“Learning About the Community As a Community”

The Best Place to Start

“Learning about the community as a community”

Fall 2012 El Paso Community College

El Paso Community College

Quality Enhancement Plan

The El Paso County Community College District does not discrimin0 ate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

El Paso Community College

Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary ...... 2

II. Introduction to El Paso Community College ...... 3

III. Development of the Quality Enhancement Plan ...... 4

IV. Identification of the Topic ...... 8

V. Student Learning Outcomes ...... 24

VI. Literature Review and Best Practices ...... 27

VII. Actions to be Implemented ...... 40

VIII. QEP Timeline ...... 58

IX. Assessment Tools ...... 61

X. Organizational Structure ...... 63

XI. Resources ...... 64

XII. Summary ...... 66

XIII. References ...... 67

XIV. Appendices

A. Lessons Learned ...... 72

B. QEP Discipline Plans ...... 84

C. Glossary of Terms ...... 95

Getting to know El Paso as a community, getting to know the college as a community, and working within your classroom as a community—investing oneself in the welfare of others.

El Paso Community College

I. Executive Summary

El Paso Community College’s (EPCC’s) Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), “Learning about the Community as a Community,” envisions students working within the community of their classrooms to gain a deeper awareness of the greater El Paso metropolitan area. By completing assignments in key disciplines, and by working with entities in the community, EPCC anticipates that students will gain a richer understanding of this region and their place within the El Paso community.

This project will be particularly beneficial to students who are limited to certain areas of the city, such as their neighborhoods, and to our military population who, with dependents, number about 71,000 people. Oftentimes, these particular groups have very limited exposure to their larger community—El Paso and the surrounding area—and develop an inaccurate or incomplete conception of this area. By not understanding or being personally vested in the community, it is very difficult to become a productive member of it; therefore, getting to know one’s community leads to deeper understanding of the area, which consequently will result in a stronger commitment to the region and ultimately culminate in a sense of responsibility to the community and its members. Therefore the goals of EPCC’s QEP are the following:

 Increasing student knowledge about the El Paso community and surrounding region;  Encouraging students to interact with the community through community-based projects;  Teaching students the benefits of belonging to a community;  Teaching students the benefits of serving one’s community.

The following Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) will guide the student projects and learning assessments, but they will be revised as the need arises:

1. Students will be able to describe significant events, programs, or services related to the community and the surrounding area after interacting with the community.

2. After retrieving, analyzing, and synthesizing information (such as printed documents, oral histories, digital resources, data bases, historical archives, demographic data, for example) related to the community and surrounding area, students will be able to articulate their findings through writing, presenting, photographing, or utilizing another appropriate medium.

3. Students will be able to analyze through an appropriate medium (such as writing assignment, oral presentation, discussion, for example) how their understanding of the community and the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.

QEP pilot projects were completed during the spring 2012 semester, and several discipline QEP plans grew out of the pilots and the pilot instructors’ assessment tools.

With the SLOs, assessments, and plans in place, El Paso Community College is ready for the challenge of implementing our Quality Enhancement Plan.

El Paso Community College

II. Introduction to El Paso Community College

In 1969, the El Paso citizenry voted to establish the El Paso County Community College District. By 1971, the first class of 901 students enrolled in the College, and that same year, El Pasoans and the Board of Trustees for EPCC requested state financial assistance from Texas, and when funds were approved, EPCC opened its doors to its first students. Over the next four decades, EPCC has seen its facilities and faculty grow, its enrollment increase from fewer than 1,000 students to more than 40,000, and the inception of several programs delivered to students through traditional classrooms, hybrid classes, online classes, and dual credit and early college high school courses.

El Paso Community College’s mission is “to provide educational opportunities and support services that prepare individuals to improve their personal quality of life and to contribute to their economically and culturally diverse community.” It is this “culturally diverse community” that EPCC serves on a daily basis. El Paso Community College is in a unique position as a border city community college. We border not only Mexico but New Mexico as well. Therefore, we service students and interact with communities from three states, two countries, and, minimally, three cities. EPCC’s vision statement is “The El Paso County Community College District will be the progressive leader in high-quality, innovative, educational opportunities in response to our border community.” These demographics fit our vision statement well.

Moreover, many students are reaching us nationally and internationally through our Distance Education Program, and EPCC also serves a large community of soldiers and their families associated with Ft. Bliss, Texas. Soldiers and their dependents are a large part of the EPCC family. In addition, EPCC has six Early College High Schools and our Dual Credit Program adds participating high school students every year. Due to increased populations who can now attend EPCC, our enrollment has greatly escalated and almost doubled in the past ten years. Since 2003, when EPCC had its last on-site visit by SACSCOC, our enrollment has increased from 17,947 students during the fall 2002 semester to over 40,000 in 2012. As of spring 2012, Early College High Schools had over 3,600 students enrolled; dual credit classes had a combined enrollment of 6,544 students, and distance education had an enrollment of 4,930 students. In addition, non-credit classes had an enrollment of 5,150 students in spring 2012.

EPCC has several satellite campuses and sites: Transmountain Campus located at 9570 Gateway Boulevard North in northeast El Paso; Northwest Campus located at 6701 South Desert Boulevard in northwest El Paso; Valle Verde Campus in east-central El Paso located at 919 Hunter Drive; Mission del Paso Campus in far east El Paso located at 10700 Gateway East; Rio Grande Campus located in downtown El Paso at 100 West Rio Grande Avenue; and Ft. Bliss Campus located at Merritt Road on Ft. Bliss. Classes are also held at our Administrative Services Center located at 9050 Viscount Boulevard.

El Paso Community College offers Associates of Arts degrees, Associates of Science degrees, Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees, Associates of Applied Science degrees, and Certificates of Completion as well as many courses in Continuing Education. However, students can begin their college career at EPCC and transfer up to sixty credit hours to a four-year university.

El Paso Community College

III. Development of the Quality Enhancement Plan

The Quality Enhancement Plan Task Force was created during the spring 2010 semester. Grace Haddox was recruited in January 2010 by former Vice President of Instruction Dennis Brown to serve as QEP Director, and the task force was recruited by Ms. Haddox during February, March, and April 2010. Most people on the task force were invited to join; however, a few volunteered, and some had served on previous SACSCOC committees and task forces.

Below is the list of faculty, staff, and students who served on the QEP Task Force:

Hamdan Ahmad—Mathematics, Northwest Campus Dr. Linda Brown—Speech, Transmountain Campus * Allison Bruce—Physics, Valle Verde Campus Michael Coulehan—Reading, Transmountain Campus Gloria Estrada—English, Mission del Paso Campus Charles Fitzgerald—Physical Therapy, Rio Grande Campus Emma Gomez—Student * Maria T. Gomez—Reading, Rio Grande Campus Grace Haddox—English, Transmountain Campus David Henry—English, Transmountain Campus Dr. John Lencyk—English, Valle Verde Campus Vanessa Macias—adjunct History, Transmountain Campus ** Gail Mallinson—Americana Language Program, Valle Verde Campus * Evelyn Mecinas—Student * Mark Norbeck—History, Rio Grande Campus Becky Perales—Librarian, Rio Grande Campus Daniel Perez—Student * Maria Prospero—Interior Design, Transmountain Campus Dr. Ondrea Quiros—adjunct English, Transmountain Campus ** Joyce Ritchey—Dean, Transmountain Campus Janine Rudnick—ESAL Speech Instructor, Rio Grande Campus Ernesto Soto—Nursing, Rio Grande Campus * Antonio Vargas—Information Technology, Resources and Systems, Valle Verde Campus Alberto Villegas—Librarian, Transmountain Campus Michelle Watkins—Criminal Justice, Valle Verde Campus Resource People Dr. Dolores Gross—Director, Institutional and Community Planning Arvis Jones—Director, Student Leadership and Campus Life

* denotes people who left the task force before completion of the creation of the QEP ** denotes people who joined the task force in 2011 and 2012

The task force met through the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 academic years during the long semesters at least once a month. Occasionally, meetings were cancelled in lieu of bigger

El Paso Community College

meetings with faculty to discuss the QEP. For a complete listing of meeting minutes, please go to http://www.epcc.edu/sacs/qep/Pages/default.aspx.

The QEP Task Force was charged with the following:

 Develop a marketing plan that will advertise the need for ideas for a Quality Enhancement Plan; this will grow out of feedback from administrators, faculty, staff, and students  Create focus groups (probably departmentally) that will contribute ideas for a QEP  Narrow down the topics for the QEP  Settle on one topic for the QEP  Research best practices  Define and develop an assessment plan  Identify actions for implementation, and develop a plan of implementation  Identify necessary resources for implementation

Once the task force was in place, the members started examining the institutional data such as the Noel-Levitz Survey, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), the Community College 2010 Student Satisfaction Inventory, the 2010 Institutional Priorities Survey, and the 2010 National Student Satisfaction and Priorities Report.

According to the findings in the Noel-Levitz Survey, the Community College 2010 Student Satisfaction Inventory, the 2010 Institutional Priorities Survey, and the 2010 National Student Satisfaction and Priorities Report, the challenges to EPCC appeared to focus on mostly financial aid and academic advisors and / or counselors. Further, some areas of importance to EPCC students (as per the 2010 Student Satisfaction Inventory and Institutional Priorities Survey) are Instructional Effectiveness, Academic Services, Concern for the Individual, and Campus Climate.

More student related, according to the CCSSE, one of the areas of lowest student engagement is the area of “Active and Collaborative Learning” for both part-time and full-time students. This became an area of serious concern for the task force. El Paso Community College is 8% below top performing colleges in reference to “Active and Collaborative Learning:”

El Paso Community College

Source: Community College Survey of Student Engagement. (2010). 2010 key findings. Retrieved from http://www.epcc.edu/InstitutionalResearch/Documents/CCSSE_2010_Key_Findings.pdf

Further, because of this seeming lack of student engagement and active or collaborative learning, students reported that almost 60% of the time, they have never “included diverse perspectives (different races, religions, genders, political beliefs, etc.) in class discussions or assignments.” 37.63% said they “sometimes” included these perspectives and 21.97% said “never.” Again, this seems to be the result of a lack of student engagement with other students.

With all of the data in hand, the task force felt that the mission of EPCC also should be considered when developing a topic. It is as follows: “The mission of El Paso County Community College District is to provide educational opportunities and support services that prepare individuals to improve their personal quality of life and to contribute to their economically and culturally diverse community” (EPCC, n.d.).

Lastly, the task force had to take into consideration the types of students who are attending EPCC when developing the plan. According to the Noel Levitz Survey, in 2010, over 30% of EPCC’s students were attending evening or weekend classes: CURRENT FALL 2010 FALL 2008 FALL 2006 FALL 2004 FALL 2002 ENROLLMENT STATUS DAY 68% 76% 72% 69% 69% EVENING 30% 22% 26% 27% 29% WEEKEND 2% 2% 2% 4% 3% *TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Source: Noel-Levitz. (2010). Noel- Levitz Survey: Student satisfaction with services/campus. Retrieved from http://www.epcc.edu/InstitutionalResearch/Documents /Documents/Noel_Levitz_Facts_Fall2002-Fall2010.pdf

Further, 53% of our students in 2010 were employed, off campus, either full or part-time; however, taking into consideration students who were employed in some capacity, on or off campus, 57% of our students are holding down a job: EMPLOYMENT FALL 2010 FALL 2008 FALL 2006 FALL 2004 FALL 2002 FULL-TIME OFF 26% 25% 30% 32% 35% CAMPUS PART-TIME OFF 27% 29% 30% 25% 24% CAMPUS FULL-TIME ON 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% CAMPUS PART-TIME ON 3% 3% 3% 3% 4% CAMPUS NOT EMPLOYED 44% 42% 36% 38% 36% *TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

El Paso Community College

Source: Noel-Levitz. (2010). Noel- Levitz Survey: Student satisfaction with services/campus. Retrieved from http://www.epcc.edu/InstitutionalResearch/Documents /Documents/Noel_Levitz_Facts_Fall2002-Fall2010.pdf

Lastly, the student population over the age of 25 amounts to 34%--over one third of our student body: AGE FALL 2010 FALL 2008 FALL 2006 FALL 2004 FALL 2002 18 AND UNDER 15% 12% 13% 9% 10% 19 TO 24 51% 48% 50% 48% 47% 25 TO 34 19% 20% 19% 23% 23% 35 TO 44 9% 12% 11% 13% 13% 45 AND OVER 6% 8% 7% 7% 7% *TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Source: Noel-Levitz. (2010). Noel- Levitz Survey: Student satisfaction with services/campus. Retrieved from http://www.epcc.edu/InstitutionalResearch/Documents /Documents/Noel_Levitz_Facts_Fall2002-Fall2010.pdf

To summarize, large numbers of EPCC’s student population don’t necessarily have school as their number one job or priority. EPCC is a “commuter” school: students tend to be older with families and jobs, and they attend class—not necessarily during the day or on a weekday—and then they go home. Therefore, like many college campuses in the United States, “community” is not necessarily a word that one relates to their college or university experience, and relationships with fellow students and professors are not being fostered. EPCC is following the national trends of other community colleges: This blend of purposes [for community colleges] has given rise to a comprehensive institution in which two-thirds of the students attend part-time. Few of these colleges have residence halls; most students commute, enroll in one or two classes, then return to their jobs or other pursuits. The median age on campus is 25; in several states— Arizona, California, Washington and Wyoming—8 percent or more of the population aged 18 or older is enrolled. (Cohen, 2008) Students come to campus to complete their classes, and then they go home or go to work. Oftentimes, students rarely step foot on a college campus if they are taking hybrid or distance education classes, so, again, the opportunity to feel that one is part of something bigger is lost.

Moreover, El Paso is in the unique situation of sharing west Texas with a very large military base. Ft. Bliss has over 30,000 active duty soldiers, almost 2,100 reservists, and over 38,000 dependents, making up a little less than 10% of the El Paso population of roughly 773,000 people (U.S. Department of Defense, 2011). These soldiers come from all over the United States and the world, and many of the military personnel and their families attend EPCC, oftentimes, for only a few college classes. This is a migratory population that, more often than not, does not stay in the area long enough to consider itself as part of the El Paso community.

With the above components in mind, the task force began the search for the QEP topic that would be a good fit for EPCC and its student population. 7

El Paso Community College

IV. Identification of the Topic

To ensure broad-based involvement in choosing the QEP topic, the Quality Enhancement Plan was first introduced to the faculty and staff during President Rhodes’ fall 2010 General Session. With the help of the Video Production Department, faculty, staff, and students were asked what they thought “QEP” might mean. After the short introductory video, Ms. Haddox presented the basic plan for the QEP—it looked much like the charge that was created for the QEP Task Force. The task force felt that this would be a great venue to introduce the plan since so many faculty and staff are in attendance at the General Session.

During Faculty Development week, fall 2010, AFTER the faculty and staff viewed the QEP video at the general session, they viewed another short, but more detailed, film about generating ideas for the final topic. Each division at each campus presented the video, then 3 X 5 cards were given to all faculty and staff, and the QEP Task Force asked for ideas. It was a general brainstorming session that solicited well over 200 responses.

The responses tended to fall into specific categories:

 Student mentoring  Tutoring  Retention  Counseling  Advising and registration  Communication  Academics and programs  Customer service  Post-graduation preparation  Facilities  Atmosphere  Transportation  ESL  Developmental education  Remediation  Basic skills  Technology  Student life and student involvement  Scheduling  Textbooks  Testing

For a complete listing of faculty suggestions, please visit http://www.epcc.edu/sacs/qep/Pages/default.aspx

El Paso Community College

The QEP Task Force narrowed the topics to eight areas of interest:

 Academics and programs  Customer service  Learning atmosphere  Life after EPCC  Student life and student involvement  Student / teacher communication  Technology  Tutoring

When narrowing the categories, the task force considered other programs that are currently being implemented or are already in the planning stage. For example, student mentoring was discounted since a mentoring program is already being developed. Basic skills were discounted since we have several programs in place addressing developing students’ basic skills. Furthermore, the task force looked back at the Noel-Levitz Survey and the CCSSE results, and integrated those when narrowing the areas of interest.

From the above areas of interest, a survey was created by the QEP Task Force asking students, faculty, staff, and administration to rank the above eight areas in the order of most importance to them, with 1 being the most important and 8 being the least important.

With the help of Institutional Research, the survey (published in both English and Spanish) was sent to every El Paso Community College student, faculty and staff member, and administrator.

El Paso Community College

The survey is as follows:

EPCC is in the process of choosing a focus for its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The QEP is a plan that will enhance student success for a large number of El Paso Community College students.

As we begin the process of identifying the QEP, we want to identify broad topics / areas in which students and employees suggest what would be most important for further discussion. We would like your input as to which area / topic you believe would be most beneficial for EPCC to develop activities to enhance student success.

I am a (an):

o Student I have completed less than 30 hours [ ] I have completed more than 30 hours [ ] I am taking continuing education classes [ ] o Administrator o Faculty—Full-time o Faculty—Adjunct o Professional Support Staff—Full-time o Professional Support Staff—Part-time o Classified Staff—Full-time o Classified Staff—Part-time

Rank the eight topics from #1-8, with #1 being the most important possible topic out of the list and #8 being the least important.

Academics / Programs EPCC offers a variety of degree plans, and programs such as Interior Design, Nursing, Fire Technology, etc., and EPCC offers a full range of transferable academic courses.

Customer Service Staff is helpful and knowledgeable in the Registrar’s Office, Veteran’s Affairs, Center for Students with Disabilities, Tutoring, Counseling, Financial Aid, the library, labs, etc.

Learning Atmosphere EPCC teachers, staff, and tutors encourage my desire to learn in a variety of subject areas.

Life after EPCC EPCC is preparing me for a four year university, employment, and /or life’s obligations and responsibilities.

El Paso Community College

Student Life / Involvement EPCC provides opportunities to participate in events outside the classroom, such as guest speakers, clubs, activities, etc.

Student / Teacher Communication Teachers are available inside and outside of class if students need help or have a question.

Technology Technology is important to me and available for my learning (e-mail accessibility, the Smartstart network, podcasting, Blackboard, computer accessibility, etc.).

Tutoring EPCC’s tutors are available at various days and times, and at a variety of campuses.

