WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE INSTITUTIONAL SELF STUDY REPORT IN SUPPORT OF REAFFIRMATION OF ACCREDITATION 2006 Submitted by WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE 9000 Overland Avenue Culver City, CA 90230 To Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges FEBRUARY 2006 <#> WLAC SELF STUDY CERTIFICATION OF THE INSTITUTIONAL SELF STUDY REPORT Date: February 2006 To: Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges From: West Los Angeles College, 9000 Overland Avenue, Culver City, CA 90230 This Institutional Self Study Report is submitted for the purpose of assisting in the determination of institution’s accreditation status. We certify that there was broad participation by the campus community, and we believe the Self Study Report accurately reflects the nature and substance of this institution. Doris Pichon Givens, Ph.D. Interim President and Chief Executive Officer West Los Angeles College Darroch F. Young, Chancellor Los Angeles Community College District Sylvia Scott-Hayes, President Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees Eloise Crippens, President WLAC Academic Senate Sholeh Khorooshi, Chapter Chair California Teamsters Public, Professional and Medical Employees Union Local 911 Olga Shewfelt, WLAC Chapter Chair AFT Faculty Guild, Local 1521 Jo-Ann Haywood, WLAC Chapter Chair AFT Staff Guild Local 1521 A Abel Rodriguez, Representative Supervisory Employees’ Union Local 347 Joel Francis, President Associated Students Organization Fran Leonard, Chair Accreditation Self Study Steering Committee WLAC SELF STUDY <#> CERTIFICATION OF THE INSTITUTIONAL SELF STUDY REPORT To: Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges From: West Los Angeles College 9000 Overland Avenue, Culver City, CA 90230 We certify that West Los Angeles College continues to meet each of the 17 eligibility requirements for accreditation as established by the Commission, as enumerated in the August 2004 edition of the Accreditation Reference Handbook, p. 6, as evidenced by the self study hereby submitted. This certification is our assurance that the college continues to be in compliance with the terms and conditions of accreditation. Signed: November 28, 2005 Doris Pichon Givens, Ph.D. Date Interim President and Chief Executive Officer West Los Angeles College November 28, 2005 Darroch F. Young Date Chancellor Los Angeles Community College District November 28, 2005 Sylvia Scott-Hayes Date President LACCD Board of Trustees 3 WLAC SELF STUDY WLAC SELF STUDY 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION History of the Institution . 7 Demographic Information . 11 Student Achievement Data . 15 Update on Last Comprehensive Visit Recommendations . 19 West’s Student Learning Outcomes Story . 23 Off-Campus Sites and Centers and Distance Learning . 31 Audits . 35 THEMES . .37 ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT . 39 ORGANIZATION OF THE SELF STUDY . 45 ORGANIZATION OF THE INSTITUTION West Los Angeles College Functional Chart . 51 Los Angeles Community College District Management Organization Chart . 59 LACCD District Office, District-wide and College Responsibilities . 63 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS . 95 RESPONSES TO RECOMMENDATIONS . 101 STANDARD I: INSTITUTIONAL MISSION AND EFFECTIVENESS A. Mission . 105 B. Improving Institutional Effectiveness . 113 STANDARD II: STUDENT LEARNING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES A. Instructional Programs . 127 B. Student Support Services . 149 C. Library and Learning Support Services . 165 STANDARD III: RESOURCES A. Human Resources . 173 B. Physical Resources . 185 C. Technology Resources . 193 D. Financial Resources . 201 STANDARD IV: LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE A. Decision-Making Roles and Processes . 213 B. Board and Administrative Organization . 225 5 WLAC SELF STUDY West Los Angeles College offers sincere thanks to the following for the production of this self study: Fran Leonard, Faculty Chair of Accreditation Alice Taylor, Ph.D., Accreditation Liaison Officer Steering Committee: Vice Presidents: David Follosco, Carey Roth, Paul Stansbury, Ed.D. Chairs of Standards: Eloise Crippens, Cathy Froloff, Fran Leonard, Yvonne Simone, Olga Shewfelt, Lloyd Thomas, Ph.D. Editors: Doris P. Givens, Ph.D, Interim President Betty Jacobs, Chair, Language Arts Division Fran Leonard, Vice-Chair, Language Arts Division Alice Taylor, Ph.D., Instructor, Humanities Information Scientist: Edward Pai, Ph.D. Consultants: Darlene Pacheco, Ph.D. Julie Slark Graphic Designer: Beverly A. Hall Special Credit: Nick Dang, Manager, IT Marie Montour, Staff Geneat Walton, Staff West acknowledges the contributions of time and effort from across the college from the following: Kehinde Akintunji, Bonnie Blustein, Ph.D., Kabwe Chanda, Isabella Chung, Richard