Chabot College Program Review
Student Services Program Review Summary
Unit/Area: Counseling Center
Division/Area to Which You Report: Counseling
Author(s) of this Unit Plan: Kimberly Blackwell, Patricia Molina, Becky Plaza, and Felicia Tripp
Today’s Date: March 10, 2011
School Year Program Review Completed: 2010-2011
Audience: IPBC; Program Review Committee; Deans/Unit Administrators; Budget Committee
Purpose: To provide evidence of progress on from previous year and to provide input into planning for subsequent years.
Instructions: If you have completed your unit plan last year, please update your timeline and answer the questions below. If you are updating/changing
your timeline, list the appropriate year in which revisions were made.
1A. Problem Statement: Summarize your original Program Review conclusions (or if this was done in last year’s unit plan, please update).
1B. Analysis: What was the basis for these new and/or continuing conclusions?
(Note: Data in boldface needs to be updated with current year figures. Due to time constraints, we were unable to finalize this data collection.)
The counseling division has suffered a $700,000 budget reduction including Matriculation ($400,000) and General Fund ($300,000) in a year
where Chabot enrolled 1,000 more students than the year before. Front Desk counseling has provided decent access, but the resources to
provide enough appointment-based counseling to increase persistence and success and follow-up for students at-risk of dropping out has been
severely reduced, to the point where our institutional retention, persistence and success statistics are likely to show a return to decreasing
success.
The increased collaboration of the faculty and classified professional staff through the Front Desk Counselor structure has continued to increase
the quantity of service to students. For example, over 1,555 more students were seen in 2009-2010 than in 2008-2009 as revealed in the
SARS data. This statistic mirrors the overall student enrollment increase of about 1000 students. Due to the gain of two full-time counselor
positions, there were also over 1200 more students served by appointment since August 1, 2010 where most of the quality counseling can
occur for: Student Education Plans, Success Contracts, Transcript Review, Veterans Education Plans and Financial Aid progress checks. The
appointment no show rate is continuing to decrease with 625 less students not attending scheduled counseling appointments compared to last
year (1,800 down to 1,175) a result we believe was due to the Front Desk Counselor and supporting focus inquiry group on the front desk
model as well as required meetings with the Dean and Dean petitions before another appointment can be made.
With the move to the new Student Services Building, we’ve been able to expand services in the Career and Transfer Center to
continue to support the career, employment and transfer needs of our students. The FIPSE grant received by Chabot
($538,000 over three years) continues to support the career, employment and transfer needs of our students. An increase
career/transfer counselors and peer advisors are also being funded through this grant.
Personal and mental health counseling services continue to see a high demand with over 150 appointments requested per year in counseling.
New student assessment and orientation numbers are also increasing markedly with over 1,500 applications received through the Early
Chabot College Program Review
Decision Program and over 1300 assessed (up from 100 applications and 700 students assessed last spring 2009). Student followup services for students on academic and/or progress probation were coordinated for over 2,400 students through the spring registration
cycle. Minimal student follow-up services continue until the next fiscal year due to the previous 62% Matriculation reduction and $100,000
general fund adjunct counseling reduction for FY 09-10, and the current budget cuts.
2. Service Area Outcomes Inventory
a. What percentage of courses in your discipline have Student Learning Outcomes developed? 100%, see instructional unit program review.
b. How many Student Learning Outcomes are there on average per course? 2-3, see instructional unit program review.
c. What percentage of course SLOs in your discipline have been assessed? 40% of the courses offered during the 09-11 academic years have been
assessed. See instructional unit program review.
d. What percentage of courses in your discipline have had the assessments reflected upon, or discussed with colleagues, or discussed with the
college at large? 40%, see instructional unit program review.
e. Has your discipline determined any actions that might be taken as a result of this data, or insights?
Service Area Outcome #1: Staff, Counselors and Student Assistants will indicate satisfaction with work environment on staff
survey administered by Institutional Research
 SAO Assessment: Utilize Institutional Research staff survey to administer annually to Counseling Division.
