Chabot College
Academic Services
Program Review Report
2016 -2017
Year in the Cycle: One
Program: GEOGRAPHY
Submitted on October 26, 2015
Contact: Don Plondke
FINAL 9/24/15
Table of Contents
_X_ Year 1
Section 1: Who We Are
Section 2: Where We Are Now
Section 3: The Difference We Hope to Make
___ Year 2
Section 1: What Progress Have We Made?
Section 2: What Changes Do We Suggest?
___ Year 3
Section 1: What Have We Accomplished?
Section 2: What’s Next?
Required Appendices:
A: Budget History
B1: Course Learning Outcomes Assessment Schedule
B2: “Closing the Loop” Assessment Reflections
C: Program Learning Outcomes
D: A Few Questions
E: New and Ongoing Initiatives and Projects
F1A: New Faculty Requests
F1B: Reassign Time Requests
F2A: Classified Staffing Requests
F2B: Student Assistant Requests
F3: FTEF Requests
F4: Academic Learning Support Requests
F5: Supplies Requests
F6: Services/Contracts and Conference/Travel Requests
F7: Technology and Other Equipment Requests
F8: Facilities
YEAR ONE
Resource Request Spreadsheet Directions:
In addition to completing the narrative portion of program review, add all your requests to a single
Resource Request Spreadsheet:
a. Follow the link to the spreadsheet provided in Appendix F1A, save the spreadsheet where you
can continue to access it and add requested resources from each appendix to it as appropriate.
Once completed, submit to your Dean/Area Manager with this finalized Program Review
Narrative.
b. Requests should be made for augmented/ additional resources (more than what you are already
receiving). If you have questions about what constitutes an “additional/augmented” request,
please talk with your administrator who can tell you what maintenance resources you are
already receiving.
c. Prioritize your requests using the criteria on the spreadsheet. Your Administrator will compile a
master spreadsheet and prioritize for his or her entire area.
d. Submit resource requests on time so administrators can include requests in their prioritization
and discuss with their area at November division meetings.
1. Who We Are
Limit your narrative to no more than one page. Describe your program--your mission, vision,
responsibilities and the goals of your area. How does your area support the college? What impact do
you have on student learning? Describe the number and type of faculty in your area.
Geography introduces students to principles, theory, and applied methods of spatial
analysis in studying both the natural and human environment. Our programs provide
students with foundational knowledge and essential skills of the geography profession
and prepare them for upper division university course work in geography and related
fields of study. Geography’s programs are designed to develop the student’s awareness
of human-environment relationships and changes in the physical and cultural landscape
induced by human activities.
One of our primary goals is to teach students how to evaluate and critically utilize the
expanding technologies in geography and how to appreciate the value of modern
technologies of remote sensing and geospatial information in humankind’s efforts to
monitor change and practice sustainable resource management in Earth’s complex and
sensitive environments.
Geography is an integrative field and all our courses are intertwined with foundational
curricula in many majors and pathways of undergraduate study. Geography’s themes
and perspectives are directly aligned with Chabot’s college-wide learning goal to direct
the student’s vision toward greater “global and cultural involvement”. Students are
exposed to the methodologies of geographic inquiry that seek to explain observed
locational patterns through critical analysis and hypothesis testing.
At present, in Fall semester 2015, Geography has one full-time faculty member and
three (3) adjunct instructors. For academic year 2016-2017, it will be critical to hire at
least one new full-time Geography Instructor. During the academic years 2000-2011,
Chabot had 2 full-time Geography Instructors. Desre Anderes retired in 2011. Since Fall
semester, 2011 we have only one who teaches 4-5 different courses in Geography
1
every semester. We are now employing 3 very fine adjunct instructors to teach the highdemand course sections of Geography 1, 1L, and 12. In recent semesters, our three
adjunct instructors have accounted for 1.35- 1.50 FTEF per semester, or about 55-60%
of the load. Instructor FTEF allocation for Geography's course offerings has reached a
near-crisis condition.
2. Where We Are Now
Complete Appendices A (Budget History), B1, C (PLO's), and D (A few questions) prior to writing your
narrative. You should also review your most recent success, equity, course sequence, and enrollment
data at http://www.chabotcollege.edu/programreview/Data2015.asp. Limit your narrative to two
pages.
As you enter a new Program Review cycle, reflect on your achievements over the last few years. What
did you want to accomplish? What are your Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Service Area
Outcomes (SAOs), and what progress have you made toward achieving them? What are you most proud
of?
Reflect on your curriculum as well as your success, retention, and enrollment data. What trends do you
observe? Do you see differences based on gender and/or ethnicity? Between on-campus and online or
hybrid online courses? Provide comparison points (college-wide averages, history within your program,
statewide averages).
Discuss other important trends that will have a significant impact on your unit over the next three years.
Those could include technology, facilities, equipment, and student demand.
Describe how changes in resources provided to your area have impacted your achievements. What
opportunities and challenges do your foresee in the next three years?
ACHIEVEMENTS
In the last 3-year Program Review cycle, Geography made strides in facilitating degree and
transfer pathways for our current and prospective students. We developed a new Geography
A.A. for Transfer degree that was approved by the state and we acquired C-ID approval for 7 of
our courses.
In an effort to intensify student interest in the urgent world issue of climate change and global
warming, Chabot Geography applied in 2013, and was accepted, for participation in a new
nationwide course implementation effort sponsored by the American Meteorological Society
(AMS), Second Nature, and the National Science Foundation. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution
(HSI), Chabot qualifies to participate in this project, designed to introduce sustainability-focused
curricula. The name of the program is the AMS Climate Studies Diversity Project. Chabot is
also a signatory to the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment. The
instructors of Geography at Chabot persist in the objective to elevate awareness of
environmental change and the problems of environmental sustainability in the face of a growing
world population and trends in globalization.
Spring 2014 was our first experiment in using the AMS Climate Studies curriculum as course
content (see further discussion of Climate Studies in Appendix E). In Spring 2015, we ran the
“prototype” course for a second time as the pedagogy for GEOG 8 (Introduction to Weather and
Climate). Approval was obtained from the Chabot Curriculum Committee for a new Geography
2
13 course that institutionalizes the AMS Climate Studies course as a permanent part of our
Geography curriculum. AMS Climate Studies has many course components that challenge
introductory students in climate to use current state-of-the-art climate observation technologies
to understand natural and human-induced climate changes and trends, and to assess the
potential benefits and costs of society’s policy choices in adaptation to, and mitigation of, a
changing global climate.
In support of our courses in GIS and our Certificate of Proficiency in GIS program, we acquired
the funding to purchase annually a subscription to the GIS Collaborative of the Foundation of
California Community Colleges (FCCC). The annual subscription provides us with version
updates to our ArcGIS software and maintains our site license. The newest version of the GIS
software package developed by the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), ArcGIS
10.3, gives students and faculty access to the most up-to-date functionality in making maps in a
PC workstation environment, a wealth of datasets for mapping, and online resources to perform
geographic analysis.
In Spring 2015, Geography completed its 3-year cycle of course learning outcomes (CLO)
assessments and “closed the loop” on all of our active Geography courses (see Appendices F1
& F2). We used our requested funding for instructional supplies to purchase large-format
laminated classroom wall maps of the world, the United States, and California, and sample
minerals and rock sets for use in Geography Lab classes.
An ongoing goal of our Geography programs is to improve student learning of essential
geographic concepts. In this effort over the last several years, some Geography faculty have
incorporated Reading Apprenticeship (RA) strategies in our courses to elevate students’
metacognitive skills and awareness of the forms and patterns of geographic writing. Also in
support of achieving more success in learning outcomes, we have actively recruited Geography
peer tutors and study group leaders in collaboration with The Learning Connection.
Progress toward our goal of improved learning of essential geographic concepts and toward the
Strategic Plan goal to get students on their “critical path” more quickly can be partly measured
by examining trends in enrollments and success rates across the Geography curriculum.
SUCCESS RATES
GEOG 1 and GEOG 1L success rates
100
90
80
70
60
50
Geography 1
40
Geography 1L
30
20
10
0
Fall 12
Spr 13
Fall 13
Spr 14
Fall 14
Spr 15
3
Success rates in GEOG 1 (Intro to Physical Geography) are consistent, ranging between 70-77% from Fall
2012 through Spring 2015. Generally, success rates in GEOG 1 are lower by 5-10 percentage points than
rates for the other Geography courses. This is partly attributable to the students’ sets of analytical skills
that are challenged in a natural science course (GEOG 1) vis à vis those on the social science side of
geography. Large class sizes for GEOG 1 and inconsistent attendance by large proportions of students in
these classes also contribute to lower success rates. Success rates in Physical Geography Laboratory
(GEOG 1L) and Geographic Information Systems (GEOG 20) are consistently very high. In GEOG 1L
particularly, success rates have exceed 90% every semester since Spring 2011. This consistency likely is
due to the pedagogical methods of course delivery. Student performance depends primarily upon
completion of weekly exercises that apply principles of physical geography to map reading, spatial
analysis problems, and observations of the environment. Students who persist in weekly completion of
the sequence of exercises are almost invariably successful in the course. The same approach and
scenario for student success applies to our courses in Geographic Information Systems. Success rates in
GEOG 20 were 83% and 86% in the two offerings of the course, Fall 2012 and Fall 2014. In Fall 2013, a
small number of students (4) enrolled in GEOG 21 (our second-level GIS course). The low 50% success
rate in this single offering of GEOG 21 reflects lack of consistent participation in course activities by 2
students who withdrew from the course.
success rates: GEOG 2, GEOG 5, GEOG 12
100
90
80
70
60
GEOG 2
50
GEOG 5
40
GEOG 12
30
20
10
0
Fall 12
Spr 13
Fall 13
Spr 14
Fall 14
Spr 15
The graph immediately above shows success rate trends in GEOG 2, GEOG 5, and GEOG 12. It can be
seen in the graph that success rates in GEOG 5 (World Regional Geography) have ranged between 7080% over the last 3 academic years. Prior to this period, success rates were somewhat lower in the
spring semesters when the course was offered online rather than in the classroom. In the classroom
setting, there is more direct opportunity to observe student engagement and to reinforce essential
concepts in regional geography whenever difficulties are detected. Another major factor in GEOG 5 is
4
that, until Spring 2015, withdrawal rates were higher for semesters in which the course is conducted
online. Success rates in GEOG 2 (Cultural Geography) had increased from 60-70% in academic year 20102011 up to 80-87% during the 6 subsequent semesters through Spring 2014. In academic year 20142015 the success rates dropped. The instructor’s implementation of some techniques from the Reading
Apprenticeship program and placement of greater emphasis placed on the basic vocabulary of
geography are contributing to improved student engagement with the texts and helping students retain
more about essential concepts.
Success rates in GEOG 12 (Geography of California) were consistently high and even rising during the last
few semesters (through Fall 2012) for students under the tutelage of our late Professor Myron
Gershenson. His long experience in teaching the course at Chabot and his mature understanding of
California’s geography made GEOG 12 a popular and successful course over many years. The drop in
student success to 80% to 65% to 41% in Spring 2013, Fall 13, and Fall 2014, respectively, may reflect
our need to recruit a new adjunct instructor with some expertise in this subject area (see Appendix F1).
GEOG 8 success rate
90
80
79
70
66
60
52
50
GEOG 8
40
30
20
10
0
Spr 13
Spr 14
Spr 15
For GEOG 8 (Introduction to Weather and Climate) in the graph above, success rates show a marked
decline in from 79% to 66% to 52% across the last three Spring semesters. Spring 2014 was our first
experiment in using the AMS Climate Studies curriculum for course content (see discussion of Climate
Studies in Appendix E). The AMS Climate Studies course has many components in its delivered content
that are challenging to introductory-level students. Spring 2014 saw a higher withdrawal rate (25%)
than in previous classes of GEOG 8, in part because of the more rigorous week-to-week assignments
imbedded in the course plan. The new pedagogy of Climate Studies exposes students to current state-ofthe-art climate observation and forecasting technologies illustrated with online climate reports,
simulations, and models. Students who persist in the course have realized the course outcomes. Future
scheduling of the Climate Studies will be offered as the new course, GEOG 13. Our goal will be to
encourage students to succeed in the course by taking greater advantage of the high-tech online
resources, stimulate greater interest in the urgent global issue of climate change, and thereby raise the
level of retention and persistence.
GEOGRAPHY’S OVERALL SUCCESS RATES
5
90
80
70
60
50
Geography success
40
Collegewide success
30
20
10
0
Fall
2012
Spring
2013
Fall
2013
Spring
2014
Fall
2014
Spring
2015
The chart directly above shows that Geography's overall success rates are consistently higher by an
average of +8.3 percentage points compared to the college's overall stable rate of 68-69% during the
last three academic years. Student success rates for Geography as a whole range between 72% and 80%
during these six semesters.
The cumulative WSCH/FTEF ratio for all Geography courses over the last three academic years was 648.
GEOG 1 generated the highest total WSCH/FTEF ratio (682) over this period, as the chart below reveals.
The lowest ratios were 465 and 475, for GEOG 20 and GEOG 8, respectively. The relatively low ratio for
the Introduction to GIS (GEOG 20) course reflects the fact that this is a specialized software training
course designed to develop the student’s skill set in map production and spatial analysis. Enrollments in
GEOG 20 have always been lower than those for the lecture-based Geography courses. Students need
more one-on-one help in learning specialized software tools, and so the smaller faculty/student ratios in
GIS courses are beneficial. Enrollments in GEOG 8 were relatively low, 32 and 25 students in the last two
classes of GEOG 8 offered in Spring 2014 and Spring 2015. The nature of enrollment and success in the
prototype Climate Studies course is discussed above (GEOG 8) and in Appendix E.
WSCH/FTEF by course, Fall '12 - Spr '15
475
GEOG 8
465
GEOG 20
634
1
GEOG 12
608
GEOG 5
688
GEOG 2
707
GEOG 1L
682
0
100
200
300
400
500
6
600
700
GEOG 1
800
CHALLENGES in pursuit of OUR GOALS
Through the entire 3-year period of our last program review cycle, Geography has not been able to gain
approval for reinstatement of funding for our Instructional Assistant staff position. This continues to be
our highest priority goal. Appendices A and F2A and the Classified Professionals Staffing Request Form
accompanying this program review describe in detail the need and rationale for restoration of funding
for this critical position. We rely on the expertise and real-time computer support of the Instructional
Assistant in our room 507 lab in order to maintain those portions of our program that depend heavily on
computer-based resources for delivery of course content and for successful interactive student learning.
The Instructional Assistant/Computer Lab Systems Administrator role is essential particularly to our
computer lab-based courses, GEOG 1L (Introduction to Physical Geography Laboratory) and GEOG 20,
GEOG 21, and GEOG 22 (Geographic Information Systems course sequence). This goal has not been
achieved because of institutional resistance at various levels over the last 3 years.
Since the retirement in Spring 2011 of full-time instructor Desre Anderes, Geography has been actively
involved in the Faculty Prioritization process. With only one full-time instructor and 3 adjunct
instructors, Geography has been seriously challenged to persevere in staffing and delivering quality
instruction for 2.15-2.5 FTEF load of courses each semester. We are grateful for the loyalty of our parttime faculty and their willingness to take on maximum adjunct loads in several semesters. In our
program reviews, we have rearticulated not only the need for, but the promises and opportunities of
hiring a new full-time instructor with good credentials for effective teaching across Geography’s
curriculum. In Appendix F1A, we restate our case for adding a new full-time Instructor of Geography.