The following people received the survey in their e-mail either in December (to include all graduating or transferring-out students) or in February (to include all incoming freshmen or transferring-in students):

 Students (credit, non-credit, dual credit, and Early College High School)  Faculty (full-time and adjunct)  Staff (classified and professional)  Anyone who has an EPCC ID number

Largely, due to some very nice prizes awarded randomly to anyone who participated (an i-pad and four i-shuffles), almost 3,000 responses were generated. These statistics support broad- based involvement in narrowing the topic. The following people participated in the survey:

I am: Number Percent Student who has completed more than 30 hrs 975 34.4% Student who has completed less than 30 hrs 728 25.7% Faculty - Full-time 248 8.7% Classified Staff - Full-time 246 8.7% Faculty - Part-time 219 7.7% Student who is taking continuing education classes 208 7.3% Professional Support Staff - Full-time 94 3.3% Classified Staff - Part-time 73 2.6% Administrator 30 1.1% Professional Support Staff - Part-time 14 0.5%

As evidenced, the majority of people who completed the survey were students and faculty; however, all entities of the college are represented in the above table.

El Paso Community College

The people who took the survey ranked the topics as follows:

Topics Ranking Academic/Programs 1 Learning Atmosphere 2 Student/Teacher Communication 3 Customer Service 4 Technology 5 Tutoring 6 Life after EPCC 7 Student Life/Involvement 8

After receiving the survey results in mid-February 2011, the QEP Task Force was trained by EPCC’s Institutional and Community Planning personnel as to how to conduct focus groups. The task force created questions covering the top three ranked survey topics for the focus groups, so they would be uniform at every focus group.

The questions are as follows:

Questions for focus group facilitators:

Academics / Programs

1. Do you have any ideas for projects students can complete in order to enhance their learning in a specific class or in several classes?

2. Do you have any ideas for audio / visual projects that would enhance student learning?

3. Would our students benefit from an oral communication project? In what area or areas would this project be appropriate?

4. How can we enhance students’ creativity in the classroom?

5. Is there a class or area where students would benefit from required community service?

6. Do we need a lab component in classes like English 1301 (composition class) and / or English 1302 (literature and research paper class)? How can this be accomplished with limited space and a cut budget?

7. How can we teach our students about ethics?

8. How can we increase our academic standards?

9. Are work groups effective? How can we use them?

Learning Atmosphere

1. How can we increase the academic atmosphere at EPCC? 12

El Paso Community College

2. How can we promote the learning atmosphere at EPCC?

Student / Teacher Communication

1. How can EPCC utilize Blackboard to the maximum benefit for many, if not all, students?

2. How can we communicate better with our students?

Focus groups were conducted on each campus and at the Academic Services Center over two weeks in March 2012. Below is the schedule:

a. Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 3:00 pm. Tony Vargas and Grace Haddox facilitated. b. Thursday, March 24, 2011 at Valle Verde at 3:00 p.m. Allison Bruce and John Lencyk facilitated. c. Thursday, March 24, 2011 at Transmountain at 2:00 pm. David Henry and Gloria Estrada facilitated. d. Thursday, March 24, 2011 at Mission del Paso at 2:30 p.m. Maria Prospero and Grace Haddox facilitated. e. Friday, March 24, 2011 at Rio Grande at 3:00 p.m. Becky Perales, and Charles Fitzgerald facilitated, and Mark Norbeck assisted. f. Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at Northwest Campus at 1:00 p.m. Hamdan Ahmad, Janine Rudnick, and Grace Haddox facilitated.

Faculty, staff, administration, and students participated at various times and places. Further, the focus groups included an Early College High School group at the Transmountain Campus on March 29, 2011, and a Dual Credit class at Burges High School on April 11, 2011. In addition to these student focus groups, Daniel Perez, a student on the QEP Task Force, conducted focus groups in two of his classes at the Transmountain Campus, accounting on March 30, 2011, and art on March 30, 2011, as well. Lastly, two additional focus groups were conducted by Grace Haddox through English classes, one at the Mission del Paso Campus on February 21, 2011, and one at Transmountain on March 29, 2011.

From the focus groups, a recurring theme was arrived at independently at many campuses with different focus group facilitators, and this is how we settled on the topic, “Learning about the Community as a Community.” Community is a broad word that includes not only the greater El Paso / Juarez community, but the community of the college, and the community of the classroom. This topic is also in keeping with El Paso Community College’s Mission Statement: “The mission of El Paso County Community College District is to provide educational opportunities and support services that prepare individuals to improve their personal quality of life and to contribute to their economically and culturally diverse community” (EPCC, n.d.).

We fully believe that EPCC is preparing our students for their interactions with the community as employees, but how well do they really know El Paso, and the surrounding area, and everything this community has to offer? Many participants in the focus groups responded that students

El Paso Community College

could only benefit from interacting with and learning about and from the community in which they live.

Further, the task force believes that the implementation of the topic lends itself to EPCC’s core values of communication, competence, integrity, personal growth, respect, student success, and trust (EPCC, n.d.)—all qualities that are vital, necessary, and inherent when working within a community, large or small. Lastly, the topic falls in line perfectly with our Vision Statement, “The El Paso County Community College District shall be the progressive leader in high-quality, innovative, educational opportunities in response to our border community” (EPCC, n.d.).

Therefore, EPCC envisions using the smaller, more intimate and safe, classroom community to educate students about the El Paso community and the region, and, in turn, students will have the skills to use this information to promote the benefits of belonging to a community which can include one or all of the following: being active in civic engagement, being a responsible member of the community, and benefitting from overall mental and physical wellness that is a result of community support. The steps to achieve this are as follows:

 Begin with awareness—in the classroom, begin to present the idea of community and the different types of community present in our lives;  Develop interest—encourage students to share ideas of community;  Encourage exploration—students can explore communities through discussions, research, or writing about personal experiences;  Promote involvement—when appropriate, students should be encouraged to become active members of communities, or, at the very least, active participants in assignments about the community;  Develop a vision of engagement—as instructors, we will create activities that will promote community;  Cultivate engagement in some aspect of the community—by completing assignments, students can use their newfound knowledge in different ways: to engage in civic activities, to be more educated about the city, or to be more responsible members of the community through understanding the specific issues that challenge El Paso;  Assess learning—by assessing students when they first enter EPCC and assessing again before they leave, knowledge of the community is expected to increase.

Starting at the classroom level seems natural for this project. Tinto (2009) asserted, “Research points to four primary conditions that are essential to student success—expectations, support, feedback, and involvement (emphasis mine).” By becoming part of the classroom community, students are more likely to succeed in the class and learn what it means to be a vested part of a community. The college, therefore, can be perceived as a vehicle to learn more about the community, which may lead to a deeper understanding of a person's place in the community, which ultimately might make him or her a better member of the community as an outgrowth of his or her acquired knowledge.

El Paso Community College

Tinto (2009) has gone on to say this: Finally, but no less importantly, students are more likely to succeed in settings that actively involve them with faculty and staff members and student peers. Nowhere is such involvement more important than in the classroom. Pedagogies of engagement— such as cooperative and problem based-learning—have been shown to be particularly effective in enhancing student success. Research in this regard is clear: Active involvement of students in learning activities in and around the classroom, especially with other students, is critical to student retention and graduation.

Therefore, by utilizing the classroom to emphasize the concept of community through meaningful projects, the QEP Task Force put out a call for proposals during the fall 2011 semester for projects that would be piloted during the spring 2012 semester.

Instructors were provided with a draft of the Student Learning Outcomes (please see below), formulated by the SLO specialists at EPCC, Maria Gomez and Myshie Pagel, and a proposal form requesting projects that address learning about or interacting with the community. The following instructors responded to the call for proposals and piloted QEP projects about the community in their classroom community:

Kathleen A. Bombach—English Dr. Linda Brown—Speech Melinda R. Camarillo—Math Dr. Douglas J. Carr—Mass Communications Roselia Galindo—Reading Jessica M. Klein—Speech Vanessa M. Macias—History (online courses) Lisa A. Miller—Art Myshie M. Pagel—ESL Dr. Hyung Lae Park—Government Andrea R. Rico-Elizondo—ESAL Mary Scott—Art Richard Southern—Information Technology Pamela G. Stover—English Isadora A. Stowe—Art Dr. Naomi Waissman—Biology Kelli L. Wood—English Caroline M. Woolf-Gurley—English Mary Yanez—Education

Below are a few examples of the submitted proposals:

El Paso Community College

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

The topic for the Quality Enhancement Plan is “Learning about the Community as a Community,” so we are looking for projects or assignments that will enhance a student’s understanding of their community. We would like proposals that treat the classroom as a community of learners who are eager to explore some aspect of El Paso or the surrounding area. The project or assignment does not have to be new—it can be built from an existing assignment. Hopefully, adding the community aspect will give the students a greater understanding and appreciation of the El Paso area. Please keep all proposals to one page.

Please provide the following:

Name: Lisa Miller Discipline: Art

Pilot Course: Arts 1301 Dean: Joyce Ritchey

Student Learning Outcome(s): (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

Students will address the following SLOs:

1. Retrieve, analyze and use information (printed documents, oral histories, digital resources, data bases, historical archives, demographic data) related to the significance of the community and surrounding area. 2. Synthesize findings from multiple sources related to the community and surrounding area through writings, reading assignments, presentations and interactions with the internal and external community members. 3. Describe in a variety of formats (writing assignment, oral presentation or other appropriate medium) how their understanding of the community and the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.

Description of project or assignment:

This project will require students to explore their understanding of immigration through the use of photography. The students are asked to take a photograph that reflects, “what the immigrant experience is in El Paso, Texas.” In conjunction with the photograph, each student will write a short paper describing the content of the image which includes a title for their piece. Students are encouraged to research immigration, as well as utilize the visual elements and principles of design they have studied as a part their art course to inform their conceptual and aesthetic decisions. Interaction with the community is an essential component of this project. Working with other art instructors, the ultimate goal of this project is to compile all of the submitted work into both a collaborative book and photographic exhibition.

Description of assessment:

The project will be assessed using the following criteria:

El Paso Community College

The photographic content must be relevant to El Paso, Texas and clearly address through a visual form the theme of immigration. The written component will be evaluated in terms of proper grammar and individual expression of immigration as it relates to the photographic image.

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

Please provide the following:

Name: Dr. Doug Carr Discipline: COMMUNICATION

Pilot Course: COMM 2303 Audio Production Dean: Claude Mathis, Communication & Performing Arts “El Paso Soundings: Hear & Now”

Student Learning Outcomes: (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

1. Retrieve, analyze and use information by recording oral histories, reviewing digital resources, data bases, historical archives, demographic data to identify and interview representative El Paso personalities of all ages and backgrounds.

4. Collaborate with the community and its resources to define significant events (to obtain feedback on information) related to the community and the surrounding area.

Created SLO: Produce and broadcast their findings through a series of programs, including their own responses and reactions revealing how their understanding of the community and the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.

Description of project or assignment:

COMM 22303 Audio Production instructs students in how to record sound, edit and produce radio programs, and how to conduct interviews. This QEP project would focus student attention on how to capture examples of the unique elements of the community through sound. Finished programs will become regular features on both campus radio stations. As well, CDs of the programs will be made available to area radio stations, inviting them to program the shows as part of their FCC- required community service programming. Audio Production students will include copies of the CDs in their own audio portfolios.

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Description of assessment:

Completion of a minimum of 12 broadcast quality programs running 3 to 5 minutes each, highlighting a wide variety of area personalities and stories, will constitute an objective assessment of success.

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

Please provide the following:

Name: Caroline Woolf-Gurley Discipline: English

Pilot Course: English 1301 Dean: Claude Mathis

Student Learning Outcome: (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

This project uses all five of the SLOs:

2. Synthesize findings from multiple sources related to the community and surrounding area through writings, reading assignments, presentations and interactions with the internal and external community members.

3. Utilize available resources to document findings related to the community and surrounding area.

4. Collaborate with the community and its resources to define significant events (to obtain feedback on information) related to the community and the surrounding area.

5. Describe in a variety of formats (writing assignment, oral presentation or other appropriate medium) how their understanding of the community and the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.

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Description of project or assignment:

This is a final research project which begins at the start of the final month of the semester and completed the final days of class. Some semesters I have had the presentations during their final exam period. It is a group project where students identify a community topic/issue and find a community non-profit agency that works towards improving that topic/issue. They need to do some initial research about the topic/issue and the agency to inform themselves and classmates about them. Then, each group writes a group essay and develops a group presentation to give to the entire class.

In the requirements for this project students have a research paper where they are required to use sources from books, database articles, newspapers, internet to understand and explain the issue and the community agency. Then they are required to visit the agency as a group and interview / experience the agency. Usually students end up interviewing a manager and/or volunteer and sometimes they are able to also connect with people who have been helped by the agency. There have been groups in the past who have been able to stay for several hours to volunteer, for example at the Child Crisis Center there was one group who got to do a craft with the kids the afternoon they visited and they talked about that experience in their presentation. Or many groups get a tour of the facilities to really see what is available for the community. These are very eye opening experiences for the students and they are able to have some personal/group reflection in both the essay and the presentation. (Of course the students are given the instructions of being professional in their approach to interviews and visits to facilities. They as a group also write a thank you letter to the agency that I personally send out at the end of the semester).

Since this is a group project, I meet with the groups several times in conferences to assure they are on track and everyone is involved and clear on what their objectives for the project are. Each person has to have a part in the research, writing, visiting of agency, and presentation.

The final aspect of the project is for the students to assess their group mates and how they worked as a team or not. This is done the final day when they turn in their essay, and students are asked to discuss themselves and each person in their group. They assess their involvement and how they would grade their own and their group’s performance. This student assessment helps my overall assessment of how the group functioned together and who truly participated and deserves the grade they earned. Usually if there are students who were not positively reviewed by their peers they lose participation points for those deficiencies.

Description of assessment:

Along with the students’ own assessment that I described above, I use a rubric that I have created to grade the paper and a rubric for the presentation is modeled after a Speech instructor’s form that she used in her classes to grade speeches. Both are a very comprehensive touch on all the aspects that are required for the project to give students an idea of what results were assigned and expected from this project.

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If I do end up giving a formal final exam in the course, I also include a Reflection essay that has students discuss the course in its entirety. A lot of the students remark how touching and what a great learning experience it was to be able to visit an agency and some come out having signed up to volunteer on a regular basis. This essay helps me to see that this project is worthwhile for the students and their connection to their own community.

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

Please provide the following:

Name: Park, Hyung Lae Discipline: Government (TM campus)

Pilot Course: GOVT 2305 Dean: Joyce Ritchey

Student Learning Outcome: (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

1. Collaborate with the community and its resources to define significant events (to obtain feedback on information) related to the community and the surrounding area.

2. Describe in a variety of formats (writing assignment, oral presentation or other appropriate medium) how their understanding of the community and the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.

Description of project or assignment:

One of the core values of education is developing citizenship and encouraging civil engagement. Students often possess a cynical attitude toward political participation based on negative perception that government is beyond their reach. The consequences are a political attitude, negative view toward government and society, low turnout, less participation and low political efficacy along with low self-esteem. Class lecture is designed to help them to understand a social and political system so that students know the importance of participation as a democratic citizen. However, there is always a gap between theory and realty which makes them be cynical not only about the reality but also about theory itself. This project aims to break such negative perceptions and attitudes toward politics. It is intended to show we the people can change the world by ourselves if there is a problem. The best way to achieve this goal is let them be involved in political process. This semester long project will take three steps to

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complete. First, students will identify the local, state or national problem(s) that require immediate response by city council, state or federal government. Second, students will study about the issue and collect various interests regarding the issue. Third, students will have a model Congress (or city council) to adopt a resolution or proposition. At the end of semester, students will make a policy suggestion to appropriate government.

Description of assessment:

Students will use multiple sources to identify policy issue(s). They will contact two community organizations to reflect their concerns on policy. They will make a policy proposal through numerous debate and markups. They will present their policy proposal to city council members. Through these activities, they will understand the importance of civil engagement and developing democratic citizenship. In order to assess this project, I will use questionaries to measure citizenship (pre and posttest). Other possible assessment will be discussed and developed accordingly.

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

Please provide the following:

Name: Vanessa Macias Discipline: History

Pilot Course: History 1301 US History To 1865 Dean: Joyce Ritchey

Student Learning Outcome: (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

1. Describe in a variety of formats (writing assignment, oral presentation or other appropriate medium) how their understanding of the community and the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.

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Description of project or assignment:

Students will review historical photographs and/or images that depict the following themes: lifeways (jokes, stories, traditions, games); childhood; work; immigration; home front/warfront; consumer culture; social and political rebellion. They will write an essay discussing the historical context of the photograph or image. Also, based on their interpretation of the photograph/image, they will take their own photographs that reflect how this theme and activity occurs today.

Description of assessment:

Students will create a photo essay or slideshow and write an essay discussing the historical and contemporary photographs. Since this is an online course, the photo essays will be posted and students will be asked to comment on the contemporary photos taken by their peers.

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

Please provide the following:

Name: Melinda R. Camarillo Discipline: Math

Pilot Course: Math 1351 Dean: Steve Smith

Student Learning Outcome: (Please choose one or more from the list provided) 2, 4, 5

Description of project or assignment:

I have been working with my local library to set up evening tutoring sessions for the students who live in the area of the library. I would get students from my Math 1351 class, which is a class for future teachers, to serve as volunteer tutors. If it doesn’t work out with the library, then I will find another organization at which my students can serve as tutors, perhaps through EPCC’s Service Learning Program. I would request that my students focus on math tutoring. Some of the purposes of this project would be to, 1) Expose my students to the math material that school age children are required to know, 2) Help my students feel more comfortable with the math material and more comfortable explaining math to others, 3) Give my students some

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experience working with young students, 4) Educate my students about the children who make up our community, and 5) Get my students to serve our community as tutors.

Description of assessment:

--A minimum number of hours must be documented and met for a grade (I’m thinking at least 8- 10 hours). --I will also have students turn in several Tutoring Description Worksheets throughout the semester. I will put several questions on these worksheets to guide my students to briefly describe one tutoring session. Some of the things that I will get my students to write about will be: who they worked with for that session, what they tutored, how long they were with the student(s), what they learned about the student they worked with, what they think the student learned or didn’t get, and what my student learned about math, math teaching, how students learn, and what they learned about the community. --At the end of the semester, I will have my students do one final writing assignment that summarizes what they learned from all the tutoring sessions throughout the semester. --Each student will also do a final presentation to the class, which will include a poster board or other visual, about what they learned from the tutoring sessions about math, math teaching, how students learn, and about the community.

