QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The City University of New York
MEMORANDUM
Office of Academic Affairs
Telephone: (718) 631-6344
Fax: (718) 631-8284
TO:
Dr. Mel Gorelick, Chair, Biological Sciences and Geology
FROM:
Dr. Karen Steele
Vice President for Academic Affairs
DATE:
June 5, 2012
SUBJECT:
Administrative Report – Update to Health Sciences Action Plan – 2011
As preparation for this year’s year-end reports, based on a meeting of June 4, 2012, of department chairs
and faculty representatives, here is a follow-up to the action plan for the Health Sciences degree program,
which was reviewed in 2011.
The action plan for the Health Sciences program sought to solve the problem of student performance in
General Biology and articulated a plan for revisiting and updating articulation agreements, for course
assessment, for enhancement of equipment and classroom technology, and for hosting information sessions
with student support staff.
A. Curriculum
To address issues specific to General Biology, the plan would involve:
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Testing early in General Biology and offering an option for poor performers to transfer into BI115, a preparatory course (to be piloted in fall 2011 and expanded in spring 2012).
Working with Institutional Research to track students through program and on to four-year
schools (every year).
Developing and administering exit surveys for General Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, and
Microbiology to obtain outcomes assessment (to be developed in fall 2011 and implemented in
spring 2012 and examined every year thereafter).
Revisiting and updating all articulations, one with Molloy to be completed and one with SUNY
Maritime that is anticipated (to be completed over two years and reviewed every two years); an
articulation director will be hired in fall 2012 to oversee all articulation efforts and provide
support to academic departments.
The course numbering issue brought up in the report as a program weakness is actually a systemic problem
at the college that will ultimately be addressed subsequent to the launch of Pathways in fall 2013. Some
course prefixes and numbers have already been changed in other areas.
To address the issues raised about data in the site team report, OAA has collaborated with Institutional
Research to establish standardized data sets, much like that presented by the external reviewers, for use by
review committees for their analysis of academic programs and assessment of student outcomes. These data
sets will be used in the next round of program reviews in 2013-2014 (ETAC of ABET is scheduled for
2012-2013).
During the 2012-2012 academic year, discussions between the departments of Biological Sciences and
Geology and Health, Physical Education, and Dance took place in an effort to reorganize the departmental
sponsorship of Health Science articulations in the health areas. This reorganization is ongoing and has
resulted elsewhere in the development of health- and nutrition-related concentrations that have been
proposed for the LA1 program in the new Pathways framework.
B. Timetable for assessment
A department committee was been formed to lead the assessment effort according to the schedule below.
Additional information might be provided in the year-end report.
Key courses to
be assessed
BI 201
BI 202
BI 301
BI 302
BI 311
General Education
Objectives ( 1-10)
2, 5, 9
2, 5, 9
2, 5, 9
2, 5, 9
2, 5, 9
Date last
assessed
2010
2011
2011
2009
2009
Date of next
assessment
2012, 2014
2012, 2014
2014
2014
2014
C. Personnel, equipment, facilities, and resource changes
The plan called for more Smart rooms, including update of M-255, more laboratory safety equipment and
new laboratory stools.
D. Student recruitment and student support activities
On a periodic basis, the department will host, with the support of OAA, informational meetings with student
support staff to ensure that program requirements and student options are understood.
cc:
Dr. Diane Call, Interim President
Dr. Arthur Corradetti, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Dr. Urszula Golebiewska, Biological Sciences and Geology
Dr. Bryn Mader, Biological Sciences and Geology
Dr. Andrew Nguyen, Biological Sciences and Geology