We are currently in process with this SAO. Our next steps include:
 Consulting with Institutional Research on the process and survey tool development
 Developing the survey tool
 Administering the survey (Institutional Research staff will administer)
 Evaluating results
 Taking appropriate actions based on survey results
Service Area Outcome#2: Counseling Division personnel will participate in Division Meetings and Retreats and propose
solutions to policy and procedural issues identified
 SAO Assessment: A tally of meeting and retreat attendance and list of solutions to problems/issues identified.
The Counseling Center is scheduled to meet every Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm during the academic year for staff meetings. During these
meetings, many proposals and solutions to policy and procedural issues have been identified, implemented, or are in progress. Some
successful proposals and implementations include the following:
 New process and form for completing Financial Aid Student Academic Progress to ensure maximized use of appointment time
 Developed a more precise prerequisite override form to ensure students are able to register in all eligible classes
 Created new Student Educational Plan Readiness screening process to maximize use of appointment time
 Developed updated appointment referral slip to more accurately identify student needs and streamline scheduling of appointments
for maximum efficiency
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Some proposals currently being reviewed and developed include:
 Review of the prerequisite challenge process and forms
 Review of the class repeat process and petition
 Development of a counselor handbook as a tool to streamline and ensure consistency in counseling services
 Evaluate need for more teambuilding and collaboration amongst administrators, counselors, and staff
 Evaluate how to integrate peer advisors into counseling services
 Discuss most effective allocation of staff meeting time
Service Area Outcome#3: Counseling Division Committees, Coordinators and Administrators will utilize student data to
inform decision-making on policies, procedures and curriculum that affect student access, retention and success.
 SAO Assessment: SARS and Banner Data will be used in all committees on a regular basis to inform decision-making.
The Counseling Center has been able to implement many new procedures and policies based on SARS data tracking. These include:
 An appointment priority system was developed that maximizes appointment availability, increasing access for students. Based
upon an analysis of utilization and type of appointment being scheduled in the Counseling Center, the scheduling system was
restructured. This new system allows counselors and front desk staff to best identify the next available appointment and serve
students more efficiently.
 Because of the scheduling system change, a new Front Desk Appointment Referral form was developed to more effectively identify
student needs.
 Career and Transfer Center utilization has been tracked, and counseling discovered 30% of users were African American students.
The Counseling Center plans to use this information to better connect with this underserved population of students.
 SARS Call, an appointment reminder system, has been used on a more regular basis, decreasing the number of appointment no
shows.
 SARS Alert system is being used regularly to identify students who have completed academic probation contracts and financial aid
student academic progress forms to reduce appointment duplication
Service Area Outcome#4: Counseling Division will utilize cross-functional teams to improve service to students such as the
Front Desk Committee, Dean’s Advisory, International Students Program Council, Matriculation Advisory Council and new
technology initiative core groups such as Degree Audit and Web Portal design teams, utilizing Division Meetings to report
back and solicit input on recommendations.
 SAO Assessment: Meeting schedules and membership will reflect an ongoing effort to ensure services are student-centered, systemsoriented and contributing to student learning outcomes and student success.
Throughout the 09-11 academic years, the Front Desk committee has met on a consistent basis, making numerous recommendations
that have been accepted and implemented, or are in process of being implemented. These include:
 The more precise prerequisite override form to ensure students are able to register in all eligible classes
 The creation of a new Student Educational Plan Readiness screening process to maximize use of appointment time
 An updated appointment referral slip to more accurately identify student needs and streamline scheduling of appointments for
maximum efficiency
 An appointment priority system that maximizes appointment availability, increasing access for students.
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The review of the prerequisite challenge process and forms
The review of the class repeat process and petition
Increased collegiality between faculty and classified staff professionals
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During the 09-11 academic years, the acting Matriculation Coordinator, the Assessment Coordinator, the_______(Stacy – need her
official title), met on a regular ad hoc basis to streamline and review matriculation processes, the Early Decision program for
incoming high school students, and the Mega Day event.

The Dean’s Advisory met during 09-10 academic year, but not during the 10-11 academic year.
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The International Students Program Council met throughout the 09-11 academic years, however, upcoming staffing changes will
affect its format in the future.