To see a blank proposal form and more pilot projects, please visit http://www.epcc.edu/sacs/qep/Pages/default.aspx

These pilot projects, in addition to the pilot instructors’ grading rubrics and learning assessments, are housed on EPCC’s SharePoint. Many of the pilot projects are being adopted by the disciplines to implement as their larger QEP plan.

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V. Student Learning Outcomes

Once the task force settled on the QEP topic, it was presented to, and approved by, El Paso Community College’s Cabinet in July 2011. After the Cabinet approved the topic, the Student Learning Outcomes became the focus. With the help of Myshie Pagel and Maria Gomez, the two SLO experts at EPCC, the first draft of SLOs was created. The challenge when creating the SLOs was to make sure they could be used by any discipline. The following were the first SLOs that were proposed:

QEP RECOMMENDED STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will

2. Synthesize historical findings from multiple sources related to the community and surrounding area through writings, reading assignments, presentations and interactions with the internal and external community members.

3. Utilize available resources to document findings related to the historical significance of the community and surrounding area.

4. Collaborate with the community and its resources to define historical significant events (to obtain feedback on information) related to the community and the surrounding area.

After a consultation, Myshie Pagel, Maria Gomez, and Grace Haddox, the QEP Director, realized that these SLOs were too specific to the history discipline—the words history and historical are used numerous times—and would make it very difficult for other disciplines to participate in QEP projects. Therefore, the SLOs were redrafted:

QEP RECOMMENDED STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will

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3. Utilize available resources to document findings related to the community and surrounding area.

4. Collaborate with the community and its resources to define significant events (to obtain feedback on information) related to the community and the surrounding area.

By changing the words history or historical to community, we found these SLOs to be broader and more manageable by multiple disciplines. These were the SLOs used by the pilot instructors.

One very significant result from the pilots was a further revision of the SLOs. Two instructors, Melinda Camarillo and Jessica Klein, discovered that the wording of the SLOs was confusing and caused them to create vast projects. For example, SLO #5 stated, “Describe in a variety of formats (writing assignment, oral presentation or other appropriate medium) how their understanding of the community and the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.” Ms. Camarillo and Ms. Klein had their students complete multi-assignment projects that included a writing assignment, an oral presentation, and an assignment using another medium, rather than requiring them to do just one project. The consequences were large projects that were difficult to measure using a learning assessment.

Therefore, the SLOs were revised again, and the following is the third incarnation:

QEP RECOMMENDED STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will

2. Synthesize findings from multiple sources related to the community and surrounding area through a medium such as writings, reading assignments, presentations or interactions with the internal and external community members.

3. Utilize available resources to document findings related to the community and surrounding area.

4. Collaborate with the community and its resources to define significant events (to obtain feedback on information) related to the community and the surrounding area.

5. Describe in one of the following formats (for example, writing assignment, oral presentation or other appropriate medium) how their understanding of the community and the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.

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While the SLOs are very broad and general, they must be able to lend themselves to different disciplines, disciplines as varied as math and history, speech and biology, English, and art.

However, the SLOs also require that students learn about the community by using critical thinking when researching, synthesizing their findings, and producing a final QEP product.

After conducting the pilot projects, and working with the learning assessments from various instructors, we realized that the SLOs had to be revised again since we discovered that they are more activity-based rather than outcome-based. In addition, we learned that fewer SLOs were more manageable and worked perfectly well with our QEP goals.

Below are the reworked SLOs:

1. Students will be able to describe significant events, programs, or services related to the community and the surrounding area after interacting with the community.

The Student Learning Outcomes truly are a work in progress and may need to be revised again if we encounter any confusion or difficulties as instructors begin to implement their QEPs.

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VI. Literature Review and Best Practices

El Paso Community College’s Quality Enhancement Plan, “Learning about the Community as a Community,” envisions students working within the community of their classrooms, within the college community, and expanding their experience to the larger El Paso metropolitan community to enhance their knowledge of the area and to reap the benefits of being part of a community. Sainsbury and Walker (2008) pointed out the following: Contemporary universities are increasingly recognizing that their role is to do more than simply equip graduates with the detailed knowledge of one or more academic areas or traditions. Many universities have clearly articulated statements about the skills and attributes expected of their graduates, which should enable effective participation and leadership in the workforce and wider society. Although details differ between institutions these tend to encompass generic areas that are perceived as broadly useful in any discipline, including scholarship, inquiry and creativity, global awareness, ethical and social responsibility, communication and information literacy, problem-solving, critical thinking, reflection and self-direction in learning. Acknowledgement of these broader aims of tertiary education carries with it the responsibility of designing learning environments in which these skills can be learned and developed – and assessed – in conjunction with specific disciplinary knowledge (emphasis mine).

El Paso Community College feels that its QEP takes “broader aim” at these above-mentioned skills, and by utilizing the classroom environment to promote the idea of “community,” our students will be more able to negotiate and compete within their own community and, if need be, the global community.

But we should begin our journey in the smaller community. Tinto (1997) asserted the following: The college classroom lies at the center of the educational activity structure of institutions of higher education; the educational encounters that occur therein are a major feature of student educational experience. Indeed, for students who commute to college, especially those who have multiple obligations outside the college, the classroom may be the only place where students and faculty meet, where education in the formal sense is experienced. For those students, in particular, the classroom is the crossroads where the social and the academic meet. If academic and social involvement or integration is to occur, it must occur in the classroom.

Therefore, as instructors, we have a community in place within our classrooms filled with people who come from all walks of life, including people who represent multiple races, ages, socio- economic backgrounds, and educational levels. Gathering a group of diverse people is a unique opportunity to reach particular goals of promoting academic, civic, and social communities, so that all students who are exposed to our Quality Enhancement Plan will benefit from it.

In 1974, Seymour Sarason first discussed the concept of one’s “sense of the community.” He “first developed the sense of the community construct and is regarded as its pioneer. Sarason described sense of community as ‘the sense that one was part of a readily available mutually

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supportive network of relationships upon which one could depend, and as a result of which one did not experience sustained feelings of loneliness’” (as quoted in Nowell & Boyd, 2010, p. 830). Since Sarason’s findings, research examining the idea of “community” or “sense of community” and the benefits and drawbacks of being part of a community has become a prominent area of study.

J.W. Fremlin (2011) identifies key concepts that are associated with Sarason’s work on sense of community: membership (sense of belonging, investing oneself in the community, feeling accepted), influence (being an important member of the group, having a say in decision- making), integration and fulfillment of needs (membership will fulfill needs of individual members, meeting needs of all members through shared values and goals), and shared emotional connection (relationships and bonding with other members, the community’s impact on members—rewards, shame, honors). Fremlin (2011) also adds—from his own research— the concept of responsibility—what is one willing to sacrifice for the community? These concepts that create sense of community are ideas that can certainly be fostered within small communities, such as a classroom, through assignments that emphasize the importance of the larger community.

El Paso Community College’s Quality Enhancement Plan is working on the premise that if students are educated to be more engaged with or aware of their community, they will become better members of it. The decline of “civil” society is traced by some researchers back to the decline of the concept of “community: The perception that civil society is declining has gained currency in recent years. With increasing frequency, politicians and scholars talk about the need for Americans to pay more attention to values and individual responsibility. Meanwhile, many people long for the tranquility and prosperity of the 1950s and blame many of today’s social ills, including poverty and crime, on a dearth of morality and common courtesy. Concern for the nation’s moral health has sparked a movement of ideologically diverse thinkers who are linked by the belief that institutions like family and community must be strengthened if America is to thrive. (Masci, 1997, p. 241). The idea that people are more responsible parts of a group by feeling that they belong to that group is not a new idea. With a deeper understanding and enhanced awareness of one’s place in the community and how one contributes to the community comes a measure of answerability and responsibility to that community.

Richard Guarasci, President of Wagner College, agrees, and he believes that the college classroom is the place to teach this concept. He notes the problems facing college graduates and communities today: Higher education needs to help the public to appreciate how it creates, refines and applies knowledge and how this leads to specific and pragmatic solutions to current social and economic problems. . . . Amidst a weakening public commitment to learning about the breadth and depth of human experience and the natural world, universities and colleges are under growing pressure to reduce higher learning to merely a transaction as opposed to a transformation. From its inception American higher education held a commitment to educating for the development of critical abilities, 28

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disciplinary mastery and civic learning necessary to develop the independent minded citizens required for a dynamic republic and a vibrant economy. . . . I believe that comprehensive and demanding civic engagement programs will help colleges and universities find new relevance, and communities regain economic footing and social rebirth in the midst of this crisis and a new kind of partnership is created between town and gown. (Guarasci, 2012) Guarasci draws a connection between a college’s responsibility to the community through making students, at the very least, aware of civic engagement and the importance of healthy communities derived through community awareness and, as a possible consequence, community action.

Moreover, by teaching students the basic tenants of community, we are increasing their social capital. In his paper, “Promoting Wellness: Integrating Community and Positive Psychology,” Schueller (2009) says that “communities can promote supportive, positive relationships by clearly defining roles, supporting individual diversity, and fostering group cohesion. In this way, communities high in wellness provide resources and opportunities necessary for individuals to form connections and develop skills, thus improving functioning and social capital” (p. 929). A college classroom surely provides the resources, support, and opportunities for students to function as a community of learners, and within this community, learning about the larger community seems to reinforce the positive effects of belonging to a group.

However, belonging to a community—in a religious, civic, or social sense—seems to be on the decline. Briefly examine, for example, religious memberships within the community of a particular church: The latest church membership statistics are in, and the trend is clear: declines for Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists, and across-the-board losses for mainline Protestant denominations. . . . The yearbook [the “Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches”] reported a loss of nearly 400,000 members from 2006 to 2007 for the Roman Catholic Church. With more than 67 million members, it ranks as by far the largest Christian group in the U.S. The Southern Baptist Convention, the second-largest denomination with more than 16 million members, lost about 40,000 members during that time, the yearbook reported. (Scanlon, 2009) Churches, which have long been considered the embodiment of community, are suddenly experiencing losses in the tens of thousands; however, something else is being lost: “Participation in religious activities has been associated with mental health benefits” (Hull, Kilbourne, Reece, and Husaini, 2008, p. 536). Therefore, feeling that one is part of a religious community is good for one’s mental health. However, if this community is lost, where do we find our sense of belonging?

Memberships in other civic organizations are falling too—civic organizations which are largely identified through their service to the community. Masonic membership is at an all-time low: “Even at our membership’s lowest point in 1941, which included the Depression years (the worst depression in US history), Freemasonry still had 800,000 more members than we do today. In short, Freemasonry is at its lowest membership level in at least 80 years [with

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1,671,000 members in 2002 as opposed to the all-time high number of 4,103,000 in 1959]” (MSANA, n.d.). However, the Masons are not the only civic-minded organization to lose membership.

The Rotary Club, which prides itself on its community involvement and civic engagement, has steadily lost enrollment over several years. Statistics show that from June 2007 to June 2011, the Rotary Club reported that twenty-one out of thirty-four zones lost membership, with zone 17 being the highest with a loss of 5,156 members (Rotary Foundation, 2012).

Other organizations that require belonging to a group have declining memberships as well, such as unions. “For many years, labor unions provided one of the most common organizational affiliations among American workers. Yet union membership has been falling for nearly four decades, with the steepest decline occurring between 1975 and 1985. By now, virtually all of the explosive growth in union membership that was associated with the New Deal has been erased” (Putman, n.d.). One could argue that a union is a community of workers with common goals, common values, and common mindsets; however, this community is becoming obsolete too.

Putnam (n.d.) goes on to point out that volunteering within the community has taken one of the biggest hits of all: Next, we turn to evidence on membership in (and volunteering for) civic and fraternal organizations. These data show some striking patterns. First, membership in traditional women's groups has declined more or less steadily since the 1960s. For example, membership in the national Federation of Women's Clubs is down by more than half (59 percent) since 1964, while membership in the League of Women Voters (LWV) is off 42 percent since 1969. Similar reductions are apparent in the numbers of volunteers for mainline civic organizations, such as the Boy Scouts (off by 26 percent since 1970) and the Red Cross (off by 61 percent since 1970). At all educational (and hence social) levels of American society, and counting all sorts of group memberships, the average number of associational memberships has fallen by about a fourth over the last quarter century. So, while voluntary membership in civic groups, community groups, and organizations is down, enrollment in college is up, and as a community college, this is the area where we can make the most difference in the lives of students. National statistics support this upward trend:

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Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by sex and attendance status: Selected years, 2000 through 2009 [In thousands] Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total 15,312 15,928 16,612 16,911 17,272 17,487 17,759 18,248 19,103 20,428 Sex Male 6,722 6,961 7,202 7,260 7,387 7,456 7,575 7,816 8,189 8,770 Female 8,591 8,967 9,410 9,651 9,885 10,032 10,184 10,432 10,914 11,658

Attendance status Full- 9,010 9,448 9,946 10,326 10,610 10,797 10,957 11,270 11,748 12,723 time Part- 6,303 6,480 6,665 6,585 6,662 6,690 6,802 6,978 7,355 7,705 time Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics, 2010 (NCES 2011-015), Table 199.

Percentage distribution of students enrolled in degree-granting institutions, by race/ethnicity: Selected years, fall 1976 through fall 2009 Year 2000 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 White 68.3 66.7 66.1 65.7 65.2 64.4 63.3 62.3 Total, selected 28.2 29.8 30.4 30.9 31.5 32.2 33.3 34.3 races/ethnicities Black 11.3 12.2 12.5 12.7 12.8 13.1 13.5 14.3 Hispanic 9.5 10.1 10.5 10.8 11.1 11.4 11.9 12.5 Asian/Pacific Islander 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.5

American 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 Indian/Alaska Native Nonresidential Alien 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.4 Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics, 2010 (NCES 2011-015), Table 235.

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EPCC follows the national enrollment trends:

Total enrollment for EPCC, by sex and attendance status: Selected years 2005-2012 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 * Total 34,628 35,289 34,811 33,982 34,782 38,131 40,804 40,052 Sex Male 13,712 14,047 14,179 13,961 14,528 16,354 17,583 17,159 Female 20,916 21,242 20,632 20,021 20,254 21,777 23,221 22,893 Attendance Status Full-time 8,867 8,359 8,017 7,933 8,304 9,606 10,078 9,752 Part-time 25,761 26,930 26,794 26,049 26,478 28,525 30,726 30,300 *Note: Figures for 2012 are preliminary as of July 13, 2012 only and include summer enrollment. Source: El Paso Community College. (2012, July 12-13). Student Banner Files.

EPCC Enrollment Trends by Ethnicity / Race 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Total 34,628 35,289 34,811 33,982 34,782 38,131 40,804 40,052 Ethnicity White 3,205 3,135 3,104 2,989 2,947 3,254 3,820 3,561 Black 908 907 834 787 851 996 1,106 1,028 Hispanic 29,206 29,872 29,509 28,841 29,594 32,449 34,242 33,742 Asian 321 344 336 316 320 374 404 393 American Indian/Alaskan 108 92 95 97 99 126 160 163 Native International 880 937 931 950 969 929 974 897 Unknown 2 2 2 2 3 98 268 Source: El Paso Community College. (2012, July 12-13). Student Banner Files.

Over the past 30 years, almost all populations enrolled in college have greatly increased, both nationally and at El Paso Community College. Whereas, participation in a community group is voluntary, continued participation in college is a matter of passing or failing, moving on or washing out, making an A or earning an F. By fostering a sense of community within a college classroom or in a particular subject, couldn’t we, through community assignments, help foster a sense of community both inside and outside our classroom? By getting students interested in their community, by getting them out into the community, or by giving them a better 32

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understanding of the community, they will understand that they are vital members of the community. Schueller’s (2009) research supports this hypothesis of strengthening the individual through the notion of community: In an attempt to apply this [community] focus in the classroom, researchers developed a high school language arts curriculum based on positive psychology principles deemed the Positive Psychology for Youth project. This curriculum focuses on fostering connections with others, finding meaning and purpose, and identifying and using individual strengths (Reivich et. al, 2003). The program achieves this through 25-30 classroom sessions using positive psychology exercises, which increase positive emotions, engagement, and meaning. Topics covered draw on strengths such as kindness, love, social intelligence, open-mindedness, teamwork, and gratitude. Similar programs can transform other aspects of education and mental health care by focusing on methods of organizing communities and dividing resources to foster positive emotions and strengths. . . . Efforts like this maximize a community’s capacity towards positivity by developing and enhancing positive emotions, engagement, meaning, and purpose of the members of that community. Enhancing community capacity towards positivity is similar to Maslow’s (1962) notion that societies or cultures can be either growth-promoting or growth inhibiting (cf. Moos, 1984). Growth-promoting communities utilize and promote individual and community strengths. Positive psychology provides a language of strengths and specific interventions aimed to promote community well-being through strengths. (pp. 929-930)

Couldn’t these actions of finding connections between people and their community, fostering a sense of positivity, and focusing on one’s meaning and purpose within that community be replicated at the college level through meaningful projects and assignments? By teaching students how to be part of a community or by showing students their place in the community or how to function within the community, and by building their social capital, we are teaching students how to function in “real-world” settings that can only benefit the community at-large after they leave the community of the college setting.

Furthermore, the concept of community is vital to an area like El Paso, since we have challenges that are different from many parts of the country. El Paso tends to employ high numbers of people in the manufacturing and transportation industries, and these industries do not traditionally pay high wages. On August 19, 2012, the El Paso Times reported 269 jobs in transportation and material moving and 199 jobs for office and clerical work available through Workforce Development in El Paso. However, only nine openings were listed for legal employment, and only 12 in education (“Where the Jobs Are,” 2012, p. 3E). The pervasiveness of “dead-end” jobs and low wages often leads to depression, anxiety, and a sense of hopelessness. However, the reality of belonging to a community has been proven to nurture mental health, “Social development and stress process theories suggest that participation in one’s community can function as a protective factor for mental health, especially for youth from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas” (Hull, Kilbourne, Reece, & Husaini, 2008). El Paso has long been considered a socioeconomically disadvantaged area when compared to the rest

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of the nation. El Paso’s employment statistics are well-behind the rest of Texas and abysmally low when compared to the nation:

El Paso employment information The data is based upon 2010 estimates.

