Part A – Trends: Describe the broad trends you see within your division/area. Cite specific internal or external data when necessary. Please include any trends you see in technology and staff development/training needs.
The library and Learning Connection provide students and faculty academic support services. The library “is committed to teaching and promoting the use of information resources to support students’ information literacy and critical thinking. In support of this mission, the Chabot College library provides all users with a safe and welcoming environment conducive to learning, collaborating, and encouraging lifelong learning.” The Learning Connection’s mission is “to ensure that instructors, staff, and students receive the support they need to achieve their teaching and learning goals.” For instructors, the Learning
Connection includes Learning Assessment, Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), and Staff
Development. For students, the Learning Connection includes PATH (tutoring in all disciplines across campus), Math Lab, Writing Reading Across the Curriculum (WRAC), Communications Lab, and Learning
Assistants (for Career Technical Education and Learning Communities).
In serving both faculty and student, the library and Learning Connection provide rich opportunities for highly synergized teaching and learning experiences—students forming study groups; faculty and librarians helping student with original research; faculty coaching students to tutor other students; faculty preparing in- and out-of-classroom support for students; students making videotapes of interviews around selected projects; and faculty exploring together the literature on teaching, reviewing data, sharing best practices, or problem-solving case studies. Trends in the Program Reviews of library and Learning
Connection might roughly be categorized in the areas of access, student success, technology, and professional development.
Access: In the library and Learning Connection, access is provided through open hours, space, staffing support, and electronic resources. Without all of these working together, we limit access.
Hours: California Ed Code (78103) requires libraries to be open during the day when classes are in session and encourages evening hours for evening students. After monitoring budget and tracking usage, we keep the library open during peak hours while classes are in session. During the semester, monthly library traffic averages 13,000 people and computer usage 6,500 students. That means on average, for Monday-Thursday we have about 800 students a day using the library with 400 of them using the computers on the mezzanine.
Space: We have visited new community college libraries as we envision what a library of the 21 st century might ideally offer and what kind of facility we would like to see in the future at Chabot. We have also visited some Centers for Teaching and Learning and Learning Resource Centers.
These visits, along with student surveys and observations, indicate students need group study spaces as well as individual study places. This year, we provided more places for students to gather in groups at tables, created comfortable seating and outdoor seating, and reconfigured a large room to be a quiet study room. We improved signage and displays to make the library more welcoming and accessible.
Though we have had a dedicated Library Instruction Room for teachers bringing an entire class for orientations and instruction, it is too small; 44 stations is a minimum, with a computer for each student essential.
In the Learning Connection, students need a centralized space easily accessible, safe, and conducive to learning, and faculty need places to review data and create improved learning support systems—our existing spaces are insufficient for the needs.
Student Success:
Instructional improvements: The library has improved both its Library Skills I and II courses to offer those students instruction in information literacy using popular-culture themes, with recent approval for teaching Library Skills II in a hybrid format.
We know students who use Learning Support have higher success and lower withdrawal rates than students who do not. Approximately 3,000 unique students visited our tutoring labs last year. For

students in some courses, Learning Assistants, embedded in the course, are more effective than tutoring in a center. Tutors receive instruction, guidance, and a tutor-training handbook. Our improvement of student success through tutoring requires hiring and training well-qualified tutors who are available for students across disciplines.
Our new Communication Lab is highly successful, with 94% of students who use the lab passing their Communication Studies course, in comparison to 71% who do not use the lab. The lab tutors and instructors also coach students to give presentations in courses across all disciplines.
Assessment: After reflecting upon the Student Learning Outcome assessments, librarians have increased opportunities for experiential learning in the Library Skills classes and in orientations. Staff discussions of services in reviewing Service Area Outcomes helped us to improve the process of checking out materials. All tutor courses were assessed and close the loop forms completed.
Starting in 2010-11, the Dean convened a steering committee for accreditation recommendation number 3, to align library and learning resource assessments and program reviews with planning and budget. During Fall 2011 we completed the first draft of the response to the recommendation.
