiency, or satisfaction. Examples of program outcomes could include statements related to curricular relevance, efficiency of operation, student satisfaction, and compliance with external accountability standards. No more than three-to-five programmatic outcomes should be listed in an assessment plan. Any program, however, is apt to have more than three-to-five program outcomes; only the most important ones should be identified.

 Student-learning Outcomes identify student educational achievements that reflect the purpose of a program, course, or activity. They convey what students participating in a program, course, or activity should be able to know (cognitive outcomes), think or feel (attitudinal or affective outcomes), or do (behavioral or psychomotor outcomes). Examples include—basic, intermediate, or advanced knowledge of a discipline [cognitive]; esthetic appreciation, embracing diverse perspectives, or achieving career satisfaction [attitudinal or affective]; and executing specific skills, solving problems, or engaging in lifelong learning activities [behavioral or psychomotor]. No more than three-to-five student-learning outcomes should be listed in an assessment plan. Any program, however, is apt to have more than

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three-to-five student-learning outcomes; only the most important ones should be identified.

 Student-development Outcomes identify how students will grow or develop from participation in a program’s activities. These outcomes may be considered as a subset of student-learning outcomes, but they are considered separately here because they are generally less discipline-specific than those identified under student-learning outcomes. Examples include taking responsibility for one’s behavior, being goal-oriented, tolerating ambiguity, and being self-aware. Student-development outcomes feature prominently in various student- affairs programs; however, instructional programs also lay claim to them. No more than three-to-five student-development outcomes should be listed in an assessment plan. Any program, however, is apt to have more than three-to-five student-development outcomes; only the most important ones should be identified

Key Performance Indicator (KPI): a measure that describes a critical, widely recognized outcome of a mission—one that is clearly responsive to key constituent groups and is produced regularly.

Long-term Goals: goals based on an assumption that current circumstances will not change in the future.

Mission: a succinct, broad declaration of purpose: who you are, what you do, whom you do it for, and perhaps a glimpse into how or why you do it. Nothing more. Mission statements can be expressed in a single sentence; and although they may include multiple sentences, mission statements must never be lengthy. Note that a unit or a program’s mission statement must reflect and support the mission and goals of the institution (Expanded Statement of Institutional Purpose).

Objective: a specific operational or strategic, measurable aim derived from an overarching goal or outcome. Objectives add a specificity to outcomes that allows for measurement. Achieving any outcome generally requires fulfilling a number of objectives. Well-constructed objectives identify an A udience who will be performing a behavior, the nature of the B ehavior to be exhibited, any pertinent C onditions under which the behavior will occur, the D egree that defines acceptable performance of the behavior, and an E ndpoint, the time by which the behavior will be demonstrated. (Note: ABCDE.) Objectives are classified according to the type of outcome they relate to, i.e., unit, programmatic, student-learning, or student- development objectives. When objectives link to outcomes, then the achievement of objectives—which are directly measurable—implies the achievement of outcomes, which are generally not directly measurable.

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Note that measurements can be qualitative as well as quantitative. No more than three-to-five objectives for each outcome should be listed in an assessment plan. Any outcome is apt to entail more three-to-five objectives. Only identify those objectives that seem most important.

Operations: the routine work or services provided by a unit or a program

Operational Plan: 1) the vehicle by which Suffolk County Community College assures that its strategic and long-term plans are carried out and measured consistently across all functions of the college. 2) a plan that prioritizes and organizes the routine work and services provided by a unit or a program.

Outcome: same as ‘Intended Outcome.’ The anticipated consequence of some program, course, activity, or intervention. For example, learning outcomes result from (or are expected to result from) specific instructional activities. (See Intended Outcomes.)

Performance Criteria: indicators used to define and rank levels of expectation in achieving goals or outcomes, i.e., if the performance exceeds, meets, approaches, or does not meet the standard required for successful achievement of the goal or outcome.

Planning: a formal process by which decisions are made and integrated throughout Suffolk County Community College.

Program: a sequence of courses or a sequence of activities that are designed for a specific purpose.

 Instructional Program An instructional program refers to the formal educational requirements (i.e., courses) necessary to qualify for a certificate or a degree. A program includes general education or specialized discipline-specific study, or both. Instructional programs also entail components necessary for or associated with their operations, such as, personnel, facilities, equipment, extracurricular activities, etc.

 Non-Instructional Program A non-instructional program refers to a formal sequence of activities designed to promote student learning in extracurricular environments. Non-instructional programs often focus on the student-development aspects of student learning. Examples include activities related to student government, the student press, career exploration, athletics, student clubs, cultural awareness, etc.

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Program Review: a.k.a. assessment of the major, is a periodic self-study process for instructional programs that results in the gathering of assessment information for formulating recommendations for programmatic improvement. The program-review process, which predates the Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness, comprises a significant element of this plan.

Programmatic Activities: activities conducted so that programmatic goals, outcomes, and objectives may be achieved and measured.

Reliability: the extent to which research procedures and instruments consistently (i.e., from one point in time to another) measure the same thing.

Sampling: selecting a population subset for participation in research or assessment activities. If the sampling is practiced in a particular way (e.g., randomly), it will yield a sample that is representative of the population from which it is selected.

Standard: a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated. A standard is often based on professional judgment or the average performance of a comparison group.

Stewardship: the careful and responsible management of an institution’s resources (human, financial, physical, etc.).

Strategic Goals: goals based on a prediction that current circumstances will not prevail in the future, i.e., that there will be new trends, changes, or surprises.

Strategic Plan: a document that articulates the institution’s strategic goals and identifies the best approaches for achieving them.

Strategic Planning: a systematic and ongoing activity that an organization uses to anticipate and respond to its predicted needs and the predicted needs of its constituents for a three- to five-year period and beyond.

Student Success: by engaging in rigorous academic activities, students effectively engage in goal-setting processes for themselves as members of society and assume responsibility for their own learning.

Target: the level of an indicator that must be reached in order to achieve an objective (e.g., requiring a fall-to-spring retention of 75% for first-time full-time students in order to meet an objective calling for an increase in first-year retention.)

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Unit: an element of an institution’s organizational structure that is characterized by either a dedicated budget or by its responsibility for a specialized function. The functions of some units may extend to more than one of the following categories:  Administrative Units provide essential services that maintain institutional operations. These divisions affect instructional programs indirectly. Examples include the Financial Aid Office, Plant Operations, the Business Office, the Registrar, Human Resources, Enrollment Management, Public Safety, Institutional Effectiveness, etc.  Educational Support Units, while not primarily instructional, contribute directly to student learning or to instruction. Examples of educational support units include Counseling Centers, Academic Skills Centers, the Library, Information Technology, Campus Activities, etc.  Academic Units, i.e., academic departments or schools, administer one or more instructional programs as a part of their routine operations.  Public Service Units benefit members of the community who might not otherwise be associated with the college. Examples include Continuing Education, Workforce Development, and the Sports and Exhibition Center.

Validity: the extent to which research procedures and instruments actually measure what they are designed to measure.

vii COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

OVERVIEW CAPIE (2/15/08)

Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness Revised: 2/15/08

An Overview

I. Introduction

Suffolk County Community College's (SCCC) Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness (CAPIE) is grounded in the philosophy that sound assessment practices are fundamental to ensuring and valuing the college's continued efforts in achieving its mission and vision. SCCC agrees with the proposition that “the effectiveness of an institution rests upon the contribution that each of the institution's programs and services makes toward achieving the goals of the institution as a whole."1 The college believes, also, that sound and systematic institutional assessment practices facilitate communication among its various constituencies.

The SCCC Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness therefore draws on several collaborative processes designed to elicit the judgment of respected colleagues in assessing and improving the quality of academic, public-service, administrative, and educational-support units. These processes involve staff, students, faculty, alumni, community members, college administrators, and external specialists in (1) gathering information about a unit, (2) reviewing and analyzing the information, (3) synthesizing all available information and making judgments about overall quality along with recommendations for improvement, and (4) following up to ensure that the unit is supported in its efforts to address the outcomes of the review.

In its mission and vision statements, its College of Excellence Visioning Pyramid, and its Strategic Plan and budget process, SCCC has committed itself to continually improving its programs and services. Through the implementation of this assessment plan, the college further demonstrates its commitment to the idea that assessment promotes discovery and informs scholarship, development, and institutional change. Like the Strategic Plan, the CAPIE is a fluid document that represents the process of assessment as it develops at SCCC. As units develop and revise their assessment plans, this document will be modified and appended.

Suffolk County Community College prides itself on a long tradition of assessment practices. Through program reviews (i.e., assessments of the major and Student Affairs’ program reviews), course assessments, external accreditation reviews, and a variety of surveys, SCCC has consistently demonstrated its commitment to maintaining its status as a College of Excellence. Building now on its existing assessment practices and philosophies, it is strengthening its ability for “closing the loop.” For SCCC, closing-the- loop assessment practices require the following elements:

1 "Assessing Student Learning and Institutional Effectiveness: Understanding Middle States Expectations," Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Philadelphia: MSCHE, 2005.

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1. Assessment methods that accurately measure those objectives valued by the units being assessed and by the institution 2. Use of multiple assessment measures to ensure accurate data interpretation 3. Collaboration of constituent groups in the development and implementation of assessment methods 4. Effective communication of assessment results to appropriate constituent groups 5. Use of assessment data to inform institutional decision-making processes 6. Effective communication of institutional decision-making processes and their results to appropriate constituent groups 7. Ongoing, systematic assessment processes to ensure that changes made will advance the achievement of unit and institutional goals, outcomes, and objectives 8. Ongoing, systematic evaluation of assessment measures used in decision-making processes

The CAPIE, therefore, is a systematic yet flexible plan designed to build a culture of assessment across the college in practical and measured stages. It is a plan that builds on assessment measures already in place, relying on integrated planning and collaboration of all constituent groups. It demands multiple measures for accurate interpretation of assessment data, and it requires the college’s administration and the Assessment Advisory Council (AAC) to educate constituent groups about assessment. The college’s administration and AAC will also work toward developing and maintaining effective communication of assessment data and decisions made as a result of that data to appropriate constituent groups. The CAPIE, therefore, assists the college in maintaining transparency in its institutional decision-making processes.

Finally, whenever possible, the CAPIE assures that no institutional practice lies beyond the assessment loop. Although not every objective must (or should) be assessed annually, assessment is conducted systematically and cyclically to assure improved student learning and that the college is fulfilling its mission and goals. The CAPIE also exposes those policies and practices that fall outside the assessment loop so that appropriate action and recommendations can be made by the college’s administration and Board of Trustees.

Mission Statement for Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness

Suffolk County Community College’s comprehensive assessment planning process ensures (1) systematic, ongoing assessment of the goals, outcomes, and objectives developed in support of the college’s mission and (2) the delivery of assessment-result analyses to college decision makers and planners.

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Value Statement for Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness

SCCC commits to being a college of excellence. It is determined to do all that it can to maximize the achievement of its mission and goals. The college operates with a systematic and ongoing planning process that sets strategic and institutional goals, outcomes, and objectives. The college believes there must be a parallel process for assessing the achievement of these goals, outcomes, and objectives and that the assessment-result analyses should be systematically communicated to college decision makers and planners.

Goals and Outcomes for Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness

Goal 1: Ensure that the assessment of goals, outcomes, and objectives is systematic and ongoing by specifying the processes for creating, approving, and revising assessment plans at the strategic, operational, and unit levels.

Outcome: Assessment plans that are comprehensive and capable of being implemented.

Goal 2: Ensure that the assessment of goals, outcomes, and objectives is timely by specifying timelines for assessments at the strategic, operational, and unit levels.

Outcome: Assessments that are timely.

Goal 3: Ensure that assessment results are communicated to appropriate decision makers and planners by specifying processes for communicating the results of assessment.

Outcome: Assessment results that are communicated to appropriate decision makers and planners.

Goal 4: Ensure that assessment processes are effective through regular and systematic assessment of the processes themselves.

Outcome: Assessment results that are useful for decision makers and planners.

II. Mission, Goals, Outcomes, and Objectives for the College

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Assessing institutional effectiveness at SCCC is challenging for many reasons, not the least of which is the institution’s complexity. As a public institution of higher learning, SCCC is subject to New York State law. It is also a State University of New York (SUNY) institution, thereby making it subject to SUNY mandates. And as a community college within the SUNY system, it must also have a county sponsor. Therefore, the college is also subject to county laws and budget practices. Finally, SCCC is a multi- campus, comprehensive community college. The campuses, as well as the students who attend them, have a variety of goals and priorities that must also be considered when assessing institutional effectiveness.

Student learning, however, is an acknowledged universal priority for the entire college community. Consequently, all units of the college must consider how their actions work toward improving student learning, with assessment providing the mechanism by which this priority is continually and systematically reinforced. Thus assessment activities are critical for units that have direct contact with students, such as academic and student affairs, as well as for those units without direct student contact, such as human resources and business affairs.

The CAPIE and institutional planning are integrally and systematically linked, and SCCC is dedicated to using the data derived from the multiple assessments and assessment methodologies in its decision-making processes. It is, in other words, committed to developing and maintaining its “closing-the-loop” practices.

The mission, vision, and College of Excellence Visioning Pyramid are the sources of the college’s goals for achieving effectiveness, while strategic and long-range planning represent the vehicles by which the college makes its mission operational.

SCCC employs an integrated planning process, which means that no part of the planning process can be developed in isolation. Whereas the President, the President’s Executive Council, and the Strategic Planning Council provide leadership for the entire planning process, all units, nevertheless, contribute to planning. For example, the process for constructing the College of Excellence Visioning Pyramid began when the President and the Executive Council arranged for visioning sessions to take place at the annual Opening-Day Faculty Meeting that took place in August 2004. At the visioning sessions, faculty were asked to discuss what they thought should be established as the goals of the college and what they viewed as the main roadblocks to the attainment of those goals. After reviewing the summaries of those visioning sessions, the President and the Executive Council constructed the Pyramid, which was used to inform and revise the mission and vision statements, as well as the Strategic Plan.

The mission and vision statements were revised using a similar process. At a retreat held in April 2005, representatives from the administration, faculty governance, and academic and student affairs were asked to consider what they thought the mission and vision of the college should be. Drafts of each statement were composed and then submitted to the general faculty and to faculty governance for review. Upon receiving feedback, the

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Executive Council revised the mission and vision statements, which were then approved by the Board of Trustees.