Index El Paso Texas National

Income per capita $18,992 $23,820 $26,505

Median household income $42,404 $51,507 $54,595

Median household income owner $55,148 $58,488 $63,664 occupied

Median household income renter $26,430 $34,283 $35,685 occupied

Median earnings male $28,171 $36,758 $38,921

Median earnings female $18,625 $21,147 $23,115

Unemployment rate (2000) 9.0% 4.4% 4.0%

Unemployment rate (2010) 9.9% 8.2% 9.5%

Unemployment rate (2012) 9.3% 7.8% 8.3%

Poverty level 22.2% 17.8% 12.3%

Source: El Paso, Texas employment and jobs. (2010). Areavibes. Retrieved from http://www.areavibes.com/el+paso-tx/employment/

The statistics reflect a community that lags in wages and jobs, not only behind the rest of Texas, but the whole nation: The income per capita in El Paso is 20.3% less than the Texas average and 28.3% less than the national average. The median household income in El Paso is 17.7% less than the Texas average and 22.3% less than the national average. The median household income in El Paso for owner occupied housing is 108.7% greater than the median household income for renter occupied housing in El Paso. The poverty level in El Paso is 24.7% greater than the Texas average and 80.9% greater than the national average. The median earnings for males in El Paso is 51.3% greater than the median earnings for females in El Paso. (El Paso, Texas employment and jobs, 2010)

El Paso Community College

Poverty and low wages bring many risk factors, not the least of which is mental health issues, such as depression. “Social relationships [within communities] define individuals’ role identities, which provide meaning and purpose in life, a sense of belonging, and emotional attachment for individuals, and thus contribute positively to well-being. . . . Involvement in the community is a form of social integration that represents potential factors to reinforce resilience in the presence of other risk factors” (Hull, Kilbourne, Reece, & Husaini, 2008, p. 536). The support that is gained by understanding one is part of a community seems to mitigate the hazards of poor mental health.

Again, educating oneself within the classroom community about available and supportive communities augments the benefits of one’s emotional and intellectual welfare: Sarason (1974) essentially argued that if people are integrated into networks in which they can experience belongingness, have meaningful roles and relationships, they will be less likely to experience alienation. This, in turn, would promote psychological wellbeing and quality of life. Many have since shown that sense of community is correlated with a strong sense of identity and psychological wellbeing. (as quoted in Sonn, Bishop, and Drew, n.d.) The psychological effects of belonging to a community far outweigh the alternative: feelings of isolation, alienation, and loneliness. “Classic sociological perspectives speak to the importance of social cohesion for the maintenance and well-being of human societies, and contemporary work continues to locate meaningful sources of well-being in community solidarity, integration, and supports” ( van Gundy, Stracuzzi, Rebellon, Tucker, & Cohn, 2011, pp. 293-294). Therefore, it is the aim of EPCC’s QEP to make sure that students feel that they are part of a community of learners whose ultimate goal is to learn about their community and use their enhanced knowledge to make meaningful their place in these communities.

This local sense of alienation, however, goes beyond El Paso’s pronounced socio-economic problems. El Paso has been in the national news lately, but not for positive reasons. This negative image of the city seems to be endemic to outsiders or to people who are not familiar with the area.

Recently, El Paso has been plagued with bad press due to the violence across the border in Juarez. Further, misguided surveys have pegged El Paso as fat, sweaty, and illiterate. The El Paso Times runs headlines such as “Drunken driving crackdown” (Chavez, 2011, p. 1B), “Report: Downtown poorly perceived by El Pasoans” (Ramirez, 2011, p. 1A), and “Downtown: Dirty image curbs visits” (Ramirez, 2011, p.1A), and these images are published nationally. USA Today ran a story called “A painful contrast in violence” which stated, “The 19th-largest U.S. city is so close to Juarez and the epicenter of Mexico’s drug war (8,000 people have been slain in Juarez in the past three years) that El Paso’s City Hall has been hit with errant gunfire from across the border—one of the few concrete examples of spillover violence” (Johnson & Gomez, 2011, p. 2A). This incident was a rare case of the spillover violence from Mexico, but this is the misguided and overblown impression of murder and mayhem that is being touted nationally about El Paso and her sister city, Juarez, Mexico. These images become part of everyday life for our students and negatively impact their perception of our city and the surrounding area.

El Paso Community College

Feeling isolated and alienated from the rest of the state and country negatively impacts the people of west Texas and actually affects our lives.

This spring, a nationally televised boxing match was cancelled at the University of Texas at El Paso due to an uninformed decision from a chancellor at U.T. Austin: “The University of Texas System received an outpouring of angry emails in the hours after Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa decided to cancel a high-profile boxing match at the El Paso campus citing concerns that warring Mexican drug gang members might attend . . .” (Vertuno, 2012). Negative press like this makes people think that this area is a highly dangerous and undesirable place to live.

Furthermore, the El Paso City Government has been exposed as a hotbed of corruption. A recent article in the El Paso Times reveals that “The 11 people accused of devising a scheme of bribes and kickbacks to secure a health contract have until Aug. 1 to cut a deal with the government” (Bracamontes, 2012). The eleven include a former county judge, the ex-mayor of Socorro, an area in El Paso County, and a former El Paso County District Clerk. Some involved in the corruption have already pleaded guilty and are currently serving prison time. County Commissioner Willie Gandara, who scoffed at ideas to legalize marijuana in El Paso in order to theoretically lower the Mexican drug cartel violence, has been indicted for running drugs. “Former County Commissioner Guillermo ‘Willie’ Gandara Jr., who resigned days after he was arrested in February on drug-trafficking charges, is scheduled to plead guilty next month, federal court records show. . . . He is facing five charges stemming from allegations he and four other men were involved in a marijuana-smuggling scheme that operated from one of Gandara's properties in Socorro” (Chavez, 2012). Subsequent to the publication of this article, former Commissioner Gandara has pleaded guilty to all drug-trafficking charges and is awaiting sentencing. Drugs, violence, and negative images of the borderland bombard El Pasoans on a daily basis. It is no wonder that our students either dislike or are disinterested in our community.

Most damaging, however, is the guilty plea by the superintendent of El Paso’s largest independent school district. This superintendent recently pleaded guilty to two federal conspiracy charges (Flores, 2012). One charge involves the married superintendent awarding lucrative school district contracts to one of his girlfriends, and the other charge covers allegations of cheating on state-mandated tests (“Former EPISD Superintendent,” 2012). Fall 2008 figures show that approximately 1,100 incoming freshmen graduated from this district’s schools, making up 27% of our incoming freshman class (“EPCC Fact Book,” 2010). These students enter EPCC with the stigma of graduating from high schools where test scores might have been “fixed” and cheating on state-mandated tests was encouraged by the highest authority in the school district—the superintendent. Even with their education, students feel that El Paso is cheating them.

With corruption seeming to be endemic in the El Paso area, it is no wonder that students feel alienated from this community. For others, like military personnel or dependents, El Paso is a corrupt, good-old-boy system of governing that is next door to the murder capital of the world— Juarez, Mexico.

El Paso Community College

These negative images of our community lead to a psychological lack of trust in our traditional support systems—government and schools—and feelings of isolation. In 2006, Fabiansson conducted research on people who were not involved in social networks or community activities and who consequently felt as if they were isolated and not part of the community. Not surprisingly these people had “negative perceptions about their communities, including a sense of mistrust and the absence of help or support from community members” (quoted in van Gundy, et al., 2011, p. 298). How do we take back our community, become productive members of it, and make it a place that we are proud of? Educating ourselves about the community as a community of learners at El Paso Community College is the answer.

The Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE), in its publication “A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success, A First Look” (2012), notes that “experiential (hands-on) learning such as . . . community-based projects, has multiple benefits. It steeps students in content, and it encourages students to make connections and forge relationships that can support them throughout college and beyond” (p. 22). CCCSE (2012) categorizes experiential learning outside of the classroom as a “promising practice” to sustain success after students’ first academic term and beyond (p. 8). According to CCCSE’s 2011 findings, 77% of students said they never “participated in a community-based project as part of a regular course” based on 438,713 responses (CCCSE, 2012, p. 22). When 36,793 faculty members were asked how often their students are required to participate in community- based projects, 50% said never, 15% said sometimes, 28% responded that they didn’t know, and only 4% said often, leaving an abysmal 3% responding very often (CCCSE, 2012, p. 22). Consequently, educators who are obliging students to interact with and learn about the community are providing valuable rewards that will promote retention after students’ first academic term.

One way to encourage community interaction is through Service Learning. EPCC has Service Learning available to students, and two pilot instructors utilized Service Learning in their QEP pilot projects. “Through Service Learning [at El Paso Community College] students can apply newly-acquired academic skills and knowledge to address real-life needs in their own communities and reflect on the meaning of this service” (“Service Learning Program,” n.d.). According to Patricia Islas (2012), Service Learning Coordinator at EPCC, and her records, many students volunteer more than once, which is evidence of student retention, which falls in line with CCCSE’s findings that community engagement leads to student retention.

Also adding to this, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education (2008), Texas has earned a grade of C in terms of “civic benefits.” Civic benefits in their 2008 “Measuring Up” report includes the voting, charitable contributions, and volunteering—all activities that enrich communities in Texas. Therefore, by heightening our students’ awareness of opportunities in which their efforts will benefit the community, El Paso Community College students will be leaders in community awareness and civic engagement in Texas. EPCC students will be trailblazers.

The intention of EPCC’s QEP, therefore, is that through engaging projects and assignments within the classroom community, we can encourage our students’ curiosity about the city in 37

El Paso Community College

which they live and dispel many of the denigrating regional myths. It is our vision that they will become better, and perhaps more active and responsible, citizens functioning within their community when they fully understand the issues and challenges that face this area.

To reiterate, research has proven there are numerous significant benefits to associating oneself to a community. Van Gundy, et al. (2011) conducted research that found “community attachment is associated with lower levels of substance-use problems and delinquent behavior; community detachment is associated with higher levels of depression, substance-use problems, and delinquency; and community attachment buffers the effects of stress-exposure on substance-use problems” (pp. 310-311). So being part of a community is not only beneficial to the individual but the residual effects trickle down to the community itself. A community that is composed of healthy members leads to a robust, positive, and healthy community as a whole. El Paso will become a better community composed of members who have opened their minds to the issues that face this area thanks to their education at EPCC.

In an Economic Impact Study conducted for El Paso Community College, researchers found that “Education is statistically correlated with improved lifestyle behaviors, included reduced incidences of absenteeism, alcohol abuse, and smoking, lower problems of committing crime, and fewer welfare and unemployment claims” (Economic Modeling, 2010). If students at EPCC are educated about the community issues that are specific to this region, their sensitivity to the area will augment the impact of their education. Economic Modeling (2010), who researched the social impact of students’ educations at EPCC, also noted, “It is estimated that EPCC’s 2008-09 student population will generate social savings to the Texas public equal to $8.2 million a year. These savings accrue to all state and local residents—students, homeowners, businesses, and taxpayers.” Again, students will benefit the community by being educated about it at EPCC.

Lastly, in conjunction with the mental health benefits of being part of a community, there are physical benefits as well. “Studies show that involvement in community activities is associated with fewer behavioral problems . . . . And low social cohesion is associated with both asthma and hypertension” (Wapner, 2008, p. 51). So belonging to a community is actually beneficial to one’s physical health beyond the psychological advantages.

To summarize, why is it important for students to learn about and be part of a community?

Research supports that students will

 experience a sense of membership, influence, a shared emotional connection, fulfillment of needs, and responsibility to the community;  understand civic responsibility and engagement;  enjoy physical health and mental well-being as an outgrowth of belonging to a community;  perceive a sense of positivity, engagement, meaning, and purpose associated with their community;  improve their quality of life; 38

El Paso Community College

 enjoy lower levels of substance abuse and delinquency;  benefit from sustained student success after their first academic term.

El Paso Community College

VII. Actions to Be Implemented

During the spring 2012 semester, 21 instructors, mentioned above, undertook QEP pilot projects. The projects were implemented in classes as varied as math, English, biology, history, and information technology, to name a few. These classes included projects that required researching a community issue or topic, going out into the community to perform a service, such as tutoring, or bringing community entities into contact with students so students could benefit from lectures, interviewing community members, or researching community topics.

Before and after the projects were completed, students self-assessed their knowledge about the community, and instructors completed a learning assessment for each student who completed the project for their particular class. Below is the survey that students took before and after their projects so they could gauge their learning. This survey functioned as both the pre- and post- survey:

El Paso Community College

Below are the results of the students’ self-assessment in face-to-face classes. This information includes the classes that took the survey, the demographic information, and student responses to the questions about the community:

Pre-Survey Post-Survey CRN & Class CRN & Class 20175 ARTS 1301 16 2.4% 20175 ARTS 1301 31 5.2% 20189 ARTS 1301 26 3.9% 20189 ARTS 1301 28 4.7% 20220 ARTS 1316 16 2.4% 20220 ARTS 1316 11 1.8% 20229 ARTS 2323 11 1.6% 20229 ARTS 2323 7 1.2% 20391 ENGL 0310 23 3.4% 20391 ENGL 0310 23 3.8% 20456 BIOL 1406 16 2.4% 20456 BIOL 1406 13 2.2% 20490 BIOL 1407 23 3.4% 20490 BIOL 1407 15 2.5% 20589 ENGL 1301 24 3.6% 20589 ENGL 1301 13 2.2% 20611 ENGL 1301 6 .9% 20611 ENGL 1301 11 1.8% 20612 ENGL 1301 8 1.2% 20612 ENGL 1301 5 .8% 20647 ENGL 1301 11 1.6% 20647 ENGL 1301 16 2.7% 20652 ENGL 1301 14 2.1% 20652 ENGL 1301 11 1.8% 20718 ENGL 1301 25 3.7% 20718 ENGL 1301 20 3.3% 21557 ECON 2301 33 4.9% 21557 ECON 2301 27 4.5% 21696 ESAL 0306 19 2.8% 21696 ESAL 0306 18 3.0% 21800 EDUC 1300 10 1.5% 21800 EDUC 1300 10 1.7% 21982 ENGL 1302 10 1.5% 21982 ENGL 1302 10 1.7% 21984 ENGL 1302 8 1.2% 21984 ENGL 1302 16 2.7% 22014 ENGL 1302 23 3.4% 22014 ENGL 1302 17 2.8% 22016 ENGL 1302 21 3.1% 22016 ENGL 1302 13 2.2% 22144 ENGL 2343 15 2.2% 22144 ENGL 2343 12 2.0% 22440 ITSC 1301 19 2.8% 22440 ITSC 1301 17 2.8% 22441 ITSC 1301 19 2.8% 22441 ITSC 1301 10 1.7% 22442 ITSC 1301 18 2.7% 22442 ITSC 1301 15 2.5% 22443 ITSC 1301 21 3.1% 22443 ITSC 1301 11 1.8% 22444 ITSC 1301 16 2.4% 22444 ITSC 1301 14 2.3% 22620 MATH 1351 10 1.5% 22620 MATH 1351 9 1.5% 22983 HIST 1302 23 3.4% 22983 HIST 1302 20 3.3% 23465 GOVT 2306 30 4.5% 23465 GOVT 2306 29 4.8% 23467 GOVT 2306 19 2.8% 23467 GOVT 2306 30 5.0% 23468 GOVT 2306 32 4.7% 23468 GOVT 2306 36 6.0% 23572 SPCH 1315 25 3.7% 23572 SPCH 1315 27 4.5% 23577 SPCH 1315 22 3.3% 23577 SPCH 1315 16 2.7% 23579 SPCH 1315 23 3.4% 23579 SPCH 1315 13 2.2% 23661 SPCH 1321 25 3.7% 23661 SPCH 1321 13 2.2%

El Paso Community College

23802 COMM 2303 14 2.1% 23802 COMM 2303 14 2.3% Total 674 100.0% Total 601 100.0%

1. What campus are you 1. What campus are you attending? attending? Fort Bliss 21 3.1% Fort Bliss 21 3.5% Northwest 81 12.0%Northwest 64 10.6% Transmountain 382 56.7% Transmountain 336 55.9% Mission del Paso 18 2.7% Mission del Paso 15 2.5% Rio Grande 6 .9% Rio Grande 2 .3% Valle Verde 200 29.7% Valle Verde 176 29.3% Total 708 100.0% Total 614 100.0% Respondents may choose more than Respondents may choose more than one campus one campus

2. What is your age group? 2. What is your age group? 15-20 yrs. 345 51.3% 15-20 yrs. 312 52.6% 21-30 yrs. 234 34.8% 21-30 yrs. 195 32.9% 31-40 yrs. 59 8.8% 31-40 yrs. 60 10.1% 41-50 yrs. 27 4.0% 41-50 yrs. 17 2.9% 51-60 yrs. 7 1.0% 51-60 yrs. 8 1.3% 61-70 1 .1%61-70 1 .2% 71+ 0 0.0%71+ 0 0.0% Total 673 100.0% Total 593 100.0%

3. How many hours are you 3. How many hours are you working a week? working a week? 0-20 hrs. 446 66.7% 0-20 hrs. 389 65.6% 21-30 hrs. 87 13.0% 21-30 hrs. 76 12.8% 31-40 hrs. 105 15.7% 31-40 hrs. 99 16.7% 41-50 hrs. 21 3.1% 41-50 hrs. 22 3.7% 50+ hrs. 10 1.5% 50+ hrs. 7 1.2% Total 669 100.0% Total 593 100.0%

4. Status 4. Status Financial Aid Student 443 66.3% Financial Aid Student 416 70.4% Veteran Affair Student 56 8.4% Veteran Affair Student 42 7.1% International Student 14 2.1% International Student 13 2.2% Self-pay 155 23.2%Self-pay 120 20.3% Total 668 100.0% Total 591 100.0%

El Paso Community College

5. Major 5. Major CER 10 1.5%CER 34 5.8% AAS 133 20.1%AAS 132 22.6% AA 240 36.3%AA 225 38.5% Undecided 279 42.1% Undecided 193 33.0% Total 662 100.0% Total 584 100.0%

6. Credit hours completed as of 6. Credit hours completed as of Fall 2011 Fall 2011 0-15 hrs. 347 51.9% 0-15 hrs. 277 47.4% 15-30 hrs. 145 21.7% 15-30 hrs. 144 24.7% 31-45 hrs. 94 14.1% 31-45 hrs. 83 14.2% 46-60 hrs. 57 8.5% 46-60 hrs. 58 9.9% 60+ hrs. 26 3.9% 60+ hrs. 22 3.8% Total 669 100.0% Total 584 100.0%