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Building on the Degree Audit training provided in the 08-09 academic year, an additional training was provided for counselors and
staff in March 2011. Development of this program continues.
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The Web Portal Design Team met and identified strategies to create a more student-centered web page. The committee lead
conducted extensive best practices research and identified two model sites to inform Chabot College Counseling Center website
development. Given the proposed elimination of Chabot’s webmaster position, the format of this project may be put on hold.
Service Area Outcome#5: The Counseling Division will provide opportunities for professional development through input to
the Dean’s Advisory and Division Meeting agendas as well as supporting individual professional development opportunities for
faculty and staff.
 SAO Assessment: Professional development will be a standing item on the Division and Dean’s Advisory agendas.
 Given the economic downturn and the extensive cuts to counseling over the past few years, professional development has been
discussed, but is not among top priorities, as there has been a need to prioritize direct student services. This topic has recently
begun to receive more attention at Counseling Center Staff Meetings, and will be further nurtured during the 11-12 academic year.
Some upcoming professional development opportunities include:
o The attendance of the Ensuring Transfer Success conference by four full-time counselors
o The opportunity to attend Eureka trainings
o Faculty from other departments regularly visit division meetings to inform Counseling Center faculty and staff about new
academic programs and changes
o Faculty and staff regularly consult with each other regarding policies, procedures, and to fulfill in-house training needs, such
as the mentoring and training of new faculty and staff
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3. List your accomplishments. How do they relate to your program review, unit planning and SAO/SLO work? Please cite any relevant data
elements (e.g., efficiency, persistence, FT/PT faculty ratios, SAO/SLO assessment results, external accreditation demands, etc.).
Service Area Outcome #1: Staff, Counselors and Student Assistants will indicate satisfaction with work environment on staff
survey administered by Institutional Research
 The successful move to the new Student Services building has facilitated collaboration among staff, counselors and students within the
Counseling Center and supported collegiality with other student service areas.
 Despite the reduction in adjunct hours, the hiring of two new faculty members has helped the Counseling Center take steps toward
addressing the increasing student demand given our growing student population.
Service Area Outcome#2: Counseling Division personnel will participate in Division Meetings and Retreats and propose
solutions to policy and procedural issues identified
 The Counseling Center….
o Designed a new process and form for completing Financial Aid Student Academic Progress to ensure maximized use of
appointment time
o Developed a more precise prerequisite override form to ensure students are able to register in all eligible classes
o Created new Student Educational Plan Readiness screening process to maximize use of appointment time
o Developed updated appointment referral slip to more accurately identify student needs and streamline scheduling of
appointments for maximum efficiency
Service Area Outcome#3: Counseling Division Committees, Coordinators and Administrators will utilize student data to
inform decision-making on policies, procedures and curriculum that affect student access, retention and success.
The Counseling Center has been able to implement many new procedures and policies based on SARS data tracking. These include:
 An appointment priority system was developed that maximizes appointment availability, increasing access for students. Based upon
an analysis of utilization and type of appointment being scheduled in the Counseling Center, the scheduling system was
restructured. This new system allows counselors and front desk staff to best identify the next available appointment and serve
students more efficiently.
 Because of the scheduling system change, a new Front Desk Appointment Referral form was developed to more effectively identify
student needs.
 Career and Transfer Center utilization has been tracked, and counseling discovered 30% of users were African American students.
The Counseling Center plans to use this information to better connect with this population of students.
 SARS Call, an appointment reminder system, has been used on a more regular basis, decreasing the number of appointment no
shows.
 SARS Alert system is being used regularly to identify students who have completed academic probation contracts and financial aid
student academic progress forms to reduce appointment duplication
Chabot College Program Review
Service Area Outcome#4: Counseling Division will utilize cross-functional teams to improve service to students such as the
Front Desk Committee, Dean’s Advisory, International Students Program Council, Matriculation Advisory Council and new
technology initiative core groups such as Degree Audit and Web Portal design teams, utilizing Division Meetings to report
back and solicit input on recommendations.
 An Early Decision newsletter was developed and distributed to all feeder high schools as an informational outreach tool to address the
budget cuts to the historical high school counselor luncheon. This outreach effort was created by a subcommittee of the Matriculation
Advisory Council which included the matriculation and assessment coordinators and (Stacy – need official title).