A. Institutional Mission and Vision

Mission Statement: Suffolk County Community College promotes intellectual discovery, physical development, social and ethical awareness, and economic opportunities for all through an education that transforms lives, builds communities, and improves society.

Vision Statement: Suffolk County Community College commits to maintaining high educational standards, to fostering and inspiring student success, and to creating diverse opportunities for lifelong learning. By attracting strong leadership and distinguished faculty to a college of excellence, we create an enriched learning environment that empowers students to transform their lives.

B. Institutional Goals

Through collaboration between the Strategic Planning Council and the college’s administration, the following have been identified as institutional goals:

Institutional Goals

Suffolk County Community College provides Suffolk County residents with educational opportunities that prepare students to succeed in future degree programs, in their career choices, and at lifelong learning.

The College cultivates a faculty, staff, and administration that places student learning and academic excellence at the center of its concerns.

The College succeeds when it provides intellectually demanding, emotionally satisfying and ethically informed courses of study that connect students to themselves, each other, their society, and the world.

Student Success To foster the intellectual, physical, and social development of students through sound academic and student-support programs and services,

 By providing students with courses and curricula that meet the highest academic standards through its associate degree programs, professional and

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occupational degree programs, certificate programs, and developmental programs,

 By structuring curricula to include courses that develop oral and written communication skills, encourage thinking skills, creativity, physical fitness, and competency in information management, and promote understanding of self, nature, society and its historical context, and an awareness of values, ethics, and global perspectives,

 By providing a comprehensive program of student activities designed to enhance the college’s cultural, social, civic, and esthetic environment in ways that support the growth, development, and responsibilities of its members,

 By providing support services necessary for students to realize their maximum potential,

 By strengthening programs and services through ongoing assessment and planning,

 By integrating instructional technology and learning and other forms of technology into the fabric of the institution.

 By providing educational experiences with modern equipment and in physical settings that are safe and secure.

Community Development/Societal Improvement To promote the social and economic development of the college and community we serve,

 By providing county residents with lifelong educational experiences related to their job development and leisure activities, including workshops, community forums, and cultural enrichment programs,

 By providing workforce development opportunities that meet the needs of employers and employees.

 By cooperating with community and governmental agencies to enhance the quality of life in Suffolk County,

 By serving as a social, intellectual, and recreational resource to Suffolk County residents,

 By providing ongoing professional development for faculty, staff, and administrators,

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 By acquiring and effectively utilizing resources to support the college mission.

Access and Affordability To provide universal access to higher education by reducing economic, social, geographic, and temporal barriers,

 By accepting into an appropriate program all applicants who have graduated from an approved high school, who hold the New York State High School Equivalency Diploma (or equivalent), or who meet entrance requirements under the Ability To Benefit program,

 By admitting students to college programs and services without regard to race, color, creed, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability,

 By operating from convenient locations dispersed throughout the county, including campuses, downtown centers or facilities, and extension sites,

 By promoting financial access through reasonable tuition charges and through institutionally sponsored fundraising efforts in support of both merit and need- based scholarships,

 By providing distance education opportunities.

Institutional Effectiveness To monitor and improve the level of success in achieving the mission, vision, and goals of the college,

 By conducting ongoing, systematic assessment of all institutional units, programs, and services,

 By using assessment results to advance institutional effectiveness.

Communication To promote effective communication within the college community and between the college community and external constituencies,

 By keeping the college and external communities informed on a continuing basis about major college initiatives and activities,

 By providing multiple channels for communications within and among all college constituencies.

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C. Strategic Goals

As stated previously, the college’s strategic plan is informed by its mission and vision statements and the College of Excellence Visioning Pyramid. At SCCC, strategic planning is a systematic, ongoing activity that anticipates and responds to realistically forecasted predictions of new conditions that are expected to arise in the future. SCCC's Strategic Plan 2007–2012 identifies five strategic goals:

Goal I Institutional Outcomes: SCCC will strive to achieve outcomes deemed to be important indicators of institutional progress by internal constituencies and/or by external governing or accrediting bodies.

Goal II Academics: SCCC will provide educational opportunities with 21st century relevance.

Goal III Assessment: SCCC will promote a culture of sustained and systematic assessment of units, programs, and services and apply the findings to institutional improvement.

Goal IV Human Resources: SCCC will hire effective and diverse staff, leaders, and faculty.

Goal V Resources: SCCC will seek to leverage resource opportunities with an effort to fulfill its mission.

D.. Planning

Planning represents the formal process by which decisions are made and integrated throughout the college. This purpose of this continuous process is to achieve results and document successes through a pervasive “culture of evidence.” Institutional planning is premised on three ideas:

 Initiatives from the college must be welcomed and encouraged.  Planning behavior is a fundamental responsibility of all administrators, faculty, staff, and college leaders.  The planning process enables all levels of the institution to contribute to the achievement of goals, outcomes and objectives.

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1. Strategic Planning

Strategic planning represents a systematic and ongoing activity that an organization uses to anticipate and respond to its predicted needs and to the predicted needs of its constituents for a three- to five-year period and beyond. The process assumes that conditions in the future will not remain the same as they are in the present. It aims to predict these conditions and to appropriately prepare for them. The strategic planning process commences with a comprehensive internal and external environmental scan that results in identifying anticipated challenges and opportunities that are deemed appropriate for the institution to address. After identifying them, strategies for tackling future challenges and for taking advantage of future opportunities are devised and expressed in terms of goals, outcomes, objectives, and action plans.

2. Long-range Planning

Like strategic planning, long-range (a.k.a. long-term or conventional) planning also represents a systematic and ongoing activity that addresses meeting the future. This type of planning, however, differs from strategic planning in that its goals, outcomes, objectives, and action plans are predicated on assumptions that current conditions will extend into and beyond the term of the plan. Long-range plans, therefore, are vehicles for addressing institutional goals. At SCCC, long-range planning takes place at the institutional, unit, and programmatic levels. The college’s Master Plan represents an example of long-range institutional planning (although, elements of this plan do address some strategic issues). On an ongoing basis, however, assessments of unit and program plans speak most directly to the assessment of institutional effectiveness, i.e., the extent to which the institution is fulfilling its mission and goals.

3. Operational Planning

Operational planning advances the achievement of strategic and long- range aims by articulating and ranking those goals, outcomes, and objectives that should be achieved within a single year—given budgetary constraints and other factors that may affect the college’s ability to attain them. Operational plans therefore assure that the college’s strategic and long-range plans are carried out by appropriate functional units.

The construction of operational objectives reflects a collaborative process in which all units participate. Preliminary unit objectives are developed, negotiated, and submitted to respective leaders, who then establish

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priorities for their units. Initiatives and objectives are subsequently submitted to the campus executive deans and unit supervisors for final reviews and prioritization. Unit supervisors must ensure that all unit objectives align with the vision, mission, College of Excellence Visioning Pyramid, and strategic and long-range plans, as well as with the college’s budget. A comprehensive budget-development-and-review process serves to link budgetary requests to actualizing the unit objectives. It is this process that encumbers the financial resources necessary for making long- range and strategic objectives operational. (See Appendix B.)

4. Unit and Program Planning

A unit refers to an element of an institution’s organizational structure that is characterized by either a dedicated budget or by its responsibility for a specialized function. Some units administer one or more sequences of courses or activities that are designed to effect specified outcomes. These sequences describe specific programs. Planning at the unit and program levels entails establishing unit and program goals, outcomes, and objectives, all of which link to the expanded statement of institutional purpose. Unit and program planning incorporate assessments of the extent to which their goals and outcomes are achieved.

For the purpose of acknowledging and facilitating different approaches to unit assessments, units at the college are broadly categorized into four functional groupings, recognizing that the functions of some units may extend into more than one of the following categories:

 Administrative Units provide essential services that maintain institutional operations. These divisions affect instructional programs indirectly. Examples include the Financial Aid Office, Plant Operations, the Business Office, the Registrar, Human Resources, Enrollment Management, Public Safety, Institutional Effectiveness, etc.  Educational Support Units, while not primarily instructional, contribute directly to student learning or to instruction. Examples of educational support units include Counseling Centers, Academic Skills Centers, the Library, Information Technology, Campus Activities, etc.  Academic Units, i.e., academic departments or schools, administer one or more instructional programs as a part of their routine operations.  Public Service Units benefit members of the community who might not otherwise be associated with the college. Examples include Continuing Education, Workforce Development, and the Sports and Exhibition Center.

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For the purpose of acknowledging and facilitating different approaches to programmatic assessments, programs at the college are divided into two groups:

 Instructional Program An instructional program refers to the formal educational requirements (i.e., courses) necessary to qualify for a certificate or a degree. A program includes general education or specialized discipline-specific study, or both. Instructional programs also entail components necessary for or associated with their operations, such as, personnel, facilities, equipment, extracurricular activities, etc.  Non-Instructional Program A non-instructional program refers to a formal sequence of activities designed to promote student learning in extracurricular environments. Non-instructional programs often focus on the student-development aspects of student learning. Examples include activities related to student government, the student press, career exploration, athletics, student clubs, cultural awareness, etc.

11 CAPIE (2/15/08)

III. Outline of the Assessment Plan

Suffolk County Community College has had more experience in the assessment of student learning than it has had in the assessment of other categories. Nevertheless, the college remains committed to strengthening its assessment practices in all areas of the institution through ongoing development and implementation of its Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness. This plan calls for four distinct assessment processes:

1. Assessment of student learning 2. Assessment of the effectiveness of all college programs and services 3. Assessment of the effectiveness of the changes implemented as a result of the data collected and analyzed from the first two assessment processes 4. Assessment of the assessment measures being used to produce the data

SCCC's comprehensive assessment plan contains not only the general outlines of the plan, but also examples of specific assessment plans (e.g., Program Review Processes and the General Education Assessment Plans). Additional assessment plans will be appended as they are developed and approved, including specific assessment plans for strategic, long-range, and operational plans.

A template is provided as a guideline for developing unit assessment plans.2 Each section of the template details the components of an assessment plan, with each plan requiring articulation of goals, outcomes, and objectives; action plans and unit or programmatic activities; assessment measures and methods; performance criteria; and a conclusions’ and recommendations’ plan, as well as an assessment cycle, a strategy for assessing the assessment process, and a description of the appropriate approval process for the plan and any ensuing revisions. The goals, outcomes, and objectives section identifies the goals, outcomes, and objectives that a unit or program wishes to achieve through its unit or programmatic activities. The action plans’ and unit or programmatic activities’ section specifies activities designed to achieve those goals and objectives. The assessment measures and methods section addresses the types of measures or indicators to be used and the factors of validity, reliability, and sampling. The performance criteria section contains a description of the rubric(s) and acceptable performance standards. Finally, the conclusions’ and recommendations’ section provides a description of how conclusions and recommendations will be developed as a result of the assessment, how and to whom those conclusions and recommendations will be communicated, and a timetable for creating revised action plans as appropriate.

Key Groups Charged with the Implementation of Comprehensive Assessment Plan

2 See the Appendices for the complete assessment plan template.

12 CAPIE (2/15/08)

1. Office for Planning and Institutional Assessment

This office, which oversees institutional accreditations as well as the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, is led by the Vice President for Planning and Institutional Assessment. The role of this office is to coordinate institutional planning and facilitate assessment of the college’s outcomes. Thus, this office serves as the focal point for integrating planning with assessment.

2. College Administrators

Although assessment practices at SCCC are collaboratively developed and conducted by faculty and staff, the college’s administration is instrumental in effecting the implementation of the comprehensive assessment plan. Each administrator is charged with overseeing assessments in his or her area(s) and prioritizing the recommendations for changes that result from their assessments. Furthermore, the achievement of each administrator’s individual goals and objectives is systematically reviewed by the President or the Executive Council. The President’s goals and objectives are assessed annually by the Board of Trustees, and the Board of Trustees engages in self-assessment.

3. Units

Personnel within units are responsible for articulating the goals, outcomes, and objectives for their areas; developing and implementing action plans for achieving them; and developing and implementing appropriate measures for assessing them. These activities are performed in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the Assessment Advisory Council, and appropriate administrators, using institutional forms created for effective communication and reporting. These forms and the collaborative interactions ensure that goals and objectives are linked to the expanded statement of institutional purpose, or when appropriate to strategic goals, and are prioritized according to institutional need and improvement of student learning.

4. Office of Institutional Effectiveness

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness provides guidance to college units and programs regarding the design and implementation of assessment strategies. It also prioritizes data collection and analysis support for unit and program assessments.

5. Office of Curriculum and Assessment

13 CAPIE (2/15/08)

The Office of Curriculum and Assessment assists faculty in curriculum design, and it coordinates general education and program review assessments. It guides and supports faculty in the development and execution of their academic assessments. The office also reports assessment results to SUNY, and it organizes post-assessment reviews to promote follow-through on recommendations made as a result of assessments.

6. The Assessment Advisory Council

The Assessment Advisory Council (AAC) is responsible for overseeing the Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness. The AAC works with unit and program leaders, the Office of Curriculum and Assessment, and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness to

a. review assessment cycles and determine what assessments need to be completed in the following year so that appropriate administrators may be informed, b. review assessment reports for the current year, c. review assessment methods used in the current year, d. draft summary assessment reports with recommendations, e. assist in facilitating communication of assessment results to stakeholders.

The AAC also works in cooperation with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and the Office for Curriculum and Assessment to assist those units and programs in developing their goals, outcomes, and objectives and in developing appropriate assessment methods.

The AAC is co-chaired by the College Associate Dean for Institutional Effectiveness and the College Associate Dean for Curriculum and Assessment. Efforts are made to keep the AAC membership as representative as possible.

IV. The SCCC Assessment Template

This section further delineates each of the components of SCCC's Assessment Template.

1. Goals/Outcomes/Objectives What are the goals, outcomes, and objectives? How are they linked to the college's expanded statement of institutional purpose or, if appropriate, to strategic goals?

14 CAPIE (2/15/08)

2. Person(s)/Department Responsible for Conducting Assessment Who is responsible for overseeing this assessment plan?

3. Units Involved List all units at the college that will need to conduct assessments in order to determine the degree to which the assessment goals of the plan have been achieved.

4. Resource Implications/Allocations Identify personnel needed for conducting assessment and estimate costs for implementing assessment plan.

5. Previous Assessments Have there been previous assessments conducted for this goal or outcome? If so, list recommendations. Have any of those recommendations been implemented? If so, list recommendations implemented. If not, why not? Have there been external accreditations or reviews conducted? If so, list recommendations implemented.