7. Gender 7. Gender Male 288 42.9%Male 232 39.1% Female 384 57.1%Female 361 60.9% Total 672 100.0% Total 593 100.0%

8. I have lived in El Paso 8. I have lived in El Paso 0-5 yrs. 153 22.8% 0-5 yrs. 125 21.0% 6-10 yrs. 67 10.0% 6-10 yrs. 69 11.6% 11-15 yrs. 64 9.5% 11-15 yrs. 60 10.1% 16-20 yrs. 209 31.1% 16-20 yrs. 205 34.5% 21-25 yrs. 101 15.0% 21-25 yrs. 80 13.5% 26+ 78 11.6%26+ 55 9.3% Total 672 100.0% Total 594 100.0%

El Paso Community College

Pre-Survey Responses to Community Questionnaire Learning about the Community as a Community

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total Disagree I feel I have a good basis of knowledge about my community. 99 14.7% 273 40.6% 240 35.7% 40 5.9% 21 3.1% 673 100% I am interested in what happens in my community. 134 19.9% 310 46.0% 190 28.2% 28 4.2% 12 1.8% 674 100%

I am interested in volunteering in my community. 93 13.8% 219 32.5% 271 40.2% 65 9.6% 26 3.9% 674 100% I know about a lot of opportunities in my community in which I can 47 7.0% 141 21.0% 241 35.8% 180 26.7% 64 9.5% 673 100% volunteer. I am knowledgeable about the different political issues facing my 52 7.7% 136 20.2% 285 42.3% 146 21.7% 54 8.0% 673 100% community. I am knowledgeable about the different environmental issues 47 7.0% 188 27.9% 269 40.0% 135 20.1% 34 5.1% 673 100% facing my community. I intend to vote in the next local election. 158 23.4% 155 23.0% 175 26.0% 90 13.4% 96 14.2% 674 100% I feel like I am a part of my community. 81 12.0% 201 29.9% 266 39.5% 78 11.6% 47 7.0% 673 100%

I am knowledgeable about the different economic issues facing 67 9.9% 199 29.5% 266 39.5% 111 16.5% 31 4.6% 674 100% my community. I feel that I can make a difference in my community. 146 21.7% 219 32.5% 241 35.8% 40 5.9% 28 4.2% 674 100%

Post-Survey Responses to Community Questionnaire Learning about the Community as a Community

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Total Disagree I feel I have a good basis of knowledge about my community. 133 22.3% 288 48.3% 147 24.7% 19 3.2% 9 1.5% 596 100% I am interested in what happens in my community. 149 25.0% 287 48.1% 141 23.6% 10 1.7% 10 1.7% 597 100%

I am interested in volunteering in my community. 124 20.8% 231 38.7% 183 30.7% 45 7.5% 14 2.3% 597 100% I know about a lot of opportunities in my community in which I can 91 15.2% 173 29.0% 203 34.0% 106 17.8% 24 4.0% 597 100% volunteer. I am knowledgeable about the different political issues facing my 78 13.1% 185 31.0% 222 37.2% 82 13.8% 29 4.9% 596 100% community. I am knowledgeable about the different environmental issues 84 14.1% 225 37.7% 193 32.3% 78 13.1% 17 2.8% 597 100% facing my community. I intend to vote in the next local election. 161 27.0% 169 28.3% 155 26.0% 47 7.9% 65 10.9% 597 100% I feel like I am a part of my community. 96 16.1% 215 36.0% 210 35.2% 48 8.0% 28 4.7% 597 100% I am knowledgeable about the different economic issues facing 91 15.3% 238 40.1% 189 31.9% 54 9.1% 21 3.5% 593 100% my community. I feel that I can make a difference in my community. 157 26.3% 234 39.2% 160 26.8% 27 4.5% 19 3.2% 597 100%

El Paso Community College

Below are the results of the students’ self-assessment in an online class. This information includes the class that took the survey, the demographic information, and student responses to the questions about the community:

Pre-Survey Post-Survey CRN & Class CRN & Class 23760 HIST 1302 13 100.0% 23760 HIST 1302 10 100.00% Total 13 100.0% Total 10 100.0%

1. What campus are you attending? 1. What campus are you attending? Northwest 1 7.7%Northwest 1 10.0% Transmountain 6 46.2% Transmountain 4 40.0% Rio Grande 1 7.7% Rio Grande 1 10.0% Valle Verde 5 38.5% Valle Verde 4 40.0% Total 13 100.0% Total 10 100.0% Respondents may choose more than Respondents may choose more than one campus one campus

2. What is your age group? 2. What is your age group? 15-20 yrs. 6 46.2% 15-20 yrs. 6 60.0% 21-30 yrs. 6 46.2% 21-30 yrs. 4 40.0% 31-40 yrs. 1 7.7% 31-40 yrs. 0 0.0% 41-50 yrs. 0 0.0% 41-50 yrs. 0 0.0% 51-60 yrs. 0 0.0% 51-60 yrs. 0 0.0% 61-70 0.0% 61-70 0 0.0% 71+ 0 0.0%71+ 0 0.0% Total 13 100.0% Total 10 100.0%

3. How many hours are you working 3. How many hours are you working a week? a week? 0-20 hrs. 6 46.2% 0-20 hrs. 5 50.0% 21-30 hrs. 2 15.4% 21-30 hrs. 2 20.0% 31-40 hrs. 5 38.5% 31-40 hrs. 3 30.0% 41-50 hrs. 0 0.0% 41-50 hrs. 0 0.0% 50+ hrs. 0 0.0% 50+ hrs. 0 0.0% Total 13 100.0% Total 10 100.0%

El Paso Community College

4. Status 4. Status Financial Aid Student 13 100.0% Financial Aid Student 10 100.0% Veteran Affair Student 0 0.0% Veteran Affair Student 0 0.0% International Student 0 0.0% International Student 0 0.0% Self-pay 0 0.0%Self-pay 0 0.0% Total 13 100.0% Total 10 100.0%

5. Major 5. Major CER 1 7.7%CER 1 10.0% AAS 6 46.2%AAS 4 40.0% AA 4 30.8%AA 4 40.0% Undecided 2 15.4%Undecided 1 10.0% Total 13 100.0% Total 10 100.0%

6. Credit hours completed as of Fall 6. Credit hours completed as of Fall 2011 2011 0-15 hrs. 5 38.5% 0-15 hrs. 3 30.0% 15-30 hrs. 3 23.1% 15-30 hrs. 4 40.0% 31-45 hrs. 5 38.5% 31-45 hrs. 3 30.0% 46-60 hrs. 0 0.0% 46-60 hrs. 0 0.0% 60+ hrs. 0 0.0% 60+ hrs. 0 0.0% Total 13 100.0% Total 10 100.0%

7. Gender 7. Gender Male 0 0.0%Male 0 0.0% Female 11 100.0%Female 10 100.0% Total 11 100.0% Total 10 100.0%

8. I have lived in El Paso 8. I have lived in El Paso 0-5 yrs. 7 53.8% 0-5 yrs. 5 50.0% 6-10 yrs. 0 0.0% 6-10 yrs. 0 0.0% 11-15 yrs. 0 0.0% 11-15 yrs. 1 10.0% 16-20 yrs. 3 23.1% 16-20 yrs. 4 40.0% 21-25 yrs. 2 15.4% 21-25 yrs. 0 0.0% 26+ 1 7.7%26+ 0 0.0% Total 13 100.0% Total 10 100.0%

El Paso Community College

Pre-Survey Responses to Community Questionnaire Learning about the Community as a Community—Online Class

Strongly Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Total Agree Disagree

I feel I have a good basis of knowledge about my 2 18.2% 4 36.4% 1 9.1% 0 0.0% 4 36.4% 11 100.0% community. I am interested in what happens in my 3 23.1% 7 53.8% 2 15.4% 0 0.0% 1 7.7% 13 100.0% community. I am interested in volunteering in my community. 1 7.7% 7 53.8% 3 23.1% 1 7.7% 1 7.7% 13 100.0%

I know about a lot of opportunities in my 0 0.0% 5 38.5% 3 23.1% 4 30.8% 1 7.7% 13 100.0% community in which I can volunteer.

I am knowledgeable about the different political 0 0.0% 4 30.8% 5 38.5% 3 23.1% 1 7.7% 13 100.0% issues facing my community.

I am knowledgeable about the different 0 0.0% 7 53.8% 3 23.1% 2 15.4% 1 7.7% 13 100.0% environmental issues facing my community.

I intend to vote in the next local election. 2 15.4% 4 30.8% 2 15.4% 4 30.8% 1 7.7% 13 100.0% I feel like I am a part of my community. 2 15.4% 4 30.8% 3 23.1% 3 23.1% 1 7.7% 13 100.0%

I am knowledgeable about the different 1 7.7% 6 46.2% 4 30.8% 1 7.7% 1 7.7% 13 100.0% economic issues facing my community. I feel that I can make a difference in my 3 23.1% 5 38.5% 3 23.1% 1 7.7% 1 7.7% 13 100.0% community.

Post-Survey Responses to Community Questionnaire Learning about the Community as a Community—Online Class

Strongly Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Total Agree Disagree

I feel I have a good basis of knowledge about my 3 30.0% 4 40.0% 3 30.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 10 100.0% community. I am interested in what happens in my 5 50.0% 3 30.0% 1 10.0% 0 0.0% 1 10.0% 10 100.0% community. I am interested in volunteering in my community. 5 50.0% 3 30.0% 1 10.0% 0 0.0% 1 10.0% 10 100.0%

I know about a lot of opportunities in my 1 10.0% 5 50.0% 2 20.0% 1 10.0% 1 10.0% 10 100.0% community in which I can volunteer.

I am knowledgeable about the different political 0 0.0% 5 50.0% 4 40.0% 0 0.0% 1 10.0% 10 100.0% issues facing my community.

I am knowledgeable about the different 0 0.0% 8 80.0% 1 10.0% 0 0.0% 1 10.0% 10 100.0% environmental issues facing my community.

I intend to vote in the next local election. 3 30.0% 4 40.0% 1 10.0% 1 10.0% 1 10.0% 10 100.0% I feel like I am a part of my community. 1 10.0% 5 50.0% 3 30.0% 0 0.0% 1 10.0% 10 100.0%

I am knowledgeable about the different 2 20.0% 5 50.0% 2 20.0% 0 0.0% 1 10.0% 10 100.0% economic issues facing my community. I feel that I can make a difference in my 3 30.0% 5 50.0% 1 10.0% 0 0.0% 1 10.0% 10 100.0% community.

El Paso Community College

The student surveys are very encouraging, and the data is important since students were analyzing their experiences before and after completing the QEP pilot projects. The survey results are a reflection on a personal level as to how learning was enhanced for all students completing a QEP project. In the face-to-face classes, students strongly agreed or agreed that they improved their knowledge of the community by over 15%, and their interest in what happens in the community increased by over 7%. Furthermore, students’ willingness to volunteer increased by an encouraging 13.2%. Students also felt that their knowledge about politics, the environment, and economic issues increased after completing their projects, and more asserted that they will vote in the next political election. Finally, and maybe most importantly, the percentage of students who think they can make a difference in their community increased by 11.3%.

The online student survey results were just as encouraging, with big percentage gains in areas such as being interested in what happens in the community, volunteering in the community, and voting in the next election.

In addition, there were problematic issues. For example, some instructors gave a pre-survey but not the post-survey, and vice versa. Those class sections had to be removed from the samples, so maybe clearer directions should accompany the next student self-assessment surveys stating that pre-and post-surveys must be administered in order to measure students’ perceived learning. Also, the timeline as to when to distribute the surveys needs to be clarified. We can choose to administer the surveys at the beginning and ending of the semesters, or we could close the gap by administering the surveys directly before and after the projects. In other words, this aspect of the survey must have more standard parameters that all instructors follow for more valid data.

Also, a few more questions could be added that would not only reflect students’ reported learning about the community, but their resulting commitment to their education and how it could benefit the community. For example, we could add statements to the survey such as “I would be more willing to stay in school to ultimately serve my community,” or “I will use my education to benefit the community after I graduate.”

In addition, we need to add another choice under the “Major” category found in the demographics area of the survey. We discovered that several students could not classify themselves as undecided, earning a certificate, or earning a degree. Rather, they might be transfer students, students who have returned to school for their job, or students who are simply auditing classes for pleasure. Therefore, adding an “Other” category would be helpful. Moreover, two areas were not included in the “Major” area—Associate of Art (AS) and Associate of Art in Teaching (AAT). These will be added.

Lastly, the pre-and post- surveys should be administered electronically. The pilot projects generated a massive amount of paper that was difficult to manipulate, boxes of paper took up a huge amount of physical space, it is expensive to produce paper surveys, and it is not eco- friendly.

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Another assessment tool used by the pilot instructors was a learning assessment derived from the Student Learning Outcomes. Instructors assessed all the students who completed projects using a standard learning assessment that they personalized to fit their projects. Also, instructors only used the SLOs that were relevant to their project. Below is the learning assessment used by all pilot instructors and a sample of a learning assessment that has been tailored to a project:

Name of Student______Course______If student did not turn in a project= 5

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOME DEVELOPING ACCOMPLISHED EXEMPLARY SCORE 1. Retrieve, analyze and use information (printed documents, oral histories, digital resources, data bases, historical archives, 1 2 3 demographic data) related to the significance of the community and surrounding area.

2. Synthesize findings from multiple sources related to the community and surrounding area through a medium such as writings, reading assignments, 1 2 3 presentations or interactions with the internal and external community members.

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3. Utilize available resources to document findings related to the community and surrounding area. 1 2 3

4. Collaborate with the community and its resources to define significant events (to obtain feedback or 1 2 3 information) related to the community and the surrounding area.

5. Describe in one of the following formats (for example, writing assignment, oral presentation or other appropriate medium) how their understanding of the community and 1 2 3 the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.

TOTAL =

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Below is the learning assessment that has been annotated by a pilot instructor to assess her particular project. Again, she only used the SLOs that were applicable to her project, and she “personalized” the rubric to fit her project requirements:

Name of Student______Course______If student did not turn in a project= 5

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOME DEVELOPING ACCOMPLISHED EXEMPLARY SCORE 1. Retrieve, analyze and use information (printed documents, oral histories, digital resources, data bases, historical archives, demographic data) related to the significance of the 1 2 3 community and surrounding area.

Take a photograph and use the visual information to address the topic of immigration in the El Paso area.

2. Synthesize findings from multiple sources related to the community and surrounding area through a medium such as writings, reading assignments, presentations or 1 2 3 interactions with the internal and external community members.

The photograph is combined with a written description to convey the student’s perception of immigration.

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3. Utilize available resources to document findings related to the community and surrounding area. 1 2 3

N/A

4. Collaborate with the community and its resources to define significant events (to obtain feedback or information) related to 1 2 3 the community and the surrounding area.

N/A

Both the photograph and accompanying written description together express a meaningful and self-reflective understanding of immigration.

TOTAL =

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Below are the results of the Learning Assessments that were completed by the piloting instructors:

Participating Class Sections

Number and CRN's percentages of students 20174 31 5.8% 20189 41 7.6% 20220 10 1.9% 20229 7 1.3% 20230 3 .6% 20381 8 1.5% 20391 24 4.5% 20589 15 2.8% 20611 10 1.9% 20612 7 1.3% 20652 12 2.2% 20718 25 4.7% 21589 21 3.9% 21800 10 1.9% 21982 11 2.1% 21983 1 .2% 21984 29 5.4% 22144 13 2.4% 22440 18 3.4% 22441 10 1.9% 22442 16 3.0% 22443 11 2.1% 22444 14 2.6% 22620 10 1.9% 22983 18 3.4% 23465 30 5.6% 23467 28 5.2% 23468 35 6.5% 23661 13 2.4% 23760 13 2.4% 23802 13 2.4% 26047 16 3.0% 27390 8 1.5% 27391 5 .9% Total 536 100.0%

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Learning Assessment Results

Student Learning Outcomes

Exemplary Accomplished Developing Total Mean Retrieve, analyze and use information (printed documents, oral histories, digital resources, data 249 56.1% 146 32.9% 49 11.0% 444 100.0% 2.450 bases, historical archives, demographic data) related to the significance of the community and surrounding area. Synthesize findings from multiple sources related to the community and surrounding area through a 210 43.5% 154 31.9% 119 24.6% 483 100.0% 2.188 medium such as writings, reading assignments, presentations or interactions with the internal and external community members. Utilize available resources to document findings related to the community and surrounding area. 114 48.9% 60 25.8% 59 25.3% 233 100.0% 2.236 Collaborate with the community and its resources to define significant events (to obtain feedback or 33 31.1% 26 24.5% 47 44.3% 106 100.0% 1.868 information) related to the community and the surrounding area. Describe in one of the following formats (for example, writing assignment, oral presentation or 253 50.8% 158 31.7% 87 17.5% 498 100.0% 2.333 other appropriate medium) how their understanding of the community and the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.

The individual Learning Assessments produced many more problematic issues than the student surveys. Firstly, this was our first attempt at assessing our pilot QEP projects, and benchmarks need to be created.

Secondly, this is an incredibly difficult topic to measure. We were hoping that by allowing the instructors to personalize the SLOs, we would be able to assess student learning with some degree of accuracy. We discovered quickly that we were wrong. The instructors’ annotated outcomes varied widely, due to the wide variety of projects from vastly different disciplines. To help remedy this problem, we need to have several training sessions to “norm” the instructors, so all agree as to what constitutes the parameters for exemplary, accomplished, and developing. Instructors still will want the freedom to assess their projects as they deem fit, but the data will be more valid if we are closer to agreeing with each other as to what these terms mean. To narrow the assessment further, we might measure the learning assessments by discipline. Using this method, disciplines can norm with their specific project in mind. Otherwise, trying to norm history and education, for example, might be quite challenging and, ultimately, unsuccessful.

However, the most efficient solution is to abandon this assessment and adopt a newer, more inclusive, assessment. We could assess students about their knowledge of the community as they enter EPCC during student orientation and then assess again when they apply for 55

El Paso Community College

graduation. Using this method, all disciplines, not just the ones who submitted plans, can participate in the QEP, and the QEP Director and Institutional Research will have more manageable assessment sample with which to work.