3. The Difference We Hope to Make
Review the Strategic Plan goal and key strategies at
http://www.chabotcollege.edu/prbc/StrategicPlan/SPforPR.pdf prior to completing your narrative.
Please complete Appendices E (New and Ongoing Initiatives and Projects) and F1-8 (Resource Requests)
as relevant to your needs to support your narrative. Limit your narrative here to one page and reference
appendices where further detail can be found.
 Over the next three years, what improvements would you like to make to your program(s) to
support student learning outcomes, equity, and/or the College Strategic Plan Goal?
 What steps do you plan to take to achieve your goals? Describe your timeframe.
 Would any of your goals require collaboration with other disciplines or areas of the college?
How will that collaboration occur?
 What support will you need to accomplish your goals? (Complete Appendices and Resource
Request spreadsheet.)
HIRE NEW GEOGRAPHY INSTRUCTORS – FACILITATE STUDENT PATHWAYS
The overarching goal of Chabot’s 2012-2015 Strategic Plan is to “increase the number of students
that achieve their educational goal within a reasonable time by clarifying pathways and providing more
information and support.” The most promising and productive way that Geography can contribute to
this effort is to bring to Chabot a new full-time Geography Instructor with the potential to add energy
and expertise to our expanded programs and plans to increase the frequency of course offerings.
Appendix F1A addresses the need and hopes for a new full-time instructor. Our three programs in
support of expediting student pathways and supporting college-wide learning goals are in place. What
we require in order to realize our objectives and continue to make a significant contribution to the
college is more human resources. Toward this objective, we are now actively seeking to recruit 1-2 new
adjunct instructors, particularly to teach GEOG 1, 1L, and 12.
7
INCREASE ENROLLMENTS IN GEOGRAPHY
We have maintained high enrollments in sections of our primary course, GEOG 1 (Introduction to
Physical Geography) that consistently produces the highest WSCH/FTEF ratios for our discipline and
services hundreds of students each semester in fulfilling their GE requirement in the Natural Sciences.
The following chart suggests that enrollments in GEOG 1 have fluctuated somewhat over the last 6
semesters.
GEOG 1 enrollments
330
323
318
320
310
307
301
297
300
290
280
273
270
260
250
240
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Fall 2014
Spring 2015
GEOG 1 enrollments declined 23% overall during the last three-year program cycle, ending Spring 2014.
The drop partially reflects the smaller class sizes that adjunct instructors have rightfully maintained in
comparison to overload numbers enrolled by full-time instructors in previous years. Ms. Desre Anderes,
who retired at the end of Spring 2011, was always willing to accommodate many more students per
section of GEOG 1 than the cap of 44. Not all instructors are equally inclined to take on overload
classes. Also a factor in lower enrollments for Fall 2012 and Fall 2013 was the reduction from our normal
7 sections per semester to 6 due to enrollment management decisions. 2014 enrollments rose
somewhat, but declined in the Spring semester, 2015. Across the campus, other disciplines show a
similar drop. A decline in enrollments of 4.8% occurred for the college as a whole between Fall and
Spring of the last academic year. In Spring, college-wide enrollments fell to 87% of capacity. We are
grateful for the dedication and contributions of our adjunct faculty in maintaining high enrollments and
attracting students to our classes through high quality teaching: Matt De Verdi, Maryam Younessi, Jane
Dignon, Joe Hasty, and the late Myron Gershenson.
Over several years, our goals included maintaining high enrollments in GEOG 1 and increasing
enrollments in our other courses. In coming semesters, our goal will be to increase enrollments in all our
offered classes and add sections in conjunction with a boost in our discipline’s staffing.
8
All Geography enrollments 2012-2015
600
532
559
495
500
490
490
Spring 2014
Fall 2014
449
400
300
200
100
0
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2015
RAISE AWARENESS ON CAMPUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
There is little doubt that coming years will see a growing concern with environmental change,
conservation of the world’s resources, and public policy related to sustainability, population growth and
economic development. Geography’s methods and synthetic perspective on the interactions between
society and nature make its study a useful foundation for students whose interests are developing
toward possible careers in solving the problems of environmental degradation, consumption of
resources, and climate change. Geography’s programs at Chabot need more exposure among the
college’s communities. A worthy goal for Geography in the next three years would be to elevate
awareness of the realities of changing climate and environments, and to stimulate more interdisciplinary discussion about choices that society will have to make in order to mitigate rates of change
and adapt to the realities of a warming world.
Chabot has demonstrated its commitment to sustainable environments and has elevated the visibility of
energy-saving design with its construction and renovation projects over the past several years.
Geography has made a contribution to expanding programs and straightening pathways for students
with blossoming interests in both the physical science and social science aspects of environmental
problems. We have worked with the Curriculum Committee and articulation officials to implement the
Geography A.A.-T degree and the new Environmental Studies A.A. program. Our vision and objectives
now need to extend toward recruiting more students to these programs and elevating awareness in the
campus community generally of the academic resources we now have to help students develop their
knowledge base and critical thinking skills about the urgent global problems of environmental decline. In
Social Sciences and STEM programs’ curricula development, Chabot has not ignored the needs. Chabot
has signed the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment, installed solar panels for
lighting, built sustainable, energy-saving structures, promoted urban agriculture, and protested gasburning electric power plants. But have we done enough to convince our students that, here at Chabot,
they can begin to be active contributors to resolving the looming environmental crisis? Geography
courses are positioned at the core of understanding how our environment (physical and cultural) works.
We do not pretend to have exclusive dominion in that area of knowledge. Geography’s methodologies
promote interdisciplinary approaches. But perhaps we need in Geography to do more to advertise
ourselves, so to speak. Over the next 2-3 academic years, Geography faculty and students want to be
more self-promoting, not of ourselves as people, but as advocates of ideas, methods, resources, and
technologies that will make a difference in the planet’s future.
9
Appendix A: Budget History and Impact
Audience: Budget Committee, PRBC, and Administrators
Purpose: This analysis describes your history of budget requests from the previous two years and
the impacts of funds received and needs that were not met. This history of documented need
can both support your narrative in Section A and provide additional information for Budget
Committee recommendations.
Instructions: Please provide the requested information, and fully explain the impact of the budget
decisions.
2014-15
2014-15
2015-16
2015-16
Budget
Budget
Budget
Budget
Requested
Received
Requested
Received
Classified Staffing (# of positions)
1
0
1
Supplies & Services
$2930/$1800* $3732/$1800*
$2312
$2388
Technology/Equipment
$1710*
$1710*
0
0
Other
TOTAL
$6440
$7242
$2312
$2388
*Sept-Nov, 2014 mid-year instructional supplies & equip. request
Category
1. How has your investment of the budget monies you did receive improved student learning? When
you requested the funding, you provided a rationale. In this section, assess if the anticipated
positive impacts you projected have, in fact, been realized.
Upon receiving funding in Fall, 2014, we acquired printer supplies that enable printing of
foundational exercises and handouts for all our GEOG courses. Monies received allowed the
instructor and computer laboratory administrator to acquire laser and jetink cartridges for
reproduction of essential map and digital image instructional exercises used for Geography labs
and GIS that are much more realistic and informative for the students when produced in color.
$2000 of the amount Geography received for 2014-2015 is allocated for annual renewal of our
ArcGIS software license for our GIS courses.
As a result of the November, 2014 mid-year request for new equipment, a new HP LaserJet
Enterprise M551 color printer was installed in lab 507, as well as a new HP Scanjet N6310
Document Flatbed Scanner product. The color printer and scanner have upgraded significantly
our capability to reproduce essential map- and digital image-formatted instructional exercises
used for Physical Geography lab and GIS classes in B/W and color that the students find more
readable and informative. The new HP LaserJet Enterprise P3015n printer replaced a worn-out
office printer, and is indispensable for daily black-and-white printing of our programs’
administrative documents and classroom materials.
We also received mid-year 2014-2015 new large-format laminated maps of the world, United
States, and California, some of which have been installed in classrooms of the 500 building
where Geography classes are taught, and others made available to instructors for occasional
classroom use. Also acquired from the 2014 mid-year equipment request a 72-piece rock and
mineral set which can be used for hands-on observation and demonstration of rock and mineral
types and physical properties in our lab classes.
10
2. What has been the impact of not receiving some of your requested funding? How has student
learning been impacted, or safety compromised, or enrollment or retention negatively impacted?
The Classified Staffing request: Appendix F2A details the rationale for our ongoing
request for reinstatement of funding for our current Instructional Assistant/Systems
Administrator. For a period of a dozen years prior to the cutting off of funding for this
position, our exceptionally talented and dedicated assistant was employed by the Social
Science Division 18-20 hours per week in a part-time classified staff position. In
academic year 2010-2011, the college cut his allocation to a total of 400 hours for the
year (about 12 hours per week). Since the fall semester of 2011, he has not been paid
at all, apparently due to District HR and Chabot administrative decisions despite
repeated efforts by Social Science deans, past and present, and our Social Sciences’
Administrative Assistant to advocate for the position and suggest appropriate budget
categories as funding sources. The negative impacts have proven very significant. Over
the entire history of the Social Science Computer Lab (since 1999), the only reason why
the Social Science Computer Laboratory Room 507 has been the most reliably
functional computer laboratory on campus for is that our UNPAID Systems
Administrator continues to provide highly professional technical and instructional
support service to the lab out of his sense of loyalty and commitment to the college and
our programs. He has supported the computing and networking needs of many classes
across division boundaries, not just Geography. The impact of not receiving this
essential funding is that the semester-by-semester quality assurance of Lab 507’s digital
resources, critical in the delivery of GEOG 1L, GEOG 20, GEOG 21, PSY 5, MCOM 20,
and other courses, is seriously jeopardized. The lab is also used regularly by Chabot
committees (e.g. Curriculum and PRBC) for software training of faculty and staff (such
as that provided in since 2011 CurricUNET and SLO training, and this past year for
PACE orientation), and for periodic online testing for Math and the Nursing Program.
The demand for access and operational quality in this lab is growing while the
sustainability of the lab’s computer resources is being neglected. Without the system
administrative services and instructional support that our assistant, Mr. Brian Beard,
provides, this lab could not be used. Another direct impact of the lack of funding on
student learning specifically is our Learning Assistant/Systems Administrator’s
invaluable work insuring that Physical Geography Lab students and Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) students can successfully operate the PC workstations and
utilize our discipline-specific software for learning. Geography has been able to
generate some of the highest WSCH/FTEF “productivity” statistics in no small measure
due to the reliability and performance enhancement characteristics of our lab that Mr.
Beard assures. Geography’s ability to educate our students using contemporary tools to
illustrate the technologies of GIS, GPS, the internet, and remote sensing depends on
reliable maintenance of the hardware and software resources in Lab 507. The
configuration of user logins, software applications, and directory structures is maintained
by the system administrator, and he updates software and performs file management in
response to requests by several instructors and facilitators of specialized sessions in the
lab.
Without the college’s funding and support of our resident systems administrator’s
efforts, it is certain that our GIS courses (GEOG 20, 21) and Physical Geography labs
(GEOG 1L) as pedagogically designed cannot be continued. Mr. Beard provides timely
and high-quality maintenance of the hardware and software, and his assistance in
working with students and faculty in solving real-time technical problems is invaluable.
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Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Reporting Schedule
I.
Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes & Assessment Reporting
(CLO-Closing the Loop).
A. Check One of the Following:

No CLO-CTL forms were completed during this PR year. No Appendix B2 needs to be
submitted with this Year’s Program Review. Note: All courses must be assessed once
at least once every three years.
X Yes, CLO-CTL were completed for one or more courses during the current Year’s
Program Review. Complete Appendix B2 (CLO-CTL Form) for each course assessed this
year and include in this Program Review.
B. Calendar Instructions:
List all courses considered in this program review and indicate which year each course Closing
The Loop form was submitted in Program Review by marking submitted in the correct column.
Course
*List one course per line.
Add more rows as
needed.
GEOG 1
GEOG 1L
GEOG 2
GEOG 3
GEOG 5
GEOG 8
GEOG 10
GEOG 12
GEOG 19
GEOG 20
GEOG 21
This Year’s Program
Review
*CTL forms must be
included with this PR.
submitted
Spring 2015
submitted
Spring 2015
submitted
Spring 2015
submitted
Spring 2015
submitted
Spring 2015
submitted
Spring 2015
submitted
Spring 2015
submitted
Spring 2015
submitted
Spring 2015
submitted
Spring 2015
submitted
Spring 2015
12
Last Year’s Program
Review
2-Years Prior
*Note: These courses
must be assessed in the
next PR year.
Appendix B2: “Closing the Loop” Course-Level Assessment Reflections.
Course
Semester assessment data gathered
Number of sections offered in the semester
Number of sections assessed
Percentage of sections assessed
Semester held “Closing the Loop” discussion
Faculty members involved in “Closing the Loop” discussion
GEOG 1
Spring 2014
7
4
57%
Spring 2015
Don Plondke, Jane Dignon, Maryam
Younessi, Matt De Verdi
Form Instructions:
 Complete a separate Appendix B2 form for each Course-Level assessment reported in this
Program Review. These courses should be listed in Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Reporting Schedule.
 Part I: CLO Data Reporting. For each CLO, obtain Class Achievement data in aggregate for all
sections assessed in eLumen.
 Part II: CLO Reflections. Based on student success reported in Part I, reflect on the individual
CLO.
 Part III: Course Reflection. In reviewing all the CLOs and your findings, reflect on the course as
a whole.
PART I: COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES – DATA RESULTS
CONSIDER THE COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES INDIVIDUALLY (THE
NUMBER OF CLOS WILL DIFFER BY COURSE)
(CLO) 1: CRITICALLY DIFFERENTIATE REGIONAL SIMILARITIES AND
CONTRASTS IN CLIMATE TYPES, LANDFORM STYLES, AND BIOMES
(CLO) 2: ASSESS THE USEFULNESS OF THE TECHNOLOGIES OF
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND REMOTE SENSING IN
OBSERVING AND MODELING PHYSICAL PROCESSES
(CLO) 3: IDENTIFY TECHNIQUES IN OBSERVATION THAT COULD BE
USED TO RECOGNIZE AND/OR CLASSIFY A ROADSIDE LANDFORM
Defined Target
Scores*
(CLO Goal)
70% lvl 3-4
“competent” or
“accomplished”
Actual Scores**
(eLumen data)
75% lvl 3-4
>77% lvl 2 or
higher;
50% lvl 3-4,
75% lvl 2 or
higher
62% lvl 3-4,
77% lvl 2 or higher
50% lvl 2 or
higher
77% lvl 2-4
75% lvl 3-4
74% lvl 3-4,
~80% lvl 2 or
higher
AND ROCKTYPE
(CLO) 4: DESCRIBE THE INDIVIDUAL’S ROLE IN HIS/HER NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT
 If more CLOs are listed for the course, add another row to the table.
* Defined Target Scores: What scores in eLumen from your students would indicate success for this
CLO? (Example: 75% of the class scored either 3 or 4)
13
**Actual scores: What is the actual percent of students that meet defined target based on the eLumen
data collected in this assessment cycle?