6. Action Plans and Unit or Programmatic Activities What activities lead to the attainment of the designated goals, outcomes, and objectives?

Action plans specify activities to be undertaken to achieve specific objectives. They detail implementation tactics, including scheduled dates of completion and financial commitment. The following details are required in the construction of action plans:

a. Key result areas and detailed stages of implementation in accordance with the plan being addressed b. Name(s) of faculty, staff, or administrators who have responsibility for implementing the action plan c. Names of other personnel involved with implementing different steps within the plan d. Start and end dates for successful completion of each stage of the plan e. Resources required to successfully implement the plan f. Lists of feedback mechanisms that will be used to inform decision- making processes

7. Assessment Measures and Methods We know to what degree we have achieved our goals, outcomes, and objectives by establishing measurements and reviewing the results of these measurements as they affect outcomes.

15 CAPIE (2/15/08)

a. Describe the types of measures (indicators) to be used to determine to what degree goals, outcomes, and objectives have been achieved, and identify who will be conducting the assessment. b. Describe the process by which validity and reliability will be verified. c. Determine appropriate sampling necessary for useful data.

8. Performance Criteria and Targets a. Identify and define assessment criteria and levels of exceeding, meeting, approaching, and not meeting the standard. b. Establish standards and benchmarks or targets.

9. Assessment Cycle a. How often will assessment(s) take place? Annually? Every five years? etc. b. When will the next assessment take place? c. When should the next assessment process begin?

10. Conclusions’ and Recommendations’ Plan This section represents one of the most important elements of the assessment plan because assessment has value only insofar as the institution has a system for using the results of its assessment process to bring about programmatic improvements and validation. Therefore, please describe how the following will take place:

a. How will conclusions and recommendations be developed? Who will be responsible for facilitating this process? b. How and to whom will the conclusions and recommendations be communicated? c. Specify the timeline for developing and communicating the conclusions and recommendations and developing a revised action plan if appropriate.

11. Assessing the Assessment What is the strategy for assessing the assessment? In other words, what mechanisms are in place to review the effectiveness of the assessment process and consider questions such as, (1) Did the resources used justify the results obtained? (2) Was the data-gathering process adequate? (3) Were any groups unduly affected negatively as a result of undetected bias in the articulation of objectives, the unit or programmatic activities, or the performance criteria used in the assessment?

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12. Approval Process Describe area, administrative, or governance endorsement processes necessary for approval of the assessment plan. List dates, votes, and administrative approvals here.

V. Assessment Plan Timelines

Assessment plans for all areas are implemented on a cyclical basis. They have defined timelines for completion that are integrated with institutional planning timelines, thereby enabling a data-driven decision-making process. Assessment timelines and cycles will be appended to this document as they are developed.

VI. Assessing the Comprehensive Assessment Plan

In addition to assessing specific plans, a full assessment of the CAPIE will be conducted by the Assessment Advisory Council every five to seven years to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Based on its findings, the AAC will make recommendations regarding any changes to the overall assessment process to the college governance bodies and administration. Those changes, if approved, would be implemented for the next five to seven years.

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APPENDIX A

Diagram of Integrated Planning And Assessment For Institutional Effectiveness CAPIE (2/15/08)

Diagram of Integrated Planning and Assessment for Institutional Effectiveness

Mission & Vision Mission & Vision

Institutional Strategic InstitutionalGoals GoalsStrategic Goals Goals

DEVELOP UNIT OBJECTIVES

Administrative Units Educational Support Units Academic Units Public Service Units

REVIEW & REVISE IMPLEMENT REVISE OBJECTIVES ACTION UNIT GOALS PLANS ACTION PLANS MISSION & VISION

ASSESS UNIT OUTCOMES

Review & Revise Assess Assessment Assessment

Appendix A CAPIE (2/15/08)

APPENDIX B

Budgetary Planning Process CAPIE (2/15/08)

Budgetary Planning

In October of each year, the vice president for business and financial affairs sends to all operating units in the college a memorandum that establishes the format and guidelines for budgetary considerations. Each unit is asked to establish priorities in line with the expanded statement of institutional purpose and within the scope of available resources. These priorities are used as determining factors in building the budget. Each unit submits its budget request by December 31. The Budget and Planning Committee then meets with the campus executive deans and central operating units to discuss their individual requests. At that time, information justifying the proposed budgets is presented. The requests must demonstrate how proposed expenditures tie into the expanded statement of institutional purpose and how they would contribute to achieving the college’s mission and goals. Each object code for an expenditure has a corresponding checklist that shows how it would achieve specific building-block designations in the college’s Pyramid and the Middle States Standards of Excellence.

After the budget proposals are presented, their information is summarized and reviewed by the President and the President’s Cabinet. Decisions are then made regarding available funding with respect to the requests received. Following this, the campus executive deans and central administrators are asked to appropriately revise their budgets. Budget proposals are subsequently resubmitted for further review. This process can be repeated several times because new information regarding salaries, retirement-system percentages, health-insurance rates, and other similar factors is received on a continual basis.

In March, budget information is brought before the Board of Trustees in a special budget meeting during which the Board of Trustees provides its formal input. Following subsequent modifications and review, the budget request is again brought before the Board of Trustees in mid-April. If the Board approves the budget, it is delivered to the Office of the County Executive (OCE) for its review and recommendation. If, on the other hand, the Board amends the budget at its mid-April meeting, the budget is modified, after which it is submitted to the OCE. The County Executive’s business office then reviews the budget, and by mid- June, the OCE releases its recommended budget. The college’s budget is then reviewed by the county legislature’s Legislative Budget Review Office, and its report on the college budget is issued to the county legislature in late July. Throughout this process, there are several official budget hearings.

Typically in the beginning of August, the legislature votes on the County Executive’s recommended budget as well as on proposed amendments. The County Executive then has ten days to approve or veto the amended budget. If the County Executive vetoes the college budget, the veto can only be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote by the legislature. If the veto is not overridden, the County Executive’s budget remains in place. After legislative action on the

Appendix B CAPIE (2/15/08) budget is taken, it is resubmitted for final approval to the local Board of Trustees and then to the SUNY Board of Trustees.

Appendix B CAPIE (2/15/08)

APPENDIX C

Timelines for Comprehensive Assessment Plan For Institutional Effectiveness CAPIE (2/15/08)

TIMELINE FOR COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

MISSION/VISION

INSTITUTIONAL PLANNING INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT

************************************************************************************************************************************************ SEPTEMBER

--EC begins facilitating implementation of approved --Units conducting assessment for current year work with budget and operational plan for current year IE to begin data gathering and testing validity --SPC reviews and/or revises strategic plan as per and reliability of measures (Sept-Nov) strategic planning timeline (Sept-March) --AAC reviews assessment results and recommendations --SPC assesses previous year’s implementation of with unit administrators and submits report to operational plan and non-budget changes SPC by October 1

************************************************************************************************************************************************ OCTOBER

--SPC to identify strategic priorities, goals and objectives for following year using budget factors, community factors, and assessment reports. Reconsideration of what got left out of last year’s OP --VPBFA solicits budget requests for following year’s budget from units, which should be prioritized according to previously identified strategic priorities --Unit Administrators solicit budget requests for following year’s budget using above criteria

************************************************************************************************************************************************ NOVEMBER

--AAC works with IE and OAC to determine what assessments need to be completed in following year based on assessment plan timelines and cycles and informs appropriate administrators so committees may be formed

Appendix C CAPIE (2/15/08)

--AAC works with groups who do not yet have assessment plans to develop appropriate plans and timelines

************************************************************************************************************************************************ DECEMBER

--Budget requests are submitted to Budget Review Committee

************************************************************************************************************************************************ JANUARY

--Budget Review Committee prepares budget for following year and submits to President’s Cabinet for review

************************************************************************************************************************************************ FEBRUARY --President’s Cabinet drafts Budget for following year --Assessment plans for following year are reviewed by committees. Committees work with IE and OAC to develop objectives, key performance indicators, and assessment measures and methods for conducting assessment --Data gathered for current year’s assessment processes are assessed by committees

************************************************************************************************************************************************ MARCH

--President submits Budget for following year to BOT for --Working with IE and OAC, assessment results from review and approval current year’s assessment processes are analyzed and interpreted

--Budget for following year is submitted to County Executive ************************************************************************************************************************************************ APRIL

--President convenes PC and EC to discuss final budget decisions --SPC reviews current year’s budget process and make recommendations for following year’s budget process --SPC sends revision of strategic plan to college community for feedback as per strategic planning timeline

************************************************************************************************************************************************ MAY --Participation in budget hearings and negotiations --Committees conducting current year’s with County Executive and Legislature assessment processes submit reports and recommendations to AAC.

************************************************************************************************************************************************ JUNE

--Participation in budget hearings and negotiations -Committees conducting following year’s with County Executive and Legislature assessment process submit assessment --SPC submits strategic plan to BOT for approval plans and key performance indicators to as per strategic planning timeline AAC --AAC works with IE to collect and assess assessment results for current year’s assessment processes.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

JULY-AUGUST

--Participation in budget hearings and negotiations with County Executive and Legislature --Legislative Action on Budget (OUTSIDE ASSESSMENT PROCESS) --SPC prepares strategic plan to send to fiscal office and updates planning pages on college website as per strategic planning timeline ************************************************************************************************************************************************ PERIODIC REVIEW OF MISSION/VISION

Appendix C CAPIE (2/15/08) Timeline Chart for Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness

FIRST YEAR Determine Assessment plans, measures, objectives, and indicators, as (2006-2007) assessment projects for appropriate are developed for next next year year’s assessment projects

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Aug

SECOND YEAR (2007-2008) SPC submits Data is assessed. Assessment new/updated results are interpreted and strategic plan Assessment projects for current year are assessment reports and implemented. Appropriate areas work with IE to recommendations are submitted begin data gathering and testing validity/reliability measures

Preparation and submission of SPC identifies VP solicits budget requests Submission of budget to County Executive and participation from area units. Budget budget and 1-year operational in budget hearings. Legislative action on budget. SPC, EC, strategic priorities plan for next year’s requests are submitted to and AAC meets with Budget Review Committee to assess operational plan Budget Review Committee budget process and generate report.

THIRD YEAR (2008-2009) AAC-Reviews assessments & OP implementation of previous year

Appendix C Implementation of Approved Budget and Operational Plan CAPIE (2/15/08)

KEY TO TIMELINE CHART

AAC Assessment Advisory Council PC President’s Council VPBFA Vice President of Business/Financial Affairs EC Executive Council SPC Strategic Planning Council OP Operational Plan (1-year plan) OAC Office of Curriculum and Assessment

CAPIE Unit-Assessment Timeline (2007–2008)

Administrative Units November December January February March April May June July August

Faculty Professional Development Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Business Operations Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Warehouse & Mailroom Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Facilities & Project Management Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Human Resources Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Computer Information Services Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Desktop Services Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Networking & Telecommunications Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Computer Center` Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Institutional Effectiveness Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Security Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Grants Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Publications Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Foundation Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Alumni Affairs Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Ammerman Executive Dean's Office Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Grant Executive Dean's Office Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan East Executive Dean's Office Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan

Miscellaneous Library & Learning Resources (E) Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Continuing Education (ES) Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Engineering (A) Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #1 Final Plan

Program Reviews Business Administration Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Dietetic Technician (E) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Electrical Engineering (A) Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan HVAC/R (G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Human Services (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Women's Studies (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Physical Education Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan LAS: Education Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan LAS: General Studies Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Educational Support Units September October November December January February March April May June

Enrollment Mgt. Office Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1

Multicultural Affairs Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1

Theatre Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1

Athletics Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1

Children's Learning Center Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 General Education Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Instructional Technology Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 ESL/Transitional Programs Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2

Student Success Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Counseling Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Health Services Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Career Services Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Dean of Student Services (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Dean of Student Services (G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Miscellaneous Ammerman Academic Affairs (AP) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Grant Academic Affairs (AP) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan East Academic Affairs (AP) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Arts & Humanities Dept (G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Athletics (G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Social Sciences Dept. (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Theatre Arts (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Natural Sciences (G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Business & Technology (G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Communications (G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Mathematics (G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Social Science Dept. (G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Program Reviews Business: Office Mgt. Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Comm. & Media Arts (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Construction Tech. (A) Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Graphic Design (E) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Information Technology Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Humanities (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan International Studies Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Mathematics (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan HIT (G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Academic Units September October November December January February March April May June

Nursing Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Physical Education (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Physical Science (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Read, FL, Col Sem. (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Humanities Dept. (E) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Math & Sci. Dept. (E) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Social Sci. Dept. (E) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Culinary (E) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Biology Dept. (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Business Dept. (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Communications (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Computer Science (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

English (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Liberal & Visual Arts (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Mathematics (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Music (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Program Reviews Grant Marketing Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan College Seminars Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Computer Art (E) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Culinary Arts (E) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

External Service Units September October November December January February March April May June

Corporate Training Center Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Government Affairs Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Sports & Exhibition Complex Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Cooperative Education Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Program Reviews Automotive Service (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Early Childhood Education Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Fire Protection (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Interior Design (E) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

Final Photographic Imaging (E/G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Final Radio & TV (A) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Final Visual Arts (A/G) Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan

Other Units September October November December January February March April May June

President's Office Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan EVP's Office Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Legal Affairs & Compliance Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Curriculum & Assessment Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Academic Affairs Office Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan Student Affairs Office Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Dean of Students' Office Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan College Dean of Faculty Office Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan

VP Business & Financial Office Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 VP for Workforce & Development Office Workshop Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan Enterprise Resource Planning Workshop Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan VP Planning & Assessment Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan VP Institutional Advancement Office Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Plan Draft #3 Final Plan

Miscellaneous Planning & Master Scheduling Workshop Mission Outcomes Plan Draft #1 Plan Draft #2 Final Plan

APPENDIX D

Strategic Planning Council Process Calendar CAPIE (2/15/08)

Strategic Planning Council Process Calendar for the Five-Year Strategic Plan, 2007-08 – 2011-12

Year 1 (2006-07) – Create New 5-Year Strategic Plan for 2007-08 – 2011-12 September 2006 --Strategic Planning Council convenes to discuss goals for new strategic plan (2007-08 – 2011-12) . Subcommittees are assigned to review relevant college reports that will assist in developing goals.