 Mega Day, an outreach event directed by the Matriculation Advisory Council, was a successful outreach event serving ### students in
2010. Planning for Mega Day 2011 is underway with an expectation of an increased number of attendees. This expectation stems from
the budget cuts in higher education in California which are pushing more graduating high school seniors into community colleges versus
4 year universities.
Service Area Outcome#5: The Counseling Division will provide opportunities for professional development through input to
the Dean’s Advisory and Division Meeting agendas as well as supporting individual professional development opportunities for
faculty and staff.
 Faculty and staff regularly consult with each other regarding policies, procedures, and to fulfill in-house training needs, such as the
mentoring and training of new faculty and staff
 For new hires, time was allocated specifically for the purpose of professional development which included mentoring, training on
counseling center policy and procedures and shadowing of other professionals in the center.
The Counseling Center also had accomplishments in other areas. Some examples of these achievements are:
 We improved access to on-line services for students. More specifically:
o The on-line orientation was revised to be more student-focused. As a result, utilization of this service option significantly
increased.
4. List your new and continuing unit goals. Based upon what you accomplished, do you have any changes you are making to your goals or
timeline? Please make any revisions to the timeline on the next page.
Continuing goals (if you did not do a unit plan, skip to the next box):
Service Area Outcome #1: Staff, Counselors and Student Assistants will indicate satisfaction with work environment on staff
survey administered by Institutional Research
 Continue transition into new Community and Student Services Center. Strive to: a) hone use of customer service counters to enhance
front desk counseling during peak usage periods, b) utilize hallway, pod and workroom space to support teambuilding and collegiality.
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Service Area Outcome#2: Counseling Division personnel will participate in Division Meetings and Retreats and propose
solutions to policy and procedural issues identified
 Provide ongoing professional development through bi-weekly division meetings, striving to identify in-house, on-line or local affordable
training opportunities for staff and faculty.
Service Area Outcome#3: Counseling Division Committees, Coordinators and Administrators will utilize student data to
inform decision-making on policies, procedures and curriculum that affect student access, retention and success.
 Continue to integrate SAOs and SLOs into program review, unit planning and staff and faculty development. Received commendations
from Accreditation Site Team visit in October 2009 for connecting Service Area Outcomes with Program Review and Unit Planning
 Fully assess student learning outcomes from Success Contract, Financial Aid progress reports, and Student Educational Plan counseling
services
Service Area Outcome#4: Counseling Division will utilize cross-functional teams to improve service to students such as the
Front Desk Committee, Dean’s Advisory, International Students Program Council, Matriculation Advisory Council and new
technology initiative core groups such as Degree Audit and Web Portal design teams, utilizing Division Meetings to report
back and solicit input on recommendations.
 Continue to implement the BSI internal grant of $50,000 for enhanced new student follow-up, focusing on African-American,
Chicano/Latino and low-income students to increase persistence;
 Continue to implement the Jump Start BSI program for late-arriving students with Language Arts and Math Division faculty/deans. In
the 09-10 academic year, this program increased persistence of these at-risk students by 7%.
 Continue to carry out the $538,000 three-year FIPSE grant to increase persistence and success of adult and dislocated workers.
Development of this grant has led to increased counseling services within the Career and Transfer Center.
 Continue implementation of the $610,000 Workforce Investment Board American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant for dislocated
workers. A portion of these funds has supported the creation of the SHIFT Program (Solutions, Help, Information, Focus Training)
which serves displaced, adult and otherwise dislocated workers. This initiative has supported greater access to students in the areas of
career and academic counseling, with the aims of efficiently facilitating gainful employment and completion of certificates and degrees
for students.
 Continue to serve at-risk student populations, particularly, students who did not graduate from high school. In the 09-10 academic
year, the Counseling Center served over 900 students through the extension of the $500,000 CAHSEE grant for this population. (Need
stats from ???)