14
PART II: COURSE- LEVEL OUTCOME REFLECTIONS
A. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 1:
1. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores exceed target.
2. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
This is an introductory natural science course and large proportion of students have some
deficiencies in English language preparation, affecting comprehension of scientific
vocabulary. Students need to spend more time with text book and its abundant online
resources.
B. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 2:
1. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores exceed targets.
2. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Frequent presentation of GIS and remote sensing applications examples increases
students awareness of, and appreciation for, the significance of these technologies in
today’s geographic research and environmental monitoring
15
C. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 3:
1. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores exceed target.
2. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
About 78% of students indicated that their observational skills showed improvement.
D. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 4:
1. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores slightly below target, but 1 percentage point.
2. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
New editions of textbooks that have expanded sections on human-induced environmental
change, as well as human mitigation and adaptation to changes may be helpful in elevating
students’ awareness of their role in the natural environment. Though difficult to quantify,
instructors see a growing sense of concern for environmental stewardship in students who
complete this course.
E. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 5: ADD IF NEEDED.
16
PART III: COURSE REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
1. What changes were made to your course based on the previous assessment cycle, the prior
Closing the Loop reflections and other faculty discussions?
Some instructors in Geography 1 have added field trip activities to increase student
interaction with ecosystems and the physical realities of our region (e.g. earthquake
hazard). In fall, 2014 we successfully launched our first section of this course fully online,
increasing accessibility to students and drawing upon online learning resources.
We reinstated a 7th section of Geography 1 to the fall semester schedule and, in summer
2014, for the first time, offered 3 sections of the course.
Alternative textbooks were used in some semesters by one or more faculty, diverting from
using the long-established text we’ve used for several years, Elemental Geosystems by R.W.
Christopherson. We also implemented for student use portions of publishers’ digital and
online learning resources (e.g. MasteringGeography by Pearson, WileyPLUS).
2. Based on the current assessment and reflections, what course-level and programmatic
strengths have the assessment reflections revealed? What actions has your discipline
determined might be taken as a result of your reflections, discussions, and insights?
strengths: Our course structure emphasizes the human-environment interactions with
deliberate attempt made to show the role of individuals and modern society in modifying
natural systems. Our instructors use in the classroom many excellent images from a diverse
set of available resources to illustrate earth processes. Faculty use up-to-date examples and
data to emphasize the ever-advancing technologies in geography.
proposed actions: We plan to increase accessibility of the course through online delivery
and summer scheduling. We are also acquiring more teaching and learning resources
through our program review process (e.g. new maps, rock & mineral sets, updated printers,
publisher and in-house online resources).
3. What is the nature of the planned actions (please check all that apply)?
 Curricular
 Pedagogical
 Resource based
 Change to CLO or rubric
 Change to assessment methods
 Other:_________________________________________________________________
Appendix B2: “Closing the Loop” Course-Level Assessment Reflections.
17
Course
Semester assessment data gathered
Number of sections offered in the semester
Number of sections assessed
Percentage of sections assessed
Semester held “Closing the Loop” discussion
Faculty members involved in “Closing the Loop” discussion
GEOG 1L
FALL 2014
1
1
100%
SPRING 2015
Don Plondke
Form Instructions:
 Complete a separate Appendix B2 form for each Course-Level assessment reported in this
Program Review. These courses should be listed in Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Reporting Schedule.
 Part I: CLO Data Reporting. For each CLO, obtain Class Achievement data in aggregate for all
sections assessed in eLumen.
 Part II: CLO Reflections. Based on student success reported in Part I, reflect on the individual
CLO.
 Part III: Course Reflection. In reviewing all the CLOs and your findings, reflect on the course as
a whole.
PART I: COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES – DATA RESULTS
CONSIDER THE COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES INDIVIDUALLY (THE
NUMBER OF CLOS WILL DIFFER BY COURSE)
(CLO) 1: identify improved skills in observing the world
Defined Target
Scores*
(CLO Goal)
80% scoring
level 3-4
Actual Scores**
(eLumen data)
46% scored lvl 3-4
80% scored lvl 2
or above
(CLO) 2: critically differentiate regional similarities and
contrasts in climate types, landform styles, and biomes
75-80% scoring
level 3-4
24% scored lvl 3-4
63% scored lvl 2
or above
(CLO) 3: articulate spatial interactions between
atmosphere, ocean, and land surface
50% scoring
level 3-4
90% scored lvl 3-4
50% scoring
88% scored lvl 3-4
level 3-4
90% scored lvl 2
technologies in observing physical processes and human
adaptation to the natural environment
&
or above
75% scoring
level 2 or above
 If more CLOs are listed for the course, add another row to the table.
* Defined Target Scores: What scores in eLumen from your students would indicate success for this
CLO? (Example: 75% of the class scored either 3 or 4)
**Actual scores: What is the actual percent of students that meet defined target based on the eLumen
data collected in this assessment cycle?
(CLO) 4: evaluate the usefulness and value of emerging
18
PART II: COURSE- LEVEL OUTCOME REFLECTIONS
C. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 1:
3. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
This computer lab-based course is designed to enable student success through completion
of a series of week-to-week exercises applying principles of physical geography. Experience
with this exercise-based pedagogy using internet and on-screen tutorial modules has led
us to expect about 80% of students to achieve a learning outcome level of 3 or 4
(“competent” or “accomplished”). Although 80% achieved level 2, only about half of those
achieved level 3-4.
4. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Weekly use of maps, interactive tutorials or website, and digital remotely sensed images is
a good pedagogical approach to improving student skills in observing the world and
analyzing relationships between physical features. This CLO was assessed primarily from
student’s reading of topographic maps. The students would likely benefit from more
hands-on experience interpreting maps.
D. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 2:
3. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores were below expectations.
4. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
The climate classification exercise used, for the most part, to assess this outcome, is
challenging. It does take considerable experience working with maps and data to
understand the numerous factors that determine classification of regional climates,
physiographic regions, and biomes.
19
C. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 3:
3. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores significantly surpassed expectations.
4. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
The tutorials and exercises are directed toward specific sets of processes or regimes of the
physical environment; e.g. plate tectonics, soils, weather maps, topographic maps. Not all
can fairly assess whether or not the student can see the interrelationships between the
major spheres of the earth system. Perhaps the CLO is too broadly stated when compared
to the objectives of the exercises.
D. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 4:
3. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores significantly exceeded targets.
4. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Technologies of remote sensing, GIS, and GPS are essential tools in modern geography.
Students benefit from frequent exposure to the uses of these technologies in monitoring
the environment. The remote sensing tutorial used to assess this CLO is taken from online
resources of the Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing. Its use has proven successful in
familiarizing students with the components of remote sensing systems. More time could
be allocated in the lab to exposing students to the technological breakthroughs in earth
systems monitoring.
E. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 5: ADD IF NEEDED.
20
PART III: COURSE REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
4. What changes were made to your course based on the previous assessment cycle, the prior
Closing the Loop reflections and other faculty discussions?
We have implemented the use of recently discovered new internet resources to
upgrade/update some of our exercises, particularly those for earth-sun relationships;
minerals, rocks, and soils; biomes (vegetation regimes related to climate).
5. Based on the current assessment and reflections, what course-level and programmatic
strengths have the assessment reflections revealed? What actions has your discipline
determined might be taken as a result of your reflections, discussions, and insights?
strengths: The exercise-based approach to teaching the application of physical geography
concepts uses contemporary technologies including the internet, remotely sensed image
data, and GIS. This computer lab approach has been largely successful in achieving high
rates of student success in the course. The students' engagement with satellite imagery,
maps, and animated tutorials on student workstations develops their observational skills. It
is most helpful when students work with each other in the interpretation of mapped
information. For some lab exercises, faculty have updated online resources that provide
better information or more up-to-date data.
proposed actions:
1. Diversify the remote sensing applications lab exercises using online resources.
2. Add a GPS exercise.
3. The assessments used to measure the CLOs are more focused on particular topics in
physical geography (tectonic plates, topographic maps, weather maps, etc.) than the
broadly stated learning outcomes . We may want to consider re-writing the outcomes to
tailor them more directly to the categories of exercises we typically assign the students.
6. What is the nature of the planned actions (please check all that apply)?
 Curricular
 Pedagogical
 Resource based
 Change to CLO or rubric
 Change to assessment methods
 Other:_________________________________________________________________
21
Appendix B2: “Closing the Loop” Course-Level Assessment Reflections.
Course
Semester assessment data gathered
Number of sections offered in the semester
Number of sections assessed
Percentage of sections assessed
Semester held “Closing the Loop” discussion
Faculty members involved in “Closing the Loop” discussion
GEOG 2
SPRING 2015
1
1
100%
SPRING 2015
Don Plondke, Maryam Younessi
Form Instructions:
 Complete a separate Appendix B2 form for each Course-Level assessment reported in this
Program Review. These courses should be listed in Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Reporting Schedule.
 Part I: CLO Data Reporting. For each CLO, obtain Class Achievement data in aggregate for all
sections assessed in eLumen.
 Part II: CLO Reflections. Based on student success reported in Part I, reflect on the individual
CLO.
 Part III: Course Reflection. In reviewing all the CLOs and your findings, reflect on the course as
a whole.
PART I: COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES – DATA RESULTS
CONSIDER THE COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES INDIVIDUALLY (THE
NUMBER OF CLOS WILL DIFFER BY COURSE)
(CLO) 1: list and/or classify the visible components
of the cultural landscape
(CLO) 2: identify significant patterns in the spatial
Defined Target
Scores*
(CLO Goal)
60% lvl 3-4
Actual Scores**
(eLumen data)
81% lvl 3-4
60% lvl 3-4
51% lvl 3-4
70% lvl 3-4
83% lvl 3-4
organization of society, including interactions
between humans, their cultural attributes, and
nature
(CLO) 3: explain the relationship of sustainable
environments to changing patterns of population,
food production, increasing urbanization, and
human-induced environmental change
(CLO) 4:
 If more CLOs are listed for the course, add another row to the table.
* Defined Target Scores: What scores in eLumen from your students would indicate success for this
CLO? (Example: 75% of the class scored either 3 or 4)
22
**Actual scores: What is the actual percent of students that meet defined target based on the eLumen
data collected in this assessment cycle?
23
PART II: COURSE- LEVEL OUTCOME REFLECTIONS
E. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 1:
5. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores exceeded expectations
6. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Some essential concepts classified as part of the idea of 'cultural landscape’ are difficult for
first-time geography students to grasp. Sometimes the textbook’s definitions do not align
with those of the instructor or with other ‘mainstream’ thinking in human geography. It is
important to achieve some common understanding in the class of essential terminology.
Perhaps a course glossary that can be modified for each class would be helpful.
F. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 2:
5. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores about 10 percentage points below expectations
6. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Some essential concepts related to the theme of 'spatial organization' in geography are
elusive for first-time geography students. A leading example of this problem is students'
observation and interpretation of spatial distributions when looking at maps or graphics.
Based on review of questions used to assess this outcome, students show greater strength
in learning geographic facts than in grasping the meaning of new geographic vocabulary.
24
C. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 3:
5. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores exceeded the target
6. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
In one semester, it is difficult to cover all of the subfields of human geography that are
included in the content of textbooks. Because of the current relevance of climate change
and human-induced environmental change issues, more course time probably should be
allocated to the topic of human geography’s perspectives on sustainability issues.
D. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 4:
5. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
6. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
E. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 5: ADD IF NEEDED.
25
PART III: COURSE REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
7. What changes were made to your course based on the previous assessment cycle, the prior
Closing the Loop reflections and other faculty discussions?
The instructor implemented Reading Apprenticeship strategies to encourage more active
student engagement with the course textbook and basic geographic literature. More
frequent use of these classroom techniques has been implemented as a result of the
instructor’s involvement in Basic Skills assessment.
Since the previous assessment cycle, we have added a third course-level outcome for
Geography 2, to assess student progress in visualizing the relationships between population
trends, environmental change, and sustainability.
8. Based on the current assessment and reflections, what course-level and programmatic
strengths have the assessment reflections revealed? What actions has your discipline
determined might be taken as a result of your reflections, discussions, and insights?
strengths: The instructor has implemented Reading Apprenticeship strategies to encourage
students to extract more course content directly from textual material and to self-evaluate
their reading skills and strategies.
proposed actions: Continue to experiment with techniques to help improve students’ level
of comprehension of geography texts and their willingness to refer to the texts. Devote
more classroom time and assignments to developing students’ metacognitive skills and
critical analysis of text material. Experiment by changing the primary textbook semester-bysemester in order to evaluate, if possible, the comparative level of student engagement.
Assign more supplemental reading material and, when appropriate, online resources.
Present more examples of concentration and pattern in geographic distributions. Students
need to devote more time viewing geographic landscapes through images, maps, and realworld observations.
9. What is the nature of the planned actions (please check all that apply)?
 Curricular
 Pedagogical
 Resource based
 Change to CLO or rubric
 Change to assessment methods
Other:_________________________________________________________________
26
Appendix B2: “Closing the Loop” Course-Level Assessment Reflections.
Course
Semester assessment data gathered
Number of sections offered in the semester
Number of sections assessed
Percentage of sections assessed
Semester held “Closing the Loop” discussion
Faculty members involved in “Closing the Loop” discussion
GEOG 3
Fall 2013
1
1
100%
Spring 2015
Don Plondke
Form Instructions:
 Complete a separate Appendix B2 form for each Course-Level assessment reported in this
Program Review. These courses should be listed in Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Reporting Schedule.
 Part I: CLO Data Reporting. For each CLO, obtain Class Achievement data in aggregate for all
sections assessed in eLumen.
 Part II: CLO Reflections. Based on student success reported in Part I, reflect on the individual
CLO.
 Part III: Course Reflection. In reviewing all the CLOs and your findings, reflect on the course as
a whole.
PART I: COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES – DATA RESULTS
CONSIDER THE COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES INDIVIDUALLY (THE
NUMBER OF CLOS WILL DIFFER BY COURSE)
(CLO) 1: describe how contrasting geographic and
Defined Target
Scores*
(CLO Goal)
70% lvl 3-4
economic conditions influence the spatial distribution of
specialized economic activities and the availability of
resources
Actual Scores**
(eLumen data)
33% lvl 3-4
66% lvl 2 or higher
(CLO) 2: identify geographic factors contributing to the
widening gap in economic wealth and power between
more developed and developing countries, and how
regional disparities are represented by core-periphery
relationships
60% lvl 3-4
23% lvl 3-4
58% lvl 2 or higher
(CLO) 3: discuss major location theories for primary,
60% lvl 3-4
36% lvl 3-4
68% lvl 2 or higher
secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy, and how
globalizing technologies and information systems have
modified traditional locational patterns
(CLO) 4:
 If more CLOs are listed for the course, add another row to the table.
* Defined Target Scores: What scores in eLumen from your students would indicate success for this
CLO? (Example: 75% of the class scored either 3 or 4)
27
**Actual scores: What is the actual percent of students that meet defined target based on the eLumen
data collected in this assessment cycle?
28
PART II: COURSE- LEVEL OUTCOME REFLECTIONS
G. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 1:
7. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores fall significantly below the target.
8. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Regional specialization of economic activity and the modern world’s dependency on
international trade are essential knowledge from the scope of economic geography. It is
hoped that achievement levels would be highest for this outcome. A review of assessment
results revealed that some students lacked fundamental knowledge of the capitalist
economic system and the operations of free markets which initially made it challenging to
illustrate the reasons for regional specialization and the growing importance of
international exchange.
H. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 2:
7. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores fall significantly below the target.
8. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Students recognize and show concern for the economic disparities that exist between
countries and among regions within countries, but are often unfamiliar with the historical
reasons for sharp contrasts in levels of economic development around the world. Essential
to understanding why the disparities exist, for example, is awareness of the limitations of
the physical environment, cultural adaptation to available resources, and the impact of
colonialism and political power. The historical background may merit more time in
explaining uneven development.
29
C. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 3:
7. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores fall significantly below the target, but achievement levels were generally higher for
this outcome than for the first two.
8. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Students fared better in grasping the principles of location theory and were often able to
express how modern society’s innovations in technology and communication have
modified the economic landscape and complicated the geographies of economic activity.
D. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 4:
7. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
8. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
E. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 5: ADD IF NEEDED.
30
PART III: COURSE REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
10. What changes were made to your course based on the previous assessment cycle, the prior
Closing the Loop reflections and other faculty discussions?
This assessment was compiled in Fall 2013 which was the first and only offering of this
course in many years at Chabot. Teaching the course was somewhat of an experiment,
reflecting a faculty desire to keep the course active.
11. Based on the current assessment and reflections, what course-level and programmatic
strengths have the assessment reflections revealed? What actions has your discipline
determined might be taken as a result of your reflections, discussions, and insights?
strengths: The course content did emphasize the influence of modern trends in society that
have impacted the classical models of economic geography that seek to explain locational
patterns. Accelerated globalization of the economy and awareness of human-induced
environmental change invite new perspectives on patterns of economic behavior in space.
proposed action: This course, Geography 3 (Economic Geography) is an elective in
Geography’s program and in only 2 other programs: Anthropology and International Studies.
It has not been a “core” course in our curricula. Unless more faculty are hired for our
programs, it seems unlikely that this course will be scheduled in the next few years.
A case could be made for adding a prerequisite to this course, either Economics 1 or
Economics 2.
When this course is offered again, a suitable textbook and/or supplemental text resources
needs to be selected that supports the particular instructor’s objectives and adequately
covers contemporary thought and research in economic geography. In the Fall 2013
offering, supplemental reading resources were used, in part, because no affordable
textbook seemed appropriate for an introductory course on this topic.
12. What is the nature of the planned actions (please check all that apply)?
 Curricular
 Pedagogical
 Resource based
 Change to CLO or rubric
 Change to assessment methods
Other:_________________________________________________________________
31
Appendix B2: “Closing the Loop” Course-Level Assessment Reflections.
Course
Semester assessment data gathered
Number of sections offered in the semester
Number of sections assessed
Percentage of sections assessed
Semester held “Closing the Loop” discussion
Faculty members involved in “Closing the Loop” discussion
GEOG 5
Fall 2014
1
1
100%
Spring 2015
Don Plondke
Form Instructions:
 Complete a separate Appendix B2 form for each Course-Level assessment reported in this
Program Review. These courses should be listed in Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Reporting Schedule.
 Part I: CLO Data Reporting. For each CLO, obtain Class Achievement data in aggregate for all
sections assessed in eLumen.
 Part II: CLO Reflections. Based on student success reported in Part I, reflect on the individual
CLO.
 Part III: Course Reflection. In reviewing all the CLOs and your findings, reflect on the course as
a whole.
PART I: COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES – DATA RESULTS
CONSIDER THE COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES INDIVIDUALLY (THE
NUMBER OF CLOS WILL DIFFER BY COURSE)
(CLO) 1: Identify significant spatial relationships and
patterns in society including interactions between humans
and their natural environment
(CLO) 2: Critically discuss in greater detail and illustrate,
with examples, cultural similarities and contrasts in a
diversifying world
(CLO) 3: Describe the prominent characteristics of major
world regions in terms of relative locations, places, and
cultures
Defined Target
Scores*
(CLO Goal)
30% score lvl 34
70% score lvl 2
or higher
30% score lvl 34
70% score lvl 2
or higher
30% score lvl 34
70% score lvl 2
or higher
Actual Scores**
(eLumen data)
38% scored lvl 3-4
62% scored lvl 2
or higher
32% scored lvl 3-4
59% scored lvl 2
or higher
35% scored lvl 3-4
62% scored lvl 2
or higher
(CLO) 4:
 If more CLOs are listed for the course, add another row to the table.
* Defined Target Scores: What scores in eLumen from your students would indicate success for this
CLO? (Example: 75% of the class scored either 3 or 4)
**Actual scores: What is the actual percent of students that meet defined target based on the eLumen
data collected in this assessment cycle?
32
PART II: COURSE- LEVEL OUTCOME REFLECTIONS
I. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 1:
9. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores generally met targets. The target scores were estimated based on a normal
distribution.
10. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
CLO 1 is difficult to assess and probably too general a statement to serve as a learning
outcome. We will plan to rewrite this outcome to be more explicit. Students grasp regional
differences in cultural traditions and attitudes, but often not the influence of these
differences on the visible landscape.
J. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 2:
9. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores were a little lower than expectations. Only 59% attained an achievement level of 2
or higher.
10. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
About 40% of students demonstrated only a "beginning" level of achievement or no
measurable achievement for this CLO. Faculty would like to see achievement increase
among students in identifying the characteristics of globalization and the responses to it
that vary across cultures.
Among the students entering the course, there is a wide spectrum of difference in life
experience with both world and U.S. regions. Their familiarity with regions beyond the Bay
Area has an influence on the rate at which they can visualize and articulate cultural and
environmental differences among regions of the world.
For clarification, edit this CLO. Replace "....diversifying" with "...globalizing and culturally
diversifying".
33
C. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 3:
9. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores nearly met the targets.
10. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Our target achievement scores for this outcome need to be elevated. At the end of the
course, students should be able to identify the major attributes of the physical and cultural
landscape of each studied region.
A large proportion of students have inadequate experience reading and interpreting maps.
Students’ lack of basic knowledge of world locations and 20th century world history upon
entering the course slows down the process of teaching how physical environments,
cultural geographies, and geopolitics are changing.
D. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 4:
9. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
10. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
E. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 5: ADD IF NEEDED.
PART III: COURSE REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
34
13. What changes were made to your course based on the previous assessment cycle, the prior
Closing the Loop reflections and other faculty discussions?
During some semesters, student groups have been assigned a particular world region to
research and present to the class in a seminar-type format. This assignment has provided a
means of promoting greater depth of inquiry into environmental and social problems in
certain parts of the world. Also, these student groups that devote more time to focused
study on a specific region benefit from participation by those students that have insightful
knowledge of the region derived from personal history or family ties.
In the online spring semester offering of Geography 5, material from previous semesters’
student presentations has been incorporated into the course content. Often these
presentations offer new and unique perspectives on the geographic issues of the regions
taken from the very diverse sets of resources that the students sometime have.
14. Based on the current assessment and reflections, what course-level and programmatic
strengths have the assessment reflections revealed? What actions has your discipline
determined might be taken as a result of your reflections, discussions, and insights?
strengths: Environmental problems specifically identified in particular world regions are
emphasized. An overview of globally applicable environmental change (e.g. climate change)
issues is also presented which the students respond to as a current topic of concern
worldwide.
In some semesters, the instructor has assigned students to research, and to make an oral
presentation on, a world region or country of their choice. This assignment has contributed
to the addition of meaningful course content and motivated students to examine particular
regions in greater depth.
proposed actions: re-write course learning outcomes, particularly #1 and #2, with more
emphasis on students’ acquisition of knowledge of major physical and cultural
characteristics of world regions. An outcome on the topic of globalization (CLO #2) could be
reworded to reflect the importance of students’ familiarity with features and trends of
globalizing processes in today’s world and the cultural responses to them. Perhaps more
emphasis in teaching should be placed on the relationships between world regions and how
they are changing in a globalizing world. For example, students should be aware of how
interactions have changed between East Asia and North America in the last century.
Use more map assignments to help students interpret patterns in the landscape that
illustrate cultural differences between world regions.
15. What is the nature of the planned actions (please check all that apply)?
 Curricular
 Pedagogical
35
 Resource based
 Change to CLO or rubric
 Change to assessment methods
Other:_________________________________________________________________
Appendix B2: “Closing the Loop” Course-Level Assessment Reflections.
36
Course
Semester assessment data gathered
Number of sections offered in the semester
Number of sections assessed
Percentage of sections assessed
Semester held “Closing the Loop” discussion
Faculty members involved in “Closing the Loop” discussion
GEOG 8
Spring 2013
1
1
100%
Spring 2015
Don Plondke
Form Instructions:
 Complete a separate Appendix B2 form for each Course-Level assessment reported in this
Program Review. These courses should be listed in Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Reporting Schedule.
 Part I: CLO Data Reporting. For each CLO, obtain Class Achievement data in aggregate for all
sections assessed in eLumen.
 Part II: CLO Reflections. Based on student success reported in Part I, reflect on the individual
CLO.
 Part III: Course Reflection. In reviewing all the CLOs and your findings, reflect on the course as
a whole.
PART I: COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES – DATA RESULTS
CONSIDER THE COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES INDIVIDUALLY (THE
NUMBER OF CLOS WILL DIFFER BY COURSE)
(CLO) 1: Critically differentiate regional similarities and
contrasts in world climate types
(CLO) 2: Assess the usefulness of the technologies of
Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing in
observing climatic patterns and weather systems
(CLO) 3: Identify the major globally-applicable physical
processes affecting environmental change
(CLO) 4: Explain the global radiation balance and its
influence on patterns of global circulation in the
atmosphere
Defined Target
Scores*
(CLO Goal)
50% score 3-4
75% score 2 or
higher
50% score 3-4
75% score 2 or
higher
Actual Scores**
(eLumen data)
37% scored 3-4
63% scored 2 or
higher
34% scored 3-4
61% scored 2 or
higher
31% score 3-4
37% scored 3-4
70% score 2 or
61% scored 2 or
higher, based on higher
normal dist.
50% score 3-4
75% score 2 or
higher
37% scored 3-4
63% scored 2 or
higher
 If more CLOs are listed for the course, add another row to the table.
* Defined Target Scores: What scores in eLumen from your students would indicate success for this
CLO? (Example: 75% of the class scored either 3 or 4)
**Actual scores: What is the actual percent of students that meet defined target based on the eLumen
data collected in this assessment cycle?
37
PART II: COURSE- LEVEL OUTCOME REFLECTIONS
K. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 1:
11. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores fell 10-12 percentage points below the targets
12. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Many students seem to not gain a basic understanding of climatic regions and their
locational relationships with respect to latitude and position on the landmasses. Earth-sun
and season relationships as they vary with latitude take significant time to cover.
L. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 2:
11. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores fell 14-16 percentage points below the targets
12. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Assessment of this outcome had a rather high level 0 (“no achievement”) score because
21% of the students missed the assessment or withdrew from the class.
The technologies used today in weather and climate observation, forecasting, and
modeling are integral to the study of atmospheric science. More and more exposure to
these technologies will increase students' appreciation of their usefulness and realize why
forecasting of both short-term weather and long-term climate change is improving in
accuracy.
38
C. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 3:
11. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores fell very close to the targets
12. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Assessment of this outcome had a rather high level 0 (“no achievement”) score because
21% of the students missed the assessment or withdrew from the class. Students appear
genuinely interested in the topic of environmental change, particularly with regard to
forecast changes for the 21st century that likely will result from global warming.
Sometimes the presentation of shocking data related to impacts from global warming and
other environmental trends drives home the major point that human activities that
contribute significantly to change in natural systems.
D. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 4:
11. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores fell 12-13 percentage points below the targets
12. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
CLO 4 was scored using the same assessment as used for CLO 1 because the 2 are closely
related with questions for each on the same test.
39
PART III: COURSE REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
16. What changes were made to your course based on the previous assessment cycle, the prior
Closing the Loop reflections and other faculty discussions?
Since these assessment data were collected, we have rewritten all the course learning
outcomes for Geography 8 to correspond more closely to the content and objectives of the
curricular model used in the course, effective Spring 2014: AMS Climate Studies.
17. Based on the current assessment and reflections, what course-level and programmatic
strengths have the assessment reflections revealed? What actions has your discipline
determined might be taken as a result of your reflections, discussions, and insights?
strengths: Animated graphics included in lecture presentations helps students grasp
processes—e.g. El Niño, Earth-Sun relationships, dynamics of storms. Weekly assignment to
collect current weather data (a "weather journal") through visual observation seemed to
engage the students and aid in teaching concepts such as seasonal temperature ranges,
cloud types, and precipitation measurement. Since the semester the assessment data was
compiled, faculty have incorporated the extensive resources of the Climate Studies course
designed by the American Meteorological Society (AMS). Chabot’s involvement in the AMS’s
Climate Diversity Project has enabled the instructor to restructure Geography 8 to align with
the week-to-week curriculum of the Climate Studies course. Using these resources,
Geography 8 has become a prototype course for permanent institutionalization of Climate
Studies at Chabot.
proposed actions: Continue to update students with data and forecasts reported by
international research groups who monitor changing environments. Reference current
world events and news sources that suggest the urgency of addressing the topic of
environmental change.
Add more animations, satellite images, and interactive tutorials from the rich resources of
The AMS Climate Studies course curriculum to illustrate atmospheric phenomena toward
the goal of raising the level of student engagement.
Encourage students through assignments and class activities to explore the vast resources
on the internet (particularly those available from NOAA, NASA, and the AMS), particularly
those that address the global concern about human influence on climate and environmental
change.
18. What is the nature of the planned actions (please check all that apply)?
 Curricular
 Pedagogical
 Resource based
 Change to CLO or rubric
 Change to assessment methods
 Other:_________________________________________________________________
40
Appendix B2: “Closing the Loop” Course-Level Assessment Reflections.
Course
Semester assessment data gathered
GEOG 10
Not offered since last CLO
assessment
Number of sections offered in the semester
Number of sections assessed
Percentage of sections assessed
Semester held “Closing the Loop” discussion
Faculty members involved in “Closing the Loop” discussion
Spring 2015
Don Plondke, Mireille Giovanola
Form Instructions:
 Complete a separate Appendix B2 form for each Course-Level assessment reported in this
Program Review. These courses should be listed in Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Reporting Schedule.
 Part I: CLO Data Reporting. For each CLO, obtain Class Achievement data in aggregate for all
sections assessed in eLumen.
 Part II: CLO Reflections. Based on student success reported in Part I, reflect on the individual
CLO.
 Part III: Course Reflection. In reviewing all the CLOs and your findings, reflect on the course as
a whole.
PART I: COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES – DATA RESULTS
CONSIDER THE COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES INDIVIDUALLY (THE
NUMBER OF CLOS WILL DIFFER BY COURSE)
(CLO) 1: Assess how human activities, including the use of
energy and natural resources, affect the natural
environment, and how those activities have changed since
the period of the Industrial Revolution
Defined Target
Scores*
(CLO Goal)
See CTL
submitted in Fall
2012
Actual Scores**
(eLumen data)
(CLO) 2: Explain how the maintenance of biodiversity
influences the evolutionary process and enhances
ecosystem stability
(CLO) 3: Identify the major globally-applicable physical
processes affecting environmental change
(CLO) 4: List the most significant observed changes in the
atmosphere, ocean, and landmasses over the last 50 years
 If more CLOs are listed for the course, add another row to the table.