--Reviews College’s approved operational budget for 2006-07

--Reviews implementation of 2005-2006 operational plan

October 2006 --Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness is introduced and reviewed

--Reviews and discusses subcommittees’ summaries of relevant college reports

--Begins developing goals for new strategic plan (2007-08 – 2011-12)

November 2006 --Continues developing goals and objectives for new strategic plan

--Reviews previous year’s (2005-06) assessment outcomes in preparation for 2007- 08 budget requests

--Identifies strategic priorities for 2007-2008 operational plan

December 2006 --Approves Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness

--Continues developing goals and objectives

--Assigns development of action plans

January/March 2007 --Drafts new strategic plan (2007-08 – 2011-12) including goals, objectives, and action plans (using reviews of: current Mission & Vision Statements, current strategic plan goals and objectives, President’s priorities, institutional effectiveness assessment results, and relevant literature)

April 2007 --Sends draft of new strategic plan (2007-08 – 2011-12) to college community and other stakeholders for feedback

Appendix D CAPIE (2/15/08)

--Updates Council membership for next academic year

--Establishes Council meeting calendar for next year May 2007 --Revises new strategic plan (2007-08 – 2011-12) using feedback from college community and other stakeholders

June 2007 --Submits draft of new strategic plan (2007-08 – 2011-12) to BOT for approval

July/August 2007 --Places approved new strategic plan (2007-08 – 2011-12) on college website and produces paper copies for distribution

--Prepares document to send to fiscal office in preparation for 2008-2009 budget cycle

--Updates Planning pages on College website

Years 2 through 4 (2007-08 – 2009-10) – Current Strategic Plan Updated September --Strategic Planning Council reviews College’s approved operational budget for current year

--Reviews implementation of previous year

October --Reviews previous year’s assessment outcomes in preparation for budget requests

--Identifies strategic priorities for following year’s operational plan

November/March --Updates current strategic plan (using review of current strategic plan’s goals and objectives, President’s priorities, institutional effectiveness assessment results, and relevant college reports)

March/April --Sends draft of updated strategic plan to college community and other stakeholders for feedback

--Updates Council membership for next academic year

--Establishes Council meeting calendar for next year

May --Revises draft of updated strategic plan using feedback from college community and other stakeholders

June --Submits draft of updated strategic plan to BOT for approval

July/August --Places approved updated strategic plan on college website and produces paper copies for distribution

--Prepares document to send to fiscal office in preparation for next budget cycle

Year 5 (2010-11) – Begin Work on New Strategic Plan/Mission & Vision Statements Reviewed September 2010 --Strategic Planning Council convenes to review current Mission & Vision Statements

--Reviews College’s approved operational budget for 2009-10

October 2010 --Drafts new Mission & Vision statements (if necessary), and sends them out to college community and other stakeholders for feedback

--Reviews 2008-2009 assessment outcomes in preparation for 2010-2011 budget requests

November 2010 --Drafts new Mission & Vision statements using feedback from college community and other stakeholders (if necessary)

--Reviews Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness December 2010 --Submits drafts of new Mission & Vision Statements to BOT for approval (if necessary)

--Begins discussing goals for new strategic plan (2012-13 – 2016-17). Subcommittees are assigned to review relevant college reports that will assist in developing goals.

January/February --Continues developing goals and objectives for new strategic plan and reviewing relevant 2011 college reports March 2011 --Assigns development of action plans

April 2011 --Begins drafting new strategic plan (2012-13 – 2016-17) including goals, objectives and action plans (using reviews of current Mission & Vision statements, current strategic plan goals and objectives, President’s priorities, institutional effectiveness assessment results, and relevant college reports)

--Updates Council membership

--Establishes Council meeting calendar for next year May/August 2011 --Continues drafting new strategic plan

--Updates College website

Year 6 (2011-12) – Complete New Strategic Plan September 2011 --Strategic Planning Council reviews College’s approved operational budget for 2011-12

--Sends draft of new strategic plan (2012-13 – 2016-17) to college community and other stakeholders for feedback

October 2011 --Drafts new Strategic Planning Process Calendar

--Reviews 2010-2011 assessment outcomes in preparation for 2012-13 budget requests

November 2011 --Revises new strategic plan (2012-13 – 2016-17) using feedback from college community and other stakeholders

December 2011 --Submits new strategic plan to BOT for approval

January/March 2012 --Places approved strategic plan on college website and produces paper copies for distribution

April 2012 --Updates Council membership

--Establishes Council meeting calendar for next year

May/August 2012 --Prepares document to send to fiscal office in preparation for next budget cycle (2013- 2014)

FORMS AND TEMPLATES CAPIE (2/15/08)

Assessment Plan Template CAPIE (2/15/08)

SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR ______

GOALS/OBJECTIVES What are the goals and objectives? How are they linked to the college’s Strategic Plan?

PERSON(S)/DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING ASSESSMENT Who is responsible for overseeing assessment in this assessment plan?

AREAS INVOLVED IN ASSESSMENT PLAN List all areas at the college that will need to conduct assessments in order to determine the degree to which the assessment goals of this plan have been achieved.

RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS Identify personnel needed for conducting assessment and estimate costs for implementing assessment plans.

PREVIOUS ASSESSMENTS Have there been previous assessments conducted for this goal? If so, list recommendations. Have any of those recommendations been implemented? Is so, list recommendations implemented. If not, why not? Have there been external accreditations or reviews conducted? If so, list recommendations implemented.

Previous assessments:

Recommendations implemented:

Not implemented:

External accreditations:

Recommendations implemented:

Not implemented:

Form A i CAPIE (2/15/08) ACTION PLANS AND PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES What activities lead to the attainment of the designated goals and objectives?

ASSESSMENT MEASURES AND METHODOLOGY We know to what degree we have achieved our goals by establishing measurements and reviewing the results of these objectives as they affect outcomes.

1. Describe the types of measures to be used to determine to what degree goals and objectives have been achieved and who will be conducting the assessment.. 2. Describe the process by which validity and reliability will be verified. 3. Determine appropriate sampling necessary for useful data.

Type(s) of Measure(s):

Validity:

Reliability:

Sampling:

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA AND DEVELOPMENT OF KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 1. Identify and define assessment criteria (indicators) and levels of “exceeding,” “meeting,” “approaching,” and “not meeting.” 2. Establish benchmarks

Description of Rubric(s):

Acceptable Performance Standard:

ASSESSMENT CYCLE 1. How often will assessment(s) take place? annually? every five years? etc. 2. In what year is next assessment to take place? 3. When should the next assessment process begin? 4. Should there by multiple assessments conducted for this area or strategic goal because of the number of objectives or action plans being assessed? If so, describe assessment cycle timeline.

Form A ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION PLAN

This section represents one of the most important parts of the assessment plan because assessment has value only insofar as the institution has a system in place for using the results of its assessment process to bring about programmatic improvements and validation. Therefore, please describe how the following will take place: 1. How will conclusions and recommendations be developed? Who will be responsible for facilitating this process? 2. How will the conclusions and recommendations be communicated and to whom? 3. Specify the timeline for developing and communicating the conclusions and recommendations and developing a revised action plan if appropriate.

ASSESSING THE ASSESSMENT

What is the strategy for assessing the assessment? In other words, what mechanisms are in place to review the effectiveness of the assessment process and consider such questions as (1) Did the resources used justify the results obtained? (2) Was the data-gathering process adequate? (3) Were any groups unduly affected negatively as a result of undetected bias either in the articulation of objectives or the programmatic activities or performance criteria used in the assessment?

APPROVAL PROCESS Describe area, administrative, and governance approval process necessary for approval of assessment plan. List dates, votes, and administrative approvals here.

Form A iii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Assessment-Plan Development Forms CAPIE (2/15/08)

Unit Assessment Plan

(Name of Unit)

(Date)

(Submitted By)

Form B i CAPIE (2/15/08)

Unit Mission

How does the unit’s mission support the college’s mission or the expanded statement of institutional purpose?

Form B ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Unit Process/Service/Efficiency Goal:

Intended Unit Process/Service/Efficiency Outcome:

P/S/E Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments take the assessment and for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when list recommendations each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results that emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? assessment findings? each action plan. objective.

Form B iii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Unit Satisfaction Goal:

Intended Unit Satisfaction Outcome:

Satisfaction Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments take the assessment and for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when list recommendations each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results that emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? assessment findings? each action plan. objective.

Form B iv CAPIE (2/15/08)

Instructional Program Assessment Plan

(Name of Instructional Program)

(Date)

(Submitted By)

Form C i CAPIE (2/15/08)

Program Mission

How does the program’s mission support the college’s mission or the expanded statement of institutional purpose?

Form C ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Program Process/Service/Efficiency Goal:

Intended Program Process/Service/Efficiency Outcome:

P/S/E Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments take the assessment and for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when list recommendations each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results that emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? assessment findings? each action plan. objective.

Form C iii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Program Satisfaction Goal:

Intended Program Satisfaction Outcome:

Satisfaction Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments take the assessment and for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when list recommendations each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results that emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? assessment findings? each action plan. objective.

Form C iv CAPIE (2/15/08)

Program Student-Learning Goal:

Intended Program Student-Learning Outcome:

SL Assessment Target Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major Identify the What results When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. method or would indicate assessments take the assessment and for accomplishing and support, the execution of methods that will that the place, and when list recommendations each including financial, each action plan? be used to assess objective has will the results that emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute each objective. been achieved? be reported? assessment findings? each action plan.

Form C v CAPIE (2/15/08)

Program Student-Development Goal:

Intended Program Student-Development Outcome:

Developmental Assessment Target Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major Identify the What results When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. method or would indicate assessments the assessment and for accomplishing and support, the execution of methods that will that the take place, and list recommendations each including financial, each action plan? be used to assess objective has when will the that emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute each objective. been achieved? results be assessment findings? each action plan. reported?

Form C vi CAPIE (2/15/08)

Curriculum Map

Identify each objective for the stated outcome. Separately list each course required by the program in the spaces provided. Identify in which courses students are provided opportunities for learning the objectives using the following designations: I (introduced by instructor), R (reinforced by instructor), or P (practiced by students). Identify courses in which the objective is being assessed with the letter ‘A’. Multiple letters may be used for a single course.

Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3

Objective Courses

1. 2. 3.

Curriculum Map

Form C vii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Identify each objective for the stated outcome. Separately list each course required by the program in the spaces provided. Identify in which courses students are provided opportunities for learning the objectives using the following designations: I (introduced by instructor), R (reinforced by instructor), or P (practiced by students). Identify courses in which the objective is being assessed with the letter ‘A’. Multiple letters may be used for a single course.

Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3

Objective Courses

1. 2. 3.

Form C viii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Educational Support Program Assessment Plan

(Name of Educational Support Program)

(Date)

(Submitted By)

Form D i CAPIE (2/15/08)

Program Mission

How does the program’s mission support the college’s mission or the expanded statement of institutional purpose?

Form D ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Program Process/Service/Efficiency Goal:

Intended Program Process/Service/Efficiency Outcome:

P/S/E Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee major objectives. would indicate method or assessments take the assessment and list for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when recommendations that each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? findings. each action plan. objective.

Form D iii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Program Satisfaction Goal:

Intended Program Satisfaction Outcome:

Satisfaction Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee major objectives. would indicate method or assessments take the assessment and list for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when recommendations that each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? findings. each action plan. objective.

Form D iv CAPIE (2/15/08)

Program Student-Learning Goal:

SL Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee major objectives. would indicate method or assessments take the assessment and list for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when recommendations that each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? findings. each action plan. objective.

Form D v CAPIE (2/15/08)

Developmental Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments the assessment and list for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that take place, and recommendations that each including each action plan? has been will be used to when will the emerged from the recommendation. financial, needed achieved? assess each results be findings. to execute each objective. reported? action plan.

Form D vi CAPIE (2/15/08)

Course Assessment Plan

(Name of Course)

(Date)

(Submitted By)

Form E i CAPIE (2/15/08)

Course Mission

How does the course’s mission support the college’s mission or the expanded statement of institutional purpose?

Form E ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Course Process/Service/Efficiency Goal:

Intended Course Process/Service/Efficiency Outcome:

P/S/E Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments take the assessment and list for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when recommendations each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? assessment finding? each action plan. objective.

Form E iii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Course Satisfaction Goal:

Intended Course Satisfaction Outcome:

Satisfaction Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments take the assessment and list for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when recommendations each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? assessment finding? each action plan. objective.

Form E iv CAPIE (2/15/08)

Course Student-Learning Goal:

Intended Course Student-Learning Outcome:

SL Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments take the assessment and list for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when recommendations each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? assessment finding? each action plan. objective.

Form E v CAPIE (2/15/08)

Course Student-Development Goal:

Intended Course Student-Development Outcome:

Developmental Target Assessment Timeline Analysis & Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Recommendations Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will Comment on assessing State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments the assessment and list for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that take place, and recommendations each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to when will the emerged from the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each results be assessment finding? each action plan. objective. reported?

Form E vi CAPIE (2/15/08)

Activity Assessment Plan

(Name of Activity)

(Date)

(Submitted By)

Form F i CAPIE (2/15/08)

Activity Mission

How does the activity’s mission support the college’s mission or the expanded statement of institutional purpose?

Form F ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Activity Process/Service/Efficiency Goal:

Intended Activity Process/Service/Efficiency Outcome:

P/S/E Target Assessment Timeline Recommendations Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will What recommendations State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments take emerged from the for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when assessment finding? each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? each action plan. objective.

Form F iii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Activity Satisfaction Goal:

Intended Activity Satisfaction Outcome:

Satisfaction Target Assessment Timeline Recommendations Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will What recommendations State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments take emerged from the for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when assessment finding? each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? each action plan. objective.

Form F iv CAPIE (2/15/08)

Activity Student-Learning Goal:

Intended Activity Student-Learning Outcome:

SL Target Assessment Timeline Recommendations Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will What recommendations State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments take emerged from the for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that place, and when assessment finding? each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to will the results recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each be reported? each action plan. objective.

Form F v CAPIE (2/15/08)

Activity Student-Development Goal:

Intended Activity Student-Development Outcome:

Developmental Target Assessment Timeline Recommendations Action Plans Support Lead Objectives Method Responsibility Identify the major What results Identify the When will What recommendations State action plans Identify resources Who will oversee objectives. would indicate method or assessments emerged from the for accomplishing and support, the execution of that the objective methods that take place, and assessment finding? each including financial, each action plan? has been will be used to when will the recommendation. needed to execute achieved? assess each results be each action plan. objective. reported?