As mentioned above, in addition to the pre- and post-surveys, the learning assessments should be completed online. During the pilots, instructors completed their learning assessments by using hard copies of their assessments and scantrons. It was very time-consuming and, ultimately, impractical since Institutional Research could not work with the scantrons. After the data was transferred to an Excel spreadsheet, the information could be manipulated, but the personnel hours to complete the assessments were excessive.

In terms of the QEP projects, since we want the QEP to reach most students at EPCC, several disciplines created five year QEP plans after a meeting on April 16, 2012, with key disciplines— most in the core curriculum. Some projects were based on the pilot projects, but many were not. However, if we adopt the assessment method of assessing as students enter and leave EPCC, all disciplines will be encouraged to create a curriculum of community.

To assist in implementation, the pilot instructors’ projects, along with their grading rubrics and learning assessments, have been housed in EPCC’s Sharepoint so all instructors will have access to these instruments. In essence, we are creating a community of teaching for the instructors where they can access resources, ideas, and support for their QEP projects and class assignments. Laksov, Mann, and Dahlgren (2008) describe this model as “support[ing] the development of teachers’ thinking of teaching and learning in a community of practice . . .” (p. 121). Therefore, instructors will benefit from a community model, as well as the students.

Furthermore, after projects were completed, instructors wrote a “lessons learned” reflection about their project—please see Appendix A for a full account of the lessons learned by the QEP pilot instructors.

As the projects grow, new plans, rubrics, and the learning assessment will be added and or revised, so EPCC will have a warehouse of projects from which instructors can pull ideas, rubrics, or assessments. Below is a summary of the QEP projects with a timeline. For more detailed plans, please see Appendix B.

Another action to be implemented is the appointment of a full-time QEP director who should have some experience with student learning outcomes and assessments. The data that was generated by a small number of pilots was immense; consequently, the new QEP director will be compiling and managing a massive amount of data if the QEP is implemented on a wide scale, as is planned.

Furthermore, a new QEP Task Force needs to be created with a new charge that will help with the management of the QEP implementation and the subsequent data generation. El Paso Community College has a vision of creating an appreciation for the communities in which students function. With classrooms functioning as small communities, students will learn about or interact with the community at large and learn the value of being a productive member of their communities. 56

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Lastly, Service Learning needs to be utilized with more projects. The past three academic years, Service Learning at EPCC has had 3,622 students contribute a total of 89,776 hours of service for a total economic impact on the El Paso community of $1,917,615.36 (estimated at 21.36 dollars per service hour according to the latest information released by the Corporation for National and Community Service http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/pressroom/value_ states.cfm) (G. Marquez, personal communication, August 23, 2012). We could have an even larger economic impact on the community by building Service Learning into more QEP projects.

However, the road ahead is unclear, “The challenge for community building is this: While visions, plans, and committed top leadership are important, even essential, no clear vision, nor detailed plan, nor committed group leaders have the power to bring this image of the future into existence without the continued engagement and involvement of citizens…. What brings a fresh future into being is citizens who are willing to self-organize” (Block, 2008). The enthusiasm displayed by the pilot instructors must be articulated and demonstrated to the rest of the faculty, so we can approach the QEP in the most organized and engaging manner possible. As we commit our energy to this project, and if our statistical data from the pilots is reasonably accurate, our students should become better and more vital parts of our communities, large and small.

El Paso Community College

VIII. QEP Timeline

The QEP Task Force wanted to encourage instructors’ academic freedom and not prescribe projects or influence teaching styles when planning for the next five years. Therefore, we asked disciplines to submit five-year plans that incorporate their design for delivering instruction about the community as well as their preferred method of implementation. Below are the results:

Class Brief Description of Project Year 1 of Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Implementa- tion HUMA The Chicana/o Studies Develop 100 percent 100 percent Continue to Expansion of 1311 discipline will meet the QEP specific participation, operation gather data, garden to objective “Learning about the seasonal make with continue other Community” with a community- goals related revisions for changes, assessment. campuses; garden, “Mexican American to project; year 3 based establish community Garden” student assignment in change official on year 1 seasonal outreach; HUMA 1311. course project revisions. continue to description results. gather data; and identify continue assessment assessment. methodology. EDUC Students will research a Instructors will Participa- Participa- Participa- Participa- 1300 specific occupation within the begin tion by at tion by at tion by at tion by at field they have chosen, one implementing least one least one least one least one that seems to come closest to the plan on instructor at instructor at instructor at instructor at matching their personal career every campus each campus each each campus each campus priorities. Students will campus interview professional(s) in the community who are already in the career that the student wants to pursue. ENGL The English Discipline will Develop pilots, 100 percent 100 percent Continue to Continue to 1301 meet the QEP objective change official participation, operation gather data, gather data, “Learning about the course make with continue continue Community” with a writing description revisions for changes, assessment assessment assignment in English 1301 and identify year 3 based minor and will support that objective assessment on year 1 revisions with appropriate organizational methodology pilot development. Related items include the sharing of these essays in a variety of venues and the revision of the syllabus to reflect this commitment.

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MATH Students will gain experience Project will be The Math 1350 The The 1350 working with young students, done in two mathematics & Math mathematics mathematics and gain knowledge about the sections. discipline will 1351 project department department 1351 children who make up our These increase the will increase will continue will continue community, and serve the sections can number of by two more to increase to increase community as tutors. be at any of sections by sections and the number the number the five two. During 1 section will of sections of sections campuses. the second implement implement- implement- year a new the STEM ing the ing the project will be project. projects. projects. developed for one of the STEM courses.

SOCI To make the QEP highly Linda Stacy Mayo, Terry Joel Villa- ALL adjunct 1301 adaptable to all teaching styles Chamblin, full- full-time Sealing, full- domoros, full- faculty and instructional methods, the time instructor, instructor, will time time members will basic formula is for the will implement implement instructor, instructor, will be instructor to choose a the plan. the plan. will implement incorporating sociological topic and one implement the plan. the QEP into QEP SLO combined with one the plan. their intro. sociology SLO. courses. SPCH Speech projects will be 10% of all 20% of 30% of both 40% of both 50% of both 1315 research based, related to the SPCH 1315 SPCH 1315 SPCH 1315 SPCH 1315 SPCH 1315 and / or significance of the community and SPCH and SPCH and SPCH and SPCH and SPCH 1321 and surrounding area, and 1321 classes 1321 will 1321 will 1321 will 1321 will may be researched utilizing will be implement a implement implement implement published materials or through designated by QEP project QEP QEP QEP structured interviews of local the discipline by full time projects, projects, projects, experts/organizations to implement a faculty. adjunct and adjunct and adjunct and (dependent upon course QEP project selected full selected full selected full requirements). by full time time faculty time faculty time faculty faculty and will will be will be will be be utilized. utilized. utilized. Dual implemented credit, ECHS, across all and online campuses. courses will be utilized by this data.

El Paso Community College

HIST Instructors my chose from History will run Add two Add two Add two Add two 1301 Macias pilot; events 2 QEP sections to sections to sections to sections to and participation—events will be sections, at QEP project QEP project QEP project QEP project 1302 offered to students as a part of two different while rotating while while rotating while rotating instructor-scheduled, syllabus- campuses. sections rotating sections sections defined, activities for each among all six sections among all six among all six semester; or online project— campuses. among all campuses. campuses. syllabus will be revised to six include a QEP component, campuses. and the discipline will make use of, or add to, local history materials that are presently available on the Northwest Campus library’s website.

It should be noted that education, English, math, speech, and history are in the core curriculum, so, unless a student takes no classes in the core and leaves EPCC very quickly, all students will have experience with the QEP.

Furthermore, even though specific discipline submitted QEPs, creating a “curriculum of culture” will be promoted at EPCC. Therefore, all disciplines will be encouraged to promote the concept of community through one or more of the following: assignments, projects, service learning, civic engagement, learning communities, and interacting with community entities.

El Paso Community College

IX. Assessment Tools

Student Survey: The student survey was created so students could “self-assess” their learning about the community. This survey is administered before the community projects and after the projects are completed so students can reflect and report on any gained knowledge. During the pilot, this survey was highly successful and allowed the students to reflect on their experiences and self-assess the worth of the QEP projects.

Learning Assessment: As can be imagined, creating a learning assessment that can be used across disciplines to measure student success has been a challenge. The QEP Task Force settled on using the Student Learning Outcomes and allowed instructors to choose the SLOs for their projects and annotate them to “personalize” the SLO to their pilot projects. We discovered that this method produced unusable data since the criteria for each SLO in each discipline was not uniform.

Another option, so the data will not be overwhelming and will be more accurate, is to assess students as they enter EPCC and assess again before they leave to measure whether or not learning about the community was enhanced. Students can write a short essay using prompts such as the following:

1. Describe a person who has had an impact on the lives of El Pasoans or on the surrounding region. 2. Describe a political, environmental, or economic issue in the El Paso area that concerns you. 3. Describe a local organization for which you would like to volunteer or have volunteered for in the past. 4. Describe an event that you attended or place that you visited in the area that made an impact on your life.

A rubric can be applied to the pre- and post-essay to measure student learning:

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QEP ESSAY ASSESSMENT RUBRIC

The student UNACCEPTABLE MARGINAL ACCEPTABLE SCORE Logically organizes information that is easy to follow. 1 2 3 Uses clearly stated facts or examples to support the point. 1 2 3 Describes the chosen topic with careful thought, going beyond surface reactions, reflecting critical thinking, and clearly explaining the value or importance of the QEP Learning Experience. 1 2 3 Produce a writing sample in which he or she displays unity, focus and organization. 1 2 3 Develops text supporting claims with evidence that is relevant and reasonable. 1 2 3 Uses source material as evidence in the development of the description of the topic. 1 2 3 Uses informative content related to the QEP Goals. 1 2 3 TOTAL =

Benchmark is a score of 12 or better. 80% of the student essays will score a 12 or better.

The essay topics and assessment rubric can be revised as needed.

Service Learning: The Service Learning office tracks students who participate in Service Learning projects. Therefore, EPCC will continue to monitor Service Learning statistics.

Community College Survey of Student Engagement: Since student engagement was a primary concern for the QEP Task Force, we anticipate that through community-based projects in the classroom, students will be more engaged in their education, and consequently, EPCC’s CCSSE scores in the area of student engagement will improve. Also, EPCC will add additional questions to the CCSSE that are related to the community.

El Paso Community College

X. Organizational Structure

During the creation of the Quality Enhancement Plan, the QEP Director, Grace Haddox, created a taskforce composed of faculty, staff, students, and one administrator. The task force was supervised by Joyce Ritchey, dean, and the QEP director reported to her, the Leadership Team, the Cabinet, the Vice President of Instruction, the Vice President of Research and Accountability and the President of the College.

The new organizational structure will remain much the same:

Dr. William Serrata El Paso Community College President

Steve Smith Saul Candelas, Vice President of Cabinet* Interim Vice President of Instruction Research and Accountability and SACSCOC Liaison

Leadership**

Supervising Dean

QEP Director

QEP Task Force

*The Cabinet is comprised of the President and Vice Presidents.

**Leadership is comprised of Deans, and the Director of Student Success, Irma Camacho.

El Paso Community College

XI. Resources

El Paso Community College has the faculty and support staff to implement and sustain over a five-year-period the proposed Quality Enhancement Plan. EPCC also has the ability to make a monetary commitment to the implementation and success of its QEP.

The budget for El Paso Community College during the 2011-2012 academic year is as follows:

Educational and General Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds State 31,020,091 5,697,650 36,717,741 Federal 524,000 73,699,771 74,223,771 Local 81,557,350 2,473,179 84,030,529 Self-supporting programs 4,421,888 0 4,421,888 Student activities 451,032 0 451,032 Auxiliary enterprises 1,827,500 0 1,827,500 Intercollegiate athletics 1,186,500 0 1,186,500 Total funds 120,988,361 81,870,600 202,858,961

The 2012-2013 budget is as follows, and it demonstrates in increase of approximately $5.5 million in unrestricted funds:

Educational and General Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds State $ 32,395,996 6,014,483 38,410,479 Federal 471,000 73,790,086 74,261,086 Local 85,583,795 1,954,463 87,538,258 Self-supporting programs 4,421,888 4,421,888 Student activities 851,500 851,500 Auxiliary enterprises 1,780,100 1,780,100 Intercollegiate athletics 1,021,000 1,021,000 Total funds $ 126,525,279 81,759,032 208,284,311

El Paso Community College

QEP Five Year Budget

YEAR 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 FT ADMINISTRATOR $56,000.00 $57,680.00 $59,410.40 $61,192.71 $63,028.49 FT CLASSIFIED STAFF $29,000.00 $29,870.00 $30,766.10 $31,689.08 $32,639.76 PT STAFF $30,000.00 $30,900.00 $31,827.00 $32,781.81 $33,765.26 SUPPLIES POOL $8,000.00 $8,240.00 $8,487.20 $8,741.82 $9,004.07 TRAVEL POOL $5,000.00 $5,150.00 $5,304.50 $5,463.64 $5,627.54 EQUIPMENT POOL $4,000.00 $4,120.00 $4,243.60 $4,370.91 $4,502.04 TOTAL $132,000.00 $135,960.00 $140,038.80 $144,239.96 $148,567.16

COMMENTS: 3% ANNUAL INCREASE ALL LINE ITEMS

Since projects specific to this community will be—and have been—developed by the instructors at El Paso Community College, we anticipate that most of the training will be “in house;” in other words, during Faculty Development Week, instructors will share their QEP ideas with each other and train each other as to what has and hasn’t worked with the QEP. Hence, the pilot instructors, their projects, their grading rubrics, their learning assessments, and, maybe most importantly, their “lessons learned” will function as invaluable resources for the whole faculty. Therefore, paying outside consultants to train the faculty seems highly unlikely.

If the new QEP Director is faculty, this will require a creation of new monies to fund his or her salary since the instructor will be replaced in the classroom, and his or her salary will go to fund the teaching position. The above budget reflects the funded position. This person will be tasked with training the faculty in creating new projects—if necessary—and assessing the progress of the QEP. This position is full-time and, hence, non-instructional.

While developing the QEP, the Division of Information Technology (IT) was pivotal in disseminating information, creating the QEP website, and working with the QEP Director and her technology needs, such as creating a designated QEP e-mail. IT will continue this role during the implementation stage of the QEP. Furthermore, the Office of Institutional Research (IR) assisted in the development, administration, aggregation, and interpretation of surveys and data associated with the development of the QEP, and these roles will continue as well. As a matter of fact, IR’s role in the implementation of the QEP will probably increase due to the record keeping and data gathering that is critical to the success of the QEP. The part-time staff allocation above reflects this continuing support of both IT and IR personnel.

El Paso Community College

XII. Summary

El Paso Community College’s Quality Enhancement Plan, “Learning about the Community as a Community” will empower students to be better members of the communities in which they maneuver by educating them about the issues, topics, and challenges that are particular to this borderland region. In order to achieve our goals, several academic disciplines have submitted five-year proposals for their QEP projects, but EPCC will strive to create a “curriculum of community” in all disciplines. Furthermore, EPCC has the human and fiscal resources to sustain the plan for five years which will allow us to achieve our proposed goals and outcomes.

El Paso Community College

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Ramirez, C. (2011, Aug. 15). Report: Downtown poorly perceived by El Pasoans. El Paso

Times, p. 1A.

Ramirez, C. (2011, Aug. 18). Downtown: Dirty image curbs visits: Cleanup in the works in

revitalization plan. El Paso Times, p. 1A.

Rotary Foundation. (2012). Rotary International: June 2011 membership 5-year history by

zone.

Retrieved from

http://www.rotary.org/en/aboutus/rotaryinternational/ataglance/pages/ridefault.aspx

Sainsbury, E.J., & Walker, R.A. (2008, April). Assessment as a vehicle for learning: Extending

collaboration into testing. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 33,2, 103-

117.

Scanlon, L. (2009, April 5). Church statistics slide downward; PC (USA) down 2.8 percent. The

Presbyterian Outlook. Retrieved from http://www.pres-outlook.com/news-and-

analysis3/1-news-a-analysis/8658-church-statistics-slide-downward-pcusa-down-28-

percent-.html

Schueller, S.M. (2009). Promoting wellness: Integrating community and

Positive psychology. Journal of Community Psychology, 37, 7, 922-932. DOI:

10.1002/jcop

Service learning program. (n.d). El Paso Community College. Retrieved from

http://www.epcc.edu/servicelearningprogram/Pages/default.aspx

Sonn, C., Bishop, B., & Drew, N. (n.d.). Sense of community: Issues and considerations from a

crosscultural perspective. Retrieved from

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Tinto, V. (1997, Nov.-Dec.). Classrooms as communities: Exploring the educational character

of student persistence. Journal of Higher Education, 68, 6, 559+.

Tinto, V. (2009, Feb. 6). How to help students stay and succeed. Chronicle of Higher

Education, 55, 22, A33-A37.

U.S. Department of Defense. (2011). Fort Bliss, Texas: Fast facts. Retrieved from

http://www.militaryinstallastions.dod.mil

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). Digest of

Education Statistics, 2010 (NCES 2011-015), Table 199. Retrieved from

http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=98

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). Digest of

Education Statistics, 2010 (NCES 2011-015), Table 235. Retrieved from

http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=98 van Gundy, K.T., Stracuzzi, N.F., Rebellon, C.J., Tucker, C.J., & Cohn, E.S. (2011,September).

Perceived community cohesion and the stress process in youth. Rural Sociology, 76, 3,

293-318. DOI: 101111/j.1549-0831.2011.00050.x

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XIV. APPENDICES

Appendix A Lessons Learned by QEP Pilot Instructors

 Kathleen Bombach, English Pilot: English 1301:

The English 1301 classes went through a process of discovering local issues by reading El Paso and Juarez online news stories from local newspapers and television news and through in class group brainstorming sessions. Students were also asked to generate ideas based on their own experiences and those of family and friends to add to the master list of ideas. I collected the ideas from all the classes and turned them into one file which I posted on Blackboard for everyone to read. There were 500 ideas suggested, with some overlap. We used the first 2.5 weeks of class time to analyze ideas, find information sources, look at how these issues were also state and national issues, and turn ideas into actual paper topics. I think this process was important in fully engaging the students in their paper topics and in helping them see that things that happen to them and their families reflect larger issues and affect many others in the community.

Challenges: I could not get them interested in historical topics, although I had them research the social and historical context of the issues they selected.

English 0310:

Both sections of English 0310 appeared to like writing about social issues.