Flowers, Adrienne Foster, Judith-Ann Friedman, Ed.D., Rodney Gaylor, LaVonne Hamilton, Eric Ichon, Jackie Ireland, Ph.D., Fran Israel, Sheila Jeter-Williams, Ulla Lemborn, Christina Misner, Phyllis Morrison, Ph.D., Rod Patterson, Pat Siever, Yvonne Simone, Regina Surabian, Joyce Sweeney, Lloyd Thomas, Ph.D., Rebecca Tillberg, Jocelyn Towler, Ph.D. and all the members of the Standards’ Committees Our apologies, as well as our gratitude, to those we may have left off this list. WLAC SELF STUDY 6 HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTION In 2001, Los Angeles County voters passed est Los Angeles College, an urban center of W Proposition A, which directed $1.245 billion in bonds learning nestled on a bucolic hillside above Culver to the nine Los Angeles Community colleges. In City, California, opened its doors in February 1969. 2003, the voters passed Proposition AA, providing an Together with its eight sister colleges in the Los additional $980 million in bonds. West’s share of the Angeles Community College District, West serves funds will make it possible to construct a math and one of the most ethnically and racially diverse popu- science building, a general classroom building, a stu- lations in the United States. According to the 2000 dent services building and a parking structure, all United States Census, the 1,585,316 people in the col- now in the design phase. In addition, the track has lege’s extended service area, defined as the 42 zip been renovated to a state-of-the-art facility, and the codes within a six-mile radius of the campus, were athletic complex and the library are scheduled for identified as 23 percent African American, 38 percent renovations. The progress of these projects is Latino/Hispanic, 44 percent white, seven percent reviewed in Standard III.B. Asian, one percent American Indian and 18 percent other. The average annual household income was a The opportunity to rebuild the campus meshed with reported $50,034. However, the difference in average the renewed determination to complete an Integrated household income between two adjacent zip codes, Master Plan in 2003. Interlocked with this was the 90056 and 90005, was more than $40,000. The mis- sion of West Los Angeles College is to provide eco- nomically and geographically accessible education in this myriad of social and economic extremes. Students may select from a variety of courses and programs that will prepare them for vocations and transfer to universities. They may also take courses for general interest. The students may earn certifi- cates of completion, skills certificates, associate degrees and transfer associate degrees. Leadership recently changed at both the college and the District level. In the summer of 2000, Frank Quiamboa succeeded Dr. Evelyn Wong as President of West. In August 2005, Dr. Doris Givens was named Interim President succeeding Frank Quiamboa. Dr. Mark Drummond became District Chancellor in June 1999, and Peter J. Landsberger, Esq. succeeded him as Interim Chancellor in January 2004. Darroch (Rocky) Young succeeded Peter Landsberger in July 2005. During the first six years of the 21st Century, West continued its transition from temporary to perma- nent buildings. A state-funded Humanities and Fine Arts building was dedicated in 2000. A Child Development Center opened its doors to West’s youngest students in 2004. 7 WLAC SELF STUDY HISTORY codification of our participatory governance struc- ment growth, with more than 8,200 students (undu- tures, discussed in Standard IV. Using Proposition A plicated headcount). money, West hired a consulting firm to assist the col- lege in writing its Integrated Master Plan, which Our successes since 2000 permeate the college. We envisages the college growing at four percent per have transferred students to the University of year, reaching an enrollment of 18,900 students in California, the University of Southern California, 2022. The Integrated Master Plan is discussed in Loyola Marymount University, Harvard, Sarah Standard I. Lawrence, Pepperdine University, Historical Black Colleges and Universities, the University of Judaism Our enrollment grew at approximately eight percent and California State University. Our nationally annually from 2000 to 2003, but then stalled and acclaimed Dental Hygiene program has served as a declined. In December 2002, the college suffered a platform from which to begin to train independent mid-year budget cut and ended the year with a practitioners in dental hygiene and to develop a new $1,000,000-plus deficit. Since then, we have been Allied Health program. Our new division of challenged to reduce expenditures. Concurrently, the Cinema, Entertainment and Media Arts is not only college has been pressed to meet enrollment targets, providing training in these areas, but is also produc- since our allocations are based on our