Message from the President All colleges tend to have a specialty, something that makes them “known.” Some colleges, for example, are known for an outstanding engineering program. Others are known for an emphasis on classical literature. HCC’s specialty is “quality and improvement.” It has been a hallmark of the college since our doors fi rst opened to students in 1970. It is something faculty and staff embrace with a passion, something they see as foundational to our mission of helping students succeed. And it is something they do very, very well. That special characteristic became very public in the spring of 2008 when HCC won the U.S. Senate Productivity Award, Maryland’s top recognition of performance excellence. Among the criteria for the award are a strong customer focus, fact-based decision processes, systematic approaches to strategy development and implementation, and information systems that guide process improvement initiatives. This all sounds very quantitative, and it is. At HCC, the numbers add up to one thing: student success. This year’s Annual Report to the Community is about the people behind the award and the high standards that classify them as exceptional. HCC was founded on the principles of outcomes assessment and 38 years ago its program was one of the fi rst of its kind. The concept has gained traction in higher education over the decades, but HCC faculty and staff were - and continue to be -- leaders among their peers. With great pride, I present their vast and varied work. Sincerely, Kathleen Hetherington, Ed.D. President CONTENTS The Measure of Education ............................................................................... Page 2 • Profi les of Improvement • How HCC Assesses Learning • About the U.S. Senate Productivity Award Enrollment, budget and other HCC numbers ................................................... Page 11 Highlights of FY2008 .......................................................................................Page 12 The Year in Headlines ...................................................................................... Page 15 HCC Educational Foundation Donor Report ................................................ Page 16 1 EDUCATION THAT MEASURES UP The Measure of Education In 2008, when HCC won Maryland’s top performance excellence award, the U.S. Senate Productivity Award, the recognition was 38 years in the making. From the day HCC fi rst opened its doors in 1970, faculty and staff were on a mission to go beyond standard term papers and test scores to measure learning. They explored innovative ways to determine whether students had absorbed the contents of their courses, and then used this data to improve teaching. Over the years, assessment at HCC has grown beyond the classroom to encompass virtually every aspect of business, from admissions and advising, to athletics and technology services, to the housekeeping department. But the heart of HCC’s assessment remains focused on the process of learning. HCC has an extensive commitment to learning outcomes assessment, a highly structured process in which faculty conduct research to examine factors affecting student learning. They use the fi ndings to build better instructional practices to maximize the opportunity for success. HCC faculty are committed to teaching excellence and improving student learning. They embrace assessment as a key to achieving these goals. Student and course outcomes continue to meet and exceed identifi ed goals and standards. With extensive experience and a proven track record, HCC serves as a model of outcomes assessment for area community colleges, regional four-year public and private institutions, and the broad arena of outcomes assessment in higher education. The following profi les refl ect the broad scope of faculty assessment and how the numbers-based efforts have a genuine impact on student learning and success. THE ULTIMATE MEASURES OF SUCCESS Studied Started Sharpened Became abroad a business her English a nurse language skills 2 PROFILES OF IMPROVEMENT Global Awareness Cheryl Berman Professor of World Languages tudy-abroad programs allow students to Sexperience other cultures. But, do they genuinely enhance global perspectives? Based on a study of HCC’s Mexico program, Professor Berman’s research showed that the program is successful in meeting student goals and in changing attitudes about another country and its cultures. The program also enhances leadership, self-reliance, and risk-taking. MathMusic Dr. GabrielBenjamin Ayine Myers Associate Professor of Mathematics Associate Professor of Music CC students take placement tests to determine HtheirCC serves preparedness students for at college-levelmany levels, math.from those SomeHwho students have studiedplace directly music forinto years college-level to those courses,who have but little others background – who may yet desirebe enrolling to major long afterin music. their lastWorking math with class other – need music refresher faculty, courses. Dr. InMyers his assessment researched project,and developed Dr. Ayine an found instrument that to studentsmeasure whostudent took musical a refresher and technicalcourse ultimately performance werein applied more music likely classesto have higherto prepare college-level them better math for gradesadvanced and study. cumulative grade point averages than those who placed directly into college-level math. 3 EDUCATION THAT MEASURES UP Chemistry Dr. William Brown Professor of Chemistry Dr. Susan Morgan Assistant Professor of Chemistry ith the aim of giving HCC students a solid Wfoundation as they transfer to four-year colleges and advance in their careers, Dr. Brown is assessing student knowledge of general chemistry compared to a nationally normed group using American Chemical Society standards. Using similar standards, Dr. Morgan is assessing a chemistry class that is a prerequisite for the nursing program to ascertain if students are suffi ciently prepared to begin their nursing studies. 4 PROFILES OF IMPROVEMENT How HCC Assesses Learning HCC collects academic assessment data in numerous ways. • The national IDEA course evaluation survey is administered in all courses taught by new and probationary faculty and about half of the continuing faculty each semester. HCC consistently meets national IDEA norms. • Academic managers examine course success rates per term and analyze trend data. They also look at the percentage of students with an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher over time. • Student perceptions of their learning and their HCC’s Learning Outcomes Assessment research HCC experience are monitored through the Yearly projects are coordinated by Zoe Irvin (left), Evaluation of Services by Students (YESS) survey. Dr. Nidhi Srivastava (center) and Carie Mellies YESS results consistently show that more than 80 (right) in the college’s Office of Planning, Research percent of students are very satisfied or satisfied with and Organizational Development. the overall quality of instruction. • HCC examines itself against state and national benchmarks through the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). HCC exceeds the benchmark on each of the survey’s five indicators: Effectiveness Indicators: HCC Maryland CCs National Benchmark (16 colleges) (447 colleges) Active & Collaborative Learning 52.4 50.2 50.0 Student Effort 53.5 51.5 50.0 Academic Challenge 53.1 51.4 50.0 Student-Faculty Interaction 54.6 52.6 50.0 Support for Learners 52.1 50.1 50.0 • Another external measurement is provided by the Community College Learning Assessment (CCLA). Offering national data on community colleges and four-year institutions, the CCLA examines how the college as a whole contributes to student development. Measures include critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving and written communication. • All academic divisions submit two annual course-based assessment plans or one program review plan on a three year cycle, with an average of 30 assessment projects running in any given academic year. THE ULTIMATE MEASURES OF SUCCESS Explored his Graduated Launched Became love for food from the an an engineer Accelerated opera career Nursing Program 5 EDUCATION THAT MEASURES UP Critical Thinking Dr. James Bell Professor of Psychology Margaret Armitage Professor of Psychology ritical thinking is a general education requirement Cfor all HCC students. Dr. Bell is leading an effort to assess student critical thinking skills and determine methods of assessment in psychology, sociology (with Dr. Phil Vilardo, associate professor) and economics (with John Bouman, professor). Professor Armitage is focusing on the social sciences, exploring the extent to which students who complete a human development course demonstrate competency in reading, thinking, and expressing ideas. 6 PROFILES OF IMPROVEMENT Music Dr. Benjamin Myers Associate Professor of Music CC serves students at many levels, from those Hwho have studied music for years to those who have little background yet desire to major in music. Working with other music faculty, Dr. Myers researched and developed an instrument to measure student musical and technical performance in applied music classes to prepare them better for advanced study. About the U.S. Senate Productivity Award Since 1983, Maryland’s U.S. Senators have honored the quality, productivity and business achievements of Maryland organizations by presenting the U.S. Senate Productivity Awards for Maryland. The U.S. Senate Productivity Award is the highest-level award in Maryland, followed