Challenges: One of my English 0310 classes was part of a learning community with one of my 1301s, so they did their idea generation in 1301 and practice writing in 0310. They were frustrated with the different “rules” for writing in 1301 and 0310.

The other English 0310 was hampered by the stricture against research, because it felt to them that research was appropriate. This meant that their writing topics were more teacher-directed (so that research would not be necessary), personal, and unembedded in social and historical context. They did participate in brainstorming sessions and their ideas were included in the master list of writing topics. As much as possible, I created writing topics that were relevant to the QEP.

 Melinda Camarillo, Math Pilot: One of the things that I learned from this QEP Project was that I did not need to overwhelm myself and my students with so many different assignments for the same project. I initially interpreted one of the SLOs to mean that students had to show in a variety of ways what they had learned, i.e. through a variety of assignments. However, I now understand the SLOs better 72

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and I will be able to better assess my students next time around with less work for them and myself. Also, students did not like all of this extra work that they had to do. Most of the QEP assignments were due towards the end of the semester and it overwhelmed us all, which is not a good thing, especially at the end! My students seemed more annoyed with all the work that they had to do, and I would not want that for next time. So less assignments would be better. Specifically, I think that aside from having to record and complete their 20 tutoring hours, I would only require them to complete 4 tutoring reflections throughout the semester and one poster presentation at the end of the semester that sums up all that they learned from their volunteer work.

I also learned about the community from my students. One thing that I learned about my students is that they want their work to be relevant to them, so most of my students picked tutoring sites at their children’s school or at places where they are interested in working one day. I also learned that the community is in great need of volunteers. It seems that my students were all greatly appreciated for what they were doing! My students also gave me some insight into math education in our community and it actually gave me some ideas and motivation for my own classes. I am really grateful for the insight that I gained about our community through my students. It even motivated me to look into volunteering at my son’s school. Although I am currently volunteering as a tutor at my local library, I feel that volunteering at my son’s school would be more meaningful to him!

Overall, although it may have been a bit overwhelming, at the end, I saw that my students did learn a lot from this project and they really enjoyed it. Some of them were even offered tutoring jobs from it! Their supervisors did not want to lose them! Their final presentations were great and I am very pleased with their work this semester!

 Dr. Doug Carr, Mass Communications Pilot:

Once the students understood what was expected of them (producing series of audio clips highlighting some aspect of life in El Paso) they attacked the assignment with gusto. The audio production class is a natural place to pursue QEP: the challenge of learning more about El Paso became transparent; the students simply went about gathering interviews, editing their conversations, and then dropping the finished product into the “donut” intro and outro.

The quality of their awareness was enhanced as a natural aspect of their completing the audio production assignment. I suspect this class may be a ringer.

 Lisa Miller, Art Pilot:

I was generally satisfied with the results of my QEP pilot project. Student participation and completion were what I expected. The quality of the photographs was relative to the course in

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which I ran the project. Clearly, my photography classes were more visually oriented towards this project and their images reflected an advanced competence with a camera.

The quality of the writing varied, but what interested me was the variety of perceptions apparent in the writing about immigration. Also, how the students connected their writing with their image was sometimes quite creative and taught me a few things about how as human beings we see our world and our community. Most students were able to reflect on the topic and did relate to it on a personal level.

There are a few things I would change about the project after this experience. More guidelines need to be given to the students about what will qualify as an acceptable photograph in terms of subject. I also need to discuss “quality” in terms of photography with students in the Art Appreciation classes. Perhaps a discussion about the history of immigration in El Paso would also benefit the students and engage them in the topic more thoroughly.

 Hyung Lae Park, Government Pilot:

Project Goals

In spring semester of 2012, GOVT 2306 (Texas Government) students required participating “Initiative” project. This project aims to break wide-spread negative perceptions and attitudes toward politics. It intends to show that we the people can change the world by active participating. For that purpose, students tried to propose a policy by completing three steps: identify problems in the City of El Paso, research about the problems and propose the solution to fix identified problem(s).

Process of Initiative project and evaluation.

Step I: The first step in this project was identifying problems. Students randomly assigned into a small group (4-8 students in each group). Each group members brought a problem. After several group discussions, each group picked one problem they thought the most important issue in El Paso. After each group’s presentation, all students in the class voted to select 2 or 3 issues for further discussion.

Evaluation

Step one went the best in this project period. Students actively participated in group discussions. They were excited about presenting what they thought. Being in a small group could force them to participate. In addition, it did not require an extended knowledge. “Problem” was the thing they experienced every day. When students knew something, they liked to talk about it. Group competition was also a factor for them to work hard. In this step, it looked like students had a motivation to participate.

Step II: Second step was research for the issues. Once class identified 2-3 current issues in El Paso, students were reassigned into one of these issue groups. Each group held between 8 and

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12 students. Each student researched the issue in depth using every possible resource. Several group discussions were done before each group made another presentation.

Evaluation

It did not go very well comparing the step I. For many of them, after they reassigned a group, it became a new issue which they did not know very well. The group became large so some students began not to participate. Free rider problems occurred. At this stage, further research about the issue was required. This was a time the group needed a leader. Obviously, each group naturally had a leader (not officially). Group leader’s ability and skills really made differences in terms of group discussion and group product. Some group had an effective, well researched discussion while some groups did not have meaningful discussion. More free riders emerged and more students lost their interest in this project. One big problem in this stage was to set a group meeting time. It was extremely difficult to set a group meeting time. Thus students asked me to give some of the class time for their group discussion. I gave them 10-15 minutes several times but it was not long enough for them of course. Besides it took too much of my class time.

Step III: Third step was to propose a solution. We call it an initiative, meaning that people propose a policy to fix a problem and try to put the policy on ballots to seek people’s approval on election day. It requires writing simple, concise, clear, well written policy proposal. Each student submitted his/her own initiative writing.

Evaluation

Writing “initiative” (policy proposal) was a final product of this semester long project. Each student wrote their own initiative. But many students did not make a connection between a problem and a possible solution. Thus almost half of the students did not write an appropriate policy proposal. Originally it was my intention to send some of student’s writing to lawyers, mayors, council members to get some comments. I could not do that simply because there was no time. Identifying problems was not difficult. Proposed solution was difficult. Maybe next time I should spend more time in this step.

Overall evaluation

I should say it is a half success project. Students were surprised when they found out that we/El Paso had so many problems they did not know or not did not concern. After the project was over, some students said that we the people actually can do something about it. I believe it increases the self-efficacy level and developed democratic citizenship. At least, students began to recognize the importance of participation in community level because they saw so many problems in our community calling for our participation. From this perspective, this project was a success. However, for students who did not actively participate or became a free rider, this project failed to give a motivation to participate. Thus it was a fail.

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Lessons

Motivation is an important factor for everyone to participate. Bringing in something they know in a discussion is a good strategy to encourage students’ participation. Along with that, small groups work the best for students to participate. If a group gets bigger by any reason, then selecting a right student leader is very important. More often, I notice that my advice or opinion dominate student discussion (though it is not my intention). Giving an instruction or advice to the leader and let the leader lead the discussion could provide an efficient and productive student discussion.

Another thing is time management. I underestimated students’ ability to identify and do a research about the problem. And I overestimated students’ ability to make a connection between a problems and a solution. Next time, if I repeat this class project, I should spend more time in the latter part.

 Mary Scott, Art Pilot:

1. I did not focus on the pre-test, but I did when it came around again as a post-test. I wonder if there could be a clarification on the – I intend to vote in the next election choice. I think that it might help to explain that the election may be one’s own state or community since we have citizens of Mexico and citizens of many different states in the USA who could vote absentee in their own states.

2. Reading over the pre- and post-test helped me to understand the focus here at EPCC a little better.

3. Developing the necessary-for-the-institution testing devices is an uninteresting chore for me.

4. I am pleased with the positive results the students produced in the process of working on this project of making a picture and words book based on their family history or a true experience of someone they know. Working with the truth they researched (asked family members) empowered the students. And I wished there had been time to pursue more of such projects.

5. Going through this trial run for the QEPs helped me to understand how learning objectives, rubrics, and grading assessment more or less fit together. The next time around will not be as time consuming.

6. I will change the assignment some. I will change my grading rubrics.

7. The group meetings were helpful. Thank you, Grace.

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 Pamela Stover, English Pilot:

Overall I believe my pilot project was quite successful. It worked especially well in a small class (only 15 students) and I’m not sure it would have been as successful in a larger class. Our small size allowed us to truly build a sense of trust and community. Students submitted project proposals, created rough drafts, revised and edited those drafts both with me as instructor and with their classmates, and ultimately read to each other and practiced with each other. I would like to note that these students are not writers by choice. They signed up for my class, I explained the project at the beginning and in a spirit of adventure, the students agreed to do their best. What more can we ask as educators?

One challenge was since this course was an introduction to dramatic literature, I altered my original project proposal to include a performance aspect. This was intimidating to several of my students, but again, I felt the sense of trust and community we developed prevailed. I assured them that we would work together to create a quality piece and they did. The performance aspect meant they were all in it together and they supported and encouraged each other daily even when they were apprehensive. It was also a challenge for each student to develop and refine their work along with completing all their regular class assignments. I decided to utilize this project in lieu of a final. One thing that really worked was that they paid special attention to monologues in drama classics because as we traveled through the history of drama, they knew they would eventually create their own work. I think it gave them a new appreciation of what goes into creating strong memorable writing and performance which brought a deeper level of meaning to the class. They started paying attention to the motivation behind what a character says, or doesn’t say.

As always in any class, the abilities of the students widely varied, but all of the students (except for one who stopped coming early in the semester) successfully submitted a project proposal or idea, and at least a rough draft and a final draft. The more motivated of the students worked extremely hard on their original work, revising, refining and creating multiple drafts in an attempt to achieve the best work they could produce while others did what was required but were careless with editing or just did not see the purpose in further refinement. All 14 students who finished the semester participated in the performance/filming aspect. All students worked together as a community reading each other’s work, offering praise and suggestions and being excellent listeners and supporters for each other. Certain students had a better ear and were more adept at critique than others but all entered the project in a spirit of community.

Every student did multiple drafts and revisions of their work. Their styles varied and I left it open for them to choose their format which could be a prose monologue, poetry or utilizing multimedia and we ended up with an interesting mix. Our final stage of the project was rehearsals in class to prepare for filming. Once I started hearing them perform their final drafts, I began arranging them in a logical order so that my final group of 14 could perform with each piece fitting and flowing into the next. I decided to group them thematically. The opening piece is a reflection of the writer as a young child. We move into high school experiences including a series of athletic young women with various experiences of team work or solo development. Some pieces explore relationships, both personal and examination of others. One in particular

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dealt with the importance of place in one’s life. The collection closes with a series of pieces that at first glance appear to have themes of sadness, but ultimately express a feeling of hope and resilience that seems to embody this group of young people. The final piece immediately stood out with its theme of “we are one” that seemed to represent not only the stated QEP theme but the feeling that resonated as this class worked as a community to complete the project that they were willing to share with the greater EPCC community. I’m proud of them. Enjoy.

 Isadora Stowe, Art Pilot:

This was the second semester I administered this project to students. I learned to emphasize specific areas I felt needed strengthening in the project from the last semester. These specific areas were: community awareness, current legislation referencing, critical thinking, and research as an artist’s tool. In order to emphasize these points I used the following sources: repetition with various examples in the PowerPoint. Showed the class a short movie (PBS series, Art 21--‐ Kara Walker) about an artist that uses research to enhance her work and speak about social issues. This sparked a class discussion that reiterated the objectives of the project. I also included handouts about the library and writing center to further encourage students to take advantage of the resources at EPCC where and when applicable.

In the future projects, I will also try to find more creative ways to encourage risk taking in their visual work.

 Dr. Naomi Waissman, Biology Pilot:

What Worked

1. The QEP was designated as an extra credit project, dependent on 20 hours of additional engagement in class projects. Students could opt out of the project, because it was extra credit. However, everyone eventually participated.

2. Activities included;

a. a field trip (river cleanup) – (Doing)

b. a poster (lab groups learned about a Rio Grande project and then created a 48 x 36 in poster using PowerPoint) – (Learning)

c. a science café (marketing, logistics, food, presentations, and thank you gifts) – (Participating)

Lessons Learned

1. The science café should be held at the home campus of the class, rather than at ASC.

2. The science café should not be scheduled on a Monday, because students need to be reminded to attend.

3. The science café should be kept intimate (perhaps around 100 attendees). 78

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4. Continuous communication is vital if several biology or STEM classes participate in the science café.

5. Marketing to promote the science café was not easy. My students recommend getting on bathroom stall events sponsored by the student government association.

6. Make sure that you have the support of your dean at the beginning. You may need funds for hospitality, support to reserve space for the event, and EPCC gift items for a thank you gift to present to the speakers.

7. Make sure that your guest speakers for the science café are kept up to date on any changes in the program.

 Kelli Wood, English Pilot:

In doing the pilot project for the QEP, I chose to have my students write an editorial about either something they believed their community (they could focus on any community they are a part of) needed, would benefit from, or should recognize. While I was not sure that they would take to it as readily as other assignments I had done, I was overwhelmed by their excitement for the project. They immediately had ideas and were ready to jump into it. In the future, I will continue to use and refine this project and work with it to extend the idea of community beyond just the one assignment. I will rewrite my building assignments based on student feedback, and work more with students to find primary sources including local community members to interview and work with.

 Caroline Woolf-Gurley, English Pilot:

Challenges: The first challenge that I find with this project is that at the end of semester you don’t have a very large class left so the groups are not necessarily very strong. Overall you do see the student’s band together since they know it is such a large part of their final grade (21%), but attendance is sometimes an issue. These challenges are something that all faculty face with any group project.

Specifically connected to this project, I found this semester there was one non-profit agency that would not answer emails or phone calls from my students and when they went to visit the agency they were turned away because they didn’t have an appointment. This was sad to hear because my students couldn’t have a one on one experience with the agency and what they are all about. In all the times I have done this assignment, this is the first time this has happened.

One last challenge with this project is the grading aspect. I try hard to pay attention to the group dynamics as the project is ongoing and I meet with the groups in conferences to I can really talk to each member to make sure work is getting done. But in the end, is there only one student who takes over and makes the project strong? It is always hard to tell. I like to think that the work is shared throughout each student, and I even have them fill out a group assessment to explain to me how the inter-workings of the group dynamics were, but there is always a question 79

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if the stronger students are carrying the weaker students. The other aspect of having this be a group project is that not all students have to write the thesis or introduction or complete the MLA, or other aspects of the essay, one person could be the thesis writer, and another the MLA aficionado, so they are not all demonstrating their complete knowledge from ENGL 1301.

Successes: What I see in my students during and after this project is a confidence that they know something about their own community. They were a part of it for that little amount of time and able to share that experience with peers in their group and even to the rest of the class through their presentations. Sometimes, like this semester, I have students who are already part of the organizations that they decide to work with and this gets the other group mates excited about the project because they see a peer involved in their community and enjoying it or getting something important out of it. I also see an appreciation for their community, how there are people out there trying to make a difference for animals and people in need. They seem to come away with an awe of how big the community effort to help really is in El Paso.

The other success I see is working in a group and coming out with a strong paper and presentation. It is rare to have essays that are weak or presentations that are horrible to sit through because the time, energy and encouragement from the group members was active for everyone. I find that the main errors are only grammar and MLA which are common at this level of writing. The substance of the essays and presentations are always solid and I can tell they learned something by how they take pride in the folder they turn in and the presentation they give to the class. I also get positive feedback on the project through my final exam essay which is a reflective essay on the course experience for the students.

 Mary Yanez, Education Pilot:

Lessons Learned:  I would do this student project again because each time the student learns about the older population within their community it sensitizes them to having a greater appreciation and respect for elderly persons.  I would require this type of assignment about learning about their community rather than another type of essay project.  My instructions would be modified for greater clarification as to the overall goal and purpose of the project.  I would require a self-reflection of the student purpose after the assignment is completed.  Students need to learn how to take a digital photo and scan it and incorporate it with their interview paper.  I would like to continue learning about SharePoint and use it for my class.

 Vanessa Macias, History Pilot:

The project changed scope in order to incorporate the El Paso Museum of History’s Neighborhoods & Shared Memories Exhibit. This exhibit looks at the history of the city’s two oldest neighborhoods from the perspective of the neighborhood’s past and present residents.

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This exhibit introduces universal themes of work, family and home, leisure time, and social status through the perspective of local history. Students were asked to visit this exhibit and select two to three photos, oral history quotes, images, or artifacts that illustrates a theme to research further. The second step involved selecting two to three photos, oral history quotes, images, or artifacts that illustrates this theme from another decade. Selections needed to include a description based on research of secondary sources. The third step was to make two to three similar selections that illustrate the theme in their life. Students presented their final project in a PowerPoint presentation, collage, or photo essay and needed to connect and provide context for the theme through all three steps.

The project was implemented in a Face-to-Face Minimester taught at Ft. Bliss and Blackboard course through a PowerPoint presentation. I also offered a guided tour of the exhibit on a Saturday morning to help students make their selections from the photos, artifacts, and oral history on display. The Minimester class connected to the project more quickly since we could discuss the project each time we met. Most questions involved how to connect selections from the exhibit and from their personal experiences to the second step. I provided links to Library of Congress and National Archives websites to assist in making selections from another decade and required students use secondary sources other than what they could find on the Internet. Nonetheless, students did not understand that research was required for historical context and the second step was consistently the weakest aspect of their final projects. This weakness was especially present in the projects coming from the Blackboard course. I consider this weakness more problematic for a History course than the QEP since the scope of the QEP’s SLOs do not require research into themes/issues that are not related the local community.

The most successful part of the project was having students in the Minimester and Blackboard course select a theme from the exhibit (step one) and connect that theme to their personal experiences (step three). Each final project illustrated that students could relate to one or two of the exhibit’s universal themes. For example, a common connection was made between students with a military background and portraits of soldiers from the exhibit. A couple of students from El Paso discovered family connections to the neighborhoods exhibited and discussed them in their final project. One student even contributed photos of her grandfather’s grocery store to the History Museum for inclusion in the exhibit. These examples best illustrate the QEP’s intentions because this exhibit served as the starting point to gain a greater awareness of El Paso’s history. This project took that awareness a step further by making students consider their own lives, and perhaps their own place in history.