Form F vi CAPIE (2/15/08)

Indicator Summary Sample Form CAPIE (2/15/08)

Indicator Summary Sample Form

Indicator Summary Indicator Definition Current:

Performance Measure

GOAL: Objective 1: A1a. Integrate testing and advising database into computer system. Objective 2: Support faculty research A2a. Objective 3: Recognize the importance of standards, monitoring, mentoring, evaluation and development. A3a. Strengthen the approach to remediation A3b. Establish appropriate prerequisites A3c. Ensure development of computer skills A3d. Secure receipt of H.S. transcripts before releasing financial aid Objective 4: Strengthen student support services through deployment of new strategies A4a. Use the SUNY Student Opinion survey to identify ways to be more responsive to students A4b. Provide individual advisement for new students A4c. Develop a proposal for enhanced and expanded orientation. A4d. Enhance student opportunities for jobs, cooperative education and internships A4e. Implement a pilot project to evaluate the effectiveness of a case-management approach to financial aid A4f. Provide on-line student services Objective 5: Expand counseling and career exploration services for undecided students. A5a. Review the results of the Career Exploration credit course A5b. Separate curriculum category for undecided students with targeted career counseling services. Form G CAPIE (2/15/08)

Administrative Annual Goals Form CAPIE (2/15/08)

SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ANNUAL GOALS 20__ - 20__

Administrator’s Name: Date:

WITHIN 30 DAYS

I. Goal:

Strategic Plan Objective: Visioning Pyramid:

II. Goal:

III. Goal:

IV. Goal:

V. Goal:

Form H i CAPIE (2/15/08)

WITHIN 60 DAYS

I. Goal:

II. Goal:

III. Goal:

IV. Goal:

V. Goal:

Form H ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

WITHIN 90 DAYS

I. Goal:

II. Goal:

III. Goal:

IV. Goal:

V. Goal:

Form H iii CAPIE (2/15/08)

WITHIN 180 DAYS

I. Goal:

II. Goal:

III. Goal:

IV. Goal:

V. Goal:

Form H iv CAPIE (2/15/08)

WITHIN 365 DAYS

I. Goal:

II. Goal:

III. Goal:

IV. Goal:

V. Goal:

Form H v CAPIE (2/15/08)

ASSESSMENT TIMELINES

External Accreditations and Reviews Cycle of Program Review of Academic Majors Cycle for General Education Assessment

The following assessment timelines are under development and will be added when completed:

Cycle for Outcomes Assessment Plans in Student Affairs Cycle for Assessing Strategic Goals and Objectives for Stewardship Cycle for Assessing Strategic Goals and Objectives for Institutional Development CAPIE (2/15/08)

List of External Accreditations and Reviews

Name of Program Accrediting Agency Cycle

Automotive NATEF (National Automotive Every 5 years Technician Education Foundation

Dietetic Technician American Dietetic Association Site visit every 10 years; Report due every 5 years

Health Information CAHIM (Commission of Technology Healthcare Informatics and Information Management)

Nursing NLNAC (National League of Every 8 years Nursing Accreditation Commission)

Occupational Therapy ACOTE (Accreditation Council Every 10 years Assistant for Occupational Therapy Education)

Paralegal American Bar Association Every 5 years

Physical Therapy Assistant Commission on Accreditation in Every 7 years Physical Therapy Education

Veterinary Science Committee on Veterinary TechnicianEvery 7 years Education Activities

Timeline A CAPIE (2/15/08)

Program Review Cycle: 2006–2012

2006 - 2007 Program A.A. A.S. A.A.S. Cert. LAS: Science (AEG) 200 LAS: Social Science (A,E,G) 101 Music (A) 206 Nursing (AG) 308, 338, External 347, 348 Accreditation Paralegal (AG) 333 433 External Accreditation Physical Therapist Assistant (A) 310 External Accreditation Telecommunications Technology (A) 371 Theatre Arts (A) 205 442 Veterinary Science Technology (G) 390 External Accreditation

2007 – 2008 Program A.A. A.S. A.A.S. Cert. Accounting (AEG) 208 335 407 American Sign Language (A) 341 Chemical Dependency Counseling (G) 388 Criminal Justice (AEG) 211 DE Program (AEG) X Dietetic Technician (E) 320 External Accreditation Engineering Science (A) 201 Fitness Specialist (A) 210 Occupational Therapy Assistant (G) 391 External Accreditation

2008 – 2009 Program A.A. A.S. A.A.S. Cert. Business Administration (AEG) 207 315 Business: Retail Management (A) 318 435 Computer Science (A) 203 Engineering Technology: Electronics (A) 301 Honors Program (AEG) X HVAC/R (G) 395 441 Human Services (A) 212 LAS: Women’s Studies (A) 109 Physical Education (AEG) X

Timeline B i CAPIE (2/15/08)

2009 – 2010 Program A.A. A.S. A.A.S. Cert. Business: Office Management (AEG) 343 Comm. & Media Arts: Journalism (A) 111 Construction Tech. & Drafting (A) 334 402 Graphic Design (E) 365 Information Technology (AEG) 392 440 LAS: Humanities (A) 100 LAS: International Studies (AEG) 110 LAS: Mathematics (A) 102

2010 - 2011 Program A.A. A.S. A.A.S. Cert. Business: Marketing (G) 319 College Seminars (AEG) X Computer Art (E) 364 Culinary Arts (E) 394 Health Information Technology (G) 349 LAS: Education (AEG) 112,113,114, 115, 116, 117, 118 LAS: General Studies (AEG) 103

2011 – 2012 Program A.A. A.S. A.A.S. Cert. Automotive Service Specialist (A) 369 Early Childhood Education (AEG) 330 Fire Protection Technology (A) 302 401 Interior Design (E) 329 Photographic Imaging (EG) 372 Radio & TV Production (A) 306 Visual Arts (AG) 204

Timeline B ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Cycle for General Education Assessment (3-Year Cycle)

2006 – 2007 American History Humanities Natural Sciences Foreign Languages

2007 – 2008 Basic Communication Information Management Mathematics (SCBA) Social Science Written Communication (SCBA)

2008 – 2009 Art Other World Civilizations Western Civilization

Critical Thinking (SCBA) – assessed with each of the other areas

ARJ 1/2/08

Timeline C CAPIE (2/15/08)

ASSESSMENT PLANS

List of Surveys Regularly Conducted by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness Academic Program Review Process for Assessment of the Major Analyzing Program Vitality General Education Assessment Plan Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment Plan Student Affairs Program Review Process

The following assessment plans are under development and will be added when completed:

Stewardship Assessment Plans Institutional Development Assessment Plans CAPIE (2/15/08)

List of Surveys Regularly Conducted by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness

 Entering Student – Survey of students entering in the fall semester to determine: levels of their goal and institutional commitments, primary educational objective(s) in attending SCCC, reason for attending SCCC, rating of SCCC on various institutional characteristics, factors influencing their decision to attend SCCC, persons influencing their decision to attend SCCC, whether SCCC was the first, second, third, or other choice, source(s) of financial support while attending SCCC, and what respondent was doing just prior to attending SCCC  Graduate Follow-Up – Survey of graduates one year after graduation to ascertain: reason(s) for earning a degree from SCCC, employment status after graduation, location of employment after graduation, whether respondent pursued further education after graduation, ratings of the following: quality of instruction, the major program, the transfer process, preparation for further academic study, and preparation for entry into the job market, and whether respondent would recommend SCCC to a friend  Non-Returning Student – Survey of students who did not return to SCCC the semester following their first semester of enrollment at SCCC to ascertain: the purpose(s) for which they originally enrolled at SCCC, their reason(s) for not returning the following semester, and their plans for the coming year  SUNY Student Opinion – Survey of current students to collect background and attitude information to explore and assess the following: college impressions and plans; satisfaction with services, facilities, environment and climate; frequency of selected academic experiences; extent of college contributions to student growth and preparation; and aspirations and commitments  SUNY Student Undergraduate Alumni Outcomes – Survey of graduates (who graduated five to eight years prior to survey administration) that asks them to evaluate their experiences while in attendance at SCCC (satisfaction with: academic quality, curriculum, facilities, campus climate, faculty relations, and cost; overall rating of their college experience; likelihood they would recommend SCCC to friends); to rate the importance of particular competencies and skills to their current endeavors and the contribution of experiences at SCCC to their development of these competencies and skills; to indicate their current job and first job after graduating and their level of satisfaction with their current job; to indicate their level of involvement in various activities while attending SCCC and at the present time; and to indicate how frequently they visit SCCC and their level of activity in alumni affairs

Plan A CAPIE (2/15/08)

Academic Program Review Process For Assessment of the Major

I. Introduction A. Provide a brief history of the program. B. How is the program described in the current catalog? 1. Has this description changed since the program started? If so, characterize the change or changes, and indicate when they occurred. 2. Does the current description accurately portray the program? 3. Does the review committee recommend modifying the current description? If it does, what changes are recommended? C. Provide a current mission statement for the program 1. Describe the process that guided the development of this statement. 2. Is this a new or revised mission statement, or is it unchanged from a previous statement? 3. Explain how the program’s current mission relates to or advances the college’s mission. D. Previous Program Review 1. Provide the date of the last program review. 2. Summarize the principal findings and recommendations from that review. 3. Describe the extent to which recommendations from the previous review have been implemented. Have any of those recommendations not been implemented? If not, explain why.

II. Goals and Objectives A. Programmatic Goals and Objectives 1. List programmatic goals. 2. List programmatic (non-learning) objectives. 3. Describe the process that guided the development of these goals and objectives. 4. Have any of the programmatic goals or objectives changed since the previous review? If so, identify the changes. 5. Summarize the extent to which programmatic goals and objectives have been achieved. B. Learning Goals and Objectives 1. List learning goals for the program. 2. List learning objectives (i.e., behavioral outcomes) for the program. 3. How were these goals and objectives arrived at? 4. Have any of the learning goals or objectives changed since the previous review? If so, identify the changes. 5. Summarize the extent to which the learning goals and objectives have been achieved.

Plan B i CAPIE (2/15/08)

III. Environmental Scan A. Identify current trends in the field or discipline. B. For AAS programs, provide national, state, and regional workforce data pertaining to the following:  Numbers of people currently employed in the field  Numbers of positions currently unfilled  Projections for future employment growth or decline  Current salary range, median salary, and benefits offered  Average working conditions C. Program Advisory Committee 1. List the members of the program’s Advisory Committee, including their credentials. 2. How often does the Advisory Committee meet? 3. Identify contributions of the Advisory Committee to the program’s growth and development. 4. Append minutes from the Advisory Committee’s last two meetings.

IV. Curriculum A. Identify actions regularly taken by program faculty to ensure that the curriculum remains current. B. Identify curriculum revisions that have occurred since the last program review, and provide the rationale for these changes. 1. Discuss (a) new courses, (b) revisions to existing courses, (c) changes in course sequencing, or (d) elimination of courses that have occurred since the last program review. 2. List any changes in course prerequisites or co-requisites that have occurred since the last review. When were these course requirements last examined? Is there a reason to change any of them now? 3. Course Syllabi a. How often are course syllabi reviewed? Is the program’s Advisory Committee consulted during these reviews? b. When were each of the current course syllabi last updated? c. Are the objectives for all courses in the major expressed in terms that can be measured? d. Append current syllabi for each course in the major. C. What changes to the curriculum are being contemplated, and what is the rationale for considering them? D. Indicate how the curriculum provides organized, sequential learning experiences. To what extent do students take courses out of the recommended sequence? What, if any, effect does this have on the students or on the program? E. Indicate how the program satisfies the SUNY general education course requirements: specify which courses meet which requirements. F. Peer Institutions 1. Identify a group of peer institutions (preferably SUNY units) that offer a similar program.

Plan B ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

2. Compare the SCCC curriculum with the curricula of these peer institutions.

V. Assessments A. Programmatic 1. Does the program have a written assessment plan? If so, append the plan. 2. Identify the assessment methods and instruments that are used for measuring each of the programmatic objectives. (If only selected objectives are being assessed, identify these objectives, and indicate why they were chosen for assessment and why others were not.) 3. Discuss the process that guided the development of the assessment measures. 4. How frequently are programmatic objectives assessed? 5. What changes, if any, in the programmatic-assessment process are deemed desirable? 6. How are assessment results used to effect programmatic changes? 7. What changes have been implemented as a result of programmatic assessment. 8. Identify desired changes—as revealed through programmatic assessment measures—that have yet to take place. Explain why these changes have not occurred. B. Student Learning Outcomes 1. Does the program have a written plan for assessing student-learning outcomes? If so, append the plan. 2. Identify the assessment methods and instruments that are used for measuring each of the student learning objectives. (If only selected objectives are being assessed, identify these objectives, and indicate why they were chosen for assessment and why others were not.) 3. Discuss the procedures that guided the development of the assessment measures. 4. How frequently are student-learning objectives assessed? 5. What changes, if any, in the assessment of student learning are deemed desirable? 6. How are student-learning outcomes assessments used to effect changes? 7. Identify changes that have occurred as a result of student-learning- outcomes assessment. 8. Identify desired changes—as revealed through assessment measures —that have yet to take place. Explain why these changes have not occurred. C. Course Assessments 1. Have course-specific assessment instruments for measuring the attainment of course objectives been developed? 2. If so, identify the courses in which assessment is taking place and whether the assessments are formative or summative.

Plan B iii CAPIE (2/15/08)

3. Provide examples of how course assessments have been used to revise courses.

VI. Instructional Methods and Modalities A. List instructional methods that have been implemented since the last review. B. Provide examples of how programmatic faculty integrate electronic or digital products and systems into the curriculum. C. Identify courses, if any, in the program that are being offered in a distance- education format, and specify the format or formats being used. If program faculty do not believe these formats are applicable to their program, explain why. D. If courses are being offered in a distance-education formats, discuss assessments of these formats with respect to how they compare to traditional formats.

VII. Transferability and Employment A. Indicate if the program has any articulation or joint admission agreements with other colleges or universities. If so, (1) name the institutions, (2) indicate how specific the agreements are, (3) provide the number of students who transfer to each of these institutions, and (4) state the last time that these agreements were reviewed or updated. B. For AA and AS programs, discuss course transferability. For example, have problems been identified with the transfer of any of the courses? C. For AAS programs, note and discuss the results of recent graduate and employer surveys with respect to the success of program graduates in the workplace.