* Defined Target Scores: What scores in eLumen from your students would indicate success for this
CLO? (Example: 75% of the class scored either 3 or 4)
**Actual scores: What is the actual percent of students that meet defined target based on the eLumen
data collected in this assessment cycle?
PART II: COURSE- LEVEL OUTCOME REFLECTIONS
41
N/A – NOT OFFERED IN THIS ASSESSMENT CYCLE, BUT CONSIDERED ‘ACTIVE’
PART III: COURSE REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
19. What changes were made to your course based on the previous assessment cycle, the prior
Closing the Loop reflections and other faculty discussions?
No changes, but faculty want to keep the course active so that it can be offered in future
semesters as a trial ‘prototype’ course for Environmental Studies.
20. Based on the current assessment and reflections, what course-level and programmatic
strengths have the assessment reflections revealed? What actions has your discipline
determined might be taken as a result of your reflections, discussions, and insights?
Geography 10 has not been offered since Spring 2012 when it was last assessed and
included in the last 3-year cycle. This “Closing-the-Loop” document serves to emphasize that
faculty want to keep this course active because it may be a possible prototype core course
for our new Environmental Studies A.A. program. The original development of this course,
Global Environmental Problems, was motivated in part by our vision of the Environmental
Studies cross-disciplinary program as it unfolded in the Social Sciences Division.
proposed actions: Faculty involved in the Environmental Studies program will reexamine the
potential of Geography 10 as a core introductory course in Environmental Studies that
addresses a broad range of topics. Geography 10’s course outline was developed based on
an ‘earth systems model’ of examining environmental processes and change. This approach
may be valuable as an introduction to the field of Environmental Studies.
It may take several semesters of teaching this course and assessing learning outcomes to
determine, with the insights of several faculty involved in the Environmental Studies
program, whether Geography 10 could serve as a ‘keystone’ course in the program.
21. What is the nature of the planned actions (please check all that apply)?
 Curricular
 Pedagogical
 Resource based
 Change to CLO or rubric
 Change to assessment methods
 Other:_________________________________________________________________
Appendix B2: “Closing the Loop” Course-Level Assessment Reflections.
42
Course
Semester assessment data gathered
Number of sections offered in the semester
Number of sections assessed
Percentage of sections assessed
Semester held “Closing the Loop” discussion
Faculty members involved in “Closing the Loop” discussion
GEOG 12
Spring 2013
1
1
100%
Spring 2015
Jane Dignon, Don Plondke
Form Instructions:
 Complete a separate Appendix B2 form for each Course-Level assessment reported in this
Program Review. These courses should be listed in Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Reporting Schedule.
 Part I: CLO Data Reporting. For each CLO, obtain Class Achievement data in aggregate for all
sections assessed in eLumen.
 Part II: CLO Reflections. Based on student success reported in Part I, reflect on the individual
CLO.
 Part III: Course Reflection. In reviewing all the CLOs and your findings, reflect on the course as
a whole.
PART I: COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES – DATA RESULTS
CONSIDER THE COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES INDIVIDUALLY (THE
NUMBER OF CLOS WILL DIFFER BY COURSE)
(CLO) 1: Demonstrate place-name recognition and
essential skills in interpreting and analyzing information
from California maps
(CLO) 2: Identify significant spatial relationships and
patterns in California society including interactions
between humans and their natural environment
(CLO) 3: Describe California’s contemporary diverse
population through analysis of historic sequence
occupance of Native American and subsequent immigrant
groups, especially in terms of California’s economic
development history
(CLO) 4:
43
Defined Target
Scores*
(CLO Goal)
30% scoring 3 or
4, and 70%
scoring 2 or
above, based on
an expected
normal
distribution
30% scoring 3 or
4, and 70%
scoring 2 or
above, based on
an expected
normal
distribution
30% scoring 3 or
4, and 70%
scoring 2 or
above, based on
an expected
normal
distribution
Actual Scores**
(eLumen data)
56% scored 3 or 4,
and 60% scored 2
or above
44% scored 3 or 4,
and 60% scored 2
or above
72% scored 3 or 4,
and 74% scored 2
or above
 If more CLOs are listed for the course, add another row to the table.
* Defined Target Scores: What scores in eLumen from your students would indicate success for this
CLO? (Example: 75% of the class scored either 3 or 4)
**Actual scores: What is the actual percent of students that meet defined target based on the eLumen
data collected in this assessment cycle?
44
PART II: COURSE- LEVEL OUTCOME REFLECTIONS
M. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 1:
13. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores met expectations based on a normal distribution. 44% scored below level 2,
reflecting mostly that map assignments used for assessment were not submitted by
several students.
14. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Enrollment in this course was consistently high semester after semester through Spring
2013, revealing its popularity and our faculty member’s pertinence of teaching California
geography at Chabot. California map assignments are very useful for realizing this learning
outcome.
N. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 2:
13. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores exceeded expectations based on a normal distribution
14. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Student success rates have exceeded expectations likely due to encouragement by the
instructor for students to do active field investigations and visits to accessible California
sites during the semester. The field trip sites illustrate the important and interesting spatial
patterns in California history and contemporary society.
C. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 3:
45
13. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores exceeded expectations based on a normal distribution
14. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
The historical geography approach in teaching California's cultural and economic
development appears effective, based on the success rates. California is one of the best
regional examples of the cultural impress of successive populations who settle the
landscape, and the growing cultural diversity among the population.
D. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 4:
13. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
14. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
E. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 5: ADD IF NEEDED.
46
PART III: COURSE REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
22. What changes were made to your course based on the previous assessment cycle, the prior
Closing the Loop reflections and other faculty discussions?
Our devoted and long-standing Instructor for this course, Myron Gershenson, tragically
passed away during the semester of CLO assessment. So, a new instructor has been assigned
to teach this course and we have lacked sufficient faculty resources to offer it every
semester as we had done prior to 2013.
23. Based on the current assessment and reflections, what course-level and programmatic
strengths have the assessment reflections revealed? What actions has your discipline
determined might be taken as a result of your reflections, discussions, and insights?
strengths: The instructor exposes students to many thematic maps of California. Geography
12 has been an exemplary course in teaching students map-reading skills.
The instructor strived to keep data about California's demographics, economy, and cultural
development up-to-date so that students were aware of current trends in California's
geography. Our late devoted instructor used a comprehensive historical approach that
illuminated for students the complex natural and cultural landscapes of California.
proposed actions: Due to tragic loss of our long-time instructor of this course, Myron
Gershenson, we need to hire a new adjunct instructor with strong qualifications for teaching
this course, and a willingness to maintain regularly updated data on California spatial
distributions.
Continue to acquire up-to-date demographic and economic data and illustrative examples of
changing patterns in California from government agencies and other reliable sources.
24. What is the nature of the planned actions (please check all that apply)?
 Curricular
 Pedagogical
 Resource based
 Change to CLO or rubric
 Change to assessment methods
Other:_________________________________________________________________
47
Appendix B2: “Closing the Loop” Course-Level Assessment Reflections.
Course
Semester assessment data gathered
Number of sections offered in the semester
Number of sections assessed
Percentage of sections assessed
Semester held “Closing the Loop” discussion
Faculty members involved in “Closing the Loop” discussion
GEOG 20
fall 2014
1
1
100%
spring 2015
Don Plondke
Form Instructions:
 Complete a separate Appendix B2 form for each Course-Level assessment reported in this
Program Review. These courses should be listed in Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Reporting Schedule.
 Part I: CLO Data Reporting. For each CLO, obtain Class Achievement data in aggregate for all
sections assessed in eLumen.
 Part II: CLO Reflections. Based on student success reported in Part I, reflect on the individual
CLO.
 Part III: Course Reflection. In reviewing all the CLOs and your findings, reflect on the course as
a whole.
PART I: COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES – DATA RESULTS
CONSIDER THE COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES INDIVIDUALLY (THE
NUMBER OF CLOS WILL DIFFER BY COURSE)
(CLO) 1: Demonstrate a competent level of proficiency in
techniques of spatial overlay of themes, design and
production of map layouts, and analysis of geocoded
database information
Defined Target
Scores*
(CLO Goal)
65% scoring lvl
3-4
(“competentaccomplished”)
Actual Scores**
(eLumen data)
77% scored 3-4
(CLO) 2: Recognize spatial relationships between
different types of map features: points, lines, polygons,
symbols, legends, and scales; evaluate and express the
geographic underpinning of GIS, as opposed to other
graphical approaches to mapping and locating
phenomena
65% scoring lvl
3-4
79% scored 3-4
(CLO) 3: Identify appropriate uses of major GIS display
and data-type components: data frames, tables, layouts,
charts; manipulate them productively, and use a
spreadsheet to prepare and format data
75-80% scoring
lvl 3-4
79% scored 3-4
(CLO) 4:
 If more CLOs are listed for the course, add another row to the table.
48
* Defined Target Scores: What scores in eLumen from your students would indicate success for this
CLO? (Example: 75% of the class scored either 3 or 4)
**Actual scores: What is the actual percent of students that meet defined target based on the eLumen
data collected in this assessment cycle?
PART II: COURSE- LEVEL OUTCOME REFLECTIONS
O. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 1:
15. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores exceeded target.
16. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
This outcome is related to a set of fairly advanced GIS skills (the spatial intersection of
multi-thematic data).
Many students do not consistently practice “quality control” in the GIS output of maps,
graphics, and metadata. Without good documentation of their data sources and
procedures in completing a small project, and inclusion of legends, their GIS products are
not necessarily useful to the end user.
P. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 2:
15. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores exceeded target.
16. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Communication with students has indicated that they frequently do not develop a
satisfactory level of understanding and familiarity with the terminology and definitions of
GIS components. While the exercises give students practice in using the functiona l tools
and data types of GIS, the "hands-on" pedagogical strategy does not necessarily assure
students' grasp of definitions, vocabulary, and data modeling of GIS.
49
C. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 3:
15. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Scores met the target range.
16. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Students who persist in completing the exercises are nearly always able to attain a
competent level of proficiency in using basic GIS functions.
D. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 4:
15. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
16. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
E. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 5: ADD IF NEEDED.
50
PART III: COURSE REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
25. What changes were made to your course based on the previous assessment cycle, the prior
Closing the Loop reflections and other faculty discussions?
Students have been given supplemental reading assignments in GIS and handouts to
highlight essential concepts and terminology, and to clarify what are appropriate uses of the
components of GIS.
New exercises have been developed to give students more practice in merging thematic
datasets and performing some numerical analysis on spatially intersected themes.
Essentially, new exercises and new steps in some existing exercises challenged to a
somewhat higher degree the students’ awareness of GIS capabilities and gave them more
experience in solving analytical problems.
Added additional video tutorials from the internet that explain GIS concepts and
demonstrate areas of practical application of the technology.
26. Based on the current assessment and reflections, what course-level and programmatic
strengths have the assessment reflections revealed? What actions has your discipline
determined might be taken as a result of your reflections, discussions, and insights?
strengths: The week-by-week exercise-based approach to developing the student’s
growing skill set in GIS software use appears to be producing high rates of student success.
Experience in the classroom has revealed that hands-on GIS training promotes development
of useful and, hopefully, marketable skills, more so than do alternative approaches that
emphasize GIS theory and lecture-based examination of GIS components and applications.
Revised exercises will be necessary because the GIS software has been upgraded in our
computer laboratory to ArcGIS 10.3. Heretofore, we have been using version 9.3 for several
years.
We have set as our number one priority to reinstate funding for our GIS laboratory
administrator and instructional assistant who is essential in maintaining the operational
quality of software and hardware in the lab.
27. What is the nature of the planned actions (please check all that apply)?
 Curricular
 Pedagogical
 Resource based
 Change to CLO or rubric
 Change to assessment methods
 Other:_________________________________________________________________
51
Appendix B2: “Closing the Loop” Course-Level Assessment Reflections.
Course
Semester assessment data gathered
Number of sections offered in the semester
Number of sections assessed
Percentage of sections assessed
Semester held “Closing the Loop” discussion
Faculty members involved in “Closing the Loop” discussion
GEOG 21
fall 2013
1
1
100%
spring 2015
Don Plondke
Form Instructions:
 Complete a separate Appendix B2 form for each Course-Level assessment reported in this
Program Review. These courses should be listed in Appendix B1: Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Reporting Schedule.
 Part I: CLO Data Reporting. For each CLO, obtain Class Achievement data in aggregate for all
sections assessed in eLumen.
 Part II: CLO Reflections. Based on student success reported in Part I, reflect on the individual
CLO.
 Part III: Course Reflection. In reviewing all the CLOs and your findings, reflect on the course as
a whole.
PART I: COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES – DATA RESULTS
Defined Target
Scores*
(CLO Goal)
75% scoring 3-4
50% scored 4
(CLO) 2: define and produce cell-based grid datasets
of georeferenced data and use spatial analysis
operators to query, retrieve, and classify continuous
data.
60%
50% scored 4
(CLO) 3: formulate geoprocessing and spatial
intersection analysis functions appropriate in specific
applications; perform and evaluate the results of such
processes (such as buffering, overlay, reclassification,
address matching, and statistical analysis).
60%
50% scored 4
CONSIDER THE COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOMES INDIVIDUALLY (THE
NUMBER OF CLOS WILL DIFFER BY COURSE)
(CLO) 1: define and identify appropriate uses of major
Actual Scores**
(eLumen data)
GIS display formats and data types, and demonstrate
within a specific GIS interface (e.g. ArcMap™) how to
manipulate them productively.
(CLO) 4:
52
 If more CLOs are listed for the course, add another row to the table.
* Defined Target Scores: What scores in eLumen from your students would indicate success for this
CLO? (Example: 75% of the class scored either 3 or 4)
**Actual scores: What is the actual percent of students that meet defined target based on the eLumen
data collected in this assessment cycle?
PART II: COURSE- LEVEL OUTCOME REFLECTIONS
Q. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 1:
17. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
GEOG 21 is a very low enrollment class because this is a GIS software training course at
level 2 of a 3-level sequence. 2 out of 4 students registered at census succeeded. 2 of the 4
dropped the course before the ‘W’ date.
18. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Techniques for doing spatial analysis in GIS are more sophisticated and complex than in
the GEOG 20 class, so expectations for success are a little lower. But CLO 1 focuses on basic
“literacy” in GIS and understanding of how GIS tools are used. Persistent students should
excel in this learning outcome.
R. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 2:
17. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Small sample size due to low enrollment. The 2 students who did complete the class
exceeded minimum expectations in manipulating and presenting continuous raster-based
data.
18. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
More exposure to digital elevation models and satellite imagery would help in
understanding the usefulness of raster-based data.
53
C. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 3:
17. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
Small sample size due to low enrollment. The 2 students who did complete the class
exceeded minimum expectations in georeferencing data and using spatial intersection
operators.
18. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
Assisting students in learning the functionality of spatial intersection operations and
managing dissimilar datasets requires a considerable amount of time spent 1-on-1 with the
student, so a small class size is highly desirable.
D. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 4:
17. How do your current scores match with your above target for student success in this course
level outcome?
18. Reflection: Based on the data gathered, and considering your teaching experiences and
your discussions with other faculty, what reflections and insights do you have?
E. COURSE-LEVEL OUTCOME (CLO) 5: ADD IF NEEDED.
54
PART III: COURSE REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
28. What changes were made to your course based on the previous assessment cycle, the prior
Closing the Loop reflections and other faculty discussions?
None. This is the first learning outcomes assessment of this course.
29. Based on the current assessment and reflections, what course-level and programmatic
strengths have the assessment reflections revealed? What actions has your discipline
determined might be taken as a result of your reflections, discussions, and insights?
The week-by-week GIS exercises build up the students proficiency in using the software’s
tools and introduce them to new skillsets. Active participation in each class session is likely
the key to success in the course and steady progress in using GIS techniques.
We would like to encourage more students who successfully complete GEOG 20 to enroll in
GEOG 21. But, offering this second-level course depends on acquisition of funding for the
computer lab administrator and addition of faculty.
30. What is the nature of the planned actions (please check all that apply)?
 Curricular
 Pedagogical
 Resource based
 Change to CLO or rubric
 Change to assessment methods
Other:_________________________________________________________________
55
Appendix C: Program Learning Outcomes
Considering your feedback, findings, and/or information that has arisen from the course level
discussions, please reflect on each of your Program Level Outcomes.
Program: ___Geography A.A.______

PLO #1: identify the set of improved skills in observing the world, and in analyzing
problems in space

PLO #2: interpret maps and mapped data utilizing basic map elements, including
scales, common coordinate systems, and map symbols

PLO #3: identify significant spatial relationships and patterns in society including
interactions between humans and their natural environment

PLO #4:
What questions or investigations arose as a result of these reflections or discussions?
Frequent use of maps and remotely sensed images is the best approach to improving student skills in
observing the world and analyzing relationships between landscape features.
What program-level strengths have the assessment reflections revealed?
Strengths revealed: The exercise-based approach to teaching the application of physical geography
concepts in lab-based courses using contemporary technologies (internet, remote sensing, GIS) has been
largely successful in achieving high rates of student success in the course. The students' engagement
with satellite imagery, maps, and animated tutorials on student workstations develops their
observational skills. It is most helpful when students work with each other in the interpretation of
mapped information.
In Spring 2014 Geography implemented a new pedagogical approach to teaching climate & climate
change science. We implemented in GEOG 8 the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) Climate
Studies course. Chabot is now one of a select few minority-serving community colleges in the U.S. that
has inaugurated this AMS Climate Studies Diversity Project
What actions has your discipline determined might be taken to enhance the learning of
students completing your program?
Means to improve students' level of comprehension of the text and willingness to refer to it are needed.
Instructor is implementing Reading Apprenticeship strategies to help students gain insight into ways that
they read texts. Also, different textbooks have been adopted semester-to-semester since this
assessment data was collected to discern influence of the text on learning outcomes. More classroom
time in some courses is being allocated to interactive engagement with geography texts.
To elevate awareness on our campus and among U.S. students, in Fall 2014 the Curriculum Committee
approved permanent institutionalization of the AMS Climate Studies (GEOG 13) course as a new course
in Geography and in our new Environmental Studies A.A. program. It promises to not only modernize
the course content for teaching atmospheric science at Chabot, but also to stimulate cross-disciplinary
interest in all aspects of the climate change issue: scientific, sociological, economic, and political.
56
Program: ___ Certificate of Proficiency in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

PLO #1: identify the set of improved skills in observing the world, and in analyzing problems
in space

PLO #2: interpret maps and mapped data utilizing basic map elements, including scales,
common coordinate systems, and symbology

PLO #3: demonstrate competency in techniques of spatial overlay of themes, design and
production of map layouts, graphical presentation of spatially distributed data, and analysis
of geocoded database information

PLO #4:
What questions or investigations arose as a result of these reflections or discussions?
Experience in the classroom has revealed that GIS students progress in their development of skill in
manipulating GIS software tools and map features. The sequence of GIS exercises is designed to provide
for this development process. Students in GIS courses have shown some improvement in demonstrating
their ability to communicate in the language of GIS by providing them with supplemental resources (e.g.
a GIS glossary). Developing a familiarity with the terminology and definitions of GIS components is as
essential as learning to effectively use the tools.
What program-level strengths have the assessment reflections revealed?
The exercise-based approach toward developing skills in GIS software usage appears to be producing
high rates of student success. In 2015, we upgraded our GIS software license through the California
Community Colleges GIS Consortium and installed the most recent version of ESRI’s ArcGIS 10.3.
What actions has your discipline determined might be taken to enhance the learning of
students completing your program?
Due to lack of demand and paucity of staff resources, we have yet to see a student complete the
program. We seek to reinstate compensation for our Instructional Assistant position to assure real-time
software and hardware support and to enhance appropriate student use of instructional resources. We
continue to advocate for a new full-time Geography faculty position that is needed to continue and
extend our Geographic Information Systems program.
57
Program: ___ Geography A.A.-T._______

PLO #1: identify the set of improved skills in observing the world, and in analyzing problems
in space

PLO #2: interpret maps and mapped data utilizing basic map elements, including scales,
common coordinate systems, and map symbols

PLO #3: document courses that have prepared the student for transfer to a campus of the
California State University system as a junior-year level Geography major

PLO #4:
What questions or investigations arose as a result of these reflections or discussions?
Frequent use of maps and remotely sensed images is the best approach to improving student skills in
observing the world and analyzing relationships between landscape features.
What program-level strengths have the assessment reflections revealed?
Geography did participate in academic year 2013-2014 in the Counseling Division’s “Transfer Basics”
program sponsored by the Career & Transfer Center. This effort sought to advertise our new A.A.-T
program and explain its logistics for transfer to prospective students.
The exercise-based approach to teaching the application of physical geography concepts in lab-based
courses using contemporary technologies (internet, remote sensing, GIS) has been largely successful in
achieving high rates of student success in the course. The students' engagement with satellite imagery,
maps, and animated tutorials on student workstations develops their observational skills. It is most
helpful when students work with each other in the interpretation of mapped information.
What actions has your discipline determined might be taken to enhance the learning of
students completing your program?
Means to improve students' level of comprehension of the text and willingness to refer to it are needed.
Full-time instructor has been implementing Reading Apprenticeship strategies to help students gain
insight into ways that they read texts. Also, different textbooks have been adopted semester-tosemester since this assessment data was collected to discern influence of the text on learning outcomes.
More classroom time in some courses is being allocated to interactive engagement with geography
texts.
To elevate awareness on our campus and among U.S. students, in Fall 2014 the Curriculum Committee
approved permanent institutionalization of the AMS Climate Studies course (GEOG 13) as a new course
in Geography and in our new Environmental Studies A. A. program. It promises to not only modernize
the course content for teaching atmospheric science at Chabot, but also to stimulate cross-disciplinary
interest in all aspects of the climate change issue: scientific, sociological, economic, and political.
58
Appendix D: A Few Questions
Please answer the following questions with "yes" or "no". For any questions answered "no",
please provide an explanation. No explanation is required for "yes" answers. Write n/a if the
question does not apply to your area.
1. Have all of your course outlines been updated within the past five years?
No. need to update GEOG 1L, 3, 8, 21, 22, 95, 96
2. Have you deactivated all inactive courses? (courses that haven’t been taught in five years or
won’t be taught in three years should be deactivated)
No. GEOG 22, 95, and 96 have not yet been taught.
3. Have all of your courses been offered within the past five years? If no, why should those
courses remain in our college catalog?
No. GEOG 22, 95, and 96 are required courses only for the Certificate of Proficiency in
GIS program. They have not yet been offered due to lack of FTEF and very small
student demand.
4. Do all of your courses have the required number of CLOs completed, with corresponding
rubrics? If no, identify the CLO work you still need to complete, and your timeline for
completing that work this semester
Yes.
5. Have you assessed all of your courses and completed "closing the loop" forms for all of your
courses within the past three years? If no, identify which courses still require this work, and
your timeline for completing that work this semester.
Yes.
6. Have you developed and assessed PLOs for all of your programs? If no, identify programs which
still require this work, and your timeline to complete that work this semester.
Yes. See Appendix C.
7. If you have course sequences, is success in the first course a good predictor of success in the
subsequent course(s)?
N/A
8. Does successful completion of College-level Math and/or English correlate positively with
success in your courses? If not, explain why you think this may be.
Yes.
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Appendix E: Proposal for New and Ongoing Initiatives and Projects (Complete
for each initiative/project)
AMS Climate Studies Diversity Project – extension of the course implementation
Audience: Deans/Unit Administrators, PRBC, Foundation, Grants Committee, Equity, BSC, College Budget
Committee
Purpose: The project will require the support of additional and/or outside funding.
How does your project address the college's Strategic Plan goal, significantly improve student learning or
service, and/or address disproportionate impact?
The extension of this initiative promises to improve student learning of current issues related to
climate change and its environmental impacts. And by institutionalizing the Climate Studies
course, we can enhance our new Environmental Studies program by providing students with
access to new, cutting-edge learning resources for studying the relationships between human
activities and the state of Earth’s changing atmosphere.
The initiative increases access for students and the college community to up-to-date consensus
findings about the climate change crisis, with particular relevance for those students with
educational goals and on pathways related to environmental issues.
What is your specific goal and measurable outcome? (Note: Complete the Equity/BSI proposal in
Appendix E1 if you would like to request these funds and indicate “see Equity/BSI proposal for detail”)
With the support of the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) Climate Diversity Project,
Chabot has joined a select group of Minority-Serving institutions by piloting the AMS-designed
Climate Studies course in the Spring semesters of both 2014 and 2015. We have realized our
goal from last year’s program review to establish the course as a permanent course within our
Geography and Environmental Studies programs (GEOG 13). We have updated its learning
resources for next year through coordination with AMS. The participating Chabot faculty
member continues to participate in webinars and telephone conferences to report on the
progress made in implementing the course at Chabot and to attend briefings on activities and
updates in relation to the Climate Studies Diversity Project. Chabot students over upcoming
academic years will benefit from interaction with learning resources (mostly on the Internet)
developed by leading climate scientists and organizations such as the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA).
In Fall 2016 we plan to offer GEOG 13 as the institutionalized Climate Studies course for the
first time. By analyzing enrollments and rates of success over the next few academic years, we
will be able to measure our learning outcomes that relate to evaluating climate variability,
human influences on climate change, and public mitigation and adaptation to changing climates.
What learning or service area outcomes does your project address? Where in your program review are
these outcomes and the results of assessment discussed (note: if assessment was completed during a
different year, please indicate which year).
The Climate Studies course implementation project particularly addresses the learning
outcomes of Geography 8 and Geography 13. Assessment results and discussion of the CLOs
for Geography 8 are found in this program review, Appendix B2, “closing-the-loop” for GEOG 8.
It also directly address PLO #3 for the Geography A.A. program which is discussed in Appendix
C.
60
What is your action plan to achieve your goal?
Activity (brief description)
Complete and assess the outcomes of the first offering of the
Climate Studies course GEOG 13, Fall 2016
Target
Completion
Date
Dec, 2016
Attend AMS Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ and obtain
updated information on course content and implementation
Jan, 2016
Advertise to the campus community the Climate Studies
Diversity Project and Chabot’s contributions to the American
College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
ongoing
Required Budget
(Split out personnel, supplies,
other categories)
$149 AMS Climate Studies
2016-2017 course license
(supplies)
$1556 - see tab 5000 in PR
College Resource Request
spreadsheet
How will you manage the personnel needs?
New Hires:
Faculty # of positions
Classified staff # of positions
Reassigning existing employee(s) to the project; employee(s) current workload will be:
Covered by overload or part-time employee(s)
Covered by hiring temporary replacement(s)
Other, explain
At the end of the project period, the proposed project will:
Be completed (onetime only effort)
Require additional funding to continue and/or institutionalize the project
(obtained by/from):college, $149 per year
Will the proposed project require facility modifications, additional space, or program relocation?
No
Yes, explain:
Will the proposed project involve subcontractors, collaborative partners, or cooperative agreements?
No
Yes, explain: coordination with the AMS Climate Studies Project, Washington, DC
Do you know of any grant funding sources that would meet the needs of the proposed project?
No
Yes, list potential funding sources:
61
Appendix E1: Equity and Basic Skills Initiative Fund Requests:
Project Name:
Contact Name:
Division/Discipline/Program/Office:
Contact info: (email, campus phone, and cell phone)
Check the student success indicator(s) your project will address
__ ACCESS: Enroll more of a population group to match their representation in community.
__ COURSE COMPLETION: Increase success rates in identified courses.
__ ESL AND BASIC SKILLS COMPLETION:
Increase success rates in ESL or Basic Skills courses, and
Increase the completion of degree/transfer courses by ESL or Basic Skills students.
__DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE COMPLETION:
Increase percent of degrees/certificates among degree/certificate-seeking students.
__TRANSFER
Increase percent of transfers to 4-year colleges among transfer-directed students.
Check the type of project you are proposing
___ Curriculum/Program improvement ____ Outreach
___ Direct student intervention
____ Instructional Support
___ Faculty development
____ Research and Evaluation
___Other:
____ Coordination and Planning
To determine whether your project can be funded by Equity funds:
1) Does your proposal address disproportionate impact for any of the following target student
populations marked with an “X”? Please highlight the “X” that corresponds with your target populations.
(Equity funds must address specific opportunity gaps identified below with an “X”)
GOALS
Goal A:
Goal B:
Goal C:
Goal D1:
Goal D2:
Goal E:
Access
Course
ESL/Basic
Degree
Cert
Transfer
Completion Skills
Completion Completion
/ Success
Success
Rates
Males
X
Foster Youth
Students with
disabilities
Low-income
Veterans
X
X
X
X
X
X
American Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African
X
X
X
62
X
X
X
X
X
X
American
Filipino
X
Hispanic or Latino
X
Hawaiian or Pacific
Islander
White
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
2) COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS
In what ways does your project include collaboration between academic and student services and/or
with the community? (Equity proposals that partner to reach target populations are prioritized over
proposals that do not)
To determine how your project fits into your discipline’s or program’s planning:
1) Is your project mentioned in your area’s latest program review?
__ Yes __ No
2) Does your immediate administrator support this project?
__ No __ Yes
3) How have you shared this proposal with others in the relevant area, discipline, or division? When did
this conversation take place and who was involved?
PROJECT GOALS, ACTIVITIES, BUDGET, OUTCOMES, AND EVALUATION
GOAL
What does your project hope to achieve overall?
DOCUMENTING NEED AND SOLUTION
Please provide data to support the need for your project and the solution you propose.
ACTIVITIES
Please list all the activities (A.1, A. 2, A.3, etc.) that you propose to do to reach your goal.
List activities by target date in chronological order.
Identify the responsible person/group for each activity, and who will be involved.
63
BUDGET
Provide a budget that shows how the funds will be spent to support the activities.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES and EVALUATION
How will you know whether or not you have achieved your goal?
What measurable outcomes are you hoping to achieve for the student success indicator and target
population you chose?