 Richard Southern, Information Technology Pilot:

Documents needed at time of the presentations are:

 Student “learning about a Community feedback” for each student  AccuScans for SLO’s for each student  Grade sheet for each student or class

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I started with a presentation project that I was already using for class final. I added a couple of paragraphs to help students select a subject about the community of El Paso. In addition I added a page of links to various companies and organization around El Paso. I do allow students to use a presentation that they created for another class. I am now asking them to include a slide to indicate the impact on El Paso. Not sure how that will work. Only had one student that did not include at least one slide revealing the impact on El Paso.

Some of the topics included the following:

El Paso Art Association Fort Bliss - 2 University Medical Center - 2 El Paso Animal Shelter - 4 Concordia Cemetery Plaza Theater - 3 El Paso Museum of Art EP Electric Star El Paso Water Utilities - 3 El Paso Red Cross El Paso Electric El Paso Music El Paso Dental -2 El Paso Open Space Project Bravo Wal-Mart in El Paso – 3 Abuse and Violence in El Paso El Paso Women Foundation Extreme Warrior Training in El Paso Fitness in EP -2 Socorro Independent School District Drug Cartel Las Palmas Medical Litter EP Sports teams Things to do in El Paso -3 Gardening in El Paso El Paso Economy El Paso Zoo

Topics that the student did not relate well to El Paso:

Facebook Schizophrenia -2 Android or iPhone -2 82

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GI Bill Social Games Samsung Tuberculosis Body Language Gas Prices Wal-Mart -2 Graffiti

The presentations were about organizations and what they do. I did not get a strong sense of El Paso as a community. When I look at the exit questions I wonder if students will relate to them. April said that her son flushed the USB flash drive down the toilet. What can she do about her presentation? Need to refine the SLO grading. Seems I only have on and off.

 Dr. Linda Brown, Speech Pilot:

Lessons learned:

1. Can disciplines use a somewhat different QEP assessment-or can additional QEP criterion be added to the standard QEP assessment? The additional assessment items I included at the end of my summary are some that might better reflect my speech assignment.

2. A description of the three standards on the QEP assessment could be described/clarified. I can see how faculty might rank student performance very differently based on those three categories. I would recommend an additional category on the QEP assessment-Below Expected Standards, Inadequate, or something that reflects poor work.

3. In the future, I will discuss the QEP in more depth with my class. I had some concerns that my discussion might skew assessment results.

4. My students usually submit MUCH better quality work on this assignment. This class is NOT representative of the performance of previous classes who have completed this assignment. That will not impact pilot results-just a personal observation- this was an anomaly based on this class culture/type-as occurs in classes from time to time. Survey results might suggest that changes need to be made in the assignment. The point is that I will NOT significantly change the assignment (based on pre- post-survey results) because past classes have performed very well on the assignment. The change I WILL incorporate is that I will discuss the purpose of the assignment in relation to the QEP.

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Appendix B Detailed QEP Discipline Plans

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

The topic for the quality enhancement plan is “Learning about the Community as a Community,” so we are looking for projects or assignments that will enhance students’ understanding of their community. We would like proposals that treat the classroom as a community of learners who are eager to explore some aspect of El Paso or the surrounding area. The project or assignment does not have to be new—it can be built from an existing assignment. Hopefully, adding the community aspect will give the students a greater understanding and appreciation of the El Paso area. In addition to the plan, we will eventually ask you for your grading rubric and your learning assessment, which will grow from the QEP student learning outcomes.

Please provide the following:

Name: Mauricio Rodriguez Discipline: Chicana/o Studies

Implementation Course(s): HUMA 1311 Contact information: 831-2243

[email protected]

Student Learning Outcome(s): (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

3. Utilize available resources to document findings related to the community and surrounding area.

Description of project or assignment:

The Chicana/o Studies discipline will meet the QEP objective “Learning about the Community” with a community-garden, “Mexican American Garden” student assignment in HUMA 1311. The goal will be to support the QEP objective with appropriate organizational development and assessment throughout a five-year plan of implementation.

Related items may include sharing of the garden’s process/adaptations based on location, seasons, community outreach and the revision of the syllabus to reflect this commitment.

Five year implementation plan (will you change the project each semester? Increase participation each semester? What is your ultimate goal at the end of five years?):

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Year 1 Develop specific seasonal goals related to project; change official course description and identify assessment methodology Year 2 100 percent participation, make revisions for year 3 based on year 1 project results Year 3 100 percent operation with changes, establish seasonal revisions Year 4 Continue to gather data, continue assessment Year 5 Expansion of garden to other campuses; community outreach; continue to gather data; continue assessment

Location where project will be housed with grading rubric and learning assessment (Blackboard, SharePoint, a website, a physical office?): Professor Jackie Mitchell and QEP Director’s office

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

The topic for the quality enhancement plan is “Learning about the Community as a Community,” so we are looking for projects or assignments that will enhance a student’s understanding of their community. We would like proposals that treat the classroom as a community of learners who are eager to explore some aspect of El Paso or the surrounding area. The project or assignment does not have to be new—it can be built from an existing assignment. Hopefully, adding the community aspect will give the students a greater understanding and appreciation of the El Paso area. In addition to the plan, we will eventually ask you for your grading rubric and your leaning assessment, which will grow from the QEP student learning outcomes.

Please provide the following:

Name: Michelle Conklin Discipline: EDUC 1300

Implementation Course(s): EDUC 1300 Contact information: Michelle Conklin [email protected] 831-8813

Student Learning Outcome(s): (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

Retrieve, analyze and use information (printed documents, oral histories, digital resources, data bases, historical archives, demographic data) related to the significance of the community and surrounding area.

Description of project or assignment:

The purpose of this project is for students to learn about a career field of their interest. Students will need to research a specific occupation within the field they have chosen, one that seems to come closest to matching their personal career priorities. Students will interview professional(s) in the community who are already in the career that the student wants to pursue. Once students have gathered research through the personal 85

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interviews, they will have the option to give an oral presentation, submit a written paper or conduct a poster session of their findings based from the oral interviews.

Five year implementation plan (will you change the project each semester? Increase participation each semester? What is your ultimate goal at the end of five years?):

EDUC 1300 will implement the project for a total of five years. The discipline will start Fall 2012 with volunteer Instructors and by Spring 2013 every campus will have at least one Instructor implementing the Plan.

Location where project will be housed with grading rubric and learning assessment (Blackboard, Sharepoint, a website, a physical office?):

The location of the EDUC 1300 Plan will be housed through Sharepoint. Access to SharePoint will be public, however, only Instructors who are implementing the Plan will have access to modify and update data collected.

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

Please provide the following:

Name: Margaret Nelson Discipline: English

Implementation Course(s): ENGL 1301 Contact information: 831-2179 [email protected]

Student Learning Outcome(s): (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

3. Utilize available resources to document findings related to the community and surrounding area.

El Paso Community College

Description of project or assignment:

The English Discipline will meet the QEP objective “Learning about the Community” with a writing assignment in English 1301 and will support that objective with appropriate organizational development and assessment throughout the five-year plan of implementation.

Related items include the sharing of these essays in a variety of venues and the revision of the syllabus to reflect this commitment.

Five year implementation plan (will you change the project each semester? Increase participation each semester? What is your ultimate goal at the end of five years?):

Year 1 Develop pilots, change official course description and identify assessment methodology Year 2 100 percent participation, make revisions for year 3 based on year 1 pilot Year 3 100 percent operation with changes, minor revisions Year 4 Continue to gather data, continue assessment Year 5 Continue to gather data, continue assessment

Location where project will be housed with grading rubric and learning assessment (Blackboard, Sharepoint, a website, a physical office?): Blackboard and QEP Director’s office

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

Please provide the following:

Name: Tutoring Project Discipline: Mathematics

Implementation Course(s): Math 1350 & Math 1351 Contact information: Ivette Chuca

Student Learning Outcome(s): (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

El Paso Community College

4. Collaborate with the community and its resources to define significant events (to obtain feedback on information) related to the community and the surrounding area.

Description of project or assignment:

Math 1350 and Math 1351 are classes taken by students whose major is Education. These students will be future teachers and this project will give them the opportunity to serve as tutors. Students will be asked to focus on mathematics tutoring. The purpose of the project would be to expose students to the mathematical concepts that school age children are required to know. Students will benefit from this project by becoming more comfortable with the mathematical concepts they are tutoring and more comfortable explaining mathematics to others. Students will gain experience working with young students, gain knowledge about the children who make up our community, and serve the community as tutors. Students will be asked to tutor a minimum number of hours (8-10) must be documented and met for a grade. Student will turn in a Tutoring Description Worksheets throughout the semester which give students the opportunity to write about their experiences while tutoring. They will be describing who they worked with for that particular session, what concept they tutored, how long they were with the student(s), what they learned about the student(s), what they think the student(s) learned or didn’t understand, and what they learned about the community. At the end of the semester students will write one final writing assignment that summarizes what they learned from all the tutoring sessions done that semester. Each student will then do a final presentation to the class about the experiences they had during the semester while tutoring.

Five year implementation plan (will you change the project each semester? Increase participation each semester? What is your ultimate goal at the end of five years?): First year the project will be done in two sections. These sections can be at any of the five campuses. The second year the mathematics discipline will increase the number of sections by two. During the second year a new project will be developed for one of the STEM courses. Third year the Math 1350 & Math 1351 project will increase by two more sections and 1 section will implement the STEM project. Year four and five the mathematics department will continue to increase the number of sections implementing the projects.

Location where project will be housed with grading rubric and learning assessment (Blackboard, Sharepoint, a website, a physical office?): The project will be housed in a physical office and then will be uploaded to our website when the mathematics website is complete.

El Paso Community College

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

Please provide the following:

Name: Linda Chamblin Discipline: Sociology

Implementation Course(s): Intro. to Sociology 1301 Contact:[email protected] 831-5077

Student Learning Outcome(s): (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

To give the sociology faculty the most available options, any of the following QEP SLO’S can be selected.

6. Retrieve, analyze and use information (printed documents, oral histories, digital resources, data bases, historical archives, demographic data) related to the significance of the community and surrounding area.

7. Synthesize findings from multiple sources related to the community and surrounding area through a medium such as writings, reading assignments, presentations or interactions with the internal and external community members.

8. Utilize available resources to document findings related to the community and surrounding area.

9. Collaborate with the community and its resources to define significant events (to obtain feedback on information) related to the community and the surrounding area.

10. Describe in one of the following formats (for example, writing assignment, oral presentation or other appropriate medium) how their understanding of the community and the surrounding area has enhanced their knowledge and education.

Description of project or assignment:

To make the QEP Plan highly adaptable to all teaching styles and instructional methods our basic formula for our plan is for the instructor to choose “a sociological topic” and “one QEP SLO” combined with “one sociology SLO” which are as follows:

El Paso Community College

1. A student will explain sociology’s role in contributing to our understanding of our social world.

2. A student will understand humans as social or cultural beings.

3. A student will recognize problems and their causes and solutions.

4. A student will assess the role of social change in society.

Five year implementation plan (will you change the project each semester? Increase participation each semester? What is your ultimate goal at the end of five years?):

We will increase our participation every semester. Our goal is to have all sociology instructors incorporate the QEP Plan in the entire Introduction to Sociology 1301 courses within five years. We will begin with one full-time faculty member incorporating the plan each year. It will proceed as follows:

Year 1 Linda Chamblin Year 2 Stacy Mayo Year 3 Terry Sealing Year 4 Joel Villadomoros Year 5 All adjunct faculty members will be incorporating the QEP Plan in their courses.

Location where project will be housed with grading rubric and learning assessment (Blackboard, SharePoint, a website, a physical office?):

We will begin housing our grading rubric and learning assessments along with the various projects created by faculty members within a SharePoint website.

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

Please provide the following:

Discipline: Speech

El Paso Community College

Contact Person: Keith Townsend District Wide Coordinator Speech VV 831-3205

Implementation Course(s): SPCH 1315 and/or SPCH 1321

QEP Specific SLOs: QEP SLO #1 “Retrieve, analyze and use information (printed documents, oral histories, digital resources, data bases, historical archives, demographic data) related to the significance of the community and surrounding area.” All projects designated will require students to gather data from published sources or interview local experts concerning course topics/content related to the significance of the El Paso community and the surrounding area. Each project(s) will incorporate at least QEP SLO #1.

Description of project/assignment: A variety of research based projects will be developed. Two pilot projects (e.g. those piloted Spring 2012 by Jessica Klein and Dr. Linda Brown) and multiple existing projects (e.g. those developed by Patricia Islas in Service Learning) will be considered in order to generate the initial database. SLO Assessments generated by pilot projects will be initially considered. Other assessments will be generated as projects are adopted. Timeline for assessment generation contained below.

These projects will be research based, related to the significance of the community and surrounding area, and may be researched utilizing published materials or through structured interviews of local experts/organizations (dependent upon course requirements). Projects will be reviewed and adopted by the discipline and then placed in the database. Each semester, instructors may develop, pilot, assess, and submit pilot projects or select projects from the database for use in their class(es). Each semester projects will be evaluated for viability and continued inclusion in the database.

Five year implementation plan: Speech instructors will generate a database of potential projects. When an instructor(s) implements a QEP s/he will provide “lessons learned” to discipline members in writing and at a designated meeting. Additional assessment, as required by the EPCC QEP Coordinator, will be provided as requested. In this way, projects will be evaluated by the discipline and adopted for use. In five years, the database will be generated and populated.

Each year a percentage of classes will be implemented. That percentage will be applied across all campuses. Campus coordinators will designate or seek volunteers to implement in their campus QEP courses.

Timeline listed below:

Year 1 10% of all SPCH 1315 and SPCH 1321 classes will be designated by the discipline to implement a QEP project by full-time faculty and will be implemented across all campuses. The process for evaluation of QEP projects for adoption into the database and usefulness of QEP assessments will be generated.

El Paso Community College

Year 2 20% of SPCH 1315 and SPCH 1321 will implement a QEP project by full-time faculty. The process for evaluation of QEP projects for adoption into the database and usefulness of QEP assessments will be finalized. Year 3 30% of both SPCH 1315 and SPCH 1321 will implement QEP projects, adjunct and selected full-time faculty will be utilized. Year 4 40% of both SPCH 1315 and SPCH 1321 will implement QEP projects, adjunct and selected full-time faculty will be utilized. Year 5 50% of both SPCH 1315 and SPCH 1321 will implement QEP projects, adjunct and selected full-time faculty will be utilized. Dual credit, ECHS, and online courses will be utilized by this data. Database will be fully developed by this date.

Location of project/rubric/assessment:

Digital copies will be housed on SharePoint. Until SharePoint is fully accessible, and afterwards for purposes of record keeping, a “hardcopy” will be generated and housed at the District-wide Coordinator’s office.

El Paso Community College—Quality Enhancement Plan

Please provide the following:

Name: George Torak Discipline: History

Implementation Course(s): HIST 1301, 1302 Contact information: 831-2396 [email protected]

Student Learning Outcome(s): (Please choose one or more from the list provided)

Various

Description of project or assignment and five year implementation plan (will you change the project each semester? Increase participation each semester? What is your ultimate goal at the end of five years?):

El Paso Community College

The History Discipline QEP Project Number 1

The QEP community project for History is an extension of work performed over the past fifteen- plus years throughout the West Texas, Southern New Mexico, and Ciudad Juárez area, in a variety of venues, through a variety of associations and institutions. During September and January of each year, members of the History discipline will compile a list of upcoming community events that have an EPCC History discipline component and distribute the list to all instructors district-wide. Each instructor will offer the events as a part of their scheduled, syllabus-defined, activities for the semester. Each instructor will determine a type of assignment appropriate for the particular event and its weight or value in the course. It could be attending an event and participating in a later class discussion, incorporating knowledge gained from an event in a research paper, presentation, or similar assignment, or writing a summary of the event as an essay assignment.

Under present College policies and the general outline of the QEP project, it is not clear if an instructor can formally “assign” participation in, or “require” a student to attend, an off-campus event. It is further unclear whether such community engagement is intended for populations such as dual credit, Early College, or distant education students. Therefore, the instructor will revise their syllabus and inform their Division Dean in writing of the assignment and their intention of student participation.

Description of assignment and assessment:

In order to protect curriculum integrity, syllabi commitments, and instructor creativity, each instructor will determine the nature of the QEP assignment, its weight or value in the course, and produce an accounting of how many students successfully participated in the QEP project. Each instructor may develop a rubric or assessment standard to meet the requirements of the assignment.

The History Discipline QEP Project Number 2 (Online)

Under present College policies and the general outline of the QEP project, it is not clear if an instructor can formally “assign” participation in, or “require” a student to attend, an off-campus event. It is further unclear whether such community engagement is intended for populations such as dual credit, Early College, or distant education students. Therefore, the history discipline wishes to propose a second, online QEP option.

The instructor will revise their syllabus to include a QEP component. The discipline will make use of, or add to, local history materials that are presently available on the Northwest Campus Library’s website. They include Borderlands articles and indexes, the Historical markers Project, links to outside web resources, and information about the 2000-2005 television series, Along the Rio Grande. The instructor and students will chose appropriate materials, or create new materials, and construct assignment in which students will learn about various aspects of the greater El Paso area. Online, community engagement may take place through message exchanges and inquiries, discussion forums, and shared assignments. Group work could also

El Paso Community College

create a community of learners who could examine, research, or present information about their community.

Description of assignment and assessment:

In order to protect curriculum integrity and syllabi commitments, and instructor creativity, each instructor will determine the nature of the QEP assignment, its weight or value in the course, and produce an accounting of how many students successfully participated in the QEP project. Each instructor may develop a rubric or assessment standard to meet the requirements of the assignment.

El Paso Community College

Appendix C

Glossary of Terms

Assessment—an instrument that evaluates and analyzes whether or not course objectives are met by students and faculty. Resulting data should be analyzed for effectiveness.

Community—1. a group composed of people who interact with each other and who are interdependent in a mutually supportive and respectful way; 2. an area, environment, locality, or specific region.

Engagement—actively participating in or being committed to a particular task.

Enhancement—augmenting or making greater.

Learning outcome—knowledge, skills, and abilities that are the result of focused educational events or experiences.

Quality Enhancement Plan—a plan “based upon a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the effectiveness of the learning environment for supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution” (SACSCOC, 2012).

Sense of community—identification with a particular group that promotes a sense of belonging, well-being, and safety; a place where one’s basic needs are met.

Social capital—social relationships that have reciprocal productive outcomes.