 Continue to provide counseling services to an increasing amount (25,000+ per year) of students in a variety of student-centered
counseling service formats including group counseling, front desk counseling, email counseling and cohort-based counseling and
instruction. The number of students grows steadily because of the influxes of students from the CSU and UC systems as well as those
who have been victims of the economic downturn. During the 09-10 academic year, the Counseling Center increased the quantity of
students served by over 1,555 students, or 8% over the 08-09 year which saw an 18% increase from the year prior.
 Continue coordination of involvement of over 27 employees in the Medi-Cal Administrative Activities revenue-generation program.
 Continue implementation of Peer Mentor program that served over 150 late-arriving students during the last two years. Because of this
program, new students, who are often at risk, first-time college students, have had increased support during peak registration periods,
Chabot College Program Review
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connected with current student mentors and learned about crucial campus resources.
Continue to enhance student follow-up for at-risk students through increased participation in the Early Decision Matriculation Program.
Continue to streamline business practices in new Community and Student Services Center, leveraging co-locations with Special
Programs, Assessment, in addition to Financial Aid, Admissions and Records and Online Services
New goals:
Service Area Outcome #1: Staff, Counselors and Student Assistants will indicate satisfaction with work environment on staff
survey administered by Institutional Research
 Conduct work environment satisfaction survey with guidance from Institutional Research and input in design and implementation from
staff, counselors and student assistants.
Service Area Outcome#2: Counseling Division personnel will participate in Division Meetings and Retreats and propose
solutions to policy and procedural issues identified
The Counseling Center staff is scheduled to meet on a weekly basis to discuss any issues pertaining to the services we provide, policies and
procedures, updates on campus wide information and any other issues pertaining to the Counseling Center staff and faculty.
 Create counselor handbook to clarify existing and new policies which will also improve consistency of policy implementation. This will
ensure that policies are applied equally to students and that the policies are aligned with the College’s and State’s academic
regulations.
 Collaborate with faculty, staff and administrators through teambuilding activities to create a collegial environment.
 Evaluate and prioritize agenda items to ensure effective use of meeting time.
 Plan at minimum an annual Counseling retreat which includes both Counseling Center and Special Programs Administrators,
Counselors, Staff and Peer Advisors/Mentors.
Service Area Outcome#3: Counseling Division Committees, Coordinators and Administrators will utilize student data to
inform decision-making on policies, procedures and curriculum that affect student access, retention and success.
Collaborate with faculty, staff, administrators and Institutional Research to expand current SARS-tracking data research to inform decisionmaking that will foster accountability for student success. These research projects may:
o Analyze the effectiveness of academic probation contracts, financial aid progress reports and student educational plans and their
implementation.
o Assess the additional types of counseling support services students may need such as services provided in specific languages,
intensive case management, and crisis counseling.
Service Area Outcome#4: Counseling Division will utilize cross-functional teams to improve service to students such as the
Front Desk Committee, Dean’s Advisory, International Students Program Council, Matriculation Advisory Council and new
technology initiative core groups such as Degree Audit and Web Portal design teams, utilizing Division Meetings to report
Chabot College Program Review
back and solicit input on recommendations.
 Evaluate the format of the Dean’s Advisory through input from faculty and administration.
 Redefine the International Student Council due to upcoming staff changes
 Assess new technology initiatives which may increase the effectiveness of on-line counseling services for students.
o Specifically, evaluate the new degree audit software, Degree Works.
o Identify new resources and strategies to make the Counseling Center’s website more student-friendly.
Given the economic downturn and the increase in students and their changing demographics, the Counseling Center needs to expand its
capacity to serve these diverse students. We have seen emerging needs in the following areas which can be addressed with staffing in the
following roles for the future:
 Counselor/Coordinator case management for ….
o at-risk students who may include African American, Chicano/Latino, and Low income students
o Basic skills students
o limited English students
o Formerly incarcerated and students in recovery
o Currently unemployed
o Veterans
o Re-entry students
o Students with mental health issues
o Students dealing with violence at school and in their communities
Service Area Outcome#5: The Counseling Division will provide opportunities for professional development through input to
the Dean’s Advisory and Division Meeting agendas as well as supporting individual professional development opportunities for
faculty and staff.