VIII. Students A. Develop and administer surveys for graduates and for non-returning students, and collect information concerning (1) student profiles, (2) students’ educational and career goals, and (3) student satisfaction with instructional and non-instructional services and facilities at the college. Append the surveys. B. Describe full-time and part-time enrollment trends since the last review. Compare them to enrollment trends at the college and to enrollment trends at peer programs. C. Report annual graduation rates since the last program review. How do these rates relate to student profiles, admissions criteria, or other relevant factors? Compare graduation rates to those of similar programs at the college and to those of peer programs. Identify factors that contribute to or impede successful completion of the program. D. Provide annual transfer rates for those students who have and who have not graduated from the program. E. Describe the procedures by which students in this program receive advisement. How are students in this program informed about transfer and career opportunities? Discuss any recommended changes concerning student advisement. F. Examine the current and projected employment demands for program graduates. (See http://stats.bls.gov/oco/home.htm) G. Report target goals for admissions. Discuss trends in applications.

Plan B iv CAPIE (2/15/08)

H. Identify means by which the program is being marketed to prospective students.

IX. Resources A. Review and analyze data provided by the library, and discuss (1) the availability, (2) the relevance, and (3) the quality of collections and on-line databases. B. Comment on the extent of student and faculty use of the library collections and on-line databases. Do programmatic courses require library research? If so, provide examples. Comment on the accessibility of the library to students and faculty. To what extent to faculty refer students to the library? C. Comment on the availability, adequacy, and usage of learning tools such as computers and computer software, instructional media, and laboratories, studios, etc. D. Evaluate the integration of the academic computing labs and academic skills centers into programmatic course work. E. Discuss the adequacy of (1) instructional space, (2) office space, (3) supplies, and (4) equipment for the program. Prioritize the program’s needs in these areas.

X. Staffing A. Report the number of full- and part-time faculty, professional staff, and clerical staff in the program. Note any changes that have occurred in these numbers since the last program review, and state how these changes have affected the program. B. What is the ratio of full-time to part-time faculty? What percentage of (1) day sections, (2) evening sections, and (3) total sections is taught by full-time faculty? Does the program require additional full-time faculty? If so, explain why. Comment on the need, if any, for additional professional or clerical staff. C. How do program faculty improve their teaching skills and stay current in their discipline? Provide examples of professional development activities by program faculty and professional staff over the last six years. What type of support is currently available to them in this area? Is additional support needed?

XI. Program Vision Present a vision of where the faculty would like to see the program be in ten years from now. Indicate what might be required to realize this vision.

XII. Major Findings and Recommendations A. State the major findings of this program review. B. Based on these findings, list (in priority order) specific recommendations for the program. C. Who will have responsibility for coordinating the implementation of these recommendations? D. Who will have responsibility for preparing and submitting annual status reports concerning the implementation of these recommendations. Annual reports are submitted to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs by June 15 of each year, beginning with the year following the submission of the program review.

Plan B v CAPIE (2/15/08)

ANALYZING PROGRAM VITALITY

April 2006

Plan C i CAPIE (2/15/08)

I. Introduction

Deficient enrollment signals programmatic weakness. By itself, it provides little if any account for the underlying debility. Specifying contributing sources, however, increases the probability of targeting effective remediation. With this as a premise, this outline pursues a more comprehensive process of identifying problem areas than does tracking enrollment numbers in isolation from other factors. This approach intends to facilitate rationally directed strategies for increasing matriculation.

Assessments best proceed from superficial inspection to deeper-level probes, with findings establishing foundations for rationally based changes. In adherence to recommendations that assessments employ multiple measures, the following indicators are included:

 Program Interest  Program Demand  Program Enrollment  Program Capacity  Student Success  Program Outcome Efficiency

These will not capture all elements that can describe programmatic health, but as a starting point, their selection complies with the axiom that useful assessments best concentrate on a limited number of elements. The indicators will collectively provide general impressions of program vitality, which can be explored in greater detail, if warranted.

Indicators Defined The Program Interest Indicator (PI) quantifies a program’s appeal to prospective students. It excludes, however, a consideration of a program’s value to other constituencies, such as the public at large, the industry served, or the institution itself. It is appropriate to address a program’s relevance to these groups when significant. The PI assumes greater application when tracked, as trends can foreshadow potential growth or decline in a program’s enrollment.

The Program Demand Indicator (PD) establishes one foundation for expanding or contracting a program’s enrollment. It characterizes the intensity of program interest with respect to a program’s ability to accommodate it. The PDI compares student interest to the number of spaces available—if a quota has been established that differs from the number of spaces being made available, that number should be used instead.

The Program Enrollment Indicator (PE) expresses the extent to which seats for new students are filled. A PEI of less than 1.0 qualifies the program as under enrolled.

Plan C ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

The Program Capacity Indicator (PC) measures program efficiency. Low PCs should prompt evaluations of student progression (see Student Success Indicator), a program’s course schedule, and a program’s cost.

The Student Success Indicator (SS) expresses the extent to which students successfully progress through a program. Low SSs should draw attention to admissions requirements, the availability and use of student support services, the appropriateness of prerequisites, and the presentation of course material.

The Program Outcome Efficiency Indicator (POE) measures the extent to which a program is achieving its major outcomes objectives: it expresses graduation, discipline-related employment, and transfer rates.

Differential Indexes Each indicator value stems from an equation that generates a numerical index, or ratio, that reflects the indicator concept. Initially presented, are baseline indexes, which capture a broad sense of each indicator concept. Because programs can be characterized by significant differences, the baseline indexes are followed by a set of one or more differentiating indexes, or probes. These can be used in place of or in addition to a baseline index, depending on their potential contribution to describing a specific program.

The Process Data required for program analyses will be collected and compiled by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness during the summer months, during which time reports on each program will be generated. These will be evaluated by the Office of Academic and Campus Affairs each September. This office will identify programs demonstrating evidence of weakness, which will result in consultations between campus deans and appropriate programmatic faculty during the fall semester in order to develop plans for improving a program’s strength or for discontinuing it. Decisions concerning specific programs will be communicated to Student Affairs Offices by mid-January.

Plan C iii CAPIE (2/15/08)

II. Indexes Defined

A. Program Interest Program Interest (PI) addresses a program’s appeal to prospective students. PI is indexed by dividing the number of applications received (including changes of emphasis) by 1.0. This index permits tracking of program appeal as well as comparison of applicant interest among programs. Increasing or decreasing trends in PI can foreshadow potential changes in a program’s enrollment.

Baseline Index

PI = Ap ÷ 1.0

PI = Program Interest Ap = # of applications and changes of emphasis received

Differentiating Probes 1. Qualified Program Interest (QPI) captures the extent to which applicants are eligible for program admission. QPI is indexed as the number of applications and changes of emphasis meeting minimum admissions standards (qAp) divided by 1.0.

QPI = qAp ÷ 1.0

QPI = Qualified Program Interest qAp = #of applications and changes of emphasis meeting minimum admission standards

Plan C iv CAPIE (2/15/08)

2. Manifested Program Interest (MPI) captures the extent to which qualified applicants accepted into a program fail to matriculate in that program. MPI is indexed as the number of qualified program applicants that were accepted (qApaccept) divided by the number of new students enrolled in the program (NS). High MPIs suggest that qualified applicants interested in a program have selected matriculation in similar programs at other institutions. This should prompt surveys to determine their reasons for doing so.

MPI = qAp accept ÷ NS

MPI = Manifested Program Interest qAp accept = # of qualified applicants accepted NS = # of new students enrolled in the major

3. Deferred Program Interest (DPI) captures the extent to which nonqualified program applicants attending SCCC—to fulfill admissions requirements—may ultimately enter the qualified applicant pool. DPI is indexed as the number of nonqualified applicants enrolled in another major at SCCC (nqAp enrolled) divided by the total number of nonqualified applicants (nqAp total). Students interested in low-enrolled programs should be identified and mentored.

DPI = nqAp enrolled ÷ nqAp total

DPI = Deferred Program Interest nqAp enrolled = nonqualified applicants enrolled at SCCC nqA total = total number of nonqualified applicants

Plan C v CAPIE (2/15/08)

B. Program Demand Program Demand (PD) characterizes the intensity of program interest with respect to a program’s ability to accommodate it. It compares the number of applicants to the number of seats available in a program’s intake ( or benchmark) course—or to an intake quota, if one has been established. PD is indexed by dividing the number of applications and changes of emphasis received by the number of seats available in the intake course. High, sustained PDIs should prompt a consideration of program expansion; PDIs less than 1.0 indicate low program enrollment.

Baseline Index

PD = Ap ÷ Seats intake

PD = Program Demand Ap = # of applications received Seats intake = # of seats in intake course

Differentiating Probe Qualified Program Demand (QPD) compares the number of qualified applicants and changes of emphasis to the number of seats available in a program’s intake course. QPD is indexed as the number of qualified applications and changes of emphasis received that meet minimum admissions criteria (qAp) divided by the number of seats available in the intake course. PD minus QPD represents a potential pool of qualified applicants. In low- enrolled programs, these people should be identified, counseled and, if appropriate, encouraged to reapply.

QPD = qAp ÷ Seats intake

QPI = Qualified Program Demand qAp = # of applicants meeting minimum admissions requirements Seats intake = # of seats in intake course

Plan C vi CAPIE (2/15/08)

C. Program Enrollment Program Enrollment (PE) captures the extent to which program interest translates into seats filled. PE is indexed as the number of seats occupied by students in the major in an intake course (NS intake) divided by the number of seats available in this course (Seats intake). For intake courses restricted to students in the major, PD indexes less than 1.0 indicate low entering enrollment.

Baseline Index

PENS = NS intake ÷ Seats intake

PENS = Program Enrollment New Students NS intake = # of new students in the major in intake course Seats intake = # of seats in intake course

Differentiating Probes 1. Adjusted Program Enrollment (APE) corrects the PE index for students in the major who have been waived from or who have been given transfer credit for an intake course.

APENS = NS intake ÷ (Seats intake – NS waived)

APENS = Adjusted Program Enrollment New Students NS intake = # of new students in the major in intake course Seats intake = # of seats in intake course NS waived = # of students waived from or with transfer credit for intake course

Plan C vii CAPIE (2/15/08)

2. Course Demand (CD) characterizes the overall popularity of an intake course that is not restricted to students matriculated in the major. CD is indexed by dividing the total number of students enrolled in the intake course by the total number of seats available in this course. CD indexes exceeding the PD or APD suggest the existence of a possible or potential pool of program matriculants. Individual appointments should be made with these people to explore this potentiality.

CD = En intake ÷ Seats intake

CD = Course Demand En intake = total # of students enrolled in intake course Seats intake = # of seats in intake course

D. Program Capacity Program Capacity (PC) characterizes the extent to which all seats in the program’s courses are filled. PC is indexed as the total number of students enrolled in all programmatic courses divided by the total number of seats available in these courses. A low PC can signify excessive seats being made available, inadequate student progression through the program, or both. A low PC should trigger an evaluation of course scheduling (including days and times of course offerings and course sequencing) and an evaluation of student success factors (see SS index, below).

Baseline Index

PC = En program ÷ Seats program

PC = Program Capacity En program = # of students enrolled in program courses Seats program = # of seats available in program courses

Plan C viii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Differentiating Probes 1. Adjusted Program Capacity (APC) focuses PC on students in the major when programmatic courses are open to students who are not registered in the major. APC is indexed by dividing the total number of students enrolled in programmatic courses by the total number of seats available in program courses minus the number of non-major’s students enrolled in programmatic courses.

APC = En program ÷ (Seats program – En non-major)

APC = Adjusted Program Capacity En program = # of students enrolled in program courses Seats program = # of seats available in program courses En non-major = # of non-major’s students enrolled in program courses

2. Adjusted Program-Major Capacity (APMC) focuses APC on required, non-elective courses. APMC is indexed by subtracting the enrollment in elective courses in the program from the total number of students enrolled in program courses in the calculation of APC.

APMC = (En program – En elective) ÷ (Seats program – En non-major)

APMC = Adjusted Program Major Capacity En program = # of students enrolled in program courses En elective = # of students enrolled in program elective courses Seats program = # of seats available in program courses En non-major = # of non-major’s students enrolled in program courses

Plan C ix CAPIE (2/15/08)

E. Student Success Student Success (SS) characterizes the extent to which students successfully complete programmatic courses. SS is indexed by dividing the total number of students enrolled in programmatic courses (En program) minus the number of students who receive Fs (Pc fail) minus the number of students who receive Ws (Pc withdrawals) by the total number of students enrolled in program courses (En program ). Low SS indexes should prompt examination of admissions requirements, curriculum design ,and student mentoring.

Baseline Index

SS = (En program – Pc fail – Pc withdrawal ) ÷ En program

SS = Student Success En program = # of students enrolled in program courses Pc fail = # of program-course failures Pc withdrawal = # of program-course withdrawals

Differentiating Probes 1. For programs with non-restricted courses, Student Success in the Major (SSM) directs attention to success rates only for students in the major. SSM is indexed by dividing the total number of program majors enrolled in programmatic courses (EnM program) minus the number of program majors who receive Fs in programmatic courses (PcM fail) minus the number program majors who receive Ws in programmatic courses (PcM withdrawal ) by the number of program majors enrolled in programmatic courses (EnM program).

SSM = (EnM program – PcM fail – PcM withdrawal ) ÷ EnM program

SSM = Student Success in the Major EnM program = # of students in the major enrolled in program courses PcM fail = # of program-course failures by students in the major PcM withdrawal = # of program-course withdrawals by students in the major

Plan C x CAPIE (2/15/08)

2. Student Attrition Major (SAM) measures the rate of student attrition from the program. SAM is indexed as the sum of the students dismissed and the students who withdraw from the major divided by the number of students enrolled in the major. High SAM indexes should prompt examination of admissions requirements, curriculum design, and student mentoring (PM dismissed > PM withdrawal ) or student satisfaction (PM withdrawal > PM dismissed ).

SAM = (PM dismissed + PM withdrawal ) ÷ EnM program

SAM = Students in the major who leave program before graduating EnM program = # of students in the major enrolled in program courses PM dismissed = # of students dismissed from the major PM withdrawal = # of students in the major who withdraw from the program

3. Adjusted Student Attrition Major (ASAM) decreases the SAM in accord with the number of students who transfer to a similar program at a four-year institution prior to graduating. High ASAM indexes carry the same significance as high SAM indexes.

ASAM = [(PM dismissed + PM withdrawal ) – T pre-grad ] ÷ EnM program

ASAM = SAM – students who transfer to 4-yr. program before graduation PM dismissed = # of students dismissed from the major PM withdrawal = # of students in the major who withdraw from the program T pre-grad = # of pre-graduation transfer students EnM program = # of students in the major enrolled in program courses

Plan C xi CAPIE (2/15/08)

F. Program Outcome Efficiency Program Outcome Efficiency (POE) captures the extent to which program graduates acquire discipline-related employment and transfer acceptances to four-year institutions.

