Minutes for May 6, 2011 Retreat: “Ideas into Action”
Department Members Present:
Stephanie Zappa, Carmen Johnston, Homeira Foth, Irene Plunkett, Cindy Hicks, Zac Walsh,
Larry Cain, Katie Hern, Alisa Klevens, Clara McLean, Julie Segedy, Deonne Kunkel, Kristin
Land, Sean MacFarland, Tom DeWit, Isabel Seligo
Reports from work groups focused on English Dep’t Priorities
Group 1: Culture of the Department
We began with lunch and a more celebratory tone this time. This demonstrates our progress in
relation to interpersonal relationships—strengthening the communication channels and values of
our department. We ended with a ”Happy Hour” at a local bar.
A priority for our fall retreat will be a review of the throughline and the articulated assumptions
and to recreate these to reflect our current visions. We have a clear willingness and purpose to
collaborate, a far different place to begin the 2011-12 academic year.
Group II: Program Coherence
Further discussion on the role of English classes to teach reading across the curriculum, not just
“English” texts took place. The basic skills classes might include this sort of focus, or include it
to a greater degree. The Reading Apprenticeship Program has grown to include approximately
40 faculty across disciplines, enjoying considerable success. There is an apparent gap in our
students’ ability to read and the texts available in our bookstore (essentially, many students are
not yet reading at the level of many of the texts). This is an ongoing challenge and we will
continue to discuss it.
Larry gave an extensive overview of discussions by this group regarding the coherence of our
program. This group has begun to consider the Throughline and Articulated Assumptions,
which, as above, will be continued by both Group 1 and Group II from different perspectives.
Apparently there are perceptions of others (some in counseling) that we have a lack of cohesion
in our composition track; others think our courses are too rigorous and we hold students back.
We want to consider such perceptions as we proceed to try and create the best program(s) we
possibly can. We do agree that we would like to be in closer alignment as students move from
one level of their English classes to another.
Group III – Exchanging Ideas
Monthly sessions of teacher tawk continue, and many faculty expressed appreciation for them;
they have been well-attended (10 – 15 people). Our English faculty blog site has been utilized
by some. Others expressed concern that the site is under-used, however we generally agree that
because this is a new tool, it may take time before it becomes part of our department’s culture.
Group IV—Broadening Data
The first round of surveys was completed just after mid-term (early April). These went out to 8
instructors covering 101A, 101B, and 102 courses. The purpose of the survey was to determine
how students assess their own progress and compare that to the assessment of their instructors.
Both students and instructors were also asked to determine reasons for their progress, their
struggling, or their potentially not passing the course. Students were also asked what resources
they are using to help them succeed, both those offered through the college (courses, tutoring,
etc) and those personal strategies. This group is still tabulating the results. The next set of
surveys has been distributed for these same sections to complete by the semester’s end, so we
can get an overview. Results will be discussed and analyzed at our fall retreat.
Group 5 – Placement
Angie and Stephanie have continued meeting with counseling. Both took the placement test to
see just how it is set up. The general consensus of the department is that there is quite a
disconnect between what the test assesses and the practice of the classroom, calling into question
its efficacy. Angie took the WritePlacer segment of the test, which is not actually offered to
students to date (due to cost) and which requires student to write a 600 -800 word essay in
answer to a prompt. These are numerically scored, but we have yet to review criteria for scoring.
As the state is just now considering a single placement test, which, if adopted, would be free to
administer, the discussion for how to proceed is on pause. Many of us feel, however, that we
would rather develop our own form of placement which would not be a test, but could be a
process by which students are oriented, informed, and then asked to self-select based on the
information about themselves and courses gleaned from such a process.
We began to plan our fall retreat, and have reserved the weekend of Friday, Sept. 9 to Sun, the
11th. The committee will research and plan the site, whereas the entire department will set the
agenda, most likely to be planned when we return from summer break.