 Nurture discussions on professional development during our weekly staff meetings in an effort to build upon the opportunities that have
already been identified. Then identify and propose avenues for professional development with input from the faculty and staff.
 Create on campus trainings and workshops for professional development of faculty and staff on a variety of topics and issues gathered
from input.
 Allocate time to support faculty and staff opportunities for professional development off campus and in the community.
5. Discuss how these goals support the college Strategic Plan goals and/or strategies.
Continuing goals (if you did not do a unit plan, skip to the next box):
The Counseling Division goals directly support several college Strategic Plan goals and strategies such as:
 Strategic Plan Goal A: Build Awareness and Access
Chabot College Program Review
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o Increase familiarity of Chabot and its programs through the community
o Support programs and initiatives that increase the success for all students in our diverse community
o Reach out to populations under-represented in higher education
o Promote early awareness and college readiness to youth and families
Strategic Plan Goal B: Student Success
o Strengthen basic skills development as a foundation for success
o Identify and provide a variety of career paths
Strategic Plan Goal C: Community Partnership
o Increase experiential learning opportunities
o Initiate and expand partnerships among the college, businesses and community organizations
o Promote faculty and staff involvement in college and community activities
o Engage the community in campus programs and events
Strategic Plan Goal D: Vision, Leadership & Innovation
o Set Chabot’s priorities to improve institutional effectiveness
o Streamline academic and student support services
o Support effective communication both in the college and community
o Offer professional development to support teaching, learning, and operational needs
New goals:
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Strategic Plan Goal B: Student Success
o Strengthen basic skills development as a foundation for success
o Identify and provide a variety of career paths
Strategic Plan Goal D: Vision, Leadership & Innovation
o Set Chabot’s priorities to improve institutional effectiveness
o Streamline academic and student support services
o Support effective communication both in the college and community
o Offer professional development to support teaching, learning, and operational needs
6. Solution: Cut and paste your previous timeline and update the “Accomplished?” column, if necessary. Detail the plan for accomplish
your goals. If you are making revisions to your activities or timeline, please indicate that in the “Revised?” column.
Unit Action Plan Timeline
Chabot College Program Review
No.
Timeline
Milestone Activity
Person(s)
Responsible
Accomplished?
Yes/No/
In Progress*
Revised?
Yes / No
Do you need
additional funds
to support this
activity?
Yes/No
If yes, list
revision year
If, yes, what
type?**
1
May 2009
Matt/Joe
Yes
Yes, 2010
Yes – 2000’s
May 2009
Initiate Request for New Hire – Counselor Assistant I – Early
Decision
Hire replacement Counselor/Instructor due to retirement
2
Matt
No
Yes, 2010
Yes – 1000’s
3
May 2009
Hire Student Success Coordinator
Matt
No
Yes, 2010
Yes – 2000’s
4
August 2009
Write FIPSE & ACWIB grants
Matt/Yvonne
Yes
Yes, 2010
No
5
August 2009
Initiate Medi-Cal Administrative Activities Program
Matt
No
No
6
April 2010
Transition into new Community and Student Services Center
Counseling Div.
Yes/Inprogress
Yes
Yes, 2010
7
August 2011
Counseling Div.
In Progress
No
8
August 2011
Counseling Div.
In Progress
No
No
9
January 2012
Begin process of designing of work environment satisfaction
survey
Initiate discussions regarding professional development
opportunities on and off campus, which may include a retreat
Start research and planning for new resources to make the
Counseling Center’s website more student-friendly
Yes – 4000’s
Keyboard
trays
Yes – 4000’s
In Progress
No
No
10
August 2012
Begin to implement professional development activities
Web Portal
Design Team &
Counseling Div.
Counseling Div.
No
No
Yes - 4000’s
11
May 2014
Hire Counselor/Instructor to serve at-risk students
Matt
No
No
Yes – 1000’s
12
May 2014
Hire Counselor Assistant to serve at-risk students
Matt
No
No
Yes-2000’s
* Note: As you may be carrying over or planning new activities for this planning cycle, this column should list that all activities are “In Progress.”
** List types such as “equipment,” “supplies,” “staffing,” “contractual services,” etc…