Baseline Index

POE = (E + T) ÷ Seats intake

POE = Program Outcome Efficiency E = # of graduates in discipline-related employment T = # of graduated who have transferred Seats intake = # of seats in intake course

Differentiating Probes 1. Graduation Rate (GR) compares the number of program graduates to the number of students entering the program.

GR = G ÷ NS intake GR = Graduation Rate G = # of program graduates NS intake = # of new students enrolled in the major

2. Employment Rate (ER) compares the number of graduates who obtain discipline-related employment to the number of students entering the program.

ER = E ÷ NS intake ER = Employment Rate E = # of program graduates in discipline-related employment NS intake = # of new students enrolled in the major

Plan C xii CAPIE (2/15/08)

3. Transfer Rate (TR) compares the number of graduates who transfer to a four- year institution.

TR = T ÷ NS intake TR = Transfer Rate T = # of program graduates who transferred to a 4-yr. school NS intake = # of new students enrolled in the major

Plan C xiii CAPIE (2/15/08)

III. Intake or Benchmark Courses

Curriculum Curriculum Code Intake or Benchmark Course Restricted Accounting 335-1 AC11: Accounting I No American Sign Language: 341-1, 341-2 SL10: ASL I No Interpreter for the Deaf, (-1) ASL Studies Sequence (-2) Automotive Service Specialist 369-1 AT12: Integrated Automotive Sys. Yes Business Administration 315-1 BA11: Intro to Business No Business Administration (online) 315-9 BA11: Intro to Business No Business: Marketing 319-1 BD57: Marketing No Business: Office Management 343-1 BA52: Office Mngt. (2nd semester) No Business: Retail Business Mgmt. 318-1 BD63: Retail Principles No Chemical Dependency Counseling 388-1 CD11: Chemical Dep. in Am. Soc. No Computer Art 364-1 *GR31: Intro. Computer-based Des. No Culinary Arts 394-1 CU11: Sanitation No Dietetic Technician 320-1 FM20: Intro to Nutrition No Early Childhood Education 330-1 ED11: Found. Early Childhood Ed. No Construction Technology - 334-1 CT14: Construction Methods No Electrical Engineering 301-1 TE12: Electricity I No Telecommunications Technology 371-1 Corequisites No TT12: Electrical Circuits TT15: Comp. App. in Telecom. Fire Protection Technology 302-1 FS11: Intro to Fire Protection No Graphic Design 365-1 Corequisites No GR24: Basic Graphic Design GR31: Intro. Computer-based Des. VA30: 2D Design Health Information Technology 349-1 HI14: Intro to Health Information No HVAC/R 395-1 HV14: Refrig. & Air Cond. Systems Yes Horticulture 367-1 HO11: Introduction to Horticulture No Information Technology 392-1, -2, -3 CS13: Intro to Information Tech **No Interior Design Assistant 329-1 IN13: Interior Design I No Nursing 308-1, 2; 338-1, 348-1, 347- 1 NR20: Fundamentals of Nursing Yes Occupational Therapy Assistant 391-1 OA11: Intro to Occupational Tx. Yes Ophthalmic Dispensing 389-1 OD11: Ophthalmic Dispensing I No Paralegal Studies 333-1 BL41: Intro to Paralegal Studies No Photographic Imaging 372-1 VA91: Intro Silver-Based Photo. No Physical Therapist Assistant 310-1 PT10: Normal Movement & Dev. Yes Radio and Television Production 306-1 RT11: Intro to Broadcasting No Recreation Leadership 311-1 RA14: Intro to Recreation Services No Veterinary Science Technology 390-1 VS12: Intro to Animal Technology Yes * CA84: Intro to Computer Art is not listed in degree breakdown. ** Not restricted, but will not satisfy any Liberal Arts elective or any graduation requirement in the Computer Science curriculum.

Plan C xiv CAPIE (2/15/08)

IV. Data Required for Analyses

Data Required A. Program Interest Ap # of applications and changes of emphasis received qAp # of applications and changes of emphasis meeting minimum admissions standards qAp accept # of qualified applicants accepted NS # of new students enrolled in the major nqAp enrolled # of nonqualified applicants enrolled at SCCC nqAp total total # of nonqualified applicants B. Program Demand Ap # of applications received

Seats intake # of seats in intake course qAp # of applicants meeting minimum admissions requirements

Seats intake # of seats in intake course C. Program Enrollment

NS intake # of new students in the major in intake course

Seats intake # of seats in intake course

NS waived # of students waived from or with transfer credit for intake course

En intake total # of students enrolled in intake course D. Program Capacity

En program # of students enrolled in program courses

Seats program # of seats available in program courses

En non-major # of non major’s students enrolled in program courses

En elective # of students enrolled in program elective courses E. Student Success

En program # of students enrolled in program courses

Pc fail # of program-course failures

Pc withdrawal # of program-course withdrawals

EnM program # of students in the major enrolled in program courses

PcM fail # of program-course failures by students in the major

PcM withdrawal # of program-course withdrawals by students in the major

PM dismissed # of students dismissed from the major

PM withdrawal # of students in the major who withdraw from the program

T pregrad # of pre-graduation transfer students F. Program Outcome Efficiency E # of graduates in discipline-related employment T # of graduates who have transferred to a 4-yr. school

Seats intake # of seats in intake course G # of program graduates

NS intake # of new students enrolled in the major

Plan C xv CAPIE (2/15/08)

V. Analysis

PROGRAM REPORT

Program Date

BASELINE INDEXES PI PD PE PC SS POE

DIFFERENTIAL INDEXES

Program Interest (PI) Qualified Program Interest (QPI) Manifested Program Interest (MPI) Deferred Program Interest (DPI) Program Demand (PD) Qualified Program Demand (QPD) Program Enrollment (PE) Adjusted Program enrollment (APE) Course Demand (CD) Program Capacity (PC) Adjusted Program Capacity (APC) Adjusted Program-Major Capacity (APMC) Student Success (SS) Student Success Major (SSM) Student Attrition Major (SAM) Adjusted Student Attrition Major (ASAM) Program Outcome Efficiency (POE) Graduation Rate (GR) Employment Rate (ER) Transfer Rate (TR)

Analysis:

Plan C xvi CAPIE (2/15/08)

GENERAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT PLAN: AN OVERVIEW3

I. INTRODUCTION

Suffolk County Community College’s General Education Assessment Plan is grounded in two basic convictions: first, the value of general education itself, and second, the value of systematic outcomes assessment as a vehicle for improving teaching and student learning.

First of all, recognition of the intrinsic value of general education is clearly manifest in Suffolk’s Mission Statement. The “College Philosophy” section of that document states that “the college believes in encouraging students to come to an understanding of themselves, their society, the physical world, and the lifelong nature of learning itself.” In another section of its Mission Statement, the college commits itself “to structure the curricula of the college so that each program includes courses which

 develop oral and written communication skills;  encourage thinking skills and creativity;  foster appreciation for scientific methodology;  promote an understanding of self, nature and society and its historical context, and a heightened awareness of personal, social and aesthetic values.”

Long before the mandating of the SUNY general education requirements, Suffolk County Community College had established its own general education course requirements for all graduates of A.A., A.S. and A.A.S. degree programs, focusing on a central core of learning experiences in the arts, written and oral communication, humanities, history, mathematics, social sciences and natural sciences. These learning experiences are designed to help students develop their intellect, enhance their self- expression, contribute to a sense of self-fulfillment, and provide an understanding of our common cultural heritage.

Secondly, the college recognizes the important role played by assessment in the improvement of teaching and learning. Suffolk’s Mission Statement includes a commitment to identifying “ways to enhance and enrich the teaching-learning environment.” We believe that the assessment process accomplishes that objective by enabling faculty and administrators to discover those areas of our curricula and courses and those aspects of our instructional strategies that need strengthening. Once that step is taken, we can proceed to make the curriculum and pedagogical changes that will result in improved learning experiences for our students.

The college has already developed an assessment plan for the major (i.e. each of its degree programs) and incorporated that plan into a six-year cycle of systematic program review. With this document, it is now affirming its commitment to an equally thorough general education assessment process.

3 Go to SCCC website to view specific plans for each General Education Knowledge and Skills Area.

Plan D i CAPIE (2/15/08)

II. ORGANIZATION

The Suffolk County Community College General Education Assessment Plan was developed by a General Education Assessment Committee made up of 15 faculty and administrators from all three campuses of the college and representing all the academic areas contained in the ten SUNY knowledge and skill categories. This committee is chaired by the College Executive Dean for Curriculum and Instruction and includes in its membership the college’s Director of Institutional Research and Assessment, Faculty Coordinator for Curriculum Development and Assessment, and Faculty Coordinator for Instructional Development. In developing the General Education Assessment Plan, members of the committee consulted with faculty and administrators from all of the general education disciplines and made revisions based on input from those groups. The final document drafted by the committee was submitted to the College Curriculum Committee for its review and approval and was then forwarded to the college’s three campus governance bodies for final review and approval.

The College General Education Assessment Committee was originally formed to develop an assessment plan for general education but it has now also been made a standing committee at the college and been given responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the plan and for evaluating the assessment process itself and making changes in the process if necessary.

III. OUTLINE OF THE ASSESSMENT PLAN

Suffolk County Community College’s General Education Assessment Plan contains not only the general outlines of the plan but also specific assessment plans for each of the ten knowledge and skill areas and the two infused competencies. Each of those twelve area plans is presented in a standardized format or template (see Attachment I). The format includes five major categories: Learning Outcomes/Objectives, Programmatic Activities, Assessment Measures and Methodology, Performance Criteria, and Action Plan. The Learning Outcomes/Objectives section includes a statement of the SUNY Learning Outcomes and any additional college objectives for that area; Programmatic Activities encompasses both the Suffolk courses that satisfy the SUNY Learning Outcomes and the instructional/learning activities designed to enable students to attain those outcomes; Assessment Measures and Methodology addresses the type(s) of measure(s) and the factors of validity, reliability and sampling; the Performance Criteria section contains both a description of the rubric(s) and an acceptable performance standard. Finally, the Action Plan is a description of the procedures in place at the college for using the results of the assessment process to make programmatic and course improvements.

The assessment plan for each of the ten knowledge and skill areas is course-based. In other words, the assessment of the learning outcomes for each area will be accomplished through a periodic assessment of selected SCCC courses which have been approved as meeting the requirements for that area. During the first three-year cycle, one or more courses will be selected for each area based on data which shows them to be the courses most commonly selected by SCCC students. The assessment

Plan D ii CAPIE (2/15/08)

instruments developed and utilized for those selected courses will eventually be used for other courses in the area as well, but assessment efforts during the initial three-year cycle will focus on those particular courses.

Assessment of the two infused competencies of critical thinking and information management will also be course-based but accomplished through the methodology of an institutional portfolio, i.e. a collection of artifacts, or samples of student work, taken from selected courses in each of the ten knowledge and skills areas. These samples will be holistically scored against established criteria and a standard rubric by a faculty team from diverse general education disciplines. Results of this cross-disciplinary assessment will be shared with deans, academic chairs and faculty in all of those areas.

IV. THE SCCC ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE

This section of the Overview of the Suffolk County Community College General Education Assessment Plan will comment on each of the major components of Suffolk’s Assessment Template.

A. LEARNING OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES

Suffolk County Community College is totally committed to the objectives for student learning in General Education defined in the Implementation Guidelines of the Provost’s Advisory Task Force on General Education and has chosen to adopt those objectives as its primary statement of its own General Education learning outcomes. When the college developed its own GE objectives in 1988, they turned out to be very similar to those later formulated by SUNY in the establishment of its General Education requirements. The Suffolk objectives included the categories of Civilization and Culture, Communication, Literature/Humanities/Arts, Mathematics, Philosophy and Ethics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Critical Thinking, Integrated Knowledge, Computer Proficiency and Information Literacy. (See Attachment II.)

It is evident that these objectives are closely related to virtually all of the SUNY knowledge and skill areas and infused competencies. In our specific assessment plans, additional college discipline and course objectives are included where relevant.

B. PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES

In each of our knowledge and skill area assessment plans, we list all or most of the SCCC courses that have already been approved by SUNY as satisfying the general education requirement for that area. It should be noted that the college now has in place a formal mechanism for reviewing all new courses that claim to satisfy a SUNY general education requirement. Any new course that seeks to be designated a general education course must address a list of questions that have been incorporated into the college’s format for New Course/Curriculum Proposals (See Attachment III). In Section I of that form, the course proposer must list the course’s student learning outcomes and in Section VI (Relationship to SUNY General Education

Plan D iii CAPIE (2/15/08)

Requirements), the proposer must show exactly how the course satisfies one of the SUNY General Education course categories, must demonstrate how it incorporates the SUNY infused competencies of critical thinking and information management, and must also specify its assessment measures. Our College and Campus Curriculum Committees will not approve a new course as a SUNY general education course unless the proposer has satisfactorily answered those questions.

In addition to the full list of courses that satisfy the SUNY requirements, we identify in each of the ten knowledge and skill categories the particular course or courses that will be the focus of our assessment activities during the first three-year assessment cycle.

In this section, we also delineate for each assessment plan the various instructional and learning activities that lead to the attainment of the designated student learning outcomes.

C. ASSESSMENT MEASURES AND METHODOLOGY

This part of our assessment template encompasses four concepts: the type(s) of measure(s), validity, reliability and sampling. In developing each of our twelve specific assessment plans, our faculty have tried to identify assessment measures that are appropriate to their particular disciplines and that provide meaningful evidence that our students are really learning what we think and claim that they are learning. Those measures include portfolios, tests, essays, laboratory reports, oral presentations, performances and role-play. In each case, the assessment instrument is designed to determine whether or not the students have achieved the stated learning outcomes. We are convinced at this time that these instruments will in fact directly measure student learning but we recognize the fact that we will not know that for sure until we actually utilize them. If these assessment tools or methods do not work in the way we expect them to, we will, of course, modify or replace them with other types of measures.

As for the validity and reliability of our assessment measures, we will be guided in this area by our Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. That office has worked closely with the College General Education Committee on the development of our specific assessment plans and has provided guidelines to our faculty in helping them to understand the different types of reliability (e.g. inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, split-half reliability, inter-item reliability) and the different types of validity (e.g. face validity, content validity, construct validity, criteria-related validity). The College Director of Institutional Research and Assessment or a member of his staff will work with each of our faculty area teams over the next three years on the implementation of their general education assessment plans. That office will also assist faculty in ensuring a representative and statistically reliable sampling of student works for each assessment activity.