Outreach: The library continues to offer book reads and author talks, monthly themed books displays, “the blog,” “the library thing,” term paper workshops, and “wine and weed” for faculty (collection development activities). One librarian has joined a new Learning Community, Change It Now (CIN)! to support information literacy in a curriculum focused on social change.
Basic skills: Through efforts of the Center for Teaching and Learning, with Faculty Inquiry Groups
(FIGs) and other professional development efforts, we have increased course success in developmental courses in math/English/ESL (about 7% over 3 years), and fall-to-fall persistence of students in developmental courses (about 5% over 3 years). Students report in the 2011 Student Satisfaction Survey that fewer of their classes have instructors presenting only lectures (about 10% less than in 2007).
Technology: We have expanded use of technology to streamline processes and improve services.
Online upgrades, tracking, and scheduling: We have upgraded the SirsiDynix Integrated Library
System and serviced the library catalog, providing a cleaner catalog, making it easier for students to search for materials, and helping us to better track our records.
We have adapted software for reserving study rooms for groups on line.
We are now using electronic counters at the door entrances to better track library usage.
In the Learning Connection during Fall 11, we moved from in-person to on-line appointment scheduling using eSARS. In Spring 12, given the challenges of scheduling recurring appointments, we developed an improved system combining in-person and on-line scheduling.
Online access and collection development: In the library and the PATH area, even with our expanded capacity for wireless connections so students may use laptops, some students cannot afford laptops; thus, as we have seen in other libraries, we would like to establish a laptop lending program.
Library online access has been improved by a new library homepage, an improved website, and the use of chat. One thousand additional e-books were purchased last year, giving us over 28,000 volumes of e-books. With the statewide collaboration through the work of the Chief Council of Librarians, we were able to purchase 14,000 online periodicals.
“Student Voices” project and “Making Visible” video: Using grant money, the Center for Teaching and Learning worked with students and instructor Sean McFarland to produce a video of student voices,
“Tuning the Voice,” following new Chabot students across a semester “reality-TV style.” Themes toward student success evolved, for example, the importance of community, students’ well being, scaffolding learning and other teaching methods.
The Learning Connection is making a video to document the experiences of students and tutors in the program. It will be used to educate, assess and promote the program.
Students working with faculty researchers as co-inquirers is a national trend, and Chabot’s video projects might be expanded into other types of student inquiry through our Office of Institutional Research and Center for Teaching and Learning. Our students are technologically savvy and can give us valuable insights through sharing their perspectives.

Professional Development Trends: Professional development needs to be ongoing, including opportunities for faculty to review research, review data, design and assess interventions, and opportunities for classified professionals to receive training to allow them to excel in their jobs.
Division liaisons: In the Learning Connection, we are working to create an infrastructure of division liaisons who would help organize the learning support needs specific to a discipline, which is currently implemented through meetings of TUTR 1B (subject specific tutoring) instructors. With division liaisons, we can streamline common tutoring needs as well as create learning support addressing the specific needs of a discipline, for example, the Learning Assistant or Peer-Led Team Learning programs.
Faculty Inquiry Groups: Nationally, the concept of professional development means more that simply bringing in an “outside expert;” it includes a variety of opportunities for faculty to explore and collaborate. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), with grant funding, has successfully guided over 34 Faculty Inquiry Groups over the past few years, with 7 new ones for this year, ranging in topics, including assessment, retention in online/hybrid, learning communities, acceleration in math, engagement, and Reading Apprenticeship. A dedicated CTL space would be conducive to faculty inquiry.
College-wide symposia: The CTL hosts college wide sharing from teachers whom students have nominated as being inspirational. Faculty have participated in a Cognition Book Club, sharing ideas changes in their teaching and Good Ideas for Teaching Series (GIFTS).
Part B – Staffing Priorities: Prioritize the most urgent and immediate staffing requests that need to be fulfilled.
Priority 1: STAFF: In the library, with 2 resignations equivalent to 1.5 FTE (out of 5 FTE), we hired a temporary replacement for .75 FTE this year, leaving us with a 15% reduction of staff overall. This impacted our ability to stay open and we began closing earlier in the evenings.
