HEALTH SCIENCES Program Review – 2010-11
PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE: NEXT FIVE YEARS It has been suggested that, due to the recent economic crisis, more students are returning to college. Whether this is true or not, enrollment in the Queensborough Community College Health Science Program has steadily increased during the last three years. Even though QCC is committed to the Open Admission policy of CUNY, which provides academic opportunities for all who are interested in furthering their education, it must be acknowledged that many students entering a demanding science program for the first time may not be mentally, emotionally, or academically prepared for the rigors of such study. Fortunately, recent data indicate that the incoming class of students is more prepared than ever. This is reflected by recent performance statistics at QCC in which 97% of the students have GPA’s of 2.0‐4.0, compared to the previous five years in which only 67% of the students had GPA’s in this same range. One of the major tasks of the department is to retain these students and ensure that they graduate from the Health Science program in a timely manner. One of the great strengths of the Health Science Program is the wide diversity of Health Science sub‐disciplines that students are able to pursue as a course of study. With ten formal articulations ranging across the Health Science field, the QCC program is fairly unique among local community colleges. Furthermore, the program’s focus on the A.S. degree, rather than the A.A.S. degree (thus preparing students to transfer into a four‐year program rather than to immediately begin a career), helps to establish a curricular niche that is distinct from the offerings of most other local community colleges. Another strength of the program is that the Department of Biological Sciences and Geology places a strong emphasis on pedagogy, helping to ensure the excellence of the program and that all students receive the best possible instruction. Student evaluations of faculty play a major role in tenure and promotion decisions, and the Department Personnel and Budget Committee evaluates the classroom teaching of all faculty (except those with the rank of Full Professor) at least once a year. A written evaluation of classroom performance is placed on file and a conference is held between the observer and the faculty member who was observed. Furthermore, limited funds are available for faculty to attend conferences focused on educational techniques and the department has invested in the development of a “smart” classroom to allow faculty to explore innovative pedagogical techniques using recently developed technology. Like most transfer programs at QCC, the retention rate for HS is low. The Department is working to bolster retention rates by enhancing instruction (through workshops and service learning programs), providing tutoring, and ensuring that faculty members are available during regularly scheduled office hours to assist students with their work. The recent effort at QCC to routinely assess core courses such as General Biology (BI‐201 and BI‐202) should help with retention. Over half of the Health Science students who took General Biology in the Fall of 2009 received a letter grade that was below “C.” Assessment will allow faculty members to identify strengths and weakness in the course curriculum and to adjust the subject matter to meet the official course goals and objectives. The Department has an enrichment program that helps to enhance the performance of the more serious students, and special tutoring sessions are available for the weaker students, but it would be desirable to develop ways to better assist the average student without compromising the academic quality of the course The low graduation rate of the program is of potential concern, but may not accurately reflect its overall success. In the past the low graduation rate was usually attributed to a lack of preparedness on the part of many QCC students. However, as indicated above, recent data suggest that this is currently much less of a problem. Instead, the low graduation rate may reflect a tendency for students to transfer to senior colleges or other institutions before they can graduate from QCC (after only one year or even one semester). Many students prefer to transfer as soon as they can gain admission into other programs since there is limited space at four‐year schools and the articulation agreements do not guarantee entrance. In the future, it would be helpful in the evaluation of the HS program to be able to track the progress of students within specific Health Science articulations. Currently it is only possible to track students within the overall program, which does not allow us to assess whether a particular track within the program requires improvement. As a final consideration, existing articulation agreements should be reviewed. Many of them were signed many years ago and may no longer be valid. Based on the strengths and weaknesses described above, the following recommendations for the Health Sciences program are presented for consideration: 
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The articulation agreements should be updated and revised. Most of the articulation agreements are very old and may not reflect changes made in the courses – both at four year schools and at QCC. The Departmental web page should be updated and include information about the program, articulation agreements, transfer options, and job opportunities. Assessment of the BI 201/202 (General Biology) courses should be completed. Assessment of these courses is crucial since success in the Program is largely determined by success in these classes. Institutional Research and Assessment should work on tracking students who transfer prior to the completion of the program to see whether they are successful at their new institution. At the present time, students who transfer out are essentially treated as failures of the Program regardless as to whether or not they are doing well with their studies elsewhere. Update technology in the classroom, specifically computers and teaching microscopes in the BI 301/302 (Anatomy and Physiology) laboratories.