Plan D iv CAPIE (2/15/08)

D. PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

In this section of the Assessment Template, we identify and define the assessment criteria to be used in determining whether or not students are meeting the stated objectives for the ten knowledge and skill areas and two infused competencies. We also provide for each area a scoring rubric that defines the level of student performance that our faculty judge to be “exceeding,” “meeting,” “approaching,” or “not meeting” the minimum acceptable standard. In some knowledge and skill areas, our faculty have added a fifth level, that of “significantly exceeding” the standard.

E. ACTION PLAN

This section represents one of the most important parts of our assessment plan because outcomes assessment has value for an educational institution only insofar as that institution has a system in place for using the results of its assessment process to bring about programmatic, course and methodological changes that will produce improved student learning.

At Suffolk County Community College, general education assessment measures will be administered and scored by faculty teams (discipline-based in the case of the ten knowledge and skill areas and cross-disciplinary in the case of the two infused competencies). Assessment results will be analyzed and shared with all appropriate faculty. Where the results indicate areas of needed improvement with respect to student learning, faculty will determine what action should be taken with respect to curricular, course or pedagogical change. If the actions agreed upon involve minor revisions in course objectives and/or content or any type of changes in instructional methodology, the faculty can implement those changes with the approval of area deans and/or academic chairs, without the necessity of having to seek the formal approval of the campus governance bodies. If, however, the curriculum/course changes are substantive in nature, they must, in accord with the college’s long-standing curriculum/course review process, be submitted to the college or campus curriculum committee for their review and approval. If approved by the appropriate curriculum committee, the proposed change(s) must then go to the three campus governance bodies (Ammerman Campus Senate, Western Campus Assembly, Eastern Campus Congress) for their review and approval.

Academic Chairs and/or Associate/Assistant Deans of Faculty in each of the knowledge and skill areas will assume responsibility for implementing both the assessment process itself and the recommended changes flowing from that process. These administrators will provide regular progress reports on their implementation efforts to the Vice President for Academic and Campus Affairs, the Executive Dean for Curriculum and Instruction, and the Campus Deans of Faculty.

V. SCHEDULE FOR THE FIRST ASSESSMENT CYCLE

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The initial assessment of all of the General Education learning objectives in the knowledge and skill areas and infused competencies will be completed at Suffolk County Community College within the following three-year cycle:

2002-3: Mathematics Western Civilization The Arts Basic Communication

2003-4: Natural Sciences American History Humanities Critical Thinking

2004-5: Social Sciences Other World Civilizations Foreign Language Information Management

VI. EVALUATION OF THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS ITSELF AND DISSEMINATION OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS TO THE APPROPRIATE CAMPUS COMMUNITY

After each year of the first three-year assessment cycle, an evaluation will be done of the assessment plans for the SUNY general education areas being assessed that particular year. In other words, in the schedule outlined above in Section V, mathematics, western civilization, the arts and basic communication will be assessed in the 2002-203 academic year. During the following year, a formal evaluation will be done of the assessment plan for each of those areas. The evaluation will be conducted by the area faculty, with the assistance of the Faculty Coordinator for Curriculum Development and Assessment and the Director of Institutional Research and Assessment. Results of the evaluation will be shared with the College General Education Assessment Committee. Based on their analysis of those results, faculty will make any needed modifications in the area assessment plan.

In addition to yearly evaluations of the specific assessment plans, a full evaluation will be conducted by the College General Education Assessment Committee of the strengths and weaknesses of the overall college assessment plan. That evaluation will take place during the third year of the first three-year assessment cycle. Based on its findings, the Committee will make recommendations regarding any needed changes in the overall assessment process to the college governance bodies. Those changes, if approved, will be implemented for the next three-year assessment cycle. Thereafter, this type of evaluation will occur once every three years.

Assessment results for each of the ten knowledge and skill areas will be shared with the faculty, administrators and program review teams in those particular areas.

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Assessment results for the two infused competencies will be shared with all faculty and administrators in all departments and disciplines across the college.

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Attachment I

SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR ______

LEARNING OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES

SUNY Learning Outcomes:

Additional College Learning Outcomes/Objectives

PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES

Courses:

Instructional/Learning Activities:

ASSESSMENT MEASURES AND METHODOLOGY

Type(s) of Measure(s):

Validity:

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Description of Rubric(s):

Acceptable Performance Standard:

ACTION PLAN:

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Suffolk County Community College’s

Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment Plan

Prepared by

Allen Jacobs

College Associate Dean of Curriculum and Assessment

In conjunction with

The Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment Task Force

Submitted

February 2006

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Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment Plan

Introduction

As stated in our Campus-Based Assessment Plan, Suffolk County Community College’s General Education Assessment Plan “is grounded in two basic convictions: first, the value of general education, itself, and second, the value of systematic outcomes assessment as a vehicle for improving teaching and student learning.” It is with that same spirit we have created our Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment Plan (SCBA). Therefore, much of the SCBA proposed below reflects the assessment processes already implemented with the exception of the adoption of externally-referenced measures for the areas of Written Communication, Mathematics, and Critical Thinking, and the addition of our use of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement. For purposes of clarity, we present our plan in accordance with the SUNY General Education Assessment Review Group’s (GEAR) Guidelines, following the nine specified criteria:

1. The objectives for student learning in General Education relate directly to the student learning outcomes defined in the Implementation Guidelines of the Provost’s Advisory Task Force on General Education.

Suffolk County Community College’s (SCCC’s) Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment (SCBA) Plan continues to measure objectives for student learning in general education that relate directly to the student learning outcomes as they are defined in the Implementation Guidelines of the Provost’s Advisory Task Force on General Education. There have been no changes to the college’s previously approved Campus-Based Assessment (CBA) Plan in the objectives for written communication or critical thinking. The learning outcomes for mathematics have been updated to reflect the new SUNY outcomes issued in the spring of 2005.

2. Programmatic activities intended to accomplish the campus’ objectives for student learning in General Education are described.

SCCC’s process for designating general education courses remains the same as the one identified in its previously approved CBA Plan.

3. The measures developed to assess student learning are designed to provide credible evidence of the extent to which students have achieved the learning outcomes or skills stated in the objectives.4

The SCBA Plan for written communication is the same as the one identified in SCCC’s previously approved CBA Plan with the exception that the SCBA Plan

4 Go to GEAR website to view SUNY-approved rubrics for Written Communication, Mathematics, and Critical Thinking.

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adopts the rubric developed and recommended by the GEAR Discipline-Based Panel for Written Communication. Because the CBA Plan also incorporates the use of a rubric, no changes in the process for determining validity and reliability are required.

The SCBA Plan for mathematics is also the same as the one identified in SCCC’s previously approved CBA Plan with the exception that the SCBA Plan adopts the rubric developed and recommended by the GEAR Discipline-Based Panel for Mathematics. Because the CBA Plan also incorporates the use of a rubric, no changes in the process for determining validity and reliability are necessary.

To assess student learning of critical thinking, SCCC will adopt the rubric developed and recommended by the GEAR Discipline-Based Panel for Critical Thinking. Because SCCC’s previous plan also incorporated the use of a rubric, no other changes have been made, except with regard to the collection and reporting of the data. To reflect critical thinking’s infusion across the ten knowledge and skills’ areas, it will be measured simultaneously with the outcomes of each of these areas when they are assessed during a three-year cycle. For example, when humanities is assessed in accord with the college’s CBA Plan, the students’ work used for assessing the humanities learning outcomes will also be used for assessing critical thinking in that discipline. Thus, the readers who assess critical thinking in the humanities will be linked to that discipline. The results of all critical thinking assessments will be retained in SCCC’s Office of Institutional Research until the third year of the assessment cycle, at which time a final report on the findings will be prepared for SUNY. Each discipline, however, will receive its results at the time of its assessment.

The college’s SCBA Plan will not include provisions for determining the growth in learning achieved by undergraduates in general education.

4. The plan proposes standards to which student performance relative to the learning outcomes in the objectives can be compared.

In adopting the rubrics developed by the GEAR Discipline-Based Panels, the college’s SCBA Plan consequently adopts the corresponding standards that define levels of student performance as exceeding, meeting, approaching, or not meeting the standards, as characterized in these rubrics.

5. The anticipated results of the assessment are able to affirm the degree to which the learning objectives have been achieved and thus make it possible to identify areas that need to be addressed in order to improve learning.

No changes in SCCC’s process for sharing assessment results with appropriate faculty and staff or for making programmatic improvements based on these results have been made from the college’s previously approved CBA Plan.

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6. Mechanisms for assessing the campus academic environment are described.

The SCBA Plan prescribes coordination with SUNY’s System Administration in administering the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CSSE) for assessing the campus academic environment. The college’s Assessment Advisory Committee will examine the results of the CSSE along with results from strengthened campus-based assessments for possible relationships between assessment results and students’ perceptions of environmental factors. Conclusions formed by the Assessment Advisory Committee will be forwarded to appropriate members of the college community, as outlined in Items 5 and 9 of the college’s previously approved CBA Plan.

7. The assessment plan has been reviewed and approved through the appropriate curriculum and faculty governance structures.

Approvals by the College Curriculum Committee and the campus governance bodies are pending.

8. The plan adheres to the timetable established by the GEAR Group and agreed to by the University Provost.

The SCBA Plan continues to follow the three-year cycle for general education assessment as specified in the college’s previously approved CBA Plan. However, rather than assessing written communication and mathematics during the first year of the cycle, they will now be assessed during the third year of the cycle. Critical thinking will be assessed as discussed in Item 3. Thus, under the SCBA Plan, written communication and mathematics will be assessed for the first time in the 2007–2008 academic year and every three years thereafter. Critical thinking will be continually assessed, and the first cycle of assessment results under the SCBA Plan will be reported in 2007–2008.

9. The assessment process includes provisions for evaluating the assessment process itself and disseminating assessment results to the appropriate campus community.

No changes have been made to SCCC’s previously approved CBA Plan with regard to procedures for evaluating the assessment process, making changes in the process if necessary, and sharing assessment results with appropriate members of the campus community.

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Plan E v CAPIE (2/15/08)

Student Affairs Program/Unit Review Process

I. Introduction A. Provide a current mission statement for the program or unit. 1. Describe the process that guided the development of this statement. 2. Is this a new or revised mission statement, or is it unchanged from a previous statement? 3. Explain how the program or unit’s current mission relates to or advances the college’s mission. B. Previous Program or Unit Review 1. Provide the date of the last program or unit review. 2. Summarize the principal findings and recommendations from that review. 3. Describe the extent to which recommendations from the previous review have been implemented. Have any of those recommendations not been implemented? If not, explain why.

II. Goals and Objectives A. Programmatic or Unit Goals and Objectives 1. List programmatic or unit goals. 2. List programmatic or unit (non-learning) objectives. 3. Describe the process that guided the development of these goals and objectives. 4. Have any of the programmatic or unit goals or objectives changed since the previous review? If so, identify the changes. 5. Summarize the extent to which programmatic or unit goals and objectives have been achieved. B. Learning Goals and Objectives 1. List learning goals for the program or unit. 2. List learning objectives (i.e., behavioral outcomes) for the program or unit. 3. How were these goals and objectives arrived at? 4. Have any of the learning goals or objectives changed since the previous review? If so, identify the changes. 5. Summarize the extent to which the learning goals and objectives have been achieved.

III. Environmental Scan Identify current trends in the program or unit’s area or discipline.

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IV. Activities and Services A. Identify revisions to activities or services that have occurred since the last program review, and provide the rationale for these changes. Discuss (1) new activities or services, (2) revisions to existing activities or services, or (3) elimination of activities or services that have occurred since the last program review. B. What changes to activities or services are being contemplated, and what is the rationale for considering them?

V. Assessments A. Programmatic or Unit Assessments 1. Does the program or unit have a written assessment plan? If so, append the plan. 2. Identify the assessment methods and instruments that are used for measuring each of the programmatic or unit objectives. (If only selected objectives are being assessed, identify these objectives, and indicate why they were chosen for assessment and why others were not.) 3. Discuss the process that guided the development of the assessment measures. 4. How frequently are programmatic or unit objectives assessed? 5. What changes, if any, in the programmatic or unit assessment process are deemed desirable? 6. How are assessment results used to effect programmatic or unit changes? 7. What changes have been implemented as a result of programmatic or unit assessment? 8. Identify desired changes—as revealed through programmatic or unit assessment measures—that have yet to take place. Explain why these changes have not occurred. B. Student Learning Outcomes 1. Does the program or unit have a written plan for assessing student-learning outcomes? If so, append the plan. 2. Identify the assessment methods and instruments that are used for measuring each of the student learning objectives. (If only selected objectives are being assessed, identify these objectives, and indicate why they were chosen for assessment and why others were not.) 3. Discuss the procedures that guided the development of the assessment measures. 4. How frequently are student-learning objectives assessed? 5. What changes, if any, in the assessment of student learning are deemed desirable? 6. How are student-learning outcomes assessments used to effect changes?

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7. Identify changes that have occurred as a result of student- learning-outcomes assessment. 8. Identify desired changes—as revealed through assessment measures—that have yet to take place. Explain why these changes have not occurred.

VI. Staffing A. Report the number of full- and part-time professional and clerical staff in the program or unit. Note any changes that have occurred in these numbers since the last program review, and state how these changes have affected the program. B. Comment on the need, if any, for additional professional or clerical staff. C. How do program or unit staff improve their abilities to provide programmatic or unit services or activities? Provide examples of professional development activities by program or unit staff over the last five years. What type of support is currently available to them in this area? Is additional support needed?

VII. Resources A. Discuss the adequacy of (1) facilities, (2) office space, (3) storage space, (4) equipment, and (5) supplies for the program or unit. Prioritize needs in these areas. B. Comment on the availability, adequacy, and usage of tools such as computers and computer software. C. Identify any other resource needs.

VIII. Program Vision Present a vision of where the program or unit staff would like to see the program be in ten years from now. Indicate what might be required to realize this vision.

IX. Major Findings and Recommendations A. State the major findings of this program or unit review. B. Based on these findings, list (in priority order) specific recommendations for the program or unit. C. Who will have responsibility for coordinating the implementation of these recommendations? D. Who will have responsibility for preparing and submitting annual status reports concerning the implementation of these recommendations. Annual reports are submitted to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs by June 15 of each year, beginning with the year following the submission of the program review.

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Plan F iv