How will you identify the students who are affected (are they part of a class, a program, or a service, or
will you need to track them individually)?
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Appendix F1A: Full-Time Faculty Request(s) [Acct. Category 1000]
Audience: Faculty Prioritization Committee and Administrators
Purpose: Providing explanation and justification for new and replacement positions for full-time faculty
Instructions: Please justify the need for your request. Discuss anticipated improvements in student
learning and contribution to the Strategic Plan goal. Cite evidence and data to support your request,
including enrollment management data (EM Summary by Term) for the most recent three years, student
success and retention data, and any other pertinent information. Data is available at:
http://www.chabotcollege.edu/programreview/Data2015.asp
Spreadsheet: To be considered, requests must be added to the Resource Request Spreadsheet. You can
find the template for the spreadsheet here:
http://www.chabotcollege.edu/prbc/academicprogramreview.asp. Add your requests to your
spreadsheet under the 1000a tab and check the box below once they’ve been added.
Total number of positions requested (please fill in number of positions requested):
☒
1
Summary of positions requested completed in Program Review Resource Request
Spreadsheet (please check box to left)
CHABOT COLLEGE
CRITERIA FOR FILLING CURRENT VACANCIES
OR
REQUESTING NEW FACULTY POSITIONS
Discipline _Geography_
Criteria 1.
Percent of full-time faculty in department.
Fall 2012 Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Fall 2014
FTEF
(Contract)
0.95
1.1
0.95
1.1
0.95
FTEF
(Temporary)
1.2
1.4
1.4
1.2
1.4
# of Contract
Faculty
1
1
1
1
1
Name of Recently Retired Faculty (in last 4 yrs)
Date Retired
Desre Anderes
May, 2011
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Criteria 2.
Semester end departmental enrollment pattern for last three years.
Fall 2012
Spring
2013
Fall 2013
Spring
2014
Fall 2014
Success Rate:
80%
77%
78%
79%
72%
FTES:
50.7
55.83
47.0
49.88
46.8
Briefly describe how a new hire will impact your success/retention rates.
The Geography Program at Chabot now encompasses 6 different courses that must be
offered regularly (every semester or every other semester) in order to enable
completion of an A. A. or A. A.-T degree in a two-year pathway. The approval of our new
Geography A. A.-T degree program likely will attract more geography students. In order
to attain a balance of course offerings that enable student completion of a program in
our discipline over a reasonable time period, Geography needs another full-time faculty
member.
In addition, we have not been able to retain any students in the GIS Certificate Program
because of inadequate FTEF. The one full-time time instructor qualified to teach the full
course sequence for the certificate must teach other Geography courses every semester
to cover the AA programs offerings. An additional full-time instructor would enable us
to schedule regular course offerings to enable recruitment and retention of students in
the GIS program.
2b. Librarian and Counselor faculty ratio. Divide head count by the number of full
time faculty. For example, 8000 students divided by 3 full time faculty, 1:2666
Criteria 3.
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Fall 2014
1:532
1:559
1:495
1:490
1:490
Meets established class size.
WSCH
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Fall 2013 Spring 2014
Fall 2014
1596
1755
1485
1554
1470
55.83
31.43
47.0
31.60
49.88
31.15
46.8
31.41
FTES:
50.7
WSCH/FTES 31.48
If there are any external factors that limit class sizes, please explain.
66
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GEOG 20) and our other 2 GIS courses
(GEOG 21 and GEOG 22) are interactive GIS software training courses in our computer
lab that work most effectively with a small number of students (8-15 ideally). Smaller
size allows more class time for 1:1 instructor—student communication and coaching.
Criteria 4.
Current instructional gaps and program service needs. List the courses to fill
the gaps, if applicable.
GEOG 1L – Introduction to Physical Geography Laboratory. This is a “core” course in
our programs that has consistently high demand—we need to offer more sections. It is
sometimes a “bottleneck”.
GEOG 21, 22, 95, 96 – These are required courses in our GIS Certificate Program. We
have insufficient faculty and FTEF to offer them in any timely way. Only GEOG 21 has
been offered at all, twice, in Spring 2010 and Fall 2013.
GEOG 12 – Geography of California. We lost our long-time adjunct instructor for this
course in Spring 2013. We have had to cut the frequency of offering this popular
course.
Criteria 5.
Describe how courses and/or services in this discipline meet PRBC’s three
tier criteria. These include:
 Tier 1: outside mandates (e.g. to ensure the licensure of the program.)
 Tier 2: program health, (e.g. addresses gaps in faculty expertise and creates
pathways, alleviates bottlenecks, helps units where faculty have made large
commitments outside the classroom to develop/implement initiatives that
support the strategic plan goal, and helps move an already successful initiative
forward.
 Tier 3: Student need/equity, (e.g. addresses unmet needs as measured by
unmet/backlogged advising needs, bottlenecks in GE areas and basic skills,
impacted majors in which students cannot begin or continue their pathway.)
Tier 2:  Geography needs another faculty member with expertise in GIS
(we have only 1) to help in offering the 5 courses for the GIS Certificate
Program at regular intervals. The GIS courses and GEOG 1L (Intro. to
Physical Geography Lab) are bottlenecks in Geography’s program
pathways.  The one full-time faculty member performs all the
administrative tasks of Geography’s 3 programs and teaches 4-5 “preps”
every semester.  Geography needs a faculty member with expertise in the
regional geography of California.  The full-time instructor spends large
amounts of time outside the classroom to administrate the Climate Studies
initiative in which Chabot was invited to participate by the American
67
Meteorological Society in 2012. This initiative needs to move forward and
is very relevant to the global public problem of climate change and global
warming.
Tier 3:  4-5 of our Geography courses are included in the core
requirements or electives list of other disciplines’ programs, including
Anthropology, international Studies, Political Science, Elementary Teacher
Education, Liberal Arts, Sociology, Social Science, and Environmental
Studies.  GEOG 1 and GEOG 1L have consistently high student demand
because they can fulfill the GE Natural Science requirement and science
lab requirement for transfer, respectively.
68
Criteria 6.
Upon justification the college may be granted a faculty position to start a new
program or to enhance an existing one.
Is this a new program or is it designed to enhance an existing program? Please
explain.
Enhance the existing 3 programs in Geography. And,
potentially re-instate a lapsed program that is important in most
community colleges: Geology. We have the opportunity possible to hire a
new full-time instructor who would be qualified to teach Geography, GIS,
and Geology. All we need is the imagination and determination to find one
candidate who could fill these roles simultaneously.
Geography has had only 1 full-time faculty member since Fall, 2011. We have 12
courses that qualify for GE transfer under IGETC. 6 of these courses must be
offered regularly in order to facilitate the 2-year pathway for A.A. degree students
who want to transfer to a university for a bachelor’s degree. All of our regularly
scheduled courses fulfill GE transfer requirements for IGETC in either Area 4 or
Area 5. The full-time instructor is responsible for review, development, and
student recruitment and counseling in 4 programs: Geography A.A., A.A.-T, the
new Environmental Studies A.A., and the Certificate of Proficiency program in
Geographic Information Systems.
Our WSCH/FTEF over the last 3 academic years for all of Geography is 648. Our
core/popular lecture-based courses, GEOG 1 & 2, have sustained WSCH/FTEF
ratios over 700 consistently for the last 5 years and were significantly (800-900)
higher before our previous full-time instructor who built this program retired.
Introduction to Physical Geography historically has been a very popular course
for students to fulfill their 3-hour GE requirement in natural science. Geography 1
and our Physical Geography Lab course (GEOG 1L) are always full, in high
demand, and often are bottlenecks in students’ progress through transfer
programs.
We tragically lost our very knowledgeable instructor for Geography of California,
another popular elective course in the Social Sciences and a course with a
nearly guaranteed future in light of California’s pattern of growth, its being largest
in population among the states, and pressing water and other natural resources
issues. We need to hire someone with the expertise and enthusiasm needed for
this course dealing with our home environments.
TEACHING THE TECHNOLOGIES OF GEOGRAPHY: GIS CERTIFICATE
PROGRAM/GIS COURSES
The technological tools that accompany Geography today are 2 of the most
widespread technologies used in research and in everyday life today: remote
sensing (including satellites and GPS) and Geographic Information Systems
(GIS). Consider how ubiquitous internet mapping and location finding
applications are. These are all GIS-based technologies.
69
GIS is an essential tool, used not only for mapping everything, but for marketing,
environmental monitoring, urban and regional planning, natural resource
development, and government data collection and analysis. GIS IS modern-day
map-making and the architecture for digital data storage of location information.
All the retail and service industries use GIS to track their customer’s purchasing
patterns and develop marketing strategies. In all the environmental sciences,
GIS is the most significant tool in natural resources assessment and monitoring.
A contemporary example of the value of geography and GIS is its application to
the water shortages—one of the most pressing issues of this century. So is
climate change – another realm of 21st century science where trained GIS
specialists are going to continue to be in high demand. Chabot anticipated the
growing demand by instituting a certificate program in 2007. And yet we haven’t
awarded a certificate because we don’t have sufficient FTEF to teach the course
sequences while covering our other core geography courses.
As with all fields, nothing beats real-world experience. The only way to truly
become proficient in GIS is to simply use it. At Chabot, we teach GIS as a handon practical training experience. That’s what employers are looking for in a
candidate’s resume—useful, practical skillsets that the prospective employee
can provide. We need more Geography faculty to grow this area of our
curriculum while we also sustain our courses in the fundamental principles,
theories, and issues of world geography.
Criteria 7.
CTE Program Impact.
N/A
Criteria 8.
Degree/Transfer Impact (if applicable)
List the Certificates and/or AA degrees that your discipline/program offers.
Provide information about the number of degrees awarded in the last three years.
Degree/Certificate
# Awarded
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
Geography A.A.
0
1
0
Geography A.A.- T
Certificate of Proficiency in
Geographic Information
Systems (GIS)
Declared Geography majors
0
0
1
0
0
0
no data
9
11
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Criteria 9.
Describe how courses and/or services in this discipline impact other
disciplines and programs. Be brief and specific. Use your program review to
complete this section.
4-5 of our Geography courses are included in the core requirements of electives list of
other disciplines’ programs, including Anthropology, International Studies, Political
Science, Elementary Teacher Education, Liberal Arts, Sociology, Social Science, and
Environmental Studies.
The specific Geography courses listed in other disciplines’ programs:
Anthropology A.A.-T – GEOG 2, 3, 10 on List C
Anthropology A.A. – GEOG 1, 2, 5, 10, 12, 20 in Area B electives
Elementary Teacher Education A.A.-T – GEOG 5 in required core; GEOG 2 in List B
International Studies A.A. – GEOG 2 as option in required core; GEOG 3, 5 in elective
options list
Liberal Arts A.A. – GEOG 2, 3, 5, 10, 12, 20 in emphasis option 3; GEOG 1, 1L, 8 in
emphasis option 4
Political Science A.A.-T – GEOG 2 in List B
Sociology A.A.-T – GEOG 2 on List C
Social Science A.A. – GEOG 2 in required core
Environmental Studies A.A. – GEOG 1 and 2 in required core; GEOG 10 in emphasis
options 3 & 4
Criteria 10.
Additional justification e.g. availability of part time faculty (day/evening)
Please describe any additional criteria you wish to have considered in your
request.
Adding to our urgent need for more Geography faculty is the state’s approval in
2013 of our new Environmental Studies A. A. degree program. To promote and
administer the program in the AHSS Division in coming years, more FTEF
allocation will be needed to offer the core (GEOG 1) and elective Geography
course components (such as the new Climate Studies course, GEOG 13) of the
Environmental Studies degree. Growth in the interdisciplinary program will
depend on close collaboration with other Social Science faculty, active student
recruitment, and development of new curricula.
An additional issue is that Chabot has not offered a Geology course since Spring
semester, 2007. This is a significant shortcoming in our college’s curricula.
Geology is a major scientific discipline. It is the opinion of the Arts, Humanities,
and Social Sciences Division that we could re-establish introductory Geology
courses by hiring a full-time Geography Instructor who also holds qualifications
to teach geology. This strategy would seem particularly appropriate in light of
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the limited number of full-time faculty positions that can be prioritized within
the confines of the college’s budget. Through consultation with the college
president, Academic Services vice president, and the deans of AHSS and Science
& Mathematics, we believe the hiring of a full-time Geography/Geology
Instructor under Geography’s FTEF might be a cost-effective strategy in solving
both the problem of needing another full-time Geography Instructor and seeking
to re-institute the teaching of geology in our curriculum.
Geography requests approval and funding of one new full-time Geography
faculty position. Recruitment for this position should be specifically directed to
qualified geography instructors with significant experience in GIS/remote
sensing technologies and education. GIS and remotely sensed imaging are the
primary methodological tools today in the geosciences. College graduates with
skills and experience using GIS and remote sensing techniques have an
advantage in the highly competitive job market. Government, business, and
education have high demand for qualified GIS analysts. The use of GIS
technologies extends far beyond the field of geography to include all the
science, social science, and business management disciplines. But we also need
a new full-time faculty member simply to continue offering the full set of
courses need by our degree- or certificate-seeking students in our Geography
programs. The college can fill the gap that exists in our lack of a course offering
in Geology by recruiting an instructor who is fully qualified to teach Geology as
well as Physical Geography and GIS. Such potential candidates should be
available in the market place because combining Geography with Geology is
common in graduate degree programs in the Earth Sciences. Instructional
staffing for our Geography course offerings is critical to any effort to streamline
student pathways that include Geography courses. Among the highest priority
initiatives in the 2012-2015 Strategic Plan are: "determine the capacity of each
pathway" and "identify bottlenecks to completion". The loss of one full-time
position due to retirement has restricted further our ability of offer all the
required courses across our curriculum needed for a student to reach a
measurable educational goal (a degree or certificate, or both). A new full-time
faculty member broadens the areas of expertise and brings a new set of
experiences in the field of study, allowing more student access to information
and mentoring (2012-2015 Strategic Plan). The new faculty member would share
in delivery of our core courses and the GIS program, collaborate in, and bring
fresh ideas to, the program planning process, and innovate new teaching
strategies. We could then clear potential bottlenecks and accelerate students'
progress, produce more Chabot graduates with marketable skills, and enable
Geography to assist other Chabot units, both academic and administrative.
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Appendix F1B: Reassign Time Request(s) [Acct. Category 1000]
Audience: Administrators
Purpose: Provide explanation and justification for work to be completed. (Note: positions require job
responsibility descriptions that are approved by the appropriate administrator(s).)
Instructions: Please justify the need for your request. Discuss anticipated improvements in student
learning and contribution to the Strategic Plan goal. Cite evidence and data to support your request,
including enrollment management data (EM Summary by Term) for the most recent three years,
student success and retention data, and any other pertinent information. Data is available at
http://www.chabotcollege.edu/programreview/Data2015.asp
Spreadsheet: To be considered, requests must be added to the Resource Request Spreadsheet. Add
your requests to your spreadsheet under the 1000b tab and check the box below once they’ve been
added.
Total number of hours requested and the type of contact hour:
☐
Summary of hours requested completed in Program Review Resource Request Spreadsheet
(please check box to left)
73
Appendix F2A: Classified Staffing Request(s) [Acct. Category 2000]
Audience: Administrators, PRBC, Classified Prioritization Committee
Purpose: Providing explanation and justification for new and replacement positions for full-time and
part-time regular (permanent) classified professional positions (new, augmented and replacement
positions). Remember, student assistants are not to replace Classified Professional staff.