In the Learning Connection, we had 1 resignation equivalent to .5 FTE for our daytime front desk person. We had previously requested a .5 FTE increase for day hours due to the high numbers of students served (not approved due to budget), and when we lost .5 FTE for our day-time employee, it left us with a 25% reduction of staff. We subsequently reduced hours. In Spring 12, we hired a temporary replacement so we could sustain the program without further closure.
By using the 3 vacancies to reorganize the staffing in these two areas that will be located adjacent to one another in building 100, I have found a cost savings of $39,923.00. If we do not reorganize the staff as proposed, we will further decrease access to students by closing one or both areas an additional
20% of hours.
With the above cost savings, the replacement positions are for two Library Tech I positions to have the flexibility to work in either the library or Learning Connection: (1) Library Tech I 1 FTE afternoon/evening hours; (2) Library Tech I .5 FTE day hours. I have ranked the additional 20 hours of week for Staff Assistant as a lower priority. (See Staffing Requests Classified).
Priority 2: FACULTY: I am recommending the college fund .20 FTEF or 3 CAH per semester (6 CAH for the year) for a Data Assessment, Learning Assessment Coordinator, and Center for Teaching and
Learning Coordinator. Since faculty have learned the basics of the student learning outcome work, the greatest need is for someone who can track and report on the outcomes, which is why I am ranking the
Data Assessment Coordinator as the most crucial of the 3 positions, especially considering our upcoming accreditation visit. This will begin the institutionalization of these roles originally fully funded by Title III, as grant funds remain only 2 more years (see Staffing Requests Faculty).
Priority 3: TUTORS: (see Staffing Requests Student Assistants).
Priority 3: ADMINISTRATION: Given the current budget climate, we realize it would be difficult to put forward a request for a new dean; however, we respectfully request a serious look at the organization and distribution of divisions and units in consideration of factors such as number of full-time faculty, number of adjunct faculty, number of classified professionals, number of sections, number of students enrolled, number of direct reports. However, we will continue to look to a 5-year plan including a possible new,

dedicated Library/Learning Resources Dean. Organizational structures at most institutions include a
Dean of Library and Learning Resources/Academic Services, and Chabot used to have a dedicated
Library Dean; however, at Chabot over the past 5 years in order to save the college money, these responsibilities have been assigned to the Dean of Language Arts and faculty coordinators. Four years ago, with funding from a Title III grant and a faculty Title III Activity Coordinator (see attached graphic), we piloted and documented innovative programs, demonstrating increased student success as a result of these interventions.
We requested for the past two years a Dean of Academic Services, reporting to the Vice President of Academic Services and supervising the library, Learning Resources, Center for Teaching and
Learning, and other academic services such as student learning outcome and assessment work and the program reviews. With Chabot’s statewide leadership toward the scholarship of teaching and learning, including faculty development, qualitative research, and “making visible” student and faculty work, the proposal also suggests a close relationship with the Office of Institutional Research—all programs to part of the Building 100 project. The newly proposed Academic Dean would be responsible for managing the faculty and staff in these programs, facilitating a unified department perspective, and expanding programs to better serve our students and faculty. And with a prospective new Library/Learning Resources facility as being considered as part of the Facilities Master Plan, the administrator could provide community outreach to find additional funding and support.
A possible organizational chart was put forward at the Faculty Prioritization meeting in October
2010 to start the discussion. By eliminating the Learning Connection Project Development Coordinator
(originally funded by Title III and already eliminated for 10-11 and 11-12), the Library Coordinator (already on general fund), and the Title III Activity Coordinator, the general fund could absorb costs over the course of the next 2 years.
At this time, we anticipate a discussion of administrative organization, especially with current administrative vacancies, to consider options for providing the best supervision for the library and
Learning Connection areas.
