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Summary of 2015-16 Program Review for English, Year 3
By Marcia Corcoran, Dean
Curriculum: New English AA-T degree with 2 new courses for the degree. New Youth Literature
Course and revision of English Grammar (ENGL 107) to experimental ENGL 149F (Proofreading
and Editing). Collaboration for General Studies (GNST 5) Passion and Purpose course for first-year
students. ESL/English discussions to support student success for pre-1A ESL students (ongoing).
Instruction: Focus on quality of instruction, relationship with students, and maintaining consistent
standards. Development of new interdisciplinary learning communities (Change It Now)
thematically focused around social justice issues and, with college, design thematic English courses
integrated in First-Year-Experience cohorts in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
(STEM); Business; and Athletics.Flex-day paper norming sessions.“Teacher Talk” brown bags to
share instructional and pedagogical best practices within the department.
Student Success: Overall success in English courses remains at 67%. The disproportionate success
among black and Latino students has led department to focus on building more community, staff
development around equity, and improving assessment.The English Department has had concerns
about student persistence, particularly in our Basic Skills classes and is working to guide more
students into ESL and support classes so as to see more success later on.
Initiatives: Black and Latino English Achievement Gap FIG. Adjunct Teacher Research for
English Faculty Retreat. Re-examination of English placement scores and discussions around
ENGL 1A, perhaps adding a lab component. Change It Now collaboration with the Career
Pathways Trust to develop and strengthen its pathway to completion. Strategies for building
community and increasing engagement for students (see “Recommendations” section below).
Human Resources: New hiring process for adjunct faculty including a teaching demonstration,
implemented in Spring 2014.With 7 retirements in English and only 1 replacement, and with the
creative English faculty using up to 3 FTEF in reassigned time serving the entire college, the fulltime to part-time ratio is down to 43% of the FTEF for Fall 2014, with 19 full timers and 43 part
timers.Need 3 new full time faculty and any new replacement positions (currently 1). Need
reassigned time for an English Coordinator (.35 FTEF). Need increase in the reassigned time for
the Writing Reading Across the Curriculum (additional .175 FTEF) Coordinator, who develops the
academic student support and tutoring programs in English and works with other departments to
develop writing and reading across the curriculum (total additional requested = +.525 FTEF).Need
Instructional Assistant/IT support to assist students and faculty in building 100 and WRAC, hired as
part of the Learning Connection. Need 15 Learning Assistants and 5 additional WRAC Tutors.
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Fiscal Resources: Need more counseling, library, and tutoring hours to better support student
success. The department requests 7.8 more FTEF to offer more classes identified as bottlenecks.
$11,500 for adjunct research/faculty retreat. $25,000 for Equity planning and retreat. $2700 English
placement initiative. $400 ESL/English retreat. $160 in supplies.
Physical Resources: English will receive an additional classroom with computers in building 100
to be shared with other disciplines for signing up classes. They will also have a WRAC Center, a
recording studio, and a student inquiry area in building 100. $2099. for podiums in classrooms.
Technical Resources: Updated English department website with faculty resources posted online.
RequestWrite Outloud software ($3800) for computers in 354 and in building 100.
Outreach & Articulation: High school outreach through Hayward Promise Neighborhoods
(Tennyson, Mt. Eden, and Hayward High Schools) and through Career Pathways Trust, to explore
curriculum, placement, and use of multiple assessment measures.
Student Learning Outcomes:
~CLO:All (see below). ~PLO:2 English (developmental, composition, AA-degree and transfer), 2
for Creative Writing and Literature electives (certificates, GE, and transfer)
~Number of courses w/ outcomes:All: 17 English, 1 SERV
~Number of courses with assessments:101A/101/102 assessed in Fall 13 and Closing the Loop
discussions completed in Spring 2014. ENGL 1A 28% and ENGL 4 37% assessed in Fall 13 and
discussions completed in Spring 14. ENGL 7 66% assessed in Spring 13 and discussions completed
in Fall 2014. All other courses assessed and Closing the Loop discussions completed.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES yes XX
no
RECOMMENDATIONS: Are recommendations connected to assessment outcomes?
Yes. ENGL 107 Grammar course revised as data collected showed class helped students
understand usage errors but only in their own writing, not of value in and of itself.
Seeing an inconsistency across course outcomes of part-time and full-time faculty in core
English courses with large numbers of sections resulted in (1) recommending norming for responses
to grading essays on a regular basis; (2) enhancing the hiring, mentoring, and evaluation of hiring
part-time faculty; and (3) requesting reinstatement of an English Coordinator with reassigned time
to help create more program coherence.
Seeing a need for students to have more awareness of English majors and for majors having
more identity led to (1) developing ongoing guest lectures/reading/events; (2) developing an
English club for English majors; (3) reaching out to majors and potential majors.
Seeing disproportionate impact on students of color and lack of success in basic skills have
led to various Equity proposals, including (1) enhanced direct support for African American
students; (2) more Language Arts Learning Assistants and tutors; (3) an Equity FIG; (4)
ESL/English collaboration; (5) exploration of placement procedures and further connections with
high schools; (6) culture of collaboration with students, especially in Learning Communities,
GNSTs, Service Learning and other opportunities for student leadership.
Date:11-09-2014
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