Instructions: Please complete a separate Classified Professionals Staffing Request form for each position
requested and attach form(s) as an appendix to your Program Review.
Spreadsheet: To be considered, requests must be added to the Resource Request Spreadsheet AND a
separate Classified Professionals Staffing Request form must be completed for each position requested.
Add your requests to your spreadsheet under the 2000a tab and check the box below once they’ve
been added.
Please click here to find the link to the Classified Professional Staffing Request form:
http://www.chabotcollege.edu/prbc/APR/2016-17%20Classified%20Professionals%20Staffing%20Request%20Form.pdf
This is a fillable PDF. Please save the form, fill it out, then save again and check the box below once
you’ve done so. Submit your Classified Professionals Staffing Request form(s) along with your Program
Review Narrative and Resource Request spreadsheet.
Total number of positions requested (please fill in number of positions requested):
1
☒
Separate Classified Professionals Staffing Request form completed and attached to Program
Review for each position requested (please check box to left)
☒
Summary of positions requested completed in Program Review Resource Request
Spreadsheet (please check box to left)
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Appendix F2B: Student Assistant Requests [Acct. Category 2000]
Audience: Administrators, PRBC
Purpose: Providing explanation and justification for student assistant positions. Remember, student
assistants are not to replace Classified Professional staff.
Instructions: Please justify the need for your request. Discuss anticipated improvements in student
learning and contribution to the Strategic Plan goal, safety, mandates, and accreditation issues. Please
cite any evidence or data to support your request. If these positions are categorically funded, include
and designate the funding source of new categorically-funded positions where continuation is
contingent upon available funding.
Rationale for proposed student assistant positions:
How do the assessments that you preformed to measure student learning outcomes (SLO’s) or service
area outcomes (SAO’s) support this request?
Spreadsheet: To be considered, requests must be added to the Resource Request Spreadsheet. Add
your requests to your spreadsheet under the 2000b tab and check the box below once they’ve been
added.
Total number of positions requested (please fill in number of positions requested):
☐
Summary of positions requested completed in Resource Request Spreadsheet (please check
box to left)
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Appendix F3: FTEF Requests
Audience: Administrators, CEMC, PRBC
Purpose: To recommend changes in FTEF allocations for subsequent academic year and guide Deans
and CEMC in the allocation of FTEF to disciplines. For more information, see Article 29 (CEMC) of the
Faculty Contract.
Instructions: In the area below, please list your requested changes in course offerings (and
corresponding request in FTEF) and provide your rationale for these changes. Be sure to analyze
enrollment trends and other relevant data at
http://www.chabotcollege.edu/ProgramReview/Data2015.asp
COURSE
a) GEOG 12
b) GEOG 1L
c) GEOG 13
d) GEOG 20
e) GEOG 22
f)
GEOG 95/96
CURRENT
FTEF
(2015-16)
0.2
0.45
ADDITIONAL
FTEF
NEEDED
0.2
0.15
0
0.2
0
0
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.15
CURRENT
SECTIONS
1-fall
1-fall
2-spring
0
1-fall
0
0
ADDITIONAL
SECTIONS
NEEDED
1-spring
1-fall
CURRENT
STUDENT #
SERVED
18-32
112
ADDITIONAL
STUDENT #
SERVED
25-44
44
1
1-spring
1
1-95
1-96,
concurrent
0
8
0
0
44
25
25
Unknown
prob. 3-4
Rationale: In order to support:
1. coverage by faculty of all Geography course offerings needed to enable student completion of
requirements for our A.A. and A.A.-T programs in a timely fashion; and
2. the GIS Certificate of Proficiency in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program, and
3. the upgrading of student access to our GIS courses Geography needs additional FTEF allocation to restore one section per year each of GEOG 1L and
GEOG 12 that were cut for various reasons since 2011. We also need the ability, in some semesters,
to schedule more than one GIS course to run concurrently. Our current FTEF does not allow
scheduling of the courses necessary for a student at Chabot to earn the GIS Certificate of Proficiency.
For example, we would like to accommodate both introductory-level GIS students enrolling in GEOG
20 and more advanced GIS students who have completed GEOG 20 (or equivalent) and wish to enroll
in GEOG 21, the 2nd level GIS applications course. Our current academic year FTEF allocation barely
allows us to offer our annual range of courses that consistently reach or surpass enrollment
expectations.
We are presently unable to staff courses that students need for fulfillment of GE requirements and for
timely completion of the Geography A.A. and A.A.-T programs. We have currently insufficient
allocation to allow simultaneous offering of more than one GIS course (GEOG 20, 21, 22, 95, 96) in a
semester without sacrificing one or more sections of “core” courses. We cannot expect to award our
76
first Certificate of Proficiency in GIS without additional FTEF allocation and the hiring of another
Geography full-time faculty member, as discussed in Appendix F1A.
Geography requests 1.10 new FTEF allocation (as indicated by course in the table above) to:
a) allow offering of an additional section of GEOG 12 per year that was functionally lost by the
untimely death of instructor Myron Gershenson; b) restore a second fall section of GEOG 1L that was
dropped in Fall, 2011. The lack of seats available in the fall semester (only 44 available at present) in
GEOG 1L is a significant bottleneck for students seeking to fulfill the science lab component for GE
transfer; c) enable offering the popular Introduction to GIS (GEOG 20) course each semester instead
of only once per year; e) offer once per year the recently approved new course, GEOG 13—Climate
Studies, that is discussed above in Appendix E.
d) and f): Included in this request is a yearly allocation of a minimum of 0.3 additional FTEF to enable
offering in our class schedule each academic year at least one additional GIS applications course
(GEOG 21, 22) and both GIS work experience courses which a student must take concurrently
(GEOG 95 and 96). We seek to accomplish this without sacrificing our “core” course offerings that
consistently have shown high enrollments.
As an example, with an additional 0.3 FTEF for Spring Semester 2017, we would anticipate a
proposed schedule that would include:
GEOG 20
3 units (0.2 FTEF)
GEOG 22
3 units (0.2 FTEF)
GEOG 95/96 1-3 units (0.1-0.15 FTEF)
GEOG 22 and GEOG 95/96 would be first-time course offerings that would complete an interested
student’s requirements for completion of the GIS Certificate of Proficiency.
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Appendix F4: Academic Learning Support Requests [Acct. Category 2000]
Audience: Administrators, PRBC, Learning Connection
Purpose: Providing explanation and justification for new and replacement student assistants (tutors,
learning assistants, lab assistants, supplemental instruction, etc.).
Instructions: Please justify the need for your request. Discuss anticipated improvements in student
learning and contribution to the Strategic Plan goal. Please cite any evidence or data to support your
request. If this position is categorically funded, include and designate the funding source of new
categorically-funded position where continuation is contingent upon available funding.
Spreadsheet: To be considered, requests must be added to the Resource Request Spreadsheet. Add
your requests to your spreadsheet under the 2000b tab and check the box below once they’ve been
added.
Total number of positions requested (please fill in number of positions requested):
☒
4
Summary of positions requested completed in Program Review Resource Request
Spreadsheet (please check box to left)
Rationale for your proposal based on your program review conclusions. Include anticipated impact on
student learning outcomes and alignment with the strategic plan goal. Indicate if this request is for the
same, more, or fewer academic learning support positions.
As of Fall 2015, Geography has no Learning Assistants or Peer Tutors. However, we
have had both in some past semesters. This request is for an increase in learning
support positions in Geography. We are requesting at priority #2 level one LA and one
Peer Tutor to support student learning in GEOG 1. At priority #3 level, we request one
Peer Tutor for GEOG 2 & 5 (Cultural & Regional Geography courses) and, if possible,
one Learning Assistant for our Climate Studies course (GEOG 13).
We request 2 student Learning Assistants (LA), one (1) who will attend GEOG 1
classes regularly to augment our instructional classroom resources as experienced peers
of our students. The LA will work with small student groups on in-class exercises; assist
students in taking lecture notes and modeling good note-taking practices,
observe/identify students struggling with concepts, answer questions, and use
supplemental means of instruction outside of class to clarify or exemplify concepts. An
LA can model and encourage meaningful questions on course content and can keep a
"metacognitive log" of the learning process. He or she can also serve as study group
leaders, according to the guidelines initiated by The Learning Connection. A second
Learning Assistant is requested for GEOG 13. In Spring 2014, we implemented a set of
new learning modules for GEOG 8 (Introduction to Weather and Climate) adapted from
the Climate Studies project of the American Meteorological Society (described in
narrative section 2, above). In Fall 2016, we will have our first offering of GEOG 13 that
permanently establishes the Climate Studies pedagogy. This approach has proven
successful in two trial runs as GEOG 8. The implementation of GEOG 13 integrates hightechnology internet resources of NASA and NOAA, as well as learning resources
developed by AMS and a new textbook. Students in GEOG 13 (i.e. Spring 2015) would
78
benefit from a peer leader (request #4) who has previously succeed in Climate Studies
and can assist in accessing and explaining the applicability of these resources inside and
outside of class.
How do the assessments that you preformed to measure student learning outcomes (SLO’s) or service
area outcomes (SAO’s) support this request?
In the last 2-3 academic years, we have coordinated with Institutional Research (IR) in
the tabulation of student surveys about their engagement with learning resources, with
and without PATH tutoring help. The participation of LAs in the classroom environment
will enable collection of new data toward ascertaining a comparative level of active
classroom student engagement when an LA is present and not present.
Learning Assistants and Peer Tutors can aid in the realization of our Student Learning
Outcomes (SLOs) in GEOG 1: to Improve skills in observing the physical environment;
to explain methods of synthesizing concepts, observations, and data toward describing
physical processes; and to visualize real-world examples of processes operating in the
physical environment. SLO assessments have revealed that many students are underprepared in reading scientific literature and basic math skills. Tutoring outside of class
time will give students of GEOG 1, 2, 5, and 13 more opportunities to improve essential
skills in studying physical and social science and to practice using the vocabulary and
quantitative methods of Geography.
We request 2 Peer Tutors for Geography who will provide supplemental instruction and
guidance to students in Geography courses via regularly scheduled tutoring sessions in
the PATH Center.
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Appendix F5: Supplies Requests [Acct. Category 4000]
Audience: Administrators, Budget Committee, PRBC
Purpose: To request funding for supplies and service, and to guide the Budget Committee in allocation
of funds.
Instructions: In the area below, please list both your anticipated budgets and additional funding
requests for categories 4000. Do NOT include conferences and travel, which are submitted on Appendix
F6. Justify your request and explain in detail the need for any requested funds beyond those you
received this year. Please also look for opportunities to reduce spending, as funds are limited.
Spreadsheet: To be considered, requests must be added to the Resource Request Spreadsheet.
Follow the link below and check the box below once they’ve been added.
☒
SUPPLIES tab (4000) completed in Program Review Resource Request Spreadsheet (please
check box to left)
How do the assessments that you preformed to measure student learning outcomes (SLO’s) or service
area outcomes (SAO’s) support this request?
All of the SLOs for Geography’s GIS courses (GEOG 20, 21, 22, 95, 96) require students’
use of the ArcGIS software that we license through membership in the FCCC GIS
Collaborative. The renewal each year of the AMS Climate Studies license is critical to the
delivery of all the course content of GEOG 13 and 8. The assessment of SLO’s for GEOG
8 have demonstrated the value to students of the digital Climate Studies Investigations
Manual and the continuously updated online resources about the current state of the
world’s climate system from organizations like AMS, NASA, and NOAA.
80
Appendix F6: Contracts & Services, Conference & Travel Requests [Acct.
Category 5000]
Audience: Staff Development Committee, Administrators, Budget Committee, PRBC
Purpose: To request funding for contracts & services and conference attendance, and to guide the
Budget and Staff Development Committees in allocation of funds.
Instructions: Please list specific conferences/training programs, including specific information on the
name of the conference and location. Your rationale should discuss student learning goals and/or
connection to the Strategic Plan goal.
Spreadsheet: To be considered, requests must be added to the Resource Request Spreadsheet.
Follow the link below and check the box below once they’ve been added.
1.
2.
There should be a separate line item for each contract or service.
Travel costs should be broken out and then totaled (e.g., airfare, mileage, hotel, etc.)
Don Plondke, the instructor for Climate Studies (GEOG 13) and Introduction to Weather and
Climate (GEOG 8) is a member of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and plans to
attend the AMS 2016 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, January 10-14, 2016.
☒
TRAVEL/SERVICES tab (5000) completed in Program Review Resource Request Spreadsheet
(please check box to left)
Rationale:
Attendance at the conference is important to obtain updates on course delivery
components and implementation strategies for GEOG 8 and GEOG 13 that use AMSdesigned pedagogical tools. Chabot, a Minority-serving institution, is an invited participant
in AMS’s Climate Studies Diversity Project.
How do the assessments that you preformed to measure student learning outcomes (SLO’s) or service
area outcomes (SAO’s) support this request?
Instructor’s participation in this conference will support SLO of GEOG 13: “apply the
techniques, tools, and instruments of atmospheric science to the observation, statistical
evaluation, portrayal, and prediction of climatic variability.”
81
Appendix F7: Technology and Other Equipment Requests [Acct. Category 6000]
Audience: Budget Committee, Technology Committee, Administrators
Purpose: To be read and responded to by Budget Committee and to inform priorities of the Technology
Committee.
Instructions: Please fill in the following as needed to justify your requests .If you're requesting
classroom technology, see
http://www.chabotcollege.edu/audiovisual/Chabot%20College%20Standard.pdf for the brands/model
numbers that are our current standards. If requesting multiple pieces of equipment, please rank order
those requests. Include shipping cost and taxes in your request.
Spreadsheet: To be considered, requests must be added to the Resource Request Spreadsheet.
Follow the link below and check the box below once they’ve been added.
☐
EQUIPMENT tab (6000) completed in Program Review Resource Request Spreadsheet (please
check box to left)
Please follow the link here to make your request and summarize below
http://intranet.clpccd.cc.ca.us/technologyrequest/default.htm
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Appendix F8: Facilities Requests
Audience: Facilities Committee, Administrators
Purpose: To be read and responded to by Facilities Committee.
Background: Although some of the college's greatest needs involving new facilities cannot be met with
the limited amount of funding left from Measure B, smaller pressing needs can be addressed. Projects
that can be legally funded with bond dollars include the "repairing, constructing, acquiring, and
equipping of classrooms, labs, sites and facilities." In addition to approving the funding of projects, the
FC participates in addressing space needs on campus, catalogs repair concerns, and documents larger
facilities needs that might be included in future bond measures. Do NOT use this form for equipment or
supply requests.
Instructions: Please fill in the following as needed to justify your requests .If requesting more than one
facilities project, please rank order your requests.
Brief Title of Request (Project Name):
Building/Location:
Type of Request
___ Space Need
___ Small Repair
___ Large Repair
___ Building Concern
___ Larger Facility Need
___ Other (grounds, signage…)
Description of the facility or grounds project. Please be as specific as possible.
What educational programs or institutional purposes does this request support and with whom are you
collaborating?
Briefly describe how your request supports the Strategic Plan Goal?
83