Priority 4: FACULTY: Sometime in the future, we hope to provide a small compensation for Division
Liaisons, using our Tutoring 1B instructors, of 1 CAH for each, for 6 disciplines, totaling 12 CAH for the year. As we move into building 100, this will provide faculty engagement and presence (see Staffing
Requests-Faculty)
Part C – Enrollment Management Priorities: Describe the changes or adjustments that need to be made to enrollment management and FTEF allocations.
None requested. We have included the FTEF for Library Skills classes as part of the librarian’s regular load, and we can add additional classes if desired as part of their load.
Part D – Supplies, Services and Equipment Priorities (4000, 5000 & 6000 categories): Please include your spreadsheet indicating your priorities (i.e. Priority 1, 2 or 3).
Please see spreadsheet attached. The main concern is that $95,000 in library resource materials
(databases, periodicals, and audio-visual materials) have been moved out of the general fund to the bond; we need to develop a plan to gradually move these funds back to the general fund for when bond money runs out. We have in addition a $100,000 book budget paid by the bond, which will need to be in the next bond or moved to general fund.
As mentioned, we would like to pilot a laptop lending program, starting with 8 laptops for checkout to students in the library.
We are requesting software for the Science Lab (Anatomy and Physiology) as well as software and equipment for the English as a Second Language Lab and Communication Studies lab (supported by
Learning Connection but included in the Language Arts requests).
With building 100 phase I occurring in summer 12, we expect the major requests for the library and Learning Connection to be paid as part of the bond project.

Part E – Challenges and New Initiatives: Describe current challenges and most promising new initiatives in your area.
Challenges of access: The main challenge in both the library and the Learning Connection is to meet the demands of student needs with limited hours, space, and staffing.
Increasing access through electronic resources: With the increase in electronic resources, the library is exploring the concept and limitations of these new materials and services. We are interested in increasing the usage of quality online services, such as customized library guides, 24-hour consortium reference assistance, and wireless printing.
Our library computers do not have all of the software students need for their courses, for example, math, science, and world language software. As we take in the needs and hours of operation of various computer labs on campus, we will continue to explore different options so that materials are more readily available for students using our library computers.
We are also establishing a library lap-top check out program to provide more opportunities for disadvantaged students. We have seen the success of these types of programs.
In the Learning Connection, we also need new software as we get new computers as part of the building 100 project. To expand our online tutoring program, we will need more computers and phone lines and a space dedicated to the online tutors.
Challenges of faculty development and assessment: We need to continue to improve student success by providing more faculty development for improving teaching. The Center for Teaching and Learning has proposed a range of activities to continue to offer opportunities for faculty development focused on practices to promote student success.
Working with the professional organizations and the campus, the library plans to develop new instruments for measuring information competency across disciplines.
Challenges of institutional technology support and web pages: The eSARS track and eSARS grid need a dedicated Institutional Technology staff member to help troubleshoot problems and ensure systems are running consistently; otherwise, we lose students signing up for appointments or have inaccurate accounting systems of student use which may increase our state revenues for student contact hours.
In addition, the Student Learning Outcome Assessment Committee website and the Center for
Teaching and Learning website need more support so that web pages can be easily updated. It may be
Chabot faculty or staff need training in maintenance of web pages, and we offer a more easily understood process or institutional technology staff member to help create templates or design a site.
Facilities development: The crowded PATH center cannot serve the numbers who request tutoring, and the labs across campus cannot be appropriately staffed. We are looking forward to moving into the centralized building 100 space in two phases.
Our vision is to make the Library and Learning Resource Center, building 100, the center or heart of the campus, “conducive to learning, collaborating, and encouraging life-long learning.” A crossdisciplinary faculty team, librarians, classified professionals, and administrators has collaborated for years to plan options, and with the assistance of Steinberg architects, we have developed a schematic design for a remodeled building 100 in two phases, the first to focus in on a simple maintenance and furniture solution during summer 2012 and the second to follow the state’s design review to upgrade the library orientation room and the computer labs, both for students and for faculty development. The idea is to use this in the short term; in the longer range Facilities Master Plan we are requesting a new Library and
Learning Resource Center building.
Part F – Was there anything else that you feel needs to be included that was not already included
No